Market Development

There are many vignettes, or small stories scattered throughout Harambe in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Often times, the messaging of the land in shared through the art, postings, and signage of the found on the walls everywhere in Harambe. Today, let’s look quickly at one such message found on a wall in the Harambe Market. Like much of the graffiti found around Harambe, it is helpful if you know Swahili. Since I am not, I lean heavily on translation sites to get me close to the message and then begin the work of searching Swahili speeches and proverbs for keywords to get me to where I am going.

“Kila mango na ufunguwo wake,” is painted in bold black strokes of a sure hand with nothing fancy about it. The message is in, as stated above, Swahili and comes from Kenya. The proverb translates to, “Every door has its own key.” The breadth and width to which this proverb has been utilized is amazing, but in recent times it most often comes up in educational training. The proverb illustrates how every child, like a door, is unique and their potential will be unlocked in similarly unique ways. They may each learn differently or have different interests, much in the way keys have different notches for the lock pins, but they all have value and can be taught if a teacher is willing.

While the proverb most often ties in with education, I think it is easy to see its application across a broad spectrum of fields. As with most proverbs, you get out of it what you put into it. Is there a scenario you are facing right now, your own personal locked door, that you just haven’t found the right key for? If we are to heed the words in Harambe, your persistence will pay off in finding the key that opens your door.

Disney Chefs are Sweet on Christmas

Gingerbread is as much a part of the holiday experience at Walt Disney World as Christmas trees, peppermint, wreaths, bows, or and bubbly snow. In fact, the spiced molasses treat has been around the parks and resorts for a long, long time. 25 years ago in 1993, the world of gingerbread was expanding and Eyes & Ears’ December 23, 1993 issue provided a complete rundown of what gingerbread (and other sugary) displays you could find throughout the Vacation Kingdom. Surprisingly, there was even more gingerbread to see and smell back than there is to be found in Walt Disney World these days. Let’s take a look at the list.

Magic Kingdom Park, Liberty Tree Tavern – a “traditional” gingerbread village, which began five years ago, has been enhanced and added to each season. This year, a country/western flavor brings new excitement, according to Area Chef Marianne Hunnel.

EPCOT Center, The Land – a competition between all of the World Showcase pavilions has produced an international village, with chefs through the Park participating.

Disney’s Polynesian Resort – an old-fashioned Christmas village, made of gingerbread and candy, is on display on the second floor lobby of this resort. 

Disney’s Grand Floridian Beach Resort – chefs have constructed an almost life-sized gingerbread playhouse. Again, candy and gingerbread (a lot of it) make up this house near 1900 Park Fare.

Disney Contemporary Resort – an “Early American” village made from rock sugar and gingerbread takes a place of prominence at the rear of the first floor lobby.

The Disney Inn – a piano and a storyteller add to the “Christmas-y” feel here. 

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort – an “old fashioned” Christmas village is on display at the Trail’s End Buffeteria.

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort – Caribbean houses made from gingerbread and candy highlight this display. The chefs’ work can be seen in front of each Old Port Royale food shop location.

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort – Belle and the Beast are part of this display “in person” and in food product at this main lobby display. Scenes from the movie have been recreated using almond paste, powdered sugar, candy and egg whites. Characters from Beauty and the Beast are on hand during the evening hours it is displayed.

Disney’s Beach Club Resort – Ariel stops by the main lobby at night (in person) to meet and greet Guests. The rest of the day, she can be seen here, along with the rest of the cast of Voyage of the Little Mermaid, in an exquisitely crafted diorama of sugar, candy, egg whites and almond paste.

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – scenes from Aladdin highlight this gingerbread, candy sugar and icing creation. “Marketplace” and “Castle” motifs from this smash hit have been recreated in the resort’s lobby.

Disney’s Dixie Landing Resort – a “Southern Bayou Christmas” comes to life in the form of gingerbread, icing, candy and sugar at Colonel’s Cotton Mill.

