food IS a theme park
Are you PREPARED for PANDORA?!?
“Prepare for Pandora” construction sign
If not, it will be much easier now to start preparing, since now we have an OPENING DATE for Pandora — The World of AVATAR! This brand new Animal Kingdom land will officially open on May 27th!! Guests can look forward to two new headliner attractions with the Na’vi River Journey and Avatar Flight of Passage. [Read more…]
With so much exciting news in the Disney food world lately (hello, Epcot International Festival of the Arts), we have one more treat to put on your radar. The Disney Classics Shortbread Cookie is popping up on shelves all over the World — and it is adorable.
Classics Mickey Shortbread Cookie
Look at that face, friends. Doesn’t it just make you want to take a big bite out of an ear? [Read more…]
Over the weekend, we had the opportunity to get a sneak peek at Paddlefish, the latest restaurant to open in Disney Springs.
I say “latest,” but Paddlefish is simultaneously one of Disney Springs’ oldest and newest stops. That’s because Paddlefish is just the latest tenant in a restaurant that’s been in this area for quite some time. If you’ve been following along, then you know Paddlefish was most recently known as Fulton’s Crab House. And before that, you may have known it as the Empress Lilly, originally opened in 1977 and named for Walt Disney’s beloved wife.
With the revamping and major overhaul that Downtown Disney — now Disney Springs — has recently experienced, the old riverboat theming of Fulton’s wasn’t going to flow with the new vibe. And so, the restaurant’s owner, Levy Restaurants, signed to stay on in Disney Springs, and commenced to a stem to stern reimagining of the Old Girl.
We had a chance to take a look around at the new space, which opened to the public February 4th. Join us on a tour.
As with the rest of Disney Springs, Paddlefish somehow manages to channel past and future at the same time, all with an industrial vibe.
Paddlefish — Outside View
If you were familiar with Fulton’s, you’ll see the stark contrast between old and new right away. Gone is the old-timey riverboat look. In its place is a neutral palette of grey and white with touches of rich stained wood. [Read more…]
Hello and Happy Monday! We’ve been busy putting together another gotta-watch-it-now DFB Video to share with you. But today, we’re heading to California!
Yep — It’s a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth — Disneyland, that is — to check out Disneyland Meals Under $20!
And seriously — we totally get that there are TONS of foods you can get under $20. I mean, I could make a meal out of popcorn.
Update: Thanks to our commenters for letting us know that some cast members simply won’t/can’t fulfill this request without a manager’s approval. Good luck!
I’ve always loved the Citrus Swirl at Magic Kingdom’s Sunshine Tree Terrace. Who doesn’t? If you haven’t had one — it’s basically frozen orange juice swirled with vanilla soft serve. And it’s everything.
And even though there was a time where it was off the menu (we call those the “unmagical” days…and then there were the SUPER “unmagical” days when they SAID they brought it back, but it was just orange soft serve twisted with vanilla. NOT. THE. SAME.), it’s back again and has been for a while, thank goodness.
But today we’re not just talking about your run-of-the-mill Citrus Swirl. No sir. We’ve got a twist (see what I did there? of course you did.) that I think some of you will really like. ;-D Maybe not all of you. Maybe just a few of you. But if you’re as excited about this as I am, we’re clearly best friends and we need to hang out.
Sunshine Tree Terrace
Standard Citrus Swirl — frozen orange juice swirled with vanilla soft serve
First — you’ve got to make your way to Sunshine Tree Terrace. It sits right at the entrance to Adventureland, so it’s pretty easy to find. OH, and if this looks like Aloha Isle to you, remember that the two traded places a while back. 😉
Say it ain’t so…
Actually, those are the same words that came to mind when Writer’s Stop — a unique little coffee and pastry shop that used to be open in Hollywood Studios — closed a few months ago to make way for construction of the future Toy Story and Star Wars lands.
Only this time, these words apply to yet another beloved pastry stop in Hollywood Studios: Starring Rolls Cafe, located on the intersection of Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards.
While Starring Rolls IS open today from 9:00 am – 3:00PM, we were told when we were in the shop recently that starting February 5th, 2017, the location will be shuttered.
Here are the details: Starring Rolls Cafe is, indeed, closed starting tomorrow, February 5th. The Cast Members — who will be moved to other locations — have not been informed as to whether or not the spot will reopen in the future.
