Author: touringplans.com

This week Getting to Know Universal visits The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar at Universal CityWalk. Cowfish was founded in Raleigh, NC, when two brothers each had an idea for a restaurant to open: one sushi, the other burgers. To save money (and split a kitchen) they combined their ideas into one restaurant. Cowfish opened at CityWalk in 2014 and resides above Vivo Italian Kitchen and Red Oven Pizza Bakery.

The Experience

Cowfish’s unique fusion of cultures starts with its design and attitude. In the lobby, kids can customize their own fish on large touch screens which then appear in a virtual fish tank inside the restaurant. At the reception desk, a large fishbowl topped with a pair of chopsticks is home to real fish.

The restaurant’s walls are covered in a merge of pop and Japanese Ukiyo-e art inspired by Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and Sharaku. Art includes a T-Rex and King Kong fighting in downtown Tokyo and a 17th-century Japanese-print-art-inspired portrait of Elvis eating a burger. Natural wood tables, red and white chairs, and multicolored booths are accented by fish scale lighting fixtures and partitions throughout the large dining spaces.

The restaurant’s outdoor patio offers some of the best views at the resort outside of Bar 17 at the Aventura Hotel. Guests overlook the CityWalk marina where they can watch a musical performance  or see the fireworks from one of two nighttime shows at the parks.

Never pretentious or unwelcoming, Cowfish acknowledges its absurd existence and plays with it.

The Food & Drink

The star of Cowfish is the hybrid high-end sushi and burger bar menu. Appetizers range from the American truffle fries and fried pickles to Japanese-inspired edamame and sashimi. Touring Plans is a fan of the Crab Ragoon Dip and I order the Fried Pickles every trip.

For the entrees, half is dedicated to sushi. Classics like the California Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, nigiri, and sashimi are on the menu and are served with ginger and wasabi. Cowfish also created their own speciality rolls such as the Geisha Roll (lobster and shrimp inside, topped with tuna) and the Tropical Storm Roll (Kani, avocado, and cucumber inside, topped with tuna, salmon, yellowtail).

The other half of the entrees feature burger creations like The Cowfish Has Left the Building Burger (a full pound of meat, peanut butter, fried bananas, and bacon), Hoisin Burger (short ribs, bacon, pickled red onions, and English cucumber), and the Black & Brie Burger (brie cheese, blackberries, marinated Asian pear, microgreens).

But what if you want both sushi and a burger? Cowfish has you covered with “Burgushi”, entrees that combine the styles and flavors of each cuisine into one unique dish. The Taste Explosion Roll a beef burger in the shape of sushi (cooked, of course). What’s Shakin Tuna Bacon Sandwich is a spin on the classic BLT by adding tuna, jalapeños, spicy mayo, and spring roll wrapper “buns”. For those who want both sushi and burgers, but separate, pick up a bento box that includes burger sliders, a sushi roll, and choice of sides.

To complement the burgers, Cowfish also features a selection of house-made milkshakes that give Toothsome a run for its money. While this humble author is lactose intolerant, the Rice Crispy milkshake gets rave reviews from friends. For the adult who just bought a family’s worth of Harry Potter merchandise and needs to take their mind off the upcoming credit card bill, Cowfish also offers a solid selection of beer, wine, sake, and cocktails.

The Opinion

With its unique spin on casual dining, Cowfish remains a hit with families and young adults. The menu is surprisingly complex yet also simple and approachable; if you have ever wanted to try sushi (cooked or raw) come to Cowfish. The sushi ranges from subtle and refined to over-the-top American while the burgers are all cooked with never frozen beef and feature unique, fresh toppings. Come to Cowfish if you want a funky and fun lunch or dinner.

Have you eaten at Cowfish? Let us know you thoughts in the comments below.

The post Getting to Know Universal – The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Universal Orlando Resort, citywalk, The Cowfish, universal citywalk

Wow! How did we get here already? It’s already the end of July?! In one of the weirdest years ever….I’m not sure how we’ve already hit this point on the calendar.

This week, find out what the newest Pixar film will be, see which Disney movie may not be showing in theaters when they reopen anymore, and more.

In Case You Missed It – Disney and Universal Orlando News and Rumors

The Magic Kingdom has topped TripAdvisor’s annual Traveler’s Choice Awards.

