Category Archives: Disney Dining

Sleepy Hollow Review

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Sleepy Hollow is a quick service restaurant located in Liberty Square within the Magic Kingdom.  This is a prime location off the hub heading into Liberty Square across the bridge.  This cute walk-up has limited seating outdoors both covered and uncovered.  The only downside to this location is that it is a very busy walkway so seating can be at a premium and you may find yourself jostled a bit if you are in the uncovered seating area.

The menu is limited but what they do have is pretty great!  This is where you can get the famous waffle sandwiches!  You can choose the sweet option with Nutella and fruit, or there is the spicy chicken waffle.  There is also a breakfast version served until noon!

If you aren’t here for a waffle there is also sausage and cheese stuff pretzel, baked potatoes and funnel cakes!  There is also an ice cream cookie sandwich and plenty of drink choices such as water, lemonade, coffee, milk, soy milk, and orange juice.

On my last trip I tried the spicy chicken waffle it was very good and the portion is huge!  So if you do get this my suggestion is to ask for the coleslaw on the side this will prevent the waffle from getting soggy while you eat it.   Or you could always split it and it makes a pretty filling snack for a good price.

I also tried a bit of the Nutella and fruit waffle and found this to be so delicious!  This would make a great and quick breakfast and again very easy to share!


This quick service gets a big two thumbs up from me. It should be on your list of places to check out for a quick snack or a full lunch!

Podcast Episode 133: Animal Kingdom Quick Service Locations

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We know visiting Animal Kingdom can give you an elephant-sized appetite so we’re talking about all the quick service options you can find there.  From burgers to pizza to more ethnic style cuisine, you can find something delicious at Animal Kingdom!

Happy listening!

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P&J’s Southern Takeout Review

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So on our girls trip back in November, the first restaurant we tried was Trail’s End/P&J’s Southern Takeout.  As we’ve mentioned before, we found Fort Wilderness a bit lacking in available food options.  It was about 1 or 2 in the afternoon by the time we stumbled upon Trail’s End, and at that time they were at the tail end of their brunch buffet.  None of us were in the mood for brunch, however, we found out that P&J’s inside Trail’s End does a few takeout lunch options.

Now, the keyword here is “takeout”.  I don’t believe you are meant to eat your food at the restaurant there.  There are a few picnic tables outside, however, when we were there all the tables under cover were occupied, and it had started raining.  Since the brunch buffet was over, there was no one eating inside Trail’s End, so we asked one of the cast members there if we could sit inside and eat.  They very nicely allowed us to do so.

The menu at P&J’s is quite limited.  You can choose from a large cheese or pepperoni pizza, a BBQ pork sandwich, a turkey wrap, a salami/ham/turkey sandwich on focaccia bread, a caesar salad with chicken, and fried chicken.

Shannon:  Tara and I had the pepperoni pizza.  It was made to order and served hot.  While it’s not Via Napoli, it was actually pretty good, I thought.  I’d eat it again.

Tara: The pizza was good. It was not the room service cardboard type pizza (thankfully!) and it was a decent pizza. I would definitely order it again and enjoyed it.

Jillian: I chose the Chuckwagon Wrap, which was smoked turkey, provolone cheese, lettuce, and basil aioli on a sundried tomato wrap for my first Disney meal.  It was filling without being so heavy.  The portion size was great and the chips were so delicious!  I love a homemade chip and these were perfectly cooked and salted.  Plus it came in a cute to go box!  I would definitely order this again!

Jamie: I had the “Lone Rider” which was 2 pieces of fried chicken with cornbread, plus a choice of 2 sides: macaroni and cheese, coleslaw and mashed potatoes. I chose the first two. The chicken was very good! Pretty typical fried chicken, but it hit the spot since I was so hungry. Neither the mac and cheese or coleslaw were very good in my opinion.

Overall, I feel like the food we had was fine, but Fort Wilderness is maybe not the best place to be if you’re looking for a lot of quick food options.

 

Cafe Orleans Review

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During my visit to Disneyland in August 2016, I made a dinner reservation for myself and my roommate.  It was a toss up for me where I was going to choose since I’d heard great things about Cafe Orleans, but also as well as Blue Bayou.  I’d heard that Cafe Orleans had the better food but Blue Bayou had the better atmosphere, overlooking the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and all. In the end, I went with Cafe Orleans because I’m all about the food.