Disney Village Marketplace – a gingerbread contest too center stage at Chef Mickey’s Restaurant December 14. Winning entries are on display here and at the Empress Lilly Riverboat.

Disney Vacation Club Resort – a Key West Christmas village dominates the front lobby of Olivia’s restaurant. On display until December 29.

Silent Saturday - Innoventions Plaza (September 2011)

Friendship Day Celebrashun

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what the year has given to us to be thankful for, a time to gather around the table with friends and families, and make new memories that we’ll cherish. This is not altogether unlike a meal at Walt Disney World, particularly one where friends come to visit your table, marvel at the good things piled high on your plate, and when they just so happen to be having a Friendship Day Celebration (or rather, Celebrashun). If you’re still lost, we’ve ventured over to the Crystal Palace to visit with Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore, while enjoying a smorgasbord filled with all the best offerings from the Hundred-Acre Wood.

Since not all buffets are alike, let’s start with the setting at the Crystal Palace. Based upon the original Crystal Palace in London’s Hyde Park, you can see how the structure would have been a marvel during the Great Exhibition of 1851. Even the Magic Kingdom version is filled with ornate iron and glass which transports guests back in time and gives the whole restaurant a sense of elegance. Juxtaposed against this opulence are the childish qualities associated with Christopher Robin’s animated friends, a charmingly misspelled banner, and even topiaries of Pooh and company. It is altogether a wonderful mishmash of fun and sophistication.

This trend continues onto the menu, where just about any and everything you would want from a buffet is provided. In fact, playing into this week’s festivities, I was able to put together one plate that was all Thanksgiving and included turkey, stuffing, gravy, rolls, green beans, collard greens, carrots, and mashed potatoes. It may not be specifically what we’ll have at my house tomorrow, but it was a fine stand in. Other options include a wealth of salads, pastas, seafood, sausages, a ton of vegetable offerings, and several meat options from the carving station.

Beyond how vast the selection was, I was shocked by how many healthy options there were. Not only the quantity, but that the vegetable and salad options were things that I wanted to eat, and not just healthy options that had been thrown together for the sake of having healthier options. The cucumber salad and whole carrots were favorites of mine, while my wife gravitated more towards the couscous and other salads.

Of course, being with a bear with a rumbly in his tumbly, means that there are also going to be something sweet to eat as well. Ice cream with all the fixin’s is available, but don’t overlook the dessert spread. Small s’mores tarts, honey tarts (complete with candy bees), panna cotta, dirt mousse, and fruit filled domes are just a few of the offerings here that you’re going to want to save room for.

The last meal I had at the Crystal Palace was a little more than a decade ago, and at that time I swore off the place for good. However, giving it another chance recently was one of my better decisions. I went into this meal expecting to eat very little and come out hungry and looking for something else to eat, and I was entirely shocked by the wonderful meal I was able to have. Yes, it is a buffet, but there is a quality to the menu items that is a step above what the term buffet usually means to all of us that surprised me.

If you’re like me, I highly suggest you give the Crystal Palace another chance, or a first chance, if you’ve never tried it. The atmosphere is great, the food is delicious, and the friends are wonderfully warm. I guarantee you if the food doesn’t have you leaving the restaurant with a smile on your face, your interaction with the silly old bear will!

Artifacts No Longer Taken as Payment

Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar is a trove of artifacts and curiosities from his piloting days and his adventures with archaeological adventurers, namely Indiana Jones. To get more specific, there are many nods scattered throughout the hangar that are direct pulls from the original trilogy of Indiana Jones films. Over time it appears that Jock grew weary of accepting things that belong in museums as payment for his services, or drinks, and erected a sign that artifacts would no longer be considered a form of payment. That doesn’t mean there aren’t some wonderful pieces to ogle while you’re there. Today, however, let’s stick close to where it all began, and unearth some artifacts from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

We first come upon Indy in the jungles of Peru, where he using field notes from another archaeologist, Forrestal, he is seeking to locate the Chachapoyan fertility idol. The figure depicts Pacamama and is found by Jones in the Temple of the Chachapoyan Warriors. However, just as soon as he acquires to idol, Belloq steals it away from Jones. With the help of his trusty pilot, and our barkeep, Jock, Indy is able to fly away to adventure another day. The idol, meanwhile, has a story that continues on.

