Disney Collectibles – Epcot Preview Guide

Posted on by

Today’s Saturdays With Nick article blasts us into the past to 1982 and EPCOT Center’s opening day.  This Epcot preview guide book was an amazing find and a wonderful addition to Nick’s impressive Disneyana collection!  Don’t forget you can find Nick’s Disney Musings on all your favorite social medias:  Disney Musings Blog / Disney Musings on Twitter / Disney Musings on Instagram / Disney Musings on Facebook

Epcot Center Opening Day Guide

by: Nick

I’ve seen this guide book listed on eBay as the Opening Day Guide, although there is nothing on the cover to indicate as much. When I bought it at an antique store many years ago, the white label that someone annoyingly put on the cover, and which, as you can see, I unsuccessfully removed, stated that it was a pre-opening guide. I payed $10 for it.


The inside cover.


Page 1.


The back cover.


Regardless of what it is, I love it. It is like a time capsule, showing many beloved attractions, some still with us, others changed or extinct, pavilion sponsors, and those terrific Epcot Center logos.



Some of the companies that were sponsors don’t even exist any longer.


I miss Dreamfinder. Who am I kidding, I miss the whole original ride!


And perhaps my all time favorite ride, Horizons.


On the World Showcase side, the artwork is even more stunning.

There is even a preview for 3 nations that were planned, announced, but never made it.

Finally the book ends showing some of the workmanship that went into what I consider a Wonder of the World, Epcot.

Because of the wonderful photos, and a glimpse back at classic Epcot Center, this is one of my favorite pieces of Disneyana.

 

 

Walt Disney World’s Park Hopper – Part 2

Posted on by

IMG_6795In a previous post, I listed five great reasons to purchase the park-hopper ticket upgrade at Walt Disney World.  Today I’ll give you five great reasons NOT to buy park-hopper tickets.  I know!  It sounds like I can’t make up my mind, but, as I pointed out in that earlier post – the necessity (or not) of the park-hopper option all depends on where you are in your life, how you like to eat on vacation, and what Disney World touring style you favor.

Park-hopping is not a necessity.  In fact, if you consider yourself firmly in one or more of the following categories, it’s an extra expense you may not need.  Save that money for better restaurants or more souvenirs!  You can still have a stellar vacation without the stress of jumping from park to park.

Five Reasons NOT to Purchase Disney’s Park-HopperRM-Liberty-Belle-HM-Queue 1. You only have 4 or 5 days at Walt Disney World – There are four parks and each is completely deserving of an entire designated day.  Have children?  Spend that fifth day in Magic Kingdom to hit the attractions and sights you may have missed earlier.  Love Epcot?  Spend that fifth day exploring World Showcase to your heart’s content.  One park per day – with some careful planning – will allow you to focus the experiences you most want to try, while also allowing time to soak up the atmosphere and amazing Disney details.RM-Grand-Floridian-Entrance 2. You know your favorite restaurants are not in the parks.  Your day may look like this:  Spend the day in Magic Kingdom before hopping on the monorail to eat dinner at ‘Ohana (Polynesian Village Resort) or Chef Mickey’s (Disney’s Contemporary Resort), then pop back over to the Magic Kingdom to close out the night!  Spend all day at Animal Kingdom, then grab the bus over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge for an evening of more animal viewing on the savannah overlook and dinner at Boma or Jiko.  Get the idea?  Maybe you’d prefer to walk from Epcot (through the International Gateway) to enjoy dinner on the Boardwalk before going back to Epcot for Illuminations.RM-Pangani-Forest 3. You want to see and do it all.  Start early and stay late!  Park-hopping can be time consuming and take a chunk out of your precious park-time.  If you start and end the day in the same park, you can certainly maximize the number of attractions, shows, shops, etc. that can be experienced in a singly day.

4. You have small children.  Start early and take a break in the middle of the day for naptime, swim-time, resort rest and relaxation – then return to the same park later for more fun!  Never underestimate the power of a second wind!  Good rest time = quality park time.RM-Grand-Floridian-Senses-Sign 5. You vacation to relax.  You are a mystery to me, but, like the Yeti, I know you exist.  You don’t plan to spend a lot of time in the parks – maybe you want to play golf, fish, shop, book spa treatments, chill by the pool, rent watercraft or bicycles.  There’s no need for you to hop – you only want to hit your favorite attractions in a park before getting back to the really important stuff.  One park per day would be more than enough for you.  That’s the beauty of vacationing at Walt Disney World – there is truly something for everyone. Read Park-Hopper Pros in part one here. Which would you recommend – Single park tickets or the park-hopper option?

