Animal Kingdom Picnic in the Park Changes

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 Updates: Picnic in the Park is now a grab-and-go option in Beastly Bazaar in Discovery Island. Check out the latest updates here in our Picnic in the Park Updates Post.

Great news! The Animal Kingdom Picnic in the Park program now offers meals for two people (as opposed to the original three-person party minimum)! Tier choices remain the same.

Click here for the November 2009 updates to Picnic in the Park, as well as photos of the available items.

The Three Best Burgers in Disney World

By admin 35 Comments

A lot of people think that the only thing to eat in Disney World is burgers. In fact, I hear lots of folks lament that they couldn’t exist solely on all that junk food, and that’s one of the big reasons why they don’t vacation in Disney World.

Well, lucky for us, there is a variety of food (both high- and low-brow) to eat in Disney World. But I have to admit, they can and do make some pretty mean burgers! While they’re pretty much good everywhere, there are a few places that stick out in my mind.

Here’s a quick look at my top three:

Le Cellier Entrance

1. Le Cellier Grilled Angus Chuck Burger: You might have to sell your firstborn to actually get a reservation at Le Cellier, but once you’re in you can get this yummy burger for just $12.49. Le Cellier is deservedly known as a steakhouse, and someone at your table should absolutely order the famous Filet with Mushroom Risotto; but if you like burgers, this is a grand opportunity.

Le Cellier Burger

What makes this one so good is the Black Diamond Cheddar melted on top. The cheese has a strength to it and the flavor will knock you out. Definitely worth a try.

Note, however, that this is only available at lunchtime at Le Cellier.

Grilled Angus Chuck Burger topped with house-made onion ketchup and your choice of cheddar or blue cheese $12.49

Liberty Tree Tavern Entrance

2. Liberty Tree Tavern Angus Chuck Cheeseburger: Another one that’s only available at lunchtime, the Liberty Tree burger is one of those unexpected surprises. While I’d been a die-hard pasta fan there for awhile, I tried the burger one day and was so impressed I had to split it with the rest of the table.

Liberty Tree Tavern Burger

Thinking it was a fluke, I ordered the burger several more times after that initial visit and have been wow-ed every time. You know how you’ve got that great hometown diner or restaurant that you keep going back to? This is what Liberty Tree Tavern lunch has become for me.

And, please, get the fries.

Angus Chuck Cheeseburger topped with bacon and cheddar or mushrooms and provolone, served with fresh fruit or tavern fries $11.99

3. Beaches and Cream Cheeseburger: And finally, the Beaches and Cream burger! While this one’s pretty flat, pretty thin, and pretty standard, the Beaches and Cream burger wins a mention for being an authentic burger in an authentic diner.

Beaches and Cream

You just don’t get more nostalgic than this.

Compliment the masterpiece on a plastic plate with some big ol’ greasy onion rings, or the lightly seasoned fries that are always perfectly crispy at Beaches and Cream. (You have the option to order fresh fruit as a substitute for the fries.) And don’t forget to save room for the malted milkshake, banana split, or Kitchen Sink for dessert!

Cheeseburger – – A juicy beef patty served on a fresh baked bun. Single $8.99; Double $11.49

Now, Let’s Eat!
Hopefully this little beef-based culinary tour has whet your appetite for some delicious burgers at Disney World.

Beaches and Cream Burger (photo (c) Brett Young)

While WDW may be the land of junk food, don’t write it off as a stereotype too quickly! Judge for yourself.

If you know of a “best burger” that I’ve missed, let me know about it in the comments section below!

Recipe: Boma’s Zebra Domes

By admin 28 Comments

Boma's Zebra Domes

The Little Dessert That Packs a Punch
Disney theme parks have their iconic treats (think Dole Whips and Mickey Bars), but the Disney World resorts have theirs as well. One of the most well-known and documented of these is the coffee-kahlua flavored Zebra Dome made famous by Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Boma Restaurant.

Animal Kingdom Lodge's Boma Restaurant

While these take a while (many ingredients and even more steps) to make, the outcome is pretty extravagant. I’ve often found that people either passionately love these little desserts or vehemently hate them. You rarely find someone in between!

These are great to make for your next dinner party, or, if you’re wild and crazy, for your 4th of July Barbecue! (You KNOW that’s what you were thinking! Be honest!)

