Tangaroa Terrace & Trader Sam’s Opens May 25th

WDWNT on May 3, 2011

From the Disney Parks Blog:

We’ve been sharing details here on the Disney Parks Blog about the new Disneyland Hotel restaurants, Tangaroa Terrace – Casual Island Dining and Trader Sam’s – Enchanted Tiki Bar, and today we’ve got even more to share with you. The biggest news is that both restaurants will open on May 25!

Tangaroa Terrace – Casual Island Dining will feature a tropical setting complete with tiki torches and island music setting the stage for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Guests can start the day with signature breakfast items such as French toast with bacon and warm banana-caramel sauce and grilled cinnamon-spice oatmeal with island fruit.

For lunch and dinner, Tangaroa Terrace – Casual Island Dining will offer a 1/3-pound Angus Hawaiian cheeseburger with teriyaki sauce, bacon, grilled pineapple, Havarti, tomato and lettuce burger on a multi-grain bun. (Can you imagine taking the first messy bite?) For the health conscious, the Asian chicken salad has lots of greens (lettuce, cabbage, carrots, sweet peppers and cucumbers) with chicken breast, cashews and rice noodles in a sesame vinaigrette. The Kalua pork flatbread is topped with pulled pork, barbecue sauce, red onion and fresh cilantro.

The Miso-Crusted Salmon Dish at Tangaroa Terrace – Casual Island Dining

Every evening, a different “Island Plate Dinner” will be on the menu. Look for miso-crusted salmon, tamarind-glazed pork shanks or panko-crusted chicken, each served with jasmine rice, panko-crusted long beans and green papaya slaw.

If you’re in a hurry, a “Grab ‘n Go” selection includes yogurt parfait with tropical fruits and house-made granola, a tropical fruit plate, house-made pastries, sandwiches, veggie with dips, a sweet potato cake with guava cream cheese icing, pineapple-lilikoi pie, and “Trader Sam’s Dessert Flight” with pineapple upside-down cake, layered passion fruit with pineapple-coconut crème and chocolate coffee cake.

Trader Sam’s—Enchanted Tiki Bar is adjacent to Tangaroa Terrace – Casual Island Dining, with substantial “bar food” – sweet ‘n spicy Asian wings, chicken lettuce wraps, panko-crusted Chinese long beans with Sriracha mayo, tamarind-glazed pork shanks with green papaya slaw and ahi poke (sushi-grade tuna) with avocado, green onion and crispy wontons.

Trader Sam’s—Enchanted Tiki Bar

But it’s the vintage island cocktails in kitschy glassware that we can’t wait to try. How about Krakatoa Punch with reserve aged rum, light rum, tropical juices, almond syrup and hibiscus grenadine? Or Uh Oa!, with light rum, spiced rum, guava, orange, passion fruit, grapefruit, fresh lime juice and cinnamon? Serious rum lovers will want to try the HippopotoMai Tai with two shots of light and dark rums, orange curacao, almond syrup, organic agave nectar and fresh lime juice.

The non-alcoholic Schweitzer Falls is a refreshing blend of pineapple, guava, orange and passion fruit juices with all-spice syrup and a splash of Sprite.

Now we’re dreaming of vacation time!

Disney Updates Star Tours Webpage with New Images and Story Hints

WDWNT on May 2, 2011

The Star Tours page on the official Walt Disney World website was updated recently with a new flash-based preview (Sorry iPhone) of the destinations we’ll be traveling to when Star Tours: The Adventures Continue opens on May 20th at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. For those of you without a flash-capable device, here’s a look at the scenarios (and C-3P0’s response to them) you can scroll through on the page:

We’re podracing on Tatooine

Underwater on Naboo

The icy tundra of Hoth

Chased by the Empire near an under-construction Death Star

Just moments before arriving at this picture, some speeder bikes with scout troopers rush by, implying we will be chased by them on Kashyyyk

We tried to grab a snapshot of the scout troopers, but they move pretty quickly

Finally, Coruscant

For those without flash capabilities, here is what you’ll see

While not newsworthy, the background of the page has two pretty cool images as well:

So, nothing earth shattering to report, but anticipation is certainly building for Star Tours: The Adventures Continue! Stay tuned as more information becomes available…

Disney Announces Line-Up for Star Wars Weekends 2011

WDWNT on April 30, 2011

From the Disney Parks Blog:

Star Wars Weekends 2011 will be a Tour de “Force” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, celebrating the grand opening of the new Star Tours attraction as the Walt Disney World Resort theme park welcomes Jedi, Sith, Ewoks, Wookiees, galactic bounty hunters and stormtroopers for the park’s annual celebration of all-things-Star Wars.

The fun takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 20-June 12, 2011.

Once again, Jedi Mickey and Princess Leia Minnie will be joined by some of the brightest stars from the saga. Celebrity Hosts for the event this year are James Arnold Taylor (voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: The Clone Wars) and Ashley Eckstein (voice of Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars: The Clone Wars). Ashley (seen in the photo above with R2-MK and Jedi Mickey) will host “Clone Wars: Behind the Force,” a closer look inside the popular animated TV series. James will present another event-first: he will star in a one-man show that showcases some of the many voices he has performed throughout his career, including those from The Clone Wars.

Opening weekend will kick off the month-long event in grand fashion, as fan favorite Anthony Daniels (seen in the photo above at a filming session for the new “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue” attraction), who brought C-3PO to life and is the only actor to appear in every theatrical chapter of the Star Wars saga, will make a golden return to the event. Dave Filoni, the talented artist and supervising director of The Clone Wars, also will be a special celebrity guest for Weekend I.

