Miners Decon

There is a line of thought present in Pandora that can be traced all the way back to the earliest days of design for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Its roots are in the idea that once you have a theme for the park, all decisions have to adhere to that principle. In other words, if the park is going to be dedicated to the intrinsic value of nature then everything has to embody that idea. There are many examples of this throughout the park, and in Pandora itself, but I want to talk about just how far you can take that rationale and make it stick while mingling in story and landscape. To do that we’re going to just about the last place you would think of for landscaping, detail elements, story, and overarching theme. I am, of course, talking about the restroom.

Specifically, I want to look at the restroom to the left of the walkway as you enter into Pandora from Discovery Island. What could be a nondescript plain building is layered to live in an alien environment, generations after conflict, made by foreign entities, yet still subscribing to the park’s overarching message. If you are going to build a bathroom that fits into all of these categories, you have to start back at the top. That means that the intrinsic value of nature comes above all, and that all of the manmade objects are secondary to the natural forms of the world. In other words, the design of the building has to either be celebrating something about nature or be succumbing to natural elements.

In the case of the Pandora restroom, the natural world is very clearly reclaiming this building. Moss and fungus have encapsulated most of the building and anything non-native around the facility. Stairs, walkways, and railings have rusted, some pieces have disintegrated while others are in the process of coming apart. Some sections of the wall have fallen down, while what remains is crumbling right before our eyes. Even the tanks in the nearby shrubbery are half buried and covered with moss. Where there are gaps in the metal and concrete, small plants have taken root and begun to spring up.

Yet, even as this structure is succumbing to the environment, it adheres to both sides of our principle. The grey concrete slabs say nothing about the natural world and therefore are being reclaimed, but what is growing on the exterior of the restroom is incredibly beautiful and is a celebration of the natural world. Splashes of purple, orange, red, and blue thrive against a backdrop of green. Throughout all of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, there may not be a better example of paradoxically abiding by both sides of a theme’s rule than this building.

Within the confines of the story on Pandora, the building itself was once used as a decontamination facility for miners. In other words, it was used by miners stripping the moon of its resources to make sure none of the natural elements came through to their manmade compound. The irony of how diametrically opposed to the value of nature theme this is not lost on me. However, this also helps to establish the story of Pandora, where we are in the story’s timeline, and how nature itself has changed the layout of the land.

Radiating out from the building is a variety of plant life. Traditional landscaping speaks to how man can define their environment. It is filled with angles and curves, specific numbers of plants equidistance from one another, and is meant to show off the beauty of the natural world while containing it within a neat and pretty box. By not allowing unbalance in the plant plan and variety, the idea of valuing the foliage is almost lost. In contrast, the plants that are around our restroom feel randomly placed, even those that are Imagineer crafted artifacts. This allows for guests to sense the wild nature of Pandora, both from a landscaping and a storytelling lens.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is, at its very heart, a park that celebrates that natural world and all of the plants and animals that reside here. Pandora allows guests to see the violent and beautiful sides of nature. It is a mirror of the world that surrounds us here, and it plays right into the park’s theme. If a story can be furthered by just the features of a restroom, imagine what the rest of the land can tell us if we truly look, listen, and feel.

The Royal Stinker

I’m a sucker for publications, real or imagined, that appear around Walt Disney World and throughout the resorts history. When it comes to fictitious publications, most often they emerge only in clippings posted to bulletin boards. Case in point, this section from the Southern Isles Gazette (we do love a good gazette around these parts). The excerpt includes one short story featuring Hans and two advertisements that give guests a glimpse into what the Southern Isles has to offer aside from a bratty prince with 12 older brothers.

The main article relates the tale of how Hans, recognized as the “disgraced son of the king of the Southern Isles,” was cleaning horse manure as part of his punishment for his abhorrent behavior while visiting Arendelle in an official capacity. Although it was a beautiful spring day, he was suddenly struck by an oversized snowball and sent flailing into a pile of manure. The story is accompanied by a drawing with the caption, “Artist rendering of first-hand eye-witness account,” which I find particularly funny.

