Disney World Dining - Dining Plans, Restaurants, Discounts & Reviews | Only WDWorld Dining

Disney World Brings Great New Menu Items For Kids To Magic Kingdom Restaurants

2012-02-09T22:10:00.000-05:00

There is more to life for kid's cuisine than chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese. Disney World has recognized this fact and is changing the menu in several of its Table Service Restaurants inside of the Magic Kingdom Theme Park. Each of these new menu items allow children to broaden their culinary boundaries while maintaining a relatively healthy approach to eating. You can still get some of the old favorites, but your children may enjoy trying these new options.

The title picture shows a new menu offering at the Plaza Restaurant, which can be found at the end of Main Street USA. Here you can get a kid's plate that include grilled chicken, cous cous, and a fresh fruit skewer.

At one of the Kid's favorite restaurants, Tony's Town Square, you can now find a steak skewer “spiedini” with roasted sweet potato fries and fresh fruit (spiedini refers to cubes of meat cooked on a skewer, an Italian specialty). Also at Tony’s, a grilled cheese sandwich on multigrain bread (pictured above) sliced into “dippers” with tomato sauce on the side should appeal to just about any child.

At traditional favorite Liberty Tree Tavern, found in the Liberty Square Land of the Magic Kingdom, there is a new barbecued chicken and pineapple flatbread pizza with a side of crisp veggies and apples, or oven-roasted turkey with mashed potatoes, veggies and fruit.

For those feeling in a royal mood, you can now order a new chicken drumette with rice and broccolini (pictured above), grilled beef skewers with mashed potatoes and corn, or a chicken pot pie topped with a biscuit crust at Cinderella's Royal Table.
Widen Your Food Horizons
Let your children explore some new food horizons while you enjoy dining at Disney World. You may discover that your children have new food favorites after your vacation!

Disney World Character Dining: Crystal Palace

2012-01-05T08:47:00.000-05:00

When you are planning your Disney World Vacation, you should definitely consider eating at one or more of the Disney World Character Dining experiences. When you add Disney Characters to one of the Walt Disney World Resort themed Restaurants, you create a memorable experience that will endure long after your vacation is over.

Crystal Palace At The Magic Kingdom

One of the most popular Disney Character Dining venues is the Crystal Palace, which is located within the Magic Kingdom Theme Park. Not only will you be treated to a marvelous buffet meal, but you will also encounter Winnie The Pooh and his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood.

The Crystal Palace is a beautiful Victorian Styled building with a multitude of windows that makes it very bright and airy during the day and an almost magical feeling at night. The Victorian choice of architecture fits in well with the English roots of its star inhabitant Winnie The Pooh.

The Crystal Palace sits at the juncture of Main Street U.S.A. and the entrance to Adventureland. The Disney Imagineers took this into consideration during the design of this restaurants using elements of the San Fransisco Conservatory Of Flowers, Kew Gardens of England, and the Crystal Palace in New York. These elements were all combined to create a gateway to the Colonial Inspired Visions of Asia and Africa that form the basis of the design of Adventureland.

Disney Character Dining - The Characters

The Disney Characters, in this case Winnie The Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore, play an important role in the Dining Experience for children and adults (children at heart) alike.

During the meal each of the characters makes their way around the restaurant stopping at each table to interact with the guests, signing autograph books, and posing for pictures.

Each character has his/her own personality and it comes out during their interactions with the guests.

You can't help but smile when the life-sized lovable Winnie The Pooh comes to your table.

Piglet is so cute that you want to hug him, and here you can!

Even the adults can't wait to pose for pictures with Tigger. Make sure that you bring your camera, because there will be plenty of photo opportunities during the meal.

Disney Vacation Tip: Don't be afraid to ask a Disney Cast Member to take a family group shot on your own camera. Even Disney PhotoPass Photographers will take a picture on your camera if you ask.

Disney Character Dining: The Meal

The Crystal Palace serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner with characters appearing at all three. The buffet style meal works well for families as the large variety offering allow even the pickiest of eaters to find something that they like. It also makes it easier to time your trips to the buffet with the appearances of the characters at your table.

The Crystal Palace Buffet for breakfast includes traditional items such as: omelets, cereals, freshly baked pastries, fresh fruit, breakfast pizza and cheddar cheese potatoes.

The Lunch and Dinner Buffets include a variety of salads, vegetables, and American favorite entrees like: carved flank steak for lunch and sirloin for dinner, rotisserie chicken and Atlantic salmon. Many of the along dishes have a delicious hint of curry, cinnamon, mango and papaya to give the menu a touch of uniqueness.

The Crystal Palace also features a show kitchen where you can watch the dishes being prepared and have the chefs served the freshly carved meats.

The dessert stations are also a treat including bread pudding, a variety of tarts, pies, cakes, and pastries.

For children there is even a special buffet station with their favorites like: fried chicken nuggets, macaroni & cheese, pizza, and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. Adults may also get food from this area and children may choose any of the other dishes. These are just provided so that the more selective eaters have something that they may enjoy.

Summary Review of The Crystal Palace

The Crystal Palace is a great place to enjoy a Character Dining Experience at Disney World. Advance Reservations are highly recommended and are a must during most of the year. The buffet is wonderful and the quality of the food is much better than any typical buffet you will find. the food is fresh, hot, and very tasty.

The interaction with Winnie the Pooh and his friends was delightful and was something that everyone enjoyed, even the grumpy adults. Who can resist the playful charm of Pooh or Tigger? If you only have one Character Dining Experience to try, you will not be disappointed with trying the Crystal Palace. Even with the large number of families and the Disney Characters the environment was much quieter than expected and the surrounding are beautiful.

Disney Dining Review Of Yak & Yeti Restaurant

2011-12-30T19:39:00.000-05:00

There is a hidden gem within Disney's Animal Kingdom that is often overlooked when discussions turn to Walt Disney World Resort Restaurants. It is a fairly recent addition to the animal focused theme park and it wins for both incredible theming and great Asian inspired food.

Yak & Yeti Restaurant
The Yak & Yeti Restaurant is one of only two Table Service Restaurants that can be found within Disney's Animal Kingdom. When this theme park opened, there were none and Disney recognized that they needed to correct this oversight. Disney World Theme Park Guests have become accustomed to experiencing great themed restaurants in addition to the normal park attractions.

Incredible Theming
The Yak & Yeti Restaurant does not disappoint when it comes to theming. It is anything, but your typical restaurant and it is worth dining there just to get a chance to explore the restaurant and look at all of the artifacts and decorations you will find within. There are two stories and multiple rooms with each adding a different flavor of decor to enjoy.

Great Asian Cuisine
The Yak & Yeti is not just a greatly themed restaurant, the food is definitely a great reason to visit also. The Asian themed food here gets better guest reviews than the Nine Dragons Restaurant in Epcot. During a recent visit my family of four tried four different entrees on the Yak & Yeti menu.

The Dim Sum Basket for Two is listed as an appetizer, but it also makes a great entree. True to its name the food comes inside a basket that contains Pork pot stickers, shrimp siu mai, cha su bao, and pork sie mai steamed on a banana leaf, soy lime dipping sauce. All for only $13.99.

The Lo Mein dish includes Lo Mein noodles, carrots, cabbage, green onions, bean sprouts and Chicken for $17.99. This was a very tasty dish with a large portion, certain to quench the hunger of exploring jungles, battling Yeti's, and time travelling to see dinosaurs.

The Wok based dishes include the above pictured Crispy Honey Chicken. This tasty dish includes: tempura chicken, broccoli, carrots, & honey sauce for $17.99.

The fourth entree that we tried was Lo Mein with Shrimp, which is the same as the Lo Mein described earlier except it includes Shrimp instead of Chicken for $18.99.

The menu also includes the following entrees:

Baby Back Ribs
Shaoxing Steak and Shrimp
Maple Tamarind Chicken
Kobe Beef Burger
Seared Miso Salmon
Crispy Mahi Mahi
Duck with Anandapur Glaze
Tempura Shrimp
MalAsian Seafood Curry
Stir Fried Beef and Broccoli
Sweet & Sour Chicken or Pork
Bourbon Chicken

There is a wide variety to the menu featuring Steak, Chicken, Pork, Seafood, and Vegetarian items. There is certainly something that everyone in your group will enjoy.

Yak & Yeti Secret

One special Yak & Yeti Restaurant secret that Only WDWorld will reveal here is that there is a full service bar with bar-side seating located within the air conditioned comfort of this restaurant. This is a great way for adults to escape the heat of Disney's Animal Kingdom and take a break to enjoy their favorite beverage.

Yak & Yeti Restaurant - Recommended!
If you are looking for a place to dine during your day at Disney's Animal Kingdom strongly consider eating at the Yak & Yeti Restaurant. This air conditioned oasis not only provides great food at reasonable prices compared to other Disney World Table Service Restaurants, but the theming is incredible. It is like an attraction itself with all of the artifacts and decorations that you will find inside.

Katsura Grill Opens In Epcot Japan's Pavilion

2011-12-06T22:11:00.000-05:00

A new Quick Service Dining location has opened at the Japan Pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase. Actually the new restaurant called Katsura Grill replaces the former Yakatori House that had been closed for about 3 months as the transformation took place.

Pam Brandon wrote on the Disney Parks Blog about this new authentic Japanese eatery:

Just in time for the busy winter holidays, Katsura Grill at the Japan Pavilion in Epcot World Showcase is open – a beautiful space that replaces the former Yakitori House. The new exterior is inspired by the strolling gardens at the historic Katsura Imperial Villa outside Kyoto, Japan, established in the 1600s and one of Japan’s cultural treasures.

It’s a nice respite on World Showcase Promenade, with quick-service dishes from sushi to Japanese curry, teriyaki and udon noodles – no big changes from the old menu (but they did add edamame, a favorite lo-cal, high-protein snack) and tweaked a few of the old favorites. Our new favorite addition is Okonomiyaki, a traditional Japanese pancake (sometimes described as a pizza) topped with veggies and a tangy sauce – crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Also new is a crispy, panko-breaded chicken sandwich, and a cold ramen noodle dish with shredded crab stick in a sweet soy dressing.

Sip a Kirin beer, plum wine or hot or cold sake and enjoy the gardens!

Katsura Grill
Japanese Quick Service has always been a popular stop for people using the Disney Dining Plan. The food has typically been very good and it was considered one of the best values for your Disney Dining Plan Quick Service Dining Credit. From the description of the food that Pam Brandon mentioned above, it is safe to assume that the Katsura Grill will be as popular as its predecessor.

You don't need to be on the Disney Dining Plan to enjoy the Katsura Grill, it is open to all Epcot Guests.

Make your plans to check out this new place and its new menu during your next visit to Epcot.

Review Of 50's Prime Time Cafe At Disney's Hollywood Studios

2011-11-30T22:08:00.001-05:00

At Disney's Hollywood Studios you can have a real dining experience that transports you back to the 50's into the world of Mom's Kitchen and when the TV was still a relatively new invention. The 50's Prime Time Cafe combines detailed theming to go with a menu filled with comfort food and family favorites like Fried Chicken and Meatloaf.

"TV at your table"

The 50's Prime Time Cafe is certainly not your typical restaurant. You get that sense before you even walk in the door. In neon lights above the door is the sign "TV at your table."

Televisions are apparent everywhere in this restaurant. From the lobby, to the waiting area, to the dining rooms. These black and white beauties only play shows and clips from 50's era programming, so get ready for wholesome family entertainment.

Relaxing waiting area that is just off of the main entrance. Decorated like the family room in a 50's era home.

One interesting note is that all of the TV's are Disney brand.

You can find this kitchen mock-up just inside the main entrance near the hostess stand.

Lucky groups of 4 or less may get one of the tables that has their own TV to watch. The decor is designed to make you feel right at home, literally. Of course you would have to transport 60 years back in time or live on the Carousel Of Progress.

Here is another view inside the restaurant and the seating arrangements.

Yet another TV for diners to watch.

Mom Makes The Rules

The theming for the 50's Prime Time Cafe extends beyond the decorations. The talented wait staff is in character and will let you know if you go astray of the "House Rules." Remember to eat your vegetables and keep your elbows off of the table or you will hear about it. You also will be asked to set your own table. Have fun and enjoy the interactive theater of sorts.

Mom's Favorite Recipes

The cuisine is homemade American Comfort Food as the stereotypical Mom would have made them in the 50's. The specialties of the house are: Fried Chicken, Meatloaf, and Pot Roast. Don't expect fancy, gourmet cuisine, but you will get a good meal. You may also want to try the famous PB&J Milkshake that everyone raves about.

The Tune-In Lounge is connected to the 50's Prime Time Cafe and has a fully stocked bar that you can enjoy while you are waiting for your table or you can order an alcoholic beverage ( beer, wine, and mixed drinks) during your meal.

Our party of 4 tried four different dishes at a recent lunch visit to the 50's Prime Time Cafe to get a good sampling of what they have to offer:

Dad's Traditional Meatloaf ($14.99) is pictured above. It is a "blend of beef and pork topped with tomato glaze served with mashed potatoes and green beans." It was a good, comfort food meal, if not the best meatloaf ever.

Aunt Liz's Golden Fried Chicken ($15.99) was definitely the most popular dish. It is "served with mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, and southern greens." This was a very filling meal, so bring your appetite.

The Fish Sandwich ($11.99) is a "beer-battered fillet served on a crusty roll with lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce served with a house salad or french fries." I personally had this for lunch and was very pleased with my choice. It was a very tasty sandwich and it was quite filling.

Cousin Eric's Char-Grilled Chicken Sandwich ($13.49) is "marinated chicken breast topped with cheddar, grilled onions, barbecue sauce, lettuce, and tomato on a kaiser roll served with a house salad or french fries." This is a healthier lunch option, especially when you opt for the salad instead of the fries. Again the food was tasty and the portions were large and filling.

To view the full menu: 50's Prime Time Cafe Lunch Menu

50's Prime Time Cafe Dinner Menu

Desserts Via Viewmaster

If you want to see the dessert menu at 50's Prime Time Cafe just check out the Viewmaster at the table. You can then check out each of your options.

Here is the current dessert line-up:

Dad's Brownie Sundae
No Sugar Added Cheesecake
50's Boston Cream Parfait
Seasonal Cobbler
Ice Cream Sundaes
S'Mores

Review Summary

The 50's Prime Time Cafe is not the place for a gourmet meal or a romantic dinner, but it is a fun and entertaining dining option for the family when visiting Disney's Hollywood Studios. It is one of the best themed meals at Disney World.

The waiter or waitress that you get can make the difference from having a good time or having a great time dining there. They play a key role in the experience and the fun.

The food is good, comfort food. Know that going in and you will be fine. Most families will have no problem finding something on the menu that each person will enjoy.

Overall this is a restaurant that everyone should experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios. This truly qualifies as an attraction as well as a restaurant. Take our advice and check it out!

Tables In Wonderland Holiday Party

2011-11-29T21:12:00.000-05:00

There is a special dining event at the Walt Disney World Resort to celebrate the holidays that is just for Tables in Wonderland cardholders. This special event will take place on December 17 in the Norway Lounge within Epcot and will include an evening of wonderful food and drink capped off with a performance of the spectacular Candlelight Processional and Epcot's IllumiNations Reflections of Earth show.

Tables in Wonderland Holiday Party
Date: Saturday December 17, 2011
Time: 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Location: Epcot Norway Lounge
Price: $115 per person, plus tax. Gratuity is included.

Let’s pop the champagne, we have good reason

The holidays are here and we’re celebrating the season!
The cookies have been made, the wrapping is done.
It's time to sit back and have a little fun!

The decorations are up, the lights are aglow.
Let’s celebrate with folks we know!
Five to ten o’clock on Saturday, the seventeenth of December
You are invited to the Tables in Wonderland Holiday Party for a night to remember.

Norway Lounge at Epcot is where we'll be,
So bring your Holiday Spirit and be ready to party!

Please join us for a little bubbly and good cheer
to toast the Holidays and the coming New Year!

5:00pm - 5:30pm Reception
5:30pm - 7:45pm Dinner
8:15pm - 9:00pm Candlelight Processional with celebrity narrator Chita Rivera (entertainment subject to change without notice)
9:00pm – 10:00pm IllumiNations Viewing

Holidays Around the World Menu

Reception
Passed Selection of Chilled French Influenced Items
Tuna Nicoise Spoon
Wild Mushrooms with Fennel and Leeks
Grilled Poulet Rouge with Grape Pearls
Moët Impérial - France

Plated Dinner
New Zealand Influenced Salad Course
Baby Romaine Leaves with Roasted Kumara, Apple Radish Slaw and Lemon Vinaigrette
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc - New Zealand

California Influenced Appetizer Course
Grilled Artichoke, Shaved Zucchini, Heirloom Tomato and Curry Coriander Smear with Pea Tendrils and Oven Dried Prosciutto
Chandon Pinot Meunier - California

Argentinean Influenced Entrée
Green Chile Barbeque Braised Beef Shortrib
Chimi Churi Roasted Yucca with Onions and Garlic served with Fresh Roasted Corn
Terrazas Afincado Single Vineyard Malbec - Argentina

French Influenced Dessert
Grapefruit Custard Brulee with Raspberries, Mint Chifonade and Grape Tuile
Moët Ice Impérial - France

For reservations, e-mail WDW.Tables.In.Wonderland@disney.com with the following information: your interest to book, your name, daytime phone number, home address, and the number of people in your party. You will be notified on a “first-come, first-served” basis. Your credit card will be taken over the phone once your reservation is confirmed. The event is limited to 80 Guests. This event is exclusive to Tables in Wonderland members.

Tables In Wonderland December Event: The Wave...Of American Flavor's Discovery Dinner

2011-11-29T21:00:00.000-05:00

There is a special dining opportunity for Disney World Tables In Wonderland cardholders in December at The Wave Of American Flavors in Disney's Contemporary Resort.

Tables in Wonderland The Wave...of American Flavor's Discovery Dinner
Location: At Disney's Contemporary Resort
Date: Thursday, December 15, 2011
Time: 6:30 pm Reception, 7:00 pm Dinner
Dress Code: Casual Evening Attire
Cost: $92 per person, includes tax and gratuity

The Wave…of American Flavors proudly presents Ben McLean III from Uncle Matt’s Organic Citrus as our host for our December Tables in Wonderland Dinner. Uncle Matt's Organic is a Florida-based, family-owned company offering premium quality organic citrus juices and organic produce. All Uncle Matt's products have no synthetic additives or preservatives and are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. Ben McLean III is a citrus grower, researcher and vice president of Uncle Matt’s Organic, based in Clermont, Florida. As an organic advocate, Ben has collaborated with some of the nation’s leading university agricultural scientists implementing field trials designed to prove the beneficial impact of sustainable agriculture on the environment, while emphasizing the importance of growing nutrient dense foods.

