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2009 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival Merchandise

Some great merchandise available this year! Here’s a sneak peek!

One of the many Festival Shops

These are my favorite item. They’re messenger bags recycled from last year’s banners. Once they’re gone, they’re GONE! Get one soon!

Messenger Bags recycled from last year's banners

Recycled Messenger Bag

This year’s Cookbook! I really like the styling of this.

2009 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Cookbook

A couple of recipes in the book

Pins and T-shirts! This year’s designs offer men’s and women’s styles — and plenty of them! There’s a great selection this year; everyone will find something they like.

This year's pins

epcot food and wine festival tshirt

These depict this year's theme artwork

Women's shirt

And other items…

Another t-shirt option and the tote bags

Coasters, notecards, and wine charms

Tokyo Dining in Epcot’s Japan Pavilion

By AJ 10 Comments

Special thanks to Christina Relacion, who writes Scenes From the T and recently contributed several photos for the food blog’s Best Restaurants for Thanksgiving post. She and her husband put together this great guest post about Tokyo Dining in Epcot’s World Showcase!

Have you ever gone to a place numerous times and then found a hidden gem? Tokyo Dining inside the Japan pavilion at Epcot’s World Showcase is one of those diamonds in the rough.

My husband and I are WDW veterans and hadn’t even ventured inside the walls of the pavilion until our most recent trip. But being huge sushi fans it amazed us that we had never had an experience at Tokyo Dining.

Judging by the low number of crowds in the pavilion, it seemed that others were also not as adventurous to wander past the iconic pagodas, koi ponds and faux Shinto shrine gate. But inside the pavilion’s massive structures are the most mouth-watering and delectable sushi, sashimi and other Japanese delights.

Gate Outside of Japan Pavilion

When we first entered the second-story restaurant in the Mitsukoshi-owned building, Cast Members dressed in traditional Japanese kimonos greeted us. They all graciously welcomed us into the restaurant making us feel like visitors to someone’s home instead of guests at a theme park eatery.

We were swiftly taken to a table overlooking the World Showcase lagoon. The view was spectacular! We mentally took note that this would be a fabulous spot to enjoy Illuminations in the future. A large patio wraps around the second-story giving you an enhanced view of the evening fireworks show.

Dining Room at Tokyo Dining

Tokyo Dining’s menu is comparable to other sushi restaurants. It includes the typical California roll (avocado, cucumber and crab wrapped in seaweed paper and rice) and other favorites such as Spicy Tuna and Salmon rolls, and tempura (battered covered vegetables or meat). One of the first things we noticed were the prices were right in line with other sushi restaurants we have visited (prices begin around $4).

Tokyo Dining Sushi Chefs

The menu has enough variety that we were each able to order something different, whether it was a selection of sushi and sashimi or pre-selected meals such as a Bento box.

My husband, Brett, enjoyed a Spicy Philadelphia Roll (a spicy tuna mixture with cream cheese, green onions, and sesame seed, $7.50 for a roll of 5-6 pieces) , yellowtail sashimi (fish with no rice, $9.95 for 5-6 pieces) and salmon roll (salmon wrapped in seaweed paper and rice, $6 for a roll of 5-6 pieces). The Spicy Philadelphia Roll was a pleasant surprise of hot and cool contrasting tastes. The cream cheese nicely followed the tang of the spicy tuna mixture. This roll is one we had never found at any other sushi restaurant.

Sushi Selections

On the other hand, I enjoyed a Bento box. A pre-selected concoction of beef teriyaki, seaweed salad, tuna sashimi and tempura vegetables served with Miso soup (a clear broth with tofu) and a Japanese-style side salad with ginger-infused dressing, all for $23.50. I was a bit apprehensive of the seaweed salad, but it was one of the best parts of the meal. It had a sweet flavor with a little crunch.

Bento Box

Miso Soup

To end the meal, our server brought out a special First Anniversary dessert for us. The chocolate-ginger cake (normally $5.50) is comprised of layers of ginger-flavored cake with chocolate mousse and a dark chocolate glaze. It was the perfect ending to our meal.

Chocolate Ginger Cake

Although some people are apprehensive about eating raw fish, there are many items on the menu for vegetarians and those who are picky eaters. A great rule of thumb: tempura-battered items are generally fried. You can also select sushi rolls that are made of items such as sweet potato, cucumber, asparagus and other tasty veggies. For sushi rookies, we recommend trying something such as tuna for your first raw experience due to its taste and texture.

The service and quality at Tokyo Dining is some of the best in WDW. Cast members go out of their way to make your experience pleasurable. If you decide to make this your first sushi experience, you won’t be disappointed.

WDW Moms Panelists on Best Dining Values in Disney World

By AJ 9 Comments

I’m really excited about this post in the Walt Disney World Moms Panel mini-series! You’ve met some of the moms and heard about their most magical Disney dining moments, but today we get into the nitty gritty of Walt Disney World planning: what restaurants offer the best value for the money?

Looks from the answers that the Picnic in the Park at Animal Kingdom, the Flame Tree Barbecue, and Teppan Edo were big winners in this category, along with Whispering Canyon Cafe’s skillet!

From Mom Erin F.

I’d suggest any of the buffets – particularly if you go for lunch. Have a bagel or coffee breakfast, and chow at a buffet lunch; that will get you through the day. For counter service, I’ve had good experiences with Tangierine Café – you get a variety of food and great vegetables. And my kids love flame tree barbecue.

