Love and Olive Oil

Food Blog Forum: Orlando & Walt Disney World 2015

Mouse-shaped Treats

In the 4 days we spent at Walt Disney World this past month, I found a lot of hidden Mickeys.

The fact that most of them were disguised as food should not surprise you one bit.

Life lessons #423: everything tastes better when it’s mouse-shaped.

Chocolate Oreo Mickey Cupcake

Like this cupcake. I knew I had to have one ever since Julie posted it a few weeks ago. It’s a chocolate Oreo cupcake with the most incredible Oreo mousse (or should I say, ‘mouse’) filling and a light and airy whipped frosting that blows buttercream out of the water. Seriously. I am doing my darnedest to get the recipe (one of the great things about Disney is they are so willing to share their chefs’ recipes if you ask nicely), and if/when I do I will most definitely share it.

The reason we were here enjoying all these mouse-shaped treats? Food Blog Forum. This is the 3rd time Walt Disney World has hosted us for this event, and somehow, each time, they manage to outdo themselves. Honestly, I am still in awe. I feel so incredibly fortunate to have been a part of it.

FBF Orlando 2015 at Disney's Contemporary Resort

Sure, we had plenty of time to play (and eat) in the parks. But the meat of the conference took place right here, in a conference room in Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Despite the fact I’ve been blogging for 8 years, I still always manage to come home with some new tidbit of information, and this year was no exception.

(Photo credit Guy Michelier)

(Photo credit Guy Michelier)

For lunch, Disney whisked us away to a secret location on the 15th floor of the Contemporary Resort: the California Grill, where Disney chefs from all over the park had gathered to prepare an amazing lunch just for us (the restaurant isn’t even open for lunch normally, so we really got the VIP treatment). To say it was incredible would be an understatement. The food simply blew me away.

Delicious Disney Lunch at the California Grill

From the Roasted Baby Beet salad to the Braised Pork Belly with Goat Cheese Polenta, the Spicy Tuna Tartare with Lotus Root Chips (pictured, left) to the Local Wild Ocean Shrimp with Seafood Risotto (possibly my favorite dish, if I HAD to choose), every dish was superb. And that Chocolate Pudding Cake (pictured, right)? To die for. I wanted to eat an entire bowl of those little hazelnut meringues, and that was just the garnish.

Walt Disney World Chefs

(Photo credit Guy Michelier)

Apparently it is quite a rare occurrence for this many Disney chefs to be together in one place (did I mention they really pulled out all the stops for us? Because they did). And by the looks of it, the chefs seemed to enjoy it just as much as we did.

This year the event spanned 3 days, with a built in free day to play in the parks with our new friends.

And play we did.

Room with a View, Walt Disney World

Let me just say, I don’t do roller coasters. A traumatic experience as a child on the Matterhorn pretty much scarred me for life, and I haven’t been on a roller coaster since.

Until now.

Lured by a fast pass to skip the 90+ minute line at the new Seven Dwarfs ride and just a wee bit of peer pressure from my husband, and I somehow found myself sitting in the back of a mine cart.

So happy to be on the Seven Dwarfs roller coaster at Disney.

My face says it all.

First roller coaster ride in 20 years… and very likely the last.

Thunder Mountain Roller Coaster

I chose to stand on the sidelines and take pictures of this one. I promise, it’s really moving a lot faster than it might seem.

Delicious Disney Scavenger Hunt

Disney also created a unique experience just for us: a “Delicious Disney” scavenger hunt, with clues from all 4 parks and chances to earn bonus points for snapping and submitting photos. While as an organizer I was not qualified to win the grand prize, I still had fun solving the clues nonetheless (above: Taylor with Ariel’s father beside the only place in the Magic Kingdom where you can find shaved ice). Susannah and I even tag-teamed an ‘around the world’ journey at Epcot, gathering all 10 clues and visiting 10 countries in about 30 minutes. And we didn’t even have a hot air balloon.

Epcot & Moon

The evening ended in France (in Epcot’s world showcase, of course) at Chefs de France restaurant where Julie had made reservations for us and 14 other food blogger friends.

Part way through dinner, as we heard the waiters singing joyeux anniversaire to a table nearby, I leaned over and whispered to Julie that “she better not get any ideas.” I’m not a make-a-scene kind of person, and a public serenade in a busy restaurant is not how I want to celebrate my birthday.

I should have known something was up right from the beginning.

Surprise! Happy Birthday to Me!

Little did I know that Julie had it all planned. Knowing my 30th birthday fell a few days later, she had secretly (in cahoots with my husband, I might add) arranged for a cake to be brought out in an all-out public spectacle. I’m sure I turned beet red as they brought out the (MASSIVE!) birthday cake, singing en Francais all the way. Embarrassment aside, I ultimately forgave her because she is my best friend, and, well, because that cake was so fan-freaking-tastic, how could I not? Layers of chocolate love will right any wrongs.

