Disney Dream Girls 260 for 12th May 2019

Welcome to the show notes for the Disney Dream Girls Podcast, show number 260 for Sunday 12th May 2019.  If you want to listen, whilst reading these notes, just click the player below or alternatively find us in iTunes, Libsyn, on Stitcher Radio or via any good podcast catching app.

On this week's podcast,we talk about some news items that caught our attention. Then, we answer an array of listener questions regarding trip booking: what is considered to be the best discount and a few other questions based around our favourite attractions.  

Apologies for the short show notes this week... its been a busy one! We will be back to normal next week.

That's all we have for this week, if you want more Disney Dream Girls chat - why not become a supporter via our Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/DisneyDreamGirls By giving a small amount each month, you can receive additional, exclusive, audio content.

You can contact us via Email: info@disneydreamgirls.com 
Follow our posts on Twitter @DisDreamGirls
and Instagram @disdreamgirls and join in our chat on Facebook DisneyDreamGirlsPodcast.  

Michelle and Jayne x

Princess Storybook dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall by Janine Pipe

We would like to welcome Janine Pipe  to our Disney Dream Girls team! We are thrilled to announce that she will be writing various pieces for us about her Disney life and past trips.

Princess Storybook dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall is something of a hidden gem. We decided to visit on our first morning of our last trip in August 2018. We tend to wake up super early and only last for a few hours at whichever park we go to, so it made perfect sense to make the most of an all-you-care-to-enjoy breakfast before a short but sweet visit to EPCOT. 

Akershus is located in the Norway pavilion in the World Showcase part of EPCOT. It was Extra Magic Hours at 8am and we managed to walk into an almost empty park through the Advanced Dining Reservation line. We made sure to take some photos with no one around! Even though we were about to have enough food to feed an army, my husband Steve got excited at the fact we had so many snack credits to use (we were on the Disney Dining Plan) and couldn’t resist an iced coffee from Joffery’s. 

 

It was almost surreal wandering through Future World with literally no crowds. World Showcase looked beautiful with no one there and Cast Members pottering around ready to start their day.

We checked in with the Cast Member outside of the restaurant and were told to wait for our party to be called. We were 15 minutes early but were called in a very short time.  

When we stepped into the beautifully themed entrance to the restaurant, we were invited to wait to see Belle. As this was a Photo Pass opportunity, we queued up as Felicity was wearing her personalised Belle t-shirt. This was a lovely interaction and then we were quickly shown to our table. We had a good position, sort of central and not too far from the buffet. 

It really does make you think that you are inside an old fashioned banqueting hall of an old castle. It is not quite as ornate as Be Our Guest or Cinderella’s Royal Table, but it is still nicely themed and the candles on the walls and dark wooden beams make it nicely atmospheric, even in broad daylight. There are several rooms and areas and the tables were not too close together so we didn’t feel like we were listening in to our neighbour’s conversations.

Our server was called Silje and she was amazing!!! Nothing was too much trouble for her and we were sure to send her a Cast Compliment on Twitter after we finished. She brought us coffee and juice and explained we could go and help ourselves to the cold buffet, and that hot food would be brought to the table.

The cold buffet is a Norwegian Smorgasbord and mainly comprised of cold meats and cheeses, along with various pastries and fruit. The cinnamon whirls were really nice as were the Lingonberry muffins. The hot plate which is eaten family-style, has scrambled eggs, potato casserole, sausages and bacon. Felicity was disappointed as she really wanted Mickey waffles on her first morning and Silje was kind enough to put a special order in just for her!!!    

There was plenty of food to go around and we all really enjoyed it. I am vegetarian and I really liked the potato casserole which was nice and cheesy. We didn’t make the most of the all-you-can-eat option with it only being our first morning; we hadn’t yet expanded our bellies to cope with American sized portions.

However, food aside, the main reason that we were Storybook Dining was to meet princesses! Having already ticked Belle off of the list, we were treated to meet and greets at the table by – Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel and Snow White. Although these interactions were short but sweet, they allowed time for an autograph, a hug (me included with Ariel as she is my favourite) and plenty of photos. Note that there are not any Photo Pass photographers inside the restaurant, the only official photo-opportunity is when you first meet with Belle.

For us, character meals are worth their weight in gold. Although we ended up seeing most of the princesses again this trip (we had a lot of character meals), being able to meet them without using a Fast Pass or queueing in the insane Florida heat, is a nice, civilised and air-conditioned way to meet Felicity’s heroes.

There was also a princess processional where the children get to take part in a nice little parade around the dining room. As Felicity was in her personalised glittery Belle t-shirt and swirly tu-tu, she couldn’t resist!

Akershus was for us very worthwhile. As we were on the Disney Dining Plan, it cost us one credit which was much better than the two credits we used for dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table.

An unexpected surprise occurred straight after we finished breakfast and left the restaurant too … a 10 minute stand-by on Frozen Ever After!!! This was a real first morning spot of Magic. 

