When I left you last, I had asked my husband to help the children with the
treasure map. At that point my husband had given away his age by stating that he didnt have his reading glasses with him. Sheesh! What was a girl (a.k.a.,
me) to do? There were three children on the beach itching to figure out the treasure map, and there were six adults anxiously awaiting that moment.
I tried not to worry that the clock was ticking away the precious minutes. My daughter knew where the dessert party was going to be held, and even though I had told her to keep that surprise a secret, I knew she was capable of following the treasure map and leading everyone to the Grand Floridians marina if the need arose.
As soon as I realized that, I relaxed. I didnt care how long it took the children to figure out the treasure map, the dessert party would just have to wait. It was more important that the children got to be, well,
children, and if it took them thirty minutes to figure out a map, so be it.
Within a few minutes, Floridafams son and daughter had found their bearings and suddenly knew which way to head in regards to the treasure map. Yahoo! We were finally going on a
treasure hunt!
My Grand Floridian Convention Services Cast Member told everyone to gather up their items from the Summerhouse patio area since we were heading to a new location. He mentioned to Bonzie1 that he would box up the
engraved glasses and have them transferred to the new area. She was grateful to hear that. And with that last detail out of the way, everyone stepped out onto the sidewalk and let Floridafams son lead the way
(click here) to a
treasure for your heart, soul, and mind.
It was dusk now, but not quite pitch-black. The temperature was perfect, in the low-80s. It was a glorious evening and many people were out for an evening stroll just like we were. Well, maybe not
exactly like we were. We werent really strolling; we were on a
mission.
Our group walked along the sidewalk that hugged the Grand Floridians main building.
(Click here for resort map.) Our photographer was actually in the lead, but he wasnt leading us. He was walking backwards, snapping photographs of our group as we traveled along on our merry way:
click here. That was another one of the requests that I had made on the shot list that had been submitted to Disney Event Productions before my vacation began. I was very pleased to see that my photographer had been following my shot list to a T all night long. Boy, he was
good.
It didnt take our group long to reach the marina. We continued along the sidewalk and headed towards the Sago Cay lodge building. As we walked, I could hear music faintly playing in the distance. Was that
I Just Cant Wait To Be King from The Lion King movie? As we approached our destination, the music grew louder. I suddenly wondered if that music was for us? I didnt remember music being listed on my BEO for the dessert party. But with each step there was no denying the fact that the music was indeed coming from the dessert partys location. And with those final steps we had arrived at a place that truly did what the
special letter had stated it would do:
X marks the spot where you should start.
It takes you to a place that will capture your heart.
My heart was captured. Boy, was it ever. I couldnt breathe because the wind had been knocked right out of me as I viewed what lay before me. The location at night was by far prettier and more romantic than anything I could have possibly ever imagined. I dont know how Disney does it but they seem to be able to creep into my imagination and take what they find there and turn it into reality. I wish I could share with you folks the sights, the sounds, and the smells of that evening. Only then you would truly understand what I felt as I stood at the entrance to the dessert party.
I thought Id take a moment to re-post the link to what the dessert party location looked like in the daylight:
click here. Im doing that because I dont have many photos to share with you of what that location looked like in the moonlight. Youre just going to have to take my word for it that it was truly beautiful at night,
~sigh.~
After I had caught my breath, I entered the dessert party area. Bonzie1s husband walked in with me and he exclaimed, Oh, my gosh! I said in amazement, Nice view, huh? Floridafam responded with, I think Im going to faint. And with that Bonzie1s husband repeated, Oh, boy oh, boy oh, boy oh, boy! It was nice knowing that I wasnt the only one who was dazzled by what my Grand Floridian Convention Services Cast Member and his team had put together for us.
The first thing my eyes fixated on was the dessert buffet table. It sat against the railing that bordered the marina:
click here. I noticed that it sat in close proximity to our dinner table. And you know what that meant, dont you? None of us would need to walk far in order to satisfy our sweet tooth. That was pretty good thinking on my Cast Members part keep the guests close to the desserts. No wonder hes a
professional.
