Tag: restaurants

Fantasmic is BACK!

The rumors were true! Fantasmic returns to Walt Disney World in Hollywood Studios on November 3, 2022!

Fantasmic returns Nov 3

As suspected, the Fantasmic Dining Package is here as well, for shows starting November 30. Packages will go on sale the morning of October 26.

Review: The Edison Restaurant in Disney Springs

We had a chance to visit one of Disney Springs’ newest restaurants, The Edison, this fall, and it’s worth a visit. The space itself is grand and fascinating. You enter on the top floor of the restaurant; we were escorted down a grand staircase and were seated on the lower level. Decor is consistent and on point, with early 20th-century Industrial and Steampunk flair.  The Edison is a family-friendly restaurant during the day, but does turn into an over-21-only venue at 10 PM, with a cover charge on weekends.

The Edison

Let’s get my one complaint — but a significant complaint — out of the way. The chairs.

The Edison

You might not be able to tell but this is the singularly most uncomfortable chair I’ve ever sat on. And that’s saying something. The chair is fairly small. The back leans at too much of an angle, so there’s no back support. The cushion … is not a cushion. It’s a piece of wood. I may bring my own padding to the party, but I was no match for this rock-hard seat of agony. After a few minutes I was uncomfortable, and after an hour I was miserable. When I got up to powder my nose, and also to escape the Edison torture device I’d been sitting on, I had to crawl there at a snail’s pace. I mentioned it to a server nearby and he sympathetically said, “Believe me, you’re not the only one who thinks so.” I’m sure I’m not, friend.

There is perfectly comfy-looking seating elsewhere in The Edison, couches and plush leather chairs. These must be prime seating in the evenings, given how industrial and uncomfortable the bar stools were, as well (I tried them out), but aren’t conducive to dining. I saw some banquettes on the upper floor, and would have to request one if I were to return. And I might, given the rest of our experience.

With that said, on to, happily, the food. We started with drinks and appetizers. My husband ordered the DB “Clothesline Candied Bacon.” The bacon itself was excellent, though he thought slightly too peppery. Eating it with the pickles cut that and is highly recommended.

The Edison

I ordered the Deviled Eggs, served on smoked prosciutto with crisp potatoes on top. I don’t care for prosciutto and didn’t love the pairing here, but the eggs were delicious. I loved the serving size; any more eggs would have been  too many, and fewer would have left me wanting more.

The Edison

I also ordered a mocktail, the Apple Propellant (pictured above). I’m baffled by this drink. The ingredients were listed as “fresh cider, lemon, honey & ginger, and ginger ale.” I loved every single one of those flavors, but what they brought me tasted like grapefruit juice and nothing else. It was very strange. They were great about bringing me a plain ginger ale in its place, though, so all was well that ends well.

Moving on to entrees, I ordered the Organic Tomato Soup and Gooey Grilled Cheese. The grilled cheese included Fontina, Muenster, Gruyère, and Alpine Swiss. The portion size on this was ENORMOUS. It was essentially two grilled cheese sandwiches piled up on top of each other. The sourdough bread had a great buttery crunch to it. The soup was terrific as well. I’d recommend this highly to anyone looking for a filling, yummy dinner.

The Edison

The Edison has a “burger of the month” special, and when we were there in September, it was the Croque Burger, which my husband very much enjoyed. The Croque Burger featured a beef blend burger of sirloin, short rib, and brisket, and this was topped with honey mustard, maple cured ham and Swiss on sourdough bread that has been dipped in egg then grilled. This was not a burger you could pick up; he ate it with a knife and fork and said it was wonderful. The maple and the egg in the bread really stood out.

The portion size, again, was ginormous. I happened to peek at the 28-Day Aged Prime Rib King Cut, ordered at a table nearby, and it was so huge it was dropping over the side of the plate, and accompanied by the largest popover I’ve ever seen. Apparently, you need to come to The Edison hungry.

The Edison

We didn’t come close to finishing our entrees, either of us. I wanted to leave a little room to try to Lollipop Tree of cheesecake pops.

The Edison

This was a little disappointing. First, it came with this “bubblegum whipped cream,” not pictured here because the Pepto-Bismol color was unappetizing to the extent that I didn’t want to look at it while I enjoyed dessert. The cheesecake pops themselves were fine. Small, not especially flavorful, creamy, and fine, but not anything I would order again.

