My Top 8 Most Underrated WDW Dining Locations

Cheeseburger Bao Bun from Satu’li Canteen

When it comes to planning a trip to the most magical place on earth, choosing where to eat is a big decision, and one that has to be made quite far in advance if you want to snag all the right places.

I love planning for advanced dining reservations (ADRs), and I’m always on the hunt for somewhere new and different to try; I like to believe that one day I’ll have eaten in every restaurant on Disney property, but I’ll always end up going back to my favourite spots, plus I doubt I’ll ever keep up with the expansion and addition of new eateries, but I can dream, hey?

And you don’t even need to be a total Disney buff to know of some of the most talked about dining locations of WDW; places like Be Our Guest and Cinderella’s Royal Table are so iconic that I defy anyone who wouldn’t want to take a trip to these magical places. But are they the best?

These are some of my favourite lesser-known dining options that you may want to visit on your next trip:

Table Service

Grand Floridian Cafe – over 1900 Park Fare

I must admit, when I used to think of a good place to eat in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, my mind always used to jump to 1900 Park Fare. I’ve never eaten there before myself, but I see lots of people going there all the time, although I have heard some mixed reviews. Instead, I’ve always opted for GFC, and I’ve had both breakfast and dinner there, both of which have blown me away.

Sure, you don’t have the character element that 1900 Park Fare gives, but the menu is absolutely flawless in my opinion, and if you’re not on the dining plan, its actually one of the most reasonably priced table service meals I’ve ever seen – our dinner there should have cost around $65 plus gratuity for the two of us (main and dessert), and when I had breakfast there it would have been only $41 for two of us.

Mickey’s Backyard BBQ – over Hoop de Doo Revue

Again, I’ve never actually done Hoop de Doo, but having had the BEST time at Mickey’s Backyard BBQ, I’m in no rush to switch. Both cost the same both in cash and dining credits, both are unlimited buffets which included beer and wine for over 21s, and both have musical entertainment but Mickey’s Backyard has the added bonus of character meets and the opportunity to get up and get involved in the dancing with Mickey and the gang, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a night of more fun on Disney property. I’ve got a full review here.

Skipper Canteen

I was actually really surprised by the lunch we had here back in November – I had booked it because I wanted to try somewhere new, and then when we looked at the menu both Matthew and I felt a little meh about the offerings, but when the food actually arrived it was amazing! Yes, its a Jungle Cruise themed restaurant so there’s puns flying everywhere, but its also got a real Joe Rohde vibe to the place and the cast members were all really lovey, plus it was pretty quiet when we went!

Tusker House

I feel like I rarely hear people talking about restaurants in Animal Kingdom, so this may not be as underrated as I think it is, but absolutely rate this place. Now I haven’t been since 2014, so there may have been some changes but my whole family were blown away by the food, which not only catered for my picky-eating cousins (who at the time went as young as 5) but also for the adventurous adults in the group. Its a buffet – bonus – and although we had no idea when we booked it, its also a character meal!

Quick Service

Flame Tree Barbecue

If you ever need to make your dining credits go further, or need good value for money on your meals while in Animal Kingdom, this is the place you need to go – one meal could easily feed 2-3 people with the portion sizes you get! Also, if you want a decent view of Rivers of Light without queuing or paying for the dinner packages, grab your food from here early on and head down to the seating area on the edge of the water. Sure, you’re a little further away from the main seats, but you still get a great view!

Satu’li Canteen

This may not be underrated exactly, but if you’ve heard that its good, then that’s wrong because its AMAZING. Hands down, this is probably the best quick service meal I have ever had.

Yak and Yeti Local Food Cafes

Last Animal Kingdom place, I promise! If you’re a fan of the table service restaurant, but maybe you aren’t on the dining plan, I’m gonna share a secret with you: the honey chicken that you get in the restaurant for $18.99 is identical to the quick service alternative at $10.99, its just in a plastic container rather than served on a proper plate. This is also a good place to grab breakfast if you’ve run to Expedition Everest at park opening rather than joining the 3 hour queue for Flights of Passage..

Pinocchio Village Haus

Now this may be out of date as I’ve heard rumours that PVH is changing/has changed its offering, but this was always one of my favourite places to grab lunch when in Magic Kingdom. The flatbreads make a wonderful alternative to the normal doughy pizza bases you get in most quick service places and there’s always a tonne of seating available, plus I like waving to the Its a Small World boats as they pass below the window!

What restaurants do you think don’t get enough attention?

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March 1, 2018Lottie 1 Comment

Fantasmic Dining Package at Mama Melrose Ristorante Italiano

If you think, like me, that a trip to Hollywood Studios isn’t complete without seeing Fantasmic, then this might just be the dining deal for you.

I’d known about the Fantasmic Dining Packages for a little while, but had always dismissed them as I assumed that they would be costly and not part of the dining plan, which I normally have, but when planning our last trip and knowing that Matthew was a huge Fantasmic lover, I wanted to do something special that would make seeing the show even more magical.

Well it was certainly a magical discovery that I realised that the dining package is not only covered by the Disney Dining Plan, but it is also only the usual amount of table service credits – I say this as the dining package is available at 3 locations, Mama Melrose, Hollywood and Vine, and The Hollywood Brown Derby, and HBD is a 2 table service credit location, so the package is 2 per person at that location. The package can be booked like any other ADR, however rather than being able to book it at the 180 day mark for the whole trip, it only becomes available 180 days before the exact date, so don’t panic if you try it a few days early and it says there’s nothing available!

What’s even better still, is that at Mama Melrose, the dining package means even more food than normal, so trust me when I say that if you book this, don’t eat for a good few hours (at least) beforehand, cos you’re gonna explode! Rather than the usual main course and dessert plus drink that your table service credit will normally get you, the package includes an appetiser also, and these appetisers include flatbreads the size of whole pizzas, and that’s before you get onto the mains of pastas, steak and more! Oh, and then there’s dessert! You get the option of a plate of mini desserts, or ice-cream, but we struggled to get past our mains!

It was my first time dining at Mama Melrose, and I thought the food was great – personally you can never go wrong with Italian if you ask me! Our server was also so lovely and made sure we had a great meal and knew exactly what we needed to do for the show later on. So onto the Fantasmic side of the package..

When you get the bill, your server will bring you your Fastpasses. These are paper, and a particular colour, which relates to where you’re going to sit in the theater. Its still recommended that you get to the theater 20-40 mins before the show is due to start, same as with any Fastpass, but rather than clamouring for a good seat, there is a whole chunk of the theater cordoned off for dessert parties and dining packages, and these are the centre few blocks, so don’t get swept up with the other Fastpass holders, and keep an eye out for cast members and what they’re calling out. You will need to show your passes at a few different places, so don’t put them away once you’ve started the walk up to the theater!

Well our seats were great, definitely the most central I’ve ever sat, and we were about halfway up, having got there with about half an hour to spare – if you want to be near the front then you definitely want to be queuing at the rope before the theater even opens!

If you’re not on the dining plan, then the Mama Melrose package is $42 per adult or $18 for children, but as I mentioned, you do get a tonne of food for that price. And if you are on the dining plan, I would 100% recommend doing this if you’re a Fantasmic fan because its only 1 credit and you get so much more out of it!

Some imagination, huh?

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January 25, 2018Lottie 2 Comments

Best Quick Service in Disneyland (That Don’t Serve Pizza or Burgers)

I love Disney park food. In fact, one of my favourite parts of planning a Disney trip is deciding where I’m going to want to eat in each park, whether its going back to my favourite restaurants or trying somewhere I’ve never been to before, and my trip to Disneyland back in May was definitely about trying out new places.

As there’s no such thing as dining plans in Disneyland, and being trying to do the trip as cheap as possible, this trip was going to be all about the quick service restaurants, and while I’m never one to complain about any kind of Disney food, when it comes to quick service its very easy to fall into the rotation of burger to pizza to chicken nuggets and back again. Sure, I’ll probably end up doing each of these at least once on a trip, but if you fancy something a little different, Disneyland has a bunch of gems serving incredible options when you’re in need of an energy boost.

Disneyland

Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe

The cutest little yellow cafe at the bottom of Main Street USA, options here range from sandwiches and salads, to tomato soup with grilled cheese, and also has a great selection of cute dessert options!

Bengal Barbecue

The ultimate place for jungle-cruisers to refuel, Bengal Barbecue is pretty famous among Disneyland fans for its incredible meat skewers.

Royal Street Veranda

I always forget that this restaurant exists (mainly because I’m rushing to get to Pirates of the Caribbean or staring wistfully up at the Dream Suite), but say hello to the place where you can get New Orleans classic dish, gumbo, served in a sourdough bread bowl!

French Market Restaurant

Just a little way along from Royal Street Veranda, and serving more New Orleans classics is French Market Restaurant; jambalaya, corn chowder, beans and rice and more!

Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port

Yes, I know I said places that don’t serve pizza, but Redd Rockett’s also has a great selection of pasta dishes on the menu if you’re looking to carb up for a long park day!

California Adventure

Flo’s V8 Cafe

Whether you want to skip the traditional Mickey waffle breakfast or cheeseburger lunch, Flo’s is the place to go! Breakfast ranges from brioche french toast to breakfast burritos, and lunch and dinner features ribs, rotisserie chicken and turkey dip sandwiches.

Cozy Cone Motel

For an on-the-go meal, why not grab a convenient bread cone filled with either bacon mac and cheese, beef chilli or chicken verde? Sally really knows how to feed her guests, and you’ll probably meet a famous car on the way in!

Pacific Wharf Cafe

Did you know there’s an actual sourdough bread factory in DCA? Pacific Wharf Cafe is attached to the bakery and serves a bunch of amazing options including sandwiches, and soup or salads served in their famous sourdough bread bowls.

Lucky Fortune Cookery

Just across the way from the bakery, you can grab an asian inspired rice bowl packed with veggies and a choice of either beef, chicken or tofu and your choice sauce. It even comes in a cute takeaway style box so you can carry your leftovers home!

Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill

Completing the trio of amazing food options in one place, Cocina shares the same seating area as PWC and LFC and serves flavoursome favourites from tacos and tamales to burritos.

What are your favourite places to eat in Disneyland?

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July 24, 2017Lottie 1 Comment

10 Things You Need to Know about Cove Bar

If you’re planning a trip to Disneyland and looking for the most Instagrammable places to eat or drink, then Cove Bar should probably be at the top of your list. Located on Paradise Pier in Disney’s California Adventure park, it boasts a menu of stunning cocktails as well as some pretty delicious looking food, and the most amazing views over Paradise Bay.

If I’ve just sold you, or it was already on your to-do list, here are a few things to know before you go!

There can be a really long wait, and someone has to stay in line

Depending on when you go, there can be a longer wait time than for some rides! When you get to the queue, a cast member will take a name and give you an idea on wait time, but at least one person from your party needs to stay in the queue the whole time, because if your group is called and you’re not there, then you’ve missed your chance!

You can choose where to sit

When you join the queue and give your name, the CM will ask you if you have a table preference, so if you want those Instagram worthy photos over the pier, be sure to ask for a waterside table. Other options include the bar and tables closer to the pierside.

The prettiest drinks aren’t on the menu

While you’ll be handed a menu by your server, be sure to check out the secret menu. This is where you’ll find Mickey’s Fun Wheel, Neverland Tea and more!

And the cutest drink isn’t even alcoholic

Don’t be put of visiting if you’re not that into cocktails, the cotton candy lemonade is so delicious and refreshing, plus who doesn’t want a lump of cotton candy in their drink?!

You can take drinks to go

If you want to sample the cocktails but don’t fancy the wait, you can order drinks to go. They come in plastic cups so aren’t quite so cute but I’ll bet they don’t taste any different!

Water is free-flowing

For obvious reasons, the servers are keen to keep all guest hydrated, so you’ll find your water glass topped up constantly.

There’s more than just cocktails on the menu

Although its famous for its cocktails and speciality drinks, there are some great lounge food options, including buffalo wings, sliders, nachos and more! I didn’t actually eat here, but I saw some of the food and it looked amazing and smelled SO GOOD.

Be sure to bring your passport

In the event of being ID’d, a UK driving licence isn’t acceptable in Disney. Your server may let you off, but I’ve had experiences where they have refused to accept anything but a passport, so I wouldn’t chance it.

Don’t be shy about taking photos

Literally everyone in the bar is trying to take those oh-so-Instagrammable photos, so don’t feel shy about holding your drink over the railing to get that perfect shot with the fun wheel in the background. Also if you’re not sat at a waterside table but want those photos, just get up and go over there – no one minds!

Please drink responsibly!

Servers have the right to refuse you at any time, and during my visit I saw a few guests that were probably about to get cut off.. Be sure to drink plenty of water and stay hydrated, especially in the summer months when its super warm!

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June 29, 2017Lottie Leave a comment

Baking Magic – Spinach Puffs

For the first time in forever, I’ve been in the kitchen creating a Disney inspired recipe.. Pull the lever, Kronk!

That’s right, its a little less well known recipe today, but any fans of Emperor’s New Groove will know of Kronk’s famous spinach puffs. Yzma may not be a fan, but having recreated these little beauties for myself, I most certainly am, and I’m pleased to say they’re super easy to do!

You’re gonna need:

A sheet of ready-roll puff pastry
1 cup of finely chopped spinach – I used a food processor to save time!
2 tbsp powdered parmesan cheese
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp olive oil
A beaten egg, optional
A mini muffin tray sprayed with FryLight oil

This recipe makes 8-10 puffs!

Preheat an oven to 180C.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the spinach, parmesan until evenly mixed. Crush the garlic clove into this mixture, add the oil and combine.

Unroll the pastry, and cut into 2×2 inch squares. Arrange the squares diagonally in the mini muffin holes, pressing them down into the dips, then fill with a teaspoon of the spinach mix.

Fold the corners in, and brush the top with the egg mix. Pop in the oven for 10-12 mins until golden brown.

If you’re feeling a little fancy, you can spread the mix onto the pastry sheet, roll it up like a Swiss roll and slice into spirals before baking!

These bites of deliciousness are best served warm, but will also keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.

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June 1, 2017Lottie 1 Comment

My Top 15 Most Instagrammable Disney Park Foods

Is a Disney trip really a Disney trip if you didn’t Instagram at least one snack?

If you’re as Insta obsessed as I am, the combination of adorable food and a pretty castle backdrop is just impossible to resist, and its acceptable to be totally basic and refuse to eat until you’ve got the perfect photo.

Well your friendly neighbourhood Disney tripper is here to guide you in finding what I consider to be the most double-tap-able eats and treats from all six Disney parks! Brace yourself, you’re about to get hungry.

Mochi might be one of the strangest foods I’ve ever tried, but seriously these green aliens from Tokyo Disneyland are the business

Tokyo also takes churros to the next level. Yep, its Mickey shaped.

I’m a sucker for any type of steamed bun, but I cannot get over how adorable these little piggy pork buns from Hong Kong Disneyland are.

I was pretty lucky to get a photo of this raspberry ice lolly before it melted in the mid-July Tokyo DisneySea heat

Head over to the Cozy Cone Motel in Disneyland’s California Adventure park for a cone full of deliciousness in the most perfect Pixar themed land.

Who doesn’t love a Rice Krispie treat? These beauties come in all sorts of amazing flavours and designs and are best eaten on Main Street, although a balcony in Polynesian is a pretty good alternative.

I can never say no to a Mickey shaped pretzel, and I can never eat one without snapping it first!

Disneyland Paris is never complete without a Mickey marshmallow or macaron in front of the castle.

And speaking of macarons, how cute is this little Goofy treat from club level Shanghai Disneyland Hotel?!

If you’re an Alice fan, you’ve gotta head over to Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall if you’re in Tokyo Disneyland for this amazing dessert option!

The best way to cool down in Hong Kong Disneyland is with a Lotso lolly in Adventureland!

Mickey shaped muffins are popping up all over different Disney parks, but this beautiful blueberry one was snapped in Shanghai.

When in Tokyo, if you don’t snap a steamed bun burger, were you even there?

Lemon meringue pie PLUS a Mickey macaron? Yes please Shanghai Disneyland!

And who can resist a Mickey waffle?!

Don’t forget I’m heading to Disneyland in less than 2 weeks, and I’m sure I’ll be Instagramming a tonne of food from there so stay tuned!

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April 27, 2017Lottie 5 Comments

Breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table

If you’re looking for somewhere totally magical to eat in the Magic Kingdom, does it really get any better than eating in Cinderella Castle itself? No. The answer is no.

Cinderella’s Royal Table is one of the few restaurants in MK that offers reservations prior to park opening, meaning early access to Main Street USA before the crowds descend, and for me that’s always worth the stress of those 180 day advanced dining reservations! Its a bit of a first-day tradition for me, and both Sarah and I were dying to eat breakfast with the princesses.

With the new welcome show, you’re not able to walk through the castle from Main Street, so its a little detour past Sleepy Hollow and round to the back of the castle from there. Once you’ve checked in for your meal, you enter the castle to be greeted by Cinderella herself in a grand entrance hall – psst, look out for Gus Gus and Jaq! Once you’ve had your photo and your party has been announced, you climb a spiral staircase up into the dining room and are escorted to your table.

I really loved the size of the dining room. I expected it to be much bigger, but its a perfect size to not feel enormous, but also not crowded, and it means that you’re never too far from the gorgeous stained glass window that looks out over Fantasyland. We were brought out a plate of beautiful pastries while we decided on what to choose from the menu, and the juice was constantly flowing so our glasses were never empty.

Over the course of the first 10-15 minutes of our meal, each princess was announced as they entered the restaurant, and we seemed to have a prime seat as we were the first table visited by almost every princess. We met Aurora, Snow White, Ariel and Jasmine, all of whom were so lovely and friendly, and didn’t rush our interactions at all. At points throughout the meal, there was also a wishing ceremony, for which we were each given a plastic wand to wave – I don’t know if they normally give wands to adults but our server David brought us one each anyway!

As well as the pastries, we each ordered the traditional breakfast, which was delicious but after a Mickey shaped blueberry muffin, I struggled to finish the whole plate. Being on the Disney Dining Plan, the meal was 2 table service credits, which was totally worth it for the food, the characters and the experience of dining in the castle – plus our wands of course! The cast members were also so sweet, which for me always makes any meal feel even better, and it was the perfect start to our trip.

We also just had to stop to use the restrooms on the way out just so we could say we’ve been to the loo in the castle, ha!

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March 23, 2017Lottie 6 Comments

Hidden Mickey Fudge

I don’t know about anyone else, but something I always have to to when I visit Disneyland Paris is stop off on Main Street and buy some fudge, and when I say some, I mean a lot. Its tradition.

So I decided to make some fudge, but if you know anything about me and my baking habits, I like to throw a little surprise into my creations, so I present to you.. Hidden Mickey fudge!

Hidden Mickey fudge

First up, make the chocolate fudge:

In a saucepan, mix together 400g chocolate (I used half dark and half milk, but either or any combo will do!), a tin of condensed milk (a standard one is 397g) and 25g butter.
Melt this all together over a low-medium heat, then sift in 100g icing sugar and stir in
Pour this mix into a lined 8 inch square tin, then pop in the fridge for at least an hour

Hidden Mickey fudge

Once the chocolate fudge is set, turn it out onto a fresh sheet of greaseproof paper, and using a Mickey Mouse cookie cutter, cut out as many mice as you can. Line a standard sized loaf tin with paper, and stack the cut-outs into a sort-of Mickey sausage from one end of the tin to the other.

