Today we decided to split our time between Epcot and Disney Hollywood Studios. We wanted to end our day at Studios (to see the Osbourne Spectacle of Lights) so we parked at Studios and took the walkway to the World Showcase entrance of Epcot.
The walk along the water between Studios and Epcot takes about 20 minutes at a leisurely pace (and believe it or not can actually be quicker than taking the water taxi certain times of year:
Epcot - U.K.
Rose and Crown Pub
We heard many good things about the English Bulldog (even though it sounds a bit odd) that we decided to finally share one. We also added a Pimm's Cup and an order of house made crisps.
The English Bulldog is a split banger with mashed potatoes, cheese and bacon topped with mustard. I guess you could say it is a sandwich version of "bangers and mash". The sausage was tasty and overall we liked the sandwich but wouldn't rush out to get it again. It came with chips (french fries) which were hot a delicious. We've had the fries from the fish and chips cart outside the Pub and always agree they are the best fries at Disney. We added a side order of crisps (potato chips) which were equally yummy!
The Pimm's Cup was interesting and while we enjoyed it, wouldn't rush to get this again either. It was worth it to try something different. Pimm's is a citrus and spiced flavored gin. This drink mixes the Pimm's with Sprite and sliced fruit.
On our way back, we stopped by the Beach Club where Disney pastry chef's were assembling a giant gingerbread house. We even got a sample of gingerbread. We always thought they just pulled these out of storage every year. Didn't realize they make these giant gingerbread house displays fresh:
We ended our day by visiting Disney Hollywood Studios for the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights:
More on this amazing display of Christmas lights in a future blog entry. This is by far one of our favorite holiday experiences at Walt Disney World. We last saw it during Week 1 of this blog and will see it many times more before the holidays come to a close.
I kind of missed week 46 by a day, but I'm still counting November 13 as squeaking in. I was off celebrating a birthday. Normally, I'd celebrate my birthday at Disney World but lately I've been a bit disappointed. But, that's another story...
Today we made sure we got over to Epcot because it was the last day for the 2011 Epcot Food & Wine Festival. Today was all about desserts:
Desserts and Champagne
We should have ordered the champagne to go with our dessert trio because it would have been a perfect pairing. These desserts were awesome and a bargain at just $1.50 each or $3.75 for all 3. My favorite was the white chocolate mousse (right) and my husband loved the lemon meringue (left). The tre leche (back) was good too... kind of a sponge cake, but it had coconut sprinkles that I didn't really care for.
My husband also enjoyed the flan from Mexico. A very nice portion for $3. Overall it was good, but it was a bit bland (I think that makes it authentic flan)! The servers were all smiles and very friendly.
Big Bad Voo Doo Daddy
Our photos did not turn out at the concert, but we both loved Big Bad Voo Doo Daddy. They put on a fantastic performance... even did a song from Disney's Jungle Book. Too cool! Loved it.
I just heard Big Bad Voo Doo Daddy be performing a Universal Orlando for New Year's Eve. We're about to pick up a pair of annual passes for Universal Studios. Hmmm...I think I'll start a new blog for A Year at Universal Orlando.
We went to the Epcot Food & Wine Festival for tonight's performance at the Eat to the Beat Concert series - The Pointer Sisters.
It was a sold out show. More than 45 minutes ahead of show time, nearly the entire theater was already filled. We knew there was no chance of getting a seat. Plus, we were very hungry. So instead of trying to get a seat, we dropped inside the American Pavilion's Liberty Inn counter service restaurant. We knew that you can hear just as fine (if not better) by standing near the rear of the theater.
Once again, Liberty Tree disappoints us. We walked in and it was surprisingly empty. Only 2 registers open (one on each end). A family of 5 on the right and a woman with her daughter on the left. We chose left. Big mistake.
The mother and daughter could not decide and asked questions about nearly every menu item. We watched 3 other families go through the right side before they finally decided on a salad and some chicken nuggets.
