Disney’s California Grill Celebrates 15th Anniversary

By

-

May 12, 2010

Disney’s California Grill Celebrates 15th Anniversary on May 15th. Has it been 15 years already? California Grill is one of Disney Signature Dining restaurants and if you have ever been here you can see why.

In case you have never dined at the Cali Grill here is a little information about this fine eating establishment.

California Grill is a Signature Dining restaurant that serves award-winning gourmet dinners and sweeping views atop Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Venture into this vibrant and charged atmosphere and watch the creation of culinary masterpieces in the on-stage kitchen.

Choose your view—the shimmering Seven Seas Lagoon, the enchanting Magic Kingdom theme park, the fireworks bursting over Cinderella Castle or, perhaps best of all, each other. Linger over the unforgettable vistas as you taste refined flavors influenced by the cultural melting pot of the American Pacific Coast.

The food is just as spectacular as the view. Inspired by classic cuisines from around the world, yet combined in inventive and delicious new ways, the California Grill’s menu reflects the very best of California Fusion cooking.

While the menu changes regularly to utilize the freshest produce, the superb attention to detail and quality stays the same. You’ll delight in such exquisite dishes as sushi, brick oven-baked flat breads, handmade Sonoma goat cheese ravioli, oak-fired filet of beef with Teriyaki barbeque sauce, oak-fired pork tenderloin and Valrhona chocolate cake; warm chocolate cake with molten center and house-made ice cream. California Grill is also a great choice for diners seeking tasty vegetarian options.

The wine list features selections from California’s finest estates—updated each day to perfectly complement the food.

You’ll relish living in a Golden State of mind at California Grill!

For some more information check out Disney Park Blog.

Share with us your Dining experiences in the comment section below.

More Disney News – Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Unveiled for 2012

By

Chip

-

May 12, 2010

More news on the Disney’s Art of Animation Resort from Disney Park Blog:

Big news…we’ve just announced plans for a new resort at Walt Disney World Resort that’ll bring to life some of our most beloved characters and stories. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will be one-of-a-kind, featuring family suites designed around four themes: The Lion King, Cars, Finding Nemo and The Little Mermaid.

It’s a resort designed with families in mind. There will be amazing sights at the different themed wings of the resort, including a model of King Triton that’ll eventually be 35 feet tall and tower over guests. And Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will also have themed room interiors in its nearly 2,000 new units — 1,120 family suites in The Lion King, Cars and Finding Nemo wings and 864 themed rooms in The Little Mermaid wings. Suites will have both a living room and a bedroom, offering added space.

All of the themed suites and rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort (to be located adjacent to Disney’s Pop Century Resort) are expected to open by the end of 2012. We’ll have more updates in the future but wanted to share this with you first. Please let us know what you think in the comments.

Disney to build NEW hotel dubbed Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

By

Chip

-

May 12, 2010

Walt Disney World is about to begin building its first new hotel in seven years, a 2,000-room resort that will open in 2012.

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will feature 1,120 suites with room for as many as six people each and another 864 traditional hotel rooms, with a design theme based on four of the company’s most popular animated movies.

The complex will be priced as a “value” hotel, at the low end of Disney World’s scale, similar to Disney’s Pop Century and All-Star resorts, where standard rates begin at $82 a night.

The announcement is one of the strongest signals yet from Disney that it thinks a sustained recovery is under way from the long travel slump brought on by the global recession. Disney executives, who have been weighing construction of a family-suites hotel for several years, finally approved the project in January.

But in deciding to add another lower-priced hotel, Disney also appears to be betting that travelers will continue the frugal spending habits many adopted during the downturn. Disney has been relying on discounts to sustain attendance during the past year, and executives acknowledged Tuesday that consumers are still searching for deals even as Disney attempts to return to pre-recession prices.

“Quite honestly, we’re in a bit of waiting for each other to blink,” Walt Disney Co. Chief Financial Officer Jay Rasulo told analysts during a conference call to discuss the company’s second-quarter earnings.

