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Cast member Jennifer Kingsbury’s connection to Disneyland park goes back much further than her 15 years with the Walt Disney Travel Company. When her grandfather, U.S. Army Air Corps pilot, 1st Lt. Robert “Bud” Kingsbury, returned from World War II a hero after a harrowing rescue, he worked as a pipe fitter during the construction of […]View the full article

Disney World is a fantastic place to be during the holidays. Magic Kingdom During the Holidays! There are gorgeous decorations, delicious treats, holiday merchandise galore, and (the most important part) SNOAP. Yes, folks, you know we love a good time watching snoap fall down in the parks. We also REJOICED when a personal snoap machine was released in Disney World last year. Today, we spotted our beloved snoap in Magic Kingdom…but things were a bit DIFFERENT. SNOAP — beautiful, wonderful, glorious, snoap. Oh how we love thee. We got the chance to see our beloved snoap in action during Disney Very Merriest After Hours just a few days ago. But, today we experienced snoap in a way we had NEVER really experienced it before. What a Beautiful Sight!!! Today was a bit of a rainy day in Magic Kingdom — not usual for Florida. Yes, it might be “fall,” but even in the middle of November, you can get a torrential downpour to go with your peppermint hot cocoa. We were walking down Main Street, U.S.A. when a particularly rainy moment happened and we experienced THIS. Oh My That’s not just rain you see coming down from the sky, it’s SNOAP. It’s a SNOAPSPLOSION! WOWZA The snoap machines in Magic Kingdom are generally located on the buildings on Main Street. It appears the downpour may have impacted some of the snoap being held there or that had potentially built up on the roofs, and caused it to fall onto the ground below. Seriously, all you needed was a loofa and a rubber ducky and you could have gotten quite the bath today on Main Street! Well, That’s Not Something You See Every Day It was a VERY interesting sight to see all of that snoap/soap pouring down. It’s not exactly the puffy, fake snow-like texture we’re used to seeing. It was more like a snoap soap downpour. But snoap is snoap, right? You might want to watch your step though! Still, if you wanted to sort-of experience soap without a Very Merriest ticket, this experience was fully available today during the rain! Let It Snoap, Let It Snoap, Let It Snoap But the middle of a storm isn’t the only time you can experience snoap without an After Hours ticket. Snoap is also set to return to Disney Springs this year as part of the holiday festivities. Specifically, you’ll find “snow flurries” in the Town Center area in the evening. The holiday season officially starts tomorrow (November 12th) in Disney World, so we’ll be on the lookout for more updates! Snoap in Disney Springs | 2020 We’ll be keeping an eye out for more holiday news, so be sure to check back for all the latest! Click here to read all about our time at Very Merriest After Hours! 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 a fan of snoap? Tell us in the comments! The post VIDEO: ⚠️ Watch Your Step! Magic Kingdom Just Got Very Slippery! ⚠️ first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Are you ready for a BIG day of eating and drinking in Disneyland?! Festival of Holidays has begun! That’s right! It’s the most wonderful time of the year at The Happiest Place on Earth and we’re headed to the Festival of Holidays at Disney California Adventure Park! We’re ready to try amazing eats, drink delicious drinks, and feel the holiday cheer! Ready to see it all with us? Join us as we report LIVE from the 2021 Disneyland Festival of Holidays! And follow along ALL day as we will be updating this post with every festival detail. Festival Dates Festival of Holidays is officially supposed to open tomorrow, November 12th, at Disney California Adventure, but the food booths were open today!! So, obviously we went to check them out. The festival will be available for everyone to enjoy through January 9th. So, that gives you plenty of time to swing on over to the festival! Let’s get into the fun! Holiday Marketplaces First up, we visited the Winter Sliderland Marketplace to try out some new and returning items! A new item on the menu this year is the Nashville Hot Turkey Slider with dill pickle for $7.50. Hot Nashville Turkey The Beef Pot Roast on Potato Roll with horseradish cream is one of the returning items to the booth, which you can get for $8.50. Beef Pot Roast on Potato Roll There’s also a NEW drink over here! The Prickly Pear Tea Lemonade has Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co. Ceylon Black Tea (cold brew), prickly pear beverage syrup, and house-made lemonade for $6. Prickly Pear Lemonade Finally, The Bourbon Cranberry Cocktail is a returning cocktail that has Bourbon, cranberry, orange, and cinnamon for $14. Bourbon Cranberry Cocktail We’ll be updating this post to take you with us ALL DAY as we explore the fest! Stay tuned so you don’t miss a beat! And if you’re looking for more updates follow along with us on Instagram! Click here to learn MORE about the Disneyland Festival of Holidays! Disneyland Reviews and Information Click HERE to Check Out Lots of DFB Posts About Disneyland See the Latest Updates About Disneyland’s Mask Policy Check Out Our Disneyland Restaurants Guide See What Marvelous Stuff You’ll Find at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure Park Check Out Details from the Historic Reopening of Disneyland Resort See What You Need to Know About the Theme Park Reservation System for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Learn About the Disneyland Mobile App Get All the Details About Mobile Order in Disneyland See More About Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure What’s Going to Be Different About Your Next Disneyland Trip? Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click here to Subscribe Will you be heading to Disney California Adventure to enjoy Festival of Holidays this year? Let us know in the comments! The post PHOTOS: We're LIVE From Festival of Holidays at Disneyland Resort! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Music has been an integral part of the Walt Disney World experience for 50 years, and the music of Walt Disney World Resort is tied to so many of my memories of “The Most Magical Place on Earth.” The classic sounds of Walt Disney World Resort and more can now be found on the official Walt Disney World playlist, now available on Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, and Deezer. View the full article

Friends, family and politicians turned out as Versailles Restaurant celebrated its 50th anniversary on Calle 8 in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood. View the full article

Orlando Sentinel tourism reporters Dewayne Bevil and Katie Rice discuss the influx of British tourists now travel restrictions have been lifted, the IAAPA Expo that opens next week, and Night of a Million Lights' return to Give Kids the World. View the full article

