Avocado margarita and Jalapeño margarita from La Cava del...

Avocado margarita and Jalapeño margarita from La Cava del Tequila located in the Mexico pavilion in Epcot.

Orange marmalade giraffe cupcakes from Mara located in...

Orange marmalade giraffe cupcakes from Mara located in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Snack selection from Sugarloaf Key, club level at the Grand...

Snack selection from Sugarloaf Key, club level at the Grand Floridian.

Citrus pancakes from the Grand Floridian Cafe located in the...

Citrus pancakes from the Grand Floridian Cafe located in the Grand Floridian.

Caramel filled chocolate cookie from Karamell-Küche located in...

Caramel filled chocolate cookie from Karamell-Küche located in the Germany pavilion in Epcot.

Corn dog nuggets with cheese sauce from Casey’s Corner...

Corn dog nuggets with cheese sauce from Casey’s Corner located on Main Street USA in Magic Kingdom.

Caramel apples from Karamell-Küche located in the Germany...

Caramel apples from Karamell-Küche located in the Germany pavilion in Epcot.

Canto Loopy & chinese BBQ pork buns from Joy of Tea located...

Canto Loopy & chinese BBQ pork buns from Joy of Tea located in the China Pavilion in Epcot.

Shogun combo with teriyaki chicken and beef from Katsura Grill...

Shogun combo with teriyaki chicken and beef from Katsura Grill located in the Japan Pavilion in Epcot.

Sweet potato casserole waffle from Promenade Refreshments...

Sweet potato casserole waffle from Promenade Refreshments available during Holidays around the World at Epcot.

Viking Coffee (flavored with Kamora Coffee Liqueur and Baileys...

Viking Coffee (flavored with Kamora Coffee Liqueur and Baileys Irish Cream) from Kringla Bakeri og Cafe located in the Norway pavilion in Epcot.

Vegetable pizza with caesar salad from Pizza Planet located in...

Vegetable pizza with caesar salad from Pizza Planet located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Hot dog & Fries from Casey’s Corner located on Main...

Hot dog & Fries from Casey’s Corner located on Main Street, USA in Magic Kingdom.

My Favorite Disney World Restuarant: The Hollywood Brown Derby

By: Nick, co-writer of Disney Musings

My wife and I have eaten at the Hollywood Brown Derby at Disney's Hollywood Studios several times through the years. It's a bit expensive, indeed! However, it's the only Signature Restaurant at the Studios and is 2 Table Service credits on the Disney Dining Plan. Regardless, we feel it is well worth the price!
Let's head over and I'll tell you why!


The original Brown Derby was opened at 3427 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, in 1926.

The Brown Derby began a licensing program with the Walt Disney Company in 1987.

If you aren't sure if there will be anything you'd like to eat, or to decide if it might be a bit too pricey, check out the menu before you enter.

The Cast Members here are very friendly and seasoned. Some have been here since the Studios opened in 1989!


The interior transports you back to the golden age of Hollywood, with portraits and caricatures of movie stars adorning the walls.


Despite the upscale feel, there is no dress code. Shorts and t-shirts are fine.

My wife and friends, Kandi and John.

But enough of all that, what about the food?!
Now, I could come up with a multitude of complimentary adjectives for each item I'm about to present, which were sampled by my wife and friends, but I'm going to just say right now, everything is delicious. I will, however, point out some highlights.

Lets start with the starters, also known as the appetizers.

First there is the Portsmouth Lobster Bisque, with Tarragon oil, and a Brentwood sweet corn-lobster relish.

Next we have Blue Lump Crab Spring Rolls, snow crab claw and an Asian slaw with spicy miso aioli.

And finally, my favorite of the 3, Feuilles de Brick Napoleon of Blue Affine, with wild mushroom duxelle, grilled portobello, golden chanterelles, and a fig reduction.

This next item can be an appetizer or an entree, it is so large. I've had it for both.
It is also a signature dish at this signature restaurant.

Our Famous Brown Derby Cobb Salad is made with finely chopped greens, turkey breast, egg, bacon, tomatoes, crumbled bleu cheese, avocado, chives and Cobb dressing.


Your server will even ask if you'd like to have it mixed for you.


On to the entrees.

Sterling Silver Pork-seared Tenderloin, with herb and four-cheese spaetzle with applewood smoked bacon, shallots, sweet peppers, braised red cabbage and an apple cider jus.


Spit-Roasted Leg of Lamb, with lyonnaise potatoes, garlic buttered hericot verts and a red zinfandel sauce.



Duck Two Ways, which is Crispy duck Magret and Duck confit, with apple-rosemary stuffing over a butternut squash, mascarpone anolini and maple brown butter.



On our last 3 visits, I've gotten what I consider to be the BEST pork chop I've ever eaten, the Sterling Silver Pork Chop, with smoked gouda and heirloom apple slaw served over potato hash with bacon, Napa cabbage, sweet peppers and a cider jus for $33.00.

