Mouse Extra

Perhaps it is that Americans are perceived as not having their own cuisine.  I mean we are guilty of it ourselves.  We flock to the Chinese place down the street for take-out, the Italian joint in the city for dinner, the Mexican place for lunch, or even the Irish pub for a drink.  But the United States does have a rich history of great food, and that is why it stuns me that among the gastronomical delight called the World Showcase Imagineers never bothered to create a headliner American restaurant.

Instead what we got is nothing but a glorified fast-food joint boringly named the Liberty Inn.  Yes, we do have a great legacy of cuisine in this country, whether it escaped Imagineers in the early 1980’s or not.  But the one culinary legacy of this culture that makes American chefs wear paper bags on their heads when among their international peers is fast-food. 

We could have had a premier New England seafood house, serving Maine lobster, scallops or haddock along with maple syrup desserts among other delicacies.  Imagineers could have chosen to offer guests a butt-kicking Southern barbecue, or even an adventurous Louisiana Creole establishment.  Sure all of these things have their roots in European creations, but that in itself if essentially American.  Instead, Disney gave us the same chicken strips and hamburgers one can get all over Walt Disney World packaged in a dull, cavernous building that calls to mind a gymnasium before any traditional American cultural reflection.

So since this is a review of the Liberty Inn, let me put it this way.  Among all the international delights and amazing tastes that surround the World Showcase and fill you with temptations from all over the world, the American pavilion offers nothing to even consider.  Many Epcot purists have a hard time finding even the smallest mistake in the original incarnation of this park, but I think we can all admit a mistake was made here.  The Liberty Inn is total disappointment in every regard, and in its own unintended way it slaps the American culinary world right in the face.

We urge you to discuss this more and leave your comment below, or feel free to come over to the Disney News Network Forums where we discuss this and many other topics in the Mouse Extra Forums.

Many Disney World critics have been bashing the Nine Dragons restaurant at the China Pavilion in Epcot for decades.  It is one of the few, if not the only, of the World Showcase eateries that seem to be disliked by the majority of guests and Disney World fanatics.  I share this opinion of Nine Dragons.   You can read the review here, so that’s why a smile came to my face when I read this bit of news from touringplans.com.

The renovation of the Nine Dragons restaurant in Epcot’s China pavilion will occur January 6 - July 31, 2008. The restaurant will take on a new style of dining experience which involves the act of cooking presented on stage, sort of like a show.

This truly is great news.  A six month renovation is exciting enough, but I just assumed it was for aesthetic purposes.  But now we here the entire experience is going to change.  Perhaps someone in Disney management finally wondered why the Nine Dragons was usually the only restaurant you can get into as a walk-up.  China’s pavilion deserves of better representation of its cuisine and hopefully this will accomplish. 

I think it must be said again that Disney deserves credit for the amount of time and money they have been putting into Epcot’s upkeep over recent years.  Besides the many new attractions and updates to the classics, this is not the first restaurant to get some care and feeding over the last couple of years.  While some online critics are going around taking pictures of bird-droppings, I think some time also needs to be spent giving credit for these efforts.

We urge you to discuss this more and leave your comment below, or feel free to come over to the Disney News Network Forums where we discuss this and many other topics in the Mouse Extra Forums.

We do spend a lot of time and effort in preparing for our Disney vacations on where and when we are going to eat. What World Showcase restaurant are we going to do? Should we have our sit-down meal at lunchtime or dinner? How do we get to that resort for our 6 o’clock seating? Why is counter service at the Studios so bad? These are all questions we ponder as we book our vacation and get those ressies 180 days beforehand. While we spend so much time on our big meals, many of us leave some of the most important aspects of munching to chance. Hopefully, this article will help you get the most out of snacking around the parks.

First of all, no one should be permitted to attend the Magic Kingdom without getting a pineapple dole whip. It should come with the darn ticket. Citrus swirls (at the Sunshine Tree Terrace) and Strawberry swirls (at the Enchanted Grove) are nearly as good as alternatives. For those hot days, you can try root beer floats at Sleepy Hollow or fresh fruit at a couple of different locales. These are all good choices for a cool pick-me-up after a morning of running around the Mountains. And then there is the smoked, what appears to be dinosaur, legs. There are a couple of spots to get these massive sticks of turkey meat. People love them and you get good bang for your buck, too. Although I must warn you, it may be difficult to scarf one down while sprinting from Big Thunder to Space Mountain.

The snacking Mecca of Walt Disney World has to be the World Showcase at Epcot. Food is a very important part of your Epcot experience, whether its an ADR at one of the restaurants or strolling the promenade sampling food from around the world. The highlights of this journey start with churros in Mexico. These popular cinnamon fried dough sticks have made their way to the other parks in recent years. Nearby, you can head to the Kringle Bakeri og Kafe for Norwegian delights like the rice cream and vaffler or the kringle, a sweet pretzel. That boardwalk treat, the funnel cake, is the American contribution to this fattening trek. You also must try the Kaki-gori at the Japan pavilion. This concoction of shaved ice and sweet fruit flavoring is excellent. Finally, there is French pastries, those cholesterol busting desserts. At the Boulangerie Patisserie, you can sample croissants, éclairs, and mousse. Wine by the glass is available nearby to complete the experience.

