Categories
Disney Food Disney Parks Other

Review: Move Over Burgers — We’re Trying D-Luxe Burger’s Buffalo Fried Chicken in Disney World!

Disney Springs kicked off its phased reopening last week. While we originally saw third-party stores and restaurants open back up to guests, a few Disney-owned locations opened their doors again today.

D-Luxe Burger

We’ve already given you a look at what’s hoppin’ at the World of Disney and now we’re taking you with us to grab a burger, fries, and a shake at the reopened D-Luxe Burger!

D-Luxe Burger is a great place if you’re looking for a quick meal or snack. But, it’s also AWESOME because the restaurant rolls out unique burgers (Pizza Burger, we’re looking at you!) along with classic meals.

Waiting In Line

Before you walk into the restaurant, there are distancing markers on the ground to separate parties from each another.

D-Luxe Burger Markers

D-Luxe is currently accepting Mobile Order ONLY — unless you have an allergy — in which case you can order inside. After you tap the “I’m here” button in the My Disney Experience app, you wait outside behind physical distance markers. Once your order is ready, a Cast Member will direct you into the restaurant.

D-Luxe Mobile Order

While we were there, we encountered a small exception to the outdoor queue. Cast Members let us wait under the patio cover as it started pouring rain — but we still had to remain at least six feet apart from other guests.

D-Luxe Cast Member

When our order was ready, we headed in!

Picking Up Your Order

They gave us a station number were our food was waiting for us. Each station had napkins, utensils, and packaged condiments.

Food Pick-Up Station

For signature sauces, you can order them in the app or request them from a Cast Member but ONLY garlic ranch and curry ketchup were available during our visit. A Cast Member kindly brought out the extra sauce in a no-touch basket.

No=Touch Sauces

We noticed that if you order a bottled drink, it will be served alongside your food at the pickup station. But if you ordered a fountain beverage, Cast Members will assist you at the machines.

Drink Station

If you order booze or a shake, your bag will have a sticker that says that your order is unfinished.

D-Luxe Order

You’ll head to a separate counter to pick up your specialty beverage.

Seating

Similar to the rest of Disney Springs, Guests and Cast Members are both required to wear masks, but guests may remove their masks to eat or drink.

Limited Spaced Tables

The tables were separated at least six feet apart from one another, and there were some spots that were sectioned off for the time being.

Unavailable Table

The outdoor seating was increased to allow more guests to grab tables at a safe distance.

Outdoor Seating

Overall, the pickup procedure was streamlined and we could tell they aimed to reduce contact that could commonly occur at a traditional mobile-order pickup.

You can read more about the new logistics of Disney Springs here!

Eats

While we were there, we ordered the Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, the Plant-based Pacific Island Burger, some of those delish Fresh-cut Fries, and the Strawberry Gelato Shake.

D-Luxe Spread

The Buffalo Chicken Sandwich was A+!!! It was a Fried Chicken Breast topped with Buffalo-Ranch Sauce, Blue Cheese Crumbles, Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato for $12.49.

Open Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

The chicken in this sandwich was fried to perfection and it was a really good-sized piece too! We loved the way that the flavors came together to give us that classic buffalo chicken profile. Our only complaint was we could’ve used a tad more buffalo sauce. Also, if you’re not a blue cheese fan, order it without! You can definitely taste the blue cheese!

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

Next up is the Plant-based Pacific Island Burger. It was made from a Plant-based Patty with Cabbage and Mushroom Ragout, Mango Salsa, Lettuce, and Dill Pickles on Plant-based Parker House Roll with the same price of $12.49.

Plant-based Burger

We’re big meat-eaters so we thought this sammie was just fine. We probably wouldn’t get it again, but it might be a real hit with someone on a plant-based diet! After the beautiful harmony of the buffalo sauce and ranch, these flavors didn’t quite strike the same chord. Mushroom, mango, and pickles? We’re fans of each, but maybe not so much when they are stacked together.

Split Plant-based Burger

But we could rely on our old friend! The $4.99 Fresh-cut Fries were an absolute delight. Also, we are big fans of the signature sauces at D-Luxe. We love the curry ketchup and we would probably take a bath in the garlic ranch if we could.

