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One thing that definitely has me wishing I lived in Orlando: the restaurants at Disney World. I’m sure I’m biased, thinking that Disney’s magic would also somehow carry over to its culinary experiences, but whenever I hear about all the restaurants at Disney World I practically salivate.
Mine is the unfortunate story of a girl who loves new and exotic food experiences (I wouldn’t say I’m a foodie, because I’m not particularly bothered about how fancy the food is) but doesn’t love urban life. I’m happiest when in bucolic surrounds, but obviously there just isn’t usually a great variety of restaurants in more rural areas.
Orlando, then, seems perfect for me. It’s a city, but one the size of which seems bolstered by its many theme parks. I could live near Disney World and have all those varied dining experiences right at my fingertips. I have a single question, one that is the product of the remains of my Disney ignorance, mainly because I still haven’t gotten to go to one of the parks: do I need to pay park admission just to eat at one of the restaurants? Disney experts, please give me a hint.
Because the official Disney parks blog now boasts a gorgeous feature on Epcot’s newest restaurant, La Hacienda, and I want to go. Right now it’s still in the practice run stages, but those lucky enough to live in Orlando, or who are visiting in the next few weeks, can now make reservations starting on October 15.
Bringing yet another bright splash of color to the Mexico pavilion, La Hacienda is designed to look like a home, the kitchen of which I just can’t wait to plunder. Unfortunately not many details of the menu are yet published, but the folks at the Disney parks blog shared the info on what they had at their dinner: chicken tostada; Arrachera, flank steak and veggies wrapped up in a made-on-site corn tortilla; Tacos de Camarones, a flour tortilla with fried shrimp and chipotle-lime aioli.
What’s got me the most desperate for a trip to La Hacienda is the description of the dessert: a sweet guava tamale with strawberry coulis (a thick sauce). I love tropical fruits but I rarely get to have them in fancy desserts, so I know where I’m going at least for dessert if I ever make it to Disney World.
The more I learn about Disney parks the more awed I am about how they’re so much more than amusement parks. Part of me thinks it’s all a little excessive, but if they keep making restaurants as fabulous as La Hacienda seems, I can’t really complain.
Those on the Disney Dining Plan will be glad to hear that La Hacienda is part of it; meals there cost 1 point off of the plan. Larger entrees meant for two will cost two points. Anyone interested in making a reservation at La Hacienda can call 1-407-W-DISNEY after October 15 to do so.
Related Articles:
Epcot Restaurant Review: San Angel Inn
Alternatives to Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival
The Muppets Make Two Online Cooking Series
Benefit Sale for the United Way
*(This image by VirtualErn is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.)
