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Magic Kingdom to Serve Adult Drinks Starting This Fall

Magic Kingdom Beer

Snuck in at the bottom of a blog post on the Disney Parks Blog is a huge piece of news. When the Beauty and the Beast themed Be Out Guest restaurant opens as part of the New Fantasyland expansion it will serve beer and wine as part of its dinner menu. Outside of private parties, this will be the first time alcohol has been served at the Magic Kingdom, breaking a tradition that goes back to an edict from Walt Disney himself.

Walt did not want adult beverages served at Disneyland. He didn’t think it belonged in a family theme park. He did allow beer at the Holidayland corporate party pavilion, but it was outside the berm. Even then, the park had repeated issues with guests leaving for lunch and then re-entering a few sheets to the wind. Before Walt died, he did approve alcohol sales at Club 33, but went pretty far to make it a private club where the day guest would not be able to get served a drink.

We know that Walt was still against general sales of alcohol in his parks because of his attempt to build a second theme park. After Disneyland was a success, Walt looked east for a great place to build another park. After a lot of research, Walt settled on St. Louis, but when city founders insisted that Walt allow Annheuser Busch to sell beer in the park, Walt declined to build there. Instead he headed south for a little crossroads he remembered from an earlier trip to Florida – Orlando.

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EPCOT Foodie Shirts

EPCOT has recently been rolling out some world showcase country specific merchandise, most specifically mickey ear hats and t-shirts. They also have a great tradition of a new EPCOT Food & Wine Festival t-shirt every year. But this is the first pair of shirts related… Read More »EPCOT Foodie Shirts

New Option for Foodies in Downtown Disney – Meatball Bar at Portobello

Touring Downtown Disney can be a hit or miss experience for food lovers. Some locations offer the same tired food options you can get anywhere, some have that chain experience, while others attempt to break free from the mold and offer something unique and new. Portobello falls into that last category.

Situated right on the water by the big sternwheeler restaurant you’ll find a world class eatery specializing in locally sourced offerings, Italian flavors, and friendly service. As of this week you can add Organic Beer and trendy bar food to that list.

The Meatball Bar, conceptualized by Portobello’s Executive Chef Steven Richard and Portobello’s Consulting Chef, (and recent Top Chef Master’s contestant), Tony Mantuano, pays homage to the classic Italian dish, offering four varieties of meatball. The menu showcases Beef & Veal with Parsley ($1.95), Spicy Pork ($1.95), Chicken with Sage ($1.95) and Salmon with Tarragon ($2.95). Each slider is served on a soft mini bread roll, topped with tomato basil sauce and freshly grated Parmigianino cheese.

The new Meatball Sliders Bar provides another option for those who are looking for something fun and flavorful. You can choose from four different types of meatballs and three different organic beers. The beer comes from Orlando Brewery a USDA certified organic brewery. A pint is just $5.95, which means for $11 you can enjoy a high quality light dinner or lunch. One of the best values on property if you ask me.

Also new is a new dessert option they’re calling ‘Beeramisu’. They’ve mixed in some of the Orlando Brewery Blackwater Dry Porter, which has wonderful chocolate overtones, to the marscapone cheese of their Tiramisu dessert. I loved the beer taste, which wasn’t overwhelming, but added to the flavors and without distracting from the texture. Everyone at my table asked for seconds.

Portobello’s Executive Chef Tony Mantuano, whom fans of Top Chef Masters will recognize, says they worked hard to make this an alternative to the ‘Same’. They definitely succeeded.

Join me below the cut for my tasting notes:

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Disney World fetes the 2010 International Pow Wow

Mickey and Minnie welcome the International Pow Wow guests from the train station. Before I return to Harry Potter, I want to flash back one night prior to Disney’s party to welcome the participants of the 2010 International Pow Wow. It was an amazing affair… Read More »Disney World fetes the 2010 International Pow Wow

Disney World offers great Holiday Dining Events

It’s the great American holiday tradition, eating great food with family and friends. As a Disney fan that often means special dining events and this year there’s a slew of them at Walt Disney World. This year enjoy:

  • Dec 17th – Tables in Wonderland event at Norway with a special Candlelight Processional
  • All December – Wolfgang Puck Cafe holiday Prix Fixe
  • Jan 7th – Italian Beer Dinner at Portobello

Details for all below the jump:

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SeaWorld Sale Unlikely Soon

There’s at least one nice thing to say about the bad economy, it makes getting credit difficult. For fans of the SeaWorld/Busch Parks (recently rebranded “Worlds of Discovery”) that’s good news as it means AB-InBev will have a hard time finding a buyer should they… Read More »SeaWorld Sale Unlikely Soon