Archive for the ‘Disney Dining’ Category

If you’re visiting at the right time and looking for a change from the usual fast food fare, consider a stop at El Pirata y El Perico Restaurante, located in Aventureland at the Magic Kingdom.

Open seasonally, the limited menu features food with a Mexican twist including such favorites as burritos, tacos, and quesadillas, with meatless selections for vegetarians.  The pleasant ambiance continues the theming of the nearby Pirates of the Caribbean and offers covered open-air seating.

Generous portions and a nice toppings bar make this a great option for a quick-service lunch.   El Pirata y El Perico is open only during the busiest seasons, and the short hours, typically from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. require a bit of advance planning.

UPDATE:  As of February, 2011, this restaurant has been renamed “Tortuga Tavern!”

Across from the China pavilion in EPCOT’s World Showcase sits a small and charming building.  Its curvy tiled roof, brilliant red color, and fan-shaped sign reflect the traditions of the country, and it offers some unique beverage and snack options.

Few Americans realize that, next to water, tea is the world’s most popular drink, and China produces some exceptional teas.  Joy of Tea includes oolong, green, and jasmine, a floral-scented green tea, amongst its offerings.

When it’s warm, customers will appreciate the icy tea slushes and flavored iced teas; all featuring refreshing fruit flavors of peach, plum, mango, or strawberry.

A variety of hot teas, wine, beer, soft drinks, and specialty alcoholic beverages are also available.  Ice cream and a small selection of Asian-inspired snacks round out the menu.

Interesting news today regarding Le Cellier, one of the most popular restaurants at Walt Disney World:  beginning in March of 2011, those on the Disney Dining Plan will have to “fork” over two table service credits to enjoy dinner here as the evening meal becomes a Signature dining experience.  Lunch is currently slated to remain a one-point option.

It’s a picturesque stroll past flowing streams and bright flowers to the entrance of Le Cellier, located at the Canada Pavilion in EPCOT’s World Showcase.  Home of the famous Canadian cheddar cheese soup, pretzel bread, Canadian chocolate “moose,” and the ever-popular-but-soon-to-disappear one-credit steak dinner, Le Cellier has long been one of toughest reservations to obtain.

Review: I’m probably going to get bashed for this one, but I have never understood the popularity of this restaurant.  Yes, the food is decent and I do love it when the server steps up and says, “Hi, my name’s John and I’ll be your Canadian tonight.”  But the reasons for the effusive praises from thousands of guests elude me.  Of course, I don’t really “get” Dole Whips either (gasp) so I’m obviously not in step with the majority.

 

Le Cellier means cellar, or more kindly, wine cellar, and the interior evokes all the charm this word implies – dark, dreary, and windowless.  The tables are very crowded, often making it difficult to get in and out of chairs.  The servers, while pleasant and helpful, seem rushed and overwhelmed at times, which can translate to a less than relaxing meal for the diners.

 

Yes, the cheese soup and pretzel bread are both yummy, and the chocolate moose is one of the cutest things you’ll ever see on a plate.  Steaks, while perhaps not of the same quality as those found in high-end steakhouses, have been a bargain at only one table-service point.  For two points, look to Yachtsman at Disney’s Yacht Club for the best steak at a Disney restaurant, and save Le Cellier for lunch.

Menus

 

Lunch

Dinner

Dessert

 

Le Cellier

EPCOT, Canada Pavilion

Dinner 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The menu features fried chicken and barbequed ribs, but the comedy is pure corn at the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue.

The Pioneer Hall Players entertain the audience in the rustic Pioneer Hall, located at Disney’s Fort Wilderness.  It’s a wonderful recreation of an old-time dance hall with red velvet curtains, wooden walls, and “kerosene” lanterns. The six members of this talented troupe offer up lots of slapstick humor and silly banter which keep everyone laughing.  It’s a washboard-strummin’ good time for all ages, with song and dance, music and merriment.  A piano and banjo add to the folksy flavor.

Dinner is filling and fun, served family style from buckets and bowls, with plenty of refills.  Tossed salad and cornbread, mashed potatoes, corn-on-the-cob and baked beans, and strawberry shortcake served with verve, round out the meal which also includes a variety of beverages: soft drinks, juices, coffee and tea, milk and lemonade, as well as wine and beer.

Tickets are available for pick-up at the Lobby Concierge seven days prior to show date. Guests staying in suites and concierge-level accommodations can arrange for their tickets through the concierge staff.  Early pick-up allows guests to confirm seating times and learn of any changes in the check-in procedure.  Tickets may also be picked up at the show box office.  Plan to arrive at least 40 minutes before show time for box office pick-up.

