Week 17 - Burgers at Disney Counter Service Get Fancy (Apr 28)

When I need a quick bite to eat at Disney, I tend to gravitate to a burger. It's simple, you (usually) know what you're getting and you can eat it fairly quickly and easily. All things that work well for getting a burger at a Disney counter service restaurant.

Lately, Disney has been getting fancy with their counter service burgers - and I don't like it. Have you seen some of these? Do I really want or need fried shrimp on top of my burger (ala the "surf and turf" burger available at Disney Studios) or a Caribbean burger topped with fried plantains and a pineapple chutney. No... I do not. If I'm dining at a Disney sit-down restaurant, maybe. But not at the fast food joint.

I don't know who is asking for gourmet burgers at the theme parks, but it is not me. Let's face it, gourmet and fast food just don't mix. Personally, I think it has been done in an effort simply to charge more for the meal without adding much value. A burger at the theme parks used to average $8. The new designer burgers are more than $10 in the parks (and about a buck less from the Disney value resorts).

Today we tried the new designer burger offered at Pop Century. The burger was supposed to have Swiss cheese, bacon, fried onion straws and barbecue sauce for $9.29:

First, this burger (and the fries) were ice cold. Literally cold to the touch. It had to have been sitting out at least 20-30 minutes in the cold air conditioning. Had the burger been hot, it may have had a chance. I actually order a very similar burger from Chilis (at a very similar price) and really like it. This one from Disney, however, barely had any barbecue sauce and we're not even sure there was actually any cheese on it (neither of us tasted it). On the plus side, there were plenty of fried onion straws.

Bottom line, give me back a good old-fashioned Disney burger. It may not have been fancy, but it served the purpose for the average theme park guest. Save the over-priced fancy stuff for the sit-down restaurants where they belong.

Part of the issue is that I'm a picky eater. But, just the same, I think topping combos such as "smoked ham, bacon and smoked Gouda", "sauteed mushrooms, bacon and blue cheese" or "a veggie burger with Monterey Jack and avocado" belong somewhere else.

Week 17 - Disney 2011 Black Refillable Mug Found (Apr 28)

Back in March 2011 I noted that the Disney refillable mugs had been changed to a new design and that 4 new colors were available: black, pink, blue and yellow.

Since writing that post, I began to realize that I had since not found any black handled refillable mugs and began to question myself. Did I really see people carrying black mugs that first day? I was pretty sure I did, but now I don't see them anymore. Hmmm...

I came up with a theory that my husband thought was fairly plausible. Maybe there was a small surplus of black handles and caps from the last refillable mug design and they were just using them up. The last design (a red cup with Mickey Mouse and the tagline, "Celebrate Today") had only 3 handle colors: black, red or dark yellow. So... why would the new design offer 4 colors and why would it be so hard to find black?

Well, today I actually found 2 black refillable mugs for sale at Disney's Pop Century Resort. At the registers, the only colors available were pink and yellow (LOTS of yellow). If you walked near the back of the market area, you could actually find a handful of blue mugs. I looked high and low and that's when I spotted the elusive black mug... on a very high wall shelf. The shelf was higher than either my husband or I could even reach. We asked a cast member to take one down so that we could capture this photo:

So there you have it. Yes, there are black mugs but there seems to be very few of them. Could my theory be right? I don't know. But... if you are looking a black refillable mug from your Disney resort, scan for out-of-the-way areas that others may overlook. You may actually find a black mug. At least for now, that is a rare find.

   

Week 16 - 25% Off Disney Restaurants in High Season (Apr 21)

We took advantage of a special promotion and enjoyed a 25% discount lunch at Pizzafari restaurant in Disney's Animal Kingdom. The promo is something new that Disney has been trying out - and we like it. It saved us about $5 on our lunch (which we then spent on an onion ring snack later in the day).

With the Easter week crowds making the parks extra busy, Disney offers the food discount in an attempt to get park guests to eat during off-peak times. Even with the promotion, the discount dining window is not very busy at the restaurants. Both during this visit and a previous discount period in December, we waited no more than 5 minutes in line. For that reason alone, it is worth it to take advantage of the off-peak dining times.

Last time we visited Animal Kingdom we lunched at Flame Tree Barbecue for some ribs (my favorite). This time we went for my husband's favorite: the Hot Italian Sandwich. The meal comes with your choice of a side (my husband selected the chips for me - see why below) for $8.59. He usually loves this sandwich but felt like the recipe changed. It was still good, just not what we had remembered enjoying in the past.

