There are exciting new things popping up every day at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida! Join us every week to read about what’s new “Around the Mouse.” This week’s Walt Disney World news update features: Hollywood Studios news, many new food items, a Tower of Terror on-ride video at Hollywood Studios, changes to dining reservations and much more!
Walt Disney World Theme Parks
New! “Frozen Summer Fun LIVE!” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Extended: “Frozen Summer Fun LIVE” at Hollywood Studios is being extended through September 28. You can enjoy everything “Frozen Summer Fun LIVE” has to offer for an additional four weeks. Most entertainment and other features will continue daily, while the “Frozen Fireworks” Spectacular will be presented each night through September 1, and then switch to Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, September 5-28.
New! Attraction Video Now Available to Memory Maker Guests: Guests with both a MagicBand and a linked Memory Maker entitlement who ride The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ at Disney’s Hollywood Studios® will find a video memento of their 13-story drop automatically associated to their My Disney Experience account.
New! Magic Kingdom First Aid Station Relocated: Due to refurbishment work, Magic Kingdom First Aid has been temporarily relocated adjacent to the entrance of Space Mountain through August 19.
New! Golden Oak Outpost in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom Gets New Menu: They have added a whole new menu of creative waffle fries with toppings that make the humble potato a meal. Menu items include the BLT waffle fries, topped with bacon, lettuce, tomato and a drizzle of Ranch dressing; the BBQ pork waffles fries topped with pork and creamy slaw; the Tex-Mex creation, topped with black bean-cucumber relish, warm Cheddar cheese sauce and spicy jalapeño slices; and an ode to Canadian fast food is the “poutine-style” fries, topped with brown gravy and white Cheddar cheese. They also offer hot, crunchy sweet potato nuggets topped with powdered sugar. Only the sweet potato nuggets are on the Disney Dining Plan (as a snack credit).
New! Changes to Lunch Standby Line at Be Our Guest Restaurant: Guests staying in one of the Walt Disney World Resort hotels continue to be eligible to participate in a test during lunch at Be Our Guest Restaurant, which involves going online to choose an arrival window and, if desired, pre-ordering their meal. Due to the number of guests participating in this test, standby availability is limited during the quick service lunch time. We have been told that guests arriving without a reservation are now given a ticket with a printed return time. Once all the return times tickets have been given out, a sign is posted that no more standby guests will be admitted.
New! ‘Pirates’ Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Card Announced for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party: When Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party returns to Magic Kingdom Park September 1, Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom fans are in for an additional party “treat” – the chance to pick up another event-exclusive game card.
Updated! New Bloody Mary Drinks at Dawa Bar in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park and New Pizzafari Breakfast: Beginning Sunday, July 27, Dawa Bar began serving new Bloody Mary offerings inspired by Discovery Island, Asia and Africa. The following drinks are available for $9.50 each:
Dawa Bloody Mary – Classic Bloody Mary with a strong horse radish finish. Garnished with truffle blue cheese olives and prosciutto ham.
Discovery Island Bloody Mary – Classic mix with lemon juice and olive brine. Garnished with tomato, mozzarella, fresh basil skewer. Drinks light and refreshing.
Asian Bloody Mary – Cocktail made with Kim chee salad purée and sriracha. Garnished with Asian salad and grilled shrimp. If you love a spicy Bloody Mary, this is the one for you.
African Bloody Mary – A classic blend with the addition of berbere spice. Garnished with fresh vegetables and house made beef jerky.
At Pizzafari in Discovery Island, our favorite new healthful breakfast is the Ancient Hot-Grain Cereal, a hearty bowl of oatmeal, barley and quinoa simmered with spices and topped with salted caramel crumble ($3.99). Also at Pizzafari, the new multi-grain breakfast croissant is stuffed with egg whites, fresh spinach, provolone cheese and vegetable chutney, with a side of breakfast potatoes ($7.49); the hearty breakfast burrito has a filling of scrambled eggs, sausage, peppers, cheese and salsa ($6.49). The kids’ breakfast pizza starts with a flatbread that’s topped with scrambled egg, chopped bacon and Cheddar cheese ($4.99); the kids’ breakfast platter is a generous combo of scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, breakfast potatoes and multigrain hot cereal ($4.99). The breakfast offerings at Pizzafari are part of the Disney Dining Plan.
Reminder! Some Performances of Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Cancelled: Due to upcoming concrete work on Main Street, U.S.A., there will not be morning performances of the Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party on the following dates: Aug 19, 20 and 29. The parade will only perform at 5:40 and 7 p.m. on these dates.
