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Foodie Guide to New Year’s Eve 2022 at Walt Disney World

Foodie Guide By Courtney Harris December 27, 2022 No Comments

Can you believe that 2022 is already coming to a close? This year has been filled with delicious goodies and even the launch of Disney Eats! It should come as no surprise that Walt Disney World Resort is ending the year in style – foodie style that is – with plenty of treats to ring in 2023 with a satisfied stomach.

We don’t know about you, but we think the best way to celebrate is through food. All across the resort, there are multiple delights for you to indulge in. From the Clock Strikes 12 dessert from Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood to the 2023 Celebration Mickey Piñata at the All-Star Resorts, and the Champagne Beignet at Scat Cat’s Club – Café, your tastebuds will be so excited to welcome the new year.

And if you don’t have a dining reservation at a table-service restaurant, there are plenty of quick-service locations at the Disney Resorts with delicious dishes and sips to enjoy!

It’s time to countdown the treats coming to Walt Disney World Resort this new year in 3, 2, 1 …

Available at Various Resorts

Celebration Charcuterie & Cheese featuring cured meats, duck confit, aged cheeses, savory cookies, and accompaniments (Available Dec. 31 and Jan. 1); Available at the following:
- World Premiere at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
- Intermission at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
- End Zone at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
- Landscape of Flavors at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
- Centertown Market at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
- Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
- Riverside Mill Food Court at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
- Everything POP Shopping & Dining at Disney’s Pop Century Resort

Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, and Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort

World Premiere Food Court, Intermission Food Court, and End Zone Food Court (Available Dec. 31 only)

2023 Celebration Mickey Piñata: Chocolate Mickey Piñata filled with white chocolate mousse, chocolate sponge cake, and fresh strawberries (New)

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

Jiko – The Cooking Place (Available Dec. 24 through 31)

Holiday Feast: Bone-in ribeye, preserved lemon, and almond haricot verts with herb-roasted potatoes, roasted radicchio, and tart cherry wine reduction

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and Disney’s Pop Century Resort

Landscape of Flavors and Everything POP Shopping & Dining (Available Dec. 31 only; mobile order available)

Pomegranate Trifle Salute: Trifle layered with pastry cream, yellow cake, pomegranate prosecco sauce, gold confetti, and shimmering pomegranate boba (New)

Disney’s Beach Club Resort

Beach Club Marketplace (Available Dec. 30 through Jan. 1; mobile order available)

Strawberries and Champagne Tart: Champagne panna cotta, crisp pearls, and strawberry mousse with strawberry gelee topped with strawberry whipped cream, white chocolate décor, and strawberries (New)

Disney’s BoardWalk

BoardWalk Deli (Available Dec. 27 through Jan. 1)

Mickey Brownie: Brownie with ganache, sparkly sprinkles, and chocolate décor (New)

Trattoria al Forno (Available Dec. 31 only)

Steak al Forno: Yukon potatoes, cipollini agrodolce, and chianti reduction

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

Centertown Market and Spyglass Grill (Available Dec. 31 through Jan. 1; mobile order available)

Millionaire Shortbread Bar: Shortbread cookie topped with caramel, chocolate ganache, toffee pieces, and salty pretzels (New)

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

Dahlia Lounge (Available Dec. 27 through Jan. 1)

Moondust: Freixenet Blanc de Blancs Cava, lemonade, house-made cherry berry simple syrup, and gold ‘moon’ luster dust (New)

Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood

Filet of Beef & Pil-Pil Prawns with Manchego-potato purée, forest mushrooms, and Rioja wine-fig jam (New) (Available Dec. 31 only)
Clock Strikes 12: Chocolate hazelnut mousse with orange sauce and champagne foam (New) (Available Dec. 31 only)
Moondust: Freixenet Blanc de Blancs Cava, lemonade, house-made cherry berry simple syrup, and gold ‘moon’ luster dust (New) (Available Dec. 27 through Jan. 1)

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Cítricos (Available Dec. 31 only)

New Year’s Eve Enhancements: Siberian Sturgeon Caviar, Royal Osetra Caviar, house-made fettuccine with truffle butter, sunchoke purée, and choice of white alba or black Perigord truffles (New)
New York Strip of American Waygu: Potato confit, root spinach, wild mushroom, and trio of steak sauces (New)
Midnight Marquise: Chocolate torte, raspberry, and champagne sabayon (New)

Disney’s Polynesian Village

Pineapple Lanai (Available Dec. 30 through Jan. 1)

New Year’s Float: DOLE Whip Float with passionfruit, orange, and guava juice topped with a 2023 white chocolate medallion, popping candy, boba balls, and a cocktail umbrella (New)

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter

Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory (Available Dec. 31 through Jan. 1; mobile order available)

Millionaire Shortbread Bar: Shortbread cookie topped with caramel, chocolate ganache, toffee pieces, and salty pretzels (New)

Scat Cat’s Club – Café (Available Dec. 31 through Jan. 1)

Champagne Beignet: Classic Mickey beignet topped with a champagne glaze and starry quins (New)

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside

Riverside Mill Food Court (Available Dec. 31 through Jan. 1; mobile order available)

Millionaire Shortbread Bar: Shortbread cookie topped with caramel, chocolate ganache, toffee pieces, and salty pretzels (New)

