Disney4me

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. Positive cases of COVID-19 have been on the rise once again. Airport Crowds As we near the end of a busy holiday travel season, states across the country are reporting new record high cases of COVID-19, led by the Delta and Omicron variants. WFLA has reported that the state of Florida has broken its single-day record for daily reported cases of COVID-19. On December 28th, the state reported a total of 46,923 new cases. That beats the record set just last week on December 24th with 32,874 reported cases — that beat the previous day’s record on December 23rd, when 31,744 cases were reported. The numbers reported on December 23rd were the highest numbers reported in the state since August 16th, 2021. Disney Springs The rise in COVID-19 cases is not just happening in Florida. New York City Council member Mark D. Levine reported on Twitter that the state of New York had reported a record 67,090 cases today, with 39,591 of those cases being reported in New York City alone. Disney’s Hollywood Studios Levine then went on to suggest that certain measures be taken to slow the spread of COVID-19, including advising the “public against private in-person NYE’s parties.” Levine is just one of many leaders suggesting that New Year’s Eve plans be canceled altogether in the wake of this recent surge. Partners Statue We’ll continue to keep a close watch on the latest COVID-19 numbers and how it may impact your upcoming travel plans in the New Year. Be sure to follow along to keep up with all of the news and updates. Click here to read more about how leaders are urging the public to cancel their New Year’s Eve plans. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Do you have upcoming plans to travel to Disney World? Let us know in the comments. The post News: Florida Breaks Single-Day Record of Positive COVID-19 Cases first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

To ensure we are equipping our readers with all the information they need, we will continue to report on all travel, safety, and COVID-related news that could impact a Disney Parks visit. We’re just a couple of days away from the start of a new year. New Year’s Eve is traditionally a time of year where friends and family gather to celebrate, but the last couple of years have been anything but traditional with the ongoing pandemic. Happy New Year! In fact, according to The Washington Post, health experts are urging the public to rethink their holiday plans as cases of the Delta and Omicron variants continue to surge. The Washington Post has reported that “Leaders and public health experts across the country are urging Americans to scrap their New Year’s Eve plans and stay home for the second year in a row as new cases of the coronavirus spread at a record-setting pace.” This comes as the nation hit an all-time high on Tuesday, with a seven-day average of new infections topping 266,000. 2022 Ears Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker noted in a recent news conference that “Omicron and delta are coming to your party…So you need to think twice about how many people will be gathered together, keeping social distancing if you’re at a party. And if you can’t, leave.” Dr. Anthony Fauci said in a recent interview that “When you’re talking about a New Year’s Eve party where you have 30, 40, 50 people celebrating, you do not know the status of their vaccination, I would recommend strongly: Stay away from that this year.” Happy New Year! We are already starting to see some New Year’s Eve plans change around the area ahead of the big night. In Downtown Orlando, the Orange Ball drop will not take place as was previously scheduled. However, according to WKMG, the cancelation is due to construction in the area and not due to COVID. The Washington Post reports that other notable gatherings, however, are being modified, including the famous Ball Drop in Times Square. Attendance is being limited to 15,000, and all attendees must be fully vaccinated and wear face masks at all times. New Years Eve fireworks in 2019 In Disney World, several special events are currently set to take place across the parks and resorts on December 31st, including midnight fireworks at both Magic Kingdom and EPCOT as well as dining events and parties at The Edison, Raglan Road, and City Works Eatery & Pour House in Disney Springs. ©House of Blues We’ll continue to keep a close watch on this story as it develops, so be sure to follow along for all of the latest news and updates from around Disney World. Click here to read about what New Year’s Eve will look like at Disney World! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Are you going to be in Disney World on New Year’s Eve? Let us know in the comments. The post News: Health Experts Urge the Public to Cancel New Year's Eve Plans first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Our 2019-2021 Disney Ambassador team knew at the time of their selection they were about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, but had no idea all that their two-year term, which turned into three years, had in store. Today, on the first ever #AmbassadorAppreciationDay we look back on all this team has accomplished. From special moments with cast members at each of their resorts to connecting with all of us globally, with their #DisneyCastLife series, we all have a favorite Ambassador […]View the full article

Disney Legend & ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ Star Ming-Na Wen Visits Disneyland ResortView the full article

Disney World has seen a lot of price increases lately. Watch out for those price increases on food menus! We’ve seen menu prices go up in EPCOT, Disney Springs, and coming to Typhoon Lagoon, the cost of Annual Passes go up, and the new holiday After Hours events are more expensive than the former holiday parties. And now, there is another price increase in Disney World you should be aware of! Prices have increased for several private tours at Walt Disney World! All of these tours are not currently running, but are scheduled to resume starting February 6th, 2022 in Disney World and are now available for booking. Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom Tour which is an in-depth, 5-hour tour around Magic Kingdom, used to be $99 per person and is now $114 per person. The tour lets you explore secret locations and get the inside scoop on some attractions. You also get to go underground and see the famous “Utilidor” tunnels and lunch and a keepsake are included. You get to go in places only Cast Members usually do! The Caring for Giants tour in Animal Kingdom has increased from $30 to $35 per person. This hour-long tour gives you a closer look at the African elephants at the park. You’ll learn about how they’re taken care of and Disney’s conservation efforts. You will also get a closer encounter with the elephants than you would with other in-park experiences! Guests will be able to learn more about Disney’s elephants! The Savor the Savanna tour used to be $169 per person, but is now $174 per person. This is a 2-hour tour that includes a private safari in Animal Kingdom with special access to the savanna. You will also get to try a sampling of African-inspired cuisine paired with a selection of regional beer and wine offerings while in the savanna! ©Disney The Up Close with Rhinos tour at Animal Kingdom has also gone up in price from $40 per person to $45 per person. On this hour-long tour, you will get to go backstage to meet the white rhinos and learn about the species, as well as the challenges that are threatening their populations in the wild. You might even get to see a baby rhino! Finally, the Wild Africa Trek has also seen a price increase from $189 per person to $199 per person. This 3-hour tour is a privately guided adventure where you will get to see several different kinds of animals. You will walk along a grassland path, cross a rope bridge, and take a safari over the savanna. Pangani Exploration Trail on the Wild Africa Trek Those are all of the price increases we’ve seen lately for the tours around Disney World! Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World news, info, and updates. Click here to learn more about these tours! 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. Have you ever been on any of these tours? Let us know in the comments! The post The Price Increase You Didn't Notice in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

