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Walt Disney World

Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Villas-a Blast From the Past

13 August 2009 by Suzannah Otis 34 Comments

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I mentioned in my Disney Resorts entry how our first foray into “on property” resorts was Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Vacation Villas. I found a few pictures that I scanned in and thought I’d share here.

 

Disney's Vacation Villas in 1984
Disney's Vacation Villas in 1984

As I described before, there were 4 different types of Lake Buena Vista Villas: Club Lake Villas were, if I recall correctly, more luxurious than the Vacation Villas. The Fairway Villas were smaller and on the golf course. The Vacation Villas were the attached townhouse style and the Tree House Villas were the really cool two-story tree house style homes nestled in the forest. The only remnants of this era of Disney resorts are the Tree House Villas, now refurbished after being used for years as homes for College Program International Cast Members. You can view the Tree House Villas from the boat that sails from Port Orleans and Old Key West Resorts to Downtown Disney. I always loved riding the Disney resort buses from the parks to the Vacation Villas, because we had to go through the Tree House Villas first and you never knew what you’d see on those dark roads; raccoons, bunnies, deer…it was great fun.

 

My mom and I posing as my dad took the picture from the loft above.
My mom and I posing as my dad took the picture from the loft above.

The layout for the Vacation Villas we stayed in was a typical condo layout downstairs: small kitchen with pass-thru and bar stools at the counter, dining area, bathroom, and family room with a sleeper sofa, tv, etc. The fun was upstairs, where the master bedroom was actually an open loft design. You have no idea how cool this was to an 8 year-old. The master bedroom had a king bed and a tv, then a bathroom too as I remember, but the wall that the tv was on was completely open to the family room downstairs. It was so exciting to me. There was another bedroom upstairs with two twin beds and a bathroom. The family room downstairs had sliding glass doors leading to a patio with chairs. There were several options for views, but we always requested and received an Empress Lily view.

 

This was me, before heading to dinner at the Empress Lily Room. Pre Pleasure Island too!
This was me, before heading to dinner at the Empress Lily Room. Pre Pleasure Island too!

Another great part of staying at the Lake Buena Vista Villas was you were able to rent a golf cart for the length of your stay. You could then get anywhere you needed to go in that area with the golf cart. We drove to breakfast at the Buena Vista Club restaurant. (This was the Club attached to the golf course). We explored the other villas…if my dad had been a golfer obviously he could’ve used it for that too! The best part was driving to the Lake Buena Vista Village Marketplace. You may know it now as Downtown Disney.

We could drive our golf cart over the bridge in the area that now houses the bus stops for Downtown Disney. From there we could park over where Downtown Disney Guest Relations now is, plug in the golf cart and explore the shops and restaurants. I think there were only a few at the time Cap’n Jack’s was one, and Chef Mickeys, which stood where Rain Forest Cafe now exists. It was a quaint, little place then. Dark wood decor, windows overlooking the lake and the Empress Lily. It had a separate lounge where you could wait and have a drink while you waited for your table. Back then, if you ordered one of a few specific drinks, you could get a souvenir plastic mug to keep. I remember getting a drink similar to a Shirley Temple, with rock candy swizzle sticks. A lot. I have quite a few of those red mugs with Chef Mickey’s image on them. I had to stop using them because the dishwasher was wearing off the design.

 

Souvenir mugs from the *original* Chef Mickey's Village Restaurant
Souvenir mugs from the *original* Chef Mickey

I think the only other restaurant was Heidelberg’s deli where Earl of Sandwich is now. Mickey’s Pantry was there, a jewelry store called 24-K and a few other shops. Can you imagine a Marketplace without World of Disney, Once Upon a Toy, the Lego Store or even Pleasure Island?? That’s how it once was. The Marketplace truly was a rainy day excursion and not an attraction unto itself like it is now.

Sadly, Disney decided to discontinue operations of the Villas. They used some of the buildings during the Disney Institute years, but then demolished all of the original villas (apart from the Tree House Villas) and built the Saratoga Springs Resort as part of the Disney Vacation Club program. Saratoga Springs now offers some of those same gorgeous views of the Empress Lily that we once enjoyed, even though it’s now called Fulton’s Crab House.

Another thing I found in my search for old pictures was this coupon for the arcade at the Lake Buena Vista Villa Center. Think they’ll still honor it? 😉

 

Arcade Coupon good for 1 game at the Lake Buena Vista Center
Arcade Coupon good for 1 game at the Lake Buena Vista Center

 

I welcome any information, links or pictures from this time period at Walt Disney World!!