The story from the Southern Isles Gazette expands briefly upon Hans’ scene from the 2015 short, Frozen Fever. In the cartoon, Elsa unwittingly creates and sends the snowball across the map by sneezing into the Birthday Horn while attempting to play it for Anna’s birthday even though she has a cold. Viewers of Frozen Fever are the first-hand witnesses as we do see the snowball strike that delivers Hans into a manure heap.

The advertisement in the bottom right is for Southern Isles Apples. The slogan for the apples is, “Our Country’s Most Enjoyed Export.” Perhaps this is a nod to apples having such a prominent role in Disney animation history, we’re looking at you Snow White, but it is definitely a slight to Hans. When produce is looked upon more highly than you are, you have definitely got some atoning to do.

The last advert is for a supply of fine cloaks that have just arrived in the Southern Isles, a must if you’re venturing into Frozen territory. The Great Adventurers Hardware Store of the Southern Isles is overseen by Den Dulk, Winter & Co.  The winter reference is fairly obvious, especially in a posting for cloaks, but Den Dulk is a wonderful nod to Michel den Dulk. Michel is the Imagineer who oversaw the design for the attraction’s conversion from the Maelstrom to Frozen Ever After. He came to Imagineering in 2009 to work on the redesign of Disneyland’s Fantasy Faire after acting in a design capacity at both Efteling in the Netherlands and Germany’s Europa-Park.

All-in-all this brief glimpse into life in the Southern Isles via the Southern Isles Gazette definitely lets guests know that there is more to the kingdom than what Hans projects. In fact, it would appear that Hans is one of the more rotten pieces of the country and that the citizens there are much more amiable than how they are represented by a single prince. Newspapers and their ads are a great way to build worlds for an attraction, especially one such as Frozen Ever After that has a fairly long line on most days.

Silent Saturday - Flo's V8 Cafe (February 2015)

Island Hopping

For a majority of our recent trip to Walt Disney World, we stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort. For those of you who haven’t visited in a while, this resort is under a considerable amount of construction. Both the new Disney Vacation Club resort, Riviera Resort, and the Skyliner’s hub are being constructed on opposite ends of the resort. In addition, Old Port Royale is also shuttered as it is refurbished and greatly expanded. All of that is to say that there are sights, sounds, and experiences not typically associated with the resort, but I was curious as to how it would affect a vacation and wanted to be able to report back to you.

Let’s start with the bad. Navigating the resort can be a bit of a stressor. Some stretches of the main road are closed making it a bit of a maze to get around. Plus, there are sections that have been carved out of some roads making a large dip that isn’t easy on the rump if you don’t have great shocks. Similarly, pathways between some of the island sections of the resort and Old Port Royale are blocked off with weirdly laid out fences defining walkways through the old parking lot. It took us a couple of days to get our bearings straight and feeling confident enough to make our way around without the assistance of maps or GPS.

With Old Port Royale closed, so too are the main dining facilities and shopping features of the resort. There is a truck with merchandise available to peruse near the main pool, as well as a small selection of goods at the reception building, Customs House. It’s a fair selection, but definitely felt like a lot was missing. Prior to last month, the main source of food at Caribbean Beach was a large tent which switched between a buffet and a quick service location depending on the time of day. With the recent opening of Spyglass Grill, the options have definitely increased. While Spyglass Grill may be a bit of a walk, or a couple of stops away on the internal shuttle, it was definitely worth the trek in our opinion, but we’ll have a larger review on that later.

Within each island village Caribbean Beach has converted a room into a small grab and go market filled with quick bites, sandwiches, chips, sweets, and the like. They aren’t anything fancy, but they will definitely do the job in a pinch. Also, for those guests with refillable mugs, there are several Coke Freestyle machined scattered about the resort so that guests never have to wander too far to find a cold beverage.

Notice that we’ve yet to talk about the construction itself and the distractions it caused. That’s because there weren’t as many as you would think. Yes, roads and walkways were impacted, but that is the most inconvenience that it caused. When you were walking around Barefoot Bay, particularly if you crossed the bridges and island of Caribbean Cay, all of your sightlines included some form of construction, whether it was the Riviera, Skyliner hub, or the Skyliner posts, but that seems like a rather minor problem in the scheme of things.

