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?

Tink Tested: Praline Pumpkin Cupcake

Good afternoon, Tinkers! 

     Here's a tasty little snack review for you, since the family and I went over to The Contemporary last night to watch Wishes. Enjoy!

Snack: Praline Pumpkin Cupcake
Where'd We Get It?: Contempo Cafe on the 4th floor of The Contemporary Resort

Pricing/Dining Plan: $5.19/ 1 Snack Point

Overall Review: If you like cupcakes, or really dessert, in general, you should totally check out the Contempo Cafe. This counter serve location has an impressive bakery case, and includes things like a lemon tart, "dirt and worms" cake, and frosted brownies. But the real stars are the cupcakes. There are some favors that stick around for awhile, based on demand. One of these is the Frozen themed cupcake, which, of course, is what D selected. It was a chocolate cake, filled with a liquid caramel, and topped with blue vanilla buttercream and sprinkles. I'm pretty sure D only wanted it because it had a plastic ring on the top, but we agreed before purchase that she'd eat it no matter what. She said it was delicious and did eat it up. I tasted it and though the caramel center was very good, the cake itself tasted like Elsa had taken out some frustrations on it, because it was freezer burned. (See what I did there?) 

     Because of K's egg allergy, no cupcakes for him, MUCH to his dismay. He did get to have a Mickey ice cream sandwich, though, which he ate the ears off of and left to melt on the table. I was forced to finish it. FORCED!

     The dessert we were most excited for was the "Cupcake of the Month", which was the Praline Pumpkin Cupcake. Like most Americans, we get far too excited when summer comes to an end and pumpkin spiced EVERYTHING shows up again. In fact, The Hubs' first choice for snack was a piece of pumpkin fudge from the candy case in Buena Vista Gifts over in the shopping area of the resort, but they were sold out. (You should definitely try the pumpkin fudge if you're ever here in the fall and you like pumpkin! It's sold pretty much anywhere they sell fudge and it's amazing!) So, he settled for the cupcake, and he's glad he did! The Praline Pumpkin Cupcake is a pumpkin spice cake, filled with a praline cream, and topped with whipped chocolate buttercream. It's then drizzled with caramel and chocolate and sugar sprinkles, and a fondant pumpkin sits on top. The cake was moist and tasty, without being overly sweet or spiced. The icing was a delicious accompaniment, despite us thinking that chocolate frosting was a weird choice for a pumpkin cake. The praline cream was probably the best part. Smooth and rich. All the flavors worked well together and the cake tasted fresh. Yummy fall goodness! And since it's only here for a limited time, you better head on over and grab one while you can!

Tink's Tots Try It Out: According to D (6 yo girl) D, what did you think of the Frozen cupcake?   "Mmmm....so good. Hey, where's my ring?"  Yeah, I had a feeling that the ring was really the part you liked best about the cupcake.   "Noooo, the cupcake was good too...... Do you know where my ring is?"

Tink's Tots Try It Out: According to K (2 yo boy)  Did you like your ice cream, K?   "CUPCAKE!"   I'm so sorry, Bud, but you know are allergic to eggs, so you can't have cupcakes. They'll make you sick.  "Yeah, cupcakes. Cupcakes, peez, Mamma."   Guess who's gonna have to bake egg free cupcakes this week? 

Would I Get It Again?: I think I would try something else out of the case, just to mix it up. The Flourless Chocolate Cake and the Peanut Butter Pie both looked great! The Hubs would get it again in a heartbeat!

Tink Tested: Hawaiian Shaved Ice from Kona Island

Good afternoon, Tinkers! 

     Just a quick little review for you today, since I spent the majority of my Saturday at The Magic Kingdom with K and D, so I haven't had much computer time. While over at The Polynesian, we were in need of a little refreshment, so we tried out something new. Read on!

Snack: Hawaiian Shaved Ice
Where'd We Get It?: Kona Island on the Second Floor of the Polynesian Village Main Lobby

Pricing/Dining Plan: $3.99 for one flavor or $4.99 for two/ 1 Snack Point
Types/Flavors Available: Blue Raspberry, Cherry, Coconut, Mango, Orange, Pineapple, Pina Colada or Strawberry

 

Overall Review: When we got off the monorail we were basically melting, so a cool snack was a must. I had originally planned on getting Dole Whip, but someone was walking through the lobby with a Shaved Ice and it looked very inviting. It's a colorful, light treat, so we went for it. Guests can choose to do all one flavor, or get two different flavors in one cup. In order to avoid fighting, I let K and D each get their own. D chose cherry and blue raspberry and K chose cherry and coconut. The Cast Member poured ice in the top of a machine, and out came perfectly shaved snow. She packed the cups tight and toweringly high, and then carefully added the flavored syrup, in a spiral design. They were huge. Like, really huge. The three of us easily could have shared one. The flavors were very good, and not overly sweet or syrupy, as a lot of slush can be. It was a little messy to eat, since the spoon frequently dislodged other pieces of shaved ice, creating a bit of an avalanche. Since there's no where to sit at Kona Island, other than the bar stools, (and that SO will not work with a 6 year old and a 2 year old), we walked over to 'Ohana's deserted waiting area and had a seat there. I really enjoyed the Hawaiian Shaved Ice and would highly recommend it as a treat.

