What do you get when you combine specialties from the Pacific Northwest, National Park inspired dining rooms, a comprehensive, award-winning wine list and eye-catching views? You get Artist Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge resort, the next restaurant on our tour of most romantic dining spots in Walt Disney World. Sirloins, seafood, and game make up the main focus of the cuisine at Artist Point. While the menu does change seasonally, the one constant is the cedar plank roasted salmon, the signature dish of the restaurant. Be sure to save room for dessert. The Artist Point cobbler is a special creation of seasonal berries and house-made black raspberry ice cream.

The mystery and the beauty of the American Northwest is awakened within Artist Point. There is a rustic elegance visible in the dining rooms of the restaurant, which is ideal for a couple’s night out. Elaborate iron lanterns hanging from immense timber columns provide the perfect romantic glow, and vast windows offer beautiful views of Bay Lake and Silver Creek Falls. You can choose to enjoy your meal in the remarkable indoor dining room, or when pleasant weather presents itself, you can dine on the outdoor terrace to take in the amazing landscape and views of the Wilderness Lodge. Artist Point provides the perfect setting for a relaxed and romantic evening for two.

A meal at Artist point ranges in price from $36 to $59.99 and the Disney Dining Plan is accepted. To guarantee your romantic evening for two, be sure to make reservations. You can make reservations at Artist Point up to 180 days in advance, as well as provide a credit card to guarantee your reservation. Please remember that if you cannot make your reservation you must cancel at least one day in advance or your credit card will be charged $10.00 for every person on the reservation.

Here is a clue of the next on my list of the most romantic dining spots in Walt Disney World. From this eight-sided pavilion you can experience the Electrical Water Pageant as well as the fireworks from Magic Kingdom! Any guesses?

Written by Meghan Blair, the “Disney Foodie” — As a Florida Resident, Meghan combines her love of Disney and her love of food! She will give you the best restaurant and dining tips and suggestions to make your meals, just as magical as the rest of your vacation! Book your next vacation with Meghan at 954-328-7090 or meghan@destinationsinflorida.com.

Best Friends Pet Care at Disney World

Treat the family pets to a Walt Disney World® vacation all their own at our spectacular new facility right on the Disney property. The 27,000-square-foot pet care center offers boarding, daycare and grooming for dogs, cats and other family pets in a safe, healthy and fun environment.

Choose from a range of accommodations and extensive menu of activities. While you explore the parks, your pet can enjoy playgroup, special treats and a movie. After park-hopping, spend time with your pet playing in our private dog park or taking a walk around the grounds. We’ll surprise and delight you both.

Best Friends Pet Care is the leader of the pack when it comes to the absolute best care for your cat or dog. With42 centers in 19 states, including Walt Disney World, our state-of-the-art facilities provide your pet with a safe, clean and fun environment that will remind your fido or feline of home.

Whether your pet needs a scratch around the ear, a face to lick or a place to play, your best friend will be taken care of as if our own. So pets, want a treat? Come. Sit. Stay a while. We think you’ll see why it’s “Best to stay with Friends.”

Hi! My name is Copper and I got to visit Best Friends kennel at Disney World while my owners were at the resorts. This was like a resort for me and could be for your best friend, too! We got to play outside in the water, on playgrounds, and take great walks — you can even get me a flat screen TV to watch! They treated me like any other Disney guest while I was at the Best Friends kennel. It was great! Watch the video to see some of the areas they let me play and the check-in process, which was super easy.

Contact Destinations in Florida today to book your trip today!

 

I have had the privilege of checking into the Disney resorts without the benefit of online check in as well as online check in.  The big difference is the time you spend waiting in line and standing at the counter.

Let me paint the picture for you; the whole family arrives at Disney after a long plane ride.  The children are excited and full of energy.  Once you get into the lobby the parents go to stand in line while the children head to an area for them to watch cartoons.  While this is a great feature it will only hold the attention of the little ones for so long.  After waiting patiently for your turn you need to present all the identification for you both and wait for it to process.  Everyone get irritated because we are so close to the fun yet so far until we check in.

