DAY 2 - Hollywood Studios
As with Magic Kingdom, dining options for Hollywood Studios vary in price range. Some of the sit-down eateries are pricey, but offer unique experiences. If you plan to take advantage of these restaurants, you may need to make reservations the night (or several nights) before, especially on a busy weekend. Again, we winged it and decided where to go eat while we were waiting in line for rides.
There are some notable differences between Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Hollywood Studios is designed for an older demographic. The rides can be a little bumpier at this park, so don't stuff yourself silly if you're considering riding the Tower of Terror, Rock 'N' Roller Coaster, and Star Tours. Also, there are also more beverage options of the 21+ persuasion, if you catch our drift. Personally, we aren't big on alcohol, but those who are well-versed in this department (or extremely stressed and exhausted parents) may appreciate it.
LUNCH: ABC Commissary
This is a cafeteria-style facility that is dedicated to the American Broadcasting Company (owned by the Walt Disney Company). Decor consists of images from your favorite ABC shows, autographed photographs of their casts, and "America's Funniest Home Videos" playing in the background. You could tell quite a few people were watching it from the collective gasps and periodic coincident laughter.
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| 1/3 lb Angus Cheeseburger with Sriracha Aïoli and Fried Shrimp Price: $11.49 |
The cheeseburger was topped with 2 fried shrimp and served with a large amount of veggie toppings on the side - lettuce, tomato, and raw onion, and pickles. However, the onions were a little on the floppy side. Sides include fries, steamed broccoli, or apple slices. The burger patty within was lightly covered with the Sriracha aïoli, which had a delightful spicy tang when tasted alone. Unfortunately, this deliciousness was drowned out when veggies were added, much to our disappointment. Less veggies may allow you to taste the sauce while eating. Or if you're bold enough, ask if you can get the aïoli on the side or get extra. You never know! We removed our fried shrimp and ate them alone. As Tiff previously mentioned in the Magic Kingdom post, they're nothing special, but they may have been delicious with the aïoli (another reason to ask).
The other components of the burger were unremarkable, but not unpleasant. The burger had a good texture with no odd grittiness or weird chewy bits. And the cheese - well to be honest, we forgot there was even cheese in the cheeseburger. They put the slice under the patty, which goes against everything we learned as children, but whatever. The bun was a bun. Altogether, it was a very standard cheeseburger.
SNACK: Joffrey's Coffee Cart
As one may expect, snack carts and refreshment stands are everywhere inside a theme park. They are literally a stone's throw from each other and sell a range of goodies from Mickey Mouse-shaped ice cream and pretzels to frozen chocolate-covered bananas to Star Wars-themed alcoholic beverages with a light-up Death Star or other novelties.
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| Frozen Cappuccino Price: $5.39 |
Joffrey's Coffee and Tea Company have a number of coffee stops around Disney World. At one such refreshment stand, Grace purchased a frozen cappuccino. It tasted like a cappuccino that you would get from a machine, turned into a cold, creamy, and fluffy slush. It was not overly sweet and was very refreshing on a hot summer day in Florida.
As a side note: there are plenty of ways to stay hydrated throughout the day for FREE. Water fountains are available all over the park. However, the water is lukewarm and tastes absolutely DISGUSTING. No offense, Florida, but your water is gross. There is some good news though! If you want water with ice, just go up to any stand or restaurant and ask for a cup of water. Disney staff is more than happy to oblige and it won't cost you a dime. We guarantee it tastes a lot better than the water fountain (and it's actually COLD).
DINNER: Min and Bill's Dockside Diner
On the shores of Echo Lake, you'll find this vessel docked, with its crew peddling the day's "catch." Ironically, despite the decor, this food stop does not serve seafood. Actually, the menu here is fairly sparse compared to that of other places and not particularly specialized. The menu offers the famous smoked turkey leg, hot dogs, and variety of drinks. Our theory is that the confines of the boat facade limit the variety of food that can be prepared within. Although the menu did not have any particular razzle dazzle, the food offered is nevertheless pleasant.
What this "quick service restaurant" lacks in food offering, it more than makes up for in ambiance provided by the surrounding attractions. Opposite of the diner's generous outdoor seating area is Center Stage. Throughout the day, Center Stage had been the spotlight for Star Wars weekend. But after the celebrities had long gone home, the DJ took the stage and threw down some groovy beats. Behind him, the jumbo screens complemented the music with a cool light show. All of this contributed to the exhilarating reminder that summer is here (FINALLY) and it's time to have fun!
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| The diner, illuminated at dusk |
GRACE
In my youth, I was fortunate enough to live within "reasonable" driving distance from the cultural mecca that is Disney World. So when my cousins came to visit from Taiwan, the natural choice for a road trip was to visit "the happiest place on earth." Displayed below is a picture of me on said trip at age 11 - my awkward preteen phase. What you cannot see in the picture is that all five of us are sitting in Tomorrowland, each wielding our own jumbo turkey legs. Fast-forwarding to the present day, I decided to relive the nostalgia and get one for old time's sake.
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| Grace circa 2001 (Ain't she cute?) |
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| Smoked Turkey Leg Price: $11.79 |
It was just as delicious and jumbo as I remembered. The meat was evenly salty, which makes me believe they brine the leg before smoking it. All in all, it's everything you would expect a turkey leg to be. No surprises here. Cautionary Statement: these things are massive. I walked by a little girl holding one up, and it nearly eclipsed her head. If you're a small person (like me), DO NOT attempt to finish it on your own. You may end up regretting your recent life choices if you decide to board one of the rougher rides immediately after consuming the whole thing by yourself. It's a whole lot of meat. Plan accordingly.
TIFF
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| Frankfurter in a Pretzel Roll Price: $8.59 |
Would we prescribe it?
If you have an appetite for hamburgers, hot dogs, and turkey legs, you may do well by "winging it." However, we were left longing for more and looking enviously at people heading into various restaurants, such as the 50's Prime Time Cafe. We highly recommend looking over menus on their website or Disney World app and booking a reservation at one of the park's iconic restaurants. You'll be glad you did.
Also, we were unable to make it to the Rebel Hanger (much to our sadness), which is only open until June 14th. If you have an opportunity to eat there, DO IT! Their Star Wars themed food looked AMAZING.
Health note: You may be thinking to yourself, “These two are doctors. Aren’t they supposed to have role model eating habits?” To be honest, we were not particularly counting our calories as we were on vacation. Who DOESN'T just snack on junk and eat whatever they like while on vacation? Also, most of the food options did not scream “balanced diet.” Vegetables are not served with every meal option (potatoes and corn DON'T count), and most of the fruit at the parks were apples dipped some sugary confection and made to look like Mickey Mouse.
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| Look at all that sugar! Mmmmm.... |
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