Belloq, on his way to uncover the Ark of the Covenant, sells the idol in Marrakesh to an antiquities dealer named Saad Hassim, the one place Jones knows Belloq can unburden himself of the idol. It is here that Dr. Jones is later able to acquire the fertility idol and present it to the National Museum. At a gala in the idol’s honor, a band of Hovitos, and possible decedents of the Chachapoyan, steal back the idol and head for Brazil. Jones gives chase and confronts the Hovitos, and their Nazi counterparts, and is able to once again obtain the idol.

It is clear that at some point after this adventure that Indiana turns the idol over the Jock. Whether it’s for safe keeping, because a hangar in central Florida is the last place you’d expect to find a Peruvian fertility idol, or to pay for safe passage to and from another adventure, the idol ends up in Jock’s hands. You can find it atop a trunk turned makeshift bookshelf in the very back, right corner of the Hangar Bar.

Before Indy was able to collect the idol, however, he had another adventure that was the main thrust of Raiders of the Ark. His quest to get to Tanis and locate the Ark of the Covenant takes him to Nepal in search of Abner Ravenwood. Instead, Jones finds Abner has passed away leaving the artifact he is looking for, the Headpiece to the Staff of Ra, has been passed to Abner’s daughter, and Indy’s estranged love interest, Marion.

Briefly in the hand of, and burned into the palm of, Arnold Toht, the headpiece contains instructions on the precise height for the staff of Ra. However, with only the information on one side, the Nazis end up with a staff that is too tall for the map in the Well of Souls and with a dig site in the wrong location. With the original headpiece in the possession of Indiana, he is able to locate the Ark first, only to have it, once again, swiped out from under him by Belloq and the Nazis. He and Marion are eventually able to attain the Ark again, only to have it spirited away by the American intelligence services.

Meanwhile, either Marion or Indy accidentally left the Headpiece to the Staff of Ra at Jock’s place after a night of frivolity, and maybe one or two too many Jocktails... If you’re looking to claim this artifact, or just admire its craftsmanship, then you should definitely look very closely at the Lost and Found case in the hangar. The case is along the walkway to the restrooms and, aside from the headpiece, it contains a wealth of wonderful items that are sure to interest you.

Jock Lindsey is in the conversation for one of Indiana Jones’ most stalwart companions, right up there with Sallah and Marcus Brody, and their years together show through the sheer amount of artifacts found throughout the Hangar Bar and notes from the flight log, aka menu. The fertility idol and Headpiece to the Staff of Ra from Raiders of the Lost Ark are only the beginning of the relics left behind from their adventures. This only means we’ll just have to keep visiting Jock’s in order to excavate new stories from the barkeep and pilot’s home.

Silent Saturday - N.W.R.R. (October 2007)

South of the Border Specialties

We’ve talked before about Choza de Margarita and how we enjoyed some of the upscale on the go offerings we’ve tasted there. It is a credit to the entire Mexico pavilion that just about every spot to grab a bite to eat or something to drink within, and outside of, the pyramid is a place that I regret not visiting if I can’t get there on a particular trip. As Choza de Margarita is still relatively young in its lifespan, let’s head back today to sample a bit more of the menu. This time we’ll focus in on a dish and a margarita that are a bit more traditional, but with that typical Choza twist.

Guacamole may not sound like a must try dish to you, but in our house it’s a common staple to have on hand. Sometimes we make it ourselves, and sometimes we leave it up to the capable hands of our local grocer, but it is something that we keep around. The guacamole at Choza de Margarita takes what you know and love about guacamole, the avocado, a bit of heat, and seasoning, and ramps it up with mango and pumpkin seeds. Then, instead of tortilla chips, it comes with fried flour chicharróns that are drizzled with salsa valentina. A lime also accompanies this dish to add as you see fit.

