Tag Archives: WDW

Disney-MGM, Disney’s Hollywood Studios…

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DSCN3146May 1st, 1989 was a red letter day for Walt Disney World – Already an actual, working production studio, Disney-MGM Studios, the theme park, opened to the public.  I wasn’t there that day, but managed to make my very first visit to Walt Disney World just a few months later (as a newlywed) in early 1990.  Constantly changing, the studios bears little resemblance today to the park it was originally – and it’s about to change even more.  On this, the Studios’ 26th anniversary, I wanted to take a moment and reflect on some of my favorite things, past and present, about this unique corner of the World.

It was Disney-MGM Studios – then it was Disney’s Hollywood Studios – next it will be ????RM-Gertie

Dino Gertie and Min & Bills Dockside Diner – These fixtures, original to the park, are rumored to be on the chopping block to make room for the future Star Wars Land.  RM-Min&Bill'sIf the predictions are true, and Gertie and Min & Bill’s have to move on, I’ll live over it.  But I’ll miss them every time I visit the park.  I know I will…won’t you? Citizens of Hollywood at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Citizens of Hollywood – I wrote about them in this post, but I really can’t say enough about how much “Streetmosphere” adds to the Studios’ unique charm.  This is absolutely one of those things Disney doesn’t have to do, but we’re so glad they feel the need.  If there ever comes a day when we can no longer find these live, impromptu, amazing character actors roaming the park and treating guests to such a special form of entertainment, that will be a truly dark day for Walt Disney World indeed.  RM-Indiana-Jones

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular – Yes, I’ve heard that this attraction’s days may be numbered and the last time I saw the show, it left a lot to be desired (the giant “stone” ball was missing from the routine) – but it’s Indy!  I’ll save you from yet another rant.  You can catch the first one here.  IMG_6923

MuppetVision 3D – I was virtually raised by Muppets, so this area of the park will always be near and dear to my heart.  Oh, I hear the whining about the show needing an update, but at my age, nostalgia is an important component to my Disney vacation happiness and I’ll root for the Muppets to remain unchanged for as long as they can.RM-Maroon-Studios RM-Acme-Bricks

Roger Rabbit – Once so well-represented in the Studios, then virtually obliterated, Roger, Jessica, and the Toons and props from the movie were available for photo ops and tons of fun.  If you look carefully, you can still find evidence of their existence, but nowhere close to the extent that was once there.

Sure, I love Toy Story Midway Mania, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock’n’ Roller Coaster, but my earliest memories of the Studios – the ones I always look back on when I’m there – made up the list.  Honorable mentions to the Hunchback of Notre Dame (A Musical Adventure) stage show (1996-2002) and Four for a Dollar.  The Hunchback show was so much better than the movie and we found it wildly entertaining as we did the a capella singing group Four for a Dollar.

What memories are YOU celebrating today on Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ anniversary?

 

 

 

Disney World Snacks, Sweet and Savory

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RM-Joe-With-Mickey-PretzelI’m not sure there’s a more hotly debated food topic among Disney fans than which Disney World snacks are the best.  For many years, I was not a big Disney vacation snacker.  I chose instead to save room for the all important table-service meals.  Then I started blogging.  It’s pretty hard to blog about Disney and have no game where snacks are concerned.  So I, as is my nature, embraced my new endeavor whole-heartedly.  Needless to say, once I “researched” Disney snacking, there was no going back.  Sadly, no matter how many miles you walk in a day at Walt Disney World, you cannot burn off all the calories you consume snacking with abandon.  Trust me on this.  I know.

What did I learn?  That there seem to be many more sweet snack choices than savory ones.  I must confess, I’ve never purchased or even tasted Disney World popcorn or a Citrus Swirl (Adventureland, Magic Kingdom).  If you are a huge fan of either of those, I’m sorry I cannot include them in this post.  RM-Dole-WhipMy dislike of the wildly popular Dole Whip is unfortunate, but nevertheless factual and I cannot, with a clear conscience, bring myself to tell you to rush out to get one with a guarantee that you’ll love it.  I will, as a gesture of good will, offer you this article on the Dole Whip versus the Citrus Swirl for your review.

