Mykhailo Nahirniak: 0:23

So today, on Miles from Main Street, I have my lovely wife here, kristen, to talk about Topolino's Terrace, how we doing, kristn.

Kristin Nahirniak: 0:34

We are doing great.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 0:37

That's good to hear. So Kristin and I went to Topolino's Terrace on our most recent trip and it kind of came out of nowhere. We weren't exactly planning on going here and it's an interesting story about how we were in the parks and we were at EBCOT and we got a text from our parents and they said that they were flying in, their plane was going to get in at like. Was it like 8 o'clock that they were going to land?

Kristin Nahirniak: 1:06

Maybe like 8.30 or so.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 1:08

Yeah yeah, and this was our last day, like our last Disney day. We flew out the next day really early in the morning, and so I think it was you, kristen, who said like I mean, we're going to be tired anyways, so we might as well do it.

Kristin Nahirniak: 1:28

Well, your parents, they were coming into Orlando and they wanted to get a drink and so we parked EPCOT from Hollywood Studios that day. So we are currently in EPCOT when your parents were like, let's get a drink. But we had to go back to Hollywood Studios where our rental car was parked. So we were like, hmm, where it would be convenient that we want to go to, that we could get a drink. And I started looking at the my Disney Experience app and happened to find a reservation for Topolinos Terrace for like 9:25. And we were originally planning to just go and like maybe sit and like get a drink and like appetizer, but it turned into a full dinner. A full dinner, yeah.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 2:22

And it was funny because we so we had this reservation for 9:25. And that's kind of how it was, as my parents were saying, oh, do you want to get drinks? And we were thinking like, oh yeah, what would be a cool place to get drinks? And we thought about the Riviera and they have Topolinos. So we actually went on. This was like later in the day too, we went on to my Disney Experience and we actually found a reservation for Topolinos.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 2:50

Now, to be like, to be completely honest, I have never really done any like looking into Topolinos. It's something that like I've known about, but I haven't, like I didn't really know all that much about Topolinos Terrace. So for me, I was like, oh, we'll just get a reservation and like, maybe do like drinks or something. I didn't know what exactly we were getting ourselves into, but it was funny because we went straight from EBCOT to the Riviera and so we used the Skyliner to do that and we actually had people in our Skyliner, skyliner Gondola who also had reservations at Topolinos Terrace, I'm pretty sure, at like 920, at like the same time as us. So we were like all kind of booking it to try to make these reservations. But yeah, I was surprised as to how fancy it was like when we got in there.

Kristin Nahirniak: 3:45

I think that Topolinos is like one of the like highly sought after reservation that you can get. But for some reason we lucked out, maybe because now you can like cancel the day of or a couple hours in advance, and also we were eating like very late at night. So, yeah, I guess I didn't. I just hear that people like like going to Topolinos it's just people hype it up, I guess.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 4:18

Yeah, it's funny. That's what I've always heard too, but nobody ever really kind of like, because so like when I, when I got there and like started to experience it, I would kind of put it up against kind of these other signature dining places, I mean definitely not California Grill.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 4:33

Yeah Well, like I would put it up against California Grill, would blow it out of the water, but like it was as elegant as something like that, it felt. It felt really elegant when we got there, which it was funny because we were dressed in our part clothes.

Kristin Nahirniak: 4:49

Muppet attire.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 4:50

Yeah, we were wearing Muppet things. Thankfully our parents saved the day because they showed up in like button ups and stuff, so, like, at least they looked like they were supposed to be there, but we looked like we just got done at the parks. But it's fine. But another learning opportunity for people like. They didn't care, like the. I actually mentioned something to the lady at the desk and I was like, oh yeah, we made this reservation last minute. We were at EPCOT all day and she was like, oh, it's fine, like, and she said, like the typical, like we suggest that people wear like this type of attire, but it's not, like, 100% required. So don't feel bad if you're, if you're a little underdressed, if you're severely underdressed, maybe figure that out, but just a little underdressed, like, you'll be fine.