The Art of Animation Resort will be built on a 65-acre plot across a lake from Disney’s Pop Century Resort. The location will allow Disney to use a pair of long-neglected, unfinished buildings that Disney originally constructed as a second phase of Pop Century but which it abandoned amid the 2001 recession. Pop Century’s first phase was completed in 2003.

Plans for the new resort show 10 wings of rooms and a separate building housing the check-in lobby and restaurants. The hotel wings will be separated into four distinct groups, each with a theme from a different animated movie: The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Finding Nemo and Cars.

Each section will have separate courtyards anchored by icons from the movies — such as a 35-foot-tall King Triton presiding over the Mermaid section — and the entire resort will use bright-color palettes evocative of the lush scenery of animated movies. Hotel designers say they have been soliciting input from artists at Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios on everything from building elevations to which scenes to depict at the swimming pools.

“The hope is you walk into this courtyard and you’re kind of like seeing it as a character in the movie,” said Frank Paris, a senior project manager with Walt Disney Imagineering, the company’s in-house attraction-design unit.

Click here to keep reading.

Disney Movie Unit Drives Strong Results in Quarter

By

Chip

-

May 12, 2010

walt disney logo

The Walt Disney Company appears to be having some success in repairing its movie operation, but now its television business is springing a leak.

Disney, reporting results for its fiscal second quarter, said that operating income at its movie studio shot up to $223 million from $13 million in the year-ago period. The release of “Alice in Wonderland” on March 5 was the primary reason for the rebound.

In contrast, Disney’s normally high-flying TV operation had flat income of $1.3 billion on a 6 percent increase in revenue. The company’s cable channels, including ESPN, surged as usual with higher advertising revenue and subscriber fees offsetting increased costs. But ABC, where income decreased by 24 percent primarily because of drooping prime-time ratings, weighed sharply on results.

Growth at Disney’s television operation is normally robust, with income in the first quarter increasing by 11 percent over the previous year and the fourth quarter recording a 26 percent uptick.

ABC will unveil new programs to advertisers on Tuesday in New York, and Robert A. Iger, Disney’s chief executive, told analysts in a conference call that he remained hopeful that a turnaround was on the horizon.

“I’m confident in the team’s long-term track record,” he said, referring to ABC management. Mr. Iger added that he expected upfront ad sales for the fall season to be “very good.” He also said the network had recently completed a series of cost cuts in its news division.

For the three months ended April 3, Disney had net income of $953 million, or 48 cents a share, a 55 percent rise from $613 million a year earlier. Revenue rose 6 percent to $8.6 billion. The results beat analyst forecasts.

Disney’s consumer products division, where income soared 37 percent to $133 million, contributed to the strong overall results. The company said sales of “Toy Story” merchandise has been strong and Marvel, which Disney acquired in August for $4.3 billion, chipped in healthy publishing sales.

But the movie studio was the primary driver. “Alice in Wonderland” had $960 million in global ticket sales. During the quarter Disney also released “The Last Song,” an inexpensive Miley Cyrus vehicle that sold about $72 million in tickets worldwide. Aggressive cost cutting also buoyed the studio’s results.

Because movie operations work far in advance, Disney is now reaping rewards from pictures that were put into production by a management team that was jettisoned in the fall, after a fallow stretch at the box office. Disney’s new movie managers, however, deserve credit for the effective marketing and completion of these films. But it will not be clear for at least six months whether a true turnaround is at hand at the studio.

Click here to keep reading

Disney Store Launches New Magical Store Design Summer 2010

By

Chip

-

May 12, 2010

Disney Store is poised to redefine children’s retail, launching a magical new store design in major markets across the United States and Europe this summer. The innovative Disney Store design will be unveiled for the first time in June at The Shops at Montebello in Montebello, CA just outside of Los Angeles, followed by the European premiere in early July in Madrid, Spain at La Vaguada. A unique destination developed from a child’s perspective, the new store design integrates the latest technology to create an enhanced shopping experience inspired by Disney’s most popular characters and stories.

