INTERCOT Insider June 2006 - Edition One

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<< Introduction >>


"Summertime, and the livin' is easy"
Welcome one and all to our first summer-themed Insider of the year! Our experts have great suggestions for cooling off and having fun at Walt Disney World during the scorching summer months. We also present the top 5 places to get that favorite summer treat – ice cream! And a cool, out of this "World" dining experience is highlighted by MickeysGirl and Nigel.

Grab a cool drink and get comfortable……easy (and fun) reading ahead!


<< Disney World’s Best Summertime Activities >>

Presented by: Cara Goldsbury
Author of The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World Resort

** Take a break from the theme parks and spend a day by one of Disney’s fantastic resort pools. What better way to cool off in the summer heat.

** Shop till you drop in the air conditioned shops and restaurants at Downtown Disney. Pick up all your souvenirs at the newly remodeled World of Disney, the largest Disney store anywhere.

** Splish splash the day away at one of Disney’s unique water parks. Typhoon Lagoon is a beauty with a pool boasting some of the tallest simulated waves in the world. Or if you’re a daredevil at heart head to Blizzard Beach with its wild, rushing water and death-defying slides.

** Snag a bass on a fishing excursion. Pontoon boats with experienced guides depart from the resort marinas to fish the waters of Bay Lake, the Seven Seas Lagoon, Lake Buena Vista, and the Sassagoula River. No fishing license is required and it’s strictly catch and release.

** Hit the water at the Contemporary Resort where Sammy Duval Water Sports offers parasailing, water-ski, tubing, and personal watercraft action. It’s the kick of a lifetime!

** Catch a wave at Typhoon Lagoon with Cocoa Beach Surfing School. Learn to surf in the super wave pool before park opening hours on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

** Take a spin on one of Disney’s waterways. With 850 acres of lakes, 130 feet of shoreline, 66 miles of canals, and over 500 watercraft, boating is a major pastime at Walt Disney World. Most resorts as well as Downtown Disney have their own marina with a variety of boats available for hire including Boston Whaler Montauks, pontoon boats, sailboats, Sea Raycers, even a luxury yacht.

** Cool off in the mountains of the Himalayans. Expedition Everest, the Animal Kingdom’s newest attraction, involves out-of-control railcars that race forward and backward, sending Disney's Animal Kingdom guests swooping into the unknown to brave twists, turns and drops inside and outside a mighty mountain. It all leads to an unforgettable encounter with the yeti.


<< INTERCOTee Top 5 … Ice Cream Places  >>

The Walt Disney World resort is known for great attractions, fantastic landscapes and warm weather. While the latter of the three features can be a bother in the Spring and Summer months, Walt Disney World offers a number of places to cool off with your favorite ice cream dish. While each INTERCOTee has their own favorite places to get ice cream around “the world”, the Insider has reviewed discussions from the past 6 months and tabulated the INTERCOTee Top 5 Favorite Places to Get Ice Cream.

Coming in at number 5 … Plaza Ice Cream Parlor

This ice cream parlor of yesteryear is one of many fashionable merchants adorning Main Street in the Magic Kingdom, but the only one where you can enjoy hand dipped cones or old fashion floats. For a classic cool treat try the restaurant’s signature “Plaza” Ice Cream Sundae; this staple of the dessert world features your choice of ice cream topped with hot Fudge, whipped cream and a cherry served in waffle bowl.

Coming in at number 4 … Mrs. Potts' Cupboard

Stop by this Fantasyland confectionarium and your taste buds will be living happily ever after. Here you can indulge in several unique sundaes like a fudge brownie sundae or a strawberry shortcake sundae. The fudge brownie sundae is scrumptiously comprised of a fudge brownie topped with your choice of soft serve ice cream, hot fudge or caramel topping and whipped cream, while the strawberry shortcake sundae is a delicious blend of vanilla soft serve and strawberries slathered onto a shortcake.

Coming in at number 3 … The Plaza Restaurant

This quaint Victorian parlor on the corner of Main Street and the hub serves up a variety of old fashioned ice cream classics like an Original Banana Split and the Plaza Restaurant Sundae as well as unique ice cream dishes like the Mickeylodean. The restaurants signature Plaza Restaurant Sundae is your choice of ice cream topped with hot fudge, strawberry sauce, crushed pineapple, whipped cream, chopped nuts and a cherry. The Mickeylodean is sure to please for kids of all ages as this vanilla ice cream dish features chocolate “Mickey ears” and cone hat.

