50's Prime Time Cafe at Disney's Hollywood Studios

50’s Prime Time Café is the quintessential Disney dining experience. Great food, fun décor and theming, interactive cast members, and of course, milkshakes. That’s right, milkshakes (more on those later).

As soon as you walk through the doors, you’re in between Dad’s Living Room, which serves as the waiting area, and Mom’s Kitchen, which is the main dining area. After you’ve checked in and are waiting for your table, head on over to the Tune-In Lounge and grab a beverage of your choice. Dad’s liquor cabinet is stocked with just about anything you’re in the mood for. Glow Tini’s, draft beer, red, white, and sparkling wines, and of course soft drinks. If you’re traveling solo, or you don’t have an ADR for the restaurant, you can sit at the bar and order right off the full menu, although reservations for this very popular restaurant are always recommended!

            

You’ll know your table is ready when you hear your named yelled out by the host/hostess. “Johnson kids! – it’s time for dinner!” Once you make it to your table, you’ll meet your server. Your server will most likely introduce themselves as your cousin, your Aunt, or Uncle (remember, you’re eating in Mom’s kitchen). While you’re seated, make sure to look around at some of the 50’s style knick knacks, theming, even the black and white TV’s playing old sitcoms. A few things to remember when dining in Mom’s kitchen: no elbows on the table, eat all of your veggies, and don’t chew with your mouth open! Don’t let your server catch you breaking any of the rules, because you could end up sitting in a corner, or singing for the entire restaurant! If you enjoy fun interaction with the servers, you’ll really get a kick out of the experience. On our last trip, I mentioned to my cousin Emily (our server), that I needed a straw. About 3 minutes later, I had about 30 straws thrown in front of me.

You’re probably wondering about the food, right? If you enjoy good ol’ fashioned comfort food, you came to the right place. The entrees provide a generous portion of food, but if you’re in the mood for stuffing yourself silly (which is ok because you’re in Disney World), there are some nice options to get you started. Appetizers include Crab Cake, Seafood Salad, Chicken Noodle Soup (delicious), Onion Rings, and Iceberg Lettuce Wedge. The entrees consist of Dad’s Traditional Meatloaf, Aunt Liz’s Golden Fried Chicken (my personal favorite), Grandma’s Chicken Pot Pie, Mom’s Old Fashioned Pot Roast, the list goes on. Most entrees run between $13 and $17. If you’re like me, and you aren’t a fan of green beans, just stuff them in your napkin when your server isn’t looking. It help makes more room for the milkshakes and dessert!

Probably my favorite part about dining at the 50’s Prime Time Café are the milkshakes, and the desserts. I could probably live on just the Peanut Butter & Jelly Milkshake. That’s right…Peanut Butter & Jelly MILKSHAKE. Maybe I love ice cream way too much, or Disney puts some kind of magic elixir in the milkshake. Either way, the PB&J milkshakes are what legends are made of. 

You’ll notice that your dessert menus are old viewfinders. Some of my family’s favorites are Dad’s Brownie Sundae, Apple Cobbler, Cheesecake, and of course S’mores. 

Probably the second greatest invention after the Peanut Butter & Jelly milkshake is the one and only S’mores. They are served hot with plenty of chocolate, and no sticky fingers. The serving is definitely enough for two people to share…unless you’re like me and sharing isn’t an option.

            

The 50’s Prime Time Café is definitely a great choice if you enjoy comfort food, fun interaction with cast members and guests, and great theming. Compared to other options throughout Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 50’s Prime Time Café is also very reasonably priced. Though it’s not 5 star quality cuisine, 50’s Prime Time Café always provides a really fun family experience that you just can’t get anywhere else.

Character Dining at Disneyland Resort in California

The Disneyland Resort in California has five options for character dining, each offering the opportunity for meet and greats with some of your favorite Disney characters. Characters vary by location, time of year, time of day, and a number of other factors, but regardless of whom the characters are they are always fun to meet. Character dining gives you the opportunity to get autographs and have your pictures with characters while you eat. There is no need to wait in line or chase after characters, as the characters will circulate between the tables coming to you to meet you. 

