Join us on June 29 at 11 a.m. EST for the incredible debut and christening of Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Disney Wish!
Live from Port Canaveral, Florida, this unforgettable celebration of enchantment will showcase the world’s first look inside our innovative new ship and will feature special guests, spectacular musical performances and characters from your favorite Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars adventures.
You definitely won’t want to miss this incredible event that includes an exclusive look inside some of the ship’s most highly anticipated features — like AquaMouse, the first-ever Disney attraction at sea; first-of-their-kind dining adventures themed to “Frozen” and Marvel; an immersive lounge set in the Star Wars galaxy; and a real-life wonderland for kids at Disney’s Oceaneer Club — plus special appearances from our crew members on board the Disney Wish.
Here’s a sneak peek of the new enchantment coming to the high seas in just a few short weeks.
Among the line up of fantastic signature dining options at Walt Disney World, there is one notable option that has been missing since Walt Disney World closed temporarily in March of 2020, Victoria & Alberts. Award winning Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian finally has an re-opening date.
From a Disney Cast Member;
Few establishments allow you to indulge in the luxurious cuisine quite like Victoria & Albert’s. I’m thrilled to share this fine dining restaurant at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is preparing for its momentous return on July 28, with reservations available starting June 20.
Victoria & Albert’s, a recipient of the AAA Five Diamond Award since 2000 and Forbes Travel Guide Five Star Award since 2018, is known for its unmatched dining experience with exquisite dishes made with ingredients from across the globe. This restaurant is the only one in Florida to hold the honor of having both the AAA Five Diamond and the Forbes Travel Guide Five Star awards and joins only 26 others in the nation with this same unique distinction.
The time has come to experience its timeless elegance and modern twist on American cuisine. Not only will its flavors be enhanced, but the space will be too. The newly reimagined dining room brings guests into a Victorian-styled setting with murals and wall coverings that showcase a timeless elegance and subtle inspirations of a whimsical garden. For a more intimate evening, the private Queen Victoria’s Room or the coveted Chef’s Table with a front-row seat to the culinary masterminds at work may be the option for you. The world-class wine collection found within its wine cellar, with over 500 selections, perfectly pairs with your dishes by the sommeliers on staff. If you’re interested in zero-proof cocktails, there are delicious beverage pairing options for you as well.
Upon reopening, you’ll savor your way through the Chef’s Tasting Menu. Each dish balances elegant ingredients with unique flavors. With the ever-evolving menu at Victoria & Albert’s, guests will be able to indulge in dishes such as Colorado Lamb with pickled blueberry and violet mustard and line-caught turbot with fennel fondue, and Pernod beurre blanc. Those who enjoy the finest of beef can experience the Wagyu A-5 Miyazaki with sauce romesco and potato rösti. Chocolate lovers will revel in the Spectrum of Chocolate, an ombré featuring specialty sourced chocolates with accents of buttermilk, Grand Marnier, and vanilla.
These dishes are masterfully created by the talented culinary team led by Victoria & Albert’s Chef de Cuisine Matthew Sowers. He has been working at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts since 2006, with over 15 years of culinary experience at Victoria & Albert’s, in addition to curating menus for Remy on the Disney Dream and Fantasy. With more than 30 years of experience, Pastry Chef Kristine Farmer was part of the opening team at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and currently leads the pastry team of the resort, including its three signature restaurants, Disney’s Fairytale Weddings, and even the production of the gingerbread house.
Leading the talented chefs is Executive Chef Kevin Chong, who oversees all culinary operations at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. It is no small feat, but this chef and his team uphold the reputation that has long been established for these delicious eateries. Of course, we can’t talk about Victoria and Albert’s without mentioning the legacy of Culinary Director, Chef Scott Hunnel. The James Beard award nominee provides direction and mentorship to chefs across multiple resorts, including the team at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
Sommelier Israel Perez serves as the maître d’hotel where he and his award-winning team pay special attention to every detail of the dining experience. For over 20 years, he has created memorable experiences for guests at various signature restaurants across the Walt Disney World Resort.
