Disney4me

Orange Bird fans! Animal Kingdom We’ve seen lots of merchandise featuring our favorite orange friend lately. We’ve got Orange Bird aprons, an Orange Bird sipper — he’s even got his own MagicBand! But what if you don’t want to just rep your Orange Bird love? What if you want to take him EVERYWHERE with you?! Well, our newest find is for you. That’s right, we now have…(drumroll please)…an Orange Bird Shoulder Plush! Orange Bird Shoulder Plush!! Disney has PLENTY of these little guys. We’ve seen shoulder plushes for Forky, Baby Yoda, Porgs, and even Figment! But we’re really loving this Orange Bird one, from his green “stem” and leaf wings down to his little yellow feet. He even has a tail! Look at those tail feathers! Here’s how he works: he comes with a magnet that you can slip underneath your shirt, so he’ll sit right on your shoulder. What a perfect park buddy, right? He looks pretty excited for all the places you’re gonna take him. How he works! Here he is with that green magnet attached, all ready for his first adventure! Orange Bird Shoulder Plush We found these plushes at Riverside Depot in Disney’s Animal Kingdom for $19.99. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for him in other parks! Some shoulder plushes have even made it online, so we’ll keep an eye out for that, too. As always, stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news. Check Out a Not-So-Cute Disney Plush! 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! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2020 Edition of the Guide! 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 a fan of this new shoulder plush? Let us know in the comments! The post There’s an Orange Bird Shoulder Plush in Disney World -- And He’s Everything. first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: Heads Up, Parents! Disney FINALLY Hopped On Your Favorite Shoe Trend! PHOTOS: These Are NOT Your Ordinary Disney Plushes! SPOTTED! So Many Wild New Tees at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!! View the full article

You might think you are FULLY prepared for your Disney World trip. You’ve watched tons of DFB videos, read our articles on the latest updates, and booked your Park Passes well in advance. We’re Going to Disney World! BUT Disney is SNEAKY. If you aren’t paying VERY close attention to certain things just before and during your trip, you could actually completely MISS OUT on extra park time. But don’t worry, we’re going to share all the secrets with you here. 1. Park Hours Calendar One thing you should do before and during your trip is to check the park hours for your trip. Park hours are released several months in advance. And, it’s a good idea to look at these hours as soon as they’re released so you can see which parks will be open the latest (or earliest) during your trip. Tree of Life But, if you just stop there, you might miss TONS of valuable park time. Disney World park hours can change a lot. Within the past few weeks alone, we’ve seen Disney extend park hours ahead of spring break and even extend EPCOT’s hours for one Saturday. With that EPCOT one, Disney actually added 2 EXTRA hours to the end of the day there, allowing guests to stay all the way through 11PM instead of 9PM. That’s a huge amount of time you could have missed out on if you didn’t know about that change. Extra Time to Snack Around the World? Yes Please! There’s no telling exactly when these hours will change. With some, they are changed weeks in advance. Other times, the changes come just days before the affected days. Moral of the story: you NEED to check those park hours right before your trip and during your trip or you could miss out on valuable time in the parks. Click here to check out our page that is FULL of park hours updates! 2. Early Bird Gets the Worm Another way you might just get some extra time in the parks is by being early and “rope dropping” the park. Before the parks closed for the pandemic, Disney experts knew to arrive at the parks early because Disney would let guests in a little earlier than the park’s set opening time. Any extra time in the park is a big bonus. Getting there earlier could also mean that you could be first in line when the super popular rides officially opened up. Tower of Terror After the parks reopened, we noticed that the way in which things were structured didn’t really allow for very much rope dropping. But, during some of our recent visits, we’ve noticed that Disney has sometimes been letting guests in earlier than the park’s scheduled opening time and we’ve actually managed to get there for it. So, if you get to the parks early enough, you could take advantage of being one of the first ones there and get a head-start to your day. Runaway Railway This ability to enter the park a little earlier is not announced or anything like that, but, as they say, the early bird gets the worm. Click here to see the changes we’re still struggling with at Disney World. 3. Extra Hours on the Calendar Recently, we got a SUPER special (and super random) park hours bonus. This wasn’t on a calendar or on a sign in the park. Instead, we found out about this extra park time from a pop-up that showed up on our phones while we were INSIDE of a park. Disney World We were in Magic Kingdom not too long ago on a day when the park was set to close at 8PM. While we were there, we got a pop-up from the My Disney Experience app that said select attractions would stay open until 8:30PM that night. That’s a whole extra half-hour! We were not expecting this at all, and if we hadn’t noticed the notification we wouldn’t have known. My Disney Experience screenshot So, it’s really important that you have the My Disney Experience app downloaded on your phone and you’ve enabled notifications to be sent to you. If not, you could totally miss out on this bonus time. Click here to learn more about My Disney Experience. Overall, all of these “secret” extra park hours are either totally unannounced, added quietly to the calendar, or are just sent as a pop-up while you’re already IN the park. If you want to make sure that you don’t miss out on any of these, you’ll need to pay attention to your phone throughout your trip and stay up to date. EPCOT Be sure to check the park hours every day of your trip and look for any unique pop-ups. You can also subscribe to the DFB Newsletter for all the latest info. We’re always on the lookout for big Disney updates and we try to get that information out to you as soon as possible so you can be the most prepared for your trip. If we spot any major changes in terms of Park Hours, Park Passes, and other Disney news, we’ll try to bring that to you! So, check back with us for more updates. Want to get in on another Disney secret? 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! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2020 Edition of the Guide! 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 experienced any of these “bonus times” in the parks lately? Let us know in the comments. The post Don't Miss Out! Disney's Quietly Adding EXTRA Park Time 🚨 first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: News! Disney World Park Hours Announced for Early November! 100 Things That Will BLOW YOUR MIND About Disney World! Going to Disney This Spring? Here’s What You Need to Know About Park Hours View the full article

Our mouths are watering just THINKING about the beignets at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen Express. Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen A few weeks ago, we tried the Mardi Gras Glazed Beignets at this Downtown Disney spot. Yum, right?! Well, when we heard about some new additions to the menu, we just had to come back to give them a taste. We’re trying SNICKERDOODLE Beignets today, guys! These Snickerdoodle Glazed Beignets are a regular beignet topped with cookie butter glaze, then dusted with cinnamon sugar. You’ll get a set of 4 for $11.49. Snickerdoodle Beignets Let’s get tasting! We got a fresh batch, so they were SUPER warm and soft. We’re talking melt-in-your-mouth goodness. That hot cinnamon sugar made them taste like churro-flavored beignets! Just LOOK at that cinnamon sugar! Since we got major churro notes from these beignets, we didn’t really pick up on the cookie butter glaze. If you wanted a beignet that tastes like cookies, you may be disappointed. But we were HERE for the churro essence. It kinda reminded us of that Churro Toffee we LOVED from Trolley Treats Candy Shop. Snickerdoodle Beignets These were also sugar-high sweet. So if you love cinnamon, churros, and super sweet treats, we MAY have just found your dream snack. YUM! We’re not sure how long these little guys will stick around — we’re thinking at least a few weeks — but we can’t get enough of them while they’re here. Swing over to Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen Express if you’re craving churros AND beignets. And as always, stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news! Read Our Review of Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen Express! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Are you going to try these beignets? Let us know in the comments! The post Review: Thank You For Snickerdoodle Beignets, Disney! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: Review: We’re Stuffing Our Faces With Mardi Gras BEIGNETS (!!) in Downtown Disney What Happens When A Beignet Marries a Cookie at Downtown Disney? Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen Reopened at Disneyland Resort Today View the full article