The first character dining experience we will look at is Breakfast in the Park with Minnie and friends at Plaza Inn. Plaza Inn is located at the end of Main Street next to the entrance to Tomorrowland at Disneyland park.  Plaza Inn is a quick service restaurant for lunch and dinner, but for breakfast, it is a buffet offering guests the opportunity to meet a number of character favorites. The menu includes breakfast staples including cereals, bacon, sausage, eggs, and Mickey waffles. Characters can include Minnie Mouse, Tigger, Pooh, Eeyore, Rafiki, Captain Hook, Max, Fairy Godmother, Chip and Dale.

Surfs Up with Mickey and Friends at PCH Grill in the Paradise Pier Hotel is another breakfast buffet with characters. The theme of the dining experience is a beach theme, characters are dressed up in surf/ beach attire and it is a fun relaxed dining experience. There are fun activities such as surfing with the characters for the children to participate in. Characters to meet include Lilo, Stitch, Mickey Minnie, Pluto, Donald and Daisy. The menu includes items such as Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana with Chocolate-stuffed French Toast, Mickey-shaped Waffles, Minnie Pancakes, Breakfast Potatoes with Peppers and Onions, Chicken Apple Sausage Links, Country Pork Sausage, Crispy Maple Bacon, and an Omelet Station.

The third breakfast only character dining experience is the Chip n’ Dale Critter Breakfast at the Storytellers Café at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. This is one breakfast dining experience that offers both buffet and menu dining. It is set in a country lodge that is the perfect setting to meet the Disney Critters that are hard to meet anywhere else; characters include Terk, Kenai, Koda, Meeko, Br’er Bear, Br’er Fox, Chip, and Dale. The buffet includes items such as made to order Omelets, Caramel French Toast, Eggs Benedict, Mickey Waffles, Bagels, Seasonal Fruit, and Pastries, while the Menu features a number of breakfast items such as omelets, Bacon/ Sausage and eggs, Steak and Eggs, Huevos Rancheros, and Eggs Benedict.

Goofy’s Kitchen at the Disneyland Resort Hotel is a buffet that offers the opportunity for meet and greets with your favorite characters for both breakfast and dinner. Upon paying for your meal, you get a family picture taken with chef Goofy before proceeding to your table. Once seated characters such as Alice in Wonderland, The Mad Hatter, Chip, Dale, Pluto, Minnie, Mickey and Fairy Godmother. The breakfast menu includes staples such as Mickey Mouse Waffles, Minnie Mouse Pancakes, French toast, sausage, bacon, eggs benedict, as well as chicken nuggets and Goofy’s Famous Peanut Butter Pizza and Dessert. The dinner buffet includes a carving station, fresh catch of the day, seasonal vegetables, tossed salads, fresh fruit, Pluto’s Hot Dogs, assorted pizzas, chicken nuggets, Goofyroni & Cheese, and Desserts.

The final of the five character dining experiences is Ariel’s Grotto. This a la carte fixed price dining experience is located on the waterfront at Paradise Pier in the California Adventure theme park and offers the chance to dine with the Princesses. The restaurant has characters for all meals excluding World Of Color Dining Packages. The restaurant is divided into two dining rooms, a waterfront patio with views of the boardwalk and Paradise Pier attractions, and “Under the Sea” an indoor dining room with an ocean setting. The breakfast menu has an appetizer of assorted breakfast pastries with fresh fruit, and entrees such as Belgian waffles with berries, frittatas, scrambled eggs with Tri-Tip, and an All-American breakfast including scrambled eggs, hash browns, and bacon or sausage, and Bircher Muesli. For lunch/dinner, the menu includes a starter of either soup or salad, with entrees such as Sautéed Shrimp and Angel Hair Pasta, Red Oak-Smoked Honey-Whiskey Barbecue Tri-Tip with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables, Fire-roasted Corn Cakes, Fresh Catch of the Day, Citrus-Glazed Chicken Breast, and a Grilled Lobster Tail Salad.

Each of the five character dining experiences on Disney property offers the opportunity to meet favorite characters in a unique setting, whether dining with the Princess on the Waterfront, or meeting some of Disneys hard to find Critters for breakfast in a log cabin setting, there is a character dining experience for everyone.

