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Cruise lines will be the first to tell you that COVID-19 isn’t going away, but they have safety protocols in place to weather the storm when cases appear on board. Nearly 1/3 of ships sailing in the U.S., though, now are under CDC investigations for presence of cases within the last week. View the full article

We’re just a few short days from Christmas, and that means that it’s a very busy season for Disney World! It’s the holidays at Disney World! The parks are PACKED with guests visiting for the holidays, and there’s so much to see and do right now — from decorations to snacks to entertainment. And if you happen to be visiting on Christmas Day, there are some exclusive meals that you should know about! Several Disney World website menus have been updated to include options specifically for Christmas Day! Here’s where you’ll find some of those special meals. The Artist’s Palette — Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa Adult Holiday Meal for $15.49 with Citrus-brined Slow-roasted Turkey Breast with House-made Cornbread and Turkey Sausage Stuffing, Green Beans, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Gravy, Cranberry Sauce, and a Parker House Roll. Available Christmas week only. Kids’ Holiday Meal for $8.99 with Citrus-brined Slow-roasted Turkey Breast with House-made Cornbread and Turkey Sausage Stuffing, Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Cranberry Sauce, and a Parker House Roll served with choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small DASANI® Bottled Water. Available Christmas week only. Artist’s Palette Cap’t Cook’s — Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Adult Holiday Meal for $15.99 with Oven-roasted Turkey, Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Stuffing, Green Beans, and Cranberry Sauce. Available Christmas Day only. Kids’ Holiday Meal for $8.99 with Oven-roasted Turkey, Mashed Potatoes with Gravy, Stuffing, Green Beans, and Cranberry Sauce served with a choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small DASANI® Bottled Water. Available Christmas Day only. Centertown Market — Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Holiday Meal for $14.49 with Baked Honey and Rum-glazed Ham with Caribbean-spiced Mashed Sweet Potato, Tostones, Green Beans, and a Dinner Roll (Contains Alcohol Product). Available Christmas Day only. Centertown Market Contempo Cafe — Disney’s Contemporary Resort Adult Holiday Meal for $14.49 with Roasted Turkey, Holiday Stuffing, Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Green Beans, Baby Carrots, and Cranberry Sauce. Available Christmas Day only. Kids’ Holiday Meal for $9.29 with Roasted Turkey, Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Green Beans, Baby Carrots, and Cranberry Sauce. Available Christmas Day only. Everything POP — Disney’s Pop Century Resort Apple Tart for $5.29. Spiced Apple Tart with Streusel Crunch Topping and Cinnamon Glaze. Available Christmas Day only. Pumpkin Tart for $5.29. Spiced Pumpkin Tart with Whipped Topping. Available Christmas Day only. Adult Holiday Meal for $14.49 with Ham glazed with Pineapple and Brown Sugar, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, and a Dinner Roll. Available Christmas Day only. Kids’ Holiday Meal for $8.99 with Ham Glazed with Pineapple and Brown Sugar, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, and a Dinner Roll with choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small DASANI® Bottled Water. Available Christmas Day only. Everything POP Landscape of Flavors — Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Apple Tart for $5.29. Spiced Apple Tart with Streusel Crunch Topping and Cinnamon Glaze. Available Christmas Day only. Pumpkin Tart for $5.29. Spiced Pumpkin Tart with Whipped Topping. Available Christmas Day only. Adult Holiday Meal for $14.49 with Ham glazed with Pineapple and Brown Sugar, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, and a Dinner Roll. Available Christmas Day only. Kids’ Holiday Meal for $8.99 with Ham Glazed with Pineapple and Brown Sugar, Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Green Beans, and a Dinner Roll with choice of Small Lowfat Milk or Small DASANI® Bottled Water. Available Christmas Day only. Landscape of Flavors That’s everything we know about for now, but we’ll keep you updated if there are any other special meals. to enjoy on Christmas Day! Stay tuned to DFB for the latest! Click Here to Learn More About Disney World on Christmas Day! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney World Fun This Holiday Season! The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2021 is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. Order The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2021 now! It includes over 400 pages of must-have information, including: A full What's New!! chapter for the 2021 Holiday Season A full Monthly Schedule of Events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! ;-D Click HERE to order your 2021 Guide now and get 20% off with code PEPPERMINT! As always, our e-Books are 100% guaranteed! If you don't love it, you get your money back! Want Even MORE? The DFB Everything Bundle comes with ALL of our guides, including the Holiday Guide, for one low price! It includes: Pre-order of the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2022 The 2021 Food & Wine Guide The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Holidays 2021 Pre-order for the 2022 Flower and Garden Festival Guide All three DFB Snack Guides Click HERE to order your DFB Everything Bundle! MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Check Out the FULL List of Holiday Treats Coming to Disney World This Year See the List of Holiday Treats Coming to Disney World’s Hotels Get All of the Latest Information about the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays See the Booths, Menus, and Food Photos for the Festival of the Holidays Check Out Our Photos & Reviews of the Holiday Treats in Disney World Watch Our Video About What We Wish We’d Known Before Going to Disney World During the Holidays Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Have you ever been to Disney World on Christmas Day? Tell us in the comments! The post 6 Disney World Hotels Are Getting Exclusive Christmas Meals! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney Genie recently launched at Disneyland Resort — it’s a free planning tool that can help you map out your day through the Disneyland app. ©Disney Also launched with Genie was Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes. Genie+ replaced the old MaxPass system with a paid system. It costs $20 per day, per person to have access to reservations to skip the standby lines at rides around the parks using their new Lightning Lanes (old MaxPass lanes). There are also a few high demand rides not included with Genie+ that you can pay for individually to skip the standby lines. And, the prices for those Individual Lightning Lanes just went up for the holiday season. In Disney California Adventure Park, the two rides with Individual Lightning Lanes are WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure and Radiator Springs Racers. WEB SLINGERS now costs $18 to use its Lightning Lane. Previously, the ride had launched at $7, then recently went up to $12. ©Disney The same goes for Radiator Springs Racers, the ride launched at $7, went up to $12 recently, and now costs $18. This is part of that surge pricing we told you about, where the price can be raised based on demand. ©Disney As for Disneyland Park, the only ride that has an Individual Lightning Lane is Rise of the Resistance, and its price remains the same at $20. ©Disney We expect this pricing to be temporary, and we should see it decrease when crowds go down, but we’ll be regularly checking the prices and keep you updated! Stay tuned to DFB for more Disneyland news. Click here to learn more about Disney Genie All About Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Attraction Selection READ THIS Before Using the New Genie Planning Tool in Disney World Check Out the FULL List of Rides Included With Genie+ in Disney World See What Rides You Can Pay EXTRA For in Disney World & How Much They’ll Cost Learn What Rides Are Included With Genie+ in Disneyland (Plus the Ones You’ll Pay EXTRA to Ride) You CAN’T Re-Ride Disney World Attractions With Genie+ You CAN’T Cancel Pay-Per-Ride Selections in Disney World Get the Answers to All of Your Burning Questions About Disney Genie See Why You’ll Want to Stay in a Disney World Hotel When it Comes to Disney’s Pay-Per-Ride System Here’s What Annual Passholders and Magic Key Holders Need to Know About Genie+ See 5 Ways Genie+ Might Surprise You Learn About How Disney Genie Can Be Your Personal Assistant in Disney World Click HERE to See More About Disney Genie Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click here to Subscribe Would you pay to skip the line of these rides? Let us know in the comments! The post Holiday Prices Arrive for Pay-Per-Ride Attractions at Disneyland Resort first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

If you’ve been to EPCOT lately, you’ve probably noticed a few construction walls. EPCOT That’s because the massive EPCOT Transformation is still underway! Part of that transformation sees the center section of Future World turned into World Celebration. We’ve already experienced the new Creations Shop and Club Cool, but what else will this area hold? Well, we recently spotted a few building permits that might hint at what else is to come for this central EPCOT area. Could we see shows of some kind here in the future? Maybe! EPCOT The first permit we spotted was to “Fabricate and install show set items” at the former Innoventions building that now houses Creations Shop and Club Cool. The permit is with a contractor called Icarus Exhibits that has done theming work for Walt Disney Imagineering in the past. ©Disney An accompanying permit for the same location called for “Installation of lighting hardware” from InterAmerica Stage Inc., another contractor Disney uses regularly. ©Disney Basically, Disney World Imagineers are installing the lights and set items for something, but what could it be? As of now, Disney has not announced and specific shows or attractions in or around the Creations Shop building. Creations Shop It’s possible that the new installations are for a specific show or attraction or they might just be a general setup for World Celebration. After all, shows used to happen pretty often by Fountain of Nations in the same area. Construction The permit also doesn’t specify whether the set elements are for INSIDE the building or outside. Another possibility is that it is for theming on the exterior of the building and a light system that goes along with Spaceship Earth’s lighting. Current construction happening around EPCOT! Regardless, we are VERY excited to see a completed World Celebration and to find out what the stage and lights are for. As always, stay tuned to DFB for the latest Disney World updates! Want to learn more about the EPCOT Transformation? Click here! Want MORE Details About EPCOT’s MASSIVE Transformation? Future World Will Transform Into Three New Neighborhoods — Learn More Here A Revitalized Club Cool Is Now Open in EPCOT The New Creations Shop is OPEN and Has Replaced Mouse Gear Go Inside Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure With Us Check Out All of the Tasty Details About EPCOT’s New Crêperie Get a Closer Look at the New Nighttime Lights Coming to Spaceship Earth See More About EPCOT’s Upcoming Nighttime Spectacular -- Harmonious Learn All About Space 220, Which Has Officially OPENED in EPCOT What’s Been CUT From the EPCOT Transformation? See More Here! Learn More About the New PLAY! Pavilion Coming to Epcot! See All the Details You Need to Know About the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Coaster Coming to World Discovery Learn More About Journey of Water -- Inspired by Moana, Coming to World Nature Click HERE for All the News and Details about EPCOT’s Transformation! Join the DFB Newsletter To get all the latest Epcot transformation news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What do you think of these permits? Tell us in the comments! The post Could a Disney World Permit Hint at a SECRET New Show in EPCOT? 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. Omicron continues to make an impact on the state of COVID-19 in Florida. We’ve been monitoring the health and safety changes in Disney World Orange County, Florida, where part of Disney World is located, recently identified Omicron in the wastewater, and the White House has also listed the county as a “rapid riser” and a COVID-19 hotspot. While Disney World continues to enact health and safety measures, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has just changed their risk category for Orange County. According to the CDC, Orange County, Florida has now been placed back into the High community transmission category. The CDC uses four categories of community transmission which include, in order of least severe risk to most, Low, Moderate, Substantial, and High. Recently, we saw Orange County placed in the Substantial category once again, and it has now been increased to High. ©Centers for Disease Control and Prevention According to the CDC, Orange County is reporting a COVID-19 positivity rate of 5.89%, which is a substantial increase of 54.14% over the past seven days. The image provided by the CDC shows that many counties in Florida are in either the Substantial or Moderate categories, and the CDC recommends that everyone in a Substantial or High category county should wear a mask in public, indoor spaces, which is aligned with Disney World’s current mask policy. Orange County highlighted ©Centers for Disease Control and Prevention We’ll be watching closely for more updates and will continue to monitor the status of COVID-19 in Florida, so continue to check back with DFB for more news. Here’s what you need to know about the Omicron COVID-19 variant and Disney World. