Top 5 Places to Get Candy at Walt Disney World

As you may have noticed from the last entry that I have brought back the "top 5s" this week, and I will do my best to not make them all about my favorite subject (it's the food if you're not a regular reader). But the last entry's was and today's is...and tomorrow's who knows? But probably not...I guess you'll just have to keep reading. ;)

How happy does this kid look?! Like she just stepped into Willa Wonka's Chocolate Factory and can run and skip around while munching on sweet treats. But no, this isn't Mr. Wonka's; it's Seashore Sweets, the candy shoppe at Disney's Boardwalk Inn Resort. Gotta sweet tooth? Walt Disney World can definitely accommodate. There's candy store's, fudge shops, ice cream parlors, and everything anyone's heart could desire when it comes to the stuff you only eat on vacation (ok, maybe not true...but we like to think it is) :).

With the Halloween festivities coming up in just a couple of weeks (view the right side of this blog for dates and prices), I know some people that are still on the fence on whether or not to go are thinking, I don't want my child to miss out on the candy. Miss out on the candy?! Not possible here. Let's just leave aside the fact that if you do attend Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party that you are given treat bags at the entrance which can be filled throughout the night with sweet treats (free), there is everything and anything under the sun that a candy-lover can munch. From chocolate to marshmallows, sugary things to cookies; you can't visit a park or resort without finding some sort of sinfully sugary concoction to devour.

Here are my top 5 places to get candy at Walt Disney World:

5. Sleepy Hollow Snacks; The Magic Kingdom

4. Seashore Sweets; Disney's Boardwalk Resort

3. Beaches N' Cream Soda Fountain; Disney's Beach Club Resort

2. The Candy Cauldron; Downtown Disney West Side

1. Main Street Confectionary; The Magic Kingdom

Tune in tomorrow for the next "top 5", I'm sure that one won't put you into sugar shock!

A little Bit of This and A Little Bit of That

I found this picture of me, my mom, and snowman Donald the other day and had to include it in my blog entries even though I am completely horrified at what I am wearing!! What was I thinking? Overalls?? Really?? Back in the day, right? This picture is reminiscent of the early 2000s when I would hang out at the parks with my family and friends, we'd "play in the parks" as we called it. We wouldn't necessarily have to go on any of the attractions, but if the lines were short enough, we'd jump on Pirates of the Caribbean or maybe Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We are at the Magic Kingdom in this picture, and it was fun.

I wanted to point out that in this picture it was obviously the holidays because Donald is in his overcoat. You can't tell from my mom and me except that we have sweaters tied around our waists; but hey, after all it is Orlando. There are chilly days in Orlando, and during the holidays you'll find the concession carts and quick service locations selling extra hot chocolate. Yum! Hot chocolate at Walt Disney World? If it's there, it can be done. And it's sooo good too!! :)

There is a little bakery at Disney's Hollywood Studios that I love to go and get hot chocolate and pastries in the morning right when the park opens. It's on the corner of Hollywood and Sunset Blvd.'s and it's called The Starring Rolls Cafe. They have delicious sandwiches if you're there around lunchtime as well but I go there for the coffee. I am a coffee person, always have been, and here are my top 5 Best Places to Get Coffee at Walt Disney World:

5.Beach Club Marketplace, Disney's Beach Club Resort

4. Boulangerie Patisserie; France, EPCOT

3. Ghiradelli's Soda Fountain; Downtown Disney Marketplace

2. Starring Rolls Cafe; The Disney Hollywood Studios

1. The Kona Cafe; Disney's Polynesian Resort

Hope that this entry is just your cup of tea (I mean coffee!).

Old Favorites and New Endeavors...

I'm up way too late. I can't sleep so what better to do than to blog about my favorite place? :)

Ahh, the Mad Tea Party! They never get old for me, and vice versa, I never get too old for them! But believe it or not there are a handful of things at the Walt Disney World Resort that even I have never done. I have a (be it short) checklist of these things and I am going down the list. With four trips planned in the next five months I think I will make that list slowly but surely disappear.

And what makes these upcoming getaways even more exciting? The events that I have been to before that I cannot wait to attend again!

