the disney food blog

food IS a theme park

Read the Latest Posts

Looking for something?

STAY CONNECTED

EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

Category: disney parks

Dining in Disneyland: The Hungry Bear Re-Opens with a New Menu

By 19 Comments

Dining in Disneyland columnist Heather Sievers shares her review of the brand new Hungry Bear Restaurant menu today!!

After weeks of renovations, the Hungry Bear Restaurant in Disneyland’s Critter Country has reopened with a brand new menu.  We had seen the tarps and boards up for some time; we even took a sail on the Columbia to see if we could get a sneak peek at what was going on behind the scenes.  No such luck.  So, when the restaurant opened back up this past week, we headed over for an early dinner to check it out.  Hungry?  Why yes, we are!

Eager Beaver Welcoming You to The Hungry Bear

Location and Atmosphere
Let me start by telling you that Hungry Bear is in the way way way back of Disneyland.  I mean, we’re talking outskirts.  If you’re looking for a semi-quick way to get there, hop on the train and get off at the New Orleans Station, head left, pass the Haunted Mansion & Splash Mountain, follow the curve around to the left and you will find the Hungry Bear just before the Winnie the Pooh ride on your right side.

When we first walked up to the restaurant, we were a little nervous.  There were ZERO people in line, which isn’t really a great sign for a restaurant.  Especially for a Saturday evening during Spring Break.  I’m going to assume this was because people really didn’t know it was open.  There are still lots of walls up around the area due to the Splash Mountain refurbishments in progress.  So at the moment, Critter Country doesn’t look too inviting.  Though, as soon as [Read more…]

Disney Food Pics of the Week: Adult Thirst-Quenchers

By 12 Comments

Thanks to all who have contributed their photos to the Disney Food Blog Photo Extravaganza! Keep on sending ’em! The Disney Food Pics of the Week feature adult beverages! Slàinte!

This margarita flight is served at La Cava del Tequila in Epcot’s Mexico pavilion! Salud!
Photographer: shnewell

Margarita Flight

The Lapu Lapu is served in a pineapple at the Tambu Lounge at [Read more…]

Review: New Breakfast Buffet at The Wave in Disney’s Contemporary Resort

By 20 Comments

We’ve been reporting the news, and now I get to share the pics with you! The Wave…of American Flavors in Disney World’s Contemporary Resort has a brand new meal — a breakfast buffet! They’ve been testing it since December, and according to one of the managers I had a chance to speak with, it looks like it’s going to stay. I’m glad to hear it; the buffet is delicious.

Atmosphere and Background
As we know, The Wave focuses on a sustainable menu full of local products. In fact, The Wave was just approved to change their menu every few months — they’re one of the only non-signature restaurants able to do this — so that they can offer an even wider variety of seasonal, local ingredients. I’m looking forward to the updates!

Contemporary Resort's The Wave Restaurant

Contemporary Resort's The Wave Restaurant

Regarding atmosphere, you can see a lot of great photos of the restaurant in our review of dinner at The Wave here. But here’s a quick pic from this week that shows that the [Read more…]

Getting the Best Seat in the House: A Tip From the DFB Guide

By 3 Comments

We continue to celebrate the launch of our 2013 Edition of the The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining e-Book with one of my favorite restaurant tips from the DFB Guide!

Fireworks from Bistro de Paris Window

There are lots of unique reasons to dine in certain Disney World restaurants, and one of the most interesting is the view you’ll have from your table.

At many Disney World restaurants, you’ll have the chance to glimpse fireworks shows, parades, animals, and more, but only if you ask for the right tables!

For example, at Epcot’s Bistro de Paris you’ll have a wonderful view of the Epcot fireworks, but to get it you’ll have to score a window-side table. The key? Make sure your reservation is for about an hour before the fireworks begin, and be sure to request a fireworks-view table — a seat in the middle of the row of tables next to the window — when you check in for your reservation!

While nothing is ever guaranteed, if you let the host know you’re willing to wait a bit longer for a great table, chances are good you’ll have a wonderful dining experience with a fantastic view of the show!

