Animal Kingdom Lodge | the disney food blog

Managing Your Diet Plan in Disney World: Low-Carb Diets

One thing I haven’t been able to master is staying on a specialized diet plan in Disney World. Luckily, I have a few friends who

have been able to be diet plan superstars while on vacation, and they’ve agreed to share some of their secrets with you! This series will include information about vegetarian, vegan, and low-carb dining, as well as dining in Disney World after having weight loss surgery.

Today, we welcome guest author Christina Relacion again to the food blog. She’s been successful with the South Beach low-carb diet in Disney World and has some great tips and tricks!

Good vibes -- Posted in Disney's Hollywood Studios

Healthy dining at Walt Disney World. That sounds like an oxymoron. With fried foods, hamburgers and devilish desserts around every corner, it must be impossible. I’m always trying to watch my weight, and being a foodie, that can be hard with all the great choices at home and on the road, especially at a place like Walt Disney World.

Fruit at Boma in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

Last year, I started on the South Beach Diet, a diet plan created by Arthur Agatston that helps you determine good carbs from bad carbs and good fats from bad fats. One of the first things I thought of when beginning the diet was: [Read more…]

Disney Food Round-Up: May 30th, 2010

By AJ 2 Comments

Cat Cora's Ouzo-tini at Kouzzina

Welcome to the Round-Up! In Disney Food news this week:

Disney World launched an improved Online Dining Reservations system. Seems to be going over quite well based on the comments we’re getting!
World of Color Dining Packages have been announced — along with some other cool Disneyland dining news: new Disneyland Hotel restaurants were announced, and Disneyland’s Gepetto’s Sweet Shoppe grand opening.
Tables in Wonderland members can have lunch with Cat Cora in June!

And here are some great Disney Food stories from around the web:

What Now?!?!? (a.k.a. Moms Panelist Kathie F.) makes California Grill’s Pea Risotto (with some gorgeous pics to go along!)

The LA Times Daily Travel and Deal Blog has a great story about Tamales on Main Street…Main Street in Marceline, that is…

AKL Resort pays homage to the Bars and Lounges of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

The Web Gangsta has the Unofficial Official Rules for Beers Around the World at Epcot.

DisZine contemplates concern about potential pricing at Epcot’s Via Napoli.

Main Street Gazette visits Paradiso 37 with some pals.

Chip and Co highlights some of their favorite casual dining meals in WDW.

The Disney Blog pays tribute to his Top Five Places to Enjoy Ice Cream at WDW.

WDW Radio has some scrummy pics of Tonga Toast at the Poly.

The Disney Parks Blog talks vegan and vegetarian dining at Kouzzina by Cat Cora.

Pop Century Site captures via photograph the Pop Century Food Court menus (and the Peace of Pizza menu!)

Also, don’t forget to check out:
My Touring Plans post about Delicious and Convenient Disney Food for Busy Days

And the 4th Edition of the DisMarks Disney Blog Carnival has been published!

Guest Review: 1st Anniversary Dinner at California Grill

By AJ 11 Comments

This blog has allowed me to meet so many talented and dynamic individuals, one of whom was kind enough to put together this guest blog about one of my favorite spots, California Grill! Kristen Heptinstall, of Southern Web Girl, visited the Contemporary Resort’s top floor with her husband a while back. Take it away, Kristen!

Hi! I’m Kristen. My husband Brian and I live in Birmingham, Ala., where I work as a Web editor and he works as a chef.

Brian and I returned to Disney World the last week of April 2010 to celebrate our 1st anniversary. On our anniversary, April 25th, we celebrated by going to the Magic Kingdom for the day — a bonus was that MK was on Extra Magic Hours that day and open until 2 a.m.!

We decided to have our anniversary dinner at our favorite signature restaurant from our honeymoon in 2009, California Grill at the Contemporary Resort.

(Note: We have been to 2-credit signatures Jiko, Narcoossee’s, Citrico’s, California Grill, and Hollywood Brown Derby, but have yet to go to Artist Point, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Flying Fish or Victoria & Albert’s. So we’re about halfway there. Whoaaaa livin’ on a prayer!).

We left MK in the evening, changed at our resort, then returned to the Contemporary. Storms were threatening, and it had been overcast all day, so I was checking my iPhone constantly for radar [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: May 16th, 2010

By AJ 1 Comment

Disney's California Food & Wine Festival Discoveries

Welcome to the round-up this week! Some pretty cool news popped up this week — Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports is selling tickets to the Wine & Dine Half Marathon’s After-Party! Let me know if you’ll be there!

