Dancin' fool

The Sox are on the way to the World Series, and Katie continues to do the Papelbon dance now and then.
Last night my sister called and said, "Channel 4 is asking people to send in video of themselves doing the Papelbon dance. You should send in the one of you guys doing it at Epcot."
I said, "No way. But I do have another of just her doing it..."

So I sent it in.
They used it on TV during the morning newscast today!
They started talking about having people send it in, and they said, "But you won't be the first. The Burkes from New Hampshire were the first, and here's their daughter... blah blah blah."
They also were joking about how she called it the "Aplebon" dance.

Here's the cell phone video they used:


Disney connection: This was shot at Epcot. Randy, Katie and I were sitting outside the gallery store right next to Spaceship Earth.

J's dining plan

One of the really fun things about going to Walt Disney World is the variety of restaurants and food choices.

Not many people know this better than J, who recently unveiled the awesome idea of having a Walt Disney World dinner party – a plan that came to fruition this past Saturday night.

Here’s the menu, along with the person responsible for recreating it:

Bill: Cheddar cheese soup and breadsticks (Le Cellier)

J and Deb: Mixed greens with a honey lime Dressing (‘Ohana)

J and Deb: Fried wontons served with peanut sauce (‘Ohana)

Carol and Randy: Seared beef with a wild onion sauce (Epcot Food & Wine Festival/Oklahoma)

Mike: Mom’s meatloaf (50s Primetime Café)

Walt: Bread pudding a la mode with a banana foster sauce (‘Ohana)

J and Deb: Peanut butter and jelly shakes (50s Primetime Café)

There are some talented cooks among this group of Walt Disney World enthusiasts. I am not among them. My cooking skills are incredibly limited.

Here’s my brief review:
- I thought the soup came out OK;
- The salad was awesome;
- The wontons with peanut sauce were my favorite thing all night;
- The seared beef blew my mind. The onion sauce was EXACTLY like it was at Epcot;
- The meatloaf was great. I haven’t had it at 50s Primetime, so I can’t say if it was exactly like it is at WDW, but it tasted great. In the incredibly gracious words of Walt: “He didn’t F-it up.” (Which means it was very good.)
- The bread pudding – I loved it. Even Randy the Bread Pudding King™ gave it two thumbs up. I must learn how to make this. However, I’d probably skip the Illuminations fire barge show associated with the sauce. (More on that later.)
- The peanut butter and jelly shakes were just as mind blowingly good as they are at the World.

As I arrived at J and Deb’s, the house was filled with music from Walt Disney World, pictures from a recent trip were showing on the TV, and the food smelled great. I knew it was going to be exactly what a WDW addict suffering from withdrawal needed.
I plugged in the crock pot with the soup and promptly forgot to turn it on. Yay me!

The most memorable moment came as Walt was making the bananas foster sauce for his bread pudding. He had the sauce over heat, and added rum. The column of flame that instantly shot up from the pan reached the high ceiling in the kitchen and remained there for several seconds. Thankfully, it burned off a bit. There were no black marks on the ceiling, but memories of the close call reflected in Deb’s face. It was a look of horror mixed with “don’t burn my house down.”

Personally, I think it added a bit of a floor show to the proceedings. (In retrospect and due to the fact nothing was damaged, of course.)

By the end of the night we had great Disney talk, a showing of old pictures, full bellies and the Red Sox crushed the Indians on the way to a game 7 comeback.

J and Deb were, as always, amazing hosts. I hope we can do something like it again some time.

WDW Oct. 4-12, Day 2: Magic Kingdom

It seemed like a few minutes earlier we had just left the Magic Kingdom after a night of sweaty trick or treating and laid our heads down in the arctic embrace of our Saratoga Springs Resort rooms.

In fact, it had only been a few hours. And trust me when I skillfully use the word ‘arctic.’ Our room, at least, was positively freezing most of the time. But thanks to the way the air conditioning works there now, it swung back and forth between permafrost and humid. There are motion sensors in the room, and if no one is moving around the AC shuts off. So every once in a while during the night I’d get up, do an elaborate tap dance in front of the TV, and then go back to sleep when I heard the AC kick on.

It was so cold it hurt. It was awesome.

So, just hours after Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party had ended we were up and ready to attack the Magic Kingdom anew. It was quite humid and a little overcast. We made our way up Main Street as cast members welcomed us out on the sidewalks. My favorite shop on Main Street is the jewelers. They have nice watches, prints, big figures and pins there, and we usually end up getting something.

This time I had my mind set on picking up a big fig. They had eight or so big figures on display, and the first one to catch my eye was the Sorcerer Mickey figure. It stands about 18-24 inches tall I’d guess, and it had little lights in the sea foam. But then I saw a figure called ‘Pie Eyed.’ It was an old fashioned version of Mickey and Minnie walking hand in hand holding park passes. I knew before we left for New Hampshire, it would be mine. In fact, I had a plan. It’s not so much a brilliant plan that will have you gasping in awe, but more of an, “Oh. OK.” plan that justifies the price tag.

But that’s a story for another day. Because at this point I didn’t want to have it shipped home and have it beat us there, sitting out in the rain outside the garage. So I held off. For now…

After a little more shopping we wandered out the side door into the alley, where we stumbled across Pluto. He was just standing around with no lines or other visitors, so we took a few pictures and headed up toward the Castle.

Katie wanted to hit the teacups, so we hooked a right at the Castle hub. There was no line – literally – so Katie, Jenna and I picked out a teacup and went for a spin. Or, to be more accurate, went for a non-spin. The teacup we were in just didn’t spin around much. Normally I try to hold it fairly steady so Katie doesn’t get thrown around much, and so I don’t get motion sick and throw up on my 5-year-old. But this time I didn’t have to hold on at all.

We whipped around a bit, waved at Amy and Ryan when we saw them, and soon found ourselves winding back through the turnstyles for a second spin. There was absolutely no one around, so we just walked on, picked out a pink teacup (Katie’s choice) and took it around again.

Two times is more than enough for me, so Katie, Amy and I headed for the Indy Speedway while Ryan and Jenna made for Space Mountain. I’m not going to turn this into a “we did this and then this and then this and then this” type of trip report, but I have to mention our early path because when we got in line at the Indy Speedway (or, ‘The Slow Cars’ as Katie has named them), we looked back toward the teacups and saw that it wasn’t running, there was no one on them, and no one in line to ride them. The park was virtually empty – except for the Indy Speedway. We knew this wouldn’t last, so we figured we’d try to tear through Fantasyland before the crowds arrived.

This plan led to the first drama of the trip. I blame myself, partly. For whatever reason, Katie is deathly afraid of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh attraction. She is truly horrified by the idea of riding it. We tried to convince her, but she just got more and more afraid and upset. Amy, Jenna and Ryan went on while Katie and I sat outside and waited. She was very upset and just wanted me to assure her we would never go on it until she was 16. I said OK. Why press the issue, really?

The rest of the morning was taken up by Fantasyland touring, two trips in a row on It’s a Small World, and then lunch at Pinnochio’s whateveryoucallit Haus. Jenna and Amy got the Figaro Fries. They looked awesome. But I opted for a turkey sandwich. (A gripping detail, without which this trip report would not be complete.)

It turned into an afternoon of wandering around Adventureland, Main Street and ducking out of a pouring shower in the alley by the jeweler.

Dinner was at the Crystal Palace, so Jenna and I staked out a spot on the porch while Amy and Ryan took Katie over to meet Jasmine again. They were stuck in the second downpour of the day (and the last one of the entire trip) but got back to the restaurant fairly dry.

What can you say about the Crystal Palace? The food was great, the character interaction was great, the air condition is maybe the best on property (I’m an AC connoisseur) and our waiter was great. Amy got a birthday card signed by a few characters.

