Walt Disney World Restaurant REOPENINGS Announced!

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Dining, Disney Resorts

Exciting news coming out of Walt Disney World Resort as we are learning several Disney Resort restaurants are FINALLY reopening their doors!

First up, Disney has announced Flying Fish at Disney’s BoardWalk is reopening!

Disney shares, “The chefs from Flying Fish over at Disney’s BoardWalk are ready to welcome you back on Jan. 27 with their signature seafood dishes. Enjoy a taste of luxury with unrivaled flavors, sustainable seafood, and steak offerings. When it comes to entrées, this restaurant does not disappoint. The Seafood Pearl Pasta consists of all your favorites – shrimp, lobster, scallops, clams, and mussels. For another option from the sea, consider the Plancha-seared Scallops accompanied with savory grits, sweet corn, and Peppadew emulsion. How delicious! After indulging in your dinner, there’s no better way to conclude a trip to Flying Fish than with a sweet finish. If you love chocolate, the Cocoa Breach accompanied with delicious vanilla custard is the treat for you.“

Collage of offerings from The Turf Club Bar and Grill

Let’s move on over to Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa where The Turf Club Bar and Grill is reopening soon!

Disney has announced, “Get ready for a night at the races again starting on Feb. 3 with a nice trip out to Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. Here you’ll find The Turf Club Bar and Grill, a special spot with a reputation for delicious American flavors in every dish. Begin your evening on a high note right out of the gate with the New York Cider-braised Mussels appetizer flavored with garlic, chorizo, fennel, Fresno chili, and apple cider topped with a grilled baguette. As you move on to the next course, the Grilled Pork Chop or Braised Lamb Tagliatelle both have a place in the winner’s circle of flavor. And don’t forget to top off your meal with one of the delightful desserts, like the New York Cheesecake. Yum!“

Collage of food offerings from Jiko – The Cooking Place

How about a little goodness over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge? That’s right, Jiko – The Cooking Place is once again opening its doors.

Disney shares, “Beginning on Feb. 17, venture over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge to savor the tastes and flavors of African, Indian, and Mediterranean cuisine at Jiko – The Cooking Place. As this spot welcomes you again, try the Seafood Tagine. Filled with prawns, scallops, squid, and Littleneck clams, this dish is a shellfish lover’s dream! For a sweet finish, the returning Kilimanjaro dessert is not just gorgeous, but delicious too. Decadent dark chocolate mousse, pistachio financier, pink peppercorn meringue, cacao nib crunch, and ras el hanout pineapples – what could be better?”

Collage of food offerings from Cape May Café

While previously open, we are excited to hear that Disney is returning some beloved offerings at Cape May Cafe and Ale & Compass Restaurants.

First, Disney has announced “Over at Cape May Café on Feb. 15, embrace the New England vibes as you once again feast upon an all-you-care-to-enjoy, buffet breakfast with tasty items like pull-apart bread with vanilla sauce, beef hash, and an omelet station. And what breakfast is complete without Mickey and Minnie waffles? As the sun goes down, the buffets keep coming with options like cornbread, seasonal harvest salad, seafood boil, and a daily carving station, just to name a few. You can also choose to upgrade your meal with snow crab legs or even a whole lobster, both purchased by the pound. It’s best to bring your appetite for these exciting returns because you’ll want a bite of everything!”

Image of Blueberry Bacon Pancakes and interior of Ale & Compass Restaurant

And right next door at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Ale & Compass Restaurant is bringing back some tasty breakfast offerings!

Disney goes on to say, “Next door at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort starting Jan. 31, the Ale & Compass Restaurant is back with some returning breakfast options and exciting, new lunch offerings. Start off by indulging in one of the delicious à la carte entrées, like Blueberry Bacon Pancakes. And don’t forget to enhance your breakfast with a tasty buffet filled with dazzling additions to your entrée, including pastries, fresh fruit, yogurt parfaits, overnight oats, and house-made cheddar biscuits with country gravy.”

Ready to book a fantastic meal at one of these locations? Booking reservations open starting January 20, 2022.

Disney World Reveals New 50th Food Offerings!