From Mom Anna S.

A Full Plate at Teppan Edo

Good food at a worth it price for table service is Teppan Edo. Plus you get the show the chef performs in front of you to boot! We’ve always gotten very generous portions here, more than enough to share with each other without feeling like you’re sacrificing half the meal for the kids to each have a taste, and I can’t remember a time when we’ve eaten here and not had something leftover!

I’m not sure this technically counts as counter service, but I could talk all day about the Picnic in the Park at Animal Kingdom. My husband and I went with our two younger children, ordered the rotisserie chicken for three, and left with our desserts in the nifty bag they give you, we were so full! This was an awesome Disney dining experience, and we can’t wait to do it again!

From Mom Kara B.

I’m totally cheating here and going for the non-counter/non-table service restaurant: the picnic in the park at the Animal Kingdom. What a smashingly brilliant deal. We had a TON of food for a family of 5 — so much so that we brought nearly half of it home with us (glad we were at a resort with a fridge) and were left with a shopping bag that I still use all the time. I love having comments about it as clerks bag my groceries. The park is filled with all sorts of fun places to picnic; we opted for the secret path by the Tree of Life and nearly had the area to ourselves (just a few people walked through). Not to mention, ordering the picnic is simple and with little to no wait.

From Mom Joanne M.

Hands down, for me the best counter service for taste, selection and value is Wolfgang Puck Express in Downtown Disney. The menu selection has something for everyone, from pizza and pasta to sandwiches and rotisserie chicken. The food and service are consistently excellent. We often stop in on our last day and pick up a pizza for the flight home!

If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, Le Cellier in the Canadian Pavillion at Epcot (I’m really not biased) offers one of the best deals for one dining credit. The mushroom filet absolutely melts in your mouth, and similar meals are two credits at some of the other resort restaurants. And the chocolate moose dessert is super cute
and soooo good!

For overall value, I always recommend going to some of the more expensive restaurants for lunch. This way, you get to experience the finer restaurants at reduced prices. One of my new favourites is Epcot’s Chefs de France in France. They currently have an awesome table d’hote special for $20, which includes decadent
lobster chowder or the best French onion soup ever, a main course selection (including a rich quiche), and dessert. Service is fabulous, and the setting is very francais!

From Mom Amber V.

I think a great table service that offers good food at a value is the Plaza Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom. Granted, the food is nothing fancy, but the portions are plentiful and we have always enjoyed excellent service here. You really can’t go wrong with any of the sandwiches, and there are occasionally chef specials as well. The desserts alone are a reason to visit the Plaza, and they are definitely
large enough to share!

For a great counter service value we go to Cosmic Rays at the Magic Kingdom. Their combo meals are absolutely large enough to share. I also love Columbia Harbour House. It is one of my favorite counter service restaurants at Disney. I feel that the menu selection is diverse and the food is good quality and decent portion sizes.

From Mom Heather R.

The Plaza Restaurant and the Trail’s End Restaurant both fall into that category. Really, any buffet will offer bang-for-the-buck, particularly if you have big eaters (or teenage boys!) in your family.

While not the least expensive option out there, I’d highly recommend the Canyon Skillet at the Whispering Canyon Cafe in the Wilderness Lodge. It’s a family-style meal that is both delicious and bottomless! If you’re watching your budget, consider booking a late lunch for a $9 savings over dinner price.

At that same price point, for dinner I really like the clam bake at the Cape May Cafe in the Beach Club resort. It’s a buffet so you can eat till your heart is content, and I’m particularly fond of their miniature desserts (so yes, you finally can sample one of each!)

Lots of Choices at Cosmic Ray's

For counter service, I think that the Bacon Double Cheeseburger at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in the Magic Kingdom is a very good value. It’s served with fries and is really quite large, easily split between two people. Although the price point is higher, the 1/2 chicken and BBQ rib combo there is also a large meal, and a step up from typical counter service restaurant offerings.

I also found that I was unable to finish my counter service lunch of Honey Chicken from Yak and Yeti, as the portion was larger than I was expecting. When eating there the next time I’ll plan on sharing it with one of my children so we don’t have as much waste.

From Mom Whitney P.

I see “value” through two different lenses: the food plus experience and just the food. If we’re talking food plus experience, three top my list:

If you’re a parent, you may have been urged by friends to seek a Character Dining meal while at Disney. I’ve seen many parents get stressed over these meals, especially with the inability to get advanced reservations for last-minute trips. A comparable memory-making dining experience for many children can be found, however, at the animatronic restaurants of T-Rex and Rainforest Cafe. In fact, Rainforest is probably the most-requested restaurant by my kids! PLUS: the menu is more affordable than the Character Dining buffets.

A close third is Sci-Fi Dinner Theatre. It gets panned by many who are on the dining plan, and rightfully so, because you could spend that same dining credit on more expensive fare. But when I go to Disney without the dining plan, and I’m looking at paying for both the experience as well as the food, Sci-Fi fits the bill for creating a memorable theme with food that’s comparable in price to some counter-service combo meals! My husband loves the Reuben.

Your View From the Flame Tree Barbecue

If we’re talking food value sans experience, I tend to lean toward the counter-service restaurants. Again, three come to mind, all in different parks:

1. Flame Tree BBQ, Animal Kingdom: Our family of six can order two 1/2 slabs of ribs and the 1/2 chicken combo and we’re good. Top this off with a seat under the tree canopy down by the water behind the restaurant and you’ve got my number one value for food and experience for family-eating in the parks.