By Agent Melissa

Travel Time Travel

Melissa@traveltimetravel.com

Frozen being Release on March 18th! Look at the different ways to sing "Let it go"

We thought with the release of Disney Frozen being released on Tuesday we would collect some "Let it go " ways!

What do Disneyland Package Travel Documents Look Like?

When booking a trip to Disneyland, one of the first things you decide is where to stay and how to book it.  I'm sure you go over your options with your travel agent and consider questions such as:

1.  Stay onsite or off?

2.  Book a Disney package or separate components?

3.  How many park ticket days should I get?

I thought it would be helpful to see one of the perks you get for booking a Disney package (either at an onsite or one of their Good Neighbor resorts)!

A few weeks before your trip, Disney will send these to your travel agent, who will include his/her own special touches for your trip and send the goodies to you!  Here is what you might get from Disney:

Cute, right?

In your packet, several things may come:

• a recap of your package (hotel, type of ticket, Magical extras, dining, insurance, other types of passes)
• vouchers
• suggestions for making your trip more memorable
• park passes
• Magical extras (currently items such as a free ride photo, collectible pin & lanyard, ESPN Zone $10 game card, and transportation for shopping)
• Really awesome, quality luggage tags

Those of you used to Disney World documents that are helpful and cute but not necessary should know that Disneyland documents are different and hold actual tickets and necessary components...you NEED these documents.

Have a Magical Friday!

By Lucy at Travel Time

For free help planning a vacation, contact one of our agents HERE!

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Walt Disney World's Magic Bands Questions and Answers

With the New Disney Magic Bands out there are so many questions so we thought we may answer some of them for you! 

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1. What is the Disney Magic Band?

A. Disney Magic Bands are part of Disney's Next Generation initiative so far only at Walt Disney  World to integrate all aspects of the guest experience in their " My Disney Experience" Account. The Magic Band is a actual band you wear on your wrist. Each person of your party 3 and up will get one when staying on Disney Resorts property. (AP and Florida Residence are still in testing as of 3.4.14)

 
2. Who gets the Disney Magic Bands?

A. Anyone staying on site at a Walt Disney World Resort will receive a Disney Magic Band. Off site guest will not receive the Disney Magic Bands (including those staying at the Swan & Dolphin, Shades of Green & The Bonnet Creek Area)

3. What does the Disney Magic Band do?

A. The Disney Magic Band is the key to everything in your My Disney Experience account.  You will use it to open your resort room door;if you have tickets you use it to enter the parks; if you left a credit card on file you will use it to charge back to your room account (with a PIN code);if you have the Disney Dining Plan you use it to "pay" for your meals using your credits; if you've made Fasspass+ reservations9in which you should!) you use it to enter the fastpass queues; if you are using Disney Magical Express you use it yo the check-in fr your transfers. The Disney Magic Band operates using RFID technology and to access all of the features you touch the Mickey head on the band to the Mickey head on the door, payment pad and or entry point, etc.

4. Are the Disney Magic Bands adjustable?

A. Yes, the Disney Magic Band you will receive is one size fits all. You can adjust the band following the instructions that accompany the band, there is a grey outer edge to the band that makes it large enough for larger adults, and that band can be removed to fit wrist as small as a toddler. There are several holes to make it fit your wrist.

5. Can I customize my Disney Magic Band?

A. Yes the Disney Magic Band you will receive can be customize as long as you book your reservation far enough in advance you can choose the color you prefer (and the name on the inside of the band): pink, red, blue, green, orange, yellow 7 grey are the choices. Once you arrive in the Walt Disney World offers several items that you can purchase to enhanced your ban--Covers, Magic Bandits (inserts that go in the holes) and Magic Sliders that fit over the center of the band. Here is a picture of some even paining theirs to match their favorite Disney theme.

6.Can I get it wet?

A. Yes you can! Keep in mind popular attractions like Splash Mountain and Kali River Rapids, it is safe to get your Disney Magic Band wet.

7. When do I get my Disney Magic Bands?

A. As long as you book more than 30 days in advance currently living in the United States you bands will be mailed to you so you can take them on vacation with you. If you book your vacation less than 30 days in advance or live outside the US, your bands will be waiting on you at your resort check in desk.

