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More than kid stuff
Disney World is ready to cater to expensive tastes
by Joan Tupponce
for Virginia Business
September 2007
Say “Walt Disney World” and
people immediately think of children cavorting through
theme parks in search of Mickey Mouse or Cinderella.
Yet, there’s another
side to Disney World in Orlando, Fla. This is a trip
that can be about luxury — an exclusive safari,
a royal spa treatment, a lavish suite, manicured golf
courses and grand voyages. After all, Disney is supposed
to be a world of fantasy for kids of all ages, and that
includes adults.
Let your journey begin at the Royal
Asante presidential suite at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. The 2,115-square-foot suite features hand-crafted furniture — a wood-carved, grand canopy bed is so large that it had to be built in the room — original
African artwork, remote-controlled fireplaces and Jacuzzis.
Special decorative features include a domed thatched
roof in the living room, a dining room suitable for a
party of eight and a treadmill on the balcony that allows
you to exercise while watching the animals roam in the
adjacent wildlife sanctuary. Prices for the presidential
suite range from $2,010 to $2,585 per night.
No stay in the suite would be complete
without a Wanyama dinner safari. The safari offers up
to 12 people glimpses of African animals ranging from
zebras to wildebeests. After the safari, you’ll
be treated to a four-course dinner at Jiko-The Cooking
Place, one of Disney’s
upscale restaurants featuring steak and seafood selections
with an African twist. Price tag for this adventure:
$150 per person.
Before leaving Jiko, visitors can savor
a glass of wine in the restaurant’s Cape Town Wine
Room which stocks the largest collection of South African
wines in the United States.
Wine connoisseurs can continue their
quest for the perfect glass of vino while dining at Citricos
in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa with
a personalized three-course wine pairing. From there,
it’s on to the California Grill, which has an extensive
list of California wines. Make your dinner reservation
for after sunset so you can experience the fireworks
at Cinderella’s Castle from the restaurant’s
outdoor balcony atop the Contemporary Resort.
For a different culinary treat, book
a candlelit table for two and be serenaded by harp music
at Victoria Albert’s at the Grand Floridian. Of
if you like to watch the chef, reserve a spot at the
table where Chef Scott Hunnel will customize his daily
menu for parties of two to six. Cost: $150 per person.
Perhaps you’d rather have a dinner
during an evening cruise aboard the Grand 1 yacht. A
personal butler will serve champagne and strawberries
dipped in chocolate as you watch fireworks light up the
night sky. The charter fee for this outing is around
$375. Butler service, food and beverage are an additional
charge.
Need more pampering? Slip into the
Grand Floridian’s Spa & Health Club or Disney’s
Sarasota Springs Resort & Spa. Disney’s “Grand
Romantic Evening Package” ($375
per couple for 80 minutes) includes a custom aromatherapy
massage by candlelight.
For fun seekers who prefer a surf party
over a marine mineral facial, the tide is always up at
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon. For $1,050 to $1,350 you
can reserve the 2.75-million-gallon pool for your own
party.
Golfers can play the resort’s
premier PGA courses — the Palm and Magnolia — and
even get a little one-on-one instruction, if necessary,
from a Disney PGA professional. Private lessons cost
$75 for 45 minutes.
And, if it’s Disney magic you
want, book a VIP Tour with Disney’s private concierge
service. Your personal guide will take you through all
four theme parks and arrange dining and special viewing
areas at parades and live stage shows. You don’t
even have to worry about picking out souvenirs for family
and friends, the concierge will send out scouts to purchase
gifts. VIP Tour Service is $125 per hour for up to 10
guests with a minimum of six hours.
All you have to do is sit back, relax and live the lavish life. Who said Disney is just for kids?
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