I would 100% recommend the breakfast buffet at Akershus. We will certainly go back on our next visit.

To hear our weekly podcast, which takes an unofficical view of the Disney theme parks, search in all good podcast catching places for The Disney Dream Girls. 

Disney Dream Girls 259 5th May 2019

Welcome to the show notes for the Disney Dream Girls Podcast, show number 259 for Sunday 5th May 2019.  If you want to listen, whilst reading these notes, just click the player below or alternatively find us in iTunes, Libsyn, on Stitcher Radio or via any good podcast catching app.
 
On this week's podcast, we talk about an exclusive dining opportunity at Golden Oak, the new fireworks show for MNSSHP (at Walt Disney World), the opening of Mickey's Philharmagic in Disneyland, a much-loved snack being modified and the arrival of a Galaxy's Edge comic.

Then, for the main feature, we review the Illuminations: Reflections of Earth dining package that is available at the Rose and Crown and discuss who it might offer good value to.

Delicious Disney: A Chef's Series

For $359 you can enjoy a highly themed evening at Markham's Restaurant at Golden Oak. We list below the themes and dates:

May 20 and 21, 2019
A Whole New World… of Flavor: A Tribute to Aladdin – with Walt Disney World Resort Chef Christian Rumple.

June 24 and 25, 2019
 Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of The Lion King on a Culinary Journey to the African Savanna – with Chef de Cuisine Frank Brough.

July 29 and 30, 2019 
A Culinary Tribute to the Epcot Festivals, Including a Selection of Inspired Festival Creations – with Epcot Culinary Director Albert Youngman

Illuminations: Reflections of Earth
Rose and Crown Dining Package

Dessert Trio - Photo Marla Chan

On the show, we review the $85 package where you can have a three course meal at the Rose and Crown and water-side seating for this spectacular nighttime show. 

We send our thanks to listener, Marla Chan for her review.

That's all we have for this week, if you want more Disney Dream Girls chat - why not become a supporter via our Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/DisneyDreamGirls By giving a small amount each month, you can receive additional, exclusive, audio content.

You can contact us via Email: info@disneydreamgirls.com 
Follow our posts on Twitter @DisDreamGirls
and Instagram @disdreamgirls and join in our chat on Facebook DisneyDreamGirlsPodcast. 

DDG 258 Walt Disney World Dining Plan

Welcome to the show notes for the Disney Dream Girls Podcast, show number 258 for Sunday 28th April 2019.  If you want to listen, whilst reading these notes, just click the player below or alternatively find us in iTunes, Libsyn, on Stitcher Radio or via any good podcast catching app.

Coming up on this weeks show, Michelle is joined by fellow foodie - John Kretzu to talk about the Disney Dining Plan. On this show, they  run through a entire list of the 2 credit table service restaurants and discuss their experiences there and whether (in their opinion) it is worth the dining credits.

Tiffin's Chargrilled Octopus

One the show, they discuss:
California Grill Cinderella's Royal Table
Citricos
Flying Fish
Hoop De Doo Musical Review
Jiko
Le Cellier
Monsieur Paul
Morimoto Asia
Narcoosee's
Paddlefish
STK Orlando
Spirit of Aloha Show
The Boathouse
The Hollywood Brown Derby
Tiffins
Yachtsman Steakhouse

Delicious Dessert at The Yachtsman Steakhouse

As part of the discussion, Michelle and John discuss the flavours, the service and ambience. Then Michelle quotes an approximation of a typical meal cost to lead the discussion in to whether it is best to pay out of pocket or use two Disney Dining Plan meal credits. 
Have you eaten at any of these eateries? Please feel free to send us your reviews!

That's all we have for this week, if you want more Disney Dream Girls chat - why not become a supporter via our Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/DisneyDreamGirls By giving a small amount each month, you can receive additional, exclusive, audio content.

You can contact us via Email: info@disneydreamgirls.com 
Follow our posts on Twitter @DisDreamGirls
and Instagram @disdreamgirls and join in our chat on Facebook DisneyDreamGirlsPodcast.

DDG 257 Disney Girls Chat

Welcome to the show notes for the Disney Dream Girls Podcast, show number 257 for Sunday 21st April 2019.  If you want to listen, whilst reading these notes, just click the player below or alternatively find us in iTunes, Libsyn, on Stitcher Radio or via any good podcast catching app.

Which Hard Ticket Event Is Right For Me?

On the show, we discuss the options available if you wish to pay the extra dollars to attend one of the hard ticket events. These are ideal if your time is short and you want to gain extra park time. For the Magic Kingdom you have the option of early mornings or late nights. However, on the show we discuss the option of checking the park calendar to gain late night access to the park - for free! Some select nights you will find the Magic Kingdom open to 11pm or 12 midnight.

There is also the evening Disney Animal Kingdom event (this costs $125) and also the much anticipated Villains event, which is $139.