Hidden Mickey fudge

Now, the vanilla fudge (this one takes a little longer!):

In a larger saucepan – the bigger, the better – combine another tin of condensed milk with 450g demerara sugar, 150ml milk and 115g butter.
Heat this until its all melted and combined, then ramp up the heat, and simmer for about 15 mins, stirring continuously. This will get super hot and bubbly, so keep children well away in case it spits out.
Boil until the temperature reaches 118C on a candy thermometer, or the mix starts to form a sort-of soft ball in the pan, then remove from the heat, and keep stirring quickly until the mixture thickens
Pour this mix over your Mickeys, then pop the pan in the fridge for at least 90 mins.

Hidden Mickey fudge

Ready, set, slice!

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November 24, 2016Lottie 2 Comments

Jack Skellington Candy Apples

I think I must be fairly odd as Halloween doesn’t get me all that excited; I love carving pumpkins but other than that I’m always just way to pre-occupied with the thought of Christmas coming to really get into a spooky spirit. I do, however, love making Halloween-y themed food, so I thought it would be the perfect time to post my third candy apple post!

Jack Skellington Candy Apples

You’ll need 12-15 apples (I think green works best!), 5 cups of caster sugar and 1 1/2 cups of water, plus some black food colouring (gel or paste), lollipop sticks, and black and white chocolate or candy melts. You’ll also need a candy thermometer!

Start by mixing together the sugar and water in a saucepan, and get it boiling away. It needs to reach 150C, which will take a little while but you can use this time to get the apples cleaned and on their sticks.
Once the sugar hits temperature, stir in the black food colouring, dip the apples and swirl them around to cover in the candy, then place on a tray covered in greaseproof paper to set – which will happen quickly!

Now I can’t stress this enough: the sugar is HOT. We’re talking hotter than boiling water, so please please please be careful! This is definitely not an activity that children should be doing, even under supervision; its just not worth the risk of burning.

Once the candy has set hard, you can start melting the white chocolate, and either dip the apples into it or spoon it on, and pop these into the fridge to set.
When the white layer is hard, melt the black candy, and using a piping/ziploc bag with the corner cut off, pipe a spooky (or smiley!) face onto the apples and pop back in the fridge to let it set.

Jack Skellington Candy Apples

These can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature for up to a week, so you can get them ready a few days before its time to get spooky! And if Jack doesn’t take your fancy, why not try my original Poison Candy Apples?

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October 13, 2016Lottie 2 Comments

Chef Mickey’s, Hong Kong Disneyland

Even if you’re not staying at Hong Kong Disneyland’s Hollywood Hotel, its definitely worth making the trip to visit Chef Mickey’s!

Chef Mickey's Hong Kong Disneyland

The restaurant is open for breakfast and dinner, with lunch available during peak times, and Mickey visits during breakfast every day, and lunch and dinner during weekends and public holidays, but you can understand his absence when he must be so busy in the kitchen preparing the multitude of food that’s available!

Chef Mickey's Hong Kong Disneyland

All meals are done as buffets, but there is quite literally something for everyone, with dinner dishes ranging from traditional cantonese to sushi, curry to pizza to salad, and an incredible range of dessert options, including an ice-cream bar, and just as many options available at breakfast!

We ate here for both breakfast and dinner, and everything was perfect both times, and with it being one of only two character dining experiences in Hong Kong Disneyland, you’ve gotta try here!

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October 6, 2016Lottie 2 Comments

Walt’s Cafe

On our first night in Hong Kong Disneyland, we decided to venture across to the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel for a little nose around and a spot of dinner, and we ended up in Walt’s Cafe.

Walt's Cafe

Like the hotel, Walt’s Cafe was incredibly classic in its styling, with wooden wall panelling and framed photos of Walt and his magical life on all the walls; it felt fancy and homely at the same time, like Walt could be sat at the table next to us. The waiting staff were so friendly and attentive, we were given stickers and our water glasses were never empty – we felt really looked after, it was lovely!

I ordered a sandwich – I can’t remember exactly what it was called, but I got to choose three fillings from a list of options! – and my mouth dropped when it arrived..

Walt's Cafe

Yes, those are double stacked sandwiches!! It was so delicious, but I could only manage about two of the monster sandwiches and a handful of chips before feeling ready to burst, and as we were determined to still order dessert, the best decision seemed to be to share!

Walt's Cafe

Yep, share the cutest dessert platter I’ve ever seen! Each of these little mousse type cakes was a different flavour: Pooh was mango, Mickey was chocolate and raspberry and Stitch was blueberry – yum yum yum! It was a really nice meal, and a definite must-do if you’re staying in the Disneyland Hotel, or have time to visit it!

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September 11, 2016Lottie 1 Comment

February Dining Plans!

Yesterday marked 180 days til my trip to Walt Disney World with Sarah (Belle’s Moments), and that means we had the excitement/stress of booking our dining reservations!

Personally I think I’m so lucky to be friends with Sarah as we’re so like-minded on all things Disney, so choosing where we wanted to eat was a piece of cake as we both had the same must-dos, so once we’d decided on days, it was as simple as waiting until the dates opened up, and being able to share the load made everything so much easier!

So here’s what we’ve got:

Breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table

I’ve always wanted to eat inside Cinderella Castle, and the best part about breakfast is that if you book it early enough, you can get into the park before opening – hello empty Main Street photos!

Lunch at Teppan Edo

Although I ate here back in January, I loved it, so when Sarah asked if I’d be interested in going again I couldn’t say no!

Mickey’s Backyard BBQ

This I am so excited about! A dinner show with characters in country outfits, music, dancing and plenty of food – I can’t wait!

Yak & Yeti lunch

The food here looks so good and I’ve heard lots of amazing reviews!

Breakfast at Cape May Cafe

Not only is this restaurant in my favourite WDW resort, Beach Club, but its another fab looking character breakfast hosted by Minnie and her friends! It’ll be the perfect recovery meal from the Princess 10K in the morning!

Be Our Guest dinner

We got the infamous reservations! I cannot wait to have dinner in Beast’s castle, especially as I’ll be celebrating finishing the Princess Half Marathon and be adorned in medals!

Breakfast at Grand Floridian Cafe

I think the Grand Floridian resort is so beautiful, I’ve been dying to visit! I booked it for 9.20am in the hopes that we can watch the Magic Kingdom welcome show before jumping on the monorail and whizzing on round!

Dinner at Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room

We’re heading back to the UK for the night, in the hopes of getting to see the beautiful Milly, who’s currently out representing us Brits on the CRP, and I’ve never eaten here before so why not?

Be Our Guest lunch

As well as our dinner reservation, we also were sure that we wanted to eat lunch here as well; I’ve done Be Our Guest for lunch before and it was one of the best meals I’ve had in WDW so yay!

I’m so ready for our trip now! All we have to do is book our Fastpasses and that’s everything sorted, yay!

What are your favourite Walt Disney World restaurants?

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August 25, 2016Lottie 4 Comments

Baking Magic – Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

When it comes to snacks and desserts at Disney parks, everyone’s got their favourites, right?

Out of those favourites, we tend to have the favourites that you can get everywhere – popcorn, churros etc – and the ones that you savour in certain locations. Today’s recipe is one of the latter.

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Red velvet whoopie pie, amazing! #redvelvet #whoopiepie #cake #disneyworld #epcot #disney #mickey #chocolate #food #disneyfood #disneycake #seasons #theland

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Sunshine Seasons inside The Land at Epcot ranks pretty high in my favourite quick service restaurants, and if its not the Mongolian beef that gets my taste buds excited (YUM), its the red velvet whoopie pies that keep me coming back again and again, so today I decided to make them!

Preheat the oven to 180C. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt 1 oz dark chocolate and 1/2 oz milk chocolate together, and mix to combine the two.
In a separate bowl, melt 3/4 cups butter, then whisk in 1/2 cup sour cream, 2 eggs, 1 1/2 tsps white wine vinegar and a splash of vanilla extract. Add red gel or paste food colouring until the mix is a nice shade of reddy-pink.
In another bowl, combine 2 1/4 cups plain flour, 1 cup caster sugar, 1/4 cup cocoa powder, 2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp baking soda. Pour in the red mix bit by bit and whisk until smooth, then stir in the melted chocolate mix.
Cover a baking tray in greaseproof paper, and spoon the mix into 2 inch round circles, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

While the whoopies are cooling, make the cream cheese filling by whisking together 125g cream cheese and 50g butter, then sift in 300g icing sugar and mix until smooth, then refrigerate until ready for sandwiching.
Once cooled, pair up the whoopies and stick them together with a good helping of the frosting, then roll the edges in chocolate chips to finish!

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

What are your favourite park treats?

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July 7, 2016Lottie 1 Comment

Baking Magic – Churro Bites

Churros are a park snacking favourite, but they’re something I’ve only myself come around to in recent years – my favourite being these adorable Mickey shaped treats from Tokyo Disney:

Tokyo Disney churros

So I decided to give them a shot, and I’ll tell you something right now: those perfectly straight churros you get in the park are damn near impossible to make in a little pan, ha! Hence, I’m calling these churro bites, cos they’re a little bit smaller and a little bit more random looking!

Making the dough is pretty easy:

Sift 250g plain flour with 1 tsp baking powder
Melt 50g butter and pour into a jug of 350ml boiling water. This is gonna look a little weird, don’t worry about it though! Also add a splash of vanilla extract
Make a little hole in the middle of your flour mix, and pour in the water/butter mix, then stir quickly into a sticky dough.

Baking Magic Churro Bites

Let this sit for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the oil for frying.

Prepare a tray by covering with greaseproof paper, and sprinkling this with caster sugar and a light layer of cinnamon.

Fill a large saucepan with oil, at least 1 inch deep, but not less than 2 inches from the top of the pan. You may need up to about a litre! Start to heat the oil over a high flame; it’ll take a little while, but you’ll know its ready when lots of little bubbles start appearing.

Add a large star nozzle to a piping bag, and fill with the rested dough. I recommend doing this in batches as the dough is a tad runny so will leak out of the end if too full.

