Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #83: Give Self-Deprecating Humor at Try – Do you get the feeling that too many people take themselves too seriously? Lighten up with some Disney humor.
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #82: Eisner and Disney on Your Brand – If the brand matters to Disney, then your own brand should matter to you.
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #81 – Celebrate America with Captain America – There’s no one better to hear from in the MCU as we celebrate Independence Day than, of course, Captain America.
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #80 – Walt Disney on the Blessings of America – Walt Disney was a patriot in the best sense of the word, and offered some rather profound insights on being an American.
The “Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating” podcast 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.
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #78: Disney Thumbs Up on Feedback – Stay open on all fronts to constructive feedback, ideas and creativity.
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #79: Walt’s Kick in the Teeth – Lessons for life, career and business come on all fronts, including from a kick in the teeth.
The “Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating” podcast 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.
by Ray Keating
Review
DisneyBizJournal.com
July 2, 2021
So, where does a guy with the last name “Keating” go for dinner on his birthday at Disney Springs? Not surprisingly, I chose Raglan Road: Irish Pub and Restaurant. While walking by many times, I had never entered Raglan Road. It was time to give it a try. This writer of Irish descent enjoyed the entire experience.
Raglan Road is a place filled with conversation, Irish music, friendly bartenders, a wide choice of beverages, and excellent food. This is an Irish establishment as it should be.
When I arrived two performers – with guitar and violin in hand – were serving up some classic Irish tunes, and the bartender poured a pint of the TriWishes Grand Irish Red Ale, from the Raglan Road Signature Collection. Can one call an ale smooth and full-bodied? Well, I am.
But then came the Irish dancers, who were wonderful and energized the room, and the food menu. Now, it’s fair to say that the Irish aren’t exactly known for their fine cuisine – or at least, one could have said that years ago. No longer, and that is clear by the food offered at Raglan Road.
I began things with the Kiss Before Shrimp appetizer. How to describe this pan-seared shrimp in a garlic, chile and lemon butter sauce, along with a sliced baguette? The phrase “freakin’ awesome” comes to mind (hey, I’m of Irish descent from New York). I used up all of the bread, and got a little more, trying to gather up and enjoy all of this spicy sauce. The bartender said that some people will drink the remaining sauce, and well, yeah, I get that.
Many options for the main course caught my eye, but I had to go for the Fish & Chips. The huge North Atlantic cod fillet was done to perfection, with the beer battered coating sweet and crispy. It will be difficult for me to choose something else the next time I visit.
Oh, and before I forget, Raglan Road has the most unique Irish soda bread I’ve ever had. Indeed, just forget everything you’ve known about Irish soda bread. This bread was completely different. It’s brown and full-flavored, accompanied by a wonderful, sweet Guinness reduction dipping sauce.
I was asked about dessert? It would have been impossible to eat any more. But like I mentioned earlier, there will be a next time at Raglan Road – indeed, many more visits. Raglan Road does Irish right.
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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?
Keating has three new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13ththriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Again, get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. And order the 15th book in the series What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story – grab it at Amazon.com or signed editions at www.raykeatingonline.com.
Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.
You also can order his book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York from Amazon or signed books at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know.
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!
by Beth Keating
Review
DisneyBizJournal.com
July 1, 2021
A recent afternoon found us at Disney Springs when a sudden Florida thunderstorm cropped up. Crazy, right? We didn’t have lunch reservations anywhere, and having just parked in the Orange garage, we were on our way across the bridge when the skies threatened to open up. We made a last minute decision to scoot into Pizza Ponte, and we were glad we did.
Pizza Ponte is the quick-serve restaurant under the Maria & Enzo’s sign in The Landing section of Disney Springs, and is part of the Patina Restaurant Group that also brings you Via Napoli in EPCOT, and Maria & Enzo’s, Enzo’s Hideaway, and The Edison in Disney Springs. The unassuming counter service room has a few indoor seats, but as those were already full, we opted for an umbrella-topped table outside. Between being tucked next to the side of the building, and the oversized umbrella, we were easily protected from the rain.
I’ll put it out there, right up front. We are New Yorkers by birth, which means we are, for all intents and purposes, pizza snobs. Our recent arrival in Central Florida has meant that we haven’t yet found a pizza place that rivals our much loved New York-style pizzas. And while we initially went into Pizza Ponte with skepticism – Disney rarely gets rave reviews for pizza – we left pleasantly surprised.
We ordered a slice of the four cheese pizza ($7.95), an oversized square white slice that rocked. A thick, soft crust was abundantly topped with a mix of mozzarella, provolone, fontina, and parmesan cheese, as well as a drizzle of olive oil. It was closer to a Sicilian or pan slice, and perfectly baked, with its edges nice and crisp without being burned. We also opted for a rather large slice of the pepperoni pizza ($7.25) with lovely little “pepperoni cups” on top. (If you are from the northeast, you know what I’m talking about. It’s those little pepperoni slices that curl and crisp around the edges when cooked, curving upwards into a “cup” shape with all the delicious oils pooling in the middle of the cup. Stop going “ewww.” It’s a pizza thing.)
