food IS a theme park
We’re reporting to you live from Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort today for this first time since mid-March.
Line Outside T-REX
That’s because while the rest of Disney World’s theme parks and hotels will remain closed until further notice, some third-party restaurants and retailers have started reopening today.
If you're looking for information related to the current closures and their effect on the Disney Parks, click here for all the up-to-date details and click here for answers to dozens of reader FAQs.
We threw 64 Disney World restaurants into the ring to duke it out in our DFB Table Service Throw Down. And now, we can finally crown our champion!
Mickey Mouse
Our final matchup pitted two fan-favorites against each other for all the marbles! In one corner, we had ‘Ohana, armed with their unique character breakfast and all-you-care-to-enjoy bread pudding! In the other corner, Beaches and Cream came locked and loaded with their delicious ice cream sundaes and upbeat atmosphere. So, which of these restaurants walked away victorious??
Whether or not you were you excited when Disney World unveiled a fourth tier option to its Disney Dining Plan recently, you probably have more questions NOW than ever before!
Mickey Pretzel and Cinderella’s Castle
You might be asking, “Will it save me money?”, “How do I know if it’s right for my family?” and maybe even, “What’s the catch?”
What’s even sweeter than a sugar cube? A Mickey-shaped sugar cube!
Mickey Sugar Cubes
That’s right — at Flying Fish and several other table service restaurants this week — we spotted Mickey Mouse-shaped sugar cubes.
We’re taking in lunch at Raglan Road Irish Pub in Disney Springs!
If you’ve visited Disney Springs recently, you know that the area once known as Pleasure Island is practically unrecognizable from what it was two years ago. Construction walls abound, and new restaurants and shops seem to be opening every day.
The good news is that those walls seem to be decreasing every time I visit. And so on a recent research visit, I headed over to Raglan Road to take a peek at some new cocktails and have a bite to eat!
As I’ve said, if you haven’t visited for a while, all the work at Disney Springs is going to shock you. While Raglan Road used to stand front and center, easily viewable from the parking lots, now it’s a bit of a walk to get here from the nearest parking building.
Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant Without the Construction Walls
You should budget at least 10 minutes or so if you’re coming from the parking garage. [Read more…]
Velkommen til Akershus!
Today we’re visiting Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot’s Norway! This Pavilion has certainly seen its fair share of changes over the past year or so, primarily due to the influence of all things “Frozen.” The biggest headline of them all, of course, was the closing of the Maelstrom attraction in October 2014 (prompting a memorial Maelstrom Margarita at La Cava del Tequila in the neighboring Mexico Pavilion) to make way for “Frozen Ever After,” anticipated for a 2016 opening.
But that’s not the only change. We learned that Akershus — best known as being home to the Princess Storybook Dining character meal — had undergone a test alteration of its own. Typically featuring a cold buffet (Norwegian Koldtbord) along with hot breakfast, lunch, or dinner entrees served at your table, a test run recently brought about a new service style to Akershus. While it remains an All-You-Care-to-Eat option, the cold buffet was closed and several of the previous options are now brought to the table and served family style as part of a trial run at this popular restaurant.
This test has since ended, but we were told that it’s now up to guest feedback as to whether it comes back permanently.
Akershus Sign
Let’s head back inside the fortress walls to see what’s changed, what hasn’t, and what we think about this proposed update to the serving style at Akershus! [Read more…]
UPDATE: Please note that as of February 2015, Las Ventanas also serves dinner. Advanced Dining Reservations are also accepted.
Guess what! Disney World opened a new restaurant, and we’ve got all the details for you! 🙂
Nope; you won’t find it at the parks. You won’t even find it at Downtown Disney! Nope — it’s at Coronado Springs, a Mexican-themed moderate resort!
Coronado Springs has a few aces up its sleeve when it comes to dining. The Pepper Market has a great reputation for lots of delicious choices in its unique station-style food court, and no one can argue with the margarita flight available at Rix Lounge and Maya Grill. Today, we’re excited to present the Resort’s brand new restaurant: Las Ventanas!
Las Ventanas entry
Well…it’s not exactly new. Las Ventanas has always been the private dining room for Rix Lounge. I guess they just realized they needed more table service offerings for conventioneers!
Las Ventanas is open for breakfast and lunch. It’s tucked in a hallway next to Rix Lounge. Since it’s closer to the Convention Center, if you are staying at Coronado as a non-Convention guest, it could be easy to miss. Thankfully, there is a sign in front of the Pepper Market leading the way.
Pepper Market
Las Ventanas sign with operating hours
Two things struck me upon entering Las Ventanas. First, the size. It’s small and intimate, due to previously being a private dining room. You’ll nearly be able to see the entire restaurant within these pictures.
Las Ventanas seating
Las Ventanas
There were only 14 or 15 tables in the whole place and, even though the room is small, they were very well-spaced with plenty of room in between each.
Las Ventanas Table
Second, it’s beautiful. Decor is minimalistic. Rather than being filled to the brim with details, things are kept rather simple. This serves to enhance the atmosphere, as you can truly take in the touches that catch your eye.
Las Ventanas Hanging Lamps
Fresh flowers on the table
Wall decoration
One thing I can’t share with you in pictures [Read more…]
Welp, the days of skipping your Disney dining reservations when you’re stuck in line for Soarin’ may be over!
Remember when Disney started requiring a credit card guarantee — and subsequently charged for no-shows — on signature and character meals back in 2011? We’re hearing that starting on October 31, 2013, that policy will apply to all Disney World table-service reservations.
If guests fail to cancel their reservations within one day of the reservation time and then don’t show up at the restaurant, they’ll be charged $10 per person on the credit card used to hold the reservation.
For dinner shows and some character meals, guests will continue to be required to pre-pay for the meal and will forfeit the entire cost should they not cancel within the required window and fail to show up for the event.
Guests planning to visit Cinderella's Royal Table could lose their entire payment should they fail to cancel
Well, this is usually defined as a 24-hour window, but many guests have had luck with cancelling by 11:59pm the night before the reservation.
Disney’s tried to make it easy to cancel reservations. You can use the [Read more…]
We’ve added lots of fun and new dining info to our updated e-Book — The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2017. One of my favorite tips in the book is the recommendation of the free tours at the Animal Kingdom Lodge restaurants! Yep, free!
After you read all about this great Disney Dining Tip, learn more about our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining — including a limited-time discount code — here!
The Animal Kingdom Lodge in Walt Disney World is known for quality table-service restaurants that offer some exotic menu items and exquisite African-themed decor. But there’s a way to explore the restaurants without actually dining in them!
Learn The Meaning Behind the Decor At Jiko Restaurant
Jiko, Boma, and Sanaa offer half-hour culinary tours each day! These tours cover some of the decor and meaning behind the architecture of the restaurants and also explain certain menu items. You may even get to sample some of the restaurant’s dishes.
You can see our review of the Boma and Jiko Tour here.
Seating at Sanaa
When you don’t have time to eat at each restaurant, [Read more…]
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