Disney Dining – Animal Kingdom’s Pizzafari

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Our family has never eaten at Pizzafari in Animal Kingdom, so I added it to my list of places for Joseph to try while he’s slaving away living it up in the Disney College Program.  I’d read that there was a Shrimp Flatbread and a Cannoli Cake dessert on the menu.  Both of those sounded promising.  Very recently, Raymond, Megan, Joseph and I had shared a couple of the Buffalo Chicken flatbread at the Contempo Café in the Contemporary and we were really happy with the quality and flavor.

Joseph, as one would expect from my child, offered this very honest, fair and balanced review…

Disney Dining – Animal Kingdom’s Pizzafari

-By Joseph Green

It was what you should expect from quick service pizza.  It looks appetizing with the drizzled pesto, arugula and spinach, and the seasoned shrimp, but the cheese and bread ruined it for me.

On first impression, the veggie mix tasted fresh and crisp in contrast to the chewy, flavorless bread and “cheese”.  The pesto added a nice flavor along with the shrimp which surprisingly wasn’t rubbery.  But after a second of thinking, “hm.. this isn’t bad at all, I kind of like this.”, I found myself having to chew longer and longer and longer.  All of those individual flavors mixed together until they were no longer discernible, which I fully blame on the bread and cheese.  The shrimp flatbread just became unappetizing after that.  I got tired of having to chew for long periods of time and holding those flavors in my mouth until they were one greasy blob.  (The flatbread came with a side salad, but I’m not a fan, so I can’t tell you how it tasted.  I did take a picture of it for you.)

The Cannoli Cake I rather liked.  The cake itself was moist and dense and maintained a rich, chocolatey flavor that I didn’t find overpowering.  The mini chocolate chips inside the cake were a surprising texture that I didn’t expect, but enjoyed very much.  Now, maybe I’ve been watching too much of The Great British Baking Show lately, but I didn’t particularly enjoy the cannoli.  It looked wonderful and the taste was nice, but the texture of the cannoli was all wrong to me.  I suppose I should’ve expected that though.  I mean, they are sitting in a refrigerator for possibly quite some time, which renders the cannoli soft, flexible, and slightly stale.  I recommend the cake, but the cannoli was nothing special.The Verdict:  With so many other truly great choices for a quick meal in Animal Kingdom, pass on Pizzafari…unless you go for dessert.

 

Home is Where You Hang Your Ear Hat

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Disney friends, you will totally get this post.  The pull of Disney is strong!  While we’re pining for our next vacation, we often find the need to surround ourselves with a bit of Disney happiness.  These touches of Disney soothe us while we’re saving, planning, and waiting (oh, the waiting!) for that return to our favorite Disney destination.  There’s nothing to be ashamed of!  We all know that…

Home is Where You Hang Your Ear Hat

Some of us go full-on Disney décor.  Personally, I find a well placed Disney souvenir or collectible to be enough to bring back a happy memory and remind me that we’ll be back to making more memories in the Disney Bubble in the future.  When that post-Disney depression comes on strong, I take a minute to look around my house and that’s all I need to cheer me up. (Henry Jones, Jr. is always available to chase those blues away!)

Marry Poppins is in the foyer.

The poster from 2014’s Food & Wine Festival (in the living room) reminds us of our 25th anniversary trip.

Some of our favorite characters hang out in the kitchen.

Mickey keeps an eye on who’s coming and going from the top of the stairs.

Planning materials are always handy in the library (and Bay Lake Tower is there too).  Along with our overstuffed curio of Disney treasures.

Recently I changed up the contents of the built-in shelves in our living room.  They’d been full of family pictures forever.  Missing Joseph, I decided to turn those shelves into a collection of things we love and I’m super happy with the results.  More than just Disney, each shelf tells a little story.  Cardinal baseball and chicken love are also on display. (Pigasus is my spirit animal.)  It’s mostly Disney though for all the usual reasons I’ve detailed here over the years and now because Walt Disney World is where Joseph is…for another three weeks, anyway.  (I sure do miss that kid!)

