Time for another installment of Pictures from the Parks, where we share some random sights from our recent trips in the Walt Disney World theme parks.
Without a doubt, the holidays are coming to every corner of Walt Disney World. If there’s a place to put up a tree or hang some evergreen swag, Disney will toss some holly jolly on it. This includes the theme parks, the resorts, and even having characters get into the act.
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And, of course, you can’t have holidays without all sorts of treats, right? Here’s some of the ones that we’ve tried recently. and reviewed here on the blog.
Holiday Desserts at Amorette’s
We love holiday overlays on attractions, and so we’re thrilled that The Land is doing their holiday decorating… plus we got surprised by a very special friend wearing a new holiday sweater!
But it is not all holiday lights that had us oohing and aahing. Mother Nature has provided some amazing sunsets recently.
And, one more photo from EPCOT that had us in awe — watching the SpaceX flight of the Resilience with its crew of four headed to the International Space Station.
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EPCOT certainly takes a while to get into the holiday spirit, compared to its siblings. The Festival of the Holidays kicks off the day after Thanksgiving. But, the towering, glittering tree is now installed at EPCOT. And more resorts around Walt Disney World are decorated too. Let’s take a look.
EPCOT Christmas Tree
EPCOT’s Christmas Tree is globally themed, of course. It evokes the spirit of the park’s emphasis on how each part of the world has its own way of celebrating the winter holidays. Visually its ornaments are not as popular as Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studio’s Christmas trees, but the message they convey is lovely. The different holiday greetings of the countries represented in EPCOT adorn this sky-high tree. An angel is perched at the top, holding the world in its hands. At night it’s as if the tree is made of glittering gold. It’s a serene symbol of the beauty of this season.
Not too far down the road from EPCOT is Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. This upgraded Moderate resort is popular with conventioneers, groups, and families with older kids. Christmas decorations adorn El Centro, the resort’s hub where the front desk, merchandise, and some dining options are located. The decorations have warm bronze and earth tones and white poinsettias. They’re inspired by the Central American culture.
Coronado Springs Gran Destino Tower Christmas DecorationsCoronado Springs Gran Destino Tower Christmas Decorations
The resort’s new Gran Destino Tower is also decorated. Here vibrant jewel tone colors are showcased, especially festive red and green. A modern influence is woven into the décor here as opposed to the traditional influence at El Centro. A glittering Christmas tree stands proud in the lobby and can be seen from outside thanks to the panoramic windows near where the tree is displayed.
Are you excited about the holiday season being in full swing at Walt Disney World? What do you think of the holiday decorations at Coronado Springs?
Flame Tree BBQ is one of the few quick service restaurants with a full menu at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. Located near the center of the park, across from Discovery Trading Company, the menu is, not surprisingly, heavily focused on barbecued meats.
During the COVID era, food ordering is done almost exclusively via mobile order. You can initiate this directly through the My Disney Experience app on your mobile device or by scanning a QR code that’s posted on signage near the restaurant.
The current menu has seven main dishes: St. Louis rib dinner, 1/2 BBQ chicken, ribs and chicken combo platter, smokehouse chicken salad, pulled pork sandwich, pulled pork atop mac & cheese, and a plant-based hot link smokehouse sandwich.
I recently tried the two dishes based on pulled pork. The pork itself is slightly drier than I might like, though if I had to choose between too dry and and too fatty, I’d definitely opt for the former. The dishes work to moisten the meat with the addition of a nicely tangy BBQ sauce and either the creamy coleslaw topping or the creamy mac & cheese base. While the pork was good enough, the mac & cheese was a true standout. There’s no hint of pre-made boxed mac here; it’s a real hearty homemade recipe with a balanced mixed of cheddar and parmesan flavors and an al dente bite. While plain mac & cheese is not officially on the menu, vegetarians would do well by asking to have this served without the meat topping.
Pulled pork comes with a side of baked beans.The coleslaw adds a bit of needed moistness to the meat.The mac & cheese is topped with a few onion rings.The mac & cheese the real star of the dish.
My first beverage choice here was the mandarin orange lemonade, which tastes like standard lemonade and, in my opinion was not worth the $0.50 premium pricing over the standard fountain drinks.
I also tried the Halloween holiday special drink – Spooky apple punch. Now that they’re in Christmas mode, there’s a winter holiday version of a similar drink, but with a Mickey-shaped glow cube rather than a skeleton glow cube. It tasted like sweet, with no real discernible flavor other than sweet. I’m sure my impression was exacerbated by the accompanying sugar-coated straw and sugared cup rim, which tasted like, you guessed it, sweet. Not that any of this is necessarily a bad thing.
A word to the wise if you’re in the mood for a sugar rush to power you through your Animal Kingdom touring, place the straw into the drink with candied side down into the liquid.
Overall, Flame Tree is a reliable spot, particularly for meat eaters. There is outdoor seating scattered in several areas around the pickup counter. The best spots are behind the restaurant, close to the water where there are lovely places to catch the character cavalcade boats that power through the park waterways during the middle part of the day.