Squeeze strips of dough directly into the oil, and use a pair of scissors to cut it clean from the piping bag. The dough will probably curl up and make fun little shapes, but that’s ok!

Baking Magic Churro Bites

PLEASE BE REALLY CAREFUL HERE. The oil is so hot and will bubble quite violently once the mix is in, so please mind your hands, and keep any children well away while you’re doing this.

The bites will start off at the bottom of the pan and float to the top after a little while. Once they’re brown and crisping up nicely, flip them over using tongs to give them an even fry. Once cooked, lift out using a slotted spoon or tongs, let the excess oil drip off for a second or two then pop onto your tray of sugar. Repeat the cooking in small batches of two of three bites.

Baking Magic Churro Bites

The churros will actually cool pretty quickly, so you can serve them almost immediately, but if not then let them cool completely before storing in an airtight container, and enjoy for days, yay!

What’s your favourite park treat?

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June 9, 2016Lottie Leave a comment

Baking Magic – Mickey Steamed Buns

With looking forward to my trips to Shanghai and Hong Kong Disneylands, it seems a little crazy that its almost been a year since I visited Tokyo!

Tokyo Disneyland was the most unique experience, and I would thoroughly recommend a trip if you get the chance – I’m dying to go back already! – and one of the many unique features of the parks was definitely the food. Forget corn dogs and fries, the cuisine is almost entirely suited to the Japanese culture, and we didn’t have a single bad meal there!

While you may not be in the Western parks, there are a couple of burger options for you, but before you go searching for a cheeseburger, even these have an adorable Japanese twist: steamed buns, and a touch of Disney magic! Today, I’m re-creating the most internet famous of these..

These buns are available at Tomorrowland Terrace in Tokyo Disneyland park, but other variations include a Donald equivalent in Toon Town, and a seashell bun in Calypso Kitchen in Tokyo DisneySea, and now I’m so excited that I can make my own!

Being totally clueless on where to even start, I stuck pretty close to the steamed bao bun recipe on BBC Good Food:

Mix 525g plain flour with 1 1/2 tbsp caster sugar and 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl
Dissolve 1 tsp fast-action dried yeast and a pinch of salt in 1 tbsp warm water, then add to the dry mix with 50 ml milk, 200 ml water, 1 tbsp sunflower (I used olive) oil and 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar and mix into a dough, using either your hands or a dough hook attachment on a food mixer < so much easier than your hands! Knead for 10-15 minutes
Put the dough into a lightly oiled dough and cover with a damp cloth, then leave for 2 hours to rise. It should double in size, but don’t worry too much if it doesn’t!
Tip it out onto a floured work surface and flatten it out, then sprinkle 1 tsp baking powder over it and knead for 5 minutes.

This is where I deviated a little from the method of the recipe.

Roll out the dough until its about 1cm thick. I found this easier by cutting the dough in half and doing one half at a time!

Mickey steamed buns

Using a big flower shaped cutter, preferably a five petal design, cut out shapes from the dough. Using your hands, stretch these out slightly, dab with a bit of oil and fold them over a chopstick so that three of the petals are on top (see that Mickey hand shape?) and repeat with all the dough.
Cover the buns with a clean tea towel or oiled cling film, then leave somewhere warm to prove for 1 hr 30 mins.
The buns should double in size, but again, don’t worry about this too much – mine didn’t!

Mickey steamed buns

Before cooking, use black food colouring and a paintbrush or toothpick to add Mickey’s glove markings!
Cook the buns in a steamer for 8 minutes, then unfold, fill and close back up!

Mickey Steamed Buns

The buns are best served still warm, but still delicious once cooled! I personally recommend filling with pulled pork or teryaki chicken!

Love the look of these? Have a look at my favourite crazy Tokyo foods!

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May 26, 2016Lottie 2 Comments

Friday Favourite Five – Disneyland Paris Restaurants

Today I’m sharing five of my favourite places to eat in Disneyland Paris! There’s a mixture of table and counter service, all of which serve some incredibly delicious food, because what is a Disney trip without way too much food?

Bistrot Chez Remy

1. Blue Lagoon

I love everything about Blue Lagoon: the setting, the food, the ambience.. Pirates of the Caribbean is always one of my favourite rides and I love that Disneyland Paris has a restaurant inside it like there is in Disneyland California, and the food is SO GOOD!

2. Bistrot Chez Remy

This is the absolute cutest restaurant ever. It really feels like you’ve been transported into Ratatouille, with every detail of the decor being so well thought out!

3. Walt’s

There is so much to love about Walt’s. Firstly, you’re on Main Street USA and if you’re sat by a window you can watch the world go by below you, and even catch the parades if you time it right! I also adore the decor; each room is themed to a different land of the park, but in such a classic way that its not glaringly obvious, but the little details really make it! Oh, and the food is to die for!

4. Earl of Sandwich

Ok, so this is in Disney Village and isn’t specifically a Disney restaurant, but OH SO GOOD

5. Hakuna Matata

We all love chicken nuggets, right? For a counter service restaurant, its a great size and there’s always seating available, and I love that there are healthy options available – even if I don’t always choose them!

Where are your favourite places to eat in Disneyland Paris?

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May 20, 2016Lottie 3 Comments

Baking Magic – The Grey Stuff

If you’re in the know on Walt Disney World secrets, you’ll know that if you dine at Be Our Guest, you can order the infamous Grey Stuff from the song itself.

Photo courtesy of Amy from http://www.paintpotted.co.uk

You also might know that there’s already a whole bunch of copycat recipes for it on the internet, but if, like me, you’ve read them all, you’ll notice that a) they’re pretty much all exactly the same and b) they all involve ‘instant vanilla pudding mix’ which is prevalent in the US, but something that we don’t really have here in the UK, so this is where this recipe has come from today; a UK friendly, real ingredient version!

The Grey Stuff Recipe

1. Melt 175g white chocolate in a bowl over hot water, or in the microwave. While its melting, crush up 4-5 oreo cookies into a fine powdery crumb, then stir half of this into the melted chocolate. Pour this into a glass bowl and set aside.

The Grey Stuff Recipe

2. In another glass bowl, whisk 2 egg whites until they’re stiff, and fold this into the chocolate mix with a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Be fairly gentle so as not to beat out all the air!

The Grey Stuff Recipe

3. Whisk 225ml double or whipping cream until fluffy and firm, then fold this into the mix and add the remaining oreo crumbs in. Looking pretty grey-t, right? (I’m hilarious)

The Grey Stuff Recipe

4. Put the mix into the fridge for about an hour to set, then scoop into a piping bag with a wide star nozzle, and pipe out onto your serving plates. Once you’re happy, get the plates back into the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

The Grey Stuff Recipe

Try it, it’s delicious!

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May 12, 2016Lottie Leave a comment

Baking Magic – Mac and Cheese Bread Cones

THIS IS THE MOST EXCITING BAKING MAGIC POST FOR ME

Bacon Mac and Cheese Cone

If you’re not lucky enough to have tasted the glory that is a bacon mac and cheese bread cone from Disneyland’s Cozy Cone Motel, then you’re in for a real treat today. If you have, then I bring you the amazing news that you can make them at home!

Ready?

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Ok, for the cones you’re gonna need the ready-roll croissant dough that you can get from most supermarkets (one roll will make 4-5 cones), and a load of tin foil. Roll out the dough onto greaseproof paper, and using a knife or pizza cutter, cut it into strips. Pre-heat your oven to 180C

Scrunch up your foil into a cone shape, then wrap it in another layer of foil to give a smooth outer finish, then spray it with cooking oil. Take your first strip of dough, and working from the bottom of the cone, start to wrap it round and round, with a slight overlap with each layer, and keep adding strips until you’re happy with the size.

Grease a baking tray, and pop the cones on their side on the tray. Bake for 5 minutes, then turn the cone and bake for another five. Once nice and golden brown, place the cones onto a cooling rack and let them cool before removing the foil support from the middle.

Croissant cones

Ta-dah! You can make these a day in advance and keep them in a sealed container.

If you have a favourite mac and cheese recipe, whip up a batch, load your cone and sprinkle with some bacon chunks, and you’re all done! If not, here’s my favourite:

Cook 400g macaroni normally and drain.
Melt 50g butter in a saucepan, and gradually add in 50g flour until a thick paste forms.
Whisk in 250ml milk and be sure to beat out any lumps, then add 250g grated cheddar/mozzarella – if you’re gonna use mozzarella, mix it with cheddar otherwise its gonna be crazy stringy – and let it melt in.
Stir in 50g cream cheese and a pinch of salt and pepper, then add your drained pasta to your cheesy concoction.

Let your mac and cheese cool a little before loading up your cone, then top with bacon bits and devour in the sunshine!

Bacon Mac and Cheese cone

Have you visited the Cozy Cone?

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April 14, 2016Lottie Leave a comment

Baking Magic – Hunny Pot Candy Apples

I am always amazed with the candy apples you can buy in the Disney parks, and I love watching the cast members making them, so when I tried my hand at them at the beginning with last year with my Candy Poison Apples, I was so happy to find how easy they were, and decided to bring them back in this new series!

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Ok, so you’re gonna need: 12-15 medium sized green apples, 5 cups caster sugar, 1 cup water, white and yellow food colouring (optional), 300g milk chocolate and orange coloured chocolate or candy melts.

Equipment wise, you’ll need a candy thermometer, a saucepan and lollipop sticks

1. Mix together the sugar and water in a saucepan, and start to heat. Pop in the candy thermometer and let it bubble away – it’s got to reach 150C before its ready.

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2. While your sugar mix is cooking away, clean and de-stem the apples and push the lollipop sticks into the tops so they’re firmly in place.

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3. When you’re sugar is close to temperature, add the white food colouring to make the mix more opaque, then add yellow to give it a golden honey colour.

