Carnation Cafe – WDWNT Archive

Mickey Check for Kids’ Meals Debuts at Disneyland Resort,

WDWNT on January 3, 2013

By Pam Brandon on the Disney Parks Blog:

From an udon noodle bowl at Carthay Circle Restaurant at Disney California Adventure park to turkey pot pie atCinderella’s Royal Table at Magic Kingdom Park, the new Mickey Check is now featured on kids’ menus in both quick-service and table-service restaurants across Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort.
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Following the introduction earlier this month at Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort, the expansion of the Mickey Check helps families easily find nutritious choices, part of an ongoing program that launched in 2006 with nutrition guidelines. The Mickey Check makes it even easier to identify healthier food options in all of the Disney theme parks and resorts.

Choices that receive the Mickey Check must meet Disney Nutrition Guidelines that limit calories, saturated fat, sodium and sugar. For the Disney chefs, it’s been a fun challenge to tweak menus. For example, Blue Bayou inDisneyland park now offers seared salmon, spaghetti, broccolini and fresh fruit for kids. At Le Cellier Steakhouse in the Canada Pavilion at Epcot, there’s grilled sirloin with green beans and brown rice. (Kids’ Complete Meals must be ordered without substitutions and include at least three of the following food groups: fruits and vegetables; low-fat dairy; whole grains or lean protein, beans, eggs and nuts.)

While new to table-service restaurants, the Mickey Check also appears on some Disney-licensed food products sold at retail locations, on qualifying recipes at Disney.com and Family.com, and on menus at quick-service restaurants at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts.

Has your family found a favorite Mickey Check item in the theme parks or resorts? For more information, visitwww.DisneyMickeyCheck.com.

Conner Purzycki’s 6/13/12 – 6/22/12 DLR Photo Report

WDWNT on February 25, 2012

Lost in the shuffle of everything else happening over the past few weeks, here is a photo report of some news not previously covered.

New Churro Cart in Carthay Circle

November, 18th, 1928, The date that Steamboat Willie premiered

Taste Pilots Grill minus the rocket blasting out of the front is pretty plain

Dancin With Disney is a cute experience in Hollywoodland.

Basically a giant dance party with a DJ and characters

Lots of strange characters in here

Clarabell cow

Clara Cluck and Clarice

The Disney Channel Rocks Sets are being used

The All American College Band is back this year and they are doing a set in DCA probably because they lost their usual once a day venue in Carnation Gardens.

Cars Land Bus

New Signage in the Bus Area

The ugly frozen drink cart was finally replaced with something themed

Carnation Gardens reopened recently and here is a look at some of the new entrees. Here is the Chicken Fried Chicken which was absolutely Delicious.

The Meatloaf I was told is very delicious

Here is a PBJ soda…. Yup. I thought it was gross but some seem to like it.

Earl of Sandwich is finally under construction

Wrapping up this report is pictures of the Pixar Play Parade which just returned to DCA. Big thanks to Tim Alcoser for the photos.

Thank for reading

Carnation Cafe Closing Tomorrow For Refurbishment

WDWNT on January 12, 2012

From Pam Brandon on the Disney Parks Blog:

A Disneyland park favorite will close its doors this week – but only until summer, when Carnation Café will re-open with more seating (adding the indoor seating that disappeared in the 1990s) and a spruced-up menu.

And no worries – if you’re looking for cast member favorite Oscar Martinez, you’ll find him over at the Jolly Holiday Bakery Café opening this month, but only until Carnation Café re-opens. Then you’ll find Oscar back at Carnation Café.

When Carnation Café re-opens, look for breakfast, lunch and dinner favorites, along with new dishes and some Walt Disney favorites.

So, ‘til the doors open this summer, here’s the recipe for the decadent Loaded Baked Potato Soup just in case you have a hankering.

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Serves 6

1 pound bacon, roughly chopped
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
3/4 cup diced celery
4 large Russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 medium red potatoes, diced
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Coarse salt, freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 cups heavy whipping cream
Optional garnishes: chopped chives, bacon bits, sour cream, shredded cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese

In a 6- to 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, fry bacon until crisp.

Remove bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving half for garnish. In bacon fat, cook onions, carrots, and celery until the onions are translucent. Add potatoes and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Whisk in flour and stir constantly over low heat until the flour is cooked and the mixture has thickened slightly, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add chicken stock and half of the bacon. Season with salt and pepper.

Over medium-high heat, bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Mash some of the potatoes for thicker, creamier texture. Add whipping cream and simmer for 5 minutes.

Adjust thickness by adding water or stock. Soup should have a creamy consistency.

Season to taste, and garnish with toppings.

Cooks’ notes: Soak diced potatoes in cold water until ready to use to keep them from turning brown. To make bacon easier to chop, lightly freeze.

