Birthdays at the Happiest Place On Earth

"In Momma's house we don't put our elbows on the table," Uncle Rob scolded my grandparents. The 50's Prime Time Cafe isn't just a place to eat; its an experience. With no reservations the wait was thirty minutes and Cousin Joan told us to wait in Dad's den. The whole concept behind the restaurant is dining at Momma's house in the 50's, and Dad's den really looked like such. The decor was right out of the 50's. TV's were everywhere showing clips of the Mickey Mouse Club, My Little Margie, and other 50's classics. If the wait was to long Dad's bar is right behind the den.
After waiting for 30 minutes an Aunt came into the living room yelling "Hughey!" My grandparents slowly stood up, she looked at us and state "you the Hughey kids?" She lead us into the next area where knick knacks lined the wall and kitchen tables served as our dining area. Next Uncle Rob came out, moved some of the chairs, and informed us "move the tables if you have to. We are always moving the furniture at Momma's house" and "I do everything around here so you can set the table yourself." He pulled over the a chair, sat down and informed us of the rules; we must clear our plates, and no elbows on the table. This is an enforced rule. Desert will be withheld if the plate isn't clear and non of the waiters are shy in telling a customer to get their elbows off the table.
The food wasn't bad either. They serve pot roast with mashed potatoes ($16.99), meatloaf with green beans ($14.99), a stacked sandwich with chips ($9.99), roasted pepper ($12.49), chicken pot pie ($16.99), and salad. I ordered the fried chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans ($!4.99) and a cherry flavored soda ($3.09). The sodas have unlimited refills and they even send you home with a fresh cup of soda to go. The desert list looks even better. they have s'mores ($4.79), ice cream sundaes ($4.99), brownie sundae ($5.9), cobbler ($5.49), and angel food cake ($4.99). However I was so full that I couldn't even consider eating desert.
The food is good, but the atmosphere, and the entertainment that comes along with the food makes the wait time and the price worth it. The 50's Prime Time Cafe truly embodies the magic of Disney. The restaurant transported me back into the days when Dad knew best, everyone looked perfect all of the time, and all problems were solved in 30 minutes.

The Yack and Yeti is the newest restaurant to open in the Animal Kingdom. I am a huge fan in the over all themeing of the park and the Yack and Yeti proves to me that Disney still has the ability to create amazing, fantastic spots (I often question this as I walk through California Adventure). The Yack and Yeti is Asian fusion so expect not to recognize anything on the menu if you eat strictly American food.
Located in Asia at the base of Expedition Everest I felt like I was walking into an upscale restaurant in Nepal. The two floor restaurant is decorated with a variety of Asian inspired art that looks like it was thrown together to create a tourist spot. The inside is dark and none of the chairs match each other. Asian music was playing and even the waiters were dressed in Disney's version of authentic Asian clothing. Although it wasn't what someone from that part of the world would wear no one seemed to notice or care. Honestly I was just happy that they weren't wearing one of the ridiculous costumes that most of the cast members wear in the rest of the park.
When the waiter brought the menu my grandfather turned his nose up to everything on it. My grandmother played it safe and ordered pork egg rolls with chili plum sauce ($7.99) and I jumped on the dim sum basket with pot stickers, shrimp siu main, cha su baos, and pork sie mai with soy sauce ($12.99). The rest of the menu included steamed mussels ($9.99), lettuce cups ($ 10.99), seared ahi tuna ($9.99), miso salmon ($20.99), mahi mahi ($19.99), duck with anandapur glaze ($21.99), and pho ($16.99). There are some more familiar things on the menu like honey chicken ($15.99), stir fry ($16.99), baby back ribs ($22.99), and sweet and sour chicken ($15.99). Although I was dying to try all of the food it was the the list of tea that caught my eye. They served green tea, spiced chi, darjeeling, early grey, monks blend, and chamomile.
While I was waiting for my food I wondered around the place. I was having flash backs to my time in China and Thailand. Disney really out did themselves with the Yack and Yeti, and walking out and seeing Mount Everest almost made me drive to the airport and hope on the next plane to Nepal.
The only time I was taken out of the feeling was when I entered the bathroom. I was completely westernized, tile, and looked brand new. Disney tried to hide this by putting up movie posters featuring Asian actors. I guess they didn't want to go for the dingy bathroom look with a hole as a toilet and no toilet paper. It's probably better that they went in the direction that they did, but I digress.
When my food arrived the excitement grew. My tea came in an iron tea kettle with Asian style glasses and my dim sum arrived in a bamboo basket on a banana leaf. I was thrilled; my grandparents were horrified. I opted to go the route of the chopsticks, and while my grandfather watched in amazement as I picked up my food, dipped it in the soy sauce, and ate with them my grandmother got a hold of a fork and knife. The was good; much better then I expected and the atmosphere was worth the price tag.