The global pandemic has majorly affected the travel industry over the past couple years. Flying looks different than it did a few years ago Traveling looks different now with mask requirements in place, and for a while, international travelers were not allowed to visit the United States. Now, some travel restrictions have been lifted, but the airline industry is still experiencing the impacts of the pandemic, having to cancel thousands of flights recently. Now, the nation’s top infectious disease expert and White House Chief Medical Advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has spoken out about potentially imposing a vaccine mandate for air travel. Dr. Anthony Fauci said in an interview this week that vaccine requirements are something that should be seriously considered for domestic flights, according to CNBC. ©Orlando International Airport But, after the interview, Dr. Fauci said he doesn’t think a vaccine mandate will be imposed any time soon. ©Facebook Right now, there is no indication that a vaccine mandate for domestic flights is happening in the United States. According to CNBC, when The White House was asked about the possibility, they referred to President Joe Biden’s previous statements which said “It’s been considered, but the recommendation I’ve gotten, it’s not necessary.” Orlando International Airport Back in September when Dr. Fauci made a similar statement, the travel industry expressed that it was opposed to a vaccine mandate for domestic travel, according to CNBC. Orlando Airport Dr. Fauci told CNN, “When I was asked that question, I gave an honest answer. It’s on the table, and we consider it. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. I doubt if we’re going to see something like that in the reasonably foreseeable future.” On the Airplane Right now, there is still a mask mandate on planes in the United States, which has been extended through March of 2022. In addition to the masks, international travelers coming to the United States have to show proof of vaccination and have a negative COVID-19 test in order to board their flights. Orlando Airport Airlines have had to cancel thousands of flights recently due the rapidly spreading Omicron variant of COVID-19 causing them to be short staffed. Stay tuned to DFB for more COVID-19 news and updates as they pertain to travel and tourism. Click here to learn more about the current COVID-19 situation in Central Florida Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post Could Vaccines Be Required to Fly in the United States Soon? Here's What Experts Are Saying first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Before her journeys once again take her to a galaxy far, far away, Disney Legend Ming-Na Wen recently dropped by the Disneyland Resort to celebrate the holidays and the release of the all-new original series in which she stars, “The Book of Boba Fett” exclusively on Disney+.View the full article

Orlando Sentinel tourism reporters Dewayne Bevil and Katie Rice discuss what is ahead for area attractions in 2022, including new roller coasters at Epcot (Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind), SeaWorld (Ice Breaker) and Busch Gardens (Iron Gwazi). View the full article

It was announced earlier this year that the Disney Magical Express would be discontinued in 2022. We’ll miss you, Magical Express This means there will no longer be free transportation between Orlando International Airport at Walt Disney World. We’ve already seen signs for the service disappear at some Disney hotels, and seen one of the buses for a replacement service in Disney World. The service was set to be discontinued on January 1st, 2022, but we just got an update on when the actual last ride will be for the Disney Magical Express. The last day that Magical Express will take Disney World guests to their hotels from the airport is December 31st, 2021. But, the last day that Magical Express will take Disney World guests from their hotels TO the airport will be on January 10th, 2022, according to a tweet from Orlando International Airport. So, starting on January 1st, you cannot use Magical Express to get from Orlando International Airport to your Disney World hotel. But, you can still take Magical Express to the airport from your hotel until January 10th! Magical Express If you’re looking for another form of transportation from the airport to your hotel, there are a few options. You can take a taxi, an Uber/Lyft, rent a car, or use the new Mears Connect service, which launches on January 1st, 2022. Mears Connect Mears Connect provides the same service that Disney Magical Express did, just for a price. You can learn more details about Mears Connect like pricing here. Mears Connect There is also another service similar to Mears Connect called The Sunshine Flyer that will debut on February 1st, 2022. You can learn more about The Sunshine Flyer here. ©The Sunshine Flyer Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney transportation news and updates! Click here to learn more about the 2 Magical Express replacement services 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. Will you be one of the last people to use Magical Express in Disney World? Let us know in the comments! The post The LAST DAY You Can Take Disney World's Magical Express to the Airport first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It’s no secret that things have been very busy at Disney World this holiday season! Yesterday’s Crowds in Galaxy’s Edge We’ve seen loads of crowds over the past few weeks and long waits for some attractions. But today, we think we’ve seen one of the longest wait times we’ve seen in a VERY long time! So here’s the story — over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, there’s a little talked-about land called Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge with a little ride you might have heard about called Rise of the Resistance. All kidding aside, though, this technologically-advanced attraction is one of the most popular in Disney World. Rise of the Resistance But just how popular is it? Well today, we saw a wait time for it that sort of made our heads explode! Cue Imperial March The wait time for Rise of Resistance this afternoon was a whopping 245 minutes! That’s FOUR HOURS of standing in line, folks. FOUR hours. ©Disney We have to give those people some props, though — that’s serious Star Wars dedication right there. But we are pretty sure this is the longest wait time we’ve seen for Rise of the Resistance since it switched from requiring a boarding queue to standby. This is one of those times where we might recommend considering purchasing the Individual Attraction Selection for this ride to access the Lightning Lane — but you would’ve needed to make that purchase earlier in the day today as Lightning Lane is currently sold out for this attraction. So keep that in mind if this ride is at the top of your Disney World “To Do” list — get those Individual Attraction Selections booked early! ©Disney We’ll continue to look at these longer wait times this week at Disney World, so don’t go anywhere! PHOTOS and VIDEOS! Check Out the Christmas Eve Crowds in Disney World! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! 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 wait in line for four hours to ride Rise of the Resistance? Let us know in the comments! The post One Disney World Ride Had a FOUR HOUR Wait Today! 😲 first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

At Walt Disney World Resort, caring for the environment is infused in everything we do. Each year, we recognize teams who go above and beyond to make big impacts with the Environmentality Champion of the Year Award. I’m pleased to announce our latest recipients!View the full article

