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best disney springs snack

Best Disney Springs Snack

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Disney Springs, which once was known as Downtown Disney, is changing on what seems like a daily basis. In fact, a new area just opened this week which included 7 new restaurants and new shopping options. More is to come, and once completed, Disney Springs will be more than double the size of the original Downtown Disney. While it was once a side attraction to Disney and Orlando visitors, pretty soon it will become a destination for many, especially those staying on Disney property. With many Walt Disney World guests using the Disney Dining plans, those guests will be trying to use more and more of their meal credits at Disney Springs restaurants, so the addition of more and more restaurants is a plus. When using a dining plan, it always seems that I have excess credits at the end of the trip, and I have found there are some awesome snack options available at Disney Springs. So, what is the best Disney Springs Snack?

Best Disney Springs Snack Option

Many of you are familiar with Raglan Road, and their fantastic desserts. How many of you are aware of Cookes of Dublin? Probably not many, as it has been nearly impossible to get to recently with all the temporary walls around Disney Springs. It is located on the south side of Raglan Road, and with the town center section now open, it is once again easy to find. If you are looking for a great counter service restaurant in Disney Springs, this is a fantastic option. Fish and Chips, yummy savory pies and fantastic desserts.

The desserts lead us directly to the best Disney Springs snack, the “Doh Bar”. The name doesn’t do much for you, but how about the description?

Donut Battered, Deep Fried Snickers or Mars Bars

doh bar

I can’t find fault with even one of those words. Personally, while the Snickers options sounds better (I would much rather choose to eat a plan Snickers over a Mars Bar), for some reason the Mars Bar makes a much better Doh Bar. I am not sure if it is because of the peanuts, but the Mars Bar option is chocolaty and gooey and just perfect.

While I completely expect more snack options to show up as Disney Springs expands, it is going to be hard to find a better Disney Springs snack option that the Doh Bar.

Have you ever had a “Doh Bar”?

disney change

Disney and Change

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For many of us, we have been visiting Disney for years and years, and remember fondly the Disney of our childhoods or first visits. I started visiting Disneyland in the early 70’s with my family, and didn’t make it across country to Walt Disney World for another 20 years. As a child, my two favorite rides were Rocket to the Moon and Adventure Thru Inner Space. I still miss the PeopleMover at Disneyland, but fortunately I can still visit a similar one the Magic Kingdom. Sometimes that nostalgia for rides, parades and attractions keeps us from seeing that they need to replaced, or better options have come available to Disney as a replacement. We all want to go to Disney and replicate that fantastic trip we had years ago, but that is nearly impossible as the parks change. Remember what Walt Disney said:

“Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world. It is something that will never be finished. Something that I can keep developing and adding to.”

Of course, this philosophy applies to Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise ships, etc. When you sit down and think about it, Disney has done a remarkable job of keeping the original Disneyland rides open and fresh, while adding additional attractions that change from time to time. Look at the list of rides that were available at the grand opening of Disneyland:

  • Autopia
  • Disneyland Railroad
  • Jungle Cruise
  • King Arthur Carrousel
  • Mad Tea Party
  • Main Street Cinema
  • Mark Twain Riverboat
  • Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
  • Peter Pan’s Flight
  • Snow White’s Scary Adventures
  • Storybook Land Canal Boats
  • Casey Jr. Circus Train*
  • Dumbo the Flying Elephant*

*These two attractions were not quite ready at grand opening, but opened within a month.

Every single one of these rides is still in existence at Disneyland. If you had visited Disneyland in 1955, and again in 2015, you could ride these exact same rides just as you had 60 years before. But of course, there are also a large chunk of rides like my beloved Adventure Thru Inner Space that closed long ago. The real question is how do we look at change and Disney? Are we upset that Disney changes anything or are we excited for the future?

Maelstrom opened in Epcot during July, 1988, about a month after the Norway Pavilion opened. Maelstrom featured a boat ride through Norwegian history, including an encounter with trolls and a backwards ride over a waterfall. While definitely not an “E-Ticket” ride, it was pretty popular. I think most of it’s popularity was because at the time it was the only real ride in the World Showcase other than the Gran Fiesta Tour in Mexico (which isn’t much of a ride). In 2014, Disney announced that Maelstrom was set to close to be replaced by a Frozen themed attraction called “Frozen Ever After”. For my kids, Maelstrom was one of their favorite rides in all of Disney. My guess is that each trip we rode Maelstrom 10 – 15 times, maybe more. It was a sad day when I had to explain to my kids that Maelstrom was going away and we would not be able to ride it any more. In the next month, Frozen Ever After is scheduled to open along with a new Anna and Elsa Meet and Greet. From the description of the new ride, it sounds like the ride itself will be similar, but it will be Frozen rather than Norway. I am sure the Norway people are thrilled as this will now be the most popular area of Epcot. Sales of Norwegian sweaters and salty licorice are going to skyrocket. While I will miss Maelstrom, I am sure my kids will love Frozen Ever After, as will many, many other people.

The Disney parks are going to change as time goes on, and we want that! If Disneyland hadn’t closed down Adventure Thru Inner Space, we wouldn’t have Star Tours now. As much as I loved Adventures as a child, I have to admit that Star Tours is a much better ride. Disney messes up from time to time (I am looking at you Rocket Rods), but for the most part, closed attractions make way for much better attractions, which makes our Disney experiences just that much better.

