Morimoto lobby

The front lobby of Morimoto,

Morimoto at Disney Springs

The entrance to the new Morimoto Asian restaurant,

Lighted beer glasses from Canada

These are two lighted beer glasses that Canada (EPCOT) was selling at Food and Wine.  The glasses have lighted bases with different modes and colors.  

Tony's alley table at the Osborn lights

An intimate alley table for an Italian dinner.

Osborn lights

People enjoying the music and light show.  Yes the cat is back.

Osborn Spectacle of lights

Last year for Osborn.  A little less crowded for this early preview.

Cheese and wine at EPCOT

Near the Cheese Studio and Wine Studio at EPCOT

Up with chocolate

Chocolate exhibit with the theme of Up, at the Festival Center

Frozen chocolate at Ghiardelli

A chocolate exhibit with a Frozen theme, at Ghiradelli in the Festival Center

EPCOT Festival Center

Inside the Food and Wine Festival Center

Halloween at Fort Wilderness

Been here long?

Halloween at Fort Wilderness

The creature from the RV.

Halloween at Fort Wilderness

The pumpkin king at the campgrounds with a frightful friend.

At the horse wash

Khan preparing for his Headless Horseman gig.

Donald waiting for a ride

But he came at a bad time, I.e, dinner time

Duck discrimination

Don is thinking he should report this place for their discriminatory policies.

The Castle on Halloween party night

Halloween lighting on the castle, ready for the new Hocus Pocus show.

La Hacienda dining room

Inside the La Hacienda de San Angel restaurant at EPCOT.

Careless food service?

Two incidents that seem to show WDW food service is getting careless... At a counter service restaurant, cheese was put on a dish when the menu never mentioned cheese.  The dish was replaced.  Another incident was potentially more serious.  Some bleu cheese was found at the bottom of a steak salad.  Again, no mention of cheese on the menu.  It was determined from a very helpful waiter that the cook had cheese from another salad on his gloves while preparing the steak salad.  The problem is that the other salad also had nuts in it.  Someone with a nut allergy could unknowingly eat something that should never have nuts.  Let's hope this doesn't become more frequent.

Starbucks treats

Halloween cupcakes at the MK Statnucks.

Good stuff at Columbia Harbor House

Menu item recently added:  Mac and cheese with shrimp and lobster.  It's good.

Changes to MK hub

Photo of new addition to the hub around the castle

Polynesian lobby

A view of the refurbished Polynesian lobby, with the old waterfall gone.  First impression- they made it boring.

Donald's dessert

Don is about to dive into a warm apple tart at the Kona Cafe.

Impression of La Hacienda de San Angel

Four of us ate dinner at the newer Mexican restaurant at EPCOT.  In a nutshell... Good selection, well prepared, good service.  Entrees ran in the $28-32 range, so it is a bit pricey.  The menu was  more interesting than the older restaurant across the street.  Worth at least one visit.

Donald's new friends

Don finds himself hanging out with the cool guys.

La Hacienda Tacos

Taquiza- taco sampler with chicken,steak and pork.

La Hacienda short ribs

Braised short ribs with Chimichurri.

Last Hacienda Snapper

Pan seared Snapper with Tequila butter reduction.

Frozen Ever After Water Ride

Orlando Sentinel has a coverage of the upcoming new attraction at Epcot's Norway Pavilion based on "Frozen".

Visitors walk through what Disney Imagineers refer to as “scene one” while waiting in line for Frozen Ever After. In the queue, visitors will wander past Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post, where the thick-accented trader wipes steam off the windows and yells his trademark “Yoo-hoo!”

Once aboard the Viking logs, riders will spot Sven the reindeer helping set up for the Winter in Summer festival, float past an ice-skating Olaf the snowman, encounter the giant evil snowman Marshmallow and meander through Troll Valley, where Grandpappy Troll tells the story of how Princess Anna and trader Kristof met.

The highlight of the voyage is a visit to Elsa’s palace, where the Ice Queen makes it snow -- with the help of special effects and screen projections -- as she sings “Let It Go.” After parting a mist cloud, the ride concludes with a fireworks finale and a send-off from the main characters.

Other than the visual aspect of it, this is pretty much what I was expecting for this attraction. In a sense, I'm a bit disappointed that I'm not being surprised by something unexpected, but it is aiming to attract the younger crowd anyway.

