food IS a theme park
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… for a foodie at Disney California Adventure!
California Adventure Christmas Tree
We’ve shown you the extravagant Churro shake, but now Schmoozies! is taking a simpler approach to beverages with this new seasonal sip.
Fantastic lands with incredible creatures — they’re pretty much Disney‘s specialty.
Market House in Disneyland
Do you know what is also Disneyland‘s specialty? Unique, one-of-a-kind snacks and sips. Yeah, Peter Pan and Alice are definitely going to want to make the trip to California to try this new Frappuccino and Refresher.
Okay, so Halloween is over, and Christmas decor is going up all over Walt Disney World (most noticeably in Hollywood Studios, which you can catch over on our Instagram!). But before we get knee deep in snowmen and Santa hats, we’ve gotta try the brand new Candy Corn Margarita being poured over at the Hollywood Studios pop-up bars!
Candy Corn Margarita Sign
This seasonal drink is crafted from Patron Silver Tequila, Stoli Vanil Vodka, Fanta Orange, and a splash of Lemonade. And it comes with a glow cube! [Read more…]
The Mint Julep Bar located in New Orleans Square is essentially a must-do for every Disneyland guest. You’ll find it tucked into the patio area of French Market Restaurant and right next to the New Orleans Square train station.
Mint Julep Bar
It’s almost all in the name here. [Read more…]
Ready for some beer that doesn’t really seem like beer but is still super awesome? Let’s go to Epcot!
When you’re wandering around this great-for-food-and-beverage-lovers park, you never know what you’re going to come upon. There’s that great value — and surprisingly hidden — Epcot wine walk, the sweet deal of the cheese plate and wine flight at Weinkeller, that killer cronut, and probably lots more that you might never have known about.
One of my favorite not-so-hidden gems here is the Rose and Crown Beer Stand. I say not-so-hidden because there are several times during the day when you will likely have to change your walking path in order to swerve around the line that builds up here. 😉
Rose and Crown proper is a great pub and restaurant, and we love stopping in for a pint. But if necessary, you can skip the air con and taking a load off in the pub (thank you, toddler) and instead get your drink to go at the Beer Stand.
Rose and Crown Outside Bar
You’ll find the line (make sure you get into the right one) to the left of the check-in area at the restaurant. The walk-up location serves specialty bottled and draft beers.
Disney History buffs are going to love this news out of Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom!
More Fun Dining News Out of Magic Kingdom Today!
After a hiatus of, oh, about forever — it seems that Aunt Polly’s on Tom Sawyer Island is serving food and beverages once more!
This is one for the books! After all, it’s been eons since we’ve seen anything substantial for sale here. Even the vending machines that have been in place here in recent years hadn’t been in service.
But thanks to Disney Food for Families columnist Erin Foster for giving us the heads up that Theme Park Insider is reporting the spot is open for business!
Now, before you get too awfully excited, you should know that the menu is limited. Very limited. Make the trip over to Tom Sawyer Island looking for sustenance, and you’ll find Sandwiches (Turkey and PB&J), Veggies and Hummus, Chips, Fresh Fruit, and an Assortment of Cold Beverages, including Lemonade. Note that, at least for now, they are not offering fountain drinks.
While it doesn’t sound like much, there are two reasons to love this move by Disney: [Read more…]
Call off the hunt. I have found the perfect snack for a hot, hot Florida day: Minute Maid Frozen Lemonade and Orangeade!
Frozen Orangeade with the Lid Still On
These have been around the parks for YEARS, but I couldn’t give up my addiction to that soft, gushy Frozen Lemonade to try these Minute Maid versions. Now it’s time to take a closer look!
The soft frozen lemonade is available in three different varieties — regular Lemonade, Strawberry Lemonade, and Orangeade.
Menu -- Click to Enlarge
The soft frozen snacks come in 12-ounce portions, which are pretty large actually. While sampling these, I regularly wrapped the cup in paper towels and stuck it into a cup holder on my camera bag to let it get a little more melty before digging in again.
Frozen Strawberry Lemonade with Lid
The ingredient list appears right on the cup. This is especially handy if you [Read more…]
We are absolutely thrilled to bring you our first review of dinner at the Be Our Guest Restaurant in the New Fantasyland at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Welcome guest author Amy Gagliardi with details of her experience during an unexpected Be Our Guest Restaurant preview night!
Serendipity is one of my favorite things about visiting Disney. The unexpected coincidence of events that can make any moment a truly magical memory has come to be what I expect from each visit. This is how I came to dine at Be Our Guest Restaurant. It was quite by accident and good fortune.
My husband Peter was given a tip by a server at dinner one night that Be Our Guest would be taking walk ins the following night. He recommended we go to the podium and ask if we could dine and that is exactly what we did.