There was also a really gross bathroom event that I shall not relate in this entry. It did not involve your humble narrator – I was merely witness to it’s awesomely disgusting humor. I’d tell you all about it, but the liberal use of onimotopia would render me exhausted. Suffice to say dinner was great.

We got back to the room just as a cast member was delivering some balloons for Amy’s birthday, and thus began the second incident of drama: Katie wished it was her birthday, and not Amy’s.

After a beating, her mood changed.

OK, not really. After a stern talk she proceeded to conk right out. And the rest of us followed not long after.

Counting

I've been asked recently how many times I've been to Walt Disney World. I tried to count, and I've come up with 14 times. The thing is, I think I'm forgetting one or two trips.
Here's what I've come up with:

- 1st trip ever in 1981: My grandmother and aunts took me, my brother, my sisters and cousins.
- 1st trip with Amy 1998: When I caught the bug.
- Cruise trip with Kevin, Jodi and several others: We sailed into Hurricane Irene. Awesome.
- Chris and Barry in January: The trip where the chicken hit Barry in the head. And it was caught on video.
- Carol and Randy after 9/11: We flew down a couple weeks after 9/11. There was no one in the parks.
- J, Deb, Walt in Sept.: Katie was a newborn, so Amy said 'feel free to go.'
- J and Deb in June: A long weekend. Amy and I went fishing on this trip.
- Press trip with Kev: 100 Years of Magic press trip.
- Press trip with J: Everest opening. Yeah, I didn't ride it.
- Resort press trip with Amy and Katie: Katie's first trip.
- Mousejunkies trip
- December with Connie, Dave and Ryan: Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
- May birthday trip: Without Katie. Carol and Randy and J and Deb came.
- Oct. 2007 with Jenna, Ryan, Amy, Kate - See below.

I'm convinced I'm forgetting a trip. If you are reading this and have been to WDW with me and I left that trip out, tell me.

Day 1: A different perspective

Since I wasn't with Bill, Amy, Ryan and Katie for a big chunk of Bill's Day 1 report, I thought I'd write about what I was up to while they were wandering the World.

First of all, I have to backtrack several months. Amy and Bill first invited me along back in May or June, shortly after my most recent WDW vacation. However, I'd been told that we would be terribly busy at work and there was no way I could take a fall vacation. And then I did something really silly- I purchased a home! So not only was I convinced that I'd be busy at work, I was now dealing with the financial and mental health realities of closing on my condo, planning a minor remodel, buying appliances, and spending so much time at home improvement big box stores that I started to hum the Home Depot jingle absentmindedly all the time. Any hope of joining Amy and Bill on Amy's birthday trip was fast disappearing. Then things slowed down at work and projects got pushed back. And as I logged my 14 kajillionth hour standing on a ladder and painting the dingiest bathroom ceiling ever, I realized there was absolutely nothing in this world I wanted more than to go to Disney World with Amy and Bill (unless, of course, Jason Segel suddenly started installing a new kitchen in my home and began taking a lot of home improvement project initiative for me while saying "awesome" a lot, because I have to confess, I'd want that more).

Anyway, Amy mentioned something about a "birthday surprise." That was it. I was going. And it would be a birthday surprise. I allowed myself five outright lies. I don't think I used them all, but I was allowed to say "I wish I was going," or "I'm just too busy at work/home/playing the Sims 2" if I needed to. Mostly, I just stayed incommunicado. So, that brings us to October 4th.

My flight was on Southwest out of Detroit at 8:30 in the morning. I got to the gate with my trusty group A boarding pass and saw... almost no one waiting. Okay, use the facilities. Visit Starbucks. Still no one waiting. Turns out there were only 36 people on my flight and only one small child. I didn't just have my row to myself, I had the entire width of the plane for not only my row, but the ones in front and behind me. Talk about relaxing! The crew treated us like kings. We landed and I made my way down to the Magical Express counter. I didn't have very long to wait. I met a very nice family who were originally from Long Island, but had scattered as they grew older. They were meeting in WDW for a family reunion. Very nice!

I was a little nervous wandering around MCO and later, around Saratoga Springs. Amy didn't know I was there. What if her flight was delayed and I ran into her at the airport? When I checked in, I had the same desk clerk who had checked in Amy and Bill an hour or so earlier. She put me in a Studio room in the same building my friends were in, but a floor above. I was still worried about running into them, so when I went for lunch at Artist's Pallette, I wore a ballcap and sunglasses, and kept my head down. It was like when celebs pretend they don't want the paparazzi to take their picture, but then always seem to hang around places the paparazzi are waiting.

In the meantime, I was getting messages from Bill. The voicemail was something like "Amy's in the bathroom. Not much time to talk. If we can get Katie to nap, we'll try to be at the Halloween party all night. The tickets say 7:00 PM, but they let people in at 5:00. I'll try to call later." That was the only voice contact. At around 3:30, I put on my Halloween costume. See, I have this thing about Halloween. I played dress-up a lot when I was a kid. I never grew out of it. My thought about Halloween parties is this: if you don't wear a costume, it's just another party, albeit a party with some fairly creepy decorations. Two years ago, I wore my Rizzo from "Grease" costume to MNSSHP and was the only person in the group in costume. The only uncomfortable thing about it was the combination of the monstrous humidity and my Pink Ladies jacket. This year, I wore my Not-so-little Red Riding Hood costume (making an encore appearance from the 2002 MNSSHP). Everywhere I walked, I heard whispers of "Red Riding Hood." "Look, Mom, Little Red Riding Hood!" "Follow Red Riding Hood." Cast members: "Little Red Riding Hood! What are you doing here?" Me: "Looking out for wolves." CM: "There are plenty of them here. Mostly employees." I joked that I was a high tech Riding Hood, because my basket was full of digital camera, cell phone, and credit cards. I said I'd text the woodcutter: "Hlp! BBW! Brng ax 2 GMs house." So, you see, revelling in costume-wearing. Next time, I'll go with something a little less fabricy, though. Flannel lined hood in high humidity- not good.

The one time I did feel a little uncomfortable in my costume was when two little girls walked up to me with autograph books. I know some people just roll with it, but I looked at their parents and said, "I don't work here!" Then I knew it was time to move around and not just stand in the shade. I found a better place to wait in the Main Street Air Conditioning and Candy Shop. Through all of this, I received a series of text messages:
"She napped! We're heading to mk now"
"Getting on ferry at tta"
Then finally, a call, beckoning me to cross Main Street and surprise Amy. And that's where I join Bill's trip report.

Trip report: Oct. 4-12, 2007

The cast:
Bill – Me, 40, a bona fide Disney geek.
Amy – 37 at the start of the trip, 38 by the end of the trip.
Katie – 5 – this is her third trip to WDW. She loves Princess Jasmine very much.
Ryan – 17, a teen Disney expert in her own right, and a Pirates fanatic.
Jenna – Same age as WDW, veteran of many trips, extremely knowledgeable about the World. She would be arriving secretly to surprise Amy.
Randy – The Disney King.
Carol – Mrs. The Disney King. (Randy and Carol would also be arriving secretly – to everyone’s surprise. More on that later.)

Day 1: Arrival/MNSSHP

I was in Orlando working a trade show at the Wyndham Resort on International Drive. Amy, Ryan Elizabeth and Katie were flying down and we were all to meet up at our DVC home resort, Saratoga Springs. As soon my coworker and I broke down the booth I was going to fly right out of there, catch a cab and vacation would start.
I’ll be honest: I was a little antsy about getting out of there.

Trade show booth breakdown is supposed to begin at a designated time, and not one second earlier. It is trade show law. This show, it was to be at 12:15 p.m. I figured by 12:35 or so I’d be out of there. The thing is, the show had been slow, and the people working the show floor were a bit unhappy about that.