Now, the flexipan domes the recipe calls for seem really expensive! Does anyone have any good alternatives?

Where to Find ‘Em
Zebra Domes are a staple at Boma, a table-service buffet restaurant at Animal Kingdom Lodge (call 407-WDW-Dine for reservations). But due to popular demand, you can also purchase them in the quick service location, The Mara, as a grab-and-go item.

Zebra Domes Grab-and-Go at The Mara

Recipe
1 pound milk chocolate
¼ cup espresso coffee
5 egg yolks
¼ cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
6 sheets gelatin
½ cup Kahlua Liqueur
4 cups heavy cream
¾ cup white chocolate ganache
¼ cup dark chocolate ganache
sponge cake (store-bought or your favorite recipe)

1. Melt milk chocolate.
2. Whip heavy cream to soft peaks.
3. Mix yolks with sugar.
4. Soften gelatin leaves in cold water.
5. Mix gelatin with Kahlua and coffee. Set bowl over hot water bath to dissolve the gelatin.
6. Fold ⅓ of whipped cream into the chocolate.
7. Add the yolks, then the gelatin mixture.
8. Fold in the rest of the cream.
9. Pour mousse in flexipan domes almost to the top.
10. Place sponge circle (¼” thick yellow cake cut in a circle) on top. Leave in the freezer to set.
11. Once hard, unmold and place in glazing racks.
12. Make white chocolate ganache and chocolate ganache.
13. Put chocolate ganache in a pastry bag. Ladle white chocolate ganache to cover each dome. Simultaneously, pipe a stripe design of chocolate ganache over the dome.
14. Refrigerate to allow the glaze to set.
15. Decorate the bottom edge with coffee crunch.
16. Place a chocolate covered coffee bean on the center of each dome.

Note: One sheet of gelatin is equal to one teaspoon of unflavored powdered gelatin dissolved in ¼ cup of water.

The Mara photo courtesy of AKLResort.com.

Recipe from Key Ingredient. Also, here’s a good ganache recipe just in case you don’t have one handy… .

The Cheapest Soda Pop in Disney World…

By admin 8 Comments

…OK, maybe not the cheapest (Club Cool is free after all), but certainly close! I came upon this vending machine on the third floor of the Contemporary Resort, tucked between the fitness center and the styling salon. 20 oz. bottles of soda pop for $1.25!? I was shocked and had to take a picture for proof.

Contemporary Resort 3rd Floor Vending Machine

Since seeing this vending machine, I’ve checked others on property. 20 oz. bottles are $2+ even in laundry rooms. If anyone can find a cheaper vending machine onstage, let me know! I’ll send you a Disney pin!

Food Blog Sunday Round-Up

By admin 5 Comments

The Food Blog Sunday Round-up is becoming a tradition, I see. I just can’t let these other great Disney food posts from the week go un-mentioned, so here we go…

The Disney Blog’s Review of Portobello: Things are turning up for what is now called just “Portobello” (dropping the “Yacht Club”) in Downtown Disney. Scott Joseph Orlando has another good Portobello review from May 2009.

DisneyDaddy’s Cinderella’s Royal Table reviews: For anyone considering Cinderella’s Royal Table for breakfast or dinner, DisneyDaddy reviews both meals.

The Disney Chick has been busy cooking this week! Check out her step-by-step recipe/preparation/review blogs!
Brown Derby Grapefruit Cake: DisneyFoodBlog does not lie; one of my favorite things in the world is cream cheese frosting…which this cake has…so check it out!
‘Ohana Coriander Chicken Wings: One of DisneyChick’s favorite recipes to date! Delicious, and it only took 30 minutes to make!

Imaginerding’s Reminiscent Recipe: Highlighting the White Rabbit’s Gingerapple Fizz recipe out of Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Cookbook

Solofriendly’s Visit to the Kona Cafe: Gray’s experience in an overly-crowded Poly Ceremonial House has her thinking that Kona might be better for lunch instead of dinner!

Thanks for the great food posts, everyone! If you’ve got a Disney food post coming up, or if you see a good one somewhere online, send them my way at [email protected]! Thanks!

Magic Kingdom Wishes Dessert Party Announced

By admin 13 Comments

A new dessert party for fireworks viewing!

