My Favorite Things at Disney World #9

I Can't Decide Whether This is More about Le Cellier or Food In General.
 

I’m going to be honest. I am not sure which one surprises me more, that I am already at #9 and haven’t mentioned food yet, or that (spoiler alert) there aren’t any more restaurants on my list going forward.

Disney has every food, for just about every taste, whether you are in the mood for a McDonald’s French fries at Casey’s Corner or a custom made $250 a plate meal at the Chef’s Table at Victoria & Albert’s in the Grand Floridian Resort. Disney has you covered. If you have food allergies, chef’s will be very accommodating, and will give you recommendations, and in some cases, point out what you should and shouldn’t eat at the buffet’s

I love Disney food. I really love food in general but when I go to “The World” there are times when I look forward to the food more than the rides. We plan our days around where we can eat. I am going to be honest, we probably over think things too much. How much more? Well, we started making dining reservations for this trip in January, back in October (which for people who haven’t been to the parks is actually recommended). However we’ve probably changed our plans every week since then. As of my writing this, a little over a week before we leave, we still have no idea where we are eating for two of the nights we are there.

However, I might just want to stop and get what’s available that day. We stopped by Kona Café, in the Polynesian Resort, and had a phenomenal dinner there with only a few hours notice, so maybe I should just see what’s out there.

A few things are a must though. I know I must have the Peanut Butter & Jelly Milkshake at the 50’s Primetime Café.

I know I am going to load up on the delicious sides at The Crystal Palace Buffet.

I also know that I must have the Filet and Mushroom Risotto at Le Cellier.

As I mentioned a few days ago, Le Cellier is very difficult to get into. Usually they recommend getting a reservation 180 days in advance. As a matter of fact, we have been trying to look for open reservations, more or less a few times a week since we started booking reservations in October. Every part of the meal was wonderful.

I started with Moosehead Pale Ale, it was smooth, crisp, fantastic, which even my wife, a non beer drinker, actually liked. Interestingly enough, Epcot is the only place in the United States where you can get it on tap. (and from what I’ve seen, it’s a bit difficult to find the Pale Ale in a bottle here as well.)

We followed this with the Cheddar Cheese Soup, which was rich, creamy, smoky, BACONY! It was just so much more satisfying than a “Cheese Soup” probably should be.

The main course was a lovely Filet with a fantastic mushroom risotto and white truffle butter sauce.

We finished up with dessert; I had the rich creamy Chocolate “Moose” while my wife had the delicious Maple Crème Brulee. (I am not a huge Maple fan outside of pancakes or bacon, but this was REALLY good .)

This trip we were able to get lunch reservations here again, along with new places like Cape May Cafe, and the much praised California Grill. 

I strongly encourage you to make a reservation at Le Cellier if you get the chance. Lunch is probably your best bet, for one because it will probably be the easier reservation to get, and for two, you are getting pretty much the same selection (sans a few entrees), for half the price. Plus if you are on the Regular Dining Plan, lunch takes 1 credit, rather than the two that it would have taken for dinner.

Tomorrow I promise to go back to rides and attractions. 

My Favorite Things at Disney World #10

I love Japan!

I love the technology, I love the food, I love the people, I love the pro-wrestling (shut up) but most of all, I love the pop culture.

Now I know that most likely I’m either never going to Japan, or if I do its going to be a long long time before I get the chance, and until then, I have EPCOT.

Now within EPCOT’s Japan Pavillion there is a 10,000 square foot nerd paradise, called the Mitsukoshi Department Store.

Owned by the Mitsukoshi Ltd Company in Japan, which was the first Japanese Department store when it was founded in 1673, Mitsukoshi in EPCOT has everything from Bonsai trees, to candies to kimonos to t-shirts to toys

And oh the t-shirts and toys they have there…Hello Kitty, Tomagotchi, Inuyashi, and for older nerds like me Transformers, Robotech, Godzilla and Voltron.

I’ve mentioned before how there are products in Disney World that you can buy at 20 different places on the resort, and probably at the Disney Store in your town. This is the totally opposite. There are things here that you cannot find anywhere else in the park, and to be quite honest, there’s some stuff that you would have a difficult time finding in the Western Hemisphere without buying online.

