food IS a theme park
The Main Street Plaza Ice Cream Parlor in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World seems like it might be on a quest to constantly out-do itself.
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor
Your pals at the DFB are back with What’s New, and this week we’re back at Animal Kingdom and the All-Star Resorts! We’ve got menu changes (Satu’li!!), new merchandise, and a couple new activities to share. Let’s gooooooo!
Animal Kingdom
Smokejumpers Grill
near Grizzly Peak in Disney California Adventure Park is a fun counter service spot serving up eats like a Spicy Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, a BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich (still tastes like jackfruit…it ain’t BBQ), and Campfire Chili with bison. It’s set in a massive hangar that was used, you know, by smokejumpers!
Smokejumpers Grill
The space is full of industrial details like exposed duct work and rivets.
Ordering Kiosk
There are also personal touches, like these mugs left behind by the building’s previous occupants.
“Personal” Coffee Mugs on Display
Seating is both inside and outside, in metal chairs and beneath vaulted ceilings or umbrellas, respectively.
Indoor Seating
Outside Seating
Our Disneyland correspondent Heather Sievers (@DiningInDisney) enjoyed a bacon cheeseburger and toppings bar back when the Grill first opened in 2015, but when I stopped in, I was looking for two things: the Cobbler Shake and the most epic S’more we’ve ever seen.
The Cobbler Shake is so good. It’s basically a piece of Cranberry Apple Cobbler churned into a Vanilla Shake. It’s as silly and delicious as it sounds! Grab a spoon to scoop out the pieces of cobbler that won’t fit up the straw!
Cobbler Shake
The other treat I was after? A whopper of a S’more, y’all! This beauty has been making the social media rounds, and it’s easy to see why! It’s massive! The top is a white chocolate piece bearing the Grill’s name and logo.
S’more at Smokejumpers Grill
On the bottom is a Chocolate-Covered Graham Cracker.
Graham Cracker with Chocolate
But in between…there’s a tower of Marshmallow. Charred, sweet, pillowy marshmallow!
S’more Marshmallow Tower
Seriously. If you try to pull this baby apart, this is what you’ll see: layer after layer of marshmallow!
S’more Marshmallow!
This S’more is astounding. It’s so good that it’s almost worth the hour that it took for the busy restaurant to get it to me! An hour! For a S’more! At a counter service restaurant! And I’m saying…it’s almost worth that wait!
Seriously. Get this.
Where can you find your favorite S’more treat in the World or Land? Let us know!
in Walt Disney World’s Disney Springs is a delicious place to grab a frozen treat — we’ve enjoyed the Creamsicle Shake and Nutella Brownie Sundae in the past. And the gelateria has just introduced a few new items!
Vivoli il Gelato
There’s just something completely perfect about eating an ice cream sundae on Main Street, U.S.A., in the shadow of Walt Disney World’s Cinderella Castle. The simplicity and innocence of that moment is sort of what Walt’s parks are all about: leaving today and entering the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor
What better way to seize that moment than with an All-American Sundae from the Main Street Plaza Ice Cream Parlor?
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor All-American Sundae
I know it’s hard to believe, with so many truly delicious bread puddings available at Walt Disney World Resort (‘Ohana Bread Pudding at Polynesian Village Resort, Butterscotch Bread Pudding at Plaza Restaurant, Ger’s Bread Pudding at Raglan Road — to name a few crowd pleasers!), but we totally have a new favorite! You can find it at House of Blues in Disney Springs’ West Side!
House of Blues
Depending on where you are in the country, school has been back in session for at least a week. Pumpkin Spiced beverages are up for grabs everywhere, and Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is ON.
Halloween Decorations in Magic Kingdom
Which means it’s time to say…. Happy Fall, Y’all! And when it comes to autumn in Disney World, there’s so much to see and do… and EAT!
All eyes are on Animal Kingdom with the opening of Pandora — World of AVATAR!
And of course, we’ve been busy trying as many new dishes and snacks as possible at Satu’li Canteen and Pongu Pongu.
But what about the rest of the park? Have we forgotten about all the yum that resides in Africa’s Harambe, Discovery Island, Dinoland, U.S.A. (hey, don’t knock it — it’s home to Restaurantosaurus and the new Smokey Bones Bourbon and Bacon Shake), and Asia’s Anandapur?
Heck, no! In fact, we just found some new desserts at Yak and Yeti Local Food Cafes that are crazy!!
Yak and Yeti Local Food Cafes is the counter service little sister to the Yak and Yeti table service restaurant in Animal Kingdom’s Anandapur. You might see it listed as Yak and Yeti Counter Service sometimes (which may be a little clearer, if not quite so thematic).
Lines at Local Food Cafes
Most recently, we’ve checked out the Kobe Beef Burger and the Kobe Beef Hotdog, plus you can snag a generous portion of Chicken Fried Rice in a fun take-out container for a snack credit. And the Honey Chicken continues to have a dedicated fan base.
