10 Great Things About the Disneyland Hotel
by Tammy Whiting on January 27, 2012
Having just stayed at the Disneyland Hotel in November, I thought it was time for a blog about it! Now that the 2-year renovation is pretty much complete, a blog about it seems even timelier. If it’s been a while since you’ve visited the Disneyland Hotel, it’s time for another visit!
I really like the Disneyland Hotel. It may not be my favorite hotel at Disneyland (that distinction would definitely go to the Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa—which I wrote about here as my favorite Disney hotel anywhere bar none), but I always enjoy the Disneyland Hotel. It’s a good location from which you can easily walk to any location at the Disneyland Resort, it’s got a great pool, and the list goes on. In fact it goes on below. In numbers 1-10 as has become my way.
1. The Pool – I have always enjoyed the pool at the Disneyland Hotel. We always liked the Neverland theming with the ship and giant croc. Ariel was a nice touch by the hot tub too! The new E-Ticket pool, however, is awesome! I didn’t quite get the concept art pictures with the monorails, but I definitely got it when I saw the pool in person. There are multiple slides! Much better than a lot of Disney resorts. Combine that with the waterfalls, bubble jets, private cabanas, zero entry, and it’s awesome. I love it! Your kids will too!
2. The Lobbies – The Disneyland Hotel is composed of three towers. Each tower is named after one of the lands in Disneyland. There’s Adventure, Fantasy and Frontier Towers. Each one is full of memorabilia with wonderful artwork and model displays in the lobbies. The Fantasy Tower has Mary Blair artwork reminiscent of it’s a small world. The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad model in the Frontier Tower is huge and super cool! It’s a recreation of the original concept model for Big Thunder. And the Adventure Tower contains a homage to the Jungle Cruise.
3. Proximity to the Monorail – Unlike Walt Disney World, Disneyland is lacking a monorail stop inside a hotel. Now, the monorail does go by some rooms at the Grand Californian (by the balconies actually), but it doesn’t stop at the hotel! So, the Disneyland Hotel is the closest of the three Disney hotels to the monorail stop in Downtown Disney at Disneyland. When you don’t want to walk all the way to the main gate, it’s great to be able to zip into Tomorrowland on the monorail.
4. Tangaroa Terrace – Casual Island Dining – It’s so great to finally have a quick service place at the Disneyland Hotel! It’s not like Downtown Disney is far, but it’s still nice to be able to grab something hot and quick at the resort itself. Now if you read one of my previous blogs, you’ll know that I was NOT excited about the sweet potato fries! But I did enjoy breakfast there one morning, and I’m sure other, less picky eaters, will be perfectly happy with a great burger and sweet potato fries.
5. Trader Sam’s - Enchanted Tiki Bar – Being a teetotaler myself, I can’t really comment on the specifics of this new bar’s menu. I can relay that I’ve read some great reviews of it! Guests are really loving it! There’s live music on the patio during the evenings and the theming inside is incredible. Stop by to look even if you don’t drink!
6. Headboards Headboards Headboards – Did I mention the headboards? Oh my word they are gorgeous! They’re a striking dark wood with an inlay of the Sleeping Beauty Castle. When you flip the on switch, “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” plays and the fiber optic fireworks light up. The imagineers were very smart and the lights grow steady and the music stops after a minute so you can keep it on as a nightlight if you want!
7. Steakhouse 55 – 24 layer chocolate cake. I think that’s enough said.
8. Signature Suites – Not that I’ve been privileged enough to stay in one, but Disneyland has some great themed suites. The Mickey Mouse Penthouse, Pirates of the Caribbean Suite, Fairy Tale Suite, Adventureland Suite, and Big Thunder Mountain Suite. These suites are themed to the hilt! If you want to escape from reality, this is your chance to be completely immersed in Disney magic. Your pocketbook will pay a pretty penny for that immersion, but many guests obviously feel it’s worth it! These suites are constantly booked!
