Disney is going above and beyond to celebrate the 50th Anniversary celebration of the Walt Disney World Resort – and even sky high! Expect to see some extra magic soon when this new larger-than-life outdoor art display along the popular I-4/International Drive corridor in Orlando animates to showcase Disney characters and attractions in a whole new way. The dynamic art display will feature additional Disney characters, celebrations and more over time.
Inside the building is a new Walt Disney World Store that combines merchandise, ticket sales and the first-ever interactive Disney Vacation Club Virtual Discovery Station. Opening May 31, this one-stop will give visitors to Central Florida a convenient way to purchase commemorative souvenirs, park tickets and explore Disney Vacation Club membership.
With floor-to-ceiling screens, The Disney Vacation Club Virtual Discovery Station can transport guests to our theme parks, resorts and cruise destinations around the world via first-person virtual tours, photo galleries and videos.
Known as a popular retail and entertainment destination in Central Florida, I-Drive is the perfect spot to highlight all the magic the Walt Disney World Resort has to offer.
Passengers aboard a Frontier Airlines flight from Denver, Colorado, to Orlando, Florida, had to practice a bit of patience in-flight, as one tiny passenger was simply unable to wait.
According to a Facebook post put out by Frontier Airlines, a flight crew onboard a jetliner bound for Orlando International Airport had their work cut out for them. When the First Officer landed the plane in Florida, he did so at a different airport than what was planned, and there was a passenger onboard whose name wasn’t on the original flight‘s passenger record.
As they say in aviation lingo, it was an “unlikely event,” as an expectant mother went into labor unexpectedly mid-flight. But where panic could have ensued, calm and order prevailed.
Flight attendant Diana Giraldo immediately and calmly sprang into action, as if she were a veteran obstetrician–but one who’d taken to the skies to deliver babies. Giraldo assisted the expectant mom to the back lavatory inside the aircraft and proceeded to help deliver her baby, a little girl.
While members of the crew, led by Diana Giraldo tended to their newly assigned obstetric duties, Captain Chris Nye handed flying duties over to his First Officer so he could work to coordinate the plane‘s diversion to Pensacola Airport.
“The whole crew really did a great job,” Nye said. “Dispatch did a great job as well by suggesting Pensacola International Airport and getting a gate and paramedics ready for us. This was a job well done, and I was happy to see everyone working together to successfully deliver a newborn on an aircraft.”
When the plane landed at Pensacola International Airport, paramedics were awaiting the arrival of the new mother and her infant daughter. Upon transferring both mom and baby to the care of paramedics on the ground, Captain Chris Nye and his crew readied passengers to continue the scheduled flight with service to Orlando, Florida via Orlando International Airport, some 380 air miles away.
Captain Nye noted that the aircraft on which the baby was delivered, N717FR, is Frontier’s “Lily and Luna” plane, also referred to as the “mother and daughter plane.” The tail of the plane features an image of a wolf mother and her pup.
Everyone on board and on the ground was delighted that mom and baby were doing well. But something tells us that if there were kids or kids at heart on board with Park Pass Reservations at the Walt Disney World Resort today, they were even happier when their plane took off from the Pensacola airport and then landed in Orlando.
Construction of the Walter Elias Disney International Airport at Disney World just can’t happen fast enough!
The fan-favorite California Grill restaurant will soon have a newly updated menu featuring a lot of plant-based menu items.
From a Disney Cast Member;
For this edition of What’s Cooking, I’ve got some exciting, and delicious, news to share about California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. This rooftop location sits atop the 15th floor of the resort and offers stunning views overlooking Magic Kingdom Park and Seven Seas Lagoon. From witnessing an unrivaled firework viewing or simply taking in the sights from above while enjoying an exquisite meal, it’s clear that California Grill is much more than your average restaurant.
And starting May 26, it will be offering an expansion of diverse plant-based dishes for you to enjoy! Whether you live a plant-based lifestyle or simply want to try something new, all of these new items are sure to satisfy you and your tastebuds.
Chef de Cuisine Daniel Sicilia, Chef Matthew Birch, and their culinary team have brought the flavor to these vegetable-centric courses. With inspirations from their backgrounds with fresh ingredients and farm-to-table menus, these chefs have embraced and encouraged creativity, innovation, and the rich history of this restaurant to create a true culinary experience that can’t be missed.
Without further ado, let’s get to the new plant-based menu at California Grill, shall we?
Now onto the entrées. First, we have the House-made Bucatini Cacio e Pepe, a fresh take on spring flavors with sunflower, allium, crispy sunchokes, charred green onions, toasted onions, and a sunflower seed-ramp pistou along with delicious house-made bucatini topped with a luxurious cashew cream sauce – wow!
The other new plant-based entrée is the Peas and Carrots Risotto with heirloom carrots, English peas, green garlic, confit onion, and sweet carrot foam. This elevated take on a classic dish enhances fresh flavors and ingredients in different and creative ways by the chefs, particularly Chef Matthew Birch who crafted the dish to look like everything is sprouting up from the ground. What a way to grow the menu.
Last but certainly not least, we have desserts! For a sweet finish, the Peanut and Banana Torte is a twist on the classic PB&J. It combines shortbread, peanut ganache, miso-caramel, nut crumbles, and caramelized bananas. I don’t know about you, but this dish sounds, and looks, incredible.
