Disney4me

It's the first installment of Theme Park Rangers Radar, which gathers tidbits from Disney World, Universal, SeaWorld and beyond. View the full article

Rosie’s All American Cafe is a patriotic themed Quick Service Restaurant at Disney Hollywood Studios. Rosie’s All American Cafe harkens back to World War 2 and the extraordinary effort made towards victory on the home front. From the implication that Rosie the Riveter has branched out to become a restaurateur to the Victory Garden in […] The post Rosies All American Cafe – Disney Hollywood Studios appeared first on Military Disney Tips Blog. View the full article

Here at DFB, we may have a *slight* peanut butter obsession. But can you blame us? Seriously, have you ever tried the legendary Butterfinger Cupcake at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Between all the sweet, rich, peanut butter treats we’ve tried over the years, it’s safe to say we may be some of Disney’s biggest peanut butter dessert fans. Disney Springs never disappoints! Well, Disney Springs must have been reading our minds, because a NEW peanut butter treat has arrived, and it looks HUGE! Vivoli il Gelato, located in Disney Springs, just debuted a BIG treat that we can’t wait to try! Take a look at Carver’s Peanut Butter Explosion. Hungry yet? The Peanut Butter Explosion is made with peanut butter gelato, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream, then topped with an entire chocolate peanut butter cake. This gelato milkshake looks SUPER filling; we might need a second to mentally prepare ourselves before we taste this explosion of sweetness! ©Disney Vivoli il Gelato is serving this peanut butter treat NOW, so head over to Disney Springs and give this dreamy peanut butter treat a try! In the meantime, stay tuned for all the latest Disney news and park updates! Want a Gorgeous Snack and Tiny Souvenir? Disney World Has You Covered! 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! Preorder 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 preorder 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 snack in Disney Springs? Let us know in the comments! The post A NEW Peanut Butter Milkshake Has Arrived in Disney World...and it Looks EPIC! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

The 2022 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts officially kicks off next week! The newest of the four EPCOT festivals, the Festival of the Arts celebrates all things creative, from music and entertainment to painting and visual art to of course culinary art! Festival of the Arts 2021 We’re still well over one week away from the start of the festival, but we are already seeing plenty of preparation taking place across EPCOT. On a recent visit, we noticed that many of the food booths have started to transition into Festival of the Arts mode, with updated signage and decor! The booths still have some lingering holiday decor from EPCOT’s Festival of the Holidays, but just like the rest of us, EPCOT may just be procrastinating getting those final Christmas decorations down and back in storage for the year (show of hands, how many of us still haven’t taken down our trees yet? We won’t judge.). The Craftsman’s Courtyard The 2022 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts will feature some brand-new booths, including The Craftsman’s Courtyard! Craftsman’s Courtyard Stay tuned to learn more about the menu from this new festival dining location! Click here to read more about Craftman’s Courtyard! Decodent Delights Another new booth debuting this year at the Festival of the Arts is Decodent Delights! As the name implies, this booth will celebrate all things Art Deco, “from the gilded glamor of the roaring ’20s to the bright pastels of Miami Beach.” “Decodent” Delights We’ll have to wait for Disney to release their FULL booth menus to see what the story is here with Decodent Delights, but we can’t wait to check it out when the festival begins! Click here to read more about Decodent Delights! Deconstructed Dish While we’re excited to check out the new booths, we’re also looking forward to revisiting returning booths as well. One of the many returning booths this year is Deconstructed Dish! Deconstructed Dish Returning to Deconstructed Dish is a favorite of ours from last year’s Festival of the Arts, the Deconstructed B.L.T.! Click here to read the full menu from Deconstructed Dish! El Artista Hambriento (The Hungry Artist) Over in the Mexico Pavilion is where you’ll find El Artista Hambriento, also known as The Hungry Artist! El Artista Hambriento Be sure to stop by if you’re in the mood for some Mexican dishes and beverages like their Frida Carrot Margarita. Click here to check out the full menu from El Artista Hambriento! Goshiki — Japan The Japan Pavilion is one stop you have to make if you’re looking for uniquely designed dishes at EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts. The food booth there is called Goshiki! Goshiki Returning this year is the super fun (and equally tasty) Sushi Donut and the inventive DIY Stone Garden! Click here to check out the full menu from Goshiki! Gourmet Landscapes The resident food booth in the Canada Pavilion is called Gourmet Landscapes at the Festival of the Arts, and it’s returning in 2022! Gourmet Landscapes This year, it’s serving up returning items including their Vanilla, Rose Water and Pistachio Panna Cotta and Salmon and Cream Gâteau. Click here to check out the full menu from Gourmet Landscapes! L’Art de la Cuisine Francaise – France The booth in the France Pavilion is always a highlight and one of the most highly anticipated booths (for us, at least) every festival! L’Art de la Cuisine Francaise This year, expect returning dishes including Crème de Brie en Petit Pain and Moelleux à la Framboise et aux Chocolats Valrhona. Click here to read more about the menu at L’Art de la Cuisine Francaise. L’Arte di Mangiare — Italy Italy’s food booth, L’Arte di Mangiare, is also returning to the 2022 Festival of the Arts! L’Arte di Mangiare Will this be the year the Italy Booth finally WOWS us? You’ll have to wait until January 14th to find out! Click here to check out the full menu from L’Arte di Mangiare! The Painted Panda — China Over in the China Pavilion, The Painted Panda returns to the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts. The Painted Panda Food items here include their Old Shanghai Shi Zi Tou and Sichuan Red Hot Mala Shrimp, along with an assortment of beverages. Click here to read the full menu from The Painted Panda. Pastoral Palate We also spotted Pastoral Palate getting ready to celebrate EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts (though it looks like they aren’t quite ready to part with their holiday wreath). Last year, this booth was called Cuisine Classique, but it looks like the menu will be just about the same as it was in 2021! Pastoral Palate Over at Pastoral Palate, you’ll find items like Red Wine-braised Beef Short Rib and Opera Cake! Click here to check out the full menu from Pastoral Palate. Vibrante & Vívido STILL hungry? Check out Vibrante & Vívido Encanto Cocina! Vibrante Vivido Encanto Cocina This booth is where you’ll find a Chilled Seafood Cocktail and their colorful Passionfruit Mousse, along with beverages like Frozen Piña Coladas and Passion Fruit Daiquiris! Click here to read more about the menu at Vibrante & Vívido! We also spotted some merchandise booths getting set for the start of the festival! Be sure to stop by these tents for unique souvenirs, including original works of art! Festival of the Arts booth tent We also spotted preparations taking place over at the gift shop booth, which has transformed into a Festival of the Arts-themed destination! Gift Shop booth We can’t wait to check out all of these creative and colorful dishes when EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts officially begins on January 14th! Be sure to follow along for full reviews of each of these booths, along with our coverage of everything there is to see and do at the festival. Click here to see the FULL list of booths coming to the 2022 Festival of the Arts! Want to Learn MORE About the 2022 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts? Click Here to See WHEN the Festival of the Arts Will Take Place in 2022 The Disney on Broadway Concert Series is Coming Back to the Festival of the Arts -- Learn More Here See the 9 Things That Are CONFIRMED to Return to the 2022 Festival of the Arts Check Out Our Live Coverage of Opening Day from the 2021 Festival of the Arts! See Our FULL Reviews of EVERY Food Studio from the 2021 Festival of the Arts Check Out All the 2021 Festival of the Arts Merchandise Here! 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! Are you planning on attending this year’s Festival of the Arts? Let us know in the comments! The post PHOTOS: Booths Appear at EPCOT Ahead of the Festival of the Arts first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

As they say on the Carousel of Progress, “there’s a great big beautiful tomorrow,” and there are some AMAZING technological developments in the works thanks to some clever Imagineers! Remember that incredible lightsaber that Josh D’Amaro tested out during a D23 event? Or what about that preview of Project EXO that will totally change the way we interact with characters? Josh D’Amaro with a lightsaber at Destination D23 For all you technology nerds out there, these are some exciting times! Recently, we talked about the mechanics behind Disney’s REAL lightsaber, but today we’re back to discuss Disney’s interesting new patent that has SO many possibilities! According to a patent recently filed by Disney Enterprises, Imagineers are interested in creating a new virtual world experience. The patent claims that Disney is working on an experience where “One or more users can advantageously experience a virtual world that is simulated by conforming virtual effects to the three-dimensional (3D) geometry of a real-world venue from the vantage point of each user.” ©Disney There’s a LOT to unpack with this patent. For starters, it sounds like guests will immerse themselves in some kind of virtual reality, where virtual effects, such as virtual images, will “overlay an image of a real-world object.” Not only that, but the patent lays out the claim that multiple guests will be able to participate at the same time thanks to a proprietary automated system. To break it down, this likely means that Disney will be using some sort of projection mapping system and/or virtual reality system to place an image on a real-world object. What might be a solid, blank cylindrical block in real life could look like a complex Star Wars device or could even become a projection surface for a character. The system will allow the virtual world to look realistic from different vantage points too, think of a more advanced, close-up version of the nighttime projections on Cinderella Castle. ©Disney We also discovered an interesting detail briefly mentioned in the patent that could give us a hint of what this patent will be used for! In one section of the claim, the language describes a handheld device that guests may use during the virtual experience. Further down, the patent defines the handheld device as a projection device! ©Disney Claim 10 in Disney’s patent hints that the projection device will “simulate a virtual-world by conforming the identified virtual effects to the geometry of the real-world venue from a present vantage point of the tracked moving perspective.” Then, in claim 11, the language gets more specific, hinting that the projection device may be a 3D map that follows your movement! This would allow the system to make sure it’s adjusting to your view and keeping things realistic for you. ©Disney This patent is FULL of details; is anyone else already speculating what this technology may be used for? Could it be Marvel-related? On the other hand, that handheld projection device certainly sounds like something out of the Star Wars universe. There are endless possibilities! If you ask us, this certainly reminds us of our theory that the Play Pavilion that’s coming to EPCOT could have a Virtual Reality focus! Be sure to follow along for all the latest Disney news and updates! Want to learn more about our Play Pavilion Virtual Reality thoughts? Click here! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Preorder 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 preorder your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2022 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. What do you think this patent could be used for? Let us know in the comments! The post Disney's New Patent Could Bring a Virtual Reality Into the Real World 👀 first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Planning to visit Disney World soon? If you’ve got a must-do attraction on your list, you’ll want to make sure that the ride will be open when you visit! Tree of Life From time to time, various rides, stores, or restaurants in Disney World can close for refurbishment. Sometimes those refurbishments only last a few days and the rides quickly reopen. Other times, the refurbishments are lengthy, meaning it could be a few months before you get the chance to hop on that ride again. Recently, we shared an update about a Disney World ride that will be closing for a LONG refurbishment, and now that ride is officially CLOSED. If you’re heading to Disney’s Animal Kingdom within the next few months, there’s something important to you need to know. Expedition Everest is now CLOSED for refurbishment and it will remain closed for several months. Expedition Everest Has Closed We stopped by the area near Expedition Everest today to get a look at this ride now that it is closed. The Ride is Closed On a nearby sign we saw that the ride was marked as “closed.” No Visiting the Yeti Today Since the ride is now down, the area around it was a GHOST town! Considering the big crowds we’ve seen in Disney World recently, it felt a little strange to see this area so empty. WOW! Very Empty! The attraction’s gift store, the Serka Zong Bazaar, was still open when we visited… Serka Zong Bazaar is Still Open …though it was quite empty! Very Empty Here There were also certain areas of the store that were closed… Closed Door …or otherwise turned “off” since the ride is not running at the time. PhotoPass Area Turned Off It was also a bit eerie to see the mountain with an empty cave leading to the inside and no screaming guests plummeting down the drop. Spooky It will be very interesting to see what changes or updates this lengthy refurbishment brings to this popular ride. Sign Covered According to the Disney World website, the ride will be closed from now through mid-April 2022. ©Disney This is also what Cast Members near the ride were advising guests of today. Cast Members Near the Ride Keep in mind that Expedition Everest was one of the 2 rides available through Individual Attraction Selection (pay-per-ride) in Animal Kingdom. Now that it is not available, the Disney Genie website notes that the only pay-per-ride selection available in Animal Kingdom is Avatar Flight of Passage. ©Disney At the moment, no official reopening date for Expedition Everest has been announced, other than the general mid-April time period. If you’ll be visiting Disney World during that time period when Expedition Everest will be closed, be sure to keep this refurbishment in mind and adjust your plans! Construction Walls Here We’ll be on the lookout for more updates and let you know what we find. Click here to see all of the hotels and rides that are closed in January of 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! Preorder 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 preorder your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2022 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Are you a fan of Expedition Everest? Tell us in the comments! The post It's Official. A Major Disney World Ride is Now CLOSED for a Long Refurbishment first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Reopens | Walt Disney World ResortView the full article

Hello from the most magical place on earth: Disney World! Today, we’re in the Magic Kingdom to take a look at what’s new! Recently, the Magic Kingdom was FULL of guests celebrating the start of the new year! The crowds seemed to vary in size throughout the holiday weekend after Christmas, so make sure to check those average wait times using the new Disney Genie app! Happy New Year!! So far, the new year is looking pretty good! The sun is out, the weather is cool, and it’s a beautiful day in the Magic Kingdom. Come with us and let’s take a look at what’s new! Magic Kingdom Entertainment Updates Princess Meet and Greets It was a chilly day in the Magic Kingdom, so Belle was meeting and greeting outside her cottage in her royal blue cloak! Read anything good lately? We also visited some friends over in Princess Fairytale Hall. We weren’t expecting to meet Cinderella (the sign said she wasn’t visiting the Magic Kingdom today), but we were happily surprised to see her beautiful smiling face. Don’t worry, it’s not midnight yet! It’s always fun to visit the princesses, and you never know who you might see! We Got to Meet a RARE Princess in Disney World Today! Magic Kingdom Merchandise Updates Emporium Who says trains sets are just for Christmas?! We found a NEW 50th Anniversary metal train set, operated via Bluetooth, at the Emporium on Main Street, U.S.A. for $499. It’s pricey, but imagine how valuable this could be in another 50 years! Now, all we need is the REAL train to start running! Can a person ever have too many classic Disney World shirts? We don’t think so! You can buy this white Mickey Mouse ringer tee for $29.99. You can’t go wrong with the classics! There weren’t very many new items for kids, but we did spot these bright child’s leggings for $29.99. Talk about COLORFUL! If you’re feeling extra grateful to be back in the parks, you might need this colorful baseball tee for $36.99. Welcome back, magic! On the other hand, if you’re feeling extra magical, you might want this shirt instead for $39.99. How you feelin’? As you can see, Disney’s got a shirt for every emotion! This “Be Happy” shirt is $29.99 (this one looks a little wrinkly, though!). SO cute! This $24.99 Mickey and Minnie shirt is ADORABLE, but doesn’t it feel a little too early for Valentine’s day? Valentine’s Day? Already? Over in the souvenir section, we found this big pack of Star Wars magnets that would make a great gift! (Or you could just keep them for yourself.) The pack of nine is $14.99. These would look great on our fridge! After a long period of unavailability, these Jack Skellington keychains are back in stock! Restock alert! Speaking of restocks, we found BOTH the purple and the pink 50th Anniversary Starbucks tumblers! These go in and out of stock all the time, so keep checking back if you’re interested! These bad boys and BACK! The collection of Mary Blair Alice in Wonderland merchandise keeps on growing! We found a new two-tiered serving platter for $54.99. Perfect for a tea party! If you’re not really a Minnie ear person, you might enjoy this shiny gold 50th Anniversary bow instead! It’s $16.99, which is much cheaper than some of those gold Minnie ears… . It lights up, too! In need of a new staple baseball hat to add to your collection? This black Mickey Mouse hat is $29.99. We could wear this every day! Disney’s home decor section stepped up its game! Take a look at this cute decoration, priced at $24.99. There’s no place like HOME We also found a matching trivet for $21.99. This is so cute! You guys. We’ve been looking for this purple 50th Anniversary spirit jersey for SUCH a long time, and it was back in stock! This one is pretty expensive at $84.99, but that doesn’t stop it from selling out ALL the time! This is HARD to find! Let’s head over to Uptown Jewelers next! Uptown Jewelers Over at Uptown Jewelers, we found some Dress Shop items themed after the Disney World Railroad! This gold purse is $44.99. This is super cute! There is a matching Disneyland Railroad dress for $128. We miss the train! Feeling fancy? How about a new 50th Anniversary Bulova watch for $1200? This is EXPENSIVE, but it looks so nice! Let’s head next door to the Main Street Cinema! Main Street Cinema We spotted this 50th Anniversary Vault Collection board game over in Disney Springs, but now it’s available in the parks, too! You can buy this retro-looking game for $39.99. Who wants to come to our next game night? Next stop, Crystal Arts! Crystal Arts Over at the Crystal Arts store, we found some EXPENSIVE 50th Anniversary plates. From left to right, the prices are $399, $950, $3500 (!!!), and $399. We wouldn’t eat off of these… Whew! Main Street had a TON of new items! Now let’s make our way to Fantasyland. Bonjour! Village Gifts We’ve got another restock alert! This 50th Anniversary Cinderella Castle by Jim Shore is back, but we don’t know how long it will stick around! It’s priced at $175. Jim Shore is a master! Now let’s head to the store MADE for princess-lovers! Sir Mickey’s Disney designers seem have lots of FUN with the children’s merchandise! This multicolored fur jacket is $49.99, and it definitely makes a statement! We think Sulley would approve! This cute little children’s Encanto shirt is so cheerful, just like Mirabel! Have you seen this movie yet? Who wants to mosey over to Frontierland and take a look at a MagicBand? Frontier Trading Although you don’t need a MagicBand to enter the parks anymore, many people still love to wear and collect them! This new Minie MagicBand is $29.99. This is also available at Tomorrowland Light & Power! Speaking of Tomorrowland Light & Power, let’s visit the future! Star Traders We found some Mickey-themed denim over at Star Traders! Would you go for an all-denim outfit? This little collection includes a pair of denim joggers and a jean jacket. Click here to see ALL of the 50th Anniversary merchandise you can buy online! Magic Kingdom Snacks and Treats The Joffrey’s stand in Tomorrowland has new 50th Anniversary cups! Don’t they look cute? Our coffee has never looked better! Over in Storybook Circus, some of the Big Top Treats are BACK! The Jumbo Mickey Pineapple Sugar Cookie and Churro cookies are $5.49 each. Some treats are back! These fun cupcakes are back after a hiatus as well! Aren’t they photogenic? Now that we’ve covered all the basics, let’s talk about some fun little things you might not know! Click here to see the 15 best snacks for under $10! Fun Facts & Tips A FUN Keepsake For our photo-loving friends, we’ve got a hot tip for ya! We found this 50th Anniversary Photopass photo cover at Splash Down Photos, and we think it would make a great little keepsake! Next time you’re in a gift shop that offers PhotoPass services, ask a Cast Member if they have any photo covers! You could frame this, too! You don’t even necessarily need to put a photo inside, this could be framed on its own! Fun Fact Have you ever taken a closer look at the Partners statue on Main Street? Did you know that Walt’s tie has a tiny little personal detail? See that icon on his tie; it says STR, which stands for Smoke Tree Ranch. This was Disney’s favorite vacation destination (located close to Palm Springs), and he even owned a home there! Have you ever noticed this? And that’s all that’s new from Magic Kingdom for now! Keep reading DFB for more Magic Kingdom and Disney World updates. Is Disney World Too Expensive For Average Families? 