Disneyland Update
We then move on to discussing Disneyland.  We comment about the construction walls, how cast members have been blocked from park entry on their off days May through August and that the Food and Wine event is rolling onwards through April. Plus if you visit prior to Easter, you will be able to meet Mr Bunny himself!

Illuminations
Did you manage to catch the live broadcast of Illuminations? If not, use this link! watch Illuminations.

Magic Shots
This is the link to the best magic shots Magic Shots link.  

Trip Planning
We are both now on trip planning hyperdrive! So we share some of the considerations we are making when thinking about our next trips!

That's all we have for this week, if you want more Disney Dream Girls chat - why not become a supporter via our Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/DisneyDreamGirls By giving a small amount each month, you can receive additional, exclusive, audio content. 

You can contact us via Email: info@disneydreamgirls.com 
Follow our posts on Twitter @DisDreamGirls
and Instagram @disdreamgirls and join in our chat on Facebook DisneyDreamGirlsPodcast    

DDG 256 Disney with Deborah Wolfe

Welcome to the show notes for the Disney Dream Girls Podcast, show number 256 for Sunday 14th April 2019.  If you want to listen, whilst reading these notes, just click the player below or alternatively find us in iTunes, Libsyn, on Stitcher Radio or via any good podcast catching app.

Coming up on this weeks show, Michelle is joined by Deborah Wolfe to talk about the Toy Story Land hard ticket event, Run Disney and the difference between Disney Cruise Line offerings and those from Royal Carribean.

Photo Credit Deborah Wolfe

Deborah loves Run Disney and has taken part in an array of events. For her, her costume is a major part of the event! 

Have you a fantastic Run Disney story, costume or picture to share? We would love to hear from you!

After that, Deborah talks about her experiences of attending the Early Magic Morning Event at Disney Hollywood Studios. 

Since recording, the breakfast has been moved to the Backlot Express and timings can vary with some guests being able to gain entry at 7am (purely to eat breakfast) and then make their way to the land at 7.30am.


You, as well as the other guests who have purchased this package, will have the land to yourself until 9am (day guests will be arriving from 8.45am). Breakfast is also served until 10am.

Breakfast is stated as all you care to enjoy for the cold offerings (eg the yoghurt bar and pastries) and whilst it says  one hot item in reality you can have more than that.
 
This event is great if you want to be able to have multiple rides on the attractions in this land and a theme park breakfast. However, at around $ a minute it is expensive.

If you want to find out how to book or just more information, visit the WDW website.

Then the discussion moved on to cruises. Both Michelle and Deborah have experience of travelling with Royal Carribean and Disney so between them they were able to discuss the differences and their opinion on whether the additional cost of Disney cruises was worth it. 

We also gave information for listener Vikki Marie, who will be taking her family on their first cruise this coming summer! 

Then that's about it for this week, we will be back next week with some more Disney chat!

If you want more Disney Dream Girls chat - why not become a supporter via our Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/DisneyDreamGirls By giving a small amount each month, you can receive additional, exclusive, audio content. 

You can contact us via Email: info@disneydreamgirls.com 
Follow our posts on Twitter @DisDreamGirls
and Instagram @disdreamgirls and join in our chat on Facebook DisneyDreamGirlsPodcast    

DDG 255 Disney Chat including Planning, Addictions and Weddings

Welcome to the show notes for the Disney Dream Girls Podcast, show number 255 for Sunday 7th April 2019.  If you want to listen, whilst reading these notes, just click the player below or alternatively find us in iTunes, Libsyn, on Stitcher Radio or via any good podcast catching app.


On this weeks show, Michelle and Jayne chat through a variety of topics and you can read more about them below.

Planning  
It has been a fair old while since clan Phipps have trod foot in Walt Disney World. Yes, they have had a family trip to Disneyland Paris and Michelle and Jayne also had a girls trip there but its coming up for 6 years now. We have spoken about it on the show numerous times about how to cope with the homesickness and Jayne's response has been lots of Disney ink and joining several costuming groups.

Well it looks like there are trip plans being made!

Keep listening in as you will be hearing more about these plans - plus lots lots more very soon! Disney Weddings

For many, a Disney wedding is the ultimate goal but the price tag is quite high. However, there are ways to make this happen without spending the $. We take a look at some of the packages, places and dreams you can make in Walt Disney World to become a member of the 'I got married at Disney' club.

If you are a Disney bride - we would love to hear about your special day too!  That's all we have for this week, if you want more Disney Dream Girls chat - why not become a supporter via our Patreon page https://www.patreon.com/DisneyDreamGirls By giving a small amount each month, you can receive additional, exclusive, audio content. 

You can contact us via Email: info@disneydreamgirls.com 
Follow our posts on Twitter @DisDreamGirls
and Instagram @disdreamgirls and join in our chat on Facebook DisneyDreamGirlsPodcast