food IS a theme park
We were in the Spring Break mood so we headed to Key West…Disney’s Old Key West Resort that is! After our tropical escape we headed to Saratoga Springs Resort. On our “travels” we found new menus, merchandise, cupcakes, and wine and mixology seminars!
Hello from Saratoga Springs
Our visit to Old Key West’s Gurgling Suitcase was full of new menu items!
Greetings from Disney’s Old Key West Resort! This week we stopped by to check out the lunch options at The Gurgling Suitcase! The Gurgling Suitcase is a relaxing respite in Disney World, and they didn’t always serve food (though you could order from Olivia’s). But for a few years now they have their very own menu!
The Gurgling Suitcase
It’s already super hot in Florida so we were excited to swing by for a quick bite and cold drink! By the way, did you know the Gurgling Suitcase got its name from people trying to smuggle alcohol from Cuba into Key West in their luggage? Inspectors would shake the suitcases to see if the “gurgled” — hence the name The Gurgling Suitcase. Always so clever, Disney.
We’re all accustomed to the limited food offerings of most Walt Disney World pool bars, but lately we’ve spotted several pool bar menus that have expanded. While we always welcome bigger (and hopefully better!) menus at these convenient spots, we’re not sure how long these riches will stick around.
Leaping Horse Libations
Typically massive crowds descend on the World this time of year for Spring Break, and these menu changes could be a response to larger-than-average groups of pool-goers. [Read more…]
Hey, friends! We’re back with another DFB Video today, and we’re taking you on TWO Disney World Resort Food Tours!
Saratoga Springs Resort
We’re visiting BOTH Saratoga Springs and Old Key West! These Deluxe Resorts have several things in common: they’re both Disney Vacation Club Resorts, they’re both near Disney Springs, and they’re both home to a few hidden gems in regards to dining! And remember… you don’t have to be staying at a particular Resort to dine there. And since these Resorts are both so close to Disney Springs, why don’t you check them out to see if you might want to take a boat ride over to either Resort to check out some of their unique eats on your next Disney World vacation? [Read more…]
TODAY’S THE DAY! Walt Disney World’s Free Dining Offer is officially coming back and will be offered to guests for select dates in August, September, November, and December 2018 (NOTE: There are no October dates this year, but if your check-in date is in late September, you can obviously take your stay into October).
Free Dining is being offered to guests ARRIVING during the dates listed below.
August 20* – September 29, 2018
November 24 – November 27, 2018
December 7 – December 23, 2018
UPDATE: The booking window — which originally closed on July 7th — has been extended to August 1, 2018!
*Canada Residents may book now for travel dates beginning August 2, 2018, and Disney Visa Cardholders may book now for travel dates beginning August 2, 2018.
(See below for participating resorts. Please note that the offer excludes several resorts this year, including campsites, 3-bedroom villas, and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – Little Mermaid Standard Rooms.)
If you stay at a participting Value or Moderate Resort, you’ll receive the Quick Service Dining plan for FREE. (Note that you can upgrade to the standard or deluxe dining plans by paying the difference in cost per night.)
Participating Value Resorts include:
Participating Moderate Resorts include:
If you reserve a participating Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resort, you will receive the standard Dining plan for FREE. (You can upgrade to the deluxe dining plan by paying the difference in cost per night.)
Participating Deluxe Resorts include:
Participating Deluxe Villas include:
You must book a minimum stay of 4 nights/maximum stay of 14 nights at a participating Disney-owned resort. You also need to purchase AT LEAST a 4-day Magic Your Way Disney World ticket with a Park Hopper AND/OR the Park Hopper Plus Option.
Since Disney World’s Free Dining offer generally can’t be combined with other discounts, it’s often difficult to determine how to save the MOST money: with a Disney World hotel room discount or with the free dining offer.
We break down and compare the costs and options for several Disney World discounts, including the Free Dining offer, in our fully updated DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2018 e-Book to help you save the most money possible.
With over 650 pages of great Disney World dining advice, full color photos, and details, this book is a great deal.
The agents at Small World Vacations are ready to help you save time, headaches and best of all, money. They compare available discounts to find the best deal for you. This is why they are the preferred travel agent of the Disney Food Blog.