First of all, being that I’m from Louisiana and a frequent visitor to New Orleans, I wasn’t expecting a whole lot of authenticity for the decor.  I will say that it’s very nice and homey feeling to me, which is good.  It doesn’t look unlike a cafe in New Orleans so I guess that’s saying something.

Appetizer course:

img_20160822_173627-copyTo start, my roommate and I shared an order of Pommes Frites served with a remoulade dipping sauce.  These start out as your basic Disney Parks french fries, but then they’re coated with parmesan and garlic and let me just say, all fries really should be coated with garlic and cheese.  We couldn’t stop eating them!

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Next, we thought we should probably have something green so we shared La Salade de Maison, or the house salad.  It had a raspberry vinaigrette with goat cheese and caramelized pecans.  It was delicious but I’m a huge fan of fruit dressings and candied nuts on my salad.

Entree:

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For our entree, we shared a famous Monte Cristo sandwich.  This is a ham, turkey, and swiss sandwich that’s battered and fried then topped with powdered sugar and served with berry puree.  There’s also some fruit on the side in case you care about being healthy, but let’s face it, you’re eating a fried sandwich.  You’re not being healthy.

This sandwich is obviously delicious, but it’s a very large portion.  Granted, we had fries and a salad, but my roommate and I couldn’t finish this one sandwich.  So we got dessert, of course.

Dessert:

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That is a Mickey shaped beignet with a dollop of vanilla frosting on the side.  If you don’t know what a beignet is, it’s basically a French doughnut.  Fried dough.  Because everything we eat should be fried.  In my defense, I did not order this.  Our waitperson brought this out to me (free of charge) because I was wearing my birthday button.  But me, being the kind person that I am, didn’t want to hurt her feelings so I ate it.  I’m quite familiar with beignets due to where I live, and this one did not disappoint.  It was hot, flaky, and covered in powdered sugar, just like a beignet ought to be.

Overall, I was quite pleased with my experience at Cafe Orleans.  The food was great and the atmosphere fun and laid back, just like New Orleans itself.

Chef Art Smith’s Homecoming Lunch Review

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This new restaurant located at Disney Springs in The Landing area is a clear winner.  It is open, spacious, bright, and really has the feeling of comfort.  It felt so homey and cozy, but also fresh and new.  The décor is beautiful and it is so cool to look into the open kitchen.  The chairs were very comfortable and felt plush while looking casual at the same time.  You could easily dress up for a night out on the town with drinks or wear your shorts and sneakers while taking a break from the parks.


We had a party of 4 for lunch and we all thought the Church Lady Deviled Eggs sounded good. It is 6 full sized eggs so it is easy to share with a larger group.  You may be thinking, really deviled eggs?  But I assure you these were so, so delicious!  The flavoring was just right and the eggs tasted so fresh!  These were a winner all around at our table!

My choice for entrée was the Fried Chicken Sandwich.  This is a buttermilk-brined for 24 hours and double battered chicken topped with hot sauce, aioli, lettuce, and bread and butter pickles.  This was really good!  I think the toasted bun just brought it all together so well.  It was fresh and filling without weighing you down for a busy day.  For a small upcharge I changed the homemade chips for the Iron Skillet Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Cane Sugar, and I must say it was a great choice!  These sweet potatoes were just awesome!  They are swimming in butter and sugar so don’t think they are a healthy option but get them anyway you will enjoy them!

JAMIE: One of my favorite meals of the entire trip. A+++! I had the same chicken sandwich as Jillian and it was something really special. The long process that goes into making this chicken really does show in every bite. I had the french fries with it and everything came out piping hot and perfectly prepared. I’ll definitely be returning, ASAP.

TARA: LOVED IT! I really enjoyed this lunch and I was excited to try it. I had heard mostly great reviews but was a tad concerned. I had read a few from Southerners that they may fall short on a few items being truly Southern cooking. I definitely did not find this to be the truth – but in fairness I avoided the item that seems to get the bad reviews (green beans). Instead, I had the Chicken Salad and it came with a house dressing that was a mix of ranch and vinaigrette. The dressing was wonderful and very tangy. The salad was fresh and a favorite salad that I get often so I was curious how it stacked up and it came out on top. And just to add to the glowing review of the deviled eggs – they are a must now every time I visit. I am not a huge deviled egg fan but these were definitely special!