Choosing a place to eat with my family is a little like trying to the Senate to agree; it's impossible. I'm adventurous with a taste for new, exciting, and international. My grandmother wont eat anything that she can't identify. As for my grandfather if it doesn't fit into his five basic food groups, hamburgers, sandwiches, chili, potatoes, and candy bars, he won't eat it. This difference was making eating in Disney impossible especially in EPCOT. The food was split down the middle with over priced buffets with little to choose from and local cuisine of the different countries that were in the World Showcase. Sunshine Seasons located in The Land was a blessing. Situated on the bottom floor across from the line for Sorin' there is ample seating and plenty to choose from.

The selection was huge especially for Disney standards. There are different stations set up each featuring it's own specialty (ex. the sandwich station, soup's and salads, the grill, the wok, a bakery, and the area for drinks). Above each "shop" as they are known is a flat screen that shows pictures and the names of each of the items available at the station. Usually I'm not a fan of this type of service, especially if there is a family that can't split up to stand in different lines; however lines were really short while was there and my family moved through them really quickly.

The selection at each shop is great. The Wok offers chicken chili and garlic noodle bowl ($7.69), spicy Thai chicken, Mongolian ginger beef, and sweet and sour chicken for $9.69. The soups and salads they offer include seared tuna on mixed greens ($8.39), Caesar salad ($7.59), or soup of the day ($3.99). Their sandwich shop offers grilled veggie Cuban ($7.59), black forest ham and salami grinder ($7.59), turkey and cheese($6.99), or a mini sub for $4.25. The Grill serves half rotisserie chicken ($9.99), grilled salmon ($9.99), and rotisserie pork chop ($9.99).

Seating is a little more problematic. Although there is a lot of seating this area is extremely high traffic especially when parents allow their kids to run around to burn off their excess energy as they recoup from a long day in the park. Next to Seasons is the line for Living with the Land and Soarin'' which never has a wait time less then 90 minutes. Combine this with people who are trying to decide if they want to get in line and others who are getting fasspasses it makes me question if this was a good area to try and place a restaurant from a consumer point of view.
Season's, overall, is a great place to eat. It's out of the sun, has a large menu, is one of the healthier places on the property to eat, and is overall very tasty.

How do I describe The Plaza? Well, I guess the only thing to say is that it is nondescript, let me explain. Out of all of the dining experiences at Disney the Plaza Restaurant doesn't stand out as anything special, but it does have it's advantages. It's located on Main Street off to the side of the ice cream shop, so I don't think many people actually know that it is there. The only sign that a restaurant exists there is a small sign and a podium with a host or two waiting to seat guests. It is very pretty. This restaurant makes guests feel as if they are walking into a Victorian mansion. The inside is decorated with crystal chandeliers and large mirror frames done in the Art Nouveau style. Giant windows circle the the room giving one of the best views of the castle in the park. My first choice of the day was to eat inside the castle, but when that fell through I felt that the view from the Plaza Restaurant made up for it. Reservations aren't needed, but I would defiantly recommend it on high capacity days in the park.

The selection is decent, but it all tastes great and is really filling. Their menu includes an Angus chuck cheeseburger ($11.49), a cheese steak sandwich ($10.39), a grilled Ruben and a grilled chicken sandwich ($10.39), a plaza club with ham, turkey, bacon, and tomato ($10.89), a tuna salad sandwich ($9.79), vegetarian sandwich ($9.39), and a turkey sandwich ($9.89).

I ordered the cheese steak which comes on a soft bun. It wasn't a real Philly cheese steak, but it was good. My grandfather chose the Angus cheeseburger and really enjoyed it. He gave it two thumbs up, which a very high honor from him. My grandmother got the grilled Ruben. I know that she was concerned about it not being filling enough considering we have all eaten at the parks in the past and found ourselves hungry a few hours later, but a little over half way through she threw in the towel and couldn't eat anymore for the rest of the day.

What I really liked about the Plaza was the price. Many of the restaurants in the park are becoming buffet style and charging huge prices for it. The portions there were huge and it came to half the price that I would have paid at the buffet. On the down side service was atrocious. All though the place was full it took 20 minutes to get waited on (and when I say full there were several waitresses and about 25-30 tables), then a 1/2 hour to get the food, and another 20 for the check which we practically had to tackle her down to get. Our waitress was obviously stressed from running around and mentioned something about helping out at the ice cream shop that was adjacent to the restaurant. I'm not sure if it was a staffing problem or just a bad waitress, since I was in the ice cream parlor earlier and it was quit well staffed, but as I sat waiting I saw that the only tables that were getting ignored were the ones that our waitress had.

