Review: Via Napoli

Epcot Restaurants
Disney World Restaurants

I realized we hadn’t reviewed Epcot’s Via Napoli for you since 2010, so it was time to head back!

Via Napoli, a Patina Group restaurant like its neighbor Tutto Italia, is our vote for the best pizza in Disney World, hands down. In fact, ever since moving to Texas from New York City, Via Napoli is the spot that’s come closest to re-creating my favorite NYC pie!

For that and several other reasons, this has quickly become one of our favorite Disney World restaurants, and we actually visit quite often; but we can’t help ourselves and always get the same thing, so there’s no reason to report on it over here! On this visit, we decided to break our own mold and order a few new items just to mix it up a bit!

Atmosphere

Via Napoli takes up the back wall of Epcot’s beautiful Italy pavilion. The imposing building was built in 2010 and soon became one of Epcot’s most-loved restaurants.

Window Themeing

The restaurant technically has two dining rooms — the main dining room is a large, two-story echo chamber of a room, punctuated by three HUGE pizza ovens named for volcanoes in Italy; a large, central table that [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: February 5, 2012

By AJ Leave a Comment

Super Bowl Cupcakes at Main St. Bakery

Welcome to the SUPERBOWL EDITION of the Disney Food Post Round-Up!!

Does this mean that these articles are particularly football-related? No. But it does mean that I’m probably prepping to watch some football while you’re reading!! 😉 Here we go!!

Disney Food News

Get your news hot and fresh this week!

Watching the Big Game in WDW? Check out some Super Bowl eats! Main Street Bakery is even offering those Pats and Giants cupcakes you see in the pic! (Thanks to @PlazaandMainSt for the photo!)
Flavorful popcorn (including test flavors) are popping up around the Disney Parks. There’s also Vinylmation Popcorns coming up soon!
Disneyland Cupcakes are back in Disneyland’s Downtown Disney! Yummy pictures included. 😉
Earl of Sandwich has a new “for a limited time” french dip sandwich! Check out a photo here!
The Landscape of Flavors food court at Art of Animation resort will open this summer! Check out these newly revealed menu items!
There’s lots of news from Raglan Road at Downtown Disney including St. Patrick’s Day luncheon with Chef Kevin Dundon and new gluten free items on the menu!

For more sweet and savory food news, stop by our Disney Food News Pin Board, where Disney Food News is updated on a regular basis!

The Disney Food Blog Mini-Guide to Magic Kingdom Snacks e-Book

The DFB Mini-Guide to Magic Kingdom Snacks e-Book

is proving invaluable to food-lovers headed to Disney World!!

We couldn’t fit this detailed information into our overview book, The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining, so we’ve created an entire guide detailing over 70 Magic Kingdom snacks!

You’ll see photos, reviews, costs, and Disney Dining Plan snack credit information about each featured snack! Be sure to check out http://DFBMiniGuides.com for details about the e-Book, sample pages, and even a list of the bonus items in the book!

To grab a 20% discount today, use code MAGIC at the check-out!! We hope you enjoy!

And don’t forget to pick up the 250-page, picture-packed DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining while you’re at it! 🙂 Thanks for supporting the Disney Food Blog!

On to the Round-Up

Yesterland

bids farewell to Bur-r-r-bank Ice Cream in Disney California Adventure.

WildernessLodgeSite.com makes the Artist Point’s Berry Cobbler. Yum!

Main Street Gazette heads to Sunshine Seasons for a vegetarian review of the S’mores Brownie.

Orlando Sentinel talks turkey — and confirms that those popular turkey legs being served in the parks are definitely not emu legs.

AllEars.Net‘s Deb Wills reviews eats at the Magic Kingdom and Contemporary Resort.

Eating (and Drinking) Around the World takes a look at new adult beverages in Epcot’s World Showcase!

a Mouse and a Dream discovers sweet potato fries at Cafe’ Orleans in Disneyland. Thanks to DFB reader Alex for letting me know about this site!

Have a great week!! May the best team win 😉

Tables in Wonderland: February 2012 Special Event

By Kim LaPaglia Leave a Comment

Tables in Wonderland

has announced a special event for February!

