Rumors of Light (ROL discussion thread)

[HopperFan]

So DD is at the beach resting up for year two grad school ........ and decided to drive the 1.5 hours to see old CM friends, have a dole whip and say farewell to the Main Street Electrical Parade. When I talk to her I am hoping she prodded her friends for any insider info. Her one friend is a manager at AK.

But I'm not counting on her to have channeled her inner Nancy Drew - she probably just had fun catching up ................ and going on rides and eating dole whips .....

 

[KateP85]

Guys, if you have trips to WDW planned you HAVE to make time to eat at Disney Springs. We've tried Homecoming, Blaze Pizza, STK and Frontera Cocina, and they've all been awesome. The food has all been fresh and creative and basically everything I think Disney restaurants have lacked since the dining plan came in and ruined everything. The staff have all been so friendly and helpful, it's just been a great experience all around.

 

[HopperFan]

Guys, if you have trips to WDW planned you HAVE to make time to eat at Disney Springs. We've tried Homecoming, Blaze Pizza, STK and Frontera Cocina, and they've all been awesome. The food has all been fresh and creative and basically everything I think Disney restaurants have lacked since the dining plan came in and ruined everything. The staff have all been so friendly and helpful, it's just been a great experience all around.

Completely with you! We had D Luxe Burger and it was SO GOOD and they are huge, so a good value especially for the QS Dining credit. We were saying we need to work our schedules out around eating table service there and stop spending it in the parks. Right now I have a SW Dessert Party booked for in two weeks and am thinking of cancelling it and just head to DS for a later dinner.

And with TiW added for Jock's I'll be heading back there for lighter eats and drinks.

 

[CJK]

We had D Luxe Burger and it was SO GOOD and they are huge, so a good value especially for the QS Dining credit.

Wait, what???? Is D Luxe burger on the dining plan now???? In June you could only get a couple things with a snack credit. Is it now a place to spend QS credits? Best news!!!!!!!!

 

[HopperFan]

Wait, what???? Is D Luxe burger on the dining plan now???? In June you could only get a couple things with a snack credit. Is it now a place to spend QS credits? Best news!!!!!!!!

Well unless they changed it, I was there in April & May ... and they were taking QD credits, everyone in line was pumped about it, one family said they had already eaten several times using it. I haven't been since May so if you went in June you should have been able to use it.

The difference I think is because fries were not with the burger you had to pick between fries or the dessert. No way you could eat all that anyway. 2017 QS loses the dessert though so that may alter value.

Now you'll have me googling...

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2016/03/d-luxe-burger-opening-this-may-at-disney-springs/

Luxe Burger Opening This May at Disney Springs

by Rachel Bshero, Food & Beverage Marketing Communications Coordinator

Update: This location now accepts the Disney Dining Plan and is one quick-service entitlement.


Disney Food Blog Reported May 15th

D-Luxe Burger is considered a counter-service restaurant, and does take the Disney Dining Plan with one quick service credit.

 

[CJK]

Well unless they changed it, I was there in April & May ... and they were taking QD credits, everyone in line was pumped about it, one family said they had already eaten several times using it. The difference I think is because fries were not with the burger you had to pick between fries or the dessert. No way you could eat all that anyway. 2017 QS loses the dessert though so that may alter value.

Inneresting! When we were there the first week of June, we were denied from using a QS credit, but we could have gotten a dessert with a snack credit.

 

[CJK]

Hmm, the Disney website now says that it does accept the dining plan - https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/disney-springs/d-luxe-burger/
Thanks for the head's up!!!!!

 

[HopperFan]

Inneresting! When we were there the first week of June, we were denied from using a QS credit, but we could have gotten a dessert with a snack credit.

That was wrong.

 

[CJK]

That was wrong.

Wow, glad to know that our experience isn't the norm! My mind is blown to find out that Blaze pizza, Art Smith's Homecoming and Frontera Cocina are all on the dining plan already! Time to change my ADR's! Thanks a million for posting!