Just as we thought that it was our turn, the cashier asked us to wait as she waved over another woman who had been studying a big food binder with a cast member to determine her order based on food allergies. Again, we watched several families go through the line on the right side as the food allergy order was placed. (Several families got on and off our line during this process). We somehow felt that if we jumped ship to the other line, we would somehow be worse off. We should have known better.
Seriously... couldn't the cashier have said to us that she had a special order ahead of us and that we'd get faster service at the other register. We shared an 8-piece order of chicken nuggets. They were not good. Honestly, an order of nuggets I had from McDonad's a few weeks ago was better. Disney changed their chicken nuggets. We knew this, but hoped for the best. Cold, more coating than meat, chewy...
At least the icky Heinz honey mustard was gone (the BBQ sause was still Heinz). The newest honey mustard is pump-your-own. It is still not Ken's, but it is at least creamier and sweeter than the Heinz. This meal along with a bottle of water cost $11.
Well, back to The Pointer Sisters. We stood at the back of the theater (behind the roped off area). The theater was closed to new entry. If you left (for a snack or restroom) you needed to grab a card from a cast member for re-entry. Great show. There was only 1 original sister on stage, but they all gave an entertaining performance. Not surprisingly, we watched several folks leave complaining that the sound was too loud. I'm not sure why this continues to be a problem.
Finally, some good news. At least I thought. The chocolate truffles were back at Belgium.
During our visit on October 28, the Belgium chocolates were sold out. I was very (pleasantly) surprised that they were packaged in a box. I did not eat the chocolates until the next day. The outer chocolate shell was a swirled mixture of milk, white, and dark chocolate and was a bit waxy. The inside had a nice texture, but tasted mostly like sugar. Overall, super sweet tasting and not a lot of chocolate flavor.
It was a rainy Friday at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival today. We had planned to stick around to see the Gin Blossoms in concert, but just found ourselves too wet and uncomfortable to stick it out. Navigating the crowds with umbrellas is challenging. Trying to sample food is even more difficult.
Today, we decided to give Italy a try.
Italy - Ravioli Di Formaggio all'Emiliana
In English, this is baked cheese ravioli with a creamy beef bolognese sauce, Parmesan cheese, and melted mozzarella. It looked amazing, unfortunately, I found it to be disappointing. First, I would call this lasagna before ravioli. There was no pocket or pillow of pasta. The bolognese was unevenly layered on the bottom of the dish (sans pasta), followed by a layer of cheese, a strip of pasta and a top layer of mozzarella. Second, it was very bland with very little red sauce. I will say it was a hearty portion for the $4.50 price. It just lacked in flavor.
Italy - Cappellini con Gamberi Piccanti
My husband tried the cappellini pasta with spicy shrimp. He enjoyed very much and said that except for one shrimp (I believe there were 5 in total), all of the shrimp tasted very fresh. He even enjoyed this dish a bit more than the Black Pepper Shrimp with Sichuan Noodles he had at China. This one cost a bit more than China too at $5.25.
Belgium Truffles - Sold Out!
We ducked under an awning of a pastry kiosk near Italy to eat our Food & Wine items and afterwards I decided that I'd like to grab an order of the Chocolate Seashell Truffles at Belgium for dessert. At $1.75, this item was the lowest-cost sample on my list. There was a very permanent-looking sticker on all menu boards that said they were sold out! Bummer. That will teach me to wait until too long. Update: Truffles are back.
We decided to turn around and head back to Germany's Karamell Shop where I planned to pick up my annual Halloween caramel apple. The line was out the door so I decided to try another time. This is the second time I've tried to get a caramel apple this season and walked out because of the heavy lines. There's a reason for the long lines - it is worth it. However, I'll try my luck another visit.
Our fourth visit to the Epcot Food & Wine Festival in 2011 brought us to China, South Africa and Germany.
