TouringPlans Travel Beat 9-28-2024

At Travel Beat we have all the “other” news from the last week or so—the stuff that wasn’t big enough to stop the presses for. What did the newsroom bring us this week? (Sneak peek, Hurricane Helene made for a skinny news week.) Bullets are just ahead if you’re in a hurry, and more details follow below. Don’t forget to check out the Headline News Recap, in case there was something you missed!

• Jollywood Nights Menus Are Out
• Chicago to Disney by Rail Non-stop
• Star Lord Meet & Greet Returning to EPCOT
• Reflections Lakeside Lodge Showing Signs of Life
• Headline News Recap

Can you guess which story inspired this week’s cover image? Leave your guesses in the comments!

Jollywood Nights Menus Are Out

If you’re heading to Jollywood Nights (dates and ticket details here) you can look forward to a variety of party-time menu items. Disney released the full lineup this week, including the menu for Jazzy Holidays at the Brown Derby, which is reservations-only this year. The iconic Gertie cookie will be back at various locations, and The Jazzy Holidays menus look snazzy. But my vote for the best-looking lineup goes to ABC Commissary.

• Savory:
  • Cauliflower Taco: Chili pepper-lime dusted fried cauliflower on top of a corn tortilla with diced onions, cilantro, and a chipotle cashew “crema” (Plant-based) (New)
  • Birria Taco: Shredded short rib and Monterey jack served with a beef consommé for dipping
  • Chicken Empanadas with Street Corn: Chicken empanadas served with a side of street corn salad topped with chili peppers, lime, and cotija cheese
  • Yuca con Chicharrón: Fried pork belly, yuca fries, red pickled onions, and chili-lime seasoning with a yellow pepper aïoli
•  Sweet:
  • Taco ‘bout a Holiday Cookie!: Cranberry cheesecake-filled chocolate cookies dipped in cranberry-white chocolate topped with pistachio whipped cream, gold crispy pearls, chocolate holly leaf décor, and holiday sprinkles (New)
  • Mexican Hot Cocoa Cheesecake: Holiday chocolate cookie streusel, whipped cinnamon-chocolate cheesecake, and spiced whipped cream topped with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a Wondermade Churro Marshmallow

• Beverages:
  • Mango Chamoyada: Frozen mango beverage with mango-chili-lime sauce topped with chili-lime seasoning (Non-alcoholic)
  • Mango Chamoyada with tequila
  • Coquito: Coconut cream, coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, Bacardí Rum, and Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum topped with cinnamon (New)
  • Oaxaca Old Fashioned: Casa Dragones Blanco Tequila, Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, agave nectar, and flavors of chocolate and orange served over ice and garnished with an orange

Maybe we’re just suckers for chamoy, or maybe it’s the birria tacos, but we’ll definitely be checking these out. You can see the full menu lineup for the event here.

Chicago to Disney by Rail Non-stop

Ere now, it was possible to go from Chicago to Disney World by rail, but now it’s easier than ever with a non-stop route from Chicago to Miami. It’s not cheap, but if you have reasons to not fly and not drive, you’ll no longer have to take Amtrak’s Capitol Limited from Chicago to New York and then transfer to the Silver Star New York to Miami route which stops in Orlando and Kissimmee.

Beginning in November, you can board the brand new Floridian route that begins in Chicago and ends in Miami, also with stops in Orlando and Kississimmee. Service is expected to begin on November 10, 2024, and while this is billed as a limited-time route, that probably doesn’t mean “just a month or two”. The new route is accommodating the East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project, which is expected to take about 2-3 years.

Star Lord Meet & Greet Returning to EPCOT

Location undisclosed, but Disney has confirmed that a Star Lord Meet & Greet will be returning to EPCOT on September 29. Keep an eye out in the My Disney Experience app for locations and times if you’re visiting the parks. Now all we need is for the Awesome Mix Live stage show from 2018 & 2019 to return next summer.

Reflections Lakeside Lodge Showing Signs of Life

In a different week we might not engage in such rumor-mongering, but this one seems fairly solid. As reported by Blog Mickey and elsewhere, Disney has filed permits for a mobile crane which it describes as being used to build a 10-story hotel, at coordinates matching the location of the proposed Reflections: A Disney Lakeside Lodge. If you’ve only recently begun following news in the Disney-verse, Reflections is a Disney Vacation Club property that was announced, and then paused during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The work schedule on the permit runs from October 14, 2024 to August 14, 2025, so we should hear an official announcement soon. Unless of course Disney decides to just construct in plain sight and trickle out hints in dribs and drabs leading up to a big reveal.

Headline News Recap

The times they are a changin’ … and if you feel like accessibility programs at the parks have done a lot of changing in the last year, we’d definitely agree with that. The latest this week? The IBCCES Accessibility Card is No Longer Required at Universal Parks

Thinking about a late fall getaway and didn’t pick a destination yet? Perhaps Disneyland should be on your mind. Late Fall and Winter 2024 Room Discounts at Disneyland Resort

That’s it for this week’s Travel Beat. What news are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments!