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WDW Downtown Disney: Goodbye McDonald’s, Hello Pollo Campero

pollocampero

According to the Orlando Sentinel, McDonald’s is pulling out of the Disney World entertainment district, Downtown Disney.

The McDonald’s restaurant at Walt Disney World’s shopping-and-dining district will close April 30, Disney said this afternoon.

This is the part of the fall-out from the end of the Disney/McDonald’s exclusive sponsorship agreement, which terminated in 2004.

“Our alliance partners are ever-changing and this shift in our relationship with McDonald’s reflects the dynamic nature of the sponsorship business,” Disney spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez said.

The replacement restaurant, Pollo Campero, is a Latin chicken fast-food chain. Business Wire is reporting that the chain is joining forces with franchisee Levy Campero to provide a new concept restaurant in Downtown Disney based on Pollo Campero’s standard family-style Latin dining coupled with new fresh, healthy menu additions, like chef-made salads, sandwiches, fruits, and healthy snacks as well as vegetarian, gluten-free, sugar-free, low-sodium or organic offerings.

Pollo Campero is scheduled to open in Fall 2010.

MK Renovations: Mrs. Potts’ Cupboard & Main Street Ice Cream Parlor

By AJ 2 Comments

Mrs. Potts’ Cupboard

In keeping with the upcoming Fantasyland revamp into a forest wonderland housing princesses, mermaids, and beasts, Mrs. Potts’ Cupboard has lost her clock tower and has received a renovated thatched roof.

Check out WDWMagic for before/after pics!

Main Street Ice Cream Parlor
WDWMagic is also reporting that the Main Street Ice Cream Parlor has disappeared behind a scrim due to extensive external renovations. The parlor is currently open to guests during construction.

French Crepe Flip Book

By AJ 7 Comments

First things first: Answers to yesterday’s food photo quiz are at the bottom of this post! But, now, on to today’s post!

Many of you know that across the path from Epcot’s Chefs de France Restaurant is a crepe and ice cream stand. It’s there year-round, always ready to cater to any sugary whim you may have. Personally, my addiction to chocolate crepes requires me to stop once in a while to relive my days of visiting France, where crepes were cheap and plentiful. So I was excited when my dad sent this file of pics from his recent WDW trip. He’d snapped photos from outside the kiosk as the CM went through the process of making both a chocolate crepe and a sugar crepe in Epcot’s France.

Epcot French Crepe Kiosk

When I opened the file, all of these photos were laid out right next to each other; I couldn’t help but think they looked like a very cool animation flip book! I wanted you to see them the same way. There’s a photo of the menu at the end, so you can see what other delectable goodies you can sample at the kiosk. Enjoy… [Read more…]

Disney Food Round-Up: January 31, 2010

By AJ 1 Comment

As usual, when there’s a lot of Disney food news during the week, we recap our Disney Food Blog stories for those who might like to take a look. This week, we have:

And here we go — off into the wonderful world of Disney Food posts from this week!

AKLResort.com shares a two food related blog-posts this week: a sample menu for the Kilimanjaro Club Concierge Lounge and info on grocery items available at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

OC Register reports the closure of Disneyland’s Tomorrowland Terrace until this summer. The kitchen is being expanded and renovated.

The WDWToday Podcast aired a Healthy Eating in WDW show with special guest: me. 🙂

The Disney Chick makes what sounds like just about the best soup ever: Roasted Garlic and Gruyere Cream Soup from Victoria and Albert’s.

Heatherw25, an avid scrapbooker, posted a bunch of Disney Food Scrapbooking Lay-outs on her blog this week!

The Disney Parks Blog has some awesome grooms’ cakes from Disney Fairytale Weddings!

Touring Plans visits my favorite place and yours, La Cava del Tequila! Don’t forget that you can see the full La Cava del Tequila menu here on the Disney Food Blog 🙂

Main St. Gazette shares fantastic photos of one of my favorite areas of Disney World — the Sunset Ranch Farmer’s Market.

Passport to Dreams takes a retro peek at Columbia Harbour House. (Also, you don’t want to miss their detailed look at the Caribbean Plaza — not a food article, but wonderful nonetheless.)

Dis Unplugged takes us to Disneyland twice this week with posts on the Carnation Cafe and Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen.

And, finally, just because when I find things like this on ebay, it’s my job to let you know about them: a Disney Characters Spork Collection.

Disney World Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop

By AJ 22 Comments

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the Girardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop!

Ghirardelli Soda Fountain Downtown Disney

I hope you’re hungry, because we’ve got a lot of ground to cover. But let’s talk about atmosphere first:

Atmosphere
I know, I know — you want to see ice cream. Okay…you can be naughty and scroll ahead to see the photos, but come back up here when you’re done to read all about the place or [Read more…]

New Angus Burgers at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe

By AJ 13 Comments

Update!@marcomboy

tweeted to me the following regarding his Pecos Bill’s Angus Burger review!:

Tried the new Angus burger @ Pecos Bill. Manager was going around and asking for opinions on its first day of being served.

