Storybook Dining at Artist Point Delivers a Fairy Tale Experience

Have you heard the news?  Yes!  It’s true!!!  A brand new dining experience has arrived at the Walt Disney World Resort and it takes guests on an adventure through a magical forest.  Come with as me as I act as your honorary forest guide during a girl’s night out filled with enchantment, charm and pixie dust at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort for the Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White.

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Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White

My friend Renee from Tales of One Mom’s Mess scored a coveted reservation on the second day that Storybook Dining at Artist Point was opened at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort.  I don’t think I could express to you how humbled I was when she extended an invitation to me to join her that evening.  Add in two more amazing friends ~ and we had the makings of a fabulous girls’ night out.

I kid you not – we were like giddy girls before we arrived.  We were all so excited to see and experience something new at Walt Disney World.  For one of my friends, this was her first time at a character meal!  No, seriously!

Now, me?  I have actually been to Artist Point once in the past.  A few years back, Hubby and I celebrated our 20th anniversary with dinner here and it was a truly romantic evening.  We loved every second of it.  So, when I heard they were creating a character dining experience in this location, my curiosity piqued exponentially.

Entering the Forest with Carolyn

Our rezzie was for 6:40 PM.  A few of us had arrived early and just enjoyed walking around together.  When we arrived at the restaurant, a cheerful Cast Member named Carolyn was there to greet us at the entrance.

Quick note for directions: 

If coming from the resort entrance, you walk straight to the back, hang a left where you will see the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) information desk.  Once at that desk, you will see the restaurant ramp directly to the right of where you are standing.  If you happen to head down the ramp too far, you’ve passed it.  Turn around, my dear.

If coming by boat from the Magic Kingdom or Fort Wilderness Cabins and Campsites, you will walk the path to the main building, go through the main doors in the center on the bottom level (there should be tables and chairs as this is the outside eating area for Roaring Fork Quick Service) and hang a left.  When you reach the end of that, hang right and you will find the restaurant on your right at the top of that ramp.  If you run into the DVC desk, just look behind you to the right and you will find it.

Carolyn introduced herself and then took opportunity to show us where the washroom was before taking us into the forest.  As we journeyed through, she pointed out how Grumpy was already out visiting with Guests and that Dopey and Snow White would also make their way around the path to see everyone during the course of the evening.

As we reached the center of the restaurant, Carolyn saw the Evil Queen and mentioned to us that she would be requesting our presence once dinner was complete.  We were then reminded that the Queen does demand proper behavior, so we had to be “”dignified” while eating.

Yes, ma’am…

Arriving at our spot in the Forest

The table itself was picture-worthy.  Our table settings had solid red napkins and a tie on it that had the names of each character who would be visiting or seen that evening.  In the center of the table was a stand shaped similar to that of a small tree.  The stand had three “branches” which we deduced would hold each of the shared portions of the meal.

Also on the table was a beautiful leather-bound book.  I loved this!  The book served as the menu, but was designed to be a storybook.  There is a beginning and there is an end, while the middle holds the “core of the story” ~ which was what we would be eating that evening.

Each of the four of us found our seat and immediately began to take photos of EVERYTHING.  Yes – everything!!  We snapped photos of the ceilings, the table settings, the serving stand.  You name it, we were capturing it! (bloggers…you can’t take us anywhere….without our camera phones)

Meeting Sarah, Our Second Forest Guide

Sarah, our server, approached the table within minutes and gave us the rundown on how the story would unfold that evening.  The table would be served appetizers to share, each of us would choose a separate entrée for ourselves and then, once again, the table would be served a combination of delectable desserts to share.  We were also able to choose something to drink ~ standard beverages as part of the pre-set price or alcoholic beverages for purchase.

It took us a bit to thoroughly review the drink and entrée options before making final decisions.  I mean, it was so hard not to get all caught up in the ambiance.  The characters were out and about often and we were all looking to capture the essence of the entire room.

Making Decisions

In the end, we finally each chose a drink to savor and a dish that was personally appealing.

Our drinks:

As you can see, there is a good variety of libations from which to choose.  Two of us selected “The Brew of Peach,” which – I’ll be honest…was the wrong choice!  If you like your drink strong, go for this one…but it was a little TOOOOOO strong for our dainty palettes.

The other two in our group chose for themselves Evil To the Core and The Enchanted Apple.  I had the chance to take a sip of The Enchanted Apple and honestly wish I had chosen that one.  Renee described it as having a “crisp, clean and balanced flavor.”  I would absolutely agree.

I did not taste the Enchanted Apple ~ but my beautiful friend, Priscila (Social Parenting Blog), said she “loooooooved it.”

Appetizers

Cue mouth-watering!!!  I mean, as soon as these plates were placed on the tree stand, we were all entranced.  They looked so perfect and there were just enough for each of us to try.  Our selections included:

• Hunter’s Pie
• Wicked Shrimp Cocktail
• Winter Squash Soup

In the end, it seemed that we all favored the Winter Squash Soup.  It had a little bit of a bite to it and was absolutely scrumptious.  It was the perfect start to a cool evening such as it was (yes, even in Florida).

