Category Archives: Walt Disney World

Disney World’s Top of the World Lounge

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RM-Top-of-the-World-Lounge-Menu-SeatingMaybe you’ve heard of it, maybe not.  On the very top floor of Bay Lake Tower is a cozy little lounge with a heck of a view.  It’s a special little corner of the World, reserved for Disney Vacation Club members, and we recently stopped in to see what all the hubbub’s about.

The view from the “balcony”, which is actually more of an outdoor walled walkway, is absolutely grand – it’s what makes this an especially popular spot during the Magic Kingdom’s Wishes Nighttime Spectacular.  From the 15th floor, Bay Lake Tower’s proximity to Magic Kingdom is breathtaking.  RM-Top-of-the-World-Lounge-ViewFor Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend, we found ourselves enjoying studio accommodations at Bay Lake Tower about four doors down from the Top of the World Lounge.  Note:  For guests not staying at Bay Lake Tower, a Cast Member will ask to see a DVC membership card before allowing visitors up to the Lounge.

We’d come straight from a big dinner and only wanted coffee and dessert.  We didn’t spend a lot of time pouring over the menu, but there are both sweet and savory snack offerings along with a variety of specialty cocktails, beer, and wine.  Lots of folks only come for the view and a cocktail.  The food is okay, but not the main draw here.  RM-Top-of-the-World-Lounge-CoffeeWe ordered specialty coffees and a gigantic slice of cake.  The coffees were tasty, but the cake was a little disappointing.  Not horrible, but lacking flavor – the dessert was mainly just very sweet.  (I’m sorry I didn’t take a picture of it before we’d tried a couple of bites.)RM-Top-of-the-World-Lounge-Cake

If you’re a DVC member and want to visit the Top of the World Lounge for the atmosphere, you won’t be disappointed.  You can expect a great view, super décor, mediocre food, decent service, and Disney World prices.  RM-Top-of-the-World-Lounge-Chandelier RM-Top-of-the-World-Lounge-Menu-Monorail-ArtThe Lounge has a cool, modern theme and the monorail wall art is amazing!  The Top of the World Lounge would make a fun stop on the Resort Loop Pub Crawl.

Tim Brooks at Dad for Disney wrote this great article about the Contemporary Resort’s original Top of the World Lounge.

Are you a DVC member who has visited the Top of the World Lounge?  I’d love to hear about your experience!

 

Disney World Dining – Columbia Harbor House

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P-Columbia-Harbor-HouseMagic Kingdom is SUCH a great park!  Fantastic lands, awesome theming, wonderful attractions AND pretty darn good food!  Snacks aplenty, ask any Disney World fan and they’ll tell you that the popcorn on Main Street, the pretzels in Tomorrowland, the churros in Frontierland, and the, dare I say it? Dole Whips in Adventureland make Magic Kingdom the very best park for snacking.  Snacks are all well and good, but when I want a quick meal on the spur of the moment?  I’m choosing Columbia Harbor House in Liberty Square.

Disney World Dining – Columbia Harbor House:

As you may expect, I can share FIVE great things about dining at Columbia Harbor House for you to consider:

1. Location!  You think it doesn’t matter?  Oh, but it does to us!  When Magic Kingdom opens, we head on over to Frontierland to ride the two mountains there first:  Splash and Big Thunder.  What a way to start the day!  Then we have some leisure time (built into our plan, which I highly recommend).  We can see the Country Bears, tour the Haunted Mansion, chillax in the Hall of Presidents and, hungry now, are perfectly poised for an early lunch at Columbia Harbor House!RM-Columbia-Harbor-House-Menu

2. Variety – CHH has an excellent, broad menu – sure to please everyone in your party.  From the Disney website, ” Reel in fried fish, shrimp or chicken baskets, lobster rolls, New England clam chowder, grilled salmon, vegetarian chili and salads. Specialty sandwiches include the Anchors Aweigh, made with white tuna, and the Lighthouse, made with hummus and broccoli slaw. Kids can enjoy macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets and more. Top off your meal with seasonal cobbler, yogurt and fountain drinks.”  Me?  I’m partial to the Anchors Aweigh and will split a sandwich if Megan is with me to save room for snacks or a table service ADR (advance dining reservation) later in the day.  Raymond and Joseph love the fried fish basket.  We’ve never left unhappy.RM-Columbia-Harbor-House-Tuna-SandwichRM-Columbia-Harbor-House-Fish

