The 180 Days 'til Christmas Sale Starts TODAY! | the disney food blog

The 180 Days ’til Christmas Sale Starts TODAY!

Christmas Sale? Whaa?? “But AJ, it’s June, and we’re sweltering and/or being rained on!”

Well…it’s also only 192 days until Christmas. And if you’re planning a December Disney trip, it’s time to don your Santa hat and get into the holiday spirit, my friends! We’ve got three great offers starting today that are all yours until that magical 180 Days Before Christmas on June 28th!

Main Street Holiday Decor!

Why is the 180 Day mark so magical? Most restaurants at Disney World start booking for Christmas Day on June 28th, 180 days before Christmas Day.

So….if you wanna get a table for your holiday dinner at one of Disney’s most popular restaurants, you’ve gotta get on the horn in the next couple of weeks! Not sure where you want to eat? Let us help you with that!!

Holiday Cupcake from the BoardWalk Bakery

180 Days ‘Til Christmas Sale — 3 Great Ways to SAVE!

We know you’re just as excited as we are about the upcoming holiday season in Walt Disney World! And like we said: it’s never too early to start making plans. After all, you’ve gotta make those advance dining reservations 6 months ahead, especially around the busy holiday season. So we have three exciting offers for you today — and they’re all yours until June 28th — 180 Days Before Christmas!

1) Get $5 Off the DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World Holidays 2015 e-Book Pre-Order (Plus 2014 Guide FREE!)

Get $5 off

when you pre-order your copy of the DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World Holidays 2015 during our 180 Days ‘Til Christmas Sale going on from now until June 28th! Just use code 180Days when you check-out to get the discount.

And if that’s not enough to make you press the purchase button, remember you’ll be able to instantly download the 2014 Guide for FREE and start your planning — today! We’ll share our favorite spots for holiday meals, all of the holiday events, hundreds of photos, and more! It’s the perfect way to nail down your plans and snag the most popular holiday reservations in Walt Disney World.

You’ll then receive the 2015 Guide via email automatically as soon as it’s published in early November. Yep — that means you get two editions for the price of one, so you can start planning right away.

2) Bundle for More Savings!

Want more for your money?

Purchase the Holiday Bundle for $5 off the already deeply discounted price! It’s like getting an entire book for free! Just enter code 180days at the check-out.

In the Holiday Bundle, you’ll get:

The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining, 2015 Edition,
The 2015 DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World Holidays, and the 2014 Edition for FREE as an immediate download.

On a budget? Find out how to make those dollars stretch all around Disney World. These two unique resources are ALL you need to plan your holiday dining!

And with these handy, e-book format guides at your fingertips, there’s nothing that you won’t know about food at Walt Disney World! Just download them, put them on your mobile device, and GOOOOOOO!

To take advantage of this amazing deal, just enter Promo Code 180days at checkout!

3) Get Over 70% Off ALL of the DFB Dining Guides!

Finally, this is the way to get the biggest bang for your buck in our 180 Days ’til Christmas Sale. ACT NOW and collect ALL of Disney Food Blog’s Dining guidebooks for 70% off their regular prices.

Do you anxiously await new DFB posts? Want even more great information, pictures, and tips? Then the DFB Everything Bundle is for you!

And to get you ready for that next big Disney World trip, we are offering the DFB Everything Bundle for 50% off the already low BUNDLE price — that’s over 70% off the cover prices of the books. Just enter promo code 180Days at checkout to take advantage of this offer for a limited time only.

The Everything Bundle includes, well, Everything! When you purchase this special bundle of DFB Guides, you’ll get it all:

[Read more…]

Raglan Road (In Ireland!): Master Chef Contest Winners Share Their Experiences

By Brooke Leave a Comment

If you were following along during our #RaglanRoadTrip coverage, then you know that I recently returned from spending four days in Ireland with the winners of the Raglan Road Master Chef Contest as well as Chef Kevin Dundon.

Winners and Writers at Dunbrody House in Ireland (photo by Raglan Road photographer Ivan Cummins)

The winners will all contribute a dish to the Raglan Road 10th Anniversary Celebration October! I wanted to get to know our winners a little better, so I asked each of them three simple questions:

What gave you a desire to work with Raglan Road?
What was your first experience with Raglan Road like?
As a home cook, what’s your biggest cooking takeaway from this experience?

Here’s what they had to share with me.

