Once upon a time, if you wanted to get away from the crowds
at the Magic Kingdom, you hopped on a bus and then headed over to the Lake
Buena Vista Village. Where – if you could find a seat by the window – you could then
kick back a cocktail or two at Cap’n Jacks Oyster Bar and watch the sun set
over Buena Vista Lagoon.
Photo by Jeff Lange
Of course, that was long before this part of the WDW Resort
became known as the Downtown Disney Marketplace. In the 34+ years that this waterfront
retail & dining district has been in existence, it’s had a number of
names: The Walt Disney World Village
& the Disney Village Marketplace, to name just a few.
To keep the customers coming, you have to reinvent yourself
every now and then. Such is the case with Cap’n Jacks. Which dropped oysters
from its name as well as its menu back in February of 2000. Becoming plain-old
Cap’n Jacks Restaurant in the process.
Photo by Jeff Lange
The only problem was … Once the oysters got shucked, Cap’n
Jacks Restaurant acquired a perhaps-unfair reputation for having spectacular
views and pretty mediocre food. Well, all of that changed last month when the
Food & Beverage folks at Walt Disney World keelhauled the menu at Cap’n Jacks.
Take a look at what this Downtown Disney Marketplace eatery is offering now.
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That’s what great about the WDW Resort. The crew that’s
running the Mouse House these days understands that – while returning Guests
long to recreate favorite experiences from vacations past – they also like to
find something new on the menu. Discover some great new bar or restaurant while
they’re out exploring the parks.
And based what on what I’ve been hearing about La Cava del
Tequila …
Photo by Jeff Lange
… Epcot visitors are just loving this just-opened addition to the World
Showcase’s Mexico Pavilion.
Photo by Jeff Lange
Mind you, it’s not just those 70 types of authentic tequila
that people are responding to. It’s that Disney – with its usual attention to
detail — has created this little
hidden-away space that through artwork …
Photo by Jeff Lange
… and original artifacts …
Photo by Jeff Lange
… celebrates the heritage & tradition of tequila making in
Mexico.
Of course, given that this new
bar is located inside of Epcot (i.e. WDW’s science & discovery theme park),
the menu tells you the whole story of how tequila is made. So you can actually
learn something as you order up a few tapas-style snacks (EX: fresh guacamole
and home-fried corn chips) to go with your drinks.
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Given that La Cava del Tequila is Epcot’s newest addition (the place literally opened for business last weekend),
you can expect this bar / eatery to get a big push toward the end of this month when the
International Food & Wine Festival gets underway on September 25th.
Photo by Jeff Lange
Presented by Vanity Fair, this annual culinary adventure celebrates food &
drink from around the globe. This time
around, Epcot visitors will be able to sample fare from places as far off as
Rio de Janeiro and Bangkok. They’ll also be able to groove to world-class
performers like Richard Marx & Billy Ocean.
I know, I know. Some folks squawk when Disney tampers with
its award-winning assortment of hotels, theme parks & restaurants. They long for the way that things used to be. But me? I think that it’s great that the Mouse makes an effort to keep things fresh. That Mickey strives to vary the menu.
Of course, if you have trouble sorting through all those
choices when it comes to getting the most out of a Walt Disney World vacation,
the travel professionals at Mouseketrips are always ready to lend a
three-fingered hand.