Flying Fish Chef's Counter

It’s been mentioned before on this blog how Disney parks fit the solo traveler quite well, but I think one of the best ways to indulge while going solo is by dining counter-side at some of the fabulous restaurants.

Chef’s Counters

For those who may be unfamiliar with the concept, a Chef’s Counter is a seating counter (natch) — usually facing an open kitchen — that can be found in many upscale restaurants. Guests at the Chef’s Counter are often treated not only to the show of the open kitchen, but also to the personal attention of the Executive Chef. In some cases, the chef may even make variations on the typical menu to suit specific likes, dislikes, and whims of the Chef’s Counter guests!

Two of my favorite Chef’s Counters can be found at Disney’s signature restaurants:

Steak at Flying Fish

Flying Fish Cafe
While Flying Fish Cafe specializes in seafood, the restaurant showcases incredible steaks and vegetarian dishes as well. The understated decor (including stylized flying fish, of course) and robust menu are the perfect setting for an evening of relaxation with a twist.

Vegetarian Bento Box at Flying Fish

The restaurant is located on Disney World’s Boardwalk, which offers plenty of after-dinner activity. When you’re done with your meal, head over to Epcot to catch Illuminations at 9pm or stop by Jellyrolls – a fun dueling piano bar — for an after-dinner drink. Don’t forget to bring a few dollar bills so that you can request songs!

Napa Rose Chefs Counter

Napa Rose
Located in Disney’s Grand Californian Resort in Disneyland, Napa Rose is the place to indulge when you find yourself in the Anaheim, California, area. With Chef Andrew Sutton at the helm, this spot is known state-wide for incredible food.

The counter here is active and exciting, and while it costs no more than a standard pre fixe menu at the restaurant, you are likely to have the Chef’s special touches coming your way.  Arrive armed with requests!

Sizzling Beach Rock Appetizer at Napa Rose

Other Counter Dining

While these suggestions aren’t specifically Chef’s Counters, they do offer some not-to-be-missed eats!

Wolfgang Puck Cafe
Wolfgang Puck is synonymous with fresh, inspired cuisine, and it continues here at his Orlando, Florida, eatery. This Downtown Disney district hot spot offers incredible sushi and entrees ranging from pumpkin ravioli and Chilean salmon to meat loaf and wood-fired pizzas.

Have a seat at the Wolfgang Puck Cafe counter and don’t forget to treat yourself to one of Puck’s delicious desserts.

California Grill

California Grill Sushi Counter
While California Grill has long been established as a top tier signature dining spot in Walt Disney World, its sushi counter is an up-and-coming delight. The highly recommended dishes include Yellowfin Tuna Three Ways: Poke, Tartare, and Tataki; and Yoshie’s Deluxe Sushi Platter: Maki and Nigiri.

If you time your visit just right, you’ll be treated to a wonderful view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks show through the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows!

Enjoy the Show!

While many folks think that dining at Disney relegates them to eating overcooked hamburgers and soggy french fries, think again! Any gourmand can find spectacular meals at Disney parks and resorts, and those mentioned above are some of the very best. But be sure to go hungry — trust me when I say you’ll want to sample everything on the menu!

To book Walt Disney World Resort dining, call 407-WDW-DINE or book online here. Reservations can be made 180 days in advance. To book Disneyland Resort dining, call 714-781-DINE up to 60 days in advance.

You can catch me writing about Disney Food most days of the week over at The Disney Food Blog. Hope to see you there!

This blog post is proudly featured in the 6th Dismarks’ Disney Blog Carnival.

WDW Food and Wine Festival booth

While Disney World is a fun trip no matter what, going solo during my favorite time of the year might be the ultimate in “Disney Magic.”

