Dining Disney Style

Want to experience Hawaii but have a Kool-Aid budget rather than a Dom Perion budget? Well, the fine folks at Disney can help you out with the little matter by bringing Hawaii to you at the Polynesian Luau. Located at the Luau Cove on the grounds of the Polynesian Resort (where else?), the luau brings you an authentic experience as close as you will find to Hawaii, minus Don Ho strumming Tiny Bubbles.

When you first arrive, you will be greeted with a shell necklace instead of the traditional flower lei that we associate with Hawaii. The necklace is a nice touch, and almost 10 years later, I still have mine and wear it quite often in the summer. Then you are led to your table. Try to make reservations as soon as possible for a better table. We had front row-center. You can’t get much better than that. This is a pre-set course, so no ordering here and everything is all you can eat. While waiting for the food, members of the audience are invited on stage to learn a few hula steps. Not Fred and Ginger? Well, even if you have two left feet, get up and give it a try. It is a lot of fun. And you just may surprise yourself.

Then comes the food. For appetizers, we started with Chinese noodles. The noodles were very tasty, without too much soy sauce. Then came cabbage with spicy dressing. What a treat! The dressing was so yummy, I wished they had take-home bottles. I enjoyed this so much that I ordered seconds. After that came the main course, which consisted of fish, fried rice, veggies, and chicken. Now, I don’t eat fish, but John does. He said it was horrible and tasted like it had been left out for a few days. The chicken and rice was fixed almost in a teriyaki style. The rest of our meal was quite tasty and satisfying. Contemplating another serving, I opted to save room for dessert. Dessert was a choice of pineapple upside-down cake or coconut cake. John and I ordered one of each and then split them. The coconut cake was so moist and divine. Most coconut cakes I eat tend to be either dry or too moist. Just like in Little Red Riding hood, this was just right. Oh, and the pineapple cake was superb, too.

While all this is going on, you are treated to a fantastic show featuring some pretty talented performers. Most of these people are native Hawaiians and have studied at the prestigious Polynesian Culture Center for many years to learn their crafts.

You can make reservations up to on year in advanced by calling 407/WDW DINE. They do accept credit cards. Upon your entrance, you can smile for the camera, giving you a great souvenir photo for home. For more information, go to www.waltdisneyworld.com.

Disney now has two locations for the Rainforest Café. They have a location in Downtown Disney and one in the Animal Kingdom. If you have never been to one of the cafés, then you should give them a try. This will be a big hit with the kids, animal lovers, and environmentalists in your party.

Inside the café, you will find waterfalls, green lush plants, a talking tree spouting environmental facts, sounds of the rain forest, and animatronics animals. For those who are concerned with the environment, you will be glad to know there are neither net-caught fish here or beef from countries that deplete the rain forest in order to feed their animals. Also, any food leftover is given to local farmers for their livestock.

The menu draws its influence from the Caribbean and Mexico. Here you will find, in addition to the typical burgers and salads, pasta meals and chicken, fish, and veggie selections for anyone who is not a meat-eater. John and I started off our meal with the Rainforest Pita Quesadilla. This yummy appetizer features grilled chicken, roasted peppers, onions, and melted cheese on pita bread. It comes with pico de gallo and sour cream. But you can request salsa if those aren’t your favorites.

For our main meals, John went with Pastalaya, and I chose Bamba’s BBQ Wrap. Pastalaya is pasta meal inspired by New Orleans gumbo. For ingredients, you will find shrimp, sautéed chicken, bell peppers, onions, and andouille sausage with hot- and-spicy Cajun sauce over linguini. My barbeque wrap offers diners a choice of chicken or bean (I went with chicken) smothered with their own Smokin’ Mojo barbeque sauce, cilantro, onions, and four-cheese blend, all wrapped up in wrap bread. On the side you get sweet mango sauce and coleslaw, which are all quite tasty and not exactly killer on the waistline.

They do have a tummy-tempting dessert menu, but we were too full to even think about it. Their dessert menu includes cheesecake, a root bear float, key lime pie, and a sinful and calorie-laden Sparkling Volcano.

Both restaurants serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Hours vary by restaurant and season. They do offer a child’s menu. The restaurants are totally nonsmoking. They do have a gift shop on the premises. You do not have to have theme- park admission to get into either restaurants. One is located in Downtown Disney, and the other in the Animal Kingdom, offering a back entrance for those who do not want to visit the park. They accept credit cards. Advanced reservations are suggested by calling (407/WDW-Dine up to 90 days in advance, or through their website at www.rainforestcafe.com.

There was a time when people could eat dinner where words like carbs, calories, and fat didn’t enter into the mesh. If you hearken for those days, when dinner was just pure and simple, make sure you check out the Prime Time Café located in MGM Studios.

Everything here is a throw back to the days of Father Knows Best and Donna Reid. The tables are industrial ‘50s chrome, and the chairs are a harmonious mix of naguhide and steel. The TV’s located all over the place play such classics as I Love Lucy. Your waitress (known as Mom during your visit) is dressed in the preverbal shirt dress and pearls, a la June Cleaver from Father Knows Best.

