If you have never experienced a mint julep drink from the little service counter at the back side of the French Market in New Orleans Square---I feel for you.The drink is cool and green, and comes with a cherry or two.
I could try to describe the flavor to you.
But I would fail to do it justice.
For whatever reason, from my very first mint julep, I have loved them.
I seek them out on almost every trip to the Park.
I love the little counter where they are served.
I love the canopy that spreads out like a fan over the French Market dining area.
I love the little song stage there where Dixieland Jazz bands play.
I love this corner of New Orleans Square.
I miss deeply those warm summer evenings in the days before Fantasmic,
when the West Side would slow down,
when the candles on the tables would glow,
when the Mark Twain would round the bend,
resplendent with lighted decks,
and a when a jazz ensemble would play to the guests seated around their small stage.
Simple.
Sweet.
Immersive.
Disneyland.
You folks who "get it" know what I mean.As for everyone else: sorry there's no "wayback machine" for us to jump into for a spin. Nevertheless, you can still get a mint julep.
At least that's a start.
And jazz bands still appear on that little stage.
Take a moment the next time you're in New Orleans Square and there's a jazz band playing,sit down at the French Market.
Sip a julep and take a listen.
I'll wager that you'll find it's good for the soul.
7 comments:
i love the mint juleps too. how about visiting the park on an evening when fantasmic! is down?
Yes, the Mint Julep is my favorite drink at Disneyland too, but it has to go with a funnel cake or it's not complete.
I also miss (surprise, huh?) the quieter aspects of the park that are getting harder to find. I really like Fantasmic, but it came at the cost of turning the south bend of Rivers of America into a Rock Amphitheater. It seems like the only really, purely "atmospheric" spot left in the park is on Pirates between the launch wharf and the first drop.
Maybe I really shouldn't post this on a public board. TDA might catch wind of it and put personal flatscreens in the Pirate boats and sell you on the Disney Credit Card as you glide by the Blue Bayou. Call it "Synergistic Revenue Augmentation".
I remember getting them when I was a little girl. So when I went in June I got one and it was wonderfully nostalgic.
I recall the Mint Julip Bar being located along the side of the Pirate entrance. Sounds like it's moved. I haven't been in the Park since 1997. Used to get free julips when I worked Pirate crowd control and my future wife worked the Bar!
I remember those!
My earliest memory was seeing people with a neon green drink (unusual for the early 1980s) and wondering where they came from.
Then I discovered the source. They're better than real mint julips, in my opinion.
Wow! This really hits home with me.
I spent many a summer night with my mother and family listening to jazz at the French Market. Teddy Buckner and His Jazz Allstars were always a favorite.
And of course, DL Mint Juleps and fritters had to be done as well.
As for the Royal Street Bachelors, those guys ain't even close. As much as I enjoy Queenie and her performances with a group backing her up, the RSB's will always be the roaming trio of those days of long ago.
Wow, did this touch a chord or what.
I remember my trip to disneyland when New Orleans Square was first opened, my grandfather was with us, so must be 1966-7. I saw the mint juleps and wanted one. my father would not let me get one. turns out he thought they were real alcoholic. later, after HE tried one and confirmed non-alcoholic, they became a family favorite. Dad was real strict on booze.
For years and years afterward, we always had our dinner at the French Market and listened to the jazz. That photo you posted is a slice of my childhood. Dad loved the jazz.
I remember how surprised we were to see the stage sink below ground at the end of the set.
One of my favorite places in Disneyland still.
Thank you for that memory.
JG
Post a Comment