2011 Disney Dining Plan

A sneak peek at the 2011 PDFs describing the Walt Disney World Disney Dining Plan are available. While not too much has changed besides the Le Cellier 2-credit dinner, it’s still worth it to check out the links when you’re planning for next year.

Note: Many of the restaurants not owned and operated by Disney do not sign on to the Dining Plan until later in the year, so if you see holes in the list, that’s why. This is just a sneak peek.

Head over to our Disney Dining Plan individual pages to see the new links and read more about the Disney Dining Plan:
Standard Dining Plan
Quick Service Dining Plan
Deluxe Dining Plan
Premium Dining Plan
Platinum Dining Plan
Wine and Dine Add-On

Thanks to Pudge the Fish for combing the details!

2010 Candlelight Processional and Dinner Packages

By AJ 7 Comments

Candlelight Processional (copyright Disney)

Disney World’s Candlelight Processional is a [Read more…]

Disneyland’s Mint Julep Recipe

By AJ 39 Comments

This post was promised in the Disney Food Blog July Newsletter, and I’m excited to finally be publishing it!

If you’ve ever been to Disneyland, you know all about the famous alcohol-free (natch!) Mint Julep that can be found at Blue Bayou, Cafe Orleans, and the French Market. This refreshing, mint-y, lime-y, ice-y treat is a love-it-or-hate-it kind of cult favorite, but no matter what, you’ve gotta at least try it!

Disneyland Mint Julep

Enjoy it on the Cafe Orleans patio along with some of those delicious Pommes Frites, or grab one at the Mint Julep Bar at the French Market — where you can also get some great sweet snacks — and sit back and relax while listening to the [Read more…]

Secret Spots: Writer’s Stop

By AJ 42 Comments

This is my favorite place in Disney World. (Well, this and the Carolwood Pacific Room at Wilderness Lodge, but since that doesn’t have any food, I have to defer to Writer’s Stop.) Food…books…writing…it’s everything that I love all tucked away into a corner of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

And I put it under the “Secret Spots” banner because so many folks have told me that they’ve never heard of or seen it — but I’m almost positive it’ll become one of your favorite places as soon as you spend a leisurely 30 minutes sipping coffee and reading books in this wonderful little store.

Atmosphere
This is essentially a Disney-fied coffee shop and bookstore. It was originally placed in Hollywood Studios (back when the park was still Disney-MGM Studios) to promote ABC’s Ellen sit-com, representing her book store in the show, “Buy the Book.” The ceiling is still covered with television studio lights as though the shop itself is a TV set, and for quite a while one could find remnants of Ellen strategically placed throughout the store (scripts, etc.). Check out this Studios Central link for an up-close look at these remaining set items! Once Ellen petered out in the late 90’s, the shop survived and [Read more…]

Course Maps for Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend

By AJ 2 Comments

Are you signed up for the 2010 Wine and Dine Half Marathon or the Mickey’s Halloween Family 5K? If so, here’s what you’re training for! The course maps for the Half Marathon and 5K are posted below. Click on the images to see larger versions. Course descriptions are taken from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Website.

Wine and Dine Half Marathon Course: click image for larger version

Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Course Description
Start at the newly re-imagined ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex running down Victory Way and then west on Osceola Parkway toward Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Park. Make your way past the Tree of Life, Expedition Everest™, Dinosaur® and then race back to Osceola Parkway and head toward Disney’s Hollywood Studios™. You will [Read more…]

Le Cellier Dinner Will Require 2 Dining Plan Credits Beginning March 2011

By AJ 20 Comments

UPDATE: This is confirmed — click here to see the full 2011 Disney Dining Plan PDF. Below is a screen shot of the Le Cellier credit expenditure.

Thanks to Len Testa for the confirmation and GDPinvestigation for the PDF.
______________

While the “Le Cellier 2-credit” rumor had always been alive and well among Disney circles, I’ve never found enough evidence to report it here on the Disney Food Blog.

However, I received a mysterious email in my inbox last week mentioning that Le Cellier dinner will begin to require 2 Disney Dining Plan Table-Service credits starting in March 2011. Alas, the rumor has been confirmed.

Epcot’s Le Cellier Steak House will require 2 Disney Dining Plan credits for dinner, beginning March 1, 2011. Lunch will still be 1 credit.

Click the following link to read more about Disney World’s Dining Plans.
Click the following link for information and menus for Le Cellier Steak House.