A spin on the “Banana Fritters” that were featured at the restaurant back in 2013, the Lavender Sugar Donuts is a special 50th Anniversary item that is now home on the plant-based menu, featuring some updated fresh ingredients in season. It has a coconut frozen dessert, blueberry gin jam, and pistachio crumble. And not to mention the presentation is beautiful!
Don’t forget, the anniversary celebrations and treats will continue through March of 2023, so you’ve still got time to enjoy them. Be sure to use #DisneyWorld50 to share your favorites, like the Lavender Sugar Donuts!
Not only does California Grill have this exciting plant-based menu, it also has new seasonal dishes, two of which include the Florida Rock Shrimp Salad and the EARidescent Crème Brûlée. The Florida Rock Shrimp Salad has a history with California Grill, paying homage to former Chef de Cuisine Brian Piasecki’s signature salad for the restaurant. This updated version has similar flavors while lightening it up and adding texture with hearts of palm, petite lettuce, yuzu, avocado, jicama, and crisp rice crackers topped with a ginger vinaigrette.
The EARidescent Crème Brûlée serves up a pineapple-mango compote, hibiscus meringue, hibiscus crystals, and coconut and has become quite the fan-favorite with its glimmer and shimmer celebrating the 50th Anniversary. Pastry Sous Chef Amber Vega took inspiration from California with the hibiscus and tropical flavors that lighten up the taste for spring and summer! Who doesn’t love a little sparkle with some fresh flavors?
There you have it, the new plant-based menu and exciting updates coming soon. If you’re a foodie, California Grill is ready for you with all these enhancements to the ever-evolving menu! And if you’re a wine lover, don’t forget to take advantage of pairing suggestions from the experts for these new dishes. Enjoy!
Looking for the best and easiest way to get to and from Central Florida? With theme park giants like Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort, traffic is always a pain… but how about taking a train?
I-4 not only recently opened new express lanes for a toll fee, but Walt Disney World has even announced it is expanding outside of its property bubble with a new Disney Store and digital display for all to enjoy while traveling I-4.
Now, we’re shifting our focus to Orlando International Airport (MCO) where construction is under work to expand with a new Terminal C opening later this summer to keep up with MCO’s massive volume of travelers. MCO had a new visitor however as Brightline has set a new milestone in the Orlando area.
With planes and automobiles covered… Orlando is shifting its focus to TRAINS! On Wednesday, May 18, 2022, the very first Brightline train arrived at the Orlando International Airport. The high-speed rail service has been the center of much buzz lately as it works to connect Orlando to Miami.
What makes this even sweeter for Disney travelers? Well, Walt Disney World Resort (and Universal Orlando Resort) are currently in talks with Brightline and Orlando’s local commuter rail, SunRail, to provide train service to the theme parks. The initial proposal is to open a Disney train station in the Disney Springs area.
There is still much discussion and planning in the works for the Disney Springs station, but we are eager to experience a high-speed train as the perfect transportation to take Guests from the airport to Disney’s property easily. Of course, we’re still missing Disney’s Magical Express, but are happy to have other transportation possibilities in the works.
This summer is going to be an exceptional one at Walt Disney World Resort! If you’re in the mood for some “Frontier-Style Family Fun”, Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is making its grand return to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground with pricing and showtimes now available.
While we were sad to learn Spirit of Aloha at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is officially closed for good to make way for a new Polynesian Resort tower, we were thankful when Disney announced it would be returning at least one of its former two dinner show offerings.
Disney previously announced that Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue will make its grand return on June 23, 2022, making all of us Disney foodies relieved to see the return of this nostalgic dining experience.
The dinner show is held in Pioneer Hall where Guests gather for an all-you-care-to-enjoy feast of fried chicken, smoked BBQ, and pork ribs with savory sides such as tossed green salad, cowboy beans, fresh-baked cornbread (YUM!), macaroni and cheese, and creamy coleslaw. Top off the meal with Hoop-Dee-Doo’s famous strawberry shortcake! Plus, let’s not forget the opportunity to enjoy unlimited draft beer, wine, and sangria for Guests 21 years and up.
While the food is exceptional, the Hoop-Dee-Doo Pioneer Hall Players take center stage for 2 hours of “rousing Wild West dancing, singing, and zany comedy.” The fun-spirited dinner show has been a family favorite for years with its ability to keep the audience entertained and bellies satisfied. You won’t be able to resist clapping, laughing, and singing along!
Showtimes
Disney has now revealed showtimes for Hoop Dee Doo Revue beginning June 23, 2022, as noted, “Please arrive 30 minutes prior to reservation time to check-in. The doors open at 4:00 p.m., 6:15 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. Seating will begin immediately at these times; the show begins 20 minutes later.”
Pricing
How much is this Disney experience going to cost? Pricing for Hoop-Dee-Doo is broken down into three categories:
Category 1: $74 (ages 10 years and older); $44 (ages 3-9)
Category 2: $69 (ages 10 years and older); $40 (ages 3-9)
Category 3: $66 (ages 10 years and older); $39 (ages 3-9)
It is recommended that you splurge for Category 1 per Guest if at all possible as it puts you front and center with all the action. We will say, however, that there really isn’t a bad seat in the house! The experience is a perfect way to enjoy exceptional Walt Disney World dining with entertainment outside of a Disney Park.
The dinner show pricing isn’t returning with a massive price increase. In 2019, Category 1 cost $72 for adults and $43 for children, Category 2 was $67 for adults and $39 for children, and Category 3 was $64 for adults and $38 for children.
Reservations for Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue go on sale beginning Thursday, May 26, 2022, with the first show beginning June 23rd.
