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

Monday, May 30, 2022

Kona Café Review: Sushi, Pineapple and a Darn Good Burger

by Beth Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

May 30, 2022

 

We had stopped by the Polynesian Resort at Walt Disney World a number of times over the past few years, usually heading to Pineapple Lanai to test out whatever new flavor of Dole Whip was in the offing. Oddly, though, Pineapple Lanai was the only Polynesian Resort eatery we’d been to in more than twenty years, ever since we’d been to a wedding reception at ‘Ohana.  Last weekend, we decided to rectify that oversight.  We were able to get a later-in-the-evening reservation at Kona Café.  

 


The restaurant is a casual table service spot serving up a South Pacific vibe with Asian influenced cuisine, anchored by an onstage sushi kitchen. It’s a higher energy venue during most of the day, owing to the fact that the room is open to the entire second floor of the Polynesian’s busy Great Ceremonial House. High, soaring ceilings help raise the volume of the room, so if you are looking for a romantic date night, this is probably not the place.  The Moana Mercantile, ‘Ohana restaurant, and Tambu Lounge surround Kona Café on the other arms of the second floor square, and the entrance to the monorail station is just a few hundred feet away.

 

Perhaps best known for its breakfast specialty, the much-loved cinnamon and banana-stuffed Tonga Toast, we opted instead to try Kona for a dinner reservation.  Among the fresh sushi rolls, poke bowls and Dashi noodle bowls were Kona coffee-braised short ribs, a deconstructed Pan-fried Mahi BLT (served more like a Mahi tower), and a series of variously flavored small dessert glasses.

 

We started off our dinner with another of the Kona Café’s specialties, the delightful Lapu Lapu ($19.00), a fresh, hollowed out pineapple filled with Plantation Original Dark Rum, Gosling's 151 Rum, and tropical fruit juices. It packs a bit of a punch, but you can’t beat the presentation for getting into a relaxed island vibe.  A number of other fruity, tropical libations are also available. 

 

While we were waiting for our starters, our cast member brought over a plate of soft, warm Hawaiian rolls with butter, a welcome addition to the table.



Since we were at Kona Café, and they are known for the freshness of their sushi, which in fact you can watch being hand-rolled in the onstage kitchen, we opted for the California Roll ($18.00), a combination of jumbo lump crab, citrus mayonnaise, cucumber, and avocado. It was delicious and hit the three F’s of quality sushi – firm, fresh and flavorful.


 

We also selected the Crispy Pork-Vegetable Pot Sticker ($10.00), a set of five, tender-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside dumplings that were deceiving when they arrived at the table. The soy-vinaigrette dressing had just a tiny bit of a tang, and was artfully drizzled around the circumference of the plate.  Most surprising?  The pot stickers were hidden at first. A layer, almost a “lid” of melted cheese, covered the pot stickers, and when the dish arrived at the table, it appeared as if it was one large pot sticker.  When you flipped the cheese layer over, however, there were five savory dumplings waiting underneath.

 

Our dining party then chose the Rainbow Roll ($24.00) with tuna, salmon, shrimp, hamachi, lump crab, cucumber, and avocado as an entrée. Here again all of the key points of fine sushi were hit just right, and the varying flavors from piece to piece – from sweet to salty, and smooth to a little snap – were a delight for the taste buds.



A second diner selected the Pork Belly Noodle Bowl ($24.00) for their dinner. A large bowl of bone broth, rice noodles, soy egg, mushrooms, bok choy, julienned carrots, and hot sesame oil, it was impossible to eat the whole bowl. The broth itself was a bit spicy, but with an earthy, deep afternote. There was a slight bite on the follow-through, and the small dices of pork belly were just a bit chewy, but still flavorful.  The rice noodles were yummy, and “softer” as a noodle than the ramen noodles that are more typically seen in a noodle bowl.




Diner number three, NOT a seafood eater, chose instead the Crispy Cheddar Burger ($21.00), a very much out-of-the ordinary burger. This delicious burger had a Polynesian flair to it, dished up with a crispy Cheddar disc as well as some melty cheese on the burger itself; two thick slices of brown sugar bacon that had a peppery edge, yet were still nice and chewy; two slices of roasted tomato; and a large, braised onion. The burger was set on a soft, toasted bun (probably a Hawaiian roll, since there was a touch of sweetness to it), and was served with a side of perfectly crispy, nicely salted, very skinny French Fries. Definitely a burger worth coming back for again, a true achievement, given that non-seafood dishes usually are an afterthought at a predominantly sushi restaurant. 



