Random Thread & The Interchangeable Inside Joke

[scarscar93]

and since they decided not to schedule any FL dates for their Christmas pageant, the next time I'll get to see them is if they do come back for Night of Joy next year.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

You might be content to stop there--and maybe you should--but entrées like Mesquite Roasted Tofu and Summer Vegetable Risotto sound awfully good... And then there's Vegetarian Unplugged: a tempting medley of vegetarian and vegan side dishes arranged, tapas-like, in little bowls on a platter.

As you sip after-dinner drinks, the lights dim and all eyes turn toward the wall of plate glass facing west. Fireworks illuminate the night sky, and uplifting music, in synch with the colorful explosions, is piped into the restaurant.

There aren't many places in the world where food, service, and atmosphere combine to deliver a truly magical experience.

Where could you be? On the banks of the Seine? In the heart of Manhattan? Perhaps you've died and gone to heaven.

 

[scarscar93]

:c

I saw them tweet about it and they seemed mad.

we (the crowd) were madder.

my friend had made custom shirts for us and everything.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Surprise!

You're at Walt Disney World!

With this passage, we began our new guide book, Vegetarian Walt Disney World and Greater Orlando. The scene at the California Grill, high atop the Disney's Contemporary Resort, would have been nearly unthinkable 28 years ago when the park first opened its doors to the public. But today, thanks to Disney's unflagging commitment to the guest experience, it's possible to have a world-class vegetarian meal, complete with impeccable service in a beautiful atmosphere, every night of the week.

The change in Disney's attitude toward vegetarian dining is due in no small part to the dining revolution masterminded by WDW's Vice President of Food and Beverage, Dieter Hannig.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Hannig and his staff have undertaken the awesome task of making Walt Disney World a dining destination to rival the world's great resorts--while ensuring that hungry toddlers, weary parents, picky teenagers, and people with esoteric diets can all find some delightful culinary treat as they traipse across 7,000 acres of theme parks and resorts.

It's a mammoth undertaking, but if anyone is up to the task, it's Hannig. You might even say Hannig--a self-described "part-time vegetarian"--is obsessed with the challenge before him. One can easily picture him arguing passionately on behalf of a tub of frozen yogurt, his thick German accent liberally sprinkled with American idioms, his expressive eyes widening meaningfully as he drives home each point. Flavor. Freshness. Quality. The Guest Experience.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

As he talks, Hannig's small marathon runner's frame seems enlarged by the power of his convictions. "It's all about great people and talent," he says. "You put a great chef in a restaurant, you 'paint the big picture' of what the guest experience should be, and you tell them, 'That's your restaurant. Go with it!' The food and beverage teams make your idea better, the chefs make their guests happy, and they get the credit and the recognition for a job well done."

This unique approach has ushered in a sea change in the quality of food throughout the property, from snack bars to resort dining rooms. "Ten years ago, there wasn't much to talk about," concurs Franz Kranzfelder, Manager of Menu Development and Culinary Standards. "But now we have about 15 top chefs on Disney property, with great talents. The whole mentality about leadership has changed. We no longer have executive chefs, we have working chefs--you'll see them in the kitchen on a daily basis. They are passionately involved in cooking.

That was a big change for this company. We don't have kitchen generals anymore, we have missionaries: people who are standing up for what they believe in."

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Vegetarian Options at Walt Disney World

Despite Hannig's revolution, many people who haven't visited Walt Disney World in recent years still think of it as a big expensive carnival, with expensive carnival food: popcorn, cokes, burgers, and hot dogs. To a certain extent, they're right, especially in the World's four theme parks where the emphasis is on portability, economy (the Disney version), and the satisfaction of the Vacationing Hordes. But to merely offer one type of food--at one set of price points--to the bewildering melting pot of tastes that makes up Walt Disney World's clientele would be missing a tremendous opportunity, and not just in terms of sales.

Hannig elaborates: "The point is to change the guests' perceptions so that, all of the sudden, they go to a quick service operation, and Hey! There is a freshly tossed salad! And it's not prepackaged, and chilled. And suddenly you have a Caesar Salad which is, like, edible, and you say, 'Ooo! That's pleasantly surprising!'"

