News & Rumors 8/10/09 - 8/16/09

News and Rumors are gathered from various different websites. One particular website is not favored over another. All rumors are rumors and are to be taken with a grain of salt.

News

• The Free Dining period officially started today! Enjoy all the free grub! (Me...I still have 25 days until I get to eat free!)
• In preparation of free dining, Disney is opening up some previously seasonal restaurants. First, the Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station is going to be open on Sundays during Free Dining. It is expected to serve an all you can eat buffet dinner. (No word on the menu selection.) Dates it will be open are: the 16, 23, and 30th of Aug and Sept. 6, 13, 20, 27. The cost is $35 for adults, $18 for kids and it will be open from 6 pm - 9 pm
• Another restaurant that will be open for the Free Dining period is the Diamond Horseshoe, serving a family style dinner from 5 pm - 9 pm.
• Chef Mickey's is also adding a lunch offering for part of the Free Dining period. Lunch will be served from Aug. 16 - 29 and Sept. 20-Oct. 3. Lunch will be served from 12:30 pm until 2:30 pm.
• Mickey's Backyard BBQ will also have additional seatings. Extra nights have been added on Aug. 18 and 25th and Sept. 1, 11, 15, 22, and 29th.
• The new tequila bar in the Mexico Pavilion in Epcot (La Cava del Tequila) is expected to open Aug. 28th
• The TTA's reopening has been pushed back and is expected to reopen on Sept. 1st.
• Kat Cora's new restaurant Kouzzina is now officially open.
• The Cinderella Castle Dreamlights are now being installed once again for this year's holiday season, as has beginning work on the Osbourne Spectacle of Lights at DHS.
• Some of the hours in sections of DAK have been extended through the rest of the month. (This is due to an error with the new dining system that occurred.) From Aug. 16 - 22, the areas of Asia and Africa will remain open until 6 pm. From Aug. 23 - 31, Africa and Asia will remain open until 7 pm.
• For those of you worried with the Living With the Land boat ride being down about the Behind the Seeds tour also being down, fear not! The tour is still being given as normal.

Rumors

• It appears even more so that the 180 day window for making dining reservations may indeed be coming back. If it does, expect it to return around Oct. 27th or so.