Tag Archives: Disney Dining Reviews

Tiffins – Disney Park Signature Dining Perfection

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Disney’s Animal Kingdom is immersive, exquisitely themed, and carries guest away on exotic adventures.  For visitors looking for a signature dining experience that perfectly reflects the park’s theming, Tiffin’s is the place!

Tiffins – Disney Park Signature Dining Perfection

My favorite attraction in Animal Kingdom may be in Asia (Expedition Everest), but my favorite section of the park is Africa.  From the Dawa Bar and Burudika Band to the Harambe Market, Festival of the Lion King, and the Gorilla Falls trail…Every square inch of Africa is amazing!  I have yet to visit when I didn’t see several things I’d never noticed before.  On the last visit, we were serenaded by a wandering musician…what a unique and unforgettable experience!dak-musician

When the opening of Tiffins was announced, we knew we had to try it.  We love adventure in both vacation activities and dining.  By all accounts from the early Tiffins reviews, the experience sounded both exotic and delicious.  (This is probably not the best restaurant for picky eaters.)tiffins-sign

We booked an early dinner for seven to cap off a full day of Animal Kingdom touring.  The exterior of Tiffins blends well into its surroundings.  When we walked in, it was obvious that the carefully crafted details outside the building were magnified on the inside.  The most meticulous care went into making the restaurant’s interior feel uniquely special and perfect for its location.

What we liked – Everything!  The service (ask for Kile!), the ambiance, the food, the wine…every detail was fantastic.  Kile, our server, was passionate about Tiffins and was happy to share details with us about everything from the artwork on each wall to the flavors in the menu’s dishes.  tiffins-rivers-of-light-wallNotice the colorful fabric behind the lighted animal figures (just like the floats in Rivers of Light!)?  Those fabric pieces were once Animal Kingdom Cast Member costumes.  tiffins-interior-wall-detailSee the wooden poles?  tiffins-wood-carvingsThey are covered in carvings of a multitude of different animals – these very same poles were once painted bright blue and stood in Camp Minnie-Mickey.tiffins-menu

What we didn’t like – Nothing.  We loved everything about Tiffins…it was us we didn’t like.  This restaurant is special and we felt a little soggy and grimy after being in the park all day and maneuvering through an afternoon downpour.  We were a ragtag bunch eating in a very nice place.  Luckily, that’s to be expected with any in-park dining, so while we wished we’d been a bit more presentable, we enjoyed an excellent meal just the same.tiffins-soup tiffins-octopus-appetizertiffins-beef-entree

What would get us back – Time and budget.  Signature dining = expensive meal, so we’d need to plan accordingly.  Also, we’d want to book a meal at Tiffins during a day we were already planning to be in Animal Kingdom.  Unlike signature restaurants on the monorail loop or at resorts in or near Epcot, the Animal Kingdom park is pretty far away from where we usually stay.  It’s not someplace we would visit just for a meal.  All that being said, we do already have anther reservation at Tiffins in about a month.  Our first impression was great and there are many things on the menu we’d still like to try.

If you’re an adventurous eater and you love Disney signature dining, Tiffins is a solid choice for a unique and special experience.  Have you tried Tiffins?  How was your meal there?

Disney Dining – Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater

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In theory, the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater in Disney’s Hollywood Studios sounds like a winning place to enjoy a casual lunch or dinner.  A tribute to the drive-in theaters of old along with those cheesy horror movies from the ’50’s, ’60’s and ’70’s and a menu of classic American entrees and sides…it’s bound to be great, right?sci-fi-dine-in-menu

Disney Dining – Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater

We gave this place a try for the first time a couple of weeks ago.  Here’s the verdict:

What we liked:  This place is certainly unique.  We thought the theme was fun, the movie clips hilarious, and the menu broad enough for everyone to find something they were happy with.  Our server was good – she was taking the orders of seven people split between two cars and managed to make us all feel like she was sincere and attentive.  The beer was cold and delicious and our meals arrived in a timely manner.  The food was okay.  Better than typical fast-food, which is good because it was a little pricey (and hard to photograph in the dark!). sci-fi-dine-in-sandwich

What we didn’t like:  The waiting area and the hostess left much to be desired.  Our first impression wasn’t a good one.  We didn’t wait long afraid ter we checked in, but the area we sat in was disappointing compared to other places like 50’s Prime Time Café.  The hostess was so bland and monotone, I thought maybe it was some sort of act.  I’m still not sure, because she never smiled, made little eye contact and spoke in a deep voice devoid of inflection.  She walked us to our car-tables as if she was headed to the gallows.  This made us feel rather like a burden.sci-fi-dine-in-darkness

Our tables were split between two cars with Raymond and I in the back of a car with a random family of four – this seemed weird to me and made me wish I’d done more research on how a party of our size would be handled.  The other five in our group were in the car next to us, but far enough away that conversation with them was impossible.sci-fi-dine-in-ticket

What would get us to eat there again?  We’d go back again if we were with someone who would get a big kick out of the movie clips and drive-in experience.  Ideally, we’d be with an even-numbered party of four or six so we could all eat in one vehicle.  sci-fi-dine-in-signProbably the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater will now be in our once-and-done category simply because I expect the Star Wars expansion to bring with it new dining experiences for us to try.  And I like the food at 50’s Prime Time Café better.

