Friday, October 30, 2015

Five Friday Favorites: Disney Villains

It's that time of year when all things evil take center stage: Halloween! Thanks to Disney, some of the most dastardly menaces to be created have been forever ingrained in our nightmares due to their intimidating prowess and cunning ways. The Disney Villains, in most cases, are just as memorable as their counterpart protagonists, which is why for this week's edition, I thought it would be appropriate to countdown my top five Disney Villains.

Unlike the previous posts, I will not be giving out honorable mentions. These top five demand all of the attention.

5. Scar from The Lion King

Scar comes off as so evil mainly because at the same time, he's so relatable. Everyone has, at one point or another, felt jealously driving them mad and would stop at nothing to right the wrong seemingly committed. What makes Scar such a great Disney Villain, though, is how he carries out his master plan with humor and innocence. The sarcasm level whenever Scar is on the screen is off the charts and gets funnier every time I watch it. Then of course, you have the clear Nazi symbolism going on in the "Be Prepared" scene, and if that's not evil, I don't know what is. Scar is an excellent antagonizing force to Mufasa and eventually Simba. His evil drives the entire plot of the movie, and that's why he belongs in the pantheon of villainy.

4. Ursula from The Little Mermaid

Like Scar, Ursula uses her quick sense of humor to accomplish her villainous goals, and jealousy is once again the driving force behind the madness. With a dominating presence from start to finish, Ursula looms large on everything unfolding on screen. One of the finest moments in any Disney movie is undoubtedly the "Poor Unfortunate Soul" scene where Ursula lays it all out on the line to Ariel for her to make a choice. By the film's end, Ursula is a villain everyone loves to hate. Just like Scar, without Ursula, the entire plot of the movie couldn't advance. That's evilness at its most vile.

3. Evil Queen/Witch from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

How could someone be so evil for such petty reasons? That has always been the question I have whenever I think about Disney's first villain. The Evil Queen is evil simply because Snow White is prettier than her according to a magic mirror. Her methods are also despicable with the poisoned apple being the standard setter for all following villains. Her transformation from Evil Queen to the Witch is one of the best scenes in Disney movie history, and of Hollywood's villains owe a certain amount of gratitude to the Evil Queen.

2. Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians

Like the Evil Queen, Cruella's evilness is quite simple: she's a villain because she wants a new fur coat. That's it. That's wonderful villainy! Plus, her song is just downright despicable and easily the highlight of this classic film. Her demeanor is commanding every minute she graces the screen with her presence, and just like the characters, the audience quickly learns to fear her and her villainous ways. She's everything you could possibly want in a Disney villain.

1. Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty

You don't get the nickname "The Mistress of Evil" by being ordinary. Maleficent is the pinnacle of Disney villainy. Her reasons for being evil, like Cruella's and the Evil Queen's, on really quite petty really. Maleficent is a villain because she didn't get invited to a party. Now, I'm sure no one likes to be left out of a party invitation list, but has anyone except for Maleficent ever turned into a fire-breathing dragon because of it? As is the theme with this list, without Maleficent, I'm not sure you have Sleeping Beauty. She is why I keep going back to this film. I cannot get enough of her evil antics.

In the words of The Nightmare Before Christmas: "Life's no fun without a good scare!" Enjoy the villainy, folks!

-Cody Fleenor

Friday, October 23, 2015

Five Friday Favorites: Disney Villain Songs

Halloween is upon us all, and if you're a Disney fan, it's one of the most wonderful times of the year as the Disney Parks are in full celebration of the season while the classic original movies are being played in households across the country. Also, Halloween gives us the chance to revel in the evilness of the Disney villains. For one month out of the year, these villains get to take center stage, and it is so amazing to watch.

Along with Disney creating some of the best movie villains of all-time (stayed tuned to next week's post about that very topic), the Disney villains also have given us some of the greatest songs Disney has ever produced. For this week's list, I'm going to countdown my top five favorite songs sung by the pantheon of Disney villains.