9/18 Update: The Wishes Dessert Party has been extended through the end of the year 2009! Pricing is slightly higher, at ~$24 for adults and ~$14 for children.
_____________________________
“From June 23 through August 28 a new nightly celebration at the Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station will include exclusive viewing for Wishes fireworks and a self-service dessert buffet featuring a wide range of sweets and beverages.

Reservations are required and can be made by calling 407-WDW-DINE. The price is $17.99 for adults and $9.99 for children ages 3-9.”

Here are some great photos from one of the first dessert parties in June (thanks to MyDisneyMania).

The party begins an hour before Wishes, and reservations are limited to only 35 people per night! (thanks to @GajitMan for that info).

According to WDW-DINE, dining plan is not accepted for this party, and there are no Tables in Wonderland or Annual Passholder discounts noted.

Update from some readers who’ve booked:

Be sure the names match on your credit card and the resort/dining reservations.
Party is selling out quickly. Entire weeks are already sold out. Do call soon to get your spot!

According to SRSounds, the party will go on rain or shine (as it’s under cover). So, even if Wishes is cancelled, you still get dessert!

Thanks to @xxliz28xx over on Twitter for the news!

Snack Series: Healthy Stuff??

By admin 13 Comments

Healthy Treats

So, Disney’s been doing this crazy thing lately. They’ve been offering…healthy snack food. It’s weird. It’s an oxymoron wrapped in irony. I’m not at all sure how I feel about this.

Fresh Fruit Choices

I mean, it’s probably for the best. But, as a result of this change, I now have the option to feel even MORE guilty about eating that popcorn, turkey leg, funnel cake, school bread, mickey bar, fudge, and homemade chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich…because I could have, instead, had a salad, or some fresh apple slices, or some carrot sticks. Carrot sticks!?!

Kids' Picks Options

They have these things everywhere now. Restaurants, resorts, even at a snack stand right next to the Castle. They follow you everywhere. Even the kids are forced to re-consider their choices: while 5 years ago it would be french fries and Coke or nuthin’…now there’s the option of grapes and milk at Disney? How confusing.

Mixed Fruit at Everything POP

But don’t get me wrong. I fully understand that moderation and healthy choices are key when it comes to a nutritious diet. I partake of healthy proteins, veggies, whole grain breads and cereals. Egg-white omelets, even.

However, does the “everything in moderation” rule really have to follow me to Disney World? The place where I’m a kid again, where I can survive on gallons of Coca-Cola and mountains of Goofy’s Sour Flavored Sugar alone if I so desire? I mean, there are dole whips to be eaten. The Mickey Bar is an icon!

Salads and Everything POP

Alas, when you can’t beat ’em, you should probably join ’em…in moderation, of course. The apple slices DO come with a little container of caramel for dipping. But I’d stay away from the grapes if I were you. I do believe my last batch, from the snack stand next to the Castle no less, had already begun fermentation.

Apples and Veggies at Everything POP

Teppan Edo!

By admin 3 Comments

We recently had the opportunity to again dine at Teppan Edo, a teppanyaki-style restaurant in Epcot’s Japan pavilion. We always have a great time here, as CMs are friendly and engaging, and sitting family style with 6 other people is usually an interesting experience. We also love the food!

Hibachi-embedded Dining Tables

Most everything is cooked teppanyaki-style, meaning foods, usually steak, other meats, and vegetables in the Western version of teppanyaki, are grilled using a hot plate in the middle of the table.

Japanese restaurant chain, Misono, was the first to introduce Western-influenced teppanyaki-style dining in Japan back in 1945. Since then, the “Japanese Steakhouse” genre has been more popular with tourists than locals in Japan; locals tend to prefer fish, noodle dishes (like Yakisoba), and flour- and vegetable-based dishes for their teppanyaki.

Staff Greeting Ceremony as Restaurant Opens

Long Hallway of Dining Rooms

At Teppan Edo, you and your table mates are brought to and seated at your table, soon to be welcomed by a CM taking drink and food orders. You’re then welcomed by your table’s chef, who explains the process of teppanyaki and confirms the orders.

Me? I had to try a Sake-rita! It came highly recommended by our waiter, and who am I to turn down an opportunity to imbibe a sake-based margarita?

Sake-rita

And then, the show begins! Our chef expertly delivered on the standard teppan chef tricks–the onion volcano, the shrimp tail throw-and-catch, the knife tricks. She did a great job.

