BREAKING: Several Walt Disney World Attractions Remain Closed Thanks to Hurricane Irma

WDWNT on September 17, 2017

Although the four Walt Disney World theme parks are reopening today, several attractions remained closed when the parks opened.

Magic Kingdom (Opened at 8 am 9/12/17):

  • Walt Disney World Railroad – Reopened on 9/16/17
  • Jungle Cruise
  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – Reopened at 9:10 am 9/12/17
  • Tom Sawyer Island
  • Liberty Square Riverboat

Animal Kingdom (Opened at 9 am 9/12/17):

  • Kilimanjaro Safaris – Reopened at 5:15 pm 9/12/17
  • Kali River Rapids
  • Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail – Reopened on 9/13/17
  • Maharajah Jungle Trek – Reopened on 9/13/17
  • Rafiki’s Planet Watch

It is not yet known how long they will remain closed, although cast members at Jungle Cruise are saying it could be up to a week.

As previously announced, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach are also closed indefinitely.

UPDATE: Blizzard Beach reopened on 9/14/17.

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Stay tuned to WDWNT for more information on the reopening of Walt Disney World parks after Hurricane Irma.

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REVIEW: Nomad Lounge at Animal Kingdom Adds Poutine, Pad Thai, and Beef Posole to the Menu

WDWNT on September 17, 2017

Nomad Lounge at Disney’s Animal Kingdom has shaken things up once again with a rather major menu change. For more information on this establishment and thoughts on the past and present items, please check out our previous reviews:

And now, on to the latest menu…

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So what has changed? New to the menu is the Snake River Farms Beef Posole, Vegetarian Pad Thai, and the House-Smoked Kobe-Style Brisket Poutine. For a review of the other items on the menu, please refer to the links above. The only loss was the Vegetarian Summer Rolls, which overall means the menu has grown by a couple of items, something that is always nice since “variety is the spice of life”.

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OK, so let’s talk about these three new dishes…

House-Smoked Kobe-Style Brisket Poutine ($12)

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Probably a little small for $12, this was still better than anything we had tried at The Daily Poutine at Disney Springs. I do wish there was more cheese to hold the meat to the fries, otherwise it was perfectly enjoyable as far as the quality of the ingredients. It doesn’t really fit in at Nomad Lounge as far as theme, so it is a bit of a head scratcher though. You can get a lot better here, so I would still skip this.

Snake River Farms Beef Posole ($15)

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The best of the three, the cheese, meat, and poblanos on the jalapeño cornbread was fantastic. I do wish there was more cornbread as it is all best combined with that, but the dish isn’t bad on its own either. The service ing size is nice as well as the dish is pretty heavy in the consistency and with the bread to boot. I highly recommend this dish as it may be the very best at Nomad Lounge.

Vegetarian Pad Thai ($11)

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The Vegetarian Pad Thai is a vast improvement over the summer rolls as far as vegetarian dishes go. It is very heavy on the peanut flavor, but it is a hearty portion, probably the only thing at Nomad Lounge that can pass for a meal on its own.. and it comes in an adorable ceramic take-out box with chopsticks.

OVERALL

Per my original review:

The food menu is really solid and may even improve as the days progress (our server was surprised to hear we did not like the wagyu beef). The drink menu might be second to none quite honestly. I can’t think of a specialty drink menu at Walt Disney World where I would have a more difficult time picking a beverage. There is a lot on this drink menu and a lot of it is absolutely phenomenal. Nomad Lounge will without a doubt will be a regular drink destination for us, and the bread service and ribs will likely be on the must-order short list overtime as we visit. The atmosphere alone is worth your money, never mind anything they will serve you. Kudos to all involved in the creation of Animal Kingdom’s latest masterpiece.

I still love Nomad Lounge, and nothing has changed my feelings on their stellar drink menu. These latest changes to the food menu are another improvement, adding some variety and more choices overall. There are now many more food choices that I would happily order again here, adding to what is already, in my opinion, the absolute best drink menu on Walt Disney World property (alcoholic and non-alcoholic).

Satuli Canteen in Pandora: The World of AVATAR Discontinuing Breakfast Service, Lunch Begins at 10AM

WDWNT on September 17, 2017

The breakfast service at Satuli Canteen in Pandora: The World of AVATAR at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park will be coming to an end on Sunday, September 17th, 2017.

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Satuli will begin lunch service at 10am daily, but breakfast will return for “peak periods”, whenever those might be. Breakfast was previously only offered from 9am until 10am, so there was never very much time to enjoy it.

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VIDEO: See the Damage Hurricane Irma Caused at Walt Disney World’s Theme Parks

WDWNT on September 17, 2017

Hurricane Irma passed through Walt Disney World this week, closing the parks for two days and many attractions for even longer. While the parks did reopen yesterday, damage was quite evident at the Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, as well as in the Epcot Resort Area. Take a look:

The Magic Kingdom

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Epcot Resort Area

Of course, several Walt Disney World attractions remain closed following the storm.

VIDEO: Sumatran Baby Tiger Cubs Born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

WDWNT on August 29, 2017

On Wednesday, Disney gave us the awesome announcement that Sohni, a Sumatran tiger at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, gave birth to a pair of beautiful tiger cubs, a first in the park’s history.

According to Disney, Sohni and her cubs are bonding very well and are in excellent condition with around-the-clock care. Guests currently can’t see the cubs but don’t worry, in the coming months guests will be able to see Sohni and her cubs on the Maharajah Jungle Trek.

Check out this adorable video Disney shared with us below.

