WDW Daily News

Walt Disney World fans have their favorite tastes, from a chilly Dole Whip to the indulgent Cheddar Cheese Soup at the Canada pavilion at Epcot. We’ve rounded up the Top 10 tastes that have never left menus.

Crispy Fried Chicken at Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue, Pioneer Hall, Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. On the menu since the dinner show opened in 1974, servers dish up about 900 pounds of fried chicken every night, and cooks spend about six hours each day just breading the chicken. Add 400 pounds of pork ribs, 120 pounds of corn, 400 pounds of mashed potatoes and 30 gallons of baked beans. Three shows nightly.

Strawberry-Chicken Salad, Plaza Inn, Magic Kingdom. This simple salad has been tossed every day since the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971. Forget hot dogs and hamburgers, fans head to this little restaurant on Main Street, U.S.A., for a generous bowl of greens with grilled chicken breast, strawberries and Gorgonzola with white zinfandel vinaigrette. And you can end with a classic banana split or hot fudge sundae. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Cheddar Cheese Soup, Le Cellier Steakhouse, Canada pavilion, Epcot World Showcase. One of the most-requested recipes is for this creamy bowl of soup that’s made with Canadian beer, cheddar and Applewood-smoked bacon. It’s so popular that it’s also now a mainstay on the menu at the annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Canada Marketplace. Le Cellier Steakhouse is open daily for lunch and dinner.

Creamy Lobster Soup, Coral Reef Restaurant, Epcot. With an amazing view of a coral reef with sharks, turtles, rays and fish (the largest inland saltwater environment ever built), the menu at this Future World restaurant changes often to reflect the seasons and sustainable seafood. But the Creamy Lobster Soup has never left the menu, an indulgent starter with fresh tarragon and a splash of Brandy. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Mom’s Old-Fashioned Pot Roast, 50’s Prime Time Cafe, Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Classic American comfort food and 1950s kitsch make this a favorite stop for families, with a menu that reflects the theme: pork chops, chicken pot pie, meatloaf. But it’s Mom’s Old-Fashioned Pot Roast that’s received the most praise since the restaurant opened in 1989. The slow-cooked beef is served with garlic mashed potatoes, brown gravy, carrots, celery and onions. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Cobb Salad, The Hollywood Brown Derby, Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This salad was iconic before it was even on the menu at the Disney re-creation of the historic California restaurant. As the story goes, Brown Derby owner Bob Cobb tossed the first version for a late-night snack for a Tinsel Town movie star. The Disney version sticks to the original with finely chopped greens, turkey breast, eggs, blue cheese, bacon and avocado. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Potato-Wrapped Red Snapper, Flying Fish Cafe, Disney’s BoardWalk. While the chefs at Flying Fish Cafe cook with seasonality and sustainability in mind, this elegant dish has never left the menu since opening day in 1996. Fresh snapper is wrapped in thinly sliced potatoes, then pan-fried until crisp and golden. The fish is served over a rich leek fondue with veal glace de viande and red wine-cassis butter reduction. Open daily for dinner.

Cedar Plank-roasted King Salmon, Artist Point, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. You can smell the roasting cedar planks when you walk enter the spacious dining room that pays homage to America’s national park lodges. The menu incorporates tastes from coast to coast, but the most-ordered entrée is the Cedar Plank-roasted King Salmon served with seasonal vegetables, on the menu since opening day in 1994. Open daily for dinner.

Tonga Toast, Kona Cafe, Disney’s Polynesian Resort. Kids of all ages keep coming back for their favorite “only on vacation” indulgent breakfast treat: deep-fried banana-stuffed sourdough French toast rolled in cinnamon sugar and served with strawberry compote. The Tonga Toast has been a favorite since the Polynesian opened in 1971. Open daily for breakfast.

In the midst of transforming Downtown Disney into Disney Springs, plenty of dining spots satisfy every sort of craving – add a side of fun with everything from bowling to live concerts.

AMC Dine-In Theatres, Downtown Disney West Side. Forget popcorn, try the blackened chicken Alfredo, fish and chips or a mushroom Swiss burger. Seat-side, table-top service and the latest movies.