The real worry I had was construction noise and I found very little of it unless I was directly on top of the construction sites. Disney is doing a wonderful job of keeping the noise contained to daylight hours when most guests are at the parks, and even then it is not as bad as you would think. We were in the Jamaica section, which I believe is the best section to be in during this period of construction, and even when I was taking naps in the middle of the afternoon (of which there were several), I heard nothing in our room. I didn’t feel the ground shaking from equipment, I didn’t hear crashing or hammering coming for the various sites, inside my room it felt as if nothing were going on. We frequented the pool a couple of times, and while the construction was visible just over the wall, it was almost always drowned out by the lively music and the sounds of children and families splashing in the pool and having a grand old time.

The current state of Caribbean Beach isn’t perfect, and I don’t think anyone would claim that it is. The resort is going through a massive refurbishment that will not only redefine the resort, but the larger landscape of Walt Disney World as well. That said, I was pleasantly surprised by how little our stay was affected by the construction. Caribbean Beach was never my first choice when it comes to moderate resorts, but I was wrong to deride it for so many years. Even amidst all of the turmoil it is experiencing right now, I was able to discover a newfound respect for it and would definitely stay there again. Don’t let the construction scare you away from this resort, it definitely still has charm that is worthy to be explored!

George's Finds

The newest offering at Disney Springs has opened its doors in the middle of the landing. Wine Bar George welcomes guests in with two stories, complete with balcony seating, wine, and an elegant food menu. We were lucky enough to be there opening weekend, and gave the menus a thorough run through. Before we starting digging through the wines and food offerings line by line, let’s take some time to flesh out our first impressions.

Let’s start with Wine Bar George’s namesake, George Miliotes, himself. We saw him around the restaurant and Disney Springs several times over the opening week, including a warm welcome and fist bump for my wife on her birthday as he opened the restaurant’s doors. George is a familiar face around Disney, as part of the pairing that turned California Grill into a world-class establishment, but his down to earth nature conceals the wisdom and knowledge underneath. George is one of only 249 Master Sommeliers in the world, and is the only Master Sommelier to own their own wine bar in the state of Florida. He is quick to share his knowledge and is a lifelong student of wine, meaning you may not always be able to find him at Wine Bar George as he will be off furthering his education and finding new wines to bring back to your table in Disney Springs.

That understated, but wealth of knowledge vibe carries down to the staff throughout Wine Bar George. Even new Cast Members who were still learning the ropes on day two of the restaurant’s opening, were willing to offer recommendations when a wine was unavailable and could speak well on flavors and feels for each wine, and if they couldn’t they were willing to find someone who could! They also took great care to make sure each guest felt at home and had everything they needed at each turn of the meal.

The atmosphere of Wine Bar George is also worth noting. Barrel tables with pub chairs, overstuff sofas with coffee tables (or would they be wine tables in this instance?), counters overlooking the Landing, bars for a more engaged experience, and regular tables, some on the balcony overlooking Lake Buena Vista, were all available for guests. I imagine that an experience in one room would vary greatly from another, while still maintaining the high quality and customer service, depending on what you were looking for in your meal and the time of day you are dining at Wine Bar George. The exposed lights and brick have the warm industrial feel that can be felt throughout this section of Disney Springs. The color palate leans on rich reds, browns, and blacks and feels like you are immersed in the wine and vintner experience. The grapevine door handle at the entrance is also a nice touch.

If you are coming to Wine Bar George for something other than wine, you’re doing it wrong. That said, they do offer a selection of cocktails in addition to a vast assortment of wines. I have seen longer wine menus at other venues, but I am hard pressed to think of a wine menu that I’ve seen that curated better. There are a specific section dedicated to George’s Finds and wines on tap, in addition to the larger wine list. Shockingly, George’s Finds tend to be the best available and most popular wines to choose from, and they include some truly wonderful bottles to try. There is something in the cellar for everyone, and my party proved that from ordering wines of vastly different varieties and from all across the globe. With that wide of a selection, and in my limited foray into the menu, I have yet to find a bad sip.

