Author: Dave Koch

I’m a high school teacher from New York City. Not having the opportunity to travel as a child I started in my mid-twenties to make up for lost time. Since then I have been to half the states, cruised all over the Caribbean, backpacked my way through Western Europe, and lived a summer in Lyon, France that allowed for multiple trips to Disneyland Paris. Before Disney I made many a trip to Las Vegas; then I visited the world for the first time in 2010. With that one trip I was hooked. The following year I ditched my player’s club cards to buy an annual pass to both Disney World and Disneyland. I’ve never looked back. Most of my trips to both Orlando and Anaheim are to participate in Run Disney events. My favorite attraction is Splash Mountain, and my favorite Disney restaurant is the Kona Café. Other things about me? Well I’m a fan of all things related to Figment, and I’m currently seeking my real life Disney Princess. Aside from all that, I am proud to be a Mickey Dude.

Imagineering the Perfect Cup of Joffrey’s Coffee

With the recent release of Joffrey’s Artifact Blend, inspired by Tiffins Restaurant in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, I have come to realize that Joffrey’s talented team of coffee artisans are an unofficial extension of Walt Disney Imagineering.

Joffrey’s describes this newest coffee blend in its Disney Parks and Resorts Collection as an” expedition inspired by adventure.” Here “natural Ethiopian beans are blended with spicy estate beans from the Indonesian island of Java. Together you experience fruity and floral with deep, earthy undertones.”

When one considers the diverse cuisine served at Tiffins coupled with the exquisite art that adorns the walls, the new Joffrey’s Artifact Blend is the perfect complement to this signature dining experience. Their blend of fruity and floral, with deep earthy undertones mirror many of the items on Tiffins menu. Here delectable cuts of fresh meats are stewed in rich earth toned sauces accented by vibrant-colored vegetables, and hints of fruit flavors.

Serving dishes inspired by cuisines from all over the globe, Tiffins provides guests with a mix of gastronomical artifacts. Take their wagyu striploin and house-smoked brisket as an example. This dish is served with rainbow carrots, Peruvian purple potatoes, citrus-ramp butte, and a guava demi-glace. The contrast of ingredients provides a feast for the eyes as well as the pallet.

This artifact theme is continued with the restaurant’s decor. The walls of Tiffins are rich earth tones accented by colorful works of art. A sign on the wall tells all guest that “Tiffins is a gallery of art based on the travel and adventure that inspired the creation of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.” Joffrey’s created their new blend in keeping with the recurring themes using coffee beans of different flavors, from both Africa and Asia. The mix of flavors contrast nicely with this restaurant’s artifacts featured both on the walls and on the plate.

This is not just true of Tiffins; each coffee blend in the Joffrey’s Disney Parks and Resorts collection is created in keeping with the restaurant’s story. In doing this, Joffrey’s works in conjunction with Walt Disney Imagineering and each restaurant’s chef to tell a story.

I found out firsthand how they pull this off this past summer on a trip trip to their roasting facility and tasting kitchen in Tampa, Florida.

There I met Joffrey’s Chief Roastmaster, Chris DeMezzo who described the process of developing each unique blend of coffee in the Disney collection.

Joffrey’s Chief Roastmaster, Chris DeMezzo shared the process of imagineering the perfect coffee blend for each restaurant in their Disney Parks and Resorts Collection on my recent visit to the Joffrey’s Tasting Kitchen.

Prior to the development of each blend, Demezzo meets with the head chef to discuss both the menu and the story each establishment is telling. Based on that meeting, Chris and his team develop the perfect coffee companion for the restaurant.

All of the Disney coffee is roasted with this machine.

Take Yachtsman Steakhouse as an example. This Disney dining establishment is known for very strong flavors throughout its menu. This is mirrored in the powerful recurring wood elements that dominate the décor of the steakhouse. In keeping with this theme, Joffrey’s designed a boldly flavored, dark blend that superbly complements the menu in its Yachtsman Steakhouse Blend.

Some of Joffrey’s coffee artisans hard at work roasting quality coffee beans.

By contrast, Joffrey’s bled, The Wave keeps in theme with that restaurant by sourcing their specialty grade arabica beans from one of their favorite farms in Sumatra. This blend is an extension of The Wave’s theme because the restaurant shares Joffrey’s “ethos of making the world a better place by focusing on sustainable ingredients that are grown.”

