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Melissa Valiquette, VP of Magic Kingdom, gives update on Splash Mountain, which will get "Princess and the Frog" theme. View the full article Disney: Where Splash Mountain changes stand Major changes at Splash Mountain, announced last year, will give the Magic Kingdom ride a theme based on 'The Princess and the Frog' movie. (Disney/Disney) In June 2020, Walt Disney World announced dramatic changes to Splash Mountain, the water ride with a steep drop at Magic Kingdom. In July 2020, the theme park reopened from its pandemic shutdown in its previous mode, which features animatronic bears and other singing animals, climaxing with “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah.” Thirteen months later, Br’er Rabbit remains in place, and there’s no sign of shifting from the “Song of the South” characters to music and scenes inspired by “The Princess and the Frog.” In a recent episode of the Theme Park Rangers Podcast, Melissa Valiquette, vice president of Magic Kingdom, gave an update during the interview. “When we are re-imagining a new attraction or a new area of our parks, this can be a lengthy process. There’s a lot of work that goes into it. So, I’m in a lot of meetings right now around Splash Mountain,” Valiquette said. “Of course, our guests haven’t seen any changes yet; that’s going to take some time. But the sequence of these things is that sometimes, you know, the decisions can be made many, many months, even years before any of that will be seen on stage. So, it’s going to take us a little bit of time to re-imagine Splash Mountain,” she said. When the changes were announced in 2020, no timeline was given for the project. A post on the official Disney Parks Blog said the storyline of the revamped ride would take place after the events of the 2009 film. “We pick up this story after the final kiss and join Princess Tiana and Louis [a trumpet-playing alligator] on a musical adventure — featuring some of the powerful music from the film — as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance,” the blog post said. In the podcast, Valiquette said some selections around music and animatronics had been made. Tiana and the Magic Kingdom vice president are both Louisiana natives. “It was really important to me, as I’ve been meeting with our Imagineers, that this story gets portrayed honestly and accurately. They’ve done such a remarkable job of that — especially during a time when they’ve not been able to travel to a great degree — and really have created something that I believe will capitalize on what’s already special about the ride, Splash Mountain, but we’ll turn it into something that our guests will really cherish for generations into the future,” she said. The attraction opened in Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland in 1992. The Disneyland version, which debuted in 1989, also will receive an update. “I think this is one example of something where our guests are going to have to put a little bit of trust into us for a bit because we promise not to let you down. We’re going to deliver a wonderful attraction that is inspiring and beautiful and worthy of this princess, Princess Tiana,” she said. “I think it’s going to be a perfect addition back there.” Valiquette took over the Magic Kingdom reins in March. Her previous role was vice president for Epcot, where she worked for more than five years. Her Disney career began right on Main Street in City Hall, and she was also appointed a Walt Disney World ambassador. In the podcast, she talks about the magnetism of Magic Kingdom and also talks about the updates to Jungle Cruise, the upcoming Tron ride, the golden 50th-anniversary statues, the “Disney Enchanted” nighttime spectacular that debuts Oct. 1, her happy places at Magic Kingdom and the 25th-anniversary birthday cake castle. Hear the full interview wherever you get podcasts. Dewayne Bevil Orlando Sentinel

By the end of the year, ALL of the current Disney World resorts will have reopened! Animal Kingdom Lodge Even though we are still waiting on a few more resorts to reopen, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is set to reopen to all guests VERY soon on August 26th! Before that date, Boma is reopening with a buffet and an updated menu. Now, we know another spot at the resort is reopening soon! Victoria Falls Lounge at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is set to reopen this Friday, August 20th! On the Disney World website, hours for the location pop-up starting on that date. ©Disney It looks like the lounge will be open from 5PM-12AM, so it’s a great spot to grab a late night snack and/or drink! The menu is slightly more limited in terms of food, and you can only grab food from 5PM-10PM according to the menu online. To eat, you can grab the Braai Burger with Seasoned Fries, Goat Cheese Dip, Marinated Olives with Almonds, and Cape Town Slap Chips! ©Disney The drink menu still features plenty of cocktails… ©Disney …beers, rosé… ©Disney …wine (including wine flights)… ©Disney …whiskey… ©Disney …and lots of other liquor! ©Disney We’ll be sure to give you a first look at the reopening of Boma and Victoria Falls Lounge, so stay tuned for that! If any other Disney World restaurants get reopening dates, we’ll be sure to let you know! Check out the reopening buffet menu for Boma! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2021 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2021 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 excited for the reopening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge? Let us know in the comments! The post ANOTHER Disney World Lounge is Set to Reopen Soon! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney World snacks are delicious, but Disney World snack hacks take them to the next level! Magic Kingdom Here at DFB, we’ve created our own snacks by combining some of our favorites in the parks like the chocolate bundt cake shake, a Mickey cookie ice cream sandwich, and kyber crystal blue milk! Today, we’ve got a brand new snack hack for you that’s super delicious! What you’re going to do is grab a Mickey Cinnamon Roll over at the Main Street Bakery for $6.49. These pastries recently received a Halloween makeover with orange icing, and although ours was a little dry, it still worked! Yum! Then, pick up your favorite flavor of ice cream at the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor (we grabbed two scoops of vanilla!)… Yum…again! …and some Peanut Butter Sauce for $0.69… Delicious peanut butter sauce! …and put ’em all together to make a big sundae! It makes a super delicious combo and the peanut sauce is to die for! Although the ice cream and the cinnamon roll are wonderful on their own, bringing them together takes these snacks to the next level. Wowza! Better yet, make a little ice cream sandwich (calories don’t count if it’s Disney World ) and enjoy a nice sweet treat by the castle! The perfect little treat! If you’re a fan of cinnamon rolls and unique ice cream sandwiches, this is the DFB snack hack for you! This is a fun hack because there are a couple of different ways to eat it. We’ll continue to come up with DFB snack hacks, so stay tuned for more! Click here to see the latest updates on the Polynesian Resort’s Monorail! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2021 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2021 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. What do you think about this snack hack? Let us know in the comments! The post Here's How to HACK a Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream Sandwich in Disney World! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We’re having a TIME learning about the upcoming Disney Genie service. ©Disney The new service is coming this fall to the Disneyland App and My Disney Experience and will be a whole new tool for Disney guests to use when planning their vacations. We’ve looked into the FastPass replacement, Genie+, the personalized itinerary, and more, but here are the FIVE most MIND-BLOWING features. 