At about 10:45 a.m., someone ripped off a section of packing tape. The unmistakable sound – which had assaulted our ears about 90 minutes earlier than expected - traveled across the nearly empty showroom and seemed to echo for a moment before those in the booths around us cast furtive glances up one side of the aisle and down the other.
Seconds later mayhem erupted as every booth in the place began breaking down. It was unstoppable. My coworker and I followed suit and within minutes we had everything boxed up and ready for shipping back to New Hampshire.

I said my goodbyes, and headed for the lobby where I picked up my luggage and was soon on my way to the Saratoga Springs Resort. My taxi driver insisted on doing some kind of Mapquest search on his laptop, which was perched precariously on the seat next to him, as we careened down International Drive. This made for a scary trip, but I knew soon that I’d be deep in Mouse country.

A word about the weather: It was quite hot, and very humid. Local meteorologists were calling for downpours most of the week. This had me a little nervous, but my attitude was that a little rain wouldn’t disrupt our plans.

I was dropped off at Saratoga Springs a short time later, and was met by Katie, Amy and Ryan in the lobby. They had already checked in, gotten our DVC packet and card keys and were ready to go. We had reserved a studio for the week, and our room was in the Grandstand section of the resort. We piled into our Pontiac G6 rental car and found our way over to the Grandstand. Our room was on the bottom floor, and not far from where we parked. We grabbed the luggage and made our way to room 9543. We opened the door – and saw it only had one bed. I don’t know why I thought there would be two, but I did. No matter, the couch pulled out to a bed right where the second bed would normally be, so that’s where Katie and Ryan would be spending their nights over the next week.

We were all pretty hungry, so we unpacked, I got out of my suit clothes and into my slobby Disney stuff, and we drove over to Downtown Disney for a very nice lunch at the Earl of Sandwich. I got the Frenchy, as I am wont to do, and we even sat outside – which shows you how happy I was to be there. I normally eschew the sun and humidity, but I just didn’t care. I was very happy.

After lunch we went back to the room and we actually got Katie to nap. This was a minor miracle, as Katie has never been a champion sleeper. She had been up since about 4 a.m. though, and we’d be up late that night. A nap, we figured, would increase our chances for a fun first day or two.

I flicked on the TV and watched a little of the Stacy channel (the in-room resort channel) before nodding off for a few.

A couple hours later we were all up and preparing for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party that night at the Magic Kingdom. Ryan was dressed as a pirate, Katie in her Jasmine dress, while Amy and I punked out and didn’t dress up. Amy wore a pair of Stitch ears and I agreed to procure a silly hat once we got inside the Magic Kingdom.

We drove to the TTC and took the ferry to the Magic Kingdom.

Once we were inside I called Jenna on her cell phone. Amy had no idea Jenna was coming. It turns out she was right across the street from us, and while I kept Amy’s attention Jenna walked up behind Amy, in full Red Riding Hood costume, and said, “Excuse me, can you tell me where Grandma’s house is?”

It was a great entrance, and Amy was completely taken by surprise. Now our vacation could truly begin.

I was talked into getting a pair of pirate mouse ears at the chapeau shop and then we made our way up Main Street.

We walked around the Magic Kingdom, focusing mainly on Adventureland that night. Katie’s 5-year-old mind was blown when she got a chance to meet Jasmine and Aladdin, and she rode Pirates of the Caribbean with very little fear (she asked me to cover her eyes until we passed below Davy Jones). Before long it was time for the Hallowishes parade, so we staked out a spot at the Hub in front of Cinderella Castle. The parade was, as always, very good. The music was good, the cast members were good and the spirit of the night was in full effect.

We made our way to the newly-refurbished Haunted Mansion. The line, at first, was absurd. After a little trick or treating it got better, and Ryan and Jenna rode it while Katie, Amy and I hung out on the porch of the gift shop nearby. Amy and Katie rocked in rocking chairs and Katie asked Amy to sing "Moon, Moon, Moon" to her (it's the song Amy sings to Katie every night before she goes to sleep.) It was undeniably adorable.

Ryan and Jenna gave the haunted mansion two thumbs WAY up, so Amy and I took our turn. It was great. The audio is much improved, the cobwebs look better and the attic was entirely different and much better than it used to be. We loved it.

After that we began trick-or-treating in ernest. This brought us around much of the park, and concluded with what I like to call “the death march.” I was tired, and if I had the energy to say anything I probably would’ve been whining. However, I just kept putting one foot in front of the other as we walked the path from Toontown to Tomorrowland. Amy noticed the look on my face, which was probably a mix of fatigue, pain and a lack of patience. However, I didn’t say a word. I was happy to be there, even if it meant I may die of humidity and lack of sleep. But I also didn’t argue at all when it came time to head home for the night.

As we exited the park we stuffed our bags full of Hershy’s Kissables candy. There was a gigantic trough full of it just past the turnstyles, and cast members were urging us to take as much as we could carry.

Amy and Jenna were a few minutes behind us, because Amy wanted to take a second shot at getting a picture of the headless horseman’s ride down Main Street. It is a great sight, but our camera isn’t exactly the quickest. I think Jenna got a good shot of it.

Ryan, Katie and I made the first ferry to the TTC, while Amy and Jenna were left on the dock. When we got to the TTC and boarded the tram which would take us to our car, Amy and Jenna ran up just as we were pulling away.

“Wait, my husband is on that tram!” Amy laughed as we pulled away.

They made good time however, as they were only about a minute behind us when we got to the car.

We drove home, I set the air conditioner to 70 billion below zero, and we all conked out for the night. It had been a great first day complete with Jenna, Jasmine, Stacy and candy, and we were getting up early to hit the Magic Kingdom first thing in the morning.

Sleep came very quickly.

Gallery

I uploaded more than 400 photos from our latest trip to Flickr. If you'd like to see the photos at your own speed, and including Bill's witty captions that tell the story of the trip, you can see them all here.

Or, to see them a little more organized...

Here are the photos we took. Click on each to see a descriptive caption that will help tell the story of the trip.

Here are the PhotoPass images. They were taken by Disney's PhotoPass photographers and uploaded to the Web.

I used to have a gallery rotating here, but it ceased working so I deep sixed it.

*sigh*

It had to be done. I'm so very sorry.

Progress

I'm starting to get short video clips up on Youtube and pictures up on Flickr. Here's a brief clip of Katie meeting her favorite princess - Jasmine.

It was on the night of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, and Katie was all dressed up in her Jasmine outfit. (The pink, special occasion one.) Jasmine and Aladdin were hanging out in Adventureland near the flying carpets. Katie was a little shy, but she did ask Jasmine if she would ride the carpets with her. (Jasmine very smartly said, "Why don't you come back later and we'll see!") We didn't get a chance to, but it was a good answer.

When we ask Katie now what her favorite part of the trip was, she says, "Meeting Jasmine." To be fair, she met Jasmine three times. But this first one was the most mind blowing to her, I think.

Home

Sadly, the latest Disney World vacation is at an end.

It was a great trip and there are many Disney tales to tell. However, I'm uploading photos like crazy to my Flickr account and dealing with my PhotoPass images so that will have to wait.

Here's the short version of the trip report:

Hot. Humid. Halloween. Great Cast Members. Many surprises. Don't eat at the San Angel Inn.

The end.

Full trip report to follow...

Yes, we're still here

Here we are, still firmly in the embrace of the Mouse.
We spent the day at MGM Studios today and had dinner at Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary. Here's a few camera phone pics:

Amy agreed to wear her pretty pink princess hat, but of course she had to add the baseball hat underneath.

Look, I'm at Kona!

We were rather tired. My new hobby: Catching people in a yawn.

And yeah, well, I was tired, too.

Amy and I in the shadow of the Tower of Terror at MGM this morning.

