Magic Kingdom Counter Service Restaurants Roll-Out Special Holiday Menus for December 2017

WDWNT on December 11, 2017

For the busy holiday season, guests at the Magic Kingdom will find a number of specialty offerings at all counter service restaurants that offer mobile order through the MyDisneyExperience app. These items are available upon request otherwise, but many are not posted on menu boards or anywhere at all at the actual counter service restaurant.

Casey’s Corner:

width=

Aloha Isle:

width=

Aloha Isle does have the Dole Whip in a souvenir cup on a board at the counter.

width=

Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe:

width=

Pinocchio Village Haus:

width=

width=

Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe:

width=

You can get a full item description by clicking on it during the mobile order process…

width=

width=

 

width=

The Lunching Pad:

width=

Columbia Harbour House:

width=

width=

The items are expected to be available through the end of 2017 at least.

Sweet Lineup of Treats Unveiled for 2017 “Flurry of Fun” Holiday Season at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

WDWNT on November 10, 2017

While the “Flurry of Fun” officially kicks off on November 9th at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the festive sweets and treats for the season will actually be available throughout the park for you to enjoy starting on November 5th.

width=

To start off the list, there are cookies and gingerbread pops galore, offered at various locations throughout the park. In addition, there’s a “Prep and Landing”-themed gingerbread cupcake dropping in at ABC Commissary, Rosie’s All-American Café, Catalina Eddie’s, Sweet Spells and The Trolley Car Café.

width=

If you’re looking for that classic cup of hot cocoa to go with those cookies, guests of all ages can enjoy classic hot cocoa with marshmallows at ABC Commissary, Backlot Express, PizzeRizzo, Rosie’s All-American Café, Catalina Eddie’s, Fairfax Fare, and Min and Bill’s Dockside Diner.

width=

Guests over the age of 21 can warm up with a special array of hot chocolate beverages offered at Min and Bill’s Dockside Diner and Fairfax Fare, including a hot chocolate martini, Bailey’s Salted Caramel hot chocolate, black cherry bourbon hot chocolate, and a hot chocolate flight where you can sample all three. Other adult beverages available this year include a Peppermint White Russian, a Winterberry Cooler and a Let It Glow drink consisting of vodka and blue-raspberry frozen carbonated beverage with your very own glow cube at various locations around Echo Lake and Sunset Boulevard.

width=

These decadent red velvet whoopie pies are decorated with icing garland, ornament pearls, and holiday sprinkles. You’ll find these tree-shaped desserts at Sweet Spells and Fairfax Fare.

width=

Guests will find an apple cranberry cobbler at Hollywood Scoops and Min and Bill’s Dockside Diner; or if you’re looking for a sweet and savory snack, you can find a festive holiday popcorn mix at popcorn carts throughout the park. This popcorn comes with marshmallows, pretzels and M&M’s and is drizzled with chocolate.

width=

width=

Olaf is also the star of several treats to mark the release of Olaf’s Frozen Adventure. Find his special cupcake at ABC Commissary, Rosie’s All-American Café, Catalina Eddie’s, Fairfax Fare and Sweet Spells. You’ll also find an Olaf Pop at Gertie’s Ice Cream of Extinction, an Olaf Sundae at Hollywood Scoops, and Sugar Frosted Fruit Bites at Pretzel Palooza. Also, be on the lookout for an Olaf-themed sipper that comes filled with a fun “Frozen” beverage.

width=

width=

Finally, the Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! Holiday Dessert Party is back (be sure to check out our review from last year). Indulge in specialty sweets and sips before you move to a special reserved viewing area to enjoy Disney Movie Magic and Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!, a holiday spectacular hosted by the elves Wayne and Lanny from “Prep and Landing.” Among the desserts offered are candy cane brownies, holiday Mickey and Minnie sugar cookies, warm pumpkin pie spiced bread pudding, and sweet Yule Log (some of this new from last year). In addition, you’ll be given an exclusive ornament to take home with you at the end of the party. This is a premium event with dates available November 9th through December 31st.

The Flurry of Fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios starts November 9th, but you can start eating all this goodness come Sunday.

REVIEW: Apple Cranberry Cobbler and Cookies ‘N’ Cream Olaf Sundae at Hollywood Scoops, Disney’s Hollywood Studios

WDWNT on November 10, 2017

Hollywood Scoops on Sunset Boulevard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is now offering two holiday specials for the Flurry of Fun: an Apple Cranberry Cobbler and an Olaf Sundae.

width=

Apple Cranberry Cobbler ($4.29)

width=

The apple cranberry cobbler is quite good if you enjoy such things. It was served nice and warm in a metal tin, featuring a lot of apple with traces of cranberry, covered in breadcrumbs and icing. This was one of the highlights of all the new offerings we had at the Studios.

width=

Olaf Sundae ($5.99)

width=

The Olaf Sundae features cookies ‘n’ cream ice cream, decorated with chocolate chip buttons, chocolate straw arms, and an Olaf white chocolate decoration, all on top of a jelly-filled, powdered-sugar covered doughnut.

width=

Once we hit the jelly, I enjoyed this more, but hard-packed ice cream on a pastry just isn’t as good as soft serve would be. Maybe a different flavor other than cookies ‘n’ cream would be better, but otherwise, this was pretty large for the price and probably something the kids would enjoy nonetheless.