When visiting the Walt Disney World Resort, a nice cup of Joffrey’s Coffee is the perfect end to a satisfying meal. This commitment to ending the story on a high note is Joffrey’s way of delivering “Imagination by The Cup.”

The Disney Planner. Random Thoughts on Preparing for a Trip to Disney.

Welcome to a series of articles I will be writing about prepping for a trip to WDW. This series is just a jumper of ideas that pop into my head when traveling to WDW. In preparing for a runDisney trip on January 6, I have already started packing while folding this morning’s batch of laundry.

So with that, I present to you my random thoughts on packing for WDW:

1: Take a Picture of your checked luggage:

case

This might seem strange since you know what bag you are taking, but go with me here. Twice Magical Express has sent my bag home on an earlier flight. I waited and waited, yet no bag dropped. When I went to the airline baggage office I was asked what my bag looked like. I showed them the picture along with the claim check. It turned out my bag was in one of their closets. The lady helping me said she wished everyone would take a picture of their bag because seeing the picture of my luggage tag helped her find the bag faster. In this case it was the best thing I could have done for myself.

2: Pack singles in your carry-on and wallet:

In this world of apple pay, credit card points, and debit cards, cash is not used as much. I for one hardly use cash anymore and, as a result I have been in the embarrassing situation of not being able to tip the Magical Express driver , valet driver, or the bell man. Putting singles on your packing list will help avoid such embarrassing situations.

3: The best way to save space while packing, the Skivvy Roll:

skiv

This one is just practical. Who wants to risk breaking a zipper on their luggage due to over packing? This will clear up space in the long run. Refer to the direction here to learn how to make a Skivvy Roll. Also here’s a video.

Well that’s it for now. Do you have any travel tips? Let me know in the comments below.

Plussing Mickey’s Not so Scary Halloween Party

Last month I talked about how I would add Halloween fun to other parts of the Walt Disney World Resort that currently don’t celebrate the season. This month I figured I would take it back to the Magic Kingdom and tell you how I would plus Mickey’s Not so Scary Halloween Party if I were in charge.

This coming holiday season Disney Springs will play host to a Christmas tree walk. All sorts of Disney themed trees will be placed along a path for the viewing pleasure of guests. My idea: why not bring a jack o’ lantern walk complete with trick or treating to Tom Sawyer’s Island. I personally would love to experience this part of the park at night. Logistically, they might have to close the island earlier then it usually closes, but for 2 months it would be so worth it.

Imagine the creepy fog effect all over Tom Sawyer’s Island!

Next I would relocate Jack and Sallie’s meet and greet to Storybook Circus where Jack meets during the Christmas party. This will put these characters far away from the parade route. That leaves room for a Nightmare Before Christmas themed float in Mickey’s Boo to You Halloween Parade. Having these characters in the parade is a no brainer. I can’t understand why this has yet to happen.

Jack and Sally are the rock stars of MNSSHP

On the main stage, I would light the black candle and conjur the Sanderson Sisters for a meet and greet. Since this would sure prove to be popular, I would distribute wrist bands for this interaction color coded to help with traffic. I would put the band distribution far back in the park on the walkway between the Tomorrow Land Speedway and Storybook Circus. The sisters then would meet between shows. Each show would be a different color wrist band. It might overwork the sisters, but they have been at rest for 23 years.

Currently, this is as close we can get to the Sanderson Sisters (and our beloved Oogie Boogie too)

Finally, in the Diamond Horseshoe I would have a haunted mansion ball room dancing show. How Epic would that be?

Thanks to MickeyDude Jeff Williams (@braindud92) for the photos

Arm Chair Imagineering: Increasing the Halloween Fun at Walt Disney World

Boo to you! Halloween season is upon us! Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is in full swing in the Magic Kingdom. Aside from Walt Disney World’s flagship theme park, Halloween seems to be an afterthought in other parts of the resort. With that in mind, I thought I would do some arm chair imagineering in an effort to enhance the seasonal Halloween offerings throughout the resort. Thanks to Shanghai, I’m sure none of these ideas will ever come to fruition. A Disney fan can only dream.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom:

Much like the storytellers outside the Haunted Mansion at the Halloween party, Disney can have a storyteller in the Serka Zong Bazaar outside of Expedition Everest telling the story of the Yeti. While a personalized short version of this story is told as part of the Wilderness Explorer program, with a little more theatrics Disney can produce a show similar to the ones the storytellers in Epcot put on during their Holiday’s Around the World presentation.

