The Festival of Fantasy Parade at the End Gate

The Festival of Fantasy Parade is an afternoon parade performed daily at the Magic Kingdom.  I was able to capture the parade at the tail end of the performance when it was winding down Main Street USA and entering the finish point at the end gates next to the firehouse.  I was fortunate to find an opening on the sidewalk near the gate to film this unique viewing of the parade.  It was cool to see that the performers were still in full entertainment mode till the very end, not breaking character as they were crossing the gates.  Disney does a fantastic job putting on this parade to all the visitors daily.  The video that I filmed showed the parade the way I viewed it from my spot on Main Street USA.

Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory in Port Orleans French Quarter - October 2013

I recently stayed at the Port Orleans French Quarter Resort during the first week of October 2013 and had the opportunity to try some of the quick service dishes offered at Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory.  When I first arrived at the resort, I wanted to have the Chicken Gumbo.  I've had this one before on my previous visits to the resort and enjoyed.  I was curious if this was still good.  I took a picture of the gumbo as soon as I sat at a table.

Chicken Gumbo

A generous serving of Chicken Gumbo is offered, and is served with crackers.  The gumbo is very tasty and not too salty.  There is plenty of chicken and and vegetable in the rue.  Do not be deceived by the size of the serving.  It is very filling.  If you are a fan of tasty stews and want something that will not break your food budget, this dish is for you.

Photo Tour around Port Orleans French Quarter Resort - October 2013

During the first week of October 2013, I had the opportunity to stay at Disney's Port Orleans French Quarter Resort.  This moderate level resort has a lot to offer. Let me take you all on photo tour of the resort.

Here is the bus stop where you catch your bus to the theme parks, water parks and Downtown Disney.  This bus stop is located at the front of the resort.  This is the only bus stop for this resort.

Here is the doorman that greets all visitors and guests to Port Orleans French Quarter

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.