Reception in The Wave . . . of American Flavors Lounge
Beef Bruschetta with Locally Sourced Deep Creek Ranch N.Y. Strip Loin
Vegetarian Flatbread with King Family Farm Winter Roasted Root Vegetables
Jansz Brut Non Vintage, Tasmania

Dinner in The Wave . . . of American Flavors Private Dining Room

Appetizer
Lobster Ravioli with Locally Sourced Sunburst Tangerine Buerre Blanc
Molly Dooker “The Violinist” Verdelho 2010

Salad
Roasted Beet Salad with Uncle Matt’s Orlando Tangelo and Balsamic Vinaigrette, Purple Haze Goat Cheese, and Toasted Walnuts
Pacific Rim “Organic” Riesling 2009

Entrée

Tamarind-rubbed Grilled Lamb Loin with Barley and Sun-dried Tomato Risotto, Locally Sourced King Family Farm Winter Vegetables
Molly Dooker “Two Left Feet” Shiraz-Cabernet-Merlot blend

Dessert
Trio of Organic Citrus Flavors featuring:
Orange Infused Brioche Bread Pudding
Sunburst Tangerine Ice Cream
Limoncello Panna Cotta with Orlando Tangelos
Pacific Rim “White Flowers” Sparkling Riesling

For reservations, e-mail WDW.Tables.In.Wonderland@disney.com with the following information: your interest to book, your name, daytime phone number, home address, and the number of people in your party. You will be notified on a “first-come, first-served” basis. Your credit card will be taken over the phone once your reservation is confirmed. The event is limited to 40 Guests. The event is exclusive to Tables in Wonderland members.

Review Of Le Cellier At Epcot Canada Pavilion

2011-11-20T22:18:00.000-05:00

Today we take a look at the most popular of the Epcot restaurants, Le Cellier. Located in the Canada Pavilion, Le Cellier Steakhouse recently made the move to the rank of Disney Signature Restaurant status. This included an overhaul of the Dinner menu and a dramatic increase in prices.

For those more value oriented you can still get a great meal there during lunch with a wide variety of choices and more reasonable prices for this top notch restaurant. The lunch menu and the lunch time dining experience is what we will be reviewing here.

Lunch At Le Cellier
Le Cellier continues to be the most popular restaurant in Epcot and reservations are a must. This is especially true during lunch hours of 11:30 am - 3:00 pm, when you can still dine at this great restaurant without paying the Signature Restaurant prices that you will see during Dinner hours. Disney World has put the Le Cellier Lunch Menu online which makes it easy to see your options.

Le Cellier literally means "The Cellier" aka basement, providing a somewhat darkened setting with stone walls. Although it is suitable for families, it also makes a great place for couples to dine.

During our review lunch, my family of 4 tried different entrees ranging from soup & salad to Le Cellier's Signature Filet Mignon.

Soup & Salad at Le Cellier is certainly not your typical fare, especially when it includes a bowl of the famous Le Cellier Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup. The basic salad was also a work of art. Although billed on the menu as "Soup & Salad" if you order a bowl of the Cheddar Cheese Soup and ask for the "House Salad" to accompany it, you will get one of the best and most economical meals at a Disney World Table Service Restaurant.

The most difficult part about this meal is that you are ordering soup & salad when there are so many tempting dishes on the menu. The Soup lives up to all of the hype and is highly recommended. Forget the tiny portions that you can get at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and opt for an entire bowl!

My son opted for the Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken. The is a great entree salad that he thoroughly enjoyed. The portion was large and it was very filling.

Both my wife and daughter opted for their favorite item on the Le Cellier menu: Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon served with Wild Mushroom Risotto and finished with a White Truffle Butter Sauce. For a lunch price of $26.99 versus the $41.00 price for this dish during dinner hours you can't beat it.

This is truly an amazing dish and is also highly recommended.

Don't forget that any meal at Le Cellier includes their complementary bread service including Sourdough, Multi-Grain, and Pretzel bread sticks.

Review Summary
Le Cellier provides the Disney World Guest a chance to have an excellent lunch with a range of price points from around $15 for steak sandwiches, entree salads, or soup and salad options to $27 for their signature filet mignon.

The food is incredible and this is definitely one restaurant that is worth making the reservations way ahead of time to enjoy. Even if the new Signature Dinner Menu is out of your price range, don't be afraid to dine here for an incredible lunch.

Taste Of Disney - Web Series Launches Season Two On Disney.Com

2011-11-10T17:52:00.000-05:00

The “Taste of Disney” web series on Disney.com offers guests the rare opportunity to explore the delectable culinary experiences found at Disney Parks and bring the magic into their homes. Mother and daughter hosts Pam Brandon and Katie Farmand are back for the second season, giving guests a behind-the-scenes look into the amazing food and special events of Disney Parks.

This season’s episodes feature in-depth interviews with the head chefs and event planners from Disney Parks, sharing their secrets from the most magical dining spots in the country. Fans can look forward to:

Finding out how 900,000 sumptuous samplings, 338,000 wine glasses and 100,000 desserts are made and distributed over the 45 days of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
Seeing how some of their favorite iconic foods like Disney’s Polynesian Resort “Tonga Toast” (pictured above) and Main St. Confectionary’s Mickey inspired candy apples are made

An interview with the chef de cuisine of the Flying Fish Café about the restaurant and one of their most popular signature dishes

A look at how Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa has inspired the all-new Hawaiian kiosk at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and tips for hosting an authentic luau at home

After watching each episode, guests will be able to access the recipes for all featured dishes and make them at home. Guests can also check out the "Meet the Chefs" page for in-depth information about the hosts, chefs and other guests from the series.

Taste Of 2011 Epcot Food & Wine Festival: Ravioli di formaggio all'Emiliana

2011-10-21T07:02:00.000-04:00

The 2011 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is filled with a large variety of tastes to experience from 27 Marketplace kiosks representing food from 6 continents. Only WDWorld is reviewing some of the Tastes that you can experience through November 13th.

The above picture may be one of our favorites for capturing food with Epcot in the background.

Italy: Ravioli di formaggio all'Emiliana
At the Italy Marketplace kiosk you can obtain a portion of Ravioli di formaggio all'Emiliana, which translates to Ravioli with Creamy Beef Bolognese, Parmesan, and Mozzarella. One of the nice features of the Italy kiosk is the fact that since Italy is represented in the World Showcase, the kiosk is often actually staffed with Cast Members from Italy. That allows for fun chances to converse and interact.

The Ravioli was served in a black plastic container like you would find for typical frozen dinners. Although the quality of the Ravioli was much better than that, we had a hard time getting past that it looked like we were eating a frozen dinner.

Not Recommended!
Although we enjoyed the taste of the Ravioli di formaggio all'Emiliana, we were distracted by the container it was served in and did not consider it to stand out among the offerings at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. One of the great aspects of the Festival is getting to try items that you cannot get elsewhere. The Ravioli was not distinctive enough to make it a "must try", when there are so many other great options. Bottom Line: Good Food, but not good enough to stand out at the Festival. Save your money and try one of our other recommended items.

Taste Of 2011 Epcot Food & Wine Festival: Calamari Salad With Fennel, Smoken Paprika, and Olive Oil

2011-10-17T05:48:00.000-04:00

The 2011 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival at the Walt Disney World Resort is filled with well over a hundred different tastes to experience. Throughout the duration of the Festival, which runs through November 13th, we will be sharing with you some of the tastes that you can try for yourself along with our recommendations.

Portugal: Calamari Salad With Fennel, Smoked Paprika, & Olive Oil
New to the Epcot Food & Wine Festival for 2011 the Portugal kiosk brings 3 first time food offerings including our featured Calamari Salad with Fennel, Smoked Paprika, and Olive Oil. This cold salad will be an instant favorite for any of you that enjoy calamari. You will also get to enjoy the calamari in a non breaded healthier form. For only $2.75 this is a great item to try at this year's festival.

Recommended!
Calamari is not a favorite for everyone, but this mild tasting seafood is definitely worth a try for even the non-adventurous eater. We would definitely recommend it for trying at the Festival and the low price is a bonus. Add it to your list of items you should try!

Taste Of Epcot Food & Wine Festival: Belgian Waffle With Berry Compote and Whipped Cream

2011-10-11T21:37:00.000-04:00

The 2011 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is in full swing from now until November 13. To tempt your taste buds we will be sharing some of the "Tastes" of the Festival from the 27 International Marketplace kiosks.

Today's tempting food item come from the Belgium kiosk. It is the one that caused a stir last year during its introduction to the Epcot Food & Wine Festival: Belgian Waffle With Berry Compote And Whipped Cream.

How does such a simple looking dessert cause such a stir? This is a mystery that you have to solve through tasting it! This combination of the freshly made waffle with the berry compote and accented with the whipped cream is amazing. This is not your normal breakfast waffle. I am not sure if they add special ingredients to the waffle batter or it is just the combination of the items served while the waffle, but this is a very tasty treat and deserving of the long lines that it can generate at the Festival. Your best bet is to try it in the middle of the afternoon before the long evening lines start to build up.

Recommended!

We enjoyed the Belgian Waffle With Berry Compote And Whipped Cream and would definitely recommend it for you to try during your visit to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Taste Of 2011 Epcot International Food & WIne Festival: Coq au Vin sur Gratin de Macaroni

2011-10-08T11:23:00.000-04:00

The 2011 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is in full swing from now until November 13. To tempt your taste buds we will be sharing some of the "Tastes" of the Festival from the 27 International Marketplace kiosks.

Today's featured dish is the Coq au Vin sur Gratin de Macaroni from the France kiosk. For those of you that do not speak French or familiar with French Cuisine, this is a red wine braised chicken with mushrooms & pearl onions that is accompanied by macaroni & cheese.

The French name for this dish best suits it, since this is much better than chicken with macaroni & cheese. For a $4.95 portion you get a good sized taste that was very enjoyable. The button mushrooms really added to the overall flavor and the red wine sauce was excellent. The macaroni & cheese was also very good and will not be confused with the kind that comes in a box for kids.

Recommended!

We enjoyed the Coq au Vin sur Gratin de Macaroni and would definitely recommend it for you to try during your visit to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Taste Of Epcot Food & Wine Festival: Maple and Moosehead Beer-glazed Salmon with Barley Salad

2011-10-05T05:59:00.000-04:00

Today we travel to Canada to taste the Maple and Moosehead Beer-glazed Salmon with Barley Salad.

This was one of the better food items that we tasted at the Festival. The salmon was a good sized portion and was moist. The Barley Salad was served cold and complemented the Salmon. Each portion sold for $4.50.

Above is a picture of the Salmon being prepared in the kiosk. The Canada kiosk had a steady line of traffic during the days that we visited. The Salmon appeared to be a popular dish.

Recommended!
We enjoyed the Maple and Moosehead Beer-glazed Salmon with Barley Salad and would definitely recommend it for you to try during your visit to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Disney World Food Craving: Tangierine Cafe Shawarma Platter

2011-09-22T19:21:00.001-04:00

When visiting Epcot it is not hard to find yourself craving the multitude of tempting food options as you walk around World Showcase. Today's Disney World Food Craving takes us to the Morocco Pavilion inside of the Tangierine Cafe where we find their signature menu item: the Shawarma Platter.

Tangierine Cafe - Shawarma Platter
In what may be the best of all of the Epcot World Showcase Quick Service locations, the Tangierine Cafe gives Disney World Guests the opportunity to enjoy a number of classic Moroccan flavors in its signature dish: Shawarma Platter.

The classic Shawarma Platter is served with Lamb, but you have the option to also choose Chicken, or a Lamb & Chicken combination. Each meat is cooked on the vertical roaster where the meat is shaved off of the outside when it is ready.

Along with your meat, you receive 3 different truly Moroccan sides: Hummus, Tabouleh, and Tangieriene Cafe Couscous Salad. You will also receive Fresh Moroccan Bread to accompany the meal.

Disney World Food Craving
The Shawarma Platter is one Quick Service meal that you will find yourself craving after your Disney World Vacation is over. This is a great authentic Moroccan dish for people to acquaint themselves with the cuisine. Just be careful, because once you try it, you will find yourself craving your return to the Tangierine Cafe to get your next Shawarma Platter.

Disney World Food Craving: Portobello Meatball Slider

2011-09-16T06:17:00.000-04:00

Not all of the Disney World Foods that people crave are found in the theme parks. Today's cravable creation is found in Downtown Disney at the Portobello Restaurant. Here they have created a "Meatball Bar" where you can get a delectable Meatball Slider with your choice of meatball: Spicy pork, beef & veal, or chicken.

This low cost snack/dining option can only be obtained at the Bar Area of Portobello. You can sit at the bar or they also have some seat yourself tables available in this area. Where ever you decide to sit, you must try the Meatball Sliders, they are out of this world. This simple concoction of roll, sauce, meatball and a little Parmesan cheese is wonderful! Once you try it, you will be hooked and find yourself craving them until your next visit to Disney World.

See the more detailed review of the: Portobello Meatball Bar.

Donald's Dining Safari At Disney's Animal Kingdom To Include Lunch

2011-09-15T21:05:00.000-04:00

Disney's Animal Kingdom is getting another option for guests who enjoy Disney Character Meals. Donald's Dining Safari, which had been limited to just breakfasts at the Tusker House, will be expanding to includes Lunch as well starting on December 4, 2011.

Donald's Dining Safari
Enjoy an wonderful meal with authentic African Flavors along with Donald Duck, Daisy Duck and their pals in the Tusker House Restaurant located in Harambe Village of Disney's Animal Kingdom. This buffet style restaurant has been a crowd pleaser with its breakfasts and now will improve their lunch buffet by adding the presence of Donald and his friends.

One of the highlight of the buffet is the 18-foot-tall rotisserie that roasts chicken all day. The cost for the lunch buffet is: $25.99 - $29.99 for Adults (ages 10+) and $14.99 - $16.99 for Children (ages 3-9). Price includes all you can eat buffet with desserts and non-alcoholic beverages.

Alcoholic beverages are available for an extra cost.

Make Reservations Now!
You may make reservations for Donald's Dining Safari Lunch for dates starting on December 4th or later NOW! Make reservations on-line at: Disney World Dining Reservations

Disney World Food Craving: La Cantina Guacamole & Chips

2011-09-15T06:28:00.000-04:00

Many of the special foods from the Walt Disney World Resort that people crave are not the ones from the Signature Restaurants, but rather they come from the food stands and Quick Serving Dining Locations. These are the treats that people indulge in during each visit and make them regular habits that they look forward to each vacation. The Guacamole & Chips from La Cantina De San Angel in Epcot certainly qualifies as one of these cravable creations.

La Cantina De San Angel Guacamole & Chips
When you enter the Mexico Pavilion, the redesigned La Cantina De San Angel looks great in the style of an outdoor Cantina. The Guacamole & Chips may not be what they are known for, but they should be. The Guacamole is freshly made and along with the salty chips they make a perfect snack to enjoy while walking around Epcot's World Showcase.

All it takes is one time to try this treat and you too will be "Craving It." It certainly belongs on the list of Disney World Cravable Foods!

Review Of Raglan Road At Downtown Disney

2011-09-14T20:44:00.000-04:00

Raglan Road, which can be found in the Downtown Disney area of the Walt Disney World Resort is an Irish Pub that is designed to make you feel like you were transported to Ireland when you walk through the door. Although it is not run by Disney, this restaurant has all of the great elements of a Disney World Restaurant:

Great Theming and Decor
Great Cuisine from a top notch Chef
Live Entertainment

This takes the dining experience and moves it past "eating a meal" and takes it to attraction status.

Raglan Road - Authentically Irish
Raglan Road prides itself on bringing you the authentic Irish feeling by having Irish owners, an Irish Master Chef (Chef Kevin Dundon), Irish Entertainment, and even a large portion of the Pub itself is from Ireland. The bars are 130 years old and the stages for the Irish Dancers are 150 years old and come from Ireland also.

Once inside you will get the friendly feeling of the Irish Pub. There are several different rooms that you can be seated in, including the main area that includes the dancing stages and stage for the in-house band that plays 6 nights a week.

This is a family friendly place, but it is open late and is a great option for adults to visit to enjoy a pint and take in the great entertainment.

Raglan Road - The Food
Like all great restaurants, it has to have great food, and Raglan Road is no exception. Master Chef Kevin Dundon has designed a menu that has re-invented some Irish Classics and updated many Irish flavors to create this spectacular menu. The food uses only fresh ingrediants and even the fish is flown in daily from Boston for famous Fish and Chips.

The presentation of the food is just as impressive as the taste. You find yourself watching the waiters and waitresses walk by with each plate admiring the almost artistic creations.

During our recent visit, our party of four tried four different entrees to check out the offerings from the Raglan Road Dinner Menu. You will find the "tongue in cheek" names for the dishes to be interesting as well. It all emphasizes the fun that you are supposed to have during your dining experience.

Chieftain Chicken - Certainly not your ordinary chicken dish! This was a pan seared breast of chicken with roasted baby carrots, mashed potatoes, a port wine jus, and a mushroom spinach cream sauce. This was an incredbile dish and may have been the favorite for the table.

Meatballs a la liffey luv - A Irish take on "Spaghetti and Meatballs." Guinness meatballs & spaghetti in a red wine jus with tomatoes & shaved parmesan cheese. This was also a hit and would be a good choice for the less adventurous diner.

Pie In The Sky - You can't have Irish fare without trying one of their signature pies. Here is a chicken & wild mushroom pie served with a rocket lettuce salad. Call it "eclectic comfort food," another great choice to try.

Sod the Stew - This is a beef stew infused with a hint of Guinness and served with green beans. Although this was also good, it was our least favorite only because the others got such high marks.

Raglan Road Desserts
When you dine at Raglan Road you must save room for the desserts. After careful deliberation and input from our server, we choose two desserts for our table to share and we certainly not disappointed.

Dunbrody Kiss - This is Chef Dundon's gift to America. If you are a chocolate lover, you will certainly enjoy this dessert as we did. Highly recommended.

Ger's Bread & Butter Pudding - This was an amazing bread pudding! If you a fan at all of bread pudding you will absolutely love this.

We could not pick a favorite amongst these two desserts, so we recommend you try both!

Raglan Road Entertainment
The food and wonderful Irish Pub atmosphere are only part of the Raglan Road Experience. You should definitely make sure that you visit on Monday through Saturday to see the Irish House Band - Creel and the Irish Dancers. (They have different entertainment on Sunday evenings, so you won't be totally left out.