Tink's Tots Try It Out: According to D (6 yo girl) D, did you like the Shaved Ice we had today?   "Um, Yes! It. Was. Awesome!"   What did you like about it?   "It was so cold and delicious! And I liked that it turned my mouth colors."   Ah, yes. That's very important to me in a snack too.
Tink's Tots Try It Out: According to K (2 yo boy)  Did you think the slush was yummy, K?   "Yes. Really yummy. I like it a lot. I eat with spoon. Mamma give me a spoon, I eat. I make messy messy."   All true.

Would I Get It Again?: Yes! I do like the Dole Whip too, though, so I would mix it up, depending on what I was in the mood for. Oh, and I would only order one. We threw a bunch out.

Tink in the Parks: Morning Fun in The Magic Kingdom

Good afternoon, Tinkers!

     This morning, when I went and got K out of his bed, he said, "We go Magic Kin-dom, Mamma?" So, obviously, we went to The Magic Kingdom today because, well... the cuteness. Seriously.

     Today D had camp, but K was home with me, so I figured he and I would hit the park for a few hours, for some Disney-obsessed Mother/ Disney-obsessed Toddler bonding time. By the time I packed K's backpack with all of the necessary supplies, (including a change of clothes for when we inevitably would get rained on, and snacks so we could avoid paying $5 in the park for a small bag of crackers), and dropped D at camp, it was about 10:30am. After our short drive to property, (lucky us!), we hopped on the "boo mon-rail", (blue monorail), and got to The Magic Kingdom right in time for our first Fastpass, which was for the Mickey meet and greet inside Exposition Hall, just inside the park. Since we had been off the monorail for all of ten minutes, and I was already a sweaty mess, I was happy to be stepping into some A/C.

     Can I just say, I know not everyone is pleased with FastPass+ and I know there are still kinks to be worked out, BUT there are a lot of benefits to it. And right now, I was saying a giant "Halleluiah" that I had grabbed a few FastPasses this morning from the My Disney Experience app on my phone. Here it was, only 11am, and the waits for everything were HUGE! (Welcome to summer in The Magic Kingdom.) Mickey's wait time read "60 minutes", so I was totally cool with swiping my Magic Band and only waiting about ten minutes instead. I always get a little nervous when we meet the characters that K is just going to be like, "Whatevs, lady. I have met this dude a bunch of times.", but his reactions never fail to be awesome, every time! (Never change, K!) For those of you that are unaware, when you meet Mickey in Exposition Hall at The Magic Kingdom, he is particularly "magical". He is dressed as a magician, which is pretty cool, but that's not all. Unlike anywhere else on property, at this meet and greet, Mickey's mouth not only moves, he actually speaks and interacts with his Guests, live. It's amazing and kinda blows your mind a little. Now, this can pose a problem for bigger kids, who are already a little skeptical of the "realness" of the characters. They will be VERY quick to notice that he only speaks here, and no where else. You will either need to plan accordingly, and avoid this location, make it a last stop, (so it's amazing when it happens and not a disappointment every where else when it doesn't), OR kill it with your story-telling game. If you're comfortable answering questions on the fly and can come up with something about how Mickey's magic is making incredible things happen, go for it. K loves seeing Mickey here, because something fun always happens.

Today, after greeting K with a hug and a, "Hiya, pal! It's so great to see ya again!", Mickey asked K to pretend to be a choo-choo train with him. Watching the two of them, chugging around the room, "woo-woo"-ing their train whistles was adorable. We took pictures, and K gave about 17 hugs goodbye, before we headed back out into the heat.

     Next, we went up Main Street to see "Mamma's House". I told you, I brainwashed him. He thinks that is what it's really called. He may be gravely disappointed when he realizes that I don't actually own it. The castle always looks gorgeous, of course, but the new, additional turrets that were put in recently, really add something special. I don't know about you, but I love the new hub. The removal of the planters and the addition of the "grassy" gardens and the water fountains was a smart move, I think. It makes the whole hub area seem less packed and uncomfortable. Though, when it's mid-summer, and tour group season is in full swing, it's always going to feel crowded. It did today.

