Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner at Disney's Animal Kingdom-109 of The Disney Exchange

Lisa, Dave and me, Nick = The Disney Exchange Podcast

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Smooth. Like ESPN? Dave does too.

We talk about Disney "Dine on the Go" which debuts January 12th at the Magic Kingdom, and if we think it is worth it.

It's a windy day at The Disney Exchange.

Dave my be bad luck. Maybe don't visit while he is at Walt Disney World.
He goes on to share his Disney Marathon Weekend experience, including the cancellation of the half marathon, the expense, weather conditions, and characters.

The Epcot International Festival of the Arts Merchandise is amazing!

Spring has sprung early at Walt Disney World!

Our main topic: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and a snack at Disney's Animal Kingdom!
We each go around and share our choices for each meal of the day!
Most of the venues at DAK are discussed in some capacity, and really, there are so many amazing options!

Pea-can. Pea-kahn. Puh-kahn.

Birdfood. Thems good eats

The Wheel of Distiny topic this week: It seems that food booths will be a part of Epcot year round eventually, how do you feel about that?


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Episode 88 of The Disney Exchange- Breakfast at Walt Disney World

 Nick and his wife Barbie at Cap May Cafe

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The Disney Exchange is Lisa, Dave, and me, Nick. 

Note:
This weeks show starts off with some technical issues on Lisa's end and the pandemonium doesn't let up pretty much until the end of the show. Yep, another smoothly produced episode of The Exchange! Enjoy!

Lisa does some shout outs and talks about the various versions of Spaceship Earth when we lose her for awhile.

Dave and I, discuss various rumors floating around the interwebs, including but not limited to the closing of The Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios, the change of Stitch's Great Escape at the Magic Kingdom to a Wreck it Ralph themed attraction, and the changing or Ellen's Energy Adventure in Epcot to a Guardians of the Galaxy ride, which I think is unlikely as Universal owns the rights to Marvel characters for use in theme park attractions east of the Mississippi.

Lisa rejoins us just in time to discuss breakfast at Walt Disney World. We share a couple of suggestions before going on to share options for the most important meal of the day at all of the parks as wells as the resorts and Disney Springs.

Breakfast at Be Our Guest!

Dave asked me to mention breakfast at the Garden Grill in Epcot's Land Pavilion, which we forgot to mention on the show.

The Wheel of Distiny: Do you get or have you ever gotten the Disney vacation planning DVDs/Videos?

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Thanks for listening to The Disney Exchange Podcast!

Breakfast at Be Our Guest

Like last week's edition of Saturday's with Lisa, this article is being presented for a couple of reasons. Again, it's great, and it says a lot of what I have to say on this topic, as I ate there the week after she did. I do differ in opinion on breakfast being the best meal, as I have enjoyed lunch and dinner here very much, but I do agree strongly with it being the best time of day to visit. I'll have more notes at the end of Lisa's post.- Nick

By Lisa Green 

Thinking about dining at Be Our Guest?  Can’t decide which meal to choose?  Here are FIVE reasons why…
Breakfast is BEST at Be Our Guest

1. The Perfect way to start the day in Magic Kingdom – You’re fresh, wide awake, looking your best, AND you can get into Magic Kingdom early!  Think of the possibilities for great pictures!  You can eat before getting a jump on the day with your favorite rides and attractions.

2. Experience the incredible atmosphere at your leisure – Early breakfast not only means a less-crowded Magic Kingdom, you can also tour Beast’s Castle on your own while waiting for your food to arrive (or after you finish eating). 

The details and theming are well-worth at least one visit to this very unique and magical restaurant.  Feeling rushed would certainly diminish the overall experience.

3. The Food is good!  Compared to lunch and dinner, we enjoyed breakfast the most.    Raymond ordered the Croque Madame “Open-faced Ham Sandwich topped with a Fried Egg, Gruyere Cheese, and Béchamel served with Fresh Fruit and a selection of pastries.” 

I opted for the Scrambled Egg Whites “Scrambled Egg Whites with Roasted Tomatoes, Chicken Apple Sausage, Fresh Fruit, and a selection of pastries”   

 

The flavor, preparation, serving sizes along with the “selection of pastries” was very filling and tasty! (We felt obligated to try some of each pastry selection for research purposes.)

4. Relatively reasonable price for two adults – Breakfast for two totaled about $44 before tax. 

Our lunch was about $50 for the two of us (one soup, two entrees and two desserts plus soft drinks).  Dinner was WAY more expensive (we added a bottle of wine) and dinner involves adding a gratuity.  Preview the menu here.

