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Disney Things

5 Disney Things You Should Know This Week – May 20, 2016

Each Friday, I provide 5 Disney things all Disney fans should know from this past week, just in case you missed them. This week was a very, very slow Disney news week. Here are the super important Disney news items for this week:

Last Chance to Catch Classic Soarin’

soarin

Are you a huge Soarin’ fan? Get yourself to Disney now before the classic Soarin’ is gone. Epcot guests will be able to enjoy farewell flights when the classic Soarin’ returns to The Land pavilion starting May 27, 2016. The attraction will reopen at Epcot a few weeks before the new film, Soarin’ Around the World, debuts next month at Disney parks in Shanghai, California and Florida. Don’t miss your chance to experience Soarin’ Over California at Disney California Adventure now through June 15, and at Epcot through June 16, 2016. The new film will debut June 17, 2016 on both coasts.

Disney FastPass+ service will be available starting May 21, 2016 for this limited opportunity to enjoy the classic Soarin’ experience at Epcot.

Tiffins Restaurant Opening

tiffins restaurant

The long awaited Animal Kingdom signature restaurant is set to open this week, and we finally have menus! Open for both lunch and dinner, Tiffins is situated near Pizzafari on Discovery Island, near what will be the entrance to Pandora – The World of AVATAR, when it opens in 2017. (“Tiffin” is an Indian English word for a midday meal or a type of container used to carry food while traveling). Adjacent to Tiffins, Nomad Lounge features waterfront views in addition to hand-crafted cocktails with African, Asian and South American flavors; beers, and sustainable wines from those regions, plus specialty non-alcoholic beverages and small bites.

Check out the Menus (we just have images today, hopefully they will be available on the WDW website soon):

Remember, Tiffins is a signature restaurant, therefore if you are on one of the Disney Dining Plans, the cost to dine here is 2 table service credits per person.

In addition to the grand opening, Disney is also introducing a nightly dining/show package at both Tiffins and Tusker Hours. Similar to the popular Fantasmic! Dining Packages at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the new Jungle Book Dining Package includes reserved seating for the nighttime show. At all-you-care-to-eat Tusker House Restaurant, you can choose the breakfast, lunch or dinner buffet on the day of the show (but you have to dine at least 2 ½ hours before the show). Breakfast is $37, $23 ages 3 to 9, plus tax and gratuity; lunch and dinner, $49, $30 ages 3 to 9, plus tax and gratuity. Tusker House Restaurant is on the Disney Dining Plan and counts as one table-service meal.

At Tiffins, the package includes your choice of appetizer, entrée, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage at either lunch or dinner. The Dining Package is $67 for adults, $32 ages 3 to 9, plus tax and gratuity. Tiffins is on the Disney Dining Plan and counts as two table-service meal credits.

Reservations will open tomorrow, May 21, 2016 for Tiffins restaurant as well as Dining Packages for The Jungle Book: Alive With Magic nighttime show.

Animal Kingdom at Night to Debut

animal kingdom night

Later this week, starting May 27, 2016, the Animal Kingdom Park will be open at night for the first time ever. One of the biggest downfalls of the parks is that it usually closes by 5 PM each night, and it is such a beautiful park. With the addition of many night time events, the park will now stay open until later, calendars over Memorial Day weekend show it open until 11 PM each night.

There is an exciting lineup of new experiences coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park after the sun sets, including nightly awakenings of the park’s iconic Tree of Life. Beginning May 27, 2016, animal spirits will be brought to life each night by magical fireflies that reveal colorful stories of wonder and enchantment along with other amazing sights at the tree.

After the sun sets, you also will be able to explore Kilimanjaro Safaris and see the nighttime behavior of the wildlife and better tune in to the unique vocalization of the animals like never before.  Among the new experiences, the village of Harambe in Africa will become the place to enjoy “Wildlife Parti” and the spirited community of Discovery Island will come together to celebrate their love of the natural world with the Discover Island Carnivale.

And the park’s Discovery River will awaken at night and become a stunning stage for performances of the limited-engagement show The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic, inspired by the hit live-action film Disney’s The Jungle Book.  Shows will feature memorable moments from the film, including the iconic Shere Khan, and will be filled with music and special effects that celebrate the movie and classic songs, infused with an Indian influence. Eventually, this show will be replaced by the Rivers of Light show, but probably not until sometime this Fall, once the kinks are worked out.

Flying Fish Cafe Returning to Walt Disney World

Flying Fish Logo

Flying Fish Cafe, one of my all time favorite Disney restaurants, is returning! Opening is set for late summer for Flying Fish restaurant at Disney’s Boardwalk – yes, “Cafe” goes away as part of the name, and diners will be welcomed to a sophisticated, interior that still pays homage to the golden era of seaside boardwalks.

