WDWNT Reporter Josh Siegel scoured the entire Walt Disney World Resort on Wednesday to cover just about every construction project in progress and he has hundreds of newsworthy photos to share with us in this photo report:
Work continues on Pollo Campero at Downtown Disney Marketplace
WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth visited Downtown Disney and Epcot on Friday and took a few newsworthy photos to share with us from his trip:
It’s coming…
WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth visited Walt Disney World on Sunday and has a plethora of newsworthy photos to share with us from his trip:
Let’s go shopping at Star wars Weekends
We are proud to welcome the newest addition to the WDWNT staff, Josh Siegel, with his first photo report from the Walt Disney World Resort:
Work continues on Pollo Campero at Downtown Disney
WDWNT Reporter Banks Lee made a quick trip to the Downtown Disney district last night and took some newsworthy photos to share with us:
The celebration continues at Disney’s Pin Traders
Read More about Banks Lee’s 2/3/10 Downtown Disney Photo Report
Both of these articles from the Orlando Sentinel published today tell an interesting story, the story of an obscure fast food chain replacing McDonald’s in the Downtown Disney Marketplace:
Pollo Campero, an international Latin chicken quick-service restaurant chain, has partnered with Levy Campero to deliver a new restaurant concept in Downtown Disney Marketplace at Walt Disney World Resort. The restaurant, which is scheduled to open in late 2010, will feature Pollo Campero’s signature Latin cusine, as well as fresh, and healthful foods. Menu items will include Latin chicken, yuca fries, sweet plantains, and Latin drinks including horchata and tamarindo.
Pollo Campero, the world’s largest Latin chicken restaurant chain, serves more than 85 million customers each year at more than 300 restaurants in 12 countries around the globe. This includes more than 50 locations already open in the United States, with additional stores scheduled to open this year.
Fast-food giant McDonald’s is leaving Downtown Disney.
The McDonald’s restaurant at Walt Disney World’s shopping-and-dining district will close April 30, Disney said this afternoon. It will be replaced by Pollo Campero, a Latin chicken fast-food chain.
Pollo Campero says it serves more than 85 million customers a year. McDonald’s says it serves more than 47 million customers a day.
Representatives for Disney World and McDonald’s said the exit stems from a 2004 decision to end a 10-year exclusive sponsorship agreement between McDonald’s Corp. and Walt Disney Co. The Downtown Disney restaurant was included in that agreement.
“Our alliance partners are ever-changing and this shift in our relationship with McDonald’s reflects the dynamic nature of the sponsorship business,” Disney spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez said.
McDonald’s said all of its employees at the Downtown Disney were offered transfers to other McDonald’s locations and that no one would lose their job as a result of the closure.
McDonald’s will continue to operate its restaurant near the entrance to the Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.
“We will continue to work with Disney on mutually beneficial opportunities,” McDonald’s spokeswoman Danya Proud said.
The McDonald’s near Disney’s All Star Resorts recently re-opened from a short refurbishment and may now be the trendiest, most stylish fast food eatery on the planet. Let’s take a look at some pictures of the location taken by WDWNT photographer Jose Eber:
The exteror has come a long way from food with faces
The drive-thru looks quite different
We have a few updates to the attractions refurbishment list for you today. First up, the Haunted Mansion refurbishment has been pushed forward to start on September 2nd, as opposed to the 8th. It will still end as originally planned on September 25th.
The removal of McDonalds from Burger Invasion, Harbor Galley, & the Conostoga Wagon was originally supposed to last from September 2nd, to September 26th, but they have seem to of been extended all the way through the end of November. However we have no concrete date for when they will re-open.
The Indiana Jones Summer of Hidden Mysteries will end on September 1st, which means no more performances of both the Secret of the Stone Tiger & Random Acts of Indy. There is currently no word when or if Aladdin’s Oasis will return.
Finally, it seems that the planned refurbishments of the New Orleans Square Railroad Station & Flik’s Flyers have been completely removed off of the list. So no word on if the repaving of the pavement around the NOS station will happen.
Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today for updates on all attraction refurbishments. And for up-to-the-minute information on the various refurbishments, be sure to check our Attraction Refurbishments page!
A whole load of new refurbishments during September & October have been announced. There’s so many, that I’m just gonna bullet them bellow:
It’s interesting to note that all 3 McDonalds locations in the Resort (Conostoga Wagon, Harbour Galley, & Burger Invasion) will be closed starting September 2nd, for an undetermined amount of time. Could this be the end for McDonalds at the Disneyland Resort?
Also, the Hyperion Theater refurbishment has been pushed back to start on September 29th, instead of September 2nd. We still have no information on when it will end, but it should be in time for the Christmas season.
Finally, I just want to remind everyone of the already announced refurbs:
Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today for updates on all attraction refurbishments. And for up-to-the-minute information on the various refurbishments, be sure to check our Attraction Refurbishments page!
Rumors are abound that McDonalds may be pulling out as a Disneyland sponsor. McDonald’s currently operate 2 fry carts over in Frontierland & New Orleans Sqaure, & the Burger Invasion restaurant over in Paradise Pier. Each restaurant sells a limited McDonalds menu, so I think it’s safe to say that they wont be missed.
Another company ready to butt out of a sponsorship deal is Carnation. Carnation has been involved with Disney pretty much since the opening of Disneyland. Back in 1984, Nestle acquired Carnation, & it’s become one of their lesser known brands. As Al Lutz of MiceAge explains it…
… Nestle’ contract as a whole is on the rocks, after meeting up with legal headaches regarding some of the beverages it sells that compete directly with Coca-Cola’s expanding reach into coffee and beverages besides soft drinks. As it stands now, Coca-Cola wants to have a sponsorship presence at Disneyland and other Disney parks more desperately than Nestle’ does, and as push comes to shove with the lawyers it looks like it is Nestle’ and its family of different brands who will likely leave the park.
Just so long as Coca-Cola makes it financially lucrative, Disneyland may even be removing decades old signage around the park like that found at Carnation Plaza Gardens, the sight of a long gone snack bar that served up its last milkshake a decade ago.
