Lunch with an Imagineer--anyone done it?

[randbmom]

I just signed up my DH and DS with the Lunch with an Imagineer for July 3 at Brown Derby at MGM. DS is a budding cartoonist and DH is a movie buff. I was wondering if anyone has done this and what their experience was. It's supposed to be a fairly small group experience with a Disney artist/imagineer. The CM making the reservation didn't have a lot of info beyond what was written in the description that I already had seen online.
I'd love to hear from anyone who has experienced this event.
Thanks,

 

[MsSpinShady]

My ds and I did this on our last trip, and it was one the highlights of our trip! We were the only two booked that day, and it was a unique opportunity for us to get a glimpse at how Disney's Imagineering works behind the scenes. Our lunch began with a tour of the restaurant from the manager (who ultimately hung around quite a bit checking in on us and providing a lot of special added touches). Afterward, they took us back to a private room with one large table. You have your own server. The food was fabulous and the Imagineer was great. I highly recommend this lunch!

Please let me know if you have any specificd questions. I have a section in my trip report that dealt specifically with the lunch -- just let me know if you want me to pull it up and post that part for you here.

Tell your dh and ds to enjoy their lunch!

MsSpinShady

 

[Lancer]

I did it last February and thought it was great. From what I have been told by our imagineer is that there are a dozen or so imagineers that rotate around and does the dinner(or lunch) when their schedules permit. Our imagineer was Deb, a graphics design imagineer that works on signage. Most recently for EE and Hong kong disney. The lunch lasted around 1hour and 45min, there were 7 guest in our group. We were able to ask her questions on any topic, not just her job, and she tried to answer them as best as she could. She and her husband has worked for Disney for the last 15 or so years, so she had a lot of insight into everything. The food was great, you did get to choose from a limited menu but still was a 5 course meal. Afterwards she signed a large, specially designed plate that you get to take. Overall, the experience was great. The fact that there are more different imagineers that do it, is enough for me to do it a dozen more times. I also heard recently that they do a similar dinner at the Animal Kingdom. Finally, you cant book this any further out than 30 days. My advice is to book at 7:00am on day 30. Also you actually pay for the whole thing at the end of the meal, just like any restaurant.

 

[randbmom]

Thanks for your reply. Originally this was set up with child and adult prices on the meal. When I called they said it was "recommended for 14 and up" but I still made the reservation for DH and DS, who is 12. He's been looking forward to it for months (since he heard about it) and is very mature in these situations. Hopefully they won't question us (he's short for his age).
Anyone ever do this with someone under 14?

 

[Mickey&JoshNut]

My ds and I did this on our last trip, and it was one the highlights of our trip! We were the only two booked that day, and it was a unique opportunity for us to get a glimpse at how Disney's Imagineering works behind the scenes. Our lunch began with a tour of the restaurant from the manager (who ultimately hung around quite a bit checking in on us and providing a lot of special added touches). Afterward, they took us back to a private room with one large table. You have your own server. The food was fabulous and the Imagineer was great. I highly recommend this lunch!

Please let me know if you have any specificd questions. I have a section in my trip report that dealt specifically with the lunch -- just let me know if you want me to pull it up and post that part for you here.

Tell your dh and ds to enjoy their lunch!

MsSpinShady

We too are hoping to do this when we go to WDW in November...I'd love any information you are willing to share about the lunch.....and I'd love to read your report on your lunch.

 

[Tink10]

To those of you that have done it within the past few months......Did you receive Fantasmic priority seating along with your plate & menu?

Thanks!

 

[Disney8704]

How do you make reservations to do this lunch? Where is it at? How much does it cost and how far in advance should you book it?

 

[Disney8704]

This is off topic but Tink10...Where do you get the pictures of the hotels? Like the ones in your signature.

To those of you that have done it within the past few months......Did you receive Fantasmic priority seating along with your plate & menu?

Thanks!

 

[Tink10]

The pics are in the Dis Photo Gallery.....

http://www.wdwinfo.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=504

I Hope This Helps!

 

[MsSpinShady]

Mickey&JoshNut -- Here's the part of my trip report that dealt with the Lunch. When I reread it, I found that it doesn't really give much more insight than what I posted here, but if you have any specific questions I will try to answer them. (Mini-Me was my then 15 year old ds).

Tink10 -- I don't think you can get Fantasmic seating with the Lunch.

Disney8704 -- You can book the lunch 30 days out through Disney Dining. The lunch is at the Brown Derby. Not sure what it costs now -- it was around $60 pp when we went. 407-WDW-DINE can give you all the latest information. It's a lot of fun!

MsSpinShady

From my trip report:

Anyway, we have a tight schedule to keep to today, so with military precision I get everyone (head count) and all of our luggage over to the Poly and checked in by 9:30 a.m. Ah good, there’s time to go get our traditional first day at the MK picture before Mini-Me and I take off for our really cool Disney geeks lunch. We all hop the monorail and set off for our first day at the parks.

Now, I have read posts on The Dis Boards from time to time from well-meaning parents explaining how they didn’t get to see and do everything because they’re children were small and they were taking things at their pace. If we had decided to take things at the pace of our two youngest, we’d have spent our first three days outside of the MK gates counting the “hidden Mickeys” in the walkway bricks leading up to the park. But since Mini-Me and I had our Disney Geek lunch at 11:30 a.m. over at MGM, that just wouldn’t do. So we walk quickly (I bet you thought I was going to say “run,” but we are at Disney and so are using our best manners) inside to take our traditional “The Clan On Main Street” shot, and then make arrangements to meet by the Mickey and Walt statue at 2 p.m.

Mini-Me and I head out to our Dine With an Imagineer lunch. For months, we have been talking about all he things we can ask our Imagineer about. Turns out, we are the only two booked for the special lunch that day, so we will get a chance to ask ALL of our questions! After a tour of the Brown Derby, they take us back to a private room and introduce us to our Imagineer. We sit down and he starts telling us a little bit about his background and what he does for Disney. Mini-Me and I are impressed. After about 10 minutes, I realize Mini-Me isn’t asking any questions – I think he was sooo impressed he couldn’t speak. I, on the other hand, had a secret plan to talk so intelligently about Disney that the Imagineer would be impressed, and would offer ME a job as an Idea-Gal Imagineer. But since Mini-Me had gone temporarily mute, I was left to carry ALL of the conversation. Not necessarily a good thing. I did manage to talk so much that lunch went for almost an hour longer than it had been scheduled for, and our poor Imagineer started receiving increasingly more frantics pages as the afternoon wore on.

Finally, when it became clear that Imagineers are probably not supposed to take 2 ½ hour lunch breaks, he graciously excused himself and we headed back to the MK.