Table Service Break Away at Walt Disney World: Episode 99 of The Disney Exchange

The Disney Exchange Podcast is Lisa, Dave, and me, Nick

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Dave thinks Christmas is starting too early, shares some interesting info on construction at the Magic Kingdom, and we all hope that PizzeRizzo at Disney's Hollywood Studios will be an improvement over Pizza Planet.

Back on Episode 80 we took a look at taking a break from the heat and crowds of the Theme parks at Walt Disney World to visit a resort to have a quick service meal.

This week we are talking about taking a break to visit table service restaurants.
For example, you're at the Magic Kingdom, and it's a busy time of year, and you just want to get away from the crowds. We suggest making an ADR at a Monorail Resort restaurant, like Citricos at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort.

The Wheel of Distiny: What is your favorite scene or joke on The Jungle Cruise?

Photo: Lisa

Next, our 100th Episode! We're going to be having a giveaway for our Numbered Listeners.
Back in the early shows we would joke about our low listener numbers, saying we had 12 whole listeners, and that included us and my wife! People started giving themselves numbers and it became a badge of honor for some!

You can request your Listener Number to be eligible for the giveaway up until 5pm on November 7th, and you can request it on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedisneyexchange, Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneyexchange  or email us at: info@thedisneyexchange 

And if you are so inclined, a 5 start review on iTunes would go a long way towards getting our show out to the masses!

Thank you for listening to The Disney Exchange!

Il Mulino at Walt Disney World's Swan

 

 

 By Lisa Green  

 

“Lively ambiance, attentive service, delicious Italian fare – Il Mulino in Walt Disney World’s Swan resort is a treat to delight both the appetite and the spirit.”…Me, once more channeling my inner food critic.

August, 2014:  We were 180 days from our February trip to Walt Disney World and  I wanted ADR’s (Advance Dining Reservations) at some places we’d never been before.  I’d been thinking about one particular restaurant for a long time.  Raymond and I both love Italian food and I’d heard great things about Il Mulino at the Swan – what better time to eat pasta than the night before running the Princess Half Marathon?  Checked the available times and YES!  Scored a 6:00-ish dining time.  Early? Sure – but I was going to be getting up mighty early every morning of this trip to participate in my first three runDisney events.  I wanted a place to relax and enjoy a leisurely dinner before turning in for the evening.

February 21st, 2015:  I’d run the Enchanted 10K that morning and spent the afternoon at  Disney’s Hollywood Studios – a combination guaranteed to work up a heck of an appetite!  We caught a boat from the Studios to the Swan and walked into Il Mulino right on time.  Immediately we noticed that Il Mulino was a hopping place!




An energetic, happy crowd filled the dining room and our table for two was right in the middle of the action next to a glass wall that separates diners from the kitchen.  We had a great vantage point for watching the dining room, the entrance, and the goings-on in the busy kitchen all at the same time!

An energetic, happy crowd filled the dining room and our table for two was right in the middle of the action next to a glass wall that separates diners from the kitchen.  We had a great vantage point for watching the dining room, the entrance, and the goings-on in the busy kitchen all at the same time!



We didn’t mind the noise in this particular location, but I’d suggest asking for a table in another section of the restaurant if you’re in the mood for some quiet conversation.

Rather than a single server, we had a serving team.  Personable and professional, each person that we interacted with throughout the evening demonstrated an obvious pride in both the restaurant and the level of service provided.  The team of Tony (from Italy) and Svet (from Bulgaria) worked together flawlessly to make sure we had an outstanding experience.  Once seated, it wasn’t long before we received some bread and also a complimentary appetizer!

The delicious starter was courtesy of the chef who wanted us to enjoy our meal in spite of the kitchen running a little slower than usual.  Honestly, the place was great and there was such a terrific atmosphere, we probably wouldn’t have noticed the slow kitchen at all, but we did enjoy the Caprese salad very much.

 

Tony was happy to help us with our wine selection – suggesting a bottle from the extensive wine list that was both delicious and in our price range.  We took our time reading over the menu before deciding on our entrees.



Raymond ordered the Spaghetti al Frutti di Mare (Baby shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, and calamari in a spicy red or garlic white wine sauce) and I opted for the Linguini alle Vongole (Linguini with red or white clam sauce) – both of us chose the red sauces for our pasta. 



We were extremely happy with our choices!!!  We also ordered a plate of spinach in garlic and olive oil (pictures do not do it justice – it was delicious!) 



You’d think we’d have been stuffed after all of that, but we had to try the gelato.  We love gelato!  It was the perfect dessert after such a fantastic meal.

 

Great food, great service, wonderful wine AND Il Mulino has…..a bucket of limoncello.  Yes, you heard me – a metal pail of lemony goodness which is ladled into a little glass that appears right in front of every adult guest when their meal is finished.  And this little, but certainly not insignificant detail was not immortalized for you by my camera.  I’ll blame the wine.  I can’t believe I failed us this way – no picture of our limoncello…which didn’t last long anyway.  I did get a picture of the bucket though!