CHRIS:For lunch I had the HFK Barbecue Bun sandwich. This was their chopped pork with sweet and spicy barbecue sauce, topped with southern slaw and served on a brioche bun. The pork was perfect, seasoned and cooked just right and served with their sweet and spicy barbecue sauce (which in hind site I wish I asked for an additional side of barbecue it was that good!). In lieu of chips I ordered an additional side of their southern slaw, which lived up to its southern name! Portions were a perfect size for lunch!

The service was great, our waitress was quick to refill our glasses before they were empty, but never hovering around.  She was helpful and able to answer all our questions about the menu as well as suggest food choices for us.

This is definitely a great family restaurant or for a night out.  The kids menu is small but you could always go with a couple of the sides for kids also.  I cannot recommend this restaurant enough and you HAVE to get the deviled eggs!

The Ganachery at Disney Springs

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Ever since I heard of it’s opening in late 2015 I have been dying to get to Disney Springs’ The Ganachery. This is more than just a chocolate shop, it’s a decadent chocolate experience. The Ganachery is a small shop, but packed full of awesome. As soon as you enter you are able to see the chocolatiers creating magic in the kitchen through a giant show window, working on each of the 16 flavors offered here.

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Experienced employees wait behind the counter to help you narrow down your choices in chocolate. I decided to go with a box of 6 of the ganache collection, for a cost of $15. There are also boxes of nine for $21, boxes of twelve for $27, boxes of sixteen for $36 or individual pieces of ganache for $3 each. When I was there a few of the chocolate choices were: Chipotle Pepper, Pumpkin Spice Latte, Cinnamon Apple, Egyptian Sea Salt, Caramel, Passion Fruit, Raspberry, Gianduja (hazlenut), Milk  Chocolate, Coconut, Vanilla, Peanut Butter and 65% Dark.

Each bite of chocolate was more amazing than the last, but I think my favorite was the Egyptian sea salt! I can’t wait to go back to the Ganachery and try more flavors.

Have you been to The Ganachery? What did you try and what did you think? We’d love to hear!

Sanaa Dinner Review

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On our November Dole Whipped trip, we had one of our dinners at Sanaa.  Three quarters of us hadn’t tried it before so we wanted to give it a shot. Sanaa is an Indian and African style restaurant located at Animal Kingdom Lodge in the Kidani Village section.  It’s a beautiful restaurant and has some nice views of the Sunset Savanna.

img_0408Bread Service – First things first, if you don’t get the bread service, you are really missing out!  Unless you have some kind of dietary restriction that doesn’t allow you to eat bread, you NEED this appetizer course.  There are two versions of this, each comes with five different times of naan and you can either get your choice of three dipping sauces or the full nine sauce variety.  We chose the full nine.  Your five naan flavors are: Traditional Naan, Garlic-Ginger Naan, Spiced Naan, Onion Kucha, and Paneer Paratha. The nine dipping sauces are: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Mango Chutney, Tomato-Date Jam, Tamarind Chutney, Coriander Chutney, Garlic Pickle, Red Chile Sambal, or Spicy Jalapeño-Lime Pickle.  At $15 for the nine sauce service, it really is a great deal.  We all loved it!

img_0411Shannon: For my entree, I got the Potjie Inspired platter with Cilantro-coconut milk seasoned vegetables, and Braised Beef.  Each platter comes with Basmati rice.  This was excellent!  The beef was so tender and flavorful.  The vegetables in the coconut milk were delicious.  I had never really tried Indian food before so I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect and I have to say, Sanaa will be a must do for me on future Disney vacations.

img_0409Jamie: Sanaa is amazing!! The bread service was one of the best things I’ve eaten at Disney ever, really. And such a great value too! I tried every single one of the sauces. Like Shannon said, you can choose a smaller platter for the bread service with fewer sauces but I’d really consider going all out for this one. I don’t think there was a single sauce I didn’t enjoy. For dinner I had the butter chicken, the same cilantro coconut veggies as Shannon and rice. The butter chicken was truly phenomenal. I know it’s not very adventurous in terms of Indian food but it was really just so yummy.

img_0412Jillian: I ordered the Traditional Sosatie.  This was a lamb skewer with apricots, cashew and goat cheese.  I really really loved this.  This meat was tender and the flavors were a great compliment to each other.  I did not leave here hungry either!  The bread service was also amazing!  You will not want to miss out on ordering that with your meal. I’m so glad we decided to go here because usually I’m all about trying new places, however this is just too good to not go to!

img_0410Tara: Sanaa is one of my overall favorite places to eat at Disney. It used to be my hidden gem but definitely it is getting more well known. I love everything there from the location, to service to food. The bread service is my favorite thing and I could definitely make a meal out of just that. Though why when I want the braised beef and paneer tikka just as much! Paneer tikka is like a tomato soup with cheese and is so comforting and warm. The braised beef is so good if I could only eat one thing the rest of my life it might be Sanaa’s braised beef (I say might only because I haven’t tried everything on their menu yet). I give them an A+++.

