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Happy spring, DFB friends! Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa We’ve been enjoying the warm weather, trying lots of tasty treats, and of course bringing you the latest from Disney World! That means we’re constantly keepin’ an eye out for new eats…and we spotted 3 new ones to share with ya. Mother’s Day is coming up, so that means specialty treats are on their way to Disney World! At Gasparilla Island Grill at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, you can now order a Mother’s Day Mimosa Miniature Gateau. That’ll be a golden sponge cake topped with a chocolate Cinderella slipper and filed with mimosa-flavored mousse. Yum! It’ll cost ya $7.99. ©Disney If you want a different cake, you can try the new Tropical Flamingo Miniature Gateau there, too! This one’s another golden sponge cake, but filled with a tropical-flavored mousse. It’s topped with sugar and a buttercream flamingo, and it costs $7.99, too! Both cakes are an individual serving size, so feel free to have them allll to yourself. ©Disney And over at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa, there’s a new cupcake! The Artist’s Palette will soon serve up a Mother’s Day Cupcake. That’s a vanilla cupcake with spiced peach compote, spiced buttercream, peach mousse, and a white chocolate hat! It’s $5.99. ©Disney You can currently use Mobile Order to snag that Mother’s Day Miniature Gateau at Gasparilla Island Grill. The other 2 treats are on their way! We’ll be sure to try them all and bring you a review soon, so stay tuned to DFB. Check Out One of Our Favorite Cupcakes of 2021! 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. Which of these treats do you want to try? Let us know in the comments! The post Here’s Where You Can Get Disney World’s 3 Newest Treats first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

A Disney World ride was having some technical difficulties today. Tree of Life Sometimes, we’ll see rides close temporarily for issues. Other times, they have to be evacuated for some reason or another! Such was the case at Kali River Rapids in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. When we passed by Kali River Rapids today, we saw that it was temporarily closed. Kali River Rapids Closed A Cast Member explained that the ride was in fact being evacuated, and that the Reedy Creek Fire Department had to get involved to help guests out. There was no mention of why the ride was having problems, or what the evacuation process looked like. When we got a peek at the rafts, all of them were empty. Kali River Rapids The fire department does not usually have to get involved in evacuations, so something was definitely out of the norm. Nonetheless, guests were able to wait at the ride exit to reunite with the rest of their party after the evacuation. Kali River Rapids As of now, the ride remains temporarily closed. We’ll keep you posted as we receive any more updates or details, so stay tuned to DFB. Read About Another Ride Evacuation in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! 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 visited Animal Kingdom lately? Let us know in the comments! The post Kali River Rapids Evacuated By Disney World's Fire Department first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. If you love Minnie Mouse and Disney purses, backpacks, and bags, you may be VERY familiar with the kate spade new york “Love My Dots Collection” that we spotted in Disney World back in January of this year. Kate Spade Rock the Dots Collection Well, if you never got the chance to snag those bags, NOW is your chance to bring some of them home! Yesterday, as we were strolling through Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we found a sign and display in Legends of Hollywood indicating that some of the bags from this collection would be available once again in the parks today, April 23rd. We expect the bags will be available there as well as at Uptown Jewelers in Magic Kingdom and Marketplace Co-Op in Disney Springs. Time for a New Disney Bag? But, if you won’t be heading to the parks, don’t fret! You can grab some of this fabulous collection online right now on shopDisney. What does the collection include (at least in terms of what’s available online) and how much is it going to hurt your wallet? Let’s break it down! For starters, you can grab the Minnie Mouse Backpack for $298. Disney x Kate Spade Minnie Mouse Collection It’s got 2 zip compartments, a front zip pocket, and all kinds of adorable Minnie-inspired details. Click here to grab this backpack! Want to grab the Satchel Bag featuring the same allover Minnie faces and polka dot pattern? That’ll set you back $328! ©shopDisney The bag is nice in the sense that it is versatile as it comes with top carry handles and an adjustable, removable crossbody strap — so that’s a nice feature. Click here to get the satchel bag! Online right now you can also grab the Minnie Mouse Pouch Duo for $128, which comes with one large pouch bag and one small one… ©shopDisney …the Minnie Mouse Wallet for $178… ©shopDisney …a Minnie Mouse Card Case for $55 (which you can see in the bottom left side of the photo below)… Which of These Items Would You Get? …and a Minnie Mouse Camera Bag for $168. The Camera Bag is the Smaller One Right in Front So, if you’ve been searching for a new Minnie Mouse-inspired bag, these could be great for you! Again, these are the bags that are currently available online, but some of them should also be available in the parks starting today. We’ll keep an eye out for more great Disney merchandise and let you know what we spot! Click here to see what Tangled sidekick got his own Disney Loungefly bag! 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 these bags? Tell us in the comments! The post Here's How to Get the Latest Disney x kate spade Collection Without Going to the Parks! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

A baby klipspringer antelope is bonding with its mother before making a public debut at a Florida zoo. View the full article

