Podcast #019 - Goofy’s Barnstormer

Posted by Van
July 22, 2006

#019: Goofy’s Barnstormer - 7.21.2006
Top 7: “Best places to get good coffee in Disney”

News Stories:

The Orlando International Airport is constructing a “cell phone parking lot” where people will be able to wait in their car for a cell phone call from the traveler they are picking up, and then enter the “arrivals” area to get them. This is expected to cut down on traffic in that area and will be completed by Thanksgiving 2006. (source)
The Walt Disney Company is expected to cut about 650 jobs world-wide in an effort to refocus their film production business to emphasize blockbuster franchises and less obscure adult productions. (source)
Disney has announced they will back the blu-ray DVD standard. (source)
High School Musical is a success because its honest. It has caused a food of similar new projects to begin at Disney. (source)
Former WWE Wrestling Diva Stacy Kiebler has just signed an agreement with Disney to star in Touchstone TV programs. (source)

You Need to Know:

Mad Tea Party - closed August 21-22nd
Liberty Square Riverboat - closed September 11-21st
Blizzard Beach - closed October 29 - December 31st
Lake outside of Imagination - drained
Swan and Dolphin are the least expensive “deluxe” resorts. Most rooms start at $159/night. Visit www.swandolphin.com for more information and ask for code SDFUN when you book.

Top 7: Best places to get good coffee in Disney

7 - Main Street Bakery
Extra Magic Hours are great … except when they happen in the morning and the people you’re traveling with INSIST on being there early. Here’s my tip … stop by the main street bakery at the Magic Kingdom on your way in and grab a cup of coffee. Its not great, but you’ll start to be OK with the idea of getting there so early.

6 - Giradelli’s - Downtown Disney
Its not so much the coffee that’s good here as its the chocolate. Thankfully, they’ve blended the best of both worlds. You can get traditional coffees here or a white or dark chocolate mocha with real ghiradelli chocolate. You can get those hot, iced or frozen.

5 - Your hotel room
A lot of Disney resorts have in-room coffee makers. If there’s not one when you check in, call down to the front and ask. They’ll also bring you some coffee packets, but you can always go out and get your own brand and make that instead. My recommendation is SANKA. — Just kidding.

4 - Electric Fountain - EPCOT
I can’t ever remember which Innoventions building is east or west … so I do left or right … which poses a problem if you’re not facing the same direction as me when I describe something. So … stand near the water fountain in the center of epcot and make sure Spaceship Earth is behind you, now look right. — You’ll see the entrance to this place which is a great place to get a good cup o’ Joe.

Plan ahead … for some reason, Disney doesn’t believe that people want coffee past about 10:30 in the morning … so they shut it down. But its good if you’re there early and they’ve got great pastries to boot.

3 - Barney’s in Celebration
Before you get all into symantecs with me, Celebration IS technically disney-owned property … at least this part of it is. And the rules were “coffee on Disney property” so I can get away with it.

Barney’s is a local Orlando chain and they’ve got great coffee. They also have the most clever solo cup lid I’ve ever seen … it closes so that you don’t get it all over you when you get back to your car and take a corner too fast.

Barney’s is a great place to get a coffee and hang out either in their patio area, or walk across the street and grab a rocking chair near the lake at the end of Main street.

2 - Kona
The place you thought I’d list as number one came in 2nd. Kona is located at the Polynesian resort. I like Kona because they actually care about the beans and get that coffee tastes the best when the bean has recently been ground. They are one of the few places to serve cold-press coffee, which is really trendy now.

1 - Starbucks
No, there’s not one on property. But there is one nearby. Exit the property just past Downtown Disney and instead of heading straight to Cross Roads, take a right. Go under the freeway and take your first left. Follow that road for about a quarter mile and you’ll reach the Premium Outlets, which are a great place to shop. Inside Starbucks awaits.