Wednesday, June 19, 2013

THE BIERGARTEN!


You’ve decided on the best resort for your family and budget; you’ve figured out which park tickets to get and for how many days and now your wonderful Disney Travel Expert (hopefully me!) has booked your package and the deposit is paid!  Now what??  Now the fun really begins as your itinerary begins to take form and we begin choosing which restaurants you would like a dining reservation.
 If your family is anything like my family, food is important and so is enjoying your meal in a venue that continues to provide the Disney magic.  Dining in Disney is just as much a part of the experience as going on Splash Mountain or watching Fantasmic and this couldn’t be more true than at one of my family’s favorite restaurants: The Biergarten in Epcot’s Germany pavilion!

When you walk into the restaurant you will first notice the long tables that circle the dance floor and stage and soon you’ll realize you are in a quaint Bavarian town square ready to celebrate Oktoberfest!  Ticky tacky, ticky tacky Oy, Oy, Oy!!  If your party is small, you will be seated with other guests. This has never been a problem for us and in fact, we’ve met some very nice people!  Next it’s time to place your drink order which could include a big beer or a huge beer or perhaps a flight of beer samples!  They also stock some wonderful German wines.  Once the drinks are ordered it’s time to fill your plate!

An all you can eat buffet provides the opportunity to taste dishes that perhaps you or your children are not particularly familiar with.  As you might expect to find in a spread of Germany’s delicacies there are lots of brats and spaetzle (noodles) and the wonderful pretzel rolls along with soup, sauerbraten and chicken schnitzel plus a whole lot more!  Hearty German foods designed to stick to your ribs and let’s be honest, your hips if it wasn’t for the miles of walking you’re doing every day.  But hey! It’s vacation!!    

Soon the band makes their way to the stage for some fun and entertainment.  Decked out in traditional lederhosen, the musicians will draw you to the dance floor for a quick polka.  I love seeing whole families dancing together or that grey-haired couple that have obviously been polka-ing for years.  The band continues to entertain demonstrating instruments and sounds that are iconic of the culture.   Everyone from young to old are having a good time.  By the end of the meal, your belly is full and satisfied, your family has made some magical memories and after draining your beerstein, you’re ready to waddle out to see Illuminations or make your way around the World Showcase with a great sense of  Gemütlichkeit – (a situation that induces a cheerful mood and peace of mind, with a connotation of belonging and social acceptance, coziness and unhurry.)

A favorite of ours, and maybe it’s a great choice for your family too!  Let’s discuss The Biergarten and other Epcot restaurants when I book your next Walt Disney World vacation!

1 comment:

  1. Please do France! Back in the beginning, before political correctness, when EPCOT was new, authenticity was the watchword. At the French pavilion you could buy Class B cigarettes! (I only saw them in Paris) Raunchy tobacco, in brown paper. A real dangerous thrill!

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