Three Great Shots From Bioreconstruct

Popular man that he is, Bioreconstruct may chronicle theme parks in their current form and those in development, but it is easy to forget he is also a great photographer. And here are three recent photos as proof. Above is Universal's Islands of Adventure and a great evening shot of Velocicoaster.  It's definitely one of the best attractions in the park. The evening lights behind it make an even more impressive shot, playing up the drama.

Who doesn't love Toothsome Chocolate Emporium at City Walk? The food is just so good and the atmosphere fun. Is it for everyone? Read our Dine or Ditch review and then make your own decision. 

Last but not least, an impressive shot of Mission: Space at Epcot. The attraction may be yesterday's news because of the nearby Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, but I'd argue that the evening lighting package makes it just as otherworldly. 

There you have it. Three terrific shots from both the Universal Orlando Resort and competitor Walt Disney World proving there's a lot of great photography coming from a favorite resource for all things Central Florida.

(Photographs copyright Bioreconstruct.)

Dine or Ditch: Toothsome Chocolate Emporium at Universal Orlando's City Walk

We've heard it said many, many times that you don't go to Universal Orlando's Toothsome Chocolate Emporium for the food, you go for the desserts and incredible shakes. We thought it was time to check it out for ourselves- and it was the Number One dining destination for our stay over the days at Walt Disney World's fast growing competitor. 

Let me say in advance, this is our first Dine or Ditch for Universal, but it won't be our last. We had some great meals there!

Unlike the mess that dining has become at Disney World, we found reservations at Universal's beloved restaurant easy to come by. We only booked a month or so in advance because we wanted to make sure we got in. During our son's previous trip with one of his best friends, it was to be the dinner spot for his birthday celebration, but an unexpected electrical blackout made eating there impossible. When power came back up an hour or two later, they had already chosen another location. Unfortunately, they had to go home the next day. So, for this trip with dear old Mom and Dad, we wanted to make sure we got in. It was our top dining priority at Universal.

 

 

There's two easy approaches to Toothsome, and each one brings different views. The restaurant is right next door, about a three minute walk actually, from the entrance to Islands of Adventure. It is probably seven or eight minutes from the Studios. This makes it the perfect place to go for a meal midday or after a park visit.

 

We first saw it as we entered Universal's City Walk for the evening. Our first park visit wouldn't be until the next day, so we'd set aside the shopping and eating district for the first night. The place had a nice vibe! Think Disney Springs but for a younger, hipper crowd, with much more moderately priced restaurants (about a third less in price than those at Disney Springs and as good as all but the high end chef run locations such as Morimoto's), a slew of shops and even a couple of booze stands. Oh yeah, there's a great looking set of miniature golf courses nearby. We've got to try those out on our next visit.

 

We chose to walk around the lagoon to take it all in. Later, we took a launch (seen above) to the Loew's Royal Pacific Resort, an absolutely stunning hotel with a Southeast Asian theme. The resort's grounds are gorgeous, and the eateries look worth exploring. Perhaps next trip.

So far, Toothsome sounds pretty good: easy to book, great convenient location, and an inviting Steam Punk inspired exterior. How did it hold up to closer scrutiny for what you really go for? Well, we'd discover that the next evening after a day in the parks. (I'll cover our first meal at Universal in another Dine or Ditch post.)

After a fun-filled and exhausting day at the parks, I was anxious to finally eat there. We checked in about 5 minutes early. The place was packed with adult couples and lots of families. It was upbeat and fun, not tense or high strung. That contributed much to the experience as a whole.

The bakery/treat area at the front of the restaurant was filled with delicious and very fresh looking delights, making it a great stop when you are touring City Walk and want to pop in for a midday snack. Be warned, you could pay as much as a full meal for two or three of these items. Would it be worth it? Hmmm...

We bypassed the cases, finding we were seated rather quickly once we checked in.

 

In a bit of a disappointment, I found the atmosphere inside to be not nearly as magical as the front of the building would lead you to think. It was dark and elegant, but most of the scenery was provided by video of the "factory" at work. But the walk around character shown above was an unexpected addition, and kids eating there were delighted to get a peek at the old school Jules Verne styled robot. Seeing him made me miss Epcot's old classic Horizons. If you were among those who got to ride it, you get the reference. 

