As of January 28, 2012, the Safari Celebration, Good Morning Breakfast, and International Dinner & Illuminations Dessert Party will no longer be offered.
I have been fortunate enough to attend each of these gatherings offered through Grand Gatherings and urge any of you who can attend, to try and do so before they are discontinued.
International Dinner and Illumi-Nations Desert Reception
With this Grand Gatherings Experience at Epcot, international culinary
favorites are on the menu for parties looking for a storybook ending to their
day. Your party will be directed to the Odyssey Restaurant, where they see the
primary colors of international friendship. Inside, the sounds of music and the
smell of fine international cuisine complete the perfect ambiance for a dinner
at World Showcase. This incredible experience offers delectable food from all
over the world, from Asia to Italy, with dishes consisting of pasta, chicken,
sausages and assorted vegetables, just to mention a few.
We had a great time during this buffet style that included dishes from the countries of World Showcase that were absolutely delicious. A DJ played music for families to get up and dance with Minnie and Goofy while Auntie Roz kept everyone entertained.
After dinner is over, everyone is invited to follow their guides to Towers Plaza where they will enjoy dessert and VIP viewing of Illuminations: Reflections of Earth. There is a roped off viewing area to watch the fireworks and laser light show with a huge dessert buffet under the stars.
The International Dinner experience is available at a cost of $59.99 for guests ages 10 and older, and $24.99 for guests ages 3-9. If you are on the Disney dining Plan, this counts as 2 table service credits. Valid Theme Park admission required.
Video posted on YouTube from this past March : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5I9fiH6YhU
Safari Celebration Dinner
In this Grand Gatherings Experience, guests gather in the exotic city of Harambe at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park for high adventure on the Kilimanjaro Safari. Parties journey through the park’s authentic African plains and across the sweeping, baobab-studded savanna, spotting giraffes, elephants and other wild African creatures with their own private guide.
Following this special safari, guests move to the Tusker House Restaurant where they meet their host who welcomes them to a delicious dinner consisting of chicken, vegetables, assorted artesian breads and more. This is another buffet dinner accompanied by an African band and dancing.
During dinner, guests have the opportunity to get an up close animal experience with one of the Animal Programs Keepers, who arrive with a live animal and answer any questions that guests may have about the Kilimanjaro Safari or Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This was a huge hit with all 5 of the kids in our group, as well as the adults!
As a special part of the celebration, the host introduces two very special residents of Disney’s Animal Kingdom who wanted to stop by, Rafiki and Timon! The kids really enjoyed getting to meet the both of them, tons of fun and lots of character interaction.
The Safari Celebration Dinner experience is available at a cost of $59.99 for guests ages 10 and older, and $24.99 for guests ages 3-9. If you are on the Disney dining Plan, this counts as 2 table service credits. Valid Theme Park admission required.
Good Morning Gathering Breakfast
This is probably our favorite Grand Gathering experience! During this experience,
guests are escorted from the front gate of the Magic Kingdom, have the option of taking family photos in front of Cinderella castle on a deserted Main Street USA, then to Tony’s Town Square Restaurant where you are welcomed by the restaurant’s proprietor himself, Tony. As you enter the restaurant, smells of a hot cooked breakfast fill the air. Once guests are seated, Tony welcomes them by singing with, of course, an Italian flair!
Pure hilarity ensues as Disney characters Chip, Dale, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck and more enter the dining area wearing comical outfits and carrying baskets of warm muffins, fresh out of the oven for the guests to enjoy. Breakfast is served family style as the characters then disperse into the restaurant to meet-and-greet guests with music playing throughout the restaurant during breakfast, which consists of a wonderful assortment of pastries, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage and much, much more!
As another special treat, Gatherings have an opportunity to spend one-on-one time with the big cheese himself, Mickey Mouse, for photos and more. Then it’s off into the park with a special fast pass to Mickey’s Philharmagic.
The Good Morning Gathering experience is available at a cost of $26.99 for guests ages 10 and older, and $13.99 for guests ages 3-9. If you are on the Disney dining Plan, this counts as 1 table service credit. Valid Theme Park admission required.
If you ever have the chance to visit Disney multi-genrationally, I highly recommend it. It is far more rewarding than you can imagine. Added that Disney gives you a way to celebrate our special trip in ways you could only imagine, it is truly a magical way to travel.
For more information please contact: Castle Dreams Travel, Specializing in Disney Vacations
