Disney4me

Samina Kermalli, a business support manager for Disney, has dreamed of seeing a Super Hero who looks like her since she was a teenager. On June 8, that dream came true when Samina, a Pakistani American, met Ms. Marvel on her opening day at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure park. “I can’t wait to […]View the full article

Have you ever dreamed of attending an epic dance party in your most futuristic garb? Tomorrowland in Disneyland Over in Disney World, Cast Members are hard at work constructing TRON: Lightcycle Run — but on the other coast, another type of Tron celebration is on the horizon. Disney is preparing to celebrate 40 years of Tron with an exclusive dance party that’s members-only! D23 is Disney’s Official Fan Club, and members often receive special perks, discounts, and even access to exclusive events in the Disney parks and beyond. In celebration of Tron’s 40th Anniversary and San Diego Comic Con, D23 is hosting an exclusive event at the House of Blues San Diego! ©D23 D23 Derezzed — A TRON 40th Dance Party will take place on July 21st, 2022 from 8PM to 11PM (doors open at 7:30PM) and is expected to be a “party of the programs” with light snacks and sweets, a lightband, and commemorative keepsake as well! Guests will also get to boogie to tunes from DJs Qrion and Jason Bentley, who is the Music Supervisor for Tron: Legacy. ©D23 Tickets go on sale June 21st, 2022 at 10AM PT on the D23 website and will be $45 for D23 Gold Members and $65 for D23 General Members. Guests are encouraged to wear their most futuristic frocks! Each member can purchase up to 8 tickets for the party, and not every person in your party has to be a member. ©D23 Set your alarms for June 21st if this sounds like an event you don’t want to miss, and don’t forget to stay tuned to DFB for the latest Disney news! Click Here to Read About This Year’s D23 Expo Panels D23 Members also get access to an EXCLUSIVE night of Disneyland’s Oogie Boogie Bash Halloween Party. This event full of fun and fright is one of our favorite parties of the year, and you can learn more here! RARE pieces of Disney history are set to appear at this year’s D23 Expo thanks to The Walt Disney Archives — check out a sneak peek here. Want to Learn More About Disneyland? Check Out the Links Below! Check Out Important Details about the 2022 Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival Learn About Disney Genie and How to Use it in Disneyland See the Latest Updates About Disneyland’s Face Mask Policy Check Out What You Need to Know About the Theme Park Reservation System for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Check Out Our Disneyland Restaurants Guide Learn All About Disneyland Park See What Marvelous Stuff You’ll Find at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure See More About Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure Learn About the Disneyland Mobile App Get All the Details About Mobile Order in Disneyland Learn More About Disneyland’s Magic Key Program What’s Going to Be Different About Your Next Disneyland Trip? Click HERE to Check Out Lots of Other DFB Posts About Disneyland Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click here to Subscribe Will you be dancing the night away at D23’s Tron party? Let us know in the comments! The post Celebrate 40 Years of 'TRON' with an EXCLUSIVE Disney Dance Party first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

With less than two weeks until the incredible debut and christening of our newest Disney Cruise Line ship, the Disney Wish, I am thrilled to share a cosmic new detail about one of my favorite experiences on board … Actress Iman Vellani — who stars as Ms. Marvel, the newest Super Hero to join the Marvel […]View the full article

Since 2018, Disney Aspire has helped employees and cast members achieve their education and career dreams. The most comprehensive education investment program of its kind, Disney Aspire offers more than 100 varying programs at 10+ educational institutions nationwide, including its newest addition Johnson & Wales University and its first in-network HBCU, North Carolina A&T. Disney […]View the full article

Welcome to Disneyland! Get ready for that California sun! Smokejumpers Grill We love checking out what’s new over at Disney’s California parks. Most recently we’ve seen a new hot Cheeto pretzel (yes, you did read that right) and a generic-looking cupcake surprised us with its great flavor. But if you’re visiting the park soon and are looking for a solid meal to get you through a lot of your park day, then swing on by Smokejumpers Grill for this new MASSIVE burger! The Chipotle BBQ Bacon Double Cheeseburger at Smokejumpers Grill is $15.49. That price tag may make you question your decision, but just LOOK at this thing! It’s HUGE This burger comes with two Angus beef patties, smoked provolone cheese, bacon, lettuce, pickles, onion rings (yes, LITERALLY onion rings), and chipotle BBQ sauce served with crinkle-cut fries or onion rings. Look at all that! Overall, our reporter liked this meal! While the patties were nothing special, the bacon was crispy and tasted great with the cheese. The lettuce was crisp and refreshing, and while the pickles were good, they did make the bottom bun a little soggy. If you’re not a fan of spice, the chipotle BBQ sauce does have a bit of a spicy kick to it, so beware! We used to have waffle fries instead of crinkle-cut fries… RIP waffle fries The fries were warm and salty, but our reporter does personally think the waffle fries — which are now no longer available — would have been a better fit. If you’re not a fan of spicy meals, you may want to skip this as it does have a bit of a kick to it. But if you look at these photos and your mouth starts to water, check it out the next time you’re in Disneyland! We really can’t get over how giant this thing is Did you know that Cars Land has been open for 10 years?! If you’re visiting Disney California Adventure soon, be sure to check out these special offerings to celebrate the anniversary. Oh, and don’t miss out on the newest popcorn bucket either! And if you’re visiting in the cooler months closer to Halloween, check out all of what’s returning for this year’s festivities. Keep an eye on DFB for all your Disney food news! One of the greatest Disney villains of all time is returning to Disneyland for a limited time! Check out who it is and where you can see him! Want to Learn More About Disneyland? Check Out the Links Below! Check Out Important Details about the 2022 Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival Learn About Disney Genie and How to Use it in Disneyland See the Latest Updates About Disneyland’s Face Mask Policy Check Out What You Need to Know About the Theme Park Reservation System for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Check Out Our Disneyland Restaurants Guide Learn All About Disneyland Park See What Marvelous Stuff You’ll Find at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure See More About Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure Learn About the Disneyland Mobile App Get All the Details About Mobile Order in Disneyland Learn More About Disneyland’s Magic Key Program What’s Going to Be Different About Your Next Disneyland Trip? Click HERE to Check Out Lots of Other DFB Posts About Disneyland Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click here to Subscribe Does this burger look delicious or gross to you? Let us know in the comments below! The post Disney's New Burger Is Covered in BACON and Onion Rings 🤤 first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Ripley's responds to claims that Kim Kardashian damaged Marilyn Monroe dress at Met Gala. It's not true, Orlando-based company says View the full article

There’s nowhere quite as special to work in a housekeeping or custodial role than at Disney, where our cast create magic for our guests and each other! Earlier this month, cast members at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort hosted more than 5,500 athletes and coaches from all 50 states and the Caribbean for the 2022 Special […]View the full article