The Wave Discovery Dinner

Location:

Disney’s Contemporary Resort; Meet at The Wave Main Podium
Date and Time: Thursday, February 16, 2012
6:30 p.m. Reception; 7:00 p.m. Dinner
Dress Code: Casual Evening Attire
Cost: $110.00 per person. Tax and gratuity included.

click image for larger version

Thomas Gaines has been in the wine industry almost 20 years. He currently overseas sales and marketing for Southern Starz Imports in 13 markets across America and the Caribbean and is a key component to their success in bringing amazing wines from Southern Hemisphere to the US markets. Many items are from producers ranging in size of 3,000 cases up to 50,000 cases in production and were not [Read more…]

Review: Hand-Made Chocolates at Waldorf Astoria Orlando

By AJ 2 Comments

Just to whet your whistle for the Chocolate, Wine, and Romance weekends at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando throughout February, I wanted to share this review of the hand-made chocolates I had the chance to sample when I was given a box by a friend last Fall!

Boxed Waldorf Chocolates

But first, here’s a little peek at how they make those incredible treats.

The pastry chefs at the Waldorf create chocolates and truffles right there in the resort, starting with forming and dipping the chocolates and adding decor by hand!

Chocolates

Chocolate Creations

The rows and rows of truffles displayed in the Waldorf’s dedicated [Read more…]

Raglan Road News! St. Patrick’s Day, Gluten Free Food, and More…

By AJ 5 Comments

Learn About:Raglan Road Irish Pub

Disney Springs
Disney World Restaurants

Downtown Disney’s Raglan Road has announced Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day events. There also new gluten-free items on the menu and a fun, professional photo opportunity!

Gluten Free Eats

Raglan Road has added gluten-free dishes to their menu including Scallops, Fish & Chips, and Calamari & Pasta. To create a light and crisp batter that is also delicious, the culinary team devised a gluten fee batter mix made with Champagne and garbanzo flour!

Gluten Free Fish and Chips

Raglan Road invites all guests with a special diet to talk to a server about menu items that are available for modification to meet various nutritional needs.

Valentine’s Day

Head over to Raglan Road’s Facebook page (I’m a fan!!) and become a fan to be entered to win a [Read more…]

Friday Happy Hour: Moroccorita in Epcot’s Morocco

By AJ 5 Comments

I’ve been checking out a lot of those little food kiosks around Epcot lately, and one thing I couldn’t wait to try was a Moroccorita from the Morocco Pavilion! As you know, we’ve started a tidy little Disney Margarita gallery here on the DFB, and I thought this might be a perfect addition!

Atmosphere

The Morocco Oasis kiosk can be found to the left of the pavilion when your back is to the World Showcase Lagoon. This colorful spot sports plenty to try, including Casa beer and plenty of frozen specialties.

Morocco Drinks Stand

Menu - click image for larger version

Sips

The Moroccorita includes vodka, lemon/lime juice, and [Read more…]

Dining in Disneyland: Grilled Cheese on a Stick, Sort Of…

By Heather 13 Comments

Today I had quite possibly one of the best ideas I think I’ve ever had in my life. I am a huge grilled cheese and tomato soup fan, and on this cold and rainy Southern California day, I found myself with a craving for it.

However, I had planned to take my boys to Disneyland after school for a fun rainy day trip. SO… I came up with this amazing solution: Why not heat up some soup, stick it in a Thermos, bring it to Disney California Adventure, and combine it with a Cheddar Cheese Stick from the Corn Dog Castle?

Tomato Soup from Home!

I picked my boys up from school, and (knowing they’d say yes) I asked them if they wanted to go to Corn Dog Castle for lunch (early dismissal today!). So off we headed, me with my warm soup Thermos in my bag! (I had no problem getting it through security, by the way.)

I ordered the cheese stick corn dog meal, which is basically just a stick of cheese, breaded with corn dog batter, and fried just like a regular corn dog. (Check out my review from the Corn Dog Castle here!)

Melty Cheddar Cheese, Prepare to be Dipped!

…and started dipping! [Read more…]

Disney Popcorn News! New Flavors, Vinylmation Popcorns, and more!

