News! Downtown Disney West Side Starbucks Now Offering Starbucks Evening Menu with Beer and Wine

Attention, Starbucks fans: now you never have to leave your favorite hangout! At least not if you’re visiting the Downtown Disney West Side location.

Starbucks Location in Downtown Disney’s West Side

Recently, the coffee giant announced that they’d be piloting a new Starbucks Evening menu in select locations throughout the U.S. These locations would offer beer and wine as well as food to go along with the adult beverage selections. So far, the menu has been rolled out in select stores in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Atlanta.

But today, we’re getting word that you can also enjoy the evening menu when you visit Walt Disney World, as the Starbucks located at Downtown Disney West Side has now joined the ranks.

A Glass of Wine By the Fire? Sounds Awesome!

Guests can enjoy wines by the glass or bottle, and beer and wine selections vary by location. In addition to the beverages, there are also tapas-style foods available. These include [Read more…]

Grab and Go Food Items at Disney Resorts for Your runDisney Race

By Wendy 8 Comments

Is 2015 the year you will tackle your first runDisney race?

Artwork from the 2014 WDW Half Marathon t-shirt

Artwork from the 2014 WDW Half Marathon tee

Maybe you’ve already put some thought into where you’ll celebrate your accomplishment once the race is over. But what about before the race? You might have some questions about what’s available to nosh as you prepare to make your way to the starting line.

With Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend upon us, we thought now might be a good a time to show you some items that are typically available across Disney World Resort food courts — just some simple eats that might be similar to food you’ve eaten prior to training runs at home.

Everything Pop Food Court at Pop Century

One thing all Disney races have in common (well, the daytime races, in any case 🙂 ), is that they start EARLY. And you’ve got to get there even earlier. Your resort food court can be a great place to grab a few items the night before your race to have at the ready as you get dressed in the morning, or even bring to the race staging area to eat while you wait for your race to begin (at long last!).

Now, for many readers familiar with Disney Resorts, this info might be old hat. Then again, maybe it’s your first time visiting as a race participant, and you may never have looked at Grab and Go selections very carefully. So, here’s your chance to check it out!

A note before we begin: items may vary across resort food courts, but the photos below (taken at Art of Animation’s Landscape of Flavors and Pop Century’s Everything Pop) are intended to give an idea of items that are typical around the food courts.

Be sure to check out both the bakery cases and refrigerated sections of the Grab and Go areas.

Bakery Case at Landscape of Flavors

While the bakery cases are bound to have primarily dessert-style options, you can often also find muffins, bagels, and in some cases, plain white bread.

Assorted muffins

Assorted bagels

White bread

Spreadable toppings may be a little more difficult to spot, but pouches of peanut butter (not refrigerated), cream cheese, and Smart Balance (refrigerated) are usually not far away.

Peanut Butter pouches

Cream Cheese and “Smart Balance”

The refrigerated section holds [Read more…]

News! 2nd Annual Field to Feast Dinner to be Held on March 14, 2015

By Brooke 1 Comment

Once again, Edible Orlando magazine is partnering with Disney Chefs for a truly memorable farm to table culinary experience!

The 2nd Annual Field to Feast Dinner will take place on March 14, 2015, at Long & Scott Farms in Mount Dora, Florida.

The special dinner will kick off with a reception from 4:30 to 6:00 PM, during which guests can also take advantage of farm tours hosted by farmer Hank Scott. Culinary stations will follow from 6:00 to 8:30 PM.

The event will feature dishes created by Disney Chefs using locally sourced ingredients. And you’ll recognize many of the chefs and sommeliers as Disney Culinary Supertars! The list includes the following: [Read more…]

Review: Dinner at the Flying Fish Cafe on Disney’s BoardWalk

By AJ 16 Comments

Welcome back to the Flying Fish Cafe!

Learn About:Flying Fish

Boardwalk Restaurants
Disney World Restaurants

While all the dining talk on Disney’s BoardWalk has centered around the opening of the brand new Trattoria al Forno as of late, I wanted to bring you back to the Flying Fish, which is not only my favorite restaurant on BoardWalk, but also one of my very favorites in all of Disney World. Period.

During the interim between the closing of Kouzzina and the opening of Trattoria al Forno, the Flying Fish served a stint as a breakfast location, previewing some of the dishes that are now on the breakfast menu at Trattoria al Forno.

But this signature restaurant is now back to its regular dinner-only schedule, and if you haven’t enjoyed dinner at Flying Fish before, I’ve gotta say it: it’s practically a must-do.