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post NEWS: Disney World County Placed in “High Risk” COVID-19 Category first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Big changes are on the way for the Walt Disney Company. ©Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images Bob Iger, the current Chairman of the Disney Company, will be stepping down at the end of this year. His replacement has already been announced, though one media analyst thinks Iger’s time with Disney isn’t over yet. Recently Iger sat down with CNBC and shared some details about why he chose to step down from his CEO role and what he’s got planned for the future. Chairman of the Disney Company and former CEO, Bob Iger, recently met with David Faber from CNBC for an interview. In talking about leaving Disney Iger told CNBC that he started thinking about stepping down from the CEO position after feeling like he was starting to listen “less and maybe with a little less tolerance of other people’s opinions, maybe because of getting a little bit more overconfident in [his] own.” Bob Iger and Adam Silver ©Disney Iger shared that he felt like he was invalidating points from others too quickly because he had “heard every argument before.” But as he reflected on the answers he was giving to others, he realized that times change and he was possibly saying “no” to others’ arguments too quickly. Iger said, “I became a little bit more dismissive in other people’s opinions than I should have been…That was an early sign that it was time. It wasn’t the reason I left, but it was a contributing factor.” Iger stepped down from his CEO position in 2020 but has stayed on as chairman of the company. Iger will step down from that role at the end of 2021, and the individual who will replace him has already been named. Bob Iger presenting a model of Shanghai Disneyland Bob Chapek currently serves as Disney’s CEO, having taken over after Bob Iger stepped down. At one point Iger noted that the world is changing and that it’s important for the CEO of a company to be able to address those changes. Iger shared that Bob Chapek may address those changes differently than he (meaning Iger) would have, but he noted that this difference is neither good nor bad. Overall, Iger said that he generally feels change is good. Bob Iger ©New York Post One of the biggest aspects of the legacy Iger will leave at Disney is the amount of acquisitions made during his time there. CNBC notes that acquiring Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, and LucasFilm turned Disney “into an intellectual property behemoth.” This was all particularly influential as Disney started its streaming service, and it has continued to prove critical to the streaming service’s success. Click here to see what Iger said Disney+ needs in order to succeed. Iger shared that one big reason why he was able to get some of these companies to sell Disney their assets was his focus on creating personal relationships. He noted that he also had to convince the individuals who were selling their assets that Disney wouldn’t disappoint them once their products were integrated into the Disney brand. Bob Iger ©Bloomberg In terms of the future, Iger noted that when “this dream finally ends” and he steps away from the company, it’ll be time for him to have a “blank canvas.” He said his wife has a full-time job and his kids are out of the house, so he’ll be keeping busy. What’s on Iger’s plate? He shared that he’s doing some selective investing, would like the chance to advise those working on startups, plans to write a new book, will likely do some speaking, and then will just see where life takes him. To see a piece of Iger’s interview, check out the video below. We’ll continue to keep an eye out for more information from Iger’s interview on CNBC and we’ll update this post. Check back for all the latest Disney news. Click here to see why one media executive thinks Bob Iger could be returning as Disney’s CEO. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post Former Disney CEO Bob Iger Shares Why "It Was Time" for Him to Step Down first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Happy holidays from Disney World! As the holiday season comes to a close and offerings like Festival of the Holidays and Very Merriest After Hours are on their way out, we’re on the hunt for the latest holiday treats and eats before the New Year arrives and Festival of the Arts takes over. Happy Holidays! We’ve had all sorts of delicious holiday eats this year, from $45 chocolate to holiday poutine, peppermint mousse, and more! Today, we’re taking a look at a holiday dream that’s sure to light up your day, especially if you’ve been looking for a Glow Mickey Jingle Bell. Beaches and Cream Soda Shop, located right between the Yacht Club and Beach Club Resort near the Beach Club’s pool, is an old-school diner spot (seriously, they’ve got a jukebox and everything!) famous for its Kitchen Sink challenge, mind-blowing shakes, and delicious diner dishes. After a recent renovation in 2019, this spot is much more spacious than before, plus there’s a to-go window for folks who are in a hurry! However, it’s important to note that the to-go window mostly offers shakes and ice cream dishes. Beaches and Cream Inside you’ll find an abundance of retro vibes with a sleek, modern touch! This spot is one part old-school soda fountain, one part posh Cape Cod spot, and one part modern Disney restaurant, a winning combo that makes Beaches and Cream a great family spot with a bit of polish. Retro vibes The Jingle Jangle Punch is a holiday drink available for $7.99 at Beaches and Cream that features House-Made Cream Soda with a Glow Mickey Jingle Bell on top! This drink might seem a bit expensive for cream soda, but the jingle bell on top, which is a fan-favorite holiday item, comes with the drink. The Jingle Jangle Juice! This drink is liquid nostalgia: it has a sweet flavor that features a prominent butterscotch taste, along with hints of vanilla and caramel! It’s a super delicious drink that makes you feel like you’ve time-traveled to the era of soda fountains and poodle skirts. So shiny! Whether you’re looking for a delicious cream soda, an old-timey diner drink, or a glow Mickey jingle bell for a reasonable price, this is the one for you! With Beaches and Cream located within walking distance of EPCOT, it might be worth the very short trek over to Beach Club to try this wonderful holiday soda. There’s a nice color gradient If you’re looking for more delicious snacks at Disney World, check out our video about the 9 new secret snacks we found! We’re always keeping up with the latest Disney news, including all the latest holiday treats you need to see, so stay tuned here for more! Review: One of Disney World’s CHEAPEST Restaurants is Also (Still) One of the BEST Don't Miss Out on Any Disney World Fun This Holiday Season! The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2021 is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. Order The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2021 now! It includes over 400 pages of must-have information, including: A full What's New!! chapter for the 2021 Holiday Season A full Monthly Schedule of Events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! ;-D Click HERE to order your 2021 Guide now and get 20% off with code PEPPERMINT! As always, our e-Books are 100% guaranteed! If you don't love it, you get your money back! Want Even MORE? The DFB Everything Bundle comes with ALL of our guides, including the Holiday Guide, for one low price! It includes: Pre-order of the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2022 The 2021 Food & Wine Guide The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Holidays 2021 Pre-order for the 2022 Flower and Garden Festival Guide All three DFB Snack Guides Click HERE to order your DFB Everything Bundle! MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Check Out the FULL List of Holiday Treats Coming to Disney World This Year See the List of Holiday Treats Coming to Disney World’s Hotels Get All of the Latest Information about the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays See the Booths, Menus, and Food Photos for the Festival of the Holidays Check Out Our Photos & Reviews of the Holiday Treats in Disney World Watch Our Video About What We Wish We’d Known Before Going to Disney World During the Holidays Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What do you think about this cream soda? Let us know in the comments! The post REVIEW: There's ANOTHER Reason to Visit Beaches and Cream in Disney World Right Now first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Over the past 2 years, we’ve shared a LOT of information about Disney+. ©Disney The streaming service has quickly become a big focus for the Disney company. We’ve kept track of the subscriber numbers, taken a look at what’s coming to the service in the future, and more. As a whole, the service has had a lot of success, though its most recent subscriber numbers have been lower than some analysts had hoped. Now Disney’s former CEO, Bob Iger, has spoken up about what he thinks the service needs to succeed. Disney+ has some pretty large subscriber goals for the future. In December of 2020, Disney announced that they were projecting to have 230-260 million subscribers by the end of Fiscal Year 2024. This continues to be Disney’s goal for the future. ©Disney During Disney’s most recent update they indicated that as of October 2nd, 2021, Disney+ has 118.1 million subscribers. That number is up 60% from the number in October of 2020, but it isn’t quite as high as some had hoped. As Deadline notes, the growth was “sharply lower than in the previous quarter,” though that is something Bob Chapek (Disney’s current CEO) had warned could be a possibility. Now Bob Iger (the current Chairman of the Walt Disney Company and former CEO) has spoken up about what he thinks Disney+ needs to achieve its goals. According to CNBC, Bob Iger has indicated that if Disney wants to hit its big subscriber goals, Disney+ needs “more content for more people.” ©Disney Iger said that there is “guidance out there that the company has provided” that he wouldn’t update or comment on too much, but he noted that the company “has expressed confidence in its ability to achieve the guidance that it has out there.” CNBC shares that Disney+ got a boost during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, as many were at home during that time. As individuals have returned to work, school, etc., however, “growth has slowed” when it comes to Disney+. Disney+ is already home to lots of family-friendly content, hit Marvel shows, and popular Star Wars series. But, CNBC notes that it doesn’t have as many “new entrants” as other streaming platforms, such as Netflix. ©Disney Iger told CNBC, “I think [Disney+] needs more volume…And there probably needs to be more dimensionality, meaning, basically, more programming or more content for more people, different demographics. But, [CEO Bob Chapek] is aware of that and is addressing those issues.” More from Iger’s interview with CNBC’s David Faber on “Squawk on the Street” is set to be released soon. We’ll be sure to update this post with any additional information. ©Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images When it comes to Disney+, we’ve already shared a full look at what is set to come to the service in January of 2022. Disney also recently broke the internet (and our brains) with ALL kinds of Disney+ announcements, trailers, and more. Several new properties are set to be released on Disney+ in the future, including The Book of Boba Fett, She/Hulk, and others. Boba Fett signs at Studios What content will Disney+ produce next to cover those “gaps” Iger speaks about? And how will this entire situation be handled once Iger steps away from the company at the end of this year and is replaced? Only time will tell, but we will certainly be on the lookout for all of the latest updates. Click here to see why one media executive thinks Bob Iger could be returning as Disney’s CEO. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What is your favorite thing to watch on Disney+? Tell us in the comments. The post Disney+ Needs "More Content for More People" According to Former CEO Bob Iger first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

National leadership of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation paid a special visit to meet with Disney VoluntEARS Dec. 18 as they prepared to greet hundreds of families in need who lined their cars up on a warm Orlando morning outside a toy distribution center. The surprise visit was planned to allow the Foundation leadership to officially recognize Disney’s enduring support for Toys for Tots that dates back to the beginning of the iconic nonprofit.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 the holiday season and you know what that means…it’s time for a holiday giveaway! ©D23 Each day D23 has been giving away some great prizes as part of their D23 Season of Magic Sweepstakes. We’ve seen prizes featuring video games, useful Disney items, and more. They even were giving one special winner a LIFE-SIZE BABY YODA. Now a new daily prize has arrived! Today (12/21) D23 is giving out a special prize for the Star Wars fans, specifically those who are fans of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge! If you wake up each morning and wish everyone around you would also say “Bright Suns!” then you’re in the right place. Today’s prize is First Order TIE Echelon Vehicle Figure! The reproduction is actually inspired by the TIE Echelon Vehicle that is exclusive to Galaxy’s Edge. ©D23 That’s right folks, this is your chance to bring home a little piece of Batuu for FREE! The item used to be available on shopDisney for $225 but is currently out of stock. Galaxy’s Edge Want to add this piece to your collection? First, visit the D23 Season of Magic Sweepstakes website. Next, you’ll need to sign in to your D23 account. If you don’t have a D23 membership, you can sign up for one. There are paid (Gold) memberships and also FREE (General) memberships. Once you sign in to your D23 account, you’ll fill in the remaining bits of information needed and hit submit for your chance to win! You Could Have a Mini Version of the Ship at Home! D23’s Season of Magic sweepstakes will only be going on for a few more days (through December 23rd). Each day a new prize is up for grabs so be sure to check back for updates! Click here to see all of the 50th Anniversary merchandise 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. What is your favorite part of Galaxy’s Edge? Tell us in the comments! The post If You Love Disney's Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, You Won't Want to Miss This! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