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! Preorder 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 preorder 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 have a trip to Disney coming soon? Let us know in the comments! The post What's New at Magic Kingdom: Some PRICEY Plates, a Cozy Princess, and a SECRET Disney Detail first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Once you drive past those Disney World gates, it can feel like you’ve entered a whole other dimension where the stress from the “normal” world just doesn’t exist. Welcome to Disney World But on your way into Disney World, or if you drive off property during your trip, you’ll likely encounter some of the stores, restaurants, or other things surrounding Disney World. We’ve kept an eye on developments in the nearby area as they may impact your trip or the things you see as you drive into or from the Most Magical Place on Earth. From new hotels to new restaurants, we’re constantly on the lookout for updates, and today we found an update about a large amount of land near Disney World that might become something different than originally planned. According to a tweet from the Orlando Sentinel, there is a parcel of land near Disney World that amounts to about 130 acres. Previously this land was approved to be used and transformed into a luxury resort. That seems like something many guests would expect for land near Disney World as many guests look to stay at nice hotels near the resort. Driving to Disney Now, however, it seems things have changed. The Orlando Sentinel shares that the owners of that land near Disney World now want to rezone this vacant land and are marketing it as a potential industrial park site. That’s not quite as luxurious as some might have expected or desired to be placed near Disney. EPCOT In their tweet, the Orlando Sentinel linked to an article on the subject from Growth Spotter. The tweet from Growth Spotter linking to their article notes that the 130-acre site is “adjacent to Osceola County’s largest new spec industrial park,” but it is also located right in the middle of an established residential area. According to the Growth Spotter article, the land had previously been “under contract for a mixed-use, luxury vacation home resort called Park Place Resorts.” It was intended to be an eco-friendly resort that would “cater to ‘very high-end clients.'” Original plans called for 130 vacation homes, an event center, a hotel, and even a helipad. These plans were approved in early 2020 and the developer was already scheduled to close in the summer. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, threw a wrench in those plans. ©Growth Spotter Now, it appears the parcel is being offered for “industrial and distribution — uses that are prohibited under Tourist Commercial zoning.” It will be interesting to see what exactly becomes of this area and whether it will ultimately be used for more industrial purposes. While these nearby projects might not directly impact your plans to ride Space Mountain, they could impact potential plans you had for outside the Most Magical Place on Earth (particularly if the idea of new luxury resort near Disney World was one that appealed to you). Disney World Want more updates about things going on near Disney World? Click the links below: See how to get Chicken Guy! near Disney World without leaving your car! Get a sneak peek inside Celebrity Chef Richard Blais’ new restaurant near Disney World We bet you haven’t seen this hidden Mickey near Disney World! We’ll continue to look for updates and let you know what we find. Team cake or team icing? Either way, a bakery near Disney World has you covered — click here to see more! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Do you like to explore areas beyond Disney World when you visit Orlando? Tell us in the comments. The post Land Near Disney World Could Become an Industrial Park Site first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

2022 has arrived, and there are already SO many new Disney items to collect! 2022 is Here! New light-up 2022 ears have arrived, and more 2022 merchandise has made its way online. Lots of new merchandise items are also set to be released this year, including some Stitch Crashes Disney items, and a new Mickey Mouse-themed series. But, the fun ain’t over yet. We just got a SNEAK PEEK at what appears to be a brand new set of Minnie Ears that might be released sometime soon! Recently, Disney Parks released a video on TikTok showing an individual wearing 2022 Disney merchandise. The 2022 shirt they’re wearing (with the Disneyland logo on it) is one we’ve already seen online, and the rest of their outfit is pretty great. But wait just one second…what’s that on their head? Do you see what we see?! Could it be? Are those…NEW MINNIE EARS?! ©Disney The ears the individual is wearing has a turquoise bow in the center and there are multi-colored sequins covering the ears. ©Disney The ears don’t look familiar to us, so it seems like Disney has provided a little sneak peek of some of the newest ears that will likely become available at some point this year. ©Disney These new ears sort-of remind us of these pink and blue ears we saw last year in Disneyland… Disneyland Ears …or their cousin, the Annual Passholder ears we found in Disney World in 2021. Both of these ears were similarly covered in sequins of a few different colors with a fun, solid-colored bow right in the center. Annual Passholder Ears When will these new ears be released? Are they part of the 2022 line of merchandise (as indicated by the shirt the individual is wearing in the TikTok)? Will they be released in Disneyland first considering that the shirt the individual is wearing is the 2022 shirt design for Disneyland? Will they be priced regularly or be more expensive (like we’ve seen with some of the 50th anniversary ears)? Will we get any other items to match with these ears, like spirit jerseys or Loungefly bags? SO MANY QUESTIONS. ©Disney Our investigation into this mystery pair of new ears continues! We will keep looking into this fascinating discovery and share our updates with you. Stay tuned for more details, and let us know in the comments below if these ears are ones you’d like to bring home. Click here to see every pair of Minnie ears you can buy online right now! 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! Preorder 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 preorder your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2022 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. What do you think of these ears? Tell us in the comments! The post VIDEO: Disney Teases NEW Minnie Ears and Leaves Us With Lots of Questions! 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 airline industry has been majorly affected by the rise of the omicron COVID-19 variant. Orlando International Airport Over 3,000 flights were canceled on Christmas Eve, followed by thousands more flight cancellations through the New Year. Some of our readers have had travel plans impacted by the omicron variant as the United States hit a record 1 million daily COVID-19 cases, and the airline industry is still facing complications. As reported by CNBC, airlines are continuing to cancel flights as severe weather and the omicron COVID-19 variant impact the travel industry. As of noon EST today, approximately 1,300 flights in the United States were canceled, which means more than 20,000 flights have been canceled overall since Christmas Eve. Orlando International Airport While some cancellations were due to a winter storm in the mid-Atlantic area, others have been attributed to staffing issues as omicron cases surge. Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways, and United Airlines have begun offering extra pay to crews who can take extra shifts and trips as Southwest has canceled 314 flights and JetBlue has canceled 107 flights today. Orlando Airport Interestingly, U.S. airline stocks are trading higher Tuesday as analysts predict more travel demand this year. As reported by CNBC, Cowen airline analyst Helane Becker said that demand for air travel will continue to strengthen, and analysts “expect inflationary pressure in fuel and labor cost, as well as high-interest costs, to lead to higher ticket prices.” Orlando International Airport Essentially, demand for air travel will be strong this year, but some airlines might find difficulty meeting capacity. You might want to prepare for higher costs when it comes to airfare if you’re planning a trip in 2022, so keep reading DFB for more news that could impact your next Disney World trip! What do you do if your flight to Disney World is canceled?! 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! Preorder 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 preorder 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. Has your travel been affected by flight cancellations? Tell us in the comments! The post Air Travel Costs Predicted to Increase as Flights Continue to Be Canceled first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

The Disney World parks are changing all the time, so we do our best to keep you updated with the latest news from each one. EPCOT Today, we’re looking at some recent changes at EPCOT. We spotted a LOT of new merchandise for sale, evidence of low stock problems at some stores, Festival of the Arts booths, a NEW character meet and greet, and more! Let’s see what’s new at this park. We’re starting out with the biggest update: all the new souvenirs and merchandise we found in the various gift shops around EPCOT. EPCOT Merchandise Updates Camera Center and Gateway Gifts Starting at the front, we visited Camera Center and Gateway Gifts, which are right across from each other, in front of Spaceship Earth. Gateway Gifts At Camera Center, we saw a new EPCOT phone case for sale. The case nods to the EPCOT Center, which is a name that you’ll only recognize if you’re a true OG of this theme park. In case you’re not familiar with this name, when EPCOT originally opened in 1982, it was called the EPCOT Center. So this phone case is great for fans of the old EPCOT or just people who love throwbacks! EPCOT phone case Gateway Gifts had a new Cinderella Castle keychain available for $14.99. Cinderella Castle keychain The keychain is covered in rhinestones, so it’s a very blingy addition to your keys! Creations Shop Creations Shop is the main gift shop at EPCOT, so you’ll find a lot of merchandise here (especially new items). Creations Shop We saw a couple of holiday merchandise items hanging around, including this Christmas “Cozy” Sweatshirt, which is $49.99. Cozy sweatshirt Previously, we’ve only seen this sweatshirt online, so it’s a little late to the party! Another late-comer was a Walt’s Holiday Lodge pajamas set, which had a top for $59.99… Pajamas …and bottoms for $39.99. Pajama bottoms There was also a set of Monsters, Inc. t-shirts that were meant for couples. One featured Mike Wazowski and said “Googly Bear.” One for Mike… The other had Celia Mae and said “Schmoopsie Poo.” Each t-shirt was $24.99. …one for Celia Mae. We also found new tie-dye sweatshirts that featured Percy from Pocahontas… Percy …Toulouse from The Aristocats… Toulouse …and Pegasus from Hercules. Pegasus Each sweatshirt was $54.99. They all say “Disney World” on the back. Here’s the back Creations Shop had a long-sleeve t-shirt featuring our favorite dragon in EPCOT, Figment! This tee (which we also saw over at Imageworks, near the Journey Into Imagination with Figment attraction) was $34.99. Figment tee We stopped to admire the Luxe Logo gold backpacks during our visit, which cost about $300 each. These backpacks aren’t new, but they’re still pretty popular right now. We did the math, and based on how many backpacks were here (at $300 each), this shelf is holding about $8,400 worth of merchandise! Lots of gold backpacks here That’s not even counting the pricey