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I’m honored to say that I got the chance to tape another WDWToday show yesterday (You can listen to it over on WDWToday.com)! The show is about healthy eating in Walt Disney World, but somehow we ended up talking about Funnel Cakes — and I quickly realized I’ve never mentioned Funnel Cakes here on the blog.

What’s a theme park food blog without a Funnel Cake post?!

Forgive me for the oversight, and let me appeal to you with a few photos.

Funnel Cake with Powdered Sugar

As you can see, funnel cakes are basically a bunch of sweet dough pushed through a funnel and fried into a funny shape in a whole bunch of oil. You can have them plain, covered in [Read more…]

Disney Food Round-Up: January 17, 2010

By AJ 2 Comments

It’s been QUITE a Disney Food week, wouldn’t you say? Here are some top round-up links from our little blog, followed by the best from the rest of the web. Bon Appetite…

DISNEY FOOD BLOG ROUND-UP — Just a reminder of our favorite news items covered this week here on Disney Food Blog:

A bunch of Magic Kingdom and Crystal Palace refurb pics await you
Take a peek at some amazing photos from a special event dinner inside the Great Movie Ride
Scope out the brand new Latin menu at Epcot’s Refreshment Port
Tables in Wonderland has added to its discount list several new restaurants in Epcot, the Swan and Dolphin Resorts, and Downtown Disney.
News out of Victoria and Albert’s: A new Victoria and Albert website and Queen Victoria’s Room Menu

THE BEST FROM THE REST OF THE WEB: NEWSWDWMagic

reports that WDW’s Sunshine Tree Terrace will be closed for refurb from January 17th through February 12th of this year.

BizJournals has some more updated info on the Cantina de San Angel refurb in Epcot.

The Disney Blog has news of some Valentine’s Day Dining Options in Disney World.

DLP.info reports that Disneyland Paris’ California Grill restaurant will be a buffet from January 10th through February 4th, 2010, due to refurb at the restaurant next door.

StitchKingdom has exclusive pics of Disney World’s new 3D Mickey Ears, including two for the foodies representing a Mickey Bar and a Popcorn container.

THE BEST FROM THE REST OF THE WEB: STORIES

Daveland went to Disney World and got himself some amazing pics. In his trip report photo blogs, you’ll see incredible shots of Victoria and Albert’s (trip report Part I), Liberty Tree Tavern (plus the characters!) (trip report Part II), and Hoop Dee Doo Revue (trip report Part III).

WDWforGrownups found a fun photo of a Mickey-shaped hamburger bun from DLRP.

The Disney Chick cooked up a couple of dishes for your recipe books: Mango Mousse from the Epcot Food & Wine Festival, and Shrimp and Proscuitto Penne Pasta from the Grand Floridian.

Imaginerding has the third book update from Restaurantosaurus in Animal Kingdom’s Dinoland (really fun posts, in case you haven’t made it over there yet…).

Scroll down this CakeWrecks post to see an awesome Disney Cast Member wedding cake — the CMs’ Miis are wearing Mickey hats! (Don’t worry; it’ll make sense when you see it.)

Meet the World has this historical essay post on Disneyland’s Lunching Pad.

Disney History Institute tells a fascinating story about the Christmas packages Walt Disney sent to the hundreds of children on his list and includes a photo of what went into the Christmas boxes in 1945. Trust me, it’s about food; and if you’re a Donald Duck fan, you’ll need to read this one.

StudiosCentral visits 50’s Prime Time Cafe and comments on location, decor, and why it “fits” at DHS.

DisneyGeek has some pics from his D23 Magic and Merriment trip, including some great shots of the WDW Diamond Horseshoe (keep going through the pages…this is only the beginning) and a very detailed set of pics from his tour of the Cinderella Castle Suite. The index page for the photo set is here. (I know the Castle Suite isn’t about food…but it IS very cool, so you’ll have to forgive me for mentioning it…).

The Angel Forever has some fantastic food photos over on her blog this week!

DISUnplugged has two great stories: one about a family planning to eat their way around Disneyland this year, and another highlighting photos from Friday’s Tables in Wonderland Great Movie Ride dinner (sadly, the latter doesn’t have any food photos, but the descriptions and scene shot photos are awesome).

Crystal Palace and Magic Kingdom Refurb Pics: 1/16

By AJ 4 Comments

Just got an infusion of Crystal Palace and Magic Kingdom refurb pics in the ol’ email box from some friends at WDWforGrownups.com. Hopefully will have more Disney dining refurb photos from another good friend who’s in WDW this week, so stay tuned!!