Fresh-cut Fries

Finally, we had that super tempting Strawberry Gelato Shake, and yes, it was as good as it sounds. Think: Vanilla Gelato blended with Milk and Strawberry Sauce, topped with Whipped Cream, Strawberry drizzle, and Maraschino Cherry. Ugh, now we’re thinking about it again. Maybe we’ll go get another… .

Strawberry Gelato Shake

The consistency of this shake was super smooth and sippable. Plus, it felt like it was made with really high-quality ingredients and you can definitely taste the difference. Next time you’re at D-Luxe, give it a try for $7.50. 

Nosh or Not?

Snag a bite at D-Luxe Burger if:

  • You want a classic AND quality meal of burgers and fries.
  • You’re tired of the plain old milkshakes and are looking for something a cut above.
  • You think you’ll love garlic ranch as much as we do.

Dine elsewhere if:

  • You’re looking for something on the lighter side.
  • You want to have a nice, slow, sit-down meal.
  • You want to swing for something more unique than a burger and fries.

Overall

We love a trip to D-Luxe Burger. The menu items are consistently good and we can rely on this spot for a hearty lunch on a Disney Springs day. Even better, D-Luxe had an IMPRESSIVE grasp on health measures so if that’s a concern for you, this spot might tick all your boxes. Still, if you’re looking for something a little more creative than burgers (and trust us, there are some creative options in Disney Springs), you may want to head elsewhere. Overall though, we’re still impressed with how D-Luxe is doing things on and off the menu and you can bet we’ll be back for more.

Read about our full dining experience at Disney Springs here!

What is your favorite burger at D-Luxe Burger? Let us know in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Counter-Service, disney dining tips, Disney News, disney parks, Disney Springs, Featured, Snacks, Walt Disney World, buffalo chicken sandwich, D-Luxe Burger, d-luxe burger reopening, Disney, disney burgers, disney dining, disney food, disney news, disney restaurants, disney snacks, disney springs, disney springs reopening, Disney World, Fresh-cut Fries, Plant-based Pacific Island Burger, Strawberry Gelato Shake

Categories
Disney Food Disney Parks

Can You Still Fill Your Refillable Popcorn Buckets in Disney World? Find Out Here!

Disney-owned locations reopened today in Disney Springs and we ? have ? questions!

Popcorn in Disney Springs

If you know us, then you KNOW we miss our Disney snacks. We’ve been investigating all those snack locations to see what iconic Disney eats are available to us once more. We’ve spotted Mickey Pretzels, Popcorn, and even DOLE WHIP. One thing is heavy on our minds though — will Cast Members still refill our refillable popcorn buckets with the added health measures? We found out!

We were wandering Disney Springs today when an amazing development caught our eye — a popcorn stand, popping away! We headed over to snag some of our favorite Disney snacks and to see what sort of health changes they had made.

Popcorn

Like in all other dining locations in Disney Springs, distancing markers are in place to keep guests and Cast Members safe. We snagged a scoop of popcorn to munch on but not before asking if they would fill our refillable buckets for us in the future.

Snack and Cocktail Carts

Well, it turns out that YES, they will fill refillable souvenir buckets. They, however, weren’t selling the refillable popcorn buckets today. You had to already have a refillable popcorn bucket with you.

We will be back with more details on this process soon!

Click here to learn more about the return of Disney snacks!

Will you be bringing your refillable bucket to Disney Springs? Tell us in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disney News, Disney+, Featured, Snacks, Walt Disney World, disney popcorn, disney springs, Disney springs popcorn, popcorn, popcorn bucket, popcorn refills, Refillable Popcorn Bucket, refillable souvenir popcorn bucket

Categories
Disney Food Disney Parks

Mickey Pretzels and Popcorn Never Tasted SO GOOD — Snacks are BACK at Disney World!

We’ve been filling you in on all the latest happenings now that several stores and restaurants have started to reopen at Disney Springs since last week!

World of Disney

And while you probably thought our coverage of World of Disney’s grand reopening was a pretty big deal today — we’re following an even BIGGER story (we think so at least!).

Now that several Disney-owned locations have started to reopen, guess what we’ve found throughout Disney Springs?!?

Snack and Cocktail Carts

That’s right, fam! Mickey Pretzels, Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars, Churros, and Popcorn have triumphantly RETURNED to Disney World!

Popcorn

We’ll never look at them these common Disney World snacks the same way AGAIN! To think about how many times we took them for granted only to realize when the parks temporarily closed down we’d miss them MOST OF ALL!