Turning the page, let’s talk about the food. Broken down into small plates, boards, family style plates, and desserts, everything on this menu is really meant to be a community experience. We opted for three small plates, the Big Board, and a pair of desserts to get a good sampling of what Wine Bar George’s kitchen had to offer. The food is brought out as it is prepared, not left to warm until everything is ready. While this may throw off your pace while dining there, it means that you are getting the food exactly as it was meant to be eaten.

Everything was fresh, from the seafood right on down to the chutneys on the side of the Big Board. We’ll talk about out small plates and desserts on another day, but today we’ll stick with the Big Board. Six cheeses, five meats, and a host of accoutrements, with enough of each to feed however many people you can fit around the table. Probably best for four people, but the more you’re willing the share, the more you get to try! The cheeses definitely run through an assortment from mild to strong flavors and soft to hard textures, the charcuterie similarly run the range of flavors available to them.

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with my first dining experience at Wine Bar George, and I couldn’t speak more highly of the place if I tried. This will not be a cheap meal for guests, especially if you want to sample a selection of items across the various menus, but it is well worth taking the time for that special night or lunch out. George Miliotes and his team have delivered a unique and well developed wine bar to the heart of the food theme park, Disney Springs. It was an avenue that I didn’t realize Disney Springs was missing, but now I can’t see the venue without it.

Silent Saturday - Xenomorph Attack (July 2015)

Thanks for Playing

Little more than two years ago the Streets of America closed for construction to begin on Galaxy’s Edge. While it has only been two years, at times it can feel as if it has been much longer, especially when you consider how long some of the experiences had called the area home. One such attraction, the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: Movie Set Adventure, had been tucked away behind a façade since December of 1990.

Taking its cue from the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids film, the playground shrunk guests down to the size of an insect and turned them loose in a backyard complete with lost toys, film rolls, insects, and a giant dog nose. The absurd seemed commonplace here, and even when some of the props didn’t age well (film, in 2016?) and the film mostly vanished from the lexicon, it was always a pleasure to play in this oversized wonderland.

Because of its location, tucked away between a building front and a quick service restaurant, its ability to draw guests in struggled as the years went by. But those who took the time to explore the backyard scenery found a place filled with amusement. The smaller size of the guest allowed for many over-sized gags throughout the space, and I would suspect many gags of a similar sort will be utilized in Toy Story Land when it opens later this year. Let’s look back over the years and tour the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: Movie Set Adventure in its heyday together.

To All Who Come to This Happy Place

A question I get asked frequently is what time is the best time to visit Walt Disney World. While I can spout off that there isn’t really a great time anymore when there aren’t crowds, or that between the end of Marathon Weekend and Valentine’s Day tend to not be so bad, I more often than not use this to start a dialogue with the friend or family member who asked me. Everyone’s schedules are different. There are times of year than you just can’t get away, either due to work priorities, family commitments, or because there are kids that are in school. More importantly, however, this conversation always seems to come back around to one question where I find I can offer the most advice, “What is it that you’re looking for when you get to Walt Disney World?”

The variations of answers I’ve received from this question never cease to astound me and continually make me rethink how I look at the question. For some people it is cut and dry simple, they want to go when the crowds aren’t there or they want to avoid the heat at all costs (or be there when the heat is at its peak). More often, however, I find that there are nuances to what any person or family are actually looking to get out of their trip.

Dates tend to play a massive part in planning for a lot of people. Birthdays and anniversaries come in at the top of that list, but so too do holidays. Christmas, Halloween, Easter, or a national day of celebration (such as Bastille Day in France or Independence Day in Morocco) are all tops on that list. For some of us, like myself, that even extends to important dates in Disney history. I tend to like to be at Disney’s Animal Kingdom on Earth Day, which is also the park’s anniversary. It helps that late April tends to be a bit quieter around the resort, but it is mostly because Animal Kingdom has captured my heart and I love celebrating with it.

