Posted on Jul 21, 2012
Posted in: Food & Wine Festival
Disney have announced that bookings for the 2012 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival special events will open at 7:00 am on August 13 2012. A number of new special events have also been announced:
-
The Marketplace VIA Access Chef Tour (10:30 am every Wednesday) - Tastes from selected marketplaces around the World Showcase Lagoon,and a special behind the scenes view at the chefs. Guests get 5 pre-selected dishes and 5 beverages (wine, beer and cocktails) as part of the tour. The total tour length is around 2 hours and is $90 per person (plus tax and park admission).
-
Italian Regional Food & Wine Luncheon (noon - 2:00 pm Wednesdays and Saturdays) - Located in the recently opened Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar, a wine paring with casual authentic italian dishes. $75 per guest (plus tax and park admission - gratuity included).
-
White Truffle Lunch (Lunchtime, November 4) - A one-off lunch event at Tutto Italia Ristaurante
-
Party for the Senses (7:15 pm October 6, 13, 20 and 27, and November 3) - Located in the World ShowPlace Events Pavilion. Prices are $170 (plus tax and park admission) for a reserved table on the main floor, $270 (plus tax and park admission) for a reserved table in the premium Wine View Lounge. General admission is $145 (plus tax and park admission). Both reserved seating options include a speciality cocktail and early admission at 7:15 pm. Gratuity included.
Guests wishing to attend any of the above events can book from August 14 by calling 407-WDW-FEST (407-939-3378).
Posted on Jul 21, 2012
Posted in: Extra Magic Hours
Disney's Evening Extra Magic Hours for guests staying at Walt Disney World owned (or affiliated) resorts are confirmed to be reduced to 2 hours from January 1 2013.
Since the Evening Extra Magic Hours were introduced, back in 2004, resort guests have benefited from 3 extra evening hours. The move is likely cost saving however will no doubt leave guests who make use of this facility feeling a little disappointed.
Posted on Jul 13, 2012
Posted in: Food and Dining
On the recently released official 2013 Disney Deluxe Dining Plan guide (PDF), Disney have quietly added Epcots Le Cellier Steakhouse as a 'Signature' dining location for lunch. The restaurant became a signature location back in March 2011 for its dinner menu, however at the time its lunch service stayed as a standard single-credit menu.
The difference for guests is that with it now being a 'Signature' lunch, you will need to use two Disney Dining Plan credits instead of 1, and its menu quality will be increased. This will obviously also mean a higher pricing on items for guests not on the Disney Dining Plan.
Le Cellier is located in the Canada Pavilion of Epcot's World Showcase.
Click to view current Le Cellier menus and information.
Posted on Jul 12, 2012
Posted in: Rehabs and Closures
Disney have just announced that the "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" playground movie-set adventure at Disney's Hollywood Studios will be closing from September 10 to September 14 2012, reopening on September 15. This is a brief closure and is likely for minor works such as cleaning and painting.
Posted on Jul 12, 2012
Posted in: Disney Resorts
As part of the expansion of Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, to include a new Disney Vacation Club wing, there are a number of refurbishments schedlued for later this year, set to impact shopping, food and the resorts main swimming pool. Disney sent notifications out to guests with reservations of the following dates. As always, the dates are subject to change.
Dining
-
Narcoosee's - Closed through to July 22, 2012
-
Citricos - Closed July 23 to August 4, 2012
-
Beach Pool Bar - Closed through to August 24, 2012
-
Mizner's Lounge - Closed through to July 14, 2012
-
Gasparilla Grill Quick Service - Closed August 24 to December, 2012 (Unknown reopening date in December)
Whilst the quick service location, Gasparilla Grill is closed, guests will be able to use the Beach Pool Bar and Mizner's Lounge for quick service food.
Swimming Pool
The main pool in the courtyard area will be closed from August 24 through to December 2012. The pool is to be partially rebuilt to allow for a zero-entry area, similar to those seen in some of the newer pools such as the one at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. The beach pool will remain open for guests during the work.
Shopping
Sandy cove will be closed from August 21 through to December 2012.
Posted on Jul 12, 2012
Posted in: Disney Resorts
Due to an ongoing legal dispute between DirectTV and Viacom, a few channels on the in-room television systems used across all Disney-owned resorts have changed.
BET, CMT and TV Land are all currently unavailable, and have been replaced with TV One, Fox Movie Channel and the Speed channels. It's unkown if this is a permanent change or a temporary one.
Posted on Jul 02, 2012
Posted in: Events
Here's a roundup of what events and entertainment you can expect to see at Walt Disney World for the July 4 celebrations.
Magic Kingdom
The Magic Kingdom has added some additional dining options:
The Diamond Horseshoe
-
July 2 - July 7 - Quick service lunch served 11am - 3pm
-
July 2 - July 4 - Table service dinner served 5pm - 9pm
Tortuga Tavern
-
July 3 and July 4 - open 11am - 4pm
Tomorrowland Terrace
-
July 3 and July 4 - open 11am - 11pm
Breakfast Options
Lunching Pad
-
July 3 - 9am - 10:30 am
-
July 4 - 8am - 10:30 am
Casseys Corner
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor
Opening hours have also been extended at the Magic Kingdom for most days in July. This includes an extra Main Street Electrical Parade performance and later Extra Magic Hours.
Epcot
The American Adventure Pavilion (World Showcase)
-
July 4 character meet and greet 12pm - 5:30pm
-
American history and heritage experience 11am - 5pm
-
Voices of Liberty Fourth of July Concert (held at the American Gardens Theatre) 12:30pm, 1:45pm and 3pm
Other Events
-
IllumiNations: The Heartbeat of Freedom (July 4 special edition) fireworks - 10pm
No news on any events at the Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios. As you can expect, all parks will likely be very busy. It's possible that the Magic Kingdom may hit maximum capacity. The water parks are likely to be full (and closed of any furthur guest entry) early in the day.
Posted on Jul 02, 2012
Posted in: Rehabs and Closures
Epcot's "Nature - Inspired Design" tour will be closing on July 4 permanently. The tour involved visiting Soarin', a tour of the greenhouses in the Land Pavilion, a guided tour of The Seas with Nemo and Friends and finally a Segway off road tour.
Guests wishing to do the tour should book asap to avoid missing it after the closure date.
Posted on Jul 02, 2012
Posted in: Epcot
The prices for the 2012 Candlelight Prosessional Dinner Packages have just been released. Bookings opened last week and include one meal, guaranteed seating at the Candlelight Processional and access to a reserved viewing area for Illuminations.
Each meal includes:
-
1 appetizer
-
1 entree
-
1 non-alcoholic beverage
-
1 desert
Alternatively, a full buffet is offered in select restaurants.
Guests on the Disney Dining Plan can use their credits towards the Candlelight Prcessional Dinner Package:
-
Plus Dining (aka Basic Dining): 2 table service credits
-
Deluxe Dining: 2 table service credits
-
Premium Dining: 1 table service credit
-
Platinum Dining: 1 table service credit
Posted on Jul 02, 2012
Posted in: Downtown Disney
Characters in Flight at Downtown Disney has been closed following an accident in Hong Kong's Ocean park with a similar ballon. Five guests were injured at the Hong Kong attraction, where the balloon reportedly fell from a height of 20 meters. The accident was caused by a sudden loss of helium.
The balloon was supplied by Aerophile, the same group that runs Characters in Flight. They have opted to completely close the ride and fully dismantel and remove it for a full inspection. It's not yet known if or when the attraction will re-open, however its not likely going to be any time soon.