Creel - They start playing around 7:00 pm Monday through Saturday starting the evenings off with acoustic traditional irish music and then progressing into more electric charged music as they get later into the evenings.

Irish Dancers - Danielle, Ivor, and Amal are the award winning Irish Dancers that will entertain you with traditional Jigs and fast paced, newly composed Irish Reels. They do an incredible job and it is definitely worth it to wait a little longer to get a table in the center of the restaurant to get a good view.

Great Disney World Dining Experience
Raglan Road provides a great Disney World Dining Experience whether you are dining as a family, couple, or group of adults. The restaurant gets high marks for the authentic Irish Pub atmosphere, great food created by Master Chef Kevin Dundon, and wonderful entertainment. Like any great Pub it is also the place to get a pint of your favorite beverage (Black & Tan anyone?).

When you are making your choices for dining during your Disney World Vacation don't forget this gem found in Downtown Disney.

Disney World Food Craving: Le Cellier Cheddar Cheese Soup

2011-09-09T16:17:00.000-04:00

The Walt Disney World Resort is much more than theme parks filled with attractions, it is a "world" filled with wonderful restaurants, bakeries, pubs, and food carts that leave you craving your favorites food items long after your vacation has ended. Today we take a look at a special soup that leaves many people craving for more.

Le Cellier Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup
Rarely do you visit a Signature Steakhouse to get a chance to eat the soup, but at Disney World's Le Cellier Steakhouse you will find a soup worth craving. Often diners at Le Cellier Steakhouse in Epcot's Canada Pavilion come away from wonderful meals of filet mignon or salmon raving about the soup.

The Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup served at Le Cellier is certainly a food to crave. It is made with Canadian Black Diamond Cheddar Cheese, Moosehead Beer, and Bacon. Those three ingredients are enough to put this soup on many peoples favorites list, but when they are combined with the other ingredients under the care of the Le Cellier Chefs they become a rich and creamy bowl of euphoria inducing splendor. The soup is that good!

It is so good that it has become one of the few regular menu items from an Epcot Restaurant that is also featured at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Marketplace each year. You will find it in the Canada Booth. The only drawback is that the serving is small. It is large enough to remind you of the wonderful flavors and goodness of the soup, but it is gone far too quickly and leaves you craving for more.

The Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup has actually been a staple in Epcot Canada before Le Cellier existed as it was offered at the Cafeteria Style pre-cursor that used to reside in that location. Disney World Guests have loved this soup for quite some time.

Hopefully you have been fortunate enough to have tasted this soup for yourself. If not, what are you waiting for? It is available on the lunch and dinner menus at Le Cellier or can be obtained during the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.

Disney World Food Craving: Coral Reef Lobster Ravioli

2011-09-07T22:59:00.000-04:00

Disney World Dining is always an experience. Often after your vacation you find yourself craving a favorite meal or snack long after your trip has ended. Today's Disney World Food Craving is from the Coral Reef Restaurant at Epcot, namely the Lobster Ravioli.

Coral Reef Lobster Ravioli
The Coral Reef Restaurant is not only known for its magnificent view of the aquatic life of The Living Seas, but also it impressive lineup of seafood dishes. The Lobster Ravioli stands out as a great choice.

The Lobster Ravioli is served with Rock Shrimp, fresh Tarragon, and Lobster Cream. It is a wonderful mix of seafood and pasta that creates a memorable meal. If you try it once, it will be an entree that you will crave.

Disney World Food Craving: 'Ohana Bread Pudding

2011-09-06T21:05:00.001-04:00

Disney World is filled with foods that we crave. Ones that we cannot wait until we get to enjoy them again, or we have heard so much about them that we have to try them. Today we look at one of these Disney World Delicacies: 'Ohana Bread Pudding.

'Ohana Bread Pudding
This Disney World Food Craving can be found at Disney's Polynesian Resort in the restaurant called 'Ohana, which means family in Hawai'ian. This polynesian themed meal is served family style including all you can eat meat brought to the tables on skewers, but the best part of this meal is served last: the 'Ohana Bread Pudding.

Bread Pudding may be considered a simple dessert, but when it is done right, it becomes a wonderful experience. The 'Ohana version of bread pudding comes with a Bananas foster sauce and ice cream to make this one amazing finish to a great meal. If things couldn't get any better they can, because like the rest of the meal the Bread Pudding is all you can eat also, so if you save enough room you can have seconds to enjoy even more.

This is certainly a Disney World Food to crave and have stuck in your mind awaiting the next vacation in order to experience that warm, sweet, sticky goodness again.

Here is the Recipe from AllEars.net

Recipe: 'OHANA BREAD PUDDING
Polynesian Resort

Ingredients

5 eggs
3 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cup sugar
8 cups french or 'Ohana breakfast bread

1. In bowl mix eggs, milk , salt, sugar and nutmeg. Set aside.
2. Cut bread in medium pieces, place on cookie sheet pan put in 350 degree oven.
3. Bake bread until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Remove bread and place in egg and milk mixture.
4. Place mixture in a greased 10-inch cake pan and bake at 325 degree for 1 hour.
5. Let stand 5 minutes, serve hot with ice cream.

BANANA FOSTER SAUCE

4 oz sugar
4 oz brown sugar
4 oz corn syrup
4 oz unsalted butter
1cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1cup spiced rum
1cup banana slices

1. Combine sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and half of heavy cream in a large pan. Bring to a boil and slowly add remaining heavy cream keeping mixture at a steady boil.
2. Add spiced rum and flambe.
3. Candy will brown slightly; cook 3 minutes until candy forms into a firm ball in cold water. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Add sliced bananas. Serve warm.

Disney World Food Based Apparel

2011-09-02T05:52:00.000-04:00

Disney World is now paying tribute to some of its most popular food items by actually making apparel items for them. You not only get to enjoy these delectible Disney World Treats, you can proclaim your love of them by wearing them also!

Recently spotted were two Disney World Magic Kingdom favorites: Mickey Mouse Ice Cream Bar (aka Mickey Bar) and the world famous Magic Kingdom Popcorn now memorialized on mouse ear hats!

How can you pass these up? Show your support for your favorite treat.

The Disney World Cheese Danish: Simple, Delicious, Memorable

2011-08-31T06:06:00.000-04:00

Sometimes the simple things are the ones you remember, even in a land that is full of amazement and wonder. The Disney World Cheese Danish is one of these simple things that has left an indelible mark.

The Disney World Cheese Danish is not limited to only one or two locations like the Dole Whip or other cherished Disney Food items. You can find it at many of the bakeries around Disney World and at the Disney World Resorts. It comes from a central bakery, but that does not diminish the simple pleasure of enjoying one of these tasty breakfast treats.

Like any food at Disney World, part of the enjoyment is the surroundings that you get to eat the food in. I have to admit anything tastes better when you are eating it at one of the small tables at the end of Main Street in the Magic Kingdom after a recent stop at the Main Street Bakery.

There may not be anything special in the recipe for the Disney World Cheese Danish other than it is a really good cheese danish, that is always fresh and tasty. It is definitely one of the foods my family actually looks forward to during our Disney World Vacations. There is nothing fancy about it, just simple, delicious, and memorable.

Only WDWorld Restaurant Guide: Disney's Hollywood Studios Table Service

2011-08-30T06:05:00.000-04:00

Only WDWorld presents the Disney’s Hollywood Studios:Table Service Restaurant Guide to provide Disney World guests a quick reference for their dining options at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

For each Table Service restaurant we give a brief rating in categories such as:

Cost per Adult Diner - Cost for an entree and a non-alcoholic beverage
Child Favorite - Theming, characters, or food that kids will love.
Large Groups - Can your group of 6 to sit sit together?
Romantic Couple Meals - Place for a meal just for two to get away.
Food Quality - One of the most important aspects of a restaurant.
Disney Dining Plan Value - Is the cost of the meal more than what I paid for the DDP credit?
Overall Rating from Only WDWorld - Restaurants with an overall rating of 3 or higher should be on your list to check out during a future Disney World Vacation.

50’s Prime Time Diner

Restaurant Type: Casual American Diner Cuisine – Order from Menu
Meals Served: Lunch, Dinner
Cost per Adult Diner: $15 - $25
Characters: No
Child Favorite: 2 (out of 5)
Large Groups: 1 (out of 5)
Romantic Couples Meal: 1 (out of 5)
Food Quality: 2 (out of 5)
Theming: 3.5 (out of 5) 50’s Diner with Wait Staff acting in Character
Disney Dining Plan Value: 2 (out of 5)
Only WDWorld Overall Rating: 2.5 (out of 5)

Snapshot:
The 50’s Prime Time Diner has a fun, well themed décor that takes you inside Mom’s kitchen. It has decent, but not great food. Think comfort food, nothing fancy. Depending upon your waiter or waitress you can really have a fun meal. The specialty of the house is the fried chicken.

Mama Melrose Ristorante Italiano

Restaurant Type: Casual Italian Cuisine – Order from a Menu
Meals Served: Lunch, Dinner
Cost per Adult Diner: $12 - $30
Characters: No
Child Favorite: 2 (out of 5)
Large Groups: 3 (out of 5)
Romantic Couples Meal: 2 (out of 5)
Food Quality: 3 (out of 5)
Theming: 2.5 (out of 5) Italian Restaurant in Hollywood that caters to the stars.
Disney Dining Plan Value: 2 (out of 5)
Only WDWorld Overall Rating: 3 (out of 5)

Snapshot:
Mama Melrose Ristorante Italiano provides reasonably priced Italian cuisine. The theming is not special by Disney standards, but the food quality makes this one of the best dining options at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Enjoy watching the food being prepared in the show kitchen while you wait to be seated.

Hollywood Brown Derby

Restaurant Type: Signature Level Restaurant – Order from a menu
Meals Served: Lunch, Dinner
Cost per Adult Diner: $26 - $50
Characters: No
Child Favorite: 1 (out of 5)
Large Groups: 1 (out of 5)
Romantic Couples Meal: 4 (out of 5)
Food Quality: 4 (out of 5)
Theming: 2.5 (out of 5) Matches the original Brown Derby Restaurant in Hollywood, CA.
Disney Dining Plan Value: 1 (out of 5), Requires 2 Tables Service Credits per person.
Only WDWorld Overall Rating: 3 (out of 5)

Snapshot:
The Hollywood Brown Derby is the only Signature Restaurant in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It’s high prices, even during the lunch meals (only one lunch/dinner menu) means that you can usually get reservations on short notice. They carry forward some of the Hollywood Brown Derby’s signature items such as the Cobb Salad and Grapefruit cake on a varied menu that includes seafood, duck, chicken, pork, beef, and vegetarian options .

Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant

Restaurant Type: Casual American Cuisine – Order from a Menu
Meals Served: Lunch, Dinner
Cost per Adult Diner: $13 - $25
Characters: No
Child Favorite: 3 (out of 5)
Large Groups: 1 (out of 5)
Romantic Couples Meal: 2 (out of 5)
Food Quality: 2.5 (out of 5)
Theming: 5 (out of 5) Excellent theming mimicking a Drive-In theater in the era of “B” grade Sci-Fi Movies.
Disney Dining Plan Value: 2 (out of 5)
Only WDWorld Overall Rating: 3.5 (out of 5)

Snapshot:
The Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant is the best Hollywood Studios’ Table Service Restaurant to check out. It gives a truly Disney Dining Experience that you won’t get at home. The atmosphere is fun, as you dine in special cars and get to watch clips from Sci-Fi Movies and 50’s era commercials. You may even recognize some famous actors in their not so famous roles. The food is good, but not the reason to dine here.

Hollywood & Vine

Restaurant Type: Casual American Cuisine – All You Care To Eat Buffet
Meals Served: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Cost per Adult Diner: $31 - $36
Characters: Yes for Breakfast & Lunch – Jo Jo, Little Einsteins, Disney Playhouse Pals
Child Favorite: 3 (out of 5)
Large Groups: 3 (out of 5)
Romantic Couples Meal: 1 (out of 5)
Food Quality: 2 (out of 5)
Theming: 2 (out of 5)
Disney Dining Plan Value: 3 (out of 5)
Only WDWorld Overall Rating: 2 (out of 5)

Snapshot:
Hollywood & Vine is the only Character Meal and Buffet option inside of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The buffet features chilled salads, carved and grilled meats, vegetables, pasta, fresh fruits, breads, and a selection of desserts. If your kids love these characters then by all means try it, otherwise there are better buffet and character options at Disney World to try.

Mickey Mouse Pretzel At Frontierland In Magic Kingdom

2011-08-27T08:27:00.000-04:00

There is a new snack that will quickly get your attention at Disney World. For all the Mickey Mouse fans that love the Mickey Waffles and Mickey Ice Cream bars this new treat is for you. It is the Mickey Mouse Head Pretzel!

In a recent post from the DisneyParksBlog, Pam Brandon, Disney Parks Food Writer, talks about the excitement that has been generated around this new snack at the Walt Disney World Resort. It currently can only be found in the Magic Kingdom as Pam mentions:

You can only find them one place: in Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom at Frontierland Pretzel Wagon between the Diamond Horseshoe and Pecos Bill Cafe (next to the turkey leg cart). Pair the twist with cheese and chocolate dipping sauces. Insiders tell us it’s still in “testing phase” at Walt Disney World Resort, but we bet it’s here to stay.

New Disney World Snack To Try!
The new Mickey Mouse Head Pretzel should definitely be on your long list of snacks to eat on your next trip to the Magic Kingdom right along with the Dole Whip, Main Street Bakery Cinnamon Roll, Mickey Head Ice Cream, and other favorites.

Registration Now Open For 2011 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Special Events

2011-08-19T05:35:00.000-04:00

The 2011 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival which runs from September 30 - November 13, 2011 is filled with events that will tempt your palate. Disney World is now taking reservations for the many special events that are held throughout the F&W Festival. This is the best way that you are not shut out of the events that you would really like to participate in.

Special Events
Here are some of the events that can be booked now:

First Bites Opening Reception (Sept. 29, 6:30-9 p.m.)
“3D” Disney’s Dessert Discovery (Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28, Nov. 4, 11)
Taste, Shake and Indulge Like the French Grand Marnier Tasting and Interactive Experience (Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29, Nov. 5)
Epcot Wine Schools (Oct. 9, 16, 23, 30, Nov. 5)
Culinary Adventures in Signature Dining (Oct. 6, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 27, 30, Nov. 1, 2, 3, 7, 10)
Kitchen Memories — formerly Celebrating Family & Friends in the Kitchen (Sept. 30, Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28, Nov. 4, 11
Cheese Seminars (Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, Nov. 5, 12)
Party for the Senses (Oct. 8, 15, 22, Nov. 5, 12 at new times: 7:30-10 p.m.)
Food & Wine Pairings (Mondays, Tuesdays)
Sweet Sundays (Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, Nov. 6, 13)
Culinary Demonstrations - Event Schedule and Pricing
Mixology Seminars - Event Schedule and Pricing
Wine/Beverage Seminars - Event Schedule and Pricing

Additional special events slated will include Italian and French pairings and lunches, as well as Mexican tequila events. To make reservations, call Disney World at: 407/WDW-FEST (939-3378).

Cotton-Top Tamarin Cupcakes At Disney's Animal Kingdom

2011-08-12T06:34:00.000-04:00

The chefs at Disney World continue to create an impressive array of cupcakes to serve at the various bakeries throughout the Walt Disney World Resort. For a limited time, Disney World Guests who are exploring Disney's Animal Kingdom may come across this unique cupcake: The Cotton-Top Tamarin Cupcake.

According to Pam Brandon at Disney Parks Blog:

Chef Andreas Born crafted a chocolate mold to cast both white and dark chocolate to create the cotton-top tamarin face. Dark chocolate shavings replicate the miniature monkey’s mane atop a generous dollop of butter cream. The cupcake is rich, dark chocolate.

The delicious sweets are $3.99 at the Coffee Kiosk at the entrance to Discovery Island, just across from the Cotton-top display. They’re also at Kusafiri Bakery and during August, at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, where all the cotton-top tamarin activities are centered.

In case you’re wondering just why there’s a cotton-top tamarin month at Disney’s Animal Kindgom, Aug. 15 is a national holiday in Colombia, South America – the “Day of the Cotton-Top Tamarin” – and Disney is doing its part to help save the endangered species.

Epcot Food & Wine Festival Savings For Tables In Wonderland Card Holders

2011-08-11T06:13:00.000-04:00

Disney World has announced special savings for select events for Tables In Wonderland card holders at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.

Here are the details:

Enjoy Tables in Wonderland prices – and early booking privileges – on select culinary experiences at the Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival this fall, September 30 to November 13, 2011.

Learn to create mouthwatering recipes or simply learn more about food and wine. Select Monday – Thursday seminars and demonstrations are available to Tables in Wonderland members at a discounted price, in addition to your Epcot® Theme Park admission, when you book in advance via phone.

Satisfy your senses at an exciting, NEW experience:
Mixology Seminars: A mixologist demonstrates the art of preparing trendy and classic cocktails, then serves you the final product. Cheers! At 6:00 p.m. daily. $10 per Tables in Wonderland member, tax included.

Or enjoy these classic Guest favorites:
Culinary Demonstrations: Celebrated chefs and beverage professionals offer helpful tips and tasty samples at these 45-minute culinary demonstrations. At 1:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. daily. $9 for standard demonstrations and $11 for celebrity chef demonstrations. Price is per Tables in Wonderland member, tax included.

Wine/Beverage Seminars: Meet a featured winery principal or beverage expert, learn helpful tips and sample the selected wines/beverages. At 12:00 noon, 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. daily. $8 for standard wine/beverage seminars and $10 for prestigious wine seminars. Price is per Tables in Wonderland member, tax included.

Beginning Friday August 12th, at 9:00am, a limited number of discounted tickets will be available for Tables in Wonderland Members to purchase via phone in advance of the general public.

To book, call (407) WDW-FEST or (407) 939-3378.

Remember, discounted prices are only valid for pre-arrival bookings on Monday – Thursday events.

Important details:
Event information (chef name, winery name, type of food being served) will be available on www.disneyworld.com/foodandwine.

Events are subject to availability.

Events are expected to sell out.

Must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcohol.

Must call to book discount. Guests under age 18 must have a parent or guardian permission to call.

Valid Epcot® Theme Park ticket required.

Present valid Tables in Wonderland ticket number.

Please note that the discount will not be available at the event, so advance purchase is required to get the discounted rate. Discounted tickets may be purchased until 24 hours before the start of any individual session.

