Disney's Contemporary Resort

Abracadabra on Disney's Boardwalk.

Let's see, the Bellevue Lounge at Disney's Boardwalk Inn and Stakehouse 71 Lounge at Disney's Contemporary Resort.

We were there back when it was the Wave Lounge, and we really liked that.

That might have been the first Walt Disney World Lounge that we ever went to.

We are facing off for the first time ever two restaurants at Walt Disney World.

And we are going to the top of the Contemporary Resort and to the top of the Riviera Resort to face off California Grill and Topolino's Terrace.

Now, both of these restaurants are pretty well-regarded restaurants.

California Grill might have some of the best legacy, you know, amongst all Disney World restaurants.

Because, you know, the contemporary is one of the things that screams Walt Disney World to me.

The Riviera Resort doesn't scream Walt.

Walt Disney World to me now there's a lot of homages to Walt throughout it and I know that's why probably some of you out there are really confused why I'm going California Grill look there's one thing of paying homage to Walt and like being a truly iconic feature of Walt Disney World and the contemporary resort like I've mentioned so many times is that it is iconic when it comes to the history of Walt Disney World When it comes to the overall Disney experience, way more people on an average Walt Disney World trip are going to see the contemporary resort rather than the Riviera.

That's just the simple, plain truth about it.

Yes.

Um, the standard location now, uh, is from the Boat Nook Marina at Disney's Contemporary Resort.

Um, other locations may be available after booking, um, or you can try the hotel concierge.

Uh, these- Open 60 days in advance-

We would always, always eat here when we would come down and stay for a week when we were coming down from Oklahoma.

It is in the Contemporary Resort.

Um, you have the monorails going above you.

You have a buffet, and if you can catch it right, um, actually, they, that's not a thing anymore.

It's just, like, really different, um, food and really good quality within the middle of a theme park.

Number 27 is gonna be Steakhouse 71.

This is on the ground floor of the Contemporary resort.

So it is underneath Chef Mickey's, um, and it is a new-ish restaurant.

Boardwalk Inn is the Innkeeper's Club.

Contemporary Resort has the Atrium Club and the Tower Club.

Grand Floridian.

This is like the ultimate checklist bucket list of all the club levels, I feel.

Please go to waybackwed.com. We still do have tickets.

It's coming up very soon, October 2nd and 3rd at Disney's Contemporary Resort.

You

should totally do it.

All of these food booths, after Food & Wine wrapped for the year, would be parked in a gravel parking lot just off of Avenue of the Stars, and they'd then be held there for 10 months until it was time to start getting these food booths ready for the next edition of Food & Wine.

Now, where this gets interesting, Landis, well, between the inaugural Flower and Garden, again, that's April of 94, and the inaugural Food and Wine, and that was September of 96, we had the California Grill open at the top of Disney's Contemporary Resort.

And this opened May 15, 1995.

And one of the things that made this high-end eatery such a hit was with Walt Disney World visitors was California Grills Open Kitchen, which was effectively on stage right there in the restaurant, and it allowed guests to watch California Grills chefs prepare their meals in real time.