Disney’s Riviera Resort

Topolino’s Terrace (Available Dec. 31 through Jan. 1)

Coffee-rubbed Venison: Butternut squash, cherry jus, Honeycrisp hash, pickled mustard, and kale (New)
Opera Cake: Almond joconde, mocha Italian buttercream, dark chocolate ganache, and Morello cherry (New)

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

The Turf Club Bar and Grill (Available Dec. 31 only)

New Year’s Eve Dinner with Hoppin’ John, collard greens, truffle macaroni & cheese, and house-made cornbread (New)

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

Roaring Fork (Available Dec. 30 through Jan. 1; mobile order available)

Bear-y Happy New Year!: Strawberry mousse, champagne gel, vanilla cake, mirror glaze, and chocolate décor (New)

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

The Market at Ale & Compass (Available Dec. 30 through Jan. 1; mobile order available)

Strawberries and Champagne Tart: Champagne panna cotta, crisp pearls, and strawberry mousse with strawberry gelee topped with strawberry whipped cream, white chocolate décor, and strawberries (New)

Yachtsman Steakhouse (Available Dec. 31 only)

Midnight Kiss: Chocolate mousse, strawberry curd, and chocolate cookie with a strawberry sauce (New)

Available at Various Lounges through Resorts (Available Dec. 28 through Jan. 1)

After Midnight: Licor 43 Spanish Liqueur, chocolate liqueur, and espresso dusted with cocoa powder (New)

Take a look back at all the foodie delights that have come to Disney Parks this past year with our Disney Eats topics page and continue to check back to see all the ones to come in 2023. And use #DisneyEats to share your favorite dishes from the past year!

How Would I Describe the Vegan Breakfast at Ohana Restaurant?

Restaurant Reviews By Jon Self December 18, 2022 Tags: breakfast, dining review, ohana, Polynesian Resort, vegan, walt disney world No Comments

I have a confession to make. I listen to lots of podcasts. Some of them are faith-based podcasts. However, most of them revolve around theme park discussions like dining vegan at Ohana for breakfast. As you might imagine, I tend to focus on the theme park podcasts that discuss theme park food the most. My confession relates to something more embarrassing than that obsession with podcasts. Apparently, I accidentally deleted a podcast during a rather hectic week in my life, when it was released. In between returning from a “work” trip to Orlando and discovering an employment change regarding my “real job”, I deleted an important podcast in my tiny little world of theme park food. I discovered after checking my social media feed that I must have deleted a podcast episode released on September 28^th, 2022. I accept all the blame and criticism for this debacle.

If you are still reading this, you must wonder if I will ever get to talking about theme park food. Please stay with me. The reason this deletion possesses great embarrassment revolves around the fact that the guest for that show mentioned that Ohana, at the Polynesian Resort, recently became the most searched-for advance dining reservation according to users of his product. What product would that be? I suspect you can guess. Yes, Dustin Checketts, co-founder of MouseDining.com served as a guest for that episode. I joked in a social media group that this mistake would lead to an awkward conversation.

Since Ohana serves as focus of this dining review, I should mention that I noticed the same change that Dustin mentioned on the podcast about Ohana being most searched for advance dining reservation via MouseDining. Obviously, that relates to the fact that I use data supplied to me by Dustin to plan dining reviews. Based on that data, I have been testing over the last few days whether the reservation demand at Ohana involves just dinner or breakfast also. Using MouseDining, I saw some very limited reservation availability for breakfast as well as for dinner at Ohana. In fact, I have a reservation alert set with MouseDining right now or Ohana for breakfast and dinner. Because of that data, I wrote a recent article suggesting Sebastian’s Bistro as a less expensive alternative. Also, on MouseDining blog, I previously wrote about my recent experience at Ohana for breakfast.

During my most recent all you care to eat dining adventure, I ordered every vegan dining option available. Yes, I knew at some point I would write about the vegan breakfast at Ohana. This article serves as the fulfillment of that plan.

So how was breakfast at Ohana in terms of vegan dining? As someone who often dines vegan when doing theme park food reviews, I found the breakfast quite good. Of course, some weaknesses emerged as evident during that segment of the meal.

The vegan breakfast version here opens with fruit as the standard option does. Yet, instead of pineapple-coconut breakfast bread, vegan diners get a vegan/gluten free cinnamon sugar donut. I enjoyed the donut. However, many of my vegan and gluten free friends do not think highly of this donut.

The vegan skillet comes with scrambled “eggs”, “sausage”, fried island-style potatoes, and character-shaped waffles. Overall, I enjoyed this vegan skillet. Yet, my dining companions disliked it considerably. The vegan eggs came well prepared but lacked the cream that the non-vegan ones possess. The “eggs” worked fine in combination with everything else though. The vegan waffles tasted about as good as the non-vegan waffles. However, on this day, the vegan waffles only came in Stitch shape not Mickey. There seemed to be confusion about if that was always the case. I found the potatoes with the vegan skillet offered more flavor than the ones within the non-vegan skillet. The “sausage”, a vegan chorizo, functioned as only true disappointment for my dining experience.

All in all, even as someone not dining exclusively vegan, I felt this breakfast offered enough merit to be considered for vegan diners without hesitation. In fairness, I have several vegan exclusive dining friends that do not have as high of an opinion of this vegan meal as myself. I apologize for that detail adding confusion but want to state all facts available at the time.

