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Disney Food Disney Merch

Best Gift Card Ideas for Disney Fans

Did the holidays sneak up on you? Were you certain you bought a gift for someone and put it in a safe place, but now you can’t find it? If that person is headed to Walt Disney World soon, a gift card can be a great gift option. And although Disney Gift Cards have the most flexibility at Walt Disney World, for merchandise, food, tickets, and more, there are also other gift cards that can be great options for a Walt Disney World vacation. Here’s some of what you can find.

Landry’s: Rainforest Cafe and Yak and Yeti

Best Gift Card Ideas for Disney Fans

These gift cards can be used at either Rainforest Cafe location (Disney Springs or Disney’s Animal Kingdom) or at Yak and Yeti at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Build-a-Bear Gift Card

Attached to T-Rex in Disney Springs you can find a Build-a-Dino store from Build-a-Bear. Your Build-a-Bear gift certificates will work there.

Uniqlo

Best Gift Card Ideas for Disney Fans
Uniqlo Fortune Collection Disney Springs

A Uniqlo gift card can go a long way for reasonably priced Disney t-shirts.

Starbucks

Starbucks gift cards can be a bit tricky–you can’t use them at the in-park locations, but they can be used at both Disney Springs locations.

Wine Bar George

Best Gift Card Ideas for Disney Fans
The Chocolate Experience at Wine Bar George

Wine Bar George is a hidden gem at Disney Springs, whether or not you are a wine connoisseur.

The Boathouse

One of the most popular restaurants at Disney Springs, The Boathouse has a large variety of foods for every palate.

Chicken Guy

This popular Disney Spring eatery has quite the following among locals and vacationers alike.

Jaleo

Best Gift Card Ideas for Disney Fans

Chef José Andrés isn’t just a really good person and founder of World Central Kitchen, he’s also an exceptional chef. Jaleo has so many mouth-watering foods to choose from that many gift cards would be welcome.

Patina Group

A variety of gift certificates for Disney Springs restaurants are available through Patina Group including: Morimoto Asia Orlando, The Edison, Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante, Enzo’s Hideaway Tunnelbar, and Pizza Ponte.

As always, read the fine print before purchasing gift certificates as they are non-refundable after purchase.

Do you have any favorite gift cards at Walt Disney World not listed here? Let us know in the comments. 

Best Gift Card Ideas for Disney Fans

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From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Walt Disney World (FL), gift cards

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Disney Food Disney Parks

Gideon’s Bakeshop Opening Day Taste Test

Yesterday, with lines reaching three hours at times, Gideon’s Bakeshop opened in Disney Springs. This popular local bakery from the East End Market in Orlando always draws a crowd for its monster cookies. These cookies with over-the-top amounts of chocolate chips and other mix-ins coating the cookies have an absolute wow factor. But when it comes to cookies, looking good is one thing–but more important is taste. Here’s what you can expect.

Currently the Disney Springs location has seven all-day flavors and one morning-exclusive Coffee Cake Cookie flavor.

Gideon’s Bakeshop Opening Day Taste Test

A couple notes about these cookies: they’re big, thick, and rich, weighing in at nearly a half pound each, and the texture is extremely dense — in some cases, almost like fudge. This makes it possible to cut slices of cookie to share.

Gideon’s Bakeshop Opening Day Taste Test
Gideon’s Bakeshop Opening Day Taste Test

We picked six to give a taste test, and here’s our rankings:

#1: Pistachio Toffee: A perfect combination of sweet and salty, this was the perfect flavor combination.

Gideon’s Bakeshop Opening Day Taste Test
Weight of cookie
Gideon’s Bakeshop Opening Day Taste Test
Pistachio Toffee

#2: Original Chocolate Chip: If you’ve eaten at Polite Pig, you may have noticed these as one of their dessert offerings before the opening of Gideon’s. It may be possible to add more chocolate chips to a cookie, but we’re not really sure how. A solid choice if you’re only going to try one.

Gideon’s Bakeshop Opening Day Taste Test
Weight of cookie
Gideon’s Bakeshop Opening Day Taste Test
Chocolate Chip

#3: Peanut Butter Crunch: So. Much. Peanut. Butter. It’s a good cookie, but you really have to like peanut butter to dive into this one.

