Friday, June 17, 7:00 pm
Members $100, guests $125

“Dinner here is never second best,” sang Beauty and the Beast’s talking candlestick, Lumière. He was speaking of France, but he certainly could have been describing Walt Disney World and its restaurants. And while some may associate Disney with theme park dogs and Mickey Mouse ice cream pops, there’s a whole new world of gastronomic experiences awaiting at Disney’s resort eateries.

On a trip to Disney World at the age of five, Robert Gilbert was standing outside of Cinderella’s castle with his mother when he told her, “When I grow up, I want to be a chef here at Disney while living in that castle.” While he hasn’t exactly moved in with Cinderella, he has certainly made his dream of becoming a chef come true. After graduating from Pennsylvania Culinary Institute, Gilbert worked in restaurants across the country, including the Ritz-Carlton in Cleveland. Now at Walt Disney World, Gilbert is catering chef at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resort, where the menus are designed to capture the essence of New England cuisine.

Working side by side with Gilbert at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts is pastry chef Stefan Reimer. Born in Germany, Reimer started a pastry apprenticeship at age 16 before attending culinary school in Brunswick, Germany, where he graduated as a certified master pastry chef. He worked in Germany, Switzerland, Indonesia, and India before heading to the United States to work for Disney.

As catering chef at MGM Studios/Disney’s Animal Kingdom®, Darryl Mickler brings guests on a culinary tour of North Africa with ingredients like harissa, preserved lemons, and his own blend of ras al hanout. A graduate of the Hotel and Restaurant Management and Culinary Arts program at Pensacola College, Mickler has taken continuing education courses at the Culinary Institute of America, as well as classes towards becoming a master sommelier. Since arriving at Disney, Mickler has won multiple medals in local and national culinary competitions.

Leonard Thomson has been working at Disney for the past 22 years. He received his culinary training from the American Culinary Federation Apprenticeship Program through Mid-Florida Tech in Orlando, Florida. He is now catering chef at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, where Victorian charms and award-winning restaurants result in the consummate guest experience.

A native of Germany, Christine Weissman was certified as a Master Chef in Berlin and has level one certification from the Court of Master Sommeliers. She is currently catering chef at Disney’s Contemporary Resort/Magic Kingdom®, a deluxe resort that offers lakeside accommodations and restaurants, from a hotel-top eatery to a whimsical buffet hosted by Mickey Mouse himself.

With great food must come great wine. Joining us for this magical evening will be sommeliers Bob Good and John Stafford. Good, manager of catering operations at Epcot® Events, is certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers. Stafford, also a sommelier, is catering manager at Disney’s Contemporary Resort/Magic Kingdom®.