Inside the new Edison and other restaurants at Disney Springs
By early January, the Edison, Maria & Enzo’s, Enzo’s Hideaway and Pizza Ponte should all be open at Disney Springs in Disney World.
The Edison’s opening is highly anticipated not only because of the food, but the ambiance. Themed to a 1920s-era electric company, the venue will include contortionists, aerialists and DJs.
While during the day it will welcome families for lunch and dinner, after 10 p.m. the building turns into a place for those 21 and older.
The backstory, according to the Disney Parks Blog, is that the building originally served as the power plant for Disney Springs.
The décor includes a one-of-a-kind mural romanticizing the golden age of innovation and a larger-than-life, working clock tower that greets guests upon arrival. The Boiler Bar has electrical display panels. The adjacent boilers are the classic centerpieces of the power plant.
Next to The Edison are three Italian venues, located in what was once the Disney Springs Air Terminal, a majestic Art Deco structure that welcomed guests from across the globe to a world of sun, beauty and legendary hospitality.
(Swipe the photos below in the Instagram box to see more views of the inside)
The backstory here is that the air terminal was popular into the early 1930s, but travelers diminished as the years brought on more modern flying alternatives and larger destinations. Upon its closure, the building was purchased by an Italian immigrant couple named Maria & Enzo; the duo had previously run the small bakery in the terminal’s lobby.
Inspired by their shared love of food and travel, they opened Pizzar Ponte, which sells Sicilian-style pizza by the slice, made-to-order sandwiches and handmade Italian pastries.
Maria & Enzo’s features vaulted ceilings, a geographically correct mural depicting the destinations once serviced by the terminal…New York, Daytona Beach, New Orleans and Cuba among them. The main dining room pays homage to the original departure lounge while nearby, a more intimate dining room highlights its history as the first-class lounge with service standards that are second to none.
Enzo’s Hideaway offers a glimpse into another lounge – this one, a secret space that first served as a bootlegger’s hideout. A legendary speakeasy that was discovered by Enzo after he purchased the terminal, this network of tunnels was the center of the Springs’ social life during the “dry years” of prohibition. Look no further than the graffiti wall and you can begin to imagine the storied nightlife that took place here.
All four venues are being operated by The Patina Group.