I hated MGM as a kid; it was boring and didn't capture the world of Disney. I decided that after 16 years I would give MGM, now known as Disney's Hollywood Studios, a second chance. DHS wasn't what I remembered. It was a little cramped and felt like it was a mish mosh of attractions, that were hit or miss in their entertainment value. Overall when an attraction was a miss it bombed, but when it was good it was amazing. The theme is old Hollywood with the Great Movie Ride as its center attraction. The ride is housed in a remarkably good replica of Mann's Chinese Theater. Th line winds through the lobby that features props and costumes of some of their most famous movies. The ride itself relives classic MGM movies that take ride goers into the sets of Alien, the Wizard of OZ, Singin' in the Rain, and more. The ride is great, but the line grows long at the end of the day. Go early.
My favorite area was the Magic of Disney. It starts off with a brief but very interesting segment about how an animated character is brought to life for concept to design. It is hosted by Mushu and a cast member who interact with one another. The only thing that makes this bad is if the cast member can't speak. I painfully listened to her unable to understand a single word that she said. Finally I gave up and entertained my family with my own improve commentary. After this is when the fun begins. I got to walk past rooms that were set up for animators and into a room that was set up for us to put to use our own animation skills. Here a cast member teaches everyone how to draw a classic Disney character. My grandmother and I were in heaven, because we both love to draw. My grandfather, bless his soul, doesn't have an artistic bone in his body, but he even got into the spirit and gave it a shot. The end left everyone comparing their drawings and laughing at some of the more Picassoesque pictures in the crowd.
The life of Disney is another great but less populated attraction. It is a self guided tour that starts with the beginning of Walt's life and ends with current projects that are happening in the park. I loved seeing the prototype of Disney's California Adventure (I'm an LA girl with a year's pass), and the actual office that Walt used. The tour ends with a short movie on Walt.
The attraction that I remembered from when I was young was the back lot tour. It starts off with a short demo on how special effects are done. Audience members can participate by helping to film the movie. One pour has a ton of water dumped on him, while two others are shot at. The movie is then replayed with sound effects to show how a movie is shot. My grandfather, who usually shies away from participating in anything begged us to go back and try to be part of the movie. The actual tour drives around a bone yard that houses old attractions like the Earful tower (the former center piece of the park), the jet that Disney used to scout out the land that the parks are built on, and several vehicles used in Star Wars. It also takes makes a stop at a "movie" that is being filmed in Catastrophe Canyon. I'm not one to ruin a surprise so I'll offer only one piece of advice. When boarding the tram sit on the same side as the tour host unless you like being wet. This tour is great, but the guide can make or break it. I was lucky to get someone with great speaking skills and was funny.
Rockin Roller oaster is another attraction that must not be missed especially for all Aerosmith. The indoor rollercoaster has one of the faster starts that I've ever seen and continues in complete darkness upside down, right side up, sideways, left ways...basically I had not idea which direction I was in over half the time.
Light, Motors, Action is the biggest show in any of the parks next to Fantasmic. Lines form early and the stadium easily seats a couple thousand people. The show is a high octane stunt show that follows how movie makers film chase scenes in movies. From car chases, to motorcycles, and jet skies, the show leaves everyone on the edge of their seats. There is nothing that they don't do on the set. From jumping ramps and flying off of trucks, to driving backward and smashing through windows it is easy to see why the cars burn through a set of tires each show. This is one of the attractions in the park that no one should miss. It will change your life, or at least give you some new ideas...
The most popular show in any park is Fantasmic. There are usually two showings a night. I suggest going to the second one, because the first show lines start forming two hours before show time. Once inside there is no bad seat. The idea behind the show is based on a dream that Mickey has. Images are projected onto screens made of water that are used to hide the cast setting up for the next act on the stage. Although the show starts out innocent the Disney villains soon plot to take over and the dream turns into a nightmare. Although the staging is more elaborate then the one in Disneyland I found some of the sequences didn't flow together as well or fit in (ex the Pocahontas act...it really came out of nowhere). With that said the show shouldn't be missed. It's amazing. Even my grandfather gave it two thumbs up and he doesn't do that lightly.

