Universal Orlando Announces SunRail Station Near Epic Universe
Universal Orlando has announced plans to build a Sunrail Station at the Orange County Convention Center which is near the upcoming Epic Universe theme park.
“We are one step closer to creating a multi-directional commuter rail system that benefits our entire region,” said John Sprouls, Executive Vice President, and Chief Administrative Officer, at Universal Parks & Resorts. “The new SunRail corridor and convention center station will make it easier for residents to get to work, the airport, and to the places they love. And it will enable business growth within the International Drive area and across the region.”
“The Sunshine Corridor is critical to moving our workforce. Creating a transportation network that connects our workers to their jobs, our residents to our airport, and allows our visitors to have options when they travel is essential,” said City of Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Chairman for the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission.
Universal Orlando will pledge 13 acres of land to the District at no cost to taxpayers to be used for the convention center station with inter-modal capability and a substantial section of rail corridor. Based upon its investment in Epic Universe, Universal will also:
Support the District’s financing of up to $125 million in private activity bonds to be used to fund the rail corridor and convention center station, which should allow the District to issue bonds on more favorable terms.
Support the operation and maintenance of the station so there is no cost to Orange County taxpayers (currently estimated at $2 million annually).
Along with its partners in the Orlando Right Rail coalition, contribute to and collectively support the District’s guarantee of $13 million in annual ticket sales for the Sunshine Corridor – the current estimated yearly operating costs for the corridor.
There are more than 800 community development districts in Florida. The districts are public entities and are commonly used to help communities create needed infrastructure such as roads, water, and sewer facilities and other projects traditional government bodies may not be able to finance and build.
New Disney100 Pandora Charm And Bracelet Spotted At Magic Kingdom!
Celebrate 100 years of wonder for years to come with this new Disney100 Pandora charm and bracelet featuring Oswald! We found it at Magic Kingdom for $335 (bracelet and charm) and that includes a commemorative jewelry box.
You can also get just the Oswald charm or just the bracelet if you prefer. They are both available at pandora.net.
The bracelet includes an adorable charm of Oswald the lucky rabbit in sterling silver hanging by one hand from the loop waving and holding a lab created diamond in his hand. His pants are also made of 14k gold.
It also includes a Mickey shaped charm at the end of the bracelet that includes a 14k gold medallion with the words “Disney100” engraved in the center.
When you buy this bracelet and charm, you will receive a beautiful platinum Mickey shaped jewelry box with the Disney100 logo to keep your bracelet safe when you are not wearing it. The box includes 8 slots inside for all the different charms that will come out later in celebration of 100 years of magic so prepare to collect them all!
You can take a closer look at this bracelet and charm in our Instagram post:
New Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Grand Finale Spirit Jersey Arrives At Magic Kingdom!
The world’s most magical celebration is about to end, remember it for years to come with this Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Grand Finale Spirit Jersey we found at Magic Kingdom for $84.99! It is also available online at shopDisney so order yours before it disappears.
It features a beautiful teal color with black at the bottom and beloved Disney characters like Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Pluto along the sleeves. On the front Cinderella Castle 50 is featured in gold foil and the Walt Disney World logo in puffy sparkly letters is featured across the back.
Definitely a good piece to own and remember this magical milestone in Disney history forever!
You can take a closer look at this spirit jersey in our Instagram post:
Rian Johnson Responds to Possibility of a Knives Out Murder Mystery Muppets Movie. Coming off the success of Muppets Haunted Mansion, starring The Great Gonzo, which premiered back in 2021, people are often wondering what other attractions or movies the Muppets could star in.
During a Q & Session Director of Glass Onion, Rian Johnson was asked just that, and his response was brilliant, to say the least.
“It’s a joke that I thought was pretty brilliant, and I ended up really giving [it] some serious thought… As much as I take the murder mystery genre seriously, I take the genre of a Muppet movie seriously… I think those two things have very different rules. You can either have a Benoit Blanc mystery that has Muppets in it, but they’ll feel out of place. Or you can have a Muppet movie that Benoit Blanc is in, but it’ll feel like a Muppet movie.”
