by Don Myers

Spring is in full swing at the Vacation Kingdom of the World, so let’s dive right into the latest edition of the WDW Radio Newswire…..

Let’s kickoff this edition of the Newswire with some exciting news out of Epcot. For this newsbit, we venture into World Showcase and make our way over to the Morocco pavilion. Last week it was announced that a brand new restaurant will be coming to Morocco. The dining location will be known as “Spice Road Table” and will feature both indoor and outdoor seating. The announcement was made on Monday April 1st, and when guests arrived at the park the next morning (Tues April 2nd), construction walls had already risen up around the site of the future dining spot. There’s no word yet on an official opening date for Spice Road Table, but the restaurant is expected to be open for business by the end of 2013.

For more Epcot news, let’s make our way over to Future World now. Back in the November 21st edition of the Newswire, I reported that Fountain View Ice Cream would be closing for transformation into a Starbucks location this spring. Well, the start date for construction is upon us, as Fountain View has officially closed up shop as of Monday April 8th. This is slated to be about a four month closure, as the Epcot Starbucks is scheduled to open up for business this August.

Time to board the monorail and travel over to Magic Kingdom now for some news on an upcoming refurbishment. For this one, we journey over the bridge to Adventureland, where a brief closure has recently been scheduled for Pirates of the Caribbean. The attraction is slated to shut down on Monday June 17th, and will re-open four days later on Friday June 21st.

Now it’s time to park-hop over to Hollywood Studios now, as another celebrity has been confirmed for Star Wars Weekends. In the March 19th edition of the Newswire, I reported that Ray Park and Warwick Davis would be on-hand for festivities later this year. Well, you can add Billy Dee Williams to the list of confirmed participants, as he will be appearing during Weekend IV  (June 7th-9th). Williams brought the character of Lando Calrissian to life in Episodes V and VI.

For our final bit of news, we make our way over to WDW’s Flagship Resort: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. The Grand Floridian’s Courtyard Pool opened back up last week after a lengthy refurb of over six months. The pool closed down back in September, and was originally scheduled to re-open in December before plans got pushed back to late March. But the pool is officially open now, and the addition of a zero-entry side has completely transformed the entire appearance of the area.

Well, that’s gonna do it for today’s update. But before we call it a wrap, let’s take a look at the results of our previous poll. The question was:

What is your favorite Character Meal at the Resorts?

. Best Friend’s Breakfast at ‘Ohana- Disney’s Polynesian Resort

. Chef Mickey’s- Disney’s Contemporary Resort

. Supercalifragilistic Breakfast- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

. Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

. The Beach Club Breakfast Buffet- Disney’s Beach Club Resort

. Character Dining at the Garden Grove- Walt Disney World Swan Resort

And the winner is……

Chef Mickey’s with 45% of the votes! The Best Friends Breakfast at ‘Ohana finished second with 27%, and Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner rounded out the Top 3 with 11%. Once again, a big thank you to everyone that took the time to vote!

Now onto this week’s question:

Don Myers covers news and recent events in Walt Disney World.  He has been enamored with the World of Disney since his first trip to WDW in 1986. As they say, the rest is history!  Don also has been a contributing writer for Celebrations magazine since 2009.

The post WDW Radio Newswire: New Restaurant Coming To Epcot’s Morocco Pavilion And World Showcase POLL appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

by Blake Taylor

While it’s a little sad to see kids grow out of their “Toy Story” and princesses obsessions as they mature their way to adulthood, one of the many benefits of traveling to Walt Disney World with older kids is being able to experience so much more that you hadn’t been able to see before.  Taking in more thrill rides, sending the kids off by themselves for a couple of hours without worry, staying out later at night…the list goes on.

Another prime example of this is taking in some of the “less-exciting” attractions throughout Disney property that might be deemed dull or boring to preschoolers.  However, with older kids and teens who can tolerate and even find interest in slowing down and learning new things, these experiences can be very rewarding.  Here are my top 5 favorite out-of-the-way places to visit in Walt Disney World during the holiday season of November and December.  They might be a bit of a journey to travel to if you’re not staying at these specific resorts, but they are very much worth seeking out, and are perfect if you’re looking for something to do away from the parks.

5. Yacht Club Train Village

I admit this is the only item on this list I haven’t seen in person, but I wish I had.  From what I’ve seen, this miniature Christmas village complete with a working model train is amazing.  Think the mini German village in Epcot, but all dressed to the nines in its winter finest.  The Yacht Club is within walking distance from Epcot’s “back door,” its International Gateway entrance.