My favorite time of year, of course, is right around October, when Disney World showcases its Epcot Food and Wine Festival! 2010 marks the festival’s 15th anniversary, and it looks like it will be bigger and better than ever — full of international celebrity chefs, incredible dishes from around the world (in cheap tapas-sized portions, so that you can try everything at least once!), and demonstrations on everything from cheese-making to wine-tasting to chocolatier-ing to hops-tasting. Disney’s even thrown in a couple of brand new options this year.

Magnet From Festival

In my opinion, visiting the festival solo can’t be beat! I’ve had the pleasure of touring with big groups, small groups, and all alone, and that “personal” time with the Food and Wine Festival has been oh so rewarding. There’s so much to see and do that you won’t want to “compromise!” If you’re considering heading to the 2010 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival solo this year, here’s a dream itinerary:

Morning: Get Your Bearings…and a Bottle of Wine Head over to the Festival Welcome Center, located in Epcot’s Wonders of Life Pavilion, to grab a map and a Festival Guide as well as browse your favorite foodie titles at the Festival book shop, check out the wines featured throughout the Festival in The Cellar, and take a look at some of the customized Festival merchandise.

Plum Wine Drink in China

11AM: Eat Around the World Hopefully you’re hungry! The centerpiece of the Epcot Food and Wine Festival are the Festival Marketplace Booths. This year, 27 different countries will be represented with booths set up in a semi-circle around Epcot’s World Showcase Promenade; each booth will feature tapas-sized portions of some of the country’s most famous dishes, and many offer beers, wines, and other representative drinks. One of my favorite ways to spend lunchtime is grazing at several different booths, picking and choosing the dishes I’d like to sample. Usually, each dish costs about $2-$5, so you can safely try several for the price of a Disney World restaurant meal. To give you an idea of what to expect, here are photos and menus from the 2009 Festival Booths.

1PM: See a Show Now is a great time to catch one of the free or low-cost seminars happening throughout the Festival. Check out the History of Beer in America (includes samples — and it’s free with Epcot admission!); attend one of the Culinary Demonstrations, where executive chefs from around the country prepare a dish in front of the audience (includes a tapas-sized sample of the dish — $8/person); or meet your favorite cookbook author at an Authors Without Borders seminar (free with Epcot admission).

Italian Pasta Making Demonstration

3PM: Get Tipsy on Tequila OK, not really. But sort of! I can highly recommend the Festival’s new Tequila Tasting Seminars, which are held in Epcot’s premier Tequila Bar, La Cava del Tequila. These are extremely informational, especially for Tequila novices.

5PM: “Pair” Up or Be a Groupie My two favorite options for dinners during the Festival are Food and Wine Pairings and Signature Dining Events.

During Festival Food and Wine Pairings, guests are served three small dishes paired with spectacular wines; a Sommelier is on hand to describe the history of the wines and why the pairings were made. This year, Food and Wine Pairing meals are scheduled to be held in Mexico’s San Angel Inn, Japan’s Tokyo Dining, and Morocco’s Restaurant Marrakesh.

Shrimp Dish in Bangkok

Signature Dining Events offer guests the opportunity to dine under the watchful eye of their favorite celebrity chef! Premier chefs from around the country (and the Food Network!) prepare their favorite dishes just for you at these outstanding dinners.

7PM: Get Sweet or Eat to the Beat There are lots of opportunities to sample sweets and desserts around Epcot during the Festival, but a brand new event this year will be 3D Disney’s Dessert Discovery, a pre-booked event happening every Friday night during which Disney World will treat you to an amazing array of desserts, along with special seating for their famous Illuminations: Reflections of Earth Fireworks Spectacular. Tickets are a steal at only $45.

Disney's Food & Wine Festival booth

If the price (or the sheer sugar overload) is out of your budget, head over to Disney’s free-with-Epcot-admission Eat to the Beat concerts. These nightly shows featuring favorites like Taylor Dayne, Kool and the Gang, Boyz II Men, Expose, Rick Springfield, Air Supply, and Big Bad VooDoo Daddy (among others!) are sure to be worth a visit to Epcot alone.