When I was younger I was never a fan of EPCOT. I loved the world show case, but there was little entertainment value to the park. After my visit in 2006 I was disturbed to see how untouched most of EPCOT was. They added new rides like Mission Space, Sorin', and The Seas with Nemo and friends, but the world showcase was left untouched. Mexico, Canada, and China still showed the same movies that I saw when I was a kid in the 80's.
My last trip to EPCOT seems to show a major improvement overall to the park. In Canada the movie O Canada!, shown in circle vision, has been re-shot. The new movie shows breathtaking shots of Canada in all its beauty with some comedy thrown in.
Mexico has also been revamped. The once dead boat ride through tourist Mexico has been replaced with the Gran Fiesta Tour Staring the Three Caballeros. It is the same boat ride, but new animation of Jose, and Panchio as they chase Donald through Mexico. The sound, back drop, and videos all have been updated bring life back to this ride. The improvements show. I have never seen the line here more then five minutes, even when the park was at capacity; this time around I waited in a 20 minute ride that extended into the market area.
My favorite rides are still in Future world, and although I love the e-ticket rides Spaceship Earth (the giant golf ball) has a soft spot in my heart. This is one of the original rides in the park. When I heard that they closed it for a major refurbishment my heart skipped a beat. Refurbishments for the classic Disney rides aren't usually a good thing As I stood in line I hoped that they retained at least some of the appeal of the original. From the moment I stepped onto the cars that were to take me through Spaceship Earth I was impressed. The sound system and technology were greatly updated. The cars featured a screen that took a survey of where each rider was from, took their picture, and allowed me to change the language that was spoken. The original intent of the ride was to show how communication evolved. It started with cave men up until recent times. Previous to the complete revamp the "technology of today and tomorrow" was a very brief section that was often out of date. Last year they showed how with the new advances in technology we could communicate with people on the opposite side of the world. I had to laugh at this as i checked my text messages to find a picture of my godson who is living in Japan with his mom. The new version of the ride is much more informative and much more interesting then the previous ride. I personally loved the section where they showed Steve Jobs (one of my heroes...long story) in his parents garage creating the first Apple computer. The end of the ride focuses back on the screens in the car. They ask questions about your personality and incorporate it into a little animated skit of what your life will be like in the future. I loved it.
After the riding was over I convinced my grandparents to stay for the fireworks which are displayed on the lake in the middle of the park. To really see the show guests need to stand along the railings that circle the lake. These spaces fill up early. The show started off with fireworks and lights all choreographed to music. Part way through a giant Earth floats out into the middles of the lake. At this point most of the fireworks die down and the Earth starts spinning and showing videos on the the continents. This is pretty hard to see if you don't have spot along the lake. The show ends with a grand display of fireworks over the Earth. The show was good, but after watching the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom the day before I wasn't as impressed.
My one piece of advice for visiting EPCOT would be to use the Fastpasses and use them well. The fastpass system is a blessing at EPCOT. Due to the small amount of e-ticket rides lines grow quickly and rarely drop below a two hour wait. Grab all of your fastpasses before noon on attractions like Mission Space, Fast Track, and especially Sorin' (the line was already an hour and a half 20 minutes after the park opened).

Many of the people I know think that Disney has nothing more to offer than some kiddy rides, a giant mouse, and sore feet, that is until they tour Disney with me. I love Walt Disney Word because it brings back good memories of my childhood; the excitement of getting Mickey's autograph, my first rollercoster, and seeing my favorite princess are memories that I don't want to let go. As an adult Disney has become a different place for me. I get to relive those moments by watching children star struck when they get to meet their favorite character for the first time or listening to a tired parent explain to their child that the ghosts in the haunted mansion aren't real. After years of visiting the 'Happiest Place on Earth' I have come to find a whole new park and all I had to do was slow down and smell the roses. After all Disney is in the details.

My suggestion is to get to the park early. This is something that I never did as a kid. Standing outside of the park, but just inside the front gate looking up at the Train Station the days activities began. We were welcomed by people singing and dancing and finally the train pulled up full of all of the Disney characters including Alice, Mickey, and Daisy. There is no better way to start the day. Once the gates open and the families ran into the park I detoured off into Adventureland with my grandparents in tow. At this point most people were running off to get on the rides in Fantsayland, but we walked around collecting fastpasses for our favorite rides that we were going to hit later at night when they turn up the speed. About a 1/2 hour into park opening was when we went to Fantasayland. All of the popular rides had long lines with people who were trying to get there early, but instead we went a different route and saw some of the less popular ones like Mickey's Phlharmagic, which we just walked into with no wait. This was a really cute show that entertained guests with antics by Goofy prior to the show starting when everyone was filling in the seats. The show brings together some of the classic movies and characters in a Fantasia-like show. It was much better then I anticipated. After leaving we hit the popular Fantsayland rides with very little wait time.

