Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1202
August 6, 2014
Characters From Big Hero 6 to Meet This Fall at Disney Parks
©Disney
This year’s follow up to the smash hit Frozen is called Big Hero 6. The movie follows Hiro Hamada, a robotics prodigy, who finds himself in a criminal plot to destroy the city of San Fransokyo. Hiro must transform his robotic companion, Baymax, as well as a few other friends, into high-tech heroes to save the day and their city.
To help to promote the movie, beginning this Fall, guests will have the opportunity to meet both Hiro and Baymax. According to Disney, the two will be found at both Disneyland Resort and the Walt Disney World Resort. Currently, no location or beginning date has been given for the meet and greet opportunities, but it should be released soon and I’ll make sure to keep you posted.
To find out a little bit more about the characters, make sure to check out the recently released movie trailer. (Baymax looks like he will be squishy! I cannot wait to hug him!) Big Hero 6 debuts in theaters on November 7.
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TouringPlans #Everwhere: Dining in Disneyland…HELP!
Photo Courtesy Guy Selga, Jr
This is the fourth in my series of printed histrionics about my first ever trip to Disneyland as part of TouringPlans.com’s desire to take over the world visit every Disney-run location in the world. I previously wrote about my general excitement, how I budgeted for the trip to California, and the random things I expect to find as a first time visitor to Disneyland. This post is all about choosing my dining in Disneyland, specifically for any meals where I may need a reservation.
I am about 2 months away from my Disneyland trip (I know because my kids have been counting down for over a month already). If I were traveling to Walt Disney World, at this point I would have all of my Advance Dining Reservations, FastPass+ attraction reservations, morning alarms set with precise wake-up times, and my pacemaker linked with Disney’s new heart rate excitement inducement program. Things are a bit different out west; there are no FastPass+ reservations (at least not yet), and dining reservations can only be made 60 days in advance.
That 60 day dining window opens for me on August 10, and being a Walt Disney World-trained super-advance-planner, I want to be ready early in the morning to grab my spots. In direct opposition to my last post, where I asked for no spoilers (and you were great about that, by the way), I need your help with this one. I know a little bit about dining in Disneyland, but not enough to make selections out of all of these amazing-sounding restaurants.
Background Info
Here are the relevant stats: Family of 4 with two adults (in age only) and two young children, a girl of almost 6 and a boy of 3. We will be visiting the two Disneyland Resort parks for 5 days, and I’m expecting to eat around 4 or 5 sit-down, or table service, meals. My kids are pretty good (if I do say so myself), but they are still kids, and would still rather not sit quietly for an hour. Therefore, meals that have some sort stimulation for them are a higher priority and the super-fancy experiences like Napa Rose are out.
I’ll also take this moment to re-emphasize my family’s love of character dining. We have done almost all of the Walt Disney World character meals, often more than once (the lone exception being the Garden Grove at the Swan). As you probably expect, we would also like to try at least some of the Disneyland character dining experiences, although probably not all 5 of them due to overlapping characters.
The ChoicesThese are not all of the options for table service dining in Disneyland, rather a handful of spots that sound interesting to me for whatever reason. If you have a favorite that is not on this list, by all means suggest it below.
Character Meals
Since I’ve already explained how much we enjoy these, we may as well start with them. I don’t really mention the food here because let’s be honest, it doesn’t matter. Sure, I’d love a haute cuisine experience, but that’s not happening and it’s not really what we’re paying for. So, here are the options:
Ariel’s Grotto (California Adventure) — There is a 99% chance we’ll end up doing this one because my daughter is princess-crazy. The details (other than that princesses are there) barely matter, but both breakfast and lunch are served with Ariel and a few of her royal gal pals.
Disney’s PCH Grill (Paradise Pier Hotel) — The punctuation-challenged Surf’s Up! Breakfast with Mickey and Friends happens here with the same breakfast buffet stuff that is served everywhere. It seems like Mickey’s friends often include Minnie, Pluto, and Stitch.
Goofy’s Kitchen (Disneyland Hotel) — Breakfast and dinner are the meals here and Goofy is the main man…uh, dog? He is often joined by Minnie and Pluto.
Plaza Inn (Disneyland) — With a great location at the end of Main Street, U.S.A., this character breakfast is frequented by Disney celebrities Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Chip, and Dale.
Storyteller’s Cafe (Grand Californian Hotel) — Breakfast features Chip n Dale and “friends.” Who exactly the friends are seems to be in some doubt, but it appears as if the restaurant is usually infested with critters such as Meeko (from Pocahontas) or Terk (from Tarzan, and yes, I know a primate is not a critter).
Excluding the princess meal, Minnie and Pluto appear at 3 of the other 4, and Chip n Dale and Goofy are at 2. We probably don’t need to repeatedly meet these characters, although my children might totally disagree with me on that.
Disneyland
Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue — An outdoor, all-you-can-eat barbecue joint. I love barbecue and I enjoy any place that lets me eat until I burst. On the other hand, what I generally love is good barbecue (I don’t trust the theme park version) and I don’t actually enjoy the act of bursting. I’m also not sure I would even need advance reservations for Big Thunder Ranch.
Carthay Circle (photo courtesy DisneyTouristBlog.com)
Blue Bayou — The dark, iconic Cajun restaurant that sits inside Pirates of the Caribbean. As you probably expect from a Disneyland first-timer, I find this place fascinating. On top of that, my kids might get a kick out of watching the boats float by provided we can get one of those highly coveted railside tables. What I am also fascinated by is how on Earth they manage to charge $25.49 for a Monte Cristo Sandwich…and that’s at lunch! By contrast, the Big Thunder Ranch all-you-can-eat dinner is only $2.50 more and the Plaza Inn’s character breakfast buffet is $4.50 more. That better be a heck of a sandwich.
Cafe Orleans — I keep hearing that the pomme frites here are worth every penny. The Monte Cristo Sandwich here is also “only” $17.99, which still seems ridiculous, albeit less ridiculous. And no, I don’t know when I became obsessed with Monte Cristo prices either (I really tried to work a Count of Monte Cristo joke in here but it was too bad, even for me).
Carnation Cafe — I’m more interested in the history of the Carnation than the food since the place has been open for the full run of the park. That said, the food sounds pretty decent and the prices aren’t too bad.
