First up, there’s a NEW dessert on the menu. The new sweet treat is a cheesecake with a Meyer Lemon Curd and Fresh Berries. It definitely looks colorful! According to the online menu, it is $7.
The Polite Pig has also announced that their new seasonal beer is Banana Foster. This appears to be in partnership with The Ravenous Pig Brewing Co. (The Polite Pig was created by the same folks behind The Ravenous Pig Restaurant and Brewing Company).
ABC Audio’s true crime podcast, Truth and Lies: The Boston Strangler presents a special episode with Oscar nominee Keira Knightley and Emmy nominee Carrie Coon. This is available now on all major listening platforms. What’s Happening: Truth and Lies: The Boston Strangler, ABC Audio’s true-crime companion podcast to the 20th Century Studios’ film Boston Strangler, released a […]
Disney has released a statement following the meeting with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, where the board discussed legal action against Disney for measures taken to secure rights to the Reedy Creek property before the state takeover.
Statement from Disney
Earlier today, we reported about the board meeting that took place this morning regarding legal challenges to the old board’s agreements with Disney.
Bob Hazen, of WESH 2 News Orlando, has been providing the latest updates in this ongoing battle.
The board (more properly the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board now) is making moves to eventually replace Administrator John Classe, who also served when the Disney-appointed members were in power.
We have now learned that the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board, formally known as Reedy Creek, is starting to make moves to eventually replace John Classe. Classe is an Administrator who also served when the Disney-appointed members were still in power.
Disney has just released a statement on the matter:
“All agreements signed between Disney and the District were appropriate, and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums in compliance with Florida Government in the Sunshine law.”
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has yet to respond to Disney’s statement.
Reedy Creek Property Rights
It is being said that lawyers were hired to challenge agreements Reedy Creek’s old board approved right before DeSantis’ new board took over. One of the important agreements includes the Developer Agreement — which outlines Disney’s rights over District property for the next 30 years, regardless of what the new board says.
The District property is home to Walt Disney World.
These agreements are being called “unusual” and “suspect” by the District’s legal counsel. They argued that they just found out that these meetings were all recently approved in public meetings over the past few months. They were most likely put in place as an insurance policy for Disney.
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District argued that the aforementioned agreements are unlawful and should not have been allowed.
Martin Garcia, the CFTOD Board Chair, discussed how powerful and rich Disney is and how they would need to take an “adversarial position” against the company. He also suggested that they take this case to the Supreme Court in “protected litigation” against Disney.
The Special Counsel indicated that the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District should hire more law firms to take on Disney so that everyone has an even chance. They suggested using firms with a “deeper bench,” meaning firms that have a strong team of lawyers.
The District ultimately decided to hire more outside firms to wage the fight against Disney.
Stay tuned for future updates as the matter proceeds.
What do you think of the Reedy Creek property rights dispute? Let us know in the comments.
Check out more of our articles on the ongoing battle with Reedy Creek here:
Six Flags Magic Mountain has upped its seasonal offerings this year with new Spring Break events and festivals that have something for all age groups and any level of thrill seeker. Spring Break Festivities include a new food festival, a weekend after-hours ticketed haunt experience called “Scream Bream,” and everyday extras all throughout March and […]
The upcoming sixth season of Freeform’s grown-ish will be the show’s last. What’s Happening: Series star Yara Shahidi announced the news in a newly released video on the Freeform YouTube channel. Season 6 will premiere in two parts, with the first half releasing this summer and the second half coming in 2024. During Season 6, the […]
According to The New York Times,Isaac Perlmutter is the latest executive at Disney to be laid off as part of the job cuts sweeping the Company. Perlmutter was the Marvel Entertainment Chairman. This is a small division separate from Marvel Studios that mainly focuses on consumer products.
Perlmutter was reportedly told that Marvel Entertainment was “redundant” and would be “folded into larger Disney business units.”
Perlmutter is described by the New York Times as being an “irascible and unrelenting executive” who has been “seen as a distraction inside Disney for more than a decade.” Interestingly, it was Perlmutter who had gained control of Marvel in the late 1990s and “expanded its merchandising business” by licensing many of its properties to movie studios. He then sold Marvel to Disney in 2009.
