Extinct tastes from around "The World"

With the arrival of Epcot's Food and Wine Festival, guests of World Showcase are being treated to all sorts of delicious taste sensations from around the world.

I have been down to this event on a number of occasions, and have actually taken a trip around World Showcase already this Fall. As I was perusing some of the literature on this event and was looking forward to sampling foods from around the world, I began to think about some of the "Lost Dining Treasures" from around Walt Disney World.

While there are many restaurants that have since moved on and disappeared, in this article I will focus more on the smaller samplings that were available, and have since move on into "extinction". I do realize, that some of these treats may still be available at other locations...but once they left The World, it was like they would never be the same anywhere else!


Starting out with a favorite of my entire family...The Beavertail.

This tasty treat was available in EPCOT, at kiosk outside of the Canada Pavillion.



A fried pastry, it was available sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, covered with apples and cinnamon or strawberries with whipped cream, with hazelnuts and chocolate or drenched in Maple and Chocolate topping (my personal prefered method).




It was tasty and beloved...pair it up with a hot cup of coffee on a cool winters evening and all you needed to add was a choice viewing spot for IllumiNations!!!

My brothers and I were crushed when we discovered the kiosk was no longer being used for dispensing this yummy goodness...but such can be life at Walt Disney World!

Another wonderful, "extinct" taste sensation was available over at the Boardwalk Resort area...Crepe on a Stick.

This taste sensation could appease the sweet-toothed traveler or those in search of something savory.

Available in a number of toppings, including fresh strawberry and powdered sugar, apple and cinnamon-spice, Swiss milk chocolate, banana and cinnamon sugar, smoked turkey and cheddar or ham and cheese, this delight was always a hit with our group.


I remember one particular trip where my brother and cousin must have eaten over 4o of those bad boys between the two of them.


The last of the extinct treats I want to bring back was actually less about the treat and more about the container.

Available at the Sunshine Tree Terrace, the Orange juice Oranges were a staple of each and every visit we made to the Magic Kingdom.



While it was just "regular, old orange juice", the plastic orange with the green leaf/straw top was a major hit with us as kids.

We would drink it several times on every visit and would continue to enjoy drink our juice, as well as just about any other beverage we consumed, in these little gems for some time after the trip when we returned home.

I wish I still had one of those containers, but alas, they were strictly utilitarian to us as kids and we used them until the were no longer suitable to hold liquids.

Since I can't seem to get my hands on any pics of the orange juice containers, I figured I would just throw up a pic of The Orange Bird himself...besides, who doesn't love this guy???




These are but a few of MY old favorites, I am sure that there are many more out there, that you all can remember. If there is anything you can think of from your trips to The World back in the day, PLEASE be sure to drop me a note and let me know...nothing better than exploring the past of our favorite, magical place, together!


~Tony

Extinct Attractions: A Childhood Favorite.

When it comes to extinct attractions, there are a few that pass quietly into oblivion and then there are others that leave sadness and longing in their wake. One of the later, at least for me, was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

As a young boy, who grew up, not only as a frequent visitor to Walt Disney World, but also as a huge fan of Disney's Live Action films...20,000 Leagues was a favorite on many levels.

I remember the excitement of boarding the subs and completely buying into the "dive" as we desended down into the murky depths of the ocean. The fish looked fake, you could see the waters surface above, the ride itself was cramped, dank and damp and the "animatronics" were sketchy at best.....but to an 8 year old it was MAGICAL!!!

And, no matter who you were, the giant squid was AWESOME!!!!

The ride opened on October 14, 1971, just a few short weeks after the World itself.

The ride was "temporarily closed" for renovations on September 5, 1994, never to reopen again.

20K's run was offically halted in early 1996, when it was announced that it would not be re-opening.

Speculation as to why it was closed abounds to this day. Some say it was the high cost of maintanence, others claim that it lacked facilities to accomodate wheelchair bound guests.

Either way, and for what ever the reason, it is gone and will always be missed.

For those of you who think back fondly on this classic attraction, and for those who have never had the pleasure of riding, I have attached some video's below, which I found on YouTube and was produced by Bobaiken.

I have also included a couple of photos from Disney's Collection, that were just too good to leave out!!!

Take a look...and as always, I hope you enjoy the ride!

~Tony