The song might get stuck in your head for the rest of the day, but “it’s a small world” still remains one of Disney’s most classic attractions. “it’s a small world” Over at Disneyland Park in California, “it’s a small world” has been under refurbishment. The holiday version of the ride was set to reopen very soon as part of Disneyland’s new holiday event and the start of the holiday season, but it seems things have hit a roadblock. According to the Orange County Register, Disney was in the process of refilling the flume when flooding occurred. Reportedly, on November 10th, “it’s a small world” experienced flooding that affected the machinery that is used to operate the ride. “it’s a small world” in Disneyland This took place when Disneyland was closed to the public. Disney officials have indicated that they realize the closure of “it’s a small world” will be disappointing to guests who look forward to its holiday version. According to the Disneyland officials who spoke with the Orange County Register, Disney has “teams working around the clock to get the attraction open as soon as possible.” “it’s a small world” holiday | 2019 As we mentioned above, each year “it’s a small world” undergoes a transformation (which typically takes weeks) in Disneyland for the holidays. Previously, the holiday version of this ride was set to open on November 11th for the first Disney Merriest Nites holiday event, and then be ready for the start of the holiday season in Disneyland (which begins on November 12th). Due to the flooding, it appears there will be some delays. The Orange County register notes that no estimated reopening date for the attraction has been announced. “it’s a small world” in Disneyland The Disneyland website still indicates that the ride is under refurbishment, and it did not show any operating hours for the dates we checked in November. ©Disneyland But, not all of the holiday fun typically held at this ride is over. According to the Orange County Register, the facade of “it’s a small world” will still get its nightly lighting ceremony. Additionally, the facade will still be used for video projections as part of the “Believe in the Magic” fireworks show. We’ll be checking out the NEW Merriest Nites event and we’ll let you know all about it. We’ll also be on the lookout for more updates about “it’s a small world.” Be sure to check back with us for more info! Click here to see what’s new at Disneyland! Disneyland Reviews and Information Click HERE to Check Out Lots of DFB Posts About Disneyland See the Latest Updates About Disneyland’s Mask Policy Check Out Our Disneyland Restaurants Guide See What Marvelous Stuff You’ll Find at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure Park Check Out Details from the Historic Reopening of Disneyland Resort See What You Need to Know About the Theme Park Reservation System for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Learn About the Disneyland Mobile App Get All the Details About Mobile Order in Disneyland See More About Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure What’s Going to Be Different About Your Next Disneyland Trip? Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click here to Subscribe Are you a fan of “it’s a small world”? Tell us in the comments! The post NEWS: A Classic Ride FLOODED in Disneyland first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We continue to celebrate our Class of 1971 cast members and this week, we want to recognize Ben Skelton, a cast member who has been working at Walt Disney World Resort for over 50 years. Ben started his Disney journey before the Seven Seas Lagoon was filled with water, and eventually made his way to […]View the full article

Did you know that Disney has an official fan club called D23? D23 merch D23 members can get access to all kinds of cool merchandise, great perks (including discounts), and special events. Gold Members in particular can get some fun collectibles and other benefits. What if you want to join D23 but you want to get a DISCOUNT on your membership? Well, we’ve got just the thing. Right now, select fans can join the official Disney fan club for LESS. A big thanks to our reader Joe (@schreiberjoe on Instagram) for alerting us to this deal. If you’re a Disney World Annual Passholder, you currently have the chance to get 30% OFF a NEW Gold Membership for D23. ©Disney This deal only lasts through November 21st, 2021, so you’ll need to act fast. If you get a NEW D23 Gold membership now, you’ll get all kinds of goodies including a 2021 collector set celebrating Disney World 50th anniversary, a 1-year subscription to D23 magazine, and access to discounts, VIP experiences, special offers, and more! Passholders: be sure to look for your November Passholder email. That email will have a 1-time promotion code you will need to enter when getting your D23 Gold membership in order to access the discount. If you didn’t get a code, you can contact V.I.Passholder Support. ©Disney A D23 Gold Membership is typically priced at $99 for a year. The discount would bring that price down to about $70 (be sure to confirm what the exact price will be by using your discount). If you’ve always considered getting a D23 Gold membership but didn’t want to pay full price, this could be a great way to get access to the benefits for cheaper. Not looking to spend a dime on your D23 membership? You can get a general (FREE) D23 membership online, which still gives you access to select discounts and special benefits! Visit the D23 website for more information. Some pretty cool pins in there! We’ll keep an eye out for more discounts and deals you can take advantage of, and we’ll let you know what we find. Check back for more updates! Click here to see more Disney discounts and deals! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Preorder Your Copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to preorder your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2022 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Are you a D23 member? Tell us in the comments! The post Do YOU Qualify for a DISCOUNT on a Disney Fan Club Membership? first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

With everything happening at the parks right now, from the 50th Celebration, Very Merriest After Hours, to the Disney+ day perks, the FOMO can get real for those who can’t make it to the parks. Main Street Philharmonic Band If you’re in need of some Disney holiday magic, want to see the 50th anniversary celebration, or just really need a churro, you’re gonna want to enter this sweepstakes! You’ve probably seen Citizen Watches all over the Disney parks without even noticing! Citizen is the official timepiece of Walt Disney World and Disneyland, and you’ve probably seen their clocks on Main Street, U.S.A.! And now, they’re giving you the chance to visit Disney World to see it all in person! Main Street USA Clock Citizen has opened up a sweepstakes where YOU can win a Walt Disney World vacation for four people! All you have to do to enter is: Follow Citizen at @CitizenwatchUS on Instagram Post a photo of your favorite Walt Disney World memory to Instagram, making sure to tag @CitizenwatchUS and use the hashtag #timelessmagicsweepstakes The deadline to enter is November 11th! Click Here to Enter!! ©Disney So re-download your favorite WDW pictures, and get to Instagramming, because you’re not gonna want to miss this sweepstakes! And the extra likes don’t hurt either! Stay tuned to DFB for more Walt Disney World news! Find out how to WIN a Star Wars Hotel Stay HERE! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Preorder Your Copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to preorder your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2022 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Are you going to enter the Citizen sweepstakes? Let us know in the comments! The post Find Out How YOU Can WIN A Disney World Vacation on Instagram! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Have you heard what’s been going on with Disney’s Animal Kingdom lately? Whether you’re heading into this park soon or just like to keep up with the latest news, we’ve got you. Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom We’re going to visit this park and check out all the newest updates we can find. We found some new merchandise inside the gift shops and holiday decorations all over the place on our most recent trip. Let’s see everything that’s new! We’ll start off with a bunch of new souvenirs that you can find in Animal Kingdom now. Animal Kingdom Merchandise Update At Discovery Trading, we found a new holiday MagicBand that features the Disney dogs all dressed up for the season! Holiday MagicBand We originally spotted this in Magic Kingdom’s Uptown Jewelers, so you can get one at either location. Disney Dogs MagicBand The band has canine characters like Lady and the Tramp, Pluto, and Bolt! So cute! It’s a Dooney and Bourke band, which means it’s also got this fancy clip on the side. That also means it’s a little more expensive than most MagicBands you’ll find in Disney World. You can get it for $58. Ooh Fancy Over at Riverside Depot, we found a new pin that shows Stitch inside a glass case, enjoying the beach. New Stitch Pin It’s part of the Disney Terrarium pin series. Stitch Terrarium Pin You can get 50th Anniversary merchandise over in Island Mercantile, including the Vault Collection, which has vintage-style Disney souvenirs. Vault Collection at Island Mercantile These items aren’t new, but this is just a reminder that you’ll find lots of cute collectibles here! Lots of fun stuff! And you can also get the Merry Menagerie puppets that we saw last week at this location. Hi guys! As a reminder, the puppets cost $29.99 each. Animal Kingdom Decorations Update We’re still seeing holiday decorations going up in this park! We saw the big Animal Kingdom Christmas tree on the way in… Animal Kingdom Christmas Tree …and stopped to admire more holiday decor on the shops nearby. Lots of pretty decor in this park If you can, stop by the Asia land in this park at night to see the gorgeous holiday decorations lit up over there. So pretty! Animal Kingdom low-key has some of the best holiday decorations in Disney World. Animal Kingdom Rides and Crowds Update Crowds were a bit strange at Animal Kingdom this week. On some days, there were sections of the park that were really crowded and other places that felt virtually empty. If you’re there on a busy day, head to the Tree of Life Gardens or walking trails like the Maharajah Jungle Trek to escape the crowds. Around mid-morning, here’s what some wait times for popular attractions were like: Expedition Everest Head to Asia if you want to ride Expedition Everest, which takes guests on a journey up the Forbidden Mountain in search of the yeti. Expedition Everest Everest had a 25-minute wait when we stopped by. Avatar: Flight of Passage Avatar: Flight of Passage is probably the most popular ride in Animal Kingdom right now. It’s a virtual reality experience where you get to actually ride on the back of a banshee from the movie Avatar. Flight of Passage loading bikes Around mid-morning, this ride had a LONG wait time at 130 minutes. This ride usually has the longest wait in the park, but it hasn’t been this high in a few weeks! We recommend heading to Flight of Passage right when the park opens (or going just before the park closes) if you don’t want a long wait. DINOSAUR DINOSAUR also had an unusually long wait time at 55 minutes. Usually, you can get on this ride with a much lower wait time, so if it’s looking long when you stop by, try back again after a little while. DINOSAUR And that’s it for our Animal Kingdom update! Keep following DFB for more news and updates as you plan your next Disney World trip. Click Here to See What’s New in the Magic Kingdom This Week 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! Is Animal Kingdom your favorite park? Let us know in the comments. The post What’s New at Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Wait Times Over 2 HOURS and Jaw-Dropping Holiday Decor first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

On his recent trip to Walt Disney World Resort during The World’s Most Magical Celebration, Pete Docter, Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer and the Director of Disney and Pixar’s “Up,” surprised some cast members at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park who keeps the film’s magic alive through the Wilderness Explorers program. View the full article

Disneyland Paris joins Disney World and Disneyland in the holiday celebrations! Disneyland Paris Festivities ©Disney The holiday season is in full swing, not only in Disney World and Disneyland, but Disneyland Paris is joining in too! Beginning November 13th, guests in Disneyland Paris will be able to enjoy an all-new Christmas Parade! Check out the video for a behind-the-scenes look! “Mickey’s Dazzling Christmas Parade” will feature five floats decorated for Christmas. On those floats, you can find Mickey and Friends, Disney Princesses, Santa Claus, and Tinker Bell! Mickey, Minnie, and Santa in Paris. ©Disney All of Disneyland Paris will be festively decorated and more than 200 themed costumes were created to brighten the season. Additionally, a fan favorite, “The Lion King: Rhythms of the Pride Lands” which premiered earlier in October, will make its return. ©Disney Also coming back on December 21st is the nighttime spectacular, “Disney Illuminations.” ©Disney With all of these entertainment options, new merchandise, and holiday foods, Disneyland Paris will be jam-packed with festive fun this holiday season. Planning a trip to a Disney park to celebrate the season? Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Have you been to Disneyland Paris for the holidays? Let us know in the comments! The post VIDEO: See How Disneyland Paris is Celebrating the Holiday Season! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Disney World MagicBands are both your ticket into the parks and a fun way to show off your favorite Disney characters, movies, or attractions. Lots of MagicBands to Pick From! We’ve seen some pretty amazing designs on MagicBands, including some new holiday bands, a Haunted Mansion-themed one, and — one of our personal favorites — a designer MagicBand celebrating EPCOT’s Food and Wine Festival. One of the newest MagicBands (coming out soon!) is another EPCOT-themed one, and it’s available for pre-order at a discount for some guests. We’d be lying if we said we weren’t already a little in love with this new MagicBand. It’s the EPCOT World Showcase MagicBand, and it features iconic buildings from countries around the World Showcase. Thanks to our friend Joe (@schreiberjoe on Instagram) for alerting us that this beauty is available! ©Disney On this band, we can spot countries like Japan, France, Morocco, Norway, and more that you’ll see on your walk around EPCOT’s World Showcase. So it’s basically the whole World Showcase — on your wrist! ©Disney This is the perfect accessory for your trip around the “world” while you’re snacking and drinking in each of the countries. Germany Pavilion in the World Showcase If you’re an Annual Passholder or if you’re staying at a Disney World hotel, you can pre-order the World Showcase MagicBand for $25 — a big discount from its normal cost of $39.99. For qualifying guests, the MagicBand will show up on your My Disney Experience app when you buy your park tickets. Annual Pass If you don’t qualify for the discount, don’t worry! You can still buy the MagicBand in the parks when it comes out for $39.99. And if you want to see more EPCOT-themed MagicBands, check out one of this year’s Food & Wine Festival bands, which features Mickey at an apple orchard. Apple Orchard MagicBand You can get this one online now for $34.99. Click Here to Buy the Food & Wine Festival MagicBand And don’t forget to keep following DFB for the latest news in Disney merchandise. Click Here