Happy “couple of days between Christmas and the New Year,” DFB readers! As the holidays and all their festivities come to a close and we get ready for the new year, we’re taking a look at all the latest happenings at Disney Hollywood Studios. A Rainy Holiday at Hollywood Studios! So, from lightsabers to fuzzy jackets, here’s what’s new in Hollywood Studios! Merchandise Updates Keystone Clothiers At Keystone Clothiers, we spotted two new Marvel resin statues, including a Thor & Rocket Racoon Statue for $150… Thor and Rocket! …and a Black Panther statue for $150! Black Panther! Legends of Hollywood Over at Legends of Hollywood, there’s a HUGE new collection of fuzzy loungewear based on different Disney characters including a Timothy Q. Mouse Zip Hoodie for $59.99… A Dumbo hoodie (flying elephant not included) Piglet Zip Hoodie for $69.99… Piglet! …Prince Naveen Zip Cardigan for $69.99… Princess and the Frog! …a Lotso Zip Vest for $49.99… We wish it smelled like strawberries We also spotted two new fuzzy loungewear sets! The first one was based on Emperor Kuzco in his llama form with a Kuzco Pullover Hoodie for $69.99… “Llama face!!!” – Kuzco …and Kuzco Fleece Pants for $49.99! Fancy pants! There was also a new Tigger loungewear set with a Tigger Pullover Hoodie for $69.99! This one features his signature phrase “Ta-ta for now” abbreviated on the front… Ta-ta for now! …and Tigger peeking out on the back! Tigger! There’s also a matching set of fluffy Tigger Pants for $49.99! Cute! Sunset Club Couture Over at Sunset Club Couture, we found the new Fantasia Wishables for $14.99 each! Ooo, new wishables! The Majestic Theater At the Majestic Theater, there’s a new Mickey Overalls Dress by Her Universe for $59.99! Overalls + dress = fun! We also spotted the 50th Anniversary Cinderella Castle Dooney for $298! Gorgeous! Tatooine Traders At Tatooine Traders, there’s a new Star Wars Zip Jacket featuring a holographic logo for $74.99! Shiny! There are also two fun Boba Fett shirts: the Fett Up Shirt for $36.99… Get it? Fett up! …and the Boba Fett Bounty Hunter Shirt for $36.99! So much Boba Fett! Plus, two items restocked: the Stormtrooper Hat… These bad boys are back! …and the Jedi Academy Toy Lightsabers for $16.99 each! Your little Jedi will be READY! Dok Ondar’s Last time, we reported the mass disappearance of signature lightsabers (those are the fancy ones in the glass case) at Dok Ondar’s! Today, we’re happy to tell you that Ben Solo (A.K.A. Kylo Ren) and Princess Leia’s signature sabers are some of the first to return in Galaxy’s Edge. But they might sell out quickly. Two lonely little lightsabers Crowd & Line Updates Things were a little bit…peopley this week at Hollywood Studios! The holidays are one of the busiest times of the year at Disney World, and it was a bit crowded at the park between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Plus, between December 19th and January 3rd, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway’s Lightning Lane is available through Genie+ instead of pay-per-ride. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway In Other News… Finally, in a bit of wholesome news, we spotted an ADORABLE signature at the Hollywood Brown Derby: Lexi Rabe, who played Iron Man’s daughter Morgan Stark in Avengers: Endgame, signed the iconic book with her line “I love you 3000” at the end. I’m not crying, you’re crying! Those are all the Hollywood Studios updates you NEED to know! Want to hear some hilarious Disney World stories? Check out our latest video here: We’re always keeping up with the latest Disney news, so stay tuned here for more! What’s New in Animal Kingdom: A Ride’s Line CLOSES Due to Capacity and Christmas Popcorn Buckets Get Restocked 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 about these Hollywood Studios updates? Let us know in the comments! The post What's New In Hollywood Studios: A Look at Holiday CROWDS and Lightsabers Are BACK first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney World has released a TON of new merchandise for its 50th anniversary this year. 50th anniversary items We’ve seen several pairs of ears (including some wildly expensive pairs), balloons, bags, and clothing. Another item that we’ve seen a variety of versions of for the 50th is Spirit Jerseys, and there is another new one now in Disney World! Check out this new purple glitter 50th anniversary Spirit Jersey! New merch alert! We found this today at World of Disney in Disney Springs. Lots of Spirit Jerseys! The front has the 50th logo in different shades of glitter… Front of the jersey …and the back has Walt Disney World written with the same glittery coloring! Back of the jersey There were a lot of these jerseys available in all different sizes when we found them this morning, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stick around for long! You can get the Spirit Jersey for $84.99. Go get it if ya want it! We’ll be on the lookout for this Spirit Jersey in other places around Disney World, so stay tuned to DFB for updates! Click here to check out the new 50th anniversary coffee cups in Disney World! Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Details and Info Click HERE for Your Guide to Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration See Everything That Has Been Announced For Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Check Out Everything Happening in Disney World on October 1st, 2021 Click Here to See The 50 Best Ways to Celebrate Disney World’s 50th Anniversary What Does Hotel Availability and Pricing Look Like for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary? Here Are the 5 News Bombs You May Have Missed Related to the 50th Anniversary Celebrations! Check Out 10 Things You Need to Bring If You’re Going to Disney World for the 50th Anniversary See How Each of Disney World’s Park Icons Will Transform During the 50th Anniversary Celebrations! Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click here to Subscribe What has been your favorite piece of 50th anniversary merchandise so far? Let us know in the comments! The post NEW Glittery Purple 50th Anniversary Spirit Jerseys Arrive in Disney World 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. Over the past few years we’ve seen some exciting and VERY popular monthly merchandise collections released on shopDisney and in the parks. It’s Mickey! Back in 2020 it was the Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction collection. Then in 2021, we got the Stitch Crashes Disney collections, some of the pieces for which have yet to be released (though some items were released early). What will 2022 bring? Will there be another monthly merchandise series and early mornings full of coffee and sitting in virtual waitlists online? Turns out the answer to that is “yes!” The next monthly series will be themed to the main mouse himself — MICKEY! Yep, we got a Minnie Mouse monthly series and now we finally get a Mickey Mouse series! The announcement was made in a tweet from shopDisney today. And today, Disney made their BIG reveal of what this new merchandise collection will be. Looks like 2022 will be a celebration of the mouse that started it all. If this series follows the pattern of the Minnie Mouse series, then a new collection should be released each month of 2022, which will all be a part of the bigger overall series! ©shopDisney So if you’re a fan of Mickey, a collector, or just love the look and idea of this Disney merchandise, GET READY! We expect this series will be very popular, just as the other monthly collections have generally been. Some of the Stitch Crashes Disney and Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction items sold out super fast online, and we often found them selling quickly in the parks too! You can also expect to see some long lines in the parks on the days when these collections drop (if they are released in the parks). Sir Mickey’s Line Disney hasn’t revealed too many details yet about the collection, but we’ll continue to look for more updates and we’ll be sure to share them with you. Check back with DFB for all the latest Disney news! Click here to see all of the 50th Anniversary items 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. Will you be buying some of these monthly collections? Tell us in the comments! The post ALERT!🚨Mickey is the STAR of Disney's New MONTHLY Merchandise Collection! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