And we’re still adding posts to our coverage of Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival — check it out!

Finally, be sure to check out our Guide to WDW Table Service Restaurants! It includes detailed information about every table-service restaurant as well as an index of Disney Food Blog mentions of each restaurant! Very useful if you’re planning where to dine in Disney World. Now — on to the round-up!

Progress City USA has a pretty “juicy picture” from 80’s Disneyland…

Cakewrecks has a series of “Mickey wrecks.”

Touring Plans heads to Jiko in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

etckt has more great photography in his review of Italy’s Tutto Italia.

The Disney Blog has news of progressive kids’ cooking classes in Downtown Disney on June 12th.

Main Street Gazette showcases one of our favorite menus in Disney World.

Meet the World has an awesome series on Club 33 in Disneyland: Part I: Before Arriving, Part II: Arriving and Exploring, Part III: the Food.

Theme Park Insider visits Disneyland’s Troubadour Tavern.

Only WDWorld shares a tour of Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge — this is a tour anyone can take, so feel free to visit yourself!

Chip and Co shares some favorite counter service meals in WDW.

Disney’s Hollywood Brown Derby

By AJ 25 Comments

Note: See answers to last week’s photo quiz at the bottom of this post!

One of my new favorite restaurants on Walt Disney World property is one I’d never set foot in during all my trips to Disney World: the Hollywood Brown Derby in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

I’d always looked at the menu and figured, “Too expensive. Too hoity-toity,” and never gave it a second thought. But since starting the Food Blog — and embarking on an adventure of eating in every Disney restaurant I could — I was excited to finally have a reason to try this place out. After all, I’ve always heard glowing reviews. And, let me tell you, they’re deserved.

Atmosphere
Disney’s Hollywood Brown Derby is a replica of the famous Vine Street Brown Derby, originally built in 1928 and home to dozens of famous Hollywood rumors and stories, including Clark Gable’s proposal to Carole Lombard in booth #5 and Lucille Ball’s dinner roll food fight. Disney World’s Brown Derby is an officially licensed Brown Derby Restaurant, and is the fifth Brown Derby Restaurant to be built.

Brown Derby History -- Click Image for Larger View

The likeness to the original restaurant is uncanny — the covered entryway, signage, dining room, and even decor are identical to the namesake. And those well-known caricatures grace [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: April 11th, 2010

By AJ 6 Comments

Chocolate Fondant With Praline from Remy - (c) Disney Cruise Line

Bonjour, my foodie friends! This weekwe heard about the Disney Dream’s exclusive adults-only restaurant — Remy! If you’re booked for a Disney Dream cruise, I’d love to hear if Remy will make the cut for your dining arrangements. (Check out the full press release and photos at StitchKingdom)

And don’t forget — Disneyland’s Food and Wine Festival starts THIS COMING WEEKEND! (Check out DisneyGeek’s cool pic of the Festival Showplace banners!) You know I’m gonna be there in just two short weeks to start my reporting, but in the meantime, check out all the exciting events that are scheduled to take place: Disney’s 2010 California Food and Wine Festival.

Finally, I want to take a moment to thank and “toast” a brilliant person, Alain Littaye, who has written one of my favorite Disney-related blogs, Disney and More, for three years. I’m sad to see the blog end, Alain, but I look forward to seeing your stamp on many Disney-related projects in the future. Thank you for sharing your immense knowledge of and interest in Disney with your readers.

And now, on with the Round-Up!

The WDW Today Podcast kindly brought me on as a guest last week to discuss Food Quality vs. Atmosphere in Disney World Restaurants. I clearly need to take some public speaking lessons, but the discussion is still very interesting!

Disney World Basics looks at one of Disney’s strategies to create healthier options for dining in the parks — Kids’ Picks!

Main Street Gazette heads over to the Rose and Crown Dining Room for a delicious dining review!

The DVC Life takes a look at whether Jiko in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is worth the $100+ price tag.

Chef Druck Musings shares some secrets about her favorite character meals in Disney World.

Thanks to Zannaland for posting this very cool interview about a fellow blogger! (Wink, wink) The ensuing comments about tart-n-tiny candy is my favorite part.

The Disney Blog reports the potential shuttering of the final Goodings Supermarket near Disney World.

Disney Parks Blog celebrates the top honors received in Orlando Magazine by several Walt Disney World restaurants.

The Disney Chick makes Gourmet Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies from the Main Street Bakery. Go on. You know you want to click. 😉

OC Register has a fun story about what Disneyland’s doing with the leftover fry oil from their kitchens! Here’s a hint: it has to do with Park transportation… .

