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It’s the holiday season, which means there’s a LOT of holiday food available in Disney World! Santa Claus cake! From the parks to the hotels, there are all kinds of treats. Gingerbread, chocolate, peppermint, sugar plum — you name it, Disney probably has a snack that’s themed around it. There are also a bunch of fun eats and treats over in Disney Springs, so come along with us as we try out a NEW holiday milkshake! This is the Frozen Peppermint Cocoa from Chicken Guy! It’s a peppermint chocolate shake with chocolate syrup, topped with whipped cream, marshmallows, and crushed peppermint candy pieces for $6.99. Shake shake shake This is a pretty hefty shake — it’s a big portion and very filling. They give you a BUNCH of whipped cream on top, too! A look a the toppings! The peppermint flavor is very prominent and basically takes over the entire drink. Perfect for the holidays You also can’t really enjoy the toppings without making a bit of a mess, so make sure to grab some napkins! Would you try this? If you really enjoy peppermint and chocolate desserts, you’ll probably love this! This is also a filling snack if you want something sweet. A tasty treat But, if you want something lighter, more easy to share, or with a different flavor profile, steer clear. It definitely looks fun! This is a limited-time treat for the holidays, so get it while you can if you want to try it! For more holiday fun in Disney World, check out the fun detail at EPCOT’s Festival of the Holidays you shouldn’t miss, the perfect Christmas snack in Disney World, and the WORST part of visiting Disney World during a holiday. Stay tuned to DFB for more on the holidays in Disney World! Click here to see our reviews for ALL of the 2022 holiday treats in Disney World! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney World Fun This Holiday Season! The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2022 is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. Order The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2022 now! It includes over 400 pages of must-have information, including: A full What's New!! chapter for the 2022 Holiday Season A full Monthly Schedule of Events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! ;-D Click HERE to order your 2022 Guide now and get 20% off with code PEPPERMINT! As always, our e-Books are 100% guaranteed! If you don't love it, you get your money back! Want Even MORE? The DFB Everything Bundle comes with ALL of our guides, including the Holiday Guide, for one low price! It includes: The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2022 The 2022 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Guide The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Holidays 2022 Pre-Order 2023 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival Guide All Three DFB Snack Guides Click HERE to order your DFB Everything Bundle! MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Check Out Everything Announced for the 2022 Holiday Season in Disney World Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Is Coming BACK in 2022 – Get the Latest Details Get All of the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays We’ll Take This Little Golden Disney Book in Our Stocking, Santa! Learn Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events See How Much It Costs to Do Disney World at Christmas in 2022 Watch Our Video About What We Wish We’d Known Before Going to Disney World During the Holidays Check Out Our Photos & Reviews of the Holiday Treats in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Where is your favorite spot to grab dessert in Disney Springs? Tell us in the comments! The post Why You Should Go to a Chicken Restaurant for a Milkshake in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

The holidays have arrived in Disney World, and so have the holiday flavors! Backstretch Pool Bar That’s right, we’ve been eating all kinds of holiday snacks flavored with peppermint, gingerbread, pumpkin, and other flavors of the season. But what if you don’t like those holiday flavors? Well, we found the perfect holiday snack that will please you! Meet the Christmas Tree Swirl. It’s vanilla soft-serve ice cream with sugar lights, sprinkles, and a white chocolate star in a cone. It might look like it’s complicated with some kind of crazy holiday flavors, but don’t let its appearance fool you — it’s not! It’s just simple, but classic! Sounds simple, but good! That’s what we really liked about this treat, too. It’s still a holiday snack — AND it’s fun! But it’s great for those of us ice cream fans who want a holiday treat without any extra holiday flavors. The perfect Christmas tree! Plus it’s just so CUTE! LOOK AT IT! It even has a star on top! We found this treat at the Backstretch Pool Bar at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort for $5.99. Now, we probably wouldn’t tell you to make an extra trip to the resort to grab a simple ice cream cone, but if you find yourself in the area or if you’re staying at that resort, it’s worth checking out! Looking for even more holiday treats? We have a list of ALL our holiday reviews RIGHT HERE. WE KNOW – there are SO many great snacks at Disney World! How do you choose (we don’t want to choose but will blow our budget on Day 1 otherwise)? We’ve got you covered! We have reviewed nearly EVERY snack available at Disney World, and we’ve written a series of DFB Guides about them! Check out our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining + Snacks Bundle for all the details you need to plan your snackin’ and spending. You can even download them to your smartphone – it’ll be like we’re right there with you in the parks! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney World Fun This Holiday Season! The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2022 is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. Order The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2022 now! It includes over 400 pages of must-have information, including: A full What's New!! chapter for the 2022 Holiday Season A full Monthly Schedule of Events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! ;-D Click HERE to order your 2022 Guide now and get 20% off with code PEPPERMINT! As always, our e-Books are 100% guaranteed! If you don't love it, you get your money back! Want Even MORE? The DFB Everything Bundle comes with ALL of our guides, including the Holiday Guide, for one low price! It includes: The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2022 The 2022 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Guide The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Holidays 2022 Pre-Order 2023 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival Guide All Three DFB Snack Guides Click HERE to order your DFB Everything Bundle! MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Check Out Everything Announced for the 2022 Holiday Season in Disney World Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Is Coming BACK in 2022 – Get the Latest Details Get All of the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays We’ll Take This Little Golden Disney Book in Our Stocking, Santa! Learn Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events See How Much It Costs to Do Disney World at Christmas in 2022 Watch Our Video About What We Wish We’d Known Before Going to Disney World During the Holidays Check Out Our Photos & Reviews of the Holiday Treats in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What’s your favorite Disney World holiday snack? Let us know in the comments! The post Don’t Let This Ice Cream FOOL You in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Marvel has been giving us SO much content in recent years, from TV series to feature films. ©IMDb Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was just released in theaters, and we’ve already got a first look at Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, which is releasing next year. Also releasing next year is the third Guardians of the Galaxy! We found out allll the way back in 2021 when the movie was releasing, and now, we have the FULL TRAILER for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3! Disney and Marvel just released the full trailer for the third installment of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise in the Marvel Cinematic Universe! In the trailer, we see our favorite guardians return — Peter, Rocket, Groot, Drax, Mantis, and Nebula. ©Marvel And, don’t worry, Gamora is in the movie, too! ©Marvel It even looks like they will all reunite at some point. ©Marvel But the best part of the trailer? BABY. ROCKET. Just look at how adorable he is! ©Marvel It looks like this third movie is going to be very intense and emotional, and we’re kind of nervous that something major is going to happen. ©Marvel We also got a look at Will Poulter’s character in the movie, Adam Warlock. ©Marvel The movie will be released on May 5th, 2023, and we can’t WAIT to check it out! You can see the FULL trailer below: For more on Marvel, check out who is going to direct Marvel’s Fantastic Four and which Black Panther characters are coming to Marvel Day at Sea on Disney Cruise Line. Stay tuned to DFB for more Marvel news and updates! VIDEO: Watch The FIRST Trailer For Marvel’s Secret Invasion Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Are you excited for this new movie to come out? Tell us in the comments! The post TRAILER Released for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It’s officially December, and that means there are NEW holiday treats to try in Disney World! Hollywood Studios We’ve made our way through the snacks at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, eaten our way around the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, and now it’s time to check out some treats from the resorts! Come with us to try some new eats at Saratoga Springs! Over at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort, you’ll find Artist’s Palette — a counter-service spot that serves up tasty treats for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We stopped by to check out some of their festive holiday snacks — a Snowman Cupcake and a Yule Log! Can these snacks put us in the holiday spirit? New treats at Artist’s Palette! We started off with the Snowman Cupcake since we didn’t want him to melt (although it looks like he might have already started!) for $5.99. This is a Christmas confetti cupcake, cream cheese mousse, and buttercream. Look at the snowman’s adorable little Mickey hat! Snowman Cupcake The cream cheese mousse was our favorite part of this cupcake — it was a fun twist on an otherwise super-sweet treat. If you’re looking for something sugary to share, this might be the perfect amount. The buttercream icing was — you guessed it — extremely sweet, but the cake helped to cut down on some of that sweetness. We loved the added touch of the red and green confetti sprinkles in the vanilla cupcake, and it made this dessert extra festive. This would be great for those looking for a holiday snack that isn’t necessarily peppermint or gingerbread flavored! Christmas confetti Next up, we tried the Yule Log — Black Forest chocolate sponge cake, vanilla panna cotta, and cherry compote for $6.49. Yule logs are traditional Christmas desserts, and we’ve tried some in Disney World before — but not like this! The cake was so spongy and moist, and nothing about this was overly sweet. It was HEAVY, too. This thing is solid, and definitely shareable. The cherry compote is made with real cherries and didn’t taste artificial or too sweet, and when combined with the chocolate cake it reminded us of chocolate-covered cherries. Yule Log We didn’t get much from the panna cotta, but we also didn’t really find ourselves missing it — the dessert felt complete enough without it. If you’re a fan of chocolate and berry flavors, you might like this one. Like the Snowman Cupcake, it would be a great snack for someone looking for a festive snack without those traditional holiday flavors. A sweet treat Stop by Artist’s Palette at Saratoga Springs to check these sweet treats out! And, check out the new gelato stand that just popped up in Hollywood Studios here, and you can see what a quick-service Thanksgiving meal is like in Disney World here. Stop by Artist’s Palette for these treats Be sure to stay tuned to DFB for the latest Disney snack reviews and more! Photos and Reviews of ALL the 2022 Holiday Treats in Disney World Don't Miss Out on Any Disney World Fun This Holiday Season! The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2022 is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. Order The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2022 now! It includes over 400 pages of must-have information, including: A full What's New!! chapter for the 2022 Holiday Season A full Monthly Schedule of Events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! ;-D Click HERE to order your 2022 Guide now and get 20% off with code PEPPERMINT! As always, our e-Books are 100% guaranteed! If you don't love it, you get your money back! Want Even MORE? The DFB Everything Bundle comes with ALL of our guides, including the Holiday Guide, for one low price! It includes: The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2022 The 2022 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Guide The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Holidays 2022 Pre-Order 2023 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival Guide All Three DFB Snack Guides Click HERE to order your DFB Everything Bundle! MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Check Out Everything Announced for the 2022 Holiday Season in Disney World Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Is Coming BACK in 2022 – Get the Latest Details Get All of the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays We’ll Take This Little Golden Disney Book in Our Stocking, Santa! Learn Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events See How Much It Costs to Do Disney World at Christmas in 2022 Watch Our Video About What We Wish We’d Known Before Going to Disney World During the Holidays Check Out Our Photos & Reviews of the Holiday Treats in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What’s your favorite holiday snack? Let us know in the comments! The post Only Those “In the Know” Will Find One of the Most Epic Snacks in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