Time for drinks and the food. I had a Vanilla Chocolate Cocktail- strong but good. Mostly chocolate, as was to be expected. My wife had a glass of wine, my son a straight up whiskey. 

Our whole dinner was just excellent! My Classic Flounder Amandine was absolutely melt in your mouth perfect. The accompanying green beans and potatoes were perfectly prepared and tasty. Like the other items on the menu, my selection was well priced. My wife tends to order well, and her Chicken Bourguignon brought everything together that she likes. My son is a beef lover, and he was thrilled with his New York Strip Steak. 

Dessert. We were so stuffed, that we ordered one dish to share. Since this was his birthday dinner, our server delivered a slice of Flourless Chocolate Cake. The cake itself was topped with Nutella ice cream. Yum!

We left more than happy with our choice. By the time we finished, the sun was setting, and the warm glow on the water made for a very nice evening view. The buildings of City Walk were lighting up, and music was filling the air. For us, it was a perfect Florida night.

So... is The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen a Dine or Ditch?

If you are looking for a uniquely Universal Orlando Resort dining experience, and one with a kid friendly atmosphere that still feels grown up, this is a definite dine! And the price won't kill your vacation budget. Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

Why on earth would you ditch it? Perhaps a couple of reasons. Maybe you want a different type of cuisine than your excellently prepared but mostly American styled dinner. There's many other great options at City Walk if that's the case: Mexican, Italian, and more. If you're in the mood for live music or want a busier Friday night bar crawl feel, this is definitely not your place. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, if you're a huge fan of the Steam Punk aesthetic, The Edison at Disney Springs may be more to your liking- but you're going to pay much more for the experience. Much more.

Would we eat there again? Yes, and next time we'll definitely save room for dessert!

Want more Dine or Ditch?

Check out these other reviews:

Raglan Road at Disney Springs

Sci-Fi Dine In at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Be Our Guest at Magic Kingdom

Garden Grill at Epcot

San Angel Inn Restaurante at Epcot

(Photographs copyright the Mark Taft.)

Spending St. Patrick's Day at Disney Springs' Raglan Road

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day today? Eating and drinking at Disney Springs' lively Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant is certainly a memorable experience and if you're in Florida, you should certainly consider it for your party. But is it worth it? Are there better places to spend your hard earned money? How's the entertainment? The drinks? The food? Would I recommend it or will I dine there again? Read on.

The live entertainment is good-

but you may end up seated in an out of the way location.

Although his ethnicity is very mixed, our youngest son identifies the most closely with the Irish piece of his heritage, so Raglan was the place we chose to begin our upcoming trip and let the vacation kick off in high gear. 

I can't tell you what mid-week looks like in the restaurant, but on the weekend, my bet is Raglan is one of the most popular choices. Last trip, it was the first place we booked on line when reservations became open, and it was the most difficult of all to get the time we wanted. 

Due to really awful service- just miserable, actually, at the end of Magical Express, we ended up at Disney Springs almost 1.5 hours later than our initial reservation- and on a Saturday night no less. The entertainment district was mobbed, but thankfully, I had called the pub and advised them of our delay. They graciously found a place for us. 

Our wait was about 15 minutes from the time we finally checked in. We were seated in the back left side of the restaurant in a dark, moody, corner as far away from the stage as could be, but it was a perfect setting to have a long and relaxed meal and a drink.

The Whiskey Flight.

"Irish Rage" is one happy guy tonight!

I began with a gin based drink and my wife chose something lighter. Not our son! He's a hard liquor guy and was very pleased to sample the menu's Whiskey Flight- even if it did cost $27. Our drinks were actually pretty good, and they did help sooth my frazzled nerves after a very frustrating arrival on the property. But out was time to finally begin our vacation- so I put it behind me. I knew Raglan was my son's top choice for a meal on the Disney property, and I didn't want to disappoint him.

One of the tastiest appetizers we had the entire trip.

We began with complimentary bread and butter that was a meal in itself.   Our waiter was prompt, relaxed, and knowledgable. Never pushy and an excellent listener- which is not always the case when you're shoving through hundreds of guests a night. He let us sit, drink, and relax, bringing in a second basket of bread. There was no rush to take an order or push us out once our meal was complete. This was the kind of service offered by professionals and something so needed on a vacation that can be overwhelming with tight schedules and big crowds. He was rewarded well for his approach as is also our custom. 