Book as early as Friday, August 12, 2011 at 9 a.m. for discounted events held Monday through Thursday.

All other Food & Wine Festival events go on sale Tuesday August 16, 2011 at 7 a.m. (no discounts).

Disney Dining Plan Prices For 2012

2011-08-10T06:07:00.001-04:00

The 2012 Disney Dining Plan Prices have been announced by the Walt Disney World Resort.

There are changes in the pricing for 2 of the 3 most popular Dining Plan Options: Disney Dining Plan, & the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan. The Disney Quick Service Dining Plan prices for 2012 are not increasing. Details are shown below with current 2011 pricing, as well as, new 2012 rates.

2012 Disney Quick Service Dining Plan

The Disney Quick Service Dining Plan, which is the lowest priced Dining Plan Option, is back again. With this dining plan you receive:

Two (2) Quick Services Meals
One (1) Snacks

For each night of your stay

Also each guest will receive one (1) Resort refillable Drink Mug good for unlimited drink refills at your resort for the duration of your stay.

Costs of the Quick Service Dining Plan

2012:

Adults (Ages 10+) : $34.99 per day
Children: (Ages 3-9): $11.99 per day

2011:

Adults (Ages 10+) : $34.99 per day
Children: (Ages 3-9): $ 11.99 per day

2012 Disney Dining Plan
The original Disney Dining Plan now adds the refillable Resort Drink Mug, but the prices do increase. With this dining plan you receive:

One (1) Table Service meal
One (1) Quick Service meal
One (1) Snack

for each night of your stay.

Also each guest will receive one (1) Resort refillable Drink Mug good for unlimited drink refills at your resort for the duration of your stay.

Costs of the Disney Dining Plan

2012:

Adults (Ages 10+) : $51.54 per day (regular season) / $53.54 per day (peak season)
Children: (Ages 3-9): $15.02 per day (regular season) / $16.02 per day (peak season)

2011:

Adults (Ages 10+) : $45.99 per day (regular season) / $47.99 per day (peak season)
Children: (Ages 3-9): $11.99 per day (regular season) / $12.99 per day (peak season)

Disney World has been typically raising the meal prices at the Buffet Restaurants during the peak season in years past, and they have made it part of their pricing for the Disney Dining Plan as well.

2011 Disney Deluxe Dining Plan

No Changes in entitlements from 2011. This plan entitles each guest to:

A total of three in any combination:

Table Service meals + Appetizer
Quick Service Meals

Also:

Two (2) Snacks

For each night of your stay.

Plus each guest will receive one (1) Resort refillable Drink Mug good for unlimited drink refills at your resort for the duration of your stay.

Costs of the Deluxe Dining Plan

2012:

Adults (Ages 10+) : $85.52 per day (regular season) / $89.52 per day (peak season)
Children: (Ages 3-9): $23.79 per day (regular season) / $25.79 per day (peak season)

2011:

Adults (Ages 10+) : $78.99 per day
Children: (Ages 3-9): $21.99 per day

Disney Dining Plan Changes For 2012
In addition to price increases there are two changes impacting the 3 most popular Dining Plans: Disney Quick Service Plan, Disney Dining Plan, and the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan.

2012 Change #1: Disney Dining Plan (Standard) Adds Refillable Mug
You will now receive a refillable Resort Drink Mug for all of the Disney Dining Plan Options. This is good only for the duration of your trip at the Resort you are staying. The mug can be filled/refilled with a variety of soft drinks, coffee, tea, or hot chocolate from the designated stations at your Disney World Resort.

2012 Change #2: Quick Service Dining Plan Reduces # Of Snacks To One Per Day
One of the most fun parts of the Quick Service Dining Plan was figuring out which snacks to obtain with the Disning Plan Snack Credits. Many times with two snacks per day you could also get breakfast items to avoid making any additional food purchases during your trip.

Gratuities are not included in any of the plans.

For more Disney Dining Plan information go to: Only WDWorld Dining

Disney FREE Dining Offers For 2011 - 2012

2011-08-03T14:31:00.000-04:00

The Walt Disney World Resort has announced FREE Dining Offers for guests who purchase a Magic Your Way Package that includes a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel accommodation and Theme Park Tickets for select arrival dates between October 2, 2011 - March 31, 2012

FREE Disney Dining Plan
To qualify to receive the famous Disney Dining Plan for free, buy a 4-night / 5-day Magic Your Way Package and stay at one of the Walt Disney World Moderate Resorts, Deluxe Resorts, or Disney Villa Resorts.

The 2011 Disney Dining Plan includes:

One Table Service Meal
One Quick Service Meal
One Snack Item

This is for each person in your room ages 3 & up for each night of your stay. If you were going to purchase 2011 Disney Dining Plan Prices are: $45.99 (per Adult per night of your stay) & $11.99 (per child ages 3-9 per night of your stay).

For a family of 4 with children ages 12 & 10, this offer saves you: $183.96 per night of your stay!
Ask for booking code: J4J through your travel agent or call Disney at: (407)939-1880.

NOTE: The 2012 Disney Dining Plan also includes a Refillable Resort Drink Mug for each person.

FREE Disney Quick Service Dining Plan
To qualify to receive the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan for free, buy a 4-night / 5-day Magic Your Way Package and stay at one of the Walt Disney World Value Resorts.

The 2011 Disney Quick Service Dining Plan includes:

2 Quick Service Meals
2 Snack Items
Refillable Resort Drink Mug

This is for each person in your room ages 3 & up for each night of your stay. If you were going to purchase 2011 Disney Dining Plan Costs are: $34.99 (per Adult per night of your stay) & $11.99 (per child ages 3-9 per night of your stay).

For a family of 4 with children ages 12 & 10, this offer saves you: $139.96 per night of your stay!

Ask for booking code: D3X through your travel agent or call Disney at: (407)939-1880.

NOTE: For 2012 the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan will only include 1 snack per day.

Details

Valid dates for this offer include:
2011: Oct. 2-8, Oct 23-Nov 5, Nov 13-19, Nov. 27-Dec 3, Dec 11-17
2012: Jan 8-14, Jan 22- Feb. 4, Feb 12-18, Mar 4-10, Mar 25-31.
Offer must be booked by October 29, 2011
You can also book on-line at Disney World Special Offer

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival: Kitchen Memories

2011-07-28T23:10:00.008-04:00

There is a new premium event at the 16th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival called Kitchen Memories. This is a series of 3-course lunches that evoke joyful kitchen memories hosted by celebrity chefs.

Kitchen Memories Schedule
On 7 select dates during the 16th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival the Kitchen Memories Lunches will take place at the Festival Welcome Center in Epcot.

When: Fridays from 10:00 AM - !2:00 Noon

Date          Chef                                        Cost               Restaurant

Sept. 30  Scott Hunnel & Erich Herbitschek $110       Victoria & Albert's, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Oct. 7     John Stewart & Duskie Estes        $110       Zazu Restaurant + Farm and Black Pig Meat Co. in Santa Rosa, CA

Oct. 14   Alan Wong                                  $110      Alan Wong's Restaurants in Honolulu, HIi

Oct. 21   Robert Irvine                                 $150    Robert Irvine's eat! on Hilton Head Island, SC

Oct. 28 Cat Cora                                      $150   Kouzzina by Cat Cora at Disney's BoardWalk Inn

Nov. 4   Art Smith                                      $110   Table Fifty-Two in Chicago, IL

Nov. 11 Suvir Saran                                  $110  Devi Restaurant in New York City

Cost is per person, plus tax. Gratuity is included. Theme Park admission is required.

Kitchen Memories Event
This is a great way to sample incredible food in an intimate setting with a celebrity chef. The chefs will demonstrate how to prepare an appetizer, main course, and dessert while a winery representative pairs each course with a selection of their wines.

International Marketplace Menus Announced For 2011 Epcot Food & Wine Festival

2011-07-28T06:14:00.000-04:00

The 16th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival runs from September 30 through November 13, 2011 bringing a variety of wonderful, foods, wine, and beers to enjoy. Disney World has announced the menus for the 30 International Marketplaces and we are proud to be able to share them here. Access to these International Marketplaces is included with your admission to Epcot and they are easy to find, because they are located throughout the World Showcase in Epcot.

16th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Marketplace Menus
There are 30 international marketplaces that will surround Epcot's World Showcase with a wide array of wonderful food, wine, and beers. Download the Festival GuideMap.

Here is a complete list of this year's International Marketplaces along with the menus:

1. Australia
Shrimp on the Barbie with Pepper Berry Citrus
Glaze; Grilled Lamb Chop with Potato-Goat
Cheese Salad and Shiraz Reduction; Lamington
(Chocolate and Coconut covered Yellow Cake);
Penfolds “Koonunga Hill” Chardonnay; Greg
Norman Estates Shiraz, Limestone Coast;
Lindeman’s “Bin 90” Moscato; Penfolds “Thomas
Hyland” Cabernet Sauvignon,

2. BRAZIL
Brazil’s National Dish - Feijoada (a Black Bean and
Pork Stew); Seared Mahi Mahi with steamed Rice,
Hearts of Palm and Coconut-Lime Sauce; LeBlon
frozen cocktail Frozen Caipirinha

3. ARGENTINA
Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce and
Boniato Purée; Beef Empanada; Terrazas Reserva
Chardonnay; Terrazas Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon;
Terrazas Reserva Torrontes; Terrazas Reserva Malbec

4. Caribbean
Ropa Vieja (slowly braised beef ) with White Rice;
Jerk spiced Chicken Drumstick with Mango Salsa; Frozen
Rock Coconut Mojito; Frozen Dragon Berry Colada

5. MEXICO
Rib Eye Tacos; Shrimp Tacos; Flan; Dos Equis Beer;
Lime Strawberry Margarita on the Rocks; L.A. Cetto
Chardonnay; L.A. Cetto Petite Sirah; Dasani Bottled
Water

6. SCANDINAVIA
Taste of Scandinavia - Shrimp Salad, Cured Salmon
and Herring; Swedish Meatballs with Lingon
Berries; Rice Pudding with Driscoll’s® Only The
Finest Berries™; Xante; Xante Sunshine

7. CHINA
Black Pepper Shrimp (4) with Sichuan Noodles;
Pork Pot Stickers; Xinjiang Barbecue Chicken
Stick (1); Caramel-Ginger Ice Cream; Tsing Tao
Beer; Dragon’s Hollow Chardonnay; Green Tea Plum
Wine Cooler; Happy Lychee

8. SOUTH KOREA
Lettuce Wraps with Roast Pork and Kimchi Slaw;
Boolgogi BBQ Beef with steamed Rice and
Kimchi; Myung Jak Bokbunjajoo (New Raspberry
Wine); Charm Soon Soju (New); BEK SE JU
(Herbal Rice Wine)

9. South AFRICASeared Filet of Beef with smashed Sweet Potatoes and

Braai Sauce; Bunny Chow (Vegetable Curry served
in a Bread Loaf ); La Capra Chardonnay; La Capra
Sauvignon Blanc; La Capra Pinotage; La Capra Shiraz

10. CHEESE
Cheese Fondue with Sourdough Bread; Artisan Cheese
Selection with Sweet Gras Dairy Thomasville Tomé,
Delice de Bourgogne, PC Wyngaard Chevre Affineurs
Goat Gouda

11. Brewer ’s Collection
Radeberger Pilsner (German Pilsner); Altenmünster
Oktoberfest; Altenmünster Dunkel; Hovel’s; Schöfferhofer
Weizen; BraufactuM Indra; Rauchweizen Roog Smoked
Wheat Bier; Sion Kölsch

12. Germany
Goulash Suppe; Nuernberger Sausage in a Pretzel Roll;
Apple Strudel Featuring Werther’s Original Karamel
Sauce and Vanilla Sauce; Selbach-Oster Estate Spatlese;
Selbach JH Riesling Kabinett; Selbach JH Riesling QbA;
Selbach JH Riesling Classic; Radeberger Pilsner (German
Pilsner); Altenmünster Dunkel

13. POLAND
Kielbasa and Potato Pierogie with Caramelized Onions
and Sour Cream; Golabki (Pork Stuffed Cabbage);
Belvedere Strawberry Chiller

14. Italy
Ravioli Di Formaggio all’Emiliana(Baked Cheese
Ravioli with Creamy Beef Bolognese Sauce, Parmesan
Cheese, and Melted Mozzarella; Cappellini con Gamberi
Piccanti (Cappellini Pasta with Spicy Shrimp);
Cannoli al Cioccolato(Chocolate Covered Cannoli
Shell Filled with Sweet Ricotta Cheese, Chocolate, and
Candied Fruit); Dasani; Primavera Smoothie; Fantinel
Prosecco; Placido Chianti; Placido Pinot Grigio; Moretti

15. FIFE & DRUM
Featuring Frozen Red Stag Lemonade by Jim Beam®

16. Hops and Barley
Linda Bean’s Lobster Claw Cuddler® with drawn Butter;
Linda Bean’s Perfect Maine Lobster Roll®; Pumpkin
Mousse with Ocean Spray Craisins and Orange Sauce;
Samuel Adams Boston Lager®; Samuel Adams® Octoberfest;
Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat®; 16th Anniversary
Festival Beer - Boston Ale; Samuel Adams Light®; Samuel
Adams® Cream Stout; Latitude 48 IPA; Samuel
Adams® Blackberry Witbier

17. SINGAPORE
Shrimp Cake on a Sugarcane Skewer with Singapore
Noodles; Beef Rendang (a coconut braised beef )
with Jasmine Rice; Singapore Sling; Tiger Beer

18. Japan
Spicy Tuna Roll; California Sushi Roll; Tuna and
Salmon Sensation; Pork Kakuni; Kirin Draft Beer;
Sake: Itami Onigoroshi; Sake: Junmai Ginjo Masumi;
Tokyo Sunset; Dasani Water

19. NEW ZEALAND
Seared Sea Scallop with Kumara-Red Curry Puree
and Apple Radish Salad; Lamb Slider with Tomato
Chutney; Mohua Sauvignon Blanc; Mohua Central
Otago Riesling; Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc; Whitehaven
Pinot Noir

20. Morocco
Kefta Pocket (Ground Seasoned Beef in a Pita
Pocket); Harissa Chicken Roll; Baklava; Casa Beer;
Ksar White; Sangria; Royale Mimosa

21. PORTUGAL
Calamari Salad with Fennel, smoked Paprika and
Olive Oil; Linguica Sausage with Onions, Peppers
and Olives; Pastel de Nata; Confraria Leve Moscatel
Portugal; Bridao Classico Tinto; Caves Vale do Rodo
Douro; Xairel Cartaxo Tinto; Caves Bonifacio Red

22. PORTUGAL WINE BAR
Confraria Leve Moscatel Portugal
Caves Vale do Rodo Douro
Caves Bonifacio Red Wine
Plexus Frisante Branco
Bridao Classico Tinto
Xairel Cartaxo Tinto
Porto Reccua 10 year

23. BELGIUM
Steamed Mussels with Roasted Garlic Cream and
a Baguette; Belgium Waffle with Berry Compote
and Whipped Cream; Guylian Belgian Chocolate
Seashell Truffles; Stella; Hoegaarten; Leffe; Godiva
Chocolate Iced Coffee

24. FRANCE
Escargots Persillade en Brioche (Garlic and Parsley
Snails in Brioche); “Coq au Vin sur gratin de
macaroni” Red Wine braised Chicken, Mushrooms,
Pearl Onions and Macaroni Gratin; Crème Brûlée
au Chocolat au Lait (Chocolate Milk Crème Brûlée
topped with Caramelized Sugar); Chardonnay,
Bouchard Aîné & Fils; Merlot, Chateau
de Beauregard-Ducourt, Bordeaux;
Sparkling Pomegranate Kir;
Parisian Cosmo Slush(Ciroc Vodka, Grand
Marnier, Cranberry Juice)

25. IRELAND
Lobster & Scallop Fisherman’s Pie; Kerrygold®
Cheese Selection: (Aged-Irish Cheddar, Dubliner
and Ivernia Cheese) with Apple Chutney and Brown
Bread; Warm Chocolate Lava Cake with Baileys
Ganache; Guinness Draught; Bunratty Meade

26. CANADA
Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup; Maple and
Moosehead Beer glazed Salmon with Barley
Salad; Chicken Chipotle Sausage with Sweet
Corn Polenta; Moosehead Beer; Neige Sparkling;
Neige - FB

27. GREECE
Greek Salad with Pita Bread; Griddled Greek
Cheese with Pistachios and Honey; Chicken
Souvlaki with Tzatziki; Dannon Greek Yogurt
Parfait with Strawberries; Skouras St
George; Boutari Greek (White)
“Moschofilero”; Boutari Kretikos White

28. DESSERT AND CHAMPAGNE
Lemon Chiffon; White Chocolate Macadamia Mousse
with Dark Chocolate Pearls; Tres Leches Verrine; Moet
& Chandon Ice Imperial; Moet & Chandon Rose Imperial;
Moet & Chandon Nectar Imperial; Moet & Chandon
Imperial

29. HAWAI’I
Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Dole Pineapple
Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise; Tuna Poke with Seaweed
Salad and Lotus Root Chips; Seven Tiki Mai Tai;
Kona Longboard; Kona Pipeline

30. CRAFT BEER COLLECTION
Full Sail IPA; Sierra Nevada; Abita - Purple Haze; Red
Hook Pilsner; Blue Moon; Leinenkugal; Key West Sunset
Ale; Widmer Hefeweizen

Review Of The Coral Reef Restaurant at Epcot

2011-07-26T21:37:00.001-04:00

Epcot is known for its great restaurants surrounding the lagoon in World Showcase, but one of its best restaurants is actually found in Future World. Where else can you find the combination of wonderful atmosphere, great food, and a wonderful view to a 5.7 million gallon saltwater tank filled with aquatic life of all shapes and sizes?

Coral Reef Restaurant
The Coral Reef Restaurant is part of The Seas With Nemo and Friends Pavilion. Although the restaurant has nothing to do with the Pixar film Finding Nemo, it does take full advantage of the location. The entire seating area shares a glass wall with the 5.7 million gallon salt water tank that is the showcase of the pavilion.

This gives the diners a spectacular view to enjoy while they are eating. It is truly amazing to see the fish swimming by in this one of a kind restaurant.

The Coral Reef does not live on the view alone, its food makes it one of the most highly sought after reservations in all of Disney World.

Ranked #2 in the Only WDWorld Top 7 Disney Dining Plan Restaurants in Disney World, the Coral Reef specializes in seafood as well as steaks.