Morimoto Dinner Review

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For our November Dole Whippies girl trip kickoff we started with dinner at one of the newer Disney Springs restaurants. We’d heard a little of the buzz of Morimoto (including from Tara, who’d been lucky enough to try it this past summer!) but were excited to try it ourselves. Morimoto is Japanese master chef Masaharu Morimoto’s first pan-Asian (Japanese, Chinese and Korean) cuisine restaurant featuring open kitchens and 20 foot chandeliers in the 2 story dining room. From the menu you can choose from sushi, dim sum, different meats, noodles/rice, and vegetables. For dinner we each got something of our own, and a few things to share. Here’s our take on the food from Morimoto!

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Jamie: I ordered the Kanikama Rangoon- krab meat and cream cheese spring roll, apricot sweet chili sauce. These were like crab rangoon but in a spring roll. They were really good, but the sauce was even better! I could have eaten that sauce on everything. I also shared the Pad Thai (sweet tamarind sauce, stir-fried flat rice noodles, egg, bean sprout, scallion, fried tofu, pickled turnip) with Shannon and it was pretty good. The tofu in it was much better than I expected it to be! Overall I thought the meal was great, and a very good way to kick off our trip!

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Jillian: I started with the chicken dumplings, something I will usually order at Chinese restaurants and there were great!  Better than your average, but not out of this world.  I also had the spicy tuna sushi roll.  This was really good!  My only wish it that I had ordered two!  These are easy to share or have as an appetizer!  I really enjoyed this meal!  It is a great addition to Disney Springs.

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Shannon: I ordered the vegetable Pad Thai.  It was delicious!  Not the best Pad Thai, I’ve had, but very very good.  I am not a fan of tofu in general, but as Jamie said, the tofu in this dish was very enjoyable.

I had wanted an order of egg rolls for an appetizer, but sadly, they were all out for the day.  Our server said they make the egg rolls fresh in house and they only make a certain amount per day.

Overall, I thought this restaurant was pretty good.  Maybe a bit on the expensive side and not necessarily somewhere I would take my passel of kids, but a good date night place.

Tara: Morimoto is a good option for Disney Springs. This was my second visit there in the past few months and both times found it good. I will say this trip the food was yummy and I enjoyed the food more this visit but the service could have been better. I think this was a one server issue though and not a restaurant issue. I was disappointed they were out of all egg rolls (I mean this is an Asian restaurant in the US – I would think egg rolls would be a staple!) I did have yummy sesame balls though and lived them. I give it overall a solid B.

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Columbia Harbor House Lunch Review

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One of the must try restaurants for me this trip was Columbia Harbor House!  I am a huge fan of seafood and this is the go to place in the Magic Kingdom for that.  This quick service location is in Liberty Square, just look for the cast member ringing a bell.

I mentioned seafood but that is not the only thing on the menu, there are salads, chicken pot pie, macaroni and cheese, and soups.

dscn3881For lunch I was torn between two options, luckily Jamie felt the same way and we agreed to split the two.  The first one was the Lobster Roll with potato chips this was a hearty serving with lots of lobster and not a lot of filler.  The roll it came on was so soft and delicious as well.  I give this one thumbs up!  The other choice was the Anchors Aweigh Sandwich with chips.  This was a tuna sandwich with lettuce and tomato on a toasted multigrain bread.  This was even better than the lobster roll.  I really really loved this.  The tuna was very plentiful and the bread made the sandwich even better.  I give this one 2 thumbs up and I would get it again! 

Jamie: I was so happy Jillian wanted to split our options for lunch, too! I couldn’t decide and really wanted both, but obviously didn’t want to eat both. I’d previously had the lobster roll so I knew it was good, but I really enjoyed the tuna sandwich, maybe even more so than the lobster. Plus the house chips are really delicious! Both of these options are miles above the “typical” counter service restaurants most people think of. While I enjoy a good burger and fries at Disney, having options like these at Columbia Harbor House really make even quick dining at Disney really enjoyable.


