Disney's Boardwalk Inn and Villas Review

If asked "what is your favorite Disney property to stay at", I would think it is the same as being asked to pick a favorite child. They're all unique in their on way. Over the past 3 years, I have stayed at nearly every resort at Walt Disney World in Orlando. I am going to take time to do a few reviews on them.

Up first, the popular Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. This was the very first resort I ever stayed in as an adult, back in 2004. 13 years ago, I was not the same Disney fan as I am today but I remember being in awe of the property. It's fun going back many years later and having a true appreciation of the property and the fun quirks within. The very first thing you will see upon walking in the front doors is the Hippocampus Electrolier hanging from above. If you aren't familiar, a hippocampus is a creature from Greek mythology that is part horse, part fish. Of all the many times I've seen this chandelier, I've never noticed the horses were part fish!

Disney’s BoardWalk Inn has 372 rooms and Disney’s BoardWalk Villas has 280 units. The property is located alongside Crescent Lake, which backs into Epcot. It is the perfect place to stay if you want an easy walk to Epcot or Disney's Hollywood Studios (they have boat transportation as well). Along Crescent Lake, you will find a ton of things to do if you want a break from the parks.

Disney's BoardWalk is like stepping back in time. All of a sudden, you find yourself sitting in Atlantic City circa 1930 with an abundance of seaboard charm. The miniature carousel above is BoardWalk's version of a Grandfather clock. It goes off every hour, and revolves. The attention to detail is incredible. Speaking of carousels, the ever so creepy Nanny Chairs below were for those who didn't want to ride. I don't think you could pay me to sit on one of those chairs!

The grand lawn was recently redone with turf! I people watched for about 10 minutes and nearly every person touched the grass. It looked so real but so perfect that you had to touch it!

Disney’s BoardWalk has 9,000 SF of retail shopping including one of my favorite art shops on property, Wyland Galleries. There are also a ton of restaurants and entertainment include Flying Fish Café, Trattoria al Forno, AbracadaBar, Big River Grille and Brewing Works, ESPN Club, Atlantic Dance nightclub, Jellyrolls dueling piano bar and Ample Hills Creamery (ask for a sample!).

Disney's BoardWalk is one of the locations on property who rent Surrey Bikes. There are two, four and six people bikes that start at $25. One day, I will rent one of these while on property!

Guests staying on property can take advantage of the children’s activity center, health club (which is about to receive a huge makeover), tennis courts, and the infamous Luna Park, an enormous free-form pool area with a 200-foot water slide in the form of a classic wooden roller coaster.

On my most recent trip, I had the opportunity to stay in Disney’s BoardWalk Villas which is part of Disney Vacation Club. The Villas are available in studios and one, two, and three bedroom units.

We stayed in a one bedroom villa which had a King sized bed, a living room with a pullout sleeper sofa and a bathroom that had two entrances, perfect if you are entertaining and don't want your guests to see the bedroom.

Speaking of bathrooms, let's chat about this jacuzzi garden tub real quick!

There was a flat screen TV in both the bathroom and the living room.

The living room kept with the BoardWalk decor. It was very spacious and had plenty of seating.

All of the units offer kitchens, living areas and a variety of amenities. Having a full-sized kitchen was a huge perk. If you are staying at the BoardWalk Villas, you can take advantage of Disney grocery services.

Instead of having a balcony, we had a patio which was very large. If you go for run, you can easily access your room without going through the main resort (if you have someone in there still of course).

The view from our one bedroom overlooked the bridge which brings people from the lake to Hollywood Studios.

I also had the opportunity to check out a standard room in Disney BoardWalk Inn. This room had two queen beds and kept up with the BoardWalk decor.

I loved the artwork in this room!

Overall, I absolutely loved staying at Disney's BoardWalk. The location is perfect in my mind, being able to walk to Epcot, Hollywood Studios and of course all the amenities that the BoardWalk offers. The restaurants at the BoardWalk do not disappoint and the entertainment will not leave you board. Just be prepared for Jelly Rolls....it is very possible have a little too much fun there.

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2016 runDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend Info

Happy Halloween! Today is my favorite day of the year so it makes sense to write about my favorite runDisney event - Wine and Dine Half Marathon, which is taking place this upcoming weekend! I will be running this race with my best friend Keri! Not only do we get to spend 13.1 miles together, we also get to enjoy the Epcot Food and Wine Festival and spend much needed R&R time at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress pool!

