Guest Review: Disneyland's Fantasmic! Premium Viewing Dessert Package

Guest Review: Disneyland’s Fantasmic! Premium Viewing Dessert Package

Heather Sievers, a Disneyland food expert, Mom, and inventor of Time Out Spots, is back with another great Disneyland review! Today she’s sharing her experience at the Fantasmic! Premium Viewing Dessert Event! Take it away, Heather!

Disneyland's Fantasmic Dragon

As an annual pass holder for over 15 years, it’s a little embarrassing to say that I had never seen the whole Fantasmic show, until now!

Atmosphere
The crowd has always turned me off; they send out the cast members waving their light sticks in their yellow Fantasmic uniforms way before the show starts and the sea of people makes it impossible to get a good standing position unless you’re willing to plant yourself and stake a claim a few hours before the show starts. There are one-way walk ways, people telling you where to walk and where not to walk, the whole scene is pretty wild. Not interested in the chaos? Me neither.

So, as a special treat, I bought my family Fantasmic premium viewing tickets and it was amazing! We knew that the tickets came with great seats and dessert, but we had no idea how elaborate the [Read more…]

More Halloween Treats From Disney Parks

By AJ 10 Comments

In addition to the fun halloween cupcakes we covered last week, here are a few more of the Halloween treats you can find in Disney Parks this year:

Candy Corn and Mickey Head Rice Krispie Treats

From Halloween-sprinkled pretzel rods and marshmallows to chocolate-dipped fudge cookies and pumpkin rice krispie treats, there are always a bunch of fun items to be found in [Read more…]

Countdown to Epcot Food and Wine Festival: Belgium, Germany, Greece

By AJ 4 Comments

Here we go with another fun Countdown to Food and Wine post! The Epcot Food and Wine Festival will begin in just a couple of days, and I’ve decided to share my excitement by counting down to the Festival with a look at the International Marketplace booths that will be located around the World Showcase Lagoon!

For those who haven’t had the chance to go to the Festival, one of my favorite parts are the dozens of International Marketplaces — little booths, or kiosks, set up that represent a specific country or region. Each booth offers a short menu of tasting plates and drinks from the country or region represented. These tasting items cost anywhere from $2-$7, so they’re a great way to enjoy the Festival without breaking the bank.

Today, I’m going to highlight the representative menus from Belgium, Germany, and Greece!

Don’t Forget!

Those with the Disney Dining Plan can use snack credits to purchase many of the items in the World Showcase booths! Just look for the DDP logos to see what’s available.

Belgian Waffle From New Belgium Kiosk at F&W Festival

Belgium

This year, Belgium is a brand new addition to the World Showcase Promenade! Exciting options on the menu will include a Belgian waffle, of course, and mussels! Here’s the full menu for Belgium:

Steamed Mussels with Roasted Garlic Cream
Freshly Baked Waffles with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream
Stella Artois
Godiva Chocolate Iced Coffee (photo below from Tables in Wonderland 2010 Food and Wine Festival Preview)
Leffe
Hoegaarden

I can’t wait to try that delicious waffle!

The Belgium booth will be located [Read more…]

Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic Adds a New Seminar!

By AJ Leave a Comment

Great news for those of you who were shut out of the Swan and Dolphin’s upcoming Food and Wine Classic seminars — they’ve added an extra one due to popular demand!

The “Vino of Veneto” seminar will offer:

“An in depth discussion and analysis of wines from the Veneto region of Italy. Located in North Eastern Italy, the Venetian region is home to famous wine producing provinces such as Treviso, Verona, Padova, Venice, and Vicenza. The growers here base their ‘classic’ wines on native grape varieties like Prosecco and Verduzzo, however popularity and high demand has allowed them to experiment with Cabernets, Chardonnays, and Pinot varieties as well. Mr. Robin Shay will guide you through your journey of Veneto. Robin lived in Europe for 10 years working as a winemaker and later as a professionally certified sommelier in Rome. After this hour, you will feel like an expert on the wines of Veneto. — Instructor: Robin Shay, Certified Wine Sommelier”

The seminar will be available on October 8th and 9th at 4:30pm; call 407-934-1609 soon for reservations!

Be sure to read more about the Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic here, and check out our other posts detailing sneak peek views of the food that will be offered at the Classic’s tasting booths!

You can also read about other upcoming seminars here!

Review: Epcot’s La Hacienda de San Angel

By AJ 35 Comments

Huzzah! I’ve finally made it to the newest restaurant in Walt Disney World — La Hacienda de San Angel! This Mexican restaurant focuses on Southern Mexican cuisine — fresh staples with a new flair. Home made corn tortillas, incredible margaritas, and a view coveted by every other restaurant in the World Showcase are the major players here.

Atmosphere
Located in Epcot’s Mexico in Walt Disney World, the restaurant was built this year as an add-on to an existing counter-service restaurant (La Cantina de San Angel), and now juts out into World Showcase Lagoon.

Externally, the bright yellow building and bright blue tiled cupola look a bit out of place with the muted colors around World Showcase, but they do bring a lively look to [Read more…]

New Booth Signs Going Up on Epcot Food and Wine Festival Booths

By AJ 1 Comment

I’ve been waiting for this to happen! Just noticed yesterday that the booth signs are starting to be changed on the Epcot Food and Wine Festival Booths that went up last week.

