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Tremont Realty Capital, which owns most of Church Street entertainment district, has filed a new plan to build a 25-story building at Garland Avenue and South Street, a prominent location next to Interstate 4. View the full article

Tremont Reality Capital, which owns most of Church Street in downtown Orlando, has filed a new plan to build a 25-story building at Garland Avenue and South Street, a prominent location next to Interstate 4. View the full article

As we wind up April, it brings the saying “April showers bring May flowers” to mind. In 1979, Thumper and Flower from “Bambi” took some time to enjoy the flowers at Magic Kingdom Park. Happy Spring! Disney Days of Past: ‘April Showers Bring May Flowers’ at Magic Kingdom Park by Nate Rasmussen: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article

The SunRail commuter train system will celebrate its first-year anniversary Friday in a low-key fashion. View the full article

It's kind of a big deal. For months, the construction of a 400-foot observation wheel has loomed over International Drive. Now the Orlando Eye is almost ready for business, alongside sister attractions Madame Tussauds, Sea Life Orlando and other occupants of the I-Drive 360 complex, which is just... View the full article

It looks like the next phase of Disney dining technology testing is upon us! Express Order screenshot Thanks to WDWMagic and OrlandoParkNews we learned that a limited-run test (from now until May 12) is currently in place for guests visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If you have somehow indicated that you will be visiting Hollywood Studios via your My Disney Experience account (either by making a FastPass+ choice for attractions or a dining reservation for the park’s Table Service locations), you may receive an e-mail invite to participate in a test involving pre-ordering food items at Backlot Express Counter Service or Fantasmic! concession. Hollywood Studios FastPass+ Selections Express Order is the name of the free app that guests are invited to download in order to participate. Express Order app Home Page Upon opening the app, you’ll see two dining choices: Backlot Express or concession options for Fantasmic! Please note that Fantasmic! concession pre-ordering is only available prior to the start of the show each night. Backlot Express and Fantasmic! options Just swipe to the right for further choices and instructions. For instance, with Backlot Express, you’ll see that you can choose to order your food To Go or for Pick Up (it’s anticipated, however, that options for table delivery will be available in other phases of the test). Backlot Express intro screen Next comes the fun part… choosing your food! Though the full Backlot Express menu is available, these are just glimpses of a couple of the screens to give you an idea. A few entrees from the Backlot Express menu Desserts on the Backlot Express menu Just tap the “Plus” icon to add an item to your order, and you will see your running total at the bottom. Running total at the bottom of the menu When you select “Checkout,” you’ll see that you will not be charged until you receive your food. Charge notice Go over your order to make sure everything you want is noted, and enter the required email and credit card info. Final order review Credit Card request and info It’s important to notice on the Payment scroll that the Disney Dining Plan is NOT currently accepted — at least not during this testing phase. After that, it’s just a matter of Placing Your Order and showing up at Backlot Express and heading to the Express Order sign! Your order will be prepared upon your arrival, which is why enabling location services on your phone for this app is a must. Order Saved screen You see that you also have the options to change the order delivery mode (Pick Up or To Go), modify, or cancel your order. Now I think this next one is pretty darn cool… If you love seeing the Fantasmic! nighttime spectacular during your vacation, but aren’t as much of a fan of the HUGE concession lines in the back of the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater (or juggling a bunch of items on your way back down the theater steps), you may be thrilled to participate in a test for in-seat delivery of a limited number of popular items such as Popcorn, Hot Dogs, and Mickey Pretzels. Fantasmic! intro screen Upon arrival at Fantasmic, just choose your seat, open the app, and pick your items — FROM YOUR SEAT! Again — the app will remind you that this option is not available until prior to showtime. Fantasmic! Concession limited menu You can even add some of the “Made with Magic” souvenir items to your order. Made with Magic items A limited selection of beverages are available as well. Fantasmic! Beverage options The end of the beverage screen and Total area In order to have your food “find you” —with the help of a Cast Member in a red apron who you should be on the lookout for — location services must be enabled for this app on your device. You will be asked to show your order number to the Cast Member on your device as proof of purchase. At this time, the pre-order options are only available for the first showing of Fantasmic! when two performances are scheduled. So, what do you think of this next wave of technology testing? Would you give it a shot? Or have you already? Though the test is brand new, if anyone has participated in pre-ordering for Backlot Express or Fantasmic! Concession, we would love to hear how it went for you as we learn more about how technology continues to grow in terms of Disney dining and vacation planning! What do you think of the options to pre-order your food at these select locations? Please let us know with a comment! Disney Food Blog Fans, be sure to check out our DFB Disney World Dining Guide e-Books! Find great deals at DFBStore.com!Also, come on over and: Subscribe to our NewsletterFollow us on TwitterBecome a Facebook Fan Related posts: News! Disney’s Hollywood Studios Buy-One-Get-One Meal Coupon Review: Backlot Express at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Now with New Menu AND Buffalo Nuggets!) Italian Food Stand Opens 12/20 in Disney’s Hollywood Studios View the full article

