Drinking Around the World | the disney food blog

It’s Official: Starbucks Lands at Disney Parks

Update: Check out the discreet integration of Starbucks into Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe!

We speculated about a Starbucks-Disney collaboration a few months ago, and it turns out the rumors are true!

For decades, one of the biggest food-related complaints about Disney parks was the lack of decent coffee (Disney for many years relied on instant NesCafe and only recently brought in a few spots where Joffrey’s Coffee was sold). Now that Starbucks is planning to join forces with the Happiest Places on Earth, coffee addicts can finally ditch the jitters. 😉

The coffee king will show up first in Disney California Adventure this June, at the brand new Fiddler, Fifer and Practical Café. Locations will serve coffee, espresso, frappuccino, and more, and guests will also be able to nosh on signature Starbucks sandwiches, pastries, and desserts.

Other locations will be popping up soon in all four Disney World parks and Disneyland Park. Note that the Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resorts have served Starbucks for quite a while.

One question I have: How do you “Disney-fy” something as highly-branded as Starbucks? Starbucks locations all seem pretty consistent to me…what would a Disney version be like? The Fiddler location will be themed to the 1920’s vision of Buena Vista Street — including Spanish/Mexican architecture and baristas in 1920s-inspired attire. Other locations will be themed as well.

Are you excited? Concerned? Don’t care as long as you can finally get good coffee? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

New Dessert and Cocktails at La Luce, Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek

By AJ 3 Comments

A few weeks ago I had the superb luck to head over to La Luce at the Hilton Bonnet Creek Resort (inside the gates of Walt Disney World) to sample a brand new dessert and some innovative cocktails they’ve just added to the menu!

La Luce

New Cocktails on the Menu

Mixology is a passion for the bartenders at La Luce, and their seasonal cocktail menu clearly shows that. This season’s list includes three infusion-based drinks, which basically means that the drinks are made with alcohol that’s been flavored with fruits, vegetables, or other foods. For example, in one La Luce drink, you’ll encounter a Cocoa and Chipotle-infused Vodka while in another, you’ll find a Cranberry-infused Tequila.

Infusions -- citrus, tomato, and Buddha's Hand

If you think those jars of infusions are beautiful; wait until you see the drinks.

Infusions and Drinks

First up, a drink made with a tomato-infused Gin, along with Campari (a bitters flavored with a bitter/sour Italian citrus fruit) and a honey truffle syrup. There’s a bacon rim on this one to give a [Read more…]

What’s YOUR Favorite Club Cool Beverage in Epcot?

By Kim LaPaglia 56 Comments

My word, we’ve been doing this blog for three years and we still don’t have a post dedicated to Epcot’s Club Cool!

To remedy this, we set up another fun poll at our Disney Food Blog Facebook Page when we asked “What’s your favorite beverage to try at Club Cool?”

Club Cool Sign

Club Cool, located in Epcot’s Future World, dispenses flavorful fountain drinks from around the globe. This is a fun (and free!!) activity included in your park admission.

Flavors Around the World

First, let’s review the choices of Coke products that are available for sampling at Club Cool:

Club Cool Flavors - click for larger version

— Krest Ginger Ale from Mozambique
— Fanta Kolita from Costa Rica
— Beverly from Italy
— Vegeta Beta from Japan
— Kinley Lemon from Israel
— Lift Apple from Mexico
— Smart Watermelon from China
— Mezzo Mix from Germany
(Let us know if you’ve seen different flavors!)

Our Facebook friends chimed in with their favorite flavors and some funny answers! The top three flavors that our readers enjoy sipping are [Read more…]

Disney Glow Cube Drink Gallery — What’s Your Favorite?

By AJ 31 Comments

So, if you’ve been to a Disney theme park or restaurant for a lunch or dinner meal, chances are you’ve seen a glowing drink or two. Or maybe you’ve even partaken in one yourself?

Glow Drink at Sci-Fi Dine-In Restaurant

For those of you who perhaps haven’t had a glowing ice cube experience yet, here’s a little background. For several years now, Disney has used evolving versions of these re-usable glow cubes — plastic, ice-cube-shaped drink decorations — to jazz up many of their feature cocktails.

The glow cubes in Disney restaurants can be set at different colors using a button on the bottom (you used to have to whack them on the table to get them to turn on and off, but now it’s all a bit more civilized), and there are even settings where they cycle through different colors automatically.

The most famous might be the Blue Glow-tini, which even highlights the cube as part of its name. This sought-after concoction can be found at locations all over Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Mixed with Citrus Vodka, Peach Schnapps, Blue Curacao, Pineapple Juice, and occasionally some Sweet and Sour, this fun drink can knock your socks off.