We wrapped up our evening with an off-the-menu dessert, but one that came highly recommended by our cast member – we tried the Pineapple Bread Pudding ($12.00), famously served across the atrium at ‘Ohana, and revered the world over.  This slice of heaven was enormous, and nothing like any bread pudding you’ve ever had before. Share it, because there is simply no way you are finishing a piece by yourself. Its soft, cake-like consistency was not overly sweet, and much of the sweetness from the dish came from the caramel sauce drizzled over the top of the rich, thick scoop of vanilla ice cream.  (And speaking of the ice cream, as it melted into the warm bread pudding, it created yet another whole flavor profile.). Tiny bits of pineapple were scattered throughout the moist cake, and if you didn’t already have plans to come to this restaurant for the great sushi, it would be worth a late night stop on your way back from the parks just for this dessert!



If you time your meal right, you can meander outside to the Polynesian’s sandy beach after dinner, and have a seat while you watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks above the castle. The Polynesian thoughtfully pipes the music onto the beach for you, and it makes for a magical end to the evening. 

 

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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!

 

Saturday, May 28, 2022

Disney Not Immune to Economy-Wide Issues

 by Ray Keating

Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

May 28, 2022

 

Walt Disney World might be the “Most Magical Place on Earth,” but that doesn’t mean that it can wave a magic wand and make economic realities disappear. Just like businesses across the rest of the economy, the challenges of supply chain woes, inflation and tight labor markets affect Disney.

 

The Orlando Sentinel provided a reminder in a May 27 article focused on the tight labor market resulting in staff shortages at Orlando-area theme parks, including Walt Disney World, just as the summer tourist season is gearing up. Although the details point to an improved situation compared to where companies were a short time ago.



The Sentinel reported, “Dennis Speigel, CEO of International Theme Park Services, estimated that Walt Disney World, Universal and SeaWorld are at about 85% to 90% staffing numbers in 2019. These levels are stronger than anticipated and a big improvement from early 2021, he said, but staffing still looms large.” Spiegel went on to call it the “biggest issue facing the industry.”

 

Regarding employment levels, it was noted that pre-pandemic Disney World employed approximately 77,000 individuals. The Sentinel said that an “unnamed Disney spokesperson” said that current employment was at 70,000, while another estimate put the number at 58,478.


Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, FRED


Nationally, based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, leisure and hospitality employment in April 2022 stood at 91.5 percent of its pre-pandemic level in February 2020, while total employment across all industries registered 99.2 percent. Another way of looking at this: While total employment was down by 1.2 million in the U.S. in April 2022 versus February 2020, leisure and hospitality was down by 1.4 million. That is, employment across the rest of the economy excluding leisure and hospitality had surpassed the pre-pandemic level. So, leisure and hospitality seems to be facing more significant hiring challenges than the overall economy. Of course, whether focused on overall employment or jobs in a particular sector like leisure and hospitality, the comparisons to February 2020 fail to note the lost growth over the past two years in terms of the economy and employment.

 

The Sentinel report looked at enticements to get new hires, including more pay, hiring bonuses, assorted benefits such as free tuition benefits (which Disney offers), as well as addressing housing costs, with Disney and Universal planning “affordable housing developments.”

 

The report also pointed out that increased automation certainly was on the way. And there was a warning as well: “Businesses have to be careful in raising employee wages, which typically make up 40% to 50% of operating expenses for theme parks, Speigel said. Companies can overextend themselves, like Ohio’s Cedar Point did when it had to roll back starting wages from $20 to $15 an hour less than a year after raising the rate.”

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Two great ways to pre-order Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel, which is Ray’s sixteenth work of fiction, and the first in the Alliance of Saint Michael series. Signed paperbacks here and the Kindle edition here

 

Two great ways to order Ray Keating’s new nonfiction book – The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks here, and paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions here.  

 

Get all of Ray Keating Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries in paperback and for the Kindle at Amazon.com and signed books at www.RayKeatingOnline.com

 

Get more out of the rest of 2022 with The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution! It combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more. Also, “The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution” comes with a handy spiral binding for easy use. It’s on sale and shipping is always free!

