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To ensure we are equipping our readers with all the information they need, we will continue to report on all travel, safety, and COVID-related news that could impact a Disney Parks visit. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, Disney parks around the globe have been affected by multiple health and safety measures at the local and national level, from state-wide mask mandates to parks re-closing due to nationwide lockdowns. Face Mask Sign Over in Disneyland Paris, a new government initiative will likely change the way guests have access to the parks. Disneyland Paris recently updated their website to share that the French Government has announced a “Vaccine Pass” that will likely become a required part of the guest experience. According to Disney, “the French Government has announced the upcoming launch of a Vaccine Pass for all people aged 16 years old and above to access leisure activities. Disneyland Paris will follow government requirements accordingly.” © Disney According to The Guardian, France’s new Vaccine Pass “will require people to have a certificate of vaccination to enter public places such as restaurants, cafes, cinemas and long-distance trains.” Disneyland Paris ©Disney The exact date and rules for the implementation of the Vaccine Pass are still pending. Currently, a Health Pass is required for any guests ages 12 years and 2 months and above. A Health Pass verifies that the guest is either fully vaccinated, OR that the guest has received a negative PCR or Antigen test within a certain time period, OR that if the guest has had COVID and tests positive on a PCR or Antigen test, that they can meet certain requirements. Disneyland Paris This Vaccine Pass seems to be the next phase of France’s Health Pass. It essentially seems to drop the two criteria for negative testing or positive testing over a certain number of days, and make proof of vaccination the only way guests can access these public places. ©Disney || Disneyland Paris We’ve seen other requirements change over the past few months regarding COVID-19 and vaccine rules. With the CDC approving the COVID-19 vaccine to those ages 5 and above, Disney Cruise Line updated their policy to state that all guests who are vaccine eligible based on age must be fully vaccinated in order to sail. ©Disneyland Paris || Walt Disney Studios Park We’ll continue to keep an eye on Disneyland Paris in the coming days as we learn more about France’s new Vaccine Pass. Atay tuned for the latest news and updates from Disney parks around the globe. Click here to read about what health and safety guidelines are in place at Disney World for 2022. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Have you ever visited Disneyland Paris? Let us know in the comments! The post NEWS: COVID-19 Vaccine Requirements to Be Updated Soon at Disneyland Paris first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

From stunning works of art to new movies and shows, Disney inspires people all the time! Some guests have such a strong connection to Disney that they get married right in the parks (or resorts), while others make memories by proposing in front of the Cinderella Castle. We probably don’t need to spell it out for you — people LOVE Disney! Disney World can be pretty inspiring! There are TONS of ways people show off their love for Disney, but it seems like Disney’s newest animated film is inspiring a special wave of appreciation! Disney’s Encanto tells the story of a Colombian family with magical powers. The movie centers around a young girl, who is a little different than her relatives, as she tries to navigate life in the family Madrigal. ©Disney While we absolutely adore the catchy music from the film and some of the tasty food it has inspired, there’s something else we can credit Encanto for inspiring. Mirabel has been reported to be one of the top baby names of 2022! According to North Wales Live (though the Daily Post in the United Kingdom), research from the Baby Centre has revealed that the name “Mirabel” ranks in 6th place for the names of baby girls that are expected to be the most popular in 2022. We love Mirabel! What name is at the top of the list? Well it’s actually Hazel for 2022 in terms of expectations, followed by the name Olive. Other names expected to be popular for girls are Iris, Nellie, Elizabeth, and Penny. Albie is at the top of the names list for boys, followed by the name Reggie. Other top boy names include Frankie, Edwin, Marcus, and Connor. We think lots of Disney’s newer and older movies are full of great names! How about Luca? Anyone named Belle out there? If you’ve got a Disney-inspired first name or middle name be sure to comment in the post below and let us know! ©Disney What Disney names would you expect to be popular baby names for 2022 and beyond? Be sure to stay tuned for all the latest Disney news, reviews, and more! A MYSTERY Project, 3 Roller Coasters, and MORE Make Progress in Disney World! Click here to read all about it! 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. Encanto posters Do you have or know anyone with a Disney-inspired name? Let us know in the comments! The post Guess What Disney Character Is Expected to Be a Popular Baby Name in 2022 first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Super popular items tend to sell out quickly in Disney World. No Lightsabers That’s why we were a bit shocked to see that the ridiculously popular Figment popcorn bucket didn’t sell out right away at EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts! There were lines wrapped through the park, hours long waits for multiple days, and even people selling the bucket online to the highest bidder. But, we think Figment’s time may have finally come to an end. Cast Members in EPCOT told us today that they expect the Figment popcorn bucket to sell out soon. Figment! A sign was put up saying the buckets are “Currently Unavailable” even though Cast Members told us they were still being sold at the time. However, they were expecting to sell out soon, so this was probably a preliminary measure. The Figment popcorn bucket is only available at the Pop Eats! food booth at EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts. There is no word on if it will be restocked or available at a later date. If you are able to grab him before he’s gone, he’s $25 and people are limited to 2 buckets per person. Oh, that little purple dragon! We’ll keep you updated on when he sells out, so stay tuned to DFB for more! Click here to see the other festival exclusive Figment merch in EPCOT! Want to Learn MORE About the 2022 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts? Click Here to See Photos & Videos From Our Time at the Festival of the Arts Check Out ALL of Our Reviews of the Food Booths at the Festival of the Arts See the Full Menus for All of the Food Booths at the Festival Get a Look at the NEW Figment Popcorn Bucket That Had a Multi-HOUR Wait on the First Day of the Festival Learn More About the Disney on Broadway Concert Series and Dining Packages at the Festival Check Out All of the 2022 Festival of the Arts Merchandise Here! See How to Get a Paint Your Own Figment at the Festival Click HERE for All of the Latest News and Details About the 2022 Festival of the Arts! Join the DFB Newsletter To get all the latest Festival of the Arts news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Were you able to get your hands on a Figment popcorn bucket? Let us know in the comments! The post NEWS: Figment Popcorn Buckets Expected to SELL OUT Soon in EPCOT first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

At the Destination D23 Expo last fall, Chairman of Parks, Experiences and Products Josh D’Amaro announced a multi-year expansion of Disneyland’s Downtown Disney District that will add more shopping, dining, entertainment, and green space to the resort! Concept Art of the expansion The exact details of what’s to come to Disneyland’s shopping and dining district has yet to be announced. However, in order to make room for these changes, a few existing locations will close. As part of the preparations for this multi-year expansion project to being, the boutique shop Sugarboo & Co. officially closed this past Saturday, January 15th. Sugarboo & Co. in Downtown Disney In addition, two dining locations will soon close their doors. Earl of Sandwich‘s last day of operation will be Thursday, January 27th. Earl of Sandwich The Starbucks West will close a couple of days later, with its last day of operation being Saturday, January 29th. The second Starbucks location near World of Disney will still be available for guests to grab their favorite cup of coffee. Downtown Disney Starbucks West As of this writing, there has been no announcements yet regarding plans for ESPN Zone (which has been used for shopping event space since the restaurant’s closure) or Star Wars Trading Post, which moved into the former location of Rainforest Cafe last year. Both of these locations are in the same immediate vicinity as the three closing businesses. Star Wars Trading Post In addition to the three closures mentioned above, the Disneyland Monorail will close temporarily beginning on February 14th to accommodate the construction happening in Downtown Disney (the Monorail stops at Tomorrowland in Disneyland Park as well as Downtown Disney). The Monorail is currently scheduled to be closed through Sunday, March 6th. Disneyland Monorail We’ll continue to keep an eye on the latest updates from Disneyland and we will let you know if we hear of any additional changes happening over at the Downtown Disney District! Click here to catch up on the latest regarding Disneyland’s expansion project. Disneyland Reopening Details and Info Click HERE for the All Latest Updates Disneyland Reopening April 30th California Residents Will Be the ONLY People Allowed to Visit Reopened Disneyland Initially Avengers Campus Set to Open June 4th Click Here to See All the Rides That Will Reopen Initially in Disneyland Click Here to See All the Restaurants That Will Reopen Initially in Disneyland Disneyland Ticket Price Info and Blockout Dates Released Disneyland's Grand Californian Hotel Reopening Date Announced! Everything You NEED To Know About Wearing Masks at a Disney Park Join the DFB Newsletter To get all the latest Disney Park Closure News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click here to Subscribe Are you planning on visiting the Disneyland Resort in 2022? Let us know in the comments! The post CLOSING DATES Announced For 3 Downtown Disney Locations 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. Calling all fans of vintage or vintage-looking Disney items! 50th Vault Collection Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration has been taking place in the parks and beyond for a few months now and we have seen some seriously amazing merchandise and exclusive snacks come along with it. Today, we spotted a popular park-exclusive piece of merchandise online! Take a trip to the Magic Kingdom without leaving your house with the Walt Disney World Game by Milton Bradley Reproduction! Who’s coming to game night?! We’ve seen this game in the parks, but now it is available on shopDisney. It features retro park logos and character designs, and is a reproduction of the original game from 1972! The goal of the game is to be the first person to visit all the places in the Magic Kingdom and use all of your tickets! It comes with a game board, 40 color-coded attraction tickets, 6 cut-out character pieces, 3 monorail trains, and more! ©Disney Seriously, this thing looks EPIC! It’s recommended for ages 8 and up, and for 2-4 players. You can buy it for $39.99! Click Here to Buy the Retro Disney World Board Game! If you can’t get enough of the Vault Collection (which this game is a part of), check out this retro-inspired hoodie you can also get online. ©Disney You can get it for $59.99. Click Here to Buy the Retro-Inspired Hoodie! This Mickey and Minnie Metal Trivet would also make such a cute addition to any Disney lover’s home! ©Disney It features our favorite mouse couple and a classic Disney World logo! The trivet is available for $29.99. Click Here to Buy the Mickey and Minnie Trivet! We are continuing to check for updates on all of the merchandise released to celebrate Disney World’s 50th Anniversary! Be sure to check back here for more! Click Here to See All of the 50th Anniversary Merchandise You Can Get Online! Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Details and Info Click HERE for Your Guide to Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration See Everything That Has Been Announced For Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Check Out Everything Happening in Disney World on October 1st, 2021 Click Here to See The 50 Best Ways to Celebrate Disney World’s 50th Anniversary What Does Hotel Availability and Pricing Look Like for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary? Here Are the 5 News Bombs You May Have Missed Related to the 50th Anniversary Celebrations! Check Out 10 Things You Need to Bring If You’re Going to Disney World for the 50th Anniversary See How Each of Disney World’s Park Icons Will Transform During the 50th Anniversary Celebrations! Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click here to Subscribe What have you purchased from the Vault Collection? Let us know in the comments! The post Okay, Wait. Disney's 50th Anniversary Board Game is Seriously EPIC first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

