Welcome to DisneyBizJournal.com - News, Analysis and Reviews of the Disney Entertainment Business!

Brought to fans, investors, entrepreneurs, executives, teachers, professors, and students by columnist, economist, novelist, reviewer, podcaster, business reporter and speaker Ray Keating

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Celebrate National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day on April 2

by Beth Keating
Review
DisneyBizJournal.com
April 1, 2020

Among the stash of non-perishable foods I brought home when we first went on coronavirus lockdown were jars of peanut butter. Ironically, since my school is a peanut-free facility, peanut butter has become somewhat of a treat at home. Scrolling around the internet the other day, I discovered that April 2nd is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day! In honor of that event, let’s take a look at some of the great places you’ll be able to get your peanut butter fix when the parks re-open.

Let’s be honest. Disney World is a foodie’s paradise, but sometimes you find yourself travelling with one of those pint-sized picky eaters who just can’t seem to find acceptable nourishment anywhere. Sometimes, only a peanut butter and jelly sandwich will do.  While the ubiquitous peanut butter and jelly sandwich is available all over Disney property at food courts and quick serve locations, Disney has also raised peanut butter and jelly to an art form.  


Without a doubt, the king of the PB&J at Disney can be found at the “50’s Prime Time Café” at Hollywood Studios. A delicious concoction whipped up by one of your “cousins,” the “Peanut Butter & Jelly Milk Shake” ($9.00) is especially delightful in Florida’s summer heat. If you want your peanut butter without jelly while you are at Prime Time, you can also try “Dad's Favorite Chocolate-Peanut Butter Layered Cake” for $8.00, or, if you are feeling decadent, upgrade it to àla mode ($10.00).  Whether you choose to sit in the restaurant and enjoy a PB&J shake as part of a “home-cooked” meal, or pop in to the “Tune-In Lounge” next door just to seek out the PB&J shake’s chilly goodness, you won’t be sorry you tried this frosty beverage. It sounds odd, and doesn’t look any different than a typical chocolate shake, but trust me, it will be one of the best treats you’ll enjoy on your trip.   

A kicked-up version of a PB&J sandwich is available over at the Magic Kingdom…sometimes. If you find yourself on Tom Sawyer Island during one of the short windows during which the island’s quick serve is seasonally open, stop in to Aunt Polly’s little clapboard house.  There, you can nibble on a tasty “Peanut Butter and Raspberry Preserve Sandwich,” served on brioche bread with house made Cajun chips for $9.49. A hazelnut version is also available. (For chocolate spread aficionados, that’s codeword for Nutella.) “Aunt Polly’s Dockside Inn” is a quaint little spot to sit in a shaded area away from the craziness of the theme park crowds. Unfortunately, it is not open all that often, and the menu does change unexpectedly.

Feeling fancy, or looking for a special afternoon out with mom and the girls?  “Afternoon Tea at the Garden View Tea Room” at the Grand Floridian may be the ticket.  The afternoon can be a pricey one, depending on your choices (adults $35 -$105), but the setting is lovely, and it’s a peaceful and upscale break from the theme park rides.  While you sip on teas from around the world and nibble scones and other sweets, kids ages 3-9 can enjoy “Mrs. Potts’ Tea” ($23.00) with assorted finger sandwiches, including peanut butter and jelly.   

If nothing but a straight-up peanut butter and jelly sandwich will do for your younglings, there are a plethora of options throughout the parks. Search out the “Mickey Check Meals” which, without substitutions, will meet nutrition guidelines. For example, over at the All Star Resorts, host to legions of kids headed for the Disney Parks, the “End Zone Food Court” at All Star Sports Resort offers a Mickey Check kid’s meal of a Smucker’s Uncrustables with a choice of a small milk or water with grapes and carrot sticks for $5.49.  Once you get to the parks,“Harambe Market” at Animal Kingdom offers up an Uncrustables meal with drink choice and apple slices for $6.19, while Magic Kingdom’s “Columbia Harbor House”and “Pinocchio Village Haus” both offer a slight variation on the kid’s meal with an Uncrustablesserved with a Dannon Danimals Smoothie, GoGo squeeZ applesauce, and a choice of milk or water for $6.49. Over at “Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café,” enjoy your PB&J while listening to the dulcet tones of Sonny Eclipse. There, yourUncrustables is served with a Cuties mandarin orange, GoGo squeeZ applesauce, and choice of milk or water, also for $6.49.  Swap that mandarin orange for grapes, and you have the $6.49 Uncrustables meal at the “ESPN Wide World of Sports Grill.”  Those are just a few of the locations providing Uncrustables for your young ‘uns.  Or you, if the need arises. No judgement here.