Here is a photo that my Disney photographer took of the dessert buffet table:
click here. As you can see, the barbeque theme was perfectly carried over to the dessert party. Besides the red & white gingham-checked linen overlay, the buffet table was topped with a wooden barrel, shafts of wheat, and an animal skull:
click here. Im sure you remember that those same items were used as decorations at the Summerhouse dinner party. Using them at the dessert party was a wonderful touch that gave the entire evening a feeling of
continuity.
As I stood before the buffet table, the one thing that really jumped out at me was the lighting that was used:
click here. I absolutely loved it that one of the floor lamps from a Grand Floridian resort room had been used to help illuminate the buffet table. That homey touch was truly appreciated by me since my family had spent parts of many vacations at the resort.
Since Ive just shown you a few photos of the buffet table, I bet youre curious about the desserts, arent you?
Page 2 of my BEO had stated the following information:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Catering Food & Beverage
8:30pm 10:00pm: DESSERT PARTY AT MARINA WEST
Cindys Slipper Desserts
Mickey Mousse Bombe
Mickey Jell-O
Pudding Trifles
Dirt Pots
Mickey Krispy Treats
Warm Apple and Blueberry Cobblers
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Cinderellas Slipper dessert was the only dessert that I had requested during the event planning process. Both Floridafam and I were anxious to experience that dessert for the very first time. The other desserts on the menu were suggested to me by my Convention Services Cast Member. When I first saw them listed on the BEO, I immediately knew they would be perfect for the party.
Psssst
Buddy
Wanna see some photographs
I think Ive teased you enough with words; its time for me to show you with photographs what the desserts actually looked like. But I should warn you first I am not responsible if you feel the sudden urge to raid your kitchen. Now that youve been adequately warned, lets move on with the show.
On the very leftmost side of the buffet table, barely in view in this photograph
(click here), sat two cobbler dishes in warming trays: apple and blueberry. I think Bonzie1s husband would agree with me when I state that they were delicious.
Next to the cobblers sat
Okay, this next dessert deserves a special introduction. May I have a drum roll please? No? Then how bout a definition?
pièce de ré·sis·tance
(Merriam-Webster OnLine Dictionary)
Pronunciation: pE-"es-d&-r&-"zE-'stän(t)s, -rA-, -'stäns
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural pièces de ré·sis·tance /same/
Etymology: French, literally, piece of resistance
1 : the chief dish of a meal
2 : an outstanding item or event : SHOWPIECE
And that was exactly what the next dessert was it was the
pièce de résistance. And what, you ask, was that dessert? Why, the Cinderellas Slipper dessert, of course:
click here.
That dessert was made of white chocolate in the shape of Cinderellas glass slipper. The slipper was filled with a very creamy mousse and it was topped with raspberries. Here is another view of the Cinderellas Slipper dessert:
click here. It was delicious and later on youll see how my daughter ate it. I must admit that I was happy that she ate hers before I ate mine because I honestly had no idea how to go about eating it.
Youre probably wondering what those little Mickey Mouse hats were that were mixed in with the slippers, arent you? They were called
Mickey Mousse Bombe. I didnt try one but my daughter did. She said they were chilled and quite tasty. The hats ears were made out of
Nabiscos Nilla wafers that were coated in chocolate:
click here. Each mouse hat sat on a bed of some sort of chocolate crumble (if you look closely, you can see it in the photo).
Before I move on to the next dessert, I thought I would point out a few of the little touches that Disney is famous for. Just like at the dinner party, there were individual cards placed next to each of the dessert trays:
click here. These little cards not only stated the name of the dessert on the tray, they also contained the little barbeque icon (a picnic basket sitting atop a picnic tablecloth) that had been used at the dinner party and also on the private function signs. Another touch was found on the mirrored tray that held the Cinderellas Slipper and Mickey Mousse Bombe desserts. Multi-colored, Mickey-head candy confetti was scattered about the entire tray. A small touch, but for a girl who enjoys simplicity, those little things sure meant a lot.
Next to the slippers and the mouse ears sat the Mickey JELL-O desserts:
click here. The JELL-O was in the shape of Mickeys head and it was topped with a huge dollop of whipped cream. But what I found most interesting about this dessert was the choice of
containers that were used for it. They resembled little wooden crates.