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Filed Under: Commentary Land, Disney Past, Disney Resorts, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Disney past, Disney Resorts, Downtown Disney, Walt Disney World

The Most Delicious Time of the Year?

22 July 2009 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

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Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival
Well that has to be Epcot’s 14th Annual International Food & Wine Festival, which runs from September 25-November 8, 2009 this year at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Whether you have been to Epcot enough times to rattle off the location of each hidden Mickey in the park, or you are planning your very first visit – the World Showcase’s reputation for great food is well known. Roaming from the Margaritas in Mexico’s San Angel Inn to the steaks cooked to perfection in Canada’s Le Cellier, to the pastries in France’s Boulangerie, you will not go hungry in Epcot. However, if you want even more scrumptious treats, wines, and beers from countries that are not normally represented at Epcot, then you won’t want to miss the Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival .

My daughter enjoying some champagne sorbet-shhh!
My daughter enjoying some champagne sorbet-shhh!

As soon as you enter the World Showcase section of Epcot with your theme park admission, the delicious smells of delicacies from across the globe waft around you, making your stomach growl in anticipation. Oh, did I mention to come hungry? That’s a must. No filling up on a character breakfast buffet before visiting the Food & Wine Festival – you will thank me later! Most likely, you’ll have a hard time deciding which of the tapas-style food creations (priced between $2-$7 a plate) to try. The unique wine and beer pairings simply add to the experience.

This year the festival, which always features a different annual theme (although many favorite dishes return each year), is focusing on “foodie” cities from around the world. There are more than 25 kiosks serving food and wine around the World Showcase promenade – highlights of which include Bologna, Italy; Bangkok, Thailand; Wellington, New Zealand; Santiago, Chile; Marrakesh, Morocco; Shanghai, China; with New Orleans going to bat for the United States.

Be sure you pick up a guide map at the park entrance, so you can follow along with all the great selections and decide which food and drink stations you can’t miss. While I could say to just try them all, even the most competitive eaters might not be able to pull off trying ever offering in one day. One way to go would be make one trip around to try all the new foods as you walk around and enjoy the sites and sounds of World Showcase, then take a break in Future World as you digest, and make another trip around for some of the wonderful desserts featured at the pavilions.

My son eating escargot. Yes, ESCARGOT.
My son eating escargot. Yes, ESCARGOT.

On a personal note, this festival has always been a ‘must-see’ for our family. We were here when it began in 1995, because we were cast members at the time. The 2nd year, my husband and I were getting married during the festival’s run, and showing our relatives and friends the amazing offerings in the days before we had our reception at the Walt Disney World Dolphin.

eating SEAWEED salad!
eating SEAWEED salad!

Years later our children look forward to it each year as well. Would you believe my son’s favorite part is eating the escargot from France each year?? Yes, you read that right – snails! It’s a great way to get kids excited about trying new foods and learning about new countries and traditions in the process.

Here are some of our favorite kiosks, taken from the Disney Food & Wine Festival page:

Athens, Greece

Location: Canada Pavilion

* • Greek Salad with Pita Bread
* • Spanakopita (Savory Spinach and Cheese Pastry)
* • Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki
* • Baklava
* • Beverage Selection: Boutari Moschofilero, Boutari Santorini, Kourtaki Mavrodaphne of Patras, Tsantali Rapsani

Greece is one of the most popular kiosks along with Canada (cheddar soup anyone?) so be prepared for a wait, with good cause!

Paris, France

Location: France Pavilion

* • Escargot Persillade en Brioche
* • Cabernet Short Ribs with Mashed Potatoes
* • Chocolate Milk Creme Brûlée
* • Beverage Selection : Chardonnay (Bouchard Ainee & Fils, 2007), Merlot (Chateau Mezain, Bordeaux, 2007), Sparking Pomegranate Kir, Parisien Cosmo Slush

As mentioned, my son LOVES escargot. It is a tradition he looks forward to each year. My daughter has taken to trying the French dessert each year, a girl after my own heart, she knows quality! Ooh, and I may have to try that Cosmo Slush!

