Mouse Extra

Crockett’s Tavern isn’t really a tavern.  Disney put a sign up to call it “Crockett’s Tavern”, but it is really only a small bar inside the Trail’s End restaurant.  But despite the lack of a true tavern feel, Crockett’s at the Fort Wilderness campground is a great place to eat and relax.

The food speaks for itself at Trail’s End.  It is simply the best value on property, but Crockett’s Tavern is a worthwhile place to drink even without eating.  It’s a strange phenomenon actually.  It has little in the way of an authentic frontier saloon, like one would expect in this location.  The bar is small with only maybe 10 stools total.  Really, when one sees the sign out front, they expect more than one Crockett’s delivers aesthetically.  But there is just something about the place that makes you want to come back.

Crockett’s Tavern is quiet.   Even when the buffet is full of tourists and cranky children, the bar is just far enough away to maintain a nice ambience.  The service has always been great and very personal, and that helps to create a good feeling about being there. 

If you don’t have children, and want to come to Trail’s End, you may want to consider eating at the bar.  It may not be worth going out of your way, and I certainly can’t come up with many reasons to take the long trek over to the campground to enjoy Crockett’s Tavern.  But what I can tell you is that for one reason or another, some of my best times at Disney World have been at this bar.  It’s a warm and inviting place, if not a “magical” or immersive Disney experience.  Sometimes you just need a good bar and a little break from magic.

Tucked away inside the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge, hidden from view from even most of those who stay at the resort, is one of Walt Disney World’s greatest tributes to the man who inspired the Mouse.  The Iron Spike Room serves basically as the lobby for the Disney Vacation Club annex to the Lodge, but it is much, much more than just a lobby.

Walt Disney had a love for trains, so do I, and that love was a big part of his life.  So it is certainly fitting that when Imagineering wanted to decorate this portion of the Wilderness Lodge with the mode of transportation that brought Americans to the West that they would choose to include Walt Disney in the idea.  After all, no one appreciated the aura and importance of steam trains quite like Walt.

Walt loved trains so much that he built one of the most elaborate backyard train layouts you will ever see.  He called it the Carolwood Pacific Railroad, and it was a one-eighth scale model spanning over 2600 feet of track and one that was large enough so people could actually ride on the cars.  To learn more about Walt’s passion for these trains, check out the website of the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society.

Thankfully, the folks at the Disney Vacation Club have put together a terrific collection of train treasures.  The real centerpiece is two of the original cars that ran around Walt Disney’s backyard, pictured above and below.  I can only imagine the people who sat on the tops of these cars, including Hollywood stars and Disney Legends.

Besides the cars, there are other pieces of memorabilia ranging from those about Disney and general history of train travel.  One I really enjoyed was the map pictured below.  It shows the great trains lines that brought Americans out west, and it’s highlighted with some wonderful classic Disney characters.

Looking around the Iron Spike Room and you seem to keep finding fascinating pieces.  This painting of Walt in his barn where he did all the work on his trains is just terrific.  It’s tucked in a corner and easy to miss. 

And there is so much more here.  So if you ever find yourself at the Wilderness Lodge, get yourself away from the amazing lobby there and walk across the breezeway to the villas building.  The Iron Spike room will greet you to a quiet and fascinating little corner of Walt Disney World.

WDW News Today is reporting that a new version of Space Mountain, a rumor that I think pre-dates the internet it’s so old, may finally be coming to pass.  Get ready to be excited about this one…

The plan as of right now is to close the attraction in January 2008 and reopen sometime between December 2008 and April 2009. It appears as though this will be WDW’s big draw for when it opens…

…The rumored changes are expansive, from new vehicles with on board audio system, to new effects never seen at any other incarnation of Space Mountain. The classic coaster will probably recieve a name change and a ton of publicity as part of the process. The new name will have a “2″ in it, whether it be Mission 2 or just Space Mountain 2.0.

I know many people will be upset that this classic Tommorowland attraction may soon become a shadow of its former self, but I am not one of those people.  While I have long loved Space Mountain, it has become somewhat dated and certainly in need of repair.  Turning this into a modern, terrifically immersive and thrilling experience will truly bust the gates at the Magic Kingdom.  Will it have the kind of effect Disney officials hoped for Mission Space?  Will it be the gate-buster of Expedition Everest?  Considering the fact it is already extremely popular, I would imagine the hype should far exceed either of those.

As always, we must wait for details to immerge, but this looks like something worth waiting for.

It is not secret that Walt Disney World is a massive place, filled with more things then one could possibly see on a normal vacation.  So even after going dozens of times, I still occasionally find something that has been there for years and I never bothered to try.  The Earl of Sandwich is just one of those places.

I can’t even count how many times I’ve been to the Downtown Disney Marketplace and passed by this eatery, normally giggling about picture of the Earl that adorns the entrance.  I was just never there when I needed something light to eat.  I was either there late at night, or going to one of the many restaurants in the area for dinner 

Lord Sandwich did not invent the sandwich, but his love for them gave it the name we use today.  Legend has it, he liked the food because he could either continue to work or play cards, whichever story you believe, and not get his hands greasy.  I can only imagine how happy the good Earl would be if he was able to lunch at this place.

The specialty here is hot sandwiches, and the quality far exceeds hot sandwiches you get at various fast food sub shops.  These are as inventive as they are delicious.  The All American, with turkey, cheese, ranch dressing and cranberries, was better than I could have ever thought.  There are also offerings with French, Italian, and even Caribbean flare.  There’s also a selection of salads.

Don’t forget to save room for dessert.  They have some fresh cookies and brownies.  I had an ice cream sandwich of vanilla ice cream inside two brownies.  They also have some interesting muffins and other sweets.