#DisneyKids: That Unforgettable First Christmas Visit | Walt Disney WorldView the full article

Bob Iger’s return as Disney’s CEO will bring about many changes within the company. Disney fans have shared what they hope those changes will be, including lower prices and the return of certain perks. Shareholders and investors have their own set of goals for the company, including profitability for Disney+. So what’s really going to change? ©Disney A report that Disney recently filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission may provide some insight into the future of changes at the company. One of the most important voices in Bob Iger’s ear right now comes from the Disney Board of Directors — the people who re-hired him in the first place. The Board has its own goals for Iger’s time as CEO, which were outlined in the initial announcement about the CEO’s return. Here’s an excerpt from that announcement: “The Walt Disney Company announced today that Robert A. Iger is returning to lead Disney as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Iger, who spent more than four decades at the Company, including 15 years as its CEO, has agreed to serve as Disney’s CEO for two years, with a mandate from the Board to set the strategic direction for renewed growth and to work closely with the Board in developing a successor to lead the Company at the completion of his term.” ©Disney Those 2 goals — set a strategic direction for renewed growth and develop a successor to lead the Company when he leaves — are likely at the forefront of Iger’s mind as he plans for upcoming changes. ©Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images In the recent SEC filing, Disney provided more information about what a “strategic direction for renewed growth” will look like. One section included this statement: “As contemplated by the leadership change announcement, we anticipate that within the coming months Mr. Iger will initiate organizational and operating changes within the Company to address the Board’s goals. While the plans are in early stages, changes in our structure and operations, including within DMED (and including possibly our distribution approach and the businesses/distribution platforms selected for the initial distribution of content), can be expected. The restructuring and change in business strategy, once determined, could result in impairment charges.” ©Disney | Walt Disney Company Headquarters Essentially, Disney is saying here that The Walt Disney Company is going to get a shake-up. “Organizational and operating changes” will likely mainly affect Disney’s strategy for streaming, as the company specifically named the DMED (Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution) as one area that will be changed. ©Disney Underperformance in streaming was likely one of the main reasons that Disney decided to oust Chapek in favor of Iger. Chapek reported unfavorable streaming numbers during a fourth-quarter report in 2022, shortly before he stepped down from his position. Disney has previously claimed that Disney+ will become profitable by 2024 — a lofty goal Disney apparently felt Chapek was unable to meet. ©Disney Currently, “the majority of Disney+ revenue is derived from subscription fees.” Disney+ will be getting a price increase in December 2022, and an ad-supported tier will also be introduced, which will bring in revenue from advertisers. Disney stated that “Disney+ Hotstar generates advertising revenue and Disney+ generates Premier Access fees.” Many of the changes that will happen at Disney will affect organizational structures and processes within the company, and they may not be obvious to outside observers. We’ve already seen a few executives from Chapek’s era exit the company, and it sounds like more staffing changes could be on the way. Chapek isn’t the only one who left. ©Disney Disney warned in their report that these changes may initially affect profits as the company goes through growing pains: “Changes in our business strategy or restructuring of our businesses has increased and may continue to increase our costs and has otherwise affected and may continue to affect the profitability of our businesses or the value of our assets.” We’ll continue to watch for more updates from Disney on changes that are happening with Iger’s return. Keep following DFB for all the latest news! Click here to see every major CHANGE since Bob Iger returned as Disney’s CEO. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post Disney Announces “Organizational and Operating Changes” As a Result of Bob Iger’s Return first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

There has been a TON of Star Wars content in the past few years. ©Disney Disney has released a lot on Disney+, like The Mandalorian, Andor, The Book of Boba Fett, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. The Mandalorian has seen a ton of success, largely in part to the absolutely adorable Grogu, AKA Baby Yoda. And now, we FINALLY know when Season 3 will be available to watch! The Mandalorian Season 3 will release on Disney+ on March 1st, 2023! Disney just announced the news in a tweet from Disney D23, the official Disney fan club. Before now, all we knew was that the next season would be releasing in 2023. We have already seen a trailer for the next season though, and it looks VERY intense! We won’t give anything away, but it sure does seem exciting. ©Disney We’ll keep you updated if Disney releases more info about Season 3, so stay tuned! For more on Star Wars, check out a recipe for a 7-step Star Wars Yoda punch, the first discount for the Star Wars Hotel, and a look at the 2022 Star Wars Life Day merchandise. Stay tuned to DFB for more Star Wars news and updates! Everything Coming to Disney+ This December Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Are you excited for the NEW season of The Mandalorian? Tell us in the comments! The post RELEASE DATE Announced for Season 3 of 'The Mandalorian' on Disney+ first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It’s the season of giving, and we’re sure you’ve been busy shopping those Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Cyber Week sales this week to buy gifts for your loved ones. ©D23 But in case you forgot about yourself, you now have a chance to enter to win some SWEET Disney gear from D23! December 1st The D23 Season of Magic has returned this year, and the Day 1 giveaway is for some NICE Black Panther: Wakanda Forever LEGO Sets. ©D23 Here’s what you could win: War on the Water LEGO Set Shuri’s Sunbird LEGO Set King Namor’s Throne Room LEGO Set Shuri’s Lab LEGO Set December 2nd On Day 2, you can enter to win a Disney Munchlings Set AND A Disney Gift Card. ©D23 Here’s what’s included in this prize pack: $200 Disney Gift Card Minnie Mouse Candy Cane Crush Cupcake Disney Munchlings Scented Plush – Baked Treats – Medium (15 3/4”) Mickey Mouse Peppermint Bark Cupcake Disney Munchlings Scented Plush – Baked Treats – Medium (14 1/2”) Stitch Frosted Gingerbread Cookie Disney Munchlings Scented Plush – Baked Treats – Medium (14”) December 3rd Day 3 is all about Encanto and you could win a Magical Madrigal Encanto Bundle! ©D23 The bundle includes: Encanto Minnie Mouse Ear Headband Encanto Jaguar Plush Encanto Loungefly Mini Backpack LEGO Madrigal house Encanto Deluxe Doll Set Antonio’s Amazing Gift book December 4th December 4th is all about MARVEL, and the prize is a Merry Marvel Bundle. ©D23 This bundle includes: Eye of Agamotto Light-Up Replica – Marvel Orb Light-Up Replica – Marvel Tesseract Light-Up Replica – Marvel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever The Courage to Dream Book December 5th Day 5 is for you princess fans because the prize is an Enchanting Disney Princess Pack. ©D23 This prize includes: Disney Princess Ultimate Celebration Castle Dollhouse by Hasbro Disney Classic Doll Collection Gift Set (11 1/2”) Frozen 5 Minute Stories December 6th Okay, if you LOVE Pandora jewelry, day 6 is JUST for you. D23 is giving away a Holiday Charm Bracelet by Pandora. ©D23 If you win, you’ll get: Disney Pandora Moments Pave Minnie Mouse Clasp Snake Chain Bracelet Disney Frozen Olaf Dangle Charm Disney Frozen Snow Olaf Double Dangle Charm Disney Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Present Charm Disney Bambi and Thumper Dangle Charm Disney Cinderella’s Dream Heart Charm Clear Sparling Row Clip Charm (quantity: two [2]) December 7th Disney music lovers will want to mark day 7 in their calendars. This prize is A Very Merry Vinyl Mix. ©D23 The prize includes: Adventure Thru Inner Space Vinyl The Mandalorian Vinyl WandaVision Vinyl Lofi Minnie Vinyl Enchanted Vinyl The Lion King Original Broadway Cast Recording Vinyl How can you enter to win? All you have to do is sign into your D23 member account and enter here. Don’t have a membership? You can sign up for a FREE membership on the D23 website. You’ll be able to enter EVERY giveaway, so you’ll want to visit the D23 website EVERY DAY. Good luck! Here Are 5 Starbucks Tumbler Dupes on Amazon 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! Pre-Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 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! 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 how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to pre-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 prize pack would you like to win the most? Let us know in the comments! The post How You Can WIN Disney Prizes Throughout the Month! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

