Disney is still moving forward with relocation to Lake Nona
In 2021 Disney purchased land in Orlando with plans to relocate employees to Lake Nona in the coming years. The relocation to Lake Nona was delayed but now, according to The Orlando Business Journal, the relocation of around 2,000 Disney employees is still moving forward.
Tavistock, the company development behind the Lake Nona area, made a statement recently. Vice President of Strategic Communications Jessi Blakely said, “In the short-term future, things are moving along with Disney very well. I do expect that there will be news in the coming year around that project.”
Blakely also said more updates will be coming in 2023.
No construction progress has been made on the site Disney bought for its Campus in Lake Nona, however. We’ll have to wait and see if the move still happens in 2026 as planned or gets pushed back.
The Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando is located in the Disney Springs area of Walt Disney World. It’s located just half a mile from Disney Springs and offers free shuttle service to all four Walt Disney World theme parks. The hotel also offers free hot breakfast, free Wi-Fi, several on-site dining options, a resort-style saltwater pool, and 5:30 Kickback with evening snacks and cold beverages.
The hotel offers multiple room options. There are standard, specialty, deluxe, and deluxe with terrace rooms available. There are also suites that sleep up to 6 guests which are perfect for bigger families!
Another perk of staying at this hotel is there is no resort fee. Many hotels and resorts in the area charge a nightly resort fee. Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando will not be charging that fee.
Guests staying here will be within easy walking distance to Disney Springs along with a number of restaurants and stores on Vineland. The Drury Hotel is a Good Neighbor hotel with Walt Disney World and can be booked as a hotel and ticket package.
If you’d like to stay at the Drury Hotel for your next Disney World vacation, contact me today! I am a travel agent with Destinations to Travel, my services are complimentary, and I’d love to help you plan a magical vacation!
We decided to pop over to Epcot the other day and were surprised to see the holiday crowds had arrived a bit early this year.
It looks like Disney is staying ahead of the game and getting prepared by getting their extended line queues in order.
If you have been to Epcot a time or two you may have noticed that certain areas of the park, particularly in World Showcase tend to get a bit clustered with people. One of those areas along with France and the U.K. is Mexico.
Upon entering the Mexico Pavilion we entered into a heavily crowded area with lines extending outside the large 36-foot Aztec pyramid.
This large pyramid houses the Gran Fiesta Tour, San Angel Inn Restaurant, La Cava del Tequila, and an open-air marketplace featuring a Mexican folk art gallery plus much more.
Upon entering you see signs directing to different queues and one of the longest and extending outside the pyramid is the line for the ever-so-popular La Cava del Tequila. It’s not unusual for the lines to get long here due to the very limited seating available at this location.
Attractions, dining, and shopping queues are off to your left and direct you further down into the main areas which at the time were quite crowded.
Most commonly we see holiday crowds arriving around the 19th of December but have noticed that since Covid it’s much harder to predict the busier times of the year. Could it be could possibly be due to the rise in homeschooling or more work-from-home positions? Whatever the reason you can still go and enjoy your Disney vacation with some strategic planning. The cooler weather also helps make the crowds more bearable.
What do you think the reason is for the parks being busier than usual? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Be sure to check back with Chip and Company to stay up to date on all the latest Disney news.
Ops Update: Weather issues along the Gulf Coast had prevented reserve supply delivery of jet fuel at MCO. The weather has lifted and ships have departed. If flight disruptions occur, airline contingency plans are currently in place. Thank you for your patience.
Weather issues along the Gulf Coast had prevented reserve supply delivery of jet fuel at MCO. The weather has lifted and ships have departed. If flight disruptions occur, airline contingency plans are currently in place. Thank you for your patience.
If you are flying out of Orlando Airport today you might want to check with your airline to see if your flight will be delayed before you head to the airport.
Holiday Dining Not to be Missed during Christmas and Holidays at Universal Orlando. Anyone can “Ho-ho-ho” and “Fa-la-la” for the holidays. But if you want to scream, laugh, and shout your jingle bells off, you’ve got to awesome up your holiday at Universal Orlando Resort, where we do the holidays big time. It’s the biggest, loudest, awesomest holiday celebration of the season.
