Guest Review: Street Food and Snacks at Disneyland Paris

I’m excited to present a guest review all about fellow blogger Beth Chaney’s exploration of street food and snacks during her recent visit to the Disneyland Paris resort.

Hi DFB readers! I’m excited to share a bit of my experience at the Disneyland Paris (DLP) resort. As a long time Disney fan and Disney park goer, I had to add a day at Disneyland Paris to the itinerary of my recent trip to France. And one of the things I was most excited to see at DLP was how Imagineers had transformed the American park experience for a European audience — especially the food!

castle food

Food is such a part of the Disney park experience — from popcorn to Mickey Bars to rice krispie treats; but how would that be captured for an international audience? Especially for an audience that is supposed to be a bunch of foodies? And what better place to explore than along the streets of the Disneyland Park!

Main Street

Street Food

Street Food is big at Walt Disney World, and the same thing was true at DLP. Although not as numerous as at the Florida parks, there were lots of little carts on the street selling snacks and sweets. The most popular item? Candy apples, which seemed to be at just about every cart!

candy apples

After candy apples, the next most popular item at the street carts were “hot dogs.” But these aren’t American hot dogs (although those are available at Casey’s on Main Street — which just happens to be in the exact same spot as the outpost at WDW!). These are more foot long sausages baked into french bread and sometimes topped with cheese. So more of a sandwich than an American hot dog.

hot dog

Also popular at the street food stands — candy bars. Not Disney branded or labeled candy bars, but the [Read more…]

Cupcake Jewelry Now Available in Disney Parks

By Kim LaPaglia 4 Comments

What do you get when you combine our favorite sweet treat with fun accessories? Adorable jewelry! These earrings, necklaces and charms were spotted recently in the Magic Kingdom by DFB reader, Melissa James. Thanks for sharing, Melissa!

Cupcake Earrings

Your sweetie will love the bling on these cupcakes!

Cupcake Necklaces

For the girl that can’t choose just one kind of cupcake! Show your passion with wearable cupcake-cuties!

Cupcake Charms

Note the resemblance of some of the cupcakes to some certain vinylmation? Or even pajamas? 😉

Have you seen any fun Disney food merchandise lately? Let us know about your finds in the comments below!

Disney Food for Families: Disney Food Songs

By Erin 6 Comments

Because I like to annoy my daughters as much possible, I often sing in the car while chauffeuring them to their many activities. (Hey, when they’re driving me, then they can choose the entertainment.) On one recent trip, I belted out “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast, then segued into “Les Poissons” from The Little Mermaid, and finished with “Rumbly In My Tumbly” from The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Can you tell I was hungry?

Classic lyrics: Les Poissons: Here's something for tempting the palate, prepared in the classic technique. First you pound the skin flat with a mallet. Then you slash through the skin, give the belly a slice. Then you rub some salt in, 'cause that makes it taste nice.

My impromptu medley of food-focused songs from Disney films got us wondering if there were other eating-related Disney songs we should add to the repertoire. The girls and I did some brainstorming and a bit of online research. We came up with the following list of Disney food songs:

Be Our Guest – Beauty and the Beast
Les Poissons – Little Mermaid
Rumbly in my Tumbly – Winne the Pooh
Spoonful of Sugar – Mary Poppins
Feed the Birds – Mary Poppins (birds get hungry)
Chow Down – Lion King on Broadway
Fish are Friends Not Food – Finding Nemo the Musical
Kanine Krunchies – 101 Dalmatians (dogs get hungry too)
Mad Tea Party Medley – Alice in Wonderland (the animated version)
Ice Cream Freeze – Hannah Montana
Hot Dog! – Mickey Mouse Clubhouse
Soup or Salad, Biscuits or Fries – House of Mouse (sung to the tune of Supercalifragalisticexpialidocious)

Classic Lyrics: Be Our Guest: Soup du jour, hot hors d'oeuves. Why we only live to serve.

Of course there are some excellent snippets of food lyrics in non-food-centric songs. Among my favorites is [Read more…]

BabyCakes NYC Bakery Now Taking Cake Orders from Disney Dining Guests

By Kim LaPaglia 13 Comments

BabyCakes NYC

in Disney World’s Downtown Disney is now taking cake orders from Walt Disney World Resort Guests. Delivery will be right to your restaurant reservation!

This makes it even easier to celebrate your special occasion — especially if you or someone in your party follows a special diet. BabyCakes caters to special diets including refined sugar-free, gluten-free, wheat-free, soy-free, casein-free, egg-free, vegan, and Kosher items!

Two-layer, 6-inch cakes that serve 8-10 people can be ordered to coincide with your already booked Advance Dining Reservation at a Walt Disney World restaurant. Just call the bakery at 407-938-9044 with at least a week’s notice and have your restaurant confirmation number, date, and reservation time handy. Cakes will be served at the end of your meal.

To learn more about cake orders in Walt Disney World, check out our Disney Cake FAQ!

