food IS a theme park
Happy holidays, y’all! We are at EPCOT eating our way around the world at the 2020 Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays!
Las Posadas
And we are getting our Feliz Navidad on with all of the food from Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen, which has a menu filled with a new item, a tweak on a menu item from last year, and a returning snack!
Disney dining can be a curious thing, and at times it can almost seem like a tale of two dining experiences. On the one hand, you can easily find your fair share of cheeseburgers, pizza, plastic cheese, chicken fingers, and corndogs. On the other hand, Disney is no stranger to cranking out solid signature dining restaurants with top-notch service and dishes that would rival many fine-dining restaurants around the world.
Carthay Circle
Our recent visit to Buena Vista Street in Disney’s California Adventure, the newest extension of Downtown Disney to reopen on November 19th, was a perfect example of this juxtaposition. After chowing down on our beloved corndogs over at Award Wieners and eating a rather…sad…cheeseburger at Smokejumpers Grill, we sat down at Carthay Circle Lounge Alfresco Dining for a “total 180.”
In the middle of the glitz and glitter of Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the classic Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant.
The Hollywood Brown Derby
The Brown Derby is a swanky signature restaurant inspired by the real Brown Derby restaurant(s) in California (more on that in a bit!). The cozy lounge-feel of the restaurant is the perfect setting for a romantic night-out or when your travel group is feeling fancy! We recently headed back to the Brown Derby to see how the restaurant has adapted since the theme parks reopened. Do they still toss the Cobb Salad at your table? Is the Grapefruit Cake still fantastic? What about the drinks?! Let’s find out!
Slowly but surely, as more Disney World restaurants reopen, we’re welcoming our favorite Disney comfort foods back into our lives!
Harambe Market
And since we’ve been craving ribs like WHOA, the latest comeback at Animal Kingdom has us doing our best Lion King impression and roaring with excitement!
Prost! Welcome to Biergarten in EPCOT’s Germany Pavilion!
Biergarten Band
While a fair number of Disney world restaurants have reopened without too many changes beyond a limited menu and new health and safety procedures, a few locations have had to completely change the way they operate to accommodate the necessary changes. Biergarten is one of those spots with pretty noticeable service modifications. This previously all-you-care-to-eat German feast was known for live music, dancing, and frequent trips to the buffet. How would it stack up without two of those things?
From the Cobb Salad at the Hollywood Brown Derby to the out-of-this-world Ronto Wrap from Ronto Roasters, there are lots of delicious foods to munch on throughout Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater at Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World
But, today we’re going to a one-of-its-kind restaurant that is absolutely iconic and really captures that old Hollywood spirit found throughout the park — Sci-Fi Dine-In Restaurant! Between the incredible atmosphere and the classic burgers and shakes, there’s SO much to love here. So, what did we think about this spot the last time we visited, and should it still be a must-do for you? Find out here!
Another seasonal celebration has now arrived at Hollywood & Vine in Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
Mickey Mouse
It’s no secret that Hollywood & Vine doesn’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to food quality. In the past, this restaurant served up buffet-style meals that were generally passable, but nothing to write home about. But when we ate at the recently reopened Hollywood & Vine earlier this year, we were blown away by how incredible both the food AND character interactions were! So, now that Minnie’s Holiday Dine has returned for the Christmas season, will the experience still stack up? Let’s take a look!
Here’s a pretty big thing for us to say: Liberty Tree Tavern has historically been one of our favorite restaurants in all of Disney World.
Liberty Tree Tavern
This understated American restaurant located in Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square and is teeming with well-thought-out atmosphere. Tasty table-service is hard to find in Magic Kingdom, and the food here is downright delicious. But…we hadn’t visited since before the parks reopened. So, let’s check-in on Liberty Tree Tavern to see if it’s as much of a delight as we remember.
You know when you’re in EPCOT and it’s time to eat? And then you get SO overwhelmed because there are SO many good options? Yeah…been there!
Regal Eagle Smokehouse
Today, we’re stepping back inside EPCOT’s newest restaurant: Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Crafts, Drafts, and Barbecue in The American Adventure Pavilion. Will it be as good as the last time? Or perhaps even BETTER?! Let’s see how this BBQ joint is holding up a little over half a year after opening!
We’re taking it back to 1950 when the meatloaf was good and Mom never let us put our elbows on the table!
50s Prime Time Cafe Entrance
Walt Disney World reopened with quite a few changes to the overall dining experience. Limited capacities, increased sanitation, physical distancing, and limited menus are just a few of the newly implemented health and safety regulations. With all the new social distancing procedures, we wanted to check out one of the most interactive restaurants in Disney World to see what it’s like now. We headed over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to get a good home-cooked meal from 50’s Prime Time Cafe!
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