‘Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom’ Returns | National GeographicView the full article

Disney has reported some big losses when it comes to streaming (to the tune of around $1.5 BILLION). That, among other factors, led to the end of Bob Chapek’s time as CEO and the reintroduction of Bob Iger in the CEO position. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge But what’s been going on with the Disney parks? While streaming continues to lose money, the Disney parks are holding up the ship and bringing in BIG revenues and promising news in terms of demand still outpacing capacity. Now, we’ve got a more in-depth look at just what’s been going on with the parks and why those increased prices you’re paying for tickets might not go away anytime soon. In late November of 2022, Disney filed an annual report on its finances with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The report covers fiscal year 2022, which ended on October 1st, 2022. In the report, they detail just what’s going on with the parks, streaming, other media, and more. Part of their report even looks at their occupancy rates in the hotels and how much hotel guests are spending these days. You can click here to read a bit more about that. Hollywood Studios In the section about the Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products division, Disney shared a chart documenting just how well the parks did in 2022 compared to 2021. In terms of theme park admissions, the revenues are MASSIVELY up — over 100% compared to 2021 numbers. Revenues from parks & experiences merchandise, food, and beverage are also way up — nearly double the revenues that were obtained in 2021. The revenue for resorts & vacations is also up more than double compared to 2021. Overall, total revenues were $28.7 BILLION, a massive jump from the $16.5 billion seen in 2021. It represents a 73% increase. ©Disney So just what’s happening here? Well, a few things. For starters, many (but not all) of the Disney parks were open for more weeks in 2022 than they were in 2021. 2021 brought with it a number of COVID-19-related closures that impacted things. But we’re still seeing some limited closures with Shanghai Disneyland in 2022. ©Disney It goes beyond that though. Disney went on to explain why some of the specific categories in the first chart saw such big increases. First, let’s look at theme park admissions revenue. That went from $3.8 billion in 2021 to $8.6 billion in 2022. Why such a big jump? Disney shares that the increase in theme park admissions revenue was due to (1) attendance growth and (2) higher average per capita ticket revenue. They noted that the higher attendance reflected increases at Disney World, Disneyland, and (to a lesser extent) Disneyland Paris. But what about that per capita ticket revenue increase? Well, that growth came from two things. First, it was the introduction of Genie+ and Lightning Lanes in Disney World and Disneyland. Guests now pay $15+ for Genie+ (per person, per day) AND/OR varied amounts (per person, per day, per ride) for Individual Lightning Lanes, which appears to have really increased the revenues in the parks. Disney has essentially taken what was a free service (FastPass+) and replaced it with a PAID service, and it’s reaping some big benefits in terms of the Company’s finances. Lightning Lane But wait…there’s more. It’s not just Genie+ that’s helping the Disney Company make some big money in the parks division. Disney also noted that the growth in per capita ticket revenue was attributed to higher average ticket prices at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Paris (partially offset by lower average ticket prices at Disneyland Resort and Shanghai Disney Resort). In other words, you might not want to wait for those Disney World ticket prices to go down anytime soon! At the start of 2022, we saw that Disney implemented some sneaky ticket price increases for Disney World tickets. Initially, while the tickets themselves remained the same price, some dates were placed in a higher price bracket than before, making them more expensive. Later, we also saw that some multi-day tickets and Park Hoppers changed in price. And more increases are on the way. Scanning into a Disney World park Disney has announced that starting December 8th, 2022, 1-day, 1-park ticket prices will not only vary depending on WHEN you go, but also what PARK you want to visit. In other words, your ticket to Magic Kingdom will (on many days) be MORE expensive than a ticket to another park on the same day. Here’s a quick breakdown of what the updated pricing will look like (again, this will be for 1-day, 1-park tickets starting December 8th): Disney’s Animal Kingdom — $109-$159 (prices are staying the same as current costs) Disney’s Hollywood Studios — $124-$179 EPCOT — $114-$179 Magic Kingdom — $124-$189 Transportation and Ticket Center Starting December 8th, prices for some add-ons, like Park Hopper, will also vary by date. Instead of paying one set price to add a Park Hopper option to your ticket, your Park Hopper price will vary depending on when you’ll be visiting, with peak days expected to be more expensive. On top of that, Annual Pass price increases have also been announced. Though most passes are not available for purchase now, the increases will impact renewal pricing — making it MORE expensive to renew your Annual Pass than it was before. Considering the big increases Disney has had in revenue at the parks, and how part of that increase is attributed to higher average ticket prices at Disney World, Disney ticket prices could just keep seeing more increases in the future. Cosmic Rewind But you never know when things could change. If the U.S. (and thereby Disney) is impacted by an economic recession, that could change things. Additionally, the return of Bob Iger as CEO of the Disney Company could cause some changes. His return doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s going to slash ticket prices, but we could see some changes in terms of how frequently ticket prices are increased and by how much. According to some reports, Iger felt Chapek had “given priority” to Disney’s streaming business “at the expense of other parts of Disney, like cable television and the theme parks.” Iger was even reportedly “alarmed by increases in prices at Disney theme parks,” which Chapek felt would “boost revenue and limit overcrowding.” Only time will tell what changes (if any) get made. ©CNBC Continuing with Disney’s financial report, they also noted that revenue growth within the Parks & Experiences merchandise, food, and beverage section was due to “increases of 82% from higher volumes and 9% from higher average guest spending.” So it looks like guests are spending more there too, some of which could have to do with the price increases that have been implemented across hundreds of Disney World restaurants. Finally, in terms of revenue growth within the “Resorts & Vacations” portion, Disney notes that the changes there were due to “increases of 51% from higher occupied hotel room nights, 32% from an increase in passenger cruise days and 17% from higher average daily hotel room rates.” Occupancy nearly DOUBLED in Disney’s domestic hotels from 2021 to 2022, so that seems to have impacted things, along with more expensive room rates and other factors. ©Disney Right now, the parks division is bringing in some serious cash, as streaming reports big losses, so the parks may be looked upon as a big “savior” for the company at this moment. It’s interesting how the roles have reversed, considering Iger previously called Disney+ a “beacon of hope” because it provided the Company a way to get revenue (subscriber fees) and release movies when the parks and movie theaters were closed during the height of COVID-19. It’ll be interesting to see how things move forward and what changes are made regarding the parks and streaming, how those impact Disney’s financial standing, and how those impact guest budgets. To see more about Disney’s financial position, click the links below: See how many millions Disney LOST due to Hurricane Ian Get an update on Disney+ subscribers And stay tuned for more news. 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! Pre-Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 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! 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 how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to pre-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 the prices and price increases at Disney? Tell us in the comments. The post Ticket Price Increases, Genie+, and More Expensive Hotel Rooms — Disney Comments on What Made Its Parks Thrive in 2022 first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

