Disney has just released the first trailer for their upcoming animated film, “Moana”. Looks like Maui is sporting “The People’s Eyebrow” for fans of The Rock. Check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ForhHN3W3vA
Source: Film Select
With the Skipper Canteen recently abolishing long term plans to only be available for walk-up guests or same day reservations, it seems Plaza Restaurant will now be adopting the model.
While existing ADRs will be honored, future reservations can only be made for one hour a day, between 11:00AM and 12:00PM in the afternoon. Otherwise, the restaurant will now only be taking walk-in guests or those with pre-existing ADRs that have been booked in advance for the next 180 days. We assume once all pre-booked ADRs are honored, the Plaza Restaurant will become available only via walk-up.
For years, spontaneous guests have complained about little availability around Walt Disney World for walk-ups at table service establishments, so this may be Disney’s first attempt to appease guests who oppose pre-planning.
Skipper Canteen recently moved to the 180-day reservations to improve attendance at the restaurant in an attempt to stave off the “dumbing down” of the menu that has been rumored as of late.
Check out the new Park Starz Vinylmation releasing June 17, 2016 at D Street at the Disneyland Resort, Pin Traders at the Walt Disney World Resort and online.
Figures include:
The blind boxed figures retail at $18.95 each.
Beginning May 21st, Trail’s End at Fort Wilderness began offering a weekend brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 7:30AM until 2:00PM. This brunch features the usual breakfast buffet plus some additions. Here’s the menu as Disney announced it:
The buffet price is $23.00 for adults and $13.00 for children and all usual discounts will be accepted for this brunch offering.
Given the overwhelming positive response we received when I first posted about the new menu, I knew we had to go and check it out. I was already a HUGE fan of the Trail’s End dinner buffet for both the quality of food and very reasonable pricing, but I had never done breakfast here even though it comes highly recommended. My problem with Trail’s End lies solely in location. If I’m looking to just go out to dinner, I’m really OK with investing a fair amount of travel time to get here via the internal bus system at Fort Wilderness. If I’m going to Magic Kingdom, The Wave breakfast is usually my option for the proximity to the park and the breakfast buffet which I would place on the same plateau, if not even higher, than Trail’s End. In the end, it’s really just a convenience thing, nothing against the quality of the buffet.
My only real complaint overall has to be the shrimp. First of all, you have to peel them, secondly, peeling them only means you are about to eat pretty much the foulest tasting shrimp on planet earth. I’d rather they just remove this from the buffet rather than replace it with another item. They are that bad.
Other than that, I was upset there was only corn muffins and not corn bread. I know this is probably just about the most childish complaint you can have, but I think the cornbread tastes slightly better than it does in muffin form.
The breakfast pizza was a solid option, fun and delicious
Fried chicken at 9am? OF COURSE I WANT SOME!
They serve the “Jungle Juice” here now, under the term specialty moonshine. Nice to have it offered here.
My significant other chose to have a pretty plate…
This was my first plate…
You will have to ask if you want an omelette as there is no station and the server may not even mention it. We ended up getting an omelette with the famous chili in it and it was pretty spectacular.
In review, I think I would prefer to take advantage of this brunch buffet over going during the week for just breakfast or dinner buffets. It’s a nice mix of items, the price is good (slightly more than breakfast of course), and I’m as big a fan of the brunch as I am of the dinner service. Trail’s End brunch is definitely worth your time and money, if you can spare it.
It has been quite the revolving door at the Mills Stage in the Canada Pavilion at Epcot since Off Kilter “bagged their last pipe” back in 2014, from the Canadian Lumberjacks act, to several more somewhat forgettable acts that have been presented since then. Starting today, guests will find yet another new act on the stage…
Off Kilter performing on the stage in 2014
Les Parfaits Inconnus combine music, circus art, and comedy to create unforgettable shows. Hailing from Quebec, the talented artists and athletes demonstrate a mastery of several circus disciplines as well as proficiency with musical instruments.
The show is being presented daily throughout the Summer at Epcot beginning June 10th.
According to Scott Joseph of Scott Joseph’s Orlando Restaurant Guide:
Scott Hunnel, the much celebrated chef de cuisine at Victoria & Albert’s restaurant, a position he has held for more than 20 years, has been named executive chef for Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. In that position, he will oversee all the hotel’s restaurants, which, besides Victoria & Albert’s, includes Citricos, Narcoossee’s and the Grand Floridian Cafe.
For now, Hunnel is continuing on at Victoria & Albert’s, but sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity say that a new chef de cuisine will be hired. Hunnel says that Victoria & Albert’s will continue to be a focus of his, even if a new chef de cuisine is hired.
Hunnel, 52, has held the position since 1995 when he moved up from the kitchen at Ariel’s restaurant at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort.
He is one of the most respected and talented chefs in the region and has been nominated for a James Beard Foundation award for Best Chef South eight times. In 2008, Hunnel was recognized by Sante magazine as its Culinary Professional of the Year.