With both the 50th Anniversary and the holiday season going on right now, Disney World has a LOT of new snacks and treats. Main Street, U.S.A. You can get snacks that nod to old Disney World rides for the 50th or grab a festive treat to celebrate the holidays. We’ve already tried a lemon-y sugar cookie snowman, some simply delicious Reindeer Mousse, and even a very large Christmas cookie sundae. Now, we’re heading to the hotels to pick up the newest festive treat in Disney World! The Playful Penguin Cupcake is a new treat that you can find at a few different hotels in Disney World. You can pick one up at the Intermission Food Court and World Premiere Food Court at Disney’s All-Star Resorts, at the Landscape of Flavors at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, at the Everything POP Shopping & Dining at Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and at the Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory and Riverside Mill Food Court at Disney’s Port Orleans Resorts. World Premiere Food Court at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort We headed into World Premier Food Court at Disney’s All-Star Movies to get our cupcake and found it nestled away in the refrigerator section for $5.49. You can also order it up on Mobile Order if you’d prefer. You’ll find this guy in the refrigerator with other sweet treats! First of all — how adorable is this cupcake?? It kind of reminds us of the Menagerie Cupcake over in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, since both are decorated with cute winter animals! But, the flavors of these two treats are very different. Bring along a friend who thinks this is too cute to eat so you can have it alllll to yourself! The Playful Penguin Cupcake is a red velvet cupcake topped with cream cheese buttercream, peppermint candy cane sprinkles, and a sugared penguin. ©Disney Now, we have to admit ours looked a little different than it was described — the sugared penguin was more of a medallion rather than a cutout and some of the peppermint candy cane sprinkles were not shaped like candy canes on the cupcake that we got. But, hey, we can get past that! Not exactly as described Now it’s time to dig in! If you’ve been following along with us this holiday season, you probably know that we’ve had a lot of vanilla and chocolate-flavored cupcakes, so the red velvet flavor was a very welcome change. And, the candy cane sprinkles added a nice minty taste that put us into the holiday mood. But, when we bit into the center, we were left feeling a little disappointed…there was NO filling. So, all you’re getting here is a red velvet cupcake — plain and simple. No filling?! Bummer So, if you’re looking for a cupcake that isn’t just your average Disney vanilla or chocolate flavor, then this is certainly one to try this holiday season! But, be warned — you need to enjoy red velvet and mint to like it. You can get the Playful Penguin Cupcake for $5.49 from now until January 1st. And, if you’re not staying at one of the hotels where this playful cupcake is hiding, you can always use the Skyliner from EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios to get to Pop Century or Art of Animation pretty quickly. Disney Skyliner Keep following DFB for more updates on the newest snacks in Disney World! Click Here to See Photos and Reviews of ALL the Holiday Treats in Disney World Don't Miss Out on Any Disney World Fun This Holiday Season! The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2021 is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. Order The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2021 now! It includes over 400 pages of must-have information, including: A full What's New!! chapter for the 2021 Holiday Season A full Monthly Schedule of Events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! ;-D Click HERE to order your 2021 Guide now and get 20% off with code PEPPERMINT! As always, our e-Books are 100% guaranteed! If you don't love it, you get your money back! Want Even MORE? The DFB Everything Bundle comes with ALL of our guides, including the Holiday Guide, for one low price! It includes: Pre-order of the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2022 The 2021 Food & Wine Guide The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Holidays 2021 Pre-order for the 2022 Flower and Garden Festival Guide All three DFB Snack Guides Click HERE to order your DFB Everything Bundle! MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Check Out the FULL List of Holiday Treats Coming to Disney World This Year See the List of Holiday Treats Coming to Disney World’s Hotels Get All of the Latest Information about the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays See the Booths, Menus, and Food Photos for the Festival of the Holidays Check Out Our Photos & Reviews of the Holiday Treats in Disney World Watch Our Video About What We Wish We’d Known Before Going to Disney World During the Holidays Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Which hotel would you visit to find the Playful Penguin Cupcake? Let us know in the comments! The post REVIEW: Disney World’s New Treat Took Us on an Emotional Roller Coaster first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It can often seem like Disney’s only challenge is to come up with more stories for their movies and attractions for their parks. Cinderella Castle But in reality, Disney (like most companies) faces all kinds of challenges as they navigate a changing world. Whether those struggles are with new technology, public image, competition, or anything else, Disney has to work hard to stay ahead. We’re taking a look at 10 BIG challenges Disney will face in the next decade. Using past trends and research about theme parks and entertainment today, we discovered several challenges that Disney is either facing right now or might face in the coming years. Let’s take a look. Keeping Up with New and Leading Technology If you’ve been on some of Disneyland and Disney World’s newest rides, you know that they’re no strangers to new technology. Rides like Flight of Passage in Disney’s Animal Kingdom make use of established tech like stereoscopic video combined with groundbreaking new technology like the ride vehicles themselves. Others, like Spaceship Earth in EPCOT, may seem slightly dated now but were way ahead of their time. Flight of Passage ride vehicles So although keeping up with new technology has normally been a strength for the Disney parks, we’re seeing technology advance so quickly that it’s bound to be a challenge to stay ahead of it all. Here’s some newer tech that we haven’t seen put to use much in Disney parks: Mixed reality, where you can combine VR with real experiences, like the Pokémon GO game; Universal Orlando has introduced some limited experiences like this at times in the Jurassic World section of their park. Black box rides, which would combine roller coasters with VR technology. Universal has a ride in Japan that’s almost a true black box ride. Guests sit in a real ride vehicle and wear VR headsets as they go through the ride. These sort of coaster experiences have grown in popularity around the world in the past few years. Having a ride like this would allow Disney to change the theme frequently to match different movies or storylines (since changing a VR experience could be faster than changing a whole ride). Stuntronics are basically animatronics that are built to do stunts. You can already see one in Disneyland — the Spiderman animatronic that does flips and leaps in Avengers Campus is a stuntronic. Disney pioneered the tech for this, too. But Disney could use these in a lot more areas around the parks where stunts might otherwise be unsafe or impractical (like as part of a ride). Spider-Man at Avengers Campus Keeping pace with all the new technology is especially difficult considering how long it takes to construct new rides and experiences in the parks. We’ve already seen with TRON: Lightcycle Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in Disney World that ride construction can take much longer than initially planned. Both of these rides were supposed to open on October 1st, 2021, but they’ve both been delayed until at least 2022. Construction on the TRON roller coaster And with a global labor shortage adding to the difficulties, the actual construction of new experiences is a far slower process than the rate at which some technology is developing. Construction on Guardians of the Galaxy Ride Although Disney has kept up with technology pretty well in the past (and even been a technological leader in some cases), it seems like a big challenge to keep their pace going forward. The world, in general, is interested in adopting new technologies more than ever before. Mission: Space According to Business Insider, the time that it takes consumers to adopt new technology is shrinking very fast. For example, it took 30 years for 10% of US consumers to adopt electricity and only 5 years for 10% of US consumers to adopt tablet computers. If that pace keeps up, all companies (not just Disney) will need to continue to speed up their plans and development in order to stay ahead. There will potentially be a challenge of racing against time to ensure they’re up to date with the latest and greatest ride technology to meet consumer demand. Click Here to Learn All About the Upcoming TRON: Lightcycle Run Roller Coaster Maintaining Old/Original Attractions While Disney is trying to push ahead and develop new technologies, they also need to consider the value of original attractions in the parks. Prince Charming’s Carousel A lot of nostalgic favorite attractions have already been removed or changed from certain parks, including Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, The Great Movie Ride, and Maelstrom (all completely changed to new experiences in Disney World). Great Movie Ride Disney fans love their classic attractions, so the theme park executives need to weigh the value of keeping classic concepts and making room for new ones. Should Peter Pan’s Flight be mowed over to make room for a new VR experience? Or will guests miss the nostalgia created by that classic ride too much to justify that change? Could guests’ tastes ever potentially evolve away from these “old fashioned” rides? Could there one day be a day where Haunted Mansion or Pirates of the Caribbean is a snore-fest and guests just lose interest?? What then? Peter Pan’s Flight Other old attractions in Disney World include Space Mountain, the Walt Disney World Railroad, Prince Charming’s Caroussel, and Spaceship Earth, to name a few. Disney will have to decide which attractions are really worth the space and maintenance required. Space Mountain Walt Disney said “There’s really no secret about our approach. We keep moving forward—opening up new doors and doing new things—because we’re curious. And curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” So is it really more in the Disney spirit to keep replacing attractions with new ones? Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway And it might become more and more difficult to maintain older attractions as technology moves on and leaves old processes behind since the tech is out of date. Anytime something changes in Disney World, some people are bound to get upset about it. It’s just how things are — we Disney folk tend to be very sentimental, and everyone hates change sometimes. So it’d be really hard to see some old favorites disappear from the parks, but Disney might need to clear the way if they want to keep up with new and exciting experiences. Click Here to See 7 Outdated Things at Disney World that We’re Totally Cool With Balancing Old Favorites and New Content This challenge is similar to the one before it: does Disney keep the old theme on attractions and hotels or make room for new stories and themes? Contemporary Guest Room We’ve recently seen some re-theming at places like the Moana rooms at Disney Polynesian Village Resort and new Incredibles rooms at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Citricos at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort recently got a Mary Poppins-themed update, and Maelstrom was booted out in favor of a Frozen-inspired ride. Frozen Ever After Most of the makeovers we’ve seen involve changes to include newer intellectual property (or IP for short). That means Disney is taking an existing theme that’s not as widely recognizable as “Disney” (like the Polynesian resort’s previous generally tropical-themed decor) and replacing it with a more obviously “Disney” theme (like Moana). It still fits with the old theming but updates it to include a property that is more easily recognizable as a part of the Disney brand to a wider range of guests. Refurbished Guest Rooms at the Polynesian The IP re-theming appeals more to newer guests and kids in Disney World, since it makes your experience more immersive and recognizable. But long-time Disney guests have nostalgia with the existing themes, and those are very uniquely “Disney World” experiences to them. Citricos got a Mary Poppins theme The problem Disney will face is which group they should cater to going forward. If current trends are any indication, it seems like Disney is going with the new guests and kids on this one. Does that mean we’ll have to say goodbye to other uniquely Disney World things like Orange Bird and Figment as well? Or maybe more hotels, like Fort Wilderness and Pop Century, will get Disney movie themes. Time will tell. Click Here Get a Full Tour of the New Incredibles Rooms at the Contemporary Resort Fixing More Problematic Theming Disney World first opened in 1971, and a lot of attractions in the parks (Magic Kingdom especially) are a reflection of the times in which they opened. Some of the attractions have (or had) problematic theming that, while acceptable when released, is not really appropriate in any setting today, and especially in a theme park. Kilimanjaro Safaris For example, when Kilimanjaro Safaris opened in Animal Kingdom, the ride featured a storyline about poachers inside the wildlife reserve. Guests were told to look out for the illegal activity, and you could see signs of “poaching” around you on this ride. Towards the end of the ride, there was actually an animatronic of a bloody dead elephant that, according to the storyline, had been killed by those poachers. Kilimanjaro Safaris There is an appropriate time and place to discuss the problem of poaching in detail. But a playful Disney ride with kids on board might not be that time and place. Disney fixed that theming by getting rid of the dead elephant animatronic and adjusting the ride script to be a much more leisurely safari ride. The Cast Members still mention the problem of poaching and how guests can help fight against it, which pulls in a meaningful and educational message without traumatizing guests. Elephant on Kilimanjaro Safaris Pirates of the Caribbean was updated in 2018 to address the “Take a Wench for a Bride” scene, among others. It was altered at both Disneyland and Disney World. The famous Mercado scene used to display women being auctioned off to pirates along with the chant, “We wants the Redhead!” Pirates of the Caribbean Auction Scene ©Disney The scene was swapped in 2018, and the “Redhead” is no longer a villager but now a plundering pirate named Redd! She’s no longer being auctioned off — but she’s helping to oversee the auction of the village’s goods to increase their rum supply instead! Other examples of fixing problematic theming include the recent changes at Jungle Cruise in the Magic Kingdom, which corrected inappropriate portrayals of native people. Disney updated the ride to be about monkeys and other animals sabotaging a safari full of tourists. Some of those classic elements have changed, but the spirit of the ride remains the same. Those crazy monkeys Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster also got a small update recently, when Disney censored an inappropriate hand gesture in the ride’s pre-show. And Splash Mountain is being completely re-done to have a Princess and the Frog theme instead of being based on Song of the South, which has been criticized for its offensive themes. Princess and the Frog attraction Concept Art ©Disney But not all the attractions with potential theming issues have been addressed. The Haunted Mansion is sometimes a source of controversy for portraying violent death and suicide in a light-hearted way. The hanging man scene during the pre-show is an especially concerning aspect of this ride. Haunted Mansion Peter Pan’s Flight also has a scene where indigenous people are portrayed in a stereotypical way, much like they are in the film. And the background story of Tom Sawyer’s Island is also set storyline with insensitive portrayals. Inclusivity and sensitivity are important — Disney recently added Inclusivity as one of the main pillars their Cast are trained on — so Disney will need to look carefully at the messages being conveyed in its parks. As a major destination that sees millions of guests every year from all around the world, Disney World has a lot of power to deliver positive and helpful messages as they continue to update and improve the attractions. Click Here to Learn More About Splash Mountain’s Re-Theme Balancing Profit With Public Perception Disney recently faced a lot of backlash against Genie+, the new paid FastPass system in Disney World and Disneyland. Even leading publications that don’t normally write about theme park updates — like CNN and the New York Times — provided commentary on Disney’s decision. Lightning Lane Sign And Genie+ isn’t the only price increase that we’ve seen in Disney parks recently. We regularly see price increases on food items, merchandise, and tickets. Guests generally react negatively to price increases, since a Disney vacation can already be a strain on the budget. So how does Disney balance that negative perception with their goal of making a profit? Lightning Lane Entrance One of the options that Disney seems to be adopting is to just keep its head down and keep moving forward. After all, guests are still coming to Disney World, and the number of visitors has increased in the last fiscal quarter. If the demand is still high, then Disney’s price increases actually make a lot of business sense. People are still coming We expect Disney to continue to raise prices for a few reasons: (1) They can. There is a high demand for the products and experiences that Disney offers, and the laws of economics dictate that the price increases are justified to match that demand. (2) Labor shortages and other recent difficulties mean that Disney is still recovering from a downtime over the pandemic. Although they certainly don’t seem to be in any real financial trouble, the company has always focused on progress and growth, which has been stunted or at least slowed for the last year and a half. (3) Looking at past trends, Disney doesn’t do a whole lot of price decreases. Disney’s current direction, based on its history, is price increases. Lots of Minnie Ears But Disney still needs to adjust and account for the negative perception that those price increases bring. As a family-friendly brand, Disney’s goal is to be viewed as a vacation destination for any family, not just the wealthy, which is sometimes hard to achieve when people are upset about the changes being made. With all the complaints about recent changes, Disney may need to account for their decisions. Click Here to Learn About Projected Price Increases in Disney World Controlling the Public Story The Disney brand has a very specific public image. The company is used to controlling that public image carefully. But with the explosion of social media and content creation online, it’s getting more and more difficult for the company to hold onto that control. Welcome to Disney World! There are tens of thousands of content creators who are influencing the way people see Disney. Here’s one of them: Hi, it’s us! DFB! We — and other creators — are not part of the Disney company, which means Disney can’t dictate how we portray them. If there’s a problem or a controversial decision, creators can point it out and call out Disney for whatever happened. Magic Kingdom 50 years ago when Disney World opened (or even 20 years ago before social media was THE thing), the speed and expansiveness of online communication was not anywhere close to where it is now. Where Disney once had tight control over the story, now thousands of people are chiming in and giving their own opinions. As a popular brand, Disney is very closely watched, which means they need to navigate decisions and messages very carefully. Our Team’s Most Controversial Disney World Opinions Competing with Universal One of the Disney theme parks’ biggest competitors is Universal Studios, which has locations in both California and Orlando (just like Disney). With the two Harry Potter-themed additions in Orlando, and new thrill rides coming out in recent years like Velocicoaster, Universal has become more tempting than ever to tourists. Harry Potter Hogsmeade at Universal Studios According to the Themed Entertainment Association’s Global Attractions Attendance Report, in 2019 Universal parks saw a 2.3% increase in tourist attendance and Disney parks saw a 0.08% decrease in tourist attendance. Disney parks still had a lot more guests overall in 2019 (155,991,000 to Universal’s 51,243,000), but Universal’s growth was significantly higher. Universal Orlando According to the Orlando Sentinel, Universal Orlando is also recovering faster from the pandemic-level crowds. In August, Universal’s crowd levels were down just 64%, compared to Disney World’s decrease of 80%. In addition to these statistics, Universal is in the process of building a brand new theme park in Orlando: Epic Universe. This will be the third theme park there, and it’s scheduled to open in 2023 (although construction has been delayed recently). Universal Parks – Epic Universe ©Universal When Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter (Hogsmeade) land opened in 2010, Universal’s attendance increased a whopping 13.7%. In the same year, Disney parks’ attendance increased 0.7%. In 2014, when the next Harry Potter land opened in Universal Orlando, Universal’s attendance increased by 10.4% while Disney parks increased by 1.3%. If the same trend happens with Epic Universe, Universal could draw significant crowds away from Disney World. ©Universal Universal Orlando has some similar perks to Disney World, including an optional (paid) FastPass-type service. Disney World used to have the advantage with a free FastPass service, but the recently released Genie+ program is comparable to Universal’s paid Express Pass. Hogwarts Express Line Disney World historically has had more guests than Universal Orlando, but Universal’s recent growth and guest attendance trends are pointing to more similar stats in the future. If Disney wants to continue to be the clear leading theme park in Orlando, they’ll need to offer guests more reasons to choose them over Universal. More perks, new attractions, possibly even a new park (though this last option is unlikely) could all contribute to guests’ choice to visit Disney over Universal. Click Here to See a Recent Update on Capacity and Attendance in Disney World Creating New Nostalgia Disney fans are not usually super excited about change. Most of the time, when an old ride or show closes in Disney World, there is push-back from fans who miss the closed attraction. Usually, guests come around to the new updates and come to love them as well with time, but this isn’t always the case. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway The Magic Kingdom’s Happily Ever After nighttime show recently closed to make way for Enchantment. The new show has bigger fireworks and more projections (including some down Main Street, U.S.A., which has never been done before in Disney World), but it still was not received enthusiastically. Enchantment In fact, Enchantment is one of the first nighttime shows that, based on guest reactions online, could be perceived as a flop. Reactions on social media indicate that people are still upset about the show (even more than a month after its opening), and the strong negative reaction has continued for longer than the initial push-back normally does. In this case, Disney’s creation of new nostalgia didn’t seem to work. Projections in Enchantment In other areas, Disney has been relying heavily on old nostalgia. For example, the live-action remakes of classic Disney movies have continued with films like Cruella, Mulan, and The Lion King. Cruella ©Disney Other films were not really remakes but were still based on old nostalgia, like the Jungle Cruise movie, which is based on the popular Magic Kingdom attraction. Audiences have responded pretty well to some of these films, but there has also been criticism from audiences that there isn’t enough new content. Jungle Cruise Photo-Op Disney will have to continue to take risks with new content that might not pay off (like Enchantment) in order to adhere to its mission to create “unparalleled storytelling [using] creative minds and innovative technologies.” Staying true to their brand could mean more flops in the future, but those risks are necessary for the progress of Disney as a company. Cinderella Castle For new attractions, theme parks, movies, shows, and more, Disney will need new nostalgia. They need to create stories, music, and experiences that guests will love for generations, the way they have done in the past. Click Here to Check Out Disney World’s New Nighttime Show Enchantment Creating Interactive Experiences In general, guests (especially younger guests) are more interested in interactive experiences than they have been in the past. This might be due to a new generation raised on video games and other active entertainment, who now wants to experience similar levels of engagement on vacation. Toy Story Mania is an interactive ride experience Disney has started catering to this preference, with attractions like Rise of the Resistance. This ride isn’t just a “sit in your vehicle and watch a show” experience. Instead, guests become part of the story and get to interact with characters and move around on their own. Rise of the Resistance Other rides increase engagement with more interesting ride vehicles, like the bike-style vehicles over at Flight of Passage in Animal Kingdom’s Pandora. TRON: Lightcycle Run is an upcoming ride where guests will sit on the vehicle like a motorcycle. These kinds of rides make guests feel more like they’re part of the story rather than just watching a story (compared with rides like Journey of the Little Mermaid and Haunted Mansion where you sit in the car with a bar over your lap and go through scenes). TRON: Lightcycle Run in Shanghai Disneyland The Play! Pavilion in EPCOT (which was supposed to open in October 2021, but its opening has been delayed) is planned to include interactive experiences, games, entertainment, and hands-on activities, which also cater more to the guests who want to be involved in their vacation experience. PLAY! Pavilion sign in Future World Some of the activities that will be in the Play! Pavilion include helping Edna Mode (from The Incredibles) “on her quest to rid the world of uninspired style” and competing in a water balloon fight hosted by Huey, Dewey, Louie, and Webby (from DuckTales). PLAY! Pavilion Concept Art ©Disney So Disney has been working towards more interactive experiences already, and they’ll need to continue this to keep guests engaged. These new, innovative experiences will have to compete with the older, nostalgic rides, which we’ve already discussed in this article. Disney needs to balance the demand for these kinds of attractions with the demand to keep old attractions for sentimental reasons. Click Here to Learn More About the Upcoming Play! Pavilion Managing Effects of the Pandemic Like a lot of companies (and people) around the world, one of the biggest struggles right now is managing and recovering from the effects of the pandemic. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the Magic Kingdom saw a 67% decrease in park attendance in 2020 from 2019. After years of steady increases in attendance (and thus profit), the huge drop has impacted Disney significantly. Magic Kingdom entrance But the effect of the pandemic reaches further than just Disney World’s park closures. Economies around the world have taken a hit, and unemployment rates increased tremendously during the coronavirus. According to the Washington Post, in May 2020 the American unemployment rate hit the worst level since the Depression-era. Disney World entrance Although the American economy is improving fairly steadily (according to CNN Business), a lot of people are still recovering financially from this difficult time. When money is tight, the first things to go are usually luxuries like travel and vacations. Since Disney is trying to rebound from their own losses, we’re seeing price increases (due to supply issues, labor shortages, and an attempt at profit recovery), which makes it even harder for people on a tight budget to vacation in Disney World. Ticket office at Animal Kingdom Another lingering effect of the pandemic is that more people want to stay at home. According to the Economist, Americans spent about 5% of their time working from home before the pandemic. In 2020, that number jumped to 60%. Some businesses discovered that working from home was much more possible than they previously thought, and they decided to continue to work remotely even when it was possible to return to the office. ©Disney Although it’s clear that people still want to travel, it also seems like Disney will need to find more ways to reach people in their homes as well. How is Disney planning to reach people who are no longer comfortable with or interested in visiting theme parks or movie theaters? The most obvious answer is their streaming service, Disney+. ©Disney In Disney’s recent Q3 Earnings Call, they reported increased numbers of subscribers for Disney+ as well as an increase in ad revenue. Despite the optimistic report, some analysts are still concerned about Disney+’s future. Disney+ Day Cavalcade This streaming service will need to increase its growth rate significantly if Disney wants to achieve its long-term goals for subscribers and revenue. According to some analysts, the growth levels of Disney+ are too slow to compete with other big streaming services like Netflix. Billboard for the upcoming Marvel Hawkeye series Recovering from the pandemic is an unprecedented challenge for a lot of people and companies. Disney will have to adjust its approach and get creative in order to get back to the normal levels of profit for the theme parks, movies, and streaming service. Click Here to See All the Announcements Disney Made for Disney+ Day As we learned from the pandemic, there are some challenges out there that we can’t possibly predict but these are challenges that we can foresee in Disney’s future. If their history is any indication, it seems like Disney will be able to adapt and continue its legacy of creative content and wonderful guest experiences. We’ll be reporting on all kinds of changes and news, so keep following DFB for all the latest information. Click Here to See Three BIG Titles Coming to Disney+ 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 other challenges do you think Disney might face in the coming years? Let us know in the comments. The post 10 BIG Challenges Disney Will Face Over the Next 10 Years first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

A rice-sized microchip implanted under your skin could become your vaccine passport. View the full article

Disney’s history as a company goes back so many years that there are PLENTY of stories to uncover about Disney Parks, Disney Movies, and the man himself, Walt Disney. These mysteries even have Goofy perplexed! And there are a lot of questions we have about Disney-related things — like why is there a terrifying Jack in the Box at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort? Or why did that scary clown pool slide ever exist at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn? Or why did Disney ever think The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management was a good idea? We’re digging into Disney’s biggest…unsolved mysteries (dun dun DUN!). OK, so these aren’t life-changing, course-altering mysteries. They’re all pretty fun, but still. Disney, well, we’ve got some questions… . Who Is The Mysterious Child on Carousel of Progress? In the opening act of Disney World’s Carousel of Progress in Magic Kingdom, there’s a scene where the mother is ironing. With her is a small girl with blonde pigtails on a spinning wheel. See that girl on the left? We know the family has a teenage daughter (Patricia) and an adolescent son (James) so naturally, you’d assume this is little sister, right? Well, one big problem with that: YOU NEVER SEE HER AGAIN. Mystery girl After that opening act, she just…vanishes! A common theory is, given the times, she caught whooping cough or another ailment of the day and…well…went to the big animatronic factory in the sky. We’re still holding firm that mom upgraded in the future to a sah-weet washing machine and told the lil’ neighbor kid that helped her do the laundry to take a hike! Either way, who is she? Where did she go? WE NEED TO KNOW THESE THINGS. Why is there no great big beautiful tomorrow for her? Another Disturbing Thing We’ve Seen On Carousel of Progress Where Did Buzzy Go? Older Disney fans might remember the Wonders of Life Pavilion at EPCOT, back when you could fight off some serious nausea while riding the Body Wars attraction and learn everything about the human brain during a fun little ride called Cranium Command. Here’s the thing, though — when Disney World closed the Wonders of Life Pavilion in 2007, EVERYTHING still sat there inside the pavilion for YEARS, including the animatronics used on Cranium Command. Who Out There Misses the Wonders of Life Pavilion? ©shopDisney If the idea of a whole abandoned pavilion — rides and all — isn’t creepy enough, it gets weirder. Cranium Command was led by an animatronic named Buzzy that took you on adventures through a pre-teen’s brain. YEARS after closing, mysterious word got out that not only was the Buzzy animatronic MISSING — he might have been stolen! The Orlando Sentinel originally reported that Buzzy’s gloves had been stolen in 2018, but after that, reports started surfacing that his other clothes, then ALL of Buzzy had been taken — Disney confirmed this in 2019. Buzzy ©D23 So what happened to Buzzy? NBA player Robin Lopez ended up buying Buzzy’s headphones, jacket, and hat on eBay (not realizing these things were stolen). Shortly after that, a former Cast Member was arrested for the theft of Disney property — he pleaded no contest to other thefts from the parks, but he was never charged with the theft of Buzzy. Pictures later popped up online of hydraulic fluid that supposedly came from Buzzy pooling in the spot where his animatronic had previously been located. A brief image of a stripped Buzzy-like head was posted then pulled down from Twitter as well. To this day, it hasn’t been confirmed where Buzzy is since his initial disappearance. Creepy or Very Cool? Disney Just Filed a Patent for More Realistic and Advanced Skin for Robots and Animatronics! Will The Yeti On Expedition Everest Ever Work? For those who have been on Expedition Everest, you’ll know that at the finale of the ride is a gigantic Yeti. And in case you didn’t know it — the Yeti is an elaborate animatronic — one of the biggest at Disney World — but you might not know that because you’ve likely never actually seen it move. That’s because Imagineers discovered early on that the Yeti’s movement was putting stress on the rest of the attraction’s frame. Believe it or not, the Yeti is structural! Well, kinda. The Yeti was built into the structure in such a way that to repair him would mean serious construction on the framework of the ride! When he would flail his arms at guests, he was actually putting stress on the ride itself, damaging it. As cool as it is to see a moving Yeti, it’s even cooler to keep the roller coaster he’s on in one, working piece. So Disney improvised. ©D23 So instead, the Yeti is operating in “B” mode, which means it doesn’t move, but a strobe light gives it the appearance of movement on the attraction (and this is why it got the nickname “Disco Yeti”). It would take a lengthy refurbishment that could include dismantling a large portion of Expedition Everest’s structure. Former Imagineer Joe Rohde continued to explain that his team was working on fixing it well into 2018. However, he retired in early 2021, so no one knows for sure if Imagineers still have plans to figure it out. Only time will tell… . See Video Of What It’s Like When Expedition Everest is Evacuated Why did Disney Close River Country? Disney’s River Country was the first water park at Disney World — it initially opened in 1976, but then later closed indefinitely in 2001, and then announced as permanently closed in 2005. There are many theories about why the park closed, including the death of a child due to a brain-eating amoeba present in Bay Lake (the natural adjacent body of water that was used on most slides at the park). But that happened in the 1980s — WAY before the park closed. Disney’s River Country ©Disney The likely culprit was Disney outdid itself. The park was potentially closed because Disney World had built the bigger and better themed water parks Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, and demand for River Country started to wane. But what’s most bizarre is that River Country remained on Disney property untouched until 2018 when Disney announced that it would use the land for the new Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge. But that’s another project that has seemingly been put on hold by the company. The quite creepy abandoned water park, just a stone’s throw from Magic Kingdom, became a popular spot in its later years for guests to try and break in and explore (obviously a huge no-no!). So for now, River Country’s legacy remains. Here’s How To Throw Yourself a Spooky Quarantine Party With These 12 Disney Halloween Recipes! What’s Going On With Discovery Island? What is it about the little corner of Bay Lake by Wilderness Lodge that screams “abandon me!”