Dining Planning for Christmas in Disney

The holidays in Disney Parks are an incredibly magical time, and because we’re well into the Disney World dining planning window for folks who are headed to Orlando during the holiday season I wanted to add a few resources to the planning sessions!

Where to Eat

Disney holiday menus

will always feature special treats! At the request of several readers, I did a quick poll of our facebook fans and twitter followers to determine the answer to this question, “If you could dine at one Disney World restaurant for your holiday dinner, where would you go?” I was quickly rewarded with some fantastic answers! Here are some of the most popular responses:

Liberty Tree Tavern
This location wins with our readers for Thanksgiving, and it was an overwhelmingly popular choice for Christmas as well. Most readers indicated that the cozy atmosphere at Liberty Tree Tavern and the traditional holiday dinner fare is what would bring them here.

Liberty Tree Tavern Pot Roast

‘Ohana
Mele Kalikimaka! ‘Ohana was tied for first place with Liberty Tree Tavern, so clearly DFB readers share my affinity for the islands! 🙂 After growing up in the snowy tundra of western New York State, Hawai’i sounds pretty good as a Christmas destination right about now! Plus, this location has [Read more…]

News! Germany’s Karamelle-Küche Opening Date Set

By AJ 7 Comments

Dipping Caramel Apples at Disney

According to WDWMagic, the brand new Werther’s caramel shop in Germany, Karamelle-Küche (or Caramel Kitchen) will open September 22, 2010!

You’ll recall, this is the shop that will be replacing the old Glas und Porzellan shop at the entrance to the Germany pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase.

The store will be branded with Werther’s, and will feature a show kitchen where cast members will be creating caramel popcorn and apples, caramel-covered strawberries, and more for guests to see!

The shop will also sell gourmet caramels, cookies, brownies, fudge, and cupcakes. This is the only free-standing shop in the world for Storck, the makers of Werther’s candies, so there will be some one-of-a-kind items there as well.

We’ll see you there!

Magic Kingdom Expands Restaurant Capacity During Free Dining in Disney World

By AJ 5 Comments

As we saw last year, several rarely (if ever) open restaurants will be serving steadily through the weeks when Disney World is offering its free dining promotion. Here are the details:

Tomorrowland Terrace Cafe Will Offer a Table-Service Buffet on Sunday Evenings
From 5:30pm to 9pm on Sundays, beginning August 22nd and running through September, Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland Terrace Cafe will offer a dinner buffet for guests. Pricing currently stands at: Adult: $37.28, Child: $19.17. The menu for the buffet will include beef and pasta dishes, vegetables, fried rice, rolls, and desserts. Booking is available on the DisneyWorld.com site.

Also, the Tomorrowland Terrace “Noodle Station” has changed up its menu to serve American classic fare (burgers and sandwiches, chicken nuggets, salads, etc.) for lunch and will switch to its Asian menu after 4pm.

El Pirata Y el Perico Restaurante Will Be Open for Lunch
This Adventureland location serving quick-service Mexican cuisine will be open for lunch from August 15th through September 4th, 2010.

Diamond Horseshoe Will be Open for Dinner
This Frontierland eatery will extend its hours through dinner time (5-9pm) from August 15th through the 28th, and from September 19th through October 2nd, serving a table-service style turkey dinner akin to what you’ll get at Liberty Tree Tavern next door (via WDWMagic; booking for September/October dates not available on Disney site at time of this writing). Counter-service lunch will still be available at the Diamond Horseshoe from 11am-3pm serving sandwiches and other grab and go items.

Guest Review: Via Napoli

By AJ 11 Comments

I don’t usually do two guest reviews in two days, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to share these gorgeous pics from the brand new Via Napoli restaurant! My good friend Jessica Kramer-Teheran from Monocle on the Mouse was in Disney World this past weekend and shares this report full of pics and video…

Via Napoli in Epcot's Italy Pavilion

The best way to enjoy Via Napoli, from my first impression, is to turn it into a “family style” meal. Depending on the size of your party and the depths of your appetite, order a couple of appetizers, a couple of entrees, and a couple of desserts, then ‘Mangia!’ to your heart’s content. We split every dish, and even my good friend — who’s used to his Grandma’s Italian cooking — was impressed.

The Arancini appetizer seems to be emerging as an early front-runner in popularity & taste. Warm mozzarella cheese binds together fluffy rice & lightly seasoned meat inside a perfectly golden thin shell, commonly referred to as a “rice ball.”

Arancini

Pre-opening I understand that the price tag for pizza was a concern, but I can honestly say that the “individual Margherita Pizza” was worth the $16. It was on par with famous classics like Lombardi’s in NYC, and I wouldn’t make that claim lightly.

Via Napoli Margherita Pizza

We also shared the “pollo parmigiana” which is served on two separate plates; one plate holds the spaghetti torta, served as a disk and stuck together (apologies to my Italian friends if there is a more sophisticated description for this plating style), and one plate holds the actual chicken. The presentation of the pasta portion of the entree seemed [Read more…]

Guest Review: Tony’s Town Square

By AJ 24 Comments

Cody, who writes the fantastic Global Disney Pinvestigation Blog, is back with another guest review! This time, he visited Tony’s Town Square in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Take it away, Cody!Atmosphere

Entering from the Turn-Of-The-Century Main Street USA I wondered how the theme of the restaurant would fit with the theme of the surrounding street. As it turns out, my inquiries were quickly put to rest. The restaurant is themed after the restaurant from the 1955 Disney Animated Movie, the Lady and the Tramp, and after researching a bit I realized that Lady and the Tramp takes place in early 1900s. So of course the theme fits nicely with the surrounding area.

