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Welcome to D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa! Our team at Disney Parks Blog is live on-site at the Anaheim Convention Center for D23 2026, covering some of our favorite floor moments as we make our way from pavilion to pavilion at this year’s fan-first event. Come along and follow us as we check out the convention floor throughout the weekend, packed with cosplay costumes, exclusive merch, and captivating pavilions for Disney Parks fans and beyond. Kicking Off the Day Inside the Anaheim Convention Center With the excitement at an all-time high and my D23 outfit ready to go (highlighted by a new Star Wars shirt that I’ve been waiting to finally debut), I was ready to step onto the show floor to hang out with Disney fans visiting Anaheim from all around the world. First stop? The “Imagineering: Horizons” pavilion, stepping through the Promenade of Progress to take a sneak peek at Disney parks projects being developed at each resort. To find out even more about what’s coming soon to Disney parks around the world ahead of Saturday night’s “Horizons: A Carousel of Progress” showcase, check our latest story on Disney Parks Blog and be sure to tune into the Disney Experiences showcase on Disney+ on Saturday night! After that, I started to create our gameplan for which pavilions to visit next, and immediately heard bellowing trumpets, as a live band started playing memorable Disney classics to kick off the early morning festive fun. We also made a stop at the VoluntEARS pavilion, chatting with several cheery cast members who helped us put together Disney-themed donation bags for Make-A-Wish children. After that, we swung by the D23 Marketplace, checking out the cute and cuddly Disney Iconics plush (sign me up for the red popcorn cart and Main Street, U.S.A. trashcan plush), as well as the brand-new Batuu Adventure Buddies coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. Spotting Costumes Across the Floor Filled with passionate fans and photo-worthy opportunities, Day One has been a delightful experience. Yet one of my favorite moments so far has been spotting stunning costumes inspired by attractions, characters, and some memorable elements from across Disney Parks. In between pirates, Space Rangers, and Disney Princess characters, we spotted a few instant icons, like Kristen from Orlando, Florida, who dressed as Janice from The Muppets and the recently opened Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Another instant icon was Anny from Philadelphia, dressed in an outfit inspired by the Poison Apple from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. We have a ton of other costumes to highlight throughout the day – look for us on the show floor and follow along with our creative cosplay blog throughout the weekend. A Brief Pit Stop at the Pixar Booth Disney and Pixar’s Hoppers and Toy Story 5 are two of my favorite movies that I have seen this year, so I wanted to make it a priority to stop by the Pixar Pavilion on the show floor to tap into my fandom even further (and spot the elusive Tom Lizard, perched right below the pavilion’s marquee). Before heading back for lunch, I stopped by the Disney Music Booth in Hall B for a look at a “Fantasmic!” vinyl that we had seen all over social media this week. We’re big fans of “Fantasmic!” at Disney Parks Blog, so swinging by this booth became a big priority, taking us back to the shores of the Rivers of America in the climatic battle between daring heroes and epic villains. This title is available to order exclusively at D23 2026 with free standard shipping, bringing the heart of this longtime nighttime spectacular to a home record player nearest you. Stay tuned for more updates throughout the day as we keep scouting the show floor for memorable moments and beyond. Happy Day 1 of D23! How to Shop at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026 READ MORE What to Expect at ‘Horizons: A Carousel of Progress’ READ MORE Pins, Plush, and Other Collectibles Coming to D23 READ MORE The post D23 2026: Live Floor Moments from The Ultimate Disney Fan Event appeared first on Disney Parks Blog. View the full article

It doesn’t even REMOTELY feel like fall in Disney World, but we’re not letting that stop us from enjoying the fall and Halloween season (it will cool off…eventually, right?). That means we’ve been enjoying seeing all the spooky decor and going to the first Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party of the year. Oh, and the snacks! We are ALL about the fall snacks. Spooky dessert time! Well, fall and Halloween are also a pretty big deal in Disney Springs…and you don’t even need a park ticket to enjoy it. Well, new fall snacks just arrived in Disney Springs, and you KNOW we ran there to check them out to get you a review. So let’s get on with it! We started at Amorette’s Patisserie with the Apple Cheesecake, which is a Vanilla Cheesecake, Apple Compote, Apple-Caramel Ganache, and Spiced Graham Cracker Crust for $9.75. For a hot minute, we thought this would be THE perfect fall dessert, but then the apple mousse on top of the cheesecake hit us with a really artificial flavor that we weren’t massive fans of. However, the cheesecake itself is SOOOO creamy with a light, sweet, and tangy flavor, complemented by the apples. Apple cheesecake The compote gave us autumnal spices that made us wish we could put on a warm sweater, and the apples had a bit of a crunch. It’s all held up by a graham cracker crust with a blonde chocolate crumb coating surrounding it, which had a wonderful slightly caramel-ish nutty flavor. This would be a 10/10 if it weren’t for that artificial-tasting mousse. SO close. This is FALL, baby! We also picked up the Candle Petit Cake for $22. It’s made with Black Velvet Cake with Spiced Berry Jam, Pumpkin Ganache, and Dark Chocolate Glacage. The frosting is a thin layer of purple frosting that’s soft and fluffy and has a touch of vanilla flavor. The dark chocolate glaçage has a very mild flavor, and it’s mostly just for looks. Inside, the cake layers are light and airy, but they don’t have a lot of flavor, which works because it allows the other flavors to shine. Candle Petit Cake The pumpkin ganache is thick and smooth, and the pumpkin flavor is subtle. Most of the flavor of the cake comes from the spiced berry jam. The spice is noticeable and has just a bit of a kick, so it might not be as sweet and fruity as you would expect. Here’s the thing, though: the berry, pumpkin, and dark chocolate flavors just don’t mesh well. It’s worth a try if you’re an adventurous eater, but we’d skip it if you aren’t. Not so sure about all these flavors Okay, let’s have a drink. We headed over to the Bar Cart on the West Side of Disney Springs to try the Hibiscus Mezcal Margarita for $18.50. If you like mezcal, this is YOUR drink. The mezcal packs a punch and offers a nice balance of peppery and smoky flavors that somehow pairs perfectly with the floral hibiscus syrup. The chile lime rim offers a bit of a kick, but also balances out all the flavors. Hibiscus Mezcal Margarita Over at eet by Maneet Chauhan, you can grab the Darkest Night Slushie for $7.95. It’s a frozen green apple non-alcoholic slushie dyed black with a ping pong eye ball. SPOOKY. The flavor is green apple, but it’s not that lip-puckering green apple, but something a little more like an earthy apple-flavored lemonade. We’re conflicted, though. Some sips were so tasty, while others were…well…not so tasty. Maybe it’s the eye staring at us while we’re drinking it? But it is a fun and refreshing drink to grab outside of the parks, and we bet there are some people out there who will love it. Plus it’s got that Halloween vibe. Darkest Night Slushie Okay, let’s get back to the food. We made our way over to The Ganachery to try a few treats, including the Pumpkin Spice S’more for $9. This is house-made graham crackers, spiced pumpkin ganache, dark chocolate, and vanilla marshmallow toasted to order. Hello, fall! This tastes like leaves of all colors falling in piles on the ground that we just want to jump into. First, we have to mention that the graham crackers also have their own spices, just to add to that fall feeling. Also, a warning: this thing falls apart easily, so you might want to grab a fork and napkins. Pumpkin Spice S’more The marshmallow is so light, melty, and creamy. The chocolate is UBER creamy and melts in with the pumpkin spice and marshmallow. The entire snack is infused with that pumpkin spice flavor, too, and makes for a very well-balanced treat. This is what every S’more should taste like. We LOVE this Once we cleaned up after that messy treat, we tried the Ursula Dark Berry Ganache Pop, which is blackberry ganache with cassis and vanilla covered in dark chocolate for $8. This pop is SO creamy and rich, and dare we say…DECADENT. Ursula would certainly approve. It melts in your mouth with every bite, and the flavors are so balanced between the blackberry and chocolate. The berry flavor also tastes natural, which we appreciated. Ursula Dark Berry Ganache Pop We think this is one of those treats that EVERYONE will end up loving unless you don’t like berry flavors. We also think the size is perfect for a single person. BUT…it will melt in the Florida heat, so you’ll want to eat it right away or pack it on ice for later. The flavors! Now, we previously reviewed even MORE snacks in Disney World…and you can read those reviews here. Also, we’ll be trying even MORE treats in Disney World, so stay tuned to DFB for more. REVIEW: Chocolate Bars With Dead People, Alien Sliders, and 9 Other Things We Ate in Disney Springs Today 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’s your favorite fall or Halloween snack in Disney World? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

