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Oh boy! A new episode of the planDisney Podcast is out now, and we’re talking all things Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland park.View the full article

Are you planning a trip to Disney World? Are you having problems deciding on where to stay? Pop Century Resort Well, the first thing you need to think about is your budget, right? But you also need to think about what Disney World hotel might offer you the best value, or bang for your buck. So we’re going to tell you about some hotels that might not be on your list, but should be! We’re also going to tell you why. We get it — your money is valuable in Disney World. Some of these hotels on our list might cost more than a standard room at Disney’s cheapest hotels, the All-Star Resorts. However, they might offer better value than those hotels. Disney’s All-Star Music Resort Okay, so although we mentioned that you might NOT want to stay at an All-Star Resort, we’re making an exception for Disney’s All-Star Music Resort. There’s a reason for that. If you’re planning a trip for your family or group and are considering multiple standard hotel rooms, STOP. Disney’s All-Star Music Resort That’s because you can get a Family Suite at All-Star Music starting at a little over $300 per night for a room that sleeps up to 6. If you do the math, you’ll spend a lot less on a suite than multiple rooms, and in the end, you’ll be saving money. Also, these rooms are HUGE. They also have a large refrigerator AND microwave, so you can store and reheat leftovers. These rooms are HUGE However, that’s not the only reason to consider Disney’s All-Star Music Resort. You’ll also have access to the Intermission Food Court, where you can get reasonably-priced (by that, we mean, reasonably priced for Disney) food that will satisfy even the pickiest of eaters. Intermission Food Court Is it the best food on property? Probably not, but you can save money for nicer meals if you eat one meal a day at the food court (even if that is breakfast). Tour a Family Suite at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort Disney’s Pop Century Resort If you’re willing to pay just a little bit more for a standard room at the All-Star Resorts, you might want to “splurge” on a room at Disney’s Pop Century Resort. Why? Well, first, many visitors feel the theming is a little better here — it’s still OVER THE TOP, but it covers all the different pop culture trends of the 1950s-1990s. The theming is so fun Another bonus of Pop Century is that you’ll have access to the Skyliner, which can take you to and from EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, as well as other Skyliner resorts. Compared to Disney buses, this could save you some time when you’re traveling to the parks (and you know what they say, time is money). Plus the Skyliner is almost like a ride itself. You can also walk to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort from here. Skyliner Station Another thing to keep in mind is that it might be worth it to stay at Pop Century just because the All-Star Resorts will sometimes share a bus — meaning that all three resorts — All-Star Sports, All-Star Music, and All-Star Movies — will use the SAME bus to provide transportation to and from the parks. This usually happens during non-peak times and it can be inconvenient, especially at the end of the day if your resort isn’t the bus’ first stop. Take A Tour of a Room at Pop Century Resort Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Disney’s Art of Animation Resort combines some of the pros of All-Star Music AND Pop Century. First, you can get a THEMED Family Suite at Art of Animation. There are suites that are themed to Cars and The Lion King and they are SO cool. These suites sleep up to 6 and start at around $550 per night (which is a good value for a larger group). Speaking of theming, it’s pretty on point here, too, and many visitors prefer it over that of the All-Star Resorts (particularly in the suites). Lion King Family Suite However, if you don’t need a suite, you can also book a standard room here for a little more than what you might pay at Disney’s All-Star Resorts. That could be worth it because this hotel is also convenient to the Skyliner (Art of Animation and Pop Century share a Skyliner station). You also don’t have to worry about a shared bus situation here either. Skyliner sign between Pop Century and Art of Animation Finally, you can walk over to Pop Century Resort to check it out (or maybe try its famous Tie-Dye Cheesecake). Tour a Lion King FAMILY SUITE at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort! Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin If you’re a member of the Marriott Bonvoy membership program, you should consider staying at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort. Why? Well, you’ll get deluxe hotel accommodations with the perks that come with the Marriott Bonvoy membership because the hotel is owned by Marriott. You’ll be able to earn rewards for every stay PLUS you can spend rewards to book stays at this hotel, which could save you some $$$. Swan and Dolphin What’s even better? You’ll still get the same perks that Disney World deluxe hotel guests get. That includes Early Theme Park Entry, which allows you to get into the parks 30 minutes before the official opening time. You’ll also be able to stay in the parks later than everyone else with Extended Evening Hours, which happen at select parks on select evenings. Swan and Dolphin Plus you’ll be staying in the HEART of the EPCOT-resort area, meaning you can walk to EPCOT (and the EPCOT Skyliner Station) AND Disney’s Hollywood Studios, as well as to Disney’s BoardWalk Resort, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, and Disney’s Beach Club Resort. You can also take Friendship Boats to EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and to the other resorts in the area. You’re within walking distance of Disney’s BoardWalk Because you can walk to all those great resorts, you also have access to some great dining. First, the Swan and Dolphin have some pretty amazing restaurants you might want to check out, including the NEW Rosa Mexicano. But you can also walk to a TON of restaurants that are nearby, including Beaches & Cream, Yachtsman Steakhouse, and more! Here’s The Complete Guide to Eating at Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Resorts With DOZENS of places to eat at Disney World, we know it can be tough to plan your meals. That’s why we wrote the DFB Guide to Dining at Walt Disney World. We have reviews, pictures, and details about every restaurant all in one digital download – along with ALL of our best tips and strategies from decades of Disney World trips. We’ve got a special discount code for DFB readers, too! Use WDW2023 at checkout for 25% off! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 900 pages, the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! You'll get a Reference Guide, a 101 Plan, and a Printables and Resources Guide! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis; and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2023 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2023 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Which Disney World hotel do you think offers the most value? Let us know in the comments! The post My UNPOPULAR OPINION On The BEST Disney World Hotel Value of Them All. Don't Knock It Til You Try It. first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Alright, friends, we’re celebrating “Halfway to Halloween,” and you know what that means…it’s time for some spooky fun! Halloween in Magic Kingdom Disney has revealed the new snacks coming to the parks soon in honor of being Halfway to Halloween, and a special popcorn bucket is available too. But, if you’re a Haunted Mansion fan, there’s a spooktacular reason why you’ll want to open up your Disney World App ASAP! A special Haunted Mansion PhotoPass filter is now available for all guests to experience on the My Disney Experience app. It’ll be available through April 23rd! (We’ve actually seen this lens offered through the Disneyland app in the past.) To find it, you can search for “PhotoPass Lenses” on the app and then hit “Explore Disney PhotoPass Lenses.” Then you’ll scroll to the Haunted Mansion option to explore the lens. PhotoPass lenses are typically only available to those who purchase Genie+ or Annual Passholders, but this Haunted Mansion one appears to be available (at the moment) for EVERYONE as part of the Halloween celebrations. ©Disney If you’re a Haunted Mansion fan and have always wanted to see yourself as a member of the iconic attraction, be sure to check out this lens while it’s still available! PhotoPass Lenses For more spooky fun, visit Gideon’s Bakehouse on April 20th to get their special treats, and don’t miss some of the special merchandise you can get this week! As always, stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disney news. See what SECRET HINT has been dropped about Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party! Halloween at Walt Disney World Get All of the Latest Updates on Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party The SECRET Hint Disney Dropped About Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in 2023 Disney World In August: Tips and Info 25 Dates to Consider When Planning Your 2023 Disney World Vacation Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click Here to Subscribe How will you celebrate “Halfway to Halloween”? Tell us in the comments! The post Haunted Mansion Fans: Open the Disney World App RIGHT NOW! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Journey to the Magic Podcast, Series 3, Bonus Episode: Best BitsView the full article

Walt Disney World begins selling annual passes to new customers Thursday after months of being on "pause." View the full article

Alright Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members, listen up! Disney Vacation Club kiosk DVC members get lots of special perks — accessing annual pass sales before others, getting to enter exclusive lounges, discounts, and more. Access to special events is also a part of their perks, and if you’re both a DVC member and a Guardians of the Galaxy fan, you’ll want to grab tickets for this event ASAP! It has been announced that DVC members will soon be able to register for a Guardians of the Galaxy “Screen & Scream” event happening on May 4th, 2023. Scott Gustin has shared information about the event via Twitter. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Through this event, you can be one of the first to see the NEW Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 movie either at Disney Springs on May 4th or at a later date with a Fandango voucher. There’s also an opportunity to experience a special After Hours party at EPCOT, where you’ll be able to go on rides (including Cosmic Rewinda and Test Track) with shorter waits, see special characters, and eat some tasty snacks. ©Marvel Guests may only book one event package each. Here’s what they involve: Screen & Scream Package $89 per person (plus tax and gratuity) Private movie screening of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 at Disney Springs (2PM) After Hours party in World Discovery at EPCOT (10PM-1AM) Scream Package $89 per person (plus tax and gratuity) After Hours party in World Discovery at EPCOT (10PM-1AM) $15 Fandango voucher to watch the new Guardians movie at a later date Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Registration opens at 11AM EST on April 19th! Members who are eligible are ones that have purchased directly from Disney Vacation Club. So mark down those calendars and get ready to register ASAP if you’re interested! In other Marvel news, a new trailer was released for the new film The Marvels, and don’t forget to grab your tickets for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 now to see it when it opens. As always, stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disney news! See the new trailer for Marvel’s Secret Invasion here! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 900 pages, the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! You'll get a Reference Guide, a 101 Plan, and a Printables and Resources Guide! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis; and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2023 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2023 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Are you planning to attend this event? Tell us in the comments! The post An EXCLUSIVE After Hours Event Is Coming Soon to EPCOT — Register TODAY! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Theme Park Rangers Radar waves goodbye to Poseidon’s Fury and the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World. Plus: What's next. View the full article

