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4 Great Counter-Service Turkey Options in Walt Disney World

It’s the Holiday Season! Festive holiday decorations are making their appearance in the “World,” and plans for merry-making with family and friends will be set in place.

Don’t get me wrong – that’s great and all. But let’s face it… those of us who gather here at Disney Food Blog are really thinking about all the FESTIVE FOOD we’re going to enjoy! Specifically, we’re ready to talk TURKEY (and gravy, cranberries, and stuffing) at Disney World Counter-Service locations! These are some great choices if you’re touring the World during the holidays and don’t have time for a sit-down situation. Grab your holiday eats on the go!

Holiday Turkey Sandwich – Earl of Sandwich

Perhaps you’re already familiar with the Holiday Turkey Sandwich at Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney: turkey, stuffing, gravy, and cranberry all on Earl’s artisan bread.

Holiday Turkey Sandwich

Maybe you are among those who love it so much you have all but written a Shakespearean sonnet in its honor. And if you count yourself among the diehards, we certainly wouldn’t judge you if you danced a jig or threw a small party when it was announced that the Holiday Turkey Sandwich would be served at Earl’s year-round. It’s music to our ears!

Turkey Sandwich – Everything Pop Food Court

But Earl’s isn’t the only place where you can enjoy holiday flavors any time of year…

Let’s head over to Pop Century’s Food Court, Everything Pop!

Everything Pop!

On the menu, you’ll find a listing for a “Turkey Sandwich.” But c’mon… this is Everything Pop we’re talking about, and we know their propensity for unusual eats! So it should come as no surprise that this is more than a simple turkey sandwich. Just check out the ingredient list!

Everything Pop Turkey Sandwich on the Menu

That’s right: oven-roasted turkey, cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, watercress, and cranberry mayo in between two slices of Texas Toast.

Everything Pop Turkey Sandwich

Before we get into the details, here’s a quiz for you! At Thanksgiving dinner are you more likely to: [Read more…]

Disney World and Disneyland Thanksgiving Treats!

By Wendy 4 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving (tomorrow), DFB Readers! Maybe you are having a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Or, if you’re spending your holiday in a Disney park, perhaps you’ve made an Advanced Dining Reservation at one of the Best Restaurants for Thanksgiving.

Well, be sure to leave a little room, because Disney World and Disneyland have some extra treats out this week for Thanksgiving guests :).

Disney World Thanksgiving Treats

Hollywood Studios has topped this Pumpkin Cupcake with Maple Icing at several counter-service locations

throughout the park!

Pumpkin Cupcake with Maple Icing

I snagged one at my favorite spot for cupcakes in the Studios: Starring Rolls Cafe. This is a very lightly spiced pumpkin cake topped with an intensely maple-flavored frosting, dusted with crushed walnuts and topped with a milk chocolate pumpkin.

Pumpkin Cupcake with Maple Icing

Seriously – the frosting tastes JUST like maple syrup!! It’s also very dense. I was impressed with the flavor, but found it to be very sweet. After a few bites it was a little much, so I’d recommend sharing this one.

Inside the Pumpkin Cupcake with Maple Icing

If you’re craving something a little stronger ;), stop by Tune-In Lounge or High Octane Refreshments and check out one of the specialty cocktails mixed for the holiday: a Smoked Turkey or a Spiced Jack (with a Graham Cracker Crust rim). [Read more…]

Spotted! Mickey Waffle Magnets and MORE!

By Wendy 20 Comments

Check it out!!! We’ve found the latest must-have souvenir for Disney food fans like us: a few of our favorite Disney snacks… in magnet form!

Favorite Disney Snacks Magnets!

As you can see, these aren’t just any magnets. These pieces look so realistic that it’s almost like taking one of these beloved iconic treats home with you!

Let’s start with a couple of major fan favorites: Churros and Turkey Legs!

Churros and Turkey Leg Magnets

I think these look spot-on, right down to the Disney paper wrapping!

And you certainly can’t pay homage to Disney snacks without having one (or four 😉 ) Mickey-shaped goodies, can you? Of course, there are Mickey Premium Bars…

Mickey Bar Magnet

And Mickey Krispy Treats (chocolate dipped, of course)! Almost good enough to eat… . [Read more…]

Peppermint Cupcakes have arrived for the Season at BoardWalk Bakery!

By Wendy 12 Comments

Disney World’s BoardWalk Bakery always delights and surprises guests for the holidays with new treats and fun sweets. We couldn’t wait to see what they’d come up with this season!

Come On In!

Aaah… BoardWalk Bakery! 2013 was a big year for this beloved snack stop! In April, it reopened after a lengthy refurbishment, offering much more space to hold all those tasty treats!

Home to the classic Cheesecake Brownie and the new Peanut Butter, Banana, and Candied Bacon Pie, it’s now also home to one of the first standout specialty cupcakes of the holiday season: The Peppermint Cupcake!

Peppermint Cupcakes at Boardwalk Bakery

It was easy to spot this standout in the bakery case, finding its place next to a couple of the Bakery’s tried-and-trues: Oreo Bon Bon and Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes.