California Adventure
Carthay Circle — The Carthay Circle sounds beautiful and the food sounds wonderful. My only concern, other than the slightly high prices, is that there won’t be anything of interest for the kiddos.
Wine Country Trattoria — Let me start by saying that I love all three words in the title of this restaurant. Much like Carthay Circle, it sounds very good and much like Carthay Circle, I’m not sure my kids will enjoy it.
Let’s Summarize
As of this moment, I’m thinking of making some reservations for three of the character meals (maybe Ariel’s Grotto, The PCH Grill, and The Plaza) and some combination of Cafe Orleans, the Carnation Cafe, Carthay Circle, and Wine Country Trattoria. And now we’re back to the part where I need your help.
What reservations should I make? Should I be considering something else? Thanks in advance!
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Disney World Crowd Report – July 27 to August 5, 2014
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Another good week of predictions for the crowd calendar with most days falling within normal error ranges. We’re seeing higher wait times at Disney Hollywood Studios compared to the last few months and we’re seeing moderate summer crowds at Magic Kingdom. Crowds continue to be busy but manageable.
Let’s look at how the crowd levels stacked up each day last week on the Disney World Crowd Report:
Walt Disney World Resort Crowd Levels – Daily Breakdown
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
6
4
Sunday crowds were moderate across all four parks with Magic Kingdom coming in as the best park to visit (‘4’ out of 10). Our predictions for Disney’s Hollywood Studios have been very reliable over the past few weeks. For example, on Sunday we predicted Toy Story Mania would have an average wait of 63 minutes, it turned out to be only 5 minutes higher, at 68 minutes.
Epcot
5
6
Hollywood Studios
6
6
Animal Kingdom
6
5
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
8
7
On Monday, Toy Story Mania jumped much higher with an average of 80 minutes (predicted 40). Meanwhile, Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster hit 68 minutes (predicted 63).
Epcot
4
6
Hollywood Studios
4
8
Animal Kingdom
7
6
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
7
6
Tuesday’s crowd at Disney Hollywood Studios settled back down to a level ‘6’, average for the summer season. Epcot saw higher than average crowds while everywhere else crowds came in as expected.
Epcot
8
9
Hollywood Studios
6
6
Animal Kingdom
6
7
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
8
7
Epcot surprised us on Wednesday as The Studios did earlier in the week. Living with the Land averaged a remarkably high 17 minutes (predicted 3) as did Spaceship Earth at 27 minutes (predicted 13). Everywhere else we saw crowds at or near predicted levels.
Epcot
4
8
Hollywood Studios
7
6
Animal Kingdom
8
8
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
8
7
Epcot came in with a higher level than expected again on Thursday thanks to higher than expected wait times at Spaceship Earth (22 minutes, predicted 11) and Living with the Land (10 minutes, predicted 6). However, Soarin’ and Mission: Space had average wait times lower than predicted.
Epcot
4
7
Hollywood Studios
5
7
Animal Kingdom
5
5
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
6
4
Low average waits at Magic Kingdom brought the resort-wide level to a ‘5’, two less than we predicted. Only Pirates of the Caribbean met expectations on Friday while other attractions came in below predicted levels. The other three parks were within normal error ranges including a correct prediction at The Studios.
Epcot
5
6
Hollywood Studios
7
7
Animal Kingdom
5
4
(Click to view overall details for this day)
WHAT WE
THOUGHT
WHAT WE
SAW
ANALYSIS
Magic Kingdom
5
5
Solid predictions across the board on Saturday. Only The Studios missed but only by one level. Our estimates for Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster, Star Tours and Great Movie Ride were all within 4 minutes.
Epcot
4
4
Hollywood Studios
6
7
Animal Kingdom
4
4
What to Expect This Week
August 3 to 9, 2014
The Crowd Report
Summer crowds will continue for two more weeks then we will see the slow decline in crowds leading to the least busy time of year, early September. Watch out for the Villains Event at Disney Hollywood Studios on August 23, 2014. We expect to see moderate crowds during the day then large crowds in the evening although attraction wait times will be reasonable.
To see Walt Disney World Crowd predictions for the days of your vacation, check the Crowd Calendar.
To get details about our predictions of future crowds or details about crowds in the past check out the Crowd Calendar and select “Jump to Date” on the left margin.
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Keeping the Kids Happy When Disney World Theme Parks Are Off the Table
By John Scanlan
Maybe you don’t want to spring for the 6th day of Magic Your Way admission. Maybe the thought of wading through a neck-deep sea of people for another afternoon makes you break out in hives. Maybe you are just looking for something different on your vacation, like “relaxation.” Or need a day to recharge your (metaphorical and actual) batteries before taking on the parks again. There are all kinds of reasons to decide to skip the parks for part of your Walt Disney World vacation. However, while adults might—might—be able to accept, or even look forward to an attraction free day, children may be a little more hesitant to do so. But don’t worry, there are plenty of things outside of Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom to remind the kids that they are still in the happiest place on Earth.
Spend some time enjoying each pool your resort has to offer. Copyright – Erin Foster.
Take Advantage of Your Resort – With the parks off the table, your resort becomes the primary destination for your trip. And each Disney Resort—even a Value Resort—is uniquely designed to be so (for more on unexpected extras from the Value Resorts, click here). Spend some time exploring, not just one pool, but all the pools your resort has to offer. Aside from expert theming, there will be poolside activities that your child can partake in (hours and activities will vary). Each resort also offers an evening movie on a large screen somewhere on property, which can be a great way to unwind at the end of the night. There will also be some kind of food court/ counter service/ shop that will be open late, and something as small as treating the kids to a late night snack can really turn into a lasting memory.
Of course, some resorts will have more activities than others, so spend some time exploring all your options. Some of the Moderate and Deluxe Resorts will have water activities for a fee, such as renting a pontoon boat, or even going parasailing. And, of course, there are all the activities the Fort Wilderness Campground has to offer, such as horseback trail rides for the older children, and pony rides for the little ones (for more on Fort Wilderness activities, see my previous post here). Don’t be afraid to visit several different resorts during your stay.
Try a Character Meal – This can be a great way for the kids to still have a character interaction without having to go into the theme parks to do so. A popular choice for a character meal would be Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary Resort. This is the only character meal where you will meet the entire crew of Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto, but—as you would expect—it comes with a price. Breakfast is your cheapest option, but still comes in at $30.99 for adults, and $16.99 for children under 10 (children under 3 are free). Dinner, on the other hand, comes in at $38.99 for adults, $18.99 for children. Both meals are all-you-care-to-enjoy and have the standard breakfast and dinner fare. This can be a difficult meal to get at times, so advanced dining reservations are strongly recommended.