9. Goofy’s Kitchen – Goofy’s Kitchen is the closest thing Disneyland has to one of my favorite character buffets – Chef Mickey’s. At Goofy’s Kitchen, the food is really good for a buffet, and there are characters everywhere. Not the Fab 5 like at Chef Mickey’s but a different assortment. Goofy is, of course, always there, I mean it’s his kitchen so he should be there. We’ve also seen Aladdin, several different princesses (though never more than one princess at a time), Max, Baloo, Genie, etc. When our kids were little we were regulars. We’ve had some of our best character interactions at Goofy’s Kitchen. The tablecloths are paper so the characters love to draw pictures on them. Who knew Goofy could draw so well? It’s also the perfect place to celebrate a child’s birthday! Who am I kidding, it’s a great place to celebrate an adult’s birthday!
10. The Views – Disneyland Hotel has some great views. The disclaimer here is that all the rooms definitely do NOT have great views! In fact, the room I stayed in back in November had a decidedly ugly view of the parking lot! But some of the views are just gorgeous. The upper floors of the Adventure Tower that overlook Downtown Disney will give you a view of Downtown Disney straight ahead with Space Mountain on your left and maybe even a glimpse of the The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror on the right! You can see it all!
How about you? What do you like about the Disneyland Hotel?
Walt Disney World Attractions to Skip?!
by Tom Bricker on January 27, 2012 49 Comments
I love efficiency. I love Disney theme parks. Logic would dictate that using a Touring Plan would perfectly combine these two interests of mine, right? Up until we began testing Optimized Touring Plans, I didn’t really use the plans much at Walt Disney World. This is because I find myself liking a somewhat odd selection of attractions, the full cross-section of which isn’t available in the Unofficial Guide or in TouringPlans.com’s Premium Touring Plans. This is why I’ve become fond of the Optimized Touring Plans. I can input all of my peculiar preferences and have it spit out the best order for visiting these attractions. Since the optimization is being done by some satellite in outer space (or something like that, I think), I don’t have to worry about being judged for liking a “bad” attraction.
Perhaps “unpopular” is a better word choice than “bad.” In my mind, every single attraction is worth experiencing at least once, and I don’t want to skip any unpopular attractions because I’ve found that my opinion of a lot of attractions often differs from popular sentiment.
To be sure, vacation time is finite, and it’s unrealistic to visit every single attraction on every single trip. Walt Disney World is simply too vast for this to be feasible, unless you’re on one of those 13-week long European Walt Disney World vacations. It thus becomes important to have a list of attractions to efficiently visit so you can experience as many attractions as possible on each trip.
How do you arrive at such a list? I think there are attractions that are just plain bad, and it seems to me that a lot of people in the fan community feel the same way. Stitch’s Great Escape, Journey into Imagination (3.0), and the Magic Carpets of Aladdin all immediately come to mind. However, I’ve met people who absolutely love each one of these attractions.
Therein lies the problem. While popular sentiment may suggest that the Haunted Mansion is an exquisite attraction and Jungle Cruise shouldn’t be missed for its dry humor and wit, some people prefer attractions I’d consider duds over these. In fact, in perusing the first edition of The Color Companion to Walt Disney World, I discovered that a now defunct attraction, Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, scored higher than the Haunted Mansion and the Jungle Cruise. Likewise, another defunct attraction, The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management, scored higher than Jungle Cruise. I’d rather be stuck on “it’s a small world” for twenty-four consecutive hours (hmmm…that sounds like a challenge!) than have to sit through Honey, I Shrunk The Audience even once more! Then again, “it’s a small world” is one of my favorite attractions. Some people hate “it’s a small world.”
Browse through a few “worst attraction” or “rides to skip” threads over on a couple popular Disney message boards, and you’ll find many cautionary tales about atrocious attractions such as Country Bear Jamboree, Carousel of Progress, Hall of Presidents, and even the American Adventure. If I didn’t know better, given the last two attractions on that list, I’d suggest these message boards had been infiltrated and subverted for some sort of radical communist agenda. However, I realize that the greater likelihood is that everyone has different attraction preferences and many people don’t enjoy long Audio-Animatronics based stage shows.