Disney's Blue Glow-Tini

So, mostly since we’ve never done it before, I thought it would be fun to do a little round-up of some of my other favorite glow-drinks that Disney features on their menus. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it IS a list of [Read more…]

Grand Launch Sale: The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2012 e-Book

By AJ 4 Comments

We’re excited to announce the grand launch of The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2012 e-Book! It’s now available for purchase and download to help you make the most of your dining opportunities while in Disney World.

The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2012 e-Book is an instantly downloadable PDF guide, featuring over 310 full-color pages of photographs, information, and advice about our favorite things — food and dining in Walt Disney World.

It’s guaranteed to help you navigate your way to delicious dining on your next vacation! And if you’re ready to get yours now, head on over to DFBGuide.com to pick it up!!

For our Grand Launch Sale, use code: 2012 to get a $4 discount this week only!

If you purchased the 2011 Guide last year, scroll down for details on repeat purchase discounts. Also, scroll down to the bottom of the post for details on the 6-word Restaurant Review winner, Vicky B!

What’s In The Guide?

As you know, the Guide includes:

A 5-Step Strategy for Disney Dining Planning, covering everything you need to know from budgeting and booking to kids’ meals and fireworks.
A comprehensive and in-depth look at Disney World dining, including tips and tricks to ensure a positive and stress-free dining experience.
The ability to be read on your mobile device or computer!

While our 2011 Guide was very extensive, Disney World is always updating menus, prices, and other dining info. And we’re always finding new things to tell you about! So we’ve updated our 2012 edition with over 60 new pages of details along with more photos, coverage of new Disney dining experiences, exclusive games, and more!

In addition to these updates, our 2012 Guide adds:

Over 60 new pages of Disney Dining information
More Disney food and restaurant photos, and NEW Disney food and restaurant photos
An entire chapter focused on Snacks in the theme parks and resorts, one of the most popular Disney dining topics
Disney Dining Trivia to play while you’re waiting in line (or waiting for a table!)
Exclusive Disney food-themed scavenger hunts for each Disney World theme park
A comprehensive section of Disney Food news and updates from the past year, including new restaurants, new menus, and more
Brand new “Top 5” lists to help you make quick dining decisions
A brand new At-A-Glance section featuring quick facts such as how to locate your lost dining reservations, where to dine with the princesses, or where to pick up a six-pack of beer
New Snack Crawls through the parks and resorts
Updates on all pertinent facts such as dining hours, prices, resources, phone numbers, and restaurant closures/openings
All new restaurant additions, closures, and added dining experiences
And much more!

And the best part is: the price hasn’t changed! Our extensive Disney Dining information, updated and added to with 60+ extra pages and countless new details, will cost you the same amount that it did in 2011.

But, of course we’re offering a [Read more…]

“Biramisu” Review and Recipe, Portobello Trattoria

By AJ 5 Comments

Beer? For Dessert? Yes, indeed.

Despite the fact that I don’t know much about beer and I’m not a fan of tiramisu, I’m extremely glad that I got to try this combo of the two — Biramisu — at Downtown Disney Orlando’s Portobello Trattoria.

I’d known for months (over a year, maybe??) that I needed to get my butt in a chair over at Portobello to try this dessert. It’s pretty innovative, eh? Beer + Tiramisu? And the fact that they make it with a local Orlando Brewing Company porter makes it even more compelling.

Biramisu on the Dessert Menu

The local Organic Blackwater Dry Porter that’s used to make the Biramisu was new to us when we got to the restaurant, but we tried a bottle during lunch to check it out. Liked it!

Orlando Brewing Company Organic Blackwater Dry Porter

But when it was time for dessert, I was still skeptical. (Don’t worry, though; we ordered the white chocolate creme brulee, too, just in case.) I’m just not a big fan of soggy cake, alcohol-soaked anything, or beer in my dessert (as far as I knew). And isn’t that pretty much what this was?

But, if you’re like me and concerned, not to worry. If you take a look at the recipe for this stuff, there’s more [Read more…]

First Look! Epcot’s Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar to Open in Early May

By AJ 24 Comments

Tutto Gusto, a new wine bar

that will be adjacent to Tutto Italia Ristorante, is set to open in early May as part of the restaurant’s recent refurbishment.

Learn About:Tutto Italia Ristorante

Epcot Restaurants
Disney World Restaurants

We can’t wait to add this location to our Drinking Around the World itinerary!

Nestled next to Tutto Italia Ristorante in Epcot’s Italy pavilion, Tutto Gusto will feature a cozy 96-seat space located in the former lobby space and extending toward Via Napoli.