We picked up a bucket of popcorn (still in that cute Mary Blair inspired packaging!)

Popcorn!

A Cast Member informed us that they’re still refilling popcorn buckets, even though they’re not currently selling them!

Next up, we got our ol’ pal, a Mickey Pretzel!

Mickey Pretzel!

Churros are available as well.

Snacks

All our favorite Ice Cream Novelties, including Mickey Premium Bars and Ice Cream Sandwiches, have returned as well!

Ice Cream

A small number of alcoholic options like beer are available for purchase at these stands again too. You can find the snacks at various carts throughout Disney Springs starting today!

See our full coverage of the reopened Disney-owned stores in Disney Springs here!

Are you happy to see your favorite Disney snacks BACK?! Let us know below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Counter-Service, disney merchandise, Disney News, Disney Springs, Featured, Snacks, Walt Disney World, 2020 closure, Best Snacks, carts, churro, Disney Parks Snacks, disney snacks, disney springs, Disney World, disney-owned, disney-owned locations, favorite snacks, iconic snacks, Mickey pretzel, popcorn, premium mickey ice cream bar, reopening, temporary closure, World of Disney

Categories
Disney Food Disney Parks Other

Review! Where to Find Pizza Slices the Size of Your HEAD in Disney Springs!

We’ve been munching our way around Disney Springs lately as many third-party stores and restaurants have recently reopened!

Pizza Ponte Menu

And while last week we dug into some Pepperoni Pizza Bread at Earl of Sandwich, today we’re seeking out a different masterpiece of bread, cheese, and sauce!

That’s right, we’re swinging back around to Pizza Ponte, one of our favorite by-the-slice Disney Springs pizza joints!

Pizza Ponte

Although Pizza Ponte wasn’t part of the first batch of restaurants to reopen in Disney Springs last Wednesday, it did reopen last Friday along with a few other Patina Group locations.

Check out the safety measures Pizza Ponte has implemented since they’ve reopened here!

Pizza Ponte Bakery Case

You can work up quite an appetite doing recon at Disney Springs these days, so we stopped by Pizza Ponte to grab a quick lunch bite! Their menu is pretty straight-forward and simple to read through at-a-glance if you’re in a hurry like us! In addition to pizza, you’ll find a few Sandwiches, Salads, and dessert offerings including Tiramisu, Cheesecake, and Cannolis!

Pizza Ponte Dessert Menu

We went straight for a giant slice of their Pepperoni Pizza for $7.25 along with one of their irresistible-looking Cannolis for $8! There were two varieties of Cannolis available in the bakery case today, but only one of them had extra chocolate chips which sealed the deal on this one for us!

Pizza Ponte Lunch

Now the pizza slices here at Pizza Ponte are New York-style, meaning they’re two paper-platers and sometimes require strategic folding to get them into your mouth — not that we mind the extra effort in the slightest!

Pepperoni Pizza

And if you consider yourself to be pepperoni aficionados like us, you’ll be happy to know Pizza Ponte uses the GOOD kind of peps on their pizza. These are the ones that curl up into little cups of deliciousness when they’re baked in the oven — we’re talking pure out-of-body pepperoni BLISS!

The pep cups are crunchy and yummy while the sauce is tangy and sweet. Plus the cheese is salty and all ooey-gooey — the folks at Pizza Ponte will even throw your slice back into the oven when you order it to make sure it’s nice and toasty right before you chow down!

Pepperoni Pizza

For us, we definitely prefer this type of pizza over Disney World’s standard quick-service pizza which is thicker and doughier. The cheese-to-bread-to sauce ratio is much better, plus Pizza Ponte’s slice packs a ton of flavor. The oils from the pepperoni really send this one over the top for us. Glancing at our watches, we just realized it must be Cannoli o’clock because it’s time for dessert!

Cannoli

Both types of Cannolis at Pizza Ponte had today were stuffed with the same sweet orange chocolate chip filling but the one we picked up had extra chocolate chips on the outside! Just like our pizza slice, Pizza Ponte has some pretty hefty-sized Cannolis too!

Cannoli

We loved the crunchy shell which wasn’t super sweet and balanced out the rich, creamy filling nicely! If you’re a fan of Vivoli il Gelato’s Cannolis (including their more-unique seasonal flavors!), we think you’ll also really enjoy Pizza Ponte’s since they’re owned by the same restaurant group!

