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One of the most fun, and frankly easiest, ways to meet favorite Disney characters at Walt Disney World Resort is through themed character dining. Each park, and many resorts, offer a unique experience where families are immersed in the story of their beloved characters as they dine on delicious meals. Character dining is a great option for young children since the characters come to each table, allowing kids to give hugs and get autographs with several of their favorites without waiting in line. Parents can rest assured that their child will get to see every character during the course of the meal. We asked our Walt Disney World Facebook fans to vote on their recommendations on the best in-park dining for little ones, and here is what they came up with. From classic characters and princesses to Disney Junior stars and even a meal in an enchanted castle, we think this is a great list. Do your kids have a favorite character dining experience? #DisneyKids: Top 5 Restaurants for Little Ones at Walt Disney World Resort by Jamie Langdon: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article

Recently, I shared my dining experience at Shutters at Old Port Royale at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort with you. This weekend, guests will be able to sample menu favorites from Shutters at Old Port Royale on the Fantasy Fare Truck at Exposition Park in Downtown Disney West Side. March 6-8, you’ll be able to experience the sweet and spicy flavors of the Caribbean: Island Chicken Wings ($9.75); Jerk-seasoned Mahi with Ancho BBQ, pineapple salsa, and yellow rice ($9.50); and Warm White Chocolate-Cinnamon Bread Pudding ($4.00). Exposition Park, located at Downtown Disney West Side, is open 12:30-11 p.m., weather permitting. Tip: Park in the newly opened Orange Garage for nearby access. If you’re hungry for more, Shutters is open for dinner daily, and accepts the Disney Dining Plan. For reservations, visit DisneyWorld.com/dine or call 407-WDW-DINE. ‘Food Truck Takeover’ by Shutters at Old Port Royale This Weekend at Downtown Disney by Rachel Brent: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article

The eighth-annual Disney Dreamers Academy kicked off with a special parade in Magic Kingdom featuring the Dreamer Class of 2015, Steve Harvey, ESSENCE Magazine's Editor-in-Chief Mikki Taylor.From:Disney ParksViews:30772ratingsTime:01:23More inTravel & Events