Here is the difference with online check in.  Mom or Dad goes online 10 days before we leave and fills in the necessary information that we usually get at check in. Such as:

•  A credit card that you may use for incidental charges
• Arrival time
• Departure time
• Guest names
• Room requests (subject to availability)
• Address
• On-site phone number

Once you have entered this information you will receive a document about not feeding the animals at Animal Kingdom that will need to be signed.  Then when you get to your resort you will not have to wait in the regular line but one designated for online check in.  Your documents will already be print for signature.  You show your ID and Credit card that you entered online and you will get your Key to the World card with you room, park tickets and dining credits if you purchased the dining plan preloaded.  The wait time is significantly less.

I have had happy little ones when I tell them we are ready to get the vacation going!  I have enjoyed this added feature and I hope that you will too.  Have you used the online check??

Want to take the thinking out of your Disney Vacation Planning? Let us do the work for YOU! Contact us today for your FREE no-obligation quote.   Click here to see why everyone is booking their Disney vacation with Hotel How-to Gal. Planning is when the magic begins!!

Starting today you can ENTER to win a set of MICKEY EARS!  These are always fun to have at home or in the parks!

All you have to do is answer the following question below in comments and all of the correct answers will be entered to win the Mickey Ears by random draw.

This weeks TRIVIA QUESTION:

What movies are represented in both Walt Disney World and Disneyland in the Carousel Attraction?  Hint:  There is a different movie for each Park!

Remember:  Answer below in comments!  This contest will run until Friday, March 15th at 3PM ET.  Winner will be announced in comments on this post Saturday!

Good Luck!

 

Written by Angela Spurgeon, “TriviaTink” — Angela is an expert in planning Disney & Orlando vacations.  She specializes in traveling with toddlers.  Book your next Disney & Orlando vacation with Angela atangelas@destinationsinflorida.com.

Orlando is the epicenter of fun and excitement, with more than 100
attractions that keep visitors coming back for more. Take the mix of legendary
theme parks, spectacular museums, world-class entertainment and blockbuster
rides and attractions, and it would take about 67 days to visit all of the
entertaining offerings in Orlando.

Written by Stacy Gaffney, “Sorcerer Stacy” — Stacy is an expert in planning an affordable Disney and Orlando vacation.  Watch out for the magic, as Sorcerer Stacy plans your vacation!  Book your next Disney & Orlando vacation with Stacy at 877-918-8941 or stacy@destinationsinflorida.com.

Victoria & Albert’s restaurant in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa offers a unique dinner menu each night of exceptional, contemporary American cuisine served with unparalleled charm and elegance.

An 11-year recipient of the prestigious AAA Five Diamond award, this Signature Dining restaurant serves fine cuisine with wine pairings from an award-winning cellar. The renowned, 6-course prix fixe menu is prepared artfully each day with ingredients culled fresh from the world market.

Ambiance
Victoria & Albert’s restaurant offers an intimate 2-hour to 2.5-hour dining experience amongst gentle harp strains and the sparkle of imported crystal in a Victorian dining room. Sit in the midst of romantic splendor in this establishment celebrated the world over for its exquisite culinary creations and transcendent atmosphere. Butler service, personalized menus and a long-stem rose for each lady are just a few of the touches that create an opulent, palate-pampering experience.

Valet Parking is available at no additional cost. Children under the age 10 will not be served.

