Category: Other

Quick service dining is currently down to just a handful of locations at Magic Kingdom, and Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe is one of them. This centrally located quick service location is often noted as one of the busiest counter service restaurants in the entire United States. Cosmic Ray’s is a popular choice thanks to its large presence and easy access from Main Street USA, Tomorrowland, and Fantasyland.

Mobile Ordering is available here, which provides out-of-this-world convenience. Our team has noticed that food here is fresher and hotter than it was in the before time. It seems food is more closely prepared to order thanks to mobile ordering.

Over recent years we have processed over 500,000+ surveys from our readers, and they have scored Cosmic Ray’s with a 78% thumbs up with a rank of 78 out of 107 dining options at Walt Disney World. That puts Cosmic Ray’s at a “B” grade. The portions are large, and the prices are some of the lowest of any quick service location. But the quality is just simple fast food fare.

Want more information about dining, ratings, and other helpful planning information right at your fingertips? Become a TouringPlans Subscriber before your next trip to Walt Disney World.

Once upon a time, Cosmic Ray’s had a great amount of variety on their menu. The service counter is made of three bays, and it used to be each bay specialized in different fare: chicken and ribs at one, burgers at another. But the efficiency of this setup was poor at times. The menu now is reduced from years past, which you can view here.

On a recent visit our team ordered:

• 1/3 lb. Angus Cheeseburger with Fries –  $12.49
• Plant-Based Vegan Sloppy Joe – $12.99
• All-Beef Foot-long Hot Dog – $11.99

I enjoy trying out plant-based fare at Walt Disney World because it is often flavorful and filling without weighing me down. Our team reports that the plant based Sloppy Joe isn’t the best non-meat option on property, but it’s a step in the right direction. The sauce is nice and the bun is soft, almost melting into the sauce. We recommend the plant-based options at Liberty Tree Tavern, but if you’re sticking to quick service and want a satisfying plant-based options this Vegan Sloppy Joe will fit the bill.

The hot dog is a good stand-in until Casey’s Corner re-opens.  It’s large enough for two people to share, but yummy enough you may not want too. The topping bar isn’t functioning for fresh toppings, which was one of the redeeming qualities of this location. There are more than enough sauces and condiments to add some variety to your order. Our team has now asked for the Sriracha Aioli that comes with the seasonal Mickey’s Monster Mash Burger and they’ve not been charged or had any trouble.

The Angus Cheeseburger is nothing special. Hamburgers are pretty standard at most in-park counter service locations. If a seasonal burger, like the current Mickey’s Monster Mash Burger, is available go for it instead of the standard burger.

The interior dining room is quite large, with the main dining area offering entertainment via the venue’s main attraction: Sonny Eclipse. This beloved audio animatronic alien lounge singer is full of corny jokes and crooning tunes. Outdoor tables and chairs offer views of Cinderella Castle, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland.

Have you eaten at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe Before? What did you think?

The post REVIEW: Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe Offers A Galaxy of Casual Fare appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Dining, In the Parks, Magic Kingdom, Trip Planning, Walt Disney World (FL), cosmic ray’s, disney burger, disney dining, disney hot dog, magic kingdom dining

A couple of weeks ago Downtown Disney received a smorgasbord of new Halloween merchandise. Now even more new items have arrived!

My favorite item this week is this Madame Leota crystal ball from the Haunted Mansion for $24.99. It lights up and plays actual Leota phrases from the ride. Just in time for Halloween!

Before I get in to the rest of the new Halloween items I have to talk about the new Baby Yoda (aka The Child) merch that also arrived at World of Disney this week. Here’s this adorable mug priced at $22.99.

You know you’re a cultural phenomenon when you get to be on a pair of Crocs. These are marked at $54.99.

This eye catching hooded sweatshirt with The Child and the Mandalorian can be yours for $54.99.

Don’t forget the Baby Yoda leggings! $39.99.

Let everyone know how much you Baby Yoda with this $36.99 shirt.

You got the Baby Yoda shirt, shoes, backpack, hat, and leggings so you may as well get the socks to complete the look.

I thought this Baby Yoda blanket that folds in to a pillow was very cute. $39.99.

Back to Halloween stuff. Commemorate Halloween 2020 with this crew neck, $44.99

This fantastic Haunted Mansion mug even includes a spoon shaped like a shovel. It is available for $19.99.

This Haunted Mansion bottle opener has a magnet on the back so you can stick it to your fridge or metal hip!

Welcome all the Foolish Mortals out there with this sign for $12.99.

For $9.99 you get this button set featuring Jungle Cruise and Haunted Mansion art.

These emerald and burgundy sequin mouse ear headbands are new and apparently pretty popular. They sell for $29.99 each.

These…. orange cream soda (?) colored items are marked as “New Arrival” but I’m pretty sure I’ve seen them before. Either way, here they are!

That’s it for this time. Do you have your eye on anything in particular? Let me know in the comments below.