track suits and Minnie ears that were also in stock at this store. The Luxe Logo collection is packed with very pricey items, but we have to admit that they’re all very pretty. They’re just not super nice to our wallets. Wandering Reindeer (Norway Pavilion) At the Norway pavilion, we found a gorgeous decorative plate for $14.99… Decorative plate …and a tile trivet for $14.99 as well. Tile trivet If you need more Norwegian items to decorate your home with, we also spotted a magnet for $9.99. Norway magnet And there were some Norway wooden luggage tags… Norway luggage tags …which you can get for $12.99. Space for your contact information The back has room for you to write your name and information as well. Mitsukoshi Department Store (Japan Pavilion) We were actually more surprised by what we DIDN’T find in the Mitsukoshi store than what we did find. A whole section of this large store was blocked off and empty. This section usually has shelves with merchandise, but they must not have enough stock to keep it full right now. Blocked off We’ve seen supply issues affect other stores in Disney World, so be prepared to see a few shortages on your next shopping trip in the parks. Germany Pavilion A gift shop in Germany had two new BMW backpacks. One was black with a roll-down top and water bottle holder. BMW backpack This one costs $85. Here’s the back The other one is a little smaller. It’s white and black with an elastic strap on the front. BMW backpack You can get it for $70. Art of Disney (American Adventure Pavilion) We saw a new painting at Art of Disney by Joe Yakovetic. The scene is from Mary Poppins, and it’s titled “Good Ol Bert.” Good Ol’ Bert painting You can buy this painting for $399. La Maison de Vin in France (France Pavilion) The France pavilion had a new tea towel that showed beautiful illustrations of one of our favorite things: bread! We <3 Bread Different kinds of bread were printed all over it. You can get the towel for $15. Northwest Mercantile (Canada Pavilion) Northwest Mercantile had yet another backpack (in case you didn’t love the BMW ones in Germany). Canada backpack This backpack is $39.99. Queen’s Table (United Kingdom Pavilion) We spotted a new MagicBand at the Queen’s Table that featured Alice in Wonderland. Alice in Wonderland MagicBand The band has lovely floral designs all over it, with Alice on one side. You can get it for $39.99. Alice MagicBand To match the MagicBand, there was also a new water bottle. Alice in Wonderland Water Bottle This water bottle also has swirls and designs, along with the words “This Way to Wonderland.” It costs $19.99. Sportsman’s Shoppe (United Kingdom Pavilion) Any Monty Python fans out there? You can get a t-shirt with a quote from their “The Spanish Inquisition” sketch from the Sportsman’s Shoppe in the UK pavilion. Monty Python t-shirt This shirt costs $29.99. Port of Entry And last on our LONG list of all the new merchandise, we found a holiday figurine of Mickey Mouse dressed as Santa Claus. Mickey Santa Figurine If you’re looking for some Christmas decorations for next year, you can buy this figure for $44.99. Click Here to Check Out Some More New Merchandise in Disney World EPCOT Construction Updates EPCOT’s 2022 International Festival of the Arts starts on January 14th. This festival runs through February 21st this year, and it features incredible displays of culinary, visual, and performing art. Festival of the Arts 2021 We’re already seeing some booths arrive for the Festival of the Arts, including the Painted Panda in the China pavilion… Painted Panda booth …Pastoral Palate in the Germany pavilion… Pastoral Palate booth …L’Arte di Mangiare in the Italy pavilion… Festival of the Arts booth …and more! These booths aren’t open yet, but we’re excited to try all the tasty offerings later this month. Click Here to See ALL of the 2022 Festival of the Arts Booths Other EPCOT Updates In other news, we spotted a Cast Member feeding the eels at the Seas, over in World Nature. This area is also home to the now-famous Mickey-hat-wearing sea urchins. Feeding the eels We spotted a few princesses in World Showcase, including Snow White in Germany… Snow White …and Jasmine in Morocco. Jasmine Minnie Mouse was greeting guests in a NEW location, under a gazebo in the World Showcase plaza. Hi, Minnie! EPCOT has still been fairly crowded (with a lot of guests visiting for the holidays), but we’ve definitely noticed some lower crowds than what we saw in the middle of the holiday season. Still fairly crowded during the day On one morning, World Showcase felt super empty, although more people started arriving later in the day. So remember to get to the parks right at opening time if you want to find shorter lines for rides and food! Where’d the people go? That’s it for our EPCOT updates! Keep following DFB for more of the latest news from Disney World. Click Here to See What’s New at Disney’s Animal Kingdom 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! Preorder 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 preorder 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 World Showcase pavilion in EPCOT? Let us know in the comments. The post What’s New at EPCOT: More Supply Chain Issues and a Display Worth ,400 first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Hey, y’all! Who’s ready for another edition of what’s new at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? We made it in? Where to first? We’ve seen big holiday crowds, rides going down, four hour wait times, and lots more. We have some more updates today including a BIG ride closure, so take a look! Hollywood Studios Food Updates If you still have a hankering for some holiday snacks, we noticed that Trolley Car Café still had plenty of the Red Velvet Whoopie Pie. This holiday treat is made with red velvet cake, cream cheese filling, and sprinkles for $4.99. Whoopie Pie We sadly found that this year’s Red Velvet Whoopie Pie was kind of a fail, but it might be worth a try for you if enjoy cream cheese frosting! Read our review of the 2021 Red Velvet Whoopie Pie here! Hollywood Studios Construction Updates Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is not living its best life in Hollywood Studios lately, as the ride has been undergoing quite a few closures due to computer glitches. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster closed On our most recent visit, the ride was STILL closed, and Cast Members could not predict when the ride issues might be fixed. They’re working on it, but in the meantime, you might want to reserve other Lightning Lanes in Hollywood Studios! Read more about the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster closures here! Indiana Jones And the recently reopened Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular had a new-to-us sign for when the audience hits full capacity. This show just returned after a 21-month hiatus, with some new fun new changes in dialogue, scenes, effects, and more. New capacity sign If you want to catch a showing of Indiana Jones, you can catch shows on most days at 12PM, 1:15PM, 3:15PM, 4:45PM, and 6PM. Make sure you check the official Disney World schedule before visiting and it might be worth it to grab a seat as early as you can to avoid this sign! Learn more about the return of Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular here! Hollywood Studios Merchandise Update Mickeys of Hollywood Mickey’s of Hollywood had adorable Chip ‘n’ Dale Holiday Mugs for $39.99. (Can you ever remember which chipmunk is which?) Chip ‘n’ Dale Mugs There was a Holiday Baking Set for $39.99, which comes with a mixing bowl, a spatula, a whisk, and 2 cookie cutters. Holiday Baking Set We spotted a new red sketched Mickey Tote Bag for $34.99… Mickey Tote Bag …and a similar Mickey Cinch Sack for $19.99. Mickey Cinch Bag Let’s run to the next store! Celebrity 5 & 10 Both Celebrity 5 & 10 and Mickey’s of Hollywood had new magnetic finger plushes for $14.99 each! Check out the adorable Kitten Marie… Kitten Marie …Mickey… Mickey …Dumbo… Dumbo …and Eeyore. Eeyore Their fingers pinch together with magnets! Keystone Clothiers Keystone Clothiers had a new Mandalorian Droid Set for $44.99, consisting of four droids. Mandalorian Droid Set There was also a Star Wars Magnet Set. Star Wars Magnets Want to get comfy for your next Star Wars movie marathon? Grab these Star Wars Sweatpants for $49.99. Star Wars Sweatpants If you enjoy the Dark Side, you can get this Star Wars Hoodie for $64.99. Star Wars Hoodie And fans of The Child, aka Baby Yoda, aka Grogu (aka too many names to keep track of) can get this Plush Grogu for $24.99. He’s removable! Baby Yoda Let’s run over to Galaxy’s Edge for a sec. Droid Depot There was a new droid at Droid Depot! You can get the new C1-10P for $119.99. New Droid Interested in some new jewelry? Legends of Hollywood We found a bunch of new Alex & Ani bracelets, like this Partners Statue Bracelet for $44.99. Partners Statue Bracelet You could give a bracelet to your friend with the Disney Friendship Bracelets for $79.99. Friendship Bracelets Want to say “I Love You” to someone? Why not with this $49.99 bracelet? I Love You The “If You Can Dream It, You Can Do it” Bracelet is $49.99, and it comes with a Sorcerer Mickey hat charm. Dream And we might be biased, but this retro Disneyland Bracelet is really cool! Disneyland Bracelet If you’re a Pandora collector, there’s also a new Pandora 2022 New Year Charm for $75. 2022 Charm Wait, there’s MORE jewelry coming up? Sunset Club Couture These new Mother Daughter Minnie Necklaces are $29.99 for the set. Mother Daughter Necklaces It’s time to take a trip over to Tatooine Traders. Tatooine Traders There were a LOT of new Boba Fett additions in honor of The Book of Boba Fett‘s debut on Disney+. This new Boba Fett T-Shirt is $24.99. Book of Boba Fett T-Shirt You can match your kiddo with these new Boba Fett Hoodies, at $46.99 for kids and $64.99 for adults. Matching Kids and Adult Hoodies There was also a Bad Day? T-Shirt for $36.99. Bad Day T-Shirt We also found a vintage-inspired Star Wars T-Shirt for $36.99… Vintage T-Shirt …and a vintage-inspired Star Wars Polo Shirt for $59.99. Star Wars Polo And get cozy in a Star Wars Pullover for $64.99. Pullover Sweatshirt Let’s run over to Mouse About Town! Mouse About Town Mouse About Town had this bright red Pizza Planet Zip-Up Hoodie by Spirit Jersey for $79.99. Pizza Planet Hoodie The back of the hoodie has puffy white Pizza Planet details. Cute! We’ve got one more store to visit, so let’s go! Tower Gifts Tower Gifts had new Lights, Motors, Action! Animation Cell Artwork for $95-$160 depending on your choice of framing. It stars your fave cars from Disney and Pixar’s Cars! Cars Cell Art And The Nightmare Before Christmas would love this Little Nightmare T-Shirt for $19.99. Little Nightmare T-Shirt And there you have it! That’s all the news from Disney’s Hollywood Studios — for now, that is. Keep following DFB as we visit Disney World daily to give you all the news! Is Disney World too expensive for average families? 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! Preorder 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 preorder 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 visiting Hollywood Studios soon? Tell us in the comments! The post What's New in Hollywood Studios: Boba Fett Merch and a BIG Ride Closure first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney Parks around the world are known for their Mickey Mouse-inspired eats — from Mickey Mouse waffles and pancakes to cookies and pretzels. And now, Mickey-shaped Reimagined Beef Brisket Wellington is on the menu at Disney Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure Park! Chef Nick Carter joined Disney in 2009 as a steward at Plaza Inn at Disneyland Park. When he started, food wasn’t necessarily his passion, but […]View the full article