I mean how awesome is that shirt? Seriously!                       

Now of course, things are going to be expensive. That shirt ran me $34 but let’s be honest, its in Disney World and it is Imported. There are less expensive products, the Inuyashi t-shirt was I believe $24 but I’m willing to justify the price.

The candy and snack section has a wide array from the chocolate stick cookie Pocky to Shrimp Chips (and you’d actually be surprised which one tastes a whole heck of a lot better.), making them blow a Jungle Jim’s or any other International Grocer away as far as selection.

There is also jewelry including a Pick a Pearl from an Oyster counter, which is guaranteed to find a pearl in your oyster. My wife found a rather rare blue pearl in a smaller kiosk in Downtown Disney, but if you wan the “show” aspect that comes along with it, you have to go to Mitsukoshi.

The young women who work in the store are some of the sweetest Cast Members you’ll find in the parks and are always willing to help you out.

The only thing I could say bad is that they could increase their DVD selection, now granted I understand what they are doing here. Disney probably gets the most money by selling the Anime from its Japanese affiliate, Ghibli Studios, but I would love to see more stuff from perhaps the Toho Studios, which put out the Godzilla films. But really that’s a small gripe. I can get those films but other places, but darn it if they worked out that, this would definitely be top 5 for me.


Note: If you are not a Japanese nut like I am, the other international pavilions have some great imported items, but they don't have Samurai Swords.

My Favorite Things at Disney World #11

Yesterday I talked about the great customer service that got us to see the Main Street Electrical Parade. So of course today we get to my 11^th favorite thing at Disney World…. the Main Street Electrical Parade.

What did you think I was going to say, The Swiss Family Treehouse? (Although that is tremendously underrated and actually kind of cool to see.)

No, of course the Main Street Electrical Parade is what I wanted to talk about today. Now I know Parades are boring and long-winded pains of just waiting and waving, and normally I would agree with you. Heck, I really don’t have much patience for a Disney Parade during the day.

However there is something about the Main Street Electrical Parade. It has that magic and artistry that I love about a Disney attraction. The parade has been running on and off since 1977, and just started back in 2010 after a 9 year absence. 

When my wife and I saw it last year, of course we had prime seats, which added to the experience but to be honest I could have been crammed in a crowd stomping on my feet and I still would have seen the magic that delighted me this time around.

What was it that captured my imagination so much? I really can’t figure out. I think I would liken the parade to being in your car on Christmas Eve and driving down that neighborhood where EVERY house is the Christmas house, and just radiates joy and Christmas spirit.

You think you have that child like gaze when green Christmas lights illuminate the back seat of your dad’s Volvo? Imagine if those decorated houses were driving past you, and they had people dancing around them in lighted costumes, dressed as Disney characters?

As I watched I just sat with my mouth agape in amazement, it was like I was 5 years old again, seeing my favorite characters go by. Alice, Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, Pete and Elliot the Dragon…that’s right, there is a Pete’s Dragon Float, in Disney World, in 2012. And really it fits in so well with the Main Street Electrical Parades theme. The lights of the float go out and Elliot disappears, just like in the movie.

Really all the characters they picked to appear in this particular parade are pure genius. You’ve got the Psychedelic vibe of Alice in Wonderland, the sparkle of the Dwarves diamond filled Mine cart, as well as Cinderella’s ball coach, and of course Patriotic Mickey with glowing “rockets” and “fireworks.”

Then there is the music.

That pseudo-techno music is not quite to Small World Levels of repetitive annoyance but it is so catchy that it will be in your head all night, and maybe well into the next day.

One could say that it’s a purely 70’s vibe, that the digitized voices are creepy and that the music and really the whole parade is outdated and cheesy, but damn it, I am a sucker for a good nostalgia pop.

Unfortunately, as I write this, the Parade is a week away from a weeks long rehab, which unfortunately starts 5 days before we get there and ends a week and a half after we leave.

However, we all know this is not going to be my last trip to Disney World, and I really hope I see it before they decided to put it “back in the Disney Vault” as the saying goes.

