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Ears the News: February 17, 2017 Edition

Welcome to the latest edition of Ears the News

Brought to you by our friends at WDWMagic.com.


Disney introduced new ticket pricing for its Walt Disney World theme parks on Sunday February 12, 2017.

With the Park Hopper Plus Option, Guests can visit more than one theme park on the same day and are entitled to additional visits to the following other gated attractions:

  • Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park 
  • Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park 
  • DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive Theme Park until closure in the summer 
  • Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course (greens fees for one round of golf) 
  • ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex (valid only on event days, some events require an additional charge) 
  • Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course (one round before 4:00 PM) 
  • Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course (one round before 4:00 PM) 
Tickets Expire 14 days from first use, and issued tickets expire on 12/31/2018. 

Below are the full list of ticket prices:

2 Day Park Tickets
2 Day - Adult $211.94, Child $199 - 2016 pricing was Adult $215.16, Child $202.35
2 Day Hopper - Adult $275.84, Child $263.06 - 2016 pricing was Adult $273.71, Child $260.93
2 Day with Park Hopper Plus Option - Adult $291.81, Child $279.03

3 Day Park Tickets
3 Day - Adult $329.09, Child $309.92 - 2016 pricing was Adult $308.85, Child $289.68
3 Day Hopper - Adult $392.99, Child $373.82 - 2016 pricing was Adult $367.43, Child $348.26
3 Day with Park Hopper Plus Option - Adult $408.96, Child $389.79

4 Day Park Tickets
4 Day - Adult $394.05, Child $372.75 - 2016 pricing was Adult $346.13, Child $324.83
4 Day Hopper - Adult $473.93, Child $452.63 - 2016 pricing was Adult $419.61, Child $398.31
4 Day with Park Hopper Plus - Adult $489.90, Child $468.60

5 Day Park Tickets
5 Day - Adult $415.35, Child $394.05 - 2016 pricing was Adult $362.10, Child $340.80
5 Day Hopper - Adult $495.23, Child $473.93 - 2016 pricing was Adult $435.59, Child $414.29
5 Day with Park Hopper Plus Option - Adult $511.20, Child $489.90

6 Day Park Tickets
6 Day - Adult $436.65, Child $415.35 - 2016 pricing was Adult $378.08, Child $356.78
6 Day Hopper - Adult $516.53, Child $495.23 - 2016 pricing was Adult $451.56, Child $430.26
6 Day with Park Hopper Plus Option - Adult $532.50, Child $511.20

7 Day Park Tickets
7 Day - Adult $457.95, Child $436.65 - 2016 pricing was Adult $394.05, Child $372.75
7 Day Hopper - Adult $537.83, Child $516.53 - 2016 pricing was Adult $467.54, Child $446.24
7 Day with Park Hopper Plus Option - Adult $553.80, Child $532.50

8 Day Park Tickets
8 Day - Adult $468.60, Child $447.30 - 2016 pricing was Adult $404.70, Child $383.40
8 Day Hopper - Adult $548.48, Child $527.18 - 2016 pricing was Adult $478.19, Child $456.89
8 Day with Park Hopper Plus Option - Adult $564.45, Child $543.15

9 Day Park Tickets
9 Day - Adult $479.25, Child $457.95 - 2016 pricing was Adult $415.35, Child $394.05
9 Day Hopper - Adult $559.13, Child $537.83 - 2016 pricing was Adult $488.84, Child $467.54
9 Day with Park Hopper Plus Option - Adult $575.10, Child $553.80

10 Day Park Tickets
10 Day - Adult $489.90, Child $468.60 - 2016 pricing was Adult $426, Child $404.70
10 Day Hopper - Adult $569.78, Child $548.48 - 2016 pricing was Adult $499.49, Child $478.19
10 Day with Park Hopper Plus Option - Adult $585.75, Child $564.45


The new Geyser Point Bar & Grill is now open at Disney's Wilderness Lodge, part of the expansion of Wilderness Lodge to incorporate new waterside Disney Vacation Club villas.

The eatery can be found in the heart of the Copper Creek pool area, with lounge seating and a walk up window for all-day quick service dining.
Photo courtesy of WDWMagic.com

Geyser Point Bar & Grill is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, along with a lounge offering specialty drinks.

Breakfast is served 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM, lunch and dinner is from 11:00 AM to midnight, and the lounge is available from 11:00 AM to midnight.