EPCOT is one of Disney World’s HOTTEST parks right now! Spaceship Earth And by hot, we mean SCORCHING because of the weather, but it’s also become really popular, thanks to the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival, the opening of the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind attraction, and the opening of Connections Cafe and Eatery. EPCOT is the PLACE to be. So we were there recently to see what kind of updates we can get for you. So here’s what’s new in EPCOT. EPCOT Food Updates Sunshine Seasons Sometimes you just need a refreshing light meal, and Chef Dee’s Greek Salad, one of the Pride menu items at Sunshine Seasons, is PERFECT. It’s a blend of romaine lettuce, chickpeas, blistered tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, whipped feta, Ladolemono dressing, and pita bread on the side. Our Salad You can grab it now for $8.99. Read Our Full Review Here! EPCOT Merchandise Updates Creations Shop The new Lightyear Ears have arrived! And they are so cute — they have Buzz’s robot cat friend, Sox, on them! These ears are $29.99 AND they glow in the dark! We first spotted them in Magic Kingdom but they are available in EPCOT as well. To Infinity… There’s also a new Lightyear Tee for Kids for $19.99… Kids shirt …a Property of Star Command Shirt for Adults for $36.99… Star Command shirt! …a Zyclopse Toy for $19.99… Zyclopse …and Lightyear Socks! These are cool! Three new MagicBands have arrived. There’s a Donald MagicBand for $29.99… It’s Donald! ..a Mickey Main Street Popcorn MagicBand for $29.99… Disney popcorn is the best! …and a Princesses MagicBand! Pretty in pink The Princesses MagicBand is $34.99. Limited-Time Fireworks Show Returning to EPCOT! Find Out More Here! Pin Traders You want new pins! We got ’em! With Lilo & Stitch celebrating its 20th anniversary, there are a lot of new pins you can grab now. There’s a Jumbo Lilo & Stitch Pin for $24.99… JUMBO pin …and a Lilo & Stitch 20th Anniverary Pin for $17.99, a Lilo, Stitch, and Jamba Pin for $19.99., Even more Lilo & Stitch pins! …and a 626 Day Pin for $17.99. Do you celebrate 626 Day? But that’s not all. We also found a new Olaf Summer Pin for $17.99… Olaf loves summer! …an Aurora Father’s Day Pin for $17.99… Aurora and her dad! …a Lightyear Pin for $17.99… This movie is going to be awesome! …a Tiana Pin for $19.99… Tiana and a Designer Disney Collection Snow White Pin. Designer Snow White This pin is $34.99. Here Are 4 Tips for Conquering the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival World Traveler The new Orange Bird Flower and Garden Festival MagicBand has arrived here. It’s Orange Bird! This MagicBand, which is $34.99, is also at Port of Entry. You Can Buy a Golden Book at a Festival Booth in EPCOT?! Here’s Where! Festival Kiosk The Festival Kiosk outside of Canada is now selling Orange Bird merchandise. ALL Orange Bird The merchandise here used to be dedicated to Peter Pan. The DFB Guide to the 2022 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival is Available NOW! Click Here To Get It! EPCOT Construction Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival booths continue to appear. Not much longer now! Soon! Here’s what the concrete looks like now in Japan. Disney has been doing some work in this area for some time. Concrete in Japan Progress is also being made on the concrete and building blocking in Germany. Getting spiffed up Everything is getting spruced up for summer! Here Are Our Insider Tips for the 2022 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Are you headed to EPCOT soon? If so, be sure to read up on all our food booth reviews for the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival. If you plan on arriving on July 14th or after, we’ll have reviews up for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, too! Also, be sure to read our review of EPCOT’s newest ride, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. We’ve also got a handy trick that could get you on the ride TWICE in one day! Stay tuned to DFB for more news! Want MORE Details About EPCOT’s MASSIVE Transformation? EPCOT’s Three New Neighborhoods Have Debuted — Learn More Here Learn About the NEW Restaurant Coming to EPCOT – Connections Cafe and Eatery A Starbucks Will Be Inside EPCOT’s New Restaurant – Get More Details Here Go Inside Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure With Us Check Out All of the Tasty Details About La Crêperie de Paris Learn All About Space 220, Which Has Officially OPENED in EPCOT See Spaceship Earth’s Permanent New Nighttime Look Learn More About EPCOT’s New Nighttime Spectacular -- Harmonious The Mary Poppins Attraction is on Hold – Learn More Here What’s Been CUT From the EPCOT Transformation? Learn More About the New PLAY! Pavilion Coming to EPCOT See All the Details You Need to Know About the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Coaster Coming to World Discovery Learn More About Journey of Water -- Inspired by Moana, Coming to World Nature Click HERE for All the News and Details about EPCOT’s Transformation! Join the DFB Newsletter To get all the latest Epcot transformation news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Will you be headed to EPCOT soon? Let us know in the comments! The post What's New in EPCOT: The Ears ALL Buzz Lightyear Fans NEED to Have first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Who’s ready to save some money?! Walt Disney World Dolphin Everyone, right? We’re going to assume it’s everyone. That’s why we keep our eyes peeled for all of the best and biggest savings and discounts you can get at Disney World! From tickets to hotel rooms to food, we got your back when it comes to saving money. So, let’s talk about a NEW deal at some Disney hotels this summer! Disney Annual Passholders and Florida Residents can save up to 30% off stays at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort this summer! Walt Disney World Swan Annual Passholders can save up to 30% off of regular room rates. To take advantage of this deal, you can either call the resort at 1-888-828-8850 and ask for the promotional code ANNUAL PASSHOLDER RATE or you can book online. If you book online, make sure Promotional Code QWH appears in the Corporate/Promo code box. You will have to show a valid/current Disney Annual Pass at check-in to receive the offer. The website says to act now, because the offer expires soon, but no specific date was given. Swan Reserve Florida Residents can book the same way, but if you call, ask for promotional code FLORIDA RESIDENT RATE and if you book online, make sure Promotional Code FR6 appears in the Corporate/Promo code box. You will have to show a valid Florida Resident ID at check-in to receive the offer. Dolphin The Swan and Dolphin Resort hotels are not owned by Disney, but they are on Disney World property and get a lot of the same benefits, like Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Hours. They’re located next to the other EPCOT resorts and consist of the Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve hotels. Pool at Swan and Dolphin Note that the hotels of Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort are all owned by Marriott, so you can also use Marriott points there or any special rates you can get through things like their hotel rewards program, Marriott Bonvoy. There are also other great Marriott hotels on or near Disney property, like the JW Marriott at Bonnet Creek. J.W. Marriott Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort and Spa If you’re looking for more savings, there is another way to save money on Disney hotels. The Stay in the Magic deal offers discounted rates at a variety of hotels on property and is for most nights from July 8th through September 8th, 2022. Annual Passholders can book the deal right now, and Florida Residents can book the deal starting June 21st. Disney’s Yacht Club Resort For more deals and discounts, you can always visit our Disney Deals and Discounts page to check out the latest ways to save! Stay tuned to DFB for more news about Disney World deals and discounts! Click here to see what other Disney hotels Annual Passholders can save money on this summer! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2022 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 order your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2022 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. Have you ever stayed at the Swan or Dolphin Hotels? Tell us in the comments! The post Exclusive Discount Announced for the Swan & Dolphin Hotel in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It may not be what you want to hear, but it’s time to face the facts — FastPass+ is GONE and Disney Genie+ is now the service guests need to use to skip the standby lines in the parks. Disney Genie There’s a bit of a learning curve when it comes to Genie+ given its different format and specific rules. With that learning curve can come a LOT of mistakes. If you don’t come in fully prepared, you could make some of these big Genie+ mistakes while you’re in the park and they could cost you precious time or cause some big frustrations. Today we’re breaking down the Genie+ mistakes EVERYONE makes and how to avoid them so your next trip can be the best one yet! Genie+ Basics Before we dive into the post, we do want to share a brief overview of just what Genie+ is. Much of this is taken from our post explaining Genie+ in 500 words or less. First — there’s FREE Genie. Disney Genie is a FREE planning service that is built into the My Disney Experience App and Disneyland App. Essentially, you tell the Disney Genie what you want to ride, what types of things you like, etc. and Disney Genie will create a personalized, flexible itinerary for you. With Genie, you’re able to see forecasted wait times, mobile order your food, chat with a virtual assistant, see walk-up waitlist availability, make restaurant reservations, adjust your plans, and more. Plans will continuously update to help you get the most out of your day. Free Genie is designed to help you plan your day and optimize your plans. ©Disney Disney Genie+ is a PAID FastPass+ replacement service. It costs $15 per day per ticket at Disney World, and $20 per day per ticket at Disneyland. If you pay for Genie+, you’ll be able to see when the next available time is to use various rides’ Lightning Lanes (the former FastPass+ lanes). You will select the next available time to use the Lightning Lane for whatever ride you want, and when your time arrives, you can visit the ride and use the Lightning Lane (skipping the standby line). You can make more Genie+ Lightning Lane selections — 1 ride at a time — throughout the day. Over 40 attractions are available through Genie+ at Disney World (including character meet-and-greets and more!), over 15 attractions are available through Genie+ at Disneyland. ©Disney But not all attractions are available through Genie+. Select, highly popular attractions (like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios are not available through the standard Genie+ service. That means that even if you pay for Genie+ you will NOT be able to select a time for/use the Lightning Lane at those attractions. Instead, if you want to use the Lightning Lane for those attractions, you’ll have to pay for the attractions INDIVIDUALLY through what’s called Individual Attraction Selection (this is basically built into the Genie+ portion of the My Disney Experience app). Guests can only buy a maximum of 2 Individual Attraction Selections per day. Prices for these vary by date, park, and ride, and there might be surge pricing in place sometimes. Rise of the Resistance Individual Attraction Selection Alright, now that we’ve gone over some of the basics, let’s get into the mistakes. Looking for more basics about the systems? Click here to learn all you need to know about Genie+! BIG Mistakes! 1 — Not Understanding the 120 Minute Rule The first big mistake is not knowing about or fully understanding the 120 minute rule. It’s a rule that a LOT of people get wrong. So much so that Disney has made it official and has shared more information about it on their site. Here’s a key starting point: You can make Genie+ selections one at a time throughout the day. You can make your next Genie+ selection when: you’ve tapped into your Lightning Lane attraction; the time for your Lightning Lane has expired; OR 120 minutes have passed since you have made your original selection (whatever comes first). Expedition Everest But here’s where things get a little more complicated. In Disney World, you can make your first Lightning Lane Genie+ pick at 7AM on the day of your visit. Let’s say you look to book that first Genie+ pick right at 7AM and the next available return time for the ride you want (Splash Mountain) is 5PM that evening. You book it. Are you stuck waiting until 5PM to make your next Genie+ pick? NOPE! Remember, you can book your next one 120 minutes after you make your first selection, after you tap into the Lightning Lane, or after the Lightning Lane time expires (whatever comes first). BUT if you make that first Genie+ selection BEFORE the park opens, your 120 minute timer starts when the park OPENS. Splash Mountain In this case, you booked the Genie+ selection at 7AM. Let’s say that on the day you’re visiting, Magic Kingdom doesn’t open until 9AM. You’ll be able to book that next Genie+ selection at…11AM. This rule can get tricky, but knowing when you can book your next Lightning Lane ride is critical to helping you get the most out of your day and getting as many Lightning Lane selections as possible! Click here for a more in-depth look at the 120 minute rule! 2 — Not Learning What Rides Go with What Service As we noted above, some rides are available through Genie+ (the standard paid service) and some are available through Individual Attraction Selection (where you pay individually to skip the standby line at each ride). It’s important to know which rides are available through Genie+ versus Individual Attraction Selection. It’s also important to note that these can change. So make sure you follow our newsletter for the most up to date information. For example, Rise of the Resistance is available only through Individual Attraction Selection. If you don’t know that ahead of your trip, you could pay for the standard Genie+ service ($15 at Disney World) and then be disappointed and frustrated when you realize you can’t reserve a time to use the Lightning Lane for Rise of the Resistance through that standard service. Rise of the Resistance Lightning Lane But don’t worry, we can help! Here’s a full list of the rides available through Genie+. And here’s a full list of the rides available through Individual Attraction Selection. Just keep in mind that sometimes things can change. For example, for a limited time, Disney has been offering some rides that are typically available through Individual Attraction Selection on the regular Genie+ service. These changes may affect your trip, so be sure to check for updates ahead of your vacation. Click here to see the temporary Genie+ CHANGE announced for Expedition Everest 3 — Not Coming Up with a Game Plan Planning is really key when it comes to maximizing Genie+. There are certain rides that can “sell out” or otherwise fill up really quickly. For example, Rise of the Resistance’s Lightning Lane selections for the day can fill up in seconds, so that’s one you’ll want to try and grab as SOON as you can. Slinky Dog Dash also tends to fill up extremely fast, so it’s another one you’ll want to grab quickly. Remember that standard Genie+ selections can be made by all guests starting at 7AM each day. Individual Attraction Selections can be made at 7AM each morning by guests staying at Disney World resort hotels and select other hotels (specifically, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels and Shades of Green). All other guests won’t be able to make those first Individual Attraction Selections until the park opens. Lightning Lane sign at Princess Fairytale Hall If you don’t plan out (1) who will make the Genie+ selections each day, (2) how early they should wake up, and (3) what rides you want to prioritize early in the morning and throughout the day, you could find yourself in a frustrating position. You might pick a Genie+ selection for a ride that typically has fairly good availability, and then later