Carbs consumed in sufficient quantity to see me through the next morning’s 13.1 mile run, we bid goodnight to Il Mulino and the Swan.  We’ll be back, though, this dining experience shot Il Mulino straight to the top of the must-do list for our next Walt Disney World vacation.

(Note:  The Swan is located on Disney property, but is a Westin resort, not operated by Disney.)
Have you visited Il Mulino?  What was your dining experience like?

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.

She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!

My First Trip to WDW – 1996

By Shendl Rewitzky

I originally stayed at POR in December 1996 when it was called Dixie Landings. It was our very first trip to the USA and to Walt Disney World.  (The beginning of my Disney Addiction!)

We flew out of South Africa on South African Airways and it was so exciting to be on the way to our first visit to the place that has become the most special place to visit!

We flew into Miami International Airport after about a 16 hours journey and had a 6 hour or so wait before our connecting flight to Orlando.  We found a lovely little coffee shop/restaurant that was luckily open at 6am in the morning and they had the freshest donuts, twisted and glazed for only $0.95!! They were delicious!!

We met some lovely people while waiting at the airport for our connecting flight. Maria Veronica served us at the Galaxy Bar when we stopped in there for some refreshments and snacks. She was a lovely lady and so friendly!

I was fascinated by the Stunning Christmas Trees in the Hotel and the Airport. We do not have such stunning trees in South Africa so I was immediately hooked on America at that point already and I had even arrived at Disney World Yet!!

We got to see our first stretch Limo on the way to board our Delta Airline Flight to Orlando. Very exciting! The one memory I have of the Delta flight was that I had asked for Pretzels instead of Peanuts when the food service came around (I had braces at the time and wasn’t allowed peanuts) and the air hostess never brought them. I was not impressed…LOL.

 We arrived at Orlando International and on our way to the Mears Shuttle, we saw the HUGE Christmas Tree that the hotel rooms look down onto and we were Amazed that a tree could be that big!  We went to our Mears Shuttle for our journey to Dixie Landings, WDW!

 We arrived at Dixie Landings (now Port Orleans Riverside ) and we checked in and then were escorted to our room by a Cast Member in a stretch golf cart. We had a room in Magnolia Ben, Room 8719, in the Mansions section of the resort and at that time the resort used to give you an old-fashioned newspaper, The Sassagoula Times, with all the Resort and Park happenings.

The rooms had Rain Poncho’s and Refillable Mugs on the top of the Mini Bar Fridge Unit. You were charged only if you took one of the products to use. (In the days when there was a lot more trust in the world)

We loved walking past Ol Man Island and over the bridge to the Food Court,   Colonel’s Cotton Mill, to get our first American breakfast. I can’t remember what we ate but I am pretty sure I had the pancake stack with bacon and I remember being not able to finish the food at all!! It was HUGE but delicious .  It was such a peaceful walk especially as we were early birds and made sure to get the first bus out to a Park. Not much has changed these days at POR in the design of the Food Court. The Food offerings are definitely healthier than they used to be and maybe there are less options to choose from now. That part is a little cloudy in my memory!

Here is a Summary of the 3 parks we visited in 1996.

Everything was dressed up for the 25th Anniversary and we headed to Magic Kingdom for our first park and I remember us being disappointed that the Castle was dressed as a Giant Cake!! We hopped on the Railway and stopped first at Mickey’s Toon Town Fair. It was so much fun to go through Mickey and Minnie’s Houses and of course Donald’s Boat. I wasn’t yet brave enough to Ride Goofy’s BarnStormer!  I love the Magic Kingdom and I loved all the Special Parades that are on at Christmas Time.

Epcot was our Second Park and we rode Spaceship Earth for our very first ride at Epcot! At this stage, we had no idea what we were doing and just went with the first ride we saw! It was amazing and it will always be one of my favourite rides at Epcot. We were impressed with the Braille Maps around Epcot and the stroller parkings! 
We loved all the little Menu’s that the Restaurant handed out to entice customers in. The Days before the Disney Dining Plan and you could still walk up to some restaurants if you were willing to wait a bit.

We visited MGM Studio’s next and We loved this park. We were greeted outside the Entrance by Chip and Dale.  We really enjoyed the Vibe of the park and the Streets of America. We met Goofy dressed as Santa. So much fun!!

We, my Mom, Dad and Myself, stayed just past New Year’s Day before making the long journey back to South Africa!!  In 1996, the parks were definitely much less crowded than they are now but Magic Kingdom was still packed on Christmas Day!

Epcot is still one of my favourite parks ! I just love the World Showcase and all the Food Choices!
I have since been backed to Disney World with my parents another two times in 1998 and 2004 and once with my Husband, Dieter in 2013. We are currently on a countdown to our next WDW Vacation at Pop Century in Sept 2017.

Our Hurricane Matthew Weekend : Part 4

By Nick

Saturday 10/9/16

Barbie and I arrived at Epcot early, hoping to say hello to our friend Kathy, who work's at the front entrance. And we did!

We were admitted a little before 9am, and proceeded with the throngs to Soarin' Around the World.
The first time we had ridden, 3 days earlier, we were seated on the far right. This time we were lucky enough to get the exact center seats.

