Tag Archives: Walt Disney World

Mar 10 2023

Narcoossee’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Calling all Disney Foodies! On April 1, 2023, Narcoossee’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will reopen in a beautifully reimagined space with a refreshed menu created by Chef Noah Estabrook and Pastry Chef Kristine Farmer. This signature dining location is known for its glorious waterside location, spectacular views, and delicious dishes. According to Disney:

The new space incorporates the concept of “land and sea” and that’s exactly what the culinary teams drew inspiration from when developing the new menu. Upon sitting down for your meal, you’ll be greeted with a recipe created by Chef Kristine specially for this location – an Artisan Boule of Sourdough made with a perfectly toasty crust and baked daily in the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa bakery.

As you enter your first course, you’ll continue to be met with masterfully crafted dishes. For years, the Bisque has been a mainstay on the menu, so flavor connoisseurs will be thrilled to see it return, but now with an enhanced tableside presentation. The culinary team has also created two new starters. First up, the Beef and Ricotta Tortelloni accompanied by luscious brown butter, parsnip puree, and sultana raisins.

Next, the Ocean-inspired Charcuterie Board is a fresh take on a classic featuring ahi tuna pastrami, charred octopus, and house-made sausage from the sea. This plate is a true collaboration, with each component representing the style of a different chef on the Narcoossee’s team.

Moving on to the main course of your dining experience, the team has sourced sustainable seafood from both local waters and around the globe, including Chef Noah’s signature dish, the Blackened Redfish. This meal is served with a crispy chorizo-sunchoke hash with hominy, Florida sweet corn, and red pepper rouille. What makes this fish a standout is the secret blend of blackened spice which has been passed down from chef to chef of the location, with each culinary mastermind finding their own unique way to feature it on the menu.

Plant-based diners will be delighted with the Roasted Vegetable Paella featuring market vegetables, cannellini beans, and preserved artichoke finished with charred Meyer lemon. Those looking for land-based fare will savor the new Dry-Aged Pork Ribeye Chop served with creamy goat cheese-potato pave and turnips with onion jam and a touch of fig jus.

Of course, chef has kept Narcoossee’s guest favorites like the Plancha-seared Scallops with Parisian Gnocchi and Surf and Turf featuring tender filet mignon and butter-poached lobster tail on the menu for new and returning guests to indulge in.

The dessert course also features a favorite that has garnered near legendary status over the years amongst diners of Narcoossee’s – Chef Kristine’s incredible Almond-crusted Cheesecake with Lambert cherry sauce and Chantilly cream.

When developing the new additions to the dessert menu, the pastry team was inspired by bright flavors that really complement the overall experience. The Berry Pavlova, for instance, is artfully crafted with Florida fresh berries and citrus delicately placed over meringue and yuzu crémeux and finished with a tableside pour of anglaise. The Pineapple Bavarois is truly a work of art with a roasted-pineapple center and house-made blackberry-buttermilk ice cream. These dishes make for a perfect and sweet finish to a memorable evening.

This waterfront hideaway is the ideal spot to wind down with a fabulous cocktail or zero-proof beverage. The wine list has been refreshed to reflect a diverse portfolio of varietals, with Proprietor Matt Cristi and the sommeliers on his team available to help you create the perfect pairing for each dish. Our team of mixologists have also thoughtfully curated a new cocktail program, inspired by the Victorian era. A must-try is the signature Empress Lime Gimlet, a modern twist on a classic gimlet with Empress Gin, Rockey’s Botanical Liqueur, and cold-pressed lime.

There is a dress code for this Signature Dining experience. Dinner pricing varies from approximately $35 to $60 per person and is served nightly from 5:00pm to 9:30pm. Reservations can be made 60 days in advance and are strongly recommended. For dress code requirements, pricing, the latest menu, to check availability or to make reservations, please click here.

Will you be dining at Narcoossee’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort? Please leave a comment; I would love to hear from you!

Mar 9 2023

Experience Garden Graze During EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival 2023

The EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival is going on now through July 5, 2023 at Walt Disney World! If you’re like me, one of your favorites parts of any EPCOT festival are the food booths throughout the park. This year, there are more than 20 Outdoor Kitchens sprinkled throughout EPCOT offering delicious, fresh foods and beverages created by Disney chefs. If you are wondering how you are going to possibly eat it all, check out the Garden Graze to enjoy a sampling and score a reward. Here’s the scoop on this enticing experience, courtesy of Disney:

Scamper around EPCOT on this fun food stroll highlighting 10 sweet and savory offerings at the festival—all listed in the Festival Passport. After purchasing a featured item, you’ll receive a stamp in your Festival Passport.

