Tronorail or Tron Monorail Photo's

 

 

Raglan Road Ger's Bread and Butter Pudding Recipe

1 loaf   Pullman or Texas toast
1 lb   Kerry gold butter softened
1 lb   Sugar
1 qt   Crème anglaise (see below)
1 cup   Raisins soaked in Irish mist or water

• Combine the sugar and butter, spread evenly on the bread slices to make sandwiches, stack together and cut of the crust.
• Cut the “sandwiches in ½ on an angle (from corner to corner)
• Butter the inside of 8 oven proof cups or preferred baking dish. One by one dip the “sandwiches” in the anglaise and place in the baking dish, layer the bread and a sprinkling of soaked raisins as you go until done
• Bake covered in a Bain Marie at 375 degrees for 35 minutes until it rises a bit. Remove the cover and bake an extra 10 minutes until slightly brown.
• Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly serve warm or at room temperature with anglaise and caramel sauce

Epcot Nine Dragons Review

Nine Dragons – Epcot

Written by Steve Diehlman

 

Hidden in the colorful country of China, the Nine Dragons restaurant lies in the world showcase at Epcot. As one might expect, the restaurant features an assortment of classic Chinese cuisine.  

Ohana Restaurant’s Coriander Wings From Disney’s Polynesian Resort

 

Yield: 4 servings.

4 pounds chicken wings and drummettes
1/8 cup wing seasoning (see note)
1/2 cup coriander wing sauce (see note)
2 tablespoons canola oil
Sesame seeds and watercress for garnish

1. Heat oven to 400 F.
2. Put chicken, wing seasoning and oil in large bowl. Mix well. Place chicken on nonstick, foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake until thickest part of the chicken reaches 165 F.
3. While chicken bakes, warm coriander wing sauce. Toss cooked wings in sauce and serve hot. Garnish with sesame seeds and watercress.
Wing seasoning: Combine 2 tablespoons Kosher salt, 2 tablespoons ground paprika, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
Coriander wing sauce: In nonstick pot, simmer 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1/2 cup soy sauce and 1 cup honey. Mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. When mixture begins to thicken slightly, add cornstarch mixture. Stir until sauce thickens nicely.

As it Once Was: A look into WDW’s past Project X

By  Tyler Enboden
http://twitter.com/TheCurrentMouse


     If you look back into past of the Disney Company you can often find the most interesting stories of what once was, compared to what it is now. The biggest of these changes is 27,000 acres of farm and swap land that in the late 60’s became property of the Disney Company. This area today is now a thriving world with 4 themed lands, 2 water parks, 32 resorts, and plenty of land to expand on. The most interesting story to tell about Disney world is how all this land was acquired without anyone knowing.

    In 1955 Disneyland opened its doors and started a successful legacy of Disney theme parks. All together Disneyland was only on 300 acres of land, with little to no room to expand. When Disney first purchased the land in Anaheim, it was nothing more than various orange groves and Lemon trees (which I might add explains why in the fall and early winter you see lemons growing in the park). By the time Disneyland was complete all the surrounding land was bought up by various companies to place hotel, restaurants, and souvenir shops in. While Disney’s original idea for a park was complete he was upset that he would not have the ability to control the surrounding area.
(Click Read More)

Epcot Flower and Garden Festival begins earlier than ever this year on March 3, 2010

By Heather Leigh Carroll-Landon

http://twitter.com/WDWTravelExam


It is hard to believe it is almost that time again. Time for the 17th Annual Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. It seems like only yesterday when the park was filled with the smell of roses and fluttering butterflies. Maybe it only feels that way because this year Walt Disney World has moved the date of the festival up.

The festival this year will begin on March 3, 2010, the earliest date ever, and will continue for 75 days through May 16, 2010. (Last year's event started on March 18.) The earlier start of the festival will hopefully help garden fanatics get a jump-start on the gardening season.