My list is in no way all-inclusive – I simply wish to offer choices and recommendations based on my own personal experiences.  In other words, I ate a heck of a lot more snacks than I’m talking about here.  Bear in mind that I don’t have much of a sweet tooth and can literally go for weeks or months at a time with no cake, cookies, candy, ice cream or pie.  I did, for you, kind readers, consume an unprecedented number of sweet treats at Walt Disney World in the past 12 months, just so I could tell you what snacks I found worth trying.  With all disclosures made, I give to you…

Disney World Snacks, Sweet and Savory

Sweet Treats!

RM-CronutCroissant Doughnut (Refreshment Port, Epcot):  Is it a croissant?  Is it a doughnut?  Who cares!?!  It’s covered in cinnamon sugar and served warm.  What’s not to like?IMG_5064

Chocolate Croissant (Sunshine Seasons, Epcot):  I love the not-too-sweet attitude of this treat.  Best as a second breakfast or mid-morning snack, in my opinion.  Flaky, buttery goodness.RM-Epcot-Italy-Gelato-Affogato

Espresso Gelato “Affogato” (Italy Pavilion, Epcot):  It has to be the strong coffee flavor with the sweet, smooth gelato and the crunch of the cookies and coffee beans in this Italian delicacy that make it indescribably wonderful.  Raymond and I shared one and thought it was perfect.  Next time, I’m not sharing.RM-Cinnamon-Glazed-Almonds

Cinnamon Glazed Almonds (Animal Kingdom):  I love these!  Crunchy, sweet, but not too sweet and served in a cute paper cone.  Great for sharing and convenient for eating while strolling along and soaking up Animal Kingdom’s amazing atmosphere.RM-Churro

Churro (Various Locations):  This is going to sound weird (you should be used to that about me by now) but I think churros that have been under the heat lamp in the snack cart for a while taste better than when they’re freshly made.  I like them super crunchy and I think that extended heat lamp thing makes them extra crispy.  Anyway they’re served, though, these are about as perfect a sweet snack as you’ll find.  Easy to eat on the go, not too messy, not overly sugary.

Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar (Various Locations):  It’s vanilla ice cream covered in a chocolate shell, shaped like Mickey’s head.  There’s nothing not to love about that.  On a warm day, you’ve got to eat fast or you’ll drip all over your shirt, but this does not detract from this snack’s simple goodness.RM-Disney-Olaf-Cupcake

Cupcake (Starring Rolls Café, Disney’s Hollywood Studios):  Butterfinger, red velvet, character-themed – doesn’t matter.  These are good, if you like cake and icing.  Big enough for sharing…or not.

Savory Snacks!

RM-Mickey-PretzelClassic Mickey Pretzel (Various Locations) – I like mine in Tomorrowland for a Magic Kingdom day snack break.  I also like to enjoy one in the Studios with a beer.  Salty, chewy, filling when your hungry, AND shaped like Mickey.RM-Jalapeno-Cheese-Pretzel

Jalapeno Cheese Pretzel (Animal Kingdom) – NOT shaped like Mickey, but these pretzels are excellent.  They’re not too spicy, but there’s enough jalapeno flavor to not disappoint.  A very nice choice when looking for something satisfying on the go.  Also good with beer!RM-Gaston's-Pork-Shank-and-Lefou's-Brew

Roasted Pork Shank (Gaston’s Tavern, Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom):  If you know the nutritional facts about this snack, please, PLEASE do not tell me.  It’s slow roasted pork, simply seasoned with salt and pepper.  Fall-off-the-bone tender, our whole family loved it.  I daydream about this snack.  I must have it again.

Smoked Turkey Leg (Various Locations) – Even though I’m not a fan, I felt I needed to mention the Turkey Leg.  While I may not understand the draw, Joseph loves them and this hunk o’ poultry has a huge and very loyal following.  This bad boy’s nutritional info is enough to make me swoon – at about 1000 calories and 50 grams of fat, I just can’t justify its consumption.  The pork shank probably has as many calories, but I don’t care (or want to know for sure).