2013 runDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon

My first time running Wine and Dine Half was in 2013, 6 days following running my first New York City Marathon (which was also my first full). Although very sore and slow, I loved running Wine and Dine Half. Many many many changes have been made to this race weekend and this post is full of very important information.

2013 Wine and Dine Half Marathon with Meghann (mealsandmiles.com) and Kristin (stuftmama.com) 

Please pay extra attention to the Half Marathon transportation info. If you are not staying at a Disney Resort you will need to drive to Epcot and be transported to Wide World of Sports and the last bus will be boarded at 4am.

Also, don't forget to turn your clocks back on Saturday night! Talk about perfect timing for an early Sunday morning wakeup call.

By now you should have received your post event information in the mail (address used in Active account). Be sure to bring that (along with your Disney gift card) to the after party.

Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend Schedule and Driving Directions

runDisney Wine and Dine Health & Fitness Expo Hours
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Thursday, November 3, 2016 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Friday, November 4, 2016 10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Saturday, November 5, 2016 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Driving Directions to runDisney Health and Fitness Expo: Take I-4 to exit 65 (Osceola Parkway West). Take a left onto Victory Way and park in the main lot. Proceed on foot to the main entrance.

Mickey's Holiday 5K presented by MISFIT™

2016 Mickey's Holiday 5K Medal - Photo rights runDisney

Start: Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park
Finish: Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park
Friday, November 4, 2016 – 6:30 a.m

Driving Directions to Mickey's Holiday 5K:
Please follow the signs to Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park. Pass through the toll plaza and you will be directed to park in the appropriate parking lot by Parking cast members. Parking at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park is complimentary before 7:00 a.m. If you arrive after 7:00 a.m. you will be charged the daily parking fee.

Disney Wine & Dine 10K presented by MISFIT™

2016 Disney Wine & Dine 10K Medal - Photo rights runDisney

Start: Epcot®
Finish: Epcot®
Saturday, November 5, 2016 – 5:30 a.m.
Driving Directions Disney's Wine and Dine 10K: Take I-4 to exit 64 (192 West) and follow the signs to Epcot®.

Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon presented by MISFIT™

2016 runDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Medal

Start: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Finish: Epcot®
Sunday, November 6, 2016 – 5:30 a.m.

Driving Directions to runDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon: Take I-4 to exit 67 (Epcot Center Drive) and follow the signs to Epcot®.
There will be no parking and no guest drop-off at ESPN Wide World of Sport Complex on race day. For guests driving to Epcot® on race morning, the race shuttle from Epcot® to the Sports Complex will begin at 3:00 a.m. The parking fee at Epcot® will be waived for participants and spectators arriving before 7:00 a.m. on race morning.
All participants must board shuttles from Epcot® to the Sports Complex no later than 4:00 a.m. in order to make it to their corrals on time.

Disney Wine and Dine Post Race Party
Exclusive After-Hours Party at Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival
Sunday, November 6, 2016 – 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
Your Post-Race Party ticket will be sent to you via the address listed as part of your active.com registration profile.

• Your race bib cannot be used as entry; you will need to present your Post-Race Party ticket.
• Entry into Epcot® before 8:00 p.m. will require a Magic Your Way® theme park ticket. Tickets are valid only during the specific event date and hours. Tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable.
• If you enter Epcot® prior to 8:00 p.m. with a Magic Your Way® theme park ticket please visit one of the following locations starting at 8:00 p.m. to validate your Post-Race Party ticket and receive your event wristband:
• Disney Phineas and Ferb: Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure – located near the United Kingdom
• China Overlook – located across from the Temple of Heaven at the China Pavilion
• Pin Central – located behind Spaceship Earth

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La Luce Food and Wine Weekends at Hilton Bonnet Creek

A few weeks ago, I shared a little information about Food and Wine Weekends at Bonnet Creek. Want an elevated experience while you are in town for Epcot Food and Wine Festival? Here you have it. Food and Wine Weekends is a mutli-weekend event that is taking place at Hilton Bonnet Creek and Waldorf Astoria Orlando every Friday and Saturday during Epcot Food and Wine Festival.