Aaron

Aaron Von Swearingen

had long been a fan of cooking — and Raglan Road. It’s been a favorite spot of his for nearly as long as it’s been around, and he and his family often choose to go there for special occasions.

Aaron Chats with John, Owner of Danescastle Fruit Farm

Aaron Chats with John Mernagh, Owner of Danescastle Fruit Farm

But recently, his passion had taken a different turn: recipe development. So when Aaron heard about the Master Chef contest, he thought the challenge to come up with a three-course meal would be a terrific way to test his new found interest.

And clearly, he rose to the occasion. Following his successful bid to become a Master Chef finalist, Aaron headed to — where else? — Raglan Road to celebrate!

Aaron Getting Tips from John Cook on Filleting Fish

His time in Ireland was, as with other members of the group, transformative. Aaron says that, more than anything, he’s leaving with a clear vision that a simple approach is the best one; focus on simple, great, pure ingredients, and be creative and thoughtful in your presentation. “To know those things, going home, is very freeing,” he summed up.

Colleen

Like Aaron, Colleen Kerney has a young family and lives in Central Florida. But her motivation for entering the contest was a little different.

Colleen Receives Some Helpful Hints from Chef Julien

Colleen had been in the process of planning a family trip to Ireland, and had even considered leaving at the same time as the contest was planned for. But budgetary constraints led her to reconsider the timing, and she and her family began to earnestly save for a trip some time in the future.

One day recently, she was flipping through a local Central Florida publication when she came across this headline: “Kevin Dundon wants to send YOU to Ireland.” Well. That sounded pretty good to her. And we can say that the rest is history.

Interestingly enough, Colleen hadn’t ever actually dined at Raglan Road, although she was familiar with Chef Kevin because of his cooking show, which airs on PBS. However, she and her extended family celebrated her winning the contest by booking brunch at the Irish Pub.

Oyster Soup, Colleen’s Dish

While she enjoyed her time in Ireland immensely and definitely plans to return for that promised family visit in the near future, she also had some fun takeaways from the experience. First and foremost? “Butter makes [Read more…]

Review: Caramel Sticks at Disneyland’s Candy Palace

By AJ 11 Comments

So, last month I headed out west for the 24-Hour Kickoff of the Disneyland Resort Diamond Anniversary Celebration …and pretty much ate my way through Disneyland in three days. SO, I have LOTS to share with you here on the blog of my epic Diamond eating adventure.

Sleeping Beauty Castle decked out for the Diamond Anniversary

But, today I’m going to highlight one of the best things I ate, hands down, during those three days. And that’s saying something, because I had a Bacon Mac & Cheese Cone, brunch at Club 33, all five Jungle Skewers at the Bengal Barbecue and so much more.

Are you ready? Then allow me to set the scene…you wander into the Candy Palace to check the candy cases to see what’s new…

The Candy Palace

And here they are… [Read more…]

Dining Details: Wall Murals at Via Napoli in Epcot’s Italy Pavilion

By AJ 1 Comment

It just goes to show… you can visit Disney World a million and one times (and I’ve got to be coming up close to that number 😉 ), and still notice something new every time.

Learn About:Via Napoli

Epcot Restaurants
Disney World Restaurants

I’m a fan of Via Napoli in Epcot’s Italy Pavilion. Not only does it serve the best pizza in Disney World; it’s become a tradition for us.

So how is it, then, that I only noticed this incredibly cool detail on my most recent visit? OK, at least I THINK it’s a cool detail. I might be totally making it up, but I could super see Disney Imagineers doing this on purpose.

Look at this orange tree as seen through one of the restaurant’s windows.

Orange Tree outside the window

And now check out the fresco painting on the wall right next to it.

Wall mural next to the window

Hmmmm…. Looks similar, right?

I think this may be a continuation, bringing the [Read more…]

Epcot’s L’Artisan des Glaces Celebrates its Second Anniversary with New Flavors and Sundaes!

By AJ 13 Comments

Happy Second Anniversary, L’Artisan des Glaces!

Learn About:L'Artisan des Glaces

Epcot Restaurants
Disney World Restaurants

From the moment the doors opened two years ago in the former spot of Boulangerie Patisserie in the France Pavilion, it was clear L’Artisan des Glaces was not your typical ice cream stop.

