INTERCOT Insider March 2006 - Edition Two

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<< Introduction >>

If you aren't hungry now, you certainly will be when you finish reading our latest issue of the INTERCOT Insider. Yes, the focus is on food, and considering how popular the Dining forum is on the discussion boards, this is going to be a great issue! And sneaking in with a special appearance is ChipDale with our February Water Cooler bits. Get ready for a tasty read!
 

<<“Stay, Play & Dine” Package Returns >>

Disney has announced a Stay, Play & Dine Package for guests vacationing from August 13 through September 30, 2006. Book a 5-night, 6-day Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining at a select Disney Value Resort for just $435+ per adult. Enjoy theme park admission, Resort benefits and meals from over 100 select Walt Disney World restaurants! This special opened to Disney Visa Card Holders on April 1 for advance booking. The package is available to the public on April 4. This offer must be booked by June 4, 2006 and is applicable to longer stays and other resort levels. For more details on this and other specials call INTERCOT's Official Travel Agency, Magical Journeys at 1-570-785-3283, or visit their web site and fill out a quote form.

Discussion Here


<<Orlando Counter Society >>

Presented by; Cara Goldsbury
Author of The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World Resort

Fine dining in Orlando used to take place at a table. Not so now. In many of the city’s restaurants the best seats in the house are to be had at the counter where a front row seat to the action in the kitchen along with food and drink is the order of the day.

Jiko
Nab one of eight counter seats facing the kitchen’s giant, twin clay ovens at one of Disney’s most exciting restaurants. Nosh on the off-the-menu sampler platter of appetizers, move on to the smokey wood-grilled pork tenderloin with sweet potato dumplings and a brothy mushroom ragout, and don’t leave without ordering the unbelievably wonderful chocolate-filled beggars purses, one of Disney’s best desserts.

California Grill
This may be the most difficult ticket in town, but Disney’s legendary dining mecca located high atop the Contemporary Resort offers two seats at the kitchen counter, four seats in front of the Yoshie’s sushi counter, and two facing the pastry counter (YUM!). You can request your preference when reserving a table, but nothing is guaranteed. Try to time your meal to see the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the restaurant’s observation deck afterward.

Emeril’s
Perched in front of the exhibition kitchen are the eight seats of the Chef’s Food Bar. Pick from the 2,000-bottle wine display (awarded the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence), then kibitz with the chefs and catch the up close action of this exciting restaurant. Make your dining reservations up to six months in advance to assure yourself a place.

Tchoup Chop
At this gorgeous restaurant’s ten-seat counter guests may order off the regular menu or choose the $48, 4-course Chef’s Tasting Menu. But those in the know set aside the second Saturday of the month for the 5-course Teppanyaki Dinner where the lightning quick chef provides the show.

Tempura Kiku
Devotees of tempura will love this delightfully cozy space in Epcot’s World Showcase where they’ll find the lightly battered, deep-fried meats and vegetables so popular in Japanese restaurants. Compensating for its compact size is charming bar–style seating around a U-shaped counter rimming the cooking space allowing a view of the chefs as they prepare the tasty tidbits. No advance reservations taken so get in line.


<< New Food Photo Section on INTERCOT >>

Have you seen it yet? All I can say is; Yum! INTERCOT's Food Photo Section is designed to give you a sampling of the variety of cuisine served at the Walt Disney World Resort. As they say; "A picture is worth a thousand words". I think that rings true for taste buds too. If your travels to Walt Disney World includes a stop at a Disney restaurant and you have your camera with you - please snap a photo of your meal and share! We will add it to the gallery.

Photos can be sent to; [email protected] We appreciate your help in keeping the site up to date. The gallery will continue to grow with your support. A special thanks to everyone that has contributed.

Disney World Food Gallery
 

<< Dining Out with MickeysGirl & Dr_Nigel >>

Slainte! And welcome to yet another edition of Dining Out! With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, we thought we'd talk about some Irish fare and quite the hopping (and singing and dancing) place to boot! This edition, we're featuring Raglan Road, the newest place to eat at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island. Raglan Road is an Irish Pub & Restaurant owned and operated by a company from Ireland!

Raglan Road is a great place to get your entertainment while you eat, or just head in for the entertainment. There is something here for everyone: 4 antique bars serve up a wide array of American and Irish beers and live entertainment will keep parents and children clapping and singing! You might even learn a few new songs in the process. Now where else can you be educated while you dine?

We were joined on our trip to Raglan Road by two very special guests: Christina (Munch) and Lizzy from INTERCOT! The four of us definitely enjoyed our time here, and will certainly be back again. The atmosphere was cozy but classy. The food a total winner and the drinks kept us happy!

Located in such close proximity to Pleasure Island, Raglan Road is open only for dinner, starting at 3PM. Dinner portions are very generous, and don't worry, there's something for everyone. Jamie had "Kevin’s Kudos", oven roasted loin of bacon (think sweet pork) with potatoes. Rob had the Fada Burger, a big ol sirloin burger with cheese & bacon. Lizzy enjoyed her Celtic Chique (whole chicken) while Christina had their signature Shepherds Pie! We sat in the large main dining room, almost right in the middle. The Maitre'D stopped by, and really made sure that we knew we were welcome! Later on, he jumped up on stage and sang a few ditties. He really kept the party going before the live band arrived. A very personable and talented guy! For the kids, the menu offers chicken, fish & other kid-friendly items. Entrees run around $15-$20 for adults and around $10 for kids.