We really love Disney food. Hey, we didn’t call ourselves the Disney Food Blog for nothin’! The King Dog Though a LOT of Disney food is a big hit, sometimes Disney misses and they can miss BIG. Today, we’re thinking back on the yuckiest things we’ve eaten in Disney World so far this year — and hoping they never grace our plates again. 1. King Dog at Hot Diggity Dog Food Truck The first thing we thought of when we thought of gross Disney food was the King Dog from Hot Diggity Dog Food Truck. This item was available for a VERY limited time (thank goodness) on the secret menu. King Dog And this dog was…BONKERS. We’re talking about an All-Beef Hot Dog in a French Toast Batter Dipped and Cereal-Crusted Bun, topped with a Spicy Peanut Butter Spread, Banana Honey Mustard, Chipotle-Berry Preserves, and pieces of Billionaires Bacon. We’re sorry…WHAT. The King Dog’s bun There was a LOT going on with this eat (Or should we say treat? We don’t know.). The spicy peanut butter sauce was the strongest flavor and when you got to the hot dog you were reminded that it was pretty much a frank covered in weird breakfast toppings. Yeah…not our favorite snack ever. Click here for our full review of the King Dog! 2. Peppermint Patti at YeSake This next one isn’t really something we ate; it’s something we drank! YeSake kiosk in Disney Springs introduced an inventive drink as their March limited-time option to help celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Well, spoiler alert, it was not the best. Peppermint Patti The Peppermint Patti was a Green Lemonade topped with Whipped Cream and pieces of Peppermint Bark. We have so many questions. Why is the lemonade green? Who puts whipped cream on lemonade? And since when do peppermint and lemon flavors go together!? Peppermint Patti The answer to that last one? Since never. The Peppermint Patti had a SUPER sweet lemonade base and the peppermint flavor with the lemonade was pretty jarring. It kinda tasted like drinking lemonade immediately after brushing your teeth. Blech. Want to see more of the Peppermint Patti? Click here! 3. Sea Turtle Cupcake at Restaurantosaurus This last one you can actually still try in Disney’s Animal Kingdom — but not for long! The Sea Turtle Cupcake was introduced at Restaurantosaurus as a part of the Earth Day celebrations earlier this month. It’s positively ADORABLE, but the taste is just plain weird. What a cutie! This treat is based on the moment a baby sea turtle hatches and heads into the sea. It’s a Graham Cracker Cupcake with Key Lime Pie Filling and Guava Gelée with Vanilla Buttercream, topped with a Fruit Snack Sea Turtle. Let’s take a peek inside! You certainly can’t say this treat isn’t cute, but boy does it taste weird. The gummies are spearmint and peach so the combo of mint with lime, vanilla, and guava was just plain weird. That just proves you can’t judge a cupcake by its decorations! To learn more about the Sea Turtle Cupcake, click here! See? Disney certainly has had a few misses so far this year. As always, we’ll be keeping an eye out for new eats in Disney World and trying them ALL. Maybe we’ll find a new favorite…we just might have to go through some not-so-favorites in the meantime. 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. Did you try any of these yucky snacks? Tell us in the comments! The post The 3 WORST Things We've Eaten in Disney World This Year (So Far) first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Oh my goodness gracious — it wasn’t a dream!!! ©Marvel | Disney Earlier this year, we got to participate in a private media event from Disney where we saw a brief (and we mean VERY BRIEF) clip of Imagineers looking at what appeared to be a WALKING robot Baby Groot! We seriously did a double take. Because it was a private event, we were prompted not to take photos, which maybe makes the whole thing sound like it was part of a fever-induced Guardians of the Galaxy dream. BUT NO! It is real and now we’ve got photos and a video to prove it!! Now, it’s important to note that guests have been able to meet Groot in the past in Disney’s Hollywood Studios but he was quite small! ©Disney Guests could also get a glimpse of a MASSIVE Groot in Disney California Adventure Park. Groot at Disney California Adventure But, this NEW Groot creation is totally different!!! Earlier, we shared a look at some similar tech from a patent Disney filed at the end of 2020 for a “Legged High-dexterity Self-balancing Capable Robot Actor.” ©Disney But now we finally have some answers about the incredible Baby Groot robot we only got a tiny clip of before. Here’s robot Baby Groot in all of his glory!! It’s the Robot Groot!!! ©Walt Disney Imagineering R&D Inc. According to Tech Crunch, this robot is not attached in one place like the animatronics we’re used to seeing in the parks. Instead, this character is only attached by a thin cable used for programming. Other than some minor cables, he can walk around freely! His gait is smooth, and his arms can swing in a more life-like manner. Tech Crunch shares that this is what is known as “Project Kiwi” — “a small-scale, free-roaming robotic actor — the first of its kind for Disney and a real robotics milestone.” This little guy has expressive eyes, accurately rendered textures on his face, hands, and feet, and an outfit you’ll recognize from the Guardians of the Galaxy films. Basically — it’s a real, walk around robot character that is kid-size! Tech Crunch specifically noted that while the version of Project Kiwi that we’re seeing now is “Groot-flavored,” “it’s important to stress that this is a platform first and foremost, which means that it could take this form when it gets to the parks, or another form entirely.” That is interesting since the patent we saw previously for some similar technology did have one image that looked like Judy Hopps. So, we’re wondering where Disney could take this in the future! ©Walt Disney Imagineering R&D Inc. Tech Crunch notes that Project Kiwi is still a work in progress, and that guests shouldn’t expect to “see this in the wild soon.” They specifically noted that there’s a lot of work that still needs to be done in the way that Kiwi works and interactions with people. They also noted that Walt Disney Imagineering “does not have immediate plans to put it in the parks.” But, even so, this is still an absolutely INCREDIBLE sight! Check out a full video about the robot Groot below!! Tech Crunch notes that the end goal of Project Kiwi was clear — “a character that could walk on its own and interact with park guests.” One Imagineer noted that they were really working to figure out how to bring the smaller characters to life in their actual scale in authentic ways. So, Imagineering turned to their Research & Development group to work on some ways to make this happen. All of this started about 3 years ago!! ©Walt Disney Imagineering R&D Inc. Prototypes were built, and things have just continued to move on from there. Though there is still some audible noise from some of the pieces in the prototype (and some air being pushed through the unit through fans), the noise is very low, “allowing audio playing out of a speaker to enable conversation.” While the robot that Tech Crunch got the chance to see in the demonstration had a safety tether and a control cable for live programming, nothing on the rig itself actually needed support. It was free roaming with on-board battery power. Right now, it seems that battery power lasts about 45 minutes. ©Walt Disney Imagineering R&D Inc. You can read the full Tech Crunch article for more details on ALL of the technology that has gone into this amazing creation! Again, the article notes that we shouldn’t expect to see this “in the wild” anytime soon and that things could look very different when it does get shared with guests. But, it’s absolutely fascinating to see this little piece of it and just how realistically it moves around. And when you sit down and think about ALL of the possibilities this could open up for Disney in terms of unique character interactions, it’s just incredible! We’ll continue to keep an eye out for more updates on this and we’ll let you know what we find! Click here to read about the interactive Groot toy that was released online last year! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What do you think of this Baby Groot robot? Tell us in the comments! The post PHOTOS & VIDEO: First Look at Disney's Life-Size WALKING Baby Groot!! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We’ve got a HUGE update, DFB friends! PeopleMover By now, you probably know that the PeopleMover in Magic Kingdom has been closed for a LONG time. It first shut down in March 2020, and we haven’t seen it reopen since! The reopening has been delayed again…and again…and again, but now, we’ve got BIG news. Jeff Vahle, President of Walt Disney World, has confirmed that the PeopleMover is roepening “later this weekend.” WHAT?! He shared that he recently checked in with the team in charge of the refurbishment, and that the ride will soon be ready to “delight a new generation.” We’re pretty delighted, too! Most recently, this ride was scheduled to reopen on May 1st, so it’s expected to be back up and running a whole week early. We can’t wait to ride this again! If you’ll be in Magic Kingdom this weekend, enjoy your grand tour of Tomorrowland. We’ll be there, too! Read More About the PeopleMover’s Closure! 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 ride the PeopleMover again? Let us know in the comments! The post BREAKING NEWS: The PeopleMover Is FINALLY Reopening in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