to Learn About More Disney Discounts and Updates 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! Would you buy the new EPCOT World Showcase MagicBand? Let us know in the comments! The post Disney World’s New MagicBand Is Basically the Entire World Showcase On Your Wrist first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Yesterday, Disney held its quarterly earnings call and shared its latest earnings report. Disney World The report and call revealed a lot about Disney’s current financial standing, how things are going with Disney+, what the future at the parks might look like, and more. Some important updates were shared during the call, but there are quite a few details that you might have missed. Today we’re breaking down everything you need to know from yesterday’s earnings call! 1 — Disney+ Subscribers Are Up, But Not By That Much Over the past few months, we’ve been on the lookout for updates as to just how many subscribers Disney+ has acquired. In March of 2021, the service had passed 100 million subscribers. In August of 2021, Disney announced that their streaming service, Disney+, had a total of 116 million subscribers. Just how many subscribers did Disney+ acquire during the most recent quarter? ©Disney Well, as of October 2nd, 2021, Disney+ has 118.1 million subscribers. That’s an addition of about 2.1 million in the last quarter. As Deadline notes, this growth is “sharply lower than in the previous quarter,” but is something Disney CEO Bob Chapek had warned would be a possibility. CNBC shares that “StreetAccount estimated the company would report 125.4 million total Disney+ subscribers as of the fourth quarter.” Disney+ Overall, Disney reported $16,319,000 in revenues for direct-to-consumer for the fiscal year (across all of its direct-to-consumer platforms), compared to $10,552,000 during the prior fiscal year. But, operating losses during this past quarter in fiscal year 2021 increased in comparison to the operating losses from the prior year’s quarter. With Disney+ Day around the corner, only time will tell just how many subscribers Disney+ will acquire in the near future, and whether they’ll ultimately hit their big goals for fiscal year 2024. ©Disney Speaking of Disney+, during the earnings call, Disney also shared some updated timelines for 3 BIG titles coming to the service, and a look at when more steady content will be released for fans to enjoy. Click here to read more about the Disney+ timelines update! 2 — Disney Parks Are Making Billions More, But There’s Still a Ways to Go When it comes to the Disney Parks, revenues are certainly looking up. Revenues for Parks, Experiences, and Products division for Q4 of fiscal year 2021 INCREASED by billions compared to the same quarter of the prior year. Specifically, “Disney Parks, Experiences and Products revenues for the quarter increased to $5.5 billion compared to $2.7 billion in the prior-year quarter.” Compared to the prior year quarter, the change was 99%. ©Disney But, things on the operating income side for parks aren’t looking quite as good as analysts had hoped. When it comes to operating income, the division reported a total of $640 million, compared to a loss of $945 million in the prior year quarter. But, according to Deadline, Disney has “narrowly missed Wall Street expectations.” While the Disney parks around the world are now open, which greatly impacted the revenue and income for this division, there are still a lot of costs associated with operating the parks. Magic Kingdom Disney noted that in order to address government regulations and implement safety measures for employees, guests, and talent, they spent “approximately $1 billion in fiscal 2021.” And they expect that additional costs will have to be incurred in relation to these requirements in the future. So, while things at the parks (and revenue and income in relation to the division) have changed significantly compared to where things were at this point last year, things didn’t seem to exactly meet Wall Street expectations. Click here to see more about the parks’ revenue. 3 — Attendance and SPENDING in the Parks is UP! After seeing that revenue for the parks division has increased by BILLIONS compared to the prior year quarter, perhaps it comes as no surprise that Disney announced that attendance and spending in the parks is UP! Specifically, Disney shared that Q4 attendance at Walt Disney World is up “double digits” compared to Q3. And attendance is also growing at Disneyland. So, if you feel like you’re seeing some more people in the parks nowadays, it turns out you are probably right. Crowds Things are also looking fairly good when it comes to the future. Christine McCarthy, Disney’s Chief Financial Officer, said that the “forward-looking demand pipeline for domestic guests at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort remains strong.” Another interesting point mentioned during the earnings call is that 40% of new Magic Key Pass sales in Disneyland went to NEW passholders. While you might have expected most of Disneyland’s old passholders to purchase the Magic Key passes, it seems quite a few NEW individuals decided to buy into the program. Disneyland When it comes to the parks, more people aren’t just coming to visit, ride some attractions, and enjoy the scenery. They’re also SPENDING more when they visit. According to McCarthy, guest spending at the domestic parks “continued its strong trend with per caps in the fourth quarter, up nearly 30% versus fiscal 2019.” Crowds That means people in the parks seem to be spending nearly 30% MORE than they did in fiscal year 2019, which was prior to the pandemic. That’s a pretty substantial increase and a sign that things truly seem to be getting back to “normal,” at least in some ways. Click here to read more about the increase in attendance and guest spending. 4 — People Are Buying Genie+ This year, Disney’s paid FastPass+ replacement program(s) — Disney Genie+ and the related Individual Attraction Selection — launched in Disney World. They’re also set to launch in Disneyland in the future. We’ve tested Genie+ in the parks, shared a bunch of tips and tricks, and given you our thoughts on the program overall. But, considering the fact that FastPass+ was previously free and Genie+ is a paid program, you might be wondering just how many guests are buying it. Lightning Lanes Have Replaced FastPass+ Lanes Well, it turns out quite a few guests are making the jump to Genie+. During the earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Chapek actually noted that 1/3 of park guests in Disney World have upgraded to Genie+. That’s a fairly substantial number, particularly when it comes to looking at spending in the parks (which, again, we mentioned is up). Disney CEO Bob Chapek even said, “I’m not sure if everyone appreciates the gravity of this to the Genie+ success, one-third of our guests at Walt Disney World are buying the Genie+ upgrade at $15, that’s per guest per day. And that is a very, very material increase for us in per caps, but also in margins.” Click here to see the Genie+ updates! 