food IS a theme park
Grab your safari gear because it’s time to adventure through all that’s new in Disney’s Animal Kingdom!
Celebrating The Lion King
From new cupcakes to the return of some of our favorite animal buddies, there’s a lot to see. So, hop on and let’s go!
Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery
is a simple , unassuming window-only bakery in Animal Kingdom’s Africa that boasts a LOT of cupcake goodness.
So, do you remember a few months ago, when we talked about some cupcake shake-ups at Kusafiri? To refresh your memory, a new (at that time) cupcake had joined the line-up: the Lion Cub Cupcake, featuring none other than Simba himself with a mane made of frosting.
At the same time, though, we found out that two other stars in the Disney cupcake realm had received a bit of a makeover, which left us slightly underwhelmed (the Zebra Cupcake and the White Chocolate Elephant Cupcake).
Well, there have been some more changes in Kusafiri’s cupcake world! First and foremost, with many thanks to DFB reader Cate C., we have a picture of the new Tree of Life Cupcake available now! Looks like this one’s for the chocolate lovers out there 🙂 .
Tree of Life Cupcake
Cate shared that while this one was good, she preferred the passion fruit Simba cupcake overall. (Here’s our shot of that cutie, as a reminder 🙂 ).
Lion Cub cupcake
But wait — there’s more news to share… take a look at [Read more…]
Who’s up for a cupcake feast at Animal Kingdom’s Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery?!
A longtime favorite in regards to offering some pretty fantastic bakery eats, Kusafiri is one of those places I just have to stop every time I visit Animal Kingdom. This little shop is home to several bakery favorites (namely, the Cotton Top Tamarin Cupcake and African Spice Cake), and even has a limited breakfast menu that still manages to impress with unique items such as the Warm Colossal Cinnamon Roll and Hot Breakfast Wrap, despite its size.
Alongside the classics, Kusafiri is often a place to find something new, and it didn’t disappoint on a recent visit. To my chagrin, though, I discovered that some of my favorites have undergone a bit of a makeover.
Kusafiri Bakery menu
Let’s start with the good news…
The list of Gourmet Cupcakes has expanded with the Lion Cub Cupcake.
Lion Cub cupcake
I showed this handsome little guy off on my Instagram a while back (‘cuz how could I not — I mean, how cute is little Simba?!), and have been excited to show him to you on the blog ever since. The fondant Simba topping the cupcake (similar to the toppers you’ll find on the Gourmet Cake Cups at Magic Kingdom’s Cheshire Cafe) is surrounded by a mane of frosting. ROAR!!
The flavor? Passionfruit. It comes through in the pudding-like filling tucked in the vanilla cake under the white vanilla frosting.
Inside the Lion Cub cupcake
Lion Cub cupcake filling
The citrus is mellowed by the creaminess of the vanilla, which is a combo I love. Plus, you can’t argue with the added cute factor, so there’s that.
If Simba just can’t wait to be king, he may have already accomplished that here at Kusafiri, especially in light of the changes to [Read more…]
I get lots of emails and questions about the food I personally love in Disney World, and today I’m sharing some of my favorite Disney Food Kiosks!
You know the ones — those cute little structures that are almost restaurants, but not quite? Here are a few of the BIGGEST TASTES you can get at the smallest places in Disney World! 🙂
I hope you’ll share some of your favorites in the comments, too!
There is no way I could have a list of favorite kiosks without putting Magic Kingdom’s Aloha Isle right up front! The welcoming little stand, located in Adventureland, is home to one of Disney’s most beloved treats, after all.
Aloha Isle
That’s right — we’re talking Dole Whips!
And whether you like yours in float form, swirled with vanilla, or are you’re a purist, most Disney fans don’t consider their trip complete until they’ve made at least one stop here.
Dole Whip Float! A Must-Eat snack for every Disney guest.
As for me, I prefer about one visit to Aloha Isle for each day I’m at Disney. 🙂 No kidding, even though I’m usually eating non-stop on every Disney trip, this is one snack I never skip.
At the midway point while you’re walking around Epcot’s World Showcase, you’ll encounter another of our favorite stops, Fife and Drum.
This unassuming little stand looks like just another drink stop, but be sure to swing by and check out the menu for some seriously fun eats. Fife and Drum is home to some items you won’t find anyplace else! But there are not-to-be missed classics here as well, like the cult favorite Smoked Turkey Legs.
Fife and Drum Tavern
If you’re a pretzel fan, you have three different varieties to choose from. The stuffed Jalapeno Cheese Pretzel has a great spicy kick! And you’ll also find the sweet Cream Cheese Pretzel (decadent!) and the Mickey Soft Pretzel (cute!) here, too. This is one of the few places in Disney World to find all of these kinds of pretzels sold in one spot.
UPDATE: Please note, you can still find all these pretzels in the American Adventure Pavilion; however, they are now located at the Block and Hans Craft Beer kiosk.
Jalapeno Cheese Pretzel!