Guests who are NOT on a dining plan are required to pay in full at the time of booking and must call 407-939-3463 (407-WDW-DINE) to cancel at least 48 hours prior to the reservation to avoid losing the deposit.   For guests using any of the Magic Your Way plans that include dining, the reservation is guaranteed with a credit card.  While not charged in advance, if they do not cancel and do not show up, the credit card will be charged for the full value of the tickets reserved.  The Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue uses two table-service credits.  Prices include tax and gratuity.

Boat transportation is available from the Magic Kingdom to Ft. Wilderness, and Pioneer Hall is a short walk from the dock.  Guests may choose to take bus transportation from any Disney resort to any theme park or Downtown Disney, then transfer to a bus for the Ft. Wilderness Resort.  Boat transportation is also available from Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.

The show, approximately two hours long, is performed three times each night at 5:00 p.m., 7:15 p.m., and 9:30 p.m.  There are three different seating categories:

Category 1 seating is on the first-floor level with tables right in the middle of all the activity.

Category 2 seating is located behind Category 1 on the first floor, or in the middle section of the balcony which faces the stage.  Some of the Category 2 tables at the very back are high-top with bar-stool-height chairs.  While they do allow diners to see over the tables in front, they may not be as comfortable for all guests.

Category 3 tables are located on the right hand side or left hand side of the balcony on the second floor.

Note: Guests seated in Category 2 or 3 areas may be required to ascend one flight of stairs.

Only Categories 2 and 3 are available using a Disney Dining Plan for the 5:00 p.m. and 7:15 p.m. shows.  Category 1 is also available for the 9:30 p.m. show only.

One great thing about this production is that the actors make an effort to engage the entire audience, often walking to the middle and back of the main floor and shouting up to tables in the balcony, including everyone in the fun.  There really are no “bad” tables at the Hoop Dee Doo.

Be warned that this is an “interactive” experience and those catching the eye of a cowboy or dance hall girl might just find themselves part of the show!

The best seats go to those who book early, so plan to make a reservation as soon as the 120-day window opens.

 

Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue

Disney’s Fort Wilderness, Pioneer Hall

Nightly 5:00 p.m., 7:15 p.m., 9:30 p.m.

Approximately 2 hours

Adults $52.99 to $61.99

Children ages 3 to 9 $26.99 to $31.99

The Grand Floridian Society Orchestra Smooth sounds waft from the second floor perch of this talented group.  Come, sit, enjoy!

Portrait ArtistCapture the memories with a special portrait.

The Grand Floridian Ladies On Monday and Thursday mornings, watch for parasols on parade as they make their serene way across the courtyard.

Afternoon Tea Enjoy mimosas and afternoon tea, served with elegance each day in the Garden View Lounge.

Victoria & Albert’s Transforming food into art, this incomparable restaurant offers an unforgettable dining experience for the discerning.

Grand Pianist Every afternoon and evening, a white-tied-and-tailed pianist entertains visitors from the grand piano, taking turns with the Grand Floridian Society Orchestra.

The Grand I The fabulous Grand I yacht sits at the marina waiting to take guests on a first-class cruise around the lagoon.

Private Dining While room service is available at all of the Deluxe Resorts, the Grand Floridian’s Private Dining takes it to another level.  Dreaming of a picnic on the beach?  Have a hankering for a hot dog by the pool?  Just contact Private Dining.  Whether you’re hoping to enjoy a romantic dessert in a secluded location on the grounds, a family dinner in an upstairs lobby, an affair for 25 of your closest friends, or your favorite sandwich from a chaise in your cabana, they’ll make every effort to accommodate your wishes and even offer some magical suggestions of their own!

Grand Floridian Spa A peaceful retreat to relax and recharge during an active vacation; guests can take the experience home with a selection of their delightful, grapefruit-scented signature products.

Wedding Pavilion Although other resorts offer ballrooms, dining venues, balconies, gazebos, and gardens, only Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa has its own dedicated wedding chapel.  Brides can plan every detail of their Fairytale Wedding at Franck’s Studio, adjacent to the pavilion.

 

 

Disney’s flagship resort offers plenty of opportunity to enjoy restaurants, refreshments, and retail therapy.   Boasting a greater number of dining and shopping options than any other Walt Disney World resort, there’s something for every age, every mood, and every pocketbook:

Table Service

• Narcoossee’s:   Seafood selections in a relaxed atmosphere with views of the Seven Seas Lagoon
• Citricos:    Inviting ambiance and imaginative dishes with a Southern European inspiration
• Grand Floridian Café:   Casual dining room serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner at moderate prices
• 1900 Park Fare:   Charming character meals accompanied by the amazing organ, “Big Bertha”
• Garden View Lounge:   Afternoon tea with all the accoutrements
• Victoria & Albert’s:   Extraordinary fine-dining experience in elegant surroundings

