Walt Disney World’s many restaurants aren’t just for relaxing and recharging anymore. Some of them offer fun, unique experiences besides meals, and some other places in the parks are now offering must-do foodie excursions as well.
Here are three culinary adventures that are worth exploring!
1. Take a class!
If you’ve always wanted to cook like your favorite Walt Disney World chefs, but don’t have the formal training, you’re in luck as many Walt Disney World restaurants offer classes that will give you the skills to impress your friends and family. One of the most popular classes is at Disney Springs mainstay Portobello.
James Beard Award-winning and Top Chef master finalist Tony Mantuano (of Chicago’s Spiaggia restaurant), who helped transform Portobello at Disney Springs into a casual country trattoria recently came back to Florida to teach diners the art of making delicious Italian food and offers classes in May and June that involve preparing (and eating!) a five-course meal that includes such dishes as Risotto Primavera with Spring Vegetables and Grana Padano, Brisket Braised in Barolo with Polenta and Zabaglione (a light custard-like dessert) with Berries. The cooking classes — which also include wine pairings — cost $50 per person plus tax and gratuity, and participants have called them the best value on Disney property. Dates for the next classes haven’t yet been announced, but updates will be posted on the restaurant’s website. Seats go fast, so you’ll need to sign up quickly if you want to participate!
However, adults aren’t the only ones who can learn a thing or two about cooking while they’re at Walt Disney World. Each June, a kids’ cooking class is held at Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe at Disney Springs. At this year’s event, children learned how to make sushi — and they got to do much more than just roll up the ingredients. Kids found out how to prepare and season sushi rice properly, how to eat healthy and follow food safety guidelines, and they also made several different types of sushi, like hand rolls, maki rolls and nigari. They also got to make and enjoy some yummy drinks like a Grapey-Orange Cooler and an Old-Fashioned Chocolate Soda. The cost this year was $35 per child, plus tax and gratuity, and events in previous years have taught kids how to make dishes from other nearby eateries such as Portobello and Fulton’s Crab House (which is currently being transformed into a restaurant called Paddlefish and is expected to reopen this fall).
2. Attend a special event
For some truly unforgettable dining experiences, you’ll want to join Tables in Wonderland, the dining discount program that offers access to some very special events. Membership is limited to Florida residents, DVC members and seasonal and annual passholders, but perks include a 20 percent discount on food and drinks (including alcoholic beverages) at more than 100 Walt Disney World restaurants, free parking at theme parks and free valet parking at resorts for dining purposes.
Then there are those special events, which have included sneak previews (in June!) of the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, an annual Field to Feast Dinner (held offsite in February 2016 at Long and Scott Farms in Mt. Dora, Florida) and Discovery Dinners (such as the one held at The Wave…of American Flavors at Disney’s Contemporary Resort that featured farmers and wine representatives presenting their wares).
But did we mention that you may also have a chance to dine inside a ride or attraction? Tables in Wonderland members have participated in special meals inside The Great Movie Ride (guests could walk around the ride and enjoy gangster-themed appetizers, a Western-themed plated dinner and a dessert buffet in the Land of Oz) and the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular (after the show, the stage parted to reveal the Cairo scene where tables were set up with cuisine from the Middle East).
The cost of a membership, which covers up to 10 guests, is $175 per year for Florida residents and $150 for DVC members or annual and seasonal passholders. You’ll also need to pay a separate fee for events you attend — for example, the food and wine festival sneak preview cost an additional $135 per person and The Great Movie Ride Dinner cost $195 per person. More details about Tables in Wonderland can be found at the program’s website.
3. Take a tour
Ever wondered what inspires the classic look and cuisine of some of your favorite dining establishments? Several on property restaurants offer regular tours that occasional include tastings! One of the most popular tours is at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, where guests can get an inside look at dining establishments Jiko and Boma.
Tours begin daily at 4:00PM at Boma’s restaurant podium, and are led by “Cultural Representatives” from African countries who can answer guests questions and talk about the real cultural inspirations at these dining establishments. The tour is different every time, and some who have taken the tour report that they have had the opportunity to sample various soups, while others have been treated to Boma’s famous “Zebra Dome” desserts.
So have any of these events whet your appetite? Let us know in the comments below!
