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First Look: ‘Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!’ Opening Summer 2022 | Walt Disney World ResortView the full article

Climb aboard explorers and hold on tight, because it’s time to take a deep dive into the creation of the freshly reimagined show, “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!” – opening this summer at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park! Stepping inside the Theater in the Wild, we’ll catch up with the group of fish […]View the full article

Disney fans can hug Mickey Mouse again as traditional character meet-and-greets return. View the full article

A proposal that aims to strip Disney World of its self-governing powers was passed in the Florida House with less than 60 seconds of discussion Thursday, after some Florida lawmakers disrupted proceedings on the House floor and staged a sit-in. The House called an informal recess after the disruption began, when Rep. Yvonne Hayes Hinson (D) was speaking in opposition to the Florida redistricting maps that were up for a separate vote today in Tallahassee. When her mic was cut off after her allotted time ran out, other lawmakers marched to the front of the chamber shouting, “This is good trouble.” Disney World Road Signs When House proceedings resumed with protestors still shouting from the front of the House chamber, the three bills on the docket were quickly brought to a vote without debate. “It seems as if Mickey and Minnie have joined us in the chamber today,” said Rep. Randy Fine (R), a sponsor of the bill that seeks to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District. The measure passed by a vote of 70-38. But the bill’s passage and probable signing by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis may not actually mean the end of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. A lengthy timeline before the bill’s changes take effect leaves Florida lawmakers plenty of time to backtrack and change their minds, and a Florida State Senator suggests even Florida’s Governor — who pushed for the proposal — does not expect Reedy Creek to be disbanded. Road construction at Walt Disney World Lawmakers on both sides of the issue say the proposal was not ready for prime-time, and that is leading to questions about the intention behind the actions. The bill itself is less than two pages long, and contains no specifics about economic impact or the dissolution process. In committee discussion on Tuesday, Sen. Jeff Brandes — the only Republican in the State Senate to vote “no” on the measure — pointed to the unknowns for taxpayers as reasons for his opposition. Reedy Creek Fire Department ©Reedy Creek One of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Jennifer Bradley (R), acknowledged that Legislative discussions about “validity and scope” would need to proceed in the year between when the bill is enacted and when the districts it affects — including Reedy Creek — would be dissolved. State Sen. Gary Farmer (D) said stripping Disney World’s self-governing powers has never been the point. “It should be noted that the Governor does not really expect Reedy Creek to be disbanded,” Farmer said in a statement to The Disney Food Blog. “This bill is both a political smokescreen to cover up his racist redistricting plan and an attempt to force Disney into political submission.” But in a fundraising email sent Wednesday, DeSantis showed no indication he was backing down. “Disney has gotten away with special deals from the state of Florida for way too long,” he wrote. “It took a look under the hood to see what Disney has become to truly understand their inappropriate influence.” ©Fox10 News | Florida Governor Ron DeSantis The bill would not dissolve Disney’s special improvement district until more than a year from now – on June 1, 2023 — providing Florida lawmakers ample time to amend or repeal an act passed this week. The text of the current bill also allows for the re-establishment of the districts affected by the legislation, as soon as June 1, 2023 — the same day they would be dissolved. And that, Rep. Anna Eskamani (D.-Orlando) said in an interview with The Disney Food Blog, signals that this effort is about making Disney fall in line with the governor’s wishes. The Walt Disney Company and Florida Republicans have been at odds after Disney spoke out in opposition to the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, called the “Don’t Say Gay” law by its critics, and announced it would “pause” political contributions to the bill’s supporters. ©Disney The message from the Legislature regarding dissolving Disney’s special improvement district is “we have a year timeline, so if Disney purports themselves in a more appropriate manner, we’ll revisit this,” Eskamani said. Fine told NewsMax that Disney’s behavior has prompted the removal of its “special privileges.” “When my 14-year-old or my 10-year-old ask for special privileges, they behave,” Fine said in the interview. “And they don’t expect those special privileges if they act like jerks. … It’s time for them (Disney) to remember that we are not California, and they are a California company, and we’re not interested in their California values here in this state.” Taking Eyes Off the Ball? The original reason for this week’s special Legislative session was to bring lawmakers to Tallahassee to finish redrawing Florida’s Congressional Districts, after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a map approved in March. DeSantis says he believes that recent federal court rulings have invalidated an amendment to the Florida Constitution passed in 2010, which put a priority on drawing districts that will promote minority voters’ ability to elect representatives of their choice over the drawing of districts with equal populations. Photo by Infrogmation of New Orleans | The Old and New Florida State Capitol Buildings The new map proposed by DeSantis and now passed by both chambers of the Florida Legislature creates 20 seats in areas that lean Republican and 8 that lean Democratic. It also eliminates a minority-majority Congressional district in North Florida. “The Congressional maps cut the number of minority access seats for Black Floridians in half,” said Farmer. In a statement to The Disney Food Blog, Farmer called the redrawing a violation of Federal law and of state constitutional provisions adopted by Florida voters. “Although I understand the Legislature’s desire to comply with the Florida Constitution …” DeSantis said in his letter announcing his veto of the first redistricting plans to his his desk, “Where the U.S. and Florida Constitutions conflict, the U.S. Constitution must prevail.” Magic Kingdom The re-drawn Congressional districts are expected to be challenged in court. Many Unknowns It will likely be months before the impact of the action – on Disney, on the state, on Orange and Osceola counties, and on Central Florida taxpayers – will be known. “It’s clear that no legitimate analysis has been done on what the impact would be at a local level,” Rep. Anna Eskamani (D.-Orlando) said in an interview with Disney Food Blog. “Orange and Osceola counties have not even been able to put that together because it is so complex.” Welcome to Disney World Speaking at an economic summit at Full Sail University Thursday, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings said state lawmakers have not “adequately contemplated” the results of this action. “If we had to take over the first response and public safety components for Reedy Creek with no new revenue, that would be catastrophic for our budget in Orange County,” Demings said. “It would put an undue burden on the rest of the taxpayers in Orange County to fill that gap.” The cost of assuming Reedy Creek’s debt obligations alone could result in an additional tax bill of $2,400 for each family of four in Orange and Osceola counties, according to research done by Rep. Farmer’s staff. “Sweeping changes like those in SB 4C should be done in a careful and deliberative manner,” Farmer said. DeSantis is expected to swiftly sign both proposals when they arrive on his desk. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post Lawmaker Calls Reedy Creek Vote a 'Smokescreen' in Tallahassee first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney World certainly likes to keep us on our toes, and today they surprised us with a couple of MAJOR soft openings in EPCOT. The Connections Café opened this morning, which is the new Starbucks location in EPCOT. While we were there earlier, the Connections Eatery (which shares a space with the Café) wasn’t quite ready for guests yet. But now that has CHANGED! Connections Eatery This afternoon, the Connections Eatery had a soft opening with its full menu available for guests to try! Of course we had to head inside to check out the space and try some of the eats. Should you add this new spot to your EPCOT food tour? And can the eats even compete with the rest of the amazing food in this park? We’re about to find out! First of all, you need to know where to find Connections Eatery. It’s located in World Celebration (which is the new name for Future World, in case you haven’t visited in a while), near the Creations Shop. If you’re walking into EPCOT past Spaceship Earth, look to your left to find this restaurant. Let’s get some food! There are a few different entrances to the restaurant. You can head in through the Connections Eatery entrance or the Connections Café entrance since it’s really just one big space. Note that Disney has announced this restaurant will officially open on April 27th, but it’ll have a few soft openings over the next few days. So if you’re planning to visit EPCOT soon, stop by to see if it’s open during your visit! If you’d rather be totally sure that this spot will be available, plan to come after the 27th. A few different entrances Connections Eatery is a quick service restaurant, so you’ll order at the counter (or opt to Mobile Order instead, which is available here!) and then get your food immediately. You can then find a seat in the large dining room. Let’s head in to check out this new space. Atmosphere Walking in, the first thing you’ll notice is how BIG this restaurant is. The ceilings are high, there are a lot of light colors, and it’s just a generally bright and open space. It’s all open! Disney has said that Connections Eatery is designed to “nod to Walt Disney’s original plans for EPCOT.” The modern decor and floor-to-ceiling windows are meant to hearken back to Disney’s dream to build a futuristic “community of tomorrow.” We love how open it is! But it’s not just the general vibes that nod to old EPCOT. You’ll also see some very cool design elements that specifically refer to EPCOT’s history. For example, look down at the floor near the Café counter to find a floor inlay “inspired by Walt’s 1966 ‘Florida Project’ site plans.” There are more floor designs like this one in other areas of the restaurant as well! Take a look at the floors too! A huge mural along one wall represents the “connection” that inspired the name of this restaurant. The mural is called “Global Gathering,” and it depicts people from around the world coming together to eat. That concept extends to the menu as well, with familiar foods taking on unique twists that are inspired by international flavors. There’s a beautiful mural back here! This mural is one of the largest murals EVER created by Walt Disney Imagineering! Notice how the scenes shift from sunrise to sunset as you walk down the mural. Another look at the mural Once you finally tear your eyes away from the art, you can check out the seating options here. There are mostly tables and chairs, but you’ll also find a few booths available. Note that many of the booths have outlets nearby, which makes them a great choice if you’re looking to charge up your phone before hitting the park. Inside the restaurant Grab a seat closer to the mural if you want to look for more details there, or take your food over to a table by the windows if you’d prefer to do some people-watching during your meal! It’s BIG! But the mural and people-watching aren’t the only options for “entertainment” here — there are 3 show kitchens as well, where guests can watch chefs at work! Show Kitchen It’s important to note that this spot does have restrooms as well — just follow the mural wall down the ramp and around the corner to find them. Restrooms To order your food, you’ll head up to the counter and order from a Cast Member at one of the stands there. You’ll then proceed to the counter to pick up your food. There are menu boards above the counter with all of the options. Where to order But remember that you can choose to Mobile Order here instead of ordering at the counter. Look for the Mobile Order pick-up signs over the counter to find the correct pick-up location. Mobile Ordering pick-up stations There’s some funky lighting over the counter, which we think really adds to the modern theme. Order here! Nearby, there’s a stand with several options for condiments, napkins, and real silverware! No plastic utensils for us — we’re feeling quite fancy now. They have real silverware! While we’re here, we should probably grab some eats, right? Eats Like we mentioned before, this restaurant features “globally inspired flavors” with some classic dishes that take on unique twists. Note that everything on the menu is $14.99 or under, which is not a bad deal for lunch in Disney World. Menu The entrées available here include several options for burgers or chicken sandwiches, like a Southwestern Burger, Banh Mi Burger, or Hand-breaded Chicken Sandwich. ©Disney If you’re not feeling burgers, check out the pizza options. Menu There are some fairly traditional choices like pepperoni and cheese, but there’s also a meatball pizza and a curry spice pizza (which is on the plant-based menu). ©Disney You can also get a couple of different salads here. Salads and kids’ meals For sides, there’s coleslaw, fries, a side salad, or a mandarin orange. ©Disney Kids have several different options, including familiar eats like cheeseburgers or some more adventurous choices like a Grilled Chicken Bao. ©Disney The only thing for dessert is a Liege Waffle, but you can also check out the options for shakes as well! The shake looks yummy! There’s an Apple Pie Gelato Shake and a Mango-Coconut Milk Shake. ©Disney For your drink, choose from some standard choices like soda, water, milk and chocolate milk, or coffee. ©Disney The 21-and-over crowd can also check out various beers and wines. ©Disney There are so many new things to try, so we’re going to grab a little bit of everything! Food We grabbed a few different entrées and just as many desserts! In general, people who LOVE mango and tart fruity flavors are going to enjoy this the most. It wasn’t our favorite treat here, but it was definitely fresh and creative! It’d be a great cool-down snack on a hot day. Nosh or Not Gather at Connections Eatery in EPCOT if: You’re looking for a wide variety of options to please lots of different people. This spot has a little something for everyone! From hearty burgers to lighter salads and a great plant-based dish, we think that almost everyone can find something to enjoy on this menu. You’re traveling with a big group and want to sit down together inside with air conditioning. This space is HUGE, and there’s definitely plenty of room to accommodate a larger group. Just push a few tables together and call it good! You want to try some more adventurous eats without going too far out of your comfort zone. Yes, the eats here are inspired by global flavors, but they’re still not super unique or “out there.” You can get familiar dishes with just a small twist to make your lunch or dinner a little more exciting! Skip this new spot if: You would rather find more unique options around World Showcase. EPCOT has SO. MUCH. GOOD. FOOD. Can you really justify using up valuable stomach space before you even make it to World Showcase? With great quick-service spots like Yorkshire County Fish Shop and La Cantina de San Angel along the way, you might want to consider some more authentic eats in that section of the park. There’s an EPCOT festival going on. One of our favorite things to do in EPCOT during a festival is to visit all the different festival booths and snack all day long. If you love doing that too, it may not be wise to fill up on burgers and salad, no matter how good those dishes are! You’re looking for a fancier sit-down meal. The dining area here is nice, but it’s not anniversary-date-night-nice. If you want a more luxurious or romantic setting, try out Le Cellier or Chefs de France in World Showcase. Keep in mind that those spots are more expensive as well, so you’ll get what you pay for in terms of atmosphere. Overall To be totally honest, we’re still not convinced that EPCOT was the best park for this spot. We know the theming and flavors all match really well with the general vibe of EPCOT, but there are already SO many great restaurants in this park. And there’s even Sunshine Seasons nearby in the Land pavilion, which has the same “quick service restaurant with a huge dining room” thing going for it. Plenty of space in here! Other parks (ahem, Magic Kingdom) could really use some solid new spots like this, especially with a lot of indoor seating for guests to take an air-conditioned break. HOWEVER, once we get past that detail, we’ve got to admit that the food here is very good! Everything we had tasted great, and there’s a solid variety of options that we think could please just about everyone. And we like the different global flavors that are featured on the menu. All the food! The restaurant itself is also impressive, with lots of cool EPCOT details. The bright atmosphere and colorful accents make it a really enjoyable place to be, and we could look at that huge mural for a LONG time. Overall, we had a great time and we can’t wait to try more of the eats in this spot! Bye for now! Keep following DFB for more reviews of the newest food in Disney World! Take a FULL TOUR of the Connections Café (the Starbucks part of this location) here! 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! Are you planning to eat at Connections Eatery on your next trip to EPCOT? Let us know in the comments! The post REVIEW of the NEW Connections Eatery Restaurant in EPCOT first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

