>It’s Not the Chop Suey Palace*

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Christmas Eve is coming quick. That means a couple of things. Santa Claus will be heading out to bring presents to all the good boys and girls of the world. And TBS will be showing A Christmas Story for 24 straight hours. I will be honest I don’t get the movie. It doesn’t appeal to me. Give me Chevy Chase and Christmas Vacation and I’m a laughing fool, but I just don’t get Ralphie. Maybe because my family was a little saner than that one, I don’t know what it is, but I just can’t get into watching it. But there is one scene that I was thinking about when I was looking through pictures before writing today. It was the scene when they were in the Chop Suey Palace*, the Chinese

restaurant. The reason I was thinking of this scene was because of the look of the restaurant. It is your little Chinese place around the corner; places that most of us have somewhere near our house, that you can order take out in the little white boxes. We had a problem a few years back, we had moved and tried to find a good Chinese take-out place. We thought we had found one and then they must have changed chefs because it wasn’t good. We finally found one that we like, but every year after we get back from Walt Disney World, we look at each other and say, wasn’t this better last time. The thing is, we know that it wasn’t, it is just as good as it always is, but after being in Disney, we long for the Unknown Magic that offers delicacies from four regions of China: Cantonese, Szechuan, Kiangche and Mandarin. This Unknown Magic is the Nine Dragons restaurant in Epcot’s World Showcase.

The Nine Dragons is a nice sit down restaurant that is offered on the Disney Dining Plan. The Lobby looks more “Chinese” than the dining room, with the mural of the two Dragons, but the dining room is rather spacious and it is very well lit. There are many seats near the windows that offer a good view of the World Showcase promenade. If you are a small party of two or three as we are, you will be seated in close proximity to another party, as the tables are situated in long rows.

The food is wonderful here. I have read on-line reviews saying the food wasn’t that good, but we eat at the Nine Dragons every year when we are in Disney, usually for lunch, and we have never had a complaint about the meal or the service. But once again, we are not Disney Commandos, so we are never in a rush to get through our meal. The menu features appetizers, soups, salads, main courses and desserts. They do have an assortment of drinks, everything from Chinese beer to smoothies for the kids. (This is where my only complaint with the Nine Dragons is, they don’t have regular iced tea, they only offer ginger tea, I’m not a ginger tea kind of guy.)

Their appetizers are different from your neighborhood Chinese take-out. They do offer Shrimp rolls and pot stickers, but they also offer General Tso’s Chicken Dumplings, These are wonderful. The Last time we were down, my wife had the hot and sour soup and said it was very good. They don’t offer a lot of different main courses, but they do offer a variety. They offer dishes that feature fish, shrimp, pork, beef, chicken, and even a tofu. They also had a noodle sampler that looked interesting, that I’m sorry to say we didn’t have, but I am looking forward to it on our next trip.



My wife, our son and his friend coming out of the store.

 So, now you know why we visit the China pavilion on every trip to Walt Disney World. We enjoy looking at the jade and the silk robes and other goods in the store, but the main reason we look forward to visiting China is to have a wonderful meal in the Nine Dragons. If you are going to visit this Unknown Magic, I would suggest an Advanced Dining Reservation, as a lot of people feel as we do and enjoy the Magical Experience of eating in the modern and traditional setting of the Nine Dragons.

>The Truth is out there

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Last week, I saw an episode of Penn and Tellers, B***S*** on Showtime. The episode dealt with Area 51. There was a group that went out into the Nevada Desert to spy on the “Secret” Air Force base that is supposed to house aliens and alien technology. Some people don’t believe in aliens and if they do, most don’t believe in them they way these people do. I think that some of the things that are in the world could be easier explained by there being other life forms out there, but I’m not sure if I believe or not. Sometimes, I just think it is improbable, other times I know they do exist, because they can be seen in Walt Disney World. By way of explanation, I bring to you the Unknown Magic of Aliens in Disney World.

The stories of alien abductions go back many many years and UFO sightings go back just as long. Probably the biggest decade for the UFO hysteria was in the 1950’s. Hollywood capitalized on this fear and made many UFO/Space invader movies.