This is not to disparage those whose opinion of attractions is contrary to my opinion, but rather, to illustrate why I’m hesitant to give much weight to anyone else’s opinion of an attraction. Were my first visit to Walt Disney World today and I were to listen to others on message boards, I would have skipped these four attractions. If you regularly read my posts, you know that I love Carousel of Progress and I think that Country Bear Jamboree is brilliant. I’m also the second most patriotic person in North America (to Sam the Eagle), so I love Hall of Presidents and American Adventure. In fact, each one of these four attractions is in my Walt Disney World Top 10 “Must Sees.” I can’t imagine one of our Walt Disney World trips not including these attractions. Yet, if my first visit were tomorrow and I followed the advice I’ve read numerous times in message boards, I might end up skipping them all.
Is the solution to this for others to stop rating attractions? Most certainly not. Ratings and accompanying descriptions provide a great baseline for creating a Touring Plan. For many people, attraction ratings, especially those derived from guest consensus, are accurate. Similarly, there are certain qualities that attraction critics, much like film critics, can use to logically arrive at their score. Still, attraction reviews, much like film reviews, are subjective. Film critics fairly unanimously rate Beauty and the Beast higher than Mars Needs Moms. Most people will probably prefer the former to the latter, so movie reviews offer solid advice to many people. However, that does not to invalidate your opinion if you prefer Mars Needs Moms to Beauty and the Beast. Likewise, you might find that you prefer Stitch’s Great Escape to the Haunted Mansion.
Ratings and descriptions can help you determine what type of attraction you’re more inclined to like, but they should always be used merely as a starting point. If you’re passionate about irreverent singing bears, don’t skip Country Bear Jamboree just because you read some blog post calling it the worst and most outdated attraction ever. Read between the lines in descriptions and decide for yourself what attractions you think would most appeal to you, personally. By reading descriptions while keeping in mind attraction scores, you can come up with your own list of “Must See” attractions to enter into your Optimized Touring Plan and experience during your finite vacation time. You might find yourself often going against the grain, but the payoff will be worth it!
I’m certain I’m not the only one who loves some attractions that many people don’t like. Which unpopular attractions do you love? Do you have any “guilty pleasure” attractions? I know we have at least ONE Stitch’s Great Escape fan out there; do you like it? No judgment here, so speak up in the comments and share your favorite attractions that others don’t seem to like!
If I Could Change The Crowd Calendar…
by Fred Hazelton on January 26, 2012 44 Comments
The Crowd Calendar is one of our more popular products at TouringPlans.com and we put a lot of time and effort into developing and maintaining it. The fun part is trying to think of ways to enhance it for our readers. So we thought, why not ask directly from the people who use it the most?
What enhancements would you like to see to the crowd calendar?
Here are some of our ideas, what do you think?
- Include other parks like Universal, Legoland or Magic Mountain
- Include the Water Parks
- Include more details about special events
- Add the dates of hotel discounts (past and future)
- Add weather information
- Put attraction refurbishment dates on the calendar
- Relate the crowd ratings more towards crowd density (number of people in the parks), rather than wait times
- Make it more visual with charts, graphs or photos
- Custom calendars just for the dates of my visit
- Other ideas…?
Go ahead and help us brainstorm, all ideas are welcome. Add yours to our wish list by commenting below.
A Solo Trip Recap
by Stacey Lantz on January 26, 2012 15 Comments
It’s not typical practice for me to talk about my trips in great detail on the Touring Plans blog. I usually leave that for my personal blog. However, I’d like to tell you briefly about my solo trip and how it all turned out since so many of you took the time to write in and give your solo trip tips. Wow! Say that ten times fast. Solo trip tips! Solo trip tips!
The four and a half days that I spent alone at Disney World undoubtedly changed me for the better. I was able to reconnect with myself and learn how to be okay with just spending time with just me… and thousands of other park guests. If you followed me on Twitter during my vacation then you probably understood how I felt at different points in the trip.
There were countless experiences that were priceless. From my sensual and educational private tequila tasting at La Cava Del Tequila, to my relaxing 3 hour dinner at Jiko where I met interesting people and shared life stories. I even attended my very first Touring Plans meet in Epcot!
Many of you wrote to me on Twitter or posted a comment on my previous post here on TouringPlans.com’s blog and I was surprised at how many people said they suddenly felt inspired to try a trip to Disney World by themselves. While I definitely would not and could not call myself a solo touring expert, I feel that I can share my afterthoughts and suggestions for anyone that is ready to brave this new experience for themselves. It’s something to really think about before you decide to go alone, but when you do, dive into it head first.
