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Mother's Day at DisneylandDining Options IMay 7, 2001
by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix, staff writerONE / TWO Disneyland has always been a popular place to take mom to celebrate her
special day. It's really a win-win situation. Mom gets to enjoy a day
without having to work, cook or clean. The kids get to spend the day at
Disneyland. I think I sense an ulterior motive here.... For other families,
Mother's Day means taking mom to the Mother's Day Brunch at the Disneyland
Hotel. It's a big, fancy event, and mom gets treated like royalty. But,
maybe you've done that before. Maybe you're ready for a new Mother's Day
tradition for your family? We've got just the thing! The expansion of the Disneyland Resort has brought an explosion in your
Mother's Day Brunch choices. In fact, there are so many different options,
it's going to be hard to decide. We're going to make it a little easier,
by giving you a taste of what's available at the Disneyland Resort this
year. You'll find enough tempting ideas here to keep surprising Mom for
years. Today, I'll tell you about the events offered at the Resort Hotels,
and inside the parks. Tomorrow, you'll hear about the special plans the
Downtown Disney restaurants have in store for you.
Disneyland Hotel Disney's Royal Buffet - Mother's Day 2001. For the traditionalists, or
for the first timer. This is classic annual event, and by far the largest.
The Grand Ballroom is transformed into a lavishly decorated theme buffet.
The food is always quite good, with a wide selection to choose from. You'll
find a variety of carving stations; made to order waffles; salad bars
and custom omelets; hot pasta stations and a variety of baked goods. Children will enjoy their own buffest tables, sized just for them and
filled with kiddy favorites. The dessert tables are always the highlight
of the event. Disney food artists are on display, ready to amaze you with
their skills. I could spend hours watching them turn the most basic vegetables
into amazing works of art. The Disney Characters will be on hand for photo
opportunities - bring your own camera! Reservations are suggested, although walk-in guests will be accommodated
as space allows. If you think you might pop in without a reservation,
avoid the busiest hours of 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Disney's Royal Buffet
Disneyland Hotel, Grand Ballroom
9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Adults: $46.00
Children 3-11: $13.50
Children under 3: Free
Seniors: $42.00
10% Annual Pass discount applies (Premium and Deluxe only)
Call: 714-956-6413
Disneyland Paradise Pier Hotel PCH Grill Magical Buffet. In recent years, a number of our friends have
chosen the PCH buffets over the events at the Disneyland hotel. For starters,
the Brunch is $10.00 less expensive for adults. They have reported that
the food is just as good, with only a slightly smaller selection. The
PCH Grill is much smaller, which makes for a quieter, more intimate meal.
Fewer people also means more interaction with the Characters. The brunch
also runs later in the day, which gives you more flexibility to plan other
events. We attended the Easter Brunch at PCH last year, and found it to be a
very pleasant experience. It's a much more "adult" environment,
with far fewer children running around chasing the Characters. This year's
event will feature appearances by Minnie, Merlin, and the Fairy Godmother. PCH Grill Magical Buffet
Disney's Paradise Pier Hotel, PCH Grill
9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Adults: $35.00
Children 3-11: $11.50
Children under 3: $3.95
10% Annual Pass discount applies (Premium and Deluxe only)
Call: (714) 956-6755
You might also want to consider taking Mom to a Practically Perfect Tea,
with your Hostess, Mary Poppins. Kevin Yee details this event in his Disneyland
Restaurant Reviews section. Here are his notes: Practically Perfect Tea Only offered during peak (holiday) periods, the Practically Perfect Tea
at the Disneyland Pacific Hotel naturally stars Mary Poppins. A different
take on the concept of Character Breakfast, the Practically Perfect Tea
features Victorian place settings, a wide selection of tea, and singing
visits by that nanny Mary Poppins. Morning Tea occurs at 10:00 a.m., and there is also an afternoon tea.