To ensure we are equipping our readers with all the information they need, we will continue to report on all travel, safety, and COVID-related news that could impact a Disney Parks visit. We’ve been keeping an eye on COVID-19 related news in the areas surrounding the Disney parks. COVID-19 Health and Safety Sign Recently, we reported that Florida hit the milestone of 5 million reported COVID-19 cases, and Disney Cruise Line ships are now requiring vaccinations for all passengers ages 5 and older. We also noted where you can get a COVID-19 test in Central Florida right now. Now we have more news about the coronavirus and its current status in Florida. According to The Palm Beach Post, Florida has dropped out of the top ten states where COVID-19 is spreading the fastest. Health and Safety Reminders Sign At the start of 2022, Florida was fourth on the list of states where COVID-19 is spreading the fastest. Last week, the state ranked fifth. This week, Florida dropped down to be number 11, pushing it out of the top ten. Health and Safety Signage The Palm Beach Post reported that “new coronavirus cases dropped in Florida in the week ending Sunday, dipping by 3.4% as 408,841 cases were reported.” This is down from 423,150 new cases last week. Rose Gold Disney World Face Mask Florida is one of the few states that had fewer new cases this week than the week before. Thirty-nine states in the US had more cases in the most recent week than they did the week before that. Face mask signage The Post reported that Orange County (where Disney World is located) came in third for the most new cases overall in Florida, after Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Orange County reported 30,752 new cases in the latest week. Together Again Face Mask CDC data shows that Florida has about 75% of residents at least partially vaccinated, and the state administered “another 495,312 vaccine doses, including 129,643 first doses” in the last week. Face mask sign in Galaxy’s Edge Keep following DFB for more of the latest news from the Disney parks and surrounding areas. Click Here to See the Current News and Information About COVID-19 and Travel to Disneyland and Disney World in 2022 Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post Update on the Current COVID-19 Situation in Florida first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Hey, DFB friends! It’s time to take a look at all the most recent news from Disney Springs! Disney Springs There were some very exclusive foods released in Disney Springs this week, and a LOT of new jewelry! Find out what we found here. Disney Springs Food News Gideon’s Bakehouse On January 16th, Gideon’s Bakehouse released their VERY limited, one-day-only Gideon’s Banana Flip in honor of their one-year Disney Springs anniversary! This special treat was made of light vanilla spongecake wrapped into banana buttercream, aka a banana cake taco. ©Gideon’s Bakehouse You might have missed out on this one-day treat, but you can still enjoy the Banana Bread Chocolate Chip Cookie and Banana Nitro Cold Brew during the month of January at Gideon’s! Read more about Gideon’s one-year anniversary treat here! Still have a craving for banana baked goods? The exclusive Gideon’s Banana Bread Chocolate Cake was originally available only on January 9th, but this past weekend it was made available again at both Gideon’s locations. The Banana Bread Chocolate Cake is a three-layer vanilla cake made with Gideon’s house-made banana syrup, and yes, it’s as delicious as it sounds. ©Gideon’s Bakehouse In between each cake layer is a thick layer of banana buttercream and mini chocolate chips, and the outside of the cake is coated with chocolate chips and candied walnuts. If you’re hoping to try a slice, it all depends on how long supplies last at Gideon’s! Learn more about the limited-time Gideon’s Banana Bread Chocolate Cake here! Vivoli il Gelato Vivoli il Gelato just released a new milkshake called the Carver’s Peanut Butter Explosion, which comes with an entire chocolate peanut butter cake on top! Talk about a 2 in 1 treat. Peanut Butter Explosion The milkshake is made with peanut butter gelato and chocolate sauce, layered with whipped cream and crushed peanuts for $19.96. We loved the chocolate and peanut butter cake but this is a pricey milkshake, so make sure you’re a fan of those flavors before buying! Read our review of the Carver’s Peanut Butter Explosion here! And that’s not all for Vivoli il Gelato! They also released their new Rosé Sangria, which is $17.04. It’s made with a sangria rosé containing strawberry sorbetto, orange gelato, SanPellegrino limonata, and Terre Di Bacco Rosé Prosecco. We also got a candy orange slice garnish! Rosé Sangria This drink reminded us of summer, and it was more of a float than a drink with a scoop of orange gelato inside. It was tasty, but it’s also pretty pricey for the amount of drink you get! Check out our review of the Rosé Sangria here! The Polite Pig One of our fave BBQ joints in Disney Springs, The Polite Pig, just announced their new dish, the Bone-in Smoked Pork Chop, made with Apple & Spice Brine, Brown Sugar & Cinnamon BBQ Rub, Apple Chutney (made with Pecans, Apple, Cherries, Cranberries, Blueberries & Cinnamon) with a bed of tasty Black Eyed Peas. Source: @thepolitepig The Bone-in Smoked Pork Chop is the new Chef’s Special for The Polite Pig, and you can head over to the Disney Springs location to try it now! Read more about the Bone-in Smoked Pork Chop here! Disney Springs Merchandise News World of Disney World of Disney had a LOT of new jewelry, like this $29.99 Up Necklace… Up Necklace …and matching Up Earrings for $29.99. Up Earrings There was also a new $39.99 Ratatouille Necklace and Earrings Set… Ratatouille Set …and a $29.99 Toy Story Bracelet. Toy Story Bracelet We found lots of other jewelry too, like this Walt Disney World Necklace for $19.99. Walt Disney World Necklace There were also bracelet sets, like these Fantasy, Dream, and Wish Bracelets for $24.99… Bracelets …and these Beaded Bracelets with Princess Charms for $24.99. Bracelets Fans of Bambi would love these $19.99 Bambi Hoop Earrings… Bambi Hoop Earrings …$29.99 Flower Earrings… Flower Earrings …and a $29.99 Bambi Necklace. Bambi Necklace And Alice in Wonderland fans are not left out! There were new Mad Hatter Earrings for $29.99… Mad Hatter Earrings …and a Mad Tea Party Necklace for $29.99. Alice Necklace And check out this cute $29.99 Glass Slipper Necklace! Alice Necklace We spotted a new 50th Long-Sleeve Tee with a drawstring tie at the bottom for $44.99. Cinched Waist Top There was also a new Mike Wazowski Jersey for $59.99! On the front is the Monsters, Inc logo and the year the film was released… Mike Wazowski Jersey …and the back has Mike and his last name! Back of the jersey There’s also a Hercules Jersey for $59.99, with Herc and ’97 on the front… Hercules Jersey …and Hercules himself on the back. Back of the jersey And we also spotted this small HOME Sign, complete with a Cinderella Castle silhouette in place of the letter “O.” Home Sign Star Wars Galactic Outpost Star Wars Galactic Outpost had a new blue Long-sleeve Droid Top featuring some favorite droids, like R2-D2 and C-3PO. Star Wars Long-sleeve Top Check out what else we found! Disney Style And at Disney Style, we spotted this new Aliens “Oooohhh” T-Shirt! Aliens T-Shirt We have one last stop in Disney Springs! Uniqlo Uniqlo has released a new Disney Memories Collection, full of some pretty new pastel clothes. Disney Memories Collection Head to Uniqlo if you want to take a look at this colorful new collection! Head to Uniqlo! There’s one more update, so don’t leave just yet! Disney Springs Various News And this week we found a secret spot to get princess makeovers in Disney Springs! While Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is still unavailable, little princesses can visit Sephora for Feature Focus Service makeovers. ©Sephora This is just for a makeup look, so keep in mind that your little princess will probably want to bring their own princess dress. But give it a try if it sounds like something fun for your family! Read more about princess makeovers here! And that’s all the news from Disney Springs! Keep reading DFB for more Disney World news! If you could only keep one restaurant at Disney World, which would it be? 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 visited Disney Springs recently? Tell us in the comments! The post What's New in Disney Springs: A Secret Makeover Spot and a Peanut Butter Explosion Shake first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We’re really enjoying the 2022 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts so far, and there has been so much to see, do, and eat since its kickoff last week! This festival is SO colorful — we love it! We’ve been to every festival food booth and tried dozens of eats and drinks, watched the awesome entertainment, and admired some truly beautiful artwork. If you’ve been before, you know that one of the highlights of the festival is the stunning chalk drawings…but what happens when it rains? Well, this weekend we got to see for ourselves. It may seem obvious — when it gets wet, chalk tends to wash away. This weekend, EPCOT got its fair share of rainy weather, and we stopped by some of the artwork to see how it was doing. It’s Mickey and friends! For the most part, the drawings withstood the storms pretty well! Only the edges started to wash off and smudge, but you can still make out the picture despite some fading. We were honestly expecting it to be a lot runnier than this. It withstood the rain well! Of course, these drawings can’t last forever. Every few days, Disney will clear out the old ones and artists will come in to make new creations in their place. We’re excited to see what Disney scenes and photo ops come next! We’ll keep checking out the festival throughout its run here at EPCOT, so stay tuned to DFB for the latest. We’ve got you covered with all the Disney World food news. Click Here to Check Out Everything That’s FREE At This Year’s Fest! Want to Learn MORE About the 2022 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts? Click Here to See Photos & Videos From Our Time at the Festival of the Arts Check Out ALL of Our Reviews of the Food Booths at the Festival of the Arts See the Full Menus for All of the Food Booths at the Festival Get a Look at the NEW Figment Popcorn Bucket That Had a Multi-HOUR Wait on the First Day of the Festival Learn More About the Disney on Broadway Concert Series and Dining Packages at the Festival Check Out All of the 2022 Festival of the Arts Merchandise Here! See How to Get a Paint Your Own Figment at the Festival Click HERE for All of the Latest News and Details About the 2022 Festival of the Arts! Join the DFB Newsletter To get all the latest Festival of the Arts news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Have you ever been to the Festival of the Arts before? Tell us in the comments! The post PHOTOS: Can EPCOT's Chalk Art Withstand the Rain? You Might Be Surprised. first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