There are so many unique eats at the Tokyo Disney Resort. In this post, I’ve complied most of the items my family tried on our recent trip. Rather than do individual posts on each thing, here’s a mega post featuring them all! Ready, let’s go to Tokyo! I’m going to start with my very first snack stop at Tokyo Disney Sea. We stopped at Refrescos’ in the Mediterranean Harbor area for a little bit of everything: A Gyoza Sausage Bun, a Maple Mickey Churro, and Cream of Corn Soup. Basically one of every thing on the menu. We were really excited because there was absolutely zero line. I’m told that the Gyoza Sausage Bun is one of the most popular items at Disney Sea and sometimes people wait over an hour for one. We lucked out because apparently this was an area that just recently started selling them. Normally they are only at the stand in Mysterious Island. Gyoza Sausage Bun, Corn Soup & a Mickey Churro I was most excited about the Maple Mickey Churro, but unfortunately, it fell way short of the churros we have at the Disneyland Resort. Although it scored major points for being Mickey shaped, the churro itself was hard, dry and had very little flavor. Really cute, but not at all worth it. Mickey Shaped Maple Churro The Corn Soup was fabulous. It’s not creamy like a chowder you’d find in the states, but it is still flavorful and hits the spot on a chilly day. I love that it’s served in a cup, easy to sip on if you want to take it to go. The soup is served up piping hot, so I used this cute little Mickey stir stick to help cool it off! Corn Soup is quite popular throughout the Tokyo Disney Resort, we saw it in several locations. Corn Soup Now, on to that famous Gyoza Sausage Bun… It’s fabulous. The bun is served warm; its chewy outer bun is fresh with an almost sweet taste. The meaty filling is juicy and flavorful. A little bit of everything from Refrescos. Next up, we are heading over to the Dreamer’s Lounge at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel. This is a great spot to unwind after a day in the parks, which is exactly what we did. At first we were just going to have some drinks, but then I spotted some things that others around us were eating that I had to try. I mean, who knows when we’d we back so let’s go for it. The drinks alone are worth writing about. We tried two very fun non-alcoholic specialties, one was a fruity holiday special and the other a Coca Cola based drink made to look like Mickey’s pants.  The little details that make these drinks so adorable are really quite simple. They were made with lemon rind and stuck to the inside of the glasses. With some tiny cookie cutters I think this would be really easy to do at home. I don’t know what they used to get them to stay in place, I’m thinking something like honey might work. Dreamer’s Lounge Specialty Drinks My boys were hungry for a snack, so we ordered a fruit platter to share. I was so pleasantly surprised by the variety, quality and presentation of what came to the table. Look at that peeled grape! The dish was tasty and gorgeous. Dreamer’s Lounge Fruit Platter Now, for that impulse order, the Holiday Dessert Sampler. I saw this at another table and basically pointed saying “That Please!” This trio of fun treats were almost too cute to eat. All of the items were good, but nothing spectacular. Unfortunately, it was much more adorable to look at than delicious to eat. Dessert Sampler The little “gift box” was a spongy type pastry with a fondant ribbon. Inside the present was chocolate ganache. The Mickey hand on the plate was painted chocolate. A “Present” from Mickey Next, is the little gelatin bowl. Embellished with mini chocolate candy canes, this “jello” type dessert was topped with strawberries. Gelatin Dessert with Strawberries This cute little “hat” box was like a small fruit tart. The box was similar to sponge cake. It was filled with vanilla custard and fresh fruit. The lid was made of chocolate. This was my favorite of the three items. The “Christmas Fantasy” text was an edible powdered sugar. Mini Fruit Tart Going back into the parks, we hit Tokyo Disney Sea on Thanksgiving Day. We were obviously not going to find a traditional turkey dinner here, but we did find turkey legs in Mysterious Island’s Nautilus Galley. I’m normally not a turkey leg supporter, but these ones appeared more “natural” in size than the enormous ones we have at the US parks. Plus my kids wanted turkey, so we approved. Happy Thanksgiving! This spot also sells one of the more popular Tokyo Disney snacks, the Pork Gyoza. These were much different from the Gyoza Dog. They were more of a traditional gyoza; flat, pan fried, and filled with flavor. We LOVED these. Add a little soy sauce for dipping and I think I’d be comfortable saying that these were my second favorite snack behind the Pizza Spring Roll. This snack with a crispy outside, warm pork filling & salty soy sauce was a perfect Thanksgiving day dish! Pork Gyoza I didn’t notice too many frozen treat stands at the Tokyo Disneyland Resort, but it was also November/December and chilly! I did see a few carts that carried these 4 items: the Tiramisu Ice Cream Sandwich, the Sea Salt Ice Cream Monaka, the Minnie Ice Bar (Peach & Raspberry) and the Mickey Ice Bar (Tropical