A Little Bit of Everything!

RM-Sweet-&-Spicy-Chicken-Waffle-SandwichSweet & Spicy Chicken Waffle (Sleepy Hollow, Liberty Square, Magic Kingdom) – While I wished the waffle itself would have been be a little less soggy and a lot more crispy, this was an excellent snack!  The chicken is surprisingly very spicy, which I found terrific with the coleslaw and the sweet syrup topping.  It’s an amazing combination!

Which snacks are your favorites?  Which ones have you tried?  Are there any you don’t like?  Which ones are on your to-try list?

 

More Love for Raglan Road

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Raglan-Road-InteriorWith all the new shops and restaurants opening in Disney Springs/Downtown Disney, it’d be easy for most people to pass up an old favorite and try someplace new, I suppose.  Not for us, though.  We’d have to put aside a many-years-long vacation tradition to visit Disney’s shopping and nighttime entertainment center and not stop at Raglan Road.

At first glance, Irish Pub and family friendly seem a strange and unlikely combination, but that’s the draw of Raglan Road to us.  It really is a great place to enjoy excellent food and fantastic entertainment – for the whole family!  If you’ve read my dining reviews before, you know I want a good place to sit, decent service (at a leisurely pace), and great food.  Raglan road has never let us down on any of those criteria plus they have the added bonus of some fun and wonderful entertainment.Raglan-Road-Pub

A couple of months ago, we visited Raglan Road once again and, to me, we had the best seats we’d every had.  We got there early and stayed late – our only goal for the evening was to be back in the Magic Kingdom for Wishes and the Main Street Electrical Parade.  Plenty of time with an early 5pm ADR (advance dining reservation) to relax, eat too much, and enjoy some excellent music and watch some fun and lively Irish Dancing.Drink-Menu-Raglan-Road

We arrived to find we were a few minutes early and there was plenty of room open at the bar.  We checked in at the reception desk first, picked up our pager, and selected a couple of beers to enjoy while we waited.  Beer-Raglan-Road Beer2-Raglan-RoadIn no time at all, we were being shown to our table…and an excellent table it was.  To the right of the stage, we had excellent seats to see and hear the live music and dancing.Raglan-Road-Singers

Our server arrived promptly and (let me just disclose now that we were hungry…very hungry) took our appetizer order.  If you’ve never had the ribs at Raglan Road, I feel sad for you.  “Heaven on Earth – Baby back ribs tossed in a Guinness glaze.” – they are both sweet and savory, tender and crispy, perfect bites of meaty goodness.  Raglan-Road-RibsWe also enjoyed (we always do) the bread and dipping sauce.  This sauce, like the ribs, makes use of a Guinness reduction.  Words cannot describe, so trust me when I say, the hearty bread and the slightly sweet, dark sauce combine perfectly.  If I could only duplicate it at home…wait, no, that would be bad and counterproductive to my weight management goals. Raglan-Road-Bread

We ordered a salad to share.  Did I say we were hungry? “Cashel Castle – Crumbled Cashel blue cheese, caramelized pecans, grape tomatoes, raspberries, pancetta crisps, crostini’s & raspberry vinaigrette.”  You can add shrimp or chicken, but we just wanted the salad as is.  The flavors sounded like a wonderful combination – and they were!  Ribs, bread, salad, and still hungry.  Time for the main course!Raglan-Road-Salad

Raymond chose the ham and I chose the lamb.  Honestly, I was totally shocked by my sweet, but kind of picky, husband’s decision to order something with cabbage in the description:  “Kevin’s Heavenly Ham – Irish Mist glazed loin of bacon with savoy cabbage, colcannon potatoes, parsley cream sauce and a raisin cider jus.”  Must have been the description of the ham that sealed the deal and, sure enough, he was quite pleased with his choice.  Raglan-Road-Entree-HamUpon our server’s recommendation, I ordered the lamb – ” Lambo – Lamb shank braised in rosemary jus with mash, leeks, shitake mushrooms & baby carrots.”  This absolutely yummy dish did not disappoint.Raglan-Road-Entree-Lambo

