Lobster Roll from Columbia Harbour House

I was in the Magic Kingdom during the first week of October 2013 when I decided to try eating lunch at the Columbia Harbour House.  I usually skip this quick service place in favor of Pecos Bill or Cosmic Rays.  I decided to eat here because I wanted to try the Lobster Roll.  As soon as I received my order, I went to the upstairs where there were plenty of tables and picked one to sit at.  I took a picture before I tasted the Lobster Roll.

Lobster Roll from Columbia Harbour House

Lemonade with Wild Berry Foam from Sunshine Tree Terrace

Sunshine Tree Terrace was one of the early Magic Kingdom snack stands to serve refreshments.  They would feature the orange bird and promote drinks made with oranges.  For several years it was closed down.  Now Disney brought it back to life and brought back the orange bird.  It also introduced some new drinks. One of them is the Lemonade with Wild Berry Foam.  It is essentially minute maid lemonade topped with berry-flavored whip cream.  The whip cream does not add any enhancement to the taste.  I'd rather have LeFou's Brew for the price.  I took a picture of the drink so you can see how it is presented.

Lemonade with Wild Berry Foam from Sunshine Tree Terrace

Honey Chicken from Yak and Yeti Counter Service

On my recent trip during the first week of October 2013, I spent some time at the Animal Kingdom.  I dropped by the Yak and Yeti Counter Service to try the Honey Chicken.  I usually get the Sweet and Sour Chicken, but I wanted to switch it up this time.  As soon as I got the Honey Chicken, I took a picture of it.

Honey Chicken from Yak and Yeti Counter Service

The Honey Chicken is served in a take out Chinese food box.  There is white rice at the bottom of the box.  On top of the rice is the vegetable.  On top of the vegetable are pieces of fried chicken nuggets drizzled with honey sauce.  I thought that there was way too much honey sauce.  The sauce drowned all the rice.  The mix of the sauce and the chicken was ok.  The fried chicken nuggets tasted better without the sauce.  The vegetable was ok,  I would not order this again.  I prefer the sweet and sour chicken much better.

Croque Glace from L'Artisan des Glaces

When I was on my last trip to WDW during the first week of October 2013, I got asked by the Disney Foodies Facebook Group to try the Croque Glace from L'Artisan des Glaces in the France pavilion of the World Showcase in Epcot.  Luckily, when I got this request, I was on bus from Port Orleans French Quarter to Epcot.  L'Artisan des Glaces was the location of the old french bakery quick service that moved to an area near the exit of the movie theater.  I really like this new quick service place.  It serves ice cream.  One thing that they featured was the Croque Glace, which is ice cream with either chocolate or caramel sauce in a panini-pressed brioche roll.  I ordered it with pistachio ice cream with chocolate sauce.  I was wondering if the ice cream would remain frozen after being pressed in a sandwich iron.  As soon as I got the Croque Glace, I set it on a table, cut it in half and took a picture.

Croque Glace from L'Artisan des Glaces

I was surprised that the ice cream did not melt after being pressed into the brioche roll. I took a bite.  The taste was amazing!  The pistachio ice cream was cold and not too sweet.  The chocolate sauce blended well with the roll and the ice cream.  The roll was warm and tasty, and matched well with the pistachio ice cream.  Overall, I really liked this dessert and would definitely order it again.

Main Street USA at night during October 2013

I had the opportunity to be at the Magic Kingdom during the first week of October 2013 on a day that had Evening Extra Magic Hours.  I had a blast riding all the rides at night.  As the night winded down, I made my way down Main Street USA and snapped shots of the scenes at night.

Looking back at Cinderella's Castle and Main Street USA before exiting the Magic Kingdom

Fantasmic in October 2013

I had the opportunity to see Fantasmic in the first week of October.  It's been a while since I last watched Fantasmic.  I watched the show from the front, stage left.  Instead of explaining what I saw, I'm going to show you short video clips so that you can experience Fantasmic the way I saw it.

Onion Rings from Pecos Bills

During the first week of October 2013, I was in the Magic Kingdom during Evening Extra Magic Hours and was hungry for a snack.  To my surprise, Pecos Bill in Frontierland was open.  I made my way to the cashier to buy the onion rings.  Once I got the onion rings, I went to the toppings bar and filled two paper sauce cups with plastic cheese sauce.  I found a table and snapped a photo.

