Blog

We ate a light lunch at home because we wanted to save room for all the chocolate samples included in today’s adventure.

That’s right. We said chocolate.

Our destination was the Chocolate Museum and Café, also known as the World of Chocolate (www.wocorlando.com), located in Orlando’s tourist district. We found it without any trouble, parked the car, and headed inside.

We were handed our tickets and told to wait a few minutes for our tour to begin.

Ahhh… chocolate. The decadent dream was everywhere, in all sorts of shapes and varieties. And if you’re wondering about the raspberry chocolate, hang tight. That’s one of the samples waiting for you at the end of the tour. Tours run hourly, so there’s time to grab a chocolate snack while you wait. You know, just to get you in the mood.

At the appointed hour, we gathered near the museum entrance, where Dave, our docent (fancy talk for tour guide), collected our tickets. The first room featured chocolate wrappers from around the world, displayed across all four walls. After a few groan-worthy jokes from Dave, we moved on to a room filled with large chocolate-making machines.

Then came one of the highlights of the tour: famous landmarks made entirely of chocolate.

We saw the Taj Mahal in white chocolate, the Eiffel Tower, Mount Rushmore, and the Great Wall of China, all recreated in chocolate glory. There were also chocolate busts of famous people. It was a lot to take in, and Dave gave everyone time to wander around and admire the displays at their own pace.

My advice? Have your camera ready. You’re bound to find a favorite chocolate creation, and you’ll want a photo to remember it. My favorite was a Mexican temple. Naturally, I took pictures.

Finally, it was time for the chocolate samples. Unfortunately, this part of the tour was a bit underwhelming. The individual samples were about the size of a Chiclet, at best. I was expecting something a little more substantial, especially at a museum devoted to chocolate!  So much for eating a light lunch.

Still, it was interesting to hear Dave talk about the different varieties of chocolate and where they originated. We also got to sample some hot chocolate, which was a nice touch.

All told, the tour lasted about 45 minutes. Afterward, we enjoyed the chocolate fondue, served with pretzels, bananas, strawberries, and marshmallows for dipping. Now that was more like it!

With my chocolate craving somewhat satisfied, it was time to move on to another brewery and put our PubPass to work. Beer always tastes better when it’s cold and BOGO.

Our destination was Rogue Pub, about 30 minutes up the road on our way home. They had a good selection of beers. I ordered the Ayinger Oktoberfest Märzen, while Bob tried the Left Hand Oktoberfest Märzen. I preferred mine, but both were yummy.

I found Rogue Pub to be a quirky place. We settled in at the bar and looked around. It wasn’t crowded; it was just us and another couple sitting a little way down the bar. They were engrossed in a private conversation and clearly weren’t interested in chatting with us.

Then there was the bartender.

She kept disappearing into the kitchen, leaving us waiting for her to return. No, she wasn’t bringing out food or serving tables. She would simply disappear.

This puzzled me. Aren’t bartenders famous for chatting up their customers? I was disappointed by the lack of bar banter because, to me, that’s part of the experience. A good conversation can be just as enjoyable as a good beer.

But hey, they had a nice selection, and we were getting BOGO beer with our PubPass. I suppose I can’t complain too loudly.

So, do I recommend the Chocolate Museum?

No, I don’t.

To me, it felt like a tourist trap, with the price of admission buying you a relatively short tour and some very tiny chocolate samples. You can’t simply wander through the museum on your own; you have to pay for the guided tour. And while the chocolate sculptures were impressive, the overall experience just wasn’t worth the time and money for me.

The chocolate shop does have some interesting offerings, though. Some of the flavors, including raspberry, are unusual and tempting. If you’re a serious chocolate enthusiast, you might find something worth bringing home. Just don’t expect to leave swimming in chocolate.

As for Rogue Pub, it would take another BOGO offer to get me back through the door. And if I did return, I’d order one of their Märzens.

After all, the beer was good. The conversation? Not so much.

Adventure rating:  3

Crowd level:  Moderate

Worth the drive:  No

Hidden gem score:  8

Family friendly:  Yes

Time needed:  The tour is approximately 45-minutes, and begin at the top of the hour

Tips before you go:  Try to arrive 15-20 minutes before the hour, which gives you ample time to browse the array of chocolate for sale