In case you missed it, Disney World is still in the middle of its big 50th anniversary celebration! Some 50th anniversary items are pretty expensive And we’ve seen some 50th anniversary souvenirs that are pretty expensive: $100 ornaments, $130 sweatpants, and even $1000 Minnie ears!!! And today, we found yet another pricey souvenir, and we’re still having a little bit of sticker shock. Perhaps what’s so surprising is that the item in question is a PopSockets PopGrip — you know that little phone grip you can stick to the back of your phone? Well, we found a very blinged-out Disney World 50th Anniversary PopSocket today… . It’s blingy… And yes, it is very blingy — this baby sparkles! It IS pretty… And these PopSockets are selling out fast. There weren’t many left when we saw them in the store — people are grabbing these up like they’re candy. But the price was…wait for it… Not many left… …$49.99! Yes, you read that right — $50 for a…PopSocket! And for comparison, PopSockets PopGrips usually only run around $15 – $20! $50 for a PopSocket? We spotted these PopSockets at Island Mercantile at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. But like we said, they were going fast, so if you DO want to grab one, you better head to Disney World ASAP. These currently are not available online. We’ll let you know if we spot any other new 50th anniversary souvenirs, so stay tuned! Hold. The. Phone. Disney World Just Made the Holiday Souvenir Of Our DREAMS! See It Here! Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Details and Info Click HERE for Your Guide to Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration See Everything That Has Been Announced For Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Check Out Everything Happening in Disney World on October 1st, 2021 Click Here to See The 50 Best Ways to Celebrate Disney World’s 50th Anniversary What Does Hotel Availability and Pricing Look Like for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary? Here Are the 5 News Bombs You May Have Missed Related to the 50th Anniversary Celebrations! Check Out 10 Things You Need to Bring If You’re Going to Disney World for the 50th Anniversary See How Each of Disney World’s Park Icons Will Transform During the 50th Anniversary Celebrations! Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click here to Subscribe Would you pay $50 for a 50th anniversary PopSocket? Let us know in the comments! The post If We Had For Every Expensive Disney World Item This Year...We STILL Wouldn't Be Able to Buy This Souvenir first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

There are a lot of things to love about Disney World…and there are some things that are decidedly not my favorite. If you’re a Disney pro, or if you’re learning to become one, there are a few things that are just bad. Toy Story Land Crowds But, that doesn’t mean we’re stuck with an unhappy ending. We’re Disney pros for a reason, even if there’s something we hate…we know how to fix it. Check out our video below about 8 Things Disney Pros Hate! 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 which of these restaurants you LOVE and which ones you HATE! The post DFB Video: 8 Things Disney Pros Hate first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

As the ambitious reimagining of Disneyland Hotel has just started, Disneyland Paris reveals new details about this royal transformation!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. It’s almost New Year’s Eve, and not everyone can make it to Disney World to celebrate. New Year’s Eve cupcake While there are plenty of ways to celebrate New Year’s around Disney World, you might feel a little left out if you’re celebrating from home. But don’t worry! We have lots of ways you can still ring in the new year Disney-style, so check it out! Watch Disney Fireworks Shows From Home What better way to celebrate New Year’s than with fireworks, and what’s better than regular ol’ fireworks? DISNEY fireworks! You can visit YouTube to check out the now-retired fireworks show, Happily Ever After… …or the Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks show if you’re still in a holiday mood. If you scroll through our Twitter, you can also find videos of Disney World’s newest fireworks shows, like Disney Enchantment in Magic Kingdom… Put on some Disney fireworks for midnight and celebrate 2022 with your favorite Disney songs! The bizarre way to have a PRIVATE fireworks party in Disney World! Drink Champagne From a Disney Cup Do you have a Disney mug collection? Maybe you collect all kinds of Disney cups and glasses! Why not use one for your New Year’s champagne? Use your Disney cups! Whether you’re going with the traditional champagne, or maybe you like to ring in the new year with a cup of hot cocoa, toast to the New Year with your favorite Disney mug for a small Disney touch! Now is your chance to save big on hundreds of Disney items online! Try a Disney Cocktail So you’re celebrating New Year’s and you want a drink but you want something more than just champagne. Why not try your hand at a Disney cocktail or mocktail?! We’ve explored the recipes for Disney cocktails to pair with your fave Disney movies, or even a legit Fuzzy Tauntaun from Oga’s Cantina. Try out a fun recipe! Start out 2022 by trying something new! And if you REALLY want to take things to another level, grab a Disney glow cube to add that special glow. 7 Disney cocktail recipes to pair with your fave Disney movies! Try a Disney Recipe And if you want to pair a Disney food with your Disney cocktail, try recreating some classic Disney recipes, like a Dole Whip! We’ve got LOTS of Disney recipes to choose from. Pineapple Dole Whip Whether you want something savory or something sweet, or even something to impress your family, we’ve got you covered. Bring Disney World to your house with food! Check out a TON of Disney recipes worth trying this New Year’s Eve! Host a Disney-Themed Virtual Party As many of us have learned throughout the past few years, virtual parties are a totally fun way to celebrate with friends and family that live long-distance! And why not celebrate New Year’s Eve with a Disney virtual party?! SO vibrant! Maybe everyone can wear Minnie Ears, or dress as their favorite Disney villain — the possibilities are endless! You could even hold a virtual Disney karaoke contest with Bluetooth microphones like this Frozen 2 Bluetooth Microphone found on Amazon! ©Amazon Watching your friends and family embarrass themselves with Disney songs sounds like an excellent way to begin a new year. What will New Year’s Eve look like in Disney World this year? GroupWatch Disney+ Shows Did you know that there’s a way to watch shows and movies on Disney+ with friends and family — from a distance? It’s called GroupWatch, and this setting lets groups of up to seven people watch together while the content is synced. Watch one of the newest Disney+ films, Encanto, now streaming! ©Disney All you have to do is press the GroupWatch icon and you can then invite up to six other Disney+ subscribers. While everyone is watching together, you can even react with emojis so you know your friends are crying along with you! Learn more about Disney+ GroupWatch here! Play a Disney Game Did you know there are TONS of Disney games out there, from board games to video games and even trivia games? Host a Disney game night at home, or you can even do it virtually! Beach Club Trivia Try a Disney trivia contest with your besties and find out who’s the true master of Disney knowledge. You can find lots of Disney trivia questions online or you might already know some good ones yourself! 91% of readers couldn’t get all these Disney trivia questions right! Do Some New Year’s Eve Shopping! If you want a New Year’s Eve keepsake from 2021, get the new Mickey and Minnie Times Square Pin for $19.99 from shopDisney. This limited release pin features Mickey and Minnie celebrating New Year’s Eve in 2021! ©shopDisney This pin is adorned with lots of glitter, a party horn, a starfield, and even a sliding crystal “ball” so you can make the ball drop at midnight right from home! Get the Mickey and Minnie Times Square Pin here! So if you can’t make it to Disney World for New Year’s Eve this year, there are lots of ways to bring Disney to your very own celebration at home. Attend a New Year’s Eve party for free in Disney World! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! 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 are YOU celebrating New Year’s Eve this year? Tell us in the comments! The post How to Have a Disney New Year's Eve from Home! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney has a long-term commitment to sustainability at its parks; whether it’s solar panels, helping endangered animals, or using recycled materials for their products — Disney is taking steps to become a zero-waste company. ©Disney | Yes, that’s a hidden Mickey made of solar panels. Today, let’s take a look at an award-winning trash can (yes, you read that right!) at Disneyland Resort that’s helping shake things up! At Disneyland near Galactic Grill in Tomorrowland, you’ll spot a food waste can! This might seem like your average garbage can, but the food waste thrown into this can is turned into farm nutrients that can be used for local agriculture. These cans, along with a number of other initiatives, earned Disneyland the 2021 SEAL Business Sustainability Award! Recently, we’ve seen a number of sustainability initiatives from Disney, starting the process of eliminating single-use plastic at their parks and pushing well beyond their sustainability goals. Paper Straws at Yorkshire County Fish Chop We’re always keeping up with the latest Disney news, so stay tuned here for more! Fireworks and More Announced for New Year’s Eve in Disneyland Disneyland Reopening Details and Info Click HERE for the All Latest Updates Disneyland Reopening April 30th California Residents Will Be the ONLY People Allowed to Visit Reopened Disneyland Initially Avengers Campus Set to Open June 4th Click Here to See All the Rides That Will Reopen Initially in Disneyland Click Here to See All the Restaurants That Will Reopen Initially in Disneyland Disneyland Ticket Price Info and Blockout Dates Released Disneyland's Grand Californian Hotel Reopening Date Announced! Everything You NEED To Know About Wearing Masks at a Disney Park Join the DFB Newsletter To get all the latest Disney Park Closure News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click here to Subscribe What do you think about this? Let us know in the comments! The post PHOTOS: Why Disney Won An Award for Trash first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

