Victoria & Albert’s Chef’s Table Review

There's a lengthly review of the previously-mentioned, very expensive, lavish, and prestigious Victoria & Albert's at disneyfoodblog.com. The review is specifically about the restaurant's "Chef's Table," which is a private table served once-nightly right off the kitchen. This family of 5 (including their 13-year-old and twin 10-year-old daughters) were served 12 food courses (!!) by their own personal waiter.



There is no menu at the Chef's Table. Instead, the party has a conversation with the head chef, and the entire meal is personally and uniquely prepared to everyone's tastes. The grand total isn't explicitly mentioned, but this family's bill would've come to approximately $1,000 ($175 per person, additional cost for the author's wine pairings, and I'm not sure if gratuity or alcoholic drinks are included).



A link to the review can be found here: Victoria & Albert’s Chef’s Table Review

Top 5 Park Tips

Wow, just about 1½ years to go if we go in August 2011.



One of the best sources of Disney World information is The DIS Boards, a huge, unofficial Disney parks forum. I read it often, and have compiled this top 5 list based on a few threads about mistakes people have made on their daily trips to the parks.

1. Take care of your feet. If planning to buy new shoes, buy them at least one month in advance (many people swear by Crocs). Take a good walk a few times a week in the weeks leading up to the trip to condition your feet (and your legs) for the parks; you'll be doing a lot of walking, and you may be surprised how unprepared your body is for it. Some prefer to pack 2 pair of park shoes in case one pair just isn't working out. On the trip, pack an extra pair of socks in case yours get wet if it rains. To prevent blisters, I recommend a product called Body Glide, which you can roll on your feet (and thighs, if you like), deodorant-style.



2. Drink water to prevent dehydration. This will be especially important in the Florida heat. There are a few options available. Counter-service restaurants will provide ice and water (not filtered) at no cost. You can also bring a hard-plastic water bottle (with or without a filter) and refill it in the parks if necessary. Some people bring flavour packets to add to their water. Don't drink too much coffee or caffeinated drinks, as they can contribute to dehydration.



3. Bring essentials each day. I already mentioned packing an extra pair of socks, but other essentials might include sunscreen, snacks, batteries, ziplock bags (to protect your camera, for snacks and leftovers, or to store a wet cloth). One word of caution is to not load up on too much; you're not going to want to be weighed down all day.



4. Don't think you have to stick together. While I tend to have idyllic notions of everything touring the parks as one big group, the overwhelming consensus is this is a recipe for disaster on many levels. People will want to do different things, one big mob moves very slowly (partially due to lots of waiting on others), and tensions can rise. It's okay to split up for a little while, or even whole days. Some might prefer to just meet up during mid-day breaks or dinner, on certain days or every day, and that's okay.



5. Don't be miserable. This one's pretty direct, but a sour grape can ruin it for everyone (see tip #4). You'll see families that are stressed out and unhappy everywhere; don't be one of them. Relax, have fun, and have consideration for the people you're with. Kids will sometimes dictate the direction the day goes in (see tip #4 again). Mid-day breaks will help with this in a big way. Plans can and will change, and someone will probably tick you off at some point; roll with it. It won't be possible to see everything, but there's a good chance that your first trip to Disney World won't be your last, so don't sweat it.
   

A Day in the Life of a Vacationeer - Part 2

Employing the "early mornings, take breaks" strategy mentioned in the previous post, most days would start around 7 or 8. That provides time for the morning routine, eating breakfast, and meeting up in the lobby, for example. We would then take a bus to a park for park opening; some parks have an opening ceremony. Those wanting to stay behind can later contact the group and find out where to meet up.



As with all of my recommended strategy, I come up with what I think are the best options and plans, and everyone else is free to join in or do their own thing. That's not a bad thing at all, and with cell phones, it'll be easy enough for us to split up and get back together during the day.



Believe it or not, there are some amazing resources that use complex scientific data to determine which parks will be busiest each day, as well as recommend the order in which to tour the parks (I'm not kidding). There's a fine line between reasonable planning and ruining the fun with over-planning, but I believe that picking the least-busy day and using the top of the morning to enjoy the most popular attractions and rides is a good idea. I will have my recommendations for parks and the most popular attractions each day for those interested.



After enjoying the first few hours of the morning enjoy rides and attractions without spending much time in lines or queues, it's easy to then just go where the wind takes you, if you like. After lunch, depending on crowds and heat, taking a break shortly afterwards can mean returning to the resort. Kids will undoubtedly want to go for a swim and/or take a brief nap, while adults may prefer to do the above, possibly go shopping, visit some of the other resorts, watch TV, or what have you. After dinner (sometimes at another resort, sometimes at a park), evenings are completely open. All but one of the parks have elaborate evening shows, parades, and/or fireworks.



