Disney has announced two favorite Magic Kingdom restaurants are reopening.
As shared by Disney: “Get ready to hit your craving for hot dogs out of the park! Casey’s Corner on Main Street, U.S.A., will reopen June 30 with their classic all-beef hot dogs. Catch hold of a Chili-Cheese All-Beef Hot Dog or dig into a pile of Corn Dog Nuggets with, of course, cheese sauce. And my fav, the plant-based Loaded Slaw Dog (plant-based sausage topped with pickled slaw, barbecue vegan aïoli, and roasted corn relish), is back! The Frozen Mint Julep Lemonade is a refreshing homerun to go along with your hot dog. And don’t forget, mobile order is available at Casey’s Corner.
Disney goes on to share a second Magic Kingdom favorite is reopening: “Get ready to treat yourself to hand-scooped ice cream at Plaza Ice Cream Parlor hosted by Edys. This oh-so-sweet nostalgic ice cream parlor on Main Street, U.S.A., will open July 7 with all your favorite flavors on a cone or in a cup – fat-free and no sugar added, as well as plant-based non-dairy options will be available. And more sweet news: Barq’s Root Beer Floats and Coca-Cola Floats are back! Not sure it can get much better than that!
Disney, like many companies, is struggling to find employees post-COVID. In an attempt to recruit new workers, Walt Disney World is offering a $1000 signing bonus to housekeeping staff and line cooks if they stay on the job for at least 90 days.
The hourly pay for these roles are $16 per hour for housekeeping and $18 per hour for cooks.
About 33,000 of the more than 41,000 members of the Service Trades Council Union have returned to work, according to Matt Hollis, president of that worker coalition. Walt Disney World also recently reinstated the Disney College Program.
A new set of Disney books will be coming later this year to celebrate the anniversary. Take a look below at what will be releasing.
A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of The Most Magical Place on Earth
This expansive, must-have coffee table book paints a robust portrait of the Walt Disney World Resort across 50 magical years, through diverse and vibrant voices. Disney fans will love the mostly unseen Disney theme park concept art and photographs in this beautiful and nostalgic collection. Written by Kevin Kern, Tim O’Day and Steven Vagnini, fans can bring home this treasure trove of Walt Disney World Resort history beginning September 28th, available for pre-order here.
Delicious Disney: Walt Disney World
Attention, foodies! Bring home the magic (and food) of Walt Disney World with the newest title in the Delicious Disney lineup! With beautiful photos and behind-the-scenes anecdotes told by authors Marcy Carriker Smothers and Pam Brandon, this cookbook-meets-coffee-table-book enchants with more than sixty recipes ranging from appetizers to desserts, main courses and libations. Disney foodie fans will love this collection of stories and recipes that goes all the way back to opening day in 1971, to current favorites from around the resort. This book will be exclusively available at Walt Disney World Resort and shopDisney beginning September 28th.
Art of Coloring: Walt Disney World: 100 Images to Inspire Creativity from The Most Magical Place on Earth
You’re never too old to experience the joy of coloring, right? Well, for the creative spirit, this brand new adult coloring book is ideal for taking pencil to paper and adding your own brand of color and style. Get your colored pencils ready! This book will be exclusively available at Walt Disney World Resort and shopDisney beginning September 28th.
Birnbaum’s 2022 Walt Disney World: The Official Vacation Guide
Walt Disney World will always be growing and evolving, just as Walt intended it. To keep up to date, you can trust Birnbaum as your 2021-2022 guide for insider tips on how to see and do it all! Get the scoop on what’s new for the 50th Anniversary, including insider updates on new attractions, resorts, and more. Available wherever books are sold beginning September 21st.
Birnbaum’s 2022 Walt Disney World for Kids: The Official Guide
Kids think they are the experts on all things Disney… and they might just be right! In this book, real kids give honest advice for the most awesome Walt Disney World Resort vacation possible, including insider tips for young readers, must-do attraction and dining recommendations, and a hunt for dozens of Hidden Mickeys throughout the theme parks! Available wherever books are sold beginning September 21st.
The oh-so delicious Chicken Guy! at Disney Springs is expanding their horizon. Guy Fieri and Robert Earl are preparing to hatch their newest Chicken Guy! fast-casual restaurant in Winter Park featuring the popular eatery’s first ever drive-thru lanes.
