If you’re going to be in the Disney World area the weekend of June 11-13, then there’s a unique event happening for your children that you should know about: progressive cooking classes for kids.
Tampabay.com and TheDisneyBlog.com reveal that on Saturday June 12, three restaurants at Downtown Disney will open their doors to children, age limit unspecified, for an afternoon of cooking classes. The executive chefs at Portobello, Wolfgang Puck’s Grand Cafe, and Fulton’s Crab House will lead the classes.
Starting at 11 a.m., kids move from one restaurant to another to receive cooking tips from masters in the trade. They’ll bake chocolate chip cookies, roll three different kinds of special kid-friendly sushi, and toss pizza as part of the interactive, hands-on experience. They’ll also receive their own chef hat and apron, pictures from the experience, and recipes to take home.
This is one of the coolest things I’ve ever heard of Disney doing. I loved helping my mom bake and cook when I was little, and I’m sure I would have enjoyed the opportunity to make things in a professional kitchen. I only wish I could join in on the fun.
It’s probably the kid in me that can’t quite get over the jealousy. There’s no way I’d be able to get cooking lessons from several executive chefs for such a low price (the day’s classes cost $36). But surely the parents can tag along with their kids.
So really this sounds like an ideal day for a foodie family: your kids get lessons from professional chefs, and you, at least, should get to tag along on the tour and watch the chefs in action. In addition, families receive a 20% discount on the cost of the class if they have lunch or dinner that day at one of the participating restaurants.
The only thing I find even the slightest bit disappointing is the sushi-making; kids are putting together different “sushi” using chicken fingers, Swedish fish, and gummy worms. I get that sushi isn’t a popular food with kids, and this isn’t the first time that the progressive cooking classes have been offered, so maybe the new menu was crafted from experience.
But one of the main benefits of these classes, and I’d think even one of the main reasons for their existence, is to teach children a love of cuisine. Couldn’t they let the kids try making (and I’m assuming then eating) at least one real sushi roll, even if the other two stay special candy ones?
Still, the progressive cooking classes sound like a fantastic experience for kids and part of a fun day for the family. If you’ll be in the area and you’re interested in signing your kids up, make your reservations ASAP as the spots will go fast. For more information and to make reservations, call 407-828-8996.
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