I’ve got an idea.  Why don’t you snap a picture or two of your favorite Disney-at-home decorations and share them over on the Facebook page.  I’d love to see them!

 

Animal Kingdom Turns Twenty! 20 Things to Love

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We’ve made no secret of our love for Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  We love it even more now that Joseph’s been a Disney College Program Cast Member there for the past several months.  From the lush landscaping to the nature trails, the thrill rides, and the excellent entertainment – Animal Kingdom has a lot going for it.  The theming is arguably its best feature.  Joe Rohde and his amazing team of Imagineers totally outdid themselves on this park.  100% a FULL-DAY park, Animal Kingdom offers a Disney experience unlike any other and on this very special occasion, I’d be pleased to tell you why.

Animal Kingdom Turns Twenty! 20 Things to Love

  1. The Tree of Life – Take the time to really study this Imagineering marvel…There’s something new to discover on every visit.Kilimanjaro Safari Elephant
  2. Creatures great and small – Trail, Trek or Safari – both the animals and their habitats are interesting and entertaining.  Such a variety of fauna, it’s almost impossible to take them all in during a single visit.
  3. Entertainment – The shows (Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo-The Musical) are awesome, but the Burudika Band and African acrobats are even more exciting (to our family, at least).  If you can spot the elusive DiVine, she’s pretty cool too.
  4. Tusker House – Best character meal to our family – the food and friendliness there cannot be beat.
  5. Flight of Passage – The absolute pinnacle of planet Pandora, this attraction is a feast for the senses.
  6. Dawa Bar – A must-do on every visit, this centrally located watering hole is the best place to grab an adult beverage right in the middle of Animal Kingdom’s hustle and bustle.Details along the Maharajah Jungle Trek
  7. Being transported to other continents.  More immersive than World Showcase, Animal Kingdom’s Africa and Asia are indescribably well done.  Down to the tiniest detail – every aspect is amazing.
  8. Baby animals – From gorillas to hippos, elephants, and even naked mole rats…the babies are wonderful to see.Expedition Everest Queue Yeti Museum
  9. Yeti!  A broken yeti is better than no yeti at all.  Expedition Everest is such a fantastic thrill and the best attraction in Animal Kingdom (to me).  An added bonus, is that the queue alone for this attraction is unsurpassed in its entertainment value.
  10. Harambe Market – We loved it even before Joseph started spending nearly every waking hour working there.  It’s so well-themed and the food is outstanding.  Get there early to snag a shaded table and soak up the atmosphere.Bird in Animal Kingdom
  11. Birds!  Whether they’re flying overhead, building nests in the aviaries on the animal trails, or performing in the bird show in Asia (used to be Flights of Wonder, Now UP! A Great Bird Adventure), these birds have given us a whole new appreciation for their species.
  12. Wilderness Explorers – Fun for all ages!  If you’re going to be in the park all day (as I strongly suggest), jump on into this fun, educational, and entertaining badge-earning activity.
  13. Primeval Whirl – For our family, this funky little ride in Dinoland U.S.A. is the best reason to visit this area of the park.  It’s weird and wacky and wonderfully whirly.View of Kali River
  14. Kali River Rapids Queue – The ride’s okay, but the queue is worth checking out at least once.  Gorgeous, detailed, and well-themed…I believe it’s also underappreciated.
  15. Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes – This busy little walk-up window by the Yak & Yeti restaurant serves up my favorite Animal Kingdom snack – the humble yet delicious and satisfying egg roll.  Need a snack or a bargain meal?  This is the place.
  16. Sunset – Ah, the beauty of staying all day!  Sunset is magical in Animal Kingdom no matter where you are in the park!  Safari?  Great!  Expedition Everest?  Gorgeous view!  Tree of Life?  Not to be missed…you get my point.
  17. Nomad Lounge – We knew it wouldn’t stay a secret forever and it’s very busy these days, but if you can snag a table, this wonderful oasis near the entrance to Pandora is arguable one of, if not THE best lounge in Walt Disney World.
  18. The Views – Everywhere you look in Animal Kingdom, there are wonderful sights to see, but if you take the time to really notice, the views can be breathtaking.
  19. Tiffins – It’s expensive and the food is maybe not for everyone, but this signature restaurant contains some of the most interesting decorations, menu, and Animal Kingdom history to be found anywhere.  The wine flights are awesome and if you go, be sure to ask your server to tell you about the artwork on the walls.
  20. The memories.  We’ve got so many cherished family memories of our time spent in Animal Kingdom.  (And Joseph has all his Disney College Program memories to add to his.)  Animal Kingdom is absolutely a unique and wonderful place to make magical memories on every visit.

