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Category Archives: Food

Good Eats – Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

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Good Eats   Sanaa at Disneys Animal Kingdom Lodge

Sanaa Restaurant serves African cuisine with Indian flavors for lunch and dinner at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas — Kidani Village in Walt Disney World Resort. Just as its name — in Swahili — means “work of art,” Sanaa offers its Guests beautifully prepared food in an artistic atmosphere.

I love the fusion between African and Indian food here. If you are a fan like me of Indian Cuisine then this restaurant will be right up your alley. If you have never tried Indian food before then this would be the prefect location to try it for the very first time as you know Disney excellence in cooking.

Not only is the food good here the atmosphere is phenomenal! The restaurant overlooks a Savannah and you might get an audience of Giraffes, Zebras, or Ostriches for your meal. Very cool!

Come check it out you will be glad you did, and as always be sure make your Advanced Dining Reservation.

For more information on Sanaa, DIS Unplugged has the best Food Review I have read on the interwebs. Check it out.

Top Eats: Quick Service Dining in the Magic Kingdom.

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Top Eats: Quick Service Dining in the Magic Kingdom.

I’m going to just come right out and say it:  I’m a bit hard to please when it comes to food.  I like to cook and I like using good ingredients, so when I’m served bad food, I get a bit grumpy, particularly when I’m paying a lot for it.   So when Chip asked me to write this, I paused for a minute.  I want to give my honest opinion but I don’t want to sound like a food snob because, let’s be honest, the food police are pretty annoying.  So I decided to shelve my inner snarkiness–you don’t want to see me around a plate of Figaro Fries–and focus on the good when it comes to Magic Kingdom quick service, because there’s a lot of good out there.

First thing’s first:  There’s more to theme park food than burgers, fries and hot dogs and you know if anyone is going to do that right, it’s going to be Disney.  Yes, you’ll find plenty of fast food, so much so that in a fog of hunger, you might miss some real highlights, but it’s out there.  And second, you can eat quick service meals in the Magic Kingdom regardless of your dietary needs, be that vegetarian, gluten-free, or even kosher.  Besides Epcot, the Magic Kingdom has perhaps the best selection for those with dietary restrictions.  Here are five of my favorites that I think give you a good value in taste, quality and price.

5.  Cosmic Rays Starlight Cafe.  This place is huge and often busy with something for everyone. Decent roasted chicken, wraps, salads and yes, burgers.  Many people swear by the burgers at Pecos Bill, but my favorite Magic Kingdom burger can be found here.  You can even request a kosher meal or a gluten free roll. Be sure to try the Chicken and Ribs combo as its one of Magic Kingdoms best deals!

4.  Turkey Legs in Adventureland.  You’ll smell it first, so you won’t need directions.  It’s like a Siren’s Song to meat eaters.  Okay, it’s all protein and a lot of fat, but for $7.59 you get enough for two people (or one teenage boy).  You can even use your quick service dining plan credits here; you’ll also get dessert (usually a cookie) and a drink.   This isn’t a diet meal, but it’s cheap and if you’re not into a lot of carbs and you want something fast and different, this is a good choice.  Besides tasting really good,  you’ll get a chance to get in touch with your inner Barbarian and embarrass your spouse while you walk around the park gnawing on a big piece of meat.  On busy days when lunchtime lines are out the door, these carts rarely have more than a ten minute wait for service and also sell surprisingly good single serving pizzas. Check out this fun picture of a Gigantic Smoked Turkey Leg.

3. Columbia Harbor House in Liberty Square, just across from the Haunted Mansion.  One of those overlooked locations, there’s usually seating upstairs even on the busiest days.  This is a great choice for vegetarians, who can sample the vegetarian chilli or the Lighthouse Sandwich.  The fried fish is crispy and not overly fishy, although the less said about the tarter sauce the better.

2.  Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station.  Stir fries, noodle bowls, salads and kid-friendly nuggets and hot dogs, this is a great  choice for something that’s both healthy and different, with plenty of good vegetarian choices as well.    I give Disney credit:  How many theme parks dare to serve tofu?!   And manage to do it well enough that even meat eaters like it?  Well, Disney has managed to do just that here.  The joke among Disney fans is that it’s rarely open and when it is, it’s usually during the busiest times of the year, although I’ve also seen it open during the middle part of December when the parks weren’t all that busy.  Definitely worth checking out.   You know, if it happens to be open.