By Kim LaPaglia 14 Comments

Fun to Share

Popcorn is a staple snack at theme parks. It’s the perfect parade-waiting, fireworks-viewing, queue-calming munchie at Walt Disney World. And unless you purchase your popcorn in a pricey souvenir bucket, you’ll spend one snack credit or about $3.95 to $4.95 for a small box/bag.

Most of us are familiar with the traditional flavors such as butter, cheddar, kettle corn, and caramel. But, have you tried any of the specialty flavors?

Pre-Packaged Popcorn

The DisneyParks Blog recently found some interesting popcorn varieties at Disney’s Hollywood Studios — Cookies and Cream, Chocolate Mint, and Chocolate Caramel were all on display in pre-packaged bags.

New Popcorn Flavors

And here are some of the Disney popcorn flavors that we reported on last year.

Indecisive? Grab the bag of Chocolate Cheddar Caramel! Apparently the Consumables Team (a superhero sounding name, if you ask me) is testing this salty and sweet mixture to see if guests find it, well, consumable. Flavor testing? Sign me up.

Patrice Guy, a developer on the Team, says sales results show that “it is proving to be popular with our guests.” Maybe this flavor will be in a Disney Park on your next visit!

Vinylmation

Fans (and Erin, our resident vinylmation guru) should stay tuned for Vinylmation Popcorns.

Vinylmation Popcorns

Vinylmation designer Thomas Scott indicated that [Read more…]

Guest Review: Breakfast at Disneyland’s River Belle Terrace

By AJ 6 Comments

Join me in saying Aloha once again to Mark Hickson – Disney fan, former Disney Imagineer, Hawai’i resident food blogger – and now comfort food reviewer! Thanks, Mark for sharing this article with our readers!

Can you say “Comfort Food“?

One of the best places to get a hearty breakfast is at the famous River Belle Terrace. World famous for their signature Mickey Mouse pancakes, they also serve my favorite Eggs, Sausage, and Pancakes. You get 3 scrambled eggs, 3 sausages, and 3 pancakes, all done to perfection. Add a hot cup of coffee and you are set!

River Belle Breakfast

One thing that has always been consistent is the quality of the pancakes served here. The grill is set at the perfect temperature so no matter how long the cakes are on the griddle they are never, never overcooked.

Back in the 90’s I asked a cook there what the griddle temperature was. She said only her Area Supervisor knew and that it took over an hour to warm it up right. It is continuously cleaned and [Read more…]

Disney Food for Families: Fun Without Characters

By Erin 18 Comments

When first-time families think of dining at Walt Disney World, the main thing that comes to mind for fun is character meals. After that, they’re at a loss about ideas for amusing places to eat. What to do?

No worries; even if character experiences aren’t on your agenda, there’s still plenty of fun to be had dining at Disney. These spots are particularly good if you have children of different ages in your party. The younger kids will be having a great time, even if their older siblings are “too cool” for characters.

Here’s the primer on getting the fun…without the fur ;-)! We have focused on restaurants that have entertainment and shows, spots that have entertaining waitstaff and themes, and places that have great kid-friendly (and interesting!) “views.”

Restaurants with Entertainment

These spots have a live show, movie, or something else that will hold your kids’ attention while they eat. Most of them are interestingly themed as well.

Dinner at the Dine-In

Sci-Fi Dine-In, Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Sit in a car-shaped table, facing a movie screen, just like you’re at an old-time Drive-In movie. The movies playing are campy clips from 1950s and 60s science fiction gems like Plan 9 From Outer Space and Attack of the 50 Foot Woman.

Along with film snippets, you see drive-in promo pieces such as a dancing hot dog advertising the refreshment stand. The movie reel is totally silly, and for many kids, this is the only way they’ll get to experience this classic slice of Americana.

The best part? Your kids can order the Picnic Burger — a hamburger AND hot dog in one! See a recent Disney Food Blog Sci-Fi Dine-In review here.

Raglan Road, Disney Springs
Visit in the evenings and be treated to Irish bands and step dancers on the center stage.

It’s the best of all possible pub experiences, with great food and a gargantuan [Read more…]

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