We spent an afternoon at Disney's Contemporary Resort and grabbed lunch at the quick dining option, Contempo Cafe.
We shared the cheese flatbread pizza (good, but not great). We're just not that into flatbread pizza. We had a Hawaiian flatbread pizza at the Polynesian over July 4 and felt the same way. My husband enjoyed the green beans with sesame seeds. He declared it his new "best food bargain at Disney" which replaces his favorite breadsticks with sauce economy option. Out of curiosity, we also ordered the homemade chips. I wouldn't do them again. Pricey for the quantity you get and not freshly prepared.
I still get a little lost at the Contemporary ever since a major renovation was completed at the hotel sometime around 2009. So many things I used to know so well have changed. Entire restaurants changed - not only locations, but floors. In particular I miss the Contemporary Food and Fun Center.
The Food and Fun Center was once located on the main lobby level, which to me, always felt like it was "downstairs". I liked it. As the name suggests, it had food and fun. After the renovation, that space is now occupied by the Contemporary's newest restaurant, The Wave.
The Contempo Cafe is located on the main upper level called the Grand Canyon Concourse. It occupies the space of the now defunct Concourse Steakhouse. It is literally right next to Chef Mickey's Character Buffet. In fact, if you peek over the wall you can see the characters making their way around the restaurant. You'll also see and hear birds flying overhead. Yes, real birds. They fly in the same tunnel as the monorail.
Finally, being the picky eater I am, I find it very difficult to find something to eat at the Contempo Cafe. The Food and Fun center had traditional hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken nuggets. While Contempo Cafe offers an Angus Cheeseburger, I find myself not wanting to order anything. Lots of sandwiches with condiments and breads I don't care for and other items only available during dinner hours.
Finally, I don't care for the ordering process. It is similar to what they implemented at the Polynesian. Guests must first self-order at a Kiosk (the germaphobe in me hates to use the touchscreen right before I eat); then pick-up any ala carte items (fruit, bottled drinks, desserts); and then walk over to the cashier who provides you with a pager. I find it inconvenient and not very time efficient.
I'm looking forward to returning, though. I have my eye on a red velvet cupcake topped with a towering amount of frosting.
After missing out on Chicago dogs over Labor Day weekend due to a refurb of Casey's Corner, we (I mean, my husband) finally experienced what we thought would be Magic Kingdom's best hot dog. Oh boy...
First, I chickened out. If you read this blog you know that I'm a picky eater. I thought I was ready to sink my teeth into the very delicious-looking Chicago dog, but I backed out. Instead, I ordered "just a plain hot dog, please".
I actually love hot dogs. Always have. For years, I used to really love getting hot dogs from Casey's Corner at Disney's Magic Kingdom. I remember tasty, extra-long hot dogs on soft white buns. Unfortunately, today's dogs are not at all like I remembered. The buns are great - IF you are having one of the very heavy specialty dogs. The buns are a little overwhelming if you're having a plain hot dog. My bun was hard to the touch and dry.
As I've complained about other entrees (like the Port Orleans muffaletta sandwich or the food at Pizzafari) the meat to bread ratio was way off for me. I just don't like that much bread. The picture doesn't show it accurately, but there's a lot of bread there. I realize, however, these buns were not meant to be served with plain dogs.
Now... on to the Chicago dog. Unfortunately, this was a "swing and a miss" (to keep with the baseball theming of this Disney restaurant). The toppings were tasty enough, but we had a temperature problem. The hot dog was cold. Like it just came out of the refrigerator cold. When my husband first tried to return the hot dog, he was told that the the toppings cool down the dog. After much "back and forth", the server finally touched the dog and realized it, in fact, was ice cold.
My husband returned to the table with a tray that had a plain dog and all of the toppings (pickles, Chicago relish, tomatoes, and pickled peppers) in separate cups. It's not how he wanted it (he wanted a properly heated and fully-assembled hot dog). Apparently, this is what "complainers" get. Disappointingly, the ala carte toppings assortment he received did not include the poppy seeds. Apparently, real Chicago dogs come on poppy seed buns. At Casey's Corner, they simply sprinkle the dog with poppy sees.
We would do it again? Not likely. We'll probably just stick to the corn dog nuggets at Casey's Corner. And, we'll only dine there when it is cool outside...
For practical purposes, the only seating for Casey's Corner is outdoors in the blazing sun. It was dinner time, and it was still close to 90 degrees outside. We were uncomfortably hot (and we're fairly acclimated to the Florida heat). The seating is also surrounded by birds looking for a handout. I'm an animal lover. I want to feed the birds, too. But... I know it is not good for them and that it causes aggressive behavior. Please don't feed the birds!
