Three Generations of Disney Lovers About This Page:

[PassPorter News]

by Jessica Halliday, Guest Contributor


Walt Disney World is, and will always be, about magic. Who doesn’t love watching the faces of children light up as the fascination around them unfolds. But for the three generations of women in my family, our vacation to Walt Disney World was magical on so many other levels.

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[PassPorter News]

For my mother, Disney is magical in every way. She is one of those “kids” that walks around with her jaw to the floor, mesmerized by Walt Disney’s vision and how it became a reality. But this particular vacation proved to her that Disney is not the only place in Orlando where miraculous things happen.

Upon our arrival at Orlando International Airport, we headed to pick up the rental car to start our vacation. We were given directions from the clerk at the Alamo counter to go to a specific aisle, find the SUV row and select any of the cars in that row. Just as we were getting ready to put the key into the ignition of our SUV, I noticed that we were getting ready to drive out of the parking garage in a National car, rather than the Alamo my mother had reserved.

We found the Alamo row, packed our luggage into the correct car, and headed toward the hotel. The drive from the airport was simple, the signs leading to the resort was abundant, but when we dropped our car off with the valet parking attendant, the bag that held my mother’s laptop, iPod, and dissertation for her Ph.D.. was missing.

Calling National Car Rental and trying to explain that we lost a bag in their rental car, which we did not have a reservation for, was not an easy task. Moreover, the airport was packed the night we arrived and the longer we waited the greater the chance that someone would rent that car and drive to their destination with my mother’s bag in the back seat. Luckily National had found the bag and had it waiting for us back at the airport where my mother experienced the magic of discovery.

We stayed at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel. The Dolphin’s décor is very elaborate - in the main lobby, look up, and you can see a simulated star-filled sky, and if you look long enough, you’ll even see a few shooting stars. Our room had a balcony where we enjoyed views of the Disney’s BoardWalk and Epcot, and the beds had some of the plushest comforters I’ve ever experienced in a hotel.

Starving, we walked over to Kimonos restaurant, located in the Walt Disney World Swan. For the sushi lover, or just plain curious, the chefs are set up behind a glass panel, where you can watch as they cut up fish and make sushi rolls and other tasty treats. Kimonos also hosts a karaoke show, so while dining on sushi, you can watch in amusement, fear, or sheer admiration as buttoned-down business men and women, who have obviously sampled the sake, take the stage singing favorites such as, “I’ve Got Friends In Low Places” and “Sweet Caroline." Even if the songs are not your taste, the sushi at Kimonos is so delicious and fresh that it’s hard to pay attention to anything but the party that happens inside your mouth.

Our kimono-clad waitress recommended an appetizer that was eggplant stuffed with chicken and spices and served with a sweet and spicy sauce, and I must say, one of the most memorable food items I ate all weekend. We also tasted the tuna and yellowfin sushi, a Hawaiian Roll (spicy tuna, various fish and avocado), and an Asparagus Roll (tempura asparagus rolled with cream cheese), each one just as different and delicious as the next.

After dinner, we decided to check out Jellyrolls, the dueling piano bar at Disney’s BoardWalk. The cover charge was $8 dollars, but the people-watching alone is well worth the price. The bar is packed with people of all backgrounds belting out songs at the top of their lungs while the very talented piano players onstage sort out which of the 500 requests they’re going to play next. We ended up staying far past my mom’s bedtime.

For my grandmother, Disney’s magic lies in the beauty of the resorts. And lucky for her, we had reservations at The Mandara Spa, located in the Dolphin Resort. There, the three of us enjoyed an exotic Frangipani Body Nourish Wrap for the next 75 minutes. The Frangipani wrap is a mixture of coconut oil and frangipani flower oil. The oil is massaged into your arms, legs, feet, hands and hair and then you’re wrapped up in aluminum foil, like a baked potato, so that your skin absorbs the oil. They finish the treatment with a 50-minute massage. My skin has never felt so soft, my mother had never looked so vibrant, and my grandmother, well, she had just experienced the magic of massage at The Mandara Spa and was glowing.

That evening we dined at Citricos, a Mediterranean restaurant at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa where we indulged in the Warm Onion Tart and Gateau of Crab appetizers. We also sampled the Tilefish with yellow tomato-pepper compote and spinach risotto, the Sautéed Salmon Filet with roasted fennel Yukon gold potatoes and black olive butter and the Crunchy Baked Chicken with orzo pasta and marinara sauce. Needless to say we didn’t have room left for dessert.

We made up for our overindulgent dinner with a stroll around Downtown Disney, taking in all the sights and nightlife, and ended the evening just in time for Epcot’s IllumiNations fireworks and light show display at 9 p.m. which just sends chills through you the first time you see it.

Our last day of our “Three Generations of Disney” trip was spent at Epcot, wandering the shops of the countries, experiencing Soarin’, the breathtaking ride where you hang glide over California, and dining at Le Cellier, the steakhouse in Canada at Epcot.

Their Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup is to die for and if you’re nice, they’ll even give you the recipe. For dinner, my mom had the Prince Edward Island Mussels (highly recommended if you’re a roasted garlic and mussel fan); my grandmother picked the Butternut Squash Risotto (very nutty, creamy and buttery). And for me, well, I experienced the magic of the Mushroom Filet Mignon (melt in your mouth steak with mushroom risotto).

That night, winding down in our hotel room, looking out the balcony window, we were surprised with a firework show that we could view from our beds. It was the perfect way to end a magical weekend with three generations of Disney lovers.

The thing I love most about Disney is the offering of many flavors, be it food, nationalities, princesses, or thrill rides. I love walking around and seeing all the different colors of faces, hearing all the different languages and trying the foods from other countries. But more than anything, I love that regardless of our physical differences, we all seem to have the same look of complete awe on our faces as we experience the enchantment of Disney. Disney for me is a place where we can all come together and be happy. There truly is something for everyone at Disney.