- Joined
- Mar 7, 2010
- Messages
- 3,876
Happy as a clam in a Nemo adventure
..
My wife recently took a corporate job and has agreed with me that we maximize her limited vacation time by extending the two annual trips we were already trying to spend at Disney. I made my case for the following reasons: 1.) my wifes mother lives about an hour away and we could consider any visit to Disney a visit to my in-laws, 2.) what other place could she think of that we could spend as enjoyable a time together with our toddler and have as many activities and access to good food and with few hassles getting there, 3.) the entertainment portion of our vacation budget was paid for in the annual passes we already owned.
I also reminded my wife that the timing of our trips and added days in 2012 should be all the more special because of the attraction openings scheduled to be taking place as part of the Fantasy Land expansion in the Magic Kingdom. For those of you truly following along an indoor Double-Dumbo, Goofy Coaster, and new train station are expected to be open in mid-March. Hopefully, the timeline for the Little Mermaid ride, Beauty & the Beast Village, and Be Our Guest restaurant will be on schedule for late 2012 (and our holiday trip planned for just prior to Thanksgiving).
Our journey in late April will be our first visit as long as 8-days (5-days had been our previous maximum). Weve decided to cash-in on a bunch of hotel credits accumulated at Swan & Dolphin to lessen the impact on our wallet. In addition to Monorail resorts, we like Boardwalk area / Swan & Dolphin because Blue Zoo has become our favorite restaurant and Shulas serves my wifes favorite dessert chocolate soufflé. Ive also discovered that since the restaurants inside Swan & Dolphin are not part of Disney Dining Plan, there is a tension missing from the air and that translates into a more pleasurable dining experience at a marginally higher price tag.
Blue Zoo is on our menu twice first and last nights. I try to eat very near or inside the same hotel on check-in day; we decided to finish our journey with our favorite too. If youve never been to Blue Zoo, the tables are spaced apart for a quiet evening and the bread basket with fennel butter is fun for every child. The impeccably trained and knowledgeable staff are on par with some of the best places Ive have ever dined. More importantly, the well prepared and sizeable portions seemingly match the cost. A benefit of purchasing an annual pass to Disney Parks is the advantage of gaining membership to the Tables in Wonderland (TIW) discount dining program. TIW is now available to any Disney Vacation Club member (without an annual pass). If my wife and I drink enough wine and have dessert, one night at Blue Zoo can almost pay for our annual TIW membership.
Italian fine dining is not for everyone. Many people want something covered in red sauce and cheese to be served on top of a mound of pasta. This is the typical American pizzeria-style notion that has been punctuated by the all-you-can-eat garlic-laden pasta places. If my comments seem like food-snobbery, then Il Mulino might not be for you. Dont get me wrong, I love pizza and a chicken parmigiana oozing of cheese as much as the next person, but there is a time and place other than my vacation to eat what I can have down the road from home. Yes, Il Mulino serves some of the Italian classics that gave birth to the American style of eating, but Il Mulino is much more than that. In addition to the knowing staff and good food, the complimentary plate of salami and gracious offering of a Limóncello digestif just goes to show you there is something much more than Sunday Gravy being offered at Il Mulino.
Don Shula was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins when they became the only team to ever complete an undefeated NFL season (a year after Disney World opened). The steakhouse with his name inside the Dolphin hotel offers the best steaks at Disney and other fare that would fill a hungry football player. My wife is never disappointed by the lobster or chocolate soufflé, but I hope Im not disappointed again if they dont have the stone crabs during my next visit. And I dont know about you, but I laugh when I make reservations to eat here because I find it a bit funny that Don Shula has participated in the marketing of a popular diet plan. I also laugh because even before I get there, Im saving room in my belly for a chocolate soufflé (did I mention its my wifes favorite dessert at Disney).
If I only used the Disney Dining Plan, Flying Fish would probably be my favorite food at Disney. California Grill has the best view, Victoria & Albert requires I travel with a sport-coat (and thats not a good thing), and I have yet to try Citricos because my family insists that if we are at the Grand Floridian then we must enjoy an offering of calamari at Narcoossees - buttermilk soaked squid topped with spicy peppers which is simply the best we have repeatedly ever eaten. But given my personal calculus for a memorable food experience at Disney, Flying Fish and Blue Zoo are my personal choices (with a fireworks meal at California Grill a distant third place) ..Citricos in late 2012......
On the lighter side, we arrive during springtime and that means the Epcot Flower Show and World Showcase are part of our first complete day. To break up our stroll, we will be having lunch and making our first visit to Akershus Royal Table in Norway. This will be another opportunity to see if my little princess is comfortable dining with her favorite princesses. Akershus is said to be the most Disney-fied place inside Epcot and Ill let you know about the food in my next posting. A few days later, and after floating around Future World, well stop in Coral Reef and enjoy grazing the enjoyable seafood appetizers and salads of micro-greens in a dining room that feels like a large aquarium or fish tank.
When I had first planned this upcoming trip, I thought it would be wonderful to bring both my princesses - my wife & daughter - to Cinderellas Castle and celebrate my wifes birthday. Even though we had to move our travel time to a week later (because of that corporate job thing), my wife still wanted this time to include her first visit to the Royal Table. We hope that a subsequent meal in the Magic Kingdom during our fall vacation will be at the new Be Our Guest restaurant in the shadow of the new Beast Castle along with Chef Mickeys, Ohana, Citricos, and the wonderful view from CA Grill.
