Anniversary #4 (Part 4 - Photopass Review)

It only took us 5 trips to finally get around to pre-ordering a Photopass and we're not looking back!


What is Photopass?

• Basically Disney stations photographers all over the parks to take your pictures. They give you a card with a code and you hand over the card to any photographer you see. Log onto your account and view your photos. They will gladly take a picture with your camera as well.
• I highly recommend pre-ordering a CD before your trip for two reasons. One, you'll get a discount for ordering prior to the trip. Two, you have 90 days to change your mind and get a refund (although I don't see how you could possibly change your mind). 
• It's FUN!

Why we like it:

• It wasn't until I started this blog that I realized we only had 2, that's TWO pictures with both of us on our honeymoon. With Photopass, everyone gets to be in the picture together. 
• The photographers take lots of pictures, including spontaneous shots upon meeting the characters.
• Magic shots! Disney will photoshop in fun characters. Be sure to ask photographers for a Magic Shot. 
• You get all your images on a CD, including bonus stock pictures from around the World. Because we had taken photopass photos during the MNSSHP event, they threw in some great shots that we couldn't capture of the parade and characters dressed up.
• You can edit your images, create copies, add borders, get black/white/sepia copies as much as you want before you order the CD.

For the next trip, we will try out the PhotoPass Plus package, which includes photos from character meals and ride photos. What's your favorite PhotoPass shot?

Anniversary #4 (Part 3 - Repeat Restaurant Reviews)

If you're anything like me, you have every intention of trying new things but when it comes down to it, you just can't stray from your standby favorites! This post is dedicated to the restaurants Bill and I deem worthy of repeat visits.


Hollywood Brown Derby
You may remember from Anniversary #2 that we chose the Hollywood Brown Derby to indulge my mother's I Love Lucy fanaticism. We came for the schtick, but stayed for the Grapefruit Cake! On this particular trip it was our third time dining there. However, it was our first time booking the "Fantasmic! Dining Package". If you haven't been, "Fantasmic!" is the nighttime spectacular at Hollywood Studios. In my opinion, it is one of the best shows Disney puts on, but my love for "Fantasmic!" really deserves its own post. In the past, we have been willing to wait up to an hour in line just to get a good seat at this show. It was worth it, but this dining package changed how we "do the Studios".


When I made our reservation, I mentioned I would like to book the F! Dining Package. It did not cost anything extra, as we were on the Disney Dining Plan. The only stipulation was that they will only book this package if you agree to a late afternoon or early dinner reservation, so that you are assured to see the first showing of the nighttime spectacular. 


Upon being seated, our server educated us about the package. He gave us a pass to use a separate entrance to the ampitheatre and advised us to arrive 15-30 minutes before the show. I was thrilled because that bought us more fun time in the park. I was starting to think that this was a pretty good deal: I eat around 5pm instead of 7pm, and they essentially give us a fast pass to my favorite show.

Infomercial Voice: But wait! There's more! They even throw in a free appetizer with the package! 


Well I'll be a monkey's uncle! (That's a Lion King reference for those of you paying attention.) The food and service never disappoints at the HBD. We would eat there every trip anyway, but the free app and "fastpass" make this a must-do for us.


P.S. The pass worked like a charm. We showed up 20 minutes before the show and were seated in a roped off section to the side. Not many folks partook in the package that night, so we were fortunate to slide in and sat just off-center of the stage. 


P.P.S. I recently learned a bit of trivia about the Brown Derby. The original Brown Derby (in Hollywood, CA) was considered a place for celebrities to do business, as it was so close to the  studios. It was ahead of its time in that they installed phone jacks at every booth and the patrons could make and receive business phone calls. Apparently, the Brown Derby in Disney World also had phone jacks installed. On occasion they will bring a phone out to a table; usually to a table with children to surprise them with a personal phone call from Mickey or Goofy, etc... It's on my bucket list for the next trip to find the phone jacks and inquire about making a phone call!


The Wave
The Wave is a hidden, underrated gem tucked inside the Contemporary resort. A hop, skip and a jump away from the Magic Kingdom (that's Disney speak for about a 10 minute walk or 2 minutes by monorail), it is one of our favorite restaurants to sneak off to. Its modern decorations and cool, nightclub-like vibe make this a nice adult getaway. It never seems to be crowded and we've managed to walk up and get a table at peak dinner times. 


The food is decent, the presentation delightful, and we always look forward to the flight of bite-sized desserts. They change up their menu seasonally and offer a variety of American dishes. After 3 visits, we keep this restaurant in our back pocket just in case we need a break from the Magic Kingdom. I have also heard raving reviews about their breakfast buffet, which we'll have to make time for one of these trips. 