We have to admit it got us thinking of A Muppets Christmas Carol and how well Michael Caine held those scenes together with all the chaos of the Muppets themselves behind him. Could Daniel Craig, who plays Benoit Blanc in Glass Onion, do the same justice to a scene? We have to admit it might work.
Dave Bautista is relieved to end his run as Drax in the Marvel Universe. From the top of the ropes in The WWE to the top of the box office with the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, Dave Bautista has done it all seemingly. Now he is looking forward to trying new roles and furthering his acting credits. Leaving the Character of Drax behind in a positive way. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is due out may 5th,2023 and that will end his career with Marvel.
“I’m so grateful for Drax. I love him,” Bautista told GQ in a new interview. “But there’s a relief. It wasn’t all pleasant. It was hard playing that role. The makeup process was beating me down. And I just don’t know if I want Drax to be my legacy — it’s a silly performance, and I want to do more dramatic stuff.”
Bautista’s acting career, outside the character Drax, has been getting rave reviews as Duke Cody in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery and is going to have a staring role in the upcoming M. Night Shyamalan movie Knock at the Cabin.
He will also be in the newest Dune movie due out later this year.
Celebrate 100 years of wonder in comfort and style with this new Disney 100 jacket we found at Magic Kingdom for $69.99! It will definitely help you to keep warm and dry during the winter.
The jacket is black which makes it super easy to match with your outfits and features Mickey Mouse on the front with this platinum attire and the Disney 100 logo in the back with beloved Disney characters like Tinkerbell, Pluto, Minnie, Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Daisy! It’s a simple design but definitely super magical.
You can take a closer look at this jacket in our Instagram post:
New Disney 25th Anniversary Vault Collection Available At Walt Disney World!
Since the Walt Disney World 50th anniversary started, we have seen merchandise as part of The Vault Collection looking back to the different celebrations of the resort. This time we found the Disney 25th anniversary vault collection at Magic Kingdom featuring a baseball cap and t-shirt with a retro nostalgic design, take a look:
The baseball cap features sorcerer Mickey with the Walt Disney World logo and a big 25 all embroidered at the front. A simple and nostalgic design to remember this big milestone in the history of Walt Disney World.
We also spotted a blue collar white long sleeve t-shirt with an allover pattern featuring sorcerer Mickey, Walt Disney World logo and Cinderella carriage with a 25 in the middle all in different shades of blue.
You can take a closer look at this collection in our Instagram post:
Gorgeous Disney Princess Stoney Clover Minnie Ears Available At Magic Kingdom!
This past summer Stoney Clover Lane launched a magical collection at Disney Parks that included backpacks, duffles and patches. Well we recently spotted the Disney Princess Stoney Clover Minnie Ears that are part of that collection at Magic Kingdom!
The Minnie ears featured a gorgeous light pink color with a quilted pattern featuring the silhouette of different Disney Princesses like Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Rapunzel, Pocahontas and many more. The headband also features a big iridescent bow for some extra shimmer and the Disney | Stoney Clover logo embroidered on a side in white.
This pair of Minnie ears is $44.99 and you can find it at The Emporium in Magic Kingdom. You can also take a closer look at them in our Instagram post:
Figment Popcorn Bucket and More Returning to 2023 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts
We are a little more than a week away from the start of the 2023 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts! The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts presented by AT&T runs from Jan. 13th through Feb. 20th, 2023, this festival will celebrate the creation and beauty of cuisines, music, and, of course, art.
Also, guests can bring home Figment with the brand-new Fruity Fig Bar Figment Disney Munchling. This adorable, limited-edition Disney Munchling features the sweet smell of berries and can be found both at the merchandise locations at the festival and on shopDisney.
And finally, the Figment Premium Popcorn Bucket is back, but this year with a new EPCOT 40th anniversary strap! As you can see, there’s plenty of Figment to go around.
The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts presented by AT&T is just around the corner. From Jan. 13 through Feb. 20, 2023, this festival will celebrate the creation and beauty of cuisines, music, and, of course, art.