I will be taking many notes in the upcoming visits to Walt Disney World, along with plenty of photos, and hopefully some good video as well, all to document everything that I encounter and experience...for you. My beloved readers. :) If I can help you to have in any way as great a vacation as I have been privileged to have many times over than that is my goal. :)

One thing that I will talk about briefly tonight that I am looking forward to is the meals in our October trip! I am going to be taking pictures as the food comes to our table. We have reservations at Ohana at Disney's Polynesian Resort, a forever family favorite of ours; and at 1900 Park Fare at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa for dinner. And while I myself am partial to the breakfast at this location, I have never been to the dinner. Check! It is a character meal with Cinderella and her storybook friends, and I've never heard a bad review. I'll be the (foodie) judge of that! LOL!

If I don't say this enough to all of you, thank you so much for reading. And to those of you who post comments and send me emails, I so appreciate it. It makes me smile every time I read that someone can really tell I am writing about something I love. Thank you again and happy reading! Good night!

To Over-plan or Under-plan? That is the Question!

I love this picture. I don't know who took it (it was probably my mom), but this is me, my dad, and my brother arguing over which way to go on the map of Disney's Animal Kingdom a year after it opened. It was the family trip we took before I was to depart for my work exchange program at Disneyland Paris. Quick note: those frozen chocolate covered bananas that you can get at Animal Kingdom are awesome! This picture leads me to my blog entry for the day...maps and map planning at Walt Disney World.

If you've never been to the Walt Disney World Resort before, it may not occur to you to think how big it is and perhaps look up the different maps of the parks or the whole resort online. Everyone is different. There are the non-planners who just go with the flow and figure 'this is my vacation, why should I have to plan everything'; and then there's the complete opposite side of the spectrum, the planners who have a spreadsheet worked out for their Disney trip with every last detail planned down to the bathroom breaks. My advice as a seasoned Disney expert? Neither of these ways is going to be fun. (Gasp!--Hope I haven't insulted anyone!)

To the non-planners: I'm sorry, but you have to plan a little. This isn't an all-inclusive beach vacation where you're going to lie around all day and only get up to go to the bar or get something to eat. There are THOUSANDS of other people there at the same time as you who will plan and not care when you are the ones waiting 45-60 minutes to get into a restaurant when they made the reservations 6 months ago.

I know I use restaurants a lot as an example with these entries. So to paint another picture, how about you golfers out there? Did you know that you can make tee time reservations for one of the five championship golf courses at Walt Disney World up to 90 days in advance? I've made those reservations before. I know that there are guests who come down there just to golf. They will find out when their 90th day out is and make that lovely 7 am tee time for each day they are there, have a break for lunch, and on some days throw in an afternoon tee time as well. Why not? The wife is spending the day at the spa and then having a delicious "tea time" of her own at The Garden View Tea Room at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. All reservations I might add that she made well in advance too.

What if you're visiting with the kids? You're little princess wants to have her hair and makeup done at The Bibbity Bobbity Boutique and you thought ' I'll just see what's available when we get there, I don't know which day we want to fit it in...' Only when you get there, you decide which day you are going to the Magic Kingdom and call from your room for those reservations and guess what? "Well sir (or ma'am) I don't have an opening at the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique tomorrow at Cinderella's Castle (like you and your princess wanted), the next available is in 3 days at the Downtown Disney location.' Or there's no availability at all...you can check for cancellations. Do you have a crying princess now? I've seen it happen a hundred times. Plan....just a little.

On the other side of the spectrum, people who are over-planners and type up their spreadsheets, etc. generally do get all the reservations that they want for their vacation to Walt Disney World. But I've seen this happen a lot of times as well, where they've spent HOURS before their trip studying the park maps and figuring out what times to hit what attraction and where to be at what time for the parade. There are two reasons that this may be detrimental:

1. You can't know how many other guests are going to be in the same park as you on any given day. This effects the wait times for the attractions, the return times on fastpasses, the waits for the restrooms, and the crowd levels for the parades, fireworks, and shows.

2. If something has a got a longer queue than you had planned, or something unexpected happens, generally someone who plans everything down to the last detail is going to be upset when something doesn't go the way that they had anticipated. And it very well may put that person in a bad mood, therefore affecting everyone else in their party as well.