Dining options here are along the comfort food lines. Well-known favorites, such as Dad’s homemade chili, Granny’s pot roast, chicken soup, and mac and cheese, make the list here. For those watching their waistlines, they also carry salads and sandwiches.

I decided to go with Granny’s Pot Roast. The oh-so-yummy roast includes baby potatoes, onions, celery, carrots, and peas in a wonderful gravy. Have it on top of some of the best mashed potatoes you have ever had and add some corn. What more could you ask for? John decided to go with Magnificent Meatloaf. This delectable entry is a wonderful meatloaf with mushroom gravy, mashed potatoes, and corn. John said that it is also just as good as his grandma could make.

If you happen to clean your plate (and Mom the waitress will fuss at you if you don’t), then you can have some dessert. Perennial kid favorites here include banana splits, sundaes, and their well-known s’mores. We decided to go with the ultimate in comfort deserts – Mom’s apple pie. This pie was to die for, thick with the flakiest crust. What a fest for the taste buds. And we topped it off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (is there really any other way to eat it?).

Granted, this stuff ain't short on the calories. But you need your strength to get through the lines and park. Also, you’re on vacation - fuggetaboutit! After all, this is a magical place, so just think of those calories magically disappearing. They serve lunch, and dinner hours vary by season. They do offer a full-service bar. They accept credit cards and Disney Dollars. There is priority seating, so call 407/WDW-DINE up to 90 days in advance for reservations.

One of your best bets for your budget and a way to meet your favorite character is through one of the character meals. We went with Captain Mickey at Fulton’s Crab House in Downtown Disney.

When you first walk in, you will find a huge bowl full of mini-muffins already on the table, waiting to be nibbled on. These included strawberry, blue berry, black berry, and mixed. For beverages, you get a choice of juice, coffee, tea, or milk, and you don’t have to just stick to one. We both had OJ, and then I had tea and John had coffee. It is all you can eat here, but rather than a buffet, your order is taken individually, and then you can order as much as you like. We started out with eggs (prepared like you like them), bacon (you can have ham, bacon, and/or sausage), and a choice of bread (toast, biscuits, or English muffins). John had toast, while I opted for their big ‘ol fluffy, scratch-made biscuits (wish I had one right now). After that, we had a bowl of fresh fruit. Other breakfast options included pancakes, French toast, waffles, and omelets. Again, everything is all you can eat, so you can order whatever you like. At $13 per person, it is quite pleasing to any budget.

While you’re enjoying this scrumptious meal, Mickey and friends stop by each table for a hug and photo. We got to meet Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, and Goofy. Make sure you bring your photo for that great photo op.

The Fulton Crab house is housed in the former three-deck riverboat known as the Empress Lilly, which is permanently docked on the lake. The name Fulton is a tribute to Robert Fulton, who invented the steamboat. The interior boasts incredible wooden floors and beams and carries though with a nautical theme, as you might well expect.

The Fulton Crab House is open for lunch and diner. Their ever-changing menu offers seafood-inspired dishes, as well as steaks and chicken for the non-seafood lover in your party. Now, the above character meal I described has now been moved to Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary Resort. In both cases, they take credit cards, Disney Dollars, or good old US$. Both are priority seating, so call 407/WDW –DINE up to 90 days before your vacation.

One of the prettiest restaurants offering one of the best views can be found in the Future World section of Epcot at the Living Seas. The Coral Reef offers diners a terrific menu, all while enjoying viewing fish from the coral reef. The windows are 8 feet high and the glass is more than 8 feet thick. But not to fret, your entrée selection will not be coming from this tank!

Everything here is beautifully decorated in the calming greens and blues of the ocean, and the set-up is in layers, offering everyone a view of the aquarium. The menu changes here, but it offers a wide selection of seafood fare, as well as landlubber and vegetarian fare.

Since I am not a fish-eater, I went with Rosemary Chicken. This incredible chicken breast was roasted with rosemary and herbs, covered with a white wine sauce, served on an almond rice bed, and complemented with an assortment of fresh veggies in a light butter sauce. So it was not bad on the calories; I saved those for dessert. John went with shrimp pasta. This meal consisted of shrimp in an Alfredo sauce atop of herbed pasta. He said it was quite Good, and since I am not a shrimp-eater, I took his word for it. They brought us a basket of some of the most delectable herbed hard rolls I have ever tasted.

If you are dining here, make sure to save room for dessert. The sinful ice cream on the shell was probably 10,000 calories (just a slight execration) and worth every single calorie, carb, and fat gram. This consisted of white chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate mousse, and a chocolate and vanilla sea shell. I still drool thinking about it. They are open for lunch and dinner. They do accept major credit cards, Disney dollars, or US$. They do offer priority seating, so call 407/WDW-Dine up to 90 days from when you would like to dine.