2021 has certainly been a year to remember when it comes to Disney news! From parks and resorts reopening to major anniversaries to the way we plan our vacations changing entirely, this year has been packed with some shocking announcements, updates, and news bombs! Magic Kingdom Let’s take a look back at some of the biggest revelations made in 2021 when it comes to Disney! Free FastPass is GONE from both Disney World and Disneyland. Perhaps the biggest Disney news bomb from 2021 is one of the most recent announcements — that is, of course, the arrival of Disney Genie and Disney Genie+ and the news that FastPass as we knew it is now a thing of the past. ©Disney These two new features have seriously changed the way we plan for (and budget for) our Disney World and Disneyland vacations. Disney Genie is a complimentary feature within My Disney Experience at Disney World (and within the Disneyland App over on the west coast) that offers recommendations in real-time based on your preferences, current wait times, and current data available in the park. ©Disney With Disney Genie, you can get recommendations for your next ride, where you should eat lunch, and more! This feature is available to all guests at no extra cost. ©Disney Disney Genie+, on the other hand, is the new PAID FastPass+ replacement in Disney World (and the new paid FastPass replacement in Disneyland). That’s right, the days of free FastPasses in the domestic Disney parks are behind us. For $20 per person per day in Disneyland and $15 per person per day in Disney World, guests can book return times to use most ride’s Lightning Lanes (yep, FastPass is LONG gone — the FastPass queue is now called the Lightning Lane), much like they used to for FastPass+ selections. ©Disney In addition to these Lightning Lane selections (yep, there’s more, are you taking notes?), guests can book separate “a la carte” Lightning Lane reservations for an ADDITIONAL fee. Wanna ride Rise of the Resistance without standing in the long stand-by line? It’ll cost you extra, on top of if you opt to pop $15 for the day of Genie+. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance There are even more nuances for how Disney Genie and Disney Genie+ works (at times it can feel like you need a Ph.D. in Disney Genieology to make sense of it all!), so check out our posts that break down the nuts and bolts of these new offerings. PHOTOS: Genie+ Is LIVE in Disney World — And We’re Experiencing the Good, the Bad, and the CONFUSING! The Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser is EXPENSIVE. We’ve known about Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser for some time now, but perhaps the biggest shocker from 2021 came when we learned just how much this two-night immersive experience would cost. A Model of the Halcyon in Disney’s Hollywood Studios Galactic Starcruiser isn’t your average hotel — it’s a fully immersive overnight stay that Star Wars fans and enthusiasts could only dream of before. The experience is jam-packed with activities, from excursions to Batuu (Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge) to dinner at the Crown of Corellia Dining Room. Think of it like a “cruise on land,” but instead of land, you’re in the middle of outer space (which is actually just a hotel in Florida). Captain’s Table at Galactic Starcruiser ©Disney The price to take part in Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser is going to cost you a hefty Galactic Credit — sample pricing was released earlier this year, and the sticker shock was heard around the globe. The cost for two guests in a cabin totals a whopping $4,809, and four guests in a cabin totals $5,999. ©Disney Yep, the cost to stay aboard Galactic Starcruiser costs as much, if not more, than an entire WEEK in Disney World for many families. Not only that, but because there’s really no way to “leave” Galactic Starcruiser during your overnight stay, you’ll have to tack it onto the beginning, middle, or end of your Disney World vacation (almost like it’s an entirely separate vacation within your vacation!). ©Disney We also learned this year that the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser will be opening on March 1st, 2022, and stays between March and June 2022 are already sold out! Click here to take a look at a sample itinerary at Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. Out with the old, in with the new (Passholder Program) at Disneyland. A major shocker came right at the start of 2021 when it was announced that the Disneyland Resort would be sunsetting its Annual Passholder program. The Anaheim resort, which at the time had been closed for almost an entire year, shared the news that its Annual Pass program would be suspended entirely and would be replaced by a new system. But it would still take several months for us to learn exactly what that replacement program would look like. Disneyland Annual Passes — a thing of the past! Later in 2021 came the news that Disneyland’s new “passholder” program would be called Magic Key. Magic Key is in a lot of ways very similar to the previous Annual Passholder program, with the biggest difference being that “keyholders” would now be required to book Park Reservations ahead of their visits. (like Disney World Passholders have been doing since the parks reopened). An overhauled tiered structure was implemented as well, as was the word that each tier could potentially (and since has, in some cases) sell out. ©Disney Suspending the Annual Passholder program was a huge culture shock moment for those who live in Southern California, where it was estimated that upwards of one million Annual Passholders would be able to visit Disneyland on a whim, depending on their level of pass. Disneyland Magic Key went on sale to guests on August 25th, and only time will tell how this new program compares to the Annual Passholder program that locals relied on for decades! So far though, reception has been mixed — a lawsuit was even filed claiming Magic Keyholders paid for access to the parks but uber-limited Park Passes for Passholders makes it difficult to get one’s money’s worth. Click here to learn more about Disneyland’s new Magic Key program! Disneyland Resort (finally) reopened! We mentioned Magic Keys but savedthe even bigger news for after: Disneyland had to reopen first! After what was nearly a fourteen-month-long closure, the Disneyland Resort finally reopened its gates on April 30th, 2021. Sleeping Beauty Castle It was a long, winding road for Disneyland to reach an official reopening after the resort reopened a portion of Buena Vista Street in Disney California Adventure as part of an extension of Downtown Disney. Storytellers Statue in Disney California Adventure After that, all of California Adventure reopened (minus attractions) as a shopping and dining event called “A Touch of Disney.” Aw, remember A Touch of Disney? Just a little after one month following the Disneyland Resort’s historic reopening, a brand-new land joined the parks! Avengers Campus reopened in June of 2021 following a year-long delay due to the pandemic and Disneyland’s extended closure. (Don’t worry if this feels like a LOT of stuff to cram in a year — it WAS!) Click here to look back at Disneyland’s reopening day! Magical Express will be ending its run at the end of 2021. Back on the east coast, another major announcement that will surely impact future trips to Disney World was that Disney’s Magical Express will be suspended at the end of 2021. This service has been free since its introduction and is heavily relied on by many Disney hotel guests to get to and from the Orlando Internaitonal Airport. We will miss you, Magical Express! As of this