The new pizza shop and restaurant coming to the Italy Pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase will be here in about a month and Disney Parks Blog has given us the latest scoop as to what will be on the menu. Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria will be a 300-seat table service restaurant located near the back of the Italy Pavilion and one of the main features of the restaurant will be its wood-burning stoves used to cook the pizzas.
Naturally, the dishes at this restaurant are traditional Italian dishes. Appetizers include minestrone with basil pesto, Sicilian eggplant with olives and raisins, arancini with meat ragu and more. There are three groups of main courses; Salads, Pastas and Wood-fired pizza, all with their own unique offerings.
The pizzas are not the kind of pizza that you would get from your local chain, they are true Italian pizzas, so don’t let your pizza loving little ones be fooled. They would, however, enjoy some of the dessert offerings, which include Tiramisu, zeppole di ricotta and gelado, or ice cream! While more picky eaters may not enjoy the offerings of this restaurant, for those looking for a taste of the Italian countryside, you have found your place!
Contributed by: Jessica C. (NDI#21). Jessica is our resident “Gossip Girl” and creator of The True Disney Fan Blog.
How many of you out there use refillable mugs at the Walt Disney World Resort? Do you use them often? Do you get many free refills with them from different counter services? Do you bring back mugs from previous trips and use them on your trip, or bring other beverage holders with you to use? Well, enjoy it while you can because it looks like Disney is looking into a way to change the refillable mug system into an easily monitored system.
The internet has gotten wind of a patent that Disney is looking to getting that describes a “Self-Service Beverage and Snack Dispensing Using Identity-Based Access Control” system. This system can control how many drinks people get on their trip. At the beginning of each trip, a guest would buy the unlimited refill package and that package would last the length of your trip and be placed on your Key to the World card. When you want to refill, you would simply go up to a refill station across property and, just like at the gates to the park, show your key card and swipe your finger and you get your free drink. This system would supposedly be able to control the number of drinks that are refilled as well, how exactly I am not sure.
The patent for this system is still being processed, so it is not known if or when this system would be put into place, but it is something to keep an eye on. It has also been mentioned that this system would allow vending machines to use the same technology, allowing a guest to use the Disney Dining Plan to buy from the vending machines, but only time will tell.
Contributed by: Jessica C. (NDI#21). Jessica is our resident “Gossip Girl” and creator of The True Disney Fan Blog.
When I started teaching, I was 22 and I literally had to practice my “tough” faces in the mirror before school. I’m now in my pre-40s and I don’t have to practice anymore.
In fact, over the last snowstorm, we passed some time playing with costumes, and when I put on my old Snow White costume, spoke in a very soft voice, and watched my own kids quickly fall into line as they tried to impress the princess. In fact, there is much discussion of expanding my wardrobe to include the princess who reads (Belle), the princess who is tough (Mulan) and the princess who swims (Ariel) although I’d have to work on that voice.
Between casting sessions in my own living room, I had been planning our family trip in August using the magic three: All Ears, Touring Plans, and the online dining reservations area of Disneyparks.com.
Twitter following and supplemental blog reading kept me in the know, or so I thought. If Belle reads books, and Snow White prepares meals for dwarves, which princess follows blogs? Apparently, I do.
By early March, I had read, heard, and analyzed a lot of information about how this summer was going to special, including the new/old parade, Main Street Electrical Parade. When Disney Parks tweeted that the dates had been set, I was ready to smugly fit them into my later summer plans. They were not on the same web page. The parade, according to Disney’s own blog, was scheduled to leave the day my family would arrive.
Since we are less than 180 day out, and I am not a Martian, I have a meal reserved that day in another park. We’ll be meeting the princesses at Epcot. We have Valentines in storage. We have gifts selected. We were discussing which dresses they’d wear each, and why Mommy can’t wear one to! (FYI, “It is a Disney rule” works when “It is a Mommy rule” fails).
