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Extra! Extra! Tink All About It!: New Restaurant Announced for Disney Springs!

Good morning, Tinkers!

     Happy FRIDAY! Congrats! You made it to the weekend!

Photo Credit: DisneyWorld.com

     This morning, there's some fun news out of Disney Springs! In Summer of 2016, Chef Art Smith will bring us Homecoming: Florida Kitchen and Southern Shine. The award-winning chef has appeared on many cooking shows, and has been preparing food for celebrities and politicians for years. Being a native Floridian, he has a special love for down-home Southern cuisine, with a Florida twist, and that's just what Homecoming will be about. The menu will feature items like Shrimp and Grits, Deviled Eggs and Mockingbird Cake, and I am sure the atmosphere will be fun and welcoming, though details have not been revealed yet, other than the setting being described as "rustic-chic". The Southern Shine Bar will surely have some outstanding summer punches, cocktails and elixirs.

     Disney Springs is sounding more and more awesome every time something new is announced! What do you think? What are you the most excited about experiencing at the all new Disney Springs?

Extra! Extra! Tink All About It!: New Year's Eve Activities at Disney Announced!

Good morning, Tinkers!

     Yes, there's barely a hint of fall in the air here in Orlando, but already we are looking to New Year's Eve and what sort of excitement Disney has in store for us!

     I have attended many a NYE celebration on Disney property and they are always fun and over the top. Yes, the crowds are huge, but so is the celebration! You will not get more beautiful fireworks than the ones that you see on New Year's at Disney! And there's plenty of great food to be found, too!

     The Magic Kingdom will light up the sky with "Fantasy in the Sky" fireworks on both December 30th and December 31st, at 11:50pm.

     Epcot will present a special NYE version of Illuminations twice on December 31st. Once at 6:00pm and again at 11:40pm. There will also be live music and DJs around World Showcase, to help ring in the New Year in the various countries.

     The Hollywood Studios gets in on the action with a fabulous NYE fireworks display, on December 31st, at 11:40pm.

     Special dining events are planned for many locations, including California Grill at The Contemporary, La Hacienda de San Angel at Epcot, Monsieur Paul's in Epcot, Il Mulino at The Swan Resort, Narcoossee's at The Grand Floridian, and Le Cellier in Epcot.


     To read more about these unique dining experiences, check out DisneyWorld.com! Can't wait to ring in 2016, Disney style!

Extra! Extra! Tink All About It!: New Tiered Annual Passes and Parking Price Increase

Good morning, Tinkers!

     So the big news today is about the changes that have been made to the Annual Passes. As of October 4th, Walt Disney World's Annual Passes will be sold on a tier system, with varying options and varying price points. Before I get into the new passes and a full breakdown of them, I'll mention some other news...

     Disney parking prices have gone up, from $17 to an even $20. This applies to the four theme parks, for Day Guests only. If you are staying on Disney property, parking fees are waived with your resort tag in your window. All Annual passes will also waive parking fees, which is a new feature for some of the passes.

     Now let's get into the Annual Passes. I'm not going to sugar coat it. There's been a large price jump, if you compare apples to apples, but there are some positives too. Namely, flexibility. There are more options for those that don't want the commitment, or price tag, of a full Annual Pass, but don't want to be blocked out for the whole summer. There's also a fun new feature for the top three tiers of passholders: Free PhotoPass Downloads! That means that whenever you are in a park and you get a photo taken by a PhotoPass photographer and they scan your Magic Band, you can then log into your My Disney Experience Ap on your phone, or the web version on your computer, and download all of those awesome photos for free! That includes photos taken in front of the Castle, photos taken at certain character meals, and Magic Shots, where characters are digitally added into your picture. When you consider that unlimited digital downloads run $199* on the Memory Maker package, this is a NICE perk to have as an Annual Passholder.

     So, if we look at the most commonly purchased pass, the standard Annual Pass, which has no blackout days, that pass is now called The Platinum Pass. It still includes unlimited entry to the 4 Walt Disney World theme parks, with no block out days, complimentary parking, special discounts on food and beverages and merchandise, and the new PhotoPass Digital Download feature. The price has increased about $100, to make the pass almost $650* for a year, ($750* if you're not a Florida Resident or DVC Member). If you usually purchase the Premium Annual, giving you access to the waterparks, Oak Trail, ESPN and DisneyQuest, (while it's still open), your pass is now called the Platinum Plus Pass, and you can expect to pay about $730* for it, ($830* if you're not a Florida Resident or DVC Member). If you find those price points to be too high, and you don't mind being blocked out of the parks for Christmas Vacation and Spring Break, (two of the busiest times of year anyway), AND if you're a Florida Resident or DVC Member, you can go with the Gold Pass, at $550*.