While my husband and I typically share something to eat at Disney, I'm just not into Italian sandwiches. As a matter of fact, I pretty much don't like anything with lettuce on it. Yes, I can pull it off, but it is a bigger "food issue" than that for me. But that's for another blog...

At Pizzafari, my only other dining option is pizza. All adult pizza meals come with a side Caesar salad for $8.69. Since I don't eat salad unless it is drenched in a super sweet dressing, it goes directly to my husband. That bag of chips I got in return had exactly 11 chips in it (with another tablespoon or so of crumbs). Beware... those chips are also the super-hard and crunchy kettle chips.

I suffer (not so silently) through my pizza each time we go to Pizzafari. My biggest complaint is the crust to pizza ratio. I had a similar complaint about the Epcot Via Napoli pizza slice, but Pizzafari is far worse. To be fair, I'm originally a Jersey Girl who grew up on NY style pizza which makes me a bit of a pizza snob. I'm not a huge fan of Pizza Hut or Dominos. If you are, perhaps you'll like this pizza more than me.

My pizza was a bit on the over-done side (which doesn't help matters). The center of the pizza (the only part I eat) gets really soggy. Each of the four pizza slices gives me 6 small bites of pizza. The crust provides another 6 bites or so, but it is just way too much bread for me so I typically leave all my crust behind. Oddly, though, I can't complain about the flavors. The sauce and cheese are both flavorful enough to make it tolerable. Overall, I'd have to rate it lower in quality than the individual pizza from SeaWorld.

As I've mentioned in the past, no trip is complete without an order of onion rings from Animal Kingdom. And since my husband enjoys them too, we made a stop at Flame Tree Barbecue to pick up an order.

  
We didn't score the 25% Disney dining discount on the rings though. We had already passed the discount window. To be eligible for the dining discount, must order between 3:00 PM and 4:30 PM. Cost for the onion rings is $3.79 (and another $2.79 for the large Coke).

Week 15 - Where is Mater at Epcot Flower and Garden Festival (Apr 15)

The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival is one of our favorite times of year to visit Walt Disney World in Orlando. The event is filled with colorful blooms, live musical performances at the American Gardens Theater in World Showcase and, of course, Disney's world-famous topiaries.

Although we've been to Epcot several times since the 2011 festival opened on March 2, it occured to us that we had not yet found the topiary for Mater - the tow truck companion to Lightening McQueen from the Disney animated film Cars (and soon to be released Cars 2). In fact, we had only just recently found Lightening McQueen... long after the festival had officially opened. Seems this cartoon sports car was a little late getting to the gate.

We expected Mater to be in close proximity to Lightening McQueen so we began asking Disney cast members, "Where is the Mater topiary?". The first two cast members we asked didn't even seem to know there was supposed to be a Mater. Was he near Test Track, we wondered. A third cast member finally told us, "Mater is currently racing around the world and should be making a pit stop at Epcot soon." In reality, she confided, "horticulture is still working on the frame for Mater."

There's just 4 weeks left for Mater to make it to the finish line. The 2011 Flower and Garden Festival ends May 15. We hope he makes it in time!

Week 14 - Epcot Via Napoli Pizza Slice Review (Apr 8)

Take a look at this slice of pizza from Via Napoli at Epcot. It looks good, right? I mean it looks really, REALLY good.

We thought so too. This was our second try of a pizza slice from Via Napoli. We first tried an Epcot pepperoni slice about 10 days ago. In fact, here it is again for comparison:

After sampling the pizza at SeaWorld last week, I began to think that my perhaps my first Epcot pizza slice review was a little harsh. Unlike the Epcot slice, the pizza at SeaWorld was more typical of mass-produced theme park pizza. The crust was like frozen pizza from the supermarket. Don't get me wrong, the SeaWolrd pizza did have some good points. It was generous in cheese and was piping hot - literally fresh out of the oven. Well, see for yourself for comparison:

But... let me get back to reviewing the most recent pizza slice at Epcot. As much as I wanted to give Via Napoli a second chance and as much as I thought the cheese slice looked like it would be awesome - it still wasn't. Why? It was cold again. And, not just cold but the crust was almost stale - like chewing through day-old Italian bread that had become tough and dense. My husband enjoyed the crust on our first piece... not so much on our second slice.

Given theme-park pricing, I think the cheese slice is priced right at $4.50. Our cheese pizza slice was a center cut slice. Apparently our pepperoni slice (above) was a corner piece. We actually saw a full pizza go past the window before it was sliced. It was rectangular and I would guess they get 10 slices out of each whole pie (which is why we probably heard people grumbling last December about $50+ for a whole pie). Whole pizza pies are currently not offered.