One last note, character breakfast with Stitch and friends returned in September. When I visited, character dining had not returned for breakfast. My meal cost $25 plus tax and tip before characters. Now, the price has risen to $45 with characters included. If considering this solid breakfast option bear that in mind. If it were me, I would opt for Topolino’s Terrace breakfast over this one at that price point. Also, if expecting the old-style parade where your kid joins in with the characters, they currently do not do that. If going for a character breakfast, expect about a minute each with Mickey, Pluto, Stitch, and Lilo during the breakfast.

Could the return of characters be a reason for high demand in terms of advance dining reservations at Ohana? Does the variety of breakfast and dinner options lead to demand? Could it be some combination of both? I think all these work as factors. I would gladly go back and pay for breakfast here without characters at $25 I struggle to be thrilled to pay $45 for this breakfast no matter how cool Stitch and friends might be. However, if someone in your family is a big Lilo and Stitch fan, then the money may well be worth it. Stitch qualifies as a hard-to-find character in the parks, except for special events. Lilo pretty much only appears here. I hope this helps you understand the situation if searching for Ohana reservations. As always, eat like you mean it!

Review: Eggs Benedict Grand Floridian Cafe at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Restaurant Reviews By Jon Self December 13, 2022 Tags: deluxe resort, Disney dining, eggs benedict, Grand Floridian Cafe, grand Floridian resort and spa, walt disney world No Comments

Have you ever walked into a place wondering if you belong there at all? This could be because you feel under-dressed. Maybe you feel underqualified. Perhaps you feel you made a wrong turn and accidentally entered a restricted area. Did you know any person may visit a deluxe-level Walt Disney World Resort hotel? I feel most readers will know that, but I am always surprised by the number of people that do not realize resort hopping is a real thing. I hear Walt Disney World visitors state that they do not belong at those deluxe resorts. However, sometimes I relate to that feeling of not being worthy when doing dining reviews at Walt Disney World Resort deluxe-level hotels. The hotel that gives off that vibe to me the most would be Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Can you imagine eating eggs benedict at the Grand Floridian Cafe one morning?

See, they will let anyone visit at Grand Floridian Resort

Trust me, they will let anyone dine there. Of course, as Walt Disney World’s website says, “Victorian elegance meets modern sophistication at this lavish Disney Resort hotel.” When you read those words, what do you think? Do you hear fancy and maybe too elite for you? Okay, maybe that is just me. In fairness, this hotel features some of the best and highest prices restaurants on Walt Disney World property. However, the Grand Floridian Café offers elegant dining that will not damage your budget quite as much. During a recent Orlando area trip, I dined for breakfast at this table service option. An advance dining reservation eluded me for a few weeks. Yet, eventually, MouseDining set me an alert for breakfast here.

I showed up for my early morning breakfast reservation time. My server Jenny greeted me at the entrance and guided me to my table. As usual, I scheduled several other food and beverage reviews for this day. Thus, I preferred not to partake in a full breakfast. I decided to order the “Traditional Eggs Benedict” for $17. Grand Floridian Café also offers a Lobster Benedict for $5 more. Based on my plans for the day, I decided to play it safe with the traditional version. Of course, I faced temptation since the Lobster Thermidor Burger here might be the best burger on the property.

Menu November 2022

Speaking of burgers, Grand Floridian Cafe offers a hybrid breakfast and lunch menu each day. In other words, you can buy a traditional lunch menu like a burger at 7:30 am for breakfast. The breakfast and lunch hybrid time happens from 7:30 am to 2:00 pm each day. For the record, they do not call it brunch here but breakfast and lunch have separate times according to their online menu.

Back to my breakfast, my meal started with complimentary USA-style biscuits. I found these to be a great start to my morning. These small biscuits did arrive at my table smelling quite good. They were very soft and warm for my early morning dining experience.

Soon after, my breakfast entrée arrived. The “Traditional Eggs Benedict” consists of two poached eggs, Canadian bacon, and hollandaise sauce served on toasted English muffins. This entrée also comes with a marinated tomato salad. The eggs benedict arrived at my table very warm and fresh looking. Grand Floridian Cafe should earn high marks for that. Though when I ordered it, I was perplexed about how the salad would balance with the eggs benedict. However, the salad brought light refreshing flavors to this entrée. The salad fails to be the star of this breakfast but makes a good sidekick. Still, the dressing and onions in the tomato salad may be a little off-putting to some theme park resort diners. Yet, I enjoyed it.

My reaction to the eggs benedict creates a mixed review. My notes say in bold letters that the portion size rates as small. However, the hollandaise sauce tasted almost perfect. This sauce will make or break an eggs benedict dish. The skill of doing this properly should not be undervalued. Those factors canceled each other out in my opinion.

However, the worst part of this entrée by far involved the English muffins. They tasted just okay. In my opinion, they did not complement the rest of the entrée. After eating half of my entrée, I decided to experiment. I asked my server for some more biscuits. I moved everything off one of the English muffins onto one of the biscuits. Maybe I lived in the southern portion of the United States of America for too long, but this made the entrée eight times better. The English muffins, on this day, failed to provide a strong enough starch to balance the other components. Yet, the biscuit fit that role perfectly.