writing, we know that Mears Connect will be a new paid option for guests to continue to use bus transportation to and from Orlando International Airport. Mears bus The service will offer two options: a Standard option that includes transportation in a larger vehicle such as a charter bus, and an Express option that will include direct service to your hotel. Express service may be provided in a bus, van, or a small vehicle. Another paid option separate from Disney was announced at the very tail end of 2021 — The Sunshine Flyer. ©The Sunshine Flyer This themed experience will cost ever so slightly more than Mears Connect but will be themed like an old 1920s railcar, complete with themed drivers and buswraps. This service will be available starting in February 2022. Heading to Disney World in 2022? You can book a reservation for Mears Connect NOW! Click here to learn how. Space 220 is OPEN (FI-NA-LLY!). At long last, Space 220 is finally open in EPCOT. The space-themed restaurant is located 220 “miles” above Disney World and was originally scheduled to open WAY back in late 2019, so this opening was long-awaited! Space 220 Concept Art ©Disney The restaurant faced several delays and setbacks that pre-dated the pandemic, but obviously Disney World’s closure in 2020 did Space 220 no favors in having aspeedy opening. The restaurant features a prix-fixe menu for both lunch and dinner and an “out of this world” view! Click here to read our FULL review of Space 220! New Expenses=Your Disney Vacation Just Got MORE Expensive. In addition to Disney Genie+ and no more free Magical Express, several other new expenses have popped up this year that add to the cost of experiencing as much of Disney World as you may want to experience. Animal Kingdom While it wasn’t announced in 2021, the beginning of this calendar year saw the end of complimentary MagicBands being sent to guests ahead of their vacations. If a guest wants a brand new MagicBand for their upcoming trip now, they will need to purchase one online or purchase one when they arrive at Disney World. Free MagicBands are also no longer being offered to Annual Passholders. All the MagicBands you need If a guest doesn’t wish to purchase a new MagicBand, they can reuse an old MagicBand from a previous trip or activate MagicMobile on their smartphone to act as their digital MagicBand. Starting later in 2022, guests may also purchase a MagicBand+, a new type of interactive MagicBand that features color-changing lights, haptic vibrations, and gesture recognition. New Magic Band+ coming in 2022 Another thing that will cost you extra (if you don’t typically stay at Disney World’s priciest hotels) is essentially what used tobe evening Extra Magic Hours (RIP). While the Disney World theme parks are now offering extended evening hours, not all guests are eligible to stay in the park during that time. These extended evening hours are exclusive to guests staying at Deluxe or Deluxe Villa resort hotels. EPCOT entrance at night With these new added costs, the price of a Disney World vacation is a little more expensive now than it already was. It’s super important to make sure you’re budgeting carefully for your next Disney World vacation, so be sure to follow along for all of our tips on ways to save money on your upcoming vacation. Click here to read about which resort guests are eligible to stay in the parks for their extended evening hours. Disney World started its 50th Anniversary Celebration. Throughout 2021 we’ve heard about all of the exciting new offerings coming to the parks and resorts as part of the 50th Anniversary Celebration, which officially started on October 1st and lasts for a whopping eighteen months! Cinderella Castle is ready for the 50th Anniversary! New things to see and do are available in all four theme parks, including new Fab 50 character statues, the grand opening of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and special new outfits for Mickey and friends! Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure We now have NEW nighttime entertainment as well, including Disney Enchantment at Magic Kingdom and the long-awaited Harmonious at EPCOT. Disney’s Animal Kingdom has a new daytime show called Disney KiteTails. Disney’s Enchantment nighttime spectacular There is SO much to look forward to over the next year and a half as we continue to cover the 50th Anniversary Celebration, so be sure to follow along! Click here for a full guide on everything you need to know about Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration! Modified character meet and greets are BACK! We’ve been waiting for this one: (socially distanced) character meet and greets finally returned, so you can once again say hello to your favorite characters! We missed you, Tiana! Character cavalcades, motorcades, surprise character appearances, and other experiences are still happening, too. Speaking of character sightings, parades are back at Magic Kingdom’s Very Merriest After Hours. We also learned the return of Festival of Fantasy parade is coming in 2022! Click here to learn more about the return of character meet and greets! Disney Entertainment is RETURNING! Put on your adventure pants because the Indiana Jones Stunt Show is BACK in Disney World! Stage shows like this fan-favorite have been largely closed since the parks reopened with a few expectations as time has passed. Talk about EPIC! For our Finding Nemo fans, look out for a reimagined Finding Nemo Musical coming in 2022! And for fans of Hollywood Studios’ resident nighttime spectacular, you’ll be able to witness Fantasmic! once again in 2022 (a specific date hasn’tbeen announced as of writing) with a new scene! Click here to learn more about the live entertainment returning to Disney’s Animal Kingdom The Star Wars Rise of the Resistance Virtual Queue is GONE. Guests no longer need a boarding group to ride Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The stand-by line is now open for guests instead. Keep in mind that Disney stated that they are “PAUSING” the use of virtual queues for Rise of the Resistance, so the attraction might end up using a virtual queue in the future, but Disney hasn’t given any indication that will be the case as of yet. Rise of the Resistance If you don’t want to wait, you can pay to skip the line (well, the stand-by line, at least) with Disney’s new Individual Attraction Selection feature for $15 per person. Click here to read about which pay-per-ride attractions are WORTH the COST in Disney World Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind has an opening timeline. Disney also announced that Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will open in EPCOT in 2022! ©Disney The new rollercoaster will live in a HUGE building that makes you feel like you’re in space. This new attraction will also be the first reverse launch on a Disney coaster AND has special cars that can rotate as it moves! Click here to learn more about Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind 2021 has had more than a year’s worth of shocking news! Simply put, planning a Disney vacation has changed in MASSIVE ways, from Disney Genie+ replacing FastPass+ to brand-new rides, hotels, and shows changing the way we navigate through the parks and resorts. As always, we’ll be covering the latest news from Disney World, Disneyland, and beyond! 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 of these news stories from 2021 shocked YOU the most? Let us know in the comments! The post The 12 Most Shocking Disney News Bombs of 2021! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney World at 50: Several rides open at Magic Kingdom in 1971 are still running. View the full article

