INTERCOT Insider Disney Newsletter

Brought to you by INTERCOT's network of sites:
INTERCOT - Walt Disney World Inside & Out
INTERCOT's WebDisney - Guide to Disney on the Internet
INTERCOT's MousehutMail - Free Web Based Email

<<Introduction>>

Fall may be fleeting, but another edition of the INTERCOT Insider is heading your way.  With Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season just around the corner, its a grand time to celebrate with family and friends.  In this grand edition, we learn about a grand promotion to keep you charged at the parks, look at some grand feasts, check-out a grand place to stay, and take a peak at the grand Christmas celebrations happening this year at the Walt Disney World resort.   Hang on to them hats and glasses, cause this here's the most informative ride on the internet!

<<Disney Deals>>

with Magical Journeys Travel Agency

-- Power through the Parks--

The lines are long, and your phones battery life is short. Don’t miss out on your chance to snap a once in a lifetime photo or get your FastPass because you couldn’t find an outlet. Book a four night vacation with a four day ticket package (value $1800+) for 2015 with Magical Journeys and receive a USB battery charger for your mobile device! Charge it overnight, power through the parks, and never worry about slowing down to find an outlet!

>>Contact Magical Journeys Today!

>> Power through the Parks

<<A Taste of the World with Mickey'sGirl>>

Cast: There are four of us; Jennifer, my Dear Husband, our Dear Son 16 and our Dear Son 10.

--The Magic Kingdom and Beyond--

Be Our Guest – Late dinner
We were able to get a late evening dinner reservation at Be our Guest on our first night at Walt Disney World. The boys were looking forward to it, as we had really enjoyed our dinner there in December.
Food: 3 out of 5
Harry had Mussels Provencal to start, and the Shrimp and Scallop on puff pastry for his main; Euan had the Grilled Strip Steak; Brian had the French Onion Soup to start, and the Thyme-scented Pork Rack Chop for his main; I had the a Garden Salad to start and the Chicken Breast Provencal for my main. While the boys both really enjoyed their meals, Brian and I both were “meh” about our meals. I should have known better and had the Lamb Rack. I do not care for chicken, but the “Provencal” hooked me. It was fine, but not very flavourful (though the olives were very good and meaty). Brian found his chop tough ... so much so that he had a hard time cutting it with the knife he was given. Euan got some Grey stuff to finish off. He confirmed that it was delicious.
Atmosphere: 3 out of 5
The restaurant itself is beautiful. Last time we dined here, we were seated in the main room and it was lovely. This time we were off in the Music Box room with the cafeteria kiosks pushed off to the side and it was not so lovely. It was fine, but not expensive dinner fine.
Service: 4 out of 5
We had a very good server. She was quick to retrieve drinks and refills and cleared our plates well, but she could have been working at Applebees. I think if this place is supposed to be the fine dining of Magic Kingdom, then the servers should be a little more polished.
Overall: 3 out of 5
We just didn’t dig it enough to prioritize it for future trips. I think it should be just a little bit more than good.

Plaza Restaurant - Lunchtime
We love to visit the Plaza for lunch when visiting the Magic Kingdom
Food: 4 out of 5
The boys both had burgers and milkshakes, and there was nothing left in the end, so they were good! Brian had the Cheese Steak and I had the Plaza Club. Brian doesn’t do mushrooms, and they chef didn’t include them in his sandwich, so Brian was happy! My club was terrific. It is one of my favorite sandwiches anywhere. Always fresh and the bread is never soggy. It’s a good sandwich.
Atmosphere: 4 out of 5
The Plaza is bright and cool and always clean. My one gripe is with the size of the tables. We are all very tall, and the tables are just a little cozy for us … BUT the CM who seated us gave us a table for 6, and we were able to spread out some.
Service: 5 out of 5
The servers at the Plaza are professionals, and it really shows. Efficient, polite, knowledgeable … they are terrific. As I have allergies, I always get to speak with a Kitchen manager about my order. The chef I spoke with was lovely, and addressed the whole table. I have spoken with her many times over the years and she always makes me feel like nothing is too much of a bother and it is her pleasure to look after me.
Overall: 4.5 out of 5
We will continue to make the Plaza one of our stops. It never disappoints.

Cape May Buffet – Breakfast
We were originally going to go to the Crystal Palace for breakfast, but we couldn’t face the production of getting to the Magic Kingdom that early in the morning in the heat. So we made a change to one we easily walked to from the Boardwalk.
Food: 3 out of 5
The food was fine. It was typical breakfast buffet food, but there was nothing special about it (unlike the Breakfast Lasagna which is served at Crystal Palace). The coffee and fresh juice were fine.
Atmosphere: 4 out of 5
Cape May is really bright and fresh. The tables are well spread and we don’t feel we’re on top of our neighbors. The character interaction is very good, and all the guys, Goofy, Minnie and Donald spent time at the tables posing and signing autographs.
Service: 3 out of 5
The service was fine. Our server got us what we needed when we asked for it, and cleared our empty plates, but he was not engaged and brought us our bill before I asked for it.
Overall: 3.5 out of 5
I kinda wish we had gone to the Crystal Palace from a food perspective, but we were glad to avoid the transportation logistics!

