Skip to content

food

Review: Thanksgiving at Aulani’s Makahiki Buffet

I was fortunate to spend Thanksgiving day this year at Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa on Oahu with family and friends. Though we were staying on the other side of the island, we couldn’t resist the chance to make the drive to Ko Olina to check out Disney’s newest resort and enjoy a Hawaiian Thanksgiving sprinkled with Disney magic. First impression of Aulani: spectacular! The food, well, that’s another story…

Aulani offered a special Thanksgiving event with entertainment and character appearances ($85 per adult and $73 per child – ouch!). Our party, a mix of adults and kids, opted instead for the buffet dinner at Makahiki, which at $40 for adults and $20 per child is reasonably priced as Hawai’i resort dining goes, and we figured it would offer something to suit everyone’s taste.

I had high hopes for the Makahiki buffet, a spacious area with subtle and soothing tropical decor that opens to a sunny patio. But truth be told, the food was predictable, not much was memorable or worth seconds, (but luckily there was plenty to try!).

Read More »Review: Thanksgiving at Aulani’s Makahiki Buffet

Disneyland’s Napa Rose Sommelier Talks Wine

Disney takes its wines seriously. There are over 500 trained sommeliers at Disney’s parks, resorts, and cruise ships. With a significant number of Master Sommeliers leading the cast. In this month’s “Every Role a Starring Role” video they’re highlighting the role of the Disneyland Resort… Read More »Disneyland’s Napa Rose Sommelier Talks Wine

Disney World Donates Green and Greens to Second Harvest

The winter holidays are typically the toughest times for food banks and this year the demand is higher than ever. So it’s great to see Walt Disney World and its cast step up to make a big donation and a pledge of continued support to one of the great food banks here in Central Florida. Yesterday, Minnie Mouse joined Disney VoluntEARS to deliver bushels of green to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida in the form of a $500,000 gift for the organization’s expansion. Disney also pledged 20,000 pounds of fresh produce during the next year as part of the commitment.

The gift was part of Disney’s efforts to support organizations and programs that make a positive impact on children in the local community and will fund Second Harvest’s “Building Solutions to Hunger” capital campaign. The cash contribution will help the organization build a larger facility so it can accept and distribute significantly more food and reach more Central Floridians in need.

“We’re confident the new facility will help Second Harvest reach even more neighbors in need,” said Nancy Gidusko, director of community relations for Walt Disney World Resort. “Our goal is to help bring an end to hunger in this community, and we are proud to join with other generous donors to bring this new facility to life,”

Read More »Disney World Donates Green and Greens to Second Harvest

Disney World adds fee to Prime Dining Reservations

Planning to visit Walt Disney World in the next 6 months? You might want to make you dining reservations today. As of October 26th Disney will roll out an adjustment to their restaurant reservation policy by adding cancellation fees for certain popular restaurants. At the… Read More »Disney World adds fee to Prime Dining Reservations

Ocean Spray brings Cranberry Flavor to EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

I wonder if these guys will be at EPCOT

The food and beverage partnership that was announced last October, is finally coming to fruition. The last few months have seen small changes at Walt Disney World restaurants. Craisins are now showing up in more recipes and on restaurant signs. And now, Ocean Spray will bring the Cranberry to the Epcot(R) International Food & Wine Festival. Chef Ming Tsai and Ocean Spray Growers will debut the first Cranberry Bog Exhibit celebrating the taste, health, and heritage of the Cranberry at the festival.

“Three quarters of Americans have never heard of a cranberry bog, never mind witnessed the beauty of the cranberry harvest firsthand,” said Ken Romanzi, Ocean Spray’s chief operating officer, North America. “Through our sponsorship with Disney, we are thrilled to educate a whole new group of people who might not otherwise understand the journey of their favorite Ocean Spray products, like Ocean Spray(R) Craisins(R) Dried Cranberries, from the bog to their favorite recipes.”

I’m actually a big fan of Craisins myself. I like adding them to my chicken salad or just eating them plain. I’m looking forward to this exhibit and maybe learning a few new uses for the flavorful food.

The full press release is below the jump:

Read More »Ocean Spray brings Cranberry Flavor to EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

EPCOT Food and Wine Festival How-to Videos

Disney has released a whole series of videos highlighting recipes from this year’s EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. Here are a few of my favorites, I can’t wait to get home and try them.

[youtube_sc url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5Ub5h8365Y width=520 height=294 rel=0]

Read More »EPCOT Food and Wine Festival How-to Videos

Disney Healthy Living Program Aims to Help Families Make Better Choices

Do you remember the first time you saw a Disney branded consumer good. It was probably Donald Duck Orange Juice. A fun way to get kids to eat a little more nutritiously. Disney knows that getting kids to become animated about healthy lifestyle habits is not always easy. To help,Disney Consumer Products (DCP) has announced a new program to equip parents and busy families with the tools they need to incorporate more of these habits into a busy schedule.

Through a series of weekly challenges over the course of 12 weeks, D-Lightful Living: Animate Your Daily Routine will give parents tips inspired by fun Disney-branded products on how to help motivate their families to make simple and easy changes like eating more fruits and vegetables, improving oral care habits and preparing for cold and flu season. Hosted on DCP’s official Facebook page known as Disney Living, each week DCP will feature a video challenge from the “Go-To Mom,” Kimberley Clayton Blaine — a mom blogger, child development expert and licensed child therapist. She will showcase simple tips and product suggestions to help other parents guide their kids toward a healthier lifestyle using products that feature their favorite Disney characters. The program will run weekly through the end of November.

“Encouraging children to incorporate health-minded changes, even small ones, into their daily routines is often frustrating for parents,” said Blaine, a mom of two boys. “With help and inspiration from Disney-branded products that feature some of kids’ favorite characters, moms and dads can inspire healthier habits that feel like fun and not a task.

Read More »Disney Healthy Living Program Aims to Help Families Make Better Choices

Aulani Reviews Coming In

A few more reviews for Disney’s Hawaiian resort are trickling in. Most note how Disney has emphasized telling the story of Hawaii over traditional Disney touches, but I would argue that storytelling is the quintessential Disney touch. So I’m glad to see they chose that… Read More »Aulani Reviews Coming In