The last time I
was in Disney World (before this visit) was when I was four years old. I hardly remember anything
except being scared to death by the “It's a Small World” ride.
As an adult on the other hand, I cherished every experience. Especially the food!
Here are the highlights:
FAVORITE RIDES
Rockin' Roller-coaster (Hollywood
Studios) – This was by far my favorite ride. We went on it
twice! I'm a roller-coaster person as it is, but this was just over
the top. Waiting to get on the ride, they play Aerosmith's “Walk
This Way” and have a hilarious pre-ride show involving holograms of the band members. Seconds before the
ride starts, an epic count down to the roller-coaster's launch pumps
you up for one hell of a ride!
Toy Story Midway Mania (also in
Hollywood Studios) – Coming in second, this was such a fun
ride/game! You're seated in what looks like a toy chest and as you go
around the track, it stops at various screens. When you're stopped,
it's time to start shooting targets, all in 3D! With each stop
featuring a numerable amount of Toy Story characters, it's all fun and
games! The game keeps score of points and announces the winner at the
end. Of course my fiancé beat me. Guys are just naturally good a video games.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
Disney's
Website
Booking
a vacation is a breeze with Disney's website. They have their stuff boiled down to a science. Not only
is it very user friendly, their website can be used to
plan your entire vacation from where you're staying to what's
included in your package, choosing the attractions you want to see
and even making restaurant reservations! Disney World also has an app
for smart phones which can be used to see real-time data in the parks
such as ride wait times, show times and other attraction
information.
MagicBands
and FastPass+
Disney recently implemented new technology in their parks called MagicBands; wrist bands that park-goers wear and can use for a number
of useful things. If you're going, get one of these! You won't regret it. They're linked
to your Disney account and can be used for admission to the
resorts, parks, paying for food, merchandise, photos and more. One of the
most handy uses is linking it to FastPast+
selections, which get you on to rides with hardly any wait! Those two
favorite rides I mentioned? Yeah, we waited less than 10 minutes to
get onto both of them. Definitely take advantage of this if you're
going to Disney.
Special
Occasions
During this visit, my fiancé (now, husband) and I were celebrating our engagement. The resort we were staying at gave us pins
that said “Just Engaged”. They have them for all sorts of
occasions like “Just Married”, “1st
Visit” and more! We wore them everywhere and got the special
treatment from everyone, including some free food and a premium
viewing spot for fireworks. So many people congratulated us;
employees and park-goers, alike! Really, everyone gets the special
treatment in Disney. Ours was just extra-special.
Animals
in Disney
Although
we didn't visit Animal Kingdom, we saw a lot of animals throughout
the other parks. They are relentless
and not afraid of humans! The ducks are hilarious, quacking it up and
constantly begging for food. I thought this was funny. I'm sure
they're all well-fed.
So let's get down to business. The
food, of course! Here are my thoughts on the food, atmosphere and
experiences at the restaurants I went to. If you're
planning a trip, I highly recommend checking these places out, as my experiences were all good ones.
*Kouzzina by Cat Cora (The Boardwalk)
*Edit: This restaurant closed and was replaced by Trattoria al Forno in December of 2014.
With
an Iron Chef's name attached to the restaurant, I was expecting this
place to be fantastic. I was not disappointed! Everything we ate
was bursting with flavor. The seasonings in each dish created such
bold, rich flavors, my taste buds were dancing with delight! The atmosphere there is high end, yet casual. Elements
of the restaurant's ambiance create a rustic but elegant
look and feel.
They
have an open kitchen where you can see the cooks in action as they
create the masterpieces you'll soon be eating. As they cook, the
chefs yell “Opa!” every now and then... especially when there's
fire involved!
Appetizers:
Goat Cheese Sto Fourno (pictured above) - Creamy,
gooey and delicious. Like a warm spinach artichoke dip but WAY
better. This mixture of goat cheese, kalamata olives (my favorite
kind!), sweet red peppers and artichoke hearts is finished with a
drizzle of the some of tastiest olive oil I've ever encountered...
Served with a side of dandelion greens, I chose to mix them with the
cheese and just eat it with my spoon. IT. WAS. DIVINE... A great way
to start the meal. Hell, it was a great way to start vacation.
House-Made Dolmades – My fiancé got
the dolmades as an appetizer, which are grape leaves stuffed with
rice that is seasoned with various spices. I had to try a little
nibble of these jewels. For such a bite-sized morsel, they pack A LOT
of flavor into these! Lemon, fennel and olive oil resonate as the
main notes in this delicious, traditional dish.
Entrée: Cinnamon Stewed Chicken (pictured above)
– This chicken looks and tastes like it was slow cooked all day.
The hearty meat and hint of sweetness from the tomatoes
and cinnamon pair so well together, creating a comforting and delicious dinner. I chose to substitute farmhouse greens in place of
herbed orzo pasta that comes with this dish. Curious, I asked our
waitress what “farmhouse greens” actually are. Her reply? “If
spinach and collard greens had a baby.” I was sold.