8. What if I lose my Disney Magic Band?

A. Not to worry each Magic band has a 4 digit pin code at check in to access charging privileges with your band and the entry points still utilize the fingerprint scan to match you to your band, so it can't be used without that information. You will need to visit your resort frond desk or guest relations to get a new band and right now your only choice is grey.

9. What are the Magical Features associated with the bands?

A. The bonus features that will roll out soon are personal greetings from the characters, Mickey singing happy Birthday, custom message on attractions such as It's a Small World and more.

10. Will I get a new Disney Magic  on every Disney trip?

A. Although the bands are designed to be reused, Disney is currently offering new Disney Magic Bands each time you visit. It seems that as long as your Disney Magic Band is listed as active in your "My Disney Experience" account you can continue to use it on a subsequent trip. Even having more than 1 active Disney Magic Band with you. A different one to match each outfit if you want! There is a limited battery life for the RFID chip to transmit, so if your trips are spread out over a few years your original band might not work anymore.

Check back for a new Blog that will show you How Travel time Agents Disneyfied their Bands!

www.traveltimewithmickey.com

Special Diets at Walt Disney World

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For many people with special dietary needs, planning a vacation can be a stressful event requiring extra suitcases just for special foods. Disney World has extended their magic to make dining for all people regardless of diet, as easy and enjoyable as possible. With just a little extra planning, Disney guests can expect a wide variety of delicious and safely prepared food and caring, knowledgeable cast members. Disney cast members are well trained in allergies, celiac disease, diabetes, kosher, and vegan food prep. All dining locations has separate food prep areas to avoid cross contamination. 

Planning ahead is essential to any Disney vacation. Table service meals should be reserved in advance and all special dietary needs should be noted on the reservation. It is Disney policy to have a chef check in with you before you place your order. You can expect the chef to meet you at your table and advise you what is available to meet your needs and take you on a tour of the buffet if necessary. Often the chef arrives very quickly but do expect a small wait especially during the busy season. Your food will be delivered to your table separately from the rest of the order and will be on a special plate or noted by a flag . Again, they are very good about getting all food out at once but special food is cooked in a different area of the kitchen and prepared as ordered so expect a bit of a delay.

Quick service dining does not require reservations but does take a little extra planning. It is helpful to look at menus ahead of time to get an idea of what is offered at each location. Your travel agent can provide you with an updated list of foods to meet your allergy need. When you arrive you will get in line with everyone else and let the person taking orders know that you have an allergy. It is helpful to place the allergy order separately from others if possible. The cast member will call the manager in charge of allergies to help with the menu and place your order for you. Your order will be placed on its own tray when delivered.

Disney is of course the world of “all things possible” so do not be afraid to make a special request. Chefs love to make guests, especially the tiny ones, happy and will do everything they can to prepare whatever you are hoping for. We have eaten triple decker gluten and dairy free grilled cheese, gluten free fried chicken, and dairy fee milkshakes all because we asked. 

Disney's Wilderness Lodge and concierge Old Faithful Club

Be sure to Like our Facebook page to keep up on our Travel Blogs! Recently my family and I stayed at Disney's Wilderness Lodge and had a Standard View Club Level room.  Wow!!!  I am sure this one is on a lot of guest's bucket lists. This resort is inspired by National Parks and has a wonderful homey feel.  From the moment we stepped off the elevator on the 7th floor we were greeted by wonderful cast members welcoming us to our home away from home and to the Old Faithful Club. This by the way is only accessible by using your magic band.  Our room had a nice cabin feel with bunk beds that my daughter loved. When you stay club level you get nightly turn down service with chocolates on your pillow, and super comfy bathrobes. You also have access to the concierge desk from 7am-10pm if you need reservations or have questions.

Another service you get is almost 24/7 access to specially prepared food including continental breakfast, afternoon tea, desserts, candies, snacks, wines and cheese hours, beverages and more.  Our favorite breakfast item was the oatmeal. Some of our evening favorites included peanut butter and jelly shots, venison burgers, capris salad, and paietta with scallops, sausage and shrimp. We thought by staying here was a great splurge. We loved the fact that we could fuel our family because we were not on the dining plan. We took afternoon breaks to grab a drink , snack, and relax before heading back out to the parks. View of lobby from club level floor The overall experience of this resort was amazing. I would recommend it to everyone.