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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

Wednesday, April 20, 2022

NEW BOOK: “The Weekly Economist” by DisneyBizJournal’s Ray Keating Helps Readers to Think More Like an Economist

 Ray Keating’s New Book Offers Quick Reads on Wide-Ranging Topics and Questions Related to the Economy and Business



If you don’t have a degree in economics, how do you figure out what actually makes economic sense and what doesn’t? Ray Keating, a leading economist on small business and entrepreneurship, offers help with a new book titled The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist.

 

Whether via CNBC, CNN, FOX, websites, or other outlets, many assertions regarding the economy and economic policy are presented that leave people wondering what’s accurate and what’s not. That’s especially the case when declarations by one talking head are conflicted by the next one. The Weekly Economist offers quick reads on topics essential to thinking clearly on economics, or applying sound economic principles to hot topics.

 

Ray Keating notes, “Yes, economics and thinking more like an economist matter. It is my hope that individuals, by taking just a few minutes for a quick read each week, can clarify their thinking on economics, and thereby, improve their own lives, and the lives of family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, as well as people across the nation and around the world."

 

Beyond a general readership interested in the economy, The Weekly Economist is ideal for the classroom, boardroom and workplace.

 

The Weekly Economist complements Ray Keating’s Free Trade Rocks: 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know, which is an excellent economics introduction to the often controversial topic of free trade.

 

Paperbacks, hardcovers and the Kindle edition of The Weekly Economist are available at Amazon.com, and signed books at www.RayKeatingOnline.com

 

Review copies, and author interviews and appearances are available upon request. 

 

Praise for Ray Keating’s work…

 

“Keating is at his best when tackling the issue that introduced him to the world of conservative thought: the benefits of the free market.”  - Kirkus Reviews

 

“Keating is no sour-puss conservative... Keating’s pro-growth agenda of dramatic supply-side tax and regulatory cuts, school choice, and much smaller government stands as New York’s only chance at rebirth.”  - Steve Forbes

 

Ray Keating's "take on the economy is unabashedly supply-side, offering a clear understanding that risk taking and entrepreneurship are the engines of economic growth.” - Jack Kemp

 

“Keating manages to bring this seemingly dull subject to accessible life with real-world examples often torn straight from recent headlines, along with a comprehensive and (mostly) impartial view on the topic.” – Self-Publishing Review on Free Trade Rocks!

 

“A common-sense explanation of why politicians and bureaucrats shouldn't throw sand in the gears of global trade.” - Dan Mitchell, Chairman, Center for Freedom and Prosperity, on Free Trade Rocks!

DeSantis vs. Disney: Political Theater

 by Ray Keating

Commentary/Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

April 20, 2022

 

If you’re looking for principle and clearheaded thinking in politics, good luck with that. This is not an era of serious, never mind civil, discussion and debate of important issues. Instead, it’s a time for ginning up the base and pandering to activists, whether on the hard Left or the populist Right, often via nut-picking.



That’s the lens through which the political battle between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and the Walt Disney Company must be viewed. 

 

DeSantis wants to be president, and Disney foolishly handed him a political club to hit the company over the head with when it pandered to left-wing activists on a hot, controversial political topic that has absolutely nothing to do with the company’s business. (See my piece on the issue of company’s delving into politics, including Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, and Milton Friedman’s sage analysis on the issue of corporate social responsibility here.)

 

Will Disney learn a lesson about playing politics? Who knows? Hollywood is drenched in tone-deaf, left-wing politics these days. But the company certainly has gone radio silent recently on this particular issue after pressing matters initially.

 

In the meantime, DeSantis is playing this for all its worth. On Tuesday (April 19), he announced that he was adding to the agenda of a Florida special state legislative session. Not only would lawmakers be working on a new congressional map, but he also called on them to a take up a review of independent special districts set up prior to November 5, 1968. That, of course, means the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which was set up by the legislature in 1967 and granted the Walt Disney Company control over its own governmental entity covering the Walt Disney World area.

