WDW – Short Term Sacrifice / Long Term Gain?

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RM-Animal-Kingdom-Construction-WallsIt is easy to focus on the negative.  It’s human nature for most folks – even if you tend to be a glass-half-full person most of the time, change is tough!  I’ve mentioned it several times before, but feel the need to weigh in again today after watching the Disney fan community erupt on social media in opposition to recent cut-backs, closures, price increases, and event changes.  Over the past few days a Disney survey collecting opinions on the proposed addition of $15 per night resort fees has caused quite a stir and those fees don’t yet exist.  Food offering changes are also a hot button for Disney park fans.  Heck, I’ve expressed my own disappointment over the loss of the Roasted Pork Shank from Gaston’s Tavern and the Sweet and Spicy Chicken Waffle from Sleepy Hollow (both beloved Magic Kingdom snacks!).RM-Gaston's-Pork-Shank-and-Lefou's-Brew

WDW – Short Term Sacrifice / Long Term Gain?

I can hear my buddy, David Hodges (co-host on The Disney Exchange Podcast), reminding me that Disney is a for-profit company with enormous reach, global interests, and shareholder obligations.  I’m sure cost-control and profit margins do have quite a bit to do with some recent changes like the cutbacks on live entertainment in Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios along with ticket price increases.IMG_3289

In the back of my mind though, I can’t stop thinking about the other stuff.  The new rides and attractions under construction at Walt Disney World.  (The two new Disney Cruise Line ships that were just announced.)  No, I don’t want to pay more for a Disney vacation, but I DO really (really, really REALLY!) want to ride the new rides, see the new shows and explore the new lands.  UGH!  I’m supposed to be whining with the other Disney fans about the greed, the money-grubbing, the ridiculous cost-cutting…but all I can think about is that perhaps Disney World will be better after these growing pains have been dealt with.  RM-Construction-WallsMaybe, just maybe, after closures, construction walls, and cutbacks we will find that all of it… the inconvenient and expensive changes and adjustments…has been worth it.  What if the painful short-term sacrifices produce exceptional long-term gains and our favorite vacation destinations emerge better than they’ve ever been before? As for me?  I’m willing to wait and see for myself if all the upheaval has been worth it.  I’m optimistic that I’ll find true Disney vacation happiness still exists on the other side.

What about you?  Where do you stand with recent Disney vacation changes?

 

Disney Dining Review – Narcoossee’s

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Narcoossee's ViewWith so many restaurants to choose from at Walt Disney World it can take quite a while sometimes to make a repeat visit to one.  In the case of Narcoossee’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, it took us 26 years to dine there for a second time.  Certainly this wasn’t because we didn’t enjoy our first dinner there.  We really did have a great experience.  It’s just that on the next several Disney vacations, we had children with us and chose more kid-friendly options.

Disney Dining Review – Narcoossee’s

A few weeks ago we finally made our way back to Narcoossee’s and were pleasantly surprised that the experience was even better than we remembered!  Excellent menu, delicious food, top notch service, and a couple of seasonal extra-special surprises made the evening absolutely wonderful.  Narcoossee’s is a signature dining location, so it takes two table service credits if you’re on the Disney Dining Plan…is it worth it?  We think so.  (See current menu here.)Narcoossee's Dining Room