That’s not to say that the other two options weren’t fantastic!  Oh, my goodness…the shrimp was divine (well, I at least like it)!  It was just that the soup had all the flavor!!

Entrées

As noted above, the entrées were something that we each selected individually and, believe it or not, we each chose something different.

One friend chose the Brother’s Grimm Roasted Chicken, which came with confit potatoes, roasted brussel sprouts, apples and chestnut butter.  While her opinion was that the chicken was a little on the dry side (at least the first bite or two), she was very quick to state that the veggies stole the show.

I must say this, though.  I have never heard so many people get excited about brussel sprouts before! 

Of course, then she let me have one……

Oh – em – goodness!  Whatever it was in which they were bathed, they were perfect!  Absolutely perfect!

Another one of the girls had the “Cottage” Seafood Stew, which included shrimp, bay scallops, mussels, tomato and fennel.   She let me have a taste and it was quite good!!!  I think I grabbed a scallop and some shrimp in my bite and it was really delicious.  So, if you love seafood, this would be a great choice!

The third gal in our party, Angie from This is the Motherhood, went with Bashful’s Butter-Poached Snapper.  This was a bowl that included root vegetable risotto, wild mushroom and a citrus-butter sauce.  When I asked what she thought, she said that it’s definitely a dish for someone who is a fan of fish.  She herself enjoyed it very much and found the risotto “creamy and wonderful.”  She also found it to be very filling.

Me?  Well, I could not get my mind off that Royal Prime Rib Roast!  It was served with horseradish mashed potato, hay-smoked carrots and a popover!!  I am from New England and, in my old neck of the woods, popovers were HUGE!!!  My  mother used to make them for us and there was a particular restaurant nearby where they were a signature item.  So, I saw popover and I had to have it!  (Thank God I like prime rib, too!).

The meat literally melted in my mouth ~ not a tough spot on the selection.  The mashed had only a hint of the horseradish, which was fine with me, but it was enough to add just enough flavor.  The carrots were perfectly cooked and the popover?  Oh – my.  Yes, it hit the spot!  It brought me back home!

Curious to see what else is on the menu?   Click here.

A Little Mealtime Entertainment

At various times throughout the evening, we were entertained by song and dance.  The lights on the trees would twinkle and you would hear either a dinner bell or bird tweeting before Grumpy, Dopey and/or Snow White entered the dining room.

Since we were there long enough, we noticed that they seemed to have specific paths they would take, dancing in certain pockets of space and walking around with intention.

At a different portion of the evening, they would each visit the tables for a photo and a little chat.

We loved seeing all of them, but I have to say that Dopey was my favorite.

Desserts

Once we had finished our individual entrées and had visited with each character at least once, it was time for the sweet stuff!

Are you ready?  It’s sweet tooth activation time!!!  Oh, my gosh – the treats were so sweet and delicious!

They once again delivered the three to-be-shared desserts and placed them on the rotating tree in the center of the table.  I love how they place just enough on the plate to serve one to each of us.  This will be huge for families because no one will feel left out.

The trio of desserts that comes with the meal includes:

• Miner’s Treasures: Sponge cake, chocolate gems and buttercream frosting.
• “Poison” Apple: White chocolate-apple mousse with a sour center (though I don’t remember the sour center)
• Fairy Tale Gooseberry Pie: Meringue and Gooseberries.

The Miner’s Treasures had a grape flavor to it, which surprised all of us.  However, it was quite sweet!!!  To be honest, I think we all liked the “Poison” Apple the best.  The white mousse was so smooth and creamy and we all liked the sparkle on it.  While the Fairy Tale Gooseberry Pie was good, it just didn’t “wow” me, I guess.

One more surprise…

However, Before Exiting the Forest…

So, do I recommend this Dining Experience?

Food allergy note for my Food Allergy Readers!!

• Annotate the food allergies and dietary restrictions when making the reservation (or note on My Disney Experience).
• Mention the situation to the host when you check in.
• Mention the food allergies to your server (who may even mention it to you first).  Be sure to note the severity of the allergy, as well (i.e. cross contamination, disclaimer sensitivities).
• ASK TO SPEAK TO THE CHEF!!!  This particular restaurant does have an allergy-friendly menu.  However, as anyone who has done this a million times will say, there may be something the chef can do off the menu if nothing is appealing.  Sarah did mention they could make substitutions, but she also agreed that speaking to the chef is a good option.
• Have the food allergy friendly plate served SEPARATELY!  This prevents the potential for cross contamination.
• NEVER, NEVER, NEVER eat without an epinephrine auto-injector nearby!!  This should ALWAYS be a rule if you have food allergies and are dining out.
• For littles, I still highly, highly recommend having something on hand for them (especially a dessert; like Enjoy Life goodies) just in case the restaurant is unable to accommodate.

Need more convincing?  Check out my friend Renee’s thoughts on our evening at Storybook Dining!