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It’s time to do some shopping! Let’s shop! Yes, yes, we know…shopping for Disney essentials and souvenirs means it’s ALWAYS time for some shopping. But one of our favorite clothing stores, H&M, just dropped a brand new Disney collection for kids, and so we don’t have to shop alone, we wanted to share some of those new items with you. So let’s take a look at the new collection! DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Get the Kid’s Stitch Printed Cotton Dress ©H&M Experiment 626 never looked so pretty as he does as a print on this adorable pink dress that’s perfect for the summer. This knee-length dress also has a ruffle at the bottom. View on Amazon Buy the Kid’s 2-Piece Printed Sweatshirt Set ©H&M If your kid loves Cars, Bluey, or the Hulk, you need to grab this 2-piece set that features a short sleeve lightweight sweatshirt and shorts with an elastic waistband for comfort. View on Amazon Get the Moana 2-Piece Sweatshirt Set ©H&M There’s also an adorable 2-piece set starring Moana and Pua. This set features a print with Moana and her best pig with a shirt and shorts made of a super soft fabric. The camisole top is perfect for summer. View on Amazon Get the 3-Pack of Kid’s Tees ©H&M You can also get a kids’ 3-pack of tees starring their favorite characters, including Stitch, Disney Princesses, Minnie Mouse, Alice in Wonderland, and more. View on Amazon Buy the Kid’s Disney-Printed Swimsuit ©H&M Does your kid love Stitch? This sweet light purple swimsuit stars their favorite alien, Experiment 626. The sleeveless swimsuit is fully lined and has a round neck. View on Amazon Get the 2-Piece T-shirt and Shorts Set ©H&M Your kid will be ready for summer in this set that includes a tee and matching shorts. Even better? This set stars BFFS, Minnie Mouse, and Daisy Duck! View on Amazon Buy the Printed Cotton Pajamas ©H&M Shhhh!!! Stitch is asleep on this cotton pajama set, and yes, he is SO sweet. These pajamas are perfect for the summer as they’re lightweight and comfy. View on Amazon We’re always on the hunt for the latest and greatest Disney souvenirs and essentials, so don’t forget to stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for more! Shop for More Disney Essentials on Our Amazon StorefrontThe post H&M Just Dropped a New Disney Collection first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary is finally here, and that means there are SO many new offerings to explore around the parks. Sleeping Beauty Castle for the 70th Anniversary Celebration There are lots of new snacks to enjoy (over 70!), new entertainment offerings to delight in, and so much more. One of the most intriguing new offerings available is called the Key to Disneyland, and we got to be one of the first to check it out! The Key to Disneyland interactive experience becomes publicly available on May 16th. You’ll embark on a journey to unlock the magic around Disneyland, and get a special keepsake once you’ve completed the journey! ©Disney The official storyline behind the experience is that Disneyland has been collecting magic for seven decades and now Mickey Mouse needs your help to unlock the festivities for the Disneyland Resort 70th Celebration! You’ll purchase the key at one of the participating shops in Disneyland Park, or at World of Disney in the Downtown Disney District (full list of shops to come), and then make your way around the park looking for the 70th Celebration lock station in each land. An example of the lock station behind this Cast Member! Once you’ve unlocked all the magic in all nine lands in Disneyland Park, you’ll head to find the Mickey Topiary Finale lock station by the entrance to Disneyland Park (near the Newsstand and tunnel) to unlock even more surprises, which include one of nine commemorative trading pins. A look at one of the pins inside! This experience can be done at your own pace throughout the celebration, so it doesn’t all need to be done in one day! Your key will save your progress, so you can pick up where you left off on a different day. If you’re trying to make sure you get them all, the locations for each lock are below: Disneyland Fire Station Aladdin’s Lamp inside Adventureland Bazaar New Orleans Square Outside of Pooh Corner Across from Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Wilderness Expeditions and Delivery Service Wagon in Frontierland Across from Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin Fantasy Faire Near the exit of Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters A look at all of the pins together! The key itself is $59.99 and available for purchase now. It’s an interesting interactive element but will only work for during the 70th Anniversary celebrations as far as we know. Looking for more recent Disneyland Resort news? Check out our posts below! More Recent Disneyland Resort News! Disney’s NEW Interactive Souvenir Experience Is HERE! Is The New Disneyland Key Worth $60?FULL LIST: NEW and Returning Disney Parades, Fireworks, and Characters Just Arrived at Disneyland ResortThese NEW Features Just Made Disney MagicBands 10X BetterWe LOVE It When Disney Listens! This NEW Cavalcade Brought a BANISHED Character BACK to DisneylandDisney Has a NEW Nighttime Show Featuring the Muppets! Be sure to stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disneyland news! Why May 16th Is a HUGE Day for Disneyland Resort Want to Learn More About Disneyland? Check Out the Links Below! DFB Disneyland Restaurants Guide Disney Genie and How to Use it in Disneyland What You Need to Know About the Theme Park Reservation System for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Closures and Construction at Disneyland Learn All About Disneyland Park See What Marvelous Stuff You’ll Find at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure Learn About Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure Get All the Details About the Disneyland Mobile App Everything You Need to Know About Mobile Order in Disneyland Learn More About Disneyland’s Magic Key Program Full Details About the Holiday Season in Disneyland Full Details About Halloween Time at Disneyland Get Some STRANGE Tips for Disneyland Click HERE to Check Out Lots of Other DFB Posts About Disneyland Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox! Click here to Subscribe Are you planning to try out this interactive experience? Tell us in the comments! Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Disneyland to attend their media preview of the Key to Disneyland experience. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ The post Disney’s NEW Interactive Souvenir Experience Is HERE! Is The New Disneyland Key Worth ? first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Can you believe it’s almost time for spooky season in Disney World? Get that pumpkin spice ready! Sure, it isn’t even officially the summertime yet, but we’re already talking about Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party! This Magic Kingdom after-hours event is back in 2025, and while we’re getting our costumes and wigs out of the closet, we do think there’s one night you should skip out on this party. In case you missed it, the dates for Mickey’s Not So Scary were finally released, so we can start party planning! The party kicks off on August 15th, 2025, and continues through October 31st. Not so scary! The party isn’t every night over the three months that Disney celebrates the Fall season, so don’t anticipate a random Monday night spooky session. While we’re pumped to party, there is one night we would tell you to avoid during this year’s festivities! Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party If you’re planning on heading to the party on August 15th, we would advise against it. This is the opening night of the party, which can feel special and exciting, but it also might mean there are some bumps in the road. The Evil Queen! Going on the first means that everything might not be truly perfect just yet! While Disney is magical, it’s still run by humans, meaning there are going to be some errors. Every opening event, from new shows to new parks, has bumps along the way, which we get! It just means if you’re looking for an even better night, give the park a few nights to test run it before you head to the party. Boo to You Parade Another reason we would say to skip this night (and honestly, most of August) is because it is still toasty when it comes to the weather! In previous years, on the first night of the party, our reports have literally sweated through their costumes and wigs, making the night a bit sticky. (It’s me, I’m the reporter.) Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Even once the sun goes down, it’s still pretty warm, so maybe give it a few weeks before donning your cute and cool costumes. @jessicaandjuis Finally, the crowds on night one are no joke! While the event is capped capacity, it can still get hectic around the parade times, character meet and greet lines, and more. We’ve seen massive wait times for Jack and Sally specifically. 120-minute line for Jack and Sally at the party! There are several nights that will sell out throughout the season, but it’s almost a guarantee that night one and Halloween itself will be packed! We don’t know just yet which nights will sell out because tickets don’t go on sale until May 22nd, 2025. If you’re staying on Disney World property, they’re available now! Hitchhiking Ghosts at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party If you’re still picking out your party dates, you can look at them right here! August: 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 29 September:. 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30 October: 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31 Crowds on the first night of the 2024 party. We love Not So Scary and we will be there the first night covering everything from the characters, parades, live entertainment, snacks, and more so if you decide to go, we get it! We just think it might be the night to avoid if you’re unsure of which party is best for you. Still not sure what to do? Let someone else plan it for you! Small World Vacations is our tried and true planning partner for a reason! They take the stress out of planning and make the trip even more magical. Plus, they’re free to you! 2024 Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party welcome sign We can’t wait for the party to kick off, and we are still planning our costumes! As always, be sure to keep following DFB for more Disney updates and news. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Are you going to this year’s party? Tell us in the comments! The post Why You Should AVOID Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on This Random August Day first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Celebrities go to Disney World just like us! Cinderella Castle They love to ride the same rides we do, see the spectacular shows, and eat iconic snacks like DOLE Whip, spring rolls, and more. We get a little giddy each time we see a well-known star spend time in our favorite place, and this time is no different! We love seeing people enjoy the parks as much as we do, especially if their family and loved ones get to join in as well! Lea was also recently in town for her solo tour on May 8th, which was right before the holiday weekend. Looking for more recent celebrity news? Check out our posts below! More Celebrity News! Celebrity SPOTTED! You’ll Never Guess Which ‘Glee’ Star Just Went to Disney World!Celebrity Sighting! This SCREAM QUEEN Just Paid a Visit to DisneylandAn ICONIC Disney Channel Celebrity Just Visited Cars Land!3 Hidden Spots That Are EXCLUSIVE to Celebrities in Disney WorldCelebrity SPOTTED! You Won’t Believe Who Just Bought a GIANT ‘Lilo & Stitch’ Souvenir Be sure to stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disney World news! “It’s Like the Salt was Sprinkled by Mickey Himself.” A Celebrity Just Revealed Her FAVORITE Disney World Snack, and the Answer Did NOT Disappoint Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What celebrity would you love to see in Disney World? Tell us in the comments! The post Celebrity SPOTTED! You’ll Never Guess Which ‘Glee’ Star Just Went to Disney World! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Finding breakfast at Disney World can be one of the hardest meals to find. When you’re focused on running into the parks to catch that first ride and meet those cool characters, you might forget that starting with breakfast will make the rest of the day smoother. Disney’s Animal Kingdom We headed down to Tusker House Restaurant in Africa at Animal Kingdom to see if it was worth the time and money, and if you should add it to your park day. Come with us for a full review as we dine with our favorite Disney characters. Atmosphere Tusker House is a character dining buffet in Animal Kingdom. During your meal, Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, and other friends will visit your table and say “Jambo,” which means “hello” in Swahili. They’re dressed in their safari outfits to get you in the Animal Kingdom mood before you head on your own safari, visiting all the animals. Tusker House There are five main rooms and large tables, which are great for bringing the whole family. While you might be in a go-go-go mood in the theme park, we love taking a slower morning in Animal Kingdom and eating at Tusker House, where we can meet multiple characters before heading to busier areas in the parks. Hey Mickey! You’ll want to make an advanced dining reservation to ensure Tusker House can accommodate your whole party at the time you prefer. Breakfast will cost $49 per adult and $35 per child. Character card Now that we’re here, let’s chat about what’s on the menu. Menu Tusker House offers dishes filled with African flavors and plenty of familiar dishes that the whole family will recognize. They serve breakfast from 7:30 to 10:30 AM, lunch from 11 to 3:30 PM, and dinner from 3:35 to 6:00 PM. Buffet They have made-to-order omelets and scrambled eggs, along with potatoes, and plenty of breakfast meat, including bacon, pork sausage, turkey sausage, and rotisserie ham. They even have Mickey and Simba waffles! For African-inspired dishes, try shakshuka, bobotie, and South African French toast bulkas. There are even some pastries like a mango-apricot jam cake, chai-spiced croissant, and guava Danish. Simba Waffles We love their different type of juices, but they also offer specialty cocktails, wine, and beer. Full plate We’re getting hungry, so let’s eat! Eats Because this is a buffet, we filled our plates with our favorites! We were obsessed with the Caramel Banana Sauce, which we poured over our waffles. While the waffles were well-cooked, the Banana Caramel Sauce was the hero. It had a heavy banana flavor and was lighter on the caramel, and we were obsessed, to say the least. Yum! The omelet stand was busy with their made-to-order dishes; some days they even have specials! The day before we came, there were biscuits and gravy, which sounded delicious. Drinks We never pass up an opportunity for a great Disney juice! One of our favorites is the POG juice, which stands for pomegranate, orange, and guava juice. POG Juice Nosh or Not You should add Tusker House to your must-do list if… You love character dining and love Mickey and the gang You want to try different breakfast offerings while still having classic dishes available You are looking for a longer breakfast at Animal Kingdom You might want to skip Tusker House if… You don’t like to be interrupted during breakfast to meet characters You want a fast meal, so get going on your Animal Kingdom day You prefer more specialty breakfast dishes and not buffet dishes Our meal Overall We’ve been to Tusker House before and are always planning our next visit. We love how easy it is to meet characters while getting breakfast for the day. While there are dishes for more adventurous eaters, there are plenty of classic American dishes as well. We will keep reviewing restaurant after restaurant so you can learn everything you need for the best Disney World trip ever. Keep following Disney Food Blog for all the latest Disney news and more. REVIEW: WE ATE LUNCH AT TUSKER HOUSE IN ANIMAL KINGDOM Need Disney Restaurant Advice? We’ve Got EVERYTHING You Need to Know The ONLY Disney Dining Planning Tool You’ll Need Is Here – Get the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining! See Our Complete Disney World Restaurants Guide The Best Magic Kingdom Restaurants The Best EPCOT Restaurant Restaurants The Best Hollywood Studios Restaurants The Best Animal Kingdom Restaurants The Best Disney Springs Restaurants Check Out Dozens of Disney Dining Tips and Tools Learn All About Tipping at Disney Restaurants How to Use Mobile Order in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest Disney food news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Have you ever eaten at Tusker House? Tell us about your experience in the comments! The post REVIEW: Three Words – Banana. Caramel. Sauce. Why You'll Want to Be Swimming in It in Disney World. first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

There are so many ways to add Disney magic to your daily life! ©Disney One of our favorite ways is with Disney LEGO! There are so many different characters, movies, and more that you can get to help bring your niche love. Luckily for us, Disney just released 7 new sets for us to enjoy. DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Are you ready to build the night away? Now you can with these 7 new Disney LEGO sets! Let’s dive right in. Moana 2 Kakamora Barge ©Target First up is the Moana 2 Kakamora Barge set! It comes with Moana, Maui, Hei Hei, and the Kakamora, who are ready to set sail. You can also get Moana’s boat, so you’re ready to play for hours. This toy releases on June 1st and is available for pre-order. Moana 2 Kakamora Barge Set Angel from Lilo and Stitch ©Target Next up, we have Angel from Lilo and Stitch! Angle is Stitch’s pink girlfriend that we are obsessed with. She comes with three floating hearts and is made up of 784 pieces. This toy releases on June 1st and is available for pre-order. Angel from Lilo and Stitch 101 Dalmatians Puppy ©Target If this isn’t the cutest thing we’ve ever seen?! You can build your own 101 Dalmatian puppy right at home with this new set. You can even change the puppy’s poses for more fun. This would be the perfect addition to any home decor. This toy releases on June 1st and is available for pre-order. 101 Dalmatian Puppy Set Villains Dress Set ©Target This one might be the best yet because it’s Maleficent and Cruella De Vil’s dresses! You can build their iconic wardrobes, and it comes with two miniatures of each villain. You can also see their tiny pets with them. This is too good for fashion and villain lovers! Villains Dress Set DUPLO Winnie the Pooh Birthday Party ©Target If you’re shopping for your littles, this is for you! This DUPLO Winnie the Pooh Birthday Party set includes Pooh, Piglet, Tiger, and more! These pieces are designed for easy play with little hands and hearts. This one is available right now to pick up. Winnie the Pooh Birthday Party Set Cinderella Dress Set ©Target If you’re more of a princess fan, you can also grab the Cinderella Dress set! You can build her iconic dress that even features pumpkin designs. It also comes with mini Cinderella and Gus Gus figures. We need this ASAP! Cinderella Dress Set Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Set ©Target Finally, we have this DUPLO Mickey Mouse Clubhouse set! It comes with Mickey, his car, Toodles, and more for tons of imaginative play. It’s available now for lots of summer fun! DUPLO Mickey Mouse Clubhouse We can’t wait to grab even more of these sets for gifts, decor, and more! As always, be sure to keep following DFB for more Disney finds! Shop for more on our Amazon Storefront! The post Target Just Dropped NEW Disney LEGO Sets first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to stay at the most luxurious (and priciest!) hotel in Disney World, buckle up. Grand Floridian Resort Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is THE flagship resort on property — think Victorian charm meets high-end Disney magic. We’re talking sweeping lobbies, monorail views, and some seriously iconic dining spots. In this post, we’re giving you the full tour: restaurants, shops, pools, rooms, and everything in between. Let’s start at the heart of the resort… The Lobby The moment you walk into the Grand Floridian’s lobby, it’s a jaw-dropping situation. Grand Floridian Lobby Soaring ceilings, chandeliers that look like they belong in a royal palace, and often, live piano music floating through the air. During the holidays, the life-sized gingerbread house takes over the space and basically becomes a photo op magnet. Can you believe that’s gingerbread? This is the kind of lobby that feels more like a grand ballroom than a hotel check-in area. Even if you’re not staying here, it’s worth a visit just to soak it in. Now, we will note that right now the Grand Floridian is getting a lobby overhaul and this year the gingerbread house will not be offered due to construction. Here’s a look at what the lobby will look like once completed. ©Disney The Pools The Grand has two main pools: the Beach Pool and the Courtyard Pool. The Beach Pool is the showstopper, with a waterfall, a 181-foot-long waterslide, and views of the Seven Seas Lagoon. Grand Floridian Beach Pool There’s also a splash play area for kids themed after Alice in Wonderland. Grand Floridian Beach Pool The Courtyard Pool is your quiet zone — zero-entry, less crowded, and surrounded by comfy loungers. Both pools have nearby bars, so you’re covered on snacks and drinks while you chill. Grand Floridian Resort Courtyard Pool The Rooms The rooms at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa are just as fancy as you’d expect from Disney’s flagship hotel — sleek, elegant, and full of thoughtful Mary Poppins touches. Mary Poppins There’s a wide range of room types, from standard options to Club-Level service to full-blown villas, depending on how deep your budget (and vacation dreams) go. Standard Guest Rooms These are your classic hotel rooms, but dressed up in crisp linens, ornate trim, and subtle Disney details. Outer Building Standard Rooms come in Garden View (overlooking gardens), Lagoon View (with views of Seven Seas Lagoon), and Theme Park View (prime sightlines of Magic Kingdom fireworks). Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort Room Prices range from around $757 to over $1,500 a night, depending on the view and season. Most rooms sleep up to five and include two queen beds, a sofa bed, a mini-fridge, and a marble bathroom with Disney’s signature toiletries. Club-Level Rooms Club-Level guests get access to exclusive lounges with continental breakfast, afternoon snacks, and evening hors d’oeuvres. You’ll find Club-Level rooms in Sugarloaf Key (Outer Lodge) and on floors 3–5 of the Main Building (only accessible via a private elevator). Main Building rooms are more expensive but offer next-level service and convenience. Prices range from around $915 to over $2,300 per night, depending on location and view. ©Disney Typical Club-Level rooms include extras like: Dual-sink marble bathrooms Plush robes and in-room Keurig stations Private balconies with seating and Hidden Mickeys in the decor Sofa beds for extra guests, and plenty of outlets and USB ports There are also bigger options that include multiple rooms, a kitchen, and more. Disney Vacation Club Villas & Resort Studios One whole building (Big Pine Key) was transformed into 200 Resort Studios as part of the Disney Vacation Club (DVC) expansion. These opened in 2022 and feel super fresh. Resort Studios sleep up to five with two queen beds and a daybed, and they include marble bathrooms, crown molding, beverage stations (coffee maker + cooler), and lots of ornate finishes. Grand Floridian DVC Rooms Deluxe Studios (existing DVC options) offer even more flexibility, with a queen bed, wall-tuck queen, pull-down bunk, split bathroom, and kitchenette. One-Bedroom Villas up the ante with a king bed, full kitchen, living room, washer/dryer, and space for five. Two-Bedroom Villas sleep nine with two bathrooms and tons of living space. Grand Villas (yep, they exist) sleep up to 12 and come with a home theater setup and more square footage than some apartments. Villa Pricing (Varies by Season) Resort Studio: $600–$800/night 1-Bedroom Villa: mid-$800s to low $1,000s 2-Bedroom Villa: $1,200–$1,800/night 3-Bedroom Grand Villa: $1,500–$2,500/night These are just a handful of the rooms offered at The Grand Floridian. There are MANY different combos of room and suite types to choose from. Tips & Proximity Want to be close to the Monorail and Main Lobby? Look for Sago Cay, Sugarloaf Key, or Big Pine Key. Want castle views? Boca Chica rooms like 8413 and 8513 are winners. Need quiet? Sago Cay is great for convention travelers, while Big Pine Key is near the kid-friendly pool and beach areas. Balcony view Heads-up: there’s a $25/night extra charge per adult beyond two in a room. Max occupancy is five per standard room or six in suites (plus a crib). Bottom line: Whether you’re team “We’ll be in the parks all day” or “We want to soak up the room service in a Club-Level robe,” the Grand Floridian has a room for you. Just bring your budget—and maybe a backup credit card. For our latest room tour — Click Here! The Restaurants 1900 Park Fare This beloved character buffet recently reopened and now features Mirabel, Aladdin, Cinderella, and Tiana. Princess Tiana at 1900 Park Fare The vibe is whimsical and bright, and the food leans traditional breakfast and dinner buffet — with standout items like strawberry soup (yes, really) and carved meats. The star of the evening Characters come to your table with high energy, so bring your camera and appetite. It’s one of those meals where the character interactions are the highlight, even if you’re not traveling with kids. For our latest review of 1900 Park Fare — Click Here! Beaches Pool Bar & Grill Located by the Beach Pool, this is your spot for frozen drinks, cocktails, and poolside snacks. Think burgers, wraps, and tropical vibes all around. Beaches Pool Bar & Grill It’s casual, super convenient if you’re hanging out by the pool. If you’re trying to chill and not move far from your lounger, this place has you covered. Artisanal Burger and tots For our latest review of Beaches Pool Bar & Grill — Click Here! Citricos Citricos got a big refresh and now has a Mary Poppins Returns theme — subtle, elegant, and totally charming. Citricos The menu is upscale American with Mediterranean influences. It’s a signature dining location, so expect higher prices, but the food and ambiance make it worth the splurge, especially for a date night or special occasion. The whole meal! For our latest review of Citricos — Click Here! Courtyard Pool Bar The Courtyard Pool’s bar is more low-key than Beaches, but still delivers solid drinks and snacks. It’s quieter, which means less wait time and a more relaxed vibe. Courtyard Bar You’ll find light fare like chips, sandwiches, and pre-mixed cocktails. If you’re trying to avoid the hustle of the main pool area, this is a