Onion Rings with Plastic Cheese sauce from Pecos Bill

The onion rings still had some oil on it.  They were still hot, so I had to be careful to not burn my mouth while eating them.  The fried batter tasted good.  The onions were well cooked. When I dipped the rings in the plastic cheese sauce and ate it, the rings tasted so much better.  The cheese really improves the taste.  I would definitely get this again!

Holiday Ham Sandwich now being offered at Earl of Sandwich for a limited time

Earl of Sandwich just tweeted me back after seeing my blog post review of the Holiday Turkey Sandwich that they are now offering a Holiday Ham Sandwich for a limited time.  I'm not sure how long this will be offered at the Downtown Disney location, or what exactly is in the sandwich.  If you are a fan of Earl of Sandwich, check this new sandwich out.

@kalegre79 Thanks for coming by! You'll be pleased to know we are now offering a Holiday Ham Sandwich for a limited time :)
— Earl of Sandwich (@earlofsandwich) October 28, 2013

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf and the Oven Roasted Salmon from Wolfgang Puck Express in the Marketplace section of Downtown Disney

I was looking at the posts in the Disney Foodies Facebook Group and saw an entree from Wolfgang Puck Express in the Marketplace section of Downtown Disney that got great reviews. It was of the Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf.  From the pictures that were posted, I was intrigued by the meatloaf that was wrapped with bacon strips.  Meatloaf is one of my favorite food to eat.  On my latest trip during the first week of October 2013, I made it a mission to go to Wolfgang Puck Express and get this entree to go to eat back at my room at Port Orleans French Quarter.  It is cool that Wolfgang Puck Express gives you the option to order your food to go.  As soon as I got French Quarter, I took a picture at the meatloaf.

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf from Wolfgang Puck Express in the Marketplace Section of Downtown Disney

Holiday Turkey Sandwich and the Potato Salad from Earl of Sandwich

I saw a picture post in the Disney Foodies Facebook group of a unique sandwich from Earl of Sandwich at Downtown Disney called the Holiday Turkey Sandwich.  I had to try this because I've never seen a sandwich like that.  I got this to go and brought it back to my room at Port Orleans French Quarter.  As soon as I took the wrapper off, I snapped a picture of it.

Holiday Turkey Sandwich  from Earl of Sandwich

LeFou's Brew at Gaston's Tavern in New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom

I heard that Disney was trying to make something that counters Universal Orlando's widely popular drink Butterbeer.  I had to go to the Magic Kingdom in the New Fantasyland to get to Gaston's Tavern, the place that serves LeFou's Brew.  Unlike Butterbeer, this drink is only served cold.  You can buy the drink only, or you can buy it served in a plastic beer stein.  I went with the cheaper option and just got mine in the standard clear plastic cup.  I took a picture of it outside at the fountain.

LeFou's Brew at Gaston's Tavern

LeFou's Brew is a apple juice tasting slushy with a marshmellow topping that resembles beer foam which has a hint of mango flavor.  The drink is not too sweet and very fruity tasting.  Compared to Butterbeer, this one was more refreshing and not candy tasting.  I liked the fact that the marshmellow foam blended well with the frozen apple juice.  I would definitely get this drink again, especially on a hot day.

Jalapeno Cheese Stuffed Pretzel at Disney Hollywood Studios

One my favorite snacks to get at the parks is the jalapeno cheese stuffed pretzel.  You usually can get these at the some of the snack kiosks.  The one that I tried on my most recent trip during the first week of October 2013 was at the kiosk right outside the exist of the Great Movie Ride at Disney Hollywood Studios.  This one was served warm, so make sure you get napkins to hold it!  Be careful when you bite into the pretzel because the cheese can be very hot like molten lava.  The cheese itself is not too hot.  The jalapeno does put a slight kick of heat.  The pretzel itself is not too salty.  This snack was tasty and filling when you are on the go.

