Category: Disney
365 Adventures in 2011: Day 271 – Room For One More
Disney celebrated the 40th anniversary of Walt Disney World’s Haunted Mansion with a special dinner event called Room For One More, which included an incredible live organist just like the ghostly one seen inside the ride. As the organist was guided away from the stage by the caretaker during a mid-meal break, I had someone snap a photo of me with them and the organ in the background. Later, I stuck around after the event had ended and got a better photo with the organist, which only a handful of people did, as it wasn’t really part of the event. He was kind enough to pose for a few pictures though before he vanished.
365 Adventures in 2011: Day 270 – Trick or Meet-Up
Yep, it’s me and Dr. Facilier again. But this time it’s not from Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, but rather a Haunted Mansion-themed Disney Parks Blog meet-up. The free event included a variety of entertainment, with some characters out for meet-and-greets. And I simply couldn’t pass up the chance to get another picture with Facilier. I think he even remembered me from last time. Perhaps now I have friends on the other side too…
365 Adventures in 2011: Day 266 – Feeling Blue
I recorded a longer-than-usual, 2-hour Inside the Magic podcast, discussing Halloween Horror Nights, Howl-O-Scream, and Aulani’s grand opening as well as talking about Avatar coming to Walt Disney World until I was blue in the face. *rimshot* Sigh…
365 Adventures in 2011: Day 259 – A new Monte Cristo winner
At tonight’s Food Truck Bazaar in the Fashion Square Mall parking lot, I tasted something I never thought I would: a Monte Cristo sandwich that is quite possibly better than the one at Disneyland. For years I’ve been chowing down on the Monte Cristos in the Blue Bayou and more recently Cafe Orleans in New Orleans Square, happily enjoying its fried, powdered sugar-topped goodness. But I didn’t have a chance to get one last time I was at Disneyland, so when I spotted the tasty sandwich on the Wicked ‘Wiches food truck menu, I had to give it a shot. A few minutes and only $6 later, I was holding a basket with a huge Monte Cristo that tasted fantastic. And it’s a different flavor than Disneyland’s too.
Like any Monte Cristo, this has turkey, ham, and cheese (though I had them hold the ham, as I always do). But this one also had mustard and a bit of cranberry inside, with a cranberry sauce dip. The mustard had some punch, but wasn’t spicy. It just tasted fresh and strong. It was all accompanied by freshly cooked potato chips with a sweet honey drizzle. All in all, an incredible dinner – for only $6! At Disneyland, the same meal would cost $20+ and take 15+ minutes to arrive. My only complaint is that the Monte Cristo I had today was quite a bit greasier than the one at Disneyland, leaving my hands covered in oil. My stomach wasn’t thrilled with that part afterward, but it was worth it for the excellent flavor.
The truck is Tampa-based but comes over to Orlando often, so don’t miss it!
365 Adventures in 2011: Day 257 – Meeting with the shadow man
If there was one thing I was most looking forward to (and hoping for) at this year’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, it was the chance to get a photo with Dr. Facilier. Last year, I had heard he was around… but he never showed. And before that, he only had appeared in the Magic Kingdom during the entirely too short run of Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee, when Disney was promoting The Princess and the Frog. And even then, guests couldn’t get close to Facilier, as he was up on the riverboat.
Now, finally, Facilier has a big part in this year’s Halloween Party, appearing on the Villains float in the Boo-To-You parade, having his own song-and-dance routine during the Villains stage show and, best of all, meeting with guests immediately after that show. So tonight, I finally got my photo with the shadow man himself. And he was certainly a character.