solid hidden gem. Enchanted Rose This Beauty and the Beast-inspired lounge is a whole mood. Enchanted Rose Lounge in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort It’s classy, moody, and serves up some of the best cocktails. The space is divided into themed areas (library, garden room, etc.). Enchanted Rose Don’t skip the truffle fries or artisanal cheese plate. Whether you’re a resort guest or just bar-hopping on the monorail, this is a must-stop. Cheers from the Enchanted Rose For our latest review of Enchanted Rose — Click Here! Garden View Tea Room (Currently Unavailable) This charming spot used to host a traditional British afternoon tea, complete with finger sandwiches, scones, and loose-leaf tea. Grand Floridian Afternoon Tea It’s been closed for a while, and Disney hasn’t given a reopening date yet. But we’re holding out hope — it was a quiet little corner of luxury that made you feel like you were in a different world. For our latest review of Garden View Tea Room — Click Here! Gasparilla Island Grill This is the resort’s quick service location, and it’s open from 6 AM to 12 AM, which is a huge win if you’re getting in late or need a coffee before sunrise. Gasparilla Island Grill The menu has standard offerings like burgers, salads, flatbreads, and Mickey waffles in the morning. Indoor and outdoor seating give you options, and mobile ordering makes things easy. It’s not gourmet, but it’s reliable and convenient. For our latest review of Gasparilla Island Grill — Click Here! Grand Floridian Cafe If you want a sit-down meal without the formality of Citricos or Narcoossee’s, Grand Floridian Cafe is your go-to. Grand Floridian Cafe Entrance It’s underrated and rarely packed, which makes it a solid backup if you didn’t snag a reservation elsewhere. The menu covers all the bases—chicken and waffles, steak, salads, and a solid breakfast spread. Bonus: it’s got lots of natural light and pretty garden views. Buttermilk-fried Chicken and Waffle For our latest review of Grand Floridian Cafe — Click Here! Narcoossee’s Located right on the water, this seafood-forward restaurant recently reopened with a refreshed menu and interior. Narcoossees It’s got some of the best fireworks views of any Disney restaurant, hands down, and the service is top-tier. If you can snag a table at sunset or during the Magic Kingdom fireworks, do it. Red Wine Glazed Salmon For our latest review of Narcoossee’s — Click Here! Victoria and Albert’s This is Disney’s ultimate fine dining experience. Dress codes. Prix fixe menus. A dedicated water sommelier. It’s luxury on another level. Our Table Located in the main building, Victoria and Albert’s has earned AAA Five Diamond status for a reason. Multi-course meals, wine pairings, and white glove service. It’s pricey (think hundreds per person), but if you’re celebrating something big—or just want to say you did it—it’s unforgettable. Cheese Course at Victoria & Albert’s For our latest review of Victoria and Albert’s — Click Here! The Shops Basin White If you love bath bombs, soaps, and skincare that looks good enough to eat, Basin White is your paradise. Basin White It’s a boutique-style shop with seasonal and Disney-themed products, perfect for gifting (or treating yourself). Everything smells amazing, and you can even try out scrubs at the sink inside. New sinks It’s tucked near the main lobby, and you’ll smell it before you see it. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (Temporarily Unavailable) This princess (and prince!) makeover experience is currently unavailable at the Grand, but used to be a quieter alternative to the Magic Kingdom location. Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at the Grand Floridian Fairy Godmothers-in-training would transform kids into royalty with gowns, tiaras, and full glam. Fingers crossed this one comes back soon—it was a sweet perk for staying on-site. Curiouser Clothiers Looking for resort-branded merch, polos, or more upscale Disney fashion? This is your stop. Curiouser Clothiers It’s more boutique than a big souvenir shop, and it leans into the Grand Floridian’s elegant aesthetic. You’ll find upscale bags and dresses, and golf apparel with Mickey flair. Prices are higher, but the selection is curated for the luxury crowd. M. Mouse Mercantile This is your classic Disney gift shop, with a little bit of everything—ears, plush, tees, and pins. M. Mouse Mercantile It’s great for grabbing last-minute souvenirs or something for the kids. The vibe is playful and very Disney, and it’s the most “park-like” of the shops here. It’s also one of the easiest shops to pop into while waiting for the monorail. Sandy Cove Gifts and Sundries This is your catch-all store for the basics: sunscreen, snacks, medicine, resort-branded mugs, wine, and bottled drinks. Sandy Cove Gifts and Sundries It’s not flashy, but it’s functional, and you’ll be glad it’s there if you need an Advil or phone charger late at night. It’s also a good stop if you want a quick breakfast to take back to the room. Adapter The Grand Floridian is definitely Disney’s most expensive resort, but it packs in the kind of details and experiences that make it feel like its own destination. Whether you’re just popping in for dinner or checking in for a full stay, now you know exactly what to expect. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort Stay tuned to DFB for the latest Disney World news and updates! The Best Disney World Hotels for 2025 — Click Here! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Will you be staying at the Grand Floridian in 2025? Let us know in the comments below! The post FULL TOUR of the Most Expensive Hotel in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) passed a Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees that took effect on May 12th, 2025. This new rule helps to protect consumers from “junk fees” when they purchase live-event tickets or short-term lodging. Disney’s Wilderness Lodge If you have ever gone online to buy concert tickets or a room at a hotel, you have likely encountered these “junk fees.” They are fees that sometimes seemingly appear out of nowhere and get added on as you are checking out. Thanks to these junk fees, the $100 hotel room you initially saw now costs you well over $150. However, this new rule wants to help put more transparency into pricing and require businesses to disclose the total price ahead of time. The FTC announced a new Junk Fees Rule in December 2024, which was approved by the commission via a 4-1 vote. Now, this new rule has officially taken effect and, according to the agency, “should save American consumers up to 53 million hours per year of wasted time spent searching for the total price for live-event tickets and short-term lodging,” which the FTC claims is equivalent to saving $11 billion over the next decade. The rule officially took effect on May 12th, 2025, and we are diving into what this new rule means and how it might affect your next Disney vacation. ©Federal Trade Commission With the new Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees, businesses must disclose the total price upfront, including all charges or fees the company knows about. Pricing information in ads and other offers must also include the total price the purchaser will pay. The only fees that can be excluded from the total prices are taxes or other government charges, shipping charges, and charges for optional goods or services people may select to buy as part of the same transaction. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge The total price must be displayed prominently, and the business must disclose any excluded charges before asking for payment. Additionally, the company can’t misrepresent fees and charges, and must describe the fees. They must avoid using vague phrases like “service fees” or “processing fees.” Art of Animation Resort Currently, this rule only applies to two main areas of business: live-event tickets and short-term lodging. Live-event tickets include tickets for concerts, sporting events, theater, and other live performances that audiences watch as they occur. As of right now, audio and visual performances are not covered by the new rules. Short-term lodging refers to temporary sleeping accommodations at places like hotels, inns, vacation rentals, home shares, and more. Long-term or other rentals are not currently covered under this new rule. Disney’s Riviera Resort How might this rule affect your next Disney vacation? Well, Disney hotel rooms would be included in the short-term lodging category, so Disney will be required to provide the total price upfront, including additional fees. The only fees Disney will be able to exclude from the total price will be taxes and charges for optional add-ons. This rule could help make your next hotel room booking much easier and transparent. Disney’s Coronado Springs Make sure to stay tuned to DFB for all your Disney and travel news! How Tariffs Could Affect Disney World Prices Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What do you think about this new FTC rule regarding junk fees? Let us know your thoughts in the comments! The post NEW Hidden “Junk Fees” Ban Now in Effect — How It Could CHANGE Your Disney World Vacation first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Magic Mirror on the wall, what’s the most questionable Disney pin of all? Snow White at Storybook Dining! Disney just released a brand-new pin after one of its biggest box office failures. It’s available online at the Disney Store right now, and we need your thoughts. DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Check out this Snow White Pin ©Disney Store Get a look at this limited-release Snow White Spinning Pin! The pin is designed with a nice stained glass window look; we’ll give them that. You can even see the shadow of the Evil Queen lurking behind Snow White. But why is the pin based on Disney’s million-dollar flop? It’s as if they want to keep reminding us of their big miss… Look at the pin, it literally looks identical to Rachel Zegler’s version of the iconic Disney princess from the live-action version of Snow White. This is an interesting choice considering the film is still a controversial topic amongst Disney fans. The live-action take on the animated classic came out not too long ago, and you’d think Disney would want to forget about it, yet add this to the list of many merch items they keep releasing. ©Disney Store Fans of the live-action movie may like this. And maybe you noticed we said it was a spinning pin! Who do you think is on the other side? IT’S THE EVIL QUEEN! Of course it would be. ©Disney Store Just like we mentioned before about this pin being based on the live-action Snow White, the evil queen really does look like the actress Gal Gadot. This side is also in a stained glass window design. The pin also has the iconic apple on both sides of the pin, as well as on the bottom of the pin. We do like the design of the outer border of the pin; it looks like those classic castle windows. View online Well, Disney, your timing might be a bit off, because it seems like the internet is still not completely over this box office flop. Perhaps this souvenir idea should have stayed in the drafts, eh? We’re always on the hunt for the latest and greatest Disney souvenirs and essentials, even if they might be big question mark releases. Don’t forget to stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for more! Shop for More Disney Essentials on Our Amazon Storefront The post Disney Just Dropped a New Souvenir After Its MAJOR Million-Dollar Flop first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