If you want your peanut butter solo, there’s also the highly coveted “Nyala Brownie” at “The Mara” at Animal Kingdom Lodge.This thick, rich brownie is covered with peanut butter buttercream and a vanilla buttercream stripe - a remarkably yummy steal at $4.79. Or, if you are over near Magic Kingdom, pop into Contempo Café at The Contemporary for their creamy and delicious Peanut Butter Pie ($4.79) in the grab and go bakery case.

Another delightful choice that serves up peanut butter sans jelly is the $11.00 “No Way José” at the “Beaches and Cream Soda Shop,” near the Beach Club.A peanut butter and hot fudge sundae dish, it features both chocolate and vanilla ice cream, peanut butter and chocolate morsels, whipped cream, and a cherry.

A newcomer to the mix is the “Peanut Butter Snickers Pie” ($10.00) at the recently opened “City Works Eatery and Pour House” at Disney Springs.  Its Oreo cookie crust goodness is missing the jelly, but has plenty of peanut butter mousse, whipped cream, Snickers, and chocolate and caramel sauce.

If you find yourself on the opposite coast, make your way to “The Sand Bar” at Paradise Pier Hotel at Disneyland.  There, for $17.00, you can delight in the “PBJ Burger Sliders,” an entrée that includes plant-based meat, peanut butter, and blackberry jam on a toasted potato bun. Toting the kiddos along? “The Sand Bar” also serves up an Uncrustable sandwichwith a choice of milk, water or juice for $6.00.

A recent addition to the west coast park is the “Peanut Butter and Jelly Slush” ($7.49) at “Maurice’s Treats” in Fantasy Faire.  This spectacular goody is a grape flavored icy slush with peanut butter stripes down the inside of the glass, served up with a donut topper straddling your straw. Yikes!  That’ll keep you going for hours.

If you’d rather have your peanut butter and jelly early in the morning (and really, who doesn’t need that to jump start a park day?), you can head to “Goofy's Kitchen” for “Goofy’s Famous Peanut Butter and Jelly Pizza,” displayed prominently as part of the character breakfast buffet at the Disneyland Hotel. (Prices range from $35-$59.99 for adults, and $23 for kids.)

Lastly, while the jelly may be missing from this one, you don’t want to miss out on the peanut buttery heaven that resides at “Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes.”  This Disneyland locale, known for its outrageous and totally Instagrammable libations, offers the “Sweet 'N Salty” for $15.00.  Located in Disneyland’s Downtown Disney zone, Black Tap’s “Sweet ‘N Salty” is an over-the-top peanut butter shake with a chocolate and peanut butter frosted rim, decorated with little chocolate gems and peanut butter cups topped with a Sugar Daddy, pretzel rods, chocolate covered pretzel, whipped cream, caramel and chocolate drizzle. You probably don’t need the extra sugar from jelly after all of that, anyway.

Why settle for an ordinary PB&J when you can go Disney-style and make it memorable? Or at least Instagrammable.

Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

Disney+ Playing a Role in Streaming Shift

by Ray Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
March 31, 2020

Yes, America is binge watching ... big time. The latest Nielsen data show that the number of streaming minutes during the first three weeks of March jumped by 85 percent versus the same time last year, according to Nielsen data as reported by Variety.


The week of March 16 saw a jump in streaming minutes by 22 percent compared to the previous week, and up by 2.2 times the same week last year.