The Boulangerie relocated to a larger space, and L’Artisan des Glaces began to carve its own unique niche in the Disney dining scene almost immediately upon its debut.

So, what made the arrival of this little shop so special?

First of all, every single one of the 16 flavors of ice cream and sorbet was — and still is — made in-house.

L’Artisan des Glaces in Epcot’s France Pavilion

Opening Day L’Artisan des Glaces Flavors

L’artisan des Glaces ice cream case

And second? The shop began to introduce some incredible and unique ice cream confections that we’d never seen the likes of before in Walt Disney World!

As we wish L’Artisan a huge Happy Birthday and Bon Anniversaire, we wanted to take a peek at just a few of these creations that are now a part of the eating scene in Epcot!

Ice Cream Martinis

Thanks to the addition of L’Artisan, Epcot guests 21 and over suddenly had the option of pairing their ice cream flavor of choice with…BOOZE! Grand Marnier, Clement Rhum from Martinique, or Whipped Cream flavored Vodka could be added to create their own gorgeous Ice Cream Martini.

Ice Cream Martini

Between this and the rich, creamy homemade ice cream, L’Artisan started earning its terrific reputation from the get-go. Refusing, however, to rest on their laurels, the ice cream artists have continued to change things up and crank out surprises year-round.

Macaron Ice Cream Sandwiches

Additional treats began to appear later in 2013, starting with the Chocolate Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich. This decadent snack is a scoop of chocolate ice cream sandwiched inside a large, crisp-on-the-outside, chewy on the inside chocolate macaron cookie.

Chocolate Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich

While you can still get the Chocolate Macaron Ice Cream sandwich any time of year, new versions of this treat began [Read more…]

Review: Clam Chowder in a Bread Bowl at Min and Bill’s Dockside Diner

By Brooke 7 Comments

Fun news today from Min and Bill’s Dockside Diner!

Learn About:Dockside Diner

Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney World Restaurants

You know how Columbia Harbour House used to have Clam Chowder in a Bread Bowl? And you know how they don’t anymore and many, many, many of us still lament this on a regular basis?

Well, during a recent trip through the odyssey that is a Star Wars Weekend at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, one of our staffers spied a new menu at Min and Bills Dockside Diner that just might interest you…Clam Chowder Served in a BREAD BOWL.

Shazam.

Min and Bills Menu — Click to Enlarge

Bread bowls have been sorely missed in Disney World, although they remain a staple at several Disneyland spots, like Pacific Wharf Cafe and Royal Street Veranda.

So, it took us about 5 seconds to realize that we needed to get this and share it with you right now! And so…here it is.

It’s not a huge bread bowl, and it’s not Boudin Bakery (AFAIK); but it is hearty and the bread is clearly an artisan-type, fresh-baked boule that’s more interesting than your run-of-the-mill loaf. Pieces of onion make the boule visually interesting and infuse the bread with some complex flavor. Pretty, huh?

Clam Chowder in a Bread Bowl is Back in WDW!

Under the little bread lid, you’ll find the boule hollowed out enough for about a cup of soup.

Clam Chowder in a Bread Bowl — Under the Lid

When I removed the lid, I was happy to see the fresh Bacon and Chive garnish, which gave the soup additional color, texture, and flavor. I personally think Clam Chowder benefits hugely from [Read more…]

Review: Dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

By AJ 28 Comments

We are back for another visit to Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Tree Tavern — and this time, it’s for dinner.

Learn About:Liberty Tree Tavern

Magic Kingdom
Disney World Restaurants

What’s the difference between lunch and dinner? Well, it’s major, actually. Lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern is an a la carte offering — you order what you want off the menu. I’ll often go for their Angus Chuck Cheeseburger. And the Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake is one of the best desserts on property. (Here’s the recipe.)

But dinner is a completely different deal — and still quite good. You’re treated to a family style feast consisting of roasted meats and all the trimmings.

I haven’t covered dinner at LTT here on the blog for a long time…for two reasons: 1.) It’s always the same. The food rarely changes, and everyone gets the same thing, so our previous reviews are still totally valid when it comes to the food. 2.) For some reason, every time I’ve been there for dinner in the past year, something has happened to keep me from getting the photos I need to blog the post. Either a member of my party gets sick or one of the kids has a meltdown…or we’re with a huge group and the food is decimated before I can take a picture.

So, I made it a focus on my last trip to get over there and make it happen! Here we go!