1. Real-time, Personalized Itinerary Suggestions First up, we’re looking at one specific aspect of the personalized itinerary. The personalized itinerary will take into consideration your priorities (whether they be specific like a must-do ride or broad like your love of princesses) to build your family the perfect itinerary. ©Disney That’s pretty cool, but the really MIND-BLOWING part is that this personalized itinerary will update throughout the day! It will change depending on what happens in the day (it can even change depending on the weather!). When you think about the number of people who will be getting personalized updates constantly, it seems pretty wild! Want to learn more about the personalized itinerary? Click here 2. Forecasted Future Wait Times Another thing that the personalized itinerary takes into account are forecasted future wait times, and you can check these outside of your itinerary as well. Let that sink in: You can see what the wait times might be LATER in the day. ©Disney This is a feature that we have not seen before! We’ve been able to see the wait times in real-time in the Disney Parks apps, but that’s not always helpful in planning what you’ll be doing in the afternoon. Now, you can see whether or not it would be a good idea to head to Space Mountain after lunch. Click here to learn more about the paid aspects of Genie+ 3. Disney PhotoPass AR Lenses If you pay for the Genie+ upgrade for that Lightning Lane access, you’ll also get PhotoPass downloads if you’re in Disneyland and new Disney PhotoPass Augmented Reality lenses if you’re in Disney World. ©Disney Wow! AR lenses? This tech will act a little bit like Magic Shots straight from your phone. So, you might see magical effects or a Disney character added to your pictures with these lenses! 4. Audio Experiences Genie+ will also offer you new Audio Experiences. For those buying the Genie+ level, you’ll get access to Audio Experiences that are themed to different areas of the park. ©Disney Expect to hear thoughts from Imagineers and special guests about behind-the-scenes aspects of Disney World and Disneyland attractions and lands. This sounds a bit like a guided tour, so it will be interesting to see it in action! 5. Lightning Lane for Virtual Queue Attractions And finally, we are MIND-BLOWN that you’ll be able to purchase Lightning Lane (basically the new FastPass line) for attractions that have been Virtual Queue only up to this point. Rise of the Resistance and WEB-SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure will continue to use the Virtual Queue and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in EPCOT will use one when it opens too. ©Disney But with Disney Genie, you can pay an unannounced fee (based on date, ride, and park) to get Lightning Lane access to these high-demand attractions and others. A small fee to skip the hassle of a Virtual Queue? That could be worth it for some guests! Click here to learn more about Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure! Wow! Those are some pretty mind-blowing details. Disney Genie is…a lot. So, if you’re confused, stick around with us at DFB as we comb through all the details. Want to learn more about Disney Genie? Click here! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2021 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2021 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. Got Disney Genie questions? Ask them in the comments! The post The 5 Most Mind-Blowing Disney Genie Features first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney just dropped a whole bunch of news about the Disney Genie Service, the retirement of FastPass+, and 2 NEW, paid services that guests will soon get to use to skip the standby lines. ©Disney We’ve shared some of the details about the FREE Disney Genie planning service and how it can help you tailor your day in the parks, but the service will also offer some great perks to help coordinate all of your dining needs! The Disney Genie service, which will be built into the My Disney Experience app and the Disneyland app, essentially wants to be your personal assistant in the parks! You’ll be able to tell Disney Genie what you want to do, what types of things you’re interested in, and other details, and Genie will work on creating a personalized itinerary for you. There will also be a personalized tip board, forecasted wait times, and more. ©Disney Disney Genie can also help you when it comes to dining! First, right through Disney Genie, you’ll be able to make advanced dining reservations. You’ll also be able to join a mobile dine walk-up waitlist for restaurants that have available spots. Planning to grab a meal at a quick service spot? Disney Genie will also recommend locations nearby your other planned attractions that may be convenient for you. ©Disney Based on the presentation shared by Disney, it looks like Genie will also tell you when the next Mobile Order Pick-Up time will be. As you can see in the screenshot below, by Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe (the spot that Genie has recommended for Mobile Order for this plan), it states that you can order now for pickup between 11:30AM and 12:00PM. Showing you the next available pickup times can be incredibly beneficial in helping you know when you should place your order. Waiting too long to place your order could leave you with super limited pick-up times, leaving you dangerously hangry! ©Disney There’s also an “order food now” option which will allow you to then place your Mobile Order for the restaurant and get your dining all situated. Disney Genie will also provide you with a tip board to see attractions and dining options at a glance. And there will be a Dining Tip Board too. The dining tip board will help guests quickly find where to eat and help them place a mobile order or make a dining reservation, or join a walk-up waitlist. Crispy Fried Chicken from Crystal Palace What’s nice is that the Dining Tip Board essentially combines several of My Disney Experience’s existing features into one spot where you can see all of the next windows for Mobile Order Pick-Up Times, Walk-Up Waitlist waiting times, the next available reservation time for each restaurant, and more. ©Disney Overall, it seems Disney Genie could be an especially good tool for those who may not be sure what convenient spots they could/should eat at in the park. And even for seasoned pros, it’s a convenient way to see all of the information you need, including dining information, in one spot. ©Disney Disney Genie is set to be released in the fall of this year. We’ll continue to keep an eye out for more details about Disney Genie and let you know what we find. Click here to see more features you’ll be able to use in the Disney Genie! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Will you use Disney Genie? Tell us in the comments! The post How to Use Disney Genie to Hack Dining in the Disney Parks first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney just shared more details about their new Disney Genie service that will help guests plan their vacations. ©Disney The new service will feature things like forecasted future wait times and a personalized itinerary. It also will take over for the FastPass+ and MaxPass systems, and replace them with new paid services. Disney also announced that they are enhancing their Disability Access Service program. The Disability Access Service (DAS) program is offered to assist guests who have a hard time tolerating extended waits in a regular queue environment due to disability. It does not let you immediately access rides, but it lets you request a return time for a specific attraction that is comparable to the current standby wait time. Space Mountain DAS and Rider Switch Disney said that they are making some enhancements to their DAS program with the Disney Genie. ©Disney They are adding 2 new features to the program this Fall. The first is being able to virtually register with a Cast Member over a live video chat as early as 30 days in advance of a park visit. Right now, live chat will only be offered in English. Magic Kingdom Guest Relations While talking with the Cast Member, you can also select up to 2 experiences per day (subject to availability) using the new DAS Advance planning option. The advance selections have to be booked at least 2 days before the day you plan to use them and you cannot make selections the day of your visit. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad If the experience you want is available, you will have a one-hour return window to redeem during the day of your visit. The selections you make will show up as plans on the My Disney Experience app or Disney’s website. Haunted Mansion The second new feature is a convenient way to virtually select DAS return times for attractions! Instead of having to physically go to an experience or a kiosk to get a return time from a Cast Member, guests registered in the DAS program (and their party members) can make return time selections right in the My Disney Experience app during the day of your park visit! Disney Genie ©Disney These 2 new options will be available in addition to their existing, in-person DAS program. Alternative Access Entrance Disney says that if any of the statements made by a Guest in the process of registering for DAS are found not to be true, the Guest will be permanently barred from entering Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort, and any previously purchased annual passes, Magic Key passes, tickets and other park products and services will be forfeited and not refunded. Annual Passholder Ticket You can visit the Services for Guests with Disabilities page on DisneyWorld.com and Disneyland.com for more details! Stay tuned to DFB for more updates on Disney Genie. Click here to learn more about Disney Genie Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2021 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2021 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 excited to use Disney Genie? Let us know in the comments! The post New Virtual Features Being Added to Disney’s Disability Access Service Program first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney Genie Service - Full Overview | Walt Disney World & Disneyland ResortView the full article

Disney Genie Service - Digital Overview | Walt Disney World & Disneyland ResortView the full article

Walt Disney World’s free FastPass+ reservation system will not return, and it will be replaced by a paid attraction reservation service as part of the resort’s new planning app Disney Genie, the theme park company revealed Wednesday. View the full article

We are learning a LOT about Disney Genie today and we’re EXTRA interested in Genie+, the PAID Fastpass+ and MaxPass replacement. Disneyland Genie+ will be the new offering in Disney World and Disneyland that lets guests skip the standby line and go straight into a Lightning Lane (AKA former FASTPASS queue) to access attractions. It’s the next generation of MaxPass as it is a paid offering, but how is it different from MaxPass? Let’s take a look. The Cost Let’s start with the cost! MaxPass was a paid offering at Disneyland that cost $20 per ticket per day for use of the service. The price for the Disneyland version of Disney Genie+ remains $20, so there had been NO price increase in the shift to the new service. ©Disney As a note, the Disney World version will run guests $15 per ticket per day (as a replacement for the free Fastpass+ service). The Lines Now, our biggest difference is how Genie+ is used versus the way MaxPass was used. MaxPass allowed guests to get Fastpasses digitally every 90 minutes but paper Fastpasses WERE available at ride kiosks every two hours. So, the big perk here was that you could get MORE Fastpasses than a guest without MaxPass and you could get them faster. ©Disney Now, Disney Genie+ has MASSIVELY changed this. Fastpasses have been discontinued completely so there are NO paper Fastpasses available in the park. The only way to access the Lightning Lane (like a Fastpass queue) is to purchase Genie+ or one of the individual Lightning Lane attractions for an additional fee. Attractions Here’s another big difference. MaxPass was available on 22 rides across Disneyland and Disney California Adventure. Genie+ will apply to over 15 rides, but that figure may still be lower than 20. Confirmed rides with Genie+ include Big Thunder Mountain, Haunted Mansion, and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (which has never been a Fastpass attraction before). ©Disney Higher-demand rides will NOT be included with Genie+. Instead, you will be able to make individual Lightning Lane attraction selections for prices that differ based on date, attraction, and park. Radiator Springs Racers and Rise of the Resistance are examples of Lightning Lane attractions. Some of these attractions would have been included with MaxPass. SO, for the price, you likely can’t ride EVERYTHING that you could with MaxPass. Some rides possibly won’t be included and others will cost extra. Click here to learn more about the individual ride purchases! Planning Like MaxPass, Genie+ only lets you book your Lightning Lane attractions on the day of your visit. With Genie+, guests can choose the next available arrival window for a Lightning Lane attraction, selecting one ride at a time. MaxPass worked the same way. ©Disney A big appeal of MaxPass was that it gave the option for you to book from outside of the park (once you had used a park ticket). The same is true for Disney Genie+. Guests can be in Disneyland and book a ride on an attraction in California Adventure and vice versa. Other Perks Finally, we can take a look at the other perks included in Disney Genie+. MaxPass included Disney PhotoPass downloads for the park day and Disney Genie+ will as well. However, Disney Genie ADDS new audio experiences that feature Imagineers and special guests to learn fun facts about attractions and the parks. Disneyland Overall Here are the differences between MaxPass and Genie+: Paper Fastpasses will no longer be available to guests. Genie+ will be the only option to skip the standby line for participating attractions. Genie+ gives access to more than 15 rides, but that figure may be fewer than MaxPass’s 22 rides. Genie+ will NOT include some high-demand attractions that MaxPass did, like Radiator Springs Racers. Instead, these attractions will require an additional fee for Lightning Lane access. Genie+ will not only include PhotoPass downloads (as MaxPass did), but it will also feature new audio experiences. It’s hard to say whether Disney Genie+ or MaxPass is a better system until we see Genie+ in practice. We’ll be sure to give it a try when it launches this fall to see just how well it works! Keep an eye on DFB for more updates about Disney Genie. Click here to learn more about Disney Genie+! 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 Have questions about Genie+? Ask them in the comments! The post How Is Disney Genie+ Different from MaxPass in Disneyland? first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

October 1st is a BIG day at Walt Disney World. We’re ready for this area to OPEN! October 1st marks the 50th Anniversary for Walt Disney World and a number of experiences will become available on that day. One of the things that will be available for guests to enjoy on October 1st is Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. And today we got a big update about how guests will be able to experience this ride. Today, during a conference about Disney Genie+, Disney shared that Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will be part of the Individual Attraction Selection offering (where guests can purchase the ability to access a ride’s Lightning Lane — i.e. FastPass Lane — and pay for that access for each individual ride). But, Disney also noted that Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will utilize a virtual queue! Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure If you’re planning to visit Disney World for the opening of this attraction, be aware that the virtual queue should be in place. That’s something you’ll just want to plan ahead for. We expect the virtual queue may be similar to what we’ve seen utilized at rides like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance or WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure. But, Disney has not yet shared additional details. ©Disney We’ll be on the lookout for more information about just what this virtual queue will involve and we’ll let you know what we find. Stay tuned for all the latest updates! 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 excited to ride Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure? Tell us in the comments! The post NEWS: Remy's Ratatouille Adventure Will Use a VIRTUAL Queue in EPCOT first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