Melbourne, Australia

Location: Africa Outpost

* • Seared Barramundi with Blistered Cherry Tomatoes, Arugula and Lemon Oil
* • Grilled Lamb Chop, Red Wine Sauce, Murray River Sea Salt
* • Lamington
* • Beverage Selection: Rosemount Traminer Riesling, Rosemount Pinot Noir, Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet, Penfolds Bin 2

I am not a big lamb person myself, but my husband and mother actually save room for this lamb chop every festival. It’s just that good so I’m told.

There are many more kiosks, including new offerings from Bangkok, Thailand and Rio de Janiero, Brazil. As if that wasn’t enough, there is also a new “Desserts and Champagne” kiosk which I think will be a must-visit for me this year!

Desserts & Champagne — NEW

Location: Showcase Plaza

* • Austrian Gugelhupf (Austrian Bundt Cake)
* • Strawberry Shortcake
* • Frozen Grand Marnier Parfait, Orange Coulis
* • Champagne
* • Beverage Selection: Moët & Chandon Wines: Impérial, Rosé Impérial, Nectar Impérial, Nectar Impérial Rosé

While you may come for the food, there is much more than just eating and drinking happening around the promenade. There are culinary demonstrations, beer and wine tastings from around the world, and Signature Dining Series for the true gourmands, featuring guest speakers and chefs serving up delectable lunches and dinners, for a separate fee. In addition to all the edible enjoyment, you can Eat to the Beat with some wonderful musicians that keep things rocking while you enjoy the tastes of the world.

There are the 17 scheduled performers for this year’s Eat to the Beat concert series which is included with Epcot admission and begin at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. daily. The lineup (subject to change) includes:

Eat to the Beat concert series schedule:*
Sept. 25-27 Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (“You & Me & The Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby)”)
Sept. 28-29 Richard Marx (“Hold On to the Nights”)
Sept. 30-Oct. 3 Starship starring Mickey Thomas (“We Built This City”)
Oct. 4-6 En Vogue (“Free Your Mind”)
Oct. 7-8 Better Than Ezra (“Good”)
Oct. 9-11 Sister Hazel (“All for You”)
Oct. 12-13 Kool & The Gang (“Celebration”)
Oct. 14-16 Spyro Gyra (“Morning Dance”)
Oct. 17-18 Jon Secada (“Just Another Day”)
Oct. 19-20 Sister Sledge (“We Are Family”)
Oct. 21-22 Vanessa Carlton (“A Thousand Miles”)
Oct. 23-25 Taylor Dayne (“Tell It to My Heart”)
Oct. 26-28 Boyz II Men (“Motownphilly”)
Oct. 29-31 John Waite (“Missing You”)
Nov. 1-2 Night Ranger (“Sister Christian”)
Nov. 3-5 Billy Ocean (“Caribbean Queen”)
Nov. 6-8 Los Lobos (“La Bamba”)

Don’t forget to grab an extra dessert, drink and a spot for viewing Illuminations: Reflections of Earth – Epcot’s mesmerizing nighttime fireworks show, featuring awe-inspiring fireworks, fountains, lasers and music – the perfect nightcap to a delicious Disney day.

Additional Information may be found at Disney World’s Food & Wine Festival page.
*Entertainment subject to change

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Filed Under: Disney Dining, Disney Planning, Reviews, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Disney, Disney Special Events, Epcot, Reviews

Keeping the Magic Alive…When it Lives in Your Backyard

20 July 2009 by Suzannah Otis 4 Comments

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As I discussed in my history of Disney obsession, I came to love Walt Disney World the way most kids do, on a family vacation.

Display of plush at Magic Kingdom
Display of plush at Magic Kingdom

Part of what makes it so magical is that you are leaving your comfortable surroundings; you are venturing into another world, and when it’s over, you go home and pine away for a time when you can do it all over again. But what happens when you are raised in an environment where you can go to Disney World every weekend, or if you really felt like it (and gas prices didn’t cost an appendage or two), every day? Does it become less magical? Do you become spoiled by what is no longer in a kingdom far far away, but happens as often as “we’re going to the mall, kids“?