Want to know more about which seats to request in which restaurants?

Find this and detailed recommendations for seating requests at many other Disney World restaurants in The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2013! Get $4 off today with code 2013!

What are your favorite table requests? Let us know in the comments below!

Disneyland Resort Restaurants and Chefs Win Awards

By 2 Comments

Traveling to Disneyland soon? You’ll want to add these resort restaurants to your dining list! We give a foodie shout-out to the winners of the Southern California Restaurant Writers awards!!

With a 36 year history, the Southern California Restaurant Writers, Inc. selects winners from south Santa Barbara to the border of Mexico. With such a large region, it’s a testament to the food quality at Disneyland that so many awards were presented to Disneyland restaurants at the annual banquet Sunday night.

Join me in congratulating Executive Pastry Chef Jean-Marc Viallet named the Pastry Chef of the Year! For the last ten years, Viallet has been dreaming up creative pastries for Disneyland guests.

Jean-Marc Viallet, Executive Pastry Chef, Disneyland Resort

Disneyland Resort received top honors in five categories! The Golden Bacchus is presented to restaurants with an extensive wine collection. The Golden Sceptre is considered the “top restaurant” award.

Special Award Category

* Pastry Chef of the Year: Jean-Marc Viallet, executive pastry chef, Disneyland Resort

Golden Bacchus Wine Award

* Napa Rose (Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel)
* Steakhouse 55 (Disneyland Hotel)

Golden Sceptre (Five Star)

* Napa Rose (Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel)
* Steakhouse 55 (Disneyland Hotel)

Gold (Four Star)

* Ariel’s Grotto (Paradise Pier, Disney’s California Adventure park)
* Blue Bayou (New Orleans Square, Disneyland park)

Sterling (Three Star)

* Goofy’s Kitchen (Disneyland Hotel)
* Storyteller’s Cafe (Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa)

Source: Disney Parks Blog
Chef Photo copyright Disney

Disney Food for Families: An Ode to the Sand Bucket

By 11 Comments

Disney Food for Families columnist Erin Foster discusses a great bonus you can find with some kids’ meals on Walt Disney World property!

It’s long been said that Disney is in the details. One of my favorite Disney details is the container for children’s meals at some of the counter service restaurants at Walt Disney World. What is this magical container? The sand bucket!

Buckets ready to be called into action

There are restaurants located near the pools or sandy areas at Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, the Yacht & Beach Clubs, and the Caribbean Beach Resort that serve their kids’ meals either in, or with, a new, [Read more…]

Review: Sake Bar in Epcot’s Japan

By 13 Comments

For all of you drinking-around-the-World fans, it’s time to dive into Sake! If you haven’t had the chance to sample it, Sake is a Japanese alcohol made from rice. Like wine and beer, it has multiple varieties, flavors, and “faces,” and exploring it can be a full-time job! For those who want a full history of Sake, the Wikipedia version is a good one.

Today, I had the chance to spend an hour or so with friends Sarah and Matt (many of you know Sarah Holodick from her many guest articles on this blog) at the Sake bar in the very back of the Mitsukoshi Department Store in Epcot’s Japan pavilion.

Mitsukoshi Department Store

I’ve never seen this little tasting area very full, and today — during Spring Break — the line was long for the cash register, but the Sake bar itself was still quite barren. I chalk that up to not enough advertising, because spending time sampling at this little location is a great way to relax and refresh during a long day at Epcot.

The menu offers 10 different sake varieties to choose from, all of which are sold by the [Read more…]

Top 5 Budget Friendly Table-Service Restaurants in Disney World: A Tip From the DFB Guide

By 31 Comments

The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining

–is chock full of foodie info! Let’s take a look at another tip from the book — The Top 5 table-service restaurants in Walt Disney World for those dining on a tight budget…

Milky Way Sundae — Beaches and Cream

We chose these options because they are less expensive than other table-service locations, but also because we genuinely like to dine in these restaurants. A cheap price isn’t the only thing that makes dining in a restaurant worth it; good food and good atmosphere definitely have to be taken into account! So here are our favorite low-cost spots for taking a relaxing break from the hectic pace of the parks:

Top 5 Table-Service Restaurants on a Budget
» Beaches and Cream: This fun diner in Disney’s Beach Club Resort is tiny, but worth the wait! Order classic burgers and hot dogs, and the biggest ice cream sundaes you’ve ever seen!

