Preferred parking is available at 3 of the 4 Walt Disney World theme parks these days, but now it is available (at a cheaper price) for those visiting the Walt Disney World water parks.
The cost is $15.00, but can be paid in cash only.
A few cars were parked in the spaces, but not many.
Photos by Chris Chatron
A few weeks ago, we broke the news of the addition of FuelRod to the Walt Disney World Resort. The kiosks were rolled out over the holiday weekend, so we decided it might be a good idea to try them out and see how they work.
Kiosks can be found in all 4 theme parks, Disney Springs, and ESPN Wide World of Sports currently. Here are the locations:
FuelRod kiosks dispense portable charging batteries for $30.00 each, which includes:
This iPhone’s battery life was depleted to 20% when the FuelRod was purchased. While the phone was being used for a good portion of the time, the FuelRod managed toi get the battery up to about 90%. Now, this might not be the best phone charging battery on the market, but it is fairly small and let’s not for get you can simply trade it in at a kiosk for a fully charged one.
You don’t have to go back to the kiosk where you bought the FuelRod to exchange it, just go to any of them.
Simply insert the FuelRod as pictured. If it si rejected, it will simply come back out of the slot underneath, meaning you won’t simply lose your FuelRod should it not scan correctly.
Upon a successful scan of the depleted FuelRod, a different fully-charged FuelRod will be distributed to the guest. You of course keep the cord and attachments you received upon your initial purchase.
The other nice thing is the kiosks are fairly small, so no one is going to have a problem reaching them.
I have a hard time trying to find the downside of FuelRod service for frequent Walt Disney World visitors. While the battery is small and the cost is $30, it does offer you the ability to constantly get a new one without worrying about having to recharge it, and even if you should need to charge it on your own, you can. The kiosks are well themed and it really is an invaluable service for those who need to keep their electronic devices going. FuelRod is a brilliant addition to Walt Disney World that I think most guests will find very helpful.
What may be the single most desired Disney Parks item of all time is finally on the way…
Lego will be releasing an official Cinderella Castle set at sometime in the near future. It will reportedly retail at $349.99 and clock in at 4080 pieces. Release date is set for September 1st, 2016.
The set will be released onlien adn at LEGO retail locations. It is not known if it will be available at Disney Parks locations other than LEGO stores.
Pretty cool huh? I’d ask if you’re going to buy one, but I already know the answer…
Eight new acts join the Eat to the Beat concert series this fall during the 2016 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.
Festival newbie Wang Chung kicks off the first two nights. The other festival first-timers include BoDeans, Plain White T’s, Jeffrey Osborne, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Living Colour, Soul Asylum and Delta Rae.
Here’s the full lineup:
Performances are 5:30, 6:45 and 8:00 p.m. daily, and included in Epcot admission. (Lineup is subject to change; songs listed are for artist recognition only and may not be included in the concert play list.) The 2016 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival runs September 14-November 14 at Walt Disney World Resort.
Walt Disney World may soon test the waters on an “uber”-type transportation service for guests.
The service would be resort-to-resort only in theory, allowing guests without cars the opportunity to skip the double bus ride it would usually take to go from resort to resort. The service would obviously be a paid one, but for a fee guests would have access to it for the duration of their vacation.
This concept and several others are currently being “litmus-tested” in surveys sent to Walt Disney World guests, so it is unknown if and when this will take shape, and exactly what the finished product might entail.
One would imagine that the Mears taxi service that often is utilized at resorts may not be happy about this.
On Sunday, I attended the very first of the newly revamped “Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular Dessert Party at Disney’s Hollywood Studios”, the latest version of the event we provided you a review of back in January. The largest change is in venue as the Florida heat and rain finally convinced Disney to find a new, indoor home for the food and beverage portion of the evening. That new home is Star Wars Launch Bay and Disney used to opportunity given with the move to revamp a number of the offerings and the logistics of the event.
The party is $69.00 for adults and $39.00 for children ages 3-9 (includes a souvenir Chewbacca stein for each guest) and advance reservations are highly recommended. All food and drinks pictured are included with that price. The event is hosted nightly.