‘Tis the season to be hungry. Give your taste buds a present this year with exclusive food and drink offerings in the theme parks and Universal CityWalk—from specialty doughnuts to holiday cocktails (21+ with valid photo ID) and more. Check out the Menu below.
New Cal Kestis Legacy Lightsaber Hilt Revealed for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Collector’s Edition Pre-Orders. For Star Wars gamers the wait has been long. The sequel to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has finally been announced, and pre-orders are available now. Collector’s Edition from Limited Run Games will feature a Cal Kestis Lightsaber replica, and the nice thing is we are hearing it is compatible with the Legacy Saber released a few months ago.
Star Wars fans rejoice! The Game Awards 2022 wrapped up yet another year of gaming greats with an epic reveal for fans of the galaxy far, far away – the new Cal Kestis Legacy Lightsaber Hilt (Jedi Survivor)! The Cal Kestis Legacy Lightsaber Hilt (Jedi Survivor) lit up the stage as only a Jedi could when shown for the first time in the hands of Cameron Monaghan, the actor portraying the game’s protagonist Cal Kestis.
Offering gamers a premium collection of items inspired by the upcoming launch of the new Star Wars Jedi: Survivor game, fans will not want to miss this very special Collector’s Edition from Limited Run Games – in collaboration with Electronic Arts (EA), Respawn Entertainment, and Lucasfilm Games – which will include the new Cal Kestis Legacy Lightsaber Hilt (Jedi Survivor).
Pre-orders for the release of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Collector’s Edition is now available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC. Featured in the bundle, players will find a physical copy of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Deluxe Edition, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor SteelBook case, a full-sized, fully functional replica lightsaber hilt, a premium magnetic box for the lightsaber hilt, and a Certificate of Authenticity – available exclusively for the Collector’s Edition.
New Cal Kestis Legacy Lightsaber Hilt
Since the launch of the “Fan Choice” Cal Kestis Legacy Lightsaber Hilt from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order at Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge earlier this year, it’s been widely popular among Star Wars fans. EA and Lucasfilm decided to team up again to collaborate on a brand-new full-sized replica for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. This new hilt comes with a premium magnetic box and will match nicely with the “Fan Choice” Cal Kestis Legacy Lightsaber Hilt.
New Cal Kestis Legacy Lightsaber Hilt
The new hilt, exclusive to the Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Collector’s Edition, is compatible with the Legacy Lightsaber Blade, which fans can obtain at Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities inside Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort.
Whew, that is a lot of fun goodies in one bundle! Don’t miss your chance to grab this exclusive Limited Run Games Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Collector’s Edition for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC starting today! The Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Deluxe Edition will also come with the “Galactic Hero” Cosmetic Pack and the “New Hero” Cosmetic Pack as well as the Obi-Wan Kenobi-inspired “Jedi Survival” Cosmetic Pack if you grab the Collector’s Edition before March 17, 2023.
Be sure to check out the latest Star Wars Jedi: Survivor gameplay trailer revealed during The Game Awards to see Cal wield his lightsaber in-game if you’re still not convinced you’re ready to be a Jedi IRL. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will launch on March 17, 2023, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC!
Disney News Round-Up: Tron Opening Day Queue, Annual Passholders Discount get Better, Avatar is all over the News, Billionaire buys 10,000 Tickets. It is time for our Sunday News round-up. There are officially 14 Days till Christmas, and 42 days left to ride Splash Mountain.
Radiator Springs Racers Closing Indefinitely Starting in January of 2023
The popular Radiator Springs Racers attraction at Disney California Adventure will be closing next month for refurbishment. According to the calendar on the Disneyland website, the ride will close on January 17th.
“Cruise Through Radiator Springs Kick the fun into overdrive as you buckle up for a road race featuring familiar car-acters, fantastic scenery and “wheel” thrills.
Tour Ornament Valley and arrive in Radiator Springs—the cutest little town in Carburetor County—where the movie Cars springs to life.
As you prep for the big race, all the locals show up to help. Mater, Lightning McQueen, Doc Hudson, Sally, Luigi, Guido, Mack and Ramone are all rooting for you!
Take a quick spin into either Luigi’s Casa Della Tires or Ramone’s House of Body Art to get a racing makeover—then hit the road.