Bringing your own food to theme parks can save a lot of time and money, but every park has different policies. For example, Disney World allows guests to bring their own food with limitations, while Universal does not allow any outside food or beverages (with a few exceptions). Cinderella Castle But today, we’re not focusing on the Florida theme parks — we’re traveling to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee to talk about Dollywood. Let’s dive into Dollywood’s policies when it comes to bringing outside food and drinks! Can guests bring their own food to Dollywood? The straight and simple answer is no — guests are not allowed to bring any outside food or beverages with them into Dollywood or Dollywood’s Splash Country, their water park. Dollywood! According to Dollywood’s website, they actually came to this decision after speaking with health and safety professionals, saying, “After careful consideration of park policies across the nation, consultation with health and safety experts and much consideration of the welfare of our guests and employees alike, we are unable to allow coolers, food or drinks into Dollywood or Dollywood’s Splash Country.” Showstreet! However, there are several exceptions to this rule. Guests are allowed to bring one unopened bottle of water per person. Reusable water bottles are also technically not permitted; however, we have seen people bring them into the park in the past, but Dollywood has the right to turn you away with it at any time. Complimentary cups of water are also available at all park food outlets that have fountain drink capabilities. Trailhead Eats Baby bottles are also allowed into the parks, and these bottles can be warmed at any park restaurant (this does not include concession stands) — guests just need to ask a Host for assistance. It’s important to note that Dollywood’s Baby Care Center, which is located on Showstreet, does not have a microwave for warming bottles. Granny Ogle’s Ham ‘n’ Beans When it comes to guests with dietary needs, several options in Dollywood offer customizations — Front Porch Café is a full-service restaurant and is one of the best locations for a wide variety of options, while Till & Harvest has a wide variety of gluten-friendly, vegetarian, and vegan options that can be modified to accommodate most dietary restrictions. Wildwood Grove & Timber Canyon Sign Now that we’ve covered what outside food is and isn’t allowed inside the park, let’s talk about some of our favorite snacks, so you know where to go and what to grab! Dollywood Has Quietly Become The Next Big Theme Park Food Destination Starting the list, of course, is our beloved cinnamon bread. It’s so fluffy and light, but dense enough to soak in all of the glaze on top. With the addition of apple butter and extra icing, you truly can’t go wrong with the cinnamon bread. CINNAMON BREAD! We also can’t talk about Dollywood snacks without mentioning Dippin’ Dots. Dollywood has several Dippin’ Dots locations around the park, and even offers park-exclusive flavors, like the Big Bear Brownie Batter flavor! Other exclusive flavors may be available during the festivals. Big Bear Brownie Batter Rounding out the list is Granny Ogle’s Ham ‘n’ Beans. This is a table-service restaurant in Craftsman’s Valley that serves up Southern-inspired dishes. You can find a variety of dishes here, including the iconic Butterfly Chicken Salad Sandwich, which literally has two butterflies as the bread! Butterfly Chicken Salad Sandwich It’s important to look over each theme park’s rules before you go because you don’t want to be stuck at the front gate with a bunch of food in a cooler only for it to be confiscated, never to be seen again. OR you can just stay tuned to DFB because we’re always providing the latest theme park news, updates, tips, and tricks! Full 2-Day Dollywood Itinerary: Best Snacks, Rides, and Hotels 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 traveling to Dollywood any time soon? Let us know in the comments below! View the full article

Magic Kingdom is opening a brand new Cars Land, and we finally have more details! ©Disney We just got a detailed, up-close look of the new ride coming to Piston Peak National Park! Cars Land isn’t the only major expansion coming to Magic Kingdom! Disney is also bringing our favorite baddies to life with the brand-new Villains Land. This new expansion will be located behind Big Thunder Mountain and will also bring 2 new attractions to the park. Villains Land ©Disney We can’t wait for Disney to bring both of these new lands to life, and this latest news has just made us even more excited! As always, stay tuned to DFB for the latest Disney news and updates. Magic Kingdom Expansion in Disney World — Everything You Need to Know 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 Tell us what you think of the news in the comments! View the full article

If you’ve been to Disney World recently, you’ve DEFINITELY seen at least some of these items before. And if you haven’t, take our word for it. We’re at the parks every day, and these viral items are taking over. Ariel Owala Water Bottle The best part? You can find them all on Amazon! DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Pin Collectors LOVE this PinFolio PinFolio Go Pin Display Bag This combination folio and pinboard is perfect for anyone who likes trading pins and wants an easy way to store/bring them to the parks. There’s even a divider in the middle, so the pins don’t get scratched. It comes with a strap, so you can wear the PinFolio by itself, but it can easily fit in a Loungefly, all while holding 40 1-inch pins. The pins are securely backed in the folio, too. We even shook the pins upside down in the PinFolio to see if they would fall out, and they didn’t budge. This provided a secure peace of mind that we could quickly open the PinFolio to trade, without having to worry about losing any pins. SHOP HERE These Bag Charms are an Adorable Accessory ©Amazon Each blind box contains one Disney plush figure charm, with characters including Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, Goofy, Chip, and Dale. These fuzzy friends make the perfect backpack accessory for a day at the parks. Note that this is a blind box, so you don’t know who you’ll get, and purchasing more than one may result in a duplicate. SHOP HERE We’ve Seen Plenty of These Socksense Socks Character Socks! These Socksense socks — featuring characters including Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Stitch, and more — are all over Disney World. Their cut provides a comfortable option for walking the parks, while the character peeps out from your sneakers. You can be comfortable while still being on theme! SHOP HERE This Pascal Crossbody Has Been Selling Like Hotcakes ©Amazon Since this Tangled Loungefly became available last month, it’s come in and out of stock several times, indicating major popularity. That makes sense, since it is adorable! This 14″ wide, 7.6″ tall, and 4.3″ deep crossbody features a dimensional head with an extended tongue, complemented by padded appliqué, quilted, and printed detailing. SHOP HERE Owalas Remain a Popular Water Bottle Option Little Mermaid Owala There are many Owala Princess designs available; we went with the iconic Ariel. The bottle is made from an insulated stainless-steel body and features a FreeSip spout designed for either sipping upright through the built-in straw or tilting back to swig from the spout opening. It also features a protective push-to-open lid that keeps the spout clean, a convenient carry loop that doubles as a lock, and double-wall insulation that keeps drinks cold for up to 24 hours, a wide-opening for cleaning and adding ice, and a cup holder-friendly base. SHOP HERE You’ll Want to PLAY BALL in this Women’s Baseball Jersey ©Amazon This relaxed-fit button-down features a baseball cut, as well as artwork of various Disney characters. If you wear one to the Magic Kingdom, be sure to stop by Casey’s Corner for the perfect photo op. SHOP HERE You’ll Have SPIRIT in these Jerseys! ©Amazon That’s right, several styles of Disney’s famous Spirit Jerseys — yes, these are authentic — are available on Amazon! Featured films include Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Tangled, Brave, Moana, and The Princess and the Frog. SHOP HERE Of course, the Final Accessory is a Loungefly! ©Amazon This Minnie Mouse Loungefly features a black sequined outer shell along with a striking red bow. That feature alone will make it stand out in even the largest Disney World crowds! SHOP HERE If you want to pick up any of these oh-so-viral accessories for your next Disney World trip, get over to Amazon ASAP, and stay tuned to DFB for more Amazon finds. View the full article

When we’re visiting Disney World, it’s hard to beat staying at a Disney resort. It’s so convenient with complimentary transportation, early theme park entry, and great food that rivals the parks! Disney just filed new Notice of Commencement permits to install signs at six popular Disney World resorts. While these signs are usually quick, overnight projects, it’s always important to make sure you’re aware during your stay! The first permit Disney filed is for Wilderness Lodge at 901 Timberline Drive. This permit is to install signage, and it’s likely related to the exterior refurbishment around the resort. Disney’s Wilderness Lodge The next signage permit is for sister resort Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, at 4354 Big Pine Road. This is the address of the Disney Vacation Club cabins, but Disney hasn’t announced any construction work on them as of August 14th. Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground Another permit to install signage was filed at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. The new signage could be for the new Floridian Way traffic pattern or the bus stop that opened last month. Polynesian Village Resort A new sign will hit another monorail resort at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. The permit is for 3471 Grand Floridian Way, which is the Boca Chica building. This resort building is nowhere near the Floridian Way entrance, so this is likely for a quick sign replacement. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort Hopping over to EPCOT-area resorts, a signage permit was also filed for the Riviera Resort. Since no major refurbs are happening soon, it’s likely to replace an old sign. Disney’s Riviera Resort And last but not least, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa will get a new sign in the Paddock section at 1932 Union Avenue. This includes The Paddock Pool, The Paddock Grill, and its surrounding guest room buildings. Paddock Pool Disney has contracted Kentavo, a specialty contractor and sign subcontractor based in Kissimmee, Florida, to install all of these signs. It’s a frequent partner of Disney’s who has recently been hired for signage at Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! and the 2026 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular We’ll be sure to update you on more permits and construction across Disney World. Stay tuned to Disney Food Blog for more Disney news! Disney World Fans Reveal the Restaurants They’re Ditching in 2026 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 staying at any of these resorts soon? Comment below! View the full article

A NEW Disney blind box has officially dropped, and we’re OBSESSED! ©Disney The Mickey Mouse and Friends Disney Parks Diorama Mystery Figure Blind Box is available for $16.99 each, plus tax on The Disney Store website. Let’s take a look at all of the options you can get! DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Check Out These Disney Parks Diorama Blind Boxes! Each blind box contains one of six diorama figures featuring Mickey and his friends at a popular attraction. And you can collect them all to make your own little Magic Kingdom! Each figure comes in a sealed box and is sealed in an inner pouch. You won’t know which figure you get until you open the box. Each box contains one of six scenes, including Mickey Mouse captaining the Jungle Cruise… ©Disney … Mickey Mouse at the Fantasyland castle underneath fireworks and Tinker Bell at the top… ©Disney … Minnie Mouse on Prince Charming Regal Carrousel… ©Disney … Mickey and Minnie riding in a teacup at Mad Tea Party… ©Disney … Mickey and Donald in front of Space Mountain… ©Disney … and Mickey and Goofy riding Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! ©Disney It’s important to note that specific designs cannot be requested, so it’s possible to get duplicates if you order multiple boxes. Check it out here! Which figure is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for more great Disney finds! View the full article