To give some honorable mentions away, I'll start with Tangled and Mother Gothel's twisted "Mother Knows Best." At this point in the movie, audiences aren't quite sure whether or not Rapunzel's psuedo-mother is a villain or just plain mean, but with her shining moment of revelation, it becomes blatantly clear that Rapunzel has a villain to deal with. When Mother Gothel struts down the stairs of the tower with only candles lighting her path, we know right away that Mother does indeed know best when you are a Disney villain.

Next, I would be remiss not to mention "Hellfire" from Hunchback of Notre Dame. As I've discussed in previous posts, this movie has really grown on me significantly as I've aged, and this song is so villainous in every sense of the word. Take away the "Think of the children" argument people have against this song and this film. Strictly based on what makes a great villain song, Frollo professing his struggle with lust and how it effects his motives throughout the film is absolute villainy as its most vile.

Finally, Halloween would not be complete without watching The Nightmare Before Christmas, and this list would be incomplete without mentioning Oogie Boogie's Song. Oogie Boogie is so vile and yet somehow so lovable, which is basically the character description of everybody in Tim Burton's classic stop-motion film. At a brisk 76 minutes, Nightmare doesn't have a whole lot of time for mediocre material if it wants to maintain classic status, but when Oogie rocks out and brags about him being the Boogieman, that status is easily and quickly achieved.

Onward and upward to the top five!

5. "Friends on the Other Side" from The Princess and the Frog

The Princess and the Frog kicked off the third Golden Age of Disney, in my opinion, mainly because Disney returned to its roots by creating likable protagonists while also concocting fantastic bad guys, and Dr. Facilier is Bayou-bad through and through. Using his dark magic and voodoo to accomplish his villainous plan of bringing down Prince Naveen, whenever the time comes for him to reveal his vile plan, the Shadow Man delivers one of the best modern day Disney songs. The animation during this scene is also top-notch, highlighting in great detail the influence of New Orleans culture on the film. Plus, the voice of Dr. Facilier, Keith David, could truly make anything sound evil if he really wanted to.

4. "Gaston" from Beauty and the Beast

Gaston is one of those Disney villains that you just love to hate, and with his moment to take center stage in this raucous number, his villainy and excellency come to the forefront. I mean, for starters, the fact that your song is simply your name is enough to prove how vile you really are. Anyone that eats five dozens eggs every morning to help him get large and uses antlers in all of his decorating is someone that is easy to love, but Gaston takes it step further by also making us loathe him and his arrogance at the same time. All of this is achieved in a tavern while singing this Alan Menken classic, a feat not easily accomplished.

3. "Poor Unfortunate Souls" from The Little Mermaid

Arguably the most vile Disney villain in the canon, Ursula has a commanding presence from start to finish, and we, as the audience, become witnesses to the phenomenal villainy the Sea Witch has to offer. What really separates this song from the rest is how well it advances the plot while also entertaining the audience, truly an Alan Menken staple. Ariel enters a shy and timid potential consumer of whatever Ursula is offering and leaves with no voice and a desperate mission on her hands. That's villainy; that's Ursula.

2. "Cruella De Vil" from 101 Dalmatians

Once again, some Disney villains only need their name to be the song title to prove how evil they really are. Cruella is the ultimate Disney baddie. Think about why she is the way she is: she's evil because she wants a new coat! If that's not true villainy, I don't know what is! Then, when this song hits, no other introduction or elaboration is needed. We know instantly everything we need to know about Cruella: she's truly one of a kind in her evil ways. That's the mark of an excellent villain: someone who is evil just because they can be. In 101 Dalmatians, Cruella doesn't even need to sing a note to prove that.

1. "Be Prepared" from The Lion King

The sassy and hysterical Scar is one of the finest villains Disney has ever created, mainly because his character arc has a fair amount of layers to it. Dare I say that all of us could potentially understand where Scar's frustrations are coming from? With this number, Scar takes center stage like never before and owns it in the best way possible. With the clear Nazi symbolism going on with the hyenas marching in this scene, Disney made it abundantly clear that Scar was not to be messed with in any regard. On top of that, Jeremy Irons and his tremendous vocals could make anything sound vile and evil, truly a perfect casting to the quintessential Disney villain.

