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Disney Food Post Round-Up: May 9, 2010

Welcome to the Disney Food Post Round-Up! The big news this week: FREE DINING! Yep, it’s been announced. Check out the details for 2010 Disney World Free Dining Promotion right here. AND, if you’re in a humorous mood, check out my tongue-in-cheek “pros and cons of free dining in Disney World,” which I wrote up last year!

Also, I’m home from a wonderful week exploring Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival and will continue posting coverage of the event throughout the month, but you can check out information about the Festival and my posts to date here! Now — on to the round-up!

Cakewrecks has an awesome series of Star Wars cakes in honor of Star Wars day. (BTW, don’t forget to check out the latest Star Wars Weekends info over at Studios Central!)

Family Rambling has a great recap of her weekend eating around Walt Disney World!

Playground Magazine has a Q&A with managing editor Jenny Fauser, who discusses great tips for Dining in Disney World.

Main Street Gazette visits the Main Street Confectionery in Disney World! (Note: Main Street Gazette and Disney Food Blog will be blogging about “mirror image” locations in Disney World and Disneyland throughout the month of May, so stay tuned! Click the following link to see my corresponding piece for this week about Disneyland’s Candy Palace.)

Babes in Disneyland has everything you ever wanted to know about Disneyland Corn Dogs!

Theme Park Insider poses some interesting answers to the question, “What would you do to help make theme park food better [read: healthier] for visitors?”

Tikiman Pages has some favorite recipes from the Polynesian Resort! (Sorry, Tikiman! Hadn’t seen this page before or I would have posted it sooner!)

Vintage Disneyland Tickets has a 1969 train menu from the Union Pacific Railroad Streamlined “Domeliner” service to Los Angeles, which features Disneyland on its front and back covers! (OK, argue if you want that this isn’t “Disney food,” but it’s cool and you know it.)

Disney Every Day has a Sushi review at California Grill in Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

Chip and Co has a review of Citricos at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.

The Orlando Sentinel brings us a blast from the past — a Lau Lau Clams recipe originally from the Papeete Bay Verandah’s dinner buffet! (Thanks to George Taylor from Imaginerding.com for the tip!)

And if that’s not enough reading for you, be sure to check out the DisMarks Disney Blog Carnival 3rd edition! There’s tons of great Disney articles from both new and veteran Disney bloggers. 🙂

Dole Whips, Dole Whips, Everywhere…

By AJ 68 Comments

EDITOR’S NOTE: This post has been edited and updated to reflect the current availability of Dole Whip in Disney World and Disneyland.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am thrilled to announce that I have now (I think!) ordered Dole Whips or Dole Whip Floats at every possible Disney parks location, and I am now able to write the mother of all Dole Whip blog posts! 😉 For a primer on Dole Whips, check out this original Dole Whip post, and this post about where to get Dole Whips outside of Disney’s gates.

Now, let’s take a tour and see how Disney’s locations compare:

Aloha Isle: Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

Even though the original Aloha Isle has switched locations with Sunshine Tree Terrace, it remains true that when in Disney World, this spot is synonymous with Dole Whips. There’s actually not a whole lot more you can get here, so be ready for some non-dairy cold stuff just about any way you slice it!

New Aloha Isle location

Aloha Isle Menu

At this location, you can order a regular pineapple-flavored Dole Whip cup or a Dole Whip float (soft-serve and pineapple juice). Or you can just cool off with a fresh, cold pineapple spear.

Disney World Aloha Isle Dole Whip Float

The most recent addition to the menu here is a super yummy Pineapple Upside Down Cake!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Dole Whip at Aloha Isle

Walt Disney World’s Polynesian Village Resort

Just across Seven Seas Lagoon from the Magic Kingdom is Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, beloved by many not only for the great food you can find at ‘Ohana and Kona Cafe, but also for being one of very few Disney World Resorts serving Dole Whips!

Head over to Pineapple Lanai (you’ll find it outdoors just outside Captain Cook’s in the Great Ceremonial House — the former home to Dole Whip at the Polynesian) and you’ll discover a charming outdoor covered seating area where you can enjoy your Dole Whip with a view of Cinderella Castle in the distance.

Pineapple Lanai sign

Pineapple Lanai

Like Aloha Isle, Pineapple Lanai serves Dole Whip cups or floats, but also has the now-unique option of swirling with vanilla soft-serve. Plus, Pineapple Lanai recently started serving Spiked Dole Whips!

Pineapple and Vanilla Swirl Dole Whip

Pineapple Lanai typically closes one hour after the Magic Kingdom fireworks spectacular “Happily Ever After.”

Everything Pop at Pop Century Resort

In early 2018, Pop Century Resort joined the Polynesian as the only other Disney Resort to serve Dole Whip! Called Pineapple Soft Serve here, it’s available in both all pineapple and pineapple/vanilla swirl varieties!

