If you’re making plans for your evening at Walt Disney World Resort today, you might want to make note of a change.
According to the official Disney website, the popular attraction Test Track at EPCOT will be closing early today. The Park isn’t set to close until 9:00 p.m., but Test Track will be closing at 6:30 p.m.
Disney has not given an official reason. This is the third-straight day that the attraction has closed early.
The Disney website currently lists Test Track being open for the entirety of EPCOT’s Park Hours tomorrow, but that is subject to change.
It’s easy to say that Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ — which opened in 2016 — may be one of the most popular places to eat in Disney Springs. Guests just can’t get enough of the classic Southern dishes like Church Lady Deviled Eggs, Fried Chicken, Shrimp and Grits, Fried Catfish, and Hummingbird Cake. The restaurant is typically always booked 60 days out, and Guests will line up before the doors open in hopes of being able to get a coveted walk-up spot. Homecomin’ was even voted Best Southern Restaurant by Orlando Magazine, so you know its food is melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
Now, Art Smith has revealed that he will be opening a second restaurant — this time at the Orlando International Airport. Smith shared the news of his newest establishment — which will be called Sunshine Diner — on Facebook, saying:
Very excited to announce our first airport restaurant at Orlando International Airport,it’s taken many years but finally people from all over the world will get to taste us. Opening this summer 2022. Don’t expect anything like our other restaurants it will be unique and part of my dream to revitalize the great American diner. XOArt #SunshineDiner#ChefArtSmith
According to reports, Sunshine Diner is expected to open at Orlando International Airport this summer and will be located in the airport’s brand-new Terminal C, which will not open itself until July.
If you have not yet been able to dine at Homecomin’ in Disney Springs, here is more information on the in-demand eatery from the Walt Disney World website:
Enjoy the welcoming vibe at this down-home kitchen and shine bar! From starters to main plates, the eatery’s cuisine is inspired by Florida agriculture and the recipes of Chef Art’s family table.
Guests 21 and older can sip on creative libations—including signature moonshine craft cocktails—from the adjacent Southern Shine bar.
Join us for a special Southern-style brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM.
Tempt taste buds of all ages with a savory selection of feel-good dishes, including fried chicken and house-made sugar doughnuts, short rib hash and an open-faced biscuit topped with Chef Art’s famous fried chicken, 2 over-easy eggs, pimento cheese and pecan-smoked bacon smothered in sawmill gravy and served with a choice of side.
And what’s brunch without cocktails? Enjoy crafty libations including white peach sangria, mimosas with fresh-squeezed juices and an over-the-top Bloody Mary with all the fixins’. Pinkies up!
Reservations for Homecomin’ can be made up to 60 days in advance for those staying on Disney World property and up to 30 days in advance for all other Guests. You can make a reservation by visiting the Disney World website or checking availability on the My Disney Experience app.
Disney Cruise Line has just announced that it is delaying the debut of its newest ship, the Disney Wish, at Port Canaveral this summer.
The newest member of the Disney Cruise Line fleet was first announced in 2019 and was originally to begin carrying passengers in January of 2022, but because of the pandemic, construction of the giant floating Disney getaway was delayed.
The most recent date announced for her maiden voyage was June 9, 2022, but citing delays at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, the Disney Wish now has a debut date of July 14, 2022.
“We know how much our Guests are looking forward to sailing on the Disney Wish, and we understand the disappointment and inconvenience this will cause,” said Disney Cruise Line President Thomas Mazloum in a press release. “We treasure the relationship we have with those who sail and make memories with us, and we will work closely with those affected to welcome them aboard in the future.”
The new delay means that the first 12 sailings offered aboard the Disney Wish have been canceled. Now Guests will need to either rebook or request a refund. Disney Cruise Line is offering Guests impacted by the cancelations a 50% discount on any booking through December 31, 2023.
Construction on the giant ship first began in 2020 at the shipyard. The Disney Wish boasts a first-of-its-kind 2,000-foot suite inside one of the ship’s iconic red funnels (as seen below). The Wish Tower Suite can sleep up to 8 Guests on two stories, and it has 4 1/2 bathrooms.
The Disney Wish is bigger than her sisters the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy, which were delivered in 2010 and 2011, respectively. They were the largest ocean liners built in Germany at that time. Both the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy weigh 129,690 gross tons, are 339.5 meters (1113.8 feet) long, and are 36.8 meters (120.7 feet) wide.
The Disney Wish, however, weighs a hefty 135,000 gross tons, is 341 meters (1118.8 feet) long, and is 41 meters (134.5 feet) wide. She stands a Goliath 221 feet tall, and has 15 decks–10 of which have cabins–and 1,254 staterooms, including 53 concierge staterooms and 23 concierge suites, and can accommodate around 4,000 passengers. More than 900 of those cabins connect to one another to make traveling with families and other large groups more enjoyable.
The Disney Wish’s sisters are set to take over from the Disney Dream the three- and four-night voyages to the Bahamas. Those sailings include stops at Disney’s Castaway Cay. The Disney Dream will be moving to Miami on June 7, 2022, and the Disney Fantasy will remain at Port Canaveral, offering seven-night sailings to Guests.
Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, located near the Boardwalk, brings back the luxury and elegance of an older, New England-style yacht club, complete with nautical details around every corner and even a lighthouse. Disney’s Yacht Club is not only an incredibly popular hotel choice for Guests visiting Walt Disney World, but it is also popular amongst large groups looking for a great location to host their conventions.
Disney’s Yacht Club features nearly 100,000 square feet of meeting space, including the 36,000 square foot Grand Harbor Ballroom, 16,000 square foot Newport Balloon, 8,200 square foot Asbury Hall, and 2,500 square foot Cape Cod Hall. The charm and grandeur of the hotel, paired with the massive spaces for meetings, make it a perfect spot for large conventions all year round.
This year, The Federalist Society will be hosting its Eighth Annual Florida Chapters Conference this year and there will be a number of notable speakers, including former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and current Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. The event is scheduled to take place on both February 4 and February 5, but, according to the schedule, Pence, DeSantis, and Gorsuch will all be speaking on February 4.
Disney’s Yacht Club website has not indicated that this conference, or the impending traffic, will have any effect on Guests staying at either the Yacht Club or the Beach Club, which are located next to each other.
ounded in 1982, the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies is a group of conservatives and libertarians dedicated to reforming the current legal order. We are committed to the principles that the state exists to preserve freedom, that the separation of governmental powers is central to our Constitution, and that it is emphatically the province and duty of the judiciary to say what the law is, not what it should be. The Society seeks to promote awareness of these principles and to further their application through its activities.
Please note that, while Disney’s Yacht Club may not have anything posted on its website, the Chapters Conference will be bringing more Guests to the Boardwalk area, on both the 4th and the 5th. If you have reservations at one of the many delicious restaurants or plan on visiting the area, you may want to give yourself a little more time to get there and find parking.
A Long Island, New York family has won a trip for 50 to the Walt Disney World Resort in Visit Orlando’s “Most Magical Gathering” Contest. Jennifer Young of Bayport, New York, got the exciting news that she had won the trip of a lifetime for herself and 49 of her closest family members and friends.
According to VisitOrlando.com, the grand prize trip includes so much more than just a couple of days at Disney with the family:
“The grand prize celebration for 50 people includes a three-night, four-day stay at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, two private catered group celebrations produced by a Disney event specialist from Disney Meetings & Events and theme park tickets. In early March, Young and her family will celebrate three special events – a shared 50th birthday party with her husband and her parents’ 50th wedding anniversary – and will be visiting during the 50th anniversary celebration at Walt Disney World Resort. The contest prize also includes roundtrip airfare to Orlando provided by Spirit Airlines.”
“It’s been such a long time since all of us have been in the same place at the same time and we’re looking forward to having a lot of fun together,” Jennifer said. “There is a lot to celebrate!”
Jennifer Young submitted a story about her amazing circle of family and friends who consider themselves a pretty tight-knit bunch. In the story, Jennifer says that they believe laughing together makes life so much better. Her story also described the impact that the global pandemic has had on her and her family and friends personally. Jennifer chose to enter the contest because she hoped that she could win and then share the amazing prize with that close-knit group to make up for time lost due to the pandemic.
When it came to milestones, Jennifer mentioned that she and her husband would be celebrating their 50th birthdays (just like Disney World), and her parents were celebrating 50 years of wedded bliss. But that’s not all.
Jennifer’s mother-in-law is celebrating her 80th birthday, and other family members’ celebrations included special events like high school graduations, college graduations, and even a sweet 16th.
Jennifer and her family were surprised with the news that she was the grand prize winner in a Zoom call last month. Representatives from Visit Orlando, Walt Disney World, and Spirit Airlines were online for the call and made the announcement to the family. Upon hearing the news, those members of Jennifer’s circle who participated in the Zoom call began cheering, clapping, and crying tears of joy–and they were spread out between New York, Delaware, and South Carolina.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Young family to our destination this spring and help them celebrate some huge milestones events with their beloved friends and family members,” said Casandra Matej, President and CEO of Visit Orlando. “There’s no better place than Orlando for Jennifer and her family to finally reunite, enjoy magical experiences, and create incredible memories they will cherish for a lifetime.”
Maryann Smith, Vice President of Sales, Services, and Events at Disney Destinations was on hand for the call as well.
“What a joy to get to host Jennifer and her family at Walt Disney World Resort during our magical 50th anniversary celebration,” Smith said. “Memories are made here every day, and we can’t wait to see what magical memories Jennifer’s family makes and brings home.”
Write and submit a story in 250 words or less, about why they and their loved ones needed a Magical Gathering, including what milestones they’d be celebrating.
Submit the story with a family photo
Send in submissions no later than November 29, 2021.
Once top finalists were chosen, they were then asked to submit a two-minute video, describing why their family deserved a Magical Gathering at Disney World.
Surely for Jennifer and her entire circle of family and friends, “magical” doesn’t even begin to describe the trip of a lifetime they’re about to enjoy! Congratulations to them all!
