Monthly Archives: March 2015

Fort Wilderness Adventures

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RM-Fort-Wilderness-Sign2First of all, I’d like to formally apologize to Fort Wilderness fans.  I’ve raved about the Hoop Dee Doo and shared Barbie and Nick’s experience in a Fort Wilderness Cabin, but I’d never taken the time to visit and explore Fort Wilderness until recently…and for that, I’m sorry.  I never realized what a remarkable, fantastic, unique and FUN place Fort Wilderness is – so different from the other Disney World Resort properties, yet possessing every bit of that Disney magic that we know and love.

What prompted us to finally visit Fort Wilderness for a look around?  Our second day of being stranded at Walt Disney World by winter weather at home.  On the first day, we decided to make the most of our One More Disney Day with action-packed park fun.  When cancelled flights meant yet another opportunity to play, we decided to do something we’d heard about, but had never made time for.  I’d long thought the off-road Segway adventure at Fort Wilderness would be great fun – this extra day was the right time to give it a try.RM-Boat-to-Fort-Wilderness

A wonderful Cast Member at Bay Lake Tower’s front desk helped us book our Wilderness Back Trail Adventure.  We didn’t have much time to spare, so we grabbed some breakfast at the Contempo Café and made our way to the Contemporary’s boat dock.  Captain Howard was just getting ready to make the crossing to Fort Wilderness, so we hopped aboard and enjoyed being the only passengers on this particular cruise.  If you need a break from a busy day at Magic Kingdom, I strongly recommend walking or catching the monorail to the Contemporary and taking a leisurely boat ride on Bay Lake.  So relaxing!!!

Once we’d bid Captain Howard goodbye, we needed to figure out how to get to the “Bike Barn” – home to our Segway adventure.  Fort Wilderness is HUGE!  So large, in fact, that the resort relies heavily on an internal bus system and a brisk golf cart rental business to move guests throughout the resort.  RM-Fort-Wilderness-Map1We found the bus we needed (could take Orange or Yellow to reach the stop near the Bike Barn) and hopped on.  Arriving at our stop, we stepped down and were completely and totally charmed.  Amid the very heart of Walt Disney World’s hustle and bustle is a wilderness oasis.RM-Fort-Wilderness-Grounds2RM-Fort-Wilderness-SquirrelTrees dripping with Spanish moss, waterways made for leisurely canoe-paddled explorations, a wonderful pool and recreational areas full of a variety of entertainment choices.  How did we not know what Fort Wilderness had to offer before now!?!?!  On our way to the Bike Barn, we checked out the pool, the paths, and waterways.RM-Fort-Wilderness-Waterway2 RM-Fort-Wilderness-Waterway1 RM-Fort-Wilderness-Pool1 RM-Fort-Wilderness-Pool2It was quiet, but kids were roller skating, guests were out for a stroll or a bike ride; the overall atmosphere was one of the relaxed recreation of a summer camp.RM-Fort-Wilderness-Sign3RM-Fort-Wilderness-Fishin'-Sign

At the Bike Barn, we filled out some paperwork for our Segway tour and found we had about 45 minutes to continue our explorations before it was time to meet our guides.  RM-Fort-Wilderness-Bike-Barn RM-Fort-Wilderness-Bike-Barn-Activities-MenuWe noticed guests could rent carts, kayaks, canoes, bicycles, and book guided fishing tours – Fort Wilderness offers visitors a lot of alternatives to spending time in the parks!  The outdoor theater is surely a popular place in the evenings.  Guests can join Chip and Dale for an evening around the campfire that includes refreshments and a movie.  (Details here.)RM-Fort-Wilderness-TerminusThis, among some of the other activities Fort Wilderness offers, is one I absolutely want to try in the future.  Never one to pass up an opportunity to shop, we stopped in at the Meadow Trading Post for a look around.  RM-Fort-Wilderness-Meadow-Trading-Post RM-Fort-Wilderness-Meadow-Trading-Post-InteriorAgain, like everything else at this resort, we found a unique and different experience.  This was not the average cookie-cutter store that has become typical at so many Disney World resorts.  The Trading Post was stocked with a great selection of themed merchandise arranged in clever displays.RM-Fort-Wilderness-Mugs RM-Fort-Wilderness-Hat-Shopping RM-Fort-Wilderness-ShirtsOf course I wanted to try on some of the hats and do some pin trading with the Cast Members at the checkout counter.  RM-Fort-Wilderness-Ranger-HatBefore long, it was time to head back to the Bike Barn and set off on an even bigger adventure.  I’ll be back to give a review and tell you all the details of the Wilderness Back Trail Adventure one day soon.