 

Disney Things May 13

5 Disney Things You Should Know This Week – May 13, 2016

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Each Friday, I provide 5 Disney things all Disney fans should know from this past week, just in case you missed them. This week was a very, very slow Disney news week. Here are the super important Disney news items for this week:

Disney Dollars Ending

RIP Disney Dollars

While many of us assumed Disney Dollars had died years ago, they hadn’t. Disney announced yesterday that Disney Dollars would no longer be for sale as of May 14, 2016. While Disney and consumers had moved to Disney Gift Cards years ago, many people still purchase Disney Dollars as souvenirs of their Disney vacation. They will be missed.

For more information: R.I.P. Disney Dollars

Custom MagicBands

custom magic bands

Walt Disney World announced this week that their on demand printing system that has been used for smart phone covers and other items now is able to make custom MagicBands for guests. Not only now are you able to choose your favorite attraction to be on your MagicBand, you can also add your name right there on the band. Not only can you choose from attractions, but some long closed attractions are included such as Mr Toad’s Wild Ride and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Plus, you can also choose from a few Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean characters. Of course, Disney can add in any additional artwork at anytime, so watch for additional options in the future. Custom MagicBands start at $24.99, $32.99 if you add your name to the band.

For more information: Artwork Added to Retail MagicBand on Demand Stations at Walt Disney World Resort

7 New Restaurants opening in Disney Springs this Week

 

disney Daily Poutine

As a new section of Disney Springs opens this weekend, there is a large group of restaurants that are opening for the first time, including a Poutine place! Check out all the great options!

  • D-Luxe Burger: Grab a classic cheeseburger or go for something indulgent like the El Diablo Burger with chorizo, fried banana peppers, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato and chipotle mayo. There’s a veggie burger too. Plus gelato shakes, fresh-cut fries and more from the Disney chefs.
  • Amorette’s Patisserie: Classic and contemporary cakes and pastries are the stars in this high-end pastry shop where guests can watch pastry chefs decorate signature cakes in the on-stage finishing kitchen. From a classic macaron or crisp, light pavlova to the ultimate chocolate-chocolate chunk cookie, Amorette’s is a dessert lover’s dream come true.
  • The Daily Poutine: This kiosk brings the Canadian classic to guests with four varieties of toppings on hot, crispy French fries: Classic, with beef poutine gravy and Cheddar Cheese curds; Latin with fried yucca, black beans, pulled pork and queso fresco; Italian with bocconcino mozzarella and Bolognese sauce, and French with mushroom cream sauce and Gruyere cheese. Pair them with a lemonade, draft beer, sangria or fountain sodas.
  • B.B. Wolf’s Sausage Co.: A kiosk with artisan sausages by Disney chefs – the Three Little Pigs with a Reuben dog, black bean salsa and chili cheese; Portuguese Sausage with pickled vegetable slaw and chili mustard; Sweet Hot Sausage with peppers, onions and marinara; Bavarian Sausage Sandwich with a mini-meterwurst, braised red cabbage and spicy brown mustard on a pretzel roll, and Italian Veggie Sausage with peppers, onions and marinara. Add a draft beer or fountain soda.
  • YeSake: At this unique kiosk, try a Sake Cosmo Freeze or Sake Bourbon Slush among other offerings. Global eats range from the Great Wall with Chinese-style pulled pork to a Sombrero with ground beef, pico de gallo, guacamole, cheese and corn chips. Cold beer too.
  • Morimoto Asia Street Food: A new walk-up window on the patio offers sushi, donburi rice bowls and bao tacos, plus snacks: such as takoyaki (octopus, nori, okomiyaki sauce), Morimoto sticky ribs, curry rice croquettes, pork egg rolls and taiyaki (snapper-shaped pancake filled with sweet adzuki red bean paste). Also on the menu: popping boba tea and an assortment of Asian-influenced beers and beverages.
  • Sprinkles: Look for handcrafted cupcakes, slow-churned ice cream and homemade cookies at Sprinkles, dubbed the first cupcake bakery by the Food Network. Options include vegan, gluten free and sugar free, and seasonal flavors.

Special Disney Cruise Merchandise

Disney Cruise Transatlantic Disney Cruise Alaska

If you happen to be sailing on a Disney Cruise this summer, specifically on one of the Transatlantic or Alaskan Disney Cruise, you are in for a treat, special merchandise. Items include shirts, pins and stuffed animals all themed after your particular cruise. There is also special merchandise for the Panama Canal cruise and I am sure that later this year we will see more stuff for the European cruises too. Make sure to take your wallets along with you.

‘Inside Disney Parks’ Newscast

Disney has released a new ‘Inside Disney Parks’ Newscast, a video roundup of changes to the Disney Parks. Episode 1 was released this week, and gives you a great idea of what to expect at Disney this Summer. This episode covers Animal Kingdom at night, the Jungle Cruise Movie, Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters grand opening in Disney California Advnenture and much, much more. Enjoy!

Did I miss any Disney news this week that should have been included?