Lets take a step back and think about that for a moment. JELL-O
(click here) is an American dessert staple. Its been around since 1897. Theres not much that most folks do to it. You mix it up, you put it in the fridge to set, and voila, you have your dessert. And that is pretty much what Disney did. They mixed up some JELL-O, put it in the fridge, and once it was ready, cut it into the shape of Mickeys head and topped it with whipped cream. But how did Disney take such a basic dessert and make it special? Why, they put it in a fun container that was themed to the party. Such a simple thing to do, really. I never would have thought of it. Again, that Disney detail is just so dang much fun to discover. Whoever would have thought I would have gotten so excited over
JELL-O.
Moving right along
(click here)
Next to the Mickey JELL-O desserts were the pudding trifles:
click here. The parfait glasses were filled with layers of whipped cream, vanilla pudding, and chocolate pudding. I dont know about you folks, but when I was a child and my Mom served me pudding, it was never in a parfait glass, it was always in a bowl. Im sure glad the Disney chefs used nicer containers for their pudding confections than my Mom did (no offense, Mom).
I love
Kelloggs Rice Krispies treats and was thrilled when I saw Mickey Krispy Treats
(click here) listed on my BEO. I didnt eat any of them on the night of the dessert party; however, my husband had the foresight to box up a couple of them for me. I ate - okay, maybe
ate isnt quite the word - I
demolished those treats over the next several days. I was amazed at how fresh they tasted even after having sat around in my resort room for a few days.
The Grand Floridian
(click here) is without question one of the grandest of Disneys resorts. Take a look at a video clip of the resort:
click here. After youve viewed that video clip, what sort of dessert would you expect to be served at a private party there? Surely,
cherries jubilee. Possibly, a
Grand Marnier soufflé. Heck, maybe even a
crème brûlée. But I think its probably a pretty safe bet that never in a million years would you expect them to serve you a
Dirt Pot for dessert. Am I right? That would probably be the
last dessert that you would
ever think of when you thought of a dessert party at the resort. And thats the beauty of the Grand Floridian. Most people think shes stuffy and too adultlike. But I beg to differ. The resort has a lot of humor and anyone who has viewed my dessert menu would have to agree. Come on now, would a stuffy and adultlike establishment ever serve you
shoes,
hats, and
dirt pots? You know they wouldnt. And yet that is
exactly what she did. She (and her fine staff) took ordinary items and sprinkled pixie dust on them until they became extraordinarily fun desserts. And that is what makes the Grand, well, so
grand. Everyday people staying at a stately resort where they can kick back and have a little fun, even if that fun means eating worms and mouse ears. Yep, shes my kinda resort.
So, now that Ive mentioned the Dirt Pot dessert, I might as well show you a picture of it:
click here. My daughter has made that same dessert (on a simpler scale) at the Grand Floridians Grand Adventures In Cooking Class:
click here. She had fun making it in the past, so why shouldnt she have fun eating it in the present? There was no reason in the world that I could think of, and so that dessert was listed on the menu. And what a fine addition it was, too. The children really enjoyed it.
I dont know about you folks, but I feel like I have to loosen the waistband of my pants after having viewed all those decadent dessert photos. Excuse me for a moment while I change into something a little more comfortable
Okay, Ive got my sweat pants on now. That feels better.
Back to the dessert party. Next to the Dirt Pots sat pots of an entirely different color. Those pots were silver and they contained lemonade, caffeinated coffee, and decaffeinated coffee:
click here.
Now that Im done describing the food and beverages, its time to get back to describing the dessert party.
As Ive already mentioned, there was music at the party. I didnt know there would be so I found it a complete (and very pleasant) surprise. The music enhanced the partys atmosphere; I was very thankful that it was there. And as I sit here tonight viewing the video footage that I took that night, I can hear the song that was playing as my guests entered the party. It was
I Just Cant Wait To Be King (click here for audio clip) and in particular, these lyrics are what my camcorder captured:
Everybody look left
Everybody look right
Everywhere you look I'm --
Standing in the spotlight
Let every creature go for broke and sing
Let's hear it in the herd and on the wing
It's gonna be King Simba's finest fling
Oh, I just can't wait to be king!