To ensure we are equipping our readers with all the information they need, we will continue to report on all travel, safety, and COVID-related news that could impact a Disney Parks visit. The global pandemic continues to impact the travel industry around the world. ©Orlando International Airport There have been travel bans for certain countries and warnings not to travel to others, as well as thousands of flights being canceled due to the rise of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. But recently, France has relaxed its travel restrictions for one country it had previously banned all but essential travel from. France has relaxed its travel ban on arrivals from the United Kingdom, according to CNN. France had previously banned all but essential travel from the U.K. on December 18th in an attempt to slow the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, according to the BBC. Restrictions have been lifted for travel from the U.K. to France The ban was put into place when Omicron was greatly impacting the U.K., but not all of Europe, according to CNN. With the variant now spread throughout the continent, France’s tourism minister Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne said in a tweet on January 13th that the “compelling reason for travel” requirement would be removed on the 14th of January. ©Disney || Disneyland Paris Previously, people coming from the U.K. with a compelling reason for travel had to quarantine for 48 hours in France, but that requirement has also been removed. Now, the U.K. is classed alongside other non-European Union countries when it comes to regulations. These regulations include that visitors must be fully vaccinated and must present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 24 hours before departure, according to CNN. Tests must be taken prior to traveling You are allowed to enter the country if you’re not vaccinated, but you have to have a compelling reason for entering the country, have to register on France’s digital platform before departure, and you have to complete a strict quarantine period of 10 days once in the country. ©Disney || Disneyland Paris The travel ban lift has also been noted on Disneyland Paris’ website. A statement on the site says in part, “We are pleased to share that leisure travel between the United Kingdom and France has now resumed.” It then goes on to talk about the current health and safety requirements. ©Disney Stay tuned to DFB for more COVID-19 news and updates as it related to the travel and tourism industries. Click here to learn more about if Disney World could close again due to COVID-19 Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post NEWS: Restrictions Lifted for U.K. Travelers Going to France 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. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is an amazing park with tons of detail in each land and some of the best theming in Disney World. Disney’s Animal Kingdom If you haven’t visited this park in a hot minute, you might need a little refresher on what’s going on at the moment. Last week, we took a look at the price increases, some Disney princess Wishables, and a mask update. Now, we’ve got some NEW updates for you about food, souvenirs, construction projects, crowds, and more! Check out these changes so that you’re not caught off-guard during your upcoming trip. We’ll start out with our favorite updates — the ones about food! Animal Kingdom Food Updates Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea There are a couple of new additions to the Joffrey’s Coffee and Tea cart just outside of Animal Kingdom’s main entrance. Joffrey’s First, you can now find Valentine’s Day offerings at this spot, even though the Christmas drinks are still on the menu as well. The seasonal Fairytale Love Latte has returned, and it’s made with espresso, milk, dark chocolate sauce, and caramel and coconut syrups for $6.09 (which is an increase from the 2021 price of $5.69). Seasonal drink The second addition here is not a drink or snack — it’s a bee trap! Behind this stand, you can spot a bug trap, which is likely there due to the problems that Joffrey’s kiosks have had in the past with unwelcome visitors. Since these open-air stands have sugary syrups, bees are attracted to the locations. Bee trap We’ve seen the problem addressed with little sealed syrup bottles given to guests to add to their own drinks, but it seems that the latest solution is traps for the bees. Breakfast Sandwiches Inside the park, we spotted a few different locations selling breakfast sandwiches for $7.50, which is one of the many price increases that we’ve seen over the last week or so. Breakfast sandwiches Some locations listed the price at $6.99… $6.99 before tax …but keep in mind that this price is before taxes. According to the signs, the $7.50 price includes taxes. Click Here to See 15 Non-Negotiable Disney World Snacks Animal Kingdom Merchandise Updates There were a lot of new souvenirs in Animal Kingdom when we stopped by today! Chester & Hester’s At Chester & Hester’s (in DinoLand U.S.A.), we found a couple of new magnets. New magnet One was red with Mickey Mouse in sunglasses on it, for $9.99. Another magnet was blue and had Mickey and the gang on it, for $7.99. Another magnet Note that this gift shop will sometimes close earlier than the park. During one of our visits, the store was closed by 5:30PM. Island Mercantile and Riverside Depot Island Mercantile is located on Discovery Island. This gift shop had the 50th Anniversary Mystery Pin Boxes in stock, which have been sold out at many locations recently. 50th Anniversary Mystery Pins Other 50th Anniversary items that might be difficult to find right now are the reusable bags. We saw these bags in most gift shops when they first came out last year, but recently they’ve been a little scarce. You can still get them at Island Mercantile and Riverside Depot in Animal Kingdom, though! Reusable bags Some 50th Anniversary items are even hard to find in Animal Kingdom. During our last visit to Riverside Depot, there was only one 50th Anniversary Train Set left on the shelves. These items could be re-stocked at any point, so keep an eye out during your visit! Train set We also spotted some lingering holiday merchandise at Island Mercantile, including a Christmas Yoda Plush and Star Wars Cookie ornaments. Many gift shops still have holiday merchandise (and even some Halloween merchandise), which may be due to supply issues. Some of the souvenirs probably arrived to Disney World late, so they’re just now coming out on the shelves. Holiday merchandise At Riverside Depot, we spotted a couple of new baseball jersey-style shirts. We’ve seen these over in Disneyland already, but now they’ve arrived in Disney World. Baseball-style t-shirt There was one for Hercules that has the hero on both the front (with the number 97) and the back. Here’s the back You can also find a baseball shirt themed after Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc., or go classic with a Walt Disney World one. Each shirt was $59.99. More baseball jerseys Weighted Plushes were back at Riverside Depot. These stuffed animals have removable 2.5 pound bags inside them, so they’re similar to weighted blankets. It’s Pua! We’ve seen several characters at Disney World in the past, but right now the only options available are Pua (from Moana) and Pluto. Pluto A Cast Member told us that other Weighted Plush characters were delayed in shipping, but they should be arriving to the parks in a couple of months. Weighted plushes in Magic Kingdom Since Valentine’s Day is coming up, you can find the new collection of Dooney & Bourke bags in Riverside Depot. Valentine’s Dooney & Bourke Satchel There are tote bags, satchels, crossbody bags, and wallets in this collection. Click Here to Shop for the Valentine’s Day Dooney & Bourke Bags Online Popcorn Carts In more 50th Anniversary news, you can find both the 50th Anniversary Mickey Mouse Popcorn Bucket and the 50th Anniversary Minnie Mouse Sipper at a few different popcorn carts around Animal Kingdom. More of these guys are available We spotted them at a popcorn stand in DinoLand U.S.A. as well as several other locations around the park. Just ask a Cast Member which stands have them in stock when you visit! The Mickey popcorn bucket was $20.25 (which is a $2.25 increase from when it first came out). They’ve got the 50th items Several popcorn stands also had the Gold Christmas Tree Popcorn Buckets in stock. Shinyyyy So you can grab a shiny holiday bucket if you didn’t get the chance last year. Discovery Trading Discovery Trading also had the Valentine’s Day Dooney & Bourke bags. Dooney & Bourke collection in EPCOT We also noticed that this shop in particular had a lot of older merchandise on the shelves. Older merchandise Right now, you can find the Disney Dogs Loungefly Backpack, which we haven’t seen back in the stores in a little while. WindTraders In Pandora, you can visit the WindTraders store, which is just outside the exit to the Avatar: Flight of Passage ride. Windtraders This spot has some fun and unique merchandise, including these “Air-Plants,” which are basically succulents that hang upside down. Air-plants You can buy one for $24.99, and make sure you follow the instructions to keep your Air-Plant healthy when you take it home! Out of the Wild Another gift shop in Disney World that’s struggling to keep merchandise on the shelves is Out of the Wild at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Wall blocking off shelves This spot is very low on souvenirs, and they even boarded up some of the shelves since there aren’t enough items available. Not much merchandise here This is just the latest update when it comes to low merchandise availability in Disney World parks. Other gift shops are also low on stock, and one has even closed temporarily in Disney’s Hollywood Studios because of the supply problems. Click Here to See ALL of the 50th Anniversary Merchandise You Can Get Online Right Now Animal Kingdom Construction Updates The last couple of times we’ve been to Riverside Depot (a gift shop on Discovery Island), there have been some construction walls up over one of the entrances. Construction walls at Riverside Depot Another entrance is still open, though, so you can head inside to check out the merchandise here! You can still go inside! Restaurantosaurus also has some construction going on. Half of the front porch area is blocked off, so there’s not quite as much seating available outside. Construction walls at Restaurantosaurus You can still head in to get some food and sit down inside, though. The inside is still open Remember that Expedition Everest is closed right now. You can sometimes find Cast Members outside the entrance of this attraction playing games with guests. Making sure the space doesn’t go to waste! And you can still get Everest-themed merchandise, either inside the attraction’s gift shop… Everest gift shop …or on stands outside if the weather is nice. Expedition Everest merchandise Expedition Everest is scheduled to re-open sometime in mid-April 2022. Click Here to See the Progress on Three Roller Coasters and a MYSTERY Project Other Animal Kingdom Updates Festival of the Lion King Reduced Showtimes The Festival of the Lion King show has reduced their showtimes due to limited staffing. When we stopped by, there were times for 1PM, 2PM, 4PM, and 5PM. Lion King showtimes A couple of shows around Disney World have been experiencing problems with staffing, so there might be fewer options for showtimes during your visit. Festival of the Lion King Showtimes Make sure to check the My Disney Experience app to see which showtimes are available during your trip. More Live Entertainment Returns More live entertainment returned to Animal Kingdom this week! Viva Gaia Street Band We spotted the Viva Gaia Street Band playing on Discovery Island. Crowds and Ride Closures The crowd levels were pretty low when we visited, with not too many guests around on the walkways. Not many crowds But the ride wait times still looked high, especially for how empty this park felt in some areas. Na’vi River Journey Line This is likely because Expedition Everest is closed, and the DINOSAUR ride was also closed during one of our visits. Dinosaur DINOSAUR wasn’t scheduled to be closed, but rides can close unexpectedly due to technical issues or other problems. Keep an eye on the My Disney Experience app to see which rides are and aren’t available. Rides can close unexpectedly Since two of the biggest rides were closed during our visit, a lot of guests were heading to the limited number of attractions left. Rides like Kilimanjaro Safaris and Na’vi River Journey got higher-than-normal wait times due to the limited rides available. Long line at Kilimanjaro Safaris That’s it for our Animal Kingdom update today! Keep following DFB for all the latest news from the Disney World