Mouse Extra

It seems to be a light weekend in the world of Disney News, so I have something different for you to take a look at.  I also write for a great new online magazine called “American Public House Review”.  It is dedicated to the great stories and experiences one can find at the country’s finest pubs.  In the current January issue I present one of my favorites, The Rose and Crown.

I know many of you feel the same way I do about this place.  When I am at Disney World for a long trip, and my feet start screaming at me around four days in, I usually find myself spending the better part of a day hanging in and around this great meeting place.  If I know the weather is not going to cooperate with me, I like to hide out inside this fabulous pub.

I have been a regular visitor to Walt Disney World since my parents started bringing me there as a child.  Even now, firmly planted in adulthood, I still love the place and I go as often as possible.  A few years ago my wife was not able to stay for the entire trip, and since my brother had his young family to introduce to the world’s biggest Fantasyland, I spent some time on my own.  One afternoon while the rest of the clan was heading back to the hotel to put the little ones down for a nap, I walked over to Epcot by myself just to walk around and take some photos.

As I entered the back gate of the park that offers walking access to hotels the heavens opened up on me.  It was the kind of pouring, soaking rain that only Florida can produce with such random efficiency.  Being completely oblivious to the day’s weather report, I was without an umbrella or rain jacket and had no desire to spend the day in a yellow Mickey Mouse poncho.  Instead I ran for the nearest dry place where I could spend a few minutes until the storm passed.  Luckily, I was only a short sprint to the doors of the Rose and Crown, a pub located in the United Kingdom Pavilion.

To read the rest and see the photos click here.

For those of you who do not listen to WDW Today, and I can’t think of one good reason why you wouldn’t, I wanted to cover a subject I called in about during last night’s live show.  Earlier in July, a listener emailed the show asking which resorts have the best bars to grab a drink at after a night in the parks.  Since Mouse Extra seems to be the only website that devotes a section just to Disney World’s taverns, I thought I would give the listener my two cents.

Every resort has a bar, and they are usually open at the time the listener is speaking of.  Most of them are pool bars, or your typical lobby bar.  Only a few of them offer much in the way of great atmosphere or even a typical Disney theme.  But there are a few exceptions…

Crew’s Cup at the Yacht Club- Located next to the Yachtsman Steakhouse, this place has the feel of an upscale New England tavern.  The wood work is inviting and the atmosphere and detail is well done.  For the beer drinker, the Crew’s Cup offers one of the best beer selections on property.  There is also a small appetizer menu if you are looking for a late night snack. 

Territory Lounge at the Wilderness Lodge- Everything about the Wilderness Lodge is impressive, and the Territory Lounge is as well.  There is a great Lewis and Clark theme here and bar is a warm and inviting place.  Great place to unwind at night.

Scat Cat Club at Port Orleans French Quarter- This may not be as relaxing or as well themed as the others, but the Scat Cat offers some great live entertainment.  If you are staying at the French Quarter, check it out.

The Boardwalk- Nothing can top the Boardwalk when it comes to resorts with great places to drink after park hours.  It has a very nice bar in the Inn itself called the Belle Vue Room, but it’s just a short walk outside the lobby to find to some great choices.  The ESPN Club, the Big River Grill brewpub, and even a piano bar named Jellyrolls are all different and fun. 

Finally, I think it is important to mention the worst bar at the resorts, and so far the worst I have found is the Turf Club at Saratoga Springs.  This is only a bar by name and really isn’t worth the time.

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.

To me, the House of Blues is what Downtown Disney is all about. Its a nightclub, music venue and themed eatery all wrapped into one. Plus, its got that great brand name, the Blues Brothers, behind it. I previously did a review of Boatwright’s at the Port Orleans resort wherein I criticized its “toned down” version of Creole cuisine. That’s not the case at the House of Blues. The food is very good and is complemented by its surroundings. After the Hard Rock Cafe opened years ago, we saw a plethora of themed chain restaurants like Planet Hollywood, the Rainforest Cafe, and the All Star Cafe. In my opinion, the House of Blues may very well be the best of the lot.