In celebration of Earth Month, cast members at Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa, along with their ‘ohana (family) took part in a Mālama ‘Aina (care for the land) work day at Na Mea Kupono Learning Center in Waialua. Na Mea Kupono is a lo’i kalo (or taro, a tropical root vegetable) farm that practices […]View the full article

Get your appetites ready! Connections Café & Eatery officially opens April 27 at EPCOT. Insider tip: You may get the chance for a sneak peek if you’re in the park over the next few days. View the full article

It’s time for another round of what’s new in Disney’s Hollywood Studios! Tower of Terror From some unexpected ears to a tasty breakfast dish (can you say gravy?), it’s been an eventful few days in Hollywood Studios! Check out all the news right here. Hollywood Studios Food Updates We tried the adult Breakfast Bowl from Woody’s Lunch Box for $8.79, and it comes with potato barrels smothered in smoked brisket, scrambled eggs, and country gravy with a green onion garnish. There’s also a kid’s version for $5.49. The breakfast bowl! We’ve tried this bowl in the past, and we’re still a fan, although we did wish there was more brisket! It’s a hearty portion with lots of creamy gravy, and if you like potatoes and gravy for breakfast this is for you. Read our review of the Breakfast Bowl here! Hollywood Studios Construction Updates Let’s move on to construction updates! This section near ABC Commissary was freshly painted… Fresh pain! …and there was also another section painted just down Commissary Lane. More paint! Tatooine Traders roped off an area for the lightsaber building virtual queue. Virtual Queue for lightsaber building And the exit for Toy Story Mania is still under construction! Toy Story Mania exit queue Now it’s time to hit the shops! Hollywood Studios Merchandise Updates Tatooine Traders Tatooine Traders had a Boba Fett Re-Armored Helmet for $120. We also spotted this helmet at Keystone Clothiers. Boba Fett Helmet We found the Series 4 Mandalorian Grogu Figures for $10 each. We also saw them at Keystone Clothiers. Grogu! And just FYI, if you’re a fan of Grogu, you might want to try these Grogu Goldfish. Grogu Goldfish?? Read all about it here! The Darkroom This Mickey Ear Birthday Hat was found at the Darkroom for $27.99! Is your birthday coming up? You might want to grab this hat! We LOVE this fun hat! It says “Happy Birthday” in BIG letters, and the ears are clear with Mickey confetti. Plus there’s a cupcake on top! Check out more photos of the Mickey Happy Birthday Hat here! We also found Main Street Electrical Parade Ears for $39.99! You might not be able to catch this nighttime parade in Disney World but you CAN sport the ears. Main Street Electrical Parade Ears These ears feature Mickey on one ear and Pete the Dragon on the other ear, with a bright yellow bow and a pink headband. They actually glow in the dark! Click here for more photos of the Main Street Electrical Parade Ears! Keystone Clothiers And at Keystone Clothiers, we found a Storm Trooper Towel for $26.99. You can also find it at Tatooine Traders. Stormtrooper Towel And that’s all the news from Hollywood Studios! Keep following DFB for more Disney news and updates! 14 things you can ONLY get in Hollywood Studios! 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 been to Hollywood Studios recently? Tell us in the comments! The post What's New in Hollywood Studios: Um, Is This Pair of Minnie Ears Lost? first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Back in 2020, Disney announced that Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story would be getting his own movie. Ever since then we’ve been patiently (okay, maybe not-so patiently) waiting for Lightyear to be released. Buzz Lightyear In February, Disney released the first full trailer for the movie, and today, they released another sneak peek at Lightyear. Today, Disney shared a second full trailer for Lightyear that’s even longer than the first one! While the first trailer seemed to set the scene for the movie, this second trailer establishes more of the plot and introduces us to more characters! You can watch it here: Did anyone else get goosebumps? No? Just us? Okay. In this trailer we get to see Buzz interact with more characters and we start to get a better understanding of some of the plot. Plus, we get to see more of Sox, the robot cat who is seriously adorable. In addition to a new trailer, Disney also shared a new poster for the movie. ©Disney Lightyear is supposed to be the movie that Andy watched that made him want the Buzz Lightyear toy so badly. It’s a sci-fi action movie about Buzz Lightyear trying to get home after he’s stranded on a hostile planet 4.2 million light-years from Earth. ©Disney Lightyear comes out in theaters on June 17th, and we can’t wait to see it! As always, make sure to keep reading DFB for the latest Disney movie news. Click Here for a Sneak Peek at Vera Bradley’s ‘Star Wars’ Collection! 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 excited to see Lightyear when it comes out in June? Let us know in the comments! The post VIDEO: Disney Released a NEW Trailer for ‘Lightyear’ and We Have Goosebumps first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