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Dining, Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

When Disney kicked off its 50th Anniversary celebration on October 1, there was tons of food and merchandise for Guests to buy and eat as a way to celebrate. The magical food offerings have gone over incredibly well, for the most part, with many Guests finding the enjoyable options limitless. When the initial foodie guide to the 50th Anniversary was released, Disney promised that more food would be coming out as the months went on — spanning the entire anniversary.

Disney has released limited-time offerings since October — like the Grumpy cranberry soft serve — and now, they are slowly revealing more treats that are coming our way in the following weeks! Disney revealed 3 new offerings on their Instagram, but it looks like a total of 9 will be coming to the Parks and has given Guests two voting options before they reveal the next winner.

50th Mickey Head Cinnamon Roll

The first new food Disney has announced comes in honor of one of their ultimate sweet treats — the cinnamon roll. The 50th Anniversary cinnamon roll looks like one larger cinnamon roll and two smaller ones joined together to make a Mickey head in honor of the mouse who started it all. In the center of the cinnamon roll will be a chocolate coin with the 50th emblem. Knowing how incredible Disney’s other cinnamon rolls are, this one is sure to be delicious as well. The new Mickey cinnamon roll will debut at the Main Street Bakery on January 10.

Slue Foot Sue Fish Sandwich

After Disney shared that the Mickey cinnamon roll would be coming to the Main Street Bakery, they asked Guests if they wanted something sweet or something savory. Guests voted and picked savory over sweet 55% to 45%, so Disney has announced that the Slue Foot Sue Fish Sandwich would also be released on January 10. The fish sandwich will only be available at the Golden Oak Outpost in Frontierland. The fish sandwich looks like a beautiful piece of fried fish topped with a cabbage slaw — filling and refreshing.

Always Tea Time Slush

When Disney revealed the Slue Foot Sue Fish Sandwich, they asked Guests to choose from a feather or a picture of a cat, but they did not say what those images meant. People voted for the cat, and now we know that the cat represented Cheshire Café, where Disney will be serving Always Tea Time Slush beginning January 10. The slush is a gorgeous orange color with a light green — possibly matcha — mixed on top. The tea slushed is topped with whipped cream and a white chocolate 10/6 piece — representing everyone’s favorite mad hatter.

Next up, Disney is asking fans to vote between a picture of a slice of cake or an orange — which means that there could possibly be a new Dole Whip flavor coming to Sunshine Terrace, home of the famous Orange Bird. The alternative may be a new dessert offering coming to a place like the Main Street Confectionery. We will have to wait and see what the voters choose!

Armed Incident Reportedly Occurred at Disneyland

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Dining, Disney Parks

News coming out of Disneyland Resort on December 28, 2021. Details are vague, but there was reportedly an armed incident occurring at the Disney Park near or within the Golden Horseshoe Restaurant in Disneyland’s Frontierland.

According to first reports from MiceChat, “Security is swarming the Golden Horseshoe at Disneyland where some sort of incident is underway involving a guest. A cast member who fled the scene explains that a guest brought a weapon (not believed to be a gun) into the establishment and began threatening staff. The guest then tried to barricade an employee exit at the back of the facility. We don’t know if the incident has been resolved and are awaiting additional information from cast and Disneyland spokespeople.”

The Golden Horseshoe

An update was posted at 9:20 pm ET released by MiceChat stating: “UPDATE: Situation resolved. We previously wrote that there had been some sort of incident at the Golden Horseshoe in which cast believed a guest brought a weapon (not believed to be a gun) into the establishment and began threatening staff. We have since heard from a Disneyland spokesperson that there was a belligerent guest situation but no weapon was believed to have been involved and that the management of the establishment was able to successfully resolve the situation.“

The update continues with, “There’s are still some rattled cast, but we don’t believe the situation ever posed any danger to guests of the Golden Horseshoe. We’re thankful this wasn’t as serious as it first seemed.“

Disney Parks Gingerbread-Cream Cheese Muffin Recipe

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Dining, Disney Parks

Looking to get into the holiday spirit any time of year? Disney has shared a gingerbread recipe that is sure to please everyone.

National Gingerbread Day is November 21, and we have a delicious recipe to celebrate the day and gear us up for the holiday season – Gingerbread-Cream Cheese Muffins!