The state of Florida filed for a preliminary injunction Thursday seeking the immediate overturn for the conditional sail order from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its federal suit against the agency that looks to get the cruise industry up and running. View the full article

The Disney Cruise Line is currently not sailing, but we have an exciting look at what’s ahead. Disney Wish Concept Art ©Disney The Disney Wish, the newest ship in the fleet, is debuting in summer 2022! We’ve already shared a peek into the ship’s construction, and we even got a glimpse at some concept art. And now, Disney’s got more behind-the-scenes details for us! Disney’s newest video shares a look into the inspiration behind the Disney Wish, and it’s one word: “enchantment!” This enchantment stems from stories old and new — you’ll see hints of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars onboard. We’ve already shared that Rapunzel will appear on the stern and Cinderella will be featured in the Grand Hall — and that’s just a taste of what we can expect! ©Disney And today, we got a closer look into the Grand Hall, which will have “glittering trails of pixie dust” and a “shimmering chandelier.” Sounds pretty enchanting to us! You can take a closer look in this video: The Disney Wish is the Disney Cruise Line’s “Castle on the Seas” — captained by none other than Minnie Mouse! We’re looking forward to sharing more details on April 29th, during the ship’s grand reveal. Stay tuned to DFB! Check Out More Concept Art from the Disney Wish! 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 going to set sail on the Disney Wish? Let us know in the comments! The post VIDEO: Take a Look INSIDE the Disney Cruise Line’s New Ship! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Back in 2019, there was an accident where some Disney World Skyliner gondolas crashed into each other. Yesterday evening, some Skyliner gondolas crashed into each other again. Disney Skyliner We shared some live updates from the crash, news about some guests that were stuck following the crash, and updates about when the Skyliner began moving again. Now, Disney has made a few statements about the recent incident. According to Orlando’s News 6, Disney officials have said that “nobody was in the cabins [involved] in the incident and nobody was injured.” Skyliner Crash @nextstopmainstreet on Instagram In case you missed it, yesterday some Skyliner gondolas crashed at the Disney’s Hollywood Studios station, and some glass shattered. When we visited the station last night, at first the gondolas were not moving and people were waiting in line for the gondolas. The guests were then encouraged to take buses or boats to get to their next destination. Line for Skyliner Some guests were stuck in the Skyliner during this time. After a little bit of time, the Skyliner started moving again and it opened back up to guests. Skyliner Wait Time Again, this isn’t the first time that an incident has happened with the Skyliner. There was a previous crash in 2019 and earlier this year some guests got stuck in the Skyliner for quite some time due to weather concerns. During previous incidents, we’ve also gotten a look at what’s included in the emergency packs in the Skyliner before (and given our thoughts on what SHOULD have been included in there). Credit: Olivia Crowe If you’re wondering what emergency situations like this one might be like in Disney World and how to prepare for them, check out our video below about handling emergencies and evacuations in Disney World. We’ll continue to keep an eye out for more details about the Skyliner crash and other things all over Disney World. Stay tuned for all the latest news. Click here to see more about the individuals who were stuck on the Skyliner recently due to weather concerns. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Have you ever been through an evacuation in Disney World? Tell us about it in the comments. The post Disney Comments on the Recent Skyliner Crash first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Okay, Gideon’s fans, we’ve got BIG news. Frankenstein Cookie Gideon’s Bakehouse at Disney Springs is constantly servin’ up seasonal cookies and other creative eats (remember those blended-up Cake Dips?!). And now, they’ve debuted a NEW way to get your fix of cookie goodness. Gideon’s shared that starting today, they are introducing Bites! These guys are each 1/4 of a Gideon’s Cookie, dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with cookie toppings. You can grab prepackaged bags of ’em: each bag will contain 1 Bite each of the Chocolate Chip, Triple Chocolate, Cookies & Cream, Peanut Butter Crunch, and Pistachio Toffee Chocolate Chip cookies! And boy do they look GOOD. ©Gideon’s Bakehouse Gideon’s has specified that these little Bites are extra rich, and they offer a different taste than their classic cookies. So this bag isn’t a way to sample those classic flavors! Instead, it’s the “next step” to your Gideon’s experience. We think we’re ready! How about you?! You can always stick with a normal cookie, too! These Bites are available as single bites at Gideon’s at East End, or in Bite Bags at both the East End and Disney Springs location. And if you’re wondering how one of these Bites is the Peanut Butter Crunch Cookie when those cookies were low in stock, good news! They have been FULLY restocked now. Peanut Butter Crunch Cookies for everyone! PB Chocolate Swirl Cookie On a different note, Gideon’s mentioned that Key Lime Pie Cake will be BACK this weekend! So keep an eye out. And stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news! Check Out Our Review of Gideon’s Latest Seasonal Cookie! 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 going to try these new Bites? Let us know in the comments! The post Try 5 POPULAR Disney World Cookies at Once! Here’s How. first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Designing The Disney Wish: Unveiling Dazzling New Design Concept | Disney Cruise Line View the full article