Dole Whip!

Marketplace Snacks: Disney Springs

Looking for Dole Whip while you’re getting your shopping on in Disney Springs? Marketplace Snacks serves up the pineapple treat from its kiosk near the Marketplace Co-Op. Even with so many awesome sweet treats to try in Disney Springs, Dole Whip holds its own!

Dole Whip signs at Marketplace Snacks

Annual Festivals: Walt Disney World’s Epcot

If you’re attending the Flower and Garden Festival in the spring or the Food and Wine Festival in the fall, chances are you may get to enjoy a Dole Whip at Epcot! 2013 marked the first year that Dole Whip debuted in any Disney World park other than Magic Kingdom, with the appearance of Dole Whip on the menu at the Pineapple Promenade Booth during the Flower and Garden Festival.

Pineapple Promenade Booth

Big news? Yes. Bigger news? You could also get your Dole Whip spiked with Siesta Key Spice Rum.

Dole Whip with Spiced Rum at the 2013 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

Pineapple soft-serve treats have continued to part of the subsequent Flower and Garden Festivals (2014 brought an option for Coconut Rum, while 2015 served up Sammy’s Beach Bar Red Head Macadamia Nut-flavored Rum).

Not to be outdone ;), the Epcot Food and Wine Festival also featured Dole Whip beginning in the fall of 2013 at the Refreshment Port. However, rather than Pineapple it was Orange-flavored Dole Whip topped with Crème de Cacao White (or served on its own) for that first year.

Orange Dole® Whip with Crème de Cacao White

In 2014, it was the standby Pineapple (also topped with Crème de Cacao White). 2015 features the Bacardí® Coconut Rum as the enhancement.

Of course, part of the fun of the Festivals is that things change each year. We’ll see what the future holds for Dole Whip at the Epcot Festivals!

Tamu Tamu Refreshments: Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom

In May of 2014, Dole Whip suddenly appeared in Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Tamu Tamu Refreshments. Under the name “Pineapple Whip soft-serve” (but still provided by Dole), the same refreshing pineapple treat is served in a cup or served with Dark or Coconut Rum.

Pineapple soft-serve with Coconut Rum

The menu at Tamu Tamu received a makeover in May of 2015…

Tamu Tamu menu

… but Pineapple Whip Soft-serve survived the changes!

The Coffee House: Disneyland Hotel

So we were pretty stoked to discover Dole Whips in soft serve, float, and rum-laced varieties at The Coffee House at the Disneyland Hotel. Finally an out-of-the-park option to grab our favorite pineapple treat on the left coast!

Dole Whip and Dole Whip Floats Are Now Available at The Coffee House!

Tiki Juice Bar, Hosted By Dole: Disneyland’s Adventureland

In Disneyland, the Tiki Juice Bar and all things Dole Whip are lovingly woven into the original Enchanted Tiki Room attraction (also presented by Dole, incidentally) queue area, which happens to consist of a really cool “pre-show,” which I won’t spoil for you.

Tiki Juice Bar in Disneyland — Menu

The menu here is simpler than those in Disney World — pineapple spear, Dole Whip, Dole Whip Float, Pineapple Juice, Fruit Bowl. No swirls or rum or anything here. Just pineapple as far as the eye can see. Which is OK with me, as I’m a pure pineapple sort of person when it comes to my Dole Whips. And I’m going to give you two images of the Dole Whip Float I ordered, both because it’s so cool (um…umbrella and cherry?!??!?! Hello, Disney World, are you watching?!?!), and because the second will give you a better view of the Tiki Juice Bar in the background.

Disneyland Dole Whip Float

Disneyland Dole Whip With Tiki Juice Bar in Background

And The Verdict Is…

They all taste the same. Well, of course they do! They all come from a Dole Whip Mix that Disney (and you!) can get from a place called Unified Enterprises Corp. I know, it’s not-so-magical, but at least it tastes good!

But, I will say that Disneyland 100% wins out on presentation. The addition of a little umbrella and a cherry wins big, monster points in my book. I am a big fan of both little umbrellas AND cherries.

Where’s your favorite place to get a Dole Whip or a Dole Whip Float? Let us know your experiences in the comments section of this blog, or visit us on facebook or twitter to voice your opinion on the mighty Dole Whip!

Homemade Treats From Disneyland’s Candy Palace

By AJ 16 Comments

Have you ever realized how many similar dining opportunities exist in Disneyland and Disney World? That’s what my colleague and friend, Ryan from Main Street Gazette, and I were discussing a couple of months ago when we came up with a fun idea. We knew we were both headed to Disney parks — he to Disney World, and I to Disneyland — and thought it would be an intriguing series of posts to compare our experiences at “mirror image” locations in Disney World and Disneyland!