Our dinner was at 6 PM, and live entertainment does not start, I was told, until 9 PM. Music is live, varied, and from everything I’m hearing, well worth hearing. But even during the day, though, there’s an atmosphere. A young man dressed in Steampunk fashion was making the rounds of tables in the dining room, visiting with guests for quite some time. I didn’t catch much of what he was saying, but he introduced himself as an investor. This young lady came striding out of the back room of the restaurant (I still can’t figure out how she got through that small door!) and went outside to greet guests as they arrived.

The Edison

The Edison has a unique theme and is a welcome addition to Disney Springs. It’s great to have something with such a definitive point of view to break up the sometime-monotony restaurants that seem all too similar to each other. The food is good and generously sized, and the service was good. I’d definitely go back for another visit, but I might just bring my own cushion.

 

Toy Story Land is a blast!

We had a chance to visit Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and it was a blast!

Woody greeting guests at the entrance to Toy Story Land.

Woody is there to greet you with a “Howdy, Pardner!” and you find yourself shrunk down to the size of one of Andy’s toys.

We went during Extra Magic Hours, from 7 to 8 AM. Disney World is offering daily Extra Magic Hours for Hollywood Studios through August, 2018. If you can, take advantage of them! Crowds were incredibly light. Everyone seems to be running straight to Slinky Dog Dash, and you can do that too and have only a short wait. We walked onto Alien Swirling Saucers and Toy Story Mania twice, each, no waiting. We also were able to meet Buzz, Woody, and Jessie with waits of less than five minutes.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Woody before but I’ve been waiting FOREVER to meet Jessie!

The new entrance to Toy Story Mania.

Toy Story Mania has a new entrance and queue, but it’s still the amazingly fun ride you know and love. Alien Swirling Saucers is kind of like the teacups on steroids — all the swirly fun but some added bits. I loved it, but I’m a fan of spinny rides.

We had been chosen! Swirling around in Alien Swirling Saucers.

As for Slinky Dog Dash, it’s a great coaster. Not a thrill ride for sure, but not a kiddie coaster either. The speed is comparable to Seven Dwarves Mine Train and the trajectory is similar to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, but the ride is very, very smooth. For a more intense ride, sit in the back; for a calmer experience, try the front.

One disappointment was Woody’s lunchbox. Some of the more interesting items, the brisket sandwich and the grilled cheese and totchos, are only served at lunch, after 10:30 AM. The breakfast offerings we tried did not impress. The turkey and egg sandwich was okay but not exciting and the tater tots were cold.

There’s no actual gift shop in Toy Story Land, which is a little surprising — for one thing, it would be nice if there was one place to go that provided shelter from the elements and even a little air conditioning. Instead, merchandise is sold from carts. There are a few fun toys, Slink eats, alien ears, and an alien souvenir cup, as well as t-shirts, hats, and pins.

Toy Story Land isn’t jaw-droppingly innovative, but it is a great and much-needed addition to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which has been rightly called a “half-day Park” for some time. The Toy Story franchise has enthralled both children and adults for years and this new land is a long-overdue expansion we were very glad to see.

The Muppets’ PizzeRizzo replaces Pizza Planet

Big news reported from both The Muppets and the Disney  — the formerPizza Planet location at Hollywood Studios will reopen this fall as the redesigned Muppet-themed PizzeRizzo, as part of Muppets Courtyard.

muppets pizzerizzo

From the Disney Parks Blog:

Rizzo The Rat owns and operates the pizzeria, where guests can grab a pizza pie and a cold drink. Enjoy a casual Italian-American dining experience in a whole new way, through the eyes of the lovable, wisecracking Muppet.

Walt Disney Imagineering hid hints of Rizzo, his extended family and friends who have visited PizzeRizzo over the years throughout the two-story quick-service location. In addition to the expansive indoor and outdoor seating area, guests will be able to dine in a “cheesy” banquet room, or take five in a special booth designated just for Rizzo’s celebrity friends.

This change has been rumored for awhile. And it’s a little sad for fans of the old pizzeria, but it’s a logical shift. Pizza Planet may be gone, but in years to come I’m sure we can expect new Buzz and Woody-themed restaurants in Toy Story Land.

New Muppets-themed restaurant PizzeRizzo is coming to Hollywood Studios this fall. Click To Tweet

RizzoTheRat

Rizzo the Rat, testing out a slice.

Since Disney acquired The Muppets, it hasn’t seemed like they’ve had a big enough presence in the parks, aside from MuppetVision 3D. On the other hand, last year’s more-adult-tweaked The Muppets on ABC — which, for the record, we loved every minute of — was not renewed for a second season, which seems to indicate a lowered interest in all things Muppet. Still, all in all, it could be a great addition. Although there aren’t any other details about the menu, my guess is that it will be similar to Pizza Planet’s, possible slightly expanded.