As I said, I had a memorable dinner at Jiko. This was my first signature meal ever at Walt Disney World believe it or not. If you’ve never indulged in Disney’s fine dining and you’re going solo, do it! Forget the price and get whatever you want. That is a direct tip from Chef Joshua and he was right. The man took good care of me and I owe him a lot for how well my night turned out.
Be social and sit up at a counter or bar where you can watch the chefs or bartenders work their magic. They’ll chat it up with you and make you feel special. Any other patron who sits down next to you is also probably open to a little conversation and trust me, it’s welcome conversation after you’ve not had anyone to talk to for a few days. You don’t realize how very little you use your voice when you’re alone.
Something that I thought was going to be harder for this power touring guru was the ability to go slow. I surprised myself. On my first day at Animal Kingdom, I was in the parks for an hour and a half before I even stepped foot into an attraction queue. I took a lot of pictures, grabbed a tea, and just strolled around in the sun’s warmth. It was so new to me to travel like that and also so absolutely wonderful. I discovered a new appreciation for Animal Kingdom all because of a slower pace. My suggestion to those who find themselves in the parks alone is to take your time. Don’t rush things. The parks will always be there and not “accomplishing” something just gives you a reason to return.
At numerous times throughout the year, folks from TouringPlans.com and The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World are cooking up different opportunities to meet up in the parks. Never been to a meet? Going there solo is a perfect way to give it a shot. I had a great time at my first meet and partially because I didn’t have to worry about dragging people along or leaving people behind. After not saying much more than, “Jambo” for a few days, I loved being able to talk to people about all things Disney. If you can, try scheduling your trip around a TouringPlans.com meet or another online community get together in the parks. It’ll be worth it! Trust me!
I’d like to thank all of you that followed me on my vacation. I’ve essentially been wearing a “Stalkers welcome” sign on my head for a week. Your suggestions and words of positivity helped me on my journey. I truly hope that many of you are more prepared and better educated about solo touring.
If you decide to take your first solo trip, be sure to let us folks here at TouringPlans.com know about how it goes!
Running the Walt Disney World Half Marathon – Part 2
by Todd Perlmutter on January 26, 2012 14 Comments
The race through Walt Disney World, continued from last week…
7:00 am
The Sun has begun to rise, and the scene is gorgeous. I start to cry a bit as I realize where I am. I’m about to cross under the “Underwater Bridge” that connects Bay Lake with the Seven Seas Lagoon. The early sunshine is glinting off of Space Mountain and the Contemporary. For the past year I’ve joked with Cheryl about running right here on this very spot. I take a few pictures and then prepare to head underwater by holding my nose, something my father used to have me do at this spot. Moments later an arm comes around me, and I’m caught off guard. It’s Len and Laurel, we talk a bit and pass a few bad jokes back and forth before they run off ahead. I text everyone on Main Street, U.S.A. to let them know I’m coming.
7:10 am
From the backstage entrance to Magic Kingdom, I get my first glimpse of Cinderella’s Castle, and I get excited. There has been no part of this race I’ve enjoyed more in the past few years than cheering for the runners on Main Street. Now here I was, one of those runners. I know to stay to the left side and exactly where to look for my friends. Arriving, I see friends including Dana and Shalon. I’m shaking hands and hugging a lot of people, and then I find Cheryl and give her a big hug and a kiss. I remember saying hi to Beci, Lou (who was excited to see me wearing a WDW Radio hat), MoJo, and the “Box People”.
7:15 am
Heading through the Hub, they send us into Tomorrowland. Once there, I stop for pictures with Buzz Lightyear and then Stitch near the entrance to Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Again, I make a quick call to the Be Our Guest Podcast live show. The connection is much better for me this time, we chatted briefly, told them I was having an awesome time, and said good-bye. Then I’m off again.
