OLD NEWS, Feels Crowded, It’s Always Better When It’s Tilted! Pecos Update, BOG Lunch, Observations from Magic Kingdom: June 13, 2013 Part 2

The magic continues from Part 1.

Lines at all quick services were out the door.  Even Diamond Horseshoe. We’ll see the same thing at Pinocchio Village Haus and Columbia Harbour House shortly.

Liberty Tree Tavern pricing is approaching absurd for dinner at $35.99 a person, but is rather reasonable for lunch.  For a more in depth look at the restaurant and a previous lunch, see the middle of this post:

You may remember Pecos Bill pricing from Part 1, where a burger runs $10.39, vegetable burger costs $7.79, and the new salad comes in at $9.19.  For $4 – $6 more per person, you can relax in air-conditioning while someone takes your order and brings your food in relative comfort.  Not to mention the cold water, refills, and perhaps most importantly, higher quality food.  If Liberty Tree or Plaza Restaurant have availability, you may want to book a reservation, even if you’re on a budget.  Plaza might be better for dinner because it offers the same relatively inexpensive menu all day, whereas Liberty Tree tacks on $15-$25 per person at dinner.

Scarlett and friends join us for lunch.  I started with the $5.99 “Today’s Soup Kettle” which was a spicy, gumbo-style soup with shrimp.  It was not exactly what I was expecting from such a patriotic restaurant, but was lighter than the clam chowder.  With the heavy pasta arriving shortly, the soup was probably unnecessary.  I prefer the Chowder, which is even heavier.

There was a time when the Tavern Fried Cheese consisted of almost a dozen freshly fried pieces of cheese in addition to a half dozen fried cheese curds. Those days are well behind us as they’ve been replaced with these previously-frozen-I-can-get-these-by-the-kilo-at-Costco variety.  Tasty properly fried, sure, but not necessarily a terrific value at six bucks.  Still, it’s something to nibble on while you wait for your server to bring you your food out from underneath the heat lamp.

The Vegetable Burger – House-made Potato Quinoa Vegan Patty topped with a fresh Vegan Tofu-Tzatziki Sauce with Fresh Fruit or Sweet Potato Fries.  I stole a bite of the burger, which was refreshingly homemade.  A lot of the vegan/vegetarian patties seem to be of the previously frozen variety.  The patty was crispy and full of vegetables and quinoa, but did not have much flavor on its own.  The tzatziki sauce livened things up a bit.  The sweet potato fries seemed to be freshly cut and fried as well.  Overall, it was an above average vegetarian option – certainly better than the Pecos Bill vegetable burger.

Yes, order the Pilgrim’s Feast without the vegetables and you’ll get this massive helping of mashed potatoes topped with three large slices of turkey.  Along with the Pot Roast, I think these are Liberty Tree’s two best, heartiest options.

Having tried the other items on the menu, I ordered the Freedom Pasta – Fusilli Pasta with Sauteed Chicken, Seasonal Vegetables, and Mushrooms tossed in a Cream Sauce – $19.99.

Interestingly, this is also the most expensive item on the menu.  It’s incredibly filling with the creamy sauce, ton of pasta, and large chicken breast hidden underneath.  I’m not usually quick to point out that an item is “easily sharable,” but I think this is one of those items.  I’m sure it comes in around 2,500 calories, so half is probably all you want to eat anyway.  Otherwise, it was a hearty, flavorful, rich pasta dish heavy on the chicken and light on the vegetables.

Service was kind of shoddy as it has been the last couple times I’ve visited.  The servers (I’ve encountered) just don’t seem to care whatsoever and simply run through the motions of taking drink orders and dropping off food.  Does this really sound like a glowing review?  Maybe not…but waiting 30 minutes to order food at Pecos Bill sucks more.  And then you have to eat the food in a loud, crowded space.

Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Liberty Square continues to be your best chance at scoring some of the hard-to-find Haunted Mansion merchandise.  The only item they’re sold out of, the popular coaster set, is actually one of the only items available online should you wish to purchase.  This is a platter or something.

$24.95.

The blanket comes in at $54.95 and the pillows are $32.95.

