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Review: Frank & Weenies in Disney California Adventure

Happy Halloween week!!

You’ve been “treated” to our cache of fun Disney Halloween Goodies already, but today we’ve got a spicy review from the West Coast for ya!

Frank & Weenies and FrankenFusion Lemonade

Over in Disney California Adventure through November 4th, you’ll have the opportunity to sing your teeth into some serious Halloween eats: Frank & Weenies and FrankenFusion Lemonade!

Inspired by Disney’s Frankenweenie movie, the savory Frank & Weenies served in DCA are bacon-wrapped hot dogs covered in grilled onions and barbecue sauce, and served in a cheesy jalapeño roll!

Frank & Weenie -- hot dog wrapped in bacon, smothered in grilled onions and barbecue sauce on a cheese jalapeno roll

Reader Paul Liu sampled one and sent over his review: [Read more…]

Review: New Lunch Menu at Whispering Canyon Cafe in Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

By AJ 16 Comments

For years, the Whispering Canyon Cafe at Disney World’s Wilderness Lodge has been known for bottomless milkshakes, all-you-can-eat skillets, and a rowdy atmosphere due to the fun antics of the servers.

Learn About:Whispering Canyon Cafe

Disney World Restaurants

And with a pretty drastic menu overhaul last month, I was eager to try some of the new dishes on the now skillet-less lunch menu!

Atmosphere

Whispering Canyon Cafe is located just off of the lobby in Disney’s Wilderness Lodge resort. This is the Wilderness Lodge’s moderately priced restaurant, and it’s definitely got a lot of personality!

Honestly, the fact that the restaurant is open to the lobby has pretty much required a noise ordinance to be placed due to the raucous (though good-natured) behavior that has characterized the restaurant in the past.

Reflecting the Cowboy-and-Indian days of the old West, just about anything goes here. From hobby-horse races around the restaurant to servers interrupting cell phone calls, and pledges to “never, EVER go to Universal Studios,” Whispering Canyon has always been a laugh and a half.

warning sign - click image for larger version

naughty people riding hobby horses

In my own experience at WCC, I’ve been brought a bucket of Diet Coke after asking for too many refills…and after drinking it all, I received my very own “fastpass to the bathroom” from my server! 😉

However, recently the antics have been toned down a bit. Keep in mind that lunchtime guests seem to have a much quieter experience than breakfast or [Read more…]

News! Updated Disney Bar and Lounge Menu: New Drinks and Review

By AJ 19 Comments

We all remember when, a couple of years back, Disney instituted a standard bar and lounge menu for most of the Disney-run restaurants and lounges in Disney World and Disneyland.

Standard Disney Bar Menu at Territory Lounge

While some unique options do still exist at some watering holes — our favorites being these Top 10 Disney World Bars and Lounges — what’s in this little standard menu is pretty much what you’ll have to choose from at several of Disney’s dining establishments.

Recently, several of the options were overhauled or replaced, and we’ve got the updated Disney Bar and Lounge Menu in full for you here, including beers and wines.

But I thought it would be helpful to show you a few of the newer pages from the book so that you can get an idea of what’s now available.

New Additions to the Menu

The updated standard Disney Bar and Lounge Menu starts out strong. I like the throwback to some classic drinks…

Truffle Olive Martini and Rye Manhattan

…and Disney’s getting fancy with this Godiva flight!

Sweet Drinks and Flights

I personally enjoyed this new Pimm’s Punch addition, though I got very different versions the two times I ordered it! The first was fruity, but the second had a [Read more…]

Snack Series: Seasonal Funnel Cake Flavors in Epcot

By AJ 8 Comments

If you’re a fan of that classic carnival treat, the funnel cake, I’ve got something that should make your Disney eats list!

Disney specializes in funnel cakes of all kinds — plain; cinnamon sugar; topped with apples, chocolate, strawberries, whipped cream; etc.

But there’s one spot in the “World” that offers seasonal flavors of these fried up goodies…that I haven’t found anywhere else!

Funnel Cakes Sign in Epcot's American Adventure

Yep! Epcot’s American Adventure Funnel Cake kiosk features a couple of special flavors that you can only get at certain times of the year: Strawberry Funnel Cakes and Pumpkin Spice Funnel Cakes.

American Adventure Funnel Cake Kiosk Menu

While I haven’t seen both on the menu at the same time, it’s always fun to stop by the kiosk and see what’s available when you’re there! Usually it’s Pumpkin Spice for Fall and Winter…

Pumpkin spice funnel cake

And Strawberry for Spring and Summer! Each cake costs [Read more…]

Review: Frozen Beer in Epcot’s Japan

By AJ 18 Comments

A new brew has popped up at Epcot’s Japan pavilion…and it’s a little hard to get your head around!

Frozen Beer (well…it’s only sort of frozen…but more on that later) has made its continental United States debut in Epcot recently, and I had a chance to try it.

Frozen Kirin Beer in Epcot's Japan

Here’s how it works: while the beer underneath is completely liquid at all times, the head on the glass is essentially super aerated and chilled — a frozen foam of beer, pretty much. This protective foam works as a mini-refrigerator, keeping the liquid beer beneath colder for longer.

The head slowly melts back down into liquid beer if you wait long enough, but it does stay in tact for about 10-20 minutes in my experience.

Frozen Foam on the Head of the Beer

It’s a bit hard to work around to get a sip of the liquid beer (if you’ve had butterbeer in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, you have an idea of the phenomenon); but it doesn’t [Read more…]

Be Our Guest Restaurant Video Tour

By AJ 9 Comments

Another incredible video tour of Be Our Guest Restaurant has come out of the Cast Member Preview today and I couldn’t wait to share it with you!

