Food - Part 5

“Signature” Restaurants – Are They Worth It? Part 3

Friday, May 4, 2012 Catie No comments

In the final part of this 3-part series (Check out Part 1 and Part 2!), I’m taking a look at the rest of Walt Disney World’s 2-Table Service Credit Dining Options to answer the question, Are They Worth It?

The Restaurants I am reveiwing this week aren’t *technically* Signature Restaurants, BUT they are unique, special experiences that are more expensive than your regular sit down restaurants, and they all will cost you 2 Table Service Credits on the Disney Dining Plan. One nice thing about these is that unlike other Signature Restaurants, with the 2-credit character meal and dinner shows, gratuities are included, which makes things even easier on you when it comes time to pay!

So, Here We Go:

Cinderella’s Royal Table – Dine in none other than Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom, where you can enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner and be treated like royalty! Cinderalla greets you as you enter the castle, and yout get to pose for a picture with her. Bonus – the picture package is included with the meal! Breakfast is an all you care to eat assortment of standard Disney breakfast items including pastries, eggs, meats, and french toast, while lunch and dinner include a prix fixe menu of options like prime rib, fish, and steak. While you eat, the princesses work the room for pictures and autographs. Reservations for this can be really hard to get, so I recommend that you are flexible when it comes to what time you want to dine at Cinderella’s Royal Table
Survey Says? If you have a Disney Princess fan in your party, I say book it! It’s a unique experience, I did it once and probably wouldn’t do it again, but it is fun and the food is high quality, plus once you go you can say you have been IN Cinderella’s Castle (which is pretty cool!)

Mickey’s Backyard BBQ – One of two Dinner Entertainment options at Fort Wilderness, this is your chance to party with Mickey, Minnie and friends as you dine on delicious (all you can eat!) picnic favorites like ribs, hamburgers and hot dogs, and corn on the cob. Enjoy live country western music, line dancing, and fun for kids, and you may even get a chance to dance with the Mouse himself! One difference to make note of for this character experience is that the characters don’t come around to all the tables, but rather they interact with guests on the dance floor. The BBQ is seasonal, and runs Thursday and Saturday nights from March – December, and is held outdoors
Survey Says? If you are a big fan of picnic food and fun, then you should look into joining the fun at Mickey’s Backyard BBQ! It’s a great time, but don’t expect the character interaction you would normally get at other character meals (since they don’t come around to all the tables)

Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show – Disney’s Polynesian Resort is the perfect setting for this luau-themed dinner show, which offers up all you care to eat fare like Polynesian-style rice, roast chicken, and best of all (at least for those of us over 21!) – unlimited beer and wine are included! The entertainment includes fire and knife dancers as well as music and dance, and the chance for your little ones to learn how to hula dance (I did it when I was little, it was a lot of fun!).
Survery Says: This is my favorite of the dinner show experiences, I love the food and the atmosphere, and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone!

Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue – Head over to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground for this rousing Wild West themed show, which features comedy, song, dance, and even some audience participation! While you are laughing and clapping along to the music, enjoy all you can eat fried chicken, ribs, baked beans, strawberry shortcake, and once again – all you can drink beer/wine/sangria for those guests over 21.
Survey Says: This really is a fun, entertaining show, when I was a kid I didn’t much care for it, but it has grown on me in my adult years (perhaps it’s the free sangria that has helped with that?), the jokes are funny and it’s over the top for sure, but it’s a good time, and a great way to spend an evening

Hopefully these posts have inspired you to book some Advance Dining Reservations or ADR’s for some Signature or Dinner Show Dining Experiences. These are some of the best food, drink, and entertainment options available at Walt Disney World, so I highly recommend you check some of them out on your next trip to WDW

Signature Restaurants – Are They Worth It? Part 2 (chipandco.com)
How Soon Should You Start Disney Planning? (chipandco.com)

Signature Restaurants Are They Worth It? Part 3 %tag

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Magical Last Minute Advanced Dining Reservations

Thursday, May 3, 2012 Chip Panel Blogger No comments

Advanced Dining Reservations (ADR) open 180 days before you arrive, but if you’ve booked a last minute Disney World trip you might be nervous. Others visiting during the same time had a head start making reservations. Keep in mind you don’t need a dining plan to enjoy dining at Disney World. Nevertheless, if staying on site it is a money saving option.

