As we had speculated, the official opening of Pandora: The World of AVATAR at Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be May 27th, 2017.
This was announced this afternoon on the company’s earnings call.
Peter Pan’s Flight is a beloved classic Disney attraction, as evidenced by the wait times that exceed many other favorite rides. Versions of the ride can be found at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Disneyland in California, Tokyo Disneyland, and even Shanghai Disneyland. The ride takes you on a journey, retelling the story of Peter Pan in scenes that include flying over the streets of London, visiting Mermaid Lagoon, and even encountering Captain Hook. In 2015, Disneyland’s version of the ride was refurbished to add many new special effects. In the video below from the Disney Parks Blog, take a look behind the scenes as Imagineers are busy making the magic behind the ‘new’ updated ride.
For the month of February, DisneyStore.com is celebrating “Tsum Tsum Tsuesdays” with a new release of the fuzzy plush every Tuesday. This week, the featured release is WALL-E and EVE as well as a collection of “A Bug’s Life” characters including Flik, Dot, and Heimlich as both a caterpillar (green) and butterfly (blue, with yellow wings). While Heimlich is a favorite character, I would have thought there was at least one additional somewhat-memorable character they could have used instead of duplicating Heimlich in two variations.
The mini Tsum Tsum are $5.95 each and limited to 5 per person. (Who actually buys 5 anyway? If you do, let me know in the comments!) There is also an 11″ version of WALL-E for $12.95.
In addition to the plush, there are also three Limited Release T-Shirts featuring the new Tsum Tsum character designs.
The shirts retail for $29.95, or you can mix and match 2 for $44, and must be ordered by Sunday, February 12, 2017.
Stay tuned to WDWNT next Tuesday for the next release, and be sure to come back on Tuesday, February 21 for the Star Wars Death Star Collection Tsum Tsum!
Today, WDWNT is debuting a new weekly Disney history column, aptly named “This Week in Disney History.” In this space, we take a look at several important events of this week in the history of The Walt Disney Company. We will not endeavor to cover everything, and what we highlight might not even be the most important happenings of the week, but instead we hope to give you some interesting tidbits to broaden your knowledge of Disney history.
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” -Walt Disney
Introduced in December, Disney today has announced that the theme park entry lines exclusive to Walt Disney World annual passholders at all 4 theme parks will be staying a little while longer.
Disney has stated that they will now remain through the Spring at least, with no exact end date given.
If you have ever visited Amorette’s Patisserie at Disney Springs and looked into the display case of all the delectable confections, you will see that each handcrafted dessert is a remarkable piece of art. All new cakes are first sketched on paper. After the sketch has been drawn, the extremely talented cake decorators will then bring the sketch to life, just as the inanimate objects in ‘Beauty and the Beast’ are brought to life in the movie. The video below from the Disney Parks Blog shows one of the pastry artists creating an Enchanted Rose Cake inspired by the live-action film “Beauty and the Beast.”
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The Enchanted Rose Cake is now available at Amorette’s Patisserie. Dome cakes can be pre-ordered by calling (407) 934-3500 or by visiting the shop at least 72 hours in advance.
While many guests still enjoy traditional in-room dining, consumer preference for quick and casual dining is on the rise. To address the evolving needs of Guests, beginning February 7th and running through April 1, a new option added to in-room dining programs, Express Fresh, will be piloted at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. This pilot will complement the existing in-room dining program by offering select quick and casual meal options to Guests.
The meals are presented at the Guest’s room door in disposable containers and no set up is required. Disney is stating that the meals will arrive within 30 minutes of ordering as the menus are comprised of quick-to-prepare items. Express Fresh will be offered in the menu guides as a separate insert along with the traditional in-room dining options.
NFL Super Bowl star running back James White starred in a milestone Disney moment Monday, Feb. 6, 2017 (Steven Diaz, photographer)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Feb. 6, 2017) – It was 1987 when the winning quarterback in Super Bowl XXI began a tradition of going to Walt Disney World Resort to celebrate. That would carve out a place synonymous with glory and achievement in sports and other human endeavor.
