WDW Daily News

Minnie Mouse and her friends celebrate the magic of the movies and glamour of Hollywood with an epic feast at the new Minnie’s Silver Screen Dine at Hollywood & Vine at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The all new character dining experience is hosted by Minnie and her pals and begins just in time for Academy Awards season.

Dinner guests will walk the red carpet and get ready for their close-up with some of the biggest stars of the silver screen. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy will all be there and dressed in their designer best. Mickey will greet guests and pose with them for photographs in the midst of the glitz and glamour before escorting them into the dinner party, where guests get the chance to meet Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Goofy as they enjoy classic cuisine, themed to old Hollywood. This new party at Walt Disney World Resort is filled with dazzling décor, a sweeping musical score, award-winning food, activities and more.

Minnie’s Silver Screen Dine runs from Jan. 4 to March 20, 2016. Guests can make reservations by visiting DisneyWorld.com/dine or calling 407-WDW-DINE.

It’s been a good week for throwback fans of Disney‘s now-defunct Pleasure Island in Florida. A pair of openings pay homage to Comedy Warehouse and Adventurers Club…

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California Grill atop Disney’s Contemporary Resort soars to new heights with ‘Brunch at the Top,’ a new Sunday dining experience beginning Feb. 7, 2016. For the first time, guests can enjoy the beautiful daytime skyline of Magic Kingdom Park, Epcot and Disney resort hotels from the magnificent floor-to-ceiling windows at the California Grill restaurant while savoring a brunch of fresh, market-driven cuisine.

‘Brunch at the Top’ is an immersive dining experience where guests can interact with the culinary team in the open show kitchen while sampling charcuterie, sushi and market-inspired salads. The culinary adventure begins with an assortment of house-made breakfast pastries delivered to the table, including caramel apple Monkey bread and Tillamook Cheddar biscuits. Guests will then visit the show kitchen for an assortment of small tastes, such as house-smoked orange honey ham, dviled Lake Meadow Naturals eggs, shrimp and grits with Gulf White Shrimp,  grilled flat iron steak with soft poached eggs, and hardwood cooked salmon. The brunch concludes with an assortment of sweet mini-desserts, macarons and chocolate truffles. The decadent multi-course meal includes an over-the-top Bloody Mary Bar, cocktails and craft brews, as well as a signature brunch cocktail and faux “mimosas” for kids.

Cost is $80 for adults, $48 ages 3 to 11. Reservations can be made at DisneyWorld.com/dine or by calling 407-WDW-DINE.

Beginning Dec. 16, 2015, guests can set off on a culinary adventure featuring “World Famous Jungle Cuisine” at the new Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen in Magic Kingdom® Park at Walt Disney World® Resort.

Located steps from the legendary Jungle Cruise attraction, this new 222-seat table-service restaurant is staffed by the wisecracking crew of the Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd.  Diners are seated in one of three dining destinations inside the company’s headquarters-turned-restaurant: the mess hall; the jungle-inspired parlor once used by the company’s founder, Dr. Albert Falls and his family; or the former meeting room of the mysterious Society of Explorers and Adventurers.

The adventurous menu features bold and flavorful tastes inspired by the exotic flavors of the rivers traveled on the Jungle Cruise. Guests can try Trader Sam’s head-on shrimp, Dr. Falls’ signature grilled steak or the house-made arepas with slow-cooked beef, black beans, tostones and queso fresco. Little ones can enjoy items such as Junior Skip’s special mac and cheese. And for dessert, there is a Kungaloosh! – an African-inspired chocolate cake served with caramelized bananas and cashew-caramel ice cream. Refreshing non-alcoholic specialty beverages, Punch Line punch and Schweitzer Slush, will also be offered.

The Disney Dining Plan will be accepted at Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen. Reservations are not currently being offered.

Two new dining experiences are coming to Disneyland® Park in the new year!

River Belle Terrace will become a table-service location, serving lunch and dinner beginning Feb. 10, 2016. The menu will feature Southern barbecue staples like ribs, chicken, as well as sustainable seafood, and enticing starters and sides.  Plus, new signature desserts will also be available. Reservations for River Belle Terrace will open soon.

Also in Frontierland, Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante will begin serving breakfast beginning Feb. 2, 2016. Here, Guests can enjoy some favorites from the old River Belle Terrace menu, like the famous Mickey Mouse pancakes, as well as new Mexican-inspired breakfast entrees. Breakfast will be available until 11:30 a.m. every morning before switching to the lunch and dinner menu at noon.

Walt Disney World Resort guests can indulge in a fresh take on an American tradition by enjoying their Thanksgiving feast Nov. 26, 2015 with a bounty of Disney tastes. With more than 30 different dining choices at Disney theme parks and resorts, families and friends can come together for a variety of Thanksgiving lunch and dinner offerings.