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of DisneyFree Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Friday, May 27, 2022

Not in Anaheim? Star Wars Celebration LIVE Available on YouTube

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

May 27, 2022

 

If you weren’t one of the lucky ones who snapped up a seat at the Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim, California, you may still be able to be part of the fandom by tuning in to the Star Wars Celebration LIVE! complete livestream of Day 1 from Star Wars Celebration Anaheim.  The stream includes many of the interviews and panels from the day, interspersed with visits from creators of Star Wars merch, and a look at some new releases. 



Additional streams from the four-day gathering (May 26-29, 2022, at the Anaheim Convention Center) will also be coming, and for your convenience, some of the more popular interviews have been broken down and posted into smaller, several minute long segments by the good folks at the Star Wars website. You can also watch live on the StarWars.com homepage  or YouTube.com/StarWars beginning at 12 p.m. PT each day.

 

While you might be thinking that the stream (and the event itself) is a bit of a nerd-fest, and a five-hour-long promo for all things Disney+ (yeah, it is that, too), viewers will still walk away feeling like they found out more about their favorite shows than they previously knew. And though there are true “fanboy” and “fangirl” moments to the day, the interviewers still manage to bring a fair amount of interesting discussion to the celebrity moments. 

 

In particular, I’ve long been an admirer of Dave Filoni, and enjoyed his take on creating his corner of the Star Wars world. Without a doubt, Ian McDiarmid gives one of the most note-worthy and amusing interviews of the day in his “An Audience With The Emperor” segment, fascinating not only from a fan point of view, but for those whose interests lie in the process of film creation and in film history. 

 

The day’s stream also offered moments with some of the merch and gaming creators, with a nod to what they created and why, and what new products they thought would “wow” audiences. 

 

Day #1 of  Star Wars Celebration LIVE! featured stage time with such luminaries of the Star Wars universe as Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Kathleen Kennedy; as well as fan favorite actors including Katee Sackhoff (Bo-Katan, The Mandalorian), Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka Tano, Star Wars Rebels), and Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine).  

 

With the hype building for the release of the limited series, six episode Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series the following day (today, May 27), the room went crazy for the interview with Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen (Obi-Wan and Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, but if you are reading this article, I’m pretty sure you already knew that!).  If you want to see their comments before tuning in to the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series tonight, their segment is at about the 4:04:10 mark. 

 

Also putting in appearances in the interview chairs were Jon Kasdan (among other things, Executive Producer and writer of Willow – coming to Disney+ November 30), Joanne Whalley (Sorsha, Willow), Warwick Davis (Willow Ufgood, Willow); Ruby Cruz (Kit, Willow), Ellie Bamber (Dove,Willow) and Erin Kellyman (Jade, Willow); Rupert Friend and Moses Ingram (Grand Inquisitor and Reva from Obi-Wan Kenobi); Deborah Chow (director, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Mandalorian); Taylor Gray (Ezra, Star Wars Rebels); Sanne Wohlenberg (Executive Producer, Star Wars: Andor – coming to Disney+ August 31); Diego Luna (Executive producer and Cassian Andor, Star Wars: Andor, and Star Wars: Rogue One); and Genevieve O'Reilly (Mon Mothma, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Rogue One, and Star Wars: Andor).  

 

The Star Wars: The High Republic panel was also part of the day’s livestream coverage, offering a large group of panelists in an hour-plus long, wide-ranging discussion of behind-the-scenes storylines and decision-making.

 

Streaming continues for the additional days of the celebration, and you can catch a few of the sneak peek trailers for upcoming series on the livestream as well.

 

To quote Hayden Christensen’s interview, “This is where the fun begins!”

_______________

 

Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!

Disney Down But Still Ranks “Good” on Corporate Reputation Poll

 by Ray Keating

News/Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

May 27, 2022

 

Brand and reputation matter a great deal to businesses, and The Walt Disney Company would agree. Indeed, advancing and protecting the “brand” long has been a big emphasis with Disney.



Therefore, the latest Axios Harris poll ranking the reputations of 100 companies is worth noting. At the same time, though, polls can be fickle (the Axios Harris poll is “a survey of 33,096 Americans in a nationally representative sample conducted March 11-April 3, 2022”), to say the least. Therefore, company management, analysts, shareholders and general observers should take note of where companies rank, while also recognizing that one poll doesn’t tell the full story. 

 

In particular, there are plenty of businesses that might suffer in a poll or polls, and yet continue to do gangbuster business. I have referred to this as the “Wal-Mart effect,” whereby some people say they don’t want a Wal-Mart in their neighborhood, yet when the store opens, they shop there.

 

Keeping all of this in mind, the Walt Disney Company clearly took a hit in the 2022 edition of this reputation poll. The company ranked #65 (with a score of 73.4) out of the 100 firms ranked. That was down 28 spots from the 2021 poll, but still ranked in the “good” category. 

 

Only two companies dropped by more spots, with Spectrum falling 71 spots and Pfizer by 37 places. Pfizer ranked #44 in the 2022 list, and Spectrum #82.

 

The following chart from the report shows where Disney scored and ranked in each category covered by the survey.




The subject of politics is unavoidable when seeing this shift. Axios addressed the matter broadly, and also specifically regarding Disney, in an accompanying analysis.

 

The piece stated early, “The findings suggest that companies that are slow to respond to political crises, or do it inconsistently, suffer the most in terms of consumer reception and trust.” Or, another interpretation would be that companies that venture into political issues that have nothing to do with their business can suffer.

 

The Axios analysis offered other points:

 

• “Disney's ranking dropped significantly — from 37th last year to 65th this year — likely because of its decision to speak out about Florida's ‘Don't Say Gay’ bill after initially opting not to address it.”

 

• “‘Disney’s about face shows the reputational hit that comes when the public perceives you as being calculating rather than clear in what you believe in and stand for,’ said John Gerzema, CEO of The Harris Poll.”

 

• “There are some notable exceptions. Netflix faced backlash from its employees for failing to address anti-LGTBQ comments made by Dave Chapelle late last year, but its score wasn’t impacted.”

 

In fact, Netflix ranked #22 in this year’s survey, moving up 16 spots from last year.

 

As a final takeaway on how politics might, or might not, play into corporate reputation, the Axios analysis noted: “Some brands with strong political positions continue to rank high among consumers because the quality of their products and services outweigh their political values.” That point lines up with consumers being far more concerned about product quality and price from a company, rather than the real or perceived politics of a firm.

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Two great ways to pre-order Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel, which is Ray’s sixteenth work of fiction, and the first in the Alliance of Saint Michael series. Signed paperbacks here and the Kindle edition here

 

Two great ways to order Ray Keating’s new nonfiction book – The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks here, and paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions here.  

 

Get all of Ray Keating Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries in paperback and for the Kindle at Amazon.com and signed books at www.RayKeatingOnline.com

 

Get more out of the rest of 2022 with The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution! It combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more. Also, “The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution” comes with a handy spiral binding for easy use. It’s on sale and shipping is always free!

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of DisneyFree Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Thursday, May 26, 2022

Thoughts from Walt Disney, Michael Eisner, George Lucas, Bob Iger, ObiWan, and Other Disney Masters

 Are tuning in to the “Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating” podcast. It serves up a Disney or Disney-related quote each day, with DisneyBizJournal’s Ray Keating offering brief, additional thoughts on how each dose ties in to life, career, business, entrepreneurship, creativity, storytelling, work, or just plain fun.



Some to the latest episodes hit on loving what you do, creativity, innovation, entrepreneurship, integrity, building a brand, leadership, telling your business story, and more!

 

Listen today!

 

Friday, May 20, 2022

Starter List of Performers for 2022 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Announced

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

May 20, 2022

 

The 2022 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival runs July 14 through November 19 this year, and today, Disney announced an early list of scheduled performers for the Eat to the Beat Concert Series at the America Gardens Theatre during the Festival. 



Concerts take place at 5:30 pm, 6:45 pm and 8:00 pm.  The bigger name performers will be showcased Friday through Monday, while some excellent local musicians perform Tuesday to Thursday to fill out the week.  

 

A number of slots are still to be filled, but the announced performers so far are:

 

  • July 14-15 – Baha Men
  • July 16-18 – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
  • July 29-30 – Taylor Dayne
  • July 31-Aug. 1 – Tiffany
  • Aug. 5-8 – Joey Fatone & Friends
  • Aug. 12-13 – The Devon Allman Project
  • Aug. 14-15 – Christopher Cross
  • Aug. 19-20 – Journey former Lead Vocalist Steve Augeri
  • Aug. 21-22 – Air Supply
  • Sept. 2-3 – Southern Avenue
  • Sept. 4-5 – Kris Allen & David Cook
  • Sept. 9-10 – Hoobastank (NEW)
  • Sept. 16-17 – Los Amigos Invisibles (NEW)
  • Sept. 23-24 – BBMak
  • Sept. 30-Oct. 1 – Stokley (NEW)
  • Oct. 2-3 – Sheila E.
  • Oct. 7-8 – Mark Wills
  • Oct. 9-10 – 38 Special
  • Oct. 23-24 – Billy Ocean
  • Oct. 28-31 – Hanson
  • Nov. 4-7 – Boyz II Men

 

Eat to the Beat Dining Packages will be available Friday-Monday, and packages will go on sale beginning May 24. Each dining package includes an appetizer, entrée and dessert or one (1) full buffet (where applicable), along with a non-alcoholic beverage. Participating restaurants include the Biergarten (Germany Pavilion); Coral Reef Restaurant (Living Seas); Garden Grill (Land Pavilion); and Le Cellier (Canada Pavilion). Prices range from $57.00-$79.00, depending on the restaurant.  Same day dining packages will be available at Regal Eagle Smokehouse ($34.00, American Adventure) and Spice Road Table ($44.00, Morocco Pavilion) for a limited number of concert passes.  

 

EPCOT admission is not included in the price of the dining packages, and guests must have a separate ticket and park reservation for EPCOT.


Dining packages guarantee park-goers a seat in the America Gardens Theatre, while concert-goers without a dining package will need to wait in the stand-by line. More details on the dining packages are available at TasteEPCOT.com

 

There will also be 25 Global Marketplaces (food booths) set up around World Showcase during the Festival, providing a wide range of foods and flavors from around the world.

 

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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!

 

Thursday, May 19, 2022

Want to Ride the New Guardians Ride at EPCOT? Make Sure Your MDE is Ready Now!

 by Beth Keating

News/Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

May 19, 2022

 

While some EPCOT guests, such as annual passholders and D23 members, have been able to get a sneak peek at the new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind ride, the coaster will officially open to the general public in just a week, on May 27.  (By the way, see Ray Keating’s DisneyBizJournal.com review of the ride here.) If you want to maximize your chances of getting to save the galaxy with the Guardians, there are a few things you need to know before hitting up the park.

 

For starters, when the ride opens, there will not be a stand-by line, which means that you will either have to buy your way onto a Starjumper via a limited number of Individual Lightning Lane openings, or you will have to snag one of the free virtual queue spots, either at 7 am or 2 pm. 



And, no doubt about it, those seats will go faster than a jump to lightspeed. So, if you show up at EPCOT expecting to stroll over and hop on a line and shuffle your way to the front, you’ll be disappointed if you haven’t booked a ride in advance. Best to make your acquaintance with the ins-and-outs of your My Disney Experience (MDE) app now, so that you are not let down on the morning of your visit. You can’t waste time fiddling with setting up links when everyone else is blazing their way through the virtual queue request that day.

 

This week, Disney Parks Blog released information on how the virtual queue system will be set up for this ride.  (By the way, make sure you have both a valid ticket and a park reservation for the day and for EPCOT before attempting the process.)

 

Virtual Queue  

 

Beginning at 7 am on the day of your park reservation, you will be able to check for an available (free) boarding group via the My Disney Experience app, and request access to the virtual queue. (Go find this spot on your app NOW, so you don’t waste precious time that morning!)  You can actually request access before you leave your resort, or on your way to the park, but the countdown begins precisely at 7 am. If Remy’s Ratatouille and Rise of the Resistance, both of which used virtual queues upon their opening, are any indication, the spots will be gone in mere seconds. No kidding.  

 

If you and your travel party are successful in obtaining a boarding group, the MDE app will assign you a boarding group number, and you will wait for that group to be called before making your way back to the ride, sometime later in the morning. (You’ll get a notification on your phone via the My Disney Experience app when it’s time to come back, but keep checking so you know when your time is getting close, so that you don’t get on line for a different ride or sit down to eat and miss your window accidentally.)

 

If you weren’t successful in getting one of those coveted spots at 7 am, you can try again in the afternoon.  At 1 pm, you can again request a boarding group on the MDE app via the virtual queue, through the same process, but the only catch is that for the afternoon requests, you must actually be inside of EPCOT to join the virtual queue.  (And if you already rode in the morning, you can’t request a second ride during the afternoon boarding groups.) 

 

One last shot at a boarding group exists at 6 pm, but only if you are staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort, Disney Deluxe Villa Resort or other select hotels. On certain dates, Disney offers extended evening theme park hours to those guests, and Deluxe hotel guests can make use of the third shot at getting a boarding group on those days. (Deluxe hotel guests do not need to be in EPCOT to request to join during the 6 pm boarding group process).   Additional information, including tips for getting into the virtual queue, is available at disneyworld.com/virtualqueue.  

 

Individual Lightning Lane 

 

If you don’t mind shelling out the additional cash, you can also try for an “Individual Lightning Lane” entry.  Guests can purchase Individual Lightning Lane entry in the My Disney Experience app by using the Disney Genie service on the same day of their visit. (Prices weren’t released yet for the ride, and they do vary by day and season, but as a comparison, the top tier Rise of the Resistance is currently $15 per person.)  Individual Lightning Lane is subject to limited availability, and again, those seats go – well, lightning fast.  Guests at Disney resort hotels can purchase Individual Lightning Lane rides starting at 7 am on the day of their visit.  Other guests can make their purchase when the park opens. For more information on Lightning Lane access, go to disneyworld.disney.go.com/genie/lightning-lane/

 

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is billed as a “family-thrill attraction” that is a completely new generation of storytelling rollercoaster, with the “first ever reverse-launch.” Located in World Discovery at EPCOT, it’s also one of the largest indoor coasters in the world, and the Starjumper cars rotate 360 degrees in the dark to direct guests’ attention to the action going on around them in both projections and set pieces during their intergalactic chase. A selection of six different songs provide the soundtrack to the ride, and guests don’t know in advance which song they’ll be treated to.  Kids must be at least 42 inches tall to ride.

 

_______________

 

Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!

Wednesday, May 18, 2022

At Long Last, A Visit to La Hacienda de San Angel

 by Beth Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

May 18, 2022

 

When you come to Disney World on vacation, you typically only have a few days to sample the various restaurants around the world. That means, by and large, that you tend to go back and visit the favorites over and over again, or, if you were up really early and the stars were aligned just right, you were able to snag a coveted advanced dining reservation for the exciting, newly opened venue about which everyone has been talking. Rarely do people venture off to try some of the lesser known spots, unless they haven’t been able to get their earlier choices.

 

That was always the case with us. We’d talked about trying a half-dozen or so other restaurants on our short list over time, but between eating our way through festivals and returning to our favs, we just never seemed to find a spot in our limited time at the parks to venture further afield.



Last week, we finally made it to one of our “You know, I’d really like to try…” restaurants.  (And in all honesty, it got bumped to the top of the “like to try” list because it was home to one of the specialty desserts that was available for the 50th Anniversary of Disney World. But more on that later.)

 

We decided to finally pay a visit to La Hacienda de San Angel in EPCOT’s Mexico pavilion. You would be forgiven for being confused as to which restaurant that is exactly because, Disney for some reason, gave all of its Mexico eateries similar names.  There’s the San Angel Inn Restaurante (the table service restaurant in the pyramid); La Cantina de San Angel (the quick/counter service known for their tacos and empanadas); and La Hacienda de San Angel, also a table service locale.  (Why, oh, why, does Disney do that with names of locations?) Even my son asked, about six times that day, “Which one are we going to again?”

 

“La Hacienda de San Angel” and “La Cantina de San Angel” are even side by side on the waterfront. “San Angel Inn Restaurante” is inside the landmark pyramid, and in some ways, is the distinct opposite of La Hacienda de San Angel. Where San Angel Inn is dark, and diners are seated closer together, La Hacienda de San Angel is open, bright and airy.  Both restaurants have their own charm, with diners at San Angel Inn eating in front of a volcano in a busy marketplace at twilight, and guests at La Hacienda eating under colorful globe shaped lanterns, surrounded by vivid artwork, in front of expansive glass windows looking out on the World Showcase lagoon. 