Are you a Fort Wilderness fan?  What’s your favorite thing to do there?

Walt Disney World Dining – The Swan’s Il Mulino

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RM-Il-Mulino-Menu“Lively ambiance, attentive service, delicious Italian fare – Il Mulino in Walt Disney World’s Swan resort is a treat to delight both the appetite and the spirit.”…Me, once more channeling my inner food critic.

August, 2014:  We were 180 days from our February trip to Walt Disney World and  I wanted ADR’s (Advance Dining Reservations) at some places we’d never been before.  I’d been thinking about one particular restaurant for a long time.  Raymond and I both love Italian food and I’d heard great things about Il Mulino at the Swan – what better time to eat pasta than the night before running the Princess Half Marathon?  Checked the available times and YES!  Scored a 6:00-ish dining time.  Early? Sure – but I was going to be getting up mighty early every morning of this trip to participate in my first three runDisney events.  I wanted a place to relax and enjoy a leisurely dinner before turning in for the evening.

February 21st, 2015:  I’d run the Enchanted 10K that morning and spent the afternoon at RM-Studios-Boat-to-SwanDisney’s Hollywood Studios – a combination guaranteed to work up a heck of an appetite!  We caught a boat from the Studios to the Swan and walked into Il Mulino right on time.  Immediately we noticed that Il Mulino was a hopping place!RM-Il-Mulino-Dining-RoomRM-Il-Mulino-InteriorAn energetic, happy crowd filled the dining room and our table for two was right in the middle of the action next to a glass wall that separates diners from the kitchen.  We had a great vantage point for watching the dining room, the entrance, and the goings-on in the busy kitchen all at the same time!RM-Il-Mulino-Kitchen-ViewWe didn’t mind the noise in this particular location, but I’d suggest asking for a table in another section of the restaurant if you’re in the mood for some quiet conversation.

Rather than a single server, we had a serving team.  Personable and professional, each person that we interacted with throughout the evening demonstrated an obvious pride in both the restaurant and the level of service provided.  The team of Tony (from Italy) and Svet (from Bulgaria) worked together flawlessly to make sure we had an outstanding experience.  Once seated, it wasn’t long before we received some bread and also a complimentary appetizer!RM-Il-Mulino-Bread RM-Il-Mulino-CapreseThe delicious starter was courtesy of the chef who wanted us to enjoy our meal in spite of the kitchen running a little slower than usual.  Honestly, the place was great and there was such a terrific atmosphere, we probably wouldn’t have noticed the slow kitchen at all, but we did enjoy the Caprese salad very much.  RM-Il-Mulino-WineTony was happy to help us with our wine selection – suggesting a bottle from the extensive wine list that was both delicious and in our price range.  We took our time reading over the menu before deciding on our entrees.  RM-Il-Mulino-EntreeRaymond ordered the Spaghetti al Frutti di Mare (Baby shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, and calamari in a spicy red or garlic white wine sauce) and I opted for the Linguini alle Vongole (Linguini with red or white clam sauce) – both of us chose the red sauces for our pasta.  RM-Il-Mulino-LinguiniWe were extremely happy with our choices!!!  We also ordered a plate of spinach in garlic and olive oil (pictures do not do it justice – it was delicious!)RM-Il-Mulino-SpinachYou’d think we’d have been stuffed after all of that, but we had to try the gelato.  We love gelato!  It was the perfect dessert after such a fantastic meal.RM-Il-Mulino-Gelato

Great food, great service, wonderful wine AND Il Mulino has…..a bucket of limoncello.  Yes, you heard me – a metal pail of lemony goodness which is ladled into a little glass that appears right in front of every adult guest when their meal is finished.  And this little, but certainly not insignificant detail was not immortalized for you by my camera.  I’ll blame the wine.  I can’t believe I failed us this way – no picture of our limoncello…which didn’t last long anyway.  I did get a picture of the bucket though!RM-Il-Mulino-LimoncelloCarbs consumed in sufficient quantity to see me through the next morning’s 13.1 mile run, we bid goodnight to Il Mulino and the Swan.  We’ll be back, though, this dining experience shot Il Mulino straight to the top of the must-do list for our next Walt Disney World vacation.