I'm likely to recommend a day or two for relaxation, which might look like sleeping in, going for a swim, going to Downtown Disney, checking out other resorts, maybe checking out Epcot's World Showcase or Animal Kingdom's afternoon parade, etc.

A Day in the Life of a Vacationeer - Part 1

I'll be covering much of this stuff in a pre-trip meeting down the road, so it's not exactly required reading.



The main objective of the vacation is to have fun. That's very basic, but more specifically, it means having a nice balance between having fun (typically in the parks), spending time with each other, and relaxing. Some families approach Disney World with a "commando" approach (and I don't mean going sans undergarments), meaning they plan every minute meticulously, and spend each day going from attraction to attraction, ride to ride, stopping only for eating and bathroom breaks. The problem with that is the burn-out factor; even without kids, that strategy will wear anyone out very quickly. With kids, it's a recipe for a disaster in melt-down city.



There's a better way to enjoy much of what Disney World has to offer, and that is to mix early mornings with breaks. For some, getting up early in the morning while on vacation is unthinkable. In fact, the vast majority of Disney World visitors agree, and don't arrive at the parks when they open, opting to sleep in and come in the late morning. That's not a terrible strategy, but it guarantees that the late sleeper will spend more time standing and waiting in lines, which makes for a poor use of time and fewer attractions to experience; in other words, less fun.



The parks generally open at 9:00 am, so getting up between 7 and 8 makes being at the parks when they open possible. With relatively few people at the park openings, it's easy to enjoy the first few hours of each day experiencing more than would otherwise be possible. "The others" tend to grab lunch around 12:00 and crowd the parks in the early afternoon, the hottest part of the day. My suggestion is to grab lunch slightly earlier (coinciding with an early morning), and then taking a break shortly afterwards. Some may want to go for a swim, take a nap, shop at Downtown Disney, or whatever. The parks cool and calm down closer to dinner.



It's also advisable to have at least one day of rest during the vacation, which may involve visiting a park later in the day/evening, or even not at all. Ending the night to reflect the early mornings will help everyone get enough sleep, while still having plenty of time in the evening to enjoy themselves.



Most people tend to hit "the wall" by the second or third day when going "commando." I was initially resistant to the early rise and taking breaks approach, but it's a proven and widely-recommended strategy. Skeptics are of course welcome to disregard that advice, but can start using it at any time.

Crunching Numbers with the Disney Dining Plan

This post will be of limited interest to most, but I wanted to go over the details of the Disney Dining Plan that we will most likely have added to our vacation packages at no additional cost (see this post for more information on this promotion). I'll also mention the Wine & Dine add-on to the dining plan.



I was curious to know how much money we would save by taking advantage of the free dining promotion towards the end of August. The regular dining plan costs $41.99/adult and $12.99/child per day. That's not cheap, but neither is dining at Disney World; for people who pay for the dining plan, they're still likely to save money compared to buying meals out-of-pocket. Assuming an 8-night vacation, the cost of the dining plan would normally cost a total of $672 for a party of 2 adults, or $880 for 2 adults and 2 kids. Pretty insane. That's obviously a gigantic savings when taking advantage of the free dining promotion.



This past fall, Disney World extended their free dining promotion by several months, but the extended promotion offered the lesser "quick-service" dining plan for guests staying at value resorts. Instead of providing 1 counter-service, 1 table-service, and 1 snack credit each day, the quick-service dining plan provides 2 counter-service credits and 1 snack credit. The cost to upgrade to the regular dining plan is $10/adult and $3/child per day, which I think is worthwhile in order to exchange a counter-service meal for a table-service meal.



There's some conjecture that Disney may start offering this lesser dining plan with their free dining promotions going forward (again, just for value resort guests). For an 8-night vacation, the cost to upgrade the dining plan would be $160 for a party of 2 adults, or $208 for 2 adults and 2 kids. Worth doing, I think, if the quick-service dining plan becomes to norm for the promotion, but something to take into consideration when budgeting and considering our options. We'll find out what Disney is doing for this year's promotion in a few months most likely, and that will give us an idea of what to expect next year.



If Disney starts to offer the lesser quick-service dining plan with the free dining promotion, the cost of upgrading to the regular dining plan would make a compelling reason to stay at a moderate resort instead of a value resort. I previously hemmed-and-hawed about staying at a moderate resort, so I don't want to jump the gun. When we have details about the next free dining promotion, that will likely inform that decision.



And finally, the Wine & Dine add-on provides 1 wine entitlement (typically 1 bottle) per night stayed, per party. The cost is $39.99/night, so it's not inexpensive, but I thought there might be some interest in it. Of course, glasses and bottles of wine can be bought as desired without the Wine & Dine add-on. For an 8-night stay, the add-on comes to $320. For a list of wines and more information, see Disney's Wine & Dine brochure.