Note: these operating hours are for holiday periods - check with the hotel
to see if this is true on the day of your visit. This is an extremely
popular attraction. You will likely be unable to secure reservations if
you try to do it for the "next day." Call ahead early at (714)
956-6755. Hotel Parking can be validated if you eat at the Tea Room. Located on the second floor of the Disneyland Pacific, you can find the
Tea Room by entering the main (Harbor Blvd) entrance, going straight past
the glass elevator. A few steps later, take the stairs to your right side,
and the Tea Room is at the top of the steps. Adults cost $18.50, Children (12 and Under) cost 12.20 Reservations: (714) 956-6755
Disney's Grand Californian Hotel The Grand Californian is offering two different events this year. Napa
Rose is offering a 4-course Mother's Day Brunch, featuring items like
Tempura Fried Squash Blossom with Goat Cheese and Grilled Veggies, Grilled
Angus Skewers with Pilaf, and Orange Brioche French Toast with Grand Marnier
Cream. Valet Parking is included in the meal. At $35.00 per person ($45.00
with Champagne), this may be the best deal among the hotels. Napa Rose Mother's Day Brunch
Disney's Grand Californian Hotel, Napa Rose
11:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Adults: $35.00 ($45.00 with Champagne)
Childrens Menus available
10% Annual Pass discount applies (Premium and Deluxe only)
Call: (714) 956-6755 
Storyteller's Cafe is looking to boost their evening traffic by offering
a special 3 course dinner menu. The details of this menu were not available
at press time, but I will update them when I learn more. Your mom may
also enjoy the Cafe's new Dinner Buffet.. A variety of items from the
regular menu are offered in an all-you-care-to-eat buffet setting. Included
are carving stations, pasta bars, and the fabulous corn chowder. Kids
have their own selections, like Mac and Cheese and Mickey Nuggets. Storyteller's Cafe Mother's Day Dinner
Disney's Grand Californian Hotel, Storyteller's Cafe
5:00 p.m.. - 10:00 p.m.
Adults (3-course meal): $25.00
Adults (Buffet): $24.95
Children (Buffet) 3-11: $9.95
Children under 3 (Buffet): $3.95
Full Children's Menu available, in addition to the buffet
10% Annual Pass discount applies (Premium and Deluxe only)
Call: (714) 956-6755
Disneyland While none of the Disneyland restaurants are offering a special meal
for Mother's Day, you may not want to take several hours out of your day
to experience one of the hotel events. If your mother loves Pooh and Friends,
consider the Breakfast Buffet at Plaza Inn. Again, quoting Kevin
Yee's review: Plaza Inn 
This is the place to be! Though the buffet is expensive ($18 adults,
$9 children), it's got tons of food, and Winnie the Pooh walk- around
characters. It's open for Early Entry until 10:30. Since it's rehab the Plaza Inn has done one thing right after another;
they've been batting a thousand. I know one mom who can't stand the Pooh Characters. If your mom agrees,
you can also take her to nice breakfast at Carnation Gardens, one of the
few table service restaurants in the park. Another suggestion - get to
the park early, and head for New Orleans Square to make lunch or dinner
reservations for the Blue Bayou. Your mom will enjoy a table served meal
in the unique Blue Bayou atmosphere.
Disney's California Adventure Like Disneyland, none of the DCA restaurants have planned a special Mother's
Day meal. Unlike Disneyland, however, DCA is home to two restaurants presented
by non-Disney hosts. If your mother enjoys seafood, Avalon Cove, the Wolfgang
Puck eatery, offers a selection of wonderfully prepared dishes. The view
of Paradise Pier is gorgeous all day, but best at night. Again borrowing
shamelessly from Kevin Yee, here's what you can expect to find at Avalon
Cove: Wolfgang Puck's Avalon Cove The crown jewel of DCA's eateries, this Wolfgang Puck restaurant aims
to be four stars, with classy (and pricey) menu offerings accentuated
by a nice view of the Lagoon at the center of DCA. The Cove Bar can serve as a waiting area for the restaurant and features
a limited menu of its own. The restaurant seats 250, with an additional 100 in the cocktail lounge.