Tara: I had the chicken pot pie with steamed broccoli and since I thought that was super healthy I splurged and had the blackberry cobbler for dessert. The chicken pot pie and broccoli were really good and filling. I could not even finish the pot pie because I needed to save room for the cobbler which was a huge hit. The cobbler was topped with a vanilla cream that was perfect and made it worth the broccoli side at lunch. I definitely recommend visiting Columbia Harbor House!

Shannon: I had the chicken and fish plate.  The fish was very good and cooked perfectly.  The outside is crispy and light and the fish inside was very tender.  The chicken nuggets are the same chicken nuggets you find in other areas of the parks and they are very good for what they are.  The fries are basically the same as what you’d find anywhere else in the parks and that’s fine with me because I love them.  I was not very crazy about the cole slaw that was included, but it wasn’t bad.  I’m just picky about my slaw.  Overall, I really enjoyed this meal.

This is a popular place so go early or a little later in order to avoid a long wait time or lack of seating.  The food is very fresh and filling and you can find something for even the pickiest eaters.  Put Columbia Harbor House on your short list of quick service locations to try!

Best Use of Dining Plan Quick Service Credits

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When you get the Dining plan or Quick Service dining plan you want to make sure you are getting a good value for your money.  But cost can’t be the only factor.  You will want to make sure you are checking out the menus to verify that you are choosing a restaurant menu that will appeal to your party.  This isn’t a comprehensive list but some suggestions for great eats!

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Be Our Guest for lunch is a fantastic choice based on the location, amazing atmosphere and the food.  The food is similar to the dinner offerings but all at one quick service dining credit. Located in Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland you will be immersed in the Beast’s castle and can choose from three different rooms to sit in.  This restaurant is like no other.  First of all it does require reservations for the quick service.  Next you order solely from a kiosk and then get your “rose” and find a spot to sit.  Your food will be delivered to your table.  You can check out my lunch review here.

Wolfgang Puck Express located in Disney Springs is another amazing choice for a quick service meal, lunch or dinner. Similar to Be Our Guest, you will have your food delivered to your table.  This food is pretty amazing, we recommend the mac and cheese and the bacon wrapped meatloaf.  Check out this review for more information!

Sunshine Seasons food court with high ceiling and a massive glass roof

Photo via Disney

Sunshine Season in the Land pavilion in Epcot is a delicious option with seasonal foods grown right there in the Land Pavilion! Plus the amazing strawberry shortcake is always worth getting.  This location is also ideal if you need to fuel up before waiting in line for Soarin’ Around the World.  They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner so any time the mood strikes you can check out this quick service restaurant.  This restaurant has some amazing choices like Oak grilled salmon, slow roasted pork chops and Mongolian beef.

Columbia Harbour House located in Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom is a fantastic option for a healthier lunch or dinner with many options.  Some of the most popular options are the Lobster Roll, chicken pot pie, Lighthouse sandwich, clam chowder, and broccoli peppercorn salad.  You cannot beat the location and people watching if you head up to the second floor seating.

 

Flame Tree Barbecue in the Discovery Island area of Animal Kingdom is probably one of the best quick services values.  You can get more than just barbeque here though, some choices are ½ a chicken, ribs & chicken combo, smoked turkey sandwich, full slab of ribs, and roasted chicken salad.

Dining area of Landscape of Flavors restaurant at Disney's Art of Animation Resort

photo via Disney

Landscape of Flavors is located at the Art of Animation resort is an awesome choice with unique and adventurous flavors.  You can get things like curry chicken, beef stirfry, create your own pasta or pizza, burgers, soup, and salad. Yep, that is a lot of choices in one restaurant!

Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café in Frontierland in Magic Kingdom is another fantastic choice.  If you love tex-mex food this is the place for you.  It is similar to Qdoba or Chipotle where you can get a rice bowl, fajitas, or burritos and then step up to the fixins bar to doctor up your dinner.

Capt. Cook’s in the Polynesian Village Resort is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  You can get the famous Tonga Toast for breakfast or the pulled pork nachos for lunch and dinner.  This location is great whether you are staying at the Polynesian or just visiting from the other monorail resorts or want a break for the parks.  The menu has variety and is a pretty good value.

Tangerine Café located in the Morocco pavilion in Epcot is a cool choice for lunch or dinner.  They have many unique offerings such as Mediterranean chicken wrap, shawarma chicken or lamb platter, lamb wrap, and kefta sandwich.  Plenty to choose from for the adventurous palate.

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If you have a suggestion to add let us know!  We are always looking for great values and interesting menus!