Snack Series: Disney World’s Hand-Scooped Ice Cream Cones

By AJ 16 Comments

We’ve talked about ice cream sundaes and we’ve talked about milkshakes, but now it’s time to devote the day to ice cream cones! Honestly, there’s nothing like that first taste of a true, hand-scooped ice cream cone in a favorite theme park, and here are my four favorite places to get one:

Mickey Ice Cream Cone

Hollywood Scoops: Disney’s Hollywood Studios
This cheerful ice cream spot at the end of Sunset Boulevard sits at the base of the Tower of Terror and next to the entrance to Rock n Roller Coaster. It’s Art Deco styling in mint green, blue, and pink will have you thinking [Read more…]

Guest Review: Via Napoli

By AJ 7 Comments

Thanks to Gloria Blankenship for this great review of her experience at Via Napoli! She also added a photo to the growing number on our First Look!: Epcot Via Napoli Pictures post! Thanks, Gloria!

Via Napoli in Epcot's Italy Pavilion

Atmosphere
We went there today before the soft opening, scheduled for Thursday. We were able to walk right in, although the tables soon filled up. Epcot is beautiful — and my favorite park — so I am biased.

The wood-fired ovens have faces and names: Stromboli, Versuvio and Etna. Nice touch and amusing. Wood-fired pizza is the specialty here, and you can also find veal, chicken, pasta, eggplant, gelato, and assorted wines and non-alcoholic beverages on the Via Napoli menu. There are nice chandeliers, decor, and a fresh “natural light” feel to the restaurant along with the charm of back-lit wood-fired ovens, chefs tossing pizza dough, and servers whose goal is to feed and charm the guests.

Eats
The calamari fritti (14.00) was good and came with marinara and lemons. Very nicely portioned.

The pizza was quite good and came in three sizes: 16.00 for individual 10 inch, 27.00 for 20 inch, and 37.00 for half meter, which serves four. The Margherita pizza has real basil on it, although they only had grated parmesan pecorino from a shaker — not fresh parmesan service. The pizza sauce and dough are good, and the pizza’s cheese was nice. The crust is not too thick or thin.

The kids meals come with pizza, chicken, or spaghetti and meatballs, and include a drink (no grapes, carrots, [Read more…]

Lunching Pad Offers New Gourmet Hot Dog Menu

By AJ 26 Comments

Thanks to Paul Chadkin for allowing me to post this great pic of the new Disney World Tomorrowland Lunching Pad hot dog menu!

New Hot Dog Menu at Tomorrowland Lunching Pad

For $7.89 a piece, the new menu includes:

Philly Cheese Steak Hot Dog: Topped withe beef, onions, peppers, mushrooms, and cheese sauce

Reuben Hot Dog: Topped with Corned Beef, sauerkraut, swiss, and thousand island dressing

Taco Hot Dog: Topped with ground beef, lettuce, salsa, and sour cream

No idea if the turkey legs have stuck around!

First Look! Epcot Via Napoli Pictures

By AJ 14 Comments

Hey all! As we reported, Monday was Via Napoli‘s first day open to walk-in guests, and — lucky us — we got some pics from some wonderful DFB readers! Check out these fantastic photos:

First, a few external shots. You can see that Via Napoli has a completely different “look and feel” from the rest of the Italy pavilion. It’s much more “movie-set” than what you see to the right and left.

How Via Napoli Fits In With The Rest of Italy

A Close Up Shot of the Exterior

Lots of Folks In and Out of Italy Today

Heading inside, you’re greeted by a large lobby and a massive check-in desk. You can see the whole restaurant through the windows of the lobby, and the decor and themeing are colorful as well as light and “airy.” It feels somewhat more like “farmhouse” Italy with a contemporary twist; the brightness of the restaurants, high ceilings, and accent colors remind me a lot of Naples in Disneyland, a sister restaurant to Via Napoli run by the same company — The Patina Group.

Check In Area

Lobby Chandelier

Lobby Tile

Lobby Tile Close Up

Servers

From here, you enter into the expanse of the restaurant proper. To your right, you’ll find a room covered in an “aged” fresco depicting nature scenes, trees, grasses, and blue sky. In the center of this part of the restaurant, you’ll find acqua fresca containers holding strawberry, lemon, and blood orange flavors. Outside some double doors is an [Read more…]

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