Bongo’s Cuban Cafe, Downtown Disney West Side. Look for the 2-story pineapple and you’ll find Bongos, the creation of singer Gloria Estefan. The menu features Cuban classics from ceviche and Cuban sandwiches to ropa vieja and picadillo. Add a side of fried sweet plaintains or black beans. Some guests just sip a mojito on the outdoor patio.

Cooke’s of Dublin, Downtown Disney Marketplace. For a quick bite of the Raglan Road favorites, Cooke’s offers fish and chips, beef and lamb pie, Georges Bank Atlantic scallops and other tastes of Ireland. But they serve burgers, too.

Earl of Sandwich, Downtown Disney Marketplace. Generous sandwiches like the Original 1762 (warm roast beef with creamy horseradish sauce and Cheddar cheese). Also wraps, salads and housemade desserts.

Exposition Park, Downtown Disney West Side. Exposition Park is the permanent home for the popular Disney food trucks. Two or more of the Disney food trucks will be at the park most days: Superstar Catering (featuring favorites from Disney’s Hollywood Studios), Namaste Café (Disney’s Animal Kingdom dishes), Fantasy Fare (Magic Kingdom tastes) and World Showcase of Flavors (Epcot Food & Wine Festival). The park is next to Bongos Cuban Cafe and also include an area for live entertainment, seating for diners and shade from the new elevated “highline” that’s part of the Downtown Disney expansion.

Fulton’s Crab House, Downtown Disney Marketplace. On a re-imagined riverboat, Fulton’s Crab House flies in seafood from around the globe, but also celebrates Florida’s waters with seasonal catches such a stone crab claws. Choose from the nautical dining room or one of three outdoor decks. Fulton’s is an 11-time wine of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence, with more than 2,000 bottles in the cellar.

Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop, Downtown Disney Marketplace. If ice cream is your idea of a meal, this spot offers everything from scoops to floats, sundaes and malts. Of course they make the fudge for their “World-Famous Hot Fudge Sundae.”

House of Blues, Downtown Disney West Side. Contemporary comfort food is a rustic dining room with lots of folk art, plus a live concert venue next door. Pulled pork sliders, shrimp and grits, blackened fish and other Southern specialties. New Smokehouse walk-up window for quick service pulled pork or chicken sandwiches, smoked turkey legs and ribs.

Paradiso 37, Downtown Disney Marketplace. Great waterfront seating, 37 kinds of tequila and ice-cold beer. The menu features “street foods” of the Americas, such as quesadillas, chorizo and beef skewers, ceviche, Baja fish tacos and other casual bites.

Planet Hollywood, Downtown Disney West Side. The iconic globe is built on three levels and packed with movie and TV memorabilia. The menu features generous burgers, sandwiches and pastas. Part of the fun is wandering through the restaurant to check out authentic costumes and props, creatures from aliens to King Kong and, of course, Disney characters.

Portobello, Downtown Disney Marketplace. Grab a seat on the waterfront porch for the best views in this trattoria that serves wood-burning-oven pizzas, antipasti, and hearty dishes like ravioli filled with ricotta and spinach, gnocchi and penne Bolognese.

Raglan Road, Downtown Disney between Marketplace and West Side. Noted Irish Chef Kevin Dundon opened this outpost to share his Irish cuisine including fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, braised lamb shanks and Irish Mist-glazed loin of bacon. Lively bar, live music, Irish dancing.

Rainforest Café, Downtown Disney Marketplace. Fluttering butterflies, tropical rain showers, talking banyan trees, live birds and animated gorillas bring the outdoors inside at Rainforest Café. Guests can sample a meal with tropical flair or a refreshing beverage at the Mushroom Juice and Coffee Bar.

Splitsville Luxury Lanes, Downtown Disney West Side. A bowling alley and a restaurant – the food is impressive, including sushi, gluten-free pizzas, cheeseburger sliders and veggie rice bowls. With 30 bowling lanes, you can burn up the calories.

Two new Starbucks locations include a storefront at Downtown Disney West Side and a kiosk near World of Disney at Downtown Disney Marketplace. Look for the familiar green roof at the West Side flagship Starbucks, part of the company’s commitment to be environmentally conscious.  The design includes a covered patio overlooking the waterfront and a fireplace, as well as the new Clover Bar, featuring special reserve coffees brewed to order. A high-tech screen behind the Clover Bar will show images from coffee regions around the globe, and a new Human Connection Wall will include large touch-screen monitors that allow guests to use their finger to draw images.