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4. Once it hits 150C, turn off the heat and remove the thermometer. Working quickly but carefully – this mix is HOT, please keep children away – dip the apples into the liquid sugar and swirl around to give it a good coating, then place them onto greaseproof paper. Its going to set hard pretty quickly, so if you’ve still got sugar left over once you’ve coated all your apples, pour it out into a little puddle on greaseproof paper and get your saucepan soaking in hot water to save yourself a tough cleaning job!

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5. Melt down the milk chocolate, then you can either dunk the apples or spoon the chocolate over them, and give them a little shake to get off the excess, then pop them in the fridge for a little while.

6. Once the chocolate has set, take them out of the fridge – otherwise the candy gets super sticky – and melt down the orange chocolate/candy melts. Pour this into a piping bag and get misspelling the word honey – otherwise Pooh might not know what it is!

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What’s your favourite candy apple design?

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March 31, 2016Lottie 1 Comment

Baking Magic – Butterfinger Cupcakes

I’m just gonna prefix this post by saying that this is definitely more of a lazy person’s guide to the butterfinger cupcake due to the fact that my kitchen currently has a giant hole in the ceiling, so I’ve had to make do with the ingredients and space that I had!

Disney park cupcakes are the best, right? Apart from the fact that they’re often too big to finish in one go, YES. Today I’m taking on a Disney World classic, the Butterfinger cupcake.

Now Butterfingers are an American candy bar, and although you can get them in some UK retailers, I’ve made these as totally butterfinger-free butterfinger cupcakes. I feel like I’m totally cheating today, but I’m gonna pretend that I’m just making this recipe accessible for novice bakers.. BUT LOOK AT THEM YUM

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Right, here we go!

1. Start off with a batch of your favourite chocolate cupcake recipe, and to get a proper WDW experience, fill the cases a little more than you normally would! If you don’t have one, cream 125g butter and 125g caster sugar, add a dash of vanilla extract and 2 eggs, then mix in 20g cocoa powder and 105g self-raising flour and bake at 190C for 15-17 minutes. Ta-dah!

2. Once cooled, take a sharp knife and cut a hole into the centre of the cake, like a classic butterfly cake, and pop this to one side for the time being. It doesn’t matter if they get mixed up and you can’t remember which centre belongs to which cake.

3. (Cheat 1, coming your way). Well now you’ve got a hole in the middle of your cupcake that needs filling, so find either your favourite chocolate and peanut butter spread, or just a regular chocolate spread or frosting, and fill that hole all the way up. I recommend spread or frosting for this because its a little gooier than buttercream!

4. Those little cake centres, sit those back onto the cakes on top of the pool of chocolatey goodness to make a little peak.

5. Now grab some vanilla buttercream, or make some using a 2:1 icing sugar to butter ratio and a splash of vanilla extract. To replicate WDW buttercream, thicken it up with a bit more icing sugar – this will help it hold better when we load it onto the cake in a minute. Pop it into the fridge for a minute while we get a few more things ready.

6. Has anyone else noticed that basically every recipe I share involves crushing something at some point? Yep, we’re doing it again.. If you’re one of my American readers, grab yourself a butterfinger and crush it up nicely. UK friends, find yourself a peanut butter KitKat and a few cookies and stick them in a food processor to crumb them down nicely.

7. Grab your buttercream from the fridge, and using a knife or metal spatula, pile it onto your cupcake, then smooth it around the little peak you created earlier. Now grab your cupcake by its case and roll the buttercream mountain around in those crumbs until you get a nice covering.

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Is anyone else drooling?

Headed to the parks? You can get the original Butterfinger Cupcake from Starring Roles Cafe in Hollywood Studios!

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March 17, 2016Lottie 5 Comments

Baking Magic – Marshmallow Pop Treats

Don’t you just hate it when you’ve spent so much time in the parks eating your favourite treats, only to come home and live without them? Yep, me too 😦

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BUT this series is about bringing some of your park favourites to life in your everyday kitchen, and today is a combination of two of my favourite things: marshmallows and caramel! Marshmallow pops are available in so many designs and flavours in a bunch of locations in the parks, and today I’m gonna share how easy they are to create!

Ingredients wise, you’ll need: regular sized marshmallows, classic toffee sweets, condensed milk, chocolate/candy melts and whatever kind of sprinkles and sweetie decorations you like.

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1. First up, you need to melt down your toffees. I seriously recommend you do this in a metal bowl over boiling water – it’ll take a while, but will save you a burnt disaster! It’ll basically become one huge toffee lump, which while delicious, would be a nightmare to work with, so I add condensed milk to smooth it down; about 3tbsp for every 20 toffee sweets.

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2. While your toffee is melting into a caramel goop, get sticking your marshmallows onto whatever you fancy: lollipop sticks, straws, etc.. Squeeze them nice and close together into a column of squishy goodness.

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3. Once you’re happy with the consistency of your caramel, using a rubber spatula, scoop and smooth it all over the marshmallows. You can try and dip them, but may find they get stuck.. Give each stick a twirl to cool it off a little – it’ll dry quite quickly – then place onto greaseproof paper or tin foil, and get them into the fridge for half an hour or so.

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4. While the pops cool down, you can start to prepare your decorations. If you want colourful pops, I recommend Wilton Candy Melts as they’re really easy to work with – just melt down and mix with a little bit of vegetable oil to give it a shine – and you can also get different flavours (peanut butter!!!). Now you can let your imagination go wild; recreating your favourite designs from the parks or imagineering your own spectacular creations – just be sure to have fun with it!

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5. Once you’re done decorating, get the pops back into the fridge to fully cool and set, and voila!

What’s your favourite Disney park treat?

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February 18, 2016Lottie 4 Comments

Disneyland Paris: Walt’s

There are certain places in Disney parks that are just that little bit more magical, and Main Street USA is no exception, so dining on Main Street is an experience in itself, and you can do that at Walt’s.

If you there a little early, the waiting area is a classically decorated room with a grand piano, pictures and plush furniture, and a bust of the main man himself! The restaurant is upstairs, and spans several rooms, which makes every table feel a little more personal, rather than sitting in a large restaurant. The decor upstairs is just as elegant and classic as the waiting room, with pretty wallpaper and curtains, and paintings on the walls, but each room is themed to reflect an area of the resort – ours was Adventureland.

We chose from the set menu that was part of our dining plan; I had a Caesar salad starter, chicken main and chocolate fondant dessert.

The salad was the perfect size, with croutons and big strips of chicken. It came with a dressing, but I asked for mine without and they were all too happy to oblige. My main course of chicken in Marsala sauce was beautiful! The chicken was tender and moist, and the potato and veggies went perfectly. The portions here were a little smaller than elsewhere, but I definitely didn’t feel that I was left hungry.

The chocolate fondant was a clear winner out of the dessert options for me, although they all sounded great. It was warm with a gooey centre, and a thick vanilla cream; the best way to end a meal, even if I did wolf it down so I could get outside in time for the parade!

Dining on Main Street was a real treat to end our trip with, and great food and beautiful views overlooking the park just made it even more magical!

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November 12, 2015Lottie Leave a comment

Disneyland Paris: Bistrot Chez Remy

Did you ever see a restaurant in a movie that looked so great you wished you could eat there in real life?

Well now you can!

Based on the Pixar classic Ratatouille, Bistrot Chez Remy gives guests in the Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris an opportunity to shrink down to the size of a rat, and dine on Remy’s gourmet menu.

And the setting?

Giant fairy lights, corkscrew chairs, cocktail umbrella parasols and giant tableware match the setting from the film so perfectly, and if you’re sat near the big glass window, you can watch guests on the adjoining Ratatouille ride!

Needless to say, the food was divine, but you’d expect nothing less from a great chef like Remy!

With our dining plan, we could choose from a set menu of delicious options. The starter was a nice leafy salad, with cheese (of course) and beetroot. I asked for mine without the chef’s dressing, but our waiter was nice enough to bring some balsamic dressing for me instead. Our waiter was so lovely, it really made the meal memorable!

For main, I couldn’t not have the steak! It came with a good helping of chips, and a small bowl of the signature ratatouille – well would you expect anything else? Dad, Hannah and I all had steak, all cooked differently, and all of them were perfect, which really says something about the skill of the chefs. Dessert for me was a chocolate fondant, with a perfect gooey centre and vanilla cream. The waiter brought it out with a candle and sang happy birthday, which made it even more special!

As a family, we were blown away by everything about Bistrot Chez Remy, and would recommend it without a doubt! Hats off to the chef!

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November 5, 2015Lottie 3 Comments

Disneyland Paris: Blue Lagoon Restaurant

In any Disney park, Pirates of the Caribbean is a classic ride, and in the Disneylands (California, Tokyo and Paris), if you look out on your journey round the waters, you’ll find yourself in the middle of someone else’s dining experience!

And what an experience it is; you’ve gotta eat here!

We had a reservation for dinner on my birthday at 5pm, so it was before the main dinner rush and we almost had the place to ourselves. It has such atmosphere: the low lighting, boats floating by, a slight buzz in the air..

And the food? Well I think it was the best meal I had in DLP!

Because of the dining plan we were on, we had a set menu to choose from. I skipped my starter (because I was still a little full from lunch!) and went straight for the main of Colombo Chicken, which was beautiful!

The chicken was perfectly cooked, with crispy coconut flakes that added a fab crunch, and the sauce was smooth, creamy, and not too spicy, which for me is ideal. It was served with a mound of rice that complimented it really well, and the portion size was great.

Dessert was a show in itself; creme brulee that the server lit in front of us to toast the top layer of sugar and wow, wow, wow was it yummy!

If you’re looking for a great place to eat on your next trip, this is the place to go!

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October 29, 2015Lottie 3 Comments

Friday Favourite Five – Crazy Tokyo Disney Food

Yes, I’m still reeling about my Tokyo Disney trip even though it was months ago..

Something I was really excited for when preparing for our visit was the food, photos of which I’d seen all over Pinterest and Instagram, and I couldn’t wait to try some of the delicacies in store for us during our stay. Truly, we couldn’t fault any of the food during our entire visit; it was pretty, delicious and reasonably priced – happy family!

