D23 Expo | the disney food blog

Construction Update: Carthay Circle Theatre in Disney California Adventure

The Carthay Circle Theatre is looking gorgeous in Disney California Adventure. Disney Imagineering has worked hard on the replica of this famed theatre in which “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” premiered in 1937. Check out these great pics that Heather got!

Carthay

We first reported on this construction back in 2009, and then learned at the D23 Expo that this venue will showcase an exclusive restaurant.

Acclaimed Napa Rose Chef Andrew Sutton is creating the menu, and we anticipate exquisite cuisine. The last time we dined at Napa Rose, Chef Sutton let us know that [Read more…]

Dining in Disneyland: D23 Reception Eats

By Heather 8 Comments

Dining in Disneyland columnist Heather Sievers reporting (almost) live from the D23 Expo…

Last night, AJ and I attended the D23 Media Reception over at the Anaheim Convention Center. Not only did we get an amazing preview of the expo, but they fed us too! Here are some of the delicious goodies that we got to sample.

Fruit Skewers

Can you believe it? Monte Cristo!

Monte Cristo Sandwiches

Although we were VERY excited to see these famous sandwiches, we were really wishing there was [Read more…]

Disney Food Blog D23 Expo Meet-Up

By AJ 9 Comments

As we pack for the D23 Expo, we want to extend an invite to Disney Food Blog readers for an informal get-together in Disneyland!

Since the food options at the Expo might not be the greatest, we’ve decided to hang out at Trader Sam’s in Disneyland Hotel from 2:30-3:30pm on Saturday August 20, 2011!

Entrance to Trader Sam's

While Food and Beverage is at your own expense, the options here and over at the new Tangaroa Terrace should be fun and interesting to sample. Plus we know the Trader Sam’s drinks are good! 😉

For food, friends, and fun, join us at Trader Sam’s on Saturday, August 20th, at 2:30pm! We’re looking forward to meeting you! You can RSVP over on facebook here.

Disney Food Post Round-Up: August 14, 2011

By AJ Leave a Comment

We’re jetting off to Disneyland later this week for the D23 Expo, and we’ll be sharing all the updates and details! Follow along here on the Disney Food Blog, on Facebook, and twitter as we bring you news from California!

Latest Disney Food News

Dreaming of a Hawaiian escape? Yeah, me too! 😉 For now, let’s take a look at the menus for the new Disney resort, Aulani.
2011 Epcot Food & Wine Festival Culinary and Beverage Demo Info Available!
Epcot Food & Wine Festival Discounts and Early Booking Date Announced for Annual Passholders, TiW members, and DVC members!
Mickey Ears featuring World Showcase food are available for purchase.
A sneak peek at Food and Wine Festival exclusive pins and merchandise!
Join us for the countdown to WDW Foodie Fest!

DFB Guide and Mini-Guides

We’re eagerly anticipating our brand new Disney Food Blog Mini-Guide to the 2011 Epcot Food & Wine Festival e-Book — now topping out at over 125 pages — which will be available within the next day or two!

In the meantime, check out our 250-page DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining e-Book and our new 85-page Disney Food Blog Mini-Guide to Magic Kingdom Snacks e-Book! They can both be downloaded to your computer and loaded onto your iPad or smartphone for easy transport and access in the parks!

On to the Round-Up!

WDW for Grown-ups

highlights a brand new event at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival — the “Best of Bocuse” dinner!

Disney by Mark shows us a Disneyland automated food service, the StratoSnak, that never happened. Reminds me of my much-desired automat…

Gorillas Don’t Blog spots alcohol at the Golden Horseshoe in the Magic Kingdom. Or does he? Take a look!

Main Street Gazette takes us to my one of my favorite breakfast locations — Boma!

WESH.com featured a story by yours truly showcasing our top five new additions to the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.

Magical Kingdoms shows us how one very creative mom made a Cinderella Coach cake for her daughter’s birthday. Impressive!

Dining Options at the 2011 D23 Expo

By AJ 9 Comments

The D23 Expo in Anaheim is right around the corner, and those of us who have never been are starting to think about what and where to eat while we’re there! Welcome Carrie Hayward, author of PassPorter’s Disney Weddings & Honeymoons, as she gives us a primer on dining options at the D23 Expo! Thanks, Carrie!

If you’re a reader of The Disney Food Blog and you’re headed to Anaheim for the D23 Expo, 2011, you are probably wondering what sort of dining options will be available at the convention.

