On the third day of Disney, my true love gave to me...
A visit to Disney's Animal Kingdom! (sorry)
This was without a doubt the best time we've ever had at DAK. That had a lot to do with the fact that we didn't have sweat dripping off of our faces the whole time we were there. The park is beautiful, and when keeping the beads of perspiration from running into your eyes is not the only thing you can think of, it's much easier to appreciate that fact.
There isn't a lot to do at this park when you stop and think about it. But there are a few really high quality attractions here. We rode Dinosaur! twice; it was virtually a walk-on attraction this time. I saw it suggested on Futureprobe that many of the effects have been "turned off" and this ride is not what it used to be. It may be a case of not knowing what we're missing, or it might just be a case of when you only invest 10 minutes in getting on the ride, the ride seems better to you, but whatever it is, we enjoyed the ride this time. More than other times.
Expedition: Everest I rode twice, and my boys did it two more times. They rode standby once (the line was only about 15 minutes late in the day) and since my wife didn't ride at all they used her extra Fastpasses another time. They loved it. My younger son declared it to be his "favorite ride in the world". (We had one "favorite ride in the world" each day of our vacation, except Friday.)
We also did the standby line for Kilamanjaro Safaris, and that seemed to move relatively quickly. Saw a lot of animals out, but just caught a glimpse of the lions. We did see the hippos and the elephants, however. This is always a fun ride.
I wanted to do the Maharajah Jungle Trek but my wife preferred to go see the Festival of the Lion King. So we did the latter, and I have to admit that I enjoyed it. It was a well choreographed and well performed show, and I'd go see it again. The boys also rode the Primeval Whirl after we did Dinosaur. They liked it; they got put in a car with another boy a little older than them, and they always like that.
(Is that Chester and Hester's Dinorama cheap? Well, yeah...but I understand that it's the "story" that goes with the land. I like most Disney fans wish they would have come up with something more elegant or more interesting. But I'm not going to let it stand in the way of the kids' or our enjoyment...)
We had lunch at the Yak and Yeti, and you can see my photos and comments on that lunch in a previous post. We left the park in order to get back to the hotel in time for our reservation, but after stopping to do some shopping (I got a book by Jeff Kurtti and Bruce Gordon!) we were late anyway. Fortunately they were still able to accommodate us and we got a nice dinner after all.
The Animal Kingdom park is usually a shorter day for us but this time it ended up being a full day project. I think it was less crowded than usual due to the fact that it was Thanksgiving Day, but when we got there it sure looked packed.
One more day to go in the World...
*****
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Disney Parks: Hollywood Studios
Our next full day at a Disney park was spent at Disney's Hollywood Studios on Wednesday. I know there are those who don't really care for this park, but I'm not one of them. With Star Tours down for its refurbishment, it's true that there is less to do here than usual, and it's also true that the park is sort of heavy on shows and light on rides anyway. But that said, I like it quite a bit. I like the dining choices and I like the rides it does have.
We ate at the Hollywood Brown Derby for lunch and at the 50's Prime Time Cafe for dinner. You can read my thoughts on those in previous blog posts if you're interested. (Feel free to comment if anything strikes a chord...)
We made it on many rides at the park but we did not go on Toy Story Mania, because all the FastPasses were given out by the time we got there between 10:30 am and 11:00 am. It's a good ride, but not one I'd stand in line for over an hour to ride, even if the queue is supposed to be really cool. (We've never seen it, having only ridden it using FastPasses.) Plus, we have the Wii game, and while it isn't exactly the same, it's not totally different either. (Some levels are even in 3D!)
We also skipped the Backlot Tour, not because we hate it, but because we never seemed to make it that far back in the park. We also didn't go to the Beauty and the Beast show (something we've never done to this point) or to Lights, Motors, Action! on this trip. Fantasmic wasn't running on the day we were there, so we didn't have to make a decision about going to see it.
