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Walt Disney World Table Service – Where are We Going Next?

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Walt Disney World Table Service – Where are We Going Next?

First, I was busy booking dining reservations, now I’m busy tweaking them.  I’ve noticed some definite trends in where we choose to eat. We like what we like and deviating from the tried and true is risky sometimes. Since this is a short trip, we’re not taking too many chances on not having great dining experiences.  Here are the restaurants we’ve got in our near future and why we picked them.  (I’ll point out the ones that fall in our favorites category.)

This Trip = Four Days and Nights

Via Napoli (Dinner) – We like the atmosphere and menu at this eatery in World Showcase’s Italy pavilion.  While it doesn’t make our list of top faves, it does offer sharable appetizers, pizzas and pasta dishes.  While we will be sampling some of the Food & Wine Festival booths on our way to Via Napoli, we know we’ll enjoy sitting down and relaxing with some decent fare and a glass of wine.

Tusker House (Breakfast) – WAY up on our list of favorites, it’s hard not to book a meal here.  Full disclosure – we’ve only ever eaten breakfast at Tusker House, but it’s so good in every way!  The buffet has something for everyone and the characters (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy) are absolutely adorable. I love this character dining experience above all others.

Narcoossee’s (Dinner) – Booked for its proximity to our resort (Bay Lake Tower), Narcoossee’s has never disappointed us.  As this is our pre-Wine & Dine half-marathon dinner, we wanted to be able to get to bed early yet still enjoy plenty of tasty entrée options.  We love this restaurant’s location on the Seven Seas Lagoon at the Grand Floridian Resort.  They have a big deck on the water and will gladly keep your food warm if a fireworks show is going on in Magic Kingdom. 

Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen (Lunch) – This one’s a favorite as it should be for everyone!  I’ve spoken about my love for the Canteen before and why we need more in-park dining like it.  If the menu hasn’t changed, I’m ordering the exact same delicious dish I had last time I was there (Perkins Thai Noodles).  Bonus – I can have beer with my lunch in Magic Kingdom if I want to. 

Raglan Road (Dinner) – A family favorite for many years, one horrible visit has kept us away for quite some time.  We’re ready to give Raglan Road anther try, but I’ll be honest…if the food and service haven’t improved, I’ll be ready to write this place off for good. Probably. Maybe.     

Morimoto Asia (Dinner) – This one is currently way up on our favorites list (like near the very tippy-top).  In fact, this reservation was originally for Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’, but I was doing that tweaking thing when a Morimoto reservation became available in our preferred time slot.  Don’t get me wrong – Homecomin’ is good, but Morimoto’s is better.  If I can find a way to squeeze a Homecomin’ lunch in, I’m doing it.

That wraps up the plans for this trip. Are any of your favorites on the list? The rest of our meals will be Food & Wine Festival food and quick service meals or snacks. We have a Tables in Wonderland discount card that doesn’t expire for a couple more months and we’ll be able to use it at each of the places I listed. I’m pretty excited about our choices! No pressure, Disney chefs, but I bring my lunch to work every single day so we can splurge at Disney World and I’m counting on you!!!

What are your favorite table service restaurants at Walt Disney World? Have any been a disappointment? Let me know and as always, thanks for stopping by…Lisa.

Walt Disney World – Princess Half Marathon Weekend Recap

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There are heaps of details to share about our super-short trip for the runDisney Fairy Tale Challenge. Today’s post is a recap of our visit.  You know…the good, the bad, and the ugly.  I’m happy to report that there was much more good than anything else, but to be fair, I’ve got to mention a couple of things that were less than magical (so you can avoid our mistakes!).

Walt Disney World – Princess Half Marathon Weekend Recap

Megan, Raymond and I arrived on Friday much later than planned due to a flight delay. The Magical Express line was non-existent and we were headed to Bay Lake Tower in short order.  I’d used online check-in days earlier and the text message with our room assignment arrived just as we passed under the Walt Disney World sign.  We had booked a studio for three nights.  Our room was located on the 4th floor (#7436) just a few doors down from the elevators and one floor below the sky bridge to the Contemporary.  I practically skipped to our room (I was so excited to be there!), preoccupied with visions of what our view might be, I scanned my new green Magic Band with “grandma2b” on the back and pushed the door open.  At first I just stood there confused and thinking, “What the heck is this?  This is not our room…”, then I realized that we’d been Pixie-Dusted!  I was looking at a 1-bedroom villa!  What a great way to start the weekend!

Since we were running late, we only had time to rest for a minute before heading off to the runDisney Race Expo at the Wide World of Sports complex to pick up our race packets. I’d booked Epcot FastPasses for Frozen Ever After and Spaceship Earth, but soon realized that we’d be lucky just to make our 7:10 pm dinner reservation at Via Napoli.  Joseph would be meeting us when he finished work for the day.  For the first time ever, we actually shopped at the expo and Megan and I purchased some Disney-esque running wear.