     If you don't mind giving up the PhotoPass feature and are a Florida Resident, there are even more options. The Silver Pass, at $390*, is just like the old "Seasonal" Pass, blocking out Christmas Vacation, Spring Break AND the whole Summer. There's a Week Day Select, which doesn't have black out days, but only allows admittance Monday thru Friday. The one is $260* Are you the Guests that really only wants to visit Disney for evenings in Epcot? Then you can go the most economic route and get the Epcot After 4pm Annual for only $250*.

     Have I confused you? No problem! Check out the full list of passes, benefits and pricing at DisneyWorld.com.

     Oh, and don't worry... If you already are an Annual Pass Holder, your pricing and benefits do not change until you renew. And yes, there is still a discount for renewing. You'll save 15% and can switch to whichever pass you choose. Plus monthly payment plans are still an option.

     There you have it! Questions? Comments? Let me know! tinkinaboutdisney@gmail.com

* All pricing is listed without tax. 

Ask Tink: Palo for Brunch or Dinner?

"Hi, Tink! My girlfriend and I are going on a Disney Cruise this winter. We know we want to go to Palo, but will probably only go for one meal, since it's our first time on the ship. Would you pick brunch or dinner? I have hear good things about both, so I don't know what to pick."

     Oooo, so hard to choose! Both are fantastic, but I have a clear favorite! First, let me explain to those readers who may not know, Palo is an exclusive, adults only restaurant on board the Disney ships. It has Venician theming and decor, an incredible menu, impeccable service, and gorgeous, open vistas of the sea from it's panoramic windows. If Guests choose to dine in Palo, they can do so for a fee of $30 per person. They can opt for dinner or brunch. Guests can do both sometimes, depending on availability. Reservations are required and can be booked 120 days before your sail date for Concierge and Platinum Guests, 105 days in advance for Gold Guests,  90 days in advance for Silver Guests and 75 days in advance for First Time Cruisers. You can also sometimes book once on board the ship, but expect availability to be extremely limited, if available at all. Palo does have a dress code, which requires men to wear dress pants and a dress shirt, or a jacket. Women must wear a dress, pants suit, or blouse and skirt. Jeans, shorts, capri pants, sneakers and flip flops are not allowed either gender.

   

     Dinner is an elegant, multi-course affair, with fine Italian cuisine and lavish, amazing desserts. Just like in the main dining rooms, you can choose as much or as little as you want. You can order a filet, and get a side of the ravioli if you like. There are plenty of options, from seafood, to pastas, pizzas to Osso Buco. And you can't miss the Chocolate Souffle! Disney Cruisers dream of it after they've tried it! If you do make a reservation for Palo dinner, you will skip your dinner in the main dining room, and go to Palo at your designated reservation time, so you'll want to be sure that you aren't booked for a night that you'll be bummed to miss out on, like Pirate Night, or Captain's Gala Night.

 

 


 



















     Brunch is offered on days at sea, on 4 night cruises or longer. You'll want to skip having any sort of breakfast or lunch, because you'll have more food than you can handle at brunch! There are buffet tables set up with breads, fruits and veggies, cold meats and seafood, cheeses, desserts and more. You'll also get a menu to order from. You can choose pancakes and omelettes, or chicken parmesan and pizzas. Or all of the above! Your server will encourage you to eat until you practically have to be wheeled out of the place. You probably don't want to have any big plans for that afternoon, because you're gonna need a nap!

     If I had to pick one meal, I'd go with brunch. It's the more impressive of the two meals, with the largest variety of items. I also love that since it is daytime, you can see the gorgeous ocean all around you. Really, you can't go wrong with either meal, and I would definitely encourage you to try both at some point, but if you're picking just one.... I say BRUNCH!

     Hope you found this information helpful! Have a Disney question? E-mail me at tinkinaboutdisney@gmail.com! 

    

Tink Tested: Sanaa Lunch

Location: Lower floor, Kidani Village side of Animal Kingdom Lodge

Parking/Transportation Situation: General Resort Parking available in the garage, underneath the buildings. Bus service from all parks.(If using Disney Transportation, allow 1-1.5 hours transportation time.)