Reminder! Celebrate ‘Frozen Summer Fun’ with New Specialty Cupcakes: Three new cupcakes will be sold as part of ‘Frozen Summer Fun’ at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Olaf cupcake is a carrot cupcake with cream cheese icing and a white chocolate Olaf. The Olaf cupcake is available for just $5.19 at select quick service locations: Studio Catering Co., Pizza Planet Arcade, ABC Commissary, Rosie’s All-American Cafe, Backlot Express, Fairfax Fare, Oaken’s Funland, Starring Rolls Cafe,and Coffee Cart. Anna and Elsa cupcakes are also available. The Anna cupcake is chocolate with buttercream, and the Elsa cupcake is vanilla with buttercream. Both are topped with a themed white chocolate medallion. These cupcakes are available for $5.19 at the following locations: Backlot Express, Oaken’s Funland, and Starring Rolls Cafe. These treats are part of the Disney Dining Plan and will be available through Sept. 30.
Reminder! Limited Edition Olaf from Frozen Magic Band Available: A new, limited edition retail MagicBand, featuring Olaf from Disney’s “Frozen” is now available at Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This limited edition MagicBand will have an edition size of 5,000, and will have a retail of $29.95 (plus tax). This new MagicBand will join three open edition MagicBands inspired by Disney’s “Frozen,” which are currently offered in Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post.
Reminder! New Villains Unleashed Event On August 23, 2014: A brand new special event will take place at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Aug 23, 2014 8pm -1am — Villains Unleashed! Beware the power of evil as many of your favorite Disney villains run wild in Disney’s Hollywood Studios for a special after-hours night of mischief and mayhem capped off with a wicked fireworks spectacular! Tickets are on sale now, $67 (adults) and $62 (ages 3-9) + tax. Previously, Disney Parks Blog announced a partial list of the villains who will be in attendance, which included several rare characters like Hades, J. Worthington Foulfellow, Gideon, Big Bad Wolf and Star Wars villains like Boba Fett, Asajj Ventress and Emperor Palpatine!
This week, they announced an assortment of event logo merchandise and creative food and beverage offerings including Disney villain-themed hot dogs, and the Maleficent cupcake sounds amazing – dark chocolate cake filled with a decadent blackberry filling topped with smooth blackberry buttercream. At Club Evil in The Hollywood Brown Derby, the Disney chefs will offer an assortment of small plate menu items. These “Villanishious” items include things like “Cruellas Devious Eyes” – fresh mozzarella with ugly ripe tomato spheres, balsamic gelée and basil oil powder – or “The Queen of Hearts famous ‘Off with their heads’”!, which is deviled eggs, pig crackling and a garlic chili gelée and lobster custard with Tobiko caviar and citrus oil. Guest should also look for specialty cocktails at Club Evil and at select bar locations throughout the party. There will also be non-alcoholic option called “Pain and Panic Punch,” which is apple juice, Monin pomegranate, Monin vanilla topped with soda water.
Walt Disney World Resort Hotels
New! Season Menu at Boatwright’s Dining Hall Updated: With the new season comes a new menu full of variety. The resort chefs have created a themed menu to the Disney’s Port Orleans Resort story line that is sure to satisfy Guests and Cast Members looking for some southern cuisine. Here are some new items to try out:
Amelia’s Salad: spinach salad with seasonal ingredients with house-made vinaigrette
Crescent City Gumbo: chicken and Andouille gumbo, slow-cooked in a Cajun-spiced broth
Plantation Salad: romaine, Parmigiano-Reggiano croutons and prosciutto with house dressing
Ol’ Man Island Oysters: lightly fried oysters with house-made remoulade and watercress salad
Colonel’s Peace’s Crawfish Pieces: crispy crawfish bites, served with house-made remoulade
The Big Easy: grilled New York strip with brandy-peppercorn sauce with Yukon gold potatoes, arugula and balsamic dressing
General Fulton’s Prime Rib: carefully seasoned and slow roasted, served with horseradish mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables and red wine demi-glace
Jackson Square Etouffee: crawfish simmered in a rich seafood sauce over rice
The Louisiana Lugger: sweet tea-brined pork chop with sweet potato hash and citrus-whiskey glaze
Sassagoula Short Ribs: slow cooked, boneless beef short ribs with cheesy grits and red wine
Gulf Delta Chilled Shellfish: tender seasonal shrimp and crawfish with pickled vegetables and Bloody Mary cocktail sauce
Red Velvet Cheesecake: with bourbon-vanilla cream
Reminder! Sassagoula Rivercruise Reopening Soon: The Downtown Disney Marketplace Watercraft dock is scheduled to reopen Aug. 15. It has been closed since February, as part of the overall enhancements at the property. When the dock reopens, the following service changes to the Sassagoula Rivercruise will take effect:
The Downtown Disney Water Taxi, currently servicing the West Side and Pleasure Island, will once again include the Marketplace
Service to Disney’s Port Orleans Resort, which is currently located at the Pleasure Island dock, will return to the Marketplace dock.