Did you know there’s a reason why Expedition Everest is just under 200 feet tall? Or that Disney actually uses a specific color to HIDE things they don’t want you to see? Cinderella Castle Whether you’ve been to Disney World never, once, or you’re a Disney World expert, there are TONS of things about the Most Magical Place on Earth that will totally BLOW your mind! And today we’re sharing 100 amazing Disney World facts with you! 1. How Many Bricks Are in Cinderella Castle? NONE Cinderella Castle may look like it is formed of beautiful bricks straight from a fairytale. But, there are actually NO bricks on the Castle at all. So, what is it made of you ask? Cinderella Castle is actually made of concrete, steel, cement, gypsum plaster, and plastic shingles. Cinderella Castle When it was built, it was actually the tallest fiberglass structure in the world. 2. Disney Pumps Scents Into Rides and Other Areas of the Park Ever wonder why you smell such a strong scent of freshly baked goods when walking past the Main Street Bakery and the Main Street Confectionery? Disney uses what many now know as “Smellitzers” to pump scents throughout the park and on specific rides to really give you an experience that impacts ALL of your senses. Confectionery Disney uses special machines to pump things like the smell of Apple Pie in Mickey’s PhilharMagic, all of those fantastic smells on Soarin’ Around the World, that burning smell in the Alexandria, Egypt scene on Spaceship Earth, and much more. 3. Magic Kingdom’s Underground Tunnels As you run around Magic Kingdom, experiencing all of your favorite attractions and chowing down on your favorite snacks, you might not realize — there’s a whole FLOOR underneath you. That’s right. As you walk through Magic Kingdom, you’re actually on the SECOND floor of the park. The first floor runs underneath your feet, with a series of service tunnels called the Utilidors. These tunnels house all kinds of equipment, storage areas, and more. These tunnels are also what Cast Members use to get all around the park. Obtained via AllEars.net This is what generally prevents you from seeing things like a Tomorrowland Cast Member walking down Main Street, U.S.A. — an odd occurrence that would ruin the story. You might think the Utilidors are in the “basement” of the park, but that’s not actually the case. Florida is very flat and made of a lot of sand which can often lead to water if dug into. So, ground wasn’t excavated to build the Utilidors. Instead, the Utilidors were built on top of the ground. Magic Kingdom Entrance As you walk up toward the Main Street Train Station, you’re actually gradually sloping upwards. You’re actually walking from the ground level to the second floor. Want to tour these Utilidors? You can actually go on backstage tours, like the Keys to the Kingdom Tour, and see them yourself! 4. Utilidors in EPCOT Okay, so you might know about the Utilidor system in Magic Kingdom. But, did you know that there are actually similar tunnels beneath EPCOT too? That’s right! EPCOT has its own tunnel system underneath part of Future World, although it is MUCH smaller than the one at Magic Kingdom. EPCOT As the Chicago Tribune reports, the tunnel at EPCOT is U-shaped and stretches about 700 feet. The tunnel is generally used to make deliveries to shops and restaurants in Future World. 5. Always Point With 2 Fingers Ever noticed that Cast Members tend to point to things with two fingers instead of just one? This is what many refer to as the “Disney Point.” As part of their training, Cast Members are instructed to use this signature 2-finger point. In some cultures, pointing with one finger is considered rude. Cast Member at Pizzerizzo So, Disney has adopted this 2-finger point to be more respectful and make the park friendly for everyone. 6. Liberty Square Has NO Bathrooms. Here’s Why. Ever wonder just HOW dedicated Disney is to theming and story? Liberty Square in Magic Kingdom is set during the colonial times. One thing you might not even be thinking about is that indoor plumbing hadn’t been developed yet during that time period. Restrooms, like the kind we know today, simply didn’t exist. That’s why you’ll notice there are NO restrooms in Liberty Square. Liberty Square Even the bathrooms in the restaurants in Liberty Square technically fall outside of the boundaries of that land! 7. Things Aren’t Always As Big or Small As They Seem Disney has been tricking you for YEARS and you might not have ever realized it. “Forced perspective” is a way of tricking someone’s eye into thinking that something is taller or further away than it actually is. This is used all over the Disney parks. Cinderella Castle On Main Street, U.S.A. for example, there are smaller windows on the second and third stories of the buildings there. This make the buildings look much taller than what they actually are. The same system is used on Cinderella Castle, with windows, “bricks,” and shingles getting smaller towards the top. Plaza Ice Cream Parlor But, Disney also uses something called Reverse Forced Perspective to do just the opposite, and make larger buildings look smaller. At the American Adventure in EPCOT, for example, the building needed to be multiple stories tall to house the theater and other items inside. But, colonial buildings were only typically 2 stories tall. The American Adventure So, the Imagineers actually made the windows on the top floors larger than the ones on the lower floor to make the building appear smaller. Click here to see how else Disney is manipulating you without you knowing! 8. Hidden Mickeys Look long and hard enough at some artwork, rock work, or other things around Disney World and you’ll likely find a hidden Mickey or two, or twenty! Imagineers have incorporated hidden Mickeys in all kinds of different forms all around the parks, resorts, restaurants, and more. Some of these are a bit easier to spot. Hdden Mickey While others will require you to put in some extra effort. Hidden Mickey on the Globe This is something Imagineers have worked into all aspects of the parks for years, so keep an eye out next time! Check out a HUGE hidden Mickey you might have walked right under here! 9. Hidden DONALD? While Mickey certainly tends to be the character whose iconic ears are hidden the most in Disney World, there are OTHER hidden characters to find as well in Disney World. Hiya, Donald! There are hidden Minnies, Donald Ducks, Goofys, Plutos, a hidden Tinker Bell, and MORE. Click here to see a bunch of Hidden Mickeys you can find at Disney restaurants! 10. Gone But Not Forgotten At Disney World, not everything sticks around forever. Some rides have been closed at the park and new attractions have taken their spot. Or, attractions have been significantly refurbished with key characters removed. But, just because something is gone, doesn’t mean it’s been forgotten. Disney has incorporated LOTS of references to past attractions in its current rides in unique ways. Mr. Toad Figurine For example, the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was once home to Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. In the late 1990s, Mr. Toad closed and we’ll just say that some fans were LESS than pleased. But, Toad isn’t gone from the park entirely. If you visit the Pet Cemetery at the exit of The Haunted Mansion, in the back you’ll find a tombstone for Mr. Toad. AND if you ride the Winnie the Pooh attraction now in Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride’s place, look for a painting in the scene with Owl that shows Toad handing the deed over to Owl. Winnie the Pooh Line Seems these two are willing to work things out! Over at Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid, you’ll also find a tribute to a former attraction. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea used to be located in some of the space that now is part of the New Fantasyland expansion in Magic Kingdom. In the queue of the Little Mermaid ride, you’ll find a Nautilus loosely carved into part of the rock work. The Nautilus is the famous submarine from 20,000 Leagues and the vehicle used on the former attraction. You can also spot another Nautilus in the queue if you keep your eyes peeled! Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid At Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway you’ll find a whole host of hidden details. In one scene of the ride, you’ll see a poster for “The Great Moving Ride” in reference to the attraction that used to call this building its home — The Great Movie Ride. The Great Moving Ride These are just a few of the MANY references made to past attractions or characters throughout the parks. Click here to see lots of hidden details on Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway! 11. That’s One BIG Aquarium If you’ve ever walked around the aquarium at The Seas with Nemo & Friends in EPCOT, you’ve probably noticed how large it is. But, did you know that the aquarium there is actually the 2nd largest in the United States? The Seas’ aquarium is just behind the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta in terms of size in the U.S.. Coral Reef Aquarium Views The aquarium contains 5.7 million gallons of water and is home to roughly 2,000 animals, representing about 75 different species. That’s a LOT of water and animals for you to see! Want to swim around the aquarium? You can actually do that through a number of extra special experiences, including a scuba diving adventure. Click here to see 10 bizarre things you never knew you could do at Disney World! 