2. We can do the same thing at Cosmic Ray’s with its 1/2 Chicken and BBQ Rib Combo, but because the food is so similar, we usually don’t eat at both Flame Tree and Ray’s on the same trip. (By the way, while my family is gorging themselves on the ribs, I’m eating all the delicious green beans–YUM!)

3. Sunshine Seasons, Epcot: What I call their “blue-plate special” line (The Grill) offers up some pretty hefty
meals that can satisfy big appetites for under $10! The rotisserie chicken can be split between two of my boys. The seared-tuna salad is large enough to share, also!

From Mom Jo Y.

We are normally on the DDP so don’t tend to choose restaurants for the best value, rather where we’d like to dine. Saying that, though, for counter service I would say Wolfgang Puck Express in Downtown Disney offers great value for money. Although you need to stand in line to order your food like
at a regular counter service a waiter actually brings your food to the table, so it feels like a table service. The portions here are huge and the choice is extensive!

For table service I’d choose the Cape May Clam Bake; for under $30 adults can eat as much as they want from a large selection of foods including soups, salads, prime rib, shrimps, clams, vegetables etc

From Mom Kay B.

My husband insists the answer is Liberty Tree Tavern for dinner, since they will keep bringing the platters of food until you say no more! He loves the turkey and roast beef and all the “fixins” that go with that! I think there are several spots in EPCOT where you get a lot for your money and those are Nine Dragons in China and Marrakesh in Morocco.

For counter service spots, Flametree Barbecue comes to the front, and then also Cantina De San Angel in Mexico….good portions, full meals, decent pricing.

From Dad Doug I.

For table service I actually think you get a lot of good food for your money at Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Wilderness Lodge.

Mosey On Down to the Whispering Canyon Cafe

You have to be hungry to take advantage of it, but the Skillets really work out to be a decent deal in the world of Walt Disney World dining.

For counter service I think there is no better choice than Flame Tree BBQ at the Animal Kingdom. The BBQ is fantastic, and the seating area, down in the riverside grottos complete with a dense, jungle-like tree canopy, is a real treat. I think it is a better dining experience than many table service restaurants!

From Mom Jodi G.

I think the Tangierine Cafe [in Epcot’s Morocco] is a great value — my personal recommendation for those who want to try out some new foods and fill up at a great price. As for table-service, I love the Crystal Palace buffet (especially dinner) because the buffet has some great food at a good price.

From Mom Beth C.

Teppan Edo in Japan is my choice for the best value for its price. The food is fresh, delicious and cooked to order. The food is served as soon as it is cooked, which is awesome. You have a lot of food for a reasonable price and you get a “show” for free. This is also one restaurant where everyone eats everything and we have no room for dessert (and we love dessert).

For counter-service, Animal Kingdom offers the All American Family Picnic. This is a unique idea on an American classic. Guests can preorder their lunch at Island Mercantile Shop before 1:30. You have a choice of sandwiches or roasted chicken. Everyone recieves their own sandwich, dessert and drink. The sides and roasted chicken are portioned to the number of people in your party. You pick up your lunch at the Tusker House in a reusable tote you get to keep. You can then take it to one of the many picnic spots located throughout Animal Kingdom. We ordered sandwiches for four and we had food leftover. The food is from Tusker House which buffet is very good and the picnic lunch is just as yummy.

From Mom Kim L.

We get the best value at the Boma breakfast buffet. Great food, awesome atmosphere and no one leaves hungry. For counter-service, I think Earl of Sandwich at Downtown Disney provides a great meal at a value price.

Liberty Tree Tavern's Pot Roast Lunch

From Mom Margaret F.

I think the best deal for counter service on property has to be Pizza Planet at Hollywood Studios. For approximately $10, each guest can choose an individual pizza, salad and drink and for just a few dollars more a yummy dessert,. The pizza is a great portion size and easily fills us up, plus it is actually very yummy. My kids love the salad and t is just the perfect size.

For table dining locations, we love the value of the Liberty Tree Tavern lunch menu. The menu offers a great selection of hearty home cooked favorites like pot roast, the pilgrim’s feast of turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing and the catch of the day all under $20 and most around $15. The food is delicious and quite filling. The dinner menu is also a great selection of turkey, roast beef, potatoes, vegetbale and dessert served family style at approximately $30 per guest. Still a great price compared to some of the menu prices at other Disney dinner locations and my kids never leave food on the plate here.

Thanks again to all the “moms” who are participating in the interviews!

Best Restaurants for Thanksgiving at Disney World

By AJ 32 Comments

It’s time to talk turkey!

A reader comment recently prompted me to put out the feelers for the best spots to celebrate Thanksgiving in Disney World. Not surprisingly, Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Tree Tavern was suggested by most folks who responded.

Liberty Tree Tavern, in the Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square, is set up to resemble a fine patriot’s home in the 18th century.

With dark woods, vintage paintings, and even a coat and tri-cornered hat hanging by the door, you’ll feel right at home!

Liberty Tree Tavern

Now that setting might be enough to spur people to suggest Liberty Tree Tavern for Thanksgiving dinner — the atmosphere is certainly ideal for celebrating that holiday.

The (false) doorway to the Liberty Tree Tavern Home

Seating and Waiting Areas

But, the better reason to recommend it is that Liberty Tree Tavern essentially serves Thanksgiving Dinner every night! With all-you-can-eat platters of turkey, brisket, pork, mashed potatoes, stuffing, veggies, and macaroni and cheese served family style, you certainly can’t go wrong here.