It offers seafood-based "California Cuisine" and promises to
be quite an experience if you can afford it! 
Location Near the entrance to the coaster - between Paradise Pier and the Wharf
areas. Avalon Cove is lit by white exterior lights in the evening, which
can make for breathtaking vistas on the lagoon at night. Menu Highlights (You can read the whole review here) Half Dozen Seasonal Oysters – Market
Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail - $15.00
Seafood Sampler for Two - $19.00 (Clams, Oysters, Shrimp, Crabmeat)
Clam Chowder - $8.00
Oysters Rockerfeller - $13.00
Cobb Salad - $16.00 (with Shrimp) or $18.00 (with Crab Meat)
Linguini with Clams - $13.00
Four Cheese Ravioli - $14.00
Fettuccine with Mushrooms - $18.00
Roasted Salmon - $19.00 (with Ginger and Tomato Fondu)
Sauteed Scallops - $24.00 (Provencal)
Steamed Lobster – Market Price
Grilled Pork Chop - $19.00 (with Pomegranate and Sweet Potato)
Sides - $4.00-$5.00 (Garlic Potato Puree, Coconut Jasmine Rice, Steamed
Vegetables, Fries)
Child's Meals (12 and under): $7.00-$12.00 (Fish Sticks, Spaghetti, Macaroni
and Cheese, Chicken Fingers, or Mini-Steak).
My favorite Disneyland Resort restaurant has to be the Vineyard Room
at Robert Mondavi's Golden Vine Winery. While nothing is planned specially
for Mother's Day, the restaurant offers a number of special menus and
events all year. If your mom is interested in wine and winemaking, there
is something here that she's sure to enjoy. Kevin Yee details the daily
offerings of the Winery: Golden Vine Winery 
Robert Mondavi Of interest here is the small vineyard adjacent to the location. Naturally,
the wines sold here do not all come from this small vineyard - if indeed
the grapes here will be harvested for anything other than trash. The Mondavi
section of the Park contains three different locations, all listed here
together. Location The Mondavi compound is near the actual center of Disney's California
Adventure, along the parade route and in the area between the Entry Plaza
and Paradise Pier. Menu Items The Vineyard Room (Mondavi)
Four Course Fixed Price Menu with Wine- $42.00 (Lunch) or $50.00 (Dinner).
Four Course Fixed Price Menu without Wine - $28.00 (Lunch) or $36.00 (Dinner).
Children's Fixed Price Menu - $14.00
Menus include Appetizer Platters to Share, Hand-Made Pastas, House Entrees,
Individual Desserts
Golden Vine Terrace (Mondavi)
Wines by the Glass - $8.00 - $24.00
Wine Flights - $16.00 - $27.00
Menu includes Soup, Pastas, Cheese, Fruit, Antipasto Platters, Meats and
Seafood, Ice Cream
Wine Country Market (Mondavi)
Wines by the Bottle
Deli Sandwiches
Prepackaged Snacks In addition to the regular menus, which are changed seasonally, the Winery
hosts special Wine and Food Events. Currently, the Byron Winery is offering
a Wine Enthusiasts Table and Tour - Wine and Food Tasting at the Golden
Vine Winery. A maximum of 8 guests per day will be treated to a tour and
discussion about wine making, led by a representative of the Byron Winery.
Guests will then experience a 4 course meal, accompanied by perfectly
paired wines. The $40.00 fee is redeemable towards the purchase of the
Byron tasting set. The event begins at 12:30, and reservations are suggested. Wine Enthusiasts Table and Tour - Wine and Food Tasting
Disney's California Adventure, Golden Wine Vinery
12:30 - ???
$40.00 per person
Reservations suggested
Call: 714-327-8053 The Golden Vine Winery will also be announcing a series of special events
this week. Be sure to ask about them when you call for reservations!
With this many options, choosing just one place to take Mom is going
to be hard work. But wait, there's more! THIS
NEXT PAGE will tell you what the Downtown Disney restaurants have
planned!
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