UPDATE: Read about the Opening Date for Be Our Guest Restaurant and Reservations Info!

As you know, I spent this past weekend exploring and enjoying Disney food along with some fellow bloggers and writers at a Disney-sponsored culinary event called “From 5 Stars to Mickey Bars!”

All in all, we nibbled, tasted, sampled, noshed, and all-out devoured our way through some of my favorite Disney restaurants, including Flying Fish Cafe, Hoop Dee Doo Revue, Cape May Cafe, and Kouzzina! I had the chance to meet and chat with some Cast Members charged with not only developing concepts for new Disney restaurants, but also with ensuring that Disney Food and Beverage is running smoothly day-to-day.

For some people, a Disney “Dream Come True” trip includes a stay in the castle or special VIP time with Mickey. All of that is nice, but this past weekend was a Dream Come True trip for a Disney- and Food-lover like me!

I posted a few of the highlights last week, but wanted to share a few more with you as well — including some tidbits of info I picked up along the way!

We began the weekend with a cocktail and appetizers party in The Attic of Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, a small, cozy event space. We were joined by some true Disney elite, including Mickey and Minnie themselves, but the appetizer spread was what truly caught my eye…

While chatting with some in-the-know Disney cast members at this event, I heard a few interesting tidbits. Apparently, the second table-service restaurant at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Oahu will be a buffet, and both the buffet restaurant and the ocean-side restaurant will focus on “true Hawai’i” flavors and local fare — including line-caught, instead of net-caught, fish. This won’t be stereotypical Hawai’i, but the real deal — no mocked up Tiki gods around here.

I also heard a bit more about the counter-service-to-table-service plans for a couple of Disney World’s upcoming restaurants. Both Cantina de San Angel (re-opening this Fall) and the Be Our Guest Restaurant (opening as part of the Fantasyland renovation) will likely operate primarily as counter service locations during the day and switch over to table service for the dinner hours. Disney is still working on the details, but this is an exciting new development in restaurant management — I’m interested to see how it will work!

Of course, all of this is still in planning stages, so anything could change at any time.

From The Attic, a few of us headed down to Flying Fish Cafe on the Boardwalk for dinner. You’ll remember I reported on the Cafe hosting the Dine With an Imagineer opportunity as well as a new Chef’s Counter option — here’s a pic of the latter!

After a delicious dinner (which shall be reported in full in a different post), one of my table mates, WDW Moms Panelist Kathie F., ordered an absolutely incredible dessert. This rich, dense, flourless chocolate cake was just about the best thing I tried all evening — and it came with a gelatin cube made of Riesling wine. A Riesling jello cube. How do you beat that?! (Thanks again to Kathie, who pretty much let me taste just about everything she ordered all weekend.)

Now, while the fantastic Disney public relations folks kept us very busy, they did let us run around and explore a bit on our own as well. During one of these times, I snagged what must be the biggest counter service meal on property. Weighing in at over $13, this meal could feed any family — and then some! I’ll be doing a full post about Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in the next few weeks, but I really thought you guys should see this in the meantime…

Our final morning was spent noshing on breakfast at Kouzzina, Cat Cora’s new signature restaurant on Disney’s Boardwalk. I ordered the blueberry-orange granola pancake with chicken sausage. What I received was this — a griddle cake about twice the size of my head! Delicious alone, the thing was even better when paired with warm maple syrup and a bit of butter — that tang of the blueberries with the bulk of the granola made the cake just the “something different” you’re looking for in a Disney breakfast.

As usual, I’ll be putting together full blog posts on our meals at Kouzzina, Flying Fish, and Hoop Dee Doo, but I couldn’t resist sharing a few pics — and a few tidbits of information, which I know many of you restaurant-watchers will be happy to hear!

I’m never happier than when I’m eating in Walt Disney World, so this trip was the perfect marriage of passions for me. Thanks to Laura, Rick, and the rest of the Disney PR team for putting together a weekend filled with information, a variety of food experiences, and, of course, Disney Magic.

In accordance with FTC guidelines, please note that my transportation, lodging, and food have been provided by the Walt Disney Company for this Media event.