A few, though, really stood out as memorable, and here’s my top five:

1. Mickey Burger

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2. Little Green Men Mochi

3. Clam Burger

4. Mickey Churros

5. Queen of Hearts Roll Cake

Don’t you just love it?! I do!

°o°

September 18, 2015Lottie Leave a comment

Friday Favourite Five – WDW Table Service Restaurants

It always amazes me how unique every dining experience at Disney World is. Sure, you sometimes might find yourself eating similar meals in a few, but every table in every restaurant gives you a totally different memory!

On our last trip, we tried to fit in as many table service meals as our dining plan would allow, and we had some incredible meals, but for now, here’s my favourite five:

1. T-REX

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If you’ve never been, imagine Rainforest Cafe, but instead of wildlife, its dinosaurs that run the show! Yep, dinner, dinos and delicious food; we had an awesome time here.

2. Tusker House

Probably one of the best meals from our last trip! We made this booking following a recommendation from friends, but had no idea what to expect, so when we walked into a restaurant with incredible decor, a vast range of amazing food and character visits, we were blown away.

3. Crystal Palace

You cannot go wrong with Crystal Palace. Magic Kingdom, check! Pooh and friends, check! Buffet including Mickey waffles, check!

4. Sci-fi Dine In Theater

It probably doesn’t get more unique than eating dinner in a classic car and watching old movies on the big screen!

5. Chef Mickey’s

A Disney World classic, and a great excuse to ride the monorail across from the Magic Kingdom. Fill your plate with grub, and get your napkins ready..

What are your favourite table service restaurants?

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September 4, 2015Lottie 5 Comments

Friday Favourite Five – WDW Quick Service Restaurants

I’m getting super excited about my upcoming Disney World trip, and when I’m excited my planning goes into overdrive! Because we’re on the Quick Service Dining Plan, I’m pretty excited to try out a lot more of the QS restaurants on this trip, but for now, here are my favourite five from the last trip:

1. Pizza Planet Arcade

My absolutely favourite restaurant in Hollywood Studios, Pizza Planet is like walking into Andy’s favourite place to eat: pizza, arcade games, and plenty of Little Green Men!

2. Be Our Guest (lunch)

Be Our Guest is quick service for lunchtime only, and even then getting in can be pretty competitive, but we managed it! If the perfect setting isn’t enough, the food was amazing!

3. Sunshine Seasons

Sunshine Seasons is inside The Land at Epcot, and boasts a pretty amazing range of international cuisine. My Mongolian Beef, fried rice and whoopie pie might have been the best QS meal I had last year!

4. Pinocchio Village Haus

We loved Pinocchio’s so much we ate there twice! As well as great food, there’s loads of seating both indoors and out, and if you sit by the big window you can watch the boats on It’s a Small World!

5. Boardwalk Bakery

The Boardwalk is possibly the most beautiful and underrated place in Disney World, and the Bakery is full of yummy goodies, from incredible cupcakes to handmade deli sandwiches, and if you ever need to order a celebration cake, this is the place to go!

Where are your favourite places to eat in WDW?

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August 28, 2015Lottie 2 Comments

Queen of Hearts Banquet Hall

This was by far my favourite restaurant in Tokyo Disney. I had seen pictures online, and I knew I wanted to eat here!

QoH is right in the centre of Fantasyland, next to ‘Its a Small World’, and you can’t miss it! Its surrounded by statues of the Alice in Wonderland characters, as well as the iconic teapot vending machines, and perfectly pruned shrubbery.

Once you step inside, you’re transported into the Queen’s gardens; mazes, red roses, Playing Cards, even a Cheshire Cat! The restaurant is a ‘buffeteria’, a cross between serve yourself and being served (grab your own dessert, choose your main, be seated by a cast member). The scenery is phenomenal, everything from stained glass scenes to giant flowers!

And as for the food.. Unbelievable! I had a seafood selection and a chocolate fudge cake, both totally faultless! All of the choices had something Alice in Wonderland themed about them, and some of the dessert selections had souvenir bowls or plates (my sister had the cake, I got the plate!).

Sweet, right?! There was loads of seating, so we didn’t feel at all crowded, and entirely indoors which was perfect for the heat. It really was a totally unique dining experience, even the toilets were keeping with the theme! The Queen herself would be most impressed, and if you don’t eat here, then off with your heads!

°o°

August 25, 2015Lottie 1 Comment

‘Ohana

Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten. Or is left hungry..

Ohana is one of the many restaurants in Disney’s Polynesian Resort, and as the name suggests, family is top of the agenda. We booked for Mickey’s Best Friends breakfast on the last morning of our trip (booked the day before, not well in advance), mainly because the girls love Lilo and Stitch, who visit the table during the meal along with Mickey and Pluto, and we hadn’t had the chance to meet them for photos and autographs.

The breakfast menu is classic: bacon, scrambled eggs, toasted muffins, and Mickey waffles, all brought to your table in a massive bowl for you to help yourself from. Your servers will also serve tea and coffee, and ‘Stitch juice’, which is delicious!

It was a nice meal, and a good way to finish our trip, but it wasn’t a mind-blowing meal like some of the other meals we had, so if you’re short for time or low on table service credits, I wouldn’t rush here again. All that considered though, if you’re nearby and looking for a good, hearty breakfast, here’s a good stop.

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August 18, 2015Lottie 1 Comment

Chef Mickey’s

Whether you’re staying in Contemporary Resort or not, Chef Mickey’s is definitely a place to go if you get a chance!

The food is an all you can eat buffet, with a salad bar, soup of the day, carvery meats, pasta bakes, and a load of veggies and side dishes, as well as kiddie options such as Mickey shaped mac and cheese, chicken nuggets and pizza.

Oh, and did I mention its a character meal? Well it wouldn’t be Chef Mickey’s if the chief himself didn’t visit! Mickey, Minnie and the gang all come round to make sure everything’s ok with your food, and make sure you don’t get too messy, cos you’ll be needing your napkin for the famous napkin dance – yes, that is exactly what the name suggests; join the characters as you dance around the restaurant waving your napkin over your head!

A real hit with the family, and a great excuse to ride the monorail from the Magic Kingdom!

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August 11, 2015Lottie 3 Comments

Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show

Get your hawaiian shirt on and practice your luau skills, you’re gonna need them at this exciting dining experience at Disney’s Polynesian Resort!

First things first, you MUST book in advance, these seats get snapped up fast, and the poorer seats have a rubbish view of the performance. You will have to guarantee your table with a credit card, and if you’re on a dining plan, it’s two table service credits each. That being said though, its an all-inclusive meal; all you can eat food, served family style, with additional kids options, and all drinks are included, hello margaritas!

Big saving tip: while you wait to be shown into the restaurant, there’s a bar where you can buy drinks, but if you can hold off til you get inside, all drinks are available included in your meal, so don’t be tempted!

So you get set up with some appetizers while the place is filling up, and once you’ve chowed down on those, the show begins! In an attempt to be more kid friendly, the show has a slight story to it of a luau dance school, which was kinda unnecessary I thought; you’re there to see some dancing!

During a short interval, your mains are served up: pulled pork, ribs, roast chicken.. Fill your plates, they’ll bring more if you’re still hungry!

The show covers traditional dances from several Polynesian islands: Tahiti, Tonga, New Zealand and of course hawaii, as well as a Samoan fire dancer! A nice, kid friendly touch was that the cast sang hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride for one of the dances, which Disney kids will know as the theme song from Lilo and Stitch; I thought that was pretty cool. There are also many opportunities for the audience to get up on stage and dance in the ‘birthday dance’ and ‘anniversary dance’; of course we sent up our happy couple..

Overall, the show is a great way to sit back, relax, get some good food and enjoy some different entertainment, as well as having an opportunity to explore the Polynesian Resort in all its fabulous glory!

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August 4, 2015Lottie Leave a comment

180 days to go!

Can you believe it? We’re already at the 180 day mark! So..

Did I get my reservations you ask?

YEP.

I was a bit back and forth between whether I should make them by phone or online; reservations open at 7am Eastern Time, which was midday here in the UK, but I thought I’d be a little cheeky and try and see if they opened earlier online, to no luck.. at first!

Yeah ok, I knew I was never gonna get away with it hours early, but as I was waiting for the clock to hit 12pm to dial the reservation line, I hit refresh on my browser at about 11.40 and BOOM, I was in!

Top priority was California Grill – its a fairly fancy place, very popular with regulars, and Dad really wanted to eat here, so any time would have been fine, but for me it was key to get a time that puts us there in time to watch Wishes from the viewing platform, and I’ve only gone and done it!

Our other booking scores were Teppan Edo and Beaches and Cream, both for lunch on the days we’ll be running in the morning – key refuelling!

Tomorrow, with any luck I’ll be booking us onto the Keys to The Kingdom Tour, and then we’ll be all set until Fastpasses become available in November!

EEEK

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July 8, 2015Lottie 1 Comment

ADR Planning

Now that we’ve bypassed the 200 day mark, the next big milestone in trip planning is 180 days to go, because that means we can start making our Advanced Dining Reservations – I wrote a proper guide to this last year.

Due to our trip being (supposedly) primarily about fitness, Dad and I made the decision not to upgrade to the Disney Dining Plan, which includes table service, and instead just stick with the Quick Service Plan that came free with our booking, so we’re not actually going to do so many table service meals, but there are a couple that we’ll be hoping to snag when our reservations open up in July:

1. California Grill

Dining room of California Grill

Picture from the Disney World website

California Grill is inside Disney’s Contemporary Resort, with views of the Magic Kingdom and Seven Seas Lagoon, and Dad really wants to eat here so I’m hoping to snag reservations for the first proper day of our trip. Ideally, I’d love to get a time that means we’ll be able to watch Wishes while we eat, but I’m not fussy!