Epcot Food and Wine Festival Tips:

• Consider purchasing a Food and Wine Festival gift card for yourself. This is smaller than a regular credit card, and comes on a plastic bracelet to wear around your wrist. You can load the card with as much money as you’d like, and use it as payment as you visit each Festival Marketplace Booth. Of course, the card is good for use at any Disney World purchasing location, so if you don’t use up the money at the Festival, it can be used for other purchases throughout Disney World.
• Before touring the Festival Marketplace Booths, check out the menus for each in your Festival Guide. There’s no way you’ll be able to sample everything (believe me, I’ve tried!), so choose a few don’t-miss items and hit those booths first.
• Paid events like seminars, food and wine pairing meals, and celebrity chef demonstrations, will sell out fast. The full itinerary of events usually comes out in July, and booking often begins in August. Stay tuned and pre-book your tickets so that you don’t miss out on your favorite Chef or seminar!
• There’s plenty to do at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival without breaking the bank. If you’re planning a budget trip, check out the seminars and demonstrations that cost only $5-$10, plan to “eat around the World Showcase” at the Festival Marketplace Booths for at least a couple of meals, and visit the free events in the Festival Welcome Center. Oh, and don’t forget to catch Air Supply at the Eat to the Beat Concert! (You KNOW you want to…)

Hopefully this helps as you plan your trip to Epcot during what I consider to be the very best time of the year! For more Disney Food information and to keep up to date on the 2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival, visit me on The Disney Food Blog!

This blog post is proudly featured in Dismarks’ 5th Disney Blog Carnival, along with a wide variety of other terrific posts about Disney World. Check it out!

Rock N Rollercoaster is one of 3 Disney rides with a Single Rider Line

1. Single Rider Lines - This may just be the most awesome feature of being solo at  Disney World.  The Single Rider Line allows you to bypass all the families, groups, and couples standing in the Stand By Queue and practically walk right on the ride.  Why?  Because they need single riders to fill in rows on rides, that’s why. Score!  The only downside to the Single Rider Line is that there aren’t more of them.  Right now, only Rock ‘N’ Rollercoaster (Hollywood Studios), Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom), and Test Track (Epcot) have them.

Get your photo taken by a Photopass Photographer

2. Photopass Photographers – Finally! Someone to take your picture for you when you travel solo.  I wish all tourist destinations had people whose job it was to take your picture.  Photopass photographers are usually positioned at prime “photo opp” locations in the parks, such as near the Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom, near Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom, and near the fountains with a view of Spaceship Earth in Epcot. Another way to get your photo taken at the parks is to get in line for a character photo.  Or you could offer to take a picture of someone else in exchange for them taking yours.  But the Photopass Photographers are the easiest, since it’s their job to do it.  You don’t have to purchase the Photopass, either.  They are happy to take your photo with your own camera if you ask them to.

Bartop Dining at Planet Hollywood, Downtown Disney

3. Restaurants with Counter and Bar Dining – Bartop dining is great for those solo travelers who feel uncomfortable with the idea of dining at a table for one in the middle of a crowded restaurant, or who just want some company while they eat.  It’s also great for those of you who don’t like to make Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs) because you want to be flexible about when you eat. Without an ADR, you may find yourself having a hard time getting a table at a Disney restaurant without a long wait–if you can get one at all.  In those situations, try one of the restaurants that have counter or bartop dining.  There are a number of them on Disney property, including the parks (like Yak & Yeti at Animal Kingdom), the Deluxe resorts (such as the California Grill at the Contemporary), the Boardwalk (Bluezoo, Big River Grille) and several in Downtown Disney (House of Blues, Wolfgang Puck, Planet Hollywood). As a solo diner, you only need to find one empty seat at the bar.

Which leads me to. . . .

All you need is one

4. The One Seat Advantage – As a solo traveler, you can easily squeeze in where others can’t.  Whether it’s a seat on a bus, boat or monorail, a lounge chair at the pool, a seat at one of Disney’s live shows, or a hammock on the beach at your resort, you only need to find one empty seat, which is a whole lot easier than finding two or more together.