Then I remembered about that OTHER princess meal. The one in the big ‘ole castle. What were the odd that a space would be open after we arrived from a 13-hour car ride, but before the Swan Song of the coolest parade of my youth, which featured my first love, Eliot the Dragon?
Turns out, there were two. However, when I asked about the parade times for the day, the Cast Member (CM) on the phone explained to me that I was thinking about the Electrical Water Pageant (which she thought would be discontinued in April). I thanked her for the gossip, but explained, “We are not talking about the same thing.” I told her that this was the parade Walt Disney World would be borrowing (back) from Disneyland, and it was called The Main Street Electrical Parade. She told me that her manager was IM-ing her and they knew about the Main Street parade (whew), but the name of that was “Spec-tro-mag-ic.” Apparently, it goes down Main Street.
I almost went Ursula, but my son was home, and I needed to model my manners and self-control. I employed some Mommy rules that I normally save for his conflicts with his little brother, or meetings at work when someone says my student can’t participate in something because of their disability:
Not everyone learns everything at the same time. If someone hasn’t learned something, it isn’t about you. They just don’t know it at this minute.
Not everyone has the same tools to do things, like perfect ears for hearing or fast legs for running.
Yelling, even at bad guys, makes you the bad guy.
Think about why you started this talk in the first place, not about what made you mad during the talk, or you will just get distracted from your mission.
Turns out that all of these rules applied to my situation.
I mentioned Twitter, and didn’t even get an “oh yeah”. It seems she is not a ND-CM. Not yet. She was using her boss’s pop up messages, and an out of date calendar as her tools. Since they don’t compete with my resources (like you, if you are reading this and likely to blog, tweet, or gossip about it) she is at a disadvantage. Perhaps she will check it out another day.
I took a deep breath and said, in my best Snow White voice, “It sounds like our information doesn’t match, but I bet you can still help me make that a great day at the Magic Kingdom instead of Epcot, no matter what I see that night.”
I realized that in the 20 minutes of back and forth I might lose the reservation, so I asked if an early dinner at Cinderella’s Royal Table was still an option on that day, and which princesses she thought might be there. While the second point was kind of vague, there certainly was room for four of us, but there might not be if I hung up and called back (which I considered) tomorrow. She reminded me that our favorite princesses are also around the parks.
I quickly secured our seat for some Royal chicken nuggets, and non-alcoholic beverages.
I then caved, seeking approval like a needy teenager in a poufy gown, and asked her if she thought my plan made sense. She did have the magic sentence at the tip of her tongue that I needed to hear.
I sat down with my less flexible child and explained that we changed our plans a little bit, and we might not see the same characters we thought we would, but we’d be in a castle, which is pretty amazing. I told him how the lady said lots of characters walk around the park on Saturdays. He reminded me of the main idea of the book we’d read the night before, which was that sometimes things change, and that is OK. He also reminded me of the rule about not wearing my princess costume to the castle, because only little girls can do that, so kids don’t get confused when it is not Halloween.
I agreed, but thought about why my wearing a costume was so much fun for them? Was it the dress-up part? Did I look like Belle or Snow White to them? Is it because I am a grown up girl?
It was then brought to my attention that when I am “on stage” in the playroom, I speak in a quiet, calm voice, without a trace of neurosis. Now he calls me a new princess name – The Princess and The Blog.
Contributed by: Shannon S. (NDM#174). Shannon is our resident special needs specialist and parenting expert as well as creator of Meltdown Free Disney.
Anyone who has been reading my blog contributions (all 1 of you) know this summer I will be going to Walt Disney World for what promises to be a wonderful family vacation. What you don’t know is that I’m really going disguised as a geek dad. I’m not really the mild mannered neurotic Disney dad that writes about his passion for the parks week in and week out. I’m really a secret agent being sent to Walt Disney World on a top secret mission.
The powers that be have chosen me for this mission because of my strength, conviction, and willingness to do almost anything at Disney to get the job done. I know this won’t be an ordinary mission and I know it won’t be easy. What I do know is that I will have to endure a physical test of strength that no ordinary person could possibly handle. I know I will have to go walking in the hot blazing sun and deal with unbearable heat and humidity. I know that just when my feet can’t stand it no more and they start to ache, I’m going to have to walk some more.
