food IS a theme park
If you read our posts often, you know how much we love Disney dessert.
Nothing like a good ‘ol Mickey Premium Bar!
From Mickey bars to funnel cakes, we’re always down to indulge in a sweet treat. We found a new treat recently that consists of two of our favorite Disney desserts — COMBINED. It’s at EPCOT and we’re taking you along to try it with us.
When the weather allows for it, it can be pretty nice to have a meal in the great outdoors — especially right now while we’re in the midst of a global pandemic.
Outside Dining Area
Health officials, including the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, consider dining outdoors to be a lower risk activity than dining indoors. Lucky for us, Disney has a lot of GREAT outdoor dining options, so you don’t have to feel limited. Let’s take a look at all the best places for that sunshine-y meal!
Karamell Kuche Caramel Corn
Whew! After a week of celebrating the WDW Foodie Fest‘s great memories, we’re back with the Round-Up and going strong!
Our biggest news these days is from the Epcot Food and Wine Festival:
Now, on to the round-up!
Babes in Disneyland‘s Lisa brings us a great video interview with a look at Disneyland Halloween Treats! Check out the blog for a recipe for those gingerbread Mickey Beignets!
Passport To Dreams Old and New has an incredible overview of how the “Phantom Food Scare of 1971,” and other concerns regarding feeding the masses, has affected changes in Disney Park design.
Eating (and Drinking) Around WDW heads over to Epcot’s newest counter-service spot, Cantina de San Angel.
Main Street Gazette asks can a meal be good based solely on the restaurant atmosphere, using Animal Kingdom’s Restaurantosaurus as the example. (Personally, I’m a big fan of the chicken nuggets there, but, what can I say?)
Studios Central lists and discusses his top 5 favorite entrees in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Frugal Dinks share their review of the Saki Seminar at the Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic.
Touring Plans heads to Whispering Canyon Cafe.
AllEars reviews the Grand Marnier “Taste, Shake, and Indulge Like the French” deminar at the Food and Wine Festival in Epcot.
The Givens Chronicles is giving away a 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Cookbook! Be sure to enter to win — it’s a great compilation of old and new recipes this year.
Cooking With Mickey reviews Akershus in Epcot’s Norway!
Disney Dispatch reviews the menu at the United States Booth at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival.
After long deliberation, Nick T. of Disney & Beyond has ranked the four Walt Disney World Theme Parks based on his interpretation of the quality of their counter service offerings! Every once in a while we like to stir things up on the Disney Food Blog, so we’d love to hear your opinion on the matter — did Nick get it right, or would you change some things around? Take it away, Nick!
Backlot Express
Just over a month ago, a friend and I, both avid readers of The Disney Food Blog, got into a debate about the best overall counter service options in Walt Disney World’s parks. What started as a fun, simple discussion quickly turned heated, and I started to wonder what the reaction would be if I shared my opinions with the world. Thanks to AJ, now I can. I’d simply like to rank, in my humble opinion, the four Disney World theme parks based on counter service offerings.
For this list, I have taken into account both food and atmosphere. The food part is obvious, but I take atmosphere into account because I feel that is what makes the experience uniquely Disney, and it can actually add to the dining experience. But enough of this chit chat, yak yak, and flim flam. Just refrain from hibernating and enjoy the show. (Some Disney Fudge to whoever is the first to recognize that line.)
ABC Commissary
Yes, I rank the park formerly known as Disney-MGM Studios as the worst overall in park counter service. Why? Well, to me, both the food selection and the atmosphere of the counter service restaurants in the park are quite [Read more…]
Wow! Lots of Disney food news popping up this week! Here are few of our favorite stories:
Also, I want to remind you to check out two new Disney Food Blog additions:
And now — on to the round-up!
Laura and Jeanine’s Salute to All things Disney but Mostly Disneyland has a great look at some of the World of Color picnic options.
Touring Plans Blog has an awesome post about dining in Disney with special diet needs.
The Disney Chick makes sweet bread from Kona Cafe in Disney’s Polynesian Resort!
The “World” According to Jack takes us to Tokyo Disneyland’s Club 33!!! It KILLS me that there are no food pics in this post, Jack. 😉
Zannaland has her interview of Raglan Road’s Chef Kevin Dundon up this week!
Disney Every Day reviews Disney World’s House of Blues! Yum!
Main St Gazette heads to the Studio Catering Company in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
DF ’82 shares the menu from Hakuna Matata counter-service restaurant in Disneyland Paris. Frites Hakuna, anyone?
Chip and Co features their favorite Quick Service locations in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Disney Parks Blog showcases the opening of Disney California Adventure’s Wine Country Trattoria.
Also, check out a couple of guest blog posts I did this week (about Disney Food, of course!). Thanks to Anna and Grey for their hospitality:
Cookie Madness allowed me to showcase my amateur baking skills on this Artist Point Berry Cobbler!
Solo Friendly let me create an itinerary for my dream day traveling solo to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival!
Finally, I know it’s NOT Disney, but…it’s cool…
Scott Joseph Orlando reviews The Three Broomsticks in Universal Orlando’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
New info and items from the Hacienda de San Angel menu and the Cantina de San Angel menu have just been announced. Both restaurants are scheduled to open in September 2010.
The Hacienda will seat 250 and will serve as a table service eatery for dinner only, opening at 4pm. (And I’ve heard that all the chairs will face the windows, so that everyone has a great view of Illuminations!)
