Despite what the temperature is like outside, it’s never too early to start making holiday travel plans. If you’re all set to celebrate the season at Walt Disney World Resort this year, come get cozy with a Disney Vacation Club event you won’t want to miss – the Merry Member Mixer!
Disney Vacation Club Member families and their Guests are invited to be welcomed “home” for the holidays with festive entertainment and complimentary refreshments while mingling with fellow Members at the annual Merry Member Mixer.
At the Merry Member Mixer you will find exclusive merchandise!
Enjoy Character meet and greets, children’s holiday craft area, a DJ dance party and limited-edition merchandise while supplies last. Taking place at World Showplace Pavilion at Epcot,* up to six Guests may attend the event per Member I.D.,** no RSVP required.
Dates for 2014 Merry Member Mixer are as follows:
– Monday, November 24, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
– Monday, December 1, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
– Monday, December 15, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
– Monday, December 22, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
For more information, please visit the Member Experiences section of DVCMember.com.
The 2013 Merry Member Mixer Ornament
* Park admission required for entry to Epcot
** A valid Member I.D. must be shown to enter
Previously I shared my experience at a Disney Wedding Planning Session. In that post, I mentioned that couples can also request a meeting with chefs that will be preparing your reception meal. This can be scheduled the same day as your planning session, or at another time. We chose to have our planning session in the morning and our menu tasting in the afternoon on the same day.
In the months leading up to the planning session, your Disney wedding planner will send a menu tasting checklist where you can request the dishes that you wish to try. There are eight slots available and you are allowed up to three proteins (entrées). Your planner will also provide sample menus from Disney Catering. For the tasting, you can choose any of the items from these menus or you can even ask to try the chef’s interpretation of your favorite dishes at Disney restaurants. Tip for future bride and grooms: don’t waste a tasting spot on a dish that you know how it tastes. For example, Mickey waffles taste the same everywhere. We want to have them at our brunch reception, but we didn’t need to try them at our tasting.
Since our reception will be held at the Boardwalk Resort, that is where we had our tasting. We were scheduled to meet back up with our planner at 2:15 at the Boardwalk Convention Center.
Convention Center
We got there a little early and wandered around a bit before our server, Manny, saw us and showed us to our room. Yes, we had our own server for the tasting! He was awesome and got us sodas and water while we waited.
The tasting itself actually took place in a sectioned off portion of a ballroom. There was a table set up that was decorated and had several napkin folds on display.
At the far end of the room, the buffet was set up. This was mind-blowing to me, that they set up a buffet like to would be for our actual reception.
Buffet set up
Once our planner arrived, the first order of business was to choose a napkin fold.
Our napkin fold
Then Chef Redgie arrived. He introduced himself and told us about how he started as an intern three years ago and did so well that he was offered a permanent position. He told us that the BoardWalk Catering Department is the smallest of all the resorts with six chefs. He brought us over the the buffet stations and described each of the dishes the had asked to try. He held off on preparing the pasta dishes so that we could see those prepared on stage. He told us we could customize as we go. As we tried each thing, we talked about what we liked or didn’t like and Chef Redgie took notes. He told us that they love to customize the menu and work with couples to make sure everything is exactly they way they want them. They will even prepare your favorite family dishes if you provide them with a recipe. I thought that was a pretty cool option.
Here are the dishes that we tried, minus the pasta dishes that I didn’t get a picture of:
From left to right: parmesan-crusted chicken with creamy tomato sauce, seared salmon with pancetta marmalade and dill cream, maple ginger pork loin with fig compote, cinnamon bread pudding (picture taken before the warm vanilla icing was added), truffle-scented macaroni and cheese with lobster meat. Not pictured are penne pasta with cognac cheese sauce and artichokes; and genelli pasta with asiago cream sauce, roasted tomatoes and spinach.
Everything was delicious and it was really difficult to decide on our final menu. In the end we cut the pork, lobster macaroni and cheese, and the penne pasta dish. We were also given a couple of parting gifts which was so nice and really made us feel special.
Parting gifts : whisk and heart cookie cutters
This was such a cool experience and I am so excited for our brunch reception. Huge thanks for Chef Redgie and Manny for being so amazing!
And with that, the majority of our wedding planning is complete. We just need to get a few last minute details together in the next four months and then it’s wedding time!