There was a lot more "topping" to the center cut and it was a bit bigger than the end piece. The sauce is scant and a little bit on the acidic side. Some people prefer it that way... I like my sauce a little sweeter. The cheese distribution on our Via Napoli slice wasn't even. One side had more than the other and it had less cheese overall when compared to the SeaWorld slice.

I want to like this pizza. I really do. And, honestly, I think it has a real chance to be Epcot's best grab and go food option. The folks at Disney just need to figure out how to improve the overall process for keeping it hot and fresh. I simply can't figure out how I could stand in line for more than 5 minutes, watch at least 20 slices go out ahead of me and still wind up with cold pizza - twice. 

Week 14 - American Idol at Disney Studios (Apr 7)

Before heading off on the bus to the American Idol Experience at Disney Studios, we stopped at Pop Century to share a chili cheese dog with fries.

Sure... we could have had hot dogs at Disney Studios (Herbie's Drive-In has them) but Pop Century provided a quieter and more comfortable place for lunch. And, lucky for us, the meal we were served today at Pop was awesome. The fries had just come out of the fryer so they were HOT, fresh and plentiful and our server was generous with the chili and cheese. In fact, it think there was more on our dog than we recently had on our chili cheese fries at Disney's Caribbean Beach.

After lunch on this fine Disney vacation day, we hopped on bus to Disney Studios. A Dance Party was winding down the streets just as we arrived. It is always so much fun to arrive at a park during a parade with all the singing, clapping and music. It just immediately puts you into the theme park mood.

Disney Studios was super busy today. The wait time for Toy Story Mania was 120 minutes long! See my tips for visiting Toy Story Mania without much wait time. We skipped it today...

Our favorite event of the day was the American Idol Experience.

If I could actually sing, was younger and wanted to be a contestant on American Idol, I would definitely audition for a chance to sing on stage at Disney Studios. Throughout the day, contestants compete for audience votes. The winners from each round then compete in the final competition of the day where the big winner receives an American Idol golden ticket. This ticket grants the winner front-of-the-line privileges at any audition location for the next season of American Idol. Talk about a time saver.

My husband and I really enjoyed today's American Idol Experience at Disney. The audience warm-up guy was full of energy and really got the crowd excited. The "Ryan Seacrest" host plays the part well (with look-a-like hair and suits). Now that Simon has left the on-air show, I wasn't sure what the Studios judges panel would look like (in the past, there was a Simon-like character). Today, the panel of judges did not include a Simon, but all 3 on the panel were very kind at at times silly (calling one young contestant a chicken nugget).

Best of all, we had practically no wait to get in. We arrived close to door opening time and still had plenty of time to grab a good seat. If you're hot and want to sit down for a while in air-conditioned comfort, try out the American Idol Experience. It's a good time. 

Week 13 - SeaWorld Orlando All Day Dining (Apr 1)

No... this isn't an April's fool joke. As locals, we really do go to Orlando theme parks other than Walt Disney World. And, yes, this blog is supposed to be about going to Disney all year long but this one question comes up all the time:

Is it worth it to buy the all day eating pass at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida?

Well, on this past visit we ordered up a pair of all day eating passes to find out. Below are some notes to help you decide if it would be worth it for you:

• The eating pass costs about $30 per adult and allows 1 entree, 1 soft drink and 1 side item each time you go through the line. In general, those items cost about $9 for the entree, $3 for the soft drink and $3 for the side item. So... you would have to eat two full meals just to "break even". If you want it to be a "deal", plan on eating a full breakfast, lunch and dinner. Trust me, that is a LOT of food. And, there's no sharing.
• The restaurant lines can be really long at times - especially immediately after a big show like Shamu lets out. We saw restaurant lines that stretched out the door at times. If you're like most folks and you're following the herd from one attraction to the other and eating in between show times, you may not be able to go through the lines as often as you'd like. You really have to plan ahead.
• 20 oz Aquafina is included. We loved this. At any time we could walk through one of the lines and grab a bottle of water. Perfect for keeping hydrated. But again, if you're going with the herds, the line may be too long to make it worth it to save the $3.
• It's like an all-day buffet. When you consider the fact that a typical Disney buffet costs around $30, the SeaWorld pass is a bargain. Instead of eating at one sitting, you eat buffet style all day long. We used it as an opportunity to sample lots of foods we haven't yet tried at SeaWorld.
• Theme park food is unpredictable. The food quality can vary from really good to really bad and this is one reason we really liked the pass. If the quality is not up to par, swap it out for something else. This was no problem for us because we weren't trying to see everything SeaWorld has to offer and timed our eating around the crowds. Below are the food items we sampled at SeaWorld Orlando:

 
Breakfast Entree - we started with the Country Breakfast (scrambled eggs with biscuits and gravy) and the Big Shamu Breakfast (scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes and a biscuit) as our entrees:

Breakfast Side Items - as our side item we each selected a muffin. Banana nut for me and blueberry for my husband. These muffins are huge and big enough to share if buying ala carte. These were simply delicious. Super fresh too.