Disney has shared a first look at the Food & Drink Options that will be available for the 2023 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts!
Let’s dive right in and take a look at some of the Food & Drink Options coming to the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts!
Blood Orange-braised Beet Tartare with mustard vinaigrette, pickled clamshell mushrooms, and golden beets (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine Item) (Plant-based Item) (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly)
Roasted Bone Marrow with onion marmalade, pickled mushrooms, and petite lettuce
Wild Mushroom Risotto with aged Parmesan, truffle shavings, and zinfandel reduction
Beverages:
Whole Hog Brewery Raspberry Chéret Double Radler
Schlumberger Cuvée Klimt Brut
The Meeker Vineyard Winemaker’s Handprint Merlot
Frozen Rusty Nail Cocktail
Moderne (Near Test Track)
Food Items:
Compressed Watermelon Tataki with pickled watermelon rind, yuzu pearls, watermelon foam, and wasabi (New) (Plant-based Item)
Angry Crab: Whole crispy soft-shell crab with green papaya salad, mango-sriracha fluid gel, and coconut-lime foam with pomegranate and mango crush pearls (New)
Pan-seared Scallops with vanilla-butternut squash purée, brown butter cauliflower purée, and lime foam (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine Item)
The Tropics: Lilikoi mousse, guava cake, coconut crémeux, compressed pineapple, and mango gel (New)
Beverages:
Watermelon Mary featuring Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka (New)
J. Lohr Riesling (New)
Figment’s Inspiration Station at the Odyssey: Art, Food, and Little Sparks of Magic
Food Items:
Fruit Pizza: Watermelon, compressed cantaloupe, berries, and berry balsamic (New) (Plant-based Item) (Gluten/ Wheat Friendly)
Pop’t Art: Sugar Cookie with blueberry filling (Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine Item)
Rainbow Cake with freeze-dried SKITTLES bite sized candies
Figment Premium Popcorn Bucket with rainbow popcorn (Limit 2 per person)
Beverages:
Grape Smoothie with freeze-dried SKITTLES bite sized candies (Non-alcoholic) (New)
3 Daughters Brewing Black Cherry Hard Cider (New)
3 Daughters Brewing Blood Orange Hard Cider (New)
3 Daughters Brewing Passion Fruit Hard Cider (New)
Rainbow Cider Flight (New)
81Bay Brewing Co. Green with Envy Blonde Ale (New)
81Bay Brewing Co. Blue Butterfly Lager (New)
Urban Artifact The Gadget Raspberry & Blackberry Midwest Fruit Tart (New)
Rainbow Beer Flight (New)
Connections Café
Food Item:
Figment Liege Waffle (New)
Connections Eatery
Beverage:
Dusk ‘Til Dawn: Three Olives Blueberry Vodka, lemonade, and orange juice with cotton candy
L’Art de la Cuisine Française (France)
Food Items:
Crème de Brie en Petit Pain: Warm creamy brie in a house-made bread bowl
Croissant à la Truffle Noir d’Hiver: Black winter truffle croissant
Mille-Feuille de Betteraves aux Herbes et Noix de Cajoux: Plant-based napoleon with beets, cashew-herb filling, pepper-pine nut sauce, and balsamic vinegar caviar (New) (Plant-based Item)
Moelleux aux Noisettes et Chocolats Valrhona: Molten chocolate and hazelnut cake with pure origin Valrhona chocolates and passion fruit-mango sauce
Beverages:
Frozen French Martini: Grey Goose Vodka, vodka, chambord liqueur, pineapple, orange, and grape juices with lemon-lime foam
Charles Lafitte, Brut Rosé Prestige, Méthode Traditionnelle Champenoise, French Rosé Sparkling Wine
Bombon Margarita “Marshmallow”: Ilegal Mezcal Reposado, marshmallow cordial, lime juice, agave nectar and a hint of coffee and elderflower served with a toasted marshmallow (New)
Las Californias: Tromba Blanco Tequila, strawberry-lime purée, and Las Californias Citrus Mexican Gin (New)
Goshiki (Japan)
Food Items:
Rainbow Katsu Sando: Pork cutlet sandwich with tangy tonkatsu sauce and cabbage in rainbow sweet bread (New)