Both the slices were delicious, and we have plans to order them again. For those of you who would like your pizza a little more Neapolitan-style and traditional, “The Big Roman”($6.95) is a plain, yet gigantic, slice of regular, triangle-shaped, red-sauced pizza.
Also on our dining menu that day were two of Pizza Ponte’s handmade sandwiches. The sandwiches weren’t pre-packaged, and we watched the cast member assembling the sandwiches and popping them into the pizza oven to bake, so it took a few minutes to gather our lunch. That was okay by us, as it meant the sandwiches were hot and fresh.
The chicken parmigiana sandwich ($9.95) was somewhat forgettable, however, and while it was okay by quick-serve standards, we wouldn’t go out of our way to try it again. The chicken was a tad on the dry side, with a light amount of sauce on a short “hero” roll. (That’s another northeast term – for those of you elsewhere in the country, substitute the word “sub” or “hoagie” roll.) In its favor was the fact that the sauce tasted “real,” and not like a canned sauce.
On the other hand, the prosciutto sandwich ($9.75) was a flavorful, oblong sandwich, which would make a nice light lunch or dinner if you were looking for something not quite as overwhelming in the Florida heat, or after a day spent stuffing yourself in the theme parks. The bread itself was toasted, with a slight char, and the heat from the sandwich had melted the fontina cheese just a little. Each bite was a touch sweet, and just the tiniest bit salty, with a hint of bitterness from the arugula to balance it out. The cheese was strong, but in a good way. The sandwich passed the “I’d get this again” test. For those of you from the northeast, though, this is a smaller-sized sandwich. Don’t expect the foot-long hero rolls you’d get in a sandwich shop in Jersey.
While waiting out the rain, we decided we’d throw caution to the wind and test out the desserts while we were there. We tried the tiramisù cup and the cannoli (each $8.00). There were also cheesecake, chocolate cake, and chocolate chip cookie selections available.
The tiramisù cup was an unexpectedly light dessert with a soft cake base and a dusting of cocoa that was obvious in the taste blend. Coffee was the dominant flavor without being overwhelming. It was a nice afternoon boost, and we’d be tempted to grab one of those little bowls on our way back to the garage on future trips.
The cannoli was a bit heavier in the dessert category, but yummy, nonetheless. The shell remained crisp, and the inside filling was a softer texture than we were anticipating, and not as firm as the more frosting-like consistency you sometimes find in cannoli cream. It was, however, a welcome treat as we waited out the storm.
If you are looking to “grab a slice” while you are at Disney, let the name “Pizza Ponte” catch your attention. It was worth our stop.
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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to 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!
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #77: Iger on Prioritizing – The former Disney CEO packs a lot into a small quote on value and communicating what matters.
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #76: Disney on Encouragement and Motivation – Good thoughts on motivating people, but does everyone want to be motivated?
The “Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating” podcast 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.
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #75: Ray Bradbury’s Thumbs Up for Imagineering – A much-deserved to the creativity of Imagineers from a great author.
The “Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating” podcast 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.
After “WandaVision” and “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” fell short, Ray argues that Disney really needs “Loki” to excel. Tune in now!
by Beth Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
June 28, 2021
Once again, COVID-19 has thrown a boatload of cold water on Disney’s cruise plans.
The Disney Cruise Line was scheduled to embark on a two-night test sailing of the Disney Dream from Florida’s Port Canaveral tomorrow, but the ship will remain docked. The voyage, relying on volunteer passengers, was slated to be part of the steps the Disney Cruise Line needed to take to receive a conditional sailing certificate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“We are delaying our simulation cruise due to a small number of inconsistent COVID-19 test results, which are considered positive by the CDC. The rigorous health and safety protocols we have in place helped us identify the situation, though the test results were ultimately negative,” said a statement from Disney Cruise Line. The test cruise will be rescheduled for a future date.
Disney was one of the cruise lines that had opted to utilize the test sail under the CDC’s conditional sail orders, while other cruise lines utilized a second option, which allowed them to sail with at least 95% of their passengers fully vaccinated. For Disney, though, that wasn’t much of an option, given the fact that as “Disney,” a majority of their guests would be families with children, and vaccines for children, particularly for those under the age of 12, are not yet available.
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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to 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!
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #74: Disney and Teamwork – The Walt Disney Company wasn’t all about Walt. He understood the value of teamwork.
by Ray Keating
News/Analysis
DisneyBizJournal.com
June 27, 2021
Walt Disney World might be the Most Magical Place on Earth, but it’s also part of a business. And like other businesses, the Walt Disney Company is confronting labor shortages.