My wife recently took a corporate job and has agreed with me that we maximize her limited vacation time by extending the two annual trips we were already trying to spend at Disney. I made my case for the following reasons: 1.) my wifes mother lives about an hour away and we could consider any visit to Disney a visit to my in-laws, 2.) what other place could she think of that we could spend as enjoyable a time together with our toddler and have as many activities and access to good food and with few hassles getting there, 3.) the entertainment portion of our vacation budget was paid for in the annual passes we already owned.
I also reminded my wife that the timing of our trips and added days in 2012 should be all the more special because of the attraction openings scheduled to be taking place as part of the Fantasy Land expansion in the Magic Kingdom. For those of you truly following along an indoor Double-Dumbo, Goofy Coaster, and new train station are expected to be open in mid-March. Hopefully, the timeline for the Little Mermaid ride, Beauty & the Beast Village, and Be Our Guest restaurant will be on schedule for late 2012 (and our holiday trip planned for just prior to Thanksgiving).
Our journey in late April will be our first visit as long as 8-days (5-days had been our previous maximum). Weve decided to cash-in on a bunch of hotel credits accumulated at Swan & Dolphin to lessen the impact on our wallet. In addition to Monorail resorts, we like Boardwalk area / Swan & Dolphin because Blue Zoo has become our favorite restaurant and Shulas serves my wifes favorite dessert chocolate soufflé. Ive also discovered that since the restaurants inside Swan & Dolphin are not part of Disney Dining Plan, there is a tension missing from the air and that translates into a more pleasurable dining experience at a marginally higher price tag.
Blue Zoo is on our menu twice first and last nights. I try to eat very near or inside the same hotel on check-in day; we decided to finish our journey with our favorite too. If youve never been to Blue Zoo, the tables are spaced apart for a quiet evening and the bread basket with fennel butter is fun for every child. The impeccably trained and knowledgeable staff are on par with some of the best places Ive have ever dined. More importantly, the well prepared and sizeable portions seemingly match the cost. A benefit of purchasing an annual pass to Disney Parks is the advantage of gaining membership to the Tables in Wonderland (TIW) discount dining program. TIW is now available to any Disney Vacation Club member (without an annual pass). If my wife and I drink enough wine and have dessert, one night at Blue Zoo can almost pay for our annual TIW membership.
Italian fine dining is not for everyone. Many people want something covered in red sauce and cheese to be served on top of a mound of pasta. This is the typical American pizzeria-style notion that has been punctuated by the all-you-can-eat garlic-laden pasta places. If my comments seem like food-snobbery, then Il Mulino might not be for you. Dont get me wrong, I love pizza and a chicken parmigiana oozing of cheese as much as the next person, but there is a time and place other than my vacation to eat what I can have down the road from home. Yes, Il Mulino serves some of the Italian classics that gave birth to the American style of eating, but Il Mulino is much more than that. In addition to the knowing staff and good food, the complimentary plate of salami and gracious offering of a Limóncello digestif just goes to show you there is something much more than Sunday Gravy being offered at Il Mulino.
Don Shula was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins when they became the only team to ever complete an undefeated NFL season (a year after Disney World opened). The steakhouse with his name inside the Dolphin hotel offers the best steaks at Disney and other fare that would fill a hungry football player. My wife is never disappointed by the lobster or chocolate soufflé, but I hope Im not disappointed again if they dont have the stone crabs during my next visit. And I dont know about you, but I laugh when I make reservations to eat here because I find it a bit funny that Don Shula has participated in the marketing of a popular diet plan. I also laugh because even before I get there, Im saving room in my belly for a chocolate soufflé (did I mention its my wifes favorite dessert at Disney).
If I only used the Disney Dining Plan, Flying Fish would probably be my favorite food at Disney. California Grill has the best view, Victoria & Albert requires I travel with a sport-coat (and thats not a good thing), and I have yet to try Citricos because my family insists that if we are at the Grand Floridian then we must enjoy an offering of calamari at Narcoossees - buttermilk soaked squid topped with spicy peppers which is simply the best we have repeatedly ever eaten. But given my personal calculus for a memorable food experience at Disney, Flying Fish and Blue Zoo are my personal choices (with a fireworks meal at California Grill a distant third place) ..Citricos in late 2012......
On the lighter side, we arrive during springtime and that means the Epcot Flower Show and World Showcase are part of our first complete day. To break up our stroll, we will be having lunch and making our first visit to Akershus Royal Table in Norway. This will be another opportunity to see if my little princess is comfortable dining with her favorite princesses. Akershus is said to be the most Disney-fied place inside Epcot and Ill let you know about the food in my next posting. A few days later, and after floating around Future World, well stop in Coral Reef and enjoy grazing the enjoyable seafood appetizers and salads of micro-greens in a dining room that feels like a large aquarium or fish tank.
When I had first planned this upcoming trip, I thought it would be wonderful to bring both my princesses - my wife & daughter - to Cinderellas Castle and celebrate my wifes birthday. Even though we had to move our travel time to a week later (because of that corporate job thing), my wife still wanted this time to include her first visit to the Royal Table. We hope that a subsequent meal in the Magic Kingdom during our fall vacation will be at the new Be Our Guest restaurant in the shadow of the new Beast Castle along with Chef Mickeys, Ohana, Citricos, and the wonderful view from CA Grill.