Sushi Donut: Donut-shaped sushi featuring salmon, tuna, shrimp, cucumber, and sesame seed over a decorated plate of wasabi aïoli, sriracha aïoli, and eel sauce
Masu Sake in a traditional personalized wooden cup
Purple Yuzu Sake Lemonade: Sake cocktail infused with butterfly pea flower and yuzu lemonade (New)
The Painted Panda (China)
Food Items:
General Tso’s Chicken Shumai
Char Siu Pork Bun
Beverages:
“Panda” Bubble Milk Tea with black tea, milk, chocolate, and tapioca boba pearls (Non-alcoholic)
Lucky Foo Pale Ale
Silk Road Hard Lemonade with Smirnoff Vodka, lavender-coconut syrup, and lemonade (New)
Sea Butterfly: Butterfly Pea Flower-infused cocktail with Smirnoff Vodka, light rum, lychee syrup, and magic boba pearls
L’Arte di Mangiare (Italy)
Food Items:
Mozzarella Fritta: Flash-fried breaded fresh mozzarella with artist palette condiments (New)
Ravioli ai Funghi, Perle Tartufate: Wild mushroom-stuffed pasta with truffle butter and truffle pearls (New)
Budino al Cioccolato: Chocolate pudding with colorful chocolate décor (New)
Beverages:
Peroni Pilsner
Chianti
Prosecco
Italian Sangria Red or White
Italian Margarita with tequila and limoncello
Amaretto Bellini: DISARONNO Originale Liqueur, white peach purée, and prosecco
Funnel Cake
Mocha Funnel Cake: Mini Funnel Cake with cappuccino ice cream topped with chocolate whipped cream and M&M’S chocolate candies (New)
Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company
World Discovery (Near Mission: SPACE)
Amber Frost: An artistic blend of frozen lemon ice, a splash of Minute Maid Premium Lemonade, blood orange, and orange popping boba pearls (New)(Alcoholic version available with Grey Goose Vodka)
Near Canada
Magenta Frost: An artistic blend of frozen lemon ice, a splash of Minute Maid Premium Lemonade, dragon fruit, and dragon fruit popping boba pearls (New) (Alcoholic version available with Grey Goose Vodka)
Showcase Plaza (Near Disney Traders)
Jade Frost: An artistic blend of frozen lemon ice, a splash of Minute Maid Premium Lemonade, green apple, and green apple popping boba pearls (New)(Alcoholic version available with Grey Goose Vodka)
The American Adventure
Cerulean Frost: An artistic blend of frozen lemon ice, a splash of Minute Maid Premium Lemonade, blue raspberry, and blueberry popping boba pearls 6.39 (New)(Alcoholic version available with Grey Goose Vodka)
So what do you think of the food & drink options? Many items are returning from previous years but there are some new items we are looking forward to trying!
Marvel star Jeremy Renner shares a video update from his hospital bed
Jeremy Renner has just shared a cute video of his mom and sister treating him to a spa day while recovering in a hospital bed after the life-threatening accident which occurred on Sunday.
Jeremy was involved in a snow-plowing accident on Sunday and was flown by helicopter to a nearby hospital where he remains in intensive care.
Earlier this week he shared a photo and a brief message thanking fans for their support. According to a spokesperson for the actor, Jeremy Renner suffered “blunt chest trauma and orthopedic injuries” and “remains in the intensive care unit in critical but stable condition.”
A “not no great” ICU DAY, turned to an amazing spa day with my sis and mama. Thank you sooooo much.
His family issued a statement after the outpouring of love and support the day after the accident:
“Jeremy’s family would like to express their gratitude to the incredible doctors and nurses looking after him, Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue, Washoe County Sheriff, Reno City Mayor Hillary Schieve, and the Carano and Murdock families,” a statement from his spokesperson read. “They are also tremendously overwhelmed and appreciative of the outpouring of love and support from his fans.”
