March 28, 2021 – Banana Rver Resort

March 28, 2021December 6, 2022

Melbourne Food Tour

Calling all foodies! Come find your own personal space in the sand and soak up the sun while experiencing memorable dining throughout Melbourne & the Beaches. Love great food? This beach town takes food seriously and encourages all to join in on the fun. There’s something for everyone here. Whether you prefer seafood, southern cooking, or small local favorites, you’ll love dining on Florida’s Space Coast.

Enjoy Melbourne’s Foodie Community

Dine on the beach at places like Sand on the Beach and appreciate the ocean views as you eat. A small place like Dakine Diego’s is a local favorite and great to visit after a day at the beach. Try out something new at Chez Quan’s. This five star earned restaurant has a menu composed of an interesting mix of American, Thai and Spanish food that’ll make anyone’s mouth water. Melbourne also has many options for vegans, vegetarians and gluten-intolerant foodies. The Bald Strawberry is a perfect option for a gluten-free lunch. Even though this restaurant specializes in a gluten-free menu, everyone is sure to find something they will love. Step out of a comfort zone at one of the innovative places in town, or get your fix for comfort foods like biscuits and gravy and enjoy one of the many home-styled food spots around. Either way, it’s pretty hard not to love your meals around here.

Backwater

Open for breakfast and lunch, Backwater specializes in southern-inspired food that everyone can eat, including those with vegan and vegetarian diets. Griddle tables are available where guests can make their own pancakes and is a fun way for families to enjoy the dining experience together.

Chez Quan’s

Fusing together flavors of Thailand, Spain, and American food, this unlikely little spot offers a flavorful menu of authentic and cooked fresh to order food.

El Ambia Cubano

Enjoy fresh, homemade Cuban food and drinks in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Open for lunch and dinner, you can’t go wrong with The Cuban sandwich and a café con leche to drink.

Yellow Dog Café

The Yellow Dog Café is an award-winning restaurant nestled on the banks of the Indian River Lagoon that boasts a fine dining experience that very few on the Space Coast can rival. Their menu offers a wide selection of exquisite appetizers, entrees, and desserts to satisfy any appetite.

Sunnyside Café

This quaint breakfast spot serves up classic breakfast items in an atmosphere that treats you like family. Offering large portion sizes, Sunnyside Café sits across from the beach and is a favorite among the locals.

Ocean 302 Bar & Grill

With a menu that includes everything from burgers and brick oven pizza to seafood favorites like Atlantic Whitefish and Ahi Tuna, Ocean 302 is a delightful experience. Experience the Chef’s Table or “The Ultimate Experience” by making a 24-hour advance reservation.

Open Mike’s Coffee

As one of the best venues for live music on Florida’s Space Coast, Open Mike’s is a top-notch coffee bar in Melbourne, Florida. Hear some Jazz, sing the blues and listen to original tunes by talented artists while sipping on a cup of Joe or two.

March 28, 2021

Cocoa Beach Pier

Surfers are drawn here but it’s also a major attraction to anyone for walking out over the ocean. Enjoy this impressive structure and its frequent events.

Cocoa Beach Pier is near Cape Canaveral on the Space Coast. It’s a superb place for its constant provision of things to do and see, as well as for its cooling sea breezes. Walk out over the Atlantic Ocean for 800 feet (240 meters). Visit the assorted businesses on the pier, including restaurants, boutiques, tropical bars and gift shops.

A local businessman built the pier in 1962. Cars were initially allowed to drive on it. Notice the 270 sturdy pilings driven into the ocean’s bottom to hold up the structure and its 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) of plank decking. Back then, citizens and tourists drove out on the pier to watch sunsets or the liftoff of space missions from nearby Cape Canaveral, about 2 miles (3 kilometers) away. About 20 years later, the pier’s name was changed from Canaveral Pier to its current one and it underwent a $2-million remodeling and expansion.

The pier became the focal point for surfers as Cocoa Beach evolved into the Surfing Capital of the East Coast. The first Easter Surfing Festival was organized in 1964. The pier was the original location of the well-known Ron Jon Surf Shop that has since relocated to a nearby address. Imagine the attraction for youth in the ‘70s when a pier disco known as Asylum was the venue for popular bands including The Beach Boys, The Edgar Winter Group, Bachman-Turner Overdrive or BTO, UB40 and many more.

More recently it’s been the location of the famous Pier House Restaurant, now known as the award-winning Atlantic Ocean Grille. Find the Rikki Tikki Tavern at the end of the pier, surrounded with amazing sea views, as you enjoy a hunger-busting selection from the menu. The pier has undergone a $4-million investment after it was purchased by a hotel interest from the original owners in 2014.

Find Cocoa Beach Pier in Cocoa Beach off Meade Avenue. There is a fee to go out on the pier; some businesses refund this amount on purchases. The admission is worth the price even if you’re here just for a stroll, refreshing sea breezes or a spectacular sunset.

March 28, 2021

Make a plan for the Walt Disney World Resort 50th Anniversary Celebration

Since its opening in 1971, Walt Disney World has played host to millions of families every year becoming the global destination for making magical memories with family and friends. The second half-century of magic will begin this October with a brand new celebration that will span the entire resort.

Beginning this October, guests will experience a uniquely Disney event they’re calling – The World’s Most Magical Celebration. Disney even coined a neologism “EARidescence” to describe the costumes and park icon overlays that will be the hallmark of the anniversary

What you need to know:

Start date: October 1, 2021
End date: April 1, 2023
All Four Park Icons are getting an EARidescent makeover and Mickey and Minnie Mouse are getting new costumes. More details will be announced at a future date.

What was announced:

The announcement revealed that all four parks icons would be getting new treatments for the 50th:

Cinderella Castle will illuminate Magic Kingdom with a dazzling radiance that sparkles with pixie dust. The new treatment will add to its 2020 gold and pink makeover with new gold bunting, sparkling golden embellishments, and other enhancements, including a 50th-anniversary crest welcoming guests to join the festivities.
At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the Tree of Life will add new warm light and magical fireflies will gather to usher in the magic of nature.
The Hollywood Tower Hotel at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will feature a new digital projection show that will paint it with designs evoking the golden age of imagination and adventure.
And at EPCOT, new lights will shine across the reflective panels of Spaceship Earth, connecting to one another in a symbol of optimism resembling stars in a nighttime sky. This new look will continue beyond The World’s Most Magical Celebration as a defining feature of the park.

These new decorations promise shimmer and glamour long into the night at all four parks.

Which do you like best?

Using digital projections to add a nighttime glow to the Hollywood Tower of Terror is a good low-cost way of celebrating the anniversary. Better than giving it an entire new paint job.

Additionally, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse will get new costumes for the 50th anniversary. The costumes will feature celebratory designs including beautifully embroidered impressions of Cinderella Castle backed by fireworks, as well as a brocade in multi-toned, EARidescent fabric – all punctuated with pops of gold.

What’s the bottom line?

Like many companies, The Walt Disney Company has had to adjust its business plans due to the pandemic. No division has been hit harder than its theme parks, so while there may have been big plans for the 50th anniversary back in 2019, it’s no shock that what will be coming in 2021 will be scaled back. How scaled back likely depends on how fast their business recovers.

That said, the announcement this morning was, there’s no getting around it, underwhelming. Disney has promised more announcements in the future. Hopefully, that will include new nighttime shows (beyond HarmonioUS at EPCOT).

If you plan to visit during the 50th anniversary, the time to start planning is now. Walt Disney World is already accepting reservations for its resort hotels through 2022.