100 Days of Wonder – #42
So, Disney Dining Reservation Day. Dining reservations can be made 60 days out from the start of your trip for the duration of the trip (up to 10 days). The last few times we have had the Deluxe Dining Plan which has meant we have been able to try some of the best and most expensive (not always the same thing) restaurants on Disney property. Making reservations can be stressful if you are dead set on particular restaurants but I actually quite enjoy it. And yes, obviously I have a spreadsheet. The planning is part of the magic for me. This time it was actually fairly easy. The Deluxe Dining Plan which included 3 Table Service Meals (or buffets including character dining) doesn’t exist anymore so we didn’t have to plan the entire trip around where we want to eat when. Instead we really just had to choose a few key ones. I might post some more about the restaurants etc but for now let’s focus on the California Grill. It’s located at the top of the Contemporary Resort and the first time we went it felt really quite posh. I think I have probably got more used to going to high end restaurants now but I didn’t quite know what to do with myself the first time. The food is amazing, the setting lovely and watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the balcony is special. The staff are also really nice and helpful – as exemplified by today’s photo. When we went In January 2013, I got food poisoning at Universal Studios and spent a few days in bed really poorly. In fact it was so bad it put me off cheesecake for the best part of 18 months afterwards. On our last day at Disney, which was the first day I was really up and about again, we had booked at the California Grill. I wanted to go but I didn’t want anything much to eat. So I asked whether I could just have some mashed potatoes. So they made me a big bowl of purple mash. Best mash ever! They were so lovely about it all – just typical Disney really and now purple mash has a special place in my heart – as does the California Grill.
100 Days of Wonder – #37
Yesterday I was grumpy about fireworks. I continue to be but I like this shot so here you are. We’re all full of contradictions and Disney brings mine out. I should hate it, it’s corporate America at its finest, its silly and make believe but in a weird sanitised sort of way. There is so much wrong with Disney, not least the constant happy endings, hero narratives and questionable themes across several films, particularly early ones. But there is also so much right with it – and that is less tangible and might depend on who we are and how we see the world. Or we could not overthink this and just enjoy a fireworks and castle picture because it’s fun.
100 Days of Wonder – #36
It’s the weekend before bonfire night here in England. That means people setting off fireworks and they will probably continue to do so until the weekend after bonfire night. It’s infuriating. It’s noisy, polluting and our cats are terrified as will be any wildlife around. I also don’t really get it. In the world of fireworks, nothing can rival a Disney Fireworks display. All of the theme parks have spectacular fireworks and I do always enjoy them and watch them in awe. But that makes me even more grumpy about the random individual fireworks going off here, some don’t even look pretty, they just bang – what’s the point? I wonder whether fireworks should really just be phased out. I don’t know enough about it, but I very much enjoyed the drone show at Disney Paris in July 2023. It was quieter than fireworks, it didn’t fill the sky with smoke and it was playful and fun. I suspect there are all sorts of environmental considerations about energy, batteries and who knows what that I haven’t thought about and it’s not like they don’t make a noise at all… but they just seemed calmer and somehow more playful than fireworks. Maybe that’s the way to go. Grumpy Old Woman – over and out (for now).
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