Menu Items and Locations

  • Grilled Street Corn on the Cob with Savory Garlic Spread and Spicy Corn Chips – located at Florida Fresh
  • Grilled Street Corn on the Cob with Savory Garlic Spread and Plant-Based Cotija Cheese – located at Florida Fresh
  • Avocado Toast with Marinated Toy Box Tomatoes on Toasted Ciabatta – located at BRUNCHCOT
  • Boneless Impossible™ Korean Short Rib with Cilantro-Lime Rice, Danmuji Slaw and Kimchee Mayonnaise – located at Trowel & Trellis Hosted by Impossible Foods
  • Impossible Lumpia with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce – located at Trowel & Trellis Hosted by Impossible Foods
  • Chocolate Cake with Black Currant Ganache, Mixed Berry Compote and Chocolate Ice Cream – located at Trowel & Trellis Hosted by Impossible Foods
  • Potato Pancakes with House-Made Apple Sauce – located at Bauernmarkt: Farmer’s Market
  • Coconut Tres Leches: Vanilla Cake soaked in Oat Milk, Almond Milk and Coconut Milk with Toasted Coconut – located at La Isla Fresca
  • Pineapple Skewer with Tajin Seasoning – located at Refreshment Outpost
  • Cookies ‘n “Cream” Chocolate Mousse Cup – located at The Land Cart

Festival Exclusive Prize (subject to change)

  • Dole Whip and Seed Packet – located at Pineapple Promenade

Garden Graze can be completed at your leisure anytime during the festival. Once you’ve collected at least 5 stamps, bring your Festival Passport to Pineapple Promenade to complete your stroll—and receive your prize!

Will you be trying the Garden Graze during your vacation? Please leave a comment; I would love to hear from you!

Mar 8 2023

Amazing Amorette’s Patisserie Cake Decorating Experience in Disney Springs

Two of my favorite things…cake and Mickey Mouse! If you agree, check out this amazing cake decorating experience at Amorette’s Patisserie in Disney Springs. Here’s everything you need to know to book and create your own Mickey Mouse Dome Cake, courtesy of Disney:

Master the culinary technique that goes into decorating Amorette’s signature Character Dome Cakes.

Ever since Amorette’s Patisserie opened in 2016, its Disney-themed cakes have created quite the stir. Consisting of flavored chiffon cake, mousse and fruit jelly, these showstoppers elicit a chorus of “oohs” and “aahs” everywhere they’re presented.

A Delicious Lesson

Now you can take your own dessert game up a notch by signing up for a special 90-minute cake-decorating experience. You’ll gather in Amorette’s show kitchen before the shop officially opens for the day―the very same place Disney pastry artists skillfully blend artistry with storytelling in order to create some of the most enchanting confections around.

During this small group lesson your instructor will share insider stories and tips while describing the process of cake decorating from design to completion. You’ll learn how to pour glaçage and coat Mickey’s sculpted ears, tail, belt and buttons with edible paint.

A Bevy of Beverages Included

Sip on refreshments included with this experience, like specialty coffees, teas, water and select alcoholic beverages.

Magic to Take Home

At the end of this class, you’ll have a sweet masterpiece—which will be neatly packaged so you can easily take it home or back to your hotel to share with family and friends. You’ll also receive a gift from Amorette’s Patisserie as a reward for your artistic efforts.

Amorette’s Patisserie is happy to hold onto your cake that day—so you can freely explore Disney Springs at your leisure and then pick up your cake later in the day.

Price

This 90-minute experience is $199 plus tax, which covers up to 2 Guests decorating one cake.

For an extra $50 plus tax, you can add a second cake—which you can request up to 48 hours before your class reservation by calling 407-934-3500. Ordering a second cake will not change the party size (up to 2 Guests per reservation).

Other menu items may be purchased after the class.

Know Before You Go

Reservations Required

Advance reservations are required, please click here to book now and for more information.

Limit 2 Guests per reservation. A party with more than 2 Guests will need to make more than one reservation.

During the class, only participating Guests may remain in the location.

