Dinner and a Show at World Showcase

We talk a lot about food around here (can’t imagine why), but we don’t pay nearly enough attention to some of the great entertainment that Disney provides in and around its restaurants during mealtimes. I thought it’d be interesting to take a look at a few of the Epcot World Showcase restaurants — Chefs de France, Restaurant Marrakesh, Biergarten, and Teppan Edo — that offer not only great food, but also fun entertainment!

Chefs de France
One of my favorite “acts” in World Showcase is just outside Chefs de France in the France Pavilion. This hilarious duo has a couple of different “schticks” — one in which the acrobat is dressed as a tourist and comes into the act from the audience, the other in which he’s dressed as a Chefs de France server as he is in the photos below. The basic gist is that he’s just trying to clean the chairs, but the Chef continues to push him into climbing higher and higher onto the balanced mountain of furniture! The finale is breathtaking!

[Read more…]

A Visit to 50’s Prime Time Cafe

By AJ 21 Comments

The second of two guest posts this week comes from one of your favorite Disney Food Blog guest writers. A special thanks to Chef BigFatPanda for sharing this review with us! He recently met up with two of our other favorite friends for a meal at 50’s Prime Time Cafe in Disney’s Hollywood Studios! Take it away, Chef!

50's Prime Time Cafe Sign

Hello! Chef BigFatPanda here! I recently had the pleasure of accompanying Amanda Tinney and Suzannah DiMarzio for dinner at the 50’s Prime Time Cafe in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Atmosphere
As usual, the atmosphere was relaxed and I noticed everything appeared to be sparkling clean. We were seated right away, and our server, Mandy, immediately knew we were going to be a handful. On this visit, the theme of 1950’s nostalgia was vibrant. And, as servers at 50’s Prime Time Cafe work in “Mom’s Kitchen” and play the part of your relative in line with the restaurant’s themeing, Mandy was our “sister” for the afternoon. [Read more…]

Mother’s Day at Disney World and Disneyland

By AJ 5 Comments

Celebrate YOUR Mrs. Incredible

Wondering how to celebrate Mom’s Day during your trip to a Disney Park? Here are a few options that have come across our path…

Walt Disney World Mother’s Day Brunch
Where: Epcot® – Living Seas Salon (Located on the 2nd floor of The Seas with Nemo & Friends pavilion)
When: Sunday, May 9, 2010. First seating is at 10:30am; second seating is at 2:00pm
Price: $95.00 per person, plus tax. Gratuity is included.

Details and Menu below — Click the Image for a Larger Version

Come celebrate mom with an “Under the Sea Garden” Brunch at the Living Seas Salon. This breathtaking hideaway is one of the most unique locations for private events at the Walt Disney World® Resort. The venue allows you the opportunity to get up close with over 3,000 varieties of sea life in the 5.7 million gallon aquarium. This is definitely an event to make mom feel special, and one she’ll always remember!

For reservations, e-mail [email protected] with the following information: your interest to book, your name, daytime phone number, home address, and the number of people in your party. You will be notified on a “first-come, first-served” basis. Your credit card will be taken over the phone once your reservation is confirmed. The event is limited to 108 Guests per seating.

Disneyland Mother’s Day Royal Buffet with Cinderella and the Disney Princesses
Where: Grand Ballroom of the Disneyland Hotel
When: May 9, 2010; 10:00am – 3:00pm
Price: Adults (10 and over): $69.00, Children (under 10): $18.99 Prices do not include tax and gratuity: a 15% service charge (gratuity) and 8.75% tax will be added.

This Mother’s Day, join Cinderella and her princess friends for a Royal Buffet. Mom can enjoy the royal treatment with spectacular entrées, tempting side dishes and delectable desserts. In addition to a delicious brunch buffet, you can enjoy live musical entertainment and a meet-and-greet opportunity with Cinderella and her princess friends.

The menu is scheduled to include a selection of brunch items fit for a queen, such as beautiful spring salads, artisan cheeses, smoked and chilled seafood, cured meats, traditional breakfast selections, seasonal fresh fish and free-range chicken. In addition, have your brunch customized [Read more…]

Guest Review: New Studio Catering Company Menu

By AJ 12 Comments

The fabulous Leigh Caldwell, known to you as Theme Park Mom, recently visited the newly re-opened Studio Catering Company in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and emerged with some great comments (and incredible photos) on the new menu. Huge thanks to you, Leigh, as always. Who else could use “pillowy” to describe a sandwich and have us know exactly what it means?!

