The latest issue of the Eyes and Ears Walt Disney World cast member publication features a look at the logo and some concept are for the new Tren-D shop opening in the Downtown Disney Marketplace on March 19th:
Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today as we get more information on this new store coming soon to Downtown Disney.
ANAHEIM, Calif., March 12, 2009 – Disneyland Resort celebrates 15 new awards for its restaurants and chefs as it prepares to launch the 2009 Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival, a six-week “World Celebration” that features delicious food and wine from Disneyland chefs and celebrity chefs and winemakers.
The 2008-09 awards were presented to Disneyland Resort restaurants and chefs at the recent Southern California Restaurant Writers Awards Banquet at the Richard Nixon Library and Birthplace in Yorba Linda, California. A highlight for Resort restaurants was the recognition of Alex Flores and Francisco Origel, sous chefs at the perennially popular Napa Rose in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, as co-winners of the “Sous Chef of the Year” award.
Napa Rose was honored further with a Golden Bacchus Wine Award and a Golden Sceptre (Five Star) award, the highest, in the continental category. Steakhouse 55 at the Disneyland Hotel also received highest honors, with a Golden Bacchus Wine Award and a Golden Sceptre (Five Star) award in the American category. The awards reflect Disneyland Resort’s commitment to guest service, which has been enhanced under the guidance of Master Sommelier Michael Jordan and his wine education program. The Resort has 300 certified sommeliers who assist guests with the pairing of wine and food.
Andrew Sutton, the executive chef who has helped guide the culinary success of Napa Rose since it opened in 2001, lauded the success of his sous chefs, saying, “This is a tribute to their hard work and dedication to the Napa Rose. Alex and Francisco have been instrumental in the restaurant’s success, contributing to the culinary vision with their expertise, dedication, talent and integrity.”
Francisco Origel worked with Sutton for five years at Auberge du Soleil in the California wine country. He was promoted to sous chef at Auberge du Soleil in 1997 following a rigorous selection process. He joined the Napa Rose culinary team in fall of 2002. “Francisco has amazing plating and cooking skills that he loves to share with his fellow chefs,” Sutton said.
Alex Flores was part of the opening culinary team for Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel in 2001, working in Storytellers Café. He moved to Napa Rose in June 2002 and worked his way through the culinary training program at all stations in the restaurant, being promoted to sous chef in 2007. “Alex is a self-starter and dedicated to his craft,” Sutton said. “He is incredibly imaginative and has the culinary disciplines to back it up with sound cooking and flavor combinations.”
Napa Rose showcases California wine country cuisine with menu options that change seasonally to follow the holistic dining philosophy of Executive Chef Sutton. The restaurant features a 16,000-bottle wine cellar, more than 1,000 vintages and 80 wines available by the glass. At Steakhouse 55, which also earned top honors for the Disneyland Resort, guests experience classic and delectable American fare while enjoying the feel of vintage Hollywood through the restaurant’s retro décor. The restaurant is also home to the posh Lounge at Steakhouse 55 that features an extensive wine list and light menu of new and old American classics.
With a total of 15 awards going to 12 restaurants – seven in Disneyland Resort hotels, two in Disneyland, two in Downtown Disney and one in Disney’s California Adventure – Disneyland Resort guests have a vast array of outstanding dining options.
Guests will be able to meet some of the Disney chefs and enjoy hundreds of complimentary demonstrations at Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival, which runs April 24 through June 7 inside Disney’s California Adventure. For details and information, go to www.disneyland.com/foodandwine.
