Snack Series: Beignets at Port Orleans Resort, French Quarter

Made famous at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans, Louisiana, beignets are a delicious, doughnut-like treat. And if you’re lucky enough to visit Sassagoula Floatworks food court at Port Orleans Resort, French Quarter, in Disney World, you can try some yourself!

Sassagoula Floatworks Food Court

In fact Sassagoula Floatworks, which is themed after a Mardi Gras float-building warehouse, is worth the trip. The spectacle of the partially constructed float decor is a photo-trip in itself!

Sassagoula Floatworks Food Court Decor

Sassagoula Floatworks Float Decor

On my recent WDW trip, I had my first taste of beignets, and I can safely say I’ll be back for more! What I find particularly interesting is that the beignets are not pre-made. In fact, when we ordered them, we had to wait 5-10 minutes while they were made.

First, raw dough was brought into the kitchen from the back and pounded thin.

Step 1 in making the beignets

Second, the beignets were put into the fryer.

Making Beignets Step 2

And third, the beignets were removed and dusted with scads of powdered sugar.

Beignet Making Step 3

They were as fresh and hot as can be — delicious!

Finished Beignets

Inside, the beignets are hollow

Do you have a favorite Disney Theme Park snack that I should highlight here on the Disney Food Blog? Send me your ideas via twitter, facebook, or email!

Dining Alone in Disney

By AJ 7 Comments

I’m honored to bring you a guest post by one of my favorite travel bloggers, Gray at SoloFriendly.com. Thanks again, Gray, for sharing your insights and tips on dining alone in Disney World!

Counter Seating at Wolfgang Puck

Many travelers, even those who are excited by the prospect of enjoying some alone time at Disney World, get queasy at the thought of having to eat alone. This, despite the fact that Disney has fabulous restaurants and legendary customer service.

Don’t be nervous just because you’re a “party of one”! I have eaten alone in many restaurants in Disney World and 99.9% of the time have received the most exemplary service. Go ahead and eat at Quick Service restaurants if you’re on a budget, but don’t cheat yourself out of the wonderful table service restaurants if you can afford it. A delicious sit-down meal prepared by one of Disney’s talented chefs will certainly enhance any solo trip to the World.

To overcome any solo dining jitters, you need a distraction. This could be recording your day’s experiences in a journal, catching up on a good book, or flipping through the photos you took on your digital camera. Disney even builds in some nice distractions for us solos, you just have to look for them. Here are some suggestions for getting the most out of solo dining at Disney World:

Have your table service meal during a less crowded time. This could mean eating at an off hour.
Chefs de France Window Tables

Chefs de France, for instance, is far more enjoyable when there are fewer guests in the dining room. It’s quieter and more peaceful, and the odds of scoring a table by the window (for people-watching) are greatly enhanced.

Resort restaurants tend to be less crowded during lunch, when everyone is at the parks. I had a wonderful meal at Sanaa on my last trip, right around noon, and I was only one of maybe three tables of diners in the whole restaurant. Again, you have a greater chance of scoring a good seat this way, but you also feel less conspicuous.
Eat at a restaurant with bar or counter seating. If you are a social person, this affords you the opportunity to interact with other diners.
Todd English's bluezoo Restaurant

One of my favorite meals at Disney World was at Wolfgang Puck Cafe in Downtown Disney, when I sat at the counter in front of the chef’s station and had a lively and friendly chat with the chef while he prepared meals.