Happy Halloween!

-Cody Fleenor

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Disney Just Can't Wait to Be King

Disney has, over the years, experienced its share of fantastic periods of prosperity. Beginning in 1937 with the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and going all the way until the mid-1960s, the company saw massive success on multiple fronts from the likes of movies, television, and even theme parks with the opening of Disneyland in 1955. In the 1990s, Disney released classic after classic on the movie front while also expanding its presence on television while also debuting Disney's Animal Kingdom at Disney World and Disney's California Adventure in the early 2000s out in Anaheim. For lengthy stretches, Disney has always found a way to be the king of just about everything in entertainment.

But are we just now entering the greatest time period in Disney history? I think so.

Now, I understand that every hardcore Disney fan will have their own opinions and thoughts on this topic, but here me out on why I think the best is actually yet to come for Disney in the not-so-distant future.

First of all, let's start with Disney's ever-growing presence on television. It's obvious that they own ABC and ESPN, two networks that exponentially grow year in and year out. Beyond those two power networks, though, Disney has quietly made Disney Channel and Disney XD some must watch networks for a wide variety of demographics. Look firstly at Disney XD. At the time of this writing, the network is preparing to fire up its second season of the popular Star Wars Rebels series. They also just kicked off a highly anticipated animated Guardians of the Galaxy series alongside the continued presence of Marvel on the network every day. Over on Disney Channel, the original film Descendants was previously released to high ratings and a cult following. Disney's television workload will inevitably continue to grow over the coming years. ABC and ESPN grows seemingly every day as well with popular shows like Scandal, Modern Family, and Monday Night Football bringing in an enormous audience every week. Disney television has never been better and will only continue to improve in the ratings and in quality of entertainment.

Moving to the movie front, as I wrote about on a previous post, I believe Disney animation is currently in the its third Golden Age with the recent releases of hits like Tangled, Frozen, and Big Hero 6. Additionally, Pixar has never been more popular with the recent phenomenon Inside Out and the highly anticipated The Good Dinosaur on the near horizon. Plus, Pixar has sure fire hits coming up in the next few years as well with the release of Finding Dory, Toy Story 4, and The Incredibles 2. For Disney itself, 2016 will see the release of two new animated movies; Zootopia and Moana. Furthermore, with Disney's recent fascination with live action remakes of some of their animated classics, in the coming years, audiences will be treated to the likes of The Jungle Book (2016), Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass (2016), and Beauty and the Beast (2017). Some additional live action remakes include Pete's Dragon (2016) and among the announced but not dated remakes are Mulan, Dumbo, and a sequel to Mary Poppins. Disney animation also has Gigantic coming up in 2018 from the songwriters of Frozen. I think it's rather clear that Disney has a few highly anticipated films coming up over just a matter of three or four years, and I didn't even mention the fifth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise due up in 2017.

Then, there's also this small franchise that Disney recently purchased that may end up making the studio a little pocket change called Star Wars. This December will see the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, perhaps the most highly anticipated movie of all-time. After this one is released, though, Disney isn't done; in fact, they're putting the pedal to the medal when it comes to this lucrative franchise. Next year will see the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a spinoff set in the time period behind episodes three and four, and then the studio will release the second installment in their new trilogy in 2018. They will also see the release of the the third film in the trilogy in probably 2020 as well as some intriguing anthology spinoffs like a Han Solo movie and a Boba Fett movie.

Disney also owns another little studio you may have heard of as well: Marvel. The comic book studio has never been hotter with the recent success of the worldwide phenomenon, Avengers: Age of Ultron. In Marvel's Phase Three (roughly in the time frame of 2016-2020), audiences will see the likes of Captain America: Civil and Doctor Strange in 2016, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 and Thor: Ragnarok in 2017, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1, and Ant-Man and the Wasp in 2018, and finally, Avengers: Infinity War Part 2, Captain Marvel, and Inhumans due in 2019. Needless to say, Marvel is going to be making a lot of money for Disney.