 

Disney College Program Update – One Month Left

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If it’s possible, Joseph’s time in the Disney College Program has passed both quickly and excruciatingly slowly for me.  I’m not sure how that works, but I’m pretty sure it’s a mom thing.  Time goes quickly when I’m not worried then comes to a screeching halt when I start imagining all the things that might be going wrong.  At least this emotional roller coaster is about to pull into the station and I couldn’t be more excited!

Disney College Program Update – One Month Left

I’m certain this is the longest stretch of time Raymond and I have been apart from our favorite (and only) son.  We last saw him on February 26th and he’s due to come home on or about May 18th.  While he’s been gone, I’ve made a point of texting Joseph every couple of days with pictures of our pets and updates on everyone from Junior and Ricky to Arno (Joe’s tortoise) and all seven chickens.  (Yes, there used to be nine, but we’re not here to talk about that now, are we.)  Joseph sometimes responds, sometimes not, but does often enough that I usually know he’s okay and don’t have to creepily stalk him by his debit card activity (hey, my being a joint account holder comes in handy for both of us).  All of that changed in late March/early April when two things happened virtually simultaneously that turned my low-simmer worry to fully boiling anxiety. 

Joseph’s responses to my text messages became much less frequent and he was incommunicado with Megan and Raymond as well.  I knew Spring Break season was getting geared up and tried (I did really) to remain calm and not hover.  Then, one of Joe’s weekly paychecks ended up being about $68 and I knew something was terribly wrong.  As it turns out, he caught one of the stomach bugs going around and got sent home from work, then missed the next day, then couldn’t find any shifts to pick up on his scheduled day off.  Okay…Not too bad.  I stopped panicking for a few days. Then Spring Break hit in full force and Joseph seemed to drop off the face of the earth.

Parental Angst Run Amok

College Program parents and hopefuls, heed my cautionary tale.  No matter what time of year one participates in the College Program at Walt Disney World, there will be an insanely crazy, über busy period of time to work through.  I feel bad in hind sight that I over-worried and imagined the worst possible catastrophic events.  Joseph described that roughly two-week period like this, “Everything is exactly the same every day.  I work 10-12 hours and either go to the gym or go to sleep and that’s what happens.  It’s been incredibly busy and my hours have been extended every day.  I don’t do anything except work, eat, and sleep.  I’m not upset or anything, I just have nothing to report…it feels like every single day lasts about an hour and I feel like I have no time.”  What a relief that was!  There are five million and sixty-seven worse things than working tons of hours…I should know, I imagined every one of them.

Through it all I’m happy to say, Joseph is still having a great time!  Now that Spring Break is over, he’s had time to attended some Cast Member events, go to the movies, take in some of the Flower & Garden Festival, and resume his food reviews.  I can’t wait to see him in person (finally!) and hear all the details.  I’m sure Joe will have loads of tips and tricks and general Disney College Program information to share with you too.  If you’ve made it here to the end of this post – wish me luck over the next 29 days…I’m going to need it!  Better yet, send emotional support!