The dessert party portion of the event now takes place inside of Star Wars Launch Bay.
Check-in is done at what was going to be the FastPass+ verification podium, but FastPass+ was never rolled out to Launch Bay, so now it is just used for this process.
Even outside of what is the main dining area for the event, there are tables for guest use. The area can b ea little cramped, so it is nice that they are encouraging guests to roam around Launch Bay while still enjoying their treats.
The main area roped off from other guests is to the right of the Kylo Ren meet and greet on the bottom floor.
Here, guests will find a similar, yet upgraded experience compared to what was offered before.
New items include a flatbread with 2 different sauces, sugar cookies, an R2-D2 cupcake, and a Darth Maul red velvet brownie.
The skewers, formerly referred to as sabers but changed for legal reasons (too many kids fighting with them I guess), are still here.
The flatbread is served with both a black bean dip and a roasted red pepper hummus. While I will miss the biscuits, this probably makes a little more sense at a dessert party.
The blue milk panna cotta is still offered as well.
My favorite treat, the Freeze-fried Nutella Truffle has stayed on as well, offering a treat that is as fun to watch being made as it is to devour seconds later.
Many of the fun dessert names were removed, but they are still as good (maybe even a little better given that the elements do not take their toll on the food as much when it is inside).
Above is a photo from January when the bread pudding was referred to as “Space Debris”.
The Darth Maul eclair was replaced with a Red Velvet Brownie, a definite upgrade.
The Star Wars dessert parties have to be my favorite just for the presentation alone. The photo opportunities are great and are sure to be something cool to show friends and family when you get back home. On top of that,l almost everything is absolutely delicious.
The new R2-D2 cupcake is my least favorite of the 3, although I’m not really sure it was more than a vanilla cupcake with a sugar covered icing. The BB-8 and Darth Vader cupcakes are still phenomenal, with the first being lemon flavored and the later chocolate & peanut butter.
They also provided a number of toppings, including ice cream, for the bread pudding.
The table settings were a nice upgrade and they would reflect the room you were dining in.
Tables available up by the Cantina in Launch Bay.
The drink menu saw the largest amount of changes, replacing all 6 specialty alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
I started with the Galactic Punch.
Josh started with the Light Speed Margarita.
The Cosmic Citrus Twist, pictured above.
The Swamp Milk was my favorite of the new bunch, unique in look and flavor.
Non-alcoholic options included Guava Juice and a Watermelon Lemonade.Soft drinks in cans, water, and coffee are also available.
I took some video around the dessert part in Launch Bay to give a better idea of the atmosphere inside:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcCIe7gaqIg]
The viewing area itself has not moved, but it is being set-up differently and has a much smaller footprint.
A picture of it set-up earlier in the evening, seen above. The check-in process for the party begins at Launch Bay at 8:00PM. My suggestion would be to be there at 8PM and get the most for your money. You can have an hour and a half in that space, which is more than enough to enjoy everything there. Cast members walk the party attendees over around 9:15PM, but there is nothing to stop you from heading over a little earlier to ensure you have a good spot. Now, no one in the viewing area audibly complained that they couldn’t see, but I like to have a front row view, unobstructed, so we walked over to the area around 9:05PM and were situated right against the rope behind the new children’s section.
When the tables were here for the old party, shorter tables to accommodate the wheelchair guests were provided up front. This section up front is now for children and could be used for those in wheelchairs as well.
This was honestly the perfect view of the show as I have been unimpressed with the sight lines for it from nearly every other spot around the Center Stage area. Being up against the rope will give you plenty of space from anyone of adult height, and if you are traveling with kids you can have them right in front of you in the children’s section.
I took a video from the section to show just how good the view is. Also, the show has been polished up with some new effects over the last few weeks, si it may be worth another look:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNhNGkWdtaU]
Overall, I think Disney has increased the value here. The decorations and venue are a vast improvement, the improvements that I think finally make this worth $69.00. It is by far the best view of the show available and if you are looking to appease any Star Wars fans in your group, this will do it. I don’t often feel these dessert parties are worth it, but this really is the only one I think delivers at its price point. Alcoholic drinks, endless desserts, good atmosphere, and the perfect viewing of the nighttime spectacular (along with a neat souvenir, albeit not exclusive to the event) come together for a very worthwhile package for the Star Wars fan.