Head over to Fort Wilderness for a free character interaction.
Another good character meal option for breakfast is Cape May Café, located in the Beach Club Resort. This meal is slightly cheaper, though I think it is one of the better breakfast buffets anywhere on Disney property. Adults will pay $24.99, while children cost $12.99. This is a much easier reservation to get, also. Many times we have been able to get a table on an hour or less notice. The characters featured during the breakfast buffet are Minnie, Goofy, and Donald, all dressed in beach attire.
If you are looking for more unique characters for a meal, try 1900 Park Fare, located in the Grand Floridian Resort. The Supercalifragilistic Breakfast buffet features characters such as: Mary Poppins, Alice from Alice in Wonderland, The Mad Hatter, Tigger, and Winnie the Pooh. Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner buffet features—as you may have guessed—Cinderella, Prince Charming, Lady Tremaine, and the Wicked Stepsisters. This meal can, at times, be difficult to get, so advanced dining reservations are again recommended. The cost for breakfast is $29.99 for adults, $15.99 for children, and for dinner is $39.99 for adults, $21.99 for children.
Character meals a little too pricey? A great way to get at least some type of character interaction without going to the parks is to head to Fort Wilderness in the evening for the Chip and Dale Campfire Sing-A-Long. The best part? It’s free! Here you will find two roaring campfires for marshmallow roasting (feel free to bring your own, or purchase a kit from the Chuck Wagon for $9.98), and a Cast Member on stage singing campfire favorites. Chip and Dale are soon brought on stage for an introduction, then they make their way through the crowd in the outdoor arena, stopping for pictures and hugs. When they have seen every guest, they say goodnight, but feel free to stay for the movie du jour that will play on the drive in style screen. This is a great way to end your night for little or no cost (times will vary throughout the year, so contact the Reception Outpost for information).
Don’t Miss Out on the Fireworks – You don’t have to be in the theme parks to enjoy the nightly fireworks display. Try booking a late dinner reservation at the Grand Floridian’s Narcoossee’s, the Polynesian’s ‘Ohana, or the Contemporary’s California Grill. All three have terrific locations to watch Magic Kingdom’s Wishes Nighttime Spectacular and the Electrical Water Pageant while dining. Of course, this does come with a pretty steep price, and a reservation would need to be made well in advance (Narcoossee’s is typically the easiest of the three to get).
Don’t want to splurge on expensive dining options? Head to Fort Wilderness and watch from Clementine’s Beach (the marina area). If you happen to be already enjoying Chip and Dale’s Campfire Sing-A-Long it’s an easy walk, and if you skip the movie after meeting Chip and Dale you will have plenty of time to make it for the Electrical Water Pageant and Wishes.
Check Out the “Other” Resort Areas – I’m not only referring to Downtown Disney and the Boardwalk, but also to Disney’s two miniature golf locations—Fantasia Gardens and Fairways, and Winter Summerland. Fantasia Gardens is located in the Epcot Resort Area, near the Swan Hotel. It boasts two 18 hole courses, one of which is geared a bit more for smaller children with whimsical scenes from the movie Fantasia. The other resembles a traditional golf course with sand traps, water hazards, and slopping greens, for those seeking a challenge. The cost for a round is $14.00 for adults, $12.00 for children.
Winter Summerland is located next to Blizzard Beach and also features two distinctly different 18 hole courses. One is themed for the summer, and the other is themed for the winter. Both were created under the premise that Santa Claus, while returning to the North Pole one Christmas Eve, passed over Disney World and decided to build a vacation destination for his off-duty elves. The cost for a round here is also $14.00 for adults, $12.00 for children.
A Braves Spring Training game at the Wide World of Sports Complex is a unique activity outside of the parks.
Indulge in Seasonal or Holiday Offerings – Depending on when you are at Disney World, there may be unique things taking place that you can enjoy. During the Christmas season, each resort—and Downtown Disney—is specially decorated in different ways. The Grand Floridian Resort has a large gingerbread house in its lobby, complete with a working chimney. The Beach Club Resort has a working carrousel with horses made of chocolate. Even the Value Resorts have customized Christmas Trees in their lobbies, unique to the theming of each resort.
If your trip is during the spring, check out an Atlanta Braves Spring Training game at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. The stadium itself is gorgeous and has subtle Disney nuances throughout. Ticket prices will vary based on seating, but this can be a great activity for children—and adults—who are both Disney and baseball fans.
Get the Feel of the Theme Park – I remember, on one of our Walt Disney World Trips, asking my then four year old daughter what her favorite attraction was. We had rope dropped that day and hit all the favorites. Both of us sat on the brick wall near the Liberty Bell across from the Hall of Presidents, exhausted and sweaty, our day coming to a close. As I sat on my noticeably thinner wallet I looked down at her as she pondered my question. Finally, she looked up at me and said, “the monorail.” Sometimes, that’s all kids will need. A nice, relaxing monorail ride around Bay Lake with views of Cinderella Castle and Main Street Station. Or a boat ride from the Contemporary Resort to Fort Wilderness and back. Something unique to Walt Disney World that makes them feel like they are part of it. We take these rides every trip, be it for pleasure or necessity, and my children always enjoy it. It is understandable, however, that some children may feel teased by being so close and not being allowed to enter the Magic Kingdom, so you need to decide if this is a viable option for your child.
Everyone loves a monorail ride! Copyright – Disney.
As you can see, there are plenty of things outside of the park that will make your Disney vacation special. Just think outside of the Walt Disney World box and your vacation will be fun filled and different. And if all else fails, ride the monorail.
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Disney’s Beach Club Resort: Club Level Review
Staying on Club Level at at Walt Disney World resort is a fun splurge. After doing some rearranging of vacations, my husband, daughter, and I found it approaching July 4th weekend and no hotel room for July 4th and 5th. With the help of our travel agent, we decided to splurge for Club Level at the Beach Club. We had previously stayed at Club Level at Animal Kingdom Lodge, and wanted to compare a stay at Beach Club, with access to the Stone Harbor Club lounge. Here’s what we found.