 

[HopperFan]

Wow, glad to know that our experience isn't the norm! My mind is blown to find out that Blaze pizza, Art Smith's Homecoming and Frontera Cocina are all on the dining plan already! Time to change my ADR's! Thanks a million for posting!

That is AWESOME news! I know it's a really hard decision to make .... Blaze Pizza or Food Court Pizza ............ what to do?

Seriously Disney Springs is going to be our place to eat good meals and wander and relax.

 

[HopperFan]

So don't know if you heard yesterday BOG was evacuated for "fire". One guest posted what they got in recovery ... although I wonder what happened about their meals. It was determined a false alarm.

And now twitter world is reporting that a child pulled the fire alarm. What? So where is Disney's recovery for that?



Brian Carey‏@BrianCarey_
Everything pictured is what we got for free because we were evacuated from Be Our Guest ...
.... (huge pictures of) FP+ for 6, 2 BOG mugs and 2 desserts. (I believe there was two of them).

 

[bluezy]

Inneresting! When we were there the first week of June, we were denied from using a QS credit, but we could have gotten a dessert with a snack credit.

I think you just got a misinformed CM. Our family was at Disney in June and my son had no problem using a QS credit for a meal there. The rest of us were eating at WPE and he went to D-Luxe and got a burger, fries, and a soda to go and brought it over to WPE to eat with us. After seeing his burger, I was wishing I had gone there with him...it looked amazing (and he said it was delicious) -- not that I wasn't happy with WPE. Next trip I'll have to try D-Luxe.

 

[HopperFan]

Orlando Sentinel article out covering lots of stuff at WDW, including Rumors of Light.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-animal-kingdom-nighttime-problems-20160816-story.html

>>>>>>>>

Disney's Animal Kingdom nights get shorter as Rivers of Light faces delays
Sandra Pedicini Contact Reporter Orlando Sentinel

"We will continue to adjust our hours and will remain open after sunset to deliver those experiences for our guests," spokeswoman Andrea Finger said in an emailed statement.

The zoolike Walt Disney World theme park is expected to have extended hours again next year when it opens an entire land based on "Avatar." Rivers of Light, which Disney said will open before Avatar, could also trigger later closing times.

Still, "I don't know why they would trip up their momentum" by starting to roll back the later hours that were just recently introduced, said Rick Munarriz, a Motley Fool senior analyst who covers theme parks. "To me it doesn't make a lot of sense for them to take this step back."

Disney had originally planned to debut Rivers of Light in April. That didn't happen. The show also didn't make it for Memorial Day weekend, when Animal Kingdom introduced other after-dark attractions, including a Tree of Life light show and a nighttime version of Kilimanjaro Safaris.

With those, Animal Kingdom began staying open hours beyond its previous closing times that were generally between 5 and 8 p.m. It has been closing at 11 p.m. this summer.

Rivers of Light is a complex production, taking place on the water and featuring floating lanterns, lighting effects, live performers and music.Disney's website says only that Rivers of Light is "coming soon." Insiders say the project has been plagued with technical difficulties.

"It's a challenging, technical and aesthetic thing to work on," Joe Rohde, Disney's Imagineering portfolio creative executive, told the Orlando Sentinel in April. "It has many, many pieces that we're working to get it perfect."

Without anything to fill the new stadium constructed for Rivers of Light, Disney's Animal Kingdom in April announced a limited-time engagement called "The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic." That performance, which received mediocre reviews, will close Sept. 5.

In September, Animal Kingdom will begin shutting down at 9 p.m. Closing times will be as early as 7 p.m. in October and 6 p.m. in November, even during the Thanksgiving weekend.

Epcot's World Showcase, in contrast, won't shut down until 9 or 10 many nights in October and November during and after the park's food and wine festival.

Disney's Hollywood Studios, where many attractions have closed as the park undergoes a makeover, has similar hours as Animal Kingdom. In November, however, it sometimes will close an hour later.

As it gets darker earlier, the Tree of Life lighting and the nighttime safari tour don't have to be as late.