No one to tell you what you can't do

5. Freedom – This is one of the best things about traveling solo anywhere, including Disney World.  Your time is your own. No negotiating with other people about what to do next.  If you feel like sitting around the pool all day, you can.  If you want to go on the same ride three times in a row–who’s to stop you? You can also travel to Disney World whenever it’s convenient for you, without having to worry about someone else’s vacation schedule.

Enjoy a show like Off Kilter at Epcot

6. Shows - Disney has a ton of great shows, from Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor to Finding Nemo to the Lion King to the free shows at Epcot, like Off-Kilter and Mo Rockin. Take advantage of them!  Not only are they great entertainment, they allow you to blend in as part of a crowd without anyone knowing you’re alone (if you care about such things). Or you can take the opportunity to strike up a conversation with the person next to you.  Who knows? You might make a new friend.

You don't have to worry about fighting with your family if you go "Solo"

7. No Fighting with A Travel Companion – Maybe it’s the killer pace, maybe it’s the crowds, maybe it’s too much togetherness that causes people to have a short fuse at Disney World.  I don’t know.  But I have witnessed so many ugly family fights at the so-called “Happiest Place on Earth”.  Every single time I’ve seen one, I think:  “I am so glad I am here alone.”

Find a restful, quiet spot all your own

8. Peace and quiet – After a day in the parks, surrounded by hundreds of people, all talking at once, plus the ambient background music and the noise made by shows and rides, the cacophany starts getting to me.  All I want is to find a solitary spot where I can enjoy some peace and quiet. So I do.  I either find a quiet bench outside at my resort, or close the door to my resort room and enjoy the silence.  I wouldn’t be able to do that if I were traveling with kids, friends, or a significant other–unless I booted them out of the room!

Indulge yourself in some adult activities

9. Adult Activities – When you want to go out at night at Disney World and have a drink or two and enjoy some live music at Jellyrolls, the House of Blues, or Raglan Road, for instance, you don’t have to worry about what to do with the kids.  You can also do a Monorail Crawl (similar to a pub crawl, but visiting a bar at each of the monorail resorts) or drink your way around the World Showcase without having to worry about setting a bad example for your children or angering the teatotalers in your group.

Have fun!

10. Because you CAN! Look, not everyone loves Disney World.  If you do, but you don’t know anyone else who does, why should you be deprived of an experience that will make you happy?  Just go and enjoy yourself.

Did I miss any of your favorite reasons for traveling solo to Disney?  Be sure to add them in the comments section below!

This post is part of the Disney Blog Carnival, where you can find a variety of Disney articles.

If you love food and you’ve never read the Disney Food Blog, you don’t know what you’re missing.  The photos alone are guaranteed to make you hungry.  Many thanks to AJ for inviting me over to play in her sandbox.

What ride at Disney World isn’t in one of the theme parks, doesn’t involve animatronics or rollercoasters, technology, complex engineering, piped-in music or air conditioning, is about as low-tech as you can possibly get, and is one of the oldest forms of transportation known to humankind that doesn’t involve water or flight?  If you can’t guess, then you haven’t read the title of this post.

I haven’t been on horseback since I was a kid, and I’ve been eager to give it a try again.  So before I left on my trip, I scheduled an 11:30 am appointment with the Tri-Circle-D Ranch at Fort Wilderness on Disney World property.  Tri-Circle offers trail rides several times a day. The cost for a 45-minute ride is $46, and I was told to arrive half an hour early and to wear close-toed shoes and something longer than shorts (because of thigh chafing).  I looked at a map of the Fort Wilderness campground and thought I knew where I was going.  On the morning of my ride, I took a bus from Coronado Springs to the Magic Kingdom, and then a boat from the Magic Kingdom to Fort Wilderness.  The boat ride was very pleasant, and I arrived at Fort Wilderness around 10:30am, which I felt would be plenty of time to get to my appointment.  Oh, how wrong I was.