Pull the Boxty is not the name of a kid's prank. Instead, it is a potato and hamhock creation that is every bit worth the $17 price tag. The list of appetizers may have been shortened due to COVID-19, but when we ordered this one, our server commented it was one of the most popular for a very good reason. It was in fact one of the tastiest dishes we ordered the entire trip. And it was no small plate! Hearty and heaping, everyone had their fill. I would have been happy to order this as my main meal, and I will probably do so if we ever go back.

The slow braised short ribs were a quick and easy choice for my beef-loving son. My wife picked the pot pie and was very pleased with her choice. Flaky crust, rich, hearty, and generous filling, all well presented. I stuck with my preferred choice of fish and chips when I'm in a restaurant that is known for great fish. Other than the fact that my beer battered cod was not as crispy as I normally like it, it was undeniably excellent and flavorful, much milder than I expected. The chips were standard fare, which was rather surprising. The short ribs were easily the best of our lot with a mouth watering reduced red wine jus, but the accompanying roasted veggies almost stole the show. Almost.

Delicious and different.

The desserts were tempting, but were passed as by the time we left, if was very late, and we were stuffed. The music was bright and upbeat. We were actually close enough to enjoy it but also could hear each other speak. In short, the room that seemed farthest away was actually the one that struck the perfect balance for the kind of "first night of vacation" that we wanted it to be.

Then came the bill. 

Including our very generous tip for excellent service, our night out at Raglan Road was actually the most expensive meal of this vacation, hitting the $175 price tag for a pub trip. That's almost $60 a head. Now, before you scoff, keep in mind that this is cheaper than the in-park hard to book meals. And it included live entertainment that had nothing to do with Disney rubberheads. 

We found Raglan Road worthy of its reputation and worth the price for a special event, but you may feel differently. 

Considerations: 

• Book early and try to get something after dark for the best authentic atmosphere. 
• Nighttime is not kid friendly, so try brunch if there are children in your group.
• Decide ahead of time what type of experience you want. Seating places a big role in this restaurant. 
• The live entertainment is excellent- but it is a very loud restaurant.
• Go hungry or don't go. If you've filled up on a big lunch, choose this for another day.

Let me end with this traditional Irish blessing:

"May the raindrops fall lightly on your brow.

May the soft winds freshen your spirit.

May the sunshine brighten your heart

May the burdens of the day rest lightly upon you.

And may God enfold you in the mantle of His love."

Want more Dine or Ditch?

Check out these other reviews:

Sci-Fi Dine In at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Be Our Guest at Magic Kingdom

Garden Grill at Epcot

San Angel Inn Restaurante at Epcot

Mythos at Islands of Adventure

Cafe Orleans at Disneyland 

Toothsome Chocolate Emporium at Universal's City Walk

(Photographs copyright the Mark Taft.)

Walt Disney World vs. Universal: September 2021 Trip Report, Day Five: A Private Tour of Rise of the Resistance and An Old School Imagineering Fan Encounters Universal Orlando

Rise of the Resistance was the attraction I most wanted to experience, but if I'm being honest, I was just as excited, maybe even more so, to go down the highway and see what Universal Creative did with Harry Potter. It had been years since I had been to Disney's main competitor, but I'd followed closely the buildout of the parks, attraction by attraction, all the new hotels, and City Walk. 

After successfully getting boarding group number 13 on our first day at Disney's Hollywood Studios, we knew what we had to do for our second day there. In fact, we ended up with boarding group #3- pretty impressive I'd say- and we had our son to thank. Fastest fingers in the West. 

Our first view of the First Order. Hmmm.

With such an early boarding group, we had to move quickly, so we high tailed it to the park, walking straight into Galaxy's Edge and right into the fully empty queue. There was no Rey, no BB-8, and absolutely no flight with Lieutenant Bek. Due to an outage with the first segments of the ride, we were ushered rather quickly into a Cast Member entrance and right into the room with the big reveal, seen above.