The mango is a refreshing addition to the guacamole and adds the brightness of lime without as much acidity, while the pumpkin seeds add some texture to the otherwise silky smooth guacamole. The fried flour chicharróns are wonderful scoops and can hold an extra-large dollop of guacamole that you typical chip would crack beneath. They are like air puffed pillows of salt and heat and they’re perfect alongside the fattiness and fresh flavors of the guacamole. There is definitely more than enough to share in a single portion, and it will really hit the spot if you’re looking for something to tide you over between meals.

To wash the guacamole down, we opted to go a hair up from the traditional margarita, and instead picked up Choza de Margarita’s Lime Cucumber Margarita. This beverage includes Libélula Joven Tequila, fresh cucumber juice, Combier Orange Liqueur, and agave nectar with Tajín Chile-lime powder on the rim. The difference between this and the traditional margarita offered at Choza is the type of tequila used, the addition of cucumber juice, and the rim, which in the traditional version is a black ant salt rim.

As much as any margarita can be, the Lime Cucumber Margarita is as refreshing as it gets. The cucumber is mellow and spends most of its time in the background, allowing the lime and orange liqueur to do the heavy lifting. The cucumber juice comes through enough to cool off the harsh edges of both and leave you with a pleasing aftertaste. The Tajín Chile-lime powder will give you a kick each time you place your lips to the glass, but if you stay in one spot, that effect will obviously dissipate as you continue sipping on your margarita. Overall, the Cucumber Lime Margarita is extremely flavorful, but not overbearing, and is definitely something I will add to my regular rotation.

With a couple of dishes and a handful of margaritas under my belt, I can safely state the Choza de Margarita is representing well the recent trend of great food and drink in the Mexico pavilion. If you’re on the go between stops, or just simply don’t want to wait to get a table at La Cava del Tequila, Choza de Margarita is definitely a place to check out. If you’ve been before, give something else on the menu a try, because from my sampling they will not disappoint you!

Silent Saturday - Pluto's Toy Palace (July 2015)

Adventures and Attractions in the Magic Kingdom

One of the great joys in researching and sharing the wonderful worlds of Disney is that, on rare occasions, friends and family members pass along materials and photos from their personal history with Disney vacations. Today happens to be one of those days. The smattering of photos, fourteen in total, feature great views, young plants, topiaries, and entertainment offerings not seen in a long time. While the specific year for these photos is in question, the fact that the WEDWay PeopleMover is up and running and the bicentennial banners are up on Main Street, U.S.A. means this is probably either 1975 or 1976.

There are a couple of unique things that are worth noting as you make your way through these photographs, aside from the aforementioned PeopleMover and banners. The original design of Tomorrowland, free roaming topiaries, and the Dapper Dans on a bicycle built for four are chief among these. Also, pay attention to the exterior and artwork of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Submarine Voyage behind the marching Main Street Philharmonic and the openness around Cinderella Castle and on Main Street, U.S.A.

Enjoy this stroll down memory lane that was gifted to us. I know I have!

Silent Saturday - Shaman Aditya (May 2018)

Halloween Hysteria

Mickey’s head may seem the perfect size and shape for a Jack-o’-lantern, Disney’s vault shelfs are lined with spooky stories and terrifying villains, and the Haunted Mansion is living ghost story, but that doesn’t always mean that the Magic Kingdom has been a happy home for Halloween. From the day the park opened and even through the bicentennial, the main holidays visible within the park were Christmas and the Fourth of July. Yet, like the Headless Horseman waiting for just the right time to appear to Ichabod and make his blood run cold, Halloween was just biding its time around the bend.

The Magic Kingdom’s first real foray into a Halloween event long predated the now beloved Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. It was known as Halloween Hysteria, and it wasn’t even held on Halloween! Instead, it was held on the Saturday closest to Halloween in October of 1979, which fell on October 27th. This one night event followed the formula for after-hours events set by Disneyland and continued well beyond the Magic Kingdom’s first decade: attractions with smaller crowds, special entertainment, and even musical performances by The Police and Dr. Hook. The single night events that would grow to larger affairs were the hallmark of special events for a long time at Walt Disney World. Even the first Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party held in 1983 was only a single night affair.