In addition to all of that, Disney has also conceived an ambitious plan to enhance its theme parks on both coasts over the next couple of years. At Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios, Star Wars Land is coming to guests that absolutely cannot wait to see this new expansion come to life hopefully in 2019 (breaking ground will probably occur in 2016). Furthermore, at Disney World, Pandora: The World of Avatar will soon be coming to Animal Kingdom in late 2016. The presence of Frozen will be expanded in the summer of 2016 at Epcot's Norway Pavilion in addition to the expansion of New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom in the last couple of years.

Financially, I don't think there's ever been a more profitable time period for Disney than the time period they are just now beginning to enter in to. Only time will tell if I am right or not with this prediction, but to me, it just seems like there's never been a better time to be a Disney fan. For now, just sit back and watch the maestros go to work. I am thoroughly looking forward to everything the company has coming up for audiences to enjoy on every front. For Disney, they just can't wait to be king; for the Disney fan, I just can't wait to enjoy.

-Cody Fleenor

Friday, October 9, 2015

Five Friday Favorites: Epcot Attractions

Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Who doesn't enjoy a good day at Epcot? Now, admittedly, when I was younger and my family would visit Epcot, I didn't quite get the hype. I mean, I enjoyed seeing all of the cool buildings and especially riding Test Track, but usually, about two or three hours into the day, I was ready to move on from Epcot. However, now that I am older and (I hope) more mature, I wouldn't trade a day at Epcot for anything. It has everything a Disney fanatic could ask for, from Disney history to beautiful sights and even some awesome attractions and excellent dining options.

To begin, I'll start with some honorable mentions that just missed the cut of making my list for my top five favorite Epcot attractions. First of all, I am proudly in the Figment cult following, meaning I love Journey Into Imagination with Figment. Sure, it is rather childish and simple, but that's what makes it work, I think. Imagination isn't suppose to be something that is to be heavily dissected and diagnosed, but rather, it's just meant to be simple just like Figment himself. I would love to see an update for this attraction, but please don't take away my Figment, Disney.

I must make mention also of Mission: Space, but I must specify that this is exclusively for the Green Team. The Orange Team is just too much for me, but the Green Team is quite thrilling for me, and being able to work alongside your family members as you ride is cool too. Plus, Gary Sinise is in charge...how could it be bad??

Finally, just missing the list is The Seas with Nemo and Friends. I love the story of Nemo and gang, and this attraction is a perfect way to retell it in a fresh and cool way. Plus, the breathtaking real life aquarium found after the ride itself is incredible no matter how many times you see it. Did you know that the Epcot ball (you know, that giant icon you see when you enter the park?) can fit comfortably inside the tank? That's phenomenal!

On to the top five!

5. Living With the Land

I think you either really love or really loathe this attraction; I don't think there's a middle ground. I love Living With the Land though! I thoroughly enjoy any opportunity that is afforded to me to go behind the scenes of anything at Disney, and being able to see all the different plants being grown and various fish being raised right in the middle of Epcot is stunning to me every single time. Also, seeing the cast members working in the natural areas on such a neat task is rather interesting as well.

4. Epcot Character Spot

It takes quite a special character greeting spot to break a top five list like this, but trust me, the Epcot Character Spot is special and some. As one of my favorite character greeting spots in the entire Walt Disney World Resort, guests can meet Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy in their classic attire just as everyone has come to know and love them, and that's an experience you literally cannot get anywhere else. It's always great to meet these iconic characters in whatever environment in whatever clothes, but to see them as the classics we all can instantly recognize is truly magical and a true highlight of a trip to Epcot.

