Theme Park Foodie

Photo Courtesy of Walt Disney World Media Relations

A week-long Cinco de Mayo ¡Fiesta! is coming to Epcot’s Mexico pavilion as part of Walt Disney World’s Limited Time Magic. San Angel Inn Restaurante and La Hacienda de San Angel, the pavilion’s restaurants, will be offering the following specialty menu items to celebrate from May 5 to May 11! 

Appetizers

• Cream of Chile Poblano: Chile poblano, cilantro, onion, garlic and Mexican cream, garnished with tortilla strips, poblano peppers and cream ($7.50)
• Chalupas de Chicharron: Corn dough topped with roasted chipotle sauce, shredded chicken, pork rind in green tomatillo sauce, fresh cheese, sour cream and avocado ($11.50)

Entrees

• Chile en Nogada: Egg-battered stuffed poblano pepper with pork, almonds, raisins, apple, pineapple, cinnamon, roasted tomato and garlic, topped with a walnut cream sauce ($24.50)
• Enchiladas de Mole Poblano: Corn tortillas filled with marinated chicken, topped with mole poblano sauce, sesame seeds and Mexican cream ($23.50)
• Pollo Rostizado en Salsa de Mercado: Slow roasted French-chicken breast, topped with a roasted green tomato, pine nuts, garlic, onion and saffron sauce ($23.50)

Dessert

• Camotes en Leche Condensada: Sweet potato dessert topped condensed milk, garnished with almond brittle ($7.00)

SeaWorld Orlando is preparing to open it’s newest attraction, Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin on May 24. The area will feature the “coldest theme park ride in the world,” a new penguin exhibit and a new dining location.

As the attractions’ grand opening date approaches, we’re getting more and more excited about the new dining options offered in the area. As we prepare to do a write up on all of the food or specialties that we would love to see (and those we actually expect to see) at Antarctica, we have to ask:

What dining options would YOU like to see offered at SeaWorld’s Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin?

Bands, Brew & BBQ returns to SeaWorld Orlando on February 9th and runs through March 17th. The event, included with park admission, features mouth-watering barbeque from SeaWorld and local restaurants. Guests can also enjoy a number of Craft Brews, available on the park’s Bayside Pathway.

2013 Bands, Brew & BBQ concert lineup:

·         Saturday, February 9            Chris Young with Jerrod Niemann

·         Sunday, February 10             Merle Haggard

·         Saturday, February 16           The Beach Boys

·         Sunday, February 17             Styx

·         Saturday, February 23           Big & Rich

·         Sunday, February 24             Third Eye Blind

·         Saturday, March 2                  Daryl Hall and John Oates

·         Sunday, March 3                    Darius Rucker

·         Saturday, March 9                  Michael McDonald

·         Sunday, March 10                  Josh Turner

·         Saturday, March 16               Rodney Atkins with Uncle Kracker

·         Sunday, March 17                  Sheryl Crow

In December, we spent a day at Universal Orlando Resort and decided to try the new Unlimited Coke Freestyle refillable cup. The new souvenir cup provides unlimited access to Coke Freestyle machines at both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure for one day. We purchased the souvenir cup for $10.99 when we arrived at Islands of Adventure at 9:00 a.m. to make sure that we got the most “bang for our buck,” and braced ourselves for a caffeine-fueled, sugar-filled day. Here’s my quick review and FAQ of Universal Orlando Resort’s new Unlimited Coke Freestyle Option!

Why Coke Freestyle?
Coke Freestyle is a new drink dispensing technology designed by Coca-Cola. In the past, one could choose from between five to 10 options from a typical fountain dispenser. With Coke Freestyle, customers can choose from more than 100 different beverage options. You can see all of the flavors available through Coke Freestyle on the Coca-Cola website. The possibilities for drink personalization are endless; you can mix and match flavors to create a combination that you love. With the Unlimited cup, we were able to try (and toss) numerous combinations. We concocted a number of new creations, and some were actually palatable. My personal favorite was what we referred to as the Coke Dreamsicle: half Orange Coke, half Vanilla Coke. If you have the time or interest to be creative with your soda, you’ll likely enjoy the Unlimited Coke Freestyle option.