“We have infused Disney magic into all elements of this one-of-a-kind retail experience, and have selected prime retail centers to launch the Disney Store of the future,” said Jim Fielding, president of Disney Stores Worldwide. “Special features like the iconic Disney Princess castle with magic mirror and the Disney Store Theater are just two of the amazing elements in the new store that will enrich every child and family’s experience at the Disney Store.”

More than 20 new and remodeled Disney Store locations are slated to open this year in premier retail centers throughout North America and Europe. North American locations have been confirmed for Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, New York; Santa Monica Place in Santa Monica, California; International Plaza in Tampa, Florida; Stockton St. in San Francisco, CA; and Fashion Valley in San Diego, CA. European locations cover four markets with openings in Spain, Portugal, Italy and the UK. These include NorteShopping in Oporto, Portugal; Orio Center in Bergamo, Italy; and UK locations including Centre MK in Milton Keynes, Bon Accord Centre in Aberdeen and Donegal Place in Belfast.

Each new store has special significance and will be celebrated as an important milestone in Disney Store’s growth and evolution.

Roosevelt Field will be the first east coast newly-designed store to open in the United States.
In August, Disney Store will join a group of exclusive retailers for the re-opening of the new Santa Monica Place shopping center near the legendary Santa Monica Pier in southern California. Santa Monica Place is a modern shopping and dining destination that combines contemporary styles with sustainable architecture, and Disney Store will offer a comprehensive assortment of unique Disney products to the elite clientele.
Disney Store at International Plaza in Tampa, Florida will be nearest to Walt Disney World Resort, allowing families to visit both this summer.
Fashion Valley brings together San Diego’s finest collection of stores set in a beautiful outdoor shopping center, and the newly-designed Disney Store will launch there this summer.
Disney Store will join retailers in the historic Union Square of San Francisco, one of the largest shopping areas in the United States. Union Square became San Francisco’s shopping epi-center in the early 1900s and today, upscale stores and hotels surround Union Square, and shopping extends blocks from the central plaza.
In Europe, Oporto will be the first Disney Store to open in the north of Portugal and only the second to open in the country, following the successful launch of the brand to the market in 2007.

With each new store opening in 2010, Disney Store will designate a day for 10 percent of the sales to be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation in the U.S., Spain, Italy and Portugal and to Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity in the UK.

To find a Disney Store, guests can visit www.DisneyStore.com/storelocator or call (866) 902-2798. For more information, please visit www.disneyconsumerproducts.com/press/us. Guests can also sign up for email alerts at www.DisneyStore.com/Updates, become a fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/DisneyStore or follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/DisneyStore to stay connected to your favorite destination.

Disney Food Confession: Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Goat Cheese Polenta.

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

May 11, 2010

What is it: Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Goat Cheese Polenta. Served with button mushrooms and a zinfandel glaze.

Where to find it: The California Grill in the Contemporary Resort.

Why you want it: The restaurant’s signature dish has been on the menu forever, and with good reason. It’s pure comfort food, but more grown-up and a touch sophisticated. The pork is fork tender and for those of you who don’t like goat cheese, the polenta is subtly flavored. Dont like mushrooms? Ask to have them left off.

Photo credit: http://pbpulse.com

Buyer Beware: Discount Disney Tickets 411

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

May 11, 2010

There are currently some fantastic Disney promotions that can really help you plan an affordable Disney vacation, and if you are able to travel during the promotion availability, you can save some serious money. But what if you can’t? What if you have to visit Disney World during the “popular” times: vacations, holidays etc? Disney does not offer promotions during that time frame, because frankly they don’t need to. The crowds during these times prove the obvious: the last thing Disney needs to do is offer attractive promotions to entice more people to visit.

So, if you are like me…and know that no matter how awesome Free Dining is, you are not going to be able to take advantage of it…then it’s time to get creative in how you save money on your Disney vacations.

Park tickets are one of the major expenses of a trip to Walt Disney World, so it’s a great place to start trying to save some money. The thing is you need to be cautious as there are some very reputable places you can buy from….and some real scams.

So let’s talk discount Disney tickets 411.

Can you really get discounted Disney tickets?