The Disney World parks change often, which is why we go to the parks (almost) every day so we can bring you the latest news! The Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom Today, we’re bringing you what’s new in Animal Kingdom, so let’s jump right into it! Traditional character meet-and-greets returned to the parks this week, and, thanks to Earth Day, we saw some pretty unique characters out in Animal Kingdom! We saw Kenai and Koda from Brother Bear… Kenai and Koda! …and Gypsy, the gypsy moth from A Bug’s Life! Gypsy! Also, in celebration of Earth Week at Animal Kingdom, there’s a new Wilderness Explorer activity over at Rafiki’s Planet Watch! A new Wilderness Explorer Activity! Individuals who complete the special Earth Day activity will receive a special sticker. Animal Kingdom Food Updates The Thirsty River Bar near Expedition Everest was missing one of its drink options when we were there recently. Thirsty River Bar Menu The Bumblebee Blonde Ale was missing from the menu. Animal Kingdom Construction Updates There’s a new photo opportunity out in front of the park! Next to the sand sculpture promoting the new Disney+ documentary Polar Bear, you’ll find a National Geographic photo spot! In this spot, you can take a picture inside of National Geographic‘s iconic yellow box logo. New ‘National Geographic’ Photo Spot Also at the entrance to the park are some new banners promoting Disney Planet Possible, a new initiative set forth to become more sustainable. There’s a banner that says “Inspire Future Conservation Heroes…” Disney Planet Possible …and one that welcomes three threatened rhinos! Disney Planet Possible Mammoth Marathon, one of the carnival games located in Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama was closed. It’s closed! The other carnival games were still open. Animal Kingdom Merchandise Updates Riverside Depot First and foremost, Mobile Checkout is now available at Riverside Depot! Now, you can check out through the My Disney Experience app instead of having to wait in line to check out with a cashier. Alright, now let’s get on with the new merchandise. First up, the Mickey Mouse: The Main Attraction Pirates of the Caribbean collection (which has been spotted in other stores in the parks) can also be found here! You can get the ears… Ears! …plush… Plush! …pin… Pin! …and Loungefly backpack! Loungefly backpack! Any fans of Toy Story out there? We found this Reach For The Sky coffee mug that you might love for $14.99! Reach For The Sky! We also saw this Earth Day pin that we had previously seen in EPCOT for $17. Earth Day pin! This plush is perfect for ice cream lovers. It’s an ice cream truck with three different types of ice cream on top (is that a Dole Whip I spy?) and Mickey Mouse enjoying some ice cream inside! Ice Cream Truck Plush It is $19.99. Island Mercantile Island Mercantile had some of the new Disney World 50th Anniversary Dooney & Bourke collection in stock. You can grab the wristlet wallet for $168… Wallet! …or the satchel bag for $268. Satchel bag! We’ve seen this collection both online and in other stores around Disney World. Windtraders There were lots of things to see over at Windtraders in Pandora! There were a couple of new water bottles like this one that spins and glows in the dark! It is $14.99. It glows in the dark! We also saw this bottle that has a picture of Pandora during the day on one side… Daytime Pandora …and Pandora during nighttime on the other side. It is $22.99. Nighttime Pandora We also saw this blue graphic print shirt for kids for $24.99. It has drawings of some of the different things you can find on Pandora. Kids graphic print shirt We also spotted two new magnets! The first magnet is this Na’vi River magnet for $9.99. Na’vi River Magnet The second is this black magnet with a banshee from Flight of Passage on it. It is also $9.99. Banshee magnet In addition to two new magnets, we saw two new keychains in Windtraders, as well! The first is this Pandora Na’vi River keychain for $9.99. It has a similar design as the Na’vi River magnet we saw. Na’vi River Keychain The other keychain we saw was this Pandora keychain. It is black and says “Experience Pandora a world like no other.” Pandora keychain This keychain lights up, as well! It is $14.99. And that’s what’s new in Animal Kingdom! Make sure to keep reading DFB for the latest news from all of the Disney parks, hotels, plus Disney Springs! NEWS: Connections Cafe is Now Open in EPCOT! 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 your favorite thing to do in Animal Kingdom? Let us know in the comments! The post What’s New in Animal Kingdom: Rare Characters and an Unexpected Photo Op first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

EPCOT is undergoing a BIG transformation right now that includes new rides, restaurants, stores, and more. There’s a LOT going on over here! We’ve already seen some of the new stuff open up, like a revamped Club Cool and a new flagship store. Disney announced previously that a new quick service food location would be coming to the park called Connections Cafe & Eatery. We’ve been tracking the progress of the new spot, and were waiting for an official opening date, but we don’t have to wait any longer because it is NOW OPEN! Connections Cafe opened up today in EPCOT, but just the Cafe portion is open right now, not the Eatery. Let’s go on in! The Cafe is actually the new permanent Starbucks location in the park! The previous location closed down permanently a few days ago. We’ve already given you a first look at the space, but now we’re going to show you a FULL TOUR of Creations Cafe. So, let’s get into it! Let’s go! Starting with the outside, we have the Connections Cafe sign that we’ve seen numerous times already on our recent trips to EPCOT, but now there’s nothing blocking the entrance since the Cafe is open! It’s OPEN! You can see the Starbucks logo on the side so you know exactly where to go for your cup of Joe in the morning (or afternoon, we’re not judging!). There’s actually another entrance/exit around the side as well. Another Starbucks logo! Once you walk inside the main entrance, you’ll immediately see the queue area to order. We’re in! You also can check out these GIANT panels with the EPCOT logo on them! These are fun! The queue is where you can find some Disney Starbucks merchandise, like those iconic tumblers that are so popular! Merch! We recently noticed that a lot of Starbucks merchandise was missing in EPCOT, and it looks like we found where it went! What is your favorite Starbucks merch item? You can get cups, mugs, pins, and more over here. Merchandise in the queue The queue was pretty busy when we were inside — news of the opening spread fast! Busy busy! Once you get closer to the front, you’ll be able to see the case with all of the food inside. If you’ve been to a Starbucks before, you’ll recognize some of these classics! A look at the food You’ve got your muffins, cake pops, croissants, and more. But, you might recognize something a bit different… What are you getting? …yep, it’s that Liege Waffle! We knew this was coming over here, and now we’re going to try it (more on that in a minute!). Waffle! You can also see some bottled drinks near the front of the queue, like waters and sodas, as well as some packs of Cuties Mandarin Oranges! SO many cuties! You can see the menu on the wall above the Cafe area, which is just your typical Starbucks menu! A peek at the menu So, you can get those classic refreshers, iced coffees, and more while you’re over in EPCOT. What is your usual order? Now, let’s check out some other details in this space! There’s a nice waiting area to the side of the ordering area so you can be out of the way. It even has some stools! A great area to wait! There is some less-traditional seating in here, which is fun! Seating area But, you can still sit at traditional tables with chairs. Normal table Something really cool about the seating areas is that they have outlets for you to plug in things like your phone charger! These are going to come in handy! You can see there’s a traditional plug as well as some USB ports. 10/10 idea There is also a lot of seating in here… Very similar to the inside of Creations! …like a LOT of seating… We love how open it is! …seriously SO MUCH seating! There’s some great natural light! There are also some comfy arm chairs in here around a table with the EPCOT logo! This was right before the Cafe opened! We love that there’s a lot of room to sit and hang out in here. There’s also an awesome display of coffee pots from all around the world! Look at all of them! How cool are these? It really ties in the coffee with the idea of the World Showcase in EPCOT, and makes this location unique! Wow! Some of these coffee pots are stunning, so you should definitely check them out next time you’re in here! Don’t miss these! You can see that the display wraps around to another seating area. If you look closely, you can see there’s an area blocked off down there. This is the area that leads to Connections Eatery, which isn’t open yet. You’ll see the area that’s blocked off in the back. But, even though the space isn’t opened, we were able to get a peek at what it looks like! Click here to see a FIRST LOOK at Connections Eatery! Okay, now it’s time to get back to that waffle we told you about! This is a Liege Waffle, which is a brioche dough with pearl and powdered sugar. There’s also supposed to be one of these coming to Connections Eatery, but that one will have Strawberries, Whipped Cream, and Chocolate Sauce! Look how golden this waffle is! Of course, we had to have a lil photoshoot with our before we tried it! It’s just such a beautiful waffle! Gorg Once we did try it, we found that this was really tasty! Even though it looks kind of plain on the outside, the dough itself almost tastes like the same kind of dough used in a breakfast danish. We’re fans of this one! They outside is actually encrusted with that pearl sugar, which is amazing. That combined with the warm waffle was giving us some caramel flavors! Would you try this? There’s also a nice crunch on the outside from the sugar. YUM The dough itself isn’t super sweet, so overall, this wasn’t an overwhelmingly sweet dessert, but it still made for a great little treat! Just beautiful The waffle was also $3.99, which we think is a pretty good deal in Disney World for this delicious dessert! If you like breakfast danishes, this is a fun spin on those. It’s also not super filling, so it would make a good snack or a light breakfast. A look inside! So, there you have it — a FULL tour of the new Connections Cafe, and a review of the newest waffle in Disney World! We’ll be on the lookout for when the Eatery opens up over here, so stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World news and updates! Click here to see the FULL MENU with PRICES of Connections Eatery! 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. Will you be checking out this new spot soon? Tell us in the comments! The post PHOTOS: FULL TOUR of the NEW Connections Cafe in EPCOT first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

