Call It Disney\'s Food Kingdom

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Call It Disney's Food Kingdom By FLORENCE FABRICANT
The New York Times
Published: Jun 27, 2008
WHEN our children were 4 and 6, the idea of taking them to DisneyWorld for part of spring vacation was under consideration. Forabout five minutes. Instead, we booked a trip to Rome, Naples andSicily.
The children finally got their trip to Disney a few years later. Ihave memories of some of the attractions, like 20,000 Leagues Underthe Sea, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Hall of Presidents. Butthough I can still recall meals we ate on that Italian trip, mymind is a blank when it comes to dining at Disney World.
Fast forward a few decades. Now that we have two granddaughters,Eve and Julia, 6 and 8, Disney World tops the list. On a recenttrip, we expected to enjoy the experience with the children,sharing their delight at the attractions and rides, seeing it allthrough their eyes. But for grownup appeal? We had low hopes.
Our “princesses,” as they were addressed by all Disneypersonnel at all times, had the time of their lives. And, it turnedout, so did my husband, Richard, and I, in ways we had hardlyanticipated.
The clever, sophisticated details and the intelligence with whichmany of the attractions were designed, especially in the AnimalKingdom, were impressive. Almost insidiously, Disney was able todefuse the potential for cynicism on the part of two well-traveledadults.
But the biggest surprise was the quality of the food, even withoutmarquee chefs. There were fine, well-chosen wines, and alsograciously professional service.
I had heard that Epcot had good places for dining, but we were notgoing there. Where we were headed was the Magic Kingdom and theAnimal Kingdom, and we assumed dinner there would challenge ourstandards.
Happily, we did not have to compromise. Each resort hotel hasseveral restaurants. With the idea of trying to please the adultsas well as the children on this trip, we did not choose the moremodest places or the cafeteria-style or buffet options for dinner.Our girls like dining in good restaurants; lately, eating hasbecome adventureland for them.
As an added bonus, the accommodating attitude toward children inDisney’s serious restaurants permitted us to cap each daywith an excellent and, indeed, relaxing meal.
We had booked accommodations in the Animal Kingdom Lodge, asprawling hotel with an immense and distinctive thatched roof.Walking from the elevator after we checked in, we could seeostrich, zebras, gemsbok, giraffes, cranes and big-horned AfricanWatusi cattle from the hallway windows. Thrilling.
We had the same savanna scene from our room as in the corridor. Butno predators. For lions and crocodiles, there was the KilimanjaroSafari, with about three dozen people sitting in what might becalled a stretch safari vehicle, a ride that took only about 20minutes, but during which we saw elephant families, hippos, whiteand black rhinos, crocodiles, gazelles, even cheetahs. Lions lazedamong rock outcroppings that mimicked the kopjes of the Serengeti.
That first evening, in keeping with our safari adventure, we dinedat Jiko — the Cooking Place, an African-themed restaurantthat is the top dining venue in the African Kingdom Lodge. It wasspacious, with seats at the bar and at tables in a room with brightswaths of color and fabric, and details in wood and stone.
The princesses ordered macaroni and cheese from the kid’smenu, then proceeded to help out with our ostrich schnitzel, pulledlamb rolled in phyllo, spice-crusted pork tenderloin and filet ofarctic char with golden “mealie” pap (a kind ofpolenta). We kept the wine to ourselves, a richly elegant 1999 PaulSauer Kanonkop ($90), from a deep reserve list of South Africanwines, which augmented the regular South African list of nearly 70wines, $29 to $75.
Jiko has been reported to have the largest South African winecellar outside South Africa. It’s worth a trip for any winelover with a spirit of adventure who might be staying in theOrlando area.
Richard and I wanted to return the following night for the winesand some other African-style dishes, and so did the girls for theostrich, but no reservations were available between 6 and 6:30, thehour at which even the most urbane among us must dine when youngchildren are along.
Instead, we went to Flying Fish Cafe, in the old-fashioned JerseyShore resort called the BoardWalk. We worked up an appetitepedaling the children in twin bicycle carriages on a real boardwalkaround a Disney lake.
The seafood-themed restaurant is very blue, with mosaic floors. Thelight fixtures up in the soaring ceiling were “flying”fish with parachutes as shades. Cute.