Earlier this week, Cruise Director Ashley shared that our grand reveal of the Disney Wish is just around the corner on April 29, and we hope all of you can join us for this exciting virtual event! In the meantime, I want to give you a first look at the dazzling design concept we’ve just unveiled for this incredible ship.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DisneyParks/~4/1LfEZ2_sp70 View the full article

The rumors are sort of perpetually out there — “Disney World is going to build a 5th theme park!” “It’ll be based on the villains!” “No, it’ll all be princess-themed!” “No, it’ll be based on Disney’s live-action movies!” Welcome to Disney World! We get the hype. Heck, we want it to be true! We can’t deny that an entirely BRAND NEW 5th Disney World theme park in Orlando would be pretty amazing. But, will it actually happen? Why hasn’t it happened already? And, better yet, why might it NOT happen anytime soon? Today we’re breaking down all of our thoughts on why Disney World CAN’T just add a 5th theme park (sorry, guys!!). It’s Been HOW Long?! Let’s start with a look at the past. Here are all of the years when the existing Disney World theme parks opened: Magic Kingdom — Opened 1971 EPCOT — Opened 1982 (11 year gap) Disney’s Hollywood Studios — Opened 1989 (7 year gap) Disney’s Animal Kingdom — Opened 1998 (9 year gap) Are you older than the Tree of Life? So, as you can see, Animal Kingdom was the last theme park to open in Disney World and that was 23(!!!) years ago! Some of you reading this article might have not even been BORN when Animal Kingdom opened! Wow, feeling majorly old right now. LOL, if you were alive when Hollywood Studios first opened, time to start using some eye cream, ammiright? Anyway, we bring this up just to note that it has been a WHILE since Disney World opened a new theme park in Orlando. This would actually be the largest time gap between the opening of Disney World theme parks. So, perhaps this long gap shows that Disney World just isn’t planning or willing to open a 5th theme park in Orlando at the moment, and perhaps won’t do so for a very long time. But, there are reasons why Disney might want to build a 5th theme park. Why Disney Might WANT to Build a 5th Park Building a 5th theme park could definitely have its advantages when it comes to Disney World. First, having another park for people to visit during their stay could encourage more guests to stay on property for more of their vacation. Guests that previously left one day of their trip to do non-Disney things, like visit other theme parks in Orlando, might be encouraged to instead stay on Disney World property that day and visit the 5th theme park instead. What a Gorgeous View! Guests might also feel encouraged to visit Disney World for a longer period of time. More parks=longer vacay! So, that typical, annual 4-day vacation with a schedule set to visit 1 park per day, may need to become a 5-day vacation to fit in the new theme park. That all means more potential revenue for Disney when it comes to tickets, restaurants, merchandise, hotels, etc. Longer trips generally = more $$ A 5th theme park would also likely encourage more people to visit Disney World in general. Some people out there have been to Disney World in the past and feel like they’ve “seen all there is to see.” If Disney World opens a 5th park though, that could seriously encourage them and lots of other people to come back to Disney World for the first time in months or years as there’ll be something REALLY new to see. Guests would (obviously) need to buy tickets for the park, so that would drive revenue up. They might also spend more on food, souvenirs, and other things in the park. (You can hear the cash register *KA-CHING* sounds too, right?) Just don’t forget a stop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! A 5th park would also give existing loyal fans something new to look forward to. It might mean that you’ll move up your annual trip or visit more than normal in upcoming years to see ALL of the new things. Disney World could also use this 5th park to incorporate more of their movies, shows, and other IP into the parks. And they could target larger groups of fans with new rides and new technologies, without having to replace some of the classics that fans know and love. Peter Pan’s Flight, a True Classic But, perhaps most beneficial, a 5th park would give Disney an entirely blank slate to start from. They wouldn’t have to worry about existing rides, existing pathways, exitsting structures, etc. They could create anything they want to and that’s likely a VERY exciting thought. BUT it’s not that easy. Drawing Visitors Away from the Other Parks Opening a 5th park also has its disadvantages — one of the biggest being that opening a 5th park would likely (in some respects) draw visitors away from the other 4 parks. In order to visit all 5 parks, Disney World guests might need to extend their stay. And, some people might be willing to do that. Literally Never Get Tired of This View But, others likely won’t extend their stay. Not everyone has the flexibility to schedule a longer trip and some just might not WANT to! Instead, they’ll just try to do more in the same number of days. Or, they’ll focus their visit on the new park and skip out on the other ones. So, that day in their typical visit that used to be reserved for EPCOT or Animal Kingdom might just switch to a day focused on the new park. This trip, they might just not visit one of the parks at all. People only have so many vacation days. And while there are a LOT of guests and you might think that drawing visitors away from the other 4 parks is a good thing to help ease the crowds in the other parks, from a financial perspective it’s generally not. Really, from a purely financial perspective, Disney likely wants ALL of its parks to be full. They Probably Don’t Want All of Their Parks to Be Full of Stormtroopers Though Now, the 5th park might encourage enough visitors to return, new visitors to come, or returning visitors to extend their stays, mitigating any fears about dropping attendance at the parks. But, if many or most guests just decide that they’ll skip one of the other 4 parks this trip in order to focus on the new park, then that might not be an ideal thing. Click here for our month-by-month guide to planning a Disney World vacation. Expansion vs. New Creation Another factor that Disney might be considering when it looks at potentially building a 5th theme park is expansion vs. creation. Generally speaking, expanding an existing park is likely MUCH easier than creating something new. The Ratatouille Expansion Will Be Opening Soon! Why? An existing park already has most of the basic infrastructure needed for the expansion. It’s already got water pipes, an entrance, an exit, parking, transportation, wiring, electricity, etc. — all of the basic things — for Disney to just tap into for the new area. It’s likely easier and more cost-effective to just create an expansion rather than build an entirely new park from scratch. Sure, expansions can come with their own challenges due to that existing infrastructure, but the challenges for a small expansion are likely less than the challenges would be for an entirely new park. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Was Part of an Expansion in Magic Kingdom And, frankly, Disney has shown us its general preference for expansions. Over the past several years, we’ve seen Disney open or work on New Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the TRON ride in Magic Kingdom, Pandora — The World of Avatar in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and the entire surrounding area as part of the France pavilion expansion in EPCOT. Disney could have combined these ideas and other ones (that we’re sure are just floating around Imagineering somewhere) into a new theme park. But, instead, it decided to expand its existing parks to add in these new experiences. These decisions and the popularity of the expanded areas that have already opened might show Disney’s general preference to continue on expansion efforts in the future, rather than an entirely new park. Click here to go INSIDE the France expansion area! The Effort & The $$ Perhaps the most obvious reason why Disney can’t just build a 5th theme park is the sheer amount of effort and money it would take. We’ve seen the effort that has been required just to build the Star Wars hotel and other new experiences on property. We’ve been promised Space 220 for multiple YEARS now, and we still haven’t