Julie, you sneaky, sneaky girl, I love you dearly but if you ever pull something like that again, well…

Visit Orlando Brunch at East End Market

Our final farewell saw us across town to the amazing East End Market, where Visit Orlando treated us to yet another feast, featuring chefs and dishes from local Orlando restaurants. I have to say, I never really thought of Orlando as a foodie town, but the dishes I tried here sure changed my mind. I’m looking forward to our next trip down there just to go back to some of these restaurants.

Earl Gray Tea Cake

Finally, I couldn’t talk about this event without extending a huge thank you to our wonderful sponsors, without whom this event simply would not have happened: Walt Disney World, Visit Orlando, Four Seasons Resort, Orlando, KitchenAid, Florida Dairy Farmers, OXO, and Sabra. Thank you all!

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18 Comments

  1. Beautiful trip ;)

  2. Oh man, a hot air balloon would have been so helpful. Or a broom. Or a magic carpet. Or a bicycle! Still, it was the most fun. I enjoyed getting to know you better at WDW! Thanks for all your hard work. I look forward to next year! Let me know if I can help. :) 

  3. Walt Disney World is one of my favorite place and the food over there is so tasty.
    1. It’s huge. Like, city-huge
    2. They cut a lot of checks
    3.It can operate as a Sunglass
    4.Hut Talkin’ turkey
    5.It’s sustainable!

  4. I hope it happens again next year. By then I’ll be in driving distance of WDW and would love to finally be able to go!

  5. Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into this event! This was my first time attending and there were SO many fun things to do! I hope to attend again!

  6. Oooohh the macaroons!! Everything definitely looks better when mouse-shaped! I will have to test if it is the same with the taste!! :)
    x Motte

  7. It was such a great conference – thanks for everything you did to help make it possible! I can’t wait to eagerly refresh my computer browser and have my fingers crossed next time in hopes of getting a ticket!

    Also, it was very nice meeting you in person!!

  8. Being a huge Disney fan, especially of the food there, not at all suprised about your experience! They really do a fabulous job! As for the roller coaster, if I could I would get on every coaster I see, but neck issues don’t allow. The 7DMT (7 Dwarves Mine Train) is so tame and easy, I can go on that one. I encourage you to keep trying it, as my 5 year old granddaughter once said about the Haunted Mansion “I want to go on it until I’m not afraid anymore”. If she can do it, so can you! But stay away from the other Disney coasters until you can do 7DMT with a smile. Then try the BTMR (Big Thunder Mountain Railroad). Once you can do that one with a smile, you can safely go to Expedition Everest (EE) and Rock N Roller Coaster (RNRC). But Space Mountain…..ick, stay away.

  9. I was so sad I couldn’t go this year, but I hope I can go next year! Love all the mouse shaped goodies!

  10. I love this! It looks like you had a wonderful time… and that cupcake! omg! 

  11. It truly was an amazing weekend! So happy to have been a part of it! And I’m proud of you for getting on that roller coaster! I’m not a huge fan of them myself and had a similar experience when I was talked into riding Expedition Everest!

  12. Looks like a great trip! I am with you on the roller coasters, but actually enjoyed the runaway mine train!  It is my speed and your expression in that photo is priceless!
    Thank you for sharing your adventures.

  13. How do you get invited to events like these? My friend and I just started out in the blogging world in September of 2014 and we are looking to start getting involved in blogger events! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated :) 

    Your Friends at Two A Beautiful Life

  14. It looks like you had a fabulous time! It’s Disney World though, so how could you not. :) I would have loved to attend the Food Blog Forum…maybe next year.

  15. Argh, if only Ben and I had turned to face the camera!!! LOL Such a fun trip, we really had the best Disney experience EVER. Thank you so much for all your hard work coordinating the event! I would love to help with the next one if you all need an extra set of hands! :)

  16. What a fun trip! I have been wanting to attend FBF – you guys do such a great job putting it on! 

  17. I was on the wait list for this and actually was invited, but wasn’t able to make it on such short notice. Can’t wait to go next year! I went to the forum in Nashville and the first one in Disney (under a different blog) and had such great experiences at both. Apart from the awesome conference, the highlight of the Disney trip was taking two of my friends who had never been to Disney before with their young sons. Memories of a lifetime!

  18. What a fun trip! I’m just a newbie blogger, still learning the ins and outs of everything.  I’m so eager to go to a conference and learn more, would this be a good fit for a new blogger like me? 

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