With just weeks and counting until the opening of the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind attraction, Disney cast are immersing themselves into the world of “Guardians of the Galaxy” where the Wonders of Xandar pavilion’s story is set. Inside, we’ll meet emissaries of Nova Corps, whose mission is to showcase their home planet, Xandar, and […]View the full article

The 2022 Las Olas Wine and Food Festival will return April 22 with 40 restaurants and 35 wineries, spirit-makers and breweries lining Las Olas Boulevard. Here's everything you need to know. View the full article

A lot of exciting things are happening at EPCOT. EPCOT! The EPCOT transformation is STILL happening, but we’ll soon see the grand opening of a brand new ride AND new restaurant! But there are a lot of other things going on, too, like the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival, so let’s see what’s new! EPCOT Food Updates Sommerfest Sommerfest has had the Pretzel Bread Pudding for a while, but there’s now a placard there mentioning it. It’s “officially” here now! It’s a delicious treat, btw! Read Our Review of the Pretzel Bread Pudding HERE! EPCOT Merchandise Updates Creations Shop If you need a new water bottle, we found two new ones, including the J’Adore Water Bottle for $27.99… J’adore Mickey! …and a light blue Mickey Water Bottle, which is also $27.99. Mickey! If you haven’t managed to get the EPCOT Light Collection Backpack, it’s been restocked. The backpack is $59.99. Light Collection Backpack We also found a TON of new nuiMOS outfits and accessories for $12.99 each. There are two Ski Outfits, including this one… Ski Outfit for nuiMOs …and this one. Go skiing with your nuiMOs Plus there’s a Tracksuit with Baseball Cap… Track suit …a Workout Outfit complete with a headband… Aerobics outfit? …Lunar New Year Outfits… Lunar New Year …a Gym Bag and Yoga Mat Accessories Set… Gym gear …a Pink Dress… Dress …and two Casual Outfits, including this one… Being casual …and this one! More casualness We also found the Loungefly Minnie Mouse Wallet. Minnie! We love that big bow on there. The wallet is $50. Loungefly’s NEWEST Disney Backpack Is Actually…Kind of CREEPY! See Photos! Sportsman’s Shoppe The Double Decker Bus Purse has been restocked! London! Grab it now for $29.99. Here Are 7 DisneyBounding Outfits You WON’T Regret Wearing to the Parks Queen’s Table There’s a new Ulster Weavers Collection now available, including an Apron for $29.99… Apron …an Oven Mitt for $12.99… Oven Mitts are always hand-y souvenirs …a Cats Tea Towel for $12.99… For you cat lovers …a Tea Towel with Cats, Birds, and Plants on it, also for $12.99… Tea Towel …and a set of 4 Coasters. Coasters The set of coasters is $12.99. Starbucks Has a New Reusable Cup Bonus That Adds Up To FREE COFFEE Port of Entry If you want to get your hands on those Floral Minnie Ears, they’re back in stock! Floral Ears Grab them now for $29.99. See More Photos of these Ears EPCOT Attraction Updates Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind We’re getting closer to the official opening of the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind attraction! There are MAJOR signs of life as select Disney World guests get to try the new ride out for previews! But we recently saw the construction walls that were surrounding the attraction finally come down. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind You can see the ride now! We can’t wait to check it out ourselves when the ride opens to the public on May 27th. See More Photos of The New Ride Without Construction Walls EPCOT Character Updates Daisy Duck Daisy was greeting guests at the International Gateway entrance! Daisy! She was giving out hugs and signing autographs! PHOTOS & VIDEO: Hugs Are Back at Chef Mickey’s Character Dining in Disney World Those are all the updates we have from EPCOT right now, but stay tuned because we’ll soon be back with more! 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 were you last at EPCOT? Let us know in the comments! The post What's New in EPCOT: Walls Down Around the Guardians of the Galaxy Coaster and a Minnie Ear Restock first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

The magic is back at Hong Kong Disneyland! Guests were welcomed back to the park on Thursday, April 21, 2022. View the full article

We have been waiting on the edge of our seats for the opening of the Connections Eatery in EPCOT. We got a sneak peek of the menu, the temporary EPCOT Starbucks location closed, and now, Connections Cafe (the new Starbucks location that’s connected to the Eatery) has opened. Connections Eatery While the quick service restaurant side hasn’t yet officially opened, we did get a peek inside today, and we’re sharing a first look at the new space! If you’re heading into Connections Cafe to get your Starbucks fix currently, you’ll find that an area in the back of the building has been roped off — that’s the new Connections Eatery restaurant! To access the area, you can either take a left or a right once you walk into the Starbucks. You’ll see the area that’s blocked off in the back. Along the back wall, there’s a giant mural that follows the length of the open hallway between the two parts of connections. Each of the entrances to the Eatery are blocked off right now, but we could still get a fairly good look at the restaurant’s seating area. There’s a beautiful mural back here! While the Starbucks section of Connections is outfitted with black tables and chairs, the tables in the restaurant are white with off-white/tan chairs. It really brightens up the space! A first glimpse at the seating area. There’s a giant seating area here, and today, the only people inside were Disney Cast Members, likely training and preparing for the opening of the restaurant soon. We spoke with a manager, who told us that they hope to have all of Connections open on Wednesday, but there’s not an official announcement from Disney yet. There were only Cast Members inside currently. Over the next few days, we’ll be watching to see if there are any “soft” opens where we can test out the food, but for now, you can try one of the dishes from the Eatery menu at the Cafe — the Waffle Liege. We can’t wait to try out the full menu! We’re excited to explore it ourselves! We’ll keep you updated if we get more news on this restaurant or an official opening announcement from Disney, so stay tuned to DFB for the latest. Check Out the New Connections Cafe Starbucks 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 are you most excited to try at Connections Eatery? Let us know in the comments! The post PHOTOS: Go INSIDE the New Restaurant in EPCOT -- Connections Eatery first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