There are also some amazingly tasty drinks here as well. We’ve told you about the Jim Beam Red Stag Lemonade, a wonderful little frozen drink with a punch, thanks to black cherry-flavored bourbon.
You can get your root beer float fix here, too, made with vanilla soft serve.
Root Beer Float
But the piece de resistance of slushies can also be found in this humble spot: I give you the American Dream! This incredible frozen drink combines [Read more…]
We’ve featured rockin’ cupcakes from Animal Kingdom’s Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery before, and we’ve sung the praises of their brownies too, but on my recent trip, I had to sample the white chocolate elephant cupcake for myself!
Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery Sign
Kusafiri Menu - click image for larger version
While I’ve heard recently that sometimes the treats are scarce, I had no trouble finding what I came for the day of my visit. As it turns out, you sometimes just have to wait until 11:30 for the ‘cakes to be available. No worries!
And as you can see, the cupcake is still the towering showstopper that it’s always been!
White Chocolate Elephant Cupcake
I mean, this thing is HUGE. You WILL get stares as you walk around with this cupcake, so be ready to answer [Read more…]
Holiday Ice Cube Cupcakes at Disney's Hollywood Studios
With the holidays underway at the Disney parks and resorts, we’re gathering lots of goodies to share with you.
From Snowman cupcakes to Ice Cube cupcakes (wow!) to seasonal beverages, we’re getting in the spirit of the season!
Busy week? Let’s catch up on the news!
Do you crave more news? Check out our Disney News Pin Board, where Disney Food News is updated on a regular basis!
Our popular Disney Food Blog Guide to Walt Disney World Dining, DFB Mini-Guide to Magic Kingdom Snacks, and upcoming DFB Dining Adventures e-Books make great gifts for friends or family members planning a trip to Walt Disney World!
Very soon, you’ll be able to purchase gift certificates to share the books with your friends and relatives this holiday season! Stay tuned this week to find out how!
The best part? You’ll be able to take advantage of our individual e-Book Holiday Discounts, or purchase all of our e-Books and receive our e-Book Bundle Discount!
Friends don’t let friends go to Disney World unprepared. These e-books will ensure that your loved ones will get the biggest bang for their dining buck in Walt Disney World! More info on this great gift idea will be available later this week!
PopCenturySite.com
takes a refreshing break at the Petals Pool Bar.
WESH.com reveals the top 5 WDW foodie fantasies provided by yours truly!
Walt Disney World for Grown-Ups takes us to the Territory Lounge at the Wilderness Lounge. And don’t forget that WDW for Grownups has an awesome Muppets Giveaway this week!
Orange Bird
Progress City, U.S.A. reminisces about the adorable Little Orange Bird. His citrus-y presence is missed in Adventureland!
All Ears reviews the Best of Bocuse Dinner at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival.
Main Street Gazette reviews the White Chocolate Elephant Cupcake at Kusafari Coffee Shop & Bakery in the Animal Kingdom. It’s a cupcake and lollipop in one!
The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle masters the Jedi Art of baking Star Wars cookies.
All Fare’s Food Blog shows us how to make Mickey Mouse cake pops. Adorable-ness!
UPDATE: On our recent October 2011 trip to Animal Kingdom, we saw the cupcakes alive and well at Kusafiri Bakery! Just be sure to visit at 11:30 to ensure that you snag your sweet! 😉
A reader (thanks Christa!) sent me an email yesterday asking about the cupcakes at Kusafiri Bakery in Disney’s Animal Kingdom…or the lack thereof!
As you know from our Disney cupcake crawl, there are some pretty fantastic cupcakes and a great brownie in the Animal Kingdom (Zebra Cupcake, paw print brownie, White Chocolate Elephant Cupcake). But the recent change in menus at the parks has shown that Disney is no longer guaranteeing the cupcakes’ existence at Kusafiri. 🙁
Zebra Cupcake
That said, we have heard from some readers (Thanks Diane R. and Kristin W.!) that the cupcakes are available occasionally, but that they’re not around every single day as they had been before. There are also reports that [Read more…]
Sarah S., who writes several blogs including Kitchen Catastrophes, emailed me recently to see if I’d heard of or seen the “White Chocolate Elephant Cupcake” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This clearly belongs in our “You Won’t Believe This!” snack series! Here’s Sarah’s description:
White Chocolate Elephant Cupcake at Animal Kingdom
This is called the White Chocolate Elephant Cupcake and can be found at Disney Animal Kingdom’s Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery. This cupcake really has a WOW factor in its height alone. When we walked away from the counter with this — for brunch, I might add — people were staring and pointing.
The cupcake is make of chocolate cake and topped with a white vanilla cream frosting, which is super sweet but very yummy. The white frosting is topped with toasted coconut, which really adds to the flavor. In the center is a peanut-butter textured frosting that I couldn’t actually place a flavor on, but it was still excellent-tasting and added texture to the entire creation.
The best part of this cupcake is its name-sake: a white chocolate elephant lollipop stuck [Read more…]
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