It's no secret that Florida weather is hot, day in and day out. It's also no secret that Be Our Guest is the most popular restaurant in Magic Kingdom (and arguably, Walt Disney World). Its reservation-only dinner service combined with quick-service lunch make it appealing to everyone on the dining
Showing posts with label The Disney Way. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Disney Way. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
The Best Hot Chocolate Ever (aka, How You Can Consume 27,000 Caloriesin a Weekend While Staying at a Disney Resort's Concierge Level)
I don't know about you, but every Disney trip I've been on is the best diet ever! I go, eat pretty much whatever I want, and then *poof* come back from my vacation 10 lbs lighter. It's amazing! Well, that is, until my last visit, when I came back a pound worse. How does that even happen?
You see, I am a self-proclaimed hot chocolate connoisseur. I love it. I can tell you what brand it is while drinking blindfolded. I have tasted everything from Swiss Miss to Starbucks, to locally-made $12 hot chocolate. On a recent visit however, I discovered the creme de la creme of all hot chocolates. The best cocoa cocktail I've ever tasted!
Staying on the concierge level has many perks, like the time I forgot to pack a toothbrush, and one was there waiting on me, along with toothpaste, which has an amazingly light minty flavor.
Not so overpowering that it knocks you out, and oddly, makes you brush for even longer than usual because it's so mild and refreshing. ((Where was I? Oh yes, hot chocolate.) Part of the concierge level perks include turndown service, and your own resting place - a locked, limited access lounge area with televisions, refreshments, maps, and a personal concierge available to plan any missed details. In the morning, you'll find breakfast foods on the buffet bar, and in the afternoon you'll find snacks and munchies.
It was there I made what shall forever be known as "the best hot chocolate ever". The recipe is simple: Take the provided paper pup. Pour in one packet of hot chocolate, plus a tiny bit more from a second packet. Save packet in your purse for your next cup. Go to hot water machine and begin filling cup with hot water. Notice that next to the hot water is a frothy steamed milk spout. Hmmm. Stop water. Start adding frothy steamed milk instead of water. Notice hazelnut syrup bottle. Nuts and chocolate go well together, don't they, Self? Yes, I think they do. Add a splash of hazelnut syrup. Stir. Blow off to cool. Sip. Faint.
Yes, it was that good. I am certain the cocoa itself was rich, but adding the cappuccino milk made it light and fluffy, while the hazelnut syrup adding a different taste altogether. I could have skipped the parks and just made cup after cup of cocoa all day. Just kidding. Who would do that? But I did find myself making a cup each morning before going to the parks, as well as one for the road on the day I left. So there you have it. An alternate reason to stay at the concierge level: the ability to make simply the best hot chocolate ever. Don't say I didn't warn you.
°o° ~ Karen
You see, I am a self-proclaimed hot chocolate connoisseur. I love it. I can tell you what brand it is while drinking blindfolded. I have tasted everything from Swiss Miss to Starbucks, to locally-made $12 hot chocolate. On a recent visit however, I discovered the creme de la creme of all hot chocolates. The best cocoa cocktail I've ever tasted!
Staying on the concierge level has many perks, like the time I forgot to pack a toothbrush, and one was there waiting on me, along with toothpaste, which has an amazingly light minty flavor.
Not so overpowering that it knocks you out, and oddly, makes you brush for even longer than usual because it's so mild and refreshing. ((Where was I? Oh yes, hot chocolate.) Part of the concierge level perks include turndown service, and your own resting place - a locked, limited access lounge area with televisions, refreshments, maps, and a personal concierge available to plan any missed details. In the morning, you'll find breakfast foods on the buffet bar, and in the afternoon you'll find snacks and munchies.
It was there I made what shall forever be known as "the best hot chocolate ever". The recipe is simple: Take the provided paper pup. Pour in one packet of hot chocolate, plus a tiny bit more from a second packet. Save packet in your purse for your next cup. Go to hot water machine and begin filling cup with hot water. Notice that next to the hot water is a frothy steamed milk spout. Hmmm. Stop water. Start adding frothy steamed milk instead of water. Notice hazelnut syrup bottle. Nuts and chocolate go well together, don't they, Self? Yes, I think they do. Add a splash of hazelnut syrup. Stir. Blow off to cool. Sip. Faint.