The hectic atmosphere around Haunted Mansion as the queue overflows.  Play Count the Smiles if you like: http://i4.minus.com/izFr77wfO9pJb.jpg. Spoiler: There aren’t any if you don’t want to play right now.

Scrims still up on Sleepy Hollow Refreshments.

The line at Columbia Harbour House winds around inside and then spills outside here at 12:55pm.  I think you’d be looking at a solid 30 minutes before ordering and then another 15 to receive your food.

Correct me if I’m wrong (I LOVE IT), but I believe the area on the left across from the Tangled area is where Peter Pan and Wendy now greet guests through 1pm.

Tangled remains one of the more pleasant areas in Magic Kingdom.

Notice anything different in this picture?

Look down to the left and you’ll see the new FASTPASS+ entrance for it’s a small world.  Beginning June 20th, Disney is rolling out their largest test of MyMagic+.  Selected guests staying at the Contemporary, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and other Resorts have been pre-selected to participate, in addition to some “social media advocates” that you can be sure will spread the good word.  I can’t fathom that the test will be anything but an unmitigated disaster, but we’ll see!  Remember that this is a company that hasn’t quite figured out how to make WiFi work.

Your always available 60+ minute wait at Peter Pan’s Flight.  If the crowd level was a “1” and Magic Kingdom was the most recommended Park, the wait would still be 45 minutes.

At 12:59pm, the line for Pinocchio Village Haus was out the door.

You may remember the website lamenting the loss of pasta and the chicken parmesan when Pinocchio switched from Disney pizza to Disney flatbread.  For lunch, they’ve added an “Italian Flatbread Sandwich” and after 4pm, Spaghetti and Meatballs and Spaghetti and Italian Sausage are available.

60 minutes for Mermaid and 45 for Pooh at 1pm with FASTPASS 50 minutes out.

Mine Train construction continues:

The track is complete and part of the wall on the Mermaid side is down, allowing space for stroller parking.

This website continues to recommend getting in line for Be Our Guest lunch later in the afternoon.  This is the line at 1:05pm, which is as short as I’ve ever seen it outside of 10am.  Getting in line at 10am means you’ll be waiting at least 35 minutes to order as well as wasting prime touring time on a meal that can best be described as pretty good.

• I got in line at 1:06pm.
• I was inside the building at 1:11pm.
• I received my rose and got in line to order at 1:17pm.
• My food arrived at 1:39pm.

Disney is ready for rain or shine with complimentary umbrellas while you wait. Cast members walk up and down the line periodically offering them to guests.

Disney has added some ridiculous names to the titles of the Kids’ Picks.  Les Macaronis Maurice?  Feast A La Beast?  Yeah okay.

As mentioned in the last Be Our Guest dinner review, the “Prime” Roast Beef Sandwich has recently replaced the Steak Sandwich.

Still no sign of the Chicken Provencal on the menu.

I prefer to sit in the Rose Gallery where the lighting is better and there’s less foot traffic.  The eeriness of the West Wing is quickly lost with the number of people traipsing through taking flash pictures of the rose, paintings, your face etc.

Prime Roast Beef Sandwich – served warm on a Baguette with Horseradish Sour Cream and Pommes Frites – $11.99.  This is a large sandwich that should satisfy just about any appetite.  The roast beef is piled higher than most Disney quick service sandwiches.  The beef quality was similar to Boar’s Head from your local grocery store – cooked “medium” and retaining some juiciness.  The arugula added a bit of a crunch.  While fresh, I thought the bread was a little thick.  About 75% of what you get in your mouth is going to be bread.  The horseradish sauce did not have a lot of flavor.  A jus would have taken this to the next level.  Or with Disney’s propensity to serve food on the bland side, a side of the horseradish would have been nice for those of us who like a little kick.

Overall, I was happy with the sandwich and would rate it highly among the other quick service options in the Park.  The fries remain a little sad – limp and lukewarm in this case.  I wish they would serve the “pommes frites” that are served avec the steak with dinner.  Those are really good.  With lines outside and wait times of 15 – 30 minutes at the Pinocchio, Harbour House, Pecos Bill, etc. the five minute wait outside wasn’t deplorable.