The first thing to know is that all concessions are handled by Aramark, whose food you may recognize from arenas, convention centers, and stadiums across the country. Disney will augment these offerings with a few treats brought in from the parks, namely Mickey premium ice cream bars and Mickey pretzels.

Two other Disney park favorites—churros and fudge—will be made by Aramark. However, you’ll find that their churros taste familiar because Aramark also makes the ones sold in the parks. And you might even like their fudge better than Disney’s!

D23 Expo Fudge (Those are totally not teeth marks—honest!)

The D23 Expo Show Floor will occupy only two of the facility’s four ground-floor exhibit halls this time around, and most of the event’s food service has been consolidated within them. This leaves just two indoor counter-service spots, one outdoor spot, a lunch cart on the second floor, and a coffee stand in the lobby. Gone are the rooftop kabob stand and access to the Arena Grill, which had the most diverse offerings and the freshest food at the last Expo.

Let’s take a look at dining options in each area of the convention center so you’ll know what’s nearby as you wander the show floor or wait in line. I’ll also offer tips for making the most of your D23 Expo dining and snacking experience.

Anaheim Convention Center First Floor Plan -- Click for Larger Image

Grand Lobby

Eco-Grounds

This specialty coffee stand will offer packaged salads, sandwiches, and wraps, along with freshly made mini-doughnuts. Fresh funnel cakes will be available in the afternoon.

D23 Expo Show Floor

Located in Halls A and B, the D23 Expo Show Floor is where you’ll go to see Imagineering’s handiwork in the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Pavilion, track down rare items in the Collectors’ Forum, purchase official [Read more…]

Interview: Disney D23 Expo and F&W Festival Artist Tim Rogerson

By AJ 5 Comments

I’ve been excited about this interview for a few months, and I know that Disney foodies, historians, art-lovers, and fans of all types are going to love it.

Tim Rogerson With a Favorite Piece -- Over the Top

Tim Rogerson is a Disney artist and the creator of the official artwork for both the Epcot Food & Wine Festival and Disney’s D23 Expo. You’ve seen him on the Disney Food Blog before, back in September, when I was reporting from the F&W Festival. I wanted to write a full post about his work, but figured you’d rather hear it directly from him, if possible!

Introducing…Tim Rogerson!
I think this is one of the best ways to introduce Tim — a super-speed video of him painting the official D23 artwork from the 2009 Expo (very cool music, by the way…):

Tim has been a Disney fan since birth — his father was an Entertainment Director at Walt Disney World and an avid Disney collector. After studying at the Ringling School of Art & Design, Tim worked with Disney, Universal Studios, and Warner Bros. His many honors include being named Official Artist of the 2006 Winter Olympics, Official Artist of the Disney D23 Expo, and Official Artist of the Epcot Food & Wine Festival in 2009 and 2010. You can find his work at galleries all around the world, and purchase it through Collectors Editions and Disney Fine Art.

In His Own Words
In the interview, we discussed Tim’s artistic inspiration, his work for Disney, and what’s coming down the pike (including the official artwork for the 2010 Food & Wine Festival!). You can scroll down to the end of the post to find out [Read more…]

D23 Expo Reveal: Be Our Guest Restaurant and Gaston’s Tavern!

By AJ 13 Comments

UPDATE: Read about the Opening Date for Be Our Guest Restaurant and Reservations Info!

The rumors from this summer are true! By now, many of you have heard about the incredible re-vamp in store for Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Fantasyland. You’ve heard about Dumbo expanding, the Ariel attraction, and dancing lessons with Cinderella. But what WE like to hear about is the FOOD! And Disney has happily included some new dining establishments in its Fantasyland plans: Be Our Guest Restaurant and Gaston’s Tavern!

Be Our Guest Restaurant:

Be Our Guest Restaurant Concept Art, Beast's Castle

Both dining spots will be in the new Beauty and the Beast area of Fantasyland, and we know for certain that Be Our Guest Restaurant will be a three-room, themed, table-service restaurant in the “Beast’s Castle.” Speculation is that this may be the re-emergence of a restaurant slated for Disneyland Paris’ fantasyland a while back.

Michael, over at Progress City, U.S.A., hypothesized even more for the restaurant in his July 16th, 2009, blog post. This came soon after the initial blueprints for the fantasyland plans were leaked earlier this summer:

What’s really mysterious is the “Be Our Guest Restaurant.” … Could this new restaurant be a revived version of the unrealized dining concept for Disneyland Paris’s Fantasyland, which would feature an animatronic dinner show based on Beauty and the Beast? In that attraction, guests would dine while the Beast’s castle slowly came to life around them; it would be as if they had combined the Enchanted Tiki Room with an actual restaurant. It would certainly be a nice addition to the park.

