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by Kevin Klose - June
2004
We recently spent some time at the Coronado Springs
Resort attending a
Disney Pin Event. The event, which was great fun, was
held from 11:00am
- 6:00pm in one of the ballrooms at the Resort. Half
way through the day, we
became very hungry, as pin trading is hard work. One
member of
our party was dispatched to the food court to find something
to eat.
Being focused on the event and the folks we were talking
and trading
with, food was a necessary afterthought. With these factors,
we were not
expecting much from lunch, just something to hold us
until our dinner at
the Animal Kingdom. Also, being Disney regulars, we were
not expecting
much from a resort food court.
I can say, with enthusiasm, that the food that was brought
back to the
ballroom was a total departure from what I expected.
Upon opening the
styrofoam take out containers (and expecting the typical
mediocre
burger and cold hard fries) I was surprised to find hot,
fresh and tasty
food. Our selection consisted of Roast Pork with Peanut
Ginger Sauce,
Spicy Kung Bao Chicken, an egg roll and Fire Roasted
Mixed Veggies. The
Pork was tender and accompanied by a delicious Ginger
Peanut gravy (ask
for some extra.....it's that good). The Kung Bao Chicken
earned it's
description. It was very, very spicy and we were happy
to have the white
rice to temper it's intense flavor. The egg roll is among
the best I
have ever had. It was warm, tender and flavorful. The
biggest surprise
came from the flame grilled veggies. These were not something
I expected
to find in a food court. There was grilled eggplant,
yellow squash,
zucchini, onions and red and yellow peppers. The flavor
was incredible.
The aroma was so good that people sitting at neighboring
tables came to ask
what we were eating and where they could get some. While
the food was
delicious, the people and activities happening at the
event took our
attention and we didn't think about the great lunch again
that day.
We now jump ahead a few weeks. As central Florida residents,
we should
have expected the late afternoon thunderstorms. Our plans
to use our new
grill to make dinner were cut short by one of the brief,
but intense
summer storms. We were trying to decide where to go for
dinner and not
having much luck. We had the problem of everyone wanting
something
different, compounded by the fact that none of the "regular" places
sounded appealing. It was decided that we would head
for Disney and
decide as we got closer. We love Wolfgang Puck's and
the Earl of
Sandwich, but not tonight. After mentally working our
way around the
area, we remembered the great food we had at the Coronado
Springs Resort
and decided to go there. It was a an inspired decision.
Having only had "take-out", dining in the
food court was a new
experience for me. Being a veteran Disney diner, I believed
that I have
had everything Disney offered. Again, I was pleasantly
surprised to find
a new experience. Upon arrival at the Pepper Market,
we were greeted by
a hostess. The Pepper Market works differently than the
other places I
have been. You are greeted and shown to your table. You
are given a menu
that lists all of the many things available. You are
also given a card
filled with empty squares. You are invited to walk through
the "Marketplace" stations
to see what is available and what looks
appealing. As you make your decisions and place your
orders, your card
is stamped with what you have ordered. This system allows
you to order
everything at once or to order at your own pace. Each
person gets
his/her own card.
There is a wide variety of choices available. I was
there at dinner, but saw
signs listing breakfast choices as well. Some of the
dinner stations were
Mexican, stir fry, Asian, pizza and pasta, a grill
offering burgers, steaks and chicken, a sandwich area,
a soup area and
place just for kids. This is a large, open area and a
great choice when
everyone in your party has a taste for something different.
I'd like to tell you I was adventurous and tried something
completely
different, but remembering the great lunch from before,
I went back for
the exact same thing. I went right for the Asian station
and ordered the
Combo dinner. For $15.95, you have your choice of any
two of the
following, roasted pork w/peanut sauce, bourbon chicken,
Kung Bao
chicken or stir fry beef. This comes with white rice
or noodles and an
egg roll. I also went back to the grill area and got
another order of
the grilled veggies. A very large order (big enough for
2 or 3) was
$2.50. The other member of the party decided that Mexican
was the way to
go. He ordered a HUGE taco salad. This portion was more
than ample and
consisted of beef, tomatoes, cheese, guacamole and onions
on a bed of
shredded lettuce. It was all served in a tortilla bowl.
All ingredients
were fresh and flavorful. The Mexican station had a condiment
bar with
excellent salsa and a wonderful relish consisting of
corn, onions and
black beans. This was self serve and unlimited. We also
order two soft
drinks at the drink station. When we arrived back at
our table, one of
the great cast members came and took our cups and got
our drinks for us.
Soft drinks, tea and coffee are self serve, but the cast
members seemed to
be helping everyone get, at the very least, their first
drinks.
After eating until we thought we would burst, it was
time to go. Again,
paying is a different experience. Upon departure, a cashier
asks for all the
stamped card(s). The items are tallied and you are
given a total. This makes the issue of separate checks
non-existent when
dining with a larger party. Dinner for two of us was
about $30.00. While
we could have gone somewhere else for less, the opportunity
to pick and
choose what we each wanted and experience that good old
Disney magic
made this a great value in our eyes. We got to be tourists
for a night
and still only be 20 minutes from home. That's fun in
my opinion.
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