Nosh or Not?

Check out Pizza Ponte if:

  • If you didn’t snag a dining reservation to one of Disney Springs’ table service restaurants
  • Need to grab a quick meal on the cheap
  • Enjoy tasty NY style pizza made from quality ingredients

Don’t go to Pizza Ponte if:

  • Have time to enjoy a sit-down meal at one of Disney Springs’ other restaurants
  • Pizza is just pizza to you — you don’t really notice a difference between one slice and another
  • Haven’t tried more unique Disney Springs fast-food spots like Chicken Guy! yet

Overall

Pizza Ponte ticks all the boxes if you’re looking for a quick ‘n easy meal option for adults and kids alike! After all, who can resist gigantic floppy slices of delicious cheesy pizza with high-quality toppings? We know we CAN’T! While it’s not the BEST place to grab a slice of pizza in all of Disney World, for the price, it’s hard to find a tastier or more convenient pizza option at Disney Springs!

And don’t forget — there are many other places to grab a bite at Disney Springs.

For another equally fast and tasty option, check out the lunch we just enjoyed at Morimoto Asia Street Food here!

Have you ever had a slice at Pizza Ponte in Disney Springs? Let us know in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Counter-Service, Disney Springs, Featured, Snacks, Walt Disney World, cannoli, cheap, disney springs, disney springs fast food, Disney World, fast and easy, lunch, patina group, pepperoni pizza, Pizza Ponte, quick bite, quick service, reopened, restaurant, Snack

Categories
Disney Food Disney Parks Other

The 8 BIGGEST Disney World Menu Changes That Happened This Week!

We stopped by Disney Springs to check out the newly reopened locations and, of course, enjoy some eats!

Bruschetta

Disney Springs began a phased reopening on May 20thwith select third-party shops and restaurants welcoming back guests. And the new health and safety measures weren’t the only thing that was different — we also spotted menu updates at several of the Disney Springs restaurants. Here are the biggest menu changes we saw!

The Polite Pig

We swung by The Polite Pig and found a few new menu items waiting for us to enjoy! Pork Rinds are now available, complete with a pimento dipping sauce!

Pork Rinds

But wait, there’s more! They’ve also added a new Chef’s Special — Shrimp and GritsWith smoked grilled shrimp covered in a honey peppercorn glaze and served over a bed of creamy cheddar grits, this was just too good to pass up!

Chef’s Special at The Polite Pig

We also noticed creamed corn and a private barrel bourbon flight which were both new to the menu.

Polite Pig Creamed Corn and More

And just a heads up, we checked with a member of the team and confirmed that the Gideon’s Bakehouse cookies are not available at The Polite Pig right now. But don’t worry, they will be back eventually!

To read more about our meal at The Polite Pig, click here!

Starbucks

And Starbucks welcomed back guests — literally — with the “Welcome Back” drink — a blended mango dragonfruit refresher with coconut milk, strawberries, blueberries, and pineapple ginger syrup topped with golden ginger whipped cream!

Welcome Back Drink at Starbucks

This drink was super refreshing and we loved the combo of fruity flavors! No word on how long it will stick around, but if it’s available on your next visit to Disney Springs, we recommend giving it a try!

Check out our first visit back to Starbucks in Disney Springs!

Frontera Cocina

Frontera Cocina will be offering a modified menu for a limited time, so we stopped by to give a few of the options a taste! We tried the Play With Fire Margarita and the Chipotle Chicken Flautas, which were both fantastic!

Flautas and Margarita

The margarita was made with cucumber, jalapeño, fresh lime juice, agave nectar, a hibiscus salt rim, and your choice of Montelobos mezcal or Tromba Blanco Tequila. It was a great blend of sweet and tart, with just the slightest hint of heat!

Play with Fire Margarita

And the Chipotle Chicken Flautas were filled with a mix of mashed potatoes (!!!) and chicken, which made for a wonderful flavor combo! Frontera Cocina was two-for-two in our book!

To read our full review from Frontera Cocina, click here!

Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill

Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill also sported some menu changes at both their table-service restaurant and to-go counter. The table-service restaurant is temporarily offering an all-day menu, rather than separate lunch and dinner menus.

