Trick or Treat!

Sock Monkey from the scariest place in the World, on a Doom Buggy in none other than The Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom. Happy Halloween and happy haunting! And of course "Hurry back, hurry back. Be sure to bring your death certificate if you decide to join us. Make final arrangements now. We've been dying to have you." - Little Leota

Fire it up!

Burnt cream or creme fraiche, I mean creme brulee. We love this dessert! A rich vanilla custard topped with sugar caramelized with a mini torch, forming a slightly burnt hard candy top. During this dinner at the Hollywood Brown Derby, Sock Monkey gorged down his share of the dessert in an instant. I was lucky to have any at all, he even made sure to have his half of that biscotti too.

Main course.

A six ounce char grilled filet of beef with white truffle whipped potatoes, mushroom ragout and red wine reduction. Sounds delish! Our entree at the Hollywood Brown Derby was very appetizing. Sock Monkey is seen here getting ready to slice off a piece of meat with his new found saber. Can he do it?

Derby time.

"Meet me at the Derby!" as one would have said in Hollywood back in the Clark Gable and Lucille Ball days. The original Brown Derby is said to have been the birthplace of the Cobb Salad made by Bob Cobb. Naturally, we had to order the signature Cobb Salad when we ate at the restaurant. One order was more than enough to feed Sock Monkey and the entire party. With romaine lettuce, tomato, bacon, eggs, avocado, and cheese, and other stuff, it was definitely tasty with all those ingredients.

Bread + butter.

It was time to break bread with the family. Sock Monkey was the first to pick up the warm bread and slather on the butter. Here we are at the start of our dinner at the Hollywood Brown Derby. Bread is always a favorite staple with the family. Hey baby, stop coloring and dig in already!

Coming soon.

Sock Monkey pays tribute to his favorite movie stars by dining where all celebrites go when they're hungry, to The Hollywood Brown Derby at Disney's Hollywood Studios. As mentioned before, we came here for a special birthday celebration and it was a feast in deed. Our next few posts will be photos of what we had during our meal. Consider this pic as a movie trailer of the silent film you're about to see.

Willkommen!

Welcome!!! We had a merry time at the Germany pavilion, which was very cozy and homely. We picked up pretzel and bratwurst to go and for the adults a cold beverage too. Sock Monkey journeyed around World Showcase at Epcot and had a blast trying all the different ethnic foods. He's come a long way from just consuming bananas. Next stop Norway or Mexico? You'll have to wait and see later where we landed.

Flavored ice.

One amazing way to keep cool on a hot summer day in Epcot is to stop by Kaki-Gori at the Japan pavilion for a little bit of ice, shaved ice. You can get flavors such as strawberry, tangerine, and the not so common flavor, honeydew melon. Sock Monkey couldn't resist getting a taste of the fruit syrup. Surprisingly he liked something other than banana flavor.

Squash & Gourd.

Harvest time. As we take our boat ride on Living with the Land in Epcot, we come around the bend to where giant pumpkins and winter melons are grown. Getting ready for the Halloween festivities, sometimes you can spot the Mickey shaped pumpkin growing in this attraction. Sock Monkey kept his eyes peeled for the hidden Mickey, but nothing new, his sight was distracted due to a nearby banana tree.

No Bangers and Mash.

Only Fish and Chips. For the first time ever in all the years we've been to Disney World, this was the first time we ate in the United Kingdom Pavilion. Our family normally starts the World Showcase journey with Mexico clockwise. And by the time we get to the UK, we're full with all the foods we've purchased from the different countries and don't want to eat anymore. This time we did the reverse trek. First stop, Yorkshire County Fish Shop, and of course, we ordered fish and chips. The freshly battered deep fried fish was really tasty. The actual restaurant seating area was too packed for our liking, so we went behind the replica of Hampton Court Palace and sat in one of the garden areas in the back. Sock Monkey had quite a lovely time in the UK.

Peppermint-y.

