 One of my kids favorite characters from recent Disney lore is Crush from Pixar's Finding Nemo. Disney has brought Crush to life in one of our favorite kids attractions-- Turtle Talk with Crush. This cutting edge show takes place in a theatre-like room designed to give the appearance of an aquarium. Once all guests are seated, parents in the back on benches and kids down front, Turtle Talk with Crush begins! Crush appears at the front of the theatre and gives you a peek inside his wide open ocean. He tells you all about his day and the things going on in the ocean and then the most amazing thing happens-- he begins to interact with the kids down front! Crush will ask kids questions and actually react to their responses both verbally and in his body language. Your children are literally getting the chance to talk directly to Crush. Not only are they learning about Crush's world in the ocean, but the kids are teaching Crush about their world outside. Turtle Talk with Crush is one of many great kids attractions you can at EPCOT at Disney World, California Adventure at Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea and Main Street, USA at Hong Kong Disneyland. I highly recommend taking your kids on your next Disney vacation! Jenn Whitney, a Disney College of Knowledge Graduate, is a wife and mother of four children. Jenn first experienced Disney on her honeymoon and since then she has been hooked-- doing adult-only trips, large family gatherings and even traveling to Disney while seven months pregnant! She specializes in providing best-in-class service to clients seeking vacations to Disney Destinations, cruises and the Caribbean. Follow her on Twitter at @JennCMTravel and contact her at Jenn@WhiteGloveDestinations.com.
 New treats in France, a new menu at Le Cellier in the Canada pavilion at Epcot, a renovation for California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and the new Mickey Check headline Disney dining news. •The expansive new Boulangerie Patisserie Les Halles bakery is open in the Epcot France pavilion, located in the space adjacent to the France movie theater exit. The bakery offers sweets, soups, sandwiches, salads and authentic French dishes such as quiche and Croque Monsieur (grilled ham and cheese). Plenty of choices are on the Disney Dining Plan. The bakery opens daily at 9 a.m., ahead of the 11 a.m. opening of World Showcase. •The popular Le Cellier in the Canada pavilion at Epcot recently debuted an all-day menu, with Canadian-raised beef as the sophisticated star of the show, from the signature filet mignon with white truffle-butter sauce to a grilled Wagyu short rib and grilled bone-in ribeye. The longtime favorite Cheddar Cheese Soup made with Moosehead beer stays on the menu, along with classic poutine fries with Canadian Cheddar. Pair with some of Canada’s best wines and beer from Quebec for a meal to remember. •The new Mickey Check for Kids’ Meals is now featured in both quick-service and table-service restaurants across Walt Disney World Resort, making it easier to identify healthier food options in all of the Disney theme parks and resorts. Kids’ Complete Meals must be ordered without substitutions and include at least three of the following food groups: fruits and vegetables; low-fat dairy; whole grains or lean protein, beans, eggs and nuts. For more information, visit www.disneymickeycheck.com. • California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort will reopen later this summer with new décor, a new kitchen and a new menu that’s already in the works. But Chef Brian Piasecki already has started to work on the new menu, which updates some of the restaurant’s classics, like the pork and polenta, which becomes “Pork Two Ways” with wood-fired tenderloin with goat cheese polenta, and braised lacquered pork belly with country applesauce. Sushi also stays on the new menu. Contact White Glove Destinations at 877-899-8912 or visit us online now to learn more about this and other dining opportunities at Walt Disney World.
 The Village People will perform April 19-21 at America Gardens Theatre in Epcot at 5:30, 6:45 and 8 p.m. during the 20th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival “Flower Power” concert series. The Flower Power concert series kicks off March 8-10 with Micky Dolenz (“I’m a Believer”) and continues each weekend with pop favorites including: March 15-17: Chubby Checker & The Wildcats March 22-24: The Guess Who March 29-31: Nelson April 5-7: The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie April 12-14: Paul Revere & the Raiders April 19-21: Village People (new!) April 26-28: The Orchestra, Featuring Former Members of ELO and ELO II May 3-5: Tommy Roe (new!) May 10-12: Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone May 17-19: Starship starring Mickey Thomas. Performances are included with Epcot admission. Contact White Glove Destinations at 877-899-8912 to learn more about this and other events at Walt Disney World
 One of the regular questions we get from clients is "what do I do with my young ones in World Showcase at Epcot?" Well, one of our favorite things to do is to check out Agent P's World Showcase Adventure! In the fun-fill Agent P's World Showcase Adventure you will team up with Agent P to stop Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s evil plots all-around the World Showcase.
You being the adventure by visiting one of the many recruitment centers around the World Showcase. From there, Agent P's team will send you to one of the many missions available to help stop Dr. Doofenshmirtz.
Agent P's World Showcase Adventure is an amazing interactive feature available for Walt Disney World guests at Epcot-- and a fun way to make the World Showcase memorable for every member of your family.
Call us today to book a military package at 877-899-8912 or fill out our online quote form.
 During a recent trip to Disney World we took the opportunity to eat at Via Napoli in the Italian pavilion at Epcot. And boy have we been missing some great food!
Via Napoli is located in the back of Italy. Opened in 2010, this authentic Italian pizzeria has an open lay out with brick ovens where you can watch your pizza get made by the chefs. While the speciality is pizza, the menu also offers a selection of pastas and salads making this a place just about anyone can enjoy.