Need evidence? Head over to the Disney Careers website, and you’ll find the company offering $1,000 hiring bonuses for housekeepers, cooks and chef assistants.
In terms of hourly pay, housekeepers start at $16, cooks at $18, and chef assistants at $19.
The labor shortage issue has been widely recognized and discussed. For example, it was noted in the latest Federal Reserve Beige Book, “It remained difficult for many firms to hire new workers, especially low-wage hourly workers, truck drivers, and skilled tradespeople. The lack of job candidates prevented some firms from increasing output and, less commonly, led some businesses to reduce their hours of operation. Overall, wage growth was moderate, and a growing number of firms offered signing bonuses and increased starting wages to attract and retain workers. Contacts expected that labor demand will remain strong, but supply constrained, in the months ahead.”
Leisure and hospitality labor shortages have been noted in particular.
As for causes, there is a great deal of speculation, including enhanced unemployment benefits, which are scheduled to expire in early September, making it less enticing for many workers to return to the labor force.
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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?
Keating has three new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13ththriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. And order the 15th book in the series What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story.
Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.
You also can order his book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York from Amazon or signed books at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know.
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!
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #73: Are There Walt Disneys Today? – Do we have people like Walt Disney today to meet challenges and seek opportunity?
The “Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating” podcast 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.
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #72: Hard Work is Disney Magic – Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog” has a good thought of the magic of hard work.
The “Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating” podcast 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.
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #71: Eisner on Learning from Others – Michael Eisner, former Disney CEO, notes that we can learn from the journey of others toward success.
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #70: Wendy, Peter Pan and Family – Wendy tells Peter Pan about what matters in life, that is, family.
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #69: Walt Disney and Quality – Walt Disney understood that as a customer and a provider, one should demand quality.
by Beth Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
June 22, 2021
So many new shows and experiences are coming to Disney World for its 50th anniversary in October! As a Disney fan, I should be happy… And I mostly am, except I just found out my beloved “Happily Ever After” fireworks show is being replaced.
I’m sure that the new Magic Kingdom fireworks show, “Disney Enchantment,” will be phenomenal. I have long wondered why Disney’s Florida park wasn’t taking advantage of the entire stretch of Main Street for their projections and shows, the way they sometimes do in Disneyland in California. Given the fact that they have captive crowds from hub to train station, it seemed like a lot of wasted real estate. Now, the new “Disney Enchantment” show will feature fireworks and projection effects “that extend from Cinderella Castle down Main Street USA” for the first time, according to Disney. The show is designed to take guests “on a journey filled with adventure, wonder and empowerment.”
It will be amazing, I’m certain. But I will have to make sure I get to the Magic Kingdom one last time before “Happily Ever After” ends. (It begins its temporary return on July 1st.) As many times as I have seen that show, it never fails to make me cry – even if I am watching it on YouTube because I can’t get to the park.
In addition to the new fireworks show at Magic Kingdom, “Harmonious” will make its long-anticipated debut on October 1 in the center of World Showcase at EPCOT. “One of the largest nighttime spectaculars ever created for a Disney park,” the show will feature floating set pieces, custom-built LED panels, moving fountains, lasers, and pyrotechnics, all choreographed to a new soundtrack with “interpretations of classic Disney songs as you’ve never heard them before, reimagined in more than a dozen languages by a diverse group of 240 artists from around the world.” Some of the enormous pieces of staging have already been installed in the center of the lagoon.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom has not been forgotten in the festivities, either. Over at the Discovery River Amphitheater, performers bearing larger-than-life windcatchers and kites will bring “Disney KiteTails” to life on both land and water. Some of the pieces are 30 foot long, elaborate three-dimensional kites! The show will be staged multiple times per day, beginning October 1, and will feature characters such as Simba and Zazu from The Lion King and Baloo and King Louie from The Jungle Book.
While you are at the parks, keep an eye out for a special collection of golden statues, tucked among the paths and attractions at Disney World. Fifty Disney characters for the 50th anniversary will be portrayed in whimsical gold likenesses, and scattered throughout all four theme parks. Visitors will be able to interact with the sculptures in surprising ways, according to Disney.
Mickey and Minnie aren’t the only ones getting festive new party clothes for the celebration, either. Donald and Daisy Duck, Goofy, Chip and Dale will be attired in specially designed EARidescent outfits to match Mickey and Minnie’s clothes as they appear throughout the parks. You’ll also get a chance to see them in Mickey’s Celebration Cavalcade when it kicks off in the Magic Kingdom on October 1.
While Disney World will officially mark the beginning of its 50th anniversary that day, “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” itself will run for 18 months. As previously announced, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure ride and the La Creperie de Paris restaurant at EPCOT’s France pavilion will also be opening October 1, and Cinderella Castle has already started getting its makeover for the big day, with shiny new golden ribbons and embellishments. The other parks’ icons will soon be getting celebratory “Beacons of Magic” transformations as well.
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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to 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!
