Alison Haselden, Author at MouseDining

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Alison Haselden

MouseDining Community Review: California Grill

General, Restaurant Reviews By Alison Haselden April 5, 2023 No Comments

Ever wondered if Disney’s California Grill is actually worth the hype? Real life MouseDining user, Ashley recently used MouseDining to score a prime time dining reservation to enjoy the special 50th Anniversary 3-course tasting menu and fireworks show with a friend. And lucky for you, she gave us a play-by-play of her experience!

Here’s what Ashley of Pixie & Magic had to say about her experience dining at Disney’s California Grill restaurant:

“Now my experience at California Grill was absolutely amazing! For this being my first time it definitely gave me a good impression! The service from the Cast Members were exceptional! Our waiter, Walter, was so much fun and helped us picked some yummy dishes! Right now they have a 3-Course Meal to celebrate the 50th Celebration! From the drinks to the main course and ending with dessert everything was to perfection! And it didn’t hurt that you saw Space Mountain (my fave) and Cinderella’s Castle as your view.”

Ashley ordered the Rainbow Roll (Tuna, Salmon, Hamachi, Avocado, Mango, Pickled Watermelon Radish) for her California Grill appetizer:

For her main course, she ordered the Cast Iron-grilled Pork Tenderloin (Goat Cheese Polenta, Forest Mushrooms, Lacquered Pork Belly, Root Spinach, Corn, Zinfandel Glaze):

For dessert, she enjoyed the California Grill’s Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake (Chevre Whip, Meringue, Blueberry Foam, Blueberry Gel):

Here’s a quick rundown of the California Grill restaurant highlights:

This restaurant is located in Walt Disney World at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
On the 15th floor of the hotel, guests enjoy a view of the Seven Seas Lagoon and Magic Kingdom park while they dine. This dining experience is known as one of the best for catching the Magic Kingdom fireworks display.
Only dinner reservations are available at California Grill.
The dress code for the California Grill restaurant is described by Disney as, “Sophisticated and upscale aesthetic. Clothing should be clean, neat and in good condition. Please no swimwear.”
The 3-Course Tasting Menu at California Grill is $89 for adults and $39 for children.

Ashley said that using MouseDining has transformed her Disney planning experience into a more peaceful one.

She said, “I was finally able to mark California Grill off of my Disney Dining Bucket List all thanks to my beautiful friends over at MouseDining. They are an online service that set alerts for when when certain dining, tours, special events are available for the time & date that you want! Especially for the rare places we want to try; once it’s available MouseDining will send you that alert immediately and you’ll be able to book. No need to pound the app (which I used to do in the past a lot). Now this has me covered & I can book in peace.”

Want to plan your very own California Grill dinner date night? Try MouseDining today.

MouseDining Community Spotlight: Lamplight Lounge

General By Alison Haselden December 8, 2022 No Comments

Cassi from the popular Disney YouTube channel, Cassi’s Castle took us on her trip to Disneyland’s California Adventure featuring a special brunch at the Lamplight Lounge!

The Lamplight Lounge is the perfect restaurant to sit back and relax while still feeling like you’re part of the action at California Adventure, thanks in large part to the spectacular view of Paradise Pier.

The Lamplight Lounge offers brunch, lunch and dinner as well as a casual bar for Guests to grab a drink or snack if they’re not looking for a full meal.

What to eat at the Lamplight Lounge for brunch

Cassi and her friends raved over the The Falling with Style Festive non-alcoholic drink ($7) with Pixar ball-themed straw accessory and the Mimosa Flight ($27). They also enjoyed several of the fan-favorite brunch dishes on the Lamplight Lounge menu including:

Crab and Potato Cake Benedict ($22) – Cassi gave this Disney meal a 10/10!

This meal is made up of Potato Cake Benedict with Sautéed Spinach, Soft-poached Eggs, and Chipotle Hollandaise with Fresh Fruit

Lamplight Chilaquiles ($20)

This dish consists of House-made Tortilla Chips tossed in a 3-Chile Red Sauce, Cheddar-Jack, Two Eggs-up, Queso Fresco, Red Onions, Cilantro-Serrano Sour Cream and Sliced Avocado, topped with Pepitas

Indulgent French Toast ($20)

This decadent brunch includes Cinnamon-Brown Sugar Challah Bread, Irish Cream Whip, Maple Syrup, Macerated Berries and House-made Almond Brittle

Getting Disney reservations with MouseDining

Here’s what Cassi had to say about using MouseDining to help plan her Disney trips and dining reservations:

“It’s super easy. I feel like it’s great for when you’re planning your Disney trips because reservations are always the hardest and fill up so fast. I feel like MouseDining is the best way to go about planning your Disney trip!”