Thirty years later, that same honor fell to running back James White, a hero of Super Bowl LI in Houston. White caught one touchdown pass and rushed for two others – including the game-winner in overtime – to help rally his team to an epic, come-from-behind 34-28 victory over Atlanta to capture the NFL Championship.
For his on-field heroics, White was honored with a celebratory parade Monday down Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom Park. Park guests and NFL fans alike lined the iconic street as White smiled and waved from a float he shared with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and other Disney characters.
Afterwards, White posed for photos with Mickey and Minnie and enjoyed some fun time in the park, experiencing some of its most popular attractions such as Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
NFL Super Bowl star running back James White joins Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse after starring in a milestone Disney moment Monday, Feb. 6, 2017 (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
That continued a 30-year tradition of the Super Bowl hero celebrating his team’s victory at Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort.
Paddlefish at Disney Springs opened to guests over the weekend (in case you missed our barrage of tweets from the VIP event or our photo tour of the restaurant that we posted over the weekend). The restaurant replaces Fulton’s Crab House inside what was the Empress Lilly, an icon of the early Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village.
While I was not excited about the exterior concept art, the boat looks fantastic in person. This might be the only case ever where I thought that the finished product eclipsed the vision presented in the early artwork. If you would like a video tour of the exterior and interior, we have one for you below:
The three floors each have a bar, and there is dining space on each floor. If you want to sit higher up on the “vessel”, you will have to come later in the day as they begin seating at the bottom level when they open. Hours for the three bars are not set in stone yet, but the first floor bar opens with the restaurant and all 3 are generally open by 6:30PM (including the beautiful patio on the top floor). There is outdoor seating on the first level at the front of the boat if you wish to dine outside and not at a bar.
Before we go on, I do want to mention that both annual passholder and Tables in Wonderland discounts are available, both offering 20% off, however, only Tables in Wonderland also provides the discount on alcoholic beverages in addition to other items.
We visited on Sunday afternoon specifically because I “needed” to try to the brunch menu. None of the items from this menu were sampled at the media shindig, so I needed to find out more about them with a regular visit to the restaurant.
Above is the normal lunch menu, below the dinner version.
Above the drink menu. No allergy friendly menus were available as of yet, but the chef was more than accommodating of the needs of the guest we were with who had allergies.
I included the kids menu as I am often asked about them. Sadly, not having children, I don’t often get to try any of these. Don’t get me wrong, I am not sad that I do not have children, just that I can’t have kids menu items without looking like a psychopath.
There are also Late Night and Seafood Boil menus, but we will be back for those. We did get to try a sample of the boil on Friday, but it was a bit of a letdown. We will be making a trip just for the boil at some point in the near future and will update you on how that experience goes.
At first, they did not bring us the bread, but we asked for it after seeing another table get it. In fairness, offering bread at 11AM (when we sat down) and when we saw people starting getting bread around 2PM is a pretty big difference. I can understand maybe not offering it with brunch, but we were happy to get some to try after our meal.
So, how was it? Really fantastic. It has a crunchy exterior and a soft inside with a slight sourdough flavor. Butter is also provided.
Garlic mojo, hazelnut romesco, pickled onions
Moving on to the appetizers, the beef skewers were quite good. They were cooked perfectly and were really tender, with the accompanying sauce offering a nice flavor.
Bahamian conch, spiced tomato broth
The Conch Chowder (pictured here in a cup) was pretty tasty. I loved the spiced broth and everything in the soup tasted fresh. I’m more of a New England Clam Chowder person myself, but I would order this again.
Hand cut potatoes, lump blue crab, Louie dressing
I did not like the Crab Fries at the media event, but they were much improved in their own plate in an appetizer serving. This plate is a nice size, the fries are good, and the crab is fresh and tastes great with the Louie sauce on it. These are still not a must for me, but they are pretty decent.