Then we were off to Epcot. By the time we made it into the park, Joseph was at Via Napoli waiting for us and we took off walking as fast as we possibly could.  Megan texted the name of each country to Joseph as we passed through it until we finally made it to Italy.  We were all so happy to see Joseph after his first month in the Disney College Program.  We indulged ourselves in a little family hugging and such.  He had lots of great stories to share over dinner.  Our server was nice, but the overall dining experience wasn’t great – food/service combo was sub par for Via Napoli.  We’ll be avoiding this place for the next little while.  Full of carbs for the 10K in the morning, we were off to meet someone very special!

If you’re part of an online community of fellow Disney fans, bloggers, podcasters, etc., you’ll know how it is to make friends with like-minded people with whom you have lots in common.  Such has it’s been with my friend, Heather Brainerd.  We’ve been friends for going on five years and had never had the opportunity to meet face to face until last Friday night.  I can’t tell you how happy and excited we were to meet Heather in Epcot!  I’m only sorry we didn’t have more time together…we’ll be working on that soon, I’m sure.  I was not surprised at all to find that Heather is as beautiful and sweet in person as I expected her to be. (You can find Heather with her son on The Disney Duo Podcast.)

After visiting with Heather, we made a quick trip to Joseph’s apartment in Chatham Square. Very college dorm-ish and barren as neither Joseph or his roommate felt the need to decorate or accessorize their quarters in any way.  It did feel safe and since Joseph mostly only sleeps there, it also seemed adequate.  Joseph and his roommate work very different shifts, so Joseph said it’s very much like living alone.  This made me a little sad, but he’s having a truly fantastic time there and has made lots of new friends.  (Honestly, the place is worse in real life than it looks in pictures.)

We knew on Thursday when his work schedule came out that Joseph would miss the Princess Half-Marathon. He was scheduled to work at 7:30 am on Sunday morning.  We decided he, Megan, and I would run the 10K wearing the shirts (Disney snacks!) I’d had made for the half-marathon.  Megan and I could run the half in the clothes we’d bought at the expo.

We stayed up way too late talking and by the time the alarm went off on Saturday morning at 3:15, we were crazy tired. Like zombies we made our way to the Corral B.  Personally, I’d never felt less like running in my life. (Joseph’s face in this picture says it all!)  Once we got going, though, we perked up and had a great time.  This was Megan’s first runDisney event and she clearly enjoyed the excitement.  The Boardwalk was packed with cheering people – more than I remember seeing in the past – and we found them very motivational on our way towards the finish line!  Once race down, one to go.

Because this was our only full day with Joseph, we headed back to Bay Lake Tower to clean up before making our way to Magic Kingdom. We had FastPasses for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (Megan didn’t ride since she’s expecting), Jungle Cruise, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.  They were spaced out enough to allow us to add an additional three items:  Ride Pirates of the Caribbean (to say farewell to the bride auction scene), visit Talking Mickey since he’ll be gone by the time we return in May and Megan and Joseph had never met him, and enjoy lunch at Whispering Canyon Café in the Wilderness Lodge.

Once we accomplished everything on the list, we squeezed in a nap before having dinner at Il Mulino (in Disney’s Swan). We always enjoy eating there and this time was no exception.  The service and food are both top-notch.  We hurried back to Bay Lake Tower and went right to sleep.  We were told to be on the monorail by 3:30 am sharp to get to the race start on time.

Sunday morning, Joseph left right after we received our wake-up call to take a friend to the airport before work. Everything was going well, Megan and I were dressed and I was pouring coffee when (poor Megan!)…morning sickness struck.  Though it had mostly disappeared over the past few weeks, Sunday morning it returned with a vengeance.  Megan was such a trooper!  I had some of those Biscoff cookies leftover from the plane ride and they turned out to be just the thing to settle Meg’s stomach.  In a few minutes we were back on track and out the door on time.  Megan and I felt much less tired than we had the day before.  By the time we reached the Epcot parking lot and walked (felt like miles) to Corral D, there was an hour to go before race time.  (Here’s a picture of Megan and I with 25,000 fellow runners!)

Megan and I planned our run/walk/run strategy while we waited. The high temperature on Sunday was supposed to be 89-degrees and we wanted to make certain Megan didn’t get overheated or dehydrated.  At 20 weeks along, we would let Megan set the pace according to how she felt.  This would give us plenty of time to soak up the Disney magic and all the special touches that make runDisney races so wonderful.  That’s the beauty of these events – no pressure!  When we crossed the finish line, we were ecstatic!  We’d done it!  Except for a pain in her foot, Megan felt great.  Raymond was waiting for us and we spent a few minutes at the post-race celebration before catching the bus back to Bay Lake Tower.