In order to succeed on this mission I’m going to have to ride the attractions as they take me from one adventure to another. I will have to conquer Spaceship Earth, go Soarin’, and climb to the top of SpaceMountain. I will have to go on a voyage with the Pirates of the Caribbean and then I’ll be sent on a Disney Dream Jungle Cruise during the day and night.
This mission calls for me to go on an expedition where I may have to stave off the Yeti and tangle with lions and tigers, oh my. I will have to get through the shark infested Living Seas and hope a turtle named Crush doesn’t notice my shell. I may even have to help Stitch escape.
The toughest part of the mission has to be the food that I will be required to consume in large quantities. There’s Dole Whips, Mickey Bars, and Tonga Toast. I may even have to race some guy named Lou to the popcorn. I’ll be expected to lasso a burger at Pecos Bill’s. I even have my net ready to capture a Flying Fish. I’ve also been warned about the danger I could encounter with a little rat at Chefs de France. As I try to complete this quest I may have to slay not one dragon, not two dragons, not even three dragons, but Nine Dragons.
As I make my way through the parks there will be clues in the form of hidden Mickey’s which will be the keys to my success in completing the mission at hand. To help I’m looking for a person whose expertise in recognizing and finding hidden Mickey’s is second to none. So I ask, is there a Doctor in the house of mouse?
Because of the involvedness of this top secret mission I have been given permission to find anyone willing to volunteer their services to the cause but, I must warn you of the dangers. Those who have previously attempted this mission have never made it out of the parks.
If you’re willing to make the ultimate sacrifice and quite possibly never escape the confines of Walt Disney World destined to spend the rest of your days on Disney property then, you may have just what it takes. If you can stand the heat, if you’re rough, tough, and have a burning desire with a Disney heart of fire then stand up and be counted.
If you haven’t done so already, the time has come for you to join the Disney Driven Life and register as a Neurotic Disney Person.
Should you choose to accept this mission then welcome to the growing family of Neurotic Disney People who someday shall rule the World!
Contributed by: Stuart S. (NDD #47). Stuart is our resident Disney geek and creator of Disney Geek Dad.
When I started thinking about what to write for this week’s blog contribution two things came to mind, a Disney top 10 list and Disney food. Since food is one of my favorite subjects I initially thought I would blog about Disney food.
Well, I haven’t been to Disney in a while so doing a restaurant review wasn’t practical. Still, I just couldn’t get past the idea of doing something with food. It didn’t help matters when the outstanding Disney Mom’s Panel member and great Disney dad, Marc Lorenzo started posting pictures of food in the Be Our Guest Podcast live show chat. The pictures of food had me salivating for Disney dining and I nearly went off the deep end when he posted pictures of the desserts from Le Cellier.
Having had a pretty light dinner, I was starving and thanks to Marc I had this sudden desire to go to the airport and fly down to Disney so I could grab a bite to eat. There were just a few problems with that thought. First, the live Be Our Guest Podcast was so good I just couldn’t leave until it ended. Second, by time I’d make it to the airport there would be no more flights heading to Orlando. Besides, everything would be closed when I got there. Finally, there was no way I could hold out from eating until I got to Disney.
So, after the Be Our Guest Podcast ended I thought to myself, what was open nearby at that hour besides McDonald’s and Burger King? Then a light bulb went off above my head and inside the light bulb were three little Ruby Mini’s in the shape of a Mickey. I quickly drove over to Ruby Tuesday’s where I was able to get my order to go. I even finished eating before I got home.
After returning home with a happy stomach the idea for this blog came easily to me. It was simple just combine the two ideas together, a top 10 list and food.
