Did You Know: Some Restaurants In Disney World Are Two Dining Credits

The Disney Dining Plan can be a great value, especially if you plan on doing several “two credit” meals.

We have broken it down for you as to which restaurants and/or dinner shows will require two dining credits.

Magic Kingdom

• Cinderella’s Royal Table-breakfast, lunch and dinner
• Be Our Guest-Dinner only beginning on July 27, 2018

Epcot

• Le Cellier-Epcot, Canada Pavilion
• Monsieur Paul-France Pavilion

Hollywood Studios

• Hollywood Brown Derby

Animal Kingdom

• Tiffins

Disney Springs

• The Boathouse
• Morimoto Asia
• Paddlefish
• STK Orlando

Resorts

• Artist Point-Wilderness Lodge
• California Grill-Contemporary
• Citrico’s-Grand Floridian
• Narcoossee’s-Grand Floridian
• Flying Fish-Boardwalk
• Jiko-Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Yachtsman Steakhouse-Yacht Club

NOTE: All room service dining within the Disney resorts are ALL two dining credits. Be aware of this if you are on the Disney Dining Plan. Ordering pizza to your room will cost you two credits, also.

Dinner Shows and Dining Packages

• Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at the Polynesian Resort
• Hoop Dee Doo Musical Review campsites of Fort Wilderness Resort
• Mickey’s Backyard BBQ at the campsites of Fort Wilderness Resort
• Rivers of Light Dining Package, Tiffins ONLY
• Fantasmic! Dining Package, Hollywood Brown Derby ONLY

There are also a few restaurants that are not Disney Dining Plan eligible. They are as follows:

• Victoria & Albert’s-Grand Floridian

For more information on the Disney Dining Plans, just simply click the link.

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The Top 6 Quick Service Restaurants in Disney World’s EPCOT

Eating at Walt Disney World is an experience in and of itself. In my opinion, EPCOT is the holy grail for park food. There is no other park that has so many choices with so much variety. You might be a little overwhelmed by all the choices, so we have created a list of our favorites to help you narrow things down. Here are The Top 6 Quick Service Restaurants in EPCOT.

6) Electric Umbrella

This quick service restaurant makes the top 6 list because of it’s location and classic menu. Located in the Innoventions East area makes it a perfect stop for those in hanging out in Future World. There is a huge seating area both inside and out which is another thing this place has going for it. The food isn’t anything spectacular, but it does fit the bill for picky eaters and hot and tired tourists. This location is open for both lunch and dinner. Check out the full menu HERE.

5)La Cantina de San Angel

Located in the Mexico pavilion in World Showcase, this one is always a winner when we are hungry for Mexican fare. We love the nachos, guacamole, and empanada here. We also think the view is beautiful when we can snag a spot to eat overlooking the water! The margarita aren’t too bad either. Find the full menu HERE.

4) Yorkshire Fish Shoppe

 Trot over to the United Kingdom pavilion in the World Showcase. Here you will find some of the best fish and chips on property! The menu is very simple; they literally only serve one meal (fish and chips) and a dessert. You can also get a great beer here, if you like that with your fish and chips. My family loves this place because it is a great value for one credit. The portions here are large (two big pieces of perfectly fried fish). Don’t buy a meal for everyone; instead split each plate between two people. You can find the menu HERE if you want to know which choices are available for beverages and dessert. 

3)Tangierine Café

Morocco’s pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase plays host to a sweet little secret. Most people don’t even know about it, but the Tangierine Café has some really unique and incredible food options for quick service. You can dine on authentic shawarma platters (oh that hummus!), rotisserie chicken, and there are two great vegetarian options too. The thing we really like is that they have both hamburgers and chicken tenders on the children’s menu. However, we would love to see at least one smaller version of the adult menu as a kid’s option for those children who are not picky. Check out the menu HERE and don’t forget about the wonderful pastries available.

2)Les Halles Boulangerie-Patissierie

This traditional style bakery in the France section of the World Showcase will have you drooling before you get into the door. The smell of all that amazing French food, especially pastries, hits you in the face and it’s like heaven. I mean, is there really a better aroma than that of freshly baked pastries?! Savor sandwiches like jambon beurre, soups and bisques, and do NOT forget the desserts.

Our family loves to grab three items that qualify as snacks and exchange those for one quick service credit. I will admit that more times than not those three items are desserts. Hey, we are on vacation and if I want dessert for every meal, then by golly I’ll have dessert every meal. If you want dessert for breakfast, you will be happy to know that this quick service restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can find the whole menu to salivate over HERE.

1) Sunshine Seasons

For my family, Sunshine Seasons wins the best quick service restaurant at EPCOT. Why? For one, the location is hard to beat.It’s located near Soarin’, in the downstairs section of Living with the Land. That location is perfect for breakfast or lunch because we always seem to be in that area around those times. Also, it’s very close to the entrance to World Showcase.

