Photo Friday: A morning cruise

Welcome to another Photo Friday.

Well, I've been saving this one for a while.  This is perhaps my favorite early morning shot of all.  This was taken days before the 2010 Half Marathon in January.  I was in a room on the Bay Lake side of the Contemporary tower taking shots of the sunrise when I saw this launch making it's way towards the far side of Discovery Island.  I was especially taken with the light fog on the water, the birds in the distance and the subtle glow of the sunrise.

I hope you enjoy.

Photo Friday: A high-up view of MK fireworks

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

As we get set to celebrate New Year's Eve (if you'are at the parks right now, I feel your pain for all the lines!), I thought I'd share a fireworks photo from a unique perspective -- near the top of the Contemporary Resort.

I happened to book a Magic Kingdom view room back in January 2011 and was astounded at the jaw-dropping view of the Magic Kingdom.  Imagine having this view outside your window day and night.  It was well worth the extra cost.

One of the best perks was what you see here -- an incredible view of the fireworks! 

Enjoy and Happy New Year!

Photo Friday: A real "Highway in the Sky"

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

I took this photo in January 2011 from the 11th floor of the Contemporary Resort. I happened to wake up early one morning and looked out over the Seven Seas Lagoon to see the water partially covered with low level fog. Then I saw the monorail running just above the clouds.

You can just make out the small boat with a fishing party in the bottom right corner.

Tip Tuesday: Electrical Water Pageant

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

It's the oldest nighttime experience at Walt Disney World and it doesn't even require a park ticket to enjoy - in fact it's not even in the parks!

Of course, I'm talking about the Electrical Water Pageant, which first premiered October 26, 1971 (thought it was not available on opening day, Oct. 1, 1971).

The Water Pageant, originally created to celebrate the dedication of the Polynesian Luau, can be seen nightly (weather permitting) along the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. It usually begins it's performances around 9 p.m., unless there are fireworks set for the same time at the Magic Kingdom. In that case, the Water Pageant will begin about 20 minutes later.

The Water Pageant consists of 14 small barges, each containing two sets of lights arranged to form different shapes and set to music from Disney songs from The Little Mermaid and Peter Pan (among others). Most include some simple form of animation.

The first four displays create a sea serpent breathing fire, followed by a whale spouting water, a turtle taking a drink from the water, an octopus waving his arms, three jumping dolphins, a dinosaur chomping on some greenery, a crocodile and finally King Triton being in his chariot being led by four seahorses.

After these 14 barges complete scene one, all the barges change to display either the United States flag or a set of stars, while playing patriotic music.

In total, the Electrical Water Pageant runs less than 10 minutes. The first performance usually begins in front of the Grand Floridan Resort around 9 p.m. The best place to watch is by the dock near Narcoosee's (if you have an ADR at Narcoosee's for that time - it's a great vantage point). Following the Grand Floridian, the pageant moves to the Polynesian at around 9:15, the Wilderness Lodge around 9:40, Fort Wilderness around 9:50 and the Contemporary (Bay Lake side) a little after 10 p.m. If there Magic Kingdom is still open around 10:20, the Water Pageant will have a final performance in front of the main gate.

These are general times. Check with the concierge desk or guest services at any of the Magic Kingdom area resorts for specific times the day you plan to see the pageant.

While it's a simple show, especially considering all the advances lately in audio-animatronics, the Electrical Water Pageant is a nostalgic reminder of the origins of Walt Disney World and one evening activity not to be missed.

Tip Tuesday: Sometimes the view is worth it

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

I've returned from another trip to Walt Disney World and I wanted to share with you one of the most magical parts of this trip: the view!

We were staying at the Contemporary Resort with a view of the Magic Kingdom.

Now I know what you're thinking, and yes, it was expensive. To be honest, I was only able to manage this thanks to Disney's big room-only discounts they were offering at the time.

Now that I've stayed there, I can say with certainty that the view is worth the extra cost. We watched Wishes! every night from our room without having to stand in the middle of the crowds, nor have to fight our way out of the Magic Kingdom afterwards (the park closed right after Wishes!). The kids watch the fireworks and then were able to get some rest.

It was so nice to have that view to wake up to as well. Take a look for yourself!