There is no great theme to this place.  No immersive story.  There is an attempt to put some nice British flavor to the dining area, but it can be easily overlooked.  However, you won’t miss the aroma of these fabulous sandwiches.  Next time you’re at Disney World, give it a shot.  It is a great meal and doesn’t cost a small fortune.

Todays is part 2 of Mike and Brooke’s guide to touring the Animal Kingdom with toddlers.

Rafiki’s Planet Watch combines entertainment and education for the small ones. Since this attraction is only accessible by train ride, it adds an adventurous flair for children. Designed as an interactive zoo, children can spy through glass while veterinarians perform anything from routine checkups to surgery on different animals residing in the park. Cast members are on hand with such animals as snakes, rabbits and other critters for children to touch and learn about. There is a petting area with goats, pigs, rabbits and other domestic animals plus, Pocahontas, Jiminy Cricket and, of course Rafiki come out periodically for visits.

As mentioned above, there are a few attractions that toddlers cannot enjoy. The most popular being Expedition Everest and Dinosaur. Fortunately near these rides is the Boneyard, a playground that is perfect for little tykes to explore while the adults and bigger kids hit the coasters. Toddlers love climbing around this faux archaeological dig site complete with dinosaur bones and slides (what dig site doesn’t have those?). Another option if near Asia is to take the kids through the Maharajah Jungle Trek to view the tigers, bats and Komodo dragons. Of course, these are also attractions the entire party would enjoy, so multiple trips through this exhibit may be required. The same can be said for the Pangani Forest Trail which features, meerkats, an aviary and gorillas.

We have always found Disney’s Animal Kingdom to be a fun place to shop and so do the kids. It’s emphasis on animals appeals to young children, especially toddlers whether purchasing toys or clothing. Our kids loved their Lion King action figure set and stuffed fruit bat bought outside of Rafiki’s Planet Watch. But they were just as pleased when receiving safari t shirts and Mickey Mouse underwear.

When dining in the Animal Kingdom, there is currently only one sit down restaurant. The Rainforest Cafe features period lightning storms, animatronic jungle animals and huge fish tanks, it is very appealing to kids. However, the park is adding a sit-down place called the Yak & Yeti which will serve Asian food. Plus, the Tusker House is becoming a buffet eatery. Our favorite happens to be the Flame Tree BBQ, with it’s pleasant outdoor setting around a Chinese garden and pond. The tots certainly savored the chocolate covered bananas but had to fend off a hungry Meeko who was trying to steal it from them.

Finally, we would like to mention two things about the Animal Kingdom’s design. First, when its hot out, the pavement in this park can be oppressive. Be prepared to keep the family fully hydrated. Also, the designers of the park inexplicably did not make the pathways wide enough at all. Congestion occurs often mostly around Harambe, on the path to Camp Minnie Mickey and on the path between Asia and Africa. The only theory we have surmised, is perhaps the imagineers wanted to keep the vegetation close enough to give a sense of being in the wild. However, it does not permit three strollers the ability to creep along these paths causing quite a bottle neck at certain times of the day and during busier seasons. Plus, if a character pops out, like Baloo, all traffic comes to a stop. This problem is especially horrendous when DeVine, a lithe woman covered in vines and on stilts parades through different parts of this park. The patrons (especially men) stop in the middle of the path to gawk at her writhe around in an exotic fashion. Still despite these snags, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is fully appreciated by toddlers.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is often criticized for not creating enough attractions to fulfill a visitor’s day. There are rides, such as Expedition Everest and Dinosaur, that are strictly built for the thrill seekers.  Yet, there are also many walk through zoological exhibits which aren’t found at the other parks, and seem to astonish the youngest guests that roam this exotic Kingdom.

While there may not be many rides for children this age, a toddler can certainly enjoy the Kilimanjaro Safari, one of the best attractions featured in all of Walt Disney World. The tots get a kick out of the collapsing bridge and the race through the geysers while seeing live elephants, giraffes and other magnificent creatures along the way.  Passengers also get the feeling of being transported through the African Savannah when paired with the experienced tour guides Disney so aptly provides. Another good attraction to satisfy a toddler is Triceratops Spin.  Although it is essentially a clone of Dumbo and Aladdin, this ride tends to have shorter wait times and is a great option to take a little one on when the big kids ride Primeval Whirl.

Camp Minnie Mickey is a favorite meet and greet spot for children not intimidated by the sometimes too big characters.  This area is designed with several trails leading to different characters and, although this may not be the best place to do this (since it gets pretty congested), it definitely allows for the most characters in a single area.  However, the biggest event not to miss while venturing through Camp is the Festival of the Lion King.  Our daughter was blown away by this production and literally sat in awe watching the giant elephant “puppet”, the flying dancing woman, the fire dancer and a plethora of other great characters perform for King Simba. The music is well known to kids who are entertained by singing along and making animal noises on cue.  Also, the talent at this show is top notch making it a favorite for adults as well.

Take a trek across the park to Asia where toddlers will also enjoy Flights of Wonder, a bird show that boasts our “feathered friends” quite well. The story is a bit campy but the kids like it.  And they especially delight in the birds flying directly above their heads. Perhaps the most impressive in this show is the large crane that swoops overhead merely missing audience members by inches.  However, one show that might frighten the little ones, is It’s Tough to Be a Bug.  Located under the Tree of Life, this 3D animated movie features some intense moments that may scare the 2 to 4 year crowd.

Today’s Touring Tips is from Mike and Brooke, contributing writers to Mouse Extra.  Check back for part 2, including Rafiki’s Planet Watch, dining ideas and more.