food IS a theme park
Slowly but surely, more restaurants are reopening at Disney Springs.
Disney Springs
And today, you can add another quick service restaurant to the list of opened spots: Cookes of Dublin!
Disney’s Port Orleans — Riverside
offers some truly delicious and underrated dining.
is the resort’s table service dining option, and it’s a terrific under-the-radar spot that’s pretty much always a sure thing, even when other restaurants are packed to the gills. Muddy Rivers is a great pool bar, and River Roost is a charming place to relax with a drink.
When it comes to quick service dining at the resort, Riverside Mill is where it’s at. We’ve eaten here many times before, and the variety and quality have typically been pretty top-notch for a hotel food court. The atmosphere of Riverside is another winning attribute, helping diners to relax and refuel in a space that’s rustic and comfortable.
When we discovered the menus here had changed, we were eager to try the new items.
Port Orleans — Riverside
The Riverside Mill has great curb appeal with its blue exterior and long front porch. [Read more…]
If you’ve walked the boardwalk around Disney World’s Boardwalk Inn resort recently you may have noticed there was some work being done on the Boardwalk Pizza Window located outside Trattoria al Forno. We now know the menu was being updated!
Boardwalk Pizza Window
The location now offers a broader menu with more pizza choices – in a personal size or a whole pie, as well as sub sandwiches, new salads and desserts. [Read more…]
Quiet on the set! There are some new lunch items available at Starring Rolls Cafe in Disney’s Hollywood Studios that we have to share!
Starring Rolls is a tiny cafe on the corner of Hollywood and Sunset Boulevard — doesn’t that location just scream show business? I usually swing by to check out its collection of sweet treats and pretty pastries, but the often-overlooked lunch options are worth a shot! Soups, salads, and sandwiches are the stars of the show at lunch time, and we suggest finishing off lunch with one of our all-time favorites, the Napoleon.
Ready?
Starring Rolls Cafe on Sunset Boulevard
And, ACTION!
No visit to Animal Kingdom is complete without a stop at Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery in Harambe Village.
Located near the almost always hoppin’ entrance to Kilimanjaro Safaris, Kusafiri has held plenty of little surprises for us in the past. Though it’s literally just a hole-in-the-wall operation, this simple setting has been known to play host to some big name treats.
My recent visit was inspired by the rumors I’d heard regarding some menu changes, and lo and behold, that was indeed the case. It looks like Kusafiri is joining the list of Animal Kingdom eateries preparing to be part of an all-day park once the Rivers of Light spectacular brings evening entertainment to Animal Kingdom later this spring.
As the resident coffee shop and bakery of Harambe Village, you would likely expect to see morning grabs like coffee and pastries on the menu. But the options have expanded to include four new Paninis, bringing full lunch or dinner options to Kusafiri for the first time.
Time to step up to the window and have a look!
Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery painted sign
I’ll start by noting that, though there are new sandwich additions, the snack options have dwindled down a bit. But they’ve held onto some standbys like croissants, Elephant Ears and Warm Colossal Cinnamon Rolls. (And don’t forget you can still find the Tree of Life and Cotton-top Tamarin Cupcakes in several other locations around the park. But no more cupcakes at Kusafiri… at least for now.)
If you’ve been dreaming about Cannonballs — the edible ones, not the bombs or the splashy pool entrances — then you’re gonna LOVE what we have to tell you today!
Earl of Sandwich has just announced that the beloved Cannonballs — that’s their whimsical take on a meatball sub — is returning to the menu at participating locations!
And we’ve confirmed that both Downtown Disney Orlando AND Anaheim locations are participating! Woo!
But, even better — both folks that we talked to let us know that they’re returning permanently to the menu!!
Cannonballs are Back at Earl of Sandwich!
Now, we know that these things are always changing with the tide of corporate whims and sales performance, so take that with a grain of salt. But if [Read more…]
OK, I promised you on Saturday that I’d have a full, extensive review of the new BoardWalk Bakery for you soon…and here it is!!
Last Friday, I was up bright and early to be first in line for the grand re-opening of the brand new BoardWalk Bakery at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn! And while I wasn’t FIRST in line, I came pretty close. 🙂
Long a fan favorite, this tiny bakery needed a major overhaul in the space department, and we couldn’t wait to see what Imagineers had dreamed up.
We’ll start with atmosphere pics and lead into the goodies. If you want to dive right into the super sugary part, scroll to the bottom section called “What Did I Pick?”
When looking for the BoardWalk Bakery, head down the steps from the hotel’s main lobby to the BoardWalk, and you can’t miss it.
Sign Leading Down to the BoardWalk
I wasn’t disappointed to see that the bakery had tripled in size. This place really needed to be larger!
The NEW Boardwalk Bakery -- three times the size of the old one!
You can see that there are now two entrances to the bakery — one for those queuing up for food, and one for BoardWalk Inn and Villas guests who just need to refill their resort mugs. A great system!