5 — Recovery of International Visitors Is Going to Take a While For several months, the United States has had a number of travel restrictions in place, preventing quite a lot of international leisure travel. But, on November 8th, 2021, that all changed. Starting that day, new international travel restrictions were put in place, and international visitors from several countries are now able to enter the U.S. (provided they meet certain health requirements). Travel Restrictions Have Changed During the earnings call, McCarthy shared that Disney is looking forward to the return of its international visitors at the domestic parks and resorts. But, just how quickly will Disney recover its regular flow of international visitors? Well, things aren’t going to change as quickly as you might expect. McCarthy said that Disney doesn’t “expect to see a substantial recovery in international attendance at our domestic parks until toward the end of fiscal 2022.” McCarthy noted that this was the case particularly due to “longer vacation planning lead times.” Crowds in Toy Story Land So, while more international visitors can and likely will visit the parks soon, things are going to take a while before they’re back to “normal” on that front. Click here to see more about Disney’s expectations when it comes to international visitors. 6 — Cost Cutting Measures Might Be Coming Soon (Including Portion Size Adjustments) During the call, one individual asked about inflation and just what Disney is doing to mitigate those concerns. In response, McCarthy noted that it is something that’s at the top of a lot of companies’ minds right now, including Disney’s. McCarthy shared that they’ve talked about the increase in price of content. She noted that she’s also been discussing the issue with the parks team and they’ve discussed a number of potential options. Animal Kingdom McCarthy said there’s a lot of things “worth taking about. We can adjust suppliers. We can substitute products. We can cut portion size, which is probably good for some people’s waistlines. We can look at pricing where necessary. But we aren’t going to go just straight across and increase prices.” McCarthy said, “we’re really trying to use our heads here to come up with a way to kind of mitigate some of these challenges that we have.” Can’t have breakfast without Mickey waffles While Disney hasn’t said exactly what measures will ultimately be put in place, McCarthy’s comments seem to suggest that things like cutting portion sizes could be on the table. Thats’ something we’ll definitely be on the lookout for. Click here to see more about the cost-cutting measures Disney mentioned. 7 — Things Aren’t Going Quite as Well as Some Predicted While Disney+ has more subscribers, the parks earned billions more in terms of revenue compared to the prior year quarter, and other things are looking up, Disney hasn’t quite hit the financial marks Wall Street forecasters had in mind, according to Deadline. The total revenue for Disney for the quarter ending on October 2nd, 2021, was $18,534,000, up 26% from the prior year quarter, but still below analysts’ expectations. ©Disney In terms of media, the company released some big films (like Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) during the last quarter and got good results. But, as CNBC notes, “However, higher operating and marketing costs led the company’s content sales and licensing segment to post an operating loss of $65 million during the quarter.” Ultimately, Disney’s stock has seen the impact of missing some analysts’ expectations. As of around 11:17AM ET on November 11th, the stock was down about $12. ©Google Stocks Still, the stock value is higher than it was around this time last year. ©Google Stocks Only time will tell how things continue to go for the company. We’ll keep an eye out for more updates and we’ll be sure to share those with you. Click here to see 6 news bombs from Disney World in October. 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 news from yesterday’s earnings call and report surprised you the most? Tell us in the comments. The post 7 BIG Updates You Missed from Disney's Earnings Call first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Holiday decorations are everywhere in the Disney World parks! Holidays are here! With all the festive cheer going on at Disney World, maybe you’ve already started to think about decorating at home, too? Disney ornaments are popular souvenirs in the parks, and we’ve already seen a lot of really cute (and sometimes pretty pricey) options. But there’s one ornament that you can get for FREE in Disney World…sort of. The free ornament comes from Walt Disney World’s official timepiece partner, Citizen. This company makes high-end clocks and watches, which you can get with a Disney theme in the parks and online. Cinderella Citizen Watch You can also see a big Citizen clock on Main Street, U.S.A., which recently got an EARidescent makeover for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. Main Street USA Clock This company is having a special event inside Disney World, where they’ll give away a free ornament shaped like the Main Street, U.S.A., clock to everyone who buys a Citizen watch on certain days. The clock on the ornament is designed with the 50th Anniversary makeover as well. ©Disney This event will take place in the Magic Kingdom at Uptown Jewelers on November 19th and 20th. Uptown Jewelers Don’t have a Disney park ticket? No problem — the same deal is happening at Ever After in Disney Springs on December 10th and 11th. Ever After Although you get the ornament for free with your purchase, it might be one of the most expensive ornaments available — Citizen makes luxury watches, and they don’t come cheap. But if you were considering splurging on an early Christmas gift for you or a loved one anyways, this is a great way to get an extra souvenir at the same time! Mickey Citizen Watch Keep following DFB for more deals and news from Disney World! Click Here to Check Out More 50th Anniversary–Themed Ornaments 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 Citizen watch would you buy to get the free ornament? Let us know in the comments. The post There’s a "FREE" 50th Anniversary Ornament In Disney World — But It’s Not Easy to Get first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Are you getting overwhelmed with talk of skyrocketing Disney World prices and raised room rates as you plan for your upcoming trip? Let’s pull back a bit and take a HUGE breath. He’s so cute! Disney World is expensive, yes, but there are still several options for you to choose from that can be more reasonable and take that Sticker Shock weight off your shoulders. Check out our video below The CHEAPEST Hotel Rooms in Disney World!  Are you a DFB Video subscriber? If you hit the button below, you can subscribe to our channel and catch up on ALL of our latest episodes! Check out our latest video and then comment below: Your favorite Disney World hotel rooms!The post DFB Video: The CHEAPEST Hotel Rooms in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It’s super exciting when new restaurants come to Disney World! Steakhouse 71 We recently got several new restaurants like Space 220, Steakhouse 71, and La Creperie de Paris in the Disney parks and hotels. But, there are also some great places to eat off Disney property! And, there’s a new restaurant coming to a popular off property hotel that’s right next to Disney World. We found out last month that celebrity chef Richard Blais would be opening a new restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress near Disney Springs, and now we have more details! The restaurant will be called Four Flamingos: A Richard Blais Florida Kitchen. ©Hyatt Regency It will take over the former Hemingway’s venue with a new tropical look and design that allows guests a look into the kitchen. ©Hyatt Regency The name Four Flamingos is referencing the four species of flamingo that are native to the Americas and the bird’s tendency to gather and eat in groups. The food at the restaurant will be inspired by tropical flavors and ingredients from Florida, including things like stone crab, citrus, and Mahi Mahi. It will also offer the best of fresh-caught surf and fire-grilled turf. Flamingos in Animal Kingdom Chef Richard Blais is known for being the first winner of Bravo’s Top Chef All-Stars and recently announced co-star of the new Gordon Ramsay / FOX cooking competition, Next Level Chef. ©Hyatt Regency Reservations for Four Flamingos and a full menu will be available soon on the restaurant’s website. Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney food news and updates. Click here to compare off property hotel prices to Disney World hotel prices Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! 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 favorite place to stay off property when you visit Disney World? Let us know in the comments! The post The NEW Celebrity Chef Restaurant Near Disney World Will Be Inspired by Florida! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Princess Cruises is back to business in Florida after welcoming passengers on board its newest hardware for the inaugural sailing of Enchanted Princess. View the full article