Fruit). Frozen Treats Menu The only one we tried on our trip was the Mickey Ice Bar which was a tropical fruit flavored popsicle. It was delicious and refreshing. Because the weather was cold and rainy, we just didn’t find ourselves craving frozen treats. I really regret not trying the cute shell shaped Sea Salt Ice Cream Monaka. That raspberry and peach Minnie Ice Pop sounds delicious, too. I am glad we tried the tropical fruit Mickey Ice Bar, though. Even in the cold rain, it was fabulous! Pretty adorable, too! Tropical Fruit Mickey Ice Bar Still hanging out in the Lost River Delta area of Tokyo Disney Sea, right next door to where we picked up the above Mickey Ice Bar, was a food stand called Expedition Eats. It’s at this food wagon that you can find the Yucatan Sausage Roll. Expedition Eats Signage Cost was about $3.61. This was one of the longer lines that I waited in. The Yucatan Sausage Roll, is basically a hot dog in a French Roll. They are assembled onsite. Below you can see the hollowed out French rolls ready to be stuffed with a sausage (hot dog). Yucatan Sausage Roll Preparation I have to say, I didn’t think that this one was worth the wait. The bread was really fresh; it was served crispy and warm. The “sausage” though really was just a hot dog — and an unflavorful one at that. I think if I had some good ol’ Heinz ketchup or yellow mustard to dip it in, it would have been a whole other story. Plain and dry though, it was really nothing special. Yucatan Sausage Another churro fail for us, the Seasonal Chocolate Churro with Cranberry Dipping Sauce. Although a chocolate churro sounds delicious, it didn’t live up to my expectations. Like the Mickey Shaped Maple Churro above, this one was also hard, crispy and seemed almost stale. The sauce was tart; not a terrible flavor, but it didn’t really go with the churro. I DID LOVE the adorable packaging and little dipping container that the sauce came in though! Chocolate Churro with Cranberry Dipping Sauce Back over at Tokyo Disneyland’s Westerland is the Lucky Nugget Cafe. Famous for serving up fried chicken, this was actually the very first thing that we ate at the Tokyo Disney Resort. It was also our first good look at a Tokyo Disney Resort plastic meal display. I’m telling you these displays are the most handy things ever. All you have to do is point to order! So for this meal, I wanted to share the plastic version and then the real version. Here’s the plastic version at the order counter. Plastic Fried Chicken at the Lucky Nugget Cafe The meal comes with Fried Chicken, Onion Rings, French Fries, Grapes and Cole Slaw. I also ordered the Sparkling Tapioca Drink, which was lemon based & delicious. The food here was quite good and looked very close to its plastic counterpart! You can see that I got that yummy corn soup here, too. The only thing that I wasn’t 100% behind was the slaw. It was very heavy on the mayonnaise. Not terrible, but not my favorite. Overall, I’d say that this was a great spot to have a meal. The scenery of the Rivers of America makes for a nice backdrop, and I feel comfortable saying that the food is “Picky American” (aka my children) kid friendly too! REAL Fried Chicken at the Lucky Nugget Cafe There are two hot spots for Curry at the Tokyo Disneyland Resort. You can find it in Disneyland at the Hungry Bear or over at Disney Sea at the Casbah Food Court. We actually ate at both, but I only took a photo at the Arabian Coast’s Casbah Food Court. We tried the Chicken Curry. It comes with some Naan Bread and Sticky White Rice. The flavor was amazing. Not your typical “theme park” food. Honestly, I was really impressed with this meal. If you are a curry fan, and have the chance to visit the Tokyo Disney Resort, you must eat at one or both of these spots. We also tried the Flan for good measure.  My taste buds were happy! Chicken Curry and Flan The final thing I’m sharing in this post is the Cream Cheese Brownie from Tokyo Disney Sea. I really wanted to love this treat, but it just didn’t do it for me. Although the cream cheese top layer was good, the brownie itself was very dry. I literally had a bite and tossed it in the trash. Such a disappointment. Cream Cheese Brownie Overall, my trip to Tokyo was absolutely amazing. The food at the Tokyo Disney Resort is just over the top great. Nearly everything we tried was unique and delicious. I know there are tons of things that we didn’t get to try on our 5 night stay, so I guess that means we’ll just have to go back! Have you been to the Tokyo Disney Resort? Did you try any of the items mentioned in this post? What do I need to add to my “must eat” list for the next visit??? Heather Sievers is the Disney Food Blog’s Dining in Disneyland columnist. See more of her columns here! Disney Food Blog Fans, be sure to check out our DFB Disney World Dining Guide e-Books! Find great deals at DFBStore.com!Also, come on over and: Subscribe to our NewsletterFollow us on TwitterBecome a Facebook Fan Related posts: Guest Review: Snacks at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea Dining in Tokyo Disneyland: The Many Faces of Popcorn at Tokyo Disney Resort Guest Review: Eats and Treats at Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disney Sea View the full article