The complete list of Disneyland Resort awards:
Special Award Category
• Sous Chef of the Year: Alex Flores/Francisco Origel (Napa Rose, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel)
Golden Bacchus Wine Award
• Napa Rose (Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel)
• Steakhouse 55 (Disneyland Hotel)
Golden Sceptre (Five Star):
• Napa Rose (Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel)
• Steakhouse 55 (Disneyland Hotel)
Gold (Four Star)
• Ariel’s Grotto (Paradise Pier, Disney’s California Adventure park)
• Blue Bayou (New Orleans Square, Disneyland)
• Café Orleans (New Orleans Square, Disneyland)
• Hook’s Pointe & Wine Cellar (Disneyland Hotel)
• Storyteller’s Café (Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel)
• Yamabuki (Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel)
Sterling (Three Star)
• Goofy’s Kitchen (Disneyland Hotel)
• Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen Downtown Disney)
• Tortilla Jo’s (Downtown Disney)
Silver (Two Star)
• PCH Grill (Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel)
The Southern California Restaurant Writers, Inc. has operated for 35 years as a non-profit seeking to improve the quality of restaurants in the region. Award winners are chosen from Santa Barbara south to the Mexican border.
Disney has now released a formal press release concerning the new TrenD store coming to the Downtown Disney Marketplace that we have been telling you about for a few weeks now. This should answer any questions we have prior to the March 19th opening of the shop:
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – A stylish boutique with designer flair and eclectic offerings becomes a premier shopping spot at Downtown Disney Marketplace with the March opening of TrenD. The urban-inspired Walt Disney World specialty store is a one-of-a-kind, hip destination for fashion-conscious shoppers seeking trendy apparel and novel accessories.
“This unique environment, filled with textured fabrics, new silhouettes, and whimsical art and design allows us the opportunity to push the creative envelope as it relates to fashion and our characters,” said Mark Perrotta, director of Product Development and Design. “Our guests continue to respond to trend merchandise and novel products that they can’t purchase at home. TrenD speaks to what is happening today with a blend of vintage and hip with stylized Disney influences.”
Offerings include organic loungewear, embroidered handbags, jeweled sunglasses and trendy accessories set among stylish art and unique furnishings. The eclectic environment offers a raw and unfinished feel with jeweled chandeliers, distinct fixtures and mod furnishings.
Much of the merchandise will not be available anywhere else at Downtown Disney. Designers such as Kidada Jones, Tarina Tarantino and Roxy will showcase their artistry – blending it with Disney-inspired creations.
“With its exclusive product lines and new environment, we think TrenD will complement the existing merchandise offerings at Downtown Disney,” said Perrotta.
TrenD is in a 2,500-square-foot venue near Pin Traders and Once Upon A Toy. The space previously was used by Summer Sands.
The Orlando Sentinel is reporting the following:
A boutique called TrenD is scheduled to open in Downtown Disney late on March 19.
A Disney Web site describes the store as selling “edgy and up-to-date Disney fashions and accessories — plus exclusive merchandise from cutting-edge designers.” The 2,500-square-foot shop will be near Pin Traders and Once Upon A Toy.
Many of you probably remember this space as the former “Summer Sands” shop adjacent to the “Team Mickey” store. This opening date is now far sooner than expected, as the space has only been vacant for a few weeks now. From the sounds of it, the store is very similar to the Vault 28 shop in Disneyland’s Downtown Disney District and should be both a positive and unique addition to the Marketplace shopping line-up. Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today as we gather more information on the new Tren-D shop at Downtown Disney.
Even though it has been open for a few months now, the remodeled Portobello restaurant at Downtown Disney’s Pleasure Island has now launched its own updated website. The website features the story of the restaurant and their chef, as well as complete lunch and dinner menus and wine lists. The site can be found at portobellorestaurant.com and reservations can be made by calling (407) WDW-DINE.
Casting will be held this weekend in Downtown Disney for ABC’s new “Suppernanny” spin-off, “Super-Manny”. The OC Register’s Around Disney blog:
If you’re a parent: Are your children a giant pain?
If you’re a child: Do you frequently find yourself in trouble with your parents, teachers, the cops or the fire marshal?
The casting team of ABC-TV’s parenting reality show, “Supernanny,” will look for families Saturday in Downtown Disney for the new “Super-Manny” – featuring a male nanny.
“We have great luck casting at Disneyland and Disneyworld,” said “Super-Manny’s” Johnnie Raines, supervising casting director.
Disney owns ABC.
Ricochet Television producers are hosting the open casting call for the show from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday near the LEGO Imagination Center.
The first “Super-Manny” installment aired in November. Psychologist Mike Ruggles is ”Manny.”