Speaking of birds, check out this little bird inside the food court at Disney's Contemporary resort:
Like I said, I'm an animal lover, but this concerned me. I was very surprised when we grabbed lunch at the Contemporary earlier in the day and had birds flying over our table and picking up crumbs from the carpeted floor INDOORS.
I can deal with that... but I was a little put off by the fact that these birds drank from the soda dispenser drip pans (click the photo to enlarge). Seriously, that is not healthy for the bird or humans. This particular bird is on the rail picking up drips just outside of the pans. Apparently, he preferred high fructose corn syrup droppings to the melting ice in the drip pans.
My question is... where is the poop falling? Fortunately, we did not have the displeasure of finding out!
About 5 or 6 years ago during the fall allergy season, my husband suddenly developed a reaction to ragweed. We were travelling at the time and the reaction was pretty severe. He was miserable. Prior to that event, he had never experienced seasonal allergies. The following pollen season when we were back in the Orlando area, he developed allergic symptoms again. This is now a twice-a-year event in the spring and fall.
His allergy symptoms started last weekend during our 4-day visit to Walt Disney World for Labor Day. On our third day of the trip at Disney Hollywood Studios, he began with the sneezing fits. By Monday there was more sneezing and watery eyes. By Tuesday, I also began to feel a little post nasal drip and itchy eyes. For me, it is mostly an annoyance that is easily compensated by some over-the-counter allergy medication. My husband, on the other hand, continues to suffer miserably despite medication.
Extended time outdoors in the Orlando area during pollen season is simply not an option for us. So... we'll need to skip a visit to Disney during week 37 (technically, my weeks officially start on Sundays so we already made two visits over Labor Day on Sunday and Monday during week 37).
I just checked pollen counts at The Weather Channel which showed the pollen forecast for the Orlando area is "very high" for weeds (medium for grasses and zero impact for trees). We live near an open field where there is no doubt an abundance of ragweed. According to The Weather Channel, Orlando is currently a hot spot for pollen. In a top 10 list of cities, Orlando is second only to Daytona Beach for the areas with the highest pollen counts. And it is only predicted to get worse over the next 2-3 days. Based on my husband's symptoms (his nose is so red and won't stop running) I'm not surprised Orlando is at the top of the pollen list. Just by looking at him, I can see how uncomfortable he is. His voice is very nasally and he just feels like a big block head. I feel so badly for him and hope it clears up soon.
Hopefully, the allergies will get in check soon. The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival begins at the end of this month (opening day is September 30) and it is one of our most favorite times of year to visit.
If you are a seasonal allergy sufferer and you're headed to Orlando for a Disney vacation in September, be aware that pollen counts are currently high (and the dreaded love bugs are just starting to show up too). If you stay inside the neatly manicured parks where very few weeds exists, you'll likely do OK. Just remember to pack the allergy medicine!
Labor Day weekend at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida provided us with beautiful weather and small crowds. Holidays are typically a busier time for the theme parks, but Labor Day is the exception.
Many folks are getting ready for a new school year rather than flying down to Florida so the parks tend to be less busy. However, you'll still find it crowded at times if you "follow the herd". We had a great 4-day weekend at Disney World.
FRIDAY - MAGIC KINGDOM
It felt a little strange entering the Magic Kingdom during Labor Day weekend and finding the park already decked out for Halloween. C'mon Disney, Labor Day symbolizes the end of summer not pumpkins!
Worse... Casey's Corner was closed for refurb so we missed out on the Chicago Dog we desperately wanted to try during this visit. So... we headed over to the Lunching Pad for a specialty hot dog - also closed for refurb. Really? We diverted to Cosmic Rays only to find out that their soda machines were out of order (I really wanted a Coke). So... we trudge over to Pecos Bills and the place is packed (gee, I wonder why). It takes forever for the food orders to be processed, it is crowded and so noisy we can't hear ourselves. Luckily, getting lunch was the worst of it. Or, at least we thought. Trying to get dinner proved equally challenging. The only place left open at 7 pm was Cosmic Rays.
Anyway, most lines were super short (walk right in) including Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Small World, and another of my favorites, Hall of Presidents. The longest lines were for Winnie the Pooh (about 20 min) and Peter Pan's Flight (we got a FastPass).
The highlight of our day was the new night time show, The Magic, The Memories and You! Cinderella's Castle literally transforms before your eyes during the approximate 10 minute show. Incredible! Can't wait to see it again soon. There's a short 5 minute break after the show prior to the Wishes fireworks show.