Be flexible when scheduling meals. You might be dreaming of breakfast with characters, but you could still have a meal with characters for lunch or dinner. It might be you want to make a reservation for a special dining experience. When making dining reservations you can search online or call to talk with a Cast Member.

There are, of course, some dining choices that fill up quickest such as Chef Mickey, Crystal Palace, dinner shows such as Hoop-Dee-Do Revue and packages including Fantasmic dining. Then there tend to be other choices, including character dining, that fill up less quickly. You check for availability and there are not many choices left. No fear because you still have options.

Cast members will be able to quickly locate what is available as well as helping you find a good fit . They will also be able to answer questions and make suggestions. If something is open, such as character dining at Hollywood and Vine in Hollywood Studios, you can ask them what characters are available as well as the menu. Then you can book it or decide to keep looking. Remember a credit card is required to hold a reservation. You can cancel the reservation until 24-hours before the scheduled time for your meal.

Keep in mind, as well, you could find great dining reservations even when you arrive for your magical Disney vacation. Snagging a last minute dinner reservation is not an unheard of happening. When you check in or as soon as you reach your room contact a cast member. Let them know you are on your vacation and you have reservations, but you want to check if there are any openings. The cast member will be happy to help you. You never know Cape May, character dining at the Beach Club Resort, or another dining experience you never thought of before could become available. The unexpected can lead to a magical experience and it doesn’t hurt to try because your top choice dining experience could have a cancellation that is now your reservation!

This is guest post from a C&C fan Charity.

Disney World Dining without Reservations (chipandco.com)
Is Disney World Character Dining Worth it or is it Overpriced? (chipandco.com)

Magical Last Minute Advanced Dining Reservations %tag

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How Soon Should You Start Disney Planning?

Thursday, May 3, 2012 Jeffrey 3 Comments

I’m not a planner in my “real life.” I don’t know what I’ll do at work tomorrow, what I’ll have for dinner or even who is picking my son up from golf practice. Tomorrow is plenty of time to work that out. But I DO know that more than six months from now, on September 19th at 7:05 pm I will be at Epcot’s Coral Reef restaurant for dinner. Disney is different. Disney requires planning far ahead of time if you want to get the most out of a trip. Luckily, even for the planning-averse such as myself, Disney planning is actually fun. Figuring out when to go, where to stay, what to eat and what to do during your trip takes time and effort, but also helps to build up the joy and wonder and magic of a Disney vacation. But what planning should you do when? Here is a rough timeline that works for me, and I hope it helps you.

The Dreaming — It’s never too early to start dreaming of Disney. Even if you know you won’t be able go for a few years, it is fun and helpful to start perusing the Disney fan sites like Chip And Company. You should set up an account on the official Walt Disney World website as well, and start playing around with the online reservation system. Order the free vacation planning dvd and the free customized park maps. Not only are these things lots of fun to have and to look at, but ordering them will put you on Disney’s radar as a potential guest and they may start sending you special offers and pin codes.

Resort Reservations and Park Tickets — The Disney online reservation system seems to let you book a stay as far out as you like. The trouble is that you won’t know what the rates, for both rooms and park tickets, will be beyond a certain point. Rates for a new year usually are released in the early summer. For instance, the 2012 rates were released on June 14th of 2011. Special promotions like discounted room rates and free dining can come out at any time, but they can be applied to an existing reservation easily, so there is nothing wrong with booking as soon as you know when you can go. Disney only requires a $200 deposit with the balance due 45 days prior to your arrival.

Dining Reservations — Disney calls them Advanced Dining Reservations, or ADRs, and they are important if you want to eat at specific table service restaurants. You can walk in and probably eventually get a table at most places, but making ADRs will ensure you eat where you like and when you like. The trick is, you need to decide where and when that is far in advance. Disney will accept ADRs 180 days out, and if you are staying on property, you can cheat a little. Resort guests can make up to ten days worth of ADRs 180 days out from their arrival day, which gives you a leg up on off property guests. That can be important, as some meals at some restaurants, like Cinderella’s Royal Table and Chef Mickey’s breakfasts, will fill up within hours or even minutes of the 180 day window opening. Online reservations can be made starting at 6:00 am Eastern time and the phone reservation system opens at 7.

