When Marvel’s The Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theaters on May 1, it seems inevitable that the super-powered sequel will quickly breeze past the $1 billion mark at the box office.
How Guest ‘Wishes’ Benefit The Local Community – Walt Disney World Resort
or more than 30 years, Walt Disney World Resort has been collecting the tossed coins and donating the money to local nonprofit organizations that help children in need. Recently, Disney donated $18,000 to Community Based Care (CBC) of Central Florida to help provide services to children in foster care. This year, cast members chose CBC’s Over-18 Support program to receive the funds.
Photos: Gingerbread Displays at Disney’s Boardwalk & Grand Floridian Resorts
A new life-size gingerbread display inspired by the Jersey Shore is serving up holiday treats this year at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. The “gingerbread stand” is reminiscent of a New Jersey boardwalk concession complete with ice cream cones, cookies, stollen bread and gingerbread house kits. Sweet wreaths and Mickey- and Minnie-shaped gingerbreads decorate the stand thatÕs made of 674 gingerbread shingles. Disney’s BoardWalk Inn is located at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Charlie Champagne, photographer)
The delightful scent of gingerbread fills the lobby of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa at the Walt Disney World Resort where this Victorian gingerbread house is on display for the holidays. Grand Floridian pastry chefs create the 16-foot-high dream house with 1, 050 pounds of honey, 600 pounds of powdered sugar, 800 pounds of flour, 140 pints of egg whites and 180 pounds of apricot glaze. (Kent Phillips, photographer)
Disneyland Resort Dining: Fun Facts
It’s a Jolly Holiday: The décor of the Jolly Holiday Bakery Café is inspired by the song ”Jolly Holiday,” from “Mary Poppins.” The café on Main Street, U.S.A. has whimsical touches from the film throughout the building and outdoor seating area, including stained-glass images of penguins on the entry windows. The menu offers sandwiches, salads and bakery items, including a cupcake of the day, flourless chocolate cake, fruit tarts and Mickey-shaped desserts.
Award winners . . . Both Napa Rose and Steakhouse 55 have won the Golden Bacchus Wine Award, the highest honor awarded by the Southern California Restaurant Writers Association for exceptional wine cellars. In addition, each restaurant has received a coveted Five («««««) Star rating and Golden Sceptre Award for outstanding culinary achievement.
Healthy options . . . Fifty-five percent of all kids entrees at table-service restaurants are healthy-option choices.
Hot diggity dog . . . Refreshment Corner, better known as Coke Corner on Main Street, U.S.A., in Disneyland Park sells enough hot dogs in one year to circle DisneylandPark 36 times.
A mountain sweets . . . The Disneyland Resort Central Bakery produces more than 3,000 celebration cakes per year for birthdays, anniversaries and other special celebrations. The bakery also creates nearly 250 wedding cakes a year.
How many bottles? . . . Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa offers a selection of nearly 70 wines by the glass from an award-winning list of more than 450 international wines (80 percent Californian) and a 16,000-bottle wine cellar.
Royal Street Veranda . . . Check out the wrought-iron balustrade above the Royal Street Veranda restaurant in New Orleans Square in Disneyland Park. The initials at the center are those of brothers Roy and Walt Disney. The balcony belonged to an apartment being constructed for Walt before he died (now the Disneyland Dream Suite).
“Oscar’s Choice” . . . There’s just one dish named after a Resort cast member, and it’s “Oscar’s Choice” at Carnation Cafe on Main Street, U.S.A, in Disneyland Park. Oscar was hired at Disneyland in 1956 and has been on the team at Carnation Cafe since 1967. He has more years of continuous service than any other cast member at Disneyland Resort. The breakfast creation is scrambled eggs with melted cheddar cheese, potatoes, bacon or sausage, a croissant and fresh fruit.
The most wedding proposals . . . Blue Bayou restaurant in New Orleans Square competes for this honor with the Wishing Well in the park’s Fantasyland.
That’s a lot of chowda . . . Guests consume 14,000 bowls a year of the signature Charred Nebraska Corn Chowder at Storyteller’s Cafe at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.
Not your classic Caesar . . . On the menu at Rancho del Zocalo, located in Frontierland at Disneyland Park, is Hacienda Chicken Caesar Salad. The Caesar is Mexican in origin, not Italian, says Disneyland Chef Jesse Tiscareno. It originated at the Caesar’s Palace Hotel on Revolution Avenue in Tijuana.
Pop-pop-pop . . . If cast members stacked every kernel of popcorn popped in Disney California Adventure park every two days, it would reach 200 feet high – as tall as the tallest fountain in the “World of Color” show.