South Florida temperatures are going to be rising soon and many of us are about to dread going outdoors. Here are things to do before our weather starts approaching 90 degrees. 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. SO many Disney fans (young and old!) enjoy dressing up as their favorite characters. Princess Dresses Getting the chance to dress up in a fun outfit at a Disney park is just one of the many reasons that Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique (although closed currently), BOO Bash, and Dapper Days are so successful. But since visiting the parks in a full costume is against park rules most of the time, we’ve got a GREAT alternative. If you aren’t familiar with Disney’s costume policies, it’s important to know that costumes and costume masks are NOT permitted to be worn by guests 14 and older, except during specific Halloween and Christmas events. While this can be a bit of a bummer for kids-at-heart who are not visiting during the holiday season, there IS another way to rep your favorite character without breaking the rules: DisneyBounding! DisneyBounding is a more subtle, fashion-forward way to dress up like your favorite character by utilizing their signature color palette and accessories. Rather than dressing in a full costume, you put together a more casual, everyday outfit inspired by a Disney character. These outfits — known as DisneyBounds — are a stylish way to show off your creativity and love for Disney! The best part? While full costumes can be hot and itchy, restrict your range of motion, and just generally AREN’T the types of outfits we would typically recommend for a long park day, DisneyBounds can be both comfortable AND cute. We’ve got SEVEN fun character ideas that are both fashionable AND comfy so you won’t mind rocking them during your entire park day! Belle We’re going to start our DisneyBound suggestions with a comfortable twist on a classic Disney Princess. In her quiet village, Belle’s signature look is a blue dress, white top, bow hairdo, and lots of books as accessories. But it’s not too hard to make her outfit more casual! ©Amazon For your next DisneyBounding, pair a cute (yet practical) denim overall dress with your go-to white tee and white converse. The dress will keep you cool all day and is priced between $32.84 and $35.98. (And, it has pockets!) Find this blue denim overall dress here! To accessorize for a day out in the sun, you can tie long hair back with a simple blue bow. (Short hair? You can wear the bow on your wrist as a nod to Belle!) Or you can bobby pin it into your hair instead of using the hair tie. ©Amazon The bow is available for $7.95 online, but you could also use any blue ribbon you happen to have. You can get the blue bow right here. Lastly, if you’re going to be DisneyBounding as Belle, you’re DEFINITELY going to want to incorporate her love of reading into your look! This book purse features Romeo and Juliet and is a subtle way to evoke Belle vibes. ©Amazon The crossbody bag is priced at $65.00 and gives you a functional way to show off Belle’s favorite pastime and stash your park must-haves at the same time. Check out the crossbody book purse here! Piglet Our next DisneyBound idea comes straight from the Hundred Acre Wood…it’s Piglet! For this look, you’ll want to start with a comfortable t-shirt featuring pink-on-pink horizontal stripes, like this one! ©Amazon Priced between $5.99 and $18.99, this tee is perfectly sweet, just like Piglet. (And the knot almost looks like a curly little pig tail!) Find this pink tee for your Piglet-inspired look right here. You can pair the tee with pink denim shorts like these to capture the full all-pink Piglet look. ©Amazon These frayed pink shorts are priced at $27.99. What could be comfier for a long day in the Florida sun than a tee shirt and shorts? Grab these pink shorts here! For your accessories, get the head-to-toe Piglet look with a pair of bubblegum pink Converse sneakers, perfect for walking around the park all day. ©Amazon The classic sneaker will be the perfect way to tie together this look. Prices vary quite a bit, but you might be able to find these elsewhere! Order a pair of pink Converse right here! Finally, grab a sleek Winnie the Pooh and Piglet Diamond Necklace to add a cute and classy touch to your outfit. ©shopDisney Featuring Pooh in gold tone and Piglet in rose gold tone, this 16-inch necklace features diamond accents and is priced at $74.99. You can find this sweet Pooh & Piglet necklace here. Smee We’re heading to Neverland for our next park-ready DisneyBound option. This Smee-inspired look is a simple, casual ensemble that you can put together pretty easily! First, you’ll need a blue stripe t-shirt. ©Amazon This crewneck, cotton jersey t-shirt is made from a lightweight, stretch fabric that will keep you comfy and cool. It’s priced at $16.99. Check out this Smee tee here! Next, grab a pair of dark blue denim shorts for your first rate, first mate outfit. We found these on Amazon but you might already own the perfect pair! ©Amazon These shorts have a 10-inch inseam and a relaxed fit, which will up the comfort factor. They’re priced between $22.44 and $46.19. Order these denim shorts here! Leather sandals are a MUST to capture Smee’s pirate ship-friendly look, so be sure to add a pair of dark brown slides or flip flops, like these. ©Amazon We found these rubber and EVA flip flops for $21.99 online, and they look comfy enough to just wear for your whole trip! Order these comfortable flip flops here! Cap off your Smee DisneyBound with a red beanie to finish off the look. ©Amazon This stretchy knit beanie costs $9.99 online. While the hat might not be the best choice for a summer trip, it would definitely keep you warm during cooler months! You can also add a pair of eyeglasses for maximum effect. Get this red beanie here! Flynn Rider Next up for your DisneyBounding plans, we’ve got a comfy Flynn Rider outfit. We put together this outfit combo with a blue-green top similar to Flynn’s vest, brown cargo joggers, and a sturdy messenger bag (perfect for storing ALL your frying pans). ©Amazon The Flynn-inspired top features Dolman sleeves and side shirring for $18.75. It’s made from a lightweight, stretchy fabric. Click here to see this blue-green top. For the bottom half of your Flynn-inspired DisneyBound, a comfy pair of brown cargo pants would be perfect. ©Amazon We found these lightweight, quick-dry cargo joggers online. The pants are designed for hiking but are also a fabulous choice for a long day at a Disney park! They’re priced at $32.98. Get these Flynn-inspired cargo pants here! Finally, you’ll need a bag for your park day, so why not accessorize with a functional satchel? ©Amazon You can find this bag online for $34.99. And, whatever you do, don’t forget the SMOLDER! Find this fun messenger bag right here. Christopher Robin We’re visiting Pooh’s friends again for this DisneyBound idea, and this time, it’s Christopher Robin. (Hear us out!) For this one, you’ll want to start with a prim and proper yellow button down shirt. ©Amazon You can find this easy, breezy top (perfect for the summer heat!) online for $19.99-$22.99. The top is made from lightweight and breathable polyester. Find this yellow top here! For your bottom, a simple pair of royal blue shorts will complement the look AND keep you comfy. ©Amazon These classic shorts will get you through the busy day in style and are priced between$4.58 and $19.50. Find these shorts here! Last, to finish off this DisneyBound look, you will need a pair of red shoes. Red converse would totally work too, but we also found these Mary Jane flats that match the Christopher Robin style even better! ©Amazon These shoes feature a flexible rubber sole for all that walking are priced between $9.99 and $17.99 online. Finish your head-to-toe Christopher Robin look here! Nick Wilde Make your next DisneyBound appearance as everybody’s favorite sly fox, Nick Wilde from Zootopia! The first thing you’ll need for this one is a short sleeved, light green button down shirt. ©Amazon This one is made from soft, lightweight cotton and flax linen and is priced at $23.98. Find this casual green shirt right here! A classic pair of Dockers khaki shorts will continue the Nick Wilde vibes for sure. ©Amazon These timeless shorts are 100% cotton and feature a roomy fit through the seat and thigh. They’re priced between $14.44 and $48 online. Order these classic shorts for your Nick Wilde DisneyBound here! Finally, complete the look with a navy blue stripe necktie. ©Amazon Since we’re going for comfortable, you can wear the necktie as a belt rather than a formal tie. You can find this one online for $11.99. Add business-casual brown shoes and you’re good to go! Order your fox-inspired tie here! Hei Hei Finally, we’ve got a Hei Hei-inspired DisneyBound outfit that is SO much fun! For this one, you’ll want to start with a festive, bright yellow top, like this one. ©Amazon This cold-shoulder top has a cute lace trim and spaghetti straps to beat the heat. It’s priced from $13.99 to $20.99. Find this sassy yellow top here! You can pair your super fun yellow top with a flowy green skirt like this! ©Amazon You can find this pleated (and pocketed!) midi skirt online for $25.99-$28.99. Get this flowy green skirt here. Finally, top off your cute Hei Hei look with chunky red hoop earrings to evoke Hei Hei’s crazy eyes. ©Amazon Find these super fun earrings online for $6.99. And don’t forget to post a pic on Instagram when you’re eating a Hei Hei cone in this outfit! Grab these earrings here to complete your Hei Hei outfit! We hope you enjoyed these seven COMFORTABLE ideas for DisneyBounding on your next park trip. If you’ve never tried DisneyBounding before, give it a try the next time you visit s Disney Park! We’re constantly sharing new ways to enhance your trip, so stick with DFB for all the latest Disney news and more. 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 visited Disney in a DisneyBound outfit? Tell us who you dressed up like in the comments! The post 7 DisneyBounding Outfits You WON’T Regret Wearing to the Parks first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney World’s Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID)– the arrangement that essentially lets them act as their own county and have a lot of control over their land in Orlando, Florida — could be in jeopardy. Some Massive Changes Could be Coming to Disney World What started as just an idea suggested by a Florida representative, eventually gained the support of Florida’s Governor and was added to a special legislative session. The Florida Senate recently passed a bill that would dissolve the RCID, and now we’ve got a BIG update on the situation. According to the Florida Senate website, Senate Bill 4-C: Independent Special Districts, which is the bill that tackles the RCID, has also passed in Florida’s House of Representatives. The Bill passed with 70 yeas and 38 nays. ©Florida Senate Website The Bill (full text here) states the following: “Notwithstanding s. 189.072(2), any independent special district established by a special act prior to the date of ratification of the Florida Constitution on November 5, 1968, and which was not reestablished, re-ratified, or otherwise reconstituted by a special act or general law after November 5, 1968, is dissolved effective June 1, 2023. An independent special district affected by this subsection may be reestablished on or after June 1, 2023, pursuant to the requirements and limitations of this chapter.” Reedy Creek was established back in 1967, putting its establishment date before the date of the ratification of the Florida Constitution as discussed in the Bill. Reedy Creek Fire Department ©Reedy Creek As we mentioned above, earlier this year one Florida representative had mentioned the idea of repealing the act that formed the Reedy Creek Improvement District — a district that essentially allows Disney World to act as its own county with relation to the land on which it operates in Orlando, Florida. The Florida Governor then expanded a session session of the legislature to allow for this action to be considered, which has led to these actions. Michael Grieco, a member of the Florida House of Representatives, tweeted that the Bill passed in the House with no debate allowed. Further steps would need to be taken for this Bill to become law. We’ll continue to keep an eye out for more updates. Curious what impact this Bill could have on local areas in Florida? Click here to see our full piece as to why analysts say that stripping Disney World’s power could COST residents and counties. Check back with us for more Disney news. Click here to see why the end of the Reedy Creek Improvement District could mean “disaster” for Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post NEWS: Florida House Passes Bill to Dissolve Disney World's Reedy Creek Improvement District first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Did you know some of the fresh new merchandise collections everyone is buzzing about at the 2022 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival grew from the imagination of cast members? From graphic designers to artists, multiple teams across Disney work together to bring beloved characters and stories to life during special events. Character artists like […]View the full article

