Fulton’s Crab House at Disney Springs which is now closed for refurbishment, will reopen in the fall with a new name. The Disney Springs restaurant will reopen as Paddlefish.
The Levy Restaurant’s seafood restaurant is undergoing a remodel throughout, with new decor, a rooftop lounge and an outdoor bar. The interior decor will take on the theme of modern yachting.
Paddefish is expected to reopen in the fall of 2016.
IT’S HERE. Today Walt Disney World’s announced that it will offer Free Dining to guests for select dates in late August, September, October, November, and December 2016!
Free Dining is being offered to guests arriving during the dates listed below. A minimum stay of 3 nights is required and your package may not be booked for longer than 14 nights.
August 23 – October 1, 2016
November 15 – November 21, 2016
November 26 – November 28, 2016
December 10 – December 21, 2016
You must book by July 8th to get the offer.
It should be noted that the offer excludes: Campsites, Bungalows at Polynesian Village, Grand Floridian Villas, Bay Lake Tower, 3-bedroom Villas, Port Orleans French Quarter, and Little Mermaid rooms at Art of Animation. Port Orleans Riverside is only available through October 1st.
If guests stay at a Value Resort, you’ll receive the Quick Service Dining plan for FREE. Guests can upgrade to the standard or deluxe dining plans by paying the difference in cost per night.
If guests reserve a Moderate, Deluxe, or Deluxe Villa Resort, you will receive the standard Dining plan for FREE. Again, guests can upgrade to the deluxe dining plan by paying the difference in cost per night.
Guests must book a minimum stay of 3 nights/ maximum stay of 14 nights at a Disney-owned resort. You may also need to purchase at least a 2-day Magic Your Way Disney World ticket with a Park Hopper and/or the Water Park Fun & More Option.
Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like Sahara Square and the Rainforest District, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together—a place where anyone can be anything.
While this city is entirely populated by animals, Disney PhotoPass Service has the perfect opportunity “fur” humans to join in on the Zootopia fun when visiting Walt Disney World Resort!
Get this Animated Magic Shot featuring Nick Wilde by visiting a Disney PhotoPass Photographer at the entrance to Magic Kingdom Park or on Hollywood Boulevard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
All guests can view Animated Magic Shots in their accounts before they expire, but you must have an active Memory Maker or Memory Maker One Day entitlement to download and share them online.
Disney has confirmed what most fanboys have known for the past 11 days: The studio is pulling Marvel’s Inhumans off its July 12, 2019 release date for the time being, and leaving it as unset. Marvel has made a lot of additions to its release calendar, i.e. Spider-Man: Homecoming on July 7, 2017 and Ant-Man And The Wasp on July 6, 2018, which has pushed Inhumans to the back burner. In an interview with Collider, Marvel honcho Kevin Feige pointed to the fact that Disney/Lucasfilm’s next Indiana Jones film is scheduled for the weekend following Inhumans, July 19.
Inhumans isn’t dead, it’s just a matter of when Marvel will fire it up. Currently, there’s a script by Joe Robert Cole (Black Panther, American Crime Story). Originally, Inhumans was part of Marvel’s 3.0 phase where they were delving even deeper into their vaults to launch more of their niche superheros on the big screen.
Who are the Inhumans? They’re a race of super people, who were first introduced in a December 1965 issues of The Fantastic Four. They also appeared during the second season of Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
From Deadline
It’s the way we love to eat – diverse cuisines, plenty of options, and these three new kiosks at Disney Springs fit the bill.
Grab a savory crepe at Aristocrepes—beef with horseradish cream, red onion, baby spinach and sharp Cheddar; vegetarian with pickled beets, goat cheese, candied pecans and baby greens; turkey with Brie, dried cranberries and Dijon spread; or smoked salmon with cream cheese, capers, onion and “everything bagel” topping.
Or go sweet with a s’mores crepe with marshmallow cream, chocolate sauce and graham cracker crumbs; banana with Nutella and salted caramel; Key lime cheesecake with white chocolate and chiffon crouton; or strawberries Romanoff with Chantilly cream and strawberries.