try to grab one for Slinky Dog Dash only to realize that all of the Genie+ selections for Slinky Dog Dash have sold out by the time you get around to it. Coming up with a plan, looking at what rides are “must-dos” for you, what rides sell out the fastest, and other factors can really make a huge difference in your trip. Click here to see what rides to book FIRST with Genie+ 4 — Not Getting Everything Set Up in Advance Through the My Disney Experience App Genie+ and Individual Attraction Selection are built into the My Disney Experience app. When using them, you’ll need to have your My Disney Experience account set up, your tickets appropriately linked, your Park Passes set up and linked, and all family/friends accounts also properly set up and linked. Make sure your whole family is linked in your My Disney Experience account! If you don’t do this ahead of time, you’ll lose precious minutes when those first Genie+ selections become available. Those minutes could mean the difference between you getting the selections you want and losing out on your must-get pick. Be sure to get this all arranged ahead of time — as in days (if not weeks) before your trip. Click here to see why it’s EASIER to link friends and family accounts now! 5 — Not Becoming Familiar With the App Aside from linking your tickets and other things on the app, you’ll want to become familiar with the My Disney Experience app in general and (more specifically) all portions that relate to Genie+. If not, you might arrive to the Most Magical Place on Earth and find it to be a little…less than magical when you can’t figure out where to go in the app to make those Genie+ selections! “Winging it” isn’t necessarily the best path here. Play around with the app, check out the Tip Board and “My Genie Day” — both of which you’ll use often with the Genie+ service. ©Disney See what the system looks like, what it shows in terms of wait times for the standby lines, what it looks like to book a Genie+ selection. Essentially, our advice would be to test out the entire process as much as you can, without making an actual purchase, of course! Click here to see our step-by-step guide to using Genie+ And click here for our step-by-step guide to buying and making Individual Attraction Selections 6 — Not Packing a Phone Charger You’ll be using your phone for a LOT of things in Disney World — making Genie+ selections, making Individual Attraction Selections, checking wait times, placing a mobile order, making dining reservations, taking photos, etc. Using Genie+ (on top of everything else) can really drain your battery, especially if you’re really getting every last bit out of the system and making one selection after another. If you don’t pack a phone charger, you could find yourself with a DEAD phone battery and a whole bunch of crushed dreams. Sure, you could pick up a FuelRod in the parks, but you’ll have to deal with actually going to purchase one and waiting for it to charge your phone. FuelRods can be found all around the parks! If you come prepared with a phone charger of your own or at least buy a FuelRod in advance of your phone actually dying, you can keep that beautiful piece of technology alive and keep going about your day without any interruptions. The key here: Be prepared! Click here to see what to do when your phone dies in Disney World! 7 — Not Making That First Genie+ Selection at 7AM As we mentioned above, all Disney World guests can make their first Genie+ selection at 7AM on the morning of the day they’ll be going to the park. You might be thinking: “Ugh! That’s so EARLY! I probably don’t need to wake up that early to get what I want.” But heed our advice: making that first selection at 7AM can be a game changer. As we mentioned above, there are some Genie+ selections that can “sell out” or fill up early. If you get up early and book that first selection at 7AM, you’ve got the best chance of getting a Lightning Lane for that ride before they fill up for the day. ©Disney Getting up at 7AM also means you get an early pick on the return times. If you were hoping to get an earlier return time for that first Lightning Lane selection (because you’ll be leaving the park early for a dinner reservation or any other reason), making that first pick at 7AM will give you a pretty good chance at hopefully getting an earlier return time. Also, there was recently a change and guests can no longer buy Genie in advance. So this is something you will want to keep in mind and plan for as well. Click here to see the 5 most important Genie tips to know BEFORE you go to Disney World! 8 — Not Realizing That You Can’t Modify Selections Make a Genie+ selection and then decide you don’t want it or you’d prefer another one? That’s totally fine! You can cancel your existing Genie+ selection and then make a new one. We’ll say that again — to change a Genie+ selection, you can CANCEL your existing Lightning Lane option and then go into the system to make a new one. In other words, there’s no modification option — only cancellation. Would you do away with Lightning Lanes? So if you happen to spot a new Genie+ selection that is something you’ve been hoping to grab all day, just be careful! Understand that you will have to give up your current Genie+ selection to grab that new one. You might run the risk that you cancel your existing Genie+ selection, go back into the system to make your new one, and…POOF! The Genie+ option you saw is gone and now you’ve lost the Genie+ selection you had before since you had to cancel it. If that’s a risk you’re willing to take, or the existing Genie+ selection you had is for a ride that typically has a lot of openings anyway, then tap away! But if the Genie+ selection you’ve got is one of those suuuuper popular rides that can fill up (like Slinky Dog Dash, and even sometimes Jungle Cruise and Peter Pan’s Flight) then you might want to be a bit more careful! How many rides can you get on per day with Genie+? We dig in! 9 — Not Refreshing Don’t see availability for the Genie+ selection you want? Or it’s there but maybe it’s for a return time you’d rather not have? REFRESH! Refreshing the screen can sometimes cause the system to push updates of times and ride availability that weren’t there before. Maybe someone just canceled their Genie+ selection for a particular time/ride, or availability otherwise changed. If you refresh, you could see some things pop up that weren’t available before, giving you the chance to quickly snatch them up! ©Disney But be careful! If you see a super popular ride become available and think “Oh, the return time isn’t great for me. I’ll refresh and see if a better time pops up,” understand the risk. Once you refresh, you could get a better return time, or that availability could dramatically change. The ride could fill up and you might be left with nothing! So you’ll have to just determine whether that’s a chance you’re willing to take. Click here to learn all about our Disney Genie HACKS 10 — Not Making Your Next Selection as Soon as You Can Genie+ selections can be made one at a time throughout the day. You can make that first one at 7AM. And then you can make your next Genie+ selection when: you’ve tapped into your Lightning Lane attraction; the time for your Lightning Lane has expired; OR 120 minutes have passed since you have made your original selection (whatever comes first). Lightning Lane Let’s say the first thing that will apply in your situation is that you tap into your first Genie+ selection. As soon as you tap in, you can make the next selection. Yes, as you’re waiting in the (albeit typically short) Lightning Lane line, you can make your next Genie+ selection! By making your next selection as SOON as you can, you give yourself the best chance of maximizing your Genie+ purchase and getting in a whole bunch of rides. Let’s say the next available time you’ll be able to make another Genie+ selection is 120 minutes after you made your first one. It’s easy to go about your day and totally forget to make another selection when 120 minutes are up. If you wait too long, you might not end up getting to use Genie+ to skip that many attraction lines as things start to fill up or return times get later in the day. Lightning Lane entry To avoid that issue, set an alarm! As soon as you make that first selection and you know the 120 minute rule will be the first applicable thing for you (because your existing selection wouldn’t let you tap in sooner), set that alarm. Then, as soon as it goes off, be sure to make the next selection! If you’re ever in doubt about when you can make your next selection, check the Genie+ portion of the My Disney Experience app. If you go in and try to make another Genie+ selection, for example, it’ll tell you that you’re not eligible to make another selection and it’ll also tell you when you can make the next Genie+ selection. ©Disney || The message you’ll get if you try to book too early That can be really helpful in clarifying any doubts you might have. Making use of every second and selecting another Genie+ selection as soon as you can can really help you squeeze every bit of benefit out of the service. You’re paying for it, so you might as well get the most out of it, right? How many guests are actually buying Genie+? Disney has made some big reveals 11 — Checking Wifi Speed We’re not joking here — with Genie+, every second counts! If you’re using Disney’s wifi and struggling to make your next selection because the internet is being slow, be sure to check and see if things are faster OFF the Disney wifi. The free wifi at Disney is a nice feature, but it can sometimes slow you down. Bus WiFi Sticker Particularly at 7AM, when you can make that first Genie+ selection and also buy your Individual Attraction Selection (if you’re at a Disney World hotel or select other hotels), speed can be key. If you’re going for some of those super popular selections and experiencing some problems, try going off Disney’s wifi to see if that makes things better, at least until you get those key picks. Should you use Genie+ around the holidays in Disney World? We experiment! 12 — Giving Up When it Gets Difficult We get it. Genie+ ain’t exactly a walk in the park. There are rules to know, costs associated with the service, and all kinds of ways that things can get complicated. But don’t let that freak you out. If you’re determined to skip those long standby lines in the parks, Genie+ is what you’ll need to use. So when things go a bit awry, you can’t find the Lightning Lane you were hoping to book, or you get confused by the 120 minute rule — don’t give up. Crowds at the Lightning Lane for Big Thunder Mountain Don’t panic if you can’t get the ride you want and then let that ruin your trip. Just take things one step at a time. Make sure you’ve got the most tech-savvy member of your group working on it. Refresh. Look at our step-by-step guides. Breathe. And remember that if you can’t get that exact one that you want, you could always book another option and then keep refreshing to see if something else pops up. And if it doesn’t work out and you can’t get a Lightning Lane pick for Peter Pan’s Flight, let’s say, don’t forget the standby lines are always open to you. Sure, it’ll involve more waiting than you were hoping for, but it’ll still get you where you want to be — on that ride! Lightning Lane sign at EPCOT’s Frozen Ever After At the end of the day, try to remember that it is a vacation, so don’t let complications ruin your fun. Disney claims you’ll only ride 2-3 rides per day with Genie+ 13 — Judging It Before You Try It You’ve heard the phrase “don’t knock it until you’ve tried it,” and truly Genie+ is a good example of fitting under that category. Yes, Genie+ can be complicated, but some guests have found that it has helped them really get on a lot of rides and accomplish more in their day. When we reached out to our readers, some did express concerns or frustrations with Genie+ regarding Lightning Lane availability, the additional cost, and other factors. ©Disney BUT others shared that they felt Genie+ was worth the money. One reader said that they “felt so accomplished” because they got to go on a lot of rides by using Genie+. Others shared that they wouldn’t do certain parks without it, or noted how Genie+ helped them get on the rides they wanted with little to no wait. It might end up being a system that does work well for you and helps you get on tons of your must-do rides with little to no wait. So don’t totally call it a loss before you give it a shot! Click here to see if feelings have CHANGED toward Disney Genie+ 14 — Not Making Use of the “Bonus” Features While the main feature of Genie+ is its ability to help you skip the standby lines, there is more to Genie+ than Lightning Lanes. Your Genie+ purchase also comes with augmented reality photo lenses and some audio experiences! Some of the photo lenses will even work on your PETS! Cuteness overload!! These photo lenses and audio experiences can be a fun way to add a little extra magic to your trip. And since you’ve paid for them, you might as well get the most out of them! Disney Genie+ PhotoPass Disney sometimes adds new lenses, so be on the lookout for those! Click here to see an updated list of everything that’s included in your Genie+ purchase in Disney World 15 — Not Knowing the Rules Finally, the key to Genie+ is knowing the rules. We already went over the 120 minute rule, but there are other rules to know about. First, you cannot repeat rides through Genie+. That means if you get a Haunted Mansion Lightning Lane selection through Genie+, you cannot ride The Haunted Mansion and then go back into the Genie+ system and make another Lightning Lane selection for The Haunted Mansion. If you want to ride The Haunted Mansion again, you’ll have to wait in the standby line! Haunted Mansion Another big thing you need to know is that guests can only purchase a maximum of 2 Individual Attraction Selections per day (per person) and you cannot get 2 selections for the same ride. So don’t go in expecting to buy 2 Individual Attraction Selections for Rise of the Resistance, or buying 4 Individual Attraction Selections in a single day across a variety of the rides available through that service. That’s an important restriction to keep in mind, especially if you’ve only got 1 day in the parks. You’ll have to really focus on prioritizing what’s important to you when making those purchases. You can find Lightning Lanes at many attractions within the parks! And that’s it for our list of mistakes! How many of these have you made or seen others make? What other mistakes do you think people make when it comes to Genie+? Tell us in the comments! And stay tuned for more Disney news! How many rides can you get on with Genie+? Disney World guests tell ALL All About Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Attraction Selection READ THIS Before Using the New Genie Planning Tool in Disney World Check Out the FULL List of Rides Included With Genie+ in Disney World See What Rides You Can Pay EXTRA for in Disney World & How Much They May Cost Learn What Rides Are Included With Genie+ in Disneyland (Plus the Ones You’ll Pay EXTRA to Ride) You CAN’T Re-Ride Disney World Attractions With Genie+ You CAN’T Cancel Pay-Per-Ride Selections in Disney World Get the Answers to All of Your Burning Questions About Disney Genie See Why You May Want to Stay in a Disney World Hotel When it Comes to Disney’s Pay-Per-Ride System Here’s What Annual Passholders and Magic Key Holders Need to Know About Genie+ See 5 Ways Genie+ Might Surprise You Learn Some Disney Genie HACKS Get a Step-by-Step Guide to Using Disney Genie+ See Genie+ Tips for the Most Crowded Days in Disney World and Disneyland Still Confused About Disney Genie? Check Out These DFB Videos Learn About How Disney Genie Can Be Your Personal Assistant in Disney World Click HERE to See More About Disney Genie Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click here to Subscribe What is your best Genie+ advice? Tell us in the comments! The post How to AVOID the BIGGEST Genie+ Mistakes in Disney World. first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Ready to embark on a new adventure? Our brand-new 2023 British Isles trip from Adventures by Disney takes you to some of the most charming and beautiful places in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England! View the full article