The video below showcases all three Be Our Guest Restaurant Dining Rooms: The Ballroom, the Rose Gallery, and the [Read more…]

Specialty Halloween Dishes Now Available in Disneyland and Disney California Adventure

By Kim LaPaglia Leave a Comment

Earlier this week we shared a few fun Disney Halloween Treats that had been popping up in the parks!

Today, we’ve got a few seasonal dishes that will be showing up at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks through November 4th! You’ll want to order these fun entrees and treats soon!

Halloween Dishes in Disneyland

In the Disneyland park, Blue Bayou is serving a pan-roasted wild boar chop with a blood orange fruit reduction, accompanied by a tri-color layered potato stack and veggies.

Desserts include the Midnight Chocolate Tart Temptation, a sweet and salty treat with milk chocolate filling, caramel popcorn ice cream, olive oil, and Down Under flake salt.

Midnight Chocolate Tart Temptation

Just around the corner, Café Orleans is featuring a Haunted Chicken dish. Try the pan-seared chicken breast dressed with chili cream sauce, served with purple garlic mash and sautéed carrots, before it vanishes into thin air.

Of course, there are special sweets: pumpkin patch crème brûlèe topped with cinnamon whipped cream, and pumpkin beignets with [Read more…]

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwich Available at New Location in Disney’s Animal Kingdom

By AJ 11 Comments

Great news! You can now get one of my favorite Disney World treats at TWO spots in Disney’s Animal Kingdom!

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich

Those incredible homemade ice cream sandwiches — yummy ice cream sandwiched between two humongous cookies — are still available at Dino Bites in Dinoland; but now you can find them at the ice cream kiosk near the entrance to Africa from Discovery Island as well.

This Ice Cream Kiosk Now Sells Ice Cream Sandwiches!

This location only sells a hand full of ice cream treats and bottled drinks, so it should be a quick wait in line! And while the menu board says [Read more…]

Video Tour and Photos: Be Our Guest Restaurant West Wing, Rose Gallery, and Ballroom

By Kim LaPaglia 10 Comments

On Sunday, we took you on an EPIC adventure into Be Our Guest Restaurant and Gaston’s Tavern in Magic Kingdom’s New Fantasyland.

Be Our Guest Lobby

Today, we’re stepping into the Be Our Guest Restaurant again. But this time, we get to finally check out the dark and foreboding Be Our Guest Restaurant West Wing and the bright and enchanting Rose Gallery!

In the video below, Walt Disney Imagineers Chris Kelly, Ted Robledo, and Tim Warzecha walk us through the three dining rooms in the Be Our Guest Restaurant. Let’s follow them through the royal entrance and into the elegant Ballroom, lovely Rose Gallery, and the darker West Wing where the Enchanted Rose awaits.

Don’t care to watch the video? No problem — we’ve got some incredible photos below that showcase even more of Beast’s Castle and Be Our Guest Restaurant!

Be Our Guest Restaurant West Wing

Here, the Enchanted Rose lies in the West Wing. Watch closely as the petals begin to fall just like they do in the film!

Enchanted Rose in West Wing of Be Our Guest Restaurant

Enchanted Rose in the West Wing

Check out the claw marks on the portrait above the fireplace. The imagineers didn’t stop there. Watch for the portrait to change between the Beast and the Prince each time a rose petal falls from the enchanted rose… .

The portrait begins as a painting of the Prince.

Prince Portrait in the West Wing

Once a petal falls, guests will see a flash of lightning as the portrait starts to transform into a painting of [Read more…]

The Epic Mega Post of Be Our Guest Restaurant and Gaston’s Tavern Pictures! (Now With Pork Shank!)

By AJ 34 Comments

Celebrating one of the most beloved animated films by Disney, Belle’s Village in the New Fantasyland area of Disney World’s Magic Kingdom transports guests to scenes from “Beauty and the Beast”. Of course, we are especially fond of the dancing flatware*!

But NOW, we have even more pictures from the two venues that we are most excited about — Be Our Guest Restaurant and Gaston’s Tavern (we even have pics of the FOOD TODAY!).

During a New Fantasyland “Dress Rehearsal,” some incredible Disney Food Blog readers and a few of our favorite colleagues captured the photos in the dazzling display below. A huge thanks goes out to Alison Durkee (who also writes over on DisZine.com), Matt Hoskins, Suzannah DiMarzio at Zannaland, Missy Rosenberg and Franklin Khamvongsa, Kelly Tressler, @CoreyPatterson, @Leah679, and @CookingGuys for these incredible photos! Let’s take a peek…

Here we gooo!

Be Our Guest Restaurant Pictures

Guests have been able to enter Be Our Guest Restaurant for the first time over the past couple of days! Even though they’re not yet serving food at Be Our Guest, there is still a LOT to take in… . You can see the Beast’s Castle from anywhere in Belle’s Village, and it looks particularly ominous from Maurice’s Cottage!

View of a Distant Beast's Castle from Maurice's Cottage

Once you make the trek to the castle, you’ll have to cross the bridge! This makes the anticipation even stronger…

Entrance Bridge to Beast's Castle!

Sad Gargoyles line the bridge to the Castle, guarding this incredible vista of rocky waterfalls!

Sad Gargoyles and Waterfalls guard Beast's Castle

Sad Gargoyle is Sad says Matt Hoskins' son, Alexander

Don’t forget that you can purchase goblets with this Sad Gargoyle on them at Bonjour! Village Gifts!

As we approach the Beast’s Castle, Disney Imagineers have placed lots of enticing detail to tell the story! The Beast’s Coat of Arms adorns this castle gate…

The Beast's Shield Adorns a Castle Gate

And other gates stand ready to repel intruders! [Read more…]

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Review: Frank & Weenies in Disney California Adventure

Frank & Weenies and FrankenFusion Lemonade