Babycakes NYC Cupcakes in Downtown Disney are perfect for many special diets

Don’t forget that BabyCakes has a variety of items available every day in their Downtown Disney Marketplace location. My favorite? The frosting-filled cookie sandwiches!

Stop in 9:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. and bring your sweet cravings!

Guest Review: The Mara

By AJ 9 Comments

Learn About:Mara

Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney World Restaurants

I’m happy to welcome back Bill Iadonisi with another enlightening review. This time he explores the counter-service eatery, The Mara, at the Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Jambo House. Take it away, Bill!

Hello Disney Food Blog fans! I know it’s been long between reviews, so let’s get started on this month’s eatery! I have always said that Disney’s resorts hold some of the best places to eat on property. Usually much quieter and less hectic then the restaurants in the parks, and many times you can just walk in and sit down.

Today we are going to the dark continent of Africa for this review. Well, maybe a quick safari trip to Disney’s Jambo house is what we’ll do. The main attractions at this beautiful resort are the breathtaking views of the African Savanna from select rooms. But it’s also home to some of Disney’s finest restaurants.

Although not a five-star eatery, Jambo House’s counter-service establishment, The Mara (named after the Mara River in Africa) is a wonderful place for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and it does all three equally well.

The Mara Story - click image for larger version

Atmosphere

So before we explore the eats, let’s take a look at the décor.

Themeing and Decor
Located very close to the Jambo House pool, the Mara is themed (like all Disney eateries), but not as strongly as, say, Pizzafari or even the Flame Tree Barbeque.

Entrance

Inside is a spacious dining area with a colorful mural of African flora and fauna on the two back walls.

Spacious Dining Area

The tables and chairs are plain and Spartan, but overhead are metallic cut-outs that resemble tree leaves, and several support posts that have large wooden beams resembling tree limbs make it appear as though you are [Read more…]

Club 33 Policy Changes…and Introducing Club 1901

By AJ 56 Comments

Club 33 Sign

The Mouseplanet column in USA Today recently brought to my attention some proposed Club 33 policy changes, along with the mention of Club 1901, the new VIP lounge that will be built into the Carthay Circle Theater in the new Disney California Adventure revamp.

Club 33 Policy Changes

Proposed changes for Disneyland’s famously exclusive, members-only Club 33 are causing a stir. The Club offers different levels of personal and corporate membership, and most of the policy updates center around changing the levels.

According to the article, the Gold membership (estimated $3,600 annual dues) for the club will be phased out in 2012, leaving only the new Platinum membership (estimated $10,000 annual dues). The differences in the membership levels are significant not only in price, but also in what you get for your money:

Reported Platinum Membership Benefits
Premier Annual Pass (admission to all parks at both Disney World and Disneyland)
Four Additional Premier Annual Passes for family and friends
Access to Club 1901, the new VIP lounge in Carthay Circle Theater in Disney California Adventure (see more details below)
Book up to 5 VIP guided tours per year

Reported Gold Membership Benefits
Annual Pass to Disneyland Resort
(These members LOSE the past benefit of admission for a guest into the park for the day when not dining at Club 33)
(These members do NOT receive additional annual passes)
(These members do NOT have access to Club 1901)

Existing Gold level members will have the chance to upgrade to Platinum. All new Club 33 members will be required to join at the Platinum level.

In addition to the membership level changes the following policies may also change in 2012:

Free valet parking at the Grand Californian Hotel is now offered only when the member is dining at Club 33
When dining at Club 33, members may still request guest passes for those dining with them. However, regular members are now limited to 50 guest passes per year; corporate members are limited to 100 passes. Once the allocated guest passes have been used, members can purchase additional tickets at a 20 percent discount.

The official club member booklet will be released in a few days. Until then, these changes are just “proposed” and may or may not come to fulfillment.

Club 1901

Over the past two years, we’ve reported about a VIP Club/Restaurant in the Carthay Circle Theater in Disney California Adventure; and Disney execs mentioned [Read more…]

Guest Review: Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue

By AJ 19 Comments

Learn About:Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue

Disney World Restaurants

Welcome back James Hummel with a rousing review of the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. You may want to kick up your heels after this fun read! By the way — don’t forget that Hoop Dee Doo experienced a few changes after a copyright battle this summer…

Hoop Dee Doo Revue Review – Yee ha! I had read and heard many things about Hoop Dee Doo Revue leading up to my last vacation. I was always reluctant to attend Pioneer Hall as it never seemed like an accessible location. Since I was staying in the Cabins at Fort Wilderness, it was the perfect opportunity to check out one of the most talked about dining experiences in Walt Disney World.

If you aren’t staying at Fort Wilderness, Wilderness Lodge or the Contemporary, Pioneer Hall can be a challenge to get to. In most cases you have to make your way to either the Magic Kingdom and hop on the Fort Wilderness boat (recommended) or get to one of the other 3 parks and take the Fort Wilderness bus (not recommended; it will end up being a 2-bus ride as you have to take a second internal bus to get to the hall). If you are staying at Wilderness Lodge or the Contemporary, it’s a simple and relaxing boat ride.