So to the planners and non-planners out there...I know it's against your grain, but how about meeting somewhere in the middle. If you haven't decided to book your Walt Disney World vacation through me (hint, hint) and you have the task of doing all the planning by yourself; take a piece of paper and write down the days of the week that you are there, and fill them with a breakfast, lunch, dinner, all or some of the restaurant reservations that you know that your family wants to go to. Also go online and see the park hours for those days (you can pull up calendars for the parks on www.disneyworld.com as fas as 6 months out - keep in mind the farther out you go the more subject to change they are), the extra magic hours, parade times, and fireworks times, and that really is enough. If you want something like golf tee times or bibbity bobbity boutique reservations, work time in your schedule for that. Look up the park maps online so you can get a general idea of how big that park is and if you may or may not want to spend a whole day in that particular park, and that really should be enough for you to have a "magical" vacation!

Planners--resist the urge to figure out what time you want to hit each attraction; and non-planners--force yourself to make dining reservations, it will make a difference. :)

TWO Deals TOO Good TO Be True!

I have been BUS-Y getting the word out about the two Fantastic offers that dropped yesterday for Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fl. so much to the point that I wasn't able to post a blog entry until today! Are you ready for this?! Not only have they extended the FREE DINING offer at Walt Disney World...they also made it available for bookings during dates in 2011 as well!!

Here's the "Deal":

Book a vacation package at a moderate or deluxe resort at Walt Disney World for at least 4 nights and check in anytime during the dates below and get the dining plan...FREE!

This is valid based on availability most nights from:

October 1-7, 2010

October 22-28, 2010

November 12-18, 2010

November 27-December 2, 2010

December 10-21, 2010

January 1-5, 2011

January 9-13, 2011

January 21-February 3, 2011

February 11-17, 2011

February 25-March , 2011

May 27-June 2, 2011

August 19-September 29, 2011

Hurry! You can book this up until December 20, 2010, but that's not guaranteeing that availability will be there that long! So act fast on taking advantage of the free dining deal! Only $200 holds a Walt Disney World vacation package that's fully refundable up until 45 days prior to your arrival!

It's too good to resist!

Don't think that a package is right for you and your party? Just want to spend a couple of days hanging out at the resort pool? How about saving up to at least 25% on stays most nights for arrivals between October 3, 2010 and February 16, 2011? Book by November 21, 2010 to take advantage of this great deal!

No matter how many times you visit, there's something about the first day back and seeing Cinderella's Castle for the first time in a long time. Hopefully I will get to visit the Magic Kingdom during my visit in September, but definitely in October. I can't wait! And with deals as great as these, neither should you! Contact me today for pricing and availability!

Repeat the Sounding Joy

As promised, today I am blogging about some of the magical things that you can do and see at Walt Disney World during the holiday season! Each year there are a few favorites that are the specific reasons certain guests return. They look forward to it every year and usually book as soon as they can for the next year!

I have blogged in the beginning of the Summer about the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, and there's just about a month left before that kicks off during it's select dates! I will have pictures and hopefully some video to share with all my readers from the night that my family and I are visiting this year! Also, during the month of October, the International Food and Wine Festival takes place over at EPCOT. This is a great special event for guests who are visiting Walt Disney World without little ones to spend a day or two leisurely walking around the World Showcase at EPCOT tasting regional wines along with savory and sweet bites from different cultures as well!

As far as my photo that's included with today's entry, it is my favorite holiday event that takes place during the Christmas season in EPCOT; during the Holidays Around the World Celebration, The Candlelight Processional. I have to admit I am biased, this show holds a special place for me. The show is the reading of the Christmas story, the story of the birth of Jesus with a famous actor or actress narrating, while a choir made up of volunteer cast members and different high schools from around the state of Florida along with the Voices of Liberty and the Walt Disney World Orchestra burst out into traditional holiday music in between the readings.

I can't believe that this year it will be 5 years since, but I had the privilege of being a member of the cast choir along with my Dad in 2005! He continues to sing each year and looks forward to it every holiday season. I met some fantastic people and celebrities as well! This picture is from the 2009 Candlelight Processional in a show narrated by the stunning and elegant Isabella Rosellini. I cannot justify in this blog how beautifully she read the story and it was a pleasure to see her in person.