Click the image below to watch Cassi’s full video on her experience! (View from 0:00 – 05:53)

VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNAABME3IfE&ab_channel=Cassi%E2%80%99sCastle

Here’s a quick rundown of the Lamplight Lounge restaurant highlights:

This restaurant is well-loved for it’s cocktail selection as well as popular dishes such as the lobster nachos, tuna poke, and the Pastrami-spiced Impossible™ plant-based burger.
Animation lovers will enjoy featured sketches and characters around the restaurant’s decor, napkins, and menu.
Most meals range between $15 to $34.99 per adult
This location tends to get particularly crowded later in the evening for the prime view of the pier and World of Color light and water show. You’ll definitely want to use MouseDining to help snag a reservation during peak hours!
Brunch is only offered on weekends, don’t forget to double check your schedule if a brunch meal is on your must-do list.

Lamplight Lounge Hours:

On weekdays (Monday – Thursday)

Lunch – 11:30 AM to 3:55 PM

Dinner – 4:00 PM to 8:30 PM

On weekends (Friday – Sunday)

Brunch – 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Lunch – 2:00 PM to 3:55 PM

Dinner – 4:00 PM to 8:30 PM

Click here to try MouseDining for yourself and make your next Disney dining reservation magical – just like Cassi!

The 6 Best Disney Foodie Podcasts

General By Alison Haselden November 14, 2022 No Comments

When there are so many amazing Disney dining opportunities to choose from, it’s easy for even the most experienced Disney foodie to fall into “analysis paralysis” and get overwhelmed.

What’s the must-eat Disney meal of the moment? Is the cool atmosphere and theming worth the hype? Does the price point actually match the quality?

If you’re anything like our team, the first place you go to get the real scoop on the best Disney tips and tricks are Disney podcasts! And since we’re all about the food here at MouseDining, we rounded up 6 of our favorite Disney foodie podcast episodes to inspire you!

Happy listening…and eating!

Dining at Disney Podcast

The Dining at Disney Podcast is hosted by Kristen Hoetzel-Go and Vincent “Bubba” Alvarez and is the number one Disney podcast for non-stop Disney foodie information. Kristen and Bubba provide delicious discussion on the wonderful world of dining at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Episodes release weekly and always include the latest food news, expert tips, recommendations, and trip planning advice related specifically to Disney dining, making it one of our personal favorites on the list.

This is one of our favorite episodes.

Main Street Magic Podcast

Main Street Magic is a Disney podcast hosted by Jeremy and Rhonda Stein. Fun fact about these hosts? They (along with their two daughters) have visited Walt Disney World every single month for over 5 years and counting. They provide the latest content, news and reviews on both parks and resorts in Orlando, Florida. Main Street Magic podcast has been running since 2017. They aim to provide an “informative, realistic, unbiased and entertaining podcast to help serve the Disney and Universal community for both veterans and rookies.”

We suggest tuning into Episode 381.

My DVC Points Podcast

Host Chad Pennycuff leads the My DVC Points podcast. If you are a Disney Vacation Club member, this is the Disney podcast show for you! According to their website, “We are a member-to-member community dedicated to helping each other maximize their DVC memberships by learning about other members’ perspectives, experiences, and personal preferences”. My DVC Points is a positive show with a healthy dose of realism.

Check out Episode 212.

DLWeekly Podcast

Disneyland Weekly (The DLWeekly Podcast) is hosted by Tage and Theresa. This duo provides weekly news and information specifically about the Disneyland Resort, with the occasional feature of one of the other parks or resorts. One unique element of this Disney podcast are the unique featured guests including former Disney Imagineers, cast members, and current Disney-adjacent CEOs. Listeners can expect a variety of insider information with a nice focus on dining scattered throughout. New episodes are released every Wednesday.

Episode 192 is our favorite!

A Dose of Magic Podcast

The A Dose of Magic Podcast is hosted by your new favorite set of brothers from Philadelphia, Ryan and Brett Sheplock. This Disney podcast show offers a wide variety of conversations under the Disney umbrella, from theme park hacks to Disney+ chats to parks and resorts food favorites and observations about the people of Disney. Each episode is “bite-sized” at around 30 min or less, making the show an easy car ride or binge listen.

Tune in to Episode 45 for a little extra magic.

No-Guilt Disney Podcast

Hosts Patty, Theresa, and Jane are self-proclaimed “Disney fan girls” who highlight year-round tips and tricks on the No-Guilt Disney Podcast, but with a heavy focus on special events like the runDisney marathons, D23 expos, and more. Their friendship and banter is the star of the show as they share candid stories of the Disney parks experience. “Segments include listener-submitted memorable moments and unpopular opinions as well as travel planning tips and discussions”.

