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From the sun-kissed shores of San Diego to the heart of the most magical place on earth, two hotels stand out as monuments to luxury, class, and timeless architectural beauty: The Hotel Del Coronado and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. But how do these two iconic establishments stack up against each other? Let’s delve in.

History and Inspiration:
The Hotel Del Coronado, affectionately known as “The Del,” opened its doors in 1888. This National Historic Landmark, with its stunning Victorian architecture, has played host to celebrities, presidents, and royalty throughout its illustrious history. Its unmistakable red-roofed, white wooden exterior and opulent interiors make it a showpiece of the Californian coast.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, on the other hand, transports visitors to the Floridian coast of yesteryears. Opened a century after The Del, in 1988, it’s undeniable that the Grand Floridian borrows heavily from its Californian counterpart’s aesthetic. The Victorian elegance, the sprawling lobbies, and the picturesque waterfront setting echo the charm of The Del.

  • Hotel Del Coronado Entrance
  • Grand Floridian Exterior
  • Hotel Del Coronado Exterior
  • Hotel Del Coronado from the Beach
  • Courtyard Area at Hotel Del Coronado
  • Courtyard Area ad Grand Floridian
  • Main Lobby at Grand Floridian
  • Main Lobby at Hotel Del Coronado
  • Lobby Bar at Hotel Del Coronado
  • Enchanted Rose at Grand Floridian
  • Weathering outside of Hotel Del Coronado
  • More Weathering at Hotel Del Coronado

Scroll Through the Gallery above to more pictures comparing the two iconic hotels

The Aesthetic Comparison:
Both hotels exude a similar air of timeless elegance. The vast, intricately detailed lobbies, the grand staircases, and the meticulous landscaping tell tales of a bygone era of luxury. The overarching theme is a nod to the Victorian age, but each hotel offers its unique touch — The Del with its Pacific Ocean backdrop and the Grand Floridian with its Magic Kingdom vistas.

Upkeep and Maintenance:
While both establishments aim for perfection, on my recent visit to The Del, I couldn’t help but notice a stark contrast in upkeep when compared to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. Despite its historical significance, some areas of The Del showed signs of wear, perhaps a testament to its extensive history and the challenges of maintaining a property by the salt-laden sea. I noticed a lot of exterior flaws in the paint for example. This much visual wear and tear wouldn’t be tolerated at the Grand Floridian. At least not in my experience.

Disney’s Grand Floridian, however, seemed pristine. The Walt Disney World Resort, known for its impeccable attention to detail, ensures that the Grand Floridian remains in tip-top shape, retaining its charm and magic year after year. From freshly painted exteriors to immaculately groomed gardens, Disney’s commitment to guest experience and preserving the magic is evident. I know that as the writing of this the lobby and some of the buildings at Grand Floridian are undergoing an extensive refurbishment. That also speaks to the fact that Disney is always looking to improve and keep this property in pristine condition.

In Conclusion:
While The Hotel Del Coronado and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort share a kindred spirit in design and elegance, their experiences differ. The Del offers a rich, historical journey on the Californian coast, while the Grand Floridian provides a magical escape in the heart of Walt Disney World, with the added touch of Disney’s renowned maintenance standards.

Both have their unique charm and offerings, and choosing between them boils down to personal preferences: a historic coastal getaway or a magical Disney experience in a setting inspired by history. I say you should visit both! While they look very similar on the outside the experiences will be very different. while walking the grounds of the Del, I couldn’t help but feel like I was touring a new addition to the Grand Floridian that I didn’t know about.

Have you had the opportunity to experience both these iconic hotels? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!

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In our recent episode, while diving deep into Jason’s Disneyland trip report, a theme park more than 2,000 miles away still managed to tug at his heartstrings – the one and only Epcot at Walt Disney World.