Ore Bon Bon and Strawberry Shortcake Cupcakes

It’s hard to say which was more intriguing at first glance… the crème de menthe candy pieces popping out from the top, or the fact that this cupcake totally sparkles!

Peppermint Cupcakes ready for the Holiday Season

Let’s take a closer look! [Read more…]

News! and Review: Downtown Disney’s Namaste Cafe Food Truck

By Wendy 11 Comments

Namaste Cafe

has arrived on the Disney Food Truck scene in Disney World’s Downtown Disney!

Namaste Cafe Food Truck in Downtown Disney

It joins the first food truck, Superstar Catering (check out our review here!), in what will ultimately become a group of four trucks total in coming weeks.

Namaste Cafe and Superstar Catering Food Trucks

I know AJ’s been looking forward to this one because we were told it would have Butter Chicken — her favorite! Let’s take a look!

Atmosphere

Namaste Cafe features “Tasty Explorations from Disney’s Animal Kingdom,”

but before I placed my order, I just had to take some time to admire the artwork on this eye-catching truck.

I love how it so beautifully echoes the imagineering you see in Animal Kingdom, particularly in the Asia area. Just take a look…

Artwork on the Namaste Cafe Food Truck

Tiger on the Namaste Cafe Food Truck

Murals on Namaste Cafe Food Truck

Even the tiger habitat from the Maharajah Jungle Trek is represented beside the pickup window (or at least it looks that way to me!).

Namaste Cafe tiger mural at pickup window

But now that we’ve seen the facade, let’s check out what’s inside!

Eats

Namaste Cafe dishes include Slow-cooked Beef Short Ribs, Tandoori Shrimp, and Butter Chicken (woo!). [Read more…]

Review: Carioca’s on the Disney Magic Cruise Ship

By Wendy 8 Comments

Today we’re visiting the newest Disney dining establishment on the high seas… Carioca’s!

Atmosphere

The Disney Magic is Disney Cruise Line’s original ship. After fifteen years of sailing, she recently underwent her first lengthy renovation (referred to as a “re-Imagineering” by Disney Cruise Lines 🙂 ). Several of the dining and adult lounge areas were refreshed and enhanced, while others received a complete redesign.

With the ship’s launch in 1998 came the introduction of Disney’s unique approach to dinner seating known as Rotational Dining. Instead of gathering in one large dining room every night, guests aboard Disney Cruise ships are assigned to a rotation among three different dining rooms. Their table servers rotate with them, getting to know their likes and dislikes (as well as any special dietary needs), allowing for a more seamless dining experience.

Welcome to Carioca's

With the Magic’s recent post-renovation relaunch, what was formerly Parrot Cay in the dining rotation has become Carioca’s!

Atmosphere

Carioca’s is inspired by and named after Donald Duck’s pal, the one and only José Carioca

! You may know José from two Disney films from the early 1940s: Saludos Amigos and The Three Cabelleros.

Mural

Even if you aren’t familiar with these films, you may have enjoyed sailing and singing along with José, Donald, and their third amigo, Panchito, on the Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros in Epcot’s Mexico Pavilion!

Gran Fiesta Tour

“Where one, two, and three goes, [Read more…]

Five Legged Goat Krispy Treat (!!!) and other Festive Snacks make Holiday Debut at the Contemporary!

By Wendy 16 Comments

This must be Contemporary Resort week at DFB, ’cause we’re back at the chic-meets-retro hotel again today! The holiday season is upon us at Walt Disney World! And, as you may know from an earlier post, one of the ways the season makes its presence known throughout Disney World is through some amazing gingerbread creations!

Contemporary Resort Gingerbread Tree

At Disney’s Contemporary Resort, the fabulous smell of spiced gingerbread wafts from this 17-foot tall, 6-foot wide Gingerbread Tree.

Gingerbread Tree Ingredient List

The good news is that you can enjoy more than just the fragrance… the Contemporary Resort’s gingerbread display offers plenty of festive snacks available for purchase as well.

Snacks available for purchase

Holiday Treats at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

It seems to me these treats change at least a bit every year, and part of the fun is seeing what’s new. This year’s selection didn’t disappoint!

Let’s start with the most fun (and unique) addition to the line-up. This year’s assortment of snacks includes a Five Legged Goat Krispy Treat!

Five Legged Goat Krispy Treat

Perhaps you are unfamiliar with our five-legged friend… if so, don’t worry. You haven’t spent your life missing out on a yuletide tale of yore featuring a five legged goat ;). No, this fellow is [Read more…]

News! and Review: Downtown Disney’s Superstar Catering Food Truck

By Wendy 26 Comments

Downtown Disney (the shopping, entertainment, and restaurant district) at Walt Disney World recently welcomed the Superstar Catering Food Truck to the lineup of eateries!

And so it begins… the first official food truck has arrived in Downtown Disney!

Atmosphere

If you’ve been keeping an eye on Disney Food Blog, then you’re aware that new food trucks have been preparing to park themselves near Cirque de Soleil and House of Blues in Downtown Disney’s West Side.