Hosting a #DisneySide @Home Celebration (Pre-Party-Planning)

Posted on by

RM-Mardi-Gras-DecorationsA couple of common mottos or sayings apply to me.  We might call them “Lisa’s words to live by”.  They are:  “Go big or go home” and “If you can’t run with the big dogs, stay on the porch”.  The latter being one I learned shortly after moving to Louisiana in 1988 – I love that one!  I want to go big!  With everything I do – I’m all in.  I want to hang with the cool kids and I’m not watching from the porch!  Now that you know those little quirks, lets go back to early last year when I saw a slew of posts on social media about something called a #DisneySide @Home Celebration.  Those posts were everywhere!  Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube even – tons of bloggers in general and fellow Disney fans in particular were talking about their #DisneySide parties – I confess I was a little envious and a lot curious.  I felt left on the porch.

It didn’t take me long to figure out how to throw my hat in the ring – I registered at MomSelect (BSM Media) and indicated my interest in hosting a party at home.  Then I got busy with an eventful rest of the year and didn’t think about the party again until December when I received an email inviting me to apply to become a host.  I applied and was notified that I’d been selected as a party host a couple of weeks later.  Why, you may be asking, would someone have to apply to host a party at their own expense?  What’s the deal?  What’s in it for the hosts?  Good questions!  If you are selected to host a #DisneySide @Home Celebration, you receive a big box of party supplies and other assorted goodies and samples based on information you provided on the application about what type of party you’d like to have.  On my application, I indicated that I have grown children and would like to host a multi-generational party for extended family and friends.  If you apply and are selected, you must agree to host your party in January or February…this is where, for me, this adventure gets a bit dicey.RM-#DisneySide-Notification

As I type this, I’m checking my UPS delivery app to track my very own box of awesomeness (in transit).  I’m sitting in a hotel room in Baton Rouge where I’m staying on business.  I’ll be here again next week for a couple of days – and yet again the week after that.  I also have that little trip to Walt Disney World coming up in four weeks to run the Glass Slipper Challenge.  To pull of the most awesome party possible in the middle of all this craziness, I needed to jump the gun and choose a party theme, party date, and mail invitations – all before actually receiving the party supplies!RM-Invitation for #DisneySide Party

There’s no better time to have a #DisneySide party in Louisiana than during Mardi Gras season!  Disney and New Orleans have been intertwined for many years and I’m having an absolute blast planning every detail of my own tribute to that old and established relationship.  The date has been selected (February 7th). The invitations have been printed and mailed.  The menu has been planned and the decorations have even been going up.  Mardi Gras colors are green, purple and gold – they will play a big role in making this celebration a success.  Stop back here and watch as events unfold.  Also, I’ll be posting on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest if you want to follow along in any of those places.   Laissez les Disney temps rouler!    RM-Invitations-Mailing

Disney World Dining – Best 1-Credit Table Service Restaurants

Posted on by

RM-Be-Our-Guest-Stained-GlassOnce again, in the interest of full disclosure – I’m not a picky eater.  This is, you know, my blog and thus, my opinion.  I get asked a lot about the Disney Dining Plan in general and table service restaurants in particular.  Disney Dining Plans can be a great value (even if you pay for them and don’t get the free dining promotion), but to maximize your investment, you kind of need to choose wisely (if you care about such things).  There are some terrific web sites and blog posts that work out the details on where you can actually get the best value (Here’s a highly detailed great article from 2014) .  I’m not really into that per se.  I’m more about the overall dining experience versus straight up where-is-the-most-expensive-place-I-can-eat-for-one-table-service-credit.

Bearing in mind that these choices are based on my own family’s experiences – unless otherwise noted, we’ve actually eaten in every restaurant listed.  To make the list, we had to like the food, the selection, the service, and the ambiance as a whole.  Oh, and we’d have to want to eat there again.  So, if we’re all on the same page (HA!) here we go!