Rolls and Honey Butter

Salad

Roast Pork, Turkey and Beef with Cornbread Stuffing and Chutney

Close-up - Roast Pork, Turkey and Beef

Mashed Potatoes

Carrots

Beans

Mac and Cheese

Johnny Appleseed Cake with Craisins and Ice Cream

And although the Thanksgiving-specific offerings change each year at Disney World, here’s a photo of one reader’s Liberty Tree Tavern Thanksgiving meal:

Thanksgiving Meal

You can book now for Thanksgiving evening, but I haven’t yet seen any specifics of the Thanksgiving offerings at Disney World come over the airwaves. Most table-service restaurants do offer some sort of special Thanksgiving meal.

Other Suggestions
While Liberty Tree Tavern was the most-suggested restaurant, the two runners-up were Artist Point, at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort, and Germany’s Biergarten, at Epcot’s World Showcase.

Other restaurants that were mentioned include: California Grill, Crystal Palace, ‘Ohana, Le Cellier, Jiko, Cinderella’s Royal Table, Garden Grill, ESPN Zone (for the Game!), and Akershus.

Be sure to check out the other “Best Disney World Restaurants” posts in this series!

Thanks to T Holland for sharing her photo!

Kouzzina Grand Opening at Disney World’s Boardwalk

By AJ 12 Comments

Mickey and Cat

Kouzzina (Greek for “Kitchen”) was opened this morning by Chef Cat Cora and her staff, to a huge cheer of “Opah!” Believe it or not, this is Cora’s FIRST signature restaurant — I’m so excited it’s at Disney World!

Celebrity chef Cat Cora prepares dishes prior to the grand opening of her first signature restaurant

Kouzzina Exhibition Kitchen

Open for breakfast and dinner, the Kouzzina’s menu includes “time-honored recipes passed down from my ancestors, as well as my favorite Greek and Mediterranean dishes that my family loves,” Cora told Disney PR. For breakfast, try steel-cut cinnamon oatmeal, blueberry orange granola pancakes, or the stacked Kouzzina breakfast with two poached eggs, kalamata olive toast, artichoke spread, sweet potato hash and bacon or chicken sausage.

Prior to dinner, sample “Cat’s Ouzo-tini,” Mediterranean sangria, and her own wine label, Coranation, featuring California wines. For an appetizer: calamari, goat cheese-stuffed grape leaves, spinach pie, and Spiro’s (Cat’s Dad!) Greek Salad. Entrées include cinnamon stewed chicken, traditional whole fish, and Pastitisio — a Greek “lasagna.” (See full Kouzzina menus here.)

Kouzzina Ouzo-tini featuring Absolut vodka, Metaxa ouzo, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice and pomegranate served in a sugar-rimmed martini glass shaken and served tableside

Kouzzina Spiro's Salad: tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, kalamata olives and feta

Kouzzina Spanakopita

Kouzzina Cinnamon-stewed chicken, with tomatoes, herbed orzo and Mizithra cheese

Kouzzina Whole Fish

Kouzzina lamb burger, dressed with olives and feta, with a side of sweet potato fries

Kouzzina Pastitisio, with bucatini pasta, cinnamon-stewed meat sauce, and béchamel sauce

Kouzzina Baklava with Pistachio Gelato

The restaurant replaces another Mediterranean spot on the Boardwalk, Spoodles, recently closed to make way for Cora’s new spot. The kitchen will be presided over by Chef Dee Foundoukis.

Kouzzina Chef Dee Foundoukis

According to Disney’s press release, Cora began working with Disney in 2008 by creating a Disney Video on Demand series to showcase ways to help families develop more healthy eating habits. Cora has been a featured chef at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and at Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival at Disneyland Resort.

Be sure to check out other Kouzzina Food Photos from the restaurant’s soft opening in August!

All images copyright Disney.

Food Post Weekly Round-Up: Sept. 13

By AJ 2 Comments

Animal Kingdom eat here

Howdy, all! I’ve been on vacation this week and might have missed a few food posts; if you’ve caught some that aren’t mentioned here, drop me a line and I’ll add them! In the meantime, these ones are pretty fantastic:

Jim Hill Media essays about Cap’n Jack’s Menu Change and La Cava del Tequila: As we’ve come to expect from Jim Hill’s site, there are some fantastic photos here, along with pics of the new menu at Cap’n Jack’s Restaurant in Downtown Disney!

The Disney Chick whips up some Guinness Stew from Rose and Crown Dining Room: This favorite from Epcot’s local pub is another Disney Chick hit. As usual, she includes photos of each step of the recipe (great for all the visual learners out there, like me!).

Theme Park Mom lists Four Sandwiches To Try at Disney World: Nom, nom, nom! Put these on your list to grab on your next trip!

Cantina de San Angel’s NEW Menu

By AJ 13 Comments

Many thanks to Amanda Tinney, writer of the rockin’ new blog DisneyEveryDay.com, for guest blogging about this new menu! Can’t wait to try it! (Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full menu)

While wandering the World Showcase promenade yesterday I passed through Mexico, and something strange caught my eye. It was the round menu plaque, whose twin hangs on the pillar flanking each side of the entrance to the Cantina de San Angel Inn (Mexico’s Counter Service Restaurant). Chilaquiles! Chilaquiles, caught my eye! I have passed by these pillars many times before and have never seen that word. I have only had the pleasure of sampling Chilaquiles (pronounced cheela keeleez) at Mexico’s booth during the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival and they were delicious…spicy but delicious. Looks like they have taken up a permanent residence here at the Cantina de San Angel.