If there’s one thing we know about Disney World, it’s that there’s almost always something new and exciting happening! Magic Kingdom We’re in the parks almost every day so we can keep you up to date on everything that’s happening in Disney World! Today, we’re heading to the Magic Kingdom so we can bring you what’s new in food, construction, and merchandise. Let’s get into it! Magic Kingdom Food Updates Main Street Confectionery Over at the Main Street Confectionery, we recently spotted this Orange Bird cup! Orange Bird Cup from Main Street Confectionery The cup is $10.99 and includes a Glacier, which is basically just a slushy in a variety of different flavors. Currently, these are sold out at the Confectionery but we will be on the look out for their return. Take a closer look at the new Orange Bird cup here! Big Top Treats You can also get Glaciers at Big Top Treats in Fantasyland, where we spotted a restock of some of the Glacier cups! Glacier cups at Big Top Treats These cups have a bunch of Disney iconography on them, complete with a Mickey Mouse lid! Click here to see which foods Disney World needs to bring back ASAP! Magic Kingdom Construction Updates Mickey’s PhilharMagic in Fantasyland got a facelift recently! When we were in the Magic Kingdom, we noticed that the spires on the building for this show had been repainted. The spires were previously blue and pink, but now they are red with a yellow base! Mickey’s PhilharMagic repaint! We also took a ride on the Tomorrowland PeopleMover to get a look at the TRON construction. TRON construction Disney still has not shared details about when this ride will open, but we know that progress is being made as Imagineers recently shared a video of the ride’s very first launch! Click here for PHOTOS of what TRON’s nighttime lighting looks like! Magic Kingdom Merchandise Updates Main Street Emporium Thor: Love and Thunder is premiering so soon, and we’ve started to see lots of merchandise for it starting to show up in the parks. We saw this Thor keychain in the Main Street Emporium for $14.99. Thor Keychain Also at the Emporium, we spotted these Big Hero 6 mystery pins! ‘Big Hero 6’ mystery pin pack There are 12 pins you can collect in all and there are pins for every character: one of the character in their superhero suit, and one pin where they’re dressed normally. Which character will you get? They mystery pin set is $17.99. Main Street Cinema Are there any Orange Bird fans out there? If there are, you’ll want to see this new Orange Bird hat we spotted at the Main Street Cinema! Orange Bird Hat This hat is white with orange detailing, and has the iconic Florida Orange Bird embroidered on the front. It is available for $29.99. Frontier Trading Post Lightyear is another Disney movie coming out so soon, and we’e also started to see its merchandise crop up around Disney World. We spotted this limited edition Lightyear pin at Frontier Trading Post that has both Buzz Lightyear and Zurg on it. ‘Lightyear’ pin Also at Frontier Trading Post, we spotted a MagicBand that was just a little lost. We spotted the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival Orange Bird MagicBand! This MagicBand is a little lost… You can grab this MagicBand for $39.99. Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe The 4th of July is right around the corner, and another holiday is getting in on the Independence Day fun! At Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe, we spotted these pre-made personalized ear hats! Pre-Made Personalized Ear Hats You can get Mickey ear hats personalized however you like at Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe already, but if you’re not sure how to personalize them, these ones have already been decorated for you! Star Traders At Star Traders, we saw a restock of the Kermit the Frog nuiMO Plush! Restocked! This plush is $19.99 and is currently completely sold out online, but you can get it at Star Traders! Tomorrowland Light & Power Co. June is Pride Month and the Disney parks are celebrating with tons of new merchandise. We recently spotted this Pride phone case in Magic Kingdom for $29.99. It is black with rainbow stripes and the word “Pride” with a Mickey Mouse dotting the ‘i.’ Pride Phone Case Also at Tomorrowland Light & Power, we saw TONS of new AirPod cases. They were all Disney World Annual Passholder exclusive and were yellow with variations of the same design. There was this one that has Mickey Mouse on it… Headphone Case with Mickey …this one that has the Annual Passholder logo on it with a white and red stripe… Annual Passholder Logo …this one that also has the Annual Passholder logo on it, but does not have any stripes… Annual Passholder Logo …and this one that has the Monorail on it! Monorail! These cases are all made to fit AirPods Pro headphones, but we also saw each of these designs available for the regular AirPods, as well. Each case was $19.99. Click here to see ALL of the Disney World 50th Anniversary merchandise you can get online right now! And that’s what’s been going on in the Magic Kingdom, but there are all sorts of things happening all over the parks. EPCOT is in the midst of a major transformation and is receiving multiple new attractions, like Journey of Water — Inspired by Moana, as well as a new festival center that will be the home of all of the EPCOT festivals! Lots of construction happening at EPCOT! Closer to the Magic Kingdom, Polynesian Village resort is also undergoing construction to bring a brand new DVC building to the property that will include new dining and entertainment options, as well. We’re always on the lookout for new changes in Disney World, so make sure to stay tuned to DFB for the latest information! Click here to see the big reasons YOU aren’t traveling this summer! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2022 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 order your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2022 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. When is your next trip to Disney World? Let us know in the comments! The post What’s New in Magic Kingdom: Mickey’s PhilharMagic Attraction Gets a New Look! 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. Let’s be very real here — Disney merchandise can be incredibly expensive. Look at all those plushes! We’ve seen $130 dolls, $1,000 ears, and shirts with giant price tags. But sometimes a wonderful sale comes along that lets you save some serious cash on Disney items and makes those purchases hurt your wallet a whole lot less. If you’re holding out for a sale to bring home that Disney merchandise you’ve had your eye on for a while, then we’ve got some important dates for you to mark down. Get out your phones and set those reminders and alarms — Amazon’s Prime Day is coming BACK! According to Amazon’s website, Prime Day will be held on July 12th and 13th this year. In the past, we’ve seen some awesome deals on Disney items for Prime Day, including items discounted to under $10, and some great deals on items for kids. ©Amazon According to CNBC, Prime Day sales will start at 3AM ET on July 12th and will run for 48 hours in several countries. It will take place in other countries (like India and Saudi Arabia) later in the summer. More third-party sellers are also going to be participating this year, according to Amazon. Want to celebrate Prime Day with some great tunes? Check out the announcement video below and get ready to DANCE. But you don’t have to wait until July to get some good deals. CNBC notes that starting June 21st, Prime members will get access to early deals. You could save up to 55% on some Amazon devices (like the 2nd generation Echo Show 5 or the Kindle Paperwhite). Fire TV smart TVs will also be on sale for $89.99 (as a starting price). That’s a savings of 47%! Looking to save on some grocery items? Members can start saving 20% on certain items through Amazon Fresh stores in the Untied States starting on June 29th! Disney Trivia on an Amazon Device And wait…there’s MORE! Amazon is also going to be holding a sweepstakes with some pretty great prizes. You could win Super Bowl tickets, the chance to meet some of the cast from Prime Video’s new Lord of the Rings series, or even some Amazon gift cards! Every dollar that you spend on “eligible small business products” from June 21st through July 11th will give YOU the chance to win! ©Amazon Looking for items to add to your cart as you wait for Prime Day deals? Click here to check out some Amazon deals that can help you get through the work week! And take a look at 2 Disney items on Amazon you’ll be glad you bought now! Or you can click here to see 10 Disney items you won’t find anywhere but Amazon! ©Amazon Be sure to check back with us for more details as we’ll be covering all the big Prime Day news, sharing our picks for the best deals, and giving you all kinds of useful tips! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2022 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 order your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2022 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 the best thing you’ve ever bought on Prime Day? Tell us in the comments! The post Amazon Prime Day Dates Revealed! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Who’s ready for Disney’s new film Lightyear? We know we are! ©Pixar We’ve only got a few days left until we can see this new film in theaters, so be sure to grab your tickets now! Maybe you’ve been so excited you’ve already started to grab some merchandise from the film, or maybe you’re collecting those new Lightyear Happy Meal toys! Now here’s a question you may not be expecting; did you know Lightyear could take you to Utah to design your very own custom shoes? That may sound like a wild statement, but it’s TRUE! Disney and Pixar have teamed up with the shoe company Kizik, who makes the world’s original hands-free shoe, to host a new sweepstake inspired by Lightyear. The Step In and Suit Up Sweepstakes will grant one grand prize winner the opportunity to travel to Kizik’s headquarters, create their own custom shoe, and get tickets to see Lightyear! ©Kizik The grand prize also includes a 3-night stay in a suite for 4, a rental car, and all meals paid for so you can explore Utah to the fullest. There’s no purchase necessary to enter, but you only have until June 30th! Enter the sweepstakes here! You can catch Lightyear in theaters starting on June 17th! Hollywood Studios is ready for “Lightyear!” Feeling lucky and want to enter a few other sweepstakes? Right now you can enter to win not one, but TWO different cruises on the Disney Dream and Disney Wish respectively, and if you love the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, you can enter to win a trip to the 2022 parade! If none of these float your boat (pun absolutely intended), keep an eye on DFB, and we’ll always let you know when we see more Disney sweepstakes! Lightyear has been banned in many countries for a very specific reason. Read all about it here. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2022 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 order your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2022 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 would your shoes look like if you won the sweepstakes? Let us know in the comments below! The post This Disney 'Lightyear' Sweepstakes Is EPIC! Get All the Details HERE! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