For the next month of Wednesdays, you’ll see us reviewing back-to-back, mirror image foodie havens in the Florida and California parks! Whether you’re headed to the East coast or the West, we’ve got your Disney Food needs covered — please join us for the ride!

Disneyland's Candy Palace

Making Magic

Today, we’re discussing the homemade goodies from the Main Street candy stores at Disney World and Disneyland, which means I get to talk about Disneyland’s Candy Palace! And let me say right up front — this place is all about the homemade! You know they’re famous for their homemade candy canes during the holiday season, but they’re making homemade candy — front-and-center — every single day of the year here.

Making Peanut Clusters at the Candy Palace

From fudge and pecan rolls to molasses sponge and rocky road, there’s always something brewing at the Candy Palace — and you can buy freshly made packages of your nostalgic [Read more…]

Snack Attack: Matterhorn Macaroon

By AJ 15 Comments

Check out this fun addition to the Blue Ribbon Bakery in Disneyland!

Matterhorn Macaroon

This Matterhorn Macaroon, named and shaped after the famous Matterhorn mountain icon in Disneyland, is a new arrival on the snack scene in the west coast park.

A “mountain” of coconutty goodness dipped in white chocolate “snow,” it’s a fun reminder of the other times Disney’s made edible representations of their well known iconic structures — castles, Mickey Mouse, and Spaceship Earth being just a [Read more…]

Naples Review: Is This What We Can Expect from Epcot’s Via Napoli?

By AJ 24 Comments

In Disneyland last week, I chose to have lunch at Naples, a restaurant/pizzeria located in Disneyland’s Downtown Disney area and run by the Patina Group — the same folks who will be running Via Napoli in Epcot’s Italy!

As you know, Via Napoli will be opening as a Pizzeria in Fall 2010, just in time for the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, and we’re all eager to determine whether this will be the opportunity to get some really great pizza in Walt Disney World.

We dined here primarily to see what we might be getting in Disney World this fall, but we had a wonderful experience that makes Naples one of our new favorite and [Read more…]

Disney Food Post Round-Up: May 2, 2010

By AJ 3 Comments

Our Goodies at the Wishes Dessert Party

We’re nearing the end of our whirlwind Disney World and Disneyland back-to-back trips, and there’s lots of news and info to share! Here are a few of the main items:

And now, on to the round-up! The first batch of links are from some colleagues of mine who attended the recent “From 5 Stars to Mickey Bars!” Disney World dining event with me.

What Now?!?!?, a fun blog written by Disney World Moms Panelist, Kathie F., showcases some shots from our Disney dinner at Flying Fish Cafe. Be sure to scroll through her other posts from our WDW weekend, too!

About.com: Theme Parks shares a photo gallery and review of Walt Disney World’s Sanaa Restaurant.

Chef Druck Musings has an awesome article covering some great counter-service finds in Epcot’s World Showcase.

Haute Travels reviews Todd English’s bluezoo.

Live and Learn has a fun break-down of what happened during our culinary weekend, as well as a hat tip to some great blogs and publications.

Studios Central tells us why NOT to book the Fantasmic Dinner Package.

GrubGrade shares the latest about Burger King’s Whiplash Whopper, created to commemorate Disney’s Iron Man 2.

Babes in Disneyland has some fun facts about Disneyland dining.

Passport To Dreams Old and New shares a piece about Ben Franklin, a mysterious Disney World portrait, the Hall of Presidents, and Liberty Tree Tavern.

Chip and Co has a fun look at creme brulee in Disney World.

Scott Joseph Orlando brings us to Victoria and Albert’s Queen Victoria Room.

Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival Specialty Items

By AJ 2 Comments

We headed back into Disney’s California Adventure to sample two of the Food & Wine Festival‘s signature items this year. Signature items are located at counter-service spots around the park, and the two we sampled were found in Taste Pilot’s Grill and Award Weiners.

These signature dishes are sized larger than the tapas that can be found at the “Taste of California” area in the Festival Center. They are served as standard counter-service meals, including a side dish — usually fries, chips, or apple slices. The cost for the larger items is reflective, sometimes topping out in the teens!

Mangia Meatballs
The Mangia Meatballs are a cross between an Italian Sausage and a meatball sub sandwich. The three meatballs on a cornmeal hoagie roll were accompanied by marinara, onions, and peppers, creating a slightly spicy dish.

While the meatballs tasted pre-packaged and had a mushier texture than I was anticipating, the marinara with onions and peppers was quite good. The whole thing was topped off with fresh mozzarella cheese — un-melted — which added positively to the taste. Overall, I wouldn’t get it as an entree if I had other choices, but it wasn’t the worst meatball sub I’ve ever had. I’d give it a 6 out of 10. This dish can be found at Award Weiners.

