food IS a theme park
It’s no secret that we love cheese. We’ve written about it A LOT.
Tony’s Town Square
There is certainly no shortage of cheese snacks in Disney World. We LIVE off corn dog nuggets with plastic cheese sauce. We love a good charcuterie plate with a variety of cheese. Cheesy bread is OUR JAM. So when we discovered that you could get foot-long mozzarella sticks in Disney World, YOU KNOW we had to check it out.
If you’ve been following along at DFB for a while, you know that Via Napoli stole a pizza our hearts from the beginning. Even though there are plenty of exotic foods all around the World Showcase in Epcot, we find ourselves being drawn back to their classic Italian dishes time and again.
Via Napoli
It’s like a trusted friend or coming home after a long time away — it’s become a reliable and comfortable staple for us. So you won’t be surprised that we snuck another trip back to Via Napoli into our last trip to Disney World! We are reporting back on whether one of our favorite pizza spots lived up to our cheesy expectations!
is located at the Grand Floridian Resort just a Monorail ride away from Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and Polynesian Village Resort. (And soon — possibly via walkway from Magic Kingdom!)
This Victorian-inspired restaurant serves table service eats for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with identical breakfast and lunch menus resulting in some truly epic brunch bites. We’re talking a Buttermilk Chicken and Waffle, an Eggs Benedict Flight, and more. Click here to see why brunch is brilliant at Grand Floridian Cafe!
But on this visit, we’re grabbing dinner. The dinner menu here is a separate entity from breakfast and lunch, but some popular ‘brunch’ items do appear at dinner, too! The Lobster ‘Thermidor’ Burger is available all day (see that review here!), as is the Miso-Glazed Salmon (reviewed below!). The Artisan-Made Spinach-Ricotta Ravioli is a favorite that’s good to go for three meals a day (more on that below, too!), and the Buttermilk Fried Chicken makes a reprise at dinner (but without the waffle).
The point is: Grand Floridian Cafe’s got your tastebuds’ backs all day long! 😉 So let’s see how dinner stacks up and whether Grand Floridian Cafe is good for more than just a fabulous brunch.
Grand Floridian Cafe
The atmosphere of Grand Floridian Cafe echos the Victorian tones of the entire Resort. [Read more…]
, how do I love thee? Shall we count the ways?
Seriously, I would, but it would take too long. Since this Table Service restaurant opened in Epcot’s Italy Pavilion seven years ago, I’ve been among its biggest fans. I love the decor, with those massive pizza ovens named for Italian volcanoes, the huge open space with arches and chandeliers, and the colorful frescoes on the walls and ceilings.
Oh, and did I mention there’s PIZZA involved, too? Via Napoli easily tops my list for serving up the Best Pizza in Disney World. It’s pretty much become one of those spots I visit whenever I have an excuse to do so.
On my most recent visit, we started with a couple of drinks. And there is no shortage of options at Via Napoli. There are cocktails, signature drinks, and, of course, lots of vino.
Alrighty Guys, it is time. We are heading over to Walt Disney World’s Downtown Disney to travel back 200 million years for dinner.
We’ve gotta do T-Rex again.
This super-themed-to-the-max restaurant is the sister of Rainforest Cafe. If you’ve been to one, you have an idea for the feel of the other (even if the themeing is different).
I’ll confess I wasn’t looking forward to this Advance Dining Reservation with great anticipation. But every restaurant at Disney deserves a little love from me, right? 😉 After all, it’s my job. So on a recent visit, over I went to check out if my experience would be better, worse, or the same as my previous visit.
Besides, there’s a Cotton-tini involved this time! More on that just around the corner. Let’s go!
As you probably expect, there’s a whole lot going on when you walk inside T-Rex. The outside view of rock outcroppings and dinosaurs give you an idea of what you’re in for.
Outside View of T-Rex
Once your eyes adjust, you’ll notice that there are four major themed areas inside the space. The bar is themed to look like an Undersea Scene, complete with a giant, moving octopus. (What?! It’s true!) You’ll see some jellyfish floating above you too.
Under the Pre-Historic Sea
You may recall this area experienced a little drama last year, when one of the cylindrical aquariums started gushing water right in the middle of meal service! Fortunately, fish and diners alike were all fine. (See the video here.)
The floors throughout the restaurant are themed as well. Check out the watery undercarriage of the Undersea Scene. These are actually tiles printed like water.
Watery tiled floor
The themeing throughout the restaurant does vary a bit. A lot actually. Beyond the sea, you have a verdant Forest Area, where you can sit in the belly of a Triceratops if you’d like. (I have asked how I can get this table. I want to sit in that Triceratops. If any of you are willing to join me on a Triceratops challenge, let me know and we’ll go and wait for this table some night!
The Triceratops Booth!
And then, there’s the Meteor Shower Room. Somehow you are simultaneously on Earth and viewing Earth. (Don’t think about it too hard.) You’ll find the star of the show here — T-Rex himself.
T-Rex! Ruuuuunnnnn!!!
Be forewarned — this room is very, very loud at regular intervals. Like every 10 minutes, when meteor showers rain down from the heavens.
Did I mention that it’s loud??
The Universe on the Ceiling
Seating near the animatronic dinosaurs brings your experience to life. And for educational value, they have plaques scattered throughout the scenes that tell a little about the creatures.
Seating by the Dinosaurs
In the Meteor Shower Room, you’ll also find the [Read more…]
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