food IS a theme park
Looking to bring some Disney magic to your dinner table? Many recipes from the Disney parks are accessible via our recipe page as well as various cookbooks that you can purchase online!
Minnie Mouse at Chef Mickey’s
Today we’ll be highlighting three Disney recipes that you can make tonight with ingredients you most likely already have in your pantry!
The Epcot International Festival of the Holidays has ARRIVED!
Epcot’s Festival of the Holidays
This annual Epcot Festival started on November 29th and runs through December 30, 2019. Featuring over a dozen international food booths and international Holiday Storytellers, guests can enjoy learning about cultures from ALL around the world!
BONJOUR! We are having a blast eating our way through the 2019 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.
2019 Epcot Food and Wine Festival
We’ve been jammin’ out to the Eat the Beat Concerts, spending too much $$$ on adorable souvenirs, and of course, eating our way around the 30+ Festival Kiosks. Thank goodness the festival is a record-breaking 87 days this year — there is so much to do! Including a recent return visit to one of our favorite Festival Special Events: the Parisian Breakfast.
If you’ve ever reviewed a list of dining options in Epcot’s World Showcase at Walt Disney World, you may have noticed that some pavilions have more eateries than others. France and Japan, in particular, not only have several restaurants each, they’re both in the process of adding new restaurants as well, which will bring the restaurant total in France to five and in Japan to four.
World Showcase
The answer to this question is a little complicated. You may think that the inequality is due to French and Japanese cuisine being more celebrated in the real world, and thus restaurants in these pavilions are naturally more popular. [Read more…]
Tucked away towards the back of Epcot’s France Pavilion is one of our favorite spots for French pastries, sandwiches and specialty items.
Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie in Epcot’s France Pavilion
And on our last visit to Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie in Epcot’s France Pavilion we noticed a menu item that seems like a combination of two of our favorite things: delicious croissants and breakfast!
Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie Menu
Under the Specialties Section of the menu is the Croissant Salé!
Alrighty, Guys — it’s time for another fun Disney Food Blog Challenge. And this one is definitely for the grown ups!
Everyone’s aware that craft Beer has become increasingly popular. Sure, through the years, you always had the garden variety options…
Lovely Beer!
But these days, Craft Beers and International Selections are where it’s at. So we thought that it was high time we take a closer look at some of the interesting beer that you can get throughout Walt Disney World.
In the interest of interactive fun, we decided to come up with another DFB Food — er, Beverage — Crawl, dedicated to the world of beer, and all that it encompasses.
And we know that there are LOTS of you out there who are serious about your study and research of this important subject. We are in it for the fun. 😉 So we definitely want YOUR comments below on what you think the Can’t Miss Beers of Walt Disney World are!
Because this is a rather weighty subject, we’ll spread it out over a 3 day visit. But feel free to consolidate as your tolerance level allows.
Grab some beer nuts, and let’s go!
We’ll start our 3-day Beer Crawl in the best place for sampling a wide variety of food and drink — Epcot!
When beer is the main attraction of the day, it’s a good idea to get some sustenance first thing. We love to enter Epcot via the International Gateway Entrance and start our day with a stop in Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie in the France Pavilion for a petit déjeuner of French Pastries and Coffee or Chocolat Chaud.
We especially love the Frangipane Triangles!
Frangipane — Cross Section
If you’d like a full-on breakfast platter-type situation, head to Sunshine Seasons (although the Croissant Berry Bread Pudding gets our vote).
Fueled up and ready to go, it’s time to hit World Showcase!
We all have our traditions, and one that we love to embrace is the First Beer of the Day in Epcot. And that honor almost always goes to Moosehead as we begin our Drinking Journey around the World! Find it at the Canada Beer Stand located near the entrance to Le Cellier Steakhouse.
The beer offerings in Canada
Stroll the area, making time to check out the Totem Poles before you head to your next stop.
With a small breakfast and your first brew under your belt, it’s time to stop for lunch and more beer in one of our favorite Epcot dining spots.
The Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room in the UK Pavilion offers a wide array of beer and cider from the British Isles. Make your advance dining reservation ahead of time for a sit down meal, or take a gamble with finding a spot in the pub (it can get pretty crowded in there). Note that you can also get beers at a counter outside the restaurant and pub.
Sampling British beers is your goal here, so we recommend the Imperial Sampler, which normally includes pours of Bass, Harp, Strongbow, Boddington’s, and Guinness.
Imperial Sampler
Alternatively, you can choose from a long list of Pub Blends, which are half-and-half mixes of some of the beer on tap. You’ll never go wrong with a Black and Tan — half Bass Ale and half Guinness.
Of course, if you have a favorite beer among those on tap, enjoy a pint of that one instead. We especially love to order a Guinness, served with its famous Shamrock Head!
Shamrock Design on Top of Guinness
And if you visit on a weekday, don’t forget to say “hello” to Carl the Bartender!
