Joseph - The Vacationeer

05/03/2023

The views from the Boardwalk at are awesome….

05/02/2023

Gotta love the spontaneous character meet & greets at !!!

05/01/2023

Orange County, CA has tons to offer! From to the surfing scene at the , there are tons of things to see and do!

04/30/2023

A gorgeous day at ! No time like the present to visit!

04/29/2023

You can score a pic like this as you exit the Monorail in Tomorrowland!

04/23/2023

When in SoCal, don’t overlook an awesome wine tasting. brings the flavor big time. Atmosphere, live music, some morning yoga and fantastic service is the theme of the day. The rose is great for warmer days. Their lineup of pinots shows that they know what they are doing, big time. The star of the show for me is their estate cabernet - to***co on the nose (my favorite), and deep dark fruit on the taste buds. They kick ass. Period.

04/22/2023

Catalina is worth a day trip! Gorgeous views!

04/16/2023

Craftsman’s mai tai and a pour of their Silver Oak cabernet. Lots of winners on their menu!

04/16/2023

A Review of the Craftsman Bar at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel
This bar and adjoined restaurant is completely outdoors, and really is an upscale pool bar. So know that there will be the chatter from the pool deck that works its way through the place. But trust me: see past the noise and you’ll find that this place is a really solid call for drinks, appetizers, or a light lunch / dinner.
Craftsman offers several amazing wines on tap, in 3oz or 5oz pours, including Silver Oak cabernet, Caymus cabernet, and Far Niente Chardonnay. It was a nice warm afternoon, so I rolled with the Far Niente. Some quick tasting notes:
There is some citrus on the nose. Crisp. refreshing. Poured cold - but not overly so. One the palate, it hits the dead center of your tongue and pops. a little acidic - but that’s what makes a wine refreshing. At this bar, glasses of this should sell so fast that they should have to constantly up their order from the vineyard. Give the wine a few minutes in the glass, and you’ll get the lemon / citrus notes that aren’t overly powerful….they are just right. Pair this with their poke or the salmon salad (oh yes, the salmon salad…). OR try it with their baked nachos - going with grilled chicken. The food does not overpower the wine….it enhances the flavor!
The mai tai on the menu is made well - so if you cannot get in to Trader Sam’s and you have a craving for a tropical getaway in a glass, this place is a good call for a plan B.
I’d love to see them rotate some California wines from a boutique wineries as periodic new offerings.
Remember, this feels like an upscale pool bar. Bar seats - of which there are a dozen - are first come first serve. but there are plenty of tables that require reservations. make sure you go on the app and score one - it’s worth it. You do get the noise from the pool. But the juice is worth the squeeze here. Put up with the noise, because a better wine selection cannot be found in a bar on property by the glass. yes - pricing is Disney-like. But if you are going to enjoy a glass of wine….it’s worth the up-sell.

04/14/2023

04/08/2023

Important Stuff!

04/06/2023