Yes, I know eggs benedict should not be made with biscuits. However, after this experience, I would vote we try that for a while. The excellent flavor combination this way enhanced the meat, sauce, and egg dramatically.

This made a wonderful breakfast in an elegant setting. Clearly, this breakfast would not pass the test if desiring a full hearty breakfast for a long theme park day. In my case, this well-balanced meal worked perfectly (even if I prefer it with a biscuit) for my “work” day. Under similar circumstances, I would order this again. Yet, I cannot give this a full endorsement since many theme park resort guests will want a larger breakfast than I did on this day.

Even though I often wonder if I belong when visiting Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, this breakfast option provides a pleasantly relaxing dining experience. Advance dining reservations here rate as sometimes hard to get like the morning I visited. You should plan accordingly. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa offers so much to see. Your group could have a fun morning visit here, especially during the holiday season with the large gingerbread house display. As always, eat like you mean it!

“New” Me Ma’s Best Chicken Raglan Road Disney Springs

Restaurant Reviews By Jon Self December 11, 2022 Tags: bell and evans chciken, dining review, Disney Springs, raglan road, walt disney world No Comments

Once upon a time, I sat in a chain restaurant having lunch. On that day, I looked much younger for a simple reason—I was much younger. On that day, an elderly couple sat down in the booth next to me. They discussed loudly what to order that afternoon. After some loud discussion, the gentleman said he did not see anything he thought he would like. At this point, the lady voiced obvious frustration saying “Just get the chicken. You like chicken.” As insignificant as that encounter might seem, I have never forgotten it. Thus, some days when I do not know what to order, I simply order the chicken. To facilitate this, Raglan Road in Disney Springs consistently offers excellent chicken entrees. A recent addition to their menu would be “Me Ma’s Best Chicken.” During my visit, I ordered this chicken entrée.

Me Ma’s Best Chicken will cost you $28. Included with that price, you receive an entrée described this way, “roasted Bell and Evans chicken breast with a chicken, spinach, wild mushrooms, and a leek pie in roast chicken jus, topped with herb stuffing crumble with champ mashed potato.” The overall presentation of this entrée should receive high marks. Now, the one I received when I dined there did not look like the promo photo. Still, when does dinner look like the promo photo? Anyway, I felt the presentation was good even though my photos may not reflect that. We were seated very close to the stages, so I did not want to endanger the performers with flash photography.

Promotional Photo from Raglan Road

On that evening I enjoyed this entrée, I had a 6:45 reservation on a rainy night. The organizational system at Raglan Road lacked the normal pattern. Eventually we were seated after waiting some time. Of course, when we were seated, we quickly got some of the Raglan Road soda bread.

After some appetizers, the main entrees arrived. As always here, the special brand of chicken served here comes very well prepared. I guess that is why I order chicken often here. In fact, I found all aspects of this entrée very well prepared. Any issues I may have with this entrée relate to ingredient choices not preparation by chefs.

The most unique facet of this entrée revolves around the leek pie. When ordering new items for a dining review, I scan the menu description briefly. Before dining, I do not usually examine menu description too intensely. This allows me to avoid anticipating certain flavors based on what I read in the description. However, when typing the review, I examined the menu description very carefully. The leek pie offered some of the best flavors at our table that evening. In fairness, when I tasted this that evening, i could not tell this was a leak pie. The pastry like shell holding it together looked and tasted good. I did not expect that before ordering this new menu item.

On the less positive side, this dish lacked a solid flavor profile. The chicken and potatoes were well prepared though. Yet, they lacked enough seasoning to be a stellar entrée. In simple terms, everything tasted a bit bland outside the leek pie. For perspective, I am comparing this to other entrées at Raglan Road. I respect the fact that this style of food might seem bland to some. However, I am comparing it to similar entrees on the same menu. Also, just so you do not think I am simply hiding behind a keyboard, I discussed this with staff there. Our table discussed this with the manager on duty, Steve, that evening. For the record, he showed great appreciation and interest in our thoughts.

I think a simple adjustment of adding the au jus directly on the chicken would enhance this entrée significantly. That goes against the usual preparation pattern at Raglan Road for their chicken though. All the components functioned nicely. This needed more power to the overall flaor profile. Once again, the entree preparation was great. In fact, the chicken tasted perfect for standard chicken but lack seasoning as its downfall. I desired more from Me Ma’s Best Chicken.

Even though I joked about the appearance of the promotional photo, that photo reflects a change in presentation and probably preparation. If you go visit Raglan Road deciding to order this, I would be curious what you think. Please leave a comment below if you do. As always, eat like you mean it!

MouseDining Community Spotlight: Lamplight Lounge

General By Alison Haselden December 8, 2022 No Comments

Cassi from the popular Disney YouTube channel, Cassi’s Castle took us on her trip to Disneyland’s California Adventure featuring a special brunch at the Lamplight Lounge!

The Lamplight Lounge is the perfect restaurant to sit back and relax while still feeling like you’re part of the action at California Adventure, thanks in large part to the spectacular view of Paradise Pier.

The Lamplight Lounge offers brunch, lunch and dinner as well as a casual bar for Guests to grab a drink or snack if they’re not looking for a full meal.