Age Requirement

Guests must be at least 5 years of age to participate.

Alcohol Policy

Alcohol will only be served to Guests ages 21 and older with a valid form of identification.

Cancellation Policy

Guests who wish to cancel their reservation should do so at least 2 days in advance. The full price of the experience will be charged for no-shows or cancellations within 48 hours of the reservation.

Class Size

Limit 14 Guests per class.

Dates & Times

Cake-decorating classes are held select mornings starting at 9:30am.

Discounts

Discounts do not apply.

Transportation & Parking

Guests traveling to Disney Springs by car will need to park in the Orange Garage—open daily starting at 9:00am. Please be aware that the Lime Garage will not be open for this experience. Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels can check with the concierge for available transportation.

Do you enjoy Amorette’s Patisserie? Will you be booking the cake decorating experience? Please leave a comment; I would love to hear from you!

Mar 7 2023

Disney H2O Glow After Hours at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon in 2023

Great news for fans of water parks and beach parties…returning to Typhoon Lagoon for summer 2023 are Disney H2O Glow After Hours! Here’s everything you need to know about this ultimate summer celebration, courtesy of Disney:

Surf’s up! Guests can look forward to swells of totally tropical fun this year, including the return of the vibrant, late-night party, H2O Glow After Hours, at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, the paradise-themed water park at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. 

H2O Glow After Hours lights up starting May 20 on select nights through September 2. The glowing guest-favorite party allows guests to enjoy their favorite attractions under the stars for three hours (8-11pm) after the water park closes to daytime guests, giving everyone easier access to their favorite Typhoon Lagoon thrills.

Other “glow”rious event details include:  

  • Glow lighting effects and décor 
  • High-energy DJ dance parties
  • Surprise character appearances
  • Exclusive adult-only area
  • Complimentary ice cream treats, popcorn and selected beverages 
  • Exclusive glow-themed food and beverage 

Food and beverage items remain one of the main attractions at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and this year there will be several new items. A few gnarly new additions will be fruity new DOLE Whip flavors like watermelon, mango, pineapple, strawberry and raspberry available at Snack Shack; a Pineapple Upside Down Cone at Happy Landings; and a Barbeque Chicken and Grilled Pineapple Flatbread at Leaning Palms. 

Plenty of traditional favorites will be available, too, such as the Moana and Hei Hei Ice Cream Cone and the iconic Sand Pail Sundae as well as savory snacks like Hand Battered Fish Tacos and Fish and Chips. 

Adults can pair their delightful bites with tropical beverage items. Among the new drink offerings are the Kungaloosh Kooler, the Crush ‘N’ Gushed Red and White Sangrias and the Mayday Mojito Flight. 

Guests can also look forward to the return of one of the water park’s signature attractions: The Typhoon Lagoon Surf Pool. The largest outdoor wave pool in North America, the attraction uses state-of-the-art technology to create controlled waves up to six-feet high. Guests have two surfing options – “open surf’’ for small groups that involve 10 waves or “private surf’’ for groups of up to 25 people.  

Other popular attractions that offer everything from exhilarating slides to “water-ful’’ play spaces include: 

  • Miss Adventure Falls, the fast-paced family raft attraction created, as the story goes, when Captain Mary Oceaneer, sea-faring treasure hunter, got her haul caught in a rogue typhoon, which scattered her treasure across this tropical paradise years ago.  
  • Crush ‘N’ Gusher, a thrilling “water coaster” that features three 400-foot-long tube slides named for the various fruits they once transported. 
  • Castaway Creek, a scenic lazy river that encircles the entire water park, offering gentle passage past shady grottoes, gushing waterfalls, overhead rope bridges and lush rainforest landscapes. 
  • Humunga Kowabunga, offering a choice of three adrenaline-filled body slides set against the steep inclines of Mount Mayday. 

Known for its immersive storytelling, unique water attractions and a variety of family fun offerings, the water park was themed after the fabled tale of a rogue storm and its ensuing tidal wave that wreaked havoc on what once was a pristine waterside paradise. Full of topsy-turvy architecture, storm-strewn nautical gear and a stranded ship impaled upon the summit of Mount Mayday, each intentional detail brings the maritime legend to life.  

