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Hello everyone,
Today the Disney Parks Blog announced that a brand new rotational seasonal dining experience, titled "Minnie's Seasonal Dine at Hollywood and Vine", will take place at the Hollywood and Vine at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
A little while ago Walt Disney World shocked fans by announcing a brand new Christmas meal there this year, which I talked about in detail here on the blog. Now, it would appear that Walt Disney World have decided that along with the former Star Wars meal, there was enough interest in seasonal dining that they would offer it year round!
To quote the Disney Parks Blog, the restaurant will now offer "cheerful togetherness of the holidays, the glamour of Hollywood, the delight of spring, the excitement of summer and the frightening fun of Halloween. With each new season, look for unique music, décor, all-new costumes, menu items and interactive musical moments."
In the comments section, it was confirmed by Rachel Brent of the Disney Parks Blog, that the Disney Junior meal that currently takes place there will continue for breakfast and lunch, before Minnie and friends arrive in the early evening.
The first meal, which will run from January 4th to March 20th, 2016, will "a dinner party celebrating the magic of the movies and the glamour of Hollywood."
For those of you who have ever been to Disneyland Paris, and are aware of Inventions there, you will know that themed dining is something that fans who visit both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris have wanted to transplant from the Parisian resort for a long time. Inventions has a weekly themed Sunday Brunch, which always offers special characters and special costumes. While expensive, it is a great way to meet some rare and cool characters, and see your favorite characters in special outfits. Obviously, this new seasonal dining at Hollywood Studios doesn't quite go to that extent, but it's a refreshing change, and one that we very much welcome.
Reservations for the new meal, starting January 4th, will open from October 27th this year.
Have a great day everyone,
Dan. |
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Hello everyone,
This week's restaurant review is about one of Jon and I's absolute favourites at any Disney Park or Resort - Inventions at the Disneyland Hotel in Disneyland Paris.
Inventions is situated on the second floor (European, or third floor to Americans), in the main "hub" area (known as Main Street Lounge), of the deluxe Disneyland Hotel.
The Disneyland Hotel is hard to miss, as it serves not only as the resort's flagship hotel, but also as the entrance to Disneyland Park.
Inventions is one of two restaurants at the Disneyland Hotel, the other being California Grill right next door. There is also a bar across the way, called Cafe Fantasia.
Inventions is always a buffet restaurant, regardless of the meal, but don't let that fool you, as I know some people don't really go for buffets.
The theme of the restaurant is a beautiful infusion of Victorian architecture, with that typical Disney twist, but a decidedly French flair.
The dining rooms are filled with details and artefacts from the Victorian era of discovery and travel. Bicycles, cogs, dirigibles, cameras and instruments line the walls and even the ceiling!
Virtually all tables (though not all) are situated next to windows which look directly onto Main Street below! You can see Main Street Station, the tops of the buildings beyond, and even the majestic Sleeping Beauty Castle.
Inventions has class, theme, detail, an unbeatable view, and as you'll discover below, incredible food at every meal!
Let's start at the beginning of every day, and that's with breakfast.
Breakfast at Inventions is served free for Disneyland Hotel guests, on presentation of valid Hotel ID, and is available usually from 7am until about 11am (it's best to check on the day of your arrival).
If you are staying at one of the other on site Disney Hotels, you may also eat here, but you may be charged an extra €12 per person, depending on how busy the restaurant is.
The main reason for other hotel guests to dine here is that Inventions actually serves really good, hot food, such as sausages, eggs and beans.
The other Disney Hotels offer decent food, but it's all croissants, rolls, cold meats etc. The Disneyland Hotel is a premium buffet, and that's why it's usually extra for non Disneyland Hotel guests.
Moving on, and we come to lunch and dinner. Lunch is usually presented from 12.30pm until 3pm. Dinner is from 6pm until 10.30pm.
Lunch may or may not be attended by Disney Characters - you'll know when you arrive as they usually have a sign - but dinner is always in the presence of our beloved Disney pals.
Lunch and dinner offerings are varied, and really good. I could go on and on about the food, but I'll let the photos speak for themselves!
There are several stations, each offering different a course for your meal, from seafood, cheeses, salad and starters, to mains, and finally desserts.
Characters in attendance at dinner can be fairly standard, but they can also be pretty random at times - you just have to get lucky!
Here's a few of the Disney Characters we've seen during dinner here over the years.