To delight and surprise their guests interested in healthful dining options, Dieter Hannig and his band of menu designers have come up with an astonishing array of choices.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Here's what to expect at Disney Food Carts and Snack Shops

The cuisine offered by the food carts and snack shops you see all over the theme parks is definitely closer to Food Court than Carnival. You can't turn a corner without running into one of these thirst slakers and pang assuagers, selling spring water, soft drinks, cappuccino, cookies, fruit, popcorn, nuts, and frozen delights, in addition to decidedly non-vegetarian items.

For the most part the carts and snack shops are veg-friendly, if you ignore the hot dog stands. However, if you have a question about the fare offered at a cart (i.e., are any of the cookies offered vegan?), you might not be able to get a definitive answer.

Snack shops, on the other hand, usually offer a wider range of goods and often keep ingredient lists on hand for ready reference. We do our best to keep our info on these up to date in Vegetarian Walt Disney World and Greater Orlando, but--if you are concerned about a particular item--be sure to ask to see the ingredient list.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

How we learned to stop worrying and love the mouse!

by Susan Shumaker and Than Saffel

authors of Vegetarian Walt Disney World and Greater Orlando!

This is the second of a two-part series on Dining Vegetarian at WDW.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Counter Service and Buffet Restaurants

For the mobile consumption units known as families, there are fast food (or, in the genteel dialect of Disneyspeak, "quick service") restaurants galore, as well as "all-you-care-to-eat" buffets. These eateries are designed to handle the bulk of the food business in the parks, with an approach that's closer to military precision than culinary finesse.

According to Franz Kranzfelder, the menu of each quick service restaurant is largely dictated by the public's tastes: if an item doesn't sell, it's substituted with something that does. Despite the fluidity of the menus, these are the toughest places to find something decent as a vegetarian, primarily because there are no chefs waiting to whip something up if you don't like what you see on the menu board.

That having been said, quick-service food at Disney can be surprisingly good, and a few oddball items--like veggie burgers and vegetarian rollups--do find their way onto the occasional menu. Throughout Vegetarian Walt Disney World and Greater Orlando, we include grids and recommendations to help you find the spots that do the best job catering to vegetarians, but--with a little advance planning--you'll have no problem finding these on your own.

 

[nerdylightbulb]

and since they decided not to schedule any FL dates for their Christmas pageant, the next time I'll get to see them is if they do come back for Night of Joy next year.

I think they said they were going to try to play next year.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Table Service Restaurants

It is in the table service restaurants that vegetarians will find the widest selection, and the best preparation. Organic produce, low-fat meals, and even tofu frequently grace the menus at many of Walt Disney World's finer establishments.

Our favorites? We've got quite a few (don't get us started!), but there are some places we never miss when we're on property, and one more where we'd love to eat every time (if only we could afford to!). The former category includes the California Grill and Artist Point, the Pacific Northwest-inspired specialty restaurant in Disney's Wilderness Lodge.

At Artist Point, chef Anette Grecchi's interpretations of the continent's simplest and earliest comfort foods-- earthy staples like whole grains, root vegetables, squash in autumn and melon in summer--mesh perfectly with the Craftsman-inspired woodwork of the Lodge's dining room. Look particularly for | creative grain dishes, like the smooth and savory forest mushroom risotto.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

To make the widest variety of food available to the largest audience, Anette builds many of her dishes, from the stocks right up to the seasonings, to be vegan-friendly, adding cream or meat only as a garnish. With a few minutes' notice, she and her team can whip up beautiful entrées that are a feast for the eyes as well as for the palate.

"We can pretty much accommodate any special request with 48 hours' notice," she encourages. "If a guest calls us and lets us know that he or she is vegetarian, we'll let them know what is currently on the menu. We can find out right there and then if we need to make special arrangements for them and cook something special." "Usually," Anette continues, "our vegetarian guests are amazed at what we can do."

