Disney’s Bay Lake Tower – All About Shapes!

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Where at Disney World can you find circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, cylinders, ovals, parallelograms, and more specifically combined in endless combinations?  Which resort features modern design, pops of color and whimsical artwork with an emphasis on harmony through geometry?  Which unique place beautifully captures the artistry of lines, curves, and angles everywhere you look?  Of course, I’m talking about Bay Lake Tower.

Disney’s Bay Lake Tower – All About Shapes!

I grew up with a fairly strong dislike for all things math-related (a polite way of saying I loathed arithmetic!).  English was my favorite subject and science was fine, I simply didn’t get the lure of numbers…until 10th grade geometry.  I’d finally found a form of math I loved!  Oh, the fun of arcs, lines, angles and shapes and all the measurements within!  Maybe that explains why while others find Bay Lake Tower lacking in theme, I find it wonderful.  From the lobby through the halls and elevators, even along the walkway that connects Bay Lake Tower to Disney’s Contemporary Resort, I find the use of shapes amazing and like everywhere else at Disney World, I always find something I’ve never noticed before.

I’ll admit, It may not have the Contemporary’s Mary Blair mural or the Grand Floridian’s Victorian charm.  There’s no tropical Polynesian foliage and certainly no majestic, soaring lobby.  But that doesn’t mean Bay Lake Tower is boring, it means the place has a quality and ambiance all its own.

From the majestic, curving edifice to the tiniest interior details, Bay Lake Tower is a feast for the shape-loving eye.  Enhanced by soothing neutrals and splashes of bright color, our favorite home-away-from-home is to us, a fun and cheerful corner of the World.  Those imaginative design elements and Bay Lake Tower’s location right next door to Magic Kingdom make it practically perfect in every way.  If you every get the chance to stay in this particular Disney Vacation Club resort, prepare to be amazed by the creative use of all things geometric!

Have you stayed at Bay Lake Tower?  What did you think?

 

Disney Dining at Yachtsman Steakhouse (Round 2)

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The first and last time Raymond and I ate at Yachtsman was in February of 2015.  It was a great experience and we are always up for a good steak.  When we were discussing dining plans for November, Yachtsman came up and we decided it was time for a return visit.  To be perfectly honest, the food was better this time and the service was better last time.  Even so, I still recommend you give Yachtsman a try if you get the chance.  Let me tell you why.

Disney Dining at Yachtsman Steakhouse

For us, there are three go-to steak places near Epcot.  One of them, actually in Epcot, is Le Cellier (Canada Pavilion).  While wildly popular with many Disney guests, this old favorite has kind of fallen out of favor with us for one simple reason – we can easily walk from Epcot to places we like much better.  Places with better food for the price and where the tables aren’t so close together we feel packed in like sardines with no privacy.  Le Cellier is considered a Signature Dining location and takes two Table Service credits on Disney Dining Plans.  (For comparison purposes, the filet is $54 and includes Mushroom Risotto, Asparagus-Tomato Relish, and Truffle-Butter Sauce.)

For an absolutely outstanding dining experience and one of the best steaks anywhere, Shula’s Steak House at the Dolphin offers a fine-dining experience we absolutely love.  The menu is a meat-lover’s dream and the steaks are perfectly prepared to order.  Where the in-park atmosphere at Le Cellier is very casual, the much more formal setting of Shula’s makes us want to get dressed up a bit to eat there.  It’s also relatively expensive and does not accept Disney Dining Plans.  (Currently, the 12 ounce filet is priced at $55 and side dishes are a la carte/additional cost.)

Not too casual, not too fancy, Yachtsman is just right!  The atmosphere is one I’d describe as neutral and even with a pretty good number of guests, the dining room doesn’t feel overcrowded.  One thing we loved is that on both visits, the hostess was the same wonderfully kind lady from Louisiana.  She loves her job and it shows!  The menu is not currently available online at Disney’s website, but this one seems to be up to date.  Notice the prices?  My 6-ounce filet and Raymond’s Elk Tenderloin were each less than $50 and they both came with sides!  On the Disney Dining Plan, Yachtsman, like Le Cellier takes two Table Service credits.

