Saturday, February 28, 2015

Bacon & Pineapple Burger with truffle fries from Paradiso 37...



Bacon & Pineapple Burger with truffle fries from Paradiso 37 located in the Downtown Disney.


Friday, February 27, 2015

Breakfast at Disney's Cape May Cafe

By Nick 



I love food, so naturally, I love a buffet. I love characters, and like to "collect" them, meaning I like to get photos with characters in different attire.

So, knowing this, it's kind of surprising it's taken me this long to get the Beach Club Breakfast Buffet at the Cape May Cafe, inside the Beach Club in Walt Disney World, and it wasn't even planned!

My wife, Barbie, and I checked into the Beach Club Villas for one night, October 11th, before going on a 4 night cruise to the Bahamas on the Disney Dream. Upon check in, we learned our Magical Express pick up time to take us to Cape Canaveral wasn't until 1145 am on the 12th. We discussed what we should do with our morning, and decided to just have a leisurely morning, rather than going to a park. I asked if there were any ADRs available for the Cape May Cafe's Breakfast Buffet, and there were not. We were told that there likely wouldn't be a problem getting a table if we came at opening, at 730am.

So, the next morning we approached the podium at about 720am, were given a pager, and within minutes, we were seated in a nice section near the back of The Cafe.

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Within moments of being seated, our server, Adrienne, came over and took our beverage order. She was as delightful and friendly a Cast Member as we have had the pleasure to interact with.

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We were directed to the buffet, where we were told by Adrienne that the most popular items were, not surprisingly, the Mickey Waffles, Chorizo and Four Cheese Scrambled Eggs, and french toast with banana caramel sauce.

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I tried a bit of all of the above mentioned, along with a few other selections. The eggs were indeed delicious, as was the french toast. And you really can't go wrong with Mickey waffles, which went really well with a strawberry sauce and whipped cream. The sausage was very good, the bac0n, well, it is typical Disney buffet bacon.

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I also had a bagel with smoked salmon and pastrami style smoked salmon, which was very tasty. There is also Capers, Onions, Lemons, Tomatoes to add to this if you are so inclined.

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Other cold offerings include Sliced Salami, Capicola, a selection of cheeses, hard-boiled Eggs, Low-fat Cottage Cheese, Apple Sauce, Healthy Grain Fruit Salad, Diced Pineapple, Diced Cantaloupe, Diced Watermelon, Orange Slices, Grapefruit, Strawberries, Apple Walnut Spinach Salad, Low-fat Strawberry Yogurt and Low-fat Vanilla Honey Yogurt, Macerated Fresh Mixed Berries, House made Granola and assorted cereals.

Along with the hot items I mention above, there are Scrambled Eggs, Frittata, Stewed Roma Tomatoes, Breakfast Potatoes Hand-carved Glazed Ham, Seasonal Vegetables, Hollandaise Sauce, Creamy Cheddar Grits, Biscuits with Home-style Sausage Gravy, Hot Oatmeal and Hot Apple Quinoa Cereal.

Of course, what would a character buffet be without characters?

Donald, Goofy, and Minnie Mouse, ready for a swim in the nearby Stormalong Bay, make their rounds while you dine.

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As the morning went on, the Cape May Cafe did fill up, so while we are lucky to have gotten a table easily, if this is a character buffet you would like to visit, I highly advise you make Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs) at 6 months out.

Nick is co-writer and editor of the Disney Musings Blog as well as co-host of The Disney Exchange Podcast.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Cherry chocolate cupcake at Sunshine Seasons located in the...



Cherry chocolate cupcake at Sunshine Seasons located in the Epcot’s Land Pavilion. (note: this item was just available for Valentine’s Day)


Monday, February 16, 2015

Oreo cupcake from Disney’s Boardwalk Bakery.



Oreo cupcake from Disney’s Boardwalk Bakery.


Cinderella’s Dining at Cítricos

By Nick

I didn't have any idea I'd be going to Cinderella’s Dining at Cítricos – Breakfast and Brunch with The Disney Princesses until just a few days before our wonderful breakfast at my favorite resort, Disney's Grand Floridian.

The breakfast, usually held in Cinderella Castle, has been relocated to Citricos while Cinderella's Royal Table undergoes refurbishment.

We attended this grand affair with our friends Kandi and John, and their children Jazzlyn and Grayson.

Barbie, me, Jazzlyn, Cinderella, Kandi, Grayson, and John

I'm very glad we went, not only for the experience, which starts with a photo with Cinderella herself, and continues into the lovely dining room of Citricos, where we also got to meet Belle, Snow White, Jasmine, and Ariel...

...but also for the food, because we were all very pleasantly surprised by the selection!


To start, we were brought coffees, teas, sodas, and our specialty beverages of choice, which were Mimosas, along with a basket of freshly baked multi-grain croissants, blueberry muffins and apple pastries.


For an appetizer, I had the charcuterie, while Barbie asked if it was okay to order 2 items, the charcuterie and the chicken noodle soup, and our wonderful server said "Yes!" Both were very good.




During the meal, wishing wands and swords were brought to the table for Jazzlyn and Grayson to use in the Magical Wishing Ceremony, where, with a little Disney magic "your prince’s or princess’ wish can come true!"


For entrées, both John and I ordered the steak, but instead of the slow-poached egg, we asked if we could substitute scrambled eggs, and were told that was not a problem. I ordered the steak medium rare, and it was more to the medium side, while John asked for his well done, and it was VERY well done, but still good. In the future, I will have to remember to ask for rare, as apparently, steak prep errs to the side of caution.


Barbie had the grilled ham and biscuits.


Kandi had the scrambled egg whites with hot ten-grain cereal, Greek yogurt topped with granola, a whole-grain croissant and fresh fruit.


Jazzlyn had Mickey waffles with sausage and bacon.


Desserts were a trio of a piece of cake they called crème brûlée, chocolate-raspberry cake, and a vanilla bean cream puff, the standout being, perhaps not surprisingly the chocolate cake.


The experience is not inexpensive, being $50 plus tip, but as far as character meals go, we felt it was absolutely one of the better experiences, and the food was a notch above a buffet.

Reservations for Cinderella’s Dining at Cítricos—Breakfast and Brunch with the Disney Princesses can be made by visiting DisneyWorld.com, or calling 407-WDW-DINE.

This article was originally posted on the Disney Musings blog, which Nick co-writes and edits.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Friday, February 6, 2015

Caramel and milk chocolate dipped pineapple from Karamell-Küche...



Caramel and milk chocolate dipped pineapple from Karamell-Küche located in Epcot’s Germany Pavilion.