Do you get as excited about new Disney World food as we do? Connections Cafe construction Of course, you do! You’re here, aren’t you? Well, although we’re SUPER excited about all the new Mother’s Day snacks coming to Disney World, we’re also looking forward to the grand opening of EPCOT’s NEW spot, Connections Cafe & Eatery — and today, the Cafe is NOW OPEN! We already knew that Connections Cafe was set to open in the spring (and, hey, it’s spring RIGHT NOW), and we knew that it will have a Starbucks. We’ve even seen a full look at the menu. Today, though, we noticed that the cafe was OPEN. That’s right, it’s open! We finally got a chance to go inside and see what it looked like. Let’s go! Let’s go on in! Right now, only the Cafe portion of the restaurant is open, which is the Starbucks! Yay Starbucks! The Starbucks location near World Showcase recently closed in EPCOT, and this is why — Connections Cafe is now the permanent Starbucks in the park! What do we think?! There is a TON of seating in here! Very similar to the inside of Creations! The space has a modern feel to it, with some retro touches. It’s BIG! We can’t wait to grab our Starbucks here and hang out all the time! There’s some great natural light! There are also awesome murals along the walls in here. This is just a small portion of the murals! We’ll be giving you a full tour of the space soon! What does everyone think?! We’re so excited about the grand opening of Connections Cafe. Stay tuned to DFB to find out when the Eatery will be opening as well! Take A Look at Connection’s FULL Menu and Prices! 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. Will you be checking out Connections Cafe during your next Disney World trip? Let us know in the comments! The post 🚨NEWS: Connections Cafe Is Now OPEN in EPCOT🚨 first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We try a LOT of delicious and tasty eats and treats at Disney World. It’s kind of our whole schtick! But there are some eats that aren’t so delicious. Turkey Leg That’s right, today we’re talking about the TURKEY LEG. Okay, okay, so maybe this hunk o’ meat isn’t all bad. In fact, the Turkey Leg has some DIE HARD fans. So, despite the fact that this snack is NOT our team’s favorite and tends to be voted off the island by our readers, we thought it deserves a NEW REVIEW! You can snag jumbo Turkey Legs at a number of spots around Disney World. This time, we swung by Prince Eric’s Village Market in Magic Kingdom to pick up our $14.49 snack. Bonus! It comes with chips! Turkey Leg As you can see, Turkey Legs are HUGE. These snacks are easily shareable and could even serve as a meal for someone who’s looking for a salty, meaty, filling eat. Turkey Leg Flavor-wise, our leg was very, VERY smoky and meaty in the same way a fatty piece of bacon is. We took a huge bite on the outside and almost immediately hit the gristle past the layer of meat. Turkey Leg If you like super salty, meaty flavors, we could see how a Turkey Leg could be a go-to! However, it also has a challenging texture between the gristle and the fattiness of the meat. Turkey Leg Overall, we have to stand by our Turkey Leg stance — it’s not for us. But, it IS for some people. After all, Disney World sells about 2 MILLION pounds of turkey from Turkey Legs in a year. So, if your Disney World trip isn’t complete without a handheld chunk of meat, go get that Turkey Leg! Click here to see some things the DFB team would NEVER eat again. 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 do you think of the turkey leg? Tell us in the comments! The post REVIEW: We Tried Disney World's Most CONTROVERSIAL Snack first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Ever been totally shocked by the news that your favorite Disney attraction is changing? Frozen Ever After Disney World updates and changes rides ALL. THE. TIME. So, it might seem like Disney can do whatever they want with their attractions, but there are actually a LOT of approvals they have to go through first. Let’s take a look at the FULL process! Keep in mind that these steps can be changed, skipped, and rearranged depending on the project! Step 1: Determining which attractions to change or update. The first step is for the teams behind the scenes at Disney to determine what attractions need to be changed. Disney fans are notoriously resistant to change, so figuring out which rides need a refresh could be a daunting task. Figment! Disney keeps a lot of its business dealings private, but it’s likely that there is a long process internally before a ride refurbishment is initiated. This likely involves some sort of ride update proposal team and a long process of creative project proposals (and budget approvals) before something is ever announced. Splash Mountain After all, Disney needs to make sure a ride change is really what’s best for the company. Is the ride outdated? Would a newer movie be a better base for a ride? How expensive will the refurbishment be? Once these questions (and more!) are answered, Disney can move ahead with the process. Click here to see some controversial Disney World opinions! Step 2: Developing the necessary technology. Next up, comes the actual development part. In many cases, this comes well before the ride change is announced to Disney fans. The appropriate internal approvals need to be made and often concept art is created to demonstrate the changes when they are announced. Soarin’ Sometimes, we can see this happening though, even though it’s behind the scenes! When Disney needs to develop entirely new technology for a ride system, they have to file patents to claim ownership of the new technology. ©Disney Disney files a LOT of patents, and it’s given us a bit of an idea about what might be coming in the future before. We’ve spotted patents for updates to Mad Tea Party, updates to water ride attractions, new smell-focused tech, and a lot more! Mad Tea Party Patents might get approved in a few months or it may take years, and Disney might choose to wait for that approval. It really depends on the process. Plus, many of these updates haven’t been announced and may never actually happen, but the fact that Disney is working on and filing permits for the technology could be a clue that updates are coming! Want to learn more about the Mad Tea Party tech? Click here! Step 3: Filing the first round of permits. Once the internal steps are at a sufficient point, it’s time for the first big round of permits. Depending on the scale of the project, this step is sometimes skipped. Construction Plans ©Google Maps The first permits we typically see for a project are environmental. If a project is going to affect the water table in Florida or a number of other environmental projects, Disney has to file with the South Florida Water Management District for approval. Once they’ve filed the project with full maps and plans, they have to wait on approval from the district. Construction Plans ©Disney This is also something we can find publicly, but it’s only for MAJOR projects. In fact, this is usually for new structures — not changes. But a MAJOR refurbishment could be filed with SFWMD. ©Disney Most recently, we’ve seen SFWMD permits filed for the major changes happening to World Drive and new fireworks platforms behind Magic Kingdom ahead of Disney Enchantment. To see Disney Enchantment, click here! Step 4: Announcing the change. And now, we get to the step where Disney goes public! Typically an announcement comes around this point in the development process (sometimes a little earlier, sometimes later). This is where Disney shares concept art from the development stage and the plan for the ride changes — however vague. Princess and the Frog attraction Concept Art ©Disney We’ve seen changes more explicitly laid out at this stage like when Disney announced the changes coming to The Jungle Cruise and we’ve seen changes announced with little to no specifics, like the initial Splash Mountain announcements. It all depends on Disney’s timeline! Click here to learn more about the Splash Mountain refurbishment! Step 5: Starting work on the ground and filing MORE permits. Then, once the teams at Disney are satisfied with a project plan, they can get going. Typically, Disney does not use internal teams to complete larger projects, so this step might also mean finalizing agreements with a contractor. EPCOT For instance, Disney has been known to contract with Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., a national contractor. The company played major roles in the construction of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Morimoto Asia, and the overhaul of EPCOT’s Maelstrom to Frozen Ever After. Plus, they were contracted pre-closure to play a part in the refurbishment of Spaceship Earth. Galaxy’s Edge Whenever Disney does ANY construction from electrical work to entirely new attractions, they have to file a Notice of Commencement with the Orange County Comptroller before any work begins on the ground. Then, we start seeing the work in the parks; whether that means ride closures, construction walls, or actually seeing construction teams getting it done. Want to learn more about the Spaceship Earth refurbishment? Click here! Step 6: Completing the process. Disney typically has a timeline for these projects but as we’ve seen that doesn’t always pan out. Many refurbishments are complicated and require the implementation of new technology. Plus, if a contractor doesn’t perform as promised, it can mean extending those dates. Spaceship Earth’s Computer Lady Eventually, though, these projects are completed and there’s a reopening! Unless of course, a project is tabled which can happen at any point (We’re looking at you, Spaceship Earth). To see the current situation with the Spaceship Earth refurbishment, click here! And that’s how Disney goes about ride refurbishments and other construction projects! It’s a pretty involved process with even MORE internal steps to go with all the permitting. For more interesting tidbits about Disney World, keep an eye on DFB! Click here to see 8 times Disney TOTALLY changed iconic rides! 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 Disney ride changes are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments! The post What It Takes to CHANGE a Disney World Ride first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