With a simple walk to the outside reservation podium, we were able to be seated for any time that we selected. In addition to myself, our party of five consisted of my husband, a friend of the family, our youngest daughter Faith and her boyfriend Jon.
We were thrilled and filled with anticipation as we were escorted beyond the heavy wooden castle doors and through a foyer, which brought us to the Ballroom dining room in which we were seated. The hostess and server seemed as delighted to be a part of the dining experience as we were. The congenial warmth of the staff contributed to a feeling of hominess even in such a grand surrounding.
We were invited to wander at will throughout the 3 dining areas. We truly felt like guests as we strolled through the West Wing and Rose Gallery and wondered in awe.
Panoramic View of The Rose Gallery
The rooms connected to each other with smooth thematic transitions.
Walkway Between Ballroom and Rose Gallery
The dimly lit rooms, common to each sitting area, reinforced an enchanted fairy tale atmosphere supporting the Beauty and the Beast story line.
From our table in the Ballroom we could see the large painting of the Beast as a handsome prince, which stands tall in the West Wing. At intervals we could hear a crashing of distant thunder and at that moment, like a stroke of a clock, the face on the portrait would turn to its Beastly counterpart.
Princely Beast
With faux snowfall gently trickling across a midnight blue back drop behind a window on the back wall of the Ballroom, we relaxed into our seats to view a rose theme at out table.
Rose Themed Menu
From the rose on the cover of the menu to the rose-like folding of the deeply red napkins, we were transported to another time. The room was filled with [Read more…]
Walking into the newly opened Buena Vista Street, one of the first things you see (if the Red Trolley is not parked at its station) is Mortimer’s Market.
Designed as a place to pick up some “healthier” snack options, Mortimer’s hits you before you have the chance to grab a churro or popcorn!
Mortimer's Market
The “story” behind Mortimer’s is that this fresh fruit and veggie stand was run on Buena Vista Street by “Mortimer McKenzie.” Mortimer was said to be a small man with a high voice; friendly and unassuming, with an enthusiastic personality.
A certain young animator might have found inspiration for a very famous character here…
Shelving Decor & Beverage/Fruit Cooler
For those who don’t know the story of how Mickey Mouse was created, he was originally called “Mortimer” Mouse! Walt’s wife thought that Mickey might be a better name, and the rest is history…
And before we jump into atmosphere and eats, I wanted to share another fun part of Mortimer’s and the rest of Buena Vista Street! To bring the story of Walt’s first few days in 1920’s California even more to life, Imagineers have introduced a wandering troupe of characters, or “citizens,” to interact with guests…
And these “citizens” of Buena Vista Street play a role at Mortimer’s too. While I was perusing the market, this friendly police officer walked through to ask all the cast members how “biz was going” on this “fine afternoon.” It was hysterical.
Officer Clyde Blue Checking in on Business at Mortimer's
He then proceeded to hang out in front of the market and write some “tickets” to people who were doing good deeds or just looking nice. I literally saw him give a ticket to someone for having a “good hair day!” My friend Amanda’s daughter was written up for “Exemplary neonatal vehicle navigation.” Hysterical.
Behave yourself & You might just get written up for it!
Now, back to your regularly scheduled review!
Mortimer’s is pretty small, but it is packed with fun decor.
Vintage food cans, “Branded” crates of fruits & veggies, printed aprons, food scales, and even a bin of “vintage” Buena Vista Bugle newspapers adorn the shelves of the quaint market.
I zoomed in on the Buena Vista Bugles to notice the headline & date. The papers are dated May 4th, 1927, with the headline from the grand opening of the Hollywood Tower Hotel; the inspiration for the Tower of Terror. After doing a little research, I found that the [Read more…]
When you’re in Cars Land and you are drooling over Radiator Springs Racers (which are totally worth drooling over), don’t forget to check out the fun little details Cars Land has to offer.
One of my favorite sights caught my eye as I was walking over to Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree. On my way to ride, I got completely distracted by the psychedelic glow of Fillmore’s Taste-In. So much so, that I went over to check it out before hitting the spinning tractors!
Fillmore's Taste-In
Fillmore’s signage is cleverly made of mufflers dangling from hubcaps, and his tent is just a “prop.” My guess is that inside is a storage area. The actual store consists of stands filled with what Disney calls “healthier” snacks and drinks.
Fillmore's Signage
Just like Fillmore’s character in the Cars movies, the Taste-In makes groovy “natural” snacks available to help you refuel and keep you racing! I was lucky to get to see Fillmore’s at night; the colors were spectacular, changing every few minutes (hence the crazy glowing [Read more…]
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