Jolly Holiday Bakery Opening This Saturday

WDWNT on January 12, 2012

From Erin Glover on the Disney Parks Blog:

As we told you last August, some exciting changes are coming for Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland park – and the first of those changes is almost here! On Saturday, January 7, Jolly Holiday Bakery Café will officially open its doors. The new bakery, located at the top of Main Street, U.S.A., will feature your favorite bakery and coffee items in addition to a new menu of sandwiches and salads.

And tomorrow, January 5, we will begin the next phase in the transformation of the area when Carnation Café, Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor and the Candy Palace will close temporarily to receive their own expansions and updates. Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor and the Candy Palace will re-open in the spring, both with expanded indoor space. Carnation Café will re-open in the summer, when it will once again offer indoor seating to Disneyland park guests.

We’ll keep you updated here on the Disney Parks Blog as these expansions continue to take shape.

Update On Restaurant Changes Coming To Main Street

WDWNT on October 21, 2011

From Pam Brandon on the Disney Parks Blog:

We love it when our favorite spots expand, and as Erin posted in August, there are some big changes coming for Main Street, U.S.A., in 2012. Here’s what you can look for:

The Blue Ribbon Bakery is moving and getting a new name: Jolly Holiday Bakery Café, from the “Mary Poppins” song, “Oh, it’s a jolly holiday with Mary …” The bakery moves to the Plaza Pavilion (at the top of Main Street, U.S.A.) with plans to open in early January. In addition to the bakery and espresso offerings, the new menu has some delicious new tastes, such as an Angus roast beef salad with blue cheese; a Caprese sandwich with tomatoes, Buffalo mozzarella, basil, butter lettuce and garlic aioli on toasted focaccia bread; and a classic pastrami reuben on rye.

Carnation Café is expanding with more indoor seating – the Blue Ribbon Bakery move is part of that expansion plan, as Carnation Café spreads out to take over the space and offer more air-conditioned seating. Work starts in January, and they’ll have a new menu that will showcase longtime favorites (and we’ve heard it includes milkshakes).

Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor is getting a little makeover, too, and adding root beer, Coca-Cola and orange cream floats to the menu. And the block makeover wraps up at Refreshment Corner – construction starts early next year. Stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog for details.

Jolly Holly Bakery Cafe’ Coming To Main Street

WDWNT on August 16, 2011

From Erin Glover on the Disney Parks Blog:

Tomorrow marks the start of very exciting expansion projects on Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland park. We’re getting ready to welcome a new bakery and looking forward to expanded space in some of our existing eateries.

The expansion kicks off with the all-new Jolly Holiday Bakery Café. The bakery will be located on the current site of the Plaza Pavilion, which recently hosted the Annual Passport Processing Center. The new location will feature an expanded menu, as well as outdoor seating. When Jolly Holiday Bakery Café opens in January 2012, the Blue Ribbon Bakery will close to make way for the next step in the Main Street, U.S.A., project.

We’re also excited to announce that, for the first time in decades, Carnation Café will once again offer indoor seating to Disneyland park guests, increasing the total number of seats and giving guests more options for experiencing this iconic restaurant year-round. Carnation Café will close for this refurbishment at the beginning of 2012 and re-open in the summer.

Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor and the Candy Palace display kitchen will also be gaining additional space. The newly reconfigured ice cream parlor will create more room for guests purchasing the extremely popular hand-dipped cones, and a larger Candy Palace kitchen will allow even more guests to view magical sweet treats as they are created. These locations will close in January 2012 and re-open in the spring.

Stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog – we’ll have more details on this project as it develops.

News & Rumors in Disneyland Park

WDWNT on March 4, 2008

Here’s a few pieces of news & rumors from the latest Monday in the Parks article on MiceAge:

Disney recently raised the height requirement for the front seat in Splash Mountain from 40″ to 60″. This was due to, during the drops, kids putting their heads down under the seat, & then bumping their head when reaching the bottom of the drops. Well, they’re going to be installing a new safety feature by the beginning of June, which should lower the height requirement back down to 40″.
Due to all of the things that Disney want to do in It’s a Small World, they’re seriously considering pushing the opening from November to January. That means that they won’t have to worry about then re-installing the holiday overlay, & can just have everything ready for January. Please do note though, that this is only a rumor.
Even though it looked like the re-opening of Carnation Cafe from it’s short refurbishment was pushed back, it has now re-opened with a brand new brick-looking concrete pattern.

Refurbishments Added & Lengthened

WDWNT on February 28, 2008

The refurbishment for the Carnation Cafe on Main Street USA was originally planned to go from February 25th to the 29th, but has now been extended to run through March 11th. Also, the Plaza Gardens Stage will be closed for a very short refurbishment from March 3rd to the 5th.

As always, you can keep up to date on the latest Disneyland Resort refurbishments on our Attraction Refurbishments page!