parks. Click Here to Find Out What’s New at the Disney World Hotels (Including a Food Delivery CHANGE) 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 land in Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Let us know in the comments. The post What’s New at Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Low Crowds but High Wait Times. Wait, What? first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Whether these snacks are new favorites of ours or classics that never seem to let us down, you’ll wanna consider adding these to your bucket list of munchies ASAP. Dole Whip From Dole Whip and Mickey Bars to more surprising picks, we’re taking you through the best of the best of Disney snacks! Check out our video below The 25 BEST Disney World Snacks for 2022 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 your favorite Disney World snacks! The post DFB Video: The 25 BEST Disney World Snacks for 2022 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. If you’re a Star Wars fan looking for lightsabers in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney World or Hollywood Studios in general, things are a bit complicated. Two lonely little lightsabers The small lightsaber building experience at Tatooine Traders is not available at the moment due to supply issues, and we’ve visited the park on several occasions and found that the Legacy Lightsaber supply at Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities has been low or nonexistent. The lightsaber building experience at Savi’s Workshop has also run into some snags with lightsaber cases no longer being available. But, if you’re looking for a new lightsaber, you CAN find a special one online right now! Recently, a new lightsaber got added to shopDisney — the Rey Skywalker Yellow Force FX Elite Lightsaber! This lightsaber is part of the Black Series and is meant to be a true-to-story replica of the yellow lightsaber Rey uses in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. ©shopDisney It’s an “authentically-designed” lightsaber that comes with all kinds of cool stuff. We’re talking a real metal hilt, fabric wrap, and even a display stand so you can show it off to all of your friends. ©shopDisney It also has authentic movie sound effects, the blade is removable, and the blade lights up. ©shopDisney But bringing this lightsaber home won’t be cheap. It’s priced at $264.99 online, so get ready to break open those piggy banks! ©shopDisney If you want to grab this lightsaber, you’ll want to act fast and snatch it up while it’s still available. Click here to get the Rey lightsaber! We’ll continue to keep an eye out for other cool Star Wars items and let you know what we find. Stay tuned for all the latest Disney news. Click here to see a new Star Wars spirit jersey that is truly ICONIC! 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 buying this lightsaber? Tell us in the comments! The post Would You Spend OVER 0 on Disney's Latest Star Wars Collectible? first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

I was there that day. It was more than a decade ago, 15 years to be more precise, when we here at Walt Disney World Resort first opened our arms and welcomed a group of talented young teens from across the country for an innovative new mentoring program we called Disney Dreamers Academy.View the full article

Disney World has SO many restaurants to choose from, it’s sometimes hard for us to pick our favorites! Lunch at Steakhouse 71 And there is such a huge variety, too. You can spend $5 or $500 on food, grab a snack quickly or sit down for a whole meal experience, and try theme park classics or items from around the world. There is really something for almost everybody at Disney World, but what are people’s absolute FAVORITE places to eat?! Well, we asked our readers if they could only keep ONE Disney World restaurant, which one would they keep? And, the results are in! Now, there were a lot of different answers to this question, and some people simply said it was too hard to choose just one restaurant (and all the others would disappear!). But, others had no problem, and there were some places that were WAY more popular than others. Overwhelmingly, many people said they would keep ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort! Our favorite noodles It’s a fan favorite for sure, which is why it’s a pretty tough reservation to get. People just gotta get those famous ‘Ohana noodles. Read our latest ‘Ohana review here! Another popular spot was Liberty Tree Tavern in Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square. Liberty Tree Tavern Spread This is a tried and true favorite of ours, and apparently of many others, too! How can you beat what’s basically an all-you-can-eat Thanksgiving feast?! Drooling after reading all-you-can-eat Thanksgiving feast? Just wail ’til you read our full review! California Grill on top of Disney’s Contemporary Resort also received a lot of votes! California Grill One reader said, “the view, service, wine selection — love it all.” Yep, it does have a pretty amazing view, and some delicious food, too. Take a look at our California Grill review here! Via Napoli in EPCOT’s Italy pavilion received a lot of love as well. OMG This makes sense because some of the best pizza you can get in Disney World (in our opinion) and it’s a great place to go share some food. Plus, it’s almost halfway around the World Showcase, so it’s the perfect spot to take a break from drinking around the world and load up on some carbs! Wanna know more about Via Napoli? Take a look at our review here! Over at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Boma is a top spot! Can’t go wrong with this classic! This place just recently returned after being closed due to the pandemic and has both breakfast and dinner buffets with a bunch of options, including African dishes like Turkey or Lamb Bobotie and African Spiced Beef Striploin. Click here to read our latest Boma review! But, that’s not the only favorite at Animal Kingdom Lodge, people also love Sanaa! Sanaa Bread Service And, we can understand why, because you get to look at animals while you eat AND they have that iconic Bread Service we love so much. Take a closer look at Sanaa by reading our latest review! Actually, ALL of the table service restaurants at Animal Kingdom Lodge are popular, including Jiko, which hasn’t reopened yet. Snake River Farms Wagyu Strip Loin One reader said “I am patiently waiting for them to re-open!!! It is my favorite on property!!!” Take a look at our Jiko review here! Back over in the theme parks, Yak and Yeti Restaurant is a popular spot, too. Noods It would be a good choice if it were the only restaurant you could keep in Disney World because they do have a lot of variety! You can get Firecracker Shrimp, Miso Salmon, BBQ Ribs, or a Kobe Beef Burger! Click here for our latest Yak and Yeti review! Another widely beloved spot is Le Cellier in EPCOT’s Canada pavilion. Le Cellier’s Poutine It’s like eating in a cozy cave with comforting foods like steak and poutine. It’s a favorite for a reason! Take a look at our Le Cellier review here! One of our readers said, “IDC what anyone says, Casey’s Corner is where it’s at.” NOM Which, same. Corn Dog Nuggets and Plastic Cheese FOREVER, BBY! Find out why we are so obsessed with Corn Dog Nuggets here! Some other favorites included The Hollywood Brown Derby in Hollywood Studios which is “my favorite restaurant ever” according to one reader. That’s high praise! Others said Columbia Harbour House in Magic Kingdom where there’s “too many feels for this one to go” says a reader. Another reader said “Maybe Kona (Cafe) so we have a bit of variety of food.” Smart thinking! If you can only have one restaurant, you definitely want to make sure there’s a good variety! The full spread at Columbia Harbour House! Topolino’s Terrace at the Riviera Resort also got some shoutouts, with one person saying “I would have said Cali Grill but I think Topolinos Terrace edges (it) out by a nose.” Topolino’s Terrace Pastries That’s some high praise! Literally, because Topolinos is also up on the top floor just like Cali Grill. Learn all about Topolino’s Terrace here! Of course, there were some classic Magic Kingdom spots people mentioned as well. Be Our Guest because “No matter the cost or quality, every time I step inside those doors I’m a kid again. That’s magic,” according to one reader. Another said “Crystal Palace breakfast is the most amazing thing ever.” And, one of our favorite responses was “Come on! Only one? (Cinderella’s) Royal Table. All day long. I don’t care if it’s $2,000 and all I get is a Mickey pretzel. I need to be able to dine in the (castle).” And, we totally get that! Eating inside Cinderella Castle is really cool. Cinderella’s Royal Table Skipper Canteen in Magic Kingdom was mentioned by many, too! The food IS great here, too! One reader said “I’m cheating and saying Skipper Canteen for the atmosphere and Boma for the food!” Yes you ARE cheating, but we’ll accept it. Learn more about Skipper Canteen by reading our latest review here! Some readers chose Narcoossee’s at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Grass Fed NY Strip A reader praised the spot by saying “I could live on the filet, loaded mashed potatoes and almond crusted cheesecake for the rest of my life.” Sounds like an awesome life to us! Read our latest Narcoossee’s review here! Flame Tree BBQ in Animal Kingdom had several votes as well, with one person commenting “I have dreams about Flame Tree’s menu, it has the absolute best seating as well.” YUM. You can get some pretty great options here, like that Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Pulled Pork! Get all the need to know details on Flame Tree BBQ here! In EPCOT, Garden Grill was a favorite, too. And, Rose and Crown Dining Room in the U.K. pavilion is a popular location as well. One reader said, “that is my happy place. I’m not sure why but sitting there having a glass of tea and relaxing is the best part of going to EPCOT for me.” Spread at Rose and Crown! Another place with a lot of praise was Biergarten in the Germany pavilion. Biergarten is so pretty inside! A reader said their reasoning for this was “mainly because I went as a kid the first year EPCOT was open and have gone every time since. Both of my parents are gone and I enjoy the fond memories and making new ones with my kids.” Don’t mind us, just tearing up a bit over here! Read our latest Biergarten review here! There were also some hilarious responses like “Any I can get a reservation in,” which we feel, too, because there has been some difficulty finding reservations lately! When faced with such a tough question, another reader said “should I choose a favorite parent, sibling, child, and pet too?” And, one jokester said their one restaurant they would keep is PizzeRizzo “just for AJ.” Hey! Don’t be forcing us to eat puffy pizza for the rest of our Disney World trips. PizzeRizzo spread Finally, we did get a couple creative answers like “the one cart in Germany that serves the grapefruit beer” and “the Spring Roll Cart.” If that’s all you need to be happy in Disney World, we respect it! We would honestly be devastated if the Spring Roll Cart ever left. Spring Rolls are heaven So, there ya have it! Those are the restaurants our readers would keep if they could only keep one Disney World restaurant. Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World info and updates! Click here to see the common mistakes to avoid when booking a Disney World restaurant! 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. Did your favorite not make the list? Tell us in the comments! The post If You Could Only Keep ONE Restaurant at Disney World, Which Would It Be? first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