So, you’re planning a trip to Disney World, and you’re looking for something a little outside the traditional hotel vibe. Animal Kingdom Lodge But how do you choose between Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge? Well, let’s dive into the deets to see which one is right for you! Choosing between the Polynesian Village and the Animal Kingdom Lodge, is like choosing a favorite child, a favorite Disney cupcake, or between a Dole Whip or a Mickey Pretzel — there’s enough love to go around! But just like cupcakes and classic Disney snacks (and maybe your kids, too…only you know your family dynamic…), there’s a certain flavor that might just hit the spot for what you’re looking for. Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort There’s no doubt that Disney vacations are expensive, and no one wants buyer’s remorse when it comes to what can usually be the most EXPENSIVE part of your Disney trip. We’re approaching this chaos-agent of a decision with as much logic as possible, so we’re breaking it down into five categories: Common Ground Theme/Rooms Pools Food Transportation We’re putting each resort through these paces to see where they stand and which one may be speaking to you for your Disney trip. Aloha! Common Ground Before we start down the rabbit hole into the Wonderland of their differences, let’s review the similarities of these resorts. These resorts are both Disney Deluxe Resorts, so they will be at a similar price point, with similar room sizes, and the same perks. And both offer Disney Vacation Club Villas as additional accommodations. The Beach at the Polynesian For the Polynesian Village Resort, that means that for the cheapest room at the cheapest time to visit, you can expect to pay around $662 per night (not accounting for any tax or current discounts), and it goes up to $5,492 per night (not accounting for any tax or current discounts) for the most expensive rooms at the most expensive time to visit. (Based on 2023 rates) For the Animal Kingdom Lodge, that means that for the cheapest room at the cheapest time to visit, you can expect to pay around $469 per night (not accounting for any tax or current discounts), and it goes up to $3,792 per night (not accounting for any tax or current discounts) for the most expensive rooms at the most expensive time to visit. (Based on 2023 rates) Animal Kingdom Lodge Wow. Animal Kingdom Lodge is about 30% cheaper than the Polynesian, whether you’re looking for the cheap room/cheap season option, or the lap of luxury. Extra Theme Park Hours Benefits for Disney World Resort Hotel Guests Theme/Rooms These are not your standard hotels. You can venture deep into the South Pacific at the Polynesian, or head out to Africa at Animal Kingdom Lodge. But whether your stay takes you to the tropics or to the savanna, you’ll find that both of these warm woods and natural light to emphasize the tie to the nature they embrace. The Polynesian The Polynesian celebrates tiki culture, and offers a nostalgic image of Pacific island vacations, but isn’t necessarily a literal representation of those environments. It’s filled with dark woods, symbols, and tropical flowers. The Polynesian is one of Walt Disney World’s opening day hotels, it has a rich history, and a large following among Disney fans. It really does embrace its name of “village” as its layout is comprised of 11 longhouses plus the over-the-water Bora Bora-like Bungalows, which branch out from the Great Ceremonial House. Polynesian Village Resort All of the rooms have recently been renovated and updated with a Moana-inspired theme, and Kona Cafe, a table service restaurant in the Great Ceremonial House, has also recently reopened with a new look and refreshed menu. So even though this beauty is 50 years old, she’s gotten some TLC and looks better than ever! Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort But with renovations and updates comes construction, like over at the old Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show location, which is currently an active construction zone as it will be the site for a new DVC tower. Though it shares the same white sand beaches as the Grand Floridian, the island vibe here just makes them pop. Sunsets on the Poly beach are just superior to the other Disney World “beaches.” Beach Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo! And welcome to Animal Kingdom Lodge! This is more than your typical hotel, and honestly, it’s beyond the standard of a typical Disney hotel. This resort offers a few things that none of the resorts do. First, live animals right out your window! Definitely, the only Disney resort where you can wake up and view some giraffes out your window, and drink coffee or snack on some Zebra Domes on your balcony while watching real-live zebras. Disney also brings in Cultural Representatives from countries around Africa to share the unique stories, culture, art, and history of their countries. Off of the lobby, there is an observation room where guests can appreciate artifacts from African exploration or just sit and enjoy the animals on the safari. Animal Kingdom Lodge Lobby And the lobby delivers on that jaw-dropping “oh wow” moment (especially around the holidays). Animal Kingdom Lodge The Animal Kingdom Lodge standard rooms received a little facelift, like the Contemporary and Polynesian rooms have. So, when you stay here, you’ll get to experience a bit more streamlined and updated decor that is both modern and rustic. Animal Kingdom Lodge also has Disney Vacation Club accommodations over at Kidani Village, with villas ranging from basic studio rooms all the way up to multi-room villas overlooking their own animal savanna. Room at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Kidani Village rooms look out onto the Sunset Savanna, and Jambo House rooms look out onto the Uzima and Arusha Savannas. All the savannas have giraffes and zebras, and a plethora of other beautiful animals. Results This could boil down to your preference. Polynesian invites guests to find the nearest hammock and chill on the beach, while Animal Kingdom Lodge invites guests to explore the adventure of the African savannas. Are you looking for a casual, island theme and feeling welcome to wander through the lobby in bathing suits and flip-flops? Or do you want to grab the nearest binoculars and observe wild animals or learn how to drum on traditional tribal instruments? Are you looking for an island bungalow or an exotic safari? Both resorts deliver beautifully on their themes and have recently refurbished rooms. So this really could be down to what type of vibe you want on your vacation, tropical or adventurous? PHOTOS: The Halls at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Are DECKED Out for Christmas! Pools Pools, splash pads, hot tubs, and lounge chairs, a vacation just doesn’t feel completed without spending some time by the pool. Which of these resorts is the aquatic champion of water lounging? Only one way to find out… The Polynesian The Polynesian’s whole vibe is stepping into a tropical oasis, so the pool game is strong with this one! There are two pools at the Polynesian: the Lava Pool and the Oasis Pool. However, the Lava Pool is the showstopper here — because it’s a volcano! Ok, not a for-real volcano, obvi, but it has a waterslide from the top of the volcano’s peak, which is pretty epic. Lava Pool! Even if you’re not looking to swoosh down a volcano waterslide, the lounge area at these pools and the pool bars (which definitely enhance the atmosphere), the Barefoot Pool Bar, and the Oasis Bar & Grill. And Capt. Cook’s and Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace are also so close they could be considered pool area enhancements, too. Reserved Pool Seating There are lots of drink options and plenty of food options for your day by the pool. You can even try a DFB Dole Whip drink hack that became a permanent menu item on the Barefoot Pool Bar menu! And now we’re officially on island time! Animal Kingdom Lodge AKL (as we like to call it) is not to be outdone in the pool category; it hosts two pools as well: the Samawati Springs Pool and the Uzima Springs Pool. Both pools have the natural feel of swimming in a natural spring. Uzima Springs pool is smashing. This oasis is 11,000 square feet. It includes a large free-form, zero-entry swimming pool (gradual like a beach, you can take one centimeter at a time getting in). Animal Kingdom Lodge Pool Samawati Springs Pool has a 67-foot water slide, a children’s wading pool, and kids’ life jackets in several sizes. There are two private hot tubs, tons of seating in comfy loungers, tables and umbrellas, and unlimited towels. You can build a herd of towel animals if you want. Oh, and of course, the Uzima Springs Pool Bar is for hydration purposes. Samawati Springs Pool at Kidani Village Results Both have two pools, and both have pool bars, lounge chairs, and splash areas. Again, it might boil down to just what your style is. Do you want to soak in a zero-entry oasis surrounded in the middle of an African savanna? Or something a bit more casual and with that island vibe? These two really make the choice difficult! The Poly has a volcano at the pool; Animal Kingdom Lodge has a nearby flamingo pond. Poly has Dole Whips and Pulled Pork Nachos at close proximity; Animal Kingdom Lodge is just steps away from Zebra Domes! Pool Seating There’s no real loser in this category if you’ve found relaxation and joy! 10 Hidden Secrets About Disney World Pools Food Because we are Disney FOOD Blog, we take food seriously. Very. Seriously. And we love it all. We love the cheap, comfort of plastic cheese, and we love the high-brow sophistication of a wine flight or a multi-course pre-fixe meal. We don’t discriminate; we are a lover of all foods. Since food is SO important, let’s see how these resorts stack up against each other in the restaurant category. Polynesian Village Polynesian Village has ten (10!) dining options, including lounges and pool bars (because those count!)