Of course, there are standouts in other resorts, and in the theme parks--and some chefs definitely do a better job with tofu than others!--but that will have to wait for another issue of ALL EARS. ;-)

Bon appetit! Susan and Than

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Here are some tried and true tips for delicious meatless dining in the Vacation Kingdom.

1) Make your Advance Reservations at the restaurant of your choice at least 72 hours in advance--we recommend at least a week's notice for vegetarian meals (and 90 days for WDW's more popular restaurants) -- by calling (407) WDW-DINE (939-3463). Victoria & Albert's Chef's Table reservations can (and should) be made 90 days before.

2) If you're a vegan or on a strict low-fat diet--or would simply like an extra-special vegetarian meal--call the Walt Disney World main switchboard (407) 824-2222 and ask to be transferred to the restaurant of your choice. Once connected, ask to speak directly with a chef, and explain your dietary needs. Have fun brainstorming with the chefs about your special meal. If you give them enough advance notice (usually a week will do), most Disney chefs are more than happy to purchase special items like rice milk, kamut or seitan to make your meal memorable. Remember to get your chef's full name and to let him or her know the date and time of your visit.

3) Check in at the restaurant as soon as the park opens and tell the host that you've made prior arrangements with Chef X for a special vegetarian meal. Be sure the host verifies this before you head off to enjoy the park. If you haven't made prior arrangements, do so now.

4) Upon being seated at the restaurant, let your server know about your special dietary needs. If you've made arrangements with the chef for a meal not usually on the menu, tell the server your name and the name of the chef with whom you spoke.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

5) If you have not made any special prior arrangements, a meal can often be prepared for you "on the fly" at table service restaurants. Ask your server if you can speak with a chef at your table. Find out what ingredients are on hand in the kitchen, and have fun being creative with Disney's culinary talent!

6) If you're at a quick service location and a castmember tells you that special meals and substitutions cannot be made, ask to speak with a manager. Nine times out of ten, your needs will be accommodated.

7) If you have a very strict diet and simply can't risk a goof-up with your special meal, feel free to bring a small cooler of goodies into any of the parks with you (only guests with special dietary restrictions are allowed this privilege). To avoid lugging your cooler around all day, stow it in a rental locker, located near the entrance to each park.

8) If all this advance planning and special requesting is simply not your style, just go with the flow - after all, Walt Disney World is a better place to be vegetarian than most American cities, and you're just as likely to stumble across something yummy as not.

Bon appetit! Susan and Than

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Introduction

Where else but Walt Disney World can you dine with your favorite characters! The popularity of character meals has grown so much that you can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with the characters.
The meals are served several ways.

Traditional buffet-style -- available at most of the participating restaurants.

Family-style -- the server brings large bowls/plates/skillets of food that you serve yourself and pass around the table.

Pre-plated meals --These meals are served to each guest and each plate includes the same meal.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Most options are all-you-care-to-eat and have one fixed price for the meal. At the family-style and pre-plated meals you need only ask to have seconds of anything.

As a rule, you need to make Advance Reservations for character meals. However, during slow seasons it is sometimes possible to attend a Character Meal without an Advance Reservation. Advance Reservations are available for all character meals and can be arranged by calling 407-WDW-DINE (939-3463).

For all of the Character Meals -- the characters make their way around the room, stopping at each table. You don't have to run after the character or wait in a special line. In fact, the characters generally will not stop for you if you chase them. If you stay seated and them visit you, it lends a great deal of order to the fun.

After each listing you will see prices for each meal with an A (for adult) or a C (for child). Walt Disney World offers the children's price to those aged 3-9. Children under 3 will be allowed to dine free while those over 9 will be required to pay the adult price. Prices do NOT include tax or gratuity.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Magic Kingdom

Crystal Palace - Head down Main Street, USA and make a left at Casey's Corner! This restaurant serves three meals per day with Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet. Meals are served buffet-style with a separate buffet for kids called "Pooh Corner." Breakfast items include eggs, pancakes, breakfast meats, breads, fruit and more. Lunch offers a variety of hot and cold entrees and sides along with a dessert bar. At dinner carved meats and peel-and-eat shrimp are added. Advance Reservations strongly recommended!