Roaring Fork Snacks and Trout Pass Pool Bar both close for refurbishment beginning today, with Roaring Forks reopening later in 2017.

Geyser Point Bar & Grill breakfast menu

Entrées
Smoked Salmon Everything Bialy
$9.99

Scrambled Eggs
with a choice of Smoked Trail Sausage or Bacon served with Potato Hash or Fresh Fruit
$8.49

Egg White, Spinach, and Feta Breakfast Wrap
served with fresh Fruit
$6.99

Maple Cinnamon Pancakes
with Apple Compote served with a choice of Canadian Bacon, Trail Sausage or Bacon
$8.99

Eggs Benedict
with House-made Canadian Bacon on a Cheddar Biscuit served with Potato Hash or Fresh Fruit
$9.99

Crab Cake Eggs Benedict
served with Potato Hash or Fresh Fruit
$10.99

Seasonal Fruit Plate
with Lavender Honey-Yogurt
$8.99

Steel-cut Oats
with Dried Fruits and Nuts
$4.69

Yogurt Parfait
with Seasonal Berries and House-made Granola
$5.79

Kids' Meals
Scrambled Eggs
served with Bacon or Sausage and Potato Hash and choice of small Low-fat Milk or small Dasani® Water
$4.99

Mini Buttermilk Pancakes
with Maple Syrup served with Bacon or Sausage and choice of small Low-fat Milk or small Dasani® Water
$4.99

Granola, Apples and Strawberries
with Honey Yogurt Dip and choice of small Low-fat Milk or small Dasani® Water
$4.49

Geyser Point Bar & Grill lunch and dinner menu

Burgers & Sandwiches
Photo courtesy of WDWMagic.com
Lump Crab Cake Sandwich
with House-made Canadian Bacon and Spicy Cabbage-Carrot Slaw
$13.99

House-Smoked Salmon BLT
with Lemon-Caper Mayonnaise
$12.49

Smoked Turkey Sandwich
with Lettuce, Tomato and Cranberry Mayonnaise
$9.99

Classic Bacon Cheeseburger
with Tillamook Cheddar, Lettuce and Tomato
$12.49

Bison Cheeseburger
with Tillamook Cheddar, Sweet Onion Straws, Lettuce, Tomato and Marion Berry Barbecue Sauce
$13.49

Salads
Grilled Portobello Salad
with grilled Portobello, Zucchini, Roasted Red Peppers, Tomato, and Multi-Grain Salad with Goat Cheese Dressing
$9.99

Grilled Chicken Salad
with Arugula-Romaine, Apples, seasonal Berries, Hazelnuts, and Red Wine Vinaigrette
$12.49

House-Smoked Salmon Salad
with Arugula-Romaine, Apples, seasonal Berries, Hazelnuts, and Red Wine Vinaigrette
$12.49

Seasonal Fruit Plate
with Lavender Honey-Yogurt
$8.99

Kids' Mickey Check Meals
Mickey Check Meal - Grilled Chicken Strips
served with dipping sauces and choice of Apple Slices or Vegetable Sticks and small Low-fat Milk or small Dasani® Bottled Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelines for Complete Meals without substitutions
$6.99

Mickey Check Meal - Finger Food Sampler
sliced Smoked Turkey, Tillamook Cheddar, Spiced Apple Jam, Grape Tomatoes and Sourdough Crisps served with choice of small Low-fat Milk or small Dasani® Bottled Water. Meets Disney Nutrition Guidelines for Complete Meals without substitutions
$6.99

Kids' Meals
Cheeseburger
with Grapes and Danimals and choice of small Low-fat Milk or small Dasani® Water
$6.99

Desserts
Chocolate Brownie Mousse
with Caramel Popcorn and Toasted Meringue
$5.99

Seasonal Pie
$5.99

Morimoto Asia and Master Sommelier George Miliotes are joining forces to bring a special dining event to Disney Springs - "Wok and Wine."
Photo courtesy of WDWMagic.com

The event costs $150 per guest (excluding tax and gratuity) and will take place on February 28, 2017 at 7:30 PM. Tickets are available in advance online.

