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Starbucks Sponsored Main Street Bakery Opens at Magic Kingdom

Huge interior of new Starbucks.

Huge interior of new Starbucks.

The Starbucks sponsored Main Street Bakery has opened at the Magic Kingdom. For some it’s a blessing to have ‘real’ coffee available in the parks, for others, its an intrusion of the outside world into the magic. The final execution is a very high capacity, smoothly run Starbucks with a few Disney touches added to make it just magical enough.

There is not as much merchandise as at a regular Starbucks, indeed hardly any beyond bags of coffee, but you’ll find all the coffee, tea, and other drinks you’ve come to love at your local Starbucks. Although we were led to believe that much of the old menu would transfer to the new location, the baked goods are mostly what you would find in a regular Starbucks. The egg and cheese croissant and super large cinnamon roll are both absent to name a few. Disney is apparently looking for new homes for the cinnamon roll, but in the meantime you can find it in Gaston’s in New Fantasyland.

The use of the Starbucks logo is tasteful – not overpowering, but not absent either. Disney has created a backstory complete with ‘grand opening’ photos and a collection of coffee paraphernalia from the owner’s trip around the world collecting photographs and unique items from different societies and their coffee habits. That backstory also includes the use of Starbucks original two-finned mermaid figure (modified slightly for Disney audiences) and there’s even a couple hidden mermaids scattered around the store.Read More »Starbucks Sponsored Main Street Bakery Opens at Magic Kingdom

Move over Turkey Leg, the Pork Shank is in Town

You’ve heard the rumors, Disneyland guest favorite giant turkey legs are really snipped from the leg of an Emu. That’s not true, but what is true is that the lovely, simple, yet delicious pork shank has made its way to Disneyland to give the old… Read More »Move over Turkey Leg, the Pork Shank is in Town

18th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Sept. 27-Nov. 11 Early Details Announced

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The 18th Annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival will return to Walt Disney World this fall with exciting new flavors and entertainment options. This year your culinary trip around the world will include tastes from the Scotland marketplace and a return trip to Brazil as part of more than 25 total marketplaces around the world showcase. Five new acts have also been added to the Eat to the Beat Concerts.

Fresh for 2013:
Super Festival Sips

  • New marketplace debuts; favorites return – Traditional flavors with a twist will pair with beers, meads and Scotch at the new Scotland Marketplace designed by Walt Disney Imagineering. Scottish officials were so impressed with the hit Disney film, “Brave,” that they contacted festival planners about participating in this year’s festival. The Brazil Marketplace returns by popular demand with an exciting new menu following a one-year hiatus. Hawai’i is back with its flavorful Kalua Pork Slider, and Terra, which debuted last year, returns with vegan favorite Trick’n Chicken Curry.
  • Read More »18th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Sept. 27-Nov. 11 Early Details Announced

A Visit to Planet Hollywood

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I’ve lived in Central Florida for 8 years now and visited Walt Disney World a few times over the years before that, but I never visited Planet Hollywood in Downtown Disney. Now that we’ve heard it’s going away in the Disney Springs makeover for Downtown Disney, it was time to go.

My review below the jump:

Read More »A Visit to Planet Hollywood

Sampling the Food at EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival

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There is no more colorful theme park than EPCOT when the Flower & Garden festival is in full bloom. For 20 years it has been a must stop destination for Disney fans who also appreciated the colors of spring, talents of the gardener, and who hoped to maybe pick up a tip or two for their own home garden. If you wanted food and drink you had to go to that other festival in the fall.

This year, Disney decided to import a little of the fall flavor into the spring lineup and the result is a new mix of floral and food. While I don’t have Disney’s internal numbers, my personal observations and the reports of others indicate that the food and drink offerings haven’t been all that popular. That’s a shame because there really is some great food out there.

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I hope Disney doesn’t throw out this idea after just one attempt. Next year guests will know what to expect and Disney will have a better idea of what works and what doesn’t.

If you follow me below the jump, I have a short review of a number of the food and drink selections that I’ve had the opportunity to try. Read More »Sampling the Food at EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival

Move over Turkey Leg, Meet the Pork Shank

Lenny DeGeorge, executive chef for concept design, and Maribeth Bisienere, VP Food & Drink at Walt Disney World, discuss the park’s newest hand-held food treat – The Pork Shank at Gastons. The succulent treat is prepared with simple seasonings of salt and pepper and slow… Read More »Move over Turkey Leg, Meet the Pork Shank

2012 Food & Wine Festival Poster

EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Launches Tomorrow

The 2012 International Food & Wine Festival at EPCOT officially opens tomorrow, however, the food booths are open today as a soft opening. It will run for 46 days until November 16th and is one of the most popular food festivals in the world. Chefs… Read More »EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Launches Tomorrow

New Wine Bar Coming to EPCOT – Tutto Gusto

Construction walls have been looming over the facade of Tutto Italia while Disney’s fairies prepare a whole new dining experience for Walt Disney World. The resort’s first in-park wine bar, Tutto Gusto, will open this May inside the Italy pavilion inside EPCOT Center. Gusto is… Read More »New Wine Bar Coming to EPCOT – Tutto Gusto