At Epcot: A Dinner in Four Part Harmony

by Gaylin

On my recent trip to Walt Disney World, I decided to have dinner 'around the world' at Epcot. And what does any good dinner start with . . . dessert!

I started at the France Pavilion at the L'Artisan des Glaces. This is a fairly new ice cream shop and is worth the stop. They have 16 flavours of ice cream or gelato and they are all made in house. I found the cast members to be really friendly and when I asked for my Cafe Glacé with only a little whipped cream – they tried to talk me into having lots. Nope, a little was good for me. This is an iced coffee drink with a scoop of ice cream in it, I chose Caramel Fleur de Sel (Salted Caramel) and loved it. There are not a lot of tables in this area but people have a tendency to eat and run so getting a table was pretty easy. I did end up sharing it with a nice family since I was on my own. One of the cool things about traveling alone is how many people I get to talk to. Ice cream as an appetizer works for me!

I meandered around the showcase for awhile until I found the Florida Fresh booth. I had done my research before I went on the trip and knew which of the kiosks would have food that was safe for me to eat, allergies are a pain. My choice at Florida Fresh was Shrimp and Grits. Creamy, perfectly cooked grits, with a bit of spiced oil on top, andouille sausage bits, sweet corn and cillantro. And of course on top, 3 wonderfully spiced shrimp. This was a marvellous choice. I ate slowly to savour every bite.

After some more wandering, I ended up at the Mexico pavilion and their kiosk Jardin de Fiestas to try their Tacos al Pastor. Another great choice! This was a pork taco with achiote and pineapple. The serving was a bit small but so very tasty. I would have liked more pineapple pieces, they were lightly roasted and a slightly sticky sweet counterpoint to the spicy pork. There was no place to sit so I ended up finding a place in the shade to drop my daypack so I could eat with my hands. Yum.

And finally for dessert, I stopped at the Pineapple Promenade and had a Pineapple Soft Serve. Everyone said it was just Dole Whip but I didn't find it as sweet as the Dole Whip from the Magic Kingdom or maybe it was because I had just had 2 spicy entrees, it didn't seem as sweet. I did appreciate that it wasn't a huge serving, starting with ice cream and ending with soft serve . . . enough sweet for me!

And to prove that I did something at Epcot that day, other than eating, here is a photo of the panda topiary at the China pavilion!

 

 

This post was originally posted on the Disney Musings Blog, where Gaylin is a co-writer.

 

Coffee margarita from La Cava del Tequila

Coffee margarita from La Cava del Tequila located in the Mexico pavilion in Epcot.

Blood orange margarita from La Cava del Tequila

Blood orange margarita from La Cava del Tequila located in the Mexico pavilion in Epcot.

Dinner at La Hacienda de San Angel in Epcot's Mexico Pavilion

La Hacienda de San Angel in Epcot's Mexico Pavilion 

By Nick Maglio: Co-writer of the Disney Musings Blog

Located across from the Aztec Pyramid in the Mexico Pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase, La Hacienda de San Angel has a prime location on World Showcase Lagoon.

Open from 4:00pm–9:00pm for dinner each evening, this is, and please, don't spread this around, as we don't want EVERYBODY knowing, a GREAT spot to watch Illuminations! Let's get to our experience, and I'll be making suggestions along the way.

We had an 8:00pm ADR, and arrived a few minutes early. Suggestion 1- Make a later ADR within an hour of Illuminations.

We were immediately called, and escorted to a dining area nowhere near the large windows looking out over the lagoon.

 I asked if there was anything available by the windows, and was told it may be a few minutes. We waited only about 10, before we were again called, and this time we were brought into a much lovelier dining area overlooking the water. Suggestion 2 - Ask for a window seat.

The regular menu. Our friend Kandi is a vegetarian, and asked for vegetarian suggestions.

 

Our server brought a Vegetarian Menu. Suggestion 3, if you have a special dietary needs, don't hesitate to bring this to your server's attention. This one really applies to ANY Walt Disney World restaurant.

My friend John and I shared the "La Hacienda," $49.95. It came with New York strip, chicken al pastor, chorizo sausage, vegetables, rice and beans. Everything was perfectly cooked, and flavorful. The corn was amazing!

My wife had Tacos de Vegetales, grilled vegetables and queso fresco on flour tortillas served with roasted corn $18. She really enjoyed it, and says she can't wait to go back.

Our friend Kandi had the Enselada de la Casa, Spinach salad with queso fresco, tomatoes, pomegranate, pine nuts, and avocado with mustard vinaigrette dressing for $14.

Just as we were finishing dinner, the lights dimmed and the music from Illuminations began to play.
We had front row seats for one of the most beloved shows at Walt Disney World.

After a great show, we had dessert. Our friends shared the Corn Ice Cream. Yes, Corn ice cream! It came with popcorn, and was sprinkled with paprika. I cannot recall the cost or exact name. We had a taste, and it was very good.

My wife and I shared the Empanada de Manzana, puff pastry filled with sauteed caramel apples, served with dulce de leche ice cream and cajeta (caramel sauce) $7.95, which was also very good.

This was a really great meal, and a really great location from which to view Illuminations, and look forward to our next trip and visit to La Hacienda de San Angel.

This review was originally posted on the Tips From the Disney Divas and Devos Blog, where Nick is a contributing writer as well as his blog, Disney Musings.