Service to Disney’s Old Key West Resort and Disney’s Port Orleans Resort will remain at the West Side dock.
Walt Disney World Resort – General
New! Reservations Can Now be Made 20 Minutes in Advance: Dining reservations can now be made for available seatings up to 20 minutes in advance by using the My Disney Experience website or via the My Disney Experience mobile app on iOS devices. Future enhancements are planned to include the same booking feature for the My Disney Experience mobile app for Android devices. Previously, reservations could only be made for two hours in advance.
New! Ms. Lauryn Hill Appearing at Downtown Disney House of Blues: Ms. Lauryn Hill will perform at House of Blues at Downtown Disney WestSide on Aug 15, 2014. Doors open at 8:30 pm, show starts at 9:30 pm. The concert venue is general admission standing. This event is all ages. Tickets are $61.
New! Inaugural Pixie Dust Challenge Announced: Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend in Disneyland Resort is magically transforming next year. In its new weekend in May, 2015, participants and spectators can enjoy a runDisney experience for the whole family, including the inaugural Pixie Dust Challenge. The Pixie Dust Challenge will be two days of spectacular runs in the ultimate pixie adventure that combines the 13.1-mile Tinker Bell Half Marathon plus the 6.2-mile Tinker Bell 10K. With race weekends on both coasts, runners have opportunity to earn an extra runDisney medal through the runDisney Coast-to-Coast Race Challenge. Complete at least one half marathon on each coast, in the same calendar year and this additional blue medal is all theirs. For the first time in 2015, any participant who completes both the Disney Princess Half Marathon in Feb. in the Walt Disney World Resort and the Tinker Bell Half Marathon in May in Disneyland Resort will earn a special pink version of the runDisney Coast-to-Coast Challenge medal.
Reminder! Inaugural ESPN Fantasy Football Conventions Coming to Walt Disney World: On August 22-23, you can officially kick-off sport’s greatest season of the year with ESPN‘s inaugural Fantasy Football Convention, taking place at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The first-of-its-kind event features unprecedented access to ESPN talent including Matthew Berry, Adam Schefter, Chris Mortensen, Sara Walsh, Mark Schlereth, Stephania Bell, Tim Hasselbeck and more! The event includes an epic Tailgate Party, where you can mix and mingle with ESPN talent and be a judge in the first-ever ESPN Chili Bowl by taste testing creations from decorated Disney Chefs from around the world, and breakfast with some of your favorite characters decked out for the gridiron. The Convention includes a live broadcast of Fantasy Football Now. The event finale features the opportunity to take part in a live fantasy football draft with the help of ESPN Fantasy Experts roaming the floor. And best yet, season winners of leagues created during the Convention will receive a customized trophy. Talk about bragging rights! Price is $349 per person.
Merchandise Events
August 14 – 17: Keep an eye out! Renowned artist David E. Doss will be appearing daily at Art of Disney in Downtown Disney Marketplace. Stop in and find a new piece of art to add to your collection!
August 14 – 17: It’s time for you to check out the latest releases from international artist Larry Dotson, who will be appearing throughout the day at Main Street Cinema in Magic Kingdom Park.
August 14-17: Experience the perfect summer fragrance line, Aqua Allegoria, from Guerlain! Beat the summer heat with a new Aqua Allegoria fragrance from Guerlain at the La Signature Shoppe in France in Epcot. From August 14-17, Guests can receive a complimentary fragrance sample with any Guerlain purchase of $150 or more. Guests who purchase any Guerlain fragrance also receive complimentary bottle engraving.
August 23: Keep an eye out for spellbinding commemorative T-shirts and more as part of the “Villains Unleashed” event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Remember, a separate ticket is required to attend this event. If you are thinking of going, purchase tickets now at www.DisneyVillainsParty.com or by calling 407.939.1933.
August 29: Be sure to pick up a copy of Tinker Bell: An Evolution, a full biography about everyone’s favorite fiery fairy by author Mindy Johnson. Mindy will appear at Art of Disney in Downtown Disney Marketplace from 3 – 4 p.m., alongside special guest and Disney Legend, Alice Davis. Tip: Also being released during the event is Marc Davis: Walt Disney’s Renaissance Man.
Written by Lori Wall: Lori is a lifelong fan and visitor of Walt Disney World! Her love of Disney World has grown through visits with her own family as well as through planning magical vacations for others! Lori is an expert in maximizing vacations while sticking to a travel budget. Contact her about saving an extra 5% off your Disney vacation with an insider tip! Book your vacation with Lori at (845) 698- 0102 or request a price online.
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