Signature Dining at Walt Disney World - Episode 105 of The Disney Exchange

The Disney Exchange is Lisa, Dave, and me, Nick. Hi There! 

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We start off thanking a listener for the newest 5 star review on iTunes. Those are most appreciated because they help get us out to the masses, and everyone should have the opportunity to hear my voice. And Lisa's and Dave's too, of course.

The main topic is, as the main title indicates, Signature Dining at Walt Disney World. Restaurants that have been designated Signature Dining are 2 credits on the Disney Dining Plan.

A majority of these establishments are at resorts:

Jiko at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Jambo House
Flying Fish at The Boardwalk
California Grille at The Contemporary
Citricos and Narcoossee's at The Grand Floridian

  Citricos

Artist Point at The Wilderness Lodge
Yachtsman at The Yacht and Beach Club

There are just a few at the parks:

Cinderella's Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom
Le Cellier in Epcot
Tiffins in Disney's Animal Kingdom

Tiffins

The Hollywood Brown Derby in Disney's Hollywood Studios

The Brown Derby

We also add in the dinner shows that are 2 credits on the DDP:

Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue and Mickey's Backyard BBQ at Fort Wilderness
Disney's Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at the Polynesian.

We share our thoughts on the places we've experienced, both good and bad, as well as the restaurants or shows we'd like to visit, and if we think these venues are worth 2 credits on the Dining Plan.

The Wheel of Distiny topic :  What is your favorite Disney Detail that you have to look down to see?

You can send us an email at info@thedisneyexchange and reach out with show suggestions, submit Wheel of Distiny topics, or request a listener number (remember those?) on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedisneyexchange, Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneyexchange

Thank you for listening to The Disney Exchange!

Episode 72 of The Disney Exchange Podcast : Quick Service at the Parks on the Disney Dining Plan

By Nick 

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The Disney Exchange is Lisa Green, David Hodges, and me, Nick Maglio

Another well produced and smooth intro. Who talks over other people?!

We start of talking about the new runDisney Virtual Running Shorts Series as well as the 50% discount offer made to Passholders for Disney After Hours, and we speculate if this is because the event isn't doing as well as anticipated.

Our main topic this week brings us to all for of Walt Disney World's parks and the quick service eateries at each, where we share our thoughts on value versus cost for the Disney Dining Plan.

There are disagreements and arguments but none of that matters because I am always correct in my choices.

At one point we all agree on something and I get concerned that it could possibly be a sign of the Apocalypse.

This week's Wheel of Distiny topic is courtesy of listener Kendall W.
If you could be a cast member at any attraction in Walt Disney World, which one would it be, and why? 

If you have show topics or Wheel of Distiny ideas you'd like us to discuss please drop us a line:
Our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thedisneyexchange
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Or email us at: info@thedisneyexchange  

Thank you for listening to The Disney Exchange Podcast.

new runDisney Virtual Running Shorts Series

new runDisney Virtual Running Shorts Series

new runDisney Virtual Running Shorts Series

new runDisney Virtual Running Shorts Series

Episode 67 of The Disney Exchange Podcast : Table Service on the Disney Dining Plan at the Resorts

By Nick

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The Disney Exchange is David Hodges, Lisa Green and me, Nicholas Maglio.

We start off with a lengthy conversation about Easter candy! Speaking of food...

back on Episode 59 we discussed Table Service at the Parks on the Disney Dining Plan, and on this weeks show we take you to the resorts to look at which restaurants take a single credit. We talk about value as compared to the price of the Disney Dining Plan. 

B=Breakfast BR=Brunch  L=Lunch D=Dinner

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House
Boma-Flavors of Africa
(B,D)


Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge - Kidani Village
Sanaa
(L,D)


Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and Villas
Big River Grille & Brewing Works*
(L,D)
ESPN Club*
(L,D)
Trattoria al Forno
(B,D)

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
Shutters at Old Port Royale
(D)

Disney’s Contemporary Resort
The Wave...of American Flavors (AKA the Wave Cave or The Bunker to the 3 of us)
(B,L,D)

Character Buffet : Chef Mickey's Fun Time Buffet at Chef Mickey's (B,BR,D)

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
Las Ventanas
(B,L,D)
Maya Grill
(D)


Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
Trail’s End Restaurant
(B,D)
Trail’s End Restaurant
(L)

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Grand Floridian Cafe
(B,L,D)

Character Meals: 

1900 Park Fare
Supercalifragilistic Breakfast
Cinderella's Happily Ever After Dinner

Disney’s Old Key West ResortOlivia’s Cafe
(B,L,D)


Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Kona Cafe
(B,L,D)
‘Ohana (D)
Character breakfast: Best Friend's Breakfast with Lilo and Stitch


Disney’s Port Orleans Resort
Boatwright’s Dining Hall
(D)


Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
The Turf Club Bar and Grill
(D)


Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Whispering Canyon Cafe
(B,L,D)

Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts

 Beaches & Cream Soda Shop(L,D)

Cape May Cafe (D)

Character Breakfast: Minnie's Beach Bash Breakfast
Captain’s Grille
(B,L,D)

If you see a blue name tag worn by Cast Members at Walt Disney World that means they are recipients of the Legacy Award. A more in depth explanation can be found here courtesy of All Ears.