12. Those Aren’t Genuine American Flags There is a large American Flag on Main Street, U.S.A. closest to the train station in Magic Kingdom that is lowered and raised each day in a special ceremony. But, there are tons of other little flags all throughout Main Street, U.S.A. — or at least they LOOK like American Flags. If you were to look very closely though, you’d see that these little flags are actually NOT genuine flags. Each of these have something incorrect on them — like the wrong number of stars or stripes. Main Street, U.S.A. Why bother doing that? Well, the U.S. laws on the flag have specific rules about displaying the flag in public places. By making these items not genuine flags, Disney doesn’t have to worry about those requirements. 13. 199 Feet — It’s Important! The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is 199 feet tall, and Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is just a tiny bit taller at 199.5 feet tall. Why do these numbers matter? Well, according to FAA requirements, any structure that exceeds an overall height of 200 feet above ground level should be marked and/or lighted with a beacon for the safety of passing airplanes. By making sure its structures fall under that height, Disney doesn’t need to ruin the story it’s trying to tell with a flashing red light. Expedition Everest Could you imagine? If Everest was “one Mickey Bar” taller, it would need a flashy light! 14. Ashes in the Haunted Mansion Lots of people love Disney World. There’s no denying that. Some people wish they could be in Disney World forever, and apparently some even ask their families to spread their ashes there when they die. Ashes actually get scattered in multiple attractions in Magic Kingdom, but it seems the most popular is the Haunted Mansion. Quite the swinging wake. Haunted Mansion Keep in mind this is completely against Disney World’s rules to dispose of anything (let alone loved ones’ remains) in an attraction. 15. One Park Was a Working Studio Nowadays, you might visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios to hop on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance or enjoy Toy Story Land. But, back when the park first opened as Disney-MGM Studios, you weren’t just stepping into an area that looked like a movie set, you were actually walking into a working studio. In the early years, quite a few live-action shows and movies were produced there including The New Mickey Mouse Club, Passenger 57, and more. From back when Hollywood Studios went by a different name… Additionally, there was an arm of Walt Disney Feature Animation at the park as well where Mulan, Lilo & Stitch, and Brother Bear were all worked on. But, eventually all of the real live-action and animation studio aspects were closed, and the park moved away from functioning as a true studio. Click here to learn other interesting facts about Hollywood Studios 16. You Might Be EATING Food From The Land Living With The Land is a relaxing boat ride in EPCOT that takes you through some amazing greenhouses. In those greenhouses, you’ll find all kinds of fruits and vegetables growing, as well as aquatic animals in tanks. But, did you know that when you take a bite of a dish at Disney World, you might be eating something from The Land? Much of the items grown at The Land are served at restaurants all around Disney World, including The Garden Grill Restaurant. Living With The Land Next time you visit The Garden Grill, ask if any items served came from the greenhouses at The Land! 17. Your MagicBand Does a LOT of Things You might be familiar with MagicBands and even use them to open the door to your hotel room or scan into the Disney World theme parks. But, did you know that your MagicBand can do SO much more? MagicBands contain an RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) chip which can help trace, sync, and transmit all kinds of data. For example, if you’re sitting on “it’s a small world” your MagicBand could transmit data to cause your name appear on the Goodbye screen at the end. “it’s a small world” MagicBands and their RFID technology also help automatically sync on-ride photos for select rides without the need for guests to go scan their band at a photo station. On Frozen Ever After, for example, on-ride photos are automatically associated to your My Disney Experience account as long as you wear your MagicBand on the ride. Frozen Ever After If you even looked on My Disney Experience and saw a preview for a ride photo you don’t remember scanning your MagicBand for, there ya go! Disney magic IRL. 18. Go Away Green Disney makes heavy use of color all throughout its parks for a variety of reasons. But one thing you might not realize is that it uses color to HIDE things it doesn’t want you to see that are really just in plain sight. “Go Away Green” is actually a term that refers to a particular shade of green that is so unnoticeable, it tends to make those things blend in with the background. So, if Disney doesn’t want you to see certain utility boxes, Cast Member doors to backstage areas, and even construction projects the size of Space 220 Restaurant, those particular items or areas may be painted “Go Away Green.” Space 220 Construction Next time you’re in the park, see if you can spot some of those things Disney doesn’t really want you to see. 19. Presidents in…Spaceship Earth? Disney’s Animatronics can often be the most impressive or fun parts of some of its attractions. But, did you know that older Animatronics sometimes get reused or recycled into other attractions? Or that one Animatronic’s design might be used for more than one character. It’s true! For example, the designs of many of the presidents from the Hall of Presidents are actually used again over in Spaceship Earth as Roman senators, Egyptian priests, or printers. The Birth of the Renaissance scene in Spaceship Earth Over at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, several of the dwarfs in the final scene of the ride — specifically, Doc, Happy, Sleepy, Grumpy, and Bashful — are animatronics that used to appear in Snow White’s Scary Adventures. Seven Dwarfs Wait Time Love those animatronics of Donald Duck, Jose Carioca, and Panchito in Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros (when they’re not replaced with a plant or cardboard cut-outs)? Well, those are actually VERY old animatronics that were formerly used at Mickey Mouse Revue, an opening day (!!) attraction from Magic Kingdom. Gran Fiesta Tour So, the next time you take a look at an Animatronic in the park, ask yourself — “have I seen that anywhere before?” 20. Those Numbers Mean Something As you walk from Liberty Square to and through Frontierland, you might spot some numbers on the various buildings there. Well, just like everything else in Disney, those numbers are not placed there by accident. The numbers actually correlate to years. You start with The Hall of Presidents, which has the number 1787 on top — representing the year the Constitution of the United States was established. Hall of Presidents As you move through Frontierland, you’ll see more dates representing a shift in time as American history moves forward and we begin to “travel” or “expand” further into America. You’ll see the 1878 on top of pec — showing that we’ve moved from the founding of the Constitution to a later part in American history. Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn & Cafe Be sure to look for those dates on the buildings the next time you walk from Liberty Square to and through Frontierland. 21. Disney World Has Only Closed a Few Times During 2020, Disney World closed for an unprecedented amount of time due to the global pandemic. Truly, a park closure at the most magical place on earth is extremely rare. Disney closed in 1999 for a small period of time due to Hurricane Floyd. It closed again on September 11th, 2001 in response to the terrorist attacks. There were then hurricane-related closures in August 2004, two hurricane closures in September 2004, and more hurricane closures in October 2016, September 2017, and September 2019. And then the coronavirus closures in 2020 came. Oh no! It’s raining in the Magic Kingdom! The 2020 coronavirus closures represent the longest time for which Disney World was closed. Click here to see more about ALL of the times in history that Disneyland and Disney World have closed. 22. Windows on Main Street, U.S.A. As you walk down Main Street, U.S.A., you might be so focused on getting to your favorite ride or grabbing a cup of coffee that you don’t stop to take in all of the fantastic details here. There are SO many that we could focus on, but for now we’ll tackle one of the BIGGEST things you should look at — the windows! If you take a good look at the windows on Main Street, you’ll notice several names listed on them. Main Street, U.S.A. These names are tributes to various Imagineers and people who have a significant place in Disney history. For example, on the window below you’ll see the name “Roy E. Disney.” Roy E. Disney was a long-time executive at The Walt Disney Company and the son of Roy O. Disney, Walt’s brother. Roy E. Disney’s wife Patty, and their children Roy Patrick, Abigail, Susan, and Timothy are also featured in those windows. The family was avid sailors, which explains the nautical theme. Main Street Windows Receiving a window on Main Street can be one of the highest honors a member of the Company can receive. And, of course, Walt Disney has a window (two, actually) of his own. One of his windows in Magic Kingdom is actually over the Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, facing the castle. So, Walt gets a perfect view of the Castle every day and every night. Walt Disney’s Window! If you want to learn more, you can visit AllEars.net to see more about some of the individuals featured in these windows. Click here to see 30 hidden secrets in Magic Kingdom! 