T-Rex Café: A Prehistoric Family Adventure, Downtown Disney Marketplace. Enter a world of prehistoric creatures in this dinosaur-themed family eatery that serves up pizzas, pastas, sea bass and more, and features life-sized animated dinosaurs that dwell among bubbling geysers, waterfalls and a fossil dig site.

Wetzel’s Pretzels, Downtown Disney Westside: Grab a warm pretzel or a hot dog wrapped in one at this walk-up window.

Wolfgang Puck Cafe, Downtown Disney West Side. Noted Chef Wolfgang Puck’s fusion of Asian-California cuisine is on the menu, with everything from gourmet pizzas to sushi. Upstairs, the more formal The Dining Room takes food to fine-dining level: Florida Gulf catch of the day, miso-glazed salmon, wild mushroom pappardelle. Or grab a quick bite, Wolfgang Puck Express – pizzas, sandwiches, salads.

– See more at: http://wdwnews.com/releases/2014/12/09/from-food-trucks-to-fine-dining-eclectic-eats-at-downtown-disney/#sthash.cbiiDZVb.dpuf

With dozens of unique shops that stretch from the Marketplace to the West Side, there’s no need to hit the mall during the bustling holiday season.  Downtown Disney is a 120 acre shopper’s delight with stylish boutiques such as Cherry Tree Lane and TrenD, a shop for sports enthusiasts in the Trophy Room, plus enough toys, games and princess costumes to fill Santa’s sleigh at Once Upon a Toy and World of Disney.

Strolling through the shopping mecca, sweet aromas of the season fill the air at Ghirardelli Chocolates, while scented custom soaps and fragrant bath products invite shoppers into Basin.  There’s the new Marketplace Co-Op (a collection of six unique boutiques), LEGO Imagination Center, plus an entire room at Disney’s Days of Christmas—where it’s the holidays 365 days a year – that has transformed into a “Frozen” wonderland overflowing with Anna, Elsa and Olaf merchandise.

To enhance the shopping wonderland there’s strolling musicians, yuletide carolers, toy soldier stilt walkers, and even meet and greets with Santa Claus at his chalet. And for the first time ever, parents can check in at a podium and will be paged when their turn comes to meet Santa.

Tis’ the season for shopping sprees with an endless list of gift options: Custom-painted Tom’s shoes offered at Curl by Sammy Duval. Arribas Brothers’ hand-sculpted creations range from vases to jewelry including a new Olaf-inspired necklace. Sunglass Icon is a perfect stop to score an eyewear gift for fashion-forward friends. And for the canine lovers, a variety of breed-specific dog ornaments can be found at Happy Hound. Two new additions to Downtown Disney, Set the Bar and Sublime, are “can’t-miss” shops featuring an eclectic collection of gifts — from flasks and barware to candles and cards.

“There are many unique shops in Downtown Disney with some that even offer customized gift options,” said Steven Miller, merchandise communications manager with Disney Theme Park Merchandise. “From personalized phone cases, to Star Wars Build a Droid, you really can find something for everyone on your holiday gift list at Downtown Disney.”

Here’s some of Steven’s picks of what’s hot this holiday season:

• Disney Days of Christmas – Shoppers find shelves and showrooms stocked with Disney themed and specialty ornaments and decor, plus it’s a one-stop shop for all things “Frozen,” including costumes and accessories. Located at Downtown Disney Marketplace.
• D-Tech on Demand at Marketplace Co-Op – This boutique is the place to create customized and personalized phone cases, including new holiday designs exclusive to this location.
• Beautifully Disney – This beauty destination for women inside the Marketplace Co-Op features enchanting make-up, fragrances and beauty accessories in a variety of collections.
• Disney Parks Collection By Vera Bradley – Known for their fashionable quilted cotton luggage, handbags and accessories, Vera Bradley created a special line for Disney Parks. At Cherry Tree Lane at Downtown Disney Marketplace.
• Disney Infinity 2.0  at Once Upon a Toy – This massive toy store is the headquarters for all things related to Disney Infinity 2.0. This game, released by Disney Interactive, encourages guests to play in a game universe with endless opportunities to create stories and fun-filled adventures featuring all-new characters and powers. The location contains starter packs, individual figures, and power discs used in the game. At Downtown Disney Marketplace.
• Holiday Minnie Mouse Package at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique – The Holiday Minnie Package was reintroduced at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique inside World of Disney. This cheery, limited-time, holiday package includes shimmering makeup, nail polish, a Princess sash, a Princess cinch bag, and choice of hairstyle. The package also includes a festive a Holiday Minnie Mouse costume with a coordinating Minnie Mouse headband. This offer ends on Jan. 2, 2015, or while supplies last. Guests can call 407-WDW-STYLE (407-939-7895) or visit http://www.DisneyWorld.com/Style to make a reservation.