The short answer here is, yes you can. You just need to be careful where you buy them. One of the most important things you need to keep in mind about discount Disney park tickets is that you should never consider buying used ones. Why?

Well first of all, because you can literally not tell if the tickets have any days left on them, until you get to the park gate and scan the ticket. Which is kind of too late to find out if you got ripped off or not…

Second, even if there are days left on the ticket, you could not use it anyway, because Disney tickets are non-transferable. That is why we all have that biometric finger scan when we go through the gates: each ticket has one person’s (and one person’s only) fingerprint assigned to it. Once it has been used by someone, it can’t be used by anyone else. So if someone is trying to sell you used Disney park passes at a discount, you can be assured that those tickets…no matter how cheap…are worthless to you.

How do you know where you can buy safely?

There are a number of very honest, very legitimate businesses that legally sell discounted Disney theme park tickets and you can buy with confidence from them. You can identify them pretty easily by looking for a designation that they are an “authorized Disney ticket agent”, along with the Disney logo. An indication that the company has ties to the community like the local Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau is important too. And be sure to see if they have been in business for a while.

I am also a fan of reading the “fine print”. Many companies use cheap or free Disney park tickets as an enticement to sit through a lengthy timeshare presentation. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not against timeshare presentations, I just think you should know ahead of time what you are getting into, in order to get these cheap tickets. It is your vacation after all, so make sure you don’t mind using some of it to sit through the presentation in order to get your park tickets.

Needless to say, buying park passes from sites like eBay or Craigslist is a very risky thing to do, because again, there is no way you can verify that the tickets have not been used…until you get to the park gate. Buy from a reputable business, and you can’t go wrong.

Will you really save any money buying discounted Disney tickets?

Sure you will. It won’t be a huge amount, but if you are buying tickets for an entire family for a week long vacation, the savings will add up. Authorized ticket brokers are able to offer discounts because they purchase bulk tickets under contract, directly from Disney. With these large volumes, they receive discounts from the attractions that they in turn pass on to the consumer. The discounts aren’t large, but again, they can add up. And in my opinion, every little bit helps.

You can save money with discounted Disney park tickets: just be cautious, read the fine print, and make sure that the company you buy from is a reputable one. And always remember what your grandmother told you: “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is”.

Disney Recipes – Make your own Mickey Mouse Waffles

By

Chip

-

May 11, 2010

Everyone loves the Mickey Mouse Waffles. Who can blame them they are so light, fluffy and delicious. Now you don’t have to wait for your Disney Vacation to sample these delectable delights.

You can make them at home…

After doing some research they are super easy to make and could be apart of your weekend family breakfast routine.

You won’t even miss those trips to Chef Mickey’s for breakfast..Ok that last remark was a stretch but still they simple to make with the right equipment.

The most popular Waffle Maker has to be the VillaWare V5555-01 6-Inch Mickey Wafflemaker. Unfortunately it is very hard to find. I saw a couple on ebay and that was about it.

Another alternative and probably more popular with your kids would be the Mickey Mouse Tasty Baker. The waffles are smaller but your choices of characters are better. You can make all your Playhouse Disney Characters at once.

Also it’s on the Disney Store so you can always catch free shipping or some other kinda special they are running!

Once you have your waffle maker then you need the simple recipe.

Recipe Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups water
4 tbsp. butter, melted
2 cups Carbon’s Golden Malted Flour (official waffle mix of Walt Disney World)

Recipe Directions

For years families have been trying to duplicate the famous Mickey Mouse waffles of Walt Disney World, but something always seems to be lacking. The hidden ingredient is Carbon’s Golden Malted Flour.

Beat eggs and water together, then add flour and mix well. Stir in melted butter and mix well again. Ladle onto waffler, and remove when golden brown.

Top with Powdered Sugar, Fruit or just Maple Syrup and you have yourself a piece of the Disney Magic.

Let us know if you try this out at home, we would love to see any pictures you may have on Facebook.

