Originally Posted By nutmegpeach Is anyone else as excited about this as I am? Al Lutz's update questioned whether it will pull in guests for the long term, but I am definitely interested to see it. Art Deco/1920's glamour, Napa Rose quality menu and cocktails promising an entertaining twist. Yes please.
Originally Posted By ksargen I realize I ought to be able to seek and find this, but a link to the story would be awfully nice... All of what was mentioned in #1 sounds good, though. Kinda like going back to the Avalon Cove.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Probably not, but it would be pretty cool if they did in the Blue Bayou. A well made turtle soup would be pretty good too.
Originally Posted By Malin I really hope we start getting more details on this Restaurant soon. Especially since it will very likely be opened to dining reservations. Which can be booked two months in advance. Hoping the Restaurant is a huge suscess. The other table service Restaurant inside the park "Wine Country Trattoria" I am not a massive fan. And menu is identical at Ariel's Grotto when its not hosting Character meals. What Andrew sutton and his team need to work on is a couple of signature dishes that will become crowd favourites. Something like a Monte Cristo sandwich with more elegance. Something that will always be featured on the menu. Something else that could be worth looking into if Disney has not already done so is seasonal menu changes like the Napa Rose. I would also look into the possibility of offering World of Colour packages. I think the Annual Passport crowd would really enjoy and be willing to spend money on coming down to the park after work enjoying an excellent meal in beautiful surroundings. Followed by a reserved spot for World of Colour.
Originally Posted By tashajilek If the food was as good as Blue bayou i would be very happy to eat there. I liked Ariels but i wasnt blown away by the meal either. I have yet to try Wine country because i havent heard good things about it.
Originally Posted By nutmegpeach Here's the link. Love Mr. Lutz's "insider updates". The Restaurant info is under the "Dinner Theater" heading. Like a couple of you, he does touch on the Blue Bayou comparisons. One of the biggest hurdles may be the lack of a "view" like BB has, but if they really go over the top with the glamour/1920's theming, I personally feel it could be better. (high expectations) <a href="http://miceage.micechat.com/allutz/al022112a.htm" target="_blank">http://miceage.micechat.com/al...112a.htm</a>
Originally Posted By ksargen thank you, Nutmegpeach, for the link. I know Al often has things to say that not everyone buys into, so I've held off being a regular reader...
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Al Lutz seems to have a very reliable informant in DLR Operations at the moment. His predictions and reports have been very accurate over the last few years. Also, since he stopped injecting so much of his negative personal opinion into what's wrong at the resort his posts have been much more enjoyable to read.
Originally Posted By nutmegpeach I think his sources are sound, but they only know what's been said to them - sort of a telephone game I suppose. But even if it comes out a bit skewed on the end, I enjoy listening in on the possibilities.
Originally Posted By Yookeroo "Al Lutz seems to have a very reliable informant in DLR Operations at the moment. His predictions and reports have been very accurate over the last few years. Also, since he stopped injecting so much of his negative personal opinion into what's wrong at the resort his posts have been much more enjoyable to read." I wonder if these are related. Did turning down the negativity lead to more reliable sources?
Originally Posted By FerretAfros While his tone has changed in recent years, he seems to be using scare tactics in his writing more than ever. He's really good at giving a hyperbole of any situation, with no room for grey area. The basic facts are seldom wrong, but there's a lot of 'stuff' that he puts in with the facts that really isn't necessary (or correct, often). As for the restuarant, I'm looking forward to it, but I would be shocked if they really keep it as a Napa Rose-level location. WDW has several very nice locations in the parks (Le Cellier and Bistro de Paris come to mind), but they also have a lot more demand and capacity for sit-down meals of every level. It should also be noted that the fancy places in WDW are notoriously small and difficult to get reservations for; the Carthay Circle appears to be much larger and have a bigger capacity. I don't doubt that it will be a very nice restuarant, and well themed. Part of what makes a WDW vacation great (as I was just posting in another thread on the boards) is that there is so much variety to the food. In the last couple years, it's become painfully apparent that DL is severly lacking in this area, and needs to work on it. However, I think that they should fill in the middle ground (Blue Bayou-level) before taking it to the extreme.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "I wonder if these are related. Did turning down the negativity lead to more reliable sources?" I've wondered the same thing. Of course this is pure speculation, but I get the sense that whoever he was getting his information from during the Eisner/Harriss/Pressler years had it in big time for DLR management and Al used his blog to help rile up the Internet troops against them. Granted, things were pretty bad back then, but I'm sure there's plenty of dirty backstage laundry to air today, yet somehow it rarely (if ever) makes it into his column. "He's really good at giving a hyperbole of any situation, with no room for grey area." I agree. "In the last couple years, it's become painfully apparent that DL is severly lacking in this area, and needs to work on it." Yes, and hopefully now that the DLR is officially over a decade old people understand that there's more to the place than just a bunch of attractions in DL. One of the first things I want to do when I visit "the new" DCA is hit the cocktail lounge at the Carthay Circle.
Originally Posted By TP2000 Hans, DCA will be opening at 8AM this summer. Could we at least wait until the first afternoon parade before the drinking starts?
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt You're right. Hmmm... is there a place in DCA where one can get a mimosa with breakfast?
Originally Posted By TP2000 That's a good question, and it's been years since I've had a Mimosa and yet I can easily imagine how nice it would be to have one at an outdoor table on Buena Vista Street this summer. With its standard opening of 10AM for the last decade, even during the busiest weeks of Christmas or holidays, DCA doesn't seem to have any breakfast places. Al Lutz says DCA will open at 8AM daily beginning June 15th, so a breakfast menu will need to be created for a few DCA restaurants. I would bet the Fiddler, Fifer and Practical Cafe' is going to do breakfast, but not sure about Carthay Circle. This all brings up very valid questions, not just about Mimosas, but a rapidly changing DCA and how it acts for its customers. But the Mimosa thing is still pretty important.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Yeah, I'm thinking Sunday brunch with mimosas on Buena Vista Street would be quite something.
Originally Posted By tashajilek Thats such good new that DCA will open at 8am! Does that mean later closing times too? I am really ready for DCA to have a better variety of food offerings. I always visit DCA and then return to DL for food.