We did ride Twilight Zone Tower of Terror twice, once with and once without a FastPass. We rode Rock'n'Roller Coaster (with Fastpasses) and my younger son declared it to be his favorite roller coaster ever! We did the Great Movie Ride and we saw the Indiana Jones Stunt Show. All fun rides.
We also made sure to wander back into the Animation Academy and take a drawing class. We drew Dale (the one with the big nose), and had a blast doing so.
While we were on the Tower Of Terror, my wife wandered over to the Writer's Stop, then when I called her that we were out of the ride, she said that she was watching the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, and that we had to see it. So we made our way across the park to the Streets of America, and watched the shows for about a half hour. This display was perhaps the coolest thing, decoration-wise, I've seen in the parks. It's extensive and quite beautiful. All that light movement synched to music...it was really impressive.
When we came out of our dinner, the park was closed, and it's pretty neat to see it without people but still lit up. My wife tried to get some good shots of the boys with the Hat in the background, and I tried to get some pictures with my cell phone of the Hat and the streets without people, like so many of the publicity photos you see at various places. I'd like to report that I got some great pictures, but the truth is, I wasn't impressed with any of my shots. (If you've seen my photography, you probably have to wonder just how bad these were for me to call them bad. I guess they weren't THAT bad - just not anything special.)
It was pretty late by this time, but we didn't have anything scheduled for the following morning, so we made our way back to our room, and called it a day!
******
Monday, December 6, 2010
Disney Parks: Magic Kingdom
I was going to do an entry on the dining we did at Universal, but thought I'd put that off another day or two till I could sort of reconstruct our dining choices there. I remember (mostly) what I had, but I don't remember what my wife had, and I was getting confused on the appetizers and desserts, so I need to consult with her.
So I thought instead I'd recap the parks. Our first full day was spent at the Magic Kingdom. We were able to do quite a few rides, though it seemed as crowded as ever there. In Tomorrowland, we did the Carousel of Progress, Buzz Lightyear, Space Mountain, the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, and the TTA PeopleMover. There was a short wait for the PeopleMover, something I'd never seen before. Lines were long at Buzz and Space Mountain, but we used our Fastpasses on those rides and were able to get on relatively quickly. The Carousel of Progress seemed to have some technical difficulties. They kept interrupting the show to announce that people should remain in their seats, but at least in our theater, no one was getting up. Then we didn't move when we were supposed to, sitting in the same scene for a couple of times. Finally it moved, but right in the middle of a presentation. Just when we were getting irritated and half ready to get up and walk out the exit doors, it started working correctly again, and we got out.
In Frontierland, we did Big Thunder Mountain Railroad via our third and last FastPass. In Adventureland, we did Pirates of the Caribbean. The line was long for that one also. In Liberty Square, we did the Haunted Mansion and, for our first time, we saw the Hall of Presidents show. My kids are at an age where they can appreciate this one now, though I think at our last visit they wouldn't have enjoyed it much. I really liked it. We did no Fantasyland rides this trip. Lines were long at all of them and we didn't feel like waiting.
The Magic Kingdom has plenty to do, and we enjoyed our day there. We capped it by eating, as I mentioned in a previous post, at the California Grill and watching the fireworks from the best table in the house. Weather was perfect all day, and it was a fine finish to a fine day!
******
So I thought instead I'd recap the parks. Our first full day was spent at the Magic Kingdom. We were able to do quite a few rides, though it seemed as crowded as ever there. In Tomorrowland, we did the Carousel of Progress, Buzz Lightyear, Space Mountain, the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, and the TTA PeopleMover. There was a short wait for the PeopleMover, something I'd never seen before. Lines were long at Buzz and Space Mountain, but we used our Fastpasses on those rides and were able to get on relatively quickly. The Carousel of Progress seemed to have some technical difficulties. They kept interrupting the show to announce that people should remain in their seats, but at least in our theater, no one was getting up. Then we didn't move when we were supposed to, sitting in the same scene for a couple of times. Finally it moved, but right in the middle of a presentation. Just when we were getting irritated and half ready to get up and walk out the exit doors, it started working correctly again, and we got out.