Special Events — If you plan to attend any special events, like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, you’ll probably want to buy advance tickets. While tickets for both are sold up to and including the day of the event, they do sell out and you don’t want to be disappointed. This can present a problem when your 180 day mark is coming up for making ADRs, but the dates of the parties have not been released. Luckily, you can cheat. Disney’s park hours are released 6 months ahead, and the two parties begin at 7 pm. So, when you look at Magic Kingdom hours and see the park closing at 7 pm, you can be pretty sure that is a day for either MNSSHP or MVMCP and plan accordingly.

Rides? — Coming soon, perhaps, is a system that will allow Disney guests to schedule Fastpass times for certain attractions from home months in advance. The next generation Fastpass system is rumored to be going into testing this summer and may make planning a Disney trip that much more interesting. While picking which rides you will ride at what time months out won’t appeal to all guests, it will likely make the lines more manageable for everyone, whether they take advantage of the new Fastpass system or not. We’ll just have to wait to see if another opportunity to plan makes the process more fun or more of a hassle. My guess is Disney gets this one right.

Do you have any planning tips to share? If so, leave them in the comments, we’d love to hear from you.

Now Open Tutto Italia, Tutto Gusto at Italy Pavilion at Epcot (chipandco.com)
2012 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Schedule (chipandco.com)

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Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders Invited to Special 20th Anniversary ‘Fantasmic!’ Performances

Thursday, May 3, 2012 Chip 2 Comments

Calling all Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders! You may have already heard about the private performances of “Fantasmic!” being held just for you to celebrate its 20th anniversary this month. Did you also know about the commemorative “Fantasmic!” 20th Anniversary apparel for Annual Passholders that will be available at select locations in Disneyland park during these special events?

In addition to the commemorative T-shirts and hoodies available for sale, Annual Passhoders will also enjoy select attractions, shops and restaurants in Adventureland, Frontierland and New Orleans Square during these special events.

There are four dates to choose from, on which this special event will run from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., with a showing of “Fantasmic!” at 11:30 p.m. each night.

Monday, May 14
Tuesday, May 15
Monday, May 21
Tuesday, May 22

Space is limited, so RSVP now! To register yourself and up to three Annual Passholder guests, please follow these steps carefully:

Visit any open ticket booth in the Disneyland Resort Main Entrance Esplanade.
Present your active Annual Passport and a valid, government-issued photo I.D. as verification of your eligibility to register for the event.
Based on availability, select your desired event date.
Upon completion of your RSVP, the cast member will give you a voucher, required for admission to the event. Limit one (1) voucher per eligible Annual Passholder; multiple vouchers will not be honored.

Registration will close at 10 p.m. (PST) on Thursday, May 10, 2012, or as soon as event capacity is reached. You must be at least 18 years old to RSVP, and space is limited, so reserve your spot now!

Click here for full details and restrictions.

Disney California Adventure Preview Event Sweepstakes (chipandco.com)
Disneyland AP Discount Set to Expire May 31 (chipandco.com)

Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders Invited to Special 20th Anniversary ‘Fantasmic!’ Performances %tag

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Now Open Tutto Italia, Tutto Gusto at Italy Pavilion at Epcot

Wednesday, May 2, 2012 Chip 1 Comment

With a flourish of confetti, Italian music, and, of course, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Tutto Italia in the Italy Pavilion at Epcot reopens its doors today after a major renovation, along with the new Tutto Gusto wine cellar next door.

The restaurant staff added to the celebration with tambourines, while Chef Joachim Splichal, founder of Patina Restaurant Group; Erin Youngs, vice president of Epcot; and Nick Valenti, CEO of Patina Restaurant Group, did the honors of cutting the ribbon to officially open the two venues, operated by Patina. Guests were welcomed inside for sparkling water, a little bubbly and a first look at Tutto Gusto.