His role within Marvel has diminished over the years and hasn’t been involved in any Marvel movies since 2015. At that time, Perlmutter reportedly had a fight with Kevin Feige over Doctor Strange costs. Perlmutter wanted to fire Feige, but Iger overruled him. Perlmutter later lost oversight of Marvel tv shows in 2019. Perlmutter’s job was ultimately limited to things like comics publishing, Marvel game licensing, some Marvel consumer products, and some superhero arena shows.
Perlmutter actually pushed for Peltz, his friend, to join the Board. He contacted Disney board members and senior executives six times between August 2022 and November 2022 to push for Peltz to join the Board. Since then, Perlmutter’s future at Disney has been a matter of internal debate “with most employees concluding that his days were numbered,” according to the New York Times.
According to The New York Times, Disney “arguably allowed Mr. Perlmutter to keep a fief long after it made financial sense to do so,” perhaps because he was a significant shareholder or perhaps because without him Disney would not have been able to buy Marvel.
But he has a “zealousness for corporate frugality” that is well known. In the fall of 2022, he “demanded financial information related to Mr. Feige’s operation and questioned the decision to spend $200 million to make the sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”
Perlmutter may have been at odds with Iger. In a CNBC interview about the issues with Peltz, the interviewer asked whether Perlmutter’s involvement with Peltz’s attempt to get on the board was being fueled by a potential feud between Perlmutter and Iger. Iger shared a bit about Disney’s history with Perlmutter, how Perlmutter had been “intent on firing Kevin Feige,” which Iger prevented, and how Iger eventually moved moviemaking away from Perlmutter.
The interviewer asked whether that created some ill will between Iger and Perlmutter, to which Iger responded “He was not happy about it. And I think that unhappiness exists today. And you know, what the link is between that and Nelson, his relationship. I think that’s something that you can speculate about. I won’t.”
But, Perlmutter isn’t alone. Other executives from Marvel Entertainment have also been laid off, including Rob Steffens (co-president) and John Turitzin (chief counsel). President of Marvel Entertainment, Dan Buckley, will remain and report to Kevin Feige.
Things like bad weather, illness, or random ride closures can impact your trip in unexpected ways. But one of the most surprising things that can happen to guests in the parks is a ride evacuation — and today we spotted one in progress in Disney World!
During a regular visit, we noticed that the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover was being evacuated in Magic Kingdom. The vehicles had stopped and Cast Members were assisting with getting guests off of the ride.
PeopleMover stopped in Tomorrowland
For this ride in particular, when the ride stops an announcement will be made over the intercom to let guests know to stay seated. Cast Members are dispatched along the ride track to help release you from the vehicles. After you’re released, the employees will escort you to the nearest exit.
Cast Members arrive on the scene
There are multiple exit points along the PeopleMover track, depending on where you’re stopped. This seems to be one of the more commonly evacuated rides, or at least one that we see evacuated more often than others (perhaps because it’s out in the open).
Guests being evacuated
Sometimes a ride evacuation will come with a complimentary Lightning Lane added to your account, but this isn’t a guarantee and it doesn’t always happen. Just remember to be respectful and polite to the Cast Members helping out if you ever find yourself in this situation!
Stay tuned to DFB for more updates and news from the parks, including all the advice you need for your upcoming Disney World vacation!
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You’ll get a Reference Guide, a 101 Plan, and a Printables and Resources Guide! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis; and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you’ll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet.
We recently saw that one of our favorite 50th treats has gone MISSING in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but there’s now a new treat on the menu to take its place. Come with us to find out whether this dinosaur-themed delight is as good as the treat we’ve lost.
The 50th anniversary treat was made up of Vanilla Ice Cream sandwiched between two House-Made Double Chocolate Chip Cookies, dunked in glittery Celebration Sprinkles, and topped with a 50th Anniversary Medallion. We thought this treat was sweet, simple, and delicious, with the perfect balance between chocolate and vanilla.
50th Celebration Ice Cream Sandwich
So imagine our disappointment when we saw that it’s now GONE from the menu at Dino-Bite Snacks. How dare you take this away from us, Disney!
It’s GONE
In its place is the NEW Dino Dig Ice Cream Sandwich, for $7.29. (That’s a price increase from the 50th anniversary version — that one was $6.99.)