Over at the Conservation Station in Rafiki’s Planet Watch, children can experience and learn about a huge variety of creepy crawlers. Like the short story of the Yeti, this is also included in the Wilderness Explorer program, ;however, multiple insect stations can be set up around the attraction instead of one zoo keeper standing at a table on the Discovery Island Trails (as they appear now).

Epcot:

Even with Food and Wine Festival, this park can embrace Halloween. If they can have a cranberry bog, why can’t they have a pumpkin patch? They can put it in the gardens between Club Cool and the Imagination Pavilion which is currently occupied by both the Greenhouse Guru and CHEW Collective Marketplaces. Here, Disney can sell custom jack-o-lanterns along with pumpkins with Disney characters painted on them. A marketplace featuring various pumpkin related foods along with pumpkin beer and pumpkin spiced coffee drinks can also be placed here.

In the Odyssey Center, a small exhibit showing models of the current Disneyland Haunted Mansion Nightmare Before Christmas overlay could be featured. The craft beer marketplace currently occupying this spot can be relocated to the Festival Center over at the old Wonders of Life Pavilion. That would in turn increase foot traffic for this part of the festival.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

The behind-the-scenes movie offered in the theater at the Star War’s Launch Bay could be temporarily replaced with the Star Wars: Path of the Jedi movie currently being offered in the old Sounds Dangerous attraction. That current space could then be used to feature a presentation of the classic Mickey, Goofy, and Donald cartoon short “Lonesome Ghosts,” along with compilation that pays tribute to great Disney Halloween moments.

Aside from that, experiencing The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in the pitch blackness like Disneyland is doing with its current “Late Checkout,” promotion would be epic!

Next month I will talk about how I would tweak Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and share my ideas to allow the Grand Floridian to get in on the Halloween fun.

How ‘The Mickey Dudes’ Came to Be

Eight (soon to be nine) men scattered throughout the county who previously never met in person came together almost a year ago to form The Mickey Dudes podcast. Each of us was a Disney fan who extensively tweeted about the company’s material.

On August 8^th of last year each of us, along with a few others, were messaged on Twitter by an individual who has a reputation of bringing together quite a few podcast within our fan community. This individual asked us to form a podcast that involved guys talking about Disney.

I personally wanted to be on a podcast for a very long time…however, being burnt before on a previous Disney podcast endeavor I did not put much stock into this invitation. Having already experienced such a disappointment, I did not want to be let down in the event that such a project would not get off the ground . Adding to that, the premise for the show has been done over and over again in our fan community.

To my surprise many guys in the group chat were just as eager as me to work on such a project. Quite a few also promptly declined the invitation and left the discussion. Those who remained with the exception of a select few became The Mickey Dudes. We moved the discussion to a group Facebook chat and friendships were born.

None of us had ever met before, but we found ourselves talking every day. We decided that we would take the autumn months to learn the ins and outs of podcasting and plan out our show. Our goal was to record our first show in January: a goal we which we succeeded.

We hit a few hiccups along the way. First, we needed to find a name. This was by far the hardest part of creating the show. Variations of anything that we brainstormed already existed either as a blog or a podcast of a similar name. The Mickey Dudes name was not our first choice. I personally thought the word dude was dated and had no more relevance in today’s pop culture. The name did however have one thing going for it: It was available! In the end, we narrowed the name choices down to two. We decided to let Pat’s son pick the name from the two choices he was given and liked us becoming The Mickey Dudes.

Aside from that issue, association with our facilitator (the guy who originally tweeted us) was severed due to creative differences of the direction we wanted to take the show.

Today The Mickey Dudes runs as a well-oiled machine. Sure, Chuck is always wrong, Tim has a short fuse, and Pat is a propaganda drone of the guys at the WDW Main Street Podcast, but every family needs some wackos in it.

Truth be told, I kid because I love. Oddly enough these men have become amazing friends despite the fact that I have yet to meet some of them in person. I sometimes sit back and marvel at the product we put out and find myself overcome with a feeling of gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of this group.

The Mickey Dudes Podcast is my hobby. It’s my diversion from the stressors in my life. This project has done more for me than I will ever be able to do for it.