They’re not all finished yet, but here’s the new signage for South Korea — a brand new booth this year. Click here for a look at the South Korea booth menu:

Epcot Food and Wine Festival South Korea Booth

South Korea Signage

And here’s Brazil — one of the most colorful booths on the promenade! Click here for [Read more…]

Tips for Picky Eaters in Disney Parks

By AJ 14 Comments

Let’s face it. Everyone’s got a picky eater. Whether it’s your kid, your Mom, your husband, or YOU, someone in the group doesn’t eat salad, stays away from seafood, or has a thing about not eating anything that isn’t peanut butter.

The great news is, Disney parks are destinations where none of that has to matter. There are enough choices (whether they’re on the menu or not) that everyone can find something to fill their tummies.

There's More to Life Than Burgers and Fries

Here are a few tips I’ve gleaned from my personal experience and from readers about navigating the parks with a picky eater. These are highlighted (and even illustrated) with some great comments from Disney Food Blog Facebook Fans!:

Contact Disney Ahead of Time
If the situation is dire and you liken the picky eating behavior to a special dietary need, you can always call Disney ahead of time to be sure that your needs will be taken care of at any table service restaurant where you’ll be dining. Check our Special Diets at Disney resources to learn more.

From Linds P: If you have something you know they’ll like, you can email [email protected] with your pre-made reservations info. You can make sure the foods you like will be there.

Christina W. says: My best friend is a vegetarian who also needs [Read more…]

New Treat Trails at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

By AJ 8 Comments

Everyone knows that the treat trails are the place to be at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, and this year there are more than I’ve ever seen before. Here are some fun and not-to-be-missed trails. (Some have more than one candy spot, and some are just fun to see!)

For more info about Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, check out our “Candy-Lover’s Guide to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party” and our recent post about new cupcakes at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

Trick or Treat Spot Entrance Sign

Brer Rabbit’s Candy Cavern
This trail will lead you down behind the Splash Mountain queue line — a place many of us have never been before! There are two candy spots, but one was only handing out raisins on my visit.

Brer Rabbit's Candy Cavern

Hakuna Ma-Treat-A
Located next to the Jungle Cruise, this treat spot is marked by [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: September 26, 2010

By AJ Leave a Comment

Coming to you LIVE from Walt Disney World, here’s this week’s Disney Food Post Round-Up!

Reminders…

First, two reminders for this week:

The Epcot Food and Wine Festival is beginning on October 1st (that’s Friday!). Here’s our quick-click guide that includes menus, photos (even pics of the food you can get THIS YEAR!), and more:
2010 Epcot Food & Wine Festival Guide and Map
International Marketplace Booths & Menus
Free & Low-Cost Attractions and Demos
Special and Signature Attractions
Eat to the Beat! Concerts
The WDW Foodie Fest is happening one week from today! On Sunday, October 3rd, we’ll hold our first ever Disney Food Blog meet-up! Come find us at Ariel’s in the Beach Club Resort between 11am-2pm. Scavenger Hunt through the Food and Wine Festival starts at 11! Read more and register at the WDW Foodie Fest Website!

This Week’s News

MNSSHP Wicked Witch Cupcake

A few news items this week, coupled with some great new stuff I’ve found at WDW:

Disney California Adventure Paradise Pier dining concept art news and photos.
More info on potential price increases at Disney World Buffets
Review of two new menu items at Liberty Tree Tavern in Magic Kingdom
Pics of a few NEW cupcakes introduced for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

Round-Up

And now, on to the round-up:

Tim Rogerson, the Disney artist extraordinaire (whom we interviewed HERE!), has a cool new time-lapse video of his 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival signature artwork!

2719 Hyperion takes us to the original Captain Cook’s Hideaway.

Frugal Dinks brings us their review of Epcot’s La Hacienda de San Angel Restaurant.

The Disney Chick makes sunflower seed bread from Epcot’s Garden Grill!

Main St Gazette dines at Rose and Crown!

Eating Around the World goes to Biergarten!

Zannaland has a pic of the new Duffy the Bear rice krispie treat!

Disney Parks Blog has an awesome video from Disneyland detailing how they made their Haunted Gingerbread House for this year’s Haunted Mansion overlay!

Two New Menu Items at Disney World’s Liberty Tree Tavern

By AJ 11 Comments

After being a burger devotee at Liberty Tree Tavern‘s lunch rush for years, I decided to change it up this week and order two of the newest items on the menu!

First up — the Freedom Pasta: chicken, sauteed with tomatoes, mushrooms, and fresh basil join fusilli pasta in a cream sauce. The verdict? Delicious. I needed to add salt (as per usual with me and cream sauces), but the chicken was crispy and not overdone, and the sauce was thick vs. watery (WHY do chefs let watery cream sauces exist? Why?).

Freedom Pasta at Liberty Tree Tavern

For dessert, I went with the brand new gluten-free dessert — Decadent Chocolate Terrine. This is like taking a slab of the richest brownie dough you can imagine out of the refrigerator and eating it raw. Some of you (like me) will [Read more…]

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Guest Review: Disneyland’s Fantasmic! Premium Viewing Dessert Package

More Halloween Treats From Disney Parks