What to eat at the Lamplight Lounge for brunch

Cassi and her friends raved over the The Falling with Style Festive non-alcoholic drink ($7) with Pixar ball-themed straw accessory and the Mimosa Flight ($27). They also enjoyed several of the fan-favorite brunch dishes on the Lamplight Lounge menu including:

Crab and Potato Cake Benedict ($22) – Cassi gave this Disney meal a 10/10!

This meal is made up of Potato Cake Benedict with Sautéed Spinach, Soft-poached Eggs, and Chipotle Hollandaise with Fresh Fruit

Lamplight Chilaquiles ($20)

This dish consists of House-made Tortilla Chips tossed in a 3-Chile Red Sauce, Cheddar-Jack, Two Eggs-up, Queso Fresco, Red Onions, Cilantro-Serrano Sour Cream and Sliced Avocado, topped with Pepitas

Indulgent French Toast ($20)

This decadent brunch includes Cinnamon-Brown Sugar Challah Bread, Irish Cream Whip, Maple Syrup, Macerated Berries and House-made Almond Brittle

Getting Disney reservations with MouseDining

Here’s what Cassi had to say about using MouseDining to help plan her Disney trips and dining reservations:

“It’s super easy. I feel like it’s great for when you’re planning your Disney trips because reservations are always the hardest and fill up so fast. I feel like MouseDining is the best way to go about planning your Disney trip!”

Click the image below to watch Cassi’s full video on her experience! (View from 0:00 – 05:53)

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNAABME3IfE&ab_channel=Cassi%E2%80%99sCastle

Here’s a quick rundown of the Lamplight Lounge restaurant highlights:

This restaurant is well-loved for it’s cocktail selection as well as popular dishes such as the lobster nachos, tuna poke, and the Pastrami-spiced Impossible™ plant-based burger.
Animation lovers will enjoy featured sketches and characters around the restaurant’s decor, napkins, and menu.
Most meals range between $15 to $34.99 per adult
This location tends to get particularly crowded later in the evening for the prime view of the pier and World of Color light and water show. You’ll definitely want to use MouseDining to help snag a reservation during peak hours!
Brunch is only offered on weekends, don’t forget to double check your schedule if a brunch meal is on your must-do list.

Lamplight Lounge Hours:

On weekdays (Monday – Thursday)

Lunch – 11:30 AM to 3:55 PM

Dinner – 4:00 PM to 8:30 PM

On weekends (Friday – Sunday)

Brunch – 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Lunch – 2:00 PM to 3:55 PM

Dinner – 4:00 PM to 8:30 PM

Click here to try MouseDining for yourself and make your next Disney dining reservation magical – just like Cassi!

Signature Dining at Topolino’s Terrace

Restaurant Reviews By Jon Self December 7, 2022 Tags: Disney's Riviera Resort, ricotta, signature dining, sole, topolino terrace, walt disney world No Comments

The term, signature dining, conveys many images in people’s minds when at Walt Disney World. Walt Disney World calls signature dining its fine dining establishments. Many of these reside within their deluxe resort hotels but not all. These generally provide the best food and service on the property. Of course, signature dining usually comes with high prices. Though we can debate the quality of some of the signature dining options available at Walt Disney World, signature dining at Topolino’s Terrace continues to stand out.

Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera located on the top floor of Disney’s Riviera Resort serves breakfast and dinner. The breakfast offered here fits the signature dining level. However, that quality breakfast counts as a character breakfast so it is a bit more casual. In contrast, the evening dinner at Topolino’s Terrace fits most people’s idea of signature dining. There exists a basic dress code. During my November 2022 visit here, I wore a collared shirt and long pants. However, many people in the indoor bar area wore more formal attire. If you connect signature dining with fancy, then this place meets that expectation.

Photo Credit: Walt Disney World

Recently, Topolino’s Terrace added some new menu items. Our server in November informed us that this might be happening. For example, the “Burrata” returned to the menu. The burrata antipasto option features black truffle, grapes, artichoke, verjus gel, and burrata cheese, of course. This antipasto option also comes with some focaccia bread. Initial reports indicate that this meets signature dining standards for $19.

Other new menu options include a “Red Kurl Squash Soup”, “Pork Shank Blanquette Milk Braised Pork”, and a new version of their sea scallops. Based on my suspicion of which items would disappear from the menu, I ordered the “Ricotta” and the “Classic Sole Meunière” back in November. Theme park food bloggers live in fear of the item ordered being taken off the menu the next day.

In fairness, I shared the ricotta with my three dining companions. I also shared the sole entrée with Tom of Vacationeers Podcast. Since I knew I would be having the seasonal dessert for a review, that made sense for our 5:00 pm seating. Also, I already ate breakfast and lunch at Kona Café earlier that day. I decided to show restraint as a food blogger.

When we arrived at Topolino’s Terrace after some significant human error, by me, we checked in. After an interesting wait, we were seated. We sat at a table by the window offering a great view. Still, even with the shades drawn at the beginning of our meal, the dining area temperature was very warm. Yes, I know this is Florida. However, Florida believes in air-conditioning. If you are part of the conspiracy theory claiming the air conditioning across the property seems set for a higher temperature than in the old days, this might provide more evidence.