Flying Fish

The interior features an all-new kitchen and dining room (with expanded space for private dining events), sparkling architectural accents, like golden-winged room panels and an impressive chandelier that mimics a school of flying fish swimming overhead. Next door, the new AbracadaBar lounge opens, taking the spot formerly occupied by the candy and ice-cream shop. No information on an opening date or when reservations can be made have been announced yet.

Hollywood Studios Summertime Eats

With the ongoing construction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, there is a very slim choice of dining locations currently available. So, Disney has announced several quick-service kiosks that will be made available this Summer in the Echo Lake area. Some of these look fantastic!

Echo Lake Eats

 

Bocados del Lago Nachos y Empanadas

  • Loaded Chili Cheese Nachos with Guacamole
  • Beef Empanadas, roasted corn and black bean salsa, Queso Fresco with cilantro sour cream
  • Dulce de Leche Cookie

Sliders to the Stars

  • Pulled Beef Brisket Sliders with arugula, pickled onions and horseradish aioli on sesame bun served with chips
  • Pulled Barbecued Chicken Sliders with coleslaw and chipotle aioli on a brioche bun served with chips
  • Mickey Brownie

Hollywood Waffles of Fame

  • Shaved Turkey and Gouda Waffle Sandwich with mixed greens, bacon, tomato and herb-cheese pesto served with chips
  • Shaved Ham and Cheddar Focaccia with water cress and spicy mustard served with chips
  • Freshly-baked Chocolate Chip Cookie

Oasis Canteen

  • Chicken Breast Nuggets served with celery and carrots with a Ranch dipper and chips
  • Sweet Chili-glazed Chicken Breast Nuggets served with celery and carrots with a Ranch dipper and chips
  • Kid’s Breast Nuggets
  • Mickey Brownie

Bonus Disney News!

This week, Walt Disney World changed the FastPass+ booking system. Previously, you could book your fastpass+ reservations 60 days in advance of your check in date, and do so at midnight. So, as soon as the clock struck midnight, the next “day” would start. Stay up a bit later and you can get a time to see Anna and Elsa. Wait until the next morning, you are out of luck. Earlier this week, that time was changed to 7AM Eastern. You can no longer stay up late to get your times booked, unless you are in Hawaii of course, as 7AM Eastern in 1 AM in Hawaii.

Did I miss any Disney news this week that should have been included?

best disney springs snack

Best Disney Springs Snack

Disney Springs, which once was known as Downtown Disney, is changing on what seems like a daily basis. In fact, a new area just opened this week which included 7 new restaurants and new shopping options. More is to come, and once completed, Disney Springs will be more than double the size of the original Downtown Disney. While it was once a side attraction to Disney and Orlando visitors, pretty soon it will become a destination for many, especially those staying on Disney property. With many Walt Disney World guests using the Disney Dining plans, those guests will be trying to use more and more of their meal credits at Disney Springs restaurants, so the addition of more and more restaurants is a plus. When using a dining plan, it always seems that I have excess credits at the end of the trip, and I have found there are some awesome snack options available at Disney Springs. So, what is the best Disney Springs Snack?

Best Disney Springs Snack Option

Many of you are familiar with Raglan Road, and their fantastic desserts. How many of you are aware of Cookes of Dublin? Probably not many, as it has been nearly impossible to get to recently with all the temporary walls around Disney Springs. It is located on the south side of Raglan Road, and with the town center section now open, it is once again easy to find. If you are looking for a great counter service restaurant in Disney Springs, this is a fantastic option. Fish and Chips, yummy savory pies and fantastic desserts.

The desserts lead us directly to the best Disney Springs snack, the “Doh Bar”. The name doesn’t do much for you, but how about the description?

Donut Battered, Deep Fried Snickers or Mars Bars

doh bar

I can’t find fault with even one of those words. Personally, while the Snickers options sounds better (I would much rather choose to eat a plan Snickers over a Mars Bar), for some reason the Mars Bar makes a much better Doh Bar. I am not sure if it is because of the peanuts, but the Mars Bar option is chocolaty and gooey and just perfect.

While I completely expect more snack options to show up as Disney Springs expands, it is going to be hard to find a better Disney Springs snack option that the Doh Bar.

Have you ever had a “Doh Bar”?

Disney Things May 13

5 Disney Things You Should Know This Week – May 13, 2016

Each Friday, I provide 5 Disney things all Disney fans should know from this past week, just in case you missed them. This week was a very, very slow Disney news week. Here are the super important Disney news items for this week:

Disney Dollars Ending

RIP Disney Dollars

While many of us assumed Disney Dollars had died years ago, they hadn’t. Disney announced yesterday that Disney Dollars would no longer be for sale as of May 14, 2016. While Disney and consumers had moved to Disney Gift Cards years ago, many people still purchase Disney Dollars as souvenirs of their Disney vacation. They will be missed.

