The Tusker House restaurant in Africa at Disney's Animal Kingdom will soon undergo a transformation from a fast-food eatery to a buffet. It will feature a breakfast with the characters as well as lunch and dinner and will re-open in late fall. The original menu featured sandwiches, soups and salads and was among the best fast food in all of Walt Disney World.
The Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club is set to open on April 2nd in the Magic Kingdom. The attraction transports guests into Monstropolis where they learn of an unfortunate power crisis. Just like in the movie, Monsters Inc, guests are encourage to laugh at some upcoming monster comics to help generate power. The monsters interact with audience and might make jokes based on the clothes the guests are wearing or comments heard from the audience. You may even submit jokes via cellphone text messaging to be used in the show. The new show is located in Tomorrowland, right across from Stitch's Great Escape.
If you're a fan of L'Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante at the World Showcase in Epcot, you might want to give it a visit before July. There's a rumor circulating that the restaurant will be overhauled and will be managed by a new company.
According to the official Alfredo's website, the original fettucinialfredo was created in 1914 to restore Alfredo's wife appetite during pregnancy. The recipe proved so popular with guests that in 1977 it was brought over to the United States. The original fettucinialfredo recipe is a part of the menu at L'Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante at Epcot. The restaurant is expected to stay open until July, and the replacement restaurant has not been announced.
Celebrate St Patrick's Day in true Irish fashion at Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant at Downtown Disney. From March 16th through March 18th the restaurant will come alive with speciality entertainment including U2 Elevation, a tribute band of the world famous U2, A Miss Raglan Rose competition, Tuskar Rock band imported directly from Ireland, an appearance by Danielle Fitzpatrick star of Lord of the Dance, Stupid Irish Dancing Competitions and more!
Raglan Road is located between Downtown Disney Marketplace and the West Side. There is no admission fee for Downtown Disney, but there is a small cover charge ($10-15) for the St. Patrick's Day events at Raglan Road.
Donald Duck and his friends from the Disney animated feature Three Caballeros are coming to Epcot this spring. The characters will be found in El Rio Del Tiempo, an often overlooked attraction inside the Mexican pavillion. The ride, which many compare to "it's a small world" at the Magic Kingdom, has never developed a strong reaction in park guests and rarely fills to capacity. The original version took guests on a historic look of Mexico, with effects displayed on uniquely presented video screens. The highlight of the ride was the finale where fiber optic fireworks lit up a Mexican skyline. The new storyline is rumored to be about Jose Carioca and Panchito searching for Donald Duck throughout Mexico. Hopefully Disney will find ways to include some of the highlights of the original attraction in this new version.
The original Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland has received some updated effects over the last two years. Madame Leouta, the disembodied psychic in the crystal ball, now floats around the Séance Circle adding to the illusion. The attic scene with the ghostly bride has been overhauled with a new dark storyline in which the bride is revealed to have killed off her husbands to obtain their wealth. With the success of these effects in California, rumors are circulating of these changes coming to the Haunted Mansion at the Magic Kingdom. A summer refurbishment might be in the works that would give the classic attraction some modern effects to keep it fresh for current audiences. In addition to the effects mentioned above, some speculate of a rethink of the Grand Staircase scene. The Grand Staircase, in which riders pass gigantic spiders, is not found in Disneyland so whatever changes Imagineers conjure up would be unique to the Florida version. As technology progresses and attractions age, Disney will be looking for unique and different ways of keeping their classic attractions as popular as ever.