23. Magic Kingdom is Set Up Like a Theater Disney World is no ordinary theme park. When you visit Disney World, you’re truly on a “stage” living out a perfectly crafted “story,” surrounded by all kinds of details to put you at the center of the action. And there are several details that pull that all together. For example, the employees at Disney World are called “Cast Members” — showing they’re part of the cast of this perfectly staged play. They don’t wear uniforms, rather they don “costumes.” You’ll also often be asked for your “autograph” when signing a receipt, as opposed to just your signature. Cast Members at the Boardwalk Bakery In Magic Kingdom, however, the “show” elements are really evident as the entrance is truly set up like a movie theater. When you first walk up to Magic Kingdom, you see the train station and you have to walk under it to get further into the park. This serves as your “curtain” which you must walk through to get further into the story. As you go under the train station, there are posters showing the attractions or places you’ll be able to enjoy in the park. These are like movie posters showing upcoming features. Orange Bird Poster After you pass under the “curtain” of the train station, you’ll immediately smell some popcorn — another reminder of the movies. And those windows on Main Street? They sort-of serve like your movie credits, showing you all of the fantastic people behind the attractions you’re about to see. 24. Mosaic in the Castle Again, in the rush of getting through the Castle to Fantasyland, you might not have stopped to take a look at the beautiful mosaic contained within it. But, you definitely should! These 5 mosaic murals go through the story of Cinderella and are made with over one million pieces of glass, bits of gold and silver, and even some “jewels.” And the mosaic makes heavy use of color to symbolize many things. If you look carefully in the scene below where Cinderella is putting on the slipper, you’ll see one of her step-sisters has a face that is GREEN with envy, while the other is RED out of anger. Cinderella Mosaics The mosaic was designed by Disney Legend Dorothea Redmond. Artist Hanns-Joachim Scharff actually hand-cut and shaped the pieces (with the help of his family). The mosaic pieces were glued one by one onto fabric netting, transported to the Castle, and then pressed into the walls. Hanns Scarff also worked on the mosaic at the entrance to The Land pavilion in EPCOT. Land Mosaic Some might also be familiar with a bit more history dealing with Hanns-Joachim Scarff — before he was a mosaic artist, he was famously thought to be one of the best interrogators in Nazi Germany. His methods focused on kindness, rather than more aggressive interrogation techniques. Many of which have since been adopted by the U.S. military! Talk about a career shift. 25. The Lanterns on the Liberty Tree In Liberty Square in Magic Kingdom, you’ll find a rather large tree known as the “Liberty Tree.” Look closely and you’ll see that there are a number of little lanterns hanging on the tree’s branches. How many lanterns are there exactly? ©Disney There are 13, representing America’s original 13 colonies. 26. Two, If By Sea History pop quiz! What does the phrase “one, if by land, and two, if by sea” from American poet Henry W. Longfellow refer to? This was a reference to the secret signal arranged by Paul Revere and his fellow patriots that would serve as a warning during part of the American Revolutionary War. One lantern would mean that the British troops were coming by land, and two meant if they were coming by sea. The British Forces did, in fact, arrive by boat. Well, if you look up at the windows in Liberty Square, you might just find a spot with two lanterns sitting in the window — representing this point in history. Liberty Square (Spoiler, it’s to the right of Columbia Harbour House!) 27. Get a Haircut…in Magic Kingdom! You can do a bunch of things all over Disney World, but did you know that one of the things you can do is get a haircut? If you head to the Harmony Barber Shop on Main Street, U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom you can get a magical haircut, no matter how old or young you are. You might even get a sprinkling of pixie dust to add to your look. Looking to have your little one get their first haircut here? There’s a special package for that, so be sure to look into it! Harmony Barbershop ©Disney Note this spot is currently closed. 28. Disney World is the Size of SAN FRANCISCO! With 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, Disney Springs, and TONS of hotels — Disney World is big. We all know that. But just how big is it? Well, Disney World is actually the size of San Francisco, California OR the size of 2 Manhattans (Manhattan, New York City, New York). It’s a big Disney World, after all. Disney World Believe it or not, most of the land Disney World sits on is still undeveloped! Disney World was designed to be an escape from the real world, unlike Disneyland that is surrounded by gas stations and hotels once you walk outside of property. So surrounding it by untouched land is an easy way to accomplish that! 29. Disney World is Basically Its Own Country Did you know Disney World has its own municipal government? And it has a GDP (gross domestic product) larger than some ENTIRE countries? There are many things that make Disney World very unique, much like its own separate country. Among those things are the various steps that Disney has taken to give it more flexibility and control over the property. Check out our full video below to see a bunch of surprising facts about how Disney is basically its own country! 30. There’s an Abandoned Island There are lots of places you can visit in Disney World, but there are also a few that you can’t. One of the spots guests USED to be able to stop at, but can’t anymore, is Discovery Island, originally called The Treasure Island Nature Preserve, which is located in Bay Lake. If you’ve ever traveled by water taxi to Magic Kingdom from Wilderness Lodge, you’ve seen Discovery Island. It sits in the water nearby! Before it closed, the island had botanical settings and all kinds of wildlife, including eagles, alligators, swans, and deer for guests to admire. The island also had a large aviary for guests to walk through, bird shows and demonstrations, and more. The opening of Disney’s Animal Kingdom and poor attendance at the island, however, ultimately signaled the end for this spot in 1999. The animals were relocated, but the buildings at this spot have simply been left there, abandoned. ©Disney For years, rumors have spread that the spot might be repurposed for other things, but at the moment nothing has been done. 31. A River of…POOP?! In Liberty Square, you’ll see a squiggly brown “road” made of pavement on the ground. Ever wonder why it’s there? See That Suspicious Brown “Road?” As we talked about before, there are no bathrooms in Liberty Square because the land is set in a time period prior to the time when indoor plumbing was invented. That brown pavement running through the land is actually representative of how people in Colonial America used to throw their waste into the streets. So, yes, you’re basically walking on a river of “poo.” Watch your step! Check out more details in our video below. 32. The Beatles Broke Up at Disney World The Beatles were actually legally dissolved in 1974 at Disney World. Abbey Road In fact, John Lennon was staying at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort when he signed the documents that would officially disband the band. 33. I Am Not a Crook Did you also know that Richard Nixon gave his “I Am Not a Crook” speech in Disney World? The speech was actually given in the Ballroom of the Americas on the second floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort. ©Getty Images Wanna know something else interesting about Nixon? He, along with his family, were the first people to ride Disneyland’s Monorail when it debuted. He was present to dedicate the new attraction with Walt Disney! Click here to see 5 crazy cool Disney World facts! 34. Be Our Guest Cherubs The next time you’re inside of Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom, be sure to look up! On the ceiling in The Grand Ballroom you’ll see paintings of cherubs. These little cherubs actually have the faces of Disney Imagineers’ babies! Beast in Be Our Guest So, pull out those cameras and zoom in to see which ones you can spot. 35. Give Cinderella Her Crown Just past Cinderella Castle in Fantasyland, you’ll find a beautiful small fountain featuring Cinderella. To an adult, she might look a little sad. But, if you look at her from a child’s perspective, you’ll see Cinderella looks like she is smiling. And, if you place yourself correctly, you can actually make the crown in the wall behind her appear as though it is on her head. Cinderella Fountain So, consider looking at this fountain, and perhaps other areas of the park, from a child’s perspective sometimes…literally. 