Pair your crepe with wine on tap, beer or hard alcohol soda (Not Your Father’s Hard Root Beer and Henry’s Hard Orange Soda). Or try one of our refreshing non-alcoholic beverages, including Frozen Joffrey’s Frappe Mocha and hot cocoa.
The Daily Poutine brings the Canadian classic to Disney Springs with four varieties of toppings on hot, thick-cut French fries—Classic, with beef poutine gravy and Cheddar cheese curds; Latin with fried yucca, black beans, pulled pork and queso fresco; Italian with Bocconcino mozzarella and Bolognese sauce; and French with mushroom cream sauce and Gruyere cheese. Pair them with a draft beer, sangria, lemonade or fountain soda.
B.B. Wolf’s Sausage Co. features artisan sausages—The Three Little Pigs features a trio of sausages each with different toppings: Reuben, bacon-wrapped with black bean salsa and chili cheese; Portuguese sausage with pickled vegetable slaw and chili mustard; sweet hot sausage with peppers, onions and marinara; Bavarian sausage sandwich with a mini-meterwurst, braised red cabbage and spicy brown mustard on a pretzel roll; and Italian veggie sausage with peppers, onions and marinara. Cool off with a draft beer or fountain soda.
The Daily Poutine and B.B. Wolf’s Sausage Co. will open with Disney Springs Town Center on May 15, and Aristocrepes will open May 22.
Beginning this summer, Mickey Mouse and his friends will welcome favorite characters from some of Disney’s newest classics in “Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire.” This all-new live stage show makes its debut in June on the Cinderella Castle Forecourt Stage at Magic Kingdom Park, with special appearances by Tiana and Naveen from “The Princess and the Frog,” Rapunzel and Flynn from “Tangled” and Anna and Elsa from “Frozen.”
“Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire” brings to the stage fantastic costumes, lively dancing, special effects magic and memorable musical moments, including the original song “On This Day” by songwriters Brendan Milburn and Valerie Vigoda (“Toy Story: The Musical,” “Tinker Bell: Secret of the Wings”).
In the show, Mickey and his troupe of Merry Makers have been preparing to host a joyous festival and have ventured far and wide to invite friends from other lands to join their celebration. From the Land of the Bewitching Bayous, Goofy has invited Tiana, Naveen and Louis to add a little spice of New Orleans jazz to the party. From the Land of the Enchanted Woods, Donald Duck brings some new friends he met at the Snuggly Duckling, and Daisy introduces us to her special guests, Rapunzel and Flynn. Finally, Mickey shares a surprise with Minnie, as he has traveled to the Land of the Mystic Mountains to invite Olaf, Anna and Elsa, who contributes a blast of her icy magic. It all culminates in a grand dance, as the Merry Makers invite all their new friends to join in the fun on this special day in Magic Kingdom Park.
“Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire” celebrates the unique stories of the citizens who make up this magical kingdom. The celebration begins this June! Will you be there?
In summer 2016, Disney Cruise Line guests can immerse themselves in the animated hit “Frozen” with exciting experiences inspired by the film, including a spectacular deck party, storybook adventures ashore, a three-song stage show production number, character meet and greets, and more.
A Day of Frozen Fun, Including New Deck Party
On select Disney Magic and Disney Wonder sailings to Europe and Alaska, Disney Cruise Line guests are transported to the land of “Frozen” when the ship is transformed into a winter wonderland and a day of frozen fun culminates with an extravagant celebration with friends from the Kingdom of Arendelle.
On one special morning, guests will awake to discover a magical freeze has overtaken the atrium lobby with sparkling icicles adorning the grand staircase, resembling the majestic mountain-top ice palace of Queen Elsa.
Icy adventures and fun for the entire family throughout the day include all-new meet and greets and themed experiences:
The evening fun kicks off with “Freezing the Night Away with Anna, Elsa and Friends,” a family-friendly interactive deck party featuring the famous royal sisters of Arendelle and their fun-loving Nordic companions. By now, the freeze has spread to the upper decks of the ship, with giant snowflakes, icicles and snow-covered rocks.