Jalapeno Cheese Stuffed Pretzel at Disney Hollywood Studios

Halloween-Themed Soft Drink cups at Disney Hollywood Studios

When I was at Disney Hollywood Studios during the first week of October 2013, I went to the Studio Catering Company quick service restaurant to get a soda because I was extremely thirsty from the heat.  Once I sat down at a table, I noticed something interesting on the cup.  It had pumpkins, spiders, bats, candy images around it.  This was the first time that I saw holiday themes on soda cups.  This was cool of Disney to do this.  I took a picture so that I could document this.

Halloween-Themed Soft Drink Cup at Disney Hollywood Studios

Pineapple Dole Whip from Aloha Isle

One of the most frequently mentioned snacks at WDW is the dole whip.  It's served at WDW in two places: at Aloha Isle in the Magic Kingdom, and at Captain Cook's quick service restaurant in Polynesian Resort.  I tried the pineapple dole whip at Aloha Isle:

Pineapple Dole Whip from Aloha Isle

This is a non-dairy dessert, which is perfect for anyone that is lactose intolerant.  The pineapple dole whip is not too sweet and tastes really good.  It's the perfect dessert to enjoy when you need to cool off from the heat.  I highly recommend getting the pineapple dole whip!

Room 7223 at Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter Resort

I recently had the opportunity to stay at the moderate level resort Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter Resort during between the last week of September 2013 and the first week of October 2013.  Prior to leaving home, I did online check-in at Disney's new My Disney Experience website.  The website is still a work-in-progress because it glitched when it processed my check-in.  I was not sure if I got checked in or not.  As soon as I arrived via Disney's Magical Express bus, I went directly to the online check-in desk to ask the cast member if my online check-in was processed.  She looked in the reservation system and saw that my check-in was processed. Within two minutes, I got my information packet and key to the world card and a map of the resort showing me where my room was located at the resort.  The cast member assigned me room 7223, which is on the second floor of Building 7.  On the map, the x represents the lobby of Port Orleans French Quarter.  The circle represents the Building 7, where room 7223 is located.

Map of both Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter

Caprese Flatbread Pizza and Mediterranean Salad from Pinocchio Village Haus at Magic Kingdom

It's been some time since I last eaten a meal at Pinocchio Village Haus at the Magic Kingdom.  Back then, the place served a snack item that was a cult favorite to us Disney fans, Figaro Fries.  That item is now extinct, along with other items served there.  Disney totally revamped the menu.  I visited the Pinocchio Village Haus on two occasions during the first week of October 2013 to try out the new items.

Mediterranean Salad from Pinocchio Village Haus

Samosas at Mr. Kamal's Kiosk in Animal Kingdom

Recently, The Disney Food Blog revealed that new vegetarian offerings were being offered at Mr. Kamal's Kiosk, which is located right outside of the Flights of Wonder show in the Asia section of Animal Kingdom.  One of the items that caught my attention was the samosas.  I had to try this since I'm a big Indian food fan.  I headed down to the Animal Kingdom during the first week of October 2013 to try this out.  The order of samosas came quick.  As soon as I got this, I headed to side tables that were next to the kiosk.  I took a picture of the samosas when I sat down.

Samosas at Mr. Kamal's Kiosk in Animal Kingdom

The order consisted of 5 samosas with a mango chutney sauce.  The size of each samosa was smaller than those that I usually get back home.  Each one was fried then well drained of oil to not make it oily.  The inside of the samosa consisted of peas and potatoes mashed up with Indian seasoning.  It was quite tasty by itself.  I'm used to eating Indian food, so my taste buds liked the curry type seasoning.  I tried the mango chutney by itself.  It tasted very fresh and fruity.  The mango was not too sweet.  When tasting the samosa with the mango chutney, the samosa tasted a bit sweeter.  The mix was good, and there was more than enough chutney to eat with the samosas.  Overall, this makes a good snack to walk around the Animal Kingdom.  If you can't decide on a quick service meal, or are waiting to be seated at Yak and Yeti, drop by Mr. Kamal's and get the samosas!

The Welcome to Walt Disney World sign at the entrance to the Walt Disney World property

Anticipation always builds up in me every time I start getting closer and closer to Walt Disney World.  When my family used to drive down to WDW, it would slowly build whenever I see a WDW billboard announcing the distance to WDW.  I still get this excitement when I ride Disney's Magical Express Bus. On my arrival from latest trip which started on the last week of September 2013, I got to experience the arrival on board the Magical Express.  I was lucky enough to get the front seat.  The moment came when I got to the entrance of the WDW property.  I took the perfect picture of the welcome sign, which to me marks the start of the Disney vacation.  I always cheer everytime I see and cross the welcome sign.  I'm glad this time that the picture turned out really good!