Restaurants at Disney World - Part 5

I wanted to discuss the food court at our possible/likely resort, Pop Century, in the final part of my introduction to Disney World's restaurants. Not everyone has to stay at the same resort of course, but Pop Century offers the best of the value-class resorts at Disney World.



To segue a bit further, I've previously mentioned the Disney Dining Plan, which normally is somewhat costly, but is typically offered at no additional cost towards the end of August until October. The dining plan provides credits that can be redeemed at most restaurants on property: 1 counter-service credit, 1 table-service credit, and 1 snack credit per person, per day. The best way to get the most out of this plan is to have a counter-service lunch and a table-service dinner. For breakfast, you could either bring easy-to-prepare/no-prep items (breakfast bars, fruit, etc.), use your snack credit for a single item, or you could buy breakfast and pay out-of-pocket.



Rooms at the value resorts do not have much to help with food preparation, and small refrigerators are only available to rent from Disney for $10/night. There is an option to "borrow" a mini fridge without cost by way of an unofficial, purely grassroots fridge swap, but there's some time and effort that applies; I will provide more information when we're closer to the trip. But for those not wanting to bother with doing any food prep, there's the resort's "Everything Pop" food court.



Menu items for breakfast include waffles, pancakes, pastries, bacon, sausage, potatoes, french toast, eggs, omelets, grits, oatmeal, and wraps.





For those who may find themselves wanting to dine while relaxing back at the resort, the lunch and dinner offerings include various flatbreads (rueben, Mediterranean chicken), chicken caesar salad, turkey ciabatta, asian chicken salad, tuna salad sandwiches, burgers, cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets, hotdogs, wraps, chili cheese fries, chili, pizza, chicken penne alfredo, parmesan chicken, meatball subs, shrimp lo mein, nachos, beef and broccoli stir fry, chocolate cake, tie-dyed cheesecake, sundaes, and milk shakes. The menu is quite a bit larger, but that gives you an idea of the variety they offer.







And finally, the poolside bar is also worth mentioning. Although I don't believe food is served there (I could be wrong), they offer a selection of beers, specialty drinks (mai tais, lemonade), frozen beverages (pina CoLava, orange creamsicle, mango margarita), and several non-alcoholic drinks (sour apple freeze, espresso freeze).

Restaurants at Disney World - Part 4

In addition to some great table-service restaurants, the offerings at counter-service locations in the parks and resorts are pretty outstanding as well. It's not difficult to find hot dogs, hamburgers, and fries if that's what you're in the mood for, but there is no shortage of other mouth-watering options.

Flame Tree Barbecue is located in the Animal Kingdom, although I'm assured the meat served is brought in from outside the park. Menu highlights: smoked half chicken, half slab of St. Louis ribs, barbecue chicken salad, smoked turkey, beef, and pork sandwiches. Sides: baked beans, corn muffin, coleslaw.

Epcot's Sunshine Seasons serves fresh food at 4 different stations: [1] wood-fired grills and rotisseries, with chicken, pork chops, and salmon; [2] sandwich shop with grilled-vegetable Cuban, Black Forest ham-salami grinder, and turkey and cheese on focaccia; [3] Asian shop, with noodle bowls and various stir-fry combos; [4] soup-and-salad shop, with creations like seared tuna on mixed greens with sesame–rice wine vinaigrette.

Columbia Harbour House in the Magic Kingdom serves up a number of seafood options, including fried fish, fried shrimp, New England clam chowder, and a white tuna sandwich with lettuce and tomato. Non-seafood dishes include a garden harvest salad, chicken breast nuggets, BLT salad, and vegetarian chili.

Ice cream fans will lose their minds at Beaches and Cream at the Yacht and Beach Club resort. In addition to items like cheeseburgers, roast beef subs, chili, and chicken-caesar salad, they offer a large selection of ice cream creations. The menu lists old-fashioned sandaes, classic banana splits, milkshakes and malts, brownie a la mode, fudge mud slides, and the aptly-named No Way Jose. But the killer is The Kitchen Sink (pictured), featuring 8 scoops with every topping in the house, and topped with a full can of whipped cream. Most mortals will want to share this one.

The humble sandwich was invented by Earl John Montgue in the 17th century. Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney is owned by an ancestor, the current Earl of Sandwich. The menu includes the Earl's club with turkey, bacon, swiss, lettuce, and tomato; the Original 1972 with roast beef, cheddar, and horseradish sauce; the All American with turkey, ranch, cranberries, cheddar, lettuce, and tomato; and a sizable variety of other sandwiches and sides.

Wolfgang Puck Express, also in Downtown Disney, offers cuisine often reserved for table-service restaurants. The offerings are vast, serving meals from breakfast to dinner. Some breakfast choices: smoked bacon pizza, Wolfgang's breakfast pocket, Belgian waffles, and a selection of omelets. Day-time offerings include a variety of soups and meal-salads, focaccia and pocket sandwiches, hand-crafted pizzas, melts, pastas, and more.