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Disney Business Disney Parks

What’s New at Disney Springs: lululemon Construction, Reopening Dining Locations, and a NEW Patio Project

Hey, everybody! Disney Springs is open and you know what that means, right? It’s time for another roundup of What’s New at Disney Springs!

Hi old friend!

Whew! It’s been a LONG TIME since we got to write that! In fact, the last time we were here (before this week, of course) we saw Disney Springs as it was gettin’ ready to undergo its lengthy closure! Click here to reminisce with us!

While Disney Springs isn’t in full-swing yet several third-party restaurants and retail locations are now open while more Disney-owned locations are set to reopen May 27th.

World of Disney

During our visit we revisited some locations and took another stroll around the shopping and dining district! Let’s see what Disney Springs has been up to in its first couple of days back in action!

Disney Springs Construction Update

Ample Hills Creamery

On our visit yesterday, we spotted a few construction projects in the works. One of these highly anticipated projects is Ample Hills CreameryOur favorite spot to grab an ice cream taco is adding a second location to Disney World.

Ample Hills Construction

Along with its location at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, the Disney Springs location was slated to open this past winter. Due to the temporary closures, that was clearly pushed back, but we hope to see progress on this location soon!

Beatrix

Another project we’ve been tracking for some time now is Beatrix. This neighborhood market restaurant will feature a menu of fresh, healthy ingredients, in addition to a selection of fresh-squeezed juice cocktails. Sign us up!

Beatrix Construction

It looks like work on Beatrix is still underway, although we have been following this for quite some time — we were reporting on construction updates all the way back in September of last year! Hopefully with business operations resuming, we’ll hear an update soon on Beatrix!

Beatrix Construction

Homecomin’ Shine Bar & Social

We also checked out the work being done at Chef Art Smith’s Homecoming! While the restaurant has yet to reopen, there was plenty of new and exciting things to see!

Chef Art Smith!

There will soon be a new patio bar in town! Homecomin’ Shine Bar & Social is currently under construction, and it sounds like there’s more moonshine in store for us to try!

Chef Art Smith Shine Bar & Social

We currently do not have a projected timeline of this project or when we can expect it to open, but we will definitely be keeping a close eye on this one!

lululemon

And calling all yogis, this next construction update is for you! We learned back in February that lululemon is coming to Disney Springs!

lululemon Construction

And from the looks of it, we may not have to wait too long to fill our shopping carts with new yoga pants — they’re currently slated to open Summer 2020!

lululemon Construction

With upcoming runDisney marathon weekends and folks looking to get in their daily steps at Disney World, this could be a very welcomed addition to Disney Springs.

Disney Springs Food Update

Starbucks

Today, the West Side Starbucks location is opened.

West Side Starbucks Line

Currently, only Mobile Order is available via the Starbucks app, but now there are two Disney Springs locations where you can grab your favorite iced latte!

Inside West Side Starbucks

And of course we had to order an ice-cold drink to cool us down on this hot Florida afternoon!

Starbucks Coffee!!

But that’s not the only thing Starbucks has been up to since Disney Springs reopened! We got the sweetest welcome back yesterday when we saw they were serving up a special “Welcome Back” drink!

Starbucks Menu

This special limited-time drink is mango, dragonfruit refresher, coconut milk, strawberries, blackberries, and pineapple ginger syrup topped with golden ginger whipped cream! 

Welcome Back Drink at Starbucks

There’s nothing like a brand-new Starbucks drink to welcome us back to Disney Springs!

Earl of Sandwich

We also stopped by Earl of Sandwich to grab some food and see what dining there is like! We swung by yesterday to see what new health and safety protocols were in place, but we wanted the FULL experience today, sandwich and all!

Earl of Sandwich

We spoke with some awesome employees at Earl of Sandwich who told us crowds today were much less intense than yesterday. It seemed like the mad reopening day rush has subsided and they have not seen any huge groups of more than four or five guests at a time.

Earl of Sandwich

Disney Springs Merchandise Update

Time to get our shop on! We gained a lot of insight yesterday on what the new shopping experience in Disney Springs is like. From floor markings to signage just about everywhere you looked, the shops were all implementing new health and safety procedures.

Vera Bradley

Vera Bradley

On the hunt for face masks, we only found one store that is currently selling them! You can find face masks at Vera Bradley on sale for $8.00 per mask.

Vera Bradley Face Mask

Cards

Speaking of things to look forward to, while lovepop is not open yet, we spotted some ADORABLE greeting cards that we can’t wait to scoop up.

lovepop!

There were a couple of cards we recognized that we’re glad to see are still in stock, like this adorable pop-up Baby Yoda card.

Baby Yoda!

We also found a SECOND Baby Yoda card, because there’s no such thing as too much Baby Yoda!