In Frontierland, we did Big Thunder Mountain Railroad via our third and last FastPass. In Adventureland, we did Pirates of the Caribbean. The line was long for that one also. In Liberty Square, we did the Haunted Mansion and, for our first time, we saw the Hall of Presidents show. My kids are at an age where they can appreciate this one now, though I think at our last visit they wouldn't have enjoyed it much. I really liked it. We did no Fantasyland rides this trip. Lines were long at all of them and we didn't feel like waiting.
The Magic Kingdom has plenty to do, and we enjoyed our day there. We capped it by eating, as I mentioned in a previous post, at the California Grill and watching the fireworks from the best table in the house. Weather was perfect all day, and it was a fine finish to a fine day!
******
Saturday, December 4, 2010
The limitation with an all year park in the north - illustrated.
I'm sitting here in my office at work, between patients (I figure I have 10 minutes till my next one) and looking out the window at our employee parking lot. It's snowing.
It's been snowing since sometime in the middle of last night. I shoveled the drive this morning, and I'd guess something around 3 inches had fallen overnight. The drive to work was miserably slow; it's our first real snow of the year, and the plows are out but the snow is heavy and slushy, and the roads were slick. Now I'm used to driving in these conditions; I do it every winter.
But it got me thinking as I drove to work about this as a limiting factor for a park in the north. It's not a day to be outside, unless you're 10 years old and building snowmen. But on the other hand, there were some really beautiful places I drove past, where the snow on the trees really makes for a gorgeous vista.
It's winter here, and we generally don't hang around outside. If you're dressed for it, and you're in a place that's designed for it, a walk on a snowy day can be fun, interesting, even exhilirating. But when you think about a theme park and that sort of day outside, it doesn't fit.
I've always thought that most everything would have to be inside, with enclosed walkways or the entire park in a huge superstructure. Days like this just make that limitation much clearer.
*****
It's been snowing since sometime in the middle of last night. I shoveled the drive this morning, and I'd guess something around 3 inches had fallen overnight. The drive to work was miserably slow; it's our first real snow of the year, and the plows are out but the snow is heavy and slushy, and the roads were slick. Now I'm used to driving in these conditions; I do it every winter.
But it got me thinking as I drove to work about this as a limiting factor for a park in the north. It's not a day to be outside, unless you're 10 years old and building snowmen. But on the other hand, there were some really beautiful places I drove past, where the snow on the trees really makes for a gorgeous vista.
It's winter here, and we generally don't hang around outside. If you're dressed for it, and you're in a place that's designed for it, a walk on a snowy day can be fun, interesting, even exhilirating. But when you think about a theme park and that sort of day outside, it doesn't fit.
I've always thought that most everything would have to be inside, with enclosed walkways or the entire park in a huge superstructure. Days like this just make that limitation much clearer.
*****
Disney Parks: Dining in the World (continued)
Besides the California Grill and the Yak and Yeti, we also dined at many other fine restaurants at Walt Disney World. I'm going to try to list them and say a few words about the experience, though not in any order.
The Hollywood Brown Derby was our lunch destination on Wednesday. It's a "signature dining" experience, and we'd not had the opportunity to eat there before. It's sort of pricey, but we figured that it would be worth trying. We split a Cobb salad to start, then I had the Sterling Silver Pork Chop, while my wife had the 6 oz Char Grilled Filet of Beef. The service was good though not outstanding, and the ambience was nice. The food was good but after eating the night before at Emeril's, we may have been spoiled. It didn't stand up to that experience, although the prices were right up there.
We also dined at Le Cellier on Friday night. This is a small restaurant with a limited number of tables, and though we called exactly 90 days in advance of our vacation to make the reservations, the only time we were able to get was at 8:20 pm. A little late when you're dragging 2 kids ages 8 and 10 around, but we (I) really wanted to dine there, so we took it. As it has been in the past, it was one of our best meals. I had the Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon, which is served with a wild mushroom risotto. That risotto is excellent. My wife had the same thing. I can't remember what we had as an appetizer; perhaps we didn't get one. I know I ate my kids' soup, and we did get an order of onion rings for the table. But I thought we did order something. Oh well. The food and service were both top notch. I see on the Disney website that this restaurant is considered "signature dining" also, but I thought it used to only take one table service point. No matter to us; we weren't on the dining plan.