Who wouldn't want to wake up to scenes like this?

Now I'm not so sure about the view from the Grand Floridan. I know there are more trees blocking that view and the highest floors aren't anywhere near as high up as the Contemporary. The shots you see above are from the 11th floor. It's the close proximity and the higher elevation that make the Magic Kingdom view rooms at the Contemporary so wonderful.

Back during the Disney's Biggest Fan trip, I did stay at Club Level at the Polynesian. Those rooms do offer a view of the Magic Kingdom with a few from all the way across the Seven Seas Lagoon.

It's a nice view as well, though you don't really see much of the Magic Kingdom -- just Cinderella's Castle and part of Space Mountain. With the view from the Contemporary, you can see quite a bit more. I was even able to watch and hear (distantly) the Main Street Electrical Parade going through Liberty Square.

Those who like to take things a bit slower and want to enjoy time at their resort should give the Magic Kingdom view at the Contemporary Resort some serious consideration. The view is worth the extra cost -- no doubt about it!

Tip Tuesday: Going Deluxe

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

This week, I wanted to begin a discussion about the benefits of staying at a deluxe resort on property, as opposed to a value or moderate resort. I have four personal favorite deluxe resorts, and I'm going to share why I feel these resorts provide so much value to justify the extra cost.

Grand Floridian
First up is the Grand Floridian Resort (my #1a favorite). Located on the western shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon near the Magic Kingdom, the Grand Floridian is the flagship of the deluxe resorts at Walt Disney World. As such, it is often the most expensive. The GF offers a number of fantastic features that make it worth staying there, especially during certain times of the year. First and foremost is location, location, location. The GF is one monorail stop away from the Magic Kingdom, something that's especially handy for families with younger children.

The resort is elegantly themed with one of the most beautiful lobbies on property. The GF also has one of the best resort-based character dining options (1900 Park Fare) featuring different characters for breakfast and dinner. In all, the Grand Floridian offers the most elaborate fine dining of any resort with Narcoosee's, Citricos and the ultra-upscale Victoria and Albert's.

During the Christmas season, the Grand Floridian truly shines with the best resort holiday theming on property bar none. The gingerbread house at the GF is worth it alone. Add in the live holiday music, the gigantic lobby tree, the Photopass studio shots in the evening with the tree as a background and the innumerable poinsettias all over the place, you'll quickly see why the GF is the best place to be during the holidays, especially during the value season.

Now, all this being said, the GF is not the best option year round. During the most expensive holiday season (between Christmas and New Years), I don't recommend the GF as the cost skyrockets. The GF, however, is my #1 recommendation for the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's value season and you can't find any better resort, especially if Disney offers a good discount.

While I like the GF, it's not my #1 recommendation for the warmer (ok, blistering!) summer months. That's because there's another resort that's my #1b favorite...

The Yacht/Beach Club
If you're coming to Walt Disney World during the hotter half of the year, you need to stay somewhere where you can cool off, and there's no better place than the Yacht/Beach Club resorts -- and that's because of Stormalong Bay. Stormalong Bay is the largest resort pool on property and it's also the largest sand-bottom pool in the world. Stormalong Bay is a mini waterpark in itself and it's fantastic.

Personally, I prefer the Beach Club over the Yacht Club because of the closer access to Epcot (remember, location, location, location). From your room, it's less than a five minute walk to the International Gateway. Also, all the great restaurants and shops at the Boardwalk are only a few minutes away.

The Beach Club also receives a holiday theming overlay during November and December and it's pretty nice as well. Of course, it's more beach-oriented and is not as grand as the GF. Still, the Beach Club is a nice option for the winter months. Oh, and don't think that you can't enjoy Stormalong Bay during the cooler months -- the water's heated!

And now for the others...
The GF and Beach Club are my two favorite resorts, but I also really like three other resorts: The Contemporary, the Polynesian and the Boardwalk. I like these for some of the same reasons I like the GF and the Beach, and these reasons are:

Location, location, location -- the Polynesian and Contemporary are on the monorail and offer quick access to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. The Boardwalk is within walking distance of Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Each resort has outstanding theming, large rooms and excellent dining options.