China - Pork Pot Stickers
My husband and I always enjoy the pot stickers from Lotus Blossom Cafe at Epcot so I just can't resist when they are also offered at the Food & Wine Festival. The price is $3.50 for 2 pot stickers from the Festival booth (at the cafe they cost $5 for 3 pot stickers). I've always thought the sauce was the same at the booth and cafe, but this year the booth sauce had a different flavor. It was tasty (maybe some ginger?), but I think I enjoy the cafe's sauce more. And, I enjoyed them way more than the pot stickers from Yak & Yeti at Animal Kingdom. China knows how to sear them right!
China - Black Pepper Shrimp with Sichuan Noodles
My husband splurged on this shrimp and noodle dish for $4.50 and did not regret it. The shrimp were small, but he was prepared for that. Other than small, the shrimp were good and he said it was a good portion of noodles. His review is positive.
South Africa - Bunny Chow
I don't know why, but I thought this vegetarian option from the Food & Wine Festival was going to be served cold. And to be honest, before I learned it was vegetarian I thought it was rabbit. My husband didn't think that at all and he was quite pleased with the warm vegetables served in a bread bowl $3.25. He offered me a bite, but I don't care for curry (or for vegetables, really). It looked like stew to me without the meat. Hubby liked it a lot!
Germany - Apple Strudel
One word - wow. The apple strudel for $3.25 was a wonderful dessert. The portion size was large compared to other dessert options at Food & Wine. It was nearly the size of the plate. I didn't taste much of the Werther's caramel which was a slight disappointment (see my review of the Werther's caramel popcorn) but I did taste the vanilla sauce. Best of all - no raisins! The apples were perfectly sweet and the pastry was exactly as I had hoped. I rate this one a winner!
After attending opening day at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival with a taste of cheese fondue and pumpkin mousse (both delicious), we returned for some more samples. Below are some reviews and photos from our second tour around the world.
Australia - Lamb Chop
The lamb chop from Australia has been a "must do" for me over the last several years. My husband doesn't like lamb so it is literally the only time a year I have an opportunity to enjoy it. I often have it at least twice...sometimes three times. It doesn't come cheap. This year's price is $5.75.
The chops are always small and my experiences have always been hit and miss. Often, the chop is cold (like today's). Every once in a while I get lucky enough to have one fresh and hot right off the grill. That, of course, is when it is best. If you want it hot, go where there is a long line. I tend to be there during "off" times to avoid the crowds.
Today's chop was also very fatty. Previous chops have been leaner. However, it was moist (and just a little pink). Despite it being cold, small, fatty and expensive, I still enjoyed it. It's a treat (and a matter of expectations). The side offered changes each year. I enjoyed last year's potatoes more. This year's contained pieces of goat cheese (I'm not a fan).
Argentina - Beef Empanada
My husband had the beef empanada. He enjoyed it. It was served hot and there was plenty of beefy filling inside. The price was average at $3.75.
I took a small bite. The taste reminded me of something, but I haven't yet been able to put my finger on it. It had a sweet taste that I didn't really care for. Our only complaint is that is was difficult to find a table or other convenient spot to chow down. We would up leaning against a railing.
Mexico Margarita
All this eating made us thirsty so we decided to grab a frozen margarita from the year-round stand just outside the Mexico pavilion. The drinks cost $9. Unfortunately, they were running out of lime (our favorite) so we were forced to order a fiesta margarita which had layers of lime, strawberry and mango. Neither of us cared very much for the strawberry.
There's a good amount of alcohol in these drinks. I'm not sure I could drink one on my own. There are a few frozen alcoholic beverages available at the Food & Wine booths, but they are only 6 oz and average in cost about $7.50. We'd rather have the larger drink for $9.
Dessert
Again, I went off the Food & Wine Festival booths. This time I headed to Germany's Karamell Shop. I walked in ready to buy a caramel apple, but changed my mind as soon as I saw the freshly-made Werther's Caramel Popcorn.