MORE Baby Yoda at lovepop!

For a more ‘traditional’ Star Wars fan, we also spotted this Yoda birthday card!

Buy this card, you will.

If you’re celebrating a birthday soon in Disney Springs, pick up this pop-up Mickey Mouse cupcake card!

lovepop

And finally, this classic Mickey Mouse through the years card stole our hearts!

lovepop

Each location has implemented new health and safety procedures a little differently. We will continue to keep you updated as more stores reopen. Just as a reminder, Disney-owned locations will begin reopening May 27th.

At this time Walt Disney World theme parks and Resort hotels still remain closed until further notice but now that Disney Springs has started to gradually reopen, we’ll be providing you with lots of coverage! That’s all for this installment of What’s New in Disney Springs — until next time, friends! Stay healthy and stay positive!

What’s your favorite store or restaurant in Disney Springs? Let us know in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disney News, Disney Springs, Featured, Walt Disney World, construction update, food update, merchandise update, temporary closure, what’s new, what’s new at disney springs

Categories
Disney Food Disney Parks

Review! YES. We’re Eating Pepperoni Pizza Bread and Mac & Cheese at Earl of Sandwich in Disney World!

We’re back at Disney Springs today to eat…again — we ATE at A LOT of restaurants yesterday, which you can see here!

Earl of Sandwich

We’re here ready to do lunch at Disney World’s Earl of Sandwich today. Let’s go check it out!

Earl of Sandwich continues to use disposable paper menus today (as we mentioned yesterday)!

Earl of Sandwich Menu

Originally, we had plans to order a side of Wings and Wedges which were on the menu, but we were told they didn’t have them in stock.

Earl of Sandwich Menu

We ended up going with Hawaiian BBQ, Wings, Mac and Cheese, and Pepperoni Pizza Bread instead — with a side of Frose! Like we mentioned yesterday, each register has a newly-installed plexiglass shield.

Earl of Sandwich Counter

In the dining room there are fewer tables and they have been spaced apart. Most of the tables inside were occupied.

Earl of Sandwich

There were still places for some guests to sit off to the side.

Earl of Sandwich

When we placed our order we were given a pager.

Pager at Earl of Sandwich

We went to get our order from the pick-up window which has also been enclosed with more plexiglass. Everything was wrapped to-go and we carried our lunch outside where the tables have also been moved around to give guests more space to dine.

Earl of Sandwich Order

Food

For $8.99 this Frose was pretty darn tasty. We would definitely order it again on a hot day at Disney Springs!

Earl of Sandwich Order

Next, we located our plastic cutlery — the handles were unwrapped while the ends were covered in plastic.

Earl of Sandwich

We dove right into the Mac and Cheese for $5.49, (which we already knew would be freaking awesome, only somehow it seemed tastier than ever before!) as it just our imagination or was there an extra layer of cheese melted on top? Either way, it totally hit the spot.

Mac and Cheese

Next, we got to work on our Hawaiian BBQ Sandwich which cost us $7.99! Hello, old friend! How we missed your shiny metallic red, blue, and silver foil wrapper!

Earl of Sandwich

Oh my goodness, you guys. The flavors in this sandwich are such a good mix. Let’s just say Earl of Sandwich knew what they were doing when they created this anything-but-little tropical delight!

Hawaiian BBQ Sandwich

Even if you’re normally completely against pineapple on anything warm, you might actually want more pineapple on this bad boy! The ham was really tasty while the chicken in the sandwich isn’t very flavorful on its own, but when you bite into all the ingredients at once, it’s a mind-blowing experience.

Hawaiian BBQ Sandwich

Last up, the Pepperoni Pizza Bread for $6.99. For us, this looked a whole lot better than it ended up being. We think the pizza at Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza or Pizza Ponte are better options if you’re in the mood. The pizza itself was good, but the crust was a little thick for our liking and it had a little too much sauce. We can be a little nit-picky when it comes to our pizza, though, so don’t be afraid to try it out!

Pepperoni Pizza Bread

Overall

Wow! We can’t believe how long it’s been since we enjoyed some Earl of Sandwich! We’re VERY full and energized after such a tasty meal! The food was fresh, filling, and delicious. Dining  here is a little different due to all of the changes, but our service and food were great!

Have you ever eaten at Earl of Sandwich before? Let us know what you like to order in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Counter-Service, Disney Springs, Featured, Snacks, Walt Disney World, 2020, closure, counter service restaurant, disney springs, Disney World, Earl of Sandwich, frose, hawaiian bbq sandwich, mac and cheese, may 20th, Pepperoni Pizza Bread, reopen

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Disney Merch Disney Movies

This Is Halloween…in May! Check Out the NEW Disney and Nightmare Before Christmas Funko Pops!

