New Tastes in Every Corner of Walt Disney World Resort

**Figment!** · 01-30-2009, 03:22 PM

Caught this from totally slipping through the cracks, although released 2 months ago it still contains some newsworthy notes.

Walt Disney World Resort Press Release
December 4, 2008

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- With great eats everywhere -- from luxe restaurants to fast-casual food in the theme parks, dining has become a significant part of the Walt Disney World vacation experience.

"We're evolving to a foodie destination," said Regynald Washington, vice president of Segment Food & Beverage, Product Development and New Concepts, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. "Savvy Disney guests know the trends and expect to be wowed."
With more than 300 choices for a meal, guests don't have to travel the globe to taste the world. From South African wines to artisinal olive oils and Japanese beef, Walt Disney World restaurants offer a dazzling array of upscale dining. And you'll also find micro-brews, house-made gelatis and other fast-casual tastes with big flavors.

Each fall, more than one million fans head to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, a premier culinary event that has helped raise the bar on fine dining at Disney. Featuring great celebrity chefs and wine connoisseurs in the spectacular setting of World Showcase, the festival features tastes of wine, beer and food from around the world.

"Food and drink are the perfect attractions," said Washington. "Our chefs are taking their cuisine to a new level with exciting new concepts."

What's New

At Epcot, four of the 11 World Showcase countries are getting -- or have just gotten -- a dining makeover.

"World Showcase is timeless, and continually evolving with more interactive experiences," said Dieter Hannig, vice president of Food & Beverage New Concepts. "As our world grows smaller, Epcot grows more exciting, more authentic. The dreams and ideas are endless."

Here's what's on the front burner at Epcot:

Patina Group's Tutto Italia Ristorante opened in late 2007 in the Italy pavilion. Expansion and more changes are planned for 2010.

In October 2007, the Japan pavilion debuted Tokyo Dining and Teppan Edo, a dramatic redevelopment of their dining rooms.

China's Nine Dragons restaurant recently reopened its completely redesigned dining room and debuted a new menu.

By fall 2010, a new tequila bar opens adjacent to San Angel Inn in the Mexico pavilion, and the outdoor Cantina de San Angel expands, with more seating and a new menu.

At Disney’s Contemporary Resort, the new Contempo Café uses state-of-the-art electronic menus and touch-sensitive screens for ordering. On the hotel’s fourth floor, the 114-seat restaurant is open 6 a.m.-midnight with selections such as the Concourse Steakhouse salad; a hot, open roast beef sandwich; honey-lime chicken sandwich; chicken basil pasta; spice-crusted mahi sandwich; and a marinated beef flatbread.

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort is home to the new Rix Lounge, a 5,000-square-foot nightlife venue featuring house music, specialty drinks, tapas-style appetizers and rotating entertainment. State-of-the-art lighting and sound systems create a first-class, fresh, contemporary and sophisticated ambiance. Rix is operated by Springs Food Service, LLC, a sister company of Palmas Services, LLC, that has operated the San Angel Inn and Cantina de San Angel in the Mexico pavilion at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort since opening in 1982.

The Wave debuted in summer 2008 at Disney's Contemporary Resort. Located on the first floor with a "super lounge," the upscale restaurant offers "bold American cooking with flavors from all over the world." Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, The Wave offers seasonal menus featuring local and regional products when possible, organic beers and trendy cocktails such as the "antioxidant cosmo" with açai juice. The innovative wine list has a quirky claim to fame: all screw caps, no corks. Cutting-edge wines from around the globe are showcased.

At Downtown Disney guests can dine face to face with a dinosaur at T-Rex: A Prehistoric Family Adventure, A Place to Eat, Shop, Explore and Discover, which combines table-service dining and retail in an interactive prehistoric environment built around water, fire and ice. Opened in fall 2008, the restaurant is operated by Landry's Restaurants.

What's Next
Joining T-Rex at Downtown Disney in 2009 will be a new concept by E-Brands Restaurants, an Orlando-based, multi-concept restaurant group. The high-energy, casual eatery will feature authentic Central and South American cuisine, specialty tequilas, premium wines and live music to entertain guests of all ages along the waterfront. The concept will come to life in a 5,000-square-foot, hacienda-style interior featuring rustic beams that contrast against modern fixtures, stone floors, and windows that roll up to create an open-air environment.

Also in 2009, a third restaurant is coming to Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge -- Sanaa, featuring "African cooking inspired with Indian flavors."