Katie pretending to be scared. It's a long story, but it has to do with a very funny photo/message Walt sent.

We had lunch at the ABC Commissary. As you can see, Amy hated it. And to be honest, I hated it, too. But I was holding the camera phone, so she's the one in the photo.

My advice to anyone traveling to Walt Disney World anytime soon. Do not eat at the ABC Commissary. The food was disgusting. The burger tasted boiled. The desert was gross. Don't eat there. Just... Don't. It would be better to trap one of those little lizards that are all over the place and then let it bake on the sidewalk and eat that.

We'll be at the Magic Kingdom again tomorrow, and then Epcot the day after.

And hey... If you're reading this feel free to leave a comment.

A couple more pics

Things are still going great here at Walt Disney World. We've had surprisingly good weather.

If you define "surprisingly good" as "hot and crushingly humid," that is.

But it's not raining much, which is good. Once in a while we'll come out of an attraction and it's obvious it had showered. But we've had good luck.

We had dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table last night, watched 'Wishes' from right in front of the Castle, and then Randy and Carol flew home today.

Amy, Jenna and Ryan went on the Animal Kingdom Behind the Scenes tour this morning, while Katie and I went and met some characters, shopped, rode a couple of rides and watched the Festival of the Lion King.

Here's a few camera-phone pics:

Katie and I killed a little time while holding a table at the Columbia Harbor House in the Magic Kingdom.

The birthday girl was the princess of the kingdom.

Ryan and I thought the pink princess hat looked dignified.

Katie had her own princess veil to wear today.

Then we went back to the hotel room to bask in the subzero air conditioning and to check in with our friend Stacey on the in-room resort channel. I'm not joking - this room is painfully cold. It's awesome.

Distance

According to Amy's pedometer, we walked 11 miles yesterday.
So that makes 4 miles Thursday, 5 miles Friday and 11 miles yesterday. At first I was dubious, but after yesterday I believe it.
Surprisingly, we're still all feeling pretty well. All praise bodyglide. (Anti-chafing/anti-blister stuff.)

Epcot day

We keep coming back to Disney World because crazy, awesome things always happen. As many times as we've been here, something great always happens.

This is how it happened today...

The day started with a text message from Randy (The Disney King) giving me a hassle for not updating him on our travel plans. We valet parked at the Boardwalk and headed over to the International Gateway to enter Epcot from the back door. As we came through the turnstyles, I saw a guy wearing a Bruschi Patriots jersey and a baseball hat on backwards. The Disney King dresses exactly like this.

I turned to Jenna and said, "Does that look like Randy?"

She said, "Yes, it does."

We tried to catch up to the guy, but he was gone by the time we got to the top of the hill. I decided to cover my bases and call Randy. He picked up the phone and I said, "Where are you standing... RIGHT NOW!?"

He laughed and said, "What? I'm in a northern provice. Duh. I WISH I was at Epcot."

I said, "I know where you are! I saw you! You're in Canada at Epcot!"

In reality, I really wasn't sure at all that the person I saw was him, and besides, flying down from New Hampshire as a surprise is a big deal.

He pretty much conviced me I was being goofy and advised we just head for the fast pass machines at Soarin'. I hung up, and by now Amy, Katie and Jenna had gotten ahead of me in their pursuit of what Jenna had now named, "Fake Randy."

Only now, they had spotted something that tipped the scales even more toward the unlikely event that they had actually flown down to blow our minds... They saw a tall, thin woman walking in the distance next to Fake Randy - and she had a blue windbreaker tied around her waist! Only Carol would need a windbreaker on a day like this. (It was crushingly humid.)

I immediately called Randy back. He said "Hello?"

I said, "We saw someone that looks just like Carol! Where are you?"

He laughed and convinced me I was being goofy again. Only this time I said, "We'll see you in a minute!"

I had to act like I knew we were on to him - even if we weren't. At all.

Only none of us were convinced it really was them. But we got into the Land pavilion, headed right for the railing and started scanning for Fake Randy and Fake Carol. If it really wasn't them, we had to get a photo and show Real Randy and Real Carol.

But we didn't see anoyone that looked like them. So we went down the stairs, a little dejected, and headed over to the fast pass machines.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a Patriots jersey and a blue windbreaker moving in a blur towards us...

It was Carol and Randy. Our minds were blown.

They had flown down the night before - I had actually talked to Randy about the Red Sox as he was standing in Manchester Airport getting ready to fly down here. So after freaking out and actually seeing that it was Real Randy and Real Carol, we kicked off a full day at Epcot, open to close.

Here's a few camera phone pics:

First thing that happened: Katie learned she was about two inches too short to ride Soarin'. She was deeply saddened by this turn of events.

Randy introduced us to the new attraction at the America pavilion: "Voices of Randy."

Of course, I had to try on every goofy hat in Epcot.

This is what Carol thought of the apple chutney at the Ireland booth at the Epcot Food and Wine Festival.

Katie and I hung out near Spaceship Earth for a little while.

We had dinner at the Coral Reef Restaurant in Epcot, and it included a few surprises. I'll get more into that later, especially because the good pictures will really do the story justice.

We're all beat now and going to sleep. We've got the Magic Kingdom tomorrow...

First hand account

Randy has done a fine job relaying the tales of our travels.
Here's a few words direct from Walt Disney World...

I can't really expound much on what Randy said about the Halloween party. Katie met Jasmine, and it was an earth-shattering event. She asked Jasmine if she would ride the magic carpets with her. Jasmine said to come back later if we could. We didn't see her again that night though.
We stayed until about 11 p.m. and had a lot of fun.

Today we went right back at the Magic Kingdom. We were there at the rope drop and powered through as much as we could until 7 p.m.
Here's a few camera-phone pictures:

We went into the Hall of Presidents. Here's Amy at the official seal o' the prez.

Katie was still deeply afraid of the Pooh ride, but she loved the carousel.

Yes, she's afraid of Pooh, but she loved Pirates of the Caribbean.

Self-portrait on the train. We rode the train for a while to get out of the rain and to relax a bit. According to Amy's pedometer we walked four miles last night, and five miles today.

Leave the gun, take the cannoli. We had lunch at Pinnochio's Whateveryoucall it Haus. (Haus is German for "House." I've learned so much from Disney World.)

Katie pretends she's Stitch.

Tomorrow's plan is to hit Epcot. The Epcot Food and Wine Festival is going on, so we hope to partake in a lot of different foodstuffs, as it were.

We'll check in later this week.

Ryan would just not stop eating. It was crazy.

Sherpa Visits Sacred World: Day 1 & 2

Bill has ask me to post reports which he is relaying to me Dirrectly from Disney World.

From his previous posts, you can see that he started his trip working. But as of 12:37 AM yesterday, the family has arrived and the vaccation has begun.

This trip has some special meaning as the Burke's will be celebrating Amy's birthday at the most Magical Place On Earth, and I think Bill has a few surpises planned up his sleave. One of the best suprises planned is...... Wait, Amy might be reading this, so we will all have to wait for the surprise with her.

Amy's Birthday Disney Vacation - Day 1 - 10/04/2007:

After an exciting tour of International Drive, Amy, Katie and Ryan arrived at Saratoga Springs Resort to meet Bill and check-in. They have a lovely 1-bedroom villa in the newest section of the resort, The Grandstands. This location gives them an opportunity for an enjoyable walk to the main building, I think that is what Bill meant when he said, "the boonies".

Finished unpacking are adventurous band trekked accross the lake to Down Town Disney, for a bite at the world famous Earl of Sandwich. The plan being a nice lunch, a little shopping and then heading back to the room for a little nap before heading to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Not So Scarry Halloween Party.

