Park Spotlight: Dine with an Imagineer
So on one of our most recent trips to Walt Disney World, my husband and I decided to enjoy some of the things in Disney that Addison would not be able to participate in due to her age. These included the Keys to the Kingdom Tour and Dine with an Imagineer (Disney’s fancy name for the engineers). I was beyond excited when I was able to score the reservations just a month before our trip.
Dine with an Imagineer is an excusive chance to sit down and actually have a talk with one of the many members of the Imagineering team. We had an amazing 4-course lunch at The Hollywood Brown Derby in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This event is limited to only 12 people and served in the bamboo room. This allows you to be part of the conversation and feel free to ask questions that they may, or may not be able to answer.
Everyone gathered in the lobby until the bamboo room was ready for our group. While we were waiting, they verified the spelling of our names and soon the 11 of us headed into our room. We all received awesome red name badges that look very similar to the cast members name badges (This is one of my favorite souvenirs ever). Soon after, our custom menus arrived and we started with some introductions while we waited for our guest of honor (she was running a few minutes late due to a calendar issue). They asked us to go ahead and order in the meantime. By this point our Imagineer was with us and they took a quick photo of everyone.
Each meal comes with soup, salad, a choice of entrée and dessert. We both really enjoyed the Corn Bisque (I tried to steal some of Erik’s but that mission was unsuccessful). The Cobb Salad looked beautiful but it was a huge salad. Erik did enjoy his and I don’t eat salad so I was thinking, I wonder where they keep the soup. We both ordered the Filet of Beef and it was amazing as well. The desserts were a trio of the famous grapefruit cake, crème brulee and a chocolate mousse. I cannot stand grapefruit but I still gave it a go, I still don’t like it. The others were YUMMY!!
Now the real reason we are here, the Imagineer. We were fortunate enough to sit down with Colleen Meyers, Show Production Designer, Walt Disney Imagineering. She explained the basics of her job and how she came to be an Imagineer. Long story short, she works with paint. I never knew how interesting paint could be! NO LIE! We also discussed her involvement on the soon-to-be-open Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (wasn’t quite open when we were there). We tried to get secrets from her about what was going on in the Animal Kingdom but she would not budge. It was great to hear her take on Hidden Mickeys as well.
Overall, we had an amazing experience! Lunch was great and the company was outstanding. We learned quite a bit from the inside and also took home some great things to remember our experience. We were able to keep our name badges, customized menus, a bio on our Imagineer (that also had our photo printed in it), and we all received a plate that was signed to each of us. If you are a lover of things Disney, the way Disney works or looking for a different experience, do not miss Dine With an Imagineer!
Sheena Moberg is an Independent Agent of Fairytale Adventures Travel. She is the founder of the blog Confessions of a Disney Mom. Sheena specializes in family travel experiences to Walt Disney World Resort. She can be reached at mouseandbeyond@gmail.com or her Facebook.