Chip and Co shares some dessert options for people with Diabetes dining in Disney World restaurants.

DisUnplugged heads to Disneyland’s Plaza Inn for dinner!

Anniversary and Honeymoon Treats in Disney World

By AJ 36 Comments

This post is part of the DisMarks Disney Blog Carnival! If you’re a Disney fan, be sure to head over and check out all of the other fantastic Disney blogs in the carnival!

You’ve heard all about the Disney Birthday Treats that some restaurants share with their guests in celebration. Today we want to share with you a few fun treats that have been received by Disney honeymooners, which are often the same congratulatory treats given to those celebrating their Anniversaries, as well.

California Grill Honeymoon Presentation

As many of you know, my husband and I split our honeymoon between Disney World and Hawai’i last Fall, and there are several things to consider when planning a “DisneyMoon!” You can plan an official extravaganza with Disney Honeymoons, or you can keep the planning more personal. We did the latter, but were still able to celebrate “Disney-style” through the generosity of a few of our favorite Disney restaurants.

Restaurant Tips for Those Celebrating Honeymoons or Anniversaries
If you’re planning to commemorate your marriage in Walt Disney World, letting the restaurants in on your celebration is both free and easy, and it can really add to the festive atmosphere of your vacation. Consider these Dining Tips when you’re planning your Disney honeymoon or celebrating your anniversary: [Read more…]

Tables in Wonderland April and May Events Announced

By AJ 3 Comments

Here’s the most recent round of Tables in Wonderland events! Thanks to Cookie Wright for reminding me to check my email this month! 😉 (Click here for more information about Disney World’s Tables in Wonderland program.)

Tables in Wonderland Presents: The Wave… of American Flavors Discovery Dinner
*Thursday, April 15, 2010 6:30 p.m. Reception. 7 p.m.
*Dinner Location: The Wave… of American Flavors at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
(Please meet at restaurant’s main podium)
*Dress is Casual Evening Attire
*$92 per person, includes tax and gratuity
*Click image for menu description and specifics

The Wave… of American Flavors is proud to partner with Fresh from Florida spokesperson, David Fennesey, in presenting an array of great seafood from Florida’s coastal waters. David represents Central Seafood and will host the dinner with Chef Frank Brough and Area Manager Stephen Shepherd. David, who [Read more…]

Donuts! The New Interactive Dessert!

By AJ 12 Comments

So, I find it fascinating that of the four new restaurants that recently opened in Walt Disney World (Sanaa, Kouzzina, T-Rex, and Paradiso 37), three of them have donuts on their dessert menus!

Donuts! With dipping sauces and everything! Interactive desserts are my favorite, and I have been called the “condiment queen.” So you can imagine how excited I am to have dip-able desserts, and the fact that they’re donuts makes them that much better. Let’s take a look at the three up-and-comers now:

Kouzzina's Loukoumades

Kouzzina’s Loukoumades
Kouzzina is Iron Chef Cat Cora’s signature restaurant in Walt Disney World, and the menu consists of many of her favorite traditional Greek recipes. One of these recipes is for her outstanding Loukoumades.

These “Freshly Made Greek Doughnuts drizzled with Warm Honey” come to the table with two delicious dipping sauces, including [Read more…]

Sanaa Wine List Suggestions

By AJ 3 Comments

Thanks again to Amanda Tinney for the fantastic Sanaa Review yesterday! To accompany that piece, we’re thrilled that our friends at Cork’d.com have put together a list of highly-recommended wine list suggestions, and have even explained specifically why these wines will complement the unique menu of Indian and African cuisine at Sanaa.

Sanaa Wine Recommendations
The Sanaa wine list has a rich focus on South African wines, but also highlights some great options from around the world, including offerings from Italy, California, and New Zealand.

Sanaa Wine List -- Subject to Change -- Copyright Disney -- Click for Larger Version

2008 Martin Codax Albarino: A crisp, refreshing, and highly acidic grape varietal, Albarino is most often found in the Northwest of Spain’s *Rias Baixas* region. Because these wines are so aromatic and flavor filled, they pair really well with the intensely flavored, aromatic cuisines, such as Indian. Martin Codax is one of the most recognized wineries in Rias Baixas, producing consistent and well-received Albarino year after year.

2008 Boutari Moschofilero: Moschofilero isn’t your everyday Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. This grape has made a name [Read more…]

Looking for something?

STAY CONNECTED