So how was the meal? Excellent as always would count as an understatement. The ricotta tasted wonderful as usual. The ricotta appetizer costs $16 and provides a tomato jam of sorts, aged balsamic, cracker pepper, basil, and epi bread. The creamy flavorful ricotta creates a wonderful beginning to your meal. The ricotta is prepared in-house for maximum freshness. This will probably be the best ricotta you have ever tasted. Yet, if you have ever enjoyed great ricotta, this will match or exceed that level of ricotta. The ricotta tastes fresh and smooth. I have one friend that calls it silky. The classic combination of bread and cheese wakes up your taste buds during signature dining at Topolino’s Terrace.

The Classic Sole Meuniere costs $50. This large entrée arrives at your table as an entire fish. The entrée features sea beans, capers, asparagus, English peas, toy box tomatoes, and potatoes. According to Taste Atlas, “meunière” refers to a French cooking technique in which a whole fish or fish fillets are lightly dusted in flour and then sautéed in butter.” My main concern with ordering this revolved around the amount of oil and butter involved. My worry involved whether I needed that much butter. I know butter makes food taste better, especially in French cooking, but did I need that much?

Photo courtesy of Main Street Magic Podcast

When the entrée arrived, my concern lessened. The anticipated overflow of oil and butter failed to be with this order. The fish provided a crispy outer layer. Still, the fish inside delivered a flaky texture and solid flavor. All the vegetables prepared with this fish enhanced the dining experience. The vegetables brought the right amount of tenderness and contrasting flavors to the fish. The meunière preparation at Topolino’s Terrace deserves signature dining status.

If looking for signature dining while at Walt Disney World, Topolino’s Terrace rarely disappoints. Whether you order a new menu item, this Classic Sole Meuniere, or just appetizers and desserts, your experience should be lovely. When you visit, do not forget to visit the outdoor terrace for the beautiful views.

As you might imagine, reservations disappear from this signature dining location quickly. Feel free to set an alert at MouseDining.com to aid in your quest to dine here. I know I have been successful a few times in making a reservation here with an alert from MouseDining.com. As always, eat like you mean it!

What’s Cooking at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

Foodie Guide By Courtney Harris December 6, 2022 No Comments

Are you ready to take your taste buds on their own foodie adventure? We sure hope so because Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is bringing some new flavors and dishes to its menus for you to enjoy!

For those venturing over to the resort, you’ll find some delicious updates coming to multiple locations, including The Mara and Jiko: The Cooking Place. We’ll be giving you the full run-down of all the new dishes on the way. And trust us, you won’t be disappointed.

Shrimp Bakuli, Multigrain Tabbouleh, Spiced Pork Nacho and Short Rib Grilled Cheese from Maji Pool Bar

Starting out at Maji Pool Bar, this spot will be refreshing its menu starting on Dec. 8 to add poolside snacks with an African twist. First up is the Shrimp Bakuli, which means bowl in Swahili. This dish is inspired by the open-air food markets found in Zanzibar, Chef Sahib Bhatti’s home country, where each evening as the sun sets, the vendors prepare seafood delicacies with the day’s catch. The bakuli includes chilled poached shrimp, pickled carrots, and Basmati rice with a flavorful soy-ginger dressing and berbere aïoli.

For plant-based diners, the chefs have also created a new offering just for you – the Multigrain Tabbouleh. This bowl is a vibrant salad with protein-rich grains, fresh herbs, and grilled vegetables. How delicious!

For those with a less adventurous palate, the team has developed two more traditional offerings with African flair. The Spiced Pork Nachos are topped with spiced pork, beans, herbed crema, and kachumbari. The “spiced pork” used is pork vindaloo, originally from Goa but based on a Portuguese dish “carne de vinha d’alhos.” This tender pork is prepared with flavors of paprika, garlic, tomato, vinegar, and a house-made spice blend.

Another mouth-watering option available is the Short Rib Grilled Cheese. The short ribs are slow-cooked with a house-made spice blend, tamarind, and red wine until tender. The buttery brioche bread is topped with short ribs, gouda cheese, and pickled onion and pressed to order. Yes, please.

Marinated Sun-dried Tomato and Herbed Ricotta Flatbread from The Mara

The Mara will also be adding a few items to the menu starting on Dec. 8. For those who are looking to keep their safari on the tamer side, there is the Marinated Sun-dried Tomato and Herbed Ricotta Flatbread with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herb ricotta, tomato sauce, four-cheese blend, and arugula.

Chermoula-spiced Shrimp Bowl and Oak-grilled Chicken Bowl from The Mara

For those looking to walk on the wild side, the chefs have created three new bowls that are sure to please. The Chermoula-spiced Shrimp Bowl is a must-try with grilled shrimp, pilau rice, kale slaw, cucumber-tomato salad, and chermoula sour cream. Pilau rice is similar to rice pilaf, and this version is simmered with The Mara’s unique spice blend and utilized as the base for all three bowls. Also available is the Oak-grilled Chicken Bowl made with marinated chicken thighs, slow-roasted over the oak-fired spit.

South African Vegetable Bowl from The Mara

Rounding out the new additions at The Mara is the plant-based, and very tasty, South African Vegetable Bowl, a perfect balance of flavors! Chef Wendy Welcovitz and Sous Chef Khuloud Abu Samra drew inspiration from South African cuisine to thoughtfully craft each component: curried vegetable stew, pilau rice, kale slaw, dried fruit achar, and avocado-tahini sauce. You’ll be saying “Hakuna Matata” once you try this masterpiece.