Crystal Palace Refurb: Everything shrouded and boarded up, so there’s not too much to see, but clearly there’s “big doin’s” going on!

Crystal Palace is shrouded in mystery...

Close Up

Another Angle

Directions for Baby Center have been Posted

Bridge Between CP and Liberty Square: Looks like the bridge is under renovation as well. Our source mentioned that he saw them working on a bridge over near the moat where the Electric Water Pageant floats are kept [Read more…]

Et le gagnant est…

By AJ 22 Comments

As I write this blog post, over 450 votes have been cast in the Walt Disney World Bakery Throw Down, and the runaway winner is…

Congratulations to the French Boulangerie Patisserie in Epcot on [Read more…]

Disney World Bakery Throw Down: Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe

By AJ 20 Comments

Welcome to the final post in our Walt Disney World Bakery Throw Down challenge! We’ve showcased four bakeries since mid-December, and today we proudly present Epcot’s Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe!

Atmosphere
Kringla Bakeri is located in the Norway pavilion of Epcot’s World Showcase. Walk through the door and you’ll find yourself in a quaint, Scandinavian kitchen — well, [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: January 10, 2010

By AJ 2 Comments

Before I launch into the round-up, here are a few quick reminders about some big food news reported this week:

It’s official that the 2010 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival will take place from October 2-November 14, 2010.
Disney World has announced new Tables in Wonderland dinners, including one that’s being held inside the Great Movie Ride!

Now, off we go to the round-up! Plenty of good Disney food writing this week, including some great news items:

StitchKingdom reports that the Cantina de San Angel refurbishment is underway.

WDWMagic has a photo gallery of the Cantina refurb walls, and also has photos of pizzeria construction in Italy.

WDWNewsToday shares photos of the Crystal Palace refurb and a dry Splash Mountain at Disney World!

Imaginerding has the second of two posts in its Restaurantosaurus Book Update.

Vintage Disneyland Tickets shares photos and info about a 1967 LP titled New Year’s Eve at Disneyland, presented by Pepsi-Cola.

MagicCityMayhem posted a twitpic of the new Give A Day. Get A Disney Day. souvenir popcorn buckets at Disney World. You can find Magic City Mayhem here.

The Disney Blog has new about the eggs at House of Blues Restaurants, including Downtown Disney Orlando.

Everything WDW considers the merits of the Disney Dining Plan.

Main St. Gazette visits WDW’s Cinderella’s Royal Table.

A Walt Disney World Career celebrates dining at 50% of WDW’s table service restaurants. I shall have to go add up my own experiences and see if I’m even close!

Orlando Sentinel’s Daily Disney shares the recipe for Tony’s Town Square’s Tomato Dip with Goat Cheese.

Finally, here’s one I missed a while back (sorry!). Magical Kingdoms Disney Blog shares a review of Free Dining in Disneyland Resort Paris.

Thanks for sharing all of your news, thoughts, and insights about Disney food! Have a great week!

My Three Favorite Desserts in Disney World

By AJ 49 Comments

You know I like to get consensus before I post a “best of” post on the Disney Food Blog, but every once in a while I have to be completely, utterly biased…and one of those times is now.

Dessert is my thing. I love it. I look forward to it at the end of every meal in Disney World. I can’t get enough of it. And I’ll order it even when I’m not hungry just to take a few bites. As a result, I’ve tried quite a few of ’em, and want to share with you my very favorites.

By the way, I’d love to hear your favorites as well. In fact, please do comment with your favorite dessert so I don’t feel quite so guilty about monopolizing this post with all of mine.

Third Favorite Dessert in Disney World: Liberty Tree Tavern’s Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake
I’ll admit this stuff looks boring. Get it out of the box, heat it up, put a bunch of sauces on it, and serve. But, friends, I gotta tell ya… it’s spectacular. Order one all for yourself. Tell your kids they can get Mickey bars outside.

Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake

Second Favorite Dessert in Disney World: ‘Ohana Bananas Foster Bread Pudding
While I miss ‘Ohana’s potatoes, and I feel the meat is often overdone, and the service has been known to be unpredictable…the dessert is always, always [Read more…]

Disney World Bakery Throw Down: Starring Rolls Cafe

By AJ 15 Comments

Truly one of my favorite grab-and-go spots in Disney World, Starring Rolls is tiny, busy, and has some of the most delicious items I’ve ever tried, including the coveted Butterfinger Cupcake! While not technically a bakery, the shop rivals any of the other contestants with its rows of fresh and unique pastries and baked goods.

Atmosphere
Located on the corner of Sunset and Hollywood Boulevards, tucked back from the street, the Starring Rolls Bakery greets you with a bustling outdoor seating area.

