Tag Archives: WDW

5 Reasons to Pamper Yourself at Disney World

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RM-Grand-Floridian-SignWe didn’t know what we’d been missing!  Raymond and I, in our bid to make the most of our 25th wedding anniversary celebration trip to Walt Disney World, decided to splurge on a few extras.  When you’re only covering travel expenses for two, it seems easier to justify dropping a few more dollars here and there.  One of the special treats we decided on was a massage for two at the Senses Spa at Disney’s Grand Floridian.  Expensive?  Yes, for us $275 for a 50 minute spa treatment caused a moment’s pause while we considered what else we could buy with that money!  Then we thought of all the reasons it was a perfect use for our hard-earned cash – and we were right!  It was worth every penny.

They don’t call it the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa for nothing.  There is an actual spa and it is fabulous!  Now that I’ve personally experienced it, here are my Top 5 Reasons to visit the Senses Spa (or pamper yourself at Walt Disney World in some special way):RM-Grand-Floridian-Walkway

1. Great for Any Time!  Want to kick off your vacation with some relaxation outside the busy parks?  What about mid-trip when you’re feeling tired from all that walking?  Or maybe, wouldn’t it be great to get a relaxing spa treatment right before you have to go back to the real world?  Anytime’s a great time for a little pampering!RM-Grand-Floridian-Senses-Entrance

2. The Robe and Slippers!  And the spiced iced tea, and the aroma therapy, and all the extra little touches.  The spa is one awesome facility. Everything is designed to promote feelings of relaxation.  Because we were getting massages, we were supplied with super fluffy robes and comfortable slippers (in our actual shoe sizes!).  Those robes were really something!  So cozy.  RM-Grand-Floridian-Senses-Robe-and-Slippers

3. The Welcome!  I couldn’t help but notice how warm and welcoming the Cast Members were!  You’re offered a glass of tea upon arrival and then shown around the spa. The locker rooms are roomy and have everything you need to clean up and get ready for whatever else your day may hold.  There’s shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hair gel, hair spray, and even deodorant if you need it!  If I’d known how well-supplied I’d be there, I would have packed a change of clothes and some makeup to save me a trip back to our resort.  The lockers have electronic locks that are easy to use so you can store all your personal items worry-free.  Everything is luxurious and intended to make you feel like the most special guest there – worked for me!RM-Grand-Floridian-Senses-Vanity

4. Screaming Children!  They do seem to be almost everywhere at Walt Disney World…but they are NOT in the Senses Spa!  It’s blissfully peaceful and the tranquility is further enhanced by the use of aroma therapy and soft music.  The fragrance used during our massage was frankincense which I found to be pleasant and soothing.  The complete and total escape from the rest of the World is what I loved most about my visit to Senses.RM-Grand-Floridian-Senses-Counter-Sink-Area

5. You Deserve It!  We were spending an entire week at Walt Disney World alone for the first time in 25 years.  We were footloose and fancy free.  We could have spent the money on tours, or fine dining.  Instead we spent that money and time on a unforgettalbe experience.  We didn’t have to think, move, listen, plan, or hurry.  For 50 minutes, we were quiet and relaxed while two very kind and knowledgable Cast Members worked to free us from stress and muscle tension.  We loved it so much, we’re going back again in February!RM-Grand-Floridian-Senses-Shower-Area-Entrance

When our time at Senses was over, we were hungry!  After catching a delicious breakfast at the Grand Floridian’s Gasparilla Island Grill, we hopped on the monorail for a quick stop back at Bay Lake Tower to change clothes.  Then were ready to head over to Epcot for our French Regional Lunch.  A visit to the Senses Spa was the perfect way to begin the last day of a wonderful vacation.

Here’s a complete list of all the treatments offered at the Senses Spa.  Would you spend the money on a splurge like that?  If not, what would you do instead?

Epcot Food & Wine: A Tale of Two Splurges

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Epcot Food & Wine FestivalAt Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival, a smorgasbord awaits visitors in the form of delicious dishes and beverages from all over the world.  For many guests, those festival-only flavors at the specialty booths and kiosks are enough of a draw.  Being able to eat and drink, traveling from country to country, is a fun and tasty way to spend the better part of a day or two.

There are also many special events available to visitors wishing for a more in-depth look at the Festival’s foods, wines, beers, recipes, chefs, and so on.  There’s a lot to choose from!  I was looking for a couple of extras Raymond and I could add that would fit in with our other vacation plans and would be special and unique without breaking the bank.RM-Epcot-Food&Wine-LandscapeKeeping in mind that our trip would be like a second honeymoon, I ruled out things like cooking demonstrations and seminars as not being romantic enough – but I would love to try them next time.  I decided on the Italian Food and Wine Pairing (Italy Pavilion) in Via Napoli and the French Regional Lunch at Monsieur Paul (France Pavilion).  We enjoyed them both very much, but not for the reasons we expected.