New Menu at Cantina de San Angel

My guest and I decided that we would have to go check out the new offerings that very day. We had already eaten lunch and it was not quite time for dinner yet so we settled on an order of Guacamole with Corn Tortilla Chips. This turned out to be a fantastic choice! The price was just right at $5.50 and the portion size was large enough to fill both of us up. The guacamole was smooth and buttery with just the right portions of heat and tang. It was topped with fresh, diced tomatoes. The ratio of chips to dip was also portioned out so that “no chip was left behind”. The dish was made to order so that the chips on the bottom stayed crisp and did not get soggy under the dip. You can definitely taste the onion in this dish so if you are on a date, either bring a breath mint or make sure your other half eats their fair share. This item is also NOT part of the Disney Dining Plan, but is certainly enough for two people.

Cantina Chips and Guacamole

I asked a cast member when the menu had changed and was told that it had been about two months ago. I also asked if the Chilaquiles on their menu were the same as the Chilaquiles served at the Food and Wine Festival. I remembered that the Food and Wine Festival version had a green tomatilla sauce. She informed me that the sauce for the Cantina de San Angel version was topped with a red sauce.

Everything on the new menu looked delicious! The cold beer, margaritas, and churros are still a mainstay on the menu along with the newer items, which round out the offerings. The next time you visit Epcot make sure to stop by the Cantina de San Angel and turn your meal into a Fiesta!

Cantina de San Angel Menu and Prices:

Chilaquilies con Pollo – $9.99 – Fried corn tortillas with melted Monterey Jack cheese, chicken and red sauce, topped with onions and sour cream, served with black refried beans and rice.

Burrito de Carnitas – $8.99 – Flour chipotle tortilla filled with pulled pork, black beans, rice, shredded lettuce, cheese and salsa.

Cantina Nachos – $8.75 – Tortilla Chips with beef, cheese, tomatoes, jalapeno peppers and sour cream.

Guacamole with Corn Tortilla Chips – $5.50 – Avocado dip mixed with onions, cilantro, chile serrano and lime.

Kids Picks – $4.99 – (for our guests 9 years old and younger) Choice of grilled cheese quesadilla or chicken nuggets. Served with corn chips with cheese sauce and carrots. Includes choice of 1% milk, bottle of water, or small soft drink.

Churros – $3.25 – Fried dough rolled in cinnamon sugar.

Bunuelos – $2.95 – Round fritter sprinkled with sugar.

Beverages – from $2.19 to $2.49

XX Lager Draft Beer – $7.50

Frozen Margarita – $8.99 – Tequila, Triple Sec and Lime Juice

Frozen Pina Colada – $8.99 – Rum and Pina Colada Mix

Best Disney World Restaurants When You Don’t Have A Reservation!

By AJ 29 Comments

It’s happened to all of us — you need some eats and have no advanced dining reservation (ADR) for a meal at Disney World. No matter if it’s on purpose or by accident, sometimes those nights you have to “wing it” can end in a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter from the Hess Station if you’re not prepared (speaking from experience!). DisneyFoodBlog readers have pulled together their suggestions for the best Disney World restaurants they count on when they’re starving and minus a reservation (thanks again for everyone who contributed)! Quick reminder, though, when Disney World’s busy, you’re probably going to have a wait everywhere. These might get you in a little quicker…

Restaurant Marrakesh, Morocco, Epcot’s World Showcase
Coming in strong at the top is Restaurant Marrakesh, serving authentic African Mediterranean dishes in a beautiful setting. Wind through Morocco’s medina to the back of the pavilion to find the small door of the restaurant. The King of Morocco sent his own artisans and tile-workers to create the Morocco pavilion, and Marrakesh’s decor is stunning. (Even if you’re not dining there, head in to take a picture or two!)

Marrakesh Dining Room

Marrakesh Decor

The Dinner Menu at Marrakesh includes plenty of couscous, the National dish of Morocco, along with chicken, mussels, and other authentic cuisine.

Atlantic Salmon

Sampler Platter

For more food photos, just visit the umbrella’d podium at the front of the Morocco pavilion; they’ve set up a cast member with a large photo album of food pictures of the dishes at Restaurant Marrakesh in hopes of driving more traffic to the establishment.

Bonus: There’s some great entertainment — belly dancers! — at Restaurant Marrakesh!

Biergarten, Germany Pavilion, Epcot’s World Showcase
Biergarten in Epcot’s Germany was a shock to me when it came in at the number two spot for places to go without an ADR (good to know that I can head over there anytime!)! Every review I’ve seen of Biergarten has been positive, and with family-style seating (meaning you’ll probably be seated at a long table with one or two other parties) and some fantastic entertainment, the restaurant offers great opportunity for fun.

Celebrating With Steins!

Christmas Entertainment

Dancing the Night Away

Riiiiiiiicolaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Not sure the menu will agree with you? Biergarten is a buffet, which means there’s something for everyone! Lots of spaetzel, wurst, pretzel, and sauerkraut, but there’s mac n cheese, too, just in case!