Carlye Wisel took at look at if the theme parks should be open, after visiting Walt Disney World recently.

Disney got a number of Emmy nominations!

Disney has removed Mulan from the box office calendar and delays Avatar and Star Wars films. What do you think of this move? (Also, at this point…we’re never going to see Avatar’s sequel….not that anyone is really clamoring for it…besides James Cameron.)

Congrats to Alan Menken! He just became the 16th EGOT winner!

Disney and scary doesn’t necessarily go together, but there’s a new list of some of the scariest Disney films. Which are your favorites? (And trust me…after looking at the list, there are some truly terrifying things on it!)

Yay! A new original Pixar film! Luca will be coming to theaters next year! What do you think of the premise?

Disney+ may be including the Broadway musical ‘Once On This Island‘.

The post In Case You Missed It: News and Rumors – Week of July 31, 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: In Case You Missed It

Today’s Guest Review comes from Annie Cronin, who takes us into her kitchen to try out making Mickey Waffles at home. 

Want to get a “taste” of Disney without leaving home?  The Disney Mickey Double Flip Waffle Maker is the way to go.  When paired with the Golden Malted Original Waffle Mix, your homemade waffles will give you a Disney experience right in your own kitchen without having to use any dining credits.

The Disney Mickey Double Flip Waffle Maker is convenient, delicious, and family friendly way to make Mickey-shaped waffles at home.  Each side of the “double flip” makes three Mickey waffles, for a total of six Mickey waffles at a time.  You do not need to use both sides, but why not get as many Mickey waffles as you can?  Separately, you can purchase the Golden Malted Original Waffle Mix, which is the same waffle mix they use at Disney!  (That mix is more expensive than some waffle mixes, so you can also use your favorite waffle mix from your local grocery store.)

The mix has easy-to-follow instructions on the back of the packaging and calls for only four ingredients. The recipe requires one cup of the Golden Malted mix, an egg, five ounces of water, and two tablespoons of melted butter. Preparation time takes roughly five minutes and is easy to complete.  All you have to do is mix the ingredients in a bowl.

 

Cooking the waffles in the mold takes about two to three minutes per flip and the machine will beep to let you know when it is done. There is a setting for you to decide how light or dark you want your waffles.  The biggest problem I had with the product was how messy it was to pour the mix into the molds. Without the right tools, you could be spilling a lot of waffle mix onto your counter.

The Disney Mickey Double Flip Waffle Maker includes a small pouring cup to pour the mix into the waffle maker.  Since the directions give you enough mix for about nine waffles, you could pour the mix into a squeeze bottle and then easily save any extra in the refrigerator for next time.  This would also help with pouring the mix into the waffle maker.  I would be happy to use a Touring Plans squeezable water bottle for this.  What do you think, Len?

With that being said, the waffle maker is quite easy to clean up. Just use a damp (not wet), clean kitchen sponge and you should be good to go to wipe away any waffle mix still on the waffle maker.

When the waffles are done, they are quite easy to remove with a spatula. The waffles are delicious, especially with some butter and maple syrup. They are crispy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside. Most importantly, they are the true Mickey shape and size as in the parks! They completely mimic the Mickey waffles sold at Disney.

I would also recommend adding other ingredients such as chocolate chips, blueberries, M&Ms, or anything else you could think of!  You can add them right into the mix or put them on top of the finished waffles.  My Dad likes to put strawberries and whipped cream on them.

Is this a good value?  When your Dad pays for the waffle maker and the mix, then yes!  The waffle maker was originally $74.99 on the Shop Disney website. (Currently it is sold out, however items like this go in and out of stock frequently.)  If possible, I would recommend waiting until one of the Friends and Family sales where you can get 25% off.  If you cannot wait, you can 10% off by using your Disney Visa from Chase.  Or wait, and double dip on a double flip by using both discounts. For an added deal, Disney regularly has offers for free shipping for orders over $75.  You can add a set of Mickey measuring cups to get your total above $75.

If you can get the waffle maker on sale, then I think it is a good value.  Aside from the functionality of the machine, I love the design. The Mickey pattern is so cute and fun. I am 18 and I was excited to see it, so I cannot even imagine how happy younger kids might be. It is a nice little slice of Disney at home and, at the right price, I could not recommend it more.

