food IS a theme park
You love your mom, and she loves Walt Disney World. So why not treat her to a delicious Mother’s Day Brunch at Walt Disney World? There are several locations to take Mom on her special day — just make an Advance Dining Reservation and prepare to be Mom’s new favorite!
Cinderella Castle
With the 2018 Disney Dining Plan including alcoholic and specialty non-alcoholic beverages, it’s more difficult than ever to figure out where to go to make the most of your DDP.
Every once in a while a menu change at Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World sparks a flame of excitement for the DFB — and this is one of those times! Our Disneyland correspondent Heather (keepin’ it tasty @DiningInDisney on Instagram!) headed to Tangaroa Terrace at Disneyland Hotel recently — only to discover that the new menu she’d been so anxious to try is basically the same menu that can be found at Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar (also located at the Disneyland Hotel)!
Tangaroa Terrace
Alert! Alert! Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant is open!
This seasonal quick service spot is located right at the entrance of Tomorrowland in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. And when we say seasonal, we mean, like, super seasonal. It’s very rare to see this spot open, but Spring Break’s notoriously massive crowds were enough to open the Restaurant for the lunch time rush — 11AM to 3:30PM during my visit!
The menu here is small and variable, and it won’t appeal to every Walt Disney World guest. But if you’re looking for something simple and fast, this might just fit the bill for you. Plus you can use Mobile Ordering here, making this an even more convenient location!
And it’s actually a pleasant place to dine during the spring (and early summer before the heat really kicks in!). There’s a reason Tomorrowland Terrace is the spot for the Happily Ever After Fireworks Dessert Party: views! The seating here has a Hub and Castle view (albeit blocked from some seats).
So join me as I check out Tomorrowland Terrace!
Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant is about what you’d expect from a counter service restaurant in Tomorrowland: some neon, funky fonts on the signs, and lots of metal (or metallic) accents.
Entering Tomorrowland Terrace!
Animal Kingdom Lodge is a mecca for unique dining at Walt Disney World.
Whether you’re sampling the buffet at Boma, selecting stellar wines at Jiko, or digging into soulful food at Sanaa, Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Jambo House and Kidani Village have always been destination eating.
And it’s clear to see why. From the moment that you set foot into one of these restaurants, you are embraced by the warm atmosphere and intrigued by the art of Africa all around you. And then there’s the aroma, which you know means amazing eats await.
Sanaa is the newest of the three Animal Kingdom Lodge restaurants, and it’s made its mark on guests since day one. We’ve loved the Indian-Style Bread Service every time we’ve tried it, and the Butter Chicken has stood the test of time.
But I’d been hearing from some of our readers and followers that Sanaa’s time was up. That the experience there wasn’t living up to the hype and the food just wasn’t what it used to be. So I made a reservation and headed over ASAP to experience it again for myself.
Sanaa
is themed and highly visual, with artwork greeting guests from the moment they arrive. The sign outside the restaurant is surrounded by woven baskets of various designs. And while they are stationary, something about their arrangement is still energetic.
Sanaa
is a terrific place to dine if you’re looking for a little Hollywood Flair at Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and the best part is that there’s no ADR required!
That’s right! You can saunter up to Brown Derby Lounge on a whim and experience the understated elegance and tasty menu that so many have lauded in the Brown Derby Restaurant proper.
We’ve enjoyed our visits here, where Margarita and Martini Flights rule and you almost can’t go wrong with the menu of Brown Derby Restaurant-approved eats. And with outdoor seating on Hollywood Boulevard, it’s a great place for people watching!
During a recent visit to the World, I dropped in for a few plates of food — and left having eaten the best thing I ate in my entire visit! I love being surprised by awesome food — even more so when it’s served in such a great location!
Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge Bar
You already know that Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant is the place to go for innovative and classic takes on Irish cuisine. And that you can listen to rocking tunes while chowing down on fish and chips. And that there’s an extensive drinks menu here, making it a terrific night out for the grown ups.
Raglan Road
With so many dining options to try at Walt Disney World, it’s not every trip that I’m able to return to some classic Resort restaurants — particularly if I’m not staying at the Resort in question.
But on a recent visit, I had a meeting that was (thankfully!) at the Grand Floridian Cafe. Located off the lobby in the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa’s main building, the Grand Floridian Cafe offers lovely views of the rose garden and courtyard pool beyond. It’s nice and tranquil, but not at all stuffy. So if you want to check out the Grand Floridian with your entire crew (including kiddos), this is a great place to try it.
The Cafe menu serves up traditional American dishes with a few nods to seafood and Southern fare in celebration of the Sunshine State, and our most recent trip here was for dinner. But a great feature at the Grand Floridian Cafe is the brunch-style menu offering breakfast dishes (in addition to the lunch offerings) through 2:00 pm. Hence the “Pancakes and Burger” mashup we’re reviewing today!
And there’s another big boon for the Grand Floridian Cafe: since it’s on the Resort Monorail loop, it’s easily accessible from Magic Kingdom and a terrific get-away if you need a little break from the park.
Like every restaurant at the Grand Floridian, the Cafe is simple and elegant. You won’t find over-the-top, Disney-fied theming in terms of characters or bright colors. But you will feel as though you’ve gone back to the Victorian Era (minus all the stiff social constructs). Check in takes place at a desk with white columns and great trim details.
Grand Floridian Cafe Entrance
Right away you’ll notice the lattice-and-flowers carpeting, which carries throughout the restaurant. The wood trim also continues into the dining room, where floral wallpaper and tasteful seating await.
The last time we visited the rarely-open Diamond Horseshoe in Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland was last summer.
Since The Diamond Horseshoe is only open seasonally for lunch (and very rarely for its buffet dinner during the absolute busiest weeks of year) it can be tricky to try it out. But with Liberty Tree Tavern closed for its current refurbishment — and therefore taking one Magic Kingdom lunch option off the table — it has been a wee bit easier to stop by the ol’ (dry 😉 ) saloon these days.
True, by and large folks are getting ready to head back to school if they haven’t already (Where the heck is this summer going, by the way???), so the peak crowd days of the this summer season are suddenly behind us. But you never do know when The Diamond Horseshoe doors will open again, and you’ll want to be ready when they do!
So, back inside the Horseshoe we go!
Diamond Horseshoe
Because even a place that depicts a bygone saloon era still goes through some changes now and then… it’s magic, you know ;). [Read more…]
Well, it’s no secret around here that I love soup in Disney World!
It’s a filling treat, relatively healthy (well, compared to a cupcake or Mickey Bar, anyway), and pretty cheap most of the time!
And on a recent visit to Sunshine Seasons in Epcot’s The Land pavilion, I found another great option for those of us who are Disney soup-lovers. Here, you’ll often find two kinds of soup: one will always be the Vegetable Barley Soup (vegetarian), and the other will be a seasonal soup!
I decided to try the Vegetable Barley Soup…
Soups of the Day
Since Sunshine Seasons is a cafeteria-style restaurant, simply ask the cast member to dish up a bowl for you at the soup station!
Vegetable Soup
As you can see, it’s served with a crisp bread accompaniment — just enough for dipping! The soup is chock full of veggies, and the broth (unlike some vegetable broth) was very flavorful.
While you might not expect soup to be a #1 Disney snack, sometimes it’s really nice to [Read more…]
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