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Category: Disneyland

No Park Tickets? No Reservation? No Problem!

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The main complaint I hear regarding the re-instated 180-day window for Disney World Advanced Dining Reservations is that it’s impossible to get a seat in a restaurant “on a whim.” I wanted to address that concern and add another challenge: what if you don’t have park tickets, either?

I thought it’d be fun to tackle this situation and suggest a few spots in both Disney World and Disneyland for those who find themselves in this “pickle!”

Beaches and Cream Beef Sandwich Au Jus

Walt Disney World

Nope! I’m not kidding. It doesn’t have to be a hassle to find a good, table-service meal in Disney World — even when you don’t have a reservation or a park ticket! Here are four of my favorite go-to locations at all different price points:

Beaches and Cream $
Welcome back to the 1950’s soda shoppe! Beaches and Cream is located at Disney’s Beach Club Resort and doesn’t even take reservations, so you won’t ever run into the no ADR problem! This spot serves simple, but delicious, [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Weekly Round-Up: August 8, 2010

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Via Napoli Dining Room

It’s been another news-filled week for the Disney food world! Here’s the latest:

Also, a quick reminder for those of you coming back from Disney trips: we’d love to see your pics over on the Disney Food Blog flickr page! And now, on with the round-up!

Future Probe reviews Epcot’s Coral Reef Restaurant.

Disney Parks Blog reports on a new brunch and Bloody Mary bar at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in Disneyland’s Downtown Disney.

Designing Disney takes us back to the Cafe des Visionnaires of yesteryear in Disneyland Paris.

Disney Daddy shares the details from his Lunch with an Imagineer at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. These days you can experience Lunch with an Imagineer at Flying Fish Cafe!

All Ears‘ Deb Martin Koma interviews Marianne Hunnel about this year’s Food and Wine Festival.

Main St. Gazette takes an in-depth look at a fun vegetable garden in Epcot from the 2010 Flower and Garden Festival, which happens to include eats like Ursula’s Onions, Peter Pan’s Peas, Mickey’s Beanstalk Beans, Kanga’s Purple Kale, and Stitch’s Strawberries!

Makin’ Memories Photo Blog showcases dessert pics from the recent Tables in Wonderland Great Movie Ride dinner.

A Taste of Disney shows us how to make Jiko’s filet mignon with mac and cheese and red wine sauce.

Chip and Co looks at Disney World restaurants from a senior citizen’s perspective.

Of course there are lots of reports from Via Napoli‘s early days! Check out Mousesteps, Jeff Lange, WDW Radio, Jack Spence’s Report, Zannaland, Disney Every Day, The Daily Disney, Laughing Place, Theme Park Insider, WDW News Today x2, Orlando Attractions, WDWMagic, and Inside the Magic for even more pics and reviews.

Disneyland’s Mint Julep Recipe

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This post was promised in the Disney Food Blog July Newsletter, and I’m excited to finally be publishing it!

If you’ve ever been to Disneyland, you know all about the famous alcohol-free (natch!) Mint Julep that can be found at Blue Bayou, Cafe Orleans, and the French Market. This refreshing, mint-y, lime-y, ice-y treat is a love-it-or-hate-it kind of cult favorite, but no matter what, you’ve gotta at least try it!

Disneyland Mint Julep

Enjoy it on the Cafe Orleans patio along with some of those delicious Pommes Frites, or grab one at the Mint Julep Bar at the French Market — where you can also get some great sweet snacks — and sit back and relax while listening to the [Read more…]

Cupcake Store to Open in Disneyland’s Downtown Disney

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The OC Register’s Fast Food Maven is reporting some great news! Those cupcakes that were selling like hotcakes from the kiosk in Downtown Disney this past winter are getting their own permanent location!

Celebration Cupcake from The Cupcake Store

While The Cupcake Store‘s main bakery will be in Mission Viejo, CA, they’re also setting up shop in [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: August 1, 2010

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Via Napoli

Greetings, Disney food lovers! As always, let’s start with the Disney Food News of the week:

In DFB news, I just finished a Food and Wine Festival project I was working on: To see information, menus, and photos of the individual Epcot Food and Wine Festival World Showcase booths (and even some photos of food items that will be on the menu for 2010!), click on any individual country name on our 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Booth Menus and Photos page. For example, check out pics of what you can order this year in the Brazil booth!

We’re looking forward to reports from Via Napoli this week as well, so stay tuned. And a huge thanks to Amanda Tinney of Disney Every Day for getting the word out about the 2010 WDW Foodie Fest!

And now, on to the round-up!

Main Street Gazette has a fantastic review of Disney World’s Nine Dragons!

DisZine has a great review of Disney World’s ‘Ohana with some gorgeous photos.

TouringPlans writer, Caroline Baggerly, has some great tips for how to navigate the Disney World dining reservations system, even when you don’t already have an ADR!

The Caribbean Beach Resort Fan Site surveyed their readers to find out about the favorite food choices at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort!

Rosie's Victory Garden

StudiosCentral has a great post about the “history” of the Victory Garden in DHS.

The Daily Disney reports that the Egg Rolls have vanished from the Anadapur Local Cafe counter service menu (i.e. the “Yak and Yeti counter service menu”). Can anyone confirm? So sad.

Everything Walt Disney World reports on a question for the ages: can you use kids’ quick service dining credits to purchase adult quick service meals?

Disney Wedding Blog gives us ten food and beverage Disney Wedding facts! Who knew?

Chip and Co reports on a an August 12th wine tasting event in Disneyland’s Downtown Disney.