At first glance, the 8- to 9-foot floral displays being installed in the Downtown Disney District add vibrant beauty to the shopping and dining experiences at the Disneyland Resort. But look a little deeper and you’ll find diversity and inclusion — and a profound sense of community among Disneyland Resort cast members — at the heart of this summertime display.View the full article

This summer is bringing all kinds of new and returning offerings to Disney World! We’ve already seen the soft return of Minnie Vans in the park, and Disney recently announced a LOT of new snacks and treats. But there’s even more on the way! EPCOT at night Last month, we announced that the Fourth of July fireworks will be returning to Magic Kingdom on July 3rd and 4th. Apparently many guests are excited to see the fireworks return, because park passes have already sold out for Magic Kingdom on July 4th! So if you’re planning your Fourth of July trip now, are you just out of luck when it comes to watching a fireworks show on the holiday? Turns out, you’re not! ANOTHER Disney World park is bringing back their patriotic fireworks show as well! On Disney’s fireworks page, we noticed that an entry about Fourth of July fireworks mentions EPCOT as well as Magic Kingdom. “Prepare for patriotism at its finest when Walt Disney World Resort commemorates Independence Day in the skies above EPCOT and Magic Kingdom park!” EPCOT’s Fourth of July fireworks will be returning this year! ©Disney In years past, the Fourth of July show in EPCOT was a short event that followed the main fireworks show. It was called “The Heartbeat of Freedom.” This show didn’t run the last couple of years due to the pandemic, but it looks like it’ll return next month. Fourth of July photo op in 2021 We’re expecting to see a similar show following EPCOT’s current fireworks show, Harmonious, which is still scheduled to run at 9PM throughout the week of July 4th (including on the holiday). Disney hasn’t yet announced on which days you can watch the Fourth of July fireworks in EPCOT (besides on the fourth itself, of course), but we’re expecting them to run on July 3rd and 4th since that’s when Magic Kingdom’s show is running. We’ll be sure to update you once Disney releases more details. Harmonious in EPCOT If you want to see the EPCOT Fourth of July fireworks, we recommend reserving your park passes soon! Magic Kingdom is already full on the 4th, but there is still some availability on July 3rd if you want to see the special fireworks show then. And EPCOT currently has availability on both days. EPCOT Keep following DFB, and we’ll let you know about all the latest Disney news and updates! Learn more about Disney World’s fireworks shows here. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2022 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 order your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2022 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. Have you seen the Fourth of July fireworks in EPCOT? Let us know in the comments. The post Limited-Time Fireworks Show Returning to EPCOT! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