     We headed off to our next FastPass, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. I am starting to realize that this is a tough age for me to be taking K to the park by myself. He will be 3 soon, and he's 30 pounds. So when I have to park the stroller to walk through a queue line, carrying a 30 pound sack of potatoes who is refusing to walk because he's too hot, it's less than easy. Especially when I'm already melting. Plus, getting food at a counter service restaurant? Forget it! It's nearly impossible to navigate the narrow queue line up to the register with a stroller, and then you have to find a way to carry your tray of food, and push the stroller, to find a table. Ugh. Disney is great at so many things. Not so much on being easy for parent flying solo. (I will say though, Cast Members always go out of their way to be accommodating and helpful when they see me alone with K. Cast Members rock, man.) Then again, I'm pretty sure very few parents end up in the park, alone with their toddlers. Yes, I do realize how lucky of a person this makes me.

     We, of course, enjoyed our spin around the 100 Acre Wood with Pooh, and decided next to head back toward the Storybook Circus area, to maybe play in the Casey Jr Splash and Play zone. K had a different idea though. Right as we passed under the gates, my Little decided he was in desperate need of a drink. "Apple juuuuuice!!!", he started chanting, so we turned into Big Top Treats, and checked out our options. (So much for the snacks I packed. Disney food always seems so much more appealing.) After much debate, ("Mamma, mush-mellows."  No, K, we haven't had lunch. No marshmallows right now.  "Mamma, candies?"  Um, no, dude. How about some pineapple?  "Ok, Mamma. Pie-apple. Ok."), we settled on a pineapple spear on a stick and a lemonade. Man, did K demolish that pineapple spear! He did let me have one taste, though, and it was delicious. It was a nice, refreshing treat. Don't worry... we got candy later.

     Mr. K did not want to go play in the water, so we walked toward Gaston's, but the sky was looking as though Maleficent had something up her sleeve. As a Floridian, I know that sky all too well. OK, change of plans. We would forgo our Peter Pan FastPass, and outrun the storm instead.
As long as we could get to Main Street before the rain, I'd be happy with that. We could always kill time in the stores, get a hot dog at Casey's, or watch cartoons in the gallery. On the way through Fantasyland, we passed about 11 different South American tour groups, chanting up a (non-literal) storm. Even more reason to pick up the pace. They are harmless enough, but because there are so many individuals in each group, they can easily fill a gift shop, restaurant, queue line, or even just walkways. To them I say, "Ole, ole-ole-ole, please get out of my waaay!"

     We zipped down past the gorgeous Cinderella fountain, past a meet and greet that was happening with the Fairy Godmother, next to the castle, and down past Sleepy Hollow. As we went over the bridge toward Crystal Palace, I looked to the right and saw a lot of work being done on what I imagine will be the new "Skipper's Cantina" Jungle Cruise-themed restaurant that is being developed.

Can't wait for that place to open! It'll be similar in style to Be Our Guest in that lunch will be counter service, and dinner will be full service. The Magic Kingdom could use a fun new dining option. I'll be one of the first ones to nab a reservation there, when the opportunity comes!

     Right as we crossed the threshold into Casey's down came the rain. And it rained, and rained... The deluge. Just kidding. It wasn't that bad, but I never can resist an old attraction reference. (Living Seas, anyone?) But being that it is Florida, by the time we walked through the gift shops and into The Emporium, it had stopped. We crossed Main Street and went over to The Confectionary, to get a little surprise to take home to the hubs. Can I just say, I LOVE The Confectionary? I mean, who doesn't, right? But between the sweet, strawberry, cotton candy aroma, and the eye catching colors of the sweets, it is heavenly. I decided on fudge as a treat to bring home, since it was super fresh and almost anything else would be totally melted by the time we got home. Since you save 33% if you buy 6 pieces, I had to buy 6, of course. Duh. Disney marketing is designed specifically with my family in mind. I'm convinced of it. We took in the sights and scents of the candy shop, and got to see some fun stuff happening. We watched cake pops being made, Guests being allowed to help decorate Rice Krispie Treats, and cotton candy being spun. Sometimes, if you're lucky like we were, while watching the cotton candy being spun, the Cast Member might slip you a sample. She actually gave K a HUGE ball of the fluffy stuff! Almost as much as you would have in a whole bag! He was thrilled. So was I. Cotton Candy for lunch. Doesn't count if it's at Disney, right?

K's in there somewhere!

     While we were in The Confectionary, because it's Florida, it started raining again. Suddenly the shop was flooded with people. We were in a sea of wet plastic ponchos and pointy umbrellas. Yikes. Let's get outta here, K. The rain never bothered us anyway, right? Magically, it stopped raining again as soon as we stepped outside. They must have put that big bubble up to cover the park. Thanks, guys.

     We crossed back under the train station, through the gates, and went up the monorail ramp to head back to the car. How lucky am I? I mean, seriously. Not only do I have an amazing family to share my love of Disney with, but being locals, we get to come in for a couple of hours, have some fun, and head out. We don't have to worry about a park ticket being wasted, or missing out on anything, because we will be back soon. Always. Dreams really do come true, kids. THIS is paradise.