04.12.09

Preparations for an awesome birthday

Posted in Uncategorized at 9:01 pm by Erin

This year, as per usual, I will be spending my birthday at Disney.  However, I will be spending it here:

 

Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris

Hooray!  Disneyland Paris Resort, here I come!  See you in July!

04.03.09

Restaurant Review: Yak and Yeti at Animal Kingdom

Posted in Uncategorized at 5:47 pm by Erin

Location: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park

Price: $$

Service:****

Food:****

The Yak and Yeti Restaurant is one of the only sit-down restaurants in Animal Kingdom, and is certainly the nicest.   The atmosphere is authentic Disney: random Buddha statues and Tibetan prayer flags dot the restaurant to make you feel like you really are in Nepal.  The restaurant itself is huge; much larger than one would expect from the facade of the building.

     The first time my husband and I ate here, it was in the off season, and at around 11 AM we just wandered in and were seated immediately.  The next time, however, we made a reservation.  We arrived 15 minutes prior to our reservation and the place was bustling.  We were finally seated 5 minutes after our original reservation time.

    Once seated, our waiter wasted no time in getting in our drink and appetizer orders.  I fully recommend the seared tuna or the dim sum.  The steamed buns in the dim sum were delicious.  For an entree, I had the Miso Salmon.  While the miso glaze was a little overpowering, the Salmon itself was moist and cooked perfectly.  It came with jasmine rice and bok choy, both excellent side dishes.  My mother ordered the Tempura Shrimp, which I had the first time I came to this restaurant.  The tempura shrimp is perfect for tempura fans – it’s just a wonderful, light batter, not heavy like some fried shrimp masquerading as “tempura”.  My father ordered the ribs, and boy, did he get ribs.

   The Asian flavors at this restaurant are as authentic as you can have at Disney.  I would highly recommend this for the park-goer who wants something a little bit different – after all, your other option is The Rainforest Cafe, and how many times does one really need to eat there?

07.27.08

Annual Birthday Trip

Posted in Uncategorized tagged , , at 11:59 pm by Erin

Here we are again in Walt Disney World, celebrating the greatest holiday of all – my birthday. This year we are spending it at the Grand Floridian and eating at Le Cellier (located in the Canada exhibit of Epcot) and Victoria and Albert’s. A more thorough recap to come, but let me leave you with a picture of my gift from the Grand Floridian.

photo

03.11.08

Restaurant Review – Spoodles

Posted in Restaurant Reviews tagged , , at 4:08 pm by Erin

Location: Disney’s Boardwalk Resort
Price: $$ 
Service: *
Food: **
Category: Casual Dining

   I would like to say that every Disney employee is thoughtful, considerate, and eager to make your day a little more magical.  Unfortunately, there are exceptions to every rule.

   My husband and I met up at Boardwalk with his sister and a few of her friends.  We wanted to grab some breakfast, and figured that Spoodles would be more than adequate.  We waited over thirty minutes for a table, which was fine – it was prime breakfast time, and we had a fairly large group. 

     We were seated, and a rather surly waiter came by to take our drink order.   After what seemed like forever, our drinks arrived, and before we could order, the waiter had disappeared.  It was another 15 minutes before he returned to take our order.  Though Disney is usually eager to please when it comes to special orders, the waiter would not let someone in our party order a side that didn’t automatically come with the meal.  It was a very surreal experience, especially since we are so used to recieving excellent service from Disney.  The food was cold by the time it arrived at our table, and seemed very much like the breakfasts that are available at the Disney food courts – not what you would expect from a sit down restaurant. 

Overall, we left with a bad taste in our mouths.  I would hope that our service was not prompted by the fact that we were a larger group of young-looking people (my husband is constantly carded for R rated movies, and his sister looks about 12), but I was certainly feeling discriminated against.  I’m reluctant to give the restaurant a second chance, say, for lunch or dinner, because of the way we were treated.

03.07.08

Tip: Stay on Property

Posted in tips tagged , at 5:06 pm by Erin

I know, I know.  You think it’s really expensive to stay on Disney property, so you’d much rather stay at that cheap, $80 a night place down the road.  Well, apparently you haven’t been paying attention. Disney’s value resorts are always priced under $100, with some specials hitting as low as $50.  

   If price isn’t an issue for you, why would you stay anywhere else?  Perhaps you don’t know about the perks you get simply from staying on property.  First of all, you get free transportation to every single attraction on the property.  Don’t feel like taking the bus or the monorail?  If you brought a car with you, your resort parking pass gets you free parking at all the parks.  
   The real bonus is a little thing they call extra magic hours.  To really take advantage of these, skip the morning ones unless you really enjoy getting up at 7 AM.  Save that energy for the evening magic hours, which keep the park open three extra hours, sometimes until 2-3 AM.  If you can stick it out that late, you get rid of a lot of the families with little kids, and you can go on the more popular rides without having to wait an hour.

