WDW Daily News

For the 17th year in a row, Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Hotel & Spa has been awarded the coveted AAA Five Diamonds.

There are 47 AAA Five Diamond restaurants in the United States, with only three in Florida – and Victoria & Albert’s is the only AAA Five Diamond restaurant in Central Florida.

We congratulate Executive Chef Scott Hunnel, Chef de Cuisine Aimee Rivera, Master Pastry Chef Erich Herbitschek, Maître d’Hôtel Israel Perez and their team for earning the prestigious award for the gem of a restaurant.

AAA Five Diamond restaurants reflect the ultimate in luxury and sophistication, and Victoria & Albert’s wows guests every single night of the year with three dining experiences: the dining room, the elegant Queen Victoria’s Room and the Chef’s Table in the kitchen.

Book reservations for your Clients today by calling 407-WDW-DVNA (939-3862).

An all-new character dining experience will debut this spring at Disney’s BoardWalk, with appearances by adventurous royal couples from beloved Disney films! A delicious breakfast awaits guests at Trattoria al Forno, as they get ready to set out for a day of endless magic at Walt Disney World® Resort. It’s a hearty “bon voyage” celebration, featuring popular characters from favorite Disney stories like “Tangled” or “The Little Mermaid.”

This unique, new character breakfast is slated to begin in late spring. Stay tuned for more details, including the opening date.

Disneyland is known as the Magic Kingdom, but what that name elides is the source of the magic: storytelling and attention to detail. Those two principles, elevated to their highest level, animate a new fine-dining experience the park is making available to just a single party of 12 per night. Robb Report got an exclusive first look at the experience, called 21 Royal…

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After a recent refurbishment, Gasparilla Island Grill at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa has reopened with a new menu. Elevated flavors, artisanal ingredients and great attention to detail can be found through each station – hot sandwiches and pizzas, the sandwich and salad bar and coffee and dessert.

At the Sandwich Bar, each sandwich is assembled per order, keeping the bread – which is baked fresh in house daily – perfectly crusty. Guests can enjoy fresh, high-quality ingredients including Tillamook Cheddar on the smoked ham sandwich, Florida orange vinaigrette on the roasted turkey, thick slices of Mozzarella on the grilled vegetable sandwich and roast beef with horseradish. And, each sandwich is served with house-made chips.

Guests can also create their own salad at the salad bar, topping it off with flank steak or marinated chicken. At breakfast, the salad bar becomes a yogurt bar allows guests to build parfaits with toppings such as fresh fruits, granola and bananas in a decadent caramel sauce.

Pizzas are served on dough made in-house daily. Guests can choose from sausage and Mozzarella, fire-roasted tomatoes with basil pesto and a three-cheese blend, or the chicken and mushroom. For hot sandwiches your Clients can indulge in the artisanal burger, featuring 7 ounces of a signature beef blend, bacon and Cheddar cheese on a freshly-baked Brioche bun. Other options include a Mahi Mahi “Ruben,” featuring house-made cabbage slaw on marble Rye bread, or the chicken and Brie, a delicious twist on Cordon Bleu – with ham, spinach, raspberry mustard on a Brioche bun.

Finally, guests can enjoy specialty coffees and delicious baked goods, pastries and sweets including Coconut Pot de Crème, Almond Fruit Tart, Chocolate Mousse Pie, Mickey Brownie, Minnie Mouse Cupcake and assorted cookies and other sweet treats.

When guests visit Magic Kingdom® Park at Walt Disney World® Resort for the day Jan. 12-Feb. 22, 2017, they can purchase a Disney Dine-on-the-Go one-day, quick-service offering that includes one lunch quick-service entrée and one non-alcoholic beverage that’s good until 4 p.m., and one dinner quick-service entrée and one non-alcoholic beverage that’s good after 4 p.m. (Dessert is not included).

Participating restaurant locations include Casey’s Corner, Columbia Harbour House, Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café, Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe and Pinocchio Village Haus.

Valid park admission is required to utilize the certificates. The price is $29 for adults and $12 for ages 3-9. Disney Dine-on-the-Go is available only at Magic Kingdom Park Vacation Planning booths.

If guests are planning to ring in the New Year at Disneyland® Resort, they can choose from special menus at restaurants in the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort and in Disneyland Park. And, at Disney California Adventure® park, they can sip sparkling apple cider and sparkling wine at several locations.

• Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa offers two elegant options. Chef Andrew Sutton’s four-course Wine Country Feast of Winter Season Classics is seating from 5:30-6:30 p.m. ($130). Starting at 8:15 p.m., Napa Rose will host a lavish New Year’s Eve Dinner Dance Party with live music, Champagne reception and a Napa-style five-course tasting menu ($250, wine pairing $65). Dancing goes ‘til 1 a.m.
• Steakhouse 55 in the Disneyland® Hotel is serving a three-course dinner on both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Start with Kumamoto oysters, then a center cut filet mignon with crab meat salad, asparagus and Béarnaise sauce. Dessert is Manjari bittersweet chocolate terrine with fresh berries and white Godiva anglaise. ($65; $35 for wine pairing.)
• Disney’s PCH Grill at Disney’s Paradise Pier® Hotel will offer a family-friendly New Year’s Eve dinner buffet from 5-10 p.m. Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel will host a special New Year’s celebration until 12:30 a.m. – complete with Disney characters and a balloon drop in the hotel’s Pacific Ballroom. ($75; $25 ages 3 to 11.)
• In Disneyland® Park, Carnation Cafe on Main Street, U.S.A., is offering a Surf and Turf special. The special includes sirloin and shrimp, mashed potatoes, sautéed broccoli, sun-dried tomato butter and herb beurre blanc sauce. ($20)
• Blue Bayou Restaurant is serving a petite New York strip steak on a rosti potato cake with crab meat and asparagus with café au lait sauce and Béarnaise. ($44)
• Cafe Orleans is offering braised short ribs, garlic mashed potatoes and baby carrots with roasted shallot-red wine sauce and fried onions. ($23)

To book reservations, call 714-781-DINE or visit Disneyland.com/dining.

Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa was voted the No. 2 restaurant in the United States in TripAdvisor’s 2016 Travelers’ Choice awards.

No. 2 out of 10, the Walt Disney World® Resort restaurant remains the only Florida restaurant on the illustrious list. Victoria & Albert’s also is a AAA Five-Diamond Award winner, under the helm of Executive Chef Scott Hunnel, Chef de Cuisine Aimee Rivera, maître d hotel Israel Perez and Executive Pastry Chef Erich Herbitschek.

Disney dining plans are options available exclusively to Guests of select Walt Disney World Resort hotels with Magic Your Way Vacation Packages.

Check out information on the 2017 Disney Dining Plan Options here.

Food and Beverage and Storytelling

• Since 1955, Disney Parks have been where guests connect with the Disney stories and characters they cherish most, and the food and beverage offerings play an integral role in those stories.
• Food and beverage is one of the key elements that make up a Disney theme park experience, with unique restaurants and cuisine that put guests inside the story. Blue Bayou Restaurant has been immersing guests in the story of Pirates of the Caribbean since 1967 at Disneyland Park, and Cars Land in Disney California Adventure Park invites guests to dine in Flo’s V8 Cafe from the Disney•Pixar movie “Cars.”

Innovation of Disney Dining

• In recent years, Disney has transformed the theme park dining experience, and has been recognized by both consumers and industry experts for the exceptional, innovative, fun and healthy dining experiences.
• Innovation is at the core of the Disney dining experience. From immersive dining that brings guests into the stories they love to the broad range of options, varying from five-star restaurants to quick-service choices, Disney Parks are moving the culinary industry forward.

Meeting the Needs of Guests with Special Dietary Requirements

• Walt Disney Parks and Resorts is recognized as an industry leader in meeting the special dietary needs of its guests. In 2011, Food Allergy Research and Education, or FARE, honored Walt Disney Parks and Resorts as a “hero of food-allergy awareness.” Along with allergy accommodations, Disney Parks has pushed the boundaries on immersive dining experiences and healthy options.
• The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network also honored Walt Disney Parks and Resorts in 2011 for its commitment to allergy awareness.

Dining for Guests with Food Allergies

• At the Disneyland Resort, guests and families have choices that make it easy to enjoy a worry-free vacation.
• New allergy-friendly menus identify the most common allergens (gluten/wheat, milk, peanut, tree nut and fish) and allow guests to self-select menu choices to meet their individual needs, ensuring a fun and effortless Disney experience for all.
• After positive guest feedback from a test of new allergy-friendly menus , Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has introduced new allergy-friendly menus at approximately 120 quick-service and table-service locations, extending legendary Disney service and dining options to guests with allergies in an entirely new way. The menus provide more convenience and readily available options for guests with special dietary requests.
• Signature restaurants across Disneyland Resort began offering allergy-friendly menus in April 2015. The menus are available at Disney-operated table-service and select quick-service restaurants with online menus also available.
• Guests may consult directly with a restaurant chef or specially trained cast member. Guests are encouraged to communicate special dietary needs to restaurant cast members, to allow the culinary team to take extra measures during preparation to prevent the introduction of the allergen.

Healthy Options at the Disneyland Resort

• Disney’s commitment to healthy living is evident in Disney Magic of Healthy Living, an initiative that partners with parents to inspire kids to lead healthier lifestyles. At Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, nutritious food and beverage options continue to be added, making healthier dining alternatives easily accessible.
• With special enhancements like the “Mickey Check” on kids’ menus – a tool to help families easily identify healthier dining options that meet Disney Nutrition Guidelines – there are healthy and indulgent options for everyone.

Fun Facts

• The Disneyland Resort continues to hire and help train some of the top chefs in the culinary industry. More than, 50 chefs work in culinary management, and many are graduates of prestigious culinary schools. In addition, the resort employs nearly 200 restaurant and catering managers and more than 7,000 food and beverage cast members overall.
• With more than 150 food and beverage locations, the Disneyland Resort offers more than 8,500 different food items.
• Disneyland Resort guests consume approximately 350,000 apples each year. If stacked on top of each other, that many apples would reach 17 miles into the sky, or the height equivalent of 1,146 Sleeping Beauty Castles.
• If the 3,800,000 churros that are consumed each year at the Disneyland Resort were laid end-to-end, they would stretch 954 miles. That’s enough churros to line the Disneyland Resort monorail track 382 times.
• Disneyland Resort guests consume 860,000 Mickey-shaped pretzels annually. That’s enough each year to serve at least 29 pretzels to all 29,000 cast members at the Disneyland Resort.
• If the 2,600,000 hot dogs that are served each year were laid end-to-end, they would stretch 242 miles or the length of 11,208 Millennium Falcons.
• More than 300,000 pounds of bananas are consumed at the Disneyland Resort each year, which is approximately 130,000 individual bananas for Baloo from “The Jungle Book” to enjoy.
• Over the course of a given year, guests purchase more than 12 million kids meals, and parents typically choose the nutritious sides and beverages that Disney offers as the menu default option. Six out of 10 kids meals were served with the healthy options in 2016.