Right alongside dates are decorations for some potential visitors. They want to see Christmas trees around every corner, a carol coming out of every speaker, and the smell of baked goods wafting from every bakery door. The patriotic bunting on Main Street, U.S.A. during the period surrounding the Fourth of July has been known to send hearts soaring, and the spookiness of Jack-o’-lanterns heightens the sensation of the Haunted Mansion or the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror for some people. Some of these aesthetics that guests clamor for come from nostalgic memories of their childhood, both at and away from Walt Disney World, and it drives them to want to recapture that magic that exists only in memory for themselves, their families, and their friends. It speaks to them and drives them to want to visit at certain times of year, and they don’t even realize it until we start talking about it.

 Festival calendars also come into play. Between the holidays, Food & Wine, Flower & Garden, and the Festival of the Arts, Epcot has a lot going on during the year now. While there is a lot of bleed over between offerings, I’m looking at you food marketplaces, everyone has an opinion as to which is the best festival. Often times, the availability of one of these festivals will nudge someone towards a specific time of year. In my own preferences, the Flower & Garden Festival has always been a favorite of mine, and I tend to try and visit in the spring with the blooms are bursting right next to the fireworks.

Specific attractions tend to occupy a space in decision making as well. I’ve never seen someone not take a trip because an attraction is going to be closed for refurbishment, but I have witnessed the massaging of dates to try and visit just before or right after a favorite attraction is going to be refurbished. It also goes for the experience of the attraction. Splash Mountain is a classic example, as I know people who want the attraction water cannons and all, while there are those that love to visit when it’s a bit chillier and the attraction has turned the extra water spray off. Similarly, while there are water parks open all year long, there are dedicated fans of Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach and I have witnessed guests working to make sure their favorite water park is going to be open when they are there.

The last thing to talk about today is the weather. We’ve mentioned it throughout, but there are potential visitors who want all the sun they can handle while they are at Walt Disney World, and there are others who like a little chill in the air. There are also those who avoid the rainy season like the plague and also guests who stay away during hurricane season on the off chance a storm will disrupt their vacation. While weather is, by its very nature, fairly unpredictable, knowing what could be in store for some guests is like a warm blanket.

There are plenty of other little quirks that can help schedule or derail a planned time for visiting Walt Disney World. Each person, group, or family is different and they are going to be looking for different things in their trip experience. Being able to guide a conversation towards allowing the most number of positives to influence a trip is one of the things I love best about getting asked the question of when is the best time to visit. But what about you, what are you looking for the most when you start to plan a trip?

Silent Saturday - Masai Giraffe (April 2017)

Pamper Your Palate

Palo, the Northern Italian fine dining experience, can be found onboard all four of the Disney Cruise Line ships. Its name is derived from the long poles used by gondoliers as they ply the waterways of Venice, and all the elegance Venice has to offer is captured in the sumptuous surroundings, art, chandelier, vistas, and service. Dinner is a nightly affair, where the tiramisu and chocolate soufflé reign supreme, but brunch is undoubtedly the true star. Copious amounts of desserts, meats, seafood, cheese, breads, pastries, and even caviar are just the start. A full menu of pastas, pizzas, and Northern Italian specialties await. While there was a lot to sample and love, the one dish that blew me away was their Lasagna Bolognese.

I’m going to start by saying this dish was recommended by our server, who was simply wonderful from beginning to end, but it took some convincing. Lasagna and I are not on the best of terms, and haven’t been for most of my life. I believe it stems from my distaste for ricotta cheese, which I understand can be heresy, but something about it just never sat right with my palate and my stomach. I was presently surprised when I was told that this was a more traditional recipe that utilized béchamel, not ricotta. For those not in the know, béchamel is a white sauce comprised of flour, milk, and butter and while it sounds easy to make with just three ingredients, it is not. It has been a specialty of Southern France and Northern Italy for centuries and is considered one of the mother sauces. My grandmother, who grew up in Marseille, raised me on her family recipe. From the moment I heard that béchamel was utilized in Palo’s Lasagna Bolognese, I was sold.

