New Sunset Showcase at Hollywood Studios to Open with “Club Disney” on December 5th

When the new Sunset Showcase opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on December 5th, 2015, it will be host to Club Disney, the hottest spot in town for kids and characters alike. Guests can join Mickey and the gang and take to the dance floor in this electric club environment, where a DJ Club Host spins a mix of favorite Radio Disney Top 40 songs as the floor and walls come alive with vivid images from classic Disney animation.

Club Disney will also feature a seating area and snack station, where you can refuel and recharge – both yourself and your electronic devices – before heading out for more fun in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

 

The new Sunset Showcase venue is located behind Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster and will be accessed via the gateway next to the current entrance for that attraction. Club Disney is expected to run in the space through January, when a Villains offering is expected to move in.

Celebrity Chef Art Smith Opening “Homecoming” Restaurant at Disney Springs in 2016

Homecoming: Florida Kitchen and Southern Shine, Chef Art Smith’s new restaurant concept, will open in Summer 2016 at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort.

 

You might know Chef Smith from his years as Oprah’s chef, or for his appearances in “Iron Chef America,” “Top Chef” and “Top Chef Masters.” The James Beard Foundation award winner was born and reared in the town of Jasper, Fla., on the Florida-Georgia border, where his family still raises cattle, pecans and heirloom vegetables. And after 25 years of preparing award-winning meals for celebrities and heads of state and appearing on television, he is making Florida his home once again.

The Homecoming menu will feature Southern favorites like homemade pimento cheese, Church Lady deviled eggs, low country shrimp and grits, kale salad with Sweet Grass Dairy cheese and spiced pecans and a grilled Blackstrap pork chop with sawmill gravy. “Each dish has a little Florida twist and make guests feel like they’re on the back porch with me for every meal,” says Smith. Desserts will be a specialty, with cakes, pies and delectable sweets made daily and shipped from a bakery in Hamilton County, including the restaurant’s signature Mockingbird Cake.

 

The “rustic-chic” restaurant has a glass-walled show kitchen and the Southern Shine bar, featuring whimsical cocktails, punches and coolers that celebrate an era where characters might have created some homegrown spirits on their homesteads just beyond the springs.

If you are wondering why the restaurant is called Homecoming, well, Chef Smith attended Florida State University and did a culinary internship with the Walt Disney World College Program many years ago.

Dirk Wallen’s 10/9/15 WDW Photo Report (AVATAR, Rivers of Light Construction, Disney Springs, Etc.) np

WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen visited Animal Kingdom and Disney Springs this week and has some newsworthy photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:

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GIRAFFE!

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We often find cute animals are a good way to ease you into construction photos…

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As seen from the heights of Everest, here is the latest progress on Pandora: The World of AVATAR

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The floating mountains rise high above the park

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Work is ramping up on the Rivers of Light show as well as there is just a few months left to go before it debuts

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Here you see the viewing area under construction

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Various new rock structures hide the projectors and lighting for the show

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The control tower for the show rises in front of Everest

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Guests will be able to sit all the way down to the water’s edge for the show

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At Kilimanjaro Safaris, strange rock work (which we suspect hides the lighting for the nighttime version of the ride) has appeared

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Work continues on the new building in Discovery Island

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Painting of the existing buildings continues

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Moving over to Disney Springs, construction is coming along nicely on the Town Center

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The Edison, former home fo the Adventurer’s Club

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The home of STK Steakhouse

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This will soon be the new bus loop and drop off area

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Another look at STK

10/8/15 Marvel News Mash-Up (Ant Man Sequel, Management Shakeup, Jessica Jones, Etc.) np

Marvel Announces New Slate Of Films Coming To Marvel Phase 3 Films

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Marvel has announced that they are adding additional movies to the Phase 3 slate of movies and the first new movie will be a sequel to “Ant-Man” and it will be called “Ant-Man And The Wasp”. Paul Rudd will reprise his role as Scott Lang/Ant-Man and joining him this time on his adventure will be Evangeline Lily who will reprise her role as Hope Van Dyne and now take on the role of superhero, The Wasp. “Ant-Man And The Wasp” will open on July 6th, 2018.

To accommodate this addition both the “Black Panther” and “Captain Marvel” movies will be movie their release dates to February 16, 2018 and March 8, 2019.

Marvel also announced that 3 unnamed Marvel movies will premier on May 1st, 2020, July 10th 2020 and November 6th 2020. I’m expecting a Hulk movie to be one of them since he was originally supposed to appear in “Civil War” and pulled out at the last second and also Kevin Feige has said that they have plans for Hulk in the future.