Tony's Front Patio

Welcome to Tony's

Upon arriving, we were early (like normal), and we waited for about one minute in the waiting area, which is a small lounge/living area with a small T.V. (which shows Lady and the Tramp non-stop). The waiting area wasn’t themed to Lady and the Tramp, but it [Read more…]

No Park Tickets? No Reservation? No Problem!

By AJ 19 Comments

The main complaint I hear regarding the re-instated 180-day window for Disney World Advanced Dining Reservations is that it’s impossible to get a seat in a restaurant “on a whim.” I wanted to address that concern and add another challenge: what if you don’t have park tickets, either?

I thought it’d be fun to tackle this situation and suggest a few spots in both Disney World and Disneyland for those who find themselves in this “pickle!”

Beaches and Cream Beef Sandwich Au Jus

Walt Disney World

Nope! I’m not kidding. It doesn’t have to be a hassle to find a good, table-service meal in Disney World — even when you don’t have a reservation or a park ticket! Here are four of my favorite go-to locations at all different price points:

Beaches and Cream $
Welcome back to the 1950’s soda shoppe! Beaches and Cream is located at Disney’s Beach Club Resort and doesn’t even take reservations, so you won’t ever run into the no ADR problem! This spot serves simple, but delicious, [Read more…]

“The Best Thing I Ever Ate at Disney!”: Desserts

By AJ 92 Comments

I am SO excited!! Dessert!!!

Here’s the final post in our series based on the Food Network’s (very cool) show, The Best Thing I Ever Ate. As many of you know, due to some keen suggestions from readers we’re splitting our series up into different sections: breakfast, appetizers & side dishes, snacks & drinks, entrees (lunch & dinner), and desserts.

Today, we’re finallly taking a look at desserts! I’ve done my favorite brand of informal polling (i.e. posted questions on twitter and facebook 😉 ) to find out others’ experiences of the “Best Thing They Ever Ate” in Disney parks and resorts.

The following are the answers received from our readers about their favorite desserts! If your favorites aren’t here, please add them in the comments section below!

Yak and Yeti Cream Cheese and Pineapple Fried Won-tons: While I haven’t had the pleasure of trying these myself, you can bet Yak and Yeti is the first place I’m going when I arrive in September! (No kidding…it’s my first ADR…even before Liberty Tree Tavern lunch, and you guys KNOW how we feel about Liberty Tree Tavern lunch!)

Yak and Yeti Fried Cream Cheese Wontons.

Dole Whip: What better dessert [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Weekly Round-Up: August 8, 2010

By AJ 1 Comment

Via Napoli Dining Room

It’s been another news-filled week for the Disney food world! Here’s the latest:

Via Napoli has opened in Epcot. We have pictures, menu, and a reader review for you.
Candlelight Processional Dinner Package booking will open on August 26th
Le Cellier Dinner will require 2 Disney Dining Plan Table Service credits beginning March 2011. Here is more info about the 2011 Disney Dining Plan.
Wine and Dine Half-Marathon and 5K Course Maps and Medals have been announced
The WDW Tomorrowland Lunching Pad has added specialty hot dogs and nixed Turkey Legs from the menu
Disneyland is getting a permanent Cupcake Store

Also, a quick reminder for those of you coming back from Disney trips: we’d love to see your pics over on the Disney Food Blog flickr page! And now, on with the round-up!

Future Probe reviews Epcot’s Coral Reef Restaurant.

Disney Parks Blog reports on a new brunch and Bloody Mary bar at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in Disneyland’s Downtown Disney.

Designing Disney takes us back to the Cafe des Visionnaires of yesteryear in Disneyland Paris.

Disney Daddy shares the details from his Lunch with an Imagineer at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. These days you can experience Lunch with an Imagineer at Flying Fish Cafe!

All Ears‘ Deb Martin Koma interviews Marianne Hunnel about this year’s Food and Wine Festival.

Main St. Gazette takes an in-depth look at a fun vegetable garden in Epcot from the 2010 Flower and Garden Festival, which happens to include eats like Ursula’s Onions, Peter Pan’s Peas, Mickey’s Beanstalk Beans, Kanga’s Purple Kale, and Stitch’s Strawberries!

Makin’ Memories Photo Blog showcases dessert pics from the recent Tables in Wonderland Great Movie Ride dinner.

A Taste of Disney shows us how to make Jiko’s filet mignon with mac and cheese and red wine sauce.

Chip and Co looks at Disney World restaurants from a senior citizen’s perspective.

Of course there are lots of reports from Via Napoli‘s early days! Check out Mousesteps, Jeff Lange, WDW Radio, Jack Spence’s Report, Zannaland, Disney Every Day, The Daily Disney, Laughing Place, Theme Park Insider, WDW News Today x2, Orlando Attractions, WDWMagic, and Inside the Magic for even more pics and reviews.

2011 Disney Dining Plan

By AJ 12 Comments

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…]

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