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now
in Ebook format
by Cara Goldsbury, Author of
The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World
So you’re headed to Orlando... but where to start? You’ll
find such a wealth of fantastic resorts and restaurants it can be
difficult to choose exactly what you wish to indulge in. How best
can you plan a visit in which each day comes with the finest this
marvelous vacation spot has to offer? In order to help you in making
the overwhelming decisions of where to stay and what places to dine,
here are what I believe to be Orlando’s best offerings:
Best Deluxe Resort
On Disney property it’s the Grand Floridian with its upscale
Victorian atmosphere and lagoonside setting facing the Magic Kingdom.
Off-property, hands-down, it’s the Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes
where you may never even feel the need to leave the property. At
Universal, go for the Portofino Bay Hotel with its unsurpassed ambience
of an Italian seaside resort.
Best Resort Pool
* Disney's Yacht and Beach Club’s Stormalong Bay, a 3-acre
mini water park
* The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin’s lush grotto-style
lagoon pool
* The Volcano Pool at Disney's Polynesian Resort with its luxuriant
waterfall, smoking peak, and perfect view of Cinderella’s
Castle
* The boulder-strewn wonderland at Disney's Wilderness Lodge with
its very own erupting geyser
* The lush fantasyland pool at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress cooled
by twelve waterfalls
Best Home-Away-From-Home Property
The Villas at Disney's Wilderness Lodge with its Bay Lake frontage
and national park character or Disney's Beach Club Villas conveniently
located next door to Epcot.
Best Atmosphere
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge where hundreds of animals roam the
savanna and the air is pulsating to the beat of African drums. Running
a close second is Universal’s Portofino Bay Hotel where guests
are transported to a romantic, seaside Italian village.
Best Lobby
How to choose? Three of Disney's resorts make the cut: the Wilderness
Lodge, the Grand Floridian, and the Animal Kingdom Lodge, all eye-popping
in their grandeur.
Best Access To The Parks
The Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian with monorail
access to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and the Ticket and Transportation
Center. At Universal, the Hard Rock Hotel is just a 5-minute walk
or boat ride away to Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, and
CityWalk.
Best For Romance
Disney's Polynesian Resort whose lush tiki torch-lit grounds and
white-sand beaches with views of Cinderella’s Castle are simply
dreamy or Universal’s Portofino Bay Hotel where an evening
stroll along the bay with Italian arias playing in the distance
can’t be beat.
Best For Nature-Lovers
Disney's Wilderness Lodge, a nature-lover’s dream of rushing
waterfalls, spouting geysers, and bubbly creeks, all surrounded
by stately pine trees and beautiful Bay Lake.
Best Resort Lounges
* California Grill Lounge found on the 15th floor of Disney's Contemporary
Resort with unrivaled views of the Magic Kingdom and the Seven Seas
Lagoon, great for cocktails, sushi, and a view of the Wishes fireworks
display.
* Disney's Grand Floridian's lobby. Pick up a cocktail at Mizner’s,
then head down to this magnificent oasis to relax in the cushy seating
while listening to the sounds of a big band orchestra or live piano
music.
* Tambu Lounge at Disney's Polynesian Resort’s Great Ceremonial
House. Sip on tropical drinks amid lush foliage and views of the
Seven Seas Lagoon.
* Territory Lounge, a rustic retreat in Disney's Wilderness Lodge.
* bluezoo’s bar at the Walt Disney World Dolphin, the coolest
place around.
* Velvet, the ultra-hip cocktail lounge at Universal's Hard Rock
Hotel.
* Bar America, Portofino Bay Hotel’s sophisticated lounge
overlooking the romantic piazza.
* Top of the Palace Lounge, a sophisticated bar with the best views
around high atop the Wyndham Palace Resort near Downtown Disney.
Best Italian
Palio at the Walt Disney World Swan where the Tortellini con Aragosta
topped with enormous amounts of lobster is amazing, or Portobello
Yacht Club at Downtown Disney for a fantastic, thin-crusted pizza
followed by the Rigatoni with Italian Sausage, crimini mushrooms,
plum tomatoes, black olives, and escarole.
Best Seafood
Flying Fish at Disney's Boardwalk for Potato Wrapped Red Snapper
with creamy leek fondue and red wine reduction, or the newcomer
on the block, Todd English’s bluezoo at the Walt Disney World
Dolphin, where seafood is taken to new heights. Off Disney property
it’s got to be Roy’s on Sand Lake Road near Universal
for Roy Yamaguchi’s remarkable Hawaiian Fusion cuisine.
Best Steaks
Shula's at the Walt Disney World Dolphin, a standout for sensational
Angus beef steaks cooked to perfection, or Vito’s Chop House
on International Drive for the filet mignon stuffed with gorgonzola.
