food IS a theme park
It’s T-minus only THREE DAYS until it’s 2020, you guys!
Wine Bar George
And, while there are plenty of ways to celebrate New Year’s around Disney World, you can ring in the start of a new decade with a FREE bottle of bubbly!
Want to ring in the New Year with some fabulous Irish food and entertainment? Then reserve your seat at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant in Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs!
Raglan Road
The “Epic New Year’s Eve” Celebration lets guests celebrate twice — first for the Irish New Year at 7PM, then for the countdown to midnight in central Florida!
We have been waiting patiently since we first heard the announcement, and the day has finally arrived. The doors to Amorette’s Patisserie have officially opened!
The brand new, upscale bakery joins other boutique sweets spots, like Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC, The Ganachery, and Vivoli Gelateria, at Disney Springs this week. The work on the newly re-imagined shopping and dining district is just about complete, and it’s pretty amazing.
But along with other carts and shops, Amorette’s Patisserie has been on our short list of places to anticipate! Let’s head in and take a look around.
Step into the newly opened Town Center at Disney Springs and you’ll soon locate Amorette’s Patisserie. The Disney-created back story is charming: artistic sisters Kara and Sara are the current owners of the shop, which has been passed down through many generations of their family. The shop dates back to the earliest days of Disney Springs, around 1900.
Amorette’s Patisserie Sign
Amorette’s Patisserie — Outside
But the sisters are as interested in artistic expression via beautiful and delicious pastries as they are in other forms of art. And so you see evidence of their handiwork throughout the shop. We’ll get to some sweet examples in a minute, but first, let’s look around a bit. [Read more…]
Editor’s Note: The menu for Afternoon Tea at Garden View Lounge has changed since this review was written, and many of the items featured here are no longer available. For more details, see our news post about the changes.
Today, we’re taking in afternoon tea at the Garden View Lounge. This charming spot, which occupies the far end of the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa’s cavernous lobby, is the perfect place to relax, dress up a bit (perhaps), and slow down, while you enjoy traditional offerings and steaming pots of tea.
Menu Cover
It’s become a rather hot ticket, though, so if you like what you see, be prepared to make your advance dining reservation well in advance.
Tea at the Grand has become a tradition of sorts for my mom and me, and so we were excited to head there for this special treat.
Upon entering the Grand Floridian, take a moment to notice the details of the soaring atrium. With natural light flooding the seating areas during the day, the large birdcage, and the beautiful domed skylights, it really is lovely.
The Lobby and the Atrium Put the “Grand” in Grand Floridian
I’ve often heard people suggest that the Grand suffers from a “lack of themeing”. I’ve never thought so. To me, the setting is beautiful — elegance with a light touch, befitting Florida’s subtropical climate. And even with families around me rushing to catch the monorail, I’m transported when I enter it to a less-rushed time and place.
Whether you visit during the day or evening, you are likely to catch some form of live musical entertainment here. During the day, you’ll enjoy piano music. In the evening, be sure to catch Grand Floridian Society Orchestra playing jazz standards from the bandstand located just outside of Mizner’s Lounge on the second floor.
Piano Music in the Grand’s Lobby
The Garden View Lounge is located at the far end of the lobby, directly opposite from the main entrance.
View of the Tea Room from the Lobby
Flanking either side of the lounge are these adorable mosaics of inlaid marble.
Mrs. Potts Mosaic
Be sure to look down occasionally while walking around the Grand! They redid the floors a few years ago and added mosaics like these throughout. They are absolutely stunning.
Chip Mosaic
Garden View is also the setting for the Perfectly Princess Tea Party, a character and storytelling experience.
Tea Info — Click to Enlarge
The Lounge itself is an open-air spot, separated from the rest of the lobby by a wall featuring “windowless” windows.
Looking Into the Lounge from the Lobby
We arrived a few minutes early for our advance dining reservation, and were told that our table would be ready shortly. I’m not sure what all of the luggage by the hostess stand was about! There was a full house inside, however. And it seemed as though a few people were dressed up for a special occasion of some sort.
Hostess Stand
We relaxed nearby in the lobby. Soon, our pager went off, and we were shown to our table.
Entrance
Marble statues flank both side entrances of the lounge. Other than that, the space is sparsely decorated.
Entering the Lounge
The center of the room is dominated by [Read more…]
It’s never too early to start talking about holidays, and that’s especially true when it comes to Disney World planning.
What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?
Today, we’re bringing you early news of a few 2014 New Year’s Eve dining opportunities. And the good news is — you can book them today!
Keep in mind, however, that other NYE dining events are likely to be announced. So if you don’t like either of these options, hang tight. Your favorite may appear before it’s all said and done!
If you’ve ever spent Christmas week at Walt Disney World, you know that the crowds can be massive. Disney meets the need for expanded dining capacity by offering a few extra spots to dine. And back for 2014, guests can take advantage of a special dining event held at Epcot’s World ShowPlace.
World Showplace Pavilion in Epcot (Photo copyright Disney)
Fantasia 2014 is a dining event geared toward the whole family. Guests will enjoy scenes and songs from the Disney animated classic while they dine on a full buffet spread. The menu includes items with international flair:
You can book Fantasia 2014 between the hours of [Read more…]
Back by popular demand, The Swan and Dolphin Resort at Walt Disney World has announced that it will hold its Fifth Annual Food and Wine Classic this Fall!