Beach Club Club Level Check-In Procedure:
One of the benefits of living around the corner is that it is easy to pop over to the resort, check in, and then run back home to pack while you wait for the room to be ready. After dropping Figment the cat off at Best Friends pet resort, my daughter and I headed to Beach Club around noon. We had done online check-in, so we hoped that check-in would be very fast. Because we decided to just park the car in the regular lot and weren’t walking in with suitcases, the welcome committee at the porte-cochere missed us coming in, and so we made it all the way to the regular check-in desk. A quick tap of our MagicBands and the Cast Member at the desk flagged down one of the lobby attendants to take us up to the fifth floor Club level. Once up at the Club level, we were finished with check-in within five minutes. To our surprise, the room was already ready, so we went down the hall and took a look.
The light color palate and bright light made the room seem spacious and inviting.
Amenities in the Room:
Our room had two queen beds, sofa, a desk with chair, small table (which nests underneath the desk), and a dresser (with mini-fridge, TV, and DVD player). Outside was a small balcony with two chairs. The room also has bathrobes for use during your stay. There were also some neat touches, from the Mickey Mouse desk lamp to the “gas lamps” wall lamps (although it took us a few minutes to realize that the lamps had knobs to turn up or turn down like a gas lamp instead of wall switches to turn them on or off!). The bathroom is fairly standard with a room containing the toilet and shower and a double sink outside. We had a Lagoon/Pool view, which gave us a great view over a courtyard and out into Crescent Lake. The room also includes access to the magnificent Stormalong Bay pool area.
Early morning view from our Club Level room at the Beach Club.
The Club:
By far, the highlight of staying at Club level is the area is the “free” food and drink. For Beach Club, this lounge area is called the Stone Harbor Club. It is a fairly small room where food and drink offerings change throughout the day. Here are some examples of the offerings.
Breakfast (7 AM to 10:30 AM): A fairly typical continental breakfast that you’d find at any business-grade hotel with cereals, bagels and cream cheese, pastries and doughnuts (selection varies daily), mini muffins, yogurt, hard boiled eggs, oatmeal, tea, coffee, and juice.
While pastries are a favorite vacation breakfast, there are healthy offerings, such as oatmeal and fruit, as well.
Snacks (11:30 AM to 4:00 PM): Light nibbles including gummy fish, house-made potato chips, cookies, trail mix, breadsticks and dips, and yogurt covered pretzels are available. Non-alcoholic beverages (soda, iced tea, Stormalong Bay Breeze punch, coffee, tea, and still and sparkling water) are also provided.
An afternoon cookie break is even better with Mickey sprinkles.
Hors d’oeuvres and Wine (5:00 PM to 7:00 PM): Aside from breakfast, this is the most extensive offering in the day. Generally there are two hot offerings either from or inspired by food at the restaurants around the Yacht and Beach Club. For our nights, we had foods like chicken skewers, spring rolls, and some sort of warm cheese and phyllo bite. There also was a wonderful quinoa cold salad that I was so good that I had some of it again when I saw it a few days later at Cape May Café. Wine and beer are available in addition to non-alcoholic beverages. There are also fresh vegetables and dip, olives, rolls, peanut butter and jelly, apples and caramel, cheese and crackers, and more. While not enough to make a meal, it is a great way to have a light snack before a late dinner.
Some of the evening food offerings at Stone Harbor Club.
Desserts and Cordials (8:00 PM to 10:00 PM): A great way to wind down for the evening is the selection of desserts and cordials available. Cordials include potent potables like Amarula and Grand Marnier. The dessert selection varies, but included items like peanut butter mousse, strawberry cheesecake, and brownies.
The desserts are small in size, but that just means you can have more than one!
Turndown Service:
One benefit of staying at Club level is turndown service. At Animal Kingdom Lodge, we not only had the bed turned down and the nightly chocolates, we also received lovely cards with African art and a quote on it. We were hopeful to get something comparable at the Beach Club, but turndown just meant turning the bed down, possibly arranging stuffed animals on the bed (which happened the first night, but the second night was just having the bed turned down), and the standard chocolates. On our second night, I was also astonished how early turndown happened for us. I know that with a young child, we do call it an early night, but a 4:00 PM turndown seemed surprisingly early. I don’t know if this is standard or if was because of staffing issues for a holiday weekend, however.
Bang for Your Buck?
Ultimately, the big question about Club level at any resort is “is it worth the extra cost?” For our stay, Club level was around an extra $175 per night over a standard view room. Here’s my impressions:
CONS:
* Because we did very little time in the parks, we made good use of the Stone Harbor Club, but there is no question that we did not eat or drink an extra $58 worth of food and beverage per person each day during that stay. Because they did not have bottled water or juice or cartons of milk, we didn’t even have the option of carrying drinks with us in the morning, which is one way we got cost benefit in the past. The lounge room itself was frequently crowded, and because we had a young child with good listening ears, sometimes the patrons for the weekend we stayed had issues with “un-Disney-like” language, so we took our food and drink back to the room instead of relaxing in the lounge.
* In addition, because we are super planners, although the concierge desk was more than willing to help with any needs that we might have had for dining reservations or FastPass+ selections, we had no need of those services.
* My daughter enjoyed the turndown chocolates, but we wouldn’t have missed turndown service if it never happened, as it was pretty lackluster. We also never made use of the bathrobes in the room either, which is the only key difference we saw between a Club level room and a “regular” room.
PROS:
* There’s something wonderful about the feeling of stepping on the elevator and tapping your MagicBand to head up to an exclusive area (and even better when other people are looking at you enviously). Splurging can be the spice of life.
* If you are not a frequent guest to Walt Disney World, if you are trying to coordinate a special trip (anniversary, birthday, etc.), having the concierge desk attendants ready to help with any sort of need, such as dining, special gifts, extra activities, or FastPass+ selections can make your trip much less stressful.
* If you enjoy potent potables, being able to grab free beer all afternoon during the big game (for instance, the World Cup during our stay) or free wine in the early evening helps justify the cost. While the lack of bottled juice and water and cartons of milk was disappointing, I do think that I drank at least $10 a day in Stormalong Bay Breeze, a non-alcoholic punch that tasted like a blend of pineapple juice, cranberry juice, and a splash of club soda.