! Barefoot Pool Bar is the perfect place to grab a specialty cocktail to enjoy while lounging by the Lava Pool. Oasis Pool Bar & Grill serves up Polynesian-themed food and specialty cocktails to guests enjoying the Oasis Pool. Captain Cook’s is a quick-service location, popular for being the place you can grab Tonga Toast for breakfast in the morning, and island-inspired dishes like the Pulled Pork Nachos and Thai Coconut Meatballs for lunch and dinner. Capt’n Cooks Spread The recently renovated and reopened Kona Cafe serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a casual setting. The sweet Tonga Toast makes breakfast at Kona is a guest favorite. Kona Island conveniently sits right off the second-floor monorail entrance. In the morning, this location serves Kona coffee and pastries, while at night, it becomes a sushi bar with cocktails. Kona Cafe is right next to Kona Island ‘Ohana has an oak wood fire pit that flavors the grilled meats served at an all-you-care-to-enjoy meal each evening. In the morning, Lilo and Stitch entertain guests during an Island-style character breakfast. Hawaiian side dishes complement each meal. Tambu Lounge is a relaxing bar where you can enjoy a drink prior to your dinner at ‘Ohana or Kona Cafe. The Lapu Lapu (a rum concoction served in a pineapple) is its claim to fame. Our favorite noodles Pineapple Lanai is where you can find the famous Dole Whip! This is a Polynesian Village Resort claim to fame, as it was the first Disney World Resort where Dole Whip was served outside of the parks. The Polynesian remains the only Resort with its own spot dedicated to the treat. Speciality Dole Whip Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto is a unique tiki bar located in the Great Ceremonial House, complete with an interactive room (elements react based on the ordering of certain drinks) and wacky hijinks from your servers, the Skippers! Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace is the more relaxed (but still entertaining) outdoor counterpart to Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto. Learn more about the Polynesian Village Resorts Restaurants here! Animal Kingdom Lodge Animal Kingdom Lodge has nine(ish) dining spots for you to nibble and nosh your way through the wilderness. Maji Pool Bar is located near the Samawati Springs Pool at Kidani Village, and Uzima Springs Pool Bar is over at the Jambo House pool. — and both are a pretty standard pool bars, but with some unique African beers and some tasty nibbles, but nothing truly destination-worthy. Maji Pool Bar The Mara is named after the Masai Mara National Reserve in Africa, this quick service restaurant located in Jambo House is sure to please all appetites with a taste of Africa, as well as American favorites. It is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is located next to the Resort’s Uzima Springs pool area. Guests can dine indoors or take their meals poolside, or to a small area offering shaded tables outside. Unique items, including Bobotie and Breakfast Quinoa are served alongside classic Disney dishes like Mickey Waffles and more for Breakfast. Lunch and Dinner feature the truly tasty African Potjie (a flavorful stew) among the options, which also include counter service favorites like Chicken Nuggets, Burgers, and Flatbreads. The “Grab & Go” market area features snacks, desserts (including the spot’s famous Zebra Domes!), bottled drinks, breakfast pastries, specialty coffees, and fruit. The Mara also offers a selection of African and international wines, beers, cocktails, and even choose-your-own-flavor smoothies. The Mara Victoria Falls and Cape Town Lounge are cozy lounges in Jambo House near Boma and Jiko. Enjoy a glass of South African wine, or indulge in your favorite martini, beer, or mixed drink. It’s a great place to hang while waiting for a table at Boma or Jiko. Or just stop in before you head to (or after you return from) the parks to grab a quick bite from the unique appetizer menu, including crisp breads and African dips, marinated olives, and more. Lounge seating Cape Town Lounge serves appetizers and pairings of African wines along with hand-crafted cocktails, dessert wines, and more. Guests may also order from the full Jiko menu and dine at the bar. Tucked into the Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Kidani Village, Sanaa, which means “Work of Art” in Swahili, is a beautiful restaurant serving a fusion of African and Indian cuisine made with authentic cooking methods like slow-roasting and tandoori oven cooking. While Sanaa is a table service restaurant serving lunch and dinner, the spot offers the Sanaa Kuamsha Breakfast in the mornings — a quick-service experience for which reservations are not required. Sanaa Bread Service The best part: the view from the restaurant is of Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Sunset Savanna — enjoy the ever-changing scenery of some of the most beautiful African plains animals you’ve ever seen. Sanaa P.S. Don’t miss Sanaa’s Indian-style Bread Service, served with NINE different dipping accompaniments! The other Table Service option at the Jambo House is Boma. Boma continually emerges on the “favorite restaurants” lists of many Disney guests! The popular buffet at Boma gives visitors the opportunity to sample flavorful African dishes while also dining on some American favorites during breakfast or dinner. We always give two thumbs up to this restaurant, and we always find something new to try here! Inside Boma And the pièce de résistance: Jiko. Jiko — The Cooking Place is a Signature Dining Experience (which is Disney-speakfor fancy, schmancy), hands-down, one of the most romantic and delicious restaurants on Disney World property. We can highly recommend this one if you enjoy excellent, gourmet food and a lovely and tranquil atmosphere. Oak-grilled Filet at Jiko Sharing tastes of Africa with a special Jiko flourish, this restaurant doesn’t offer a great view or any characters, but it does offer truly beautiful food — and the Animal Kingdom Lodge savanna is right outside… Best Animal Kingdom Lodge Restaurants Results It’s so hard to designate a clear winner for food — because we love it all! Both resorts offer unique, cultural twists on some classic favorites and even some new foods you may have never tried before! The Polynesian menus are influenced by island flavors, and though not bizarre or untraditional, you’ll definitely find some creative takes on your familiar favorites. Kids’ Sushi Animal Kingdom Lodge menus feature some African spices that you won’t find in every cupboard and may invite you to expand your culinary horizons. Animal Kingdom Lodge also has a Signature Dining Experience at Jiko that provides a more elevated experience for a nice date night and some really amazing entrees that will have you planning an excuse to return as soon as you can. Boma vs. Sanaa vs. Jiko: Comparing Animal Kingdom Lodge Restaurants Transportation Do these Deluxe resorts offer anything different when it comes to transportation? Let’s see!! Polynesian Village Polynesian Village is on the Monorail loop. It’s the first stop after the Transportation & Ticketing Center (TTC) on the way to the Magic Kingdom. If Magic Kingdom is your destination, there is also a boat option to sail across Seven Seas Lagoon to the front steps of the Magic Kingdom. You can also get your steps in by strolling the walkway over to Magic Kingdom, but it’s not for the faint of heart as it is about a 20-25 minute walk. Boat launch from Polynesian Village Resort to Magic Kingdom If Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, or Disney Springs is your destination, then you can board one of Disney’s busses to transport you over to these parks. Polynesian Bus Service But if EPCOT is your park for the day, here is where the difference sets in. Because the Poly is so close to the Transportation & Ticketing Center, if you don’t mind a brief 5-10 minute walk, you can waltz over to the TTC and board a Monorail to whiz you off to EPCOT. This may give the Poly the edge over the Grand Floridian as it does provide relatively easy access to that EPCOT Monorail loop. Animal Kingdom Lodge Animal Kingdom Lodge is not on the Monorail loop. Or the Skyliner Route. Or even boat access. If you want to visit any of the Disney Parks (even the nearby Animal Kingdom), you’re only option for free Disney transportation is a bus. Animal Kingdom Lodge Bus Stop Now, Animal Kingdom Lodge is already the furthest resort from the Disney Parks (except Animal Kingdom), and having to rely solely on bus transportation sure makes it feel every inch of that distance. And no one really looks forward to having to wrestle to get their stroller on and off the bus, or standing in those lines at the end of a park day to be packed in like sardines with your fellow Animal Kingdom Lodgers once that bus does arrive. Bus Stop Guests staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge can also use ride share, taxis, and Minnie Vans at an extra cost in case you find yourself in a hurry. Results These Deluxe Resorts are pretty much a tie when it comes to food, pools, and rooms. You can dine with Mickey, Lilo, and Stitch at Ohana, or have an epic date night at Jiko. The Polynesian has the perk of being on the monorail loop and is close to the Transportation & Ticket Center, which gives it closer access to the EPCOT Monorail loop, as well. Magic Kingdom Entrance The Polynesian really has the edge when it comes to proximity to the Magic Kingdom (and even EPCOT). But Animal Kingdom Lodge is significantly cheaper and offers so much more in terms of theming with the live animal savanna, artistic displays and Cultural Representatives. So, which one is the clear winner? Why You Should Skip the Monorail on Your Next Magic Kingdom Trip The Winner! So, who is the ultimate winner in the Polynesian vs. Animal Kingdom Lodge battle? We hate to say it, but it depends! The Polynesian is an amazing choice for those who want that close proximity to Magic Kingdom, but that price tag can be daunting when compared to Animal Kingdom Lodge. If you’re looking for that serene escape from the stimulation of Disney parks while staying in the magic and being immersed in the sense of adventure, Animal Kingdom Lodge might be the oasis you seek. Keep following DFB for more articles like this, and sign up for our newsletter below to get them straight into your inbox! Polynesian Village vs. Contemporary Resort Guide for Disney World in 2023 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! Pre-Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 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! 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 how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to pre-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? Is Polynesian Village or Animal Kingdom Lodge better? Let us know in the comments! The post Polynesian Village vs. Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort Guide for Disney World in 2023 first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