 

Part of DeSantis’ announcement also included a call to have legislators look at, according to the Orlando Sentinel, eliminating “the carveout Disney received from the Legislature for the so-called Big Tech law that would allow people to sue social media companies such as Facebook or Twitter if they are censored.” This is another issue rooted in partisan politics, and not sound policy or economics. A federal court has tossed out the law, but that is being appealed. 

 

Each bill cleared committees on April 19.

 

Apparently, Governor DeSantis has suddenly found religion on the matter of special deals for large businesses. Or has he? In reality, of course, this isn’t about special deals for corporations. (Incidentally, as an economist, I’ve spent a good chunk of my career arguing against all forms of corporate welfare.) 

 

All of this is about DeSantis seeking to score political points with the Republican base by attacking Disney.

 

By the way, what would be the effect if Disney’s Reedy Creek district were voted out of existence? Well, no one seems to have thought much about that apparently in the governor’s office. I’m just shocked.

 

One state legislator raised some reasonable problems with the Sentinel:

 

State Sen. Linda Stewart, D-Orlando, said the impact on Orange and Osceola counties could be immense. “Reedy Creek has been doing everything,” Stewart said. “The fire department, they’ve been paying for all that infrastructure. And if they take Reedy Creek away, that responsibility is going to go to a government. And the government’s not going to get reimbursed for what they have to pick up and take care of.”

 

Indeed, eliminating the Reedy Creek district would result in higher taxes for local taxpayers. Um, is this a Republican plan?

 

For good measure, according to the Sentinel report, the state lacks the authority to abolish special districts, as that could require a majority vote of the residents or land owners in the district. And that would be Disney.

 

Hmmm. This appears to be more about political theater than anything else. Go figure.

 

By the way, DeSantis made his announcement about Disney’s special district at The Villages, which benefits from its own special district. But The Villages happens to be home of many DeSantis’ political supporters, so…

 

__________

 

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 at 

https://raykeatingonline.com/products/cathedral and/or the Kindle edition at 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WYW2Q2V

 

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 at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/weeklyeconomist and/or the Kindle edition at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WKN81RG.

 

Get more out 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. 

 

Keating has three new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13th thriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.comPast 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 DisneyFree Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Friday, April 15, 2022

Ale & Compass: Good Seafood and a Top-Five Burger

 by Ray Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

April 15, 2022

 

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort offers a wonderful ambience. Oddly, though, the atmosphere at the Yacht Club’s Ale & Compass Restaurant doesn’t make the cut. Fortunately, the food does.



During a recent lunch, one diner’s appetizer selection was the Parker House rolls ($14.00), a row of five fluffy dinner rolls brushed with butter and served with a trio of delicious ramekins filled with sweet and smoky bacon jam, pub cheese, and citrus butter.  (One already was snagged off the plate by the time we took the photo!) This diner could have ordered a double helping of these little beauties and called it a meal.  The bacon jam was especially good, and we reserved a little bit of it to spread on our burger.

 

Also ordered was the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake ($15.00), drizzled with stone ground mustard cream and a brightly flavored lemon emulsion, all served over a bed of succotash and greens. While the entrée was called a “lump crab cake,” there were actually two cakes on our plate, and they were crispy on the outside, and densely packed with tender crab meat on the inside.



The third diner chose the Lobster and Corn Chowder ($12.00), with herbs and house-made oyster cracker. The chowder was smooth and creamy, combined with just the right amount of spice. Of course, the key is the lobster, and this chowder passed with flying colors, as it was nicely populated by ample-sized pieces of lobster meat.

 

Two of our diners requested the Bacon and Vermont Cheddar Burger ($20.00), served up with caramelized onion on a Parker House bun with applewood-smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, and herbed mayonnaise. These burgers make it onto our list of top five burgers at Disney (so far), with plenty of melty Vermont cheddar, and a nice soft bun. A round of applause to the chefs because they nailed it on the correct “doneness” that we’d requested on our burgers.