Yes, it was that good. I am certain the cocoa itself was rich, but adding the cappuccino milk made it light and fluffy, while the hazelnut syrup adding a different taste altogether. I could have skipped the parks and just made cup after cup of cocoa all day. Just kidding. Who would do that? But I did find myself making a cup each morning before going to the parks, as well as one for the road on the day I left. So there you have it. An alternate reason to stay at the concierge level: the ability to make simply the best hot chocolate ever. Don't say I didn't warn you.
°o° ~ Karen
Monday, April 1, 2013
Service Review: Special Dietary Needs
Let's say you're in your hometown about to go out to eat, and someone in your party has a food allergy. What do you do? Bring your own food for them? Limit them to just one or two items to choose from? Or tell them where you're going in advance so they have plenty of time to look at the menu and determine if they should just stay home?
Let me tell you a little about what it's like to eat with Disney and have special dietary needs. You see, I can tell you not because I have special dietary needs, but because I was able to see first-hand the Disney treatment of that type of need.
On a recent trip, I was traveling with Debi, a fellow travel agent. Debi is allergic to nuts. At our first restaurant, Boma, we alerted the hostess staff at the front desk that one of our members had a food allergy. It ends there, right? Wrong!
Next thing you know, we were getting a personal visit from Chef Matt.
Matt was ah-maze-ing! He asked Debi what she was allergic to, and didn't just tell her what she *could* eat, he walked her up to the buffet and pointed every single side dish, main dish, and dessert out to her. And for those dishes that sat really close to a food with nuts on the bar, he brought out her very own dish of that food, specially prepared, and guaranteed to not have any wayward nuts from the dish next to it.
Not to mention he was just a sweetheart! He also stopped back at our table several times - almost as many times as our waiter - just to make sure we were okay and Debi was getting enough to eat.
Now Matt was a gem, for sure, and I thought surely this was special treatment and not all Disney table service restaurants are this way. Au contraire. We ate at Flying Fish the following day.
Again, as we sat down, one of the fabulous chefs from back behind this counter came right out to us, advised Debi of everything she could eat, and then even made something special for her off the menu!
So rest assured if you have special dietary needs, Disney will be sure you do get to eat from their fabulous restaurants, and not have to bring your own food from home! It's just another little-known sprinkle of pixie dust that Disney bestows upon their travelers to make every bit of a vacation truly magical.
Now that you know about this service, if you DO have special needs, please let me know! I can send a special form to the restaurant that lets them know you're coming ahead of time, and they'll already have special items ready and waiting for your arrival, prepared just the way you need them. I'm giving this magical Disney service review five magic wands for service, professionalism, and keeping guest safety number one.
Let me tell you a little about what it's like to eat with Disney and have special dietary needs. You see, I can tell you not because I have special dietary needs, but because I was able to see first-hand the Disney treatment of that type of need.
On a recent trip, I was traveling with Debi, a fellow travel agent. Debi is allergic to nuts. At our first restaurant, Boma, we alerted the hostess staff at the front desk that one of our members had a food allergy. It ends there, right? Wrong!
Next thing you know, we were getting a personal visit from Chef Matt.
Matt was ah-maze-ing! He asked Debi what she was allergic to, and didn't just tell her what she *could* eat, he walked her up to the buffet and pointed every single side dish, main dish, and dessert out to her. And for those dishes that sat really close to a food with nuts on the bar, he brought out her very own dish of that food, specially prepared, and guaranteed to not have any wayward nuts from the dish next to it.
Not to mention he was just a sweetheart! He also stopped back at our table several times - almost as many times as our waiter - just to make sure we were okay and Debi was getting enough to eat.
Now Matt was a gem, for sure, and I thought surely this was special treatment and not all Disney table service restaurants are this way. Au contraire. We ate at Flying Fish the following day.
Again, as we sat down, one of the fabulous chefs from back behind this counter came right out to us, advised Debi of everything she could eat, and then even made something special for her off the menu!
So rest assured if you have special dietary needs, Disney will be sure you do get to eat from their fabulous restaurants, and not have to bring your own food from home! It's just another little-known sprinkle of pixie dust that Disney bestows upon their travelers to make every bit of a vacation truly magical.