3. Spaceship Earth

This attraction is Disney history in its finest form at Epcot. Perfectly summing up the vision and theme of Epcot, Spaceship Earth is something that is not to be missed at all by anyone visiting Epcot. Following the timeline of the history of communication, on paper, doesn't sound stimulating at all, but with the help of Judi Dench's fantastic narration and picturesque sets and audio animatronics, this is educational without ever being boring. Quick tip: come back to Spaceship Earth later in the day as most guests go there near the beginning of the day as it's the first attraction they come to when they enter the park.

2. Test Track

As the fastest attraction at Disney World, Test Track is a thrill ride for everyone that cannot be missed whatsoever. The preliminaries leading up to the figure-8 high-speed finale is worthwhile as well, but let's be honest: everyone who rides Test Track is just wanting to travel at speeds of 65 MPH around G-force producing turns to produce a sensation like you've never experienced before. If you love thrills, and I very much do, Test Track is the thrill of thrills at Epcot.

1. Soarin'

I am absolutely pumped to hear that Soarin' is getting some much needed upgrades to the movie reel, but even if it never received another update, I'm pretty sure it would still occupy the number one spot on this list. As Patrick Warburton exclaims, "Soarin' to tower," you know that you are just seconds from some of the most thrilling minutes of your Disney vacation as you fly high over the beautiful landscapes of California. I can actually smell those orange trees right now as your own personal hang glider finishes your trip at the motherland itself, Disneyland. Thank you, Disney's California Adventure, for the donation! The fine folks visiting Epcot every year really appreciate it!

Walt Disney was always an inspirational man of progress as he was constantly looking forward to the great, big, beautiful tomorrow. That vision and spirit is never more alive than when you walk through the gates of Epcot. From venturing around Future World to travelling the world in World Showcase, this is Disney through and through, and that means magic is abundant.

-Cody Fleenor

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

All Magic Comes With a Price

Taking a family vacation to the Walt Disney World Resort is nothing short of magical. From beginning to end and beyond, memories are being forever ingrained in your mind and fun is being had at every corner. From the characters to the attractions, everything about Disney World is pure joy.

That is until you get your vacation bill arrives.

While everything about Disney is so worth it, making these special memories isn't exactly cheap. In fact, I'm reminded of what Rumpelstiltskin often proclaims on the ABC hit show Once Upon a Time: "All magic comes with a price." That statement is never more accurate than when paying for a Disney vacation. At the time of this post being written, Disney had just recently in the last week announced an increase in ticket prices and parking fees, igniting outrage across the Disney fandom. While a raise in prices isn't at all a new concept for Disney, fans across the country were speaking out against such a move.

Why is this case? Why has this recent raise of the prices sparked so much controversy. There is no simple answer to these questions because it is nearly impossible to get inside the minds of Disney fans without being scarred for life in some way. I will say, however, that I believe two key issues are at the heart of this uproar.

The first issue I propose is Disney's recent attempt to take advantage of lucrative properties and its effect on its loyal guests. The first property that quickly comes to mind is Frozen. Since November of 2013, Disney Parks and stores around the globe has been absolutely invaded by Anna and Elsa, and guests perceive that to be because Disney wants to cash in on this opportunity. The evidence is blatantly clear because in the not so distant future, three of the four Disney World parks will have a Frozen presence, highlighted by the Norway Pavilion renovation at Epcot opening in 2016. Factor in the Christmas show at Magic Kingdom and Frozen Summer Fun at Hollywood Studios and you have guests who have simply had enough with Disney pushing the envelope on how much they can promote a product and still produce a profit.

However, beyond Frozen, one can also see the influence of a little movie franchise called Star Wars. When the company purchased the rights to George Lucas's creation in 2012, it was a matter of 'when' and not 'if' the films would eventually be made a significant part of the parks. As predicted, at this year's D23 Expo, it was announced that Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios would be receiving a significant upgrade with the help of Luke Skywalker and company. Once again, the Disney prognosticators chalked another one up to the greed of Disney. A property that was not inherently Disney being pushed heavily in the parks could only logically come into being because Disney loves money, in their opinion.