Other great restaurants with bartop dining include
Bluezoo at the Dolphin resort (a wonderfully grown-up restaurant), the House of Blues in Downtown Disney, Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, and the Flying Fish Cafe on the Boardwalk.
Enjoy a dinner show. You have many options at Disney World for dinnertime entertainment, including the Spirit of Aloha Show at the Polynesian Resort, the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue at Fort Wilderness, as well as smaller-scale entertainment such as watching a movie at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater or belly dancers at the Restaurant Marrakesh.
Go for a great view. The Disney Food Blog recently highlighted the best restaurants for watching the Wishes and Illuminations fireworks shows during dinner; those are great choices.
Relax with the show at the Coral Reef Aquarium

You could also grab a water-view window at one of the Downtown Disney restaurants or dine at the Coral Reef Restaurant, where you can gaze upon a living coral reef with 85 species of tropical fish swimming around. (For a more peaceful experience at the Coral Reef, try lunch here, when it’s less crowded; and don’t sit right next to the aquarium, or you’ll find children constantly bumping into you as they run up to press their faces against the glass.)

As with anything, practice makes perfect. The more you dine out alone, the more comfortable and enjoyable it becomes.

From the Editor: Thanks again, Gray! DFB readers, if you’re interested in more info about solo dining in Disney, stay tuned for the next post in the Walt Disney World Moms Panel Mini-Series where the moms chime in on their choices for meals if spending a day blissfully alone at Disney World!

Reminder! Disney World Advanced Dining Reservations at 180 Days Starting Tuesday, 10/27

By AJ 7 Comments

Screen Shot of Online Advanced Dining Reservations System

Hi all! Just wanted to send out a quick reminder that Disney World Advanced Dining Reservations are going back to 180 days ahead of arrival tomorrow, October 27, 2009. This means that, if your Disney World arrival date is within the next six months, you can call tomorrow, Tuesday, and make advanced dining reservations for most of your favorite restaurants.

Remember, you can do this by calling 407-WDW-DINE, or by booking online. Check out our online booking primer for specific information and screen shots illustrating how to book ADRs online.

For more information about the change from booking ADRs 90 days in advance to 180 days in advance, check out our previous post on the 180 Day ADR timeline. And to calculate when you can make all of your Disney Reservations, check out the PS Calculator!

More Wishes Dessert Party Photos!

By AJ 6 Comments

6/2011 Update: The Wishes Dessert Party can be booked online here. There’s no telling how long the party will be available (it’s been extended far beyond its original trial period).

Goodies at the Wishes Dessert Party

As you know, we were lucky enough to attend a Wishes Dessert Party while in Disney World a few weeks ago! It was a blast, and I highly recommend the experience to anyone who can snag a seat.

To be fair, there have been some negative reviews of the event. These included comments that the service felt rushed, they ran out of items quickly, and there was a long line to get into the actual seating area. I will add that there are several rows of assigned seating, and while we had a seat in the front row, I’m not sure I’d be as happy with the cost if we’d gotten a seat in the back.

During our party, we arrived late (therefore not having to deal with a line to get in), and found that desserts were replenished regularly. Perhaps Disney’s heard some of the complaints and made adjustments accordingly. For us, the show was wonderful, and the desserts were delicious.

Below, you can see photos of many of the desserts, along with labels of what they actually are.

For more information about the Wishes Fireworks Dessert Party at the Magic Kingdom, which has now been extended through the end of the year, check our Wishes Fireworks Dessert Party info-post. Now on to the photos!

Banana Creme Tart

Tiramisu

Mango Shooter

Classic Cheesecake (delish!)

Rice Krispy Treats

Creme Brulee

Chocolate Cheesecake

Brownies

Raspberry Tart

Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart

Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

My crappy photo of Tinkerbell

There you go!! Hope you enjoyed! 😉 For even more photos, check out our earlier post highlighting pics from our friend Zapperz at My Disney Mania. While ZapperZ’ Wishes Dessert Party Photos are much better than mine, I figured I’d toss mine up here, too! You can never have too many pics of dessert!

