An update!

Hey geeks! We'll be coming back! Really! In April, we're working on coming back, and better than ever! Hang tight with us, we won't let you down!


Press release: New Dining Locations, Fan-Favorite Sporting Events Add to the Magic for Walt Disney World Resort Guests in 2015

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The new year 2015 lifts off with dozens of fun happenings, openings and events at Walt Disney World Resort. Whether your Disney Side is brought to life by being a foodie, sports fan, shopper or a Jedi, some great vacation choices await Disney guests as the calendar turns the pages into 2015.

Here’s a look at what to expect:

All-New Disney Castaway Cay Challenge Adds Another Splash of Magic to 2015 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend 

The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend will take place Jan. 7-11, 2015 at Walt Disney World Resort. All new is the Disney Castaway Cay Challenge, an ultimate running adventure that combines one Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend race event with a Castaway Cay 5K on Disney Cruise Lines’ private island in the Bahamas during the 4-night Disney Dream cruise itinerary that sets sail Jan. 12, 2015 from Port Canaveral, Fla. The final race of Marathon Weekend is a 26.2-mile run through Walt Disney World theme parks and is preceded by the runDisney Kids’ Races, Disney Family Fun Run 5K and the Walt Disney World Half Marathon. Runners also have an opportunity to conquer the Dopey Challenge, in which participants run the 5K, 10K, half marathon and marathon to complete 48.6 miles over four days. Or Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge that combines Saturday’s half marathon with Sunday’s full marathon. More details, including registration information and booking procedures, are available now on runDisney.com

New Name, New Adds to Disney’s Polynesian

As part of a sweeping re-imagining, Disney’s Polynesian Resort has returned to its original, 1971 opening day name: Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. But that’s not the only news awaiting guests in 2015. Changes include a new food and beverage experience opening for guests in 2015: Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto – opening in the spring and based on the popular themed lounge at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim. Trader Sam’s will welcome explorers to a mystical and tropical oasis featuring a lounge area with handcrafted tiki cocktails served in souvenir mugs, paired with Polynesia-inspired small plates. Other changes greeting Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort guests: the recently opened Pineapple Lanai kiosk, featuring the world-famous Dole Whip soft serve and floats, and a menu makeover at Capt. Cook’s quick-service restaurant. A new children’s activity center called Club Disney welcomes guests ages 3-12 to play dress-up, create crafts and engage in games, storytelling or movie nights. A completely renovated Nanea Volcano feature pool area, a new children’s water play area and an enlarged deck for poolside seating will be completed in 2015.

In addition, Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows will feature 20 Disney Vacation Club bungalows on Seven Seas Lagoon and 360 Deluxe Studios. The Disney Vacation Club Bungalows will be the first of this type of accommodation at Disney, sleep up to eight guests, and feature a plunge pool where guests can enjoy views of fireworks over Magic Kingdom and Seven Seas Lagoon. This resort will also be the first to have connecting Deluxe Studios that will sleep up to five guests and have kitchenettes and enhanced storage space for convenience and comfort. The first phase of Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows is scheduled to open in 2015. 

New for 2015: Trattoria al Forno at Disney’s Boardwalk

The new year brings a great new dining experience to Walt Disney World Resort when Trattoria al Forno opens its doors at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort. The restaurant features Italian cuisine with authentic ingredients and recipes from Italy’s various regions. The new restaurant showcases Old World techniques, including handcrafted mozzarella made daily, a variety of Neopolitan-style pizzas baked in wood-burning ovens, and other classic favorites such as risotto, baked lasagna, chicken Parmigiana with tagliatelle pasta and more. Trattoria al Forno offers an extensive wine list with more than 60 offerings by the bottle and more than 25 wines by the glass. Desserts such as tiramisu and gelatos round out the menu. Trattoria al Forno is located on Crescent Lake near Epcot in the heart of property.

New Africa Marketplace Coming Spring 2015 to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Imagine the colors, scents, savory tastes and boundless activity of a village marketplace in Africa. That sensory scene is coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom with a spring 2015 opening planned for Africa Marketplace – a new shopping and dining option for park-goers in Harambe, the village anchoring the Africa section of the park. One highlight of the new space will be Harambe Marketplace, a new quick-service food and beverage location offering street-inspired dishes from walk-up windows. Guests will find plenty of shady places to relax and eat. For their convenience, the new space also will open up a new pathway from Africa to Bradley Falls and the Asia section of the park. Together with the new Harambe Theatre housing “The Festival of the Lion King,” the addition of Africa Marketplace will double the size of the original Harambe Village. Paired with previously-announced projects throughout the park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is undergoing the largest expansion in its history.

The Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic Returns to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for the Sixth Consecutive Season

Fans will get an up close and personal look at some of the nation’s top pro soccer teams during the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic Feb. 1, 2015 – March 1, 2015 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Entering its sixth year, Disney’s premier four-week soccer event is designed to boost interest in soccer throughout Central Florida and establish the area as a prime training and competition destination for professional soccer clubs. The event traditionally features eight pro teams – including six Major League Soccer squads – competing in 16 games. In 2014, the Columbus Crew defeated the defending MLS Cup Champions, Sporting Kansas City, to earn win the Disney Pro Soccer Classic title. After the tournament schedule is released, tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster by visiting ticketmaster.com or calling (800) 754-3000 or through the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex box office.

Earn Your Crown Feb. 19-22 at the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend presented by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals

The Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend presented by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, one of the largest women-specific half marathon weekends in the nation, takes place Feb. 19-22, 2015 at Walt Disney World Resort. There are races for all ages and levels, including runDisney Kids Races. For those who think a half marathon is just a walk in the park, runners can participate in the Disney Glass Slipper Challenge, which includes a 19.3-mile adventure over two days – the Disney Enchanted 10K on Saturday followed by the Disney Princess Half Marathon on Sunday. Runners who complete the Princess Half Marathon in February and the Tinker Bell Half Marathon presented by PANDORA Jewelry in May at Disneyland Resort will earn a special pink version of the runDisney Coast to Coast Race Challenge Medal. For an additional challenge and cruise vacation, runners who immediately follow the Princess Half Marathon Weekend race with a Disney cruise departing Monday, Feb. 23, can run the Castaway Cay 5K on Disney’s private island in the Bahamas to earn a specially designed Disney Castaway Cay Challenge Finisher Medal. For more information, guests may visit www.runDisney.com.

New Starbucks Location Tapped for Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios welcomes a Starbucks location in Feb. 2015. The new store, The Trolley Car Café, will be themed to a classic trolley car along Hollywood Boulevard and offer a unique experience for coffee lovers visiting the park. Guests to the store also will be able to enjoy Disney baked goods and Starbucks’ La Boulange pastry items at the store. The Trolley Car Café will be the fourth location serving Starbucks products at Walt Disney World Resort. Locations are already open at Magic Kingdom and Epcot, as well as at Downtown Disney.

Downtown Disney Continues its Transformation into Disney Springs with New Restaurants Opening in 2015

In 2015, Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World Resort continues its multi-year transformation into Disney Springs, a unique and vibrant shopping/dining/entertainment destination to be set amid beautiful open-air promenades, meandering springs and waterfront charm.

The Landing is the first phase of Disney Springs and will be home to unique and memorable dining experiences such as STK (opening in 2015), Morimoto Asia (opening summer 2015) and The BOATHOUSE (opening spring 2015), plus a number of still-to-be-announced innovative restaurants and boutique shops.

Anchored by a signature water tower and grand entry, Disney Springs will boast four interconnected outdoor neighborhoods and will be home to everything from shopping boutiques to flagship stores to great new restaurants and entertainment venues. With a planned completion in 2016, Disney Springs expects to double the number of venues to more than 150.

22nd Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival: A Spring Tradition March 4-May 17, 2015

Spring will bloom in a big way with bountiful blossoms, colorful Disney topiaries, gardening seminars and flavors of the season when the 22nd Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival runs March 4 to May 17, 2015, at Walt Disney World Resort.

Dozens of Disney character topiaries, from Chip and Dale to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, will rule the festival kingdom in the park’s Future World and World Showcase, and popular Outdoor Kitchens will return with refreshing beverages and tantalizing tastes from the garden and grill.

Home and garden seminars, children’s play gardens and other popular festival features will return for the 75-day event.  At the Festival Center, interactive gardening workshops will set the stage for outdoor do-it-yourself inspiration, and guest speakers will cover the latest in outdoor trends and home and garden topics.

Guests can try new food and beverage tastes from Outdoor Kitchen menus and pose for selfies among whimsical topiaries, multiple themed gardens and children’s play areas. Disney-crafted “flower towers,” herb gardens and beds of multi-colored blooms will add to the floral splendor of the park’s landscape.  On the park’s Future World lakes, more than 200 mini-gardens will be set afloat.

Hundreds of butterflies of several species will dazzle guests at the festival’s screened butterfly house.  As the sun begins to set, illuminated gardens will brighten the evening and cast a magical glow across the park.

