Our reservation was made 30 days out. If you get a CM who is clueless ask for a supervisor. You must give a credit card to hold your reservation. You can cancel 48 hours in advance, otherwise you pay at the actual lunch. Tip is added on but it was only 15% and our service was exceptional so I added extra.
When we arrived at the Brown Derby we were greeted by the restaurant manager and then led to the private Bamboo Room. Here we met Eric Goodman, our Imagineer, along with the 5 other guests. The seating is never more than 8 in total. At first my 12 year old son was disappointed. He had hoped for a luncheon with just us and the Imagineer. We quickly realized that having other companions was a bonus. Eric asked us to go around the table and introduce ourselves adding any information we wanted. Then he told us about himself. The restaurant manager and our 2 servers then explained the menu and took our orders. Everyone gets soup - ours was an interesting curry, coconut and chicken stew - spicy but yummy. Next was the cobb salad followed by your entree. Choices were a filet of beef, grouper or a noodle dish with chicken. Taylor had the beef and all but licked the plate. I had the grouper and it was good as well. The dessert was a cheesecake beautifully presented. There were hot rolls and either hot beverages or soft drinks. Although no one in our group expressed any special diet requests I am sure Brown Derby would try to accomodate them if you called in advance of the luncheon.
My son is very creative. Loves to draw, write and design. This is what brought us to the table.
The conversation with Eric flowed continuously. He was sweet, charming, genuine, funny and very unassuming. He is not an artist, not an engineer, not an architect. He began work at Disney as a street actor in MGM. He was previously a paige at NBC in New York. He does, however, have a keen imagination and an interest in creation and design. He has been an imagineer for 14 years. He allowed us to ask whatever we wished. His most recent project was Mission Space. We learned that Disney promotes from within, that no one gets "put in a box", that many of the 600 Imagineers have been with WDW since it opened and that new ideas are constantly sought. We also learned that Imagineering is an umbrella term that covers more than attractions - our lunch lasted over 2 hours. The manager had to come back in to basically get us to leave!!! Eric said he had been on a waiting list to host a luncheon for 3 months. He said there is a long, long list of other Imagineers waiting their turn. Both he and the restaurant manager thought the program would continue in the New Year.
Eric went around the table again and asked if anyone wanted a specific inscription on their gift plate. The manager, meanwhile, told us about how he became manager. He too was promoted from popcorn cart sales and kept working his way up.
The plates are huge. Deep blue with gold engraving. Eric inscribed them with a gold pen. They are then boxed and delivered to your hotel, shipped home or you can take them with you if you are leaving the park. You are also given a wooden stand.
This was truly money and time well spent. It was fascinating to hear how the behind the scenes folks really do work as a team, as a family. It was heartwarming to hear that anyone who works hard and has a dream has a chance to be a part of it all. And, most of all it was great to meet Eric - a true inspiration.
If I have not covered something please post.
I truly hope each of you has a chance to share in this incredible experience.
MamaQuack, Thanks for your help. I really wasn't sure if it was something that she would enjoy or not. Most of my trips to WDW were with my daughter (30) and we did the bigger rides and things that weren't really geared for a child. (Though I must admit that the minute I step onto Main Street at the Magic Kingdom I become 5 years old again) This trip I figured would give me a chance to slow down the pace and enjoy many of the sights and sounds that I have past by on previous trips. Am totally looking forward to this next trip.
