food IS a theme park
Well, it’s finally happened. After all of our complaining, we at-long-last have the option to add/subtract toppings from our pizzas at Via Napoli in Walt Disney World’s Epcot! (Can you believe you couldn’t add toppings of your choosing before?!)
Via Napoli New Menu Close-Up -- click for larger image
The other pizzas have been moved to the right hand side of the menu with [Read more…]
Another great review from our awesome Dining in Disneyland columnist, Heather Sievers!
Atmosphere
Located to left of Space Mountain’s entrance inside Tomorrowland, Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port is a cute space age diner that’s great for families. A self serve line assures you that you get your food in a timely manner and there is seating aplenty. There is a giant indoor dining room as well as a covered outdoor dining area with booths and [Read more…]
Via Napoli Pizza Margherita
A couple of fun pieces of food news have come out of the Disney World grapevine this weekend!
For the Pizza Lover…
Interesting news from the Disney Parks facebook page:
Now through January 7, you can enjoy Sicilian-style Margherita pizza by the slice at a pick-up podium at Via Napoli. An a la carte single-serving dessert and fountain beverage will also be available.
So, for all of us who’ve been hoping for a counter-service pizza window at Via Napoli, maybe this is a promising start! Sounds like this is another antidote to the “heavy crowds” of the holidays like we saw over [Read more…]
Disney Food for Families columnist and Disney World Moms Panelist Erin Foster has more great info about kids’ dining in Disney World!
Casey's Corner Hot Dog, Fries, and Fixins
If your family is like mine, then at some point at least one of your children will go through a picky eater phase — where he or she will ONLY eat a certain type of food, texture of food, color of food, or food prepared in a certain way.
Luckily the chefs at Walt Disney World are well acquainted with the picky eater syndrome. They’ve seen it all before and can accommodate most childhood food idiosyncrasies. That’s one of the reasons WDW became such a frequent destination for us; dining out with our fussy daughter was a breeze compared to other vacation spots.
Some common variations on the picky eater theme are the kids who will only eat pizza, or pasta, hot dogs, or chicken nuggets. While these favorites are, of course, readily available in the parks, they are not all available at [Read more…]
I’ve been SO excited to write this review; I can’t wait to introduce you guys to what has become one of my favorite Italian restaurants of all time. (Yep, this is the place that has that amazing butterscotch pudding.)
by (California celeb chef) Donna Scala is located in the middle of Disney World property at the Hilton Bonnet Creek Resort. The restaurant is a great juxtaposition of sleek lines and cool tile coupled with warm leather, soft pillows, and bright chalk artwork…on actual chalkboards. No kidding — the artists work [Read more…]
Alrighty, folks, settle in — this is gonna be a long one! I very happily stuffed my face at Via Napoli twice on my last Orlando trip, and I’m pleased to share all the news on what has become one of my favorite restaurants in Walt Disney World!
Located in Epcot’s Italy pavilion (walk straight to the back; you can’t miss it), this massive, airplane-hanger-of-a-room is cavernous, but beautiful and filled with light, hustle, bustle, and the most amazing smells.
Via Napoli Dining Room
Artisan tiles dot the floor; whimsical chandeliers hang like ornaments throughout the restaurant; chipping frescoes give depth to the walls; and old-fashioned travel-themed artwork reminds you of all the places in Italy you haven’t been. The warm, neutral colors with pops of [Read more…]
Thanks to Amanda Tinney of Disney Every Day for sending over her report of the Via Napoli media preview! For pics of the restaurant’s decor and atmosphere, check out our First Look! photos! Take it away, Amanda!
I don’t know about you, but for me and my family pizza is something that we order when there are no groceries in the house or we are crunched for time and don’t feel like cooking. It’s not something that we actively seek out, which is strange considering the fact that my hubby is Italian with a grandmother that came to the US from Sicily.