My husband Gabe and I had the opportunity to check out a few of the Food and Wine Weekend's experiences while on property. We had a delicious meal at La Luce, the Il Cibo Della Vita menu, where each weekend a new menu with exclusive offerings along with a wine pairing are unveiled. 

Wine Pairing: Each week, La Luce pairs three unique wines perfect for your meal. 

Soup: Roasted Pepper and Tomato Creme Fraiche. 

This was such a delicious soup that both of us finished it, and practically licked the bowl. I used a piece of delicious homemade bread to be sure not a drop was left.

Antipasti: Bruschetta; Pear, Gorgonzola Dolce, Prosciutto, Aged Balsamic

I adored this dish. Prosciutto, pear and arugula are one of my favorite combinations (amazing on pizza!). Add this to perfectly grilled bread, some gorgonzola and aged balsamic and it's pretty much perfect. 

Pizza: Grilled Zucchini, Red Onions, Sundried Tomato, Goat Cheese, Pesto

I am happy to report that the pizza at La Luce is LEGIT. The crust was a perfect combination of crispy and airy. It wasn't greasy at all. This is how Pizza is supposed to be. On a normal day, I would have never gotten Gabe to order this combo. End result: He loved it and may allow me to bring zucchini back into our diet!

Insalata: Warm Spinach Salad; Bacon, Pickled Red Onions, Wild Mushrooms, Gorgonzola DOlce, Balsamic Vinaigrette

I could smell the bacon before it hit the table. This salad was incredible. The thick sliced bacon mixed with the wild mushrooms were a perfect combo. Speaking of wild mushrooms......

La Luce gets their mushrooms shipped in daily. I have never seen a wild mushroom display like this in my life. I just sat in awe. The large mushroom on the right is called a lobster mushroom! It's a beast.

Pasta: Spaghetti alla Vongole; Roasted clams, tomato, chilies, toasted garlic, pinot grigio

This was Gabe's favorite dish of the night. The clams were not fishy at all and it had a perfect amount of spice to it. It was a very clean, light pasta dish. 

Secondi: Spedini di Pesce; Grilled Halibut Skewers, Saffron Fregola Ragu, Black Pepper Aioli

I will dream of this dish for years to come. The Saffron Fregola Ragu was unlike any pasta I have ever had. What looks like corn is actually a ragu. It was buttery, delicious and went perfect with the grilled halibut. I was so full by this time but couldn't stop eating.

Dessert: Torta di Cioccolato e budino; flourless chocolate cake with butterscotch pudding

This was such a unique dessert - La Luce's famous butterscotch pudding was inside of their famous chocolate cake. It was two desserts in one and we devoured it.

Overall we were very impressed with the dinner. As I mentioned above, Food and Wine Weekends at Bonnet Creek are the best way to elevate your Epcot Food and Wine Festival. No lines, incredible food and a better bang for your buck vs. the small plates you get at the Festival. It's a winner in my opinion!

Triple your points on weekend bookings at Hilton Hotels & Resorts

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The Taste of Bull & Bear Sneak Peek - Food and Wine Weekends at Waldorf Astoria Orlando

It comes to no surprise to anyone who reads this blog that I love food and wine. I was honored to take part of a sneak peek of Food & Wine Weekends at Waldorf Astoria Orlando and Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek. This multi-weekend celebration is the perfect complement to the Epcot® Food & Wine Festival, for the serious epicurean. Food & Wine Weekends are taking place on weekends at Waldorf Astoria Orlando and Hilton Bonnet Creek this Friday, September 25 through November 15, 2015

I experienced a sneak peek of the Taste of Bull & Bear along with an intimate group of fellow travel, wine and food bloggers. I am blessed to have had the opportunity to attend events like this before, but this particular night stood out above the rest.

The Taste of Bull & Bear is an impressive five-course menu with mind blowing food and perfect wine pairings. The food, wine, cocktails and entertainment were top notch. I am still showing off photos to anyone who cares to listen to my humble bragging nearly a week later.

Course 1: Beginning 

POTATO CAPPUCCINO 
Oregon Truffle Jus, Mushroom Salt Wine: Jaffurs Viognier, Santa Maria Valley, CA 
You guys.....I cannot even put into words what this espresso cup full of perfection tasted like. Imagine a rich, velvety potato soup with truffle. I went cross-eyed and asked if it were legal to marry soup - because I would do so on the spot. I am still dreaming about my soup fling on the side and I don't think my husband would be jealous of me bringing it home. The soup love of my life was served with Jaffrus Viognier from Santa Maria Valley. It was a nice crisp white wine that worked well with the truffle.