It was still warm. I ordered the small bag for about $3. When the bag was handed to me, I couldn't get over how heavy it felt. Pick up a box of Cracker Jacks and it feels like air. This bag is filled with a serious amount of caramel. The only downside is that the popcorn loses it's crispy, crunchy texture. But the caramel is sooo good, it doesn't matter. I shared with my husband and we couldn't finish the bag (it is rich). I brought it home and took 2 more days to finally finish it. Note... it gets more and more soggy as the days go by so eat as much as you can while it is fresh. I don't think I could ever order the large bag...
Next, my husband grabbed one of the Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream. Awesome. Well worth the $3 price. I took a small bite and loved it (might have to get my own next time). Unfortunately, we dug right in and forgot to take a photo.
The Epcot Food & Wine Festival is my favorite time of year. We visited during opening day to give all the food booths a once-over to figure out what we'll be sampling over the next several weeks.
During our first visit, I sampled the cheese fondue with sour dough bread for $3 offered at the Cheese booth. One word... awesome. I you like Canada's beer cheese soup, you have to give this a try. One tip: don't take big bites of the sour dough or you'll quickly run out of bread and you don't want to miss a single drop of this yummy fondue.
We forgot to take a photo, but my husband tried the Pumpkin Mousse with Ocean Spray Craisins and Orange Sauce for just $1.50. That's not a typo. It is clearly the best-tasting bargain of the festival.
While at Epcot, we picked up a Passport and festival guide map to take home and study. Next, we carefully planned our sampling schedule. We visited the Disney Food Blog to help with our decision-making. Although we had already been there in person, we didn't get to see every food item as it is served. This fantastic food blog is filled with descriptions, prices and photos of every menu item offered at the Epcot food booths. Definately worth a visit.
Can't wait to start tasting around the world and going to the Festival concerts!
Today we visited The Seas with Nemo and Friends located in the Future World section of Epcot. Once called The Living Seas, this pavilion is located a short distance from The Land pavilion. My favorite part of the entrance is the three birds perched on the rocks... continually squawking, "Mine, Mine, Mine".
The main attraction, of course, is Nemo and his friends. If you're looking to cool off on a hot day at Epcot, this is the place to be. It has to be one of coolest ride queues in the entire park. Our wait time was posted as 10 minutes, but there was no wait at all. However, it is a LONG walk to the clam-mobiles. I don't know why but I counted paces and came up with 287.
The Finding Nemo ride is dark and may be a little scary at times for the really young (but only briefly). One of my favorite special effects is seeing Nemo in real water with real fish. In this photo (the only one that came out) you can see Nemo with teacher Mr. Ray and the other kid fish from school.
As cute as the Nemo ride is, I have a super soft spot for Turtle Talk with Crush.
Located inside the same pavilion, this children's show always makes me smile and laugh out loud. No matter how many times I see it, I grin from ear to ear. The show is interactive (Crush talks to the kids and sometimes to the "parental units") so every show is a bit different.
The body movements and especially the facial expressions on Crush are very convincing. Even as an adult, you forget - just for a moment - that Crush is nothing more than the genius creation of Disney's Imagineers.
It's moments like these - a cartoon turtle taking to an audience - that make me so grateful for the opportunity to can grab a little bit of Disney magic just about any day or time I want.
We saw our last Epcot concert of the summer, 2U - A Tribute to U2.
I really like the band and think that they do a great job. I especially enjoy the performance by "Bono". He plays up the hand gestures and, of course, sports the eye wear synonymous with U2's lead singer (click the photo below to enlarge for a closer look).
One of the reasons I enjoy this band is their enthusiasm, but more importantly their appreciation. They truly appreciate the opportunity to perform at Epcot and say so, taking time to thank all the cast members and the audience. 2U was celebrating their 4th season at the Epcot Sounds Like Summer concert series and was looking forward to the opportunity to perform a fifth time.
Unfortunately, for the band, the sound engineers had the volume entirely too loud. We experience this from time to time with different bands. I often wonder if the sound engineers have suffered hearing loss and cannot tell exactly how excruciatingly loud they are playing the music.