Atmosphere

The new wine bar will take over Tutto Italia’s former lobby space. Stone walls and floors, vaulted ceilings, and a fireplace will create the atmosphere of an Italian wine cellar.

The soon-to-be-hot-spot will be open to patrons from 11:30AM to 9PM to enjoy over 200 Italian wines and what sounds like an amazing selection of small plates and appetizers.

Gusto Wine Cellar

Eats

According to the DisneyParks Blog, this venue will be part of the Disney Dining Plan. We’re not sure yet if it will be considered a one-credit or two-credit location, but either way, this will make Italy the only pavilion with [Read more…]

Guest Review: Florida Orange Groves Winery Seminar at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival

By AJ 5 Comments

It’s time to start gearing up for the 2012 Epcot Food and Wine Festival! So please join me in welcoming Vikki Hurley-Schubert & Michelle Maskaly with a review of a past Epcot Food and Wine Festival event.

Beverage seminars were offered during the 2011 Festival, including the Florida Orange Groves activity priced at $10 per person. Now, on to the review!

I’m not a fan of wine, so when my foodie buddy, Michelle, better known as The Adirondack Chick, suggested one of the seminars at Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival, I wrinkled my nose, sort of whined and said “OK, you’re the guest, let’s go”.

To say we enjoyed the Florida Orange Groves Winery session would be an understatement. So would calling it a typical festival wine tasting. When we sat down, the wines were already poured to tempt and tease us with their bright and fruity aromas.

Atmosphere and Info

From the start, the winery’s owner, Vincent Shook was engaging and fun. He incorporated stories about how they got started in the business, debunked several myths about fruit wines, and incorporated practical ways to use the beverage, even telling us what dishes he and his wife like to pair their favorites with.

We were surprised to learn that Florida has more than a [Read more…]

Review: Triple Yeti Blast at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

By AJ 11 Comments

Lots of you will remember when I spotted Upcountry Beverages in Animal Kingdom for the first time — I sampled some yummo frozen drinks, braved the pouring rain, and ended up with the Maharaja Margarita! 🙂 [Editor’s Note: Since the writing of this post, the name of Upcountry Beverages has been changed to Warung Outpost.]

Well, on my recent visit I was interested to note that the daiquiris are gone from the menu, and the whole thing is margaritas now!! So I just had to try all three…

Animal Kingdom Upcountry Beverage Cart

Updated Menu (no daquiris) – click image for larger version

Fortunately for my ability to stand up straight, they offer all three of these refreshing margaritas in one delightful drink — [Read more…]

Review: Bongos Cuban Cafe

By AJ 22 Comments

Learn About:Bongos Cuban Cafe

Disney Springs
Disney World Restaurants

At long last, we finally made it to the Downtown Disney hotspot that is Bongos Cuban Cafe!

I’ll admit, I’d been putting off my visit to this restaurant. I hadn’t heard great reviews, and I wasn’t sure I’d like the food. But I’m SUCH a giant loser — what have I been waiting for?!?

I had a great time, I had awesome food…and it’s finally time to peek inside and find out what the Big Pineapple has to offer!

Atmosphere

With architecture billed as “Old Havana” in style, this breezy, open restaurant certainly puts you in the mood for a tropical drink and a conga line. 😉 When we visited just before St. Patrick’s Day, Downtown Disney was alive with the excitement of a young, vibrant crowd, ready to get their dance on! The traditional Cuban dance music pouring out from the restaurant beckons you to come take a closer look and listen, and was perfect for a warm, breezy Florida evening.

Bongos Sign

Originally, our Advanced Dining Reservation was scheduled for much later than our 7:30 meet up time. When we checked in at the podium, though, we had no trouble getting a seat immediately. As a newcomer to Cuban food, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the fun setting hinted of some adventurous eating ahead!

One of THE most amazing features of Bongos is the wide open feel of the place. Seating is available both inside and outside, giving the restaurant an authentic Cuban or Miami vibe. After all, these are places where people “live outside,” and restaurants in these locations really reflect that.

To help with the heat, both inside and out, we noticed high ceilings and lots of ceiling fans. It really lends to the impression of cool, airy spaces.

Outdoor Atmosphere

The upstairs veranda also provides a pleasant view of surrounding hotels, the Characters in Flight balloon, and the lake beyond. VERY cool view, eh??

Upstairs Outdoor Seating

While the walls inside are painted to give an old world, weathered feel (and the stone no doubt lends to a sense of coolness on a sweltering Florida summer day), there are plenty of [Read more…]

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It’s Official: Starbucks Lands at Disney Parks