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

REVIEW: Winterberry Cooler & Sugar-Frosted Fruit Bites, Flurry of Fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

WDWNT on November 10, 2017

The pretzel cart near The Great Movie Ride… I mean, the soon to be Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is currently serving two holiday offerings for the Flurry of Fun: a Winterberry Cooler and Sugar-Frosted Fruit Bites.

width=

Look at the false advertising in this ad: the bag is overflowing with fruit bites. Just wait until you see what we got…

width=

Yes, our bag is not overflowing…

Winterberry Cooler ($11.25)

width=

If you’re looking to poison someone you don’t care for this holiday season, might I recommend the Winterberry Cooler? Winterberry is poisonous…

Warning: Although this shrub species is a good provider of wildlife food, its fruits are poisonous to humans. The attractive bright red fruit of winterberry is eaten by small mammals and more than 48 species of birds.

Besides the death part, the Cooler features a fruity, somewhat carbonated, artificially sweetened beverage flavor that is quite unpleasant. You wouldn’t even know there is alcohol in it, which is sad for the price tag it brings along with it. It was so tart and bitter, that it actually burns to drink it.

Sugar-Frosted Fruit Bites ($5.25)

width=

First of all, you get just 4 of these tiny bites for $5.25, which seems a bit ridiculous. They are basically cookies with dried fruit in them, which isn’t terrible, but this serving size is a joke for the price.

width=

Again, they aren’t terrible, but for this price, you could get something far more enjoyable from Trolley Car Cafe or Sweet Spells while you are at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

SaveSave

SaveSave

REVIEW: Gingerbread & Peppermint Ice Cream are a MUST on Your Holiday Epcot Visit

WDWNT on December 26, 2016

It is not unusual for the ice cream parlor in France at Epcot to introduce seasonal flavors and treats. During this holiday season, L’Artisan des Glaces has two specialties for those who enjoy peppermint and gingerbread.

The peppermint ice cream macaron is available for $4.69.

The gingerbread ice cream is available in one scoop, two scoop, or in a sandwich of sorts utlizing a baked good from the nearby bakery. If you choose a cup over a cone, I would suggest just getting a cone and asking for a cup to put it in, that way you can taste their delicious cones but avoid the mess of it.

Peppermint Ice Cream Macaron

The macaron was very fresh, light and airy with a good flavor. The ice cream was super creamy, with a natural peppermint flavor that isn’t overwhelming like every other peppermint snack at the parks. I’m genuinely surprised at how much we enjoyed it.

Gingerbread Ice Cream with Gingerbread Pieces

It’s really hard to order something that you won’t enjoy here, but this was probably my favorite flavor I’ve ever had. The gingerbread pieces in the ice cream was the freshest I have had in a theme park, leading me to wish that the bakery in France produced the gingerbread goodies for all of Walt Disney World.

It has a lot of nutmeg in it, but it worked well with the sweetness of the ice cream. I highly recommend you order this if you’ll be visiting during the holidays this year.

T-Rex Cafe Offering a Special Breakfast with Santa Event

WDWNT on December 12, 2016

The T-Rex Cafe at Disney Spring is offering a special Breakfast with Santa package on December 17th, 18th, 22nd, and 23rd from 8-10am.

trexlogo

The package offers a breakfast buffet, early bird shopping at the World of Disney from 9am-10am, as well as the T-Rex Dino Store. Guests will also be able to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus.

The price is $32 for adults , $20.50 for children ages 4-9, and free for children 3 & under.

Reservations can be made at TRexCafe.com and by calling 407-828-8739.

REVIEW: American Holiday Table Opens in Epcot for Holidays Around the World

WDWNT on November 29, 2016

Holidays Around the World began today at Epcot, offering a number of marketplaces selling food and drink, very similar to the 37 other festivals that occupy Epcot throughout the year. OK, there isn’t 37 festivals, but the announcement of a new festival, the extension of the Food and Wine Festival in 2017, and these additions are starting to leave very little of the year without such offerings in the park.

American Holiday Table Menu at Epcot

American Holiday Table Menu at Epcot

We stopped by the American Holiday Table booth at the American Adventure first, and while we will review more of the booths from the event, the sheer size of the food is making it really hard to try quite as much at one time as we do for the Food & Wine and Flower & Garden Festivals.