Ready, Get Set, Go!
Meet your friendly competition at the starting line and get ready to race for first place! Zip over hills, zoom around high-banked turns and cruise down camelback straightaways past spectacular red-rock formations.
Even if your car comes in second, this is one race where everyone’s a winner!”
The Disneyland calendar only goes through January 22, 2023, right now so we aren’t sure how long the attraction will be closed. We also don’t know what exactly will be worked on or if it is just routine maintenance.
Radiator Springs Racers is a very popular ride so hopefully it won’t be closed for long!
If you’d like to visit the Disneyland Resort, contact me today! I am the preferred travel partner with Chip & Co and my services are complimentary. I would love to help you plan a magical vacation!
Guide to The Best Holiday Treats at Universal Studios Hollywood
The holidays are happening at Universal’s theme parks and we’ve got the guide to the best holiday treats at Universal Studios Hollywood! If you will be visiting Universal Studios Hollywood this holiday season, you won’t want to miss out on these tasty eats and treats.
Grinchmas Treats Rising out of a festively decorated Universal Plaza, is the iconic Grinchmas tree and the entrance of Who-ville and the epicenter of Who—licious treats. Within Who-ville and meet and greet opportunities with The Grinch, Max and the Whos, are several delicious food stands, each with unique offerings and beverages to match.
Kicking off with a trio of SUPER cute, decorated cookies:
Snow Globe Cookie
Executive Chef Julia Thrash shared that each of these adorable desserts are frosted and decorated by hand — astounding that each snow globe is truly a unique snowflake of a sugar cookie!!
Gingerbread Who-Ville Tree Cookie
The Who-ville Tree is a perfectly spiced gingerbread cookie, delicately balanced between being soft and chewy and a gingersnap, bedecked with holiday decorations. It is as crooked as the Grinch’s finger and as adorable as Max’s uni-antler.
Minion Cookie
Rounding out the treat trifecta is your own holiday Minion in cookie form. Clad in his tiny Santa hat, we aren’t quite sure if he is dressed for festive frivolity or holiday hijinks.
Jumbo Donuts
In keeping with Universal Studios’ world-renowned jumbo donuts, this year they have not one but two huge holiday offerings. It’s not hard to miss the massive Grinch Face or Chocolate Wreath Donuts dominating the dessert case. Each measures an incredible 7 inches in diameter and weighs an astounding one pound. In the spirit of the holidays — and because there is a LOT more deliciousness in the park — please share with friends and family!
Joyful Jars
Moving from the biggest items to the most portable: the Black Forest Cake and Butterscotch Pudding Jars. These super cute desserts are great examples of the overall theme for this year’s holiday foods; Chef Julia shared that her overarching goal is to celebrate the classic holiday favorites. And, while the adorable jars come with lids to take them home, I highly doubt there will be any left once you have dug in!
The Black Forest Cake Jar is a delicious affair with spongy and moist cake layered below light and fluffy whipping cream. Punching through those decadent flavors is a blast of tart cherry offsetting the sweetness and ensuring that you will crave just-one-more-bite until the delightful end.
The Butterscotch Pudding Jar is a creamy sweet dream. It is the favorite dessert of both Chef Julia and Chef Eddy Kim as it indulges your sweet tooth with rich and silky butterscotch pudding, light and fluffy whipped cream, and graham cracker crumble. It is a master class in layering as each bite fills your mouth with all three flavors and textures.
Limited-Time Grinch Popcorn Bucket
Nothing says holidays more than a smiling (smirking?) Grinch filled to the brim with delicious popcorn. This adorable, limited-edition bucket comes complete with a festive red and green shoulder strap for easy carrying and convenient snacking. Did you even celebrate Grinchmas if you didn’t take home a Grinch??
Three Hot Chocolates, Piping
Pairing well with all of the aforementioned desserts are three flavors of piping hot chocolate. For those classically inclined, the Original Hot Chocolate comes with a jumbo marshmallow luxuriously floating in his hot tub of molten chocolate goodness.
Th S’mores Hot Chocolate adds an extra sweetness to the beverage and also comes with a chocolate dipped marshmallow.