Cocktails

New World Gin and Tonic & French Garden
Bull and Bear has a jaw dropping hand crafted cocktail menu and they took mixology to a whole new level. The two drinks we sampled were the New World Gin and Tonic - St. Augustine Gin, Tonic Ice and Edible Flowers. They freeze their tonic and use this instead of ice cubes, so the drink will not get diluted. It was one of the prettiest cocktails I have seen and quite refreshing. The other cocktail was the French Garden - Ketel One Vodka, Absentroux, Falernum homemade Grenadine, Dash of Orange Water.

Course 2: Salad

MAINE LOBSTER SALAD 
Herb Emulsion, McGregor Farm Petites, Aioli Wine: Elk Cove Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, OR
It is very rare that I will consume all of a salad dish at a five-course dinner. This was an exception. The Maine Lobster Salad was in my eyes the perfect salad. Micro greens and Lobster - you cannot go wrong. The lobster was perfectly prepared and was served with a glass of Elk Cove Pinot Gris from Wilmette Valley. I have really been into Pinot Gris this summer and this particular bottle is one of the best I have tried to date.

Entertainment

During our meal, we experienced live a live artist, Edson Campos create a chalk masterpiece in front of our eyes. It was incredible as you watched his progress. Edson recently had a showcase on Disney Boardwalk and is known throughout Orlando.

Course 3: Catch

CHILEAN SEA BASS
Spinach, Mushroom Duxelle and Tomato Encrusted Chilean Sea Bass, Sorrel Sauce Wine: Sonoma-Cutrer Chardonnay, Russian River, CA
I typically shy away from Chilean Sea Bass - it is purely a texture thing for me. However at events such as these, I am sure to try everything placed in front of me and boy am I glad I did so with this dish. This particular Chilean Sea Bass was so buttery that I did not have a single issue with the texture. It was perfectly cooked and very innovative. The green lines on top are spinach, under that is tomato  and a mushroom duxelle. I couldn't stop eating this dish, which is a first ever for me when it comes to Chilean Sea Bass. Plus one of my favorite wines were served along with it, Somona-Cutrer Chardonnay from Russian River. I instantly took a photo of both to send to my best friend, bragging that I was consuming two of her favorite things.

Course 4: Pasture

8 oz. FILET OF BEEF Beef Tallow Candle Potato au Gratin Sautéed Seasonal Mushrooms Wine: 1000 Stories Red Zinfandel, Mendocino County, CA 
My husband and I have been to Bull and Bear once before and had a steak. He still talks about it being the best steak in Orlando, 7 months later. My expectations for this filet were high and I can gladly say, they were exceeded. The steak was perfectly cooked and had incredible flavor. The most innovative part of this dish was the beef tallow candle wax, poured on the plate to dip your beef into. Moving onto the wine, which was my favorite of the night - 1000 Stories Red Zinfandel from Mendocino County. This small batched wine is from bourbon barrels. I fell in love and made a point to buy a bottle for our upcoming cruise. You can only find this at World Market and I ended up buying not one, but four bottles this weekend.

Art Completion

Edson Campos's Tuscan scene brought me right back to Italy. I think I literally have that exact photograph on my memory card!

Course 5 - Dessert
THE BIG REVEAL Lemon and Berries Pavlova, Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream, Meringue Wine: Alvear Solera, Pedro Ximenez, Spain 
I don't have a photo of this amazing dessert as I got it on video. The video doesn't show off the true magic of the dessert so I am leaving it out of the post (however, you can see it on my Instagram by clicking here). It was a chocolate dome surrounding lemon and berries Pavlova, Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream and Meringue. Delicious!!! This was served with a glass of Alvear Solera, Pedro Ximenez, Spain. The perfect nightcap to the perfect night.

