Dining
Universal Food Finds: Emeril’s Tchoup Chop (In-Depth Food Review)
The Touring Plans crew recently had the chance to try out Emeril’s Tchoup Chop as a group, and as a result, I have plenty of great food to write about for you all! Disclaimer: I don’t normally try this many items on the menu in one sitting, but in the nature of the meal, we all agreed to order a large amount of food, allowing everyone to share and try it all—really a great way to broaden your culinary horizons if you are up for challenge.
One of two restaurants belonging to Emeril Lagasse at the Universal Orlando Resort, I’d heard nothing but rave reviews about this establishment for years, but had never worked out of my comfort zone that I’d mentioned previously of go-to restaurants on property to make my way over to the Loews Royal Pacific Resort to check it out… And I’m glad I waited, because I now know I couldn’t have appreciated this restaurant nearly as much as I do now—especially with my ability to try so much in one sitting (see the menu)!
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My 10 Favorite Disney (Land, World and Cruise!) Restaurants
The first couple of months after making New Year’s resolutions involving “eating better” or “losing weight” may not be the best time to talk about food, but what the hay. Let’s do it! This time I decided to name my 10 favorite Disney restaurants no matter the location! Well okay, not any. I haven’t been to the Disney parks overseas, so I can’t fairly include them. So this list will include Disneyland (of course), Walt Disney World, and the Disney Cruise Line ships.
Let me confess right away about three I’m leaving off that should probably be included. Club 33, Remy, and Victoria and Albert’s. Club 33 isn’t an option for most people as it’s not open to the general public. I haven’t dined at Remy or Victoria and Albert’s yet, so I’ll leave those off, too, even though I know by all accounts they’re amazing. If you have eaten at either, I’d love to hear where you would rank them! But for now we’ll just acknowledge their greatness and move on.
Now for the usual disclaimer. These are my opinions!! They do not necessarily reflect that of anyone else on this blog or anyone else on the planet, for that matter. I certainly cannot fit every good restaurant at Disney in this list. As you will see, I’ve included fine dining restaurants, more casual options, and even a character meal (or two). But I do have reasons for my 10 picks, and I think you will agree with some of them. And for the ones you don’t agree with or feel I unjustly left off? Well, that’s what the comments are for.
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1. Palo – Palo is my favorite Disney restaurant anywhere. And it only costs $20!!! Oops, that’s not really true because you have to pay for the cruise first, but it’s only $20 more! And it’s an amazing experience. The location, the views, and oh my – the food. Palo is an adult only restaurant on all four Disney ships with panoramic views of the ocean, Caribbean islands, Alaska, or whatever else you happen to be sailing by while dining. It can be booked for dinner or brunch (although brunch is only available on sea days), and I can’t decide which I like better. Dinner is a multi-course experience with a top notch server at your beck and call whose goal is to fulfill all your dining dreams. Can’t decide what to order? No need to. Odds are your server’s going to bring you multiple things to try. You won’t be disappointed. Brunch, on the other hand, starts with a gorgeous spread of pastries, breads, cheeses, fruit, berries and desserts. Of course you could just stop there and be happy, but you don’t have to! The Chef also has a wonderful selection of entrees to choose from. I’ve eaten at Palo over and over and never once felt like it was anything short of the perfect dining experience.
Dining Review: La Hacienda de San Angel
Before I even get started on this review, there is something you should know about me. I am having a not-so-secret love affair with Mexican food. I own up to it 100% and, no, I will not stop. I love Mexican food so much that someone can just say the word “salsa,” and I begin salivating. Luckily, my love of Disney and Mexican food and drink meet when I get to Epcot. Epcot is blessed with a pretty decent Mexican quick-service restaurant, two unique table-service restaurants, and an out of this world tequila bar. Most of us have at least one Mexican restaurant relatively close to our homes, and most of the time the menu is fairly Americanized. With Disney’s restaurant, La Hacienda de San Angel, I believe they are trying to bring something different to the plate (hardy-har-har) than what most of us are used to.
I experienced La Hacienda back when it first opened in 2010. My experience the first time was a little bit rough. The food quality was not really the problem. I had issues with the amount of food we got for such a high dollar amount. On top of that, I also felt that the service was really poor. I figured that since it has been a few years since it opened, I would give it another shot. This time I took a different approach. My husband and I decided to only order off the vegetarian menu to keep the cost down. That way, if we were disappointed with the meal, we would not be out a lot of money.
After a very exhausting and stressful travel day (we had a McAllister moment running in the airport), my husband and I were sure glad to be in Disney World. Upon arriving to Epcot around 6:00 pm that evening, we high-tailed it to La Hacienda to see if we could get a walk-up reservation. Turns out, they were so slow that night that they told us to just come back whenever we want to eat, and they would get us right in. It totally worked, and this time I decided not to request a specific location of the restaurant because last time when I requested “by a window” they insisted that all of the tables were by a window, only to shove us in a corner with an 8×10 viewing portal that was a good eight feet away from our table.
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Be Our Guest Currently Testing FastPass+ During Lunch
Starting today Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom is testing out the FastPass+ system with invited guests. Invites are being given out to select guests in Deluxe resorts, usually as a Magical Moment or for families celebrating special occasions. Invitations will be given out for the following day (for example, we got ours on Sunday to use for Monday), and a variety of times in 15 minute increments are available.
Our invitation for today had an arrival time of between 11:00 and 11:15am. We arrived at the restaurant just a few minutes before 11, checked in, and were given a card that would be used to track our wait times at various points. It was really nice walking past the long (often 45 minutes to an hour) line of people waiting in the hot sun and being led straight into the castle. Once inside the lobby we were merged with the regular line in the Suits of Armor corridor. From that point the line and ordering process were the same as usual, except that we had to give our time card to the Cast Member who gave us our rose to order. The entire process from arrival at the restaurant to being seated at our table with drinks only took 10 minutes. That is a vast improvement over the hour long wait the standby line had!