Fort Wilderness Boat Dock

I had no idea there was a bicycle race taking place at Fort Wilderness that day. Over 1,000 people were milling about the property, and many of the walkways were cordoned off for the bicyclists.  I couldn’t find my way around that maze to save my life. Every time I started down a new path, I realized I was cut off by the race course.  Eventually, I made it to some stables.  But I couldn’t get near them.  I spotted a staff member and caught up with her to ask her how to get to the riding stables.  She kindly informed me that I wasn’t even on the correct part of the property.

Pioneer Hall, Fort Wilderness

There are stables at the main property, but the horseback riding takes place at The Outpost, and to get there, I needed to catch a purple or orange (internal) bus.  She pointed out the bus stop to me.  There was a line about 50 people long waiting there.  My heart sank.  I was sure there was no way I was going to make it in time.  The staff member took my name and promised to call The Outpost and let them know I was running late. Fortunately, the majority of people waiting in line were waiting for a bus to shuttle them to a  parking lot, so I was able to jump on the first purple bus that came along.  As the bus drove along its route, I was amazed at how spread out Fort Wilderness really is.  I would get lost if I were staying there.

Outpost Bus Depot, Fort Wilderness

I finally arrived at the Outpost (an appropriate name, since it is about as far across the property from my arrival point at the marina as you can possibly imagine) and miraculously, I was just in time for my appointment.  I paid at the Kennel and signed some waivers in case I fell off the horse and broke my neck, then hurried to join the group at the paddock.  It turned out that everyone else in the party was from the same family. I was the only solo rider.  I later overheard one of the trail guides mention that I had been the only person booked for this particular time, but the family showed up at the last minute, looking for something to do that day before it was time for them to leave Disney.

Everyone in the group chose to wear helmets, including me.  I got fitted with one by the guide, a Mr. Sylvester.  He brought out my horse, a lovely brown and white paint named Uncle Louie.  He was a handsome horse, but as it turned out, also a very lazy and headstrong one.  (Sadly, I have no photos of Louie because my DSLR camera was too big and bulky to bring on the horse with me. I had to stow it in one of the lockers provided on site.)

The guide went around to us individually and gave us instructions on how to handle our horses; each horse has a different personality, thus a different set of instructions.  I was warned that Louie would probably try to veer off the path to snack on vegetation (boy, did he ever!).  I was not warned that he would get so enthused about seeing his buddy in the pasture along the path that he would decide to go for a little run.  That was an exciting twenty seconds of my life.  Mr. Sylvester quickly came alongside us and instructed me on how to rein Louie in. During the return trip, he rode between us and the pasture so Louie wouldn’t see the other horse and get excited again.

From then on, Mr. Sylvester and the other guide walked us slowly, single-file (nose to tail, as they put it), along a winding path through the woods.  Mr. Sylvester rode up and down the line throughout the 45 minutes, talking to everyone, and keeping an eye on things.  But he hung back toward the rear of the line most often, which gave me an opportunity to chat with him, as I was bringing up the rear.  He had a beautiful bi-colored horse whose hair was braided, and he was quite proud of its lineage.

Despite the fact that the Tri-Circle-D’s horses are very well-fed, almost all of them at one point or another wandered off the path to snack on vegetation.  Louie was particularly stubborn about it.  I found myself tugging on the reins and saying “No, Louie! No!” and “Over here, Louie” an awful lot.  I tried to reward him when he behaved by telling him what a good horse he was, but I just don’t think he cared what I thought of him.

Because Florida had seen no rain for 25 days, the trail was very dry and dusty.  It was also very hot–over 90 degrees out.  The only thing that reminded me we were in Florida, not the Old West, were the palm trees towering high above us.  It was a nice quiet ride, a welcome respite from the noise and crowds of the theme parks. I found myself wondering what it must have been like back in the days when horseback was the fastest transportation around, and people would ride hundreds of miles at a time.  My butt was sore after just 45 minutes in the saddle!