Flying Fish

Come see what I mean…

Atmosphere

The decor of the Flying Fish pays tribute to two things: first, the atmosphere honors its place on Disney’s BoardWalk through some insanely fun murals depicting things like turn-of-the-century roller coasters, those old school parachute swing rides, and other carnival-style attractions.

Boardwalk murals

The theme is continued as you move further into the restaurant with a gorgeous backlit ferris wheel, and the most enviable seating space of all right underneath the circus tent.

Backlit Ferris Wheel

Circus Tent seating

The second design element plays on the star of the culinary scene here: seafood. And nowhere is that theme more evident than in the parachuting fish “flying” above as you dine!

Flying Fish!

Notice the bait hooks mixed in with some of the underwater themed lighting fixtures.

Lighting fixtures

With everything going on, you may not notice the open kitchen (unless you’re seated at the Chef’s Counter directly in front of the show), but try to take a moment to observe, since what happens in this kitchen is some of the best of Disney culinary feats in action.

Chef’s Counter in front of the kitchen

Of course, if you’re just looking for a quick dinner, the bar area is very comfortable, too.

Bar area

I have no idea if “upscale-whimsy” is an interior design term, but if it is, that pretty much sums up the Flying Fish. It manages to be both sophisticated and super fun at the same time.

Eats

The name of this restaurant gives guests an idea that there is a focus on seafood at the Flying Fish, but don’t let that scare you or anyone in your party off who isn’t a seafood fan. Remember, I said this was one of my favorite restaurants, and seafood isn’t exactly my ultimate choice in cuisine. There’s plenty of meat and pasta to go around, too.

But I’m getting ahead of myself… let’s start with the complimentary bread served with butter, which was hard to hold back on thanks to the unique touches of herbs and cheese tucked inside the nooks of the rustic bread.

Bread

My friends and I enjoyed some the bread while scoping out the [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: January 4, 2015

By Kim LaPaglia Leave a Comment

Happy New Year! Looking ahead, we anticipate sharing delicious reviews from new Disney restaurants. And we just heard that STK will be coming to Disney Springs at Walt Disney World.

Tiramisu Cupcake

And you know we’ll be visiting old favorites like Captain Cook’s. Recently while checking out the new Polynesian Lobby (click the link to see photos!!), we found a Tiramisu Cupcake there!

Plus, read the top Disney food news from 2014. Just click on the links below!

Disney Food News

New Disney restaurant news — STK was announced for Disney Springs, and we have a good idea of where you’ll go to get your Starbucks in Disney’s Animal Kingdom very soon!
Check out the Tiramisu Cupcake, found at Captain Cook’s in Disney World’s Polynesian Village Resort!
The Top 10 BIGGEST Disney food news stories of 2014!

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 restaurant closures, 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 from Disney, share a photo with us on facebook or twitter so we can add it to our DFB Reader Finds each Sunday!

Our readers continue to tempt us with delicious food from Walt Disney World. Let’s take a look at some items from the Animal Kingdom! Here’s a Mac and Cheese Hot Dog courtesy of Katie.

Mac and Cheese Hot Dog

Or for table-service, head to Yak and Yeti for these yummy appetizers sent in by Angelica.

Do you have a favorite find? Share your Disney food photos!

Pre-Order the 2015 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining e-Book Today for $5 Off!

Want a big discount on our most popular DFB Guide in time for the new year? Or, you know, just cause you want to start planning your 2015 Disney trip TODAY? ;-D

It’s yours! Pre-Order the 2015 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining today and use promo code HAPPYNEWYEAR for $5 off!

We know that when it comes to your Disney vacays, planning ahead is practically essential these days. And if you can save time and money in the process — even better!

And that’s why today, when you pre-order the 2015 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining and enter promo code HAPPYNEWYEAR, you’ll save $5 off of the already low cover price!

But the really cool part? You get two books for the price of one! We’ll deliver the 2014 Guide to you immediately, and email you the 2015 Guide as soon as it is available early next year.

Here are a couple of sample pages for you — just click to enlarge!

DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Sample Page

Samples Pages of the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2013

What’s in the DFB Guide?

The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is stuffed FULL of helpful features to help make your trip go smoothly, like:

A 5-Step Strategy for Disney Dining Planning, covering everything you need to know from [Read more…]

News! STK Comes to Disney Springs and Animal Kingdom Starbucks Locale Suspected

By AJ 22 Comments

We recently took a look back at some of the top Disney Food News Stories of 2014. And today, we’re happy to let you in on some of the new dining experiences you can expect in 2015. We figure there’s lots more to come, but this is certainly a good start!