NEW Disney Genie App — Coming This Fall | Walt Disney World & Disneyland ResortView the full article

FastPass+ and MaxPass are going away, and 2 NEW, paid services will be taking over at Disney World and Disneyland. FastPass is Going Away One of the new services Disney has announced is called Disney Genie+. The service will be available for all guests to purchase, but if you’re staying at a Disney World Hotel, you’ll get an extra perk! Disney Genie+ is a new service through which guests will be able to pay a set amount per day per ticket ($15 per day per ticket in Disney World, $20 per day per ticket in Disneyland) to choose the next available time to arrive at an attraction and use that attraction’s “Lightning Lane” (a.k.a. FastPass Lane). Essentially, this is a paid service that can help guests skip the lines at select attractions. Guests will be able to make 1 Genie+ ride selection at a time throughout the day. Over 40 attractions will be included in this service at Disney World and over 15 attractions will be included at Disneyland. The FastPass kiosks have been out of use for a while! In addition to Genie+, Disney will be introducing something called Individual Attraction Selection. With this service, guests will be able to pay a certain amount to utilize the Lightning Lane for a specific, individual attraction. In other words, the guest is paying to bypass the standby queue (or virtual queue) for a single ride. Guests can only hold up to 2 Individual Attraction Selections per day (across all 4 theme parks in Disney World and 2 theme parks in Disneyland). Tomorrowland The rides that will be available through Disney Genie+ will be different than those offered through Individual Attraction Selection. Individual Attraction Selection is being utilized for those highly popular Disney rides. So far, Disney has announced that the rides that will be offered through this service are: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Radiator Springs Racers, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, and WEBSLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure. The benefit for hotel guests comes in with relation to Individual Attraction Selection. All guests will have the ability to buy Individual Attraction Selections. Guests will be able to get that first one when the park opens. Disney’s Contemporary Resort But, those staying at select hotels get a little bit earlier access. Disney has stated that those staying at Disney owned and operated hotels, The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, and Shades of Green at Walt Disney World Resort will be able to make their first Individual Attraction Selections at 7AM each day. Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort This could be a big deal especially considering that these rides are some of the most popular ones in the parks. Keep in mind that the rules are a bit different when it comes to making Disney Genie+ selections. For Disney Genie+, those selections can be made at 7AM on the day of your visit at Disney World, but can only be made once a guest is in the park over at Disneyland. Splash Mountain We’ll continue to keep an eye out for more updates and details about Disney Genie+, Individual Attraction Selection, and more. Stay tuned for more updates on that! Click here to learn more about the paid FastPass system at Disneyland Paris. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What do you think about the Disney Genie+ service? Tell us in the comments. The post How Being a Disney World Hotel Guest Will Benefit You With the New PAID Individual Attraction System first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We are learning a LOT about the new Disney Genie service coming soon to Disney World and Disneyland. Main Street, U.S.A. The new service will be built into the My Disney Experience and Disneyland apps and will feature a LOT of new tools for Disney guests. We’re talking forecasted future wait times, a virtual assistant, a personalized itinerary, and more! So, how is it that Disney Genie is going to act as your personal assistant? One of the biggest features of the FREE Disney Genie service is a personalized itinerary and tip board feature. This feature will help you to seamlessly map out your entire day. To put it as Disney did, “You have all the fun, while Disney Genie does all the work.” Disney World To use the service, you’ll tell Disney Genie about your preferences, whether that be princesses, superheroes, thrill rides, food, or anything else. These interests can be as specific as a must-do attraction or as broad as your interest in Star Wars. Then, Disney Genie uses that information to evaluate thousands of options and build a plan just for YOUR family. Disney Genie ©Disney And that plan isn’t set in stone! Disney Genie will continue to update your plan throughout the day to roll with all of the changes happening in the parks. The goal is to create a better, more customized experience for guests. Tree of Life This itinerary will pair with a personalized tip board that brings you all sorts of info. It will display current AND future wait times, as well as information about virtual queues, dining, mobile order, and more. Sleeping Beauty Castle For an example of how you’ll use this service, your itinerary will tell you where to start your park day, take into account those forecasted wait times to tell you when you should head to your must-dos, suggest a convenient place and time to mobile order lunch, and update you with realtime suggestions (even the weather forecast!). Train Station If at any point you’re confused about why Disney Genie recommends something, you can easily take a look at why it thinks the plans are a good fit for you! Yep, you’re getting a full-day itinerary and a tip board built right into your smartphone that keeps you in the loop on attractions status, showtimes, dining availability, and standby wait times — plus it tells you where you should head next! Disney Genie ©Disney In a statement about the new system, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro noted, “Disney Genie listens to the preferences that guests share with us to help design their best day and deliver an experience that’s made just for them. Pairing incredible technology with more than 60 years of expertise about how our guests visit the parks, Disney Genie will personalize their Disney day, allowing guests to spend less time planning and waiting and more time doing the things they love.” Slinky Dog Dash This new system is a major mobile technology update for the Disney parks and we’re eager to see how it works when it launches. Keep an eye on DFB for more updates about Disney Genie! Click here to learn more about Disney Genie! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2021 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2021 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Have questions about Disney Genie? Ask them in the comments! The post Disney Genie Wants To Be Your Personal Assistant in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