The main goal of the party was for Katie, dressed as Jasmine, to find her full size doppelganger. I am pleased to report, that at 7:46 PM, I recieved a postitive confirmation, that the meeting had occurred and that all parties involved were extremely pleased. The final report I recieved for Day 1, put our travelers on thier way to Main Street U.S.A. to await the special Halloween Parade.

Amy's Birthday Disney Vacation - Day 2 - 10/05/2007:

The plan for the day is the Magic Kingdom. As you can see from this photo, everyone is up early and very excited to be on thier way.

"Bill will you be taking these dumb pictures the whole trip?"

Well at least Katie seems excited and ready to go. So the plan for the day is...... Well I have currently lost contact with Bill, but will update when communication is restored. The only thing I do know about the rest of the day is that they will be dining this evening at the Crystal Palace. Enjoy the prime rib Bill.

Your Disney World remote sherpa reporter,

The Disney King

Raglan Road

We ate dinner at Raglan Road tonight. At one point, a host came over to talk to us about being Patriots and Red Sox fans (I was wearing a Pats shirt.)

He was from the Dedham area, and has been down here for two years now.
I asked him if he liked it here, and he gave me what was by far the most honest answer I think I've ever heard.

"It's Florida," he said. "You can't get good pizza. You can't get good Chinese food. And there aren't any good newspapers."

It's great to find a brutally honest Cast Member.

Raglan Road was amazing, by the way. The food there puts the great, but slightly overrated Le Cellier to shame. It might be my second favorite restaurant on Disney property, next to the California Grill. And even that is only because of the unmatched view.

We arrived at 8 p.m., the live music started at 9 p.m., and the dancer went on around 9:20 p.m.
You know I'd make note of it, so I didn't want to let anyone down.

The set list tonight was amazing: Fields of Athenry, The Town I Loved So Well, Rocky Road to Dublin, Leaving of Liverpool, I'll Tell Me Ma... The band really ripped it up.

Q&A

I'm here in Walt Disney World right now.
Well, I'm in Orlando, at least. I'm working a trade show on International Drive. Thusly:


If anyone has any questions or requests, put 'em in comments.

I will say this... The weather is turning very bad. We may be able to post a 'top five tips if your trip is a washout' post when we return.

Tips for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival

Today is the first day of the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, which runs until November 11. This marks the 12th annual event, and I can gladly report that I have been lucky enough to attend it more than just a couple of times. There are many ways to enjoy the World Showcase at EPCOT, but I don’t think there is a better way than eating your way around the world.

The Walt Disney World web site describes the event: “Explore marketplaces featuring regional foods, wines, and beers. Learn from renowned chefs and winemakers at special programs and demonstrations, and sample the finest cuisine from around the globe. Plus, be sure to savor the sizzling sounds of the "Eat to the Beat" concert series that stars a stellar line-up of popular musical acts!”

The full event schedule can be found here: Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival Guide

The event brings in foods from not only the permanent pavilions of the World Showcase; it also brings in some interesting fare from other locations around the word.

The menu items are relatively inexpensive and the portions are suitably sized to enjoy as well as save room for the next country on your culinary trek.

Now a few of the can’t miss items that I plan to partake in on my journey this year. The menu usually contains a choice of 2 or more appetizers, main corse type dishes and dessert. They also have a selection of regional wines or beverages to enjoy with your sampling.

Greece, is not a permanent pavilion, but you need to stop by and try the Spanakopitt, a savory spinach and cheese pastry for $2.75 and the Baklava for $1.50.

Canada, an event favorite is the Canadian Cheese Soup for $2.75 and at this stop you can go for a cool Canadian Lager, Labatt Blue (6oz) $3.00 and (12oz) $5.75.

One of the keys to truly enjoying the festival is to try things you have never tried before, or never had the nerve of trying before. France is a good place to test your adventurous side. We have all heard of Escargots, remember Julia Robert’s Pretty Woman toss to the waiter in the expensive French restaurant, but we never want to spend the money, since it usually cost a lot for just a try your luck with snails. Here is your chance for only $4.50. Enjoy your taste with a nice cold glass of champagne.

Never tried Sushi, here’s your chance at Japan. For the truly adventurous, the spicy tuna roll for $3.25, and for the less adventurous, the raw fish free California roll for $3.00. Wash this all down with Kirin Iciban draft (6oz) $32.50 and (12oz) $4.75.

At the American Pavilion we take a quick trip back to New England for the Maine lobster roll for $6.50, some blackberry cobbler for $1.25 and a cold one at the Sam Adams Hops & Barley Market.

It might take more than one trip around the lagoon to try all your favorites, a little eating and a little walking to make room for more. But you’re sure to have a great time explore the world through food and drink.

For any of you that are on the Disney Dining Plan, the festival gives you a chance to not worry about how you will be able to use up all of those snack credits. Save them up, since you can use a snack credits for most of the festival menu items.

Make sure you checkout the link to see the full list of menu items, and enjoy your trip around the world, with the compliments of,

The Disney King

Just J's 'Ohana review

Why you should not miss eating at ‘Ohana when at WDW

‘Ohana in Hawaiian means family. Every person who has ever written an article about ‘Ohana makes that statement. I did not want to rock the boat.

What ‘Ohana means to me is a homerun, great meal every time I show up. ‘Ohana is a family style meal as Disney calls it. The food is delivered “family style” - it comes to your table in large plates and bowls (and in ‘Ohana’s case, on skewers) delivered by a server. The server will continue to bring said food until you say stop. This is a dangerous proposition for people like myself who just don’t know when to stop.

First course
There are four food courses at ‘Ohana. The first course is the salad course. A mixed field green salad is served tossed with a honey-lime vinaigrette dressing. It is very good and I know a woman who calls this course the best of the meal. Along with the salad, a bowl of slightly seasoned wontons are served. The server also brings three dipping sauces to the table. They are a sweet peanut sauce, chimichurri sauce, and harissa sauce. For you folks who like to avoid fiber or anything green, the wontons are good and will hold you over until the appetizer course is delivered.

Second course
And the appetizer course delivers with a bang. Honey-coriander chicken wings arrive next. These wings are absolutely addicting and I could be happy if I just ate them for the meal. I made this fatal mistake once and regretted my decision once dessert arrived. The wings are messy but well worth the effort. If you ask your server, small hot towels will be brought to you to help clean your sticky fingers. Spicy sweet and sour shrimp is brought along with the chicken wings. If you like shrimp, these are quite good. Not mind-blowing, but good.

Third course
The third and main course arrives next. Maui scalloped potatoes and stir fry vegetables hit the table which is the prelude to skewers of hot, juicy, and tasty meat that will be arriving shortly. The potatoes are standard fare that are very good, but don’t fill up on the starches at this point. Four skewers consisting of Mesquite turkey breast tips, Asian BBQ pork loin, sirloin steak, and Hawaiian sausage with a pineapple teriyaki glaze arrive hot off the grill. Because there are choices here try one piece of each and then decide which one you want seconds on.
Because I am an ‘Ohana veteran, I only take the turkey breast tips. They are tasty and juicy and once dipped in the peanut sauce, they are sheer heaven.

Dessert
The final course is dessert. It is in no way to be an after thought or overlooked. If you have paced yourself properly, there should be enough room to partake of the decadent ‘Ohana bread pudding served with vanilla ice cream and a rich bananas foster sauce. I was never a bread pudding fan until I visited ‘Ohana for the first time. Let’s face it, anything served hot and a la mode is going to be very good.

A little known secret is you have an alternative to the Bread Pudding. If you prefer, ask for the pineapple chunks served with a hot caramel dipping sauce. This used to be the dessert at ‘Ohana a while back. They changed to the bread pudding, which I was quite happy about. My wife on the other hand, always asks for, and gets the pineapple and caramel.