There are some very luxurious experiences you can have at Disney World. California Grill You can dine on top of the Contemporary, visit the spa, stay in a large suite, and more. But, did you know there’s a place at Disney World where the luxury doesn’t have to end? Disney’s Golden Oak is an upscale residential community designed by Imagineers. Yep, you can actually LIVE at Disney World, and they’re some of the most expensive homes to sell in Orange County, Florida!. Disney’s Golden Oak neighborhood had 5 out of the 10 most expensive homes that sold in 2021 in Orange County, according to the Orlando Sentinel. ©Golden Oak, Disney The first house on the list came in at number 4 overall. It’s a home in Golden Oak that sold for $7.5 million in June. Unfortunately, there is no picture of the house, but it has 4 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, and is 8,925-square-feet. It also includes an exercise room, craft room, theater room and bar, and a customized golf room as well as a pool and spa. ©Golden Oak || Example of what these houses can look like inside! The next Golden Oak home took the 7th spot on the list, selling for $6.45 million in October. It’s newly constructed, with 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms. It also has a game room, library, elevator, and a resort style pool and cabana area. It’s inside the Four Seasons Private Residences in Golden Oak. ©Golden Oak, Disney || Example house Number 8 on the list was a Golden Oak home that sold for $6.4 million in August of this year. The 7,367-square-foot house is 5 bedrooms and 5.5 baths and has a theater, large fire pit, and a pool. It’s also in the Four Seasons Private Residences in Golden Oak. ©Orlando Sentinel || Number 8 on the list The next Golden Oak house on the list takes number 9 and sold for $6.195 million in March. The 5 bedroom, 7,000-square-foot home has a grand staircase and a separate, second floor guest suite with a private balcony. Finally, at number 10 on the list, was a Golden Oak home bought for $5.999 million in March. The house is 6,656-square-feet with 5 bedrooms and 6.5 bathrooms. It also has a game room, guest suite, and a pool and spa. People who live in the Golden Oak community also have amenities like a private clubhouse as well as exclusive theme park experiences at Disney World. ©Golden Oak, Disney || Golden Oak Pool Another fun home on the list was that of Shaquille O’Neal, which is not in Golden Oak, but was the second most expensive house to sell in Orange County in 2021. It finally sold at $11 million after years of being on the market. ©Orlando Sentinel || Shaq’s former house Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World news and updates! Click here to see how expensive Disney World will be in 10 years 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. Did you know you could live on Disney World property? Tell us in the comments! The post Half of the 10 Most Expensive Orlando Homes Sold in 2021 Were in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Now that the Christmas holiday has passed, it’s time to take a look at what’s new at Magic Kingdom ahead of the New Year’s Eve celebrations! Cinderella Castle You might not be surprised to learn that there were a LOT of big crowds in the park during our recent visits, plus some fun and limited-time holiday additions. Let’s take a look at what we’ve experienced in Magic Kingdom recently! Magic Kingdom Construction & Entertainment Updates Limited-Time Exclusive Offerings In addition to daytime Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade showings, the brand new holiday stage show — Mickey & Minnie’s Very Merry Memories — had showings during regular daytime hours at Magic Kingdom during our recent visits! Previously, this show was only available for guests at Mickey’s Very Merriest After Hours. Castle Stage Show This holiday stage show features appearances by the Fab Five, the Three Caballeros, Clarabelle, and more. Learn more about Mickey & Minnie’s Very Merry Memories here! Club Tinsel, a Tomorrowland dance party was also available during the day from 5:30PM to 9:30PM. This is another holiday entertainment offering that previously was only available during Very Merriest After Hours. Club Tinsel And the Reindeer Wranglers could be found performing in Frontierland! Reindeer Wranglers A Cast Member even indicated that the holiday overlay for Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor was available for daytime guests. Again, all of these were previously only available during Very Merriest After Hours. If you didn’t shell out the big bucks to attend the event, you could still experience some of these special offerings for a very limited time. Check out all the limited-time holiday activities in Magic Kingdom! Holiday Fun During our time in the park, we also got to wave to our friends from the Hundred Acre Wood in their holiday outfits, like Winnie the Pooh… Winnie the Pooh …and Tigger! Tigger! It’s great to see these characters in their holiday looks. TRON Attraction The TRON Lightcycle Run construction continues to progress! We don’t have any updates yet about an exact opening date but we’re watching closely for more news. TRON Construction Although TRON was initially scheduled to open on October 1st, 2021, along with Disney World’s 50th Anniversary, its opening has been delayed while construction continues. Read more about TRON Lightcycle Run here! Magic Kingdom Merchandise Updates Emporium In the Emporium we spotted Mickey and Minnie Nutcrackers for $59.99 each! The Minnie Nutcrackers are outfitted in red… Minnie Nutcrackers! …while the Mickey Nutcrackers are wearing white! Mickey! Now let’s go take a look at a spookier kind of item. Memento Mori Memento Mori had the Haunted Mansion Bust Statuettes in stock. We’ve seen these come and go at this spot, so it was nice to see that they were available during our visit. They cost $44.99 per set. Haunted Mansion Statuettes What if you want a whole Haunted Mansion? Check out what else we found. Bonjour Village Gifts The Olszewski Miniature Haunted Mansion Model was available at Bonjour Gifts for $400! These piece was created a number of years ago, but we were happy to see that it was available right now for any Haunted Mansion fan to bring home. If you love The Haunted Mansion, you’ll surely enjoy all the details on this piece! Haunted Mansion Model This model also lights up, and it would be a perfectly spooky addition to anyone’s home. Star Traders We spotted new-to-us Her Universe Mickey Mouse Overalls for $59.99! Overalls And now let’s move on to Main Street Cinema. Main Street Cinema We found a new 50th Anniversary Sweatsuit, including a yellow 50th Anniversary Sweatshirt for $59.99… New 1st Anniversary Sweatshirt …and matching 50th Anniversary Sweatpants for $49.99! 