been able to step foot inside that spot! Will We EVER Get to Eat in Space 220?! It takes YEARS for expansion areas, new rides, new hotels, etc. to be built. Just imagine how long it would take to build an entirely new theme park from scratch and how much effort would be required. Complications and special situations, like the global pandemic for example, have also caused several new projects in Disney World to either be delayed or postponed. Disney could begin construction on a 5th park and find itself in a similar situation with significant delays due to issues outside of its control. It’s relatively easy to postpone or delay a single ride, but much more difficult to handle delays when it relates to an ENTIRE park. TRON Construction Moving Along A 5th park also comes with a lot of challenging things to consider and address. Where should it be placed on property? How much space should it have? How many opening-day attractions does it need to justify guests purchasing a ticket there and feeling satisfied? How will the roads have to be arranged to lead guests to the park? How will Disney handle transportation of guests from their hotels to this park (more buses, more bus drivers, etc. will likely be needed)? Where will Disney build the parking lot? If all parks are at capacity, does Disney have enough hotel rooms to house a that larger number of guests? Does it need more hotels? How many more Cast Members will they need to hire? The questions are essentially endless. That said, they have done it before in the past. The First Order is Coming! And, of course, building a 5th park would require a WHOLE lot of $$$. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge alone cost upwards of $1 BILLION (yes, with a “B”). In a time when Disney’s businesses have ALL been significantly impacted financially due to the pandemic, and the theme parks are reporting losses in amounts that also start with a “B,” pouring buckets of money into a 5th theme park might not be financially feasible or practical for a long time to come. Click here to see the latest updates on how much money Disney’s theme parks lost in 2020. There’s Less Available Space than You Think The entire Disney World property is VERY large — about 40 square miles! And, as you’re driving around you might see some open spaces and think “wow, a theme park could fit in there perfectly!” And you might be right — for some of those areas. But, not all of Disney’s property in Florida is actually available for a 5th park. Surprisingly a lot of it is actually not suitable for building at ALL. There is LOTS of Room for Flowers Though! The Reedy Creek Improvement District is a special taxing district that is basically the immediate governing jurisdiction for Disney World. Its landowners primarily consist of Walt Disney World. According to a Comprehensive Plan created by Reedy Creek and adopted in 2010, Reedy Creek did an analysis of undeveloped land and how much of it is sustainable for development. Reedy Creek defined some land as suitable for development (these are lands outside of the Conservation areas and generally above certain flood elevation levels), marginally suitable for development (these are areas where development is strongly discouraged and places that would require mitigation of wetland impacts beyond what the district has already arranged for), and unsuitable for development (this includes wetlands below a certain flood elevation level and all Conservation Areas — Disney set aside part of the Disney World property for conservation many years ago). Lots of Land Here, But It’s for the Animals Out of all of the acres of undeveloped land — here’s a break-down of what they found at the time: Suitable: 2,825 acres (19.9 percent of the undeveloped land) Marginally Suitable: 2,256 acres (15.9 percent of the undeveloped land area) Unsuitable – 9,093 acres (64.2 percent of the undeveloped land area) Yes, you’re reading that right. Based on their prior assessments, more than half of the undeveloped land on Disney World property is what the district considers to be unsuitable for development. Mickey: Everything the Light Touches Is…Unsuitable for Development? Over the next 10 years, the District noted that its development will be directed to focus on those areas that were identified as suitable in the analysis. You can see a map of the various areas below. Suitability Ratings Map ©Reedy Creek Improvement District Now, this is an older report, but still, it gives us a general idea of what’s actually going on behind the scenes. Basically, yes, there’s a lot of land in Disney World, but quite a bit of it is actually totally unsuitable for development of a new park or anything else. Now, is there enough to build a 5th theme park — it definitely looks like it based on the map — but it’s still likely a bit more complicated than you might expect. There’s a Lot of Construction Already Going On Disney is no stranger to construction, but it’s already got SO many projects going on, a 5th park at Disney World might just not be feasible right now or for a long while. At Disney World, the Company is working on building the TRON attraction, the Star Wars hotel, the Guardians of the Galaxy coaster, the PLAY! Pavilion, other parts of the EPCOT Transformation, and SO much more. Guardians of the Galaxy Construction in the Works But, Disney World isn’t the only place where construction is going on. Disney is also working on Avengers Campus (and now the overall idea of the DisneylandForward project) at Disneyland Resort in California, new things that are coming to Disneyland Paris, expansions at other parks overseas, new ships for Disney Cruise Line, new movies, and other things in tons of other aspects of its business. In reality, there’s only so much money that can be spent at one time. And, as we mentioned before, considering how the company has been impacted by COVID-19, spending the amount of money it would cost to build another park may simply be out of the question, at least for now. Click here to see more about how the Walt Disney Company is really doing right now. But, Competition is Coming! But, Disney can’t just sit around and wait forever to bring in new things. Universal Studios Orlando is working on a new theme park for its resort — Universal: Epic Universe. According to the Orlando Sentinel, this new park is expected to open in early 2025. Just like when the entire Harry Potter-themed area was first added to Universal’s Islands of Adventure, this new area could draw in a good number of visitors and drive up the resort’s attendance. Epic Universe Concept Art ©Universal Disney will likely need to take some kind of action to respond to its competition and encourage tourists not to forget about coming to Disney World. Will that be a 5th park? That might be unlikely, at least for a long time, but we’ll have to wait and see! At the moment, Disney hasn’t shared plans about a potential 5th park coming to Disney World, but we’re certainly on the lookout for more updates and will let you know what we find! Do you know where to find these 10 hidden secrets in Disney World? Click here to find out! 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. If Disney World were to open a 5th park, what would you want it to have? Tell us in the comments! The post Why Disney World CAN'T Just Add a 5th Park first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney World is continuing with its phased reopening! Disney’s BoardWalk Inn Recently, we’ve seen several restaurants servin’ up great eats again, and we’ve even got reopening dates for a few Disney World hotels! And now, we’ve got MORE big news: Disney’s BoardWalk Inn has an official reopening date! According to Disney’s website, BoardWalk Inn will reopen on July 2nd, 2021. That’s coming up soon! It joins the ranks of Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, which are all opening up in the next few months, too. ©Disney Disney’s BoardWalk Villas are currently open for Disney Vacation Club guests, but this “second” reopening will mean the entire hotel will accept reservations for July 2nd forward. You can start booking those reservations now! We’ll be sure to keep you posted as we receive more details. Stay tuned to DFB! Check Out Why Some Disney Hotels Are Reopening Twice! 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 going to stay at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn when it reopens? Let us know in the comments! The post NEWS: Disney's BoardWalk Inn Has a Reopening Date! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