Everything from Flying Saucer, and The Man from Planet X to Invaders from Mars were shown in movie houses and on drive in movie screens all across the United States. In Disney Hollywood Studios, you can relive this experience in the Sci-Fi Dine in Theater. This wonderfully themed restaurant is one of the Must Do’s on my list for new Disney visitors. It is a place where the seating area of the restaurant is set up as a drive-in movie theater and the tables are “cars”. You actually feel like you are back in the 1950’s, watching old movies at the Drive-in. Movies about Giant Mutant insects and Aliens. Most of the Clips they show on the Big Screen at the Sci-Fi Dine in Theater are from space/alien movies. It is a great way to get your Alien on. Also in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you can see Sigourney Weaver at her alien butt kickin’ best by taking a ride through the Great Movie ride. One of the scenes portrayed in the attraction is from the movie Alien, which is probably one of the scariest movies I saw as a teenager.

In the Magic Kingdom, you can also encounter an Alien of a different sort. The Alien is known as Experiment 626. He was originally created by Dr. Jumba Jookiba, to basically destroy everything around him. But don’t worry he won’t hurt you. You can find him in the Magic Kingdom at Stitch’s Great Escape, a “dark Ride” that has 626, also known as Stitch, “escaping” and wrecking havoc, when he is sent to a United Galactic Federation holding facility. As you are in this attraction you will be annoyed, tussled, teased and even grossed out by Stitch, before they recapture him and send him to another facility.

Stitch can also be seen in the Animal Kingdom, roaming around with his earthling “owner” Lilo. They will pose for pictures with you and sign your autograph book. When we were there a few years back, my son was wearing a stitch shirt (Stitch is his favorite character) and when he showed Stitch, Stitch made a big deal out of posing with John and really did create a Magical Experience for him.

Lilo and Stitch are also the hosts of the Character meal at the Polynesian Resort’s ‘Ohana’s Best Friends Breakfast with Lilo & Stitch. We have eaten here a few times also. The food during breakfast at ‘Ohana isn’t as unbelievable or as plentiful as dinner, but it is a great meal, that is very enjoyable with the characters making their way around the restaurant.

There are other Aliens to be found in Walt Disney World

also. These are the true Aliens of the science fiction world. They are little green men. Don’t be scared though, these Aliens are from the Toy Story Trilogy. They can be seen in both the Magic Kingdom and Disney Hollywood Studios. In the Studios, they are of course found in Toy Story Midway Mania. Here during the attraction, you play ring toss with them. Actually you toss the rings on them. You can also see them in Pizza Planet, the Pizza place located near the Muppet Theater. In the Magic Kingdom they can be found on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (where there are also many other

Alien Life Forms). They are also outside the attraction in what looks like a crane machine.

So, now you know, you can enjoy the best Disney aliens in fun and Magical ways. And some of these ways have to do with food, which is always a plus. So, when you go to Disney World, don’t be afraid of the Unknown, remember, “The truth is out there,” well down there, in Walt Disney World.

Picture of Penn And Teller DVD from Amazon.com

>Here’s Lookin at you…

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Casablanca was on last night on Turner Classic Movies. It is one of my favorite movies of all time. Rick, Louie, Sam and Ilsa are some of the greatest characters of all time. As the movie starts, there is a tower over the city of Casablanca. This tower reminds me of the one in the Morocco Pavilion, in Epcot. Morocco is one of the countries around the World Showcase, which seems to be overlooked by many, thus making it a true Unknown Magic.

The Moroccan Pavilion holds a very neat distinction. It is the only pavilion in which the government of the country it represents helped to design the pavilion and sponsors it. It was also the first pavilion added to the World Showcase, after the originals. It opened in September of 1984.

The pavilion itself is set up as a small Moroccan city. The Fez House is a sample Moroccan house and there is a wonderful courtyard with shops and restaurants. The shops here in the Moroccan Pavilion sell goods from Morocco, just as all the other pavilions in the world showcase sell goods from their home countries. There are clothing, jewelry, brass, carpets and mosaics all for sale at Brass Bazaar, Tangier Trades, Casablanca Carpets and the outdoor bazaar. There is also a shop that sells belly dancing attire and Fez hats.

The Restaurants in the Moroccan Pavilion are very good. There is a quick serve café and the full sit down restaurant. The quick serve Café, called the Tangerine Café, serves hummus, salads, lamb pockets, chicken pockets and shish kabobs. For dessert, they offer baklava. They also offer Casablanca Beer, which is a very smooth tasting ale. The Restaurant Marrakesh is the full table service meal. We enjoyed this restaurant a few years ago, when our son was about 10 or 11. The food was wonderful (as if any foods in the countries around the World Showcase aren’t good). We had shish kabobs and couscous that night for dinner, but the Magical Experience that night came from watching our son react to the belly dancers. He was a little shocked, a little embarrassed, and very hysterical about the way one of the other guests was acting (he was a little boisterous toward the dancers). It was a very neat meal to experience.

