>Otium cum Dignitate

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I have confessed in the recent weeks to being a Disneyholic. It is not a problem for me, because my loved ones accept me for who I am and everyone knows that I have this addiction. Keeping in line with confessions; Today I confess to you that I like beer. I enjoy a good beer that compliments my food or to enhance a snack. I don’t drink a lot, but when I do, it is beer or nothing and it
is good beer, or nothing. I am proud to say I am a Beer Snob. I like Microbrews; I like Porters, lagers and Ales. I don’t drink Bud, or Coors light, or Miller High Life. I can’t do it. I do like Red Stripe, Guinness, Bass, Sierra Nevada, and Big River’s Rocket Red Ale. With this is in mind, as I write my Thirsty Thursday Articles for you, I will try to keep my opinions of those inferior products that people call beer to myself and just tell about the places you can get liquid refreshments in the Walt Disney World Resort. As a reader what you will have to keep in mind is that any establishment that serves adult beverages in Walt Disney World is family friendly. This means that I will be writing about great places to relax and have a glass of something, where you can enjoy with the whole family. Now that you know what Thirsty Thursdays are all about, why don’t we get started with one of my Favorite places in Epcot, The Rose and Crown Pub.

The Rose and Crown Pub is styled after four different kinds of English Pubs. The four kinds are a Street pub, a Dickensian pub, a Waterfront (or River) pub and a provincial (country) pub. When you enter this wonderful place, you may think it is crowded and a little loud, but you will notice that no one is upset and no one seems to be in a rush, except maybe the bartenders. The reason it seems busy is because there are few seats and the bar itself isn’t really that big.

Even though the bar is not that big, it is a full service bar. The selections on tap are in the true fashion of an English pub. You have your choices of Bass Ale, Boddingtons English Pub Ale (one of my favorites there) Guinness Stout, Harp Lager, Stella Artois, Strongbow Cider and Woodpecker Sweet English

Cider. They also have what they call Pub Blends, where they mix two of them, for example a black and tan, with Bass and Guinness or a half and half, with Harp and Guinness. They do offer Scotch and Scotch Whiskey as well as specialty mixed drinks and their wine list is a decent size.

The “Pub Grub” as they call it, is English Pub food all the way. You have your choice of Fish and Chips, a Cheese and Fruit Plate, a Corned Beef Sandwich, an English Bulldog, which is a “Split Banger with Mashed Potatoes, Chopped Bacon, Irish Cheddar and a Spiced Mustard Sauce” or the Scotch Egg. Which is a fried hardboiled egg wrapped in sausage and covered with the mustard sauce. We usually split a few orders of the fish and chips between the three of us (my wife, son, and I) and it is one of my favorite late lunches in Disney World.

The food and drink are not the only things that make this pub great, no there is a lady that makes the pub great too. Her name is Pam Brody. I wrote about Pam Brody a while back in my post “The Most Vivacious Lady in Epcot”, she is the piano player in the pub and she gets you singing and laughing and just adds to your good time.

The motto of the Rose and Crown that can be seen on the entrance sign is “Otium cum Dignitate” which is Latin. It means, Leisure with Dignity. I love this motto. It sums up the Pub perfectly, because once you find a place to sit or somewhere to stand, you get enveloped with a feeling of friendship or camaraderie. We have been to the Rose and Crown quite a few times where we have ended up sitting next to someone we didn’t know and spent hours talking and laughing with them even though they were strangers when we first walked in. I’ve watched this with other people in this great Pub also. It can also happen outside the pub, when they have the tables and chairs set up so you can enjoy your beverages in the fresh air.

If you happen to find yourself having a Thirsty Thursday or are looking for relaxing place to have a drink any day of the week, try the Rose and Crown, it is a true unknown magic where you can get yourself a pint and some fish and chips, enjoy the entertaining Pam Brody and have yourself some laughs.