Gideon’s Bakeshop Opening Day Taste Test
Weight of cookie
Gideon’s Bakeshop Opening Day Taste Test
Peanut Butter Crunch

#4: Triple Chocolate: Like the peanut butter cookie, this is one for extreme chocoholics. It is unlikely anyone would want to even try to eat this one alone, but if you’re looking for a cookie that eats more like a slab of fudge, you’ll want to try this one.

Gideon’s Bakeshop Opening Day Taste Test
Weight of cookie
Gideon’s Bakeshop Opening Day Taste Test
Triple Chocolate

#5: Santa’s White Christmas: This one has an unusual blend of flavors — coconut, caramel, nuts, white chocolate, and even ground-up coffee beans. There’s no doubt that this cookie will have a dedicated following around the holidays, but it just seemed like there was too much going on. Good, but not a top choice.

Gideon’s Bakeshop Opening Day Taste Test
Weight of cookie
Gideon’s Bakeshop Opening Day Taste Test
Santa’s White Christmas

#6: Cookies & Cream: This is the only one that we probably wouldn’t buy again. It seemed like there was just too much “cookie within a cookie” feeling about it, making it difficult to feel enthusiastic with all the flavors mushing together. Visually, it was also the least appealing.

Gideon’s Bakeshop Opening Day Taste Test
Weight of cookie
Gideon’s Bakeshop Opening Day Taste Test
Cookies and Cream

But here’s the real surprise on the menu — yes, go to Gideon’s for the cookies, but if you’re a fan of coffee, the Peanut Butter Iced Coffee (a nitro cold brew on tap) was exceptionally good. Something to note, their iced coffees are made with oat milk, but taste-wise, we couldn’t tell the difference between the oat milk and regular milk. We can’t wait to go back and try the other coffees on the menu.

Gideon’s Bakeshop Opening Day Taste Test

Prices are surprisingly reasonable — cookies are $6 each (a bargain given that you can easily split these among several people) and the nitro cold brew coffee is $5.

We’ve got more to review, but we need to let these cookies settle for a while!

Do any of these flavors sound tempting to you? Which ones would you like to try?

The post Gideon’s Bakeshop Opening Day Taste Test appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Disney Springs, Snacks, Walt Disney World (FL), Cookies, Gideon’s Bakehouse

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Disney Food Disney Merch Disney Parks

Disney in a Minute: What is a Mickey Bar?

We’re here with a series of quick posts, “Disney in a Minute,” bite-sized nuggets of information that can better help you understand a Disney term or planning topic. Enjoy!

There are Mickey pretzels, Mickey waffles, and Mickey donuts, but arguably the most iconic of all Mickey Mouse-shaped foods is the Mickey bar. The official name of the “Mickey bar” is Mickey’s Premium Ice Cream Bar.

The Mickey bar is a Nestle product sold at carts in the parks and in freezer cases in the Disney resorts – a Mickey Mouse-shaped slab of vanilla ice cream enrobed in a “chocolatey” coating. The vanilla is not as heavy as a super premium ice cream and the coating has enough of a waxy mouthfeel to make you understand why they had to say “chocolatey” and not just chocolate. Still, it’s a refreshing treat on a hot day in the parks.

Disney itself proclaims Mickey bars as “The Happiest Snacks on Earth” and promotes their status as the snack ideal on t-shirts and other park paraphernalia – everything from dog toys to COVID masks. And there are thousands of fan homages to the Mickey bar shape on self-made merchandise sites like Etsy.

The current price for a Mickey bar in the parks is $6.00 (including tax). You can also find boxes of six purported Mickey bars in the freezer sections of supermarkets and big box stores like Target, often for about $7-8 per box of six. Be aware that these are not the exact same item as the Mickey bars sold in the parks. They are smaller and different formulation, but when you’re stuck at home during a pandemic, they’re a worthy (and much less expensive) substitute.

Disney in a Minute: What is a Mickey Bar?

Disney in a Minute: What is a Mickey Bar?

Disney in a Minute: What is a Mickey Bar?

Disney in a Minute: What is a Mickey Bar?

Disney in a Minute: What is a Mickey Bar?

Disney in a Minute: What is a Mickey Bar?

Disney in a Minute: What is a Mickey Bar?

Let us know what Disney topics you think need just a bit more explanation.

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From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Walt Disney World (FL), mickey bar

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Disney Food Disney Parks

REVIEW – The First Holiday Exclusive Treat at Walt Disney World Has Arrived

The clock struck midnight on November 1, 2020 and for many it marked the beginning of the holiday season. Disney’s Animal Kingdom may not have the classic Christmas decorations that just arrived at Magic Kingdom, but it does have the first Holiday Exclusive treat of 2020. The Autumn Tree of Life cupcake just debuted at Animal Kingdom’s Restaurantosaurus. Here’s what we think of it.


