It’s been years since I dined at Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian, but I still savor the experience and aim to return someday soon. The service and the food was impeccable. Besides being distinctive in flavor and service, it holds the distinctive honor… Read More »15 Years in a Row: AAA Five-Diamond Award for Victoria & Albert’s
This post brought to you by Christina Wood of Pixie Vacations, the preferred Disney vacation travel planner of The Disney Blog.
There are a ton of great places to eat on Disney property and I’ve tried most of them (and I’m working on the ones I haven’t!), but what if you just want drinks and a quick, sweet snack later at night? The good news is, most restaurants have a bar attached or nearby that serves the restaurant’s menu. I’ve compiled a list here which is by no means complete, but I think it’s close to the best choices for a quick late night nosh on property.
5. Brown Derby Lounge in Disney Hollywood Studios (pictured above).
Confession: This location, part of one of my favorite signature restaurants, is kind of a cheat: You’re not exactly in the restaurant. Instead, you’ll eat outside in the lounge area, a pretty little walk-up place that lets you people watch and snack. It’s especially nice in the early evening, when you’re “snack” hungry but want something a little more upscale than a Mickey Bar or a carrot cake cookie. Bonus: If you want something that’s not sweet, they have great tapas-style plates.
4. Rose and Crown Pub at Epcot’s UK Pavilion.
Well, it’s a British-style pub so it’s kind of a given that you’ll find great beers on tap plus a lively crowd that gets even livelier after dark, but if you’ve got a hankering for something sweet, try the Sticky Toffee Pudding. It’s a caramel, moist, pudding-like British tradition that deserves your attention right now if you haven’t tried it yet. Oh, and don’t share. I mean, share your beer if you must, but keep the dessert to yourself.Read More »Top Five Restaurants for Dessert and Drinks.
Yesterday in part one of this update we looked at some fresh concept art and changes on the Westside of Downtown Disney as it transforms into Disney Springs. Today we’ll take glimpse at the area that will become the “Waterfront District” and the Marketplace Marina area.
Up first is a little video highlighting a few of the changes going on near the water front and marina areas.
Below the jump we have more updates in our photo gallery
Read More »Disney Springs Construction Update – April 2014 – Part II
The final fireworks shell exploding in Illuminations: Reflections of Earth usually signals the mass exodus of guests from EPCOT. But what if, instead of fighting with the masses you could duck inside one of your favorite EPCOT eateries and enjoy a drink and a few… Read More »Wind Down Your Day at EPCOT with New After-Hours Dining Option
Friends, the gluten-free, health-nuts, and lovers of delicious desserts lend me your ears. I come not to disappoint you with news of the closure of the BabyCakes NYC Bakery at Downtown Disney, but to reassure you that you can still get your healthy gluten-free vegan… Read More »BabyCakes NYC Still Available Despite Closure of Downtown Disney Location
This post brought to you by Christina Wood of Pixie Vacations, the preferred Disney vacation travel planner of The Disney Blog.
Back when Disney opened up dining reservations for guests 180-days in advance of travel, there was a lot of grumbling about how this meant too much planning and took a lot of the spontaneity of your trip. And they were right. It’s difficult to predict what you’ll want to eat next week, much less six months in advance. Add to that variables like heat, crowd levels, sick kids, grumpy uncles, and the occasional cash flow problem and it can be downright stressful to plan your meals that far in advance. But here we are years later and most of us have adapted to the system just fine. Of course, now there’s a new wrench thrown into your plans: Fastpass+.
With Fastpass+, you’ll plan your fastpasses up to 60 days prior to travel (30 for off site guests). Since you’re already planning your meals months before that, you’ll need to plan your fastpasses around those meals. Fortunately, if you’re using My Disney Experience and you’ve either made your reservations with that system or adding your confirmation numbers to your profile, your dining reservations will pop up when you make your fastpass selections, alerting you to any overlap. You’ll choose your three fastpasses and then be offered up to four groups to select from. The first one is supposed to be ideal and usually doesn’t conflict with your dining time, but the rest will often have an overlap for at least one ride. Don’t fret about that. Instead, make your selection and once you’ve processed it, go back in and change that time–you’ll usually be given several other options.
So how do you organize all this? I know a lot of you don’t like all this planning and what I’m seeing is that for the average guest, it seems like a lot of extra work, but with a little extra thought, it doesn’t have to be. Here’s a timeline to help:Read More »Coordinating Your Dining with Fastpass+ at Disney World
Disney Vacation Club (DVC) resorts are Disney’s timeshare properties. They’re basically very nice condos attached to Disney deluxe properties and while booking priority is given to DVC owners, non-owners can also enjoy these properties if they book far enough in advance. These one, two and three bedroom properties feature multiple bedrooms and bathrooms, a washer and dryer, and full kitchens. The downside, of course, is the price. But the upside is all the comforts of home.
Of course, not everyone thinks that having to cook on vacation is a great deal, but for those who want to cook or, for those that need to cook due to food allergies, having a kitchen can be a great bonus. So what’s available in these kitchens? Obviously, they’re not as well equipped as your kitchen at home. You’ll find an electric range with a ceramic cooktop, a microwave, full-size refrigerator, toaster, and dishwasher.Read More »Can You Really Cook in a DVC Kitchen?
California Grill, which underwent a nine-month refurbishment last year, opened back up in the fall. You’ll now find shades of yellow, blue, orange and red, along with dark wood and nods to famed Imagineer Mary Blair. The effect is both chic and comfortable at the same time. And of course, you’ll still enjoy that spectacular view.
With an entirely new look, it’s not surprising that the menu has changed a bit as well. While the menu has some incredible new additions (hello, banana fritters with salted caramel sauce, I’ll see you in two weeks), I’m going to focus here on two standbys that guests have grown to love over the past few decades: The filet and the pork loin.
Read More »California Grill’s Old Favorites Get Updated