So effective is the conceit of being taken into space, that I was slightly surprised to realize this scene was actually in a ground level building. And then I thought, "Of course, it is! This is not real!" Well done, Imagineering! We were the only prisoners in our cell, and we were the only passengers in an escape pod. It was our very own private tour, and not a single cast member stepped out of character. Being alone trying to escape was an entirely new experience. 

We exited the attraction once more in awe as to what Imagineering had accomplished. Rise of the Resistance may not be what hard core Star Wars fans may have wanted,  but no one being objective can deny the ambition behind it. 

Still smiling after our second ride.

Wandering through Galaxy's Edge, we came full circle and decided a second ride on Star Tours was in order. New scenes and old seamlessly integrated on another thrilling ride with one of our favorite droids. I know Disney desperately wants to reinvigorate The Muppets, but I'd have no objection to letting Piggy, Kermit, and friends move to another area of the park so that the Star Wars world could encompass Star Tours. Will that happen? Probably not.

The Tune In Lounge is just not worth your time.

Wondering what to do next, we opted stopped for a drink and some shade at the Tune In Lounge. Be warned: It's very small, the drinks are expensive, and it is not easy for any party bigger than two people to sit together. It was our first and last time there.

Cool redo of the Monster Sound Studios building

but a disappointment.

Count me in as a big fan of the new Mickey Mouse animated shorts! They're witting and charming and irreverent. Vacation Fun began well until I started seeing slices of episodes found on Disney+ making the backbone of the film attraction. Yes, they were clearly in a rush to find a use for this theater and bring something kid friendly, so why couldn't they go the extra mile and create entirely new content? This left a very bitter taste in my mouth. On the other side of the park, Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy is mediocre, but at least it is entirely new.

Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway was over an hour wait, and at this point the sun was blazing. Sadly, we passed it by, perhaps my one regret on this trip, and instead jumped onto Toy Story Mania. Though not originally a fan of it, the small shooter ride has grown on me a little bit, but the queue has to be relatively short for me to agree to wait. Admittedly, I do find breaking virtual plates quite fun. 

Moving on to Walt Disney Presents, this gallery remains a must-do stop. The models are always of particular interest to me, and the one of Spaceship Earth caught my eye. Oh, what EPCOT Center was- and will never be again. 

Our Disney adventure was ending.

At about 12:30pm, we decided it was time to leave the park, pick up our bags at Old Key West and head to Universal Orlando. The process was quick and easy. First, we opted for a roundtrip ride on the Skyliner before we departed our resort via Uber. In no time, we arrived at Universal. All I can say is "Wow!"

Everything you'd want and need 

at a price you can afford.

While staying at Universal Orlando's version of a budget resort moves you outside" the bubble", for $140 per night including tax, it is a vast improvement over what you'll find at Disney's All Star Resorts or Pop Century. In fact, this would also be true of Universal's gorgeous Royal Pacific Resort as well, but more on that in a few paragraphs.

Spacious and fresh.

The Dockside Resort is fresh, cool, hip, and appeals to the crowd that was clearly lacking at Disney: young professionals and blue collar workers in their 20s and 30s. Most with no kids or some with teens who were bored by princesses and wanted something more edgy. People were excited to be there, and it showed. The energy level was high- and it wasn't just because of the huge Starbucks in the spacious lobby. 

Our room was well appointed, very clean, and had every amenity we wanted or needed. It was a 30 second walk from the elevator to the large quick service restaurant/cafeteria and maybe a two minute walk from there through the main lobby to the bus stop. Around the corner from the lobby Starbucks was a nicely appointed bar, so there's options for everyone's drink of choice. 

After continual disappointment with Disney's busses, it was a pleasure to be able to board a Universal bus with never a wait of more than 5 minutes. Yes, five minutes- and when we left the parks after a long day there or at City Walk, the busses were actually lined up waiting to take guests to their hotels. Multiple busses for our resort lined up waiting to take us home. Let that sink in. They anticipated how they could best serve us. That, my friends, is excellent service. Service I used to find at Walt Disney World. Bravo, Universal!

Not quite wasted away but still as much fun without the regrets!