Kristin Nahirniak: 5:35

We also like closed out that restaurant, basically like I don't. I don't know if there were later reservation times past 9:30. Yeah, so there weren't many people there when we were there. The other thing, though, so here we are on the Skyliner, like booking it to get to the Riviera, and you guys might not know, but the Skyliner is not my favorite mode of. Disney transportation, because I think it is terrifying, and we kept like stopping on our route from Epcot to the Riviera.

Kristin Nahirniak: 6:12

And then we get out and we're, like you know, fast walking to catch up with this other couple who said they weren't going to run, and they literally ran, but we could not find how to get to Topolino in the Riviera, which, like I know it's meant to be like a smaller hotel and like it's like one that we would like to stay at, like we would one day hope to become DVC and like be able to stay at this beautiful hotel, but we could not find this restaurant to save our lives.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 6:44

It was and it was. We weren't really like trying to follow like signs, and then the signs kind of like trailed off and it was just like elevators and I was like well, it's at the top. So we just got into an elevator and like went to the top and there, there it was.

Kristin Nahirniak: 7:00

Yeah, once we got to the right elevator, like you, couldn't miss it then. Yeah, like you just go to the top floor. But I really like that ambiance. I feel like every Disney hotel should be really tall and have a restaurant at the top.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 7:14

Right, yeah, that's. That's always really cool and I mean it was, it was late and it was kind of dark and we didn't have a. Well, actually our table was right next to a window.

Kristin Nahirniak: 7:25

But it was just, it was dark everywhere. So you could see. You could see Spaceship Earth somewhere. I can't remember which direction, but like you could see stuff. But like also our reservation was past 9: 30. So like past all the fireworks entertainment time. But hint, hint, polynesian DVC tower. Yeah, put a, put a restaurant, little tiki room, bar at the top.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 7:50

Maybe that's where the where they're going to put the, because they didn't they get rid of that whole area used to be the like Luau, like the Luau place that they had. Maybe they'll put it. Put it like a small Luau at the top of that Inside, that doesn't make sense.

Kristin Nahirniak: 8:06

No, I can dream.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 8:10

But yeah, it was a lot of fun going there and even even being like underdressed and feeling kind of like out of place, it felt really fun and like really nice. And again, it like the feeling that I got when we were there was kind of like the California Grill, like signature dining feeling where they, like, put a napkin in your lap.

Kristin Nahirniak: 8:33

I don't think they had done that, but like, I think that they specifically stood there and, like, waited for everyone to like sit down and handed you your menu and I think they asked us if we wanted that special bottled water.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 8:48

I think I remember looking at you when they had asked that, but we said just regular water, yeah unless if it was included. Yeah, which topolinos is not a the way California Grill is. It's not a prix fix menu, so I don't think like something like that would have been included.

Kristin Nahirniak: 9:10

I think you could have done prix fix though.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 9:12

Oh really.

Kristin Nahirniak: 9:14

Now I can't remember and in the menu on my Disney experience seems different than that menu. I think, that they just had it listed. I think you could get like a three course meal. It was just like a hundred dollars.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 9:31

Well, that definitely feels like I mean I feel like Disney does that at like almost all their restaurants, now especially they're like bigger restaurants.

Kristin Nahirniak: 9:38

I mean, maybe if it, if we had been going there like just for dinner, but like we were in Epcot from two o'clock until nine o'clock eating a huge list of our food and wine you know foods that I wanted to try. So we had just been eating a lot. That's why I was like, oh yeah, like we don't need to eat again, and then we got sucked in.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 10:03

Yeah well and it's. It was interesting because, like, we got sat at a table and like, when we got there, I felt like, oh, this is way fancier than I thought it was going to be, and so I think then I felt like, okay, maybe we do have to order an actual dinner and we can't just be like, oh, have this drink or well, we all did get a drink, I think your mom and I both got a wine, and then your dad and you both got a drink.

Kristin Nahirniak: 10:31

Did you get a drink?

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 10:33

I thought I got it. I can't remember now. It was probably like a Manhattan or an old fashion something in that vein, because that's kind of like my go to.

Kristin Nahirniak: 10:41

I think I asked the waitress for a Moscato and she brought me something that was delicious.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 10:49

Yeah, but yeah. So getting into, like the meal itself, what did you say that my mom ordered as an appetizer?