Source: Marvel

First Trailer For Marvel And Netflix’s “Jessica Jones”

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Netflix has released the first teaser trailer for their upcoming series, Marvel’s “Jessica Jones”.

After a tragic ending to her short-lived Super Hero stint, Jessica Jones is rebuilding her personal life and career as a detective who gets pulled into cases in New York City. It’s time the world knew her name…
“Jessica Jones” will premier on Netflix on November 20, 2015.

First Look At Mike Colter As “Luke Cage”

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Production on Netflix’s newest series, Marvel’s “Luke Cage” has begun and we have seen a few images of Mike Colter as Luke Cage. Definitely has the Luke Cage look going on. Expect to see Mike Coulter debut as Luke Cage first in Netflix’s “Jessica Jones” before he movies on to his own “Luke Cage” series in 2016.
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Source: Screen Crush

Rachael McAdams Joins The Cast Of “Doctor Strange”

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 05: Actress Rachel McAdams attends the "Charles James: Beyond Fashion" Costume Institute Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

The Wrap has reported that Rachael McAdams will join Benedict Cumberbatch and Telda Swinton in the upcoming Marvel movie, “Doctor Strange”. There is no official announcement as to watch character McAdams will be playing. All we know is it is the female lead.

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It could be Clea, who is the niece of Dormammu, which is one of Doctor Strange’s greatest enemies. Clea later betrays her uncle and joins forces with Doctor Strange and became his love interest.

Source: The Wrap

Big Shakeup At Marvel Entertainment

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There was a big shake up within Marvel Entertainment. Kevin Feige who has produced all of the Marvel movies and is the President of Marvel met with Disney and made it known that he was not happy reporting directly to the current CEO of Marvel Isaac Perlmutter. Now Feige is reporting directly to Disney Pictures President, Alan Horn.It seems that Perlmutter was a thorn in Feige’s side and it sounds like it came to the point where Feige was even considering leaving Marvel. Perlmutter is notorious for being a cheapskate and not providing enough dough for the movies. “Captain America: Civil War” was apparently the breaking point since they were going over budget and Perlmutter didn’t want to release any additional funds to support the movie.

Then there was also the disbandment of the Marvel Creative Team which some are saying was responsible for Edgar Wright leaving Ant-Man. It has Brian Michael Bendis and Joe Quesueda. The following list show the movies that the Creative Team had some input in:

Movies they worked on: Iron Man, Avengers, Guardians Of The Galaxy, Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Captain America: Civil War.

Movies somewhere in the middle: Hulk, Ant Man, Thor, and Thor: The Dark World.


Movies with little to no input
: Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, and Avengers: Age Of Ultron.

What is weird about these movies is that it seems that the Creative Team was heavily involved with the best Marvel movies and barely had any input with the lesser ones. What does this mean for the future? We dont know right now but we’ll see what happens after “Captain America: Civil War”.

That’s it for this time!

VIDEO: Walt Disney Animation Reveals Voice Of “Moana”; First Images And Casting Video

In “Moana,” Walt Disney Animation Studios’ upcoming big-screen adventure, a spirited teenager named Moana (left) sails out on a daring mission to prove herself a master wayfinder. Along the way, she meets once-mighty demi-god Maui (right). Featuring Native Hawaiian newcomer Auli’i Cravalho as the voice of Moana, and Dwayne Johnson as the voice of Maui, “Moana” sails into U.S. theaters on Nov. 23, 2016. ©2015 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana” has found her voice following a worldwide search to cast the film’s title character. Native Hawaiian newcomer Auli’i Cravalho, 14, joins Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the big-screen adventure about a spirited and fearless teenager named Moana (voice of Cravalho) who, with help from demi-god Maui (voice of Johnson), sets out on a daring mission to prove herself a master wayfinder.

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While hundreds of talented people from across the Pacific Islands were eager to try out for the role, Cravalho set her sights firmly on her sophomore year of high school. “I didn’t think I would have a chance,” she said. “When I was little, I used to dance around the house singing at the top of my lungs. In my mind, that was performing and I loved the feeling of it. But I never imagined being in a Disney movie, being Moana—representing my culture in that way.”

