Disney Officially Announces Two New World Showcase Eateries

WDWNT on February 8, 2010

Disney has released a statement regarding the two new restaurants coming to Italy and Mexico in World Showcase at Epcot, including some interesting new details:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Two exciting additions are coming to Epcot World Showcase, with culinary expansions under way at the Italy pavilion and Mexico pavilion.

In Italy, an authentic Neapolitan pizzeria is under construction with opening planned for fall 2010 in time for the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Operated by Patina Restaurant Group, the same restaurateurs who run the pavilion’s Tutto Italia Ristorante, the 300-seat pizzeria is inspired by Naples 45, another Patina Restaurant Group pizzeria on East 45th Street in New York City.

The casual pizzeria will feature wood-burning ovens – and will import water from a source that most resembles the water in Naples, Italy, home of some of the world’s best pizza dough. The menu also will feature pastas, salads, sandwiches and Italian wines.

The 14,000-square-foot space will include indoor and outdoor dining.

At Mexico, the popular Cantina de San Angel restaurant is expanding, and will feature 400 seats with al fresco seating for lunch and a perfect place for viewing “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth,” the nightly Epcot fireworks spectacular.

The restaurant will feature south-of-the border creations from the culinary team at San Angel Inn LLC, who have run both the outside eatery and the pavilion’s San Angel Inn for more than 25 years. Opening also is set for fall 2010.

Disney Confirms New Restaurant for Italy Pavilion at Epcot

WDWNT on January 25, 2010

From the Disney Parks Blog:

Great news – especially if you share my passion for amazing pizza. An authentic pizzeria will be opening at Italy Pavilion at Epcot later this year and it’s an attention-grabber.

The new 300-seat restaurant will have traditional Florentine architecture, vaulted-ceilings and outside dining. And the food will be authentic — Italian dishes (complimenting the offerings at Tutto Italia) and pizza from wood-burning ovens.

The pizzeria will be the newest flagship restaurant in the Patina Restaurant Group’s portfolio. And one of the special touches at the Epcot location will be the water. It’ll be imported from a source where the composition most resembles water used in Naples, Italy, to make the authentic Italian dough.

A name for the family-style pizzeria has not been finalized but we wanted to share this information with you first on the Disney Parks Blog. Construction is currently underway and the restaurant is scheduled to open in fall 2010. Check back for more updates.

This announcement confirms the WDWNT report from last week. There is no word yet on if the restaurant will carry the Naples name as originally reported.

Naples Comes to Italy at Epcot

WDWNT on January 20, 2010

We can confirm that the construction taking place in the very back of the Italy pavilion at Epcot is for the addition of Patina Restaurant Group’s “Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria”, a restaurant that already exists in Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort. While we don’t know if this particular location will be table service like its west coast counterpart, here is a look at the menu for the California version of Naples (note that the bottom of the menu says Walt Disney World):

Adam Roth’s 1/3/10 Mini-WDW Report

WDWNT on January 7, 2010

Our good friend Adam Roth of WDWCelebrations has provided us with some newsworthy photos from the Walt Disney World Resort and his latest visit:

The Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station at the Magic Kingdom is being refurbished for the return of the Fireworks Dessert Parties in the spring

A pizzeria operated by Patina, the same company that operates Tutto Italia, is being constructed in the Italy pavilion at Epcot

The Pizzeria will be in the very back of the pavilion

The Refreshment Port at Epcot will be serving “Latin Flair” dishes while the Catina de San Angel is closed for a few months to be remodeled