The McDonald’s near Disney’s All Star Resorts recently re-opened from a short refurbishment and may now be the trendiest, most stylish fast food eatery on the planet. Let’s take a look at some pictures of the location taken by WDWNT photographer Jose Eber:
The exteror has come a long way from food with faces
The drive-thru looks quite different
Thanks to a good friend of WDW News Today, we have photos from inside and around the new Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. We apologize in advance for the quality of some of the photos as they were taken by a cellphone. Here are the photos:
They’re in the trees!
This way to the Villas
Read More about A Look Inside and Around the Treehouse Villas
It appears that the second Disney resort hotel outside of the parks will be built in Washington D.C., according to this press release:
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Peterson Companies announced today the sale of land at its National Harbor development near Washington, DC to Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Disney is considering using the 15-acre site overlooking the Potomac River in National Harbor, MD as the location for a resort hotel for families and others visiting the National Capital Region.
Jay Rasulo looks over a model of National Harbor near Washington D.C.
“We’re thrilled Disney has decided to invest in National Harbor,” said Milton V. Peterson, chairman of the Peterson Companies. “Disney is the top family entertainment company in the world, and its purchase is a great vote of confidence in the future of National Harbor and the Washington area as a top family tourism destination.”
The new resort hotel would be one of Disney’s stand-alone resort hotels separate from the Disney theme parks. This new resort hotel, like the project under construction in Hawaii, will be in a prime geographic location and will provide guests with the same comfort, fun and amenities for which Disney is famous.
“As we began identifying possible locations to grow our business, the Washington, DC area immediately jumped to the top of the list,” said Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “National Harbor offers an array of entertaining activities for regional visitors, but it is also a family-friendly base camp, from which visitors from around the world can explore the stirring sights and inspirational stories of our nation’s capital. We believe National Harbor has the unique opportunity to offer a new level of family-friendly hospitality.”
The plans for the National Harbor site
Disney purchased the Maryland property from the Peterson Companies for $11 million.
ANAHEIM, Calif. – May 7, 2009 – Napa Rose restaurant Manager Joy Cushing, of Huntington Beach, California, has passed the grueling, weeklong Advanced Level Examination of the International Court of Master Sommeliers, bringing the total number of Advanced Level sommeliers working at Napa Rose to five, the most of any restaurant in the world.
Cushing’s achievement puts her one level away from the elite title of Master Sommelier. It is also a tribute to the mentoring of Napa Rose General Manager and Master Sommelier Michael Jordan who, since 2001, has coached more than 300 Disneyland Resort cast members to the status of certified sommelier.
“When we created the Disneyland Resort Sommelier Education Program in 2001, there weren’t any Advanced Level Sommeliers anywhere in Southern California.” Jordan said. “It’s a very big deal, and we raise our glass to salute Joy.”
The Advanced Level Examination was administered April 27 through May 1 at the Disneyland Resort Hotels to 60 candidates who traveled to Disneyland Resort from such fine restaurants and hotels as The French Laundry in Napa Valley; The Inn at Little Washington, Virginia; Charlie Trotter’s in Chicago and Wolfgang Puck’s Cut steak house, Beverly Hills. Examination participants were also able to attend festivities at Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival, where tastings and advanced wine education classes conducted by Michael Jordan are among the special events. The Festival continues through June 7 at Disneyland Resort, with daily, complimentary demonstrations.
Jordan, general manager of the award-winning Napa Rose restaurant at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, designed and initiated his sommelier training program drawing on extensive research and his own vast expertise. In November 2007, Jordan earned the elite title of Master Sommelier following a rigorous examination by the Court of Master Sommeliers.
The International Court of Master Sommeliers recognizes four stages, from introductory to certified and advanced before culminating with a Master Sommelier diploma exam.
Finally, here is our very last Walt Disney world photo report (we promise) from last week. This report is from WDWNT Owner Tom Corless and is quite lengthy, so let’s get started:
Starting at the Magic Kingdom on April 27th…
WDWNT’s own Jose Castillo is back from the Walt Disney World Resort and has plenty of photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:
Jose arrived at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Wednesday evening to enjoy Fantasmic!
Park hours were expanded and a Fantasmic! was added at 10:00 PM
As part of the Kidani Village expansion of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, diners are treated to a new restaurant – Sanaa. The menu in the 150-seat, family-oriented restaurant reflects the art of African cooking with Indian flavors. Pronounced “Sah-NAH,” the restaurant boasts interiors inspired by African art and remarkable views to a savannah of free-roaming animals. Kidani Village, a Disney Vacation Club property, is the newest resort addition to Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
Myrna Litt spent the weekend at the Disneyland Resort and reports back to us with these photos:
Looks like new merchandise in World of Disney
Food and Wine Festival banners in Downtown Disney
Club Libby Lu is being transformed into Studio Disney 365, which is scheduled to open this summer
In usual fashion, Walt Disney World put out a number of new press releases all at once, giving us a lot to talk about after what has been a rather quiet period. The first piece gives us an official time frame and some already announced details about the Stich’s Supersonic Celebration show coming to the Magic Kingdom:
Interactive wizardry that combines comedy, real-time animation and live musical madness will dazzle guests during Stitch’s SuperSonic Celebration in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom.