The Bottom Line:
When comparing it with the Kilimanjaro Club at Animal Kingdom Lodge (the only other place where we have stayed Club level), there were a few disappointments with Beach Club. At Animal Kingdom Lodge, we got a “welcome home” set of chocolates and giraffe-shaped chocolate “lollipops” when we arrived in the room. We also got little decorative cards with African proverbs on them at turndown service. Although these are very minor things, they were an added touch that Beach Club just didn’t provide. Staying Club level at Animal Kingdom Lodge also provides access to the Sunrise Safari (albeit for an additional fee), but there was no special activity offered at Beach Club that I could tell. Room quality and food quality and quantity were largely the same, although the lounge at Animal Kingdom Lodge did have a small kid’s buffet of afternoon snacks that didn’t seem to be present at the Beach Club lounge. Because of its layout, the Kilimanjaro Club lounge feels like it is much larger than the Stone Harbor Club lounge. It just seemed that our other Club-level experience was one notch higher than this experience at Beach Club.
Would we stay at Club level at the Beach Club again? If we had a special occasion and got a good deal on the room, we would gladly do it again, as we had a good time and the concierge desk staff, Mousekeeping staff, Stone Harbor attendants were wonderful. We would not be likely to book it on a whim again, however, as it would make better sense for us to stay in a non-Club level room and spend the extra money on a nice meal each day or pool drinks at Stormalong Bay.
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August 5, 2014
Disney Dining: Splitsville at Downtown Disney
By Derek Burgan
I went to check out the latest developments at Downtown Disney this past weekend and finally got a chance to stop by Splitsville for lunch. I have heard nothing but positive reviews since it opened in December, 2012, in the former home of the Virgin Megastore, but I often end up taking visiting friends and family to the Rainforest Cafe or T-Rex Cafe because of the theatrical nature of those restaurants. I personally enjoy going to House of Blues, Raglan Road, and Cookes of Dublin when I’m by myself or with friends, so it was high time to check out this relatively new venue.
Splitsville is located on the West Side of Downtown Disney, directly next to the AMC movie theaters.
Front entrance to Splitsville.
Splitsville is a massive presence at Downtown Disney, and seems even bigger once you walk through the front door. It is two stories high, has indoor and outdoor seating on both levels, several bars, a billiards area, and – of course – bowling lanes. Unlike traditional bowling alleys, the 30 lanes at Splitsville are split up into multiple areas on both floors.
Ambiance.
There was live music being played outside on the first floor, but it had been a long day walking around Downtown Disney and with the weather being a typical Florida summer day of approximately 100 degrees with 200% humidity, we opted to dine inside with the benefit of air conditioning. Splitsville does allow you to book ADRs, but at 3PM we had no problem walking in and getting a table immediately. They have separate check in areas for those just dining and for those bowling.
A live band plays on the outdoor patio of Splitsville.
There is a lot of color going on at Splitsville, but it actually works quite well and the whole “retro” vibe was fun.
Believe it or not, Splitsville is one of the better places to go for sushi in the Orlando theme park world.
Sushi bar on the ground floor of Splitsville.
One of the upstairs bars.
Outdoor bar on the second floor.
If you enjoy people watching, you can get some pretty good views on both the first and second floor outdoor decks. This view on the second floor looks over the AMC theater, Bongo’s Cuban Cafe, the Food Truck Park (coming soon), and various stores such as Candy Cauldron.
Look the other way and you will see the House of Blues and the big tent for Cirque du Soleil: La Nouba.
We were seated upstairs next to one of the bars.
Like the T-Rex Cafe, Splitsville offers beers in an 18 ounce “frozen schooner.” This goblet is pretty impressive and definitely keeps the beer cold. The schooner that we ordered with Magic Hat #9 was $8.50. There are very few places on Disney property which have Coke Freestyle machines, but two are at Downtown Disney with one of them being Splitsville. For $7.50 you can get a Coke Freestyle refillable cup that includes free refills for the rest of the day. Great price, but it’s unrealistic to expect many people would be coming back to get refills compared to Universal’s Coke Freestyle program at the parks or even Disney’s RapidFill system at the resorts.
Magic Hat #9 frozen schooner
We got the crinkle cut french fries for an appetizer. I’m a huge fan of crinkle cut fries, and they just don’t have them at enough places in Disney or Universal. This serving size was gigantic and came with a chive sauce on the side. ($8.00)
We also got a side of steamed edamame ($6.00.) They were good, but nowhere near the level of edamame available at Tchoup Chop at the Royal Pacific Resort. While there is not an overwhelming amount of selections for vegetarians on the menu, there is definitely more than just getting a salad. The menu also had 15 gluten free options. (Click HERE to see the Splitsville menu)
Steamed edamame.
There are a lot of options for entrees, and one of our choices was the pizza. The pizzas are about 12″ and are a good size for two people to share. Hands down this is the second best tasting pizza on Disney property, right behind Via Napoli. There are not many good places for pizza inside WDW, but this is one of them. The pepperoni pizza was $15.00. Highly recommended and a solid value on property.
Pepperoni pizza.
This volcano roll ($15.00) drew raves. It features tempura shrimp, avocado, cream cheese, and spicy volcano “krab” mix.
Volcano roll.
While you definitely hear the bowling going on throughout Splitsville, I didn’t consider the sound to be overwhelming. There are also a whole bunch of TVs throughout the restaurant playing the latest sporting events, making Splitsville a great place to come and watch NFL games or soccer matches.
Throughout Splitsville there are posters on the wall playing into the theme of a bygone era when bowling had much more of an impact on American culture. When I was growing up in New Hampshire, we had bowling on TV all weekend, both national and local coverage. Now many of the bowling alleys are closed and you rarely see bowling on TV unless ESPN 2 is carrying an event. Its good to see that with Splitsville and the new Cabana Bay Beach Resort at Universal that bowling is making a small comeback in Orlando. Bowling is a rare game that you can enjoy with pretty much anyone regardless of age or gender. It’s also the only “sport” in which you are encouraged to eat and drink alcohol while participating in. That alone gets a thumbs up in my book. When soccer starts to allow churros while playing I may finally get on the pitch, but until then I’ll stick to the alleys.
This poster definitely approved by the Weasley family.
