1900 Park Fare Happily Ever After

Our first evening after our first full day in the parks turned out to be a happy ending after all.  We have been visiting Disneyworld since 2006 and had never considered visiting the Grand Floridian.  This year we branched out our Dining options and tried a variety of resort restaurant options.  This included the happily ever after buffet at 1900 Park Fare at the Floridian.  We checked in at our reservation time, got a family photo in front of the Christmas Tree and were quickly called in to be seated. When you think of the Grandest of resort hotels on property, you think perfection.  When you walk into the main lobby you are blown away by the brilliance and splendor.  When walking into 1900 Park Fare, the décor fell a bit short.  Tables were dinged up and chairs were scratched and had obviously seen better days.  I don't believe you would see the same lack of luster at Victoria and Albert's.  We were not going to let furniture detour our excitement to try something new.
There was a lot of excitement in the air and all the little princess' were dressed and ready to meet their favorite characters.  Upon our arrival we were greeted pleasantly by our server, ordered our drinks and made our way to the buffet.  Upon our return we were quickly met by the Fairy God Mother.  The food was very average for a Disney buffet.  The atmosphere was very good on the other hand.  We were met by heroes like Cinderella and Prince Charming, while also being greeted (with a bit less smiles) by Lady Tremaine and her daughters Anastasia and Drizella.  They were amazing sticking to character and made for a good time.  Overall the evening was full of fun and laughs and worth the trip.  We did find our Happily Ever After.

The Good, The Bad, and The Better of CBR

December 2014 marked our 4th visit to the Caribbean Beach Resort on Walt Disneyworld property.  Our last stay at CBR was in October of 2012 and we were located in a very far off room.  The carpets were musty smelling and the only redeeming quality was the amazing staff.  This visit was far different, and very impressed.  We were able to be placed in the building we requested and to our surprise was also a recently remodeled room.  The beds have increased from Full to Queen size beds with an additional pull down twin bunk along the adjacent wall.  The staff once again was fantastic and welcoming as always.  We were on the second floor and had a partially obstructed view of the illuminations fireworks from Epcot.  The temperature was fantastic and the time of year (Christmas season) was spectacular.  We were glad to come "home" and have the CBR play the backdrop to another amazing stay.

Driving on Disney Property

We all enjoy the magic of arriving on Disney property and seeing the Disney World welcome sign.  Once you enter the Magical world of Disney, we need to keep in mind that Pixie Dust alone will not keep us safe from ourselves and others on the road.  If you are a passenger and want to break out your camera or smartphone to snap a photo of a the Disney sign, the Tower of Terror in the distance, or any of the other spectacles, feel free!  If you are a driver.....please do NOT look at photo taking as an option!  This can cause you to not pay attention and cause serious harm to others.  When driving on property, remember that most of the folks sharing the road are not familiar with the area.  Tailgating others, or making quick lane changes are terrible ideas as most will not be paying enough attention to make split second decisions.  Be aware that drivers might make quick stops, quick turns, or erratic lane changes when they see a sign for their turn to their resort location.  This type of driving is not uncommon, but the norm in Lake Buena Vista, so be aware and be safe.  Unfortunately not even the magic of the Disney Magical Express (DME) bus is safe from such disaster.  On August 16th an accident involving a DME bus and a passenger car resulted in a fatality.  Not quite the magic you would expect from the most magical place on earth.  The investigation is still ongoing at this time.  The victim was a 60 year old woman in the car, while 3 passengers on the DME (including one child) were taken to an area hospital with injuries.  This is sad, and not what anyone would expect while on vacation.  Our prayers to out to the family of the victim.  Just remember, if you chose to drive on Disney, be safe and pay close attention at all times.

Tony's Suprise

For those of you that are Disney veterans, you know that sometimes a quality table service meal can be an adventure outside of Epcot.  With New Fantasyland now open, we wanted to maximize our park time in Magic Kingdom and set up a lunch reservation for Tony's Town Square. 

After the miserable impression left from Mama Melrose last year, we had low expectations for this Italian eatery.  I must say we were pleasantly surprised with the quality of food.  We were made to feel very welcome when we arrived at the hostess station.  Very warm greeting and we were showed to our seats very quickly after check in.  PAYS TO HAVE A RESERVATION FOLKS!!  We were given suggestion from our waiter and were attended to very well.  Drinks never got low, and were asked often if there was anything we needed, but not to the point of aggravation.  When our food arrived, it was prepared with care and the it showed with the presentation of each plate.  Everything we order was outstanding.  My son ordered a simple meatball slider plate, and each meatball was hand made and well seasoned.  The chips on this plate were fresh made and very tasty.  I would have to give Tony's a solid B+ in a sea of mediocre eateries in the lower C range.  Thank you to the staff of Tony's for a job well done!!

Mama Melrose "NOT SO" Italiano!

Those that have seen my blog know that I am all things Disney. So this review comes with a real empty feeling. Today I want to discuss my dining experience at Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano located in Disney Hollywood Studios. As most do, we had made our reservations based on our daily plans well in advance. Being on the dinning plan, the choices at Hollywood studios are limited at best. We had been to Hollywood and Vine during past trips and wanted to change it up. This was a change we would soon regret. Upon entry we notified the hostess that we had a reservation. We waited for an unusually long time to be seated based on Disney standards.

