Disney Food Favorites of 2014

By Nick

We ate a lot of great food in 2014, so I thought I'd take a look at some of our favorites.

My new favorite Snack, well, it's new to me anyway, is the Dole Whip Swirl. Pineapple and Vanilla. As a purist, I'd been avoiding it for the longest time, but Barbie thinks plain Pineapple is too sweet, so I gave this a shot. And, she was right, swirl is better!

Snack runner up and Barbie's fav, the Croissant Donut.

Favorite Breakfast: The All You Care to Enjoy Breakfast Platter (and then some, in our case) at Whispering Canyon in the Wilderness Lodge, which consists of Scrambled Eggs, Western Home Fries, Bacon, Sausage, Waffles, Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy. Not only was the food delicious, but our server, Jeffro, was excellent.

Our friend Jill with Jeffro

  
Favorite Cheeseburger: Cheeseburgers are my favorite food. Surprisingly, the best Disney burger I had all last year was on the Disney Dream, from Tow Mater's Grill! So good, I forgot to get a photo of it!

Favorite Lunch: Afternoon Tea in the Garden View Lounge at the Grand Floridian. Delicious tea, alcoholic beverages, tiny sandwiches, and pastries. Plus we met and made friends with a wonderful couple. A great afternoon!

Favorite Epcot Internationl Food and Wine Festival offering: the Seared Sea Scallop at Scotland, moist and tender and the spinach-Cheddar Gratin and Crispy Bacon was amazing. So good, I had 2.

Favorite new beer: Einstok, Icelandic White Ale, light and refreshing on a hot day.

 
If I'm honest, no dinner entree stood out as being better than my perennial favorite, the Pork Chop at the Hollywood Brown Derby. 

I'd be completely wrong in not giving an honorable mention to The Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley at Universal Studios, which offers traditional British fair. We ate 2 excellent dinners there, and I look forward to returning in the future.

 The Bangers and Mash

Also, at Universal, they now serve warm Butterbeer, which is better than the cold, and that is saying something indeed!

Please stop back Monday for a variety of favorite attractions and experiences from 2014. 

Tea Time at Disney's Grand Floridian

by: Barbie

In January, Nick and I treated ourselves to Afternoon Tea in the Garden View Lounge at the Grand Floridian.  They are open from 2 pm-6pm daily. We were staying at The Villas at the Grand Floridian and we wanted to explore all of their restaurants. This one is right off the lobby, an open air lounge area that looks upon the gardens outside. Comfy chairs and sofas give this a very relaxed atmosphere.

Everyone starts off with a pot of tea, with many different varieties to chose from. The menu accurately describes the teas and their flavors and the wait staff is knowledgeable, if you have questions as well. They will happily make recommendations for you that will go along with your luncheon choices or taste preferences.

I chose: 
Prince Edward Tea - $30.00 Per Guest
This was the Chef's recommendation, a delicious array of assorted pâtés, and Cheeses, served with Cumberland sauce. It was accompanied by freshly baked scones served with jam tart. Included is your choice of tea with a glass of Fonseca Bin 27 Character, Port, which Nick enjoyed, because I don't really drink.

Nick chose: 
The Grand Tea - $35.00 Per Guest
The classic English tradition of Afternoon Tea, Grand Floridian-style. A variety of tea sandwiches, scones and jam tart, followed by a choice of freshly baked tea pastries, strawberries and creme or English trifle. This is served with a glass of Domain Ste-Michelle sparkling wine and choice of tea.

Scone and Jam tart

Nick and I had a wonderful Tea here. The food was lovely and we were having a wonderful time chatting with the young couple that sat next to us. We became fast friends, as so often happens at Disney when you meet awesome people!

This is not on the Disney Dining Plan, but Tables in Wonderland is accepted. This experience was well worth the price. The food and tea was delicious, and making new friends made it all the better.

Tea For Two at the Grand Floridian

By: Nick

Yesterday, Barbie and I had Afternoon Tea at the Garden View Tea Room at the Grand Floridian.
We'll have a full review soon, so stop back!

In the meantime, please enjoy this photo of us displaying the proper way to hold a tea cup.