My Favorite things at Disney World #12

Customer Service
 

I know its weird to include customer service when I did not include an icon like Space Mountain. However, it is simply amazing how good Disney is at this.

               

The thing is that Disney holds itself to a higher standard than the customer actually does. It is the gold standard when it comes to how people deal with customers, and really if you think about it, we all deal with our own versions of customers.

In the two times I’ve gone to Disney I only had two incidents where a “cast member” was rude or “mean” to me, and both of those times was a minor miscommunication or completely my fault.

Everyone else will fall over to get you what you need, and that is just awesome.

I recall back in July of 2010 I was looking for a Mad Hatter hat. I scoured the stores in the Magic Kingdom. I happened to ask one girl where I could find one, she found her supervisor, who proceeded to take me around the store and finally went to the back room to look for one.

And damn does it look good on me.

However, the coup de grace was during our last trip. After three long days of going to the parks open to close we were exhausted. We stayed at the hotel, did some laundry, ate a lunch at the food court and then decided we should try and figure something out for dinner. We didn’t have any reservations for the evening so we went to the concierge desk to see if there was anything available.

 

We knew we wanted to see the Main Street Electrical Parade in the Magic Kingdom, and stay for when they had Extra Magic Hours, when the park stayed open late for resort guests.

We explained this to the lady at the desk, and she went through what was available that evening, showing us menus and explaining where they were in relation to the park.

As we were talking to her we happened to mention we had a lunch reservation at Le Cellier, a very hard reservation to get for dinner at the Canadian Pavillion in Epcot. She mentioned how wonderful that place was, and how we HAD to try and eat there for dinner sometime, because it was so romantic.

As she was searching the restaurants my wife started talking to each other about some troubles that we had the previous day, when I kept hearing the concierge saying “oh my g**” Assuming she was talking about our troubles we kept talking finally she told us “everyone be quiet!”

She had our attention.

She was able to find reservations open at 9pm at Le Cellier but we had to act fast. We knew that the Electrical Light Parade was at 7:45pm and while we really appreciated it we wanted to see the parade, and couldn’t go to two parks in one day without a Park Hopper ticket.

She talked to her supervisor and was able to get us 2 Park Hoppers (a normally 50 dollar a piece value) for free, plus she scored us our reservation.

It was about 3pm at this point, and we knew we wanted to enjoy this advantage for as much as we could.

We caught the bus to Magic Kingdom, and because it was Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, the park was packed. I’m talking 40-minute wait for the Haunted Mansion packed.

We took the monorail to Epcot, which was not nearly as crowded, and rode several rides, and then went back to Magic Kingdom for the parade. When we walked in we asked the Cast Member in charge of crowd control for the show where there were seats available. She pointed out there were seats RIGHT on the curb by the entrance.

We watched the parade, made a quick exit to the monorail back to Epcot, ate dinner (which I will talk about another time.) and then made it back to Magic Kingdom, staying there until about 2 am.

The next day we mentioned that we wanted to give the Concierge a tip for helping us out so much. We were informed that a tip wasn’t necessary and it is their pleasure to help out.

WOW!

I can’t tell you how much that meant to us.

During this trip, of course we’re not expecting to have that great an experience, but the fact that she did this is something that I will appreciate for a long long time.

My Favorite Things at Disney World #13

All of Disney’s shows are amazing. Maybe its because you are watching them in “Disney World” but something about them makes them better than a traditional fireworks display or water parade.

Fantasmic is one of the best. What can I say about Fantasmic? It has everything. There’s innovation, excitement, fun, a great story. Simply said, Fantasmic is fantastic…yeah that was cheesy.

However it really is true. One thing that Disney does so often that I love is they make you forget that you’re on a ride, or watching a show. Fantasmic really does get you engrossed in the story of the show.

 

Basically what you are watching is Mickey’s dream of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. As you watch a screen of water displays Mickey dreaming about all his Disney friends, however Malificent, of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, takes over the dream, turning it to a veritable nightmare. Of course Good conquers all and we get our happy ending.