Mug Filling Station Has a Separate Entrance from Bakery Queue
And, of course, Hue G. Krazont is still the proprietor. 🙂
Bakery's Windows and Proprietor's Name
Time to head inside!! Guests who were there first thing received these snazzy celebration buttons. (Okay, they’re the regular celebration buttons with handwriting. But still.)
Celebration Buttons to Mark the Grand Re-Opening!
We are ecstatic to see a lot more room inside the bakery, even though most of it is reserved for the actual queue line.
The classy red walls and checkerboard floor along with wrought iron, brass, and dark wood accents give this spot a been-there-forever kind of classic feel. The schoolhouse lighting is another fun addition!
Note, however, that the display cases have multiplied by about four! They’re not kidding around with the focal point here!
Bakery Display Cases and New Queue Setup
If you do find yourself in that long queue line, at least the large windows make people watching on the BoardWalk an easy sport.
Looking Out from the Inside Onto the BoardWalk
Soon you’ll get up to the bakery and dessert cases to make your selections. We’ve got LOTS more pics of these in our “Eats” Section of this review…so scroll down for the goodies!
Assorted Pastries in the Bakery Case
After you’ve made your selections and check out, it’s time to [Read more…]
Disney’s Limited Time Magic events have begun, and Disneyland is currently celebrating with “A Salute to the Golden Horseshoe Revue.” This is a nod to the original show that Walt Disney created in 1955.
The Golden Horseshoe at Disneyland
The show features comedy, songs, and dancing set to a fun musical score that will make you want to dress up, put a feather in your hair, and learn to Can-Can.
Tables and Clean Glasses Available for Ladies!
Tuesdays through Mondays now until February 4th, the “flashback” show can be seen a few times a day with a special Annual Passholder only showing at 6:30. The annual passholder show is $35 and you must make reservations in advance though the annual passholders events line at (714) 781-PASS.
The Annual Passholder show is a $35 ticketed event that includes dinner & reserved seating for the revue. If you’re not a passholder, stop at guest services to get a ticket to one of the earlier shows.
Your Hostess for the Show: Miss Lilly
Golden Horseshoe Revue Tribute Show
Can-Can Dancers
Please note that the entertainment is exactly the same as the shows performed during the day. So, if you don’t feel a need to spend $35 or aren’t interested in the foods being served at the Annual Passholder event, I highly recommend you still go check out one of the Thursday through Monday tribute shows.
We started off with our table being adorned with Fritos in a boot. My absolute favorite item of the evening: Crunchy, salty Fritos served up in a take home souvenir Golden Horseshoe plastic boot (which I plan to fill with root beer floats at home in the near future).
Drinks were then served, bottles of water or a bottomless Mint Julep if you prefer. We shared one at the table [Read more…]
On my last visit to Studio Catering Co., we snagged some holiday cupcakes and a newly added menu item — the Sloppy Joe Sandwich! This one’s only around for a limited time, so be sure to pop in and try it before it’s out the door!
If you’re looking for a place to stop for a bite while the kids run off some pent-up energy, Studio Catering Co. may be just the spot for you.
Studio Catering Company Exterior
Located right beside the play area for the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure, grown ups can grab a bite, while the kids take a play break.
With ample outdoor, shaded seating, this is an ideal spot for relaxation — especially during these cooler months when a/c isn’t absolutely required.
Studio Catering Company Tables
And if relaxation IS in the cards for mom and dad, don’t forget that High Octane Refreshments is right next door… .
BUT, let’s get back to the news at hand…
While the menu is somewhat limited here, they’ve got some good eats. Buffalo Chicken? Good. Turkey Club? Good. Grilled Vegetable Sandwich? [Read more…]
With an original opening date scheduled early last Summer, Southern California sandwich lovers have been abuzz about the new Earl of Sandwich restaurant not opening their doors on time.
I am ecstatic to announce that the doors have been opened and those lovely golden bricks have been flying through that little toasty oven faster than you can say “Holiday Turkey Sandwich, please!”
Earl of Sandwich Downtown Disney
Located directly next to the AMC Theater Complex across from The Rainforest Cafe, the Earl of Sandwich has replaced the Compass Cafe and Bookstore.
And although the bookstore was fun to browse and the cafe sold Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, I’d much prefer a sandwich from Earl any day. Last week the doors soft opened with a 25% discount on all menu items, and then “officially” opened this past Friday. I snuck over Thursday to get my fix.
Main Entrance
The soft opening was no secret, and with the entire menu being 25% off I expected there to be a pretty substantial line. And I was correct.
When my boys saw the line they about had a panic attack because A: It was already 1:00 and they were beyond ready to eat lunch and B: They had never been to an Earl of Sandwich, so they had no idea how quickly the line moves. After visiting the Orlando and Vegas locations, I was fully aware of how well-oiled this sandwich making machine was.
I assured them that we’d move quickly and that it would be well worth the wait. I also bribed them and told them they could pick whichever dessert they wanted…
Hallelujah!
Menus While You Wait
My guess is that there were approximately 100 people in front of us in line, but we managed to order and have our food on the table in about 25 minutes. The line was outside the building and wrapped back to the temporary ice skating rink, but there were friendly Earl helpers [Read more…]
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