Disney and CFTOD settle their state lawsuit, Walt Disney World President Jeff Vahle shares a statement on the resolution, and a Marvel overlay is coming to “it’s a small world” at Tokyo Disneyland — all this and more in today’s daily recap for Wednesday, March 27, 2024.

Walt Disney World

Magic Kingdom

• Crews have installed a new gate in the queue for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, as well as plants in front of the Frontierland train station.

EPCOT

• CommuniCore Hall in EPCOT is now testing the lighting on the flat triangular panels attached to its exterior.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano is launching six new dishes on April 1.
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be closing early for regular guests on June 5.

Disney Springs

• To celebrate the launch of Hulu on Disney+, three photo ops inspired by Hulu shows are available at Disney Springs, as well as a set of exclusive pins.

New Merchandise

• A new T-shirt featuring iconic structures from Disney Parks has arrived at Walt Disney World, and includes the new Tiana’s Foods water tower from Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

Other Walt Disney World News

• The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and The Walt Disney Company have reached a settlement in their state lawsuit over development agreements with the former Reedy Creek Improvement District.
• Walt Disney World President Jeff Vahle later released a statement regarding the settlement.
• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed Craig Mateer to take over the empty seat on the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board following Martin Garcia’s departure.

Disneyland Resort

• Disneyland Resort was testing a new facial recognition entry system on March 27, and we were there to participate.
• In a new video from Disney Parks, Disney Legend Josh Gad became a Disneyland Railroad conductor for a day.
• Mint Julep Bar at Disneyland Park has debuted new Ube Mickey-shaped Beignets, and we were there to give them a review.
• A new merchandise collection inspired by “it’s a small world” has sailed into Disneyland Resort.

Tokyo Disney Resort

• Tokyo Disneyland has announced a first-of-its-kind Marvel overlay for “it’s a small world.”

Disney Cruise Line

• Disney has shared a new preview of the merchandise that will be available at Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, which opens this summer.

Entertainment and Media

• Ravensburger has officially released the full comprehensive rules for Disney Lorcana.
• Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of “Pirates of the Caribbean,” has said that the franchise will be rebooted.

Disney+

• Hulu on Disney+ has officially launched, allowing subscribers to access Hulu titles through the Disney+ app.

The Walt Disney Company

• Proxy firm Egan-Jones has endorsed Trian Partners’ Nelson Peltz for a seat on The Walt Disney Company Board of Directors.
• The pre-sale for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event opened to Visa Cardholders today.
• During the Visa Cardholder pre-sale, the 3-Day D23 Ultimate Fan Pass ticket sold out.
• Disney Parks Blog has shared a new sneak peek at the construction of Cotino, the first Storyliving by Disney community.

WDW News Today

Joe Rohde Returns, Reedy Creek Settlement Reached

Revisiting X-Men (2000) Almost 24 Years Later!

That’s it for today; we hope you enjoyed this Daily Recap. Thanks for stopping by, and we’ll see you tomorrow!

The post Disney and CFTOD Reach Settlement in State Lawsuit & More: Daily Recap (3/27/24) appeared first on WDW News Today.

“Pirates of the Caribbean” producer Jerry Bruckheimer told ComicBook.com that the franchise will be rebooted.

Pirates of the Caribbean 6

A sixth “Pirates of the Caribbean” film has been in flux for years. Bruckheimer previously stated his team was working on a female-led “Pirates of the Caribbean” starring Margot Robbie. But Robbie later said this was no longer in development. Earlier reports indicated Disney was hoping to cast Karen Gillan in the film.

When asked by ComicBook.com about the future of “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Top Gun,” Bruckheimer wondered which would see another sequel first.

It’s hard to tell. You don’t know, you really don’t know. You don’t know how they come together. You just don’t know. Because with Top Gun you have an actor [Tom Cruise] who is iconic and brilliant. And how many movies he does before he does Top Gun, I can’t tell you. But we’re gonna reboot Pirates, so that is easier to put together because you don’t have to wait for certain actors.

Jerry Bruckheimer

This confirms that Bruckheimer is not planning on bringing back any former “Pirates of the Caribbean” actors like Johnny Depp or Orlando Bloom.

“The Last of Us” creator Craig Mazin told the LA Times last year that he and Ted Elliott, co-writer of the first four “Pirates” films, had pitched a sixth film to Disney.

We pitched it and thought there’s no way they’re buying it, it’s too weird. And they did! And then [Elliott] wrote a fantastic script and the strike happened and everyone’s waiting around.