For more Wishes Dessert Party information:
Wishes Dessert Party Announced (includes details of the evening)
Wishes Dessert Party Photos!!
Wishes Dessert Party Extended Through October, 2009
Wishes Dessert Party Extended into January 2010
Wishes Dessert Party Confirmed Through End of May
Wishes Dessert Party Booking Through August 2010
Wishes Dessert Party Extended Through December 2010

Food Post Weekly Round-Up: October 25, 2009

By AJ 8 Comments

backlot notice A quick reminder:

As of Tuesday, October 27, 2009, Disney Advanced Dining Reservations have been moved back to 180 days ahead of arrival date! So those of you headed to Disney during the next six months, plan to be on that phone or online on Tuesday 🙂

On to the round-up, I’m amazed every week by the number of fun Disney food posts there are around the web. I’m so lucky to have found each and every one of these blogs and videos, and I hope you’ll benefit from (and bookmark!) these great sites. Lots of great information here this week… Away we go!

One of my favorite baking blogs, Cookie Madness, headed to Disney World a couple of weeks ago and returned with a fantastic trip report complete with photos from Citricos and Yachtsman Steakhouse. Also, be sure to check out her post about the S’mores Fudge from the Main Street Confectionery!

Everything Walt Disney World has an information-packed review of where to go to get groceries around Disney World, including a great FAQ about grocery delivery!

Okay, this one is from September, but I just found it and had to include (I LOVE this blog). So, Watch Me Eat spends some time at the Yak and Yeti Local Foods Cafe quick-service spot in Animal Kingdom. I love that they serve your food in take-out containers here.

The Disney Blog announces that Stone Crab Season has begun at Fulton’s! There’s even a special menu…

If you love chocolate cake, you’ll love this! The Mouse For Less has a fun article where 12-year-old chocolate cake critic, Max, rates five different Disney World chocolate cakes on a scale of one to ten!

Have $375 to burn on a great New Year’s Eve event? Disney Parks Blog announces the Victoria and Albert’s New Year’s Eve experience, beginning this year. Sounds divine…

The Orange County Register’s Around Disney Blog reports that Hook’s Pointe in the Disneyland Hotel has re-branded to become the only seafood-focused dining spot in Disneyland. The blog also posts a great round-up of where to find halloween treats and desserts in Disneyland!

Domestic Debacle posts photos and a review of the Polynesian Resort Spirit of Aloha Luau show.

Mommy Musings has a superb bunch of Party for the Senses Photos from the week celebrating “Classical Cuisine.”

In the Orlando Sentinel’s Daily Disney Blog (this is a new blog that’s in beta for the OS — very cool), Heather McPherson shares the recipe for Citricos’ Onion Tart.

etckt has a fun description of Hoop Dee Doo Revue, accompanied by a list-o-facts about the dinner show.

Finally, a couple of fun videos for you this week!

Chef Brian Piasecki, currently presiding over the Contemporary Resort’s California Grill, demonstrates the recipe for Le Cellier‘s Cheddar Cheese Soup in this cool video!

And Cat Cora, who’s new signature restaurant Kouzzina just opened in September, joins the muppets to promote Disney’s Give a Day, Get a Disney Day promotion!

“Is This Place Ever Open?”: Sunshine Tree Terrace

By AJ 16 Comments

There are three places in Walt Disney World where you can order the coveted pineapple Pineapple Float: Aloha Isle in Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland, Captain Cook’s quick service restaurant at the Polynesian Resort, and here…Sunshine Tree Terrace, also in Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland. (Note: Sunshine Tree Terrace no longer serves Pineapple Dole Whip, but the Citrus Swirl is back as of early 2012.)

Sunshine Tree Terrace

Sunshine Tree Terrace was an original fixture in Walt Disney World. With the Florida Citrus Growers (FCG) as a sponsor of the pavilion, this was the place to get orange juice and citrus-based concoctions, including the Citrus Swirl.

Sunshine Tree Terrace Open for Business

The FCGs’ Orange Bird mascot became a well-known fixture in Adventureland, and he appeared as both an audio-animatronic at Sunshine Tree Terrace and as a costumed character outside of the restaurant. The little Orange Bird has been removed from the restaurant’s decor in the years since the FCGs’ sponsorship expired in 1986.