• Retail MagicBands and Accessories – Special holiday themed Olaf or Minnie Mouse MagicBands are a fun way to show your Disney Side during the season. Look for them at Disney’s Pin Traders and DisneyQuest Emporium.

If experiences are on your gift list, pick up a gift card from one of the many Downtown Disney offerings – including Splitsville Luxury Lanes, Raglan Road and AMC Dine-In Theatres. A magical balloon ride offers a bird’s eye view of Downtown Disney with Characters in Flight. A night out at La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil offers a mesmerizing performance featuring an international cast.

Fuel your purchasing power with a bite from the Food Trucks at Exposition Park, featuring up to four Disney-themed food trucks on the West Side. Also open to guests, a portion of the new West Garage, where additional complimentary parking is available. The garage will open in phases; all spaces are expected to be open by late spring 2015.

Guests staying on Disney property can take advantage of complimentary resort transportation for ease and convenience. Local guests can follow signs to the available parking lots, or valet parking for a hassle-free option. Most shops offer complimentary merchandise delivery to Disney resort hotels, or there’s a shipping option for a nominal fee. Marketplace Hours: 10am – 11pm (Sun-Th); 10am – 11:30pm (Fri/Sat). West Side: 10:30am – 11pm (Sun-Th); 10:30am – 12am (Fri/Sat).

In the Downtown Disney District, guests may take a break from their holiday shopping and dining to go skating on “Olaf’s Frozen Ice Rink.” The rink opens for 60-minute skating sessions from 3 to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, and 3 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. This year, the Downtown Disney Winter Village around Olaf’s Frozen Ice Rink is bigger than ever, offering shoppers holiday gift items such as “Frozen” plush toys, holiday crystal from Arribas Brothers, art works, clothing and accessories, all sold from the windows of the charming village houses. Hot chocolate from Ghirardelli along with coffee, sweets and baked goods from La Brea Bakery are also available at the Downtown Disney Winter Village.

The Hotels of the Disneyland Resort join in the holiday festivities with twinkling lights and ornaments, special entertainment and holiday dining with themed menus. The six-foot-high gingerbread house in the spacious lobby of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is large enough for hot chocolate to be sold from its window. Guests also will enjoy new and favorite menu items at Napa Rose in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, and at Steakhouse 55 in the Disneyland Hotel, which recently debuted a seasonal Chef’s Tasting Menu.

One of the many benefits of staying at one of the hotels of the Disneyland Resort is Extra Magic Hour,* an early admission option available to registered hotel guests every day of their  hotel stay. Extra Magic Hour offers admission prior to park opening to select attractions, stores, entertainment and dining locations in Disneyland Park (currently Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) and Disney California Adventure Park, including Cars Land (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays). Extra Magic Hour is only available for guests who book and stay at a Disneyland Resort Hotel, and each registered hotel guest (ages 3 and older) must have a valid theme park ticket and active hotel room key card.*

Guests wishing to stay in one of the Disneyland Resort hotels will enjoy a special hotel offer** during the holiday season. When guests book through Nov. 19, they may save up to 20 percent on premium rooms Sunday through Thursday nights through Dec. 18, at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland Hotel or Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel.**  Weekend discounts are not available and discounts are not available Nov. 13 through 16, and Nov. 21 through Dec. 13. To book, call 714-520-6425 or visit www.disneyland.com/offers. 

For more details about Holidays at the Disneyland Resort, visit www.disneyland.com/holidays.