planDisney panelist, Robyn M., loves assisting guests with planning magical vacations to Walt Disney World Resort, but what she loves even more is assisting military families plan their next Disney vacation! View the full article

The holiday season is underway in Disney World, and it’s time to take things up a notch! Disney says it’s the holiday season! We were at the opening night of Disney Very Merriest After Hours to check out all that the new event had to offer and bring you our thoughts and reviews. We tried some treats, enjoyed some entertainment, and just generally got into the holly jolly spirit. But was our evening worth the hefty price we paid to attend? Let’s discuss. How Much is Very Merriest After Hours? For starters, let’s drop some numbers. Tickets to this After Hours event start at $169 each for the “off-season” and go all the way up to $249 for the week of Christmas. That’s pretty expensive, especially when compared with the cost of the former holiday parties and other After Hours events. It’s definitely an investment! At those prices, a family of four could shell out $1000 just to attend the party. That doesn’t include costs they’ll pay for snacks or parking, and they’ll also have to budget for the rest of their trip — accommodations, travel, other days of park tickets, etc. This event certainly doesn’t come cheap! What is Included in the Price? Even though it’s pricey, you also get quite a bit included with the price. You’ll be able to enjoy event-exclusive entertainment, some complimentary snacks, after-hours access to Magic Kingdom, and shorter wait times for many of the park’s attractions. FREE snacks!!! You’ll get the chance to watch Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, see Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks, interact with some of your favorite characters, and check out the new stage show, Mickey & Minnie’s Very Merry Memories. That’s quite a lot of entertainment to occupy your time! You don’t want to miss the parade! On top of that, Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor has a holiday-themed overlay during the After Hours event, so that’s an added bonus. Is the Price Worth it? Wait Times Let’s start by discussing wait times and crowds. The whole point of an After Hours event is to offer lower crowds and wait times for guests so that they can experience a park with fewer crowds. As far as crowds go, things were empty in waves around the various lands. Crowds waiting for the parade. If you’re walking through the edges of Magic Kingdom, you’ll find open walkways and few people, but the crowds were more present during the various entertainment options. We encountered larger groups of guests during the parade, fireworks, and stage show viewing times. Crowds on Main Street, U.S.A. Wait times for rides steadily decreased throughout the night. About midway through the evening, both Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Peter Pan’s Flight were posted at 25 minutes, and that was during a sold-out event. If you wait until the very end of the After Hours to do your rides, you’ll probably wait even less than that! Wait time on Peter Pan’s Flight All in all, the park wasn’t exactly “empty,” but it was certainly less crowded than it had been during the day! Snacks & Treats Included in the cost of your ticket are some free treats…and they’re unlimited! You can pick up snickerdoodle cookies and hot chocolate at four different locations around Magic Kingdom. Free hot cocoa and cookies! Unlike Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, there’s only one cookie flavor and one beverage choice (although, they have some allergy-friendly options). Previously, you could find different multiple cookie types spread throughout the park, so it was almost a Christmas cookie scavenger hunt! Look out for the peppermint pillars! But one thing we DID get at Very Merriest that WASN’T available at the Christmas Party was the free options at the snack carts. If you visit the snack carts during the event, you’ll be able to pick up free ice cream novelties like Mickey bars, popcorn, and bottled beverages. You could definitely fill up on those treats throughout the night! Who doesn’t want free popcorn?! And in addition to the freebies, there were a few event-exclusive snacks that you could purchase around the park. You won’t be able to find those treats during the daytime! Entertainment Based on our experience, entertainment was where you could really get your money’s worth. These entertainment options are only available for guests of Very Merriest After Hours, and since parades and full-scale castle stage shows haven’t returned to Magic Kingdom during the daytime yet, there’s a clear advantage for event guests. The parade is back! Mickey & Minnie’s Very Merry Memories is a new stage show this year, kind of a hodgepodge of hits from the previous party shows. It’s a full-scale performance with several fan-favorite Disney characters and some excellent talent — we had a really great time watching it on opening night! The same goes for Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks, which were returning from the 2o19 Christmas party, but were definitely a welcome addition to the event. The entertainment was top-notch. However, the standout entertainment was probably the parade. Full-scale parades haven’t been back in Disney World since the closure of the parks in March 2020, and their loss has been greatly felt since then. It was truly special to watch some of our favorite characters ride down Main Street, U.S.A. again, and we might have even shed a tear or two! Do note, there weren’t as many performers in the parade as usual. Was the parade the best part? It might have been! On top of the big options, you’ll also be able to visit the Club Tinsel dance party in Tomorrowland, watch the Reindeer Wranglers in Frontierland, and find several characters dressed in holiday best scattered throughout the park. You could have a very full schedule! You will see characters spread out around the parks but remember, these are still distanced hellos. Smee and Hook You can also take a distanced selfie with Santa. Santa! Ambiance One of the other big reasons that you may want to attend Very Merriest is for the atmosphere. There’s just something special about Magic Kingdom during the holidays! Throughout the night, we got the chance to experience “snoap” on Main Street, some festive ground projections in Tomorrowland, all the glitz and glamour of the holiday decorations lit up at night, and so much more. It’s snoaping! If you’re a die-hard Christmas and holiday season fanatic, the atmosphere alone could be your motivating factor for attending. It definitely feels much more like holiday events of the past than the Disney After Hours Boo Bash did! In Summary So, is the Very Merriest After Hours worth the hefty price tag? Well, that really depends. We’ll be the first to admit that the tickets are rather expensive, and purchasing them (especially for multiple guests) just may not be in your trip budget. If that’s the case, don’t worry — there are still plenty of other ways to celebrate the holidays in Disney World. Very Merriest After Hours However, if you really want the FULL holiday experience, this is a great option that gives you access to things you can’t get elsewhere. There are plenty of holiday treats, decorations, and merchandise items around the rest of the resort, but you’ll only get to experience the special entertainment offerings if you attend Very Merriest. Is that enough to make you pay? It depends on how badly you want to check those things out! Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade In comparison to the Disney After Hours Boo Bash, this definitely felt like a more fully-fledged holiday party, even though the hours are shorter and the price is higher. If you’ve been missing those offerings for the past two years, then it might be worth it to consider purchasing a ticket to this event. We even got to see some rare characters! However, if you do attend, you’ll definitely need to prioritize what you want to do. With only four hours of the actual event, you’ll have to choose whether you want to do rides or entertainment. You could do a combination of both, but you won’t be able to get all the rides done and do all the entertainment and snacks as well, it’s just not possible in such a limited amount of time. Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks It would be ideal to have a few extra hours and some slightly cheaper prices, but even if you shell out the big bucks and attend this year, there are quite a few things to do. It was extra special to watch the parade, the stage show, and chat one-on-one with Santa Claus after two years without, and because of that, we were really feeling the holiday spirit! You’ll need to budget your time wisely. In the end, it’s really up to you if you want to spend the money on the Very Merriest After Hours. For more details on the event and all the Disney World news, make sure to follow along with DFB! Click Here to Learn More About Very Merriest After Hours! 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 attending the Very Merriest After Hours this year? Tell us in the comments! The post Is Disney World's NEW Holiday After Hours Event Worth the HEFTY Price Tag? first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

This past weekend, we turned our clocks back one hour as Daylight Saving time began once again. You may have caught the team at "Good Morning America" resetting the Main Street, U.S.A. clock at Magic Kingdom Park on-air with a little help from our friends at Citizen! We thought, in the spirit of time, who better to spotlight than The Official Timepiece of Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.View the full article

Winter the Dolphin is getting sicker and officials with Clearwater Marine Aquarium are “exploring all possible options to save Winter’s life.” View the full article

As the saying goes, the only thing that’s constant at Disney World is change — and that has never rung more true than it has in the past year and a half! Cinderella Castle If you’re planning a trip to Disney World soon or you’re preparing to visit the parks in the coming months, there’s a lot of changes going on that you should be aware of! From the 50th Anniversary Celebration festivities and EVERYTHING that’s a part of it to brand new hotels, restaurants, and the latest health mandates, let’s recap some of the biggest things you should know about if you’re heading to Disney World soon. Know What’s Around for the 50th Anniversary Celebration Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration officially kicked off on October 1st, 2021. A lot of fun treats and entertainment arrived at the parks and resorts for the eighteen-month-long celebration, and if you’re visiting any time between October of 2021 and April of 2023, there’s much in store! The 50th is almost here! New entertainment offerings started in fall 2021, with guests welcoming Disney Enchantment in Magic Kingdom… Disney Enchantment Fireworks …as well as the debut of the long-awaited Harmonious in EPCOT… Harmonious …and the new daytime show Disney KiteTails in Disney’s Animal Kingdom! Timon and Pumba For our fellow Disney World foodies, new dining locations recently opened in the parks, too. EPCOT remains the top park to visit for all things dining, with La Crêperie de Paris recently opening on October 1st, 2021… CREPES! …and the long-awaited Space 220 which opened in mid-September! SO MUCH SPACE FOOD New dining has arrived at the hotels too, with the opening of Steakhouse 71 in Disney’s Contemporary Resort (formerly known as The Wave). It’s cozy in here, we loved it! Not to mention all of the specialty treats that arrived in the park and resorts to commemorate the 50th Anniversary! Just one of MANY 50th Anniversary Treats in Disney World! New headliner attractions coming to the theme parks during the 50th Anniversary Celebration include Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in EPCOT, which officially opened on October 1st… Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure …as well as the upcoming Tron Lightcycle Run in Magic Kingdom (currently scheduled to open sometime in 2022)… TRON Construction …and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT (also with its sights set on opening in 2022)! Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Concept Art ©Disney Disney World is setting out to make this eighteen-month-long celebration one to remember, and the new guest offerings are proof of that! Be sure to follow along for all of the new additions to the parks and resorts in the coming months. Click here to read everything you need to know about Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration! Considering an Annual Pass? They’ve Returned! The sale of new Annual Passes resumed prior to the start of the 50th Anniversary! With new passes being available once again, it may be worth considering whether or not an Annual Pass is worth it for your family. Walt Disney World Annual Pass The new Annual Passholder program has four new tiers of Passes, each with varying perks including the number of Park Pass Reservations you can hold at one time. ©Disney Keep in mind that only one member of your family needs to have an Annual Pass to take advantage of the discounts offered to Passholders, but if you visit the parks enough times in the year, it may be worth the investment to sign everyone up. Click here to read about what the new Annual Passholder program is like in Disney World! It’s Time to Get Familiar With Disney Genie & Disney Genie+ Perhaps the biggest news this year came when Disney announced that FastPass+, FASTPASS, and MaxPass would be retired at Disney World and Disneyland. Disney then introduced Disney Genie, a free, “virtual personal assistant” as part of My Disney Experience. ©Disney A secondary, paid service called Disney Genie+ was also introduced. This paid service has replaced FastPass at Disney World and MaxPass at the Disneyland Resort. It will allow guests to bypass standby lines at select attractions by paying a base price: $20 per day per ticket at Disneyland Resort and $15 per day per ticket at Disney World. Peter Pan’s Flight Lightning Lane With Disney Genie+, guests are able to select return times (for 1 ride at a time) for as many of the included attractions as they’d like. This service can be used in all four parks with a