At the Disney MGM Studios, snacking is even worse than its counter service establishments, which is saying quite a bit. Personally, when at these movie studios, I enjoy a big souvenir tub of popcorn, which is available under the big sorcerer’s hat. The Animal Kingdom has better prospects. The tea cart in Asia is a fine example of the eclectic choices that keeps things interesting here. There are pot stickers available nearby at the Chakrandi Chicken shop. The Kusafiri coffee shop in Harambe has pastries to go with good espresso and cappuccino.

There is nothing like a good snack and the choices at Walt Disney World are varied. At what other theme park can you enjoy Norwegian sweet pretzels, jumbo turkey legs, and Asian pot stickers? But don’t forget the typical fare either. There seems to be a counter, stand or cart everywhere you turn. At the numerous ice cream carts you can grab frozen chocolate covered bananas (which are good), Mickey shaped cookies & cream chipwiches (which are even better) and other similar delicacies. So when planning your Disney vacation keep all of this in mind. And don’t you dare forget that dole whip.

Today’s article is by Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra

There are so many reasons why I find myself in Epcot more than any other park.  Not the least of which is the food from around the world.  But to eat well at the World Showcase, you don’t always need to make reservations months in advance.  Many pavilions have amazing counter service options, and none are more famous than the Boulangerie Patisserie in France.

Tucked deep into the back of the France Pavilion, the pasty shop is practically an attraction onto itself.  The location seems like a strange one, being so far off the beaten path.  But the aroma draws you in with more efficiency than any sign or marketing campaign could. 

Speaking of location, this is one of the more impressive areas of the World Showcase.  As you stroll past a beautiful Parisian fountain, you turn and walk up what feels like a centuries old street.  It is quiet, immersive, and filled with the knee-buckling smells from all around the pavilion.  By the afternoon, the shadows cast coolness across the courtyard that lends to an even more authentic city feel.  There are a few tables sprinkled outside the shop, so you can sit and soak in the atmosphere and enjoy your food.  My only complaint is that there simply are not enough tables, but that is a minor issue to say the least.

The shop is obviously full of terrific pastries, all singing your name with delight.  But this is also a decent place for a light lunch, with quiches and sandwich options.  Before sitting down to enjoy the British Invasion, cross the bridge into France and grab a dessert to go.  It’s a favorite pastime at the World Showcase.

So you booked your Disney World vacation late, or maybe you just forgot to make advanced dining reservations.  Either way, getting a sit-down meal at someplace other than Nine Dragons is impossible.  Never fear, you’re in the World Showcase, and great food is usually just a few steps away.  One option is Cantina de San Angel, the counter service destination at the Mexico Pavilion.

The selection here is small, but that is true of every counter service stop in the World Showcase.  But with burritos, tacos and nachos on the menu, what more do you need?  The food is generally decent, however the portions are small so a churro might be a nice add-on to your meal.  All in all, it is a fair option to a very expensive meal at one of Epcot’s restaurants.  It is also a pleasant change from the chicken fingers and hot dogs that blanket many of Walt Disney World’s counter service.

What the Cantina de San Angel lacks in food quality, it almost makes up for in atmosphere.  This place has perhaps the best location anywhere on property.  If you time it right, the sun setting across the World Showcase Lagoon is simple spectacular.  Have a burrito, and maybe a churro, and enjoy the waterfront view with a nice margarita, which is only steps away.

Largely regarded as a top Disney World restaurant, Epcot’s Le Cellier is one of, if not the toughest ticket in all of the World Showcase.   If you are going to the Mouse, even in the slowest of seasons, you must make your reservations as early as possible if you want to try this terrific place.

I was an Epcot fanatic for years without ever even considering Le Cellier for a meal.  A Canadian steakhouse just didn’t seem to be all that interesting.  But as the Disney internet community began to grow, I became more and more intrigued.  The final straw came during my first trip to the Epcot Food and Wine festival.  There my wife and I both fell madly addicted to little cups of Le Cellier’s Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup.  We had to try the place.   Of course I soon found the rumors to be true as there was no chance of getting into the restaurant for a meal during that trip.  It would have to wait.

By the time our next trip came around the hype was overwhelming.  Between WDW Today’s Mike Scopa practically weeping tears of joy every time the name Le Cellier was even mentioned, all the glowing online reviews, and our own expectation, we may have been setting the bar a bit high.  Thankfully, that was not the case.  It cleared the bar with room to spare. 

The interior of Le Cellier is as gorgeous as the rest of the Canada Pavilion.  It is beautifully appointed, authentic and understated.   It doesn’t attempt to overwhelm you with flash and glitz.  But like the country it represents, it is complex, classy, and inviting.  The colors, lighting and architecture all set a wonderfully warm atmosphere that settles you instantly from a manic day at Disney World. 

Steak is the specialty of the house, but everything on this menu looks terrific.  I was there with a large party, and all were very satisfied with their meals.  Make sure you try the aforementioned cheese soup and the Maple Crème Brule, which is just heavenly.  For lunch, I truly enjoyed the Asian Grilled Chicken Sandwich, and I also heard raves about Calgary Barbecue Sliced Prime Rib from the table. 

The one and only issue, and this could be purely bad luck, was that the service seemed slow compared to other Epcot restaurants.  Not bad, just perhaps overwhelmed.  Considering Le Cellier never seems to slow down at all, that shouldn’t be surprising.  But with that aside, I recommend this place as highly as I can recommend any restaurant in all of Walt Disney World.  Just get your reservation early, and prepare to wait even if you do.