Reviews You Can Use: Oct. 23 to 29 Snacks & Food and Wine Fest

[BriarRose0708]

Hello friends, Nikki here reporting less than 24 hours after leaving WDW. Hope to give you some useful food reviews so those traveling in the immediate future can get recent information. I will be doing three separate reviews- one for counter service, one for table service, and one for Food and Wine Fest. I was on the Dining Plan for this trip, and will include more thoughts on that later. I also tend to be fairly wordy so please feel free to skim!

The standards I use for evaluating dining are very basic: I'm not Lady Mary. I don't live at Downton Abbey. The staff at Disney are not there to wait on my every want and need. That's just not how I roll. So, what may be considered awful service to some could register as it's-not-that-bad to me. I'm certainly going to include the bad along with the good where it is warranted, yet I am happy to say there were very few instances of bad this trip!

So, on to the reviews of Food and Wine Fest!

I took advantage of F&W on Thursday, knowing that Saturday would be absolutely insane with crowds. This was a good choice, as even at 10 a.m. I walked on Soarin' in 15 minutes. This was a good sign!

Canada was first. I headed back to WS at 10:45 just in case there was already a line. A couple kiosks were already open, including craft beer, lol. Luckily there was no one in line at Canada yet so I stood around for a couple minutes and was first in line when they opened. I ordered the three main dishes- Mushroom Filet, Spicy Chicken Sausage with Polenta, and Cheddar Cheese Soup. All three were outstanding.

Greece was just across from Canada so I got a Griddled Greek Cheese. So good but had trouble cutting it with the side of my fork. Should have got a knife!

Caribbean Stopped here to get a Torched Cherry Limeade. I thought it was going to be on the rocks but it's actually frozen. It was refreshing but not strong enough for me. Then again it was about 11:15 a.m. so that was probably a good thing.

Mexico Had the shrimp taco. It was good but I should have gotten the meat kind. Seafood in a taco is a little too out there for me!

Cava del Tequila Couldn't wait to get a here! I got there early, about 10 minutes before they opened. There were only a couple people waiting with me and when they opened I was the first customer of the day! Ordered the Avocado Margarita. I love avocado but this tastes like banana. Not complaining, just an observation. The hibiscus salt rim made this drink for me though. The combination was so good.

Prosecco Was thirsty again in Italy (and my buzz had worn off ) so I got a nice bubbly Prosecco. It was crisp and just a little sweet. Enjoyed this while watching the street performer.

Ireland Another booth that would likely be very popular on Saturday, so I got the Lobster and Scallop pie. This was veeeery yummy! My portion had some really nice chunks of seafood in it and the mash on top was really creamy and cheesy.

Frozen Kirin (aka Ice Cream Beer) Listen to the next podcast for some great commentary about this little beauty. Needless to say, it rocks

Sweet cream cheese pretzel I was not thrilled with this. It wasn't very sweet and there wasn't a lot of cream cheese. Maybe I just got a bad one? Not worth the snack credit to me.

Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel OOOOOOH heaven. I ate half of this on the trip and finished the other half as I unpacked last night.

Citrus Swirl This was a quick mid-morning snack. We (Jared and I) walked by only a couple minutes after they opened and the machines were still getting going, lol. I hadn't had one of these before and was expecting more of an orangey taste. Instead it was more tart like grapefruit. I liked the combo of creamy vanilla and the frozen juice.

Dole Whip Saved the best for last. I can actually get these here in Ithaca and nearby in Cortland if I'm really desperate. But there's just something about waiting until being in the Magic Kingdom to eat one that makes it special.

[SBETigg]

Mmm. I'm probably more of a Lady Mary, but I was fairly relaxed for this trip. I loved the Fisherman's Pie, thought the Griddled Cheese was nothing special. The Canada choices were all good, I agree. Can't go wrong with a mushroom filet, though, come on, they couldn't give a larger portion of cheese soup for the price? Not that I'm about big portions at this Fest, you want to save room. But, really? It was a spoonful.

The shrimp taco was one of my favorite things! Other favorites: kahlua pork slider in Hawaii, spicy hand tuna roll in Japan, and the France booth is still my absolute can't miss favorite, for both the escargot and the coq au vin over mac-n-cheese.

I agree that the avocado margarita tastes like banana, not my favorite. But the blood orange (Blythe turned me on to that one) is fantastic.

[MississippiDisneyFreak]

Everything sounds delish!

[AgentC]

Mmm. I'm probably more of a Lady Mary, but I was fairly relaxed for this trip. I loved the Fisherman's Pie, thought the Griddled Cheese was nothing special.

If you get the Griddled Cheese when it has been freshly made, it is amazing. The rest of the time it is okay. Out of 4 times, I've had an amazing one once.

I also like the Lobster and Scallop pie was quite good and I always enjoy the pork slider.

Two of my new favorites were the Shrimp Ceviche at the FL booth and the chocolate cake with passion fruit ice cream at Terra.

[SBETigg]

If you get the Griddled Cheese when it has been freshly made, it is amazing. The rest of the time it is okay. Out of 4 times, I've had an amazing one once.

I also like the Lobster and Scallop pie was quite good and I always enjoy the pork slider.

Two of my new favorites were the Shrimp Ceviche at the FL booth and the chocolate cake with passion fruit ice cream at Terra.

I didn't get to try the shrimp ceviche! Or anything at Terra. Good to know about the griddled cheese, and it makes sense. When I had something similar at Kouzzina, it was really good. My F & W sample might have been a victim of Saturday's big crowds and mass production.

[ElenitaB]

Thanks for your reviews, Nikki! I've really enjoyed reading them.

Dole Whip Saved the best for last. I can actually get these here in Ithaca and nearby in Cortland if I'm really desperate.

Really? I may have to start working on my kid to go to Cornell or IC.

[SBETigg]

Thanks for your reviews, Nikki! I've really enjoyed reading them.


Really? I may have to start working on my kid to go to Cornell or IC.

TCBY, Pinkberry, Peachwave, and all the frozen yogurt places in my area now have the Dole Whip equivalent (not sure if it's actually Dole, but tastes the same). So if you have one of those around, you might find it. It's still somehow more magical at WDW.

[BriarRose0708]

Thanks for your reviews, Nikki! I've really enjoyed reading them.


Really? I may have to start working on my kid to go to Cornell or IC.

Yeah! Come up for a visit, I'll give him a tour of campus and then go for Dole Whips!

[BriarRose0708]

TCBY, Pinkberry, Peachwave, and all the frozen yogurt places in my area now have the Dole Whip equivalent (not sure if it's actually Dole, but tastes the same). So if you have one of those around, you might find it. It's still somehow more magical at WDW.

I didn't know that! Next time I stop on the Thruway hopefully the TCBY will have it.

The hippie vegans in Ithaca LOVE their dairy free Dole Whips.

[January-2007]

Thanks so much for the reviews! Looking forward to checking out the festival next year.