Things are changing all over Disney World! Disney World Disney has filed some permits that could point to future ride and hotel changes, a big change has been announced for a Hollywood Studios ride, TRON Lightcycle / Run is now open, Park Pass rules have changed for Annual Passholders, and more updates are on the way. And recently, we spotted a change at Space Mountain you’ll want to know about. Space Mountain already got an update in recent months when its shiny new floor debuted in part of the queue, but now another change has hit this popular ride or rather has hit the exit for this popular ride. For a long time, the exit for Space Mountain has been re-routed due to the ongoing construction within the gift shop at the ride’s exit. Tomorrowland Launch Depot That gift shop (renamed Tomorrowland Launch Depot) has reopened, featuring the new interactive TRON experience and plenty of TRON merchandise too. But something else in this area has changed now. The Space Mountain exit now leads guests right to the gift shop, rather than outside or around it! So once you finish your adventure through the stars, you’ll exit right into Tomorrowland Launch Depot and have the chance to do all the shopping you want there. The New Exit! Again, inside Launch Depot, you’ll now find some parts of the new experience where you can create a custom TRON action figure with your face and voice. See full details about this experience here. Grid Digitization Portals There’s also some TRON merchandise inside which you can pick up, whether you’ve been on the new ride or not. Mobile Merchandise checkout is available via the My Disney Experience app for the merchandise here, so look into using that to SKIP the checkout lines! ©Disney For more about the changes happening in Disney World, click here to read about adjustments being made to Fantasmic! showtimes, or click here to see what menu items have changed in the parks and resorts (including some changes that are a BIG DEAL). And stay tuned for the latest news. Click here to experience Space Mountain with the LIGHTS ON in Disney World  Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 900 pages, the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! You'll get a Reference Guide, a 101 Plan, and a Printables and Resources Guide! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis; and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2023 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2023 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. What is your favorite gift shop in Magic Kingdom? Tell us in the comments. The post Something Has CHANGED at Space Mountain in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

The time is now! Annual Passholder There have been a lot of updates to the park pass reservation system as of late, the biggest being that, starting April 18th, Annual Passholders can enter the parks after 2PM without having a park pass reservation! We went ahead and tried it and we’re thrilled to let you know it worked without issue! But now we have an update on how this new system works with Magic Kingdom’s newest ride — TRON Lightcycle / Run! While we were testing things out to see how this new 2PM Annual Passholder rule worked, we thought we’d also try to get a reservation for TRON. TRON Lightcycle / Run Currently, TRON Lightcycle / Run does not have a standby queue meaning you have to either score a spot in the Virtual Queue when it opens at 7AM and 1PM or buy an Individual Lightning Lane for the ride. What could’ve been the biggest snag was that you previously needed a valid park pass reservation for Magic Kingdom to be able to join the Virtual Queue. So how does this work now that some visitors DON’T need a park pass? Well, we found out! TRON Lightcycle / Run queue When we scanned into the park, the 1PM Virtual Queue window was still open on the My Disney Experience app! This was somewhat a surprise since the Virtual Queues have filled up in seconds in the past, but with the end of spring break season, the crowds in the park are starting to lighten up. Since the Virtual Queue was still open, we decided to try to grab a spot in the queue…and IT WORKED! We were able to join even though we technically didn’t have a park pass reservation. Managers were posted near the entrance of Magic Kingdom to make sure that this update worked on the app. We got in a boarding group for TRON! Now it’s not guaranteed that the Virtual Queue will still be open if you’re an Annual Passholder scanning in at 2PM, but if it is, go ahead and grab a spot in the queue! This is currently the only free way to ride TRON since Individual Lightning Lanes are an additional cost, so this is an important update for Passholders planning to use this new perk! And there you have it! Good luck to you, and stay tuned for more on the latest Disney news! Click here for the latest on the Annual Passholder Program Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 900 pages, the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! You'll get a Reference Guide, a 101 Plan, and a Printables and Resources Guide! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis; and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2023 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2023 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. When will you be visiting Disney World? Let us know in the comments! The post The NEW Park Pass Rule Impacts How You Ride TRON in Disney World -- Here's How first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

If you’ll be flying in for your next trip, your transportation to Disney World may be cheaper than you expected. Mears Connect Bus While Disney’s Magical Express is no longer available to drive us from the Orlando International Airport to the Disney World hotels, there are several replacement companies that are offering transportation services to and from the Most Magical Place on Earth. One company, in particular, is running a sale that you might want to act on if you’ve got an upcoming trip. Mears Connect is one of those transportation providers. Now, they are having a big “spring savings” sale and if you happen to catch it early you could be saving big! ©Mears Connect Their offer is available to book now for their 24/7 service to and from the Orlando International Airport to Disney World. Mears Connect is offering tickets for $15 per adult and $12 per child for standard service reservations before fees. Their regular rates would cost you around $20.90 per adult and $14.85 per child. ©Mears Connect If you’re looking to save on round-trip transportation to and from Disney World they’ve got savings for that too! Round-trip reservations are quite a bit cheaper during this sale — you can book round trips for $31.50 per adult and $25.20 per child. Mears Connect does not list an end date for this sale yet online, but we recommend booking as soon as possible to take advantage of the deal! For the latest in Disney news, stay with us at Disney Food Blog! How Much Does It REALLY Cost To Go To Disney World? The BRUTALLY HONEST Truth Planning a Trip to Disney World? We’ve Got Everything You Need to Know The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Disney World Vacation A Month-by-Month Guide to Planning Your Disney World Trip Tips, Hints, Lists, and Videos for Planning the BEST Disney World Trip How Many Days Do You Really Need in Disney World? How to Have the CHEAPEST Trip to Disney World 5 Simple Planning Tips You Need to Know About Before Your Next Disney World Trip The CHEAPEST Days to Visit Disney World in 2023 EVERYTHING You Need to Know Before Booking a 2023 Disney World Trip Learn About the Disney Park Pass System The Ultimate Disney World Packing List Everything You Need to Know About Genie+ Insider SECRETS for Your First Trip to Disney World A Complete Look at the Current Disney Discounts and Deals The ONLY Disney Dining Planning Tool You’ll Need Is Here – Get the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining! Join the DFB Newsletter to Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click Here to Subscribe Will you be taking advantage of this sale? Let us know your thoughts below! The post How To Get to Disney World from the Orlando Airport for ONLY first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Whether it’s inspired by one of the Disney classics like the Haunted Mansion or Tower of Terror, or simply embraces a spooky aesthetic—we’ve got some frightfully festive ways you can include Halloween at your Disney Wedding.View the full article

If you don’t want to get blindsided by the hidden costs in Disney World, you’re in the right place! Let’s look at how much it really costs to go to Disney World. Welcome to Walt Disney World One of the most stressful parts about planning any kind of Disney trip is figuring out how much you’ll need to save to feel like you can do everything you set out to accomplish during your big vacation. And that’s EXACTLY what we’re gonna help you achieve today. We’re gonna break down some different price points for different budgets so YOU can pick and choose how little or how much you will need for your trip. Remember that many of the prices we’ll be discussing today are subject to change (which is why several will be discussed based on a RANGE rather than a specific price point). This is ESPECIALLY true when it comes to the travel section of the post (which — not to tease ya or anything — but that section is completely shocking. And, more than likely, it’s gonna shock you too). But before we talk about TRAVEL, let’s ensure you know where you’re traveling TO. Hotels The hotel price ranges you’re gonna find around Disney property are VERY different. (Drastically different, really.) So it’s all gonna come down to what YOU want to prioritize. Do you plan on making your resort part of the vacation… or just a place to crash each night? Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort We looked into price ranges for ALL the Disney World Resort types — including values, moderates, deluxe, and villas — as well as some of the Good Neighbor hotels too (which work alongside Disney to give guests a cheaper price point for their rooms, while still providing similar benefits that you’d receive if you were staying at a Disney-owned resort instead). Shades of Green Now, dates vary depending on when you stay. If you pick a date around back-to-school season (like August-September), room prices will be knocked down by a couple hundred bucks. BUT if you pick a date around the holiday season (like November-December), the exact OPPOSITE happens, and you’ll see room prices go up by a couple hundred bucks. So for this example, we’re trying to land somewhere in the middle-ish, and we’ll be booking rooms for a family of 2 adults and 2 kids around a season that’s starting to pick up in numbers (AKA: the start of summer vacation, from June 5th- June 11th — a weeklong vacation). A Disney World Good Neighbor Hotel is Undergoing a $35 Million Renovation! Value Resorts — The Most Affordable Option Disney’s value resorts are…well…they’re actually pretty self-explanatory. They’re going to be your more affordable option when it comes to choosing a Disney Resort. For the most part. All-Star Movies The absolute CHEAPEST room option you’re gonna find across ALL the Disney World resorts will be over at Disney’s All-Star Sports. A standard room here will cost ya around $185 per night. Yup. That’s the CHEAPEST priced room right there. Again, if you book a room during Disney’s down season, this price WILL drop. But no matter when you book this room, rest assured that just because you’re paying less for it than you would any other Disney room, AND you’ll still have access to the Disney resort guest benefit Early Theme Park Entry — which allows you to enter any of the parks on any day 30 minutes before they open for everyone else. All-Star Resorts The other All-Star Resorts (Movies and Music) tend to be around the same price point, EXCEPT if you choose the All-Star Music Family Suite instead. Not only is this suite-type the CHEAPEST suite on property, BUT it’s also got SO MUCH SPACE to spread out! We’re talking a living room with two Murphy beds, two full bathrooms, a kitchen space, AND a master bedroom — all for around $408 per night. Disney’s Art of Animation also has family suites — with different Disney animated movie themes featuring Cars, The Lion King, and Finding Nemo. But these suites are more expensive than the All-Star Music ones. A Lion King family suite, which can comfortably sleep up to six guests, will cost around $565 per night. Art of Animation also has standard Little Mermaid-themed room options, too, priced around $272 per night. But that cut cost will also cut a LOT of that roominess you’ll receive over at the suites. Art of Animation Resort One of the best reasons to stay at Art of Animation is that it sits directly on the Skyliner Route — which will give you an easy-going, sky gondola trip over to EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and the other Skyliner-area resorts (like Disney’s Riviera and Disney’s Caribbean Beach). But the CHEAPEST resort on the Skyliner route is actually over at Disney’s Pop Century. You can get a preferred room here— which will put you much closer to the Skyliner station OR the resort’s lobby— for around $245 per night. All-Star Movies vs. Pop Century Disney World Resort Guide 2023 Moderates Resorts at Disney World Moderate Resorts offer mid-level amenities at mid-level prices (sort of like the “Goldilocks” of Disney World hotels). But don’t let the “moderate” title fool you — moderate resorts can provide some of the BEST Disney hotel experiences at a much more affordable price than deluxe resorts can offer. Caribbean Beach Resort Some of the cheapest moderate resort rooms can be found at Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter and Riverside — just a boat ride away from the Disney Springs shopping district. A standard French Quarter room will cost around $291 per night. (That’s right — a STANDARD room here is only a little bit MORE than a standard room at Art of Animation! And you’ll be within walking distance to BEIGNETS when you stay here!). If you wanna get a little *fancy* and embrace your inner prince or princess, the Riverside resort has Royal Guest Rooms available for you to book. Royal guest rooms are Disney-royalty themed — with photos of Disney princesses on the wall and touches from their movies scattered throughout the room’s decor. One of our favorite touches? The headboards light up with fireworks! (Now, how’s THAT for a cherry on top?) Royal Guest Rooms are priced around $370 per night, which, when you look at some of the OTHER highly-themed rooms on Disney World property, really isn’t too terrible of a price for Disney standards. You’ll see what I mean soon enough. Port Orleans Resort — Riverside Jumping back over to the Skyliner Resorts again, Disney’s Caribbean Beach has standard rooms — with an added 5th sleeper Murphy bed — for around $309. AND later in 2023, you’ll ALSO get to book a rLittle Mermaid room here! But this isn’t the same type of Little Mermaid room you’ll find at Art of Animation. These rooms replaced the former Pirate-themed rooms in the resort, and will add touches of new under-the-sea artwork, brighter decor, pastel colors, and a 5th sleeper bed that will allow each room to accommodate more guests. No price ranges out for this new-styled room YET, but we’ll let you know just as soon as we hear about a future price point. ©Disney The Little Mermaid-themed rooms are coming to Caribbean Beach Resort. If you’re looking for a LOT of room for your group and some extra privacy away from other resort guests, you can always choose to book a cabin at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. The cabins will help you “rough it” in the great outdoors (without really roughin’ it). You’ll have an outdoor deck, a picnic table with a charcoal grill, a bedroom with a queen bed and bunk beds, a full bathroom with a tub/shower, a full kitchen, a living area with a pull-out sleeper sofa, and a dining table that seats up to six family members — all for around $478 per night. Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground Now let’s look at a moderate resorts with some major DELUXE features. Disney’s Coronado Springs houses the Gran Destino Tower — with upscale food options, rooftop views, and elegant rooms and suites. Other amenities include the building’s state-of-the-art fitness center, conference spaces, and connections to other areas of the Resort. For a standard room here (with a view out across the water), prices average around $394. BUT Gran Destino is the ONLY moderate resort that offers a deluxe suite stay with club-level access. This means that guests staying in these rooms have access to the resort’s Chronos Club — which is an exclusive, relaxing space that serves complimentary refreshments like breakfast, snacks, drinks, and desserts all throughout the day. But just because Gran Destino is a moderate resort doesn’t mean the Club Level rooms are gonna be a steal of a deal or anything. You’ll still have to pay around $815 per night to stay in ‘em. Coronado Springs Lobby If you want a MUCH cheaper Coronado Springs room option, step outside the tower and check out the casitas around the older section of the resort. A preferred room in this area will cost you about $356 per night. Caribbean Beach vs. Coronado Springs Disney World Resort Guide 2023 Deluxe Resorts at Disney World Deluxe hotels offer top-tier amenities for top-tier prices. They also offer perks such as awesome pools, top-rated dining, and easy access to the parks. Not to mention, these are the only Disney World resorts that’ll give you the Extended Evening Hours benefit — which will let you stay in select parks on select nights up to two hours after they close for everyone else. Boardwalk Inn Resort Typically, you’ll find extending evening hours for EPCOT on Mondays, Magic Kingdom on Wednesdays, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Thursdays. Now, we’re not gonna go over EVERY deluxe resort on property (because there are a LOT of ‘em), but we will cover the vast majority so you can get a good idea of how pricey deluxe resorts can truly be. Some of these price ranges may surprise you. A few of them on this list ACTUALLY have some cheaper price points than some of the moderate options! BUT let’s start with the bougiest resort of the bunch — Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Disney’s Grand Floridian has some of the most expensive room options on property, not just because of its Victorian-style atmosphere. Grand Floridian is located on the monorail loop — meaning you can easily get to other monorail resorts (like Disney’s Polynesian Village and Disney’s Contemporary Resort), as well as Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. If you book a standard garden room here, expect to pay around $776 per night. But if you wanna make your stay just a little more grand — and have a view of the Magic Kingdom right outside your window (so you can watch the fireworks go off over Cinderella Castle each evening) — then you’re looking at paying $945 per night instead. Grand Floridian Resort DVC Studio Keep in mind that Grand Floridian is currently working on updating their rooms and lobby to take on a subtle-yet-classy Mary Poppins theming. This is how they remodeled the Big Pine Key last year when transforming the rooms into Disney Vacation Club studios, which tend to range in price between $700-$1200+ per night. Speaking of DVC studios, you can find MORE DVC studio rooms over at Disney’s Riviera — which is the most EXPENSIVE resort along the Skyliner route. A deluxe studio with a standard view here will cost you around $681 per night. Riviera Resort Okay, let’s look at some of the CHEAPER deluxe resort options now. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, you can get a standard room for around $482 per night! That’s nearly $300 less per night than what you’ll get for a standard room at Grand Floridian! And, if you request a partial savanna room during your check-in, you might also be able to see over 30 species of African wildlife — including zebras, giraffes, and gazelles flamingos. Seriously — there’s a LOT to see here. If you wanna guarantee a full savanna view room, you can always specifically book one of those instead for around $679. You pay top dollar for those animals, yo. Animal Kingdom Lodge Fun fact: Did you know getting a CHEAPER club-level room at a deluxe resort is possible versus what you can get at Gran Destino Tower? Over at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, you can get a standard-level club-level room for around $745 per night — which will grant you access to the private Old Faithful Club. However, if you just want a standard room at this resort, your price will drop down to around $490 per night instead. And NOW for the most EXPENSIVE deluxe resort stay of them all — Disney’s Galactic STARCRUISER! Inside the cabins Okay, granted, it’s technically NOT a deluxe resort. Rather, Disney describes it as “part live immersive theater, part themed environment, part culinary extravaganza, part real-life role-playing game—and so much more.” So basically, you’re gonna be thrown into one big Star Wars choose-your-own-adventure over a 2-day, 2-night stay, complete with a “port-of-call” to the planet of Batuu — aka: Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios. But this interactive experience is gonna cost ya the big bucks. Expect to fork over around $6,000 for this one. Now, this price IS similar to what you’d see for a Disney Cruise. In the same vein as a cruise, Starcruiser even has meals and meal vouchers included with that price tag. You’ll also receive a Halcyon pin as your one-way ticket for skipping over the massive lines for Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Galactic Starcruiser BUT if you choose to go the Starcruiser route, those two days WILL be packed with Starcruiser activities and Starcruiser activities alone. So if you want to use this time to explore the parks, this may not be the route you want to take. Learn More About Disney’s Star Wars Hotel Disney World Deluxe Villas What’s the difference between a Disney hotel room and a villa? Villa is the term that Disney uses for its timeshare (Disney Vacation Club – DVC) properties. Deluxe villas give you furnishings that are generally a little bit more on the higher end. You’ll also get larger square footage in some of these rooms when compared to standard hotel rooms. PLUS, special amenities can make your trip easier and more convenient. In DVC villas with 1-2 bedrooms, you’ll find full kitchens, in-room laundry appliances, a large living room, and a dining area. All of these can be huge assets for a larger family. Breakfast nook and eating area Most DVC rental prices that you book directly through the Disney website will cost between $780-$2000 per night, depending on where you stay and what time of year you’re staying. But you don’t have to be a member to stay in these accommodations. Non-DVC members can book rooms straight through Disney (like you’d book a standard hotel room), or you can rent points from a DVC member to save a little money. When we decide to go this route, we always use David’s DVC Rental site. That way, there’s a professional, 3rd party middleman between the renter and the rentee to ensure that both sides of the deal can benefit from the purchase, with no takesie-backsies. One-Bedroom Villa at Disney’s Riviera Resort Over at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, you’ll be able to find a 1-bedroom villa with a garden/pool view for around $786 per night. We also found similar price tags for villas over at Disney’s Beach Club! That means you can get a HUGE DVC room at these EPCOT-area resorts for only a few dollars more than you’d pay for a STANDARD room at Grand Floridian! See — told you Grand Floridian was the bougiest of the bunch. Disney’s BoardWalk Inn Much like the Grand Floridian, the BoardWalk Inn is also experiencing some major renovations and refurbishments throughout 2023. We’ve already seen the quick-service BoardWalk Deli added to the BoardWalk strip and the brand-new Carousel Coffee added to the resort lobby. Expect to see future additions here, like the table service Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers, as well as freshened-up room and lobby decor. When you head back to the monorail resorts, you’ll find that the price for DVC rooms immediately increases again. Disney’s Bay Lake Tower, which is a part of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, has 1-bedroom villas (with a theme park view) priced at around $1,090 per night. If you pay for a 6-night stay here, you’ll pay MORE than you would for the entire Galactic Starcruiser immersive experience. But this isn’t an abnormal price range for DVC villas. The Contemporary If you jump back over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, and book a 2-bedroom villa (with, of course, a savanna view), expect to pay around $1,648 per night. For a slightly-cheaper 2-bedroom villa option, you can check out Disney’s Wilderness Lodge’s Copper Creek villas, priced around $1,391 per night. Contemporary vs. Wilderness Lodge Disney World Resort Guide 2023 Good Neighbor Hotels near Disney World Whew! That was quite the pricey endeavor, wasn’t it? Good thing Disney has partnered with some nearby Good Neighbor Hotels to give you some potentially cheaper places to stay and other extra Disney benefits — like complimentary transportation to the parks and, in some cases, Early Theme Park Entry. Holiday Inn Orlando — Disney Springs Area A variety of hotel amenities including: Standard rooms, Suites, and Villas Transportation to-and-from the parks (though, in some cases, a fee may apply) Many locations provide complimentary breakfast each morning. There are well over 40 different Good Neighbor Hotels that you can choose from — and each is listed on the Walt Disney World Good Neighbor Hotels website. But let’s give you a sample price range for a few of the more popular options available. Drury Plaza Hotel For example…at the BRAND NEW Drury Plaza Hotel Orlando — which is also in the Disney Springs Area — you can get a 2-bedroom suite (that’s right, a SUITE) for around $216 per night! And the Holiday Inn Orlando-Disney Springs Area has a 2 Queen Bedroom — with (get this) a Fireworks View from the room’s personal balcony — for around $173! So if you want a much, much, MUCH cheaper option of seeing the Disney fireworks out your window each night, this very well could be the alternative you’re looking for. Swan and Dolphin Over at Walt Disney World’s Swan and Dolphin Hotels (and the Swan Reserve), you’ve got some major DELUXE perks at a moderate price point. These Marriott Bonvoy-owned rooms will not only give you Early Theme Park Entry, but ALSO Extended Evening Benefits, too! You’ll also be within walking distance from two of the four parks — EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Dolphin side of the hotel has room prices ranging between $530-$1,030 The Swan side has prices between $560-$1,060 And the Swan Reserve between $300-$1,000 If you see prices are running higher than you’d like them to be for any of these rooms during your upcoming stay, you can always knock down those price tags by using your Marriott Reward Points to save major bucks if you’re a Marriott Bonvoy member. The Walt Disney World Swan WOW. That hotel section was MONSTROUS. Let’s move on to a much smaller (but equally-as-important) topic: TICKET PRICES. Tour a Room at the Swan Reserve Hotel in Disney World With Us! Park Tickets Much like Disney Resorts, park ticket prices ride a wave of changes