3. Quality – The food is consistently good.  We’ve enjoyed lunch at Columbia Harbor House many times over the years and have never had an “off” meal.  For an eatery to reliably deliver exactly what we expect, every time we visit, that’s what keeps us coming back!RM-Columbia-Harbor-House-CM

4. Service – Sure it’s counter service restaurant, but the folks are swell!  Friendly staff, clean dining area, and a sense of urgency to keep the line moving – these make for an excellent experience and get us back out into the park pronto!RM-Columbia-Harbor-House-Window-Table RM-Columbia-Harbor-House-View

5. Seating – There’s ample seating both main floor and upstairs.  We always head on up to the second level where it’s usually a little quieter and, if we get there early or are especially lucky, we can find a table with a view!  Yup, window-side seating gives guests an awesome view of Liberty Square’s goings-on.  Except for the inside of Beast’s Castle at Be Our Guest, what other lunch place can boast a better view?RM-Columbia-Harbor-House-Decor

Is Columbia Harbor House one of your must-do’s?  What other Magic Kingdom counter service restaurants do you love?

 

Walt Disney World for Cheese Lovers

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RM-Brown-Derby-Patio-CheeseHow appropriate that it was “all started by a mouse” – Walt Disney World is a great place for cheese lovers.  And we ARE.  Cheese lovers, I mean.  This would include nearly every member of our family.  Joseph’s a little iffy at times with his cheese passion, but when we’re at one of our favorite Disney World table service restaurants, he can scarf down cheeses with the best of us.

We sincerely hope it’s not just a fad or the latest trend for there to be so many interesting artisanal cheese offerings around the World.  We love the unique selections and how nearly every cheese appetizer we’ve tried comes with interesting accompaniments like jams, marmalades, relishes, and more.

Walt Disney World for Cheese Lovers (here are a few of our favorites):

Flying Fish Café at Disney’s Boardwalk:  Hands down our family favorite.  Flying Fish Cafe Artisanal CheesesIf you want a great cheese starter for an equally awesome meal, this is it!  What’s so special?  It’s big (to share), it’s different, and it’s a great way to sample “craft” cheeses of every type along with very carefully selected accompaniments for each cheese.  Just look at the menu and tell me you (if you love cheese) could resist?

Citricos at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa – Maybe not as robust as Flying Fish’s offering, this is still a cheese lover’s delight.  Citricos-Cheese-TrioCurrently $16 in the appetizer section, referred to simply as “Cheese Course” the selection is described as “Wijngaard Chèvre Affiné from Holland, One Year Reypenaer Dutch Gouda, and Cashel from Ireland served with Seasonal Accompaniments” – so, it’s not a huge variety, but I can vouch for the flavors, which were all delicious!

Hollywood Brown Derby (patio dining) at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Need cheese?  In a hurry or just want a leisurely happy hour snack?  You can’t go wrong with a stop in at the Studios’ coolest outdoor eatery – the Brown Derby patio lounge.  When a craving for wine and cheese strikes, this is the place to be.  RM-Brown-Derby-Patio-Artisanal-Cheese-PlateA mini cheese smorgasbord, this is what you get: “Wensleydale Cranberry, VSOP Reypenaer Gouda, Bayley Hazen Blue Cheese with House-made Pickles, Spiced Pecans, and an Apple-Mustard Marmalade“.  Talk about a perfect snack!  Mmmmmm.

On our Next Cheeses to Try:

Jiko at Animal Kingdom Lodge – A family favorite, we’ve eaten at Jiko many times and will return there again.  The menu is so unique, we’ve resisted the cheeses, but next time?  We are eating their artisanal cheeses and seasonal accompaniments!  At least I am and maybe, if I’m lucky, I won’t have to share.  Check out the details here.