However, Variety also pointed out: “Note that Nielsen is reporting just streaming to TVs: The analysis doesn’t measure mobile or PC video streaming, so the total amount of online video U.S. consumers are watching is even higher.” Indeed, it’s safe to assume much, much higher.

The Nielsen data shows that Netflix during the week of March 16 led the way with 29 percent of TV-based streaming, followed by YouTube at 20 percent, Hulu at 10 percent and Amazon at 9 percent. Disney+ is not broken out, being included in the “other” category, which gathered 31 percent of TV-based streaming. 

Regarding Disney+ and others, Variety noted: “But Nielsen pointed out the ‘other’ category has seen an ever bigger rise for the most recent week measured. That bucket includes Disney Plus (which is not reported out by Nielsen currently) and the research firm speculated that the Mouse House’s streaming service is seeing a significant lift from kids staying home from school — along with ‘Frozen 2’ dropping three months early on Disney Plus.”

In addition, again based on the Nielsen data, USA Today broke down streaming shares compared to a year earlier:

But while Netflix, YouTube, Amazon and Hulu make up the vast majority of streaming activity on TV sets, Netflix and Hulu claimed a smaller share of that viewing than they did last year, the Nielsen data show.  Netflix claimed 29% of total streaming minutes for the week ended March 22, down from 36% from the equivalent week last year; Hulu accounted for 10%, down from 15%.  YouTube represented 20%, up from 19%.  And Amazon inched up to 9%, from 7%. And reflecting big growth in the number of new services, led by Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus, the “other” category jumped to 31% from 23%.

We look forward to seeing total streaming numbers covering all devices, expecting that Disney+ will have an even more significant role in further shifting the streaming audience. 

The Walt Disney Company reported that as of early February, Disney+ had 28.6 million subscribers.

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of The Disney Planner 2020: The TO DO List Solution and the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

Monday, March 30, 2020

Disney Top Execs Taking Pay Cuts During Coronavirus Crisis, Including No Salary for Iger

by Ray Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
March 30, 2020

Walt Disney Company Chairman Bob Iger will forgo his salary, and CEO Bob Chapek will take a 50 percent pay cut during the coronavirus crisis, according to The Hollywood Reporter, which received a company email sent by Chapek.


The Reporter noted:

Iger has been among the top paid executives in the entertainment and media sector. In the latest fiscal year, Iger earned $47.5 million as chairman and CEO, down from $65.6 million in fiscal 2018.

Bob Chapek's base salary as CEO is $2.5 million, with an annual target bonus of $7.5 million, and an annual long-term incentive grant of $15 million. It isn't clear whether the 50 percent pay cut will apply to his base salary or to his entire compensation package.

Additionally, Chapek's email on Monday states, "effective April 5, all VPs will have their salaries reduced by 20 percent, SVPs by 25 percent and EVPs and above by 30 percent."


Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of The Disney Planner 2020: The TO DO List Solution and the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Key Updates from Disney

by Ray Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
March 29, 2020

Since Disney announced that Walt Disney World and Disneyland would be closed until further notice, the company has offered additional information that’s worth highlighting, in particular, for those who were traveling to or planning to travel to Disney World and Disneyland.


First, for people looking to modify travel dates or to make new reservations, reservation dates for Walt Disney World and Disneyland are not available before June 1. That doesn’t necessarily mean that Disney World will not be re-opening prior to June 1, but it lines up with what I noted on March 18: “I’d be shocked if Walt Disney World or Disneyland re-opened before mid-May or even June.” And it obviously speaks to the seriousness of how long the current situation could affect the country, the travel business and Disney.

Second, Disney World had previously noted that unexpired multi-day theme park tickets with unused days, or date-specific park tickets during the closure period will be extended for use through December 15, 2020. If unable to use the tickets during that period, the value of wholly unused tickets can be applied to tickets for a future date.