Kristin Nahirniak: 10:59

Your mom had the gnocchi which I mean. I mean they paid for the dinner and I didn't want to like eat a ton because you know we were eating all day. Otherwise, something that I really wanted to try would have been the ratatouille, because oh, yeah, why not like? Riviera ratatouille. It just makes sense. So maybe the next time we go I would try that. But your mom had the gnocchi and then your dad. I think it was a special, he had gotten like a roasted red pepper soup or something they had a little kick and it had this cute little like Christine on it and did that.

Kristin Nahirniak: 11:39

It was like he was like this looks so pretty. Like I don't even think this is supposed to be eaten.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 11:45

Yeah, yeah, and those were all. Really, I think we we were able to like, like, taste each one, like I think my dad gave me some of his soup and it did have like a little bit of a kick to it, which I think both of us liked. And then having some of that gnocchi. The gnocchi, I remember being very tender and I think that's the like, the idea.

Kristin Nahirniak: 12:05

Well, the gnocchi is like, remember, it's like a puffy potato, oh yeah, but it had like lamb shoulder. Yeah, so it had like little bits of meat in it.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 12:16

Yeah, so yeah, that was that was, that was good, I remember, and that definitely, like you said, wouldn't have been something that I would have ordered myself. So I'm glad that my mom actually ordered that. And then for our main courses, I actually, you know, it's funny, we had all this food and I was sitting there kind of like how am I going to eat this? Because we just ate at EBCOT pretty much like all day. But then so I ended up having the filet mignon, which my dad and I both had, the filet mignon.

Kristin Nahirniak: 12:51

And your mom, all three of you guys. I was the only oddball out.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 12:57

And it was very good. And my thinking there was like filet mignon, like kind of a smaller cut of steak. But I have to say like the main course was so good that like I finished everything, like I just I just kept eating because it was so good.

Kristin Nahirniak: 13:13

Right, and it wasn't, like it was a ton of food, like I feel like it was like the perfect, like little dinner to have. And your parents kept saying too so we live in Wisconsin and they had just gone out for their anniversary dinner. They had gone to like one of the popular steak houses in Madison and they were like, oh, this steak is so much better than that, you know restaurant. So this Disney restaurant beat out a normal restaurant back home.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 13:45

Yeah, and that restaurant, if you're. I mean, I'm sure lots of Madison and Wisconsin people are listening but rare. That's the steak house that they went to and they just kept saying, oh this, this steak is so much better than rare. So that's that's interesting, and rare is a place that I've been wanting to go to because I like to. I like to think of myself as like a steak connoisseur Like I. I like myself some steak. I'll try to make myself steak whenever I can and I just I just love like going and finding really good steak. So I feel like that's pretty easy to do actually at Disney, especially if you're in the EBCOT area Topolino's, or at La Selle, I mean, and other places at EBCOT. So that's, that's really cool. But yeah, it was fun to hear them say that like the steak at Topolino's, which isn't like fully known for like their steak, was better than rare. So I think we got to get them to La Selle and see what they think of that.

Kristin Nahirniak: 14:49

Didn't? Didn't they say that the the filet, though, was their most popular dish, or was it a different one?

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 14:58

It might have been the filet.

Kristin Nahirniak: 15:00

I think they said the filet was their most like popular.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 15:03

Really Go.

Kristin Nahirniak: 15:07

I was the eyeball out and I got the sea scallops. I think we came on here a couple months ago back in February and started this journey of me and scallops from Napa Rose at Disneyland. We had the most amazing singular scallop.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 15:29

I think of my life. Yes, just one. We had half of it. I tell people this, Actually, I think I told my parents this last when we had this dinner. But Kristen has been trying to recreate this amazing scallop that she had at Napa Rose in Disneyland ever since she had it.

Kristin Nahirniak: 15:44

Yeah, so I am becoming a huge fan of scallops, and this dish at Topolinos was up there. It was no Napa Rose scallop, but I would of 100% get it again. They were multiple scallops, and then there was some vegetable puree and what else had come with it? Yours came with vegetables, didn't it?