SATURDAY - ANIMAL KINGDOM
Another great day - but hot. The BEST way to cool off at this park is with a frozen drink. When we start to feel really hot, we share a Frozen Coke. A few minutes in the shade with a frozen Coke and we're completely re-charged.
We walked right into all of our favorite attractions with just a few minutes of wait time including, Kilimanjaro Safari, Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo and Bug's Life.
Our best safari ever! We highly recommend getting on the safari early in the day because it gives you your best chance of seeing the most animals up close. We saw rhinos, hippos, giraffes, gators, elephants (including a baby) zebras, ostriches and even the elusive lion among many other very active animals.
Lion King was always my favorite stage show (still is a "must do") until Finding Nemo came along. We had the BEST seats in the house - first row, second tier, center stage.
I love the creativity of this live stage performance of Finding Nemo and how well the performers "become one" with the puppets. It took my husband a few times before fully appreciating the style of this show. Now he loves it almost as much as I do.
SUNDAY - HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
We arrived a little later than we had hoped (just before 10 am) and almost missed out on getting a Fast Pass for Toy Story Midway Mania. In fact, Fast Passes were fully distributed by 11 am or so. Hands down, Toy Story Midway Mania is the MOST fun we had all day. You just can't help but come out grinning ear to to ear. Tip: if you missed out on Fast Pass and the stand-by line is 40 minutes or less, get on line. Throughout the day, we saw the wait time range from 25 minutes to 95 minutes.
Again, we walked right into many of our favorite attractions including, Beauty and the Beast; the Great Movie Ride, the Little Mermaid and Lights, Motors, Action. Lights, Motors, Action had been updated since we last saw the show. Toy Story's Lightening McQueen replaced Herbie the Lovebug as the entertainment between the stunt setups.
Lights, Motors, Action really is packed with action. The drivers who perform the stunts are expertly skilled. I'm always holding my breath and curling my toes. The grand finale (above) is stunning. The other change we noticed, the Flower Truck was replaced (I assume temporarily). Normally, there is a small European-looking delivery van. Today's performance used a full-size white minivan with a floral delivery sticker on the side.
MONDAY - EPCOT
On the last day of our Labor Day Disney staycation we went to Epcot. We typically visit Epcot late in the day to catch a concert or festival so it was a lot of fun to do many of the things we don't normally get to do at this park.
We did many attractions with no wait, including Spaceship Earth (love the go-go boots in this history of communication attraction), Ellen's Energy Adventure (a must-do for dinosaur fans); Journey Into Imagination; Gran Fiesta Tour (the reinvented Rio de Tiempo Mexico boat ride); and Norway's Maelstrom boat ride.
Fast Passes were required for both Soarin' and Test Track today. Soarin' was amazing as always. We almost didn't get to do Test Track due to weather. The sun was shining bright when we entered Test Track. A few minutes later and just before we were about to board our car, the attraction was shut down. Luckily, it was only shut down for a few minutes as a small rain shower passed by and we were on our way. Biggest thrill of the day!
FOOD
For the most part during our Labor Day weekend at Disney, we had some pretty good food. We shared a delicious meatball sub at Epcot's Electric Umbrella. The roll was bakery-style with a crusty outside and soft chewy inside - perfect. Even though I have complained about the pizza at Animal Kingdom, the pizza I had at Pizzafari on Saturday was hot and perfectly prepared. Our burger at Pecos Bills was cold, but they make up for it with a great fixin's bar. I've also complained a lot about the change in chicken nuggets at Disney, but the ones we had from Cosmic Rays on Friday weren't awful (that's the best I can say). I still can't stand the Heinz honey mustard (bring back Ken's).
Our biggest disappointment, however, was the churros from Epcot Mexico.
My husband had been looking forward to these for almost a year. We decided as our last snack before heading out that we'd grab an order to share. WORST CHURROS EVER!
The "Churros con Cajeta" (churros with milk caramel) cost $3.95 + tax for 4 small sticks of churros. They were cold, hard, and greasy. Worse, they were flavorless. Even if they were hot and fresh, they would not have tasted good. The milk caramel dip was very fluid (milk-like in consistency) and also void of flavor. I LOVE caramel so I was very disappointed. I'm not even sure if the dip should have been that soupy.
We ate one churro stick each and decided it wasn't even worth the calories to finish the remaining two and threw them out in the trash - which is hard to do when these crunchy little sticks of nothing cost a buck each. Never again, I'm afraid.
Unfortunately, this wasn't the first time we were disappointed by La Cantina de San Angel in Epcot. This used to be one of our favorite spots to grab a bite to eat.