Fortunately, the film’s Hawai’i casting director remembered an unrelated audition Cravalho did as part of an a cappella group, which had been submitted for a talent showcase for a charity. Feeling the local teen would be perfect for the Disney role, she tracked her and her mother down and invited Cravalho to audition. “Her audition was fantastic – she was such a raw talent,” said producer Osnat Shurer. “Auli’i was among a small number of girls we brought back for a second round of auditions. Then we flew her and her mom over to audition at our studios in Burbank.”

“Auli’i demonstrated a certain fearlessness in her auditions and call-backs,” said director John Musker. “She has a playful, mischievous wit. She can project vulnerability, she doesn’t seem intimidated at all by the challenges ahead, and her Polynesian background has helped shape her connection to family, hard work and music. These are all qualities she shares with Moana.”

“Moana is a vibrant, tenacious 16-year-old growing up on an island where voyaging is forbidden,” added director Ron Clements. “But Moana has been drawn to the ocean since she can remember and is desperate to find out what’s beyond the confines of her island.”

Cravalho has already started recording for the role.

“Moana” sails into U.S. theaters on Nov. 23, 2016.

REVIEW: Does Morimoto Asia Add Another Great Restaurant to the Disney Springs Lineup?

Morimoto Asia recently opened in The Landing at Disney Springs, providing guests a large menu of Pan-Asian offerings. The restaurant is located in the former home of Mannequin’s on Pleasure Island, which has now been beautifully converted into this modern restaurant.

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The interior is painfully modern, but pleasing. Having lived in New York for many years, this is pretty much what I always expect from a higher-end restaurant. There is an Asian flair, but the interior does not carry any of the industrial district story of The Landing or Disney Springs, but it doesn’t really have to either.

We started with a Sake Sangria which was very refreshing and I would HIGHLY recommend

For appetizers, I ordered the spare ribs which were cooked to perfection. The meat fell right off the bone and the sticky sauce had a great flavor to it.

The five-spice chicken wings were cooked nicely, but really didn’t deliver much flavor despite the name

We also have 5 different “dim sum” dishes, all of which were spectacular. You really can’t go wrong with anything in the “dim sum” portion of the menu.

For my entree, I had the Peking Duck. This was by far my favorite duck dish I have ever ordered.

It had great a great flavor, but was especially good with the included sweet chili sauce

The “buri-bop” is a unique dish prepared table-side in a bowl heated to a very high temperature. The yellowtail tasted great and mixed well with everything in the dish.

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The chicken pad thai is a large portion for $16 and very tasty. From the lowest priced entrees to the highest, there really wasn’t anything we regretted ordering.

The orange chicken had a strong orange taste (probably what is should taste like at more Asian restaurants), but was still very good. Again, just cooked perfectly.

We also had a side of brown rice that was so good, I would come in and just order a few bowls of this as my entree!

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If there was one problem we encountered, it was the speed and quality of the sushi kitchen. Our tempura shrimp roll was not served in a timely manner and was not at the temperature it should have been served at. I would go back to try another sushi dish, but I’m not sure this is the restaurant’s strong suit.

While I loved many of the appetizers and entrees, this dessert dish was my favorite offering. This is the chocolate cream and crunch featuring Oreo tempura, Mandarin orange jelly, dark chocolate gelato, and hazelnut chocolate crunchies.

In my 27 years visiting theme parks, this was my favorite dessert I’ve ever ordered. It was unique and delicious, offering just the right hint of orange flavor mixed with decadent chocolate. Our waiter was convinced this wasn’t even the best dessert on the menu, so I look forward to returning and trying the rest!

In review, I was blown away by Morimoto Asia. While the restaurants in Japan and China at Epcot have always been solid offerings, this is the first real “Asian-style” restaurant of any kind at Walt Disney World that I am clamoring to return to. The menu is diverse in offerings, pricing, and has quite the drink selection. There really is something for everyone of every taste and budget. Between the Boathouse, Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar, and Morimoto Asia, I could not be more pleased with the direction Disney Springs is heading in. I have high hopes for STK and other restaurants still yet to be named for the project, but in the meantime, I need to get back to Morimoto as soon as possible!

Purple MagicBands Are Coming!

Since the launch of MyMagic+ some time ago, guests have been asking for a purple MagicBand to be added to the available line-up. It appears it is coming…

 

These two new MagicBands coming out soon have designs printed on a purple MagicBand. The retail MagicBands with designs have only ever been printed on colors actually available, so we expect a plain purple MagicBand to be available to guests in the not-too-distant future. Stay tuned!