The Moroccan pavilion is also home to Mo-Rockin’; the small musical group that plays rock music with an Arabic flavor. They perform on the main Walkway around the World Showcase, directly across from the Tangerine Café.

Another fun thing about this Pavilion is that in the last few years, they have incorporated Aladdin and Jasmine and Genie from the Disney Movie Aladdin. They have meet and greets for them outside the Pavilion, and inside they have an area that has the story of Aladdin in a big book, set on a lectern, and a place where you can get you picture taken with the city of Agrabah in the background.

The Morocco Pavilion is very rarely crowded, but a very beautiful place to go and take in some culture. The mosaics that are here were actually done by Moroccan Artisans and are quite wonderful.

So, now you know a great place for a Magical Experience with the culture of another land that is mostly overlooked, is the Morocco Pavilion. While you are there, you can enjoy some music, some food and maybe even some belly dancing. So, when you are in Epcot, don’t overlook the great place under the tall tower.

>Hungry, Cousin?

>This past week I wrote about the Polynesian Pearl, the Kona Café. The Kona Café isn’t the only great place to eat in the Polynesian Resort. Right around the corner from the Kona Café is the better known restaurant in the Polynesian Resort, ‘Ohana. I consider ‘Ohana an Unknown Magic, because even though it is usually very busy, it is still not one of the top known restaurants in Walt Disney World. But it is one of those places that when you eat there, you make sure you go back.

‘Ohana is decorated with a typical Polynesian Flair with tikis and palms and is very warm and inviting. As many people know from Lilo and Stitch, “‘Ohana means Family.” And this wonderful place celebrates family, throughout your meal. First of all, the servers all call everyone cousin (as is the custom in Hawaii) and they have games throughout the night for kids to play. Things like coconut broom races (where they push a coconut around the cent of the restaurant with a broom) and hula-hoop challenges. The décor here is wonderful, but the reason you go to any restaurant is the food. This past week we were in Disney World with some friends that had never been to ‘Ohana and afterward they said that this was the best meal we had all week. Keep in Mind we ate at the Nine Dragons and Le Cellier Steakhouse in Epcot as well as the Turf Club at Saratoga Springs and they still said this was the best meal we had. We have eaten there many times and this time the meal was as great as usual.

Before the main course comes, they give you ‘Ohana welcome bread, a salad with honey-lime dressing, pork dumplings and barbeque chicken wings that are awesome. They provide you with three dipping sauces for the meal, a peanut sauce, a sweet and sour sauce and a spicy mustard sauce. For the main course, they serve Chicken, Steak, Shrimp and Pork, that is all prepared on or actually in their 18-foot oak fire pit. They also serve stir-fried vegetables and lo mein noodles as part of the main course. This is all topped off with a bread pudding ala mode for dessert. The entire meal is served Family Style, which means everything is put in bowls on the table for everyone to share everything that is except the meat and shrimp. The Meat and Shrimp are brought to your table by the servers hot from the grill on the long skewers they cook it on. They ask you if you would like some more and then give you as many pieces from the skewer as you want. Our cousin, Pedro had a counting problem because every time you’d tell him one piece you’d get two and if you told him two you’d get three. This made the night even more fun for our party which led to a Magical Experience.

‘Ohana isn’t just open for dinner though. No, in the mornings ‘Ohana is one of the best character breakfasts in Walt Disney World. Since this is the Polynesian Resort, Lilo and Stitch host this breakfast. Mickey and Pluto have been there in the past with Lilo and Stitch, but they aren’t there at this time. Breakfast consists of Hua Paka (Scrambled Eggs), Uala Kahiki (Fried Potatoes), Pua’a (Pork), Mickey Shaped Waffles and other breakfast goodies. This meal is every bit as dinner.

Besides the food and décor ‘Ohana is a really great place to eat, because of the view. From the back windows of the restaurant, you can see Cinderella Castle, and the Seven Seas Lagoon. The other night while we were eating, we got to watch the Electrical Water Pageant that is shown on the Seven Seas Lagoon nightly. (For more about the Electrical Water Pageant, see my post on 5/13 Magic on the Water)What a Magical Experience that was for our friends as we were eating this great meal in a place they had never been to see the Water Pageant which they had never seen. It was truly a special night.