Wolfgang Puck Modified Menu

Since the items inside skew more towards dinner, they’ve started offering more lunch items at the to-go window. And there are new desserts to-go as well — the Reese’s Cookie, Strawberry Shortcake, and Salted Caramel Banana Pudding all made their debut!

Plus, they’ve also started offering cocktails to-go, which were previously only available inside.

Wolfgang Puck To Go

We tried a few of the new to-go items as well as the tried-and-true favorite appetizer, bruschetta, from the restaurant.

Bruschetta

Spoiler alert, everything we had here was fantastic! But we have to give a special shoutout to the star of the show, the Salted Caramel Gelato topped Banana Pudding.

Check out our full experience at Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill!

Earl of Sandwich

We also stopped by Earl of Sandwich, one of our favorite Disney Springs staples, to try the new-to-us Chocolatti drink. What exactly is a Chocolatti? We’re glad you asked!

It’s blended Ghirardelli chocolate topped with sea salt, whipped cream, and chocolate sprinkles.

Chocolatti

We liked how cool and refreshing this drink was, but it wasn’t quite as chocolatey as we were expecting. But if you’re looking for a more understated chocolate flavor, this might be for you!

Check out our first trip back to the reopened Earl of Sandwich!

Morimoto Asia Street Food

Morimoto Asia Street Food reopened on May 22nd, and we couldn’t wait to stop by and check it out! They’re offering a temporary menu with reduced options, but we still found plenty to satisfy our cravings!

We tried the Spicy Chashu Ramen, which we’ve previously seen offered on the Morimoto Asia table-service menu.

Spicy Chashu Ramen

The ramen was quite spicy and delicious! If you’re heat-adverse, you might want to stick to the Tonkotsu Ramen instead, but we loved the heat! We also noticed that they switched out the pork tenderloin bowl with a beef tenderloin bowl. 

Click here for our full experience at Morimoto Asia Street Food!

Wine Bar George

We also stopped by the delightful Wine Bar George and spotted some new Fries and Frozen drink pairings at their quick service spot, The BasketWe did confirm with a member of the team that these are suggested pairings, but they aren’t being sold as a combo deal at this time.

But see if you can resist these incredible pairings! How about the Queso Fries with the signature Frosé??

Queso Fries

Or maybe the Togarashi Fries with Friezling made with Dole Whip Lime is more your style?

Togarashi Fries

Or maybe you’re interested in the heavenly pairing of California Fries with Frozcato made with Dole Whip Pineapple?

California Fries

Or, last but not least, what do you think of the Buffalo Fries with Freaujolais?

Buffalo Fries with Freaujolais

Each of these baskets comes with a whole POUND of fries, so this is a great snack if you’re starting to feel hangry! Each flavor of fries was a winner in our book. What can we say, Wine Bar George has knocked it out of the park again!

Click here for our review of the loaded fries at The Basket!

Paradiso 37

We also noticed some menu changes at Paradiso 37They’re also offering limited menu options for the time being, as we saw with several Disney Springs restaurants.

Paradiso 37 Outside View

We did spot a few new items on the menu, including Beef Empanadas filled with beef, sour cream, and pineapple chutney and those Mini Ice Cream Cones are back!

Here are 4 awesome Disney Springs dining deals, including Happy Hour specials at Paradiso 37!

We were happy to be back in our element at Disney Springs, and having some new menu items to check out made it even better! We’re continuing to keep an eye on the eats and drinks available in Disney Springs, so stay tuned for more updates!

We were at the reopening of Disney Springs…here’s everything you need to know!

Which Disney Springs restaurant are you the most excited to visit? Let us know in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Counter-Service, Disney Springs, Featured, Snacks, Table-Service, Walt Disney World, bbq pork bun, Disney Springs Earl of Sandwich, disney springs re-opening, disney springs reopen, disney springs reopening, disney springs restaurant, disney springs restaurants, disney springs starbucks, Earl of Sandwich, Frontera Cocina, Loaded Fries, margarita, Morimoto Asia Street Food, Paradiso 37, pork rinds, Ramen, reeses cookie, salted caramel banana pudding, spicy chashu ramen, Starbucks, strawberry shortcake, The Basket at Wine Bar George, The Polite Pig, Wine Bar George, Wolfgang Puck, Wolfgang Puck Bar and Grill