Restaurant Review: Victoria and Albert’s

Posted in Restaurant Reviews tagged , , , at 5:05 pm by Erin


Location: The Grand Floridian Resort

Price: $$$$
Service: *****
Food:*****
Category: Fine Dining
    
    If you are looking for an experience that you will never forget, you can always find that nestled in the ambient lighting of the Grand Floridian’s signature restaurant, Victoria and Albert’s.  The restaurant is intimate; in fact, one could call it tiny by Disney standards.  
    The moment you enter, you are greeted by the dapper host or hostess and whisked off to your table, where you will find a menu waiting for you with your name on it – literally.  The menu is prix fixe, and changes daily, as you would expect from such a high caliber restaurant.  Don’t worry about making a bad choice – there are none.  Each of the six courses will be absolutely wonderful.  Some past menu items include a delectable lobster salad, elk tenderloin, and other delicacies.    
    In addition to exquisite food, Victoria and Albert’s also has an extensive wine list.  If you are too intimidated to trapse through it, consider trying out the wine pairings.  For an addition cost, you can have the wine that the sommelier has chosen to best complement your choices.
    The service is nothing but top notch here.  Though they are no longer forced to wear name tags calling them “Victoria” or “Albert”, the waitstaff is still willing to serve you hand and foot, making sure that no napkin remains unfolded on the table, and no guest will ever have to push in their own chair.
    For a real treat, consider booking the chef’s table – this intimate dining experience puts you right in the center of it all, watching the head chef as he cooks your meal and tells you all about what you are enjoying.  This is a popular dining experience, so book early!
    Though the price tag is hefty (currently $125 per person, with an extra $60 for wine pairings) the experience is priceless.  You will be talking about this meal for years to come, and hey, if you’re a woman you get a rose!  How’s that for service?

Hotel Review: The Grand Floridian

Posted in Uncategorized tagged , , , at 5:01 pm by Erin

Location: Magic Kingdom Area

Price: $$$$
Service: *****
Rooms: *****
Amenities: Spa, Pools, 24-hour food service, 4 restaurants, monorail
    
    The Grand Floridian is the easiest hotel to begin with, because it is the best.  The hotel by which all others are judged.  I first experienced its grandeur when it first opened, and I have been hooked ever since.  It is one of the most expensive hotels in the resort, clocking in at just over $500/night in high season, but don’t be dismayed; it is worth every cent.
    The hotel is located on the monorail line, which services the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and the Transportation and Ticket Center, as well as the Polynesian and Contemporary resorts.  Want to get a little tipsy at the Luau?  No problem.  Had a little too much to drink at the Food and Wine Festival?  You’ll be at your hotel in no time.  
    There are many bonuses to staying in this hotel that you won’t find in any tour guide.  Because of it’s high price tag and it’s reputation for luxury, the hotel tends to be more quiet as there are fewer large families staying there.  In addition, the design of having more than one pool, with one designated “adult” pool, allows adults to relax poolside without screaming children.  
    The rooms are more than adequate, featuring minibars and spacious closets.  The deluxe rooms have sitting areas, and often are located on the top floor, which gives you a private “widow’s wharf” style balcony.  This is the perfect place to catch the water electric light parade, the only glimpse left of that wonderful Disney treasure that once was (props if you remember it).  The color scheme is reminiscent of old Florida in hues of blues and yellows, with the bedspreads featuring some famous Disney characters.
    One of the highlights of the hotel is the exquisite Victoria and Alberts, a five-diamond rated restaurant.  If you eat here, don’t expect a good deal, but do expect to eat one of the best meals of your life.  The restaurant also recently decided to bar children under 12 from dining there, a decision which has drawn some attention.  
    Over all, this is easily my favorite place to stay at Walt Disney World.  It makes me feel glamorous and pampered, while at the same time allowing me to feel that Disney magic all the time.  If you have the means, I highly recommend the Grand Floridian for your first (or next) Disney adventure.

WDW Tip #1: Move to Florida.

Posted in Uncategorized tagged , , , at 5:00 pm by Erin

   Okay, so maybe moving to Florida isn’t practical.  However, I do know that if you are as nuts about Disney World as I am, you may have already considered it.  I happen to be one of those lucky, elusive native Floridians, waving about my Annual Pass as if it were an invitation to a dinner date with Prince William.  If you aren’t a Florida resident, don’t fret.  Perhaps you’ll get a job offer than requires you to move to Florida; here are some reasons you may want to consider taking that job.

    To start, Florida residents get special ticket prices that no one else does.  Special deals like one extra day when you buy a certain number of days, deep discounts on single day and multi-day tickets, and of course, special tickets that are only available to residents.  Of these, the greatest is the Annual Pass.
   For around the cost of two 3-day tickets, you can get one of these magical pieces of heaven.  The Annual Pass is more than just a ticket.  Along with your ticket, you also get a variety of discounts at almost every Disney World restaurant and store.  Then, there is the Passholder club.  Sign up online as a passholder, and you’ll receive e-mail updates, newletters, and special previews of coming attractions.  Passholders get all sorts of special bonuses above the ones I already mentioned, such as special room rates, contests with fabulous prizes, and special park events like new ride previews.  You can even park for free (Seriously, parking is like, eleven dollars right now.  This is important.).

Welcome to my blog!

Posted in Uncategorized at 4:59 pm by Erin

  I’ve noticed a shocking lack of information and advertising on the part of Walt Disney World to attract young, single/married childless people.  My husband and I truly love every vacation we take to WDW, and I want to share the information and observations I have.  I hope that this blog will inspire you to live magically and embrace your inner Disney nerd.  Remember, 20 is the new 10!

Hello world!

Posted in Uncategorized at 3:04 pm by Erin

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