The burgers are pretty lean. Not too greasy. They had a decent char on them, like you would over BBQ at home. Good stuff.

Then, based on comments I’d received on this post, I asked him if the buns were falling apart. He responded:

I don’t remember them crumbling like I know wheat buns can. Both my wife and I took full advantage of the condiment bar. Onions, mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, the works — and they seem to hold up just fine.

______________________________

WDWInfo is reporting that there are two new burgers on the menu over at Pecos Bill’s! They will now be serving a one-third pound Angus burger and a one-third pound specialty Angus burger.

No word yet on price, or on what, exactly, differentiates a “specialty” angus burger from a regular angus burger, but I just figured I’d let those of you who like some serious meat know about the change!

Thanks to Kelly Tressler for the heads up!

Valentine’s Day Treats (and One Super Bowl Treat!) in Disney World

By AJ 9 Comments

Disney World is already gearing up for the sweetest holiday of the year and pushing the heart-shaped goodies to the front of the store! A huge thank you goes out to the wonderful Ms. Erin Foster, who snapped some sugary photos on her recent MLK weekend trip. And a big hug goes out to my Dad, Papa Food Blog, who contributed a few more while on a last-minute escape from snowy western New York.

Erin also grabbed a shot of the one Super Bowl treat she found — a lonely (but yummy looking) rice krispies treat. (I know; we need more Disney edible goods that celebrate the wonderfulness that is American Football. But this is a start!)

Go Saints! Go Colts! (Not sure who I’m rooting for, yet… ;))

Since the Super Bowl comes first chronologically, we’ll start with that treat and follow it with the pink and red ones! [Read more…]

Disney Food Round-Up: January 24, 2010

By AJ Leave a Comment

Eat here

Welcome to a brand new week with a whole lot of Disney food news! Let’s recap of the news covered right here on the Disney Food Blog, just in case you missed it:

Pizzeria News: Suspected name and menus for the Epcot Italy Pizzeria
Epcot Construction Pics: Italy Pizzeria and Cantina de San Angel
Speculation: Disney’s Aulani restaurants and Saratoga Springs quick-service spot
Refurb and Re-opening: Disneyland Wine Country Trattoria and wine bar
Interview: D23 Expo and F&W Festival Official Artist, Tim Rogerson

Also, Disney food fans should check out the latest WDWToday Podcast — I got to sit in and talk about eating healthy in WDW!

WEEKLY ROUND-UP
Scott Joseph’s Orlando Restaurant Guide, restaurant critic extraordinaire, reviews San Angel Inn.

SamLand’s Disney Adventures visits the Tiki Room Lanai in Disneyland and shares his Dole Whip. Did you know the Tiki Room was envisioned by Walt as a dinner theater restaurant?

Daveland takes us to the Hollywood Brown Derby. (Amazing photos, yet again.)

Main Street Gazette takes us on Epcot’s World Showcase Wine Walk!

Duckman’s Blog shares a fantastic story about a custom cake at the Polynesian.

TouringPlans.com goes to Kouzzina! Opa!

AllEarsNet has an incredible report about a vegan meal at ‘Ohana. Chef TJ does it again!

All Things Cupcake spotted some great cupcakes at Disney World!

Only WDWorld shares a delicious look at Epcot’s Tangierine Cafe.

Orlando Sentinel’s Daily Disney shares a blast from the past with six recipes from Spoodles, and also asks Is Rainforest Cafe or T-Rex better for kids?

Speaking of Rainforest Cafe and T-Rex, WDW Central wonders if the entertainment justifies the expense.

Thanks again for all the great food posts! Looking forward to this week’s delicious Disney posts.

Disneyland Wine Bar Re-opens During Wine Country Trattoria Refurb

By AJ Leave a Comment

The OC Register is reporting that a long-closed wine bar in Disneyland has been reopened for a few months.

The bar is open while the Wine Country Trattoria restaurant is closed for refurbishments. Workers are expanding the seating area and kitchen, which is being renovated, said John McClintock, a Disneyland Resort spokesman.

The Trattoria will re-open in April or early May, and the renovations will provide more seating in the upper-level Vineyard Room area.

Robert Mondavi operated the Golden Vine Winery area during the first eight months of Disney’s California Adventure’s existence, but the wine maker pulled out of the restaurant and wine bars because of losses at the time.

Cheers!

Breakfast and a Good Read

By AJ 11 Comments

Jeff Kocan, who comments around here as JeffK, sent along this photo. I’m considering using it as a desktop screen. Or maybe I’ll make a calendar out of it.

Main Street Bakery Cinnamon Roll

To go along with this delicious breakfast, Jeff sent along a hilarious blog post titled “The Stars (?) From Disney’s All Star Music Resort.” As he says, it’s “poking a little gentle fun at the All-Star Music food court mural–my girlfriend and I laughed about that thing every morning during our December trip.”

It’s pretty funny, and it mentions Nigel Tufnel…and any mention of Nigel Tufnel within a Disney context worth a read, don’t you think?

Thanks, Jeff.

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