When it comes to dining at Disney World, you’ve got a TON of options. There’s a bit of something for everyone! Quick, tasty, fancy, upscale! You name it, Disney’s got it! Welcome to Disney World We recently stopped back by Everything Pop Shopping and Dining at Pop Century Resort to see what was cookin’, and now we’re bringing you our FULL review. Is it worth a stop on your next trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth? We’re breaking it down here. Atmosphere Pop Century Shopping and Dining is over at Disney’s Pop Century resort, and it operates at the main dining option at this value resort. Everything Pop entrance This spot was recently renovated to bring in some loud and proud color to the environment! There are several styles of seating including regular tables and booth options. Bold seating! It is a quick service, so you will either mobile order or go to the different counters to grab your meal. It’s a talkative, large space, so don’t expect a quiet dining experience. Everything Pop But enough about this refurbished environment, what about the food?! Eats First up, we grabbed the Chicken Adobo Nachos for $12.49! This is made with corn tortilla chips with grilled chicken adobo, roasted corn pico, zesty cheese sauce, and cilantro-lime crema. Chicken Adobo Nachos These look amazing! But how do they taste? Luckily for us, these were absolutely incredible! The portion size was very large, and they were as big as the bowl. The cast members made sure to stack all the toppings on top, which added another inch or two beyond what we expected. A scoop! For the price, it’s really not a bad deal, and it comes loaded with lots of veggies like green peppers, diced onions, tomatoes, street corn, and green onions. They’re very generous with the queso and crema, so if those aren’t your favorites, maybe skip this one. Another look! Next up, we grabbed the Caprese Chicken Sandwich for $13.19! It comes with balsamic-marinated grilled chicken, arugula, basil aïoli, and sun-dried tomato on a toasted brioche bun. Caprese Chicken Sandwich This sandwich is pretty similar to the current grilled chicken sandwich. It reminded us of a caprese salad on top of grilled chicken (which isn’t a bad thing!) We actually enjoyed this one! A cut! There is plenty of lettuce, tomato, and a thick layer of cheese that sits right on top of the chicken! The basil sauce is similar to a vinaigrette. We would get this again and it comes with a hearty side of fries. The sauce! For a little something sweet, we grabbed the Chocolate Marshmallow Cake for $6.29. It’s a chocolate cake with marshmallow buttercream and ganache. Don’t mind us if you see any drool. Chocolate Marshmallow Cake This was very soft and moist with a nice thick marshmallow center. The top of the cake has milk chocolate and a fun paint splatter design. It reminded us so much of a Hostess Cupcake snack! A closer look! If you’re looking for a snack that’s familiar and isn’t gonna leave a very filmy, thick sugary taste to your mouth when you’re finished with it, this is a great option! Finally, we grabbed the Mickey Lemon Cookie for $4.59! Mickey Lemon Cookie This is a no sugar-added lemon cookie! It was pretty chewy almost like a cookie dough that wasn’t fully baked. The lemon was pretty apparent but sweet. It wasn’t tangy or zesty. A look inside! It had a chalky, starchy taste to it once you got beyond that lemon initially. It was just okay, and we wouldn’t necessarily get it again. It was a bit small for the price as well. This was a plant-based option, but as far as flavor goes, it’s a no for us. Nosh or Not This Disney World restaurant is a must-visit if… You’re staying at this resort You want something quick and easy And you need a light night dessert. You should skip this Disney World spot if… You need a fancier meal You don’t like regular theme park fare Or if you’re not staying at the resort Overall We were pretty surprised with how much we enjoyed these! Overall, the entrees really impressed us for a Disney World value resort, and we would happily get them again. Plus, we really enjoyed our chocolate marshmallow cake. The full spread! WE KNOW – there are SO many great snacks at Disney World! How do you choose (we don’t want to choose, but will blow our budget on Day 1 otherwise)? We’ve got you covered! We have reviewed nearly EVERY snack available at Disney World, and we’ve written a series of DFB Guides about them! Check out our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining + Snacks Bundle for all the details you need to plan your snackin’ and spending. You can even download them to your smartphone – it’ll be like we’re right there with you in the parks! DFB Guide and Snacks Bundle In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for more restaurant updates from Disney World and beyond. Make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest Disney news and more! The Best Restaurants in Disney World in 2025 Need Disney Restaurant Advice? We’ve Got EVERYTHING You Need to Know The ONLY Disney Dining Planning Tool You’ll Need Is Here – Get the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining! See Our Complete Disney World Restaurants Guide The Best Magic Kingdom Restaurants The Best EPCOT Restaurant Restaurants The Best Hollywood Studios Restaurants The Best Animal Kingdom Restaurants The Best Disney Springs Restaurants Check Out Dozens of Disney Dining Tips and Tools Learn All About Tipping at Disney Restaurants How to Use Mobile Order in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest Disney food news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Have you eaten at this Disney World restaurant before? Tell us in the comments! The post REVIEW: We Tried 4 NEW Menu Items At Disney's Pop Century Resort first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Two brand-new shows are coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios — and we couldn’t be more excited. ©Disney First, Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After will take us into the world of some of Disney’s most wicked baddies to explain how they’ve been treated unfairly. However, we’re also getting a brand-new Little Mermaid show in the park, The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure, which will replace the previous Little Mermaid show that has been closed there since 2020. Even better? Both shows are set to premiere on May 27th. Ahead of its premiere, Disney just made a BIG change to the theater that will be home for Ariel’s new adventure. With The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure opening in just a few weeks, Disney has unveiled the marquee for the show on the theater. Look at this stuff…isn’t it neat? ©Disney You might notice that there’s also a standby entrance, as well as a Lightning Lane entrance. Disney previously confirmed that this show would be available as an attraction you can book through via a Lightning Lane (either Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Lightning Lane Single Pass — Disney hasn’t confirmed which yet, though). ©Disney Disney recently revealed some hints about the upcoming show, even mentioning that, unlike the previous Little Mermaid show, this one will feature Ariel’s sisters. The show will also be using puppetry, as well as some high-tech digital effects to create a retelling of Ariel’s story. Prince Eric’s role in the show will be bigger, too, plus we’ll get a big “Kiss the Girl” number for the first time. ©GMA As we previously stated, the new show opens on May 27th, and we’ll be there to get you ALL the details, so stay tuned to DFB for more. Disney Reveals Lightning Lane Rules and SHOWTIMES for NEW Little Mermaid Attraction in Hollywood Studios Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Will you be checking out the new show soon? Let us know in the comments! The post Something NEW Just Arrived at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to FINALLY Replace a Long Abandoned Attraction first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Universal Orlando is celebrating summer with 12 (!!) exclusive offerings, including 5 new things! From entertainment offerings to exclusive merchandise to celebrate the release of films, a lot is coming to Universal Orlando Resort. Universal Studios Florida Not only is Universal Orlando celebrating the opening of its brand-new theme park, Epic Universe, on May 22nd, but it is also bringing some new offerings to its other two theme parks, Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure. There won’t be a dull day, whether you are exploring the new theme park or taking part in some of the summer festivities at the others. Let’s look at what you can see and do this summer! For starters, there are some entertainment offerings returning for the summer you don’t want to miss! While these offerings are not new as they have been seen in the parks before, they are returning for summer. Universal Mega Movie Parade The Universal Mega Movie Parade is back for the summer! You can catch this star-studded parade at Universal Studios Florida from April 12th until November 13th. The parade features floats inspired by Universal’s biggest hits, including Ghostbusters, Jurassic World, Trolls, Jaws, and much more. The parade is definitely a must-see if you are in Universal Studios Florida this summer. Universal Mega Movie Parade Cinesational: A Symphonic Spectacular Another entertainment option is also returning to Universal Studios Florida this summer, Cinesational: A Symphonic Spectacular. This is a nighttime show that features dancing fountains and pyrotechnics that take you on an adventure through some of Universal’s classic movie moments. The show features moments from movies such as Harry Potter, Jurassic World, and Jaws. The show will be playing on select nights from April 14th until August 24th. Cinesational: A Symphonic Spectacular Hogwarts Always The Hogwarts Always projection show is also making its way back to Universal Islands of Adventure this summer. This projection show takes places on the Hogwarts Castle in the Hogsmeade section of the park. It features iconic moments at Hogwarts like attending a Quidditch match and even features some pyrotechnics. You can catch the projection show on select dates from April 14th through August 24th. Hogwarts Always Nighttime Show Universal Orlando is also celebrating some of its summer blockbusters in the park, including Jurassic World: Rebirth and How to Train Your Dragon (Live Action). Let’s see what exclusives are coming to the parks to celebrate these movies! Jurassic World: Rebirth To celebrate the brand-new Jurassic World movie coming to theaters on July 2nd, Universal will be offering themed photos ops and exclusive food at The Burger Digs in Islands of Adventure. There will also be some exclusive Jurassic World: Rebirth merchandise available beginning May 23rd at Jurassic Outfitters and Dinostore. ©Universal How to Train Your Dragon (Live Action) The live action How to Train Your Dragon is hitting theaters on June 13th and there will be a themed shopping experience near Do Sugrue’s Desert Kebab House in the Islands of Adventure Park. Universal is already teasing a miniature version of Toothless that you can put on your shoulder! ©Universal Wicked: For Good The sequel to Wicked is coming to theaters on November 21st, and Universal is getting into the Wicked spirit. While you can already visit Wicked: The Experience at Universal Studios Florida, it is about to get even better. From June 23rd through August 10th, Elphaba and Glinda will be meeting and taking pictures with guests! We got to meet them when Wicked: The Experience first opened, so we are excited they will be back for at least a little bit. Elphaba and Glinda M3GAN 2.0 Another sequel is also coming out soon too! You will be able to catch the sequel to M3GAN, M3GAN 2.0, on June 27th. And it’s possible that M3GAN might just be making a stop at Universal Studios Florida in anticipation. From June 10th through June 30th, you might be able to spot M3GAN in the park, so keep an eye out! ©Blumhouse Jaws (50th Anniversary) This summer also marks the 50th anniversary of the Jaws, and you know Universal is going to celebrate the milestone! The San Francisco area of Universal Studios Florida will be “transformed to feel like the Amity of old.” There will be limited-time food and beverage available, as well as LOTS of exclusive merchandise. Jaws Back to the Future (4oth Anniversary) It is also the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future this year, and you can display your love for the film franchise with lots of exclusive merchandise available this summer at Universal Orlando. There will be clothing, a snazzy license plate, and even a hoverboard pouch. ©Universal The Wizarding World of Harry Potter (15th Anniversary) There are LOTS of anniversaries to celebrate this summer, including the 15th anniversary of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Hogsmeade at Universal Islands of Adventure. You can enjoy everything the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has to offer and beginning in mid-June you can purchase a commemorative glass plaque celebrating 15 years of Hogsmeade! Hogsmeade Summer Movie Series, Summer Music Series, and July 4th Celebrations You can also enjoy some classic blockbusters during the Summer Movie Series at the Universal Cinemark. On select days from May 17th through July 30th, the theater will be showing classic including The Mummy, The Fast and the Furious, and Shrek. There will also be a Summer Music Series from June 21st through August 9th. The music series will take place at the Waterfront Stage at Universal CityWalk and will feature themes like 80s Night, Rock Night, Latin Night, and more. Universal Orlando There will also be some Fourth of July celebrations! There will be a DJ in the Music Plaza and a pyrotechnic show from the roof of TRANSFORMERS: The Ride-3D. You can also celebrate with music and entertainment throughout Universal CityWalk. Extra Annual Passholder Perks Universal is also celebrating Annual Passholders this summer with some exclusive perks. Passholders can enjoy a special viewing area for the Mega Movie Parade, exclusive seating in select dining locations, special menu items, Early Park Admission at Universal Volcano Bay, and merchandise commemorating the 35th anniversary of Universal Studios Florida. ©Universal Stay tuned to DFB for all your Universal Orlando news! Why Universal Could Be Empty in 2025 Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What are you most excited about at Universal Orlando this summer? Let us know in the comments! The post 5 NEW Things Announced for Summer at Universal Orlando first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It’s my job to dine in Disney World, and I’ve had the chance to try a wide variety of breakfast options. Mickey Waffle with Powdered Sugar Some have been delicious, and some have been underwhelming, but few Disney World breakfast offerings are as iconic as Mickey waffles! In fact, they’re so well-known that people buy specialty waffle irons to make Mickey waffles at home. And if you’re a waffle fiend, then I’m here to share the list of secret, UNIQUE waffles you can find in Disney World! Tusker House and Boma If you’re a fan of The Lion King, then you need to check out Tusker House in Animal Kingdom or Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge — at both of those spots, they serve Simba waffles! These are typically offered alongside Mickey waffles on the buffet, and they’re only available for breakfast at each spot. Waffles They taste pretty much the same as the Mickey waffles, just made with a Simba mold instead. We’re big fans of both of these restaurants, but if