OVERALL THOUGHTS: The menu is large, and I’m looking forward into exploring more of it after the quality of the items on this visit. In fact, as someone who has written several articles on the Outrageous Foods of Disney and Universal (which you can read here, here, and here) I’m intrigued by The Mad King (a 21 ounce, triple decker burger) and the Giant Cake on the desert menu. Size matters. The decor of Splitsville is fantastic and the amount of TVs in the restaurant surprised me. As a sports fan I have found it difficult to follow big events while on Disney property but now I have another choice. You will definitely notice the bowling sounds if just dining, but between the live music downstairs or the music being pumped through the restaurant, I didn’t find the actual bowling distracting at all. A good value for Disney restaurants and the ability to do walk-ins without a huge wait is huge plus. Splitsville has immediately moved to the top of my list for dining choices at Downtown Disney.
All photos in this article courtesy of Brandon Glover.
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TouringPlans #Everywhere: I’m Going to Aulani!
Aulani ©Disney
Imagine this – you get a call from Len asking if you would like to go to the Disney Aulani resort in Hawaii. Really? Of course, the answer is YES! Aulani, is a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii, located just 17 miles from the Honolulu International airport and close to Waikiki. Unlike most of Disney’s other destinations, there are no rides at Aulani, but the resort is designed with families in mind with the intent to immerse all guests in Hawaiian culture, history and traditions.
Horseback Riding
©Disney
There are many excursions, spas, activities, shows, and dining to choose from. I will be traveling with a friend and no children on this trip, so I am looking forward to the sightseeing and relaxation opportunities! My trip will begin at the Dallas/Fort Worth airport, with a stopover in Los Angeles and then on to Honolulu. My friend will be traveling from Seattle to Honolulu. We have chosen to rent a car at the airport because we are going to spend a few days in Waikiki before driving to Aulani, but there is a shuttle available directly from the airport to Aulani. It was a challenge finding reasonable airline tickets and trying to synchronize the arrival times since we’ll be traveling from separate locations. Since my flight was the longest, I chose to fly early in the day on my way there and then fly out later in the afternoon on the return trip. I plan to sleep on the way home, but I have only managed catnaps before on planes, and I have a short layover in Los Angeles, so I hope this goes well!
We’ll go to Waikiki Beach after checking in. I can’t wait to get my feet in the sand on Waikiki beach, and maybe supper while checking out a sunset, if I last that long due to the time change. On the first full day, we plan to take the Oahu Grand Circle Island tour which includes views of Diamond Head, the Amelia Earhart Lookout site, and the Dole Plantation, to name a few. I can’t wait to try a Dole Whip at the plantation. I have heard so much about this pineapple treat. The second day will consist of a tour to visit Pearl Harbor, the USS Missouri, and Arizona Memorial. On the next day, we plan to go to Turtle Bay for horseback riding and a ride in a helicopter. The helicopter ride will be a first for both of us. This is definitely outside my comfort zone, but we are doing it. It is for a short time! How scary could it be?
Lazy River ©Disney
After Waikiki, we’ll move to the Aulani resort where we’ve decided to stay at the Disney Vacation Club Villas. We were able to pay for these with points, so that rocks! This is a great savings for those who are members of DVC. We’ll be spending our first four days of the trip in the Hawaiian Hilton on Waikiki – no DVC points for that stay! There are no tickets to the “park” because Aulani is a stand-alone resort with hotel rooms, DVC villas, restaurants, and lounges (like the DVC resorts at Vero Beach and Hilton Head). There is a spa and fitness center and activities for the kids and teens. Some of the excursions require fees, but there are free activities at Aulani, such as the Lazy River which is one of the first spots I plan to check out. We will mainly be relaxing at Aulani, but there is plenty to do. We want to see the Starlit Hui show one night, go to the beach, maybe some snorkeling. This part of the trip is going to be more impromptu. I understand they have the activities for the next day published each day. We do have reservations for the 3-star Sunset Dinner & Show cruise Saturday night, the Manoa Valley Rainforest & Bamboo Forest Hiking excursion Sunday, and dinner at the Ama Ama restaurant on Sunday night. Of course, we will enjoy the Hawaiian cuisine. I am always up to trying some new food! Thanks for reading! Let me know if you have suggestions for our trip like some special places you have experienced or would like to know about.
Many of you have interacted with Gerelyn over the years; she is better known as the knowledgeable and patience webmaster AT touringplans dot com. This is Gerelyn’s first article to run on the blog.
Ed., as a DVC member, I was able to book this trip with my own DVC points. If you’re not a member, or are short on points, we use and recommend DVCRequest.com (also known as David’s DVC Rentals) for Aulani or any other DVC Villa resort you’d like to book.
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Secret Guide to Epcot Food & Wine Festival in One Day
By Scott Wurzel
Matt Stroshane, photographer
With the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival beginning September 19, it’s time to share my secret guide to doing it all in one day. Although it seems difficult, I have refined a strategy over time and now effortlessly cruise through the day eating and drinking everything that appeals to me. The secret? Eight rules.
The Rules:
1. Stay on-site
The closer you can afford, the better. You won’t want to drive (nor should you) at any point during your day of gluttony. Epcot resorts like Beach Club are ideal, but not necessary. I recommend Port Orleans French Quarter. Shades of Green is a good option if you have access to it.
2. Arrive early, on a weekday if possible
Booths open at 11:00 AM and you will want to be one of the first guests wherever you choose to start. Weekdays are less crowded since locals are working. If you stick to these rules though even a busy weekend will be okay. The Food & Wine Festival Welcome Center opens with the park and is a good place to kill some time while you wait for the booths to open.
3. Use a gift card
Small gift cards on a wristband are available at the festival center and kiosks. These are harder to misplace or drop, but a full-sized gift card will work too. Using a gift card is much quicker than cash or credit cards. After a purchase at a booth, your printed receipt will show you the remaining balance. If you run short, the cards can be refilled anywhere in the park with a cash register. Don’t try to do it at a food booth for the sake of those behind you.
4. No sweets before sunset
You won’t turn into a Gremlin, but it impacts your will to continue. This is the hardest rule to follow but is absolutely necessary. Start at either Mexico or Canada, ordering any savory item that jumps out at you. Save the “maybes” for later. You’ll be coming back.
5. Mid-day break
After you’ve made a complete circuit around World Showcase you will be full, fuzzy, and tired (if you are doing it right). The lines for food will be lengthening. I usually get to this point around 1:30 PM. Head back to your resort and take a long nap and rest.