Florida Citrus Growers' Orange Bird

Today, the Sunshine Tree Terrace is the place to get your pineapple float (a “dole whip float” with vanilla soft serve), along with other ice cream floats, slushes, milkshakes, and snacks. You can still get orange juice here, I’m happy to note.

Sunshine Tree Terrace Menu circa 2009

Sunshine Tree Terrace is probably open a bit a bit more often during the year than the other two restaurants highlighted in the “Is This Place Ever Open?” series, but it’s a seasonal restaurant and has rarely been open when I’ve been in the World.

Juice at Sunshine Tree Terrace

A lot of fantastic “vintage Disney” posts have been written about the Sunshine Tree Terrace and the Orange Bird recently, and I’m going to send you over to one of my favorite websites, Widen Your World, to read up on the extensive history of Sunshine Tree Terrace and its Adventureland surroundings.

Orange Bird sticker photo via Jason Liebig‘s flickr stream, creative commons.

Epcot’s World Showcase Wine Walk

By AJ 19 Comments

WineWalkLogo The Myth of the Wine Walk

For a long time, the World Showcase Wine Walk was a myth for me. I’d heard tell of a “pay-20-bucks-and-get-six-glasses-of-wine” type of thing, but I searched the web and found no specifics about this fantastic option in Epcot’s World Showcase.

Then, out of nowhere, the Wine Walk was mentioned in the 2009 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Guide. Finally, I had clarity!

So on my recent trip, I stopped into Italy’s Enoteca Castello shop and asked all about the Wine Walk. And while I wasn’t able to do the walk this trip, I’m really looking forward to getting it on the list for next time.

(If anyone out there has had the opportunity to do the Wine Walk, drop me an email or a comment and let me know what you thought! I’d love to hear reviews, both pro and con.)

Wine Walk Specs and Details
In the meantime, here are the details: $20 = 6 wine samples and a beautiful walk around World Showcase!

To begin, head to one of these three shops: the Weinkeller in Germany (the shop with all the wine)

Germany's Weinkeller

Enoteca Castello in Italy (that’s the shop with all the wine — the masks are in the back)

Masks in Epcot's Italy

or Aux Vins de France in France (there’s a lot of wine in there, too).

Aux Vins de France

Request a Wine Walk Passport at any of these locations. From there, you simply flash your passport in each of the three countries and enjoy your samples! Like other Epcot passports, cast members in each pavilion will give you a stamp for each sample.

The Wines
The wines you get to try are the following:
Germany

Valekenberg Madonna Spatlese: Since my Food and Wine Festival R.A Pruem wine seminar earlier this year, Spatlese is the word I look for to find a wine I’ll like. Spatlese = sweet and smooth, in my opinion (all it really refers to is the grapes being picked during a late harvest, making the sweetness and flavor a bit more intense). According to Disney, this particular wine will pair well with crustaceans like crab, shrimp, and lobster.
Valekengerg Madonna Leibframilch, Castello: The passport bills this wine as having a “lush, seductive bouquet” backed by mild acidity. It pairs well with stronger flavored fish and meat dishes, and works well when sipped alone as a pre-dinner drink.

Italy

Banfi San Angelo Pinot Grigio, Tuscany IGT: This wine will go well with light dishes, and probably will be best as a pre-dinner drink. The clean, fresh taste is touted as being perfect for an aperitif.
Castello Banfi Rosa Regale, Piedmont DOCG: For those of you who have no idea what DOCG means (like me), it stands for “Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita,” which basically means it’s been quality-control tested by the Italian government. Translation: it’s high-quality. This is a sparkling wine, and word is that this is the wine to eat with chocolate!