For more information about the 22nd Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, call 407/W-DISNEY (934-7639).  As the festival nears, more details will be available at epcotinspring.com.  Festival events are included in regular Epcot admission.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game: Atlanta Braves Return to Champion Stadium at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for the 18th Season

The Atlanta Braves are back at ESPN Wide World of Sports for spring training and will take on some of baseball’s marquee teams. The Braves’ 18-game schedule includes showdowns with the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets and Detroit Tigers. The 2015 season which runs from early March to early April will mark the 18th consecutive year the Braves have held their spring training at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Guests will be treated to unique game-day entertainment and additional fan experiences, including character appearances and an exclusive on-field spectator experience.  Information on the Braves’ Spring Training season, group tickets and mini-packs is available by calling (407) 939-GAME (4263) and online at espnwwos.com/atlantabraves. As the Braves’ spring training schedule is released, individual game tickets are available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or visiting ticketmaster.com, as well as at the sports complex box office.

Star Wars Weekends Returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios May 15-June 14, 2015

The Force returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios on May 15, 2015 as Star Wars Weekends combines the fun and adventure of the Star Wars film franchise with the magic of Disney Parks. The 2015 event will feature Star Wars characters roaming the theme park for meet-and-greet opportunities, star conversations with Star Wars celebrities, a Star Wars motorcade through the park, interactive activities, exclusive merchandise and more. Star Wars Weekends will be held every weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) from May 15-June 14:

Weekend I: May 15-17, 2015Weekend II: May 22-24, 2015Weekend III: May 29-31, 2015Weekend IV: June 5-7, 2015Weekend V: June 12-14, 2015

For more information visit disneyworld.com/starwars.

Make Magic on the Field and Off at Disney Spring Training

Disney Spring Training at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex will give teams a head start in 2015 as more than 400 high school and college teams from across the country will travel to Walt Disney World to begin training for their upcoming season in baseball, golf, lacrosse, rugby, softball, tennis and track & field. Schools will have an opportunity to take their teams to the next level with a customizable schedule full of on-field practices, scrimmages and an opportunity to participate in a one-hour speed and agility clinic with renowned former US Olympic track & field coach Brooks Johnson and NFL performance trainer Tom Shaw.

Disney Geek I/O Episode 18

We're BACK! It's been too long!

 

Welcome to Disney Geek I/O, episode 18 recorded November 16, 2014! I’m your host CJ Boat, and joining me to help you in your journey this week through the House of Mouse, Rachel Boat (Hi from Rachel), and introducing to the show from the other side of the state, one of the hosts from the StartSelect podcast, at startselect.net, Adam Jones!

(Introductions to Adam, etc.)

(general talk, Disney watching, etc.)

 

WDW NEWS SPONSOR: Patreon! www.patreon.com/GeekIO

 

Disney World News

 

MUSIC BREAK: Immortals - Fall Out Boy - Big Hero 6 OST

 

Disneyland news sponsor: Geek I/O Shirts! www.geek-io.com/loot

 

DisneyLand News

 

DISNEYCORP News

 

TIP SPONSOR: Seralago Hotel! www.geek-io.com/seralago

 

TIP OF THE WEEK / DISCUSSION:

  • Marvel / Disney movies

    • Non-Spoiler Big Hero 6 discussion

 

Wrap-up

CJ: If you want to contact the show, please send an email to feedback@geek-io.com with the word Disney in the subject line somewhere.

 

For more ways to support the network at large, head over to www.geek-io.com/support for all of the ways to help! If you choose to help out in this way, please send us a message that you want to support the Disney Geek I/O folks!

 

Rachel: Also want to thank the great and talented Darrell Shayler for his artwork for the site as well as our mascot, Mike T. Geek.  If you want more information, or want to get in touch with him, please email us at feedback@geek-io.com, and we can get you more information.

 

CJ: Finally, we record every OTHER Sunday at 10 PM Eastern, join us over at www.geek-io.com/live, or you can find the archive at disney.geek-io.com.

 

Anything else from my esteemed co-horts?

 

Then, we will close the show out with a Keep Calm, Geek Out, and See Y’all again REAL Soon!

Temporary Hiatus

Hey geeks, I apologize for not saying anything before now, but as of right now, we are on an indefinite hiatus.  We'll be back ASAP.

ABC's Fall 2014 lineup

So, the big Fall lineups are finally complete and set up, and here's the winners and losers, what do you think?