Third, it’s been widely reported in recent hours that Walt Disney World will be extending free dining plans to guests affected by the coronavirus closure. TourPlans.com, for example, noted: “Eligible Guests can take advantage of a vacation package offer that includes accommodations at a select Disney Resort hotel, park admission and a Disney dining plan – valid for arrivals most nights June 1 through September 30, 2020 when you book through May 31, 2020. This offer is valid only for Guests who booked a vacation package or room reservation to stay at a Disney Resort hotel from March 16 through May 31, 2020 (even if the park opens before then). Offer not valid for reservations cancelled before March 1, 2020.”

Stay tuned as more information, no doubt, will be coming – and stay safe.

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of The Disney Planner 2020: The TO DO List Solution and the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

Friday, March 27, 2020

Walt Disney World and Disneyland Closed Until Further Notice

by Ray Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
March 27, 2020

Given how long Disney parks have been closed in Shanghai and Hong Kong, for example, and the spread of the coronavirus in the United States, it was not surprising that the Walt Disney Company announced this afternoon that Walt Disney World and Disneyland “will remain closed until further notice.”


It also was said in the company’s statement: “The Walt Disney Company has been paying its cast members since the closure of the parks, and in light of this ongoing and increasingly complex crisis, we have made the decision to extend paying hourly parks and resorts cast members through April 18.” 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of The Disney Planner 2020: The TO DO List Solution and the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Walt Disney World Closed Until at Least April 9

by Ray Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
March 24, 2020

Due to an executive order ordering all non-essential businesses to close in Orange County, Florida, it’s clear that Walt Disney World will remain closed until at least April 9.


Today, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demmings not only ordered that all non-essential retail and commercial businesses close from 11:00 PM on Thursday, March 26, to 11:00 PM, April 9, but also ordered residents to limit travel to essential trips and to stay at home otherwise. This is all being done, of course, to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Most of Walt Disney World is located within Orange County.

The order could be extended if deemed necessary.

The executive order defines non-essential businesses as follows: “All non-essential retail and commercial businesses are hereby ordered temporarily closed, including but not limited to, whether indoors or outdoors, locations with amusement rides, carnivals, water parks, pools, zoos, museums, arcades, fairs, children's play centers, playgrounds, theme parks, bowling alleys, pool halls, movie and other theaters, concert and music halls, country clubs, social clubs and fraternal organizations.”

In addition, Universal announced that it would be extending the closure of both Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood from the end of this month, as first announced, to April 19. It’s reasonable to expect that Disney would follow suit, although the Walt Disney Company has made no announcement updating its original statement that its U.S. parks would be closed until April 1.

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of The Disney Planner 2020: The TO DO List Solution and the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

Disney+ Starts Roll Out in Europe

by Ray Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
March 24, 2020

The Walt Disney Company began rolling out its Disney+ streaming service in Europe today. Disney+ was launched in seven countries – the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and Switzerland.


France originally was scheduled to be part of the March 24 launch, but at the request of the French government, Disney+ will debut in that country on April 7.

In addition, Disney+ launched today in Europe at a lower bandwidth. In a statement, the company said: “In light of concerns regarding the current ability of certain broadband infrastructure to handle the anticipated consumer demand for Disney+, the service will now feature a lower overall bandwidth utilization by at least 25 percent.”

Kevin Mayer, Chairman of Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International, said, “Launching in seven markets simultaneously marks a new milestone for Disney+. As the streaming home for Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and National Geographic, Disney+ delivers high-quality, optimistic storytelling that fans expect from our brands, now available broadly, conveniently and permanently on Disney+. We humbly hope that this service can bring some much-needed moments of respite for families during these difficult times.”

Disney also noted that additional markets in Western Europe will launch this summer, including Belgium, the Nordics and Portugal.

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of The Disney Planner 2020: The TO DO List Solution and the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Magnum Goes to Disney…or Not

by Beth Keating
Review/Commentary
DisneyBizJournal.com
March 22, 2020

With so many of us housebound for the next few weeks due to coronavirus recommendations, you’re probably hitting the Hulu, Disney+ and Amazon Prime streaming services pretty hard. In flipping back to some of my favorite 80s TV shows, I came across an old Magnum, P.I. episode entitled “Professor Jonathan Higgins.”