5. Convenience – We booked our ADR and took advantage of the option to pre-order our food. 

Upon arrival, we checked in outside and were directed right on in.  Once inside, we checked in again, paid for breakfast and received our “rose” (looks like a yellow hockey puck).  Then we grabbed our drinks at the self-service beverage station and were free to sit in whichever room we liked.  That magical hockey puck rose directed a Cast Member right to our table with our food when our order was ready.   

On this visit we chose the Grand Ballroom having already dined in the other two rooms (the Castle Gallery and the West Wing, both shown in the next two pictures).  

FYI – that West Wing is kinda creepy and very dark for an entire meal.  You’re welcome to roam the rooms and take pictures, so don’t worry about missing out on all the cool details.

Yes, you should definitely eat at Be Our Guest!  It’s pricey but the experience is fantastic.  Which meal you choose will depend on your plans and the amount of time you have available, but now that we’ve tried all three meal options, we both unanimously recommend breakfast as the best option.

Have you eaten at Be Our Guest?  What did you think about it?

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.
She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 My breakfast at Be Our Guest was very tasty, the Open-Faced Bacon and Egg Sandwich - Poached Eggs*, Applewood Bacon, Brie Cheese, and Arugula on a toasted Baguette served with Fresh Fruit and a selection of pastries.

*I was at first not sure what I was going to order, as I am not a poached egg fan. Then the guest ahead of me asked for scrambled eggs on his open face sandwich. It turns out that you can request how your eggs are prepared on the open face sandwiches! 

Also, I was alone, so I asked for a to go container for some of the pastries, which I had for breakfast the next day.

And I agree with Lisa on the West Wing being too dark to really enjoy one's meal! I ate there because my wife always refuses to, and I wanted to try it! - Nick

 

 

STAR WARS Dine-In Galactic Breakfast! at Sci-Fi

By Nick

On the last morning of my trip with 2 buddies to Walt Disney World to check out Star Wars Weekends, we had breakfast at Sci-Fi Dine In Theater Restaurant at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

The Star Wars Dine-In Galactic Breakfast runs through June 14th, and features Star Wars characters, such as Darth Vader and Boba Fett, who greet you as you enter.

Boba Fett, Josh, me, Joe, Darth Vader

If you haven't been to Sci-Fi, it is set up like a drive in theater on a lovely evening, complete with classic cars, which serve as your tables.

During normal operating hours, a movie loop featuring cheesy Sci-Fi movies is played, but during this event Star Wars clips, trivia and previews were up on the big screen.

We were shown to our car. The odd setup of the vehicles allows only 2 people per seat, so Josh and Joe sat up front, while I was in the back. This is fine, but isn't really conducive to conversation.

We were given menus, and as we perused these, a plate of pastries was brought out. Since I was in the back seat, I had a plate to myself!

The pastries were really good, especially the Vanilla Cream Turnover, which has Vader's face on them.

For a drink, I ordered the Blue Milk. You just have to. It's basically a slightly blueberry flavored milk.

I ordered the Greek Yogurt (Yoda?) Parfait with Fresh Berries and Granola. I wasn't a big fan.

For the main course, Joe and I had The Kessel Run which is Grilled Beef Tenderloin on Baby Spinach with Bacon and Cheddar Custard on a roasted tomato and cheesy horseradish potatoes. It was really very, very good. The steak was perfectly prepared, and all the tastes melded well. It was maybe one of the best breakfast selections I've ever had at WDW!

Josh had the Ackbar Surprise, Smoked Paprika-dusted shrimp, pan-seared and served with cheesy grits, which he enjoyed.

 During the meal, Stormtroopers patrol the restaurant, posing with guests, and conducting occasional interrogations.

One of the funniest things I saw during the entire trip was a Stormtrooper watching the clip from the original Star Wars, just after Darth Vader strikes Obi Wan down, and Luke shouts and starts shooting at the Stormtroopers. As he watched the scene play out, and saw his fellow Troopers constantly miss, he gestured as if to say "But they're RIGHT THERE." He shook his head and covered his eyes, and, as the gang onscreen escaped in the Millennium Falcon, he threw his hands up in frustration. I was too busy enjoying this show to get a photo.

I did get a photo of another humorous interaction at a neighboring table. As part of the cost of the meal, each person is given a small light up Lightsaber, which can be set to either blue (good) or red (bad).
A Stormtrooper noticed a young man had his set to blue. He walked over and pointed at it, motioning the kid to hand him the saber, which he did. The Trooper set it to red, and handed it back. Nice.