Starring Rolls Cafe in Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Wow. While Writer’s Stop was known and loved primarily for one snack above all else, the Carrot Cake Cookie, but I don’t even know where to begin with Starring Rolls. How can I possibly narrow down from ALL the favorites that have come from Starring Rolls over the years? [Read more…]
It’s official! We have visited the newly-opened Planet Hollywood Observatory!
We came. We saw. We conquered…And We Were Thoroughly Underwhelmed. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
A major overhaul to the inside, outside, and menu seemed like the perfect excuse to head on back to Planet Hollywood. So armed with a hearty appetite and a couple of friends, I set out for what was a big, faded blue orb, and is now Disney Springs’ newest “old, repurposed” building (Disney Springs is said to be based on a town in the 1920s that grew up around a natural spring — and many of the buildings have been repurposed into shopping and dining venues…so they all look vaguely industrial).
We don’t want give away the last line in this saga, so let’s start from the beginning. (Hint. It wasn’t all bad.) By the way, this is going to be a LONG review, so settle in, my friends!
Have you been to Disney Springs, formerly known as Downtown Disney? Then you know exactly where to find Planet Hollywood Observatory. It hasn’t moved. (Oh, and we’re calling it PHO from here on out, K?)
Outside View
We walked around the building while the light was still good, just so you could get a sense of how much things have — and haven’t — changed. As you can see, most of the neon, and all of the blue, are gone. Also gone is the sign at the top of the sign. Unfortunately, nothing has replaced it, so the whole thing looks a bit — okay, a LOT — unfinished. [Read more…]
Oh my WORD there’s so much great Disney news this week! And today is no slouch!
March 1st will herald the official arrival of SPRING to Disney World with the kickoff of the 2017 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival, running through May 29th! And we’ve got some serious scoop for you!!
Flower and Garden Festival Passport
We have the FULL LIST of Booths and Menus for the event’s Outdoor Kitchens (including two BRAND NEW BOOTHS!), the Garden Rocks Concert Series Lineup (with Dining Packages available for the first time this year!), and more to tell you about!
So, let’s waste no time… [Read more…]
EDITOR’S UPDATE: The Nachos Rio Grande Challenge will no longer be available after September 30, 2017. However, we’ll be on the lookout for future “Secret Menu” offerings rumored for the Magic Kingdom!
What’s that? You’ve never heard of the Nachos Rio Grande Challenge at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom?
Yeah, don’t feel bad. ‘Cause I’d never heard of it either until just a couple of weeks ago! ;-D But I was so excited when one of our readers asked about the “giant nachos” at Pecos Bill’s. And I was even more excited when I headed over to check them out! (Luckily, they just started these a couple of months ago, and they weren’t publicized anywhere…so I can sort of forgive myself that I didn’t know about them til now.)
As is the case with other “challenges” around Disney World — like the Kitchen Sink Sundae at Beaches and Cream — this one is pricey…and meant to enjoy with a crowd! And I was so excited to find an awesome family to share them with me on my visit!
There’s a lot of hoopla that accompanies ordering the Nachos Rio Grande, and I wanted you to see it firsthand! Check it out!!
OK, the video shows EVERYTHING (so go watch it! And subscribe to our channel! ;-D), but here’s the gist!
To get the Nachos Rio Grande, you need to arrive between 3 and 6PM at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe in Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland. Let a cast member know you’d like to order the secret Nachos, and the whole restaurant will start buzzing with excitement! I quickly found out that the Nachos serve 6-8 people — or MORE — and the order brings with it a whole “VIP experience” at Pecos Bill’s.
Cast Members ready to get the party started for the Nachos Rio Grande!
After you order (and pay the astronomical $90 price tag — yeah, you REALLY have to want some big nachos to pay that much), cast members will don their special cowboy hats and escort you back to a reserved table set with pioneer-style tin plates and checkered napkins. [Read more…]
A brand new restaurant is opening SOON at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge!
Artist rendering of Geyser Point Bar & Grill ©Disney
In fact, it looks like Monday, February 13th, may be the date set for the opening of Geyser Point Bar & Grill, a pool bar that will blend in with the Pacific Northwest feel of the Resort. (And, yes, this location was originally slated to open in the summer, sooo… SURPRISE!! ;-D). [Read more…]
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