  Photo: All Ears

Wheel of Distiny Topic : What mode of Transportation is your favorite to get to the Magic Kingdom

 
Please check us out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedisneyexchange
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Thank you again for listening to The Disney Exchange Podcast, home of Easter Candy and grits.

Episode 59 of The Disney Exchange Podcast: Table Service at the Parks on the Disney Dining Plan

By Nick

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Disney Exchange is Lisa Green, David Hodges, and me, Nicholas Maglio.

This week we take a look at Table Service restaurants in the parks in Walt Disney World that are one credit on The Disney Dining Plan: Details of the 2016 plan can be found here: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/media/wdw_nextgen/CoreCatalog/WaltDisneyWorld/en_us/PDF/2016Dining.pdf

We discuss personal experiences as well as our opinions as to the value of each of the restaurants compared to the cost of the DDP.

 "The A Team" of Disney Princesses at Akershus in Epcot's Norway Pavilion

Wheel of Distiny topic : Favorite Disney animated movie post 1989.

Thank you for listening to The Disney Exchange Podcast.

If you have a show or a Wheel of Distiny topic, please let us know on on our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thedisneyexchange, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/disneyexchange  or email us at: info@thedisneyexchang

The Disney Exchange Podcast, Episode 38 ; Pros and Cons of The Disney Dining Plan

By Nick 

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-The Disney Exchange is David Hodges, Lisa Green, and me, Nicholas Maglio   

-Main Topic:Pros and Cons of The Disney Dining Plan

I'm out of The Disney Exchange trailer thanks to Lisa, a blowtorch and tin snips.

Lisa explains we are playing a new game called Pro and Con, which will be a recurring feature.
We are starting off with a talk about the Disney Dining Plans.

We each talk about what we feel are the pros and cons of the 3 dining plan options, which are:


Quick Service Dining: Which includes 2 quick-service meals, 1 snack and 1 refillable mug
Adult $41.99 Child $16.03 (2015 prices) $42.84 and $17.47 (2016 prices)
Adults are 10 years and older and children are 3-9 years old.

Regular Dining Plan: 1 table-service meal, 1 quick-service meal, 1 snack, 1 refillable mug
Adult $60.04 Child $19.23 (2015 prices) $61.84 and $20.96 (2016 prices)

Deluxe Dining: 3 meals (any combination of table-service and quick-service), 2 snacks, 1 refillable mug
Adult $109.53 Child $29.86 (2015 prices) $111.73 and $32.56 (2016 prices)

We also discuss strategies to maximize the plans.

Not to toot our own horn, but I personally learned a lot from this episode, as I have not used the Disney Dining Plan in several years. Toot Toot

We introduce the new Wheel of Distiny, and the topic is: What is the latest you've ever stayed out at a Disney Park?

Thank you for listening to The Disney Exchange Podcast where we can tell Pop-Tarts apart by feel.

You can find us on our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thedisneyexchange
On Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneyexchange
Or email us at: info@thedisneyexchange  

Flame Tree Barbecue in Disney's Animal Kingdom

By Nick

We all have our favorite attractions at Walt Disney World. Rides or shows that are a must every trip. There are also beloved eateries that we frequent more often than others, and of course favorite foods we eat on every visit.
But there are those restaurants that you really enjoy while eating there, but for some reason or other, you don't get back to for a very long time.
In Walt Disney World, there are sooooo many options that these really great food spots just get lost in the sauce, so to speak.
One of these spots is Flame Tree Barbecue in Disney's Animal Kingdom.

We ate here on our first trip back in September of 2006. Every time we pass it, I say "That was some great barbecue, we really need to get back there." and then proceed to go elsewhere, sometimes to another restaurant in Animal Kingdom, or more often to another restaurant in a different park, or even back to our resort for a bite.

On our trip in January, I consciously made the decision to eat at Flame Tree.

The menu is not overly extensive.

I had the 1/2 Slab of St. Louis Ribs which were $11.69. They were as good as I remembered them. Tender and juicy. I love a good cole slaw, and this is very good. The beans were delicious as well.

Barbie had the Smoked Chicken Salad for $9.49, which she described as okay. She wished she had gotten the ribs after trying mine!