you want a character meal with your waffles, then head to Tusker House. Check Out Our Boma Review Here! Fairfax Fare There aren’t a lot of quick service spots in the parks where you can find Mickey waffles, but at Fairfax Fare in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you can find the breakfast waffle platter in the mornings. This treat comes with three Mickey waffles, syrup, and a side of bacon. Waffle platter This is a really decent amount of food for just $9.49. Fairfax Fare used to offer blueberry Mickey waffles in the mornings, but sadly, they’ve been replaced with the regular version. Either way, they’re still delicious! Check Out Our Review of the Waffle Platter Here! Sleepy Hollow Sleepy Hollow in Magic Kingdom used to be home to two of our favorite waffle treats (the fresh fruit waffle and the sweet-and-spicy chicken waffle), but in 2024, they changed the menu. Now, they offer three different kinds of topped Mickey waffles. You can get the Mickey The new waffles at Sleepy Hollow The three options currently are the Mickey Waffle with Sweet-and-Spicy Maple Chicken for $12.29; the Mickey Waffle with Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread, Bananas, Berries, and Whipped Cream for $9.49, and the Mickey Waffle with Berries and Cream for $8.49. Check Out Our Review of the Topped Mickey Waffles Here! Topolino’s Terrace The character breakfast at Topolino’s Terrace at Disney’s Riviera Resort is one of the most popular character meals in Disney World. And it has not one, but TWO specialty waffle options! For the kiddos, you can order the Mickey waffle dippers, which come with three different dipping sauces on the side. Kids’ Mickey Waffle Dippers at Topolino’s Terrace The adults at Topolino’s Terrace can try out the Sour Cream Waffle as their entree. This comes with roasted apples, chantilly, orange-maple syrup, and your choice of smoked bacon, ham, sausage, or plant-based sausage. Sour Cream Waffle The Sour Cream Waffle is one of the most beloved entrees at this restaurant, so make sure to check it out when you go! See Our Topolino’s Terrace Breakfast Review Here! Crystal Palace Perhaps my personal FAVORITE waffles on this list are the ones you can find at Crystal Palace for breakfast. Here, they serve CHURRO MICKEY WAFFLES. Yes, they’re totally delicious enough to deserve all caps. Churro waffle! These are found on the buffet, and they’re SO yummy, covered in cinnamon sugar. The outside has a nice crispiness to it, while the inside is incredibly soft. Check Out My Review of Crystal Palace Here! Landscape of Flavors If you’re staying at Art of Animation Resort and grabbing breakfast at Landscape of Flavors, you’re in for a fun surprise. Here, they offer character waffles themed to the different areas of the resort! The four areas are Finding Nemo, Cars, The Little Mermaid, and The Lion King-themed. The character waffle meal! When I stopped by, I got Nemo and Flo from Cars on my waffles! You can order these either with a kids’ meal or an adult meal at breakfast time. Check Out Our Landscape of Flavors Lunch Review Here! Rix Sports Bar Some of the most unique Mickey waffles are found at Rix Sports Bar during breakfast. Here, you can snag the Chicken Stuffed Waffles for $18. Chicken Stuffed Mickey Waffle These are four Mickey waffles stuffed with chicken tenders and maple syrup, served with herb butter house potatoes. And they are spectacular! See Our Review of the Stuffed Waffles Here! Cape May Cafe We’re heading to yet ANOTHER character meal! Cape May Cafe at Beach Club Resort is a character breakfast featuring Minnie Mouse and friends. To honor her, they offer Minnie waffles on the buffet. Minnie Waffles They’re mostly just like regular Mickey waffles, except they’re topped with a bow and they have eyelashes. How cute! See Our Cape May Breakfast Review Here! Connections Cafe and Eatery For our last option, we’ve got the Liege Waffle at Connections Eatery! You can also get this sweet treat at Connections Cafe, but at the Eatery, it’s fancier — topped with strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate. Liege Waffle at Connections Eatery The liege waffles are made with brioche dough coated in pearl sugar, which gives them a crispy exterior and a soft interior. This is a great bonus to add to your meal at Connections! So that’s a wrap on our list of fun waffles in Disney World! Check out our video below to see more breakfast options for your vacation. Stay tuned to DFB for more food tips for your Disney World vacation! Click Here for the Best Breakfasts in Disney World! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Which of these waffles have you tried? Tell us your thoughts in the comments! The post I Go To Disney World Every Day, and I'm Finally Sharing the FULL LIST of Secret Waffles to Try in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

So we’ve been visiting Epic Universe as much as we can during Universal Orlando Annual Passholder early previews, mostly just to eat at all the restaurants (hey, it’s what we do!). You’ll find a good variety of quick-service and table-service restaurants in Universal Orlando’s new theme park. Celestial Park But you know us. We want to make sure you know which restaurants are worth your time and which aren’t. So this time, we’re headed over to The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant in Celestial Park to see if it lives up to its colorful and epic name. Atmosphere You’ll find The Blue Dragon Pan-Asian Restaurant in Celestial Park, and it’s pretty easy to find because there’s, well, there’s a gigantic blue dragon at its entrance. There’s a blue dragon out front Once you are inside, you’ll see something that looks a lot like an extravagant version of your local hometown Chinese restaurant. There are lots of red and gold colors with Asian decorative items. Inside The theming is pretty much on point with a pagoda at the end of the room. The pagoda There’s plenty of seating available, including tables and chairs. Lots of places to sit The theme is a bustling Asian courtyard, so you’ll find a massive “tree” overhead in part of the dining area. Check out the golden tree The screens are painted in an Asian style, lending more to the overall theme. Screen Table settings include plates, glasses, and real cloth napkins with chopsticks. Table setting But enough about the restaurant — what’s on the menu here?! Menu The food here is all inspired by Asian flavors and includes some small plates like Double “Fried” Korean Wings and Sweet and Sour Calamari. You can also order Dim Sum, as well as dishes featuring Noodles and Rice. Big plates include Crispy Fried Snapper and Beef and Broccoli. You can also order various teas to go with your meal. The menu A variety of beverages are available, including a selection of Sake, cocktails, mocktails, beer, and wine. Beverages And now, onto the main event — the food! Eats We started with the Pork Soup Dumplings made with seasoned ground pork and dragon sauce for $16. The dumplings themselves are very sticky and tender, with a bit of chew to them. Inside, you get that gush of soup when you bite into it plus that first taste of the seasoned pork. You get five dumplings total. Pork soup dumplings The pork is fairly salty and rich, but it’s…well, it’s just fine. These aren’t anything we haven’t had at our local Asian restaurant. The dumplings are served with a chili oil sauce, just like some of the other things we ordered. They’re…fine We also ordered the Snowflake Potstickers, which are lacy crust potstickers with dragon sauce — yep, that dragon sauce is the chili oil sauce again. For $18, you get a unique presentation of potstickers. The lacy fried batter gives them an interesting look, but the potstickers themselves are nothing to write home about. You can get this kind of potstickers anywhere. Snowflake potstickers The meat is tender and juicy, but again, it’s nothing special. That’s starting to be the theme here with everything we’ve tried. But, hey, at least they look cool? It looks cool The Tonktosu Ramen is made with ramen noodles, rich pork broth, chashu pork, tare egg, shiitake mushrooms, togarashi oil for $29. We LOVE ramen, so we were super excited about this bowl. It had all the good stuff in it, the bok choy, the pork belly, the egg…PERFECT. HOWEVER, again, the presentation was top-notch, but the flavor just wasn’t there. Tonkotsu Ramen The broth is a little TOO light…it needed more richness. The ingredients are…fine…but we had high expectations here and they were not met. Didn’t meet our expectations, though Okay, let’s try something else. So we got the Double Fried “Korean” Wings for $16, which are Korean-style gochujang flavored ultra-crunchy wings. Now this kind of made up for other things we ordered. They’re crispy and crunchy…you can hear that crunch when you bite into them. They’re coated in a gochujang sauce that is robust and sweet, but then that spice kicks in about mid-bite and makes your tongue all tingly. Not only do these have a lot of breading, there’s also a lot of meat on the inside, too. This is probably going to be our favorite thing we ordered here. Double Fried “Korean” Wings Finally, for the savory items, we got the Crispy Orange Chicken for $28. This is crispy chicken with blood orange sweet & sour sauce, snow peas, and white rice. The chicken is crispy, as described, but again, something was missing. Some flavor just wasn’t there to make these great. The sauce is fine, the texture of the chicken is fine, but it needed MORE. The snap peas are fine, as is the rice, but here’s the thing: we think these aren’t even as good as orange chicken from Panda Express. There, we said it. Crispy Orange Chicken Okay, well, surely dessert won’t let us down, will it? We chose the Banana Napoleon, made with miso butterscotch bananas, 5-spice wontons, vanilla ice cream for $12. Okay, so we changed our mind and THIS is the best thing we’ve eaten here. It’s got a crispiness with thick cream with the perfect amount of sweetness and banana flavor. It’s like an elevated version of banana pudding, actually. So if you love banana pudding, this is the dessert for you. Banana Napoleon This is probably the one thing we’d revisit this restaurant for. Drinks To drink, we picked up the Chengdu Dream for $18, made with Ming River Sichuan Baiju, DeKuyper blue curaçao, BG Reynolds falernum, pineapple juice, white grapefruit juice, golden sugar rim with pineapple fronds and an edible orchid. We thought this drink might pack a real punch, but it’s actually mellow and very refreshing. It’s got a nice sweet chill flavor with no tanginess. The alcohol taste is also super light. The presentation is also INCREDIBLE — we love the dragon who looks like he’s just relaxing in the ice. This could be the perfect summer drink. Chengdu Dream We thought we’d try one of the mocktails, too. The Golden Dragon is made with cream of coconut, lime juice, turmeric syrup, pineapple juice, jalapeño essence, and ground ginger for $11. This might be one of the most interesting mocktails we’ve ever had. It starts out with a strong citrusy flavor, but then on the back end, you get that jalapeño and ginger punching you in the back of your throat. Honestly? We’re still not entirely sure how we feel about it, but it’s certainly different. Golden Dragon Finally, we had to get tea! The Dragon Stardust Tea, which is caffeine-free, is a jade-green infusion of lemongrass, ginger, stevia, pineapple, butterfly pea blossom, and a blend of other herbs and spices for $11. This tea is made exclusively for this restaurant. They bring it in a pot, let it steep for a bit, and then they pour it for you. It arrives in a pot This tea has a variety of flavors, although the primary flavor we got was the lemongrass, followed by a hint of ginger, as well as the other spices. We really didn’t get much of the pineapple flavor. It’s also a pretty jade green color. Dragon Stardust Tea We enjoyed this tea a lot, and it paired well with our meal. Nosh or Not You should visit The Blue Dragon if.. You have picky eaters in your party. Honestly, the food here is so comparable to most Asian restaurants that there’s probably something here for everyone. You want a full table service meal experience. This is a table service restaurant, so it’s a chance to take a break from the parks, sit down for a little while, and get served food and drinks. You want drinks and dessert. Honestly, the stand-out here was the dessert we had, plus there are some interesting drinks to choose from. You should skip the Blue Dragon if… You want something unique. As we mentioned, there’s not much here that isn’t available at most Asian restaurants, so you’re not going to find anything that’s going to wow the foodie in you. You want something fast. This is a table service restaurant, so dining here will take more time than what you’d get if you ordered quick service food. You don’t like Asian food. If Asian food isn’t your thing, you’re probably not going to find anything here to please you. There’s a huge variety of food in Epic Universe, after all, so you’re sure to find something you like elsewhere. Overall So the one thing that keeps coming up about this restaurant is that so much of the food we tried seemed to have something missing and needed more flavor. Overall, the best word we can describe most of what we ordered here is “dull.” We did like the wings and banana napoleon, but we wouldn’t make a special trip to this restaurant just for those things. Okay, maybe we would for that dessert… In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for more restaurant updates from Epic Universe and beyond. Make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest theme park