Maybe Breshad Perriman, the son of former NFL receiver Brett Perriman, was destined to end up sitting in that Chicago draft day green room Thursday night. View the full article

In a show of solidarity with protesters in Baltimore, hundreds of people gathered in a Manhattan square and vowed to march through the city Wednesday to honor Freddie Gray, who died after his spine was snapped while in Baltimore police custody. View the full article

WESH-Channel 2 anchor Meredith McDonough returns from maternity leave May 11, the station announced Wednesday. View the full article

We have an exciting announcement from our partners at Oriental Land Company with new details on the largest expansion in Tokyo Disney Resort’s history. Oriental Land Company revealed the theme for the eighth port in development at Tokyo DisneySea Park will be Scandinavia with a portion of the area themed to the Disney film “Frozen”. Additionally, “Beauty and the Beast” and “Alice in Wonderland” will be the themes for two new areas in development in Fantasyland at Tokyo Disneyland Park. These new enhancements are part of the resort’s 10-year, 500 billion yen expansion plan that we shared last year. As part of the plan, Tokyo Disneyland Park centers on the redevelopment of Fantasyland, which will nearly double the size of the themed land. For Tokyo DisneySea Park, the new eighth themed port will be developed in the expansion site located south of Lost River Delta. This new development is a result of the shared vision and strong partnership between Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and Oriental Land Company that has been cultivated over the last few years to chart a course for the resort’s future. This collaboration has led to the creation of exciting new attractions, entertainment and dining experiences, helping to make Tokyo Disney Resort one of Japan’s most popular tourist destinations. We continue to be excited about this development and the new offerings guests visiting Tokyo Disney Resort will enjoy. Stay tuned for updates on the new magical experiences coming to Tokyo Disney Resort! New Themes Announced for Tokyo Disney Resort Development by Thomas Smith: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article

Police have arrested two men in the Saturday shooting death of 61-year-old Guillermo Olivencia outside an auto-parts store in Kissimmee. View the full article

Orange County deputies charged an 18-year-old man in the shooting death of Carlton Ashford, who was killed at a Waterford Lakes party early Saturday. View the full article

TALLAHASSEE – The budget stalemate between the House and the Senate over health-care spending got worse Wednesday, and lawmakers can’t tell when it will get better. View the full article

When she moved in, the living room in her dorm looked like a lobby of a walk-in health clinic, and the white cinder-block walls reminded her of prison. View the full article

A 64-year-old Winter Park man was arrested Wednesday on vehicular manslaughter and driving under the influence charges in a February crash that killed two women in Casselberry. View the full article

More than 100 pastors from throughout the U.S. gathered in Orlando on Wednesday to talk about racial reconciliation and issues of injustice in the wake of the Baltimore riots. View the full article