Have you tried Sci-Fi Dine-In?  How was your experience?

Favorite Options – Disney’s Beaches and Cream

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One of these days, I will finally make my way to Beaches and Cream on Disney World’s Boardwalk.  This super popular eatery is home to some very famous Disney dishes!  Just in time for summer weather, Nick gives us some recipes for ice cream treats we can make at home!

Favorite Options – Disney’s Beaches and Cream

By Nick

On Episode 32 of The Disney Exchange Podcast, Lisa, Dave and I share our choices for a progressive dinner around the Epcot area resorts. For those who don’t know, a progressive dinner is a group meal where each course is served at a different venue.

Both Dave and I chose to have our dessert at Beaches and Cream at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club, and that is because the ice cream and atmosphere is wonderful.

My wife, Barbie and I have eaten here many times through the years. I’m going to share some of our favorites, in no particular order.

The No Way Jose. Below is a photo of me encountering this absolutely delicious (especially if you like peanut butter) dessert for the first time!

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What’s in the No Way Jose?
  1. 2 scoops Chocolate Ice Cream
  2. 2 scoops Vanilla Ice Cream
  3. 1/2 cup Jif Smooth Peanut Butter
  4. 1/2 cup Hot Fudge Sauce
  5. 1-2 tablespoons Peanut Butter Morsels
  6. 1-2 tablespoons Chocolate Morsels
  7. Reddi-Wip (or good quality) Whipped Cream
  8. Cherry

Next, we have The Banana Split. Barbie doesn’t even like bananas, but loves this.

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This “Classic” consists of Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry ice cream, pineapple, strawberry and marshmallow toppings finished off with hot fudge, caramel, toasted almonds, whipped cream and a cherry.

Then there is the famous Kitchen Sink, which is, well…this.

Barbie and I have shared this monstrosity with our friends Kandi and John on a few occasions.

Here’s a listing of what this amazing dessert includes:

  • fudge topping, warmed
  • butterscotch topping, warmed
  •  peanut butter topping, warmed
  • 1 medium banana, sliced in 1/2 –inch slices
  • 1 cinnamon spice cupcake, quartered
  • 1 angel food cupcake, quartered
  • 2 4-oz. scoops vanilla ice cream
  • 2 4-oz. scoops chocolate ice cream
  • 2 4-oz. scoops strawberry ice cream
  • 1 4-oz. scoop mint chocolate chip ice cream
  • 1 4-oz. scoop coffee ice cream
  • 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
  •  marshmallow crème
  •  strawberry topping
  •  pineapple topping
  • 1 14-oz can dairy whipped topping
  • 1 brownie, quartered
  • 1 regular-sized (2 ounce) candy bar, quartered
  • 4 chocolate cookies (oreos-basically) with cream filling
  • 1 tablespoon sliced toasted almonds
  • 1 tablespoon dark and white chocolate shavings
  • 1 tablespoon chocolate cookies with cream filling, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon chopped jellied orange slice
  • 1 tablespoon milk chocolate chip morsels
  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter chip morsels
  • 1 tablespoon chocolate sprinkles
  • 1 tablespoon rainbow sprinkles
  • 1/2 cup drained maraschino cherries

But Beaches and Cream is more than just ice cream. They also have really tasty burgers, fries and onion rings.

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Have you ever eaten at Beaches and Cream, and what did you have?

 

To read more about Nick’s amazing Disney adventures, visit the Disney Musings Blog and follow him on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Pinterest.  You can also listen to Nick, our friend Dave, and me on The Disney Exchange Podcast where we talk about our love for all things Disney – new episodes every Sunday morning.

Tangierine Café in Epcot

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This week’s Saturdays With Nick post is a restaurant review of a place our family has yet to try.  We’ve stopped in Epcot’s Morocco Pavilion plenty of times, but have yet to eat at any of the restaurants there – opting instead to shop or enjoy live music.  After reading this review, I’m adding Tangierine Café to my must-try list!  Have you eaten in Morocco?  Which restaurant would you recommend?

Tangierine Café in Epcot

By Nick

Like Flame Tree Barbecue at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, The Tangierine Café, located in Epcot’s Morocco Pavilion, is a quick service eatery that we don’t visit on every trip to Walt Disney World, despite it being one of our favorites.

We’ve visited on several visits to WDW, usually to meet with friends at their request.
The menu is on display outside to help you make a decision before entering.
Orders are made and picked up at the counter.

Seating is somewhat limited inside and out. The larger dining section is to be found in front of the counter.

There is also a smaller, more intimate seating area past the coffee/dessert counter.
October 2013 we ate with our friends Pam and Tom, and this is the section we dined in.

On that trip I had the Mediterranean Lamb Wrap, served with Tangierine couscous salad and lentil salad. Barbie had the Vegetarian Platter which is Tangierine couscous salad, hummus and tabouleh.

Both excellent.

In January 2014 we went with friends Claire, Laurie, and Angelo.

Angelo, Laurie, Claire, Barbie and me.
I look forward to stopping by this wonderful eatery on my next trip!
Tangierine Café’s menu can be found here.

To read more about Nick’s amazing Disney adventures, visit the Disney Musings Blog and follow him on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Pinterest.  You can also listen to Nick, our friend Dave, and me on The Disney Exchange Podcast where we talk about our love for all things Disney.