food IS a theme park
With chillier temperatures this season, nothing warms you up quite like hot food.
Ralph Brennan’s
And when we say hot we mean both temperature AND spice level. Check out the new dish coming to a Downtown Disney restaurant!
There’s no shortage of interesting places to sit down to a meal in Disney Springs. You can eat in a volcano, an ice cave, or even in a giant diving bell, but you can also eat on a BOAT!
Paddlefish Disney Springs
This boat has been floating (well, pretending to float, at least) in the waters of what is now Disney Springs for almost 45 years! We’re back at Paddlefish in Disney Springs!
You KNOW we’ve been eating our way around Disney Springs since it reopened on May 20th.
Paddlefish Exterior
So far, we’ve eaten at Terralina Crafted Italian, D-Luxe Burger, T-Rex, Pizza Ponte, and many, many more table service and quick service restaurants. And, it’s another day, so it’s time for another Disney Springs meal! This time, we checked out the recently reopened Paddlefish to see how this seafood and steak spot is handling health and safety measures, and of course, to see how good the food is!
We can’t get enough of all the eats and treats popping up in Disneyland for the holidays!
Sleeping Beauty Castle Holiday Decor
In New Orleans Square, we’ve already sampled the new Cranberry Julep at the  Mint Julep Bar and the Holiday Pozole at Harbour Galley, but now we’re gonna deck the halls with some delicious seafood! (Merry Fish-mas, everyone! ;D)
So, Paddlefish in Disney Springs has been wowing us with innovative mixology from the beginning! Remember that crazy Halloween cocktail where you actually put charcoal in it? And Paddlefish was the first to debut a version of boozy popsicles (yes pls!).
Paddlefish
Well they’re at it again on the mixology beat, my friends, with a new way to whet your whistle this weekend!!
If you’re looking for decent Italian food in Walt Disney World, you don’t have to look too far.
In every park (save Animal Kingdom) there are Italian restaurants — some better than others — and Disney Springs has several from which to choose (think: Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante, Terralina Crafted Italian, Enzo’s Hideaway Tunnel Bar). Even the resorts get in on the action with one of our favorites — Il Mulino — located at the Swan Hotel.
And then, of course, there’s the Italy Pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase, where food is celebrated in several forms: pizza at Via Napoli, gelato at a cart outside, wine in the Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar, and classic Italian dishes at Tutto Italia.
Tutto Italia opened in 2013 in the space formerly occupied by Alfredo’s. And even though the name had changed, a lot of Alfredo’s remained. The overall styling of the restaurant was retained — murals, crystal chandeliers, and dark wood create an elegant atmosphere — while the menu satisfies with traditional Italian dishes.
It’s been a while since my last official review of Tutto Italia (see that review here!), so on a recent trip I decided it was time to return and see if this oft-forgotten spot is worth a more regular visit.
Outside Tutto Italia
Tutto Italia’s design aesthetic features some classic, elegant elements. [Read more…]
OK, so Columbia Harbour House doesn’t really have a “Shrimp Fest.” I just sort of created one on my recent visit by ordering ALL. THE. SHRIMPS!!!! ;-D Coming right up? Shrimp and Chicken, Fried Shrimp, and Shrimp Mac & Cheese! (Yes, I forgive you if you scroll ahead to see that last one.)
Tucked into a perfectly themed corner of Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom, Columbia Harbour House has a strong and devoted following.
With its menu of consistently popular choices — lots of healthier, lighter, vegetarian choices along with some hearty fish and chips — and its impeccable theming, Columbia Harbour House is a great place to cool down and fuel up when you’re touring the Magic Kingdom.
And its location is ideal. It’s a short walk from Frontierland, a stone’s throw from the Haunted Mansion, and holds court in Liberty Square (just before it morphs into Fantasyland around the corner).
Columbia Harbour House
This place is Americana architecture at its finest.
February 4, 2017,
will be the opening date for Paddlefish, the establishment previously known as Fulton’s Crab House in Disney Springs (which was previously known as Downtown Disney 😉 ).
Screenshot via PaddlefishRestaurant.com
Paddlefish, a Levy restaurant, will retain a focus on fresh seafood (along with steaks and chops), even though the space itself has received a “bow to stern” update! The new space with a sleek look and modern feel will play host to lunch and dinner — as well as Brunch on Sundays — complete with a brand new rooftop lounge featuring terrific waterfront views. [Read more…]
We’re dining “Under the Sea” today at Epcot’s Coral Reef Restaurant!
And if you’re wondering if it was all part of my plan to insert that song in your head for the rest of the day, the answer is “Yes.”
(Insert evil laugh here. 😉 )
Coral Reef is one of only two Table Service Restaurants in Epcot’s Future World (the other being Garden Grill), and the only one open for lunch, which is the meal we’re having today. But first things first: in order to eat at Coral Reef, you’ve got to find it. Just head to “The Living Seas…” whoops! I mean, “The Seas with Nemo and Friends” Pavilion.
And once you get your fill of the birds chanting “Mine, Mine, Mine,” just hang a right…
The Seas Pavilion
… and head as far as you can towards the back. (The outdoor sign will help, too.)
Heading to Coral Reef
Coral Reef sign
So, now we’ve found it! Let’s head in…
As per usual with Disney dining, there are some fun details to take in here, starting right at the entrance.
Entrance
Seahorse door handle
The dining room is well-concealed for the “big reveal” to come, but touches in the check-in area (which expands into a fairly large hallway) give several indications as to what awaits you once you dine.
Octopus at Check in
Octopus at check-in counter
What are those lights, anyway? Jellyfish?
Check-in area hallway
Glass fish behind check-in counter
But as fun as it always is to check out the little things, the truth of the matter is that everyone is here to see one, single, MAJOR “detail.” The aquarium!
Coral Reef Dining Room
Yep — the dining room has giant picture windows that look right into the massive Living Seas aquarium. It’s like you’re dining in a submarine.
Coral Reef Dining Room
And here’s an interesting thing about Coral Reef: in most restaurants, several of the tables for two are often tucked on the outer perimeters, and sometimes that can lend to a feeling of being a little removed from the atmosphere. At Coral Reef, many of the tables for two receive “front rows seats” for the big show. Our table for two was right next to this table for four.
Coral Reef Seating in front of aquarium
Our server presented Fish Guides to us, so we could identify some of the marine life swimming by.
Fish Guide
Fish Guide
Being that close contributed just a little extra to an already unique experience. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves…
Aquarium views
Aquarium views
Aquarium views
Though I gotta say, this felt [Read more…]
Big, huge thanks to Cody, who writes the fantastic Global Disney Pinvestigation Blog, for this guest review of the Cape May Cafe Clambake in Disney World’s Beach Club Resort. (Psst: I won’t blame you for scrolling down to the pic of the Oreo bon-bons first.) Take it away, Cody!
The Cape May Café is hard to miss in its central location in the lobby of Disney’s Beach Club Resort. I went to the character breakfast at Cape May Cafe several years ago, but have never been to the Clambake, which I have always been told was great. So, this year, for my Dad’s Birthday, he decided he wanted to try it out (all of my reviews seem to be of birthday meals :)).
We had a “big party” of seven people, and when [Read more…]
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