New year, new ways to save! Although we have to say goodbye to all those juicy holiday discounts, there are still plenty of great Disney offers out there for your next trip to Disney World or Disneyland. New Years Eve fireworks in 2019 So if you’re looking to go to the Disney parks in 2022, here are some of the deals you need to take advantage of ASAP! Disneyland Resort From January 3rd to April 7th, 2022, you can get 25% off select stays at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa or the Disneyland Hotel if you stay for four nights or longer. Be sure to book your trip soon, you have until March 17th, 2022 to grab your room and these hotels fill up quickly! You can learn more about this deal here. Disneyland Hotel From January 3rd to April 7th 2022, you can also save up to 25% at all three of Disneyland’s resort hotels if you stay any day Sunday through Thursday. Much like the previous deal, you’ve got until March 17th, 2022 to book your trip. Here’s the breakdown of how much you can save with this deal: Disneyland Hotel: 25% off Premium Rooms, 20% off Standard Rooms Grand Californian: 25% off Premium Rooms, 20% off Standard Rooms Paradise Pier: 10% off Premium Rooms & Standard Rooms You can learn more about this deal here. Hello, Disneyland! Finally, Magic Key Holders can save up to 30% on select rooms at all three Disneyland Resort hotels for trips between January 3rd and April 7th, 2022. For this deal, you’ve got until March 17th, 2022 to book. Disneyland Hotel: 30% off Premium Rooms, 25% off Standard Rooms Grand Californian: 30% off Premium Rooms, 25% off Standard Rooms Paradise Pier: 15% off Premium Rooms & Standard Rooms You can learn more about this deal here. Disney World For our Canadian readers out there, here’s a deal that’s only available for a little bit longer! Between January 2nd, 2022, and April 28th, 2022, you can save some MAJOR cash on Disney World resort hotel rooms (up to $100 per night!). Spaceship Earth You can save up to $20 per night at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, and Disney’s Pop Century Resort. All-Star Movies You’ll be able to save up to $40 per night at the Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort French Quarter, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort Riverside, and Family Suites at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. Fort Wilderness Finally, you’ll get back $100 per night at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas Kidani Village, Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Old Key West Resort, Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, and Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. The Riviera Resort You can learn more about this deal here. Want to know some of our latest tips and tricks? Check out our video about 10 ways you can outsmart Disney World! We’re always keeping up with the latest Disney news, so stay tuned here for all the updates you need! 9 Free Things To Do In Disney World In 2022 Our favorite people over at Small World Vacations are ready to help you save time, headaches, and best of all, money, when you book your Disney trip or cruise. Their agents compare current offers to find the best deal for you -- they've literally saved their guests millions of dollars since 1996. Plus, their services are 100% FREE FOR YOU! (They're DFB's recommended travel agency, and you can see why here!) So book that trip now, then sit back and enjoy planning your Disney World Trip with a DFB-approved expert! Click here for a no obligation price quote today, and let them know DFB sent you http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/customemailexample.jpg Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What do you think about these discounts? Let us know in the comments! The post Last Chance for 4 Big Disney Discounts! Here Are Your Deadlines To Save! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disneyland’s Downtown Disney is making news again with the latest flavors from Salt & Straw, an ice cream shop known for its creative flavors. They are so popular that a new location is set to open at Disney Springs in Walt Disney World! Salt & Straw The fan-favorite scoop shop recently posted on their Instagram that they are debuting FIVE new flavors this January — and we’ve got all the details for you below! According to Salt & Straw’s Instagram post, the new flavors are inspired by cupcakes. Plant-based readers rejoice because all five new flavors are COMPLETELY VEGAN! Salt & Straw’s NEW Cupcake-inspired Flavors! The flavors sound absolutely phenomenal, but wait until you see the photos! NEW January flavors at Salt & Straw First up, there’s Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (v), described as having finely shredded carrots and walnut pieces with spice cake and cream cheese frosting: For the Carrot Cake Lovers Next is Petunia’s Rainbow Sprinkled Babycakes (v)(gf), flavored with cake pieces and rainbow sprinkles, with a red strawberry jam: If birthday cake is what you’re after! Then, there is the Coconut Cream Pie with Lemon Curd (v), which has “hunks” of toasted coconut cupcakes, in a coconut ice cream with lemon curd: Coconut Cream Pie with Lemon Curd For chocolate lovers, the Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcake (v) is probably up your alley! This one’s a chocolate ice cream with hazelnut pieces and vanilla cupcake pieces with a chocolate ganache swirled in: Chocolate goodness! Lastly, but certainly not least, there is the Renewal Mill’s Chocolate Salted Caramel Cupcake (v) — described as a dark chocolate mix that is actually made from soybean flour with salted caramel frosting and fleur-de-sel oat ice cream: If salty and sweet is your thing! We can’t wait to try these new flavors and are making room in our New Year’s Resolutions to do so! There are always new treats and flavor changes happening all over the Disney Parks, so keep your eyes here for the latest updates! Click Here for More Vegan Disney Food News and 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! Preorder 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 preorder your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2022 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Which flavor will you be trying first? Let us know in the comments below! The post Cupcakes AND Ice Cream?! Find Us In Line at This Disney Scoop Shop! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Poor Disney’s Hollywood Studios has been going THROUGH IT recently. Hollywood Studios On top of huge holiday crowds, last week, we saw Rise of the Resistance go down AND have a 4-hour wait, along with popular attractions like Slinky Dog Dash, Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy, and Tower of Terror temporarily close. Now we’re into a new week and another Hollywood Studios ride is STILL having a rough time and we’ve got all the deets! Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster in Hollywood Studios has closed yet again! The iconic roller coaster closed several times last week and continues to experience issues. Cast Members let us know that maintenance is in the building trying to correct computer glitches. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is Closed The last time the ride opened was early yesterday morning for around 20 minutes, but it has been shut down since. If maintenance is able to correct the issue, Cast Members told us it could take up to around two hours afterward to open the ride. Remember to be kind because this is something Cast Members have no control over! Still closed Cast Members were blowing bubbles near the entrance. Keep in mind that if you’re using Genie+ today in Hollywood Studios, you probably want to focus on reserving other Lightning Lanes. The attraction may not open at all today. We will let you know if it does. Cast Members blowing bubbles Nearby, Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy is still open… Lightning McQueen …as is Rock Around the Shop if you’re in serious need of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster merchandise (who isn’t?). Rock Around the Shop And on the bright side, this is a great time to get a photo in front of the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster guitar! With fewer people in the area, you might actually be able to get a rare Disney World picture without any photobombs in the background. Photo op! We’ll be monitoring this situation in Hollywood Studios so stay tuned for more updates, and keep reading DFB for more Disney World news! Is Disney World too expensive for average families? 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! Preorder 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 preorder 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 in Hollywood Studios this week? Tell us in the comments! The post This Hollywood Studios Ride Can't Catch a Break first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Surf’s up! Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park reopened on Sunday, Jan. 2, 2022, on a beautiful and sunny Florida morning at Walt Disney World Resort. View the full article

Want to hear something mind-blowing ? When the Magic Kingdom first opened in Florida, park tickets were cheaper than a Starbucks drink is today! Obviously, the cost of living has increased over time, but does anyone else wish prices could just stay still for a minute?! In Disney World, we’ve noticed price increases all over the parks and resorts lately. Creature Comforts in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Next time you’re in Disney World and you’re craving an iced coffee from Starbucks, you might notice that your bill is a little higher than it used to be. That’s right, we noticed a few price increases just arrived at the Starbucks locations in the Disney parks. Currently, the following changes apply to the menus at Creature Comforts, Trolley Car Cafe, and the Main Street Bakery. One of the first price changes we caught came to some of the Frappuccino drinks. Starbucks Secret Menu Jack Skellington Frappuccino Both the grande Coffee Frappuccino and the Vanilla Bean Crème Frappuccino have increased from $5.29 to $5.49. Our Starbucks Refreshers fans might want to listen up next; those popular drinks are going to cost you more. Mango Dragonfruit Refresher with Coconut Milk Starting now, the grande Starbucks Refreshers, including Mango Dragonfruit or Strawberry Acai, will cost $4.79 instead of $4.49. The grande Starbucks Refreshers with lemonade currently cost $5.29. Main Street Bakery’s Menu On the espresso & coffee menu, multiple drinks just got a little more expensive. The grande Caramel Macchiato and Iced White Chocolate Mocha are now $5.69 (previously $5.29), while the grande Caffè Latte increased to $4.69 (previously $4.29). A grande Caffè Mocha increased to $5.29 (previously $4.95). Additionally, a grande Freshly Brewed Coffee (regular or decaf) rose from $3.29 to $3.49. Iced Coffee is a must! On the Cold Brew menu, a grande Starbucks Cold Brew beverage is now $4.49 (previously $4.29), and both the grande Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew and the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew are $4.99 (previously $4.79). What’s your go-to order? While a few extra cents here and there might not seem like a huge deal, those Starbucks drinks can add up quickly! Be sure to stay tuned as we continue to monitor the latest price changes around Disney World! New PRICE Increases at a Popular Disney Springs 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! Preorder 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 preorder 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 Starbucks drink? Let us know in the comments! The post Price Increases Hit Starbucks Locations in Disney World 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 Omicron variant has been spreading across the country. Disney World We asked our readers if their plans have changed due to the Omicron variant to see how Disney World plans might be affected. 