The current dinner menu includes the following entrees: Seared Rainbow Trout, Lobster Ravioli, Grilled Mahi Mahi, Pan-Seared Seasonal Catch, Seared Chicken Breast, Seared Scottish Salmon, Mushroom Phylo Crisp, Grilled New York Strip, & Roasted Pork Chop.

The menu changes from time to time, but it is consistently one of the best restaurants to visit at Disney World that only takes one Disney Dining Plan Table Service Credit per person to eat there.

The dessert menu also has my personal favorite: The Chocolate Wave. This is a flourless chocolate cake that is truly wonderful. The Bailey's and Jack Daniel's Mousse, as well as, the Passion Fruit Creme Brulee are family favorites.

The lighting and seating makes this an intimate feeling restaurant. Although it is fun to take your kids here to enjoy the view of the aquatic life, it also serves well for a romantic dinner for adults.

Although I have occasionally seen mixed reviews for the quality of the food at Coral Reef, after more than a half dozen visits, my family and I have been consistently impressed with the food and we continue to list it near the top of our must visit restaurants each trip.

Unique Atmosphere, Great Food
The Coral Reef is considered a must visit restaurant at Disney World. Even if your family is not a big fan of seafood the atmosphere alone makes it worth the visit.

If you are on the Disney Dining Plan then you definitely should have this on your list of restaurants to visit during your next trip. The great food, unique atmosphere, and strong Disney Dining Plan value all make it a must for your vacation.

Review Of Sci-Fi Dine In Theater Restaurant At Disney's Hollywood Studios

2011-07-03T15:21:00.000-04:00

At Disney's Hollywood Studios, the Sci-Fi Dine In Theater Restaurant provides a dining experience that the entire family will enjoy. The highly themed environment and tasty food make for a great dining choice.

Sci-Fi Dine In Theater Restaurant

Situated near Star Tours, the Sci-Fi Dine In Theater Restaurant looks like many of the other "Sound Stage" buildings that you at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The building is even labeled Stage 14. Inside you will find the recreation of a classic Drive In Theater, complete with specially made cars for you to dine in, and a giant movie screen playing clips from a variety of B Grade Sci-Fi movies. If you watch the clips closely you will notice some big name stars in these not so famous movies.

The majority of the seating in the Sci-Fi Dine In Theater takes place in 6 passenger cars that seat 2 passengers per row. The lighting is dim and as you look around it will bring back memories of being at a Drive In Theater for those of you old enough to remember.

The kitchen is located at the back of the restaurant, cleverly themed to be the Snack Bar.

Each of the cars shows a "Disney" model emblem on the hood.

Each car also has a license plate. You will only find Western states represented, since we are supposed to be in Hollywood.

Sci-Fine Dine In Theater Menu

The menu at the Sci-Fi Dine In Theater ranges from Sandwiches to Steaks and Pasta. There is a separate Lunch and Dinner menu with the Lunch Menu including a couple of additional sandwiches and the Dinner Menu adding a Steak.

Some of the entrees on the Menu include:

Butcher Steak with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Vegetable with Red Wine Sauce $22.99
Shrimp Pasta - Bow Tie Pasta and Sauteed Shrimp with Olive oil, Garlic, Basil, and fresh Tomatoes topped with Parmesan $21.99
Beef and Blue Salad - Sliced Butcher Tender Steaks with a Wedge of Iceberg Lettuce topped with Blue Cheese Dressing, Tomatoes, and Bacon $16.49
Smoked St. Louis style Ribs basted in Barbecue sauce and served with Coleslaw and choice of Baked Beans or Cucumber Salad. $21.99
The Reuben - Corned Beef, Sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese, and Thousand Island Dressing on Marble Rye Bread served with a Pickle Spear and choice of Cucumber Salad or French Fries $12.49
Italian Grilled Chicken Sandwich with Provolone and Bruschetta Topping served on a Kaiser Roll with Cucumber Salad or French Fries. $14.49
Angus Chuck Burger - Flame Broiled Beef Patty topped with Cheddar or Swiss, Sauteed Onions, Mushrooms, Crispy Bacon, Lettuce, and Vine-ripened Tomatoes served with choice of Cucumber Salad or French Fries $13.99
Smoked Turkey Sandwich - Smoked Turkey, crispy Bacon, Lettuce, and Vine Ripened Tomatoes with Avocado Mayonnaise on Multigrain Bread served with Cucumber Salad $12.99

The Review

During a recent meal we started out with the milkshakes, which were large, and very tasty. The Oreo Cookie Milkshakes are pictured above and certainly hit the spot on a hot Florida day.

One entree we tried was The Reuben. It was a very good sandwich and the accompanying french fries were crisp and tasty.

The other entree we tried was the Beef and Blue Salad. Although it did not photograph well in the low light, it was much better than expected. Instead of the typical steak salad, this dish had the salad next to the steak. This way the steak was hot and the salad was cool. It worked well and made a great meal. Definitely recommended.

Great Disney World Dining Experience

The Sci-Fi Dine In Theater Restaurant is a recommended dining location to consider when choosing a place to eat at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The highly themed dining experience certainly differs from anything else you will enjoy at Disney World. This is a place that my family enjoyed and I am certain that yours will too. The food was better than expected and the setting made for a fun time that was as enjoyable as any Disney attraction.

Disney World FREE Dining For Fall 2011 Vacation Packages

2011-07-01T10:46:00.000-04:00

Disney World has announced that their very popular FREE Disney Dining Plan offer has returned for Fall 2011. Now is your chance to experience the Disney Dining Plan and the great Disney World Restaurants for FREE when you purchase a Disney World Vacation Package that includes Resort Room and Theme Park Tickets at the regular rate.

FREE Disney Dining Plan Offer Details
This offer is good for stays at a Disney World Resort Hotel for most nights between August 28 and September 24, 2011. When you purchase the New Memories Vacation Package for 5-nights/6-days that includes room, theme park tickets, and a 20-page Disney's Photpass Photo Book you receive a Disney Dining Plan for FREE. There are two offers available depending upon which Disney World Resort Hotel you wish to stay at.

(Offer 1) FREE Disney Dining Plan
To receive the original Disney Dining Plan for FREE, book your Disney Vacation Package including a stay at one of the Walt Disney Resort's Moderate, Deluxe, or Deluxe Villa Resort Hotels.

Disney Dining Plan:
Choose meals and snacks at over 100 select Walt Disney World restaurants, including some with Character Dining. Each day during your package stay, each person over 3 years of age will receive:

1 Table-Service Meal
1 Quick-Service Meal
1 Snack

You must book by August 27th, 2011. You may book online at the Disney World website or you can call Disney at (407) 939-7888 or book through your travel agent using discount code N23.

(Offer 2) FREE Disney Quick Service Dining Plan
To receive the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan for FREE, book your Disney Vacation Package including a stay at one of the Walt Disney Resort's Value Resorts including: Disney's All-Star Sports, Disney's All-Star Music, Disney's All-Star Movies, or Disney's Pop Century Resorts.

Disney Quick Service Dining Plan:
Choose Quick-Service meals and snacks at over 50 select Walt Disney World restaurants. Each day during your package stay, each person over 3 years of age will receive:

2 Quick-Service Meals
2 Snacks
One Resort Refillable Drink Mug (refillable only at your Walt Disney World Resort Hotel)

You must book by August 27th, 2011. You may book online at the Disney World website or you can call Disney at (407) 939-7888 or book through your travel agent using discount code QUH.

Note: Number of room allocated for these offers is limited. Tickets are for one theme park per day and must be used within 14 day of first use. Some table service restaurants may have limited or no availability at time of package purchase.

Fantasmic! Dessert Offerings At Disney's Hollywood Studios

2011-06-30T14:26:00.000-04:00

There is a new way to enjoy viewing Fantasmic! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It is by picking up one of the two new Dessert Offerings that comes in a special tray filled with a variety of treats to enjoy.

Evening Delight
The first Dessert Offering is called “Evening Delight.” This tray includes a pairing of Brie and Cheddar Cheese, Fresh Fruits, and Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries.

Just Goodies
To satisfy your sweet tooth there is also the “Just Goodies” tray. Here you will receive Pretzel Sticks dipped in Chocolates and Candy with Strawberries and Marshmallows to plunge into a rich Chocolate Sauce.

Make It A Special Evening
Fantasmic! is unique amongst the Disney World Night Time shows at the Theme Parks in that it is the only one with a special stadium with seating built to host it. The Hollywood Hills Amphitheater is solely used for showing of Fantasmic! It also brings about the unique problem of needing to arrive early in order to get a seat.

Since you are arriving early, this is the perfect chance to enjoy a special dessert and perhaps your favorite beverage while you are waiting for the show to begin.

The Dessert Offerings were each being sold for $11.99 per tray (subject to change.)

Review Of Flame Tree Barbecue In Disney's Animal Kingdom

2011-06-30T05:51:00.000-04:00

When it comes to Quick Service Dining locations at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park the Flame Tree Barbecue should be at the top of your list.

This centrally located restaurant that you can find on your way to Dinoland, has a great menu for fans of barbecued food. Here you will find on the menu: 1/2 slab of St. Louis Ribs, 1/2 Barbecued Chicken, BBQ Pork Sandwich, Smoked Turkey Breast Sandwich, & BBQ Chicken Salad.

If you are using the Disney Dining Plan, you are looking at a virtual feast for your family, all for one Quick Service Dining Credit per person.

This picture shows what a family of four could get using the Disney Dining Plan or the Quick Service Dining Plan.

This is certainly a feast that could be shared, especially if this is your lunch. This is a great way to save Dining Plan Credits so that you can use them for breakfast.

(Disney Dining Plan Tip: Share meals at Quick Service Locations that serve large portions so that you can have extra credits left over to eat Quick Service Meals for Breakfast.)

One of the great features of the Flame Tree Barbecue is the beautiful scenery that can be found in the eating areas behind the restaurant.

The pavilions are beautifully themed with the animal carvings and you can choose to sit near the courtyard or waterside on the lagoon with a view of Expedition Everest.

The great thing about this couryard and these pavilions is that even on very busy days, it appears that due to the fact that they are not visible from the main walkways, many people never even realize that they are there. That means that they are rarely full and often your family may get nearly an entire pavilion to yourselves in which to enjoy your meal.

This really heightens the sensation of being in a tropical forest and adds to the Animal Kingdom experience.

Come For The Food Stay For The Scenery

The Flame Tree Barbecue has much to offer. The food is very tasty. It is one of the best values for people using the Disney Dining Plan. The portions are large enough to share or quench that hearty appetite.

Above all else the setting and secenery that can be found at the seating behind the restaurant is reason enough to visit the Flame Tree Barbecue. It is a place where you can escape, relax, and enjoy your meal and your day at Disney World.

Review Of Columbia Harbour House At The Magic Kingdom

2011-06-29T20:20:00.000-04:00

A Restaurant Caught Between Two Lands
The Columbia Harbour House can be found tucked away in the Magic Kingdom between Fantasyland and Liberty Square.

It's unique location bordering two lands within the Magic Kingdom has led to a very unique Disney World Imagineering architectural solution as to making it fit into both lands.

If you approach Columbia Harbour House from the Liberty Square side you definitely see an American Colonial style building representative of the period and you can easily imagine seeing this building along the eastern seaboard during his time period.

The Fantasyland side of Columbia Harbor House paints a totally different image. Even the signage has been changed to make it agree with the architecture that you see in the rest of Fantasyland.

Most people may not even notice the transition, but this is one restaurant that got caught in the middle and decide to show both its Fantasyland side and its Liberty Square Side.

Columbia Harbour House Menu

The inside of the Columbia Harbour House more closely follows its Liberty Square side and takes a nautical theme.

The menu includes the following entrees:

Lighthouse Sandwich - Hummus, Tomato, & Broccoli Slaw
Anchors Aweigh Sandwich - White Tuna with Lettuce and Tomato
Chicken Breast Nuggets & Fish - served with French Fries
Fried Shrimp - With Cole Slaw and French Fries
Fried Fish Basket - Served with French Fries
Chicken Breast Nuggets - served with french fries
BLT Salad - Mixed greens with crispy chicken, bacon, egg, and tomato
Garden Harvest Salad - Mixed Greens, Chicken, Garden Vegetables, Cheese, Sunflower seeds

They also offer Vegetarian Chili and New England Clam Chowder.

The picture above shows the Fried Shrimp Platter which was very tasty, along with the Apple Crisp dessert. This is a very filling Disney Dining Plan Quick Service Option.

Unexpected Disney World Magic

During a recent visit to the Columbia Harbour House with my family, we were approached by a Cast Member as we made our way to the ordering station, and asked if we would like to eat in the Captain's area on the 2nd floor. We agreed, not knowing the special treatment we were about to receive.

As soon as we ordered, the Cast Member said that she would handle picking up our food for us and asked us to follow her upstairs. She took us to a roped off area and had us sit down at a table. Soon she brought the food to us and made sure that we had everything we needed.

Later she brought each of my children a sugar cookie and frosting to decorate it with (pictured above.) They both had fun decorating and then eating their cookies.

At the end of the meal our Cast Member said that she would take care of emptying the table for us. We enthusiastically thanked her for making our meal so special.

This is the unexpected Magic that Disney World and its Cast Members continues to bring to its guests without fanfare. These little unexpected treats have lasting effects and certainly create a special experience for those on the receiving end. Here we were just looking to have a meal at a favorite location and it turned into a memorable event.

Great Magic Kingdom Quick Service Location

Columbia Harbor House doesn't get the attention or the crowds that Cosmic Ray's Pecos Bill's, or Pinocchio's gets. The food is good and the seafood based menu provides a change of pace from the other Quick Service Restaurants.

Years ago my family discovered the Columbia Harbour House. We enjoyed the food and the fact that it was not as crowded as some of the other Magic Kingdom Places. To this day it remains a place that we enjoy coming to for lunch at the Magic Kingdom.

Although you may not be the recipient of the special Magic that my family received on our most recent village, you still can enjoy eating at the Columbia Harbour House, enjoying the menu, theming, and air conditioned break on a hot day at the Magic Kingdom.

Review Of San Angel Inn in Epcot Mexico Pavilion

2011-06-29T06:04:00.000-04:00

One Disney World Restaurant with great ambiance for couples is the San Angel Inn located in Mexico Pavilion in Epcot.

San Angel Inn provides authentic Mexican Cuisine in a romantic setting. Although it is perfectly acceptable for families to eat here, the low lighting levels lend themselves well to special dinners for couples.

Housed within a giant Aztec Pyramid, the San Angel Inn resides in a perpetual state of night. The inside of the pyramid is set up to look like a Mexican marketplace under the lights in the evening. You can see what the marketplace looks like in the picture below. The flash from the camera makes it look brighter than it actually is. The lower lighting levels only causes a problem for taking good pictures. Otherwise it really adds to the festive ambiance.

The picture below shows the San Angel Inn looking up from the river below on the Grand Fiesta Tour Boat Ride. The simulated outdoor setting really adds to the charm of the restaurant.

San Angel Inn Review

The San Angel Inn has gotten mixed reviews over the years and frankly this has scared me away from dining here previously. With all of the great Disney World Restaurants to choose from, I purposely stayed away from the San Angel Inn due to some poor reviews. It was the fact that fellow High Point , NC resident Chip from Chip and Co Blog strongly endorsed San Angel Inn that I decided it was time to give it a try. I am really glad that I did!

Once you are seated at the colorful tables equipped with the candle lit lanterns the waiter will bring out a paper cone of chips and salsa for you to enjoy.

My wife decided to try the house salad - "Ensalada De La Casa" $7 that included: Mixed greens with jicama, spicy pumpkin seeds, orange wedges, cilantro, mint, and homemade honey-mustard dressing. She enjoyed the salad, but didn't consider it to be anything special.

For an entree my wife tried the "Mahi-Mahi A La Veracruzana." $23 This dish has Mahi-Mahi served over poblano rice, prepared with capers, olives, bell peppers, tomatoes and onions, seasoned with white wine. She really enjoyed this dish and would definitely try it again in the future.

For my entree I tried the "Tacos De Ribeye" $24. This ended up being 3 mini-tacos made of grilled ribeye served over flour tortillas topped with chipotle pepper sauce garnished with scallions and avocados. This certainly was a dish that I thoroughly enjoyed and would definitely recommend.

Other entree choices included:

Camerones Al Guajillo - Crispy shrimp with gaurjillo sauce served over potato relish.
Pollo A Las Rajas - Grilled chicken breast on a bed of poblano rice, served with a cream sauce of red peppers, onion strips and queso fresco. $24
Sirloin Con Chile Relleno - Grilled beef sirloin with chile ancho sauce served with a beans annd cheese stuffed pepper, poblano rive and fried plantains
Mole Poblano - Grilled Chicken Breast served over a bed of poblano rice with a classic mole sauce made of spices and a hint of chocolate, sprinkled with mixed nuts.

Great Dining Experience

My wife and I had a great dining experience at San Angel Inn. We loved the ambiance and the food was better than we expected with the mixed reviews that we had read. We would not hesitate to return in the future.

The San Angel Inn does participate on the Disney Dining Plan as a One Credit Table Service Restaurant and it also accepts the Tables In Wonderland discount.

If you enjoy real Mexican food then you should strongly consider dining at the San Angel Inn during your next Disney World Vacation.

2011 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Starts Taking Reservations On August 16 For Special Events

2011-06-28T21:05:00.001-04:00

There is no bigger Food Based Event at the Walt Disney World Resort than the annual 45 day long Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. The 2011 version will run from September 30 though November 13.

Along with the daily food, wine, beer, and festivities there are a number of special events that Disney World Guests can register for starting at 7:00 AM EST on August 16th.

Here are some of the events that can be booked starting on August 16th:
•First Bites Opening Reception (Sept. 29, 6:30-9 p.m.)

•“3D” Disney’s Dessert Discovery (Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28, Nov. 4, 11)
•Taste, Shake and Indulge Like the French Grand Marnier Tasting and Interactive Experience (Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29, Nov. 5)
•Epcot Wine Schools (Oct. 9, 16, 23, 30, Nov. 5)
•Culinary Adventures in Signature Dining
(Oct. 6, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 27, 30, Nov. 1, 2, 3, 7, 10)
•Kitchen Memories — formerly Celebrating Family & Friends in the Kitchen (Sept. 30, Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28, Nov. 4, 11)
•Cheese Seminars (Oct. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, Nov. 5, 12)
•Party for the Senses (Oct. 8, 15, 22, Nov. 5, 12 at new times: 7:30-10 p.m.)
•Food & Wine Pairings (Mondays, Tuesdays)
•Sweet Sundays (Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, Nov. 6, 13)

Additional special events slated will include Italian and French pairings and lunches, as well as Mexican tequila events. To make reservations, call Disney World at: 407/WDW-FEST (939-3378).