6. Return to the Festival in the early evening
Make your way back to the park around 4:00 or 5:00 PM. Although the lines will be much longer than when you began, you have slept through the longest lines of the day. I suggest going in the opposite order you started. At this point feel free to mix in as many sweet treats you like and pick up any savories you missed, had second thoughts about, or want seconds. This is the point where I usually drink heavier and sweeter wines and any spirits that sound good.
7. Take your time
Using this strategy you will have five hours to enjoy yourself. Rushing will defeat you. Marathons are for people with 26.2 stickers on their cars.
8. Know what’s on the menu
There’s no need to make a list or stress out, but it’s a good idea to check over the Food & Wine menus (hint, we’ll post them on this site when they come out) before heading out. This way you won’t have to pass up the fantastic snack at the UK that you didn’t know about because you ran out of time, money, or appetite before you saw it.
That’s it. You didn’t even have to plan ahead!
Oh, and before you go, check out Rikki’s full writeup of this year’s offerings. If you have any other tips, please leave them in the comments below.
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Notes from Underground: A Chicken’s Review of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
By Bob Whitten
Chickens Don’t Fly
I am a sick man . . . I am a chicken man. An unthrilled man. I think my liver hurts. As I desperately tried to dream up viable excuses to get me out of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train queue and into the relative safety of Fantasyland, the most theoretical and intentional of all the lands of the Magic Kingdom, it occurred to me there was nothing to be done. My best excuses failed on my tongue; my apprehensions about the looming thrills of this new experience rendered me dull, sheep-like, and sadly unconvincing. My wife—excited for an opportunity to actually experience some of Disney World’s more exciting offerings for once—would hear none of it. I had a job to do, and to be honest, even I wasn’t persuaded by my pitiful excuse for excuses.
Chickens don’t fly you see, or at the very least they shouldn’t. Ask any chicken; you’ll get no argument from them. In fact, all you’ll get is a blank stare, as they will typically refuse to dignify such a question with any response. It’s not so much flight, however, that is the problem, as much as descent—rapid, gravity-enforced, stomach-churning descent. That is the problem. For I myself and my fine-feathered fellows suffer from an over-acute consciousness of inertia. The laws of nature give me offense, but only those times when my slight frame is cast violently against them. In my heart, I have never been a chicken, though I constantly turn chicken in reality when it comes to attractions of the so-called “thrilling” variety.
Apropos of the Last-minute Change
The morning of my Mine Train adventure started off innocently enough. We originally had FastPass+ reservations for 10:40 that evening, which meant I had a full day at the park before my date as the (dis)honorary 8th dwarf, “Queasy.” Of course, that also meant 10:40 would hang over my head the entire day like the sword of Damocles. It gave “FastPass+ reservations” a new meaning, as I now had a whole host of them concerning our scheduled date with the Doc, Grumpy and the others.
It looks so peaceful. ©Disney
Before rope drop, a cast member polled the large gathering of guests pooled at the entrance, in an informal effort to ascertain which attraction we planned to visit first. When a practical paucity of people professed their intentions to visit the Mine Train, my wife suggested we alter our plans and head there first. Although my instinct is to doubt the integrity of claims made by large groups of people, I nevertheless assented—anything to remove that ominous, dangling blade from above my head, even if it meant bringing it down upon me sooner than later. Feeling reasonably confident of my survival, getting the experience over with seemed a logical decision. However, it also made the reality of my impending peril that much more palpable.
Fortunately, what transpired next had the unintended effect of mitigating my sense of dread, or at least putting it off until we reached the entrance of the attraction. I’m afraid the Morning Stampede, something we assiduously avoid thanks to Touring Plans and my chickenness, comes out none too well in my recollections. I lovingly refer to it as ten minutes of torture. Of course, that’s not fair, as it is something of a misnomer, as the stampede probably lasted no more than six minutes. It’s hard to say how long it truly lasted, what with my life flashing before my eyes a few minutes earlier than I had anticipated. It’s not that interesting a story either, so needless to say, I wasn’t looking forward to watching it a second time once I began my Mine Train adventure.
After being pushed aside without warning or explanation by the lesser known and wildly less-popular dwarfs, “Shovey,” “Pushy,” and “Stampy,” we at last arrived at the entrance of the Mine Train. As we moved through the desolate, early morning queue, I attempted to make note of the fun little diversions put in play to pass the time, but we were moving too quickly, and my mind was already thoroughly diverted.
In the past, my experience with attractions whose intent is to provide some measure of thrills has been one of blissful ignorance or muted optimism, and then later shock and horror as I realize too late the fate that has befallen me. I’ve been told more than one occasion that an attraction really wasn’t “as bad” as I imagined, my companions not realizing how prodigious my proclivity for imagination happens to be. In nearly every one of those occasions, the experience had been much worse than their assurances. Of course, were my imagination truly great, I’d have come up with a better set of excuses.
The Mine Train
From the screams I overheard as we approached the boarding area, I was forced to conclude that mankind is in love with suffering, to the point of passion. After all, it’s not like they got onboard expecting a gentle, relaxing ride. No, people seek out these kinds of attractions for the enjoyment of that sickly sensation that produces screaming. If they wanted a scary adventure where no one screams, Snow White’s offering would still be around, but nobody wanted to sit through that; not even I.
Once safely inside our mine cart, we were whisked out of the mine and down a short, curving drop and to my surprise and great relief, my stomach remained steadfastly seated in its proper place. My greatest shock was just how smoothly we moved along the track. Our cart glided along with such ease that my jaw unclenched a little, and my death-grip on the safety bar relaxed, but not to the point of letting go.
We climbed our first peak, a relatively small one to folks accustomed to these sorts of experiences, but it may as well have been Everest. The riders seated in front of us, far more given over to the moment than myself, threw up their arms in an effort to drink in as much thrill as possible, but I would not play along. For me, the immediate fruit of inertia is consciousness, usually of my stomach clawing to get to safety. I folded my arms in conscious protest—granted, in my mind, as there was no way I was going to let go of my death-grip. Again, I was taken aback not by gravity-induced discomfort as I expected, but by the mildness of the descent. As relieved as I was, my skeptical self stiffened in anticipation of the big thrill I imagined we must be building toward.