The Welcome to Walt Disney World Sign at the entrance to the Walt Disney World property

Star Wars specials planned for 2014

I just saw this posted on the Dole Whip Daily Blog that was interesting.  It looks like Disney is planning some Disney specials to be on the Disney Channels in 2014.  For more information, check out the Dole Whip Daily Blog...

Dole Whip Daily Blog

Presidential Swirl from Sleepy Hollow at Magic Kingdom

Sleepy Hollow is a small food stand in the Magic Kingdom that serves waffle sandwiches, hand scoop and soft serve ice cream treats, and other desserts.  Daily, they have special desserts that are only served on that day.  When I went to Sleepy Hollow on a weekday during the first week of October 2013, the special for the day was the Presidential Swirl.  Imagine a red and blue Slurpee or Icee topped with a vanilla Soft Serve Ice Cream.  That is what the Presidential Swirl is.  I like Slurpees and I like vanilla Soft Serve Ice Cream.  I never had them together in one dessert.  I had to try this and see if this was as good as it looked.  As soon as I got it, I took a picture of it.

Presidential Swirl from Sleepy Hollow at Magic Kingdom

Breakfast at Pizzafari in Animal Kingdom

I normally eat my breakfast at the Disney resort that I'm staying, whether that is the breakfast at the food courts in the value or moderate resorts or some leftovers from dinner the night before.  I was at Port Orleans French Quarter during the first week of Oct 2013.  I wanted to change routine and head to Animal Kingdom to try breakfast at Pizzafari.  When I got to Pizzafari, it was nearly empty.  The cast members were nice and helped explain the items that were being served for breakfast.  I saw what I wanted, the Spinach and Goat Cheese Frittata with Potatoes and Salsa.  As soon as I got the dish, I took a picture.

Spinach and Goat Cheese Frittata with Potatoes and Salsa at Pizzafari in Animal Kingdom

The frittata was very dense and looked like it was made with real eggs instead of the powdered stuff typically served.  The potatoes looked well cooked and well seasoned.  The frittata was easy to cut into.  As soon as I took my first bite, I said "wow".  This frittata tasted so good.  The goat cheese was really prominent in the taste without being overpowering.  The spinach complimented the egg and goat cheese.  The salsa was fresh and blended well with the frittata and the potatoes.  The potatoes were not overcooked, and had just the right about of seasoning.  This is one dish I wish was offered at the resort food courts because it's so good.  If you are ever at Animal Kingdom during the morning hours and have not had anything to eat, give this one a try and you will not be disappointed.

Watching Epcot's Illuminations from the bridge connecting the African Outpost and China

Epcot's nighttime fireworks show, Illuminations Reflection of Earth, is a great show to end your visit to Epcot.  It's designed to be seen anywhere around Epcot's World Showcase.  However, most people see this show around the entrance to the World Showcase, around France, around the American Adventure, around Italy, around Germany.  Those places tend to be super crowded.  I tend to like watching this without the crowds.  One place that I favor watching this is at the bridge that connects the African Outpost to China.  The ends of the bridges make the perfect table for putting your food and drinks.  I took some pictures of the fireworks from that spot so that you can see my view of the fireworks.

Animation Academy at Disney Hollywood Studios

If you are ever at the Animation Courtyard, you will see an attraction called "The Magic of Disney Animation". It's an attraction where animators show the creation of Mu-Shu from the animated feature movie "Mulan".  After the feature, you are exited to an area which houses more examples of animation, as well as a meet-and-greet with Disney Characters.  Tucked away is an attraction called "Animation Academy" where you can learn how to draw your favorite Disney characters exactly how the animators draw them.  You are led into a room filled with light desks and stools.  Once you sit in a stool, you will see a piece of paper and pencil that you will use to draw your character. Towards the front of the room is a large projection screen and the animator that will project what he/she is drawing.  It is totally dark in the room except for the light tables illuminating your spot.