A landlord is letting her storefront be used to help hospitality workers in need. At the Cast Co-op in Clermont, a new nonprofit-run shop, laid-off tourism workers can sell their wares and receive direct assistance. View the full article

Disney teases new design details ahead of grand ship reveal on April 29 CELEBRATION, Fla. (April 23, 2021)– The Disney Wish, the fifth ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, will introduce a brand-new, distinctly Disney design concept unlike anything at sea. The motif of enchantment — found at the heart of so many beloved Disney stories — is the architectural and thematic foundation of the ship’s design, weaving imagination, emotion and adventure into the very fabric of the vessel’s unique personality. “Enchantment is about unlocking the wonder in everything we do and experience,” said Laura Cabo, portfolio creative executive, Walt Disney Imagineering. “For the Disney Wish, we are creating a signature design language that exudes this emotional magic like only Disney can, by infusing every inch of this enchanted ship with more Disney stories and characters than ever before. The Disney Wish will be a place where families really do get to wish upon a star.” Imagineering an Enchanted Ship Enchantment is the special ingredient that brings the worlds of Disney films to such rich and vibrant life. Translating this concept into a design theme provides an unparalleled platform to infuse Disney storytelling into the cruise experience, giving the Disney Wish a completely new look and feel. Inspired by nearly a century of Disney fairytales, Walt Disney Imagineers have captured the essence of enchantment through three design lenses, using: fairytale castles, emulating the classic storybook charm at the core of many enchanted tales; forests and animals, bringing to life fascinating natural worlds and the animals that inhabit them; and spirit of the sea, embodying the magic and mystery of the watery world below. How the motif will be expressed throughout the design is as much a reflection of the ship’s distinctive personality as of the wide range of stories that will be represented on board, from Disney and Pixar to Marvel and Star Wars. Designed with Character The Disney Wish will continue the Disney Cruise Line tradition of incorporating an elegant, classical exterior design — a tribute to the golden age of cruising — in the emblematic colors of Mickey Mouse. A hallmark of Disney Cruise Line is the adornment of two character art pieces on the hull of each ship. For the Disney Wish, elegant filigree artwork on the bow — an intricate scrollwork pattern reminiscent of the classic ocean liners of the 1930s — will feature Captain Minnie Mouse for the first time, solidifying her pioneering place at the forefront of the fleet’s future. The stern of the Disney Wish will boast a custom sculpture of the optimistic and adventurous Rapunzel. Suspended by her golden tresses, this artistic Disney Princess will appear to be “decorating” the exterior of the ship with her trusty paintbrush and the help of her chameleon pal, Pascal. To take it one step further into enchantment, Imagineers have added a whimsical curvature to the deck edge along both sides of the Disney Wish, which will create a sense of magic and visual movement both inside and out. A Castle on the Seas The spellbinding Grand Hall — a bright, airy and elegant space that will welcome guests as they first step on board — is the truest embodiment of the enchantment motif. The heart and hearth of the Disney Wish, this fairytale castle-inspired atrium is touched with Gothic, Baroque and French Rococo influences that will give life to the columns, carvings, trimmings and adornments. The Grand Hall will be Disney Cruise Line’s castle on the seas, an enchanted realm where glittering trails of pixie dust climb majestic three-story columns, spill across the ceiling and animate the shimmering chandelier above with an effusive burst of magic. The chandelier is the manifestation of wishes come true – a swirling spiral of crystal gems punctuated with light, its crown jewel a wondrous wishing star. At the base of a grand staircase, beneath the glow of the wishing star, will stand the personification of wish fulfillment herself: Cinderella. A pillar of The Walt Disney Company’s legacy, Cinderella’s story is the epitome of magic transforming wishes into dreams and dreams into reality. The beautiful bronze statue of this beloved princess is just one of many tributes to her story in the Grand Hall’s design – others include railings that glisten with elegant stained glass in her signature colors, rich carpeting embellished with icons from the film, and sophisticated nods to her carriage and glass slipper in the delicate metalwork and light fixtures. The Grand Hall will be the enchanted gateway to everything that awaits on board the Disney Wish: fairytale worlds, heroic challenges, epicurean indulgences, thrilling adventures, galactic encounters, peaceful escapes and so much more. More Magic on the Horizon The Disney Wish is the first of three new Disney Cruise Line ships to be built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany through 2025. All three ships will be powered by liquefied natural gas and, at approximately 144,000 gross tons, will be slightly larger than the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. New information on the experiences, itineraries and booking dates for the Disney Wish will be revealed on April 29, 2021, during a first-of-its-kind virtual event. For more information, visit the Disney Parks Blog. To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, guests can visit disneycruise.com, call Disney Cruise Line at 888-325-2500 or contact their travel agent. View the full article