Coinciding with the 2014 Epcot Food and Wine Festival, the Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic offers even more great food and drink for Disney fans!
This event is always amazing and very well done. We can’t wait to go again this year!
Mark your calendars for Friday, October 31, and Saturday, November 1, 2014. Seminars begin at 4:30 p.m. and the Causeway is open from 5:30-9:00 p.m.
Dining al fresco on the Causeway at the Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic!
This year’s event continues the tradition of fun and informative food and beverage seminars that focus on wine, cocktails, sake, beer, pasta-making, and more. The seminars are conducted by experts in each field and last for approximately 60-90 minutes.
At 5:30, the Causeway between the Swan and Dolphin comes alive as the staff of the Resort’s award-winning restaurants host tasting booths. In addition, there is live entertainment as you sample and stroll around the beautiful grounds!
Wine Seminar at the 2012 Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic
You can see details on all of the 2013 Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic Seminars here!And new for this year, the Classic is adding a Cheese seminar!
Seminars this year include:
The Causeway between the Swan and Dolphin Resorts will have tons of great offerings again this year. And we can’t wait to see the menus! We’ll be back soon with full details for you!
Want a little more than just the standard tasting experience? Upgrade to the [Read more…]
We mentioned in August the exciting news that Food & Wine Weekends at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando and Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek would be returning in 2012 for the second year in a row!
Today? We’ve got a little more info for ya!
Billed as “the perfect complement to the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival“, Orlando Food & Wine Weekends will be held over all six weekends during the Epcot Food and Wine Festival.
The Waldorf Astoria Orlando and Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek aim to “fill the gaps” around the Festival by offering visitors to Walt Disney World a delicious “home base” as they [Read more…]
Today, we travel up the elegant stairway to the pinnacle of fine dining at Walt Disney World, Victoria & Albert’s at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.
Join me for an unparalleled experience as I take you behind the opulence to the excitement and camaraderie of the Chef’s Table! And let me tell you… it’s AWESOME!!
Victoria and Albert’s is the crown jewel in Disney’s culinary offerings. And while it is certainly expensive (that might be an understatement), I aim to show you that for the true food lover, the Chef’s Table experience is worth every penny.
By the way, if you read through this review and decide the Chef’s Table is not for you, you can also dine in the Dining Room to the more intimate Queen Victoria Room.
Victoria and Albert's Plate
Reservations for Victoria and Albert’s go quickly. It is recommended that you book as close to 180 days out as possible. As for cost, the menu is prix fixe, meaning that you pay a set price for the meal. Expect your meal to begin at $135 per person for the Dining Room, with an additional charge of $65 for wine pairings. That price includes six courses. Queen Victoria’s Room and the Chef’s Table menus may include up to thirteen courses, and prices start at $210/person for dinner and $105 for wine pairings. Keep in mind that these prices do not reflect tax or gratuity, so be prepared.
While Queen Victoria’s Room offers the height of elegant dining, the Chef’s Table provides interested guests full access to the restaurant’s culinary team in a meal that is as much performance as it is sustenance.
Once you check in for your reservation at the Chef’s Table, you are escorted through the well appointed (and very quiet!) main dining room. You’ll notice low light, beautiful fresh flowers, and the strains of harp music. The whole effect is quite romantic and very formal. There is a strict dress code here, and men must wear jackets.
Victoria and Albert's Main Dining Room
The Dining Room consists of a mere fourteen tables, beautifully set with spotless crystal and china. Very chi chi.
Victoria and Albert's Seating
We followed the debonaire Maître d’hôtel, Israel Perez, through this space and into the brightly lit kitchen. At that time, we were informed that Chef de Cuisine Scott Hunnel would not be joining us because of a conflicting event. In his place, Sous Chef Aimée Rivera would guide us through our meal.
Maître d'hôtel Israel Perez and Chef Rivera
Both Mr. Perez and Chef Rivera were phenomenal, and it’s clear that their passion and driving force is the comfort and enjoyment of their guests. Chef Rivera invited us to interact at will with the kitchen staff, and suggested that we voice any and all questions that we might have (Mua ha ha ha!!! She didn’t know just how annoying I can be!).
An interesting fact: once you are seated, you can’t [Read more…]
Foodie fans will love the culinary delights offered at the Third Annual Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic being held during the 2012 Epcot Food and Wine Festival!
When: Mark your calendar for October 12-13, 2012!
Time: 5:30pm – 9:00pm
This year’s beverage seminars include Riesling Rendezvous; Beer, Please!; Spanish Wines; Modern Mixology; Wine Blending, All Things Sake; and Base to Bubbles. These will be offered each day from 4:30-5:30 p.m. These classes will be taught by certified experts in hour-long sessions at a cost of $45, inclusive.
Bruleeing Oranges at the Modern Mixology Seminar
Award-winning restaurants from the Swan and Dolphin resorts will host tasting stations on the [Read more…]
The Disney Fantasy was christened in New York City this week, and eager passengers await their first voyage on the newest Disney Cruise Line ship!
The Disney Fantasy
We wanted to share a few of the specialty cocktails you’ll find on board — you know we’re all about prioritizing any on board credit you may have received! 😉
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