Prices are reasonable, and the portions are large enough to share.
They accept Tables in Wonderland and are a quick service credit on the Disney Dining Plan.

There are several spots to sit, each offering a relaxing and cool spot to escape the heat, which really wasn't an issue in January.

The grounds are lush, and well themed with fountains and statues.

The condiments bar is conveniently located in the pavilion where we chose to sit, which is the same place we sat way back in 2006.

By the water, it offeres a great view of Expedition Everest.

There are a few pavilions by the water if you want to get a different vantage point of Everest.

Another wonderful thing about sitting by the water, you might have an encounter with local wildlife!

So, will we return to Flame Tree Barbecue? Yes, certainly. But it still isn't a must do every trip.

An InLinkz Link-up

Epcot's Le Cellier Steakhouse

By: Nick

Back on March 2nd, my wife Barbie and I took a day excursion from a family cruise to visit Epcot. We chose Epcot over other parks primarily to photograph the topiaries for the International Flower and Garden show. We decided to have lunch at a restaurant we hadn't visited in a while.

Arguably one of the most popular restaurants in all of Walt Disney World is Le Cellier Steakhouse, located below the Chateau in the Canada Pavilion in Epcot, and for good reason. The food is delicious.

Le Cellier translates into "The Cellar", and that is what the stone arches, windowless walls, and intimate lighting make this restaurant feel like, the wine cellars of 2 of Canada's grandest château-style hotels: Fairmont Château Laurier and Fairmont Le Château Frontenac.

Wine bottles are displayed behind beautiful wood and glass showcases further adding to the ambiance.

Our friends Laurie and Angelo joined us.

Left to Right: Laurie, Barbie, Nick and Angelo

I've always found the service at Le Cellier to be very friendly and this visit was no exception.

We started with bread. Specifically, perhaps my favorite bread in all the World, the Pretzel Bread.

There are other breads, each representing a different area of Canada, and there is a story behind them. I'm not proud to admit it, but I really never hear this explanation, as I'm too busy drooling over the Pretzel Bread. And the butter comes with salt and a hint of Maple sugar! Excellent!

This is wonderful to enjoy while perusing the menu. And that little bit of sugar on the butter may help the medicine that is the appetizer and entree prices go down easier!

Let's address the elephant in the dining room now. This is not an inexpensive meal. At one time lunch was only 1 credit on the Disney Dining Plan, now it is 2, and to justify this, prices have gone up accordingly. It has been several years since I've eaten here, but I am pretty sure I didn't pay $10 for a bowl of one of Le Cellier's signature dishes, the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup, made with Moosehead Beer and Smoked Bacon.

Don't get me wrong, it's delicious, though my wife remembers it as being better, but I still love it, and it is very hearty. Laurie describes the soup as divine.

I tried a bite of Laurie and Angelo's Kurobuta Pork Belly, Braised Pork Belly, Apple Butter, Jicama, Lucky Sorrel, Maple Gastrique, and it was absolutely amazing. Moist and juicy, and what I had hoped the pork belly at Citricos would taste like, but didn't. This appetizer is $14.

For his entree, Angelo had the Five Spiced "Maple Leaf Farms" Duck: Roasted Duck Breast, Confit of Leg, Blended Rice, Edamame, Grilled Baby Bok Choy, Roasted Duck Jus, for $42, and he was very satisfied with his choice, saying he would absolutely get it again.

Please note, certain menu items, such as the duck, rotate in and out seasonally, and may not be available when you visit.

My Angus New York Strip, a 12-oz Strip Steak with Potato Pavé, Wilted Spinach, and Vin Rouge Reduction - $44 was tasty, a good solid choice. But I'd ordered it medium rare, and it was delivered more medium than I was happy with, which in my opinion makes it much less juicy and takes away from the flavor. I'm sure they'd have cooked me another, but as I wanted to eat with my dining companions, and Barbie and I only had a few hours to enjoy Epcot, I didn't send it back.

Barbie and Laurie both had the other signature dish, the “Le Cellier” Mushroom Filet Mignon - 8-oz AAA Canadian Beef Tenderloin with Wild Mushroom Risotto, White Turffle-Butter Sauce, and Micro Chervil, for $44.
Both described it as tender, juicy, and flavorful, Barbie adding it was cooked to perfection.

We were all too full for desert.

Overall, Le Cellier's food is still very good, but, as previously mentioned, very pricey. Each couple paid over $120 for lunch, and that was with a 20% Tables in Wonderland discount, which, to be fair, does include an automatic 18% gratuity.

Would we eat here again? Absolutely! But I'd order the soup and pork belly, rather than an entree, and Barbie said she would forgo an appetizer and just get the filet.