France

Georges Duboeuf Pouilly Fuisse, Macon: A Chardonnay from Burgandy, Disney says try it with cheese…yum.
Fuisse and Chateau Tour de Segur Bordeaux, Lussac St. Emilion: This rich red is described as “structured” (word-lovers like me just gotta love these words — who would ever think to describe a liquid as “structured?”). The predominant grape is Merlot, and the main aroma is of dark fruits. Do this one with red meat.

The Passport

Here are a couple of photos of the actual passport, so you know what you’re looking for:

Epcot Wine Walk Passport Side 1

Epcot Wine Walk Passport Side 2

Finally, as far as I know, the Wine Walk has always been offered year-round. Its mention in this year’s Food and Wine Festival Guide makes me wonder if it’s been reduced to just an Autumnal experience. Fingers crossed they’ll keep it year-round so that everyone can enjoy this wonderful, and relatively inexpensive, way to sample some of the great wines from the World Showcase!

Salute, Sante, and Prosit!

Miyuki: Epcot’s Japanese Candy Artist

By AJ 24 Comments

This is the season for trick-or-treating, which means candy! And when I think of candy in Disney World, I think of Miyuki Sugimori.

Miyuki the Candy Lady

About Miyuki and the Japanese Art of Candy Sculpture
Disney only works with the highest-quality artists and entertainers, and that standard remains in tact with this incredible candy artist from from Tokyo. Miyuki learned the craft of candy sculpture from her grandfather — a renowned Japanese candy artist — and is the first and only woman to receive training in Amezaiku in Japan. To date, she is one of only 15 people officially trained in the art.

To see Miyuki perform, simply head over to the Japan pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase to catch one of her shows. Her “stage,” equipped with heating elements to keep the candy pliable and with fans to cool down finished pieces, is located just outside the front entrance of Mitsukoshi department store.

Miyuki's Stage

Her candy sculptures begin as a ball of hot, malleable rice starch candy — this looks a lot like pulled taffy. Miyuki takes requests from the audience to determine what her sculptures will look like, adds food coloring to the candy ball, and begins stretching, sculpting, and painting the candy to create delicate, detailed works of art. Miyuki then hangs the piece in front of a fan to cool down the hot candy and set the design.

Miyuki mixes edible food coloring into the rice candy

What animal will it be...

An Alligator Emerges

Or A Seahorse Makes its Debut

Is That A Pink Leopard?

Most of Miyuki’s sculptures for Epcot visitors are of animals — frogs, swans, snakes, alligators, tigers, elephants, etc. She seems to specialize (or maybe the guests do!) in fantastical creatures — dragons and unicorns are her most requested items. By the way, general protocol is that the person who makes the request for a certain sculpture gets to take that sculpture home as a free souvenir, so be sure to arrive early for Miyuki’s shows so you can be in the front of the “line.”

Miyuki has a wonderful “melodic” way of working that’s hard to portray in pictures, so I wanted to add a couple of videos to this post so that you can get a better idea of what it’s really like to watch her.

Where and When To Find Miyuki at Epcot
You can see Miyuki’s show Sunday-Thursday at 12:55, 2:15, 4:00, 5:05, 6:05 & 6:55pm. To double check times before you go to Disney World, check Steve Soares’ Walt Disney World Entertainment Site. Once you’re in Disney World, grab an Epcot Times Guide for the most up-to-date show times.

Miyuki Sign

To celebrate Miyuki on the web, visit her YouTube page or join the (unofficial, but still fun!) Miyuki Facebook Group.

Have you or your kids received a candy sculpture from Miyuki? Share your stories by leaving a comment below!

Halloween Treats in Disney World

By AJ 15 Comments

Halloween Balloons at Disney World

While we all start stocking up on candy, cutting holes in sheets, and peeling grapes for home-made haunted houses, I thought I’d share the “spirit of the season” — Disney Foodie style!

Haunted Confectionery Worker in Town Square

Haunted Baker in Town Square

Edible Halloween Treats in Disney World
Disney World has been setting the Halloween stage for two months now (remember those pumpkins on Main Street?), and I was so impressed by all of the fun Disney Halloween snacks and kitchen items at the World — I couldn’t wait until October 31st to share them with you!