Both experiences were similar in several ways.  They were at lunchtime, showcased their respective country’s foods and wines, and lasted a couple of hours.  They also both included a wine specialist to act as event host and explain how/why particular wines were selected, and how best to enjoy them.

The Italian Food & Wine Pairing at Via Napoli ($83 per person, plus tax, gratuity included) October 16, 2014RM-Italian-Food-and-Wine-Pairing-Table

We were greeted by several very friendly Cast Members and handed glasses of wine to enjoy while we waited.  Once the room was ready, we were welcomed into a large, open, very noisy seating area full of tables that looked literally covered in wine glasses.RM-Epcot-GaryThe acoustics made it impossible to talk to our table mates without practically yelling and was the single and significant downside to this event.  We sat with four other people who welcomed us warmly to the table and introduced themselves to us immediately.  We all wished we could hear each other better!  We visited over some delicious bread.RM-Italian-Food-and-Wine-Pairing-Soup

The first course was, for me, the best part of the meal.  A soup of beans and mussels (Zuppa di Cozze e Faglioli) with a big crusty piece of bread on it, like a giant crouton.  I found the soup to be flavorful and hearty like something I would love to make at home.  There are substitute dishes available if a guest doesn’t care for the particular dish being served – Melda, at our table ordered a Caprese salad and her husband, Gary, had melon with prosciutto. RM-Italian-Food-and-Wine-Pairing-Pizza The second course was a tiny individual pizza (Pizza Fritta).  It was very bread-ish with very little topping.  It was my least favorite course.  I decided not to eat all of it to save room for the other courses.  RM-Italian-Food-and-Wine-Pairing-BeefThe main course was Braciola di Manzo which was beef roulade with roasted vegetables.  Basically rolled up beef and veggies in a clear broth.  It wasn’t bad, it tasted okay, but didn’t knock our socks off or anything.  RM-Italian-Food-and-Wine-Pairing-DessertFinally, dessert – just a simple serving of three different sorbets and they were incredibly delicious!!!  If I’d been served only the bean soup and the sorbets, I’d have been perfectly happy.RM-Italian-Food-and-Wine-Pairing-Wine-Bottle  RM-Italian-Food-and-Wine-Pairing-MenuOf course with every dish was a different wine to sample – like the food, some servings were better than others.  Once dessert was finished, the wine expert mingled with the crowd to make sure everyone had enjoyed their lunch.  RM-Italian-Food-and-Wine-Pairing-HostRM-Italian-Food-and-Wine-Pairing-Gift-BiscottiOne the way out, each guest was given a small bag of Via Napoli Cantucci (biscotti) and the recipe for making it.

High points:  The hospitality, our super sweet and friendly table-mates, the pre-lunch glass of wine, the biscotti as a goodbye gift, the soup, the dessert.

Low points:  The noisiness of the room, the pizza (I expected better from Via Napoli), the entrée.

The French Regional Lunch at Monsieur Paul ($135 per person plus tax, gratuity included) October 17, 2014RM-French-Regional-Lunch-M.Paul

The welcome wasn’t as nice as over in the Italy Pavilion – we waited outside Monsieur Paul in a hot, crowded mass until we were allowed to climb the stairs into the restaurant – and that was a long, slow process.RM-French-Regional-Lunch-SeatingOnce inside the dining room, though, we were enchanted with the décor, the place settings, and our view from our window-side table.    RM-French-Regional-Lunch-ViewMuch quieter and considerably more elegant than our setting at Via Napoli, we once again sat with two couples.  The couple closest to us, we discovered, will be sailing with us on our next Disney cruise in June, 2015!  That was a fun surprise.RM-French-Regional-Lunch-Table

The speaker/wine expert for our lunch was Cedric Villars – the U.S. Portfolio Manager, Domaines Barons do Rothschild (Lafite), Pasternak Wine Import.  Our Chefs de Cuisine was Francesco Santin.  I know this because there was a nifty little booklet at each place setting that explained details about the lunch, and descriptions of every wine served.  There were even some pages for taking notes.RM-French-Regional-Lunch-MenuThis was a very welcome and special touch.  What the materials did not detail was the dishes served – I’ll do my best, but at times I wasn’t sure exactly what I was eating.RM-French-Regional-Lunch-Amuse-Bouche

