Walt Disney World Resort Non-Park Discussion Thread

[Sluggo77Have I mentioned how awesome donkeys are?]

This looks absolutely amazing. Disney never disappoints!

[dreynolds1982I know quite a lot about Donkeys!]

I'm going to be down that way in early January and might check this out. Looks like such an awesome VR experience.

I know they put you through in groups (of 10 I think?) but is it suitable for someone to do by themselves or is it a more team-oriented thing? Wasn't sure there was a lot of team work and coordination involved or anything.

[p-sychiatristIndiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbidden Donkey.]

Wow that VR looks awesome, I love how the vest adds a sensory element to it. Always great to see another Disney Star Wars attraction, even if it technically isn't in the park itself. I'm even more excited about the new Cirque de Soleil show! Considering how amazing the Beatles show was I'm looking forward to hearing remixes of beloved Disney music and how they weave through all the iconic films to tell a single story!

[johnychenI know more about donkeys than women!]

I have done the VR Ghostbusters experience in New York City and it was amazing. Can't wait to try the Star Wars version on my next visit to Orlando.

[ArgoZI'm a know-it-all about donkeys!]

I'm going to be down that way in early January and might check this out. Looks like such an awesome VR experience.

I know they put you through in groups (of 10 I think?) but is it suitable for someone to do by themselves or is it a more team-oriented thing? Wasn't sure there was a lot of team work and coordination involved or anything.

Groups of 4. If you are solo, they will likely match you up with at least a twosome. There is some buttons to press while others hold off enemies. There is no way to really fail, but there are so many troopers and targets to attack that I think it would be frustrating solo, as you would get hit a lot (your vest would buzz constantly) and it may take too much time to go through. I'd recommend booking your time on thevoid.com. The day we visited, it was reservation only and many walk ups were disappointed.

Today we were invited to attend the grand opening of "Maria & Enzo's Ristorante" a new Italian restaurant at Disney Springs. The restaurant is owner and operated by Patina which are also responsible for some of our favorite restaurants on Walt Disney World property such a Via Napoli and Morimoto Asia so we had very high expectations going in! I'm happy to report that not only were our high expectations met, but also exceeded! The food we sampled was absolutely fantastic! We are very much looking forward to going back and trying a full meal, and I have a feeling this location will also be joining several of the other Patina Group restaurants as some of our favorites at the resort!

The interior and theme of the restaurant is also VERY impressive! From their website, they describe it as: "Open and airy with 50-foot high ceilings, a grand staircase and floor-to-ceiling views of Lake Buena Vista, Maria & Enzo’s serves authentic Italian cuisine amidst a stunning design and décor celebrating the golden age of travel."

There is a wonderful "reveal" of the giant open room as you come through the "passenger check-in" area. Anyway, let's have some photos tell the rest of the story...

Today was the grand opening for Maria & Enzo's at Disney Springs!

Management from Patina & Disney were here to kick off the celebration, but the real bosses of course are Mickey & Minnie!

And what would be better for the grand opening of a new Italian restaurant on "National Spaghetti Day" but a giant bowl of Spaghetti & Meatballs?

As the restaurant is "travel themed" you enter through the passenger checkin before going into the lounge.

Here is the main room! It's wonderful looking! I took a couple of panoramic photos (vertical & horizontal) to give you a better idea of the scale of it.

And here is the horizontal view.

Any good party will always have plenty of wine being served! :)

But we were here for the food...and what we sampled was fantastic! These cheese & veggie skewers... YUM!

The Arancini rice & meat balls were wonderful! Loved them!

Some meat on a bread stick? Yes, please!

Of course the real question is... "how was the pasta?" The answer? PERFECT! Having been to Italy many times, I can tell you that this is legit!

How does Jeremiah like his meatballs? "Heavy, black, and pendulous!" (+10 points if you get that reference!) :P

They kept bringing us more food! These was some sort of fried cheese....

Needless to say, Elissa had many, many of these... and continued to have many more after this photo was taken!

Elissa is also a fan of the meatballs...

As we were saying...everything we had WAS JUST "PERFECT!"

Let's take a look at the menu, shall we?

Here's the full menu...

A little bit closer up...

For a higher-end Italian restaurant, which is something that Disney Springs was very much in need of, I find the prices to be very reasonable, and if I are to assume portion sizes are similar to the other Patina group restaurants, I think everyone will be very pleased!

Look at those amazing views!

Again, another look at the main dining room area.

The management came over to say hello to us, but what is that I see they have?

Oh, hello! Are you a "Cheesecake pop?" Yes, you are! Yum!

OMG! A whole plate of Cannolis? Just for ME?!?!? THANK YOU!!!

Please do not make me choose between the Cheesecake pops and the Cannolis! They were both AWESOME!

Right next door to Maria & Enzo's is Pizza Ponte, a quick-service pizza place.

Here's a quick look at the menu, again very reasonable pricing for the portions you get.

The slices look AMAZING!

Some are thick squares, others are thin...

But OMG! This round cheese pie!!!

It's awesome to have these two new locations open at Disney Springs! We will be back soon for a full meal! Can't wait!

For more information, or to book reservations, please check out their website: https://www.patinagroup.com/maria-enzos/

Looks good, that main room is stunning in pictures and I can only imagine it in person.

Quick (maybe dumb) question, is this an entirely new building or something that was re-purposed/renovated from the Downtown Disney/Pleasure Island days? I can't keep straight was what was torn down and what was kept.

Looking forward to some pictures/review of the Edison that place looks right up my alley.

[bert425Why do I still have a donkey title???]

Yay. . I got my RHPS +10 points


and the food looks absolutely amazing -- I'd expect no less from the other restaurants you've reported on from Disney Springs.

absolutely LOVE the boarding pass, travel theme at the entrance. Are they able to carry it thru the whole dining experience? (the atmosphere in the main dining room looks like it loses some of it - tho I really like the "gate" entrances, but if the service is done with Airline Steward mode, I could see it being totally immersive and a really fun evening out).

thanks for the report.

[Philrad71Why do I still have a donkey title???]

Looks VERY good...thanks for sharing!

Quick (maybe dumb) question, is this an entirely new building or something that was re-purposed/renovated from the Downtown Disney/Pleasure Island days? I can't keep straight was what was torn down and what was kept.

It was re-purposed, but I'm not exactly sure which buildings it was exactly because the entire complex there with Maria & Enzo's, Edison, Pizza Ponte, and the underground bar is pretty gigantic!

Are they able to carry it thru the whole dining experience? (the atmosphere in the main dining room looks like it loses some of it - tho I really like the "gate" entrances, but if the service is done with Airline Steward mode, I could see it being totally immersive and a really fun evening out).

To be honest, I don't think the goal here is to be an overly-themed "character" dining experience (character meaning the servers being in character) like Skipper's Canteen, I just think it's supposed to be a nicely themed, high-end restaurant with great food. Personally, I'm not that big of fan of when your servers try to "be a character" so I'm just fine with it being a normal restaurant with some amazing theming.

That being said, there are some other "themed" elements throughout the dining room, like the first class lounge, etc...