The 50's Prime Time Cafe was another dining destination. We ate there on Wednesday night right after watching the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. The greeters couldn't have been nicer. Our service was a little slow, but was she a riot! She was so funny! My kids were laughing so hard that we were worried they'd lose their supper. The food - eh. It's okay. My steak was so-so, and the kids' chow was average at best. My wife had the fried chicken, though, and said it was really good. The server made this experience, however, with her performance. I tried to remember her name but I didn't write it down so of course it's gone from my memory.
Les Chefs De France was the location of our first night's meal, and it was decent. I started with lobster bisque, and my wife had the Soupe a l'oignon gratinee (French onion soup). Both were excellent. I followed it with the Trio de fruits de mer au bouillon de homard (scallops, mahi mahi and shrimp), while my did the Filet de boeuf grille (grilled tenderloin of beef). Mine was quite good. She said hers wasn't as good as she remembered. Our service was excellent. It's pricey but worth it for the atmosphere and the service as well as the good food.
On Thanksgiving, we dined at Sanaa, the restaurant at our hotel. This was terrific. We started with the bread service, which consisted of Naan, Onion Kulcha, and Paneer Paratha. We selected the Mango Chutney, the Garlic Pickle and the roasted red bell pepper accompaniments. They were all excellent. For dinner, we both went with the "Slow-cooked in Gravy, Simple and Well-seasoned" dishes. I selected the Chicken with red curry sauce and beef short ribs. My wife had the same chicken but did the Shrimp with Green Curry Sauce. She loved hers. I really enjoyed mine, too. (The waiter told us that we were one of the only tables to order off their regular menu, but we figured we're at this restaurant NOW, and we want to try what they have to offer, not an American Thanksgiving meal. We were getting that on our return home anyway.) For dessert we did the sampler, with Chocolate cake, passiou fruit kulfi, and chai cream. I really loved the chai cream. I'd highly recommend this restaurant.
I'll post separately, later, about the dining experiences at CityWalk and Universal. It won't be as long, thank God.
*****
The Hollywood Brown Derby was our lunch destination on Wednesday. It's a "signature dining" experience, and we'd not had the opportunity to eat there before. It's sort of pricey, but we figured that it would be worth trying. We split a Cobb salad to start, then I had the Sterling Silver Pork Chop, while my wife had the 6 oz Char Grilled Filet of Beef. The service was good though not outstanding, and the ambience was nice. The food was good but after eating the night before at Emeril's, we may have been spoiled. It didn't stand up to that experience, although the prices were right up there.
We also dined at Le Cellier on Friday night. This is a small restaurant with a limited number of tables, and though we called exactly 90 days in advance of our vacation to make the reservations, the only time we were able to get was at 8:20 pm. A little late when you're dragging 2 kids ages 8 and 10 around, but we (I) really wanted to dine there, so we took it. As it has been in the past, it was one of our best meals. I had the Le Cellier Mushroom Filet Mignon, which is served with a wild mushroom risotto. That risotto is excellent. My wife had the same thing. I can't remember what we had as an appetizer; perhaps we didn't get one. I know I ate my kids' soup, and we did get an order of onion rings for the table. But I thought we did order something. Oh well. The food and service were both top notch. I see on the Disney website that this restaurant is considered "signature dining" also, but I thought it used to only take one table service point. No matter to us; we weren't on the dining plan.
The 50's Prime Time Cafe was another dining destination. We ate there on Wednesday night right after watching the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. The greeters couldn't have been nicer. Our service was a little slow, but was she a riot! She was so funny! My kids were laughing so hard that we were worried they'd lose their supper. The food - eh. It's okay. My steak was so-so, and the kids' chow was average at best. My wife had the fried chicken, though, and said it was really good. The server made this experience, however, with her performance. I tried to remember her name but I didn't write it down so of course it's gone from my memory.
