Review: Landscape of Flavors

Review: Landscape of Flavors

Resort dining at Walt Disney World Resorts is sensational, to say the least. From the upscale dining endeavors to the simple quick service joints, Disney resort dining continues to grow and expand, exploring the many themes, cultures, and flavors Disney stories have to offer. And following that exploration, Disney’s new Art of Animation Resort houses one of the most innovative culinary masterpieces yet: Landscape of Flavors.

At first glance, Landscape of Flavors may look like little more than a cafeteria of Disney style dishes, but upon closer inspection, you’ll find some dishes and options that are unique to the Art of Animation Resort. Not only does it introduce tandoori-style cooking to the Disney kitchens, but it allows the guests to choose more than just a simple dish. They can create one.

This reviewer has visited the premises on multiple occasions and enjoyed many dishes on the menu. Frankly, you cannot go wrong. Upon this journey, we arrived through the main gift shop, which is outfitted with many of the retail goods you’d find on Main Street at Magic Kingdom, but also offers some Art of Animation specific gifts that celebrate animation and its role in making Disney what it is today. The facilities of the resort are vast and offer many things other resorts don’t, due to the fact that it is the newest among Disney resorts. The same goes for its food.

Strolling through the Pride Lands and Route 66, we made our way to the plaza, ripe with choices and delicious smells. The Surf and Surf Burger brought back memories of a soft crab cake topped in crunchy popcorn shrimp with a spread of Cajun remoulade on the bun. However, the Tandoori Portuguese Sausage had our taste buds tingling for fresh Naan bread and acorn squash. But in the end, it was something new and seemingly very popular that caught our eyes: Create Your Own Pasta.

With a variety of sauces to choose from, a plethora of vegetables, a choice of pasta, and 3 delicious proteins, it is impossible to be disappointed with a Create Your Own Pasta, because, let’s face it, you are designing it. After you rattle off all the ingredients you want, the cast member behind the counter whisks it away to the cook, who stands behind a glass window just in front of you. He or she prepares it before your eyes, tossing it and serving it as if it were part of a show, just for you. And is comes out hot, fresh, and utterly delicious.

We augmented our pasta with a side serving of house chips, cut and seasoned in the kitchen, and we immediately dove into it all. Surrounding ourselves with the canyons and cactuses of Route 66, it took half a minute for us to devour all our food. The pasta was cooked to perfection and the mushrooms, shrimp, garlic, and broccoli we had chosen as our additions exploded with flavor as it all came together just as we had hoped. Our only wish was to have a bigger stomach so we could eat more.

The menu as a whole has far too much to cover in one review, but in short, this cafeteria-style quick service restaurant is broken down into Soups and Salads, Tandoori, Italian Pizza and Pasta, Burgers and Sandwiches, and Desserts. So, stroll the whole area before you make your decision. Also, note that breakfast is far different, and as a resort guest, chances are you will be enjoying such a breakfast. Whatever you do, do not pass up a Breakfast Sandwich of scrambled eggs and slab bacon wrapped in a soft piece of Naan bread drizzled in cheese sauce. Any breakfast after will be subpar.

Needless to say, Landscape of Flavors is just that: a full, all-encompassing landscape of magnificent tastes and flavors. If you are staying at the Art of Animation resort, or just prefer resort dining over park dining, do not pass up on a chance to eat here. Let your taste buds roams the Landscape of Flavors.