The Hacienda de San Angel Menu will include:
The Cantina will operate as it always has, opening at 11am and serving quick-service dishes throughout the day. It will seat 150.
The La Cantina de San Angel menu will include:
Click to see all of our coverage, including construction photos, of the creation of La Hacienda de San Angel.
Source: Hooray for the Disney Parks Blog
Whew! News-heavy week here at the Food Blog! Today, let’s look at some newly released info about Hacienda de San Angel, the newly renovated restaurant opening in September in Epcot’s Mexico Pavilion! Here are some great pics of the Hacienda de San Angel slide presentation given at the D23 Flowers and Fireworks event this past weekend. These were taken and donated by Lori Abramson — Thanks, Lori!
Hacienda de San Angel Intro Slide
Hacienda de San Angel will be opening with a bang in September 2010! What’s the “bang,” you ask? Illuminations, of course! The restaurant is ideally situated to offer incredible (and coveted!) views of Epcot’s nightly Illuminations: Reflections of Earth fireworks show. And with the addition of the table-service part of the restaurant, those ADRs might be tougher to get than Le Cellier for around 8:00pm every night!
Here’s an aerial image of what the restaurant looks like, under construction, right now. You can see how fantastic that view is going to be once it’s finished! Check out that outdoor, circular patio!
Aerial View of Hacienda de San Angel
The restaurant will have a whole new “backstory,” and a new service structure, which will allow the restaurant to operate as [Read more…]
Just wanted to share a few more tidbits of news about the newest restaurants in Epcot’s World Showcase as well as some other Epcot food news!
First, as you know, Epcot will be revealing two restaurants this fall: Hacienda de San Angel is the new name for what was known as the Cantina de San Angel in the Mexico pavilion. This location will serve as a counter service eatery during the day, and a table service eatery at night.
Via Napoli, in the Italy pavilion, will be a brand new 300-seat restaurant in Epcot’s World Showcase. The recent news is that the wood-fired pizza ovens in the restaurant will represent three volcanoes in Italy!
The two will open in September, and should be added to Disney’s Advanced Dining Reservations availability in July or August, according to the announcements made at today’s D23 Flowers and Fireworks event.
Stay tuned this week for even more details and announcements about Via Napoli and Hacienda de San Angel! To follow the News stories about these restaurants, check out these links:
Cantina de San Angel construction pics
Cantina de San Angel Concept Art Released
More News on Cantina de San Angel refurb and Via Napoli
Naples Review: Is this What We Can Expect From Via Napoli?
Via Napoli Concept Art Released
Our Guess on the Italy Pizzeria Menu
Italy Pizzeria Construction Pics
Disney Parks Blog Confirms Pizzeria
Word is that Germany’s Goebel Shop in the World Showcase will become a Werther’s Candy Shop by September, 2010. While you’re waiting, check out what it might look like via this The Disney Blog link — seems that Werther’s has shot candy commercials in Epcot’s Germany, turning that exact store into a Werther’s shop…
As you know from our previous post, it looks like Belgium and South Korea will be joining the other country-specific booths on Epcot’s World Showcase Promenade this Fall at the 2010 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.
If you’re ready to head out for the evening in Disney World, there are some great places to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a margarita or two!
First of all, Epcot’s San Angel Inn is a great place to grab your evening meal (try the Pollo a las Rajas — it’s my favorite!). Accompany that with some flan or arroz con leche, or head over for an entirely different kind of dessert at the…
La Cava del Tequila! This brand new Tequila bar in Epcot’s Mexico pavilion is one of my new favorite places in Walt Disney World! Order up my favorite — the Aguacate (Avacado Margarita) — or sample another new and different margarita. They even have an incredible array of Tequila flights to suit your fancy. You can check out the full La Cava del Tequila menu here!
If you’re just passing by the Mexico pavilion and want to pay your respects, stop at the Taqueria del Lago outside for some quesadillas or taquitos, or at the Margarita stand near by for a portable fiesta 😉 (Unforunately, Cantina de San Angel isn’t open at the moment, but it will be re-opening soon with even more to offer those of us who love dining al fresco in Mexico!)
UPDATE: Read about the Opening Date for Be Our Guest Restaurant and Reservations Info!
As you know, I spent this past weekend exploring and enjoying Disney food along with some fellow bloggers and writers at a Disney-sponsored culinary event called “From 5 Stars to Mickey Bars!”
All in all, we nibbled, tasted, sampled, noshed, and all-out devoured our way through some of my favorite Disney restaurants, including Flying Fish Cafe, Hoop Dee Doo Revue, Cape May Cafe, and Kouzzina! I had the chance to meet and chat with some Cast Members charged with not only developing concepts for new Disney restaurants, but also with ensuring that Disney Food and Beverage is running smoothly day-to-day.
For some people, a Disney “Dream Come True” trip includes a stay in the castle or special VIP time with Mickey. All of that is nice, but this past weekend was a Dream Come True trip for a Disney- and Food-lover like me!
I posted a few of the highlights last week, but wanted to share a few more with you as well — including some tidbits of info I picked up along the way!
We began the weekend with a cocktail and appetizers party in The Attic of Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, a small, cozy event space. We were joined by some true Disney elite, including Mickey and Minnie themselves, but the appetizer spread was what truly caught my eye…
Eats in the Attic
While chatting with some in-the-know Disney cast members at this event, I heard a few interesting [Read more…]
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