Hunnel’s move is the culmination of a number of changes among top-tier Disney chefs in recent months. Brian Piasecki left California Grill for another position within the company, as did Phillip Ponticelli, who had been chef de cuisine at Citricos. Tim Keating left Flying Fish Cafe — and the company — when the Boardwalk restaurant closed for renovations earlier this year.
Dennis Thompson has been named chef de cuisine at the California Grill, the popular restaurant on the 15th floor of the Contemporary Resort overlooking the Magic Kingdom. Thompson replaced Brian Piasecki, who left CG in February to accept a new position within the company with the cumbersome title of Executive Chef WDW Resorts, Moderate, Value and Standalone DVC Properties. He must have the biggest business cards in the company.
For Thompson, the new job is a return to Grill. He began his 16-year career with Disney in 1997 cooking at California Grill under opening chef Clifford Pleau. He moved on to Jiko — The Cooking Place at Animal Kingdom Lodge and then to Narcoossee’s at the Grand Floridian Resort, just across the lagoon from his new office.
A native of Worthington, Ohio, Thompson, right in photo with Piasecki, graduated first in his class at Columbus State College in 1991. His training included a three-year program in an American Culinary Federation apprenticeship. He has acheived the first of three levels of the Court of Master Sommeliers.
Thompson’s wife, Victoria, also works in food and beverage at Walt Disney World Resort as a front-of-the-house manager.
California Grill is one of the restaurants considered to be among the resort’s top three best, along with Citricos and Flying Fish Cafe (now known simply as Flying Fish). Dominic Filoni was named chef de cuisine at Citricos in November after longtime chef Phillip Ponticelli moved to Golden Oak. Flying Fish is still searching for a replacement for Timonty Keating, who left the kitchen and the company earlier in the year when the Boardwalk restaurant was closed for a planned multi month renovation.
Get ready for more Star Wars Battlefront because on June 21, EA is releasing the Bespin digital expansion for season pass owners. The content will then be made available to everyone else just two weeks later.
Players will get to battle it out through four all-new maps featuring iconic areas such as Cloud City, the Administrator’s Palace, Bioniip Laboratories, and carbon-freezing chambers.
In addition to the new maps, players will gain access to a new hero, Lando Calrissian, and a new villain, Dengar the bounty hunter. Both characters will have blasters, as well as their own unique abilities. Lando will be able to “use tricks against his enemies”, while Dengar wields a DLT-19, making him “the first Hero with a heavy blaster so far”.
Two new weapons will be added to the game’s arsenal, the X-8 Night Sniper and EE-4 blaster, though not much else is known about these weapons. Below is a picture of the EE-4 blaster.
Stay tuned for more Battlefront news as we head into E3 week.
Following in the footsteps of Seekers of the Weird, Figment, Figment 2, and the Haunted Mansion, Disney today announced an all-new adventure in the “Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room” from Disney Kingdoms. This five-part comic series will debut this fall at Disney Parks.
The series will be written by Jon Adams. Artwork will be penciled by Horacio Domingues with cover artwork (shown above) by Brian Kesinger.
Variant cover designed by Disney Imagineer Jason Grandt
Look for the Enchanted Tiki Room series this fall in select merchandise locations at Disney Parks, but it should also be available outside of the parks like the other series.
It’s back! After not seeing much use since it closed back in 1998, the former upper level of the ImageWorks at the Imagination pavilion at Epcot returned to service earlier this week as the Disney Vacation Club Member Lounge. Let’s take a look around, shall we?
There is a check-in desk and small waiting area downstairs in the new ImageWorks.
Some member merchandise on display downstairs.
You must be a DVC member with an active membership card to gain access, and you are allowed up to 4 guests.
Guests can take the stairs or elevator upstairs, just like when it used to be the ImageWorks.
New flooring, carpet and paint can be found throughout the lounge.
The welcome desk is where members can find help with anything they might need.
DVC cast members even walk around with snacks for guests.
Disney Infinity set up for guests to play.
There are Coke Freestyle machines, but also K-Cup coffee makers with k-cups available upon request.
Computers and a printer for members to use.
An area where kids (and kids at heart) can watch cartoons.
A lot of the old passageways to ImageWorks were simply sealed.
Charging stations available (you have to bring your own cords), along with iPads for guest use.
Even though it may not be for everyone, it is nice to see the space back in action.
What do you think?
Photos by Nick LoCicero
Next week brings the official opening of Shanghai Disney Resort in China, and the Disneyland Resort will be marking the occasion in a special way.
On Thursday, June 16, the Hollywood Land area at Disney California Adventure park will host special entertainment and photo opportunities in honor of the opening of the newest Disney destination. The festivities will feature colorful performances by local community groups, along with character appearances by Mulan and Mushu. Some favorite Asian-inspired food & beverage offerings, including pork bao, almond cookies and pot stickers, will also be available for purchase. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
In addition, Disney will be giving away a button commemorating the opening of Shanghai Disney Resort to each guest entering the Disneyland Resort theme parks, while supplies last.