Top 10 Reasons to Eat At Walt Disney World
1. The Disney Dining Plan
2. All-you-can-eat buffets
3. Disney Character Dining
4. Magic Kingdom popcorn is a great appetizer before breakfast, lunch, or dinner
5. The need to eat several Dole Whips and Mickey Bars because you can’t decide which is better
6. Guaranteed to put an extra bulge in your belly
7. Free eats at Pecos Bill’s fixin’s bar
8. Huge turkey legs, so big they get randomly tested for steroids
9. The restaurant waiting area is an enormous theme park
10. Because the food is that good.
Contributed by: Stuart S. (NDD #47). Stuart is our resident Disney geek and creator of Disney Geek Dad.
A few weeks ago on Twitter I tweeted that I was planning my upcoming Disney vacation around the food. I have to say I was a little surprised at all the responses I got. All but one person said they too plan their Disney World vacation around their meals. The one person who said they didn’t plan their vacation around their meals has little ones, so that is perfectly understandable.
When you think about it if you make advanced dining reservations (ADRs) then you are to some degree planning your trip around your meals. Since an ADR requires you to be in a certain place at a certain time it can easily become the focal point of your plans for that day. Even if it’s not the most important part of your day you still have to show up at the restaurant around the time of your reservation. To some this can take the spontaneity out of the day. However, if you are like me then your ADR isn’t just a time to have a meal, it’s an experience.
Anyone wishing to make ADRs can do so 180 days in advance. With the popularity of the Disney dining plan it has become necessary to make reservations at many of the restaurants well in advance of your trip. Another factor to consider are people who make multiple ADRs for the same day and time at different locations and parks to allow themselves more flexibility at the expense of others. I know Disney is doing what it can to discourage this practice and it’s too bad there are some guests who can be so inconsiderate of others. They’re probably the same people that go into an attraction and stop to sit in the middle of the row instead of moving all the way to the end of the aisle…but, I digress.
Can you imagine what would happen if Disney decided they would no longer accept ADRs? What chaos this would cause? I can just envision the lines and frustration that would occur not only among the guests but also with the cast members. Let’s say you happen to be in Epcot’s World Showcase and you’ve been drooling all day over the thought of taking a bite into the New York strip steak at Le Cellier. The only problem is you get to Le Cellier and you’re informed there is a four hour wait. You could stay and hope you get seated earlier but that’s four hours of park time you’re giving up. The alternative is not waiting and trying to get into another restaurant but now you’re disappointed, frustrated, and angry. How about the cast members having to deal with people like that all day and night? So much for your magical vacation!
So, if you’re planning a vacation that includes dining at the wonderful Disney World restaurants it is a requirement to make ADRs. Sure you can take your chances and not make any ADRs but, unless you’re traveling to Disney World during its low season then I suggest you be prepared to settle on a restaurant that may not be your first, second, or even third choice.
Adding ADRs to your vacation plan involves some strategy because as I stated earlier you have to avail yourself to a specific time and location. I have often joked that I plan my meals around the attractions but that’s what you wind up doing.
I would recommend to anyone making ADRs that you first decide on where you are planning to spend the day and then pick the restaurant where you wish to dine. If spending time in the parks is important to you then pick a restaurant in the park where you plan to be or at a nearby resort.
If you’ve ever had to make ADRs then you know just how important the food is to your vacation. At Disney World it’s your choice to get to the parks early or late. If you want to ride an attraction you can go when you want. If you miss a show there will be other times for you to catch it. The only schedule you have to stick to is the time of your ADR. Miss it and you miss out!
Of further note, in my blog contribution last week I listed a number of online sources to help in planning your Walt Disney World vacation. I was remiss in not including Mousesavers.com and I apologize to the good people who run the site for my omission.
Contributed by: Stuart S. (NDD #47). Stuart is our resident Disney geek and creator of Disney Geek Dad.
When your name is Shannon Sullivan, there are certain expectations on how St. Patrick’s Day will go. Growing up outside of New York City, among several first and second-generation Irish families, the question “where is your mother from” would get the name of county, like Mayo or Cavan, in the Old Country, since to say, “Ireland,” would be too obvious. My father, a German passing as Irish by playing the snare drum in a pipe band would say “Rockland,” our hometown, and get such a laugh, people rarely asked again.