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Resort Hotels
Where the Characters Dine
Insider Tips

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Introduction

Where else but Walt Disney World can you dine with your favorite characters! The popularity of character meals has grown so much that you can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with the characters.
The meals are served several ways.

Traditional buffet-style -- available at most of the participating restaurants.

Family-style -- the server brings large bowls/plates/skillets of food that you serve yourself and pass around the table.

Pre-plated meals --These meals are served to each guest and each plate includes the same meal.
Most options are all-you-care-to-eat and have one fixed price for the meal. At the family-style and pre-plated meals you need only ask to have seconds of anything.

As a rule, you need to make Advance Reservations for character meals. However, during slow seasons it is sometimes possible to attend a Character Meal without an Advance Reservation. Advance Reservations are available for all character meals and can be arranged by calling 407-WDW-DINE (939-3463).

For all of the Character Meals -- the characters make their way around the room, stopping at each table. You don't have to run after the character or wait in a special line. In fact, the characters generally will not stop for you if you chase them. If you stay seated and them visit you, it lends a great deal of order to the fun.

After each listing you will see prices for each meal with an A (for adult) or a C (for child). Walt Disney World offers the children's price to those aged 3-9. Children under 3 will be allowed to dine free while those over 9 will be required to pay the adult price. Prices do NOT include tax or gratuity.


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Magic Kingdom

Crystal Palace - Head down Main Street, USA and make a left at Casey's Corner! This restaurant serves three meals per day with Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore and Piglet. Meals are served buffet-style with a separate buffet for kids called "Pooh Corner." Breakfast items include eggs, pancakes, breakfast meats, breads, fruit and more. Lunch offers a variety of hot and cold entrees and sides along with a dessert bar. At dinner carved meats and peel-and-eat shrimp are added. Advance Reservations strongly recommended!

Cinderella's Royal Table - Located on the second floor of Cinderella Castle this restaurant features characters at all three meals. Characters vary, but almost always include Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother and may include Belle, Jasmine and Snow White. The official name for all three meals at the Castle will be Fairytale Dining at Cinderella's Royal Table, and all will require 2 entitlements when using the Disney Dining Plans.

-- Breakfast and Lunch are Disney Princess-themed character meals. When you arrive at Cinderella Castle for your reservation, a photographer will be on hand to take pictures of your group in the lobby, before you are seated in the dining room.

--As of February 7, 2010, Dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table features the same characters as the Breakfast and Lunch character meals at the restaurant. When you arrive at the restaurant, Cinderella will welcome you to her castle in the lobby. At that time, she will pose for photos and sign autographs, then you will proceed upstairs to dine with other characters from Disney's Royal Family. (Characters subject to change without notice.)

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Complimentary Imaging Package: When you arrive at Cinderella Castle for your reservation, a photographer will be on hand to take pictures of your group in the lobby, before you are seated in the dining room.You get a photo package including:

4 prints 4" by 6"
One print 6" by 8"
One print 6" by 8" of Cinderella Castle
Cinderella-themed photo holder
The package is delivered to you during your meal. (One photo package per party of 1-4; two photo packages for parties of 5-8, etc.) Additional photos may be purchased. Note: These photos can also be added to your Disney's PhotoPass account!

Children (ages 3-9) also get a Surprise gift! A princess wand for girls and a prince's sword for boys!

NOTE: Payment in full with a credit card will be required at the time of booking for all meals at Cinderella's Royal Table. If you do not have a credit card, the reservation cannot be made.

Magic Your Way Plus Dining Plan WILL be accepted at Cinderella's Royal Table meals, requiring TWO table service credits.

Advance Reservation is a must. This is the hardest Character Meal to get a Reservation for! If you want to see Cinderella and can't get in here or want a less expensive meal, try her Royal Gala Feast at 1900 Park Fare in the Grand Floridian.

Liberty Tree Tavern - As of January 5, 2009, no longer serves a character meal.