Disney Dining at Yachtsman SteakhouseI mentioned the service not being as good on our recent visit and I should stress that it had nothing to do with our server.  He was professional, knowledgeable, and, best of all, didn’t hover (we hate that).  We ordered lobster bisque to start and the filet and elk tenderloin as our entrées.  Disney Dining at Yachtsman SteakhouseThe bread service is especially good here; served with butter, olive oil, and roasted garlic – YUM!  Disney Dining at Yachtsman Steakhouse We also ordered some butternut squash risotto…which we did not receive until we were finished eating.  Our server took it off our bill and brought it out to us to taste anyway.  He sincerely felt terrible and was extremely apologetic, but we were overly full anyway and didn’t miss it at all. Disney Dining at Yachtsman Steakhouse The only reason we ordered the risotto in the first place is that I make it at home and we wanted to compare flavors.  For dessert we enjoyed the Seasonal Sorbet Trio and some coffee.  Our meal was great!Disney Dining at Yachtsman Steakhouse

Signature dining at a decent value in a great location – Yachtsman Steakhouse is an excellent choice!

What’s your go-to Disney restaurant for a good steak?

(Note: all three restaurants mentioned accept Tables in Wonderland if you have or are considering that option.)

Disney Cruising – The Disney Dream’s Gingerbread House

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There’s a small window in November to sail on Disney Cruise Line between their themed Halloween on the High Seas and Very Merrytime Cruises.  During this time, guests miss both holidays.  That’s when we sailed.  I was a little bummed about it on account of our cancelled cruise would have been a Halloween on the High Seas cruise and I’d bought us some totes adorbs (as the young folk say) Jack and Sally shirts to wear.  Oh, well.  All was not lost!

The Disney Dream’s Gingerbread House

The morning after we set sail, Raymond and I were up early (as always) and I had time to admire the gorgeous lobby atrium without anyone else there.  Something was off.  There was a wall.  Mysterious!  Later, as I approached the wall, I could very distinctly smell gingerbread – an amazingly delicious aroma that had me practically pressing my nose against that wall.  I detected activity and then saw a man behind the wall measuring something – he was making a gingerbread house!  You know how I am so it should come as no surprise when I tell you that I sort of hollered over, “Hello the Gingerbread House!  When will you be finished?”  A voice responded, “Before this cruise is over.”  I kind of felt like Dory speaking whale, “Thank youuuuuuu!”  And we went on with our vacation.

True to his word, the mystery gingerbread construction guy was right!  The morning we prepared to disembark, the Disney Dream’s Gingerbread House was complete!  And, BOY!  What a creation!  Inside and out, the house was packed with Disney magic.  Have you ever seen the gingerbread houses at Walt Disney World like the ones at the Grand Floridian or the Contemporary maybe?  This one was very unique with lots of details inside and out that captured a more playful, wistful feeling that the ones we’ve seen at Disney World.

As we made our way down the gangplank, Raymond directed my attention to the dock where a virtual forest of plastic-wrapped Christmas trees were being unloaded.  While it would have been fun to see the Dream in all her Christmas finery, we were there for the building and unveiling of the Gingerbread House and that was pixie dust enough for us.

Have you sailed on Disney Cruise Line for a seasonal cruise?  Which one?  How did you like it?

 

 

At Walt Disney World there are Bubbles Everywhere!

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Sometimes those Disney merchandise geniuses come up with ideas that are at once both brilliant and horrible.  An excellent example of this is the Disney bubble machine!  Currently selling like hotcakes for $21-ish apiece.  Sales must be booming as evidenced by the hundreds…thousands…MILLIONS OF BUBBLES!  (Seriously, the amount of bubbles being churned out continuously is ridiculous.)At Walt Disney World there are Bubbles Everywhere!

At Walt Disney World there are Bubbles Everywhere

Back in April, there was one unfortunate incident in the FastPass seating area for Rivers of Light.  We were there with a big group and were waiting cheerfully for the show to start when suddenly…One child, bubble machine percolating non-stop, was inundating nearby guests to the point where the parents were asked politely if perhaps the bubble production could be put on hold until the show was over.  Parents answer?  NO!At Walt Disney World there are Bubbles Everywhere!

When Raymond and I were in Epcot a bit more than a week ago, the bubbles were extensive.  There we were, Food & Wine in full last-weekend pandemonium, and this little girl in a stroller was literally covering every guest waiting in line at a food booth with bubbles.  Her grandparents looked on indulgently as people and their food and drinks were peppered with soapy bubble solution.

Bubbles were plentiful in every park, every time of day and street vendors were cleaning up (see what I did there?) with booming bubble sales.  There was no escape.  It wasn’t terribly annoying at first, but the more bubbles we came in contact with, the worse it seemed.  I like bubbles as much as the next person, but having them blown at me by the thousands and having them constantly in my face got on my nerves.  Even the Cast Members were guilty of bubble abuse!  I guess that’s how they sell so many machines…by shooting bubbles nonstop at passersby.  (I found this thread and now I know I’m not alone in my bubble anger.)

Have you experienced this whole bubble thing?  Thoughts?