Whether you’re staying at Disney’s Yacht Club or nearby, or visiting EPCOT before the holiday fun kicks off there, you’re going to want to check out this review. At the Beach Club Marketplace you can mobile order three holiday treats that will put a jolly pep in your step. Since the EPCOT area currently lacks some holiday festiveness, our team headed to Beach Club to taste the Holiday Exclusive treats available at Beach Club Marketplace.
Trio of Holiday Fudge – White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge, White Chocolate Gingerbread Fudge, and a Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa Fudge $8.99
Pumpkin Cheesecake – A Pumpkin-flavored New York-style Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce, Whipped Cream, Sugar Leaves, and Pumpkin-flavored Sugar Crystals $5.49
Chocolate Crinkle Cookies – Chocolate lovers Crinkle Cookies with a dusting of Sweet Snow $5.19
Trio of Fudge from Beach Club Marketplace
We did not order it but there is also a plant-based Peppermint Brownie available for $4.99. The Trio of Holiday Fudge is a quintessential holiday treat. If you love traditional holiday flavors, you’re going to have a hard time deciding between the White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge, White Chocolate Gingerbread Fudge, and Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa Fudge. Our team selected the White Chocolate Gingerbread Fudge as their favorite of the three.
Pumpkin Cheesecake from Beach Club Marketplace
If you like pumpkin and cheesecake you can’t go wrong with the Pumpkin Cheesecake, naturally. The cake by itself is sweet enough, but the caramel sauce on top adds some more flavor and sweetness. For some pumpkin cheesecake traditionalist this may be too sweet. To those folks, our team suggests the Pumpkin Cheesecake Canoli at PizzeRizo at Hollywood Studios.
Crinkle Cookies from Beach Club Marketplace
The Chocolate Crinkle Cookies won out as the favorite of the three Holiday Exclusive treats we tried. Nice and chewy with nice chocolate flavor and not too sweet; these cookies are a great treat that won’t weigh you down.
There’s quite a bit of food and beverage options available even though the Beach Club guest rooms are closed. The Beach Club Marketplace is a very casual dining option inside the large merchandise shop at the Beach Club. It is the lowest rated quick dining option at Walt Disney World, according to our readers, with a 66% thumbs up rating. Perhaps these holiday treats will help boost its rating?
Will you be visiting Walt Disney World during the holidays? How do these Holiday Exclusive desserts sound?
Filed Under: Christmas, Holidays, Resorts, Snacks, disney christmas, disney desserts, disney dining, disney on site hotels, Disney Snacks, disney’s beach club
Happy birthday, Mickey Mouse (and Minnie too)! Today marks the 92nd anniversary of the release of “Steamboat Willie” – the first animated cartoon featuring Mickey Mouse (and Minnie is in it too). As one might expect there are lots of places to see the big cheese, including attractions, character appearances, and even food and beverage. Here’s our favorite ways to celebrate Mickey Mouse.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Mickey’s Philharmagic – Magic Kingdom
Character cavalcades at each of the four Walt Disney World theme parks
Chef Mickey’s – Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Garden Grill – EPCOT
Topolino’s Terrace – Disney’s Riviera Resort
Spice Up Your Holiday Sandwich at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway RailwaySocially Distanced Characters at Garden Grill
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is a runaway hit. It is the first ride dedicated to Mickey Mouse and his friends. But, let’s not forget about Mickey’s PhilharMagic over at Magic Kingdom. This multi-scensory movie does feature Donald Duck more than Mickey, but it is a still a fun way to see Mickey and his friends.
At each of the four Walt Disney World theme parks you can catch your favorite characters in a cavalcade. These cheerful cavalcades take place throughout the day at each park. They are not on a published schedule to prevent crowding, but they happen so frequently it’s easy to catch a few during your day in the parks. Mickey Mouse makes time in his busy schedule to appear in a cavalcade at each of the four parks. Check out our tips for viewing the character cavalcades at Magic Kingdom.
Mickey and Friends Cavalcade at EPCOT
There’s a few ways you can celebrate the mouse with a meal. Chef Mickey’s, Garden Grill, and Topolino’s Terrace each have family-friendly settings. Chef Mickey’s will resume character dining next month. Seeing Mickey at the Garden Grill is a must-do for any mouse fan. This restaurant inside The Land pavilion at EPCOT is amazingly cool–it rotates around through scenes of the Living with the Land ride. The food is fantastic and you get to meet and greet with Mickey and friends from a safe distance.
Spice Up Your Holiday Chicken Sandwich at Cosmic Ray’s
The Spice Up Your Holiday Chicken Sandwich is featured at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café. This spicy chicken sandwich is topped with Sriracha Aïoli and Pickle Slaw and sandwiched on a Santa Mickey Brioche Bun. For $11.99 it is one of the best deals in Magic Kingdom considering its elevated flavors and toppings–and the Santa Mickey Brioche Bun is adorable.
What’s your favorite way to see and celebrate Mickey Mouse at Walt Disney World?
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