I recently had the pleasure of attending the Grand Opening for Epcot’s newest dining experience, Via Napoli in World Showcase’s Italy Pavilion. Being the huge Disney fan that I am, I’m ashamed to admit that I may have never tried the new pizzeria if not invited to the event, but after sampling some of the cuisine, I will be back for sure.
Knowing that I would be writing this post for the Disney Food Blog I just HAD to take a sample of everything that was offered to me so that I could report directly to YOU the Disney [Read more…]
Disney’s Animal Kingdom has a dearth of dining establishments. It’s true; we all know it. But what they DO have is…beautiful. While food-wise, Pizzafari could be thought of as leaving much to be desired, exploring the place itself almost makes up for it!
Atmosphere
You’ll find Pizzafari on the path to Africa — just take a left at Discovery Island! And once again, Animal Kingdom comes out on top when it comes to themeing and imagineering decor.
Very rarely will the decor in any corner of the Animal Kingdom be random. Over at Flame Tree Barbecue, you’ve got the intriguing-yet-gross-if-you-think-about-it predator and prey theme. Here at Pizzafari, the theme is a bit more understated, but no less intriguing: [Read more…]
Thanks to Gloria Blankenship for this great review of her experience at Via Napoli! She also added a photo to the growing number on our First Look!: Epcot Via Napoli Pictures post! Thanks, Gloria!
Via Napoli in Epcot's Italy Pavilion
Atmosphere
We went there today before the soft opening, scheduled for Thursday. We were able to walk right in, although the tables soon filled up. Epcot is beautiful — and my favorite park — so I am biased.
The wood-fired ovens have faces and names: Stromboli, Versuvio and Etna. Nice touch and amusing. Wood-fired pizza is the specialty here, and you can also find veal, chicken, pasta, eggplant, gelato, and assorted wines and non-alcoholic beverages on the Via Napoli menu. There are nice chandeliers, decor, and a fresh “natural light” feel to the restaurant along with the charm of back-lit wood-fired ovens, chefs tossing pizza dough, and servers whose goal is to feed and charm the guests.
Eats
The calamari fritti (14.00) was good and came with marinara and lemons. Very nicely portioned.
The pizza was quite good and came in three sizes: 16.00 for individual 10 inch, 27.00 for 20 inch, and 37.00 for half meter, which serves four. The Margherita pizza has real basil on it, although they only had grated parmesan pecorino from a shaker — not fresh parmesan service. The pizza sauce and dough are good, and the pizza’s cheese was nice. The crust is not too thick or thin.
The kids meals come with pizza, chicken, or spaghetti and meatballs, and include a drink (no grapes, carrots, [Read more…]
Hey all! As we reported, Monday was Via Napoli‘s first day open to walk-in guests, and — lucky us — we got some pics from some wonderful DFB readers! Check out these fantastic photos:
First, a few external shots. You can see that Via Napoli has a completely different “look and feel” from the rest of the Italy pavilion. It’s much more “movie-set” than what you see to the right and left.
How Via Napoli Fits In With The Rest of Italy
A Close Up Shot of the Exterior
Lots of Folks In and Out of Italy Today
Heading inside, you’re greeted by a large lobby and a massive check-in desk. You can see the whole restaurant through the windows of the lobby, and the decor and themeing are colorful as well as light and “airy.” It feels somewhat more like “farmhouse” Italy with a contemporary twist; the brightness of the restaurants, high ceilings, and accent colors remind me a lot of Naples in Disneyland, a sister restaurant to Via Napoli run by the same company — The Patina Group.
Check In Area
Lobby Chandelier
Lobby Tile
Lobby Tile Close Up
Servers
From here, you enter into the expanse of the restaurant proper. To your right, you’ll find a room covered in an “aged” fresco depicting nature scenes, trees, grasses, and blue sky. In the center of this part of the restaurant, you’ll find acqua fresca containers holding strawberry, lemon, and blood orange flavors. Outside some double doors is an [Read more…]
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