Can’t get enough of Chicken Guy? Chicken Guy Trust us, we GET it. Between the oodles of sauce options and creative milkshakes, this popular Disney Springs spot is one of our favorites. And if you’re in the same boat, you’ve now got a chance to win your very own Chicken Guy franchise! Yup, you read that right. Guy Fieri himself is casting a new competition show…and 6 lucky candidates will compete to WIN a Chicken Guy franchise! Fieri is looking for restauranteurs, restaurant managers, chefs, and more. Chicken Guy shared the full details on their Instagram story, which you can read below! ©Citizen Pictures But here’s the catch: you don’t have very long to apply! Applications close today, April 23rd, at 11:59 PM ET. You can submit yours at jscasting.com! You’ll have to answer a series of questions and submit a 1-minute video telling your story. ©Citizen Pictures If you’re a fan of the Food Network and those tasty eats at Chicken Guy, this is your chance! Good luck to ya if you decide to apply. And stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news! Check Out Our Latest Review of Chicken Guy! 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 enter this competition? Let us know in the comments! The post WIN a Chicken Guy Franchise on Guy Fieri’s New Competition Show! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Jonathan VanBoskerck, a loyal Disney fan, writes that he is increasingly disillusioned with the parks because of changes he says are driven by wokeness, changes thats destroy the illusion and immersive experience. View the full article By JONATHAN VANBOSKERCK ORLANDO SENTINEL | APR 23, 2021 AT 9:00 AM A Disney fan writes that changes to rides such as Pirates of the Caribbean are ruining the theme park experience. (David Roark/Walt Disney World News) My family and I have been loyal Disney customers for decades. We vacation at Disney World every year. We take a Disney cruise every year or two. Consequently, we spend way too much money in Orlando. Unfortunately, I am strongly rethinking our commitment to Disney and, thus, Orlando. The more Disney moves away from the values and vision of Walt Disney, the less Disney World means to me. Disney is forgetting that guest immersion is at the core of its business model. When I stand in Galaxy’s Edge or Fantasyland, I know I am in a theme park but through immersion and my willingness to set the real world aside, something magical happens. That spell is broken when the immersive experience is shattered by the real world. And boy, has Disney been breaking the immersion. Recently, Disney announced that cast members are now permitted to display tattoos, wear inclusive uniforms and display inclusive haircuts. Disney did all of this in the name of allowing cast members to express themselves. Jonathan VanBoskerck, Disney fan - Original Credit: Handout - Original Source: Handout (Handout / Courtesy photo) The problem is, I’m not traveling across the country and paying thousands of dollars to watch someone I do not know express themselves. I am there for the immersion and the fantasy, not the reality of a stranger’s self-expression. I do not begrudge these people their individuality and I wish them well in their personal lives, but I do not get to express my individuality at my place of business. What’s next, is Disney going to end the rule barring on stage cellphone use by cast members as an infringement on self-expression. More broadly, like many corporations, Disney has been politicizing its business. Full disclosure: I am a Christian and a conservative Republican, so the people who run Disney and I do not see eye to eye. Regardless, corporations have always made politically motivated decisions. Usually, it is due to the desire to make a profit, but sometimes it is due to the values of the people in the corporation. Walt Disney used his corporation to express his patriotism during World War II and his pro-capitalism beliefs afterward. The difference today is that the people who run Disney use social media to scream to the whole world that a decision has been made for political reasons. Disney is in the process of taking the woke scalpel to the Jungle Cruise. Trader Sam is out because he might offend certain people. Every grown-up in the room realizes that Trader Sam is not a representation of reality and is meant as a funny and silly caricature. It is no more based in racism than every Disney caricature of an out-of-touch white American dad. The next time I ride Jungle Cruise I will not be thinking about the gloriously entertaining puns of the skippers, I will be thinking about Disney’s political agenda. That’s a mood killer. Disney proclaims that Splash Mountain must change because of its association with “Song of the South.” Disney owns Splash Mountain so it can do what it wants. But if Disney screams at the top of its corporate voice, which is pretty loud, that it is changing it to appease a certain political point of view, now every time I look at the ride I am thinking about politics. The same with Pirates of the Caribbean. Disney has made significant changes to Pirates of the Caribbean over the years. Whether Disney caved to political pressure or really thought the alterations were necessary is irrelevant. Pirates used to be one of my favorite attractions. My family would always ride it first on our first day at the Magic Kingdom. Now, we do not even ride it every trip. When my family rides Pirates now, each of the changed scenes takes us out of the illusion because they remind us of reality and the politics that forced the changes. Disney World is going to lose us as customers if it continues down this path. I do not want to have Disney World taken away from us because Disney cares more about politics than happy guests. This should matter to the people of Orlando because, if Disney drives away customers like me, Orlando loses money. I can take my tourist dollars elsewhere. I would rather keep spending them in Orlando but people like me feel more and more excluded by Disney’s decisions. The parks are less fun because immersion and thus the joy is taking a back seat to politics. Disney, please return to the values and vision of Walt. The customer experience should be the core of your business model. Immersion should not be sacrificed on the altar of political correctness and appeasing the Twitter mob. Jonathan VanBoskerck lives in North Las Vegas, Nevada.

