Walt Disney World Restaurant REOPENINGS Announced!

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Dining, Disney Resorts

Exciting news coming out of Walt Disney World Resort as we are learning several Disney Resort restaurants are FINALLY reopening their doors!

First up, Disney has announced Flying Fish at Disney’s BoardWalk is reopening!

Disney shares, “The chefs from Flying Fish over at Disney’s BoardWalk are ready to welcome you back on Jan. 27 with their signature seafood dishes. Enjoy a taste of luxury with unrivaled flavors, sustainable seafood, and steak offerings. When it comes to entrées, this restaurant does not disappoint. The Seafood Pearl Pasta consists of all your favorites – shrimp, lobster, scallops, clams, and mussels. For another option from the sea, consider the Plancha-seared Scallops accompanied with savory grits, sweet corn, and Peppadew emulsion. How delicious! After indulging in your dinner, there’s no better way to conclude a trip to Flying Fish than with a sweet finish. If you love chocolate, the Cocoa Breach accompanied with delicious vanilla custard is the treat for you.“

Collage of offerings from The Turf Club Bar and Grill

Let’s move on over to Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa where The Turf Club Bar and Grill is reopening soon!

Disney has announced, “Get ready for a night at the races again starting on Feb. 3 with a nice trip out to Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. Here you’ll find The Turf Club Bar and Grill, a special spot with a reputation for delicious American flavors in every dish. Begin your evening on a high note right out of the gate with the New York Cider-braised Mussels appetizer flavored with garlic, chorizo, fennel, Fresno chili, and apple cider topped with a grilled baguette. As you move on to the next course, the Grilled Pork Chop or Braised Lamb Tagliatelle both have a place in the winner’s circle of flavor. And don’t forget to top off your meal with one of the delightful desserts, like the New York Cheesecake. Yum!“

Collage of food offerings from Jiko – The Cooking Place

How about a little goodness over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge? That’s right, Jiko – The Cooking Place is once again opening its doors.

Disney shares, “Beginning on Feb. 17, venture over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge to savor the tastes and flavors of African, Indian, and Mediterranean cuisine at Jiko – The Cooking Place. As this spot welcomes you again, try the Seafood Tagine. Filled with prawns, scallops, squid, and Littleneck clams, this dish is a shellfish lover’s dream! For a sweet finish, the returning Kilimanjaro dessert is not just gorgeous, but delicious too. Decadent dark chocolate mousse, pistachio financier, pink peppercorn meringue, cacao nib crunch, and ras el hanout pineapples – what could be better?”

Collage of food offerings from Cape May Café

While previously open, we are excited to hear that Disney is returning some beloved offerings at Cape May Cafe and Ale & Compass Restaurants.

First, Disney has announced “Over at Cape May Café on Feb. 15, embrace the New England vibes as you once again feast upon an all-you-care-to-enjoy, buffet breakfast with tasty items like pull-apart bread with vanilla sauce, beef hash, and an omelet station. And what breakfast is complete without Mickey and Minnie waffles? As the sun goes down, the buffets keep coming with options like cornbread, seasonal harvest salad, seafood boil, and a daily carving station, just to name a few. You can also choose to upgrade your meal with snow crab legs or even a whole lobster, both purchased by the pound. It’s best to bring your appetite for these exciting returns because you’ll want a bite of everything!”

Image of Blueberry Bacon Pancakes and interior of Ale & Compass Restaurant

And right next door at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, Ale & Compass Restaurant is bringing back some tasty breakfast offerings!

Disney goes on to say, “Next door at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort starting Jan. 31, the Ale & Compass Restaurant is back with some returning breakfast options and exciting, new lunch offerings. Start off by indulging in one of the delicious à la carte entrées, like Blueberry Bacon Pancakes. And don’t forget to enhance your breakfast with a tasty buffet filled with dazzling additions to your entrée, including pastries, fresh fruit, yogurt parfaits, overnight oats, and house-made cheddar biscuits with country gravy.”

Ready to book a fantastic meal at one of these locations? Booking reservations open starting January 20, 2022.

Disney Star Has Oscar Replaced Years After Original Was Stolen

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

In 1961, actress and Disney Legend, Hayley Mills, won a Juvenile Oscar for her role as the always-positive Pollyanna in the Disney film of the same name. The Juvenile Oscar awards — which were smaller than a regular Oscar — were a special Academy Award given out to those actors under 18 who the Academy wanted to honor for their contribution to the entertainment industry. The Juvenile Oscars were discontinued after Mills won, only having been won by 12 children, including Shirley Temple Mickey Rooney, and Judy Garland.

In the 1980s, Mills left her home in London to head to Los Angeles to film a new series — Good Morning, Miss Bliss — a show that would be the beginning of the Saved By the Bell franchise. Mills was gone for one year and when she returned to her London flat, she saw that the Oscar had been taken. She spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the theft in 2018, saying:

“When I came back from that first year, my little statuette had disappeared, and I never found it. And you know, it’s not something you can replace. They’ve broken the mold. I spoke to the Academy, and I said, ‘Well, look, give me a big one then!’ They said, ‘I’m sorry, it doesn’t work like that.’”

While it may not have worked like that in the 1980s, it apparently does work like that now. On January 11, The Academy surprised Mills with her very own, full-size, Oscar to replace the one that had been taken from her decades before. The Academy no longer has the mold for the Juvenile Oscar, which is why they presented her with the larger one. They shared the moment they presented her with the Award — and Mills’ shock at receiving it — on Twitter.