From spotting jolly St. Nick in his red convertible full of presents to meeting Minnie Mouse and friends for lunch, check out what these kiddos had to say about their first Walt Disney World holiday vacation.View the full article

Universal Orlando sets opening dates and ticket prices for escape rooms based on “Back to the Future” and “Jurassic World” film franchises. View the full article

We’re officially one month away from the return of “Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom” on National Geographic TV! View the full article

Are you in the mood for some festive holiday treats? The holidays are here! It’s the most wonderful time of the year in Disney World to try out all those magical holiday flavors, like gingerbread cookies, peppermint treats, and more, and now we’re here with two more special treats! We visited Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory in Disney’s Port Orleans — French Quarter Resort to try two menu items, including a Magic Bar and Gingerbread-spiced Caramel Blondie Bites! Magic Bar & Gingerbread Spiced Caramel Bites Let’s start out with the Magic Bar, made with a blend of chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, walnuts, and coconut with a graham cracker crust for $6.29. In the past, we’ve seen variations of the Magic Bar at Riverside Mill Court at Disney’s Port Orleans — Riverside Resort and Roaring Fork in Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. We found these bites super squishy and soft yet chewy, which was surprising since we expected them to be on the sticky-chewy side of the spectrum! You can REALLY taste the ginger and we thought they were pretty good. Gingerbread Spiced Caramel Blondie Bites That said, there was some kind of off-putting flour texture on the outside of the bites that left a strange taste and texture in our mouths, so that was a bit odd, but the overall taste of them is delicious! The texture was a little strange Head to Disney’s Port Orleans — French Quarter Resort to give either of these treats a try, and while you’re there you might want to stop by the Scat Cat’s Club Cafe to get some Peppermint Mickey Beignets! Peppermint Beignet Keep following DFB for more Disney World treat news and updates! Where to find one of the BEST hot chocolates in Disney World! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney World Fun This Holiday Season! The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2022 is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. Order The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2022 now! It includes over 400 pages of must-have information, including: A full What's New!! chapter for the 2022 Holiday Season A full Monthly Schedule of Events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! ;-D Click HERE to order your 2022 Guide now and get 20% off with code PEPPERMINT! As always, our e-Books are 100% guaranteed! If you don't love it, you get your money back! Want Even MORE? The DFB Everything Bundle comes with ALL of our guides, including the Holiday Guide, for one low price! It includes: The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2022 The 2022 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Guide The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Holidays 2022 Pre-Order 2023 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival Guide All Three DFB Snack Guides Click HERE to order your DFB Everything Bundle! MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Check Out Everything Announced for the 2022 Holiday Season in Disney World Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Is Coming BACK in 2022 – Get the Latest Details Get All of the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays We’ll Take This Little Golden Disney Book in Our Stocking, Santa! Learn Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events See How Much It Costs to Do Disney World at Christmas in 2022 Watch Our Video About What We Wish We’d Known Before Going to Disney World During the Holidays Check Out Our Photos & Reviews of the Holiday Treats in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Would you try either of these treats? Tell us in the comments! The post Why Beignets Aren't The Only Reason to Stop By Port Orleans -- French Quarter Right Now first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Tis the season for sweet treats all over Disney World! Holidays in Disney World We’ve seen desserts all over the place, from delicious options at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party to seasonal specialties at the Disney Resorts. There are so many places to find a snack this holiday season, and now we’re heading to Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter to try out another one! Over at Scat Cat’s Club Cafe, you can find Peppermint Mickey-Shaped Beignets for $3.99 each! Peppermint Mickey-Shaped Beignets These are classic Mickey-shaped beignets topped with peppermint ganache and candy cane quins. So festive with the little sprinkles! If you’re a fan of the candy cane beignets that sometimes come around at Disneyland for the holidays, this might be the perfect treat for you. Peppermint Beignet They have a very strong peppermint flavor, and the chocolate sauce on top also had a peppermint taste, not just coming from the candies. So you’re definitely left feeling incredibly minty after this treat! If you’re hoping for some subtle mint, then this is not the treat for you. LOTS of peppermint! Overall, it’s a really good holiday treat and a fun spin on a classic beignet. Plus, it’s Mickey-shaped! You still get that delicious, fluffy beignet underneath it all, but the strongest flavor is definitely peppermint. We’ll be on the lookout for more holiday treats in the coming days and weeks as we countdown to Christmas! If you’re visiting soon and looking fo celebrations at the resorts, make sure to check out some of Disney World’s elaborate gingerbread displays. And if you want to visit Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party or the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays, take a look at our guides and posts on those particular offerings! We’ve been checking out the festivities for the past few weeks and we have lots of tips to share. Click Here to See All the Holiday Snack Reviews! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney World Fun This Holiday Season! The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2022 is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. Order The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2022 now! It includes over 400 pages of must-have information, including: A full What's New!! chapter for the 2022 Holiday Season A full Monthly Schedule of Events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! ;-D Click HERE to order your 2022 Guide now and get 20% off with code PEPPERMINT! As always, our e-Books are 100% guaranteed! If you don't love it, you get your money back! Want Even MORE? The DFB Everything Bundle comes with ALL of our guides, including the Holiday Guide, for one low price! It includes: The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2022 The 2022 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Guide The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Holidays 2022 Pre-Order 2023 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival Guide All Three DFB Snack Guides Click HERE to order your DFB Everything Bundle! MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Check Out Everything Announced for the 2022 Holiday Season in Disney World Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Is Coming BACK in 2022 – Get the Latest Details Get All of the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays We’ll Take This Little Golden Disney Book in Our Stocking, Santa! Learn Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events See How Much It Costs to Do Disney World at Christmas in 2022 Watch Our Video About What We Wish We’d Known Before Going to Disney World During the Holidays Check Out Our Photos & Reviews of the Holiday Treats in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Would you try these out? Tell us in the comments! The post REVIEW: NEW Mickey Beignets Released in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Attention, Southern California residents! Disneyland has a special ticket offer, where you could experience the magic of Disneyland park or Disney California Adventure park for as little as $73 per day! View the full article

Holiday Services Lead Martin Outzen has spent over seven years working to design, manufacture, restore and install the resort’s holiday-inspired decor. Martin leads a team of 25 Resort Enhancement cast members to ensure that the decor is culturally inclusive, environmentally sustainable and always beautiful. Earlier this month, Disneyland Resort third shift cast members attended an […]View the full article

Aloha, everyone! ©Disney Disney’s Aulani Resort is a tropical getaway in Hawaii that many Disney lovers have on their bucket lists. We make sure to keep you updated on all the deals we see for the resort, and whenever one of our team members takes a vacation to the resort, they report back to us with all the exciting news. You have probably seen the epic Mickey shaved ice that you can get at the resort. So, we thought we’s share a look at those with you! By the pool, you can stop by Pāpālua Shave Ice to grab yourself a sweet treat! Shave Ice! There are 4 options to choose from on the menu, and plenty of flavors to make it your own. The menu! We decided to get two options, the first one being the ‘elua for $5.50. It comes with your choice of 3 flavors, plus a special sweetened condensed milk topping. We also chose to add Mickey ears for an additional $1. ‘elua We also grabbed the ‘ekhai without Mickey ears for $5. ‘ekahi This is a refreshing treat unique to Aulani, so if you’re a fan of shave ice, we highly recommend grabbing some when you visit this beautiful resort! Mickey Shave Ice at Aulani ©Disney Aulani also recently launched a mobile app that you’ll want to know about before you visit. As always, stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disney snack and resort news! Click here for our ranking of EVERY Disney World hotel! Heather Sievers is DisneyFoodBlog’s Dining in Disneyland columnist! Check out more of her adventures at @DininginDisney on Instagram! Want More Details About Disney World’s Hotels? Ranking of ALL of Disney World’s Hotels 9 Ways Your Disney World Hotel Stay Will Be Different in 2023 Our Picks for the Best Disney World Hotels in 2022 These Are the WORST Disney World Hotels for 2022 13 Critical Things You’re FORGETTING About When Booking a Disney World Hotel You Couldn’t Get the Disney World Hotel Reservation You Wanted – Now What? The 6 Disney World Hotel Problems No One is Talking About See Why You Might BAIL on Your Disney World Hotel A Full List of Changes Announced for Disney World’s Hotels 8 Gadgets You Need for Your Disney World Hotel Room The Surprising Things You Won’t Find in Your Disney World Hotel Room The Secret Way to Stay in Disney World’s Hotels for LESS! What Items from Amazon Can You Have Delivered to Your Resort Hotel? We’ve Got the Details Are Disney World Hotel Perks Worth the Hefty Price Tag? Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest Disney World hotel news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Have you ever visited Aulani? Tell us in the comments! The post PHOTOS: Mickey Shave Ice at Disney's Aulani Resort! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney World employee labor unions have been in negotiations with The Walt Disney Company over issues like wage increases, benefits, and more. Minnie with some Cast Members! Recently, several of these unions gathered to hold a rally over the negotiations, and now, Disney has released a statement on the matter. The Walt Disney Company and several Disney World employee labor unions are at odds — employees are calling for improvements to wages, benefits, retirement, child bonding leave, and more. The prior contract that brought a $15 minimum wage to workers expired on October 1st, and Disney and the unions have been in negotiations to work out an agreement. ©Disney The negotiations come after a recent Securities and Exchanges Commission filing indicating Disney “planned to spend $6.7 billion in the 2023 fiscal year on capital expenditures for its Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution and Disney Parks, Experiences and Products divisions.” However, Disney notes that labor expenses are typically covered under operating costs instead of capital expenditures. ©Disney | Walt Disney Company Headquarters Member unions are pushing for Disney to raise its minimum wage to $18 per hour, and raise the pay of those who already make close to that amount by $3 per hour to keep up with inflation and higher costs of living. According to a recent report from the Orlando Business Journal, the city of Orlando ranks among the worst in the nation for affordability. And now, after several Disney World employees and union members rallied together on November 30th to show support of their demands, representing almost 42,000 employees and Cast Members overall — Disney has released a statement about the union requests: “We have presented a strong and meaningful offer that far outpaces Florida minimum wage by at least $5 an hour and immediately takes starting wages for certain roles including bus drivers, housekeepers and culinary up to a minimum of $20 an hour while providing a path to $20 for all other full-time, non-tipped STCU roles during the contract term.” Walt Disney Company Headquarters ©LA Times The spokesperson also shared that the proposal also “provides paid child-bonding time for eligible Cast Members” and mentioned the Disney Aspire program “that pays 100% of tuition up front for eligible hourly employees.” ©Orlando Sentinel However, employees say this isn’t soon enough as historically high inflation and housing costs are affecting them now. The Orlando Sentinel shared a report from Unite Here Local 737 — one of the labor unions — that a majority of the hospitality staff it represents “struggled to afford basic necessities making a median of $16.50 an hour, or $34,320 annually,” including Disney World employees. ©Orlando Sentinel Negotiations are still taking place, so stay tuned to DFB for the latest updates regarding Disney World Cast Member union news and more. CEO Bob Iger Comments on the Relocation of Thousands of Disney Employees 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! Pre-Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 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! 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 how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to pre-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 Cast Member memory? Let us know in the comments! The post NEWS: Disney Statement Released on Cast Member Pay Negotiations first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Okay, let’s do the Sparknotes version of allllll the political battles Disney has found itself in lately when it comes to Florida and Governor Ron DeSantis. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis ©Deadline After initially refusing to make a statement, Disney (under Bob Chapek’s time as CEO) made comments in opposition to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law (what critics call “Don’t Say Gay”), indicating that the law should never have been passed and that Disney would work for its repeal. Following this, in what many have seen as an act of retaliation, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature passed/signed a bill that will dissolve Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District — the special taxing district Disney has operated under for years that gives them a large amount of control over their land in Orlando. Now, Bob Chapek is out of the Disney CEO position, and Bob Iger is back. We’ve already talked about what this could mean for Reedy Creek and Disney’s relationship with DeSantis, but now we’ve got a response from the Governor himself when it comes to Disney and Florida politics. Following Iger’s return to the Disney CEO position, he held a town hall for Disney employees where he commented on the Park Pass system, the rumors that Disney will merge with Apple, the relocation of Disney’s employees to Central Florida, and the political battles Disney has faced over “Don’t Say Gay” and Reedy Creek. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has since responded to Iger’s comments and reposted his response via a Fox News interview on Twitter. ©CNBC In the Fox News interview, Tucker Carlson commented that one company benefitting a lot from the government (specifically within the state of Florida) is Disney. He went on to claim that DeSantis “changed” that — likely referring to the passage of the bill related to Disney’s Reedy Creek District. Carlson then noted that Disney changed CEOs “because of that.” We’ve done a deeper dive into this, but it appears there were a multitude of issues that led to Chapek’s removal, beyond just the legal battles in Florida. ©Disney Disney’s most recent quarterly earnings report (Q4 for fiscal year 2022) is repeatedly cited as a big reason behind Chapek’s removal. That report revealed that Disney had nearly $1.5 BILLION in quarterly losses in streaming (a huge jump from the same quarter last year), and revenues also missed expectations. Couple that with Chapek’s internal memo announcing cost-cutting measures (such as layoffs and hiring freezes), Chapek’s handling of the “Don’t Say Gay” issue, Chapek’s handling of the Black Widow situation and lawsuit, what some considered to be Chapek’s overly positive attitude during the earnings call, and other issues, and you can see the multitude of factors that went into this decision. Going back to the Carlson interview on Fox with DeSantis, Carlson notes that Iger has returned and that during the town hall Iger reportedly said he “regretted” that Disney had fought with the DeSantis administration over the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. ©Reuters || Bob Iger is back in charge at Disney. Carlson noted that Disney’s response to “Don’t Say Gay” “led Florida state legislators to strip…Disney of its special status,” referring to the dissolution of Reedy Creek. Carlson also said that this is something DeSantis would know about because he “backed it.” Carlson then cut to Iger’s clip from the town hall discussion. So what did Iger actually say about the Florida battles? Well, he indicated that he was “sorry to see [Disney] dragged into that battle.” He also shared that he has no idea what the ramifications are in terms of the business itself but that “yhe state of Florida has been very important to us for a long time, and we have been very important to the state of Florida,” and that’s something he will articulate if given the chance. Bob Iger ©Bloomberg Though that is the portion of the town hall that was shown in the Carlson/DeSantis interview, Iger also said (during the town hall), that there is “a misperception here about what politics is…Some of the subjects that have been proven to be controversial as it relates to Disney have been branded political, and I don’t think they are.” This goes back to his earlier comments where he discussed when leaders need to speak up about big issues and how many issues aren’t political, they are a matter of “right and wrong.” Iger further stated (during the town hall), “Do I like the company being embroiled in controversy? Of course not.” ©Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images After showing the shortened clip from the town hall, Carlson asked DeSantis for his response. DeSantis shared that, in his opinion, Florida didn’t “drag” Disney into any issues, but rather “they went in on their own.” He noted that Disney not only opposed the bill but threatened to get it repealed. DeSantis went on to say, “They brought this on themselves. All we did was stand up for what’s right.” He also shared, “Yes they’re a big powerful company, but you know what? We stand up for our folks and I don’t care what a Burbank-based California company says about our laws.” ©The Florida Channel | Courtesy of WTVT You can see the clip of the interview shared by DeSantis below. What will happen now that Iger is back? It’s unclear. We’ve discussed how, in some ways, Iger was actually more outspoken than Disney and may be more willing to speak out on big issues. But his experience as CEO, his existing relationship with politicians, and his handling of the situation may change how Disney and Florida interact in the future. Only time will tell. For our full article on how Iger’s return could impact Reedy Creek, click here. And click here to see whether Iger is on a collision course with DeSantis. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post “They Brought This on Themselves” -- Governor DeSantis Responds to Disney CEO Bob Iger’s Comments on Florida Legal Battles first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