Earlier this year, Disney Early Morning Magic launched at Magic Kingdom Park to give eager guests the opportunity to be among the first to experience theme park attractions and breakfast inside the park. Today, Disney Early Morning Magic was extended through September 30, 2016, for Magic Kingdom Park, but Disney’s Hollywood Studios will soon offer Disney Early Morning Magic as well.
Beginning August 1, a select number of guests can experience Disney Early Morning Magic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Beginning at 7:45 a.m., guests can enter the park and experience Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, Toy Story Mania!, Pixar Place character greetings (with Woody and Buzz), Mickey and Minnie on Commissary Lane and Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight. Guests can also partake in an all-you-care-to-enjoy breakfast at ABC Commissary from 8-10 a.m.
Guests can begin booking Disney Early Morning Magic for Disney’s Hollywood Studios starting today. The number of tickets available for each morning is limited. Guests can visit DisneyWorld.com/EarlyMorningMagic to reserve or call 407-827-7350 for more information. (Please note that a theme park ticket is required in addition to the Disney Early Morning Magic ticket. Disney Early Morning Magic is also a separate experience than Extra Magic Hours, which are held on different dates).
With a month now having passed since the alligator incident at Walt Disney World, slowly some of the items removed for fear of offending guests are starting to return to the resort.
Earlier this week, the crocodile portion of the Electrical Water Pageant was returned to service. The scene features lights in the shape of a crocodile performing to the tune of “Never Smile at a Crocodile” from Walt Disney’s Peter Pan.
Reportedly, Louis the Alligator from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog will finally start appearing in the Mickey’s Royal Friendship Fair show at the Magic Kingdom. He was slated to debut in the show when it began on June 17th, but since that was just a few days after the attack, Disney decided to temporarily cut him from the new show. He should debut any day now.
If MyDisneyExperience isn’t helpful enough, guests may soon have another official application with the ability to help them navigate Walt Disney World. Walt Disney World will be partnering with Hound (the people behind SoundHound also provide this service) to offer some vacation information at guests’ fingertips, and maybe even a little more…
When the pilot program launches alter this summer, Hound should be able to answer many questions about Walt Disney World, from wait times to park hours and more. Some plans it could consider working on with Disney in another test may be to bring its voice-powered assistant into the park’s accommodations and amenities. SoundHound general manager Katie McMahon hinted that soon guests could possibly have their own virtual front desk agent within hotels, making requests for more towels, room service, and more.
From VentureBeat:
Additional possibilities, such as tie-ins with Disney’s MagicBand wristband or maybe even using Hound within Disney’s retail stores, are likely.
Launched in March, Hound reflects a decade’s worth of work by SoundHound to create what it envisioned a voice-powered virtual assistant should be. It’s a direct competitor to the likes of Siri, Google Now, and Microsoft Cortana. The company bills it as being faster and more accurate than the ones directly built into the mobile operating system, and the app utilizes speech-to-meaning recognition technology.
Check back with us for updates as more information on this service becomes available.
Homecoming Florida Kitchen opened this week at Disney Springs, nestled between The Landing and Town Center. Rather than me try to explain exactly what the restaurant is and who Art Smith, here’s the official information:
Homecoming: Florida Kitchen and Southern Shine showcases the cuisine of Chef Smith, who was born and reared in the town of Jasper, Fla., on the Florida-Georgia border. 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.
With farm-to-fork cuisine that showcases the bounty of Florida, and design inspired by turn-of-the century Florida architecture of the late 1800s, Homecoming will feature traditional Southern favorites with sophisticated, chef-inspired creations. The 6,000-square-foot, 200-seat restaurant “is where Florida heritage meets New Southern cuisine,” explains Smith.
Smith says he is especially pleased with the restaurant’s Disney Springs connection, as he recalls summertime gatherings at the springs in the Northern part of Florida, casual get-togethers known as “homecomings” when family and friends gathered to share Southern specialties, enjoy homemade desserts and maybe sip a hand-crafted cocktail under the shade of live oak trees.