36. NO GUM Want to chew gum at Disney World? Then you better bring it yourself. Gum is not sold throughout Disney World. ©Extra Ever run your hand along a handrail and been stopped by a sticky, gross glob of gum or stepped in a blob on the street? Yuck. Yep, that’s why it’s not sold here! 37. The Longest-Running Stage Show in American Theatre History is at Disney World Is Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress a ride or a show? The focus of the attraction is the play, not the ride itself. And so, the attraction has actually been deemed a show, but it’s not just any show. It’s actually the longest-running stage show in American theatre history! Carousel of Progress Next time you’re in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland, stop by to take in this piece of American history. 38. Kiss Goodnight There are quite a few things that are RARE to see in Disney World. One of those is the Kiss Goodnight. If you stay around after all of the fireworks at Magic Kingdom and the park has truly closed, you might get the chance to see this special show. The castle briefly twinkles then fades through multiple soft transitions of colors as a special announcement comes on telling guests that the park has closed for the day, and that they hope they’ve created memories that will last a lifetime. Cinderella Castle While you might be in a rush to get back to your hotel, staying for this late-night moment can add an incredibly special extra touch of magic to your day. Click here to see 6 RARE things you can see in Disney World and when to spot them! 39. The Disco Yeti If you rode Expedition Everest in Disney’s Animal Kingdom during its early days, you would have seen a much more dynamic yeti animatronic near the end of the ride. Previously, the yeti actually moved quite swiftly and took a “swipe” at guests passing by. If you hop on the ride today, however, you’ll see what is now known as the “disco yeti.” Expedition Everest It turns out the intensity of the yeti’s movements were too much for the framing of the yeti figure to sustain. The figure’s motions were ultimately harming the structural integrity of the whole RIDE! If it continued to operate at full-force, it could lead to ride-threatening malfunctions. So, now the yeti stays in place as strobe lights conceal the fact that this animatronic no longer moves as intended. Expedition Everest Couldn’t Disney just fix it? They could but in order to do that, Disney would actually need to do some SERIOUS structural work, including dismantling part of the ride. Will we ever see the yeti fixed? Only time will tell. 40. You Can SWIM in the Seas with Nemo & Friends Maybe you’ve stared at those giant tanks in The Seas with Nemo & Friends and thought, “boy! I wish I could swim in there and check out all those cool animals.” Well, you CAN. There are a number of things you can actually do at the Seas, if you pay for some special packages. If you’re SCUBA-certified, you can do a 3-hour scuba adventure that includes 40 minutes in the water and a backstage tour of the aquarium. The Seas with Nemo and Friends Not SCUBA-Certified? Then you an opt for the EPCOT Seas Adventures — Aqua Tour, where you’ll get 30 minutes of snorkeling time in the tanks. Or, you can interact with Disney’s dolphins in a different experience. 41. Ever See Rain Dripping off of Spaceship Earth? Given Spaceship Earth’s shape, you might wonder if you’ll get wet passing under it if the rain simply pours off of its sides. Or you might expect to see rainwater just dripping off of its sides. BUT, Spaceship Earth actually has a unique gutter system so that guests do not get soaked with rain. Spaceship Earth The water runs in the gaps left between the panels and is then channeled underground toward World Showcase Lagoon. 42. The Fastest Ride in Disney Is… Expedition Everest reaches a top speed of 50 mph, and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will speed you around at a maximum of 57 mph. But it’s actually Test Track that’ll give you the biggest thrills (in terms of pure speed) in Disney World, with a max speed of 65 mph! Test Track If you’re looking for a rush of speed, head over to EPCOT! 43. Authentic Steam Trains At Magic Kingdom, you can hop on all kinds of rides with incredible, modern technology. But you can also take a trip back in time by taking a ride on the Walt Disney World Railroad. The railroad actually features restored, authentic, antique steam-powered trains, which were originally built back in the 1910s and 1920s! Magic Kingdom Did you know these trains once hauled sugarcane for United Railways of Yucatan in Mexico? They were spotted by Disney scouts back in the 1960s and eventually brought to Disney. 44. Disney World Doesn’t Sleep Ever wonder what happens when you leave Disney World for the night? That’s when the real magic happens. Many Cast Members work late into the night and early morning hours to make sure everything is in tip-top shape. When the sun goes down, the park lights up with Cast Members cleaning attractions, taking care of the landscaping, putting up decorations, maintaining the attractions, and more. Disney Cast Members in EPCOT 45. Sleep in the Castle Ever wanted to sleep inside of Cinderella Castle? Well, if you’re one of the lucky few, you might have gotten the chance to do this. The Cinderella Castle Suite was originally intended to be a suite for Walt Disney and his family, but Walt passed away before the completion of Disney World. The apartment was not finished at that time, but in 2006, for the “Year of A Million Dreams” celebration, the Cinderella Castle Suite was finished as we know and love it today! Cinderella Castle Suite ©Disney During the Year of a Million Dreams, guests could win a stay in the Suite, but since then it has become Disney World’s most exclusive hotel room. The room has ALL kinds of unique features including a magical television, a bath surrounded by mosaics and twinkling “stars” above, and “gifts” from other Disney characters. Click here to get a video TOUR inside of the Castle Suite! 46. The Carrousel Was Built OVER 100 Years Ago! We already know that the steam trains at Disney World were built in the 1910s and 1920s, but did you know that Prince Charming Regal Carrousel was built a LONG time ago too? When you hop on those horses, you may think that they were just recently created, considering that they are kept in tip-top shape. But, the Carrousel was actually built in 1917 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Co. and was originally in place in Detroit, Michigan. Prince Charming Regal Carrousel 47. EPCOT Was Meant to Be TOTALLY Different Eating around the world at EPCOT might be an absolutely fantastic experience, but did you know that the park was meant to be so much more? In fact, EPCOT wasn’t originally envisioned as a theme park at all. EPCOT was originally an acronym that stood for “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.” Walt Disney’s vision for EPCOT was that it would be a functioning city with 20,000 residents, which companies could use as a testing ground for their latest technologies. ©D23 The city center was called “Progress City.” In the central hub, there would be business and commerce districts, a high-rise city, a convention center, and more. You can actually see part of the REAL model for Progress City as you ride through the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. ©Disney When Walt passed away, the idea for EPCOT as a city went with him. But, parts of the inspirations for EPCOT were incorporated throughout the theme park. 48. Mini Millennium Falcon There are all kinds of hidden details around Disney World, including over at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. But, one of the most unique ones you’ll want to search for is the mini Millennium Falcon that is located underneath the Millennium Falcon itself! What you’ll want to do is head for the cockpit, and look directly underneath that. You’ll see a bunch of pipes there. Look near those pipes and you’ll find a tiny little Millennium Falcon hidden underneath. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Those sneaky Imagineers…we mean “Batuuians.” 49. Hollywood Studios Has a GIANT Hidden Mickey You Can Only See from the Sky Usually, hidden Mickeys are fairly small or of a relatively normal size. But, if you’re looking for a unique and GIANT hidden Mickey, you’ll have to take a look at Disney’s Hollywood Studios from the air. The buildings and landscaping in the park’s central hub, by Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, form a large Mickey head! Here’s a look at it from Google maps. ©Google Maps But, you can also see this represented in the park map as well. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway forms Mickey’s mouth, Echo Lake is his right ear, and the area by the The Hollywood Brown Derby forms his left ear. Various planters and trees form his eyes, eyebrows, and nose. ©Disney 50. The Plane on the Jungle Cruise In one part of the Jungle Cruise attraction, before you enter the hippo pool, you’ll see 1/2 of a plane crashed on the right hand side. Your skipper will likely make a fantastic joke about having taken a crash course to get the job. But, that plane is more special than you might realize. The other half of this plane was actually previously used in the Casablanca scene on The Great Movie Ride in Disney’s Hollywood Studios! Jungle Cruise The Great Movie Ride has since left us, but every time you pass by this plane, you can say “here’s looking at you kid” and remember. 51. A FAKE Waterfall Okay, yes there are fake birds and people (animatronics) and other things at Disney World, but a fake WATERFALL?! It’s true! If you head over to Pandora — The World of Avatar you’ll see some stunning mountains and trees over by Avatar Flight of Passage. You’ll also see some great waterfalls there, but here’s the catch. Some of them aren’t real at all! Instead, toward the top of the mountain area, there are some waterfalls that are actually just made of a rotating wheel of mesh that’s meant to look like water, and there’s white mesh at the bottom meant to look like mist. Check out our video below to see it up close! Who would have guessed?! Gotta pull out those cameras and do some intense zooming! 