Zz.

Don and the bog

Don is thinking these guys are really bogged down.  Maybe a dive in would help his feathers.

Donald's sushi lunch.

Don is thinking he's not like a common duck that has to scrounge at the bottom of ponds.  He's about to enjoy an upscale lunch with service befitting his stature.

Donald and Baby-San

Don is checking out one of the Japanese Kawaii characters who looks like Ducky Momo.

"Soarin'" Refurbishment at Epcot Starts Jan. 4

If you are fond of the current version of Soarin', now is the time to go see it before it is changed forever. Disney Parks has announced that the refurbishement of Soarin' at Epcot will begin Jan 4, and it will only reopen in the middle of 2016.

In March, Disney said the ride, which opened in 2015, would be expanded from its original two theaters to three. In August, the company said the content would be updated and called Soarin' Around the World at Epcot at the sister attraction at Disney California Adventure theme park. The changes will also happen on the technological side with the installation of digital screens and projection systems.

So they definitely have plenty to do.

I can only hope that the new Soarin' has the same exhilarating feeling that makes one's hair stands on its end the way the current one does for me. This will take both the scenery and the music to come together perfectly.

Zz.

Oogie Boogie Ceramic Bowl

One of our Halloween decorations is this Oogie Boogie ceramic figure which we turned into a candy bowl. While the real Oogie Boogie is full of maggots and other creepy insects, this one, as you can see, if full of delicious candy! Stick your fingers in there and reach for one!

Zz.

WDW Picture of the Day

The Streets of America, and this view, at Disney's Hollywood Studios will be gone soon to make way for Star Wars Land.

Zz.

Donald at MNSSHP

Donald, enjoying himself at last night's Mickey Not So Scary Halloween Party.

He should be full of sugar this morning, which means that he's bouncing off the walls.

Zz.

WDW Picture of the Day

Some of the desserts at Boma, my most favorite place to eat in all of Walt Disney World.

Zz.

Making The Landscapes For "The Good Dinosaur"

A very nice and detailed article on what it took to make the natural landscapes for the upcoming "The Good Dinosaur". They went as far as downloading the US Geological Survey data to help them with the scenary.

Enter the U.S. Geological Survey, which posts incredible amounts of topographical data to its website—including the height above sea level of all of the land features, and lots of satellite images. So Munier and his team tried downloading a lot of the USGS data and putting it into their computer, and then using that to “render” the real-life landscape. And it worked: They were able to take a classic Ansel Adams photograph of the Grand Tetons and duplicate it pretty closely using their computer-generated landscape. And with this data, they could point a digital “camera” anywhere, in a 360-degree rotation, and get an image.

“We ended up downloading over 65,000 square miles of USGS data,” said Munier. This “gave us the sense of scope for [Arlo’s] journey in the film.”

This is definitely a must-see movie.

Zz.

New Disney Movie Lineup

I posted a list of Disney movies to be released in the next 2 years a while back. Now comes more update especially with the green light given to the Ant Man sequel. The new list also extends all the way to 2020! There is also a switch between Toy Story 4 and Cars 3.

So here's the updated list:

The Good Dinosaur - Nov. 15, 2015.
Star Wars - The Force Awakens - Dec. 18, 2015.
The Finest Hours - Jan. 29, 2016.
Zootopia - Mar. 4, 2016.
Captain America: Civil War - May 6, 2016.
Alice Through The Looking Glass - May 27, 2016.
The Jungle Book (live action) - Apr. 15, 2016.
Finding Dory - Jun 17, 2016.
The BFG - Jul. 1, 2016.
Pete's Dragon - Aug. 12, 2016.
Doctor Strange - Oct. 26, 2016.
Moana - Nov. 23, 2016.
Star Wars: Rogue One - Dec. 16, 2016.
Beauty and the Beast (live action) - Mar. 17 2017.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - May 5, 2017.
(Still untitled Star Wars Episode 8) - May 26, 2017.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales - Jul. 7, 2017.
Coco - Nov. 22, 2017.
Untitled Disney Fairy Tale (live action) - Dec. 12, 2017.
Captain Marvel - March 8, 2018.
Gigantic - March 9, 2018.
Toy Story 4 - Jun. 15, 2018.
Black Panther - Feb. 16, 2018.
Ant Man and the Wasp - July 5, 2018.
Untitled Disney Fairy Tale (live action) - Nov. 2, 2018.
Untitled Disney Fairy Tale (life action) - March 29, 2019.
Untitled Disney Animation Studios - April 12, 2019.
Untitled Disney Fairy Tale (live action) - Nov. 8, 2019.
Untitled Pixar Animation - March 18, 2020.
Untitled Pixar Animation - June 19, 2020.
Untitled Disney Animation Studios - Nov. 25, 2020.