A reminder about Victoria & Albert’s dress code – be sure to dress to impress, as this is an exquisite and intimate dining experience and the culinary crown jewel of the Walt Disney World Resort. Guests are expected to dress accordingly for this upscale location with semi-formal to formal attire that respects the restaurant’s elegant and opulent aesthetic.
The reopening of this fine dining staple comes as part of the multi-year transformation of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, honoring its rich history at Walt Disney World Resort while enhancing its iconic Victorian charm and elegance. This grand transformation began with the addition of Enchanted Rose lounge and the reimagining of Cítricos – which features sophisticated, subtle nods to beloved Disney films – and continued with the reopening of The Grand Floridian Spa. Victoria & Albert’s and the newly enhanced and expanded accommodations at The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will open this summer. The transformation will continue with updated offerings across the resort over the coming years.
Authorities in Florida are actively investigating the strange disappearance of members of the Special Olympics delegation from Haiti after they checked into their hotel rooms on Monday in preparation for the 2022 Special Olympics Games in the Sunshine State and were never seen again.
Disney has been on tap to help make the 2022 Special Olympics Games as magical as possible. Not only will the ESPN Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World Resort serve as one of the venues for this year’s Games, but Disney Live Entertainment had the honor of producing the event’s Opening Ceremony.
But six people who were to be in attendance at the Special Olympics Games this year have mysteriously disappeared. They are delegates from Haiti who checked into their hotel rooms on Monday and then vanished, leaving behind their luggage and other belongings.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office has identified six members of the Haitian Special Olympics soccer team who were last seen on Monday around 2:30 p.m. at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. They are Atione Joseph Mithon, 32; Nicholson Fontilus, 20; Peter Mianovich Berlus, 19; Anderson Petit-Frere, 18; Steevenson Jacquet, 24 and Oriol Jean, 18,WFTV in Orlando reported.
According to a statement released by the Special Olympics USA Games on Monday, five of the missing people do not have a disability, while the sixth individual does have an intellectual disability.
“The well-being of these delegates is our foremost concern,” The Special Olympics USA Games said in a statement on the organization’s website. “Local authorities have indicated they have no reason to believe the health and safety of any of the individuals are at risk. To expand the reach and effectiveness of law enforcement’s efforts to locate these individuals, they have been reported as missing persons.”
Disney’s involvement with the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games is part of a two-year effort between Disney Live Entertainment and the Special Olympics games in preparation for this year’s event that looks to be the biggest Special Olympics USA Games ever.
Per the Special Olympics website, Disney’s efforts in the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games are just one part of the 34-year partnership Disney shares with the organization.
The Walt Disney Company and ESPN are proud of their 34-year relationship with Special Olympics, together helping end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities. In recent years, Disney and ESPN have continued to deepen their relationship with the Special Olympics movement through donation, program sponsorship, and programming.
In recent years, The Walt Disney Company’s commitment to Special Olympics has included: Support for the Special Olympics’ 50th Anniversary celebration and global inclusion campaign (“The Revolution is Inclusion”), including a year-long “Game Changers” storytelling initiative; Presenting Sponsorship of the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games and the Games Volunteer Program; Disney VoluntEARS engagement at Special Olympics events; ESPN’s Global Presenting Sponsorship of Special Olympics Unified Sports, which joins people with and without intellectual disabilities to practice, train and play together; and ESPN’s role as Official Broadcaster of the 2015, 2017 and 2019 Special Olympics World Games, the 2018 Special Olympics USA Games, and the 50th Anniversary of Special Olympics events in Chicago.
The investigation into what happened to the Haitian delegates is ongoing at this time. Anyone with information about the six delegates and their whereabouts is urged to contact the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office immediately.
The Walt Disney World Resort is welcoming yet another restaurant to its Central Florida property, and Guests are going to love the atmosphere and the food!
Last week, Summer House on the Lake made the official announcement via social media that its third location will open at the Walt Disney World Resort in 2023. It will be located inside the Disney Springs shopping, dining, and entertainment complex.
Summer House on the Lake has two other locations at this time: one in Chicago and one in Maryland. This will be its first-ever Florida location.
