Disney

Disney adjusting the Mouse diet

By Peter Couture, Times staff writer
Published August 26, 2007

Call it Walt Disney World Dining 2.0.

Disney has been busy this summer freshening, and even replacing, some of its many restaurants from fine dining to fast food. The restaurant changes go along with the Mouse's approach to modernizing its dining, from phasing out trans fats from park food to adding more healthy options on its kids' menus.

Among the restaurant changes to look for this fall:

- In November, Animal Kingdom opens the Asian-fusion Yak & Yeti Restaurant near its popular Expedition Everest ride. The Yak will offer table-service dining, full-service bar and include - how Himalayan - a beer garden. The park's Tusker House also reopens in November. It is being converted to a buffet that includes a character breakfast, Donald's Safari Breakfast.

- L'Originale Alfredo di Roma Ristorante in Epcot's Italy pavilion will close next month. California's Patina Restaurant Group, which includes celebrity chef Joachim Splichal, will open a new restaurant there in 2008. Until then, Patina will operate the temporary Tutto Italia.

- The changes in Epcot's Italy come as many of the other countries in the world showcase update their dining. Japan's Tempura Kiku and Matsunoma Lounge will be replaced in the fall with Tokyo Dining, where the focus will be on sushi and innovative presentation. China's Nine Dragons is also getting more interactive. It will close early next year for renovations that include an exhibition kitchen.

- Mexico is getting a tequila bar to replace its outdoor retail shop, and the waterfront Cantina de San Angel will expand with more waterfront seating with optimal views of World Showcase, and will offer a new menu by summer 2008.

- Coming early next year to Downtown Disney: The themed T-Rex: A Prehistoric Family Adventure, A Place to Eat, Shop, Explore and Discover, which combines dining and retail in an "interactive prehistoric environment."

And here are two modernizations away from Disney's culinary offerings that are long overdue: 2008 brings a new name for the Disney-MGM Studios, which will become Disney's Hollywood Studios. Boy, is this long overdue. The 360-degree film at Epcot's Canada pavilion has finally been updated. The 14-minute O Canada! has new, updated scenes and is hosted by actor-comedian-Canadian Martin Short. The film, which debuted in the early 1980s, was painfully out of date.

Other park news

- Both Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando raised ticket prices this month. Universal's single-day, single-park ticket is up to $71, from $67. Children's tickets went up to $60, from $56. Disney raised its base ticket prices to $71 for adults and $60 for children.

- The special offer for Florida residents for the Cirque du Soleil show continues through Sept. 22. These tickets start at $49 plus tax (regular-priced tickets run from $63 to $112 plus tax for adults and $50 to $90 for children).

- Discovery Cove also has a special offer for residents: an all-inclusive day at the SeaWorld park that includes swimming with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins for $199. The offer is good from Sept. 5 to Oct. 2 and from Nov. 12 to Dec. 20. For more information, go to www.discoverycove.com.

[Last modified August 23, 2007, 14:16:54]