The celebration begins with a high-energy line dance, set to the movie’s ice cutting scene, featuring the arrival of Kristoff, impressively twirling his ice picks, and Princess Anna.
Anna and Kristoff’s beloved companions, Sven, the trolls and Olaf, make virtual appearances at the party. Sven engages the crowd in reindeer games like “Sven Says” and the “Troll Stroll,” and Olaf leads a sing along to his signature song, “In Summer.”
Elsa arrives with a snowy gust of wind, calling on guests to sing “Let it Go” with her as she conjures up a wintry spectacle to cool things down for Olaf. In true Disney fashion, Elsa unleashes her magic, sending a chill through everyone as the powerful Academy Award-winning song echoes from the ship.
The evening concludes with more family dancing on the pool deck, followed by fun just for adults in the nightclub featuring dance performances and frozen specialty drinks.
Adventures Ashore in Norway
Disney Cruise Line guests who travel aboard the Disney Magic to Norway, the land that inspired Arendelle from “Frozen,” have the opportunity to join exciting Port Adventures that bring this fairytale setting to life. One signature adventure ashore in Ålesund, Norway, created exclusively for Disney Cruise Line, immerses guests in the splendor and charm of Norway, with the help of Anna and Elsa, in an enchanting storybook village.
Other shore excursions take Disney Cruise Line guests to discover the breathtaking natural wonders, stunning architecture and rich Scandinavian culture depicted in the film. Seven-night voyages begin May 29, 2016, sailing through Norwegian fjords and calling on ports including Stavanger, Ålesund, Geiranger, and Bergen, Norway.
In Summer and Beyond
Adding to the excitement, offerings debuted in 2015 continue this summer and beyond.
Aboard the Disney Magic, Anna, Elsa and Olaf are part of the line up of beloved Disney characters who together teach a young girl the power of her dreams in the Disney Cruise Line original production, “Disney Dreams … An Enchanted Classic.” Scenes featuring “Frozen” characters include renditions of three popular songs: “Let it Go,” “For the First Time in Forever” and “In Summer.” The show segment is a heartfelt, humorous and memorable tribute to the “Frozen” film, preserving its endearing and playful tones with an inspiring message. Special effects are magical, with a snowfall throughout the theatre and a breathtaking transformation of the young girl’s room into her own ice palace.
On all four Disney ships, Olaf is giving warm hugs alongside Anna and Elsa. Children and families have the opportunity to meet and take photographs with their favorite “Frozen” friends on their royal tour of the Disney Fantasy, Disney Dream, Disney Wonder and Disney Magic.
To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, visit disneycruise.com, call Disney Cruise Line at 888-325-2500 or contact a travel agent.
In Disney’s “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” an all-new spectacular adventure featuring the unforgettable characters from Lewis Carroll’s beloved stories, Alice returns to the whimsical world of Underland and travels back in time to save the Mad Hatter. Beginning May 6, guests visiting Disney Parks will be able to catch a preview of scenes from the movie in sneak peeks planned for Disney California Adventure park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
At Disney California Adventure park, the preview of “Alice Through the Looking Glass” will be presented in 3D with special in-theater effects at the Sunset Showcase Theater (formerly Crown Jewel Theater). Guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will get to see this advance look at clips from the film, as part of the One Man’s Dream attraction.
Directed by James Bobin, who brings his own unique vision to the amazing world Tim Burton created on screen in 2010 with “Alice in Wonderland,” Disney’s “Alice Through the Looking Glass” is written by Linda Woolverton and reunites the all-star cast from the worldwide blockbuster phenomenon, including: Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska, with Helena Bonham Carter and Sasha Baron Cohen, along with the voices of Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen and Timothy Spall. We are also introduced to several new characters: Zanik Hightopp (Rhys Ifans), the Mad Hatter’s father and Time himself (Baron Cohen), a peculiar creature who is part human, part clock.
Plan to catch this 10-minute sneak peek of Disney’s “Alice Through the Looking Glass” before time runs out! It will be playing for a very limited time, May 6 – June 12, 2016. And you won’t want to be late for another very important date – May 27, 2016 – when “Alice Through the Looking Glass” drops into theaters in 3D!
