Voting Now Open for 2011 DFB Choice Awards!

The nominations are in, and now it’s time to vote!

These nominations were pulled directly from the responses received in our Disney Food Blog reader survey last week! Click on the “Click Here to Vote!” text below to cast YOUR votes!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

Voting closes December 28th and winners will be announced December 31st!

1. Best Disney World Signature Table Service Restaurant

California Grill
Yachtsman Steakhouse
Jiko — The Cooking Place
Flying Fish Cafe
Citricos
Narcoossee’s
Victoria and Albert’s
Le Cellier Steakhouse (dinner)

2. Best Disney World Non-Signature Table Service Restaurant [Read more…]

Reader Poll: Rather Eat Thanksgiving Dinner at Home or at a Disney Restaurant?

By AJ 9 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving!

My family is considering having Thanksgiving in Disney World next year, and I wanted to hear some opinions about that! So we asked our Facebook Page Fans:

Would you rather have Thanksgiving Dinner at home, or at a Disney restaurant?.

Our readers chimed in with their holiday preferences! While dining at home was a strong contender due to family traditions, leftovers, cost-savings, aversion to holiday crowds, and a palate for a real home-cooked meal, ordering Thanksgiving dinner at a Disney restaurant was the clear winner!

And these voters didn’t care where they ate at Disney — they just wanted to be in the middle of the magic for the holiday. In fact, we think some of you might be happy with one of these!:

Disney Turkey Leg

Here are some of the other suggestions we received!: [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: November 13, 2011

By AJ 1 Comment

Cheshire Cafe Sign

This weekend wraps up the 2011 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. It’s been a whirlwind of food, menus, beverages, parties, and demos, and we’ve had a great time covering it all for you. Don’t worry, though — we still have a few reviews to share next week!

Moving forward, we set our sights on the holiday season and all the yummy good treats that are created for the celebration in the Disney parks and resorts!

Latest Disney Food News

Relax and catch up on this week’s news highlights!

The Cheshire Cafe is replacing Enchanted Grove in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom!
The coveted Disneyland Candy Cane dates have been found out by our intrepid Disneyland reporter, Heather!
Downtown Disney restaurants announce Thanksgiving prix fixe meals
New Crossroads at House of Blues Menu coming to Disney World’s HoB in December
A review of the seashell-shaped Guylian Chocolates that were found in the Belgium Booth at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival.
Rose and Crown Restaurant in Disney World’s Epcot has a new menu!

Do you crave more news? Check out our Disney News Pin Board, where Disney Food News is updated on a regular basis!

On to the Round-Up!

MiceChat

takes us to Disneyland for a behind-the-scenes look at outdoor vending!

WDW for Grown-ups reviews one of my favorite hideaways — the lounge at Sanaa in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village.

Eating (and Drinking) Around the World gives us a tour of random foodie “odds and ends” around Epcot. Check out the adorable Mickey Ice Cream bar shirt to the left, courtesy of Andy Jackson.

Main Street Gazette reviews the Floridian Club Sandwich at the Grand Floridian’s Gasparilla Grill.

The Orange County Register announces the Anaheim Thanksgiving Dining Guide, including Disneyland options!

Healthy Disney shares vegetarian options at Wolfgang Puck Express.

Disney Parks Blog showcases a unique, hand-painted Vinylmation created for the Festival of the Masters. Check out Mickey’s Ice Cream Dream!

Review: Epcot Food and Wine Festival Party for the Senses

By AJ 22 Comments

So this is pretty exciting — I finally got to attend a Party for the Senses at this year’s Epcot Food and Wine Festival!

For those who aren’t sure what I’m talking about (I know — “Party for the Senses” can sound a bit odd!), the Party for the Senses is held most Saturdays during the Epcot Food & Wine Festival each year. This exclusive event impresses the taste buds, of course, but it also aims to awaken all of your senses. During this 2 1/2 hour extravaganza, food and beverages flow freely as awe-inspiring entertainment is performed by Cirque du Soleil, La Nouba.

Party for the Senses at World Showplace Pavilion in Epcot (Photo copyright Disney)

There are two more parties being offered this year — November 5, and November 12 — for $145 per ticket (plus you’ll need Epcot park admission). Note that the Wine View Lounge upgrade, which includes private tables ($260) is sold out. Reservations can be made at 407-WDW-FEST or at Disneyworld.com/foodandwine.

Interestingly, the artfully prepared menus (including chefs and vinters) change, so your party may not have the same offerings as the one that we attended.

Now that we have the specs out of the way, let’s get into the meat of the night!

Atmosphere

We attended the Party for the Senses during the “Deluge of 2011,” as I like to call it. That’s right; we got all gussied up and sloshed over to Epcot on October 8th. When we arrived at the World Showplace [Read more…]

New Credit Card Guarantee Requirements and Technology Affect Disney Dining Reservations

By AJ 53 Comments

Chef Mickey's Cracking Down on Skipping Reservations

UPDATE: See bottom of post for some FAQs and answers via a Disney Dining Phone representative.