throughout the year. Although you can check out the specifics for yourself on the ticket price calendar located on the Disney World website, we’ve done a chunk of the research for you already. What can I say except, “You’re Welcome!” The ticket price ranges that we’ll be looking at today are based around a 4-day, single-park ticket for ages 10 and up. If you plan to go fewer days during your trip, this range will increase, but if you plan to go more days, this range will decrease. Disney likes to reward its guests who wanna stay in the parks for a LONGER amount of time. Disney World Theme Park Ticket Cards Suppose you’re planning on only purchasing a one-day, one-park ticket for your upcoming trip because you’re planning on prioritizing other parts of Orlando instead of staying in the Disney bubble alone. In that case, pricing will look a little bit different for you. If you book 2 or more park tickets, the price range you’ll see on the calendar will apply to every park. So if we see a certain day that’s priced at $142, know that — no matter what park you make park pass reservations for — it’s gonna be the same cost across the board. (Wait — you don’t know about Park Pass resservations? Yeah, you need tickets AND reservations to go to Disney World’s theme parks — more on that here.) However, if you book a 1 day, 1 park ticket, the prices will all be park-based. That means you could be paying more for, say, a visit to Magic Kingdom than you would for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Tiana Okay — moving on from the disclaimer now! Let’s look into those 4-day, single-park ticket prices! If you’re planning a trip early in the year, price ranges for January and February will be around $132-$146 per ticket. The $146 tickets pop up around the week of Valentine’s Day— because what’s more romantic than Cinderella Castle and a Mickey Premium Ice Cream bar?? When you enter into spring territory (March-May), prices range between $135-$142. Typically, prices start to drop back to the $130s again once May rolls around, but will peak once more for Memorial Day weekend. Chewbacca Disney World Card Once summer vacation rolls around (June-August), prices range between $114-$142. Now THAT’S a bit more drastic! The $114 tickets that you see here are the CHEAPEST Disney World park tickets tend to get, and you’ll find them once school’s back in session, around mid-to-late August. The $142 prices, however, are what you can expect around the 4th of July. Fall prices (between September-November) also have drastically-different ranges around $117-$155. You’ll find several days in September with the $117 price point, but once Thanksgiving week is here — prices shoot up to that peak of $155 per ticket. Scanning in to the parks And then there’s the holiday season — December — which sees the HIGHEST ticket prices of the year. On Christmas Day, ticket prices are currently marked at $159. If you want to see the parks all lit up and twinkling for the holidays but you wanna try to cut down on those surge prices too, try aiming to visit toward the beginning of December (when tickets get as low as $144). If you plan to upgrade your ticket to a park hopper (which will allow you to visit multiple parks, starting after 2PM each day), park hopper prices start at $65 extra per ticket. But, park hoppers now also have the ability to fluctuate in price depending on what time of year you visit. So if you think you’re gonna want to park hop, because you only have a limited time in the parks as is, try factoring in at least an extra $70-$90 per daily ticket price, just in case. Alright, You Want to Buy a Disney World Annual Pass. We’re Here to Help You Decide If It’s Worth It. Travel Alright — we can’t wait any longer. We’ve GOTTA talk about these travel prices you’ll gonna run into. Travel prices can vary quite a bit — and there are a lot of factors to consider when looking at transportation to and from Disney World. So let’s look at the difference between traveling to Disney World by car versus by plane. Where are you traveling this year? Getting to Disney World By Car Depending on where you live, it can be cheaper to drive to Disney World than it would cost to fly — especially if you have a larger family you’re toting along with ya. That being said, gas prices, which are averaging around the $3 per gallon range in Florida right now, and nights spent in a hotel along the way (which can be $100-$200 per night) may end up canceling out those savings. Disney’s Hollywood Studios parking entrance Not to mention, you also need to factor in the $25 to $50 parking costs at Disney’s parks if you don’t stay at a Disney World hotel, and any parking fees for the hotel or resort you’re staying at. Driving in Florida In order to determine whether putting in the miles will pay off in the long run, it might help to think about how long it’ll take you to drive to and from Disney World from where you live. Spending more time in the car than in the parks may not be the best use of your vacation time (and funds). Why Driving to Disney World Is a Gamble Right Now By Plane Here’s where things get WILD. Flying to Disney World can be cheaper and more convenient for your group. Usually, it’ll get you there faster, and you’ll be able to skip over the extra cost of hotel stays during your travels. Unless, of course, there’s some sort of flight delay or cancellation. Which COULD happen, especially around busier— and stormier— times of the year. ©Delta But, in other instances, flights can actually be more expensive than you bargained for. We looked up a few specific examples for different roundtrip flights flying into the Orlando International Airport — heading out of Los Angeles’ LAX airport and Atlanta’s ATL airport — around the same travel time frame we were looking at for hotels — with a departing flight on June 5th and a return flight on June 11th. Before we jump into these prices, keep in mind that: A) flight prices change daily, and B) there are way more flights and airlines out there than what we’ll be giving you today. So it’s always a good idea to do your own research, compare different airlines and airport prices that are at least within a 100-mile radius of your home, and book your flights about 60 days in advance. So, not TOO late but not TOO early, either. You’ll see why here in just a second. Boarding Let’s start with Delta flights. At LAX, we found a nonstop flight to MCO for around $458. But then we found a much cheaper nonstop flight out of ATL for $288. This price dip is to be expected — since Atlanta, Georgia, is 440 miles from Orlando, while LA is a whopping 2,500 miles. For American Airlines, prices were fairly similar. You can get a flight from ATL for $371, but that does include one stop at CLT in Charlotte, North Carolina. LAX, however, has a nonstop flight for $488. Again — not a huge difference in price between Delta and American. But you never know! That could change in an instant. ©American Airlines Frontier Airlines don’t appear at every airport, but when they DO show up, they can provide cheaper price points. If you use Frontier to fly out of ATL, you can book a nonstop flight for as low as $176! Unfortunately, you’re not gonna find Frontier planes around LAX — but you WILL find them in the San Francisco airport (SFO). But don’t get too excited YET. The Frontier flights out of SFO are significantly higher than you’ll find out of ATL — currently marked at $507. This flight includes one stop in Denver, and takes about 12 hours to finally get you to your destination. Alright. Now here’s the BIG price shocker. Let’s look at… Spirit Airlines. Let’s set the scene here. Let’s say instead of a June flight, we wanna book a flight for May 5-11th instead. Okay. Cool. So a flight out of LAX is gonna range around $148, while a flight out of ATL will be around $48. Yup, you heard that right. $48. Not too shabby! This is more of the price ranges you EXPECT to see from a budget airline. Sometimes taking a budget airline is worth the savings! ©Spirit Airlines But here’s where it gets wild. Jump ahead back to June 5th-11th. If we get a flight with Spirit out of ATL, then I’ll be paying — brace yourself — $814 for a nonstop flight. $814!!!!! And it gets even worse at LAX! A Spirit flight with one stop in Houston will cost a whopping $1,013! Um… did my computer glitch out on me? Are these prices for REAL? We are seeing those MAJOR jumps happening around busier travel seasons. Does that mean these prices are set in stone? Not at all. Prices around these times could see a major dip for not just Spirit, but for ANY airlines. So here are some ways you can potentially save money on your future flights: Stay Vigilant: Once you book your flights, keep an eye on airfare. If it goes down, you can sometimes call the airline or rebook online to apply for that new deal. Use Your Toolbox: Find an online airline search tool that will do that hard work for you. There are many out there that can help you track flight prices and notify you when prices are low, or give you predictions on when flight costs could go down. Some of our favorites include Hopper, Google Flights, and Skyscanner. Review the Point System: If you’re a frequent flyer with a certain airline — or you have a major airline credit card — check to see if you have any points you can redeem for free flights. Every little bit helps! Minimize Your Baggage: Those fees can add up! For example, some airlines allow each passenger to bring one free personal item and one free carry-on bag — so if you can fit everything in the carry-on and personal item, you won’t have to pay extra for luggage! Check out our 50 Simple Tricks That Make Travel So Much Easier video on our YouTube channel for more travel-saving tips and specific travel hacks that’ll help your journey go much smoother. Orlando International Airport Hold on. We’re not done with MCO just yet. Now that you’ve landed, how do you get to your resort from the airport? The most expensive option is the rental car route: A car rental through Alamo — for a standard SUV that can hold a family of 5 — is priced around $454 weekly. While a car rental through Hertz — for a Large Sedan that can ALSO hold a family of 5 — is priced around $400 weekly. Rental Car parking lots filled up when things shut down. Granted, investing in a rental car will give your family the freedom to drive around property whenever you want, wherever you want — instead of relying solely on the schedules of Disney’s complimentary transportation services. But a rental car isn’t your only option. Instead, you can reserve a seat on one of the airport shuttle services — the Sunshine Flyer OR the Mears Connect — that run regularly from the airport to Disney World. Mears Connect Bus The Sunshine Flyer costs $39 per adult and $24 per child for a standard roundtrip, while the Mears Connect costs $39.90 per adult and $28.35 per child for a standard roundtrip. You’ll need to book your seat on one of these shuttles after figuring out your resort stay and your flight by going to the Mears Connect or Sunshine Flyer website. Both of these services sometimes run sales, so keep following us here at DFB for more info on that. Or let us come straight to your inbox with Disney deals and discounts — sign up for our newsletter here! And then there’s the rideshare option, where you can pay for an Uber or a Lyft to pick you up for a more private (and potentially quicker) ride to your resort. Rideshare Sign Whether a rideshare is gonna be cheaper than a ride aboard the Sunshine Flyer or Mears Connect is about as predictable as the flip of a coin. Rideshares from the MCO and on into the Disney Bubble can be as low as $35, BUT if you time your pickup around lunch or rush hour, those prices could hike up to $75+. The CHEAPEST Way to Get To Disney World From the Orlando Airport Okay. Now, we’re done talking about flights and airports. Let’s move onto our FAVORITE topic of them all… Food Who’s HUNGRY? Talking about an average price range for a family to eat around Disney World is pretty tricky to pin down. And that’s because prices for each of the restaurants are really, REALLY different from one another. Good thing we can break them down into multiple categories! Thanksgiving eats from Liberty Tree Tavern Quick and Counter Service dining (AKA: the fast food of Disney World) will be your cheapest meal option. Usually, prices for meals here (for adults) range around $20 or less. Sometimes WAY less, even. A few unique quick service options that you’ll be able to find around the parks includes: Satuli Canteen in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Docking Bay 7 in Disney’s Hollywood Studios Crepes A Emporter in EPCOT Sleepy Hollow Refreshments in Magic Kingdom Plus, many more. Many, MANY more. Sleepy Hollow Refreshment options Then you’ve got your sit-down, Table Service restaurants. The price ranges for these types of restaurants can vary SIGNIFICANTLY. On the one hand, you might be able to pay for items a la carte like you can at Skipper Canteen in Magic Kingdom or Sci-Fi Dine-In at Hollywood Studios. Or you might have to pay a prix-fixe menu price — which means you’ll pay for a multi-course meal (traditionally an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert) sold at one fixed price. Skipper Canteen Sometimes, prix-fixe prices can give you a pretty sweet deal. However, SOME prix-fixe meals will cost ya a pretty penny. At Space 220 in EPCOT, a prix-fixe dinner consists of one appetizer, entree, and dessert for a grand total of $79 per adult. To be fair, you’re really paying