Food: the REAL Attraction - Part One

We'll start this one off with a little song. I just made it up (I know...you may marvel at my brilliance later), but imagine it to the tune of "Anticipation" by Carly Simon. And notice how I changed the lyrics up to suit my message. Again, a stroke of sheer brilliance.

"Procrastination. 
Procrasti-na-a-tion is 
makin' me late.!"

Okay, so I only changed one word, but seriously, this little diddy (minus the Puff or P) popped into my head as soon as I started working on this post, which was originally saved in my post queue WAY back in October 2010. Practically ages ago. I've been putting this one off, because I knew it would take forever to write...just because I have SO many opinions on this particular subject. What subject you may ask? Well, reader, I will end your anticipation (anticipa-a-tion) now. This post is all about Disney Food. Not Disney World, because let's face it, that can get boring. Disney FOOD: the real attraction.

Way back in October 2010, my husband Jeremy and I took a third anniversary trip to Orlando, to re-experience some of the "magic" (nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more, say no more) of our honeymoon trip from three years before. Because romance and lovey dovey crap was the focus of the honeymoon trip, this trip we got to focus on what we really love: food. Practically the entire trip was centered around where we would eat and what we eat and when we would eat. Just the way I like my vacations...food-centric.




From the moment we decided to make our reservations, I was planning the trip. I printed out menus from all of the restaurants we were considering eating at. I looked up pictures and reviews. I devoured everything I could find about Disney food. I practically could have written an entire 35-page college research paper on the subject; I was that obsessed. I planned each day's meals, made Advanced Dining Reservations, and even picked out the entrees that I would have at each meal. That's not to say the trip was without spontaneity, but where our meals were concerned at least, I had mapped out every detail perfectly, and my taste buds were practically shivering with anticipa-a-tion!

And without further ado, I present to you Part One of the result of all that planning. A review of the our visit to Disney, and more importantly, the food we ate while we were there. :)


Day One: 

Lunch at Earl of Sandwich of Downtown Disney. When I was a kid, I hated sandwiches with a passion. I couldn't stand white bread. I couldn't stand mayo or mustard. I couldn't stand ham or turkey or chicken, unless I was eating it by itself with a little cheese for good measure. After moving out of my parent's house and marrying Jeremy, I discovered how wrong I had been all of those years and fully embraced the sandwich. With this newfound love of sandwiches, I found myself most excited (maybe not MOST but close) about visiting Earl of Sandwich, which is a Disney dining spot I had previously avoided at all costs. The last time I ate there about three years B.S. (before sandwich) I got a salad of all things. At a sandwich shop. Oh, the horror! This time I was able to right my wrong. I ordered one of the yummiest sandwiches ever: a roast beef with swiss and horseradish aka The Original 1762. I can almost still taste it! A-mazing. The bread, the meat, the sauce. Everything was just right. Jeremy ordered The Earl's Club, which was also quite tasty I'm told. Despite this place being crazy crowded, we enjoyed our meal here very much. We were able to grab an awesome table outside, and away from the crowds (and I have a SERIOUS aversion to crowds), I'm happy to say we enjoyed every bite. 

Dinner at 'Ohana on the Polynesian Resort Property. To put it most simply, this meal was good. Food couldn't have really been any better. Served "family-style" we had an excellent array of grilled meats brought to our table in no particular order and endless supply: chicken, pork, beef, and my personal favorite shrimp. This was served up with heaping bowls of egg noodles and stir-fry vegetables as sides. Just my kind of food. The atmosphere was...meh. Honestly, I probably had too high of expectations for romantic and "quiet" dining for Disney World. After all, it IS Disney World. Kids are practically everywhere, and they're all on a permanent sugar/"I'm in Disney World!!" high. But, be forewarned, 'Ohana was one of the most unromantic of the dining atmospheres on Disney property. A friendly Hawaiian MC coupled with loud music and "coconut racing" around the restaurant from the kids made this one of our least favorite "couple" meals. We could barely hear each other at all, BUT the after-dinner show made the experience more than worth it. 'Ohana is right across the lagoon from the Magic Kingdom, and on the beach of the resort, we were treated to excellent front-row seats to Wishes, a sweet and moving fireworks show at the MK. Very cool! Oh, and I almost forgot; at the end of our meal, our wonderful waiter brought up a cupcake in celebration of our anniversary. What's better than a cupcake? A FREE cupcake! Score!!

More to come later (but not too much later, I hope) on our further adventures in Disney, including a brush with a Moroccan belly dancer and the awkwardness of Jeremy plus the awkwardness of me combined with the awkwardness of family-style dining at Via Napoli! Stay tuned!