Our third diner ordered the Blackened Sustainable Fish Tacos ($17.00), a trio of soft flour tortillas plated with chilled cucumber slaw, avocado, and chipotle rémoulade. It was smoky, tangy and flavorful. The fish was tender, flaky and done just right. Plus, the slaw added some crunchiness.



The only complaint, in the end, was a serving problem being experienced on an increasing basis when out for a meal, that is, main plates being brought to the table immediately after the appetizers arrive. While it was not unusual to experience this in recent years at mid-tier chain restaurants, now it’s happening at some Disney restaurants that should be known for customer service. However, compared to the excellent food offerings, this amounts to a minor complaint.

 

__________

 

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 at 

https://raykeatingonline.com/products/cathedral and/or the Kindle edition at 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WYW2Q2V

 

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 at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/weeklyeconomist and/or the Kindle edition at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09WKN81RG.

 

Get more out 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. 

 

Keating has three new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13th thriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.comPast 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 DisneyFree Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Pastor Stephen Grant Thrillers & Mysteries in Order – by DisneyBizJournal’s Ray Keating!

 While you don’t have to read the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries by Ray Keating in order, there is a plus to doing so. Therefore, here is the reading order of the books so far – with more to come! Enjoy! By the way, Paperback and Kindle editions are at Amazon.com, and signed books at RayKeatingOnline.com.



1) Warrior Monk: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

Warrior Monk revolves around a former CIA assassin, Stephen Grant, who has lived a far different, relatively quiet life as a parish pastor in recent years. However, a shooting at his church, a historic papal proposal, and threats to the pope's life mean that Grant's former and current lives collide. Grant must tap the varied skills learned as a government agent, a theologian and a pastor not only to protect the pope, but also to feel his way through a minefield of personal challenges. The second edition of Warrior Monk includes a new Introduction by Ray Keating, as well as a new Epilogue that points to an upcoming Pastor Stephen Grant novel.

 

2) Root of All Evil? A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

Do God, politics and money mix? In Root of All Evil?, the combination can turn out quite deadly. Keating introduced readers to Stephen Grant, a former CIA operative and current parish pastor, in the fun and highly praised Warrior Monk. Now, Grant is back in Root of All Evil? It’s a breathtaking thriller involving drug traffickers, politicians, the CIA and FBI, a shadowy foreign regime, the Church, and money. Charity, envy and greed are on display. Throughout, action runs high.

 

3) An Advent for Religious Liberty: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

Advent and Christmas approach. It’s supposed to be a special season for Christians. But it’s different this time in New York City. Religious liberty is under assault. The Catholic Church has been called a “hate group.” And it’s the newly elected mayor of New York City who has set off this religious and political firestorm. Some people react with prayer – others with violence and murder. Stephen Grant, former CIA operative turned pastor, faces deadly challenges during what becomes known as “An Advent for Religious Liberty.” Grant works with the cardinal who leads the Archdiocese of New York, the FBI, current friends, and former CIA colleagues to fight for religious liberty, and against dangers both spiritual and physical.

 

4) The River: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

Some refer to Las Vegas as Sin City. But the sins being committed in The River are not what one might typically expect. Rather, it’s about murder. Stephen Grant once used lethal skills for the Navy SEALs and the CIA. Now, years later, he’s a pastor. How does this man of action and faith react when his wife is kidnapped, a deep mystery must be untangled, and both allies and suspects from his CIA days arrive on the scene? How far can Grant go – or will he go – to save the woman he loves? Will he seek justice or revenge, and can he tell the difference any longer? 

 

5) Murderer’s Row: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

How do rescuing a Christian family from the clutches of Islamic terrorists, minor league baseball in New York, a string of grisly murders, sordid politics, and a pastor, who once was a Navy SEAL and CIA operative, tie together? Murderer’s Row is the fifth Pastor Stephen Grant novel, and Keating serves up fascinating characters, gripping adventure, and a tangled murder mystery, along with faith, politics, humor, and, yes, baseball.