Guests of the festival will be able to stroll through luscious gardens, explore vendor exhibits and enjoy many activities surrounding one theme - gardening. The best thing about last year's event was the array of topiaries featuring the many Disney animated characters.
(Click read more)

Indoor attractions offer a warm welcome for Walt Disney World visitors braving the cold temperatures

By Heather Leigh Carroll-Landon

http://twitter.com/WDWTravelExam

There are many indoor activities to enjoy at Walt Disney World that will help keep guests warm as they suffer through the chilling temperature Central Florida is currently experiencing. Temperatures are dipping into the low 40s and even lower in some areas. Keeping warm sometimes becomes a mission while trying to enjoy the shorter lines and minimal crowds at the theme parks this time of year.

What are some of the best indoor attractions at Walt Disney World that will have the heat on for guests? Check some of them out below.

Magic Kingdom

There are many indoor shows to help warm up the blood while wandering through the Magic Kingdom Park. Warm shows include The Enchanted Tiki Room, The Hall of Presidents and Mickey's Philharmagic. If not interested in seeing some of the shows, check out the following indoor rides: Peter Pan's Flight, Snow White's Scary Adventure, Winnie the Pooh, it's a small world, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.

Theme Park Warmth Tip #1: While at the Magic Kingdom Park (or any of the others) do not forget to drink lots of hot chocolate to warm up. Hot cocoa at Disney World is the best! (Click Read More)

Boma's Curry Butternut Soup Recipe and Review

By: Kristen Hoetzel of “Cooking with Mickey”

     Curry Butternut Soup from Boma at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. Recipe found in Delicious Disney by Pam Brandon (2006). This item is served during lunch and dinner hours on their buffet and is located with about 4 or 5 other delicious soups.

     I recently spent an evening with a close friend of mine and her charming husband. Whenever we get together on a weeknight we tend to make something new and exciting for dinner. For us, it's like our own mini dinner party. Since it's fall and heading into the cold winter months I arrived at her house with the ingredients to make Curry Butternut Soup. Butternut squash is one of those comfort foods that I crave on a cold and cloudy, crisp day and I thought it would be something they'd enjoy.

     Boma's Curry Butternut Soup is a lot like other butternut squash soups. It's rich, smooth and creamy. The twist to this recipe from many others is that instead of the more traditional ingredients like nutmeg and cinnamon it calls for Thai red curry, cumin and coriander. Since there were three of us dining and the soup was to be our entree I tripled the recipe. If I had made it in the quantity that the recipe calls for it would have been enough for everyone to have one small bowl better suited for a starter than a meal. I really enjoyed this recipe and it did taste very similar to what I had tried over at Boma a couple of months earlier. As for the flavor, the curry in the soup adds a nice kick but isn't overpowering due to the cooling effects of the milk and sour cream. On word of advice, when chopping the butternut squash I recommend making the cubes small as the larger they are the longer it will take for them to cook.

     I highly recommend trying this recipe. Whether you'll be serving it as an appetizer or an entree this is a delicious soup.  One that would be perfect to start off a festive holiday meal like Thanksgiving or Christmas. If you will be drinking wine with this something light, white and with a hint of tropical fruit would be perfect.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 tbs butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

Juice of 2 fresh lemons

2 tsp Thai red curry paste

1 lb butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into chunks

2 cups vegetable stock

2 cups milk

4 tbs sour cream

Coarse salt and pepper, to taste

Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic and cook about 5 minutes, until tender.

Add cumin, coriander, lemon juice and curry paste.

Add squash and vegetable stock. Simmer about 20 minutes, or until squash is easily pierced with a fork

Puree soup in batches until smooth. Add salt and pepper to tast.

Return to heat and add milk and sour cream. Do not boil.

Adjust seasoning, if necessary. Garnish with cilantro and serve immediately.

