Search Results for: blog landscape of flavor

Landscape of Flavors

Given that its opening is coming (relatively) soon, it’s no surprise that the details keep pouring in about Disney World’s forthcoming Art of Animation resort. The latest Disney Parks blog post on the hotel focuses on its Landscape of Flavors food court. I love reading about food, so I’m excited to learn more. Of course the announcement of Landscape of Flavors is all a bit grand. It plays up the restaurant, making it seem like a unique and innovative new approach to dining. Perhaps it is for restaurants in Disney World hotels. All I know is it almost kind of … Continue reading →

Tips about Disney Dining Plans

If you’re planning your first time Disney trip, or are a veteran but want to make sure you’re getting the most out of your vacation, the Disney Blog’s deals writer Chris Wood has more great tips for you.  This time around, it’s how to make the most of the Disney Dining Plan. First tip: your Dining Plan benefits start when you check in, so you can begin using them immediately, even if it’s hours until you’re able to get into your room.  This is especially beneficial to know if there’s going to be a meal time between your arrival and … Continue reading →

New Disney Animation Resort Opens

It’s finally here: this Thursday the first phase of the Walt Disney World Art of Animation Resort opens. That means that starting in two days you can only stay in rooms in the “Finding Nemo” wing. But have no fear: by the fall the themed rooms for all of the movies will be open. The “Cars” family suites will be unveiled on June 18, August 10 sees the opening of suites from “The Lion King,” and on September 15 “The Little Mermaid” standard rooms will open for business. You can book reservations for all of these rooms right now. The … Continue reading →

Mickey Meets the Caffeine Siren: Starbucks at Disney Parks

You can get anything you want inside a Disney park except, apparently, good coffee. Whenever I’m researching Disney park secrets I find some about hidden food gems within the park, and that always includes where you have to go to actually find a decent cup of Joe at Disney. Soon coffee lovers won’t have to seek out the few shops or stands where they can get their caffeine fix. The Disney parks announced last week that they’ve just entered into a partnership with Starbucks to bring the world famous coffee chain into their California and Florida locations. No official date … Continue reading →

Heroes Work Here

At a Walt Disney Company shareholder’s meeting in Kansas City last Tuesday, Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger announced a new plan for the company to hire 1,000 armed forces veterans over the next three years. “As a new generation of America’s military men and women transition into civilian life, we are increasing our commitment and support for these modern day heroes,” Iger said in a press release on the Disney corporate website. ”It’s a measure of our respect for how much they have sacrificed on our behalf, and our sincere gratitude for their extraordinary contributions to this country.” Because this … Continue reading →

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival 2012

Disney fans have one big sign for the coming of spring, and it has nothing to do with a certain ceremonial groundhog. Nope, it’s something much more floral. Once the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival has kicked off, we know that spring is coming. Of course this is a bit of a cheat; as I said last year, the festival takes place in Orlando. That means it’s nice and warm for them year round. Oh, I know that some Orlando residents complain of the chilly 50-degree weather they sometimes get in the winter, but the rest of us living … Continue reading →

Visiting Tabasco Country

If you’ve ever taken a whiff of Tabasco pepper you’d know it. The spicy scent makes your nose hairs stand on edge. And, if you think that’s a memorable experience, visit the factory where they pump out the hot sauce at the rate of 600,000 bottles a day, and your nose hairs won’t be the only things feeling the heat. The powerful aroma makes most people’s eyes water and their lungs burn. But, believe it or not, the sinus-opening experience is one some people travel thousands of miles to take in. Tens of thousands of tourist descend upon Avery Island, … Continue reading →

The Iron Ring — Lloyd Alexander

Lloyd Alexander is best known for his young adult fantasy patterned after Welsh mythology. In “The Iron Ring,” he tries something completely new, basing his story on the mythology of India. The author’s note reads, in part: “Admittedly, this mythology may seem alien, strange, even forbiddingly complex. As in any encounter with a different culture, what appears difficult or incomprehensible quickly grows familiar. The farther we journey through its rich landscape, the more we understand that what lies beneath the brilliant, exotic surface is, in essence, a world we clearly recognize.” We begin the story in the kingdom of Sundari, … Continue reading →