Epcot's L'es Artisan de Glaces

By Gaylin

When I am in between Disney World trips, I keep up my reading and research online to know what is new in the World. Before this last trip I was quite happy to read about a new ice cream shop that had opened in the France Pavilion at Epcot.

The whole time I was on vacation in May of 2014, the weather was hot. 95F (37C) or hotter with the usual melt-your-brain humidity. My first visit to Epcot included a trip to L'Artisan des Glaces and I wasn't disappointed.

The shop is not very big and for some reason was not crowded any time I went in it. I visited 5 times (or was that 6) during my vacation! Having food allergies limits what treats I can have and when I read that L'Artisan had ice cream sandwiches made with macarons, I knew I would be trying one.

You can see from the display of ice cream there are 16 choices on any given day and they do change the flavours. The macaron ice cream sandwiches are on the bottom row, 3rd from the left. I was surprised by the size of them, as macaron cookies are usually quite a bit smaller. They cost $3.99 ($4.25 after tax) and were well worth it.

They are served in a piece of folded wax paper with french news stories on the outside. The sandwich was really good, macarons are usually quite sweet but this was not overly sugary and the ice cream had a nice dark chocolate flavour. I admit, I did have another one on a separate visit, for research sake, to make sure they really were that good . . .

There are tables outside the shop, turnover is quite quick, people are willing to share so finding a seat was not difficult any of the times of was there.

One of the other treats I had was a Cafe Glace, iced coffee with a scoop of ice cream. This was really yummy, I chose Caramel Fleur de Sel (salted caramel) ice cream and the combination was lovely. The other 3 times I went I had a single scoop of the Caramel ice cream in a cup, you can get cones as well. Again, $3.99 + tax.

I would highly recommend giving Artisan a try, the flavours were great, the staff was nice and the lack of crowd, no line-up whatsoever was awesome.

On a side note, because the marcaron was so good at Artisan, I decided to try a Mickey Macaron one day. Cute! Also grossly oversweet and almost flavourless. The filling was mildly lemon flavour, I admit this is the only time I have thrown out a treat at Disney without finishing it. If you have a sweet tooth, these are for you, if you don't just admire their cuteness in the display case and keep going!

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

Have You Ever Had a Shandy at Epcot?

By: Nick

Have you ever had a Shandy? Have you ever heard of a Shandy? I cannot recall where I first heard about them, but when I did, I knew I wanted one.

What is a Shandy? In the real United Kingdom, a Shandy is beer mixed with carbonated lemonade.

At the Rose and Crown Pub at Epcot's United Kingdom Pavilion, it's 1/2 Sprite & 1/2 Bass Ale or Harp Lager.

Bartender Adam serving up my first Shandy, made with Bass Ale.

 

Delicious.

A couple of nights ago, my friend Ron was kind enough to buy me one. I chose to have this one made with Harp Lager, as I was told by the bartender that it is less sweet.

I liked this even more!

Next time you're in Epcot, give a Shandy a try.

 Cheers!

 

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

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.