Dec 08

Tiffins Signature Dining Review


From the moment you step into Tiffins, the first Signature Dining venue at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you know you are in for something special. This signature dining experience has been described by Joe Rohde, Creative Executive of Walt Disney Imagineering, as “a restaurant inside an art gallery inspired by the travels and adventures that led to the creation of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.” Tiffins offers a journey into the extraordinary for those seeking culinary excellence. The name, Tiffins, means a midday meal but is also an Indian word for lunchbox used by travelers.  If you have ever taken part in the Wild Africa Trek at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, you are familiar with the layered metal lunchbox.

Guests dine in three different dining rooms decorated with photos, sketches and artwork from travels to Africa, Asia, and South America, encompassing all of the aspects of the park. The Trek Gallery focuses on travels in Asia; the Safari Gallery highlights adventures in Africa, and the Grand Gallery pays homage to the animals protected by the Disney Conservation Fund. Continue reading

Nov 19

Epcot Holidays Around the World

12365955_432758920263178_3265168139024095274_oNobody celebrates the holidays quite like the Walt Disney World Resort.  While the magic is there every single day of the year, it is taken to a whole different level during the holiday season with elaborate decorations and celebrated traditions.

A long-running holiday tradition in Epcot is Holidays Around the World featuring tales and time-honored traditions of the nations around the World Showcase.  Experience a world of cheer as holiday lore from all over the globe comes to life and Holiday Storytellers highlight their cultures, holiday traditions and tales of their heritage.
The holiday celebration begins the day after Thanksgiving November 25, 2016, and continues through December 30th.  As you tour around the World Showcase, this is what you can expect from the Holiday Storytellers:

Continue reading

Nov 10

Review of the Grand Floridian Cafe

©Disney

©Disney

Think dining at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is way out of your budget? Think again! The Grand Floridian Cafe offers all the charm and elegance of the Grand Floridian with moderately priced meals. This charming little cafe is a hidden gem at Disney’s flagship resort offering fantastic views of the beautiful gardens from the wall of windows. Continue reading

Sep 23

New Disney Quick-Service Dine Gift Card Available with select Walt Disney Travel Company Packages

quickservicegiftcardBeginning Sept. 22, 2016, for a limited time, Guests who book a Walt Disney Travel Company package at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Springs™ Resort Area Hotels or a Walt Disney World Good Neighbor® Hotel with a minimum 3-day ticket, can enjoy the convenience of prepaid dining at Quick-Service Restaurant locations at Walt Disney World Resort. Booking dates for this additional package option are Sept. 22, 2016-April 1, 2017 and travel dates are Sept. 26, 2016-April 4, 2017.

For each day of theme park admission, adults in the party will receive $40 and children will receive $15 on their Quick-Service Dine Gift Cards. However, Guests will only be charged $35 per adult/per day and $12.50 per child/per day. For example, a Guest with a 3-day ticket included in their package would receive a $120 Disney Quick-Service Dine Gift Card for only $105. A child with the same ticket would receive a $45 dine gift card for only $37.50. The Quick-Service Dine Gift Cards may be redeemed at select Quick-Service Dining locations, or food carts, in Walt Disney World Theme Parks, Water Parks, Disney Springs™ and Disney Resort hotels.

You can upgrade your Disney Quick-Service Dine Gift Card (up to a maximum value of $400 USD for adults and $150 USD for children) as long as you include a 3-day Theme Park admission ticket. And, just as with our other dining plans, every Guest on the package must purchase a Walt Disney World Quick-Service Dine Gift Card with the same equivalent value.

Please note the Disney Quick-Service Dine Card package add-on will follow the standard Walt Disney Travel Company booking, modification and cancellation policies.

You will receive your Disney Quick-Service Dine Gift Cards along with your Theme Park tickets upon check-in at your hotel. At that time, the Quick-Service Dine Gift Card will then follow these standard gift card policies:

Cannot be redeemed for cash
Will not be replaced if lost or stolen
Unused Dining Gift Card balances are not eligible for a refund
Cannot be used for merchandise
Only eligible at Disney Quick-Service Restaurant locations
Remaining balances will be printed on receipts
Disney Quick-Service Dine Gift Cards do not expire

Sep 21

Jack Skellington Sugar Cookies!

 

jackskellington

Have a Bite to Eat of this Frightful Treat

It’s time to get into the spirit of Halloween by creating delectable desserts  and sweet treats at home with your family. Homemade decorative sugar cookies are the perfect confection for this ghoulish season. While your kids will love these gooey, warm cookies, baking together can also be a fun and creative activity to share together. Here is a recipe for delicious Jack Skellington Sugar Cookies courtesy of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts:

Jack Skellington Sugar Cookies
Makes 18 cookies
-2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-3/4 cup butter, softened
-1 cup sugar
-2 eggs
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing
-2 egg whites
-3 cups confectioner’s sugar
-1/2 teaspoon almond extract
-Black food coloring paste

  1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
  2. Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture in three parts. Once dough comes together, cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  3. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  4. On a floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using a round cookie cutter or an overturned cup, cut dough into circles about 3 1/4 inches in diameter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before icing.

For icing:

  1. Place egg whites in bowl of an electric mixer; whisk until frothy. Add confectioners’ sugar a little at a time, until thick but still spreadable.
  2. Place 1/3 of icing in a separate bowl. Add black food coloring paste to reserved icing and stir until color is uniform.
  3. Decorate cooled cookies by covering with white icing and letting it dry (placing cookies in the refrigerator will speed up this process).

Place black icing in a pastry bag or a plastic resealable bag and cut off a tiny bit of the corner to create a very small hole.

ENJOY!

 

~DONNA~