‘Ohana is one of my favorite dining establishments at Walt Disney World. I have talked about the food, which is fantastic, but the atmosphere puts it over the top. The meat is grilled in a huge open fire pit in the middle of the dining room. There is also a lovely Hawaiian woman who walks around playing the ukulele and coaxing children into hula-hoop and coconut rolling contests. ‘Ohana means family and this is a top notch, family dining restaurant. Do not miss dining at ‘Ohana.

Resort TV take 2

I mentioned below how I like the 'Stacey Top 7' resort show, but how I prefered the older 'Zip' show. Well, here's the Zip stuff.



Maybe it's because that's what was on during Amy and my first trip when I really fell in love with WDW, but I think it's just better. And a tad less cloying.

Character meals

WDWnews.com just rounded up all the character meals – with descriptions and prices - which I thought would be handy for you people I know who are planning trips in the near future.
So here they are:

Magic Kingdom

Once Upon a Time Breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table in Cinderella Castle, with Cinderella and friends, includes a photo imaging package and an entertainment magical moment; daily 8-10:20 a.m. Cost is $31.99, $21.99 ages 3-9, plus theme park admission.

A Fairytale Lunch at Cinderella's Royal Table in Cinderella Castle, with Cinderella and friends, includes a photo imaging package and an entertainment magical moment; daily 12-3 p.m. Cost is $33.99, $22.99 ages 3-9, plus theme park admission.

A Buffet With Character at The Crystal Palace, Winnie the Pooh and friends; breakfast 8-10:30 a.m., $18.99, $10.99 ages 3-9; lunch 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., $20.99, $11.99 ages 3-9; dinner from 4 p.m.-closing, $27.99, $12.99 ages 3-9. Theme park admission required.

Goofy's Liberate Your Appetite Character Dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern in Liberty Square, with Goofy, Minnie, Pluto and friends, daily from 4 p.m. Cost is $27.99, $12.99 ages 3-9, plus theme park admission.

Epcot

Chip 'n' Dale's Harvest Feast at Garden Grill in The Land, with Mickey and friends; serving lunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., $20.99, $11.99 ages 3-9; dinner from 4:30 p.m.-closing, $27.99, $12.99 ages 3-9, plus theme park admission.

Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in the Norway pavilion, with Belle, Jasmine, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Mary Poppins, Pocahontas, Cinderella, Ariel, Alice and Mulan; breakfast from 8:30-10:10 a.m., $22.99, $12.99 ages 3-9; lunch from 11:40 a.m.-2:50 p.m., $24.99, $13.99 ages 3-9; dinner from 4:20-8:40 p.m., $28.99 and $13.99 ages 3-9. Theme park admission required.

Disney-MGM Studios

Playhouse Disney's Play 'n Dine at Hollywood & Vine featuring JoJo and Goliath from "JoJo's Circus" and June and Leo from "Little Einsteins;" breakfast from 8-11:20 a.m., $22.99, $12.99 ages3-9; lunch from 11:40 a.m.-2:25 p.m., $24.99, $13.99 ages 3-9. Theme park admission required.

Disney's Animal Kingdom

Donald's Breakfastosaurus at Restaurantosaurus in DinoLand U.S.A., buffet with Donald Duck and friends, from park opening until 10:30 a.m. daily. Cost is $18.99, $10.99 ages 3-9. Theme park admission required.

In the Resorts

Beach Club Buffet at Disney's Beach Club Resort with Beach Club Goofy and friends, daily at Cape May Café, from 7:30-11 a.m. Cost is $18.99 (ages 10 and over) and $10.99 (ages 3-9).

Chef Mickey's Fun Time Buffet daily at Disney's Contemporary Resort with Mickey and his gang; breakfast from 7-11:30 a.m., $18.99 (ages 10 and over) and $10.99 (ages 3-9); dinner from 5-9:30 p.m., $27.99 (ages 10 and over) and $12.99 (ages 3-9).

Supercalifragilistic Breakfast at 1900 Park Fare at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, with Mary Poppins and friends, daily from 8-11:10 a.m. Prices are $18.99 (ages 10 and over) and $10.99 (ages 3-9).

Wonderland Tea Party at 1900 Park Fare at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, "tea party" for children with Alice and the Mad Hatter from 1:30-2:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Includes lunch. Prices are $28.17 per child (ages 4-10).

Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner at 1900 Park Fare at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, dinner buffet with Cinderella and friends from 4:30-8:20 p.m. daily. Prices are $28.99 (ages 10 and over) and $13.99 (ages 3-9).

`Ohana's Best Friends Breakfast featuring Lilo and Stitch at Disney's Polynesian Resort, family-style breakfast with Lilo, Stitch, Mickey and Pluto, 7-11 a.m., $18.99, $10.99 ages 3-9.

So you’ve got a kid with you…

I know the first time I went to WDW with a kid in tow, it made for a totally different trip.
Amy and I had been going for years without kids, so when Katie came along and it was time to bring her, things changed. Rather dramatically.
I didn’t really plan for it, but things went fine for the most part. However, I did learn a few valuable lessons. The things I learned will apply to families with younger kids – since that’s what I’ve got.
Again, your mileage may vary, but this is my take on the whole thing…

Don’t force your kid to do anything. A friend (Tom Rose) told me that before our first trip-with-kid. He said he brought his son on an attraction despite his nervousness. For the rest of the trip his son didn’t want to go on any attractions. I took this to heart, but didn’t put it into practice.

Quite early on in our first day in the Magic Kingdom, we took Katie, who was still pretty young at 3-years-old, to Fantasyland. She liked Dumbo and the carousel. We then made our way to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. It’s a very mild, happy attraction designed for young kids. I didn’t give it a second thought. Katie was a little nervous about it, and looking back I can see that. You get in a car and it shoots you into the dark. Still, I thought she’d be OK.
It started out fine, but a little ways in we hit the Heffalumps and Woozles – that’s when she got scared. Poor kid. Then there was thunder and a little lightning when the ‘Rain rain rain came down down down.”
But she didn’t see it that way. She saw it as monsters followed by a horrific storm. We haven’t even considered ‘Snow White’s Scary Adventures.’

Now she’s 5. And she still doesn’t want to go on the Pooh ride.
What did I learn? Let the kid decide. It makes for a smoother trip.

Plan on crankiness. It’s hot, crowded, and we’re usually up early and out late. It’s not an excuse for her to misbehave, but for a young kid a schedule like that can be taxing. Heck, for a 40-year-old it can be taxing.
I still won’t tolerate her freaking out. But I think a certain amount of crankiness has to be expected. It’s hard, because a WDW vacation isn’t the cheapest thing in the world and there are very high expectations. But I see way too many parents trying to berate their kids into having fun which results in a general meltdown.

What did I learn? Mid-day naps can be valuable. That is, if your kid will nap. Ours usually won’t, but a little down time can help. It certainly helps her mother, I’ll tell you that.

Don’t base your vacation around characters. I don’t really get standing in line for any amount of time to get a picture with a character. Sure, the pictures are nice and our kid really likes to meet her favorites, but it’s not worth the time or the chaos. Not everyone abides by societal rules like ‘waiting your turn’ or ‘standing in line’ or ‘not running you over to get to Pluto.’ I’ve never thought it’s worth any amount of aggravation. And after a while, it all starts to blend in. I remember saying, “how many pictures like this do we really need?” I put much more value in pictures of her reaction to seeing Illuminations or things like that.

What did I learn? Book a couple of character meals. They come to you. It’s much easier and it’s inside – so it’s air conditioned. Plus, food.

Bring a stroller. If your kid will still fit in a stroller, bring it. They can be expensive to rent, and the ones they provide have no place for storing anything. I get totally wiped out walking around all day, so the last thing I want to do is carry Katie around all night. Putting her in the stroller conserves her energy, it helps us keep track of where she is all the time, and it gives us a place to put stuff – cameras, souvenirs, etc.