“Once we heard the story of his passion for Florida and his vision for the restaurant, we knew that it was a perfect match” said George Kalogridis, president of Walt Disney World Resort. “We’re thrilled to welcome Chef Art back to the state and share his spirit of Homecoming with our guests from around the world.”
The “rustic-chic” restaurant has a glass-walled show kitchen and the Southern Shinebar that celebrates an era where characters might have created some homegrown spirits on their homesteads just beyond the springs. The bar will feature whimsical cocktails, punches and coolers, including some made with now-legal variations of moonshine.
Smith’s expertise is all over the menu from Southern favorites like homemade pimento cheese, Church Lady deviled eggs, and low country shrimp and grits. “Each dish has a little Florida twist and makes 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. “Southern women, using delicious ingredients and love, are the world’s best bakers,” explains Art.
Charles Arthur “Art” Smith, age 55, is an American chef who worked for former Florida governors Bob Graham and Jeb Bush and, until 2007, was personal chef to Oprah Winfrey. His expertise is Southern American cooking. While attending Florida State University, he completed culinary internships with The Greenbrier in West Virginia and the Walt Disney World College Program.
A James Beard Award recipient for his New York Times best-seller list cookbook Back to the Table: The Reunion of Food and Family, Smith has also authored Kitchen Life: Real Food for Real Families; and Back to the Family. His latest cookbook, Art Smith’s HealthyComfort, has a focus on healthy cooking and healthy living.
Smith has made regular television appearances on programs such as “Iron Chef America,” “The Today Show,” “Nightline,” “Fox News,” “Extra,” “BBQ Pitmasters,” “Dr. Oz,” “Oprah,” “Top Chef” and “Top Chef Masters.”
Smith founded the non-profit charity Common Threads, which focuses on teaching children about different cultures through food and art. Common Threads has served thousands of healthy meals to children around the world since 2006, and in 2007 he received the Humanitarian of the Year award from the James Beard Foundation.
With Smith moving his family back to Florida, he founded Reunion, a non-profit charity that focuses on community renewal projects as well as teaching Southern tradition from the garden to the kitchen at Chef Art Smith’s Florida Garden and Kitchen School.
Smith is executive chef and co-owner of the highly successful restaurants Table Fifty-Two in Chicago, Southern Art and Bourbon Bar in Atlanta and Art and Soul in Washington, D.C.
Beginning with this review, we are introducing a new rating system for food and drink items. Since I feel it may be hard to weed through just how much we may like or dislike a particular item, we will use a rating system out of 7 (yeah, 7), with 7 being the highest of recommendations and 1 being the lowest. These numbers will take into account the quality and value of each item under review. With that being said, let’s dive in.
The interior of the restaurant is charming enough, evoking feelings perhaps of an upscale Cracker Barrel.
A rather stunning mural rests above the kitchen area, celebrating the home of some of the fresh ingredients guests will find in many of the offerings at the restaurant.
A look at the menu.
The pricing is pretty fair, and it is one of the cheaper sit-down restaurants at Disney Springs.
A rather witty variety of drink coasters available.
OK, let’s start with appetizers…
Church Lady Deviled Eggs ($10) – These were just about perfect. A few years ago, I may have been too scared to try these, but having a few (good and bad) deviled eggs since then, I can tell you these are a cut above most. Phenomenal bacon and chive flavor and a cute presentation. SCORE: 6.5 out of 7.
BBQ Chicken Wings ($12) – Surprisingly, these weren’t all that spicy, but what they lacked in spice they made up for in flavor. Personally, I’d rather have these than the sticky wings at the Polynesian, but I may be in the minority. I just wish they were slightly spicier. SCORE: 6 out of 7.
Bunch of Puppies ($9) – Fairly standard, nothing special, and fairly tasteless without the accompanying sauce. SCORE: 4.5 out of 7.