2,500 readers noted that their plans HAVE changed. We asked the question on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and got a variety of responses. On Instagram, approximately 24% of readers said that yes, plans have changed. Here are some of the more in-depth responses. Yes, we want to be cautious. Some of our readers responded that yes, their plans are changing out of an abundance of caution. One reader noted, “Yes, especially after seeing it spread quickly where my husband works. We’ll wait to head back to Disney until our little one is old enough to get vaccinated.” Tower of Terror Some concerns are more about the flight to Disney World than the situation in the parks themselves. “Sooo sad,” one reader said, “We were supposed to go on 1/22 but with two under 4 that couldn’t be vaccinated it just doesn’t seem safe anymore to fly there.” Spaceship Earth And some are only changing plans a little bit. The whole trip might not be canceled, but they have upgraded their mask game, “Not really, except we ordered kn95 masks. We’ve always used cloth masks up until now.” Yes, we can’t go now. For some Disney fans, the trip plans have changed due to government changes. We saw several comments from Canadian readers who had to cancel due to Canadian government travel advisories. Slinky Dog Dash Several readers also had flights canceled or moved due to the Omicron variant’s effect on flight crews. This, of course, has involuntarily changed plans. Yes, we got sick. Unfortunately, some readers have also had to cancel due to contracting COVID-19. One reader said, “First day was supposed to be tomorrow and the whole family tested positive.” Animal Kingdom Additionally, some people have had to change their trips because they’ve already had the virus. One reader noted, “Possibly but that is cause we have it now and I haven’t worked in 2 weeks. My daughter just missed more days of school before the break…so it may not be a great idea for more financial and educational reasons for us to go.” Yes, we’re nervous about precautions. Some readers changed plans because they’re hesitant to travel when precautions are uncertain. Some guests, for instance, waited to plan a trip until mask mandates were at a lighter level more suited to their family. If those mandates return, it could change plans. Cinderella Castle One reader said, “I’m worried they’re going to bring masks back outside so we canceled but I am also about to rebook because I want to go!” No, the precautions are enough. For some guests, plans are staying solid even amid worries. For them, the precautions at Disney World are enough. One reader said, “We checked with our doctor and other medical practitioners and they all said if we stay masked and follow the other precautions we should be fine. So we will be there tomorrow with all of our armor and as much good sense as we can apply.” Disney Springs “I definitely paused before purchasing my tickets,” another noted, “But I’m vaccinated and boosted, am going during a quieter time of year, plan to wear a mask and wash my hands often, and am in desperate need of a vacation. I feel I’m being as responsible as possible.” EPCOT! Plenty of other responses echoed these sentiments. In fact, it was probably the most popular stance taken in written responses. No, we’re tired of rescheduling. And finally, some guests either don’t have new concerns due to Omicron or are just not willing to reschedule again. One reader noted, “We are still planning on being there at the end of January. I’ve never been away for this long and my heart misses Disney so bad. We’ve already canceled and rescheduled our trip 3 times.” Pandora — The World of Avatar If you want to weigh in on questions like this one, follow us on social media. And, as always, stay tuned to DFB so you’re in the loop about your Disney vacation. Click here to learn more about the Omicron variant and its impact on travel and Disney World. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Has the Omicron variant changed your Disney plans? Let us know in the comments. The post 2,500 Disney Fans Say the Omicron COVID-19 Variant Has Changed Their Travel Plans 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 Disney collector, then the past few months have likely been quite the exciting time for you! Mulan Between the new limited edition EPCOT posters, 50th Anniversary collectibles, and more; there’s been a lot of Disney merchandise to get your hands on. Now, there’s another limited edition item you might want to snatch up! Over the past few months, as part of the Ultimate Princess Celebration, we’ve seen a few different Disney Designer Collection Limited Edition Dolls released. These dolls are not here to mess around though! They’re elaborately designed and have some serious style. Now, another princess has joined the doll group — Mulan! ©Disney The Designer Collection Mulan Doll is a limited edition item, with only 9,900 available (will you be one of the lucky ones?). It comes with a certificate of authenticity, so you can truly prove how fancy you and your doll are. ©Disney Once again, the doll is SUPER elaborate with a detailed couture outfit. We’re talking a fancy hairdo with hair sticks and a signature comb… ©Disney …a sash that is embroidered… ©Disney …dragon details on her sash charm and shoes… ©Disney …and so much more. And just look at her facial expression — this princess means business! ©Disney The doll also comes with a display stand, a box with display packaging, and more awesome details. ©Disney But this doll isn’t cheap! If you want to bring it home, you’ll have to be ready to spend over $100! The doll is priced at $129.99. ©Disney We’ve seen a number of limited-edition designer dolls sell out quickly in the past, though several of the princess ones are still available online at the moment. Either way, if getting this Mulan doll is a must-do for you, be sure to pick it up now while it’s still available. Click here to get this limited edition doll! We’ll keep an eye out for more news about Disney merchandise and we’ll let you know what we find! Click here to see every 2022 Disney item you can get online right now! 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! Preorder 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 preorder 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. Would you spend over $100 to get this doll? Tell us in the comments! The post Would You Pay OVER 0 For Disney's Latest Limited Edition Item? first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Nope, we’re not exaggerating. The DFB team is in the Disney World parks every single day, meaning we pretty much have our Disney World PhDs. Slinky Line WHY do we go to Disney World every single day? To learn all those little secrets that may not be obvious for other guests planning a future Disney World vacation. Don’t worry. We’ve got your back. Check out our video below about 50 Secrets We Learned From Going to Disney World Every Day. 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! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Watch the video and let us know your favorite Disney World secret! The post DFB Video: 50 Secrets We Learned From Going to Disney World Every Day 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. Just because the holiday season is over doesn’t mean your shopping and gift-giving has to end! We’re always on the lookout for new merchandise In fact, now is a great time to find some awesome deals on Disney merchandise, both on shopDisney and other online stores that sell Disney products. We’re heading to Amazon today to check out some of the BEST Disney deals out there. We found sales going on for Christmas decor, toys, clothing, accessories, and more! Right after the holiday season is a great time to buy Christmas decorations, since they’re often on sale right about now. We found a couple of cute Disney ornaments that you can get for reduced prices right now. The first one is a Hallmark ornament that’s shaped like a vintage radio and has Mickey Mouse playing the cello on the front. ©Amazon The dials on this ornament actually work, and you can turn them to hear different broadcasts (by Mickey Mouse, of course) as well as some beloved Disney songs like “When You Wish Upon a Star” and “You Can Fly! You Can Fly! You Can Fly!” This ornament is normally $29.99, but you can get it for $23.36 now. Click Here to Buy the Mickey Mouse Vintage Radio Ornament For the Disney princess fans out there, we found a Hallmark ornament of Queen Anna from Frozen 2 on sale as well! ©Amazon The ornament is about 4.5″ high, and it’s made out of porcelain. You can get it for $19.16, which is $10.83 less than its original price of $29.99. Click Here to Buy the Queen Anna Ornament And speaking of Frozen, we also found a Fisher-Price Little People playset of Elsa’s palace from the movie on sale on Amazon. ©Amazon The Little People playset comes with some furniture as well as figures of Anna and Elsa. The palace itself has three floors, an elevator, and multi-colored lights that play along with the music. ©Amazon The playset is normally $42.99, but you can get it for $29.30. Click Here to Buy the Frozen Castle Playset from Fisher-Price If your kids are looking for a more advanced playset, you can get the LEGO set of Mickey and Donald’s farm on sale now. ©Amazon The set has 118 pieces, and it comes with a barn, a tractor, two mini-figures (Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck) as well as some barnyard animals. ©Amazon This LEGO set is recommended for kids ages 4 and older. It’s normally $29.99, but you can get it at $23.99 now. Click Here to Buy the Mickey and Donald’s Farm LEGO Set We spotted some cute accessories on sale as well, including this Mickey and Minnie Mouse Wristlet Purse. ©Amazon The purse is about 7.5″ W x 5.25″ H, and it features Mickey and Minnie whispering to each other on the front. It has a zipper closure and a removable wrist strap. The purse is usually $23.99, but you can get it for $8 off at $15.99. Click Here to Buy the Mickey and Minnie Mouse Wristlet Purse To match the Mickey and Minnie purse, you can get Mickey and Minnie Mouse Mismatched Stud Earrings. The earrings are made out of silver-plated brass. ©Amazon These earrings are normally $50, but you can get them for $23.40 right now. Click Here to Buy the Mickey and Minnie Mouse Stud Earrings Big Haunted Mansion fans will want to check out the Haunted Mansion Call of the Spirits Board Game, which is on sale right now. ©Amazon During the game, you’ll roam around the ghost-infested mansion, collecting various cards that are worth different amounts of points. But you’ll have to avoid those notorious Hitchhiking Ghosts! ©Amazon This game is usually $24.99, but you can get it now for $18.12. Click Here to Buy the Haunted Mansion Board Game Did anyone else add “drink more water” to their New Years’ resolutions for 2022? We’re pretty sure we’re not the only ones… . So you can get this Rainbow Mickey Insulated Tumbler to help inspire you to stay hydrated! ©Amazon The cup has double-wall insulation to keep your drink cold, and it’s also dishwasher safe! You can get one for $16.33 now, which is $3.66 off its normal price of $19.99. Click Here to Buy the Rainbow Mickey Tumbler We’ve officially decided that January cold is different (and less fun) than December cold. So to keep the chill away, you can get this Beauty and the Beast Velour Sweater from Amazon. ©Amazon The soft pink fabric is embroidered with flowers, Princess Belle, and the words “I want more than this provincial life.” You can get