food IS a theme park
Attention, Annual Passholders!! This one’s for you.
Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival begins on August 29, 2019!
Disney World has announced a few complimentary and exclusive items and opportunities at Epcot and Animal Kingdom for Annual Passholders this fall.
We’re BACK with another roundup of What’s New in Epcot!
Spaceship Earth
Today we’ll talk about all the new merchandise, menu updates, and the construction updates we found. Let’s get started!
From the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge previews to the Bring-A-Friend deal, sometimes being a Disney World Annual Passholder comes with sweet surprises!
Spaceship Earth
While there are plenty of exciting events going on around the parks this summer — hellooo, hotel discounts — now V.I.Passholders can enjoy their time even more with the newest list of perks available starting July 29th.
There were a few announcements from Disney today about new menus, additions, and more at popular locations in both Disneyland and Disney World. We’ve already tried some of these items, and the rest are on our to-try list, so stay tuned for reviews and updates! We’ll start out in Disneyland with the brand new menu we reviewed earlier for you.
Cherry Coca Cola Funnel Cake
Disneyland’s Hungry Bear has a brand new menu that includes this Cherry Coca-Cola Funnel Cake plus new sandwiches and burgers.
In Disney World, at Epcot’s Coral Reef Restaurant, you’ll now find a whole stuffed Maine lobster that comes with crispy baby potatoes, asparagus, béarnaise sauce, lemon, and butter. Read our latest review of Coral Reef Restaurant and see if we thought it could rise to the surface or not.
is a table service option in Epcot’s Future World at Walt Disney World.
As you might imagine, Coral Reef is located in the Seas Pavilion, home of The Seas with Nemo and Friends. It’s one of only two table service restaurants in Future World — the other being Garden Grill in the neighboring Land Pavilion. The biggest draw to Coral Reef is the centerpiece of the restaurant: the six-million-gallon aquarium where fish, sea turtles, and (sometimes) divers swim by throughout the meal.
But even with that draw — making Coral Reef a truly unique Disney World experience! — Coral Reef often sinks to the bottom of DFB’s rankings of table service restaurants. Sadly the food just hasn’t been that great over the years. Lunch in 2014 was decent at best, with the Seared Mahi Mahi being the only I’d-get-that-again dish (alas, the Sriracha Shrimp we enjoyed on that visit are no longer on the menu…).
But you know we like to re-review restaurants on the regular, since chefs, menus, and servers change up regularly. My most recent visit was the best I’ve had in terms of food, and while it won’t move Coral Reef up to the top of the list at Epcot — admittedly a difficult park because there are so many awesome choices — it gives me hope that maybe the restaurant is providing a better experience for guests.
Coral Reef
The atmosphere of Coral Reef is the star of this restaurant, and for those who love sea life or aquariums, this really is a must-try. Nothing quite compares to the beauty of dining with only eight inches of glass between the diner and the sealife.
What’s better than a home cooked holiday meal? A holiday meal at Walt Disney World!
Nearly every restaurant in Disney World features a turkey-based or holiday meal on Thanksgiving and Christmas days. But Disney features special holiday meals at select restaurants throughout Walt Disney World on these holidays every year as well. Disney just announced this year’s list of participating restaurants, so let’s take a look!
All You Care to Enjoy Skillet at Whispering Canyon Cafe
Happy Saturday! We’re back with another DFB Video this weekend, and we’re taking you on a Food Tour of Epcot’s Future World!
Mickey Mouse at Garden Grill in Epcot
Now, your mind may not automatically leap to Future World when you consider dining options in Epcot. After all, the park is home to World Showcase with its myriad of restaurants and snack stops featuring cuisine from around the globe.
But if you’ve always bypassed Future World eats in favor of World Showcase, you’ll want to watch our newest DFB YouTube video to learn about some of the options unique to Future World, including one of our all-time favorite character meals, some super yummy popcorn, and one of the best dessert bakery cases in all of Disney World. [Read more…]
So… Frozen Fun ends in Disneyland on May 15th, and Frozen Summer Fun LIVE won’t return to Disney’s Hollywood Studios until June 17th. That’s one full Frozen-free month… What’s an Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf fan to do?!?
What will we do when there’s no Frozen Fun?!
Fret not, Frozen fans! In the downtime between the two events, Disney is releasing a few treats in honor of “Frozen Fever,” the film short that can currently be seen on the big screen prior to showings of the live-action “Cinderella” film.
As in the film short, these treats go about the task of celebrating Anna’s birthday… and what’s a birthday celebration without a little cake? Anna’s Happy Birthday Cupcake is a vanilla cupcake with blue buttercream frosting, topped with marshmallows, snowflake candies, and a white chocolate Olaf.
Anna’s Happy Birthday Cupcake ©Disney
At Disneyland, you’ll want to check spots like the Jolly Holiday Bakery, Market House, Pacific Wharf Cafe, Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Cafe, and The Coffee House.
Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe
While the cupcakes are already available at Disneyland, starting April 8th, Disney World guests can check various eateries scattered across property, in parks and resorts alike. Altogether, twelve restaurants will carry the cupcakes in WDW, including Main Street Bakery and Gaston’s Tavern in the Magic Kingdom, Starring Rolls Cafe and ABC Commissary in Hollywood Studios, and Sunshine Seasons and Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe in Epcot.
Resort restaurants that will carry the cupcake include BoardWalk Bakery, Beach Club Marketplace, Contempo Cafe, Gasparilla Island Grill, Landscape of Flavors and The Mara.
BoardWalk Bakery
Looking for something a little more frozen to celebrate the cast of Frozen? Olaf’s Perfect Sundae Day features birthday-cake flavored ice cream topped with hot fudge, mint marshmallows, brownie pieces (!), whipped cream, and sprinkles.
Olaf’s Perfect Sundae Day ©Disney
Those mint marshmallows look a lot like the ones currently available to enjoy with your Warm Hugs Hot White Hot Cocoa over at Olaf’s Snow Fest in Disneyland!
At Disneyland, the Sundae is available at Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor and Clarabelle’s.
Clarabelle’s in Disney California Adventure
And again, starting April 8th, Disney World guests will find it at the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, Hollywood Scoops, and Beaches & Cream.
Beaches and Cream at Disney’s Beach Club Resort
In a new twist, even a few Table Service restaurants are [Read more…]
We’re dining “Under the Sea” today at Epcot’s Coral Reef Restaurant!
And if you’re wondering if it was all part of my plan to insert that song in your head for the rest of the day, the answer is “Yes.”
(Insert evil laugh here. 😉 )
Coral Reef is one of only two Table Service Restaurants in Epcot’s Future World (the other being Garden Grill), and the only one open for lunch, which is the meal we’re having today. But first things first: in order to eat at Coral Reef, you’ve got to find it. Just head to “The Living Seas…” whoops! I mean, “The Seas with Nemo and Friends” Pavilion.
And once you get your fill of the birds chanting “Mine, Mine, Mine,” just hang a right…
The Seas Pavilion
… and head as far as you can towards the back. (The outdoor sign will help, too.)
Heading to Coral Reef
Coral Reef sign
So, now we’ve found it! Let’s head in…
As per usual with Disney dining, there are some fun details to take in here, starting right at the entrance.
Entrance
Seahorse door handle
The dining room is well-concealed for the “big reveal” to come, but touches in the check-in area (which expands into a fairly large hallway) give several indications as to what awaits you once you dine.
Octopus at Check in
Octopus at check-in counter
What are those lights, anyway? Jellyfish?
Check-in area hallway
Glass fish behind check-in counter
But as fun as it always is to check out the little things, the truth of the matter is that everyone is here to see one, single, MAJOR “detail.” The aquarium!
Coral Reef Dining Room
Yep — the dining room has giant picture windows that look right into the massive Living Seas aquarium. It’s like you’re dining in a submarine.
Coral Reef Dining Room
And here’s an interesting thing about Coral Reef: in most restaurants, several of the tables for two are often tucked on the outer perimeters, and sometimes that can lend to a feeling of being a little removed from the atmosphere. At Coral Reef, many of the tables for two receive “front rows seats” for the big show. Our table for two was right next to this table for four.
Coral Reef Seating in front of aquarium
Our server presented Fish Guides to us, so we could identify some of the marine life swimming by.
Fish Guide
Fish Guide
Being that close contributed just a little extra to an already unique experience. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves…
Aquarium views
Aquarium views
Aquarium views
Though I gotta say, this felt [Read more…]
Need a relaxing date night? Have a sleeping baby? Want to simply get away from the crowds and the bustle of the Disney parks for a while?
We asked our friends on the Disney Food Blog Facebook Page for their recommendations on quiet dining in Disney World and Disneyland, and we want to hear YOURS, too!
The locations mentioned the most in Walt Disney World were: Jiko at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Artist Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, and Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa.
In Disneyland, Facebook Friends gave the most shout-outs to Blue Bayou in Disneyland Park and Napa Rose at the Grand Californian Resort.
Let’s take a peek at these top Disney Food Blog reader choices for quiet dining in Disney World!
For romance, delicious dishes, and a peaceful meal inspired by low lighting and a calming water feature view, head over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Jiko.
Jiko View
Facebook Friend Adhiraj G. recommends “Jiko later in the evening! great view, great service and quiet (in a relaxed sort of way)!”
Filet and Mac and Cheese at Jiko (Mac and Cheese can be ordered by request)
A window-side table offers a beautiful view during daylight hours while savoring the gourmet cuisine. Keep an eye on the soothing “sunset wall” at the back of the restaurant, which cycles through the [Read more…]
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