Cirque de Soleil and House of Blues

To be precise, four new themed food trucks will be joining the lineup: Enchanted Fare Food Truck (featuring treats from Disney Parks around the globe), The World Showcase of Flavors Food Truck (bringing a few Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival favorites to guests all year-round), Namaste Café Food Truck (Sanaa fans, start your engines!), and Superstar Catering Food Truck… which has made it’s starring debut!

See info and menus from the food trucks here!

Superstar Catering Food Truck

Time to line-up at Superstar Catering

Superstar Catering brings a touch of Hollywood Studios to Downtown Disney. It’s easy to recognize how the sleek-yet-playful decorative elements and colors of the truck echo those of the park. Specifically, it brings to mind images of the retro-styling of 50’s Prime Time Café.

Favorite of the Stars

A Star Studded Menu

Tables were set up for the debut! We’re not sure if these were there for the Festival of the Masters event, or if these will be there full time… .

Tables

And Disney cast members are raring to go on the inside!

Superstar Catering Window

Eats

Superstar Catering boasts a “Star-Studded Menu!”

Food Truck Menu

Guests have their choice of three dishes: Turkey Sausage and Golden Raisin Meatballs (served on soft polenta), the Lamb Meatball Flatbread Sandwich, or the Spinach and Beef Meatball Sandwich. For children, there’s also a Kid’s Meatball Slider.

Superstar Catering Menu

I went with the [Read more…]

Photo Tour! Re-Imagined Restaurants and Lounges on the Disney Magic Cruise Ship!

By Wendy 7 Comments

Remember when we told you that the Disney Magic cruise ship was about to get a full makeover?? Well, today we have an awesome photo tour for you!!

The Re-Imagined Disney Magic

The Disney Magic – The original cruise ship of the Disney Cruise Line – first set sail in 1998. Fifteen years later, she has just launched again after a lengthy stay in dry-dock where she spent her time being “re-imagined.”

Re-imagining is more than simply being refurbished or refreshed. Some spaces around the ship were entirely redesigned while others were enhanced. She sure is a beauty!

Disney Magic

Since the re-imagined areas are primarily public spaces, this, of course, means that some of the dining areas and adult lounges were re-imagined or refreshed as well! Though some spaces, already timeless, remained unchanged or just refreshed.

Let’s have a look inside this amazing vessel and see what’s new!

Carioca’s

The biggest update to the dining scene on the Disney Magic is the addition of Carioca’s.

Carioca's Entrance

What was previously Parrot Cay now pays homage to one of Donald Duck’s [Read more…]

Review: Tropical Pastries at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

By Wendy 8 Comments

If you’re at Caribbean Beach Resort and are hoping to start your day with a taste of the islands, then you’re in luck.

Learn About:Old Port Royale Food Court

Disney World Restaurants

The last time DFB was here was when AJ reviewed the one-of-a-kind Monkey Cupcake! Today, it’s time to check out another unique set of Island-y goodies!

The Grab and Go area at Caribbean Beach’s Old Port Royale food court is now serving tropical-inspired breakfast pastries! Kudos to the pastry chefs here for coming up with such fun additions to the menu!

Grab and Go Area at Old Port Royale food court

This will be the first area you encounter — to your right — when you walk into the Food Court from the parking lot area. It’s a wide open space that you can’t miss.

This area of the food court features cold sandwiches and snacks for a quick bite any time of day. (And it’s a great place to pick up your midnight snack before heading back to your room after a long day in the parks.)

Stop by the Grab & Go

Refrigerated areas offer some healthier for you snacks, too, like fruit, salads, and pre-made sammies.

Display at Grab & Go

But we were here to check out the unique pastries with tropical flavors!! Here we go!

Eats

As I approached the bakery case, I noticed many favorites that are standard across Disney World Resort food courts (Cheese Danish, Chocolate Croissants, and Cinnamon Rolls, among others).

Bakery Case

Bakery Items

But I was especially impressed to find several tropical treats to choose from. I counted eight in all: the Mango Almond Tartlet, Pineapple Turnover, Pineapple Coconut Muffin, Ginger Mango Muffin, Guava and Cheese Danish or Turnover, Mango Coconut Muffin, and the Banana Turnover. Welcome to the Islands!

Tropical Pastries

I was tempted to grab what would most obviously suit my tastes: the Guava and Cheese Danish. There are few things I love more than a Cream Cheese Danish. Add to that a dollop of Guava puree and… GOOD MORNING!!

Guava and Cheese Danish Display

Guava and Cheese Danish Close Up

Since that one was a no-brainer, I thought it best to try some of the pastries that were unlike things I already know and love. I carried my choices to the outdoor seating area… not a bad place to start the day, huh?

Outdoor seating

First up? I tried… [Read more…]

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4 Great Counter-Service Turkey Options in Walt Disney World

Holiday Turkey Sandwich – Earl of Sandwich

Turkey Sandwich – Everything Pop Food Court