food IS a theme park
Thanks to all who have contributed their photos to the Disney Food Blog Photo Extravaganza! We love to see your photos and can’t wait to see more! The Disney Food Pics of the Week feature celebratory birthday cake! Happy Birthday wishes to our readers!
This birthday surprise was served at Via Napoli in Epcot’s World Showcase. Make a wish!
Photographer: Erin O’Brien
Via Napoli Birthday Dessert
The Chocolate Moose at Le Cellier turns a birthday into [Read more…]
Disney Food for Families columnist Erin Foster begins this DVC Villas Kitchens series with a look at what you’ll find in your villa kitchen!
My family has been a member of the Disney Vacation Club since 2001. Because of this, we often stay in DVC villa-style rooms when visiting Walt Disney World, which we pay for using our DVC points. While villa rooms are most often used by DVC members, anyone may rent them. And one of the best parts about a villa is the inclusion of a kitchenette in studio villas and a full kitchen in one-bedroom and larger villas!
Over the next few posts, I’m going to discuss the villa kitchens. What do they include? What is easily available to cook in the kitchens? Is is possible to save money by cooking in your villa? Will the villa kitchen save you any time?
A statue of Ariel greets guests at the Beach Club Villas
Here are a few more details about DVC Villas: There are villa rooms at seven Walt Disney World resort hotels — Animal Kingdom Lodge, Bay Lake Tower (Contemporary), Beach Club, Boardwalk, Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, and Wilderness Lodge.
Bay Lake Tower (Contemporary) two-bedroom villa kitchen
The villas are a terrific option for guests with larger families or larger traveling parties, multi-generational families, families where the parents don’t want to sleep in the same room as the children, or for families who want, or need, a kitchen.
The larger space and multiple bathrooms make vacationing with my mirror-loving daughters a breeze — that alone makes the villas worth it for my family. But I must confess that I have a real love/hate relationship with the villa kitchens. Obviously, having a kitchen can be a godsend for guests who need to prepare food for an allergic or special needs family member. But what is the value of the kitchen for the average family? What is the value of the kitchen for the average mom, like me, who finds that one of the best aspects of vacation time is not having to cook?
As a first step in the Villa Kitchen series, I’ll show you what exactly you can expect to find in a Disney Vacation Club Villa kitchen at [Read more…]
Souffle with Vanilla Gelato and Chocolate and Vanilla Sauces
When I sailed on the January Christening Cruise and completed the Disney Dream Dine Around, the dessert at Palo was a highlight. Here’s the recipe so that you can try it at home!
The Chocolate Souffle is the popular dessert created at Palo aboard the Disney Dream. Palo is the adults-only restaurant that requires reservations.
Here’s the recipe…
Chocolate Souffle
Serves 6
3 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing the soufflé cups
6 tablespoons sugar, plus more for dusting the soufflé cups
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa
2 ounces (2/3 cup) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted
4 eggs, separated
Vanilla Sauce (recipe follows) [Read more…]
Let’s face it: sometimes it’s just nice to bring a little bit of Disney home with you to help you get over those post-Disney blues! And if you have a handful of Disney Dining Plan snack credits left over at the end of your Disney World trip or you’ve got friends and family you’d like to surprise with a treat, Disney foods make some terrific souvenirs!
The Hilton Bonnet Creek is located within the gates of Walt Disney World and continues to offer some incredible dining options and deals for those visiting the parks. In the past few weeks, they’ve featured a couple of interesting options that I hope I’m able to try out.
Blackened Grouper Sandwich
Comfort Food at Harvest Bistro
Comfort Food every day! The Harvest Bistro chefs at Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek create comfort food with flair. While traveling, it’s comforting to have a taste of home. Chefs highlight a different comfort food each day using fresh, seasonal ingredients. Meatloaf, Baked Macaroni & Cheese and Barbecue Baby Back Ribs were some of the recent offerings.
Don’t forget that kids 12 and under eat free for breakfast and dinner when an adult meal is purchased! Your reservation can be made by calling 407-597-3600.
Announcing the Breakfast in Bed Experience for Mom
The Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek knows what moms want! Imagine that it’s Mother’s Day morning and the kids are working with the Harvest Bistro staff to make mom breakfast. While they work, mom can enjoy some quiet time. Before delivering breakfast, the kids will also make a fresh flower bouquet!
I love this idea and my son even at age 11 would absolutely delight in helping the Chef create breakfast. This is a creative, innovative and absolutely fun idea for the entire family. I only wish that my family had plans to visit Orlando for Mother’s Day. If you are lucky enough to be in central Florida in May, consider this great treat for Mom! Call 888-353-2013 and reference SRP code P5.