It’s kind of hard to explain the whole experience in words, because it is just that…an experience to be seen.

The only problem is the crowds. I hate crowds and when you get that many people into an outdoor theater it’s a bit claustrophobic. Walking in, and walking out and being pushed is really the only detriment that keeps this from being ranked higher…but it’s a big detriment. Disney really needs to figure out how to filter the crowds better.

 

But the experience in and of it self is amazing, and awe-inspiring. Is it my favorite night time show? No, but we’ll get to those later.

My Favorite things at Disney World #14

 Moichendising!

Barf: Merchandising? What's that?

Yogurt: Moichandising! Come, I'll show you. [to the Dinks] Open up this door.

[Yogurt walks over to a wall filled with Spaceballs merchandise.]

Yogurt: Heh-heh. Come! We put the picture's name on everything!

[everyone is staring in amazement]

Yogurt: Moichandising! Moichandising! Where the real money from the movie is made. Spaceballs: the T-shirt, Spaceballs: the Coloring, Spaceballs: the Lunchbox, Spaceballs: the Breakfast Cereal! Spaceballs: the Flame Thrower!!

Okay, I realize that after picking something that drives my sense of humor, and is full of creativity that I pick “stuff” but to be honest, I find myself looking through the gift shops all the time, and at Disney World, there is a gift shop as soon as you exit just about every single ride. It really is pure brilliance on Disney’s part.

Disney is a half a trillion dollar company, their movies are the bulk of their revenue, followed by the theme parks, and then merchandise. Now styles and films are a short term investment. TV shows run out of fashion, movies have maybe a 3 month shelf life in theaters and really only bring in the big bucks on DVD for the first couple of months of release. So of course Disney is going to use their long term investment to promote and sell their short term investments.

The brilliance of what Disney does, economically speaking, is they disperse their product. There is Phineas and Ferb merchandise that you can get at your local Target or Walmart, which is sold in the parks. There is also stuff you can probably only get if your area has a Disney Store, or if you go to their website, which is sold at the parks as well. However, the third tier is stuff you can solely get if you go into the parks. Merchandise that usually, you only want if you are in the parks.

You pay your 80 dollars to get in there, you pay 50 more to eat at a sit down restaurant, realizing its awesome food that you would love to eat again, you buy a cookbook full of recipes of food available in the park, and of course you realize that the food is too complicated to make at home.

Yeah, it sounds pretty skuzzy and sleazy when you put it that way, but damn am I a sucker for it.

Even its most loyal followers though have criticized Disney for getting a bit lazy in recent years when it comes to park merchandise. There is a bit of a homogenization, as far as some of the products go. You can by the same “4 Parks 1 World” T-shirt on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom as you can in Epcot, which is the same one you can buy at Downtown Disney, which is the same one you can buy in your resort gift shop.

There are products though that you can only get at 1, or maybe 2 stores on the whole property, and that’s where I fall into a trap that, to be honest, I enjoy. Take for instance my current collection. Mr. Potato Head.

Now Disney has worked out Licensing deals with several other companies over the year. These include Dooney & Burke as well as George Lucas and the Muppets. However, with their agreement with Hasbro has allowed them to be able to expand both of their brands with a combined product. You can purchase a “Haunted Mansion” version of “Clue” or perhaps a Disney version of “Monopoly” This is one thing they did with Mr. Potato Head.

In Downtown Disney, there is a store called Once Upon a Toy. As soon as you walk in you see this.

Build Your Own Potato Head.

For 20 dollars you can fill a box as full as you can with Potato Head accessories,

For 50 dollars you can fill a Giant Potato Head with accessories.

Guess which one I picked?

In the past 15 or so years Hasbro has done a great job with its licensing of Mr. Potato Head. They have of course worked with Disney to create Potato Head versions of Toy Story Characters, but have also worked with Transformers (another Hasbro line), and Marvel (another Disney property).

Furthermore they have sent out the “Potato Head” name to smaller Toy manufacturers to work with the Elvis estate, colleges and sports teams.

Its funny, and a bit sad  how you can really add to your collection. 

Here was my collection after coming back from Disney last year

Here was October

And last night.