» Trail’s End Restaurant: Tucked away at Fort Wilderness Resort, this country-style eatery is a buffet for breakfast and dinner and an a la carte spot for lunch. Be sure to try the sticky bun sundae!

» The Plaza: A small restaurant a stone’s throw from Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom, this spot specializes in comfort food! We love the price, the service, and the view!

» The Fountain: Another diner reminiscent of the 50’s, this Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin restaurant has more milkshake varieties than we could try in a month of Sundays!

» 50’s Prime Time Café: One of our favorites for food and atmosphere, this Hollywood Studios diner themed to Mom’s 1950’s kitchen serves up some great fried chicken and pot roast, and will likely make you laugh ’til you cry!

Top Five Budget Friendly Restaurants at Disney World

You’ll find this and 19 more Top 5 lists of favorites in the The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining!

What are some of your favorite budget-friendly restaurants in Walt Disney World? Let us know in the comments section below.

Disney Food Post Round-Up: March 20, 2011

By 5 Comments

Cupcake from Hollywood Studios

Hi, all! My biggest and favorite news of the week is the launch of The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining! A hearty THANK YOU to those who have purchased a copy; it’s been such an honor to hear positive comments and feedback this week. I’m truly grateful.

Also, I’ve been reporting from Disney World since Thursday and will continue to do so until Wednesday. Watch my feed on facebook and twitter for real-time updates and photos from the World!

And now, on to the round-up!

DisZine shares the news about The Wave’s new breakfast buffet in Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

About Theme Parks shares the results from the Readers’ Choice Awards!

Main St. Gazette takes us to Mexico’s San Angel Inn in Epcot!

Pooh’s Travels writes about Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in Disneyland!

Studios Central follows up on last week’s Sunset Ranch Market post by explaining the trucks of produce nearby in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Unique Meals for Kids: A Tip From the DFB Guide

By 3 Comments

We can’t wait to share more awesome Disney dining info from our 2013 Edition of the The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining e-Book! Today, let’s check out some more great tips from the Guide!

Pork Egg Roll

Making Food Fun for Kids
At first glance, the kids’ meals at WDW seem boring. But they don’t have to be! There really are locations to get more than chicken nuggets or mac ‘n cheese. With some advance planning, your family can visit restaurants that offer some very tasty alternatives for kids!

Take the monotony out of your menus for kids and plan to dine at Yak & Yeti in the Animal Kingdom where they have egg rolls and lo mein on the kids’ menu!

Need a table-service restaurant that offers more than kid pizza? In the Magic Kingdom, Tony’s Town Square has a fun menu for the kids in your party. One option is a cheeseburger calzone! Now that’s definitely more interesting than another personal pizza.

And at Tokyo Dining in Epcot, your kiddos can have teriyaki chicken or tempura shrimp!

Ready for All of Our Best Disney World Tips?

We’ve got TONS of Disney World Dining Tips in our big, bold, 450-page DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2014 — and the guide is your ticket to planning your best Disney trip yet!

mini_guide2014_300x250

The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2014 is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 20+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs!

With sample dining itineraries, plus our “Disney Dining at a Glance” section, featuring “Where Can I Find?” options, you’ll have everything you need to plan the best vacation ever. Click here to get your copy of The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2014 E-book — and use code 2014 for an extra $4 discount for a limited time!

CHECK OUT OUR OTHER EBOOKS

Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.

View our ebooks now

POLICIES & CREDITS

Staff & Regular Contributors
Disclosure Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service
Partner With Disney Food Blog

Logo by J Kennedy

Disney Food Blog does not claim to represent the Walt Disney Company in any way and is not employed by or affiliated with The Walt Disney Company. For official Disney information, visit Disney directly.

Subscribe to our Feed via RSS
Subscribe to our Feed via email