more for the atmosphere here than anything else, but you can find a cheaper prix-fixe menu for lunch at $55 per adult — or you can book the Space 220 Lounge instead, and purchase cocktails and appetizers a la carte for a potentially even cheaper dining option during your space adventures. Space 220 Next, you’ve got Character Dining — which are dining experiences where Disney characters get to meet and greet with guests throughout the restaurant. If you book a character dining experience for dinner at a restaurant like Chef Mickey’s in the Contemporary Resort or Tusker House in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, expect to pay around $59 per adult. However, if you go the breakfast character dining route instead for either of these restaurants, the price drops down to $45. Heya, Mickey! This will give you a different assortment of food, BUT if your group is more concerned about meeting the Fab Five rather than what food’s gonna wind up on your plate, then breakfast might be a better way to go. And now for the most EXPENSIVE dining venture of the bunch — Signature Dining. Signature dining can be boiled down to high-quality dining at a high price. Some signature dining, like the regular table services around property, have a la carte options that can help you cut costs — like Le Cellier Steakhouse in EPCOT and Hollywood Brown Derby in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Hollywood Brown Derby But if you run across a prix-fixe signature dining experience, expect to be paying the big bucks. This is ESPECIALLY true if you go the ultra-fancy dining experience route — for restaurants like Monsieur Paul and Takumi Tei in EPCOT. Monsieur Paul, located in the France Pavilion of World Showcase, costs $195 per person. While Takumi Tei, located in the Japan pavilion, starts at $150 per person. Beef Tenderloin at Monsieur Paul Victoria and Alberts, over in Disney’s Grand Floridian, REALLY takes the cake when it comes to fancy-pants dining. You have three dining options at Victoria and Albert’s. You can choose the main dining room — which features the Chef’s Tasting Menu and allows guests to choose anywhere between eight and 12 courses for a base price of $235 per guest. You can choose the Queen Victoria Room — a slightly more secluded option that only accommodates up to eight guests at a time, spread out over four tables of two — for a base price of $375 per guest. Or you can choose the Victoria and Albert’s Chef’s Table — an ultra-exclusive 3-hour dining experience where your party is seated in the kitchen. But this one’s gonna cost ya a base price of $425 per guest. Notice how we’re saying “base price.” You can further ENHANCE these already-enhanced dining experiences with extras like wine pairings (around $150-$200 extra, depending on your dining room experience), zero-proof cocktail pairings (priced at $110), extra courses/other enhancements that can range between $35-$200+ extra. Victoria & Albert’s The way you dine in Disney World — and the amount you decide you wanna budget back for food — is all up to you. But, if you plan on being around property for the week, you’ll likely want to make 80-90% of your meals quick service-specific. You might even wanna go the extra mile and make all of them quick services to help save money. Or you can save even MORE money by packing your own food and skipping the extra fast food price tag. Several guests like to pack easy-to-carry (and easy-to-preserve) lunch and dinner options in their park bags, such as: sandwiches, mixed veggies, trail mix, protein bars, and anything else that A) doesn’t need heated in a microwave, B) Doesn’t need to be kept frozen, and C) Isn’t being carried in a glass container. Grocery Delivery You can either bring these foods from home if you pre-gamed with some grocery shopping before your big trip, or you can use a grocery delivery app, like Instacart, to deliver groceries to your resort when you arrive. Even with those grocery app delivery fees, ordering groceries for the week of your trip can be a much cheaper alternative to buying quick-service food daily for every single meal. Make sure — if you order any perishable items — that the hotel room you choose has a full-sized fridge. Mini-Fridge With all that being said, we still recommend booking maybe 2-3 table services, just to try out some of the more elevated dining options in Disney, or if food is more than fuel to you —and you truly wanna experience the crème de la crème of Disney dining — a Signature restaurant could be the perfect way to celebrate a big occasion like an anniversary, engagement, graduation, honeymoon, or other celebration-worthy life event. Best Disney World Snacks for Every Budget How much you spend on food is truly up to you, but I wouldn’t go into it without a plan. And THAT’S why we wrote the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining! Click here to order! Extras Who’s ready to tack on a little extra PIZZAZZ? Much like you can add *enhancements* to your signature dining meal to make the experience all the more extravagant, you can also add extra activities or premium planning options to sprinkle some extra spice (and convenience) onto your already-magical trip. Halloween is HERE! At Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, After Hours Events have returned to the parks for select nights, giving guests who feel like the parks are just WAY too crowded during the day the chance to experience them at night with much lower crowd levels and much shorter ride lines. After Hours Events range between $129-$159 per person. You can always double up and pay for both a regular single-day ticket and an After Hours ticket, but — since After Hours will still get you into the parks as early as 7PM, and the events themselves last from 12:30-1AM, you may JUST wanna go the After Hours route and skip the regular park ticket entirely (if you don’t mind NOT getting your picture in front of Cinderella Castle while the sun’s still up). After Hours Event Ever since Disney Genie+ was introduced to the park scene in 2021, we’ve gone all-Hamlet in deciding whether this premium planning tool is worth it in the long run: “To Genie+… or not to Genie+… THAT is the question.” Disney Genie+ is a PAID service, starting at $15 per person, per day, that lets you make 1 Lightning Lane selection at a time. Lightning Lanes give you a return time that allows you to SKIP a ride’s standby line. You can continue to select more return times, one at a time, throughout the day. But if you don’t find a Lightning Lane for the ride you want to skip the line for listed under the Genie+ options, you may be able to find it in the Individual Lightning Lane options instead. Lightning Lane Individual Lightning Lanes are reserved for the especially popular rides at Disney World. With this Pay-Per-Ride feature, you can pay to skip the standby line at ONE individual ride. Now, there are a LOT of different Disney Genie + and Individual Lightning Lane tips you can use to maximize your time and money (which you can check out on our Ultimate Genie+ Guide video). But, for now, let’s breakdown the questions you’re gonna want to ask yourself BEFORE investing in either (or both) of these My Disney Experience planning tools: 1. How busy will it be during your visit? Suppose you’re planning on traveling during historically non-busy seasons for Disney. In that case, Lightning Lanes may not be as necessary as they would be if you were planning on traveling during a historically jam-packed season (like Christmas or Labor Day weekend or one of the runDisney race events). That being said, since both Genie + and ILLs have a surge price system, both services will cost LESS if you purchase them during non-peak times, and way MORE if you purchase them at super-peak times. At their highest, we’ve seen Genie + cost $35 per day, per person, around the holiday seasons. The week of Christmas is often the very busiest in Disney World! 2. Do you need BOTH services, or just one? If you wanna buy Genie+, you do NOT have to pay for Individual Lightning Lanes — and vice-versa. For example, let’s say you’re visiting EPCOT, and you wanna prioritize getting on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. This backward-launch coaster is listed as an ILL. So you can choose to get up around 7AM the day of your EPCOT visit and purchase an ILL for Cosmic Rewind and ONLY Cosmic Rewind — then choose to wait in the main lines for the other rides without forking over an extra $15-$29 per person for Genie+ access. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind However, you’re more than welcome to purchase both, if you’d prefer to cut down your wait times for pretty much ALL the rides as much as you possibly can. 3. Which parks will you be visiting? There’s a reason Disney hosts After Hours events — these are the BUSIEST Disney World parks, by far. But if you don’t wanna spend a good chunk of your park days waiting in line after line — and you really DO wanna see these parks during the day instead of just at night (when the shows won’t be going on), Genie + and Individual Lightning Lanes can be a major life/timesaver. Genie But — for the most part — using Genie+ for EPCOT and Disney’s Animal Kingdom may not be AS worth the cost. Unless you’re planning on visiting Disney World RIGHT after Christmas, when almost every ride line across all the parks can be a 60-180 minute wait. Which definitely isn’t the norm. Much like how you can pick and choose if you wanna pay for Genie+, or Individual Lightning Lanes, or BOTH — you can also choose how many days you wanna purchase Genie+ for. Even on a weeklong vacation, you can choose ONE day of Genie+ just to test the waters, and — if you decide it’s not your cup of tea — you can choose to NOT pay for it for the rest of your vacation. 4. Will you take the time to study up on this service before your trip? Simply put — if you don’t want to invest the extra time in learning how to get the most out of this premium service, it could feel like a giant waste of money. That’s why we’ve got so many posts about all the different, constantly updated Lightning Lane tips and tricks — so you can make sure you’re ready to maximize this purchase and know how to work it before you get to the parks. OH BOY There are so many different Enhanced Extras for you to add-on to your trip — ranging from unique tours, to dessert parties, to culinary classes, to recreational activities… the list goes on, and you can find ‘em all — along with their price ranges — on the Enchanting Extras Collection webpage on the Disney World website. Some extras won’t break the bank for ya — like EPCOT’s Behind the Seeds Tour, that starts at $35 per person. But some will take a little more saving — like the Amorette’s Patisserie Cake Decorating Experience at Disney Springs that starts at $199. Your Cake Could Be Just Like This! Again — you don’t have to add any of these extras to your trip, but if you find one that tickles your fancy, you won’t wanna forget to make reservations and budget room for these tours or classes. 52 “Secret” Things To Do At Disney World And since we’ve entered the Disney Springs scene, let’s talk SOUVENIRS! It’s hard to go to Disney without leaving your luggage feeling just a bit heavier than it did when you got there. But how much do some of the more popular souvenirs of Disney World cost? nuiMO Plushes Right now, the 100 Years of Wonder Merch, celebrating the Walt Disney Company’s 100-year anniversary, is all-the-rage. You’ve got: The Mickey Mouse and Friends Disney100 Spirit Jersey for $84.99 The Minnie Mouse Disney100 Loungefly Mini Backpack for $78 The Minnie Mouse Disney100 Ear Headband for $39.99 The Disney100 Donald and Daisy Duck Pin for $14.99 And SO MUCH MORE! 100th Anniversary merchandise in Disney World It’s all pretty pricey. Some of these items can be just as expensive as those Enhanced Extra experiences (if not more so). But you may be able to find Disney park-specific souvenirs (including Disney100 merch) before your trip on the shopDisney website for a discounted price — if one of their many, MANY online sales is going on while you’re browsing the online store. The Walt Disney Company is currently celebrating its 100th anniversary OR if you want a more affordable (and more unique) Disney tee or sweatshirt to wear around the parks, you can always check out the DFBStore website for our designs — which highlight favorite Disney rides, snacks, lands, and holidays, and WON’T ever cost you up to $90 per swagger. So many shirts! Click here to check out exclusive Disney-inspired souvenirs! Miscellaneous Costs And it feels weird to mention it, but budget for what’s not in your budget. Depending on your travel arrangements, there are some costs you’ll want to factor into that final bottom line. Here are some things to consider: Valet Price Tipping. You’ll need to plan to tip for any table service restaurants you experience, luggage attendants, housekeeping, and other odds and ends that may require a tip. Parking Fees. If you’re going to have a car while in Orlando, you may have to pay to park at Disney World theme parks if you are staying at a non-Disney resort (and the resort could have a parking fee, too, so check on that!). Tolls. Again, if you have a car, Orlando has several toll roads on the route from the airport to Disney World, and you’ll have to consider that, or use non-toll navigation options while you get around Orlando. Ride Shares. Even if you’re going to use Disney’s free transportation, you may find yourself just too tired, or too hot, or