Overall, I really like the idea of FastPass+ at counter service restaurants. This would be great for families with young kids who have a hard time standing in line or for those of us who are uber-planners and are concerned about a long lunch line throwing off our Touring Plan. If this system is implemented, I’m curious to see what happens to the standby lines at counter service locations.
What do you think? Is this a good idea? Or a logistical nightmare? Would you choose a FASTPASS for a restaurant over one for an attraction? Let us know what you think!
Dining Review: Les Chefs de France
Back when I was a teenager and went to Disney World once a year, I would always walk by the France pavilion and imagine that I could someday eat French food in a faux French bistro in the middle of a theme park. I never had the extra money as a teen to dine at any sit-down restaurant at Disney World, so now that I am a money making grown-up, I get to try all of the restaurants that I want. I took a few semesters of French in high school, so recently I figured I would brush up on my skills at Epcot’s Les Chefs de France.
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My husband, Matt, and I were enjoying a lovely day at Epcot and got hungry for an early lunch. We did not have any reservations and had fully intended on getting counter-service for lunch. However, we walked by Chefs de France and glanced at the menu. We both agreed that it was fairly reasonably priced. We inquired inside very soon after it opened about getting a reservation. The very nice staff told us to come back in a half hour, and they would be happy to seat us without a reservation.
Universal Food Finds: The Dagwood at Blondie’s
In the many years I’ve been visiting the Universal Orlando Resort, I’ve had friends who have tried to convince me to try certain “favorite food spots” that haven’t necessarily fit my tastes. I’m admittedly a creature of habit when it comes to Universal (Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., Margaritaville, Mythos, and Three Broomsticks populate my list of standard go-tos), but I do venture to try new options every once in a while.
My most recent visit to Islands of Adventure gave me the opportunity to branch out and try one of those specific items that many I know have raved about in the past. Found at Blondie’s in Toon Lagoon is the Dagwood sandwich (see menu), based on the sandwich of the same name from the classic Blondie comic strip.
Dining Review: Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater
I sort of have a love/hate relationship with Disney Hollywood Studios’ popular restaurant, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater. Over the years, I find myself going back over and over, hoping that each visit will be better than the last. I often find myself disappointed with one thing or another. However, a few weeks ago I decided to give it another shot on a whim after completing the 5K during Disney’s Marathon Weekend.
The retro-themed restaurant is popular with solo travelers and families for many reasons. American fare such as hamburgers, fried pickles, and milk shakes are among the options on the menu. The restaurant will never win awards for creativity. It is about as dependable as it is predictable. I think many families choose the restaurant because they do not have to wonder what something is on the menu. However, the basic American menu makes guests wonder if they could get the same food (but for a lot less money) at a counter-service restaurant.
My husband and I were lucky enough to secure a lunch reservation soon after Sci-Fi opened. We came back a few hours later, and we were ready to eat! After a short wait, we were seated at the front of a lovely green Bel-Air style car. In my opinion, Sci-Fi has one of the most immersive atmospheres of any restaurant in Disney World. Themed like a 50′s drive-in movie theater, you dine under the shining “stars” as you watch incredibly campy movie clips on a giant theater screen. The car booths are a little bit cramped, and the lighting is horrifically dark. I understand the concept is dining at night, but it is incredibly difficult to see the food in front of you.
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Character Meals: Vol 10 – Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner at 1900 Park Fare
1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian Resort is an interesting restaurant. It hosts character dining all day long, yet boasts three very different character meals. The Supercalifragilistic Breakfast sees Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Alice, and the Mad Hatter, while the afternoon brings the Wonderland Tea Party. The meal I am focusing on here, though, is dinner, where 1900 Park Fare hosts Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner.
Atmosphere
My biggest problem with 1900 Park Fare is an extension of my opinion of the Grand Floridian Resort, in general. I find it very classy and clean, but ultimately boring and uninteresting (although I have been called boring and uninteresting myself, so maybe I am not the best judge). The restaurant is lightly carousel themed, with a few antique looking carousel horses and a band organ as the primary decorations. These items are incredibly nice, but they are few and go unnoticed far too easily. Other than that handful of items, the rest of the room is filled with beige. Nothing really draws the eye, and there is nothing special to even discuss here.
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Candlelit Prix Fixe Menus For True Love Week At Walt Disney World
February 11-17, 2013, Walt Disney World will be celebrating True Love Week at the resort as part of its Limited Time Magic promotion. Among the many offerings this week are special Candlelit Prix Fixe dinners at Shutters (Caribbean Beach Resort), Artist Point (Wilderness Lodge), The Wave…of American Flavors (Contemporary Resort), Yachtsman Steakhouse (Yacht Club), and Hollywood Brown Derby (Disney’s Hollywood Studios).
The folks at wdwmagic.com published these menus with prices earlier this week. They are all listed below and can be found on our dining pages for each restaurant and in the Lines and Dining Apps. To make reservations call 407-WDW-DINE or book online at disneyworld.com.
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Tomorrowland Terrace Open During Main Street Bakery’s Closure
©Disney
While the Main Street Bakery is seeing its four month refurbishment, during which time the restaurant will be getting equipment to make Starbucks beverages, the Tomorrowland Terrace will be open to guests for breakfast.
This quick service location will offer plenty of delicious breakfast treats such as danishes; oatmeal; fruit; mini waffles; Greek yogurt parfaits; egg, cheese, and ham croissants, and beignets. For guests who are looking for the famous Cinnamon Rolls, they can be found at Gaston’s Tavern.