Meals Served: L, D

Characters/Entertainment: None

Type of Cuisine: African Infused/Inspired with Indian flavors

Type of Menu: A La Carte

Pricing/Dining Plan: $/ 1 Table Service Point Per Person
Full Menu:Sanaa Lunch Menu

Atmosphere: Indian spice market

 Dress Code: Theme park casual

Guests Who Would Enjoy This The Most: Those that like unique dishes and flavors, as well as animal lovers

Level of Difficulty of Getting a Reservation: Easy

Fun Stuff for Kids: Talk about a meal with a view! The huge, floor to ceiling windows look out upon the resort's savanna, where you can watch giraffes, zebras, ankole cattle, wildebeests, cranes and more, grazing on grasses and trees. Most kids are enthralled with watching the incredible animals, but be aware that not all tables will have a view. If the view is high on your priority list, check in early, and tell the seater that you are willing to wait for a window-side table. That's no guarantee that you'll get one, but it's your best shot. 
Rating of Appeal to Kid-Diners: This is cool!!!

Stand out dishes: Naan bread service, Tandori Chicken, butter Chicken, Grilled Beef Sirloin Steak, Tanzanian Chocolate Mousse
Best Use of Dining Plan Point: Potjie Inspired (23.99) + Dessert Trio (7.49) + Smoothie (4.99) =  36.47

Experience: The Hubs and I took K and our friend, KC, to Sanaa for lunch without really pre-planning. We were hungry, and wanted to go someplace that would be fun, but involved very little walking and being out in the heat, so this was perfect.  We booked the reservation as we pulled into the parking lot. 
     The Hubs and I have been to Sanaa several times before and had brought K once before. KC had never been, and we always love bringing Disney fans to new places. Sanaa is in the newer side of the Animal Kingdom Lodge, Kidani Village. This is also known as the DVC side or the Disney Vacation Club side. One of the nice things about Kidani is that they have garage parking right underneath the rooms and the lobby, so you don't have to walk outside much at all. Their main lobby is not as vast and impressive as the one at Jambo House, but it is still authentic to the regions of Africa that it is designed to represent, and it is gorgeous. I do feel that Kidani has the better animal viewing savanna. Every time we go there, we see more animals and they tend to be closer to the windows and balconies, which is perfect, since a huge plus to dining at Sanaa is the breathtaking view of the animals on the savanna outside of the large windows. 
     We checked into Sanaa about twenty minutes before our scheduled reservation time and were sat about 15 minutes after we checked in. Now, not all of the tables in the restaurant have views out of the windows, and only a handful of them are actually next to the windows. We lucked out and got a table that was just to the side of one of the large windows. The restaurant is gorgeous, with many African and Indian touches throughout. I love the ceiling, which looks like the canopy of a big tree, with the trunk growing down into the middle of the dining room. There are lots of warm, earthy touches, and even the floor is designed to look like caked and cracked clay. Outside of the windows, we could see Ankole Cattle laying on the ground, (they are the ones with the impossibly large horns), and zebras munching on grass in the distance. 

     Our server came over to welcome us and get our drink order. I let him know about K's egg allergy and he gave me an allergy menu to look at. We decided that rather than order K his own meal, he could share off of my plate, so I checked out the allergy-friendly options. The Hubs looooves the Bread Service at Sanaa, so he immediately placed that order. The naan is amazing! Naan is a flat, doughy bread, sort of like a pizza crust, which is baked carefully in a clay oven. It comes in various flavors and styles, and with the bread service, you can pick three types of breads and three accompaniments. We went with the Traditional Naan, the Paneer Paratha (a cheesy bread), and the Onion Kucha and for accompaniments, we picked the Coriander Chutney, Tamarind Chutney and Roasted Red Bell Pepper Hummus. 
     When the drinks came, The Hubs remembered that for animal safety, Animal Kingdom Lodge, (as well as Animal Kingdom Park), uses paper straws, which he hates. I don't LOVE them, since it's sort of like drinking out of an empty toilet paper roll, but I can tolerate them. Lucky for The Hubs, I keep an extra Mickey silly straw in K's backpack, just in case we need one, so yes, my husband, as a grown man, sat in a restaurant, drinking from a kid's silly straw. The Bread Service came out shortly after and looked and smelled fantastic. I'm not a condiment person, so I took a plain, Traditional Naan and dug in. KC and The Hubs really enjoyed the various sauces, with the Coriander Chutney being the clear favorite. We were accidentally given a Spicy Naan, and the server apologized and said we could keep it anyway. The Hubs actually liked that one too. We aren't big fans of spice heat, but this bread wasn't overly spicy. K liked the Traditional Naan, though he thought it was pizza, and ate a bunch of it. 
     We placed our orders right after receiving the drinks and the entrees came out within 10 minutes of ordering them. In fact, we were still digging into the bread when our plates were delivered, and we had to clear room on the table. KC got the Sanaa Burger, which is a burger on a naan bun, with spiced mustard, goat cheese, pickled shallots and piquante peppers. She said it was delicious. I used to always order the burger at Sanaa, but it also used to be much more simple and plain. It used to be served open faced, on a piece of fresh naan, with minted greens and tomatoes. The newer version is too fancy for me, but KC really loved it and was glad she ordered it. 