Narcoossee’s is located on the shore of the Seven Seas Lagoon.  The décor is beautiful and, on the night we dined there, we were mostly among other adults with a few families that had mostly older children.  The tables offer great views (even if you’re not sitting right next to a window) and the open kitchen is entertaining in its own way.  Narcoossee's Open KitchenOne thing we noticed right away was that our server, Tom, was a professional – he knew how to pace our meal and how to add the extra touches that made what we thought would be a nice dinner into an extra special one.Narcoossee's BreadOf course, bread came first and we ordered appetizers and a bottle of wine.  The menu offered so many tempting items, we actually passed up an artisanal cheese offering (so unlike us!) in favor of the Maine Lobster Bisque for Raymond and the Prince Edward Island Mussels to share.  Narcoossee's Lobster Bisque Narcoossee's Mussels AppetizerWe were very pleased with our selections.  When we finished, Tom brought us warm towels for hand-washing and suggested we take our wine out onto the deck to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks.    Narcoossee's Hot TowelsTom promised to hold our entrees until we returned and encouraged us to enjoy the show.  How great was this??!!  We stepped outside and spent the next little while sipping wine and taking in the view.Narcoossee's view of MK fireworks Narcoossee's view of fireworks at MKAs promised, when we returned to our table, our entrees were delivered and they were delicious!  Raymond opted for the Key West Shrimp and Garganelli Pasta (“Wild Florida Shrimp, Spinach, Oven-roasted Tomatoes, Basil Pistou, Comté Cheese, and Chardonnay-Garlic Cream“) Narcoossee's Pasta Entreewhile I chose the Coriander and Shichimi-spiced Seared Ahi Tuna (“Charred Beans, Gai-lan, Green Papaya, and Sesame Sticky Rice with Ginger-Kaffir Lime Broth“), which sounds fussy and complicated, but was actually pretty straight forward in both presentation and flavor.  The seared tuna was the star of the show and the rest was a perfect supporting cast.  Narcoossee's Tuna EntreeGenerally, we’re huge fans of spicy, well seasoned foods and these entrees fit the bill perfectly.  Completely satisfied, we decided to catch the little boat from the Grand Floridian back to the Polynesian, then use the stroll from the boat dock to the Moorea building to digest a bit before calling it a night.  Grand Floridian Boat TransportationWe noticed the outdoor movie had drawn a small crowd and appreciated again how those great Disney touches can make vacations so magical.Polynesian Movie Night Inside OutWe gave Narcoossee’s a definite thumbs-up!  Have you enjoyed Narcoossee’s?  Was your experience similar to ours?  If you haven’t eaten there before, has this restaurant even made it onto your dining wish list?

 

Metal Ratatouille Movie Sign

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Happy Saturday, Disney Friends!  Today I want to share with you yet another particularly special item from Nick’s Disney collection.  This one drew my eye for two reasons – We also have a Ratatouille collectible at our house and, since we just dined in Remy on the Disney Dream, this awesome item reminded me of what a fantastic time we had!  Enjoy!!!

Metal Ratatouille Movie Sign

By Nick

Raise your hand if you channel surf.
There are channel guides that we can consult to find something we may be interested in, but where is the fun in that? So we surf. And there are certain movies that, if we should happen to encounter them, we’ll stop and watch, regardless of how many times we’ve seen them. Jaws. The Matrix. The Avengers. Star Wars. (Any Star Wars, even the prequels!) Any Disney/Pixar Movie. Those last few probably aren’t a surprise as this is, after all, a Disney Blog.

Recently while surfing I came across Ratatouille, one of my very favorite Pixar movies, and had to stop and watch.
It got me wanting a collectible from the film. I only have one item from this terrific motion picture, a Hallmark ornament of Remy looking at the book, Anyone Can Cook!

I came across a few things that caught my eye on eBay, but then, as the movie ended, and I saw the Ratatouille sign over Paris, I had the idea to go to Etsy, and did a search.

Imagine how pleasantly surprised I was to find this for $30 plus $12 shipping! It’s metal and measures 14 x 14 1/4 inches.

As you can see, it is very close to the sign in the movie:

Before making the purchase, I consulted with Barbie, as this was to hang in our kitchen, and she immediately gave her approval.

We briefly considered hanging it exactly as it is in Ratatouille, but we decided it wouldn’t have nearly the same aesthetic effect hanging in the kitchen as it would with Paris in the background, so went with just hanging it on the kitchen wall visible as you enter the room.

I’m very happy with this purchase, a wonderful reminder of a wonderful film.