Outdoor Seating Area

Find your way inside the small bakery and, well, by this time I’m usually already in a queue line! Grab a plate and a tray right inside the door and take your time looking at the baked goods as you make your way to the registers.

Mickey Waits Eagerly For Your Order

The “theme” in the bakery is pretty thin, but the art deco design and flour bags on the baker’s rack would indicate that we’re somewhere in the 20’s, 30’s, and early 40’s — Hollywood’s heyday.

Decor in Starring Rolls

Once you’ve gathered your sweets, you’ll see across from the two main registers a menu with drinks, including coffee drinks and coffee syrups, liqueurs, and wines. Yep — they have some fancy bakeries here in Hollywood!

Starring Rolls Bakery Registers and Check-Out area

Starring Rolls Drink Menu

It’s in this area that you can also order sandwiches, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves…

Eats
You’ll find delectable baked goods, bagels, huge sandwiches, fudge, and more in this unassuming little bakery, and I suggest that you try a little bit of everything! It actually is quite a versatile place to find a quick bite, but if you’re going to sample those massive cupcakes, I recommend bringing a friend! Here are the photos you’ve been waiting for… [Read more…]

Hope for Wishes Dessert Party in Spring 2010

By AJ Leave a Comment

WDW Magic is reporting that while the Wishes Dessert Party at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom has ended its run, there’s hope that it will return in the Spring of this year.

To read more about the Wishes Dessert Party and to see photos and prices, see our other Wishes Dessert Party blog posts.

Disney World Bakery Throw Down: Boardwalk Bakery

By AJ 8 Comments

Welcome to the third bakery in our Disney World Bakery Throw Down: The Boardwalk Bakery!

Atmosphere
Located on the Disney World Boardwalk, the Boardwalk Bakery is within walking distance of many of Disney World’s hotels and attractions. It’s a great place to take a break from a day in either Epcot or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Or just head downstairs from your hotel room at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn and Villas!

Boardwalk Bakery Entry

As you approach the bakery, the windows will remind you what’s available…

…and who’s responsible!

Along the windows, you’ll see several outdoor tables and chairs. Be sure to snag them quickly; this is the bakery’s only seating! Of course, you could always stroll along the boardwalk with your purchases and find seating along the way.

Boardwalk Bakery Seating

Head inside the double doors and you’ll be greeted by a small space bordered by baked goods and condiment counters. Look over the counter to your left, and you might see some Disney bakers making specialty items for one of the resorts, or even a wedding cake!

Boardwalk Bakery condiment counter

Eats
You’ll find options for any time of day on the Boardwalk Bakery menu, from breakfast baked goods to salads to sandwiches.

Boardwalk Bakery Breakfast Menu

Boardwalk Bakery Lunch and Dinner Menu

Refrigerators to your right will hold drinks, sandwiches, and salads:

Cold Items and Drinks

Salads

Salads and Fruit

The long glass display cases will be chock full of goodies and custom cakes:

Muffins, Danish, and Cupcakes

Sweets of all Sorts

Boardwalk Bakery Cakes

Mickey Cake

And the bakers’ racks will be slowly filling up with freshly baked items:

Muffins cooling on the bakers' racks

While waiting for your order, take a peek at the wall behind those bakers’ racks to see the detailed images of baked goods painted on the tiles. As usual, Disney spares no expense when it comes to detail!

Also, take a few minutes to look beyond those counters and see some real bakers at work; this is one of the few places to see a real behind-the-scenes look at the type of baking that happens in Disney’s biggest, busiest, and most professional bakeries! I wasn’t kidding about that wedding cake I mentioned earlier — they really do make them here!

Vote For Your Favorite!
Thanks for joining us as we visited the third of the five Walt Disney World Bakeries we’re showcasing on the Throw Down! First was Magic Kingdom’s Main Street Bakery, second was Boulangerie Patisserie, and we’ll be highlighting the other two throughout the month.

You can vote for your favorite right here:

What's Your Favorite Bakery in Walt Disney World?

Boulangerie Patisserie (Epcot) (40%)
Main Street Bakery (Magic Kingdom) (27%)
Kringla Bakeri og Kafe (Epcot) (13%)
Boardwalk Bakery (Boardwalk) (11%)
Starring Rolls Bakery (Disney's Hollywood Studios) (8%)
Other (1%)

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If you have a stand-out favorite bakery, weigh in with your comments via twitter, facebook, or email.

In January, I’ll post the results, along with any reader insights as to what makes those particular bakeries so special. If you have another bakery you like better, vote “other.” (I’d love to hear what the “others” are as well!)

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