There are many ways to celebrate Mom on her special day of the year. Breakfast in bed, flowers, taking over the chores, etc. The list is infinite. For me, my family is well aware of my affinity for Disney and my dream to attend a Disney Vacation Club brunch one Mother’s Day. Now that we are central Florida locals, and as a DVC mom since 2013, hubby earned himself some brownie points and reserved a table early for the 2018 DVC Mother’s Day Brunch!
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY
For the last few years, Disney Vacation Club has hosted an elegant, themed brunch in one of the ballrooms at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Reservations open around the middle of March and go very quickly!!! Just take that into consideration if you are in the area and/or contemplating this as an option for next year. Kudos to hubby for being on top of things this go round.
The theme chosen for 2018 was Alice in Wonderland ~ maybe not one of my favorite themes, but it was still done well. There were colorful projections on the walls of cards and hearts and photo opportunities with teapots, as well as meet-and-greets with the story’s characters. Even the menu named its entrees and such with a tip of the hat to Wonderland.
ARRIVING AT THE EVENT
Our family arrived early ~ something I love to do so I can grab some of the best ‘untouched’ photos. We registered at the desk and then walked over to the entrance. From there, there was an adorable archway that led guests into the Fantasia ballroom, aka Wonderland. It was my first time having been in that ballroom, so it felt magical just walking through the doors.
Once “through the door,” we were met by a Cast Member who proceeded to discuss our two options: be seated and start eating or get in one of two lines to have our photos taken with the Disney Characters present at the event. We decided to combine the two options by finding our seat and then getting in line for photos. At least at that point, I felt it was important to “knock those out of the way.”
Before we made it to our seat, however, we were met by the “Mad Hatter’s bookkeeper,” who was characteristically frantic and worried about everything from timing to expense. Whether it was the expensive “Alice’s Favorite Brioche French Toast” or the cost of the decor, it certainly made for an interesting conversation.
MEETING OUR SERVER
Our table was beautifully adorned and had our name on a card in the center of the table. Our server, Junior, was waiting as DVC Cast Member Steve escorted us to our seats. Once settled, Junior proceeded to ask for our drink order, including an offering of Mimosas for Hubby and me, to which we kindly obliged. Yes, mimosas were a complimentary beverage for adults over 21. Other alcoholic beverages were available at a cash bar in the room.
We also took opportunity at that time to mention the need to speak with a chef regarding our son’s food allergies. That’s how we had been instructed earlier to proceed ~ by bringing it to the attention of our server, who would then alert the chef. What I did appreciate was that they had also designed our name card to have our son’s food allergies annotated at the bottom in red. This made it apparent to our server that special care had to be taken for someone’s meal.
CAPTURING THE DAY ON FILM
Since we had a few minutes before the chef would arrive at our table, we made our way over to one of the two photo opps. In one corner of the room, The Queen of Hearts was waiting with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum to take a complimentary 5×7 photo with each family. In the other corner, Alice and The Mad Hatter were posing with guests, as well. However, these photos were not a part of the package. These two were simply there for individual and personal photos taken by personal devices.
Unfortunately, as soon as we hit one line, we decided it would have been better to try the shorter of the two. When we went to make our way over there, however, we suddenly noticed that the Characters had taken a break. Within seconds, we realized that the other two had, as well. So, since there were no Characters available for photos, we made a command decision to begin the eating portion of the event.
THE MENU
This is the part my boys LOVE and look forward to with every Disney-related event. The FOOD! The brunch was set up buffet-style and included quite the assortment of entrees. There were pastries and fruits, eggs and brioche French toast, chicken parmigiana and beef tenderloin. Each side of the ballroom had two buffet lines, lending itself to immediate availability. Coffee carts were located on each side, offering quite the array of add-ins (vanilla, hazelnut, caramel syrups, for example). In the center, they also had a juice cart for those looking for a refreshing glass of apple or orange juice.
In the center of the ballroom, there was also an omelette station that offered such options as mushrooms, ham, bacon, spinach, various cheeses, a tomato/pepper mixture and shrimp! Shrimp! I have never seen shrimp in an omelette. I was almost tempted to try it.
MEETING WITH CHEF ORLANDO
While the older two boys and hubby made their way through the line, the youngest and I met with the Chef. We explained the severity of our son’s allergies and how cross contamination is always a concern. As is standard for Disney buffets, Chef Orlando took us through the buffet line to discuss safe options. Unfortunately, there were a lot of things on that buffet that were extremely unsafe for our son (egg, peanut and tree nut allergies). However, we discussed what our son would want to eat and Chef offered to make it in the back. This is actually our standard ~ to have his meal made separately and in the kitchen. He never eats off a buffet.
His choice? Bacon, Oven-roasted “Walrus” Beef Tenderloin (the same from the buffet, but made allergy-safe in the kitchen), Mickey waffles and a fruit plate. Pretty interesting combination, if you ask me.
MORE FOOD INFO
The food offered on the buffet was very good. It was heartbreaking that the Brioche French Toast was always cold (Alice must like them that way, since they are her “favorite”), but the scrambled eggs tasted light and creamy. The beef tenderloin was my ultimate favorite choice. The desserts, which ranged from miniature cupcakes to brownie bites, were delectable. Yes – they were a highlight at our table.
NOTABLE MENTION: While my children are older and must eat off adult-sized plates, Disney did offer a kids’ buffet where littles were able to select their own meal choices. The table was their height and offered mac and cheese, chicken tenders, carrots, brownies and cookies.
OTHER EVENT ACTIVITIES / OFFERINGS
Aside from photo opportunities with Characters and eating an assortment of delicious foods, the event also included a few other fun activities.
There was a craft station open for littles to make cards and the like. What a great way to keep them involved and engaged!
There was also an area where guests could record video messages for Mom. This was a sweet gesture and there were so many adorable voices going up to the microphone. They cast the videos up on a live big screen so that we could all see and enjoy them. I had one son contemplate doing it (and it’s not the one you would think), but, in the end, no messages were broadcast for me (insert mom sigh).
A BEAUTIFUL DISNEY MEMORY
The event was two hours in length and we stayed for the entire time. It was a nice relaxing atmosphere with special opportunities to make memories with the family.
If I had one complaint, however, it would be about the Character photo opportunties. As noted above, the Characters went on a break when we reached the line, so we decided to eat instead. When we finally finished feasting and digesting, we had about a half hour left and made our way to the lines. Our complimentary photo was taken with The Queen of Hearts, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. However, when we reached the other line, a Cast Member informed us that it had closed so the Characters could return to Magic Kingdom for the parade. We still had 20 minutes left of the event and received no warning regarding these lines closing. That was disappointing considering the cost of the event per guest.
All in all, however, I cannot complain. This was a bucket list item and a meal no one in our family had to cook or clean. The boys remained well behaved and we ate until satisfied. Our youngest received an allergy-safe meal and we captured a memorable photo for the year. I’d call it a successful Mother’s Day event.
The Disney Vacation Club Annual Mother’s Day Brunch is a special occasion and an elegant way to celebrate Mom. I’m grateful that my boys added Disney to my day and gave me a memory I will never forget.
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Want to Learn More About The Disney Vacation Club…
There are many perks to being a Disney Vacation Club member! We have enjoyed owning a piece of the magic since 2013. Our only regret has been that we did not get in on it sooner.
To learn more about the Disney Vacation Club, check out their website! It’s a vacation decision we have never regretted!
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Disclaimer: This post has no affiliation or partnership with the Disney Vacation Club. No compensation of any kind was awarded or offered for my opinion. What is written above is 100% the perspective of mine and mine alone and something we wanted to share with you.
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