Craig Mazin

Last year’s SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes delayed several film projects and Hollywood is still catching up.

“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” was the fifth in the franchise. It was directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg from a screenplay by Jeff Nathanson and a story by Nathanson and Terry Rossio, Elliott’s co-writer on the first four films. The film was met with negative to mixed reviews, especially compared to its predecessors, with a 30 percent Tomatometer score and 60 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Read the complete history of Pirates of the Caribbean at Disney Parks.

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While most of the dishes on the Toadstool Cafe menu are inspired by the heroes of Super Nintendo World, there is also a meal named after the land’s villain — Bowser’s Fireball Challenge. We decided we were up for the challenge and tried the meatball and mushroom meal during our most recent visit to Universal Studios Hollywood.

Bowser’s Fireball Challenge – $24.99

1 lb. meatball topped with mozzarella cheese served with mushroom marinara sauce, Bowser puff pastry, parsley, and hot sauce on the side

Bowser’s Fireball Challenge might have you breathing fireballs yourself. This dish is hot! When you order it, the Team Member will also warn you that this meal is spicy. That’s the challenge — to handle the heat! The meatball is already spicy, but you can make the heat more intense by adding some of the sauce served on the side.

A small plastic Bowser flag is stuck in the meatball and the pastry puff served on the side looks exactly like Bowser’s face. All the dishes at Toadstool Cafe are themed wonderfully, and this Bowser puff is on another level. The details are great.

The meatball is massive. It’s a one-pound meatball, but it’s more like a giant meatloaf, topped with mozzarella cheese and served on a bed of mushroom marinara. The portion is huge and could even be shared.

Let’s-a dig in! We cut into the meatball and found it to be packed full of red pepper flakes. And when we say it’s full of pepper flakes, we mean it. We started to joke maybe the chef just tossed the whole bottle of pepper flakes into the meatball by mistake. The heat isn’t pain-inducing, but your sinuses will feel it. Our eyes watered a bit! If you’re the type that dumps an entire packet of pepper flakes onto your slice of pizza, you will be in love with this dish.

The meatball is cooked perfectly throughout. It’s juicy, delicious, and full of flavor. It doesn’t even need the sauces. The mushroom marinara is lost behind the spice of the meatball, but there’s also another sauce served on the side.

Part of the challenge is to be able to add more heat to your meatball. The sauce on the side is basically Frank’s Red Hot, which isn’t too spicy. Honestly, we wish the sauce had been something different or even a little hotter. The meatball is perfect on its own and the sauce almost ruins it. It’s a fun idea, but this meatball is so much better without the hot sauce.

If your mouth is on fire, take a bite of the Bowser puff. This is a fantastic way to cool things down. The buttery, flaky croissant-like texture of this pastry can’t be beat. We wish there had been two, it was that good! We would order this again anytime.

Rank out of 7: 7

Guests can purchase this meal with a souvenir bowl for an additional $10. The souvenir bowl will come clean and unused in a box. You won’t need to take the dirty dish with you! The mushroom soup bowl and plateware set are also available for purchase. These plates are not available in the gift shops and are only available for purchase inside Toadstool Cafe, so make sure you order them while you’re there.

Watch our original Toadstool Cafe review below and read our reviews of Super Mushroom Soup, Tomato Soup, and Chef Toad Short Rib Special. Guests can also now enjoy some Nintendo-inspired snacks at Power-Up Cafe. Stay tuned for that review!

For more Universal Studios news from around the world, follow Universal Parks News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news, visit WDWNT.

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If you’re planning a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood, one of the best places to stay is the Sheraton Universal Hotel.

Universal Studios Hollywood does not have hotels like Orlando, but one of the most convenient places to stay is the Sheraton Universal. The hotel is just a short walk from the park, or you can take a complimentary shuttle to CityWalk.

Sheraton Universal Hotel

The hotel is located right by Universal Studios Hollywood, and is just about a 5-10 minute walk. The best way to walk there is by taking the outdoor elevators up to the Hilton and crossing the bridge to the entrance of the park.

The above photo was taken from the top of the elevators on the same level at the Hilton. The walk is uphill and there are some stairs, but it is much quicker than the shuttle. At least it’s downhill on the way back!

The lobby is beautiful and has several check-in desks. After traveling, it’s always nice to get checked in quickly.

If your room isn’t ready yet, there are plenty of comfortable places to sit and relax if you’re not prepared to hit the parks.

There are couches and chairs around the lobby as well as a bar. If you’re in a large group, there’s plenty of seating for everyone to lounge around together.