In the past several weeks, Disney has instituted a few new technologies and requirements to better regulate the Disney World Dining Reservations Systems. These are largely being put into place to deter the ever-increasing practices of double-booking dining reservations, or simply skipping reservations without canceling them.

Double-booking and skipping reservations in restaurants that fill up six months in advance means that a large percentage of dining reservations are not being used, which, in turn, means that fewer guests are able to dine at these locations, and less money is made in each restaurant.

To improve this process, Disney has (or will be) instituting three new practices:

Mandatory Credit Card Guarantees on Signature and Character Dining Location Reservations
Reservation Reminder Emails
Disallowing Double-Bookings

Credit Card Guarantees Required for Signature and Character Dining Locations Starting October 26th

In order to deter skipped reservations at Disney’s most expensive and popular properties, Disney will begin requiring credit card guarantees on many restaurants beginning October 26th, 2011.

What does this mean for us as guests? Basically, you’ll be required to give a valid credit card number in order to make your reservation for these popular dining spots. No money will be charged to your card at the time of booking (unless the location is a pre-pay meal). However, should you neglect to cancel a credit card guarantee reservation within the allotted timeline (usually 24 hours prior to the meal), a $10 surcharge — per person — will be charged to the card.

California Grill Cancellation Policy Warning

Starting October 26, 2011, the following restaurants will require the credit card guarantee: [Read more…]

Sanaa’s “Dine with an Animal Specialist” Lunch Now Available Two Days Per Week

By Kim LaPaglia 2 Comments

Learn About:Sanaa

Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney World Restaurants

Thanks again to Vallen Tucker at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge concierge office for providing us with more exciting news about the Dine with an Animal Specialist experience and the Jiko Wine Tasting experience.

We have some great news to share about two brand new experiences at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Dine With An Animal Specialist Adds Extra Availability

The Dine with an Animal Specialist program has been so successful that it will now be offered twice per week!

During the “untamed” lunch at Sanaa, your family will be immersed in African culture while posing questions to an animal expert regarding the animals on the beautiful savanna. Take a look at the delicious menu here.

Parts of the First Course Offerings

This dining experience has been in such high demand that it will be continued as an official offering that can be booked on Saturdays at Noon or Wednesdays at 11:30 am.

Cost
$49 adults
$29 children
Payment required in full at time of booking.

Reservations
The Saturday program begins October 1st and can be reserved now. Call 407-WDW-DINE (939-3463) to reserve!

Jiko Wine Tasting Now Available Through 407-WDW-DINE

In addition, the Wine Tastings at Jiko can now be reserved via Disney Dining. Read a guest review of a wine tasting here. [Read more…]

Upcoming Disney World Menu Changes: Rose & Crown, Beaches & Cream, and Sanaa

By AJ 16 Comments

We’ve had a couple of menu update reports from friends of the Food Blog over the past couple of days! Here’s what we’re finding out…

Rose & Crown Restaurant

A new lunch menu started September 14th at the Rose & Crown in Epcot’s United Kingdom.

New Rose and Crown Menu - click for larger version

Thanks to @scarlettashley1 for the breaking-news tweet!

Sanaa

Over at Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Kidani Village, Sanaa will update its menu slightly this Fall. Our source isn’t sure of all the new details, but Sanaa will likely add [Read more…]

Top 10 Disney World Bars and Lounges

By AJ 68 Comments

South African Wine at Jiko

When it comes to a happy hour beverage, a night out with your spouse or some friends, or — let’s face it — a margarita at the stroke of noon…there are a few spots in Walt Disney World that get the job done better than others!

FYI — The Disney Food Blog offers a full list of bars and lounges — complete with descriptions of each place — in our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining e-Book.

Now, let’s take a tour of our Top Ten Disney World bars and lounges — these are the places that really make us want to get up and dance. 😉

Don’t forget to check out our list of Honorable Mentions at the end! Many of these spots offer the standard Disney Parks bar and lounge menu should you be interested.

Top Ten WDW Bars and Lounges

1. Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto and Tiki Terrace

We were so excited when Trader Sam’s came to the east coast, and it has proved itself to be every bit as fun and exciting as its Disneyland counterpart. Located at Polynesian Village Resort, Trader Sam’s transports you to the tropics and slings some funky attitude along with its awesome drinks. Step into the whacky Grog Grotto, where some of the drinks come with a show.
[Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: August 14, 2011

By AJ Leave a Comment

We’re jetting off to Disneyland later this week for the D23 Expo, and we’ll be sharing all the updates and details! Follow along here on the Disney Food Blog, on Facebook, and twitter as we bring you news from California!