>Go to the Pub

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There are some things that I have shared with my son that I call Daddy’s words of Advice. Advice   # 1 was given a few years back and it had to do with his mother and being able to tell when he should keep his mouth shut. The second piece of advice came in Walt Disney World. We were on the Boardwalk and the piece of advice was, if you can, you always want to get a Burger at a Brew Pub, because they have the best Burgers anywhere. Another piece of advice I think I have passed on is about finding a good place to enjoy food and drink. I told him that if you have the choice of an Olde English or Irish Pub, over a corner bar, choose the Pub. They are always more cozy and there seems to be something about them that just adds to the enjoyment of a Pint.

I have talked about some of the different watering holes around Walt Disney World, in an earlier post. In that post I didn’t mention the two places I am discussing with you today. Both fall into the category of Pub and both satisfy my advice on choosing the Pub, because of its coziness and enjoyment value. They also offer chances for Magical Experiences. So, today I present the Unknown Magic of the Walt Disney World Pub.

The Rose and Crown is located in the Great Britain area of Epcot’s World Showcase. The pub itself is based on 4 different styles of English Pubs; a street Pub, a Dickensian Pub, a Waterfront Pub and a provincial Pub. When you go to the Rose and Crown, there is a Dining room area and the Bar area. The Bar area has indoor and outdoor seating, as does the Dining room area. The outside Dining room seating area can a great place to have a Magical Experience when you catch a late meal and sit and watch Illuminations, but you are not guaranteed an outside seat. The Bar area of the Pub is a fun and inviting place to be it’s not real big, but there are a few tables inside and a few outside to sit at and have a pint. The bar itself is very impressive and the bartenders are always friendly and (since they are in Great Britain in Epcot) English. It adds to the feeling and ambiance of being in a true English Pub. This is a wonderful place to spend an Afternoon or evening. The Food is typical English Pub fare with Bangers and Mash and Fish and Chips being on the menu. The beer on tap is all English and Irish, so don’t expect a bud or miller light. There is entertainment nightly in the form of a piano player. A few times a week you can hear the Vivacious Pam Brody (whom I posted about back on 5/2 in One

 Vivacious lady.) It is a very fun and comfortable place to be. We have had quite a Magical Experiences when we have either sat inside and listened to Pam Brody or sat outside the Pub and had a wonderful time talking to people around us. The coat of arms for the Rose and Crown has this saying on it: Otium Cum Dignitate. Which means Leisure with Dignity, it is a great slogan for this Pub as Leisure with Dignity is a great Magical Experience.

The other great Pub in Walt Disney World is found in Downtown Disney. Raglan Road is an Irish Pub “made in Ireland and Plonked down in Orlando Florida.” This is a true Irish Pub with a stage in the middle of the restaurant and bars all around. The food here offers bangers and mash, Fish and Chips and Shepherd’s Pie. They do have a Bar Menu as well as a table menu. And the Bar is a full bar, with not only an extensive Imported Beer Menu, but they also have Irish Whiskey, and Scotch Whisky for your enjoyment. The main Bar itself is directly as you walk into the restaurant. There are tables all around and as I mentioned earlier, a small stage in the middle of the room and a stage off to one side of the room. There is nightly entertainment, presented by Irish singers and dancers who get the audience into the show; this in itself can create many Magical Experiences. The walls in the Pub are decorated with posters and pictures of Irish legends and countryside. My favorite is

 the print of the Mona Lisa holding a beer mug. Like the Rose and the Crown, they have an outside seating area and a walk up Fish and Chips window, in case you don’t want to go in and sit down, but you need your fix. Raglan Road has one thing the Rose and Crown does not, a gift shop. Here you can buy Guinness items and Raglan Road Shirts and glasses as well as postcards from Ireland. For more information you can go to http://www.raglanroadirishpub.com/

So, now you know, if you want an atmosphere that welcomes you, creates Magical Experiences and is comfortable, Go to the Pub. Either one the Rose and Crown or Raglan Road and when you’re there have a Pint for me.