With a little lunch under your belt, it’s time to hit up the Japan Pavilion for another unique stop on your beer tour. Kirin Frozen Beer comes with a fluffy, semi-frozen head that keeps your beer cold a little longer in that warm Florida sun.
While the picture below is from Tokyo Dining, you can also get a portable version in a plastic cup at Kabuki Cafe.
Frozen Kirin Beer in Epcot’s Japan
Take in some time listening to the drummers or checking out the [Read more…]
Ready to dine around Epcot? Yep, me too! Join me in welcoming guest author Anita Theiss with her review of some great Epcot eats!
My husband and I recently spent a day at Epcot celebrating our anniversary. While there, we decided to taste a little something from each of the nations represented in the World Showcase. An “Eat Around the World” challenge, so to speak. It was a lot of fun, and we really enjoyed discussing which foods we liked best and which we liked the least. We followed a few simple rules for our self-assigned challenge.
Rule One, choose one country-specific food item (no generic cookies or fries) to order from each nation and share it. (We had a slight breech of etiquette on this rule when we got to France, but more on that later.) Sharing meant that we could discuss what we thought of the item, and it kept us from eating too much.
Rule Two, go to counter service restaurants, kiosks, or food stands only. It just didn’t seem right to take up a reservation spot for just one item.
Rule Three, rate each food item on a scale of one to ten, with one being not quite so palate pleasing, and ten being the best thing to ever grace your taste buds.
Our digestive expedition started in Mexico at La Cantina de San Angel with an order of nachos. The nachos come with ground beef, beans, cheese, tomatoes, jalapeños, and sour cream. We ordered them with the tomatoes and jalapeños on the side -— my husband loves them, but I am not a fan.
Nachos
I enjoyed the nachos, but we both found them to be a little heavy on the cheese (if food can be too heavy with ‘plastic cheese’) and not heavy enough on the meat and beans. They had just the right amount of spice, and the chips were crisp. The portion was perfect for a meal, but these nachos are a great shareable snack as well. My husband gave them a 4, and I gave them a 6.
We moved on to Norway and stopped at the Kringla Bakeri Og Kafé. There were several items on the counter that looked good, and I could not decide between the Troll Horn and the Viking Mousse. I asked the cast member behind the counter which of the two she recommended, and she suggested the Troll Horn, which is filled which cloudberry cream.
Troll Horn
The cloudberry cream was smooth and sweet, but not too sweet, and the pastry was tender but a little bland. The sugar crystals sprinkled on top added a nice sweetness and crunch, but overall the Troll Horn was just meh (how do you like that technical culinary term?). We both gave it a 4 on our grading scale — not horrible, but we won’t be rushing back to Norway to get one during our next trip.
After a ride on Maelstrom (RIP), we headed to China. We stopped at Joy of Tea to place an egg roll order. An order of egg rolls actually includes two nice-sized pork and veggie egg rolls, which was a pleasant surprise considering how very delicious they were. (My husband had already snagged his and started munching when I took the picture which is why there is only one pictured.)
Egg Roll
The egg roll wrapper was both tender and crunchy, and the filling was flavorful with seasoned pork and crisp veggies. There were packets of soy sauce (and other condiments) which just added another layer of fabulous flavor. We both gave the egg rolls an 8.5; we would definitely get them again and feel that they would be an excellent use of a snack credit if you are on the Disney Dining Plan since they are easily shared.
We moved on from China to Germany for a stop at Sommerfest. To be honest, I had my heart set on wrapping my lips around a Nudel Gratin for days, but I was starting to get full and knew that such a dish would be both rich and heavy. So, I passed on the Nudel Gratin (which I now regret — I really should have persevered) while my husband ordered a bratwurst. He loves a brat, and this one did not disappoint.
Bratwurst
Bratwurst Cross Section with Mustard
The bratwurst comes on a very large crusty bun topped with loads of sauerkraut. He said the sauerkraut was alright and the bratwurst itself was delicious, but he felt that there was just too much bread. The bun was quite large and had a pretty tough and crusty consistency. He still enjoyed it and gave it a score of 6.
After a quick shopping break in Germany, we headed to Italy, which had me a little worried because there is no counter service restaurant. But as we were walking into Italy, I spotted Gelati — a nice little gelato stand, so I stopped for a cup of chocolate gelato.
Gelato
It was smooth, thick, creamy, quite tasty, and reminded me of a cold version of hot chocolate. It would definitely hit the spot on a hot summer day in Florida. My husband had a taste or two of it, but he is not much of a chocolate fan and didn’t like it as much as regular ice cream. I, on the other hand, much prefer the thicker consistency of gelato to its thinner American counterpart and gave it a 7.