Atmosphere

Liberty Tree Tavern is a Magic Kingdom icon. It’s been there since the Park opened, and there are many Disney fans who count a meal here among their earliest Disney memories. It’s located on Liberty Square, near the Hall of Presidents and other exhibits celebrating Colonial American History.

Liberty Tree Tavern Entrance

Liberty Tree Tavern offers seating in six different rooms, each themed to a notable historical figure. They include Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Paul Jones, Paul Revere, Betsy Ross, and George Washington. You can see a more in-depth atmosphere review here.

A door in the John Paul Jones Room

Model Ship and John Paul Jones Portrait

If your kiddos are studying American history, it’s fun to take a look around each of the rooms to see some of the more well-known stories come to life. Ben Franklin’s kite and George Washington’s wooden teeth appear in their respective rooms.

Kite in Ben Franklin Room

And if there are any invasions or revolutions that require your help, you’re all set. Grab your cloak and three corner hat, and you’re off!

Coats and Hat Hanging at the Ready

Seating throughout the vast network of rooms is made up of booths and tables. Primarily you’ll find ladder back chairs that are fairly comfortable surrounding rectangular and round tables.

Seating

If you prefer some natural light, be sure to request a seat in one of the outer facing dining rooms. But don’t plan on parade- or people-watching. The glass is bubbled and wavy, so you’ll just see blobs of color.

Seating and View

Eats

As I mentioned before, if you dine at Liberty Tree Tavern for dinner, you’ll be partaking in a prix fixe, family style meal. That means that each person in your party will pay a set price — one price for adults, and a lower price for children. (Children under 3 are free.)

Your meal includes everything listed below, including a standard beverage and dessert. The format is all-you-care-to-enjoy, so there’s no reason to ever leave a Liberty Tree Tavern dinner table hungry.

Liberty Tree Tavern Menu — Click to Enlarge

We began with a [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: June 14, 2015

By Brooke Leave a Comment

It’s not often that food news from one single park completely dominates the landscape. But that’s exactly what we’ve witnessed this week with Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and it looks like it will continue into this upcoming week!

New Pasta Dishes Arrive at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

We’ve been there to cover it all, but there’s been plenty happening on other fronts as well.

Let’s take a look at all the Disney Food News from this week!

Disney Food News

We share our review of the Blue Milk Milkshake at 50s Prime Time Cafe. And we find out that it may stick around (through the magic of rebranding!) as Star Wars Weekends give way to Frozen Fever at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Zuri’s Sweets Shop is set to open next week in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and we have a sneak peek at the new Harambe Market shop.
More details emerge about The Edison, a new restaurant opening in Disney Springs in 2016, and Vivoli Gelateria is now open for business in Disney Springs.
The Tree of Life Cupcake debuts at Kusafiri Bakery.
We bring you news and reviews of a brand new menu (including two new pasta dishes) at the Beastly Kiosk in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
We have more news for you from the 2015 Epcot Food and Wine Festival, as we share the menu for the Tequila Pairing Lunches, that will take place in the Mexico Pavilion.

Check out all the latest Disney Food News — even the stuff we don’t mention in posts on the blog! — on our Disney Food News Pin Board, including menu updates, restaurant closures, special events,
and more!

We’ve got all the latest for you, so check it out before you go.

DFB Reader Finds

If you find a fun new food — or other edible awesomeness — in or about Disney, share a photo with us on facebook or twitter so we can add it to our DFB Reader Finds each Sunday!

Today, we’re featuring fun finds from Hawaii — with a Disney twist!

Reader Wendy shared this photo and review of the Lilikoi Cheesecake at Ulu Cafe in Disney’s Aulani Resort via the DFB Mailbag. She says, “The sweet, creamy mango cheesecake and the tangy lilikoi (passion fruit) glaze blended well together! This dessert far surpasses all other ‘premade desserts in a cup’!”

Lilikoi Cheesecake from Ulu Cafe in Disney’s Aulani Resort

Kanani Ashley shared this great pic of a Self Serve Dole Whip Station in a brand new drugstore that just opened in Hawaii! AAAAAH!!! Who wants one of these at home??

Spotted: Self Serve Dole Whip Machine!

Do you have a favorite Disney Food find? Share your photos with us!

Deal of the Week: 2015-2016 Disney World Vacation Must-Have E-Book Sale!

