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The Selfish Years

~ Over 200 cities, 42 countries, 6 continents and counting.

The Selfish Years

Tag Archives: Orlando

Not Just the Mouse: Eating Orlando

03 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by misterselfish in Florida, Food & Drinks, North America, Orlando, United States

≈ 1 Comment

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Bluebird Bakeshop, Cask and Larder, Enzian, Lechonera El Barrio, Orlando, Ravenous Pig, Selfish Year, Selfish Years

Mrs. Selfish and I lived in Orlando, Florida for 8 years before we left on our Selfish Year. We both moved there for work, and somewhat reluctantly stayed after getting a house. Orlando was in many ways a place we were forced to live, not a place we wanted to live.

That being said, 8 months later when we were drinking cocktails in Beijing with an awesome view of the Forbidden City, we actually found ourselves missing Orlando!

So we decided to go back.

Back to Epcot, to drink our way around the world. Back to Orlando, to visit friends. Back to Winter Park, to eat.

 

The Ravenous Pig: Gastropub Goodness

Orlando - Food 001

Located at 1234 N. Orange Ave. in Winter Park, the Ravenous Pig was probably the first good restaurant we ate at in the Orlando area. Opened in 2007, the Pig has won numerous awards, and was a semifinalist for the James Beard Awards in 2011 and 2012!

They have a great selection of wines and microbrews with a menu that changes weekly. Lunch typically runs from $10 – $18 for most orders, and dinner comes in at closer to $18 – $30.

Mrs. Selfish and I have probably eaten at the Ravenous Pig over a dozen times, and we’ve never had a disappointing meal. This time around I ordered their fried chicken sandwich, and Mrs. Selfish ordered the shrimp and grits.

The fried chicken sandwich was perfectly cooked: tender, crispy, slightly crunchy, yet still moist. The hot & sour sauce had a nice BBQ as well. The shrimp and grits were spicy, savory, and overall satisfying. I was glad we went back!

 

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The Most Visited Theme Park in the World: Disney’s Magic Kingdom

02 Monday Sep 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Disney, Florida, North America, Orlando, United States

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Disney, Disney World, Florida, Magic Kingdom, Monster Inc. Laugh Floor, North America, Orlando, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Stitch's Great Escape, United States

In 2004, Mr. Selfish and I moved to Florida and purchased Disney annual passes. I started my law firm job right after Labor Day in September, and that week, the firm closed for a couple of days due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Ivan. Instead of preparing our apartment for the hurricane, we decided to go to Magic Kingdom. It was amazing because there was hardly anyone there. None of the rides had lines (other than Peter Pan, which always inexplicably has a line). We rode everything two or three times each. It was the best day at Magic Kingdom ever.

Mr. Selfish and I always talk about that one amazing hurricane day at Magic Kingdom, because every other time we’ve been, it is crazy crowded. Even though Magic Kingdom is usually packed, it is still a great park. It is what you think of when you think of Disney.

Magic 04Magic 02Magic 03Magic 05

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Star Struck at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

01 Sunday Sep 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Disney, Florida, North America, Orlando, United States

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Disney, Disney World, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Florida, Hollywood Studios, Muppet*Vision 3D, North America, Orlando, Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, The Great Movie Ride, Tower of Terror, United States

Hollywood Studios is dedicated to the heyday of Hollywood during the 1930’s and 1940’s. Mr. Selfish and I enjoy walking around the fake sets and posing for photos.

Hollywood 01Studios

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Going Wild at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

31 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Disney, Florida, North America, Orlando, United States

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Animal Kingdom, Dinosaur, Disney, Disney World, Expedition Everest, Florida, Kilimanjaro Safaris, North America, Orlando, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Tree of Life, United States

Since we lived in Orlando for eight years, Mr. Selfish and I oftentimes had annual Disney passes. Not only do we love the Disney parks, but our friends and family who visited undoubtedly wanted to go to Disney.

Even though we’ve been to the Disney World parks dozens of times, I never took that many photos since I was always figured I would go back. With the exception of Epcot, which we re-visited during our selfish year, I don’t have that many photos of the other three Disney World parks. So here’s my disclaimer: these next three posts on Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom will not have as many photos as my other Disney posts.

Although I don’t have the photos to do it justice, I feel that Animal Kingdom is the best designed Disney park. Not only does it never feel crowded (despite being the 7th most visited park in the world), the foliage and ambiance are on point.

Animal Kingdom 01

The center of the park is the Tree of Life, which is an artificial tree that is 145 feet tall and 50 feet wide.

Animal Kingdom 02TreeAnimal Kingdom 06

We love walking around the Tree of Life. In particular, we enjoy seeing the two red parrots that are always screeching at one another in a loving way.

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Enjoying the Festivals and Rides at Disney’s Epcot

30 Friday Aug 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Disney, Florida, Food & Drinks, North America, Orlando, United States

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Disney, Disney World, Epcot, Finding Nemo, Florida, North America, Orlando, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, Soarin', Spaceship Earth, Test Track, The Living Seas International Flower and Garden Festival, Turtle Talk with Crush, United States

Yesterday, I went over how much me and Mr. Selfish love the World Showcase at Epcot. Even aside from the World Showcase, Epcot is a very enjoyable park.

International Flower and Garden Festival

We love all of the different festivals that occur at Epcot, such as the International Flower and Garden Festival. This annual festival usually occurs between March and May. It’s fun to see what Disney has dreamed up in plant form each year.

Epcot 01Tinker and AuroraEpcot 54Epcot 57ParisEpcot 58Epcot 61

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Drinking Around the World Showcase at Disney’s Epcot

29 Thursday Aug 2013

Posted by mrsselfish in Disney, Florida, Food & Drinks, North America, Orlando, United States

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Disney, Disney World, Epcot, Florida, North America, Orlando, Selfish Year, Selfish Years, United States, World Showcase

Before our selfish year trip, Disney’s Epcot was definitely our favorite Disney park. Now, it’s a tossup between Epcot and DisneySea in Tokyo for me. I need to visit DisneySea a few times to make that decision considering that we’ve been to Epcot probably dozens of times.

When we visited Orlando recently, we decided to stop by Epcot for old time’s sake. We love Epcot mostly due to the World Showcase, which is a permanent world’s fair containing 11 pavilions each representing a different country. The pavilions are all around a man-made lake that has a perimeter of 1.2 miles.

Epcot 02Epcot 03Epcot 05

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Flashback Friday – Our Orange Tree in Florida

14 Friday Dec 2012

Posted by mrsselfish in Flashback, Food & Drinks, North America

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Flashback, Florida, Orange Juice, Orange Tree, Oranges, Orlando, Winter Park

Prior to leaving on our selfish year, Mr. Selfish and I moved out of house in Winter Park, Florida and rented it for a year. We had an orange tree in the backyard that would produce dozens of oranges during November and December. We would harvest the oranges and make delicious, sweet orange juice every year.

Unfortunately, we just heard word that our orange tree has died and needs to be taken down. We loved that orange tree, and it was one of the things I really missed about having a home in Florida – fresh orange juice. This flashback post is dedicated to our orange tree.

DSC03419 DSC03418 DSC03415

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Who’s Selfish?

Mr. and Mrs. Selfish are an obsessively organized couple who sold all their junk to travel abroad for a year. Now settled in San Francisco, they have since visited over 200 cities in 44 countries over 6 continents. This site chronicles their travels.

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