After Italy, it was time for a return to our homeland of America. Now during our last trip to Disney a few months ago, I fell in love with the [Read more…]
Before indulging in the holiday treats that we featured this past week, take a look at the 21 Royal Street news out of Disneyland. It’s quite intriguing!
Grilled Treviso at Trattoria al Forno
For guests heading to Walt Disney World soon, you’ll want to read our review of the NEW Trattoria al Forno — a restaurant at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.
And if you’re still in the mood for seasonal goodies, we have those too. Just click on the links below!
Check out all the latest Disney Food News — even the stuff we don’t mention in posts on the blog! — on our Disney Food News Pin Board, including restaurant closures, and more!
We’ve got all the latest for you, so check it out before you go.
If you find a fun new food — or other edible awesomeness — in or from Disney, share a photo with us on facebook or twitter so we can add it to our DFB Reader Finds each Sunday!
We love celebrating special occasions in Walt Disney World. And we know you do too!!
Facebook Friend Susan ordered a Disney Christmas Cake for her 2014 fireworks cruise. Are those the Osborne Lights?!?
Disney Christmas Cake
Or maybe you’d rather feature Jack Skellington?! Check out this cake sent in by Facebook Friend Melissa.
Jack Skellington Cake
Do you have a favorite find? Share your Disney food photos!
Want a big discount on our most popular DFB Guide in time for the new year? Or, you know, just cause you want to start planning your 2015 Disney trip TODAY? ;-D
It’s yours! Pre-Order the 2015 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining today and use promo code SANTA for $5 off!
We know that when it comes to your Disney vacays, planning ahead is practically essential these days. And if you can save time and money in the process — even better!
And that’s why today, when you pre-order the 2015 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining and enter promo code SANTA, you’ll save $5 off of the already low cover price!
But the really cool part? You get two books for the price of one! We’ll deliver the 2014 Guide to you immediately, and email you the 2015 Guide as soon as it is available early next year.
Here are a couple of sample pages for you — just click to enlarge!
DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Sample Page
Samples Pages of the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2013
The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is stuffed FULL of helpful features to help make your trip go smoothly, like:
We’re big fans of Macarons around here. These wonderful little pastries are so, so addictive; and recently they’ve started popping up in Disneyland and Disney World, including Patisserie Boulangerie Les Halles.
Box of Macarons from Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie
L’Artisan des Glaces Ice Cream and Sorbet Shop next door even features an Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich made with them!
Chocolate Macaron Ice Cream
Sandwich from L’Artisan des Glaces Ice Cream and Sorbet Shop
And judging from your comments, you love them, too! So Disney’s giving guests even more opportunity to show their Macaron Fandom with Macaron Merch in the gift shop right outside of Les Halles!
These are perfect for pastry lovers…
Macaron Merch Display in Epcot’s France Pavilion!
Leaning Tower of Macarons T Shirt
The little [Read more…]
It’s finally time!!!
The new mug!
The Disney World refillable mugs have changed design after years of the old version! You can read all about it — and see more pics! — here.
Also, Spring is in the air! For starters, we dug up the menus for this year’s Epcot Flower and Garden Festival. We can’t wait to taste our way around Epcot’s Outdoor Kitchens.
On the festival front, we also learned that Disney is expanding the 2014 Epcot Food and Wine Festival to include an extra week!
There’s even more fun food news from Disney; click on the links below!
Of course, there’s more! Check out all the latest Disney Food News — even the stuff we don’t mention in posts on the blog! — on our Disney Food News Pin Board, including restaurant closures, and more!
If you find a fun new food — or other edible awesomeness — in or from Disney, share a photo with us on facebook or twitter so we can add it to our DFB Reader Finds each Sunday!
How about some great cupcakes?!! Facebook friend Kristie sent us some Valentine love — a Red Velvet Cupcake from Pizza Planet. Take a look!
Red Velvet Cupcake
These homemade Frozen-themed cupcakes are fantastic! Jerry shared this picture of his daughter’s amazing creations, including Olaf the Snowman!!
Frozen Themed Cupcakes
As always, we can’t get enough of your Disney food finds. We can’t wait to see what our readers share with us next!
The fully updated DFB Guide to Walt Disney World® Dining 2014 e-Book is an instantly downloadable PDF guide, featuring over 450 full-color pages of photographs, information, and advice about our favorite subjects — food and dining in Walt Disney World.
It’s guaranteed to help you navigate your way to delicious dining on your next trip! And if you’re ready to get yours now, head on over to DFBGuide.com to pick it up!!
For our Grand Launch Sale, use code: 2014 to get a $4 discount for a limited time! And at the end of this post, we have details on even more savings!
But, of course we’re offering a discount for our Grand Launch week!! Again, to celebrate the launch and to thank you for your support of the blog, we’ll be offering the Guide for $4 off its standard rate for a limited time! Order your copy now at DFBGuide.com and use code: [Read more…]
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
Subscribe via RSS
Subscribe via email