Coming in at number 2 … Beaches & Cream Soda Shop

This throw back to the soda shops of the 1950’s American seaboard serves up sundae’s that will fill even the largest of appetites. The shop located at Disney’s Beach Club Resort offers huge signature gourmet sundaes like the Milky Way Sundae, The Fudge Mudslide or the No Way Jose. The No Way Jose, a particular INTERCOTee favorite, is a peanut butter lovers dream comprising of chocolate and vanilla ice cream, peanut butter and hot fudge sauces, peanut butter and chocolate morsels, whipped cream and a cherry. The main edible attraction though is a mountain of tasty morsels known as the Kitchen Sink. This monstrosity of a sundae is scoops of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee and mint chocolate chip, smothered cookie bites, candy bar pieces, whipped cream, cherries, hot fudge, and every other topping in the shop all served up in a kitchen sink.

And coming in at number 1 …
Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop

Topping out our list is a sweet San Franciscan soda shop that is sure to please all chocolate lovers. This soda fountain nestled amongst the shops of the Downtown Disney Marketplace serves up a number of deliciously memorable sundaes like The Earthquake, the S'More Sundae, the Very Berry Sundae, the Golden Gate Banana Split and the Warm Caramel Sundae. For those looking for a unique treat, the soda shop offers two specialty signature sundaes the Cable Car (scoops of rocky, chocolate chip, and chocolate ice cream topped with marshmallow topping, home-made hot fudge sauce, whipped cream, chopped almonds, a chocolate cable car and a cherry) and the Strike it Rich Sundae (A scoop of butter pecan ice cream topped with butterscotch sauce and golden almond nuggets “buried” under a layer of vanilla ice cream, home-made hot fudge sauce, whipped cream, chopped almonds and a cherry).

Since Ghirardelli is first and foremost about the chocolate, its no surprise that their flagship sundae is their “World Famous Hot Fudge Sundae”. This sundae lives up to it’s name featuring two scoops of premium vanilla ice cream overflowing with fresh home-made Ghirardelli hot fudge sauce, topped with whipped cream, chopped almonds and a cherry.

That’s it for the countdown, hope it’s given you some ideas for places to cool off with a sweet treat on your next trip.


<< Dining Out with MickeysGirl and dr_nigel_c >>

A long time ago, on a five-year mission to seek out new food and new dining experiences, in a World far, far away...we're proud to bring you a new edition of Dining Out!

This time around, we turn our focus to Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, located on Commissary Lane at the Disney-MGM Studios! This is definitely one of our favorite family-friendly restaurants at the Studios.

For those of us old enough to remember going to the drive-in theater, ordering some food and watching a cheesy movie on the big outdoor screen was definitely fun. Well, leave it to Disney to combine all the best parts of this experience to allow a new generation of kids (and even some kids-at-heart) to enjoy!

Your experience starts at check-in, where you'll probably notice that many of the servers are wearing roller skates! Once your table -- oops, car -- is ready, you'll be taken down a slim hallway. Once you reach the end and turn the corner you'll be instantly surrounded by the theme. Rows and rows of car-tables, all facing a giant screen playing clips from really bad science fiction movies and cartoons. Don't forget to look upward to notice the painted “night sky” complete with stars – it really helps put you in the mood!

Most of the cars offer three rows which seat 2 comfortably, and all seats face the screen. There are some picnic type tables available for larger parties of those folks having special needs. Of course, being located in Disney-MGM Studios, park admission is required and Advanced Dining Reservations are highly recommended, as spots fill up very quickly.

Sci-Fi is open for lunch and dinner. Lunch, served from 11a.m. until 4p.m., offers prime rib, smoked turkey, reuben and BBQ chicken breast sandwiches (Nigel's favorite), penne pasta & pan-fried catfish. Prices range from $10.99 to $15.99. Dinner offers several of the lunch items, plus other features such as BBQ ribs, prime rib, top sirloin & New York strip steak. Prices for dinner range from $14.00 to $18.99. Your standard drinking fare (sodas, tea, water, etc) is available as well some “big kid drinks” like beer and Mud Slide shakes (Jamie’s favorite).

Don't forget to leave room for dessert! Sci-Fi offers several yummy 'Closing Credits', including cheesecake, an apple and pecan crisp, plus the famous "Big Bang", with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge & caramel all swirled together with chocolate candies and strawberries!!

As mentioned before, ADR’s are highly recommended. Sci-Fi also participates in the Magic Your Way with Dining Plan as well as the Disney Dining Experience for your dining convenience.

Sci-Fi Dine-in comes highly recommended by these two kids at heart, as well as our Little Nigel, the most adult of the 3 of us (he’s 8). ;-) We’ll definitely be going back for a rerun… I mean a return visit.

We hope you've enjoyed our review, and we'll be back next time with an all-new review. Live long and prosper, earthlings!


<< Conclusion>>

Wow, there is so much to do to battle the heat during those hot summer months when the parks are so busy! I bet we're all craving some ice cream right about now. Thanks to all those who contributed to this issue. We'll be back in a couple of weeks with another Insider. Until then, see you on the boards!

 
<< INTERCOT Would Like To Thank>>

The INTERCOT Insider and INTERCOT.com are supported by the following sponsors who in turn, help us bring the Magic to you!

All Star Vacation Homes
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