(Note:  The Swan is located on Disney property, but is a Westin resort, not operated by Disney.)

Have you visited Il Mulino?  What was your dining experience like?RM-Swans-in-the-Swan RM-Swan-Closeup

RunDisney Race Recap – 2015 Frozen 5K

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Frozen-5K-PinThe runDisney Frozen 5K held on Friday, February 20th was quite appropriately named!  A very chilly 34 degrees at the race’s 6:15 am start time, it was 3.1 miles of Frozen fun!  As you’d expect from a runDisney event, this one was packed with magical Disney details that did not disappoint.  Since the Frozen 5K was not my main objective during the Princess Half Marathon weekend, I felt no pressure to run fast.  In fact, I took my time and soaked up every moment of my very first runDisney event.

I got up early enough to eat an energy bar and a banana (my pre-race meal of choice) and don my “Tribute to Donald” outfit.  I wore an extra shirt and arm warmers under my outfit, added a warm headband to cover my ears and some gloves and was out the door of Bay Lake Tower to catch the monorail in the Contemporary and get to the starting area in the Epcot parking lot in plenty of time.  Disney’s instructions on this are very specific – be on Disney transportation by no later than 5:00 am for this race.  I’d never done this before and wasn’t taking any chances – I arrived a full hour before start time.Frozen-5K-Start-2015

It was cold!  I can’t even begin to imagine how early people had to arrive to get a place near one of the several heaters positioned around the runners’ waiting area. The crowds around the heaters were huge!  I couldn’t get close enough to feel even the slightest warmth.  I concentrated on checking out the interesting variety of costumes and assorted outfits people were wearing and tried not to think about how much I was shivering.  At least I was in the first group (A), so once we moved to the starting area, I didn’t have much longer to wait.

Once the race began, it didn’t take long to feel less frozen and more able to enjoy the sights and sounds along the race course.  Basically, the 5K course takes runners through the parking lot, into Epcot, around the World Showcase (just as the sun was coming up!), through a bit of Future World, and out to another Epcot parking lot to finish.Frozen-5K-and-Enchanted-10K-Course-MapI did manage to take a few pictures – the one I really wanted of Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff in Future World, unfortunately didn’t turn out at all.  I searched for Donald Duck so I could stop and have my picture made with him (in my Donald outfit), but didn’t see him anywhere.  At about the two-mile mark I saw Goofy and decided I’d better stop or I wouldn’t get a picture with a character at all.  Goofy noticed my outfit right away and gestured his approval which made me laugh.RM-Frozen-5K-2015  I have to say, the sun rising over the World Showcase Lagoon was incredibly beautiful.Frozen-5K-Sunrise-Selfie-Epcot

In about 30 minutes from start to finish, I was freezing once more and, with a small handful of other runners, making the very long walk to the monorail.  At the Ticket and Transportation Center, we were informed that the monorail to the resorts was down and we’d have to catch a bus.  This added much more time to my return trip to Bay Lake Tower, but finally I was back at our room where Raymond was waiting, ready to go spend the day in Epcot – where I finally got to see Donald!RM-Fiesta-Donald

Have you entered a runDisney event?  What did you like most about it?  What lessons did you learn that could help readers who are considering their first runDisney race?

 

 

Frontierland’s Prairie Outpost & Supply

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Welcome to Saturdays with Nick!  Today Nick explores Frontierland and discovers a hidden gem!  Have you shopped at the Prairie Outpost yet?

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Frontierland’s Prairie Outpost and Supply at Walt Disney World

By Nick

On our last trip to Walt Disney World, while walking through Frontierland in the Magic Kingdom, it occurred to me that I was in need of provisions for the evening. I stopped into Prairie Outpost and Supply expecting to find hardtack and perhaps some dry salted beef, and instead was confronted with an entirely different type of staple. Sugar!

Sugar in the form of jellybeans, lollypops, cookies, cotton candy, and various chocolate covered concoctions!

There are also “healthy options” as well, such as candy apples and chocolate covered strawberries. Fruit is healthy, right?

So, next time you’re in the wilderness and need a pick me up, stop on over to the Prairie Outpost and Supply, and a friendly Cast Member will great you with open arms!