After we all retired our Cast Member name tags, we purchased annual passes and still went pretty much every weekend. Sometimes we’d just go for lunch or dinner and not even go on a single ride. When my first son was born in 1999, we had been living in the Orlando area and been park regulars for the past 4 years. It seemed only natural to head to the opening of the Asia section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom when he was 3 weeks old. We got several stink-eye looks from wizened old grannies that always have advice to offer new parents “He needs a hat!” “He needs booties!” “He needs more blankets!” (yes, even in Florida, you get told to add layers!). Many asked “How OLD is he?!” and when I answered “3 weeks” I did so with the disclaimer, “Oh, we just live down the street, it’s not like we’re here for a 10 day vacation.” That seemed to satisfy them a bit, although I’m not sure why I cared to explain myself – we were at Tower of Terror one time when a mother was getting quite irate with Cast Members for not being allowed to bring her six week old infant on the ride. Yes, really.

So our firstborn grew up getting wheeled around Disney World until we sold our house and moved back to Massachusetts (a long story, but basically, we had a child and both exclaimed – “We can’t possibly raise a child in FLORIDA! We must return to Boston, to history and culture!” – We were back in FL within 6 months). At that time, I was pregnant with our daughter. She was born in Massachusetts, and we did indeed return to Florida 6 months later. She too, was wheeled around Disney World like her brother had been. Of course at 2 years old and 6 months old, they were too young to remember what they experienced anyway, but we had fun. Cue a few more moves, and we didn’t really return to Florida to live until 2003.

Before that, back in 2002 we had one wonderful, crazed visit where my husband’s parents, brother and his girlfriend, and the 4 of us in our mini-van all drove down to Orlando from Boston. The kids were then 3 and almost-2 at the time. Just the right age to enjoy most everything and be get that wonderful look of awe on their faces that Disney inspires. Of course they were also amazed by South of the Border on the trip back home, but…we’ll let that slide. It was the perfect little vacation so we could all experience what it was like to be a tourist at Disney again, rather than a local. The crazed part came with the super-cold front that rolled in, forcing us to seek out sweatpants and sweatshirts for the kids. My father-in-law got sick so their group went home a day early, and our son got sick as well – he decided to create a whole new appetizer at Canada’s Le Cellier while we waited to order. Ew. Just because that needed to be topped, I got the brilliant idea to adopt a pair of kittens from someone I had met online, so we met them in a Super Wal-Mart parking lot, picked up 2 tiny mewing kittens, supplies for them, and proceeded to drive back home in the now renamed Bodily Function Central mini-van. Despite those setbacks, it was nice to make a whole journey out of the trip and enjoy lots of things we’d missed for years by taking quick day trips.

Fast forward to 2003 when we took up residence again, we went back to weekend visits and trying out new lunch or dinner spots. The kids did not, in fact, lose their wonderment of the Happiest Place on Earth. They both got into pin collecting, and we got excited about what had become our family traditions – Mother’s Day at the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival, October at the Not-So-Scary Halloween Party followed by http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/special-events/epcot-international-food-and-wine-festival/, ending with of course the amazing decorations for the holidays,

the kids exiting the Wedway People Mover (TTA) in December of 2005
the kids exiting the Wedway People Mover (TTA) in December of 2005

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party with its snow on Main Street, USA, the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights (which make me cry each time), and the gorgeous trees in the resorts. We just shared our traditions with several hundred thousand other visitors to The World.

When we moved outside of Tampa in 2005, we visited a little less frequently. It certainly wasn’t every weekend, but we kept the family traditions alive. There was always something new to see, some refurbished ride or restaurant or resort to explore – it never got old. Then last year, I had our 2nd son, our 3rd child.

the newest Disney baby, December 2008
the newest Disney baby, December 2008

We waited a whole 10 weeks before bringing him to Disney for the first time, for the holiday celebrations mentioned above. He did pretty well at the Very Merry Christmas Party, it was me that was pretty much over breastfeeding with throngs of people getting their free hot chocolate and cookies around the park (but I still had fun!). He made it through the special nighttime Christmas parade, and we walked out as the Wishes fireworks were going on.

Since then, we’ve visited a lot more frequently, but I realized something when we had our good friends visiting from California. We had become dependent on the phrase “don’t worry, we can come back anytime”. Any time there was more than a 20 minute wait, or we didn’t want to deal with the baby getting in and out of the stroller, we said “catch ya next time” to a LOT of attractions. We, as parents, were still having fun people watching and having a Disney-quality lunch or dinner somewhere, but as parents know there’s only so much “walking around” kids can do (especially as they approach that fun tween age) before they start to formulate plans for mutiny involving the release of the Sword in the Stone from its imprisonment, on the back of a Disney World napkin as we stop for lunch.