After a quick dash, I stopped in front of the Mad Tea Party to take a picture with the Queen of Hearts. Texting with Cliff, he pointed out I was going to want to stop again for Flynn Rider and Rapunzel who were just around the corner past The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. I started to run again, but just past Snow White’s Scary Adventures, and before going through Cinderella’s Castle, I stopped for a picture with the Castle itself and then again with Donald and Daisy.
7:34 am
Emerging from the Castle, I head around to the front to pose for the official race picture, only to bump into my friends Dee and Neil. Entering Liberty Square I passed by Mile Marker 6. Then its picture time once again, this time with Tiana, Prince Naveen, and Louis. I got to wait in line with Dee and Neil and talk with them some more. Entering, Frontierland I can’t resist a picture with the Country Bears. 
Heading out of Magic Kingdom I caught some pictures of the Pirate Ship parade float, the line was crazy-long and I wasn’t willing to wait for this one.
7:51 am
Just outside of Magic Kingdom I passed by Mile Marker 7, and saw Mary Poppins and Bert. Though I’d been warned this can be a fairly boring stretch of road, I decided that it was time for the trek back to Epcot, and I’d spent enough time with characters. I knew there were friends waiting for me up ahead. Once more I kept to the left along the orange cones, and not long after Mile 8, near the Polynesian Resort, I got to see, wave to, and blow kisses to my Disney Film Project Podcast co-host Ryan, his wife Sally, and the rest of Clan Kilpatrick.
8:16 am
Running along World Center Drive there was a table sponsored by the Clif Bar Company. They were handing out some of their new Clif Shot Gel flavors. Now the last time I had one of these it wasn’t something I enjoyed. However, at the Health & Fitness Expo table they had talked me into trying one, so I grabbed a mocha. Honestly, I’m sticking with the Bloks – it was like sticking raw brownie batter in my mouth. Not necessarily a bad thing, just not a taste I want in my mouth during a race.
8:30 am
It’s time for what Mike Scopa has referred to as the Heartbreak Hill Trinity. You start up the incline of one of the widest diameter butterfly exit ramps in perhaps all of Central Florida. At the top you get one of the neatest effects in the entire race. You can look down at the runners crossing underneath the World Drive overpass that you’re now standing on – I spent a few minutes cheering them on with some other guys.
Then you realize why he calls this a trinity. Sure you made it up the ramp, but now you see before you another hill. And beyond it you can see more runners heading up a third hill & second overpass that takes them over the entrance road for Epcot. Mile Marker 11 is at the top of the second hill. At this point my iPhone starts playing Life’s a Happy Song from The Muppets and it feels so perfect and right as I look and see Spaceship Earth. Another tearful moment for me.
8:45 am
On that third and final hill, my iPhone bids me farewell as it runs out of juice. That’s what I get for texting and taking pictures all race long. I wrap my earphones around the phone and tuck it into a belt pouch. Coming over the hill I see the bus stops and again know to stay to the left. Up ahead I again find Lou, and my wife Cheryl. I give her another big hug and kiss. And then I run off again.
8:50 am
Now I’m inside Epcot, passing by Spaceship Earth, heading past the Fountain of Nations, and down around the Christmas Tree at the entrance to World Showcase. This is it, the home stretch. Less than a mile to go until the finish line. They lead us backstage and past a gospel choir. Truthfully if all races don’t end with a gospel choir, they probably should (write your Congressman). Once again I stay to the left and get to see Shalon, Dana, and Kelly once more right there at Mile Marker 13.
9:05 am
At this point if you haven’t resigned yourself to being done, you will. One tenth of a mile from the finish line in the Epcot parking lot, and nowhere else to go, I bow to my friends and run off. Knowing I want a really good photo for my finish, I get a nice gap between myself and other runners. Giving a High-5 to Mickey Mouse, I cross the finish line and I’m done. Not far after that I get my Donald Duck medal, and I’m crying and laughing all over again.
The feeling of accomplishment and the emotion wrapped inside of it is incredible. I’m starting to plan more Disney races going into 2013, and I’m considering (but not yet comfortable with) doing the Full Marathon instead of the Half – a Mickey Medal does sound nice. I’d love to do the 
Expedition Everest Challenge again, and I’m planning to definitely do the Tower of Terror 10-Miler. Not to mention all the friends I’m planning to cheer for during the Princess Half Marathon, and helping to encourage others to also run. Running is an exciting part of who I am, and I intend to continue sharing it with you.