Little ones share their favorite memory about seeing some of their favorite Disney Characters at Disney Junior - Live on Stage! in Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort! http://di....From:Disney ParksViews:37932ratingsTime:00:47More inTravel & Events

Harrison Ford crash-landed his vintage plane Thursday after losing engine power, suffering serious but not life-threatening injuries after using his extensive piloting skills to "beautifully" bring down the plane on a golf course and avoid nearby homes. View the full article

Casselberry police released the harrowing 911 calls from witnesses of a crash along State Road 436 that left two mothers dead last weekend. View the full article

Tonight’s “After Dark” images are a duo of shots taken of a Tomorrowland favorite – Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. GalleryDisney Parks After Dark view allHere, you can travel through Star Command headquarters to join Buzz Lightyear on his battle to defeat the evil Emperor Zurg. Have you tried it? Disney Parks After Dark: Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin by Jennifer Fickley-Baker: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus announcement Thursday that it will retire its performing elephants is part of a trend of entertainment companies rethinking their use of animals. View the full article

A housekeeper at a resort-area hotel caught stealing guests' credit-card data with a skimmer device in 2013 was sentenced to federal prison last month, along with two other people involved in the scheme, records show. View the full article

An 18-year-old who crashed a stolen Lexus into a fence Wednesday, impaling his passenger, did not steal the car himself, but knew it had been stolen, records show. View the full article

Last night, hundreds of Disney Parks Blog readers gathered at the Disneyland Resort for our Disney’s “Cinderella” Royal Celebration. The event started with a special screening of Disney’s new live-action film, “Cinderella” and the new animated short, “Frozen Fever”, both opening in theaters on March 13. Then guests were invited to a royal reception at the Disneyland Hotel, where they enjoyed dancing, desserts and special photo opportunities. But the evening’s biggest surprise was an appearance by the stars of “Cinderella,” Lily James and Richard Madden. Take a look at this magical moment and more from the event in the video below! Did you join us for Disney’s “Cinderella” Royal Celebration at the Disneyland Resort? Tell us about it in the comments! And be sure to catch “Cinderella” in theaters on March 13. Surprise Appearances and More at Disney’s ‘Cinderella’ Royal Celebration at the Disneyland Resort by Erin Glover: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article

Hundreds of Disney Parks Blog readers gathered at the Disneyland Resort for our Disney's “Cinderella” Royal Celebration. Read more on the Disney Parks Blog: http://bit.ly/17WEnIT SUBSCRIBE:...From:Disney ParksViews:30ratingsTime:02:23More inTravel & Events

A Florida man's lawyer said he shot his neighbor in self-defense during a fight and then put the body in his pick up truck and drove it to his lawyer's office in Fort Myers on Wednesday, according to News-Press.com. View the full article

A magnetically levitated train that would link Orlando International Airport and the Orange County Convention Center seems to be making slow progress. View the full article

Bobbi Kristina Brown's boyfriend talks to Dr. Phil McGraw in an exclusive interview Wednesday. View the full article

Yesterday, the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival opened. One of my favorite times of the year, I love to see all the amazing topiaries created by the horticulture team at Walt Disney World Resort. Below is a look at Peter Pan aboard Captain Hook’s pirate ship from the 2007 festival. You have plenty of time to see this year’s topiaries. The festival runs through May 17th. Disney Days of Past: Pirate Ships at Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival by Nate Rasmussen: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article

Royal Caribbean announced some major changes in ship deployment including the arrival of Oasis of the Seas to Port Canaveral in 2016. View the full article

The last time we visited the Golden Oak Outpost in Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland, it was for a Fry Feast, trying out their revamped menu featuring loaded Waffle Fries. Learn About: Golden Oak OutpostMagic Kingdom Disney World RestaurantsBecause my hands (and tummy) were full of fries that day, I didn’t have the chance to sample the other new addition to the menu at that time: Sweet Potato Nuggets. Before the fry takeover, you may recall that Golden Oak Outpost offered Corn Nuggets dusted with Powdered Sugar for a short time. So today we’re back to finally check out the newest nuggets on the scene. You’ll see the Sweet Potato Nuggets on the menu underneath the variety of Waffle Fries. By the way, where there were previously four types of fries, you’ll now see three (the Tex-Mex Fries didn’t make the final cut). Golden Oak Outpost menu At first glance, the Sweet Potato Nuggets looked a bit like the Corn Nuggets (save for the color), thanks to the helping of powdered sugar dusting the top. Sugar-dusted nuggets But where the Corn Nuggets featured a separate fried batter surrounding creamed corn, the sweet potato nuggets are nothing but sweet potato. Once you bite in, you can easily see that they are in tater tot form. Sweet Potato Tater Tot This may sound really odd (and it surprised me, too), but the flavor of the fried sweet potato together with the powdered sugar reminded me a lot of Funnel Cake. Even though funnel cake and sweet potato are obviously two completely different things, they share a similar muted sweetness, and in both cases the muted sweetness is brought out with the help of powdered sugar. Plus something about confectioners sugar on top of a pile of fried food just says “vacation.” It’s that old school summer carnival taste. I never outgrew my little kid love for tater tots, so these were a fun hit with me. My favorite pick at the Golden Oak Outpost remains the BLT Waffle Fries, but if you’re a sweet potato fan, I’d recommend giving this little batch a try! Please keep in mind that Golden Oak Outpost isn’t open every day, and the menu changes up pretty regularly based on the projected park attendance. But when it’s open, it’s a fun stop with some great flavors all its own. Have you tried the Sweet Potato Nuggets? Please let us know with a comment! Disney Food Blog Fans, be sure to check out our DFB Disney World Dining Guide e-Books! Find great deals at DFBStore.com!Also, come on over and: Subscribe to our NewsletterFollow us on TwitterBecome a Facebook Fan Related posts: News and Review: Corn Nuggets at Golden Oak Outpost in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom News! And Review: Waffle Fry Menu Debuts at Magic Kingdom’s Golden Oak Outpost Review: Golden Oak Outpost in Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland View the full article