 

La Hacienda de San Angel specializes in authentic Mexican cuisine, and is also known for their selection of margaritas, including the frozen Black Magic ($21), created by Neil Patrick Harris especially for Disney. It offers up Ojo de Tigre mexcal, blackberry purée, black currant liqueur, lime and mint. Other margaritas on the menu range from $15-$23.

 

The corn tortillas at La Hacienda are house-made each day, and you really could taste the difference in the care that was taken to make that happen. The moment you lifted the covering over the tortillas, the scent alone told you it was fresh and homemade.  Accompanying many of the dishes were a variety of delicious fresh salsas. 

 

Chips, salsas and queso ($6.00) were available among the starters, but we opted for the Flautas ($14.25), a trio of tortillas filled with chipotle chicken, potato, cheese, and Ranchera sauce. They were delicious, with a crunchy outer shell, a delightfully creamy filling on the inside, a sprinkling of cotija cheese, and a not-quite spicy sauce drizzled on top.  We would welcome those starters again.



One of our diners, a “spice adverse” guest, requested the Pollo Poblano ($30) for their meal. The entrée featured a tender and moist roast chicken breast atop a pool of poblano cream sauce. The poblano sauce had just enough heat to retain its qualification as traditional Mexican food, without scaring away a diner who wasn’t keen on too much spice. The fact that the chicken was served on top of the sauce also made it easy to decide exactly how much sauce should be scooped up on each bite. The chicken was served with a side medley of brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and oyster mushrooms, along with a set of the warm house-made corn tortillas, in case you wanted to eat your veggies and chicken “taco” style. 



Two in our dining party opted for the Tacos de Langosta ($35), the fried lobster in flour tortillas, served with shredded cabbage, chipotle aïoli, and mango relish.  This set of three made for an excellent main course. The fried lobster was rather unique, some crunch on the outside, with tender and flavorful lobster meat inside. Indeed, each taco offered an ample amount of lobster, and the lobster taste wasn’t lost amidst the sauce, which offered a slight kick, and other accompaniments. And yes, the tortilla shells were soft and fresh.



A large bowl of white rice and beans was also brought to the table along with the entrées, and while it didn’t have much flavor on its own, it served as a nice blank canvas to add goodies from our entrée plates, scooped into the tortillas with our lobster tacos. 

 

And, at last, we come to the real reason we were tracking down a reservation to La Hacienda on this particular visit. La Hacienda de San Angel is one of two locales for a spectacularly created 50th anniversary dessert that has been calling us since Disney introduced it in October.  The Chocolate “Fiesta” Pyramid ($34) is a celebratory, molded-chocolate pyramid filled with Mexican chocolate mousse and toffee, perched atop a traditional Tres Leches cake.  And in case that doesn’t sound decadent enough, each corner of the pyramid boasts a scoop of high quality vanilla ice cream, drizzled with a caramel sauce.  Oh, my!  Our very attentive waiter, Miguel, brought large soup spoons to crack our way to the interior of the pyramid to get to the rich, dark mousse, and breaking open the pyramid like a tiny piñata is part of the fun. The Tres Leches layer was closer to a pound cake than the custard-and-milk-soaked version you may have had elsewhere in the past, but it probably needed to be a bit firmer to support the weight of the seven-inch high chocolate building.



Disney claims the pyramid is “perfect for sharing,” but I think they had more than just our party of three in mind when they constructed this tower.  We managed to make a pretty big dent in the confection, but there was still more than enough for at least two or three more diners to join us in a sugar fest.  (If you want to embark on this journey with your own familia, the pyramid is also currently available at San Angel Inn Restaurante, as well as at La Hacienda.)

 

The restaurant only opens at 3:00 pm each day, and if you time it just right and ask nicely, you might be treated to a waterfront table where you would be able to watch the nightly Harmonious fireworks show while enjoying your meal.  

 

We may have come to La Hacienda de San Angel for the Fiesta Chocolate Pyramid, but we’ll be back again for their delicious Mexican food. We’ll move this restaurant from the “like to try” list, to the “we’ll be back again” list.

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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

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