Cilantro for garnish

Kristen Hoetzel of “Cooking with Mickey”

http://cookingwithmickey.blogspot.com/

http://www.twitter.com/cookin_w_mickey

Make sure if you enjoyed this review visit Kristen's Blog in the link above. And also make sure you add her to follow her on twitter. I follow her and so should you. 

Walt Disney Time Travel "Wonders of Life"

By: Stratofariusbr on Twitter

The year is 1990. You are just getting to EPCOT Center. As you enter the park, you pick up a map, and discuss what pavillion will be the first one you'll visit. Horizons? No. World of Motion? No. Living Seas? No. You are going to Wonders of Life.
Wonders of Life opened in 1989. It was the last Future World pavillion to be opened, pratically one of the firsts to receive permanent rehabs (such as Seas with Nemo), and was sponsored by Metropolitan Life. Metropolitan Life is a company that did just what the pavillion theme was - Health and Life.*** Wonders of Life was a big golden ball and used a simple concept, the ride-watch-see. This was used in lots of other pavillions. Wonders of Life originally contained two theaters: one for The Making of Me and another one for Cranium Command,a simulator for Body Wars. Wonders of Life also has two food bars and lots of healthy exhibits.
The pavillion only opened on 1989 because the Imagineers couldn't find the right technology to make those concepts come true and there was no one to sponsor it. When it opened, it surprised everyone. I mean, Horizons opened on 1983, and Living Seas on 1984, but 1989? That was in the verge of the 90's! Disney wanted to do something that made people scream: "This is from the future!". They did that, a bit.
The two attractions are Body Wars and Cranium Command.How about let's talk about Cranium Command first.

Cranium Command was a show that was builded like it was inside of someone's head. The story of the ride is as follows: You are another Cranium Cadet who joined the Cranium Command team. These are little guys who control people's heads. As you enter the pre-show theater, you meet two of the most iconic characters of EPCOT Center. First, is General Knowledge who is a strong and angry general. Then you meet Buzzy. Buzzy is a young cadet who wants to be a Cranium Commander. General Knowledge decides that Buzzy should drive an adolescent boy so he could see if Buzzy deserved to be in the team. He then ordered the audience (delivering his best line: Where do you think you are, Disney World?) to follow Buzzy and see how he works. The audience then moved to the main theater and watched as Buzzy tried to control the boy's brain and deal with all the other organs in the body, who always talked with him.



The other attraction was Body Wars,a simulator much like the one in Star Tours. There is one difference, instead of travelling to Endor, you travel inside the human body. The attraction has a backstory. It is that you are travelling with MET (which matched the sponsor's name), an enterprise whose speciality was making medical operations from inside the body and turning "spaceships" into mini-"spaceships".The min-spaceships are beamed into the body. Things go wrong as you have some... technical problems.

Wonders of Life was received with acclaim. People loved it and it filled quicker than Horizons or Imagination.Things didn't go all well. On 2001, MetLife dropped sponsorship. Wonders of Life remained open until 2004. This was a surprise since the most expected thing was a rehab (example: Horizons, Universe of Energy and Living Seas).
On 2004, It started to become a seasonal pavillion. It opened when the WDW management wanted it to open. On 2006, Wonders of Life opened its doors as Wonders of Life for the last time. The big DNA which stood outside the pavillion was removed and since that year, Wonders of Life only re-opens as a pavillion for the International Food & Wine Festival.
The question is: will Wonders of Life get back to its brains or stay on its feet?
Only the Imagineers and time can tell.

Make sure you check out @Stratofariusbr on Twitter or his blog at http://stratwitter.wordpress.com/

The Most Delicious Time of the Year – Epcot’s 14th Annual International Food & Wine

Festival runs from September 25-November 8, 2009 at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Whether you have been to Epcot enough times to rattle off the location of each hidden Mickey in the park, or you are planning your very first visit - the World Showcase’s reputation for great food is well known. Roaming from the Margaritas in Mexico’s San Angel Inn to the steaks cooked to perfection in Canada’s Le Cellier, to the pastries in France’s Boulangerie, you will not go hungry in Epcot. However, if you want even more scrumptious treats, wines, and beers from countries that are not normally represented at Epcot, then you won’t want to miss the Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival .

As soon as you enter the World Showcase section of Epcot with your theme park admission, the delicious smells of delicacies from across the globe waft around you, making your stomach growl in anticipation. Oh, did I mention to come hungry? That’s a must. No filling up on a character breakfast buffet before visiting the Food & Wine Festival - you will thank me later! Most likely, you’ll have a hard time deciding which of the tapas-style food creations (priced between $2-$7 a plate) to try. The unique wine and beer pairings simply add to the experience.

This year the festival, which always features a different annual theme (although many favorite dishes return each year), is focusing on “foodie” cities from around the world. There are more than 25 kiosks serving food and wine around the World Showcase promenade – highlights of which include Bologna, Italy; Bangkok, Thailand; Wellington, New Zealand; Santiago, Chile; Marrakesh, Morocco; Shanghai, China; with New Orleans going to bat for the United States.

Be sure you pick up a guide map at the park entrance, so you can follow along with all the great selections and decide which food and drink stations you can’t miss. While I could say to just try them all, even the most competitive eaters might not be able to pull off trying ever offering in one day. One way to go would be make one trip around to try all the new foods as you walk around and enjoy the sites and sounds of World Showcase, then take a break in Future World as you digest, and make another trip around for some of the wonderful desserts featured at the pavilions.

On a personal note, this festival has always been a ‘must-see’ for our family. We were here when it began in 1995, because we were cast members at the time. The 2^nd year, my husband and I were getting married during the festival’s run, and showing our relatives and friends the amazing offerings in the days before we had our reception at the Walt Disney World Dolphin. Years later our children look forward to it each year as well. Would you believe my son’s favorite part is eating the escargot from France each year?? Yes, you read that right – snails! It’s a great way to get kids excited about trying new foods and learning about new countries and traditions in the process.

While you may come for the food, there is much more than just eating and drinking happening around the promenade. There are culinary demonstrations, beer and wine tastings from around the world, and Signature Dining Series for the true gourmands, featuring guest speakers and chefs serving up delectable lunches and dinners, for a separate fee. In addition to all the edible enjoyment, you can Eat to the Beat with some wonderful musicians that keep things rocking while you enjoy the tastes of the world.

Here are the 17 scheduled performers for this year’s Eat to the Beat concert series:
Concerts, which are included with Epcot admission, begin at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. daily. The lineup (subject to change) includes:

Eat to the Beat concert series schedule:*

Sept. 25-27	Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (“You & Me & The Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby)”)
Sept. 28-29	Richard Marx ("Hold On to the Nights")
Sept. 30-Oct. 3	Starship starring Mickey Thomas (“We Built This City”)
Oct. 4-6	En Vogue (“Free Your Mind”)
Oct. 7-8	Better Than Ezra ("Good")
Oct. 9-11	Sister Hazel (“All for You”)
Oct. 12-13	Kool & The Gang (“Celebration”)
Oct. 14-16	Spyro Gyra (“Morning Dance”)
Oct. 17-18	Jon Secada (“Just Another Day”)
Oct. 19-20	Sister Sledge ("We Are Family")
Oct. 21-22	Vanessa Carlton ("A Thousand Miles")
Oct. 23-25	Taylor Dayne ("Tell It to My Heart")
Oct. 26-28	Boyz II Men (“Motownphilly”)
Oct. 29-31	John Waite ("Missing You")
Nov. 1-2	Night Ranger (“Sister Christian”)
Nov. 3-5	Billy Ocean ("Caribbean Queen")
Nov. 6-8	Los Lobos (“La Bamba”)

Don’t forget to grab an extra dessert, drink and a spot for viewing Illuminations: Reflections of Earth – Epcot’s mesmerizing nighttime fireworks show, featuring awe-inspiring fireworks, fountains, lasers and music – the perfect nightcap to a delicious Disney day.