So I wasn’t sorry when the ride came to an end, but I was sorry to leave the horses behind.  They were returned to the stables for a little break and some chow, no doubt. Despite the sore butt (and the layers of dirt caked onto my capris), this was a really enjoyable experience for me and I am so glad I had the opportunity to do it. If you’re traveling to Disney any time soon and are looking for something fun to do outside the parks for a change of pace, do consider this.  Don’t be shy just because you’re a solo traveler.  The guides paid just as much attention to me as they did to the family I was riding with, if not more.  Despite what a pain it was finding the stables, this ride will always remain a fond memory for me of my trip to Disney World.

For reservations for a trail ride, call (407) 939-7529.   Tell Uncle Louie I said hi.

Random observations and advice:

• The slow pace of this trail ride might be boring for experienced riders, but if you don’t often have an opportunity to be on a horse, it’s fine.  It’s a great ride for the beginner.
• The guides address riders by the name of the horse they are riding to give them instructions, such as “You there on Louie, pull a little harder to the left”.  So it’s really important to remember your horse’s name.
• If you ride a horse, wear a helmet.
• Be prepared to be sore for days after your ride.
• 90 degrees might be a wee bit too hot for horseback riding.  I’d recommend a cooler time of year.  Especially since you should wear long pants or capris to ride.
• Just make sure those pants aren’t white.

Here is a photo blog of some of my favorite wildlife photos from my recent trip to Disney.  (If anyone knows birds well enough to identify what some of these are, I’d appreciate it.  I have no clue.)

Giraffe at Animal Kingdom Lodge

White bird at Animal Kingdom Lodge

Pelican at Animal Kingdom Lodge

White bird at Coronado Springs resort

Bird at Magic Kingdom (maybe a wood stork?)

More birds at Magic Kingdom

Downtown Disney Duck

Duckling at Hollywood Studios

Bunny at Epcot

Duck at Epcot

Duck Silhouette, Epcot

What a showoff! (Epcot)

Duck at Epcot

Birds, Birds, Everywhere!

Gorilla at Animal Kingdom

Rhino at Animal Kingdom

Does, Animal Kingdom

Warthog in Straw, Animal Kingdom

Just wanted to see if you were paying attention

Liberty Tree Tavern

You know how sometimes, you just get a craving for a good burger and nothing else will satisfy?  That happened to me at Disney World in May.  I was there for a week, and I had amazing, tastebud-tantalizing, flavor-explosion meals every day, but by the end of the week, I craved nothing more than I did a good cheeseburger.  I tried to satisfy this craving at the Wilderness Lodge’s counter service restaurant, Roaring Fork, if you’ll recall, to disastrous results.  Finally, on my last day at the World, I found satisfaction at the Liberty Tree Tavern in the Magic Kingdom.

Cast Member at Liberty Tree Tavern

I had not scheduled any particular lunch that day, but when I passed Liberty Tree Tavern (a table service restaurant), I noticed they were advertising availability for walk-ins.  I got in with just a 10-minute wait.  As you might imagine of a restaurant located in Liberty Square called the Liberty Tree Tavern, the decor here is old colonial New England.  Even the staff dress in Colonial garb–which probably sucks for them on a hot summer day, but it definitely sets the tone.  You almost expect to see the Founding Fathers huddled over a table in the corner, drafting the Declaration of Independence over lunch.  They also have “town criers” who call your name when your table is ready.  If I recall correctly, it was something like “Hear ye, hear ye, now seating the [insert last name here] party”.  It might have been cute, except a) the poor cast members sounded like they were mortified to have to be doing this, and b) when they called out my “party”, I felt a bit self-conscious when I stood up and they saw it was just me.  I mean, really, I don’t mind being a solo diner, but don’t call me a “party”.  There’s just something pathetic about the phrase “party of one”.