Phew, and you thought you have made plans.

BTW, I wonder if there is typo or a mixup with the date for Captain Marvel and Gigantic. They appear to have a release date one day after the other. Can't believe they would schedule 2 movies to compete against one another, especially when their demographic audience might easily overlap.

Zz.

Higher and Higher

Disney Parks prices and attendance.  The Orange County Register reports that Disneyland annual passes will now cost $1049 for the no blackout date pass, and $849 for the 350 day pass.  The current "Premium" pass is being discontinued, but current passholders can use theirs until expiration and it will be non-renewable. 

Disney on its website Sunday morning also overhauled prices for annual passes at Walt Disney World. The Disney Signature Platinum Plus pass for visits to all four Disney World theme parks and water parks with no blackout dates is $829.

The latest price increase specifically targets Disneyland’s annual passholders, a core base that many unofficial Disney blog sites estimate at 1 million. Some have speculated the recent ticket increases are a much-needed way to reduce the large crowds that occurs at Disneyland during some weekends and high-demand seasons.

Disney is clearly struggling with ways to manage the increased attendance at the California and Florida parks.  One option on the table is tiered pricing , where ticket prices will be reduced for off-peak days.  But this could actually aggravate the problem if the lower prices attract even higher crowds.   Disney seems to be aware of the growing problem with massive crowds, but whether this can be managed successfully remains to be seen.  We don't see reports of one obvious solution, namely close the gates sooner before the crowds become unmanageable.   Disney seems to be trying to walk a tightrope by attracting huge crowds without letting them get out of hand.  Meanwhile, the parks are increasingly in danger of becoming expensive, overcrowded, unpleasant and unsafe.  Anyone with a medical emergency in the middle of a totally gridlocked crowd is in a bad situation. 

“We have to look at ways to spread out our attendance throughout the year so we can accommodate demand and avoid bursting at the seams,” Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek told The Wall Street Journal.

We'll see if that can actually be done.  

WDW Birthday

Walt Disney World turns 44 years old today. Happy birthday!

Zz.

WDW Picture of the Day

From Finding Nemo show at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Zz.

WDW Picture of the Day

Ah, the good old days when Fastpasses came out on paper! And don't you wish all stand by wait times are this short?

This is, of course, the entrance to Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom.

Zz.

WDW Picture of the Day

You're about to find your Happy Place!

The final climb before the big plunge at Magic Kingdom's Splash Mountain.

Zz.

Website That Makes Disney Dining Reservation Closes

One down, a few more to go.

Remember a week ago when it was reported that there are a few websites that snatches Disney Dining reservations, and then either cancels or sells them to others? Turns out it hasn't taken Disney long to start reaching out to them and, at least in the first round, asking them to stop doing it. One such website has shut down its service after hearing from Disney.

"Disney has requested that we discontinue our services as currently provided, and we have honored that request," Disney Dining Buddy announced online. "We understand this may be disappointing to those of you who have found through us a solution to the stresses of dining planning. We share your disappointment."

I'm not disappointed at all.

Like I had said earlier, I fully expect Disney to modify their Dining reservation policy, and may give preferential treatment to guests with resort reservations, passholders, or DVC members first ahead of the others. They won't be able to eliminate all of the loopholes that these websites can jump through, but it will at least make it more difficult. At the very least, it will prevent some service making reservations under fake names!

Zz.

WDW Photo of the Day

Disney's Boardwalk Resort.

Zz.

$300 Jungle Cruise Breakfast?

Would you pay for a $300 Jungle Cruise Sunrise breakfast at Disneyland?

Of course, this special animatronic adventure doesn't come with Disneyland Park admission, which will set you back another hundred bucks or so. Tours start at the absurdly early morning hours of 5:30 and 6:30 a.m. After the tour ends, guests are escorted out of the park, and can only be re-admitted when the park opens if you purchase a ticket (or have a membership pass).