Now that you know about this service, if you DO have special needs, please let me know! I can send a special form to the restaurant that lets them know you're coming ahead of time, and they'll already have special items ready and waiting for your arrival, prepared just the way you need them. I'm giving this magical Disney service review five magic wands for service, professionalism, and keeping guest safety number one.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
The First and the Last
One of my favorite things to do is people watch. There's something settling about losing all sense of time while sitting on a park bench as people stroll by. Disney World is no different. Today I had the fortunate pleasure of being one of the first ones in the Magic Kingdom, and one of the last to leave. Normally, my family would be with me, and our agenda would not include people watching, nor would we close down the park at the end of the day. Today, however, was much different.
I started with a Keys to the Kingdom Tour that began right as the park opened. Our task was to be in the park before our tour departure time. Let me just say that standing outside Guest Relations when those fireworks go off in the morning is no less than amazing. I liken it to the Running of the Bulls. You either run with the group, move out of the way, or face certain trampling. I fully intended to take a picture of the people coming in, but that's just it – if you blinked, you missed them! They were in and gone, strollers wheeling at break-neck speeds, undoubtedly off to Space Mountain and New Fantasyland.
We let them go by and started our tour. Once it was over, I had several other things on the agenda, including stops at Hollywood Studios, the Boardwalk, and EPCOT. My traveling companion opted to call it a night at 10 pm, but for me, that was the perfect time to head back to the Magic Kingdom. Most people were trickling out, not in, and I found myself standing in a nearly empty Magic Kingdom, staring at the beauty that lives within the walls. I walked back to the jungle cruise – a completely different experience at night than it is during the day – and over to the dualing Dumbos. But my favorite shot of the night was coming out of the back of New Fantasyland.
I was the last one off Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid, and even then I was the only person in the entire ride queue. I could walk slowly on purpose and enjoy the details in this shot...
this one...
and this...
(Can I just say that I think that the backside of the castle is ah-maze-ing?!)
One cannot be the last person out of the Magic Kingdom and not be in awe of the dream that Walt began. Each detail - these finials in front of the castle could be round, but they aren't - they're pumpkin carriages.
When the children are tired, and the families are leaving, to stand around and capture the very essence that is Disney is amazing.
Thanks for a beautiful evening, and don't worry, Walt. I'll see ya again, real soon.
ºOº Karen
4.7
I started with a Keys to the Kingdom Tour that began right as the park opened. Our task was to be in the park before our tour departure time. Let me just say that standing outside Guest Relations when those fireworks go off in the morning is no less than amazing. I liken it to the Running of the Bulls. You either run with the group, move out of the way, or face certain trampling. I fully intended to take a picture of the people coming in, but that's just it – if you blinked, you missed them! They were in and gone, strollers wheeling at break-neck speeds, undoubtedly off to Space Mountain and New Fantasyland.
We let them go by and started our tour. Once it was over, I had several other things on the agenda, including stops at Hollywood Studios, the Boardwalk, and EPCOT. My traveling companion opted to call it a night at 10 pm, but for me, that was the perfect time to head back to the Magic Kingdom. Most people were trickling out, not in, and I found myself standing in a nearly empty Magic Kingdom, staring at the beauty that lives within the walls. I walked back to the jungle cruise – a completely different experience at night than it is during the day – and over to the dualing Dumbos. But my favorite shot of the night was coming out of the back of New Fantasyland.
I was the last one off Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid, and even then I was the only person in the entire ride queue. I could walk slowly on purpose and enjoy the details in this shot...
this one...
and this...
(Can I just say that I think that the backside of the castle is ah-maze-ing?!)
One cannot be the last person out of the Magic Kingdom and not be in awe of the dream that Walt began. Each detail - these finials in front of the castle could be round, but they aren't - they're pumpkin carriages.
When the children are tired, and the families are leaving, to stand around and capture the very essence that is Disney is amazing.
And that's just it. To be the first is exciting, exhilarating, and energetic. But to be the last... to bid adieu to the Magic Kingdom as it rubs its eyes in preparation for a night's slumber is in fact, magical.
Thanks for a beautiful evening, and don't worry, Walt. I'll see ya again, real soon.
ºOº Karen
4.7
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