Guest Review: Contempo Cafe

Welcome Bill Iadonisi with a review of the Contempo Cafe at the Contemporary Resort. Bill shows us all the modern features of this convenient, quick-service location. Take it away, Bill!

Disney’s Contempo Cafe, located on the former site of the Concourse Steakhouse at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, has been open since November 15, 2008.

Atmosphere

Although I really enjoyed the Steakhouse, this new Café is a wonderful replacement. In fact it makes more sense to have a table-service eatery (Chef Mickey’s) and a quick-service right next to each other. The Grand Canyon Concourse is always bustling with foot traffic, and since the Monorail station is right above, it’s a perfect place for guests to grab a quick bite or beverage before hitting the parks!

Contempo Cafe Entrance

View of Cafe

The atmosphere here is little changed from the Concourse Steakhouse. The classic tile mural by [Read more…]

Snack Series: Fried Corn on the Cob

By AJ 15 Comments

Sometimes you come across a new snack item in Disney World and you’re really really really excited and you can’t wait to try it…

…and then you finally have time to get back over to Liberty Square Market to indulge in what you know is going to be an amazing new savory snack…

Fried Corn on the Cob Wrapped in Foil

…and it’s vegetarian and that’s exciting so you can’t wait to try it and what if it’s too HOT since it’s been FRIED in OIL and that’s going to taste AWESOME…

Fried Corn on the Cob

…and it even LOOKS delicious, all bright yellow and yummy, and it’s [Read more…]

2011 Eat to the Beat Concert Schedule Announced

By AJ Leave a Comment

After weeks of speculation, the official schedule for the 2011 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concerts has been announced!

Eat to the Beat Concert Line-Up

You can see the full line-up on our 2011 Eat to the Beat Concert Schedule page!

This year, attendees include ELO, Billy Ocean, Starship, Air Supply, Taylor Dayne, Big Bad VooDoo Daddy, Gin Blossoms, and more!

Other Food and Wine Festival Details

For more info about the 2011 Epcot Food and Wine Festival, you can follow our updates on the 2011 Epcot Food and Wine Festival pages here on the Disney Food Blog.

WDW Foodie Fest

And don’t forget to sign up for the 2011 WDW Foodie Fest while you’re at it! A fun celebration of food and friends especially for Disney Food Blog readers, this October 2nd, 2011, event is absolutely free! We hope to see you there.

New Disney Cupcake Cookbook, Vinylmation, and More!

By Erin 10 Comments

Erin Foster, our Disney Food for Families columnist, has a few sweet bits of news about cupcake merchandise in Disney parks and resorts!

Remember those Vinylmation cupcake designs we showed you for the Vinylmation Bakery cupcakes? Well, now we get to show you the finished product — and a bunch of other cupcake craziness happening in Disney World!

Bakery Tinkerbell

Cupcakes are a craze, as we know, and while we love the edible Disney cupcakes, we like the inedible ones almost as much! Here’s a run-down of what’s happening for cupcake collectors in Disney World these days…

Cupcake Vinylmation About To Be Released

Planned to be a limited edition set, Vinylmation Bakery will now be offered as an open window box. Sweetness! 😉 While the box still recognizes it as a limited edition, there will be no production limit set for these cute Vinylmations.

A close up look at the figures and packaging shows the adorable cupcake-y Vinylmations. Yum!

Six Flavors

Packaging

The release date is set for June 3, 2011, at the D-Street stores in California and Florida. Created by Susan Foy, the figures have [Read more…]

Disney Food Pics of the Week: Chocolate

By Kim LaPaglia 7 Comments

Thanks for sharing your yummy photos with us in the Disney Food Blog Photo Extravaganza! We savor (and drool over ;-)) the photos!

The Disney Food Pics of the Week feature chocolate to soothe your cravings!

This candy is just one of the zillion(!!!) divine items that you can choose at Karamell Küche in Epcot’s Germany pavilion.
Photographer: ButRfly512 / Vannah

German Chocolate Caramel

California Grill’s Valrhona Chocolate Cake with toasted marshmallow and peanut butter gelato!
Photographer: Natasha Joyan

California Grill Chocolate Cake

Yet another reason to love the Wilderness Lodge! Sweet!
Photographer: FLOrangeBird

canoe

All images are copyrighted to their photographers. Do not download or re-use without photographer permission.

Once again, we are grateful to the photographers who have submitted photos to the Disney Food Blog Photo Extravaganza on Flickr! We wanna see your food!

To see more of our Disney Food Pics of the Week series, click this link!

Snack Series: Frozen Lemonade Slush

By Kim LaPaglia 19 Comments

Kim reminds us of a favorite seaside snack available throughout Walt Disney World!

Frozen lemonade slushes are a true favorite. By the way, we’re NOT talking about the hard, frozen lemonade that comes in the paper cup from the freezer section in the shops or the ice cream carts, by the way. This is pure, slushy delight!