Finally we come to the best thing about Inventions, and the best character dining experience at the resort. The Sunday Brunches.
The Inventions Sunday Brunch happens every Sunday, from around midday (times can vary) until 3pm.
The brunch theme changes every week, meaning that every week the Disney Characters who appear are from a particular theme, movie or region of the world! Some of the brunch themes include:
and at seasonal times of the year can include:
The food at the brunches is usually a mixture of their standard lunchtime fare, and some additional items especially for the theme (for example London cuisines, or exotic dishes).
They usually try to decorate the buffet area too, and you may find the Cast Members in special clothing, as well as excellent themed ice sculptures, or other carvings!
Here's some of the fun characters we've met during the small number of themed brunches we have attended (we really want to attend them all, but that would mean being there all year round!)
Prices for Inventions can vary depending on when you visit, but are upwards of €35 for lunch and €54 for dinner. Brunch starts at €59, but at seasonal times can be a lot more. The drinks available for purchase are varied, and include wines, fruit juices and soft drinks. Birthday cakes can be arranged, and come at a significant extra cost (at least €25 for a cake that serves up to 8 people).
Reservations are highly recommended at Inventions, as the themed brunches can be very popular. You can make reservations with any Disney Hotel concierge, any guest relations location at the theme parks, directly at the restaurant itself, or 60 days in advance over the telephone by calling +33 1 60 30 40 50.
Annual Passholders get a maximum of 10% discount (as it's classed as table service), and Shareholder Club members get 15% with a valid Club Card and ID.
Yes, it is expensive, but to us, it's always worth it for the beautiful theming, the excellent food and the wonderful characters. If you are coming for the first time, it's a once in a life time trip, or you visit infrequently enough that you can save some money and you want something special, then Inventions is definitely worth the extra cost.
You can leave your comments by clicking here, where you will be magically transported to our forum.
Dan. |
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Hi all,
Overall not too much going on in the character world this week, but there were a few interesting points to note.
Over in California, Buena Vista Street got it's previews, and some of the brand new Citizens of Buena Vista Street were out greeting for the first time, as well as Mickey and Friends in their brand new 1920's style Hollywood outfits!
I don't have any pictures to post here (all from my contacts, sadly), but if you find any, hit the Discuss button below and reply on our Forum! We'll also be there at the end of July for ourselves, and will meet them all, of course! We're really excited to be able to go to DCA so soon after the new things open!
Along with the Buena Vista Street preview, Cars Land also had a preview, and Mater, McQueen and the brand new Red character were there. Mater and McQueen have been park regulars for a long time now, and will continue to meet once DCA re-opens. Red will star in his own new show in Cars Land once the land opens this week! [ Read More... ] |
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Hi all, We are now getting back into our regular schedules following our whistle-stop trip to DLP this past weekend. We had a good time as always, but sadly on Saturday evening things didn't quite go to plan for one reason or another, and it resulted in us making a very serious formal complaint at City Hall. It is the first time I have ever had to do so at any park (I don't just mean minor issues here and there, this was quite serious), but I have to say that despite the fact I had to make the complaint, we were seen to by the Cast Members at City Hall with care and respect, and we thank them greatly for the efforts to compensate us for our grievance. In fact, I think you'll be surprised to learn that they managed not only to give us a free pin of our choice each from the stores, but we actually got a private meet 'n' greet with our four favourite characters in a back room of City Hall, the following day! They managed to arrange for us to meet Peter Pan, Stitch and Chip and Dale (who were in their Frontierland Native American outfits no less)! [ Read More... ] |
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Hi all,
It has been a fairly quiet week on the character front, but I have some small pieces of info for you.
At the Walt Disney World Resort, Phineas and Ferb finally made their much anticipated debut at their new photolocation in Hollywood Studios. Jon found this video online, and you can see photos from Inside the Magic here. Don’t forget that Phineas and Ferb are due to start meeting very soon in California Adventure too – and Jon and I are going to be there in just two weeks, so we’ll have the latest up to date pictures right after they debut! [ Read More... ] |
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Hi all,
Yesterday was of course Valentine’s Day, which in the past at Disneyland Paris has meant some great random and rare character appearances, but sadly, not this year.
Our friends from Characters Photos Blog were there all day, and alas had no luck, except right at the end of the day when they went to the Santa Fe and there was some mini-show happening. Mickey and Minnie were there in their Valentine’s outfits from last year to provide the entertainment. [ Read More... ] |
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