Disney World Dining – Best 1-Credit Table Service Restaurants

Exterior Rooftops / Animal Kingdom LodgeBoma Dinner Buffet (Animal Kingdom Lodge) – Boma’s also available for breakfast, but we haven’t tried anything but dinner.  We’ve eaten here several times because the variety of foods on this amazing buffet is simply unbeatable.  Soups, salads, breads, meats, stews, casseroles, kid-friendly fare, unique desserts – it’s all available at Boma.  As an added bonus, arrive early or stay late and enjoy the Animal Kingdom Lodge’s gorgeous lobby and savannah overlook for animal-spotting, entertainment, and educational opportunities. (More about Animal Kingdom Lodge for an evening out here.)

RM-Sanaa-BreadSanaa Dinner (Animal Kingdom Lodge, Kidani Village Section) – We recently ate at Sanaa for the first time and thought the atmosphere, service, and food were all excellent.  A bit more adult-oriented than Boma (our opinion), we adored the bread service starter and felt perfectly comfortable lingering over a leisurely dinner.  Romantic? Yes!

Olivia's at Disney's Old Key WestOlivia’s Café (Old Key West Resort) – We discovered this unique restaurant mostly by accident.  We were staying at Old Key West, but honestly had no intention of eating there!  At the very end of our vacation, we found ourselves starving at supper-time with no ADR (Advance Dining Reservation) booked.  Olivia’s welcomed us with open arms.  Great service, broad selection (for all tastes and appetites), and cozy, welcoming atmosphere – Olivia’s won us over!  (Full review here.)

‘Ohana Dinner (Polynesian Village Resort) – This place has wide appeal for the entire family.  All you care to eat, great setting, tasty Brazilian-barbeque-style dinner, decent service – you won’t leave hungry!  If you’re tempted to give this place a try, you must book your ADR 180 days out.  You snooze, you lose…if you want to eat at this uber-popular restaurant.RM-Be-Our-Guest-Sign

Be Our Guest Dinner (Magic Kingdom) – Out of pocket, I thought this was an expensive dinner (review here), but for one table-service credit?  Absolutely I’d book an ADR at Be Our Guest.  It’s gorgeous, the service is great, and the food is fine.  Best, most gorgeous dining room(s) in Magic Kingdom.  Let’s put it like this – if you must book a table service restaurant in Magic Kingdom, make it Be Our Guest where, no matter your opinion on the food or atmosphere, you can at least enjoy an adult beverage with your meal if you like. (Full review here.)IMG_0931

Rose & Crown Restaurant (UK Pavilion, Epcot) – We loved this place.  When we ate there (once so far), we were outside on a lovely evening with a great water view.  The service and food were both great.  We love the UK pavilion – enjoying dinner there is just one more great way to immerse ourselves in its awesomeness.

50’s Prime Time Café (Disney’s Hollywood Studios) – This place is so cool!  The “props”, the atmosphere, the humorous servers, the comfort-food-based menu – it all adds up to a fun place for the whole family.  A good experience and value for one table-service credit.  I’m a notorious anti-fan of the Studio’s restaurants in general, but this place is a winner in my book.

Character Dining:

 Meeting Minnie at Chef Mickey'sChef Mickey’s (Breakfast or Dinner Buffet / Contemporary Resort) – For years (and years!) we ate at Chef Mickey’s on every single Disney World visit.  First for dinner, then when the kids were older, for breakfast.  We’d eat there again – and probably will next time we’re all together on vacation.  The Fab Five and a decent buffet – especially during the summer, this combination at an indoor venue, for a meal, just a monorail stop from Magic Kingdom is a pretty good deal!  (Review here.)

1900 Park Fare / Drizella and Anastasia1900 Park Fare Dinner (Buffet / Grand Floridian Resort and Spa) – We loved meeting Cinderella and her Prince, but Lady Tremaine and the Step Sisters steal the show.  What this restaurant lacks in atmosphere, it makes up for in character-meeting experiences and a good variety of tasty food.  We saw families of all ages there and our family of four adults had a great time! (Check out all the details here.)

Honorable Mentions:  Places we haven’t tried, but are on our to-try list because we’ve heard great things:

  • Kona Café (Polynesian Village Resort)
  • Whispering Canyon Café (Wilderness Lodge)
  • Cape May Café Dinner (Buffet)
  • Tusker House Dinner (Buffet)

Your turn!  Which table service restaurants would you recommend?