The Candlelight Processional will be performed 3 times per night, from November 26-December 30, 2010 at 5:00 pm, 6:45 pm, and 8:15 pm. There will be two different queues for the show. A "stand by" line and a "dinner package" line. I highly recommend doing the dinner package, it's a great way to dine at one of the delicious restaurants at EPCOT, and you get priority seating at the show! The cast members will seat the guests who are in the queue for the dinner package first, since they are guaranteed a seat, and then all available space that remains goes to the guests waiting in the stand by line. As you can probably guess, this doesn't necessarily ensure you a seat if you're waiting in the stand by line and I've seen people get there as early as 90 minutes to 2 hours beforehand to wait on line. Of course, some people just go to EPCOT that day to see the show (usually Florida residents) and don't mind waiting on that line. But as you can imagine, it's not an ideal situation for someone who's on their vacation. The dinner package is a great way to go!

Another added incentive about the dinner package is those guests who purchase the regular dining plan can use it for their meal with the Candlelight Dinner package! How it works are the restaurants at EPCOT are divided into three categories:

For the 5:00 show; the dining times are before the show, so usually a late lunch...

Tier 1: $32.99 adult $17.99 child (age 3-9) 5:00 pm show/

$44.99 adult $22.99 child (age 3-9) 6:45 and 8:15 pm shows

-The Biergarten (Germany)

-The Garden Grill (The Land)

Tier 2: $38.99 adult $12.99 child (age 3-9) 5:00 pm show/

$44.99 adult $14.99 child (age 3-9) 6:45 and 8:15 pm shows

-San Angel Inn (Mexico)

-Nine Dragons Restaurant (China)

-Rose and Crown Restaurant (UK)

-Restaurant Marrekesh (Morocco)

Tier 3: $51.99 adult $13.99 child (age 3-9) 5:00pm show/

$59.99 adult $15.99 child (age 3-9) 6:45 and 8:15 pm shows

-Le Cellier Steakhouse (Canada)

-Les Chefs de France (France)

-Teppan Edo and Tokyo Dining (Japan)

-Tutto Italia (Italy)

-Coral Reef (The Living Seas)

*Tax, Gratuities, and lobster entrees not included. All prices subject to change.

*All of these restaurants that are included in the Candlelight Processional Dinner Package count as 1 (one) table service meal on the regular dining plan!

So for those of you thinking about it, you can book your 2011 Holiday vacation now with as little as $200 to hold your reservation! But don't forget about 2010! There's still plenty of time to book a Walt Disney World vacation during the holiday season this year too!! Contact me today!

The Holidays are Upon Us...

Aren't they a cute couple?! I took this picture of my parents on the beach at Disney's Polynesian Resort after a very satisfying dinner at Ohana. Look at Space Mountain in the background! As you can see, my mom is wearing a sweater, it was about January when we took this and the winter months can be a bit chilly there in Orlando. We're not talking snow or even flurries, and of course winter is the most popular time of year for the people who live up north the rest of the year to retreat to Florida for a few months coining the phrase "snow birds". But there are days in January/February that can get into the 50s as a high...and that ain't shorts weather!

There's actually been some big news that I'm sure anyone who is a Disney Fanatic already knows, and as a travel agent it's the biggest type of news for me!

(drumroll) 2011 WALT DISNEY WORLD ROOMS/PACKAGES ARE AVAILABLE TO BOOK!!!!

Thinking of taking a Walt Disney World Vacation anytime in 2011? You can contact me today and get started!! It's so exciting! :)

But 2010 is still far from over and there are LOADS of things and special events that are still to take place! My next few blog entries are going to be about visiting Walt Disney World during the holidays (my personal favorite time of year to go!) . Whether it be Halloween, Thanksgiving, or Christmas...there's so much to do and see! And even more to tell you about! Most of the time I get so excited myself I don't know where to start! But I'll try not to get too much ahead of myself and take you through all the exciting and fun things to do at Walt Disney World coming up in the Fall and Winter of 2010! :)

And They All Lived Happily Ever After...

This past weekend there wasn't any blog entries because it was my one year anniversary. My husband and I got married at Disney's Yacht Club Resort on August 8, 2009 in a beautiful twenty minute ceremony with Rev. Jack Day officiating. Man, was it hot! But in true Disney style, nothing was impossible. Every detail of the wedding was planned down to the last chair placement, and when the one thing that no one (not even the wonderful cast members at Disney) could control, Mother Nature gave us a humid, 90 degree day and a late afternoon thunderstorm, everything still went on without a hitch. It turned out to be so hot that our cocktail hour that was supposed to be in the Rose Garden next to the Yacht Club Convention Center, was quickly moved inside a vacant room in the morning.