Speaking from experience, whatever your preconceived notions are about lasagna, you can throw them out the window before ever taking a bite of this dish. For starters, the layers of lasagna noodles are tender, but not soggy. They will not break apart and crumble from the rest of the ingredients and the time it takes for them all to cook up together, they are firm and hold the layers together wonderfully. The Bolognese is more meat than sauce. The base is a blend of ground veal, pork, and beef, with great seasonings and a little bit of tomato thrown in for good measure. Don’t worry, there is plenty of marinara spread around the plate for those who need a nice balance. The aforementioned béchamel is the warm blanket that covers each piece of Lasagna Bolognese as it leaves the kitchen. It is rich, extremely so, but smooth and full of buttery goodness. Some final touches of fresh chopped basil and parmesan grated tableside and you have yourself a plate that is almost too beautiful to eat.

Don’t you worry though, I cleaned my plate and thoroughly enjoyed every bite. Since I am on the record as not being a big fan of lasagna, telling you that this is my favorite lasagna ever seems to be ring a bit hollow. So, let me put it this way, Palo’s Lasagna Bolognese is arguably the best pasta dish I’ve ever put in my mouth, save for only a meal or two I had in Florence or Venice years ago. It took me right back to my grandmother’s kitchen, which is more than I could ever ask of a single dish, but there you have it. It made our server very happy that I ordered his recommendation, but I think of the two of us I came out much further ahead in the long run.

If you have an upcoming cruise, or even if a cruise is further down the line for you, I cannot recommend the brunch at Palo enough. If you are able to secure a brunch reservation, please take this piece of advice and order the Lasagna Bolognese. I would be shocked if you were disappointed, because I am still having dreams about that lasagna all these months later.

The Approaching Storm

It’s rather wet at Walt Disney World right now, which means plans are being altered and some guests are staying away from the parks or not resort hopping as a result. As a native Floridian, I know that rain is part and parcel of the gorgeous tropical scenery, but it does tend to put a damper on a vacation. It is the reason I always over-pack on clothes, particularly shoes and socks, and while I may end up with some pruny toes, I don’t want to end up with a wrinkled holiday. Here are a few of the things that I do during rainy weather that may help you the next time stormy weather blows through while you’re in the Vacation Kingdom.

Lounges – Finding a place for a nicely crafted cocktail and maybe a nibble or two is an absolute must during a rainstorm, particularly if that lounge offers a view of the outside world. My top recommendation, if the rain isn’t driving in on you, is to find a cozy seat on the porch of Nomad Lounge in Animal Kingdom. Other highly endorsed options include Outer Rim in the Contemporary, BoardWalk’s AbracadaBar, and the Rose & Crown in Epcot. There are also tons of options in Walt Disney World’s food theme park, aka Disney Springs, so you’re sure to find a place to weather the storm in style there as well.

Long, Interactive Queues – We spend a great deal of time trying to find the best way to avoid lines for attractions, but when the weather is soggy, that is the perfect time to jump in line and explore the story and interactive elements present in some queues. Peter Pan’s Flight, Frozen Ever After, and Flight of Passage all have amazingly detailed queues that are just waiting to be explored, and they will definitely help you forget about the passing rains.

Shows – Shows are often hit or miss during any trip, you may want to see one, but how much of your trip time are you willing to dedicate to them. If you’re like me, you end up haggling with your party and settling on one or two as a compromise. Rainy days are perfect weather to spend some time enjoying these offerings, particularly in Epcot and the Magic Kingdom. While the films and performances of World Showcase could occupy quite a bit of time, I prefer splashing through puddles in the Magic Kingdom as I make my way from the Enchanted Tiki Room, around the corner to the Country Bear Jamboree, a quick dash over to Philharmagic, and then one last brisk walk to finish at Carousel of Progress.

You Will Get Wet – Since you are already going to be wet, you might as well make the most of it. In this case, I mean hopping onboard a log or raft and experiencing Splash Mountain and Kali River Rapids. Typically with these attractions we try to avoid getting soaked or nervously hoping that someone else is the one who is going to get drenched. Since you’re already soggy, go ahead and give these attractions a go, provided that it is a rainstorm and not a thunderstorm (in which case they would be shut down anyway). I promise these will be some of the most laugh-filled and joyful times you ever have on either of these attractions.

Dark and Stormy Nights – If you’re like me, the disconnect between what’s happening outside an attraction and the story being presented inside an attraction can sometimes be a little off-putting. That or I’m just a complete nitpick… If the weather outside is going to be frightful, then why not head into attractions that live in a world where it’s a dark and stormy night? The Haunted Mansion and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror are perfect stories to jump into when the rains are coming down outside.