Walt Disney World will open a themed bar inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ thrilling Tower of Terror ride. While a name for this daring watering hole has yet to be released, it will be situated close to the ride’s exit—close to where you pick up souvenir images of your face mid-scream.
It’s also unclear whether there will be seating and when it officially opens, but the bar is expected to have Hollywood Tower Hotel-themed drinks and, according to reports. Construction is expected to begin this spring.
This is the latest adult offering at Walt Disney World. The Beauty and the Beastthemed restaurant in the Magic Kingdom called Be Our Guest Restaurant serves beer and wine. And an Indiana Jones themed café opened in Disney Springs in September offering cocktails.
From Travel+Leisure
In honor of its 20th anniversary, the Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) announced today a targeted philanthropic strategy to help protect the planet through collaborating with leading nonprofit organizations that will help threatened wildlife and inspire a lifelong love for nature in young people. The new initiative, called “Reverse the Decline, Increase the Time,” is aimed at reversing the decline of 10 threatened species through scientific research, community collaboration, and increasing the time kids spend in nature.
“Wildlife and wild places have always been an inspiration to Disney, and we take pride in instilling that same inspiration in kids and families,” said Dr. Beth Stevens, senior vice president, Environment and Conservation, Corporate Citizenship, The Walt Disney Company. “We believe that conservation and caring for the planet are more than just good ideas—they are core to who we are as a company. With the Disney Conservation Fund’s new initiative, it is our hope that our actions will help protect some of nature’s most precious habitats and ensure the health of our planet for generations to come.”
In part one of the initiative, “Reverse the Decline,” Disney is supporting a network of leading conservation nonprofit organizations to develop strategic plans that aim to reverse the decline of 10 animals: elephants, butterflies, coral reefs, tamarin monkeys, great apes, sea turtles, sharks and rays, cranes, rhinos and tigers. These organizations employ experts who work with each species to address the protection of habitats, collect critical population data, and develop community conservation and education programs in critical ecosystems around the world. Additionally, this initiative provides opportunities for Disney to apply the expertise and talents of its scientists, educators and veterinarians on Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment team to help reverse the decline of these animals.
The second part of the two-pronged commitment, “Increase the Time,” focuses on increasing the time kids spend in nature, with Disney’s grants to leading non-profit organizations that engage young people in discovering the magic of nature and protecting the planet.
At DCF’s 20th anniversary celebration today at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, world-renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall said, “We know that to protect nature, you have to connect with nature, and through Disney’s support for our Roots & Shoots program in countries all around the world, we are building a legacy of caring for animals, the environment and people.” She added, “The Walt Disney Company’s focus on protecting the planet over the past 20 years has made a significant contribution to conservation, including our work to protect chimpanzees and the forests where they live.”
The network of “Reverse the Decline, Increase the Time” nonprofits and organizations include:
| Reverse the Decline | Increase the Time |
| International Crane Foundation (Siberian cranes) | 4-H |
| International Rhino Foundation (Sumatran rhinos) | Association of Zoos and Aquariums |
| The Jane Goodall Institute (great apes) | Children & Nature Network |
| Save the Golden Tamarin & Proyecto Titi(monkeys) | International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) |
| University of Florida (butterflies and sea turtles) | the Jane Goodall Institute: Roots & Shoots |
| Wildlife Conservation Society (African elephants, Sumatran tigers, sharks and rays) | National Park Foundation (NPF) |
| The Perry Institute for Marine Science (coral reefs) | National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) |
| National Wildlife Federation (NWF) | |
| The Nature Conservancy (TNC) |
A video and book about the “Reverse the Decline, Increase the Time” initiative, as well as a list of supported organizations, can be found at disney.com/conservation.
Established on Earth Day in 1995, the Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) helps to protect the planet and connect kids with nature. Supported by Disney and guest purchases and contributions at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, DCF has proudly contributed $40 million in grants to nonprofit organizations working in 115 countries. For more information, visit disney.com/conservation.
Disney News Today 