1.  Main Street Bakery.  Other than the long lines, this is my favorite lunch stop in the Magic Kingdom.     The sandwich selection isn’t huge, but the quality is excellent with nice vegetarian options and gluten free rolls available.  It’s also a good buy on if you’re on the meal plan. I generally am not crazy about the desserts that come with quick service meals, but since they’re included, I feel strangely compelled to take one even if I know I’m probably not going to eat it.  At the Main Street Bakery, I actually eat it and more importantly, enjoy it.

Disney Food Confession – Sanaa Dessert Sampler

Disney Food Confession   Sanaa Dessert Sampler

Where is it? Sanaa at Kidani Village Restaurant, Disneyworld

What is it? Going from left to right: No Sugar Added Mango Pudding, Egg-less chocolate cake and Cardamom-butter cake.

Why you want it? Light, refreshing, and very unique desserts served after a great meal.

Photo Credit: by jackskellington101 via flickr

If you have a Disney Food Confession email chip@chipandco.com. He is accepting Food ideas or Photos if you have them!

2010 Magic Your Way Package Plus Deluxe Dining

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2010 Magic Your Way Package Plus Deluxe Dining

In addition to your Disney Resort hotel accommodations and Magic Your Way Base Ticket, this vacation package includes the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan that can save you up to 40% on dining. Included are 3 meals and 2 snacks per person, per night of your package stay, and the flexibility to enjoy any combination of select table-service and quick-service restaurants. Enjoy delectable dining at over 100 restaurants throughout Walt Disney World Resort.

Here’s what you’ll get with the 2010 Magic Your Way Vacation Package:

Accommodations
Choose from one of 5 categories of Walt Disney World Resort hotels:

  • Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts – Relax in comfortable accommodations with home-like amenities.
  • Disney Deluxe Resorts – Experience the ultimate in Disney luxury, style and service.
  • Disney Moderate Resorts – Escape to enchanting, wonderfully themed locales.
  • Disney Value Resorts – Enjoy colorful, whimsical places that are big on fun and affordability.
  • Disney Campground – Enjoy nature and the great outdoors at these scenic campsites.

Customizable Magic Your Way Theme Park Ticket
First, choose the number of days (from 1 to 10) of your ticket, which provides admission to one of the 4 Disney theme parks each day. The more days you add to your ticket, the less you pay per day! All tickets and options must be used within 14 days of first use and exclude activities and events separately priced.

Next, purchase these options to add more fun and flexibility to your ticket:

Park Hopper Option
Add the Park Hopper Option to come and go as you please through all 4 Walt Disney World theme parks on the same day for each day of your ticket.

Water Park Fun & More Option
The Water Park Fun & More Option offers a certain number of visits based on the length of your ticket. For each visit, you can choose one of the following:

  • Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park
  • Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park
  • DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive theme park
  • ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
  • Green fees for a round of golf at Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course, a 9-hole walking course. Reservations for tee times are required and subject to availability.

Water parks subject to seasonal and weather closures, and are also subject to closure for rehabilitation. Age restrictions may apply for access to certain facilities.

No Expiration Option
With the No Expiration Option, your unused theme park days and Water Park Fun & More Option visits never expire. (Without this option, tickets must be used within 14 days of first use.)

Commemorative Luggage Tag
Each Guest on the Magic Your Way Vacation Package receives one souvenir Disney keepsake luggage tag.

Walt Disney Travel Company Package Benefits
When you purchase any Magic Your Way package, you receive the following Magical Extras:

