Meet the Disney Dining Team!

“To all who come to this happy place, welcome!” – Walt Disney

Welcome to DisneyDining.com, the place to be for delicious Disney foodie content, tips and tricks for planning the most magical Disney Parks vacations ever, the best in Disney nostalgia and history content, and the most up-to-date and credible Disney news from around the globe.

We’re so glad you’re here! We invite you to sit back, relax, and stay a while! If you love Walt, Disney, and the Parks as much as we do, you’re in the perfect place to enjoy news, information, tips, ideas, history, and feel-good stories with a Disney twist. But before you get started, we want to introduce you to the Disney superfans (and certified Disney Adults) who make up our fabulous team of writers!

Andrew Boardwine

A collage of two images with a pink border. The left image shows a family of three posing in front of a castle at a theme park, likely captured by Disney Dining Writers. The right image is an action shot of six people on a space-themed roller coaster ride, all visibly enjoying the experience.
Credit: Andrew Boardwine

Andrew covers a variety of topics, including Entertainment, Disney Parks, and Universal Studios. Growing up taking vacations to Orlando, Andrew has a huge love for both Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Orlando Resort.

At Disney World, Andrew’s favorite ride, hands down, is Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT. While he loves the classic attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion, his favorite moments in Magic Kingdom include relaxing on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, because we all know there is nothing like “today in Tomorrowland.”

Over at Universal Orlando Resort, Andrew is an avid Jurassic Park fan who enjoys the thrills of both the Jurassic World VelociCoaster and Jurassic Park River Adventure. While he also loves iconic attractions like Revenge of the Mummy and E.T. Adventure, his “can’t-miss” attraction is Universal Orlando’s Horror Makeup Show.

Luke Dammann

Left image: A young man wearing a beige cap and tie-dye shirt sits and smiles at the camera. Right image: The same young man, still sporting the cap, sits on an amusement park ride, studying a brochure under dim lighting. The background is dark and starry, setting the scene for Disney Dining Writers to capture every moment.
Credit: Luke Dammann

Luke grew up in Tennessee but spent quite a lot of time at the Walt Disney World Resort during family vacations. Over time, he quickly developed a deep love and passion for Disney, becoming obsessed with rides and attractions as well as the smaller details that all work together to make the Disney theme parks so special.

When visiting his second home at Walt Disney World, Luke will probably be found eating with his favorite animatronic, Sonny Eclipse, at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe in the Magic Kingdom or booking a room at The Twilight Zone Tower Hotel in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Luke will also be found riding DINOSAUR at Disney’s Animal Kingdom or Living with the Land at EPCOT, two of his favorite attractions.

Thomas Hitchen

Two side-by-side photos featuring a person wearing Disney-themed clothing. In the left photo, they pose next to a Zootopia statue. In the right photo, they stand beside a door, looking surprised—classic Disney Dining Writers material. Both images have a green border.
Credit: Thomas Hitchen

Thomas was born in the early 90s and grew up with Marvel cartoons, the Star Wars prequels, and Disney films on videotape. His creative heart has manifested in myriad ways over the decades: writing, drawing, theater, the list goes on.

After studying performing arts and drama, Thomas returned to university for his Masters in Creative Writing and Publishing — a joint venture between the university and The Guardian, headquartered in London, England. There, he studied both fiction and non-fiction writing craft, and workshopped with Booker Prize-winning authors.

His love for Disney traces back to as far as he can remember. From the old live-action Christmas movies starring Mickey Mouse to the grossly-underrated “Treasure Planet” and musical classics like “Mulan” and “Tarzan”, Thomas’ love for Disney transcends genre and medium. His first Disney park visit, Disneyland Paris at Christmas, proved that magic really is everywhere, and he is now half way done with his Disney Parks bingo card. Thomas loves exploring Animal Kingdom and Batuu, riding Cosmic Rewind (to “September”, of course!), and hanging out on Main Street, U.S.A.

When not writing, or thinking, about Disney, Thomas spends his time reading, baking, and working out. His favorite book is “Strange the Dreamer;” favorite thing to bake is chocolate cake (in various forms); and favorite work out is anything but leg day.

Thomas lives in the United Kingdom with his fiancée, daughter, and one boisterous Border collie called Beans.

Rick Lye

Two side-by-side photos of a smiling man. In the left photo, he is wearing a gray shirt in a well-lit indoor setting. In the right photo, he is sporting a blue hat outdoors with a large Mickey Mouse character behind him and a green background, looking like one of Disney Dining Writers on assignment.
Credit: Rick Lye

Rick is an avid Disney fan. He first went to Disney World in 1986 with his parents and has been hooked ever since. Rick is married to another Disney fan and is in the process of turning his two children into fans as well. When he is not creating new Disney adventures, he loves to watch the New York Yankees and hang out with his dog, Buster. In the fall, you will catch him cheering for his beloved NY Giants.

Eva Miller

Side-by-side images of a woman smiling. In the left photo, she's holding a drink in a busy outdoor setting. In the right photo, she's wearing sunglasses, posing with one arm raised in front of a fairytale castle under a clear blue sky—perfect inspiration for Disney Dining Writers.
Credit: Eva Miller

Eva was born and raised in the beautiful state of Oregon but has since relocated and lives in New York City. Since she was young, Eva has loved to perform in musicals, especially Disney ones! Through performing, Disney’s music became the soundtrack of her childhood. Today, Eva loves to write about all the exciting happenings for The Walt Disney Company. In her free time, Eva loves to travel, spend time in nature, and go to Broadway shows. Her favorite Disney movie is Lilo and Stitch, and her favorite park is Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Krysten Swensen

A woman with red hair wearing a red bow headband is excitedly posing with a Stitch character on the left and life-sized Dug and Russell characters from Pixar’s "Up" on the right. Each character is set against vibrant backgrounds, creating a playful atmosphere that Disney Dining Writers absolutely adore.
Credit: Krysten Swensen

A born and bred New England girl living the Disney life in Southern California. I love to read, to watch The Golden Girls, enjoy a Red Sox game, and love everything to do with Disney and Universal. Disney’s best character ever is Figment, and its most underrated movie is The Great Mouse Detective. Love living by Walt’s belief that if we can dream it, we can do it. Follow my Disney and Universal adventures on my Instagram, @BrazzleDazzleDisney!