For more information: see WaltDisneyWorld.com’s Food & Wine Festival page.

*Entertainment subject to change

Zanna DiMarzio, ZannaLand.com

Top 10 Restaurants in WDW

I had so many fans reply to this poll. It was supposed to be a Top 5 but with over 500 responses I had to make it a Top 10. I know myself I have ate at most of Walt Disney World's Restaurants and enjoy the wonderful tasty meals that they have served me. But there are always a few that always stand out. And here are some of your Walt Disney World Favorites that made the Top 10.

10. Shula's ( Dolphin Resort)
9. Yak and Yeti (Animal Kingdom ) (Tie)
9. Narcoossee's (Grand Floridian) (Tie)
8. Teppan Edo (Epcot Japan)
7. Sanaa (Animal Kingdom Villa's)
6. Flying Fish (Boardwalk)
5. Hollywood Brown Derby (Hollywood Studio's)
4. Victoria and Albert's (Grand Floridian)
3. 'Ohana (Polynesian)
2. California Grill (Contemporary)
1. Le Cellier (Epcot Canada)

I hope everyone enjoy's looking at the Top 10 Rated Restaurants in all of Walt Disney World. And soon you I will be posting the Top 10 Rated Counter Service Restaurants. If you have a favorite Counter Service Restaurant let us know. Send us a Tweet on Twitter or Email us at wdwfacts@gmail.com. Thanks for all your responses and have a Magical Day.

Celebrity Chef Cat Cora To Open New Walt Disney World Restaurant

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (March 17, 2009) -- Chef Cat Cora and Disney are joining together to open an exciting new family dining restaurant at Disney’s BoardWalk Resort. Kouzzina by Cat Cora will feature a menu of Mediterranean-style cuisine that pays tribute to the chef’s Greek roots.

The restaurant, to be owned and operated by Disney, is scheduled to open by fall 2009 in the space currently occupied by Spoodles.

“I am pleased to welcome Cat Cora and her engaging new concept for Kouzzina to the Walt Disney World Resort,” said Jay Rasulo, chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “This collaboration between Cat and Disney represents a significant step in our ongoing commitment to offer unique culinary experiences and choices for our guests.”

As a Mississippi native born to a family of Greek restaurateurs, Cora grew up immersed in two different and flavorful cultures , and has taken from that unique background the kitchen “know-how” handed down through generations. The cuisine at Kouzzina (Greek for “kitchen” and pronounced “koo-zee-nah”) will showcase Mediterranean cuisine and Chef Cora’s philosophy to create simple yet sensational meals.

Cora said that the new restaurant will feature “time-honored recipes passed down from my ancestors, as well as my favorite Greek and Mediterranean dishes that my family loves.”

She began working with Disney in 2008 by creating a Disney Video on Demand series to showcase ways to help families develop more healthy eating habits. “I’m extremely excited about this latest extension of my relationship with Disney,” she said. “Together, we’re going to develop a truly amazing contemporary Mediterranean restaurant.”

The first and only female Iron Chef on Food Network's hit show “Iron Chef America,” Cora is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in New York. She also is Executive Chef for Bon Appétit magazine. In addition to hosting the instructional cooking demonstrations for Disney Video on Demand, Cora has been a featured chef at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and at Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival at Disneyland Resort.

Welcome to WDWfacts

Welcome to my blog. I will be keeping everyone updated with interesting facts about Walt Disney World. Some facts you might know. Some facts you might not know. But I hope to keep everyone interested in my blog. If you have any facts you want to share with me send them to my email address at wdwfacts@gmail.com . I will also be on twitter so follow me there and get some cool updates on facts, plus I will keep everyone informed on the stuff happening at WDW on a daily basis. Plus we will have some cool photo's to show you along with the facts. So enjoy and Welcome Home.