 

Pros:

• Mickey Waffles- what else needs to be said
• With the Golden Malted mix, tastes like the waffles at Disney
• Can bring some Disney magic right into your own home
• Easy enough for younger kids to help. Only four ingredients and no need for a power mixer.  It can easily be mixed by hand.

 

Cons:

• At $74.99 (or more if you have to buy it from a third-party seller), the waffle maker is expensive.
• The mix is a separate cost. On the Golden Malted website, a two-pound bag is $9.89.  You can also find the mix on Amazon which may include free shipping.  To save money, you can use a less expensive mix.
• Storage may be an issue for some people. The waffle maker measures 8 inches tall by 8 inches wide by 13 ½ inches long.

 

Have you made Mickey Waffles at home? Let us know what your experience is like in the comments.

 

Annie Cronin is a recent graduate of the Pingree School in South Hamilton, MA. She plans to attend Rhodes College in Memphis, TN, with a major in political science and international relations. Having been to Walt Disney World several times, she considers herself to be a Disney fanatic. Aside from her other hobbies, Annie is on a one-woman crusade to prove Stitch is the best Disney character and she can often be found watching Disney’s Fairytale Weddings.

The post Review: The Disney Mickey Double Flip Waffle Maker appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Walt Disney World (FL), disney at home, Mickey Waffles

Hello, everyone! I’ve emerged from my underground lair, carefully wending my way through months of discarded Mickey Bar boxes, broken Priceline Express links, and unsuccessful attempts to avoid stepping on my own beard.

You may be happy to know that in between tours of my daughter’s Animal Crossing island and repeated viewings of the King George portions of Hamilton, I have created something that might tickle the Disney savings portion of your brain.

If my third-grade biology knowledge is any help, I believe the savings-brain lives within the parietal lobe and also houses that reflex you have when you walk up to Aloha Isle hankering for a Dole Whip, see a long line, and pull out your mobile order app to bypass all the suckers patiently waiting guests. In any case…

Thesis

If one assumes that Disney will increase the cost of annual passes every year and one buys a fistful of Annual Passes (APs) now at the current price, would one save money?

First, lets get some quick facts out of the way.

Fact One

In case you didn’t notice, Disney tends to increase ticket and/or AP prices each year. In fact, since 2000 there have only been two years where AP prices did not increase – but Disney thoughtfully made up for that with multiple increases in two other years. Most increases were within a few points of inflation, but there have been double digit increases in 3 of the last 4 years. Here is how a summary of increases looks over time.

Fact Two

If you buy an Annual Pass voucher now, they are valid for use until the year 2030*, so you could add several passes to your long-term hoard of investable Disneyana. (I suspect they may be a better bet than a drawer full of Galaxy’s Edge sporks and Apple Dumpling Gang Tsum Tsums.)

*I am conveniently ignoring the fact due to some unusual global matters you may have heard of, APs are not on sale right this very minute. But I assume they will be at some point in the future.

Fact Three

If you spend a bunch of cashola on something now that you plan to use later, it is wise to take into account your opportunity cost. In this case, less money in your bank account means less money earning interest. (Although with the rates these days, interest is hardly interesting.)

Also, please remember that past price increases do not predict future ones, and please please don’t raid your 401k in the pursuit of Disney Nirvana, at least without discussing things over with your financial planner.

Methodology

In these evenings of pandemic silence I have carefully crafted a spreadsheet to help model some scenarios. To begin we need to make some assumptions, then choose when and how to use the APs.

I think a modest purchase of 3 APs will be a good place to start. A 6% annual price increase seems fairly conservative as it is near at the bottom of the historical average. I also think assuming the cash we use would have earned 1% interest per year is a generous one. (By the way, did you know the average bank interest rate right now is a measly 0.1%?! Sheesh.) I think this initial combination will give us a fair idea of what we might save while not overestimating it.

Now, I’m betting some people might make the argument that Disney won’t be raising AP prices any time soon because they really need to get people in the parks. That could end up being the case – but limited travel in 2001 and a bad economy in 2008 didn’t stop them from increasing prices in following years. I’m more of the mind that there will be increases at least to cover additional costs.