Famous Pretzel Bread Rolls

Wurst and More

Carving Board

Maya Grill, Coronado Springs Resort
Maya Grill came in a distant third in the poll, but it was mentioned several times and deserved a spot in the blog. This restaurant is located in Coronado Springs Resort and serves dishes representative of the resort’s southwestern USA and northern Mexico theme.

Maya Grill

As a general rule, restaurants at Disney’s moderate-level and Disney Vacation Club resorts don’t fill up as fast as the theme park and regular resort restaurants, so these are good spots to stop for an unplanned meal.

Other Suggestions
While these three were the most-suggested, there were several others mentioned that you should keep in the back of your mind as “just-in-case” locations. Thanks again to everyone who contributed ideas!:

Captain’s Grille, Yacht Club Resort
Olivia’s, Old Key West Resort
Rainforest Cafe, Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Kona Cafe, Polynesian Resort
San Angel Inn, Epcot’s World Showcase, Mexico
Yak and Yeti, Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Turf Club, Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa
Mama Melrose, Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park
Nine Dragons, Epcot’s World Showcase, China
Trails End, Fort Wilderness Resort
Grand Floridian Cafe, Grand Floridian Resort and Spa
ESPN Zone, Disney’s Boardwalk
Big River Grille and Brewing Works, Disney’s Boardwalk
Fulton’s Crab House, Downtown Disney
Raglan Road, Downtown Disney
The Plaza Restaurant, Magic Kingdom Theme Park

Let me know your thoughts (and YOUR top spots for grabbing an unplanned meal!) via facebook, twitter, or email!

Check out the other “Best Disney World Restaurants” in our series!

Disney World Restaurant Birthday Treats

By AJ 44 Comments

One of the first things people tell you when you’re visiting Disney World over your birthday is, “Get the Birthday Button! You might get free stuff!”

Birthday Button

The truth is, Disney restaurants actually do some wonderful things to celebrate birthdays (some free; some requiring advance preparation by you!). Because today is my birthday, I wanted to share a few of the fantastic birthday surprises you can find in Disney restaurants. (Thanks to the DisneyFoodBlog readers who contributed their celebration photos to the gallery below! The Gallery is being updated continuously as folks send in photos — so keep checking back for more pics!)

And if you’re thinking you might want to order an incredible cake like some of those shown in the gallery, just check out our Disney Cake Ordering FAQ for Disney World and Disneyland!

Disney Restaurant Birthday Surprises

When you call to book your dining reservations, let the Disney agents know that you’ll be celebrating a birthday on your upcoming trip. They’ll make notes in the reservation so that the restaurant is aware of your celebration. (Be sure to remind the cast member at the podium when you arrive; some notes slip through the cracks when things get busy…) If you’re making your reservations online, be sure to enter in your “celebration” at the end of the process!

The last time we celebrated a birthday in the parks, we headed right over to one of our favorite character meals: Crystal Palace! When there’s note of your celebration, Crystal Palace cast members decorate your table with multi-colored Mickey confetti and festive streamers. This lets your server know that someone’s celebrating, which results in a delicious cupcake and a card signed by the whole gang (no cost to you, of course)! Looks like the card is a bit outdated, eh? Where’s the Animal Kingdom?

Disney's Standard Birthday Card

Cupcake and Card at Crystal Palace

I’ve also had this wonderful treatment at Yachtsman Steakhouse, where the card was signed by nearly a dozen characters (I just don’t know WHERE they found all of them so late at night!), and the dessert was not just a cupcake, but a delicious soaked sponge cake molded with chocolate.

On another recent trip, I dined at Citricos, where I was presented with a semi-personalized “Happy Birthday” souvenir menu. Although the dessert I ordered wasn’t free (that I can remember), it was beautifully decorated to wish me a happy celebration. I’ve heard tell that Disney will be phasing out these Happy Birthday menus, which I think is unfortunate. It really does make one feel special!

Citricos Happy Birthday Menu

Citricos Dessert

Celebrations Planned in Advance

Most of the above occurred with little or no planning of ours; all we did was let the restaurant know that there was a birthday, and Disney did the rest.

But if you’d like to be a bit more grand with your celebration, you can plan in advance to have Disney create a dessert that will serve everyone in your party!

Be sure to check out our “Disney Cake Ordering FAQ” for all the details!! 🙂

Disney World Celebrations Page

Be sure to call the Walt Disney World Resort at (407) 827-2253 (the cake hotline) at least 48 hours in advance.

Special Tip: As you can see above, even if you didn’t plan for a cake in advance, you can still order a 6-inch cake upon arrival at most Disney table-service restaurants. These are available in both chocolate and vanilla. No notice is necessary. (I’m SO glad they’ve started doing this…I’m horrible about advance planning!) These cakes even come in versions for special diets!

Disney Food Blog Reader Celebrations!

To quote Lavar Burton, “Don’t take my word for it!” Here are just a few of the grand ways some DisneyFoodBlog readers have celebrated birthdays in Disney World:

Chip 'n Dale Cake at California Grill

Splash Mountain Cake at California Grill

Hayley Mills Cake at California Grill

Dessert from the Empire Grill at the Ambassador Hotel, Tokyo Disneyland

Reader Debi W. shared this helpful info: This cake was ordered from Wilderness Lodge. They delivered it to Trails End at Fort Wilderness since we were camping there. We just had to pick it up. The writing was done in chocolate (a complete surprise), was yellow cake with raspberry filling, buttercream frosting. Very happy with what we got. We were there in December celebrating my son’s 5th birthday. I was able to order this cake based on finding your blog! It was very helpful for our entire trip, keep up the great work!