Blood orange, lime, chili, jicama, aji panca
I loved the crudo, but it was also really spicy (thus why I enjoyed it). I highly recommend this if you like such things at other seafood eateries.
This is something we tried at the event on Friday and not at brunch.
But, we do have photos of it being made for some guests on Sunday during our brunch:
Maine lobster, tortilla planks, tajin
This was absolutely fantastic. The big chunks of lobster in it were very good and the guacamole itself had a good flavor. I’m looking forward to ordering this in the future (even if it is a bit pricey, but hey, it’s lobster)
Sweet black soy, yuzu, avocado, radish, Asian pickle
We got a small sample of the Ahi Poke at the media event and I loved it. It reminded me of the dish offered at the Hawaii booth at the Food and Wine Festival, which was one of my favorites. It offered a lot of spice and that’s really all I want in this dish (well, and some fresh tasting seafood is important too I guess).
Champagne-cucumber mignonette, cocktail sauce
I like oysters, which most people think is gross, but these were of quality. The real portion will come with 6 instead of 4.
Maque choux, fried green tomato, remoulade
I don’t know how big the actual crab cake it, but this was phenomenal. One of the best crab cakes I have ever had in my entire life.
With sweet chili aioli
I saved the best for last…
I don’t know how many of these come in a regular order, but whatever amount it is, order them. It is exactly what it sounds like, lobster covered in corn batter with a delicious sauce on it.
It. Is. Perfection.
Alright, now we are going to start on the drink menu, which is a big one. In full disclosure, the event on Friday had a “pretty wicked” open bar where you could get just about any of these, so we decided to knock off a bit of the drink menu then. Someday, I hope to become a real journalist… which I think requires me to remain quiet that I didn’t pay for most of these… oh well.
Nue ra Soledad Mezcal, El De ilador Blanco, jalapeño, Creme de Mure, house sour
I have had jalepeno margaritas in at least 3 locations at Walt Disney World over the last year, and this blows every one of them away. It was very spicy, yet super flavorful.
Medley Bros. Bourbon, peach liqueur, Tempranillo, seasonal fruit
This was solid, but not what you would expect out of sangria. I prefer the soaked-in fruit taste in most sangria, but this just tasted too peachy for me.
Kinahan’s Irish Whiskey, Fever Tree Ginger Beer, fresh lime
The Gold Rush is expensive, but it is made at your table and it is pretty spectacular.
The server will fix the drink for you at the table, but that then also leaves most of a bottle of the fantastic ginger beer.
The drink itself is a refreshing mix of ginger, lime, and whiskey flavors that I would order again. Yes, even if it is $20…
Boyd & Blair vodka, fresh raspberries, framboise, thyme
I like my drinks fruity and this was everything I wanted it to be (and it was strong, too). Probably my second favorite of the night, the raspberry and vodka mix was perfect.
It is worth noting that a lot of work goes into each of these drinks, so while you do pay a premium, you are getting a premium cocktail. I’m not defending Disney World prices, but at least you are getting something special.
Boyd & Blair vodka, Nue ra Soledad mezcal, Ab cot du Roussillon, pineapple
This is probably the best of the Late Night menu drink items, in our opinion at least. In fairness, we often like vodka drinks, and if you do, I don’t think you will be unhappy with this cocktail blend.
Scarlet Ibis, orgeat, banana liqueur, fresh lime, Scrappy Orleans, amarena cherry
This was my favorite drink at Paddlefish, and many people agreed with me. The banana liquor wasn’t overpowering (just the right amount, in fact) and was mixed well with everything else in the drink.
Bib & Tucker bourbon, fresh orange juice, Mau n Quina, Dolin Rouge vermouth
Honestly, this one kind of gets lost in the shuffle. It doesn’t stick out enough for me to remember what it tasted like, so it couldn’t have been that good.