Sci-Fi Dine In Theater - Lunchtime
The Sci-Fi was another unplanned meal, which we booked on the fly while standing in line at The Great Movie Ride.
Food: 4 out of 5
The key to the food at the Sci-Fi is to get food that you would get at a Drive In. We all shared some onion rings to start (great big well fried onion rings with horseradish dipping sauce), then the boys had burgers and vanilla cokes. Brian had the Turkey sandwich and I had the Salmon BLT. My salmon was a bit overcooked, but it was still very tasty. The boys finished their meals with some chocolate sundaes (hold the cherries, which our server did not forget to do.). Brian and I drank gallons of iced tea.
Atmosphere: 5 out of 5
Nothing compares with the kitschy fabulousness that is the Sci-Fi Drive-In. We were seated in a great little blue four-seater (Euan was driving), and we saw the whole movie reel.
Service: 5 out of 5
We have always had great service at the Sci-Fi. Our server kept the cold drinks flowing (it was unbearably hot outside on this day) and made sure that the boys’ chocolate sundaes were cherry-less. He was friendly and efficient and our food was hot.
Overall: 5 out of 5
I know the food is much maligned at the Sci-Fi, but if you order what they are good at, it is very good. It was such a welcome oasis on the day we were there … we were hungry and hot, and it was just fabulous.

<< Home Away From Home with Hammer>>

--The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian--

Our family likes to book larger accommodations when we travel. The main reason is we usually travel with our Mom who uses a wheel chair to get around and it makes a room very cramped. This way Mom has her own space. We spend time at our resort. It is almost never “just a place to shower and sleep” for our family. It is a part of the overall vacation for us.

Mom was originally supposed to join us, but due to health issues, she wasn’t able to join us (and sadly, her days of being able to go to Disney with us are most likely over). However, we could not change the size of our accommodations or our travel dates, so we kept the 2 bedroom for 2 people. We ended up loving having the space and it kept 2 sisters from killing each other as we each had our own space! Since we have the points, we think we will book 2 bedrooms from now on for our Food and Wine trip, since it is our longer Walt Disney World trip.

Now, onto the review. I absolutely loved this place! The configuration worked so well for us. When you enter the villa, you have the option of going left or right down a hallway, one bedroom to the right, the other to the left. It was like they were in separate wings, which is nice for privacy especially if you are travelling with a group or maybe the parents want some Mommy-Daddy time in the evening away from the kids. My sister had to take a couple of morning conference calls and I didn’t hear a thing in my room and she couldn’t hear my TV.

The décor of bedrooms, bathrooms and living room was beautiful. There were Disney touches, but it was subtle, which is our preference. As we had reserved a wheelchair accessible room for Mom, we did not have the claw foot style tub in the master bath, but that was fine. You get the Sea Salt H2O products like at the regular Grand Floridian hotel, which I loved! Bought a bottle of the Sea Salt body wash to bring back home! The kitchen was just the right size and I really liked the banquette style kitchen table. The appliances were nice stainless steel by GE Profile, though we didn’t cook a thing except make Cuban coffee ;) ! We had a standard view room, but we could sit out on the balcony and watch the monorail go by (which did most evenings before going to bed).

The staff was fantastic! Check in and concierge are combined, so you sit at one of the 3 concierge desks and they take care of everything. We were able to check in and verify our cabana reservation at the same time. Bell staff took care of holding our bags (including our refrigerated items) and everything was delivered promptly when we called. My sister and I each use our own credit cards on our magic bands (we did the same thing when there were cards). This is the first year in over 4 years that there wasn’t a single billing error!

I can’t think of anything we didn’t like about the Villas at Grand Floridian! This will definitely be our 1st choice for DVC accommodations!
 

<< INTERCOTee Christmas Preview >>

INTERCOT was live on social media during the recent Christmas Preview media events at the Walt Disney World resort.  From Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and the Jingle Cruise, to favorite Holiday Treats and The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights; INTERCOT gave you a preview of all the fun in store for a Christmastime trip in 2014.  In case you missed these updates or if you just want to take a look back, check out INTERCOT's Facebook.

>> 2014 Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party Photo Album

>> 2014 Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights Photo Album

>> Spectacle of Dancing Lights Video #1

>> Spectacle of Dancing Lights Video #2

>> Spectacle of Dancing Lights Video #3

<<Conclusion >>

The grand edition has come to a grand close.  We hope its given you some new trip ideas or maybe just reminded you of some of your favorites. We'll be back in a few weeks with more great tips, news, and deals.  See ya real soon!

<< Thank You To Our Sponsors! >>

The INTERCOT Insider and INTERCOT.com are supported by the following sponsors who in turn, help us bring the Magic to you!

Comments or questions may be sent to [email protected]