“The thing I missed most while out there in California? Epcot. There’s just nothing quite like it…”

A snippet from Episode 416 where we discuss Epcot

Indeed, there isn’t. Epcot has remained unparalleled since its grand opening in 1982. It’s a testament to the park’s uniqueness that even after visiting Disneyland, with its myriad of attractions and timeless charm, Epcot still held its own. It’s almost like Epcot is our little piece of Walt out here on the east coast. While Walt never saw Epcot come to fruition, he was obsessed with the idea of it in his final days.

What Epcot could have been…an experimental prototype community of tomorrow

Even through we didn’t get a living, breathing community of the future – it emerged as something perhaps even more special: a celebration of humanity’s achievements, a glimpse into our potential future, and a global cultural fiesta all rolled into one. Epcot seamlessly marries two contrasting worlds: the forward-looking, technology-driven Future World and the rich, diverse World Showcase. This blend allows guests to hop from experiencing the thrill of tomorrow in attractions like Test Track or Spaceship Earth to indulging in the culinary and cultural delights of 11 different countries, all in the span of a day.

For all three of us at “Traveling with the Mouse”, Epcot holds a special place. It has long been our favorite of the Disney World theme parks but sometimes it is hard to know exactly why. We touch on it in the clip above from our most recent episode. There is just something about Epcot that you can’t get anywhere else on earth. They tried to make a Westcot but those plans ultimately fell through. Disney hasn’t been able to replicate the uniqueness and originality that is Epcot. It really is the most unique Disney park in the world.

So, next time you find yourself wandering the pathways of Epcot…remember to: Thank the Phoenicians, Design your own car, Save the Galaxy, Visit Mars (or circle the earth), Soar around the World, Drink Around the World, go to La Cava and then ride Gran Fiesta Tour, enjoy some food and wine, soak in the atmosphere, learn to live with the land, visit our favorite purple dinosaur, get stuck for 25 minutes on the Seas, ride the Skyliner back and forth between Epcot and Hollywood Studios and so much more. No matter where your Disney travels take you, you might just find yourself missing this one-of-a-kind gem.

What are some of your thoughts, memories, and Epcot stories? Let us know!

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On our podcast we talk a lot about these lounges. We thought it would be a good idea to talk more about them in depth and put together a pros and cons list of each. We haven’t visited every single bar or lounge on Disney property yet but there are several that we keep repeating because they have become staples of our Walt Disney World experience! If your favorite is not on our list, let us know! With that out of the way, these are our current top five and I am even going to throw in some honorable mentions at the end. Let’s get started…

In no particular order (because we can’t agree on the ranking) We are starting with…La Cava del Tequila. This lounge is located in the Mexico Pavilion at Epcot, So you need a park ticket and a reservation for Epcot to get here. It’s hard to beat the Mexico pavilion when it comes to theming but throw in some good margaritas and some queso on top of that and you have an unbeatable combination!

Pros: Excellent Drink menu, especially if you like tequila. The Theming here is arguably the best on this list. The atmosphere inside the Mexico Pavilion is some of the best in World Showcase. If you are lucky enough to score a table…the chips, quac, and queso are also top notch. Shoutout to Barbas as well who is one of the best servers anywhere in Walt Disney World!

Cons: It Can be very crowded depending on the time of day that you visit. It is tough to get a table here but it is so much better if you do. Most people will do the walk up bar and enjoy their drinks outside by the fountain. Drink are on the expensive side. ($16-$30)

The next one on our list is the Nomad Lounge. Located just outside of Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. (A park ticket and reservation at Animal Kingdom is required) We finally got to visit this lounge for the first time this year and it was an instant favorite! The theming here is also outstanding (here’s looking at you Joe Rhode). We also really enjoyed the food options and the drink menu is very diverse. This one has it all…so much so that this lounge won our twitter poll by a landslide.

Pros: The theme of world travel here is incredible and the cozy atmosphere just makes you want to stay here all day. (we practically did on our first visit). The food options are outstanding and the wide variety of drinks means that you can find something for everyone here!

Cons: This place is popular so get your name in early. We had to wait 30 minutes to get a spot not long after it opened. This lounge is at Animal Kingdom so it is out of the way for most of Walt Disney World. Just make sure to work this into your Animal Kingdom day. I did also find that the seating areas can be a little close together depending on where you get seated.