? Right near the former site of River Country was another big Disney destination that was left to time. Discovery Island launched in 1974 as Treasure Island, and yes, it had pirate-themed attractions. Later, Disney changed its name to Discovery Island and promoted it as a zoological park and, as such, it contained a wide variety of animals — sort of the precursor to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Hints of Discovery Island can be found at Animal Kingdom The park closed in 1999, and there are a lot of theories as to why it closed. Disney never gave an official statement about it, but it likely had something to do with Disney focusing more on Animal Kingdom, which had opened just a year earlier. Most animals on the island were relocated to the new Animal Kingdom park. Now, Discovery Island is STILL THERE, just abandoned, with many of its original structures in place. Even creepier — it’s been “broken into” a couple of times over the years. Guests have swum the waters of Bay Lake (yep, the same Bay Lake with those known not-so-good for you amoebas!) for the chance to seriously break the law and explore. At the start of the pandemic, it was even discovered a man was hiding out on there camping! WHAT?! Nope, nothing creepy about that. Obviously, they won’t just get rid of a whole island (the boats from Wilderness Lodge travel riiiiight past it heading to Magic Kingdom!), but why was so much of it just left to the elements and time?? Here’s The Disney World Planning Advice We IGNORE. Why Are Those People Partying In A Flooded Saloon? If you’ve seen the saloon scene on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, you may have noticed that the saloon is flooded — there’s a dude in a bathtub spinning around in the water. BUT there’s a major party going on just upstairs. Like do they not know it’s flooded? Do they just not care? Did THEY cause the flooding?! (Rude.) Are they just TOO much in the party mood to get what’s happening? That saloon just up ahead is flooded, but hey, there’s still a party going on! This isn’t something we’ve ever seen an explanation for, so if you’ve got a theory, we’d love to hear it. Maybe it’s just the way of the Old West — people just celebrate something exciting happening, even if it’s the waters rising dangerously beneath them. Take a Virtual Spin on The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! What Was The Deal With Walt Disney and Kurt Russell? The young Kurt Russell and Walt Disney had a close relationship, and Walt seemed to love the actor so much that he put him in a LOT of his movies. He would regularly chat with the young actor and picked his brain about projects. But that’s not all — because there’s a rumor that Walt’s last words were, in fact, “Kurt Russell.” Kurt Russell in Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2 ©Disney/Marvel And here’s the thing — those rumors are kinda sorta almost true. Those were possibly Walt’s last written words. The words “Kirt Russell” were scribbled on a paper on Walt’s desk and discovered following his death. It could have been written weeks prior or not — no one knows for sure! Russell himself later confirmed the story to the Huffington Post, although he admitted that he had no idea what it was in reference to. All we can do is guess. Was it for a movie role? Was Walt buying him a gift? We’ll probably never know… . Here Are The Most Obscure Things You Can Watch on Disney+ Whatever Happened to the Rainbow Corridor? From 1982 through 1992, guests leaving Journey Into Imagination (we still miss you, Dreamfinder!) at EPCOT could explore an area upstairs called ImageWorks, which featured all kinds of fun hands-on activities, including the Rainbow Corridor. If you don’t remember or didn’t get a chance to experience the sheer awesomeness of being enveloped in a neon rainbow, we apologize — it’s MORE awesome than it even sounds. The rainbow-hued tunnel was so popular that Michael Jackson even did a photoshoot there once! The Rainbow Corridor! The tunnel was equipped with effects that had a specific color follow guests as they walked through it and offered up a pretty trippy experience. Kids were known to beg their parents to stay in ImageWorks so they could run through the corridor over and over! In 1998, though, ImageWorks was moved downstairs and renamed the What If? Labs. The Rainbow Corridor didn’t make the move. A number of those tricky “Disney explorers” (please don’t break into any parts of Disney World that are off-limits, guys!) over the years captured video and pictures suggesting the tunnel was still upstairs intact. As the years went by though, Disney opened the upstairs former ImageWorks area as a DVC member lounge and rumors circulated the tunnel was dismantled. There were rumors it would reappear at EPCOT Experience, but as of yet, we still haven’t seen it anywhere. Did the Disney Archives scoop it up to save? Quite possible. Or maybe one day (fingers and toes crossed) we’ll get to experience the glorious tunnel once more. Here Are 9 Rides You TOTALLY Forgot Were Once at Disney World! Who Is The Aging Man In The Portrait on Haunted Mansion? In the Haunted Mansion queue, guests will see a portrait of a man over the fireplace when they first enter the house. The portrait slowly ages from a young man to an old man. Many guests believe this is Master Gracey, but guess what? It’s not! The Aging Portrait ©Disney Okay, so because of guests being so adamant that this man IS Master Gracey, it has become sort of “semi-official” as part of Haunted Mansion’s backstory, and was even a plot point in the 2003 film based on the attraction. BUT no one really knows for sure — the portrait is simply called “The Aging Man” or the “Master of the House.” When Haunted Mansion debuted, Disney never gave any clues as to his real identity. It’s rumored that he is representative of a picture of Dorian Gray, from the novel of the same name by Oscar Wilde — a narcissistic man that never aged in real life while a portrait of him did. So who is he then? Here’s the REAL Backstory of Disney World’s Haunted Mansion Residents? What Happened To The Barker Bird? When guests used to enter Pirates of the Caribbean, they WERE greeted by a tattooed bird in a pirate hat, most often referred to as the “Barker Bird.” He USED to look…kinda…like this. He would sing snippets of the theme song and squawk and provide a little pre-show entertainment. He was literally on the wall above you as you walked into the ride! But when the ride was revamped to include Captain Jack Sparrow in 2006, the bird disappeared. The barker bird used to greet guests at Pirates of the Caribbean So what happened to him? Well, the Barker Bird disappeared and was never heard from again! Maybe he flew the coop and went nearby to that other bird-friendly attraction?! Speaking of… . Here Are 5 Weird Things That Will Get You Kicked Out of Disney World Whatever Happened To Rosita? In The Enchanted Tiki Room, one of the birds asks “Whatever happened to Rosita?” when admiring the singing cockatoos that descend from the ceiling. And it’s true that no one seems to know because NO ONE HAS EVER SEEN ROSITA — at least not at Disney World. She got a whole story for Disneyland and is now an actual audio-animatronic bird at The Tropical Hideaway there, but her Disney World counterpart has never turned up. Rosita at Disneyland We have a theory — what if she ran off with the Barker Bird? It’s likely, right? A forbidden love. One a pirate, the other a singing beauty. In our heart of hearts, they live happily together behind Splash Mountain with a family of smarmy, rum-swigging, beautifully voiced bird babies! The HORROR! What To Do When EVERYTHING GOES WRONG On Your Disney World Vacation! So those are all the unsolved Disney mysteries we would like to uncover more clues about! Do you have any Disney mysteries that have perplexed you? Let us know about them! 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? Do you have any theories about these mysteries? Let us know in the comments! The post Disney's Biggest UNSOLVED Mysteries first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

On a recent trip to Disney World my wife and I took the Keys to the Kingdom Tour, a special walking tour of the Magic Kingdom. Disney World offers many of these special tours and experiences, for an extra fee, at its Florida resort destination. Years ago the Keys to the Kingdom Tour was the […] The post Disney World’s Keys to the Kingdom Tour appeared first on Military Disney Tips Blog. View the full article

One of the most fun parts of a runDisney event (aside from the thrill of completing a race) is the merchandise! runDisney If you’re preparing for the upcoming Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend this January or you just want to grow your collection of Disney-inspired running apparel, then you’ll want to take a look at some new merchandise that’s coming soon. Disney just released a first look at some new items that will soon be available for purchase online as well as at upcoming runDisney Health & Fitness Expos. © Disney The collection will feature apparel for both men and women, with designs including runDisney’s signature logo. © Disney You can also accessorize with this new collection! © Disney If your running weather is a bit chilly this time of year, you can layer up with running pants. Or, if it’s warmer, stay cool with t-shirts and tank tops! © Disney We’ll keep a close watch to see when this new collection debuts! Be sure to follow along for more of the latest news and updates from runDisney. Click here to find out how to save 50% on your Disney Cruise Line deposit! 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 registered to participate in a runDisney event in 2022? Let us know in the comments! The post Get A First Look at the Newest runDisney Merchandise! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

If you’ve been to Disney World multiple times and stay at one of the Disney owned- and operated-resort hotels, then you’re likely familiar with their hotel refillable mugs. Over the years these mugs have become quite the popular collector’s item, with new designs and colors popping up from time to time. 50th Anniversary Resort Refillable Mugs Earlier this year, we saw the return of an old design on Disney’s Halloween refillable mugs, so we were hoping we could at least get something new and interesting for the holiday season! We were at Beach Club Marketplace today at Disney’s Beach Club Resort and happened to notice that the usual lineup of refillable mugs looked a little different — the holiday mugs have arrived! Check out the red handle! Holiday refillable mugs are here! When we took a closer look, however, we noticed that this year’s refillable mugs feature the SAME design as we’ve seen in past years. In fact, this is now the third year in a row we’ve seen this design! Oh no! The same design AGAIN!? The holiday refillable resort mugs feature Mickey and the gang in their new cartoon series design, all joined together in a fun sleigh ride. That means that, once again, if you want a holiday refillable mug, you have to stare into the eyes of the new cartoon version of Goofy (which some might find…unsettling) while you take a sip of your favorite beverage. It’s cute, but we were hoping for a new design! The festive refillable mugs are available for $19.99 each, and if you’re staying on Disney World property, you’re able to use them for free refills at the Disney hotels throughout your trip! Be sure to follow along for more of the latest news and updates from Disney World’s parks and resorts. Click here to take a look at how busy Disney World is this week during the holidays! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney World Fun This Holiday Season! The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2021 is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. Order The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2021 now! It includes over 400 pages of must-have information, including: A full What's New!! chapter for the 2021 Holiday Season A full Monthly Schedule of Events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! ;-D Click HERE to order your 2021 Guide now and get 20% off with code PEPPERMINT! As always, our e-Books are 100% guaranteed! If you don't love it, you get your money back! Want Even MORE? The DFB Everything Bundle comes with ALL of our guides, including the Holiday Guide, for one low price! It includes: Pre-order of the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2022 The 2021 Food & Wine Guide The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Holidays 2021 Pre-order for the 2022 Flower and Garden Festival Guide All three DFB Snack Guides Click HERE to order your DFB Everything Bundle! MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Check Out the FULL List of Holiday Treats Coming to Disney World This Year See the List of Holiday Treats Coming to Disney World’s Hotels Get All of the Latest Information about the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays See the Booths, Menus, and Food Photos for the Festival of the Holidays Check Out Our Photos & Reviews of the Holiday Treats in Disney World Watch Our Video About What We Wish We’d Known Before Going to Disney World During the Holidays Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Do you collect refillable mugs when you visit Disney World? Let us know in the comments! The post PHOTOS & VIDEO: Holiday Refillable Mugs Have Returned to Disney World's Hotels! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

This year, we saw the return of fireworks to Disney World, including the return of Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show this holiday season at Disney Very Merriest After Hours. The final after-hours event for the season will take place tomorrow, December 21st. Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks If you couldn’t make it to Disney World this year for Disney Very Merriest After Hours but you still want to take in the sights and sounds of this cherished holiday nighttime spectacular, then you’re in luck! To ring in the Christmas holiday, Disney announced that they will livestream tomorrow’s performance of the after-hours-exclusive Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show! Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show The livestream can be found over at @DisneyParks on TikTok! The show will begin at 11:15PM EST on Tuesday, December 21st. No park ticket required! You can sit down in your pajamas with some hot cocoa at home and enjoy it all for FREE. Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for any other surprise festive happenings throughout the week, so you will want to make sure you’re following along for the latest news and updates from around Disney World. Are you wondering just how crowded it is in Disney World this week? Take a look by clicking here! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney World Fun This Holiday Season! The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2021 is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. Order The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2021 now! It includes over 400 pages of must-have information, including: A full What's New!! chapter for the 2021 Holiday Season A full Monthly Schedule of Events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! ;-D Click HERE to order your 2021 Guide now and get 20% off with code PEPPERMINT! As always, our e-Books are 100% guaranteed! If you don't love it, you get your money back! Want Even MORE? The DFB Everything Bundle comes with ALL of our guides, including the Holiday Guide, for one low price! It includes: Pre-order of the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2022 The 2021 Food & Wine Guide The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Holidays 2021 Pre-order for the 2022 Flower and Garden Festival Guide All three DFB Snack Guides Click HERE to order your DFB Everything Bundle! MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Check Out the FULL List of Holiday Treats Coming to Disney World This Year See the List of Holiday Treats Coming to Disney World’s Hotels Get All of the Latest Information about the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays See the Booths, Menus, and Food Photos for the Festival of the Holidays Check Out Our Photos & Reviews of the Holiday Treats in Disney World Watch Our Video About What We Wish We’d Known Before Going to Disney World During the Holidays Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Are you visiting Disney World this week for the holidays? Let us know in the comments! The post How to Watch Disney World's EXCLUSIVE Holiday Fireworks For FREE! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