The Autumn Tree of Life Cupcake may have an autumn theme, but it is listed as a Holiday Exclusive treat on the menu and when looking at the mobile order option. It is a pumpkin cupcake with cinnamon buttercream on top, and garnished with a white chocolate tree of life, and fondant pumpkins. Inside is a delightful toffee cheesecake filling. The pumpkin cupcake is very similar to the Pumpkin Cupcake that was available for Halloween. But the extra toppings and fillings in this cupcake elevate it. This is definitely a great way to prepare for the holiday season and we can’t wait to try more holiday treats as they debut this year.

Warm Caramel Chocolate Brownie

Although it is not a Holiday Exclusive, you may be wondering about the Warm Caramel Chocolate Brownie listed in the mobile ordering above. We tried it on a previous visit and were disappointed it was not gooey on the inside. But, if you need a brownie fix, it will satisfy.

Do you prefer fall flavors or winter flavors like gingerbread and peppermint? Would you try this cupcake?

The post REVIEW – The First Holiday Exclusive Treat at Walt Disney World Has Arrived appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Christmas, Dining, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Snacks, animal kingdom snacks, disney christmas, disney cupcake

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Disney Food Disney Parks Disney Reviews

REVIEW – Brunch at Raglan Road is the Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow

For your consideration, we present Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant’s brunch as one of the best values at Walt Disney World. When you consider that there are few character breakfast options available right now, and charge about $42 per person, and compare that to the live music that is offered at Raglan Road, with regular menu pricing, there is a great value here. Raglan Road is one of the most iconic places at Disney Springs, standing proud in The Landing section.

The brunch menu at Raglan Road is one the most indulgent of any menu at Walt Disney World. The dining experience starts with Stout Brown Bread served with Apple Butter; it’s hard to resist filling up on it. Our team ordered a nice assortment of sweet and savory items.



  • Pork Hash Tagged – Braised Pork Belly, Scallions and Potato Hash, Topped with Two Fried Eggs, $16.00
  • Rack of Heaven – Slow Roasted Guinness Glazed Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs, $28.00
  • Worth the Wait Beef Sandwich – 12 Hour Braised Beef, Sauteed Mushrooms, Crispy Onions, Garlic Aioli, Smoked Cheddar, On Ciabatta, $20.00
  • Pancakes Diaspora – Homemade Pancakes with Creme Fraiche, Maple Syrup and Mixed Berry Compote, $13.00
  • Kids’ Gold’N Chicken Meal – 2 Deep Fried Chicken Goujons (strips); Choice of Side, $9.00

The Pork Hash Tagged was the most brunchy item the team dined on; definitely a winner. The Rack of Heaven Ribs had a delicious Guinness glaze and the mashed potatoes were some of the best the team has ever had on Disney property. The pancakes were delightful and affordable, but there are more impressive items on the menu. The Worth the Wait Beef Sandwich was large enough for two people and had hearty, robust flavors. The kids chicken fingers were good, different than the standard Disney chicken fingers or nuggets; the fries were “the bomb” according to our junior field researcher.

Pork Hash Tagged – Raglan Road Brunch
Pancakes Diaspora at Raglan Road Brunch
Worth the Wait Beef Sandwich – Raglan Road Brunch

The delicious brunch fare combined with the bread to start, and an Irish beer or two, and our team was ready to snooze in the booth. Thankfully the lively music and entertainment kept them energized. The tables were spaced out compared to the old days. The staff is diligent about reminding guests not to get up without a mask. Spacing markers are present in the lobby and at the exit.

Raglan Road Dining Room
Raglan Road Dining Room

Our readers give Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant a 93% thumbs up and it is ranked number 11 out of 103 similar full service options at Walt Disney World. That puts it at the top tier, and it is not merely the luck of the Irish that earns Raglan Road such high marks. The food is delicious and high quality, and the atmosphere is hard to beat. Brunch is offered on Saturdays and Sundays, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. It’s hard to choose between brunch here and brunch at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ – both offer some of the best meals on Disney property.

Have you had brunch at Raglan Road before? Where’s your favorite place to brunch at Disney?

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From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Dining, Disney Springs, brunch at disney, disney brunch, disney springs brunch, raglan road irish pub