In an age where practically everything has gone digital, Disney has made strides to make one of our least favorite experiences — waiting in line for rides — go virtual. In doing so, they have introduced their Virtual Queue system, which hasn’t been widely adopted just yet but rather used for their most popular rides. Rise of the Resistance In Disney World, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in EPCOT previously used Virtual Queues. On the west coast, Disneyland’s Rise of the Resistance, as well as WEB Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure also have used virtual queues in the past. But lately things with virtual queues have been CHANGING. With two new headliner attractions coming to Disney World in the next year or so (TRON Lightcycle Run in Magic Kingdom and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT), will the Virtual Queue system continue to guide the guest experience when it comes to checking out the latest and greatest rides? Why Does Disney Use Virtual Queues in the First Place? Back in the day (before virtual queues were even a thing), the opening of a new ride in Disney World often meant LOOOOONG standby lines stretching across the park. Depending on that ride’s capacity and ability to accommodate a large number of guests, the wait time for the newest ride could take up half of your day…or longer! Virtual queues eliminate much of that headache by distributing Boarding Groups at a set time. Once your boarding group is called, you then have a set period of time within which you’ve got to return to ride the attraction. Just keep in mind that you still might experience a bit of a wait once you arrive. But the total wait can be significantly cut down thanks to the use of virtual queues. Don’t necessarily rely on the WiFi when you’re trying to get a Boarding Group! Disney sometimes also uses virtual queues when a queue area cannot accommodate the sheer volume of guests looking to ride. When Disneyland first reopened in 2021 post the pandemic-related closures, a Virtual Queue system was temporarily adopted for Indiana Jones Adventure. This ride isn’t new to the park, but its queue (which can get quite long on its own) made for a bit of a tighter crowding situation in Adventureland. This virtual queue system was unique, however, because it was only opened “as needed” each day — not at the set morning and afternoon distribution times that we’ve seen with other rides. Eventually, the virtual queue here was done away with entirely, and the traditional standby queue was reinstated. Indiana Jones Virtual Queue sign Though virtual queues can help cut down on your actual wait time, they’re not necessarily all good. Some would argue that Disney’s Virtual Queue system only replaces one headache with another: by making Boarding Groups a requirement to experience popular attractions like Rise of the Resistance, whether or not you get to see Disney’s newest ride relies on chance and luck rather than your selective choice to wait in a long line. Due to the continued popularity of Rise of the Resistance, not everyone who wanted to ride could necessarily get a chance to do so. In fact, we heard from a number of Disney fans who simply could NOT get a boarding group to Rise of the Resistance. If you’ve only got one day to try and accomplish a particular ride and only 2 chances to get a boarding group for that day, things can get STRESSFUL. And if you don’t manage to get a boarding group in the seconds before they sell out, that can become a major disappointment. Virtual Queue Entrance when it’s GO TIME! So there are good and bad aspects to Boarding Groups. Your experience with them has likely impacted your personal view on them and how you feel about them. But things with virtual queues have been changing a lot lately. Click here to see what our readers had to say about virtual queues and whether they like them or not! Virtual Queue Situations Have CHANGED The virtual queue situations in both Disney World and Disneyland have changed a lot lately. Over at Disney World, the virtual queue system for Rise of the Resistance has been paused! That means guests no longer need to sign up for a virtual queue at the moment to get on this ride. Instead, a regular standby line is now available, in addition to the ability to purchase an Individual Attraction Selection (pay-per-ride selection) for this ride if a guest wants to skip the standby line. Note that Disney has said they have “PAUSED” the use of virtual queues for Rise of the Resistance. Disney shared that virtual queues continue to be helpful, and that guests should continue to check the My Disney Experience app for updates on virtual queues, including the potential return of Boarding Groups to Rise of the Resistance at a later date or from time to time. Rise of the Resistance Standby Line Wait Time Sign The situation has similarly changed at Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. The virtual queue for this ride has currently been suspended, though Disney has said they might use virtual queues in the future from time to time for select attractions. Time to wait! Over at Disneyland, things have also changed. Disney has paused the use of virtual queues for both Rise of the Resistance and WEB Slingers. In both cases, Disney has noted that they plan to open the virtual queues for the rides “as needed” each day. Despite these changes, we have seen virtual queues used at other locations (aside from rides) like select shops in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, meet-and-greets with Santa Claus, spots selling VERY popular food items, the opening of Space 220, or locations selling merchandise during specialty events in the parks. Virtual Queue Again, though Disney has paused the use of all of these virtual queues at the moment, they haven’t discounted the possibility that virtual queues could be used in the future. Click here to see what it’s like to ride Rise of the Resistance without a virtual queue Why Disney COULD Use Virtual Queues for TRON & Cosmic Rewind One reason Disney likely enjoys the use of virtual queues is because they allow guests to spend more time in other areas of the theme parks, rather than stand in a line all day (which gives guests the opportunity to spend more money). It can also make guests feel more positive about their vacation experience as they would have gotten the chance to do more things during that wait time rather than just stand in line. Meeting Santa in Disney Springs using a Virtual Queue Generally, the less time guests have to spend in lines, the happier they tend to be! Guests also tend to be happier when they feel like they were able to accomplish/see/experience more on their vacation. The logic behind the virtual queue is that it can improve guest experiences since they won’t be waiting in extremely long lines (which can sometimes be multiple hours long) for a single attraction. Instead of waiting in those long lines, guests will theoretically have the opportunity to experience other attractions and then just return to their desired attraction when their boarding group is called to then get on the ride in a relatively short amount of time, increasing their overall vacation satisfaction. LONG lines mean more time standing around and less time in the gift shop spending money! There can be a financial benefit and potential experiential benefit (as well as some practical benefits), at least initially, to continue using virtual queues when new rides first open. Instead of having lines of 4-5 hours when a ride first opens (anyone remember that LONG wait for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway when it opened?!), guests can simply use the virtual queue to save their spot and come back when it’s time for them to board. They can then spend the rest of their day enjoying the park, rather than waiting in line. This frees up physical space for Disney from a practical perspective too, which can be helpful. Having stanchions and extended queues prepared for those types of extensive waits can be a bit of an undertaking. Generally, if things with the virtual queue run smoothly, that level of an extended queue shouldn’t be necessary. Legacy Lightsaber Virtual Queue Both TRON and Cosmic Rewind will likely be VERY popular and highly anticipated rides, so Disney may need to utilize a special form of crowd control so the lines don’t stretch across the park. Virtual queues could be just the thing. They could keep wait times relatively reasonable, stop lines from stretching halfway across the parks, and still allow guests to experience the new rides. Disney could ultimately do something similar to what they’ve done with Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. They could utilize a virtual queue for these new rides immediately upon their opening, and then remove the virtual queues once they feel that they are able to do so. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure opened in October of 2021 and the virtual queue was discontinued in January of 2022 — that’s a period of about 3 months. Disney could continue that trend and utilize virtual queues just open the first months of the new rides’ openings, or they could keep the virtual queues around for longer. Waiting to be put into the virtual queue for Space 220 (when it was in use) Disney CEO Bob Chapek has also commented on the future of virtual queues, noting that they may continue to use them to help shape the guest experience. So that might be an indication that virtual queues will keep being used, at least initially. Disney’s own words in the announcement made about Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure also point to this. Specifically, Disney said that virtual queues “continue to be helpful with the launch of popular attractions” so they may use it again from time to time for select attractions. “The launch of popular attractions” — hmmmm, seems like just the type of language to point to the potential use of virtual queues for TRON and the Guardians of the Galaxy coaster. But only time will tell. Click here to read about Bob Chapek’s remarks regarding the future of virtual queues. Why Disney Might NOT Use Virtual Queues on These New rides. If Disney’s new and upcoming rides are built with extensive standby queuing space and their rider capacities are high enough, virtual queues may be mostly unnecessary. It may just depend on whether Disney can accommodate those longer standby lines! Since it first opened, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway has not used a Virtual Queue system Keep in mind that other new Disney World rides have NOT been given virtual queues, like Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. A virtual queue is not necessarily a “one size fits all” solution, and we may discover that TRON, Cosmic Rewind, or even both rides can accommodate lengthy standby queues without the need to distribute Boarding Groups. Another consideration is the other “crowd control” instrument that is currently being utilized. Yep, the Park Pass Reservation system. Do you have your Park Pass reservation? Since Disney is already limiting the number of guests permitted to enter a park for the day, there might be a bit less pressure to implement another layer of crowd control on top of that (though that hasn’t stopped them using virtual queues for other rides while Park Passes were implemented). Additionally, since guests are required to make Park Pass Reservations, Disney can use the number of guests reserved to visit the parks for that day to plan accordingly. It could help them forecast how many Cast Members they’ll need to have working in any given park, and could allow them to see where they need to prioritize staffing. Cast Member assist guests in line for Flight of Passage All this means that if there is no virtual queue, Disney could still be prepared to have Cast Members on hand to handle overflow queues, redirect traffic, or just provide general assistance. Rides aren’t the only place in Disney World we’ve seen virtual queues! Click here to learn more. But What Happens if Disney DOES Use Virtual Queues for TRON and Cosmic Rewind? If it turns out that Disney’s newest rides use virtual queues, we have some tips to help plan your day! Get ready to book those Park Pass Reservations for EPCOT (for Cosmic Rewind) and Magic Kingdom (for TRON) if Disney World is still using reservations for park admission at the times the rides open. Once Disney announces official opening dates for these rides, you can expect those dates and dates surrounding them to fill up pretty quickly when it comes to Park Pass reservations. TRON Construction Progress You’ll also want to make sure you have backup plans. Consider adding the Park Hopper option to your ticket, and consider planning more than one day in EPCOT and Magic Kingdom to increase your chances of getting a Boarding Group and experiencing the new ride, but still give you the ability to go elsewhere if you don’t score a group. Just remember that Park Hopping is based on availability, and it can fill up on very busy days (like what we saw on the 50th Anniversary). So just because you have a Park Hopper ticket, it’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to hop to the park you want to visit. ©Zach Riddley via Instagram (@thezachriddley) Finally, you’ll want to keep in mind that Disney may adopt similar rules to what we’ve seen used in the past. Disney World may allow guests to only have one Boarding Group at a time or structure boarding group distribution times so that it’s not really possible to get a boarding group for 2 different rides on the same day. If both of these rides end up using a Virtual Queue system at the same time, that could mean you’ll have to make some important choices about what parks to visit first during your trip. All of our previous virtual queue suggestions will also likely come in handy if these rides use a similar system: get your My Disney Experience account fully set up for yourself and your friends/family, make sure everyone’s tickets are linked, make sure everyone has been added to your friends/family group, make sure to set those alarms early and continually refresh the virtual queue page before the official boarding group release time, and act quickly once boarding groups are available! We can’t wait to hop on! It can be a huge bummer if you are unsuccessful in scoring a Boarding Group, so keep your expectations at a realistic level and if it doesn’t work out, remember that you still have an ENTIRE park to enjoy! Click here to read about the new Boarding Group rule Disney World MAY adopt when their newest rides open. Whether or not Disney World uses their Virtual Queue system when TRON Lightcycle Run or Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind open, be prepared for a LOT of guests wanting to experience these new attractions! Expect big crowds, meaning either more people waiting in the standby line or more people also trying to score a boarding group. You’ll definitely want to pack your patience! Be sure to check back with us for all of the latest updates. Click here to see WHEN you should visit Disney World to ride the new Guardians of the Galaxy ride! 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. Do you prefer Disney’s Virtual Queue system? Or would you prefer they stick to their traditional in-person queues? Let us know in the comments! The post Will Disney World Use Virtual Queues for TRON and Guardians? first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

The Figment popcorn bucket, love it or hate it, has become a viral hit! Figment says ‘hello!’ On the first day of EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts, the bucket had a 6.5 hour long line (!!!). The next day, LOTS of EPCOT guests still rope dropped the Pop Eats booth! Not only is the bucket a hot resale item, but “bad artwork” of the bucket went completely viral online! It’s been a WILD few days to say the least, but today the story of the purple dragon takes a very delicious turn! Cupcake Wars champ Jillian Hopke of Jillycakes Orlando brought a Figment Popcorn Bucket Cake into EPCOT today! This is a whole new layer to the Great Figment Saga of 2022 and we are OBSESSED. This cake certainly made us smile and we definitely needed it after a wild opening day at the Festival of the Arts! However, this isn’t the first piece of art inspired by the iconic popcorn bucket! Recently, we spotted a “bad artwork sketch” of the bucket on eBay (the proceeds go to charity!), adding some levity to the resale market for these buckets. ©eBay The Figment Popcorn Bucket has led to quite the saga! We’re keeping track of all the latest news about everyone’s favorite purple dragon, so stay tuned here for more updates! Disney Fan Lists “Bad Artwork Sketch” Of Famous Figment Popcorn Bucket With Proceeds Going To Charity…And It’s EVERYTHING. Want to Learn MORE About the 2022 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts? Click Here to See Photos & Videos From Our Time at the Festival of the Arts Check Out ALL of Our Reviews of the Food Booths at the Festival of the Arts See the Full Menus for All of the Food Booths at the Festival Get a Look at the NEW Figment Popcorn Bucket That Had a Multi-HOUR Wait on the First Day of the Festival Learn More About the Disney on Broadway Concert Series and Dining Packages at the Festival Check Out All of the 2022 Festival of the Arts Merchandise Here! See How to Get a Paint Your Own Figment at the Festival Click HERE for All of the Latest News and Details About the 2022 Festival of the Arts! Join the DFB Newsletter To get all the latest Festival of the Arts news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What would you rather have? The Figment popcorn bucket or the figment popcorn bucket cake? Let us know in the comments! The post What's BETTER Than a Figment Popcorn Bucket From Disney World? THIS. first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

To ensure we are equipping our readers with all the information they need, we will continue to report on all travel, safety, and COVID-related news that could impact a Disney Parks visit. Since the beginning of the global health crisis, the state of Florida has seen a record number of COVID-19 cases. As a result, we’ve seen health and safety guidelines at Disney World change and adapt. Spaceship Earth Now as the country is dealing with the Omicron variant of COVID-19, the state of Florida recently hit a milestone of over 70,000 daily reported cases. And as of now, the state has reached another COVID-19 milestone. WFTV9 reports that the state of Florida has now reached a total of 5 million COVID-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic. This makes it only the third state to reach that number, behind California and Texas. It is also now third in the total number of cases in the U.S. Mask Signage at Disney World Only a week ago, the Florida Department of Health reported a total of 4.5 million cases, with that weekly total increasing by almost 100,000 from the previous week. At the time, one out of all three new COVID-19 tests was positive. Indoor Mask Sign In Orange County, where Disney World is located, cases have also increased. In December, the county was listed as a COVID-19 hotspot, meaning that it had “reached a threshold of disease activity considered as being of high burden.” And the state recently changed its guidelines for COVID-19 testing, recommending that only symptomatic individuals — especially those who are at high-risk — get tested. Face mask sign However, the U.S. Surgeon General has commented that the U.S. is nearing its peak for Omicron cases, and although hospitalizations are expected to continue to rise over the next few weeks, the overall numbers should start going down soon. If you’re headed to Disney World soon, please note that masks are still required for all guests ages two and up in all indoor locations, regardless of vaccination status. This includes once you’ve entered an indoor line and for all indoor rides, as well as inside indoor restaurants unless you are actively eating or drinking while stationary. Masks are also required on all Disney transportation, including the Monorail, buses, and Skyliner. ©Disney We’re constantly checking for health and safety updates, especially those that affect Disney World, and we’ll continue to do so. The Omicron COVID-19 Variant and Disney World: What You Need To Know Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post NEWS: Florida Hits Milestone of 5 Million Reported COVID-19 Cases first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

There were some surprising happenings in Disney World this week! There’s a pretty memorable scent hanging out in Spaceship Earth! A dining spot unexpectedly closed, Disney announced hundreds of price increases, and a new ride opened early. Read all about it here! California Grill Closed On January 11th, a reader reached out to let us know that their reservation for California Grill, located in Disney’s Contemporary Resort, was unexpectedly canceled and that the restaurant was unavailable for dining. We received the same message when we took a look at the restaurant page in the My Disney Experience app. Notification from Disney According to a DFB reader, a Cast Member informed them that the restaurant was closed due to a “maintenance issue,” and that Disney reportedly indicated that guests with canceled reservations would be emailed a Disney gift card for the inconvenience. The restaurant resumed regular operations the following day. California Grill unexpectedly closes and cancels reservations. TONS of Price Increases This week HUNDREDS of price increases hit Disney World, from fan-favorite snacks like Dole Whip to popcorn buckets and refills, and even Mickey ice cream bars, along with many other items impacted. These price increases *could* possibly indicate the return of the Disney Dining Plan, but Disney has yet to announce anything. Main Street Popcorn Cart menu These price increases have impacted all four Disney Parks, Disney Springs, and Disney World hotels. Most of these were small but they could have an impact on your overall food budget. HUNDREDS of price increases hit Disney World! EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival Booths This week Disney announced the 2022 EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival booths — and we were pretty surprised by the lineup. In fact, it’s pretty much identical to the list of booths from the 2021 Flower and Garden Festival! While Disney typically brings back many of the past booths to a new festival, there are often more new booths to check out. 2021 EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival There were a few tiny changes, but mostly it looks like Disney just copied and pasted 2021 onto 2022! The Garden Rocks concert series will return to the festival in 2022, and you can still expect to find lots of colorful topiaries around EPCOT. Read more about the odd EPCOT Flower & Garden announcement here! Closed Disney World Locations Lately, we’ve noticed that a number of places around Disney World have been unexpectedly closed or opening late, and we’ve been told by Cast Members that this has been caused by staffing issues due to COVID-19. In Magic Kingdom, Cheshire Cafe recently closed, and it’s noteworthy because this spot was supposed to get a new 50th anniversary slush on January 10th. Cheshire Cafe Closed Cheshire Cafe has historically opened and closed seasonally, but it’s a bit odd that the spot closed when it was due to get a new 50th anniversary treat. We’ll be watching closely for it to reopen! Why some spots may be closed in Disney World! Surprise New Treats This week also brought us a surprise new treat in the form of Seven Dwarfs Specialty Cones from Storybook Treats in Magic Kingdom! There are seven cones total, but not every cone will be available at one time. As far as we know, there will be a featured Dwarf cone each day, with their own special flavors and cone colors. Look at all of them! When we stopped by, the Grumpy Cone was available. And we have checked each day since and still have not seen a new cone! But at some point, we should see cones featuring Dopey, Doc, Happy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Sleepy. They cost $5.99 per cone! Read more about the Seven Dwarfs Specialty Cones here! Early Entry for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure And finally, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure opened with Early Entry in EPCOT, allowing Disney World hotel guests access to the standby line 30 minutes before official opening time. Up until now, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure was only available to ride via a virtual queue system or by purchasing an Individual Lightning Lane. This has changed since Disney discontinued the virtual queue system for Remy and is now offering a standby line. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure Without a virtual queue, the standby line might reach high wait times, and Early Entry can be a great way to get ahead of the crowds and take advantage of shorter wait times. If you’re staying in a qualifying Disney hotel, you might want to try out Early Entry! Read more about Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure opening early here! And that’s all the unexpected news from this week in Disney World! Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World news and updates. Do you know these 20 rad Disney World ride 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. Are you surprised by any of the news this week? Tell us in the comments! The post We Didn't Expect These 6 Things to Happen in Disney World This Week first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

