Photo of the Week - View From the Top

Pictures of the castle are easy to find.  Almost everyone who has been to the Magic Kingdom has one.  The most common are from Main Street USA followed by the view from the path to Fantasy Land.  Some of the less common are taken from the bridge to Tomorrow Land or the rose garden.

A nice view that not many people take advantage of is the backside of the castle. There is some nice windows on that side that give it a very different look. 

This view can be captured from the very top of the Contemporary.  You need to get into the California Grill to get on this balcony.  There might also be a way by walking up the external stairs on the far side of the Contemporary but I've never tried that approach.

If you are ever at the California Grill take the time to check out this view of the Magic Kingdom.  It truly is unique. 

Coming Soon to CMDTA!

My WDW trip is fast approaching. All the plans are set. I have my resort, ADRs, airfare, tickets, and a spouse who is mostly willing to go with me.

So what’s on the hit list? Here are the reviews / posts that will be coming:

The Brown Derby: Worth the Money?

Tusker House Review

Tusker House or Yak and Yeti?

California Grill: One Hit Wonder?

The Crystal Palace: Is it Good or Pooh?

San Angel Inn: Second Thoughts

Garden Grill Review

Le Cellier: Is It Over Hyped?

Chef Mickey’s: Back After 25 Years

Hoop Dee Doo: Still the Best?

Kouzzina Review

Is La Nouba Worth $200

CMDTA on the Loose!

Mexico’s Tequila Bar

Down Town Disney Review

There will be more too. I’m sure to have plenty of stories to add on top of these. I’ll have a load of new pictures and videos too. You’ll have to stay tuned to see what happens.

Photo of the Week - The California Grill

One of the best things about the California Grill is its open kitchen. By default they have to keep it very clean it is part of the show.

This photo was taken from my seat at the chefs counter. Many people want to sit by the windows so they can see the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom. I'd rather sit here. If you sit at the chefs counter the chefs will trow free food your way. It's one of the best dining experiences in Disney World.

The Contemporary

Disney’s Contemporary Resort is the large A framed building that has the monorail running through it. It’s located near the Magic Kingdom and is listed as a deluxe resort. It’s my opinion that every Disney fan should stay in the tower at least once. It’s pure Disney magic. I normally try not to use the term “magical” but I think it’s over used and normally corny. This is an exception. Even if you just ride the monorail through the Contemporary you no doubt have had that moment when you said or thought to yourself “wow!”

The concourse is something else. It’s so big and open that you feel small as soon as you step out of the monorail. The shops only add to that sense of awe. They are as tall as a normal shop but don’t even make it a 5th of the way to the ceiling. On both sides of the concourse are the monorail tracks. Where they enter and exit the building there are large paneled glass walls. Then you have the famous mosaic. It doesn’t really fit anymore but it’s still a classic. One part of it is photographed more than the others. That part is the infamous five legged goat. Can you find it?

As far as food goes I’ll put my neck out there and say that the Contemporary has the best food options of any resort. The California grill is, in my opinion, the best restaurant in Disney World. The Wave is good and a nice break from the typical Disney fare. How could you complain about Chef Mickey’s? It’s a Disney World classic. The only part that is iffy is the quick service area. It’s not bad it just needs to have some bugs worked out. For what it is, it’s decent.

Another overlooked feature of the Contemporary is its access to the Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. If you spend the day in the Magic Kingdom and need to get to the Hoop Dee Doo Review, Trails End, Whispering Canyon, or Artist Point, the fastest way is via the Contemporary boat launch.

Right now the Contemporary has the best rooms in Disney World. They are very nice. They are comparably large and have nice amenities. The balconies are small but it’s still nice to sit out there.

A lot of people would argue that if they are staying in the tower they have to stay on the Magic Kingdom side so they can see the fireworks and so they can see MK at night. It’s nice but it’s not worth the extra $30 a night. There is also the fact that the bay side is quieter and you can see Illuminations from a number of the balconies on that side.