Boyd & Blair vodka, Bertina Elder ower liqueur, house sour, saffron
Possibly my second to least favorite drink of the night, this is indeed a saffron martini. I guess I don’t like saffron… or I’m not mad about it you could say. Moving on…
A perfectly balanced blend of Smith &Cross Jamaican rum and Kirk and Sweeney Dominican rum.
With all the care and work that goes into every other cocktails on this list, this one is fairly standard and likely the weakest of the bunch. Light on alcohol and flavor, I couldn’t possibly name one thing that we enjoyed about this drink.
King crab, jumbo shrimp, candied Neuske bacon
I’m not a Bloody Mary fan, and that didn’t change with this, but all of the seafood in the drink was really good. The shrimp and crab leg were of a good quality which makes me anxious to try them in various dishes on the menu. Yes, it is $20, but there is a full crab leg and 1 shrimp in it.
Well, now we move on to the entrees. We’ll start with some dishes we got to taste at the preview, and then move on to the dishes we ordered on our regular visit to the restaurant.
Brown butter, cauliflower puree, crispy Brussels sprouts, bacon
Another dish sampled at Friday’s event, the scallop was one of the best I have ever tasted. Cooked to perfection and went well with the cauliflower puree. I typically hate Brussels sprouts, but these were prepared masterfully and made me a fan for once in my life. I can’t imagine that a full serving of these would leave anyone dissatisfied.
1 1/4 pound Maine lobster, butter, split top bun
The Lobster Roll is exclusive to the lunch menu and is quite good. The bread is nicely toasted and the lobster fresh as can be. I would have enjoyed a little less lettuce in in, but otherwise very enjoyable. We did see the full size version of this and it is quite large.
Crispy skin, heirloom beets, kohlrabi-green apple salad
The person who ordered this was the one with the intense allergies, so this was heavily modified to the best of restaurant’s ability. The lightly seasoned fish was placed over rice and asparagus in this case, all of which was solid. There was nothing special about the fish, but it was fresh and good.
Ipswich whole bellies, lemon-caper aioli, pickles, split top bun
Many of the sandwiches are adequately priced and a good serving size, including this one. Everything about it was good, the aioli blending nicely with the fresh fried clams. Maybe it could have been a little warmer, but we did take 4-5 minutes to photograph all of the food, so that may be our fault. Everyone at the table also seemed to be a big fan of the french fires, which are the same used in the Clam Fries dish.
French toast, ham, Applewood bacon, egg, Swiss cheese, fresh berry compote, maple syrup
This isn’t what you might recall from New Orleans Square at Disneyland, but it is well priced and a massive portion. Each of these is piled high with ham and topped with plenty of egg, bacon, and cheese. This is a brunch only option and probably the one that comes closest to being a breakfast dish.
Atlantic halibut, I-4 IPA, sweet potato fries, malt vinegar aioli
$33 is a lot for fish and chips, but halibut isn’t cheap these days and this is large and fantastic serving. I honestly don’t each a lot of fried fish, but this was perfection. The halibut was light and flaky, with a perfectly crispy fried exterior. The sweet potato fries were also enjoyable.
6 ounce, hand cut fries
In all of these experiences we had at Paddlefish over the weekend, this was the one glaring disappointment. It was a fine filet, just overly salty. There are better filets you can order at Walt Disney World and this is probably not where you will want to have one.
We were pretty full after brunch, but then we saw that there was a milkshake. I jokingly asked the waiter if it had a brownie on top and came in a jar. He said yes.
There is also an assortment of after dinner drinks…
A Limited Edition MagicBand 2 has been released in connection with the upcoming release of the Beauty and the Beast live action movie.
In case you are not in Walt Disney World, you can also purchase this MagicBand 2 at DisneyStore.com. The edition size is 25oo and as usual with these items, there is a limit of 2 per person.