5th Birthday

Birthday Cake from WL Bakery

Vanilla Cake with Raspberry Filling

Cinderella's Royal Table Birthday

Kona Cafe, Polynesian Resort: Birthday Treat

Rose and Crown Dining Room, Epcot World Showcase: Advance Reserved Cake

Rose and Crown Dining Room, Epcot World Showcase: Advance Prep Cake

Celebrating a birthday at Rose and Crown

50's Prime Time Cafe, Disney's Hollywood Studios: Birthday Treat

Cinderella's Royal Table, Magic Kingdom: Advance Reserved White Chocolate Slipper Dessert

Cinderella's Royal Table, Magic Kingdom: Advance Prep White Chocolate Slipper Dessert

Paradise Pier, Disney's California Adventure, Disneyland: Birthday Treat

Liberty Tree Tavern, Magic Kingom: Birthday Treat

Boma, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge: Advance Reserved Birthday Cake by Chef TJ

Boma, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge: Inside the cake!

Chef Mickey, Disney's Contemporary Resort: Birthday Treat

Cinderella's Royal Table, Magic Kingdom: Birthday Treat

Another from Cinderella's Royal Table, Magic Kingdom: Birthday Treat

50's Prime Time Cafe, Disney's Hollywood Studios: Advanced Reserved Vegan Cake

Garden Grill, Epcot Future World: Make Your Own Birthday Treat

50's Prime Time Cafe, Disney's Hollywood Studios: Advanced Reserved Vegan Cake

Boma, Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge: Birthday Treat

Here are three photos of an AMAZING 4th Anniversary Cake. The only instructions to Chef Brian at the California Grill were: “small, haunted mansion, 4 years, chocolate and raspberry.” Incredible.

Haunted Mansion Cake

Another California Grill, Disney's Contemporary Resort: Birthday Treat

Brown Derby, Disney's Hollywood Studios: Birthday Treat

1900 Park Faire, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa: Birthday Treat

50's Prime Time Cafe, Disney's Hollywood Studios: Birthday Treat

Le Cellier, Epcot's World Showcase: Birthday Treat

Citricos, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa: Birthday Treat

Princess Katy's Birthday Bash at Cinderella's Royal Table, Magic Kingdom: Birthday Treat

Key Lime Creme Brulee at Narcoossee's, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa: Birthday Treat

Narcoossee's, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa: Birthday Treat

Cinderella's Royal Table, Magic Kingdom: Birthday Treat

Cape May Cafe, Disney's Beach Club Resort: Birthday Treat

Princess Chloe at Akershus, Epcot's Norway: Pre-Ordered Birthday Cake

(Love this one!) 50's Prime Time Cafe, Disney's Hollywood Studios: Birthday Treat

Chef Mickey's Birthday Cake -- name is blurred as it was for a celebrity

Le Cellier Birthday Treat

Cinderella's Breakfast Birthday Treat

Tusker House Birthday Treat

Chef Mickey's Birthday Treat

Chef Mickey's Birthday Cupcake

Cape May Cafe Birthday Treat

Artist Point Birthday Cobbler

Tony's Town Square Special Order Birthday Cake

Birthday at Shutters

Birthday celebration at Crystal Palace

When Reader Karen F. called for reservations at the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, she requested a special cake for her great niece, Baylee. See below the cake that was “so delicious”!

Akershus Birthday Cake

Reader Susan P. ordered a cake from the Yacht and Beach Club Bakery to surprise her sister with an upcoming Disney Fantasy cruise. She had it delivered to Le Cellier in Epcot.

Disney Fantasy Cake!

Readers Hal and Holly shared this photo from their son’s “build your own sundae birthday celebration at Le Cellier”!

Le Cellier's Build Your Own Sundae Birthday Treat!

If you’ve got a photo to add to this gallery, let me know via facebook, twitter, or email. Thanks!

Best Disney World Restaurants for Vegetarians

By AJ 21 Comments

Boma Open Kitchen

This is a tough blog post, as people define “Vegetarian” in so many different ways! To try to give you the most up-to-date and tested information, I’ve included readers’ top picks for table-service and counter-service locations and rounded out the post with some great feedback from travel-blogger SoloFriendly, who’s got some great ideas for meat-free Disney World dishes. Finally, I’ve listed a few other resources for you to check out if you’re doing Disney as a vegetarian or a vegan.

Reader Picks: Table-Service
Boma
Boma, Jambo House, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Boma was the landslide winner among food blog readers who chimed in about Vegetarian options. It’s a buffet, which automatically offers a wide variety of choices; but with an emphasis on African soups, hummus, salads, and grain-based dishes, it’s a great option for meat-free eating.

Reader Comment from Beth via facebook:
Hubby is vegetarian when out thanks to being Kosher at home. His favorite was Boma since there was so much to pick from. The staff there was amazing to walk around and tell everything that was safe if you requested it.

Sanaa, Kidani Village, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

One of the newer restaurants in Disney World, Sanaa has another African- and Asian- themed menu (dinner menu) on which every section has at least one (and usually many) mouth-watering vegetarian selections.