They ushered me to a two-top table in a little room that was raised up above the central dining area, so I could look out and see people coming and going.  My server, Cathi, was friendly.  She asked where I was from and then mentioned that she had just been traveling herself.  For some reason she seemed to think Virginia and Vermont were near each other geographically, as well as in the alphabet. But I think she said she’d been stuck in an airport all night and hadn’t slept, which would explain the lapse.  We didn’t get to chat long, as the restaurant was starting to get busy.

Cheeseburger plate at Liberty Tree Tavern

I dutifully perused the menu, which is peppered with items fitting the Colonial theme, like “Patriot’s Punch”, “Declaration Salad,” and “Pilgrim’s Feast” and featured New England favorites like pot pie, pot roast and a turkey dinner.  But I knew what I wanted:  The Angus Chuck Cheeseburger, which can be topped with either mushrooms and provolone (which I chose) or bacon and cheddar, with either a side of fruit or tavern fries.  I should have gone for the fruit, but I ordered the fries instead.

This was the cheeseburger I had been waiting for all week–Angus beef, cooked medium rare (with just the right amount of pink to make it juicy, but not too red or bloody), with sauted mushrooms and perfectly melted provolone cheese on a nice, soft, fluffy roll.  Delicious!  You know how you finally get that thing you’ve been craving for a long time, and you’re so happy you sigh and your whole body relaxes and you think “I can die happy now”?  It was that good. It was also huge.  I couldn’t even touch the fries that came with it.  It also came with lettuce and tomato slices to add to the sandwich, but I ate those on the side.

As for solo-friendliness, I can’t fault the servers or the restaurant, but I definitely felt self-conscious as a solo diner here.  First there was the town crier incident.  Also, I don’t recall seeing anyone else dining alone there during the lunch hour. Not only was I the only solo diner in a small room full of families, but it took the food a little longer to arrive than I would have liked, and the wait made me feel even more conspicuous.  But honestly, none of those things would keep me from coming back here for another one of those fantastic cheeseburgers.

This restaurant gets a big thumbs up from me.  Not the solo-friendliest restaurant ever, but good theming and great burgers make it a worthwhile stop.

Morocco, World Showcase, Epcot

I’ve always loved the Morocco pavilion of Epcot’s World Showcase.  It is easily (for me) the most attractive and photogenic “country” in Epcot. The exotic architecture is stunning, the courtyard fountains lovely, and no matter how long I spend poking around the alleyways and nooks and crannies, I always find the most amazing attention to detail.

Tangierine Cafe

But I hadn’t eaten there until my May trip to Disney World, when I found myself in need of a cheap place to eat on my last night.  While I am not a vegetarian, I do enjoy eating vegetarian meals once in awhile, which makes it difficult to find a counter service restaurant that will please me.  (I don’t like to be restricted to just a plain old salad when I choose to go vegetarian, and while technically, they’re vegetables, french fries really don’t count when I’m in the mood for something healthy.)  Before I left on my trip, I had scoured the Disney restaurant menus and decided I really liked the looks of the Tangierine Cafe. I also read so many positive reviews about the food online that it made a favorable impression.

Morocco, World Showcase

Here’s an interesting factoid for you:  Did you know that tangerines, the citrus fruit, were named after Tangier, the Moroccan city?  Tangerines first made their way to Europe from China via the port of Tangier.  However, tangerine already existed as a word before that; it meant “of or pertaining to Tangier”. I just thought I’d throw that out there, since the spelling of the name of the restaurant had been bugging me (Tangierine as opposed to the common spelling of the fruit, Tangerine), and I had to check on it.