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 16:15

Yeah, mine came with vegetables and I thought they were a little. I think they had a sweet glaze on them or something like that Mine had risotto, spice pepitas and vegetable brodo.

Kristin Nahirniak: 16:31

I have no idea what that is. I remember some green puree type thing. I believe, it just the presentation. It looked great. It tasted amazing. It was not too filling, it was just yummy. I really liked it. I was so happy that we got to go there.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 16:53

And that was the thing is that we were not expecting this was an experience a lot of time. So, kristen and I, when we want to do an experience at Disney, we will do research, like we have already been researching Mickey's Merry Merry Christmas party and Jollywood, to know exactly how we want to experience these things. We did the same thing with things like Ohana and California Grill and all these other places that we went to. So this, I feel like this was interesting because it was an experience that we weren't ready for going into. We didn't know what we were getting ourselves into and I honestly think I was like I didn't even really know. I didn't know that this was going to be as fancy as it was, so I was completely blown away by what we did, and it was kind of nervous for your parents too, because what if it would have been bad and then they were?

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 17:48

like oh, yeah, but.

Kristin Nahirniak: 17:52

I don't know.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 17:53

Yeah, I don't think they would have done that. But I mean and that's the thing too, is that, like at Disney, there are very few places that you can go completely wrong at Disney, but this is one place that went very right and at least I like just wasn't. I just didn't know that that's what we were going to do that night, so it was a really great way to end the night. And it was a great way to end the night and, like Kristen said, we were going to be tired the next day anyways. So why not kind of like end?

Kristin Nahirniak: 18:25

the night out with Go out with the bang. Yeah, go out with the bang like that.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 18:28

So definitely something that we didn't know that we were going to end up doing, but a big standout in the trip that we just recently took.

Kristin Nahirniak: 18:36

So do you think it was more like fun and exciting, just like doing spur of the moment?

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 18:43

You know, that's a good question, and I think it can go both ways, because it's like when we went to California Grill, like I knew what we were getting into and so I was like, yes, there's this, yes, there's this, oh my gosh, like check this out. And so it's like I was already hyped up about it, whereas Tobolinos was kind of like, oh, wow, like look at this, like, oh, this is fancy, oh, the food is so good, oh, my goodness. So it was like I don't know. I feel like it was a whirlwind, and maybe because of that I wasn't able to take things in as much, because I was just kind of like getting not thrown off, but just kind of like everything was getting thrown at me where I was like, oh, it's actually this fancy and like the food is good. So I feel like maybe if we went back next time, like I'd understand about like, like, kind of how things went and I'd be able to like, like, appreciate things more.

Kristin Nahirniak: 19:41

But I feel like I mean, maybe I had more fun doing it this way because I wasn't like but okay, well, I guess because we we like lucked out and we had like good food, because I'm just thinking of how I have had my California grill meal planned now for weeks and we won't be going for another couple of weeks, but like I don't know like it was.

Kristin Nahirniak: 20:07

It was like fun and exciting, but like also I feel like we lucked out and if I would have had something that I didn't really like, like I probably would have been sad and wish I would have done more research. I don't know. I think it also would be cool to go back like during the day so that you can see like daylight ambience outside of the restaurant.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 20:28

That's one thing I've always liked about um Riviera is kind of like how everything looks around that resort. So I totally agree, I think going during the day and being able to have the views and not just kind of like I I don't know why I remember just like looking into blackness because it was maybe it was just kind of like where we were or like where I was seated, but but I feel like I just didn't really there wasn't all that much to look at um where I was seated, probably because everything was so dark.

Kristin Nahirniak: 20:58

But well, maybe we also like had our blinders on, because we like felt out of place, because we were yeah we.