For months, we’ve been keeping an eye out for any updates about Disney’s FastPass system, getting your thoughts about a paid FastPass option in Disney World, and more. Fastpass Kiosks in Magic Kingdom Today, Disney announced that FastPass+ and MaxPass are being discontinued in Disney World and Disneyland, and new paid services will be replacing them in the future. With one of the services, you’ll actually be able to pay to get a return time (and utilize a Lightning Lane) for select attractions. But, why might you want to do this, and how would you do it? We’re breaking down the information you need to know here! Why You’ll Pay for Individual Rides Even after Disney introduces the new paid ride services, you’ll be able to utilize the traditional standby queue system or virtual queue system (for those rides that offer that service). If you want to, you’ll also be able to pay for the Disney Genie+ service, which will allow you to select the next available time to arrive at certain attractions and use that attraction’s Lightning Lane (a.k.a. FastPass Lane). You’ll be able to make these selections one at a time, throughout the day. BUT, Disney is also introducing a 2nd, NEW, paid service — Individual Attraction Selection. The FastPass kiosks have been out of use for a while! With this service, you’ll pay to schedule a time to ride select, high-demand attractions. When your return time arrives, you’ll go through the “Lightning Lane” (a.k.a. the FastPass Line) and skip the standby line. You’ll pay for this service for each individual ride separately. This is similar to the individual paid FastPass system introduced at Disneyland Paris. Why would you want to use this Individual Attraction Selection service? Well, first of all, this will be utilized for very popular attractions that likely have long wait times or are difficult to ride. FastPass kiosks for Matterhorn at Disneyland Second, the rides that will be available through Disney Genie+ will be DIFFERENT than those available through Individual Attraction Selection. Said differently, the attractions available through Individual Attraction Selection will NOT be available for you to select a return time for through Disney Genie+. So far, Disney has said that Disney Genie+ will include over 40 rides in Disney World and over 15 rides in Disneyland. The rides available through that service will include Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Tomorrowland But, as we noted above, the rides that will be available through Individual Attraction Selection are different. At this point, Disney has indicated that Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom, Radiator Springs Racers in Disney California Adventure Park, WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure at Disney California Adventure Park, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT will ALL be part of the Individual Attraction Selection offering. That means that you’ll still be able to wait in the standby line for Seven Dwarfs if you want to ride the attraction. But, if you want to skip the standby line, you’ll need to buy an Individual Attraction Selection. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train For Rise of the Resistance and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, guests will still be able to join a virtual queue for the rides at no additional cost (or, “Boarding Groups,” as it’s called for Rise of the Resistance). But, if they want to skip the virtual queues and standby lines, they’ll be able to purchase an Individual Attraction Selection for these rides and hop into the Lightning Lane when their scheduled return time is available. Rise of the Resistance Note, however, that guests will only be able to pay for up to 2 Individual Attraction Selections per day. How You’ll Pay for Rides Guests will be able to book their desired Individual Attraction Selections without purchasing Disney Genie+. In other words, you can simply have your regular ticket, and add on this Individual Attraction Selection option to it for an additional fee (without paying for other services). You’ll purchase each of these attraction selections as a separate transaction. Note, however, that you will be able to select multiple members of your group for 1 transaction. So, for example, if you want to purchase an Individual Attraction Selection for Rise of the Resistance for your group of 5, that’s one transaction. Will YOU join the Resistance? You can, however, purchase up to 2 Individual Attraction Selections per day. If you want to purchase a second Individual Attraction Selection that would be a separate transaction. For these Individual Attraction Selections, guests will make the selections on the day of their visit. Guests at Walt Disney World can make their selections when the park opens. If, however, you’ll be staying at a Disney-owned and operated hotel, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, or Shades of Green at Walt Disney World Resort, you’ll actually be able to make your selections a bit early. For those select guests, selections can be made at 7AM. Cars Land We’re on the lookout for more information about when these selections can be made at Disneyland. Our understanding is that you will be able to make these Lightning Lane selections for different parks. So, for example, even if you start your day in Magic Kingdom, you’ll be able to book an Individual Attraction Selection for a ride in EPCOT (just ensure that you have a ticket with Park Hopping abilities that will allow you to visit the other park). Still, across all parks, you’ll only be able to purchase 2 Individual Attraction Selections (in total) for 1 day. Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure Disney Genie is built into My Disney Experience and the Disneyland App. It’s our understanding that Individual Attraction Selection would be available through those apps too, but we’ll be sure to share any updated information we find on that. That’s a basic break-down of the information we know at the moment regarding Individual Attraction Selection. We’ll be on the lookout for more information and share that with you. If you’re looking for more information about Disney Genie, Disney Genie+, and even Individual Attraction Selection, be sure to check back with us and check out some of our other posts. Click here to see big news about Boma at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2021 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2021 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Will you pay for this Individual Attraction Selection service in Disney World or Disneyland? Tell us in the comments! The post How and Why You'll Pay For Individual Rides in Disney Genie+ first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Wow, we’re learning a LOT about Disney’s upcoming trip planning service, Disney Genie. Cinderella Castle Last week, Disney CEO Bob Chapek talked about the upcoming service and now we’re learning a LOT more about it. Not only will it change the way you plan your day in Disney World and Disneyland, but it will also have a feature (Genie+) that will act as a PAID replacement to Fastpass+ and MaxPass. But how will the new service work for Annual Passholders and Magic Key holders? The free Disney Genie service will be available to all Disney World and Disneyland guests, including Annual Passholders and Magic Key holders. So, you’ll be able to access personalized itineraries, a virtual assistant, forecasted future wait times, and more — no matter what your ticket type is! Disney World Annual Pass The paid replacement for Fastpass+ and MaxPass, Disney Genie+, is a $15 addition for Disney World guests and a $20 addition for Disneyland guests. In Disneyland, it will give guests Lightning Lane (like a Fastpass or MaxPass lane) access to more than 15 rides and in Disney World, it will give Lightning Lane access to more than 40 rides. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Beyond that, guests can add on (for an additional fee that has not been announced) Lightning Lane for HIGH demand attractions like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Rise of the Resistance. Kylo-Ren At the launch, Disney World Annual Passholders and Disneyland Magic Key holders will be able to add Disney Genie+ and/or individual Lightning Lane selections on the day of their visit. So, yes! Passholders and Key holders will have full access to the service. ©Disney And, bonus! Disney will be looking into other enhancements for Passholders and Key holders using Disney Genie in the future. No discount information has been shared at this time. We’re fully breaking down the new service so keep an eye on DFB for updates and more information! Click here to see Chapek’s comments about Disney Genie! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2021 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2021 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 excited about Disney Genie? Tell us in the comments! The post What Disney World Annual Passholders NEED To Know About Disney Genie+ first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