Sweet Potato-Groundnut Soup from Jiko: the Cooking Place and the Way of Water beverage from Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

Of course, no trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is complete without experiencing the vibrant flavors simmering at Jiko: The Cooking Place and this winter is no exception. You can always enjoy fan-favorites like the Oak-grilled Filet Mignon or Braaied Wild Boar Tenderloin, but there is a new appetizer to try – Sweet Potato-Groundnut Soup. This soup features spiced groundnuts, finger lime, pickled red chilies, and sorrel. Now, you may be asking “what is a groundnut?” Popular in modern African cuisine, you know this ingredient as a peanut, the name is used in reference to how these legumes grow … in the ground!

Last, but certainly not least, to celebrate the premiere of “Avatar: The Way of Water” on Dec. 16, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge will be introducing a signature beverage for those over 21 to “sivako!” Available at Boma: Flavors of Africa, Sanaa, and Victoria Falls Lounge, Way of Water is a shimmering blend of African Starr Rum, BACARDÍ Raspberry Rum, Bols Blue Curaçao, and lemonade garnished with a glowing lotus flower and mint.

There you have it – the delicious dishes and sips coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge this month! Tell us which ones you’re most excited to try and share your favorites with #DisneyEats on your own social channels.

Happy eating!

Alfajores Recipe for National Cookie Day

Cooking Up the Magic at Home By Courtney Harris December 4, 2022 No Comments

It’s National Cookie Day – the perfect excuse to bake or eat cookies! And luckily, Disney parks all over the world have delicious cookies you can enjoy year-round, not just December 4. If you’re in search of a cookie recipe for today, we have a delicious Disney Eats surprise to share with you.

The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays presented by AdventHealth runs through December 30 and has several delicious cookies and even a Cookie Stroll! The chefs shared the recipe for Alfajores at the all-new Nochebuena Cocina Holiday Kitchen with us. Alfajores are a vanilla shortbread sandwich cookie filled with dulce de leche and rolled in coconut.

Take the extra step and toast the coconut to get extra flavor from it. The vanilla shortbread is light and flavorful and pairs perfectly with the dulce de leche. The Alfajores were also easy to bake. This time of year is always busy, so you’ll appreciate an easy cookie recipe like this one.

Here is the recipe from our Disney Eats Cooking up the Magic series. We used store-bought dulce de leche for this recipe, but if you make your own, you can use that!

ALFAJORES (VANILLA SHORTBREAD COOKIES) from the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays presented by AdventHealth
Makes 6-8 Alfajores

COOKIES

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

ALFAJORES

1 (14 ounce) can Dulce de Leche
12-16 cookies
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup powdered sugar

FOR COOKIES:

Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
Combine all-purpose flour and cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside.
Cream butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla and mix on medium speed, scraping sides occasionally, until fully incorporated.
Add reserved flour mixture and beat on low speed until dry dough starts to come together. Remove from bowl and knead of floured surface until dough is soft.
Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 2 1/2-inch circles. Place on prepared baking pan, leaving 2-inches between each cookie.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

FOR ALFAJORES:

Pour dulce de leche into a piping bag.
Place half of the cookies, bottom side up, on a flat surface. Pipe dulce de leche onto each cookie. Top with remaining cookies.
Coat sides of cookies with shredded coconut and dust tops with powdered sugar.

Cook’s Note: To enhance the flavor of the coconut, toast it in the oven. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 300ºF, stirring every 3 minutes, until golden brown.

Always use caution when handling sharp objects and hot contents. Please supervise children who are helping or nearby.

This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name

Restaurant Reviews By Jon Self December 2, 2022 No Comments

If you are old enough to remember ancient times, also known as the 1980s, a character on a television show known as Norm grew in popularity. George Wendt, who played the character Norm on the television show Cheers, appeared in every episode. He would enter the fictional Boston bar, and everybody knew his name. Based on my most recent trip to the Orlando area, everybody knows my name at Kona Café. Well, at least for the short term they do. I returned to Kona Café for another review one week after the reopening day. Since I had been to this place for two different meals on reopening day, what would cause me to visit again so soon? I think the staff wondered that also since they may not have known my face that morning, but they recognized my name. The Walt Disney World dining reservation system makes it challenging to sneak in for a dining review.

Well, I considered entitling this review “It Was All Jeremy’s Fault!” but decided against that. A friend of MouseDining, Jeremy Stein of the Main Street Magic Podcast, decided to visit Magic Kingdom that morning. He wanted breakfast nearby before braving the crowds on a Monday after a race weekend. He mentioned Kona Café. After a bit of time, I found a reservation via MouseDining for that morning. On my previous breakfast venture to Kona Café, I ordered the new salmon breakfast entrée. Since during my previous breakfast visit, my group tried all the new breakfast items at Kona Café, I searched for my choice for this morning.

I knew that Jeremy would be ordering the “Plant-based Loco Moco” for breakfast. I decided to try the Macadamia Nut Pancakes this morning. These pancakes distinguish themselves as a tried-and-true menu item at Kona Café. In Disney Parks Blog about restaurants reopening, these pancakes were listed alongside Tonga Toast as an item returning due to popularity.

Jeremy and I were seated. We bantered about the state of theme parks. Our server, Matti, performed her responsibilities very well. Soon after, our food arrived. The initial appearance of my pancakes promised a good start.

These “Macadamia Nut Pancakes” cost $15. They come with a choice of protein. Guests may select between ham, spiced ham, bacon, or sausage. Since this was Kona Café in Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, the spiced ham made the most sense. In case you miss the coded language, spiced ham is “Spam.” If you visit a Polynesian restaurant, you should get spam to be in the Polynesian spirit. Also, the pancakes feature macadamia nut butter and pineapple sauce.

I received three large pancakes for this entrée. The spam came well prepared also. Sure, many guests will not prefer that meat choice. However, the version served here makes a good side dish for these pancakes. The combination of savory meat and sweet pancakes enhances this entrée. The texture factor with the nuts works better than I expected. This texture factor might throw some guests off, but I enjoyed it. I added very little syrup to these pancakes. The pineapple sauce provides a good amount of sweetness. I appreciated these nontraditional-style pancakes. Dining in a theme park resort bubble can lead to some boring choices. These pancakes make a good choice for breakfast while avoiding standard pancakes. The macadamia nut flavors combined with pineapple fits the Polynesian theme very well. Anyone looking for a sweet breakfast but not brave enough for Tonga Toast will enjoy these pancakes.

Jeremy ordered the “Plant-based Loco Moco.” This vegan dining option modifies a traditional Polynesian dish. Jeremy described the presentation as “like an egg volcano.” This presentation failed to look like any version of Loco Moco I had seen before. This vegan item features plant-based eggs, plant-based sausage gravy, rice, and pico de gallo. This breakfast entrée costs $16.50.

Despite appearances, the flavor of this item worked very well. The “eggs” offer decent flavor as well as the “gravy.” Based on my sampling of this item, even non-vegan diners will appreciate this. Like many vegan items based on non-vegan items, these lack enough cream or gravy compared to a traditional Loco Moco. Those of us that do not dine exclusively vegan often forget how important milk and egg-based products impact our taste buds. Yet as of the time of writing, I have three sources telling me that a non-vegan beef version of this item may be making its way onto this menu.

Both entrées we ordered make solid breakfast options. If looking for a top-of-the-line table service breakfast here, you will be disappointed. Still, if looking for a solid more budget-friendly table service breakfast, Kona Café should be a reservation option for you. Maybe if you love the food here, everybody at Kona Café will know your name too. As always, eat like you mean it!

Disney Eats: Holiday Dinner Hot Dog Recipe

Cooking Up the Magic at Home By Courtney Harris December 1, 2022 No Comments

Disney guests always enjoy stopping at Casey’s Corner to taste the different specialty hot dogs. No matter the season or the celebration, there’s always a creative hot dog on the menu. Recently, the talented culinary team developed a delicious Holiday Dinner Hot Dog that will be on the menu through December 31. This hot dog features an all-beef hot dog with cranberry mustard, savory stuffing funnel cake, and cheese curds. If you’re a lover of both funnel cake and savory foods, you’re going to want to try this hot dog!

Holiday Dinner Hot Dog from Casey's Corner

This was such a fun recipe to test and eat! The savory stuffing funnel cake tastes just like stuffing. The cranberry mustard added a little bit of sweetness to this recipe without being overwhelming. I loved everything about this hot dog – and so did my taste testers and a lucky running partner who happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Here is the recipe for you to create this hot dog at home!

HOLIDAY DINNER HOT DOG

Casey’s Corner, Magic Kingdom Park
Serves 8

CRANBERRY MUSTARD

1 cup cranberry sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon water

SAVORY FUNNEL CAKE CRISPS

Oil, for frying
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon dried sage
1/8 teaspoon celery salt

HOT DOGS

8 hot dog buns
8 all-beef hot, cooked according to package instructions
Reserved funnel cake crisps
8 ounces cheese curds, coarsely chopped
Reserved cranberry mustard
1/2 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder

FOR CRANBERRY MUSTARD:

Combine cranberry sauce, Dijon mustard, and water in a small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine until smooth.
Transfer to a small squeeze bottle; refrigerate until ready to serve.

FOR SAVORY FUNNEL CAKE CRISPS:

With caution, heat 2 inches of oil in a large frying pan or Dutch oven to 350ºF.
Combine milk, egg, sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, salt, chicken bouillon powder, dried parsley, onion powder, garlic powder, dried sage, and celery salt. Slowly stir into the milk mixture and mix until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag or squeeze bottle.
Carefully hold piping bag or squeeze bottle above oil and squeeze half of the batter into the pan, using a swirling motion to create desired shape.
Fry for 1-2 minutes, carefully flip with tongs and fry one additional minute. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
Repeat with remaining batter.
Cool for 5-10 minutes, then cut into 1-inch strips.

FOR HOT DOGS:

Place hot dog inside of bun. Top each hot dog with a few funnel cake strips, 1/4 cup of cheese curds, and 2 tablespoons cranberry mustard. Sprinkle with chicken bouillon powder.

Always use caution when handling sharp objects and hot contents. Please supervise children who are helping or nearby.

This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe!

If you make this hot dog at home or if you’re enjoying a hot dog at the parks, remember to tag #DisneyEats.

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