Dino Dig Ice Cream Sandwich
The Dino Dig Ice Cream Sandwich is made of Vanilla Ice Cream sandwiched between two Sugar Cookies, topped with Chocolate Sprinkles, Cookie Crumbles, Sugar Bones, and a White Chocolate Dinosaur. The decorations are meant to make this treat look like a dino fossil dig site! Don’t worry — it’s not covered in actual dirt. So how does this imposter stack up?
YUM
Well…as much as we wanted to hate this treat that replaced one of our favorite 50th snacks…we actually think the new version is really delicious too. (It’s not really a shocking turn of events — we’ve enjoyed just about every new ice cream sandwich we’ve found at this kiosk.) The cookies taste very fresh, and the ice cream is creamy and sweet.
Super tasty
We especially enjoyed the cookie crumbles on top. They helped add more texture to the cookies and brought in a little bit of the chocolate flavor that we miss from the 50th version of this snack.
Tasty Cookie Crumbles
The decorations on top are super fun and cute (albeit pretty much pure sugar, so they don’t add much to the flavor profile), so we think this would be a great treat for kiddos.
Overall we’re not too sad about the change at Dino-Bite Snacks. We’ll miss our beloved 50th ice cream sandwich, but it’s fun to find new treats, too (especially when they’re equally tasty).
Cute and delicious
WE KNOW – there are SO many great snacks at Disney World! How do you choose (we don’t want to choose but will blow our budget on Day 1 otherwise)? We’ve got you covered! We have reviewed nearly EVERY snack available at Disney World, and we’ve written a series of DFB Guides about them! Check out our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining + Snacks Bundle for all the details you need to plan your snackin’ and spending. You can even download them to your smartphone – it’ll be like we’re right there with you in the parks!
Grab the DFB Guide!
Keep following DFB for more updates on all the latest Disney news!
Both resorts offer unique themes and while they have many of the same amenities, there are also some differences that you should know about.
We want to help stretch your vacation dollars because trips to Disney World can be costly. Not surprisingly, hotel expenses can take up a big portion of your travel budget. How do you make the right decision for your family? We give you all the details, so you can choose wisely between All-Star Music and All-Star Sports!
Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
The best way to tackle such a massive decision like this is with as much logic as possible, so we broke down this comparison into five categories: Common Ground, Theme/Rooms, Pools, Food, and Transportation. Let’s see how these two resorts match up!
Common Ground
Both of these hotels fall under the category of Value Resorts at Disney World. That means they will both be at a comparable price point, with similar room sizes and amenities. Disney’s All-Star Music and Disney’s All-Star Sports have strong theming found outside, in the rooms, and throughout the gift shop, food court, and lobby.
Broadway Street at Disney’s All-Star Music
Each resort is divided into different areas with the names matching their themes. This can help guests navigate when wandering around these often-large resorts! Because of their kid-friendly decorations and amenities, you are more likely to see families with children at these resorts, as well as traveling groups from schools. With so many young people around it can get hectic, so don’t be surprised if it’s a little noisier here than at other resorts!
All-Star Sports Resort
At All-Star Music, room rates start at $128 per night excluding tax for their Standard Rooms at the cheapest times of year when the parks are least busy. The most expensive room rates here will run you about $658 per night — that’s for a Family Suite around Christmas, one of the more popular times of year.
All-Star Sports has similar rates. Standard Rooms start at $128 per night in value season, and a Preferred Room will cost about $321 per night during the December holiday season.
Refurbishments at All-Star Sports are ongoing. At both resorts standard rooms, while smaller than those at Moderate or Deluxe Resorts, still have plenty of space for your belongings. They are functional and include large TV’s, multiple storage options, and generously sized showers.
All-Star Music
The All-Star Music’s standard rooms offer a queen bed and queen-size table bed, sleeping up to four people. These rooms were recently renovated.
Murphy Beds in Family Suite
There’s also the option for Family Suites at the All-Star Music, which feature 1 queen bed and 2 queen-size pull-down beds. These sleep up to six adults. The Family Suites are surprisingly large!
As you stroll through the resort, you’ll find the following themed areas: Country, Broadway, Jazz, Rock, and Calypso.
All Star Music
It’s well worth exploring the entire Resort to see everything!