Disney Family.com Announces New Mom’s Health Initiative

By

Chip

-

May 11, 2010

Helping Moms Make Their Own Health a Top Priority

In honor of National Women’s Health Week (May 9-15, 2010), Disney Family.com announced today “Simple Steps to Healthy Families: Mom’s Health,” a new resource to empower women to put their health on the top of their “To Do” list. Partnering with the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women and City of Hope, the site is filled with tips and advice to encourage everyone to make May the “Month of Mom.” Moms everywhere are invited to visit the site and learn simple steps they can take to live a longer and healthier life.

According to a recent online survey from Disney Family.com, moms shoulder the burden of the health of their families with 77 percent of respondents reporting they are charged with scheduling the family medical appointments and keeping the family medical records. This often leads to women ignoring their own health needs to care for those of their family. Seventy-two percent of women know it is important to get a pap smear every year, but only 59 percent receive one. Additionally, 68 percent of women are aware that they should receive a yearly mammogram or a breast examination if they are under 40-years-old however, only 50 percent actually get the examination. In addition, only 56 percent of women reported having their cholesterol checked and only 46 percent having their blood sugar checked, two major risk factors for developing heart disease.

“Many moms are aware of the tests they should be receiving annually, but this knowledge doesn’t always correlate with what examinations they actually receive every year,” said Emily Smith, Vice President of the Disney Online Mom and Family Portfolio. “We are pleased to offer a range of content with simple tips and advice to help moms take care of their health.”

Additionally, in honor of “Month of Mom,” Disney Family.com has partnered with the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement to aid moms in the fight against women’s No. 1 and 3 killers — heart disease and stroke, and City of Hope, one of the nation’s leading research and treatment centers in the fight against the No. 2 killer – cancer. City of Hope maintains a specialized multidisciplinary women’s cancer program to improve outcomes for women battling breast and gynecological cancers. The Disney Family.com site features quick and easy tips moms can do to decrease their risks of these top health threats.

“Mothers are usually so focused on their families that they often forget about themselves,” said Emily Smith, Vice President of the Disney Online Mom and Family Portfolio. “We are delighted to help women make their health a top priority.”

Disney Family.com will include a list of necessary health screenings women need annually and encourages moms to give back to their families during the month of May by scheduling appointments such as:

— Gynecological Exam — Including a pap smear every year

— Mammogram — It is recommended for women to have a mammogram every one to two years starting at age 40

— Dermatologist Visit — Know your family history and perform self examinations for any mark in the skin for change or growth on a regular basis

— Heart Health Check – Ask your healthcare professional to check your cholesterol levels, blood pressure, glucose and body mass index beginning at age 20

— Colorectal Cancer — Colonoscopy every 10 years, beginning at age 50

For more information visit Disney Family.com or follow us on Twitter at @familydotcom.

Survey Methodology

The results of the survey, underwritten by Disney Family.com and conducted by Usability Sciences, are based on responses of more than 7,000 Disney Family visitors in the United States. The survey was conducted over a period commencing February 10, 2010 and continuing through February 17, 2010. The margin of error is + or – 1%.

Playhouse Disney Invites Preschoolers to Call Mickey Mouse to Celebrate their Birthday

By

Chip

-

May 11, 2010

Birthdays are big, especially when you’re little. Beginning today, Playhouse Disney invites preschoolers to dial a toll-free message line during their birthday month to tell Mickey Mouse all about their big day. Select messages will be featured online and on-air during a new monthly programming event of birthday-themed Playhouse Disney episodes. The fun initiative begins with new episodes of “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” and “Imagination Movers” on SATURDAY, MAY 22 (6:00-11:00 a.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel.

With the help of mom or dad, preschoolers can dial the toll-free phone number (1-866-4-MY-DC-TV /1-866-469-3288) or visit www.PlayhouseDisney.com/Birthday for more information. During the call, they’ll be prompted to tell Mickey Mouse their first name and how old they’ll be on their upcoming birthday.

The birthday-themed programming schedule on Saturday, May 22 includes:

“Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” (9:00 a.m., ET/PT) – In “Happy Birthday, Toodles,” as they prepare for Toodles’ surprise birthday party, Mickey and friends must carefully collect all of their Mouseketools without Toodles knowing so they don’t ruin the surprise.