 

6) Wine Into Water: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

Blood, wine, sin, justice and forgiveness… Who knew the wine business could be so sordid and violent? That’s what happens when it's infiltrated by counterfeiters.  A pastor, once a Navy SEAL and CIA operative, is pulled into action to help unravel a mystery involving fake wine, murder and revenge. Stephen Grant is called to take on evil, while staying rooted in his life as a pastor.

 

7) Lionhearts: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

War has arrived on American soil, with Islamic terrorists using new tactics. Few are safe, including Christians, politicians, and the media. Pastor Stephen Grant taps into his past with the Navy SEALS and the CIA to help wage a war of flesh and blood, ideas, history, and beliefs. This is about defending both the U.S. and Christianity.

 

8) Reagan Country: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

Could President Ronald Reagan’s influence reach into the former “evil empire”? The media refers to a businessman on the rise as “Russia’s Reagan.” Unfortunately, others seek a return to the old ways, longing for Russia’s former “greatness.” The dispute becomes deadly. Conflict stretches from the Reagan Presidential Library in California to the White House to a Russian Orthodox monastery to the Kremlin. Stephen Grant, pastor at St. Mary’s Lutheran Church on Long Island, a former Navy SEAL and onetime CIA operative, stands at the center of the tumult.

 

9) Heroes and Villains: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story by Ray Keating

 

As a onetime Navy SEAL, a former CIA operative and a pastor, many people call Stephen Grant a hero. At various times defending the Christian Church and the United States over the years, he has journeyed across the nation and around the world. But now Grant finds himself in an entirely unfamiliar setting – a comic book, science fiction and fantasy convention. But he still joins forces with a unique set of heroes in an attempt to foil a villainous plot against one of the all-time great comic book writers and artists.

 

10) Shifting Sands: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story by Ray Keating

 

Beach volleyball is about fun, sun and sand. But when a big-time tournament arrives on a pier in New York City, danger and international intrigue are added to the mix. Stephen Grant, a former Navy SEAL, onetime CIA operative, and current pastor, is on the scene with his wife, friends and former CIA colleagues. While battles on the volleyball court play out, deadly struggles between good and evil are engaged on and off the sand. 

 

11) Deep Rough: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

One man faces challenges as a pastor in China. His son has become a breakout phenom in the world of professional golf. The Chinese government is displeased with both, and their lives are in danger. Stephen Grant – a onetime Navy SEAL, former CIA operative and current pastor – has a history with the communist Chinese, while also claiming a pretty solid golf game. His unique experience and skills unexpectedly put him alongside old friends; at some of golf’s biggest tournaments as a caddy and bodyguard; and in the middle of an international struggle over Christian persecution, a mission of revenge, and a battle between good and evil.

 

12) The Traitor: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

Stephen Grant – former Navy SEAL, onetime CIA operative and current pastor – looks forward to a time of prayer and reflection during a retreat at a monastery in Europe. But when he stumbles upon an infamous CIA traitor in a small village, Grant’s plans change dramatically. While a debate rages over government secrets and the intelligence community, a deadly race for survival is underway. From a pro-democracy demonstration in Hong Kong to the CIA’s headquarters in Langley to a monastery in France, the action and intrigue never let up.

 

13) Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel by Ray Keating

 

More than 500 years ago, two men – Jan Hus and Martin Luther – tried to bring about change in the Catholic Church. They suffered, with one burned at the stake. Could a modern-day pope transform these reformers from heretics to heroes in the eyes of the Catholic Church? Shadowy figures inside and outside the Vatican oppose Pope Paul VII’s efforts, and stand willing to do anything to stop him. For help, the pope turns to Stephen Grant, a Lutheran pastor, former Navy SEAL and onetime CIA operative.

 

14) Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story by Ray Keating

 

Torn from pages of his own journal, Pastor Stephen Grant tells about threats, murder and puzzling people from his past. It’s a compelling mystery involving action, unexpected turns, lost innocence, sought-after perspective, and twisted revenge. This is the first Pastor Stephen Grant story told from Grant’s own viewpoint, unfolding each day in the pages of his journal.