The rest of the day was spent at Animal Kingdom. Megan and I were so tired, we joked that Raymond couldn’t walk slow enough not to leave us behind no matter how hard he tried.  While we waited for Joseph to get off work and meet up with us, we did the Maharajah Jungle Trek, rode Na’vi River Journey, Raymond and I rode Expedition Everest, and the three of us had one of the best Kilimanjaro Safaris experiences ever.

Once Joseph caught up with us, we watched the acrobats in Africa for a while before enjoying dinner at Tiffins.  The four of us split the artisanal cheese selection and charcuterie board before ordering four different entrées.  This was unprecedented!  At least two of us always end up ordering the same thing.  We were all happy with our selections and the portions were generous enough for us to share and sample each other’s food.

A Cautionary Tale:  We have been Tables in Wonderland holders for several years.  Sometimes we pay for our meals  with our Magic Bands, sometimes with cash, and sometimes with a credit card.  We’re annual passholders and DVC members and we like to think we know how all of this stuff works.  Turns out, we don’t know everything.  Raymond gave our Tiffins server the Tables in Wonderland card and I gave her our credit card to close out our ticket.  When she came back to the table to inform us that she would not be able to apply the 20% discount because Raymond’s name is on the TIW card and mine is on the credit card, we were taken by surprise.  Unless we paid with a card with his name on it or cash, no discount.  This made me furious – at first.  We are both on the credit card account, but he didn’t have his card with him.  Before I could work up a really bad attitude, I remembered the Magic Bands!  I smiled at Raymond and said, go ahead and use your Magic Band.  That way you’ll be paying for our meal…with THIS credit card!  I’d forgotten for a minute what we had linked to our Magic Bands.  Now we know for the future and will make sure our form of payment works with the card.

More details about the races, new foods we tried, and unique experiences are coming up soon!  What do you want to hear about first?

Getting Your Disney World Vacation Started Right!

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There’s no right or wrong way to kick off a vacation at Walt Disney World.  But a bit of advance planning for some arrival day fun helps make the most of every precious vacation minute.

Getting Your Disney World Vacation Started Right!

First let’s take a quick look at some of the factors that influence your arrival day options…

  • What time will you reach the World?  Will you have most of a day? Part of a day? Arrive Late?
  • What size is your travel party?  Maneuvering a group takes time and sometimes more effort that expected.  Spending a bit of time in advance to map out at least a framework of plans is super helpful when you’re traveling with a group.
  • Littles or Bigs?  Will your children need naps?  Did they have to get up extra early for travel?  (Also, it’s good to know before you go what the height requirements are on various attractions.)
  • Will you have park tickets on day one?

Some suggestions…

Lots of folks don’t purchase park tickets for arrival day.  Before we became annual passholders, our family fell into this category.  If you’re staying near or on Disney property, you can jump right into the Disney Bubble and start soaking up the magic before you ever visit a park.

Here are some tried and true ideas:

  • Explore your resort.  It’s a good way to familiarize yourself with the location of restaurants, shops, pools, activities and transportation.  Many Disney World resorts have evening activities like movies, story-telling and S’mores-making – ask about the events schedule when checking in. 
  • If you have a car, make a grocery run.  Stock up on things like snacks, water, and breakfast foods.
  • Plan ahead for a nice dinner.  (Reservations at Disney resorts can be made 180 days in advance.)  There are so many restaurants to choose from, we usually pick someplace new to try on our first day of vacation.
  • Check out Disney Springs.  There’s something for all ages including fun shops, cool atmosphere, and live entertainment.  With or without reservations, there are a bunch of great places to eat.
  • Hang out at the pool.  We have lots of friends who claim this is their most favorite way to kick of a Disney vacation.
  • Turn in early so you can hit the parks refreshed first thing the next day.
  • During the holiday season, resort-hop to check out the amazing decorations.

Have Park Tickets?  With a little advance planning, you can dive right into the action!  If you only have three or four days in Walt Disney World, a few extra hours in the parks on arrival day can make a huge difference in the number of shows and attractions you get to experience.