Yachtsman Steakhouse at Disney’s Yacht Club – If we can resist the lobster bisque, we are getting the cheese plate!  This will prove much harder than it sounds – the lobster bisque is SO delicious.  Okay, maybe we’ll order the bisque AND the cheeses.  Mmmhumm….sounds like an excellent plan to me!

Are you a cheese lover?  What’s your favorite cheese dish at Walt Disney World?

 

 

Disney World Wilderness Back Trail Adventure

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RM-FW-Back-Trail-SegwayYou may have visited here recently when I mentioned that Raymond and I, during our TWO extra days at Walt Disney World (flights cancelled due to winter weather), took the super-awesome Segway tour at Fort Wilderness.  I’m here today to give the deets on that extra-fun-spur-of-the-moment experience.  If you’ve always wanted to try riding a Segway, this is the very best opportunity…and currently the only Segway tour offered at Walt Disney World.

We were not Segway rookies when we decided to see if we could make last minute reservations for this tour.  We’d taken our first Segway tour in Barcelona, Spain while getting ready to embark on the Disney Magic for a Mediterranean cruise in August, 2013.  Riding a Segway is easy.  I’m being totally honest – remember, I have absolutely zero eye-hand coordination and can barely walk and chew gum at the same time.  If I can ride a Segway without incident, anyone can!RM-Fort-Wilderness-Bike-Barn

Luckily for us, we were able to find a couple of spots available for a late morning Wilderness Back Trail Adventure at Fort Wilderness.  Safety first, there are forms to complete upon arrival at the Fort Wilderness Bike Barn where the tour begins.  Forms in order, the tour actually begins with a safety class (including video and awesome gigantic helmets), followed by a very thorough practice session during which all necessary maneuvers on the off-road Segway are mastered.RM-FW-Back-Trail-Tour-ReadyWe learned to go forward and back, turn, and get safely on and off the Segway.  It was our understanding that if anyone in the group could not safely perform all Segway riding exercises, they would not be allowed to advance to the actual tour.  No one seemed to struggle in the least – including one lady, I’m guessing she was in her late 50’s, who was extremely nervous in the beginning.  The instruction and practice took about 30 minutes all together.RM-FW-Segways

Once we’d all performed the necessary Segway driving requirements, we were off!  It was raining lightly, but no one cared.  The tour includes some Disney World history, some photo ops, and, the highlight for me, a guided tour (off Segway) of the Tri-Circle-D Ranch.  I loved everything about this part of the adventure.  RM-FW-Tri-Circle-D-Tour RM-FW-Tri-Circle-D-Photo-of-Walt-Disney RM-FW-Tri-Circle-D-Horse-Black RM-FW-Tri-Circle-D-HorseOkay, really, I completely, thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience, but going in the horse barn and seeing photographs of Walt Disney with the horses he clearly loved was a side of him that I hadn’t seen before.  The horses (no petting!) were curious, friendly and beautiful.  This is one place I would love to visit again.

The rain stopped while we were in the barn, so we enjoyed the rest of the tour much more comfortably (without the poncho hood!).  We were literally on the back trails as the name of the tour implies and saw the woods and fields surrounding Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge.RM-FW-Back-Trail-Tour-Beside-Bay-LakeWe spotted deer and listened to wonderful facts and stories from our guide.  We also, at a maximum speed of SIX miles per hour, zipped (slowly) off-road around and between trees and over rough-ish terrain, which was actually very fun.  So fun, in fact, that the lady I mentioned earlier that was nervous to begin with could be heard laughing out loud during these off-road expeditions.  All too soon, it was time to return to the Bike Barn and park our Segways.  RM-FW-Back-Trail-Tour-GuidesI wish I had more pictures for you of the off-road portion of the adventure, but the rules strictly prohibit the use of a camera while operating a Segway.  As a very cool souvenir, we each received a Back Trail Adventure pin.RM-FW-Back-Trail-Segway-Tour-Pin

Would we recommend this experience?  With enthusiasm!  It was even better than we’d hoped and, if we get the chance, we will absolutely do it again.

Have you taken (or thought about taking ) the Wilderness Back Trail Adventure?  What do you think about this unique offering at Walt Disney World?