Exhibits – Often bypassed, there are plenty of places throughout Walt Disney World where you could learn something during a rainstorm. You’ll be safe, dry, and come away with newfound knowledge. The prime examples of these exhibits are present in many of the pavilions of World Showcase, where you can learn a great deal about the history and culture of a given country. Similarly, you could spend a good deal of time in Walt Disney Presents at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Stick to Your Plan – When it storms, many guests tend to huddle at their resorts or, if they’re local, waiting for the rain rain to go away before they come for a visit. That means that crowds tend to be a little lighter on wet days at Walt Disney World. You’re there to experience all the parks and resorts have to offer, so regardless of the weather stick to your plans as best you can. It may not be the perfect vacation, but you’ll still be making memories and that’s the most important part of the trip.

I hope these ideas help you get in the mood to splash in some puddles and play through the rain. When the rains happen at Walt Disney World, and they are bound to happen sooner or later, there’s no denying that it is a bit of a letdown. However, at that point the trip becomes more about what you can make out of it. Don’t let it be the thing that ruins your trip; instead try to find ways to use it to your advantage. You will come away with stories to tell and memories to share.

Silent Saturday - The League of Planets (April 2017)

Figment's Coloring Book

Today we can play with coloring pages of every sort and difficulty directly on our phones or tablets with more colors than in a Big Box from Crayola. It is as simple as opening an app and the colors appear with a tap of our fingers. Not so long ago, however, the idea of being able to color in a digital space seemed far away from our living room floors, broken crayons, and coloring books. Unless, that is, you happened to be visiting EPCOT Center and made your to the second floor of the Imagination Pavilion.

This space, known as the Image Works, was home to a blending of artistic forms, sensory experiences, and fun. Here a child could help put on a small theatrical production on a green screen, run through the Rainbow Corridor, and create sound with bubbles (one of my personal favorites). Guests could also digitally color with Figment’s Coloring Book.

Here, Figment and Dreamfinder show us how to use the activity center while coloring in an image that looks vaguely familiar…

At Figment's Coloring Book, guests would start by selecting their blank picture to color. The images included Figment, Dreamfinder, and even the Imagination Pavilion itself. A stylus was connected to the machine and became the guests’ paintbrush. On the panel in front of the image guests had the ability to select from a wide range of colors, but also shapes that you would like to draw in. The circles, squares, triangles, and octagons could all be used as base shapes, and could even be completely filled in or left as outlines. In fact, there was even a Figment shape that you could use to color with. On more than one occasion my screen was an Imagination Pavilion filled with Figment stamps. There were plenty of ways for a guest to finesse their drawing skills, but more often than not, each picture had a wonderful outline with large swathes of bright colors strewn across it. Most guests didn’t stay within the lines, but it didn’t matter because they had a smile on their faces.

The sheer size of each station at Figment’s Coloring Book made it seem as if this technology would never make it into our own homes, much less our pockets. Yet, today coloring apps are amongst some of the most popular available. While some of the experiences in the Image Works were pure works of fun and imagination, others were a bit ahead of their time. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I hear a Big Box calling my name.

Ice Cream of Extinction

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is, even today, filled with glitz and glamour of Hollywood’s golden age, including leading ladies and gents. Perhaps the biggest start to call the park home, however, is none other than Gertie the dinosaur. This gorgeous in green creature has made her way to Echo Lake, apparent from the footprints that have cracked the pavement, and seems contented to remain there and sell ice cream. Gertie actually serves a dual role for the park, as she is an iconic film salute and is the living embodiment of an architectural movement.

Gertie was the star of the 1914 film Gertie the Dinosaur, created by Winsor McCay. With a runtime of 12 minutes, Gertie the Dinosaur was one of the earliest animated features. The film started out life as a gimmick reel projected behind a vaudeville act that would appear to interact with the activities taking place on the stage. Later, McCay would create a live-action introduction scene for the film to stand on its own as a theatrical release. A sequel to Gertie the Dinosaur, Gertie on Tour, was planned but never realized.