Along with the Stormtroopers, that bounty hunter with really bad eyesight, Greedo, comes around, as do Jawas looking for a trade. One wanted to trade me a light bracelet for my iPhone. I declined.

The Star Wars Dine-In Galactic Breakfast is $49.99 per adult and $31.99 per child age 3 to 9, (tax is included, gratuity is not.

I would do this again, but if had just one to choose, I'd do Jedi Mickey's Star Wars Dine at Hollywood and Vine, which I will review tomorrow.

Gasparilla Island Grill at Disney's Grand Floridian

By: Nick

In January, while staying at the Villas at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, Barbie and I ate several meals at the resorts quick service restaurant, the Gasparilla Island Grill.

Gasparillas is a convenient and quiet spot to start the day, and we had breakfast here before heading to the parks on a few occasions. Breakfast is served until 11am.

It does get crowded, but we never had a problem finding an open table. Actually, we had a regular booth that we sat at during every visit.

Interestingly, this wasn't always a quiet spot. While looking online at Disney's Official Site, the photo that is featured shows several arcade games along the wall, so I was not expecting it to be as nice as it turned out to be. The games have been moved to their own separate arcade space located adjacent to the Grill during a refurbishment that took place starting back in 2012. I bring this up in case you do research and find that photo. Odd that Disney hasn't updated their site.

The food offerings are standard Disney fare. There is an assortment of bagels and pastries to choose from.

The menu board will help you make other choices, such as the Bounty Platter, Croissant Sandwich, or...

... Mickey-shaped Waffles!

There are healthy choices as well, which can be found in the refrigerated section, such as fresh fruit, vegetables, and yogurt. My wife Barbie inexplicably chose some of these one morning. (Who eats healthy on vacation, really?!)

On another morning I had the pancakes, and they were very good.

We also had dinner here one evening.

The offerings include made to order sandwiches, such as the Grand Turkey, Ham and Swiss, and Roast Beef, burgers, pizzas, soups, and the aforementioned grab 'n' go items.
You can also create your own salads by choosing from Romaine Lettuce or Baby Greens and a variety of your favorite ingredients, adding Flank Steak or grilled chicken

I had a Angus bacon cheeseburger that was very tasty, one of the better quick service burgers in my opinion. And the homemade potato chips are terrific. You can get cucumber salad instead of chips.

Barbie had the Margherita Flatbread, which is made with Mozzarella, Tomato, and Basil, which she really enjoyed.

For dessert they offer cookies, brownies, cake, soft serve ice cream, and a selection of frozen treats like the beloved Mickey Premium Ice Bar.

There is also seating outdoors, and if you time it right, you can catch Wishes from the Magic Kingdom!

Gasparilla's is open 24/7, if you are hankering for a snack after a long day at the park.

Favorite Food Friday: Tonga Toast at Disney's Polynesian Resort

by: Nick

Have you ever tried Tonga Toast, which can be found at the Kona Cafe at Disney's Polynesian Resort?

Tonga Toast is a classic, as it has been served at the Polynesian since 1971. It's sourdough bread, stuffed with banana and deep fried.

It's served with a delicious Stawberry Compote.

I first had this delicious entree almost 20 years ago, and I've only had it twice, mostly because it's a bit of a trip to get to the Poly for breakfast, but we may have to put it into regular rotation.

The recipe from Magical Recipes:

Ingredients

Tonga Toast
 
1. 2 or 4 slices sourdough bread, cut 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
2. 1 banana
3. 1/3 cup sugar
4. 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
5. 1 egg
6. 1/4 cup milk
7. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
8. oil or shortening for frying
9. whipped butter and/or syrup
Strawberry Compote
10. 10 large strawberries
11. 1/4 cup sugar
12. 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

Tonga Toast
 
1. Cut a 1-inch pocket in one side of each bread slice.
2. Cut banana in half crosswise, then split each piece lengthwise.
3. Remove peel and stuff 2 pieces of fruit in each pocket of bread; set aside.
4. Mix sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
5. Mix well the egg, milk and vanilla.
6. Heat about 4 inches of oil in a pan to 350 degrees F.
7. Dip stuffed bread into egg/milk mixture and let it soak a few seconds to let penetrate bread.
8. Fry bread on both sides in hot oil until lightly browned, about 3 minutes.
9. Drain on paper towels or wire rack.
10. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and serve.
Strawberry Compote
 
11. Slice 6 strawberries and place in small pot.
12. Add sugar and vanilla, stir.
13. Cook over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes until mixtures starts to boil.
14. Place 4 sliced strawberries in a blender or food processor.
15. Add cooked strawberry mixture and blend until smooth.
16. Serve warm or cold.

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