Another reason we adore this location is because of the sheer variety and plethora of healthier options. I mean seriously, where else can you get an Uncrustable Peanut Butter and Jelly, salmon, or a chicken wrap for the kids? For the adults, you can choose from Mongolian Beef, fish tacos, salmon, a power salad with kale and other superfood, and so many other options. They even have a great selection of vegan, gluten free, low-carb and other special dietary options. Read up on your options HERE.

There is simply no other quick service restaurant in EPCOT or any other park that offers this much variety. It’s sure to be a win in anyone’s dining book! Oh, and you can even order your meal on your phone and reduce your wait time.

The Top 6 Quick Service Restaurants in Disney World’s EPCOT

Raise your hand if that list has left you feeling hungry. We love Disney food and we know you do too. Tell us about your favorite quick service restaurants at EPCOT in the comments and join us in the Disney Express Lane Facebook Group to discuss this and many other Disney related topics.

If you are wanting more food choices at EPCOT, check out the following blogs:

The Top 6 Snacks at EPCOT You Don’t Want to Miss!

Best Restaurants for 1st Timers at Disney World

Garden Grill: A Disney World Dining Review

photo credit: Chris Benseler Epcot via photopin (license)

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Blaze Pizza: A Disney World Quick Service Dining Review

If you are craving pizza at Disney, put down the phone and whatever you do DO NOT order the room service pizza!

Instead, get on a bus or drive on down to Disney Springs. Not only does Disney Springs have lots of new upscale shopping and fun entertainment options, it also has one of the best pizza places on property. Better than Via Napoli, you might ask? Well, let me explain and then you can be the judge…

What is Blaze Pizza?

The first Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza restaurant opened on Aug. 6, 2012, in Irvine, California by Elise and Rick Wetzel (co-founder of Wetzel’s Pretzels) and they opened their doors at Disney Springs back in 2016. Even after 6 years, it often has giant lines at meal times.

Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza is a modern-day pizza joint where you can customize your own fast-fire’d 11” artisanal pizza with chef-driven recipes and a fun ““build-your-own pizza” assembly-line format.

Blaze Pizza is founded on the same concept as the make your own sandwich- or burrito- style quick service restaurants. You know, like Subway, Chipotle, Moe’s, etc… Except this time, it’s a make your own pizza and it comes out super fast. Like 180 seconds fast.

If you are a picky eater or have picky eaters in your family, you know that having the ability to control what goes on your food is SUPER important. But even if your family is full of adventurous eaters like mine, it’s so much fun to come up with your own unique pizza creation and get it fired in a real pizza oven. 

You can even get a dessert pizza. Hey, it’s vacation! No one is going to judge you.

Making Your Own Pizza

What to Expect at Blaze Pizza

When you enter the restaurant, the set-up is similar to any sandwich shop where you pick your toppings and watch your sandwich be assembled – only, of course, instead of sandwiches we are customizing pizzas.

There are menus posted above the pizza stations with all of the different crust, sauce and topping offerings along with suggestions for some really stellar combinations. Prices will vary based on your choices. 

• First, you select your style crust.
• Pick from a signature pizza menu or pick your favorite toppings to make it your own with over 40 delicious toppings and sauces to choose from. You can try a different pizza every time you visit. (Vegan cheese, spicy chicken, or a variety of veggies are also available.)
• After you finish customizing your pizza, you move on to payment as the pizza gets fired in the pizza dome for 3 minutes – that’s it!
• Add some delicious side dishes or pizza garnishes to round out your meal.

The Crust and Sauce

First up, you will be asked for your name and the cast member will write your name on parchment paper and assign your order a number. Then, you get to choose your crust.

Blaze Pizza offers original (thin and crispy), high rise (thicker crust) or select options to fit your dietary needs. These include Keto crust, Cauliflower crust, House Made-Gluten free dough as well as plant-based options. The latter options do come with an additional charge, so be prepared for that option to be a bit higher.

After that, it’s time to get saucy! You can choose from classic red sauce, spicy red sauce, white cream sauce, or garlic pesto sauce. Feel free to ask for half and half or one sauce on the main part of the pizza and then another on the edge. These cast members rock and want you to have the pizza of your dreams.

Say Cheese!

You have your sauce, so now it’s time for the cheese.

Oh, cheese! It does a body good. Ok, maybe not so much, but it does the taste-buds good and that is all that matters when we are talking about food. Remember, calories don’t count at Disney!

Cheesy calories come in all kinds of options, including shredded mozzarella, parmesan, gorgonzola, goat, ricotta, and ovalini mozzarella.

The Meats and Veg

If you are a carnivorous pizza fan, then Blaze has your number. They offer multiple meat choices including applewood-smoked bacon, crumbled meatballs, grilled chicken, Italian sausage, pepperoni, salami, and smoked ham.