Disney H2O Glow After Hours Dates

Select Mondays and most Saturdays from May 20 through September 2, 2023: 

  • May 20 and 27
  • June 3, 10, 17, and 24
  • July 1, 3, 8, 15, 22, 29, and 31
  • August 5, 12, 19, and 26
  • September 2

Disney H2O Glow After Hours Times

8:00pm to 11:00pm (guests with event tickets may arrive early, beginning at 6:00pm)

Disney H2O Glow After Hours Tickets

Admission is $75 for adults (plus tax) and $70 for children ages 3-9 (plus tax). Tickets are now on sale for the limited-capacity event by clicking here. 

Will you be attending Disney H2O Glow After Hours at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon? Please leave a comment; I would love to hear from you!

Mar 6 2023

First Look at Roundup Rodeo BBQ Coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Howdy, BBQ fans! Raised in Kansas City, I am a huge barbecue fan, and I couldn’t be more excited to try Roundup Rodeo BBQ in Disney’s Hollywood Studios when it finally opens on March 23, 2023. While I love Polite Pig in Disney Springs and Regal Eagle Smokehouse in EPCOT, I’ve been looking forward to this new dining option in Disney’s Hollywood Studios for years. If you too are a BBQ lover, here’s everything you need to know about Roundup Rodeo BBQ courtesy of Disney:

Yee-haw! Andy’s backyard will welcome more toys when Roundup Rodeo BBQ opens in Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios March 23. A unique collaboration between Walt Disney Imagineering, Disney Pixar Animation Studios and Walt Disney World Food & Beverage, this one-of-a-kind dining experience will be the first “Toy Story” table service restaurant in the world. 

Like all of Toy Story Land, Roundup Rodeo brings to life the stories, characters and heart from the award-winning Disney Pixar “Toy Story” films. It is a place where guests shrink to the size of a toy and feel like they have stepped into a clever, whimsical world filled with beloved toys. 

Welcome to the Rodeo! 

Andy has created a new rodeo arena for all of his favorite toys, featuring game pieces and iconic “Toy Story” characters, stickers and more. Imagineers worked closely with Disney Pixar Animation Studios to bring the space to life, developing unique designs and artwork that can only be found in the restaurant. “We are thrilled to work with our partners at Disney Pixar Animation Studios to create this unforgettable dining experience that blends great food, storytelling and whimsy,” said Ben van Beusekom, senior artisan specialist, Walt Disney Imagineering. “A visit to this special place is a must for Toy Story fans who have come to love Andy and his toys as much as we do.” 

When guests step into Roundup Rodeo BBQ, they become Andy’s honorary toys. Arriving in the dining room, they enter a scene depicting a toy rodeo in full swing and come face-to-face with life-size figures. Jessie and Trixie take the reins in the first dining space, while Bo Peep and her sheep command center stage in the second.  

Absorbed in the action, guests are fully immersed in Andy’s imagination – and the world he has created.  

Barbecue-Inspired Fare 

Suppers on! Offering the same menu at both lunch and dinner, Roundup Rodeo BBQ will serve favorite barbecue-inspired fare in a family-style setting.   

  • Begin your feast with tender, scratch-made cheddar biscuits accompanied by sweet pepper jelly.  
  • A variety of crisp salads, such as a refreshing tomato, cucumber and pickled red onion salad dressed perfectly in white balsamic vinaigrette, set the scene for the main course.  
  • Guests will enjoy delicious house-smoked meats, including fall-off-the-bone tender pork ribs, brisket smoked low-and-slow in house and so much more. A robust plant-based menu is available as well, ensuring a meal for the whole family to enjoy.  
  • And what’s a picnic without sides? Choose from traditional favorites such as potato salad, baked beans or classic slaw, or opt for more adventurous selections like grilled corn-on-the-cob seasoned with a chili-lime spice blend and topped with cotija cheese, or fried pickles.  
  • For a sweet ending, dig into dreamy desserts inspired by everyone’s favorite picnic treat: pie!  
  • An assortment of craft cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages pay homage to classic backyard picnic beverages and the flavors of childhood, perfectly complementing every meal.  

Dining reservations are required to experience Roundup Rodeo BBQ and can be made through the MyDisneyExperience app or by clicking here. Guests need both valid park admission and park reservations for Disney’s Hollywood Studios on the same date to dine.

Will you be trying Roundup Rodeo BBQ during your next visit to Walt Disney World? Please leave a comment; I would love to hear from you!