We ate at Via Napoli during a peak season weekend and despite expected heavy crowds we actually walked up and got a table for 11 at 12:30pm. We were shocked that the Cast Members could find seating for us, but the manager was very accommodating and found a table that could fit our six adults and five children.
For the majority of the table we ordered the house speciality-- pizza! We selected a 1/2 meter pepperoni pizza that is listed as able to feed five, but it could easily feed six. The price was reasonable (for Disney) at $41. In addition to the pizza we also selected the family style salad option for $6 per person, which was a nice mixed green salad with tomatoes, olives and peppers.
In addition to the pizza, one table guest also got the Gamberetti Fagioli ($8)-- an appetizer course with shrimp and a cannelloni bean salad. Most of the children chose individual sized pizzas with one eating the Calzoncino-- a ham and cheese calzone. The child entrees all cost $9.50.
The pizza was absolutely amazing. Not only was it excellent by Disney standards, but I believe it holds up to some of the best pizzeria's I have been to across the United States. The Gamberetti received rave reviews, which shocked me as it was just shrimp and beans tossed in a little olive oil and lemon juice, but all who tried it highly recommended the dish. All of the children items also received strong recommendations for the younger ones in our party.
And as expected with any Disney restaurant-- the service was excellent. We highly recommend Via Napoli the next time you are looking for a dining option in Epcot.
 Walt Disney World Resort boasts 9 theme park attractions for which guests board boats for a floating adventure. Here are the 9 boat rides with a few honorable mentions:1. Jungle Cruise at Magic Kingdom2. Pirates of the Caribbean at Magic Kingdom3. Splash Mountain at Magic Kingdom4. Liberty Square Riverboat at Magic Kingdom5. It’s a small world at Magic Kingdom6. Norway’s Maelstrom at Epcot7. Living With the Land at Epcot 8. Gran Fiesta Tour starring the Three Caballeros and 9. Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom Park Also notable: a raft ride across the Rivers of America to Tom Sawyer Island, and the flying pirate ships of Peter Pan’s Flight. Which is your floating adventure at Walt Disney World? Contact White Glove Destinations at 281-380-3437 or visit us online now to learn more about these and other adventures at Walt Disney World in Florida!
Taste your way around the world.....Walt Disney World that is! Epcot International Food and Wine Festival September 28-November 11, 2012 Contact us now at 281-380-3437 or visit us online now for your free vacation quote!
 Walt Disney World Resort will pixie dust the night skies July 4 with special pyrotechnic shows, including a patriotic display at Magic Kingdom, a rock’n'roll spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and a classic sky show at Epcot infused with an Independence Day finale. Here’s how you can celebrate America’s birthday – Disney-style: - Magic Kingdom will present “Disney’s Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky.” This patriotic fireworks spectacular, paying homage to the hopes and dreams of America’s forefathers, will light the skies at 9 p.m. July 4 – and for guests who would like to begin the Independence Day celebration early, the show also will be presented July 3 at 9 p.m.
- At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, traditional Fourth of July fireworks take on a different spin when Mulch, Sweat, and Shears perform for the all-new “Rockin’ 4th of July Celebration.” These resident landscapers – with serious rock and roll ambitions – take Disney guests on a musical road trip across America that will highlight each region’s contribution to rock and roll. Fireworks, lighting and special effects – backed by the driving live rock and roll of Mulch, Sweat, and Shears – combine to bring a new twist to celebrating Independence Day. Showtime July 4 is 9:45 p.m. Before the show, Disney’s Hollywood Studios guests can catch Disney’s Fantasmic!, performing July 4 at 9 p.m.
- At Epcot, sky-watchers can check out “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” bursting high above World Showcase Lagoon. IllumiNations is a 14-minute spectacular during which pyrotechnics, lasers, water and music are all used to tell a story about the past, present and future of our planet. On the Fourth of July, the show will be enhanced with “The Heartbeat of Freedom,” an overture of traditional Americana themes displayed in a pyrotechnic and laser light event. The show is at 10 p.m.
In addition, Epcot guests may lend their ears to “ Voices of Liberty 4th of July Concert” and meet with Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross and Disney characters adorned in patriotic dress at American Adventure. Theme park hours on July 4 (subject to change without notice): Magic Kingdom, 9 a.m.-11 p.m.; Epcot, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; Disney’s Hollywood Studios, 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Contact White Glove Destinations at 281-380-3437 for more information on this or visit us online to receive your free Disney World vacation quote.
 Disney's lovable "sourpuss" -- Donald Duck -- poses with largest sour fruit grown at The Land pavilion at Epcot, the "Nine Pound Lemon." With their descriptive name, the fruits from these trees weigh approximately nine pounds and preserve all of the taste of the smaller variety. Guests to The Land, inside Epcot, see the giant citrus on the "Living with the Land" boat ride through the experimental greenhouses housed inside the pavilion. Contact White Glove Destinations at 281-380-3437 to learn more about this or visit us online now!
Located in the Japan Pavilion, Katsura Grill replaces the former Yakitori House. The new exterior is inspired by the strolling gardens at the historic Katsura Imperial Villa outside Kyoto, Japan. New items on the menu include Okonomiyaki, a veggie, pancake-like patty and a cold ramen noodle dish with shredded crab in a sweet soy dressing. The re-imagined quick-service restaurant is located amidst tranquil gardens and includes indoor and outdoor dining. Katsura Grill is available as a quick service dining credit on Disney's Dining Plan. Contact White Glove Destinations at 281-380-3437 to learn more about Disney dining or visit us online now for your free Disney vacation quote
|