running late for that dining reservation — and find yourself scrolling through the Uber or Lyft apps. Just be prepared and budget for at least 2 ride shares during your stay, just in case. The Best Disney World Souvenirs For Every Budget Average Cost for a Disney World Trip So, let’s answer the question that’s more than likely been burnin’ a hole in your brain — how much, in total, should you be planning on saving back for your 2023 Disney World vacation? Yikes. Kinda hard to pin that one down, since there are SO many variables at play here. And if you don’t believe us… scroll back up to the top and read through it again. But let’s see what we can conjure up for ya, just to give you the roughest of rough estimates. Aurora Borealis on Spaceship Earth Let’s jump back to the month of June. For a family of four traveling in June 2023 for a weeklong Disney World getaway… a vacation package — including a value resort and single-day theme park tickets for all four parks — is gonna cost ya around $3,900. If you decide to fly instead of drive, airfare could cost around $1,010 for a roundtrip flight, depending on where you’re flying out of, — with a standard Mears Connect round trip ride to and from your resort costing an extra $130 or so. For food, you could plan on around $1,210 if you’re wanting to do mostly quick-service meals and maybe 2 table service options thrown in the mix. And if you decide to invest in Genie+ for all four park days, you’re looking at an estimated $240 extra for Lightning Lane access. And THAT makes our rough grand total come out to be…….. Around $6,478. Expedition Everest Now, again, so many factors could decrease or increase this price exponentially. You could travel during a slower time of year and see value resort prices drop. Or you could decide to drive instead of fly. You could pack lunches for your park days or splurge on a rather gourmet meal. And you could decide to throw Genie+ out completely and rely, instead, on using Early Theme Park Entry to help get you in line for your favorite rides early on and (hopefully) skipping the bulk of the waiting using that method instead. Every trip budget is gonna look way different than someone else’s. That being said, we can help you save money where it counts! So let’s look into some new ways to save in 2023 now! Ways to Save 1.) Look for discounts There are room discount offers for many dates during the summer season this year. We write posts about every Disney World discount that is released, and we keep all the current ones on our Disney Deals and Discounts page. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios The best way to keep up with available discounts is to subscribe to our newsletter — you’ll get all of the latest deals directly in your inbox. Subscribe to the DFB Newsletter! 2.) Reach Out To a Travel Agent Tracking down discounts to make sure you’re ALWAYS getting the best deals on your vacation can be exhausting. But, you don’t have to take on all that responsibility yourself! Our travel agent friends over at Small World Vacations will actively seek out Disney World discounts for you and work alongside you to develop a budget that’ll work best for you and your group. And their services are completely FREE to use! We’ll even make it easy for you — just CLICK HERE to get a FREE quote from them, no commitment required! Small World Vacations 3.) Travel on Weekdays Instead of Weekends This strategy isn’t always foolproof, but it can be a great way to find major surge-price decreases without strictly having to travel during a specific non-peak season that isn’t meshing with your schedule. Prices for hotels, tickets, Genie+, and even certain flights can dip during the weekdays. But, because weekends tend to be an easier time for people to get out there and vacation, the parks are the most crowded AND the most expensive. Lighter crowds during the week. Tuesday-Thursday pricing are normally cheaper than what you’ll find on Fridays-Sundays. And Monday’s kinda an oddball day. Prices can be cheaper, but they can also spike for airfare — since the start of the work week is a more popular time for business travelers to book flights. Best and Worst Days To Visit Each Disney World Park 4.) Join Membership Programs Disney Springs is all about the food and experience savings! Since many of the businesses in the shopping district are owned and operated by a third party, they’re able to use membership and rewards programs to help save you money on dining and activities. We have all the different Disney Springs savings listed on our 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining if you’re looking for a complete list, but here’s a little teaser of savings to hold ya over for now: If you’re an AMC Stubs Member, their Discount Tuesdays are available every week for discounts on movie tickets! You can join the Earl of Sandwich loyalty program for rewards, a Birthday Brownie, and other potential discounts throughout the year. Patina Restaurant Group’s subscribers receive offers and deals and $30-50 offers for your birthday. Patina Restaurant Group includes locations such as Morimoto Asia, The Edison, Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante in Disney Springs, and — get this — Via Napoli and Tutto Italia in EPCOT! Disney Springs Nice, right? Again, we’ve got the complete list of savings and membership in our 2023 dining guide. 5.) Stay Home Um, excuse me? What kinda saving tip is THIS? Honestly… the ULTIMATE savings tip. If those Disney World price tags will have you freaking out during the entire vacation, then every little blip and blunder that pops up during your trip will be 10 times more stressful. No vacation is perfect — and if you think it should be, judging by the thousands of dollars you’re shoveling into it — then you may wanna hold off on this hefty investment. Wilderness Lodge Lobby Now, your trip can still be amazing. You can still invest in a vacation of the lifetime — hiccups and all — and still have the best time ever. But it’s not worth the extra worry if you’re already losing sleep over all those dollar signs. Take as much time as you need to save so that you can feel comfortable with an investment like this later on — even if that means holding off for a year or two before you hit up the “most Magical place on Earth.” In the meantime, you can always plan to take some vacations that aren’t thousand-dollar investments — like mountain hikes, beach days, and little Airbnb getaways near a hustling-and-bustling city. You can rent Surrey Bikes at Port Orleans Riverside! Whether you want to travel on a budget or live in the lap of luxury during your upcoming Disney World vacation, both trip styles can still provide you with a ton of fun. Keep checking back with us as we continue to find NEW ways to save and uncover new enchanting extras that you may want to squeeze into your future itineraries. The ULTIMATE Guide to Planning A Walt Disney World Vacation Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 900 pages, the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! You'll get a Reference Guide, a 101 Plan, and a Printables and Resources Guide! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis; and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2023 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2023 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Do you have any money-saving tips to share? Let us know in the comments below! The post How Much Does It REALLY Cost To Go To Disney World? -- The BRUTALLY HONEST Truth first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Gov. Ron DeSantis drew fire from former President Donald Trump and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for his battle with Disney. View the full article

This Earth Month, I wanted to share some insight into a unique and innovative program created by the Animals, Science and Environment team that cares for all of the fish at Aulani Resort.View the full article

Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members, mark your calendars! ©Disney As many of you probably already know, ongoing construction at the Disneyland Hotel has resulted in a tower featuring 340 shiny new DVC villas, which Disney tells us are themed to Princess and the Frog, Sleeping Beauty, and more classic fairytales. Disney also tells us that we can expect a new pool and other amenities. Now, they’ve released new information about when these DVC villas will go on sale! If you’re excited about these new villas, existing DVC members will have access to villa sales beginning May 2nd, while sales to the public will begin on May 30th. The resort itself is set to open on September 28th. ©Disney Among the new rooms are studios, duo studios, deluxe studios, one- and two-bedroom villas, and multi-level grand villas. Every room will feature “just like home” amenities and modern decor from fan-favorite classic Disney films. The duo studios are themed to The Jungle Book, the deluxe studios are themed to Sleeping Beauty or Princess and the Frog, and the one- and two-bedroom villas are themed to Princess and the Frog or Fantasia. The multi-level grand suites will feature theming from Bambi, Frozen, and Moana. ©Disney Curious about how you can use your points to stay in these villas? Check out the chart below for the points required for 2023. ©Disney If you’re planning a 2024 stay, the points for 2024 are shown below. ©Disney Sales don’t go live until May, but reservations are already open for these villas. DVC members can book reservations by contacting Member Services at (800) 800-9800. Disneyland Resort Magic Key holders can make reservations by calling (714) 956-6425. Bookings are also now open to the general public, and you can reserve your spot by calling (714) 956-6425. What do you think? Will you be booking a stay at Disney’s newest DVC villas? Here at DFB, we’re always on the lookout for all the latest Disney news and updates. Follow along for more so that you never miss a thing! If you’re looking for more information on Disney Vacation Club, click the link below. Looking for DVC info? Look no further! Click here for more! Want to Learn More About Disneyland? Check Out the Links Below! See Our DFB Disneyland Restaurants Guide Learn About Disney Genie and How to Use it in Disneyland Check Out What You Need to Know About the Theme Park Reservation System for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Get All the Info About Closures and Construction at Disneyland Learn All About Disneyland Park See What Marvelous Stuff You’ll Find at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure Learn About Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure Get All the Details About the Disneyland Mobile App Everything You Need to Know About Mobile Order in Disneyland Learn More About Disneyland’s Magic Key Program Full Details About the Holiday Season in Disneyland Full Details About Halloween Time at Disneyland Get Some STRANGE Tips for Disneyland Should You Go to Disneyland in 2022? Click HERE to Check Out Lots of Other DFB Posts About Disneyland Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click here to Subscribe Are you a DVC member? Let us know in the comments! The post DATE ANNOUNCED: When Sales Begin for Disney’s NEWEST DVC Villas first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

The battle between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Disney is heating up once again. Reedy Creek The new DeSantis-appointed board of supervisors has called for legal action against Disney after discovering the agreements Disney made with the former board for the Reedy Creek Improvement District (now called the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District). These agreements gave Disney power in the District moving forward even though the new board had taken over. DeSantis recently revealed his next steps in the fight against Disney which include a bill that would void Disney’s agreements. This battle has gained more and more attention in the news lately, and now we are seeing some outside political figures make comments on the situation. Reedy Creek On Tuesday, April 18th, former President Donald Trump criticized the DeSantis and Disney fight in a Truth Social post. According to Politico, Trump said DeSantis is being “absolutely destroyed by Disney.” Trump continued saying, “Disney’s next move will be the announcement that no more money will be invested in Florida because of the Governor. In fact, they could even announce a slow withdrawal or sale of certain properties, or the whole thing. Watch! That would be a killer. In the meantime, this is all so unnecessary, a political STUNT! Ron should work on the squatter MESS!” ©Governor Ron DeSantis Website Former New York Times reporter and writer Stuart Elliott also commented on Disney’s role in Florida. His post on Twitter reads, “Who else thinks Disney should call DeSantis’ bluff and announce it’s closing Disney World and re-creating it in another, more welcoming state, whose residents will get first crack at all the jobs?” Dworkin also mentioned “DeSantis threatened to put a prison next to Disney World” which refers to a comment DeSantis made in a press conference on April 17th. Disney owns a lot of the land around the District, however, the District does own some land next to the land owned by Disney. At the press conference, DeSantis said he originally “wasn’t even thinking about that land” but now that they are in this position, the Governor said the people have been wondering “‘what should we do with this land?’” According to DeSantis, a number of potential ideas have been suggested — he went on to say “People have said…maybe create a state park, maybe try to do more amusement parks…maybe you need another state prison. Who knows?” Nothing is set in stone, but this is the threat that Dworkin referenced in his Tweet. Obtained via ClickOrlando Livestream Rollins College professor Richard Foglesong — who wrote about Disney World’s governance in the book “Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando” criticized DeSantis’ actions according to NPR. Foglesong said, “He’s talking like Bernie, the socialist. What Republican candidate for major office talks like this?” This is in reference to Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. The DeSantis and Disney Reedy Creek situation continues to change, and we’ll continue to keep you updated on the latest. DeSantis Takes Next Step to REVOKE Disney’s Reedy Creek Agreements Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post “A Political Stunt” -- Donald Trump and Other Leaders Comment on DeSantis’ Feud with Disney first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