Let’s face it, the scent and taste of freshly baked gingerbread screams HOLIDAY and this spiced gingerbread muffin with cream cheese filling is the perfect bundle of holiday goodness! Want to enjoy this gingerbread treat in our parks? Head on over to Isle of Java and Harambe Fruit Market at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park starting December 1 through January 2.

GINGERBREAD-CREAM CHEESE MUFFINS

Isle of Java and Harambe Fruit Market, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Makes 12

CREAM CHEESE FILLING

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

GINGERBREAD MUFFINS

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup canola oil (1/4 cup butter, softened, may be substituted)
  • 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons molasses
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • Reserved cream cheese filling

FOR CREAM CHEESE FILLING:

  1. Combine sugar and butter in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment and beat on low speed until there are no lumps. Add cream cheese and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes, until smooth.
  2. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and lemon juice and mix until smooth.
  3. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, up to 3 days, until ready to use.

FOR GINGERBREAD-CREAM CHEESE MUFFINS:

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Prepare a muffin pan with 12 liners and set aside.
  2. Sift flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl and set aside.
  3. Combine oil or butter, brown sugar, molasses, honey, and egg in bowl of electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed until combined. Reduce speed to low and add buttermilk until incorporated.
  4. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape sides of mixer and mix an additional 30 seconds. Batter will be slightly lumpy.
  5. Scoop batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each cup 3/4 full.
  6. Place reserved cream cheese filling in piping bag fitted with large round tip. Insert piping tip into the center of each muffin, piping about 1 tablespoon into the center, then pipe a swirl around the top of the muffin.
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until top of muffin is firm when touched.
  8. Cool before serving.

Note: Always use caution when handling sharp objects and hot contents. Please supervise children who are helping or nearby. This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version.

Click here for a print-at-home version of this recipe.

Decorate Mickey Mouse Cupcakes at Home

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Dining

Whether it’s National Cupcake Day or just an ordinary day, it’s always fun to bring Disney magic into our homes. Recently Disney shared a fun way to decorate Mickey Mouse cupcakes at home.

From a Disney Cast Member;

Today I’m excited to talk about two of my favorite things: cupcakes and Make-A-Wish.

Although the pandemic presented unique challenges for everyone – wish granters included – we’ve continued granting unforgettable Disney wishes and creating magical experiences for Make-A-Wish children. From a royal greeting from Princess Belle to the inspirational stories shared as part of #TheWishEffect, we’ve seen how a wish unlocks a world of possibilities. We’re honored that Disney has grown to grant half of all Make-A-Wish wishes in the United States and together with Make-A-Wish, we’ve granted more than 145,000 wishes around the world.

A few months ago, we granted a very special wish request from a child who wanted to decorate yummy cupcakes with Chef Minnie. Inspired by this child’s wish, today we’re going to show you how to make a sweet treat with the help of a special guest: Minnie Mouse, herself! In honor of National Cupcake Day, Chef Minnie and Chef Magaly from Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World Resort will walk you through decorating your very own Mickey Mouse-themed cupcakes at home.

Before joining in on the fun, make sure that you have all the ingredients ready to go, and a parent to help for younger children. Here’s a list of everything you’ll need to make these delicious treats**:

Ready, set, go!

    • First, fill up the piping bag with red buttercream icing, followed by placing the pastry tip inside and carefully cutting the tip of the bag off.
    • Then, fill the bag with red icing and get ready to begin decorating.
    • To decorate, start by icing one “ring” of buttercream icing on the cupcake.
    • Then, place two yellow “buttons” in the front of the cupcake.
    • Almost there! Use the icing bag to add 2-3 rounds of red icing on top.
    • Finally, stick two round cookies on the top of the icing to make Mickey’s ears
    • Enjoy!

Watch below for detailed instructions from Chef Magaly and Chef Minnie.

For more than 40 years, Disney has worked with our friends at Make-A-Wish, whose amazing work creates life-changing experiences for children with critical illnesses. Together, Disney and Make-A-Wish have granted more than 145,000 Disney wishes globally. From sailing aboard a Disney cruise, to opening the gates of Disneyland park, to decorating cupcakes with Minnie like you’ve seen today, no two wishes are ever the same.

** Always use caution when handling sharp objects and hot contents. 
Please supervise children who are helping or nearby.