it for $42.85 now, which is $7.14 off its normal price of $49.99. Click Here to Buy the Soft Belle Sweatshirt Maybe a quick online shopping trip will help cure some of those post-holiday blues, and it helps that there are so many deals on Disney items right now. Keep following DFB for more of the best deals on Disney merchandise. Click Here to See the Newest Disney Spirit Jersey, Which Is Available Now 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! Preorder 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 preorder your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2022 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Which Disney item would you add to your online cart? Let us know in the comments. The post The 9 BEST Disney Deals on Amazon Right Now 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. As we settle into the new year, the United States continues to battle COVID-19. Even Disney World has been impacted by the pandemic, and some experiences remain closed nearly two full years since the parks shut down in March 2020. While things have slowly started to return to Disney World, like the reopening of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and Typhoon Lagoon, many argue that we still aren’t completely back to “normal” quite yet. Face mask sign For some, the increasing number of positive cases and rapid spread of illness is causing people to delay or cancel their trip to Disney World. As the Omicron variant spreads across the country, it seems that the United States has turned a corner. According to reports by Newsweek, on Monday, January 3rd, the United States saw a record-breakingly high number of COVID cases. Data from Johns Hopkins University indicates that the U.S. has recorded 1.084 million new cases of the COVID-19 virus in just one day. Masks are still required indoors at Disney World Scientists cite the Omicron variant as the cause for the high uptick in cases. In fact, reports indicate that Omicron caused the country to document the most cases in one day since the start of the pandemic — recording more cases per day than any other country in the world. COVID-19 Health and Safety Sign This new record number of positive cases in one day beats the previous record by nearly 50%. The previous record was set on December 30th with about 590,000 cases, according to Newsweek. Disney’s health and safety policies follow the federal requirements As the numbers continue to rise, we will keep our eyes on the current health and safety regulations set by Disney. Currently, masks are required at all indoor locations, but the rules are subject to change at any time. Around the parks, guests can find hand sanitizer dispensers at the entrance and exit of many indoor attractions and merchandise locations. Hand sanitizer is available throughout the parks This news comes after Disney’s Orange County was recently named a COVID-19 “hotspot,” indicating that the county has “reached a threshold of disease activity considered as being of high burden.” Be sure to wear and mask and wash your hands as often as possible As the situation progresses, we will continue to keep people informed and up-to-date on the latest changes around the parks and resorts. In the meantime, stay tuned for more news, reviews, and more. 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: U.S. Hits Record 1 Million Daily COVID-19 Cases first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

A trip to Disney World can be magical, full of deliciousness, an absolute delight, and…expensive. Magic Kingdom Between tickets, your hotel stay, food, merchandise, flights, and other costs, you can easily and quickly end up spending a whole LOT of cash (we’re talking some serious money here folks). And things at Disney World have been getting more expensive lately. That got us wondering — is Disney World too expensive for average families now? We’re crunching some numbers to find out. Average Household Income We’ll start by looking at the average household income. According to the data from the United States Census Bureau, in 2020 the median household income was $67,521. That was actually “a decrease of 2.9 percent from the 2019 median of $69,560.” It actually marks “the first statistically significant decline in median household income since 2011.” ©U.S. Census Bureau That is the median income for all households, but note that the numbers are different if you look at just family households or non-family households. And the numbers can also vary depending on some other factors. Pricing Out Our Trip Now that we know what the median income was for 2020, let’s take a look at just how much of that median income could be spent up on a trip to Disney World. The cost of a Disney World trip, even if you just look at hotel and ticket prices, can be extremely high. That cost can get even bigger if you’ll be visiting with a larger group. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Of course, prices can vary depending on a number of factors including how many people you’ll be visiting with, when you’ll be visiting, what type of hotel you choose to stay at (on property, off property, AirB&B, etc.), how many days’ worth of park tickets you buy, and more. Accommodations & Tickets For our trip, we’ll price out a vacation for a family of 4 (with 2 kids under the age of 9) for August 4th-7th of 2022, a quick trip just before school starts up again. Based on one search we did, the lowest cost for rooms in August was around $113.67 per night for a space to go camping. For a traditional Disney World hotel room, the cheapest cost was $186.67 at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort. The most expensive option was for the Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa for $955. There were also some options in between, in the $200-$400 per night range. Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort For our example, we’ll go with a room that is more in the middle of the range in terms of cost — a stay at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort (a moderate Disney World resort) which is priced at around $266.33 per night. When looking at booking the reservation, we were then prompted to add on tickets. There were options for tickets for 1-4 days as well as park hopper and sport/water park add-ons. For our trip (which is 3 nights, 4 days) we opted to go for 3 days of park hopper tickets with the Genie+ service added on. Of course, keep in mind that variations can significantly change the cost. For example, it would be very different if you got 1-park-per-day tickets, tickets for more/less days, no Genie+ service, etc. Coronado Springs And keep in mind that traditional tickets start at $109 for 1 a 1-day 1-park-per-day (no Genie+ included) ticket. The prices per day then reduce as you add on more days. But, ticket costs will then vary depending on when you go, as ticket prices differ by day. So, if you visit during a peak period, you’ll be looking at a more expensive cost. Keep in mind that Disney has also noted that tickets may be unavailable to purchase on select future dates. So, if you’re planning a visit during a particularly busy period, you’ll want to get your tickets quickly. ©Disney In total, for park tickets and hotel, our sample stay came out to $3,021.52. ©Disney That averages out to about $1,000 a night. For a family of four, this is spending $250 per person per night, and we haven’t even eaten, yet! 8 Reasons You Should Definitely Consider A Disney World Value Resort Hotel Transportation Costs Now, you have to think about travel costs. We’re regularly looking at how much it costs to fly to Orlando. Let’s say our family is coming from Dallas, Texas to Orlando. The prices for flights aren’t exactly super cheap around that time of year (at least not at this moment). For our trip, we stuck with non-stop flights only and it came out to about $1,844 round trip for the family of 4. That presumes our family is flying and is coming from Dallas or a location where the flight cost would be similar. If the family is driving to Disney World, or flying from a location where the cost of the flights is more/less expensive, then obviously travel costs will differ. ©Google Flights For our example, we won’t add on the cost of a rental car. But, keep in mind that adding in a rental car would be an additional fee for the car rental itself and then parking costs at Disney World’s hotels or theme parks (if you’re not planning on staying at a Disney World hotel and thus will have to pay for theme park parking). Disney’s Magical Express will be discontinued in 2022, so for our example we’ll assume that our family will use Mears Connect (which is very much intended to be a paid replacement from Mears, the company that currently operates the Magical Express) to get to their hotel. The cost is estimated at around $118. ©Mears Connect Transportations costs total $1,962, and this doesn’t include any extra costs for checking baggage, tipping shuttle drivers, or those other miscellaneous expenses you may run into. The Average Cost to Fly to Disney World in January of 2022 Food Costs Next, we have to talk about food costs. The food in Disney World ain’t cheap. Even just a box of popcorn will set you back just about as much as it costs to buy several bags of microwavable popcorn in the supermarket (not the same, of course, but just for cost comparison). If you stick to quick service locations, you’re generally looking at entrees that will cost about $9.99-$19.99 per adult (with many costing around $11.99), and about $6.50-$7.50 per child. We used the menu at Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn and Cafe as an example, but note that prices can vary. If you estimate that to about $12 per adult and $7 per child per meal, that would be about $38 per meal. Multiplied by 3 meals a day is $114, and multiplied by 3 days (assuming they’re just heading off to the airport early on the last day) is $342 for the trip. But, that’s a VERY low estimation. It’s more likely that the cost will be significantly higher depending on the items purchased, the addition of snacks, coffee, sodas, water bottles, etc., and the addition of tax. Food from Pecos Bill If you add in character meals, buffets, or even just regular table service meals, you’re looking at more costs. We’d say you’ll want to essentially double that budget to be more realistic. So, for our family, we’ll say that food costs will be around $680. Corn Dog Nuggs Again, remember that this can vary a LOT. Things could be much more expensive if you add on specialty drinks, more table service restaurants, buffets, lots of snacks, etc. Things could also be much cheaper, however, if you buy snacks at the grocery store to use throughout your trip, you pack a water bottle that can be refilled with free water, you split meals, you pack sandwiches or other cheaper options from a local grocery store to eat for lunch/dinner, you stick to quick service spots, etc. So, there’s a lot to consider there. How To Experience The BEST of Disney World When You Have Champagne Taste and a Grocery Store Beer Budget! Total Breakdown So, the total cost of our trip is as follows: Hotel & tickets with Genie+: $3,021.52 Flights: $1,844 Transportation to and from hotel: $118 Food: $680 Total: $5,663.58 The comes out to about 8.39% of the median household income. And keep in mind this doesn’t factor in any tips that might be expected for housekeeping service, table service restaurants, or shuttle drivers. We recommend you plan to bring about an extra 10% of your food budget to absorb some of these miscellaneous expenses so it doesn’t into your Dole Whip budget. What Disney World Employees Wish You Knew But Wait, There’s MORE to Pay For Of course, there are more costs to consider, and this is where things can also get really expensive. First, there’s merchandise, which