Mouse Extra

I have not yet stayed at every resort in the “World” so I am not the best judge of this. But for me, my favorite place to stay (at least until my January trip to the Animal Kingdom Lodge) is the Polynesian Resort, the old timer of the group.  I know Dave loves the Beach Club, but I must respectfully disagree. I think the Poly has it all. Why you ask, well here are three reasons why I think it’s the best:

1. Food. It has two of the best places to eat in ‘Ohana and the Kona Cafe. For breakfast, both places are the tops in the World. Just try to eat the macadamia pineapple pancakes and not agree with me. Or the Tonga Toast. And ‘Ohana has the best character breakfast in the World. The food is great as is the character interaction. Lunch and dinner are superb, as well. The quick service Captain Cook’s maybe the best place of this type in any resort. You can get Tonga Toast there, as well. But most importantly, it is the only place outside of Adventureland that has dole whips. That’s right, you heard correctly, it has dole whips. And unlike about everywhere else in Disney, you can have decent coffee. Kona coffee.

2. Theme. Another plus for this resort is the overall theme. The lobby with its rainforest and waterfall really strike the mood. The houses are well maintained and well themed. The rooms are nicely done. Plus, the shops sell Polynesian and Hawaiian styles. We bought my son a cool Mickey Mouse Hawaiian shirt that you could only find at this resort. The pool with its volcano adds to the other overall experience.

3. Location. Perhaps the best part of the Polynesian resort is its location. Yes, its on the monorail and you can easily get to the Magic Kingdom. If you have young kids and plan to spend a lot of time at the Kingdom, this place is ideal for a break and dip in the pool. But it is also within walking distance of the Ticket and Transportation Center, making it the only resort wherein you can get to both the Magic Kingdom and Epcot by one monorail ride. Plus, the resort itself is not overall large. You are never real far from the main house like you are in some other resorts such as the Boardwalk.

So Dave can have his Beach Club. I will take the Polynesian. Although, I suspect the Animal Kingdom Lodge may give it a run for its money.

Today’s Resort Review is from Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra.

The website, theforce.net, has an interesting tidbit on their website. According to one of their sources, the 501st, a legion of fans dressed as stormtroopers, will be present at the upcoming D23 expo. They further indicate that they will be present for Jay Rasulo’s presentation.

 
This is an interesting rumor as it seems the most likely reason for their involvement would be a major Star Tours announcement. Rumors abound that D23 will be the site for the announcement of the next big WDW project. It is the first of these conventions so Disney in an effort to increase attendance might want to make a big splash or two at the first one. Secondly, Potter is coming to Universal and people seem to think Disney needs to respond.
 
The favorite rumor at the moment seems to be that Disney will announce the Fantasyland overhaul at the conference. The blueprints were alleged leaked a few weeks ago. Maybe they will instead announce Star Tours 2. Or maybe both.

Today’s posting is from Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra

The Disney Dining plan has many many advocates. Especially when its free. But now, Disney had released the costs of the Magic Your Way dining plan. For the first time, the costs of the plan depend on when you go. The 2010 pices are $41.99 per adult (ages 10+) $11.99 per child (age 3-9) per night  for travel dates: 1/01/10 – 2/11/10 ; 4/11/10 – 6/03/10 ; 8/15/10 – 12/16/10 For other dates, its a whopping $46.99 per adult (ages 10+) $12.99 per child (age 3-9) per night.

I am not a fan of the plan. First of all, Disney food in general has become more homogenized over the last few years. Expensive items like filet mignons and the like have been removed from menus because they didn’t want dining planners getting too much bang for their buck. Worse yet, I have seen several families fighting over getting snacks that don’t count on the plan.

There are many patrons who take advantage of the plan. And, in fact, it’s not a bad deal. You do get one table-service meal (although they have since got rid of the appetizer part of it), a quick service meal and a snack for that price. You can save money that way for sure. And when it’s free, it’s a no-brainer. But now you pay more during peak months. Is that fair? After all, it’s the same food.

Today’s posting is from Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra.

John Frost of the Disney Blog reported late last week that the long anticipated Tequila Bar will be opening at the end of this month inside the Mexico pavilion at Epcot.  It will be called La Cava del Tequila and it will open its doors on August 28.

Guests visiting La Cava del Tequila will have the opportunity to enjoy over 70 types of authentic tequila from several major brands, ranging from the simplest to the rarest of them all, aged to perfection and made from the finest distilled spirits from the Agave Plant. A Tequila Ambassador will be on-hand to educate Guests on the history of Tequila making and its rich Mexican heritage.

Exotic and unique-blended margaritas will be served introducing a variety of flavored salts, spices and tropical fresh fruits masterfully prepared by experienced mixologists.

The plan also calls for a small Tapas-style menu as well, which would really add a nice reason to sit and hang around for awhile, rather than just grabbing a margarita in a plastic cup and moving on to Norway.

Now, I am not much of a tequila fan.  I guess there is just too much Irish in me for that.  But this sounds like a really terrific addition to the Mexico pavilion and the experience for adults at Epcot.  There are no character or movie tie-ins with this addition.  It is just a great way for adults to get out of the way of runaway strollers for a little while and enjoy a very popular piece of Mexican history and heritage.