Tusker House – All

While I suppose turtle brownies aren't too uncommon, these brownies were great. They were moist and a little gooey from the caramel. As far as turtle brownies go, these were some good ones.

This dish was super simple, but probably one of the best things I had in a week or more surrounding this meal. The basil was just lightly wilted by the heat of the cooked couscous, and while the couscous was clearly dressed with a little oil, it was not oily or greasy. It was simple without being bland or flavorless. I went back for seconds, and I think my mom went back for thirds.

The bread was incredibly flavorful, but a tad dry. It wasn't inedible or stale, just really full of herbs which dried out the bread just a little bit. It was delicious, but I recommend eating it with a salsa, hummus, or something along those lines.

I don't know how those little beads of juice exist, but they taste just like a drop of juice. How they maintain a circular shape is a mystery beyond my culinary experience. These tarts were great, but I do think they had just a little too much shell versus the amount of filing in them. The flavors were great though.

These little cups are just as good as they look. The chocolate was a bit semi-sweet, but the strawberry mousse was definitely sweet enough, even for those who dislike the semi-sweet. Just a warning: those cups are pure chocolate, so beware of just out of the dishwasher hot plates. Mine melted all over the place. They were still amazing, but they made a bit of a mess.

The lanterns around the entrance the stand-by line for Voyage of the Little Mermaid are in bright blue and green. This is huge difference from the muted colors seen around The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and in Belle's section of New Fantasyland. They also have the banded metal shape which is reminiscent of nautical lanterns on the old sailing ships. Or at least they make me think of every movie I've ever seen with an old ship with sails.

This is one of the lights inside the snack stand across from Voyage of the Little Mermaid. They're extremely simple lights, but they are clearly meant to look like oil lamps with the bulbous glass and the dish shape above the light to reflect more light downwards.

This lantern is also in the snack stand. This one has an extra set of metal around the center. It makes me think of old sailing ships and lighthouses, what about you?

This light is outside the Disney Vacation Club stand in Ariel's section of New Fantasyland. This stand is probably the most well themed and visually interesting of all the DVC stands in all of the parks (feel free to correct me if you think I'm wrong). This light is a part of that beautiful decorating work. The metal work on both the lantern itself and on the frame which holds the lantern up, is intricate a beautiful. The scrolls make me think of wind in the sails, while the metal framework on the lantern itself say castle to me. Perfect for Prince Eric.

I think the most interesting feature of this lantern on the Disney Vacation Club stand is that you can see the door. If it were an oil, gasoline, or candle light you would open the door to light the fire as the sun goes down. Since this one uses a lightbulb, it must make it easier for cast members to change the bulb when it goes out.

I love the scrolls on this lantern. It's found outside the DVC and snack stands. The little scrolls around the center look like wrought iron.

I always say, "You always have to look up." This light is an example of that principle. It's hanging from an upper balcony on the Disney Vacation Club building across from Voyage of the Little Mermaid and Ariel's Grotto. This light is actually very similar to lights found in the section of Adventureland around Pirates of the Caribbean. The similarity is found primarily through the red-orange hue of the glass and the the more delicate details of the metal, as well as the hefty chain which holds this lantern up.

These seaweed lights may not cast the largest circle of light, but they certainly help create the mood of going underwater to greet Ariel, the little mermaid herself.

Perhaps not everyone would think to turn some clumps of seaweed into light fixtures, but the Disney Immagineers in charge of designing Ariel's Grotto certainly thought of it. At night they cast a yellow-orange glow, just enough to see.

This light looks like something that Prince Eric, or one of his sailors might use on the ship. I fact this one is tied up on a light post like it had been tied up to a ship's mast.

This light is well-worn in the salt-filled air on the water and the beach. It's also well hitched to the wooden beams with heavy-duty rope. I expect Eric or his sailors needed a little extra light.

I'm crazy for this light. It's definitely one of my top ten lights in the Magic Kingdom (maybe even my number one). I love the delicate metalwork, the bright blue color, and the way it hangs in the center of the archway above the people in the line for Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

Next to the entrance to Voyage of the Little Mermaid is what looks like a shipwreck. These bright lanterns are a part of that aesthetic. The metal has a lovely patina, but it's the colored glass that I find the most appealing.