It would be under the tenure of Michael Eisner and his drive to create a Walt Disney World where guests could spend their entire vacations and have more entertainment options than ability to do them all in a single vacation when the modern Magic Kingdom Halloween party would start to take shape. The first Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party would be held in 1995 and would still be a single night soiree, but the curve for expansion would be steep. In 1997 it became two nights, 1999 saw it reach three nights, 2001 upped the nights again to five nights, in 2003 it doubled to ten nights. Soon after, it was bursting at October’s seams and spilled out into September.

The offerings have, appropriately, changed over the years. Fireworks, parades, character meet-and-greets, not to mention the character’s costumes and photo backdrops, trick-or-treating trails, shows and entertainment, and even the variety of meals and sweet treats have shifted with the times. I, for one, would love to venture back to 2000 and visit with Frankenstein Goofy in front of a flimsy façade, and not very accurate, Haunted Mansion background for a photo or two.

Today, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has invaded the end of summer season and is held on 34 nights over the course of August, September, and October. For the curious, this means 12 more nights than Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party in 2018, making Halloween the (pumpkin) king of Magic Kingdom holidays. While bigger is better in the world of specially ticketed events, and Mickey’s Not-So-Scary definitely delivers big thrills and chills, not to mention lasting memories, it’s almost uncanny to think of how small the party’s origin was in comparison.

Silent Saturday - Brother Claude (April 2017)

A Painter's Brush

I am a sucker for visual displays that show a rainbow of colors. When something shows off the full ROY G. BIV spectrum to me it just makes me happy, and I don’t think I’m the only one. In fact, there are whole fields dedicated to the psychology of color. It ranges from how certain colors help us learn or be more productive at work or whether a certain color makes us drowsy, right on through to why children are drawn to more vibrant colors, our stereotyped association of pink for girls and blue for boys, and how the color of food suggests to our brains what that food might taste like. It’s truly fascinating.

When it comes to rainbows, I like the balance and harmony it shows. The spectrum is symmetrical in a very non-symmetrical way, putting everyone at the table, in the color wheel, or in the double rainbow. I’m sure there is some sort of science behind that as well, especially tied to the attributes I place upon rainbows, but there is definitely something to be said for a well-crafted use of color. If I dug deeper into my own psyche, which is a scary place to play around in all by itself, I’m sure there’s some nod to the Dreamfinder or Figment hiding in a corner whispering alongside Bob Ross about the rainbows.

In Disney Springs alone there are several examples of rainbows being utilized, sometimes in bright, in-your-face displays, and other times in more subtle versions. Here are a few of my favorites from UNIQLO, Amorette’s Patisserie, and Cherry Tree Lane in the Marketplace Co-Op.

Goods at the Market of Harambe

Satu’li Canteen, Tiffins, Flame Tree Barbecue, Tusker House, and even Nomad Lounge take up a lot of the space when talking about dining at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. As well they should, there is a lot of great dishes and culinary risk-taking coming out of all of these restaurants. Sometimes lost in the shuffle, or lost in a deluge due to its outdoor ordering and seating, Harambe Market offers up some wonderful dishes that you should be paying attention to. Let’s sample one or two, or four, today and give you an idea of what you could be missing out on.

Let’s start with a pair of entrees, the Spiced Karubi Ribs and beef and lamb gyro. The ribs feature an African spice rub and barbecue glaze and come paired with green papaya slaw and black-eyed pea salad. The gyro, as you would expect, features thinly sliced gyro meats from a rotating spit, served open-faced on naan and topped with cucumber and tomato salad and tzatziki sauce. It also comes with a side of black-eyed pea salad.

