Day 558: All About the Coffee

By now, this is super old news, but it keeps coming up in my Pinterest feed and I've been meaning to talk about it for just about forever, so here we go.

What in the world is better than Disney themed coffee?

Literally nothing.

In case you've yet to hear, Joffrey's Coffee & Tea Company has a line of Disney themed coffee flavors, and I could not be more excited. I love coffee. So, so much. So a bunch of coffee that's themed around literal Disney restaurants? WHY IS IT NOT IN MY KITCHEN? 

There are a ton of flavors featured, both from Walt Disney World and Disneyland, but I have to say that I think the ones that caught my interest are as follow: Citricos, Flavors of Africa, Kona Blend and then the Steakhouse 55 blend for sure. I mean, I do love some Kona coffee, but all of these sound absolutely amazing. 

I guess this just gives me more of an excuse to drink coffee. 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on August 18). 

Day 534: 24 Epcot Hours

Remember back last year when I decided that my blog provided a good way to continue procrastination on my homework? If you don't remember what I'm talking about, it's specifically the time I decided to figure out how long it would take to see everything in the Magic Kingdom, and you can read that post HERE.

When I was coming up with blog post topics, all of a sudden I was struck with yet another terrible idea...let's do that post again, only this time with Epcot, because of course that's a good idea. So let's explore my personal favorite park a bit...

It would take you approximately 3.7 hours to just experience every attraction at Epcot, without your average wait time. Pretend as though you were able to just walk right onto any attraction, just like snapping your fingers. Goodness, wouldn't that be nice?

When I calculated the wait times (at exactly 11:45 A.M. EST on October 30, 2014), you'd have to wait approximately 4.4 hours to just get ON the attractions, with the longest wait time being 60 minutes for Test Track (Soarin' was close behind with 55). This, of course, is relatively low for wait times, as when I'm there it's not uncommon for both of these attractions to hit 90+ minutes.

Remember that those above numbers don't include the time it takes to WALK from one attraction to another, which, in Epcot, could take you easily over an hour, if you're walking fast. 

After yet another couple hours of calculation and time spent on AllEars, I figured an approximate amount you would spend to try absolutely every dish in every restaurant at Epcot. You'd spend around $8,660 on 2,235 options at a calculated 32 locations. This isn't including any sort of coffee shop or ice cream, as well as not including a couple of other places based simply on the fact that their menu is similar to another in the park. This also doesn't include alcohol, and I don't even want to know what you'd try to spend on that. This also isn't including the Biergarten or Akershus, which add on just under $100 if you, alone, eat at both. These numbers also don't include kids meals of any kind.

Throughout Epcot, you'll have a chance to meet approximately 24 characters, although that number changes daily as surprise characters appear. For instance, I met Flynn Rider and Rapunzel at Epcot in March, but neither are included in the total of 24 previously stated. It's also not including duplicate characters within restaurants or other locations.

I didn't spend a ton of time adding up the hours of background music, but on my homework playlist (with the addition of Illuminations), I regularly listen to 141 minutes of background music from Epcot. Goodness who even knows how much there is throughout the whole park because really...most of that is just the music around Spaceship Earth.

I also didn't include the time it takes for any of the shows, since those continuously keep changing and the only real one you could say for sure would be Illuminations, although one should also probably include the Fountain show. Oh, and throwing it in there that this isn't including the time it takes to see any of the special events, such as Food and Wine Festival, Flower and Garden Festival or the Christmas special events.

So if we put it together, in order to do everything at Epcot TODAY, it would take you around 8.3 hours to experience it all. Now while this isn't physically impossible, you must remember that this number isn't including the time it takes to walk from one place to another, go through the gates, eat, bathroom breaks, waiting for character meet and greets, actually meeting those characters, staking out a spot for Illuminations or shopping. Plus, this number is calculated with the assumption that you would go on each attraction once. AND it doesn't include the time it takes to stop and appreciate the area. Epcot is the biggest of the Disney Parks in reference to areas guests are able to regularly walk, so there's a huge distance you'll have to cover.

I'm getting better at calculating these things though. This time, instead of 3.6 hours, it took me about 2 to calculate all this information. Thank goodness.

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on October 30).

Day 489: EAT

Day 9 of the Disney Photo Challenge: A picture of your favorite Disney restaurant. 

Blast from the Past: 

Do I really have to choose? 

REALLY? 

I can't...there's too many! 

Alright, fine. I'll narrow it down to three...although I have about 10 others. I'll say two sit-down and one counter service, how's that? 

For my first sit-down restaurant I am choosing a less expensive one. Well, not that it's un-expensive when you take my brother and I there. I really enjoy the restaurant Tokyo Dining, located in the Japan Pavilion at Epcot. They have some of the best sushi ever...and it's actually right across the Pavilion that I tried sushi for the very first time just a couple of years ago. My personal favorite thing to order there is the Volcano Roll...and I don't even remember what it has in it, but it's a giant pile of sushi covered in spicy sauce. AMAZING. 

My counter service restaurant pick comes from a resort, not a park. It's called Good's to Go, and it's located at my home resort, Old Key West. It's kind of a joint restaurant with the sit-down next door, Olivias...another on my list of favorites. Anyway, Goods is great for my brother and I because we often spend time at another location next door...Hanks Rent and Return, where we get our Ping Pong Paddles and Ball to use on the nearby Ping Pong Table. We love to play Ping Pong. Goods has some really great food, especially the smoothies and sandwiches. It's convenient, delicious and one of my favorite restaurants. 

My final choice is the one I would probably consider to be my favorite restaurant. It's expensive, and is located right next to the most expensive on Disney Property, and at the most expensive of the resorts. It's Citricos at the Grand Floridian Resort. It's so formal it has a dress code, not quite like V&A next door, but still a dress code (and it's not the only one on property either)! I almost always order the same thing when I head to this restaurant...although the menu changes a lot. I always order arancini, an appetizer that's basically a cheesy rice mixture formed into a ball and then deep fried (but the good kind of fried...not like from a fast food place). It's awesome. And then I have steak and mashed potatoes with peppers and onions for my main course, which I often split with my dad. And finally gelato for dessert...and the last time we went they had the best Espresso Gelate I've ever had. It's expensive, no doubt about that....but it's some of the best food I've eaten in my life...just as all the food at Disney is. 

Back to the Future: 

Can't say I am any more decisive than I was two years ago.

I've actually covered this topic before in a "Few of my Favorite Things" post, but let's talk about currently. What's my favorite restaurant RIGHT NOW?

Well, I do love Be Our Guest. It's very quickly worked its way into my favorites list. And I mean VERY quickly. One dinner there and I was hooked.

But honestly, I love ALL the Disney restaurants. Sometimes you'll have a bad experience at one, but that's no reason not to go back, because you never know, it may have just been the night. I certainly have favorites here and there, but it's so difficult to pick because I HAVE eaten at so many. I like to mix it up just about every trip, heading to places we haven't been in a while. In January the restaurants are hand selected to correspond with the fact that my friends are coming with us, and I assure you there will be plenty of food eaten on that trip.

Because seriously...when isn't an extreme amount of food consumed on a Disney trip?

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on August 19).