Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dreamscapes.ca/i/821088
SPRING/SUMMER 2017 DREAMSCAPES 27 wouldn't look out of place in downtown Toronto or Vancouver. CELEBRITY CUISINE On our first night, we had reservations at celebrity chef Todd English's bluezoo at the Dolphin. The restaurant's signature dish is "dancing fish"—fish cooked on skewers over an open flame and filleted at your table—but Stephanie opted for chicken while I chose Hawaiian mero, which is similar to Chilean sea bass but more sustainable. Everything was tasty and the service—as everywhere at Disney—was friendly and kind. Even though entrées are US$28 to US$60, families with kids abounded. (For parents who would rather have dinner à deux, each adult reser- vation includes two hours of free fun for a child aged four to 12 at the hotel's kids' club.) INTO THE PARKS Well fed and well rested, we were ready to tackle the parks the next day. Trust me, you will need your energy. That day, I logged almost 17 kilometres of walking on my Fitbit. (Granted, I squeezed in three parks and a parasailing ride, an approach I recom- mend only for masochists.) Experts write entire books about the almost infinite number of attractions avail- able in Walt Disney World's parks, so I won't attempt to be exhaustive here. One highlight for us was the accurately named Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It cranks you up to the top of a dark, 60-metre tower on an elevator-like plat- form, drops you many storeys, then does it a few more times until you are trembling and hoarse. You have been warned. Stephanie's favourite was the Wishes fireworks show at Magic Kingdom. The 12- minute display is a clockwork-perfect Disney marvel, complete with singable songs (you may never get "Let It Go" out of your head) and Tinkerbell flying through the air above Cinderella Castle. The fireworks show runs every night, and is just one of several nightly pyrotechnic extravaganzas at Disney. You'll also find countless song-and-dance shows, strolling Disney characters and many other entertainment options. What you will not find is a single squiggle of graffiti or a fallen wrapper that stays on the ground longer than a minute or two. Disney employs more than 70,000 "cast members" throughout the parks, resorts and elsewhere in the complex to keep everything humming along with pristine precision. Parasailing at Sammy Duvall Watersports at Disney's Contemporary Resort is a way to literally fly above the hubbub. At the end of 183 metres of rope, dangling from a harness and parachute high above Bay Lake, you can