Get your Cotton Candy here! . . . Disney California Adventure spins enough cotton candy in one year to blanket the entire Paradise Pier Lagoon
Frozen and Toy Story Featured in “The Year in Entertainment” on Google Play Lists
Frozen was the movie and soundtrack of the year on Google Play and Toy Story is making a come back with Google Play consumers!
The Google Play data team crunched the numbers to find the most popular books, games, apps, films,TV shows and other entertainment content in 2014.
Some of the Disney related results include:
Movie of the Year: Frozen, Comeback Movie: Toy Story
Most searched actor on Google Play – Robin Williams
Album of the Year: Frozen: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Fastest Growing Genre: Soundtracks (fueled by Frozen, Guardians of the Galaxy, Despicable Me 2, The Lego Movie and The Great Gatsby soundtracks)
Star Wars Weekends to Return to Disney’s Hollywood Studios with New Dining Events!
Guests can feel the power of the force when Star Wars Weekends returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios® at the Walt Disney World® Resort every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 15-June 14, 2015. This galactic event is filled with special shows, exciting presentations and more.
Plus, this year, guests can take their Star Wars Weekends experience to a whole new galaxy with out-of-this universe dining experiences daily from May 4-June 14, 2015, including Star Wars Dine-In Galactic Breakfast and Jedi Mickey’s Star Wars Dine at Hollywood and Vine, including Fantasmic! Dining Package.
Star Wars Dine-In Galactic Breakfast
This cosmic breakfast at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant features favorite Characters from a galaxy far, far away, including Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Greedo, Jawas and Stormtroopers.
This experience will take place daily May 4-June 14, 2015 8 a.m.-11 a.m. The price for the Star Wars Dine-In Galactic Breakfast is $49.99 per adult and $31.99 per child ages 3-9. Prices include tax, but not gratuity.
Jedi Mickey’s Star Wars Dine at Hollywood and Vine, Including Fantasmic! Dining Package
This unique dining experience allows guests to celebrate the Star Wars saga with special décor, themed menu options and stirring music – followed by the evening’s first Fantasmic! show. This intergalactic feast includes appearances by favorite Disney pals dressed as popular Characters from the Star Wars universe, including Jedi Mickey, Princess Leia Minnie, Darth Vader Goofy, Storm Trooper Donald and Ewoks Chip ‘n’ Dale.
This experience will take place daily May 4-June 14, 2015 from 4:15 p.m.-8 p.m. The price for the Jedi Mickey’s Star Wars Dine at Hollywood and Vine, including Fantasmic! Dining Package is $57.99 per adult and $34.99 per child ages 3-9. Prices include tax, but not gratuity.
Advanced reservations for both of these dining experiences are highly recommended. Admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios is required. Entertainment and Character appearances are subject to change.
Spider-Man Cameo In ‘Captain America: Civil War’ A Done Deal—Report
The recent hack into Sony Pictures’ servers revealed the studio’s plans to collaborate with Marvel for a third sequel to “The Amazing Spider-Man.” Likewise, it also detailed the possibility of the superhero making an appearance in “Captain America: Civil War.”
DirecTV, Disney Continue Carriage Negotiations
DirecTV, having reached a TV Everywhere accord today with Fox’s national networks, is continuing to work toward a comprehensive distribution deal with The Walt Disney Co. DirecTV and Disney’s 10-year distribution agreement ended Sept. 30.
New ‘Frozen Fun’ at the Disneyland Resort
New ‘Frozen Fun’ at the Disneyland Resort (December 5, 2014) – The Disneyland Resort introduces spectacular new “Frozen Fun” on Jan. 7, 2015, featuring magical adventures with characters from the Walt Disney Pictures blockbuster film. For the first time in forever – and for a limited time – the live “Frozen” experiences will be available in the Hollywood Land area of Disney California Adventure Park. Guests will meet Anna and Elsa in an elegant, new location, sing along with the “Frozen” soundtrack in the Crown Jewel Theatre, play in the snow, get a hug from Olaf the snowman and “chill out” at a nighttime, family dance party. In addition, a new “Frozen”-themed show opens in Disneyland Park Jan. 7, 2015. (Disneyland Resort)
Photos: ‘Frozen’ Gingerbread House Displays at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Walt Disney World Resort guests can enjoy an all-new Gingerbread Holiday Ice Castle inspired by Disney’s “Frozen” this year on the 4th floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The 17-foot-tall culinary concoction is adorned with favorite characters from the film including Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven, 1,500 gingerbread shingles, snowflakes and chocolate-covered trees. “Frozen”-themed merchandise, desserts and gingerbread treats also are available for purchase at the ice castle kiosk. (Kent Phillips, photographer)