Side Order of Cheddar Cheese Drop Biscuits ($6) – For $6, you can get 4 biscuits. While they look good, they weren’t anything special and lacked a lot of flavor. There were no accompaniments for the biscuits either, which made the bland flavor seems kind of odd. Something was definitely missing from these. SCORE: 2 out of 7.
Shrimp and Grits ($26) – Good flavor, but not a whole lot for the price. The side of greens were really good, but not enough to save the meal. SCORE: 3.5 out of 7.
Chopped Pork Barbecue Plate ($23) – This was my favorite dish of our entire experience. The barbecue sauce had a nice spice to it with a good kick, which is pretty much all I ever want out of barbecue sauce. The macaroni and cheese was crunchy and well seasoned on the top, yet creamy and soft underneath, making for a really pleasant flavor combination. The inclusion of a biscuit was nice bonus as well. Overall, a lot of food for your money and my #1 choice at Homecoming. SCORE: 7 out of 7.
Art’s Fabulous Fried Chicken ($26) – The chicken wasn’t anything special, in fact, I think the fried chicken from Plaza Inn at Disneyland is better (maybe even at Trail’s End). Despite the menu stating it comes with the plural “biscuits”, it comes with just one, but at least the mashed potatoes were good I suppose. SCORE: 3 out of 7.
Hummingbird Cake ($10) – This thing is ginormous and as good as it is massive. Tastes like a really good banana bread, but the pineapple mixture gives it an interesting flavor. The lump of ice cream is unnecessary given the size of this, but it’s nice to have. At least 3 people can split this. SCORE: 6.5 out of 7.
Key Lime Pie ($8) – I don’t like Key Lime and I keep telling you all this, but you keep making me eat it… in all seriousness, the waiter recommended this and it wasn’t bad, but no one at our table likes Key Lime Pie so we just didn’t understand what all of the excitement was about. SCORE: 3 out of 7.
Shine Cake ($10) – This adult only dessert is a simple as it is delicious. It’s basically a pound cake that has soaked in alcohol (moonshine syrup) and I will be back to soak in more of this. SCORE: 7 out of 7.
Did I mention how big the Hummingbird Cake was?
Let’s move on to drinks…
The Local ($10) – Good tropical flavor, my second favorite drink of all that we tried. SCORE: 6 out of 7.
Basil Smash ($10) – I’m not a bourbon fan, but this was solid. The alcohol wasn’t overpowering, but that might be what you are looking for… SCORE: 4 out of 7.
Bootlegger ($12) – Unique because of the blackberry jam infused flavor, I would highly recommend the Bootlegger. SCORE: 5.5 out of 7.
Bushwhacker ($12) – My favorite drink at Homecoming and possibly in my top 10 at Disney World. I like sweet drinks, so this really hit the spot. SCORE: 7 out of 7.
Sweet Tea Shine ($12) – Simply sweet tea and moonshine, but very, very good. Yes, it is served in a Styrofoam cup. Score 6 out of 7.
Old Fashioned Elder ($12) – Not my style, so I may not be the best to judge this, but it didn’t seem like anything special. SCORE: 2.5 out of 7.
There is a souvenir cup available with most drinks for $6, which is basically a hard-plastic Solo cup.
All in all, Homecoming Florida Kitchen is good, but I just don’t know if it is good enough to hang in there with the best of Disney Springs. The Boathouse, Morimoto Asia, and Frontera Cocina are all phenomenal, and honestly, I’d rather have a select few counter service meals at Springs over some entrees here. Homecoming is a good addition for the added capacity it brings, the unique menu it offers compared to everything around it, and for the truly wonderful appetizers, drinks, and desserts featured. That being said, I’m not sure I would rather have the Shine Cake than the Pecan Pie from Frontera Cocina, I wouldn’t take any of our entrees from Homecoming over anything I’ve tried at the Boathouse, and I don’t feel the value on most entrees is near many other at Disney Springs.
Homecoming is good, it’s just really hard to be excited about what is offered here after a year of trying some really phenomenal new additions to Disney Springs. There are reasons to go here, there are just more reasons for me to return to many of the other options at Disney Springs before that.
OVERALL SCORE FOR HOMECOMING FLORIDA KITCHEN – 5 OUT OF 7.