There’s so much to see and do at Disney Springs, you may feel like you need to devote an entire day to the shopping and dining district like you would a regular theme park at Disney World. Each time we visit, there seems to be something new to experience, and these past few visits were no exception! Disney Springs Let’s dive into the latest food and merchandise updates from Disney Springs as we head into the final week of holiday shopping! If you’re in Disney World this week, consider stopping by the many stores here to find a last-minute gift! Disney Springs Food Updates Sunshine Churros We stopped by Sunshine Churros on a recent visit to once again try their annual special edition Peppermint Churro. While last year’s version came with peppermint-flavored powdered sugar, white chocolate drizzle, and crushed peppermint candy, 2021’s version came was a regular churro coated in powdered sugar and ground up peppermint candies, along with a drizzle of what to us tasted like vanilla icing — much closer in comparison to the 2019 edition! Peppermint Churro It totally threw us off and looked nothing like the photo in the display, and while it was tasty, we wound up more confused than satisfied (and spent more time scratching our heads than enjoying this otherwise festive treat). Check it out this holiday season for $6.95. Click here to read our full review of the Peppermint Churro! Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew We popped into Everglazed Donuts & Cold Brew (tbh we visit here most days to scope out the latest and greatest donut flavors), and we noticed that they were fully stocked with their holiday donuts. Holiday donuts at Everglazed Whether you want your donut to look like a holiday wreath or you want it strung with colorful lights, there is a festive donut waiting for you at Everglazed! Click here to read our review of some of the holiday donuts from Everglazed! Disney Springs Merchandise Updates Columbia Sportswear Company If you’re as excited about the premiere of The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+ as we are, then you’ll want to head over to Columbia Sportswear on your next trip to Disney Springs! Columbia Sportswear Company A new apparel collection inspired by the series launched, and we were able to take a look at a a few of the items! A new collection inspired by ‘The Book of Boba Fett’ has arrived! From t-shirts to down jackets, you can layer up for any sort of weather this winter. Boba Fett collection at Columbia Sportswear The collection was designed in collaboration with Temuera Morrison, the actor who plays Boba Fett! How cool! Be sure check the collection out at Columbia Sportswear on your next visit; the items are also available online. Click here to learn more about how select items from the Boba Fett x Columbia collection are being sold to help support a great cause! World of Disney If you’re in Disney Springs this week and you’re looking for a last-minute gift idea for the Winnie the Pooh fan on your holiday shopping list, then we found some great options at World of Disney. Check out this adorable home collection! We’ll take one of everything, please! Items include cozy picks like pillows and blankets. Keep your eyes peeled in World of Disney if you’re interested in checking these items out for yourself! If you’re more into collecting items from the many 50th Anniversary collections, we also spotted this cute trinket tray featuring Mickey and Minnie! Now your Disney jewelry can match the trinket tray in your room! We love coming across new pieces from the many 50th Anniversary merchandise collections around the parks and resorts! Dress Shop We also spotted the new (and pricey) luxe logo track suit that we also recently found in Hollywood Studios on a recent trip to Disney Springs. This is just one of the many merchandise collections to celebrate Disney World’s 50th Anniversary! The track suit with the eye-popping price tag is available in Disney Springs! This suit will cost you a pretty penny — the top costs $149.99 alone, and the sweatpants are $129.99, bringing the grand outfit total to a cool $269.98. Click here to see more pictures of the luxe logo track suit! Pin Traders Over at Pin Traders, we found a few new items from the latest series in the “Stitch Crashes Disney” collection! New Stitch Crashes Disney pins If you’re fans of Jungle Book, Pocahontas or Peter Pan, then you’ll want to check out these one-of-a-kind pins and MagicBands. Stitch Crashes Disney MagicBands These limited edition items won’t be around forever; shop for them before they’re gone! Click here to take a first look at the twelfth and final series from the Stitch Crashes Disney collection! That’s it for our roundup of what’s new at Disney Springs! Don’t overlook this shopping and dining destination on your next Disney World vacation — it’s a great place to find some spectacular eats and drinks, not to mention the endless amount of stores to browse (plus unique entertainment like Cirque du Soleil’s Drawn to Life!). Be sure to follow along for more of the latest updates from around Disney World ahead of your next trip! Click here to read about what’s new in 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. Where is your all-time favorite place to eat in Disney Springs? Let us know in the comments! The post What's New at Disney Springs: An EXPENSIVE 50th Anniversary Item and Peppermint Churros first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It’s about to get wild, folks. Because we’re heading into Disney’s Animal Kingdom! Animal Kingdom We found a few updates for you to be aware of before you visit this Disney World park. There’s a returning snack that looks pretty…interesting, a re-opened attraction, and some mysterious new fences. Let’s dive in! We’ll start out with that interesting-looking snack we just mentioned. But don’t worry — we have a feeling it doesn’t taste nearly as bad as it looks! Animal Kingdom Food Updates Windtraders When the Pandora section of Animal Kingdom first opened, they had a new treat called Vein Pods. These are basically rice krispie treats covered in green-colored white chocolate and decorated with milk chocolate “veins.” Vein pods in Pandora We recently saw these treats back in the park, at the Windtraders gift shop (just outside the exit to the Avatar: Flight of Passage ride). Vein Pods are BACK The snacks are meant to look like the vein pod plants that you can spot in this section of the park, which (according to the story) suck up methane on Pandora and smell super gross as a result. Sounds like an ideal snack, right? Vein pod plant in Pandora Vein Pods are pre-packaged, so the rice krispie won’t be quite as fresh as one you might find in the display cases at Zuri’s Sweets Shop over in the Africa section of Animal Kingdom. But we’ve got to give points for the dedication to theming! Vein pod treat You can grab a Vein Pod for $4.99. Click Here to See a Holiday Cupcake That’s WAY Cuter Than This Snack Animal Kingdom Merchandise Updates Discovery Trading At Discovery Trading, we saw a re-stock of a classic-looking corduroy Mickey Mouse hat. Mickey hat We’ve seen this hat in a couple of different spots now, and now it’s available again in Animal Kingdom. You can buy one for $29.99. Cute! Island Mercantile At Island Mercantile, we saw the new Luxe Logo 50th Anniversary tracksuit that we originally found over in Disney’s Hollywood Studios! Luxe Logo Tracksuit in Animal Kingdom The tracksuit is a velvet-y corduroy material, and it has gold pinstripes all over it. Like the other Luxe Logo items, it’s pretty expensive. You can get the top for $149.99 and the bottoms for $129.99. Click Here to Check Out More About the Luxe Logo Tracksuit Animal Kingdom Construction Updates We’ve got exciting news for thrill ride lovers: Kali River Rapids is finally open in Animal Kingdom! Kali River Rapids This attraction closed for a few weeks for refurbishments, but it reopened on December 16th. You can head in to ride it now! Loading We also saw some new fences over in DinoLand, U.S.A. Rest area? Right now, the area is fenced off and the space right in front of it is being used as stroller parking. Stroller Parking for now Disney hasn’t said officially what is happening in this area so we’ll keep you updated as we learn more. Click Here to See Another BIG Animal Kingdom Ride That Will Have a Long Closure Soon Animal Kingdom Crowd Updates When we visited Animal Kingdom, the crowds were BIG. Woah It’s pretty obvious that the holiday breaks have started, because there were a lot of people visiting this park (and all the Disney World parks). Lots of people here! We’re expecting the crowd levels to stay pretty high for the next couple of weeks as the holidays continue, so consider arriving at the parks early so you can make the most of your time there, place those Mobile Orders early, and take advantage of any perks for Disney World hotel guests if they apply to you — specifically Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Hours! Keep following DFB for more tips on how to navigate the crowds in Disney World. Click Here to See How You Can Avoid Holiday Crowd Burnout in Disney World Don't Miss Out on Any Disney World Fun This Holiday Season! The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2021 is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. Order The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2021 now! It includes over 400 pages of must-have information, including: A full What's New!! chapter for the 2021 Holiday Season A full Monthly Schedule of Events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! ;-D Click HERE to order your 2021 Guide now and get 20% off with code PEPPERMINT! As always, our e-Books are 100% guaranteed! If you don't love it, you get your money back! Want Even MORE? The DFB Everything Bundle comes with ALL of our guides, including the Holiday Guide, for one low price! It includes: Pre-order of the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2022 The 2021 Food & Wine Guide The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Holidays 2021 Pre-order for the 2022 Flower and Garden Festival Guide All three DFB Snack Guides Click HERE to order your DFB Everything Bundle! MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Check Out the FULL List of Holiday Treats Coming to Disney World This Year See the List of Holiday Treats Coming to Disney World’s Hotels Get All of the Latest Information about the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays See the Booths, Menus, and Food Photos for the Festival of the Holidays Check Out Our Photos & Reviews of the Holiday Treats in Disney World Watch Our Video About What We Wish We’d Known Before Going to Disney World During the Holidays Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Are you visiting Animal Kingdom soon? Let us know in the comments. The post What’s New at Disney’s Animal Kingdom: BIG Holiday Crowds and a Ride Reopens first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We’re Disney Food Blog, so (naturally) we LOVE to sample all of the tasty treats at Disney parks around the world. ©Disney But what do you do if you can’t make it out to a Disney park? Well you make the food at home of course! We’ve shared a whole bunch of Disney recipes in the past, but now one international Disney theme park has some exciting foodie news! Maybe you’ve never been to Disneyland Paris. Perhaps you’re planning a trip to this destination for the near future or it’s a long-term goal on your bucket list. Well, now you can bring Disneyland Paris into your home via their food! Recently, Disneyland Paris shared that they have started a NEW YouTube series called Totalement Toques or Totally Toasted. With this new series, you’ll get to learn how to make Disneyland Paris dishes with instructions from the Disney chefs! ©Disneyland Paris Through their first episode you can learn how to make Cactus and Espelette Pepper Chicken from the Disney Hotel Santa Fe’s La Cantina restaurant. ©Disney The series has been released to mark the launch of Disneyland Paris’ new meal plan offer. The videos will showcase 6 classic Disneyland Paris dishes that are now included in the “Standard Meal Plan” offer. ©Disneyland Paris If you turn on the captions option and select “English” you should be able to see the English translations. ©Disneyland Paris You’ll also find the full list of ingredients and instructions in English in the description portion of the episode on YouTube. ©Disneyland Paris Once you’re ready to get cooking, you can collect your ingredients, watch the video, and transport yourself to Disneyland Paris through your dinner! ©Disneyland Paris If you’ve run out of dinner ideas or are just looking for a way to sample unique dishes from Disneyland Paris, this could be a great thing to do! ©Disneyland Paris Check out the full recipe video below. Six different videos are set to be released as part of this series, so be sure to keep looking on the Disneyland Paris channel for more information. And check back with us here at DFB for more Disney news! Click here to see tons of Disney recipes! 