In case you missed it, Oogie Boogie Bash is coming back to Disneyland Resort this fall! Disney California Adventure Oogie Boogie Bash Oogie Boogie Bash, an after hours Halloween party filled with spooky fun, is a separately ticketed event taking place on select nights in September and October. Guests can come in costumes, go trick-or-treating, meet Disney Villains, and lots more! Tickets are going on sale soon and if this year is anything like last year, they’re probably going to go FAST. That said, you might have access to one Oogie Boogie date available only to select people, so find out if you qualify here! On Saturday, September 10th, D23 Members have the chance to attend the D23 Exclusive Member Night at the Oogie Boogie Bash in Disney California Adventure! This night is available only to D23 Members, and it conveniently takes place right in the middle of the 2022 D23 Expo! The expo will be located just down the street from Disneyland at the Anaheim Convention Center. ©D23 Tickets will go on sale for the D23 Exclusive Member Night on June 28th at 9AM PT for $179, and D23 Members must be signed into their linked Disney account to purchase these tickets. You can be a free General Member or a Gold Member! Carthay Circle Guests with Oogie Boogie Bash tickets will be able to enter Disney California Adventure at 3PM with no park reservation necessary. The party officially begins at 6PM and lasts until 11PM, during which guests can stroll through immersive Treat Trails, meet special characters, check out Halloween decor, and lots more. The Frightfully Fun Parade, Mickey’s Trick & Treat, and Villains Grove will also be back! The Black Widow Bride! You can become a D23 Member for free or opt to pay for the Gold Membership, which comes with lots of different perks. If you are a member, mark your calendar for June 28th at 9AM PT to snag your Oogie Boogie Bash tickets! Keep reading DFB for more Disney news and updates! Check out our experience at the 2021 Oogie Boogie Bash! Want to Learn More About Disneyland? Check Out the Links Below! Check Out Important Details about the 2022 Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival Learn About Disney Genie and How to Use it in Disneyland See the Latest Updates About Disneyland’s Face Mask Policy Check Out What You Need to Know About the Theme Park Reservation System for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Check Out Our Disneyland Restaurants Guide Learn All About Disneyland Park See What Marvelous Stuff You’ll Find at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure See More About Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure Learn About the Disneyland Mobile App Get All the Details About Mobile Order in Disneyland Learn More About Disneyland’s Magic Key Program What’s Going to Be Different About Your Next Disneyland Trip? Click HERE to Check Out Lots of Other DFB Posts About Disneyland Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click here to Subscribe Are you a D23 Member? Tell us in the comments! The post Find Out If You Qualify For an EXCLUSIVE Oogie Boogie Bash Night in Disneyland first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

As tourists and new residents flock to South Florida's beaches, ocean rescue chiefs struggle to hire new lifeguards while current lifeguards work overtime to pick up the slack. View the full article

SeaWorld Orlando is having a brief sale on theme-park tickets, including one-day admission for $55. View the full article

Disney has been releasing a LOT of new ears lately! Lots of Minnie Ears We’ve seen Lightyear ears, pretty blue ears, Thor ears (that are…interesting to say the least), and more. There are some pairs of ears that you can almost always count on to be in the parks, but then there are those that FLY off of the shelves! And guess what?! A VERY popular pair of ears has just been restocked in Disney World! The Scarlet Witch ears are BACK in Disney World! They’re BACK! We saw the ears be restocked in The Emporium in Magic Kingdom. The ears were officially released in the parks last week, but they sold out! Scarlet Witch Ears They were also previously released online, where they sold out in SECONDS. We LOVE It’s safe to say these ears are pretty popular, so if you see them and you want a pair, do NOT wait — grab them while you can! Does she, though? You can get them for $29.99. We think Wanda would like these The ears could also be restocked online, like the popular Star Wars Ewok ears just were, so we’ll keep an eye out for that. But, don’t count on them returning online! Close upe Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney merchandise news and updates! Click here to check out a new pair of ears that GLOW in the DARK! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2022 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 order your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2022 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. Were you able to snag the Scarlet Witch ears? Tell us in the comments! The post HURRY! Scarlet Witch Ears BACK in Stock in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney experts know that Disneyland has some truly delicious eats. Sleeping Beauty Castle is a beauty! Not long ago we tried seven (!!) new foods in Disneyland Resort, and now Disney is gearing up for summer with more foods to try! Check out the new BBQ dishes, a huge family platter, a NEW late-night menu, and more! It’s time to get excited for some new summer foods coming to Disneyland Resort! Let’s jump right in. ©Disney Disney California Adventure Paradise Garden Grill Kansas City-style BBQ Ribs: Pork ribs with house-made BBQ sauce, pickles, and onions (New) North Carolina-style BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich: Creamy colesaw, crispy jalapenos, pickles, and onions (New) St. Louis-style BBQ-Rubbed Chicken: Beer-brined, roasted half chicken with pickles and onions (New) Each entree comes with one side: Poblano Mac & Cheese, Chuck Wagon Beans, Potato Salad with Bacon, Creamy Colesaw, Andouille Sausage, or Jalapeno-cheddar Cornbread Peach Cobbler Cocktail: Moonshine, peach schnapps, and peach-cinnamon puree Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer ©Disney Family Picnic Platter: BBQ half chicken, pulled pork, ribs, andouille sausage, poblano mac & cheese, chuck wagon beans, potato salad with bacon, creamy coleslaw, jalapeno-cheddar cornbread, pickles, onions, and cherry cheesecake (New) ©Disney Red Rose Taverne Late Night Menu (Available from 8:30PM to 11:30PM daily) (New) (Available on Mobile Order) Bonsoir Chili Cheese Poutine: Hearty plant-based chili, shredded “cheese,” and seasoned waffle fries (New) Our Classic Poutine: Slow-cooked beef, gravy, cheese curds, and spiced, pickled red onions on waffle fries (New) Firelight Fries: Tangy spiced chicken and pepperoncini ranch sauce on ranch-seasoned waffle fries (New) ©Disney Disneyland Park Harbour Galley Soup in a Sourdough Bread Bowl: Served with your choice of clam chowder, steak gumbo, or plant-based vegetable gumbo Harbour Muffuletta Salad: Cured meats and cheese on mixed lettuce with olive tapenade, giardiniera, pepperoncini, and Italian dressing with sliced sourdough (New) Pelican Punch: Chilled tropical blend of pineapple, coconut, and lime Royal Street Veranda Hoppin’ John IMPOSSIBLE Royal Wrap: Seasoned plant-based meat with rice, black-eyed peas, “cheddar,” lettuce, and Cajun dressing in a spinach tortilla (New) Street Steak Salad: Chilled steak on mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, blue cheese, candied pecans, and fried onions with a horseradish dressing (New) ©Disney Blueberry Fritters: Fritters covered in blue sugar and served with lemon curd dipping sauce Blueberry Fritters Downtown Disney Salt & Straw Picnic Series: Picnic-themed flavors inspired by popular summertime eats such as watermelon, fried chicken, and cherry pie (Available throughout June) (New) ©Disney Pink Rose & Watermelon Sorbet Pink Rose and Watermelon Sorbet Deviled Egg Custard with Smoked Black Tea Cinnamon & Honey Fried Chicken Cinnamon and Honey Fried Chicken Ice Cream and Deviled Egg with Smoked Black Tea ice cream Baked Brie & Fig Cheesecake Chocolate Nocino Cheery Pie Baked Brie and Fig Cheesecake Ice cream and Chocolate Nocino Cherry Pie Ice Cream These dishes are available now in Disneyland Resort so make a list of everything you need to try and head on over! Keep reading DFB for more Disneyland food news and updates! Come with us to try 7 NEW eats in Disneyland Resort! Want to Learn More About Disneyland? Check Out the Links Below! Check Out Important Details about the 2022 Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival Learn About Disney Genie and How to Use it in Disneyland See the Latest Updates About Disneyland’s Face Mask Policy Check Out What You Need to Know About the Theme Park Reservation System for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Check Out Our Disneyland Restaurants Guide Learn All About Disneyland Park See What Marvelous Stuff You’ll Find at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure See More About Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure Learn About the Disneyland Mobile App Get All the Details About Mobile Order in Disneyland Learn More About Disneyland’s Magic Key Program What’s Going to Be Different About Your Next Disneyland Trip? Click HERE to Check Out Lots of Other DFB Posts About Disneyland Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click here to Subscribe What do you want to try most? Tell us in the comments! The post BIG Food Updates -- Including a NEW Late Night Menu -- in Disneyland! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

There are lots of exciting dining and snack updates happening in Disney World these days! Brunch spread at Olivia’s Cafe In the past few months, the parks and resorts have opened several new restaurants and we’ve still got more on the way! On top of that, we’ve got a long list of new snacks available for the summer season. And now, Disney has made a very exciting announcement about an under-the-radar restaurant! Olivia’s Cafe at Old Key West Resort is somewhat of a hidden gem, especially if you’re visiting for brunch. And starting on September 1st, you can have brunch at Olivia’s EVERY day of the week! (Provided that you can score a reservation. ) Olivia’s This expanded offering will feature favorites like the Southernmost Buttermilk Fried Chicken and the Papa’s Hash, as well as the Loaded Key West Bloody Mary. But that’s not all! A new item will be coming to the menu as well — Banana Bread Pudding. It’s served with Bahamian banana-rum syrup and coconut whipped cream with your choice of bacon, sausage, or ham. ©Disney Reservations will be opening soon for the daily brunch (we’re not quite to that 60-day window yet!) so be ready to snag one for your upcoming trip. We can’t wait to stop by and try out that new bread pudding! Olivia’s Cafe — a seriously underrated resort table service restaurant And if you’re looking for other special meals during your trip, there are several other dining changes coming soon to Disney World. The buffet will be returning to Hollywood & Vine at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in just a few days and Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano is getting new menu items. It’s a summer MADE for Disney foodies! These Are the BEST Disney World Restaurants in 2022 — Click Here! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2022 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 order your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2022 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. Have you ever been to brunch at Olivia’s? Tell us in the comments! The post One of Disney World’s Best Brunches Will Soon Be a DAILY Offering first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