During your visit to Disney World, it’s pretty standard to find yourself in a coffee line or two — whether it be Starbucks or Joffrey’s. Starbucks Coffee If you’re a Starbucks fan, there’s a BIG change coming to the coffee giant and it could mean FREE COFFEE for you! You might remember when Starbucks announced its intent to phase out paper and plastic disposable cups, giving every customer the ability to get their order in a personal reusable cup by 2023. Now, it seems that the initiative has started! In an effort to cut its footprint of carbon, water, and waste sent to landfills in half by 2030, Starbucks has seriously upped the perks associated with bringing in a clean, reusable cup for your drink instead of taking the disposable ones. Sleek and shiny 50th Anniversary tumblers available at Creature Comforts! Starting on Earth Day, April 22nd, Starbucks Rewards members who arrive with a clean, reusable cup for their drinks will receive an extra 25 stars to their rewards account in addition to the longstanding 10-cent discount. New Starbucks Tumbler The typical reward for Starbucks Rewards members is one to two stars per dollar spent so this is a HUGE bonus. 25 stars are enough to add a free inclusion like syrup to your drink and those stars can add up to free drinks and food. The bonus is valid at participating stores on in-store beverage purchases only for a maximum of three times per day. Reusable Cups But this permanent change isn’t the only way Starbucks is celebrating Earth Day. You can also snag 30% off drinkware at participating stores on April 22nd! Reusable Cups The reusable cup initiative marks a big change for Starbucks and we’ll be following along with what that means for Disney parks in the coming weeks and beyond. As always, stay tuned to DFB for the latest Disney updates! Click here to learn more about the reusable cup initiative at Starbucks! 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. Will you be snagging a reusable Starbucks cup tomorrow? Tell us in the comments! The post Starbucks Has a New Reusable Cup Bonus That Adds Up To FREE COFFEE first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Just when you think you know Disney World like a near-and-dear friend…BAM! Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a STUNNING park! Something happens – an update, a crowd surge, a hitch in your plans – that makes you realize the way you once thought about Disney World is wrong, wrong, WRONG. Check out our video below You’re TOTALLY WRONG About Disney World Are you a DFB Video subscriber? If you hit the button below, you can subscribe to our channel and catch up on ALL of our latest episodes! Watch the video and let us know if you have been doing Disney World WRONG. The post DFB Video: You're TOTALLY WRONG About Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article