There were three reasons we chose to have our wedding at Walt Disney World. First and most important, it was where we met. :) Second, I knew I was going to get the level of service that I expected for one of the most important days in our life, the level of service I have always received from Disney. Third, I loved the fact that it was one stop shopping. I'm sure any bride who has planned a wedding that was to be in a different state than she resided in who is reading this blog can relate. The fact that I just had to chose which packages I wanted from Disney's florist, DJs, chefs, photographers, etc. was a definitely a bonus!

Everything was as worry free as possible, and it was fantastic. Truly the best day of my life! The bride and groom get a complimentary night in a suite at one of the deluxe resorts the night of their wedding, and we had one at Disney's Yacht Club. Marble floored entrance-way, a sitting room with a vanity area, closets, and bathroom, and then a separate large bedroom with a balcony that (in our room) overlooked Stormalong Bay; the pool at Disney's Yacht and Beach Club Resorts.

We had our wedding photos taken in the lobby at Disney's Yacht Club Resort as well and the cast members were excellent about making sure the bride and groom did not run into each other before the ceremony. My wedding planner and all of her colleagues were on their walkie-talkies treating us like we were the President!

Our DJ for the reception, Scott, was the best! He kept the party going the entire time we had the room booked for, getting down with my whole reception! Every song that we requested beforehand was played and I didn't leave the dance floor except to eat! Which brings me to (as you well know) my favorite subject...the food! This was the aspect of the wedding that was most important to me of course and the thing that we received the most compliments on afterwards! The food during the cocktail hour was my personal favorite, hors d'oeuvres of crabcakes (my husband's person favorite), GIGANTIC shrimp cocktail (my personal favorite), Italian meats and cheeses, chicken teriyaki, and a full bar. During the reception we started off with a fantastic caesar salad, penne a la vodka, a raspberry sorbet (yum!), and the main course was filet mignon and lobster tail with mashed potatoes and asparagus. O...M...G! It was so good. And the chefs at Disney were able to do anything for me! I had some guests that were allergic to seafood, no problem. Some that didn't eat red meat, no problem. And some that were children...guess what? No problem. Steamed veggies, "mickey" macaroni and cheese and grilled chicken for the kiddos.

Then came the cake. It was a beautiful three-tiered white and gold frosting with the words "And They Lived Happily Ever After" written on it. The cake was a delectable chocolate with raspberry filling. And I can't tell you how many of my guests said it was the best wedding cake they've ever eaten! I am sad to say that my only taste of the cake was the traditional first cutting with my husband, but even that was memorable and special! As a surprise from my mom and dad, Mickey and Minnie showed up to boogie on the dance floor, cut the cake with us, and then take a picture with each and every guest personally in the lobby!

All in all, our wedding day was exactly as it was supposed to be, the best day of our lives. I can't believe it was a year ago already. If you are interested in planning a wedding or honeymoon at Walt Disney World I can help you out with this as well to the best of my abilities and at least point you in the right direction! When anyone asks me if I recommend one of Walt Disney World's Fairytale Weddings for their special day, my answer is immediately YES, they know the way to make your wedding day "magical!"

A Modern Version of "Family Time"...All Thanks to Walt Disney

I have been busy these last couple of days! And busy is good! But I can't neglect my readers and not mention several things that are going on! First of all....

-This is it! Last week to book at least a 5 night stay during select dates at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fl. and get the Disney Dining Plan...FREE! If you are planning on taking a vacation to Disney World this year, contact me before this fantastic deal is over!

-Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party tickets and some International Food and Wine seminars are still available! Visiting WDW in the Fall? These are some great special events to attend!

-Coming Soon!! Looking forward to you Holiday vacation to Walt Disney World? Candlelight Processional (at EPCOT) dinner packages are going to be available VERY SOON! Stay tuned for updates!

-Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party tickets available now!

All these things going on at Walt Disney World, makes me so excited about my own upcoming trips! It also makes me appreciate the fact that I feel that I have the best job in the world. Really, when I was a cast member I thought the same thing, circumstances unfortunately have taken me away from my position, but that hasn't stopped me! I look forward to the day I retire (if it doesn't work out sooner, of course) where I can become a cast member again...that's the deal with my husband. Ha ha.