The next one in our top five is Dahlia Lounge. This spacious lounge is located at the top of Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs resort. (No theme park ticket or reservation required) This is another one that has it all…Good food options and a nice variety of drinks that will please just about anyone. The views from the top of the tower are also quite nice.

Pros: Great Views from on top of Gran Destino Tower. It is very spacious and spread out for a lounge. There’s good food and drink options. We have had top notch service here as well. (It also has a great name 🙂

Cons: Unless you are staying at this resort you will have to go out of your way to get here. Some of the food options are on the pricey side. (I’m looking at you $35 charcuterie) but there are other options.

In no particular order, the next one on our list is Bar Riva. This one is located at Disney’s Riviera Resort. (No park ticket or reservation required) This is our favorite skyliner bar maybe because it is the shortest walk from a skyliner station. (we did the math) It also has fantastic food options and next door is Primo Piatto, one of our favorite quick service locations in all of Walt Disney World! We also have a favorite bar tender here, Chris.

Pros: Excellent food, there’s good options at Bar Riva but Primo Piatto is also right next door and just a mobile order away! The drinks here are outstanding and the service we’ve had has been wonderful. There’s a nice wide open courtyard area around this bar so there’s plenty of room and space for kids to run around. This one may also be the least crowded of any of the bars on this list.

Cons: The bar itself is covered but it is open air. If you aren’t familiar with the resort it may be difficult to find at first. I am also not a huge fan of the theming inside the bar but there’s plenty of other areas that you can sit and take in the beauty of this resort.

Last but not least is Baseline Taphouse. This is located inside of Hollywood Studios on Grand Avenue, just outside of the entrance to Batuu. (Park ticket and reservation for Hollywood Studios is required) The vibe here is chill and the music really sets that mood. If you love beer this is the place to go in Hollywood Studios. Prices here are very reasonable for a Disney Bar. This one has been on our list for a long time and I don’t see it going anywhere anytime soon.

Pros: The chill music creates a laid back atmosphere that is much needed at Hollywood Studios these days. The prices here are very reasonable for food and drinks. ($10 charcuterie) They have a good selection of craft beers on tap.

Cons: It has mostly outdoor seating and can get very crowded at times. There’s not a lot of cocktail options on the menu and the food is good but limited options.

So there you have it. This is our top five list of Bars/Lounges on Walt Disney World Property. Is there anything missing that should be here? Let us know! We are going on our experience and these are definitely the top 5 for us as of right now. In episode 372 linked here we go through 11 bars and lounges and easily narrowed down that list to these five. I will include some honorable mentions that we definitely enjoy often. Trader Sam’s/ Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace at Disney’s Polynesian Resort. Banana Cabana at Disney’s Caribbean Beach report, and Brown Derby Lounge at Disney’s Hollywood studios. Those are all good but didn’t quite make it into the top 5.

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California Grill

Back in July 2020 it was a lot easier to get a reservation at signature restaurants like California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. This one happens to be my favorite restaurant on property. In fact this year in our March Madness bracket episode we named California Grill as the best thing at Walt Disney World! I love this restaurant so much that I chose to brave covid-19 and dine here last July. It was the first restaurant that I had visited since the start of the pandemic. I was definitely a little nervous but we quickly felt at home thanks to the wonderful cast that works here.

Why do we love California Grill so much?

First of all, the views are incredible. You can look down into the Magic Kingdom and see the tops of the mountain range. When fireworks are happening the restaurant dims the lights and guests can exit the restaurant onto the rooftop to have a unique view of the show. The food is fantastic and the drinks are top notch! I love the sushi, the flatbreads and the bread service is good as well. I almost always order the beef filet which is my favorite. I haven’t had anything bad here.

3 hour dinner

We enjoyed this experience so much last July that we stretched it out as long as we possibly could. We made this dinner last over three hours. It felt so good to have a semi-normal experience again that we didn’t want it to end. We asked our server to bring us everything slowly because we didn’t want to rush. Our kids had full charge on their iPads and my wife and I just sat and enjoyed our drinks. This dinner was a much needed break from the reality of the pandemic that surrounded us.