Finally, the Peppermint Hot Chocolate rings in the season. The light notes of peppermint are delicious, and it is paired with an adorable floating peppermint marshmallow.
Cupcake Surprises
Let it be known that while I love desserts, I love love desserts with surprises inside.
The Pumpkin Spice Cupcake is one of those aforementioned love love desserts. It is a sizable pumpkin spiced cake base with delicious frosted cream, complete with an adorable gingerbread man on top. SPOILER ALERT: Nestled inside of this cozy treat is a gooey caramel center that oozes out with every bite. The stickiness of the caramel keeps the moist cake together and the frosted cream adds the perfect amount of sweetness to the overall bite.
Chocolate lovers fear not — for you we have the S’mores Cupcake. Equally as moist with rich chocolate cake, topped with a light cream frosting and crunchy cookie crumbles.
And inside of this cocoa delight lies a center of marshmallow filling – thick and sticky enough to warrant a fork and knife.
The Grinch’s Heart
The Grinch’s Heart is THE show-stopping, eye-catching, social-posting toast of the season!
Available for both old and young Whos and featured prominently across Grinchmas, it is a limited-edition libation magnificent enough for even Mayor Augustus MayWho! Mature Whos can enjoy an awfully wicked blend of vodka and melon liqueur, mixed with lemon and pineapple juice. A snickering splash of Sprite adds a dash of carbonation to the beverage and the resulting garishly green goblet is finished with a red sugar rim and a skewer of three candy hearts.
For younger Whos, the Grinch’s Heart Mocktail is a tantalizingly tart green apple lemonade served with jellies and three candy hearts — one for each size the Grinch’s formerly small heart grew… aw.
What holiday treats at Universal Studios Hollywood made it onto your must-try list?
If you’d like to celebrate the holidays and try some of these holiday treats at Universal Studios Hollywood, contact me today! I am the preferred travel agent with Chip & Co and my services are complimentary!
On December 7, 2022 a ‘The Golden Girls‘ Pop-Up restaurant opened in New York City much to the delight of fans of the hit sitcom. The Manhattan location called “The Golden Girls Kitchen NYC” offers iconic dishes from the series including Sophia’s lasagna al forno, Rusty Anchor omelet sandwich, Rose Nylund’s Genurkenflurgen cake, and cheesecake for dessert!
Ticket’s start at $40 per person which includes a 90-minute reservation featuring a main entree, slice of cheesecake, and photo opportunity with replica sets from the show. Experience host Derek Berry (Bucket Listers Head of Experiences), shared, “I think it was opening day [in California], we had multiple groups come in and just cry. It’s all five senses being hit for the ‘Golden Girls. You know, eat it, smell it, hear it, you can taste it.”
Photo Credit: TODAY
Check out the full menu below:
GOLDEN MAINS
-Sophia’s Lasagna Al Forno (with meat) with garlic bread -Sophia’s Lasagna Al Forno (Can be ordered gluten-free on site) with garlic bread -The Lanai (A “Miami Style” Cuban Sandwich) with fries -Bacon Lettuce Potato Sandwich (Say It Fast) with fries -Vegan Bacon Lettuce Potato Sandwich (Say It Fast) with fries -The Rose Marie Soup and Salad Combo (broccoli cheddar or vegan butternut squash) -Rusty Anchor Omelet Sandwich (with meat) + Tots -Rusty Anchor Omelet Sandwich (vegetarian) + Tots -Avocado Toast with meat + Tots -Avocado Toast vegetarian + Tots
SHADY PINES SIDES
-Nancy’s Side Salad -Edgar Allan Poe-tatoe French Fries -Side of Sicily Garlic Bread (secret sauce from the Festival of the Dancing Virgins) -Cheeseballs
ST. OLAF SWEETS
-Cheesecake -Sperheoven Krispies (also available vegan) -Genurkenflurgen Cake -Clown Sundae -Blanche’s Georgia Style Cookies
Plus The Golden Girls Kitchen Coffee, Southern Belle Libations, mocktails, and more!
The Golden Girls Kitchen experience is expected to travel to various cities, with new locations to be announced at a later date. Would you like to see this experience in a city near you? Who would you take for this unique dining and immersive event? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Be sure to check back here at Chip and Company for updates and all things entertainment!