The complimentary water in the lobby is refreshing, especially after walking back from the park. The one with the orange slices is my personal favorite!

If you need tickets or want to make plans for other things to do in Hollywood, there’s a concierge desk in the lobby with someone who can help.

The bar in the lobby serves up a variety of food and drinks. There are comfortable seats at the bar, but you can also be served at the seating around the room.

There is comfortable lounge seating for those that want to kick back as well as tables and chairs. Some of the tables overlook the pool and have nice views of the hills outside.

The menu has starters, greens, sandwiches, pizza, and large bites. There are also desserts and a kid’s menu. From small bites like rustic bread service and truffle fries, to full meals like grilled New York steak, there’s a something for everyone. We ordered a grilled cheese and it was fantastic!

There is also a variety of cocktails and even some non-alcoholic mocktails on the menu. The Location Manager with gin, lemongrass syrup, cucumber, basil, and fresh lime is a favorite of ours.

In our opinion, you have to get the espresso martini, as the bartenders know how to make an incredible one. If you’re visiting for Halloween Horror Nights and need a good way to start a long night, hit up the lobby bar for one of these!

At the time of writing, the shop in the lobby is under refurbishment. It appears as though they will be adding a coffee shop into the old location that will be called Universal Perk. Since the store is closed, there is a setup in the lobby with a self check-out. There’s a microwave and an ATM in the lobby, too.

There are computers and a printer in the lobby, should you need them.

If you want to splash around and cool off during your stay, there’s a small pool outdoors.

Just to the right of the entrance of the hotel, there is a shuttle bus stop. The bus takes guests between the Sheraton Universal, the Hilton, and Universal CityWalk Hollywood.

The drop-off location will be right by Johnny Rockets and NBC Bar & Grille in CityWalk.

When you’re ready to leave, the shuttle bus picks you up at that same drop-off location. There’s a sign marking the bus stop and a digital map so you can see where the bus is and when it will arrive. You can also scan a QR code to get updates on the shuttle, which picks up passengers every 15 minutes.

Sheraton Universal Hotel Room

We had a standard queen room with two queen beds. This room was on the 18th floor and had a great view.

One of the most important aspects about the room, to us, is that the beds are extremely comfortable. After walking up and down hills and running around the theme parks, it’s nice to have a bed that will give you a good night’s rest. You’ll want to be sure to get up early for Super Nintendo World!

There’s a luggage rack in the corner and a small couch in the room.

The rooms are very spacious. Not only is there a couch, but there’s a small desk and office chair in this room. The rooms are comfortable and functional.

During our previous visit, the room with the single bed offered larger desk space. If you’re working, the desk is very useful to be able to set up your laptop.

There’s some black and white artwork and photos of Universal Studios framed on the wall. The Universal Studios Hollywood entrance arch and globe are among the pictures.

The Back to the Future Delorean print is one of our favorites. The Delorean is formed with three separate pieces, representing the three movies.

There are outlets on both sides of the bed. There’s also USB outlets and alarm clock. Each bed also has it’s own small reading light on the side of the headboard.

This is the view from our window. Universal Studios Hollywood can be seen on the right side. There’s a giant Minion peering over the top of the parking garage for the park on the far right. We also had a view of Jurassic World and the construction site for the new Fast and Furious roller coaster.

At the front of the room, there’s a mini fridge, coffee maker, and complimentary bottled water.

The bottled water, cups, and ice bucket are set out nicely on a tray. The plastic water cups are individually wrapped.

The coffee maker is not a Keurig, but there are packs of coffee and tea in the drawer and some paper cups. Make yourself a cup of coffee to go and hit the parks early!

There’s a small mini fridge in the room. If you’re grabbing a snack or drink from downstairs, this is perfect.

The closet has plenty of space in it. The clear front helps prevent guests from leaving something behind when checking out. The closet also has an ironing board and iron inside. This is very useful, especially if you’re attending a special event while you’re in Hollywood.

The closet also has a small safe for storing your valuables.

The bathroom has a sliding door that separates it from the room and has a single sink, toilet, and a large shower. There’s a photo of the Hollywood sign framed above the toilet.

Bar soap, lotion, and liquid soap are available and set up next to the sink. Below the sink, you’ll find towels and a hair dryer.

Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash can be found mounted to the wall. The shower is huge and has two shower heads.

The Sheraton Universal is the perfect spot to stay in you’re visiting Universal Studios Hollywood. Take another look at the hotel in our video tour below.

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