The next pocket guide in the Disney Cruise Line series, the Disney Dream! Here are some of the offerings you’ll find onboard the first ship in the Dream Class.View the full article

The brand-new Disney Wish cruise ship just had her maiden voyage in the summer of 2022, but Disney has apparently already moved on to the next ship in the company’s fleet. And no, we don’t mean the Disney Treasure. ©Disney Disney just bought a HUGE cruise ship called the Global Dream at a price that some experts are calling ridiculously low. However, the bargain deal doesn’t completely explain what appears to be a very strange choice. Let’s take a closer look at Disney’s recent purchase. First, here’s a little bit of background about what’s going on. Disney Bought a Big Ship OK, so the Global Dream might be more than just a “big ship.” In fact, it’s one of the largest cruise ships in the world, and it’s bigger than Disney’s largest ship (the Disney Wish) by 64,000 TONS. German finance and news site Capital reported that Disney purchased the ship for 40 million euros (about $41.5 million US dollars). ©Capital While $40 million sounds like quite the price tag to most of us, that’s a shockingly low price for a cruise ship. Originally, the Global Dream was estimated to cost 1.8 billion euros (about $1.87 billion US dollars), which means that Disney got the ship for less than 3% of the estimated price. The Global Dream is 75% completed, so Disney will have some work to do before it’ll be ready to sail. Disney was the only buyer interested in purchasing the ship, ©Capital According to The Maritime Executive, “The liquidator for the shipyard had been seeking a buyer for the cruise ship preferring a company that would complete the ship in Germany to also provide employment for the workers of the closed shipyard in Wismar.” Some other interested parties dropped out of the picture, and Disney completed the purchase, agreeing to finish the ship in the Wismar shipyard with Meyer Werft (the original owner) supervising the project. Why the Global Dream Was For Sale and Why Disney Bought It So why was the Global Dream sold for such a low price? Capital reports that the shipbuilder MV Werften went bankrupt at the beginning of 2022, so the company was unable to complete the ship. A couple of other cruise companies (such as the Swedish Stena Group) expressed interest in purchasing the ship initially, but the negotiations ultimately fell through. ©TradeWinds As a result of the failed negotiations, Disney was the only interested group, and the company had little choice but to accept their offer. The insolvency administrator said, “Disney offered the highest purchase price. It’s the price of taking that entrepreneurial risk.” As to why Disney purchased the ship, the obvious reason appears to be the ridiculously low price tag. If the ship was expected to cost $1.8 billion and ended up selling for $41.5 million, Disney got the Black Friday deal of the century. The purchase price was only 2.2% of that expected $1.8 billion, so Disney saved serious cash compared to the cost of building a new ship from scratch. ©Disney CNBC reports that “the average cost of producing a cruise liner” is about $617 million, but the price of larger cruise ships (like the Disney Wish) is “estimated to cost closer to $1 billion.” The Global Dream is significantly larger than the Wish, so that price is looking better and better. Speaking of the ship’s size, that was likely another reason that Disney was interested in the vessel. According to The Maritime Executive, with the acquisition of the Global Dream, “Disney will become only the third cruise line to have a ship over 200,000 gross tons. The Global Dream potentially will be the industry’s eleventh largest cruise ship, behind two classes of ships owned by Royal Caribbean International and a new class of ships being launched by MSC Cruises.” Concept art of the Global Dream ©Traveller.com The Global Dream will have a capacity of 6,000 passengers and 2,300 crew (according to Travel Weekly), which is 2,000 more passengers and 745 more crew than the Wish can hold. Travel Weekly reports that “the ship will give Disney a huge capacity bump at a time when the line is already growing.” What’s WEIRD About It Now you’ve got the gist of this situation: Disney bought a huge ship at a (relatively) tiny price, and that ship can seriously increase the Disney Cruise Line’s capacity. Makes sense, right? Actually, there are a couple of things about this purchase that still seem very strange. First of all, Disney’s acquisition of the Global Dream comes right in the midst of some other huge cruise plans. Right now, Disney is in the middle of building 3 Triton-Class ships, one of which is the recently-debuted Disney Wish. The other 2 will come out in 2024 and 2025, including the Disney Treasure and another yet-to-be-officially-named ship. (Before you ask, Disney has said that the Global Dream will NOT become the 3rd of this Triton Class set.) Disney Treasure ©Disney However, the Global Dream is expected to be finished around the same time as that 3rd and final Triton Class ship, in 2025. Travel Weekly reported that “Two ships are on order and slated to enter service by 2025, the same year Disney expects the renamed Global Dream to debut. Disney said the additional ship will not impact its delivery plans.” The timing sounds like it could be tricky, as Disney will attempt to complete and release 2 new cruise ships in the same year. Disney Treasure Grand Hall Concept Art ©Disney In addition to the busy schedule, Disney also has to deal with the risk of buying a different company’s ship. Capital reported that “Disney will accept the ship without warranty claims and will complete and rebuild it at its own risk and expense.” Disney will be working to complete the ship in Wismar, which will involve changing some existing elements on the ship to better fit the company’s needs. Capital expects that it will cost another $1.04 billion for Disney to finish the ship. So although Disney got a bargain price on the 75% completed ship, that final 25% is going to be pricey. In a recent report filed with the SEC, Disney stated, “Disney Cruise Line will incur the cost to complete construction with total costs anticipated to be less than our recent fleet additions.” ©Capital Aside from completing the ship, Disney will need to “Disney-fy” the existing parts, which will mean repainting the hull “for the traditional black and gold Disney livery with the Mickey Mouse logos” and likely removing the casino that’s already onboard. Travel Weekly posed the question as well: “Another question is how Disney will inject its brand personality onto a vessel that was 75% completed for a different cruise line.” Although the ship is going to be finished at the MV Werften shipyard, it will still be overseen by Meyer Werft, who built the Disney Dream, Fantasy, and Wish cruise ships. What’s the Plan Now? Disney will continue to work on the ship and hopefully meet their 2025 deadline. Once the ship is finished, it will likely be based outside of the U.S. Travel Weekly said, “The Dream was built for the Asian market, and agents who sell Disney predict the ship would do well there given that the region already supports several Disney theme parks.” Tokyo Disneyland The Disney Cruise Line currently does not have any sailings to Asia, so this would open up a whole new area of the world for the company. We’ll have to wait and see what the ship will end up looking like and where it will go! We’ll continue to watch for more updates from Disney, so stay tuned to DFB for all the latest news. Click here to learn more about the Disney Cruise Line. What You Need to Know About Disney Cruise Line Learn All About Disney Cruise Line and Its Various Ships Follow Along As We Explore Disney’s NEW Mega Cruise Ship – The Wish Learn ALL the Secrets of the Disney Wish We Ate EVERYTHING on Disney's Newest Cruise Ship -- The Disney Wish Learn About Disney Cruise Line’s COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination Policies Disney Wish COVID-19 Testing Mishaps to Avoid A Full List of What You CAN’T Bring on a Disney Cruise These Are the BEST Times to Book Your Disney Cruise The Best Ways to SAVE SPACE in Your Tiny Cruise Cabin 10 Things You NEED on Your Next Cruise (That You Won’t Think to Pack!) A Look at the COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination Policies For EVERY Major Cruise Line What It’s Like to Live on a Cruise Ship for 6 Months Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click here to Subscribe What do you think of Disney’s decision to buy the Global Dream? Let us know in the comments. The post Inside Disney’s Strange Decision To Buy a GIANT Cruise Ship first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Bob Iger isn’t the only Disney legend coming out of retirement. One of the most iconic Disney characters of all time has returned in their first role in almost 95 years! Oswald greets his fans! We all know and love Mickey Mouse, but before Walt Disney created Mickey, he had Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Now, Walt Disney Animation Studios has released a new animated short starring Oswald himself — the first Oswald short since 1928. It’s been over 94 years since Disney created a cartoon starring Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, but to celebrate The Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary, the animation studio decided to do just that. Disney said that this new short was “created by Disney Animation’s hand-drawn animation team to help celebrate the start of Disney 100 Years of Wonder” event. ©Disney The new short is called “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit” and was directed by animator Eric Goldberg and produced by Dorothy McKim. McKim said, “On the eve of Disney’s 100th anniversary, it was such a joy to create the first new Oswald short from our studio since 1928. Our hand-drawn animation team – including our hand-drawn legends Mark Henn, Randy Haycock, and Eric Goldberg, as well our wonderful team of 2D apprentices, had a ball animating in the style of Oswald’s era.” ©Disney You can watch the animated short here! Director Goldberg said, “Oswald is such a plucky scamp. We wanted to bring Oswald back, and in the short, he literally returns to his original home, the movie screen.” He went on, “We wanted to have Oswald do all of the ‘squash-and-stretch,’ ‘rubber hose’-animation style, celebrating that first generation of Walt Disney’s artists.” Oswald plush in Disney World According to Disney, Oswald was Walt Disney’s first “breakout animated star.” He was created in 1927 and starred in 26 short films that were created by Walt Disney and his animation team. In 1928, Disney lost creative control over Oswald. Decades later, in 2006, Disney CEO Bob Iger made “an unprecedented deal with NBC/Universal, that included permitting sportscaster Al Michaels to contract with NBC in exchange for the return of Oswald to his original home.” Clarabelle and Oswald! Disney’s 100th anniversary will kick off in Disneyland on January 27th, 2023. The event will bring new nighttime shows, decorations, and merchandise to the park. On the kickoff date, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will open in Disneyland as well! ©Disney We’ll keep watching for more updates from Disney, so stay tuned to DFB for all the latest news! Click here to learn more about Disney’s 100th anniversary event. 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! Pre-Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 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! 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 how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to pre-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 Oswald short film? Let us know in the comments. The post NEW “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit” Short Released for Disney’s 100th Anniversary first appeared on the disney food blog. 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. The last day to order gifts in time for Christmas is quickly approaching — have you gotten all of your holiday shopping completed yet? Let’s get that list crossed off! Don’t worry, us either! And you might have been worried you’ve missed all of the big sales now that Black Friday is over, but you’re in luck! Plenty of sites are still doing promotions throughout the month with chances to save money on those must-have gifts. Right now, shopDisney has discounted their holiday items up to 40% off! Plus, today only you can get free shipping on your entire order. Even Disney’s newest holiday merchandise is included in the sale! Have you ever been to the parks during the winter and been greeted with an impossible flurry of snowflakes? Well, we’re going to let you in on a little Disney magic secret: those snowflakes are actually SOAP! Disney uses a special combination of a soap mixture and fancy machines to create the festive weather even in Florida. ©Disney This “snoap” is one of the best parts of being at Disney during the holidays, and now you can bring it home with this Mickey Mouse Holiday Light-Up Singing Snow Wand. This wand not only creates snow, but it also lights up and Mickey sings a jolly song for you. Normally $30, you can bring the joy of snoap to your home for just $18 now! Click here to buy the Mickey Mouse Holiday Light-Up Singing Snow Wand! This new holiday Loungefly is perfect for a winter trip to the parks! The Mickey Mouse Holiday Treats Loungefly Mini Backpack has a Mickey Mouse icon created out of sparkly peppermint sweets and festive candy cane straps. ©Disney Loungefly bags are highly sought after, so if you know someone who collects them, treat them to this bag for the holidays! Originally $85, this bag is marked down to $68. Click here to buy the Mickey Mouse Holiday Treats Loungefly Mini Backpack! This Spirit Jersey was the best selling out of the different holiday designs Disney released for this year. Unlike the other designs, this shirt has a minimalist vibe with its cozy eggnog-colored base and warm gold and red sequins. ©Disney The Mickey Mouse Sequined Holiday Spirit Jersey for Adults comes in both Disney World and Disneyland versions as well as kids’ sizes. This jersey is marked down to $53.99 from $89.99. Click here to buy the Mickey Mouse Sequined Holiday Spirit Jersey for Adults – Walt Disney World! Bring back the Christmas tradition of model train sets with the Mickey Mouse and Friends 2022 Holiday Train Set by Lionel. This 5-car set features Pluto and cars painted in lovely vintage colors. ©Disney Included in this set is a track and remote to control your train. Set this up around your tree or on your dining room table as part of your decorations! Normally this set is $149.99 but it’s on sale now for $104.99. Click here to buy this Mickey Mouse and Friends 2022 Holiday Train Set by Lionel! Did you know you can get personalized stockings from shopDisney? These gorgeous stockings have nice thick bands with space to add initials for each family member. Mickey Mouse Holiday Stocking – Personalized ©Disney There are different designs, including this retro-style Mickey Mouse Holiday Stocking. These are usually $34.99, but you can grab a stocking (or several!) for $20.99 each (personalization is $5.95 extra). Click here to buy a Mickey Mouse Holiday Stocking! Head over to shopDisney’s site for all the deals and discounts, but hurry because this sale only lasts until Friday! Shop the ENTIRE shopDisney SALE here! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney World Fun This Holiday Season! The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2022 is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. Order The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2022 now! It includes over 400 pages of must-have information, including: A full What's New!! chapter for the 2022 Holiday Season A full Monthly Schedule of Events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! ;-D Click HERE to order your 2022 Guide now and get 20% off with code PEPPERMINT! As always, our e-Books are 100% guaranteed! If you don't love it, you get your money back! Want Even MORE? The DFB Everything Bundle comes with ALL of our guides, including the Holiday Guide, for one low price! It includes: The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2022 The 2022 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Guide The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Holidays 2022 Pre-Order 2023 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival Guide All Three DFB Snack Guides Click HERE to order your DFB Everything Bundle! MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Check Out Everything Announced for the 2022 Holiday Season in Disney World Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Is Coming BACK in 2022 – Get the Latest Details Get All of the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays We’ll Take This Little Golden Disney Book in Our Stocking, Santa! Learn Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events See How Much It Costs to Do Disney World at Christmas in 2022 Watch Our Video About What We Wish We’d Known Before Going to Disney World During the Holidays Check Out Our Photos & Reviews of the Holiday Treats in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What Disney merch from this year were you most excited to snag? Let us know in the comments below! The post Hurry! These Disney Holiday Items Are Only On SALE For 2 Days first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article