Cast members will sometimes move your stroller when you’re on an attraction to make room for guests. We put a fluorescent orange luggage tag on ours. We can spot it immediately amid a sea of identical strollers.
There is a minor risk of having your stroller stolen. It hasn’t happened to us, or anyone we know, but I have read about it happening. Here’s a tip I posted in my bostonherald.com blog one time: If you’re really concerned about your stroller being stolen, get a diaper, pour root beer into it, and put it in a see-through baggie. Hang that off the handle. I bet no one will touch your stroller.
I’ve also read that it’s more common for the Disney rental strollers to be stolen. You can’t tell them apart, so it’d be hard to identify it as yours.

What did I learn? I’m too lazy to carry a kid around, so any time she wants to ride in the stroller, that’s fine with me. Plus, it helps us to pre-board at the airport.

Those are the biggies, I guess. As always, your mileage may vary.

Resort TV

To continue today's TV theme, I thought I'd drop in one of the spots from Disney World's resort TV channel.
Love her or hate her, Stacy and her Top Seven countdown brings me right back every time. So I guess you could count me as coming down on the 'love' side.

Stacy is like the fourth person staying in our room. When I'm in the room, Stacy is usually on the TV.
Although, I must say I liked the old 'Zip' shows much better.

Anyway, obsess with me, won't you?

Upcoming TV

I figured I should get out in front of the WDW TV schedule, so here goes:

Disney's Animal Kingdom: Detailing the Disney theme park that includes thrill rides, live animals and animatronic creatures. (Note - This show has new content updated for 2007.) Saturday September 29, 2007, 3-4 p.m. on the Travel Channel

Undiscovered Walt Disney World: Little-known attractions and exclusive side trips at the family-themed amusement park include a personal yacht trip and deluxe meals at the chef's table. September 29, 2007, 4-5 p.m. on the Travel Channel

Disney Cruise Line: An examination of the cruise line includes the ship's galley, engine control room and provisioning areas, its Broadway-style theatre and the palatial Walt Disney Suite. Saturday September 29, 2007 from 5-6 p.m. on the Travel Channel

I got all this from the Disney Them Parks Related TV For the Week page. Bookmark it, it's a great way to get heads-up on your WDW fix.

TV

Today was heaven. Pats were rolling over the Bills on one channel, and an entire afternoon of Walt Disney World programming was rolling over on the Travel Channel.
We had Great Hotels: The Grand Floridian; Great Hotels: Animal Kingdom Lodge; Great Hotels: The Yacht and Beach Club; Great Hotels: Wilderness Lodge and then Undiscovered Walt Disney World, followed by Disneyland Resort: Behind the Scenes (I can skip this one, I don't really care about Disneyland.), Disney's Animal Kingdom finished up by Walt Disney World Resort: Behind the Scenes.

There may have been pizza and beer involved.
Which, of course, made for a perfect day. Lest you think I totally forsake WDW when preparing football comestibles, I offer up this photo as evidence...

Suffice to say, final preparations for our trip are underway. A Mickey-shaped pizza seemed the perfect way to bridge the worlds of Patriots dominance, and Walt Disney World obsession. If it wasn't for the undercooked crust, I would say the plan was brilliant.

I just scoured Youtube for any of the Samantha Brown Disney episodes, but there were none. I figured this would have to do:

Food, part 2

Don’t think of eating at Disney World as a secondary experience. The sheer number of restaurant choices is staggering, and can range from pretty standard to extraordinary.

Think of it in two ways: Counter service – burgers, dogs, tacos, chicken, etc. – and table service – a sit-down restaurant.

If you’re going with kids, you want to squeeze in a character meal or two. I’d recommend two right off the bat: The Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom (breakfast | lunch | dinner) and Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary Resort (breakfast | dinner). The food at both is good, despite the fact that they’re both buffets.

When we brought our (at the time) 3.5-year-old, we went to a few character meals. It was fun the first time, fun the second time, but then it got to be “how many of these character meals do we really need?” They’re fun, but two will suffice in my book.

That said, there’s also the character meals at Cinderella’s Royal Table (lunch | dinner) and Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Norway at Epcot (Princess Storybook Breakfast). Both are princess meals. Notice I didn’t link to the breakfast meal at Cinderella’s Royal Table. That’s because if you haven’t called 180 days out, right at 7 a.m. with a huge amount of luck, you’re very likely not going to get in. And the Norway meal is just breakfast. The rest of the day it’s normal Norwegian fare – fish.
I haven’t been to either of these character meals, but I hear Norway is a good substitute if you can’t get Cinderella’s Royal Table.

Epcot
In Canada: If you can get into Le Cellier, in Canada, do so. It’s good, so it’s a little more difficult to get into. The cheddar cheese soup is great with breadsticks, and the filet is awesome.

In Germany: The Biergarten is a lot of fun. It’s food and entertainment, with an oompah band adding tons of atmosphere. The food is mainly pork and sausage-related, but you can wash it all down with plenty of beer. And I’ve found the more beer you have, the more fun the Biergarten gets. Imagine that!

In France: Steer clear of Chefs de France. I’ve eaten there three or four times, and it’s ranged from nondescript to awful. It’s really the only restaurant in WDW that I feel this way about. The setting is beautiful, the service is great, but the food is sometimes lacking. I know some people feel differently, so maybe it’s just me. But I don’t recommend this place.

Nearby: You can walk out the International Entrance near the UK pavilion to get to the Boardwalk. It’s worth the walk, especially at night. And you can eat at The ESPN club. The food is good, and the atmosphere is a lot of fun – especially if the Sox or Patriots are playing.

Counter service at Epcot is fairly standard, with the standout being Cantina de San Angel. It’s not mind-blowing, but the offerings are a little different, and you can sit right on the water while you eat.

Magic Kingdom
I’ve already mentioned the Crystal Palace and Cinderella’s Royal Table. The Liberty Tree Tavern is good, and I’ve liked Tony’s Town Square, which is themed around Lady and the Tramp. However, ZenGoalie hasn’t liked it much.

Counter service at the Magic Kingdom is, again, fairly standard. Burgers are decent.

MGM
The 50s Prime Time Café is fun – but you have to be in the mood to interact. The themeing and the cast is top-notch. The food, especially lunch, has been very mediocre for me. (Aside from the peanut butter and jelly shake, which is amazing.) One of my favorite waiters in all of WDW, Lukili, works there. He’s sarcastic, funny, takes his time with guests… He’s great.

I’ve always really liked Mama Melrose’s. Again, Zengoalie wasn’t impressed, but I think there’s something wrong with that girl.

The Brown Derby is usually good, if a bit on the pricey side. Even by WDW standards. Plus, if you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, you’re going to use two table service credits.

Counter service at MGM is incredibly standard. Burgers, etc. Doesn’t matter where you go, it’s pretty much the same stuff.

Animal Kingdom
For food? Skip it. Nothing to see here. Just move along.
Actually, there’s a Rainforest Café there, but that place sucks. I’d suggest getting on a bus and shooting over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge and eating at Boma. Boma is my favorite buffet on-property. Plus it’s where I had breakfast right next to John Cleese. I mean.. Come on!
Boma has prime rib and many different sauces you can put on it. The peanut rice there is incredible.