park hopper ticket. (For those who used the old FastPass system or have experience with MaxPass in Disneyland, this will be familiar.) Attractions in the base-priced Disney Genie+ include attractions like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, and Haunted Mansion. Disney Genie+ will get you into the Mansion with less of a wait! Now, if you want to ride Disney’s most popular attractions without a wait, there is also a second paid upcharge (which is separate) that will allow guests to select return times for a maximum of two specific, more popular attractions per day, if they choose to pay. These include rides like Rise of the Resistance, Flight of Passage, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Right now, each park has two pay-to-ride attractions, but this could change down the road. Rise of the Resistance To reiterate: the attractions featured in these two paid options are NOT be the same. Many rides are included in the base price of Disney Genie+ (or you can wait in the standby line for free). Popular rides…ya gotta pay separately to ride (or stand in the standby line for “free”). The price for the popular ride a la carte option will vary depending on the date, attraction, and park — which means, the more in demand the ride…the more it’ll cost you to ride. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train We’ve been able to experience Disney Genie AND Genie+ first-hand quite a bit since it launched, and we’ll continue to bring you the latest coverage when it comes to navigating these two systems like a pro on your next vacation. This is a HUGE change from what most guests are used to in Disney World, so you’ll really want to prime yourself before your trip so you know how to handle all things Genie. HERE Are the Answers to All of Your Burning Questions About Disney Genie Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser If you’re visiting after the spring of 2022, Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser will be an option as part of your vacation! This one-of-a-kind 2-night experience is set to open next year, and it sure looks like something we’ve never seen the likes of in Disney World! A Model of the Halcyon in Disney’s Hollywood Studios Note that Galactic Starcruiser is NOT a traditional hotel. It is limited to a 2-night experience (with a jam-packed itinerary, we might add!), so you’ll have to add it on at the beginning, middle, or end of your trip as a “separate” 2-night experience. It’s also QUITE pricey — for two guests it’s about 5k for the set experience. Food, accommodations, and entertainment (including a trip to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to explore) is included. Think of it more like an all-inclusive cruise-type situation. Since, as far as Disney has shared, you won’t be able to come and go as you please, this is really catered to the mega Star Wars fans out there. Click here to learn more about Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. Stay In-the-Know on the Latest Health & Safety Guidelines One of the biggest categories of important news to keep up with if you’re traveling to Disney World soon is the latest health and safety mandates. These rules have been updated to fit current CDC guidance in order to keep both guests and Cast Members safe. Mask sign in Disney World As of this writing, all guests ages 2 and up must wear a face covering in all indoor locations, regardless of vaccination status. Outdoors, including on outdoor rides, guests are free to remove their masks if they choose. The health and safety mandates at Disney World have changed several times over the last year, so when these guidelines are updated, we will be sure to let you know! Click here to read about the latest face mask mandates in Disney World. Know Which Locations Have Reopened and Which are Still Closed More and more dining locations are coming back online at Disney World! Recently, we’ve checked out newly reopened restaurants such as Citricos, Casey’s Corner, ‘Ohana, and Columbia Harbour House, just to name a few! If you’re heading to Disney World soon, you’ll likely find that the vast majority of restaurants have reopened, though we are still waiting on a few more to come back! ‘Ohana More resort hotels have reopened as well, including Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. In fact, by the end of 2021, most of Disney World’s hotels will have reopened! Port Orleans Riverside Be sure to check our updated list of open and closed restaurants around Disney World prior to booking those Dining Reservations. As more restaurants resume operation, we’ll make sure you’re in the know on when those locations will reopen! Click here to read our updated list on which locations are open and closed in Disney World. Know Which Offerings Are Still Unavailable Restaurants aren’t the only things we’re still waiting to hear news on. We are still awaiting an update on the Disney Dining Plan (note that Disney has said that they intend on bringing the Dining Plan BACK, so stay tuned for more info)… California Grill …and Tables in Wonderland. Disney has not announced when they’ll resume the sale of this dining discount program as of this writing. Seating at Yachtsman Steakhouse All of these offerings are important components of Disney World vacations for many guests, so we’re keeping a watchful eye on any new announcements coming forward regarding when these services may return! Click here to read more about the return of the Disney Dining Plan. Catch Up on What’s Happening for This Year’s Holiday Seasons If you’re planning a trip for late 2021 or you’re about to visit the parks and you have plans on attending one of the seasonal after-hours events, it’ll be important to read up on how they’re a little different than the holiday parties of years past! Just recently, Disney World concluded its first-ever Disney After Hours BOO Bash… Halloween is Here! …and starting just back on November 8th, Disney Very Merriest After Hours started (in place of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party) in Magic Kingdom! It’s SNOWING! Only time will tell if these modified after-hours parties are here to stay in 2022 and beyond! Click here to see what Very Merriest After Hours looks like! Whether your Disney World vacation is next week or still a few months away, a lot of changes are taking place in the parks and resorts that you should know about! It seems like major announcements and updates are happening on a near-daily basis, so be sure to follow along as your vacation approaches so you can stay in the know on all of the latest happenings in Disney World! Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Details and Info Click HERE for Your Guide to Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration See Everything That Has Been Announced For Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Check Out Everything Happening in Disney World on October 1st, 2021 Click Here to See The 50 Best Ways to Celebrate Disney World’s 50th Anniversary What Does Hotel Availability and Pricing Look Like for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary? Here Are the 5 News Bombs You May Have Missed Related to the 50th Anniversary Celebrations! Check Out 10 Things You Need to Bring If You’re Going to Disney World for the 50th Anniversary See How Each of Disney World’s Park Icons Will Transform During the 50th Anniversary Celebrations! Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click here to Subscribe Are you planning a trip to Disney World soon? Let us know in the comments! 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Making Magic & Honoring Military Traditions | Walt Disney World ResortView the full article