There are so many must-try treats in Disney World, it’s hard to pick a favorite! 50th Celebration Dole Whip Pineapple Dole Whip is a classic Disney treat, and for good reason! This citrus soft-serve has become a taco, a float, and even a boat, and we’ve loved it all! But did you know you can DRINK a Dole Whip at a Disney World value resort?! Let’s explore this treat together! We made this Dole Whip discovery over at Silver Screen Spirits at the All-Star Movies Resort! This spot is known for cocktails, but they also serve up smoothies and other drinks. Silver Screen Spirits at All-Star Movies Right now, this spot is offering the Dole Whip Pineapple Smoothie for $5.99! This drink is made the same way as a regular Dole Whip but instead of being frozen in a soft-serve machine, it’s in a machine that creates a smoothie-like texture and it’s a little bit less frozen compared to the regular Dole Whip. You guys won’t believe this but…it tastes like a Dole Whip and it’s DELICIOUS! The Dole Whip Smoothie! If you’re a Dole Whip-lover looking for a new take on the sweet citrus treat, this is a great way to enjoy that same Dole Whip flavor on the go (have you ever tried to eat a Dole Whip while rushing across Magic Kingdom? It’s not pretty!). Yum! We can’t turn down a Dole Whip in any form Speaking of Dole Whip, there’s a new 50th Anniversary treat featuring that citrus-y soft-serve, the Crooning Flowers! If the combination of lime and pineapple sound good together, this is the treat for you. Crooning Flower Dole Whip There are lots of goodies to try around Disney World beyond delicious Dole Whips! Whether it’s hunting down dishes from Festival of the Arts to trying delicious 50th Anniversary treats, we’ve got you covered! Stay tuned here for the latest Disney news. REVIEW: A NEW 50th Anniversary Dole Whip Float Has Arrived in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 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 is your favorite form of Dole Whip? Classic? Float? Taco? Smoothie? Let us know in the comments! The post REVIEW: Dole Whip SMOOTHIES in Disney World? We'll Take 10, Thanks first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Amid cancelled shows and staffing issues, one band has made their return to Disney World! Disney’s Animal Kingdom! Live entertainment and shows have been slowly coming back to Disney World. A Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King and the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular are both currently running, and the 2022 Festival of the Arts at EPCOT has all kinds of live entertainment. We were at Disney’s Animal Kingdom when we spotted the return of this band! The Viva Gaia Street Band is BACK at Discovery Island! This Caribbean influenced band is performing for guests again for the first time since 2020. Viva Gaia Street Band Chakranadi and Kora Tinga Tinga already made their return to the park in October, so we’re super happy to see Viva Gaia join them! The show encourages guests to dance along to the music — it’s one of the most interactive shows at Disney World! Viva Gaia! More popular entertainment offerings are coming back to Disney World this year including an updated Cinderella Castle stage show in Magic Kingdom (which Disney is already casting for), a new cavalcade in Magic Kingdom, and Fantasmic! in Disney’s Hollywood Studios! And today, we spotted the return of Olaf’s meet and greet in Hollywood Studios! Olaf! We missed you! Entertainment availability is constantly changing in Disney World. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on all of the entertainment in the Disney parks, so stay tuned to DFB for more! Click here to see ALL of the entertainment at the 2022 EPCOT Festival of the Arts! 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 Viva Gaia Street Band? Let us know in the comments! The post PHOTOS: More LIVE Entertainment Returns to Disney's Animal Kingdom! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Maple ricotta sweet cream in a bacon wrapped cannoli. Supplies limited daily.While we’re still wrapping our heads around the fact that it’s already 2022, we’re looking forward to the next few weeks at Disney World. Trolley Car Cafe Why? Because not only will we soon have delicious Valentine’s Day treats to try, but we are also getting in touch with our artsy side at EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts, and by our artsy side, we mean eating all the artsy-inspired foods! But there’s still a lot that’s been going on with Disney World restaurants menus this week, so let’s talk about that. So are you ready? Because let’s take a deep breath. One of the BIGGEST menu changes we saw this week involved HUNDREDS of price increases across the resort. That’s right — your Mickey Ice Cream Bars and Sandwiches just got a little more expensive and you’ll even pay more for DOLE Whips. In case you need to review ALL the price increases, we’ve got you covered here. Mickey Bars Just Got A Little More Expensive But those aren’t the only menu changes we’ve got, so let’s see what else is going on with Disney World restaurants this week. You can see the HUNDREDS of price increases here! Disney’s Animal Kingdom Tiffins Tiffins got hit with some price increases, too. Under “Specialty Cocktails,” here’s what’s changed: Jenn’s Tattoo increased from $13 to $14 Lamu Libation increased from $14 to $15 Hightower Rocks increased from $15 to $16 Mustang Coffee increased from $13 to $14 Tempting Tigress increased from $15 to $16 But there’s one decrease: the Annapurna Zing decreased from $16 to $13. Lamu Libation We’ve also got some cocktails that have been added (yes, we’re excited): Night Monkey — Original Dark Rum, Guava Purée, Coffee Simple Syrup, and Lime Juice with a hint of Cilantro for $14 Boto Rita — Zignum Reposado Mezcal, Combier Grapefruit Liqueur, Guava Purée, and Lime Juice for $15 Dalangs Delight — Starr African Rum, Batavia-Arrack van Oosten, Van der Hum Tangerine Liqueur, Mountain Berry Tea, Simple Syrup, and Lemon Juice for $15 Leaping Lizzard — Malibu Pineapple Rum and Leblon Cachaça with Orange, Passion Fruit, and Mango Juices for $16 Spice Trader Classic — Hayman’s Old Tom Gin, Dolin Vermouth Blanc, Lemon Juice, and Strawberries topped with Soda Water for $14 This Pastry At Tiffins Is Why You’ll Want To Run To Animal Kingdom Disney’s Hollywood Studios Trolley Car Cafe Two of our favorite snacks have returned to Hollywood Studios. This includes the Carrot Cake Cookie, which we will eat EVERY SINGLE day and not even blink. This massive cookie contains sweet cream cheese frosting between two carrot cake-inspired cookies. And although it seems simple, it is DELICIOUS. Grab it for $4.49. IT’S BACK! AND we also saw the return of the Peanut Butter Crunch Cupcake! It’s a chocolate cupcake topped with peanut butter buttercream frosting and covered with a peanut butter candy shell with two chocolate Mickey ears. It’s a favorite, too, so be sure to check it out. It’s $5.99. Read More About The Return of These DFB Faves Kat Saka’s Kettle The Outpost Popcorn Mix is back! It’s a popcorn blend of sweet AND spicy flavors. Granted, some people don’t LOVE these flavors, but we’ll admit we’re suckers for it. Outpost Popcorn Mix Grab it now for $6.49. Read One of Our Recent Reviews of Kat Saka’s Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Geyser Point Bar and Grill At Geyser Point, the Fruit Plate now comes with Greek Yogurt, instead of Dannon Yogurt. Geyser Point Bar and Grill Disney Kids’ Meals at Geyser Point Bar and Grill have had a small change. Instead of Dannon Danimals Yogurt, the kids’ meals now come with Strawberry Flavored Yogurt. And under the Allergy-Friendly Kids’ Entrées part of the menu, the choice of Apple Slices or Vegetable Sticks has been replaced by Grapes and a Strawberry flavored Yogurt Smoothie. All Kids’ meals still come with a water. Read Our Most Recent Review of Geyser Point Bar and Grill Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort The Turf Club Lounge So there have been a few MORE price increases we need to make you aware of. This one is for beverages over at The Turf Club Bar & Grill. Here’s what you’ll pay more for: Spicy Poblano Margarita increased from $14 to $15 Watermelon Margarita increased from $14 to $15 Rum Swizzle increased from $13 to $14 Raspberry Mojito increased from $13 to $14 Bacardi Mojito increased from $13 to $14 Antioxidant Lemonade increased from $13 to $14 Walk the Plank increased from $15 to $16 Turf Club Lounge Smoked Turkey increased from $15 to $16 Negroni increased from $15 to $16 Whiskey Breeze increased from $14 to $15 Moscow Mule increased from $14 to $15 Kentucky Mule increased from $15 to $16 Magical Star Cocktail increased from $15 to $17 Ultimate Long Island Iced Tea increased from $15 to $16 Captain’s Mai Tai increased from $13 to $14 Read About The Best Burger We Had Here! Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Pineapple Lanai Finally, if you want to get a DOLE Whip at Pineapple Lanai in the Souvenir Tiki Bowl, it’s no longer available. Souvenir Tiki Bowl We’ll let you know if it becomes available again. See How A Limited Time DOLE Whip Has Changed at Disney World Barefoot Pool Bar We’ve got more price increases at the Barefoot Pool Bar for Kids’ Meals: Grilled Chicken Strips increased from $7.49 to $7.99 Chicken Breast Nuggets increased from $7.49 to $7.99 Barefoot Pool Bar And the Luck of the Tahitian cocktail increased from $14 to $15. A NEW Celebrity Margarita is Coming to Disney World! Find Out More Here! Oasis Bar & Grill Oasis Bar & Grill had the same Kids’ Meal price increases as Barefoot Pool Bar: Grilled Chicken Strips increased from $7.49 to $7.99 Chicken Breast Nuggets increased from $7.49 to $7.99 Oasis Bar and Grill The Luck of the Tahitian cocktail has also increased from $14 to $15 here. We Had Lunch at Oasis Bar & Grill — Read Our Review Here Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto You’ll pay a little more for cocktails at Trader Sam’s, too: Nautilus increased from $32 to $35 (with souvenir mug increased from $58 to $61) HippopotoMai-Tai increased from $15 to $17 HippopotaMai-Tai Zombie increased from $15 to $17 Spikey Pineapple increased from $14 to $15 If You LOVE Trader Sam’s, You Should Try These Other Spots in Disney World Disney’s BoardWalk Inn Belle Vue Lounge A few breakfast beverages are going to cost a little more at Belle Vue Lounge (are you sensing a theme here?). Freshly Brewed Joffrey’s Coffee and Twinings of London Hot Tea increased from $3.29 to $3.79. Belle Vue Lounge Also, Hot Cocoa increased from $3.29 to $3.79. Read Our Latest Belle Vue Lounge Review BoardWalk Bakery And the price increases continue over at Disney’s BoardWalk. The Mickey Brownie increased from $4.79 to $5.79. Mickey Brownie That’s the only change here, at least for now. Read Our Review of the Mickey Brownie Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Landscape of Flavors Art of Animation’s food court was not immune from the price increases. The Breakfast Menu has seen the Plant-based and Allergy-Friendly Character-shaped Waffles increase from $9.99 to $10.49. Landscapes of Flavor Regular Character-shaped Waffles remain the same at $9.99. A NEW 50th Anniversary Dole Whip Float Has Arrived in Disney World — Read Our Review! Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Gasparilla Island Grill There’s a new snack to try out at Gasparilla Island Grill — it’s a Mickey Cake Pop, which is a Chocolate Fudgy Cake Pop enrobed in Dark Chocolate with the Signature Mickey Shape. YUM! Gasparilla Island Grill The Cake Pop is $8.29. Read Our Review of Gasparilla Island Grill’s Holiday Treats Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Sanaa Over at Sanaa, the Quinoa Vegetable Tabbouleh Salad on the lunch menu increased from $14 to $17. Sanaa On the dinner menu, the Potjie Inspired increased from $28 to $30. Here’s How Table Service Mobile Order Works At Sanaa Disney Springs Vivoli il Gelato So what’s changed over at Vivoli il Gelato? Here’s what we saw: Traditional Cannoli increased from $6.50 to $6.75 Cake Batter Cannoli increased from $5 to $7 Cake Batter Cannoli ©Vivoli il Gelato (@vivoligelateria via Instagram) ADDED: Maple Bacon Cannoli — Maple ricotta sweet cream in a bacon wrapped cannoli. Supplies limited daily. $7 ADDED: Peanut Butter Cannoli — Peanut butter ricotta cheese sweet cream, topped with peanuts and chocolate chips for $7 ADDED: Pistachio Cannoli — Pistachio ricotta cheese sweet cream topped with chocolate chips for $7 Here’s A Recent Review Of A Drink We Had Here! We would like to remind you that if you are interested in eating something specific at a Disney World restaurant to check the menu before you book that Advance Dining Reservation or go to that counter service spot to order. And we’ll continue to post menu updates every week, so stay tuned! Here’s Why Disney World’s Price Increases Might Be a CLUE About Future Dining Plan 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. Did any of your favorite Disney World foods get hit with a price increase this week? Let us know in the comments! The post MORE Price Increases and the Return of Some DFB Favorite Snacks Hit Disney World This Week first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