Head straight to a park:

  • Book FastPasses starting about two hours post-arrival.  That gives plenty of time to check in at your resort and make your way to whichever park you’ve chosen.  Between FastPasses, keep an eye on the wait times in the My Disney Experience app and you’ll be amazed at how many attractions you can fit in on day one.
  • Magic Kingdom is my personal favorite arrival-day park.  There’s no better welcome to the Disney Bubble than seeing Cinderella Castle right away and soaking up the sights, sounds, and smells of Main Street USA.
  • Want a casual, low-key arrival day in a park?  Choose Epcot or Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  During any of Epcot’s festivals, there’s nothing more relaxing to me than a stroll around World Showcase sampling food and drinks along the way.  In Animal Kingdom, exploring the trails and animal exhibits is a laid back way to check out the park without waiting in long lines or rushing around.
  • Pre-shop a bit for park souvenirs to purchase later.
  • Plan a nice dinner at your favorite in-park restaurant.  We like Tiffins (Animal Kingdom), Skipper Canteen (Magic Kingdom), Via Napoli (Epcot) and 50’s Prime Time Café (Disney’s Hollywood Studios).
  • Pick a nighttime spectacular to wrap up the day.  Whether it’s Happily Ever After in Magic Kingdom, Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular or Fantasmic! in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Illuminations:  Reflections of Earth in Epcot, or Rivers of Light in Animal Kingdom – there’s a magical way to end your first day of vacation no matter which park you choose.

Now it’s your turn!  What’s your favorite way to start a Disney World vacation?

 

Disney World Dining – Best 1-Credit Table Service (Part 2)

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I’ve talked about my favorite 1-credit table service restaurants at Disney World before (here).  But it’s been a while, so I thought an updated version was in order.  If I were making my ADRs (Advance Dining Reservations) right now for an upcoming vacation, here’s what I’d recommend…

Disney World Dining – Best 1-Credit Table Service (Part 2)

I still stand by most of my original picks although I will most likely not eat dinner at Be Our Guest again (preferring the quick service breakfast or lunch) and I’ll pass on Chef Mickey’s in the future because I’ve found a place I like much better.  I’m now proud to say I’ve visited a few of the honorable mentions from the previous list and would highly recommend these:

Kona Café – Right next door to ‘Ohana in the Polynesian, Kona offers a different dining experience.  Where ‘Ohana is great for big appetites and fans of family style dining, Kona is better for folks who want options and have varying tastes and appetites.  The menu is Pan-Asian and offers a great variety (sushi lovers seem to flock here).  The service is consistently good and we’ve been so happy with the food, we’ve eaten both dinner and breakfast at Kona on more than one trip.  Just a short monorail ride from Magic Kingdom, Kona’s an excellent place to eat before heading to Magic Kingdom for the evening.

Whispering Canyon Café – We’ve been twice now and had a great meal both times.  It’s fun, filling, and in an awesome setting at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.  Somewhat similar to 50’s Prime Time Café in server/guest interaction, Whispering Canyon  is a favorite of meat-and-potatoes fans with an American menu that includes an all-you-care-to-eat skillet.

Tusker House – I’ve gone on and on (here) about the food, the characters, and the service.  It’s a buffet with choices aplenty.  I love seeing Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, and Goofy in their safari outfits while filling up on some very unique menu offerings.  Not to worry if you have picky eaters – this buffet includes plenty of choices for all tastes.  If you don’t want to leave the park to eat at Boma (Animal Kingdom Lodge’s buffet) and you love a character meal, Tusker house is a safe bet.

We’ve also tried and wholeheartedly recommend…

Yak and Yeti – The table service option (there’s also a quick service window) of this highly themed restaurant in Animal Kingdom’s Asia section is quite good!  If you like Pan-Asian food and want a nice sit-down, non-character in-park experience, Yak and Yeti’s a solid choice.  The menu is surprisingly broad and we love the atmosphere – very cool décor!

Via Napoli – It was lively and a little loud, but for a family dinner, Via Napoli was fantastic!  Everyone in our party of seven was happy with their choices and the pizza was about as good as it gets at Disney World.  I’d choose again Via Napoli if I wanted to stay in Epcot for dinner and had a group to please.

Morimoto Asia (1-credit for Brunch or Lunch only) – The service, the menu, and the atmosphere are much less kid-friendly than most Disney World eateries.  That’s not to say that kids aren’t welcome, but Morimoto Asia in Disney Springs is where we like to go for a lunch date.  The servers are professional and knowledgeable, the menu is broad with plenty of options for sharing.  We can take our time and feel like we’ve found an oasis in the middle of the often chaotic Disney Springs area.

Raglan Road – This is our tried-and-true dinner choice in Disney Springs.  It’s very family friendly and the menu is full of hearty comfort-food  choices.  Plus, entertainment!  Irish dancers and live music add a very special element to eating at Raglan Road.  Hello!  Dinner and a show for 1-credit? Yes!

Again, if I were going right now, I’d choose Tusker House over Chef Mickey’s or 1900 Park Fare.  I’d choose Via Napoli in Epcot, Kona Café at the Polynesian and Raglan Road in Disney Springs for dinner.  If my schedule made a nice lunch versus dinner possible, I go for a Magic Kingdom park-break at Wilderness Lodge to visit Whispering Canyon or I’d head to Disney Springs and enjoy an awesome meal at Morimoto Asia.

What do I need to try next?  What’s your favorite 1-credit table service restaurant at Disney World?