Disney Parks Blog and Chef Kevin Dundon teach us how to make Irish Soda Bread!

DisUnplugged reviews Disneyland’s Celebration Round-Up.

To round out the week, here’s a great video from the Disney Parks Blog about everyone’s favorite Club Cool choice, Beverly!

And another great vid from Jeff Lange DVD of the outside of Via Napoli!

Disneyland’s Blue Bayou

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Ye come seekin’ adventure with salty ol’ pirates, eh? Sure you’ve come to the proper place. But keep a weather eye open mates, and hold on tight. With both hands, if you please.

Ah, yes. We’re headed to the Blue Bayou. All jazzy New Orleans Square on the outside and dreaded pirates on the inside, these are some of the most coveted tables in Disneyland.

Atmosphere

Coming in from the busy New Orleans Square Royal Street outside (those little winding alleyways make it seriously congested in NOS!), Blue Bayou is like a hushed hive of activity. From the lobby, you can only catch a glimpse of shadows scurrying everywhere underneath the Chinese lanterns of the restaurant. The rest looks like sheer blackness — pitch dark.

From the Lobby Into the Restaurant

After giving your name to the reservations CM (hopefully you made an ADR — Blue Bayou is one of the only Disneyland restaurants for which a reservation is practically a necessity), take some time to peek around the lobby. Take in the incredible detailing of the walls, windows, and ceiling. Every inch of Disneyland is packed with [Read more…]

“The Best Thing I Ever Ate in Disney!” Entrees

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Here’s the next post in our series based on the Food Network’s (very cool) show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate. As many of you know, due to some keen suggestions from readers we’re splitting our series up into different sections: breakfast, appetizers & side dishes, snacks & drinks, entrees (lunch & dinner), and desserts.

Today, we’re taking a look at entrees! I’ve done my favorite brand of informal polling (i.e. posted questions on twitter and facebook 😉 ) to find out others’ experiences of the “Best Thing They Ever Ate” in Disney parks and resorts.

The following are the answers received from our readers about their favorite main courses and entrees! If your favorites aren’t here, please add them in the comments section below!

Steaks

It’s no secret that Disney World does steak well. You’ve seen my votes for Five Best Steaks in Disney World, and a lot of these made the list in our poll as well! Here are the top contenders according to our facebook and twitter readers:

Mushroom Filet Mignon with White Truffle Butter Sauce and Micro Chevril.

Le Cellier:

  • BBQ Filet Mignon: This steak, recently pulled from the menu, was the restaurant’s signature filet served with cream cheese mashed potatoes and doused in barbecue sauce.
  • Filet Mignon with Mushroom Risotto: The current incarnation of the filet is this version. Situated on a bed of delicious mushroom risotto and covered in a white truffle-herb [Read more…]

RIP Figaro Fries

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Well, it’s happened. Sold for so many years at Magic Kingdom’s Pinocchio’s Village Haus, topped expertly with cheese, lettuce, ranch dressing, and tomatoes and desired by many, Figaro Fries lived a good life.

Figaro Fries

It was touch-and-go there at the end. Even after they were discontinued from the menu, Figaro Fries held on, coming back again and again for limited times. However, it seems as though this time, our delicious friends are gone for good.

Now, I know we could take this time to mourn, but instead, let’s be thankful for what we still have. (One thing we’ve learned about Disney restaurants is that they’re always changing; as Pocahontas says — you can’t step in the same river twice (that was her, right?).) So let’s take today to celebrate our crispy, salty, oily, and cheesy cravings for french fries by honoring what we’ve got left!

The Newspaper Chip
Thanks to Rose & Crown and the Yorkshire County Fish Shop, we’re still good to go on the chips-served-in-fake-newsprint!

Rose and Crown Newspaper Chips

Yorkshire County Fish Shop Newspaper Chip

The Waffle Fry
Found at T-Rex in Downtown Disney, the waffle fry offers consolation with seasonings and ideal texture. The surface area means [Read more…]

2011 Disneyland and Disney World Food and Wine Festival Dates

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I know we’re pretty enmeshed in the 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival info right now, but I was excited to see a press release in my inbox today from Disneyland announcing their 2011 Food and Wine Festival dates! I was also excited to see on the back of the Epcot Food and Wine Festival Guide that the 2011 Epcot Food and Wine Festival dates are already set as well! So, for future reference:

2011 Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival

The sixth annual California Food and Wine Festival will run from April 29th to June 12th — later than last year’s festival — and will include locations in both Disney California Adventure and Disneyland! (I’m excited to hear that the original park will be included, too!) You can see my coverage from the 2010 Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival here!

2011 Epcot Food and Wine Festival

The 16th annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is now scheduled to take place September 30th through November 13th! There are no other details at this time, but you can always check out the coverage of the 2009 and 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festivals to get an idea of what to expect!

Happy Planning!

“The Best Thing I Ever Ate in Disney!”: Snacks and Drinks

By 53 Comments

We’ve recently started a fun new series based on the Food Network’s (very cool) show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate. Due to some keen suggestions from readers, we’re splitting our series up into different sections: breakfast, appetizers & side dishes, snacks & drinks, entrees (lunch & dinner), and desserts.

School Bread

Today, we’re taking a look at Snacks & Drinks! I’ve done my favorite brand of informal polling (i.e. posted questions on twitter and facebook 😉 ) to find out others’ experiences of the “Best Thing They Ever Ate” — snacks and drinks style — in Disney parks and resorts. To be sure, the answers sounded veeeery similar to our recent post about the Best Value for your Snack Credits, but we had a few different ideas as well!

[Read more…]

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