Special holiday menus include roasted turkey breast with all the trimmings plus traditional Norwegian meatballs and pan-seared salmon at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, poppy seed lavash, house-made naan, and apple-cranberry achar at Sanaa, roasted heirloom beets with candied walnuts and mulled apple cider at Artist Point, and other unique dishes to enjoy with the holiday classics.

At Epcot, guests can dine on Thanksgiving menus during lunch and dinner seatings at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Biergarten Restaurant, Coral Reef Restaurant, Le Cellier Steakhouse, Restaurant Marrakesh, and Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room, as well as quick service at Sunshine Seasons.

Holiday menus also are offered at 50’s Prime Time Cafe, Hollywood & Vine and The Hollywood Brown Derby in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Tusker House Restaurant in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Within the Walt Disney World Resort hotels, special Thanksgiving dining options are available at:

• Artist Point and Whispering Canyon Café at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
• Boatwright’s Dining Hall at Port Orleans Resort Riverside
• California Grill, Chef Mickey’s and The Wave… of American Flavors at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Cape May Café at Disney’s Beach Club Resort
• Captain’s Grille and Yachtsman Steakhouse at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
• Citricos, Grand Floridian Café, Narcoossee’s and Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• End Zone Food Court at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
• Flying Fish Café and Trattoria al Forno at Disney’s BoardWalk Resort
• Mickey’s Backyard Thanksgiving Feast and Trail’s End Restaurant at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
• Jiko – The Cooking Place at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and Sanaa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas-Disney’s Kidani Village
• Kona Café at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• Olivia’s Café at Disney’s Old Key West Resort
• Sanaa at Disney’s Kidani Village Resort
• Shutters at Old Port Royale at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
• The Turf Club Bar and Grill at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

Availability is limited and dining events are subject to change. For information and reservations, guests can call 407-WDW-DINE or book online at DisneyWorld.com/dine.

Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa was once again honored as one of the top restaurants in the United States in TripAdvisor’s 2015 Travelers’ Choice awards.

No. 6 out of 25, the Walt Disney World® Resort restaurant remains the only Florida restaurant on the illustrious list. “A truly 5 Star evening” and “as promised, a delightful experience” reads the TripAdvisor website.

Victoria & Albert’s, which is also is a AAA Five-Diamond Award winner, recently added a new Chef’s Degustation Menu. This series of 10 small courses features some of Chef Scott Hunnel’s favorite dishes inspired by the seasons, as well as his world travels. The seven-course Chef’s Tasting Menu remains, and the adjacent Queen Victoria Room offers a 10-course menu paired with exclusive wines from the restaurant’s impressive cellar.

TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, according to the website, with more than 250 million reviews and opinions covering accommodations, restaurants and attractions.

The awards honor top travel spots worldwide based on millions of reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travelers. Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews for restaurants worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period.

The restaurant is open daily for dinner. Visit DisneyWorld.com/dine or call 407-939-3862 to book reservations.

From Nov. 1, 2015-Jan. 23, 2016, the drive-in under the stars, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, will open for breakfast serving an all-inclusive array featuring breakfast pastries and choice of appetizer, entrée and non-alcoholic beverage.

This experience is available for a limited time and is in addition to the regular lunch and dinner offerings. The price for breakfast is $23.99 per adult and $12.99 per child age 3 to 9 (tax and gratuity not included). Reservations are now available through 407-WDW-DINE or online at Disneyworld.com/dine.

In 2016, Flying Fish Café on Disney’s BoardWalk at Walt Disney World® Resort will close for several months as Walt Disney Imagineering and the culinary team reimagine the popular dining spot.

While the reimagined dining room will still feature an onstage kitchen, the restaurant will get a new look, including more room for the popular Chef’s Counter and wine dinners. The team will also be working on a new menu.

Jan. 31, 2016 is the last day to dine at Flying Fish Café before it is reimagined.

Beginning, Oct. 2, 2015, a reimagined menu, featuring tasty Tex-Mex cuisine, will debut at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café atMagic Kingdom® Park at Walt Disney World® Resort.

New menu items include rice bowls and burritos with a choice of beef, chicken or veggies; sizzling fajitas with steak or chicken; traditional tortilla chips and Chicken Enchilada Soup. And, for a lighter option, Guests can try the Southwest Chicken Salad.

Plus, the fixin’s bar will be back and better than ever with tasty sauces, salsas, peppers, onions, cheese and more.

Finally, mini churros with dipping chocolate and Sopapillas (a crispy, puffy, fried pastry) make for perfectly sweet ending to any meal.