Resorts
Here are a few restaurants located in on-site resorts that are well worth traveling to for a meal. Whispering Canyon Café in the Wilderness Lodge (take a boat from the Magic Kingdom.) Make sure you ask for Ketchup.
The California Grill is my favorite restaurant in all of WDW, period. It’s expensive, but the food is unmatched and the view is by far the best on-property. This is my ‘go-to’ restaurant if you want to impress someone.
The Grand Sandwich at the Grand Floridian Café is worth the trip alone. (Take the monorail from the Magic Kingdom.)
Under any circumstances, do not miss ‘Ohana at the Polynesian Resort. (Take a boat or the monorail from the Magic Kingdom.) The quality and volume of food is great, and there are games for the kids to play. There’s a peanut flavored sauce that I put on everything they bring. I have never left ‘Ohana without feeling disgustingly full. But that’s a good thing. Plus, the ‘Ohana Colada at the bar is my favorite drink on-site.
It works like this: Arrive early, get a seat next to the bar, nurse two ‘Ohana Coladas, enjoy the view over the top of the resort and wait for them to call you for dinner.

Downtown Disney
The best value on-property is The Earl of Sandiwch. It’s a sub shop. But the sandwiches are great and the prices are actually cheap! So cheap, that people who work down there eat there – so it’s usually incredibly crowded.

I know I said the California Grill is my favorite restaurant in all of WDW, but I lied. That title may actually now go to Raglan Road. The food is very, very good, the music is fantastic, and I won’t mention the Irish step dancer because people are starting to think my interest in it is creepy.

These are some of thoughts on a few dining options. There are actually way, way more choices to make, but even after 17 trips I’ve really only begun to scratch the surface.

Above all, call now to make your ADRs. 1-407-WDW-DINE / 1-407-939-3463

Food

As fellow Sherpa JustJ has said, “It’s all about the food.”
He summed up his choices quickly in an email this morning:

---

“First time, 20th time, etc, when you’re at MGM, eat at the 50's Primetime Cafe. It has great food, good prices and it’s a fun time.
- At Epcot: Le Cellier if there are no budget constraints.
- Go to Chef Mickey's breakfast for a Character meal. It has the best food of any breakfast buffet.
- 'Ohana - No brainer no matter who you are...
- Spoodles on the Boardwalk. The food is good and the location makes it great. One word: Sangria

I have no recommendation for AK. There is nothing there worth mentioning. For table service, I have no real high recommendations in MK.

- I hear the Crystal Palace is good but I think Chef Mickey's should be the choice for a Character Meal.

- The best deal on site for food verses price is at Fort Wilderness, the buffet at Crockett's Tavern. It is cheap and there is all kinds of bad-for-you comfort foods. It’s not the best quality, but it’s the best deal by far. It is hard to get to, (Fort Wilderness) and that's the only problem.”

-- JustJ

Imagineer

A Disney Imagineer (and professor at Carnegie Mellon), Randy Pausch, was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. He recently had the opportunity to give 'his last lecture.'

You can watch it here.

It's cool because he's exactly what you hope an Imagineer would be like - smart, funny, optimistic... But it's also depressing because he has three kids and only about a month left of decent health at this point.
But "Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" is a great lecture.

You can learn more about him here.

5 reasons to travel to WDW solo

I figured there were top fives for first timers and moms, so why not those of us who don't have built-in travel buddies? I've been to WDW eight times since 1999, and about half of those have been solo travel. I love to travel with my friends and family, but sometimes it just makes more sense to go it alone. So, why is WDW one of the best places to travel by yourself? In many overwritten and superfluous words:

1. Convenient, safe transportation options for guests staying on property. With Disney's Magical Express airport shuttle and free on-property transportation, there is no need to drive anywhere. Therefore, there are no dark parking lots to traverse. There are also nearly always cast members nearby, if you need assistance. I'm not saying you can completely let your guard down, but it's a much safer destination than most tourist hotspots.

2. Variety of activities. When you're at WDW, you can go to the Magic Kingdom and hang out with Mickey and his pals. Or you can go to a spa for a massage or a mani-pedi. Or you can take an educational backstage tour. WDW Golf will even match solo golfers with partners to make up a foursome, if you'd like. There's enough going on at WDW that you won't get bored. Which leads me to number three-

3. You're never really alone at WDW. Please! You're surrounded by vacationers and cast members. There's always someone to talk to, even if it's just waiting in line or a brief chat with a cast member on the Maharajah Jungle Trek. That last one is how I finally got to see the tigers actually running around and playing. A cast member told me to come back around 4:00, because that's when the tigers were being fed that day. Sure, you occasionally run into some sourpuss who just looks at you like, "Why is this strange girl talking to me?" But by and large, WDW is full of happy, friendly people.

4. So, numbers 4 and 5 are less about why I'd want to go to Walt Disney World alone, and more about why I'd want to go to Walt Disney World alone. First, you can do pretty much whatever you want to, and no one in your party can say "boo" about it. Because your party is you, and it's your time, no one else's. Don't want to go on Spaceship Earth? Don't have to! Want to ride the Haunted Mansion seven times in a row? You can do that!* You can have cheeseburgers for every meal. You can have tea at the Grand Floridian. You can even decide to skip the only showing of "Wishes" during your stay to stay in your hotel room, drinking cocktails and watching "The Top Seven" countdown because you're too tired to deal with crowds and walking. (Not that anyone I know has ever done that...) Anyway, you call the shots, and nobody rolls their eyes at you. I do recommend pacing yourself a bit, though, because that much freedom can get a little heady, which inevitably leads to sore feet and early nights.

5. And finally, you never have to miss a WDW trip because of someone else's schedule. Let me tell you a little story. I was born the same year WDW opened, so every WDW milestone is a milestone for me, too. The year of the 25th Anniversary celebration was my first year living on my own, and the first year "job" really turned into "career." I had money for a WDW trip. I had scads of vacation time. I had an inexplicable desire to see Cinderella's Castle done up like a big, pink birthday cake. What I didn't have was a travel partner. If my family and friends had the time, they didn't have the inclination. If they wanted to go, they didn't have enough time off. So, I missed it. I have always regretted not going. But that missed opportunity taught me to never again miss anything I really wanted to do, just because I'd have to venture out on my own. It's a lesson I've learned well and applied to many areas of my life, and everything is better for it.

*About the many, back-to-back trips on a favored ride... unless you want to have ride dialogue irretrievably imbedded in your brain, I don't recommend it. Then again, there are those of us who are into that sort of thing. ("... And consider this dismaying observation, this chamber has no windows and no doors. Which offers this chilling challenge- to find a way out! Of course, there's always my way.")

5 Tips from a Mom

1. Bring your own stroller. Not only does it help in schlepping your kid through the airport, it gives you a place to store stuff underneath if it’s got a basket like mine. (Snacks and juice boxes are key here) It also helps you find it easily when exiting a ride if you put something noticeable to distinguish it from the others. We used a bright orange luggage tag with our name on it dangling from the stroller handle.

2. Don’t force your kid onto rides they are skittish of. If you drag your kid onto “Snow White’s Scary Adventure” then they’ll be scarred for the rest of the trip and won’t want to ride anything that has cart that goes into tunnels. The Evil Witch is all through it and terrifying for little kids. Be patient, they’ll be so over stimulated and tired that you want to remember to not “force” them to have a good time.

3. Have your toddler/child wear their bathing suit underneath their clothes. Magic Kingdom and Epcot both have fountains where kids can run through and get wet. Winnie the Pooh’s play yard is a good place to sit back and relax while your child has a blast with the squirting fountain.

4. Napping helps, but your child may surprise you with how well they can stay up to see fireworks. We were lucky to never have any meltdowns. Best plan is to do the Fantasyland and Mickey’s Toon Town Fair early in the day so you get it out of the way and can head back to the hotel for some quiet time in the afternoon.

5. Be patient. See how your child reacts the first time they see a character. If they act frightened, it’s not a big deal, don’t force it. Our little one ran right up and gave Pluto a giant hug the first time she saw him. She got a little nervous before seeing the Big Mouse himself…but the look of sheer joy on her face when she finally came around the corner and saw him was worth the bit of butterflies.