The ribs are definitely one of the specialties of Harambe Market, and that care shows in every bite. Some of the meat will literally fall off of the bone, while you will have to pull some of it off with your teeth, although not with much effort. The spice mixture present in the rub and sauce represent the best of what African spices can do, but the flavor profile may be a bit off putting for picky eaters. The green papaya slaw is cool and crunchy, with fresh flavors that are a bright contrast to the slow cooked ribs. Likewise, the black-eyed pea salad, with corn, peppers, and black-eyed peas, delivers a ton of tasty vegetables in a small package.

Moving over to the beef and lamb gyro, this is a step up option for those guests who don’t want to step out of their sandwich comfort zone. The cucumber and tomato salad, along with the tzatziki sauce are laced with cool and mellow flavors that complement the savory and rich elements coming from the gyro meats. The naan is pillowy and chewy, and makes for a sturdy base that you can either cut into with a fork and knife or pick up like a traditional sandwich. The black-eyed pea salad is, again, a nice accompaniment to the dish and a welcomed change-up from fries or chips.

Since we’re back in Africa, it seems only right to also try the Safari Cake, which is a coconut cake with pineapple-coconut mousse that is then coated in chocolate and served on a bed of toasted coconut. The cake spongey and the coconut flavor is definitely the star here. The mouse is creamy and thick, and you catch a hint of the pineapple, but the flavor is fleeting between the waves of coconut. The chocolate is a nice touch, as is the toasted coconut on the plate that easily sticks to the cake or chocolate covering, and both serve the cake well. The portion size will definitely leave you wanting more.

To wash all of this down, we sampled the Leopard’s Eye, Snow Leopard Vodka blended with kiwi-and-mango flavored Bibo. Bibo is a fruit based beverage from Coca-Cola which here is the kiwi and mango variety. The tropical flavors mask the vodka well and, when paired with its neon green coloring, the Leopard’s Eye feels and tastes more like frozen Ecto Cooler, for those of you familiar with the juice box staple. It’s very sweet and does wonders to combat the heat and humidity of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. My only complaint is that the ingredients used to create slushy beverages can, at times, cause me to get not only an ice cream headache, but full body aches. That’s more of a personal problem than it is a slight against the Leopard’s Eye, but I thought I would issue the warning in case you suffer similar frozen cocktail discomforts.

The stalls of Harambe Market are meticulously crafted, with every detail considered, and so too are the meals and menu items which are offered up from their windows. Disney’s Animal Kingdom has long been the bastion of adventurous eaters and culinary boundary pushing within the four parks of Walt Disney World. Harambe Market offers unique takes on recognizable dishes and pleases the palate on every visit. If you haven’t paid a visit to the open air eatery yet, or it’s been a while since your last visit, I say it’s time you take another bite or two, or four.

The Business of Show Business

Construction photos can tell us a lot about how far along a project is while tantalizing our senses into dreaming about what will be. In a historical context, construction photos, particularly large aerial photos like the one above can give us a glimpse into timelines for projects and when certain aspects were started and completed in comparison of one another. This view of a mid-construction Disney-MGM Studios is not dissimilar to the views we’ve been seeing in the past couple of years for Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge, but the subject matter is wholly different.

Starting with what we can see that has already come to life, the Earffel Tower stands tall to the far left of the picture. Below that we can see several of the house facades from Residential Street, including the houses for The Golden Girls and Empty Nest, are also in their finished forms. Warehouses for costuming and props are also up and running by this point in time. Many of the soundstages are also completed structurally, such as those for The Great Movie Ride, animation facilities, and the walking portion of the Backstage Studio Tour, but I’m willing to bet if we could venture inside that the elements of these attractions are nowhere near ready for their close-ups.

It is also worth noting, speaking of complete pieces, that much of the Magic Kingdom, particularly Space Mountain, can be seen in the upper left of this photograph, right along with the Contemporary Resort. Likewise, shifting our attention over to the upper right of this picture gives us a nice view of Spaceship Earth, The Living Seas, Imagination, and other structures of EPCOT Center.