While the figure at Disney’s Hollywood Studios appears to be very stoic, the real Gertie was much more childlike. Throughout the short, the long-necked dinosaur performs tricks like bowing on command, launching a mammoth into a nearby lake, throwing boulders, and taking long drinks of water. She enjoys pumpkins, is easily distracted by flying creatures, and cries when her feelings get hurt.

The other space in history occupied by Gertie is the architectural movement known as California Crazy. While novelty construction, that is large structures built to resemble an animal or inanimate object, had been taking place all over the globe since the 18th Century, the explosion of the art form really took off in California during the 1920s through 1940s. The idea was to catch the eye of the passing motorist and draw them in to your restaurant, attraction, gas station, or the like. For some it was very transparent, the large hamburger selling hamburgers, for others it was more in the name, like the brown derby of The Hollywood Brown Derby. The style faded over time, but Gertie is a prime example of what roadside architecture could resemble during the era.

Gertie is a classic example of Walt’s idea of a weenie, the idea of creating something that would be a visual magnet to guests and draw them further into a land or location. The concept comes straight out of the California crazy building boom, and Gertie comes straight out of the annals of animation history. If you ask me, Gertie is almost a perfect summation of a time when the lights of Hollywood never seemed to dim, and she has definitely earned her place in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Don't Selfie With Your Mouth Full

There are some swanky places to eat at Walt Disney World and then there are those places that I try to steer people away from. Morimoto Asia definitely falls into that first category. On a recent trip, I decided to step away from my preference for visiting Morimoto Asia for dinner, and my preference for duck and ribs, and instead have a relaxed lunch. In our tradition of pairing menu items with cocktails, I opted to select one of the house specialty drinks and pair it with something from the dim sum menu. The results, as has everything at Morimoto Asia, did not disappoint.

I started out with the Manhattan East. As the name suggests, this cocktail is a variation on your typical Manhattan. I’m more of an old-fashioned person myself, but this beverage had a few of my favorite things: bourbon (Maker’s Mark, which is a fine standard, even if I prefer Woodford Reserve as my go-to), junmai sake, ginger, and orange. This is, as you could guess, a very strong drink. However, the spirits in this concoction aren’t the main flavors, instead the orange is towards the front, particularly when it comes to scent, and the spiciness of the ginger really fill out the palate in this cocktail. If you’re not a fan of sake, then definitely don’t try this one, but if ginger and orange are flavors you like highlighted in your drinks, then this is an absolute winner.

From the dim sum side of things, I opted for something a bit simpler, the Chicken Bao. This dish comes with two fluffy buns filled with lettuce, cucumber, spicy mayonnaise (which I appreciate it being listed as instead of trying to fancy the description up by using the word “aioli”), and teriyaki chicken. The two buns are enough to share before a larger meal or to eat on your own, while still not entirely filling you up. As with all dim sum, my feeling is the more you order, the more you share, and the more you get to try. However, for today’s purposes we stuck strictly to the bao bun themselves.

The heat from the spicy mayonnaise was nice, but not overpowering, it sort of just tickled at the back of my throat. The lettuce and cucumbers added a cooling element, both in terms of temperature and on the heat spectrum, and a crisp bite that is the opposite of the texture provided by the bun. Speaking of, the bun was pillowy in all the right ways that you want a steamed bun to be. Lastly, the namesake of the Chicken Bao, aka the teriyaki chicken, was excellent. There is always a concern that teriyaki chicken is just going to be beaten down by an overly salty sauce, and that was not the case here. While the teriyaki sauce does lean towards the salty side of the taste range, it isn’t overboard and actually serves to highlight the spices in the sauce and the inherent flavors of the chicken. The chicken, by the way, is thickly cut and incredibly juicy.

I couldn’t have picked a better pairing if I tried, although I imagine there aren’t a lot of bad pairings coming out of the kitchen and from the bar at Morimoto Asia. The sour and bitter elements in the Manhattan East mingle nicely with the savory and salty bits of the Chicken Bao. This is a pairing that I would definitely order again, although with such an expansive menu, I do find myself continually trying new things at Morimoto Asia.