There is a LOT of fun to be had at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, especially if you’re a big Star Wars fan! Welcome to Droid Depot Not only can you have a drink in an alien bar, but you can also create your own lightsaber, and build your own droid. But you can also add accessories to your droid that makes it a little more human (and we’re not sure how we feel about that). We stopped at Droid Depot recently to see if anything new was in stock, and although we’ve spotted this before, we saw the Ferry Droid Accessory Kit still in stock (the ferry droid can be seen in The Mandalorian on Disney+). The set includes dome, dome extender, arms, legs, and oar. Ferry droid accessory kit We were INTRIGUED when we turned around and saw a Cast Member had one of these already put together! Check this thing out! Like how weird does it look with arms and legs? And it’s even weirder when they’re moving! Um… hello, Droid? We were told that he can’t walk (whew — that would be creepy), but he can stand up. Also, will you look at how MASSIVE this thing is? We’re pretty sure he could beat up the other droids in the shop, especially with the addition of arms and legs. He can stand up So if you’re wanting to add appendages to your droid and make him a little EXTRA, you can do so for $69.99. Stay tuned because we’ll keep you updated if we find any other cool droid accessories! Here’s How You Can Add A ‘Star Wars’ Creature To Your Custom Lightsaber At Disney World! Want MORE Details About Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge? Click HERE for All the News and Details for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge — Including Our REVIEWS! We're LIVE at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge in Disneyland The ULTIMATE GUIDE to Disney's Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge PHOTOS: Build Your Own Astromech Droid at the Droid Depot in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run - REVIEW AND TIPS PHOTO TOUR: Don-Okdar's Den of Antiquities PHOTO TOUR: Head Inside Oga's Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge With Us! Go INSIDE Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge! See How the Interactive Technology for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Will Blow Your Mind! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What do you think of this accessory kit? Let us know in the comments! The post We Can't Tell If This Droid Creation at Disney World Is Creepy Or Cool... 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. We think the type of bag you use when you go to a Disney park can say a lot about a person. Mickey Waffle backpacks Are you a classic Kate Spade? Dooney and Bourke more your thing? Maybe a chic Danielle Nicole? And of course, who can forget, the iconic Loungefly. We just spotted a new Sleeping Beauty Loungefly collection online, and this Mickey bag just joined them! What would you call a backpack made of jean material? A jackpack? We’re not sure, but this Mickey Mouse Denim Mini Backpack is cute regardless! The bag is denim with Mickey print all over it, and the light blue handle and zipper are a great detail! ©Disney The bag is $80, and it’s available on shopDisney right now! Here’s what the back of the bag looks like! ©Disney These Loungefly mini backpacks are perfect for the park days where you don’t want to carry around a giant backpack, but still want a little room for water, sunglasses, makeup, souvenirs that we totally didn’t mean to buy they just showed up we don’t know what happened. Click here to get the Mickey Mouse Denim Loungefly Mini Backpack! If you like the denim vibe but want something smaller, check out the Mickey Mouse Loungefly Denim Wallet! ©Disney This wallet features the same print as the backpack with 8 card pockets and a zipper pouch. You can grab it for $50! Click here to buy the Mickey Mouse Denim Loungefly Wallet! We’re always staying up to date on all of the latest Disney news, so stay tuned to DFB for more! What’s in Our Bags? DFB Reporters Share Their Secrets in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Are you gonna get this Denim Mickey Mini Backpack? Let us know in the comments! The post Love Denim & Mickey? Disney Just Released Two Items You'll ACTUALLY Use in the Parks! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Is it just us, or does food shaped like Mickey just taste better? Kringla Bakeri Og Like we can’t turn down Mickey pretzels, Mickey ice cream bars (even though we have to pay a little more for them now), Mickey waffles, or Mickey…well… ANYTHING. That includes Mickey Cinnamon Rolls! Speaking of which, we got our hands on one at EPCOT today! We popped into Kringla Bakeri og Kafe in the Norway pavilion to see if there was anything new in the case and discovered that the Mickey Cinnamon Roll had returned there. When we checked on it earlier in the week, the cinnamon roll had been added to the menu, but it wasn’t available yet. However, it was available to try today! Mickey-shaped food is better As you can see, this version of the Mickey Cinnamon Roll has loads of red, white, and blue icing! It wasn’t a soft icing, but was drier and harder than the frosting you might get on a cinnamon roll at Gaston’s Tavern. LOADS of icing The texture was also a little different and it reminded us a lot of a croissant — it even had a buttery croissant flavor. But this texture did make it a little dry and crumbly — one of the ears fell off while we were getting photos of it (sorry, Mickey!). And although it had plenty of cinnamon in it, the cinnamon flavor wasn’t overwhelming. Cinnamon-y goodness Kringla Bakeri used to have this epic Cinnamon Loaf that was super moist, served warm, and topped with pecans! We hope to see this at Kringla again in the future, but for now we’ll accept a solid Mickey cinnamon roll. Cinnamon Loaf (2016) If you’d like to try one for yourself, you can grab it for $6.29. And hey, it’s nice to have another cinnamon roll option at Disney World, right? We’ll continue to eat all the food at Disney World, so stay tuned for more reviews! 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 had a chance to try this cinnamon roll yet? Let us know in the comments! The post REVIEW: There's Now ANOTHER Place to Grab a Mickey Cinnamon Roll in Disney World! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We’re back to check in on all of the construction projects that are going on around Disney World right now! Magic Kingdom A lot of things are shifting as Disney rolls into 2022 with things like refurbishments going on at popular attractions and new rides in progress. Some of the projects may have a BIG impact on your vacation so, let’s get to the latest updates from this week! Magic Kingdom TRON: Lightcycle Run First up we’re headed over to the newest roller coaster coming to Magic Kingdom — TRON: Lightcycle Run. This ride was announced all the way back in 2019 and after some delay in construction, we’ve been seeing A LOT of progress on the exterior portion recently! In fact, this week we spotted quite a few lifts in the area, as Disney adds more details to the outdoor canopy. It’s starting to look different! Plus, the walkway that will take guests from Tomorrowland into the attraction’s queue is also coming along after being paved last week. See those extra details on the canopy? When the attraction will officially open is anyone’s best guess right now, but we’re keeping an eye out for updates from Disney and will share as soon as anything is announced! Splash Mountain A few fan-favorite rides have closed in Disney World temporarily for refurbishment recently, and this week Splash Mountain joined the list in Frontierland. We stopped by to see if we could spot any work being done and mostly just ran into construction wall… The entrance is blocked off …after construction wall. Can’t really see much! Most of the work is likely going on inside the attraction where we can’t see, but for now, guests passing by can have a look at the dried-up river and get a peek at what really goes on after you plummet down the hill (mechanically, at least). All drailed here Disney’s website currently notes that Splash Mountain will reopen on February 10th, 2022, so it won’t be too long before you can cool off on a warm day by taking a ride. It’s also important to note that this closure is for “routine maintenance” and is not related to the upcoming reimagination of the ride to be themed after Princess and the Frog. Learn More About the Temporary Closure of Splash Mountain HERE! EPCOT Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind If roller coasters are your thing, then there’s another one that should be on your radar in Disney World — Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind! This indoor ride will boast a lot of firsts when it opens, like being the first Marvel-themed attraction in Disney World, the first-ever reverse launch on a Disney coaster, and more. We’ve been keeping track of all the progress that we can see, and this week there was more painting progress! It’s happening! The large brown banisters that are closest to the guest walkway are getting their new look! Though, there are still quite a few more pillars to go. Still more to go though The attraction is set to open sometime in Summer 2022, so there’s a lot more progress to come in the next few months! Click HERE to See What Our First Look INSIDE the Guardians of the Galaxy Ride in EPCOT Was Like! World Celebration Just across the way from Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, we saw more changes being made to the building that was once home to Mouse Gear. In previous weeks, day guests could see quite a bit of the work being done, but now all of the windows are covered up with tarp. No peeking! Disney hasn’t shared an update on what they have planned for this location, but some fans have been speculating that it could be home to the new Quick Service restaurant that was recently announced for EPCOT. There’s nothing indicating that this will actually be the case, but we’ll be keeping an eye out! America Gardens Theatre And, back in World Showcase, the America Gardens Theatre has been getting some TLC just as The Voices of Liberty move back to their original home inside the Rotunda. This spot is usually home to quite a few performances throughout the day, but no shows can be seen here while the work is being done. Things are happening! Disney has confirmed that the Garden Rocks concert series will be returning to the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival this year, so all the construction will likely be completed by March at the latest. See the FULL Garden Rocks Concert Schedule for the 2022 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival HERE! Disney Resorts Disney’s Contemporary Resort Lastly, we noticed some construction walls pop up at one of the entrances to the BVG store in Disney’s Contemporary Resort early this week. The refurbishment was only impacting one of the doorways, so — don’t worry — you can still get all your shopping in. Giving this entrance some TLC And, speaking of shopping, there’s a NEW Contemporary Resort Ornament that just showed up here and is a must for your Christmas tree if this hotel is one of your favorites! Check Out the New Contemporary Resort Ornament HERE! Well, that’s all for this week’s construction updates from Disney World! We’ll catch you next week with more that you need to know for your next trip! Click HERE to See Everything That Will Be CLOSED in Disney World in 2022! 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 planning to visit Disney World this summer to ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind? Let us know in the comments! The post A MYSTERY Project, 3 Roller Coasters, and MORE Make Progress in Disney World! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article