When you combine those factors with the spike in ticket and parking prices, one can make a pretty valid conclusion that Disney has become downright greedy

Another factor is the fact that two of the four Disney World parks are under major renovation and the guest is simply not willing to pay the upgraded price for half of the experience. At Disney's Hollywood Studios, half of the park seems to be closed or on its way out to prepare the way for Star Wars Land and Toy Story Land. The general consensus is that Studios is a park that can now be trekked completely in just a few hours, leaving the guest feeling like they cannot get the most out of their money. To make matters worse, over at Disney's Animal Kingdom, Pandora: The World of Avatar is still about a year or so away from debuting, further enforcing some people's notion that Animal Kingdom will never be a full-day park until that opens, and even then, it still may not be that way. With half of the parks essentially operating at half of the initial potential, guests are seemingly unwillingly to pay that much for anything but a full Disney World experience.

There are certainly many other factors that can go into why people are so upset at the price increases, but these two issues are crucial in people's minds from my vantage point. Now, the question must be raised: are you just going to stop going to Disney World because of that? For some, this may in fact be the straw that breaks the camel's back, but for a vast majority, paying a few more dollars isn't going to heavily persuade or dissuade anyone from experiencing the magic of Disney World. In fact, I would propose that the people that are the most outspoken and outraged over the prices are the very ones that'll spend an entire week at the parks divulging in everything Disney has to offer from dusk to dawn.

If you can remember back to high school economics, you can recall the idea of supply and demand. As demand increases, so does the price. Economically speaking, therefore, Disney is just operating as a good quality business. As the demand for Disney tickets and parking increases, the price naturally rises. Of course, some people will refuse to see it that way, but that is the basic principles of business. I tend to lean on the side of defending Disney because of this very reason. If you've ever worked in business, you know that the ultimate goal is make a profit. If you cannot accomplish that goal, your business will never be successful. This is one of the many ways Disney is able to continually be successful and offer new experiences at the parks for years to come.

I understand and can sympathize with the people who are genuinely upset about the price increase. A good number of folks may actually be greatly effected by this development. However, odds are that the same people arguing against these price increases are the same people who are actually planning a Disney vacation as you read this very sentence. All in all, it's Disney, and just like in life, nothing is free. Nothing except for the memories and the magic, and while it may sound like a cliche, who can really put a price on those?

-Cody Fleenor

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Five Friday Favorites: WDW Table-Service Restaurants

In light of the topic I discussed in the previous post about dining at Walt Disney World, I thought it would only be appropriate for me to take this week's edition of Five Friday Favorites and reveal my top five restaurants at Disney World. As I mentioned in the previous post, there is something truly magical about dining throughout the resort, whether it be inside a park or at a resort. Disney is one of the greatest locations on the planet to experience high-quality dining alongside also creating some of the best memories for the entire family that you can have during your vacation.

Now just for clarification, a table-service restaurant are those dining locations where you must sit down and order something off a menu. Disney is also home to fantastic quick-service restaurants as well, but for the purposes of this list, we'll stick to the table-service locations.

As always, I'll start off by giving out some honorable mentions. I'll get started over at Epcot inside The Land Pavilion at The Garden Grill. Served family-style, this restaurant is fun for the entire family regardless of the age of your group. Here, the food comes served family-style and all-you-can-eat and the options vary seasonally as The Garden Grill is always serving what is in season and the freshest food around. The food is enough reason to dine here, but in addition to fresh vegetables and perfectly roasted meats, Chip and Dale headline this character dining experience that also features Pluto, Goofy, and even Mickey Mouse himself. The characters, outside of Chip and Dale, rotate every night, but you're guaranteed a great sampling of some of the most popular Disney characters around. If you're still not convinced The Garden Grill is a place you need to try out, the restaurant is placed on a slowly-rotating platform as you get to see the different unseen sights of The Land Pavilion that you cannot get anywhere else.