Studio Catering Company Exterior

Studio Catering Company reopened with some fresh paint and a fresh menu a few weeks back, and I recently got the opportunity to give the new dishes a spin.

I have always loved the location of this quick-service restaurant at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, especially when traveling with a family. On crowded days, someone can wait in line at Studio Catering while another adult takes the kids to the adjacent Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground.

This particular trip was great for sampling a new menu, because I happened to be at Disney’s Hollywood Studios with six adults and seven kids. Yikes!

I suggested Studio Catering Company for lunch because of the aforementioned playground and the fact that the place is huge, so I knew we wouldn’t have any trouble [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: April 11th, 2010

By AJ 6 Comments

Chocolate Fondant With Praline from Remy - (c) Disney Cruise Line

Bonjour, my foodie friends! This weekwe heard about the Disney Dream’s exclusive adults-only restaurant — Remy! If you’re booked for a Disney Dream cruise, I’d love to hear if Remy will make the cut for your dining arrangements. (Check out the full press release and photos at StitchKingdom)

And don’t forget — Disneyland’s Food and Wine Festival starts THIS COMING WEEKEND! (Check out DisneyGeek’s cool pic of the Festival Showplace banners!) You know I’m gonna be there in just two short weeks to start my reporting, but in the meantime, check out all the exciting events that are scheduled to take place: Disney’s 2010 California Food and Wine Festival.

Finally, I want to take a moment to thank and “toast” a brilliant person, Alain Littaye, who has written one of my favorite Disney-related blogs, Disney and More, for three years. I’m sad to see the blog end, Alain, but I look forward to seeing your stamp on many Disney-related projects in the future. Thank you for sharing your immense knowledge of and interest in Disney with your readers.

And now, on with the Round-Up!

The WDW Today Podcast kindly brought me on as a guest last week to discuss Food Quality vs. Atmosphere in Disney World Restaurants. I clearly need to take some public speaking lessons, but the discussion is still very interesting!

Disney World Basics looks at one of Disney’s strategies to create healthier options for dining in the parks — Kids’ Picks!

Main Street Gazette heads over to the Rose and Crown Dining Room for a delicious dining review!

The DVC Life takes a look at whether Jiko in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is worth the $100+ price tag.

Chef Druck Musings shares some secrets about her favorite character meals in Disney World.

Thanks to Zannaland for posting this very cool interview about a fellow blogger! (Wink, wink) The ensuing comments about tart-n-tiny candy is my favorite part.

The Disney Blog reports the potential shuttering of the final Goodings Supermarket near Disney World.

Disney Parks Blog celebrates the top honors received in Orlando Magazine by several Walt Disney World restaurants.

The Disney Chick makes Gourmet Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies from the Main Street Bakery. Go on. You know you want to click. 😉

OC Register has a fun story about what Disneyland’s doing with the leftover fry oil from their kitchens! Here’s a hint: it has to do with Park transportation… .

Chip and Co shares some dessert options for people with Diabetes dining in Disney World restaurants.

DisUnplugged heads to Disneyland’s Plaza Inn for dinner!

A New Kind of Rice Krispies Treat Pops Up at Disney World

By AJ 20 Comments

Thanks to my blogger buddy, Suzannah (of Zannaland.com), for sending along this new Magic Kingdom treat! Apparently, Mickey Mouse-shaped Rice Krispies Treats (or Crisped Rice Treats) aren’t enough for Disney fans anymore! Disney’s introduced what look like Rice Krispies Balls!

These bite-sized treats are being sold by the bagged-up-bunch in the Main Street Confectionery! You can even buy them decorated and drizzled with chocolate — yum!

Chocolate Drizzeled

Plain

Looks like a GREAT way to share this yummy treat between family members without having to buy everyone their very own Rice Krispies Treat Mickey bar. Good for the wallet AND the waistline. ;-D

Have You Seen the Royal Feast?

By AJ 13 Comments

Every once in a while I’ll be wandering through the Disney parks when I stumble across a hidden gem — something that most guests will probably just walk right by, but that catches my food-obsessed eye.