What about you? Did you run any races during Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend? The 5K? The Half? The Full? How did you do? Did you have fun? If not, are you interested in doing so in the future? Words can’t express what we’re all feeling at this very moment.
Save The Date For One More Disney Day At Walt Disney World and Disneyland on February 29
by Scarlett Litton on January 25, 2012 12 Comments
On February 29, 2012, both Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and Disneyland in Anaheim will be open for 24 hours. Guests can enjoy these parks from 6am until 6am the following day, March 1. If you are going to be in the parks those days, keep a look out for details of the events that TouringPlans.com will be hosting. While we are still waiting for more scheduling announcements from Disney before we finalize plans, we want to make sure that YOU know we are organizing some fun stuff and are planning to join us! Hope to see you there!
Will you be in either Magic Kingdom or Disneyland on February 29? What are you the most excited about? What fun things would you like to see us do?
Character Meals: Vol 6 – Crystal Palace
by Brian McNichols on January 25, 2012 12 Comments
What is the difference between a character meal and a regular meal? The characters (I started with an easy one to get the brain warmed up). The trouble with some of the character meals is that you can get burned out on certain characters if you do these things a lot. For instance, there is a strong possibility that I will eat three different meals with Mickey on my next trip. There is, however, only one place that you can dine with Winnie the Pooh and friends…that’s right, the Crystal Palace (I gave it away in the title again, didn’t I?).
Atmosphere
The Crystal Palace is located in the Magic Kingdom, just off of Main Street U.S.A. and facing the main hub. It is a beautiful building made seemingly entirely of window (hey, I get why they call it ‘Crystal Palace’ now). It really is a remarkably nice space, full of light and tastefully decorated. It is also quite loud, which seems to be a common theme of these character meal posts.
There isn’t really a theme as far as I can tell, although it does incorporate into Main Street very well. It almost seems to be a throwback to days when women in hats would attend brunch accompanied by men with top hats, canes, and a monocle (although I might be confusingly adding Mr. Peanut in there somewhere).
Honestly, one of my favorite things about eating at the Crystal Palace is the location. Since it is right near the hub of the Magic Kingdom, it can be added into a day of touring remarkably easy. You can walk out the door and head right for your favorite attraction without having to worry about added transportation time. Of course you may have to worry about the 10 pounds you just put on at the buffet, but I’m sure you can walk that off.
Characters
The characters that attend meals here are Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger. I have absolutely nothing bad to say about these characters. They were not dressed in hideous costumes (hi Cape May Cafe), and they came to our table often and spaced at wonderfully regular intervals (hi again, Cape May). In fact, Eeyore was even brought back to our table out of order because my daughter missed him the first time (2 year old bladders wait for no character). All of the characters were patient and playful with the children, and Piglet had an expectedly horrified reaction to my sausage link.
Food
If I was going to get picky about the Crystal Palace, this is where it would be. My family and I were here for breakfast and, while good, it was mostly the same things served at any breakfast buffet in Walt Disney World. Bacon, sausage, Mickey waffles, and egg-like objects were all there for consumption (or to poke at and pretend you don’t like…ah, kids). I’m not going to spend a ton of time on the food because you already know what it’s like…simple, standard, filling, and fine, but nothing special. (If you would like to see for yourself you can now find the menu on Touring Plans)
Odds, Ends, and Details
Character meals at Crystal Palace are offered for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They are priced right about at what you are probably expecting from Disney: Breakfast is $22.99/$12.99 (adult/child) per person plus tax. Lunch is $24.99/$13.99 and dinner is $36.99/$17.99. It is definitely not a steal, but not out of the ordinary for Disney’s character meals.
Final Thoughts
As you can probably tell by the brief-ness of this post (well, brief for me anyway), I don’t have a ton to say about the Crystal Palace. That is by no means a bad thing, but it’s not a great thing either. Everything is fine about the meal, the food, characters, building, location…all good to very good. The best thing I can say is that there were absolutely no complaints from anyone in my party. The worst thing I can say is that my wife had forgotten we even had this meal until I mentioned it.