Frozen Lemonade Slush at Seashore Sweets’

Minus the occasional brain freeze, I could soak up frozen lemonade all day long. First, I’m always thirsty. The frozen lemonade actually quenches that nagging parched feeling like a sweet desert oasis!

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Second, my now-11 year old child has been thirsting for this particular beverage every trip since his first taste test at oh, let’s say 10 months of age. (Don’t judge, we were at a seaside boardwalk!) For us, a sign for lemonade in its slushy state is like a glimmering iceberg in the Sahara.

When you need a beverage that will cool your body and mind during a hot and humid day of touring — grab one of these drinks. The sweet-tart, chilly treat is the perfect way to make any Disney day a little better…

Strawberry Lemonade at Enchanted Grove in Magic Kingdom

A Few Spots to Find It

Animal KingdomDrinkwallah

– Open seasonally, across [Read more…]

Star Wars Weekends Darth Vader Cupcake and Other Specialty Foods

By AJ 10 Comments

Darth Vader and R2D2 are where it’s at when it comes to food at this year’s Star Wars Weekends in Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

This chocolate peanut butter cupcake has been upgraded with a white chocolate Darth and a couple of dueling chocolate light sabers on top! We found this one at Starring Rolls Cafe.

The taste is still out of this world, and the gooey, fudgey peanut butter chocolate center is well worth the cost of the cupcake!

Darth Vader Cupcake

If you’d rather fight for the good guys, pick up the [Read more…]

Dining in Disneyland: The Return of the Corn Dog Castle!

By Heather 13 Comments

Heather Sievers has some great Dining in Disneyland news this week — the Corn Dog Castle is back in action!

Nestled between Seaside Souvenirs and what will soon be the new Goofy’s Sky School ride is a little gem that’s been closed for quite some time. When I heard last week that Corn Dog Castle had reopened, it was almost too good to be true. So, of course I had to go and see it to believe it.

The Corn Dog Castle is Back!

Although corn dogs have been available at California Adventure during the closure (first at Farmer’s Market, which eventually closed for the construction of Cars Land, and then at Award Wieners in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot), it was not the same as getting one from the original corn dog king.

Seeing it open again was almost as exciting as [Read more…]

More Details on Disney World’s New Dine with an Animal Specialist Option: Menu, Photos, and Activities!

By AJ 12 Comments

Learn About:Sanaa

Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney World Restaurants

Jambo! Thanks to Vallen Tucker at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge concierge office, we have some great NEW information about the resort’s Dine With An Animal Specialist opportunity!!

As you know, the dining option is offered at Sanaa at Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Kidani Village. Guests can dine with an Animal Specialist, savoring cuisine from Sanaa while learning about the animals grazing outside the window. During the “untamed” lunch, your family will be immersed in African culture while posing questions to the animal expert regarding the animals on the nearby savanna.

Dine With An Animal Specialist: Menu

The four-course menu will delight your senses during this exclusive experience limited to 12 guests. It is recommended for guests over 8 years old. Special Diets can be accommodated and there is a separate menu for kids

First Course: Indian Style Bread Service
Breads – Naan, Onion Kulcha, Papadum, Paneer Paratha

Accompaniments – Red Chile Sambal, Cucumber Raita, Coriander Chutney, Mango Chutney, Garlic Pickle, Green Mango Pickle, Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus, Tamarind Chutney

Parts of the First Course Offerings

Second Course: [Read more…]

Review: Captain Cook’s Snack Company

By AJ 36 Comments

Learn About:Captain Cook’s

Polynesian Resort
Disney World Restaurants

UPDATE: Dole Whip is no longer being served at Captain Cook’s, is no longer self-serve, and is no longer available 24 hours a day. You’ll now find Dole Whip at the Pineapple Lanai in Disney’s Polynesian Village in addition to Aloha Isle at the Magic Kingdom. You can also find Dole Whip available intermittently at Animal Kingdom’s Tamu Tamu Refreshments, and at Epcot during some special events. On the upside, you can also get a Dole Whip Float at Pineapple Lanai!

There are two important things you need to know about Captain Cook’s Snack Company and why I consider it to be one of Disney’s best kept secrets:

1. It offers two of Disney’s most beloved menu items — Tonga Toast and Dole Whips.
2. It’s open 24. Hours.

Those two are reason enough to visit, but when you add in the fact that the place serves up some pretty unique and delicious eats, there’s no reason NOT to escape the crazy of the Magic Kingdom for a quick boat ride over to the Polynesian Resort and a visit to Captain Cook’s.

Entrance Sign

Atmosphere
This joint looks pretty much like a fast-food location decorated in stereotypical Hawaiian style. Because that’s what it is. But it’s also so much more!

Counter-Service Restaurant

It was one of the first locations to pioneer [Read more…]

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