For many, this summer is THE time to travel, since vacations have been on hold for the past couple of years and now a lot of COVID-19 restrictions are being relaxed. We’ve seen some big crowds in Disney World, and tourist destinations all over the world are in high demand. But the itch to get out and travel hasn’t hit everyone, and even some people who want to get out and vacation are putting their plans on hold for a while longer. Not everyone is ready to travel There are still plenty of reasons to not travel this summer, including health concerns, inflated prices, and limited capacity at tourist spots. But what are the BIGGEST reasons why you’re staying home instead of packing your suitcase? We asked you on Facebook, and now we’ve got the results! If you’re not already following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, be sure to hit that follow button so that you can respond to future polls and see all the latest Disney news! Over the last couple of years, a lot of travelers put their plans on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic both because of health concerns and travel restrictions. But are the same concerns still prevalent now? We asked our readers, “If you AREN’T planning on traveling this summer, what’s your biggest reason?” And according to their responses on Facebook, COVID-19 isn’t actually a major reason for skipping their summer 2022 vacation. COVID-19 Health and Safety Sign In fact, several readers specified that they’re no longer concerned about COVID due to vaccinations, improved health & safety procedures, and simply the length of time that has passed. Now, different issues have come up that make travel almost as difficult as it was a couple of years ago, albeit for very different reasons. Southwest Flight Here are the main reasons that you’re staying HOME instead of heading out on vacation this summer: Gas Prices When we think of going out somewhere expensive, we usually imagine fancy restaurants and luxury shopping centers. But now, just GETTING to those destinations is a pricey endeavor in itself! In fact, the average price of a gallon of gas in the US exceeded $5 recently, which is the highest it’s EVER been, according to CNN. The Speedway Gas Station at Disney Springs One reader said, “We’re traveling, but we’re cutting our road trip short because of gas prices.” Another shared a similar sentiment: “The cost of gas has shortened our trip.” And a third summed up the problem very neatly: “gas $$$$$$$.” Disney World gas station | March 2022 Gas prices have been on the rise since around March 2022. We saw a dip in prices around April, and in May the national average for a gallon was $4.19. Since then, we’ve seen a steady increase in prices, which has impacted both road trippers and ride-share drivers and users. Speedway Now, US drivers are looking at an average of $5.01 per gallon of gas, according to AAA. If you need to fill your tank a few times during a road trip, that adds up QUICK. Learn more about gas prices in Florida. You might think that there’s an easy solution to this problem: just skip the car ride and hop on a plane instead! But it turns out that form of transportation comes with even MORE problems. Flight Prices and Cancelations Just like gas prices, flight prices are trending upwards right now. Airplanes need fuel too, after all. And with the demand for travel on the rise, ticket prices are getting higher. Flights are expensive One reader commented that it’s just “way too expensive to fly anywhere right now.” And another shared that “the cost of flying is easily what is deterring [them] at the moment.” Labor shortages are contributing to the problem. From our research, we’ve seen the average price to fly to Disney World increase significantly over the past few months. In May, the average ranged from $347.07 (on the cheaper side) to $981.22 (for more expensive options). Jump to July, and the average is currently looking like $510.50 for cheaper flights up to $1,156.41 for the expensive ones. That’s an increase of between $163.43 and $175.19. See how we determine the average cost to fly to Disney World here. But beyond the increase in prices, flight cancelations are making even more travelers wary of booking their trips. One of our readers commented that airports “cannot cope with the demand since travel restrictions have been lifted,” and the reader “[doesn’t] want to book a flight to have it be one of the hundreds canceled that day.” Orlando International Airport Another reader shared that they’ve already had problems with flight cancelations: “We had planned to go to Seattle to pick up an Alaskan cruise. Delta canceled our flight in the middle of the night and we were stranded. Nothing from Delta then or since. We found out online.” And yet another reader described the problems as “random flight cancelation bingo.” Orlando International Airport Several problems contribute to the increase in cancelations, including fuel shortages, staffing issues, and overbooked schedules. But regardless of the reason for the issues, a lot of people are unwilling to pay the higher prices just to worry about a cancelation and potentially be stranded somewhere, waiting for an airplane to become available. Learn more about the flight cancelations (and reasons behind them) here. Increased Living Expenses A third problem that many of our readers cited as the reason for their canceled vacations was the increased cost of living. According to the Wall Street Journal, “U.S. inflation accelerated to an 8.6% annual rate in May, its fastest pace in 41 years. Consumers are seeing prices rise sharply for a variety of goods and services as strong demand collides with persistent supply shortages.” Everyday items are getting more expensive We’ve seen those supply shortages affect a variety of foods in Disney World, and they’re having just as hard of an impact on local grocery stores. Day-to-day expenses are increasing in price, which puts a strain on people’s budgets. One reader said, “Increased living expenses left no room in the budget for vacations.” Another agreed that “the cost of living is too high.” Dry Foods, Grocery Items, and Souvenir Mugs And people are still recovering from the problems brought on by the pandemic as well. One reader said that their family is having a “no-spend June” in order to “work on paying off our debt.” Groceries at Port Orleans When budgets are trimmed down, vacation and leisure activities are often some of the first things to go since they’re not necessarily essential to daily living. For those looking to save some cash this year, canceling a summer trip is one of the easiest ways to do it. Learn more about how supply shortages are impacting Disney World. Staffing Shortages Impacting Travel We already mentioned that staffing shortages have affected flights as airlines struggle to keep enough staff to meet the travel demands. But other industries are having trouble keeping a full staff as well. One reader said, “Our daycare keeps closing due to low staffing,” which has caused the adults to use more of their paid time off from work in order to watch the kids, meaning there are fewer vacation days available. Closed sign A few other readers also cited problems with daycare and pet boarding facilities not having enough availability to meet their needs. Hotels are another place where low staffing is leading to less availability and increased prices. Without enough workers to keep the whole hotel operational, some rooms might be closed for a while. And low capacity paired with high demand means that room prices can soar. Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort One reader said, “We wanted to go out of town last weekend but couldn’t find pet-friendly lodging for under $300 per night.” Some readers also mentioned concerns about destinations not having as many amenities open due to staffing problems. Because they’ve seen businesses close locally due to the issues, they’re assuming (correctly) that this problem is happening elsewhere in the world. Ample Hills CNBC reported that “shifts that have taken place in the labor market are becoming more pronounced, with many people voluntarily quitting roles just as demand for workers rises as economies reopen.” They also explained that “the problem is not just a U.S. one, with many countries around the world experiencing a shortage of workers.” In waiting for the staffing problems to be sorted out, many people are hoping that their favorite travel destinations will have more businesses, restaurants, and shops open the next time they visit. Learn about staffing shortages in Disney World here. Overcrowded Tourist Areas Has anyone else noticed that everyone on their Insta feed seems to be traveling right now? We already explained that many people are excited to travel now that COVID restrictions have relaxed, and the 2-year hiatus from travel has made some people eager to vacation despite the cost. Crowds in EPCOT That travel boom has caused others to pull back in order to avoid the crowds at many tourist destinations. One reader said, “It’s way too people-y out there” (and we can confirm that Disney World is very people-y at the moment). Haunted Mansion Another stated that “every place is crowded. Airports, restaurants, sites etc. Not really a COVID concern, I just hate being around too many people in general.” Orlando International Airport crowds If you’re looking to vacation without the crowds, this summer is not the time to do it. Waiting a while for the demand to die down a bit and for kids to return to school might be a better plan. Find out how crowded Disney World is right now. Just Happy to Stay Home! In happier news, many readers were just excited to be home for the summer season! One reader said, “There’s so much stuff to do locally during the summer. I always save my vacations for the rest of the year.” Another commented that “it’s beautiful in Michigan in the summer. I can’t miss the gorgeous weather! We save our travel for times when the weather isn’t as nice.” Wherever you live, nice weather is a definite plus! Specifically looking at Disney World, we can understand why the summer might not be your first choice when it comes to a vacation timeline. Florida gets HOT, and that paired with the unforgiving humidity is not ideal. Learn about the 2022 hurricane season in Florida. So What Should You Do? If you’re still hoping to travel this summer but struggling with one or more of the above problems, make sure you look closely at all possible deals and discounts for the destination you’re planning to visit. Working with a good travel agent can help you save money, as they often will find those discounts for you. Magic Kingdom Specifically for Disney World and Disneyland, we keep track of all the current discounts right here at DFB! Take a look here. See all the current Disney World and Disneyland deals and discounts here. Several of our readers also mentioned that they opted for summer staycations instead of traveling! You can take a few days off work and plan some fun activities right where you live. That way you’ll save money while still getting a break from the everyday grind. Sometimes a staycation is perfect! It’s clear that, while COVID is no longer the primary concern for many people, travel in 2022 is still a struggle. We’re here to help you out with the latest news about Disney discounts and changes, so keep following DFB! When to AVOID Planning a Trip to 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! Order Your Copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2022 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 order your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2022 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Are you putting your summer vacation on hold this year? Let us know why in the comments! The post The BIG Reasons YOU Aren't Traveling This Summer first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