We’ve got big news for all the Disney Loungefly fans out there! Loungeflys! Loungefly is one of our go-to park bag brands, especially since they come out with TONS of adorable Disney designs. And if you’re in search of a new bag to add to your collection, we’ve got good news — Loungefly just dropped a bunch of new Disney bags, so get ready to snag them while they last! DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Speaking of Loungefly bags, we put together a HUGE list of our favorite Loungeflys that are on sale, so be sure to check it out for even more options. Now, let’s dive into the new batch of bags that just dropped! SO Many Easter Eggs for Tangled Fans There are a few new bags perfect for Disney Princess fans, like this Tangled Loungefly. The design is packed with references that fans of the movie will recognize, from the floating lanterns to the pastel flowers Rapunzel paints in her tower, and even a Pascal cameo. ©Amazon The gorgeous purple pastel colors of the bag match Rapunzel’s dress, which is another reference superfans will appreciate! View on Amazon A Similar Design for The Princess and the Frog If Tiana is your favorite Disney Princess, this The Princess and the Frog Loungefly will be right up your alley! It has a similar design to the Tangled bag, with pretty pastel colors and classic artwork surrounding Tiana, who’s front and center, of course. ©Amazon The flowers bring both a touch of the bayou AND royal glamour! View on Amazon A Nod to a Classic Princess Rounding out the trio of new princess bags with a similar style, there’s also the Sleeping Beauty Loungefly for anyone looking to rep a throwback Disney Princess. Aurora is wearing the pink version of her gown and is surrounded by primarily pink flowers and butterflies… although, if you look hard enough, some of them have shades of blue around the edges, just in case you’re Team “Make It Blue”! ©Amazon We love the gorgeous artwork on all three of the new Disney Princess bags! View on Amazon How ADORABLE is This Wall-E Bag?? We’ve been obsessed with sweet Wall-E ever since he first graced our screens, so you can bet that we added this new Wall-E Loungefly to our cart immediately! The ombre purple and pink sky in the background makes a beautiful backdrop for Wall-E as he explores in the foreground. ©Amazon What better companion to take with you to explore the parks?? View on Amazon A Creative Take on Winnie the Pooh We’ve heard of Disneybounding outfits, but what about Disneybounding hot air balloons? This new Winnie the Pooh Loungefly features Pooh and friends taking to the sky in their own custom hot air balloons inspired by their iconic looks! ©Amazon The characters really pop against the bright blue sky background, dotted with buzzing bees. View on Amazon The Lantern Festival Makes Such a Stunning Design If the lantern scene from Tangled always takes your breath away, this new Tangled Lanterns Loungefly is a must-have! The design features Rapunzel gazing up from her tower and admiring the “floating lights,” with the kingdom of Corona visible in the background. ©Amazon Of course, the bag has a purple hue as a nod to Rapunzel’s signature color! View on Amazon SO Many Cute Disney Cats! Disney has given us tons of adorable cat characters over the years, and a bunch of them are getting some love on the new Disney Cats Loungefly! Raja, Marie, Lucifer, Figaro, Dinah, and the Cheshire Cat are featured as portraits in a repeating picture frame pattern (with some balls of yarn thrown in for good measure, of course). ©Amazon If you’re struggling to pick just one character to rep with your Loungefly, this bag is a great way to tie in a bunch of fan favorites! View on Amazon This One’s For the Tinker Bell Fans! Tinker Bell has been going strong as a popular character for over 70 years, and this new Tinker Bell Loungefly shows that she can still hold her own! Tinker Bell really pops against the black background, and she’s surrounded by a print of florals and sparkles (pixie dust?) that give her a magical glow. ©Amazon We’re always happy to see this sassy fairy continue to get some love! View on Amazon Loungefly regularly rotates through TONS of awesome designs, so be sure to snag your favorite while it’s still around. And don’t forget to check out our HUGE list of popular Loungeflys for even more options! View the full article

Magic Kingdom’s Carousel of Progress closed on Jul7 6th for what will be the ride’s biggest update since it opened in 1975. The new version of the ride will include a Walt Disney animatronic, as well as all new scenes, meaning that most of the classic ride is set to change. Carousel of Progress is closed Disney is currently hard at work on making those updates, and we just got a sign that things are going forward as expected because Disney just filed a new permit for the ride. Disney recently filed a permit for “Electrical Work” for the Carousel of Progress with the contractor listed as Solotech Sales and Integration U.S.A., Inc. According to the Solotech website, the company is “a global leader in audiovisual technologies,” which suggests that the work it will be doing on Carousel of Progress won’t be just minor electrical work, but audiovisual work. Sneak Peek at Carousel of Progress at D23 2026 The company’s work includes video projections, LED walls, media servers, lighting, and more. So this isn’t just basic electrical wiring, but something that will probably end up being seen by guests when the new version of the ride opens. We previously saw a permit filed for set design, so the changes to the ride are either well underway or will be well underway soon. Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress Each scene of the ride is being completely updated to represent new decades. The first act will be set in the 1960s, starting with the moon landing in 1969. The second act will be in the 1980s, with Sarah showing off her latest kitchen gadgets and appliances. The third act will take us to 1999 on New Year’s Eve (cue Prince song here). A fourth act will show a possible future. New concept art for Carousel of Progress changes We recently got a sneak peek at the ride updates at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, including some of the costumes the animatronics will be wearing in the 1960s scene of the ride. Act 1 Costume Sneak Peek at D23 2026 We also saw designs that showed the stage and how it will change between acts. Different designs! Disney has not yet revealed an opening timeline for the new Carousel of Progress, but we’ll be keeping an eye out for more updates, so stay tuned to DFB for more. Disney Releases SNEAK PEEK at Carousel of Progress Makeover! 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 of these changes? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

Attention everyone! The Disney Adult fan event of the year has officially arrived at the Anaheim Convention Center. That’s right, it’s time for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. This year’s event runs from August 14th through 16th, and we are so excited to see what is announced. It’s time for D23! This event includes sneak peeks, exhibits, a Disney Entertainment Showcase, and, of course, the Disney Legends Ceremony. As you might expect, this event is EXTREMELY popular, and the crowds are intense. So let’s take a look at the crowds so far this weekend! As expected, Disney fans showed UP for D23 this year! When we arrived for day one, right around 8:30 AM PT, crowds were INTENSE. Crowds are HERE! We were able to successfully get our badges a few minutes before 9 AM, and then we waited in line with hundreds of other people to be let into the actual event. Our freebies! However, by 9:10 AM, we still hadn’t moved at all, and things didn’t seem super coordinated or organized. Finally, by around 9:15 AM, we were moving forward, but with so many people ahead of us, you can imagine that it took quite a while. That’s a LOT of people We were finally in the building around 9:45 AM, so it’s important to be patient at the start of each day. Of course, if you want to arrive super early and be one of the first in line for when the doors do open, that’ll save you some time when it comes to getting in, but you’ll have been sitting around for hours ahead of time. We’re here! Disney executives, celebrities, and fans from around the globe will join together in the ultimate celebration of all things Disney. The convention is comprised of special events, exclusive merchandise, unique exhibits, and fascinating presentations (including news about what’s up and coming for the Disney Parks). D23 As a reminder, Disney has three keystone panels being presented at The Honda Center during D23. They are: Disney Entertainment Showcase (August 14th at 7 PM PT) Horizons Disney Experiences Showcase, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris (August 15th at 7 PM PT) Disney Legends Award Ceremony (August 16th at 1:30 PM PT) Panels We will be bringing you full coverage of all things D23, so stay tuned with Disney Food Blog so you never miss anything! Everything You Need To Know About D23 2026 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 hope gets announced at D23 this weekend? Let us know in the comments! View the full article

