PPPPSSSSSTTTTTT........ I moved!

Hey! You! If you're reading this, you haven't heard the news! I have moved my blog over to Word Press. You can still find me by going http://tinkinaboutdisney.com/ Go on... head one over.... nothing to see here.....

Pardon My Pixie Dust!

Good afternoon, Tinkers!

     I have decided that in an effort to grow my blog, I will be switching from Blogger to WordPress. I ask you to bear with me as I undergo this process, as I am NOT tech savvy. If you are not already following me on Facebook, make sure you do so! I'll update my progress there. You, as the reader, won't be doing anything different. I'll still be at www.tinkinaboutdisney.com, but I need to get the new site set up and so for now, the site might not work, or you may not see all of my content. Pardon my pixie dust!

     I'm excited to get the new site up and running and appreciate all of your support!

Tink Tested: Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie Lunch

Location: France pavilion in Epcot
Meals Served: B, L, D (Though technically, their menu lists all items as "snack")

Type of Cuisine: French Pastries and Sandwiches

Dining Plan: Yes
Full Menu: Les Halles Boulangerie-Patisserie Menu
Atmosphere: Parisian cafe

Photo Credit: DisneyWorld.com

Fun Stuff: Not really anything special here for kids. It's attached to a gift shop but since it's mostly French souvenirs, I don't think kids would find it particularly exciting. 

Stand out dishes: Fresh French Baguettes, Creme Brulee, Croissant Jambon Fromage, really ANYTHING
Best Use of Dining Plan Point: Bleu Salad  ($9.50) + Duo or Macaron ($5.75) + Strawberry Smoothie or Cappucino ($4.64) = $19.89
Experience: I. Love. Les. Halles. I have been here many, many times and before Les Halles even existed, used to frequent the old Patisserie. There are few better edible things on Earth than French pastry and French bread, so when my mom, K and I got caught in a rain storm while trying to take in some of Food and Wine Festival, it was an easy choice to settle on lunch at Les Halles instead. The tough part would be choosing what to order. Too many delicious options in one place! 
     Though Les Halles does frequently have a VERY long line, we were there early enough that it hadn't built up yet. Most Guests probably don't realize just how many choices there are here for lunch, including soups, salads, quiches and sandwiches. And the nice thing is, you can get a super reasonable meal here, and still have money left over for dessert! You can get a bread bowl filled with potato soup for only about five bucks! Desserts average around $4, so for just about $10, you can have a fantastic meal AND dessert too! 
     Mum picked the Jambon Beurre, (Ham and Cheese with Dijon Mustard Butter, on a Demi Baguette). I asked about egg allergies, so I knew what to get K, and the girl that was helping me got a supervisor. The supervisor told us what he could have and K chose the Pissaladiere, which he thought was pizza. Really it is more of a focaccia bread with tomatoes, black olives and Gruyere Cheese on it. I adore the freshly made baguettes here, so I just got one of those, since I knew K likely wouldn't finish his lunch, and I'd be having some of that. And of course, we HAD to get dessert. My mom doesn't feel like she has been to Disney unless she has had creme brulee from Les Halles, so I knew what her choice would be. K and I went with one of the only two egg free options, chocolate mousse. Not that I had a problem with that. Their chocolate mousse is awesome, and a really good size serving. 

K couldn't wait to get his hands on this one!

     After getting our order, I went over to the seating area to meet Mum, who had gotten a table for us. It can also be extremely hard to get seating here, since the place fills up, and is very small, but we were able to grab a table here this early with no problem. K took two bites of his "peezza" and decided he didn't like it, so I ate it. I thought it was tasty, but I could tell why K didn't like it. Gruyere is a rather sharp taste and the fococcia was on the drier side. It wasn't bad, but I probably wouldn't order it again. My baguette, on the other hand, was as flawless and fresh as ever. Crusty and crunchy on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. With some butter it was heavenly. K stole some too. Mum enjoyed her sandwich a lot. The meat and cheese was flavorful and the mustard butter complimented the sandwich nicely. 

     Once K realized there was chocolate mousse sitting on the tray, his eyes were locked in, like he was a lion stalking his prey. When I gave him the ok to dive on in, his eyes lit up and he went for it! I managed to wrestle a couple of bites out of his little paws. I love that their mousse is rich, chocolaty and smooth, yet has a light, airy quality to it. Many people miss the mark with mousse and it ends up like an overly sweetened pudding. Not the case here. And the chocolate crisp balls on top of the cup are yummy too! 

     Mum was not disappointed with her creme brulee. As always, it was insanely creamy and delicious. There's something about cracking the sugar topping with a spoon that is super satisfying. Especially when it's on top of the best creme brulee ever! I've said it in the past, and I'll say it again... The French do something magical to their pastry cream and custards. Heavenly.

     The desserts were incredible and there was plenty of my fabulous baguette to take the rest home to The Hubs. Always good to earn some extra "best wife ever" points!