One last thing: These scenarios are for one person and assume the vouchers you buy now are each used in different years later. While this tactic would of course still work if you bought multiple vouchers now and then used them all in a single year for you and your family – the calculations would be different than you see here.

Let’s take a look at how these assumptions shake out.

Using Annual Passes Sequentially

In the table above, I chose to start using the AP vouchers in 2022. In this first example, I selected sequential years so we could compare the buy-up-front tactic to simple AP renewals later. The orange and green columns show what the price of an AP or a Renewal would be in each year. The Interest Missed column tallies up returns lost by giving it all to The Mouse.

So, here’s the wrap up on this example: if we purchased 3 AP vouchers now, it would cost $3,885, cash money. (Although you could save more money by using discounted Disney gift cards to buy the vouchers!) If we instead bought these APs in the future years we plan to use them, they would have cost $4,632. If we compare the difference between the two and add in the lost interest, our tactic will have saved us $631, or 16.2% of our initial investment. Not too shabby.

However, you may have noticed an additional table at right: when the years you select to use the AP vouchers are sequential, this table will tell you whether buying 1 AP now and then simply using the renewal discount later would save you more money than buying multiple APs up front. In this particular instance, the renewal tactic would have you ahead about $26. (Which is kind of a wash in my opinion.)

Interestingly, if you pushed your first AP use off just one more year to 2023, the renewal option would no longer be ahead.

As you can see above, the longer you wait to use your AP vouchers, the more you benefit from price increases. In this case, using your first AP one year later increases the multiple AP savings to $870 and *beats* the renewal tactic by $84.

And remember folks: this is all estimated assuming a 6% annual price increase. If you instead used the 7-year average increase of 8.73%, the savings from buying multiple APs in this last scenario would jump up to $1,402.

Using Passes Non-Sequentially

Now, let’s up the ante: If you are like my family, we are often locked in to certain dates because of school and work schedules. Even if we planned to buy APs for multiple years, there would likely be large sections of the vacation calendar with tiny tumbleweeds blowing across them. This takes the possibility of renewals right out for us. So, what if we space out the years we use these AP vouchers?

You can see with the same initial “investment”, spreading out the use years has increased our savings to $887. (That is $256 more than the sequential use savings.) I’m beginning to think this is a viable technique. Do you?

An Informal Poll

I was talking to Len Testa about this, and he had an interesting question:

• If you had some cash burning a hole in your fanny pack and were thinking of trying this technique, what percentage return on your initial cash outlay would make it worth it to you?
• Which leads me to ask: How many years out would you be willing to hold on to an AP to maximize your savings?

Let us know in the comments!

A Painful Reward

So, for those of you who have made it this far in the post I thought I’d share another set of AP purchase tables. Over the last 7 years annual passes have increased in price from $779 to $1,295. Ouch.

What if we had this idea back in 2015 and bought the same 3 passes, but didn’t start using them until this year? You may have noticed I had an AP Cost Override column in my spreadsheets – I can use that to start the same model back in 2015 and then enter the actual AP costs for each year.

How well would we have done?

Well. We would have done very well. With an initial outlay of $2,337, we would have saved $1,884, or 80.6% of our initial investment! Now, we had to have the patience to wait 5 years to use your vouchers, but man, I need to have my ideas earlier.

If you know that you won’t be visiting Walt Disney World for a few years, would you consider buying Annual Passes now to save money in the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

The post Annual Passes: Buy Now Save Later appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Saving Money, Walt Disney World (FL), Annual Passes, Walt Disney World Annual Pass

There’s no denying that the appeal of The Child is still going strong even though we’ve been without new episodes of The Mandalorian in quite some time. We’ve found lots of new items for The Child on shopDisney online.

Here’s some of our favorite finds:

• The Child Magnetic Shoulder Plush – $19.99
• The Child Twin Bed Set – $69.99
• The Child Collectible Pen – $12.99
• The Child Lunch Box – $16.99
• The Child ”Cutest in the Galaxy” T-Shirt for Kids – $22.99
• The Child ”Snack Time” on the Go Lunch Cooler – $34.99
• The Child Cooler Tote – $39.99

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Will you find The Way to shopDisney to pick up any of these items?

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From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Merchandise, Star Wars, the child merchandise