I would eat here again and I would recommend it to anyone, especially fans of Pooh (okay, that’s my one and only childish giggle at the name… I restrained myself). I would say not to go in expecting anything fantastic, but a solid meal in a very nice building in a great location.
Thanks for reading!
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My previous character meal reviews:
Seas with Nemo and Friends to get FASTPASS
by R. A. Pedersen on January 25, 2012 13 Comments
Recently refurbishment walls sprung up at the entrance of The Seas with Nemo and Friends attraction at Walt Disney World’s Epcot theme park. I’ve been told the walls are up so they can install FASTPASS at the attraction and rework the queue to accommodate it. This is in line with previous comments that when Test Track closes for renovation in April that Epcot would have FASTPASS added at another attraction to compensate.
Martha’s Vineyard Lounge at Disney’s Beach Club Resort
by Kristen Helmstetter on January 25, 2012 2 Comments
One night on my last trip we decided to leave Epcot early since it was raining so we opted to visit our resort’s lounge. Since we were staying at the Beach Club we had our sights set on either the Crew’s Cup in the Yacht Club or Martha’s Vineyard at Beach Club. We had all enjoyed the Crew’s Cup before so we were going to head there, but it was really crowded when we arrived. Instead of trying to find seats for a large group we migrated to Martha’s Vineyard as an alternative. So this week I wanted to share my experience at this resort lounge!
As I mentioned, Martha’s Vineyard is in the Beach Club Resort. Guests can access it by walking past the Cape May Cafe, down a hallway that wraps around the restaurant and leads to the entrance to this lounge. These directions may seem a bit confusing, but it really isn’t difficult to find. You may have walked by it before and never even realized it was there! The bar is open from about 5:30 until midnight each night if you would like to unwind here after a long day in the parks.
Since Martha’s Vineyard is within the Beach Club, it continues the beach house theme. The decor is meant to make you feel as though you are vacationing at New England summer home, but I think it falls flat. When you think of Disney World you think of well themed and decorated resorts and restaurants. So it is sort of strange that Martha’s Vineyard is not richly themed in the slightest. It just looks like a room they slapped together with some wicker furniture and lattice work and called it a lounge. It isn’t particularly inviting or warm, it’s just sort of there. A beach house theme is relatively easy to pull off, and it seems like they just missed the mark this time.
To go along with the less than stellar decor, the vibe here is (for a lack of better word) odd. It was fairly quiet on the night we stopped in with only a few other people at the bar or seated at tables watching the flat screen TVs. I tend to travel in a pack so we took over one corner of the lounge and no one seemed to mind. There was no buzz about the place, no energy, no particularly fun atmosphere. It looked like the few people who were there just needed a break from their family vacation and came down to the bar alone. I’m not saying I expect a crazy night out when I got to a Disney resort lounge, but this was the least exciting one I’ve been to (and I’ve been to most of them).
If I haven’t discouraged you enough yet and you’d like to try Martha’s Vineyard the menu here is typical of all the Disney bars and lounges. Beer, wine, and cocktails are all readily available off of the standard Disney World drink menu. There is also a small selection of appetizers if you are hungry. My friends preferred to get food at Beaches and Cream, ask for take away containers, and bring it back with them to the bar though. The bartender gave us no trouble about bringing in outside food, so feel free to do the same.
There was only one bartender on staff that night, but it didn’t seem like he was struggling to keep up since there were not very many people in the lounge. He was friendly and happy to serve my bottle of wine. I certainly couldn’t complain about the service here. If you have a Tables in Wonderland card the bartender accepted it, but had to get a manager from the Cape May Cafe and that may take a few minutes. I’d recommend letting them know you’d like to use your card early so they can get the ball rolling.
While the service at Martha’s Vineyard was fine, but everything else seemed lacking. I much prefer the other bars around the Epcot resort area to Martha’s Vineyard. The Crew’s Cup is very close by and offers a much more fun atmosphere. If you’re willing to take a little stroll the Bellevue Lounge at the Boardwalk is a cozy place to grab a nightcap with friends. Perhaps you’d like to watch the big game. Then head to the ESPN Club to grab some bar food and a few beers. Kimono’s at the Swan serves great drinks and sushi and you can laugh at the people brave enough to sing karaoke. To put it simply, any of the other area lounges are better than Martha’s Vineyard.