While I loved my meal there, I’ll quote SoloFriendly’s helpful comments:

Sanaa Spinach and Paneer Cheese

They’ve got a lot of very creative menu items that are vegetarian, so if I was really sick of salads and wanted something totally different, I’d go here. They offer all sorts of wonderful breads and vegetarian accompaniments, more than one vegetarian appetizer (paneer cheese, roasted cauliflower, and potato and pea samosas) and entree, unusual salad choices, and a vegetarian soup. There is no doubt in my mind I could have a very filling and delicious meal here without eating meat. In fact, I could do so more than once without repeating the same dish twice. (By the way, here’s SoloFriendly’s Sanaa Review)

Wolfgang Puck Cafe, Downtown Disney

This well-known Downtown Disney restaurant features several meatless choices, including creative salads, vegetarian pasta dishes, and yummy flatbreads/pizzas. The most famous item, however, is the butternut-squash soup! Here’s the dinner menu, and for some photos, SoloFriendly’s Wolfgang Puck Cafe review.

Reader Comment from Jennifer via facebook:
Wofgang Puck’s. Between sushi, salmon, margherita pizza, and [pumpkin] ravioli, you have many options.

Tusker House Buffet

Tusker House, Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Coming highly recommended by readers (and me!), Tusker House serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets in the Animal Kingdom theme park. Vegetarian options abound at all meals, and servers will gladly show you which items are vegetarian. This gives a quick list of some items that are routinely available on the lunch/dinner buffets, including Hummus and baba ghanoush, Jollaf rice, Pearl couscous with sweet basil essence, Spiced tandoori tofu, and Tunisian couscous salad.

Vegetarian Quiche and Coconut Sweet Potato Casserole

Reader Comment from Erwin via facebook:
For ease of locating things, Tusker House. Last time we were there, the server pointed out that (facing the buffet from the dining room) everything to the left of the dessert island was vegetarian, with the obvious exception of the meats on the deli board. Everything to the right was not, which included the Israeli couscous side dish (probably made with chicken broth).

Reader Picks: Counter-Service

Tangierine Cafe

Tangierine Cafe, Morocco Pavilion, Epcot’s World Showcase
Another multi-vote winner, Tangierine Cafe offers numerous wraps and side dishes that are, or can be made, vegetarian. Check out SoloFriendly’s photo-packed review of her Vegetable Platter dinner, which includes “falafel bread, olive salad, hummus, lentil salad, tabouleh, and a tangierine couscous salad,” at the cafe.

Reader Comment from @jobber99 via twitter, recalling his favorite veggie meal at Tangierine Cafe: Falafel with hummus, pita, rice, taboueh, and baklava.

Sunshine Seasons

Sunshine Seasons, The Land, Epcot’s Future World
Sunshine Seasons always tops best counter-service lists, and this is no exception. The food-court-style restaurant offers different stations for different types of food, including Asian Cuisine-inspired foods, Soup and Salads, Sandwiches, Grilled items, and Desserts.

Sunshine Seasons Asian Cuisine Station

In addition to the standard vegetarian fare (soups and salads) at Sunshine Seasons, you can find grilled vegetable sandwiches and other vegetarian entrees.

Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe, Tomorrowland, Magic Kingdom
Cosmic Ray’s is truly a favorite among vegetarians for its (actually quite good!) veggie burgers and vegetable wraps. Perhaps the out-of-this-world (sorry. had to do it.) burger fixin’s bar will sway your decision… .

Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe

Other reader suggestions included: Garden Grill (dish suggestion: tofu veggie noodles), Columbia Harbour House (dish suggestion: lighthouse sandwich), Yak and Yeti (make a meal of the veggie side dishes), Starring Rolls Cafe (dish suggestion: Veggie Wrap), Mama Melrose’s, Coral Reef (dish suggestion: Wild Mushroom Lasagna), Coronado Springs’ Pepper Market, California Grill, Chef Mickey’s, Kona Cafe, and The Hollywood Brown Derby. We’d love to hear your suggestions; contact Disney Food Blog via facebook, twitter, or email.

Cosmic Ray’s Condiment Bar

If these suggestions don’t strike your fancy, remember that Disney offers a whole website page about special dining options as well as phone numbers and email addresses to connect with dining personnel before your trip. This is a great way to get information and request special dining options for your vacation. Disney is very accommodating when it comes to ensuring your dining experience is a good one; it just may take a bit of pre-planning. Also, if you’re already in a restaurant and don’t see anything for you on the menu, mention to your server that you’d like to hear more about Vegetarian and Vegan options. Many Disney World Chefs are more than willing to put together a delectable dish just for you — even on short notice!

Disney Contact Information for Special Diet Considerations
General Disney Special Diets Contact: [email protected], or 407-824-5967
Animal Kingdom: [email protected], or 407-938-3288
Hollywood Studios: [email protected], or 407-560-3551
Epcot: [email protected], or 407-560-6395
Magic Kingdom: [email protected], or 407-824-5967
(thanks to WDWinfo)

Other Helpful Links, Books, and Tips
Helpful grid of Vegetarian and Vegan items in Disney World Parks: While this does not include all restaurants and dining locations (and no resort options), it’s still a VERY helpful guide for those visiting the parks.
Vegetarian Walt Disney World and Greater Orlando (2000): One of the only dining guides for vegetarians in Disney World
Vegetarian Walt Disney World and Greater Orlando, Second Edition (2003)
Website and Book Updates For Vegetarian Walt Disney World and Greater Orlando

As a disclaimer, in this blog post “Vegetarian” pretty much means the ingredients are “meat-free;” the qualification does not pertain to how or where the dishes are cooked, and does not take into consideration inclusion of eggs/dairy.

Check out the other “Best Disney World Restaurants” in our series!