Find The Best Disney World Late Night Snack In The Magic Kingdom

2011-06-27T23:12:00.000-04:00

There are a multitude of snacks to enjoy at Disney World, but only one deserves to be crowned the "Best Disney World Late Night Snack." After a long day enjoying all that Disney World has to offer, one late night snack that you will find in the Magic Kingdom will satisfy your sweet tooth and bring a happy conclusion to your day.

Main Street Bakery Cinnamon Roll

The winner of the 2011 "Best Disney World Late Night Snack" award can be found at the Main Street Bakery in the Magic Kingdom. As you peruse the line of tempting treats you will soon realize that they have saved the best for last.

Unlike any of the other treats you will find, the Cinnamon Rolls are kept warm in order to preserve the gooey goodness and serve them with that "fresh out of the oven" taste.

Bold Disney Guests have been known to ask the Cast Members to pile on extra melted icing for that extreme sugar rush.

As an added bonus, this incredible snack is considered a Disney Dining Plan Snack Item. If you are using the Disney Dining Plan, it only takes one snack credit to enjoy all of this sugary, gooey warmth.

All Day Treat - Best At Night

Although you can obtain the Main Street Bakery Cinnamon Roll all day, it is best at night. Whether you grab one while waiting to watch Wishes or are looking for a little extra energy before you tackle the late night Extra Magic Hours at the Magic Kingdom, this snack cannot be beat.

Agree Or Disagree?

Let's hear whether you agree or disagree with the Only WDWorld Dining choice for "Best Late Night Snack At Disney World," leave a comment or post on our Only WDWorld Facebook Page.

Portobello Hosts Fun Cooking Event For Kids

2011-06-27T22:57:00.000-04:00

Portobello, located in Downtown Disney, on June 24th hosted a part of a special Kid's Cooking Event that spanned 3 Downtown Disney Restaurants. Each restaurant ( Wolfgang Puck Café, Fulton's Crab House, and Portobello) hosted one of 3 courses that Kids got a hands on chance to prepare.

The kids got to work together to prepare Ravioli Gigante, which ended up being a 48 long ravioli.

Great Job Portobello!

This looks like a great event and all of us at Only WDWorld Dining want to applaud the great job that Portobello did in putting this event together. It really looks like a lot of fun. Hopefully more events like this will follow in the future.

You can keep informed about future events at Portobello by Liking them on Facebook or going to the Portobello Website.

Tables In Wonderland - Disney World Dining Discount

2011-06-26T23:36:00.000-04:00

Everyone is always looking for a way to save money during their Walt Disney World Resort Vacation. Since Dining is expensive at Disney World, saving money while having the Dining experience you want is important. There is an alternative to the Disney Dining Plan that may be attractive for Florida Residents and Disney World Annual Passholders. It is called the Tables In Wonderland discount.

Tables In Wonderland Discount
The Tables In Wonderland card entitles the user and up to 9 others in his/her party to receive a 20% discount on ALL food and drink (including alcoholic beverages). There will be an automatic 18% gratuity ( 20% at Victoria & Albert's) added to your bill regardless of your party size.

In order to purchase the Tables In Wonder Card you must either be a Florida Resident or a Disney World Annual Passholder. The cost for one year is $100 for Florida Residents and $75 for Disney World Annual Passholders.

Advantages:

Everything is included in the 20% discount including alcoholic beverages.
No minimum purchase to use the card.
Total flexibility in what you order. You use the normal restaurant menu and order your meal. If you want an appetizer, no problem 20% discount. You are not required to order any structured meal, like the Disney Dining Plan (non-alcoholic beverage, entree, desert). You order and pay for only what you want.
Same discount at "regular" Table Service and Signature Table Service Restaurants like Flying Fish Cafe, Narcoossee's, and Victoria & Albert's.
Discount also applies to Swan & Dolphin Restaurants: Todd English's bluezoo, Il Mulino New York Trattoria, Kimonos, Shula's Steak House.
Applies to groups of up to 10!
97 Restaurants located at the Walt Disney World Resort and 3 at Disney's Vero Beach Resort accept the card.
Special Disney World Dining opportunities are presented to Tables In Wonderland cardholders during the year. One recent one included a themed dinner inside the Great Movie Ride attraction.

Disadvantages:

Only available to Florida Residents and Annual Passholders.
For the most part only gives discounts for Table Service Restaurants.
18% gratuity is automatic.
Must pay either $75 or $100 to get Tables In Wonderland card. That means if you are an Annual Passholder you need to purchase $375 in food just to break even.
Only makes sense if you are traveling with a large group or taking 2 or more trips per year.
Disney Dining Plan is usually a better deal if you have children in the 3-9 year old range.

Tables In Wonderland Restaurants
Fortunately there is a long list of restaurants that accept the Tables In Wonderland discount. Here is the current list of 100 restaurants (subject to change):

Resort Based Restaurants

Disney's All-Star Movies Resort – World Premiere Food Court
Disney's All-Star Music Resort – Intermission Food Court
Disney's All-Star Sports Resort – End Zone Food Court
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge – Boma - The Flavors of Africa, Jiko - The Cooking Place, Sanaa, Victoria Falls
Disney's Beach Club Resort – Beaches & Cream Soda Shop (excludes take-out shop), Cape May Cafe, Martha's Vineyard Lounge
Disney's BoardWalk – Belle Vue Lounge, Big River Grille & Brewing Works, ESPN® Club, Flying Fish Cafe, Kouzzina by Cat Cora
Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort – Shutters at Old Port Royale
Disney's Contemporary Resort – California Grill, Chef Mickey's, Outer Rim, The Wave
Disney's Coronado Springs Resort – Maya Grill
Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground – Crockett's Tavern, Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue (9:30 p.m. show only), Trail's End Restaurant (Excludes take out shop)
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – 1900 Park Fare, Citricos, Garden View Tea Room, Grand Floridian Cafe, Mizner's Lounge, Narcoossee's, Victoria & Albert's (excludes Chef's Table and Queen Victoria Room)
Disney's Old Key West Resort – Olivia's Cafe
Disney's Osprey Ridge Golf Course – Sand Trap Bar & Grill
Disney's Polynesian Resort – 'Ohana, Kona Cafe, Disney's Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show (Late show only), Tambu Lounge
Disney's Pop Century Resort – Everything Pop Shopping and Dining (excludes merchandise from shop
Disney's Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter - Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory, Scat Cat's Club
Disney's Port Orleans Resort – Riverside - Boatwright's Dining Hall, River Roost
Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort – The Artist's Palette, The Turf Club Bar & Grill; Turf Club Lounge
Disney's Vero Beach Resort – The Green Cabin Room, Shutter's, Sonya's (Excludes Sunday Brunch)
Disney's Wilderness Lodge – Artist Point, Territory Lounge, Whispering Canyon Cafe
Disney's Yacht Club Resort – Ale and Compass Lounge, Captain's Grille, Crews Cup Lounge, Yachtsman Steakhouse
Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort – Il Mulino New York Trattoria, Kimonos, Shula's Steak House, Todd English's bluezoo, Garden Grove

Magic Kingdom Park – Cinderella's Royal Table, Liberty Tree Tavern, The Crystal Palace, The Plaza Restaurant, Tony's Town Square Restaurant

Epcot – Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Biergarten Restaurant, Bistro de Paris, Chefs de France, Coral Reef Restaurant, Le Cellier Steakhouse, Nine Dragons Restaurant, Restaurant Marrakesh, Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room, San Angel Inn Restaurante, The Garden Grill Restaurant, Tokyo Dining, Tutto Italia Ristorante, Via Napoli

Disney's Hollywood Studios – 50's Prime Time Cafe, Hollywood & Vine, Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, The Hollywood Brown Derby, Tune-In Lounge

Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park – Flame Tree Barbeque, Pizzafari, Restaurantosaurus, Tusker House Restaurant

DOWNTOWN DISNEY – Marketplace - Cap'n Jack's Restaurant, Fulton's Crab House

DOWNTOWN DISNEY – Pleasure Island – Paradiso 37, Portobello, Raglan Road" Irish Pub and Restaurant

DOWNTOWN DISNEY – West side – Bongo's Cuban Café, House Of Blues® (Excludes Sunday Brunch), Planet Hollywood®, Wolfgang Puck Café

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex – ESPN Wide World of Sports® Grill

Great Alternative To The Disney Dining Plan
At Only WDWorld we are still big fans of the Disney Dining Plan. It provides a great option, especially for that once a year trip. The Tables In Wonderland is a very attractive alternative to those Disney World Annual Passholders who are making multiple trips during the year.

The great thing about the Table In Wonderland card is that although you can call 407-566-5858 option 2 and order the card over the phone, the best way is to purchase the card at Guest Services at any of the 4 Disney World Theme Parks. It is easy to do and you get your card right away. (A couple years ago this process was much more painful.)

If you are a Disney World Annual Passholder take the time to consider this alternative and you may end up saving quite a bit of money.

2012 Brings Changes To The Disney Dining Plan

2011-06-26T23:23:00.001-04:00

Disney World recently released information about the 2012 Disney Dining Plans and there were some notable changes that affect two of the most popular Disney Dining Plan Options.

Disney Dining Plan Changes For 2012

There are three notable changes announced thus far to the 2012 veriosn for the Disney Dining Plan Options:

The base Disney Dining Plan has added a Refillable Resort Drink Mug for each member of your party to the plan. The mug can be used for unlimited refills of soft drinks, coffee, tea, or hot chocolate at the designated stations at the resort you are staying at. Usually they are located at the food court and by the main pool. You get to keep the mug as a souvenir, but it is only good for free refills for the duration of the trip.
The Quick Service Dining Plan had a reduction in entitlements. Instead of receiving 2 snacks per person per day, you will only receive 1 snack per person per day. For those of you that have become addicted to all of the Disney World Snacks this is a real set back for this Disney Dining Plan Option.
Currently there is not a listing for the Wine Add-on to the Disney Dining Plans. It may be added later or it could be dropped as an option.

2012 Disney Dining Plan
The original and still most popular option is the base Disney Dining Plan. In 2012 this option will get each member of your party the following for each night of your stay:

1 Table-Service Meal
Each (adult or child) table-service meal includes:
•1 entrée
•1 dessert (lunch and dinner only)
•1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage
Or
•1 full buffet

1 Quick-Service Meal
Each quick-service meal includes:
•1 entrée or 1 complete combo meal
•1 dessert (lunch and dinner only)
•1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage

1 Snack
Examples of snacks are:
•1 frozen ice cream novelty, popsicle, fruit bar, popcorn scoop (single-serving box), single-serving bag of snacks, single piece of whole fruit, 20-oz. bottle of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite or Dasani water, 22-oz. fountain soft drink or juice, 12-oz. coffee, hot chocolate or hot tea, single-serving prepackaged milk or juice

Children ages 3-9 must order from a Children's Menu where available. Plan must be purchased for entire length of stay and for the entire party (ages 3+). Meals are non-transferable between party members and expire at midnight on day of check-out.

1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug Per Person
Bring your Resort mug to any quick-service restaurant at your Disney Resort hotel and refill it as often as you like!

2012 Quick Service Dining Plan
The next most popular Disney Dining Plan Option is the Quick Service Dining Plan. For 2012 the Quick Service Dining Plan will entitle each member of your party to receive for each night of your stay:

2 Quick-Service Meals
Each quick-service meal includes:

For Breakfast
•1 entrée or 1 complete combo meal
•1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage

For Lunch and Dinner
•1 entrée or 1 complete combo meal
•1 dessert
•1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage

Children ages 3-9 must order from the Children's Menu (if one is available).

1 Snack
Examples of snacks are:
•1 frozen ice cream novelty, popsicle, fruit bar, popcorn scoop (single-serving box), single-serving bag of snacks, single piece of whole fruit, 20-oz. bottle of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite or Dasani water, 22-oz. fountain soft drink or juice, 12-oz. coffee, hot chocolate or hot tea, single-serving prepackaged milk or juice

Plan must be purchased for entire length of stay and for the entire party (ages 3+). Meals are non-transferable between party members and expire at midnight on day of check-out.

1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug Per Person
Bring your Resort mug to any quick-service restaurant at your Disney Resort hotel and refill it as often as you like!

More Details To Come
As more details are made available and confirmed (like the 2012 Disney Dining Plan Prices) we will post them on Only WDWorld. The addition of the Refillable Mug is a nice addition to the base Disney Dining Plan and it is now a part of all of the Disney Dining Plan Options.

The biggest disappointment is the reduction in the number of snacks for the Quick Service Dining Plan. Speaking from experience, finding the best way to use the snacks with the Quick Service Dining Plan was one of the best parts of the plan and made it a lot of fun.

Disney World Dining Reviews: Portobello

2011-06-26T23:15:00.002-04:00

When you are looking for Italian Cuisine there are many choices at Disney World. One that gets overlooked that should be considered is Portobello located in Downtown Disney.

Portobello: Country - Italian - Trattoria
Portobello is located next to Fulton's Crab House in Downtown Disney. Recently my family decided to give it a try for lunch. It was not crowded. Although we could have been seated right away in the Dining Room, we opted to eat in the bar area instead.

The reason we chose the bar is because of the buzz that the Meatballs that they are serving in the bar have generated. I have read about them on serveral sites and heard a great podcast from Lou Mongello and WDW Radio discussing the new meatballs that are offered in the bar. They have even inscluded signage in teh bar area now referring to it as the "Meatball Bar."

We were pleased to find out that in the bar area we could not only order the meatballs that they featured, but we could also order anything on their Dining Room Lunch menu (pictured below.)

Each meal at Portobello starts out with their house made bread along with roasted garlic and olive oil (pictured below.) Again this was beyond what we expected to be served in the bar area. The roasted garlic was such that it spreadable on the bread and the taste was flavorful, but not overpowering. This was the first time that we had seen garlic served like this and we really enjoyed it.

Kat was our bartender/server and she did a great job recomending dishes and giving suggestions. Also like most Disney World Cast Members she was more than willing to take a picture for us.

Portobello Meatball Bar

There are four different types of meatballs that are offered at Portobello:

Beef & Veal with Parsley
Chicken with Sage
Spicy Pork
Salmon with Tarragon

Each meatball is hand made at Portobello and served with tomato sauce on a ciabatta roll. The Beef, Chicken, & Pork are $1.95 each and the Salmon is $2.95 each or mix and match any 3 for $5.00. The 3 for $5.00 is one of the best food deals at Disney World as 3 of these mini meatball sandwiches makes a pretty good lunch.

Both of my children opted for the 3 for $5.00 meatball deal and they enjoyed all of the meatballs. Between them they sampled all four types and did not have anything bad to say about any of them.

Although the picture above does not do it justice, the Gnocchi served with Nana's Sunday Pork Ragu was spectacular. The potato pasta (Gnocchi) was served with a pulled pork based sauce that was in a tomato/wine based sauce. The pulled pork in the sauce was something I have never experienced in an Italian dish and I absolutely loved it. At the lunch price of $11.95 this was a great deal. You can also get this on the Dinner menu , but the portion is larger and the cost goes up to $24.95.

My wife enjoyed the Chicken Farfalle (pictured above) with snow peas, asparagus, tomatoes, and parmigiano cream sauce. This is another entree that is available both on the lunch and the dinner menus.

The Portobello Dinner Menu offers the salads and pasta dishes the you can get at lunch and adds steak and seafood dishes as well. Everything that we saw being served while we were there looked great.

Dining At Portobello

We would definitely have to give dining at Portobello very high marks. It was one of the most enjoyable lunches that we have had at Disney World. The food was excellend and the little touches like the roasted garlic with the bread and olive oil made the experience even better.

I absolutely would recommend checking out the Meatball Bar. The atmosphere is such that you can bring your children or have a get together for adults. You cannot beat the 3 for $5.00 meatball deal. It makes a great lunch or snack.

Although Portobello is not included in the Disney Dining Plan it has been recently added to the Tables In Wonderland Discount which allows you to get 20% off you entire bill (alcoholic drinks also.)

The next time you are looking for Italian food at Disney World do not forget to include Portobello as one of your options.

Animal Kingdom Dining Review: Yak & Yeti Local Foods Cafe

2011-06-26T23:11:00.002-04:00

Disney's Animal Kingdom has some great choices when it comes to Quick Service Dining Options and the Yak & Yeti Local Foods Café is one of the best.

Yak & Yeti Local Foods Café

When you are in the Asia section of Disney's Animal Kingdom it is only fitting that your dining choices even at the Quick Service Restaurants are appropriate for the region. At the Yaki & Yeti Local Foods Café the menu features foods that you might get from a typical Chinese Food Carryout location complete with trademark box.

The Menu

The menu includes a choice of 6 entrees:

Honey Chicken
Sweet and Sour Pork
Shrimp Lo Mein
Kung Pao Beef
Asian Chicken Sandwich
Mandarin Chicken Salad

You can also purchase Pork Egg Rolls and Chicken Fried Rice as side dishes or use Disney Dining Plan Snack Credits.

The desserts include: Chocolate Cake, Mango Pie, Frozen Lemonade, or Chocolate Chip Cookie.

There is also a Children's Menu that includes 3 options:

Cheesburger
Chicken Bites
Pork Egg Roll

With the Children's meal you can get the usual sides or opt for Fried Rice.

The beverages available include fountain soft drinks and draft Bud Light or Safari Amber Beer.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Kung Pao Beef (tasted so good that we could not slow down for picture until most of it was gone!)

Pork Egg Rolls

Disney Dining Plan

The Yak & Yeti Local Foods Café participates on the Disney Dining Plan as a Quick Service Food option providing great value for your Quick Service Dining credits. As mentioned earlier the Pork Egg Rolls (2) and the Chicken Fried Rice can both be had for Disney Dining Plan snack credits. This can make a great snack or a light lunch.

Great Theming

Although the Yak & Yeti Local Foods Cafe is a small walk-up restaurant, the themed area in which it resides adds to the experience.

Disney Imagineers make the most of the space and add props that are authentic to the region in order to magically transport you to Asia to enjoy your lunch.

Favorite Quick Service Option

The Yak & Yeti Local Food Café gets high marks for a Disney Quick Service Dining location by offering a non-typical theme park food option and great theming to blend in seemlessly to its location and "story'"

The food is tasty and will be sure to please those in your family that enjoy take-out Chinese Food. This is yet another great example of why there is so much more to experience beyond burgers and pizza when you dine at the Walt Disney World Resort Theme Parks. It will not be your best meal ever, but it is enjoyable and a way to escape the ordinary.

This dining location also rates highly as a Disney Quick Service location that you get your money's worth when using the Disney Dining Plan.

Hollywood Studios Dining Review: Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano

2011-06-26T23:07:00.000-04:00

If you are in the mood for Italian food while at Disney's Hollywood Studios then Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano is the place for you. As one of five Table Service Dining options at Disney's Hollywood Studios, it provides you the opportunity to have a relaxing sit down meal without leaving the Disney World theme park.

Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano

Mama Melrose's is a 280 seat Italian Restaurant that is located near the Streets of America section of Disney's Hollywood Studios. It is themed to be a Hollywood based restaurant where Mama Melrose cooks for the Stars. You will quickly notice the picture of the Hollywood Walk Of Fame Star for Mama Melrose.

The walls are adorned with pictures of the stars that have frequented Mama Melrose's as is the Hollywood tradition.

Once you get past the entrance you will notice the small, but very busy show kitchen that is quite visible. Here you will see them building flatbread pizzas to cook in their wood fired brick ovens or prepare the various pasta dishes on the menu.

When you are seated you are taken to one of the dining rooms. Here the lighting is dimmer, as befitting a family Italian Restaurant. The atmosphere is casual with the mixture of Italian and Hollywood based decorations.

The Menu

The menu at Mama Melrose's is filled with reasonably priced (for a Disney World Table Service Restaurant) Italian fare.

Amongst the entrees you will find a variety of different flatbreads (thin crusted pizzas designed to serve one person), pasta dishes, steak, Oak-grilled Pork Chop, and Wood Grilled Tuna. Prices range from $11.99 to $12.99 for the Flatbreads and $16.99 to $19.99 for the Pasta dishes. The Steak, Pork Chop, and Grilled Tuna range from $21.99 to $28.99.

Dining Review

During a recent visit to Mama Melrose's two of us (my 14 year old son and I) ate there for lunch. Their Lunch and Dinner Menus are identical. Fortunately with the variety on the menu you can choose to either have a full meal or enjoy one of their flatbreads for a lighter "Lunch."

They accept both the Disney Dining Plan and the Tables In Wonderland dining discounts.

We were in the mood for pasta so we order the Oven Baked Chicken alla Parmigiana ($16.99) and the Penne alla Vodka (also $16.99).

While we waiting for the pasta, we were served fresh baked rolls with Olive Oil for dipping. They were very good.

The Oven Baked Chicken alla Parmigiana comes atop spaghetti with a real chicken breast and plenty of mozzarella cheese. The portion was good sized and the dish was tasty. My son really enjoyed it and ate every bite.

I had the Penne alla Vodka. I was pleasantly surprised by the size of the portion. The dish tasted great and exceeded my expectations. This ended up being one of the best meals of my trip.

Summary

Mama Melrose's is a great dining option for a Table Service Restaurant within Disney's Hollywood Studios. The atmosphere is relaxed. The restaurant is themed to be an Italian Family Restaurant that serves the Hollywood Stars, but the food is the star of the "show" here.

The flatbreads make an excellent lunch or you can choose from their pasta or other options for more of a dinner. The two pasta dishes that we sampled exceeded expectations.

Mama Melrose's would be considered a "normal" Italian Restaurant along the same lines as Tony's Town Square in the Magic Kingdom. Based upon this recent meal, I would rate the food quality ahead of Tony's.

Elsewhere at Disney World there are several upscale Italian cuisine choices: Tutto Italia Ristorante and Via Napoli in Epcot, Portobello in Downtown Disney, and Il Mulina New York Trattoria at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels. If you are looking for more of a fine dining experience I would recommend one of these, if you are looking for very tasty "basic" Italian dishes then you will be more than happy with Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano.

I would have to say that I was very pleased with the overall dining experience. The atmosphere was relaxed and suitable for families to converse. The food tasted great and exceeded expectations. The prices were very reasonable by Disney World standards. I would definitely recommendd Mama Melrose's to any who are seeking a Table Service Restaurant inside of Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Magic Kingdom Dining Review: Tony's Town Square Restaurant

2011-06-26T23:04:00.000-04:00

Dining at Disney World can be a magical experience. Dining within the Magic Kingdom makes it even better. Tony's Town Square is one of 5 Table Service Dining Options that can be enjoyed without having to leave the Magic Kingdom.

Tony's Town Square Restaurant

If you are in the mood for Italian food in the Magic Kingdom, then Tony's Town Square Restaurant is the place to go. This Magic Kingdom Favorite is based upon the Italian trattoria seen in the Disney Animated Classic "Lady and the Tramp."

Throughout the restaurant you will see artwork and reminders of the movie. One of the most memorable is the Lady and the Tramp Fountain near the center of the restaurant.

Tony's is lively and noisy, as to be expected with all of the families dining there. This is not the location for a romantic dinner, but it is a great place for families to dine. The atmosphere is casual, as most people are dining after a long day spent exploring the Magic Kingdom.

The Menu
At Tony's Town Square you will find mostly Italian fare. Current entrees from their Dinner Menu include:

Seafood Diavolo -Linguini Pasta with Clams, Mussels, Calamari, Shrimp, and Salmon served in a Spicy Tomato Sauce $22.99
Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Marsala Wine and Mushroom Sauce and Angel Hair Pasta $19.99
Chicken Parmigiana - Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast with Marinara Sauce topped with Melted Mozzarella over Spaghetti $16.99
Mushroom Ravioli filled with a seasonal Mushroom blend made in-house daily with a Mascarpone and Mushroom Cream Sauce and topped with Sautéed Spinach $16.99
Braised Boneless Beef Short Rib with a Chianti Demi-glace topped with Balsamic-roasted Cipollini Onions, fresh Oregano, Whipped Butternut Squash, and seasonal Vegetables $20.99
New York Strip Steak with a Red Wine Butter, Roasted Potatoes, and seasonal Vegetables $27.99
Spaghetti with choice of Meatballs or Sweet Italian Sausage with Marinara Sauce $16.99
Catch of the Day served over Orzo Pasta tossed with Pancetta, Roasted Garlic, and seasonal Vegetables topped with Balsamic Maple Glaze $21.99
Vegetable Lasagna Layered with Vegetables and Mozzarella $16.99
Shrimp Scampi - Linguini with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Asparagus tossed in a Garlic Sauce $18.99

During a recent visit to Tony's my family was able to try 4 different entrees from their menu: Chicken Parmesan, New York Strip Steak, Seafood Diavolo, & Spaghetti with Meatballs. All of the entrees were good, but none would be considered exceptional. There are certainly other Italian Restaurants within Disney World that have better food, but none of them have the luxury of being located within the Magic Kingdom.

Above is a close-up picture of the Spaghetti and Meatballs. This is a great choice if you are looking to recreate that magical scene from Lady and the Tramp.

The Seafood Diavolo had plenty of seafood in this spicy pasta dish.

Tony's also has a nice selection of available desserts. Pictured above is the Ice Cream Bomb and the Tiramisu.

Magic Kingdom Favorite

Tony's Town Square is a great place to dine after a long day enjoying the Magic Kingdom. It is often considered the best Magic Kingdom Table Service Restaurant. It's location on the Square off of Main Street gives it a great view of parades, especially the Main Street Electrical Parade at Night.

Tony's has good food, if not great. If your main concern when choosing a restaurant is getting the best food, you may wish to pick a restaurant outside of the Magic Kingdom. If you are looking for good food, great family atmosphere and stellar location, then Tony's Town Square is a restaurant you should definitely consider for your next trip to Walt Disney World.

Having the ability to enjoy a nice Table Service meal in the evening before you watch the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom makes for a truly magical Disney World evening!

Epcot Dining Review: La Cantina de San Angel

2011-06-26T23:00:00.000-04:00

Epcot's World Showcase provides plenty of international tastes to sample, today our Epcot Dining Review takes us to the Mexico where we visit the Mexico Pavilion's Quick Service Restaurant: La Cantina de San Angel.

La Cantina de San Angel
For those of you previously familiar with La Cantina, you will notice that there have been dramatic changes to the building, the seating areas, and the menu. These have all happened when the original building was torn down and the new La Cantina and La Hacienda - Epcot's newest Table Service Restaurant were built in an expanded area on the waterfront. Both restaurants are operated by the same company that runs the San Angel Inn Restaurant in the Mexico Pavilion.

The new building is much more ornate than the previous one and fits well with the architecture of the pavilion. The seating now extends out into the water much more and was designed to give excellent views of Illuminations at the end of each evening.

Although La Cantina now shares a building with La Hacienda the entrance is well marked and easy to find. It is located on the northern side of the building which is closest to the Future World part of Epcot.

The Menu

The new menu is limited, but comes with authentic Mexican choices. The entrees are:

Tacos de Carne - Grilled beef tacos served on fresh handmade corn tortillas with Pico de Gallo, lime and corn tortilla chips.
Empanados de Queso - Fried corn mesa (dough) filled with Chihuahua cheese topped with green sauce, served with corn tortilla chips.
Tacos de Pollo - Grilled chicken served on fresh homemade corn tortillas with Pico de Gallo, lime and corn tortilla chips.
Nachos - Corn tortilla chips topped with ground beef, nacho cheese, tomatoes, jalapenos, black beans, and sour cream.
Guacamole con Totopos - Corn Tortilla chips accompanied by handmade guacamole.

There is also a Children's menu that offers a choice of Cheese Empanada or Chicken Tenders for children aged 3 - 9.

During a recent visit I tried the Tacos de Pollo. The food was true to the description. The chicken was freshly grilled and served in a fresh handmade corn tortilla. The Pico de Gallo was excellent and tasted like it was freshly made. Although I considered the food to be overpriced even compared to other Disney World food I could not fault the quality of the food which I thought was excellent.

Others dining nearby were enjoying the nachos and other dishes on the menu. I did not hear any complaints about the quality of their food and it all looked great.

La Cantina Is Worth Visiting

La Cantina de San Angel has made many changes from the previous incarnation. The new and improved version is certainly worth visiting if you enjoy authentic Mexican food or are interested in trying authentic Mexican food. If you are not sure if you are ready to try either the San Angel Inn or the La Hacienda de San Angel this would be a good way to introduce yourself to the Mexican cuisine.

In addition to soft drinks, bottled water, and coffee you can also get Dos Equis Draft Beer and Margaritas here to go with your meal.

The seating areas are much improved and the views of the water, especially at night are wonderful. This is probably the nicest eating area of all of the Quick Service Dining locations at Epcot.

Lastly, La Cantina de San Angel participates on the Disney Dining Plan for one Quick Service Credit.

Dining For Less At Disney World

2011-06-26T22:51:00.001-04:00

There are ways to save money on Dining at the Walt Disney World Resort that don't involve the Disney Dining Plan or special discount cards. You can save significant amounts of money and still enjoy the Disney World Restaurants by taking an approach that will work at any time of the year.

Dining at Disney World is much more than getting your necessary food. The Table Service Restaurants are each unique dining experiences that are often as entertaining as any Disney World Theme Park attraction. Just because you are looking to save money does not mean that you have to avoid the Disney World sit down restaurants.
Money Saving Tips For Disney World Dining
The biggest money saving tip while enjoying Disney World's wonderful restaurants is to enjoy these restaurants during the Lunch time (typically from around 11:30 am - 3:30 pm) instead of the Dinner time (after 4:00 pm).

At Buffets like the Biergarten in Epcot Germany there is a significant price difference between the Lunch and Dinner rate. In this case for an Adult (ages 10 and up) the Lunch costs $25.99 and the Dinner costs $34.99. This is a difference of $9.00 per person or almost 35% higher. For a family of 4 this would add up to an increase of over $45 once you figure in tax and tip. You will find similar Lunch time savings at all of the Disney World Buffet Restaurants including favorites like: Tusker House in Disney's Animal Kingdom, Hollywood & Vine at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Askershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot, and the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom.

When you dine at one of Disney World's Buffet locations you are there for the experience as much as the food. At the Biergarten you can see the same entertainment during Lunch that you can at dinner. For the most part there is very little difference in the food offering as well.

Get Signature Dishes For Less
When you dine at Le Cellier in Epcot Canada the signature dish is the Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon. During Lunch you can enjoy the Mushroom Filet for $25.99 while it will cost you $34.99 during Dinner. In this case again a difference of $9.00 for the one entree.

If you are dining at the Wilderness Lodge's Whispering Canyon Cafe you may want to try their famous Canyon Skillet - Smoked Pork Ribs, Oven-roasted Chicken, and Pork Sausage served with Cowboy Beans, Corn on the Cob, Creamy Coleslaw, Mashed Potatoes, and Fresh-baked Cornbread. During Lunch hours it will cost you $18.99 per person while during Dinner hours the price goes up to $26.99, an increase of $8.00 per person.

Save Hundreds Of Dollars
During your typical Disney World Vacation for a family of 4 that visits for 6 full days you can save up to $250 - $300 by choosing to eat at Table Service Restaurants during the Lunch Hours and at Quick Service Restaurants during the Dinner Hours.

Note: Savings is not available on all menu offerings during the Lunch hours, but is available on several like the examples shown.

Added Benefits
By choosing to eat at Table Service Restaurants for Lunch and Quick Service Restaurants for Dinner you also will receive these added benefits:

The Disney World Parks are usually the most crowded in the early afternoon. You will avoid this crowded time by being in a restaurant, enjoying your meal.
You will be eating your less time consuming meal at a Quick Service Restaurant when the attraction waits are shorter during the evenings.
You will escape the Florida afternoon heat by going to an air conditioned Table Service Restaurant.
You don't have to worry about missing the night time fireworks, parade, or show because you are still eating your meal in the Table Service Restaurants.
It is easier to get reservations for Lunch hours at Disney World Table Service Restaurants on shorter notice.

Enjoy Disney World Dining For Less
Dining at Disney World is an experience that will certainly enhance your vacation if you get the chance to enjoy the Disney World Table Service Restaurants. By booking these restaurants during the Lunch Hours you will save significant amounts of money and still get all of the benefits of dining at these great restaurants.

By following this money saving tip, you can still enjoy the great Disney Restaurants and the great signature dishes without ruining your vacation budget. When planning your next Disney World Vacation strongly consider this option. There is nothing wrong with paying less for the same great meals that everyone else is raving about. That is called being smart!

2011 Disney Dining Plan Prices

2011-06-26T21:06:00.003-04:00

The 2011 Disney Dining Plan Options are usually prices as part of a package, but it is important to know what each of the options costs on a per person, per day basis. If you are a Disney Vacation Club Member (DVC) you have the option to purchase the Disney Dining Plan without purchasing a Disney Vacation Package to accompany it, but you still much purchase the option for your entire party for the length of your stay at a particular Disney Vacation Club Resort.

Quick Service Dining Plan
Adults (Ages 10+) : $34.99 per day
Children: (Ages 3-9): $ 11.99 per day

Disney Dining Plan
Adults (Ages 10+) : $45.99 per day (regular season) / $47.99 (peak season)
Children: (Ages 3-9): $11.99 per day (regular season / $12.99 (peak season)

Disney Deluxe Dining Plan
Adults (Ages 10+) : $78.99 per day
Children: (Ages 3-9): $21.99 per day

2011 Disney Dining Plan Options

2011-06-26T21:03:00.001-04:00

For 2011 there are 3 different Disney Dining Plans that cover a wide variety of Dining Experiences at Disney World. Each one has it's own pluses and minuses and the right one depends upon your individual preferences and budget.

2011 Disney Dining Plan Options
There are 3 Disney Dining Plan Options and 1 add-on option to add Wine to 2 of the options.
They are:

Disney Quick Service Dining Plan
Disney Dining Plan *
Disney Deluxe Dining Plan *

* The Wine Add-On can be included for an additional fee.

Disney Quick Service Dining Plan
For each night of your Quick-Service Dining Plan package, each Guest in your party (ages 3 and up) receives:

2 Quick-Service Meals
Each quick-service meal includes:
For Breakfast
•1 entrée or 1 complete combo meal
•1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage

For Lunch and Dinner
•1 entrée or 1 complete combo meal
•1 dessert
•1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage

Children ages 3-9 must order from the Children's Menu (if one is available).

2 Snacks
Examples of snacks are:
•1 frozen ice cream novelty, popsicle, fruit bar, popcorn scoop (single-serving box), single-serving bag of snacks, single piece of whole fruit, 20-oz. bottle of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite or Dasani water, 22-oz. fountain soft drink or juice, 12-oz. coffee, hot chocolate or hot tea, single-serving prepackaged milk or juice

Children ages 3-9 must order from a Children's Menu where available. Plan must be purchased for entire length of stay and for the entire party (ages 3+). Meals are non-transferable between party members and expire at midnight on day of check-out.

1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug Per Person:
Bring your Resort mug to any quick-service restaurant at your Disney Resort hotel and refill it as often as you like!

Disney Dining Plan
With your Disney Dining Plan, for each night of your package, each Guest in your party (ages 3 and up) receives:

1 Table-Service Meal
Each (adult or child) table-service meal includes:
•1 entrée
•1 dessert (lunch and dinner only)
•1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage
Or
•1 full buffet

1 Quick-Service Meal
Each quick-service meal includes:
•1 entrée or 1 complete combo meal
•1 dessert (lunch and dinner only)
•1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage

1 Snack
Examples of snacks are:
•1 frozen ice cream novelty, popsicle, fruit bar, popcorn scoop (single-serving box), single-serving bag of snacks, single piece of whole fruit, 20-oz. bottle of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite or Dasani water, 22-oz. fountain soft drink or juice, 12-oz. coffee, hot chocolate or hot tea, single-serving prepackaged milk or juice

Children ages 3-9 must order from a Children's Menu where available. Plan must be purchased for entire length of stay and for the entire party (ages 3+). Meals are non-transferable between party members and expire at midnight on day of check-out.

Disney Deluxe Dining Plan
With your Deluxe Disney Dining Plan, for each night of your package, each Guest in your party (ages 3 and up) receives:

3 Meals
Choose from select Walt Disney World Resort table-service or quick-service restaurants for all 3 of your meals.

Each adult or child table-service meal includes:
•1 appetizer (lunch and dinner only), 1 entrée and 1 dessert (lunch and dinner only)
•1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage
Or
•1 full buffet

Each quick-service meal includes:
•1 entrée or 1 complete combo meal
•1 dessert (lunch and dinner only)
•1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage

2 Snacks
Examples of snacks are:
•1 frozen ice cream novelty, popsicle, fruit bar, popcorn scoop (single-serving box), single-serving bag of snacks, single piece of whole fruit, 20-oz. bottle of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite or Dasani water, 22-oz. fountain soft drink or juice, 12-oz. coffee, hot chocolate or hot tea, single-serving prepackaged milk or juice

Children ages 3-9 must order from a Children's Menu where available. Plan must be purchased for entire length of stay and for the entire party (ages 3+). Meals are non-transferable between party members and expire at midnight on day of check-out.

1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug Per Person
The Disney Deluxe Dining Plan also includes a refillable Resort mug. Bring your Resort mug to any quick-service restaurant at your Disney Resort hotel and refill it as often as you like!

Wine and Dine Plan Add-On
Add the Disney Wine and Dine Plan to a Magic Your Way package that includes table-service dining and save up to 20% on wine.* This Plan includes one wine entitlement per night, per room. Redeem one or 2 entitlements (as indicated on the select location's designated wine list) for one bottle of wine. All wines on private in-room dining menus require 2 entitlements.

*Savings based on redeeming one entitlement for one bottle of wine at select restaurant locations.

Gratuity not included. Locations and designated wine list are subject to change. Wines are subject to availability. Must purchase this Plan for each night of your package stay. Entitlements are non-transferable to non-party Guests and expire at midnight on day of check-out.

Disney Dining Plan - The Basics

2011-06-26T21:01:00.000-04:00

The Disney Dining Plan can be a great option to add to your Walt Disney World Vacation. For the first time user of the Disney Dining Plan it can be a bit overwhelming trying to understand how it works and how to proceed.

Disney Dining Plan – The Basics
The Disney Dining Plan (DDP) is a pre-paid meal plan for Disney World Vacationers that provides a lot of flexibility as to what you can eat and where you can eat. The plan is based upon the number of nights that you are staying at a Walt Disney World Resort. You must purchase the plan for your entire party (in your Room) for the entire stay at the chosen Disney World Resort Hotel.

As the name implies the plan is paid for prior to your resort check-in for non-DVC (Disney Vacation Club Resorts) or at check-in for DVC Resorts. Since you know the amount that you will be spending on food ahead of time, this makes it easier to budget for your trip.

When you check-in you will be awarded a certain number of Dining Credits according to the numbers of nights that you are staying and the number of people in your party.

For the Disney Dining Plan each person receives for each night stay:
■1 Table Service Credit
■1 Quick Service Credit
■1 Snack Credit

Example: If you have 6 people that are staying for 5 nights, you will receive:

30 Table Service Credits ( 6 People X 5 Nights = 30)
30 Quick Service Credits
30 Snack Credits

An example of what was actually received at check-in at the Old Key West Resort. We had a party of 6 made up of 5 adults (ages 10+) and 1 child (ages 3 -9) staying for 5 nights. The Table Service meals are the only place where they make a distinction between Child and Adult.

These credits are encoded onto your Key To The World (KTTW) Room Key. Note: The family shares the “pool” of Dining credits instead of each person having their individual credits tied to just their KTTW Cards.

A Key To The World Card is shown above. Note that DDP (Disney Dining Plan ) is printed on the card.

DDP Entitlements:
There are three different types of Dining Credits. Each allows the Guest to receive certain entitlements within a different Dining Category.

• Table Service Credit: This entitles the guest to his/her choice of entrée, non-alcoholic beverage, and dessert at a sit-down Table Service Restaurant. There are very few menu exclusions, and typically there are none. This means that you can choose any item on the menu for your entrée. This gives you a lot of flexibility and makes it easy for the entire family to choose what they like. The Table Service credit can also be used at a Buffet Style Restaurant to receive full buffet and a non-alcoholic beverage. There are over 35 different Table Service restaurants to choose from. Gratuities are not included so you will have to pay for these separately at the conclusion of each meal.

Disney World Table Service Restaurants tend to fill up during busy seasons, so it is important that you make reservations ahead of time. You can make reservations either at Disney On-line Dining Reservations or by calling 407-WDW-DINE. You may make reservations up to 180 days in advance.

• Quick Service Credit: This entitles the guest to his/her choice of entrée or combo meal, non-alcoholic beverage, and dessert at a Counter Service Style Restaurant. Disney World has a wide variety of Quick Service Class Restaurants that cover the gamut of food choices including: burgers, salmon, pork chops, Moroccan Cuisine, Sushi, Pasta, Salads, Chinese Food, and much, much more.

• Snack Credit: This entitles the guest to receive his/her choice of a number of items available from Disney World Quick Service Dining Locations and Snack Carts/Kiosks throughout Disney World. Items are typically considered single serving and cost approximately $4.00 and under. They are designated with a Snack Symbol, shown above, if they are available for purchase with a DDP Snack Credit.

How To Consume Dining Credits:
To redeem your Dining Credits you inform your server or cashier that you are using the Disney Dining Plan and then hand them your Key to The World Card. They will use the card to check your Disney Dining Plan Credit Balance and then debit the quantity of credits required for the food you ordered. You will receive a receipt detailing the transaction and showing you how many credits were used and how many are remaining.

The above picture is an example of the receipt that you receive after using a Disney Dining Plan Credit. In this example we purchased a Dole Whip Float from the Aloha Isle in the Magic Kingdom. It cost 1 Snack Credit (Note line that says: Entitlements Used: 1 ). Near the bottom of the receipt it lets you know how many of that category of DDP Credits are remaining. In this case there are 7 SNACK Credits Remaining.

There are no rules as to how many credits you can use on any specific day. It is entirely up to you! This flexibility allows you to plan your eating like you want to. If you want to eat at 2 Table Service Restaurants one day and none the next, you can do so. You spend the credits however you like until they are gone or until they expire. All credits expire on midnight of the day that you check out. Even if you check in to another Disney Hotel the credits remain good until midnight.

Sources Of Disney Dining Plan Information
You can learn more about the Disney Dining Plan at the Only WDWorld Dining Website. You can also check out the following pdf file that Disney has put together about the DDP:
■ 2011 Disney Dining Plan pdf

You can also see the 2011 Prices for the Disney Dining Plan.

Disney Dining Plan Pre-Trip Checklist

2011-06-26T20:58:00.000-04:00

You have decided to add the Disney Dining Plan option for your upcoming Walt Disney World Vacation. Congratulations! What should you do next? Only WDWorld will outline the steps to make sure that you get the most out of your Disney Dining Plan Experience.

Disney Dining Plan Pre-Trip Checklist
Once you have decided to add the Disney Dining Plan to your Disney World Vacation, there are a few steps that you should take to make sure that you get your money's worth out of this popular option.

1.Read the Disney Dining Plan Brochure.
Although this sounds pretty straight forward, the Official 2011 Disney Dining Plan Brochure has the basic information concerning the Disney Dining Plan and how it works. It also lists participating restaurants. This list is updated from time to time, as new restaurants are added. You will get a paper copy when you check in, but check out the above link to read it ahead of time. You can also get great Disney Dining Plan information at the : Only WDWorld Dining Website.

2.Choose which Disney World Restaurants you would like to dine at.
Unlike any other vacation you may take, you should choose your Disney Dining locations as far in advance as possible. The popularity of the Disney Dining Plan and many of the Disney World Restaurants has made it necessary to plan ahead if you want to eat at the restaurant of your choice. You can get help making your choices by reading:

Top 10 Disney Dining Plan Restaurants

Disney Dining Plan Restaurants To Avoid

Both of these articles will help you make smart decisions during the process of choosing where you want to dine with your Disney Dining Plan Table Service Credits.

3.Make Your Disney Dining Reservations.
This may sound crazy, but you can and should make your Disney Dining Reservations up to 180 days before you arrive for your Disney World Vacation. The most popular Disney World Restaurants do fill up and will not have openings for walkups. The most popular can fill up months ahead of time. The good news is that reservations are easy to make. The easiest way to make reservations is to use Disney's On-Line Reservation System. You can read about it here: Making Disney World Dining Reservations Just Got Easier. You can also call to make reservations at: 1-407-WDW-DINE.

4.Make A List Of Quick Service Dining Locations.
Unlike the Disney World Table Service Restaurants that require reservations, the Quick Service (aka Counter Service) Restaurants are first come first serve. It is a good idea to have a couple ideas for each theme park for potential Quick Service Restaurants that you would like to eat at. This gives you flexibility in case your first choice is crowded when you are ready to eat and/or is on the other side of the park from where you are at during Lunch time. Disney Quick Service restaurants provide options way beyond basic hamburgers and fries, so don't settle for boring. Expect better and use your Disney Dining Plan credits to get better. To help you find the best check out: Top 10 Disney World Quick Service Restaurants.

5.Don't Forget About The Snacks.
Although once considered an afterthought, the Disney Dining Plan Snacks are one of the best parts of the Disney Dining Plan. There are so many wonderful choices for redeeming your Disney World Dining Snack Credits that it has spawned a slew of internet articles and recommendations. The roster of participating snacks changes frequently so you always have to be on the lookout. A couple of article to check out are: Best Disney Dining Plan Snacks & More Great Disney Dining Plan Snacks. The key is to not sell yourself short. There are so many great options, this is your chance to try them!

6.You Are In Charge!
No matter what the recommendations are, the Disney Dining Plan is meant to remove stress and make your vacation more enjoyable. Don't let the Disney Dining Plan dominate your vacation, but certainly let it enhance your vacation by letting you enjoy meals that you might not normally get to enjoy on a typical vacation. Take advantage of all that Disney World has to offer in terms of dining to create a memorable experience to add to your vacation. If done correctly dining at Disney World can be as entertaining as any attraction.

Disney Dining Plan Success
The Disney Dining Plan can greatly enhance your Disney World Vacation. Take advantage of the time before your vacation to do some planning and get the most out of this great Disney Vacation option. Planning ahead allows you to better enjoy your vacation and ensures that you can match your Disney experience with Dining Choices that fit your family.

Making Your Disney World Dining Reservations On-Line Is Easy

2011-06-26T20:51:00.000-04:00

Dining at Disney World Restaurants is one of the highlights of many Walt Disney World Resort Vacations. Now the process of making reservations for the Disney World Restaurants just got easier.

There has long been the option of calling 407-WDW-DINE to make your reservations over the phone. Recently Disney added the ability to make reservations on-line, and recently they upgraded their website and made on-line Dining Reservations easier to use and easier to see all of your dining options quickly.

Disney World On-Line Dining Reservations

Disney World allows you to make Dining Reservations at Restaurants located at the Walt Disney World Resort starting at 180 days prior to your Disney Resort check-in. If you are staying off-property then the window of opportunity starts at 180 days prior to the date you wish to dine.

The process of making on-line Disney World Dining Reservations just got dramatically easier. It all starts at the Disney World website.

From the above picture you can see the initial Disney Dining Reservation screen. Here you can choose the date, time, and the size of your party, as well as, Restaurant location (i.e. Epcot or Magic Kingdom) or Dining Experience (Character Dining or Casual Dining), or directly enter the Restaurant name if you are looking for a reservation at a specific one.

Searching Made Easy

In this example shown above we searched for a restaurant in Epcot on July 12th for a 7:00 PM Dining Reservation.

The search returned 13 different restaurants within Epcot that have openings either in our target time or up to 2 hours before or 2 hours after our chosen time. The search will also let you know which restaurants, if any, did not have any available tables for your party.

If one of these choices meets your needs, all you have to do is hit the Reserve button and enter your name, email address, and phone number to make the reservation.

Alternatives Quickly Found

If you want to quickly see restaurant options in another area of Disney World for the same date, time, and party size, just click the check box on the left and get the new results.

In the case above we chose to see what options were available at the Magic Kingdom. We saw that 5 restaurants had available space for our group, while 2 did not.

Modify Search Criteria To Narrow Search

Here is a close up look at some of the options you have to modify your search criteria. It is very flexible, even allowing you to search by restaurant price.

Make Your Dining Reservation

Once you have hit the RESERVE button to make your choice, you will get a screen like the one pictured above to enter your Guest Information. Again, all you need is your name, email address, and phone number to make the reservation. Most reservations do not require a credit card.

Dining Reservation Confirmation
At the end of the process you will see a screen that will give you a confirmation number. You also have the option to cancel your reservation if you have changed your mind.

Afterward Disney will also send you an email with the confirmation information.

Disney's Dining Reservation System Is A Hit!
Once you have tried Disney World's on-line Dining Reservation System we think that you will really like it. You can now check the restaurant that you are most interested in and see your other options quickly. If you just want to browse, you can do that too!

As you plan your next Disney World Vacation, don't forget this great tool for taking care of all of your dining reservations.

2011 Disney Dining Plan Prices, Information, and Facts

2011-04-05T10:55:00.002-04:00

The Disney Dining Plan (DDP) has grown in popularity and complexity over the last few years as more options and versions of the Disney Dining Plan have become available.

This goal of this site is to:

Provide one place to come to get current, up-to-date information about the Disney Dining Plan.
Answer common questions about the various Disney Dining Plans.
Provide access to Disney Dining Plan Brochures to print with full participating restaurant lists.
Provide a strategy in order to get the best use and enjoyment out of the Disney Dining Plans.

Note: The site has been updated with current 2011 Disney Dining Plan pricing and information for those who are planning trips for 2011.

2010 Disney Dining Plan Prices

2010-01-07T21:50:00.002-05:00

These are the prices for the 2010 Disney Dining Plans for booking during your 2010 Disney World Vacation.

Here are the 2010 rates:

Quick Service Dining Plan
Adults (Ages 10+) : $31.99 per day
Children: (Ages 3-9): $ 9.99 per day

Disney Dining Plan
Adults (Ages 10+) : $41.99 per day (regular season)
Children: (Ages 3-9): $11.99 per day (regular season

Disney Deluxe Dining Plan
Adults (Ages 10+) : $71.99 per day
Children: (Ages 3-9): $20.99 per day

Disney Dining Reservations Can Be Made 180 Days In Advance

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Now you can make dining reservations for any of the Walt Disney World Resort Restaurants 180 days prior to check-in at a Disney World Resort or 180 days prior to the Day you wish to dine, if you are staying off-site, either by calling (407) WDW-DINE (407-939-3463) or by using Disney World's online system at: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/

The on-line system is very easy to use. Just make sure that you have your resort confirmation number handy and the system will link the Dining Reservations to your room reservation.

If you plan on using the Disney Dining Plan it is highly recommended that you make your reservations prior to your arrival.

Disney Dining Plan Definitions

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All of the variations of the Disney Dining Plan use the same terms and lingo. Here are ones that you need to be familiar with:

Table Service Meal: This is a meal at a Disney World Restaurant where you and your party are seated at a table and you are waited on. This includes restaurants where you order off of a menu and buffets.

A Table Service meal Credit can be used for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner. It is up to the individual to decide.

If used for Breakfast it will include: Juice, Entrée & Non-alcoholic beverage or one full buffet. If used for Lunch or Dinner it will include: Entrée, Non-alcoholic beverage, and dessert or one full buffet.

Children (ages 3-9) must order off of Children’s Menu if it is available.
Gratuities (Tips) are not included.

Quick Service Meal: This is a meal where you order your meal and then pick it up at a counter. There may be seating available in the area or you may take the food with you to eat elsewhere. This is sometimes referred to as Counter Service meal.

A Quick Service meal Credit can be used for Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner. It is up to the individual to decide.

If used for Breakfast it will include: Juice, Entrée & Non-alcoholic beverage or one combo meal with one single serving of non-alcoholic beverage or juice. If used for Lunch or Dinner it will include: Entrée, Non-alcoholic beverage, and dessert or one combo meal with one single serving of non-alcoholic beverage plus one dessert.

Note: For 2011 The Quick Service Breakfast will only include entree with one non-alcoholic beverage (you will not also receive juice.)

Children (ages 3-9) must order off of Children’s Menu if it is available.

Snack:

A food item that can be purchased at a Quick Service Location, Outdoor Food Cart, and/or merchandise area. The food item is priced at $4.00 or less and will be designated with the Dining Plan Snack Symbol on the posted menu board.

2010 Disney Dining Plan (DDP)

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This is the original Disney Dining Plan. It entitles each guest to receive:

One (1) Table Service meal
One (1) Quick Service meal
One (1) Snack

for each night of your stay.

You may use these entitlements in any order that you wish. Any entitlements that are not used by midnight of your checkout day will expire and be forfeited.

Everyone staying in your room must participate in the plan. You must participate for the entire duration of your reservation.

Costs of the Disney Dining Plan for 2010:

Adults (Ages 10+) : $41.99 per day (regular season)
Children: (Ages 3-9): $11.99 per day (regular season)
Children under 3 may not participate in the Dining plan. They may share food from an adult’s plate, or they may order off of the menu separately.

For more details and a full particpating restaurant list to print out see: 2010 Disney Dining Plan PDF

Quick Service Dining Plan

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This new Dining Plan Option was added in 2009. It entitles each guest to receive:

Two (2) Quick Services Meals
Two (2) Snacks
For each night of your stay
Also each guest will receive one (1) Resort refillable Drink Mug good for unlimited drink refills at your resort for the duration of your stay.

Costs of the Quick Service Dining Plan for 2010:

Adults (Ages 10+) : $31.99 per day
Children: (Ages 3-9): $ 9.99 per day
Children under 3 may not participate in the Dining plan. They may share food from an adult’s plate, or they may order off of the menu separately.

For more details and a full participating restaurant list to print out: 2010 Quick Service Dining Plan

Deluxe Dining Plan

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The Deluxe Dining plans gives you the ability to eat at a Table service restaurant for every meal if you wish. It also adds an appetizer to each table service meal.

Each guest is entitled to:

A total of three in any combination:

Table Service meals + Appetizer
Quick Service Meals

Also:

Two (2) Snacks

For each night of your stay.

Plus each guest will receive one (1) Resort refillable Drink Mug good for unlimited drink refills at your resort for the duration of your stay.

Gratuities are not included unless especially noted.

Costs of the Deluxe Dining Plan for 2010:

Adults (Ages 10+) : $71.99 per day
Children: (Ages 3-9): $20.99 per day
Children under 3 may not participate in the Dining plan. They may share food from an adult’s plate, or they may order off of the menu separately.

For more details and a participating restaurant list to print: 2010 Disney Deluxe Dining Plan

Wine & Dine Plan Add-On

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This plan adds the ability to add a bottle of wine per room each night of your stay. The plan must be used in conjunction with either the Basic Disney Dining Plan or the Deluxe Dining Plan.

This is a single charge per room and it entitles the party to receive one (1) bottle of wine per night of your stay from a selected wine list.

Cost of the Wine & Dine Plan for 2009: $39.99 per day