Lounges

• Mizner’s:   Intimate room featuring vintage ports and brandies
• Citricos Lounge:  A well-kept secret tucked away on the second floor

Quick Service

• Gasparilla Grill and Games:   Pizza, sandwiches, and salads, with some arcade fun

Shops

• Basin White:  Bath and beauty in black and white
• Commander Porter’s:  Gifts and gear for men
• M. Mouse Mercantile:  Souvenirs and Disney-themed apparel and toys for little pirates and princesses
• Sandy Cove:  Sundries and daily necessities, Grand Floridian logo merchandise
• Summer Lace:  Women’s apparel, jewelry, fragrance, and gifts

The Flying Fish Café carries the themes of the Atlantic boardwalk into a restaurant venue, and serves it up with style.  Named for one of the cars on a famous roller coaster in Coney Island, the décor is an eclectic mix of vintage carnival ride and sea-life motifs. Patrons are greeted at the entrance by winged fish leaping over a neon sea and fishy door handles.  The interior is decorated with charm and whimsy, giving diners lots to look at during the meal.  Pillars sport scales, fish parachute from the ceiling, metallic tiles lend their sparkle. A stylized interpretation of a ferris wheel graces a far wall and a tent lends a carnival atmosphere to an alcove at the back.

There is a limited, but well-chosen, seasonal menu with nice presentation and absolutely wonderful service.  In addition to tables with chairs and banquettes, there is bar seating in front of  the open kitchen where diners have a ringside seat for the culinary activity.  As one of Disney’s Signature Restaurants, dinner here requires the use of two Table Service credits for those on the Disney Dining Plan.

Recently, a special dining experience has been added – the Chef’s Tasting Wine Dinner, and the first six seats at the bar are set aside for participants.  With the exception of a few holiday dates, it’s offered twice each night at 5:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., Sunday through Thursday.  The Dinner features five courses expertly paired with wines selected by the Flying Fish Café’s sommelier.  Diners can expect current menu items to be presented in inspired new ways and will enjoy lots of interaction with the chefs.

Reservations are $135.00 per person, or $85.00 without wine pairings, must be paid-in-full at the time of booking, and are not included in the Disney Dining Plans or Tables in Wonderland programs.

Review: I LOVE the Flying Fish Café.  The buzz always seems to be about California Grill and Le Cellier, neither of which rings any bells for me, yet there is much less mention of several  of my personal favorites, with Flying Fish being right at the top of that list along with Jiko.

Although I have encountered issues with incorrectly cooked dishes, both under- and overdone, I’ve never experienced anything less than outstanding service. The servers here bring an enthusiasm and sense of humor seldom encountered elsewhere on property and though I certainly have favorite servers at several Disney restaurants, I think that, as a group, they are unsurpassed.  So, whatever my issues with a particular dish, I find I always leave with a “good taste in my mouth!”

When the food is on, it is spot-on.  There’s a reason their Potato-Wrapped Red Snapper is a permanent fixture; the accompanying leek fondue is a revelation.  I’ve had considerably less luck with the other signature dish, a Black Angus New York Strip Steak.  Both my dining companion and I ordered this one evening; neither plate was prepared as ordered and after sending the meals back twice, we never did get what we had wanted.  I’ve particularly enjoyed the wonderful appetizers, including an array of bisques and calamari dishes.  The beautiful cheese plate with honeycomb and raisins on the vine is truly memorable.

Menus

Dinner

Drinks

Wine

Flying Fish Café

Disney’s Boardwalk

Dinner 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Break out the board shorts and head to the Beach!  The colorful Cape May Café at Disney’s Beach Club Resort is the place to be for a fun-filled breakfast or seafood dinner.

Between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., enjoy Goofy’s Beach Club Breakfast Buffet with Goofy, Minnie, and Donald.  Dressed for the shore in vibrant swimwear, the stylish trio is on hand for autographs and photos while diners pile their plates high with those great Mickey waffles.

 

Because this restaurant has fewer seats than many other character-dining venues, guests can generally expect exceptional character interaction during the meal. Although it’s convenient for those staying at Boardwalk-area resorts, visitors from other resorts should opt for a late-morning reservation or plan on taking a taxi to Disney’s Beach Club.

Near the attractive seating area a sign announces Clambake Tonight!, and from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Cape May Café serves up seafood, buffet style, with an extensive menu that includes clam chowder, mussels, crab legs, fish, shrimp, and of course, clams.  There are plenty of choices for meat-lovers, kids, and vegetarians, and everyone will love the dessert bar.