Disney World dining opinions can get weirdly personal. Tell someone you don’t like their favorite restaurant, and suddenly you’re defending yourself like you just insulted their grandmother’s famous recipe. We know. We have strong Disney food opinions here, too. Mac and Cheese So naturally, we decided to stir the pot. We asked our readers which Disney World restaurants they were DONE spending money on in 2026. Maybe the food had slipped. Maybe the price finally crossed the line from “vacation splurge” into “what exactly am I paying for here?” Maybe one disastrous meal was enough. And BOY, did people have answers. ’Ohana Is in the Hot Seat No other restaurant came particularly close. ’Ohana showed up again and again, with complaints about both breakfast and dinner. For longtime fans, the frustration wasn’t necessarily that ’Ohana had always been bad. Quite the opposite. A lot of readers were upset because they remember loving it. Comments repeatedly compared the current experience with past visits, especially pre-2020 meals. Readers mentioned changes to the food, disappearing traditions, rushed character interactions at breakfast, inconsistent meat at dinner, and prices they simply can’t justify anymore. ‘Ohana One reader who had been visiting ’Ohana since the 1990s said a recent breakfast was missing several little traditions her family remembered, including the pre-meal photo, leis, and the kids’ musical parade. Others said dinner felt rushed enough that they barely had time to finish one course before the next arrived. ‘Ohana Eats And then there was perhaps our favorite description of the whole thread. One reader compared trying to snag an ’Ohana reservation to getting Taylor Swift tickets, only to finally sit down and think, “Wait… this is it?” They also summed up the pacing perfectly. “I came to Disney to relax, not to speed run dinner.” Ouch. Breakfast at ‘Ohana Several people specifically said they’ve replaced ’Ohana with Sebastian’s Bistro at Caribbean Beach Resort, which offers a similar family-style format at a price they find easier to swallow. And yes, one reader specifically pointed out that you can still get a version of that beloved bread pudding over there. Sebastian’s Bistro We suspect ’Ohana’s dessert is doing some HEAVY lifting for the restaurant’s reputation at this point. Space 220 Has a Value Problem Space 220 was another repeat offender, and the complaints were impressively consistent. Cool restaurant. Cool entrance. Cool concept. Then the check arrives. Readers repeatedly called Space 220 a “one and done” restaurant. Most weren’t arguing that the experience itself is boring. Plenty of people still loved riding the “space elevator” and seeing Earth through the massive windows. Space 220 The problem was whether the food deserved the price attached to the experience. One reader called the restaurant “such a scam” and said the steak was surprisingly bland. Another said the experience was incredible but received a practically inedible steak. Others described dry chicken, disappointing desserts, overcooked burgers, and service that didn’t match the cost. Cosmic Cheesecake Perhaps the most telling comments came from people who weren’t angry about going. They were simply satisfied with doing it once. That’s a rough place for a restaurant to land. You’re paying for the reveal instead of craving a return visit. And EPCOT makes that problem even bigger because you are surrounded by other dining options. When people leave Space 220 thinking about where else they could have spent that money, Houston, we have a problem. Be Our Guest Isn’t Getting a Free Pass Be Our Guest has an advantage few restaurants could ever touch. You’re eating inside Beast’s Castle. The ballroom is gorgeous. The West Wing is wonderfully dramatic. The whole restaurant feels like someone reached into Beauty and the Beast and pulled out a dining room. Be Our Guest Readers still love all that. They’re just considerably less enthusiastic about dinner. Many comments specifically mourned the old quick-service breakfast and lunch versions of Be Our Guest. Several readers said the restaurant worked better for them when they could enjoy the setting without committing to an expensive prix fixe meal. Blooming Rose One reader gave the restaurant “10/10 theming” and “1/10 actual food choices.” Another family has apparently held a grudge since Be Our Guest forgot the cheese in their son’s grilled cheese sandwich. Which, to be fair, is an impressive way to misunderstand the assignment. What even is that? Just…. toast? Be Our Guest The recurring theme was pretty simple. Fans still want to go inside Beast’s Castle. They just don’t necessarily want to pay current table-service prices to do it. Sci-Fi Dine-In Needs the Food to Catch Up Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant might have won the award for most comments that essentially said, “I LOVE IT, BUT…” Fans still adore the drive-in cars, old movie clips, dark dining room, and wonderfully bizarre atmosphere. Then they start talking about the food. Sci-Fi Dine In Readers called it mediocre, underwhelming, overpriced, and “blah.” Some specifically mentioned menu changes, disappointing fries, burgers, and limited options for picky eaters. Sci-Fi Dine In One reader summed it up neatly. “GREAT concept, mediocre food and super costly.” There were also complaints about the seating arrangement. Families can end up facing the movie screen instead of one another, which is fun for the theme but slightly less fun when you discover you’ve essentially taken your family to dinner and asked them not to make eye contact. Feature Film Burger Still, this one had defenders. Several readers said they continue to love Sci-Fi. The restaurant has always felt like one of those Disney restaurants where the atmosphere can either carry the whole meal or make the food disappointment sting even more. Chef Mickey’s Is Testing Parents Character dining got dragged quite a bit in these comments, but Chef Mickey’s took some particularly hard hits. The biggest complaints were price, food quality, noise, and the feeling that you’re paying primarily for Mickey and friends. Time to eat! One reader said her three-cheese omelet somehow arrived with approximately zero cheeses. (Again? There seems to be a Case of the Missing Cheese at Disney World. Oddly suspicious when the CEO is a mouse…) After sampling food across the buffet trying to find something she enjoyed, she ended up mostly eating fruit. Her final verdict? “If I ever book this again delete my app!” Hi Mickey! Other readers complained about chaotic dining rooms, inconsistent service, buffet food that didn’t justify the price, and character experiences that weren’t enough to rescue the meal. That was actually a larger theme across the responses. Several fans said they’re becoming pickier about character meals because there are now enough alternatives that Mickey alone doesn’t automatically earn a reservation. You cannot simply place Mickey Mouse next to a scrambled egg and expect everyone to surrender their wallet forever. Roundup Rodeo BBQ Was One and Done Roundup Rodeo BBQ appeared surprisingly often. And unlike ’Ohana, where nostalgia played a huge role in the disappointment, this restaurant received a lot of straightforward “one and done” votes. Readers generally liked the Toy Story theme. The food was another story. Round Up Rodeo BBQ is open! Comments mentioned dry meats, undercooked ribs, lukewarm dishes, disappointing barbecue, high prices, and inconsistent meals between visits. One reader said their first meal was fantastic, while the next visit had meat so dry it seemed like everything had been sitting under a heat lamp. Another simply called the barbecue “pretty awful.” Roundup Rodeo BBQ Multiple readers also pointed out that Disney World has other places to get barbecue, including Flame Tree Barbecue, Regal Eagle Smokehouse, and options around Disney Springs. If you don’t love the food at Roundup Rodeo, the Toy Story setting has to work pretty hard to earn another reservation. California Grill Fans Want Their Old Menu Back California Grill’s criticism was a little different. Many of these readers still love the restaurant. They love the view. They love watching Magic Kingdom fireworks from the Contemporary Resort. They have memories of fantastic meals there. They just really, really miss ordering à la carte. California Grill table setting The prix-fixe format came up repeatedly, with longtime fans saying they haven’t returned since the change. One reader argued that she would probably spend just as much money if she could choose her own combination of dishes. She simply doesn’t want to be forced into courses she wouldn’t otherwise order. Wagyu Strip Loin at California Grill Another reader looked at the cost of taking a family of five and decided dinner with drinks and gratuity could cost more than the hotel. That’ll sober you up faster than the elevator ride down. This wasn’t necessarily a rejection of California Grill’s food. It was a rejection of how fans are being asked to buy it. Coral Reef Has Lost Some Longtime Fans Coral Reef also took a beating (Are we surprised? No, not even a little. We try to warn about managing expectations when you come here). Several readers remembered the restaurant being a must-do years ago. The giant aquarium remains a killer backdrop, assuming you get a table where you can actually enjoy it. The food, however, was repeatedly described as disappointing. The windows are pretty iconic! One commenter remembered Coral Reef feeling “magical” when she visited years ago. On a recent return, she found herself looking at the kitchen door instead of the aquarium and left disappointed by the food, too. Other people complained about tough steak, bad seafood, small portions, and prices that didn’t match the meal. Surf & Turf That might be the saddest category in this entire list. These aren’t always restaurants people hated from the beginning. Some were traditions. Now they’re memories. And Then the Comments Got SPICY Several other restaurants collected enough criticism to deserve a mention. Crystal Palace got hit for buffet quality and price, although it also had some passionate defenders. Cinderella’s Royal Table was frequently described as worth experiencing once for the castle and princesses, but not necessarily worth repeating for the food. Steakhouse 71, Yak & Yeti, Garden Grill, Hollywood & Vine, Cape May Cafe, Le Cellier, San Angel Inn, and Skipper Canteen all picked up multiple disappointed diners. Crystal Palace And some readers did NOT arrive interested in diplomacy. One reader’s friend warned them about San Angel Inn by saying, “I would say it’s like a frozen TV dinner, but that would be an insult to the TV dinner.” San Angel Inn Another reader dismissed Tony’s Town Square with, “I have had better pasta at the Olive Garden.” Now, we’ve warned you about Tony’s Town Square, so this comment isn’t such a surprise (in fact, it tracks with some of our experiences as well — minus that delicious garlic toast and those mozzarella sticks!). But the hate on Steakhouse 71 had us clutching our pearls! Chicken Parmigiana A buffet critic offered perhaps the most financially devastating review of all, describing Disney buffets as “Old Country Buffet quality food at Michelin star prices.” We asked people to stir the pot. They flipped the table. Fans Aren’t Just Complaining About Food The biggest takeaway from these responses wasn’t actually one restaurant. It was value. Readers kept returning to the same idea. They’ll forgive an expensive meal when the food is fantastic, the atmosphere is special, the characters deliver, or the experience feels distinctly Disney. What they’re increasingly unwilling to forgive is paying premium prices when none of those things happen. Pioneer Hall Players There was also a strong sense of nostalgia throughout the comments. Fans miss old menu items. They miss former formats. They miss little touches and traditions. They miss restaurants that used to feel like automatic reservations. Whispering Canyon ketchup And perhaps most importantly, people have options. Some readers said they’re replacing table-service meals with quick-service. Others are leaving the parks to eat at nearby resorts. Several said they’d rather spend their money at Disney Springs. One person said sit-down dining simply takes too much valuable park time now. That’s a pretty significant shift. Disney Springs Of course, restaurant opinions are wildly subjective. One person’s “never again” is another person’s 6 AM dining-reservation alarm. Even within these comments, several supposedly doomed restaurants had fans leaping to their defense. But when the same names keep appearing hundreds of comments deep, we’re paying attention. Especially ’Ohana. Good grief, you guys had THOUGHTS about ’Ohana. The BEST Disney World Restaurants for First-Timers in 2027 Read More About Dining in Disney World 9 Affordable Disney World Restaurants That Feel Way More Expensive Than They AreFREE Printable List of the Best Restaurants in Disney World, According to the ExpertsThe Best Restaurants at Disney World in 2026Why Disney Adults Keep Eating at the WRONG RestaurantsREVIEW: Why You Should Skip Disney World’s Be Our Guest Restaurant and Eat HERE Instead 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 So, what about you? Is there a Disney World restaurant you’ve officially removed from your vacation rotation? Tell us which one you’re skipping and what finally made you break up with it. View the full article

The dates for D23 Asia: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event have been announced! ©Disney Yes, we’re literally at D23 in Anaheim, California RIGHT NOW, but this doesn’t mean we can’t talk about next year’s event! D23 in 2027 will take place at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, and it’s less than a year away! D23 Asia’s dates have been OFFICIALLY announced! The event will take place June 25th through 27th, 2027 in Singapore. This will be the first time D23 Asia will take place here, creating a major milestone in the expansion of Disney’s global fan celebrations across the Asia Pacific region. ©Marina Bay Sands The event offers guests immersive experiences and “first access to the latest and greatest in Disney storytelling, creativity, and innovation.” It will welcome “Disney fans from across Asia Pacific and beyond, alongside top stars and storytellers from Hollywood and around the world.” D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in 2024 The Walt Disney Company Chief Marketing and Brand Officer, Asad Ayaz, spoke on this expansion, saying, “Bringing D23 to Singapore reflects the incredible passion of Disney fans across Asia Pacific and our desire to meet them where they are. D23 Asia will bring these fans together as a community to celebrate the powerful connection they have with our stories, characters, and experiences, and to get an exciting look at what lies ahead.” ©Disney Executive Vice President of Integrated Marketing & APAC Original Strategy, Carol Choi, added, “Disney has an extraordinary and growing fan base across Asia Pacific, and bringing D23 to Singapore marks a natural evolution in our journey to bringing unforgettable fan experiences to audiences across this diverse region in new and meaningful ways. D23 Asia will offer fans a truly distinctive experience, with exclusive previews of our APAC Originals for Disney+ and the opportunity to hear directly from the creative talent behind our shows.” D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in 2024 We’ll keep you updated on everything D23 Asia, but in the meantime, follow along with our LIVE UPDATES from the D23 event in Anaheim this weekend! Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news and updates! We’re LIVE From Disney’s MASSIVE Fan Event 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 attending D23 Asia: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Singapore in June? Let us know in the comments below! View the full article