Full as can be, don’t ask me why, we got a little crazy.  Must have been the music, but we decided to stay for dessert.  We still had plenty of time to spare, so with dessert we ordered up a couple of Irish coffees.  Raglan-Road-Irish-CoffeeI’m so sad I could not do justice to my selection!  The menu said, “Ger’s Bread & Butter Pudding  Like no other pudding you have ever tried.  Believe us.” – and the menu was right!  Holy Moly – that concoction was nothing short of amazing!!!Raglan-Road-Bread-Pudding Raglan-Road-DessertIn fact, I took a picture of Raymond’s chocolaty plate, but I have absolutely no idea what he ordered.  I wasn’t sharing mine, so I certainly wasn’t going to ask for a bite of his.

I’m not exaggerating when I say we could barely waddle out of Raglan Road that night, but we had an absolutely wonderful dinner.  AND we made it back to Magic Kingdom in plenty of time to lower our overly-full selves down onto a Main Street curb in plenty of time to see both Wishes and the Electrical Parade.

Have you eaten at Raglan Road?  What did you enjoy most about it?

Dawn & Dusk at Walt Disney World

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RM-Sunset-Seven-Seas-LagoonWith so many gorgeous and captivating Disney details everywhere at Disney World, it’s often hard to notice the spectacular beginnings and endings to the day provided naturally by the Sunshine State.  Early mornings are often missed getting ready to hit the parks for rope-drop and early evenings are completely ignored in favor of delicious meals in a favorite restaurant.  Once I notice what I was missing, I started making it a point to pause and appreciate those breathtaking moments I’d been ignoring.

Some amazing sights are afforded by Dawn & Dusk at Walt Disney World – here are five of my favorites:

Sunrise over Bay Lake:  Peaceful, misty, and absolutely gorgeous, watching the sun rise on Bay Lake is one of my favorite activities when I’m lucky enough to get a lake view room in Bay Lake Tower.  RM-Sunrise-Bay-Lake-Tower RM-Sunrise-Bay-Lake-Shore RM-Sunrise-Bay-LakeAt first, the scene looks as still as a post card picture, but shore birds are waking for the day and boats are soon moving across the water.  I just soak it all in while sipping a cup of coffee – it’s the kind of quiet time every great vacation should include.

Sunset over the Seven Seas Lagoon:  A window seat in the California Grill is a great vantage point for some gorgeous sunset viewing.  RM-Sunset-From-California-Grill RM-Sunset-Over-Seven-Seas-LagoonBut the walkway between the Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower works just as well (first pictures on this page were shot there).  Absolutely worth taking the time to enjoy!

Sunrise on the road to (or from) the Magic Kingdom:  You might not have to enter a runDisney race to catch the particular beauty, but that’s how I saw some pretty awesome sights.  RM-Sunrise-runDisney-road-past-BLT RM-Sunrise-runDisney-Princess-HalfRM-Sunrise-Magic-KingdomDuring the Princess Half Marathon, I was a tiny bit too late to see the sun rise on Cinderella Castle, but if you’re planning on attending the next 24-Hour event, be sure not to miss that!  I bet it’s incredible.

Sunrise over the World Showcase Lagoon:  Again, I was in Epcot before the sun came up for a runDisney event, but I had to stop and take a picture when I saw how still and beautiful everything looked in the early morning light.  RM-Sunrise-World-Showcase-Lagoon RM-Sunrise-Boardwalk-AreaThe sunrise is also very beautiful in the Boardwalk, Beach Club, Yacht Club area – and except for my fellow runners, very few people were out and about to enjoy the view.

Sunset at Animal Kingdom Lodge.  I’m sorry I don’t have more pictures to share.  To me, there’s something very special about this resort any time of the day, but as the sun is slowly sinking, the buildings glow and it’s easy to feel as if you’ve been transported to Africa.  RM-Sunset-AKL RM-Sunset-Animal-Kingdom-LodgeBook a dinner reservation at one of the Lodge’s fantastic restaurants and plan to catch the sunset!

Your turn!  What are your favorite places to catch the views of dawn or dusk at Disney World?