RENEWED FOR 2014-2015 SEASON

 

America's Funniest Home Videos

The Bachelor

Castle

Dancing With the Stars

The Goldbergs

Grey's Anatomy

Last Man Standing

Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The Middle

Modern Family

Nashville

Once Upon a Time

Resurrection

Revenge  

Scandal

Shark Tank

 

CANCELED/ENDING

 

The Assets

Back in the Game

Betrayal

Killer Women

Lucky 7

Mind Games

Mixology

The Neighbors

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland

Suburgatory

Super Fun Night  

Trophy Wife


 

NEW SERIES ORDERED FOR 2014-2015 SEASON


 

American Crime

 

Astronaut Wives Club

Blackish

The Club

Cristela

Forever

Fresh Off the Boat

Galavant

How to Get Away With Murder

Manhattan Love Story

Marvel's Agent Carter

Secrets & Lies

Selfie

The Whispers

 

Disney Geek I/O Episode 16



Welcome to Disney Geek I/O, episode 16 recorded Wednesday, May 28, 2014! I’m your host CJ Boat, and joining me to help you in your journey this week through the House of Mouse, Rachel Boat (Hi from Rachel), and from Disneyland’s back yard, Lesley Victorine!


On this episode, we’re not going to do much / any news, but both of our parties spent some time in the parks, and we want to do a ALL PARKS SHOW!


WDW NEWS SPONSOR: TeeFury www.geek-io.com/teefury


PARKS DISCUSSION!


TIP SPONSOR: Seralago Hotel! www.geek-io.com/seralago


TIP OF THE WEEK / DISCUSSION:

  • Behavior in the parks series

    • Week 1: Queues

      • CJ: DO NOT: Yell at the cast members

      • Lesley: DO NOT: Hold a space in line for 50 people

      • Rachel: DO : Control your children

      • Lesley: DO NOT: Turn your back on your children / party

      • Rachel: DO NOT: Expect your private conversation to stay private in a public area.

      • CJ: DO: Take personal space (or lack thereof) in mind.

      • Lesley: DO: Be polite!

      • Rachel: DO: Expect ALL children!

      • ALL: DO! SHARE THE MAGIC!


Kirby: TVListings
http://www.bartlett-sloan.net/tv


If you want to contact the show, please send an email to DisneyGeekIO@Gmail.com


Rachel: Also want to thank the great and talented Darrell Shayler for his artwork for the site as well as our mascot, Mike T. Geek.  If you want more information, or want to get in touch with him, please email us at DisneyGeekIO@Gmail.com, and we can get you more information.


CJ:Finally, we record every OTHER (usually) Sunday at 10 PM Eastern, join us over at www.geek-io.com/live, or you can find the archive at disney.geek-io.com.


Anything else from my esteemed co-horts?


Then, we will close the show out with a Keep Calm, Geek Out, and See Y’all again REAL Soon!

Disney Geek I/O Audio Archive 


Star Wars Episode VII filming starting soon

At today's Shareholder meeting, Disney head honcho Bob Iger stated that the next Star Wars epic will begin filming in May, as well as unleashing the following bombshell on us!

“Rumor has it that almost every actor in the world has been cast in this movie, but so far, the official cast member that we’ve confirmed, the only one, is R2D2. Played by R2D2,”

OK, so not a huge bombshell, but the movie has not even had its villain officially cast yet , though “Girls” actor Adam Driver is in talks for the role. Several other names have been attached to the film too, such as “Downton Abbey” thesp Ed Speleers, “Attack the Block” star John Boyega, “Breaking Bad” and “Friday Night Light’s” Jesse Plemons and theater actors Matthew James Thomas and Ray Fisher. Hopefully we'll find out more as we get closer to the start of filming; May 4th seems like a safe bet. Just think of the headlines.

The J.J. Abrams-led epic is set to send us to a galaxy far, far away once again on December 18, 2015.

BREAKING NEWS! Bob Iger announces Cars 3, Incredibles 2!

You heard that right folks, your Pixar dreams have come true! At today's shareholder's meeting, Walt Disney Company chief Bob Iger said that Pixar plans to produce a third installment of its “Cars” franchise, and a sequel for “The Incredibles.”  They are also going to release "Incredibles" and "Ratatouille" in 3D, akin to their reformatting of Pixar’s classics “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2,” “Monsters, Inc.” and “Finding Nemo.”

The Cars franchise itself has generated over $1 Billion for the House of Mouse, and the first Incredibles had earned Disney/Pixar $631 Million.  

Disney Geek I/O Blog: New #Maleficent trailer is out, and has a new song (FREE on Google Play)

A new Maleficent trailer is out, and there is something awesomely haunting to it.  Not only does it have a very dark aura about it, but it also has a breathtakingly sullen rendition of "Once Upon a Dream" from Sleeping Beauty by Lana Del Rey.  