Have you stayed at the Hilton Bonnet Creek or are you considering a trip there? Let us know what you think!
You remember when we analyzed the brand new Le Cellier Steakhouse Signature dinner menu a few weeks ago, right? Well, I finally had the chance to try it myself.
For those who are just tuning in, one of Disney World’s most popular restaurants, Le Cellier in Epcot’s Canada pavilion, began offering a signature dinner menu (e.g. super expensive) at the beginning of March 2011. While the restaurant remained priced at one Disney Dining Plan credit for lunch, the dinner menu cost two Disney Dining Plan credits. For those of us who don’t purchase the dining plan, that means that the dinner menu was renovated and all prices bumped up a few bucks…or more.
Atmosphere
The decor and atmosphere at Le Cellier hasn’t changed at all. You’re still dining in a very small “cellar,” featuring candlelight sconces on the walls (not real candles, of course), rich woods and deep maroon fabrics, and stone archways creating the structure of the restaurant.
Le Cellier Dining Room
Le Cellier Dining Room
Le Cellier Ceilings and Chandeliers
The only thing upon arrival that makes you think something might be slightly different is the presence of some snazzy new napkin rings (I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen napkin rings at a Disney World restaurant…) and candles on the tables… [Read more…]
Honey Lemon Cupcake Topped with Edible Glitter & A Chocolate Bee
I have a LOT to share with you today, so bear with me! We’ll start with Disney news, then head over to the e-Book update, and finally, the round-up!
Here are a few of the fun newsy things that happened this week:
In other news, don’t forget to join me on the WDW Today monthly live show, where you can call in with your questions and comments. The special guest will be yours truly! Tune in tonight, Sunday, March 27, at 8:00 pm Eastern time!
And after a week at WDW filled with fun (and food!), I look forward to sharing lots of restaurant reviews and photos with you guys! Best of all, positive reviews on our e-Book, The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining, continue to pour in. If you are undecided about purchasing the book, check out these insights:
WDW For Grown-Ups
shares a delicious glimpse of the tempting caramel work done by a Karamell Küche cast member. My insight? I want to enjoy the fruits of their labor on my next visit!
Main Street Gazette zeroes in on a fun menu item in the Magic Kingdom that not many folks even know is there!
Watch Me Eat stops by Orlando’s House of Blues restaurant in Downtown Disney for some Cajun cuisine.
Cookie Madness reviews a voyage on the Disney Dream and gives the cookies served on Castaway Cay a thumbs up!
Food and Drink Digital reminds us to check our produce aisle for a new line of Disney fruits and veggies. Disney Consumer Products calls them “new and refreshed Disney-branded products that capitalize on synergistic promotional opportunities tied to Disney entertainment content and beloved characters.” Yum.
Whew! And that’s all she wrote! See ya next week!
I have a confession. Until this past week, I had never actually eaten my very own sweet cream cheese pretzel in Walt Disney World. So when my husband and I decided to throw caution to the wind and head into the Magic Kingdom at 11pm on a Saturday during Spring Break, we figured it was high time to make a change.
Sweet Cream Cheese Pretzel at Lunching Pad
After riding everything we possibly could, we headed over to the Lunching Pad and purchased one of these yummy treats. They look like regular soft pretzels, but they have a faint dusting of what seems like [Read more…]
Strawberry Cheesecake at Enchanted Garden
When I sailed on the January Christening Cruise and completed the Disney Dream Dine Around, the desserts were scrumptious! If you love to try Disney treats at home, here’s a yummy recipe to try!
This strawberry cheesecake is served in the Enchanted Garden aboard the Disney Dream. The Enchanted Garden is one of the three restaurants that cruisers can enjoy in their rotational dining. Start planning your meal by checking out the menu.
Here’s the recipe… [Read more…]
Sometimes the best things happen at the last minute.
I’d never been to Kimonos over in the Swan and Dolphin Resort, and a friend invited me to join a group for dinner at the last minute this week. Luckily, I was able to swing by and I’m so glad I did!
Atmosphere
I’d been hearing for years how great Kimonos was — “they have the best sushi in Walt Disney World!” was the standard review — and I was really looking forward to trying it.
Kimonos Seating Area and Bar
The atmosphere of the place is excellent. A long, narrow room bordered on both sides with windows features a full bar at the back, a sushi station to the left, and a karaoke stage to the right as you walk into the restaurant.
Sushi Counter
Oranges, yellow, and black are the dominant colors in the clean, contemporary Japanese decor, but pops of color and texture come from [Read more…]
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