It’s time for my all-time favorite type of post: the trip report! See all the posts in my 2022 Wine & Dine Half Marathon trip report. Onward!
And so we bid a fond farewell to my November Wine & Dine Half trip report in the traditional manner: with a scattershot collection of non-festival food reviews. After all, if you don’t photograph and then critique all your Disney parks treats, did you even really eat them?
Thus I fulfill my obligation, starting with…
TANDOORI CHICKEN AT LANDSCAPE OF FLAVORS
Landscape of Flavors at Disney’s Art of Animation resort has a reputation for being one of the better food courts in WDW’s oeuvre, and I’d say that’s fair – the menu has rather more of an international flair than many nuggets-and-burgers food courts. To that end, when I saw tandoori chicken with spinach paneer and naan on the board, I had to give it a try.
As per usual, I wish Disney would push it a little harder with the spices. I know, I know, they’re trying to appeal to an “American palate,” but are you sure, Disney? Are you sure you’re not pulling a TV exec and underestimating your audience to your detriment? This is Indian food. You order Indian food, you ought to be prepared for something aromatic, and this wasn’t quite there.
That being said, the chicken did have a pleasant, if almost bland, flavor. A little greasy, yet at least not tough. I enjoyed the spinach paneer, but it was very salty, so this might be another salt monster preference specific to me. The naan, however, was disappointing – not soft at all. If you like it crunchy, though, you’d be pleased. Still beats an overdone burger!
BASELINE TAP HOUSE IN HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
I’ve reviewed BaseLine before, and ever a blogging failure, I did not order anything new this time around. Beer flights? Remains basic but fun. Soft pretzel with beer cheese fondue and spicy mustard? Ever the best. Love it.
Luckily, it’s Erika to the rescue, who ordered the coffee-rubbed rib-eye beef puff and on-tap house margarita. Her assessment?
“I’m a sucker for steak in any size or shape, but the steak puff from BaseLine caught my attention right away. It was definitely a great choice for a meat lover like myself (especially being as hungry as I was at the time). The pastry part was so amazing and it blended really well with the steak filling. I would highly recommend it!”
I remember at the time she described the margarita as being much like a margarita. Do with that information what you will.
OGA’S CANTINA IN STAR WARS: GALAXY’S EDGE
Once again we have Erika to thank for a new entry in my long series of Oga’s Cantina reviews. While the drinks were all the same, she ordered a Happabore Sampler with cured and roasted meats, cheese, and pork cracklings. Her verdict:
“If you think the atmosphere at the Oga’s Cantina is already fun enough, with all the music and colorful drinks, you can add a little bit to it if you get one of these Happabore Samplers. On top of all the cured meats, there is also cheese and pork rinds, which I absolutely LOVE!”
(Forgive the photo; Oga’s lighting is NOT conducive to good photography and I was still working with a 4 year old phone.)
It was definitely fun to have something to snack on at Oga’s; my one complaint here is that I do think the sampler is overpriced. Lest we forget where we are, right?
GIDEON’S BAKEHOUSE IN DISNEY SPRINGS
Lord knows I talk about Gideon’s Bakehouse enough, but for once I have something new to mention! This time around, I tried some limited edition seasonal flavors.
First up, the pumpkin chai ice coffee drink. (I’m not entirely clear if, it being chai, there was any coffee involved, but I’m not really affected by caffeine so it doesn’t worry me. If you need the C, maybe check.)
Gideon’s makes their iced coffees with oat milk. I was a little apprehensive about this, as I really do not like almond milk as a creamer substitute. As such, I’ve avoided trying other vegan milks in coffee. Soy is okay, but just barely.
Turns out, oat milk in coffee is good, guys! I was shocked by the creamy consistency of my drink. The pumpkin spice element was on point, too. My only – minor – complaint was that there was so much powdered spice that it made the texture a little grainy at times. I recommend giving it a very good mix before drinking, but even then brace yourself.
I also grabbed a pumpkin bread chocolate crumb cookie, and OH MY GOD. While all of Gideon’s cookies are delicious, nothing has come close to unseating the original chocolate chip as the best one… EXCEPT THE CRUMB COOKIES.
If you’re into pumpkin, YOU NEED THIS. It has an incredible cookie-dough-esque consistency and the flavor is not just pumpkin spice – it’s legit pumpkin. I personally found the chocolate chip element distracting, but not enough to retract from the overall experience. If it ever comes back into the specialty rotation, buy one IMMEDIATELY. Do it for me.
TRIP REPORT OVER
That’s it, folks – end of trip report! I’d be sad, except WDW Marathon weekend is right around the corner, so I’m mostly just excited. Okay, I’m a little sad. Promise you’ll read my next trip report to cheer me up again?
Don’t forget, you can follow FRoA on Twitter @fairestrunofall and on Instagram @fairestrunofall. If you have any questions or thoughts, leave a comment or email fairestrunofall@gmail.com. See ya real soon!