WDW Halloween Display

Halloween foods like candy corn, brown and orange striped chocolate-covered pretzels, crisped rice treats shaped like candy corn and pumpkins, Mickey Jack-o-lantern and Jack Skellington candy apples, and more can be found spread throughout Disney gift shops and especially in Disney candy stores and bakeries!

Halloween Candy Apples

Pumpkin, Spiderweb, and Skellington Candy Apples

Crisped Rice Treats Shaped Like Mickey Heads and Candy Corn

Halloween Pretzels

Halloween Sprinkles on This Boardwalk Bakery Cupcake

The Main Street Confectionery even had a special fudge flavor for the season — Reese’s Pieces! Doesn’t it look so sweet your teeth start to hurt?!

Reese's Pieces Fudge

And Minnie’s orange-and-purple witch hat was a big theme this year. I thought these little candy-filled Minnie ear hats were adorable. Perfect for halloween party favors. We also received Minnie witch hats on our “Celebration” cupcakes at Chef Mickey’s (notice the little eyes peeking out from under the hat on the cupcake)!

Candy-Filled Minnie Witch Hats

Halloween-themed Celebration Cupcake at Chef Mickey's

Non-Food Foodie Fun
Halloween kitchen items and accessories were all over the place! I thought this was a great display in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Disney Halloween Kitchen Items

You can even get the apron embroidered!

Disney Halloween Apron Embroidery

I also thought the paper products throughout the Resort were a great touch. Mickey looks so excited to be jumping into that pile of leaves on the haunted house-themed cup!

Halloween-Themed Paper Cup

Disney Parks' Themed Halloween Napkins

Happy Halloween!
For those of you heading to Disney World in time to celebrate Halloween, have a blast, be safe, and Bon Appetit! For those of you who get to wait another year to see Halloween at Disney World, I hope this has been a fun little foodie tour of how the parks celebrate this spookiest of seasons…

Animal Kingdom Picnic in the Park Review

By AJ 8 Comments

September 2012 Update:

Picnic in the Park in its original format stopped being offered in 2010. After, a grab-and-go option was offered from Beastly Bazaar in Discovery Island. The Grab and Go meal came with a reusable bag. Meal choices for two ($17.99), three ($24.99) or four ($32.99) persons. Meals included: choice of sandwiches, chips, desserts, plus a bottled water. Guests with the Disney Dining Plan could use quick-service credits.

Beastly Bazaar closed in August 2012. Therefore, we are unsure if the grab and go picnic option was moved to another merchandise location. Stay tuned for more information.

May 2010 NOTE: Picnic in the Park has had even more changes. Now, the picnic is available via a grab and go section in the Beastly Bazaar in Discovery Island. The picnic is sandwiches-only — no chicken or ham available any longer. To read more, see this Picnic in the Park post.
__________________

Note: Picnic in the Park service was discontinued as of January 2, 2010, and will become a “seasonal offering.” No word yet on when that “season” will begin.

Note: As of November 25, 2009, some changes have been made to the menu posted below. Changes are as follows:

Ham is no longer available as an option in the Animal Kingdom Picnic in the Park. It’s sandwiches, chicken, or nuthin!
Sides for Tier 1 meals have been whittled down to only: Chips, Coleslaw, Seasonal Fruit Salad, or Tomato Cucumber Salad.
Sides for Tier 2 meals have been whittled down to only: Macaroni & Cheese, Seasonal Fruit Salad, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Tandoori Spiced Tofu and Zucchini Squash, and Oven-Roasted Potato Wedges.
Orders can be made at either Island Mercantile or Guest Relations, prior to 2:30pm.
Tier 1 orders are now retrieved at Dino-Bites in Dinoland. Tier 2 orders are still retrieved at Kusafiri Bakery.