Say what you will about Lana's singing, there is one thing she can do well: dark, breathy, and haunting. This suits this very well for this trailer, and Disney is so proud of this, that they are giving it away for FREE on Google Play.

For more information, check out Disney.com/Maleficent, and on Facebook: Facebook.com/DisneyMaleficent and use the official hashtag #Maleficent.

Of course, here's the amazing trailer.  We are looking forward to this movie so much here at Disney Geek I/O.

WDW Food Review: Spice Road Table

The newest dining establishment at Walt Disney World, Spice Road Table, is located in the Morocco Pavilion at EPCOT, and has been in "soft open status" (tentative opening times with seemingly random closures) for about a week now, and officially opened today (20 January 2014).  They serve up Tapas (small servings) style Mediterranean food with a beautiful ambiance

Rachel and I were able to visit Spice Road Table before the hard open, and before it was widely advertised to the public, so we were able to walk in and quickly get seated during "Lunch rush" with no wait; and that's VERY uncommon.  Inside we were struck breathless, it is so beautiful, and it was quiet (blissfully).  

We did bring out son, AJ, so we did get the chance to check out the kid's menu, it was pretty standard fare on there, to avoid the picky eaters.  He wanted chicken nuggets and apples.  

We took a long look around the menu, and it has some very interesting choices on there.  Ranging from a gyro slider (Greek-ish) to Rice Stuffed Grape Leaves  (Egyptian-ish) and Harissa Chicken Rolls (Moroccan-ish), all at varying prices.  

Spice-Road-Table-Menu-479x625.jpg

We decided to try the Tingis Sampler, which has Lamb Slider, Harissa Chicken Roll, and Merguez Sausage.  We also got the Hummus and Imported Olives to split between Rachel and myself.  

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Now for the details! 

I'll start with the hummus.  There were two different types, a tomato-based one and a regular one, and some olive oil & rosemary enriched flatbread.  Rachel immediately took a liking to the regular one, and I devoured the tomato one enthusiastically.  The bread is definitely the star of the show here, it is flavorful, and somehow retains a nice crusty-texture while remaining chewy and delicious.  The tomato one is very tomato and olive oil flavored, bordering on a brushetta-type flavour when put together with the bread.  The regular hummus was almost TOO regular for my tastes, but Rachel loved it.

Next was the Sampler, which obviously was the main point of coming here. 

I started out with the Sausage, it's a lamb sausage, so it's meant to be a little more gamy and tough than a pork type.  Biting into this, one thing came to my mind... HOT! This is very spicy, at least with my "Low-tolerance" to heat.  It is very good, just be prepared to drink while eating it, because Rachel, who can't drink and eat at the same time (long story, don't ask) couldn't finish one small sausage because it was too much for her.  She did fine some reprieve when using some of the sauce of the gyro slider, but not much.

Second, came the Harissa Chicken Roll, and only one thing came to my mind again - WOW! This was the shining star of this dish.  They are a "egg roll" type of finger food, and they were SPECTACULAR! Just enough spice and flavor, and went very well with the pilaf served with them.  They are filled with grilled, spiced chicken with almost a corn salsa quality.

And finally, the gyro slider.  It was really good, but not as good as I wanted it to be.  The cucumber-dill sauce was what saved Rachel from dying from sausage heat, it worked really well with the lamb and the mint tatziki was really yummy too, and this is coming from a person who doesn't like mint!  It wasn't too garlic-y and didn't leave a lingering after-taste.  The bun was not too great, and I eventually just ate the delicious innards.  

OK, so how do we score Spice Road Table? Here's the breakdown:

Ambiance: 10/10 - Right on the water, a great Illuminations watching spot, internally it's beautiful, the seating is well laid out, and everyone has a great place, even outside (they have a covered eating area).  They obviously put a lot into this.

Food: 7.5/10 - good food, but some of it was either lacking, or had too much spice.  We will try the rest of the food on another trip. Even AJ's chicken tasted different and delicious!

Cost: 4/10 - Expensive! $10 for the hummus, when it was only those little servings, and four pieces of bread (no matter how good it was).  The $16 for the sampler was a little more alright, but still a lot for such a small single person type of meal.  I think all the prices could be dropped $2 or so, and that would make it more reasonable.

Service: 4.5/10 - The waitress we had was attentive at first, and played with AJ, but as the time went along, disappeared (my biggest pet peeve) and didn't come back until we got a manager to ask about our bill.

Overall: 6/10 - sticker shock aside, we all really had a great time, enjoyed the view, and liked the food.  We'll go again, and see how that goes, but it is definitely not an every visit kind of thing, and will probably be restricted to if we have people we are going to EPCOT with.