It is loud to the point of not being able to hear the performance. You can't understand the lyrics and the music itself is puncturing ear drums. The picture above is from the first minute of the opening song. Soon afterwards, children are crying (and being carried out by parents). Many people are holding their ears and making painful faces. The more prepared in the crowd (usually seniors) are wearing ear plugs. I've been known to make ear plugs from crumpled napkins. I'm sad to say that even ear plugs could not save today's performance.
We got up and walked out of the American Gardens Theater as the third song began. As we reached Japan, the music sounded perfect. Still very loud, but you could finally hear the words and enjoy the music. Although we could no longer see the band, we could better appreciate their talent from this distance.
I'm just not sure why some Epcot concerts are appropriately loud and others are unbearably painful. Hopefully, next year will have better adjusted sound.
We love the Sounds Like Summer concert series at Epcot and make notes to return each summer to see our favorite performers. One of those favorites is Karin Lawson: a Tribute to Janet Jackson.
Talk about giving a performance. Wow. This is the second year we've seen this group and we must say that they are one of the most hard-working groups of people we've seen on stage at the American Gardens Theater.
It was a super hot afternoon, but that didn't slow down "Janet" or the back-up dancers. You could literally see the sweat pouring off these folks - and I mean pouring. When the guys did a hard-stomping move, you could see a small rain shower fall from their bodies.
Through all that body-beating hard work, they never stopped smiling. And even though only about 100 or so people showed up for the performance (it was even a little too hot just to sit in the audience) this group performed as if tens of thousands screaming fans were rocking a sold-out stadium. Yes, "Janet" and her team have that much enthusiasm. Totally worth seeing!
After the concert, we dropped by the Italy Pavilion because so many people want to know, "is Via Napoli still serving pizza by the slice?" At this time, no. Disney has been testing pizza by the slice at Epcot Italy on and off. The pizza window doors are currently closed:
If you want pizza, you'll need to visit Via Napoli's full-service sit-down restaurant. Here's a snashot of the pizza menu (click to enlarge):
Note: the pizza you will get inside is NOT the same as the pizza that was temporarily served by the slice. Stay tuned and I'll let you know if/when pizza by the slice returns to Epcot Italy.
In the meantime, I have reviewed many many of the options for individual pizzas at Disney. Some good, others not so good. Enjoy...
As we walked across the Epcot parking lot today a man exiting with his sun asked my husband and I if we'd like two Fast Passes for Soarin' later that evening. We actually had plans to leave the park prior to the 8:15 PM time stamped on the pass, but said we would gladly pay it forward to another group of two.
We did exactly that. First, we headed straight to the American Gardens Theater to see
Little Queen - The Music of Heart as part of the Epcot Sounds Like Summer series. A good show although I only recognized a few of the songs.
Next, we were starving so we popped into the American pavilion's Liberty Inn. What a mess that was. First the cashier did not follow line protocol (by alternating order to his left and right). 5 people were let to order ahead of that should not have.
Next, our order was "lost". It took FOREVER. I blame it on the servers. Instead of calling out order numbers (which would eliminate any confusion) they simply yelled out "chili cheese dog" or "chicken nuggets" and people in line would simply grab one and take off. People didn't even care that they were getting the wrong sides (apples vs fries) or sometimes servers were throwing both on the tray because of the mass confusion.
It was impossible to get anyone's attention. We had a large drink with our order, but none of the trays were coming out that way. Finally, I was able to convince one of the servers that our order was lost (our large drink had been sitting on the counter melting). A male server snorted that it was probably the one he already called out 10 minutes ago that no one claimed (it wasn't). After realizing we were wronged, she at least offered to give us a fresh drink since the one on the counter had obviously been there a very long time.
After we cooled off (literally and figuratively), we sat for a few minutes and took in the collection of flags that hang at Liberty Inn.
Last, but not least, we headed over to The Land in search of couple disappointed that the Soarin' Fast Passes had all been distributed for the day and the stand-by line was way too log. We found such a couple who were very happy to have the tickets. The experience of making someone's day made up for the less-than-Disney experience we had at Liberty Inn.