Dennis Speigel, president of International Theme Park Services, said attendance might be affecting Animal Kingdom's hours. Visitation at Orlando's theme parks has declined this year.

"We just heard the attendance was down, particularly in the evening, so ... they've just cut it back," Speigel said.

Robert Niles, editor of Theme Park Insider, said in an email "the fall operating hours suggest that Disney doesn't see some resurgence in attendance coming in the next few months. It was a slow summer, and it looks like it's going to be a slow fall."

Munarriz said during a recent evening visit to Animal Kingdom, "I didn't even need a FastPass. I could just show up and pick any ride I wanted."

Some fans have long dismissed Animal Kingdom as a half-day park. Disney wants to remedy that, partly with the recent nighttime events and the opening of a new upscale restaurant, Tiffins. The big new addition, though, comes next year when the Avatar area opens.

Experts also note it's easier for Disney to extend its planned hours than to cut them back.

"I think overall things are much more in flux at Animal Kingdom than you would normally expect for a very established theme park like this," Pacific Asset Management leisure analyst Bob Boyd said. "They're probably in the biggest test and adjust period the park has been in since they opened. There's just a lot of different changes the park is doing. ... I would imagine there's still a lot of flux around those hours."

 

[CJK]

That is AWESOME news! I know it's a really hard decision to make .... Blaze Pizza or Food Court Pizza ............ what to do?

Exactly! Who needs to go to the theme parks when you can dine in Disney Springs!

 

[HopperFan]

Exactly! Who needs to go to the theme parks when you can dine in Disney Springs!

I've been joking since they started this whole rehab it's the 5th gate. And I actually could end up spending more money there than going to a park. It really turned out beautiful.

 

[cmarsh31]

Blaze Pizza? We have one locally. It's good but nothing to get overly excited about. My DS appreciates that they make a GF pizza, but it's apparently really hard to make and they burn it every single time (I make GF pizza at home all the time without burning it...).

These updates do not make me feel positive for February. Hopefully we'll get a dinner ADR for Yak & Yeti and we can just enjoy our dinner.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Totally OT... and I know this could get me some hate on DIS, but even as Maelstrom fans we thought the Frozen ride was an improvement -- really liked it!

 

[HappyGrape]

trying to plan my fast passes (booking next week). It's had to decide what to do!

1st to 5th of November

What are the chances AK keeps some of the night entertainment and extend the hours?
HS is also unknown with Star Wars Fireworks. Will they be daily?



it's a mess

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

Blaze Pizza? We have one locally. It's good but nothing to get overly excited about. My DS appreciates that they make a GF pizza, but it's apparently really hard to make and they burn it every single time (I make GF pizza at home all the time without burning it...).

These updates do not make me feel positive for February. Hopefully we'll get a dinner ADR for Yak & Yeti and we can just enjoy our dinner.

I've got to say that we routinely have great experiences in WDW restaurants. I think the talk is greatly exaggerated about decreases in quality -- at least since 11-12 yrs ago until now when we've been going regularly.

I've rarely (ever?) felt that the food at DTD/Disney Springs was worth going all the way there for. That said, we've not been to many of the new ones. We ate at Morimoto yesterday. Good, but we get sushi that is just as good in DC. Same with this pizza.

Probably just depends on where you live and what kinds of restaurants you have regular access to --- and personal taste, as always!!

Had an incredible Queen Victoria Room dinner at V&A yesterday -- for our 13th wedding anniversary, first time there. To me, it was up there with Jean Georges in Paris and Inn at Little Washington in VA. Obviously not an everyday WDW meal experience, but fantastic!

We enjoy the theming in WDW restaurants -- THAT you can't get elsewhere.

 

[Cluelyss]

trying to plan my fast passes (booking next week). It's had to decide what to do!

1st to 5th of November

What are the chances AK keeps some of the night entertainment and extend the hours?
HS is also unknown with Star Wars Fireworks. Will they be daily?



it's a mess

SW fireworks are expected to be nightly.

Based on recent reports on AK, I think the hours are set. No more JB, but the other nighttime stuff will continue.