To see more of Nick’s excellent Disney collection and read about his Disney adventures, please visit the Disney Musings Blog and follow Nick on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

 

Disney Cruise Line – The Dream

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Disney-Dream-Castaway-CayTwo adults, four nights on the Disney Dream…did we love it?  Yes, indeed!  Was it different from our previous cruises on the classic ships, the Magic and the Wonder?  Yes, quite a bit!  I was worried about the ship being too big and un-cozy.  We’ve always thought the size of the original two ships was perfect.  There was enough similarity on the Dream for us to feel the Disney-ness – we were definitely experiencing all the elements we love most about Disney Cruise Line – the stateroom size and layout, the rotational dining, the amazing service, character meet-n-greets, and those beloved Disney details, big and small, all around us.

Disney Cruise Line – The Dream

What does the Dream have that the Magic and Wonder don’t?  Well, THOSE differences struck us right away!  Besides being bigger and newer, here are the differences we loved the most:

  1. The Artwork – I noticed this immediately after we boarded the ship.  As we took the stairs up to our stateroom on deck 6, I fell in love with the pictures on the walls!  Every deck had different artwork and all of it was fantastic!  Disney-Dream-Art-Sketch Disney-Dream-Art-Silly-SymphoniesWalking around on the different decks, I felt like I was in an art gallery (and there IS an art gallery (The Vista Gallery) with art for sale on deck 4.  Disney-Dream-GalleryI noticed some of the pictures throughout the ship had a metal plate on the floor in front of them.  If I stood on the plate to look at the picture….well, magic happened!Disney-Dream-Interactive-Art
  2. The Interactive Elements – Some of the pictures on the wall come to life!  Because they’re all so different and unique, it’s worth taking yourself on a walking tour of the ship to see every single one.  If you’re going to do that, you might as well solve a mystery with the Midship Detective Agency while you’re at it!  Use the “art of deduction” to solve a crime and discover all the clever interactive pictures at the same time!  I loved this activity!!!Disney-Dream-Midship-Detective-Agency Disney-Dream-Minnie-Lisa
  3. Remy – Adults-only dining of the very fine variety!  We’ve always loved Palo on the Magic and Wonder, but could not wait to try brunch and dinner at Remy, which offered completely different and unique experiences.  Disney-Dream-Remy-AlexiaIf you can fit Remy into your schedule and are willing to pay the higher up-charge ($85 per person dinner, $55 per person brunch before any wine or champagne pairings), we think the luxury, service, and delicious, creative menu are not to be missed.
  4. Adults-Only Areas – They are roomier, fancier, and more comfortable than on the smaller ships.  Disney-Dream-Pool-DeckWe parked ourselves late one morning after a visit to the fitness center (also awesome) on a couple of lounge chairs for a little rest and relaxation; grabbed a couple of beers from the Cove Bar, then spent the next little while lulled by the sunshine and the quiet surroundings.Disney-Dream-Lounge-ChairWhen our idyllic little spot in paradise was rudely interrupted by our stomachs growling, we reluctantly headed inside to clean up for lunch.
  5. The Bon Voyage Bar – On the left side of Deck 3, across from Guest Services and on the way to the ship’s shopping area and Walt Disney Theater, there’s a bar.  Disney-Dream-Bon-Voyage-BarKind of right out in the middle of everything.  We found ourselves stopping there every afternoon for a cold beer or a glass of wine.  It was the perfect place for a beverage, we thought, for these two reasons:  Bartenders, Ryan and Flavio, were great! and the people-watching was primo.  Disney-Dream-Bartender-RyanWe talked with fellow bar patrons while watching other cruise guests, including pirates and princess, go by.  When I first saw the Bon Voyage, I thought, “What a weird and ridiculous place for a bar!” until we bellied-up and discovered the absolute charm of this gem of a spot in the middle of the action.

Have you sailed on the Dream?  What did you like best about this particular ship?  Are you thinking about sailing on Disney Cruise Line in the future?  Where do you think Disney’s ships should visit next?