Custom hand dipped bars made with Vanilla Bean, Milk Chocolate...

Custom hand dipped bars made with Vanilla Bean, Milk Chocolate shell with Sprinkles & Chocolate Chips from Clarabelle’s located in Buena Vista Street in Disney’s California Adventure. (Submission, sourced)

Lemon Mousse from the Animator’s Palate located aboard the...

Lemon Mousse from the Animator’s Palate located aboard the Disney Cruise Line Fantasy. (submission)

Biscuits and gravy with sausages and a side of seasoned potato...

Biscuits and gravy with sausages and a side of seasoned potato wedges available at the Pepper Market located in Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.

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.

 

Pineapple soft serve (dole whip) from Pineapple Promenade near...

Pineapple soft serve (dole whip) from Pineapple Promenade near the Canada pavilion available during the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival.

Review of Gasparilla Island Grill at Disney's Grand Floridian

By: Nick

In January, while staying at the Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, Barbie and I ate several meals at the resorts quick service restaurant, the Gasparilla Island Grill.

Gasparillas is a convenient and quiet spot to start the day, and we had breakfast here before heading to the parks on a few occasions. Breakfast is served until 11am.

It does get crowded, but we never had a problem finding an open table. Actually, we had a regular booth that we sat at during every visit.

Interestingly, this wasn't always a quiet spot. While looking online at Disney's Official Site, the photo that is featured shows several arcade games along the wall, so I was not expecting it to be as nice as it turned out to be. The games have been moved to their own separate arcade space located adjacent to the Grill during a refurbishment that took place starting back in 2012. I bring this up in case you do research and find that photo. Odd that Disney hasn't updated their site.

The food offerings are standard Disney fare. There is an assortment of bagels and pastries to choose from.

The menu board will help you make other choices, such as the Bounty Platter, Croissant Sandwich, or...

... Mickey-shaped Waffles!

There are healthy choices as well, which can be found in the refrigerated section, such as fresh fruit, vegetables, and yogurt. My wife Barbie inexplicably chose some of these one morning. (Who eats healthy on vacation, really?!)

On another morning I had the pancakes, and they were very good.

We also had dinner here one evening.

The offerings include made to order sandwiches, such as the Grand Turkey, Ham and Swiss, and Roast Beef, burgers, pizzas, soups, and the aforementioned grab 'n' go items.
You can also create your own salads by choosing from Romaine Lettuce or Baby Greens and a variety of your favorite ingredients, adding Flank Steak or grilled chicken

I had a Angus bacon cheeseburger that was very tasty, one of the better quick service burgers in my opinion. And the homemade potato chips are terrific. You can get cucumber salad instead of chips.

Barbie had the Margherita Flatbread, which is made with Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil, which she really enjoyed.

For dessert they offer cookies, brownies, cake, soft serve ice cream, and a selection of frozen treats like the beloved Mickey Premium Ice Bar.

There is also seating outdoors, and if you time it right, you can catch Wishes from the Magic Kingdom!

Gasparilla's is open 24/7, if you are hankering for a snack after a long day at the park.

This article was originally posted on the Disney Musings Blog, which Nick co-writes with his wife and friends.

"The Clock Strikes Twelve" dessert from Cinderella’s Royal...

"The Clock Strikes Twelve" dessert from Cinderella’s Royal Table located in Magic Kingdom. (Submission, sourced)

Character cookies available during Star Wars Weekend available...

Character cookies available during Star Wars Weekend available at Darth’s Mall located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Red velvet cupcake from Earl of Sandwich located in Downtown...

Red velvet cupcake from Earl of Sandwich located in Downtown Disney.

Beer Cheese Soup from Big River Grille and Brewing Works located...

Beer Cheese Soup from Big River Grille and Brewing Works located on Disney’s Boardwalk.

Feel the Force Premium package dessert party available during...

Feel the Force Premium package dessert party available during Star Wars Weekend at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.