_______________________________________
You guys remember waaaaay back in April when I posted about the new Animal Kingdom Picnic in the Park option — I couldn’t wait til it was my turn. Well, I finally got to try it!

Re-useable Picnic Bag

How Does Animal Kingdom Picnic in the Park Work?
You can have a picnic in the park any day of the week. It’s an inexpensive alternative to restaurant eating, and a way to enjoy the Animal Kingdom in a way you might not have otherwise.

Ordering is easy. Head to the counter outside Island Mercantile between 8:30am-1pm, check out the menu, and order up! (Note: As of November 25, 2009, you can also order your picnic at Guest Relations.)

Ordering Station for Picnic in the Park

You can choose a designated time to pick up your meal (after 11:30am), at which time you bring your receipt over to Kusafiri Bakery just outside Tusker House in Animal Kingdom’s Africa. (Note: As of November 25, 2009, Tier One orders pick up at Dino-Bites in Dinoland; all other Tiers pick up at Kusafiri.)

Kusafiri Bakery Pick-Up for AK Picnic in the Park

They’ll hand you your trusty totebag and a map with picnic spots marked. We like the picnic spots in Camp Minnie Mickey and along the pathway between Africa and Asia the best. Which do you prefer?

AK Picnic In the Park Picnic Spots Map

On this day, though, I was picking up our lunch and taking it back to the hotel room in time for a meeting. We’d ordered the rotisserie chicken meal for two people, mac and cheese for a side, and a brownie and a cookie for dessert. All meals come with small bottles of Dasani water.

We were starving (no breakfast…tsk tsk tsk…), and found the chicken we ordered to be some of the best rotisserie chicken we’d ever tasted!

AK Picnic in the Park Meal -- Rotisserie chicken, mac and cheese side, brownie, cookie, water

The mac and cheese we ordered as a side was good as well — let’s say it was better than KFC and not as good as Jiko. 😉 Unfortunately, we weren’t impressed with the desserts. They were pretty dry and probably not worth the calories. When we do the Picnic in the Park again, I’ll order the “crisped rice treat.” Disney does those very well!

Worth it?
The cost is pretty similar to a counter-service meal in the park, and you might actually get more food for the money (we had plenty left over!); also, you can use one quick-service credit on the dining plan for this meal.

The cost is both a pro and a con, I think. If you’re in the Animal Kingdom on a beautiful day, taking the picnic to a quiet corner of the park and enjoying the outdoors in a completely different place than you ever have before can be both relaxing and peaceful. However, if you’re in the Animal Kingdom on a hot, crowded, humid day, sitting outside with your food instead of in an air-conditioned Pizzafari can be downright frustrating! Choose accordingly.

In my opinion, the Picnic in the Park can be a great value. If you get the sandwich meals, you can easily save leftovers in the fridge for the next day’s lunch. Also, if you are able to use the reusable totebag when you get back home, all the better!

Info and Details
For more information, here are some scans of the picnic in the park brochure with all the details! NOTE: As of November 25, 2009, some changes have been made to the menu posted below. Changes are as follows:

Ham is no longer available as an option in the Animal Kingdom Picnic in the Park. It’s sandwiches, chicken, or nuthin!
Sides for Tier 1 meals have been whittled down to only: Chips, Coleslaw, Seasonal Fruit Salad, or Tomato Cucumber Salad.
Sides for Tier 2 meals have been whittled down to only: Macaroni & Cheese, Seasonal Fruit Salad, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Tandoori Spiced Tofu and Zucchini Squash, and Oven-Roasted Potato Wedges.
Orders can be made at either Island Mercantile or Guest Relations, prior to 2:30pm.
Tier 1 orders are now retrieved at Dino-Bites in Dinoland. Tier 2 orders are still retrieved at Kusafiri Bakery.

AK Picnic in the Park Menu

Picnic in the Park Instructions

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