At the entrance to Voyage of the Little Mermaid are three brightly colored lanterns which look like they've done hard days on the sea in the salt-filled air. That aging is called a patina, and it's one of the ways that Disney manages to keep all the areas of their parks so well themed. After all, who would believe they were in the Wild West without a little rust?

The main light fixture in the new lobby of the Polynesian is probably one of my favorites. It did constitute a challenge to get a good shot of it though. This was one of many attempts, and, as you can see, it's hard the get the whole piece in a single shot.

The whole piece seen from across the second floor. From this angle it's much easier to see the way in which the different lanterns are layered so that there is interest from every angle.

I find the glass globes to be some of the most interesting parts. I especially like the glass globes which are partially encased in the wooden frames, like the one in the top left-hand corner of this shot.

The focus of this shot is one of the rope-wrapped glass globes which is surrounded with a wooden frame. Honestly a light like this is what makes the whole thing work. Because it's different from anything you might have in a home, and it plays up the theme of the entire Polynesian resort.

I've only done Enchanted Tales with Belle once, and while waiting in line I noted first these lanterns on top of the walls of the line. I love the way the lantern itself reflects the shape of a house with the upper gables, while also having a little flair like you might expect in a castle (like the Beast's castle maybe?), with the scroll shapes on the bottom and the diamonds across the lit area.

This lantern is the same shape as the one mounted on the walls of the line, but in this case the lantern is hanging on a wooden frame. The unity created by using the same design is really nice, especially as this is only one style of hanging lantern in the outdoor part of the line.

This light can be found on the way out of Enchanted Tales with Belle, before leaving the building. I love the way the metal is formed around the glass for this one.

The largest light in library, where you meet Belle, is this chandelier. It's relatively simple as far as huge chandeliers go, but it works really well for the space. I like it because the little scrolls on each of the arms are so small and understated, but they still make the shape of the chandelier more full, which makes it look more expensive. But besides all that, it just looks like the right chandelier to be in Belle's library in Beast's castle, doesn't it?

In the center room, where they hand out parts for the library, there are two semi-simple black chandeliers. They're appealing, to me at least, because of the details which make up the ring of the chandelier.

I love the wrought iron look of the details of these chandeliers, and I couldn't resist taking extra shots. I also like the ceiling medallion that the chandelier comes down from for that matter.

Inside Maurice's workshop is a huge variety of lights and lanterns. this one is fairly simple compared to some of the others.

This light looks like it was made from an old barrel or bucket, so it seems that Maurice takes what he can when it comes to lighting for his workshop.

I don't know about anyone else, but when I saw this light it made me think of Da Vinci and all his sketches. The circular shape and the general air of the workshop had me thinking of the Vitruvian Man

I think this was my favorite of the lights in Maurice's Workshop. But I'll be the first to admit that steam punk gears are one of my favorite things as far as aesthetics. So I suppose it was inevitable that the huge wooden gear turned into a light hanging from the ceiling as a chandelier would be my favorite.

The last section of the line is in Belle and Maurice's living room. This room has a number of small lights against the walls which cast little real light, but look very nice as the light filters through small holes in the metal. This little lantern is close to the door on the lefthand side.

This light is over the desk area in the front left corner, past the fireplace. It was a little hard for me to get this shot because of my location in the room. I find the tilt of the shade interesting, because whether it was meant that way or not, it looks like someone had adjusted the shade to get the light to cast downwards over their work.

This light is pretty much super simple, but the little heart pricked into the metal shade is adorable, and I admit, I've got some hearts in my eyes for this one.

Like the title says, this one is a super simple ceiling light, and while it looks simple enough to be found in someone's home, that is sort of the point isn't it? This light casts a lot more lights than any of the others in the living room space, but a central ceiling light is meant to. While this light is particularily simple when compared to many of the lights throughout the Disney parks, it speaks to the amount of thought that goes into every single light in every single space throughout the parks.