After lunch at 1:52pm, the line was a little further back, resulting in a 10ish minute wait to get inside.

50 minutes for Enchanted Tales outdoors, uncovered in the summer heat.

Gaston may greet underneath this small awning next to Bonjour Gifts in the summer.

For $495 you can take home “It’s Called A Book” by Annick Biaudey – Gallery wrapped canvas.

A solid 60 minutes for Journey of the Little Mermaid.  Wait times seem to be normalizing at the attraction.  Gone are the 120 minute waits with seven people in line.

In this case, the line was backed up across the bridge, though it’s impossible to say how many switchbacks are going inside unless you want to wait the hour+.

After a few hours of shuffling around the most magical place on earth (OH MY GAWD STOP SAYING IT’S THE HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH! IT ISN’T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) I was near death.

And then this hero, donning a horse mask, appeared through the ashes.  And all was better.

40 minutes for Ariel.

The path that connects the Little Mermaid/Enchanted Forest areas and Storybook Circus should be open all day, everyday from here on out.

Pete’s Silly Sideshow is another place to cool off in air-conditioning.  The 20ish minute waits are tolerable compared to the other options.

Big Top Souvenirs continues offering similar items as Main Street Confectionery:

I may have to order one of those “Fruit Kebobs” to see if they really give you four grapes, a strawberry, and a slice of pineapple for $3.29.  The Sulley apple makes him sort of look like a mouse.

Wowzer the Clown continues terrifying, I mean entertaining, guests at the front of the area.

Check your Times Guide if you want to avoid him and the others, but guests seem to enjoy the clowns.  A visit after 6pm should guarantee you won’t run into any.

The posted wait for Dumbo went from 45 to 80 minutes while I stood there.

There looked to be a lot of wealthy Manhattan moms in the FASTPASS return line at Barnstormer.  You’d be waiting 20ish minutes in FASTPASS or I would imagine 75+ in standby at the moment.

Dumbo, Barnstormer, and Town Square Mickey FASTPASSes remain disconnected, meaning you can collect all of them at the same time in addition to another FASTPASS on the system, like Pan, Pooh, Mermaid, etc.  This seems like a simple enough concept, but questions persist.  Try this quiz.  All answers are True/False.

1. I can collect Barnstormer, Peter Pan’s Flight, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at the same time.

FALSE BOTH WINNIE THE POOH AND PETER PAN ARE CONNECTED.

2. There are other attractions disconnected from the FASTPASS system at Magic Kingdom and/or other Parks.

FALSE THESE ARE THE ONLY THREE ATTRACTIONS DISCONNECTED IT DOESN’T MATTER HOW MANY TIMES YOU ASK THIS IS IT.

3. I can collect Mickey Mouse, Dumbo, Barnstormer FASTPASSes in addition to another attraction of my choice at the same time.

True. This is how it works.

I think I read about somebody getting paid off eight grand by the Mouse for having to endure it’s a small world for 30 minutes while the boat was stuck.  This is a 40 minute wait for the ride at 2:30pm.  Not sure what Mickey will pay for that.

Your always available 70 minute wait still available.

Princess Fairytale Hall should be opening sooner rather than later.

Disney says you can’t bring in rolling coolers but you really can.

Merida continues to pack in a crowd.

Welcome to the least magical place on earth – 45 minutes in the blazing sun and humidity while sucking down car exhaust.

The website strikes again as the Taco Hot Dog is no longer available at The Lunching Pad.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm am I right?

Tomorrowland:

This “feels” pretty close to Thanksgiving crowds.

Just tilt it and turn it up.

Or just turn it up.

Two minutes to Celebrate A Dream Come True.  Larger: https://www.easywdw.com/reports8/ms.jpg.  The July 4th garland or whatever you call it is hanging up on some of the buildings (visible top left).

Starbucks’ grand opening is the 18th.  It’s been running limited tests over the last couple of days.  We’ll take a look on Tuesday if the world doesn’t end before that.

More updates incoming, including a look at the Wilderness Explorers at Animal Kingdom along with dinner at Jiko and lunch at Sanaa at the Lodge and Character Spot/Tokyo Dining/La Hacienda de San Angel over at Epcot.  Among other things.