Dining - 3/13 - TouringPlans.com Blog

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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.

The new Boulangarie Patissere Les Halles has opened in the France Pavilion in World Showcase at Epcot. This newer version of the bakery is at least ten times larger than the previous one. The shop is located next to the Impressions de France exit.

The menu has been updated and enhanced with salads, sandwiches, sweets, soups (pumpkin and lobster bisque, which both sound amazing to this blogger!), plus French delicacies, such as Croque Monsieur (grilled ham and cheese) and pisssaladone (French-style pizza).

As a reminder, the former location of the bakery will be turned into an ice cream shop called Glacier.

As I’ve discussed before, a vacation at Disneyland is different than a vacation at Walt Disney World.  I love both, and will continue to do both, but they are different.  One major thing that’s different at Disneyland is dining.  While there’s delicious food and restaurants on both coasts, there are some differences in the way you should approach dining at Disneyland.  I’ve talked before about some of the big differences.  Differences like:  advance dining reservations are no problem at Disneyland and don’t have to be planned months in advance; there’s no real dining plan at Disneyland; when you do make dining reservations at Disneyland, you only make them 60 days before your trip; you can email your dining requests; and there’s no booking advantage for onsite guests.  That alone is a pretty big list!  But here are a few more differences that you may want to consider when you’re planning.

1. No Confirmation Numbers – Disneyland doesn’t generally give you confirmation numbers.  At Disney World, those confirmation numbers are essential if you ever have a reservation go missing.  I always recommend people bring their confirmation numbers with them when in Florida.  At Disneyland, your confirmation number is your last name.  Recently, there was one interesting change to this.  If you make a dining reservation by email, Disney will send you a confirmation number.  I was so surprised the first time I got one!  It’s a short combination of numbers and letters unlike the 12 digit numbers you get at Disney World, but a confirmation number nonetheless.  Still, don’t expect a confirmation number when you call for dining reservations at Disneyland!

2. No Credit Card Guarantees – Nowadays at Disney World, several restaurants require a credit card number to hold a dining reservation.  And, if you don’t cancel outside of a certain time period, you will pay a penalty.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing.  In fact, it’s helped make it easier to get into some very popular restaurants because guests either aren’t making multiple reservations when they’re not sure where they want to eat, or they’re actually cancelling reservations they know they won’t use.  The downside is that’s a pretty hard and fast rule, and Disney doesn’t tend to make exceptions for late cancellations, even for perfectly valid reasons like illness.  True to form, Disneyland takes a much more relaxed approach, even at its more popular restaurants.  No credit card guarantees or cancellation fees.

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There’s a new, hot hangout spot that’s going to open soon at Downtown Disney’s Westside. Splitsville, a bowling and entertainment complex, will open on December 19, 2012.

Splitsville, a boutique bowling chain with four other locations, will offer 30 lanes and 2 levels of family fun. This location will offer guests the opportunity to experience bowling, billiards, large bar areas, live entertainment, and unique food offerings.

Menu items include things like grilled Mahi Mahi, filet mignon sliders and grilled chicken parmesan, burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, steak chimichurri, plus a delicious kids menu. In addition, the lanes will also offer some traditional bowling alley food items. And this location will have two sushi bars where guests can get fresh-rolled sushi.

Splitsville should be a great new addition to the Downtown Disney area. I’m ready to head over here and pick up a 7-10 split! (While dining on some sushi!)

Tables In Wonderland, a discount card that is available for purchase by Florida Residents, Annual/Seasonal Passholders, and Disney Vacation Club Members, is seeing an increase in price. As of December 1, 2012, the cost increased $25, making the cost for Florida Residents now $125 per year (up from $100) and Annual/Seasonal Passholders and DVC members now $100 per year (up from $75). A second membership card for a family member can still be purchased for an additional $50.

The card gives guests who purchase it 20% off all food and beverage at participating restaurants, and the card is good for up to 10 guests, including the member, who are on the same check. Do keep in mind that an 18% gratuity is added to your check when using this card. The card is valid for one year from the date of purchase, and Disney does not offer special renewal rates.

For more information about the Tables in Wonderland card, please visit www.tablesinwonderland.com.