Our Talented and Funny Chef

onion volcano

The appetizers we’d ordered soon came out of the kitchen (these aren’t the table chef’s job, luckily!), and we enjoyed a tempura selection, miso soup, and a salad while watching the show.

Tempura Selection with Dipping Sauce

Miso Soup and Garden Salad

Chef Action!

Wondering about the name, Teppan Edo, I did a bit of reasearch and found the following:

According to Wikipedia: The Edo period (江戸時代, Edo jidai?), or Tokugawa period (徳川時代, Tokugawa jidai?), is a division of Japanese history running from 1603 to 1868 and is the premodern era. The period marks the governance of the Edo or Tokugawa shogunate, which was officially established in 1603 by the first Edo shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. The Edo period is also known as the beginning of the early modern period of Japan.

The Teppan Edo menu also sports a map of Japan during the Edo period, and the main dishes are named after cities in the country. We orderded the Nihonbashi, which included both steak and chicken, with noodles.

Nihonbashi--Steak and Chicken

The meal was delicious, as usual, and I’m always amazed by the relative healthiness of these dishes. Soybean oil is used to grill, so although there is some fat, it’s not exactly artery-clogging stuff. Don’t be fooled, however–the portions are large!

You can find Teppan Edo in the large building on the right-hand side of the Japan pavilion in Epcot–just head up the stairs and you’ll come across the entry for both Teppan Edo and Tokyo Dining.

To make a reservation, call 407-WDW-Dine, or book online by clicking this link.

More Online ADR Booking Info

By admin 2 Comments

The TouringPlans.com Blog has a great summary of the remaining questions (and potential answers) lingering from yesterday’s online dining reservations launch.

The summary includes a great What We Know and Don’t Know So Far section, mentioning topics like what time the online system opens for use on each respective morning; and the fact that you can now book dinner shows and Special Dining Events online, like Hoop-Dee-Doo and “Dine with an Imagineer.”

Also included are sections on the menus that Disney has been posting on its site and potential abuses of the online system.

Check out the blog here!

Great job, TouringPlans!

Online Dining Reservations (ADR) Launched at Disney World!

By admin 8 Comments

Hey all! Just heard (6-26-09) that the Disney system is cancelling double booked time slots. Would love to hear your experiences!

You can now make your Disney World dining reservations online!

Disney has integrated the online ADR option into its restaurants section, so just click on your preferred restaurant and book the reservation. Here’s an example for Yak and Yeti.

Here’s a screen-shot of the system:

Online ADR Screenshot

Here’s what you see when the system finds a reservation for the time and restaurant you requested (note that they also give you other options to choose from). I like that, because I signed into the system and Disney knows I’m an Annual Passholder, they tell me what discount I can get with that perk:

Found Reservation During Time Requested

And what you see when your reservation request is NOT available. Again, they give you other options:

What You See When The Requested Reservation is NOT Available

Once you’ve got your online ADRs booked, you’re taken to the Shopping Cart screen. This gives specific instructions at the top, then lays out all of your ADRs. You are now welcome to add dietary and other requests:

Shopping Cart Screen

Dietary Requests Screen looks like this:

Dietary Requests Screen

Other Requests Screen looks like this:

Other Requests Screen

Once your ADR is confirmed, you get this screen:

Confirmation Screen

Once confirmed, the system will send you an email about your reservations. If you need to cancel a reservation, simply log back into the system, pull up your reservations, and cancel according to confirmation number.

NOTE: If you book two reservations for the same time, you get the following screen warning you of your error. Disney does not make you confirm that the reservations are for two different parties, however. Just heard (6-26-09) that the Disney system is cancelling double booked time slots. Would love to hear your experiences!

If You Book Two Reservations for the Same Time...

I shall investigate further! Until then, book away! Send your reviews of the system to [email protected] and I’ll post them—surely they’ll be helpful to other planners.

Thanks to Touringplans.com for the info!

Note–You can now make online reservations at The Diamond Horseshoe for the period of August 16th through October 3rd (dinner will be table-service, all-you-can-eat).

ONLINE ADR SYSTEM REVIEWS FROM AROUND THE WEB
@cherylp3 twittered that the system didn’t work very well for her in the Safari browser. Also confirmed that, if you log in, the system sends a confirmation email.
@gdpinvestigator twittered that the system took a bit longer than he’d like, and that you could likely make ADRs quicker by calling.

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