2. Teppan Edo

Rosewood tables, rice-paper light fixtures and an image of Mt. Fuji embellish this restaurant’s interior

Picture from the Disney World website

Located in Japan around the World Showcase, Teppan Edo is a unique dining experience as chefs prepare your meals before your eyes! With any luck, after our upcoming trip to Japan, we’ll be pros at the cuisine!

3. Beaches and Cream

Colorful dining area of Beaches & Cream Soda Shop at Disney's Beach Club Resort

Picture from the Disney World website

I’m really excited about the chance of eating here, I really wanted to on our last trip and we never got the chance. Its part of Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and famous for The Kitchen Sink dessert, but I don’t think Dad and I will be able to tackle it between the two of us!

On top of these, there are loads of Quick Service restaurants that I’m excited to try out, and that’s before even thinking about the restaurants at Disneyland, so I think its a good job we’re gonna be running so much!

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June 26, 2015Lottie 2 Comments

Sea Foam Marshmallows

One of my favourite sweet treats to make (and eat!) is marshmallows. Most people don’t believe you can make marshmallows yourself, let alone how easy they are, so I’m going to share, with a mermaidy twist!

You’ll need: 450g caster sugar, 9 gelatine leaves, 2 eggs, water, 2 tbsp golden syrup or glucose syrup, and a candy thermometer as well.

First of all, get your gelatine soaking in 140ml water.

Mix together the sugar and golden syrup with 200ml water in a saucepan, and start boiling, with the candy thermometer. You don’t need to stir the mix at all.

Separate your eggs, you only need the whites. Whisk them until soft peaks form.

Once the sugar mix hits 127°C, take it off the heat and add the gelatine, water and all. Stir, and it’ll bubble up a lot at this point, and its really hot, so watch out!

Slowly pour the sugar/gelatine mix into the egg whites, with the mixer running.

Turn the speed up, and it’ll take about 9-10 minutes for your marshmallow to fluff up.

This is when your imagination can take over! I coloured some of my mixture a pale blue/green, and some purple..

In a square cake tin, I layered blue, then purple to create multicoloured cubes.

I used a madeleine mould to create these cute shells..

And piped the rest of the mix into shell shapes..

Marshmallows take an hour or two to set, and you can dust them with icing sugar to prevent stickiness once you’re done.

They keep really well in sealed bags or jars, and make for a perfect hot chocolate topping!

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February 26, 2015Lottie Leave a comment

Pink Rice Krispie Bites

Taking more inspiration from the lovely Marie, I’ve made pink and white Rice Krispie treats!

These are super easy to make, and make great snacks for lunch boxes.

You’ll need:

Rice Krispies, marshmallows, butter, pink food colouring, white chocolate chips, flavouring oil (optional).

1. Chuck your marshmallows into a pan, add a knob of butter and melt it all down into a nice sticky mush.

2. Add the pink food colouring, and any flavouring if you choose. I wanted mine to me white chocolate and raspberry, so I added raspberry oil.

3. Pour in your Rice Krispies; as many as you like really, personal preference! Stir in any additional goodies you might like: mini marshmallows, chocolate chips etc.

4. Scoop the now very sticky mix into a tray lined with greaseproof paper, smooth it down and pop it into the fridge to set.

5. Slice up and enjoy!

These bad boys can be stored in a sealed container (best kept in the fridge to avoid stickiness) or you can wrap them individually in greaseproof paper or foil ready to pop in lunch boxes!

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February 19, 2015Lottie Leave a comment

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party Cupcakes

I’m afraid to say that DIY Wednesday this week was a bit of a disaster, so I’ll be posting a make-up one at a later date! I’ve also been really busy with an upcoming project, so today’s food post is a little on the lazy side..

When I think of Alice in Wonderland, the first thing that really springs to mind is the Mad Hatter’s tea party, and the whimsy that goes along with it. Now personally, a tea party isn’t proper without cake, so here are my top tips for wonderfully wacky tea party cupcakes, featuring some cupcakes and a cake I made a little while back!

1. Don’t be afraid of colour

Bright blue, pinks, oranges and greens aren’t your everyday colours, but I bet they’ll be everyone’s favourites!

2. Wonky is absolutely fine

Don’t worry about precision even cakes, topsy turvy is the new black!

3. Throw off the tastebuds

Mix up flavours and colours eg. pink is lemon, green is strawberry etc.

4. Its all in the details

It’ll take a bit more time, but its worth it!

5. Display them beautifully

Even the simplest cakes look incredible on the right stand.

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February 5, 2015Lottie Leave a comment

Pupcakes

Combining DIY and Foodie this week because this week’s recipe isn’t for humans..

Pupcakes!

Yes, that’s right, in keeping with this week’s 101 Dalmatian theme, I’m sharing a recipe for homemade, all natural dog treats baked in cupcake cases.

You’ll need:

1 egg

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup honey or pure maple syrup

1 cup grated carrot (about 2 carrots worth)

1 cup wholemeal flour

The method couldn’t be easier: mix together the runny ingredients (egg, oil, honey/syrup), beat in the peanut butter and carrot and stir in the flour, voila!

Spoon the mix into cupcake cases in a tin and bake at 170°C for 20-25 minutes. If you have a smaller dog, or want more bitesize cakes, you could use a mini muffin tin and bake for 10-15 minutes.

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January 29, 2015Lottie Leave a comment

Rapunzel Pasta

Ok so I’m a few days late with this post but the last few days have been a bit busy!

Right so today’s foodie post is..

Rapunzel pasta!

First of all, you’ll need some stelline pasta; its the one that looks like tiny flowers!

Pour some into little bowls and cover in boiling water

Drop some food colouring (preferably a good gel colouring, you’ll get stronger colours) into each bowl and give them a good stir

As you’re not boiling these properly, they’ll need a little longer in the water to cook through and absorb the colouring; leave them for about 10 minutes before you start cooking the regular pasta.

To represent Rapunzel’s braid, I used fusili (the curly kind) but you could use spaghetti or any long/curly pasta. Cook that as per usual, drain it and tip it into a large bowl. Drain the flowers and chuck the in too, give it a stir and ta-da!

Top with your favourite pasta sauce and serve to princesses!

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January 24, 2015Lottie Leave a comment

Sorcerer Mickey Cupcakes

Apologies for a lack of DIY Wednesday, my work shifts got jumbled up so I’ll be posting it tomorrow!

Today is Foodie Thursday though, and keeping on this week’s theme, I spent my day baking..

Sorcerer Mickey cupcakes!

With the current deconstruction of the Mickey hat at Hollywood Studios, this is my little nod to a classic Disney World landmark.

Start of with your favourite cupcakes, preferably in some cute red cases (mine are from Paper Eskimo)

And a nice thick buttercream in a bag with a large open nozzle, or a ziploc bag with a corner cut off, and pipe it high in small circles in the centre of the cake

Then you can use black candy melts or chocolate buttons as Mickey ears

Using white sugarpaste/fondant, cut out little stars and moons to decorate the hat, or just use white sprinkles!

If I was doing these for a special event, I’d tie string or ribbon around the cupcake cases to give it more of a Mickey look!

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January 15, 2015Lottie Leave a comment

Poison Candy Apples

I love Thursdays, they are, by far, the best day of my week.

That’s because Thursday is Disney day; the day I pick the girls up from school and we watch Disney movies until their mum picks them up after she finishes work, and we’ve been doing this every Thursday for over a year now. Thursday was also the day we left on our last Disney trip!

It’s also Foodie Thursday on LottieDoesDisney, yay!

As it’s Snow White week, for me there was really only one option to take on: the poison apple.

But I didn’t really fancy poisoning anyone, so I took inspiration from my trip to Disney World, where candy apples are available at most good snack places, and are total works of art! And cos I can’t pop across to the Magic Kingdom every time I fancy a sweet treat, I made my own:

They were so quick and easy!

You’ll need:

12-15 medium sized apples (I prefer green for flavour and continuity with the film)

5 cups white sugar

1 1/2 cups water

1 tsp white food colouring (you can probably go without, the white just gives the candy its opaque quality)

Red food colouring – the amount depends entirely on the type of colouring you use

1tsp vanilla extract

White candy melts or white chocolate (a preference thing again, candy melts are less runny, but some people prefer the taste of white chocolate)

You’ll also need a candy thermometer, lollipop sticks and a piping bag (or ziploc bag with a corner cut off)

°o°

In a big saucepan, mix together the sugar and water, and start boiling. Once its mixed up, you don’t need to worry about stirring, just pop in the candy thermometer and keep an eye on it!

The sugar needs to get to 150°C/302°F (hard crack stage), which will take some time, so meanwhile you can clean the apples, remove the stalk and insert the sticks; they’ll need a strong push!

Once the sugar is bubbling away, add the food colouring until you get your desired colour

I cannot stress enough here just how hot the mixture is, please be careful! While kids will love the end result, this recipe is not for them to do themselves. I work with hot sugar a lot as part of my day job, and I’m forever burning myself, and I would never want anyone else, especially children, to endure that.

Once its at temperature, turn off the heat and quickly add the vanilla. It will bubble up a bit, be warned! Then, working quite quickly, you can start dipping the apples.

I like to tip up the saucepan with one hand, and dunk with the other, twirling the stick to make sure the apple gets a full coating. Then give it a few seconds for excess to drip off before placing on either greaseproof paper, or a well greased baking tray.

The candy sets hard very quickly, so you can straight on to the next stage: melting the chocolate or candy melts. I like to do this in a pan above hot water, but you could use a microwave.

Depending on the type of candy melts you use, you might need to add some vegetable or sunflower oil to make it a little runnier and give it more shine. I use Wilton melts, which are quite thick, so I have to do this.

Once melted, load up a piping bag, or ziploc with some of the melted candy, and pipe the outlines of the features of the poison skull onto the now set apple – it can look a little silly, once you’re done it’ll look better!