52. Handprints Another awesome thing to look for in Pandora are some handprints. These are no ordinary handprints though. As you exit Flight of Passage on the lowest level corridor, you’ll see three handprints and initials on the walls belonging to JC — James Cameron (Avatar’s director), JR — Joe Rohde (Pandora’s lead designer), and JL — John Landau (Avatar’s executive producer). Flight of Passage Creators’ Handprints It’s a detail you could totally walk right past, but you should definitely just take a second to admire. When else will you get the chance to compare how big your hand is versus Joe Rohde? You’ve got to take those opportunities when you get them! Click here to see 12 things you never knew about Animal Kingdom! 53. Chewbacca Mode! It’s cool enough to fly the Millennium Falcon and (attempt to) not crash it (entirely). But, how much better (and more hilarious) would it be if instead of Hondo Ohnaka guiding you on your intergalactic trip, you heard instead the voice of…Chewbacca! Actually, it’s more like the YELLS of Chewy, which makes it even better. Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run There’s an EXACT way you have to hack this mode with 6 team members. You can read all about it here! See how to have Chewie yell at your team during your next ride! 54. The Keys to the Kingdom Disney and its parks around the world follow 4 (now 5, more on that in a second) specific keys that guide all that they do in terms of customer service. These keys in their order of importance are: Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency. Disney keeps all of these things in mind as they create magical experiences for guests around the parks. So, for example, things like doors may be kept open to give a small burst of cool air to guests walking past. This provides a really nice benefit to guests walking by (and might encourage them to come in and shop). With courtesy being higher on the list of importance, it may weigh out the efficiency concerns, depending on the situation. Main Street Bakery Disney actually just recently added a 5th key — Inclusion and they’ve some details about this new initiative. Josh D’Amaro the current Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products has noted that Inclusivity will be encouraged through all the keys. Cast Members around the world are expected to know these keys and pass them on to each new generation of Cast Members. They truly serve as the guiding principles for everything Disney does. Click here to learn more about this 5th key. 55. Red Sidewalks Ever notice that the sidewalks on Main Street, U.S.A. are red in color? It’s not a coincidence or simply because red looked nice. There are actually multiple reasons for this color choice! First, going along with that movie theme, the red sidewalk symbolizes the “red carpet” that’s been laid out for you. You, in many ways, are the star of your own fairytale here, so it’s very appropriate! From a safety perspective, the sidewalks are also painted different to provide a stark difference from the middle of the street to alert your brain to pay attention. That helps keep guests safe as there is a curb there. And finally, the red itself is actually a color that was hand-picked by Kodak to make your pictures look great! They picked out the right color red to contrast the sky. Magic Kingdom Again, it just goes to show, everything — down to the colors is specifically chosen for a reason here. 56. There’s LOTS of Space Disney World is LARGE and its parks and hotels occupy a lot of land. But, the land that belongs to Disney World in Florida has room for more. The total property is about 30,000 acres. But, there are just over 7,000 acres of land that’s been developed. Remember how we mentioned earlier Disney World is meant to feel separate from the real world, and they did that with lots of LAND? Welcome to Disney World! About 7,500 acres have been set aside as a Conservation Area which will never be built on. So, there’s still lots of room to grow. 57. Put Your Toes in the Sand…in the Pool Stormalong Bay, located at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, is essentially its own mini water park. It’s actually 3 ACRES in size and features a 230-foot-long waterslide, a lazy river, whirlpool spas, and more. But, perhaps one of its greatest and most unique features is that the pool actually has sand at the bottom! So, you get all the joys of swimming at the beach and putting your feet in the sand, without the fear that a creature will come swimming up from the sand at your feet! Beach Club It’s less real sand and more like plasticy kitty litter or gravel, but it still feels cool to stand in! Seriously though, if you’ve never stayed at a Disney hotel and you’re a BIG pool person, this pool alone might be a big reason to consider staying at the Yacht and Beach. 58. There Are HOW MANY Hotel Rooms?! There are a lot of Disney hotels on property at Disney World. And each hotel has a decent number of rooms — some obviously containing more rooms than others. Altogether, there are MORE than 36,000 hotel rooms in Disney World! Play Doh at Disney’s Pop Century Resort In case you’re wondering, it would take you over 98 YEARS to stay in every single hotel room if you stayed in a different room every single day. Retirement plan anyone? 59. And the Most Visited Theme Park Is… Disney World is popular, that seems like a simple and well-known fact. But, just how popular is it? Well, according to Travel + Leisure, in 2019, Magic Kingdom ranked as the #1 most visited amusement park in the entire WORLD with over 20,000,000 visitors. Cinderella Castle Animal Kingdom came in as #6, EPCOT at #7, and Hollywood Studios at #9. So yeah, Disney World is popular — VERY popular. 60. Michael Jackson Appears on…Kali River Rapids? Hidden Mickeys? Good. Hidden Minnie, Donald, and other Disney characters? Sure. Hidden Michael Jackson?! YUP, that’s true too. Apparently Kali River Rapids in Disney’s Animal Kingdom was Michael Jackson’s favorite in Disney World. He loved it so much that the Imagineers gave him a small tribute in the ride. To find it, look for this painting in the last room at the end of the queue which features Michael riding along in the raft. Michael Jackson Painting on the Kali River Rapids Queue! This Michael Jackson may not be able to sing and dance like he did in Captain EO, but it’s still a really neat and unique tribute! 61. Paint By Numbers In 2020, Cinderella Castle got a brand new look. And while the pink on the Castle is what stands out to most, what really stood out to us was the way that the “stones” or “bricks” on the castle were being painted. Cinderella Castle See those numbers below? Each corresponds to a different shade a gray paint and helps Disney’s artists know what color to use for each brick. Basically, it’s an adult paint by number and we totally loved it. Paint by Numbers! Of course, the numbers have been covered up now, but it’s great to get a small peek behind the curtain at how the magic is made. Click here to see more about this unique paint by number situation! 62. Mickey Mouse Solar Field Just like the giant hidden Mickey at Hollywood Studios, there’s another Hidden Mickey you can only see from the skies. But, this hidden Mickey is extra special because it’s made out of solar panels! In fact, you may have seen these panels from the side on your drive around Disney property. ©Walt Disney World The solar facility is about 22 acres, and in 2016, according to the Orlando Sentinel, Disney estimated that the plant produces the equivalent of powering 1,000 homes. 63. How much of Disney World actually RUNS on solar energy? Disney later opened another solar farm to the east of State Road 429, near Disney’s wetlands and open lands. According to the Orlando Sentinel, this solar farm is actually 270 acres in size — about the same size as 2 Magic Kingdoms! And the panels can actually move to follow the sun! But how much of Disney actually runs on solar? ©Orlando Sentinel Well, at least back in 2019, Disney officials noted that under sunny conditions, up to 25% of Walt Disney World Resort actually runs on solar power. And Disney is constantly setting new environmental goals to have more sustainable designs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and more. 64. Spaceship Earth Can Fit Inside…the Living Seas? Spaceship Earth is LARGE. Anyone who walks past it can’t deny that. Spaceship Earth is actually 164 feet in diameter. But, you know what’s bigger? The aquarium at the Living Seas! Spaceship Earth That’s right! On his Instagram (@drmarkatdisney), Dr. Mark Penning, Vice President of Disney’s Animals, Science & Environment shared that you could actually fit Spaceship Earth INSIDE of the Living Seas’ aquarium and still have enough room to drive a Disney bus around it! ©Dr. Mark Penning (@drmarkatdisney on Instagram) That’s seriously impressive! 