“We were looking for a way to reach fathers,” Raines said. “He has that ability to connect with dads differently than Jo Frost (of ‘Supernanny’).”
According to an ABC statement, the producers are “looking for families who are lacking structure in their households; parents who have ordinary and extraordinary circumstances; blended families where both sides are seeking help; and specifically fathers who are overwhelmed with parenting.”
Raines said Ruggles would spend two weeks with each family on camera for each episode. Producers will condense the footage into an hour-long show.
None of the families will be paid for their time — the “main benefit is the help,” Raines said. “You don’t win $1 million if your kids don’t throw food at dinner.”
Interested moms and dads can also e-mail Gina Gonzalez at ggonzalez@ricochettelevision.com to apply. Include information about your family, a recent family photo and a daytime telephone number. For more information, call 1-877-626-6984.
According to the OC Register’s Around Disney blog:
Downtown Disney is quickly losing tenants.
Club Libby Lu – a store for girls to dress up, shop and have a makeover – has closed. Owned by Saks Inc., all 78 of the Club Libby Lu stores around the nation are closing.
Department 56 and Starabillas have closed as well.
The Register’s Retail blog reports that Yankee Holding Corp. will close all 28 of its Illuminations stores. Downtown Disney’s high-quality candle store is scheduled to close April 30. Everything in the store is being sold at 25 to 50 percent off.
A fifth store might soon shutter as well.
The retail blog also reported that Quiksilver plans to close 25 of its stores. It is unclear whether the Downtown Disney outlet will be among the fatalities.
Disney spokeswoman Betsy Sanchez said today that Downtown Disney is in talks with four or five retailers to pick up the leases.
Sanchez wouldn’t comment on whether the overall sagging economy, or more specifically any reduced foot traffic in Downtown Disney, was to blame for the closures.
According to Disney’s earnings report for the quarter ending Dec. 27, theme park revenue was down 4 percent.
“From our perspective the closures at these locations had nothing to do with Downtown Disney,” said Disney Spokeswoman Suzi Brown. “These have to do with the parent companies’ decision to close the stores chain-wide.”
She said as far as Starabilia is concerned, the privately-owned celebrity collectable shop came to the end of its lease and chose not to renew it.
Though Brown said Disney hasn’t heard anything about the Quicksilver shop yet, the one in Downtown Disney is “among the top performers in the chain,” as was Libby Lu.
It seems that along with the closing of Department 56 and Club Libby Lu, we will also be losing another Downtown Disney store, Illuminations. This comes with big cutbacks to the store’s parent company, Yankee Candle:
Yankee Holding Corp. and its subsidiary The Yankee Candle Co. said Tuesday that the company is slashing 330 jobs as part of a restructuring plan that includes closing its 28 Illuminations retail stores.
Yankee is also discontinuing its Illuminations consumer direct business and closing one underperforming Yankee Candle retail store.
The job cuts include about 310 store employees and field personnel in the Illuminations division, about 10 store employees at the closing Yankee Candle retail store, and about 12 corporate and administrative personnel at corporate headquarters.
…
The company expects to close the Illuminations stores — which are located primarily on the West Coast — by April 30. Rydin said the company plans to continue developing and marketing Illuminations branded products mostly through its wholesale business. The Company acquired the Illuminations business in July 2006.
It seems that the newly opened Wishing Star Crystals store will be closing, along with the entire Crystal Magic chain:
Effective immediately, Crystal Magic will no longer have store locations here at the Resort. These locations include Wishing Star Magic Crystals in Disneyland® Park, Off the Page in Disney’s California Adventure® Park and World of Disney® in the Downtown Disney® District. If a Guest has placed an order with them or has a question about their purchase, please direct them to call 877-236-2672 or e-mail customerservice@crystalmagic.com.
Our on the spot reporter Jose Castillo was at the grand opening of the new Disney Design-a-Tee store in Downtown Disney Marketplace. Here are a selection of his photos from the event:
The store getting set up for the grand opening.
Read More about Jose Castillo’s Disney Design-a-Tee Photo Report