The Taste of Bull & Bear - Friday and Saturday nights through November 15 at Bull & Bear, Waldorf Astoria. $110 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Call 407-597-5413 for reservations or click here to reserve on Open Table. View Menu

Food and Wine Weekends at Waldorf Astoria Orlando and Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek were designed to experience the artistry of fine culinary preparation for an evening or weekend. Click here to check out all other amazing Food and Wine Experiences at Waldorf Astoria Orlando and Hilton Bonnet Creek. Did someone say Chocolate and Champagne Tasting? Macaron Bar? Sushi Pairing? Yes, yes and yes!

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Dining in Epcot - Le Cellier Steakhouse and Monsieur Paul

Both my husband Gabe and I decided to have our birthday dinners at Epcot this year. A few of my non-Disney obsessed friends found this odd and I realized they had no idea what amazing culinary options Epcot offered. Epcot is truly my favorite place on Earth and I am fortunate enough to live less than an hour away. We each selected one restaurant inside of Epcot to have our birthday dinner and made reservations 180 days in advance.

Along with being Premium Annual Passholders, we also invested in the Tables in Wonderland dining discount card. This card is available for purchase to Florida Residents, DVC members and passholders. It's $125 ($100 for passholders) and saves 20% on food and beverage, including alcohol, at over 100 participating restaurants at the Walt Disney World. I have met so many people who are passholders and don't know about this card. Within one weekend trip, our Tables in Wonderland card paid for itself.

For Gabe's birthday, he chose to eat at Monsier Paul, the fine dining restaurant located in France world showcase. We spent some of our honeymoon in Paris and had the best meal of our lives at 58 Tour Eiffle, inside of the Eiffle Tower. We were very impressed by our meal at Monsier Paul and would come back again for a special occasion. This is one of the few restaurants who do not accept the Tables in Wonderland Card. Our meal was $120 for two entrees, dessert and wine. Pricey, yes - but well worth it for a special night.

I ordered the Homard forestier (Maine Lobster with Sautéed Mushrooms) with mollet quail egg and creamy black truffle bouillon. This dish is offered as an appetizer for $29 or as an entree for $49.  The lobster was poached to perfection and the black truffle bouillon was delicious. It is a very rich dish so be prepared for that.

The birthday boy ordered Filet de boeuf grillé forestier (Grilled Beef Tenderloin) with mushroom crust, mashed potatoes, Bordelaise sauce. I barely got a bite of his filet before it disappeared from the table. The one surprising piece of this entree was the mashed potatoes (not shown) were truffle mashed potatoes. When our meals came out, we thought the strong truffle smell was from my dish - but it was actually his. Here is the menu at Monsieur Paul.

For my birthday, we started the night off at Hollywood Studios so we could quickly ride Rock n Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. When I say quickly, that is exactly what we did - rode both rides (which we had fast passes for) and left for Epcot.

I chose Le Cellier for my birthday dinner. Oddly, this was both Gabe and my first time exploring the Canada world showcase. I had no idea how beautiful it was back there. It may be the most peaceful place at Disney. Le Cellier accepts the Tables in Wonderland card, so we were able to save 20% off of our meal. We got a starter, two steaks and wine, after the discount, our meal was $100. It was dark inside of the restaurant so I apologize for my grainy pictures.

We started off with Le Cellier Poutine - Canadian Cheddar, Black Truffle, Red Wine Reduction. I could honestly eat this as an entree on it's own. We ordered way too much food. While it was delicious, we really didn't need this with two entrees.

I ordered the Le Cellier Filet Mignon - AAA Canadian Beef Tenderloin, Wild Mushroom Risotto, Heirloom Toy Box Tomatoes, Truffle-Butter Sauce. I have had samplings of this famous dish during Epcot Food and Wine Festival so I was very excited to try the full size dish. I was not let down. Not only was the steak delicious, the mushroom risotto was some of the best I've ever had. And that truffle butter sauce, my oh my.

Gabe ordered the Dry-Aged Boneless Rib-Eye 14-Day Dry-Aged, Watercress, Piquillo Peppers, Fingerling Potatoes, Sherry-Thyme Vinaigrette, Garlic Butter. This steak was also cooked to perfection and had an amazing flavor to it. I am typically a filet girl but would have been equally as happy if this were my dish. You can check out the Le Cellier menu here.

We had two amazing meals at two of Epcot's most prestigious restaurants. If I were to choose a favorite? Monsieur Paul. Both of the meals were excellent but I enjoyed the unique selections available at Monsieur Paul.

What has been your favorite meal inside of Walt Disney World Resort?

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