65. Most of Magic Kingdom’s Fireworks Are NOT Shot from Within Magic Kingdom When you’re inside of Magic Kingdom and watching Happily Ever After from in front of the Castle, it can certainly look like ALL of the fireworks are being shot from right within the park. But, that’s not entirely the case. Happily Ever After Some fireworks, including those small flares near the castle, are shot from within the park. But, if you eat at California Grill or view the fireworks from another spot on property, you might notice that some of the fireworks aren’t being launched from where you might think. Fireworks from the California Grill Some of the fireworks for Magic Kingdom’s spectaculars are actually launched from a fireworks bunker located OUTSIDE of the park at 1440 Floridian Way. This location is in the back past Fantasyland. ©Google Maps So, the next time you watch a fireworks show at Magic Kingdom, see if you can tell which fireworks aren’t exactly being launched from within the park. Click here to see a permit that was filed on the fireworks bunker in 2020! 66. The Tower of Terror fits in Morocco? Have you ever noticed that the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror has a color scene and a bit of feel that’s similar to… Tower of Terror …the Morocco pavilion at EPCOT? Morocco Pavilion You’ve probably never thought of these two together, but there’s a reason that Disney did. The next time you’re in the Norway pavilion, look over at Morocco and you’ll actually spot the Tower of Terror in the distance! Since the building is actually visible from that vantage point, the color scheme and feel of the Tower of Terror was designed to blend into the pavilion a whole park away. 67. Seven Seas Lagoon is Man-Made Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and part of the Disney monorail line are all located along a central lagoon — the Seven Seas Lagoon. This is the lagoon that you cross as you take the ferry from the Transportation and Ticket Center to Magic Kingdom. View from Ferry Boat Florida does have a lot of lakes and bodies of water, so you might think that this is a natural body of water, but it isn’t! The lagoon is actually man-made. More than 7 million cubic yards of earth were moved to create this man-made body of water. But, what’s most interesting is where that earth that was removed ended up. The earth that was removed for the creation of the Seven Seas Lagoon is what was actually used to cover the utilidor level at Magic Kingdom park. Approaching Magic Kingdom Ultimately, this land helped create the “second floor” that the park itself is located on. 68. Disney is serious about its trash You buy your Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar, you eat it, you throw away the wrapper, and that’s probably one of the only times you think about trash in Disney World. But, with millions of guests visiting every year, trash is a BIG deal. And there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes magic that makes sure all of that trash is taken care of! Trash Can in Magic Kingdom According to AllEars.net, the AVACS system — Automated Vacuum Assisted Collection System — Disney uses was imported from Sweden. It’s essentially made up of giant tubes that hang from the ceiling in the utilidors. These tubes help move trash from 13 drop-off points around Magic Kingdom to one central location. Every 20 minutes, Disney vacuums the trash through the tubes. The trash actually flies under your feet through these tubes at around 35 MPH! Magic Kingdom It’s actually been reported that an average of MORE than 80,000 pounds of trash actually runs through the AVACS system each day. 69. Custom Trash Cans Speaking of trash, have you ever taken a good look at Disney’s actual trash cans? Years ago, trash cans were typically made of simple, round receptacles that were open and exposed. That meant the smell of the trash could spread and the trash itself could pile up and look rather hideous. Walt Disney wanted a beautiful, clean park, so he reportedly came up with the covered trash bin with a swinging lid. He reportedly never patented the idea because some manufacturers told him they were useless. Trash Cans in Pandora Lo and behold, this type of trash can is used in LOTS of places now, including all over Disney World. And while some trash cans are “normal” looking, many trash cans around Disney World are specifically themed to the area they’re in. It makes them fit better into the area overall and are fun to look it, making you more likely to use them. Trash Can at PizzeRizzo And some of the themed trash cans have become so popular they’ve transformed into salt and pepper shakers or even appeared on SHIRTS! Trash Can Salt and Pepper Shakers Recently we spotted some new trash cans with a special purpose, and we’re always on the lookout for more of these themed creations. 70. Why Disney’s road signs are purple, red, and yellow Aside from the GIANT Walt Disney World entrance signs, one of the easiest ways to tell you’re at Disney is from those purple, red, and yellow road signs! But, why are these signs made with those distinct colors? It certainly wasn’t by accident! Purple Road Signs Mean You’re In Disney World! According to Southern Living, Meghan Jones of Reader’s Digest discovered that the colors on the signs were deliberately chosen by graphic designer Deborah Sussman. In 1989, Disney Development Co. reached out to Sussman’s company and requested a traffic sign design. Reportedly, the signage was meant to be “unique in spirit, clean, easy to follow, and capable of being expanded.” Parking Garage direction signs The next time you drive around Disney, see if you notice the distinctness of these signs and whether they feel unique, clean, and easy to follow. 71. You Could Visit Disney World for LESS than $5 A trip to Disney World now can cost you a pretty penny, but back when the park first opened, general admission to the park for an adult cost just $3.50!! That’s less than a single dole whip would cost you right now! Cinderella Castle But, back when Disney World first opened, Adventure books that provided you with access to some of the rides were an additional charge depending on what type of booklet you got. 72. Ticket Booklets Speaking of Adventure Books, did you know that when Disney World first opened it operated on a ticket book system? So, you paid for general admission to get in the park, and then (like at a fair) you paid for ticket booklet that gave you access to some of the rides. Ticket Book Hat For example, in 1971, you could get a 7 Adventure Book for $4.50 per adult. The 7 Adventure book gave you 1 A ticket, 1 B ticket, 1 C ticket, 2 D tickets, and 2 E tickets. At the time, A ticket attractions included things like the fire engine and the Carrousel. The Swiss Family Treehouse was a B ticket ride. Peter Pan’s Flight would cost you a C ticket, the Hall of Presidents was a D ticket attraction, and things like the Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, and “it’s a small world” were E ticket attractions. “it’s a small world” It wasn’t like today where you just buy a single ticket and get access to everything. Instead, you had to buy appropriate tickets to visit each of the rides. But, by June of 1982, ticket books were phased out in favor of the Passport in Magic Kingdom. 73. Trash Cans are strategically placed You didn’t think we were done with trash yet, did you? Okay, last trash fact (for now). Again, Walt Disney wanted a clean park which meant there had to be trash cans in the right places so people would use them. Typically, in Disney parks there is a trash can every 30 feet. Trash Cans Next time you’re in the parks, do a “trash can challenge” and see how many steps it takes you to go from one trash can to another! 74. Dino-Sue! Ever heard of Dino-Sue? Sue is actually the world-famous Tyrannosaurus Rex that was unearthed in South Dakota. Sue’s dino skeleton is actually the largest and most complete T-Rex fossil ever found, with over 90% of the bones found and excavated. The real Sue is on display in a museum in Chicago, but you can see Dino-Sue right in Animal Kingdom! Dino-Sue is an incredible replica of the Sue T-Rex fossil. Dinosaur You’ll find it, not surprisingly, right in DinoLand U.S.A. 75. Don’t forget to look DOWN There’s lots to look at in Disney World at eye level and above you, but if you want to experience some TRUE magic, you’ve got to look down! In Magic Kingdom, you’ll find tiles and gems in part of the pavement near The Magic Carpets of Aladdin. In the Haunted Mansion queue you’ll find the bride’s ring embedded in the pavement, and in Storybook Circus you might just fund some peanuts in the floor. And you can spot Maximus’ hoof prints near the Tangled restrooms too! Storybook Circus In Hollywood Studios, look for the mark of Andy’s GIANT shoe in the ground — that really shows you how you’ve shrunk down to the size of a toy. And you’ll find Gertie’s footprints around Echo Lake showing the path she took to get into the lake itself (Gertie is that giant green dino along the water). There are also droid markings in various spots throughout Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge. Also, be sure check out that sign in Muppet*Vision 3D right as you enter the building, to the right, which says the key is under the mat. Lift the mat for a surprise! Toy Story Land In Disney’s Animal Kingdom look down as you enter the queue for Na’vi River Journey. There, you’ll find some Na’vi foot prints in the ground and you can try to compare your foot size to theirs! Pandora These are just some of the amazing details you can spot if you look down! Just, don’t forget to look up too so you don’t bump into anyone as you’re walking around and hunting for these things! 76. Enough popcorn to fill the Tower of Terror!!! Disney guests eat a lot of popcorn, but just how much do they eat? According to AllEars.net, Disney World guests eat enough popcorn each year that it could FILL the Tower of Terror!! Or, it could fill 1.5 Olympic pools! Popcorn Bucket at EPCOT That’s a lot of hot and fresh buttery (well, fake buttery — Disney World popcorn is vegan!) goodness! 