news and more! The Best Restaurants in Disney World in 2025 Need Disney Restaurant Advice? We’ve Got EVERYTHING You Need to Know The ONLY Disney Dining Planning Tool You’ll Need Is Here – Get the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining! See Our Complete Disney World Restaurants Guide The Best Magic Kingdom Restaurants The Best EPCOT Restaurant Restaurants The Best Hollywood Studios Restaurants The Best Animal Kingdom Restaurants The Best Disney Springs Restaurants Check Out Dozens of Disney Dining Tips and Tools Learn All About Tipping at Disney Restaurants How to Use Mobile Order in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest Disney food news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Have you eaten at this Disney World restaurant before? Tell us in the comments! The post REVIEW: What I Wish I Knew Before Trying 9 Menu Items at This Epic Universe Restaurant first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney+ is about to offer a whole lot more for subscribers because a bunch of new stuff is coming to the streaming platform! ©Disney Disney recently had its 2025 Upfront, a showcase of the company’s programming and media offerings for the upcoming year. It was filled with celebrities and big announcements, getting fans excited for the next slate of content coming to Disney+. We have all the information on what’s to come right here! Disney opened its showcase with NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Saquon Barkley, surprising fans as they introduced Disney CEO Bob Iger to the stage. The introduction was enough to promise an exciting and impactful showcase of Disney’s large portfolio across sports, streaming, entertainment, and technology. ©Disney The show unexpectedly started with a live musical number from, you wouldn’t have guessed this, Peyton and Eli Manning! Their performance included stars such as Kaitlin Olson, Sterling K. Brown, Mike Greenberg, and Sheryl Lee Ralph. The group came together to help the NFL superstars in a formal pitch to executives for projects across Disney brands featuring the Manning brothers. So, maybe somewhere down the line we’ll be getting content with the NFL greats — maybe even a musical. ©Disney OK, now it’s time to get into what’s coming to Disney+, because there is A LOT we have to cover! Starting with your favorite chefs from Hulu, Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach took the stage. The cast from the Emmy Award-winning series, The Bear, officially announced that the long-awaited fourth season will debut on June 25th on Hulu. All ten episodes will be available on Disney+! ©Disney (Cast of The Bear) Elle Duncan, Andraya Carter and Chiney Ogwumike are some of ESPN’s best when it comes to women’s college basketball and WNBA analysts, and they helped confirm an all-new female-led sports show called Vibe Check. The show will feature an all-female cast, as it focuses on bringing the biggest stories in sports to light. ©Disney (Vibe Check) New episodes will be released three times a week, and it has a lot to offer. It will deliver coverage of every sport with elite expert analysis, all-access moments, hot takes and opinions, bold perspectives, and, of course, great vibes. ©ESPN Burke Magnus, the President of Content at ESPN, stated, “We are incredibly excited to launch this new show, which will provide a powerful platform for the brilliant women at ESPN. The voices that will be leading this program have long been shaping the sports landscape, and now they’ll have this additional platform to bring their unique insights to the forefront in an even more impactful way for Disney+ subscribers.” The show officially debuts this June and is available exclusively on Disney+! ©Disney Those in attendance at the Upfront were given a first look at The Beauty, an upcoming series from FX. The show was introduced by stars Evan Peters, Anthony Ramos, Jeremy Pope, and Ashton Kutcher. They then introduced their co-stars Glenn Close, Sarah Paulson, Niecy Nash-Betts, and Teyana Taylor. Together, they treated the audience to the first teaser trailer. We don’t have much else information on the show, but it has a star-studded cast and is sure to deliver! ©Disney You know who’s really been on the rise lately? Glen Powell! If you’re a fan of his work, you’re going to love the next announcement. Glen Powell is set to star as Chad Powers, the new face of college football! The new Hulu comedy series, Chad Powers, will premiere on September 30th — launching with two episodes. Someone is going undercover! ©Hulu Speaking of football, NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes went on stage to announce a new show called The Kingdom. This will be a six-episode ESPN Original Series that takes you through the storied history of the Kansas City Chiefs. ©ESPN Alright, Marvel fans, it’s your turn to get some love. The hit return of the devil from Hell’s Kitchen, Daredevil: Born Again, is getting a second season with a special surprise. Krysten Ritter is returning to Marvel to reprise her role as Jessica Jones! ©Disney The Alien franchise is making a thrilling return with Alien: Earth. Stars Sydney Chandler, Timothy Olyphant, and Babou Ceesay gave guests an early look at the highly anticipated series. See the Xenomorph once again as the show premieres on August 12th. ©IGN Lastly, The Rich Eisen Show is officially coming to Disney+! That’s right, after 22 years, Disney, ESPN and Rich Eisen are coming together. The Rich Eisen Show is set to debut on Disney+ and ESPN+ beginning this fall. The highly acclaimed program will stream on weekdays noon to 3 PM ET. ©92.5 The Ticket Make sure you have your Disney+ subscription renewed, and set some time aside, because there is clearly a lot we’ll have to tune into! We’re so excited for everything Disney has in store for streaming, and can’t wait for every one of these to officially release. For more on the latest news and updates on Disney, be sure to stay tuned to Disney Food Blog! Everything Coming to Disney+ in May 2025 Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments! The post Disney Just Dropped 8 BIG Announcements About NEW Additions Coming to Disney+ first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

The moment you’ve been waiting for is finally here! 🤩🎉 #Disneyland70 #Disneyland #DisneyParksView the full article

Falcon’s Beyond Global, an attractions and experiences developer, has completed the purchase of Oceaneering Entertainment Systems, a designer of ride systems. Both businesses are based in Orlando and have been in operation for more than two decades. “We started our companies almost simultaneously. We opened our doors in downtown Windermere more than 25 years ago,” said Cecil D. Magpuri, CEO and co-founder of Falcon’s Beyond. Collaboration with OES began within months, he said. “We had this opportunity to now leverage 25 years of history of Oceaneering Entertainment Systems and their capabilities of creating some of the most profound and innovative attractions to be now merged into Falcon’s Beyond and our specific division of Falcon’s Attractions of which we’re known for developing attractions ourselves as well,” Magpuri said. “This has basically boosted and accelerated that growth of our Falcon’s Attractions division and expanded its reach with client base and capabilities,” he said. OES has developed technology used in award-winning rides including the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man and Transformers: The Ride 3D at Universal Orlando and the Shuttle Launch Experience at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. It was a division of Houston-based Oceaneering International. Falcon’s purchase includes patented technologies, proprietary engineering and manufacturing processes of OES as well as a 106,000-square-foot facility that will be used for research, development and testing. Financial terms of the purchase have not been announced. The potential of a deal was announced during IAAPA Expo in November. The acquisition moves 29 employees from Oceaneering into the Falcon’s fold, which includes more than 200 people in Orlando. “I think what we’re most excited about is what gets unlocked by bringing these two superpowers together,” said Dave Mauck, president of Falcon’s Attractions and former vice president and general manager of OES. Falcon’s will provide support for all existing OES products, ensuring continuity with the same personnel and technology that had been provided by OES. Business units of Falcon’s Beyond concentrate on content, technology and experience, developing master plans, location-based entertainment, movies, merchandising, gaming and immersive rides. While some companies develop attractions in-house, that’s not always an option, Mauck said. “They don’t have the time to onboard the people or to put 20 years of experience under the belt,” he said. “This is a way that they could activate big visions and hire this capability in from the outside rather than develop it within.” dbevil@orlandosentinel.com View the full article

A NEW nighttime spectacular parade is coming to the Magic Kingdom this summer! ©Disney | Spectromagic Parade in the Magic Kingdom Nighttime parades have been a staple of Disney’s theme parks since the Main Street Electrical Parade debuted at Disneyland in 1972. A clone of that original debuted at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in 1977, and played at the park until 1991. That same year, the Magic Kingdom original SpectroMagic parade debuted at the park, and became a fan-favorite, playing at the park until 1999, and then again from 2001 to 2010. In the years since, the original Electrical Parade appeared intermittently. We would imagine that the parade could run two performances a night on this route, with the second traveling in the opposite direction of the first. Whether that’s the case or not, given Starlight’s emphasis on lights and star iconography, the parade will not run until the sun goes down, which during the Orlando summer will likely be after 8:00 PM. ©Disney Disney Starlight is scheduled to premiere this summer! Stay tuned to DFB for more on the newest Disney World additions, and FULL coverage of the parade when it debuts. Inside Disney’s Space Mountain: Everything You Don’t See When the Lights Are Out Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Are you excited for Starlight? Let us know in the comments below. The post Disney Starlight Set to Open in Magic Kingdom This Summer first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Epic Universe officially opens to the public on May 22nd, but after several early visits to Universal Orlando’s new theme park through a special tour, as well as through Universal Orlando Annual Passholder previews, we’re quickly becoming acquainted with all the food this park has to offer. Pizza Moon We’ve been on a mission to eat EVERYTHING (and we do mean everything) in the new theme park. Now we’ve previously visited Pizza Moon in Celestial Park (you can read our full review here), but we decided to revisit this pizza joint to try even MORE items on the menu. So let’s go! First up, we’ve been seeing a lot of internet chatter about Pizza Moon’s Pizza Lunare due to its ube crust. So obviously, we had to try it out. For $18.99, you get a pizza with roasted garlic béchamel, fromage de lune, ricotta, pancetta, and garlic confit on ube pizza crust. Yep, this baby is UNIQUE. It’s even served with some fanfare, and we were told something like we’d been blessed by the universe. Okay, there’s some hype…but does the pizza deserve it? Pizza Lunare So, first, it’s cute, but the ricotta is VERY forward, and if you don’t like ricotta (and a lot of folks don’t), you’re probably not going to like this pizza. The other flavors are mild, and the ube turns out to not be that big of a deal. The crust is bready and not a thin New York-style crust. Overall, we liked it, but again, that ricotta could turn a lot of people off. But it really does fit the vibe of the restaurant. Ube crust The next pizza took us on a trip, as in it’s called A Trip To Vesuvio. This pizza is made with Fromage de lune, pepperoni, fennel sausage, roasted peppers, caramelized onions, cherry peppers, Calabrian chili, arugula, and hot honey for $18.99. Yep, this one is a spicy little number. This pizza is LOADED with toppings, including a lot of arugula…but if you don’t like arugula, you can just pull it off. Note that if you mobile order, you can’t customize your pizza, but you can if you visit the counter instead. A Trip To Vesuvio This pizza was SO nice. It’s spicy, sure, but there’s a lot of flavor here, more so than heat. We will admit that it was a little veggie-heavy for us, but that’s a personal opinion. Your veggie-hating kids are going to turn their noses up at it. However, this is one of our favorite things we’ve had at Epic Universe so far, so that’s saying a lot! Loads of flavor So Pizza Moon is a lot of fun, and you can get some unique pizzas that fit in with the restaurant’s celestial theme. Overall, we’ll probably be here again during our many visits to Epic Universe. Stay tuned to DFB for more.  Read more: DFB's complete guide to Universal’s Epic Universe >> Will you be visiting Epic Universe this summer? Let us know in the comments! The post REVIEW: We Tried the VIRAL Pizza in Epic Universe first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Epic Universe is days away from opening! Celestial Park in Epic Universe Universal’s newest theme park officially opens on May 22nd, 2025, but the park is already running previews, so we’ve been checking out the park every chance we get. One of the biggest issues we’ve seen during these previews is the controversial Virtual Queue system, but will it be your problem when the park opens? Big changes may indicate a no! If you haven’t been keeping up with the Epic Universe of it all, one of the biggest ticket attractions is Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry. This attraction takes you into the Ministry of Magic from the Harry Potter films and books, where you’ll find Dolores Umbridge at her trial for her crimes within the Ministry. Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry As chaos ensues, you’ll have to help Harry, Ron, and Hermione as they battle throughout the ride! One key factor of this attraction is that throughout theme park previews, the only way to hop on this attraction was with a virtual queue. There have been three different drops each day at 11 AM, 3 PM, and 6 PM. Virtual queue sign in Epic Universe In our experience, getting a virtual queue has been a huge hit-or-miss scenario. Sometimes, we’ve seen time selections pop up, other times, we don’t even see it as an option before it’s gone. Today, May 16th, the ride opened without a virtual queue, and it’s thrown us for a loop! Note that the park is still under technical rehearsals, so Universal could still be working out exactly what kind of system it will use for this attraction. The Queue of Battle at the Ministry The ride opened with the park and immediately experienced lines of 100 minutes! Woah! ©Universal The ride then moved to a 120-minute wait before going down for a bit. The ride is now back up to a 150-minute wait! Anyone busy for the next two and a half hours? ©Universal There is a single rider line, although it isn’t guaranteed to be an option, and parties will be split up if it’s open. We are really eager to see if this lasts once the park officially opens in just a few days. It’s important to note that previews are a limited-capacity experience, so these wait times could see even higher wait times once the park formally opens. It’s impossible to say until the park opens, but note that this WILL be a popular ride. The Office of Professor Delores Umbridge We have been blown away by this attraction, along with everything else in the new theme park, but we’re very eager to see how things progress once the crowds potentially get even bigger. This attraction, and the Viking Training Camp, were closed from May 10th through May 16th. Universal has not confirmed if this virtual queue removal is permanent. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter — Ministry of Magic We can’t wait to see how this will impact rope drop strategies and other wait times throughout the park. As always, be sure to keep following DFB for more Universal news and updates! Learn more about Epic Universe here! Read more: DFB's complete guide to Universal’s Epic Universe >> Will you be going to Epic Universe soon? Tell us in the comments! The post NEWS: NEW Harry Potter Ride Hit With Virtual Queue CHANGE at Epic Universe first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

There are two kinds of people in the world: 1) those who think planning outfits for vacation is half the fun of going on vacation, and 2) those who absolutely dread packing. I’m in the first group — you tell me where we’re going and I’m already brainstorming outfits for every day of the trip. But sometimes, cute outfits come at a cost…especially in Disney World. Oh, you thought it would be fun to wear a flowy sundress to Magic Kingdom? Good luck riding TRON Lightcycle / Run. TRON Lightcycle / Run I write about Disney World for a living, so you would think I’d know by now what NOT to wear to Disney World. But sometimes, I can’t help but sacrifice comfort for fashion. I need a chance to wear all my cute clothing, after all! After my recent experience diving into unforgiving the world of bodysuits, though, I have a warning for you. DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. We’ve all seen the ads. Viral brands like Skims and Spanx spare no expense on marketing, and yeah, it works. I wanted to pack a couple of dresses for Disney World (smart, right? Dresses are nice and cool on a hot summer day), but I knew I would need something to go underneath my dress. You’re sitting, walking, and contorting your body in all kinds of weird ways in Disney World, so I needed peace of mind if I was going to pack a couple of dresses for vacation. Good luck riding Space Mountain in a dress I packed a couple of options. I wanted a few pairs of short (I like the three-inch) biker shorts and a bodysuit to wear under my dresses. This isn’t my first rodeo, so I had a stash of little shorts perfect for this scenario. The shorts can’t be too long; otherwise, they’ll peek out past the hem of my dresses. If you’re looking for recommendations, you can pick up a multi-pack like this on Amazon. ©Amazon But wearing a bodysuit to Disney World? That’s different. There’s a whole different set of logistics involved with a bodysuit. It’s uncomfortable. It’s suffocating (this may be a slight exaggeration, but seriously — bodysuits are NOT for the weak). It’s, frankly, unnecessary. After my nightmare experience, I stand by this. If you’re wearing a dress to Disney World, skip the full-blown bodysuit. Just wear a pair of shorts under your dress. Magic Kingdom! What’s so bad about it, you may ask? Ugh. I shudder to recall the experience. I packed a “mid thigh bodysuit” to go under my dress. I thought it would be great because it had straps AND shorts built in, so I didn’t have to worry about the shorts sliding around under my dress. Well, that peace of mind comes at a cost. Sure, the shorts stay where they need to, but that’s because the fabric is so tight and compressing that it’s like wearing a layer of compression socks…over your thighs and stomach. Combine that already uncomfortable feeling with the brutal Florida heat, and, yeah. I’m sure you get it. Not comfortable. Not worth it. Don’t do it! EPCOT Is it fun to wear cute outfits to Disney World? Of course! But that fun is instantly ruined when you start feeling uncomfortable in the park. Pack STRATEGIC on vacation — wear the cute outfit, but pack an emergency change of clothes you can change into if needed. Better yet? Try it on before your trip. Your future self will thank you! Pandora So, there ya go. I hope my word of warning helps you! No matter how strong you think you are, life at Disney World is WAY different than life at home. Just skip the bodysuit! Don’t want to go through all of the stress of booking your Disney World trip alone? Reach out to our friends at Small World Vacations! Their experienced agents monitor your reservation for possible future savings, compare discounts and figure out which one works best for your travel party, dates, resort, and touring plans. And, they share expert tips and first-hand advice with you about your magical vacation. In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more. I Wore This VIRAL Dress All Day in Disney World – Here’s Why It Was a Total Disaster Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Have you ever worn a bodysuit in Disney World? Let us know in the comments! The post I Wore a Viral Bodysuit All Day at Disney World — Here’s Why It Was a Total Disaster first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

A major departure from past pricing policies at Disney’s Military Resort For the first time in its history, Shades of Green is offering a tiered room discount based on active-duty military rank—and it’s a big shift from the norm. Last month, the resort surprised the military community with a new, very limited discount available only […] The post Shades of Green’s New Tiered Active Duty Discounts for Summer 2025 appeared first on Military Disney Tips. View the full article

Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Experiences, recently participated in a Q&A session at the MoffettNathanson Media, Internet & Communications Conference on May 14th, 2025. During the Q&A session, he commented on the affordability of Disney, and we are breaking down what he had to say. Josh D’Amaro at Destination D23, 2023 ©Disney A Disney vacation is not cheap, but how does Disney feel about the affordability of their own parks? We have some thoughts directly from the Chairman of Disney Experiences, so let’s dive in! He began the session by pointing out that Disney believes that for every 1 theme park visitor they have, there are 10 more who want to come but haven’t had the opportunity yet. In fact, he stated that Disney believes there are half a billion consumers who have the income and affinity for Disney to visit one of its theme parks. EPCOT “Deliver great value.” D’Amaro focused on the subject of value when discussing affordability at Disney. He mentioned how there are very few places in the world where you can have a 10-, 12-, or 16-hour experience with the amount of value the Disney parks offer. You can experience the best stories on full display in front of you, world-class attractions, Broadway-style entertainment, an array of food options, opportunities to meet your favorite characters, and end the day with a fireworks show. He stated that there is “literally nothing like it in the World. We’re always making sure that we’re delivering value to every one of our guests that comes into one of our experiences or theme parks.” Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland He further emphasized that they feel very good about the value that the Disney parks can deliver around the world. Disney is trying to offer flexibility and as many options as possible so guests can choose what works best for their budget. D’Amaro pointed out that you can still go to Disneyland today for $104, the same price as in 2018 or 2019. You can also choose to book a cheaper hotel to keep the price for the vacation lower. Of course, many add-ons and more expensive hotels are available, but guests can create a lower-cost vacation with their choices. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Josh D’Amaro wants guests to know they have options for their Disney vacation. Guests can pick and choose which experiences they want to include in their vacation so they can fit their budget. If a visitor has a tighter budget, they can opt for tickets without park hoppers, choose to stay at a value resort, and minimize the number of table service meals. On the other hand, there are also lots of options for a more luxurious stay that guests can choose if they have a larger budget. Josh D’Amaro stated that they key for Disney is providing that flexibility so visitors can curate their vacation to fit their wants and needs. Additionally, utilizing seasonality in their pricing has helped allow more families to visit for cheaper prices during periods of low demand. Disney California Adventure On top of that flexibility, they want to provide great value for visitors. The value of the vacation is a huge focus for Disney and D’Amaro said that Disney knows they are providing that value because that is what guests are telling them. They are closely monitoring guest experience and feedback to ensure that visitors have a good experience and remain advocates for the parks after they leave — “we are watching very closely what our guests are telling us.” They want guests to return and to spread the word about the great time they had at the Disney parks. Magic Kingdom Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news! Check out the 5 big announcements Disney made during their most recent earnings call! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What do you think about Josh D’Amaro’s comments about Disney and affordability? Let us know in the comments! The post “We Are Watching Very Closely What Our Guests Are Telling Us.” Josh D’Amaro Comments on Affordability at Disney Parks first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

While Universal is known for crafting compelling movies that transport people to faraway worlds, the company has also developed its prowess in making those come to life through its captivating theme parks. Nowhere is this more true than at Epic Universe, Orlando’s brand new park that features five immersive worlds: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, Dark Universe and the all-original Celestial Park. As Universal gets ready to open the gates of its new high-tech park on May 22, visitors can do their own preparations at home by watching the films that inspired the new worlds. Here is a guide for what to watch before spending a full day at Epic Universe. Hiccup befriends Toothless, an injured Night Fury — the rarest dragon of all — in DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon,” released in March 2010. (Courtesy DreamWorks Animation)How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk Visitors stepping foot onto the Isle of Berk can find themselves surrounded by Viking statues and ships, soaring through the air while clutching dragon wings or drinking mead (for adult guests, anyway). The movie franchise behind this new world started with the original “How to Train Your Dragon,” which was released in 2010. The animated film, loosely based on a book series by Cressida Cowell, follows the journey of Hiccup, a 15-year-old son of the village chieftain, Stoick the Vast. After fumbling to become the great warrior his father wants him to be, Hiccup finds his voice as a dragon trainer and peacekeeper, as well as Toothless the dragon’s best friend. Hiccup, voiced by Jay Baruchel, in a scene from DreamWorks Animation’s “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.” (DreamWorks Animation/Universal Pictures via AP)Sequels “How to Train Your Dragon 2” (2014) and “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World” (2019) find dragons and Vikings co-existing and inhabiting Berk together while facing foes from the outside. A live-action remake of the 2010 film is set to be released on June 13 and will represent the fourth full-length movie in the franchise. An actor playing Hiccup facilitates guest interactions with Toothless the dragon within How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk at Universal Epic Universe. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)For fans looking to get further into the fantasy world crafted in the films, the “Dragons” show has eight seasons in a series that serves as a bridge between the first film and the sequel. These can be streamed on Netflix, Hulu and Peacock depending on the season. In Epic Universe’s Berk, guests can interact with Toothless and other dragons, characters from the film and may even see mythical beasts flying overhead. Imelda Staunton is Dolores Umbridge in Warner Bros. Pictures’ movie “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.” (Courtesy Warner Bros.)The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic Epic Universe’s Harry Potter world provides Potterheads with a brand new space to explore, adding to Diagon Alley at Universal Studios and Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure. The new world features aspects of both “Harry Potter” and “Fantastic Beasts” films, transporting visitors to the streets of 1920s wizarding Paris. Katherine Waterston as Tina Goldstein and Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander in the movie “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” (Courtesy Warner Bros.)Newt Scamander, the protagonist of the three “Fantastic Beasts” movies, is featured in the park’s “Le Cirque Arcanus” show and in cameos found within the newest Wizarding World addition. The Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry attraction centers on the trial of Dolores Umbridge, a villainess in the main “Harry Potter” movies. The ride is set in the 1990s Ministry of Magic and features appearances from Harry, Hermione and Ron, among other popular “Potter” characters. The queue for Harry Potter and the Battle at the Ministry takes guests inside the Ministry of Magic at Universal Epic Universe. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)Umbridge is featured in “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” (2007) and both parts of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” (2010 and 2011). But there’s no reason not to binge all eight movies again, just for a good refresher. British actor Boris Karloff appears in a scene from the 1931 classic film ”Frankenstein.” (Courtesy Universal Pictures)Dark Universe The advent of Dark Universe represents a return to roots for Universal Studios, which began producing monster movies in 1913 with “Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde.” The most prominent movies — including “Dracula” (1931), “Frankenstein” (1931), “The Mummy” (1932), “The Invisible Man” (1933), “Bride of Frankenstein” (1935), “Werewolf of London” (1935) and “Wolf Man” (1941) — came out during the Great Depression as a way for people to escape the harsh realities of real life at the theater. Universal’s horror classics include”Dracula” (1931). (Courtesy Universal Pictures)As pioneers of the horror genre, Universal crafted this new world to pay homage to the spooky and macabre stories that helped get the company through the 1930s and stay in business. Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment is a ride with animatronics depicting many of the monsters in the films listed above and several others, such as the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Phantom of the Opera and Quasimodo from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1923). Frankenstein and Dr. Victoria Frankenstein are focal points of the pre-show leading up to Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment at Universal Epic Universe. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)Ygor, a lab assistant and mad scientist who makes appearances in some of the “Frankenstein” movies, is a focal point of the ride and in Darkmoor Village, the setting for Dark Universe. The Bride of Frankenstein, Frankenstein’s Monster and the Invisible Man can also be found within the town. Another one of Universal’s monsters features prominently in the Curse of the Werewolf spinning coaster. Victoria Frankenstein, a descendent of Victor Frankenstein, is a new original character crafted for Epic Universe who features prominently in the Monsters Unchained ride. This image released by Nintendo and Universal Studios shows Mario, voiced by Chris Pratt, left, and Luigi, voiced by Charlie Day in Nintendo’s “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” (Courtesy Universal Pictures)Super Nintendo World When Epic Universe guests ascend the escalators into Super Nintendo World, they step through Peach’s Castle and into a vibrant area featuring a life-sized Mushroom Kingdom and Donkey Kong Country, which is home to the Mine-Cart Madness coaster. The world draws inspiration from a variety of Nintendo games, starting with the original “Super Mario Bros” that was released in 1985. Newer games available on the Nintendo Switch, including “New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe” (2019) and “Super Mario Bros. Wonder” (2023) help set the stage for the immersive space that video games fans can explore at Universal’s new park. “Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” is a fun game to play to warm up before heading to Super Nintendo World. (Courtesy Nintendo)The Yoshi’s Adventure ride highlights the lovable dinosaur that’s found in many games starting with the 1990 Super Nintendo Entertainment System game “Super Mario World.” All of Super Nintendo World offers interactive elements that are brought to life through Power-Up Bands, which are brightly colored wristbands that help each wearer keep score through the Universal Orlando app. A guest takes advantage of a meet-and-greet with Mario and Luigi in Super Nintendo World at Epic Universe. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)Extra gameplay is offered on the Mario Kart: Bower’s Challenge ride, which uses augmented-reality glasses to put riders into a race with other characters and turtle shells abound. Visitors who want to get some extra practice in before visiting can play “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe” on Nintendo Switch. For those looking for something to watch rather than play, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (2023) follows Mario and Luigi as they go on a quest to defeat Bowser. Guests take a ride on the Stardust Racers dueling coaster as it’s lit up at night at Universal Epic Universe. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)Celestial Park Due to its nature as an original creation, Celestial Park doesn’t have a lengthy watchlist or any movies in particular that it is based on. The world serves as the central hub of Epic Universe and the gateway to all of the other portals, which lead into separate themed worlds. Helios, the Greek god of the sun, and Luna, the mythical goddess of the moon, stand guard at either end of Celestial Park. The sun, moon and stars are central to the world’s theming, which ties together the park’s “cosmic heart.” 1985’s “Back to the Future” is a worthwhile watch before heading to the new Universal Park. (Courtesy Universal Pictures)There is, however, a nod to one of Universal’s classic movies on the Stardust Racers dueling coaster. Each ride car is powered by a flux capacitor, the same futuristic technology that enabled Doc Brown’s DeLorean to time travel in “Back to the Future.” The 1985 film and its sequels are worth revisiting before a trip to Epic Universe, even if just for grins. Find me @PConnPie on Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com. Stay up to date with our latest travel, arts and events coverage by subscribing to our newsletters at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters. View the full article

Standing tall along the northeast edge of the new Epic Universe theme park is the Helios Grand Hotel, a 14-story hotel built by Universal Orlando, that expects to benefit from location, location, location. More than half of the 500 Helios Grand units — plus the rooftop bar area — have views down into the park. It’s a colorful, complicated sight by day then a dark and sparkling experience by night, punctuated by fountain shows. But it’s not just for looking. Hotel guests with park tickets have all but immediate access to Epic Universe from Helios. Through a dedicated entrance, they’re mere steps away from Celestial Park, the area that leads to themed worlds populated by Harry Potter, Donkey Kong, a dragon named Toothless and the monster made by Dr. Frankenstein’s great-granddaughter Victoria, among others. “We’ve got this great little amenity right outside the back door, which is so cool,” Russ Dagon, senior vice president for resort development for Universal Creative, said during a hotel preview this spring. Helios Grand Hotel is situated within Universal Epic Universe. The new 500-room Loews Hotel overlooks the new theme park and provides a dedicated entrance. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)Helios Grand visitors will see the theme park even before they get to their rooms. The hotel lobby looks out onto Epic through tall floor-to-ceiling windows. “From Day One, it’s how do we get that view out to the park. How do we get people energized to go out and experience the park?” Dagon said. Another dramatic angle of the park is found at Bar Helios on the top floor, where there’s an indoor, domed bar with views of both sides of the building. This section includes a dining area and an outdoor patio facing Epic. Bar Helios, a 10th-floor bar at Helios Grand Hotel features high-up views of Universal Epic Universe. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)Signature cocktails continue the starry theme with names such as Athenian Milk Punch, Nectar of the Gods, Pandora’s Box and the Iliad & Odyssey. Among the food options are crunchy crab cake, charred octopus, sea scallop crudo and the seafood tower, built with Florida blue crab claws, poached Florida prawns, oyster and tuna sashimi. Bar Helios opens at 4 p.m. daily. The three-meal main restaurant downstairs is named Flora Taverna and leans both Greek and Italian with menu items such as pan-seared scallops, grilled lamb chops, bucatini and olive oil cake. A standard queen room (325 square feet) on the sixth floor of Helios Grand Hotel provides views of Epic Universe theme park. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)Helios also offers a grab-and-go option known as Aurora Market and a poolside eatery named Lotus Lagoon. Notable on that drink menu: Prosecco Popsicle, Lotus Blossom and Padova Paloma. The pool area can’t really be spotted from the theme park, although it’s wedged beside Epic’s Dark Universe area. It features a zero-entry pool, cabanas and a hot tub. Helios Grand Hotel, which is situated within Universal Epic Universe, has an expansive outdoor pool area with lounge chairs and cabanas. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)The interior and exterior styling of Helios Grand, which is co-owned and operated by Loews Hotels with Universal, is Mediterranean-inspired. “With the design, one of the things that we were looking for is we wanted a very sophisticated property, but we wanted to be comfortable and casual,” Dagon said. In the Helios lineup are kids suites themed to 'How to Train Your Dragon.' (Universal Orlando)Standard rooms are 325 square feet. Helios Grand also offers kids suites themed to “How to Train Your Dragon” (Think Viking architecture, flying dragons, woodwork). It also offers a fitness center, arcade, business center and Universal Studios Store. The resort provides bus transportation to Universal CityWalk, about 2.5 miles away, which leads to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme park plus Volcano Bay water park. The Celestial Park fountain is illuminated at night with the Helios Grand Hotel in the background at Universal Epic Universe. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)Universal Orlando groups Helios into its “signature collection” of hotels, a category that includes Hard Rock Hotel, Royal Pacific, Sapphire Falls and Portofino Bay. As of opening, guests are Helios and Sapphire Falls do not receive free Universal Express Unlimited, a feature that allows holders to skip regular lines at many attractions inside Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure parks. Another unusual aspect of Helios Grand is the $125 parking charge for day guests ($128 for valet). That should discourage the notion of parking at the hotel to scoot right into the park rather than using the designated park area. Helios’ registered overnight guests pay $36 per night per vehicle. A Celestial Park fountain puts on a show with the Helios Grand Hotel in the background. (Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel)Helios Grand is the third hotel to open at Universal Orlando this year. It joined Epic neighbors Stella Nova and Terra Luna resorts, which each have 750 rooms. The addition of these resorts brings Universal’s on-property total to 11,000 rooms at 11 hotels. Email me at dbevil@orlandosentinel.com. BlueSky: @themeparksdb. Threads account: @dbevil. X account: @themeparks. Subscribe to the Theme Park Rangers newsletter at orlandosentinel.com/newsletters. A dedicated park entrance is available to guests at Helios Grand Hotel in Orlando.(Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel) View the full article