Les Chefs De France was the location of our first night's meal, and it was decent. I started with lobster bisque, and my wife had the Soupe a l'oignon gratinee (French onion soup). Both were excellent. I followed it with the Trio de fruits de mer au bouillon de homard (scallops, mahi mahi and shrimp), while my did the Filet de boeuf grille (grilled tenderloin of beef). Mine was quite good. She said hers wasn't as good as she remembered. Our service was excellent. It's pricey but worth it for the atmosphere and the service as well as the good food.
On Thanksgiving, we dined at Sanaa, the restaurant at our hotel. This was terrific. We started with the bread service, which consisted of Naan, Onion Kulcha, and Paneer Paratha. We selected the Mango Chutney, the Garlic Pickle and the roasted red bell pepper accompaniments. They were all excellent. For dinner, we both went with the "Slow-cooked in Gravy, Simple and Well-seasoned" dishes. I selected the Chicken with red curry sauce and beef short ribs. My wife had the same chicken but did the Shrimp with Green Curry Sauce. She loved hers. I really enjoyed mine, too. (The waiter told us that we were one of the only tables to order off their regular menu, but we figured we're at this restaurant NOW, and we want to try what they have to offer, not an American Thanksgiving meal. We were getting that on our return home anyway.) For dessert we did the sampler, with Chocolate cake, passiou fruit kulfi, and chai cream. I really loved the chai cream. I'd highly recommend this restaurant.
I'll post separately, later, about the dining experiences at CityWalk and Universal. It won't be as long, thank God.
*****
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Disney Parks: Dining in the World
We had many fine dining experiences during our WDW visit last week. Among them were stops at California Grill, Chefs De France, Le Cellier, the Brown Derby, the 50's Prime Time Cafe, Sanaa, and the Yak and Yeti. We also ate at Pastamore and at Emeril's at the CityWalk, but I didn't take pictures of those meals.
My dinner was the Grilled Pork Tenderloin, and my wife did the Oak-fired Filet of Beef, and both were done to perfection. The presentation was beautiful, and the tastes were incredible. I know I wasn't feeling all that well, and it was late, but this restaurant, while pricy, has been the highlight of our Disney dining experiences the last two times we've gone to the World.
Dessert was also excellent. If I'm remembering correctly, this was the California Bread Pudding, and we shared it. It was delicious and we cleaned our plate! (Well, I did, anyway...my wife has willpower.)
We started with one of the flatbreads (I believe it was the Spring Vegetable flatbread) and the Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli. Both were excellent. (The kids helped with the flatbread.)
We were also lucky enough to get what I think was about the best table in the house - the one with a perfect view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks, which we were able to enjoy without leaving our table. A very nice finish to our Sunday in Disney.
Thursday we went to the Yak and Yeti for lunch. This was a really good day. The weather was perfect, the crowds were manageable, and the park was beautiful. And the Yak and Yeti's food was excellent. We started with Pork Pot Stickers (not pictured) and they were excellent, though about what you get from most Asian (and some non-Asian) restaurants. I followed it up with the Shaoxing Steak and Shrimp, and my wife had the Stir-Fried Beef and Broccoli. Both of these dishes were presented nicely, and were quite tasty. We did order the Fried Wontons for dessert, but I don't have a picture of it.
This is one of my wife's favorite restaurants in any park, and I have to agree with her that it's a culinary treat.
I'm going to stop here but I'll be back with another post about dining, though sadly it won't have pictures (because these were the only ones I took). Or maybe not so sadly. Bon Appetit!
*****
My dinner was the Grilled Pork Tenderloin, and my wife did the Oak-fired Filet of Beef, and both were done to perfection. The presentation was beautiful, and the tastes were incredible. I know I wasn't feeling all that well, and it was late, but this restaurant, while pricy, has been the highlight of our Disney dining experiences the last two times we've gone to the World.