Yak and Yeti Local Foods Cafe Menu
Basically, if you like simple Asian fusion food, you’ll find something here.
But on our most recent visit, we went for something a little sweeter. We spotted two new dessert offerings on the menu (replacing the previous Pineapple Coconut Cake and Triple Chocolate Mousse), so we ordered one of each. Introducing the Mini Chocolate Silk Cake and the Mini Mango Pie.
Yak and Yeti Local Foods Cafe Desserts
First up was the Mini Chocolate Silk Cake, which, truth be told, was more like a pie than a cake. But you can’t really go wrong with silky chocolate mousse and chocolate chips.
Mini Chocolate Silk Cake
And while this is served up in a small bowl, there are some big and delicious flavors here. In particular, we were massive fans of that crust! It’s basically crushed cookie crumb crust, but it’s divine — and there’s tons of it!
Mini Chocolate Silk Cake
Not only is the crust pressed thickly all around the bowl, it’s on the bottom too, providing lots of texture and flavor to accompany the soft chocolate mousse. We also like the inclusion of chocolate chips, since they provided a slightly chewier texture. Overall, this is a solid choice for a chocolate fan or a picky-ish eater.
Mini Chocolate Silk Cake
But if you want to win the dessert day — and you do — go with the Mini Mango Pie. This one lands in a category for only the most stupidly good desserts. Because it’s really stupid good. And the star — like the Mini Chocolate Silk Cake — is the crust!
Mini Mango Pie
That thick graham cracker crust could not be better. It’s got just the right amount of saltiness from the butter that’s holding the crumbs together and sweetness from the incorporated sugar. It’s just dynamite! Crust heaven!
Mini Mango Pie
And there’s so much of it! And we’re so happy there’s so much of it!
But of course, pie is not made of crust alone (although we’d eat that… just sayin’). And here the sweet/tart mango filling is light and tropical — perfect for a hot Animal Kingdom day.
Mini Mango Pie
It’s the consistency of mousse without being too airy, which is a wonderful contrast to the crust. And it just tasted amazing. Wonderfully mango-licious.
(Those who have had the awesome mango pie in the restaurant at Yak & Yeti know it’s good. But THIS. IS. BETTER.)
Mini Mango Pie
At $4.99 or a Disney Dining Plan snack credit, we say… gogetthisnowandbuyoneforustooplease. And in case you were wondering, the Mini Chocolate Silk Cake and the Mini Mango Pie have replaced the Pineapple Coconut Cake and the Triple Chocolate Mousse cake that used to be here, and we say: good riddance! You were fine, but we’ve moved on to better desserts.
What is your dessert fave at Animal Kingdom? Let us know in the comments!
sure is putting the emphasis on seasons these days.
We took major notice two years ago when the Warm Peanut Butter Brownie came straight from nowhere to completely wow us. In the time it took us to fall smack dab in love, we also found out it was a “seasonal” item, which may or may not be there on the next visit.
Of course, we’ve seen plenty of seasonally rotating options in the practically famous Sunshine Seasons bakery case. Now, here’s why you need to keep an eye out: some seasonal items are labeled as such. Take, for instance, the Warm Apple Crisp, which was simply labeled “Seasonal Dessert” in the case. Others, though, just seem to appear with the change of… well, the seasons!
And the Lemon Berry Mousse Cake, which we’re sharing with you today, heralds the fruity flavors of spring and summer in a somewhat unexpected fashion.
Even tucked in among longtime crowd favorites like the Carrot Cake Cupcake, Key Lime Tart, and the Mickey Whoopie Pie, the Lemon Berry Mousse Cake still manages to stand out thanks to its unique appearance comprised of deep purple mousse and yellow cake with a whipped cream garnish.
Sunshine Seasons Lemon Berry Mousse
Sold. Because how could we not at least try a layer cake that looks as unique as this? [Read more…]
Disney World Counter Service locations typically offer a few standard desserts.
You may be familiar… at places like Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe and Pinocchio Village Haus in Magic Kingdom you’ll often find Chocolate Cake on the dessert menu. Over in Hollywood Studios, Fairfax Fare, Backlot Express, and more serve a Chocolate Mousse. Chocolate Mousse is an Animal Kingdom Counter Service dessert staple, too, at Yak & Yeti Local Foods Cafe.
They’re all fine, if not particularly remarkable. (Okay, we DO dig that Chocolate Cake). But there is another Counter Service dessert that you’ll only find in one spot. Oddly, it’s found in a place not exactly known for unique choices: Epcot’s Liberty Inn, located in the the American Adventure Pavilion.
You know the drill: Liberty Inn is the place to go if you (or your kiddos in tow) want simple classics like Burgers, Chicken Breast Nuggets, and the like — plenty of fried food to fuel your continued continental adventure.
Liberty Inn Sign
But we’re here today to put the spotlight once more on an item that is surprisingly unique to Liberty Inn: the Warm Peach Cobbler. [Read more…]
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