If you're looking for a taste of Ireland, but don't really have the time to sit down and enjoy Raglan Road, check out Cookes of Ireland, a counter service spot connected to the main building. You'll find their yummy Fish and Chips a big hit. As an added bonus, they are open for lunch. There is also an outdoor bar located in the courtyard between Raglan and Cookes for socializing and having a few pints.

As with most of the non-Disney operated restaurants, the Disney Dining Experience discounts are not accepted. However, the Magic Your Way Dining Plan is accepted here, and Advanced Dining Reservations are highly recommended. Don't worry, Pleasure Island admission is not required either!

Be sure to check out Raglan Road next time your in town! You won't be disappointed. We hope you've enjoyed this edition of Dining Out! Cheers and we'll see you real soon!
 

<< Top 5 Favorite Theme Park Snacks >>

Dashing from rides to rides can really work up an appetite, an appetite that often doesn’t have time to be satisfied. Luckily for the famished traveler, Walt Disney World theme parks offer a mountain of snacks to grab for quick bites on the go. As there are so many options to choose from, the topic of favorite theme park snacks is a not-so-uncommon discussion in the Dinning forum. While each INTERCOTee has their own favorites, the Insider has reviewed the most recent discussions and tabulated the Top 5 INTERCOTee Favorite Disney Theme Park Snacks.

Coming in at number 5 … The Kringla

The Kringla Og Bakery at Epcot’s Norway pavilion serves up this sweet treat. This bakery’s namesake treat is a sweet pretzel served either with raisins or raisins and almonds. Another favorite just missing the list is the “School Bread”. Both of these tasty items are available for under $4.

Coming in at number 4 … The Churro

This sweet Spanish treat can be found at both Epcot and the Magic Kingdom. To get your fix of this cinnamon coated fried dough treat stop by the Cantina de San Angel in the Mexico pavilion in Epcot or near the Rivers of America in Frontierland. The Churro may fill you up, but coming in at just over $2 a piece they won’t empty your wallet.

Coming in at number 3 … Chocolate Dipped Mickey Head Rice Krispie Treat

This Disney staple of the snack world breaths new life into a time honored American confectionary. This oversized rice krispie treat shaped like Mickey’s icon silhouette has the top dipped in chocolate giving the sweet impression of a set of a classic “mickey ears” hat. This tasty morsel can be found in most bakery locations through out the Walt Disney World resort for under $3.

Coming in at number 2 … Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar

This iconicly cool treat can be found at Ice Cream carts through out all four Disney theme parks. This perfect blend of vanilla ice cream dipped in chocolate and shaped like Mickey’s head comes on a stick for a cool sweet treat on the go. Grab one of these classic treats for a cool $2.50.

And coming in at number 1 … The Dole Whip

Toping out our list is a frozen Tiki concoction served up at Aloha Isle in Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom. While the Dole Whip is available in vanilla, chocolate and swirl, the INTERCOTee favorite is the signature Pineapple Dole Whip. This creamy concoction is a delicious blend of pineapple and soft serve ice cream. While one of these treats is a big cool, at under $3 they’re a small expense.

That’s it for the countdown, hope it’s given you some sweet ideas for your next trip.


<< Off Topic with ChipDale >>

I’ll make this short and sweet this month since it’s already the end of March!

February started with Punxsutawney Phil seeing his shadow on Groundhog Day, so that meant six more weeks of winter. It’s been more than six weeks and I can tell you that it still feels like winter here!

Have you noticed the absence of sports topics in the Water Cooler lately? Due to popular demand, JohnY has set up a new forum for all of your sports talk: The Locker Room. Head on over there for all of the latest news and discussions about your favorite teams, players and events.

February is known for Valentine’s Day, President’s Day and Groundhog Day, but did you know that February was also Candy Month, Cat Health Month, Breakfast Month and Chocolate Month? How about Solo Diners Eat Out Week, Get Paid to Shop Week and Just Say No to Powerpoint Week? Some of Lizzy’s daily February celebrations included Laugh and Get Rich Day, National Chili Day, Pluto Day, Single Tasking Day and Gum Drop Day. Stop in the Water Cooler next month and see what kind of wacky celebrations Lizzy will come up with next!

Jamie’s Friday parties for February included the All Hail Ed’s Red Shorts Party, the Lovey Dovey Hunny Bunny (early) Valentine’s Day Party (thanks Lizzy for hosting!), the American Presidents Day Par-tay, and the INTERCOT Official Mardi Gras Ball. Thanks Jamie and Nigel for another great month of partying!

Special congratulations go out to minnie-mouse on the arrival of her new daughter on February 22nd!

February posting milestones were reached by Melanears – 26,000 posts, vizsla – 11,000 posts, five-all-the-way – 3,000 posts, Flower – 3,000 posts, offwego – 2,000 posts, PirateLover – 1,000 posts, Bethanymouse – 1,000 posts, cantgetenuff – 700 posts, RedSoxFan – 400 posts, Pigglet – Senior Cast Member, Mousefever – Senior Cast Member, Poohluv85 – Senior Cast Member, DizNee143 – Senior Cast Member, PrincessCandaceMarie – 200 posts. Keep up the good work everyone!

That wraps it up for this month – see you in the Water Cooler in April!


<< Conclusion>>

So how hungry are you now? I'm ready for a quick trip just for the snacks alone! Hope you enjoyed our yummy take on Walt Disney World. We'll be back in a couple of weeks with more tips for planning your big trip! In the meantime, see you on the boards.

Don't forget that we'd love to hear from you! Please send suggestions, advice, experiences and/or memories to [email protected]. Our members are the heart of INTERCOT, and sharing is what we are all about! We might just use your excellent ideas or advice in an upcoming issue of the Insider!
 
 
<< INTERCOT Would Like To Thank>>