It’s FINALLY here — D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event has officially kicked off, and we’ve already got some new details and concepts about the new lands coming to Disney World! Welcome to Piston Peak! Specifically, we have A LOT of new concepts surrounding Piston Peak, the Cars-themed land coming to Magic Kingdom. Disney revealed new concept art and models for one of the attractions in this land, so let’s break it down! Piston Peak is inspired by National Parks, and specifically Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. TWO new attractions will be introduced with the opening of this land — a family-friendly attraction for “smaller racers” and a rally race-themed attraction. Disney released new concept art and models for the rally race-themed attraction, and it comes with some changes — it looks like it’s no longer a race… ©Disney The first piece of concept art gives us an overview of the attraction, including a car driving through the track, A LOT of scenery of trees and mountains, a log cabin, and a camera operator on the top left (which could be the ride photo location!) A wide view of the attraction The next piece of concept art features guests in a yellow car driving over a bridge across the water — we’re in for a bumpy ride! The cars look to be a similar structure to those at Test Track with a row of three people in the back and three people in the front. We’re going over a bridge! The final piece of concept art shows the finish line, which signals the end of the attraction. Guests will be met with Lightning McQueen, Mater, Guido, and Luigi, as well as another camera operator. Could there be two attraction photos on this ride? The finish line sign reads, “Rally Racers Finish,” with another sign under, reading, “Piston Peak Ridge Run Trail.” The end of the attraction We also got to see some models of this attraction! It looks to be similar to Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land at Disneyland, but instead of a head-to-head race, there is only a single track. This concept makes it feel like it’s less of a race and more of a ride through Piston Peak! There are also some models! We also got an overview of the WHOLE land, which will include shopping and dining locations! A closer look at Piston Peak There will be A LOT of new announcements throughout the weekend, and we’ll be giving them to you LIVE, so stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for more! We’re LIVE From Disney’s MASSIVE Fan Event 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 this new land? Let us know in the comments below! View the full article

Universal Orlando is home to SO many great things — BIG attractions, Wizarding Worlds, iconic snacks, immersive theming, and, my favorite, Halloween Horror Nights! Universal Orlando But what it’s also home to is several great perks, especially for Passholders! And it just got even better because Universal Passholder Appreciation Days start TOMORROW, August 15th! Here’s everything you need to know and why you should be running to Universal Orlando for the next month! Passholder Appreciation Days run from August 15th to September 30th and are meant to celebrate all of Universal Orlando’s Passholders with special merchandise, exclusive discounts, lounges, and more! Let’s dive into all of the special perks Passholders will experience during the next month and a half. Universal Studios Entrance On August 15th and 16th, Coca-Cola presents Passholder Nights! This event is a FREE after-hours party and gives Passholders access to select attractions and entertainment at Universal Studios Florida, including character meet-and-greets, a DJ dance party, and a special agent giveaway. This event is already fully booked, but don’t worry, there are still PLENTY of other things for Passholders to enjoy! Universal Studios Florida Let’s talk about discounts! Passholders can get a $15 merchandise credit when they spend $100 or more at select Universal Orlando merchandise locations. They will also be among the first to shop the new Illuminated Globe Merchandise Collection in the UOAP Lounge in Toon Lagoon and The Tonight Shop. Speaking of Toon Lagoon and The Tonight Shop, extended hours will be available for this area of the park during Passholder Appreciation Days — park opening to park close! Universal Orlando Passholder Perks More savings equals more fun! Passholders will also get discounts on Universal Express Passes, mobile food and drink orders, merchandise, Universal Volcano Bay cabanas, and premium seating! Universal Orlando Express Pass Rounding out the discounts, Passholders will also be able to save $40 on 1-Day Park-to-Park Tickets, up to 40% off select hotels, and a 35% discount on My Universal Photos Annual Pass Photo Package when purchased in the park! Universal Helios Grand Hotel And it’s never a Universal park day without themed food — Passholders will be able to enjoy limited-time offerings at select locations! The locations and items are as follows: Universal Studios Florida: Prosciutto & Arugula Pizza at Louie’s Italian Restaurant and The Tipsy Watermelon at Chez Alcatraz Universal Islands of Adventure: 3 Cheese Bavarian Pretzel at Pizza Predattoria Universal Volcano Bay: Kahuna Bowl at Kohola Reef Restaurant & Social Club Universal CityWalk: Chocolate Peanut Butter Explosion at The Toothsome Chocolate Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen Rocky Road Donut at Voodoo Doughnut Huarache de Chorizo at Antojitos Authentic Mexican Food Triangoletti alla Vodka at Vivo Italian Kitchen Island Fire Chicken and Waffles at Bob Marley-A Tribute to Freedom Pork Dumplings at The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar Voodoo Doughnuts So, if you’re a Universal Orlando Passholder, now’s your chance to shine! Be sure to visit before September 30th to enjoy everything Passholder Appreciation Days has to offer! And stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for more Universal news, updates, tips, and tricks! Demolition of This Universal Orlando Land Is Moving Along FAST 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 a Universal Orlando Passholder? Let us know in the comments below! View the full article

Disney gave us a sneak peek at the new Piston Peak land coming to Magic Kingdom last night when we got a first look at the Imagineering: Horizons exhibit at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, and it answered a lot of questions. Piston Peak! One of the biggest questions we’ve had for a while is just how well the new land is going to fit in with the existing fixtures of Frontierland, and this massive model we just got to see has certainly answered that question. Let’s dive into the specifics and really see what we’ll be working with! As a reminder, Piston Peak is going in the space where Rivers of America, the Liberty Square Riverboat, and Tom Sawyer Island used to be, which will place it around Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, Frontierland Trading Post, and Country Bears Musical Jamboree. The display that Disney had set up gave us a really good idea of where parts of the land will be situated when compared with what already exists. To orient yourself, in the photo below, the piece closest to the camera is the curve of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, with the viewing bridge/pathway spreading out beyond it. It looks like Piston Peak will begin immediately behind that walkway. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is not represented in this model, but you can see the walkways to the left of Tiana’s that would lead you towards it. The entire display It’s also clear to see that some of the additional wooden pathway that leads to the Tiana’s overlook will stick around, and the rest of the bridge will too! However, it’ll just be getting a makeover with more twists and turns. It looks like we’ll be getting a new building where Big Al’s, the outdoor merchandise stand, used to be, but the walkway will end after that. If you’ll be looking to enter Piston Peak from the Frontierland Trading Post and Country Bears Musical Jamboree side, it looks like the water will prevent you from doing so. That means you’ll need to either enter the land at the front, which faces Liberty Square… A close up near existing Frontierland …or if you’re looking to enter towards Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, you’ll just be able to walk right in, as there won’t be any water or limitations around this area. Close up near Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Taking another look at the land, we’re now looking at it from the back. This is going to take a moment, so bear with us. We want you to imagine you’re standing in the currently empty space between Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Haunted Mansion. In the photo below, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is to your right, while Haunted Mansion is to your left, represented by a beige model. This is also the angle you’ll likely see the land when you’re walking from the upcoming Villains Land, as the land is being built behind Big Thunder. It’s our assumption that from this angle, the large white mountain will be blocking Cinderella Castle from view, so as not to break the illusion of being outside. If you do see it, though, it’s the only lighter colored part of the new land — likely to blend in better with the gray castle. Looking at the land from the back Based on this orientation, and Disney’s history of cleverly hiding existing buildings from view when you’re inside other lands, we’ve got a feeling the other large hill, part of one of the attractions coming to the land, will likely hide parts of Adventureland from view. However, the color scheme of the ride will blend in with the existing building colors of Adventureland, so even if you see parts of the land from Piston Peak, your eyes will be tricked into thinking it all blends together. We’ve also got a feeling this is why Haunted Mansion recently got the paint job it did — it still matches very well with the spookiness of the ride itself, but since you’ll be able to see it from Piston Peak and vice versa, it’s likely to blend better. Can you see how it’ll blend well with Adventureland? We’re really looking forward to seeing how this land continues to develop throughout construction. We’ll be at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event all weekend to bring you all the latest news, so be sure to stay tuned to DFB! We FINALLY Have a Look at Disney’s New Avatar Land 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 How do you feel about this new land? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