The special collaboration wine dinner created by Executive Chef Yuhi Fujinaga will showcase a selection of modern Pan-Asian dishes. Master Sommelier George Miliotes will pair each course with wines that will be served at his upcoming wine bar in Disney Springs. The dinner is priced at $150 per guest (excluding tax and gratuity) and will feature the following:

1st Course:
Bluefin Toro Tartare, soy caviar, Jamon Iberico Crisps
Dom Ruinart Rosé Champagne, France 

2nd Course:
‘Bag of Pho’ local lionfish, Hudson Valley Foie Gras dashi, mitsuba, rice noodles
Raats Original Chenin Blanc, Stellenbosch-South Africa

3rd Course:
Slow Roasted Crispy Baby Pig, Chinese black bean trotter jus, hot spring Jidori egg
Selbach-Oster Riesling Feinherb, Mosel-Germany

Dessert Course:
Green Tea Panna Cotta
Broadbent Colheita Madeira, Portugal 


Additional performances of Rivers of Light have been added during the show's opening weekend.

Originally planned to be shown just once at 7:30pm this weekend, two extra shows have been added at 8:30 PM on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Photo courtesy of WDWMagic.com


The weekend lineup now looks like this:

  • Friday February 17 - Rivers of Light at 7:15 PM and 8:30 PM 
  • Saturday February 18 - Rivers of Light at 7:15 PM and 8:30 PM 
  • Sunday February 19 - Rivers of Light at 7:15 PM and 8:30 PM 

Disney has also opened up FastPass+ reservations for the additional shows.

Trainers and birds from "Flights of Wonder" are now making appearances in other areas of Disney's Animal Kingdom, bringing the unique experiences to guests outside of the "Flights of Wonder" theater.

Small stages in Harambe and DinoLand U.S.A. are the home for the new shows, with each appearance featuring a couple of birds showcasing their unique behaviors.

In DinoLand, the show explains the link between birds and dinosaurs, and takes place daily at 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM.

Showtimes in Harambe are not published, but keep an eye out on the stage close to Tusker House.

The birds and trainers can still be seen in the usual theater location daily, at 11:30 PM, 1:30 PM and 2:30 PM. The mini in-park experiences are expected to run through to the end of March 2017.

Disney has announced that it will begin a major expansion at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort.

The centerpiece of the expansion is a 15-story tower that will add 500 guest rooms, including suites and concierge level services. Overlooking Lake Dorado, the tower will offer rooftop dining with views of the surround theme parks and resorts.
Photo courtesy the Disney Parks Blog

The new tower block will be located near to the current main entrance, convention and lobby area.

“For many of our guests, magical memories begin at one of our 27-themed resorts each and every day,” said Joshua D’Amaro, senior vice president of Disney Resort Hotels and Transportation. “At Walt Disney World Resort, we continue to expand our portfolio and invest in new resort developments that allow even more guests to be immersed in all that a Disney resort has to offer.”

Also part of the project is a refurbishment of the current resort rooms, and the addition of floating gardens and an island oasis that connects the resort through a series of bridges.

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort currently offers 1917 moderate priced rooms, inspired by the American Southwest and regions of Mexico. Opened in 1997, the resort was Disney's first moderate convention hotel, and features a 220,000-square-foot convention center.

An opening date has not yet been announced, but construction permits have been filed, and expect work to begin imminently and continuing for the next 2 years.

Disney has also confirmed plans to redevelop its Caribbean Beach Resort hotel, but stopped short of offering any specific details.

Part of the Coronado Springs Resort expansion announcement, Disney indicated that the Caribbean Beach Resort will be reimagined with new additions to the resort’s current marketplace, Centertown, including new waterfront dining and retail shopping areas. This centralized location will offer the resort’s guests more convenient access to services, amenities and dining.

Permits have already been filed for the expansion project, with the addition of 7 new buildings that will include one large multi-level building, which appears to be home to a large number of guest rooms.

Plans show that the new large building will occupy land that is part of the existing Barbados village of the resort, which will presumably be demolished for the expansion. Disney has confirmed that Martinique and Barbados islands will be unavailable from May 2017.

Along with new construction, there are also changes planned for the roadways and retention ponds.

Work is expected to begin in 2017, with completion in 2019. It isn't clear yet whether Disney Vacation Club villas will be part of the development

Height test balloons were spotted over the resort in September 2016, leading to heightened speculation that a new development was imminent.

Star Wars Launch Bay at Disney's Hollywood Studios will soon be home to a meet and greet with BB-8.
BB-8 will appear from April 14, 2017, beginning on the first Star Wars Galactic Nights event. Kylo Ren and Chewbacca, who are currently available for meet and greets, will continue to appear at Launch Bay.

Launch Bay has recently been updated with memorabilia and artifacts that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

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