Once set, spoon the remaining white melts over the apple, and let it run down over the edges and create its own drip pattern

These will keep just fine as they are in a sealed container for 2-3 days (but not in the fridge, unless you want a sticky mess on your hands!). You can also wrap them in cellophane to make a perfect gift 🙂

Please note, the red candy is hard. You may need to lick it before you can really bite into it, but that’s how I like it!

Now these are the only type of poison apple to eat, so don’t go accepting any fruit from strange old ladies now!

°o°

January 8, 2015Lottie 3 Comments

50s Prime Time Cafe

Take a ride back in time to a decade where food was good, family was everything, and kitchens were retro!

If you need to wait for your table to be ready, you can hang out in the attached Tune-In Lounge until your ‘babysitter’ seats you around your kitchen table.

SONY DSC

Choose from a wide selection of classic family recipes, from Aunt Liz’s fried chicken to Grandma’s pot pie, and be sure to eat all your vegetables, or your babysitter might just shout about it to the whole restaurant!

If you’re into themed dining, then stopping by is completely necessary; kids will find the setting totally comical, and almost every adult will remember some relative that used to have a kitchen exactly like the set-up – my nan and gran in our family! The servers make everyone feel welcome, and while in my personal opinion the food left a little something to be desired, overall it was a fun family dining experience.

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December 23, 2014Lottie Leave a comment

Pizza Planet Arcade

Love Toy Story? Eat here.

The Pizza Planet Arcade is a Quick Service restaurant, located in hollywood Studios, and is set up just like Pizza Planet from Pixar’s Toy Story.

Once you’ve ordered your food from the counter, take a seat at a table, either on the ground floor, surrounded by arcade games to entertain the kids, or upstairs with the aliens!

As the name suggests, the main item on the menu is pizza, but there’s also a few subs and salads available as well as a range of desserts; you can’t really go wrong!

Fun for all the family and a great place to eat, don’t give it a miss!

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December 23, 2014Lottie Leave a comment

Sci Fi Dine In Theater

Disney is packed with unique dining experiences, but this one is fairly up there.

Located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the entire restaurant is set up as an old school drive in movie theater; you sit in classic cars, two by two, all pointed towards a huge projection screen playing a combination of black and white/colour movie clips, ads and classic cartoons.

Each row of the car has a little countertop style table across the row, just large enough for your meal, and comfortably fits two adults or three smaller bottoms. Sit back and enjoy the meal, the friendly diner staff take care of the rest!

The food is classic American diner style – burgers, sandwiches etc. I had the steak, which came with garlic mash potato, vegetables and two fairly huge onion rings. Now I’m not a huge connoisseur of steak, but it was cooked to my liking and I enjoyed it very much, especially the blue cheese butter dressing, and the portion size didn’t leave me hungry – in fact, I could hardly touch my hot fudge ice cream sundae after all that.

There were a few cons though..

1. While it may work for some people, we found the atmosphere of the restaurant a little un-family friendly; while some tables are family style (where you sit around the table), most were in rows of two so felt a little unsociable, and as the whole room keeps fairly quiet so as not to disturb the reel on the screen, its difficult to feel part of a group, so I wouldn’t recommend it for families of smaller or more restless children.

2. The clips being played aren’t entirely kid-friendly. There were a few Tom and Jerry moments, but otherwise it was mainly adult sci-fi, which although part of the theme of the restaurant, didn’t appeal to the kids as much.

3. None of the tables are designed for groups of over 8. As a group of 9, we were given the option of trying to squeeze on a table of 8 (no chance would we have fitted seeing them), or to split between two cars. This meant that 2 of our group had to sit in a separate car, adding to the unsociable aspect.

DSC01959 - Click to view full size photo

It was however a great meal, and while we, the adults, had our minor complaints, the kids didn’t seem to care too much, and in fact they thought it was the coolest place we ate!

°o°

December 23, 2014Lottie Leave a comment

Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom

So you don’t have to visit Disney World to experience The Rainforest Cafe, but why not dine with the animals before/after visiting some real ones?!

We planned to have breakfast here, as the Downtown Disney branch doesn’t open for lunch, but by the time we got there they were just about to open for lunch, so we had a bit of a browse of the huge gift shop area before being seated at our table.

I’m no stranger to a Rainforest Cafe, but this one was enormous! They don’t even the whole restaurant for lunch its that big.

Without a doubt, it was the best meal I had during our stay. I had Parmesan Chicken; the portion size was huge, but if I had a bigger appetite I would have eaten every last bite!

I cannot fault anything about this place; its so family friendly, our server was great, and the chimps sat next to us were great company!

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December 13, 2014Lottie Leave a comment

Coral Reef

Tucked round the corner from The Seas with Nemo and Friends is a real underwater dining experience.

Coral Reef in Epcot shares a wall with the enormous fish tank from the ride next door, so you can enjoy dinner with fishy company!

While the food was really good, with options from fish dishes to chicken to steak, we didn’t have the best time here; they forgot to book us in when we arrived, so after a half hour wait, we were told we’d have to wait a bit longer for our table due to their mistake. We were also sat on the back row of tables, furthest from the tank, so the whole experience was kinda lost on us, except the occasional swim-by from a turtle or ray.

The restaurant setup wasn’t overly family friendly either, so unless you’re sat right by the fish, entertaining small children is a little tricky, and the restroom isn’t actually situated inside the restaurant; its outside in the waiting area.

I would recommend Coral Reef for families with older children, or as a place to eat if you want to use up table service credits on a dining plan, but if visiting with small children, I’d opt for somewhere a little more kid-friendly

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December 12, 2014Lottie Leave a comment

Be Our Guest

It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight..

Be Our Guest is the restaurant inside the elusive Beast’s castle, in the Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland. It is open for lunch, which is quick service, and dinner which is table service, and absolutely must be booked in advance (180 days for the best chance of getting a table).

After a failed attempt at trying to get in for dinner, on our last day in the Magic Kingdom we were lucky enough to get there just in time to queue for the lunch opening..

Wow. One step inside and you can understand why it is such a sought after place to eat; its just stunning. For a quick service lunch, you stop off at a counter to order on your way in, and then take a seat in either the ballroom, the gallery, or the out of bounds West Wing, which contains the enchanted rose. We sat in the ballroom, near the large glass window so we could watch the ‘snow’ fall outside the window. The settings in all the rooms are so accurate to the films, its like you’re actually in the film.

As if by magic, your food is delivered to your table, wherever you choose to sit, without you having to tell a cast member where you are (they track your Magic Band, or give you a tracker if you don’t have one). The lunch menu ranges from soups to sandwiches to salads, all with a French theme, and desserts are mainly cupcakes, including The Master’s Cupcake that is topped with ‘the grey stuff’ – delicious!

I can’t fault the food, it was perfect. The whole place totally did it for me, and the family loved it too! On my next trip I’d love to try dinner here.

If you get a chance, do not miss this fabulous opportunity, you’ll never forget it!

°o°

December 12, 2014Lottie Leave a comment

Pinocchio Village Haus

Tucked behind the castle in Fantasyland is a little cottage serving fabulous Italian food..

Ok so its not little at all, but the food is so good we ate there twice! With inside and outside seating on both ground floor and a tiny first floor, you’ll bound to find a table to sit at once you’ve ordered your flatbreads or subs, and if you can, sit by the large windows on the left of the restaurant: you can watch riders on Its a Small World – wave!

One of our quick service eateries of the Magic Kingdom; plenty of space for our large group, good food and a nice setting.

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December 12, 2014Lottie Leave a comment

Columbia Harbour House

This fishy eatery is located in Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom, and serves up a selection of sandwiches, platters and salads.

Its a standard quick service place, order at a counter, collect your food and grab a table in the spacious seating area – don’t forget there’s more seating upstairs!

This was our first quick service experience, and honestly was one of the worst. Although the food was decent, there was a lot of mix up when our order was placed, resulting in a few of us getting the wrong sides or desserts, and the servers didn’t seem that motivated to help us resolve it.

A spacious place for a good bite to eat, but nothing to write home about.

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December 12, 2014Lottie Leave a comment

Crystal Palace

Tucked into a corner of Main Street USA, Crystal Palace is the fave place to eat of Winnie the Pooh and some of his very best friends. As the name suggests, the building is a stunning structure of glass and framework, and is decorated with displays of hanging baskets and impressive topiary centerpieces.

We booked for breakfast on the first day of our trip. While the park isn’t open to the public until 9am, breakfast bookings start from 8am, giving a unique opportunity to see the Magic Kingdom first thing; an empty Main Street leading up to the castle: totally beautiful.

The food is all you can eat buffet-style, with a range of options from classic Mickey waffles to an omelette station, cereals and fruit to full cooked breakfast options. Mixed in with classic choices like bacon and eggs are unique specialties such as ‘breakfast pizza’, pizza base with an omelette style topping with vegetables, meat etc, and ‘breakfast lasagne’, layers of fruit, custard, and sponge, topped with granola.

Once you’ve got a plateful of food, you can head back to your table and wait for your favourite childhood classics to come and say hi, and make sure you have your autograph books at the ready as Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore will all make an appearance!

The characters make the rounds of the restaurant, one at a time, but they only visit once so you need to keep an eye out for them, not that you can easily miss them! They space out their visits nicely, so you’ve got time to go up and get food between each character. Make sure to have your autograph books ready, and to make it easier for the characters, stack them up ready for signing as they’ll do that first before posing for any photos.

We absolutely loved Crystal Palace; it was the perfect start to our Disney trip. The food was incredible, the setting was classic Disney beautiful, and who doesn’t love Pooh and friends?! An absolute must place to eat for all.

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December 12, 2014Lottie 1 Comment

Creating and sharing magic!

Table Service

Quick Service

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Disneyland

California Adventure

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This recipe makes 8-10 puffs!

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I’m just gonna prefix this post by saying that this is definitely more of a lazy person’s guide to the butterfinger cupcake due to the fact that my kitchen currently has a giant hole in the ceiling, so I’ve had to make do with the ingredients and space that I had!

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