The front of the Animation Academy

Lychee Juice at the Japan Pavilion at Epcot's World Showcase

 at It was a hot day at Epcot when I visited on one of the days of the first week in October 2013.  The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival was going on, and there just seemed to be a lot of people at the World Showcase.  I was extremely thirsty and wanted something other than soda to drink. I happened to be at the Japan pavilion and saw a couple of mobile kiosks next to the stand that sells sake and beer.  These kiosks sold interesting snack foods Japan.  What caught my attention was the drinks that were buried underneath the pile of ice.  One drink in particular interested me, Lychee Juice.  Lychee is a type of tropical fruit that is found in southeast Asia that has a white fleshy texture and a really sweet taste.  The juice cost around $4.00.  As soon as I bought it, I took a picture of it.

Lychee Juice at the Japan Pavilion at Epcot's World Showcase

This was the most refreshing drink I ever had at Epcot.  That is saying a lot because I've tried a lot of the specialty non-alcoholic drinks at Epcot and did not find anything that I would like to buy again.  This one cooled me down and enabled me to chillax. The taste was sweet like the Lychee fruit. I felt re-hydrated and ready to walk around the World Showcase again.  If you ever are at the Japan pavilion, make sure that you give this a try.

Frontierland Band

I was playing the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game in Frontierland on one of the days during the first week of October 2013 when I ran into a performance of the Frontierland Band.  They are a three piece band consisting of two banjo players and a tuba player in western costumes.  Besides being great musicians, they are great comedians, making jokes and entertaining the kids and the parents that are around.  I took a video of them with my Samsung Galaxy S3.  Enjoy.

Air Supply at Epcot Eat to the Beat

Air Supply at Eat to the Beat during the 2013 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival

On October 4, 2013, I went to the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival hoping to catch the Go-Go's.  To my surprise, I totally mixed up the days and ended up missing them.  Instead, the act performing at Epcot Eat to the Beat that day was the 80's duo Air Supply.  I got to the theater late so all the seats were taken.  However, I saw that the cast members allowed people to sit along the side ledges that were on the sides of the walkway to the seats.  The view was good from the ledges, so I decided to sit there.

I was able to catch the tail end of their first song that they performed, "Even The Nights Are Better".  I took a video of it using my Samsung Galaxy S3.

Eating and drinking around the 2013 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival

I was lucky enough to time my vacation to attend the first week of the 2013 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.   It was years since I've been to this festival.  A lot has changed since then.  I saw a lot of sites that had previews of the food and drinks being offered at this year's festival. That built up my excitement for the new things that I can try. As soon as I checked in to Port Orleans French Quarter, I boarded a bus to Epcot.  As I got to the World Showcase, I asked myself "what do I try first"?  The place was packed with people.  Most people were tipsy with all the drinks they were consuming.   The lines were long at most of the festival kiosks.  I decided to head to Canada to try the Seared Rainbow Trout.   I needed to get my fish fix, so I was hoping that this would satisfy it.  At the end of the long line, I finally got the trout.

Seared Rainbow Trout from the Canada Kiosk

Starship Featuring Mickey Thomas at Epcot's Eat to the Beat - September 23, 2013

Starship Featuring Mickey Thomas at Epcot's Eat to the Beat at the 2013 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival

I had the opportunity to be at Epcot in time for 2013's Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.  While I always enjoy the food and drinks (and lots of those) at F&W, I really like the musical acts that Disney invites to perform during the festival.  This year, I watched Starship featuring Mickey Thomas on September 23, 2013 at the 8:00pm show.  I waited in line so that I can get great front row seats.  It was worth the wait because my seats were towards the front at stage left.  I knew that Starship's lineup has changed over the years since their glory days in the 1980s.  The question that I had in my mind was if they still had it to perform live on stage.  As soon as Mickey Thomas hit the stage, the audience was cheering and chanting for him to perform "We Built This City".  Mickey did not disappoint and performed "We Built This City".  This was one of my favorite 80s songs, and I frequently listen to this over the radio and XM.  The audience was singing along with Mickey to this song.  I have to admit, I did too!  Below is a video that I shot (using my Samsung Galaxy S3) of Starship performing "We Built This City".