Unlike the first version of Soarin,' there is absolutely a difference in experience depending on where you sit. There was considerable distortion in the image, especially noticeable during certain scenes featuring monuments, the Eiffel Tower in particular, when seated off to the side.
My Disney Exchange Podcast co-hosts and I discussed this on a recent episode, and speculated as to if this is dependent on which theater you get. More investigation is clearly required!
Except for the distortion, it is a wonderful attraction, but...I miss the original.

We met up with Jill and Zach at Seasons before riding Imagination followed by our first visit to the DVC lounge located within the pavilion.

We spent awhile there enjoying this wonderful new DVC perk celebrating the programs 25th Anniversary, but I was disappointed to find out from a Cast Member that it may not be a permanent fixture!

This little rest was followed up by hitting several Food and Wine kiosks, as well as a stop in Germany for a more substantially sized beer than those offered at the booths.

We headed to Animal Kingdom late in the afternoon, making a stop at the Dawa Bar for Mojitos, while we waited for our Kilimanjaro Safari Fastpass window to open up, followed by a walk through the Pangani Forest trail.

Dinner that evening was at the recently opened Tiffins.
I had not read any reviews, and didn't really know what to expect, but will say this. I had one of the most delicious pieces of fish I ever had in my life. The halibut was amazing. The entire dish was fantastic.

Before leaving the park for the evening, we visited Mickey and Minnie at the Adventurers Outpost, an appropriate end to a somewhat adventurous trip!

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Happy Halloween!

Must Do, Will Do, Never Do at Walt Disney World - Episode 98 of The Disney Exchange

The Disney Exchange is Dave, Lisa and me, Nick

Podcast: Play in new window | Download 

Dave starts us off with a discussion about the surge in crowds during what has historically been a slower time of year at Walt Disney World, with, conversely, lower attendance at the parks in the Summer, likely due to the new Annual Pass tiers.

After some shout outs we launch into our main topic, sharing must do attractions, those attractions that we do occasionally, and the ones we avoid all together, or perhaps have never done at all, in each of Walt Disney World's parks.

2 Listener Polls:

We've asked lots of times, and it's back: Nemo the Musical or Festival of the Lion King?

And

Candy Corn. Yes or No?

The Wheel of Distiny topic this week has been submitted by Listener 58, Adam.
He asked for suggestions on dining for a large group, ages ranging from 5 to 69.

We cover planning for large groups more in depth on Episode 60.

As I promised, a link to this: Mickey's Backyard BBQ

Adam also suggested we talk about street performances. We covered lived shows on Episode 69, but will likely revisit this topic again in the future.

You can get your Listener Number, which enters you in our Episode 100 giveaway, and suggest show or Wheel of Distiny topics on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedisneyexchange, Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneyexchange  or email us at: info@thedisneyexchange 

And if you are so inclined, a 5 start review on iTunes would go a long way towards getting our show out to the masses!

Thank you for listening to The Disney Exchange!

Did Walt Disney World Ruin Pirates of the Caribbean

I usually go far back into Living a Disney Life archives to get posts for Saturday's with Lisa, but this article she posted just the other day asks a question that I am very interested in hearing people's answers to. - Nick   

 

By Lisa Green  

Disney World Ruins Pirates of the Caribbean?

I’ve heard more than a few grumblings over the additions to Pirates of the Caribbean through the years and I’m honestly surprised the cries have not grown louder of late.  Recently (about a year ago), this most beloved Adventureland attraction became the recipient of new scents to some of the ride scenes.   During a lengthy refurbishment that added new lighting, updated costumes, a softer drop, and more fluid-moving animatronics, the new fragrances were added.

   

 

 

 Yes, the “Pirates of the Caribbean” smell fans have long adored (that dank, musty, sulfur-tinged Orlando water aroma) is virtually no more (you can still smell it loud and clear in the ride queue, if it matters).  As you sail along, you’ll now notice what many describe as a “rum” smell and a “burning” odor (among others).  Similar to the “Rome Burning” fragrance in Spaceship Earth, Pirates now has its own set of custom scents.

A quick search of the internet does turn up a few discussions about the new aromas, but I’ve yet to find a definitive list of how many there are and exactly what we’re supposed to be smelling.  Personally, I’ve loved Pirates of the Caribbean in all its different versions and configurations throughout the 25+ years I’ve been visiting Walt Disney World.  The newest changes have made no difference to me…except the scents. 

 

 

They don’t bother me and my ride experience is not ruined, but I’m perplexed by how mysterious they are to me.  Maybe my sniffer isn’t as sensitive as it once was, but I can smell only two different aromas – one smells sweet and a bit like a particular green apple bubble gum I used to love as a kid.  The other smell is the scent of burning, which matches the burning town scene and makes sense (or should I say scents) to me.

What about YOU?  Have you noticed the new aromas in Pirates?  Please tell me…what do they smell like to you?  Do you like the changes that have been made to this attraction through the years?

NOTE:  I know the pictures I’ve used in today’s post are grainy and of poor quality and I’m sorry about that.  I’m a firm believer in “No flash photography” on dark rides and this was the best I could do with my iPhone.  

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.

She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!