  • Walt Disney World Marina Discounts
    Adds 30 minutes of watercraft fun when you rent a watercraft for 60 minutes. Valid for Sea Raycers by Sea Ray, Boston Whaler 170 Montauk and Pontoon boat rentals at participating Walt Disney World marina locations. (One voucher per room. Applicable for up to 5 Guests. Not valid all dates and restrictions apply.)
  • Disney’s Miniature Golf Experience
    Valid for one round of Miniature Golf per room at either Disney’s Fantasia Gardens or Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Courses.
  • Planet Hollywood $15 USD Meal Voucher and Souvenir Keepsake
    Valid for $15 USD worth of food and non-alcoholic beverages and a souvenir merchandise keepsake at Planet Hollywood Downtown Disney West Side. (Not valid with any other offers or discounts. One voucher per room. One keepsake per room. Voucher required for keepsake.) )
  • Arcade Game Card
    Valid for 100 game play points in arcades located in Disney Resort hotels. (One card per room.)
  • Niki Bryan Spa Discount
    15% off the regular price of any body treatment or water therapy at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa or Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. (Massage, facial and hand and foot treatments excluded. Age restrictions apply.)
  • Bass Fishing Discount
    10% off the regular price of Guided Bass Fishing Excursions and Bass Nitro Fishing Excursions at select Walt Disney World marinas. Excursions include fishing equipment, rod, reel, shiners, artificial bait, non-alcoholic beverages and a 1-year membership to B.A.S.S. (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society).
  • Sammy Duvall’s Water Sports Discount
    10% off the regular price of all activities including parasailing, water skiing, wakeboarding and tubing trips at Sammy Duvall’s Water Sports Center located at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. (Subject to availability; restrictions apply.)

Deluxe Disney Dining Plan
With your Deluxe Disney Dining Plan, for each night of your package, each Guest in your party (ages 3 and up) receives:

3 Meals
Choose from select Walt Disney World Resort table-service or quick-service restaurants for all 3 of your meals.

Each adult table-service meal includes:

  • 1 appetizer, 1 entrée and 1 dessert (lunch and dinner only)
  • 1 juice (breakfast only)
  • 1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage

Or

  • 1 full buffet

Each child table-service meal includes:

  • 1 appetizer, 1 entrée and 1 dessert (lunch and dinner only)
  • 1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage

Or

  • 1 full buffet

Each quick-service meal includes:

  • 1 entrée
  • 1 dessert (lunch and dinner only)
  • 1 juice (breakfast only)
  • 1 single-serving, non-alcoholic beverage

2 Snacks

Examples of snacks are:

  • 1 frozen ice cream novelty, popsicle, fruit bar, popcorn scoop (single-serving box), single-serving bag of snacks, single piece of whole fruit, 20-oz. bottle of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite or Dasani water, 22-oz. fountain soft drink, 12-oz. coffee, hot chocolate or hot tea, single-serving prepackaged milk or juice

Children ages 3-9 must order from a Children’s Menu where available.

1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug Per Person
The Disney Deluxe Dining Plan also includes a refillable Resort mug. Bring your Resort mug to any quick-service restaurant at your Disney Resort hotel and refill it as often as you like!

Dining Reservations
For reservations, call (407) WDW-DINE or (407) 939-3463. (Guests under age 18 must have parent or guardian permission to call.) Many of our table-service restaurants are quite popular and book quickly. Some may have limited or no availability when you call. We strongly suggest you make dining reservations in advance for the best options. Reservations are accepted at most Walt Disney World table-service restaurants, Signature Restaurants, Character Dining locations and Dinner Shows up to 180 days prior to arrival. Guests participating in a Grand Gathering Experience may reserve 180 days in advance.

An accepted major credit card is required to guarantee reservations at certain locations. Reservations must be cancelled at least 48 hours (6 days for Grand Gathering Experiences) before the scheduled seating or a cancellation charge may be incurred (charge varies by location)

Special Dining Experiences
Your Deluxe Disney Dining Plan allows each person in your party to trade meals for special dining experiences that your family will remember for a lifetime. See the exchanges below:

1 Meal =

  • 1 Character Dining Meal (except meals at Cinderella’s Royal Table in Magic Kingdom® theme park)

2 Meals =

  • 1 Signature Dining Experience (such as Citricos at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa)

Or

Or

  • Private In-Room Dining at select Disney Deluxe Resorts and Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts

Or

  • 1 Disney Dinner Show (category 2 or 3 seating only, subject to availability)

Or

  • 1 Pizza Delivery to your room at select Disney Moderate Resorts and Disney Value Resorts (Requires 2 adult table-service meal entitlements for each pizza.)

Grand Gathering Experiences
If your party has 8 or more, you have a Grand Gathering and qualify to enjoy some very special meals known as Grand Gathering Experiences! Trade your meals for these memorable dinners:

1 Meal =

  • 1 Good Morning Character Breakfast

2 Meals =

  • 1 International Dinner and IllumiNations Dessert Reception

Or

  • 1 Safari Celebration Dinner

Gratuities are included. At least 8 persons in your party must attend the same experience. Each experience is operated on select days of the week. Experiences are subject to change and cancellation. Reservations for Grand Gathering experiences are required and can be made 3 to 180 days in advance. Experiences may be canceled by Guest up to 6 days prior to experience date without charge for the experience. Valid theme park ticket required.