Kristin Nahirniak: 21:05

I was literally dressed like miss Piggy and like we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into and like or maybe we were just like distracted because we hadn't seen your parents in a while and like it was like fun to chat with them. But you know, I I feel like I didn't really pay that close of attention to like the bar area or like the rest of the, the restaurant, like we were just kind of like by the window, focusing on what we are going to order and then we ate and yeah, it definitely.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 21:39

It definitely the whole experience. For us it felt like a whirlwind and and for me again, I was just so, uh, not like taken aback, but like surprised at at like the level that this restaurant was. Like I did I definitely like I was thinking drinks. He got there and it was like a full on meal and it was really good and uh, the ambiance was. I mean, I love Riviera in the first place, so just going there and going to the signature restaurant was a lot of fun, but yeah, it was definitely kind of a whirlwind doing the whole thing.

Kristin Nahirniak: 22:15

I didn't get the end of our meal. What did we say? That that they had brought us that little dessert. But they brought us a free little dessert. Maybe it was just because it was the end of the night. Do you remember this?

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 22:27

I know, was it oh.

Kristin Nahirniak: 22:31

I think, I think maybe because like it was your parents, like first time dining well, it was our first time dining there too.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 22:41

I don't know, like there was some reason that the waitress brought us like a tiny little dessert well, this, I mean, we do have to mention our waitress was awesome and she was very and I think this kind of like made it feel like California grill, because our waitress was very kind of like chatty in like the same way that our waiter at California Grill was.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 23:04

That was one of the first things that I noticed. And then, of course, my dad being the Wisconsin man, that he is just struck up a conversation with our waitress towards the end of the meal and like she was standing there for like a good 10, 15 minutes, just like conversing with my dad, talking about her kids and all the things that she does at Disney and and everything and and he was, I mean, typical Wisconsin guy find like making a friend all of a sudden, out of nowhere. That's just how my dad and most Wisconsinites are. But she was great. She was. She talked the entire time, she was really cool. She was a very good waitress, just like with service and everything.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 23:47

But that was that was another thing that I noticed that I feel like some of these signature dining experiences are just another level over these other experiences, where your whoever's waiting on you is very attentive for the things that you need and kind of like they'll, they'll like strike up conversations and they'll like actually converse with you rather than just like, oh, you want to refill, okay, cool, and just like bring your stuff back. I feel like that you get a lot of that from more of the signature dining than than the other types of dining at Disney.

Kristin Nahirniak: 24:25

Yeah, I definitely got like California Grill, like vibes for sure, yeah, me too because you know it's different than like, say, we would have taken the parents to like, oh, hannah, like that is an amazing meal, but like would have been a different, like, I guess, like experience on service and like, uh, what am I trying to say? Like the portrayal of your food, like the presentation, um, yeah, so yeah it it.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 24:58

It definitely was kind of on par with California grill, um, but I still, I would still put California grill over. Yeah, um over topolinos.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 25:08

But we we had a a really great time at topolinos. The food was really great, um, the experience that we had, both kind of like making the preservation, getting there, um and being there, I feel was a lot of fun, um. So, yeah, I think, all in all, I I really enjoyed it and I I definitely do want to go back, yeah, um, and and try it again. Kind of the same thing with with things like ohana and California grill. Um, this it's, it's it's good that we've been kind of like putting putting topolinos in the ballpark with, uh, ohana in California grill yeah, I think it's definitely one that we could like visit back and like, like within a year or like in a year time.

Kristin Nahirniak: 25:55

Like it was definitely a cool place to go. I think it was a good way to like kick start your parents vacation oh yeah you know they were arriving and then we were supposed to be departing and then didn't really yes, and then we didn't actually depart.

Kristin Nahirniak: 26:14

We were still there for like another two days yeah, I think that topolinos, like a little Riviera stay, would for sure like mean you need to go to topolinos, but of course, yeah yeah, I, if, if we didn't, if we hadn't gone with them, I maybe would have tried to go on our next trip, because we're staying at pop century, like on the skyliner route, so but we've already done it, so yeah, it's.

Mykhailo Nahirniak: 26:43

It's funny it wasn't really on my radar of things to do really. Um, I knew about it but I didn't. I obviously didn't know how elegant and like how good it was. Um, it's definitely on my radar now yeah, I think it was a lot of fun yeah, well, that's all we got for you guys tonight, but like we always say, some live close but others don't so let's talk about it. We'll see you next time on miles from main street. Yeah.