The first course, the amuse-bouche, was a delicately flavored slice of pastry-wrapped….I have no idea, but I’m guessing it was meat of some sort.  This was served in a clear broth.  It tasted fine, I found the textures a bit odd together, and overall it was nothing to write home about.RM-French-Regional-Lunch-Soup

Next was a mushroom soup with chestnuts (Veloute de cepes, crème de celerie et marrons).  It was very tasty!  Even Raymond ate his soup and he’s not a mushroom fan.  It was rich and creamy and delicious.RM-French-Regional-Lunch-Duck

Duck Cassoulet was the main course and it was very simple (probably much more complicated that it looked) but scrumptious. I thought the serving sizes were just right for each course.RM-French-Regional-Lunch-Mystery Dish

There was even a surprise mystery dish – which was good, but I couldn’t tell you what was in it.  It wasn’t on the menu and we thought maybe the chef was just being creative and made us a little something extra.  We were feeling pretty full at this point, but there was still one course left.RM-French-Regional-Lunch-Dessert

Dessert just blew us away!  Obviously, we were surprised by our personalized servings of the Chestnut dome with vanilla rum cream, caramel sauce, meringue, raisin compote, and vanilla ice cream.  This was absolutely amazing!  It wasn’t overly sweet, the different flavors and textures created such a unique and special treat.  I found myself eating every single bite!RM-French-Regional-Lunch-Chefs

When lunch was coming to an end, all the chefs and servers were presented to the guests and we applauded as they took a walk around the dining room.  It was a fun touch and gave the impression of teamwork and pride in an well executed event.

High Points:  The setting, the event materials and attention to detail, the dessert, and the overall elegance of the experience.

Low Points:  The hot wait outside and the congested, slow walk up the stairway leading to the restaurant.

Raymond and I enjoyed both lunches, but the French Regional Lunch was our favorite of the two.

Have you tried any of the special events available during Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival?  Which would you recommend?

 

 

 

 

The Current State of Animal Kingdom

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RM-Animal-Kingdom-Construction-WallsFirst I’ve got to tell you that I am totally and completely excited about the transformation that is underway at Disney’s Animal Kingdom park.  When construction is complete, there will be much more to see and do – and more time for doing it!  We’ll have Pandora and all the certain wonders that will offer, we’ll have a nighttime show and extended park hours, we’ll most likely have more dining and shopping options to choose from.  There’s nothing I’m not loving about the future of Animal Kingdom.

The present, though, is painful.  You can still visit the park and have a great time, but if you’re a regular visitor like me, the construction walls and the closed-in feeling they create is hard to take.  The view-obstructing equipment is an eyesore.  RM-Animal-Kingdom-Construction-EquipmentOn our last visit, we still had fun on Expedition Everest and the Kilimanjaro Safari, but a big part of Animal Kingdom’s charm is missing right now.  That’s because, for me, one of the highlights of being at Animal Kingdom is walking through the different sections – Asia, Africa, and Dinoland – and taking in some of the most awesome details Disney Imagineering has ever introduced.  Short-term sacrifice, long-term gain, I know, I know.RM-Pangani-Forest

While we were there, the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail was undergoing refurbishment.  The entrance was closed and guests were being directed to enter the trail via the exit.  This area of the park is a must-see for me and this time I was especially interested in taking the trail due to the recent birth of not one, but two baby gorillas.  So, even knowing that the underwater hippo viewing area and the aviary would be closed, I still wanted to try to spot one of the new babies.

Boy, was it crowded!  Since the exit was now both entrance and exit, there was no flow of traffic and it was chaotic.  People were basically just standing around in large groups, mostly watching one of three exhibits (as far as I could tell) – The two gorilla enclosures and the meerkat area.Gorilla at Animal Kingdom WDW

The male gorilla exhibit is always popular and that day was no exception.  Those guys are just fun to watch – it doesn’t matter if they’re just sitting or eating or using a bowl to get a drink of water from the stream that runs through their forested hillside – those big, strong gorillas are fascinating!RM-Meerkat-Feast

In the meerkat viewing area, a Cast Member was sitting in the middle of the enclosure feeding meerkats what looked like chunks of raw chicken from what looked like a giant pair of tweezers.  The Cast Member would use the chicken bits to lure the meerkats up onto some small platforms for better viewing by the audience.  I’d never seen anything like this and enjoyed watching for quite a while.  Those little guys are pretty cute.RM-Two-Gorillas-and-Baby

The area I’d specifically come to see – The female gorilla area – was the most crowded place of all, and with good reason.  RM-Gorilla-and-Baby-in-GrassBoth new mothers had their babies out to play on the grass.  In the center of the area, one mother and baby were accompanied by another gorilla and both adults were completely captivated by the baby who was lying on her (his?) back on the grass between them.RM-Gorilla-and-Baby The other mother and baby were way over to the very left side of the viewing window.  This mom seemed content to let her baby, unsteady and wobbly though it was, explore the grass in front of where she was sitting.  RM-Gorilla-Holding-BabyWhen the baby took a tumble, his (her?) mom was there with a quick cuddle.  I was thrilled to get to see these beautiful, loving animals at such a special time.