Best For Romance
Victoria and Albert's at Disney's Grand Floridian, the only AAA
5-Diamond restaurant in Central Florida. Here you’ll savor
a sumptuous six-course meal served on elegant fine china to the
accompaniment of enchanting harp music. Or try Delfino Riviera at
Universal’s Portofino Bay Hotel whose breeze-swept terrace
overlooks the resort’s picturesque bay and piazza. And I can’t
forget Norman’s at the Ritz Carlton for fine dining in plush
surroundings all enveloped in the grandeur of an amazing resort.
Best For Kids
Children love the Rainforest Café at the Animal Kingdom or
Downtown Disney where they’re bombarded with thunderstorms
and noisy audio-animatronic wildlife. A close runner up is Whispering
Canyon Café at Disney's Wilderness Lodge; come prepared for
plenty of hoopin’ and hollerin’ and please, whatever
you do, don’t ask for the ketchup unless, that is, you like
a lot of attention.
Best Character Meal
Cinderella's Royal Table at the Magic Kingdom, a chance to feast
in a fairytale castle with Cinderella, Jasmine, Aladdin, Belle,
and Snow White. Or try the Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom for
a tasty, bountiful buffet hosted by Winnie the Pooh and his friends.
Best Hip Atmosphere
Todd English’s bluezoo at the Dolphin, the coolest spot this
side of South Beach, or Tchoup Chop at Universal’s Royal Pacific
Resort, a knock-em-dead, Asian-inspired beauty.
Best Disney View
Arthur’s 27 at the Wyndham Palace whose drop-dead setting
is only topped by its creative cuisine, or California Grill at Disney's
Contemporary Resort with its picture-perfect views of the Magic
Kingdom, the Seven Seas Lagoon, and the Wishes fireworks presentation.
Best Disney Resort Restaurant
Tough call. My favorites are the California Grill at the Contemporary
Resort (just about anything on their exceptional menu is fantastic),
Victoria and Albert’s at the Grand Floridian (particularly
the Chef’s Table where Chef Scott Hunnel oversees an 11-course
meal designed especially for you), and Todd English’s bluezoo
at the Dolphin (try the miso glazed Chilean sea bass with warm sesame
spinach).
Best Universal Resort Restaurant
Tchoup Chop at the Royal Pacific Resort. Wonderful Asian and Polynesian-influenced
cuisine in a stunning setting of bamboo, waterfalls, and a lotus-filled
reflecting pool. Share the Crunchy Shrimp with butter lettuce leaves
and hot & sour chili glaze, move on to the Firecracker Fresh
Fish served with papaya-serrano salsa, Asian pesto drizzle, and
coconut-lemongrass sauce, and finish with a slice of Banana Cream
Pie topped with caramel sauce and chocolate shavings.
Best Downtown Disney Restaurant
Wolfgang Puck’s Upstairs Dining Room for dishes like Szechuan
marinated "Chinois" lamb rack served with a spicy cilantro-mint
sauce or the restaurant's exceptionally great Wienerschnitzel.
Best Epcot Illuminations View
Rose and Crown in World Showcase’s United Kingdom. Set your
priority seating for about one hour prior to show time and pray
for a table with a good view.
Best Milkshake
Beaches and Cream at Disney's Beach Club Resort serves oh-so-delicious
thick shakes and malts in a frosty fountain glass with the extras
on the side in the stainless steel shaker.
Best Pizza
You can't beat the pizzas at Downtown Disney's Wolfgang Puck Cafe
(choose the BLTA with applewood-smoked bacon, mozzarella, roma and
sun-dried tomatoes, avocado, and chopped romaine), Downtown Disney's
Portobello Yacht Club (thin-crusted and smokey flavored), or Mama
Melrose’s at Disney's Hollywood Studios (don't miss the grilled chicken
pizza with sun-dried tomato pesto, pancetta, and asiago cheese).
Best Breakfast
Spoodles at Disney's Boardwalk. I love the Egg Rotollo, scrambled
eggs with chorizo, onions, peppers, and cheddar cheese rolled in
Lavosh (flatbread) and served with breakfast potatoes and marinated
tomatoes.
I could go on and on but I’ll restrain myself and stop here.
There’s a world of resorts and restaurants just waiting to
be explored. And you’ll never even have to leave Orlando to
find it!
Cara Goldsbury is the author of The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney
World: How to Get the Most Out of the Best Disney Has to Offer available
at 800-247-6553, www.luxurydisneyguide.com,
Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk
or your local bookstore. For more information visit her online at
www.luxurydisneyguide.com.
Now available in Ebook
format!!!
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