“Imagination Movers” (10:00 a.m., ET/PT) – In “Birthday Ball,” the Movers help their favorite baseball player, Joey Giordano, when he’s faced with the dilemma of having a big playoff game and his son’s birthday party on the same day. Joey Fatone (N’SYNC) guest stars as Joey Giordano.

Disney Family.com and Teri Hatcher Launch Gethatched.com

By

Chip

-

May 11, 2010

Disney Family.com announced today the debut of GetHatched.com, a new Web site created with award-winning actress Teri Hatcher. GetHatched.com is a new online destination that balances having fun, finding inspiration, and gaining understanding from other women. The site offers a decidedly unique take on popular topics for women including beauty, relationships, style, health and happiness. GetHatched.com is produced by Disney Family.com, with creative and editorial content and insight provided by Ms. Hatcher and a team of experts.

In her opening blog post to site visitors, Ms. Hatcher discussed the goal of GetHatched.com, stating:

“GetHatched is a place that celebrates women in all of our multi-tasking, chore-juggling, diverse-life role-playing glory. We ARE the force behind everything. We are the caregivers, the nurturers, the lovers, and teachers. We do the laundry, clean the house, feed the pets, drive the carpool, and as if that wasn’t enough of a job, we often bring home the bacon. (And then cook it, too!)

Miss… Mrs… Mom… ME! GetHatched is about finding your way to the ME part without getting lost along the way. It’s a constant conversation for a community of women who support each other and have similar core beliefs.”

Ask a Disney Question: Where can you eat and watch fireworks?

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

May 11, 2010

This question is from Marian, who asks: “Is there any place you can eat and watch the Disney fireworks at WDW?”

Marian, great question. There are a number of restaurants where you can eat while you enjoy the fireworks.

Let’s start with Wishes, which takes place nightly in the Magic Kingdom. The very best place to watch Wishes and enjoy a meal is probably the California Grill, located on the top floor of the Contemporary Resort. Not only is it foodie heaven, with modern yet familiar dishes that are widely regarded as some of the best in Central Florida, but the resort’s proximity to the Magic Kingdom means you’ll also have a great view of the nightly fireworks. As you can imagine, it can be difficult to get a reservation during this time, so make your advanced dining reservation (ADR) at the 180-day mark. Disney has been pretty consistent lately in announcing park hours at around the 6-month mark, so you should have a good idea of when Wishes starts based on when the Magic Kingdom closes. A good rule of thumb is to make your reservation 30-60 minutes before Wishes starts. Right before the fireworks begin, the lights are turned down in the restaurant and the music is piped in.

You can also watch the fireworks from Narcoossee’s in the Grand Floridian, a signature seafood restaurant. Unfortunately, it isn’t the best viewing location and there aren’t as many seats that have a view. You’ll also have a limited view fromOhana’s in the Polynesian. These are both good restaurants, but if your intent is to see the fireworks while you eat, keep in mind that the ability to see the fireworks is really incidental in these places and you’ll do far better at the California Grill. Finally, you may want to check into the Wishes Dessert Party , a private dessert buffet held in Tomorrowland which affords guests one of the best seats for watching Wishes, on certain nights in the Magic Kingdom.

Over at Epcot, there are two restaurants that make good locations for watching Illuminations, with the best being the Rose and Crown Pub in Great Britain. Seating is limited, so when you make your ADR, ask for outdoor seating; you’ll want to ask again when you arrive, so get there a bit earlier than your ADR. The Cantina de San Angel in Mexico is probably a better viewing area, but up until now it’s been a crowded counter service location. That’s about to change. It’s currently being renovated and should be completed in the fall. At this point, it looks like it will go from being a counter service location at lunch to a table service at dinner, so you should be able to make ADRs to eat there during Illuminations, but the details are kind of sketchy at this point. We’ll update when we get more concrete details.

Thanks for your question and for reading Chip and Co. Hope this helps!

Have a Disney question? We have answers. Write us at Chip and Co. We answer every question.