STK Coming to Downtown Disney Orlando

First up: another new restaurant is coming to Disney Springs! STK by the The ONE Group Hospitality, Inc., will open in The Landing area of the new development, which replaces the closed entertainment district Pleasure Island.

STK is Coming to Disney Springs in 2015

STK will be a modern steakhouse, but will channel the atmosphere of a “sleek lounge”. Plans call for the restaurant to encompass approximately 14,000 square feet, two dining levels — and a DJ! This leaves us wondering — will STK make up for some of the night clubs we lost when Pleasure Island closed?

An Artist’s Rendering of Disney Springs — The Landing

The DJ and lounge aspect sounds pretty cool, but we’re also looking forward to checking out the planned rooftop dining — the only such area slated for Disney Springs at present.

Interestingly, STK is the first announcement of a chain restaurant that we’ve seen slated for Disney Springs. Other locations include New York City, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., and London.

Probable Starbucks Location in Disney’s Animal Kingdom

We are also hearing lots of rumblings about where Starbucks may be located at Disney’s Animal Kingdom when it opens later this year.

Starbucks logo

While it hasn’t been officially announced, it looks like [Read more…]

Disneyland Recipe: Lemon Bumblebee Cupcakes from the Hungry Bear Restaurant

By Brooke 5 Comments

We’re featuring one of our favorite Disneyland snacks today. But we aren’t just gonna tell you about how awesome it is; we’re giving you the recipe, too!

If you haven’t had the pleasure of dining at Disneyland’s Hungry Bear Restaurant, I suggest you remedy that the very next time you can!

Hungry Bear Restaurant

And once you finish up a hearty lunch or dinner at this rustic spot with a view, be sure to save room for dessert.

We love their individual pies…

Trixie’s Pie

But we can never pass up their Lemon Bumblebee Cupcake!

Lemon Bumblebee Cupcake from the Hungry Bear Restaurant

Cupcakes aren’t nearly as much a thing in Disneyland as they are in WDW (where we’ve devoted entire crawls to them!), but this one is exceptional!

Cross Section of the Honey Lemon Cupcake with Lemon Mousse Filling

Lemon Bumblebee Cupcake — Cross Section

So we were pretty excited to find this recipe — what’s not to love when there’s lemon curd involved?!? The perfect treat for the first weekend of 2015, no?

Lemon Bumblebee Cupcakes

Hungry Bear Restaurant

, Disneyland

Makes 16 Lemon Bumblebee Cupcakes (plus 8 extra plain cupcakes)

Ingredients:

[Read more…]

Guest Review: ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Resort

By Kim LaPaglia 9 Comments

Join us in welcoming back Guest Reviewer Katie Roth with a review of ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Resort. Note that this review was written before the most recent round of ‘Ohana Menu Changes. Currently the Chicken Skewer is not being served at the restaurant. Aloha!

Learn About:‘Ohana

Polynesian Resort
Disney World Restaurants

I have been staying at the Polynesian for years, but I had never eaten at ‘Ohana until last year! I know, I know…utter blasphemy! I was psyched that my husband and I decided to take an impromptu trip to Disney World AND were able to score a dinner reservation at ‘Ohana.

I admit that it was I that brought my husband into the light of Disney, and I just love getting to share my favorite experiences and eats with him whenever we visit Walt Disney World. Knowing how much he loves grilled meat, I absolutely could not wait to eat here with him!

To help control our excitement, we went to Tambu Lounge to temper those jitters. My husband went all out and ordered the Lapu Lapu while I went with a pineapple mojito (regular mojito with fresh pineapple chunks added). We loved our drinks and were primed for dinner 😉

Lapu Lapu!

In my opinion, ‘Ohana’s location lends itself to be one of those ‘would have missed it if I didn’t know it was there’ restaurants. The location of the restaurant is on the upper terrace of the Great Ceremonial House lobby tucked away behind the Tambu Lounge. If you are in front of Kona Café then you have gone too far!

As I’ve seen in the past couple of years, the easiest way to spot ‘Ohana is by the long line of people checking in for their Advance Dining Reservation (ADR) or those hopeful souls asking about a walk-in reservation. When it comes to Disney food (particularly at ‘Ohana), never leave fate to chance.

Lately, I have been eating a lot less meat and more fish for health reasons. I informed the host at the check-in station that I would like a vegetarian/pescetarian meal to which he replied would be no problem. I have heard great things about the vegetarian offerings at ‘Ohana and couldn’t wait to try them out! Just remember, if you are going to make a special request like this, check in early and let them know.