Yeah, I’ve got a problem.

The thing is many of the accessories that you see there are exclusive to the Disney Parks. (really anything that has mouse ears on it)

Is it excess? Yes. Do I feel bad writing about it being one of the things I love most at the parks? Yes, but I enjoy it, and I have fun with it…so bite me.

Of course, when you mix Disney Licensing of one product, like Mr. Potato Head, with another license like Star Wars, and the exclusivity of something you can just get at Disney Parks what do you get?

Pure Geeky Joy

My Favorite things at Disney World: #15

In a little over two weeks I am heading back to Disney World. I have mentioned before my love and addiction for the “Most Magical Place on Earth” and really there is so much that goes into what makes this place so awesome. However, there are some things that I just want to experience over and over. There are things that make the experience more “Disney” than anything else. 

Sure, every theme park in America has fun rides, helpful workers and great food. Well, they have the first two anyway. But Walt Disney (The man and the company) and his Imagineers had the brilliance to make going to Disney World (and Disneyland) an experience at every single turn.

With that said, let me do some explanations. I limited my choices to 15, because, to be honest, I only thought about doing this a couple of days ago and as you can see, I can be a bit long winded with things I enjoy. There are some rides/experiences that Disney fanatics may be upset I did not list. Let me explain a few omissions.

Space Mountain/Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: I love both of these rides, and if I did a top 20, or limited myself to just rides, these would definitely be on there. This exception could probably be true for most things I left out.

Rock n’ Roller Coaster/Mission Space: With my Hydrocephalus, and a bad experience I had riding a similar ride to Rock n’ Roller Coaster several years ago, I am a bit leery to go on either of these rides. I have gone on the milder version of Mission Space, and it may fall under the previous category.

Star Tours: Honestly, I loved the original, but the last time I went to Hollywood Studios, they were still rehabbing for the big re-opening. The idea of 50 possible scenarios, plus the detail that I know will go into the ride and the queue assures me that this WILL be one of my top 15, and most likely, in my top 10, but until I actually see it for myself, I can not judge.

La Nouba: I have heard great things about the Cirque de Soliel show, but honestly, I haven’t seen it yet, and can’t make a judgment on it.

With that being said, let’s start with #15.

Muppetvision 3-D

 

I love The Muppets. I loved them as a kid, I loved them as a teenager, and I love them even more now. The 4^th wall jokes, the slapstick, the silliness, and the satire appeal to every aspect of my sense of humor.

So of course, in Muppetvision 3-D, they touch on all four again, and since The Muppets are now a Disney property, their attraction had to have all the tiny details that make it brilliant. How tiny? When you visit, and see the sign just inside the building that reads “Back in 5 minutes; key is under mat.” Look under the mat!

The queue is full of these jokes, from Gonzo and Scooter running from television screen to television screen, to old Disney jokes like a net full of jello hanging from the ceiling. (Say it fast.) You get the whole experience from the get go.

The movie itself is fun and full of cheesy 3-D effects. (paddle ball to the camera etc.) but again there are things in there that are so brilliant that not many people pay that much attention to.

In the theater there are audio-animtronic penguins in the orchestra pit that interact with the screen. Statler and Waldorf, the awesomely curmudgeon hecklers are of course in their box and in such a small detail, when a character known as the “spirit of 3-D” escapes and is bouncing on audience members heads. (You have to see it to understand fully.) They are nodding and watching it bounce. 

Now keep in mind this is in the dark and they’re box is a good 20 feet up in the corner of the theater. Most people are probably looking at the character bouncing on the heads but Disney had the forsight to make sure that the animatronics were not just sitting lifelessly.

Then there is the Swedish Chef, who is behind you the whole time as the projectionist, and does have a key part of the finale which I won’t spoil, but he’s back there the entire time, no one really is looking at him, but the fact that they made a fully functioning animatronic for a 20 second joke is fantastic.

I hope you stay with me for the next two weeks, because my love and passion for these attractions is just going to become greater, tomorrow is #14, and  I'll just let you know, that "The Crazy Potato Head" is not just a non sequitur.