Is it worth the cost?
$10.99 for unlimited soda is a decent deal. After only four refills, you’ve covered the cost of the cup. That being said, the refillable cup is rather large; I believe it was at least 18 ounces. My boyfriend is an avid soda drinker, so he could tackle that amount of sugar and caffeine with no problem. I, on the other hand, have cut soda and other sugary drinks out of my diet; by the time we were on our third cup I was sick of Coca-Cola products. Be sure to keep your own limitations in mind before spending $11 on soda! If you’re interested in trying Coke Freestyle but don’t want to spend the day on a sugar high, consider sharing the cup with a friend or family member. My boyfriend and I shared one throughout the day and we had more than our fill (11 refills, to be exact). At the same time, we saw some families of five where each member had the cup. Universal Orlando probably loves this, but the cup is large enough that two people can share it for at least a half hour per drink. I’m not encouraging you to steal by any means, but it doesn’t make much sense to pay $55 for one day’s worth of soda. That being said, if you DO share, try and be reasonable; don’t grab a refill every 15 minutes.

Does it really only work for one day?
Yes. The cups use RFID technology to communicate with the Freestyle dispensers. Each time you put your cup into the Coke Freestyle machine, a timer pops up reminding you how much longer your cup will be eligible for refills. There really is no way around the timer, so if you’re going to purchase a refillable cup be sure to do so early in the day to get your money’s worth.

Overall Impressions
The Unlimited Coke Freestyle option is a good deal and quite a bit of fun. We’ll likely see Coke Freestyle come to the other Orlando theme parks in the near future, but for now it is a unique offering by Universal Orlando Resort.* My only complaint about this refillable cup is that the locations of Freestyle machines are not well documented on the park map or any other resource. If you received a handout with your cup when you purchased it listing all of the Freestyle locations or, better yet, if the locations were printed on the cup, the Unlimited Coke Freestyle refillable cup would be a sweet deal.

*Disney does have a few Coke Freestyle machines at Downtown Disney, but to my knowledge they are not available in the parks outside of special events.

Photo Courtesy of SeaWorld Public Relations

SeaWorld Orlando is kicking off 2013 with the Just For Kids Festival, a special event designed just for little ones that features popular children’s entertainers. Children can dance, sing and play the day away while enjoying performances by Choo-Choo Soul, the Imagination movers and more! Other festival highlights include Elmo Rocks!, a Sesame Street show featuring Elmo and friends in their very own rock concert, and the introduction of the Franklin meet and greet character from Franklin and Friends.

Our favorite part of Just For Kids is, of course, the food! There are two special dining experiences available during the festival that kids will love for the characters and parents will love for the food. Guests who pre-purchase one of the below character breakfasts receive reserved seats to that day’s featured concert. Reservations for these experiences can be made at SeaWorld.com or by calling 1-888-800-5447.

Elmo’s VIP Character Breakfast at Sharks Underwater Grill
Have breakfast with Elmo and one of his special Sesame Street friends at the Elmo VIP Character Breakfast. Families will enjoy a full-service breakfast experience at Sharks Underwater Grill.  Following breakfast, little ones, (and parents, too), will visit with everyone’s favorite Sesame Street friends for photo memories that will last a lifetime. Each family will receive one complimentary photo. Those attending the 9 a.m. VIP breakfast will receive VIP seating for the 11 a.m. Just For Kids concert.

Shamu & Friends Character Breakfast Buffet at Terrace Garden
Enjoy time with Shamu & Friends during a special character breakfast at the Terrace Garden Buffet restaurant. Join SeaWorld characters for meet-and-greets and photos. Each family will receive one complimentary family photo. Guests dining at the 9 a.m. breakfast receive guaranteed admission for the 2 p.m. Just for Kids concert and those eating at 11 a.m. receive guaranteed admission for the 4 p.m. concert.