Once you are checked in, you will be given a buzzer and told to wait by the Tambu Lounge for your “cousin” (server) to take you to your table. If this is your first time to the restaurant, they will take you on a [Read more…]

Photo Tour and Review: NEW Polynesian Village Resort Lobby, and Tiramisu Cupcake at Captain Cook’s

By Wendy 7 Comments

Happy New Year!!

Learn About:Captain Cook’s

Polynesian Resort
Disney World Restaurants

We don’t know a better way to celebrate than with this gorgeousness! OK, OK, we know you’ve probably got all kinds of resolutions for 2015. But, as far as I’m concerned, those start on MONDAY!!! Let’s take a look at one last indulgence, shall we…?

On a recent visit to the Polynesian Village Resort, I stopped by Captain Cook’s and peeked in the refrigerator, expecting to find the Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cupcake, as per usual.

However, something unexpected caught my eye that I decided to pick up: the Tiramisu Cupcake.

Tiramisu Cupcake

Now, typically I might take you on a little tour around Captain Cook’s before we dig in, but the big news at the Polynesian is the recent reopening of the lobby at the Great Ceremonial House, which has been closed off for refurbishment for much of the year.

Polynesian Village Resort lobby

So, instead, I thought I might show some of the pictures of the refurbished lobby since the Polynesian is such a major dining destination at Disney World no matter which resort you choose to stay in. Obviously, our focus on this site is food, and since the Polynesian is home to such popular restaurants as ‘Ohana and Kona Cafe, we know that many DFB readers loved seeing the lobby upon arrival for their Advance Dining Reservation, whether they were preparing to enjoy breakfast with Stitch and Lilo at ‘Ohana, or the Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show.

Entering from the main downstairs entrance, the signature large waterfalls have been removed. Now this area features open space, lots of seating, and a small water feature (which differs from the original artist renderings for now, but I understand that the Tiki statue previously featured in the artwork may still become a part of the structure next year).

Polynesian Village Resort lobby

Seating in the lobby

Water Feature

Without the presence of the large waterfalls, the new light fixtures become a major focal point.

Lighting fixtures

Moving upstairs, the natural light seems to stream more to dining areas such as Kona Cafe and Kona Island (although I really don’t know if that’s more due to the fact that construction walls have been cutting off much of the light in recent months, so my eyes may just be readjusting).

Kona Cafe

The seating area near Tambu Lounge and ‘Ohana has new furniture and carpeting as well.

Seating area near the Tambu Lounge

Captain Cook’s, however, remains unchanged (well, since the reopening from its own refurbishment in August, that is), so now that we’re there, why don’t we get straight to the cupcake?

Captain Cook’s sign

Captain Cook’s dining room

When I spotted the Tiramisu Cupcake, the first thing I noticed were the peaks of frosting all over the top. I assumed it might be a marshmallow or whipped cream topping to mimic the light texture of tiramisu.

But it was actually — to my happy surprise — rich, dense peaks of cream cheese (I assume as a play on mascarpone), all dusted with cocoa like a proper tiramisu.

Tiramisu Cupcake

The white cake base resembles [Read more…]

Cast Member Gingerbread Displays at Art of Animation and Pop Century Resorts

By Wendy 4 Comments

Yes, the Christmas holiday has come and gone… So you might think it must be time to halt all the gingerbread chat for the year. However, just a few days after Christmas I stumbled upon two gingerbread displays that I’d never seen before.

Sure, we’ve taken you on tours of the Grand Floridian’s famous Gingerbread House, and this year’s new Frozen-inspired Gingerbread Display at the Contemporary Resort. But I must say, these smaller displays have a charm all their own. I’m talking about the Gingerbread Houses created by Cast Members at the Art of Animation and Pop Century Resorts!

Art of Animation Christmas Tree

Pop Century Christmas Tree

Pop Century Christmas Tree

Much like the Cast Member Pumpkin Carving contests happening at resorts all over Disney World for Halloween, various teams joined together to create their own gingerbread masterpieces. Guests placed their votes to determine a winner.

Gingerbread House Contest Display

Over at Pop Century, the Food and Beverage Team took home the prize for this colorful Gingerbread Minnie Mouse House.

Minnie Mouse Gingerbread House

I love the Krispy Treat Chimney!

Minnie Mouse Gingerbread House

The other entries were pretty great, too 🙂 . From this Gingerbread Pixie Hollow by the Merchandise Team…

Pixie Hollow Gingerbread House

… to a more traditional display by [Read more…]

Looking for something?

STAY CONNECTED