It’s officially D23 weekend! D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event is a biannual expo where Disney announces major news for its theme parks. ©Disney So when we were invited for an early sneak peek of the new theme park expansions, we dropped everything to fly to Anaheim and go. And while we were there, this Monstropolis update caught our eye! Disney had this giant Monstropolis bulletin board on display, and we noticed four new things that haven’t been announced yet. So. Many. Details! For starters, we got a close-up street view of the Glob Theater. Isn’t she a beaut? Disney hasn’t yet announced what will move into the venue, but based on the little saxophone sticker in the corner, it could be a hint towards live music or a musical! The Glob Theater! Additionally, there’s art of the full street from the Glob Theater to apartments that Disney fans will walk down one day! There are a few Post-It notes with Monstropolis locations, including Mike and Sully’s, Tony’s Grossery, and Art’s Gallery. Could these be stores that we’ll see in Monsters, Inc. land?!? We’re going to walk down this street one day! One of the Post-It notes had a message with “Hidden City Cafe” written next to a checkmark. This is an in-universe coffee shop that Mike and Sully walk past in the Monsters, Inc. movie. Disney still hasn’t announced which restaurant will replace PizzaRizzo, so this could be a teaser for the new quick-service spot! ©Disney We also got an additional look at the upcoming restaurant Harryhausen’s. There’s new concept art of the spot along with two stills from the Monsters, Inc. movie from inside the restaurant. Does this mean we’ll be able to see the Sushi Chef in person? We’re even more excited for Harryhausen’s now! While Disney has been fairly quiet about the project, the one attraction they’ve been bragging about is the hanging door roller coaster. It will be just like the scene in the movie where Mike and Sulley climb through the door to help find Boo. ©Disney We also know Harryhausen’s will be coming! This is the iconic sushi restaurant from the movie, and ever since we saw it pop up on concept art, we’ve been begging for it to be real. It seems like a lot of elements from the movie are being pulled right into the land. ©Disney We’re so excited to see what other announcements Disney has for Monstropolis at D23 this weekend. Stay tuned to Disney Food Blog for more D23 news! Disney Shows Off NEW Monsters Coming to Monstropolis 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 Which new Monstropolis update surprised you the most? Comment below! 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 Disney to attend their media preview of D23. 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 View the full article

EPCOT’s International Food and Wine Festival is right around the corner! EPCOT’s International Food and Wine Festival Passport 2025 This year’s festival runs from August 27th through November 21st, giving guests nearly THREE months to try everything! Since there are so many booths and so many things to try, prices can add up quickly, which is why every discount you can get counts! We’re going through the discounts you can use at this year’s EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival! Annual Passholders Although Annual Passholders do not receive discounts on the food booths themselves, they DO receive discounts on any merchandise purchases! A 20% discount is given when a valid Annual Pass is shown to the Cast Member at the register. Disney World Annual Pass Annual Passholders also have the ability to buy merchandise that is exclusive to them. The EPCOT festivals often sell merchandise specific to Annual Passholders, which the average Disney World guest cannot purchase. Annual Passholder Food & Wine Glasses Disney Vacation Club Members Disney Vacation Club Members also receive a 20% discount on merchandise. Although they do not have merchandise specific to them for the Food and Wine Festival, they can still purchase any other merchandise for 20% off their total. If members are looking for specific DVC merchandise, each Disney Vacation Club resort offers its own line. EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival Merchandise Disney Visa Cardholders If you’re a Disney Visa Cardholder, you can also save on Food & Wine Festival merchandise! Whether you have the standard tier, the Disney Premier Card, or the Disney Inspire Card, you can save 10% on merchandise purchases. Not only will you get that discount, but you’ll earn up to 3% in Disney Reward Dollars on your Disney purchases. Disney Inspire Visa Cast Members Cast Members get the real perk here because they get a discount on both merchandise AND certain food booths. They must present a valid Cast Member ID to the Cast Members at the applicable food booths, and they will receive 20% off their total! This discount only runs from Mondays through Thursdays, which means they cannot receive discounts Fridays through Sundays. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Cast Members This discount also does not work at third-party booths, like in the Japan Pavilion, France Pavilion, and China Pavilion. If you’re unsure about which booths qualify as third-party booths, Cast Members wearing the green festival shirts are the booths that are Disney-owned and usually take this discount. EPCOT Cast Members! Using Wholesale Gift Cards If you don’t qualify for any of these discounts OR you do and want to save even more money, head over to your local wholesale club and purchase gift cards ahead of time there! BJ’s Wholesale Club, Costco Wholesale, and Sam’s Club often offer discounted gift cards. For example, if you were to purchase a $500 gift card, you would only pay $479.99! Even though it’s only $20, those savings can really add up! Gift Card! Maximize Your Disney Plan Snack Credits Did you know that your Disney Dining Plan snack credits can be used on certain festival items? Nearly every dish at each food booth can qualify as a single snack credit on the Disney Dining Plan — if there’s a DDP symbol by the item, it’s eligible! Before your trip, we recommend that you review the menus at each food booth and make a list of what you’d like to try. From there, you should use your snack credits on the most expensive items, so you know you’re getting the best bang for your buck! Hawai’i Menu in 2025 How To Budget Without Any Discounts If you don’t qualify for any discounts or don’t have a wholesale club near you, there is still a great way to know and stick to your budget — you can purchase a Festival Gift Card Wristlet! These gift cards are great because they simply slide onto your wrist and have a barcode on the back that Cast Members can scan. No more digging through your bag to find your wallet or having to do math in your head to remember your budget. Simply load an amount onto the gift card! Once you’re low, you know your budget is up! Plus, it’s a little souvenir for you to take home! EPCOT International Food and Wine Gift Card PRO TIP: Don’t Book Any Dining Reservations in EPCOT There are SO MANY food booths during the Food & Wine Festival. With so many things to try, booking a table-service restaurant can take away from those food booths. Even if you think you have room in your stomach — you don’t, trust me! The only time we recommend booking a table-service restaurant during an EPCOT festival is for their concert series. If you have your heart set on seeing a certain band perform, like The Beach Boys or Boyz II Men, we recommend grabbing an Eat to the Beat Dining Package to guarantee your seat at the show. The Beach Boys at Eat to the Beat 2025 Planning where you’ll be dining ahead of time can save you a lot of time, stress, and money! Our DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World has details on EVERY dining location at Disney World, AND there’s even a whole chapter about the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, so be sure to grab it before your next trip! If you’re headed to EPCOT’s International Food and Wine Festival this year, make sure to keep these discounts and money-saving tips in mind, so you can be prepared and enjoy your EPCOT days without breaking the bank! And stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for more Disney tips and tricks! 7 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Habits That Instantly Mark You as a Rookie IT'S WINE & DINE TIME! Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience. If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Food and Wine Festival 101 Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival - Fans Facebook Page Wine and Dine Half Marathon Details Get More Updates, Tips, and Tricks to Help You Conquer the Food & Wine Festival Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Are you headed to EPCOT’s International Food & Wine Festival this year? Let us know in the comments below! View the full article

Last night, we got a sneak peek at the Imagineering: Horizons exhibit at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, and there was SO much to take in! Levitating droids are here! If you’ve been excited about the levitating droids on their way to Galaxy’s Edge, you’ll be thrilled to hear this update. We got a look at what those levitating droids may look like working behind the snack cart, and were VERY impressed! At the Imagineering: Horizons exhibit, which officially opens to the public today on the first official day of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, we got a look at Hugo’s Sweets & Fizz, which is the snack cart Disney has previously talked about bringing the levitating droids to. While we didn’t see droids behind it this time, we did get to see Grogu bouncing around, helping to get people’s “orders” ready to go. Hugo’s Sweets & Fizz From what we were able to see, Grogu would pop up and move around behind the counter. In front of him, we watched fake burgers move across the counter, as if he was controlling their movement with the Force. Three Galaxy’s Edge drinks also did the same, and even lowered below the counter on a trap door! Grogu moving the drinks In case you missed the announcement back in July, Bloomberg got a look at some of the new technology Disney had been working on, and one of the projects was a series of floating droids that would work alongside snack carts to add additional immersion to spaces like Galaxy’s Edge. The snack carts are inspired by ones seen in the film The Mandalorian and Grogu that released earlier this year, hence likely why we see Grogu behind the counter in this example. Super unique! How exactly do they work? Well, the droids hover over a stationary food truck as if it were a stage. Guests will be able to order a few different soda options from a mobile app and then pick them up at the cart. The droids also have programming to put on a little “show” depending on what you order. For example, if you only buy one drink, the droid may act lonely! We would say this was pretty close to what we got to see here at D23, though again, it was Grogu instead of a droid. More Recent D23 News! New Model Shows How Magic Kingdom’s Newest Expansion Will BLEND InNEW LOOK at Disney’s “Floating” Droids For Galaxy’s EdgeWe FINALLY Have a Look at Disney’s New Avatar LandDisney Just Dropped BIG News for Its Avengers Campus ExpansionDisney Releases SNEAK PEEK at Carousel of Progress Makeover! We’ll be at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event all weekend to bring you the latest news, so be sure to stay tuned to DFB! NEWS: Disney Reveals First Look at ‘Frozen 3’ 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 How do you feel about this new idea? Tell us in the comments! View the full article