Dessert was also excellent. If I'm remembering correctly, this was the California Bread Pudding, and we shared it. It was delicious and we cleaned our plate! (Well, I did, anyway...my wife has willpower.)
We started with one of the flatbreads (I believe it was the Spring Vegetable flatbread) and the Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli. Both were excellent. (The kids helped with the flatbread.)
We were also lucky enough to get what I think was about the best table in the house - the one with a perfect view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks, which we were able to enjoy without leaving our table. A very nice finish to our Sunday in Disney.
Thursday we went to the Yak and Yeti for lunch. This was a really good day. The weather was perfect, the crowds were manageable, and the park was beautiful. And the Yak and Yeti's food was excellent. We started with Pork Pot Stickers (not pictured) and they were excellent, though about what you get from most Asian (and some non-Asian) restaurants. I followed it up with the Shaoxing Steak and Shrimp, and my wife had the Stir-Fried Beef and Broccoli. Both of these dishes were presented nicely, and were quite tasty. We did order the Fried Wontons for dessert, but I don't have a picture of it.
This is one of my wife's favorite restaurants in any park, and I have to agree with her that it's a culinary treat.
I'm going to stop here but I'll be back with another post about dining, though sadly it won't have pictures (because these were the only ones I took). Or maybe not so sadly. Bon Appetit!
*****
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Disney Parks: Holiday Decorations
The parks were festive, decked out in Christmas splendor. It's our first trip to WDW at the Christmas holiday season, so I didn't know what to expect. I wasn't overwhelmed, but I wasn't disappointed. I guess that's another way of saying that most of it was about what I expected, but a few things stood out as "really something special"!
I apologize for the quality of my photos; I took them with my iPhone, and while it's not bad, it's not great, either. Plus, the hand behind it isn't so great. But I think they show that the decorations were not excessive at the Magic Kingdom. Nice, but not overdone, or spectacular, really. Same with the trees. All the parks had them, and they're nice, but they're what I'd expect - not much more.
Now here is something that really IS spectacular. The lighting of Cinderella's Castle is just breathtaking. It rotates through 4 or 5 background colors, and those white icicle-type lighting just make you go, "Wow!" My picture doesn't really do it justice; it is much more beautiful in person.
And something else that is spectacular, and exceeded all my expectations, was the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. Again, the pictures I took don't really do it justice; it's much more spectacular in person. The colors and the movement of the lights just mesmerized me and my family for quite a while. I was insisting to my wife that we make sure we see this, because I suspected it would be cool, but it was so much cooler than I thought it would be. Everyone should see this spectacle, it's that impressive, in my opinion. (Maybe I'm easily impressed, but...)
The decorations were nice all over, but those two things really stood out, head and shoulders above anything else I saw at the theme parks at Disney or Universal last week.
*****
I apologize for the quality of my photos; I took them with my iPhone, and while it's not bad, it's not great, either. Plus, the hand behind it isn't so great. But I think they show that the decorations were not excessive at the Magic Kingdom. Nice, but not overdone, or spectacular, really. Same with the trees. All the parks had them, and they're nice, but they're what I'd expect - not much more.
Now here is something that really IS spectacular. The lighting of Cinderella's Castle is just breathtaking. It rotates through 4 or 5 background colors, and those white icicle-type lighting just make you go, "Wow!" My picture doesn't really do it justice; it is much more beautiful in person.
And something else that is spectacular, and exceeded all my expectations, was the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. Again, the pictures I took don't really do it justice; it's much more spectacular in person. The colors and the movement of the lights just mesmerized me and my family for quite a while. I was insisting to my wife that we make sure we see this, because I suspected it would be cool, but it was so much cooler than I thought it would be. Everyone should see this spectacle, it's that impressive, in my opinion. (Maybe I'm easily impressed, but...)
The decorations were nice all over, but those two things really stood out, head and shoulders above anything else I saw at the theme parks at Disney or Universal last week.
*****
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