How about you? Have you had a similar experience here? Maybe you really love Martha’s Vineyard. Either way let me hear your opinions in the comments!
Teens at Disney World: Not the Impossible Dream
by Evan Levy on January 24, 2012 7 Comments
Let teens do some shopping on their own
Many parents have fantasies of taking their little ones to Disney World—skipping gaily though the Magic Kingdom with their daughter dressed enchantingly as Princess Jasmine; clicking away as their son poses for snapshots at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom.
Fewer parents have fantasies of going to Disney World with their moody 16-year-olds. This, however, is a mistake. (Just wait…) Disney World is actually fantastic for older kids, especially teenagers. With a little planning, both you–and they–can have a terrific time–even if your son refuses to pose for that picture beside the entrance to Splash Mountain.
Note: The following suggestions rely on your comfort level and your teen’s age–not vice versa.
Give him free time
It’s entirely possible that when your husband/four-year-old/great Aunt Mollie wants to ride the spinning teacups for the 12th time, your teen will politely (or not so politely) decline. In fact, he has made it clear that he would much rather hang out in the room for a while and watch the Final Four basketball games and then meet you later. If you both have cell phones, this is a great opportunity to arrange a meeting time and place. If your hotel is on the monorail, so much the better. Arranging a meeting time and place just relies on careful planning and your descriptive powers. For instance, do not say, as others have undoubtedly done before you, “I’ll meet you at the Information Desk in the Magic Kingdom.” That’s kind of like saying, “I’ll meet you in France.” Far better to say, “I will meet you in front of the bottom step that leads directly to the entrance of the Crystal Palace at exactly 3:01 pm.” Your teen will be happy you trusted him; you will be happy you were specific. Arrange check-in points ahead of time: Tell him to text when he gets on the monorail, when he enters the Park, etc. This will give him some free time and not make him feel like he’s merely tagging along every second. Make sure he has some free time every day. Remind him of the adage, ”With freedom comes responsibility.” The more he acts responsibly, the more you’ll trust him.
Give her real responsibility; let her make decisions
Kids and teens know when you are giving them fake jobs or tasks to do. If you’re giving her responsibility, then really do it. For example, put her in charge of all the gifts you buy for friends and family back home. Arrange a budget, have a preliminary discussion, and tell her to check in when she wants your advice–but LET HER FOLLOW THROUGH ON HER OWN.
Following through, by the way, does not mean shadowing her as she looks at Mickey Mouse cups in Downtown Disney and whispering, “I hear Cousin Frank likes Donald Duck…” In the same spirit, if you ask her to get some information from the concierge or make a reservation for a show, do not lurk nearby while she’s at the front desk or “happen” to be standing right there while she’s attempting to book last minute tickets for four.
Accept that they will say no sometimes
This is one of the hardest parts for parents. You want those bright-eyed toddlers squealing in wonder; they want to IM their friends or play arcade games. Know when to push and when to say no. As my mother says, choose your battles. Is it more important for your teens come to dinner at Boma or breakfast at ‘Ohana? Can you bear for them to give up one meal with you? If they want to hang out by the pool when the rest of you go to Downtown Disney, will they meet you you for a movie that evening? Compromise, people. Remember: As in Disney World, so in life.
Initiate the Offer
Don’t always wait for them to come to you; show your teens you trust them by reaching out on your own. (Hint: This also allows you to retain some control over the situation.) For instance, were you to say, “I know you might want to sleep late tomorrow. Why don’t you meet us for lunch at Sunshine Seasons? Just stay in touch, OK?” you will probably be met with a look of both surprise and gratitude.
Or maybe not. You can never tell with teens. But at least you made the effort, and have shown you understand their need for independence.
Remember that they’re teenagers.
As if you could forget. But that means that they may not always (or ever) go along with your fantasy of the perfect family vacation. You–and they–may have to settle for moments, which is actually not that bad.
Because Disney World, paradoxically, is a great place to let them to do a little growing up.