Honorable Mentions:

• Kona - We discovered Kona on the last trip and will definitely eat there again. 
• Earl of Sandwich - Located in Downtown Disney, the best sandwich and the best value on property, in our humble opinion. We often prefer to pay out of pocket because it's so reasonable and save our Counter Service credits for inside the parks. 

Anniversary #4 (Part 2 - Restaurant Reviews)

We are big fans of the Disney Dining Plan. The plan may or may not make sense for your family, it depends on your dining habits. For us, one of the best parts of vacationing is trying new restaurants. So below is my review of the new restaurants we tried on this trip. I will do a separate blog post on restaurants that we deem worthy of repeat visits.

Crystal Palace

This was our first character buffet together, so we weren't sure what to expect. As we visited on arrival day for MNSSHP, we entered the park at 4pm and were hungry from travel, so we were ready for an early all-you-care-to-eat dinner! 

When we made our reservations, we mentioned we were celebrating our anniversary. It was a pleasant surprise to see our table decorated to celebrate the event. Personally, I thought the buffet was just okay. They did have a nice variety, so it's a good choice if you have picky eaters. As we were starved from traveling all day, the food hit the spot but it wasn't a memorable meal.  

The lighting inside CP made it hard to get a good picture, but I love these pencil sketches because I feel like I'm part of the story. 

I'm not big on character meet and greets (I'm sure it that will change once we go with kids), but it's always fun to have a one-on-one moment with the characters. Crystal Palace has Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger. On the next trip, I've booked a breakfast reservation before the park opens (mainly to get a photo in front of the castle while the park is empty) and I've heard you can get a pretty funny reaction if you eat bacon in front of Piglet, wink, wink.

The staff was friendly and prompt. Our server even presented us with an anniversary card signed by all the characters. We'll be back as this is one of the few table service (read: air-conditioned meals) in the Magic Kingdom.

La Hacienda

This is a newer Mexican restaurant in Epcot, which we really enjoyed. There is some outdoor seating on a deck overlooking the lake. We got a decent seat indoors next to the window, which would have been prime if we had a later reservation to watch Illuminations. As we like to taste our way around the World Showcase, we opted to share some appetizers instead of eating large entrées. We did pay out of pocket for the apps.

We had some tasty chips and salsa. Our favorite was a bowl of sweet peppers and chorizo. It was the right amount of salty, sweet, and spicy! I highly recommend it and would definitely go back for that dish. It's just too bad that you can't get it To-Go to enjoy while strolling around the lake.

Kona

Kona quickly became our new favorite restaurant and we definitely plan on returning! Located inside of the Polynesian resort, the restaurant overlooks the lobby in all its island-décor splendor. 

To start with, the Hawaiian bread was simply fabulous! Soft, sweet and still warm from the oven; it won us over. It came with the most delicious honey and macadamia nut butter. I have never liked butter on my bread. Ever. Well, I was converted! I could easily have made a meal out of this alone. If I stayed at this resort, I would take advantage of this every day. It rivaled the fresh baguettes I enjoyed while living in France. 

As I recall, we were very hungry this particular day, so we ordered 2 appetizers. We must have been so hungry, we devoured the dish before it occurred to us to take pictures.

We each enjoyed a juicy steak. Bill ordered the New York Strip and I had the Rib Eye. They both came over a large stalk of steamed broccoli. It was hands down one of the best steaks I have ever eaten. 

Dessert did not disappoint, although we each took about one bite and had to call it quits. (Note to self: next time wear sweat pants to Kona.) Bill's all-time favorite fruit is pineapple, so despite the delicious menu options, he knew right away that the Pineapple Upside Down Cake was for him.










I'm a chocolate lover, so the warm brownie with chocolate sauce, topped with raspberries was the way to go for me. 


Full Disclosure: My mouth is watering as I write this post.














Citricos

We had heard many good things about Citricos, particularly that it was a romantic, adult location with a potential view of Magic Kingdom's nightly fireworks show. We decided to pull out all the stops and dress up! Of course, the only photo I got was of Bill enjoying the jazz band playing in the lobby of the Grand Floridian. 








Personalized anniversary menus were waiting for us at our table. The server even let us take them home! The atmosphere was very peaceful and quiet; we enjoyed a view of the chefs preparing desserts. I had the Pork Two Ways and Bill had the Oak-Grilled Filet of Beef. Both were 5-star meals. 

The desserts were unforgettable! I had the warm, chocolate banana torte (left) and Bill enjoyed the fruit cobbler. As Citricos is a Signature Dining experience (and thus requires 2 table-service credits on the meal plan), I would probably just go back for desserts only and watch the fireworks. Although our table was not near the windows, we finished our dinner just before Wishes started and had a fabulous view from the restaurant lobby windows. If you're looking for a romantic experience, I definitely recommend a leisurely dinner here.


What's your favorite Disney restaurant?