Star Wars Weekends II, III and IV will feature celebrities from the live-action feature films and voice artists fromThe Clone Wars. Here’s the complete event celebrity lineup (*talent subject to change) scheduled to appear:

Scheduled Celebrity Appearances

MAY 20-22

  • Anthony Daniels (C-3PO)
  • The Clone Wars Special Guest: Dave Filoni (Supervising Director)

MAY 27-29

  • Anthony Daniels (C-3PO)
  • Bruce Spence (Tion Medon)
  • The Clone Wars Voice Talent Guest: Dee Bradley Baker (Captain Rex)

JUNE 3-5

  • Ray Park (Darth Maul)
  • Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett)
  • The Clone Wars Voice Talent Guest: Matt Lanter (Anakin)

JUNE 10-12

  • Ray Park (Darth Maul)
  • Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca)
  • The Clone Wars Voice Talent Guest: Tom Kane (Yoda)

And while the stars will shine, a galaxy-full of events, live shows, parades and activities also take place throughout the park during the month.

An event highlight for many is meeting the Star Wars characters, and this year is no exception. More than 60 Star Wars characters will be roaming the theme park, posing for pictures and signing autographs.

From the special “welcome” Guests receive at the turnstile areas from the stormtroopers and Star Wars trivia contests to Jedi Training Academy and the spectacular Hyperspace Hoopla, Star Wars Weekends 2011 will have more fun than you can shake a gaffi stick at. And of course, throughout the event Star Wars Weekends Guests will have the chance to take a ride aboard “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue” when the attraction launches in 3-D on May 20.

On a side note, WDWNT is in the early planning stages of a fan meet for those interested in becoming one of the very first passengers on Star Tours: The Adventures Continue! For more information on our “First Flight, All-Night” fan meet, you can visit our pages on Facebook and Plancast.

KACHOW! Downtown Disney Celebrates Cars 2 May 13th-15th

WDWNT on April 28, 2011

As if May 13th through the 15th wasn’t busy enough with the D23 Destination D festivities and the PIXAR 25th Anniversary Weekend at the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, Disney has piled on yet another event that Disney fans may want to attend. From the Disney Parks Blog:

Attention all “Cars” fans – I’ve got a great announcement for you tonight. The Disney Parks Blog just got word that the gang from Radiator Springs will head this way next month for a brand new event – Downtown Disney Car Masters Weekend – which will take place May 13-15.

Four-time Piston Cup Champion, Lightning McQueen, Mater and British super-spy, Finn McMissile will hit the road to celebrate the release of Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 2.” At Downtown Disney Car Masters Weekend, families can hang out with Lightning, Mater and Finn McMissile, plus take part in all sorts of fun “Cars” activities, including a video kiosk, e-photo opportunities and games.

Along with meeting some their favorite characters from “Cars,” families can “test drive” and purchase new “Cars 2”RIDEMAKERZ models. Always wanted to see what Mater would look like as a 4×4? Mix, match and design your very own unique “Cars 2” vehicle.

Families can also throw their love for cars in “reverse” and go back in time to check out dozens of classic cars on display that helped shape the vehicles we drive today. Or check out the original “Cars” film, which will play on the big screen all weekend at the AMC Pleasure Island 24 Theatres Complex.

We got an early preview of the new Cars 2 RIDEMAKERZ a few weeks ago, you can check them out towards the end of this video from the WDWNTube:

Health & Wellness Suites and Royal Guest Rooms Coming to Walt Disney World

WDWNT on April 26, 2011

Walt Disney World has announced two new room types coming soon: One for a health-minded adults being added to Disney’s Contemporary Resort, another offering Princess-themed rooms for younger guests (what we speculated about in a report in a few months ago). Disney has also announced that more specialty rooms will be a part of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort when it opens next year. Here is the full story from the Disney Parks Blog:

Hi everyone. I’m thrilled to start off the day by breaking another exciting announcement here on the Disney Parks Blog about two new Specialty Room offerings coming to the Walt Disney World Resort – health and wellness suites and Royal Guest Rooms.

New Health and Wellness Suite at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Beginning this fall, guests looking for some rest and relaxation can indulge in new health and wellness suites, which will debut at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. These suites will feature bamboo flooring, 100-percent cotton linens, non-allergenic wrapped mattresses – as well as great views of Magic Kingdom Park and Bay Lake. Bathrooms on this floor also will be equipped with rainwater showers and tea tree oils.

New Health and Wellness Suite at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Guests staying in these suites also can enjoy the benefit of having cardio equipment right in their room. And they’ll have daily access to seasonal and organic fresh foods at the concierge lounge, and can enjoy yoga sessions and spa treatments at the resort’s renovated wellness studio.

Royal Guest Room at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort

Exciting enhancements also are taking place over at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort, with 512 Royal Guest Rooms planned to debut by March 2012. The story behind these lush rooms is that Princess Tiana (“The Princess and The Frog”) invited some of her royal pals – Belle (“Beauty and the Beast”), Jasmine (“Aladdin”) and more – for a vacation getaway. Princes and princesses of all ages can enjoy their luxurious lodging quarters, which will include ornate beds that feature headboards with fiber-optic special effects, and gold and crystal accents. Guests also can enjoy artwork and special mementos left by Tiana’s royal friends.

Pirate-Themed Guest Room at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

These rooms are the latest in Disney’s Specialty Room line, which already includes pirate-themed guest rooms atDisney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Donald Duck-themed rooms at Tokyo Disney Resort, and more. More Specialty Rooms will be added to the collection when Disney’s Art of Animation Resort debuts in May 2012.

Guests can begin booking the new Specialty Rooms mid-summer. The existing pirate-themed rooms can be booked now by visiting www.waltdisneyworld.com or calling 407-939-7429.