Starting right near the backside of EPCOT Center, we can see the groundwork being prepped for the Swan and Dolphin Resorts, as well as the future sites of the Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. When it comes to recognizable construction, however, we need to get back to Disney-MGM Studios and the main focus of this photograph.

It’s easy to see the progress being made on New York Street, the amphitheater for Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, and Superstar Television. The framework is done for Echo Lake’s 50’s Prime Time Café and Hollywood and Vine. Similarly, just across the way, the bones are up for the original Theatre of the Stars and the Hollywood Brown Derby.

While the footprints are recognizable, there are still and lot of walls, dinosaurs, and walkways to be built before Disney-MGM Studios’ opening in just a little more than a year. Not to mention the rest of the park that would come along in just a few short years between opening day in 1989 and the completion of Sunset Boulevard in 1994, including Star Tours, MuppetVision 3D, a new Theatre of the Stars, Rock ‘N’ RollerCoaster, and, of course, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. A single moment shows a lot of promise and a lot of hard work, both completed and yet to come, and are great time capsules when we can dig them up.

Silent Saturday - Trans-Global Airways (May 2018)

So Friendlyable

Disney’s Hollywood Studios has always been a park that celebrated the past. Everything from the golden era of Hollywood, across film, television, and music, to aesthetics that definitely felt like another place and time, guests have always had a sense that they’ve stepped away from the present day and age. While the park has been undergoing massive refurbishments that will change this thematic experience, there are still new corners to explore that live up to ideals of yesterday and, in some instance, use the parks as the timeline they venture back down. Baseline Tap House is one such entity.

Baseline Tap House is part of the Grand Avenue expansion of the park and utilizes spaces that once were home to the Writer’s Stop and the Streets of America. In this incarnation, the area took on the vibe of a corner of California that has been revitalized and is once again welcoming in locals and visitors alike. In Baseline Tap House’s case, this means transforming the former warehouse that housed a one-family print shop, Figueroa Printing Company, into an exposed brick and beam bar with a number of taps and small plates to quench the thirst of patrons. Between type set letters, machinery, crates, and artwork on the walls, it is easy to suss out what the corner shop used to be utilized for.

The artwork in particular has a story to tell. Posters dating back to Disneyland’s earliest days can be found adorning the walls. What is particularly interesting about the artwork is that is shows the process of multiple color printing and how it had to be applied layer by layer. Posters featuring Fantasyland’s Storybook Land recreate each step of the beloved Monstro-centric design. Similarly, the 1960s “So Friendlyable!” ad work can be seen shaping up over an even longer period of time.

If you’re wondering why there are so many Disneyland marketing materials being created, or rather recreated, at Baseline Tap House, the answer lies in the shop’s backstory. We’ve already established that we’re in California, but it may be more helpful to know that Grand Avenue is actually supposed to be set specifically in the town of Burbank, home to the Walt Disney Studios and about 35 miles away from Anaheim and Disneyland. As the story goes, the Figueroa Printing Company, owned and operated by a single couple, who had a wonderful relationship with the Studio and printed much of the early designs.

Grand Avenue lives up to the tradition of showcasing the past, in this instance setting the land in the world of today, but with respect to what came before. You can see this plainly in Baseline Tap House’s nods to the Writer’s Stop, to the design history of Disney theme parks, and even in the architecture present in the restaurant. Sometimes looking back can be subtle and require us to squint a bit to see it, in the example provided by Baseline, however, all we have to do is soak up the ambiance.

Silent Saturday - Torii Gate (January 2013)

House of the Whispering Willow

When EPCOT Center opened in 1982, the pavilions and attractions available to guests were only the beginning of what they would be able to experience in the years that followed. New pavilions were planned and even advertised, yet very few of those plans would actually come to fruition. One space that did see its planned expansion through to completion was the China Pavilion.