We loved this episode of the show.

Whether you’re just tuning in on the journey to Disney World or Disneyland or are a regular listener, we’re curious…what’s your favorite Disney podcast? Who should we add to our list?

MouseDining loves to support the Disney Creator community. If you a Disney podcast host looking to collaborate with MouseDining, send us a message: alison@mousedining.com

MouseDining Community Review: Skipper Canteen

General By Alison Haselden September 6, 2022 No Comments

Want to hear from a real MouseDining user like you? Meet Liz!

She recently used MouseDining to secure her Disney date night reservation at The Skipper Canteen, and made a vlog about her experience, from setting her MouseDining alert, to picking the perfect outfit for her date, to the actual meal.

Liz said, “Robby and I have been wanting to go to Skipper Canteen for YEARS! Thanks to MouseDining, we were finally able to make that happen. Come along with us as we outfit plan, do a little last-minute DIY, and have a romantic date night in the most magical place on earth! Check out my YouTube video to see my full experience.”

In her YouTube video, Liz shares, “If you’ve ever tried to book dining reservations at Disney, you know it isn’t the most…intuitive or easy way to do things. The way that the dining reservations are organized, sometimes the reservation that you want is like hiding away. It’s so nice that you don’t have to keep checking the site manually.”

“So MouseDining just does it all for you! In my experience of using the service for two or three reservations so far, I’ve been able to get all the reservations I wanted which is incredible! The process of booking it was absolutely fantastic. Thus far I’ve had great success with MouseDining.”

We love seeing how much joy is part of our clients’ experience of a Disney dining adventure. Liz celebrated the fun night out by creating her very own DIY Skipper Canteen Hat with Mickey Ears to fit the theme of the restaurant (check out her video above to see how she did it!).

Here’s a quick rundown of the Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen restaurant highlights:

Skipper Canteen has three quirky dining areas: the crew’s colonial-era Mess Hall; the Jungle Room, former parlor of Dr. Albert Falls himself; and the S.E.A. Room – a once-secret meeting place for the Society of Explorers and Adventures.
This restaurant is located in Walt Disney World at Magic Kingdom in Adventureland
Both lunch and dinner reservations are available at Skipper Canteen, with times reflecting park hours daily
The menu varies, borrowing flavors from African, Asian, and Latin cuisine, offering both meat and veggie-forward options
Most menu options at The Skipper Canteen range between $15 – $34.99

Liz and Robby enjoyed a wonderful meal at Skipper Canteen and ended their Disney date night with a romantic waltz before heading home. Liz says she already has signed up for a few more reservation alerts from MouseDining to make sure she scores the perfect spots for when her friends come for a joint Disney trip next month!

Want to plan your very own Skipper Canteen date night? Try MouseDining today.

MouseDining Community Review: Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue

General By Alison Haselden August 15, 2022 No Comments

It’s no secret that the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Fort Wilderness has been one of the most desirable Walt Disney World reservations since its reopening in July 2022. So we were so excited when one of our favorite Disney creators, Brenda (she has incredible Disney content all year round!), told us she used MouseDining to land a reservation for dinner.

Brenda tried and failed to get her weekend reservation three times on her own before she decided to sign up for the MouseDining service. After updating her account, it only took a few hours before she got a text alert that her desired reservation time had been locked in!

We loved how Brenda joined in on the festivities and embraced the Western theme of this Disney dining experience by dressing the part with Chip and Dale themed overalls and braiding her hair.

Check out her Disney “get ready with me” video for a sneak peek at this Fort Wilderness dining favorite!

She was blown away by the live stage performance and dug into a big plate of ribs and mac n’ cheese. Brenda loved the interactive show experience and the bottomless sangria was a welcome addition, too!

Brenda said, “So impressed with Hoop-Dee-Doo, it was such a fun show and the food was amazing! So happy I was able to get a reservation thanks to MouseDining. If you are looking for a way to score a reservation for a popular spot like this one, try it out!”

Here’s a quick rundown of the The Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue restaurant highlights:

The Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue is an all-you-can-eat-and-drink style dinner.
There are three time slots available daily at 4 PM, 6:15 PM, and 8:30 PM.
There are three, flat rate dining options to choose from ranging in price from $66 to $74.
This Disney restaurant has been delighting Guests since 1979
Famous for being one of the longest-running dinner show theaters in the country
It is also wildly popular and touted one of the best Disney dining reservations considering the value offered for the price.

Click here to try MouseDining for yourself and make your next Disney dining reservation magical – just like Brenda!