My oldest son is also getting to the point (10 ½) where he doesn’t want to go on ANY rides. Don’t get me wrong, he still loves Disney and loves even more when we take mini-vacations and stay in a condo for a couple of nights. He seems to love the experience of the park, but just doesn’t want to bother going on the rides right now. I’m not worried, I know this too shall pass. I went through a phase when I was that age where I was completely PETRIFIED of the Haunted Mansion. I’d been on it a billion times, I knew it wasn’t “scary” but I still did NOT want to go on that ride and no amount of begging could convince me. Pirates wasn’t much better with all the skeletons. I’m not sure if he’s inherited a bit of that or not, but he’s a kid that begs to see every new horror film that comes out, so I’m thinking no. That is another part of living slow close to the parks – you can, but don’t have to go all the time. I’m sure with a break, he’ll be extra excited to ride all his old favorites.

During that visit with our Californian friends, I made a promise to my daughter that we would go on Splash Mountain next time we came to Disney no matter what. That next time was when we saw the Hall of Presidents preview. We were lucky enough to be gifted some Fast Passes when we were waiting in line, so we walked right on. It was her first time, and she LOVED it. So I decided then and there that we were going to have a Girls Day Out at Disney World. When we got home, I got out our customized Disney maps I’d ordered a year ago when we stayed at Dixie Landings (oops, I mean Port Orleans Riverside), and told her to make a list of all the rides she wanted to go on when we went. She was quite excited about that. Our itinerary is going to involve 3 parks. We’re starting out in Animal Kingdom, heading to Epcot and ending up in Magic Kingdom to go on all the rides there at night. It’ll just be us so there won’t be anyone complaining that they don’t want to go on this ride or that, and the baby will be at home so it’ll be that much easier to get around.

S. at Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique for her birthday, August 2006
S. at Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique for her birthday, August 2006

I think that proves that after all these years and after countless visits, my kids still get excited for the magic that exists only within Walt’s World. Sure, my oldest may be more interested in X-box 360 right now, but I have no doubt he’ll want to get back to Disney soon enough. Living here as given us the opportunities to truly experience all The World has to offer, that we might not otherwise be able to squeeze into a traditional vacation. We’ve been able to see Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba, the boys have rented the watercraft at Downtown Disney while our princess was turned into a princess at Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique. We’ve been able to stroll around Downtown Disney and see the ins and outs of each shop, try new restaurants when they open, go to both miniature golf courses, resort hop and look in the shops or try the restaurants, and do tours at Magic Kingdom. Disney has become like a second home for my children, as it is for the adults in the family as well. Sure, I’d love to be able to take a 10 day vacation on property with the dining plan, but I love being able to pop over for special events or just because I’m in the mood for Dole Whip. That, is magic.

Peter and Wendy playing with our kids on the Magic Kingdom Family Magic Tour, 2006
Peter and Wendy playing with our kids on the Magic Kingdom Family Magic Tour, 2006

And despite the loud parties many nights, I have to say Disney is a pretty good neighbor. Can’t really complain too much. They’re clean, always keep their lawn mowed, and they do have the best fireworks on the block.

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Filed Under: Disney Past, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Animal Kingdom, babies, Disney, Disney Resorts, Disney Special Events, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Downtown Disney, Epcot, kids, Magic Kingdom, memories, parenting, traditions

Remember the Magic

25 June 2009 by Suzannah Otis 3 Comments

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3 season pass from January 1985 I figured the best way to jump into adding Disney-blogging to my site was to start at the beginning, and share how I became Disney-obsessed to begin with. Most people have a definite and strong opinion regarding the Disney Company itself, both the parks and the entertainment/film division. I, have always been a fan it seems. Although I have met many people over the years that do not share my love, I have never really understood how that is possible. 😉

My dad’s family lived outside of Ocala, FL, and I guess I visited when I was less than a year old, but obviously don’t remember that. My first memory of Walt Disney World was when I was about 6 or 7. We went to visit my dad’s family, and Disney World at the same time. I really don’t recall too much from that visit though. I remember chocolate-covered frozen bananas, orange drinks in a plastic orange from The Orange Bird stand outside the Tiki Room, the Wedway People Mover and Small World. However, it was after that visit that my family’s love for Disney really started to grow.
[Read more…] about Remember the Magic

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Filed Under: Commentary Land, Disney Past, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Disney, memories

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