Getting ready to head out for that much-anticipated Walt Disney World Trip? Woohoo!! That’s the best feeling ever, isn’t it?

But, whether you like to be spontaneous or plan every detail, planning ahead is the key to less stress when it comes to Walt Disney World. And planning is even more important when it comes to dining.

If you really want to dine in the hottest restaurants, you pretty much have to plan ahead. Be spontaneous, of course. But get a couple Advance Dining Reservations in place.

But which ones?

That’s where Disney Food Blog comes in, because we are all about the planning!!

You already enjoy our reviews, news, and tips daily on our Blog. But did you know — that’s JUST the tip of the iceberg. Because we have lots more to share with you in our complete line of DFB Guides.

If you’re ready for a fun, easy way to personalize eating and drinking your way through Disney, then check out the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2015 e-Book.
Fully updated for your 2015-2016 adventures, the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2015 e-Book is an instantly downloadable PDF guide, featuring over 490 full-color pages of photographs, information, and advice about our favorite subject — Eating Your Way Through Disney! So you save time and money as you enjoy planning one of the most important parts of your trip. 😉

And to thank all of you for your support of DFB, we are offering extra savings on our most popular DFB Guide right now. Just enter promo code 2015 at checkout and you’ll save $4 off of our cover price of the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2015 e-Book!

But if you’d like to enjoy even more detail, check out another great offer.

DFB Everything Bundle SALE!

If you’d like even more great information, pictures, and tips, then the DFB Everything Bundle is the right fit for you.

And to get you ready for that next big trip, we are offering the DFB Everything Bundle for $15 off the already low price! It’s like getting an entire book for free. Just enter promo code Everything15 at checkout to take advantage of this offer.

The Everything Bundle includes, well, Everything! When you purchase this special bundle of DFB Guides, you’ll get it all: [Read more…]

Review: Blue Milk Milkshake at 50s Prime Time Cafe in Disney’s Hollywood Studios

By AJ 5 Comments

It’s time to head back to 50s Prime Time Cafe for a little Star Wars goodness.

Learn About:50’s Prime Time Cafe

Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney World Restaurants

This restaurant, located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, is a great example of Disney imagineering. The 1950s retro vibe is enhanced with authentic furniture, wallpaper, and knick knacks — and the staff play right along…so be sure to eat all your veggies, or run the risk of having them fork-fed to you.

Don’t forget to ask for a TV table on your visit to 50s Prime Time Cafe! And keep your elbows off the table…

But 50s Prime Time also features some classic…and not-so-classic…Milkshakes. The Peanut Butter and Jelly Milkshake is a must-try.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Milkshake

You’ll find standard chocolate and vanilla as well, and the Prime Time will usually dream up a few specialty, seasonal milkshakes for the menu. The Red Velvet Cake Milkshake, with chunks of cream cheese frosting, was pretty fantastic.

But if you’re heading to the Studios for the last of the Star Wars Weekends today or tomorrow, it’s your last chance to try one of my favorite seasonal options — the [Read more…]

News! Zuri’s Sweets Shop Opens in Animal Kingdom’s Harambe Market on June 17th

By Wendy 9 Comments

Welp, it’s been all Animal Kingdom all the time around here, so why not share one more little bit of news!

Animal Kingdom’s Tree of Life

Remember a couple weeks ago when we visited the all-new Harambe Market in Animal Kingdom’s Africa for the first time?

Harambe Market

Harambe Market entrance

There was a sign peeking just over some construction walls across the way, painted with the name “Zuri’s Sweets.” At least, that’s as much as we could read from behind the walls at the time ;).

Zuri’s Sweets Shop sign

We’ve now learned that the official name for this new stop is Zuri’s Sweets Shop, and it will be opening its doors as the newest addition to Harambe Market on June 17th!

It seems that Zuri’s Sweets will offer plenty of familiar Disney confections… but with an Animal Kingdom twist…

©Disney

Altogether we can expect about 80 items including specialty candy apples and popcorn, many of which will be unique to Zuri’s Sweets Shop. Disney shared that the African Spice Popcorn will be flavored with a “hint of cardamom.”

©Disney

Keep an eye out for some of your favorite Lion King characters to appear on some of the package decorations. And note the paw-shape of the Simba lollipop! I don’t think I’ve ever seen an apple-flavored one before.

©Disney

The packaging, though, will vary throughout the [Read more…]

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