Braving the current state of Animal Kingdom takes some patience.  The core of the park is still there to enjoy, even if it’s disguised by those darned construction walls!  I know in the end, it will all be worth the inconvenience and the anticipation.  Have you been to Animal Kingdom lately?  What was your experience there?

That Time I Almost Rode Dumbo

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RM-Dumbo-CenterOn our last visit to Walt Disney World, we were in the Magic Kingdom and on a roll!  We’d started the day on Splash Mountain, dried off by cruising around Tomorrowland on the PeopleMover, we’d seen the Country Bears, Haunted Mansion, Hall of Presidents – We were unstoppable!  Then, I thought, HEY!  We could try out the updated Dumbo over in Fantasyland.  Raymond was okay with that and we jumped in the standby line which had a posted wait of 30 minutes.  I’m having a great day, getting so much accomplished, living the dream, baby – what’s one 30 minute wait going to hurt, right?

We were outside, enjoying the beautiful fall weather, taking in the sights and sounds of the Storybook Circus area.  The first part of the standby line is covered and moved right along.  Next, we went inside to wait.  At this point I noticed the familyRM-Dumbo-Cast-Member behind me (Mom & Dad, little boy and girl) because the little boy, who was probably 8 or so, kept getting really close to the back of me and occasionally bumped into me.  Into my posterior specifically.  I’d move to the other side of the aisle, but he kept ending up directly behind me, continuing to bump into me.  It’s no secret that I don’t think all children are precious and adorable; I’m also somewhat of a germaphobe and kind of weird about being touched by strangers.   Raymond, once aware of my situation, put himself between the personal-space-invader and me, so I could go back to taking in my surroundings.

This was the point where we reached a sort of check-in desk for the Dumbo waiting play area.  The fact that not a single Cast Member looked happy or even pleasant should have been a clue to what we RM-Dumbo-Check-in-Counterwere about to experience, but it was my first visit there and I’d read practically nothing but the most general information about the new Dumbo.  The dad behind me exclaimed that Disney Imagineers are pure genius to have thought of something so wonderful!  We were handed an electronic “ticket” that would vibrate/flash or something when it was time to get on the ride.  We stepped through the opening to that waiting area…and into hell.

Children were running, screaming, jumping, chasing, climbing, and creating serious mayhem.  I was still okay, though, because I notice to the far left in a dark corner of the room was a bench where a handful of other grownups had gathered to wait.  I grabbed Raymond’s hand and bee-lined for the relative peace of the seating area.  We sat.  I looked around at all RM-Dumbo-Play-Areathose kids.  There was a pretend barrel of rockets in front of us and a couple of girls found that they could push some buttons to make lights flash and pretend fireworks sounds happen.  I casually mentioned to Raymond (I did have to talk pretty loud so he could hear me) that maybe if you had children burning off steam in the play area, it was much more tolerable and less hell-like.  The instant the words left my mouth, the lady sitting next to me, with all seriousness said, “No!  No, it’s not.”

We sat for what seemed like an hour, but was in reality probably 2 more minutes during which those two little girls at the rocket-barrel pushed the same buttons to make lights and sounds about 5,627 times.  I turned to Raymond and said, “I’m really sorry about this.” – He’s sweet, so he told me not to worry about it.  He knew what I was going to say next….”I’m pretty RM-Dumbo-Ticket-to-Waitsure I can’t make it and I have to leave now.”  Of course, he said, “Let’s go.”

I took my ticket back to the Cast Member at the check in counter and held it out as I told her, “I tried, I really tried, but I can’t take it.  How can I get out of here?”  She, with just the slightest, barely discernable look of sympathy, silently pointed to an exit back through the play area on the far wall and, again, grabbing Raymond’s hand we walked as quickly as we could, pushed through the door, and found ourselves in an amazingly empty, and blessedly quiet alleyway.  I apologized all the way to the Little Mermaid ride where the line was short and I could recover my composure in the relative isolation of a clam-mobile.

Have you made it onto the new Dumbo ride?  If so, I admire your fortitude!!!

RM-Dumbo-Rockets