The episode (S5, E13) originally aired January 10, 1985, and featured a subplot whereby Magnum wins fourth place in a slogan contest for Mrs. Peroni’s Frozen Pizza, and the prize is a weekend for two at Disney World. Unfortunately, transportation is not included, and without giving any spoilers away, Thomas spends the rest of the episode plotting to get to Disney, while helping Higgins (who would prefer that Thomas go visit “David” Duck rather than stay on the estate) solve a bankruptcy scam case for his cousin. An Eliza Doolittle-esque overlay to Higgins’ situation adds the comic tones to the episode, and in the end, Thomas solves the case. Did you have any doubt? 

The episode is currently available on Amazon Prime.

As a little bonus info for you, the actress who played cousin Sally in the episode was Jillie Mack, who became Mrs. Tom Selleck just a few years later.  

To add another Disney link, Steven Spielberg had chosen Tom Selleck to play Indiana Jones, but Selleck was under contract to do Magnum, P.I. at the time and was unable to accept the role.  The iconic archeologist was eventually brought to life by Harrison Ford, and the movie franchise later spawned the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Hollywood Studios, Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar at Disney Springs, and the Indiana Jones Adventure thrill ride at Disneyland.
  
Honestly, though, forty years later, can you imagine anyone else other than Harrison Ford wearing Dr. Jones’ fedora?    

Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

Friday, March 20, 2020

Hang Out with Chewbacca Tonight!

by Ray Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
March 20, 2020

Do you want to hang out with Chewbacca tonight?

As reported by Disney Food Blog, the Vudu streaming service will be hosting a “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Vudu View Party” tonight at 9:00 PM EST. 

What’s the big deal? Well, it will be hosted by Joonas Suotamo, who played Chewbacca in Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, Solo: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker, as well as the video game Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.


Disney Food Blog notes: “You can join in on the party by signing up on Vudu for the low, low price of free and signing in tomorrow [i.e., today].” Head over to Vudu.com.

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of The Disney Planner 2020: The TO DO List Solution and the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

“Onward” Out Tonight on Digital Download, on Disney+ April 3

by Ray Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
March 20, 2020

The Walt Disney Company announced today that the Disney/Pixar animated movie Onward would be released via digital download today at 8:00 PM EST, and on Disney+ on April 3.


In a statement, Dan Scanlon and Kori Rae, respectively, the director and producer of Onward, said: “While we’re looking forward to audiences enjoying our films on the big screen again soon, given the current circumstances, we are pleased to release this fun, adventurous film to digital platforms early for audiences to enjoy from the comfort of their homes.”

Onward was released two weeks ago in theaters on March 6, and has earned $103 million at the global box office, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com.

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of The Disney Planner 2020: The TO DO List Solution and the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Don’t Expect Disney Parks To Open Anytime Soon

by Ray Keating
Analysis/Commentary
DisneyBizJournal.com
March 18, 2020

The Walt Disney Company has shut down Walt Disney World and Disneyland, as well as Disneyland Paris, through the end of this month in response to the coronavirus. But does anyone believe that these parks – or for that matter, Tokyo Disney, Hong Kong Disneyland and Shanghai Disneyland – actually will open on April 1? If so, they shouldn’t. These closures promise to run longer than many originally thought.


Keep in mind that the Shanghai and Hong Kong parks have been closed since the end of January, and Tokyo Disney since the end of February. The Tokyo parks – Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea – will be closed at least through early April, according to the company.

For the U.S. parks, the Tokyo target of mid-April would seem to be a wildly best-case scenario. Indeed, it is highly doubtful. 

Consider, for example, that Major League Baseball had originally pushed the start of its season back from late March to mid-April, and is now saying that it will go beyond that date while not offering any target for Opening Day.

I’m not sure why we should expect much different from Disney, especially given that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on March 15 recommended canceling in-person events of 50 or more people for the coming eight weeks. That would take us into mid-May.

This week, Disney also suspended its Disney College Program, Disney Culinary Program, Disney Cultural Exchange Program, and Disney Academic Exchange Program. The company is sending participants/cast members home, as is the case with international cast members in guest relations as well. This also speaks to a shutdown going beyond the end of this month.

The impact of an extended closure will hit Disney hard. Consider what The Wall Street Journal reported on March 12: “Closing the U.S. resorts has the potential to be costly. Domestic parks accounted for about $17.4 billion in revenue last year—and 30% of the company’s total operating profit.” Using those numbers and doing a back-of-the-envelope tally, each month that the U.S. parks are closed would cost The Walt Disney Company $1.5 billion in revenue.

Of course, one has to also add in lost revenues from the Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong parks, the Disney Cruise Line, lost dollars at the movie box office, and ESPN being hit by sporting events coming to a halt, including the NBA.

For good measure, the U.S. economy, as I wrote in a recent column, likely already is in recession, and that promises to run at least through the second and third quarters of this year – adding to Disney’s woes.

In its latest update on Walt Disney World Resort operations, the company noted: “We will continue to make adjustments to our operations as appropriate and look forward to welcoming Guests back as soon as it is advisable.” When it will be advisable, no one knows. 

Looking at the CDC recommendations, how this has played out elsewhere and the magnitude of the response so far, I’d be shocked if Walt Disney World or Disneyland re-opened before mid-May or even June. Let’s hope and pray, though, that the U.S. response presents unexpected benefits, and we bounce back quickly.

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of The Disney Planner 2020: The TO DO List Solution and the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

Where’s the Beef? Disney and Second Harvest Food Bank

by Beth Keating
News/Analysis
DisneyBizJournal.com
March 18, 2020

With Walt Disney World closing due to the coronavirus, Disney has turned to donating unused food to Second Harvest Food Bank.

In an average year, Disney World in Florida serves up more than 1.2 million pounds of turkey legs; 3.3 million Mickey Shaped Premium Bars; ten million hamburgers; a million pounds of watermelon; 324,000 pounds of popcorn (with and without the souvenir buckets); and 89 different varieties of cheese. Over at California Grill, 70 pounds of tomatoes show up on diner’s plates nightly, while the “cousins” at 50’s Prime Time Café at Hollywood Studios dish up 190 orders of meatloaf and mashed potatoes each day. At the nearby Hollywood Brown Derby, 63,000 Cobb Salads a year make their way to guests’ tummies.  


Think of the last character buffet you attended (loving you, Tusker House!), or the ice-filled displays full of delicious looking seafoods (thinking of you, Cape May Buffet!), and the yummy dessert offerings (oh, where are you when I need you, Les Halles?) And that’s just the regular stops. Throw in the Food and Wine Festival in the fall, or the recently interrupted Flower and Garden Festival with all of its creative booths, and you have A LOT of food circulating through Lake Buena Vista and its environs.

In fact, Walt Disney World Resort would rank 45th among the world’s largest restaurant chains if it were an independent food service company. There are more than 475 places to dine across Disney World. If you include food carts, more than 6,000 different food items are available. The Land Pavilion alone provides more than 30 tons of fruits and vegetables yearly, grown right at Epcot (make sure you take the boat ride through the greenhouses sometime and see the plants and fishies in action). 


With the rapid close of the Disney Parks – from bustling park full of hungry guests to ghost-town sidewalks in less than a week – what will become of all that extra food that is now sitting forlornly on shelves, with no guests in sight?

Disney has reached out to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, whom they have worked with since 1991, to donate the remaining food inventory to Central Floridians who will be in need during the coronavirus outbreak. With schools also closed during this crisis, school children will be especially vulnerable to missing meals, and Second Harvest will step in to help fill the void. More than 40 Orlando area nonprofits receive over 823,000 pounds of prepared, unserved food and veggies through Disney Harvest.