The Disney Conservation team has recorded 20,000+ sea turtle nests since 2003, resulting in 1.5 million sea turtle hatchlings that have taken their first flipper strokes on beaches surrounding Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. View the full article

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. This post is for all the Toy Story fans out there! Welcome to Toy Story Land! We recently headed over to Roundup Rodeo BBQ to try the new restaurant, and we found some pretty awesome Toy Story merchandise lately as well. If you’ve been in the market for an EPIC new bag though, don’t miss this! Right now you can pre-order the Toy Story Pizza Planet Mega Gulp Glow-in-the-Dark Crossbody Purse! The outside of the bag, shaped like the Mega Gulp cup from the movies, has the “Pizza Planet Mega Gulp” logo on the outside with a blue starred removable strap. ©Entertainment Earth The back of the bag has the Pixar Loungefly logo, while the zipper has Buzz with the Super Nova Burger box on top of his head. ©Entertainment Earth The inside of the bag is patterned with some of the iconic arcade games seen in the first Toy Story film. ©Entertainment Earth Pre-orders started on April 14th, and the bags are expected to be delivered in May. Pre-order the Toy Story Pizza Planet Mega Gulp Glow-in-the-Dark Crossbody Purse here! In case you missed it, there’s also a new Toy Story sequel coming in the near future, and some celebrities have already commented on what that means to them. As always, stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Toy Story and Disney news! Click here to see another new Disney Loungefly bag! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 900 pages, the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! You'll get a Reference Guide, a 101 Plan, and a Printables and Resources Guide! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis; and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2023 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2023 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. What’s your favorite Toy Story movie? Tell us in the comments! The post Seriously, You're Gonna Want To See the NEW Disney Loungefly Bag Online first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

ALERT. A big change has hit the Park Pass system in Disney World. Magic Kingdom While Park Passes are still required for most guests, the system just got a little bit easier for Annual Passholders (just in time for the return of new Annual Pass sales). But how exactly does it work? We found out and now we’re sharing ALL the details with you. Step 1: See If the Updated Rules Apply to You The first thing you need to do is review the updated rules and see whether they apply to your situation. As of April 18th, ALL Annual Passholders can visit the Disney World theme parks after 2PM WITHOUT a Park Pass, except on Saturdays and Sundays at Magic Kingdom. Spaceship Earth in EPCOT So there are a few key things to note here. First, the updated rule only applies to Annual Passholders. It does NOT apply to those with regular tickets. Second, it ONLY allows Passholders to enter the parks without a Park Pass after 2PM. So if you want to go to any park on any day sooner than 2PM, you WILL still need a Park Pass. Walt Disney World Annual Pass Third, there is an important exception — Annual Passholders wanting to go to Magic Kingdom on Saturdays or Sundays. If you are a Passholder and you want to go to Magic Kingdom on a Saturday or Sunday, you WILL need a Park Pass, regardless of what time you want to visit the park. So the first thing you’ll need to do is review those rules and see whether this updated rule will or won’t apply to your park plans. If you review the rules and realize you WILL need a Park Pass for some or all of your trip plans, be sure to book those ASAP. Click here to learn more about the Park Pass system Step 2: Make Sure a Blockout Date Doesn’t Apply Let’s assume you are a Passholder, you want to go to a Disney World park after 2PM, and that park is not Magic Kingdom on a Saturday or Sunday. If so, good news — you fall into this updated policy and can visit the park WITHOUT a Park Pass. But you need to be careful. Disney has noted that applicable pass blockout dates still apply. Passholder Entrance So if your pass is totally blocked out on a particular date, you will NOT be able to visit the parks. Be sure to check your pass blockout dates before finalizing your trip plans. Learn about Disney World’s Annual Passes here Step 3: Enter the Park AT/AFTER 2PM on the Appropriate Day Assuming you are a Passholder, you want to enter a park after 2PM, that park is not Magic Kingdom on a Saturday or Sunday, AND a blockout date doesn’t apply, then you should be able to enter the park of your choosing without a Park Pass. To do so, you’ll simply visit the park you want to go to at/after 2PM and scan your MagicBand/MagicBand+, Magic Mobile, or Passholder card when you arrive at the Mickey-shaped scanners. We tried out the system on April 18th at Magic Kingdom and found that the system is strict on the 2PM rule. Annual Pass While Annual Passholders who had Park Passes from earlier in the day and were park hopping at that 2PM time could enter the park a few minutes before 2PM hit, a Cast Member indicated that Annual Passholders waiting to get in at 2PM without a Park Pass could not enter until exactly at 2PM. In fact, we tried to scan our ticket about 1 minute before 2PM and the Mickey scanner turned blue on us, indicating there was an issue. Oh No! But we tried again once 2PM hit and we were able to get in! From what we saw, things were running fairly smoothly with this process at Magic Kingdom on its first day. There were multiple managers present at the scan point to monitor the process. And There You Have It! And that’s it! The main thing here is remembering what rules apply and when you can and can’t enter the parks without a Park Pass. Note that these Park Pass changes might only be the beginning. Back in January 2023, Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products, talked to us about how Park Passes do remove some of the “serendipity” of a Disney trip. He indicated that Disney is “trying to create ease” while also making sure they maintain a good guest experience. Josh D’Amaro speaks at SXSW. D’Amaro said that the changes announced for the Park Pass system and Passholders are “just the start” of changes to Park Passes. He shared that they are working to “make that reservation process as easy and flexible” as possible. We’ll just have to wait and see what changes are ultimately made but we’ll be interested to see how the situation evolves. For more news about changes being made at Disney World, click here to see some news about big restaurant menu changes, or click here to learn about some permits that could signal changes at Disney World rides and hotels. And stay tuned for more news! Click here to see why 47% of Disney fans say they WON’T buy an annual pass  Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 900 pages, the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! You'll get a Reference Guide, a 101 Plan, and a Printables and Resources Guide! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis; and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2023 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2023 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. What do you think about this Park Pass change? Tell us in the comments. The post Park Pass Rules Have Officially CHANGED in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

McDonald’s fans get ready — some exciting news could be on the way. Happy Meal We’ve seen all kinds of updates from McDonald’s lately, from news about changes to its iconic burgers to new Happy Meal toys and a limited-time snack. But this latest update had us sliding into McDonald’s DMs — sort of. Recently, McDonald’s posted on Twitter about a “saucy secret” it had. The Tweet said “plz don’t text and ask me what it is,” so…of course, we HAD to text the number to get the details. WhatsApp, Slim Jim, and even Wheat Thins got in on the action — but still, no saucy secrets have been revealed…yet. McDonald’s did recently announce that MORE Big Mac sauce would be added to its Big Macs, marking a change for that sandwich. But what could this “saucy secrets” campaign be leading to? A new sauce? The return of an old popular sauce? Other sauce changes? We’ll have to wait and see. McDonald’s In the meantime, you can click here to see why your McDonald’s meal could look DIFFERENT soon! Read all about our Disney CEO Bob Iger McDonald’s celebrity meal Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 900 pages, the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! You'll get a Reference Guide, a 101 Plan, and a Printables and Resources Guide! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis; and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2023 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2023 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. What do you think the “saucy secret” could be? Tell us in the comments! The post The "Saucy Secret" That Had Us Sliding Into McDonald’s DMs first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney has been working on casting a live-action remake of the smash hit Lilo & Stitch, which first graced the animation silver screen in 2002. Lilo and Stitch Since then, the movie and its characters have been featured on merchandising items and meet and greets in the parks, and Stitch was even behind the “trashing” of Cinderella Castle when “Stitches Great Escape” opened in Tomorrowland — does anyone else remember that? And now we have another name to add to the cast of characters for the live-action remake! More has been recently revealed about the casting for the upcoming remake, and now we have a new addition to the lineup. David (Lilo’s friend and her sister Nani’s love interest) will be played by Kahiau Machado. ©Yahoo News Machado will join the main cast of characters in Sydney Agudong, who is set to play Nani, and Maia Kealoha, who will be playing Lilo in the reboot. Stitch and David Kawena in ‘Lilo & Stitch’ (2002) WALT DISNEY/COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION Chris Sanders will be lending his voice talents to help bring the CG version of Stitch to life. Chris is credited as a writer, star, and one of the directors for the original Lilo & Stitch. ©Disney If you’re not familiar with the original Lilo & Stitch, the movie tells the story of a curious little girl raised by her older sister, Nani, who adopts and befriends a dog-like alien. She has no idea that this “dog” has escaped his captors and fled to Earth and is completely unaware that he is supposedly a dangerous scientific experiment. Their ups and downs are only heightened by the need to dodge social workers that threaten to pull Lilo from her only living family in Nani and friend David, but also Stitch’s creator and those who see him as a menace and intend to return him to captivity on his home planet. In the end, it’s a touching story about finding your own family and who you choose to make up that “ohana.” Stitch meet and greet While we’re still getting tricklings of learning who else will be involved in this project, we do know that the live-action reboot is set to follow a similar storyline as its animated predecessor. Pre-production is slated for May 2024 so we know there are lots of details to be discovered about how much longer we may be waiting for the finished product but at least we’re one casting closer! For the latest in Disney news, stay tuned with us at DFB! HOT TAKE DOLE Whip from Walmart Might Be…BETTER than from Disney World! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 900 pages, the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! You'll get a Reference Guide, a 101 Plan, and a Printables and Resources Guide! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis; and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2023 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2023 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. The post Disney Casts David (Nani’s Love Interest) for Live-Action ‘Lilo and Stitch’ Remake first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Things are moving forward in the battle between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and this time it involves the Florida Legislature. Obtained via ClickOrlando Livestream After discovering agreements Disney had made with the old Reedy Creek Improvement District Board (now called the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District) that gave Disney a lot of power in the District moving forward, the new board of supervisors (appointed by DeSantis) has called for legal action against Disney. DeSantis has outlined what the next steps would involve — including a bill that would nullify Disney’s agreements with the old board, and now we’ve got an important update. In early March 2023, Senate Bill 1604: Land Use and Development Regulations was filed in the Florida Senate (its related bill in the Florida House of Representatives is House Bill 439: Land Use and Development Regulations). It is described as a bill meant to revise the planning periods included in a comprehensive plan, require local governments to determine in plan amendments are necessary, require local governments to evaluate and update comprehensive plans to reflect changes in location conditions, and more. Welcome to Florida On April 14th, the Bill was placed on the Committee agenda for the Rules Committee. It is set to be addressed there on April 19th at 8:30AM. But now there has been a development. As part of DeSantis’ plan of attack against Disney and their agreements with the old Reedy Creek board, an amendment has been proposed to this bill. The amendment was filed by Senator Blaise Ingoglia, who spoke during DeSantis’ April 17th press conference about the actions DeSantis plans to take against Disney. During that press conference, Ingoglia said it was “unconscionable that one corporation [meaning Disney] would hold that much power.” He directed some words to Disney: “You are not going to win this fight, this Governor will.” His advice to Disney was to “just let it go,” apparently making a Frozen reference. Obtained via ClickOrlando Livestream So what does the amendment say? Let’s break it down. Amendment 1 — 603230 This amendment was filed at 8:07AM on April 18th, 2023. This amendment would create an addition to one part of the Florida statutes regarding the review of development agreements. Specifically, the amendment would prevent independent special districts from complying with any development agreement if that development agreement was entered into within 3 months before the effective date of a law that changes how the governing body of that special district is selected (either from election to appointment, or from appointment to election). Reedy Creek The amendment goes on to say that the new governing body of the special district will review (within 4 months of taking office) the development agreements and then will get to vote on whether to readopt the agreement or not. If passed, this amendment would apply to ANY development agreement that is in effect on or is signed after the date of this new section. But note that this subsection would actually expire on July 1st, 2028 unless it is reenacted by the Florida Legislature. Reedy Creek How would this apply to Disney? Well, one of the key agreements that Disney entered into with the old board was a Chapter 163 Developer’s Agreement. This is one of the big things that gave Disney a lot of power and certainty regarding its ability to make decisions over the land in the District regardless of what the new board may say or do. The Developer’s Agreement was approved by the old board on February 8th, 2023, while the law approving the new name for the District and its new governor-appointed board was officially signed by DeSantis on February 27th, 2023. Obtained via ClickOrlando Livestream That means the Developer’s Agreement fell within 3 months of a law that changed how the District’s board of supervisors (its “governing body”) was selected — moving from elected to appointed officials. So the Developer’s Agreement would essentially be placed on “pause” and the new Board would be “precluded from complying” with its terms. The new Board would be able to review it and decide whether they want to move forward with it or not. DeSantis has already indicated that the new Board is expected to determine that the Developer’s Agreement was invalid and declare as much during its April 19th, 2023 meeting, so that expectation coupled with this amendment (if passed) would essentially lead to the end of that Developer’s Agreement. Reedy Creek Trash Cans Another amendment was also introduced by Ingoglia but it is not related to the Developer’s Agreement. Instead, this is related to building permits for residential communities. Want to read all about the bill? You can click here to visit the Senate’s website. Problems Some have raised concerns about the amendment related to the Developer’s Agreement and whether it would hold up in court. Representative Anna Eskamani (who has been vocal in her criticism of DeSantis’ actions related to Reedy Creek) posted on Twitter saying “This immediately seems like it’s going to run into Constitutional problems with impairing contracts.” via Twitter Nick Papantonis, a reporter for WFTV in Orlando, also posted on Twitter about this saying “An attorney texted me saying it’s arguably constitutional for the DA, but not for the King Charles covenants. Disney has a retaliation argument against both. They expect Disney to win.” What Happens Next In terms of what happens next, it appears the bill to which the amendment applies is on the Committee agenda for the Rules Committee for April 19th, 2023, so it could be discussed at that point. On that same date, the new Board of Supervisors for the District are set to meet to go over a number of matters and DeSantis expects they could tackle a number of things (including a legal briefing about Disney’s agreements). We’ll be keeping an eye out for more details and will let you know what we find. Click here to see what DeSantis has said about being in charge of inspecting Disney rides Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post DeSantis Takes Next Step to REVOKE Disney’s Reedy Creek Agreements first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Did you know that this weekend marks a BIG milestone for Animal Kingdom? Welcome to Animal Kingdom! April 22nd is not only Earth Day, but it’s also Animal Kingdom’s birthday, and this year it’ll be turning 25! Disney has lots of fun things in store for the weekend, which is why you’ll want to book those park pass reservations right now so you don’t miss out! There are lots of ways you can celebrate Animal Kingdom for its 25th Birthday. Entertainment Starting with entertainment, you can head on over to experience The Animation Experience at Conservation Station, where you can learn to draw different Disney animals throughout the month. The Animation Experience You can also participate in the Wilderness Explorer experience all throughout the park, and grab a limited-time badge from April 16th-23rd! Wilderness Explorer station for Earth Day (2022) Disney has also shared that there will be “unique Character appearances on the Discovery River Character Cruise” from April 16th-23rd. We’ve already heard that Moana is on her way into the parks, but we don’t know just yet who we’ll be able to spot. Mickey, Pluto, AND Minnie Floatilla On April 22nd ONLY, there will also be a “very special moment” in front of the Tree of Life to celebrate Earth Day and the 25th Anniversary. Tree of Life You can also stop by some PhotoPass photographers to experience some special shots for Earth Day all throughout the month of April! Creating the Tiny World Magic Shot (2022) Snacks There are also 11 new snacks coming to the park to celebrate these events! We have a full post detailing them all, but here are some of the highlights! The Bee Hive Mousse Dome that can be found at Creature Comforts now through April 30th. Bee Hive Mousse Dome You can also snag the Rum and Pineapple Cocktail from the Dawa Bar. ©Disney The Flamingo Cupcake is also back at Flame Tree Barbeque… Flamingo Cupcake (2022) …or you can grab the Bubbling Pink Lagoon! ©Disney See all the other new treats available right here so you don’t miss out! Merchandise We also know there’s new merchandise on its way! Disney hasn’t released all of their offerings yet, but we do know that a new Up-Inspired Spirit Jersey is coming! ©Disney There’s also a pretty cool 15th Anniversary Bucket Hat… ©Disney …and a new Animal Print Button-Up Shirt. ©Disney If this doesn’t convince you to grab those park pass reservations soon, we don’t know what will! Earth Day is an awesome day to be in Animal Kingdom for many guests, but it can book up, especially since the park is celebrating such a large anniversary. Pandora Be sure to stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Animal Kingdom and Earth Day news! Read more about the big celebration coming in Animal Kingdom right here! Planning a Trip to Disney World? We’ve Got Everything You Need to Know The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Disney World Vacation A Month-by-Month Guide to Planning Your Disney World Trip Tips, Hints, Lists, and Videos for Planning the BEST Disney World Trip How Many Days Do You Really Need in Disney World? How to Have the CHEAPEST Trip to Disney World 5 Simple Planning Tips You Need to Know About Before Your Next Disney World Trip The CHEAPEST Days to Visit Disney World in 2023 EVERYTHING You Need to Know Before Booking a 2023 Disney World Trip Learn About the Disney Park Pass System The Ultimate Disney World Packing List Everything You Need to Know About Genie+ Insider SECRETS for Your First Trip to Disney World A Complete Look at the Current Disney Discounts and Deals The ONLY Disney Dining Planning Tool You’ll Need Is Here – Get the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining! Join the DFB Newsletter to Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click Here to Subscribe Are you planning to be in Animal Kingdom for Earth Day? Tell us your game plan in the comments! The post There's a HUGE Birthday Party in Disney World This Weekend -- Will You Be There? first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Get ready to splash into summer with a new Disney World ticket offer! Surf’s Up Typhoon Lagoon! Sometimes it’s hard to combat those hot summer days in the Walt Disney World parks, and it seems like you can’t get cool no matter what you try. With Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park closed for refurbishment right now, Disney has debuted a two-for-the-price-of-one ticket offer at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, but only certain people are eligible for the deal. Find out if you qualify! Disney has just announced a new ticket offer for Florida residents to visit the Disney World water parks. They’re offering two days’ worth of fun in the sun at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park for the price of one. Typhoon Lagoon admission pricing A single day’s admission, according to the sign at the front of the park, will cost you $69 plus tax for adults and $63 plus tax for children. With this deal for Florida residents, though, you can get TWO days at Typhoon Lagoon for that one-day pricing. ©Disney The two days of the tickets can be used consecutively or not as long as you use both tickets within the correct timeframe — one timeframe is set for use between April 18th and June 30th, 2023, and the second is for April 18th through May 27th, 2023. For the April 18th through June 30th window, the price is $69 for everyone ages 10 and up and $63 for kids ages 3 to 9. And for the April 18th through May 27th window, the price is $64 for everyone ages 10 and up and $58 for kids ages 3 to 9. Typhoon Lagoon Entrance This is an especially great offer for those looking for Disney parks that don’t visit on a regular basis or are looking to try out a few trips to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon before they commit to purchasing an annual pass with multiple visits. It’s also important to note that as of this reporting (and always subject to change), you don’t need a park pass reservation to enter the water parks. Disney only lists Typhoon Lagoon on the offer. This is due to Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park being currently closed for refurbishment, and we don’t have an anticipated timeline of when that park will reopen. Typhoon Lagoon Wave Pool If you’re looking to take advantage of this deal we would encourage you to jump on it soon because we don’t know how long this offer will last and it’s a great way to beat the Florida heat during some of the hottest months of the season. As always, for the latest in Disney news and offers, stay with us at Disney Food Blog! Does Disney World Close When It Rains? What Should YOU Do? Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 900 pages, the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! You'll get a Reference Guide, a 101 Plan, and a Printables and Resources Guide! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis; and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2023 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2023 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Are you a fan of Typhoon Lagoon in Disney World? Let us know in the comments. The post Disney Announces Two-for-One Ticket Deal for Florida Residents first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Beginning in May, Disney Vacation Club sales for The Villas at Disneyland Hotel will open first to existing members on May 2, and to the public on May 30.View the full article