FastPass+ was temporarily suspended when the Disney World theme parks reopened last year, and FastPass and MaxPass have not been available at Disneyland since its reopening. The FastPass kiosks have been out of use for a while! For months now, we’ve shared all kinds of updates and thoughts on FastPass, including a look at whether our readers thought FastPass would return to Disney World in 2021, a look at the new paid FastPass system being used in Disneyland Paris, and more. Now, we’ve got a MAJOR update on the future of FastPass at Disneyland and Disney World. Earlier today, Disney announced that FastPass will NOT return to Disney World or Disneyland Resort. MaxPass also will not return to Disneyland. Disney has indicated that both of those systems will be retired. But, two NEW, paid systems will take their place. Entrance Sign Disney Genie+ First, there will be a Disney Genie+ paid service (not to be confused with the FREE Disney Genie planning service Disney will soon be releasing). Through Disney Genie+, guests will be able to select the next available time to arrive at an attraction (essentially making a single FastPass+ selection). When the arrival time is reached, the guest will then head to the attraction and use the “Lightning Lane” and skip the standby line. The “Lightning Lane” is essentially the new name for FastPass+ lines. FastPass+ Guests will be able to make a single Disney Genie+ ride selection at a time, and over 40 attractions at Disney World will be available through the system. Over 15 attractions at Disneyland will be available through the system there. Disney Genie+ will also include select other benefits like Augmented Reality lenses in Disney World, PhotoPass downloads in Disneyland, and more. At Disney World, the cost will be $15 per ticket per day. At Disneyland, the cost will be $20 per ticket per day. Individual Attraction Selections In addition to Disney Genie+, guests will be able to pay for Disney’s NEW Individual Attraction Selection service. With this service, guests will pay a fee PER RIDE to utilize the “Lightning Lane.” The attractions offered through this individual purchase option will be different than those offered through Disney Genie+. Guests will only be able to schedule an arrival time through this service for up to 2 high-demand attractions per day. Pricing for this Individual Attraction Purchase option will vary by date, attraction, and park. Off they go! Don’t want to pay for Disney Genie+ or the Individual Attraction Selection? You’ll still be able to utilize standby lines or virtual queues for attractions throughout the parks. Disney Genie is set to debut in the fall, and it’s our understanding that these new options (Disney Genie+ and Individual Attraction Selection) will also debut in the fall. This is a brief overview of the new, paid systems coming to Disney World and Disneyland. We’ll be sharing posts with more information for you and breaking down all the information you need to know, so stay tuned for more updates. Click here to read about the latest update to Disney World’s mask rules. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2021 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2021 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Would you pay for these new systems? Tell us in the comments. The post BREAKING: FastPass+ Will NOT Return to Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Last year, FastPass+ was temporarily suspended when Disney World reopened. At Disneyland, FastPass and MaxPass were also temporarily suspended and are still not available. Main Street, U.S.A. Earlier today Disney announced that FastPass, FastPass+, and MaxPass will be retired, and some NEW, PAID services will take their places at Disneyland and Disney World. Just how much will these pay-to-ride programs cost and what do you need to know about them? We’re breaking it all down here. As we mentioned, today Disney announced that FastPass and FastPass+ will NOT be returning to Disney World or Disneyland. FastPass and MaxPass also will not be returning to Disneyland. FastPass is Not Returning In their place will be a NEW, paid system. There will actually be two separate new ways for guests to skip the standby lines and reserve what rides they want to go on, and both will require additional payment. Disney Genie+ TLDR As we know, Disney will be introducing Disney Genie, a free, “virtual personal assistant” as part of My Disney Experience this fall. A secondary, paid service will be called Disney Genie+. This paid service will replace FastPass and MaxPass. 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. Jungle Cruise FastPass Entrance Base Price Disney Genie+ (Ride Less Popular Rides For One Base Price) With Disney Genie+, guests will be able to 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 DisneyGenie+ have not been officially announced, but we’ve heard directly from Disney via a media call that they will include attractions like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, and Haunted Mansion. Disney Genie+ Popular Attraction Upcharge (Pay An A La Carte Price PER RIDE To Experience The Most Popular Attractions in Disney World) Now, if you want to ride Disney’s most popular attractions without a wait, there will be a second paid upcharge (which is separate) that will allow guests to select return times for a maximum of two specific, more popular attractions. I repeat: the attractions featured in these two paid options will NOT be the same. Not-so-popular rides will be 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. Yep — your favorite Disney rides could now have SURGE PRICING. lol except we’re crying. Splash Mountain Sign Freaked out? Totally Confused? Us too. Let’s break down all the info you need to know here in a step-by-step fashion: Disney Genie The first thing we want to briefly talk about is Disney Genie. Disney Genie itself is a FREE service that will be available as part of the My Disney Experience app in Disney World and the Disneyland App at Disneyland Resort. Disney Genie will help guests plan their visits based on their interests, the rides they want to go on, and more. Disney Genie will give guests a personalized itinerary and tip board based on what they want to see, show them forecasted future wait times, connect them with a virtual assistant, and help them place mobile orders, join a mobile dine walk-up waitlist for restaurants, and more. Disney Genie ©Disney For example, you’ll be able to tell the Disney Genie what attractions you want to experience, etc. and it’ll create a personalized itinerary for your day, which is flexible and can be modified as your day continues. Click here to learn more about Disney Genie. Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lanes What is It? While Disney Genie itself is free, if you want to skip the standby lines and go through essentially what used to be called the “FastPass queue” then you’ll need to pay for the Disney Genie+ service. Cinderella Castle With Disney Genie+, you’ll be able to select the next available time to arrive at an attraction (sort-of like making a single FastPass+ selection) and use that attraction’s “Lightning Lane” (essentially the new name for FastPass+ lines). When your arrival time comes up, you’ll then head to the attraction, use the Lightning Lane, and skip the standby line. How Many Selections Can You Make? You’ll be able to make 1 of these attraction selections through Disney Genie+ at a time (sort of the way you could get one FastPass at a time way back in the day). Galaxy’s Edge Once tap in for your Lightning Lane selection, you can book another one. Ride that one, book another. Etc. How Many Rides Are Included? Not all rides will be available through Disney Genie+. This ability to select attraction return times through Disney Genie+ will be available for more than 15 attractions at Disneyland Resort, and over 40 attractions at Disney World. So far, Disney has indicated that some of the rides that will be available through Disney Genie+ include Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Haunted Mansion You’ll be able to make these selections throughout the day, subject to availability. What Else is Included? At Disney World, Disney Genie+ will also include Disney PhotoPass Augmented Reality lenses. At Disneyland, your purchase of Disney Genie+ will include Disney PhotoPass downloads from that day. If you buy Disney Genie+ you’ll also get access to some special audio experiences in the app that will feature Imagineers and special guests. These audio features will let you learn fun facts about the attractions and other areas of the park around you. What’s the Cost? And now, the most important question you might be wondering — how much will Disney Genie+ cost? At Disney World, the cost will be $15 per ticket per day. At Disneyland, the cost will be $20 per ticket per day. You can purchase Disney Genie+ in advance for all of the days of your trip, but can only book attractions on the day of your visit. Yep, 60 and 90 day FastPass selections are GONEZO. You can now only book attractions on the day you to to the park. When Can You Select Your Rides? At Walt Disney World, guests will be able to make their first Disney Genie+ ride selection at 7AM on the day of their visit. At Disneyland, guests can make their first Disney Genie+ selection once they’re in the park. Individual Attraction Selections (For Purchase) So we’ve discussed Disney Genie and its FREE planning services. And we’ve talked about Disney Genie+ and its FastPass/MaxPass-like service that allows you to pick return times for 1 attraction at a time and use the lightning lane to skip the standby line…for a fee. But, Disney has also announced that Disney Genie+ will have another paid option for guests. If you want to skip the standby line at select (more popular) attractions, you’ll need to pay for Disney’s Individual Attraction Selection service. This is similar in a sense to what we’ve seen offered at Disneyland Paris, where you pay a fee to utilize what was essentially the FastPass lane, but you pay just for that individual attraction. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train What Attractions Will be Included in This Individual Purchase Option? The attractions offered through this individual purchase option will be different than those offered through the base-price Disney Genie+. So far, Disney has indicated that the following rides will be included in this individual attraction selection option: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom, Radiator Springs Racers at Disney California Adventure Park, Rise of the Resistance in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Web Slingers in Disney California Adventure park, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in EPCOT. Disney will release the rest of the attractions in this group later this year. Rise of the Resistance Note that Disney has indicated virtual queue boarding groups will continue for free to all guests for Rise of the Resistance, but if you do not get a boarding group you can try to get a spot by using the paid Individual Attractions Selection option. The same will be done with Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, which will use a virtual queue free to all guests when it opens (but when Individual Attraction Purchases become available, you’ll also be able to pay to schedule a ride at this attraction). How Many Individual Attraction Selections Can You Make Per Day? With this individual attraction selection, guests will be able to schedule a time to ride up to 2 high-demand attractions each day and use the Lightning Lane entrance during their scheduled time to ride. These two attractions can be at different parks if you have a park hopper ticket. What is the Price for Individual Attraction Selections? Pricing for this Individual Attraction Purchase option will vary by date, attraction, and park. Note that you do not need to buy Disney Genie+ in order to use this Individual Attraction Selection service. So, for example, if you JUST want to ride Rise of the Resistance and you don’t care about anything else, you do NOT need to purchase Disney Genie+ to ride it. You only have to pay the individual cost of that ride. Off they go! When Can You Make Individual Selection Bookings? Note that these Individual Attraction Purchases can be made on the same day of your visit and used across multiple parks. HOTEL PERK ALERT! At Disney World, if you’re staying at a Disney owned and operated hotel, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, or the Shades of Green Hotel you’ll be able to make your first Individual Attraction Selection at 7AM. All other guests will have to make their selections when they enter their first park of the day. Cars Land Also, keep in mind that attractions will continue to offer standby queues or virtual queue options for guests not wanting to use any of these paid options. Essentially, you can continue to visit the parks and just join the standby lines as usual. You can also use the Disney Genie planning service for FREE if you want. Disney Genie+ and/or Individual Attraction Selections are completely optional. You can do none of these, all of them, or a mix. Disney Genie is set to debut in the fall, and it’s our understanding that these new options (Disney Genie+ and Individual Attraction Selection) will also debut in the fall. Check out the video below to see more information about Disney Genie, Genie+, and more. This is all still a developing situation and we’re working on getting the latest details for you. We’ll continue to keep you updated as to these new systems. Click here to learn more about the FREE Disney Genie planning service. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2021 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2021 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. What do you think about the new Disney Genie+ program? What questions do you have about it? Tell us in the comments. The post PAID FastPass Is Coming To Disney World SOON -- And It's Called Disney Genie+ first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We’re almost ready to let Disney Genie out of the lamp! Coming this fall to Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort, Disney Genie is a complimentary and convenient new digital service designed to create your best Disney day.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DisneyParks/~4/rJuCkLa-9GcView the full article

