food IS a theme park
Let’s face it, when it’s hot in Disney World, the last thing you want to do is eat outside.
EPCOT’s Mexico Pavilion
Like hot food on a hot day and you’re already sweating? No, thank you. But sometimes, it can’t be helped, especially at a lot of Disney World counter service locations that only offer outdoor seating. But believe it or not, ONE EPCOT counter service restaurant has SECRET indoor seating (as in AIR CONDITIONING) — you just have to know how to get it.
Many restaurants around Orlando have benefitted from a program that allowed for expanded outdoor dining space during the pandemic.
Outdoor Seating
To help restaurants adjust to health and safety guidelines, Orlando previously enacted the Temporary Use Permit Parklet Program, which allows for parking spaces to be used to conduct business in a socially distanced manner.
We’re not going to lie — sometimes our biggest complaint about Disney World is that it’s sometimes hard to just find a place to sit!
Hollywood Studios!
And after hours on your feet all day, you’ll totally get where we’re coming from. Social distancing guidelines have also made seating particularly tricky, so we get excited when we find new places to take a chill at the parks!
Walt Disney World reopened with limited capacities throughout every building on the property. All gift shops, restaurants, rides, and shows were reduced to accommodate physical distancing between travel groups.
Homecomin’
Upon reopening, Disney World had a reduced capacity of 25% and the theme parks attracted fewer crowds. It was recently announced that the theme parks were raised to 35% and we’ve seen an uptick in crowds over the holidays. Attractions are seeing increased wait times and Disney has been adjusting experiences to accommodate the lines. But what about restaurants? While Disney World hasn’t shared specifics, we have seen a quiet increase in capacity within the restaurants. So, what does dining at a Disney World restaurant look like now that the parks have been reopened for a few months?
Downtown Disney is a little slice of HEAVEN for bread lovers once more!
La Brea Bakery
After closing its doors last March, La Brea Bakery at Disneyland Resort has reopened today and we went to scope it out!
Get your beignet chompers ready!
Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen
Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen (as well its quick service location, “Jazz Kitchen Express”) have just reopened at Downtown Disney in Disneyland Resort!
Only moments ago we learned Planet Hollywood would be joining the first wave of Disney Springs third-party restaurants to gradually reopen on May 20th.
The Boathouse Sign
And now according to The Boathouse’s Instagram, we have confirmation they’re be reopening next Wednesday as well.
Today we are welcoming guest author Rebecca Dolan with a dining review of the Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room. Read on…
When it comes to Epcot’s Rose & Crown, the mantra should be “come for the fireworks, stay for the food.” Sure the menu of British comfort classics has always been on point, but the real draw here has to be the restaurant’s back patio, which offers one of the best fireworks views on the shores of the World Showcase Lagoon.
This combination of no-frills British food and fireworks made Rose & Crown both one of my mother’s favorite Disney spots, and the bane of the Epcot trips of my youth. (Ugh, do we have to watch the fireworks again? I want to eat in Morocco!) But, Rose & Crown and I have come a long way over the past years. And, I now fully support adding it to a Disney dining itinerary.
The first thing you’ll probably notice about Rose & Crown is that it isn’t built in just one architectural style. Instead, the building is a mash-up of three different, popular pub styles.
The building’s three sides at Rose and Crown.
The main entrance leads into a full-service pub where you can belly up to the bar for traditional beers, ciders, and scotches from the UK. A handful of tables provide a much-needed respite from the afternoon sun.
Stopping in for an evening pint.
Outside the pub entrance, to the left, is the check in booth for the dining room. Seating is either on the outdoor patio overlooking the lagoon, or inside the main dining room. Try your best to score an outdoor table if you can (back patio is better than side patio) for the fireworks view.
This will likely prove to be a difficult endeavor, however. After close to three decades of dining here, this trip was the first time our family was actually seated outside.
Get a load of that view!
Now, don’t let that get you discouraged! Even if you can’t get the coveted front row seats, those eating inside are allowed [Read more…]
Let’s face it. Sometimes a Disney vacation can be absolutely exhausting! That’s why we like to seek out bars and lounges in which we can share fun with family and friends or relax while enjoying good food and special beverages.
Schweitzer Falls at Trader Sam’s Tiki Bar
A while back, we took a look at our Top 10 Disney World Bars and Lounges, and now it’s time to take a peek at our favorites in the Disneyland Parks and Resorts!
Here are our picks for Top Six Disneyland bars and lounges — a list that includes a little help from our Facebook Friends! Thanks for your input!
Ready to jump in? Here’s our favorite place to while away some time at the Disneyland Resort…
should be your first choice for chilling out in Disneyland!
This is due to some great bartenders, unique drinks (often served in souvenir glasses), good food, and, of course, the interactive activities here. (Careful not to sit on the sinking bar stools!)
This place is an awesome tropical retreat located at the Disneyland Hotel. Check out our Trader Sam’s Review here!
Trader Sam’s Bar
While there is indoor and outdoor seating, all of the action is inside where there is limited seating (about 50 spots); so get here early as evenings may be quite crowded.
Located in Disney California Adventure, the Cove Bar (not to be mistaken for Cove Cafe on the Disney Cruise Ships or the Cove Bar at Disney World’s Contemporary Resort…) is your place to escape the long lines and hot sun while enjoying great water-side views.
View from Cove Bar
Leave the thrills behind and savor specialty drinks and craft beers. The Raspberry Rain is a memorable choice! Look for an attractive menu offering my favorite, Buffalo Wings, and Lobster Nachos.
Make the Hearthstone Lounge in the Grand Californian Resort a must-do in Disneyland.
Whether you are looking for some quiet alone time or bringing along friends, this cozy fireside lounge has a lodge theme and soaring ceilings that immediately relax you. And that’s before your first drink order!
Take a seat at the bar, on a cozy sofa, or at a [Read more…]
We’re welcoming back guest author Melissa Sue Sorrells Galley with a review of Pinocchio Village Haus. And since the new menu was recently revealed, we’ll also include a review of one of the new flatbreads available!
After recovering from One More Disney Day, I headed back into the Magic Kingdom where I found myself exiting Mickey’s PhilharMagic to the realization that I was starving.
That’s when a Cast Member with a puppet waved at me, and I knew what I had to do.
No strings!
Tucked between the new Fantasyland construction walls and it’s a small world, Pinocchio Village Haus is a bit confusing. It’s in Fantasyland, and the food is Italian, but the restaurant itself is based on the Bavarian architecture that Walt and Lillian Disney were so fond of.
Pinocchio Village Haus
In fact, it’s set in a little German village, where there’s oompah playing over the speakers and you order lunch in what appears to be a charming courtyard.
Once you’ve got your food in hand, it’s time to [Read more…]
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