There’s always a great story to discover. From highly-anticipated releases and compelling nonfictions to stories featuring beloved characters and treasured worlds, Disney Publishing offers books for everyone, at every age. On Disney Parks Blog, we’re sharing the latest news from Disney Publishing — upcoming releases, book recommendations, author and illustrator features, behind-the-scenes stories, and much more. Whether you’re building your must-read list, looking for your new family favorite, or browsing for the perfect gift, visit us often to discover your next great read. August 13, 2026 Working in publishing comes with perks, like getting to read books before they reach the hands of readers. At Disney Publishing, the perk goes beyond that; it extends to the author that we get to work with and learn from. From Disney Legends, to Imagineers, to the voices of your favorite Princesses, and more; these stories ignite passion and spark imagination. Ahead of this year’s D23: The Ultimate Fan Event, we wanted to share a look at Floating Mountains: The Art of Imagining the Impossible by Disney Legend and Walt Disney Imagineering veteran (and bookworm), Joe Rohde. Joe Rohde’s home bookshelf. August 2026 Chapter 4: Bookworm to Backpack From Floating Mountains by Joe Rohde I believe that every creative person should be constantly accumulating knowledge, pure knowledge for the sake of knowledge itself. Research shows that elevated levels of curiosity are directly connected to creativity. What you know directly impacts what you are able to create, so it is good to know as much as you can. In my childhood home on O‘ahu, the natural world intruded upon everything. We lived with all kinds of insects inside our rotting old house, as well as the chubby geckos that hunted them. The sprawling disheveled yard was populated by more lizards, cane toads, centipedes, mongooses, rats, butterflies, giant African snails, dragonflies, and an encyclopedia’s worth of birds. I was never very far from a stream or pond where I could search for critters to collect. The solitude and beauty of my streamside hunts provided a welcome relief from the chaos of our household, which was constantly preoccupied with some sort of medical or economic crisis. This early experience with nature conditioned me to think of exploration as something joyful, even relaxing. My world of exploration grew exponentially when we moved to California. My high school ran an active backcountry hiking program that allowed us to penetrate remote, untrammeled trails in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. But in my young adulthood, I didn’t have the economic means to go anywhere else. Instead, I channeled my exploratory interest into learning, chiefly through books. A lot of books. My mother had used the Hawai‘i State Library in Honolulu as an improvised day care center when I was between five and seven years old because it was across the street from the clinic where my brother received care. I wandered for hours amid the towering stacks of books, many of which were too complex for me to read. Still, I would open them up and do my best to parse the captions under the photographs. Ever since, I have been a person of books. There are stacks beside my bed. They fill my studio. My family knows that for Christmas, birthdays, and any other occasion, they can present me with almost any book randomly picked off a shelf and I will read it. For example, a three-volume history of technology from the Oxford University Press, each volume 800 pages long. A book on earthworms. A book called The Premonitions Bureau about a British governmental organization attempting to leverage the powers of extrasensory perception (ESP). The satirical detective fiction of Carl Hiaasen. A reprinted monograph of a 1635 book on everything from unnatural marvels to making soup. I will at least try to read a book about anything. All knowledge is interrelated, so it is truly interesting to read almost anything. And if you intend to be a designer, you need to know how to manipulate raw material. Knowledge itself is a kind of raw material. Knowing things is a fundamental creative skill. The importance of reading—and learning from books—has come up again and again in my career, even in its earliest days. When I first joined Walt Disney Imagineering (then called WED Enterprises) in 1980, I was assigned to the Mexico Pavilion being developed for EPCOT Center (known today simply as EPCOT). Eddie Martinez, who was himself a serious and thorough researcher, led the project. He was good friends with legendary Disney artist Herb Ryman. After only a few weeks as a very junior Imagineer, I was not only introduced to Herb Ryman but also regularly accompanied Eddie on visits to the Ryman home in the San Fernando Valley. Herbie, as he was universally known, was an adventurer. He had endless piles of sketches from his travels around the world: the gates of Peking in the years before World War II; Angkor Wat in Cambodia, where he spent time living in the ruins with the monks; East Africa; the circus; and, of course, sketches and illustrations for his design projects, most famously those of Disneyland. But everyone knew that Herbie was an artist. What struck me more was that his house was filled with books, all kinds of books. Huge, old leather volumes, paperbacks, art books, history books, books of theory. An insecure young professional, I would have been reluctant to call myself an artist in the presence of Herb Ryman. But books were something I understood very well. Something I had in common with Herb Ryman, because it sure wasn’t talent. What I realized was that Herbie and I shared a core belief: Books are every bit as much raw material as paint or clay. For a designer like myself (and, dare I say, like Herbie), involved in making places, it’s vital to study places before you visit them and to study them after you have visited, so that you understand the origins and meanings of what you see and saw. It is imperative to study cultures before engaging cultural partners, as both a sign of interest and respect and to maximize the value of their time. It’s important to study your own field of expertise so that you can call yourself a professional. It is valuable to know what you’re looking at, to understand how events, objects, and places come to be. That involves reading, not just looking at pictures. As a project leader today, I compel my team members to read piles of books at the beginning of each project. Knowledge is power. Books are the storage batteries for that power. In a world of technology, it’d be easy to think we can bypass books. But there are reasons why reading still matters.* * Don’t be fooled by your mobile device. All the science says that retention, knowledge, and emotional impact are greater when reading from a physical book. August 2026 Floating Mountains by Joe Rohde First to market at D23: The Ultimate Fan Event. Available for pre-order. “Floating Mountains weaves together stories, creative exercises, and science — it’s serious and funny and practical and whimsical, illustrated with photos and sketches, with some scary bits and some scholarly bits culled from my life of curiosity and exploration. It’s about embracing and directing the power of an ensemble to achieve something that’s never been done before. I wrote it to empower and inspire everyone to seek and achieve seemingly impossible dreams, and to push their thinking to new heights.” – Joe Rohde Travel in Style with the New Disney x BÉIS Collection READ MORE Pins, Plush, and Other Collectibles Coming to D23 READ MORE How to Shop at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026 READ MORE The post Book of the Month: Must-Read Picks from Disney Publishing appeared first on Disney Parks Blog. View the full article

There might be no one more excited for Monstropolis to come to Hollywood Studios than me! This has been one of my favorite Disney movies, and when I heard that Muppets Courtyard was closing, I shed a few tears and said hello to Monsters, Inc.! Monstropolis construction We’re out in Anaheim, California for D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event from August 14th through the 16th — but we showed up a little early for a special media preview where Disney just gave us a sneak peek of the new Monsters, Inc.-themed land. Hold onto your hard hats — this is going to be good! We’re expecting way more information to be revealed on Saturday the 15th when Disney covers its future Disney Parks experiences, but the company did give us an appetizer by showing us NEW models of monsters coming to the land! Check out these little monsters! These models resembled mutated common animals, and we’re HERE for it! Splitting Hare There was the Splitting Hare (with an unusual number of ears), as well as the Monster Pigeon — which has TWO heads, and one doesn’t look all too friendly. Monster Pigeon We also spotted the Monster Squirrel — which has three eyes and three bushy tails! It’s a bit off, but you can’t deny how cute it still is! Monster Squirrel You’ll be able to find all of these monsters in the new land when it opens! Monstropolis While Disney has been fairly quiet about the project, the one attraction they’ve been bragging about is the hanging door roller coaster. It will be just like the scene in the movie where Mike and Sulley climb through the door to help find Boo. ©Disney We also know Harryhausen’s will be coming! This is the iconic sushi restaurant from the movie, and ever since we saw it pop up on concept art, we’ve been begging for it to be real. It seems like a lot of elements from the movie are being pulled right into the land. ©Disney In the meantime, make sure you keep following Disney Food Blog for more Disney news and everything you need to know about planning your next Disney World vacation. We’ll be here at D23 all weekend, and you can also find us in the parks every day discovering the best tips, tricks, and strategies so your vacation can be the best one yet. ALL THE NEW RIDES AND ATTRACTIONS AT DISNEY WORLD IN 2026 AND BEYOND 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 announcement? Tell us your thoughts 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 Disney to attend their D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event media preview. 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 View the full article

BREAKING NEWS out of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event about a NEW land coming to Disney World! Villains Land Concept Art ©Disney We were invited by Disney to attend a media preview before the D23 fan expo officially kicks off on August 14th in Anaheim, California, and — wow — do we have a lot to share with you! We got some exciting updates to share about Villains Land in Magic Kingdom that you cannot miss, especially if you’re as excited about this new land as we are! While we’re anticipating more news about Villains Land to drop later this weekend, we did get an early taste in the form of a new model! Dark Forest Called the Dark Forest, these creepy-looking trees will be featured within the new Villains Land, and it gives us our first tangible sense of how the vibes might actually be in this new Disney World area. Spooky Disney has been keeping many details about this new land — which is currently being built right behind Big Thunder Mountain Railroad — under wraps. We know that it’ll be home to some of the Disney villains we “know and loathe” from our favorite Walt Disney Studios animated films. Disney continued to say that, “The evil ambition of all these Villains means that the possibilities are endless for the stories that can be told — and visitors to the dark and thorny land should be prepared for whatever chaos might come their way.” Ta-da! At this time, we also know that the land will house two major attractions, an undetermined amount of dining options, and some shopping on an “incredibly twisted grand scale.” Our last bit of news we got about this land also revealed some of the architectural inspiration and where Imagineers have traveled to gain insight for building the new land, which was unveiled at Destination D23. Architectural inspiration for Villains Land Looking for more recent Magic Kingdom news? Check out our posts below! More Recent Magic Kingdom News! NEWS! Disney Just Released a NEW LOOK at Villains Land in Magic Kingdom!Disney Debuts Full Look INSIDE Magic Kingdom ‘Cars’ ExpansionWe Just Watched DOLE Whip End a Full-Blown Disney World Meltdown in SecondsThis Is The Weirdest Restaurant Disney Could Ever Make and I’m Begging Them To Do It6 Huge Disney World Announcements Could Be Coming This Week We’re hoping to learn a lot more about Villains Land and more Disney Parks expansion projects, so be sure to stay tuned to DFB for all the latest updates! We’re LIVE From Disney’s MASSIVE Fan Event 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 How do you feel about this new land? 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 Disney to attend their D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. 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 View the full article