 

The post PHOTOS: New Baby Yoda Merch, Madame Leota Crystal Ball, Mouse Ears and More Now at Disneyland Resort appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Disneyland (CA), Merchandise, Downtown Disney, Halloween, merchandise, the child

We’re mixing things up here with In Case You Missed It! First things first….you know them….you love them….the team here from TouringPlans is going to weigh in on some of their thoughts of the articles of the week! So, get ready….they have a lot of thsoughts. (Well….most….maybe not Derek. Just kidding Derek!)

This week, we take a look at the newest trailer to feature The Child and learn what Brian has to say about the upcoming season, find out what film might be released to Disney+ like Mulan was (and see why I’m disappointed), and learn Derek’s thoughts on the new Mickey Mouse series for Disney+ and more.

In Case You Missed It – Disney and Universal Orlando News and Rumors

The OC Register shared an article this week discussing the fact that Disney (and many others) are ready to get back to things in the state of California, as a trade organization representing the company and others has called on Governor Gavin Newsom to reopen California theme parks this week, as it was the six-month anniversary of the coronavirus closure of Disneyland.

James shared his take – “Well, they can ask, but you may recall that Disney actually announced an earlier plan to open Disneyland in July that basically got a pocket veto from the state because it apparently declined to even act on it, opting instead to focus upon the surge in cases California was seeing at the time. With that said, cases have calmed down since then in the area, the Florida parks seem to have demonstrated that there are ways to operate a theme park in a safe and responsible fashion during a pandemic, and hopefully that will put the state in a position to at least offer some guidance on when things can reopen. There’s been a lot of activity at the Disneyland parks lately, so it seems like Disney is expecting to get the green light sooner than later as well. Fingers crossed!”

This article from the Orlando Sentinel is just one of those melt your heart stories. This little girl, Harper Mae, who was born with spina bifida, is building muscle to help her walk better as she makes her way around the theme parks at Walt Disney World. Take a look at the awesome way she gets around too!

In news that makes me very sad, Disney is considering moving Soul to Disney+. Now, one would expect that it would be the way that they did it with Mulan, where you would get premium access first, but still, I was really excited about the film and hoping that I would be able to see it in theaters. I would hate to think that what happened to Onward would possibly happen to Soul, which looks like it’s going to be a lovely, albeit incredibly sad film. Speaking of still being able to see a film in theaters, it does appear that they will be doing whatever they can to make sure Black Widow will be shown in theaters – likely delaying that film’s release date. Click to read the article from Variety. What do you think? Would you prefer if Soul was just put out on Disney+ and how would you like it if Black Widow was delayed once again?

We’re a little over a month out from season two of The Mandalorian! So, I guess 2020 isn’t a completely negative year. Take a look at the recent trailer here and let us know your thoughts about what you hope to see from the upcoming season in the comments.

Brian had his own thoughts of the second season – “I’m very excited for more Mando, as are my kids who are not particularly Star Wars fans. It looks like there will be more mixing of a new story with some familiar sights (to us nerds anyway) which was so successful in Season 1. I mean X-wing fighters! Banthas! Gamorreans! Wee little Yoda!”

Do we maybe have the villain for the upcoming Ant-Man film? According to Deadline, Jonathan Majors, from HBO’s hit series Lovecraft Country may be tapped to play Kang the Conqueror. For those who don’t know, and it is possible the character could be used differently in the movie, in the comics, Kang is a time-traveling entity who had battles with everyone from Thor to Spider-Man to the entire Avengers team. Will be interesting to see if the rumors are indeed true and Kang will be a part of the upcoming movie.

If you love Mickey Mouse shorts, then I have some good news for you! The main mouse will have a brand new animated shorts series for Disney+ that comes out this November 18 according to this article.

Derek has some thoughts about the upcoming series – “The more Mickey on Disney+ the better. This is great news.” Do you agree with Derek?

We have our She-Hulk! Reports are stating that Tatiana Maslaney from Orphan Black is taking the role for the upcoming Disney+ series! For those who don’t know who She-Hulk is, She-Hulk is Jennifer Walters, an attorney and cousin of Bruce Banner, (or the Hulk.) An emergency blood transfusion from her cousin gives Walters her powers, but unlike Banner/Hulk, She-Hulk was able to keep her intelligence and personality when she Hulked out. Definitely sounds like this will be one interesting series once it hits Disney+! Are you anxious for it?

Well, I don’t know about you, but one of my guilty pleasures on Disney+ is Forky Asks a Question. The show is so silly and yet still makes me laugh. So, I’m happy to share that Forky Asks a Question has won the Emmy for Outstanding Short Form Animated Program! If you haven’t caught the series, go watch it now. The episodes are short and so enjoyable!

Um….have you seen video of the cutest non-real dog?! At Universal, they’ve introduced Latte as part of the steampunk character line up for Toothsome Chocolate Emporium! He’s made of cogs and silverware and is super cool, not gonna lie! I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see him in person!

 

The post What We’re Talking About: The Mandalorian, The Mouse, and More appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: In Case You Missed It