Two Disney World attractions that traditionally have long waits will be expanding, the theme park company announced Thursday. View the full article

Here at Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, we’re always making investments to exceed your expectations – whether it’s creating new attractions and entertainment or making existing experiences even better. One of the things we’ve heard from our guests is that a visit to Walt Disney World Resort just isn’t complete without enjoying the spectacular views at Soarin’ in Epcot or a spin through Toy Story Mania! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Well, I’m excited to share that we are expanding both attractions by adding another theater at Soarin’ and more midway track at Toy Story Mania! We’ll also be updating the screens and projection system at Soarin,’ bringing a visually enhanced experience. These expansions are expected to be complete by late 2016, offering even more opportunities for you to enjoy these beloved attractions during your Walt Disney World Resort vacation. More Opportunities to Soar, Enjoy Toy Story Mania Coming to Walt Disney World Resort by Thomas Smith: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is a magical beauty salon in Walt Disney World Resort owned by Cinderella's Fairy Godmother and operated by her Fairy Godmothers-in-training. It's hard not to feel...From:Disney ParksViews:1298ratingsTime:01:49More inTravel & Events

This week, our Learn to Draw animation series offers up a lesson on how to draw Genie, Aladdin’s hilarious BFF. Check out the video below for step-by-step instructions from Heather Worley of the Animation Academy at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. For previous animation tutorials on some of your favorite Disney characters, check out the list below: Learn to Draw Tinker Bell at Disney’s Hollywood StudiosLearn to Draw Buzz Lightyear from ‘Toy Story’ at Disney’s Hollywood StudiosLearn to Draw Special Edition: ‘Frozen’ Voice Actor Josh Gad Tests His Skills at Drawing OlafLearn to Draw Mickey’s Pal Pluto at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Learn to Draw Hiro from ‘Big Hero 6′ Learn to Draw Baymax From ‘Big Hero 6’ at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Learn to Draw Rapunzel’s Buddy, Pascal, at Disney’s Hollywood StudiosLearn to Draw Stitch at Disney’s Hollywood StudiosLearn to Draw Winnie the Pooh at Disney’s Hollywood StudiosLearn to Draw Jack Skellington at Disney’s Hollywood StudiosLearn to Draw Oswald the Lucky Rabbit at Disney’s Art of Animation ResortLearn How to Draw ‘Frozen’s’ Anna at Disney’s Hollywood StudiosLearn to Draw Disney Characters at Animation Academy at Disney’s Hollywood StudiosDo You Want to Draw a Snowman? Learn How at Disney’s Hollywood StudiosLearn to Draw Aladdin’s Pal, Genie, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios by Jennifer Fickley-Baker: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog View the full article

This buccaneer experience in Adventureland features makeovers that turn theme park guests into savvy swashbucklers.http://di.sn/6008FDeM Watch as a Disney Park Moms Panelist transforms into...From:Disney ParksViews:16129ratingsTime:01:54More inTravel & Events

The power of the Force returns to Disney's Hollywood Studios every summer, for five consecutive weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) for the park's annual Star Wars Weekends. http://di.sn/600...From:Disney ParksViews:29460ratingsTime:02:49More inTravel & Events