Once we got the lay of the land, we grabbed our bus and dropped off at City Walk. By this point we were quite ready to eat, and after walking around to see what our options were, an early meal at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville won out. What a terrific choice! My coconut shrimp was the best I'd had in years, and my margarita (what else, right?) was terrific. Both my wife and son really enjoyed their dishes and drinks as well. Service was relaxed and playful, and the atmosphere was family friendly but not childlike. Best of all was the ending: It was one of the least expensive sit down meals during our vacation at about 2/3 the cost of anything at Walt Disney World. I was quickly becoming a fan of this universe- but the true test would be the attractions and theming at the parks.

We'd have dinner here at the end of our first full day.

Beautiful skies and an exciting but relaxing environment.

The layout of the parks and City Walk was wisely put together. The Universal Studios park was on the far right side, Islands of Adventure on the left, and City Walk straddled a central lagoon right on the middle. The shopping and entertainment district is also hip, loud, in your face, and absolutely a lot of fun. Even though Halloween Nights was going on, the crowd coming in was polite and orderly. Again, this was the demographic we did not see at Disney. Even the beautiful Disney Springs had more older folks and much younger families revealing the gap in between. Both entertainment areas are uniquely their own. City Walk has two innovated miniature golf courses. Disney Springs has a tethered hot air balloon flight. Comparing the two is quite impossible. Oranges and apples as it were.

After walking off our delicious dinner, I shared with my son that I wanted to see Universal's Royal Pacific Resort so I could compare it to Disney's Polynesian. We boarded a launch for a nice quick cruise out of the lagoon and down a small manmade river before arriving at our destination. Again, service was fast and consistent, and we never had to wait for more than one boat. 

Overlooking the bridge to the entrance.

Simply beautiful!

The comparisons continued. I love Disney's Polynesian Village Resort; I love the Hawaiian Islands (and the Aulani); and I love all things tropical. The bar was already rather high. I was not expecting to love the Royal Pacific Resort, but I did. 

Was it the astounding price? Comparing the same date and similar rooms to that of the Polynesian, rack rates were $311 vs. $718 per night before tax. Really. A four hundred dollar difference! That's a lot of nice meals or a few theme park tickets.

The lobby surrounds a beautiful outdoor garden courtyard.

The surroundings immediately drew me in. The atmosphere here is lush, secluded feeling, and peaceful. The very lovely entrance gardens are terraced, evoking the feeling of a quiet and ancient tea plantation. 

Punctuated by palm trees of various types and other tropical flowers, Loews has certainly created a tranquil resort that takes your breath away.  The pool we saw was large and stylish and seamlessly integrated. The boat dock setting took me to the South Pacific- including a seaplane resting on the river- while winding paths and walkways invited a stroll under the moonlight. Each restaurant and bar was inviting with menus that were fairly priced. What more could you ask for? I did not need a castle view. 

The downside? Now I am torn about where to stay for our next visit! Disney's extras for resort guests are diminishing at a quick rate, and service is getting sloppy in some ways. Costs are rising, making a nice meal very, very expensive. Do I really need early access to the parks? Probably not. Uber makes transportation a snap. I think I've talked myself into the answer.

So far, I was quite impressed with "his resort", as my son refers to Universal. The true test for this Imagineering fan would be the parks. I'd heard Universal Creative had knocked it out of the park with all things Harry Potter, and I was excited to find out for myself. The Studios would be our next full day which meant Diagon Alley and the acclaimed Escape from Gringotts. I couldn't wait!

(Photographs copyright Mark Taft.)

Does Toothsome Chocolate Emporium Satisfy the Sweet Tooth?

There's the anticipation and then there's the reality. And then there's the reservations that are hard to get. Happily this isn't Disney- it's Universal Orlando, and that actually means it is much easier and makes planning a whole lot better. Toothsome Chocolate Emporium was the place I had to eat at when we began planning our trip to Mickey's competition. Thinking of it as Willy Wonka meets The Edison, well, who wouldn't want to visit? Stay tuned for my review.

The trip is almost here...

(Photograph copyright Universal Orlando.)
 

Live from Universal Orlando Resort- Day Five: Power Outage at Islands and Toothsome Chocolate Emporium

Last day surprises! After a morning covering both the parks one last time, my son and his friend decided to celebrate his birthday at the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium- but surprise! The power went out at the restaurant and apparently at the whole of Islands of Adventure. Now a tow hour wait for the Emporium. They ended up at Vivo, the Italian eatery. 

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)