American Holiday Table at Epcot

American Holiday Table at Epcot

Shipyard Eggnog White Porter Aged on Bourbon ($8.75)

img_8235

I enjoyed this strange seasonal beverage, but 16oz of a beer with eggnog flavoring is too much. 8oz of eggnog flavoring would have been quite enough, but especially with the flavor settling at the bottom, this became very hard to finish (but rest assured, I did finish it). If you enjoy beer and eggnog, this is at least worth a try, but maybe find someone to share it with.

Firenog ($9.50)

img_8230

The firenog was good, albeit a little small for $9.50. We would have liked a little more fireball whiskey in here, but maybe it just depends who pours you the drink.

Slow-Roasted Turkey ($11.25)

img_8238

If you think the meals are a little expensive at Holidays Around the World, let me refer you to the size of the plates… they are full size meals. They are not small plates like at the other Epcot Festivals, they are in-fact larger than many counter service meals around Walt Disney World. I’m not sure why this decision was made, but be prepared should you order one of these meals that you will probably not be eating again for a while.

img_8240

This was really, really good. The turkey was cooked very nicely, the stuffing patties above and below the turkey were quite tasty, and the mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce blended perfectly with it. The unadvertised stringbeans were a nice touch too, marking the only time I think I have ever enjoyed this side. Rather than blow an ungodly amount on similar food at the Liberty Tree Tavern at the Magic Kingdom, you should just come here and spend $11.25 on this more-than-filling meal.

The wreckage about the time when we started to get full...

The wreckage about the time when we started to get full…

Holiday Cookie

img_8244

The gingerbread cookies are apparently decorated in-house. Yes, it is all messed up and poorly decorated and no, we didn’t do that, that is how it came. Unless the kids really want one, you can probably do without this treat.

More Holiday Fun to Come

We will be visiting more of these booths over the next few days, but please allow us a little time to digest…

REVIEW: Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot’s Best Counter Service?

WDWNT on November 29, 2016

We continue our series of reviews of the booths added for the Holidays Around the World event at Epcot this year by visiting the Feast of the Three Kings today. This marketplace can be found next door to the Refreshment Port, just behind the Imagination pavilion on the way to World Showcase.

Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

The space reuses what was the Puerto Rico booth in past years, and Island of the Caribbean at the Food and Wine Festival this year.

Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

There displays at many of the marketplaces for Holidays Around the World feature facts about the celebrations in that region. A nice touch.

Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

Feast of the Three Kings Menu at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

Feast of the Three Kings Menu at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

Above is the menu. Keep in mind that these are full size dishes, not the portions you would expect from the annual Epcot festivals.

Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

In classic fashion, we ordered the entire menu pretty much, so let’s dive into the review, shall we?

Roasted Pork ($10.75)

Roasted Pork - Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

Roasted Pork – Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

This roasted pork dish has to be one of my favorite counter service items at Disney World right now. The pork was cooked perfectly, presented in a heaping portion that is tender and juicy. The yucca underneath is cooked perfectly with a nice, buttery flavor. I have eaten a lot of yucca in the last year or so, this was the best portion of the side dish I have ever had. I could do without the pickled green bananas, but they were fine on their own.

Roasted Pork - Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

Roasted Pork – Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

Coquito with an Oak & Palm Spiced Rum Floater ($9.00)

Coquito - Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

Coquito – Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

I enjoy a sweet alcoholic beverage so this was right up my alley. Coconut and cinnamon flavoring mixed with rum is pretty delicious, but the portion size is pretty small as you would expect. It’s really delicious, but just not enough of it is in this serving for $9. A non-alcoholic version is also offered.

Shredded Beef Tamale ($12.00)

Shredded-Beef Tamale - Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

Shredded-Beef Tamale – Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

The shredded beef tamale was also good, but the ratio of breading to beef was poor. The Avacado Crema sauce had a really nice flavor paired with both the rice and the tamale. If there was more beef in this, I would highly recommend it, but it’s hard to compete with the pork dish.

Shredded-Beef Tamale - Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

Shredded-Beef Tamale – Feast of the Three Kings at Holidays Around the World, Epcot

Three Kings Bread ($3.50)

img_8465

Traditional dessert with a rich, white, sugary icing on top over a flaky, soft bread. This was really wonderful in its simplicity and was similar to many Italian baked good I have enjoyed over the holiday seasons in New York, so I may be a little biased in my nostalgic feelings for this dish. I still think you will enjoy it though.

img_8471

OVERALL

This booth is a real winner and is definitely worth your time if you are going to do Counter Service dining at Epcot before December 31st. Even if you just stop by for some Coquito and Three Kings Bread, you should be in for a pleasant snack stop.

If you enjoyed this review, please check out our full marketplace review of the American Holiday Table, another offering during the Epcot Holidays Around the World event.