As we entered Diamond Pass and returned to the mine, we were welcomed by the happy little dwarfs singing their happy little song and dig dig digging their whole day through. For a moment, I was drawn in and sang along, blissful in my ignorance, but never truly at ease. Then I spied the next peak, one even higher and more imposing than the first. At once, the happy little tune in my heart turned bitter; I looked on my dwarfen companions with contempt and loathing, and wondered how anyone else could possibly not feel the same way. Why were the little miners so happy? I imagined it was because of the terror they were about to inflict upon me and my poor, unsuspecting stomach.
Mockery now dripped from their song as we climbed and climbed and climbed. My own song turned to self-mockery, and burst forth, unrestrained, from my lips, echoing every “heigh-ho!” with “oh-no!” It was a sublime moment, and one I cursed myself for enjoying. Deep in my heart I suppose, it was difficult to accept my suffering. And if a person can’t mock himself, then where’s the fun?
We fell from the summit and from what I could tell from my half-opened eyes, our descent was in fact more of the same mildness as before. The track, it seems, was designed to take advantage of the mine carts novel tilting vehicle design, and as such we were subjected to a bounty of turns and bends but virtually nothing of direct drops.
We disembarked and at last I was free to assess the experience and perhaps enjoy it for the first time, now that the thing was known to me. My stomach, throughout the entire experience, remained quietly ensconced in its proper place without the least bitterness or protest, none the worse for wear and maybe even a little peckish. As we entered back again into the chaotic, but now peaceful flow of Fantasyland, I found myself considering the possibility of future visits to the Mine Train and not growing faint at the thought of it.
*****
My rating scale for chicken-related thrill tolerance is one to five chickens–five being the most stomach-churning. Note: unless something very wrong happens, there will be no 5-chicken reviews. I’ve been on Tower of Terror once and it very nearly ruined my honeymoon. For the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, it gets my best rating - 1 chicken. Something tells me, however, it’s all downhill from here. Literally.
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August 4, 2014
Disney World Mini Golf and Massive Cupcakes
I recently returned from another magical trip to Disney World. After spending several nights in the theme parks, my family and I decided to shake things up and try something different. We headed out for an evening of Disney World mini golf and massive cupcakes. Here’s everything you need to know if you want to relax with a unique outing of Disney World mini golf at Fantasia Gardens and some massive BoardWalk Bakery cupcakes!
Getting There
On this particular vacation we had rented a minivan so transportation for us was a no-brainer. We were starting our evening with a round of mini golf at Fantasia Gardens which is located right next to the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel. We just followed the trusty red and purple signs as if we were headed to that hotel and as soon as we arrived, we saw the large parking lot for Fantasia Gardens right off Epcot Resorts Boulevard. If you are using Disney transportation, your best bet is going to be taking a bus to Hollywood Studios and making your way from there. Once you arrive at Hollywood Studios, you have a couple of options. If your feet are up for it, your fastest way to get there is to take the short walk (about 10 minutes) along the path that runs between that park and Epcot. If your feet are too tired, your other alternative is to take a relaxing ride aboard one of the boats that runs among Hollywood Studios, Epcot and the surrounding hotels. If you choose option two, you will want to exit the boat at the stop for the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel. From there, Fantasia Gardens is located right by the tennis courts.
Fantasia Gardens
Hours
Fantasia Gardens is open every day from 10:00am – 11:00pm.
Cost
The cost is $14 per adult and $12 per child (ages 3 to 9) for 18 holes of mini golf.
Discounts
There is a 15% discount for Annual Passholders and DVC members.
If you buy one regular price round, you get 25% off all additional rounds through the next day with your receipt.
Our Experience
Once we arrived at Fantasia Gardens, we had to decide which course to play. They have two very distinct mini golf courses. The first is called The Gardens course which is more of your typical mini golf course. There are cute obstacles to putt through and it is themed like the animated movie classic, Fantasia. The second course is called The Fairways and actually resembles a real golf course. Each green is longer with roughs, traps and hazards. My boys, considering themselves mini golf pros (they have been playing been playing since they were three after all), decided to choose the more difficult Fairways course. So we grabbed our scorecard, clubs and balls and off we went!
The rules are the same as your basic mini golf course anywhere. You have a maximum six strokes per hole, and you get a one stroke penalty each time your ball goes out of bounds. This penalty stroke came into play several times during our game, because The Fairways course does not have standard railings around each hole. It truly looks like a tiny golf course!
At the beginning of each hole, there is a sign that gives you hints for getting the best possible score on the hole, the distance and par. These signs proved to be extremely helpful once I stopped to read them!
Just like with their theme parks, Disney World mini golf is filled with lots of little details and surprises along the way. Be sure to enjoy the spectacular views and the enchanting musical score from Fantasia while you make your way through the course. 
Don’t forget to watch out for the hazards! We saw several lost balls and even a couple clubs in the water. We managed to hang onto our putters, but we did lose one ball. We were almost finished, so we just played the rest of the way sharing our other golf balls.
Things To Consider
Both of these courses are fairly difficult especially The Fairways. If you are playing with rookie mini golfers, you may want to consider not keeping score at all or having everyone play from the point of the best putt. When my boys were very young, we always had them compete against par rather than each other to avoid battles on the course.
Weather can be a factor when playing these courses. They are in the direct sunlight with little-to-no shade, so be prepared for brutally hot conditions during the warm summer months. Also, cast members monitor the surrounding weather and they will call you in off the courses when lightning is in the area.
BoardWalk Bakery
Once we had finished our challenging round of mini golf, we had worked up quite an appetite. We decided to head over to BoardWalk Bakery for a cupcake pick-me-up. It is a short walk from Fantasia Gardens to Disney’s BoardWalk Inn where the bakery is located. When we arrived, there were important decisions to be made.
There are almost two dozen different pastries, cupcakes and cookies to choose from on any given day at BoardWalk Bakery. The desserts range in price from about $3 to $5 and each count as one snack credit on the Disney Dining Plan. That evening we were all in the mood for cupcakes, but it was too difficult to pick, so of course we got them all! It was for the sake of research, right? We split each of the cupcakes into six pieces so that all of us could try them. They were deliciously sweet, just as we expected. The strawberry cupcake was by far our favorite.
In a state of cupcake-induced sugar coma, we all went to bed early that night to prepare for our next big day of touring. All-in-all, the evening was a huge success. Everyone had enjoyed the slower pace of Disney World mini golf and massive cupcakes and was up early the next day, touring plan in hand, feeling refreshed and ready to go!
Do you have a favorite unique way to spend a relaxing evening at Disney World? Please leave a comment!
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