 

 

15) What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story by Ray Keating

 

From the pages of his own journal, Pastor Stephen Grant tells a riveting mystery involving deception, betrayal, sacrifice and friendship, along with plenty of action and questions about what we truly can know about others. Grant takes us on a personal journey across decades and around the world, from Long Island to Vietnam. This is the second Pastor Stephen Grant story told from Grant’s own viewpoint, unfolding each day in the pages of his journal.

 

Paperback and Kindle editions are at Amazon.com, and signed books at RayKeatingOnline.com.

 

Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Easter Sale on Books by DisneyBizJournal's Ray Keating

 


Easter Sale at www.RayKeatingOnline.com! Save 15% on Signed Editions of Ray Keating’s Books! 


Save on The Disney Planner 2022! Save on any or all of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. Save on pre-ordering Ray’s new novel Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel. Save on Ray’s books on the economy and business, including pre-ordering The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Save on everything! 


Use coupon code “Easter15” at checkout. Sale ends on April 19th! Go to www.RayKeatingOnline.com


Monday, April 11, 2022

Dining at the Coral Reef at EPCOT… Not Just for the Kids Anymore

 by Beth Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

April 11, 2022

 

With so many festivals going on at EPCOT these days, it seems like there are only a handful of days out of the year that there aren’t dozens of enticing food booths beckoning park guests from the crowded walkways of World Showcase.  That being the case, it’s been a rare evening in the last few years that we’ve dined at an actual EPCOT restaurant, rather than snacking our way around the lagoon. That’s a pity because the EPCOT restaurants are among the best at Disney World.


 

One of my husband’s favorite EPCOT restaurants has always been the Coral Reef, in the now renamed World Nature section of the park.  I, on the other hand, not being much of a seafood lover, have at least half a dozen other EPCOT restaurants that I would rather get dining reservations for.  When our kids were small (and there were fewer festivals in sight), we would book Coral Reef to provide entertainment for them, so we were able to get a few quiet minutes to eat our food while it was still hot.  A floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall aquarium big enough to hold 54 Olympic-sized swimming pools provides quite the visual babysitter.

 

On a recent night when we had a limited number of hours in the park, we decided to forego the festival food booths and hit up a sit-down restaurant instead. The Coral Reef Restaurant had an opening that fit our time frame, and off we went. And it turned out to be a much more enjoyable experience than I remembered from our long ago child-centric dinners.



For starters, we had a very engaging cast member serving at our table. Vern was not only an attentive waiter, but a well-informed “tour guide” who shared lots of knowledge about the more than 2,000 creatures making the aquarium their home.  He even knew each of their names!  And if I didn’t know better, I would have thought he had “Tina,” the black splotched ray, trained to come when he mentioned her name.  We were seated in the first row of tables along the massive viewing windows, and when Vern mentioned Tina, she came and parked herself on the bottom of the tank, mere inches from our seats.  Honestly, the panoramic view of the great reef sharks, tarpon, sea turtles, and unicorn fish was just as big of a draw for the evening as was our meal.

 

Our dinner began with standard issue small rolls and butter, but we also opted for the shrimp cocktail ($16.00). The large, sweet shrimp with a traditional cocktail sauce and a charred lemon, served on an adorable skewer stand, didn’t disappoint. The only problem?  The appetizer came out at the exact same time as our entrées. Since it was the last seating of the night, and many of the tables were already cleaned up, the kitchen staff was likely a little anxious to wrap up for the evening.



Our entrées were the seared Mahi Mahi ($32.00), and the seared salmon ($29.00).  The Mahi Mahi was served with jasmine rice, Caribbean shrimp salsa made with cute little teeny tiny shrimp, and a yummy coconut and cilantro-lime sauce.  The Mahi Mahi was tender, done perfectly, and the shrimp and sauce, with a small kick, were ideal accompaniments. 



The seared salmon got an excited response from our waiter, who raved about the corn risotto that was served with the salmon. And he was right. The risotto was creamy and full of flavor.  (I would encourage the chefs to add that risotto to the menu as its own entrée in the fall, especially for those of us looking for something less “seafood”!) The salmon was also plated with a mixed greens salad in a light citrus dressing, and the salmon itself was flaky and tender.  It wasn’t overcooked, just prepared to the perfect edge of doneness, with a slight, nicely seasoned crust on top.