Hayley Mills being reunited with her long lost Academy Juvenile Award (which she won for 1960’s “Pollyanna”) by AMPAS president David Rubin is the purest thing you’ll see all day.

Throughout her decades working in Hollywood, Mills has appeared in a number of Disney films apart from Pollyanna, including The Parent Trap (1961), That Darn Cat! (1065), Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life (1981), and The Parent Trap II (1986), among others.

A Hilarious “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” Parody

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney+, Uncategorized

If you’re a Disney fan, there’s no doubt you’ve either watched or have heard multiple takes on Disney’s newest animated film, Encanto. The film was initially released in the theaters and is now available to watch on Disney+. Encanto’s stunning animation and music have Disney fans infatuated, with awards flooding in for the new movie. But, there is one song that is especially catchy from Encanto – yep, you know it… “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”. So, of course, a parody of the popular song is rather fitting.

Encanto

One of the most popular characters in Encanto is what seems like the villain at first but later is discovered to be a key part of the magical family. Yes, we’re talking about Bruno! His special gift has kept him hiding away for several years and his family pulls together a song literally talking about Bruno…. but called, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”.

bruno disney's encanto

And while the Encanto family tries not to talk about Bruno, it seems like if you apply that to today, the big hush that has everyone in talks on social media, news, and beyond is COVID. Even though we’re almost two years in since the major COVID-19 closures began in March 2020, today, cases of the Omicron variant are just as high as ever.

So how are Encanto and COVID linking up here? Well, a new catchy parody is taking over social media!

Chances are if you’re on social media, you’ve seen videos from the Holderness Family pop up on occasion. Kim and Penn Holderness are known for dishing out funny music videos that display what many young families are experiencing at the present time. The best part… the Holderness Family does it with a little dose of humor. They say the point of their videos is to “create original music, song parodies, and skits to poke fun of ourselves, the world we live in, and (hopefully) make you laugh.”

The Holderness Family’s latest video is “We Don’t Talk About COVID” which is a “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” Parody from the ever-so-popular Disney’s Encanto. The video was posted with the note, “It’s the elephant in the room… and it’s weird, right? #encanto #parody #bruno.” Check it out below:

In case you’re in the mood to hear the real “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from Disney’s Encanto and Lin Manuel Miranda, here’s the music video to compare to the “We Don’t Talk About COVID” above:

Disney casts male lead for “Snow White” remake

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Disney has made its pick for the male lead in its upcoming live-action remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs(1937).

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Andrew Burnap, best known for his Tony-award-winning performance in The Inheritance has won the hearts of those in casting at Disney, but his role in the new film may not be one of winning hearts as in the 1937 version of the film–more on that in a bit.

Burnap will join an already star-studded cast of actors and actresses, including Rachel Zegler (West Side Story) as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen (The Fast and the Furious, Wonder Woman).

Gal Gadot Didn't Return for Reshoots of Zack Snyder's Justice League | PEOPLE.com

The new Snow White film will be a new take on the animated feature that started Disney’s film-making career in 1937. It will be produced by Marc Platt, who is also currently working on the live-action version of Disney’sThe Little Mermaid. Marc Webb is at the helm as director of the new Snow White-inspired flick.

Burnap is set to play a new role. All we know at this time is that his role is the male lead, but it will be a newly created role in the film, instead of the Prince or the Huntsman. We aren’t sure exactly what that new role is yet, but we know that the role will call for Burnap to sing in the film.

And speaking of singing, the new film will be a musical. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul are writing the new music for the film. You may recognize their names as they have penned the songs in other successful films like La La Land, The Greatest Showman, and Dear Evan Hansen.

Filming is set to begin in the U. K. in March.

Disney Releases 2 New Exclusive Magic Bands

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Dining, Disney Parks, Disney Resorts, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

If there is one thing that has become synonymous with planning your Walt Disney World vacation, it is MagicBands. Not only do MagicBands act as a Guest’s theme park ticket, but they also act as room keys, and for Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, the MagicBand can be used to charge purchases to their room. MagicBands come in a ton of different styles, so there is truly a design to fit everyone’s style and preferences.

While many MagicBands can be purchased and used by all Guests, there are some MagicBands that are sold exclusively to those who are Annual Passholders, Resort hotel Guests, and even Disney Vacation Club members. Disney has recently revealed 2 new MagicBands that are available for purchase for those staying at a Disney World hotel, as well as Annual Passholders. There are also special “pre-arrival” prices, that give you a discount if you get them before you arrive for your magical vacation.

Here’s what Disney has released!

Happily Ever After

This new MagicBand is perfect for those who are newly engaged or married — or even Guests who just love everything that has to do with Cinderella. This gorgeous white band features the phrase “Happily Ever After” written in gold and also shows Cinderella dancing with her Prince, it even shows some of the popular birds that were there to help Cinderella design her clothes.

What’s also great about this MagicBand is that if you order it before you arrive for your vacation, you can save a ton of money! Instead of paying $34.99 if you purchase in person, you will only pay $20.

UP Travel Buddies

This new MagicBand is an amazing choice for those who can’t get enough of Carl Fredricksen, Russell, Dug, and Kevin! This teal MagicBand feature Carl and Russell and shows a sketch of Kevin. There is also an adorable drawing of Carl’s house floating with all of the balloons with Paradise Falls in the background. The UP Travel Buddies MagicBand is also available for the discounted price of $20 if you order it before your Disney World trip.

Currently, MagicBands are available for pre-order up to 10 days before your vacation. If you do not order before that time, you can always buy your MagicBand at any one of the four Walt Disney World theme parks and add your tickets and information to the Band after you buy it.