Book a new 2018 Walt Disney World® vacation valued at $3600 or more and get one FREE Mickey Themed insulated cooler filled with yummy treats and surprises delivered to your onsite Walt Disney World resort room. (Items may vary.)
This offer is good for check-ins August 2 through December 31, 2018. Offer must be booked with Small World Vacations April 24 through May 1, 2018. Restrictions apply. Substitutions may be necessary. Personalization not available.
Enter code DFBFD18 to qualify when you request a price quote from Small World Vacations*.
If you already booked your 2018 Walt Disney World vacation directly with Disney within the last 30 days and it’s valued at $3600 or more (without airfare and not yet paid in full) for an arrival between August 2 – December 31, 2018, it’s not too late to get the Mickey Themed Insulated Cooler with goodies! Transferred reservations qualify! Offer expires May 1, 2018. Restrictions apply. For details email Small World Vacations at guestrelations@ smallworldvacations.com and mention DFB code DFBFD18.
If you are ready to begin planning a trip, simply fill out Small World Vacations’ no obligation quote form! Small World Vacations is happy to share over 20 years of Disney expertise and firsthand experience with MyDisneyExperience, dining reservations and FastPass+ so you can sit back, relax and get ready to enjoy your vacation.
* In-room gift courtesy of Small World Vacations. Comparable approximate value at Disney Florist is $59.95. While supplies last. One tote per qualifying new 2018 Walt Disney World vacation reservation valued at $3600 or more for check-in August 2 – December 31, 2018. No cash value and void if cancelled. Non-transferable. Substitutions may be necessary. Offer valid on bookings made April 24 – May 1, 2018 for travel dates August 2-December 31, 2018.
You know which Resort Counter Service location has a couple of fun options for breakfast?
Good’s Food to Go at Old Key West Resort!
Now, you may be thinking, “Great! Wait…. where?” And that’s fair enough. Because Good’s Food to Go isn’t exactly what you might call a high profile location. While Olivia’s Cafe — Old Key West’s Table Service restaurant — has earned its great reputation (though it still flies under the radar due to its non-park-centric location), Good’s Food to Go is hardly known at all.
Which makes sense. You’ll soon see that it’s not “destination dining,” per se.
Good’s Food To Go
Even though its surroundings reflect the fun and tropical Keys vibe of the Resort (and it’s tucked right next to what is possibly the cutest little bar in all of Disney World, the Gurgling Suitcase)… [Read more…]
May the 4th BE WITH YOU! 😉 This week, Disney World surprised us with a FREE dining offer for select dates in 2014!
Indulge at Trader Sam’s at the Poly!
And who’s ready to sip some fun drinks when Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto opens at the renovated Polynesian Village Resort?!!
Click on the links below for details and more food news from Disney!
Of course, there’s more! Check out all the latest Disney Food News — even the stuff we don’t mention in posts on the blog! — on our Disney Food News Pin Board, including restaurant closures, and more!
If you find a fun new food — or other edible awesomeness — in or from Disney, share a photo with us on facebook or twitter so we can add it to our DFB Reader Finds each Sunday!
Happy 25th Anniversary to Disney’s Hollywood Studios! The Walt Disney World park reached this milestone on May 1, 2014.
Shared by DFB Reader Miranda: “Hollywood studios is celebrating it’s 25th birthday today and there is a special cupcake only available today! It’s plain chocolate cake with a light hazelnut frosting that tasted more like a light chocolate frosting to me, then a plain choc disc on top with the birthday logo and some sprinkles and choc sauce. No hidden centers inside but the cake was really moist, tasty and fun!”
Anniversary Cupcake
Cross-section of Anniversary Cupcake
Thanks for sharing your celebration cupcake with us!
We’ve got more snacks! The 2014 Edition of The DFB Guide to Magic Kingdom Snacks e-Book is now available!
It’s time to snag your copy! The DFB Guide to Magic Kingdom Snacks e-Book is one of the many fun and informative Disney Dining e-Books offered by Disney Food Blog! Now we’ve updated our best-selling DFB Guide to Magic Kingdom Snacks e-Book for 2014 with even more great information, photos, and…yep!…snacks!