Anyway, you didn't visit this entry today to read my sappy stories! You came to read my sappy stories about Walt Disney World!! It's come to mind with the picture I've included in today's entry. I love this candid shot of me and my dad. It was taken by my mom back in 2000, and I was "off" that day. So what did we do? Play in the parks, of course! So this is us just sitting down enjoying a soda and some french fries in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom. I can't remember exactly what we were talking about, but it was probably nothing important. That was the best part about it. And what's even better, memories like these can be yours as well! You don't have to be running from one attraction to another or always glancing down at your watch or phone to see how much time there is before the next show. You can be sitting outside a quick service location like the Electric Umbrella (in EPCOT) while people watching and enjoying really what these parks and all of property were meant to be about...family time. Time spent with your loved ones.

You know, Walt Disney got the idea for Disneyland because Saturdays were the day of the week that he spent with his daughters, their "Daddy's day". But he realized that everywhere he took them were really just for them; whether it be a fair or a playground, he was sitting on the bench waiving at them as they passed on the carousel. This is when it occurred to him,wouldn't it be great if there was a place where everyone in the family could have fun together? Think about that the next time you're walking down Main Street, USA holding your child's hand. Just take a moment to glance down at them before you stress getting the perfect picture or rush them over to hear Belle's Storytime, and realize how lucky you are to be able to appreciate it. I know I am. :)

Take A Walk Around The World With Me...

**A few posts ago I blogged about the best places to get ice cream at Walt Disney World and I mentioned the Beaches N' Cream Soda Shop at Disney's Beach Club Resort. The Kitchen Sink came up and I recently acquired a photo of it through a friend (thanks, Rachael!) who just conquered and defeated the 8 scoops of ice cream, entire can of whipped cream, brownies, chocolate sauce, cherries, etc. etc. etc...with the help of a few people, of course. :)

I've been asked by one of my readers (YAY! I have readers!) where are the best places to "eat around the world" at EPCOT World Showcase if they're not going during the International Food and Wine Festival instead of having one big sit-down lunch or dinner. This question is actually more difficult than I initially thought, because each out of the ten countries (plus the American Adventure) in EPCOT have some mighty delicious munchies. So for you, Sean...here is my list of the yummiest bites to "nosh" on at EPCOT:

Mexico:

As of today's date, the Cantina de San Angel restaurant (quick service location) is closed for refurbishment and is scheduled to reopen in the fall of this year. When it does reopen, a new expanded 400-seat waterside restaurant will enhance the guest experience and that of Mexican cuisine at EPCOT. For guests looking for a taste of Mexico, the San Angel Inn located inside the Mexican pavilion is open for lunch and dinner as a table service location as well as La Cava de Tequila inside, and the Taqueria del Lago along the promenade (or walkway through the World Showcase) sells delicious tacos. You have to be at least 21 years old to be able to partake in my pick for Mexico as it is a beverage location rather than cuisine. Have a delicious and perfectly light marguerita that will quench your thirst on a hot Florida day in Mexico. Ole!

Norway:

The Norway pavilion is one that can satisfy anyone with a sweet tooth. The Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe while it has sandwiches, has some delectable pastries of the Norwegian fare. The sweet pretzels with almonds are just perfect! Crispy on the outside, soft and doughy on the inside with just the right hint of sweetness and crunch from the sliced almonds... this dessert provides the perfect quick bite for someone who like to get the sweet out of something that Americans normally associate with salty!

China:

It is no surprise that I praise the Lotus Blossom Cafe in this entry as I have in the past, as it is well known to my readers as one of my favorite quick service locations on Walt Disney World property. To tell the truth, I am one of those people who 'have to be in the mood' for something when it comes to food. When I visit EPCOT, I am always of course looking forward to the food, but as I step through the front gates, I usually find myself craving one particular taste. When we order Chinese take out at home, I am usually not an egg roll person. But when we go to the Lotus Blossom Cafe, I can taste those yummy egg rolls from the entrance of the world showcase. I don't know why; maybe it's because the Chinese green iced tea is one of my favorites as well, and the combination of the two stick together in my mind so clearly. None the less, they are the first two things that jump to mind when someone asks me what I recommend they get for a quick bite in EPCOT.

Germany:

Did someone say Bratwurst? How about Frankfurter? But never a hot dog. Anyway you say it the traditional American favorite is of German descent and the thing to munch on when you're in the Germany pavilion in EPCOT, at Sommerfest. If you're in the mood for something sweet, how could you say no to the apple strudel? But my mouth waters for a brat with mustard and sauerkraut. If you're dining on all this in one day I hope you've got a friend with you with similar tastes in food because you're definitely going to need a knife to split it...on to Italy!!