A unique item is the Grapefruit Cake for dessert. Light Layers of Yellow Cake with fresh Grapefruit-Cream Cheese Icing, and a slice of dried grapefruit.



The menu changes frequently, so not every dish I featured here will be on the menu when you visit, but if you visit I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Portions of this article were originally posted on the Tips From the Disney Divas and Devos Blog, where Nick is a contributing writer, as well as the Disney Musings Blog, which Nick co-writes with his wife, Barbie, and friend Gaylin.

Teriyaki chicken hand roll & Sake: Junmai Ginjo from the...

Teriyaki chicken hand roll & Sake: Junmai Ginjo from the Japan Booth available during the Epcot Food & Wine Festival.

“Le Cellier” wild mushroom beef filet mignon with truffle butter...

“Le Cellier” wild mushroom beef filet mignon with truffle butter sauce from the Canada booth available during the Epcot Food & Wine Festival.

Griddled greek cheese with pistachios & honey from the...

Griddled greek cheese with pistachios & honey from the Greece booth available during the Epcot Food & Wine Festival.

Apple blossom from Riverside Mill located in the Port Orleans...

Apple blossom from Riverside Mill located in the Port Orleans Riverside resort.

A Look at Gaston's Tavern

By: Nick, co-author of the Disney Musings Blog

Let me set the scene.
It's just about exactly one year ago.

I'm in Epcot with my wife.
I overhear someone say that the new Little Mermaid ride is open in the Magic Kingdom.
I say to my wife, "We're going to the Magic Kingdom. RIGHT NOW!".
On our way to the monorail, I get a call from a friend who asks where I am. I tell him I'm heading to the Magic Kingdom, to which he replies, "Oh, I heard the New Fantasyland was open today."
The monorail never moved more slowly. I was literally jumping up and down with excitement. Could it be true?
Upon entering the Magic Kingdom, I walked, not ran, as that's a no-no, but I walked very quickly, stopping every now and again to see how far back I'd left my wife. Finally, we got to Fantasyland where I was greeted by this sign...

  

...and a friendly Cast Member waving people in asking if we'd like to see the New Fantasyland. Would I?! I was like a kid in a candy store!

We'd had the great fortune to see "Enchanted Tales with Belle" earlier in the week, so went by that reluctantly, and made our way up the lane.

The Be Our Guest Restaurant unopened at that time, but I stopped briefly to snap some pictures.

 

 

We walked on into a little town, a quite village...

 

... which today was not so quiet!

Gaston's statue. A tribute to Gaston. From Gaston.

This in front of his tavern. Gaston's Tavern, of course.

 

Let's go inside.
The menus.

 A LeFou's Brew,  which is "no-sugar added frozen apple juice with a hint of toasted marshmallow, topped with all-natural passion fruit-mango foam". It wasn't bad, a bit too sweet for my wife.

There are 2 dining areas, one to the left...

...and a larger, more elaborate one to the right, which features the fireplace, and antler chandelier. Gaston uses antlers in all of his decorating.

There was no seating available inside, so I headed outside, to enjoy my pork shank.
It is as big as, and much better tasting than a turkey leg, and a couple dollars cheaper to boot!

This shank is huge, more like half a pig, because that's how Gaston rolls!

Portions of this article were originally posted on the Tips From the Disney Diva Blog, where Nick is a contributing writer and on the Disney Musings Blog, which he co-writes with his wife Barbie and friend Gaylin.

Walt Disney's World's Rapid Fill Mugs

The Rapid Fill Mugs at the Walt Disney World Resorts

By: Nick, co-writer of the Disney Musings Blog
Back in the day, you would buy a refillable mug at a Disney resort, and then bring it each trip. Then they changed the policy, and you were expected to buy one each trip. Of course you COULD always just bring the mug from a previous trip and refill those for free, but like religion and politics, I don't discuss this subject in polite conversation.

Now, with the new Rapid Fill Mugs you really don't have a choice but to pay for beverages each trip.
You purchase your mug at your resort's quick service restaurant, and it is programmed according to your stay, or any number of days you would like to program it for.

The prices below are valid as of 9/28/13.

They can be refilled, as far as I could tell, as often as you'd like during your stay at the soda stations found throughout the resort, or any other resort you visit. They are not good at the Theme Parks, though I actually have been told that people have refilled them at the parks, and nobody objected. The little screens tell you how many days you have left to refill your mug. If you try to use a regular cup at these machines, they simply won't work!

There are no such restrictions on the coffee and tea machines, so I suppose you COULD bring in an older mug and refill those as often as you'd like, though the Cast Members would more than likely spot that you are using an older, non Rapid Fill branded mug.

Because these are RFID chips, the "Rapid Fill" mugs should be reprogrammable, but according to a Cast Member I spoke to, they currently are NOT, so you will receive a new mug on future visits.

 

This article was originally posted on the Disney Musings Blog