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Tag: Table Service Restaurants

We Have a Winner! Find Out Who Took the Crown in our Disney Food Blog Table Service Throw Down!

By 2 Comments

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??

[Read more…]

Is the New Disney Dining Plan Plus Option Worth It? We’re Breaking Down How It Compares to Other Plans Here!

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Hi, All! 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. Here at DFB our thoughts are with all who have been affected. While the parks are closed, we will continue reporting and writing articles our readers will need and use once the parks reopen. Thank you for your support.

 

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?”

[Read more…]

See The Newest Mickey Mouse-Shaped Must-Have in Disney Restaurants!

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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.

[Read more…]

Review: Lunch at Raglan Road in Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs

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We’re taking in lunch at Raglan Road Irish Pub in Disney Springs!

Learn About:Raglan Road Irish Pub
Disney Springs
Disney World Restaurants

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!

Atmosphere

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

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…]

Review: Lunch at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (Including Testing of New Service Style)

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Velkommen til Akershus!

Learn About:Akershus Royal Banquet Hall — Princess Storybook Restaurant
Epcot Restaurants
Disney World Restaurants

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

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…]

News! and Review: Las Ventanas Makes its Debut at Disney World’s Coronado Springs Resort

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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

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

Pepper Market

Las Ventanas sign with operating hours

Las Ventanas sign with operating hours

Atmosphere

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 seating

Las Ventanas

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

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

Las Ventanas Hanging Lamps

Fresh flowers on the table

Fresh flowers on the table

Wall decoration

Wall decoration

One thing I can’t share with you in pictures [Read more…]

News! Disney World To Add Cancellation Policy and Fee to All Table-Service Restaurant Reservations

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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.

What are the details of the cancellation policy?

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

What does “within one day” mean?

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.

How do I cancel a reservation when I’m in Disney World?

Disney’s tried to make it easy to cancel reservations. You can use the [Read more…]

Tip from the DFB Guide: Free Tours at Animal Kingdom Lodge Restaurants

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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!

Animal Kingdom Lodge Restaurant Tours

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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