So you can't even stay within Disneyland after you are done?

For $300, you'd think they do quite a bit more for the guest than this.

Zz.

SHIELD Season 3 Opening Sequence

Holy Terrigen!

The Season 3 premier in the US is next Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015. But they have just released the huge opening sequence to the premier. Looks like there is another mysterious entity that is interested in these Inhumans. Could it be Hydra? Is that woman working for Ward?

Whatever the case, stay away from the fish oil supplements, people!

Zz.

WDW Picture of the Day

Anyone know who this is? It must be some obscure character.

:)

Zz.

Downtown Disney To Disappear On Tuesday

No, not the location, but the name will be officially gone this coming Tuesday.

Just like when Disney/MGM Studies changed named but people still called it MGM Studios for the next several years, I'm sure many of us will refer to it as Downtown Disney for the next few years.

Zz.

WDW Picture of the Day

It's that time of the year again when Main Street at the Magic Kingdom is decorated for the Halloween festivities.

Zz.

WDW Picture of the Day

"Oh please, Brer Fox. Don't throw me over the Falls!"

The moment before the final climb during Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom.

Zz.

WDW Picture of the Day

From the gondola dock at the Italy Pavilion, Epcot's World Showcase.

Zz.

WDW Photo of the Day

Jungle Cruise!

Zz.

Halloween Jack and Sally at Walgreens

Just found at Walgreens for this season's Halloween merchandise. I may have seen these last year, but didn't buy them then because I was hoping that they will be on sale either when Halloween got closer, or even after Halloween. But as you can guess, they were gone by then.

So this year, I bit the bullet and paid full price, mainly because while they had 3 Sally left, there was only 1 Jack at the Walgreens store that I went to. They sell for $15 each, and about 11 inches tall.

Zz.

Dining App Make Disney Dining Reservation Under Fake Names

I am sure a lot of people have heard of this news report about an app that books Disney dining reservation under fake names and then sell those reservations later on. While I read this, something struck me as being puzzling. You have to leave a credit card information for each dining reservation. How were those people able to do that using fake names? Don't Disney check for the card validity and thus, the name on the card has to match?

In any case, Disney is aware of this, and like the abuse with disabled guests at the parks, I have no doubt that Disney will tackle this and alter their dining reservation. Here is what I predict:

They will institute different booking window for Disney resort guests/pass holders/DVC members versus non-resort guests. This means that if you Fall under one of these categories, you'll get the full 180-day window. Everyone else maybe get the 30-day window.

It may not prevent these jokers from taking advantage of the system, but it will stop the booking with fake names. At the very least, Disney will have someone's real name and information and not fake ones anymore. With such information, any fool can track if a guest keeps booking and canceling reservations, or if a guest tends to make way too many reservations.

Zz.

Goodbye, Osborne Lights!

The first major casualty of the expansion at Disney's Hollywood Studios has just been announced. The Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights will be closing down. This holiday season will be the last time for this popular holiday display.

“In order to prepare for some incredible experiences coming to the park, including the recently announced Toy Story Land and a Star Wars-themed land, we will not be able to present The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights in the future,” an announcement on the Disney Parks Blog said.

Obviously, the Streets of America will be going away. This doesn't surprise me because this strip straddles in between Star Wars land and Toy Story land. Now, the big question is, will the Muppet attraction survive?

Zz.

WDW Picture of the Day

Taken during the holiday season, this is the walk towards Pixar area and Midway Mania from Streets of America. This area is expected to be undergoing quite a transformation in the next few years with building of Toy Story land.

Zz.

Suggestion for a New Disney Dessert

Hey, I have a suggestion to Disney for a new dessert to be served at the parks. It is a light chocolate mousse, maybe with a tinge of gamey flavor, and then shaped in a mold to look like Mickey's head.

We can call it Mickey Mousse!

{rim shot}

But hey, it is catchy, no?

Zz.

WDW Picture of the Day

The train at the Magic Kingdom, pulling into the Main Street station.

Zz.

WDW Picture of the Day

Heading towards the summit of Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Now, where is that Yeti?

Zz.

WDW Picture of the Day

The water play area at Disney's Grand Floridian.

Zz.