Lightning... why did it have to be lightning? Let's just say I'm very respectful of lightening - especially in central Florida. I have good reason too. Did you know that Florida is the lightning capital of the US?
Today we experienced lightning at Epcot while attending a performance at the Sounds Like Summer concert series at the American Gardens Theater. It sounded like summer alright - as I looked up in the sky and saw a bolt of lightning, the crackle of it traveled right through the band's speakers.
While the band made jokes and everyone else nervously laughed about it, I made my husband exit the outdoor theater and take me over to the Liberty Inn quick-service restaurant at America for cover. (We got a burger and fries - cold and not their best work.) Even though the performance was almost over, I promised I take my husband back to see Stayin' Alive a Tribute to the Bee Gees before they left in a couple of days. The band was really good and worth a second visit.
Lightning is serious business in Florida. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to get struck by lightning. Will you? Probably not. But I say, why take chances? You're also supposed to stay in a safe place for at least 30 minutes after the storm before heading back outdoors.
I don't always heed my own lightning storm warning at Disney World, but today we were sitting under a tree, surrounded by water and the storm interfered with electrical equipment. That's more than enough reason for me to quickly move to a safer place.
It was still rumbling outside when we decided to walk back to our car, which we had parked at Disney's Boardwalk. I kept a watchful eye on the skies as we walked back to where we had spent our afternoon. I was nervous the entire time. I dont' know if anyone has ever been struck by lightening at Disney (they have safety precautions in place for lightning), but I do know that a giraffe suffered a fatal strike in 2003 on the grounds at Animal Kingdom.
Just before we left the Boardwalk to watch the concert at Epcot, we were sitting at the Belle Vue Lounge. It was 4:45 pm and the antique phone on the bar was ringning... and ringing and ringing.
My husband nudged me to answer it - thinking perhaps that it was a surprise. No one else was nearby (the bar didn't open until 5pm). It must have rang about 30 times and just as I was about to finally walk over and answer, the phone stopped ringing. Oh well, maybe next time.
Tow Mater has finally arrived at the 2011 Epcot International Flower and Garden Show in the form of a super adorable topiary.
We began our search for Mater at Epcot a few weeks ago, but only the Lightening McQueen topiary was in position. We were told by a Disney cast member that Mater was still racing around the World. That was on April 15. Mater made his highly-anticipated and long-awaited debut as of April 22, 2011.
It is worth a visit to Mater and his Disney Pixar Cars 2 pal Lightening McQueen. The detail of the tow truck's mechanics are awesome.
There's even a license plate on the back of the tow truck. Tow Mater has to be one of the most detailed topiaries I've seen throughout my years of visiting Walt Disney World in Orlando - and he is definitely my favorite topiary. Great job Disney horticulturalists!
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!
When we first heard that the Italy showcase at Epcot was getting a new pizzeria restaurant we were thrilled. There are not many counter service opportunities for a quick bite when you enter World Showcase from the Canada side and we always wished that Italy would open a casual restaurant to grab a slice of pizza.
That enthusiasm quickly faded as soon as we found out that Via Napoli was going to be Italy's second sit-down restaurant. After the Disney restaurant's grand opening in late 2010, we began to hear grumblings about Via Napoli's overpriced (and often over-baked) pizza. The price for an individual pizza averages $15-$17. We've resisted the idea of trying it out anyway and splurging because we simply couldn't justify spending that much money on pizza.
Our decision not to splurge on Via Napoli was also based on our many past experiences at L’ Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante (now closed and replaced in 2007 by Tutto Italia). We were just never that impressed and always felt that the wait staff was less than friendly. To be fair, neither Via Napoli or Tutto Italia is related to Alfredo. Nevertheless, our many visits to Alfredo over the years tainted our desire to explore other Epcot Italy restaurants. That all said...