Walt Disney World Switching to Self-Service Automated Lockers at Theme Parks

WDWNT on August 29, 2017

Guest lockers offered at Walt Disney World’s 4 theme parks have been changed to self service, electronic kiosks that no longer require a cast member or physical keys.

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A similar system already in place at the Disneyland Resort

Guests paying with cash and credit can now head directly to the lockers to pay. Guests paying with gift cards or MagicBand will still need to see a cast member at the nearby merchandise location.

Lockers are available in standard size (12.5″x10″x17″) for $7 or large (15.5″x13″x17″) for $10. No deposit is required any more.

Disneyland Resort and the Walt Disney World water parks already utilize this system.

Full Character and Photo-Op Lineup Announced for Disney World’s PhotoPass Day 2017

WDWNT on August 20, 2017

August 19 marks World Photo Day, and Disney will celebrate the occasion with the return of Disney PhotoPass Day at Walt Disney World Resort! During this event, Disney PhotoPass Service will offer a number of exclusive photo opportunities that will let you take home even more picture-perfect memories of your visit.

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In honor of Disney’s “Dream Big, Princess” campaign, you’ll find photo opportunities focused on some Disney Princesses as well.

Check out all of the special opportunities that are planned in each of the four theme parks and Disney Springs on August 19 (Entertainment and photo opportunities are subject to change; some locations could be affected by inclement weather):

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Character Experiences:

  • Meeko joins Pocahontas at Character Landing on Discovery Island
  • Timon joins Rafiki at Rafiki’s Planet Watch
  • Princess Atta joins Flik at Discovery Island near Creature Comforts

Photo opportunities:

  • Dream Big Princess photo backdrop before the park entrance (daylight hours only)
  • Jungle Book Magic Shot near Yak & Yeti Restaurant
  • Visit the PhotoPass photographer in DinoLand U.S.A. from 9-10 p.m. to have magical Mickey light effects added to your photo

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

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Character Experiences:

  • The Queen from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” Maleficent, and Cruella de Vil will meet with guests at Sunset Showcase. This opportunity will be available from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Photo opportunities:

  • Dream Big Princess photo backdrop outside the Theater of the Stars (daylight hours only)
  • Poison Apple Magic Shot on Sunset Boulevard
  • Fisheye lens in the Chinese Theatre Courtyard area

Epcot

Character Experiences:

  • Genie will join Princess Jasmine in the Morocco Pavilion
  • Mushu will join Mulan in the China Pavilion

Photo opportunities:

  • Dream Big Princess photo backdrop near Epcot Character Spot (daylight hours only)
  • Baymax Animated Magic Shot with the PhotoPass photographer located near Mouse Gear and the Fountain of Nations
  • Fisheye lens near the fountain close to the entrance to Spaceship Earth

Magic Kingdom Park

Character Experiences:

  • Dopey joins Snow White at Town Square Courtyard
  • Captain Hook joins Peter Pan in Fantasyland

Photo opportunities:

  • Dream Big Princess photo backdrop in Fantasyland (daylight hours only)
  • Cinderella’s Coach in Fantasyland
  • “Tangled” light painting photo opportunity near Ariel’s Grotto (available after dark)
  • Mickey Mouse Magic Shot on the bridge near Fairytale Garden
  • Main Street Vehicle near the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor (available in the morning and early afternoon)

Disney Springs

Photo opportunities:

  • Dream Big Princess photo backdrop next to the Marketplace Stage
  • Fairy Wings Magic Shot from the PhotoPass photographer roaming around the Marketplace near Tren-D (available from 1-10:30 p.m.)
  • You can also visit the Disney PhotoPass Studio at Disney Springs to enjoy special $99.95 plus shipping pricing on a Personalized Storybook now through August 20!

Don’t forget to share your photos using #DisneyPhotoPassDay and #DreamBigPrincess, and if you want access to all of your PhotoPass photos from Disney PhotoPass Day, purchase Memory Maker One Day for $59 in the My Disney Experience mobile app during or after your visit.

VIDEO: Animated Bird Figure Returns to Expedition Everest After Extended Absense

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

We told you a few weeks ago about an ongoing lighting test for the Yeti at Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but now another long-gone effect has returned…

The bird figure at the top of the mountain has been on-and-off for many years, but has probably been missing for a few years straight at this point. The bird pops up as you arrive at the summit, but then hides until your train begins rolling backwards.

There seems to be some correlation between the Yeti lighting test and this effect returning, likely gearing up for a larger refurbishment of the ride in the months ahead.

Yak and Yeti Counter Service Now Serves Breakfast Daily

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes is now serving quick service breakfast at Animal Kingdom from 9:00am to 10:30am daily.

Located in the Asia area of Animal Kingdom, Yak & Yeti Local Food Cafes will now be serving a variety of breakfast sandwiches and tacos, as well as some kid favorites including french toast sticks and a pancake and sausage stick.

Here is a look at the full menu:

Baby Tiger Cubs are Coming This August to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

After a recent refurbishment of the enclosure, Disney welcomed two new tigers to the Maharajah Jungle Trek at Disney’s Animal Kingdom with the idea being to breed them. Well, rather quickly, the female tiger is already expecting and should be delivering some tiger cubs to the park next month.

Here’s the announcement from Disney:

Disney is involved in efforts to save critically endangered Sumatran tigers. To date, the Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) has provided nearly $2.5 million to protect tigers and their habitats. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Sumatran tigers Sohni and Malosi have been actively breeding, and we are delighted to announce that Sohni is pregnant and expecting cubs sometime in August.

It is unknown when the cubs might go on display at the park, but it will likely be a few weeks after they are born. The tigers that used to live in the enclosure were moved to a new home permanent outside of Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Gainesville, FL.