When we walked in, we looked left, and then we looked right. And after we had made our way into the middle of the location, we found ourselves in the spotlight. Okay, so maybe there
wasnt a spotlight, but there
was subdued mood lighting. I wish I had a photo to share with you of the lighting but I forgot to take one (shame on me). Please take my word for it; Disney Event Productions (DEP) did another wonderful job with the lighting and with the music. I should note that the DEP Cast Member who handled the lighting and music at the Summerhouse party also handled the lighting and music at the dessert party. He did a beautiful job with everything. I was definitely very pleased.
As my guests checked out the desserts on the buffet table, I checked out my surroundings. The sun had long since set and the sky was finally dark. I could see Cinderellas Castle across the lagoon from where I stood. Everything was breathtaking and beyond my wildest dreams. The whole area had an intimate feel to it, and with a guest list of only nine people, it was the perfect place for a party. As I stood there, I felt so happy that my Convention Services Cast Member had suggested a dessert party at the marina instead of at the Summerhouse.
As I glanced at the buffet table, what do you think I saw? Arms everywhere:
click here. The children were the first ones to raid the buffet. It was just too cute for words, and Im so happy that my camera captured the moment. I find this especially amazing since I was taking video with the camcorder in my right hand as I took photographs with the camera in my left hand (I didnt realize I was so ambidextrous). Tonight as I reviewed that video footage, I heard Floridafam telling her daughter to hold off on the desserts for a little bit. I also heard my husband laughing as he said, She just cant wait to dig in. To which Floridafam responded, I know! Shes already grabbing her plate. Then I heard Floridafams son exclaiming, Where should I start? Where should I
start?! And my daughter said, Lets start with the Cinderella Slipper! It was at that point that I saw the kids running to the slipper dessert with their plates in hand. It was cute seeing just how excited the children were about the desserts. I was very glad that we had the dessert selection that we had they were definitely kid-friendly (and adult-friendly) desserts.
Once the children were done raiding the table, it was the adults turn. I like this photo:
click here. Cinderella (a.k.a., Bonzie1) appears to be contemplating whether or not the slipper will fit. I assure you folks, it fit Cinderella beautifully (inside her tummy, that is).
With such a varied selection of desserts, youre probably wondering what our options were for drinks. Well, beside the coffee and lemonade that were sitting on our buffet table, we also had a bartender and a fully stocked bar. Shortly before the dessert party began, our bartender had transferred over from the Summerhouse location. He was waiting for us when we first walked into the dessert party. It wasnt long before my husband fetched me something cold to drink:
click here. Hes a good man and he enjoyed conversing with the bartender.
I should probably mention that our Summerhouse waiter also joined us at the dessert party. And there was another waiter at the dessert party, too, but I dont think he saw much action from us. Just like at the Summerhouse, we were a crowd who took care of ourselves. We didnt want anyone coming between us and our desserts,
no sir-ee.
Once everyone had at least one dessert on their plate, they sat down at the table to eat. The table was round and easily sat all nine of us. It was covered with a white tablecloth that was topped with a large square of red & white gingham-checked cloth. On top of the table were votives of many colors:
click here.
As she sat at the table, my daughter decided to check out the treasure map again. I asked her if we were in the right place, and she assured me that we were:
click here. Boy, that was a relief. Id hate to think we were at someone elses party.
The children had a lot of fun playing with their food, especially my daughter. When it came to eating Cinderellas Slipper, she wasnt quite sure what to do:
click here. Should she start with the toe or with the heel? That was a tough decision but she was up to the challenge. The toe it was:
click here. And as they say in fairy tales,
if the shoe fits, eat it:
click here. Okay, maybe they dont say it
exactly that way in the books, but what the heck, a modern day girl is certainly entitled to write her own story any way she sees fit.
And speaking of modern day girls, when they find a dessert that they like, they dont hesitate to lick every last morsel of it from their lips, as Floridafams daughter is doing in this photo:
click here. That photo has become one of my favorites from the party. It captures perfectly what it means to be a child. Floridafams daughter is an absolutely precious child.
It was serious business eating all those desserts as this photo will attest:
click here. Luckily, our little group was up to the challenge. We polished off desserts like they were going out of style. Youd think it was hard work, wouldnt you? But not for us. No matter how full our bellies became, our mouths still remembered how to smile:
click here and also
click here.