Part of the original mission of World Showcase was for the cultural representatives to recreate “the rich traditions of their homelands, and share their art and architecture, culture and cuisine.” This was to be the true treasure of each pavilion, and within China the central themes was serenity and contemplation. From the stones near the Gate of the Golden Sun, to the lotus pool, and even the film, originally titled Wonders of China, were designed in encourage both of these sentiments. However, the ability to walk out of the film and through a bustling street filled with ornate details to consider, have a meal in a quiet, elegant setting, or even peruse wares in the House of Good Fortune were options not available to guests in the early years of the pavilion.

From this 1982 photo you can see the Temple of Heaven, the lush greenery of the lotus pond, and China’s art gallery, the House of the Whispering Willow, but that’s where the story ends for the pavilion until 1985. It would take three years from the opening of EPCOT Center for Lotus Blossom Cafe, Nine Dragons Restaurant, House of Good Fortune, and the facades of tiny homes and businesses that flesh out the rest of China’s story to become a reality. This would be a rarity for those early plans of EPCOT Center, but one that has delighted guests for more than three decades.

As Richard Beard said of the China experience, “a spot of contemplation will help you to absorb the amazing sights and sounds you have experienced here, and the inner serenity it induces many be the most valuable item you’ll carry away with you.” It may seem like a simple sentiment, but these are words that ring true to this very day.

Going up in Smoke, Folks

Food trucks have long been a part of our culinary lexicon, and Walt Disney World has even gotten in on the game for several years now with a rotation of trucks that could be housed at Disney Springs or situated at a resort when there is a refurbishment and additional food offerings are needed. Into this scene enters John Rivers and the 4 Rivers Cantina Barbacoa Food Truck at Disney Spring's Marketplace, and if you think that the name in a mouthful, then just wait until you see what they’re serving out of the truck!

Disney has a long and storied history with cone shaped sandwiches and meals. From the earliest days of the Handwich to the more recent bread-based cones popular in California Adventure’s Cars Land, these sandwiches are mobile and can utilize a broader variety of fillings. In the case of 4 Rivers Cantina Barbacoa Food Truck, the main attraction here is also cone based, and is known as the Taco Cone. It comes with your choice of filling, more on that in a minute, along with shredded lettuce, guacamole, Pico de Gallo, queso, sour cream, jalapeño, cilantro, and a wedge of lime in a fried tortilla cone.

Your choices for fillings include black beans and rice, grilled tri-tip steak, chicken tinga, brisket barbacoa, or Nana’s pork sofrito. There may be some words in that last sentence that ring a bell for you, and that’s okay, food should be an adventure at times. Barbacoa is the original form of barbecue, tinga is typically a shredded chicken with tomato based sauce, and sofrito is a sauce rich in garlic, onions, tomatoes, and peppers.

The assembled Taco Cone is larger than my head, and stuffed full of these wonderful flavors. I’ll admit that I assumed once I got through the top layer of my filling of choice, chicken tinga, that there wouldn’t be much of the main attraction to find towards the middle and bottom of the cone, and I was completely wrong. The chicken was prevalent throughout, the queso was thick and bonded everything together, the guacamole and jalapeños provided some nice heat, in addition to adding some fresh flavors when included with the cilantro, lime, and Pico. The chicken itself was moist and flavorful, the way you would expect a really excellent stewed chicken to taste.

The taco shell cone was wonderfully crispy, even towards the bottom I didn’t notice any amount of sogginess. I was able to break off portions to use as chips to scoop out some of the filling or just bite into it as I made my way through the cone. The only problem I had with the cone deliver system comes from the other offerings from 4 Rivers Cantina Barbacoa Food Truck. Since the food truck serves bottled, not fountain, drinks, it is almost impossible to open your bottle up while holding your cone since you can’t really put it down. Luckily there were two of us who were able to help each other out, but it was a challenge to figure out.

4 Rivers is a name common around the Orlando area known for its smokehouses and barbecue. However, since The Polite Pig already had the Disney Springs market on barbecue cornered, it was a chance for John Rivers and the entire 4 Rivers assemblage to stretch their creative culinary skills. The results are delicious, and best sampled for yourself. The Taco Cone is one cone that, due to its size, may give me shame when I finish it, but I like it!