Chef, restaurateur, New York Times Best Selling author, and Emmy Award-winning TV host, Guy Fieri, and internationally renowned restaurateur, Robert Earl, are thrilled to announce that they have teamed up once again to open their third Chicken Guy! location in Florida, this time in Winter Park. The exciting new venue will be the first corporate-owned free-standing location with a drive-thru component, making the iconic menu more accessible to Orlando locals and visitors alike. Joining its successful predecessors at Disney Springs in Lake Buena Vista, FL and at Aventura Mall in Miami, FL, the fast-casual chain dedicated to serving delicious, succulent chicken tenders paired with 22-signature sauces to please all palates, will feature interior seating for 80 guests indoors and seating for 12 outdoors. The spacious 3,500 square-foot restaurant will have a sliding glass door of windows, a unique design element that will easily provide plenty of natural light or an open-air dining experience on a nice day. The parking lot will have reserved parking spaces to accommodate third party delivery services as well as guests who order on-line, with dedicated staff who will bring the orders directly to waiting cars.
The menu at Chicken Guy! features one-of-a-kind all-natural fresh chicken tenders, hand-pounded to maximize crunch and paired with a wide selection of delicious sauces. Brined in fresh lemon juice, pickle brine, buttermilk, and infused with fresh herbs, these tenders deliver on flavor and texture. The menu includes tenders—grilled or fried—in sandwiches, straight up on skewers, or in meal-sized salad bowls, your choice of signatures sauces to enjoy with the chicken as well as tempting sides like Chicken Guy! Fries with Guy’s special fry seasoning, crowd-pleasing Mac Daddy Mac ‘n Cheese, fried pickles, and fresh slaw. For dessert, ChickenGuy! features delicious Flavortown Frozen Treats that will satisfy any sweet tooth. The Triple Double Ice Cream Treat–triple chocolate and double-mint, or the Cinnamon Apple – a heaping cup of vanilla soft serve ice cream smothered in Cinnamon Toast Crunch™ and Apple Jacks™ cereal- are not to be missed and, of course, classic shakes are always available—Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry and Oreo Cookie.
“It’s always such a pleasure to be able to work with Guy on Chicken Guy! ventures and I’m beyond pleased to open a location in Winter Park,” said Planet Hollywood founder and chairman, Robert Earl. “Chicken Guy! is a proven crowd-pleaser now with three locations in Florida and two in sporting arenas on game days including FedEx Field in Maryland and Levi’s® Stadium in Santa Clara, we are well on our way to becoming a household name nationwide.”
Set to open in late summer 2021, Chicken Guy! is located at 818 South Orlando Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789. With a mixture of colorful meets playful design elements and modern finishes that will delight guests as they dine on-site, Chicken Guy! also offers innovative packaging that will make carry out and delivery orders even more fun to enjoy at home or on-the-go. No detail has been overlooked in providing the best possible dining experience that keeps guests coming back for more every chance they get.
Disney fans can now book their ‘Ohana reservations for the 60-day dining reservation window. While we’ve heard the upset comments over no noodles on the menu, we’re thankful to see the return of many favorites… but yes, we are going to miss those yummy noodles! While guests are calling and making reservations, the new ‘Ohana pricing has been revealed for breakfast and dinner.
‘Ohana bookings start tomorrow. Here are the new prices:
As shared by Disney: “‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (Opening July 9): With the backdrop of tropical greenery, ‘Ohana will again offer their fabulous all-you-care-to-enjoy breakfast and dinner offerings when they reopen. Although Disney characters will not be hosting breakfast, a strolling musician will entertain guests for dinner. For breakfast, start with pineapple-coconut breakfast bread, move on to Stitch and Mickey Mouse waffles, then dig into “eggs”cellent breakfast skillets with ham, sausage, and breakfast potatoes. The ‘Ohana dinner features all-you-care-to-enjoy platters of grilled beef steak, roasted chicken, sausage, and island shrimp casserole served with fried rice and roasted broccolini. And yes, ‘Ohana pot stickers, crispy soy chicken wings, and the signature ‘Ohana bread pudding served warm with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream are back! Yippee!”