The Deluxe Dining Plan – My stomach hurts…

The last time I went to Disney I went all out. I hadn’t been in ten years. My wife hadn’t been in longer than that and she had never really done “Disney.” So I went nuts. We booked the atrium in the Contemporary, got the park hoper passes, and bought the Dining Deluxe plan.

In 2008 the Deluxe plan included three sit down meals a day, two snacks, and a resort fillable mug (I'd never pay for it but it's a decent mug). Thankfully I thought things through before I started making my ADRs. First of all how were we going to find time to eat three sit down meals a day? Second, how could be possibly eat that much? Finally, if we do eat that much, is my life insurance paid up?

With those things in mind I knew right away that I did not want to waste that much time just eating or even eat that much. So what do you do? You don’t want to waste your credits. You also don’t want to eat one meal a day at a counter service location so the other plan is out.
We decided to eat one meal a day at a signature dining location. That means that we spent one credit a day on breakfast or lunch and then two credits a day on dinner. We used our snacks for breakfast or lunch. Using this combo, we ate enough to feed a third world country. There were times when we didn’t want to eat anymore. I think I gained ten pounds. I can’t see how anyone could eat a full three sit down meals a day. I’d barf. There would be turkey legs and dole whip all over the place.

Now if you want to try out some of the signature dining locations here are the ones we tried (please forgive the spelling): Citricos, (Grand Floridian) Narcoossee’s (Grand Floridian), California Grill (Contemporary), and Artist Point (Wilderness Lodge). There are other signature dining locations. Some are more popular that others. A couple you have to book as early as possible to get into, those being Cinderella’s Table and Victoria and Albert’s. Dinner shows also count as two credits. In most cases this it’s not cost effective but we did the Hoop Dee Doo Review.

When it comes to signature dining I’m going to predict something. It’s only a matter of time before Le Cellier becomes a “signature dining” location. It’s too popular not too. I will be reviewing all of the signature dining locations we ate at in upcoming posts. I’ll also be reviewing the regular sit down locations too. Some were good , some were mediocre, and some were Yak and Yeti which you already know about.

The California Grill

Every now and then you go somewhere that is just amazing. The California Grill is one of those places. It is now tied with the best dining experience I’ve ever had. It was fantastic.

Following a tip my wife and I asked to sit at the chef’s counter. Most people want to sit by a window so they can see the Magic Kingdom. You can see the magic kingdom some other time. SIT AT THE CHEF’S COUNTER! It’s like being a judge on Iron Chef. All the action is right in front of you. It is open kitchen and the chefs know it. When someone sits at the chef’s counter they take notice. They know their every move is being watched. The chefs are not stupid. To distract you they start giving you freebies! One of the chefs came over and gave us a beat salad on the house. I don’t like beats but it was very good and when it’s free it’s even better.

We were sitting directly in front of the sushi station. The sushi chef couldn’t help but talk to us. We were so close that it would have been very uncomfortable if he didn’t. His boss, the head sushi chef, stepped in when needed a break. She took the opportunity to ask us what sushi we had tried before. She almost looked offended when we said we’d never tried sushi before (give us a break we’re from NH). She took it as a personal challenge to find sushi we’d like (aka more freebies!).

For an appetizer I ordered the triple cheese flat bread with pesto and sundried tomatoes. I could be happy eating that for the rest of my life. I salivate just thinking about it now. It was a WOW dish. For my main course I ordered the filet. You can’t do filet much better than they did. Back to back WOW dishes. For desert I ordered the Valrhona Chocolate Cake and Raspberry. It was great. Not wow but great.

The service was very good. The waiter knew his stuff and was very helpful and offered recommendations with being at all pushy. Because of him my wife tried a couple of things she otherwise wouldn’t have tried. She was more than happy with all of his selections.

The only draw back in regards to the California Grill is that it’s about 1500 miles from my home and I can’t go back once a month. Maybe I can convince Disney to open one in New England. Hey don’t laugh if they could make a buck they’d do it!