Disney Wine and Dine Plan
Add the Disney Wine and Dine Plan to a Magic Your Way package that includes table-service dining and save up to 20% on wine.* This Plan includes one wine entitlement per night, per room. Redeem one or 2 entitlements (as indicated on the select location’s designated wine list) for one bottle of wine. All wines on private in-room dining menus require 2 entitlements.

*Savings based on redeeming one entitlement for one bottle of wine at select restaurant locations.

Gratuity not included. Locations and designated wine list are subject to change. Wines are subject to availability. Must purchase this Plan for each night of your package stay.

Florida law permits the sale of alcohol products to persons 21 years of age or older only. Disney participates in Florida’s Responsible Vendor program and servers will verify age by requesting appropriate identification. Sale of this Plan is conditioned on your representation that you are 21 or older and purposed sale to a person under age 21 is deemed void and payment will be refunded.

What’s Not Included in Your Package?

  • Gratuity , except for pizza delivery, Private In-Room Dining, Dinner Shows and Cinderella’s Royal Table.
  • Merchandise or photo-imaging products that may be offered at Character Dining experiences, except at Cinderella’s Royal Table and Akershus Royal Banquet Hall.

Enjoy Disney Resort Hotel Benefits
As a Guest at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels, indulge in a variety of Disney Resort hotel benefits that can make your vacation more relaxing and carefree.

Certain benefits below are also available to Guests staying at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel and select Downtown Disney Resort Area hotels.

Complimentary Airport Pickup and Return
Disney’s Magical Express Service picks you up at Orlando International Airport and takes you to your Disney Resort hotel. In addition, the service lets you bypass baggage claim and have your bags delivered to your Disney Resort hotel room.

Relax on Resort-Wide Transportation
Disney does the driving for you with its ComplimentaryTransportation. convenient monorail, ferry boats and motor coaches travel between Disney Resort hotels, theme parks, water parks, the Downtown Disney area and other recreation spots throughout Walt Disney World Resort.

View Purchases on One Bill
Your Key to the World Card can act as your hotel room key, theme park ticket and charge card good all over Walt Disney World Resort. As you dine and shop, just charge meals, goods and services directly to your room! At the end of your vacation, view your vacation purchases on one consolidated statement.

Extra Time in the Theme Parks
The Extra Magic Hours benefit means that every day one of the theme parks either opens an hour early or stays open up to three hours after regular park closing so that you can enjoy select attractions when the weather may be cooler. Just present your Key to the World Card to select Disney Cast Members to take advantage of the Extra Magic Hours benefit. (Valid theme park ticket required.)

Your Purchases Delivered to Your Resort
Shop at select Disney stores throughout Walt Disney World Resort and have your purchases delivered right to your resort so you can be free to play without lugging around packages, nor have to interrupt your day to return to the hotel to drop them off.

Countdown to Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

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Countdown to Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

The Disney Park Blog is teasing us with this article about the International Food and Wine Festival.

The 2010 website goes live by mid-July, but the culinary team has been working for months on this year’s Epcot International Food & Wine Festival – celebrating 15 years! We know some of you fans have never missed a single year.

What do you love most about the festival? Favorites never go away, and each year something new is added. Here’s a broad brush of what’s new for this fall:

Popular Marketplace kiosks around World Showcase Lagoon are refining menus for sipping and noshing – more than 26 this year, including new tastes from South Korea and Belgium. We’ve tried the bo ssam (lettuce wraps with slow-cooked pork and a kimchi-inspired slaw) from South Korea, and give it two thumbs up. From Belgium? Delicious waffles, of course.

It only happens once and tickets may be tough to snag for the new Delicious Discoveries First Bites ($195 plus tax and theme park admission) in the Festival Welcome Center. There will be plenty of food, wine and a sneak peek at the festival’s seminars, demos, celebs and entertainment.

Also new this year is “3D” Disney’s Dessert Discovery every Friday during the festival with sweets, cordials and wine with VIP viewing for IllumiNations. Tickets are $45 plus park admission. A wonderful way to end the day. More to come!

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