Early Lunch Entree - my husband selected the stir-fry chicken (he liked it, but wouldn't rush out to get it again). He liked that there were some vegetables in his meal. I opted for the chicken parmesan with penne pasta. I've actually had this in the past and really enjoyed it. Today's meal was less than impressive. The chicken breast was a bit smaller than usual (it is hiding under the roll) for this $11 meal. However, since I was just sampling on the meal plan, it was not a big deal for me.

  
Early Lunch Dessert - as our side item we each selected a dessert. SeaWorld posts signs that they bake on premises. My husband selected the carrot cake. The cream cheese frosting was delicious. I selected the cherry cheesecake. I've had this before and loved it. Today's was a little bland and a bit waxy. I'm not sure why it was "off". But, again, since I was sampling from the dining plan, I didn't worry about too much about not liking it.

Mid Afternoon Sandwiches - we've always wanted to try the sandwiches over at the SeaWorld Terrace, but never get around to it. Today, we decided it was time to try. My husband ordered the Turkey Croissant -  he LOVED it even though it was missing the avocado that was on the menu board. We watched several people walk back up to the counter asking about the missing avocado. I had the club sandwich. It was tasty and fresh. We had a bag of chips as a side item.

Late Lunch Entree - for our second lunch of the day, we went to my favorite SeaWorld smokehouse for chicken and ribs. Unfortunately, our food today was just OK. My ribs were literally cold to the touch, fatty and a bit tough. The chicken was better, but not great. We've eaten here in the past and have had meals that were piping hot and just as good if not better than a sit-down chain restaurant. I love mac and cheese, but today's was a bit watered down and not as creamy as it has been in the past. Like I said earlier, theme park food is unpredictable.

Dinner Entree - for dinner we selected pizza with fries as the side item. After sampling the pizza (a cheese pizza, and a pepperoni) I think I may have been a little harsh in my criticism of the the pizza by the slice at Epcot Italy. The pizza at SeaWorld was OK, but pricier compared to Epcot. The SeaWorld pepperoni pizza was $6.50. While there was a lot of cheese on this pie, overall it wasn't very good. Not bad, just not really good. The fries were awesome, though. Now, I'll really have to give Epcot a second try!

Well, that's everything (except for one piece of delicious chocolate cake that we missed photographing). Would we do it again? Maybe. It was kind of fun to go on an all-day buffet eating spree, not worrying about how much each item cost or whether or not it was good. However, the typical vacationer probably wouldn't be able to get the same value out of it - especially during peak season or shorter operating hours.

UPDATE: We gave the SeaWorld All Day Dining a second try in August. See my review here.

Week 13 - Cheese Steak Wrap at Disney Pop Century (Mar 31)

It was another Disney vacation day for us at Pop Century. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a super rainy and windy day with even a few tornadoes in the surrounding area of central Florida (mainly to the west in Polk county). One of the areas hit hardest by the storm was the annual Sun n' Fun international fly in and air expo in Lakeland, Florida. A tornado flipped planes, uprooted trees and tore up tents. A few people were injured, but no life threatening injuries were reports.

Since we were forced to stay indoors we, of course, headed straight to the Everything Pop Shopping and Food court. For lunch we split one of our favorites - a cheese steak wrap:

We like this wrap better than the more traditional cheese steak sandwiches we've tried around the parks, including the Disney All-Star Resorts. The sandwich is filled with quality meat, just a touch of barely-noticeable onion (the way I like it) and melting white cheese. Eating half if actually quite filling.

My only complaint, and this is true of most Disney counter service food items - the wrap was not as hot as it could be. This wrap has been on the Pop Century menu for a long time now. Long ago they used to make the wraps to order. The meat was always hot of the grill and super fresh. These days, they pre-cook the meat and let it sit in a holding container. This makes the meat warm - not hot. Plus, there is a lot of liquid in the there. I supposed to keep it moist.

By the time you wait through the check-out line and reach your table, your sandwich is cold - especially if you are waiting in line behind someone who hasn't yet figured out how to use their Disney Dining Plan credits.

Don't get me wrong, it was still a tasty sandwich and one of the better offerings that Disney's Pop Century serves for lunch. I just wish they'd go back to cooking the meat to order. It makes for a hotter and better tasting sandwich.