In 2007, we spent St. Patrick’s Day at Magic Kingdom. I purchased the green mouse ears, and passed on the idea of taking two preschoolers to Raglan Road, but hoped our Advanced Dining Reservation at Chef Mickey’s would offer a chance to enjoy a Guinness and some soda bread.
I booked the trip, a gift from my parents, in hopes of sharing memories of some of the better parades, concerts and Céilidhs with the people who bought me my first set of pipes. Silly me. My mom and dad paid the bill, but had their own parades and concerts to attend that day. They had purchased a home in an “active senior community” and could not be pulled away on Irish Christmas. No matter. My party of four put on our green shirts and looked for some culture in the parks.
While I did not even think of heading to Epcot, since I remembered from a visit in the 90s that Ireland was folded into the United Kingdom pavilion, (the main idea of several Irish songs) so that wouldn’t fly. I sought out Leprechaun Pluto, or something similar, at Magic Kingdom. On a hot day, the closest I could come to finding harp or a jug of punch was to visit It’s A Small World. Of course, as we passed the Emerald Isle part, my son was fast asleep. The motion of the sea, I suppose.
He woke in time to require a Pull-Up change and I desperately needed a cold something. We were right in front of Cinderella’s Castle, so I went to the hostess and begged her, knowing from my experience at a pub waitress at Ireland’s 32 that we were in the ‘magic time’ when lunch was about to become dinner, so perhaps, we could tour the room and just get a soda or some ice cream, character-free?
“Would you like to have dinner now? We could seat you all if you’d like to eat now.”
Then I said the stupidest, most Irish-Catholic thing I’ve every said, in the face of the ultimate Disney miracle (short of being offered to stay upstairs, overnight), “Thank you, but I don’t want Chef Mickey’s to be mad at us for not coming. We are supposed to be there at 9.”
Now, every NDP knows that Cinderella trumps Goofy, but I needed to be told. The hostess assured me that she could contact Chef Mickey’s and cancel my reservations, and Cinderella was ready to meet my boys, in their Celtics shirts and Gaelic football jerseys. They looked like hooligans in our complimentary photo, broke their swords in the first 30 seconds, and as the peanut product-free chicken nuggets flew, I reminded them that this is why we never eat at castles in Virginia.
Still, whenever I call for reservations, I mention the day we walked up to Cinderella’s Royal Table and were seated right away. I’ve left many a cast member in disbelief, but I chalk it up to the luck of the Irish.
If you are lucky enough to be at Walt Disney World on St. Patrick’s Day, you are lucky enough.
A few ideas:
Wear green.
Find the pin of Mickey playing the pipes (that my mother bought me).
Embrace globalization and visit Epcot. You can get a nice Guinness at The Rose and Crown, which you can’t get at The Magic Kingdom.
Ride It’s A Small World, but wait until after nap time!
Contributed by: Shannon S. (NDM#174). Shannon is our resident special needs specialist and parenting expert as well as creator of Meltdown Free Disney.
Contributed by: Rick H. (NDD#39). Rick is the creator of the Travel With Rick Vlog and brings us his weekly Neurotic Disney Vacation Tip that is exclusively found at The Disney Driven Life.
There are a lot of different places in Walt Disney World to get pizza, but none as unique or authentic as this!
A new restaurant is opening in Epcot’s Italy Pavilion called “Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria.” This restaurant will serve different pastas, meats, fish and authentic pizzas for what has been called an “authentic price” (about $20 US and up for pastas, meats, fish and about $17 US for pizzas). The restaurant already existent in Downtown Disney in Disneyland, and it is not known if this restaurant will be a sit down like the Disneyland location, but I would guess that it is based on the prices.