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 Disney recipe would you want to learn how to make at home? Tell us in the comments! The post VIDEO: Learn How to Make Unique Disney Recipes at Home! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Travel has been greatly impacted by the global pandemic. Orlando International Airport Spring Break Crowds There have been various restrictions and requirements when it comes to traveling, especially for international travelers coming to the United States. And, while tourism seemed to be bouncing back in Florida, new COVID-19 concerns could greatly affect the industry. Florida economists say the new omicron coronavirus variant will slow the state’s tourism down, especially when it comes to international visitors, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Members of the state Economic Estimating Conference agreed to slightly lower expectations through the middle of 2022 for Canadian and overseas travelers. Orlando International Airport According to the Sentinel, Amy Baker, coordinator of the Legislature’s Office of Economic & Demographic Research, said she expects the highly contagious variant will affect people’s decisions to travel to and from Florida. Orlando International Airport Florida’s tourism industry did better than expected in the third quarter of 2021, bringing in 32.6 million visitors, according to the Sentinel. This was 2 million more than forecasted and 0.3% above the overall number of visitors in the third quarter of 2019. Almost 90% of visitors to Florida this year have come from other states. Travel Advisory Sign in Orlando Airport The Sentinel says that officials at Visit Florida, the state’s tourism-marketing arm, were expecting an increase in Canadian and overseas tourists since the White House eased travel restrictions for vaccinated individuals in November. But, the rules changed once again due to the omicron variant, which has now reached the U.S. ©CNN The U.S. has restricted travel from several African countries as of November 29th, 2021 due to concerns over the omicron variant, according to the U.S. Department of State. These include Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Travel restrictions continue Starting at the beginning of December, the U.S. tightened “pre-departure testing protocols by requiring all inbound international travelers to test within one day of departure globally, regardless of nationality or vaccination status.” We’ll keep you informed about the most important travel news, so stay tuned to DFB for more. Click here to see the current U.S. travel restrictions Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post NEWS: Omicron COVID-19 Variant Expected to Slow International Tourism in Florida first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It’s the week of Christmas, and you know what that means — Disney World is BUSY. It’s the holiday season in Disney World! We saw high crowd levels in Disney World for Thanksgiving week, and we already got a hint of the Christmas crowds last week in Disney Springs. If you’re visiting Disney World for the holidays, we’re here to tell you that the holiday crowds have officially arrived! Crowds have been picking up throughout the last few weeks of December, and with Christmas on Saturday and a lot of schools now on holiday break, you can expect more people in the parks. According to Disney World’s Park Reservation Calendar, Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios are sold out from December 20th through the 31st. On some days Animal Kingdom is also full. And all four Disney Parks are sold out on December 22nd, 25th, and from the 27th-31st. On December 24th, only EPCOT is still available. Note that Park Pass availability is a bit different for Annual Passholders. Keep in mind this availability is all subject to change. ©Disney When it comes to crowds, we’ve seen quite a lot of people in the parks recently. This is traditionally a busy time of year in Disney World, so make sure you pack your patience! Hollywood Studios Crowds Magic Kingdom was especially crowded near the entrance to the park during one of our visits. This is something you can typically find during busy times, especially first thing in the morning. Magic Kingdom Crowds If you’re staying at a Disney World Resort hotel, you might want to get to the front entrance early to take advantage of Early Theme Park Entry, which lets you enter the parks before opening time. Disney World has extended this perk to allow guests to enter the parks 60 minutes early (an increase from 30 minutes) for a limited time from December 19th to January 3rd! Main Street, U.S.A. Crowds You might find Disney anticipating long lines in some areas, like with this taped queue for Guest Relations. Taped line You may also see long lines at food and drink spots like what we saw at Joffrey’s Coffee. It’s not totally out of the ordinary to find long food lines in Disney World, but you might yourself waiting a bit longer during the holiday period, and especially during peak meal times. Joffrey’s line There were also standby lines extending quite a ways out for some popular rides. Be sure to keep an eye out for Cast Members directing guests with the “End of Line” signs, like we saw in Hollywood Studios with Tower of Terror… Tower of Terror Line …Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster… Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Line …and Slinky Dog Dash. The Slinky Dog Dash line extended nearly to the edge of Toy Story Land during one of our trips. If many guests decide to utilize Disney Genie+ and purchase Genie+ or Pay-Per-Ride, you may also find some slightly longer Lightning Lanes, so keep that in mind if you’re planning to rely on Genie+ or Individual Attraction Selection. Slinky Dog Dash Line As of Monday, December 20th around 12PM, wait times were trending pretty high, but there were also a few low waits. ©Disney Some rides hovered around 35 to 40 minutes… ©Disney …while others were in the 55 to 60 minute range. The Seas with Nemo & Friends was up to 55 minutes! ©Disney The 65 to 75 minute range had some of Disney World’s most popular rides, like the Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom and Kilimanjaro Safaris in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. ©Disney Leading the pack was Avatar Flight of Passage at 185 minutes. Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance was at 145 minutes and Frozen Ever After trailed closely behind at 120 minutes. ©Disney If you’re nervous about visiting for the busy holidays, don’t forget to check if you’re eligible for either Early Theme Park Entry or Extended Evening Hours to get extra time in the parks with potentially slightly less crowds. You can also look at buying Genie+ or Individual Lightning Lanes to bypass some of those LONG standby lines, and see whether that purchase would be worth it for you. Magic Kingdom crowds You might have a totally different crowd experience when you visit, so keep in mind that crowd levels can vary depending on which park you’re visiting and what you want to do. If you need a break, find places to stop and take a rest away from the crowds, like we did in Hollywood Studios at the fairly empty Walt Disney Presents: One Man’s Dream. Find an empty area to take a rest! If you’re visiting for the holidays, double check that you’ve got all your bases covered! Are your Park Passes reserved? Find out if you qualify for Early Theme Park Entry or Extended Evening Hours! If you value having extra time to get everything done, make sure you take advantage of these perks. Learn more about Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes and decide whether that extra cost may be a benefit during your visit. Plan for rests to escape the crowds a bit. You might be able to find less crowded spaces around the parks where you can stop and take a breath. You can Park Hop after 2PM, but if a park hits capacity you will not be able to enter. If you’re worried about it, check with a Cast Member or call the dedicated number before Park Hopping! Remember that ride lines will not be the only long lines! Schedule your Mobile Orders EARLY so that you don’t end up with a late pick-up window! Be kind and patient. Crowds can be stressful on everyone, from guests to Cast Members. It’s beginning to look a lot like…crowds We’ll be here with more Disney news, updates, and tips through the week, so stay tuned for more Disney World holiday news! Click here to see our tips on how to avoid holiday crowd burnout in Disney World! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney World Fun This Holiday Season! The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2021 is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. Order The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2021 now! It includes over 400 pages of must-have information, including: A full What's New!! chapter for the 2021 Holiday Season A full Monthly Schedule of Events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! ;-D Click HERE to order your 2021 Guide now and get 20% off with code PEPPERMINT! As always, our e-Books are 100% guaranteed! If you don't love it, you get your money back! Want Even MORE? The DFB Everything Bundle comes with ALL of our guides, including the Holiday Guide, for one low price! It includes: Pre-order of the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2022 The 2021 Food & Wine Guide The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Holidays 2021 Pre-order for the 2022 Flower and Garden Festival Guide All three DFB Snack Guides Click HERE to order your DFB Everything Bundle! MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Check Out the FULL List of Holiday Treats Coming to Disney World This Year See the List of Holiday Treats Coming to Disney World’s Hotels Get All of the Latest Information about the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays See the Booths, Menus, and Food Photos for the Festival of the Holidays Check Out Our Photos & Reviews of the Holiday Treats in Disney World Watch Our Video About What We Wish We’d Known Before Going to Disney World During the Holidays Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Are YOU visiting Disney World for the holidays? Tell us in the comments! The post PHOTOS: See What the Holiday Crowds Are Like in Disney World This Week first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Lace up your sneakers to run in true Disney fashion with all-new runDisney merchandise coming soon to shopDisney.com and upcoming runDisney Health & Fitness Expos! Whether you’re participating in an upcoming runDisney event or just want to add a little extra magic to your workout gear, get a small sneak peek at a few of our favorites.View the full article

The Disney Wish is the newest addition to the Disney Cruise Line fleet, and is scheduled to set sail on June 9th, 2022 for the first time. ©Disney As the maiden voyage approaches, Disney is working hard to get the Disney Wish ready for its first passengers. Captain Minnie will be a big part of this new ship, and she just got a major starring role on the front of the ship! The Disney Wish will initially host 3- and 4-night cruises out of Port Canaveral, FL, with 1,250 staterooms and some incredible new amenities, like the first ever attraction at sea, three new restaurants, a Star Wars Hyperspace Lounge, and some brand new kids club themes, among many other exciting offerings. Today Walt Disney Imagineering posted about a special design coming to life on the bow (front) of the ship, and it stars none other than Captain Minnie herself. Disney Wish Painting If you didn’t know, the Disney Wish’s captain will be Minnie Mouse herself! According to Disney, Captain Minnie is taking the helm to “inspire the next generation of female leaders in the cruise industry.” The feature that was recently added to the ship is described as a “filigree medallion painting” in classic Mickey Mouse colors, and Disney described the art style of this piece as a “tribute to the golden age of cruising.” Disney Wish We had previously seen some art showcasing this design and we saw some other construction work done, but it’s amazing to see this piece finally come together. Captain Minnie will take a big role onboard the Disney Wish, starring in an original musical called “Seas the Adventure,” as well as serving as the head of Minnie’s Captain Academy, a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) activity for kids. She was also featured on the coin used for the keel laying ceremony, and now she’s right on the front of the ship! Disney Wish You can watch the full video of the Captain Minnie design coming to life here! We’ll be watching for more Disney Wish updates as its maiden voyage approaches, so keep checking back with DFB for more Disney Cruise Line news! Here’s everything you need to know about the Disney Wish! What You Need to Know About Disney Cruise Line Learn All About Disney Cruise Line and Its Various Ships Check Out Lots of Details About Disney Cruise Line’s Newest Ship -- the Disney Wish (Including More About the Star Wars Bar and First Attraction at Sea Coming to the Wish) See the Latest on Disney Cruise Line’s Mask Policy Learn About Disney Cruise Line’s COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination Policies Check Out 10 Things That’ll Be Different About Your Next Disney Cruise See More About the Virtual Queues and Other Changes Made on Disney Cruises Check Out How Much It’ll Cost to Sail on Disney’s Newest Cruise Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click here to Subscribe Are you planning a trip on the Disney Wish? Tell us in the comments! The post VIDEO: Watch an Iconic Part of Disney's Newest Cruise Ship Come to Life! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article