Recently, Via Napoli introduced exactly what we were hoping for... pizza by the slice at Epcot Italy. Finally, we can sample real Italian pizza (at least we thought) at a more affordable price. Two options were available: cheese pizza slice for $4.50 or a pepperoni slice for $5.25. We shared a slice of pepperoni:
Like many counter service items we order from Disney, our Epcot Italy slice of pizza was cold. It most definitely was not hot. The pizza to crust ratio favored the crust a little more that I would have preferred. My husband, on the other hand, liked the chewiness of the crust. Overall, I felt the pizza slice was small. The pepperoni was extremely mild (I like mine spicy). Seating is outdoors only and sparse. All of the tables were taken so we grabbed a concrete bench.
The pizza we received at the window is NOT the same as the brick oven pizza inside. Overall, I'm glad I spent just five bucks on a pizza slice to share. Pizza by the slice was also temporarily offered around New Year's - cheese only and for a higher price per slice (we didn't get a slice at that time). Unfortunately for Via Napoli, I won't be making plans to eat indoors any time soon. I wanted to sample the "inside" pizza as a way to decide if I should make reservations for this restaurant.
I understand the pizza window is again temporary (at least for now) and will close by end of May or so. I may give them one more try, but based on the slices I saw other guests walk away with, I don't have high hopes for a better pizza experience.
It was 6:10 PM when we walked into the Sunshine Seasons quick service food court in The Land pavilion at EPCOT. As we approached the food service area we heard music and clapping. Could it be? Is there dancing here too?
Yep... we saw two dances. The first dance was The Chicken Dance and the second was the Hokey Pokey. We wondered if maybe we had missed one since the Pop Century starts dancing The Hustle each night at 6:00 PM.
Many of the cast members wore silly Disney hats and were extremely enthusiastic about their performance. Many went out of their way to invite children into the circle and to make them feel comfortable. So many smiles and laughs were being had. Lots of parents with video cameras in hand. This, I thought, is a Disney vacation memory in the making.
No matter how many times we visit Walt Disney World, we almost always manage to find something we've never done or seen before. That is what makes it so magical for us.
Our annual passes expired today! It is always a sad day when your tickets to Walt Disney World expire. Once again, we struggled with the decision to renew. All things considered, a Disney annual pass is a true bargain. We always get our money's worth. Even so, it still stings to part with that much dough each year.
Last year Disney made the decision a little easier for us by offering a 3 months free promotion (we LOVED that special offer). This year Disney offered a payment plan. While I'm sure many passholders appreciate a monthly payment plan, we'd rather just get it over with and forget about the large sum for another year. For us, it would take away a little bit of the magic to make a payment each month.
Disney tickets feature characters on them and the ticket agents are not able to specify characters. You simply get what you get. Sometimes it can be a little disappointing, but this year we have good news. When the tickets appeared out of the printer, my Disney ticket featured Minnie Mouse (my poor husband has had Minnie the last two years).
Viva la Mexico, at Epcot, that is. After getting our tickets, we headed straight to Mexico for a bite to eat. This was our first visit to the newly refurbished La Cantina de San Angel, a counter service dining option featuring an overhauled menu and new waterfront seating. Many of the food options looked good to us... which is surprising because I'm a picky eater.
We decided to share Empanadas de Queso - fried fresh corn masa filled with Chihuahua cheese topped with fresh green sauce served with corn tortilla chips. You'll notice we share food a lot. At Disney prices, it is the only way we can afford to eat at the parks throughout the year. With a soda, our total cost was over $13.00. At first, we both thought the wrong meal was placed in front of us (it looked like tacos). After a closer look, we saw that we had the little pockets of fried dough we were expecting. The meal included 3 cheese-filled empanadas and while very tasty, the filling was sparse and unevenly distributed. In fact, when I cut the last one in half, my side was a completely empty pocket - void of all filling. My very kind husband let me have the last bite of his cheese-filled side. The chips were fresh. We enjoyed both the mild and hot salsas available for dipping.