Mangia Meatballs at Award Weiners

Meatball Close Up

Pulled Pork Sandwich
The pork sandwich surprised us both. We were expecting dry, over-cooked meat with too little taste (so often the case with mass-produced pulled pork), but the sandwich was actually quite good. The serving of pulled pork was extremely generous, and the taste — with just the right amount of BBQ sauce [Read more…]

Welcome to Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival!

By AJ 6 Comments

The time is finally upon us! We arrived in Disneyland this morning and had a great time wandering around Disney’s California Adventure for an introduction to the California Food & Wine Festival.

We’ve got a good game plan for sampling all of this food — and more — in the coming days, but for now, I wanted to introduce you as well to Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival!

This Festival Center is the backbone of the festival. It houses temporary shops for wine and merchandise, seminar rooms, a kitchen for some of the signature dishes, and more!

Here are several items that you’ll see “in person” via my blog very soon! Click image for larger photo)

Festival Center Menu

I love the idea of this schedule — very easy to see who/what/when/where your [Read more…]

Disneyland Food & Wine Festival Twitter Contest

By AJ 2 Comments

Disneyland is currently holding a twitter contest! Each week during Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival, Disneyland will be giving away 2 1-Day, 1-Park tickets and a $50 Disney Gift Card

Here are the details from the Disney Parks Blog:

As promised, here’s more information on how you can participate in Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival Twitter Sweepstakes:

1. Follow us on Twitter by going to twitter.com/disneyland.
2. To enter, reply between 12:01 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. (PT) Wednesday with #DisneyFWFest & “Enter me in Disney’s California F&W Festival Sweepstakes.”
3. Sweepstakes open to US residents 18 and over. No purchase necessary. 1 winner selected per week, on 4/14, 4/21 and 4/28/10. Void where prohibited. Please read the detailed rules to find out all the details.
4. Winners will be notified by direct message the day after such Wednesday sweepstakes, and such winners should follow the directions in that message. In order to win and receive a direct message from @Disneyland, you must follow @Disneyland. Winners must reply by email with their full name, email address, physical mailing address and phone number within 24 hours of the time of such winning notification. Tickets and Disney Gift Cards will be shipped to the winner overnight. Tickets must be used by May 31, 2010, the final day of the Festival, or their use will be forfeited.

Good luck! I’ll see you at the Festival!

Visit our F&W Festival page for more info on Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival.

Mother’s Day at Disney World and Disneyland

By AJ 5 Comments

Celebrate YOUR Mrs. Incredible

Wondering how to celebrate Mom’s Day during your trip to a Disney Park? Here are a few options that have come across our path…

Walt Disney World Mother’s Day Brunch
Where: Epcot® – Living Seas Salon (Located on the 2nd floor of The Seas with Nemo & Friends pavilion)
When: Sunday, May 9, 2010. First seating is at 10:30am; second seating is at 2:00pm
Price: $95.00 per person, plus tax. Gratuity is included.

Details and Menu below — Click the Image for a Larger Version

Come celebrate mom with an “Under the Sea Garden” Brunch at the Living Seas Salon. This breathtaking hideaway is one of the most unique locations for private events at the Walt Disney World® Resort. The venue allows you the opportunity to get up close with over 3,000 varieties of sea life in the 5.7 million gallon aquarium. This is definitely an event to make mom feel special, and one she’ll always remember!

For reservations, e-mail [email protected] with the following information: your interest to book, your name, daytime phone number, home address, and the number of people in your party. You will be notified on a “first-come, first-served” basis. Your credit card will be taken over the phone once your reservation is confirmed. The event is limited to 108 Guests per seating.

Disneyland Mother’s Day Royal Buffet with Cinderella and the Disney Princesses
Where: Grand Ballroom of the Disneyland Hotel
When: May 9, 2010; 10:00am – 3:00pm
Price: Adults (10 and over): $69.00, Children (under 10): $18.99 Prices do not include tax and gratuity: a 15% service charge (gratuity) and 8.75% tax will be added.

This Mother’s Day, join Cinderella and her princess friends for a Royal Buffet. Mom can enjoy the royal treatment with spectacular entrées, tempting side dishes and delectable desserts. In addition to a delicious brunch buffet, you can enjoy live musical entertainment and a meet-and-greet opportunity with Cinderella and her princess friends.

The menu is scheduled to include a selection of brunch items fit for a queen, such as beautiful spring salads, artisan cheeses, smoked and chilled seafood, cured meats, traditional breakfast selections, seasonal fresh fish and free-range chicken. In addition, have your brunch customized [Read more…]

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Disney Food Post Round-Up: May 9, 2010

Dole Whips, Dole Whips, Everywhere…

Aloha Isle: Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom