WDW Weekend Eats: Marathon Weekend Edition

Hello there Dear Dedicated Readers – once again it’s time to take a look at some edibles from a recent weekend at Walt Disney World, and this was the long weekend Miss Bonnie and I spent at the World for Marathon Weekend.

Despite it being a long weekend, we actually dined out around the World relatively little – since we were participating in a couple, yes, a couple, of races that weekend, we actually did a lot of cooking in our room at Kidani so we could better control what we had to eat (and hit the hay early for some extra rest) on the night before the races. That being said, we did have a few interesting things to eat while we were there, so let’s put on the digital feedbag, shall we?

One of the posters on the wall in the seating area of Boulangerie Patisserie

We arrived on Thursday, the same day that Boulangerie Patisserie, the quick service location in the France pavilion in Epcot, reopened after a refurbishment. Finding ourselves at Epcot late that night, and needing sustenance, we gave it a try…

Soupe de Potiron (Pumpkin Soup, top), Bisque de Homard (Lobster Bisque)

Much of the menu is the same as the former location, but a few more savory items have been added. We tried the two soups: the Lobster Bisque was very good (probably not the best version of that soup I’ve ever had, but very serviceable) and the Pumpkin Soup was thick and full of gourdy goodness – I’d make a trip back here just to have the Pumpkin Soup again.

Quiche Lorraine (top), and well, Quiche Lorraine

There are also a couple of traditional quiches now offered: Quiche Lorraine (with ham and gruyere cheese) and Florentine (with spinach and goat cheese). The Grand Plan was to try one of each, but as it was near closing when we got there (we did close the joint down, they locked us inside while we finished our meal), they only had the Quiche Lorraine left, so we got two of those. The egg-pies were good and filling, and paired with the two tasty soups made a nice meal – and at about $20 for two, not too bad a deal. We’re both looking forward to trying the French bakery again – maybe we can try that other quiche the next time…

Beverage Menu at Boulangerie Patisserie

There is also a separate dedicated beverage window serving coffees, wines, soft drinks and the like so you don’t have to go through the full line if all you want is too whet your whistle…

A cup of Plastic Cheese from Casey’s in honor of our good friend AJ…

Other than a trip to Casey’s Corner in the Magic Kingdom, most of the rest of our calories Friday and Saturday were consumed in house at Kidani, so we now move to the post-race feasting of Sunday…

Splitsville pre-opening concept art

Bonnie & I, along with BFF Laura & Lil’ Sis Lindsay, made our way to Downtown Disney West Side to try out the recently opened Splitsville.

Loaded Fries at Splitsville

This high-end, retro-designed bowling alley also features pool tables, dancing at night and a big menu of food items and beverages. This is the largest, and first two-story venue of the small chain, and initial reviews had been good (I’d also always heard good things about the food at the Tampa location). Having burned about a gazillion calories in the prior day-and-a-half-or-so, Bonnie and I started out with the Loaded Fries (Bonnie will rarely turn her nose up at any culinary use of the humble spud…). The menu listed (and our server echoed) and ingredients: french fries smothered with nacho cheese, bacon, ranch, scallions and love… we weren’t exactly so sure about how the love was added, but we gave them a try anyway… despite the addition of love, these really weren’t anything too special, not bad at all, but nothing to get overly excited about… we did still clean our plate…

Splitsville’s Sliders

Lindsay opted for the Sliders and a side of fries. The burgers were made with a special selection of ground meats and topped with an onion ring, on the side was “Special Slider Sauce” (maybe like the “love” that went into the Loaded Fries?). She shared these all around and I thought them quite good, especially the meat. The fries were the same typical crinkle-cut fries as in our loaded ones, but came with a good chive dip that Lindsay raved about.

The rest of us went the sushi route…

Spicy Tuna Roll

BFF Laura took the most traditional approach with a nice Spicy Tuna Roll, while Bonnie and I shared a couple of the over-the-top rolls on the menu…

Super Tuna Roll

the Super Tuna Roll has ahi tuna, tempura shrimp, cream cheese and is topped with seared ahi, avocado, eel sauce, tempura flakes and a spicy mayo sauce…

Crab Rangoon Roll

while the Crab Rangoon Roll has surimi (the imitation crab common in sushi rolls), cream cheese, water chestnuts, and chives which is rolled and then tempura fried and topped with Thai chili sauce and spicy mayo.

This is not the place to go if you’re looking for uni or toro – the menu doesn’t even list any nigiri sushi (although I’ve heard they will make it if asked)  – it’s all big, ornate rolls, and many feature cream cheese and/or are fried rolls. Most are in the $13-$15 range, and are big and tasty (at least the ones we tried), not exactly “challenging” sushi selections, but pretty darn good!

We wandered around he venue a bit after eating – this looks to be a really fun place and full of energy in most of the spaces – while the outside seating on the second level gives a great view of the area and a bit more laid-back vibe. We all loved it and are looking forward to coming back – BFF Laura was even ready to make a special trip up to the World just to hang out there!

Big Bamboo at Yak & Yeti

Our long Marathon Weekend ended on Monday with lunch at Yak & Yeti in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Pork Pot Stickers

Lori Loves Tigger treated Lil’ Sis Lindsay, Miss Bonnie and myself to a celebratory meal – a couple in our group started with the Big Bamboo, a fruity alcoholic concoction – then the table shared the Pork Pot Stickers.

Bonnie & I are both suckers for most any Asian-styled dumplings, and pot stickers are a particular favorite. The version here is quite good and we quickly wolfed them down – actually I could have had a couple of orders of this (or maybe three…) and had a happy lunch.

Lo Mein

Lori had a huge portion of Lo Mein, while Bonnie and Lindsay both had the Stir-Fried Beef and Broccoli.

Stir-Fried Beef and Broccoli

I had them add some extra spice to my order of Bourbon (of course!) Chicken…

Bourbon Chicken

and our obliging server even brought me an extra side of chili sauce in case I needed to kick it up some more (which I did). All the portions were generous and we shared and sampled all around. The mains weren’t anything spectacular, but all were pretty tasty and more than adequate. The restaurant and it’s decor is always fun, and our service was good. With the great company, it was a satisfying end to a emotional and eventful Marathon Weekend at the World… more on that Emotional and Eventful stuff when I give you a wrap-up of the Marathon Weekend itself… and there was some other stuff that went on besides the races themselves, but I’ll save that for the next time…

Back to the kitchen – see you soon!

WDW Odds & Ends

Along with about 65,000 of our closest friends, Miss Bonnie and I made our way to Walt Disney World a couple of few ago to take part in Marathon Weekend.

It had actually been quite a while since we had been there (for us, that is), and in addition to the race-related events we were able to find a few new odds & ends of things from around the World that I thought I’d share with you, my dear Dedicated Readers…

Of course our trips to WDW almost always include a visit (or two, or three, or…) to the World Showcase in Epcot, and this long weekend was no exception.

Above the entrance to the new version of Boulangerie Patisserie

The new version of France’s quick-service eatery, Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie, had just opened in the rear of the pavillion with a newly expanded menu (more on the food from the weekend in another post…).

Inside the seating area of Boulangerie Patisserie

The indoor seating/dining area has some nice decor for a quick-service location.

Plastic utensil dispensers in Boulangerie Patisserie

Even the utensil dispensers are themed!

The former site of the bakery is closed and will reopen later in the year as an ice cream parlor.

The Phineas and Ferb fanaticism continues…

Sign at the Refreshment Port

and at the Refreshment Port you can still get the Agent P Cookie and wash it down with a new diabolical beverage served in a lab beaker: The Doofenslurper!

Now over to the Magic Kingdom…

New Magic Kingdom entrance area for use with the “Next-Gen” wristbands

a new entrance area is along the right side, replacing the “now-old-fashioned” turnstiles. This is for resort guests who have their park tickets tied to their reservations and are using the new super-duper MyMagic+ wristbands… (see the official Disney Parks Blog word on this on their post “Taking the Disney Guest Experience to the Next Level”). We’ll see more of these later at other parks…

More construction wall fun at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom!

The center section in front of the train station is now sporting construction walls – was told it was for new ticket-selling booths…

Sign in the window of the shuttered Main Street Bakery

And it wouldn’t be a day at the MK if we didn’t come across some new construction, closings or openings…

the Main Street Bakery is now closed for the refurb that will (controversially to some) add a Starbucks location to the park. I’m not all up in arms about this as some other people are (remember that Walt said that the parks would never be finished or stay static, and sponsored food/beverage locations do go back to the opening day in Anaheim…) I’ll reserve final judgement until it’s been open for a while… but for the time being I think it will be a good thing (and hopefully be the beginning of the end of the Nescafe stranglehold on Disney’s coffee-drinking guests).

Tomorrowland Terrace temporary breakfast menu

While the Bakery is down, they are serving breakfast at the woefully underused Tomorrowland Terrace location.

Tomorrowland Terrace temporary breakfast menu. Beignets? Fry me some up please!

Tomorrowland Terrace temporary breakfast menu. Flavored Iced Green Tea sounds pretty good – wish they had that in the heat of the day and not just for breakfast!

And construction continues in Fantasyland…

Rapunzel’s Tower

over at the former home of the skyway station in Fantasyland (to the left of Small World) is what’s is supposed to be the new restroom location for this section of the park (the current ones near Peter Pan will reportedly go away as that attraction gets one of the expanded/interactive queue lines). Themed after the film “Tangled” it has a large tower and what (from behind the walls) looks to be a fancy-dancy-extra-themed place to relieve yourself!

New “Tangled” themed restroom currently behind construction walls in Fantasyland

With all the work that looks like it’s going into this area, you’d assume something more than just a place to pee would be here… the assumption is that the tower will be a dedicated meet-and-greet area for Rapunzel, and I’m sure the ladies (and a few gents as well) hope this also brings Flynn Rider back to the parks full time… smoulder and all…

Entrance area to New Fantasyland expansion with construction on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride evident in the background

And nearby in the New Fantasyland expansion area, there is more construction (and even a few non-construction things) to view…

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Construction Wall

the construction walls around the Mine Train area now feature some cool artwork…

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Construction Wall

including the Dwarfs tools and time cards as well as several pieces of concept art showing scenes from the finished attraction.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Concept Art on the Construction Wall

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Concept Art on the Construction Wall

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Concept Art on the Construction Wall

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Concept Art on the Construction Wall

There are even some places with peepholes in the wall and you are actually invited to take a look at what’s going on behind the scenes!

Peephole in the Construction Wall of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Ride

Not nearly as much fun to peek as when they don’t want us to look!

A look thru the Peephole in the Construction Wall of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Ride

There were some new items already in the Bonjour Village Gifts – and the egoistical Gaston would likely be pleased with some of the new offerings (though he’s likely to think he should have a gift shop devoted solely to him!).

New Gaston Tee-Shirt

He sports a Lefou’s Brew mustache in one new tee-shirt…

Another new Gaston tee-shirt…

and his more-than-impressive biceps are shown off in another.

Gaston’s Tavern (I’m sure not for beer) Steins

And there are nice, heavy Gaston’s Tavern steins now for sale.

Belle and Beast “Relationship Status” Shirt

And a couple of cute Facebook-inspired shirts are now available.

And yet another Gaston shirt…

Our base of operations for the weekend was our favorite resort, Kidani Village at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. And of course one of our favorite things about the resort is viewing the animals on the savannah right outside the room…

Ankole Cattle at Kidani Village

and one of the most common critters on view here (and on the savannah at the Kilimanjaro Safari at Animal Kingdom) is the Ankole Cattle. Also known as Watusi Cattle, every time I see one of these surely-delicious ruminants one of my favorite songs runs through my mind: Watusi Rodeo by Guadalcanal Diary… but that’s neither here nor there…

New-and-improved (and much prettier) Ankole Cattle

what was there is a new piebald/mottled/pinto/whatever-you-want-to-call-it color variety of Ankole Cattle.

Much more attractive than the usually seen form, the three new animals were just introduced to the Kidani savannah the week we were there. I don’t know if this delicious-looking morph will make it’s way to the Kilimanjaro ride or not, but keep your eyes peeled… or just make a visit to Kidani…

Animal Kingdom entrance area

Like at the Magic Kingdom, the entrance to the Animal Kingdom park has the MyMagic+ area for those with the new wristbands for park admittance.

Castmember at the entrance to Animal Kingdom

Castmembers were stationed outside the entrance area doing their best to direct guests to the correct areas to enter the park. The gentleman above told me that the new system was working “pretty well”, but that some guests were getting into the “new” line and if they didn’t have the wristband for entrance some were becoming quite irritated at having to then again go and stand in line again to get into the park.

Inside the park we noticed one of the food kiosks along the path between Africa and Asia…

Note the massive lines for veggie cuisine…

and how it was now serving 100% vegetarian items.

Menu at “Safari Egg Roll” Kiosk in Animal Kingdom

We also took a ride on the Kilimanjaro Safari as we hadn’t been on it since the new zebra area was opened…

There’s something missing between my legs…

the first thing we noticed when sitting down in the ride vehicle was that the net bags to hold your random goodies had been removed from the back of the seats… were too many people leaving things behind in them? Was just our safari vehicle being re-done? Inquiring minds…

We had several close-up animal viewings on this safari ride, and then eventually got to the new zebra area…

you get a pretty close encounter with the striped-horsey-looking-critters, but considering how much work looked to being done during the construction I though the zebra space was kinda small… I guess size matters after all…

On this trip we also made our way over to Downtown Disney, made our first visit to Splitsville (more on that in another post), and while there we ambled into D Street and found some nice new shirts….

one features an image of Walt on the front…

and there are several with famous quotes from Mr. Disney emblazoned upon them.

And considering the popularity of the Turkey Leg shirts and other Disney-food related apparel, it’s not surprising we get another piece of garb featuring an iconic Disney edible…

popcorn!

Okay kids, with a food reference we’ll call it a post… hope you enjoyed this look at some Odds & Ends form the World!

Back to the kitchen, see you soon!

The wilderness WILL be explored!

And I’m sure that Russell (and Doug!) are excited…

that the Disney Parks Blog recently announced that the Wilderness Explorers would soon be coming to Animal Kingdom!

Some of the Wilderness Explorers materials used during the 2011 play-test

The Harem & I had the opportunity to play-test this interactive experience over a year ago (and you can read all about that in the post “The wilderness must be explored!”), and I, for one, am really looking forward to this low-tech fun coming to AK!

And just a few days later it was announced that yet another “interactive quest”, A Pirate’s Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas, would be coming to Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom…

I’m excited about the continued addition of guest-interactive experiences to the parks – what do you think?

WDW Odds & Ends: 2012 Year End Edition, Part Two

A few days ago I gave you an “Eating-and-Drinking-Around-the-World-Style” look back at some of the goings-on around Walt Disney World in the first half of 2012 (if you neglected to spend your spare time reading around the New Year, you can go back now and peruse WDW Odds & Ends: 2012 Year End Edition, Part One, we’ll wait for you here while you do so…).

So now it’s time to pick back up with our review…

Walk… or fly?… this way…

After we regained our land legs, Miss Bonnie and I took a July trip to check out the further updates to Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom, and the newly reopened (and multiplied) Dumbo was on our list…

We were mostly interested in checking out the new “queue-less-queue”…

we found the indoor play/waiting area to be quite cute and nicely themed…

Dumbo play/waiting area

but our real goal was to “fly high buddy” and get an elephant’s eye view of the construction ongoing at the New Fantasyland…

but even from upon high, the apparently strategically placed foliage prevented us from getting a clear elephant’s-eye-view of the construction…

The mostly obscured view of the New Fantasyland construction from Dumbo

And yes, the construction continued behind the walls…

Construction walls in the Magic Kingdom

With the Agent P Adventure now officially open over in Epcot…

Agent P World Showcase Adventure Kiosk

floral versions of Phineas and Ferb greet guests on their way to the World Showcase.

Phineas and Ferb Topiary on the walkway between Future World and the World Showcase in Epcot

And yes…

Miss Bonnie’s new Happy Place…

there was another visit to Tutto Gusto – it was on this visit we learned about the upcoming menu change – you can see the details on this revelation in the post “Go for the Gusto!“.

Sign at new exhibit inside the Mexico Pavilion

The new exhibit on Life in Ancient Mexico was now up inside the Mexican pavilion.

Wanna shoot some hoops?

How do you spell “H-O-R-S-E” in Spanish?

And at the Happiest Place in the Happiest Place on Earth (aka La Cava del Tequila) we found a couple of changes to the specialty Margarita list since our last visit.

La Cava del Tequila Specialty Margarita Menu

The Organic Skinny Lime and Coffee Margaritas were new additions.

La Cava del Tequila Specialty Margarita Menu

We sampled both – the Skinny Lime was fine, but nothing special, but the Coffee was a frozen/slushy concoction that was delicious – especially good on a hot day!

We did eat someplace other than Tutto Gusto in July…

Kouzzina Trio (Cinnamon-stewed Chicken, Greek-style Lasagna and Lamb Burger)

We had a really good meal at Cat Cora’s Kouzzina on the Boardwalk – it was Miss Bonnie’s first visit there and afterwards she dubbed it her New Favorite Restaurant!

Landscape of Flavors Food Court at the new Art of Animation Resort

We also got our first chance to eat at the new Landscape of Flavors Food Court.

Indian-inspired eats at the Landscape of Flavors Food Court

We were very impressed with the Indian-style food offerings at the Art of Animation Resort and looked forward to coming back to try some of the other eats there!

You can see details of our dining from July at Tutto Gusto, Kouzzina and the Landscape of Flavors food court in the post WDW Weekend Eats dated August 5, 2012.

New Wine Flights at Tutto Gusto

August again found us at Epcot (is anyone shocked?) and one again at Tutto Gusto to check out the new Wine Flights and “Gusto Plates”.

“La Siciliana” Plate – Caponata, Cacciatorini Sausage & Fresh Mozzarella

We also checked out some merchandise…

An Eating & Drinking Around the World shirt!

tried a sparkling Sake in Japan…

Hana Awaka Sake in Japan

and scoped out the construction walls inside the gift shop in France.

Part of the bakery expansion in France

Also in August we ventured over to the Hilton Bonnet Creek Resort for their second annual Barbeque Weekend.

There we sampled several types of chili in a competition between chefs from the various restaurants at the resort.

Chili Competition at Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort

We also tried a couple of the specialty cocktails being offered up for the weekend….

Watermelon Crawlita and BBQ Honey Bacon Bloody Mary

This year each of the bars and restaurants were offering different cocktails for the weekend – last year each of the locations were serving the same drinks – this was a nice change!

Cocktail Menu at the lobby bar in Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort for Barbeque Weekends

The restaurants were also featuring special BBQ-inspired dishes, unique to each…

Zeta Lounge and Sushi Bar specialty items for Barbeque Weekends

We also gave the poolside barbeque grill a try….

Barbeque & Bikinis!

Poolside Barbeque Grill Menu

and lunched on a couple of the “Gourmet Dogs”.

Brooklyn Dog & Nacho Dog

Back over in the World, we went to check out some merch at Downtown Disney, and at the Team Mickey store we realized that you can’t really escape the Platypus…

Agent P taking it to the hole…

and that Mickey is a fan of the Crimson Tide!

Roll Tide, Roll!

September found us making our first stay at the new Art of Animation resort as the Little Mermaid section (the only part of the resort with “regular”/non-suite rooms) opened for business the middle of the month.

We loved the decor and detail in the room…

Beds and headboards in Little Mermaid room

Sheet Music for “Under the Sea” on table in Little Mermaid room

we even found a couple of Hidden Mickeys!

“Classic” Hidden Mickey in Little Mermaid Room at Art of Animation Resort

Hidden Mickey Watch in Little Mermaid Room at Art of Animation Resort

And where were these Mickeys?

Pull back the curtain…

In the shower of course!

Inside of the shower in Little Mermaid room

The exterior of the resort was pretty cool as well!

A Not-So-Little Mermaid

And a big scary Ursula!

One evening while there we took the bridge over to the food court at Pop Century and partook of an overly indulgent dessert…

“The King”

the King – a huge chocolate cupcake in honor of Elvis (Presley, not Costello). Filled with banana custard, glazed with a peanut butter icing and topped with candied bacon (hell yeah!) and chocolate, this is an homage to Elvis’ favorite grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich.

Stir-fried Veggie Noodles at Captain Cook’s

One night we went to the Magic Kingdom to check on the construction progress of the New Fantasyland expansion, and on the way we stopped at the Poly for a quick bite at Captain Cook’s.

Hawaiian Flatbread at Captain Cook’s

At the Magic Kingdom, we found some of the construction walls down…

and the new walls that mark the entrance to the New Fantasyland were out in the open.

New Fantasyland entrance wall

Detail on column of New Fantasyland wall

And a new place to nap…

We once again made our way to Epcot…

and found a few sultry Princess pics at the Art of Disney Store…

hubba, hubba!

And there was a new Haunted Mansion-inspired figure from  Jim Shore….

So want!

Play that funky music, Ghost-boy!

Moving out to the World Showcase I kinda got that Special Feeling…

Terra Vegan booth with Craft Beer booth in the background

as the booths for the 2012 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival had started to go up around the lagoon.

Belgium behind the hedges

The official opening of the festival was a couple of weeks later, and there was yet another runDisney race then – the inaugural Tower of Terror 10 Miler.

And once again, those attending the race expo could find plenty of “sustenance”…

Tower of Terror 10K Race Expo cocktails

The lines to get into Epcot were predictably long the first weekend…

but with extra-tasty foods…

Grilled Lamb Chop from Australia Kiosk

and fun in the cranberry bog awaiting…

Having a good time in the bog Deb?

And how about you Ms. Wolfe?

no one was complaining too much… certainly not us!

Karaage Hand Roll and Spicy Hand Roll from Japan Booth

We sampled plenty of foods and beverages…

Fruit Wines at the Florida Local Booth

and checked out the new Chase Lounge (see WDW Odds & Ends: 2012 Year End Edition, Part One to find out what this room formerly looked like!)…

Chase Lounge in the Festival Center of the Epcot Food & Wine Festival

and the merchandise offered up in the Festival Center.

Just some of the merchandise at the 2012 Epcot Food & Wine Festival

You can see many more details and my thoughts on the first weekend of the festival in the posts Epcot Food & Wine 2012: First Tastes, First Thoughts… Part One and the cleverly named Epcot Food & Wine 2012: First Tastes, First Thoughts… Part Two.

September also marked the 30th Anniversary of Epcot’s opening day…

Panel of men who were involved with the building and opening of Epcot hosted by Jason Surrell

and we had the chance to attend the D23 Anniversary Celebration.

Food & Wine Classic Banner

October saw more fun at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival, and what has become our favorite event of the fall, the Swan/Dolphin Food & Wine Classic.

Just a few of the booths being set up for the Food & Wine Classic

The Classic features beverage seminars, tons of food…

Shrimp Cocktail Shooters

Pork Belly!

even more to drink…

Beer anyone?

and celebrity chefs… some meet-and-greets are by design…

Yours truly with Big-Time chef and restauranteur Michael Mina

and some just a bit of serendipity…

That Retro-Rad Chic Emily Ellyn showed up for the festivities and I quickly accosted her – she got rid of me by giving me a gift of cherry tomatoes to go away…

all in all, the Food & Wine Classic is a blast! You can see more food pics in the post Food & Wine Classic 2012: Food Photo Gallery, and I will strive to finally get a full post/review up on the event soon… just don’t hold your breath…

The same weekend we also got to check out one of the soft openings (aka “Dress Rehearsal” in Disney-speak) of the Enchanted Forest section of the New Fantasyland expansion…

Part of the mural in the load area of the new Little Mermaid ride

The Little Mermaid attraction is a cute dark ride with a great queue…

Hello Ariel…

and after that Miss Bonnie, Mamma Ginny and I got to meet the red-headed-gal-with-a-tail.

Lumiere and Belle

Enchanted Tales with Belle was a wonderful experience – great effects, fantastic animatronics (especially Lumiere) and lots of guest interaction. The queue and cottage are full of details to keep you busy while waiting to meet the literature-loving Princess.

Entrance to the Beast’s Castle and the Be Our Guest Restaurant

We also go to poke our heads into the (at the time) yet to open Be Our Guest restaurant….

Lunchtime/quick service ordering area at the Be Our Guest restaurant

the interior of the restaurant is spectacular, and yes Virginia, there is alcohol…

Beers from France and neighboring Belgium…

at dinner beer and wine will be served – a first for the Magic Kingdom – and following the theme of the restaurant, the alcoholic beverages are all from France (or beer from nearby Belgium)… with one exception…

this sure is a Conundrum…

the white wine list includes the wine blend Conundrum from Caymus… a wine I actually like quite a bit, but why the inclusion of one single bottle from California in a French restaurant?

Enchanted Forest area of New Fantasyland with the Beast’s Castle in the background

The whole area just looks fantastic – can’t wait to see how it all looks when the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train area is finished!

Who’s that guy in the red shirt?

Belle’s Village was also looking good…

Hey Gaston! Watch those hands!

but you have to watch out for handsome egomaniacs trying to steal your girl!

Exterior of Gaston’s Tavern

Gaston’s Tavern was open and serving that day!

Surprised that Lafou got that many…

Not surprisingly, there are also tons of details in this fairly small quick-service establishment.

Roasted Pork Shank at Gaston’s Tavern – tender, juicy meat inside, crispy skin outside!

We tried the roasted pork and gave it two-greasy-thumbs-up!

Another view of pig…

This is not a big venue, and the entrance/ordering area is cramped and not easy to get in and out of if there are more than just a few people in line… this is likely to be a popular spot with “Lefou’s Brew” (aka Disney’s answer to Butterbeer) being served there and the cute, detailed seating areas, but it’s gonna be crowded… mark my words…

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train construction

Work continues on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train attraction…

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train construction

The construction over at the Storybook Circus section of the expansion looked to be pretty much completed by mid-October…

Storybook Circus Entrance

with the mandatory gift shop, Big Top Souvenirs, now open…

Big Top Souvenirs

and inside we found snacks…

Some of the “Big Top Treats”

and castmembers eager to teach guests how to juggle!

The new meet-and-greet area, Pete’s Silly Sideshow, was also open.

Entrance to Pete’s Silly Sideshow

Inside you can meet a couple of Lovely Ladies…

Sign inside the Sideshow

or a couple of not-so-lovely Gents…

Sign inside the Sideshow

The characters are in sideshow-appropriate garb and eager to meet their fans.

The Great Goofini in the flesh!

There is also a covered Fastpass distribution area with some shaded seating…

Storybook Circus Fastpass area

and nearby food carts for the famished while waiting….

Food cart in Storybook Circus

Anyone for a weenie?

A week later we had a step-up from hot dogs and pretzels…

Thanks to Mamma Ginny, Papa Harry and (especially) their Offspring Jen, Miss Bonnie and I got to attend the Party for the Senses for the first time.

A nice selection of cheeses and accompaniments

Diver Scallop with Pea Puree and Micro Greens

This over-the-top event features a great variety of exciting food items…

Fry me a Quail Egg please…

to go on top of my Duck Confit Burger

and great wines and beers…

A really nice Riesling from Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen

and performances from Cirque du Soleil! Just pretend I got a good picture of them…

To top it off I even got to talk Doctor Who with a real Brit! And speaking of the time-traveling Gallifreyan…

Doctor Who Tee-Shirt in the UK pavilion at Epcot

that same weekend I found the first evidence of Doctor Who merchandise finally showing up in the United Kingdom at Epcot (see The TARDIS has landed… for more).

The first part of November was filled with more Food & Wine Festival goodness….

Dessert Trio at Epcot Food & Wine Festival

and another runDisney event, the Wine and Dine Half-Marathon, coincided with the last weekend of the Festival.

Wine & Dine Weekend schedule of events outside the race expo

And once again…

Get ready for the race!

those attending the race expo could find plenty of sustenance!

I always enjoy how many revelers at the Food & Wine Festival like to come in special attire…

Not that there’s anything wrong with that…

and I think this might be the favorite shirt I saw this year!

The second weekend of the month marked not only the end of the Food & Wine Festival, but the beginning of the holiday season at the World…

Goodbye Food & Wine Festival – hello Christmas – the Epcot Christmas Tree goes up…

and the first night of the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Hollywood Studios.

In addition of the spectacular light display…

and a hidden Purple Cat to find…

Found it!

there were some special food items…

“Santa Mickey” Cupcakes

and cocktails to be had!

Holiday Cocktail Menu at High Octane Refreshments in the Studios

The Merry Margarita – nothing says the Holidays like Blue Curacao and a Glow Cube!

This would actually be the only Holiday Goodness we’d experience in the Parks for this year, but it wouldn’t be the last Disney Fun w would have in 2012.

The next Disney holiday decorations we’d see would be…

Atrium of the Disney Fantasy decorated for the holidays (photo by Miss Bonnie)

on board the Disney Fantasy as we set sail for our second Disney Cruise of the year.

Pool area of the Disney Fantasy at night (photo by Miss Bonnie)

The Fantasy was perhaps even most spectacular than the Dream that we had sailed upon earlier in the year.

Tequila Seminar in the Meridian Bar (photo by Miss Bonnie)

From drink demos…

Beef Tenderloin with two sauces at Palo

to fine dining…

Arrrgghhh… come with me wench!

to the frivolity of Pirate Night…

Mistress of the Fantasy

there’s just way too much to cover about a Disney cruise to squeeze into this already-too-long recap… so someday I’ll try and and give you some more details…

Okay, so there you have it – a look back at 2012 from an Eating (and Drinking) Around the World perspective – hope you enjoyed!

Now what will 2013 hold? We’ll see soon as this year’s Marathon Weekend at WDW is just days away…

Back to the kitchen… and the starting line! See you soon!

WDW Odds & Ends: 2012 Year End Edition, Part One

As the New Year looms it seems that most blogs, websites, etc have to have some sort of year-in-review post, and being the Internet Lemming that I am, I will follow suit… so here are some random things from this this past year around the World – many, of course, food & drink related.

Let’s hop into our TARDIS and go way back in time – all the way to January of 2012…

runDisney Event Medals

The first big event of the year at the Walt Disney World Resort is Marathon Weekend: thousands of runners, joggers, walkers and assorted hangers-on swamp the World to take part in the athletic endeavors that wind their way through property over the long weekend.

Disney Marathon Weekend Packet Pickup

One of the first stops for the participants is at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex to pickup their bibs and other race paraphernalia and to browse and shop at the race expo.

The best booth at the race expo!

And in case the runners need sustenance to make it up and down the crowded aisles of the expo, one can avail themselves of some fresh fruit, an energy drink, or, thank goodness, a glass of bubbly or a beer!

Marathon Weekend Cupcakes

The Main Street Bakery in the Magic Kingdom was in the Marathon Mood during the weekend with some specially decorated cupcakes… can you say Carb-Loading?

Lots of things were going on in the brief month of February…

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Banner above the Firehouse on Main Street

The new Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom interactive game was now in full swing in (of course) the Magic Kingdom.

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Training Session

Valentine’s is always a busy time at the World (what’s more romantic than a cozy ride for two through the Haunted Mansion?).

Wild Caught Jumbo Prawn and Crab “Hot-Pot” at Artist Point

Miss Bonnie and I shared a nice dinner at Artist Point in the Wilderness Lodge to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

House-made Sweet Potato Gnocchi at Artist Point

Another popular runDisney event. the Princess Half-Marathon, is held the end of February.

Princess Half-Marathon Snack Box and Medal

After the race instead of the usual “grab-a-bannana-and-a-bagel” line at most running events, the finishing Princesses (and Princes) were handed a nice little box of post-race refueling items.

Also that month there was a debut at the Kidani Village:

Makemba the Okapi at Kidani Village

Makemba (an African name for “Goddess”) is a female Okapi calf that was born on October 1 of 2011 and was just making her first forays into public view for limited times at Kidani Village.

Makemba with mama Zoe keeping a watch nearby

The rare and reclusive Okapi are kept on Pembe Savannah at the resort – this is the smaller savannah near the pool area. Even if you aren’t staying at the resort you can always stop by and try to catch a glimpse of these gorgeous creatures.

Construction at Tutto Gusto in Italy pavilion

In Epcot’s World Showcase the refurbishment in Italy continued as we eagerly kept checks on the soon to open wine bar…

Temporary food kiosk in Italy

A kiosk was set up on the promenade to help service guests Italian food needs while Tutto Italia was closed.

Fancy-dancy restrooms at the new Storybook Circus train stop

March saw the first part of the New Fantasyland expansion debut – sections of the Storybook Circus area, including the refurbished train stop (and perhaps the nicest restrooms in the Magic Kingdom!) were opened to the public.

The Great Goofini’s Ill-fated Rocket Flight

Also in March I had the opportunity to attend the Food Blog Forum event that was held on WDW property for the first time this year.

Food Blog Forum opening reception at the Grand Floridian

“Hanging” Salads at the Food Blog Forum opening reception

In addition to a day of great seminars and the opportunity to meet many food bloggers from all over the country (as well as re-connect with friends made before), the attendees got a couple of chances to see how the Disney chefs can really strut their stuff when given the chance! An opening reception was held the evening before the seminars at a lovely outside venue at the Grand Floridian resort.

Food Blog Forum lunch in the Millennium Village in Epcot

Lunch on the seminar day was held in the Millennium Village in Epcot. Chefs from restaurants around property served a huge variety of great dishes that emphasized the healthier side of dining while still keeping the taste and style high.

Spreads and Dips from Sanaa at the Food Blog Forum lunch

The sign says it all… I ate two of these without getting a good picture!

High-tech Soda making!

The Kitchen meets the Laboratory

Chocolate Ravioli in Cognac at Food Blog Forum lunch

March also saw the opening of the 2012 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.

Cheers to the Flower & Garden Festival!

Haiti area at Flower & Garden Festival

This year’s festival featured an area devoted to Haiti.

Haiti Refreshment Kiosk

And yes, there were cocktails!

Haiti Refreshments Menu

April saw the continuation of the Flower & Garden Festival…

Dragon in China pavilion

Bonsai in Japan pavilion

Construction walls in Italy

and the continued construction at the restaurant in Italy.

New signage up behind the construction walls

But the new signs were up and the refurb seemed near to an end!

While impatiently waiting for the wine bar in Italy to open, we took advantage of the Wine Walk in Epcot and sampled several wines in three countries.

Sampling wines in France…

Italy…

and Germany

The Wine Walk is available all year and makes a fun (and relatively economical) way to sample several varietals as you make your way around the World Showcase.

Illuminations: Reflections of Earth

And of course the best way to end any day at Epcot (regardless of the time of year) is with a viewing of Illuminations!

Illuminations finale

Over at the Magic Kingdom an old friend returned…

Poster at the Magic Kingdom

The Sunshine Tree Terrace in Adventureland re-opened after a bit of a refurbishment…

Sunshine Tree Terrace

and along with it came the return of the Orange Bird character to the park.

“Little Orange Bird…”

And at the very end of April in Epcot…

Italy sans construction walls!

the walls were down in Italy!

Almost open… but not quite

But staff posted outside (along with signage) informed guests that the restaurant and adjacent wine bar weren’t quite ready to open to the public.

Sign outside Tutto Italia

Which brings us to the merry month of May….

Italy at night…

The first weekend of the month we got to stick out heads into the much-anticipated wine bar (you can see some pics from that visit in the WDW Odds & Ends post from May 24, 2012)…

Tutto Gusto entrance

but it would still be a while before we got to eat and drink there… we’ll get to that later…

The first weekend of May also included Cinco de Mayo…

Inside the Mexico pyramid…

and not surprisingly the lines were long at La Cava del Tequila in Mexico.

Why yes, I’ll have a cocktail…

That weekend was also the weekend that the Flower & Garden Festival was highlighting the “Fresh from Florida” agriculture in the Festival Center (aka the Wonders of Life Pavilion). With the “Real Job” coming under the umbrella of Florida agriculture, and our company hosting a display at the Festival Center that weekend, Miss Bonnie and I were invited to a small private function “after hours” upstairs in the Festival Center and once again, I got to see the Disney chefs stretch themselves (and we also found out how easy it would be to wander around backstage fairly unnoticed if one wished to do so… but that’s perhaps another post for another day…).

Peanut Crusted Beef Skewers

They tailored the food items to represent several of the groups and companies that were displaying during that weekend: a peanut farm (who knew we raised peanuts in Florida?); kumquat farmers; a couple of ornamental aquaculture suppliers; and of course strawberry farmers .

Panna Cotta with Kumquat Jam

Koi Colored Chocolate Drops with Sugar Coral (this was incredibly impressive from both an aesthetic and taste perspective)

Strawberries and Cream

As we exited the event and took the tiny elevator down to the first floor, Bonnie & I (like the true Disney-nerds we are) took the chance to nose around a little in the closed building and found a fun room…

“Carnival” room in the Epcot Wonders of Life Pavilion

“Carnival” room in the Epcot Wonders of Life Pavilion

“Carnival” room in the Epcot Wonders of Life Pavilion

“Carnival” room in the Epcot Wonders of Life Pavilion

“Carnival” room in the Epcot Wonders of Life Pavilion

“Carnival” room in the Epcot Wonders of Life Pavilion

“Carnival” room in the Epcot Wonders of Life Pavilion

This is the room that became the Chase Lounge at this year’s Food and Wine Festival, so sadly it no longer exists in the cool decor we saw… but we were excited to see it and I’m glad to be able to share these pictures with my Dear Dedicated Readers.

There is another “Carousel” room upstairs (see the post at Zannaland about this room) that Bonnie and I got to see after the Food and Wine Festival Preview last year – hopefully the decor in that room will stay around for a while!

And yes, there was yet another runDisney event that weekend – the Expedition Everest Challenge – Miss Bonnie and I declined to run in that event, but we did volunteer and had a great amount of fun helping runners out with the scavenger hunt clues!

Flower Power Concert Poster

A couple of weeks later we once again made our way to Epcot for the final weekend of the Flower & Garden Festival. I specifically wanted to see the performance of Micky Dolenz who was taking the place of the late Davy Jones. It was a fun, nostalgic, and at times emotional show as Micky talked about his friend and band-mate who had just passed away in February.

Micky Dolenz

After the concert we finally got the chance to have a nosh at Tutto Gusto…

Polenta Funghu e Fontina at Tutto Gusto

and Miss Bonnie quickly fell in love with the place! For more details on the eats we had there (and lots of other eats from that weekend as well!) check out the WDW Weekend Eats post dated June 1, 2012.

Star Wars Weekends stage in front of the “Hat”

Another popular event opened up that weekend: Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

R2D2 filled with Churros

And yes, there was food there as well!

Lord Vader turns out to be a sweetie…

The June fun started in Animal Kingdom…

Safari Guide Tip Board at Animal Kingdom

with the Sundowner Celebration.

There was food…

Indian Wine

beverages…

Bollywood, baby!

and dancing!

Even though they could have made more of it, it was a fun event – you can see more in the post Sundowner Celebration: A First Look.

“Brave” Billboard in Hollywood Studios

The publicity machine for the soon-to-open film “Brave” was in full motion with huge billboards in the Studios…

“Brave” Billboard in Hollywood Studios

a Merida meet-and-greet in the Magic Kingdom…

Merida

and the Highland Games going on in Epcot.

Highland Games Banner in Epcot

You usually don’t get to chose your family!

“Brave” Sand Sculpture in Epcot

And already merchandise galore…

Just a small sample of the Merida/Brave merchandise available even before the movie hit the big screen

Another part of the Storybook Circus opened up in June…

with the very well-themed and very wet Casey Junior Splash ‘n’ Soak Station in the Magic Kingdom.

I dare you to stay dry!

While nearby the seemingly ever-present construction walls could hardly hide the advancing work going on for the New Fantasyland expansion.

Construction wall in Fantasyland

The middle of the month found the Harem at Animal Kingdom for another run at the Sundowner Celebration.

Cheers from the Wine Walk!

Who’s having more fun that This Guy?

Spring Roll Making Demonstration

Miss Bonnie explaining the virtues of Rice Paper to Mama Ginny…

Mama Ginny doesn’t look so sure…

There were also things goings on over at Epcot…

Sign up!

We got to play-test the new Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure which replaced the Kim Possible Adventure.

Goodbye Kim, hello Perry

Inside Mexico most of the entrance area had been cleared out…

Inside the pyramid again…

to make way for a new exhibit.

Coming soon to a pyramid near you…

And down in La Cava…

Looks good to me!

they had introduced a new high-end tequila flight!

What a name for a drink!

And I finally got a chance to try a new beverage at the Joy of Tea kiosk in China.

And what a drink it was! Two Quacks up!

Towards the end of June Miss Bonnie and I got our first look at the Art of Animation resort.

Art of Animation Resort exterior (photo by Miss Bonnie)

Light fixture in the entrance way of the Art of Animation Resort (photo by Miss Bonnie)

Part of the main pool area at the Art of Animation Resort

Radiator Springs section of the Art of Animation Resort (photo by Miss Bonnie)

And to end up the month we stepped outside the World…

and onto the Disney Dream…

Dream a little dream…

You can check out a few food & drink pics from that trip in the post “Life could be a Dream…”

Wow… it was quite a busy first half of the year! And since the second half wasn’t much less busy, let’s take a break for a cocktail… or two… or three…

So much for a short little post with some odds & ends…

See you soon for part two! Happy New Year!

Off to the bar…

Yes, Hell is freezing over…

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls… yes, Disneyworld guests (well, not boys and girls) will soon be able to buy select alcoholic beverages in the Magic Kingdom. You read that right: booze in MK!

Pam Brandon reported in a post on the Disney Parks Blog about some details on the upcoming Be Our Guest restaurant in the new Fantasyland expansion.

After a few comments on the physical aspects of the venue and the food side of the story, she casually notes that: “And just for dinner, select wines and beers will be offered that complement the French-inspired cuisine.”

Following this nonchalant bombshell are a few quotes from the Beverage Director of the parks:

“As part of the overall theming, we wanted to offer wine that enhances the guest experience and complements the French-inspired cuisine,” says Stuart McGuire, Beverage Director, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “The wines focus primarily on France’s famous wine-growing regions, including Champagne, Alsace, Loire, Rhone, Burgundy and Bordeaux.

“We’ll also offer the leading French beer, Kronenbourg 1664,” says McGuire. “And, staying in the general region, we’ll also offer Belgian beers.”

Wow… I never thought I’d see this day (see Cocktails? In the Magic Kingdom? Could it be true??? as an example)…

So will other sit-downs in the Magic Kingdom follow suit and wind up serving adult beverages with dinner? Could you eventually have a drink at Pecos Bills? Is this the slippery slope that could lead to beverage carts with Stella on draft??? Be still my heart…

What do you think???

WDW Odds & Ends

Time for another random assemblage of stuff garnered from a few recent (and maybe not-really-that-recent) visits to the parks…

Let’s start at Miss Bonnie’s favorite park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

At what was the former Fastpass location in Discovery Island everyone’s favorite Wilderness Explorer Russell and his verbose canine pal Dug are having a meetup with their fans and fellow explorers.

Hello Russell!

As we wandered down the Pangani trail in Africa…

we came upon a fairly recent addition…

Termite Mound Display on the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail

a cutaway display of the impressive construction talents of the little termite.

In one of the retail locations we found several pieces of merchandise featuring a nice new AK graphic.

Scarves, dinnerware…

trivets, notebooks…

and even ball caps are adorned with the attractive logo featuring the Tree of Life.

There were also a couple of nice tee-shirts.

With merchandise in mind, let’s make a quick trip over to Downtown Disney and visit the sports-themed store Team Mickey Athletic Club.

Phineas and Ferb, along with their pet Perry the Platypus (aka Agent P), are now seemingly ubiquitous around the World (and we’ll see even more on this later).

Looks like he can handle the ball, but how’s his three-point shot?

And Agent P seems even to have joined the NBA!

The Big Cheese Mickey Mouse is adorning the shirts of several colleges and universities…

Mickey says “Roll Tide”!!!

of course right in front of the display is Mickey on the shirt of the defending NCAA football National Champs, the University of Alabama!

Now let’s move over to my favorite park, Epcot.

France Pavilion Gift Shop

Lot’s of changes are going on in the dining scene in the France pavilion – most of which are behind the scenes… the upstairs restaurant, Bistro de Paris, is currently closed while undergoing a refurbishment, while the only overt evidence of big changes are the construction walls inside the gift shop.

Inside the France Pavilion Gift Shop

The current Boulangerie Patisserie will become the Glacier ice cream parlor, while the expanded bakery area under construction will have a larger menu of savory items in addition to the currently offered pastries.

Inside the France Pavilion Gift Shop

For more details on the changes coming soon in France check out “Major Makeover for the France Pavilion at Epcot” on the official Disney Parks Blog.

New Tutto Gusto Menu

Over in Italy the new menu has gone into effect at the Tutto Gusto Wine Bar (see the post “Go for the Gusto!” for a preview of the new menu).

Wine Flights at Tutto Gusto

Of course we tried out some of the new wine flights and food offerings… will give you details in another post…

La Sicilaina Plate at Tutto Gusto

At the outside merchandise kiosk in America is a new version of a World Showcase tee-shirt…

Looks like this could be the official “Eating (and Drinking) Around the World” shirt!

food and drink from each of the countries around the World Showcase adorns this cool shirt.

Inside the pyramid of the Mexico pavilion is a new display in the entrance way (which of course you have to pass through to get to La Cava…) showing a bit of what life was like in ancient times in Mexico.

A replica of an Aztec Calendar Stone sits in the middle of the room.

Aztec Calendar Stone

Along the walls are several displays.

Anyone for a game of horse?

There is some pretty interesting stuff here – well worth stopping for a few minutes on your way to (or back from) having some tasty tequila.

Also in Epcot the Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure is now in full swing.

We had the chance to play-test the game before the official opening and have done a couple countries since it’s been in operation.

Can you help save the World Showcase from the evil ideas of Dr. Doofenshmirtz?

We’ve enjoyed what we’ve seen of it so far, and it’s looks like the Imagineers have added a few more wrinkles on top of the former Kim Possible game, so Miss Bonnie and I look forward to more adventures with the heroic Perry.

There’s still a ton of stuff going on at the Magic Kingdom, so let’s see what’s up in the new Fantasyland and elsewhere around MK.

Both of the Dueling-Dumbo spinners have been up and running for a few weeks now, and the new play/wait/don’t-call-it-a-queue area is also open.

The play area is very cute – we’ll see how the parents hold up to the screaming, running hordes while waiting for their turns on Dumbo when the crowds really attack Fantasyland…

maybe they should add a bar in the waiting area for the adults…

and this could become “Drink While You Wait”… I can dream, can’t I?

Nearby, the incredibly wet Casey Jr. Splash ‘n’ Soak Station has been open since mid-June.

This well detailed area features Casey Jr. and several circus train cars and their respective inhabitants. Here you see the giraffe and elephant train cars on the weekend the area opened:

Now let’s look at the elephants train car about two months later:Notice anything different???

Nut allergies be damned!

Yes boys and girls, the elephants former basketful of fruity goodness has been replaced with peanuts…

And while on the subject of changes in the area, let’s look at the restrooms… yes, the restrooms… at least the gentleman’s side…

Back in March we shared some, well, interesting signage in the new bathroom area (you can now pause and go read, or re-read, Thanks for the heads up…).

Directly above the urinals in the mens room was the sign noting the porcelain fixture used non-potable water… as if anyone would be taking a quick sip from same fixture…

Well now the urinals are sans-signage, as the “Non Potable Water in Use” message has been removed from above the urinals…

and in the entryway to the facility is this relatively generic message:

I’m guessing Disney Legal finally decided they really didn’t need to tell us not to drink from the toilet…

At one side of the Fantasyland train stop there is some luggage that looks to have been just unloaded from a train…

and it looks to be the baggage of some of the circus performers.

And one piece appears to be an homage to the recently departed Toontown:

Just up the way is the ever-popular construction walls…

While much of the major construction on the new Fantasyland is nearing completion (with most of the new area scheduled to open by the holiday season of 2012), the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ride (and surrounding mountainscape) is still in the early stages.

Here’s a more recent view (taken August 11, 2012) than the prior two that were taken a couple of weeks before:

And just for fun, here’s a couple of more shots over the construction walls:

And if you can’t look over the walls…

one can always try to peek through he cracks…

Now let’s head over to Tomorrowland for a couple of quick things.

A while back, the big thing at The Lunching Pad was the specialty hot dog (see Magic Kingdom Odds & Ends… from September 3, 2010). The weenie-selection changed a bit over time, but the hot dogs were the featured menu item:

Part of the Lunching Pad Menu from 2010

It will not shock Dedicated Readers that I will stop by places just to check out menus and see if there is anything new, or perhaps to see if anything has been taken away… so we stopped by Fantasyland to look at the Lunching Pad.

Part of the Lunching Pad Menu from 2012

The specialty dogs have disappeared from the overhead menus, but if you go up to the window, you’ll see a small plastic menu with the dogs still on them.

I’d imagine this signals their ultimate dining demise here, but time will tell…

We’ll make a final stop in the gift shop at the exit of Space Mountain.

Here we came across a few Princess shirts neither Miss Bonnie or I had noticed anywhere before (not that I’m constantly looking for Princess-garb, mind you…).

These four tees were a bit more sassy, sorta sultry, and well, just more mature than your typical Princess merchandise.

A couple of odd things about these – one was they are being sold in the Space Mountain gift shop, and B, they were only in children’s sizes… (Bonnie searched for one that would fit her to no avail).

These looked like something that would be much more at home on the racks at TrenD, and perhaps these are left-overs from some other merchandise location… have you seen these before? If so, please post a note in the comments! Actually I really liked the images of the Princesses shown here – how about a few 8 x 10′s of these??? I’d put them on my wall…

Okay, we’ve gone on long enough for one post – hope you’ve enjoyed this version of Odds & Ends!

Now it’s time to get back to the kitchen – see you again soon!

WDW Weekend Eats

Last weekend Miss Bonnie and I made a quick trip to the World, and even though it wasn’t a full weekend, there was plenty of good and interesting eats to share, so let’s dive right in!

After a Saturday morning spent checking out the construction walls in the Magic Kingdom (more on that in another post), we boarded the monorail for the ride to Epcot for lunch.

On our way to Italy, we passed yet another construction wall in the World Showcase…

Outside our lunch destination, Tutto Gusto, was a sign touting their new wine seminars.

We made our way into the cool interior and were able to snag a seat on one of the sofas in the room next to the fireplace (of course you need a fireplace in Florida in July…).

View from the couch…

We ordered a couple of adult beverages while we perused the menu…

we ordered the marinated artichokes to start.

Marinated Artichokes (Carciofi)

Tender and nicely flavored from the olive oil, we both enjoyed this as a light starter to share.

We then decided to split one of the corkscrew pasta dishes…

and settled on the Gamberetti.

Gamberetti (corkscrew shaped pasta with shrimp)

With a few large, nicely cooked shrimp and a sauce with just enough bite from the calabrian chili to make me happy, yet not scare off Miss Bonnie, this was a “two thumbs up” from both of us (so I guess that would be four thumbs up?).

Chalkboards around Tutto Gusto now highlight several of the wines served

All in all a nice, relaxing lunch in the midst of a huge theme park.

It was during this meal we learned of the new menu change to occur at Tutto Gusto (see the post “Go for the Gusto“), and now we’re even more eager to return here to see what new is in store!

Afterwards we headed to the Mexico Pavilion to meet a certain Disney-celebrity-blogger friend at La Cava for margaritas (oh, twist my arm!).

La Cava del Tequila Margarita Menu

A couple of new drinks have been added to the margarita roster since our last visit.

La Cava del Tequila Margarita Menu

So of course we had to try the “Organic Skinny Lime” and “Milagro Pomegranate” margaritas. Both were good (the pomegranate the better of the two), but neither we thought among the best that La Cava has to offer.

We sadly said our goodbyes to our friend, and La Cava, to return to our room at the Dolphin resort.

And yes… as we left the pyramid in Mexico we were met with yet another (albeit small) construction wall…

Only the anticipation of our upcoming dinner could ease the sting of leaving La Cava…

As you might guess, that evenings repast was scheduled at Cat Cora’s Kouzzina restaurant on the Boardwalk, a short walk from the Dolphin resort.

I have dined at Kouzzina a few times, while this was Miss Bonnie’s first time there, and she was quite looking forward to trying the menu there.

No, Chef Cora was not there that evening, but I’ll use any tenuous excuse to show this pic of myself with the petite Iron Chef… so shoot me…

We ordered beverages (Miss Bonnie selected one of the wine flights that would highlight her eventual entree selection while I tried the Caymus Red Conundrum) and started by sharing the baked goat cheese appetizer.

Goat Cheese Sto Fourno: Baked Goat Cheese, Pequillo Peppers, Kalamata Olives, Artichoke Hearts, Olive Oil served with bread and a bit of salad

I’m a sucker for goat cheese, and this heated and adorned version was quickly downed (and yes, we did now have our Total Minimum Daily Requirement of artichoke). We were also served bread with a couple of types of Greek olive oil for dipping along with a few cured olives – Miss Bonnie adored the oil (and I couldn’t argue with her in the least about this simple culinary pleasure of nice, spongy bread and flavorful oil).

Not able to decide on a single entree, Miss Bonnie went for the Kouzzina Trio.

Kouzzina Trio (Cinnamon-stewed Chicken, Greek Lasagna and Lamb Burger ) with flight of Coranation wines.

This “combo platter” has tender cinnamon-scented stewed chicken served with herbed orzo pasta (we both liked), a nice portion of the Greek-style Lasagna (pasta, cinnamon-stewed meat sauce, and bechamel sauce – as a full dish this perhaps would have been too much, but in this sampler portion it was well liked) and a slider-size Char-grilled Lamb Burger (this was the only item that is not offered as a separate entree option).

Char-grilled Lamb Burger

The burger was actually quite good, and would be a nice lunch option if Kouzinna was open for lunch (which it isn’t…). Our served warned us that the burger was “very spicy”, but even Miss Bonnie’s more tender taste buds didn’t detect any excessive heat.

I was in the mood for some Serious Meat, so I was torn between the Braised Short Ribs, Wood-grilled Rib-eye and the Oak-fired Pork Tenderloin. I asked our server her recommendation and she quickly answered “the pork”.

Oak-fired Pork Tenderloin with Feta Gremolata, Broccoli Rabe and Corn Pie

The huge piece of pig was perfectly cooked to medium and topped with a feta gremolata. Broccoli rabe and a cornbread-like concoction rounded out the plate.

The back side of pork!

I was very happy with this dish and would certainly order it again.

Overstuffed, we passed on the dessert options and made plans to waddle ourselves to Epcot for a post-dinner viewing of Illuminations.

Miss Bonnie was enthralled by the restaurant, and now thinks she has found one of her new favorite eateries in the World. My only disappointment was not getting to speak to Chef Dee (Dee Foundoukis, who runs the kitchen) – I guess now that Bonnie has expressed a desire to return, the Chefs Table here will have to be in our future…

Sunday began with a visit to Animal Kingdom (we were a bit disappointed that we didn’t happen to come across any construction walls here…).

In Harambe, we noted that the Dawa Bar was still offering the tasty Sugar Cane Mojito even though the Sundowner Celebration has ended.

After a ride on the safari and some wandering around, we looked for some light sustenance and decided to take a another go at the Summer Rolls from one of the carts along the path between Africa and Asia.

Summer Rolls

Served cold, these rice paper enrobed veggie-and-rice pasta filled wraps are a refreshing change of pace on a hot summer day.

Summer Rolls

These now are served in a “two-pack” and comes with a yummy hoisin-based dipping sauce (the original offering here was a single roll served with a sweet chili sauce). I really like that we have a healthy and light alternative to most of the other snack options available in the parks.

Now sufficiently sated to trek elsewhere for Sunday lunch, we moved on to the recently opened Art of Animation Resort.

Exterior of the Art of Animation Resort

We had scoped out this incredibly well-themed resort a few weeks back, but despite the initial good reports on the eats at the food court, this was our first chance to eat there.

Part of the main pool area at the Art of Animation Resort

We wandered around and explored a bit – the “Cars” area had just recently opened.

Entering into the “Cars” section of the Art of Animation Resort

Cozy Cone Motel sign in the “Cars” area of the Art of Animation Resort

We then went into the main Animation Hall building to find the Landscape of Flavors food court.

The roomy food court area is, like the food courts at the other value resorts, broken down into sections, each with a similar food theme…

Video screens above each section show the menu for that area on one side and large pictures of featured items on the other.

Burger Shop Menu

Burger Shop Menu

The two pages of each menu alternate on the right side of the screen, while pictures of several of the featured items rotate on the left side.

The photos pixilate as they change from one image to another – a simple but cool effect.

The kitchen area, unlike most other of the food courts, is wide and open, allowing you to see the food actually being prepared. They even have shiny high-tech tandoori ovens for making several of the Indian-inspired items.

Tandoori Ovens in the open kitchen at the Landscape of Flavors

Based on what we’d heard from others who had already eaten then, as well as from one prior visit when we scoped out the eats but didn’t partake, we knew pretty much what we were going to have… but that didn’t stop us from eyeing the other sections menus before we ordered.

Salad and Sandwich Menu

Pizza and Pasta Shop Menu

Pizza and Pasta Shop Menu

We had decided to eat from the Tandoori and Mongolian Grill area, so the next decision was what exactly to have from there…

Tandoori and Mongolian Grill Menu

Tandoori and Mongolian Grill Menu

We eyeballed the display plates of food while chatting up the amiable castmembers behind the counter – asking them their preferences of the items being offered.

Display plates at Tandoori and Mongolian Grill station

Miss Bonnie chose the Acorn Squash as her main and I selected the Tandoori Chicken Thigh. We got a variety of sides (we were actually given three sides each, if you count the rice – not sure if the rice was considered part of the meal or if the servers were just generous on that day) and made our way to pay and find a table.

There are several large dining areas, each themed to one of the movies represented in the different sections of the resort. It was not crowded when we visited, and we found a table among many of the ones open in the Little Mermaid seating area.

Tandoori Acorn Squash, Spinach with Paneer Cheese, Lentils, Basmati Rice and Nann Bread… and yes kids, that’s real silverware… and a real plate…

We eagerly dove in, and were quite pleased with was was on our plates. Bonnie found the roasted acorn squash to be a revelation!

Tandoori Chicken Thigh, Spinach with Paneer Cheese, Roasted Cauliflower with Tomatoes, Basmati Rice and Nann Bread

The chicken held up well to the high heat of the tandoor, and was full of flavor while not being dry. Alongside was a spiced, yoghourt-based sauce. The veggies were good, even though be both thought the spinach could have had a bit more spice. The freshly baked naan was great, and if there had been more room in our stomachs we would have gladly devoured more of it.

I’ve eaten more than my share of Indian food in my day, and this certainly wasn’t the best, but it was far from being the worst… Miss Bonnie and I agreed that if we had been served the same meal in a sit-down establishment and charged twice as much, we would have still been very happy. The portions are generous (even without a third side, I don’t think we could have finished our plates without being overly stuffed), and the quality was very good. The food here is also a fairly good value – our two entrees and two non-adult beverages came to just over $20 after the Tables in Wonderland discount (yes, they do take it here – yea!).

Even though we were both feeling full, Bonnie couldn’t resist a trip for something sweet…

The Market Shop section of the food court has a variety of smoothies, specialty beverages, sweets, and Miss Bonnie’s choice for the day: gelato.

Smoothie Menu

Market Shop Menu

There were several flavors of gelato to choose from (along with toppings if desired) and Miss Bonnie was glad to take sample tastes of all of them before settling on a combo bowl of pistachio and torrone (don’t ask me what that flavor is, all I know is it’s Italian-something…).

Gelato at Landscape of Flavors

The gelto flavors are displayed in a fun way, with hidden (and not-so-hidden) Mickeys!

Gelato (pistachio on bottom, torrone on the top)

The food court also has a nice selection of grab-and-go items…

including sandwiches, sushi, fruit, and baked goods (including vegan goodies from Babycakes).

Pre-packaged Sushi

Even the beer and wine selection was a few notches above the norm, including several Florida-brewed specialties.

Mmmm… beer….

We’re looking forward to trying some of the other offerings here – has a food court actually become Destination Dining?

It will be interesting to see if the quality and service changes as the rest of the resort rooms are opened (at the time of our visit only two of the four sections of the resort had opened) and the number of dining guests increases greatly.

So there you have it Dear Dedicated Readers – some more vicarious dining for you… we really enjoyed our three main experiences (Tutto Gusto, Kouzinna and Landscape of Flavors) and are actually looking forward to re-visiting them all soon – not a bad percentage!

Time to get back to the kitchen – see you again soon!

It’s a Brave new world…

with a Brave new princess…

Merida, the latest in a decades-long lineage of Disney Princesses (and the first in a Pixar branded film), makes her official film debut in just a few days, and the film, and it’s ginger heroine, have been heavily promoted in the parks for the past few weeks.

Like many new face characters, Merida made a few test appearances at an off-the-beaten-path part of Epcot before moving to her new digs in the Magic Kingdom.

The Fairytale Garden area (most recently the home to the Rapunzel meet-and-greet, and prior to that Belle told her story here) has been transformed into the Meridia meet-and-greet…

Outside the Fairytale Garden prior to the doors opening

Outside the Fairytale Garden prior to the doors opening

Details abound in the small space…

An errant arrow

while one of Merida’s friends aids young archers in developing their skills.

The feisty young Princess meets her fans…

and introduces them to three little bear cubs who are hanging around.

And will even give an archery lesson if asked…

and Miss Bonnie took the opportunity to improve her form.

The cubs seem to approve

Not surprisingly, the Merida merch machine is already in full swing…

the cart nearby the meet-and-greet is full of Brave goodies, and more is available in the shops along Main Street.

But the Brave in-park promos don’t stop in the Magic Kingdom…

in Epcot along the Rose Walk path there is a giant, detailed sand sculpture (which now seems Disney de rigueur for any new film).

See the Hidden Mickey?

Right next to this edifice is the Highland Games Tournament.

The decidedly low-tech events are designed with the younger set in mind, but it sure seemed that there were plenty of “big kids” trying their hand at the games of skill.

After spinning a wheel to find out which family you will represent…

you got to give archery a shot, flip a “Haggis” and toss a “Cake” (there’s your requisite food references for this post)…

and wind up with the Caber toss.

Across the walkway posters promote the film…

giving a brief into to the plot.

And in the name of synergy…

Adventures by Disney has a trip to Scotland inspired by Brave.

As the opening of any Pixar film is usually something to celebrate (considering their track record of fab films), we’re looking forward to finally seeing Brave on the big screen, and the in-park promos have done nothing but enhance this desire… let’s hope that this new Princess lives up to the hype… we’ll see very soon…

WDW Odds & Ends…

Once again, a few random things from some recent visits to Walt Disney World… let’s dive in!

Recently Disney began enforcing the prescribed return times on Fastpass tickets…

as noted on the signs posted on the Fastpass machines (shown here in Hollywood Studios).

The tickets now note “Not able to accommodate late arrivals.”

Most assume this change in the enforcement of return times is due to the expected up-coming “X-Pass” system of Fastpasses (check out this blog post at touringplans.com for some more info)… we’ll see in time…

At the Studios there was a cute addition to the Stage 1 Company Store (aka the “Sorta-Muppet-Stuff-in-Part-of-the-Store-Store”)…

Dr Teeth & the Electric Mayhem are now playing above one of the tee-shirts displays inside the store.

And speaking of shirts, a few new Muppet shirts have been hitting the shelves (or the hangers) in the past months – here’s one of the coolest:

Gotta love Beaker!

And speaking of the new Fastpass system, it looks like there was some testing at Magic Kingdom, with the ticket swiping posts (like what was tested at Epcot for the entry tickets earlier this year) showing up – here is one at the Winnie the Pooh ride (along with a sour look on the castmembers face…)…

Smells like Pooh???

Let’s check out some other things while we’re at the Magic Kingdom…

On Main Street we found Mickey hanging out in a stroller…

and doing some pin trading – a fun and creative alternative to the usual pin board!

A new poster at the fire station touts the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game:

The popular Rapunzel meet-and-greet has been moved to the front of the park (where Snow White had previously held court)…

to make room for Merida from the upcoming Pixar film “Brave”.

At the time of this photo, construction walls hid the new Merida meet-and-greet, but by the time you read this it should be open with the raven-tressed Pixar-Princess in full view.

And of course, there are some food-related items…

As you likely know by now, the Florida Orange Bird has made his nostalgic return to the Magic Kingdom, and more specifically, the Sunshine Tree Terrace.

Orange Bird juice containers are back…

and the iconic Citrus Swirl is poised to challenge the Dole Whip as the #1 icy fruit-flavored snack in the Magic Kingdom.

Citrus Swirl

And the Orange Bird himself surveys the scene.

Sunshine Tree Terrace Menu

And of course, the little Orange Bird is now adorning a variety of merchandise.

And on another food-related note…

over at the Liberty Square Market, in addition to the healthier options of fresh fruit and regular baked potatoes,  you can now order up a baked sweet spud.

Back in Fantasyland the construction continues at a rapid pace.

Just who the heck is that darn monkey???

Far in the distance (Can you say “forced perspective”? I knew you could…) looms the Beast’s Castle…

which looks fantastic…

The Beast’s Castle

I’m really looking forward to seeing the complete landscape of the new Fantasyland!

Two parks down, two to go… we’ll hit some odds & ends from Animal Kingdom and Epcot next time…

See you soon!