A petition started by Eric Thibeault to “save” the Splash Mountain attractions in Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort from the planned “Princess and the Frog” re-theming is nearing 100k signatures. The petition reads: “Splash Mountain is an iconic ride at Magic Kingdom, loved by millions of fans all over the world for over 30 years. Re-theming such an iconic ride would erode the nostalgia that lives in Disney World and take away a little bit of the magic.”
““Song of the South” was based on a book of short stories taken by Joel Chandler Harris and Robert Roosevelt (Teddy Roosevelt’s Uncle), who spent a lot of time in the slave quarters in the mid 1800s. He first heard the story of the Br’er Rabbit, along with many others, directly from the telling of African folklore. The controversy from these stories and Song of the South comes from the misunderstanding of the depiction of Uncle Remus(the characters name in the books) and his relationships with his employers on a Georgian plantation which takes place AFTER the Civil War, during the Reconstruction era. Splash Mountain has never included depictions of slaves or any racist elements and is based solely on historical African folktales that families of all ethnicities have been enjoying for nearly a century.”
“It is absurd to pander to a small group of “Disney haters” that dont understand the story, and re-theme such a nostalgic ride. The characters in Splash Mountain do not specifically generalize any race or group of people, they are nothing more than caricatures based on the turn-of-the-century America. Modifying Splash Mountain will not change history and will only encourage the “easily offended” to continue making desperate attempts at finding offence in additional attractions.To change them would be to remove a bit of our art history from the world and to be ashamed of it.”
“Show your support and let Disney know that you want Splash Mountain to stay exactly the way it is!”
Disney announced a retheme for the iconic attraction back in June of 2020, with a tentative launch in 2024, though an exact date has yet to be announced. While sharing details on the project, TWDC shared, “Tiana is a modern, courageous, and empowered woman, who pursues her dreams and never loses sight of what’s really important. It’s a great story with a strong lead character, set against the backdrop of New Orleans and the Louisiana bayou. In 1966, Walt himself opened New Orleans Square when it became the first new “land” added to Disneyland park, so it feels natural to link the story and the incredible music of “The Princess and the Frog” to our parks.”
At this time the re-themeing for both locations is currently underway despite pleas from select fans of the attraction. Are you excited for the retheme? Do you think Disney should leave Splash Mountain alone and give Tiana her own new attraction in the parks? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Be sure to check back here at Chip and Company for updates and all things Disney Parks!
During a recent episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, Drew and frequent co-star Adam Sandler reunited during a segment to discuss their previous projects together as well as pitch some new (or renewed) movie ideas.
While chatting, Sandler shared that he is a big fan of Barrymore’s show and watches it “all the time” and Drew responded by divulging “You [Adam] helped me get the pilot. You and Cameron [Diaz]… ” Barrymore continued, “Her and I did discuss remaking Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and then I was like, ‘Well you know Adam and I talk about that. Well, I also want to play John Candy.”
You could do a good Candy,” Sandler added, “You know who could do Candy the best? [Chris] Farley. He would walk around the office and say lines from Planes, Trains and Automobiles.”
Photo Credit: Warner Bros.
Later on, Drew asked Adam which project he’s worked on that best describes him as an artist, and Sandler candidly responded, “I worked with this young lady one time. I met her at the Newsroom café. She came in, she had stylish hair. A little pinkish. She came in, we jammed on a movie idea. We got together; shot it. We had the best time ever, and I would want to see that one, and we call it, The Wedding Singer. I wasn’t allowed to sing ‘Grow Old with You’ to Drew before we sang it. I said, ‘I wrote that song,’ ‘I don’t want to hear it.’
Barrymore reminisced, “That’s my reaction on film for the first time. I did that with Forgetful Lucy too. Forgetful Lucy and then the dolphins did the perfect heart dive. The dolphins were like, ‘Ooo we like this let’s give it a good ending guys.’“
Do you enjoy Sandler and Barrymore together on screen? Have you seen The Wedding Singer, 50 First Dates, and Blended? Do you think the pair could pull off a Planes, Trains, and Automobiles remake? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Be sure to check back here at Chip and Company for updates and all things entertainment!