So why should you think deluxe?
Well as I've said several times, location, location, location and theming, theming, theming.

Think about it. How much time do you spend waiting for a bus to get to a resort? The average is 20-30 minutes (each time). How much time do you spend waiting for a bus to go back to your resort? Depending on when you're leaving the park, it could be quite a long time - upwards of an hour. Staying at a deluxe resort literally can save you several hours during your trip (to say nothing about being much less stressful). It's a lot nicer to be able to walk back to your resort (Yacht/Beach, Boardwalk or Contemporary) or take a monorail (Contemporary, Polynesian, Grand Floridian) as opposed to waiting in a huge line to catch a bus.

And then there's all the other benefits of staying at a deluxe resort that you don't get at a moderate or value.

The first is space. Deluxe rooms are much larger than rooms at value or moderate resorts. You'll appreciate that additional elbow room after being in a small room for a few days. Along with the extra space comes the ability for extra guests. I have a family of 5. That means I really can't stay at any of the value or moderate resorts (Port Orleans Riverside excepted) because they can only accommodate four people. Nearly all the deluxe resorts (Wilderness and Animal Kingdom excepted) can accommodate 5 to six people. It's really nice to keep the family in one room without having to book a second room.

The second is another benefit of location, location, location. Not only do you have a short travel time to get to a nearby park, you also have the ability to watch the evening fireworks, possibly from your room or on the beach. This is especially true for the Magic Kingdom area resorts. The picture shown above was taken from the balcony of our room at the Polynesian in March. You can see the same angle from the beach at the Polynesian -- and the music is piped in. You get another great angle over at the Grand Floridian, especially by the main dock for the resort launches.

You really have to ask yourself how much is your time worth? How much is convenience worth? How much is theming and atmosphere worth?

There's an old saying... once you go deluxe, you'll never want to go back. Personally, I think they're right.

Restaurant Review: Chef Mickey's

It's time for another restaurant review.

This restaurant needs no introduction. It's run by the head cheese himself - Mickey Mouse!

It just so happens that this restaurant also is the most popular character-dining location in all of Walt Disney World, and for good reason.

Of course I'm talking about Chef Mickey's!

As character dining goes, it really doesn't get any better than Chef Mickey's, located at Disney's Contemporary Resort. In one meal, guests will meet the entire Disney Fab 5: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto.

In recent months, Chef Mickey's has received a decent expansion, taking over a portion of space that was the Concourse Steakhouse, which has allowed for a little bit more seating, but also a better queue area for the pre-meal photo opportunity.

Chef Mickey's is a Disney Dining Plan (DDP) participant, requiring one table service credit per guest. The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner in a buffet format. Parents: this is one meal even the most picky of eaters will find something they will like. The entrees are creative and quite good. I personally prefer lunch/dinner to breakfast, simply because the dinner menu offers more variety as compared to breakfast. Just about every breakfast opportunity at WDW offers eggs, sausage and bacon.

What sets Chef Mickey's apart is the atmosphere. This is a place where even the oldest guest can be a kid again (or finally act like the kid they really are - that would be me!). The characters spend plenty of time at each table and the wait staff helps to make your experience magical. Oh, and talk about celebrations - the folks at Chef Mickey's will find ANY reason to celebrate! My son graduated from 5th grade this summer. The server saw his "I'm Celebrating" button and the next thing we know it's party time!

Before being seated, guests have the opportunity to have a photo opp at a big hidden-mickey themed plate. I have several of these photos. The location for this photo opp changes from time to time and (as you can see) will reflect different holiday seasons (when appropriate). The photos are nice to get if you like family photos. This is the one PhotoPass-like opportunity at Chef Mickey's. Otherwise, you're on your own for character photos.

We don't always purchase the photo - it is optional and runs somewhere around $30 or so for an 8x10 and a pair of 5x7's. The other benefit is that the photo does include a photopass code on the corner, so you can add this shot to your photopass CD and get the digital version as well.

Chef Mickey's is a must-do for everyone who visits Walt Disney World. As for my family, Chef Mickey's has become our most favorite place to eat. In fact this November, we will have Thanksgiving dinner at Chef Mickey's, of all places. We enjoy the fun, the friends, the food and the family time.

What could be better?