Anyone care for a mint? As promised, sweet treats for that sweet tooth. Though this photo is not taken at the actual Confectionery shop, it is from another sweet spot you can visit while in Disney World. Just head on down to the Marketplace in Downtown Disney and make a stop at Goofy's Candy Co. There are plenty more goodies than what is shown here, candy and cookies. You can also pick up specialties such as chocolate dipped pretzel rods, candy apples, and other freshly baked items, like the Mickey rice crispy treats. Sock Monkey was swimming in all that sugar. Next time he's going to have a party in the back where he and the rest of the family can create their own treats.

Sweet tooth.

Since we were robbed of our sweet treat from yesterday's post, I thought we'd get ready for some real treats to come. Sock Monkey is clearly ready for some chocolate, and toffee, and jelly beans, and cotton candy, and all things sugary. Where is he going to acquire all these good things? Answer, Main Street Confectionery on Main St, USA in Magic Kingdom. During our stay here, the outside facade was under construction, but inside, it was business as usual.

Feeling tropical.

Sock Monkey thought he was climbing up a banana tree for a quick snack, but instead, it was a coconut tree. Or is it even a real tree? Seen here in a futuristic place, where sky's the limit, we are by Space Mountain in Tomorrowland. During the summer months or hotter days you can expect this "palm tree" to open up for some shade and mist a little water to cool off its passersby. No animals were harmed during this photo shoot.

Which Bay?

What are we going to eat today? Decisions decisions. Bay 1 Chicken. Bay 2 Burgers. Bay 3 Sandwiches, Soup, and Salad. I don't know, there's too many options, but it looks like Sock Monkey made up his mind. He wants Bay 3 Soup and Salad, you know why, because he's watching his slim figure. You can find this "menu" in front of one of Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe entrances at Magic Kingdom. For families with picky eaters, everyone will be happy with the variety of dining selection here.

Magic beans.

Look up in the sky, it's Mickey and the Beanstalk, I mean Sock Monkey and the beanstalk. What will he find when he travels up the beanstalk? A golden egg, a golden harp, nope... a bird's eye view of Magic Kingdom. He sure does look like he could be Jack in the famous fable. Like the folktale, all it takes is a little bit of magic, in this case, "Disney magic" to make things a little happier and better in the world, especially in Walt Disney World.

Cafe con leche.

Mmmmmm... we feast like kings. We ordered 2 Sandwich Cubano, 1 Pan con Bistec, 2 Cafe con leche, and 1 Materva soda. So what did we eat, roasted pork, ham, swiss cheese, and pickles on Cuban bread, Cuban style steak with grilled onions, lettuce, and tomatoes on Cuban bread, Cuban coffee with milk, and yerba mate soda. So delicious! Can't help but think back on how nice it was to just sit back, relax, and dine on this meal. Sock Monkey had a taste of everything, he was even ready to order dessert, flan. If you're in Downtown Disney at West Side, make sure to stop by Bongos and order something off the Express menu. If you're not in the mood for a sandwich, I'd recommend either the empanadas or the croquettas.

Express Menu.

Getting ready for Downtown Disney Tuesdays. Here's a sneak peak of the menu and a description of what you'll see Sock Monkey and the group munch on. Sandwich, check! Coffee, check! Soft drink, check! We go coco bongos for Bongos at West Side. If you want a taste of the Caribbean or some good ol' Cuban food, I definitely recommend stopping by and getting a little something.

Disney Popcorn.

As you walk in through the entrance of Magic Kingdom, a favorite memory of ours is the smell of freshly popped popcorn  We like to call it "crack-corn". The aroma of melted butter wafting through the air makes it a hard purchase to resist. As always, a great way to celebrate any special occasion, like a 4oth birthday, is popcorn at the party. Sock Monkey sat down by City Hall off Main Street, USA and enjoyed his own box of popcorn. As you can see, he zealously dove in and ate the entire contents. It's such a yummy snack!

Happy Birthday Walt Disney World!!!

Happy 40th Birthday to the happiest place on Earth, Walt Disney World! Congratulations on reaching the big four-O!