Hello all,
This has been a crazy summer. Three weddings have occurred (two of them, I was a part of) and a few severe break-ups. It's been the summer of love!!! Including the summer of loving Disney.
Every year, I go visit my father in Florida which means I get closer to the Mecca of all things Disney- Disney World. I don't go every year though, mainly because of funds. The closest I get every year is going to Downtown Disney (it's free so I'm there!)
So Downtown Disney. If you never been there, it is an menagerie of stores and restaurants. Entrance and parking is free ^_^. This is where Cirque de Soleil is and a few other entertainment spots sit.
There are several sections (Marketplace, West Side, Pleasure Island) but it all connects so if you want to do the whole stretch, either start at Marketplace or West Side. It is awesome and less crowded than the other parks. Probably because it doesn't have many attractions or at least children attractions. My favorite spot is Disney Interactive- five floors of gaming- all free. I spent an hour playing Soul Caliber while I was there.
A few changes have taken place there though if haven't been there in a while. One is they got rid of the two story Virgin Mobil store and turned it into a limited exhibit for Princess Diana. It's not clear how long they are keeping it up but if you like seeing a real princess, it would be fun to check it out. However, it's not free so be prepared to shell out $14 for this exhibit.
Another change is Disney is now offering hot air balloon rides! Not kidding. It's about $7 per person (which is a great price if you ask me) and gives you a bird eye view of Disney (or Dumbo view if you are that much of a nerd). If it is raining or windy, forget about it. They only do it in prime conditions. But hey, it's Florida, it rains for ten minutes then it's sunny again.
The biggest change at DD is the new restaurant, T-Rex, a Prehistoric Family Adventure. It sits right next to the McDonald's on the West Side. I say this is the biggest change because it is the biggest. It is huge! Designed by the same people who created the Rainforest Cafe franchise, it is over-the-top all about dinosaurs. But unlike Rainforest Cafe, the restaurant section is much bigger than the shopping section.
So my family decides to eat there for lunch. It's new, it will be fun. But it is new, which means a long wait and lots of people. But we got a table in sooner than expected. The reason why is because there is a table and chair squeezed into every little area. It didn't feel crowded except for the mere fact that every table seemed to be filled up with people. People people people
So we are led through the mazes of tables, avoiding hot trays of food and escaped children running about and led to our seat. Now the dining area is separated into three sections, the hot area (which is by the kitchen grill and tries to imitate a volcano), the ocean aspect with giant jellyfish hanging from the ceiling. The wind is just gentle enough to make the tentacles move and float. The last area is the ice area which makes you feel like you're trapped in a giant ice glacier. We sat down at the glacier one, almost going into the ocean.
The aesthetics of this place is amazing. The only indication that this is a restaurant are the tables and waiters. The walls are made out of rocks or ice and the ceiling is either a night sky or floating with jellyfish. If you ever been to a Rainforest Cafe, it has the same wrap around atmosphere except on a grander scale. The ceilings are very high, creating the illusion of lots and lots of space. The only problem is it was too much of a distraction. Everywhere, something was happening. Something was moving, screaming, blinking, waving. It was difficult to keep up a conversation. Not to mention the high vaulted ceilings made everything echo so I had to practically yell to be heard just across the table.
The most frustrating thing was the lighting. The glacier section was encase with ice. So of course, this part would have a different lighting than the rest of the building. It was this dark blue like one you might find in the back room of a rave. It was hard to see the food and the person across from you. My brother joked about it, saying that it was kind of fun, trying to guess what food you just put in your mouth. I had a cheeseburger, which was huge but at least I could tell it was a cheeseburger. My brother had a pasta with peas and onions thrown in it. It just looked like an unappealing mess of blue with darker spots of blue. Not to mention the meteor showers around the whole building (similar to the thunderstorm at the Rainforest Cafe). Everything starts rumbling and the lights flash. The blue finally lights up to red right before sinking back into blue. At least then you get a few minutes to actually see what you're doing. It's one thing to have ambiance lighting. It is another thing when you can't even see your food.
This is my father sitting across from me. Nothing was changed at all. As well as no flash.
But you do get your money's worth and it is fun place to eat. I suggest waiting though at least for another year for it to calm down and be a little less crowded. And to not eat in the glacier section. The lighting everywhere else was perfectly fine. We just didn't have that great of seating.
So go hang out at DD. It's such an easier pace than going to one of the parks. And it's free too, if you don't buy anything.
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