A visitor to Walt Disney World posted to social media an image of the Disney Skyliner gondolas damaged after two of them reportedly “banged into each other.” View the full article A visitor to Walt Disney World posted to social media an image of the Disney Skyliner gondolas damaged after two of them reportedly “banged into each other.” The Instagram user Alyssa with the account nextstopmainstreet, posted an image of two gondolas at Disney’s Hollywood Studios station at and angle stating that afterward “after this 2 banged into each other and glass shattered,” according to a report on WDW News Today. The website reported the Skyliner ride remained down until 8:45 p.m. Thursday before guests were once again allowed to board and take it to Disney Caribbean Beach Resort. The ride in 2019 soon after its opening was stuck for hours, and several gondola cabins were piled up on one another in a similar manner.

New book provides insight and illustrations on making of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the land Disney created at 2 theme parks View the full article

The 1,551-acre Moss Park connects with Split Oak Forest and provides opportunities for hiking, camping, fishing, paddling and wildlife viewing. View the full article

When it comes to eating around the world at EPCOT, there are plenty of options to choose from! Mexico Pavilion We previously ranked the pavilions by their snacks, and one of our favorites for food is the Mexico pavilion. But now, there’s another snack that you can add to the list when you eat around the world at EPCOT! There are a few places to grab food in the Mexico pavilion, but Choza de Margarita is a great spot with snacks and margaritas of course! According to La Cava Del Tequila on Twitter, this location is getting a new snack on April 23rd! Plexiglass in line at Choza de Margarita Starting tomorrow, Choza de Margarita will be offering a sweet corn on the cob that is covered in chipotle aioli, quest cotija, and Tajín chile-lime powder. We’ll be heading to the Mexico pavilion in EPCOT soon to give you a review of this corn on the cob! According to the menu, this snack will cost you $7. This seems to have taken the place of the Esquites on the menu, which was a cup of spicy corn. We’ll continue to be on the lookout for the latest Disney food news, so stay tuned! Here’s our review of EVERYTHING on the menu at Choza de Margarita! 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 is your favorite snack in EPCOT’s Mexico pavilion? Let us know in the comments! The post There's A NEW Snack to Try Next Time You Eat Around the World at EPCOT! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Tonight, the Disney Skyliner crashed for the second time since opening in 2019. Skyliner Crash @nextstopmainstreet on Instagram We’ve been bringing you live updates from the station, and even given you a look at what it’s like to be stuck on the Skyliner in this situation. Now we’re here to bring you another update — the Disney Skyliner is back in motion! The Skyliner is open! It looks like it is back at its regular speed. As more updates from the Disney Skyliner roll in, we’ll be sure to keep you updated. Stay tuned to DFB for the latest on this situation. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post BREAKING: Disney Skyliner MOVING Again After Recent Crash first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

UPDATE: The Disney Skyliner has resumed normal operations as of now. We will update again if this changes. The Disney Skyliner gondolas recently crashed at the station at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Skyliner Crash @nextstopmainstreet on Instagram We’ve been updating you live from the Skyliner station, and while we were there, the Skyliner was not in motion. We’re giving you a look at some of the guests that have been stuck in the Disney Skyliner. A big shoutout to DFB reader @pineapple.kaitlyn on Instagram who shared their experience while stuck in the Disney Skyliner. @pineapple.kaitlyn on Instagram Although the crash was at the Disney’s Hollywood Studios station, the entire Disney Skyliner system was affected. This reader was on the EPCOT line on her way to the station at Disney’s Riviera Resort. @pineapple.kaitlyn on Instagram She mentioned that the Skyliner was only moving one gondola into the station at a time, so she was moving very slowly. All in all, she spent about 45 minutes stuck on the Skyliner. The gondolas stopped and started over and over again. @pineapple.kaitlyn on Instagram Here is a video of the Skyliner pulling into the station at Disney’s Riviera Resort. @pineapple.kaitlyn on Instagram mentioned that Cast Members were super kind and made sure that guests were alright as they exited the Skyliner. During the last collision, guests were given gift cards for the inconvenience. We will keep you updated with any more information regarding the Disney Skyliner crash. See photos and video of the recent Disney Skyliner crash Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post Guests Stuck on Disney Skyliner Following Crash first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article