If you’re visiting Disney World soon, you’ll get to see a LOT of new things. The Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind coaster opened last month, and the updated Finding Nemo show in Disney’s Animal Kingdom is now open as well! But those aren’t the only new offerings in the parks. Main Street U.S.A. Disney is consistently coming out with new treats, eats, and menus for all of the restaurants and snack locations around the parks. We recently took a look at some new treats coming out for Father’s Day this weekend, but now we have even MORE news for you when it comes to Disney’s dining scene. And some of these announcements are BIG. Buckle up, because there are a LOT of changes and new items coming to Disney’s restaurants. Salt & Straw — Disney Springs This spot debuted a new menu of unique ice cream flavors earlier this month! It’s called the Picnic Series, and it features some interesting flavors, like Fried Chicken and Deviled Eggs. Summer Picnic Series flavors We’ve already tried out the new flavors, and we have to admit that Deviled Egg ice cream is not nearly as gross as it sounds! There are also some more traditional dessert flavors, like watermelon and cherry pie. Check out our review of the Salt & Straw Picnic Series menu here. Swirls on the Water — Disney Springs This newer location in Disney Springs features all kinds of DOLE Whips! To celebrate the new Lightyear movie, Disney released a Buzz Lightyear Star Commander Cone, which is a purple cheesecake soft-serve adorned with chocolate wings and space sprinkles. Buzz Lightyear Cone Disney’s picture looked awesome, which is what made our experience with this ice cream cone last week even more hilarious. ©Disney Swirls on the Water will also have a new DOLE Whip Float, which will have Rosa Regale Sparkling Red Wine, DOLE Whip Strawberry, and a fresh strawberry slice. See our review of the Lightyear cone here! Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies — Magic Kingdom At Magic Kingdom, head to Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies to try the new Zurg Freeze, which will be available from June 17th through the end of the month. ©Disney As you can tell from the name, this treat also celebrates the upcoming Lightyear movie! Garden Grill — EPCOT Garden Grill recently updated their menu to include Barbecue-roasted Chicken with Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Sauce and Southern-style Spoon Bread. Garden Grill We noted these changes earlier in the week! The chicken replaced turkey in the all-you-care-to-eat meal. Learn more about the changes at Garden Grill here. Sunshine Seasons — EPCOT Sunshine Seasons in EPCOT also has some new menu items, starting today! There will be a Roast Beef Sandwich, which is made with chilled roast beef, chimichurri aïoli, cheddar, arugula, and red onion on a flour-topped kaiser roll served with potato chips. There’s also a plant-based option here, which is a Mediterranean Vegetable Sandwich featuring roasted red pepper, red onion, tomato, arugula, hummus, and balsamic vinaigrette on herbed focaccia. Sunshine Seasons Finally, this spot will add a Spicy Fish Taco with fire-roasted corn salsa, creamy jalapeño Piri Piri sauce, and radish served with plantain chips. Coral Reef Restaurant — EPCOT Coral Reef already updated their menu to include some new items including the following: Trio of Seasonal Dips with fresh vegetable crudité and crisps (appetizer) New England Clam Chowder (appetizer) Orange-glazed Sustainable Salmon served with vegetable stir-fry and shiitake sticky rice (entree) Cajun Chicken Pasta filled with pulled Cajun-spiced chicken, parmesan cream sauce, roasted mushrooms, peas, peppers, and onions (entree) Coral Reef Restaurant You can head in to try out the new additions now. (Note that we reported on these changes earlier in the week as well.) Hollywood & Vine — Disney’s Hollywood Studios Hollywood & Vine is bringing back its buffet this summer! It will return on August 28th. The all-you-can-eat buffet will have breakfast options like Brioche French Toast with Banana Foster Sauce, Salmon and Bagel Casserole, and Plant-based Frittata with tomato jam. ©Disney Lunch and dinner will feature dishes such as Plant-based Roasted Mushroom Farro Risotto, Slow-roasted Crispy Pork Belly with Guava glaze, and Shrimp and Bacon Mac & Cheese. Some desserts that you’ll find on the buffet include Mississippi Mud Pie and the PB&J Tarts. Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano — Disney’s Hollywood Studios Mama Melrose’s is getting a few new menu items “inspired by classic Italian cuisine.” Here’s a list of the new items: Fried Fresh Mozzarella (with marinara sauce, ricotta salata, and lemon oil) Grilled Bone-in Pork Chop (with creamy polenta, roasted tomatoes, mustard vincotto, and charred broccolini) “Enhanced versions” of Mama’s Italian Pasta and the Sustainable Fish dish Mini Cannoli Trio Colors of Italy Cheesecake Mama’s Cookies To Go Blueberry Frangipane Tart ©Disney All of these items are expected to arrive in late June. Olivia’s — Disney’s Old Key West Resort Disney has announced that “Olivia’s brunch service will be available every day of the week starting on September 1, with reservations opening soon.” Olivia’s Some of the dishes you can get at Olivia’s for brunch will include existing options like Southernmost Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Papa’s Hash, and the Loaded Key West Bloody Mary. ©Disney But there will also be a NEW menu item added — the Banana Bread Pudding! We already love the bread pudding over at ‘Ohana, so we can’t wait to try out this new dish. It will feature Bahamian banana-rum syrup and coconut whipped cream with your choice of bacon, sausage, or ham. Disney’s All-Star Resorts Some new treats are coming to Disney’s All-Star Resorts. Here’s a full list! World Premiere Food Court — Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort: Box Office Cupcake (a yellow cupcake filled with caramel and topped with marshmallow buttercream and a peanut-pretzel-popcorn brittle) Intermission Food Court — Disney’s All-Star Music Resort: Rock and Roll Cupcake (a yellow cupcake filled with peanut butter buttercream and topped with banana panna cotta and candied bacon) End Zone Food Court — Disney’s All-Star Sports: MVP Cupcake (yellow cupcake stuffed with apple pie filling and topped with a buttercream baseball and caramel popcorn-peanut crunch) ©Disney Disney’s Pop Century Resort You can find the newest sweets at this hotel at Everything POP Shopping & Dining. Everything Pop There will be the Flashback Crème Pie (an oatmeal-raisin cookie sandwich filled with marshmallow crème topped with dark chocolate and cinnamon glaze) and a Pop Goes the Bananas Cupcake (a yellow cupcake filled with caramelized banana in a pastry crème topped with caramel-latte buttercream). Disney’s Art of Animation Resort There’s also a new treat at Art of Animation! At Landscape of Flavors (the food court-style restaurant at this hotel), you can get the Lighting McQueen Gravel Road Sundae, which is vanilla soft-serve ice cream with chocolate cookie crumbs, chocolate sauce, and a Lightning McQueen chocolate coin. ©Disney And over at the Drop Off Pool Bar, there are a couple of new drinks. The Big Blue Ocean is Svedka Vodka, Bacardi Superior Rum, Bols Blue Curaçao, and Minute Maid Premium Lemonade served with a souvenir glow cube. And the Seafoam Refresher is made with Malibu Coconut Rum, Bols Blue Curaçao, and pineapple juice, garnished with pineapple. ©Disney While we’ve already tried some of these new eats, we’re excited to taste the rest! We’ll be bringing you full reviews of all the new eats, so stay tuned with DFB to find out which ones are must-tries and which you should skip. Click here to learn about limited-time treats coming to Disney World in June! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2022 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 order your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2022 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 of the new items are you going to try first? Let us know in the comments. The post MAJOR Food Announcements: Updated Menus and NEW Snacks Hit Disney World! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney’s Hollywood Studios has seen some massive menu CHANGES recently, and more are on the way! Mama Melrose Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater got a menu overhaul not too long ago, and we brought you along with us as we tried the new menu items over at 50’s Prime Time Cafe. We’ve also seen new treats arrive in the park, including a coffee we had waited forever for. And we’ve shared how buffets will soon return to Hollywood & Vine, but there’s yet ANOTHER change coming to a Hollywood Studios restaurant soon! Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano in Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the next spot to get a menu overhaul in this park. Starting in late June, NEW menu items inspired by classic Italian cuisine will debut at the restaurant. Let’s go through the new items! Such a Beautiful Space Inside Appetizers In terms of new appetizers, Mama Melrose’s will see the addition of a Fried Fresh Mozzarella item, which will be served with marinara sauce, ricotta salata, and lemon oil. Mama Melrose Entrees In terms of entrees, Mama Melrose’s will see a few changes including: NEW Grilled Bone-in Pork Chop, served with creamy polenta, roasted tomatoes, mustard vincotto, and charred broccolini ©Disney An enhanced version of Mama’s Italian Pasta (right now the item is made with Spaghetti tossed with Roasted Garlic, Tomato, fresh Basil, and Asiago-Herb Crostini; Disney hasn’t yet specified what the changes will be) An enhanced version of the Sustainable Fish dish (right now the fish is served with with Pappardelle Pasta tossed with Puttanesca Sauce and Grilled Asparagus; Disney hasn’t yet explicitly stated what the changes or “enhancements” will be) ©Disney Dessert And, finally, for dessert there will be several new options including: The Mini Cannoli Trio Colors of Italy Cheesecake Mama’s Cookies To Go Blueberry Frangipane Tart ©Disney We last reviewed Mama Melrose’s in April of 2022. During that visit, just as in some past visits, the food items were hit or miss. The chicken parm was good and so was the Italian meatball, but we didn’t love the chicken in our Italian Pasta, and the minestrone soup was just alright. The tiramisu, however, was spectacular! We’ll be curious to see whether these changes/additions to the menu will truly astound us with fantastic flavors or miss the mark. We’ll have to try some to find out! Tiramisu If you’re interested in learning about the other menu changes and food news from Disney World, click here to see full details about some of the price increases and new prix fixe menus that have hit Disney World restaurants recently. You can also click here to see the full menu that has been revealed for the return of Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue in Disney World, or click here to see what menu item has been REMOVED from Disney World due to supply shortages. Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue Menu Items ©Disney As always, stay tuned to DFB for more Disney food 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! Order Your Copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2022 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 order your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2022 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Are you a fan of Mama Melrose’s? Tell us in the comments! The post NEWS: Menu CHANGES Coming to Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article