When it comes to the food. We wanted some of everything since this was our fist sit-down meal in months and at the time we didn’t know how long it would be before we would have another one. We ordered flatbreads for the kids and as an appetizer for us we ordered the sushi. My favorite one on the menu is the Spicy Kazan roll with the fireball sauce…delicious! For the entrées my wife chose the Grouper while I went with the Filet of beef. Both were outstanding! The desserts are also a winner here!

Conclusion

To sum up, We love the California Grill because the staff here make sure that you have a good time. Even when it looked as though we were going to have a very negative experience they more than made up for it. There was a time in 2019 where we were an hour late getting to our table. We had a large group but that was still no excuse. The manager more than made it up to us by comping some appetizers for the table and by giving us all additional fast passes for the next day because we missed out on some that night. That’s why I say it is the best restaurant on property. The food is great, the views are great but also the cast members who work there are amazing!

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Magic Kingdom July 18, 2020

It has been one year since Walt Disney World re-opened during the Covid-19 pandemic. I thought it would be interesting to take a look back at my trip in July 2020. This was probably the least crowded I have ever seen the parks. The only other time I can recall it being similar crowd levels was in September 2001. Jon and I went to Walt Disney World just 2 days after 9/11 and the parks were also empty. This time was just as surreal because we were in the middle of the pandemic and things were only getting worse at that time so the future was very uncertain. There was definitely a feeling of…are we supposed to be here? It felt like we were doing something we weren’t allowed to do but were somehow getting away with.

Magic Kingdom

Empty Fantasyland

Our first stop upon arrival was the Magic Kingdom. We arrived 2 hours before closing and the park was a ghost town. It was both exciting and a little un-nerving. As you can see here, Fantasyland was very quiet. There were only a few people walking around and even fewer people on the rides. In the picture you can see one lonely stroller here parked outside of Prince Charming Regal Carousel. We made our way over to see what the wait for Peter Pan looked like and to our surprise there was nobody in line.

No guests in line for Peter Pan’s Flight

The line was empty for both Peter Pan’s Flight and It’s a Small world. We walked right on to both of those attractions. You can see below a group of two guests exiting the boat as we made our way through the queue.

Empty Line for It’s a Small World

After waiting in the longest line of the day for 7 dwarfs mine train (5 minutes) we decided to walk back over to the storybook circus area to see if anyone was back there. This section of the park tends to get pretty quiet towards the end of the day during normal times but on this day it was empty.

Under the Sea-Journey of the little Mermaid

You can see another lone stroller parked near the entrance to Under the Sea-Journey of the little Mermaid. We walked right onto this attraction and yet again saw one group of guests exiting the ride as we were boarding. We had the whole ride to ourselves. After our journey under the sea we walked over and rode Dumbo and Barnstormer multiple times. By the time our kids were tired of Barnstormer the park was about to close.

Storybook Circus July 18, 2020

There was a good 20 minutes or so where we didn’t see another guest while we were back in Storybook Circus. We only saw the cast members who were operating the attractions and the custodial cast members that were preparing for nightly cleaning.

Empty Tomorrowland July 2020

Once we made our way towards Tomorrowland the park was closed. We started our slow walk out of the park because we had a dinner reservation at California Grill and it was only a short walk away.

As we walked out through Main Street we encountered the biggest crowd of the day. The remaining guests were walking out with us as Mickey and friends waved goodbye. I snapped this picture looking back towards Cinderella Castle.