Dining Experiences
Each season has its own flavors and colors, and each day Chef Hunnel selects whatever is fresh at the market to create unique menus for the Dining Room, Queen Victoria’s Room and the Chef’s Table. The pricing for these elegant and intimate dining experiences are as follows:

• Victoria & Albert’s Dining Room: Menu Prix Fixe begins at $125.00 per Guest. Wine Pairings from $60.00 per Guest. (Pricing does not include tax and gratuity.)
• Queen Victoria’s Room: Menu Prix Fixe begins at $200.00 per Guest. Wine Pairings from $95.00 per Guest. (Pricing does not include tax and gratuity.)
• Chef’s Table: Menu Prix Fixe begins at $200.00 per Guest. Wine Pairings from $95.00 per Guest. (Pricing does not include tax and gratuity.)

Proper Dining Attire

• Men: Dinner jackets with dress pants/slacks and shoes. Ties are optional. (Please no jeans, shorts, sandals, flip-flops or tennis shoes.)
• Ladies: Cocktail dress, dressy pant suit, skirt/blouse or nice dress.(Please no jeans, shorts, capri pants, sandals, flip-flops or tennis shoes.)

The Disneyland Resort in California has three packages available for weddings and vow renewals. Couples who desire Disneyland weddings and vow renewals can choose from the Escape collection, the Wishes collection, and the Couture collection to fit events of all sizes and budgets.

The Escape collection is perfect for intimate affairs or modest budgets. Couples can choose from four ceremony venues including the Wedding Garden, Brisa Courtyard, Adventure Lawn Gazebo, and Parkview Terrace. Each location has a different feel and will shape your wedding accordingly. This package includes a fresh floral bouquet and boutonniere, a wedding cake, a champagne toast, a CD player or I-Pod hook up, personal wedding website, self-parking, a Disney wedding planner, and a three-course plated meal. There are plenty of extras you can add for additional costs such as Disney characters, additional beverages, or floral displays. These packages cost $5,000 with a 5 night room guarantee or $6,450 with no room guarantee.

The Wishes collection allows couples to select their ideal wedding from locations to entertainment to food and beverages. These weddings do have minimum expenditures depending on the day and time of the event. These couples can select to be married at Disneyland Park, Disney’s California Adventure Park, Parkview Terrace, Rose Court Garden, or Brisa Courtyard. The reception can take place in a theme park, restaurant, or ballroom. Couples can add special touches to their event such as Disney characters or Cinderella’s Coach.

The Couture collection actually allows brides and grooms the opportunity to work with celebrity wedding planner David Tutera and use some of his exclusive designs only for Disney weddings. There are four unique styles created by Tutera specially for Disney brides exclusive to this collection. The ceremony locations are the same as the wishes collection and brides can choose to customize these events as much as they desire. These weddings have a minimum expenditure of $65,000 plus tax including a food and beverage minimum of $175 per person.

Written by Siera Duiser, “Disney BridalEars” — Siera has grown up loving all things Disney!  She even had her very own Disney Fairytale Wedding in 2011. Now Siera enjoys Disney World with her own family.  Siera specializes in Disney weddings, honeymoons, and traveling with younger children.  Book your next vacation with Siera at siera@destinationsinflorida.com.

The Aquaduck on the Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream is a thrilling 765 foot water coaster that takes over the side of the ship and then racing down the middle of the ship before going through the front funnel. The Aquaduck on the Disney cruise line is a great ride that offers amazing views of the Fantasy and the ocean. You can ride alone or with a friend making it a great family ride. If you are on the Disney Fantasy or Disney Dream I would definitely make time to ride the Aquaduck.

My first trip to Disney World back in 1986 was multi generational.  It included my parents and children as well as other family members and my boss who was like a grandfather to me.  There were ten of us.  Since I was the “designated planner” of the group, I was put in charge of setting up the trip.

Fortunately, we used a travel agency that was very helpful.  They gave us information and recommended some books for me to read.  I devoured the information and soon learned that planning ahead is key for a successful trip.  Little did I know, that one day I would be planning magical Disney Vacations for families just like ours.

Today, I’m sharing with you some of my best tips for a perfect vacation that includes the young and old.

Be flexible!  Don’t plan so much that you’re disappointed if things don’t go according to schedule.  Accepting the fact that things might will happen to alter your schedule can save a lot of stress.