For more information: R.I.P. Disney Dollars

Custom MagicBands

custom magic bands

Walt Disney World announced this week that their on demand printing system that has been used for smart phone covers and other items now is able to make custom MagicBands for guests. Not only now are you able to choose your favorite attraction to be on your MagicBand, you can also add your name right there on the band. Not only can you choose from attractions, but some long closed attractions are included such as Mr Toad’s Wild Ride and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Plus, you can also choose from a few Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean characters. Of course, Disney can add in any additional artwork at anytime, so watch for additional options in the future. Custom MagicBands start at $24.99, $32.99 if you add your name to the band.

For more information: Artwork Added to Retail MagicBand on Demand Stations at Walt Disney World Resort

7 New Restaurants opening in Disney Springs this Week

 

disney Daily Poutine

As a new section of Disney Springs opens this weekend, there is a large group of restaurants that are opening for the first time, including a Poutine place! Check out all the great options!

  • D-Luxe Burger: Grab a classic cheeseburger or go for something indulgent like the El Diablo Burger with chorizo, fried banana peppers, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato and chipotle mayo. There’s a veggie burger too. Plus gelato shakes, fresh-cut fries and more from the Disney chefs.
  • Amorette’s Patisserie: Classic and contemporary cakes and pastries are the stars in this high-end pastry shop where guests can watch pastry chefs decorate signature cakes in the on-stage finishing kitchen. From a classic macaron or crisp, light pavlova to the ultimate chocolate-chocolate chunk cookie, Amorette’s is a dessert lover’s dream come true.
  • The Daily Poutine: This kiosk brings the Canadian classic to guests with four varieties of toppings on hot, crispy French fries: Classic, with beef poutine gravy and Cheddar Cheese curds; Latin with fried yucca, black beans, pulled pork and queso fresco; Italian with bocconcino mozzarella and Bolognese sauce, and French with mushroom cream sauce and Gruyere cheese. Pair them with a lemonade, draft beer, sangria or fountain sodas.
  • B.B. Wolf’s Sausage Co.: A kiosk with artisan sausages by Disney chefs – the Three Little Pigs with a Reuben dog, black bean salsa and chili cheese; Portuguese Sausage with pickled vegetable slaw and chili mustard; Sweet Hot Sausage with peppers, onions and marinara; Bavarian Sausage Sandwich with a mini-meterwurst, braised red cabbage and spicy brown mustard on a pretzel roll, and Italian Veggie Sausage with peppers, onions and marinara. Add a draft beer or fountain soda.
  • YeSake: At this unique kiosk, try a Sake Cosmo Freeze or Sake Bourbon Slush among other offerings. Global eats range from the Great Wall with Chinese-style pulled pork to a Sombrero with ground beef, pico de gallo, guacamole, cheese and corn chips. Cold beer too.
  • Morimoto Asia Street Food: A new walk-up window on the patio offers sushi, donburi rice bowls and bao tacos, plus snacks: such as takoyaki (octopus, nori, okomiyaki sauce), Morimoto sticky ribs, curry rice croquettes, pork egg rolls and taiyaki (snapper-shaped pancake filled with sweet adzuki red bean paste). Also on the menu: popping boba tea and an assortment of Asian-influenced beers and beverages.
  • Sprinkles: Look for handcrafted cupcakes, slow-churned ice cream and homemade cookies at Sprinkles, dubbed the first cupcake bakery by the Food Network. Options include vegan, gluten free and sugar free, and seasonal flavors.

Special Disney Cruise Merchandise

Disney Cruise Transatlantic Disney Cruise Alaska

If you happen to be sailing on a Disney Cruise this summer, specifically on one of the Transatlantic or Alaskan Disney Cruise, you are in for a treat, special merchandise. Items include shirts, pins and stuffed animals all themed after your particular cruise. There is also special merchandise for the Panama Canal cruise and I am sure that later this year we will see more stuff for the European cruises too. Make sure to take your wallets along with you.

‘Inside Disney Parks’ Newscast

Disney has released a new ‘Inside Disney Parks’ Newscast, a video roundup of changes to the Disney Parks. Episode 1 was released this week, and gives you a great idea of what to expect at Disney this Summer. This episode covers Animal Kingdom at night, the Jungle Cruise Movie, Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters grand opening in Disney California Advnenture and much, much more. Enjoy!

Did I miss any Disney news this week that should have been included?