The Hubs had ordered the Tandoori Chicken, which is served like the old version of the burger, open-faced on fresh naan bread with minted greens, tomatoes, onion and then a cucumber riata sauce. He absolutely loved it and was actually quiet for the majority of the meal, because he was so engrossed in his dish. The flavors all worked really well together, the chicken was tender and the naan was right out of the oven. 

I chose the Grilled Beef Sirloin Steak, since the whole dish was egg-free and K could share with me. It came out looking SO delicious, with bright colors from the roasted veggies, and it was plated very nicely. 

Unfortunately, the meat was overcooked to a medium well, when I had ordered medium rare. I informed the server, and he apologized. He had me put the steak on a side plate for him to bring back to the kitchen, and allowed me to enjoy the flavorful veggies and the delicious mashed potatoes, while a new cut of steak was cooked. I gave K some carrots and "white broccoli" (aka cauliflower), and he gobbled them up. Luckily, I also had a few snacks in his bag to keep him busy while we waited for the new steak. It did take another 15 minutes to get my steak, but the second cut was prepared perfectly, and it was served with a whole new plate of veggies and potatoes. The server also told me that it would not be on our bill, which was very kind and generous of him. K and I both thoroughly enjoyed the beef and I would order it again in a heartbeat. 

     When it was time for dessert, K opted for the lollipop he had spotted in his backpack when we went to use the potty. Oh! Speaking of which... Can we just look at this potty.. I mean, bathroom? 

It's gorgeous! Do yourself a favor and make a stop off at the restroom, just to enjoy the decor! Ok, back to dessert...

     Everyone else passed, but I decided on the Tanzanian Chocolate Mousse, which is flavored with Kenyan coffee and topped with caramel. I mean, what about THAT doesn't sound awesome? I was NOT disappointed in any way. Firstly, it was gorgeous, and came with a chocolate butterfly, and a quote stenciled onto the plate in cocoa powder. 

And it tasted incredible! The mousse was rich and smooth, with enough coffee flavor for it to be noticeable, but not overpowering. The chocolate was the star flavor. The caramel was a nice, salty compliment to the sweet dessert, and the portion was big enough for The Hubs to have a couple of bites. Perfection!

     As we wrapped up, the restaurant had emptied out, and I went over an took a look out some of the other windows, at the other animals that were grazing about. We saw giraffes, wildebeest, cranes and more. All of the animals were close to the windows and just going about their business, totally unfazed by us tourists, staring at their every move. 

Although, is it just me, or does this zebra on the right seem pretty convinced that he is hiding behind that tree?

I also peeked in at the bar, which was really fun and beautifully decorated. It'd be a nice place to grab a drink or a dessert and sit for a bit. Overall, I was really pleased with our lunch. It's impressive to me when a restaurant that has a rather exotic menu and offers many foods rich in spices and seasonings can still offer me, a rather plain eater, something delicious and straight forward, but with their own twist on it. Kwaherini, Sanaa! Until we meet again...

Tink's Tots Try It Out: According to K (3 yo boy)  K, did you like eating with the animals?   "Yah, Mamma. I eat the nanimals."   Well, technically you did eat cattle, so you DID kind of eat the animals. Didn't think of that while we were there though. Interesting.   "In-tes-in. Hee-hee-hee." (Mini-maniacal laugh.)

Will we be back: We will be back at some point. I wouldn't say it's in my favorites necessarily, but Sanaa is definitely unique and when you combine the food with the view and the atmosphere, it's irresistible.