So, now you know, For Magical Experiences at both Breakfast and Dinner in a very fun and Magical atmosphere remember Lilo and Stitch and try ‘Ohana cousin.

>Rain Rain go away come again another Day…..

>When you’re on Vacation, you don’t care if it’s going to help the grass, or crops or flowers grow. You have things to do, so rain is an unwanted visitor. And when you’re in Walt Disney World for the first time, or even the fiftieth time, you have things you want to do, so what do you do when it Rains? Well, the first thing you have to think about is what time of the year is it? During the late spring and early summer months, the weather in Orlando changes more than a kid changes their mind. It could start out looking like it’s going to rain all day and an hour later it could be clear. This is why all the Disney Resort TV’s have the Weather Channel. The other thing to think about is during the warmer months, it might not be too bad getting wet when going from attraction to attraction, it may keep you cooler and the crowds may be lighter that day. But, during the cooler months, and if you are not the type that likes to be wet all day, there is an Unknown Magic for newcomers to Disney that will get you through the day and provide for a Magical Experience. I touched on Downtown Disney on the post East vs. West, but that was talking about two great places to eat. But Downtown Disney is also home to some great shopping, so today’s Unknown Magic, is surviving the Rain by going to Downtown Disney.

If you recall, The West Side of Downtown Disney is actually called the West side. The East Side of Downtown Disney is called the Market place. The Market Place has more shopping than the West Side. There are approximately 15 different shops in the Market Place and many of the stores are something you’ll only find in Walt Disney World. Some of the Unique Disney Stores you will find are Team Mickey (described in yesterday’s post), The Art of Disney, Goofy’s Candy Company, Disney’s Days of Christmas, Disney’s Pin Traders, Disney’s Design-A-Tee, and Trend D. Some of the other stores that are very Disney inspired, but maybe not unique, are the Once upon a Toy Store, Mickey’s Mart and the World of Disney store.

The first and biggest store that needs to be talked about is The World of Disney Store. This is not your hometown Disney Store. This is the largest Disney themed store in the world. This store has ten different rooms of merchandise. Everything from home goods, and clothing for every member of the family, to collectibles and souvenirs, can be found in the World of Disney. They also have the Bibbidi, Bobbidi Boutique for your little Princess. This boutique is a salon where girls can get their hair, nails and makeup done to feel like a princess (if you want to go, Disney strongly recommends making a reservation). One word of caution though, even as big as it is, on Weekends and evenings, this store is very busy. This is a great store for not only buying Disney merchandise, but for finding something special to create a Magical Experience.

Another great store is Disney’s Days of Christmas. This store is not as large as the World of Disney, but they have a lot of Disney merchandise and it is all Holiday themed. Mostly Christmas, but some Hanukah, and some other holidays as well. This one is always busy, but that is because they sell things here that you have never seen anywhere else. They have every imaginable Disney tree ornament and some you

 would have never thought of. They sell ornaments for all of their Resorts, and special occasion ornaments, like baby’s first Christmas. This is the store also to find almost any kind of Disney antennae topper. (If you’re not sure what that is, the next time you are driving down the road, look at the car antennas of the cars going past, I’d say you will see at least one Disney styled topper within your first 10 minutes of driving.)This store is a really neat store to shop in or just window shop in.

Some other Great window shopping stores in Downtown Disney are the Art of Disney (which sells prints and posters and original Disney movie Cels), the Arribas Brothers crystal shop, and Disney at Home (although you will probably end up buying something here as everyone needs a Mickey Mouse toast presser). Disney’s Pin Traders is a Shop is probably the biggest on site store, which sells everything you would ever want for Disney Pin Collecting, for more on Disney Pin Collecting, read my post from 5/23- Unknown Magic with a Warning.

If you have kids and you’re willing to let them get something, there is the Once Upon a Toy Store (which is a toy store, with a lot of Disney themed games and stuff) Pooh Corner, mostly Pooh related Merchandise, and The Lego Imagination Center.

If you have young children or are on a smaller budget, Mickey’s Mart is a great place for the kids to shop, because everything there is under $10 and this would definitely make a Magical Experience for a younger child to be able to buy their own item in Disney.

So, now that you know, Even if it rains, you can still create Magical Experiences by shopping in the great stores at Downtown Disney.