In between rides my grandparents and I filled our time taking pictures. Again Disney is in the details and some of the amazing spots in the park are ignored by guests running to get in line. There are stocks, sleds, amazing bushes, and other beautiful spots in the park that we went to and had a blast taking our pictures in/by. We even snuck in a few pictures with some of the characters. It still amazes me how a 74 year-old man can get so excited to get his picture with Goofy.
Splash mountain is a great place to people watch. As the rafts come over the mountain and crash down water splashes everywhere. Here's a hint: every third boat water will splash onto the sidewalk where guests are walking and watching the boats go down. Most people don't know this and end up soaked and never were on the ride.
Main Street was someplace that I never spent any time when I was younger; it was nothing more then a useless space between me and the rollercosters. Today I see it differently. Main Street is a throw back to small town America of days gone by. My favorite souvenir was found here: pressed coins. Although the machines can be found throughout the park on Main Street is the largest population of them and for $.51 it's a great way to remember the park and a really inexpensive collection to start and maintain.

The parade is wonderful. Kids get to see their favorite characters and adults can watch as the parade relives the life of Walt Disney and shows that progression of some of his most popular films. In between each float artists on bikes ride around pretending to paint pictures of famous characters. The best float is Mickey's "It was all started by a mouse" float, where modern Mickey waves to people along the parade route and Mickey's of the past (including steam boat Willie) line the float. The back the Mickey from Fantasia bringing to life dancing brooms that follow the float. It's a very clever parade.
The most rewarding experience of the day is the fireworks. Line up early (I suggest getting a coffee and a snack and sitting down in front of the castle at least an hour in advance. The fireworks are set to music and with the castle in the foreground it left me in awe. It's an unforgettable experience.

I stood inside Animal Kingdom with my sights set on Expedition Everest. My grandmother, prior to entering the park got me a pin that stated my name and that it was my birthday on it. She watched in delight as every cast member wished me a happy birthday, but I wasn't listening. I was focused on my roller coaster. The events of the day started with Mickey, Goofy, and Donald on a safari truck reminding everyone to wear sun block, and then Mickey appearing below the Tree of Life to start the day. People rushed the park, but to keep everyone safe two cast members walked with a rope in front of us to slow our pace. Closer to Everest all bets were off. My grandfather grabbed my hand, we lost my grandmother and ran to the line forming at Everest. The best part about having your birthday at the park is the perks. One of the cast members saw my birthday pin, and helped us through the line and gave me the choice of where I wanted to sit. My grandfather and I looked at each other and exclaimed "the front!!!" We got into the cars that look like a rickety old train and took off up Everest. The train twists and turns through the mountain until it reaches the end of the track that has been mysteriously torn up. Sitting in the front it seems like the train wont stop in time, but all is good and we just make it. The train sits there for a couple of seconds giving a great view of EPCOT and MGM, before it takes off backwards where the Yeti is waiting and tearing up more of the track just before the plummet off the mountain. Expedition Everest is my favorite Disney ride of all time.

The birthday pin is free and is given out throughout the park if you let a cast member know that it is your birthday. Everyone who sees it shouts out Happy Birthday as you pass and even gets you special treatment on some rides (ex they don't take your fastpass so you can use it again or you get to choose where you want to sit).

The rest of the day was just as exciting. On the safari I was also given a choice each time where I wanted to sit. My grandmother took full advantage of my birthday pin making sure it was in full view everywhere I went. My choice was to sit in the back of the car on the safari. The main reason was for photo purposes. I could easily turn around and get shots of animals as our truck drove away from them. The safari is great and best enjoyed in the early morning and evening when the animals are out and the most active. The grounds are set up so it actually feels like a safari in the African Serengeti taking great pain to hide fences and other barriers.

The highlight of the day was the parade. We sat along the parade route on one of the benches. As everyone passed they shouted "Happy Birthday Samantha" and the characters even came over and gave me a huge, which was something that they only usually do for small kids. My grandmother was dieing at this point with excitement. If someone passed and didn't say something she would check to make sure that my pin was properly displayed. Her biggest delight came from the person sitting next to her who couldn't understand how everyone knew my name and kept looking over every time some one greeted me or came up for a hug. When the parade was over my grandmother proudly exclaimed to all of us that the women next to me thought I was an American celebrity that she didn't recognize since she was on vacation from London. She was so delighted by this that she still talks about it to this day.

Disney really goes the distance to make sure that all of their guests have a really great time, but truly out does themselves when it comes to birthdays!