Butterfinger Cupcake Revisited at Starring Rolls Cafe

Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney World Restaurants

We found this amazing butterfinger cupcake waaaaaay back in early 2009, and at first, I wasn’t sure it was real!

You can find it at what has become the holy grail of Disney cupcakes and all things yummy, Starring Rolls Cafe, in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

I decided (nearly three years later) that it was time to re-visit this treasure and see if it still garnered high marks as a snack (or breakfast ;-)) worthy cupcake.

I’m all about in-depth research — especially where frosting is concerned! So what’s underneath that crushed butterfinger topping?

Butterfinger Cupcake

The answer is obvious, isn’t [Read more…]

Review: Epcot’s Garden Grill Restaurant

By AJ 41 Comments

Learn About:Garden Grill Restaurant

Epcot Restaurants
Disney World Restaurants

Based on a previous guest review of this restaurant, I couldn’t wait to go try it out!

Now, to be fair, it’s not as though I’d never been to the Garden Grill Restaurant before… Well, that’s not entirely true. Before this visit, I hadn’t been to the current incarnation of the restaurant. In fact, back in the 80’s, I went to The Land Grille Room, which was what the restaurant was called before its renovation into the Garden Grill Restaurant. (Check out my friend Andy’s creation of a recipe from The Land Grille Room here!

Born as the Good Turn Restaurant and then morphed into The Land Grille Room, this restaurant has had many personalities (my memories include dark red booths and full-blown sculptures of Mickey Mouse made out of butter). Today, it’s a family-style character dinner featuring Chip, Dale, Mickey, and Pluto!

Garden Grill

Atmosphere

Perhaps the most impressive attribute boasted by Garden Grill is that it’s a rotating restaurant. That’s right — you go around in circles while you’re eating!

But don’t worry; this isn’t as though you’re having dinner on the Teacups. The restaurant rotates s-l-o-w-l-y during your meal, allowing views of the different scenes from the Living With the Land ride taking place below the restaurant.

There are two seating styles in the restaurant, and…listen up — it makes a BIG difference where you sit. I know I’m picky about seating, but in this case, I strongly suggest that you request a semi-circular booth on the lower level of the restaurant.

Seating

This isn’t just for comfort’s sake (though the cushioned booths ARE more comfortable than the hard chairs at the tables). The booths give you an unobstructed view of the scenes you’re passing by from the ride below, and the high backs also [Read more…]

Cream Cheese Pretzel Spotted in Disney’s Hollywood Studios

By AJ 11 Comments

One of our favorite under-the-radar Disney snacks, Sweet Cream Cheese Pretzels, were first seen at Disney World in the Magic Kingdom and offered only at The Lunching Pad in Tomorrowland.

Then, we were excited to find them at Fife & Drum Tavern in Epcot’s American Adventure pavilion.

Sweet Cream Cheese Pretzel

If you are a fan of these pretzels, you’ll now be able to munch on one while touring Disney’s Hollywood Studios. On a recent visit, we spotted cream cheese pretzels at the Pretzel Garden on the Streets of America!

Pretzel Garden at Streets of America

If you haven’t had one, these pretzels are filled with a sweet cream cheese (not really a “frosting,” but still sweet!), and covered in a dusting of [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: March 25, 2012

By AJ Leave a Comment

Citrus Swirl

We gathered a delicious assortment of food info during our recent visit to Disney World! And we even discovered more about the as-yet-unannounced Epcot French Bakery expansion!!! (So excited about that!)

See some of our treasured finds below (citrus swirl -sigh!) and stay tuned for more discoveries, which we’ll be sharing soon.

The best part? We’re headed back in just one month to gather even more news and details for you! In the meantime, please keep sending along any news, menu items, and or other info you discover on your visits! We appreciate the help!

Disney Food News

Here’s the latest…

The Citrus Swirl is back in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. We hope it stays!
We dug up a few more details about the Epcot French Bakery expansion, including a slated opening date and more about the menu!
Epcot’s Le Cellier Steakhouse has undergone another menu change. Take a look at the new lunch menu, and stay tuned for our one-year-later review of the Le Cellier Signature dinner!
There are new Rose and Crown menus in Epcot’s UK pavilion. We see some old favorites removed from the menus. Take a look!
A peanut butter cup cupcake gets a rave review! Check it out for a limited time in the Magic Kingdom’s Main Street Bakery.
A tongue-in-cheek report on the eats from the New Fantasyland’s Storybook Circus in the Magic Kingdom of Disney World!

We’ve got LOTS more sweet and savory food news on 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!

Want even more? Pick up our 250-page, picture-packed DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining, or our DFB Mini-Guide to Epcot Snacks e-Book while you’re at it! 🙂 Thanks for supporting the Disney Food Blog!

On to the Round-Up

Walt Disney World for Grownups

compares the breakfast buffets at Chef Mickey’s and Cape May Cafe.

MiceChat spotlights a former cast member who worked at the Columbia Harbour House when the Magic Kingdom first opened.

Main Street Gazette alerts us to the Fresh Florida Strawberry Ice Cream Sundae, a special treat offered at the Fountainview Cafe in Epcot in honor of the Florida Strawberry Festival. So jealous!! 🙂

Daveland visits the Blue Bayou restaurant in Disneyland.

DisneyParks Blog entertains us with a time lapse video of the installation of the neon sign at Flo’s V8 Café.

Mouse Junkies writes an ode to Free Dining. Hilarious, Bill!

Disney Travel Babble shares the decadence of ordering mini-cakes from Walt Disney World bakeries!

Stuff from the Park highlights a 1958 photo of a popcorn stand. Yes, that popcorn was selling for 15 cents!

Dessert Menu Changes at Sanaa in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

By Kim LaPaglia 11 Comments

Learn About:Sanaa

Animal Kingdom Lodge
Disney World Restaurants

Sanaa, the table-service restaurant at Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Kidani Village, features an African- and Indian-inspired menu, delicious food, and gorgeous savanna (read: Zebra! Giraffe!) views.

While many of us don’t need any further enticement to return to Sanaa, there’s a new dessert on the menu that looks delicious!

Check out the Banana Kulfi Sundae with warm chocolate sauce, strawberries, and spiced cashews for $5.49. Looks amazing, right? I hope I get to try it soon.

Sanaa Dessert

Dessert at Sanaa

Also note that the Chai Cream is no longer available as a single-serving option; however it remains part of the Dessert trio, which includes [Read more…]

Guest Review: Contempo Cafe Dinner and Dessert

By AJ 10 Comments

Learn About:Contempo Cafe

Disney World Restaurants

Join me in welcoming Kayla Lopez with a review of the Contempo Cafe at Disney World’s Contemporary Resort.

Hello everyone! My name is Kayla and I am absolutely ecstatic and honored to be writing a Guest Review on the amazing Disney Food Blog!

Today, I’m taking you guys to the Contempo Café. Why the Contempo Café you ask? Well, I was running some errands and was taking the resort monorail when I decided it was getting late and I hadn’t really eaten all day. So I decided to hop off at the Contemporary Resort to try out this little place to see what all the fuss was about. (About the cupcakes of course.)