Review: The relaxed, less-hectic atmosphere of the breakfast buffet at Cape May Café is in stark contrast to the usual noisy and frenetic experience that tends to define character dining, making this one of our favorites.  There’s the usual selection of fruit, pastries, breakfast meats, eggs, cereals, and a variety of side dishes.  It’s not unusual to have several opportunities to visit with the characters during your meal.

The clambake enjoys mixed reviews, some guests finding it outstanding, others complaining about the quality of the seafood.  As New Englanders, we are probably more demanding than most, but we think it’s important to remember that this is a buffet, with all the limitations inherent in this type of presentation.  It’s not to be expected that the food will arrive at the table in same state as if it were cooked to order.  All in all, the Cape May Café is a great choice for a light-hearted breakfast or a satisfying evening meal.

 

Cape May Café

Disney’s Beach Club Resort

Breakfast  7:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

Dinner 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Dining; it’s one the great pleasures of the cruise experience.  Disney Cruise Line ships have several unique dining venues and their rotational dining system allows passengers to experience them all.  On embarkation day, you’ll find dining tickets with your assigned restaurant schedule, seating time, and table number.  You’ll see a string of letters which represent the different locations; for example APLAPL would be Animator’s Palate, Parrot Cay, and Lumiere’s on the first, second, and third nights, then repeated for the fourth, fifth, and sixth.  You will rotate through three of the main restaurants on your ship which may also include Triton’s, Royal Palace, or Enchanted Garden.

 

Each evening, you, your tablemates, and your wait staff will move to a different restaurant.  You’ll be able to enjoy the menus and themes of each dining room while retaining a familiar team of servers who will quickly learn your preferences.

 

Every effort is made to pair you with appropriate dinner companions.  Adults traveling alone will typically be seated with other adults, while families will find children in a similar age group joining their tables.  If you wish, you can arrange to share a table with other specified passengers onboard.

There are two dinner seatings:  the Main Seating and the Second Seating.  The earlier of the two begins at about 5:30 p.m., depending upon your ship, and is generally the first choice for families with younger children.  The Second Seating starts at approximately 8:00 p.m. and may be a bit more serene as it often includes a larger percentage of older children and adults.  However, the Second Seating often works out very well for those traveling from an earlier time zone since it may be more in line with their accustomed dinner hour.

 

A meal at Palo is an adults-only option for dinner or brunch, and guests can choose where they would like to have breakfast and lunch each day.  Continental breakfast is available from room service for stateroom categories 4 through 12, while Concierge categories 1 through 3 can arrange for in-room delivery of a full breakfast.  Other alternatives for breakfast and lunch include two of the main restaurants, a buffet, and poolside meals.

 

Three- and four-night cruises include one “dress-up” night when a jacket for men and dress or pantsuit for women is suggested.  The dress code for other evenings is “cruise casual” – no shorts, tank tops, or swimwear.

On cruises of seven nights and longer, there is generally a special themed dining event, such as Pirate’s Night.  You can also expect at least one “formal” evening for which formal or semi-formal attire is appropriate.  You can arrange for a formalwear rental to be delivered to your stateroom.  Often, you will find a greater number of guests in formal (rather than semi-formal) dress on the longer ten- to fourteen-night voyages  Those preferring to forego formal night entirely can choose an alternative venue such as a buffet or quick-service location.

 

Of course, room service is a popular option and Disney Cruise Line offers a nice menu of sandwiches, pizzas, salads, appetizers, and desserts to keep the munchies at bay.  Guests staying in Categories 1 through 3 may also arrange for meals delivered from any of the rotational dining venues.  Keep in mind that while most of the menu items are complimentary, a gratuity is expected.

 

Consider one of the wine packages if you enjoy wine with dinner.  The overall cost is less than purchasing the bottles separately and unfinished bottles can be recorked and brought to you on subsequent nights, or carried back to your stateroom.  You are also allowed to carry up to two bottles off the ship, and can order more than one of your bottles on a given night.

 

Unlike many cruise lines, Disney offers complimentary sodas not just at dinner but also from 24-hour beverage stations on the ship, and other selected locations onboard and on Castaway Cay.  You will still be charged for sodas ordered from bars and room service.  For alcoholic beverages, the onboard drinking age is 21 and a photo I.D. is required.

 

Don’t forget that guests with special dietary requirements can generally be accommodated.  Advise your Whimsical World Travel concierge of any allergies and special requests so that they can be noted on your reservation.

Having braved the lines for Toy Story Mania! in Pixar Place at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you deserve a snack!  Amble on over to Hey Howdy Hey Take Away for popcorn or chips, ice cream, a cold drink, or maybe Wheezy’s Breezy Freezy!  If you’ve dashed over early in the morning to grab that FastPass, you’ll also find Danish, cinnamon rolls, granola bars, and coffee.