In my third and final in-depth evaluation of the 2013 Disney Dining Plan, I am going to analyze the least expensive plan option, the Quick-Service Dining Plan. In 2013, this plan costs $37.58 for an adult and $14.32 for a child, per night. Every guest staying in the same room (on property, of course) must be on the plan, with the exception of children under 3 years old. Children under 3 are free to share from another family member’s plate at no additional charge or a separate meal can be purchased. Per night, each guest using the Quick-Service Dining Plan will receive two Quick-Service meals and a snack. Each guest will also receive a refillable mug that can be used only at the resort he or she is staying at for the length of the stay.

The Quick-Service Dining Plan is often seen as the time and money-saving plan. This plan does not include a sit-down meal; however, that does not mean a family cannot pay for one out of pocket. If you think your family is more of a “one sit-down meal a day family,” you might want to think about the standard Disney Dining Plan. If you are thinking about pricing out the Quick-Service Dining Plan for your family to see if it is a good fit, consider your family’s eating habits. How many full meals do you like to eat a day? Do you often order dessert and a soft drink with each meal? Does your family ever share meals?

Let us take a look at how a family of four (two adults and two children) does on the Quick-Service Dining Plan at the Magic Kingdom. This family is my favorite kind of family. They are very money-savvy and like to get the biggest bang for their buck. To do this, they are going to eat breakfast in their room before heading out to the Magic Kingdom for the day. My prototype family is also going to try to order more expensive options off of menus as they dine throughout the day.

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Guests will soon notice a “Mickey Check” on menus for kids’ meals at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. This symbol means that a specific meal meets Disney nutrition guidelines as part of the Disney Magic of Healthy Living Initiative.

The Mickey Check is currently being rolled out for Quick Service locations and will be included at all Table Service locations by January 2013. The Check has already appeared on the menus at the Be Our Guest Restaurant in Florida’s Magic Kingdom.

The Check is there to identify meals that are appropriately portioned and balanced, with limited calories, saturated fats, sodium, and sugar. These meals must contain at least three of the following items: fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, and lean protein (including beans, eggs, and nuts). In order for these meals to meet the Mickey Check criteria, there can be no substitutions (although substitutions will be offered should guests choose them).

Bodie’s All American, found inside Pollo Campero at Downtown Disney, has replaced Fresh A-Peel. This new restaurant offers diners options like burgers, sandwiches, wraps, and chef-prepared salads made with local produce. The restaurant continues its healthy offerings by having additional menu items that are sugar-free, gluten-free, low sodium, and organic.

I have said before that I am no foodie! I am actually pretty picky and I enjoy the basics when I am eating. Meat and potatoes! Or, if I really want to mix it up, meat and rice! And bread. Don’t forget bread. So, considering I eat basically the same thing at every restaurant I visit (in other words, I order steak every time it’s available) maybe that makes me the best judge! Okay, maybe it doesn’t, but I do have a good baseline to compare restaurants.

By the way, I am defining sit down restaurants as a restaurant where you sit down and order your food which is then brought to you. A restaurant where you can make reservations. There are a lot more to choose from than you would think at Disneyland, and it was a little difficult to pick 10. But, without further ado, here is my list; feel free to add yours, disagree, or vigorously agree in the comments below!

Truffled Mac & Cheese

1. Napa Rose – After spending three and a half glorious hours at the Chef’s Counter at Napa Rose a few weeks ago, there is no way it wasn’t going to be number one. It was an incredible experience, even for a picky eater such as myself. The same chef prepares the food for the restaurant and for the Chef’s Counter, so trust me, you won’t be disappointed. The filet melted in my mouth. I could have cut it with a butter knife. The side dishes were amazing. I could have eaten from the bread basket all night long and been fairly happy. I didn’t try a single dessert I was disappointed in. They all tasted as delicious as they looked. Napa Rose is a fine dining restaurant where every server is a sommelier and there are over 16,000 bottles of wine to choose from. Whoops! I probably could have led with that and stopped right there.

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On my last trip my friend and I found ourselves hungry for a real meal rather than little tastes around World Showcase during the Food & Wine Festival. We didn’t have a reservation anywhere, so what were we to do? Perhaps we could have snagged one in Epcot, but it was very busy with the festival, and we wanted a break from the crowds. We decided to try our luck at one of the Epcot area resorts instead of staying in the park and trying to figure out our best option there. We came up with a game plan: see what the wait was like at Beaches & Cream, and if that was crazy we’d head to that one restaurant at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort where no one ever goes. Well, Beaches & Cream had over an hour wait, so we headed to the Yacht Club instead. It turns out that place no one ever dines at is called the Captain’s Grille, and it just might be a great hidden gem among Disney World’s table service dining.

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