On my last trip, I was browsing through The Sportsman’s Shoppe in Epcot’s United Kingdom pavilion. On my way out (headed to the pub across the street), I saw this. Click on any of the photos for larger images:

This gorgeous diorama sits in a short lobby leading to the outdoors, just outside the shop and just across from the Rose & Crown Restaurant. I’m not sure I’d ever seen it before, but I was spellbound. I stared for several minutes, first trying to determine the story in the scene and then trying to take in all of the unbelievable detail.

Clearly, what we’re looking at here is a Royal Feast: the King is seated next to his Queen and Royal guests, servants bustle about behind the table, and an entertainer is rolling a hoop in front of the Royal party. And that’s not all — Knights in Armor guard the table with glistening, bejeweled shields; musicians stand in the balconies ready to entertain at a moment’s notice; Royal crests bedeck the walls; and a huge stained glass window completes the scene.

And he’s “rolling” in the true sense. The diorama is animatronic. You can watch the [Read more…]

Fresh Look at Disney World: A Disney Dining Trip Report

By AJ 10 Comments

Mark Weaver and his family had never been to Disney World together before their March 2010 trip, and that was Mark’s first time back to the “World” in 10 years! As I’m sure you’re getting used to my “frequent visitor” perspective on these restaurants, I’m honored to share with you this dining trip report from a foodie who’s looking at WDW with fresh eyes. Thanks, Mark! (When Mark’s not dining in Disney World, you can find him contributing awesome news articles and features over at DisZine.com)

Our dining experiences at WDW were amazing. Sadly we missed 2 of our ADRs (and went home early) thanks to everyone getting sick on the last 2 days of our trip; however, we still had a great time and ate a lot of great food. Here’s an overall review of where and what we ate!:

Disney’s Pop Century Food Court:
After we checked in, we headed here to get some food that didn’t come from the cooler in the back seat of our car (YAY!). Overall, it was pretty good. I had the Parmesan Chicken which was very well done. The chicken was fully cooked — very crunchy, and the pasta with alfredo sauce was pretty good as well. I was able to get extra sauce at no extra cost which went very well with the breadstick. Speaking of the breadstick, I was actually surprised that it was not just a plain breadstick. It was seasoned with herbs and matched well with the entire dish.

Pop Century Parmesan Crusted Chicken

My wife had the vegetarian lasagna, which she enjoyed more than [Read more…]

Remy: The Disney Cruise Line’s Most Exclusive Adults-Only Restaurant

By AJ 6 Comments

Incredible news has been announced about Remy, a brand new class of Disney Cruise Line restaurant debuting on the line’s newest ship, the Disney Dream.

Remy Concept Art, Copyright Disney

Billed as “An upscale restaurant exclusive to adults, Remy boasts the most luxurious dining experience available onboard.” (And this means it’s more luxurious than Palo, the ship’s other adults-only venue, which has sister restaurants on the Disney Wonder and the Disney Magic.) The Disney Cruise Line website goes on to say that Remy will offer the “finest in French-inspired cuisine for dinner.”

Atmosphere
Located on Deck 12 next to Palo, Remy will seat 80 in an Art Nouveau-style room decorated with greens, reds, and golds — think upscale “French Bistro” design. Of course, Ratatouille’s Remy the Rat will be integrated into the design!

A glass-walled wine room with marble flooring has seating for up to 16 guests amid more than 900 bottles of wine including a fine rare selection of Old World wines balanced with a solid selection of New World wines. Once dinner is booked and guests are on board, they are invited to meet with a sommelier in Remy’s wine room to taste and pre-select their wines for the evening.

Remy Concept Art, Copyright Disney

Eats
A chilled champagne cocktail made tableside will be the beginning of your dining experience at Remy. This will be followed by up to nine small courses with wine accompaniments. Polished touches at Remy include a tableside trolley for serving international cheeses, decanting stations for wines, and post-prandial coffee service including French press and grand crème.

The meal will include the special attention to detail [Read more…]

“You Won’t Believe This!” Snack: White Chocolate Chip Brownie

By AJ 25 Comments

We’re back with another delectable treat from Starring Rolls Cafe! I wish we had Smell-o-‘Puter, because these White Chocolate Chip Brownies are a-maz-ing.

This brownie is about the size of my fist (and I have monster giant hands), so the thing is massive — easily the size of two regular pan brownies. And while it’s not as “fancy schmancy” as some of the other “You Won’t Believe This!” Snacks, the pure chocolate taste will wow the dedicated chocoholics and sugar-fiends out there.

Once I carted the brownie out to the table at Starring Rolls, I had to [Read more…]

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