is one thing where guests can spend a pretty penny very quickly. But, there are also all kinds of perks or extra things that you’ll need to pay to get access for. For starters, there are runDisney races. The races themselves can be pricey to sign up for and they can fill up/sell out FAST. If you want early access to register for the races, you can get it, but you’ll have to pay for it. Club runDisney is a special paid membership that provides guests with early access to specific races (depending on your membership type), certain virtual experiences, and more. Club runDisney memberships are not available to purchase right now, but when they were available they were pricey. The cost of the Club runDisney Gold Membership was $478.63; and Platinum Membership was $798.43. There were other perks too but that’s still one hefty price for the main benefit of early registration. But, if you wanted to ensure that you’d get early registration and hopefully be able to book your spot in those popular races before they fill up, this was the way to do it. Finish Line! Want extra time in the parks at night? Well, you can have that too…if you pay to stay in select qualifying hotels. Previously, Extra Magic Hours (which was a benefit that provided Disney World hotel guests with extra time in the parks on select dates) were available to ALL Disney World hotel guests, regardless of the level of the hotel where the Disney guest was staying (value, moderate, or deluxe). Now, Early Theme Park Entry is available for all guests staying at Disney World hotels (and select other hotels). This allows all qualifying hotel guests to enter any Disney theme park of their choosing 30 minutes early every single day. Resort Guest? Right This Way! But, if you want extra time in the parks at night, Extended Evening Hours is what you’ll need. This allows select guests to spend extra time in certain parks at night on specific days. This special perk, however, is only available for guests staying at some of Disney World’s most expensive hotels — the deluxe resorts and deluxe villas. So, if you’re staying at a value resort like Disney’s Pop Century Resort, or even a moderate resort like our fictional family at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, you’ll be able to enter any theme park 30 minutes early (with Early Theme Park Entry), but you won’t be able to take advantage of those Extended Evening Hours. If you really want ALL the time you can get in the parks, you’ll have to consider shelling out some extra cash to stay at the deluxe resorts. Extended Evening Hours at EPCOT Want to experience a Halloween party in Magic Kingdom and go trick-or-treating? You can do that, but it’ll cost ya. In previous years, Disney has offered the Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party during the fall. The party featured a fan-favorite parade, trick-or-treating, ride overlays, and more. This year, Not-So-Scary was canceled and Disney’s After Hours Boo Bash event took its place. Boo Bash featured less of the entertainment and special offerings from Mickey’s Not-So-Scary, but still gave fans the chance to experience trick-or-treating in the Most Magical Place on Earth and see some unique characters. It also offered some things Not-So-Scary didn’t, like free popcorn, bottled drinks, and ice cream novelties. Time for Some Halloween Fun! Despite offering less in terms of entertainment, Boo Bash was FAR more expensive than Not-So-Scary. Tickets for Not-So-Scary in 2019 began at $79 in advance for adults and $74 in advance for children. Tickets for Halloween night, October 31st, were priced at $135 for adults and $130 for children. Tickets for Boo Bash started at $129–$139, plus tax for August/September nights. October tickets started at $159–$169, plus tax. And tickets for Halloween night were $199. Essentially, even the cheapest Boo Bash tickets were nearly as expensive as, if not more expensive than, the most expensive Not-So-Scary night from 2019. Overall, the price for Boo Bash was more in line with other After Hours events, rather than being similar to the Not-So-Scary pricing. For some, that cost might be more than worth it. But, for others, it might simply be too much, particularly when traveling with a large group. Click here to see our thoughts on whether Boo Bash is worth the cost. The price for this year’s new holiday After Hours event — Very Merriest After Hours — was also more expensive than the holiday party we’ve seen offered at Disney World in the past (Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party). Compared to Boo Bash, Very Merriest had more in terms of entertainment, including holiday fireworks, the holiday parade, and more. But, it was still different in some ways when compared to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Happy Holidays from Disney World! Disney Genie+ is something we already mentioned above when calculating our trip, but it’s definitely something we feel is worth mentioning again. Previously, Disney World offered a free FastPass+ service to help guests skip the standby lines. It was available at no additional cost to all guests. FastPass+ has, however, been discontinued and the new PAID Genie+ service (and the related Individual Attraction Selection or pay-per-ride service) has taken its place. Genie+ costs $15 per day per ticket in Disney World. With Genie+, you get to look at the list of rides and select the next available return time to ride an attraction and use that attraction’s Lightning Lane (a.k.a. FastPass lane). You can make one selection at a time throughout the day (though there are some special rules to know about). So, if you’re hoping to SKIP the standby lines, that’s something you’ll have to pay extra for. Lightning Lane BUT, select highly popular rides are NOT available through the regular Genie+ service. Instead, to ride those select attractions (there are 2 at each park) you’ll have to pay to use their lightning lanes individually through Individual Attraction Selection (or pay-per-ride). The price for these pay-per-ride options can vary by date, park, and more. Guests are only allowed to get a maximum of 2 of these pay-per-ride selections per day. For example, in EPCOT, if you want to ride Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure you can either (1) try to join the virtual queue for FREE; or (2) pay for an Individual Attraction Selection for the ride. If you want to skip the virtual queue system or if you’re unable to secure a spot in the virtual queue, you’ll need to pay to use that ride’s Lightning Lane. Lightning Lanes Have Replaced FastPass+ Lanes We’re seeing extra costs or more expensive routes taken in other areas too. For example, at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney is converting some of their traditional rooms into Disney Vacation Club Rooms. Starting in spring 2022, Big Pine Key is set to be transformed into 200 Resort Studios, which will open in summer 2022. Of all the rooms, studio rooms are the most comparable to regular hotel rooms, though they do have some more unique amenities and can be more expensive. So, if you’re hoping to stay at a “traditional” hotel room at the Grand in the future, you’ll have less selection to pick from. Grand Floridian Disney was also previously set to build a new Disney Vacation Club resort — Reflections — A Lakeside Lodge. But, we haven’t heard anything about this project in QUITE a long time and some reports seem to indicate that construction has been paused and the project may have been canceled. Still, it is telling that Disney’s next planned resort was a DVC resort, not a traditional resort with “standard” and typically less expensive rooms. If recent history is any trend, Disney’s focus doesn’t seem to be on value resorts or “cheap” options. The latest hotel opened on property was Disney’s Riviera Resort, another Disney Vacation Club Resort. Even when we look at the newest value resort on property — Art of Animation — it’s clear how Disney is skewing toward larger (and typically more expensive) rooms. Out of the 4 sections in Art of Animation, only 1 is really focused on standard rooms. The other sections are filled with family suites, which are more expensive than your standard value room (due to the nature of these rooms and the amenities they feature). Family Suite We’re also seeing price increases at restaurants throughout Disney World. The differences might only be $1-2 dollars (or slightly more) per item, but over time and across multiple meals, that can add up. So, if you’re planning on dining at one particular spot in Disney World that you eat at every year, be prepared in case your bill comes back higher than you might expect. It’s $Expensive$ But People Want to Go Anyway Alright, so it’s clear, Disney World can be expensive. But, regardless of how much it might cost, it seems many families are still interested in going. We can tell that first and foremost by the crowds we’ve seen in the parks. But, participants in various surveys and article research have further confirmed it. According to a poll from Insider, which had just over 1,000 respondents, “people who make less than $75,000 per year are the most likely to consider visiting Disney destinations.” Specifically, people who said they made between $50,000 and $74,999 per year were “seemingly the most eager to visit Disney.” Those who earned between 25,000 and 49,999 were the 2nd largest group who indicated they would “consider visiting a Disney park this year.” Crowds waiting outside Hollywood Studios! But, some people did indicate that Disney has simply gotten too expensive for them. More than 50% of respondents to the poll (both those with kids and those with no kids) said they felt like Disney trips were “too expensive ‘in general.'” Thirty-two percent of poll participants with kids said they’d like to go on a trip to a Disney property, but can’t afford it. Insider noted that the median household income in the U.S. was “$68,703 per year in 2019, or $5,725 per month.” Insider shared that the average U.S. household spends around $5,100 each month on “housing, transportation, food, utilities, and other living expenses,” leaving little to nothing left to use on a pricey family trip. If using those numbers, that’s about $600 bucks extra a month, or $7,200 a year. But, as most of us well know, life loves to throw curveballs. You need new tires on your car, you need to pay down that credit card, you need to buy new winter clothes for the kids this year. Suddenly that extra money is getting chipped away and now a lot less than you first expected. Considering that the median household income from 2020 was LESS than 2019, that leaves even less in the vacation budget. Crowds A trip to Disney World can be VERY expensive, but there are also ways to save money when planning your trip. That might include renting DVC points, looking for special hotel and ticket deals, not Park Hopping, bringing snacks and/or meals that you can buy from the grocery store, skipping out on “extras” like the After Hours events, and more. But, if you’re looking to visit Disney World and experience all of those bonuses and perks, just be aware that it might cost you more than you might expect. How much do you think people should budget for their Disney trips? Do you think Disney is too expensive? Tell us in the comments! And stay tuned for more Disney news. Click here to see more about the least expensive days to go to 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! Preorder 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 preorder 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. How much do you think families should budget for a trip to Disney World? Tell us in the comments! The post Is Disney World Too Expensive For Average Families? first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article