Yesterday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the Disneyland Resort with a 2014 Food Recovery Challenge Award for having the nation’s highest percentage increase of food recovery in the theme park category. Participants of the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge, from businesses to universities, have greatly reduced wasted food in America, the most common material put into landfills. The EPA’s recognition includes the following creative ways in which Disneyland Resort cast members preserve the environment. I am always encouraged to see how our cast members invest themselves in taking our environmental efforts to the next level! More than 7 million pounds of food scraps diverted from landfill for processing into feed nutrients for animals.More than 100,000 pounds of packaged food donated to local food banks last year.Nearly 60,000 gallons of used cooking oil processed annually into biodiesel used to power the Disneyland Railroad and Mark Twain Riverboat.The Disneyland Resort also was honored with California’s highest environmental honor earlier this year, the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award, for waste reduction efforts. Over the last 10 years, the Disneyland Resort has doubled the amount of waste diverted from landfills with the long-term goal of achieving Zero Waste, a designation already awarded to Circle D Corral by the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council, and the location where the Disneyland Resort accepted its Food Recovery Challenge Award! Disneyland Resort Honored with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Food Recovery Challenge Award by Kevin Rafferty, Jr.: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article

Disney fans, buckle up! Join us as we go inside the HARVEYS factory for a behind-the-scenes look at how the bags are actually made. These attraction poster totes that are headed to the Disneyland...From:Disney ParksViews:110ratingsTime:01:52More inTravel & Events

Disney fans, buckle up! I decided to take a different route when it came to showing you the HARVEYS attraction poster totes that are headed to the Disneyland Resort this May. So join me as we go inside the HARVEYS factory for a behind-the-scenes look at how the bags are actually made. If you’re curious as to when you can get your hands on one of these new bags, they will debut as part of the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration at Disney Vault 28 in the Downtown Disney District, beginning May 22 and will retail for $198 each. Which design are you most excited for? Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration HARVEYS Collection by Michelle Harker: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article

As drinking excuses go, Cinco de Mayo is typically not my jam. I lean more toward whiskey than tequila, and bald guys (like me) look horrible in a sombrero. View the full article

I have a bit of a sweet tooth. Well, sweet teeth actually (32 of them to be precise). When traveling I always look forward to tasting regional foods from each destination visited, and generally the foods I’m most eager to sample are the desserts. So imagine my delight when I learned that while on an Adventures by Disney Danube River Cruise our guests get to take part in an Austrian apple strudel demonstration and learn how to make this famous scrumptious treat. From making the dough from scratch to filling it with delicious apples to pulling the freshly baked treat out of the oven, this demonstration will get you and your family feeling like natural-born chefs. I know this sounds too delicious to be true, so if your mouth isn’t already watering check out the video below to get a better look. Austrian strudel making is just one of the many active hands-on experiences found on a 7-night/8-day European River Cruise vacation with Adventures by Disney. Stay tuned as I continue to share other exciting adventures from this vacation. A Hands-On Strudel Demonstration in Austria with Adventures by Disney by Amanda Adler: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article

On the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, Warren Hudson will remember, as he does most days, the lost lives of Davy Merrill and Fred Turner. View the full article

The Exotic Driving Experience at the Walt Disney World Speedway will remain shut down indefinitely instead of reopening Friday as previously planned. View the full article

One of our favorite times of year – Copper River Salmon has made its way back to menus at three Walt Disney World Resort restaurants: Artist Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Flying Fish Café at Disney’s Boardwalk area. It’s so special because this prized salmon is available for a very short window of time – mid-May to mid-June. Every year those beauties travel up the Copper River in South Central Alaska, covering a distance of about 3,200 miles to their spawning ground. All that hard work means fish that is flavorful and full of goodness. The Alaskans call them Chinook or Tyees, and the largest on record is a whopping 126 pounds. Keep an eye on the menus, but the best way to serve Copper River Salmon is simply grilled. Artist Point used cedar planks, and California Grill is planning “a la plancha” style, or grilled on a metal plate. Chef Brian Piasecki at California Grill says he’s hoping that local Zellwood corn will accompany in some form or fashion. And we’ll wait to see what the chefs at Flying Fish Cafe create. Make your reservations now – 407-WDW-DINE. Copper River Salmon is Back on Menus at Artist Point, Flying Fish Cafe and California Grill at Walt Disney World Resort by Pam Brandon: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article

With the House gone early, here is where key legislation stands. View the full article