 

Appetizers at the restaurant also include a lobster bisque ($12.00); smoked wild mushroom cioppino ($13.00); or a Caesar salad ($11.00).  Additional entrée choices include shrimp and grits ($32.00); oven roasted citrus-marinated half chicken ($28.00); grilled vegetable skewers with Impossible kefta ($24.00); or a 10 oz prime rib ($36.00).  We didn’t have room for dessert, but there were key lime tarts ($9.00); mixed berry mousse ($8.50); the chocolate wave, a warm flourless chocolate cake ($10.00); or a Baileys Almande and Jack Daniels mousse ($9.50) available. Assorted specialty and themed cocktails were also on the menu.

 

By the way, the pomegranate lemonade was quite refreshing.



More than 60 different species call this beautifully crafted coral reef habitat home.  Some days, diners may even be able to see scuba divers caring for the coral reef and its inhabitants. This is one of those restaurants that you will dine in as much for the ambiance (and learning opportunities) as for the meal.  Even if you are dining sans kiddos, this was a lovely evening out, with lots of credit to our cast member, Vern!

 

_______________

 

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!

 

Sign up for the Ray Keating Books and More newsletter to enter for THREE chances to win THE DISNEY PLANNER 2022: THE TO DO LIST SOLUTION. There’s plenty of time in 2022 to use this simple but powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans. THREE winners will be selected! Deadline is April 15, 2022. Go here!

 

PRESS CLUB C Podcast: Disney Should Listen to Milton Friedman

 


PRESS CLUB C Podcast with Ray Keating – Episode #82: Disney Should Listen to Milton Friedman – Ray takes a look at what Nobel Prize winning economist Milton Friedman had to say on corporate social responsibility, and why management at Disney and other companies should take note. Tune in!


Sunday, April 10, 2022

Grand Floridian Delights Guests With Annual Easter Egg Display

 by Beth Keating

Lifestyle

DisneyBizJournal.com

April 10, 2022

 

The chefs and pastry artists at Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa , led by Chef Kristine Farmer, have been hard at work, creating their annual Easter Egg display, much to the delight of visitors. The eggs are made of a variety of elaborate chocolate confections, and decorated with “modeling chocolate, fondant, sugar floral, royal icing, colored cocoa butter, and sculpted sugar pieces.”  


Video music by www.pacdv.com/sounds


Returning to the Grand Floridian after a COVID hiatus, the tabletop eggs weigh in at a minimum of 9 pounds, with the largest topping out at over a hundred pounds!  They stand from 16 to 30 inches high, with the impressive, shoulder high Cinderella coach wowing visitors from its nearby spot on the floor. 

 

Inspired by favorite Disney characters, movies, park attractions, and even Walt Disney himself, several dozen of the creations line the soaring lobby of the Grand Floridian. Displayed alongside the “Grand Cottage,” a springtime kiosk in the center of the lobby that sells such delectable treats as hot cross buns; whoopie pies; “carrot” blondie pops; baby chick cupcakes; fudge; chocolate bunnies; and more, the chocolate eggs range from adorable Baby Yoda to a version of Figment atop a light-up Spaceship Earth. Remember the scene of the Dalmatian puppies from 101 Dalmatians watching the Kanine Krunchies commercial on TV?  It’s recreated inside a beautiful egg. Snow White, the Avengers, FrozenTreasure PlanetUp, and the Potato Heads are all among the representations in this year’s highly detailed displays.

 

The eggs will be on display through April 18, 2022.

 

_______________

 

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!

 

Sign up for the Ray Keating Books and More newsletter to enter for THREE chances to win THE DISNEY PLANNER 2022: THE TO DO LIST SOLUTION. There’s plenty of time in 2022 to use this simple but powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans. THREE winners will be selected! Deadline is April 15, 2022. Go here!