We’ve made this guide instantly downloadable. It’s a PDF guide with photos, information, and advice on well over 150 delicious snacks (over 50 more than in our previous edition!) that you can savor in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. This guide is guaranteed to help you find the best snacks and treats for your family while visiting the Magic Kingdom, or your money back — we all know that treats at the Magic Kingdom are just as nostalgic as our first flight on Dumbo! With a 100% money-back guarantee, you have nothing to lose! 🙂
The DFB Guide to Magic Kingdom Snacks e-Book includes:
Know what you’re getting BEFORE using a precious snack credit or spending limited vacation dollars.
Whether you want sweet, salty, crunchy, healthy, or something in between, The DFB Guide to Magic Kingdom Snacks e-Book tells you where to find a snack to match your craving!
To thank you for your support of the blog, we’ll be offering the Guide for $2 off its already discounted purchase price for a limited time! Order your copy now for only $8.95 (regularly $10.95). The price will go up in three weeks, so grab your copy now! To secure the discount, use code MAGIC14 at the check-out.
Great three awesome e-Books bundled for over 30% off! Limited time only…
Bundle for greater savings!
Our DFB Guide & Snacks Bundle offers:
All three are being sold together for the first time –and for a massively discounted price. Just $35.95 instead of the regular price of nearly $60.00.
Our Snack Guides vibrantly display and review over 500 Disney World snacks (!!), but also showcase some of our favorite under-the-radar treats and eats in the parks. Get your DFB Guide & Snacks Bundle — including the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2014, the DFB Guide to Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom Snacks, the DFB Guide to Epcot Snacks, and the DFB Guide to Magic Kingdom Snacks — for over 40% off here.
Fantasyland Salt and Pepper Shaker
Mickey Fix
features Magic Kingdom themed salt and pepper shakers. Oh, did I mention that they are designed to resemble the trash cans! So darn cute.
Cake Wrecks showcases princess cakes gone wrong. Yikes!
Walt Disney World for Grown Ups stops by Rosie’s Victory Garden in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Find out what’s growing!
Eating (and Drinking) Around the World highlights new beer label character shirts at Walt Disney World. Cheers!
Daveland lunches at Carthay Circle in Disney California Adventure.
Farm Industry News heads to Epcot’s Spice Road Table. DFB Reader Jeff — thanks for mentioning DFB!!
Happy Thanksgiving!
My family is considering having Thanksgiving in Disney World next year, and I wanted to hear some opinions about that! So we asked our Facebook Page Fans:
Would you rather have Thanksgiving Dinner at home, or at a Disney restaurant?.
Our readers chimed in with their holiday preferences! While dining at home was a strong contender due to family traditions, leftovers, cost-savings, aversion to holiday crowds, and a palate for a real home-cooked meal, ordering Thanksgiving dinner at a Disney restaurant was the clear winner!
And these voters didn’t care where they ate at Disney — they just wanted to be in the middle of the magic for the holiday. In fact, we think some of you might be happy with one of these!:
Disney Turkey Leg
Here are some of the other suggestions we received!: [Read more…]
Olivia’s Cafe over at Old Key West in Walt Disney World is just about the most homey restaurant in Walt Disney World. Its only rival would be Trail’s End, and I see them both as a great place to meet up with old friends year after year.
These are the types of restaurants that inspire memories of heading off on summer vacation, reuniting with friends you haven’t seen in a while, and enjoying some good food together in an atmosphere that’s as familiar to you as your own kitchen. I guess that’s what Disney was going for with the Disney Vacation Club, and they’ve achieved it at Olivia’s.
In fact, when I walked into Olivia’s, it almost felt as though the needle scratched off of the record in the jukebox and everyone turned to stare at the newcomer. Because I’m not a regular at Old Key West, it really did feel like I was a bit out of place at this restaurant that’s frequented by Disney Vacation Club members who are owners at Old Key West.
Olivia's Sign
Olivia's Open Sign
Of course, that was only my perception. After checking in, we were [Read more…]
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