What’s this!? Celebrating Halloween in May seems to be the new thing the cool kids are up to lately, with “Halfway2Halloween” taking over Disney Parks Blog last week!

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

The spooky celebrations continue with Funkoween, Funko’s way of scaring up some frightfully awesome merchandise when the rest of us are preparing our grills for Memorial Day Weekend!

Several of these exclusive Pops are available now at Hot Topic, while others will be released at Box Lunch on May 22. Walgreens exclusive Pops are expected to arrive at a later date.

© Disney

One of the Walgreens exclusives includes this massive 10″ supersized Pop of Jack Skellington, with his trusty ghost dog, Zero! He even glows in the dark (perfect for spooking your friends!).

© Disney

If you want a more varied set of Pops, Walgreens will also carry several other characters, including Sally, Oogie Boogie, and Zero. Some of these figurines also glow in the dark.

© Disney

Over at Hot Topic, Jack Skellington fans can order this art series Pop (estimated shipping will take place in August).

© Disney

Box Lunch will have a glow in the dark Oogie Boogie Pop!, with his set of dice and gambling wheel (looks like whoever is attached to the wheel rolled a bad set of dice).

© Disney

Another Box Lunch and Hot Topic exclusive is this Oogie Boogie Funko Pop, as well as a cute little Oogie Boogie keychain! Seriously, why does Oogie Boogie look so cute sometimes?

© Disney

And to round out your Halloween collection, why not throw in some classic Disney Funkos with these adorable Vampire Mickey and Witch Minnie Pops? They’re ready to celebrate the holiday, that’s for sure! Both of these Pops will be available on Amazon at the end of August.

© Disney

Collect all of these spooky Funko Pops from Disney and The Nightmare Before Christmas in time for Halloween, and you just might be crowned the next Pumpkin King!

Do you collect Funko Pops? Will you be shopping for this latest Nightmare Before Christmas series? Let us know in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: disney merchandise, Featured, News, Special Stuff, Box Lunch, disney collectables, Disney merchandise, funko, funko pop, hot topic, nightmare before Christmas, The Nightmare Before Christmas

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Disney Food Other

Celebrate Memorial Day With Takeout Specials From STK Steakhouse in Disney Springs!

It’s Memorial Day weekend so we’ll be celebrating the lives of those who have served our country.

STK Orlando

STK Steakhouse, the Disney Springs location and other locations, have released some meaty Memorial Day specials to grill at home. Whether you’re looking to surprise a veteran in your life or celebrating the start of summer with your family, you’re going to want to take a look at these specials!

The Grill at Home STK Connoisseur Package is courtesy of STK Market, a meat market that helps you become a grillmaster at home. There are two options for the Memorial Day packages and both mean that you’ll be chowin’ down on some delicious cuts of meat.

©STK Steakhouse

The $149 package will net you a 34 oz Dry-Aged Tomahawk with Asparagus and Mac & Cheese. The $159 package will get you two 6 oz Filets, two 14 oz New York Strips, Asparagus, and Mac & Cheese. For $40 more on either package, they’ll throw in a bottle of select wine!

©STK

The special is available Friday, May 22nd through Monday, May 25th for takeout only, while supplies last. You pick up your package at your local STK Steakhouse. And just as a reminder, STK Orlando just opened up in Disney Springs. To order, call (833) 785-3887.

Will you be snagging the Memorial Day special? Tell us in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Featured, News, memorial day, Memorial Day Special, STK, STK Market, STK Orlando, STK Steakhouse

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Disney Food Disney Parks

Move Over Pork Rinds — There’s a NEW Special Menu Item at The Polite Pig in Disney World!

Why, it seems like only yesterday we stopped by The Polite Pig and tried their new Pork Rinds, all in the name of science, of course! ?

Pork Rinds

Oh, wait! That’s because we DID visit The Polite Pig in Disney Springs since it has officially reopened.

Feasting on a big pile of fried, crispy Pork Rinds served with pimento cheese sauce was heaven for us, but we were too early to try this new Chef’s Special The Polite Pig has just posted on their Instagram — it’s Shrimp and Grits! Look at all those yummy smoked grilled shrimp covered with a honey peppercorn glaze served over a bed of creamy cheddar grits!

Chef’s Special at © The Polite Pig (Photo Taken from Their Instagram)

We’ll definitely have to make our way over to give them a taste! And guess what we found out yesterday while we were walking around Dinsey Springs — one of our favorite restaurants is getting a brand new outdoor patio bar! Check it out here!

Have you tried The Polite Pig in Disney Springs? Let us know in the comments below! 

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Counter-Service, Disney News, Disney Springs, Featured, Snacks, Walt Disney World, chef’s special, disney springs, may 20th, menu item, New Item, pork rinds, reopened, shrimp and grits, The Polite Pig