50s Prime Time Café (located in Hollywood Studios) – Menu
This
place looks and feels like a throwback 50's diner. Some tables
feature an old tube-style television that plays black and white clips
and ads in the background. The wait staff treat you like you're
family... literally. Usually your waitress greets you by talking
about “Cousin Jeff” or “Aunt Lola”, as if you were related.
I
witnessed a waiter yell “put that darn walkie talkie away at the
table!”, as he slammed a newspaper down across the table from us,
scaring a girl who was on her cell phone. Pretty hilarious. The
waitress that was serving the table next to us tried to get a girl to
finish her last bites of dinner by picking up the spoon and feeding
her. Adorable! And of course the kid had ice cream after that.
Entrée: Dad's Grilled Pork Chop (pictured above) – This pork chop was grilled to perfection... I mean, perfection! It
glistened with caramelized grill marks and was laid over a bed of
velvety garlic mashed potatoes. On the side was an arugula
apple salad, topped with fresh fennel. The dish was the perfect
mixture of savory and brightness. Not too heavy, not too light! The
arugula, fennel and apples really balance the dish out, adding flare
to an old fashioned favorite.
Another day in Hollywood Studios, we
enjoyed one of the infamous smoked turkey legs at one of the quick
service stands. I was almost able to finish one by myself, but they
are HUGE. The flavor is fantastic and the meat is so tender. For a quick inexpensive meal, this will keep you full for quite a while!
Biergarten Restaurant (located in Epcot) – Menu
The
Biergarten Restaurant is a neat place! It's front entrance looks like
you're walking into a cave, sort of. Then, when you're taken to the
dining area, it expands into this spacious room that resembles a
village in Germany. With a buffet. We arrived just in time for a
show, where performers brought out fun instruments, played music and
invited people up to dance! One of the performers had a ridiculously
large Alpine horn, which spanned all the way from the stage to the
ground!
They
have an amazing selection of food and drinks. All of the wait staff
are originally from Germany, as well –
talk
about authentic! Actually, every restaurant in Epcot features
ethnicities from each respective country, throughout. Leave it to
Disney to go that extra mile, right? We asked our waitress about what
life in Germany was like before she moved to America and it was neat
to get a little insight.
Adding
to the unique atmosphere of this restaurant, the seating arrangements
are at family-style, communal tables. This Bavarian tradition
encouraging people to mingle while they eat and drink. I suppose
after a couple of beers, people become quite friendly with the
strangers at their tables. Coincidentally, we ran into the people we
were seated with the next day in one of the theme parks! It was kind
of dark in the restaurant so I didn't get very good pictures,
unfortunately.
Entrée: I
ate lots of stuff. Too much. So much that I don't remember
everything. Lots of German sausage which I washed down with some
red wine. Food hangover afterwards. It was worth it.
Bongos Cuban Café (located in Downtown Disney) – Menu
This was
absolutely my FAVORITE restaurant in Disney. The food? Phenomenal.
Atmosphere? Open, friendly and fun. The bar's stools are literally
bongos, circling a colorful arrangement of décor in the restaurant.
The building itself is shaped like a pineapple, making it a very tall
and spacious structure! Amongst the hustle and bustle of Downtown
Disney, this is a place you must stop at for some authentic Cuban
cuisine!
Appetizer:
Shredded Beef Stuffed Plantains (pictured above) – So... I have a
weakness for plantains. Next to sweet potatoes, they're probably my
favorite starch. Served crispy, they are so much better than
french fries or potato chips could ever be! What better place to
order them than at a Cuban café? Molded into little cups and stuffed
with beef, onions, tomatoes, paprika, cumin, chili and other
delicious spices, these plantains were over the top; like a mini meat
cupcake!
Entrée: Lechon Asado (pictured above) – This pork leg is
slow roasted til it melts in your mouth. It was served with an
onion-lime mixture called mojo sauce, which was delicious. My
favorite starch came into play again, this time fried sweet. The main
differences between green and yellow plantains are their levels of
sweetness and preferred cooking methods. Green ones are better for
serving crispy and salty; yellow for soft and sweet.
Drink:
South Beach Mojito (pictured above) – No, this drink isn't by any means South Beach
Diet approved. Did I care? Um, I was on vacation, of course not. I
figured why not get liquored up a bit before Cirque du Soleil?
Splurging a little, I enjoyed every sip of this refreshing
citrus-mint drink! It came with a slice of sugar cane sticking out of
the glass. Admittedly, I had never tried fresh sugar cane. Biting
into it, I noticed it was very crispy and juicy, leaving a fibrous
material behind after consuming it. We got to keep our glasses as
souvenirs, which was nice!
Overall, our vacation in Disney World was amazing. If you're planning a trip, I hope you find this guide insightful!