1st Anniversary Sweatpants These actually match the 50th Anniversary nuiMOs outfit we’ve seen in the parks before. So if you’re hoping to match with your little plush friend, now is your chance! nuIMOs 50th Anniversary Merchandise There was also a new Bulova Pocket Watch for $150, with Mickey in front of a silhouette of Cinderella Castle. You can also grab this 50th Anniversary watch and a few others online right now — click here to see more! Bulova Pocket Watch That’s it for new merchandise! Let’s move on to crowds. Magic Kingdom Crowd Updates Crowds at the Transportation and Ticket Center were intense! Once the crowds started moving it wasn’t TOO bad, but keep in mind that you will likely encounter crowds if you visit Disney World during the holidays. TTC Crowds Once inside Magic Kingdom, there were some areas where Cast Members had put down directional arrows on walkways to help with crowd flow and keep guests moving in separate lanes. Directional Arrows Crowds were really large in some areas and less so in other areas. In some spots there were some opportunities to take a breather and step away from it all. It just depended on where you were at any given moment. Holiday Crowds And that’s all the news from Magic Kingdom for now! Keep reading DFB for more Magic Kingdom and Disney World updates. Take a look at the crowds in the parks during the New Year’s Eve week! 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 Magic Kingdom this week? Tell us in the comments! The post What’s New at Magic Kingdom: BIG Crowds and Exclusive Entertainment Now Available to All Guests 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 or Disney Cruise Line visit. Over the past several months, the situation with COVID-19 has changed and developed, and we’ve seen a number of updates when it comes to cruises. Castaway Cay Back in September, Disney Cruise Line changed select COVID-19 vaccination and testing policies. They then added a new COVID-19 testing option and updated the vaccine requirement for kids. Now we’ve gotten an update in terms of cruise ships and COVID-19 that involves Disney Cruise Line and many other cruise ship operators. According to Time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified over 80 “cruise ships with COVID-19 cases.” Yahoo News shares that the CDC is investigating 38 ships and observing an additional 48. Time shares that one U.S. Senator, Senator Richard Blumenthal, has even “urged cruise companies and health agencies to stop ships from sailing” due to COVID-19 concerns. According to Time, the “fast-spreading omicron variant has triggered an increasing number of infections and reports of ships being turned away at ports.” Disney Cruise Line Atrium Time has indicated that of the ships under investigation, Carnival operates 32 of the ships, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. operates 25, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. operates 15, and all 4 of Disney’s ships are also under watch. The list is subject to change, however. Bari Golin-Blaugrund, a spokesperson for the Cruise Lines International Association trade group, said that “Health and safety is the cruise industry’s highest priority…the latest data show that cases have occurred less frequently on cruise ships than on land, with a greater proportion of asymptomatic or mild cases.” Castaway Cay Based on the CDC website, cruises fall into different color categories based on the number of COVID-19 cases reported or other factors. The CDC website shows that all 4 of Disney’s ships are currently in the yellow category and the website specifies that the CDC has started an investigation for 3 of the ships. For the Disney Fantasy, the CDC notes that they already have investigated the ship and it “remains under observation.” ©CDC According to the CDC, the yellow category indicates that the reported cases of COVID-19 have met the threshold for CDC investigation. ©CDC A ship falls under the “yellow ship criteria” if it meets certain thresholds. Right now, Disney’s ships are sailing under the “restricted voyages” category. Under “restricted voyages,” the threshold to fall into the yellow category is cases reported in 0.10% or more of the passengers, or one or more cases reported in the crew. A cruise can also fall into this category if it fails to submit certain submissions on time. ©CDC According to Time, Disney did not immediately respond for their requests for comment. Keep in mind that there are a number of COVID-19 testing and vaccination requirements when it comes to Disney Cruise Line’s sailings. Right now, Disney Cruise Line requires “all vaccine-eligible Guests (based on US eligibility requirements) to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, as defined by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at the time of sailing.” Disney Cruise This vaccine requirement will go into effect for all guests (US and international) ages 5 and up for sailings beginning on or after January 13, 2022. Those who are not eligible for the vaccine because of their age have to provide a negative COVID-19 test and that test must meet certain requirements. There are also certain mask requirements while on the ship, and other health & safety measures in place. Disney Cruise Line This situation is subject to change. Be sure to check the Disney Cruise Line website ahead of your trip for all of the latest COVID-19 health and safety requirements. We’ll look for more updates and share those with you. The Omicron COVID-19 variant and Disney World — click here to see 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: Disney Cruise Ships and More Under CDC Investigation Due to COVID-19 Concerns first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

A 15-year-old passenger died after falling from a balcony on a cruise ship returning to Florida. View the full article