As I ate my Cinderellas Slipper dessert, my mind drifted back to the special letter that had been delivered to the children earlier that evening:
click here. The end of it had stated:
Enjoy the sweets and special dishes
As you finish your night with a sky full of Wishes!
I couldnt believe that it was almost time for the Magic Kingdoms
Wishes Nighttime Spectacular to begin. In preparation for the fireworks show, the children gathered at the railing:
click here. The adults joined them there.
As I stood at the railing, I suddenly noticed how quiet it had become. Music had been playing throughout our dessert party but now there was none. I thought that maybe it had been turned off so as to not detract from the fireworks show that was about to begin.
And then I heard it. The soundtrack for the show began playing as the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular began across the lagoon:
click here. That took me completely by surprise. The topic of the soundtrack had never come up in the dessert party discussions that I had with my Cast Member. I didnt even know that it was possible. And so I stood at the marina with goosebumps covering every part of my body. Except for my eyes, that is. Those were filled with tears. And with tear-filled eyes, I began experiencing the fireworks show with my guests.
I would like to take the moment to provide you with the link to photos and video (in both broadband and dial-up versions) of the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular. This information is found right here on the Dis website:
click here. If you play the video of the fireworks show, make sure to have your box of tissues handy. I am playing the video right now and I have to stop every few minutes to wipe away the tears from my eyes.
That evening as the Wishes show continued on, we all stood there spellbound. Our Disney photographer took photos as we watched the fireworks from the Grand Floridians marina. I dont think there was a dry eye in the house.
The fireworks show lasts approximately twelve minutes and it ends with the following song. I thought Id match a few photos to the lyrics from that song (just click on the links):
When You Wish Upon a Star
(
click here for audio clip)
From: Pinocchio
Music: Leigh Harline
Lyrics: Ned Washington
When you wish upon a star (click here for photo)
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you
If your heart is in your dream (click here for photo)
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do
Fate is kind (click here for photo)
She brings to those to love
The sweet fulfillment of
Their secret longing
Like a bolt out of the blue (click here for photo)
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true
Once the fireworks show had ended, we all took a moment to catch our breath. The marina had been an absolutely perfect place to watch the fireworks show from.
None of us wanted the night to end, plus there were still plenty of desserts left to eat, so we grabbed a little something and went back to the table and sat down. But we didnt sit down for long because we could hear the music from the Electrical Water Pageant beginning out in the lagoon. A few of us went to the end of the marina to watch the show. The view wasnt the best because you could only see the first couple of barges, but since all of us had seen the show numerous times before, none of us minded it one bit. The Electrical Water Pageant is always one of the vacation highlights whenever my family is staying at the Grand Floridian Resort.
After the Electrical Water Pageant had ended, it was back to the table we went. There were desserts to finish. It was here that Floridafams son came to life. He was so animated, and his stories were so funny, that he soon had us all in stitches. Neither Floridafam nor her husband could believe how talkative their son had become. I loved it that he felt comfortable enough with us to truly let loose. When my family had first met him during the Family Magic Tour the day before, he was initially quiet and reserved. Towards the end of the tour, and even more so at lunch, he began to open up to us. Our two families had fun that day. But tonight at the dessert party he had come into his element and was bristling with energy. It was a wonderful sight to behold. My daughter is usually never at a loss for words but she was in Floridafams sons presence he held her entranced:
click here. She listened intently to his every word, it was cute to watch. Oh, to be young again,
~sigh.~
As the clock approached 10 PM, the party came to an end. It had been an incredible evening; one filled with scrumptious food, cold drinks, decadent desserts, and a surprise or two. It would be a night that my family would never forget. And it ended as all Disney fairy tales do:
They lived happily ever after.
====================================
The following was added in November 2005...
Last year I put together a short video slideshow with a few of the fireworks photos from my Summerhouse Dinner Party Event. I did this as a thank you for my friends. Hopefully, my little video slideshow will give you folks a small glimpse of what my guests experienced at the Grand Floridians marina that night. Watching the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular fireworks show was truly was the perfect way to end our ~magical~ evening.
Click here to go to the video slideshow. It is located on Google Video.
====================================