Word first started circulating about this new restaurant when it was noticed that some trees had been cut down near the back of the pavilion. It has now been confirmed that it is in that area near the back of the Italy pavilion where the restaurant will be located. While construction is underway, there is no word as to when the restaurant is scheduled to be complete.
Contributed by: Jessica C. (NDI#21). Jessica is our resident “Gossip Girl” and creator of The True Disney Fan Blog.
I have never been much of a traveler. It’s not that I haven’t thought about it. I have. I can just imagine the places I would go . . . the things I would see . . . the people that I would meet if I were to travel! However, there is one issue. It is this one issue that stops me from even traveling beyond my own home–food allergies.
It’s hard enough just getting through an ordinary daily routine, but mine includes stressful meal preparations that must exclude foods like beef, pork and dairy. The idea of accidentally overlooking any trace of these foods is a great worry for me. If I don’t take great care to eliminate them, it is never certain what may happen or how I may feel afterward. This is really difficult to accomplish just at home. Forget about traveling the world. It’s out of the question.
I was fine with not traveling to the great unknowns of the world. My vacations consisted of heading down to the beach and preparing my own food every night. I was satisfied with anything that would ensure me not paying homage to the porcelain gods, and I let it be known that I would rather burn in the sun than have a rash from a reaction. However, when my husband asked for my hand in marriage four years ago, we began planning a honeymoon to mimic my Cinderella fairytale wedding.
He hated the beach, so my safe, go-to place was no longer an option. We needed another destination to celebrate the start of our union. It took us a little while (and quite a bit of arm-pulling from me), but I finally convinced my special guy to make ours a Disney honeymoon. So with reservations set, we made our way down to the happiest place on Earth.
Having no idea how Disney’s dining situation worked, I went down with my best “let’s see what happens” face. I figured if I needed to, I would stick close to the hotel and the magical commode that Disney supplied in-room. At least my view would be nicer.
We arrived right on time to our first dining destination, Kona Café at the Polynesian Resort. I smiled all the way to our seat even though I passed the dessert plate and longed for just a taste, knowing it would kill me. My consolation was that I could still admire the beautiful delicacies despite my inability to eat them.
We were handed the menus, and I stared at the options. Hmm…this one had beef; this one had pork; this one contained milk. When the waitress came around to take our drink orders and asked if we were ready, I stared blankly at her. What to do? What to do?
I decided to ask if there was any way I could get a substitution for something I couldn’t eat. “Of course,” she said and asked if there was a specific reason. I explained I had a food allergy to beef, pork and dairy. She immediately turned and fled to the kitchen, leaving my husband and I wondering what had just happened.
It only took minutes, but the chef came out. He was followed by our waitress. Around us, tables began to look up from their meals as he made his way to our seats. “I hear someone here has an allergy,” the chef greeted.
My first reaction was embarrassment. I hadn’t expected someone to come out of the kitchen just to ask me about it. Quietly I nodded my head, reciting what I was allergic to once more. I began thinking that there would be an issue. I began thinking that perhaps eating around “unsafe” foods wouldn’t be as easy as I had originally thought, but then the chef did something no one had ever done before with the exception of my own family.
He offered me my own variety of options. Sauces would be taken off; butter would be eliminated, and nothing would be cooked anywhere near the other meats. The possibilities were endless. He assured me that whatever I wanted, he would create regardless of it being on the menu or not. Shocked, I placed my order for a grilled mahi mahi dish (without any of the frills) along with some fresh steamed vegetables. I was amazed at the effort Disney made to ensure I had a fabulous vacation.
“Do they do that everywhere?” I asked my waitress once the chef had left. “Yes,” she confirmed. “They do this anywhere on Disney property. All you need to do is inform your host or hostess when you check in that you have a food allergy and the chefs will handle it.” She took down my husband’s order before turning back to me, “One last thing . . . what would you like for dessert?” Dessert? Did she just say dessert? I think I am in love with Disney dining.
Contributed by: Aleisha M. (NDM#150). Aleisha brings her experience with special dietary needs in WDW to The Disney Driven Life as this week’s guest writer.