Main Street, July 18, 2020

In my next blog I will talk about my 3 hour dinner at California Grill and how great it was to actually sit an eat at a restaurant after being stuck in quarantine for several months. You can hear about this trip from our podcast episode from last year

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Baseline Tap House

If you’ve been to Disney’s Hollywood studios lately then you know the importance of getting there when the park opens. If you want to ride Slinky Dog Dash without an hour wait, then you need to be on the first bus or Skyliner gondola over to the park. However, what I am talking about is not a ride or an attraction. The second most important “rope drop” at Hollywood Studios happens at 10:30am. That is when Baseline Tap House opens for business each day. It has become a regular part of our Hollywood Studios routine! We feel that making this “rope drop” is just as important as securing that Rise of the Resistance boarding group or making it to the park in time to get onto Slinky Dog with a short wait.

Our Hollywood Studios Strategy…

Here’s how the last several trips to Hollywood Studios has gone for us. We get up before 7am so that we can grab that Rise of the Resistance boarding group. We get to the park at or around the time it opens and we head to Slinky Dog Dash. Sometimes we may choose to go to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway instead. After the initial ride, we may hit up Toy Story Mania or Smuggler’s Run. By the time we are done with those it is usually around 10:15am which means it is time to hightail it over to Baseline Tap House to be one of the first in line when it opens!

We regularly get the charcuterie plate, ($10.00) Bavarian pretzel, ($9.00) and the Beef Puff ($11.00). As far as the drinks go, Jason and I prefer the beers on tap while our wives tend to prefer the cocktails. I usually go the for North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsner ($10.50 for the 22oz) My wife prefers the California Sunset cocktail ($14.00). Yes, I know it is 10:30 in the morning but we are on vacation! Besides, what better way to Prepare yourself for joining the resistance than by settling the nerves with a little refreshment from Baseline Tap House? You can hear more about Baseline Tap House from our recent trip report episode here!

Timing that boarding group…

Baseline Tap house Souvenir glass

I believe the sweet spot for a Rise of the Resistance boarding group is between groups thirty and forty. What that typically means is that your boarding group should be called somewhere between 10:30 and 11:30 am. This gives you plenty of time for a mid-morning drink and bite to eat at Baseline before joining the Resistance! Throughout the day this place gets and stays pretty busy so finding a table can be tricky. It is also important to find a spot in the shade. Next time you find yourself at Hollywood Studios, stop by Baseline Tap House for a nice refreshment…Tell them Traveling with the Mouse sent you!

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Maybe this is common knowledge but it wasn’t to me. We even went on a VIP tour a few months ago and our VIP tour guide didn’t believe that there were any hidden Mickey’s in Galaxy’s Edge. We very quickly showed him pictures of the one from Millennium Falcon Smuggler’s Run. You know, the one on the side of the TV screen right before you enter the cockpit. He wasn’t aware of that one, a VIP tour guide at Disney. So naturally I was curious, if there is one on Smuggler’s Run then there must be one on Rise of the Resistance too, right? Long story short, I scoured the interwebs to see what I could find on the subject. I located one reddit post where someone had a blurry picture from the ride and pointed out what they believed to be a hidden mickey. It just so happened that I found that picture just minutes before we received an incoming transmission from Rey. Below is the second picture that I was able to get that finally came in clear…See it?

Hidden Mickey on Rise of the Resistance

This hidden Mickey is located in the room with the flailing Kylo Ren animatronic. As soon as you exit the gun room where only one turret gun seems to work any more…you enter this room and quickly pass by two control panels. The hidden Mickey is located on the second control panel. You can see it right before Kylo uses the force on your ride vehicle. If you are sitting in the back row it might be a little harder to see it because of the current plexiglass dividers but from the front row it is easy to spot. So now I know of at least two hidden Mickey’s in Galaxy’s edge, one in each attraction. Does anyone know of another in a different part of the land? Let us know in the comments if you spotted another hidden Mickey. We also talk about this during our Trip report episode. You can find it here!

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I know that we have slowed down on releasing new episodes over the last few days, but it is for a good reason.  Adam and his wife have welcomed a new addition to the family.  Hopefully we will be able to get some new material out sometime next week or so.  However, don’t be surprised if it takes a little longer as Hurricane Irma is scheduled to come right through our area in the next few days.  Thank you for visiting our page and listening to our show.  Hope everyone stays safe out there!