How Disney Parks Celebrate Black History Month

Disney is always finding new ways to appeal to our palates. The International Festival of the Arts at EPCOT features booths with special food items scattered throughout the park. The annual Food & Wine Festival showcases cuisine from a broad array of countries. And currently, in honor of Black History Month, Disney is running Celebrate Soulfully at its parks in both Florida and California, an event that encompasses music, artwork, and, of course, lots of good food.

The Disney Parks Blog released a detailed breakdown of the various foods that are available throughout the Disney Parks as part of Celebrate Soulfully. They range from snacks, desserts, and drinks to full-on entrees, and pretty much all of them look delicious.

When you're within the world of Disney, the line between snack and dessert gets a bit blurred. Would I usually consider a personal-sized multi-layer cake a dessert to be savored slowly and preciously? Yes. Am I about to eat it as casually as if it were a doughnut hole while standing on the curb in the Magic Kingdom? Also yes.

In fact, most of the "snacks" on the master list of Celebrate Soulfully foods appear to be decadent desserts. Here are just a few of the items on offer:

• A bananas foster shake at Auntie Gravities Galactic Goodies at the Magic Kingdom
• Banana Pudding Cheesecake at Disney's All-Star Resorts: according to the Disney Parks Blog, this treat was dreamt up by Assistant Sous Chef Jenell Wright, who was inspired by her Jamaican roots and a love she discovered for banana pudding while living in the US.
• Beignets at Scat Cat's Club at Disney's Port Orleans Resort and at Golden Oak Outpost the Magic Kingdom

Although alcoholic beverages aren't available everywhere in the Disney Parks, they are available in some settings and at most of the resorts, and the whole of the Disney experience boasts some famously delicious cocktails (as well as some wildly expensive ones).

Notably, the list of Celebrate Soulfully foods includes some cocktails that incorporate spirits and wine from Black-owned businesses.

• The Ginger Whiskey, featuring Uncle Nearest 1856 Whiskey, a Black- and woman-owned business, at Tiffins Restaurant in Disney's Animal Kingdom
• Black Girl Magic Float, featuring Black Girl Magic wine from the McBride Sisters Wine Company, at Vivoli il Gelato in Disney Springs
• The Golden Soul, featuring Uncle Nearest 1884, ginger liqueur, creme de cassis, lime juice, and raspberries at the GCH Crafastman Bar, Hearthstone Lounge, and Storytellers Cafe in Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa

Okay, I'm not going to lie—it's the entrees that really had me jealous of anyone who makes it to a Disney Park while these limited-time foods are available. Entrees currently available include:

• Country Fried Pork Steak with Herbed Gravy, served with fried cabbage sautéed with smoked sausage and roasted marble potato salad, available at multiple resorts including Disney's All Star Resorts, Disney's Port Orleans Resort, Disney's Art of Animation Resort, and Disney's Carribbean Beach Resorts
• Chicken and Andoullie Gumbo at the Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom
• Fried Green Tomato BLT Sandwich at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe in Magic Kingdom
• Shrimp and Grits at Tiffins Restaurant in Disney's Animal Kingdom
• Griot and Pikliz at Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar in Disney Springs

In writing about Celebrate Soulfully, the Disney Parks Blog includes some of the stories about how these dishes were developed. For example, the Griot and Pikliz at Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar in Disney Springs was the work of culinary cast member Daphnee Vilma Dorcelian, who was inspired by griot, a Haitian dish featuring fried pork, and pikliz, a pickled cabbage slaw served alongside it. (Disney also has a separate webpage dedicated to the Celebrate Soulfully menu and the culinary artists who created it.)

Most of the foods listed that have debuted as part of the Celebrate Soulfully event will be available for the month of February, though some will stick around through the end of March. Looking at the list (and my calendar, which does not have an imminent Disney trip on it), I really hope that some of these dishes are popular enough that Disney decides to keep them and make them part of the permanent Disney food ecosystem. After all, they're all inspired by, and reflective of, a crucial part of America's cultural landscape.