The California-inspired menu, led by Chef Ben Goodnick, features simple ingredients sourced from local grower partnerships and sustainable products. Rosé is poured all day off the signature Rosé Cart, alongside an extensive wine and handcrafted cocktail list. And no matter the weather, the bright and airy vibes always fill the atmosphere.
Whether you’re in for date night, a family get-together, or brunch with friends, summer is waiting for you on the other side.
Menu items include salads, sandwiches, tacos, pizzas, and pastas, among other offerings.
Summer House on the Lake is owned and operated by Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, a company that began in 1971 and owns, manages, and licenses more than 130 restaurants in 12 states, including Illinois, Minnesota, Maryland, Nevada, Virginia, Washington D. C., Texas, and Florida.
Summer House on the Lake at Disney Springs will replace plans the complex had for the Beatrix Restaurant, also owned by Lettuce Entertain You. Beatrix was announced in 2019 and was to open at Disney Springs West Side.
A neighborhood restaurant, grab-and-go market and coffeehouse, Beatrix was to feature healthy food options, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, as well as fresh-squeezed juice cocktails. A full-service bar and a bakery were also planned for the new restaurant.
But those plans have since changed and instead of Beatrix, Summer House on the Lake will call Disney Springs home sometime in 2023.
“Summer House will be replacing Beatrix,” the company said. “During the pause in construction in 2020, we had time to reflect and evaluate what we wished to put into Disney Springs. We decided, and Disney agreed that the Summer House brand was better suited for this particular project.”
Summer House on the Lake will be located on Disney Springs West Side near AMC Theatres.
Disney World‘s 2023 vacation packages have just become available for Guests to book, and they revealed big news about the Disney Dining Plan.
The Disney Dining Plan has long been a favorite add-on to a Disney World vacation for Guests of all ages. The plan allowed Guests the flexibility to enjoy a day at a Walt Disney World theme park without all the worrying and fussing over dining options. When it was time to sit down for a meal, Guests could use Disney Dining Plans to cover the cost of a meal, and each meal would subtract from the number of “credits” a Guest had, depending on the plan they had purchased.
Table service restaurants like Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Cinderella’s Royal Table at Magic Kingdom, and 1900 Park Fare at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort carried a higher value than quick-service restaurants, but both were included in the dining plan, as were snack options. Guests learned to become well-versed in the dining plans, and many knew which options, such as character dining, used more credits. The plans were available to use at most Disney World restaurants, and as usual, making an advance dining reservation only helped the whole process.
There was even a Disney Deluxe Dining Plan which offered Guests even more flexibility and options.
But Disney suspended the Disney World Resort Dining Plan in March 2020 when the parks closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic. But when the parks at Disney World reopened in July 2020, the Disney DiningPlan did not return. Since then, Guests have been wondering if and when Disney will ever bring back the Guest-favorite vacation package option.
And while we wish we could announce that the 2023 Disney World vacation packages, which just became available for booking on Wednesday, included the Disney Dining Plan that could be used for quick service meal options and table service meal options, quite the opposite is true.
From the offerings on Disney World‘s official website, it’s clear that the Disney Dining Plan will not be available as an add-on for the foreseeable planning future at the parks. And it’s not the only thing that isn’t available.
As was previously reported, Guests will not be able to pre-purchase the Genie+ option when they book their vacation packages. Instead, Guests will have the opportunity to purchase Genie+ in the My Disney Experience app each day if they want to utilize those perks and services.
The one thing many Guests were hoping would go away in 2023 is clearly here to stay throughout next year. Disney World‘s Park Pass Reservation System rolled out when the parks reopened in July 2020, and many thought it would be a temporary arrangement meant to manage park capacities as the world bounced back from the global pandemic. But the Park Pass System is still up and running, and it will continue to be the way of the (Disney) World at least through 2023.
In some instances, Disney is even imposing “no-show” penalties for Guests who make Park Pass reservations and then don’t show up at the parks at Disneyland.
It remains to be seen when the dining plan options will be part of the add-ons for Disney World vacation packages, and though it looks hopeless at times, we’re still holding out hope that the dining plans will return–and sooner, rather than later!