Disney just dropped NEW details about the upcoming Avatar Land coming to Disney California Adventure here at our sneak peek of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event! New Avatar Model! Just last fall Disney confirmed that Disneyland would in fact be getting its own iteration of a realized Avatar-themed land. While the fate of this teased land rested in the since-passed Disneyland Forward project, Disney’s now giving us even more details about what will await us when we see the land and its new ride debut in the form of a new detailed model! We’re here at the sneak peek of the Imagineering: Horizons pavilion at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, and Disney has released a new model of part of the new Avatar expansion on its way to Disney California Adventure. From afar, the model looks very similar to the concept art that’s been released earlier, especially the massive rock formation that almost forms a half circle. We’re so happy to see this design has continued to stick around in this rockwork creation. What a model! There’s something really important to notice, though, off to the right — you can see exactly how this land will fit in with the Monorail outside the park! Is that the monorail? Taking a look even closer, it looks like guests will be able to stand at the base of the massive rock formation and waterfall to admire the incredible view. Guests down below the structure Based on Disney’s previous plans, there is supposed to be a ride in here somewhere, and if you look REALLY closely, you can see one of the boats in the water, seemingly part of the attraction that will be here. Look at the boat! If this is all new to you then here’s how this all came to be. Disney CEO Bob Iger briefly mentioned a possible Avatar project coming to Disneyland during an annual shareholder meeting back in April of 2024. During this call, he alluded to the fact that Disney World had its own Avatar-themed land in Disney World, so it made sense it could be possible for one at Disneyland, too. During this time, the concept art Disney released was still in its “Blue-Sky” phase, which essentially means that Disney Imagineers are looking into the possibility of this becoming a realized project and what it would take to make it happen. Na’vi But, truth be told, we were STOKED to see such cool concepts make it out of their imaginations and onto paper to share with us. However, it was interesting that it appeared from the jump that this new Avatar Land concept would most closely follow the second-to-latest installment of the franchise, Avatar: The Way of Water, which would help connect it to future films. ©Disney The next update we got about this Avatar expansion, came during the Park Experiences panel of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in 2024. While there were a slew of announcements during this panel, Disney did reveal they were moving forward with plans for Avatar Land AND shared even more updated concept art of not only the land, “bring Pandora to life in a brand-new way…” ©Disney …but it’s brand-new ride, too! Disney also teased that the ride will allow you to explore Pandora through a “thrilling excursion that will bring all the action, excitement, and wonder of Avatar.” The vibrant concept art that was released during this first look at the upcoming ride showed water themes and breathtaking landscapes that highlighted both “the beauty — and danger — that come along with the journey.” ©Disney We’ll be bringing you all of the latest Disney updates as they happen throughout this weekend, so be sure you’re following along with us at Disney Food Blog so you don’t miss a thing. Everything You Need to Know About D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event This Weekend! 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 this new land? Leave us your honest thoughts in the comments below! 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 Disney to attend their media preview of the Imagineering: Horizons exhibit at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. 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 View the full article

Who’s ready for some massive Avengers Campus news? New look at Avengers Campus expansion! So, we’ve been super excited ever since Disney promised a huge expansion to Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure that will bring two NEW rides to the land that sound pretty amazing. Well, we’ve learned a little more about that expansion, and now we have brand new details to share! We’re LIVE at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, where we’re learning a LOT more about all the new lands and expansions coming to Disney Parks. Well, we just got some huge updates about the Avengers Campus expansion over in Disneyland, so let’s get into all the details of what we’ve learned. Thanks to a sneak peek we just got at the Imagineering: Horizons exhibit, we now have a model of the new expansion to look at! New look at Avengers Campus expansion! From the model, we can see what a MASSIVE expansion this really is, especially because we really are getting our own Avengers Tower! The largest part of this expansion will be for Avengers Infinity Defense, one of the two new attractions on its way. This is a ride that will take you on an adventure through the multiverse to go up against King Thanos (yep, he’s King of everything in an alternate universe, and that’s a very bad thing). Here’s the plot: “Technology that allows the Avengers to jump between worlds has gone missing, and King Thanos is using it to wreak havoc everywhere. Recruits will travel to iconic locations like Asgard, Wakanda, and New York City alongside the likes of big and small heroes… You also just might find yourself face-to-face with King Thanos, too.” Infinity Defense! The second ride being added to the land is Stark Flight Lab, which will take you on a tour through Tony Stark’s lab so you can literally ride on a simulator that makes it seem like you’re flying in one of Iron Man’s suits. This new model also gives us a look at what the part of the attraction will look like. Stark Flight Lab You’ll be seated in a two-person “gyro-kinetic pod” that will roll along a track and then connect to a robot arm that will sling you around like you’re flying. Needless to say, this ride might NOT be for everyone, but it looks SO cool. Check out the look we got at the ride vehicle/seats below — they look pretty epic! Ride Vehicle! We’ll be covering all the big news coming out of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, so stay tuned to DFB for more. Everything You Need To Know About D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event! DON'T DO IT ALONE! Our favorite people over at Small World Vacations are ready to help you save time, headaches, and best of all, money, when you book your Disney trip or cruise. Their agents compare current offers to find the best deal for you -- they've literally saved their guests millions of dollars since 1996. Plus, their services are 100% FREE FOR YOU! (They're DFB's recommended travel agency, and you can see why here!) So book that trip now, then sit back and enjoy planning your Disney World Trip with a DFB-approved expert! Click here for a no obligation price quote today, and let them know DFB sent you GET MORE INFO What do you think of this expansion so far? Let us know 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 Disney to attend their media preview of the Imagineering: Horizons Pavilion at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. 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 View the full article

We’re LIVE at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, and we’re ready to take in everything this expo has to offer — such as big panels (the Parks and Experiences panel) — because we need to know MORE about all the new stuff coming to Disney World and Disneyland. ©Disney We were invited by Disney to attend a media preview the day before the convention officially kicks off (it runs from August 14th through the 16th at the Anaheim Convention Center in California and the nearby Honda Center), and we got a sneak peek of a TON of different new things coming to the streaming platforms, movie theaters, and the Disney Parks. In fact, Disney gave us NEW looks at the new Cars expansion — Piston Peak — that’s currently being built in Magic Kingdom, and we’re sharing all those new details with you! Piston Peak, which is being constructed in Frontierland, is inspired by the National Parks — specifically Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. The name comes from Piston Peak National Park, as seen in the 2014 Disney movie Planes: Fire & Rescue. The new land will even have a geyser inspired by Old Faithful! During the preview, we were shown a model of how the land will look! Piston Peak! The new land will feature not one…but TWO…new attractions, including a rally race-themed ride that will take you on a thrilling journey through Piston Peak. There will also be a more family-friendly attraction that Disney promises will be fun for the whole family. ‘Cars’ is coming to Magic Kingdom! Well, now we’ve learned some NEW details about the upcoming land! For starters, we now have a general understanding of the intended layout. A closer look at Piston Peak Themed to blend in seamlessly with Frontierland, this new area takes plenty of inspiration from the national park aesthetic while incorporating the charm of the Cars franchise. This gives us an idea of scale We also got a closer look at restaurants, shops, and other themed areas. So exciting! Of course, the model included a look at the rides — one of which seems to take passengers on a thrilling journey through a mountain along a scenic route. This new ride looks LEGIT This is a race, after all, and a race wouldn’t be complete without the finish line! You can spot the big finale on this model Peep the finish line We also got our best look yet at the new ride vehicles! These cars are designed to look like off-road vehicles with those lovable faces up front. A ride vehicle Each vehicle appears to have two rows of three seats. A look at the seats These look sooooo good, and this new Magic Kingdom area is shaping up to be something special! It looks incredible! Disney has not yet revealed an opening timeline for the ride, but we’ve been keeping a close eye on the construction in Magic Kingdom. Additionally, we wouldn’t be surprised at all to learn way more about Piston Peak and all the other Disney Parks expansion this weekend at D23, so stay tuned to DFB for all the latest updates! Dear Disney: Please Don’t Fumble the Cars Land Mega Expansion 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 of these announcements? Let us know 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 Disney to attend their D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event media preview. 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 View the full article

We’re FINALLY here at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, and we couldn’t be more stoked. Sneak Peek at Carousel of Progress! This year’s event takes place in Anaheim, California, from August 14th-16th, and since it’s the biggest event of the year, you can bet there’s news coming out every which way. We’re here LIVE to bring you all the latest news from the panels, exhibits, merchandise tables, and everything in between. It’s a lot to cover, but right now we’ve gotta direct your attention to what we just got to see at the sneak peek at the Imagineering: Horizons pavilion, because it involves the retheme of Carousel of Progress! The parks exhibit is officially known as the Disney Experiences pavilion, which is returning this year. It’s one of the most popular exhibits at the event, because who doesn’t want to know what’s coming to the parks? At the pavilion this year, Imagineering: Horizons invites Disney fans to explore their largest pavilion EVER! It showcases the progress being made to shape the Disney parks around the world with an up‑close look at the people, the process, and possibilities brought to life by Imagineers. One of the parts of the exhibit we were most excited for was to hopefully get a sneak peek at the new retheme coming to Carousel of Progress, and we weren’t disappointed. Act 1 Sneak Peek! We got a look at some of the costumes and the design coming to the different acts in the new version of the ride. Now, Act 1 will take place in the 1960s, and we can totally see that in the design of the outfits and the home. Just look at this incredible outfit! 1960s for sure! Designs were also posted of the stage and how it’ll change between acts. While Act 1 will be the 1960s, Act 2 will now take place in the 1980s, Act 3 will be 1999, while Act 4 will be what the future may hold. It certainly looks like the stage will change quite a bit, which is a pretty drastic change from the prior version, where the kitchen largely stayed the same for the first three acts with small theming changes. Different designs! Now, it’s unclear exactly what’s going on in this scene, but consider us intrigued — is that a fireplace INSIDE a tree? Sneak Peek at Carousel of Progress! We know there’s a LOT of news coming out of this weekend, but we’re here to help break it all down. We’re heading to all the biggest panels, checking out all the merchandise you need to be on the lookout for, and updating you every step of the way! More Recent D23 News! We FINALLY Have a Look at Disney’s New Avatar LandDisney Just Dropped BIG News for Its Avengers Campus ExpansionDisney Releases SNEAK PEEK at Carousel of Progress Makeover!NEW Look at 3 Rides Coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom ExpansionNEW LOOK: We Got a Sneak Peek of the NEWEST Disney Animated Movie! We’ll be sure to keep you updated on all the latest Disney news to come out of D23 this weekend, so stay tuned to DFB! EVERYTHING You Need to Know About Shopping at D23 This Year 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 How do you feel about this sneak peek? 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 Disney to attend their media preview of the Imagineering: Horizons exhibit at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. 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 View the full article