Italy:

Okay, so I am of Italian descent. 100% Italian as fellow New Yorkers like to classify ourselves. And I don't normally go out for Italian food. Why go out to eat what I can cook at home? But I do enjoy Italian food out in three places I have been so far in my life...1. Italy 2. Little Italy in NYC 3. The desserts in the Italian pavilion in EPCOT. For a displaced New Yorker who now lives in Louisville. KY (while they have their own cuisine that they do very well here I may add), when I am walking through the Italy pavilion I crave one thing...cannoli. At the Tutto Italia Kiosk you can get sinfully delicious cannoli and tiramisu. Why does something that taste so good have to be so bad for you? I guess that's an age old question that will never be answered except with a simple 'fugghetaboutit.' :)

...halfway there...you slowin' down yet?....keep walkin'!

The American Adventure:

This pavilion is often overlooked by myself because while I'm there I think, why would I get a turkey leg or chicken fingers when I can get those almost anywhere else on property? Well, now that I'm a mom and going to Walt Disney World is "...a whole new world..." (lol) I am VERY thankful for a place like The Liberty Inn where I can grab some chicken fingers that are usually a quick fix to some cranky kiddos. Whew!

Japan:

Do I even need to type what it is I'm going to recommend in the Japanese pavilion? Ummm...sushi! Dare I say "duh?" If you're not the raw fish-eating type there are beef, chicken, tempura and noodle dishes available at The Yakitori House, along with some yummy miso soup and sushi rolls. If you're in for something a little more hard core sushi you can dine at Teppan Edo and have sushi samplers, crispy eel rolls, etc.

Morocco:

I think out of all the countries this is the one that confuses and therefore scares my clients the most. I guess some people aren't that apt to try something that don't know too much about. But if you'd like to stop by the Morocco pavilion for a quick bite, I think that will put aside any fears you'd might have of the unknown and lead down a path for some ethnic cuisine that is delicious. It can be spicy, but also one of my favorite dishes is a staple in Moroccan food and that is lamb. I have several Moroccan friends in Orlando and have run into them before in the Moroccan pavilion outside the Tangierine Cafe because they think it's a very close second to home-cooked Moroccan food as well. The platters are served with a couscous salad and hummus and there is also a children's menu with the traditional chicken fingers and burger on it so guests with younger children can still enjoy a taste of Morocco! Makes me in the mood for some hummus!

France:

Ahhhh...Paris! As you know, I worked at Disneyland Paris for 6 months in 1999 and whenever I want to get a little taste of France, I can go to the French pavilion in EPCOT and literally...taste it. Annnnd we're back to desserts. Makes me wonder if I am one of the guests with the sweet tooth that I keep mentioning. :) The Boulangerie Patisserie not only has some desserts that are manifique, but also one of my other weaknesses (besides food in general being a weakness)...quiche. Bring a friend and you can split a mouth-watering ham and cheese quiche and finish the quick bite off with a napoleon, cream puff, or chocolate mousse. I can't even begin to choose my favorites! Bon Appetit!

The United Kingdom:

I also previously have blogged about this location in my 'top 5's ' entries in the 'top 5 quick service locations'. The Yorkshire County Fish Shop has the sinfully delightful fried fish and chips as the only thing on their menu besides drinks (and an extra side of chips). But man, are they delish! If you're like my husband and like them the traditional way, you can drown them in malt vinegar or you can have them as I prefer, with tartar sauce. Just make sure you grab plenty of napkins and continue walking afterwards!

Canada:

Unfortunately, there is no designated quick service or snack location in Canada. You can TRY and get in without reservations to Le Cellier Steakhouse during lunchtime to maybe get a bowl of their to die for Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup; but if you have no luck with that, you can walk just past the pavilion and hit up the Refreshment Port and have a dulce de leche ice cream sundae...who wouldn't want an excuse for that!?!

In closing of today's entry, we've walked (a lot) and eaten (a lot) and I hope this has made you all the more excited about your visit to Walt Disney World, which is my ultimate goal. I know writing this blog makes me so excited I can hardly wait for my next visit, and share more of my adventures with you.