4. Peppermint Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich

While this item is technically inside the Magic Kingdom, it still qualifies for this list as being certifiably out of the way from the crowds.  Sleepy Hollow is a counter-service dining window located in a quiet corner of Liberty Square.  The place is notorious for its delicious chocolate-chip cookie ice cream sandwiches, which have scoops of ice cream between two warm, giant cookies.  It’s a little messy, but it’s awesome.  During the Christmas season, the regular vanilla ice cream can be replaced by request with peppermint-flavored ice cream.  Yumorama.

3. Wilderness Lodge Ambiance

The atmosphere of the Wilderness Lodge is serene itself any time of the year, but at Christmas, there’s an extra layer of magic to the air.  The colossal tree and surrounding garland that adorns the lobby makes the perfect backdrop for a calm rest in a rocking chair or couch, away from the hustle and bustle of the parks.  While you’re here, be sure to make a trip to the Villas building to check out the Carolwood Pacific Railroad room—a small, cozy tribute to Walt Disney’s love of trains.  It’s filled with fun pieces of Disney history, and again makes and ideal spot for a quick (or long) rest.  The Wilderness Lodge is a peaceful ferry ride away from the Magic Kingdom.

2. Grand Floridian’s Gingerbread House

This is a life-size house made entirely of real gingerbread.  It’s quite something!  It stands in the lobby of the Grand Floridian Resort, right on the Magic Kingdom monorail line.  While Guests aren’t allowed inside the house, they can take pictures outside of it and admire its exterior detail all they like.  Cast Members sell all sorts of gingerbread items via one of the house’s windows.

1. Fort Wilderness

Fort Wilderness is one of my favorite Walt Disney World resorts because of its sheer versatility, and at no time is this more apparent than during the Christmas season.  Guests who are using Fort Wilderness as a campsite for their campers and RVs are allowed to set up their own decorations and lights—and they really pull out all the stops.  Wow!  Boy, are they worth making a special trip to see.  Lights, toys, inflatables, a Cinderella Castle made of gingerbread…you name it, someone probably has it.  It’s really quite something.  Being one of my favorite Disney experiences, the Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue makes a wonderful compliment to a trip to see the campers’ lights.  The show even has some special Christmas elements throughout the program just for the holidays.  It makes for a great ending to a magical night.

What is YOUR favorite, out-of-the way holiday detail to check out when you are in Walt Disney World during the holidays?  Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

Blake recently graduated from high school and has been surrounded by Disney literally since birth, having had a Mickey mobile in his crib.  Blake enjoys helping peers plan WDW vacations and writing for his Disney blog, BlakeOnline.com.

The post E.P.C.O.T. – Top 5 Out-of-the-Way Disney Holiday Spots appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Hello and welcome to The WDW Radio Show – Your Walt Disney World Information Station. I am your host, Lou Mongello, and this is show #262 for the week of February 19, 2012.

“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” That quote from Walt Disney exemplifies why Walt Disney World and all the Disney Parks worldwide mean so much to so many people, and why we keep coming back again and again to a place that makes us believe in magic. And in my continuing effort to introduce you to some of the people that make that magic happen, this week I’m sharing my conversation with Carol Stein. You may not know her name (yet), but chances are you’ve seen her at The Hoop Dee Doo Revue, The Diamond Horseshoe Saloon, The Top of the World, The Grand Floridian lobby, the Comedy Warehouse and behind the piano at the Rose and Crown Pub to name just a few. She’ll share her personal stories about working at Walt Disney World for more than three decades and offer advice for others looking to help make the magic as well.

I’ll have information about a special WDW NewsCast coming up this Wednesday, February 22 before playing more of your voicemails at the end of the show. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s episode of the WDW Radio Show.

Thanks for listening! Be sure to tune in next week!

Information and Links from This Week’s Show:

Question for YOU: Where is your favorite place to listen to live music in Walt Disney World?

Visit Carol Stein’s web site CarolStein.com 

• Private Tours of Walt Disney World with Lou Mongello
• Disney Fan Meets and WDW Radio Meets of the Month in Walt Disney World – Get dates and locations at DisneyMeets.com
• WDWNewsCast – Watch & chat during our LIVE NewsCast Wednesdays at 7:30pm ET – Be part of the broadcast & discuss live in the chat room at http://WDWNewsCast.com
• WDW Radio on YouTube – Watch past episodes, subscribe to the show and comment on the WDWRadio YouTube Channel

The post Show # 262 – February 19, 2012 appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.