The days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve and Day are often uneventful, especially when compared to the exciting, high-energy days leading up to December 25. Thousands upon thousands of Disney fans often try to curb their boredom by visiting the Walt Disney World Resort during that time, and such a visit makes for some truly amazing holiday memories.
But regardless of the date on the calendar, life and time march on, and interesting–and sometimes alarming, unexpected–things are often just a moment away, even at Disney World. Such was the case on Wednesday morning when Guests of Disney’s Contemporary Resort began reporting on social media about a major evacuation taking place at the Resort Hotel.
Twitter user @LostBrosTweets was trying to enjoy breakfast at the Contemporary when he heard about the evacuation. In the short clip he included with his tweet, alarms can be heard in the background. He tweeted, “BRB, the entire main building of the Contemporary Resort is getting evac’d [right now].”
Carla Lemieux (@travelingmom92) was also there to witness some of the action leading to the evacuation of the Contemporary. She tweeted, “Contemporary Resort currently being evacuated into the parking lot, including employees. Fire trucks present, and alarms going off for about 30 min.”
Disney describes the Contemporary Resort Hotel as a deluxe Resort and invites Guests to “retreat to this ultra-modern Disney Resort hotel and discover award-winning dining, spectacular views, and dazzling pools. Whether you’re staying in the iconic A-frame Contemporary tower or the nearby Garden Wing, you can walk to Magic Kingdom’s main gate or catch the Resort Monorail as it breezes through the tower. Inside, a 90-foot-tall mural by Disney Legend Mary Blair—responsible for the distinct look and feel of the “it’s a small world” attraction—celebrates the Grand Canyon and the American Southwest.”
Popular among Disney Vacation Club Members, the Top of the World Lounge at Disney’s Contemporary Resort is finally reopening in July after being closed since March 2020.
From a Disney Cast Member;
This summer marks the return of one of Disney Vacation Club Members’ favorite places around the neighborhood: the Top of the World Lounge atop Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
On July 11, the lounge will officially reopen to *eligible members, which upon closer inspection, reveals a few new details.
Though long gone by now, it seems our Disney Villains briefly settled in while the lounge was closed, leaving behind a few infamous portraits and accessories.
Our cast embraced this latest chapter in the lounge’s ongoing story by creating a new, Villain-inspired menu of fiendish fare – from “Cherna-Board” of meats and cheeses and herb-roasted “Unfortunate Souls Shrimp” to “Lair-Made Hummus” and “Who’s Afraid of Pork Belly Sliders” – paired with cleverly named cocktails like “The Other Side,” “The Underworld” and “Mirror Mirror Moonshine.”
Like the villains who lounged before you, toast to your travels and relish in rebellious recipes while swapping stories of wicked fun and plotting your next (vacation) escape before capping the evening with a rooftop viewing of the “Disney Enchantment” nighttime spectacular at Magic Kingdom Park.
Welcome home to Top of the World Lounge – A Villains Lair. For the most current information on operating hours and upcoming events exclusive to *eligible Members, please visit DisneyVacationClub.com.
*Ownership interests must be purchased directly from Disney Vacation Club Development, Inc. in order to have access to this offer. These options are part of Membership Extras, which are incidental benefits subject to availability, change or termination. Access to Top of the World Lounge requires a valid photo ID, digital Disney Vacation Club Membership Card and Walt Disney World Resort hotel reservation.
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!
As part of the 25th anniversary celebration at Walt Disney World back in October 1996, Cast Members at the resort created a time capsule and buried it at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
A plaque was created and placed over the location where the time capsule was buried. It reads:
“Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Re-dedicated at 25th anniversary
10/25/1996
To be opened at 50th anniversary
10/25/2021
‘Remember the Magic’”
Though the actual opening day of Magic Kingdom in 1971 was October 1, Disney executives delayed the opening ceremony until October 25, 1971, allowing for some leeway, should the Florida park have issues like Disneyland saw on its opening day. No need to televise a fiasco as was the case at Disneyland. That’s why the date on the plaque is October and not October 1.
Last month, there was buzz about the opening of a time capsule at the Contemporary Resort Hotel, but then the buzz faded. Now we know that the capsule was indeed opened–and by some Cast Members that were personally celebrating 50 years as employees of the Most Magical Place on Earth.
So what was found inside the time capsule? Well, there were several things in there, including a limited-edition 15th anniversary commemorative coin for Disney’s Contemporary Resort, name tags, and a Cast Member magazine featuring Cinderella Castle dressed as a birthday cake.
here was an identification card belonging to none other than Mickey Mouse himself.
Also inside the time capsule buried at Disney’s Contemporary Resort Hotel was a Walt Disney World “operating calendar,” which doesn’t look like much more than a shiny slip of paper with bright colors denoting the different parks at the Walt Disney World Resort at the time. Notice there’s no Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood was still called Disney-MGM Studios.
Now-extinct attractions mentioned on the operating calendar include SpectroMagic, “Remember the Magic,” and “Fantasy in the Sky” at Magic Kingdom, Ellen’s Energy Adventure at EPCOT, and the Toy Story Parade, and “Backstage Pass to 101 Dalmatians” at Disney-MGM Studios.
There were several other things “dating” the capsule to last century. Just take a look!
You can watch Cast Members open the time capsule here. How exciting!
As part of “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” (aka Disney World’s 50th anniversary), the California Grill is bringing in a new menu for a special dining experience! The favorites recommended on the Disney Parks Blog are the California Grill Sushi Classics Trio, the House-Made Artisanal-Style Duck á la Orange Pizza, and The Oak-Fired Filet of Beef. The first meal listed in those three favorites includes a Blue Crab California Roll, Shrimp Tempura Roll, and Spicy Kazan Roll. The Fireball Sauce (featuring bay scallops, avocado, and mango) tops off the trio!
The next highlight, the House-Made Artisanal-Style Duck á la Orange Pizza, has duck prosciutto and confit, orange-black mission fig jam, pickled shallots, aged blue cheese, and arugula. It’s actually an homage to the classic duck dish from Top of the World, the original restaurant that preceded the California Grill in the ’70’s.
The Oak-Fired Filet of Beef with Black Truffle-Brown Butter Château Potatoes, Golden Raisins Vinaigrette, Cauliflower, and Black Garlic Butter reportedly “has layers of incredible flavors” that would make for an unforgettable dinner. The roasted tomato butter is a cherry on top, but the Château Potatoes also stand out (understandable, since they come wearing “freshly shaved” black winter truffles).
For “The World’s Most Magical Celebration”, this Grill is also serving a new dessert! The EARidescent Grand Marnier Soufflé comes with macerated Florida citrus and Creamsicle Ice Cream. We think those lavender sugar doughnuts on the menu (shown below) will also be worth a try, and there’s several other dessert menu items that sound magical! Having a dessert party to celebrate Disney’s anniversary sounds like the perfect way to commemorate the moment.
This limited-time menu will be available on October 3rd, but you can make reservations as early as September 23rd, and it’s all part of Disney’s big 50th anniversary festivities (which start on October 1st)!