Atmosphere

Once at Fort Wilderness and Pioneer Hall, you’ll feel like you’re in an old Western town, complete with horse carriages and a Trading Post. Kids can have fun before and after the show in the sizable playground and with old time games like horseshoes (rubber shoes for safety). If you time your reservation right, you can sit on the Bay Lake beach and catch Wishes and the Electrical Water Pageant.

Pioneer Hall at Fort Wilderness

So, what’s the dinner show all about?

Inside the hall, you feel like you are sitting in an old stage saloon. Families sit at large tables on the lower level or in the balcony. We sat on the lower level, under the balcony. Our table was taller so that we could see over the other tables, and we sat on swivel chairs so we could swing around while we were eating.

Inside Pioneer Hall

Eats

Dinner is served family style and is all-you-care-to-eat. When we sat down we were provided with [Read more…]

Snack Series: Spiced Apple Cupcake from the Contempo Cafe

By AJ 3 Comments

Learn About:Contempo Cafe

Disney World Restaurants

A dark horse surprise in the Disney cupcake race over the past year has been the Contempo Cafe at Disney World’s Contemporary Resort!

This futuristic counter-service location located right next to Chef Mickey’s Restaurant features some truly yummy eats, including great flatbreads and even Mickey waffles. But it’s the bakery counter that always catches my interest. Whenever I head to Contempo, there’s always a new, massive cupcake to sample.

In the past, we’ve featured the Dulce de Leche Cupcake and the Black Forest Cupcake (with CHERRY PIE FILLING!) — both of which are delicious (my only qualm being the lighter, whipped frosting instead of that lardy buttercream that I like best). We’ve even been lucky enough to get a guest review of the seasonal Chocolate Peppermint Cupcake this year!

Christmas Wreath at Chef Mickey

Another seasonal eat at Contempo Cafe this year takes the “cake” for me. The Spiced Apple Cupcake!

Spiced Apple Cupcake

This yummy treat features a cinnamony-vanilla cake topped with what seemed to me like the same caramel frosting used on the Dulce de Leche Cupcake. Again, the frosting is lighter — not completely whipped cream frosting (you do get a little substance there), but more like [Read more…]

Happy Holidays from Disney Food Blog!

By AJ 5 Comments

To me, this time of year is all about seeing and spending time with family, and that includes my awesomely cool parents — now apparently known to many readers as “AJ’s Mom and AJ’s Dad” (yes, they actually have t-shirts that say that). 😉

Anyway, today I wanted to share with you a couple of videos that were shot by my Dad on my parents’ trip to Disney World over the Thanksgiving holiday. Check out these fantastic close-ups of the gingerbread and holiday displays at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort and Disney’s Beach Club Resort! (While the Yacht Club display isn’t gingerbread, there are several signs that remind us of the yummy restaurants at the resort — and that works for me!)

I hope you have a wonderful holiday, no matter where you are. Thank you so much for reading, supporting, eating, and laughing with us here at the DFB!

Beach Club Resort Gingerbread Carousel

Yacht Club Resort Holiday Train Display

Happy holidays!!! Be sure to check out our Christmas in Disney Page for LOTS more holiday information, treats, and photos about spending the holidays in Disney World and Disneyland!

Walt Disney World New Year’s Eve Dining and Special Events

By Kim LaPaglia 4 Comments

Ringing in New Year 2012 from Walt Disney World? It’s going to be a memorable night! Call 407-WDW-DINE for holiday dining information and reservations! Here are some of your options for dining on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day:

Disney Resorts and Event Spaces

Boardwalk

Atlantic Dance Hall
Dance into the New Year at Atlantic Dance Hall at Disney’s BoardWalk
8 p.m. to 2 a.m., ages 21 and up.

Video DJ Tony Zapulla will play hits on the main dance floor. Beverages will be for sale from three different bars. There will be limited viewing of Epcot’s fireworks.

$37 (gratuity not included) for access to the main floor of the Dance Hall.
$80 for a VIP ticket that allows guests entrance to a private 2nd floor area with guaranteed seating and access to a private upstairs balcony for “limited” viewing of the fireworks. In addition, you’ll be able to indulge at a Dessert Station and private VIP bar. Cocktail service will also be offered.

Dress Attire: Business Casual or Formal

Parking:
Parking passes for the self parking lot will be given with advance purchases. Parking not guaranteed to be available for same day purchase.
Contemporary Resort
Chef Mickey’s (New Year’s Day brunch)
California Grill will host an evening of elegance!
$550 per person.

View of Castle from our California Grill Table

Entertainment will include casino-style games, live music and Disney characters. Enjooy food stations and beverages while watching [Read more…]

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