Despite conceding an early goal, a brilliant free kick in the 8th minute by M Darwin Cerén led Orlando City SC (16-2-4, 52 points) to an eventual 3-1 victory over the Harrisburg City Islanders (8-9-6, 30 points) before a sold-out crowd at the ESPN Wide World of Sports.
F Kevin Molino recorded his 15th tally, tying former Lion and current Sporting KC star Dom Dwyer and Jose Angulo of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds for the USL PRO single season goal scoring record, with six matches remaining.
Tonight’s win extended City’s USL PRO home unbeaten streak to 17 fixtures and – more importantly – secured home field advantage for the Lion’s first 2014 USL PRO playoff match scheduled for September 13. Tickets are available for purchase at www.OrlandoCitySC.com or 855-ORL-CITY.
The action started quickly as Harrisburg’s Robbie Derschang was able to slip a shot past Gallardo for the game’s first goal in the 6th minute. Cerén’s curling delivery from 40 yards away snuck into the far post two minutes later leveling the field. In the 18th minute, Molino and Corey Hertzog developed a crafty 1-2 into the box, where the Trinidadian finished the play by chipping it over the oncoming ‘keeper.
Molino was humble when asked about tying the goal scoring record, “What’s most important for me is the team. If any records come after that, I will accept them but for now I just want to be focused on what we have to do to win the league.”
City created a number of opportunities throughout the game, forcing Islander ‘Keeper Nick Noble to come up with a number of saves. However, as Head Coach Adrian Heath addressed, it was a well deserved win for the Club: “It would have been a travesty if we had not have taken all three points. We created a lot of chances and we played some really good football.
“If there’s one little thing I can pick at,” he added, “It’s the fact that we didn’t take enough of the chances. At 2-1, there’s still a game on. The game is never won. You’re one mistake away from dropping a couple of points but fortunately Darwin got the third one and that saw us through.”
In the 89th minute, Cerén bags a brace after receiving a long pass, splitting two Harrisburg defenders and a diving Noble to secure the match for the Lions.
Orlando City is on the road for their next match, travelling to Charlotte to face the Eagles on August 20.
For more information on Orlando City SC, 2015 MLS Season Tickets or tickets to the Club’s remaining USL PRO home games, visit www.OrlandoCitySC.com or call 855-ORL-CITY. Also, follow the latest Orlando City news and updates via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
Orlando City SC Match Recap:
Team 1 2 Final
Orlando City SC 2 1 3
Harrisburg City Islanders 1 0 1
Scoring Summary:
HAR: Robbie Derschang (Leo Fernandez) 6’
ORL: Darwin Cerén (Unassisted) 8’
ORL: Kevin Molino (Corey Hertzog) 19’
ORL: Darwin Cerén (Unassisted) 89’
Lineups/Substitutions:
Orlando City SC – GK Miguel Gallardo, D Tyler Turner, Brad Rusin, Luke Boden, Rob Valentino, M Darwin Cerén, Harrison Heath (Aodhan Quinn 61), Kevin Molino (Tommy Redding 85), Adama Mbengue (Bitielo Jean Jacques 90), Brian “Cobi” Span (Austin da Luz 77), F Corey Hertzog (Dennis Chin 61)
Harrisburg City Islanders – GK Nicholas Noble, D Coady Andrews, Matthew Bahner, Raphael Cox, Richie Marquez, M Jose Barril, Leo Fernandes (Jamiel Hardware 78), Jason Pelletier, Zach Pfeffer (Clesio Bauque 64), Robbie Derschang (Garret Pettis 82), Antoine Hoppenot (Cristhian Hernandez 85)
Disciplinary Summary:
ORL: Brad Rusin 41
ORL: Harrison Heath 43
HAR: Raphael Cox 66
ORL: Tyler Turner 83
Match Facts:
Time of Match: 7:30 p.m. EST
Weather: — Clear
About Orlando City SC:
Orlando City Soccer Club (OCSC) is Major League Soccer’s newest expansion team. The club will begin play in MLS in 2015, becoming the league’s 21st club. The Lions’ first team has won two USL PRO regular season titles and two postseason championships and will continue play in USL PRO in 2014 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Outside of the first squad, OCSC also has a youth club, Orlando City Youth Soccer (OCYS) and a U-23 team that participates in the PDL. For more information on the pro and youth clubs, visit www.OrlandoCitySC.com and www.OrlandoCityYouth.org.