Next, I'll head on over to Disney's Port Orleans- Riverside Resort and stop to dine at Boatwright's Dining Hall. One of my absolute favorite cuisines around is New Orleans food. If someone is serving gumbo or jambalaya, I'm in! That's exactly what we have here at Boatwright's. They have all the staples you think of when you think about food from the Big Easy, and yet they also have so much more. The dessert menu is also to die for, featuring the classic Bananas Foster and the divine pecan pie. If you enjoy a phenomenal meal served with a side of comfort, Boatwright's is the place to go.

For my final two honorable mentions, I'm going inside the Magic Kingdom to visit Tony's Town Square Restaurant and Crystal Palace. If you've ever seen Lady and the Tramp, if you're like me, you've always wondered what it would be like to dine at the restaurant where Lady and Tramp shared that classic bowl of spaghetti. Now, you need not wonder anymore because right on Main Street USA is Tony's, serving the most delectable Italian food in the resort. On the other end of Main Street, you can dine with Winnie the Pooh and all of his friends from the Hundred Acre Wood at Crystal Palace. Featuring an all-you-can-eat buffet and dessert bar, Crystal Palace is an experience you will not soon forget.

Now, here's my top five!

5. Cinderella's Royal Table, Magic Kingdom

When people think about Disney World, Cinderella Castle probably comes right to mind. It's the icon of all icons, so how cool would it be to eat inside of it? You can do just that at Cinderella's Royal Table. Overlooking the legendary Fantasyland, Cinderella and a whole host of your favorite Disney princesses come around to take pictures and sign autographs while you dine with royalty. The food is also just amazing. Every course served makes you feel as you are actual Disney royalty. Let's be honest, though: the simple fact that you're eating inside a castle is the biggest reason why this restaurant makes this list.

4. 1900 Park Fare, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa

Whenever I sit down to decide where to eat on my Disney vacation, character dining is always something I look at to take advantage of. At 1900 Park Fare, you can meet characters that are not seen anywhere else inside a restaurant, like Prince Charming and Lady Tremain from Cinderella. Plus, for breakfast, Alice from Alice in Wonderland and Mary Poppins are there to greet you while Cinderella and her entire family await you for dinner. Of course, the food is great as well, featuring an all-you-can-eat buffet, carving station, and dessert bar. It really is an experience for the entire family.

3. Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Epcot

Once again, I enjoy eating with the Disney characters, and at Akershus, you can meet Belle, Ariel, Aurora, Cinderella, and Snow White while also dining on some amazingly authentic Norwegian food. The first time my family booked a reservation here, we were very skeptical mainly because we had no idea what food from Norway tasted like. Now, though, Akershus is one of the favorites for every member of my family. The highlight here is the appetizer bar offered to all guests. You can get an entire meal off this bar, but then on top of that, you get a fantastic entree as well as a trio of desserts brought to your table based on what's in season in Norway at the time. How awesome is that?

2. Chef Mickey's, Disney's Contemporary Resort

There's a sense of nostalgia that overtakes me every time I dine at Chef Mickey's because it remains to this day my first vivid memory of one of my early Disney World experiences. You should have guessed, too, that this is also a character dining restaurant featuring the entire Fab Five: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto, and Goofy. That in and of itself is worth the trip, but the food is also incredible featuring yet another all-you-can-eat buffet, carving station, and dessert bar. When you're inside the Contemporary, the legendary Disney Monorail flies by right above your head to just add to the magical time you'll have at Chef Mickey's.

1. Le Cellier Steakhouse, Epcot

Four of the five restaurants in my top five were character dining experiences, so they fact that Le Cellier does not feature characters and yet still occupies my number spot should tell you how much I love this restaurant. It is five-star dining at its absolute finest. Starting off with some heavenly Canadian bread and then proceeding to some of the best steaks in the country, Le Cellier makes you almost forget that you're at Disney World for all the right reasons. It's simply to die for.

Disney World is so much more than hamburgers and chicken tenders. There is literally an entire world of food throughout the resort that will satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. So go and explore Disney World through its cuisine; I can guarantee you that you won't be sorry you did!

-Cody Fleenor