Swan and Dolphin Food and Wine Classic Returns October 30-31, 2015

Favorite seminars and stations return for sixth annual Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic

Menus and seminar lineup set for the 2015 annual culinary event

Lake Buena Vista, Fla. – Oct 1, 2015 – From October 30 – 31, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic will celebrate its sixth year featuring global culinary specialties at the Epcot Resort Area hotel, with more than 40 food and wine stations, 10 food and wine seminars and the opportunities to meet the award-winning chefs behind featured culinary masterpieces.

Guests will delight in numerous opportunities to sip and savor along the hotel’s causeway all weekend while enjoying live entertainment, and even some spooky fun on Halloween night.

Delectable culinary offerings headline the two-night event, featuring cuisine from the hotel’s own award-winning signature restaurants: Il Mulino New York Trattoria, Shula’s Steak House and Todd English’s bluezoo, with wine and spirits samplings from around the globe.

This year’s menu introduces new interesting and unique dishes sure to please the palate including ginger cured Hamachi with nitro lime, mascarpone chestnut ravioli with Italian sausage, celery root and bacon jus and smoked Wagyu short ribs accompanied by a parsnip puree, melba toast and pommery mustard sauce.

Favorite dishes from past years also return, such as the shrimp cocktail steamroller, Thai chicken salad with organic greens, green papaya tamarind and ginger dressing as well as the dragon sushi roll with crispy shrimp, tuna and avocado.

The hotel’s World Champion Pastry Chef, Laurent Branlard, provides a sweeter side to the evening with decadent desserts like chocolate almond crunch cake and éclair with caramelized banana cream and coconut streusel. This year Branlard will also introduce his S’more Sundae Action Station, combining the classic desserts of the s’more and sundae.

New to this year’s event is a food truck area, featuring cuisine from the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel and Cabot Cheese – a favorite from last year – as well as an exclusive beverage truck.

Seminars once again return to offer guests the chance to receive a hands-on and tasty educational experience. Seminars cover topics including wine blending, Italian wines, champagne, beer, mixology, tequila, pasta making, sushi and sake, wine and cheese pairing and the Brazilian cocktail, caipirinha.

All seminars require separate tickets in addition to the causeway tickets, and space is limited.

As an upgraded ticket option, guest can once again experience a beer garden, featuring a variety of local and seasonal brews from around the world, alongside Oktoberfest-inspired cuisine made by the hotel’s culinary experts.

To add to the event’s appeal, guests can enjoy a meet and greet with celebrity chef Todd English, the namesake of the hotel’s Todd English’s bluezoo restaurant. Guests can also meet the world’s only two-time World Champion Pastry Chef and the hotel’s very own executive pastry chef, Laurent Branlard. Barbeque fans shouldn’t miss the Cib’s Smoke House station for signature barbeque dishes from the hotel’s executive chef Robert Ciborowski.

“This event is a way for us to celebrate our love of food, wine and beverage with others who share that same passion,” said the hotel’s Director of Food & Beverage Tony Porcellini. “What continues to bring back people year after year is the one-of-a-kind, fun, street-party atmosphere our guests enjoy.”

With 17 restaurants and lounges, a distinguished culinary and beverage team and unmatched customer service, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel continually receives national recognition for its food and beverage program. The culinary team has had the honor of presenting multiple dinners at the distinguished James Beard House, most recently in June 2015. The hotel boasts more than 70 certified wine sommeliers and 1,400 wine selections, including organic and rare vintages.  The hotel’s restaurants are annual winners of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence including Shula’s Steak House, a four-time recipient of the exclusive Best of Award of Excellence.

Tickets to the Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic are available as part of a hotel package or individually. For more information or to book, please visit www.SwanDolphinFoodandWineClassic.com or call 1-800-227-1500.

Disney Opening a Chocolate Shop “With Character” in Disney Springs Late 2015

 

Walt Disney World chefs traveled the world to research and create a custom blend chocolate with the finest beans for the all-new concept that will feature freshly made ganache (gəˈnaSH). Ganache is a luxurious mixture of chocolate and cream, and every chef has their own “perfect” formula for the indulgent sweet.

Hand-crafted onstage by a chocolatier, the shop located between Sound Lion and Sanuk in The Landing at Disney Springs will feature fresh batches daily, including dark (65 percent custom blend), hazelnut, chipotle and a custom blend flavored with the world’s finest spices and flavors.

Beautiful custom packaging will make elegant take-home gifts. And you can bet there will also be chocolate bars inspired by Disney characters.

 

The Ganachery is set to open later in 2015.