In the Morocco Pavilion

The Tangierine Cafe was fairly empty when I arrived for dinner.  I can’t recall what time it was, but it was later than I usually eat, so I’m assuming it was around 7pm.  The process of ordering and paying was pretty straightforward.  It is set up cafeteria style, where you order in one location and then move down the counter to where you receive your food.  There is a separate counter for specialty drinks.  I ordered the vegetarian platter and a frozen pina colada punch (non-alcoholic).  I selected one of the many free tables inside the restaurant (they also have outdoor tables) and settled in to see if the food was as good as I had heard it was.

Vegetable Platter at Tangierine Cafe

The food doesn’t look as good as it tastes, I have to say.  Presentation is not a priority here.  But the quality of the food was good.  The vegetarian platter I ordered comes with falafel bread, olive salad, hummus, lentil salad, tabouleh, and a tangierine couscous salad.  The marinated olive salad was a nice touch–I am a big fan of olives.  Everything was very good, I felt great about eating such a healthy meal, and I walked away full, but not overstuffed. Cost of the veggie platter was around $9 and the drink was around $4.

View out front doorway of Tangierine Cafe

This is a lovely restaurant to dine in, a real feast for the eyes.  The decor is gorgeous, from the tile mosaic on the walls and tables, to the stained glass and light fixtures, to the open doorway views of the pavilion–including the photo to the right of a waterwheel and flowers.  Another thing I enjoyed about this restaurant was that the staff were very pleasant and smiled a lot.  If you time it right, you can eat here and enjoy a session of live music and belly-dancing by Mo’ Rockin‘, the live band that plays in Morocco.  They are very good as well.

Mo' Rockin'

As far as solo dining goes, I felt very comfortable here.  Maybe if it had been packed with families (as counter service restaurants at Disney tend to be), I might have felt differently.  But I did not feel out of place dining alone.  In summary, the Tangierine Cafe gets a big thumbs up from me.  I recommend this as a very healthy counter service dining option at Epcot.

There is a Planet Hollywood restaurant in many major cities around the world, so naturally, there has to be one in Orlando, and that one is located in Downtown Disney.  Since the first time I ate at a Planet Hollywood (I believe I had a burger), this restaurant has not been high on my list of places to return to.  The food was fine, it just wasn’t anything special.  But I had a $15 voucher for a meal here that came with my package at Disney World, so I thought why not?  And I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.

Interior, Planet Hollywood

I was a little thrown by the fact that a souvenir photo is taken of guests on their way into the restaurant.  I had been at Epcot all morning, so I was hot and sweaty and my hair was a mess.  I was also tired.  I was barely able to muster a smile in the 95-degree heat.  Needless to say, I didn’t bring that photo home with me.  Anyway, I was very happy to walk into the cool, cool interior of Planet Hollywood and chose to eat at the bar instead of a table. I did find that I enjoyed the decor–it was fun and funky, with lots of little details to look at, which kept me occupied until my food arrived.  They also played good music.

Bar at Planet Hollywood

My bartender was a friendly and helpful young woman whose name was Colleen.  I decided to order a couple of appetizers for my meal instead of an entree, and Colleen steered me toward her favorite, the Texas Tostados.  I supplemented that with the Blackened Shrimp and my hot weather drink of choice, an iced coffee.

Texas Tostados

The Tostados are little mini tortillas with BBQ chicken and pork, cheese, sour cream, onion and pico de gallo.  Totally not healthy.  But tasty.  Colleen did not steer me wrong.  However, my favorite was the Blackened Shrimp.  I could have eaten two of these and called it lunch.  It was 5-6 jumbo shrimp, slightly blackened, with a Creole dipping sauce (in the honey-dijon mustard family) that was to die for and a small pile of matchstick carrots.

Blackened Shrimp

It wasn’t quite the free lunch I had anticipated (I thought it would only cost a few bucks once the $15 voucher was applied, but noooo, it was about $15 out of pocket, too, once everything was added up and tax and tip were applied), but still it was quite enjoyable.  If you can only ever try one item on the menu at a Planet Hollywood, you owe it to yourself to get those blackened shrimp.  Unless, of course, you’re allergic to shrimp.  Then go for the tostados.