Once we were seated, we were in a back corner of the restaurant beside a busy server station. The area was very small and quite uncomfortable. The overall atmosphere was odd. Strings of clear lights looking like leftover Christmas lights strung about the celling. Lighting was very dark, but not in an intimate way but annoying to the point it was hard to read the menu. This may have been a blessing in disguise since it may have been best not to order food. We had a few questions about specifics of dishes, and our waitress had not a clue about the menu and read from the menu, as if we could not read. Most cast members are very knowledgeable and are able to describe more details to a dish at other restaurants we have experienced.

I ordered the Charred Strip Steak, while my wife had the Seafood Arrabbiata. To start with my wife's pasta was very undercooked and the seafood amount was extremely scarce. By way of comparison, the seafood (not chowder) stew at Ragland Road was loaded and similarly priced. My Steak was tough and very tasteless. I am a huge Chianti fan, but the reduction used tasted spoiled and added nothing to the dish.  The Baked Macaroni was very substandard and dry like it had been sitting in a pan for hours and not cooked to order.  For the price paid, we expected far more in terms of taste and quality.  If you are in Hollywood looking for a change, I would steer you away from this choice.  Unless the folks at Tutto Italia Ristorante take over the kitchen, best to skip this less than memorable experience.

Be Our Guest...set to open soon in new Fantasy Land!

I know many of you have been waiting for the grand opening of "Be Our Guest" restaurant in the new Fantasy Land in Magic Kingdom.  Although we do not have dates as of yet, here is a sneak peek from Disney with some menu details and how the restaurant will run.  Basically during Lunch the restaurant will run as a Counter Service with Kiosks to order food and it will be delivered to your table.  Kind of like a modern Jack in the Box but with much better food and decor.  During Dinner the restaurant transforms into a Casual Dining Sitdown Service where your order is taken Tableside and the menu drastically changes.  No word yet if either option will be included on the Disney Dining Plan, but as soon as I know, I will bring you that information.
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/06/chef-of-be-our-guest-restaurant-in-new-fantasyland-shares-his-favorites-from-the-menu/?CMP=SOC-WDWFY12Q2FBDM0303

Disney With Little Ones

Let's face it, going to Disneyworld as a child seemed like a breeze!  But any veteran of the Magic that is Disneyworld will tell you it takes a lot work and planning before you arrive.  As parents, we are half the magic experience by making it all seem so easy.  One of the biggest challenges is taking the Little Ones.  They certainly get the whole magic experience with all the bright colors and fascinating characters throughout the park.  Enough sights and sounds to stimulate the most intuitive little future Mozart.  But, in order for all the cards to fall into place, you need to be armed and ready to lead the buggy brigade with confidence.  A few tips to make your planning just a little easier. 

First of all and probably most important is daily transportation for your little princess or pirate.  Those that have had the pleasure of using the hard plastic and rather large rental strollers at the front gate to every park will appreciate this tip.  Do NOT rent the hard, uncomfortable, had to manuver, easily heated by the sun, and far too large rental strollers.  There are many companies that offer stroller rentals for the length of your stay.  So rather than dragging a stroller across many airports or paying for an extra baggage fee to have it checked, please check out the prices of local rental shops first.  One that is highly recommended by all the major players in the magic game (www.allears.net , www.wdwinfo.com , www.mouseplanet.com , and even the Disney Moms Panel) is http://orlandostrollerrentals.com/?gclid=CPaava3Sh7ACFccJRQodwxp4ng .  They have a great selection of quality strollers whether you want a regular or jogging style stroller and room for one or two little ones.  All offer great comfort for those late nights on Extra Magic Hours and plenty of shading for those hot days of Orlando Sunshine.  This company is an authorized partner and will deliver the stroller to your on sight resort hotel.  Just like your baggage from the Airport, your stroller can be booked online and will be waiting in your room when you arrive.

My second tip is other baby necessities that usually require a trip to the grocery store.  If you are like me and fly into Orlando International and take the Disney Magical Express Bus service, there is really no need to spend the money on a rental car since everything I want is within reach while staying on Disney Property.  So how do I get to the store for milk, formula, diapers, baby wipes, snacks, powder and all the other essentials? Well, we have that problem solved for you as well.  On-line Grocery Stores that will also place your food items in your Disney Hotel for you is a great way to solve this problem.  Simply go to http://www.goodingsdelivers.com/ and they will have all you need.  Is it a little more expensive than a quick trip to your local Wal-Mart Super Center?  Yes it is, but if you subtract the amount you would pay for a car rental just to drive to the store, it is more than worth the extra spent.  The website is very user friendly and offers many popular items.  If you don’t see a certain item or particular brand, you can special request it.  Not all items they carry are listed on their website, so it may just take you to ask and they will probably be able to fulfill your needs.

So, as you prepare for your adventure into Disneyworld with your Princesses and Pirates, remember, you help to make the Magic happen so plan well and enjoy those moments!