However, some think a pizza is not complete until the vegetables are piled high and the color is popping from all the freshness. Blaze has more than enough to suit any taste. Your vegetable choices include artichokes, arugula, banana peppers, basil, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, chopped garlic, jalapeños, mushrooms, olives, pineapple, red onions, red peppers, roasted garlic, sautéed onion, spinach, and even zucchini.

Get Cookin’

Now it’s time for you masterpiece (masterpizza?) to meet the blaze that gives this hot spot its name. Your pizza goes into a balzin’ hot oven that can reach temperatures up to 900F. At those temperatures, it is only going to take 180 seconds for your pizza to reach the peak of perfection.

Once the pizza is out and your magical beeper alerts you that it’s chow-time, you can have an employee garnish your creation. Choose from pesto drizzle, BBQ sauce drizzle, olive oil drizzle, arugula, ranch, balsamic glaze, and buffalo sauce.

Pair Your Pizza!

Pair your pizza with a freshly made salad or some (garlic) dough knots.

For the salads, you can choose from Classic Caesar, Tomato and Mozzarella, Kale and Quinoa, and Arugula and Fresh Fruit. For a full listing of what is included in these salads, check out the Blaze Pizza website HERE.

Bottoms Up

Before you can pay, you also need to decide on what will wet your whistle. Blaze Pizza has so many options that it all gets a bit overwhelming, especially for indecisive people like myself. I originally picked a bottled drink from the wall before ordering, but then I saw the delicious Agua Fresca mixes and I dropped that bottled water like a hot potato and I am so glad I did. It was the most refreshing drink and on a hot day in July, that was so needed.

Other options include bottled water, soda, and even wine. Beer is also on tap or in bottles for those who love that choice with their pizza. If the Agua Fresca is more your style, there are typically two flavors being served at a time and there is also fresh lemonade for the taking.

A Sweet Ending

Wait, don’t leave without getting dessert or at least considering it. Blaze bakes up sea salt cookies, olive oil brownies and s’more pies.

A Sweet Street gluten free brownie is available for those with food allergies. I love this brownie! It’s super moist and comes prepackaged, so it is easy to toss in my bag and enjoy it later.

My Take-Away

We have visited Blaze Pizza three times now and it is definitely a Disney favorite!

We’ve tried:

• an off-the menu ham and cheese pizza on regular crust
• a pizza with pepperoni, bacon, onions, black olives, and cheese on the house-made gluten-free crust 
• AND my favorite was when we opted to “split” our pizza in half and try two different types of sauces and toppings on either side – my side featured feta cheese, black olives, jalapeños, pepperoni and bacon – and the back and pepperoni crisped up perfectly.

The gluten-free crust was great but I can’t say enough good things about the regular (thin) crust. Even after travelling 20 minutes back to our hotel room, it did not get soggy!

I personally found the pesto a bit too oily for me, so I will pass on that next time and go with the classic red sauce for the entire pizza.

I love that every time we visit, we can have a completely different pizza made, making every lunch visit a new experience – and I especially love that if we can’t agree on toppings, we can split our pizza so that we essentially have two different pizzas in one. (A total budget saver.)

Blaze has a great set-up for dining in. Inside, there is long, bench style seating available so you can get to know other vacationers or space yourself out a bit if it isn’t too busy for some privacy. If you prefer a little more private space, they also offer a nice covered porch area that overlooks the springs. 

However, if you stop by during lunchtime, the seating may be limited and you may need to grab your pizza to-go.

Blaze Pizza: A Disney World Quick Service Dining Review

Overall, I would definitely go to Blaze Pizza again. But the burning question is: is it better than the pizza at Via Napoli?

Not quite, but it’s very close and the service was quick, plus you don’t need park admission to try it. The ingredients were fresh, the line moved quickly, and the pizza was a million times better than the mess they try to pass off for pizza at the hotels. Honestly, if you find yourself craving pizza, do yourself a favor and take a ride down to Disney Springs and head straight to Blaze Pizza. If the line is long, don’t worry, it will move quickly and be worth the wait.

Blaze Pizza does accept the Disney Dining Plan and most pies are only going to set you back one quick service credit. If you choose to add a dessert, that can be done for the low cost of a snack credit.

A Few Tips For Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza

• Lunch time can get busy so plan to dine earlier or later than the normal (noon-2pm) lunch hours. You can also order your meal to go and take it back to your resort with you.
• Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza is considered a quick service meal. It is also available on the Disney Dining Plans, when they return!
• Keep in mind that while Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza does offer G-F options, they don’t have a separate oven or prep space for gluten-free pizzas so if they cannot completely avoid cross-contamination

Have you tried Blaze Pizza yet? What did you think? Join the Disney Express Lane Facebook Group to discuss this and many other Disney related topics.

Looking for more dining options in Disney Springs? Check out: TOP 5 DINING OPTIONS IN DISNEY SPRINGS!

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