In a letter to cast members, Josh D’Amaro (Walt Disney World Resort President) said the Disney Harvest program “collects and distributes enough food each year to provide one million meals to people in need.” Disneyland in California is also sharing the bounty, sending their excess foods, including fruit, vegetables, packaged goods and banquet meals, to Second Harvest Food Bank in Orange County. Disneyland donated more than 20,000 meals to Second Harvest last year. In addition, Disney VoluntEARS also donate their time to helping out at Second Harvest locations. Second Harvest has also been the beneficiary of the runDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon. What a blessing to come out of the Parks’ closings! Kudos to Disney, not only for a creative solution to their excess and unserved foods, but for lending a hand to their fellow Floridians.

As for me, with the extra downtime at home, I’m going over to the Disney Food Blog and scrolling through their Disney recipes section while I’m waiting.  Maybe I’ll pull together the Tonga Toast for dinner tonight… 

The above food fun facts are taken from Walt Disney World News. https://wdwnews.com/releases/walt-disney-world-resort-dining-fun-facts/

Want to make your own Tonga Toast?  Here’s the link to Disney Food Blog’s recipe (they are not affiliated with Disney World, but are a great website that will help you fill your Disney needs while you are waiting for the parks to reopen!) https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2012/08/08/disney-recipe-tonga-toast-from-kona-cafe-in-disney-world/

Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

Monday, March 16, 2020

Reflections on Sunday Night Closing of Disney Parks

by Beth Keating
News/Commentary
DisneyBizJournal.com
March 16, 2020

It was a bit surreal last night, watching the final live streams from the Magic Kingdom as it prepared to pull up the proverbial drawbridge for two weeks (at minimum). Overhead, the skies were that perfect shade of Florida blue, with a couple of puffy white clouds for effect. The new paint job on the castle was underway, and there were more than a few last-minute tourists milling about. 


It was reminiscent of the final hours we experienced in the parks before Hurricane Dorian hit last September, when the weather was perfectly sunny, and rides were easy to get on.  It was hard to believe anything was about to go wrong. It wasn’t until we were eating dinner later that evening at Disney Springs, the last “park” left open, that the rains came pouring down.  We headed back to our hotel, and by the next morning, the sun had returned. Despite having started out earlier in the week as a category 5 storm, Dorian had downgraded and left little damage in its wake in Central Florida by the time it arrived days later.

Unlike Dorian, though, where the parks only closed early for a single afternoon,  Disney World will be down for the count for two weeks – or more, pending future pandemic developments.   The park is expected to remain closed through the end of March. It seems the coronavirus has done what Atlantic hurricanes could not.  

Watching the live streams last night had an air of mourning to it. I know it is just a temporary – and critically necessary decision - and that Disney will be back open as soon as it is safe to do so.  As a teacher, I’m well aware of the disruption to everyone’s lives caused by this virus – our local schools are shuttered for the next two weeks, store shelves are stripped bare of essentials, and we just had a mad scramble to get family members home amid the chaos.  The local economy will undoubtedly take a hit with so many of us having lengthy, unplanned stays at home.  More significantly, others will suffer physically from contact with this new strain of virus.

In one of the most poignant moments of the park closing last evening, a pop-up pep rally of sorts broke out at the Town Hall end of the park.  Up on the train station balcony, Walt Disney World Resort President Josh D’Amaro appeared, sporting a giant white Mickey glove, waving good night to guests.  At the opposite end of the park, fireworks exploded over Cinderella Castle, while a couple of dozen characters ranging from the Fab Five, to Cinderella, Stitch, Jasmine, Chip and Dale, and Mary Poppins, joined Josh on the balcony. Hundreds of guests quickly packed into the Town Square hub, calling out each character’s name, at one point chanting, “We’ll be back! We’ll be back.” What an awesome and emotional end to the evening. 

In the face of this global crisis, it admittedly seems frivolous to feel sad about the loss of the live streams. I, like many other Disney fanatics, will sorely miss not having daily contact – albeit virtually – with the parks.  This is an enormously difficult situation for Disney executives, especially for Bob Chapek in his first days as CEO, and like everyone else, I eagerly await the moment that the crisis is over and life returns to normal.  Disney is but one part of that picture.

In the meantime, however, our prayer is for everyone to stay safe. And the mom in me wants to remind you, “Please go wash your hands.” Often.

Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.