Plan to stay at a Disney Resort Hotel.  There are so many reasons to stay on Disney property but the main one is convenience.  By staying on Disney property, you will be close to everything, saving you time and headache!

Arrive at the parks early!  This is important to avoid crowds and the heat.  Pace yourself and don’t try to do it all!  Be sure to drink plenty of water.

Schedule a character meal. It’s so much fun to dine with Mickey and the gang! The bonding time and sweet memories are well worth the cost.

Take a mid-day break!  This is one of the most important things you can do, especially with little ones and old folks.  Get out of the heat and enjoy the pool or take a nap.  Take time to refuel.

Watch the parade and fireworks.  The epitome of a Disney day!  There’s nothing better than to watch the smiles as you enjoy the wonder of it all.

Take pictures and use Disney’s PhotoPass Service. This will let you take home memories that will last a lifetime!

Written by Sheri Morris, “Main Street Morris”   Sheri is proud grandmother with a keen eye for detail. She specializes in Disney Travel for adults and RV travel.  Book your next vacation with Sheri at  (804) 405 5005 or at sheri@destinationsinflorida.com.

Blue Bayou!

 

I realized I speak of Blue Bayou with my friends a lot. I figured if I was going to mention it so often I should give my whole opinion here instead of sporadically to just my friends and strangers. It’s really far too easy to get me talking about Disney related anything…

You should know that I eat at Blue Bayou pretty much every time I visit Disneyland. Just as an FYI when I visit Disney World I almost always eat at 50’s Prime Time Cafe…  Just a splash of information for you that has absolutely nothing to do with this piece. You’re welcome!

There’s a good reason why I almost always eat here. In my opinion it’s the best food in the park. Also, I love the fact that I get to watch Pirates of the Caribbean boats floating by. You are sitting “outside” at perpetual twilight, no matter what the actual time of day is outside. While you are surrounded by the sounds of the Louisiana Bayou… and the frogs, crickets and fireflies don’t actually bother you… Hint: They aren’t real… Shhh don’t tell…

The food offerings are some of the best in the park. They have such entrees as:

• Seafood Jambalaya
• Beef Short Ribs
• Roasted Beef Strip Loin
• Filet Mignon
• Crab Cakes
• Tesoro Island Chicken
• Surf and Turf

Every meal comes with either a Cajun inspired salad or the signature New Orleans Gumbo. I always get the Gumbo! While you may find better in New Orleans, you will not find better anywhere else on the West Coast of the USA…

There are a few desert options as well such as Crème Brûlée, Ice Cream, and Chocolate Cake. I’m usually too full to eat desert at the restaurant. Let’s be honest there isn’t a shortage of sweets in Disneyland now is there? I recommend heading to Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor.

 

As my 7 year old son says, the “Blue Bayou is a place where in the movie it says there are alligators. One nice one and the rest are mean. And this is how it goes, there was a girl and Prince who turned into frogs. They fell madly in love and some people helped them to realize their dreams.” I’m not fully sure that helps sell this restaurant but he made me put it in…

As you can see from the pictures and menu, there aren’t many things to dislike about Blue Bayou. Perhaps the biggest issue with the restaurant is that there aren’t enough tables! If you want to eat at Blue Bayou I recommend calling as soon as you know you’re going or as soon as they open up the booking window (60 days prior) for your trip timeframe. You’ll be disappointed if you miss out, trust me.

I hope you find this information fun, new and worthwhile.

Written by Daniel Mullarkey, DisneyDaniel — Daniel is a self-proclaimed Disney Geek, Disney Vacation Planner and a Disney Specialist! When he’s not adding to the plethora of Disney trivia in his head, you can find DisneyDaniel on his Facebook Page and/or follow him on Twitter!  Book your next vacation with Daniel at 425-420-8988 ordaniel@destinationsinflorida.com.