Things have been picking up around Disneyland Resort since its reopening. Technically, withOUT the character right now. We finally got to witness the opening of Avengers Campus (and it did NOT disappoint), but we also have seen many Disneyland hotels and restaurants reopen! And today, we’re at another grand reopening! We stopped by Goofy’s Kitchen at the Disneyland Hotel to have some breakfast. Although this has been a character buffet in the past, Disney previously announced before its reopening that guests would not be able to meet characters here for the time being. But it did keep the buffet format, and we’re here to get our eat on! Atmosphere When we arrived at Goofy’s Kitchen, we checked in at the front counter. Checking in The seating here is tables and chairs. Seating Booths are also available. Cutest table ever? There are also some cute little details everywhere if you look for them. Goofy is even on the walls! It’s Goofy! And as we previously mentioned, this is a buffet — various stations are set up throughout. Buffets are back! So let’s eat! Eats There is a LOT of different breakfast foods to choose from! You’ve got the standards like eggs, bacon, French toast, muffins, pastries, and sausage. ©Disney But there are some super unique and fun items, too, like the Peanut Butter and Jelly Pizza… Peanut butter and Jelly pizza …and Macaroni and Cheese Scrambled Eggs! Mac and Cheese scrambled eggs? And, of course, don’t forget Mickey waffles! Can’t have breakfast without Mickey waffles So we filled up our plate! A little bit of this, a little bit of that And that’s what a reopened Goofy’s Kitchen looks like without characters. We’ll be back soon with a full review, so stay tuned! Here’s Where We Found the Most Amazing Plate of Nachos in Disney’s Animal Kingdom! 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 What do you think? Would you go to Goofy’s Kitchen without the characters? Let us know in the comments! The post FIRST LOOK: Goofy's Kitchen at Disneyland Has Officially Reopened! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Boma, located in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, is consistently rated a fan-favorite Disney World restaurant. Boma Boma is a buffet restaurant that has been closed since the Disney World closure in March of 2020. Now Boma is finally reopening on August 20th as the first buffet to reopen in Disney World and reservations opened up today! Disney also released Boma’s menus for breakfast and dinner, so let’s go over it! Breakfast Buffet Boma’s breakfast menu will include classic breakfast items like Pancakes, Waffles, Bacon and Sausage, Cinnamon-Raisin Bread Pudding, Carved Ham, Coconut Steel-cut Oatmeal, Turkey Bobotie, Deviled Eggs with Smoked Salmon and Hard-boiled Eggs, Avocado, Papaya, Grapefruit Salad, and more. ©Disney You can also order Omelets, with options such as Ham and Swiss, Western with Ham, Peppers, Onions, and Cheddar, Egg White with Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach, and Feta, and Plant-based Bobotie. Create Your Own Omelet Station at Boma For breakfast, you can order coffee and water beverages along with specialty drinks such as Press Pot with Joffrey’s Kenyan Coffee, Watermelon Lemonade, and Sparkling No-Jito, which is made with fresh limes, agave nectar, and mint topped with soda water. ©Disney Boma’s Breakfast Buffet will cost $29 per adult and $16 per child, plus tax and gratuity. Dinner Buffet Boma’s Dinner Buffet has not really changed and will still offer dishes such as Berbere-Chickpea Salad, Tabbouleh, Tunisian Couscous and Shrimp Salad, North African Cauliflower Salad, Spiced Green Beans with Golden Raisins, Black-Eyed Peas, Greens and Chakalaka, Peanut Rice, Chicken Bites, Sweet Corn Pudding, Senagalese Yassa-style Salmon, Lamb Bobotie, and more. ©Disney The alcoholic beverages offered include Mt Kilimarita African Margarita, African Rum Runner, Tusker Premium Lager, Casa Premium Lager, and two local Florida brewery beers. ©Disney The Dinner Buffet also offers the same non-alcoholic beverages available during the Breakfast Buffet, such as the Watermelon Lemonade and the Sparkling No-Jito. ©Disney The Boma Dinner Buffet will cost $49 per adult and $27 per child, plus tax and gratuity. If you’ve enjoyed a meal at Boma in the past, you may be excited to see Disney offering a buffet option in Disney World again! Boma Dining Room Stay tuned for a full Boma review once it officially reopens. Keep reading DFB for all your Disney World food and restaurant news! Here’s how to make a reservation at Boma! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2021 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2021 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Have you ever eaten at Boma? Tell us in the comments! The post Reopening Menus Released for Boma in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Hong Kong Disneyland’s new stage show, “Follow Your Dreams,” is an eclectic blend of rearranged classic Disney songs with live singing and dancing throughout. This new outdoor musical party features surprise appearances from some new Disney characters on stage for the first time, along with exciting pyro effects, mesmerizing water fountain technology and a host […]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DisneyParks/~4/D65OVVWqiKIView the full article

Port Canaveral is projecting a banner rebound in its financial projections for the 2022 fiscal year. View the full article

Rare character sighting! Sure, you can see our old pal Mickey Mouse in all four parks every day of the week, but it’s not too often that he straps on his oxygen tank and dives into a fish tank! In the biiiiiig blueee world! We were lucky enough to catch Scuba Mickey over in EPCOT today, and we thought we’d bring you along to come and say hello! Scuba Mickey was hanging out over in The Seas pavilion with his fishy friends — check out the video below! Typically, you can catch Scuba Mickey in EPCOT on World Ocean Day, but he also comes every once in a while to pop in and say hello, like today! Under the sea! We knew that Mickey was a multitalented mouse, but this clearly confirms our theory. Hello, Mickey! Mickey stuck around to pose with plenty of little ones (and adults!) — do you think any of the fish wanted a picture with the mouse?! Great to see you, Mickey! We were so excited to see such a RARE character floating around today! If you’re on the lookout for more unique character encounters, stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news! I’m Sorry, And You Are? 6 Popular Disney Characters and the Names They ALMOST Had! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! Order Your Copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2021 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2021 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Have you ever met Scuba Mickey? Let us know in the comments! The post PHOTOS and VIDEO: Scuba Mickey Was Back in EPCOT Today! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Hello from Disney World. We’re hanging out at the parks today checking out food, merchandise, 50th anniversary decor, and more! Tree of Life But we’re also going to hop on some rides because we were in for a surprise today — the crowds are really low right now! And wait times are short. Is this the least crowded we’ve seen Disney World all summer? It makes sense — kids have gone back to school and it’s the middle of the week. But we were seriously enjoying having lots of space to wander all over Disney’s Animal Kingdom today! Look at this! It’s so peaceful this morning. So quiet… There were fewer people hanging around in front of the Tree of Life than we’re used to. Tree of Life We’re not complaining — we love it when it’s like this! Where did all the people go? It’s even quiet inside stores. Not many people at all! And wait times are incredibly low — only 40 minutes for Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey?! ©Disney Other wait times are even lower than that. Only 5 minutes for most other attractions! That’s practically walk-on! ©Disney And we saw the same later at Magic Kingdom. Even Fantasyland looked like a ghost town… Fantasyland crowds And check this out — the posted wait time for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was only 45 minutes! Only a 45 minute wait? Excuse us while we enjoy a nice relaxing day at Disney World. And we’ll continue to keep an eye on the crowds and let you know what they look like, so stay tuned. Read about the new mask policy in Disney World 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! Order Your Copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! With more than 750 pages, the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We've done the research for you, so you'll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family's needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you'll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2021 to save 25% off the cover price today! Use code WDW2021 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. What do you think of the low crowds today? Let us know in the comments. The post PHOTOS! Disney World's Crowds Are Shockingly Low Today first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article