Drinking on the Dream!

Rest and relaxation is reason enough for a grown-up cruise getaway, and whether sipping a cocktail or enjoying a glass of Champagne or wine, there’s a buzz about the Disney Dream’s innovative spirits and knockout wine lists.

Taittinger has created a Champagne label just for the inaugural year of the newest Disney Cruise Line vessel. Aboard the ship, it’s served in all the lounges, but the most fun place to sip is Pink, an intimate cocktail bar inThe District (the nighttime entertainment area with five adults-only venues), where a special Taittinger Prestige Rose is the signature sparkling “pink.” Guests also may purchase bottles of the special Taittinger Champagne to take home with them, exclusively on the Disney Dream.

A great spot for handcrafted cocktails is upscale Skyline, also in The District, where the bar backdrop is a virtual skyline that changes from Paris to Rio, New York, Chicago and Hong Kong on seven 65-inch LCD screens. As the view changes, the ambient music also stays in sync with each city.

Drinks, too, are themed to each of the cities, such as the Paris 75, the Eco-Tini for Rio, Zen-Chanted for Hong Kong, Metropolitan for New York, and the Blues for Chicago.

Also within The District, 687 is more of a pub than a lounge (“687” refers to the vessel number assigned by the shipyard to the Disney Dream). The boisterous pub features an exclusive “687” red lager, malty and slightly sweet, made with Noble hops grown in central Europe.

Special attention was given to the wine lists at Remy – there are two, one with nearly 200 wines from around the globe (mostly French), and a second, Remy’s Vault, with just 22 exclusive wines presented tableside in an elegant velvet box by a white-gloved sommelier. The list includes a 1947 Château Cheval Blanc in a nod to the Disney∙Pixar film “Ratatouille” (it’s the wine requested by the movie’s prickly food critic). Considered one of the best vintages in the world, a single bottle retails for $25,000! The list also includes a most notable 1961 Château Latour (in the film, Skinner offers Linguini a bottle of this exceptional vintage in hopes of learning his cooking secrets).

After-dinner libations include Rémy Martin Louis XIII Rare Cask, one of the most sought-after cognacs for connoisseurs, aged in centuries-old casks and served from an elegant Baccarat crystal decanter.

Across from Remy is Palo, where a sparkling prosecco and a lush red Barolo were both exclusively bottled for the upscale, Italian-inspired restaurant. Palo’s signature “Balsamic Grande” cocktail features vodka, a splash of five-year-old balsamic vinegar and fresh muddled strawberries. For a special after-dinner wow, grappa is served from a jeroboam bottle.

For guests who prefer no alcohol (and younger guests), mixologists have created new non-alcoholic cocktails. Many are made with “better for you” ingredients such as organic spirits, fresh fruits and herbs, and lower calorie no-sugar-added fruit purees. For instance, the purple basil lemonade mixes cranberry juice, sparkling water, lime and fresh basil; the mint tea punch is English breakfast tea, cranberry and pineapple juices, fresh lime juice, agave nectar, and a splash of sparkling water.

Magic Portholes on the Disney Dream!

I would happily downgrade to an inside stateroom just to enjoy this wonderful effect.

Here is a great example of what Walt Disney called “plussing” – taking a great idea and making it better.

When designing the 1,250 staterooms aboard the ship, the creative minds of Walt Disney Imagineering decided early on that every guest should have an ocean view. The challenge was how to do that within the 150 inside staterooms at the center of passenger decks.

The answer was the Magical Porthole, a real-time view outside the ship from four high-definition video cameras that correspond to each stateroom’s location – forward, aft, port or starboard.

As they say on late-night television… But wait, there’s more!

Here’s Imagineer Bob Zalk with the story of how an already terrific idea was plussed into something uniquely Disney by adding an extra dash of pixie dust.

Approximately three dozen animated characters and objects will pass by the Magical Porthole throughout the day. Familiar faces include Peach the starfish from “Finding Nemo,” Dumbo the flying elephant, the floating house from “Up” and even Mickey Mouse.

Come back to the Disney Parks Blog tomorrow for a preview of the unique cocktails and extensive wine lists guests will enjoy in several Disney Dream venues exclusively for adults.

Next Family Fun Weekend: Character Fan Days, Jan. 28-30

Disney are proud to present some rarely seen Disney characters at Disneyland park this weekend! The lineup – selected by Disney Parkfans – includes the Seven Dwarfs.

For the first time ever, we asked our fans which rarely seen Disney characters they would most like to see at Disneyland park. We received more than 49,000 votes in a poll on the Disneyland Facebook page, and those votes inspired our entertainment team to create a wonderful, family event called Character Fan Days.

You can join in the fun this weekend. Character Fan Days will run this Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Festival Arena, near Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue restaurant. Other activities will include character coloring sheets and sketch artists. Food and beverages will also be available at Festival Arena.

It's described as a "Disney character reunion, with Disney characters making splashy arrivals on stage at half-hour intervals throughout the day. You will enjoy music, dancing, and a chance to meet and pose with the characters at five photo locations. All of the characters who were selected will appear each day, rotating in and out."

 Along with the Seven Dwarfs, here are the characters scheduled to appear:

• Captain Hook, Wendy and Mr. Smee from “Peter Pan”
• Donald Duck and Daisy Duck
• Clarabelle Cow and Horace Horsecollar
• Esmeralda and Clopin from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
• King Louie and Baloo from “Jungle Book”

Sounds like a lot of fun....will YOU be attending?

Valentines Day Ideas at Disney!

Is your loved one sentimental and a romantic at heart? Would you like to sweep them off their feet for Valentine’s Day? Of course you would – and we can help with today’s unique “Dream Maker” idea and a tip.

First, the gift. Our new charming rose bouquet sits in an exclusive “Beauty and the Beast” etched-glass vase that includes something very special. Take a close look at the bottom of the vase; do you see the gold flecks? It’s pixie dust. Yes, the roses are sitting in pixie dust. How enchanting is that? And that twinkling fabric and the silk rosettes around the vase reminds me of Belle’s dress. The bouquet was designed with unique greens to accent 12 deep-red colored roses for a presentation to remember.

Now, here’s your tip: If you’re coming to the Walt Disney World Resort, get this gift delivered to your room on the eve of Valentine’s Day. Then, have your card message say: “I didn’t want to wait till the last petal fell to let you know how much I love you. So I had this bouquet sent to you on the eve of Valentine’s Day. You’re the ‘Belle’ of my heart” (insert dreamy sigh here).

And if you want to add more “enchantment” to your evening, ask a Dream Maker to add on our “Romance with Rose Petals” package. This gift includes an abundant supply of rose petals which can be sprinkled in your resort room just for you. If this sounds intriguing call a Dream Maker to learn more (407-WDW-GIFT) or visit our website at Disneyflorist.com.

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Lapbars fitted in Splash Mountain!

Screamscape.com are reporting that the Walt Disney World version of Splash Mountain is going to be fitted with lap restraints as an extra security measure during its annual refurbishment. The website suggests the lap bars are similar to those found in Big Thunder Mountain and could possibly increase the time to takes cast members to load the ride vehicles. 

This appears to be the new restraints on the ride vehicle.

Indoor Mine Train Coaster annouced for Fantasyland WDW.

Walt Disney World says a new indoor roller coaster and a new place to interact with Disney princesses will be part of the Fantasyland expansion the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history! The coaster, dubbed the "The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train," will feature vehicles that swing back and forth along a twisting track.And in "Princess Fairytale Hall," Aurora, Cinderella and other Disney princesses will greet guests in a new royal court. It certainly gets more and more impressive as more and more information is released.