All-Star Sports
The rooms at All-Star Sports are actually pretty, well, roomy!You won’t feel cramped, and there are plenty of places to arrange your belongings both in the main sleeping area as well as in the bathroom.
All-Star Sports room prior to renovation
Currently, the rooms in the football and baseball sections have been completely updated. Stay tuned to our site for more updates on the All-Star Resort construction projects.
Hockey area
Outside of your room, you can explore the resort to discover larger-than-life versions of icons from football, tennis, baseball, basketball, surfing, and more.
If you thought the giant outdoor icons were the full extent of these resorts’ strong theming, just wait until you see their pools!
All-Star Music
Enjoy the tunes at All-Star Music’s Calypso Pool. Shaped like a guitar, this pool’s main feature is a fountain with the Three Caballeros.
The Calypso Pool at All-Star Music
The other pool is shaped like a grand piano!
All-Star Sports
Goofy makes an appearance at the Grand Slam Pool! At the Grand Slam Pool, he’s taking the pitcher’s mound except this time he has a cannon full of water and it’s aimed right at the swimmers! One of the unique aspects of this pool is the sundeck, which is designed to look like an outfield. There are even giant baseball bats lining the pool area!
Grand Slam Pool
The signature pool at All-Star Sports is Surfboard Bay, a 242,471-gallon swimmer’s paradise that was designed to make you feel as though you’re spending a day on the beach. The surrounding buildings are topped with waves with giant surfboards along the balcony. The pool has a more organic shape to mimic the seaside, and there are plenty of chairs for catching a few rays while you relax!
Results
This is a tough one — both resorts have such unique and fun pool areas! This time, we’re giving it to All-Star Sports. The baseball field pool area is a great spot for kids, especially with the Goofy water cannon in the middle!
With one food court option and a pool bar each, both of these resorts have similar dining options!
All-Star Music
Stop by Intermission Food Court at All-Star Music for a food break. This food court offers a variety of food options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which you’ll find at multiple counters around the restaurant as well as a “Grab & Go Market.” In this dining room, the theming is BIG and goes along with the music atmosphere around the whole resort. You will usually find some seasonal treats here as well!
Intermission Food Court
Singing Spirits is your drink destination at All-Star Music, and it’s located in the Calypso Pool area.
Singing Spirits
While you won’t find a super impressive atmosphere here, you will be able to grab a bite to eat and an icy beverage by the pool on a hot summer day.
Score a great meal at End Zone Food Court at All-Star Sports. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner options are served at various pick-up counters throughout the day, and you can also find quite a few Grab & Go items here as well. Plus, the occasional sweet treat has been known to pop up from time to time!
End Zone Food Court
Cuisine here is all-American for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
At All-Star Sports, you can say “Cheers!” at Grandstand Spirits. And you’ll find it over by Surfboard Bay Pool.
Grandstand Spirits
While it may be lacking in the overall atmosphere department, it’s still a great place to grab a drink while you’re lounging by the pool or hanging at the resort!
Both resorts offer a food court and pool bar. You won’t find table-service restaurants at the value resorts. Each resort has almost identical dining options apart from the theming, so it’s tough to decide which one is the winner here. Since both food courts have been renovated, we’re going to have to call this one a tie!
Transportation
Disney World has several transportation options, but not every type stops at every resort. Of course, both resorts offer Disney’s bus transportation.
All-Star Sports
Results
This is the only free Disney transportation that stops at these resorts. All three All-Stars are right next to each other, so there isn’t a massive difference even if you were trying to use a rideshare to get to or from the parks! This time, we’re just gonna have to call it a tie.
It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for! The winner of this showdown between All-Star Music and All-Star Sports is … a tie! It truly comes down to what you are looking for out of your Disney resort experience. Both resorts are extremely similar, so ultimately the choice really comes down to theming. Do you prefer celebrating music and instruments? Or maybe you can’t wait to try out the massive fields at All-Star Sports? The good news is, if you can’t find availability at one resort for your chosen dates (or can’t bear to pick between the two) you know you’ll be getting a similar experience.
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During today’s meeting of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, the board approved the hiring of two law firms to represent the district in any potential conflict with Disney in the future. The board approved the hiring of law firms Cooper & Kirk and Lawson to represent the district “regarding certain constitutional and contract matters […]