The Jonah crab cake was only fair, several notches below the gulfshrimp with watermelon relish, oak-grilled salmon and Florida redsnapper. The children’s menu offered nice grilled fish and aso-so steak. Wine pairings from an eclectic, well-chosen list aresuggested for each dish, and there are varietal wine flights. Weopted for a bottle, the crisp 2006 Neil Ellis sauvignon blanc for$43, another South African choice.
The California Grill in the Contemporary Resort was anotherevening’s highlight. Our little sophisticates couldsubstitute sushi (cucumber, salmon, eel) for the salad firstcourses on their menu, and the kiddie steak and fish wereexcellent, as were our crispy poussin and seared scallops withfarro risotto. The wine list is 95 percent Californian ($35 to$1,000). A funny children’s “sushi” dessertconsisted of Rice Krispie treats topped with Gummi Fish.
The comfortable, modern dining room, on the top of the hotel, had aCalifornia look suggesting Spago in Beverly Hills, but with betterviews. A lake populated by flocks of birds distracted us betweencourses, as did the Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom in thedistance, changing color after dark.
For the children, the incessant magic did not wear off. The AnimalKingdom mixes rides with walks through various habitats, a featurethat I found to be especially appealing, despite its Bronx Zoo DNA.There were gorillas, parrots and other wildlife to see on thePangani Forest Exploration Trail. The Asian sector offered theMaharaja Jungle Trek, with tigers, giant bats hanging like laundry,tapirs, monkeys and even Komodo dragons.
This walk wound through what looked like the ruins of Angkor, abridge strung with Buddhist prayer flags and an abandoned Indianpalace. Having just been to India, I thought the reproduction of abustling, somewhat shabby Indian town housing the food and souvenirconcessions was witty, and astonishingly accurate. Only the beggarswere missing, but Disney finds plenty of opportunity to separateeven the thickest-skinned tourist from wads of cash.
THE Magic Kingdom was closer to what we had expected, with rideslike It’s a Small World, the perennial charmer that requiredan encore from us, and, similarly, the Haunted Mansion andTomorrowland Transit Authority.
I nearly lost lunch on the Frontierland Thunder Mountainrunaway-train roller coaster. Going on that ride was not my idea,not that the fast-food lunches were better than merely adequate.Pizza, hamburgers, salads, sandwiches and the like are dished upfrom counters in places that are thematically decorated (a“saloon” or a tropical outpost). You line up, pay, thenpick up your tray. Soft-serve pineapple sorbet from a Dole stand inAdventureland was the singular highlight before dinner.
We overdid it on our last night, having reserved at what wassupposed to be the jewel in the crown, Victoria &Albert’s in the Grand Floridian resort. Since children arenot permitted in the stuffy, formal dining room, we were assignedto the chef’s table in the kitchen. It was not a disaster,especially not for children who know what capers are and who eatfoie gras, but the meal was too elaborate, expensive and long.
“Find the sign that says ‘Julia’sbed,’ ” Julia said as we looked for our exit on thehighway after that dinner.
We were all weary, but Eve made a point of reminding us that eventhat meal was fun. And delicious.
“I loved my white chocolate mousse,” she said.“It was creamy and the chef made it look likemozzarella!”
Not only was fine dining at Disney meant to satisfy the adults, itcould also show children that there is more to dinner than chickenfingers and hot dogs.
All the eating can be walked off along the jungle paths in theAnimal Kingdom and going on foot from Fantasyland to Adventurelandto Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. But we also hoped to take aswim at the end of each tiring day. The pool at the lodge mighthave dwarfed a hockey rink, but it was only one to four feet deepand was filled with screaming children and adults romping withthem.
A pleasant dip was one adult expectation that went unmet.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Animal Kingdom Lodge, a mile west of the Animal Kingdom park, hasnearly 1,300 rooms, ranging from $225 to $2,820 a night.Reservations: (407) 939-7639 and www.disneyworld.com.
Jiko — The Cooking Place, in the Lodge, has dinner entreesfrom $24 to $37. The menu for children under 10 has entrees from $7to $11.
Flying Fish Cafe, in the BoardWalk Resort, has dinner entrees for$26 to $38. Entrees for children under 10 are $5.50 to $12.
At California Grill, in the Contemporary Resort, dinner entrees are$23 to $38. For children under 10, entrees are $7 to $11.
Victoria & Albert’s is in the Grand Floridian. Prix-fixedinners are $125 or $185 with wine pairings. There is nochildren’s menu.
All restaurant reservations: 407-939-3463. © The New York Times. All rights reserved. This articleoriginally appeared in The New York Times .