To give you an idea, the appetizers include pan-seared voodoo shrimp with rosemary cornbread (more on that later), crispy catfish nuggets, and parmesan fried artichoke hearts. These range from $9 to $11. For more substance, there is the “Elwood”, a blackened chicken sandwich with chili garlic mayo, green chilies, and sour cream- sounds good right? Entrees include Creole jambalaya, penne (with roasted red peppers, spinach, and roasted garlic in parmesan and a white wine sauce), and wild mushroom pasta. Cajun meatloaf is a specialty as is the grilled chicken with andouille-corn bread pudding and pinot noir sauce. There are also the typical Creole choices like gumbo, seared catfish and po’ boys.

Ambience is a key component to the House of Blues. The decor is fun in a voodoo sort of way- try to imagine the largest bayou hut you will ever find covered in folk art from the region. We ate one night at around 9PM and got to enjoy a very talented blues rock band. There is also a performance hall attached which very well may be showcasing a performer you know. The music runs the gamut of rock, folk, jazz, and, of course, blues. Also, there is a popular gospel Sunday brunch here. The cost is $30 for adults and $15 for kids.

Besides the music, my favorite part of the House of Blues is the cornbread (told ya I would get back to this). The skillet baked rosemary cornbread with maple butter is outrageously good and I can easily scarf down the entire pan myself. As you can tell, I highly recommend the HOB. Its remarkably authentic in both cuisine and vibe for a chain restaurant. I suggest you go a little later to improve your chances of seeing a talented band play in the main dining area. There is something enjoyable when you combine cornbread, andouille sausages, and good blues music.

When Pleasure Island first opened, it was a real departure for Disney. The home of Mickey Mouse opened up a venue of adult-oriented nightclubs and bars where scantily-clad woman danced on stage while employees sold test tube shots to passersby. Various nightclubs have come and gone, have been renamed, or re-themed, and now Pleasure Island is set for a significant overhaul. Through the years though, the Adventurers’ Club remains the most Disneyesque of the establishments there.

The decor is straight out of an old movie. The place is jammed packed with curios, trophies and knickknacks from across the world. The idea is that you’re in an early 20th century hunters’ or explorers’ club. Unlike the other dance joints and comedy club found on Pleasure Island, this place has in-character cast members mingling with the patrons. After hanging around for a bit, a guest will be able to notice that there is a little more going on here than just some funky Zulu masks and the like. You may see eccentric cast members talking to mounted animal heads on the wall- that talk back. These actors range from french maids to prim and proper butlers.

If you sit at the bar, be aware that you’re stool may suddenly rise or fall. The masks on the wall may move or even talk. Also, the cluttered momentos allegedly amassed by the members are fun to peruse. The level of detail here is amazing even by Disney’s standards. Specialty drinks (this is a bar after all) include The Kungaloosh and the Jungle Juice. There is no food.

Finally, you should make sure you stick around for awhile. The audio animatronic old main in the main foyer will interact with the more “lively” cast members to announce a show, which is not advertised, you just have to luck out. They will show you to the library or one of the other rooms such as the treasure room or mask room for a brief, offbeat comedy routine about club members’ various achievements and escapades. You very well may be inducted to the club learning the club’s song and secret handshake to boot.

The Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa is the home resort for many Disney Vacation Club members, myself included.  It is a beautiful sprawling resort with a wonderful main pool, interesting architectural details, and pleasing landscaping.  But it does lack a bit in the food and drink department.  There is one bar called the Turf Club, and it does not live up to the standard set by the rest of the resort.

As you can probably tell from the name, the Turf Club tries to maintain the general resort-wide theme of Saratoga Springs, NY and its rich horseracing history.  But beyond the name, and a few wall decorations, it does little more to offer an immersive experience.  In fact, the atmosphere here is not much better than a hotel lobby, even though this is not a lobby bar. 

The space has much potential.  It is odd shaped room off in a quiet corner of the building.  But Disney planners never even bothered to build an actual bar, which makes the hole thing very frustrating.  It says “bar” right on the sign, but there is no bar.  Instead there are various chairs spread haphazardly across the room, and a small walk-up area to get a limited selection of drinks.  My wife and I went there once for an NFL playoff game.  We decided after a few seconds to go and watch it in our room because there was only one television and you could only really see it from certain places.  What resulted were dozens of fans standing in front trying to catch a glimpse. 

The Disney Vacation Club created a terrific resort at Saratoga Springs, but failed miserably at creating a bar where you can simply hangout.  Thankfully, Downtown Disney with all the bars you can want is only a boat ride away.  But it would have been nice to build something inviting on property that fit’s the theme.