Tink's Tots Try It Out: According to K (3 yo boy)  K, did you like your lunch?   "I haff dinna. I eat da peezza."   Well, no, not dinner, you had lunch. And yes, you ate what you thought was pizza. Did you like it?   "No like da peezza."   Yeah, I think that cheese was a little too sharp for you. But you loved the chocolate mousse, huh?   "Oooo, I like da choc-a-lit."   You, my friend, have excellent taste.   "I like da tays of it, yeah!"

Will we be back: I will go to Les Halles any day, any time, with anyone. Who wants to go?

FOLLOW TINK!!!!

Good afternoon, Tinkers and I hope you are enjoying this lovely weekend!

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Extra! Extra! Tink All About It!: The Making of Disney's Newest Album, Now at Hollywood Studios!

Goof afternoon, Tinkers!

     To those of you lucky enough to get Columbus Day off, HAPPY HOLIDAY WEEKEND! And to those of you, like us in Orlando, who do not, HAPPY WEEKEND!!!

     There's a new (temporary) attraction over at Disney's Hollywood Studios today! In the old ABC Sound Studio, Guests can relax in a cool theater and enjoy an inside look at how Disney created their latest music compilation, "We Love Disney". The album comes out October 30th, and it will feature remakes of classic Disney tunes, by some of today's most popular artists, and biggest Disney fans, like Ariana Grande, Fall Out Boy, Rascal Flatts and Jason Derulo.

Photo Credit: Disney Parks Blog

     The film presentation has behind the scenes footage and special interviews with the artists. Check the attraction out this month, and them look for the album in stores and on digital download, at the end of the month! I know I LOVE when a new Disney album comes out. It gives me a break from Frozen for a while. Although, The Rascal Flatts DO cover "Let It Go", but I'll at least get a little variety.

  Here's the full track list:

- Friend Like Me from Aladdin: NE-YO
- Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid: Jessie J
- Can You Feel the Love Tonight/Nants Ingonyama from The Lion King: Jason Derulo
- The Rainbow Connection from The Muppet Movie: Gwen Stefani
- Zero to Hero from Hercules: Ariana Grande
- In a World of My Own/Very Good Advice from Alice in Wonderland: Jhene Aiko
- I Wanna Be Like You from The Jungle Book: Fall Out Boy
- Colors of the Wind from Pocahontas: Tori Kelly
- A Spoon Full of Sugar from Mary Poppins: Kasey Musgraves
- Ev'rybody Wants To Be a Cat from The Artisocats: Charles Perry
- A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes from Cinderella: Jessie Ware
- Let It Go from Frozen: Lucy Hale and Rascal Flatts
- It's a Small World from Disney Parks: Various Artists

Extra! Extra! Tink All About It!: New Restaurant Announced for Disney Springs!

Good morning, Tinkers!

     Happy FRIDAY! Congrats! You made it to the weekend!

Photo Credit: DisneyWorld.com

     This morning, there's some fun news out of Disney Springs! In Summer of 2016, Chef Art Smith will bring us Homecoming: Florida Kitchen and Southern Shine. The award-winning chef has appeared on many cooking shows, and has been preparing food for celebrities and politicians for years. Being a native Floridian, he has a special love for down-home Southern cuisine, with a Florida twist, and that's just what Homecoming will be about. The menu will feature items like Shrimp and Grits, Deviled Eggs and Mockingbird Cake, and I am sure the atmosphere will be fun and welcoming, though details have not been revealed yet, other than the setting being described as "rustic-chic". The Southern Shine Bar will surely have some outstanding summer punches, cocktails and elixirs.

     Disney Springs is sounding more and more awesome every time something new is announced! What do you think? What are you the most excited about experiencing at the all new Disney Springs?

Extra! Extra! Tink All About It!: New Year's Eve Activities at Disney Announced!

Good morning, Tinkers!

     Yes, there's barely a hint of fall in the air here in Orlando, but already we are looking to New Year's Eve and what sort of excitement Disney has in store for us!

     I have attended many a NYE celebration on Disney property and they are always fun and over the top. Yes, the crowds are huge, but so is the celebration! You will not get more beautiful fireworks than the ones that you see on New Year's at Disney! And there's plenty of great food to be found, too!

     The Magic Kingdom will light up the sky with "Fantasy in the Sky" fireworks on both December 30th and December 31st, at 11:50pm.

     Epcot will present a special NYE version of Illuminations twice on December 31st. Once at 6:00pm and again at 11:40pm. There will also be live music and DJs around World Showcase, to help ring in the New Year in the various countries.

     The Hollywood Studios gets in on the action with a fabulous NYE fireworks display, on December 31st, at 11:40pm.

     Special dining events are planned for many locations, including California Grill at The Contemporary, La Hacienda de San Angel at Epcot, Monsieur Paul's in Epcot, Il Mulino at The Swan Resort, Narcoossee's at The Grand Floridian, and Le Cellier in Epcot.


     To read more about these unique dining experiences, check out DisneyWorld.com! Can't wait to ring in 2016, Disney style!