Beginning in May, Stitch will host a zany interactive experience at the new Rockettower Plaza Stage. Guests are invited to participate in a Galaxy Day celebration when the new outdoor stage comes to life with music and a giant LED screen displays real-time, interactive animation.
The new show incorporates the same interactive technology used in “Turtle Talk With Crush” and “Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor.” Shows will take place six times daily.
Looking for some sweet fun at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa?
There’s a lot “s’more” new fun in store at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa each evening when guests staying at the resort can roast marshmallows around a Mickey-shaped campfire, sing favorite camp tunes on the shore of Seven Seas Lagoon and see the “stars” – both on the silver screen and in the sky – as they watch a family-friendly Disney film on the moonlit beach. S’mores kits and marshmallows are available for purchase during the campfire and movie. For more information about recreational activities at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, visit Disneyworld.com or call 407/824-4321.
The line-up for this year’s Sounds Like Summer Concert Series at Epcot has been released and includes WDWNT’s favorite group, Bjorn Again:
The whole family will be rockin’ and rollin’ to legendary music this summer at Epcot when popular tribute bands take the stage at America Gardens Theatre.
Seven tribute bands will recreate classic hits from musical icons under the stars as part of the Sounds Like Summer concert series. Concerts, which are included in regular Epcot admission, are nightly at 5:45, 7 and 8:15 p.m. (except July 4, when show times will be 5:15, 6:30, 7:45 and 9 p.m.).
Here is the lineup (subject to change):
June. 15-21 – Stayin’ Alive – A Tribute to the Bee Gees
June 22-28 – Hotel California – A Tribute to the Eagles
June 29-July 8 – Slippery When Wet – A Tribute to Bon Jovi
July 9-19 – Bjorn Again – A Tribute to ABBA
July 20-26 – The Sounds of the Supremes – A Tribute to the Supremes
July 27-Aug. 2 – 2U – A Tribute to U2
Aug. 3-9 – Petty Theft – A Tribute to Tom Petty.
Even though it has been runnign for a few week’s now, Disney is finally publicizing the new farwell show at Animal Kingdom:
Disney’s Animal Kingdom guests get so involved in adventures with birds and beasts of many kinds that they tend to put off one of their priorities all day long: a little quality time with Disney characters.
“So when guests come out of the park, they are absolutely determined to see our characters,” said Chris Ambrose, general manager of entertainment at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
In a classic example of giving guests what they want, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has launched Adventurers’ Celebration Gathering, an interactive experience near the theme park entrance each evening during park closing.
Khaki-clad cast – including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Goofy – gather to bid farewell to guests with a music-filled celebration. Cast members shake their pom-poms and urge guests to join in the street-party fun by dancing to the music and forming a conga line procession while Mickey, Minnie and Goofy keep the beat from atop their safari vehicle.
“We’ve created a way for our guests to experience our characters … and it’s a way for us to have a fun, exciting way to end the day at Animal Kingdom,” Ambrose said.
Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today for more information on all of these items as it becomes available.
According to the OC Register’s Around Disney blog:
Saturday is the last day for Disney’s Yamabuki restaurant, inside the Paradise Pier Hotel.
The doors will officially shut to customers at 9 p.m. A few reservations are still available between 5:30 and 9 p.m. today and Saturday.
The closure of the Japanese-style-cuisine restaurant affects 39 hourly employees and a handful of salaried employees.
Those salaried employees who can not be relocated will receive a 60-day severance package and extended heath benefits.
Because of a misunderstanding in the original announcement, Around Disney erroneously reported earlier that the same severance package would be offered to those 39 hourly employees.
No such package is being offered, said Suzi Brown, a spokeswoman for Disneyland Resort. Instead, Disney netotiated with the union to place all of those hourly employees on shifts among the five other hotel restaurants or four other food-and-beverage locations.
Those employees will retain their same pay.
Brown said: “The company has shifts available for all Yamabuki cast members at other hotel restaurant locations at Disneyland Resort. We expect all hourly Yamabuki (employees) to be redeployed as of next week.”
Brown said she was unsure whether all employees would be offered an equivalent amount of hours. But she added, “We are committed to providing the most hours available.”
Victor Alvarez, 29, a server at Yamabuki, said workers at the restaurant had established strong bonds and are sad about the closing.
“We are more than co-workers, we’re like a family,” he said. “We’ve really kept a positive atmoshere at the restaurant and everybody’s been a part of that … It’s hard to see that go.”