This sounds like an amazing dining experience. My fingers are crossed!

Gaston’s Tavern:

Gaston's Tavern Concept Art

Also new on the scene is Gaston’s Tavern, which looks like it might be a counter-service or less-expensive table service location. You can see, as Jay Rasulo quipped in his description, Gaston said he likes to decorate with antlers…

From The Source
Here’s the YouTube video of Jay Rasulo’s speech on the subject! Enjoy!

Other info welcome!
If you were at the Expo or know anything more about these two dining spots, let us know. I can’t wait to hear more.

You can contact me via facebook, twitter, or email. Thanks!

D23 Expo Foodie-centric Auction Lots

By AJ 1 Comment

The D23 Expo Live Auction lots were announced yesterday, and there are a couple that I think you foodies will enjoy! Looking forward to hearing feedback from all of you Expo-ers!

Napa Rose Chef Andrew Sutton

LOT 13: Private Cooking Lesson & Dining Experience with Chef Andrew Sutton
(Bidder, plus eleven (11) guests)

“La piece de resistance! Join Executive Chef Andrew Sutton of the award-winning Napa Rose as he leads a hands-on cooking and learning experience in the show kitchen of the beautiful Napa Rose restaurant at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa. Then enjoy a quintessential dining experience recounting your
day’s cooking accomplishments.

Also included in this auction lot will be six (6) bottles of wine provided and signed by John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer of Pixar and Disney Animation Studios and Principal Creative Advisor for Walt Disney Imagineering. John and his wife Nancy purchased an historic Sonoma Valley winery and vineyard property back in 2002; since then they and their family have lovingly transformed the property into a state-of-the-art, ecofriendly, family-run winery.

(Experience must be completed by February 28, 2010, and must take place on a Saturday morning. Participants must be at least 18 years of age. For your safety, closed-toe shoes and long pants are required.)”

LOT 28: Progressive Dinner – Hotels of the Disneyland® Resort and Downtown Disney® District
(Bidder, plus five (5) Guests)

“Start off the night with cocktails and delicious appetizers at the famous House of Blues® Restaurant. Then let Catal’s executive chef and events team create a signature soup and salad duo plate featuring the freshest ingredients to please your palette.

catal logo Hungry for more? Choose from a menu of flavorful offerings at our renowned Steakhouse 55 restaurant at the Disneyland® Hotel. Their succulent menu will leave your mouth watering!

steakhouse55 Logo Then take your taste buds on vacation…Jazz on over to Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen, a savvy representation of New Orleans’ dual legacies – food and music – served up in a whimsical setting depicting the charm, ambiance and hospitality of historic and contemporary New Orleans. Enjoy the view from our Jazz Balcony as our chef prepares an assortment of petit desserts artfully displayed for your indulgence. Sip on a Jazz Kitchen coffee or enjoy from our selection of after dinner drinks as our staff roll out our signature dessert, prepared table side just for you and your guests. Jazz Kitchen Logo

(Experience must be completed by February 28, 2010. Experience is not valid on the following dates: 9/19/09, 10/1/09, 10/2/09, 10/31/09, 11/26/09, 12/4/09 – 1/3/10. Participants must be 21 years of age in order to consume alcoholic beverages. Package can only be redeemed with Disney’s package and cannot be used separately.)”

About The Auction…
Event Date: Saturday, September 12, 2009
Event Time: 7:00 PM
Event Location: Anaheim Convention Center – Anaheim, CA
Event Summary: Disney enthusiasts will have the opportunity to bid on unique Walt Disney Studio and Theme Park experiences, tours, artwork, props and more.

Ticket Sale Information:
Admission to the D23 Expo Live Auction is included in all D23 Expo tickets. There will be an additional “Auctioneers Package” fee required for guests who wish to participate (i.e. bid on items) in the auction. Tickets for the D23 Auctioneers Package are $40 each. With this pacakge, you will receive preferred floor seating, ONE (1) D23 Expo Live Auction Commemorative Catalog, ONE (1) D23 Expo Live Auction Paddle, and ONE (1) D23 Expo Live Auction Limited Edition Pin.

It does not look like this auction will benefit any charitable organization.

For more information on the auction and a link to other available auction lots at the D23 Expo, visit the D23 Auction 2009 web page.

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STAY CONNECTED

Construction Update: Carthay Circle Theatre in Disney California Adventure

Dining in Disneyland: D23 Reception Eats

Disney Food Blog D23 Expo Meet-Up