77. MILLIONS of pounds of turkey legs! Love ’em or hate ’em, turkey legs are definitely a staple food of the Disney diet. You’ve probably seen quite a few guests devouring these giant treats. But, did you know that (at least according to some older numbers) Disney sells about 2 MILLION pounds of turkey with its turkey legs every year, according to AllEars.net. Turkey Leg Cart With each turkey leg coming in at about 1.5 pounds, that’s over 1.3 million turkey legs each year. Gobble gobble! 78. MILLIONS of Mickey Bars The Mickey Premium Bar is another quintessential Disney snack. Vanilla ice cream, chocolate casing, and a Mickey shape — you really can’t go wrong! Well, a lot of people agree with that considering that, according to AllEars.net, Disney typically sells MORE than 3.3 MILLION Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bars each year! Mickey Bar You can develop all kinds of new and creative snacks, but sometimes the classics really are best. 79. Lightning Rods Florida gets some serious storms. We’re not just talking hurricanes though — just an ordinary 3PM storm in Florida can have quite a bit of lightning. Disney is aware of this and has taken some steps you’ve probably TOTALLY missed to help keep you safe. There are actually lightning rods scattered throughout each park in Disney World and they’re often hidden in plain sight. The most prominent lightning rod is in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the replica of Crossroads that you’ll see right when you enter the park. Hollywood Studios The right ear of the Mickey Mouse standing on top is actually made of copper and doubles as a lightning rod! 80. How much does Spaceship Earth weigh? Spaceship Earth is big…REALLY big. And it’s heavy too! Spaceship Earth is actually estimated to weigh around 15.5 MILLION pounds and it is also considered the largest free-standing sphere in the world. Spaceship Earth So, the next time you walk past it, you can shout out these cool facts to your friends and family and impress them all with your amazing knowledge. 81. Animal Kingdom was supposed to have dragons Have you ever taken a GOOD look at the Animal Kingdom logo? You might have see the Tree of Life on it, but what about the animals underneath? There’s a lion and some other real animals you can see on safari or on the trails there. There’s also a dinosaur representing the Dinoland area. But what about that animal right in the middle? That’s a DRAGON! ©Disney There are no dragon rides at Animal Kingdom though, so why is it there? Well, the dragon was actually intended to represent Beastly Kingdom — a land that was meant to be built at Animal Kingdom. This land would have paid tribute to mythical creatures like dragons, unicorns, and more. Beastly Kingdom Concept Art | ©Disney One of the attractions planned for this area was actually a roller coaster named Dragon Tower and there was another called Quest for the Unicorn. Dragon Tower Concept Art | ©Disney BUT Beastly Kingdom was never built. Due to budget concerns, it was put on the back burner. Instead, Camp Minnie-Mickey was put in to “temporarily” occupy the space set aside for this mythical land and that land was then later transformed into Pandora. ©Disney But, you can find some hidden dragon statutes or dragons on signs, benches, and fixtures in the park so Beastly Kingdom lives on in a small sense. Be sure to look for those and give a good look at that Animal Kingdom logo the next time you’re in the park! Click here to see 12 things you never knew about Animal Kingdom! 82. Star Wars Release Years Before you head into Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo to get some intergalactic grub, take a look at the cargo ship above the building. On it, you’ll see three numbers — 77, 80, and 83. And if you’re a BIG Star Wars fan, you’ll know what they stand for. Well, put a 19 before each of them and you’ll get the three release years for the original movies in the Star Wars trilogy! Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo It’s a great nod to the films that started it all. Click here to see a ton of other easter eggs in Galaxy’s Edge! 83. Power Palms You’ve undoubtedly noticed the Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom (it kinda hard to miss), but there are some other unique trees in Disney World you’ve probably TOTALLY walked past. In Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom, for example, have you ever stopped to look at those metal-looking palm trees? Maybe you’ve never even noticed them, or you just thought they’re a futuristic representation of trees. But, they’re more than that! Tomorrowland These trees actually have their own special backstory! These plants are known as “Power Palms” and, according to their story, they’re designed to collect solar energy, which is stored in their “coconuts.” Periodically, the trees will be “harvested” for their energy. Next time you’re there, look for the one tree whose leaves are folded — that tree has already been “harvested.” Of course, these palm trees aren’t actually collecting solar energy (Disney has its solar energy fields for that), but it’s awesome that these plants have a story of their own (that you probably never knew). 84. The Disney Family Crest Everyone seems to really enjoy taking pictures of Cinderella Castle from the front, and undoubtedly that is a beautiful view. But, don’t forget to visit the back of the Castle as well. Not only will you get some gorgeous and unique views here, but you’ll also get the chance to see something very special. See that golden crest shining just to the side of the large archway? Magic Kingdom That’s actually the Disney Family Coat of Arms! It’s got lions on it and other details, and it’s definitely worth a visit (and a close-up shot). Cinderella Castle 85. There’s a GIANT in Magic Kingdom! This is another detail that’s totally hidden in plain sight. As you approach Sir Mickey’s in Fantasyland, take a look at the outside of the building. In case you weren’t aware, the shop is inspired by Mickey and the Beanstalk and you can see some of that beanstalk peeking out! Sir Mickey’s But the best detail here is inside the store. While you’re shopping around, be sure to look UP! That’s where you’ll see Willie the Giant peeking inside and trying to lift off the roof, just as he lifts off one character’s roof in the final scene in Fun and Fancy Free. Sir Mickey’s Now that you’ve seen it in the photo, it seems impossible to miss, but you’d be surprised how many have totally walked past this GIANT detail. 86. Mary Poppins in the Carousel of Progress? In the Carousel of Progress there are all kinds of hidden Mickeys and details, but one of the ones that’s most special is a little bird! In the first scene, you might just be able to see a robin sitting outside the window on the left-hand side. But, that’s no ordinary bird. That robin was actually used in Mary Poppins! © Disney What a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious thing! 87. Real grass on the ROOF! This next one is another that’s hidden in plain sight. The next time you walk past the Norway pavilion at EPCOT be sure to look up at the ROOF of Kringla Bakeri og Cafe. Part of the roof looks “normal” but you’ll notice that another part of it is covered in grass! You can see it to the left-hand side in the photo below. Kringla Bakeri og Kafe You might think that this is fake grass, but it is not! It’s very much real and Cast Members from the horticulture team are responsible for keeping it looking nice. This grass on the roof is based on sod roofs that were once common in parts of Scandinavia. They help insulate homes from the frigid winters! 88. Star Wars Trash While you’re in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios, take a look at the trash cans. (Yes, we’re mentioning trash again.) Each of the cans have the number 3263827 on them. Recognize that? It’s the number of the Trash Compactor that Han, Luke, and Leia get stuck in during Star Wars: A New Hope. Galaxy’s Edge Trash Can If you’re wondering where the trash compactor monster (AKA a Dianoga) lives, maybe consider getting a drink of water outside the restrooms in Galaxy’s Edge. 89. A special fireplace The fireplace in Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is impressive in its size and scale (standing at 82 FEET), but it’s not just a beautiful sight. Wilderness Lodge Fireplace The colors and “layers” of the fireplace actually duplicate the layered rock strata of the Grand Canyon. 90. Lost your sunglasses? You’re not alone Ever lose something while at Disney? Well, you’re not the only one. Disney has shared that about 210 pairs of sunglasses are turned in to Magic Kingdom’s Lost and Found every single day! Island Supply Sunglass Sale Hang onto them hats and glasses folks! 91. The Liberty Tree has a LOT of kids The Liberty Tree in Liberty Square is impressive for a lot of reasons. Over 30 years ago, a 130-year-old live oak tree was found on the Disney World property and moved to Magic Kingdom. Because of its size and weight, holes actually had to be drilled through the middle of the trunk and steel pins inserted to lift it with a crane. Later, the pins were removed and replaced with hardwood, and the wood healed. ©Disney But, the Liberty Tree is ALSO amazing because the tree is said to have “fathered” OVER 500 other trees from its acorns! That’s a lot of baby trees that all reportedly are from one source! 92. No balloons Seeing a person holding a giant bunch of balloons is sort of a quintessential Disney thing. And watching kids run around the parks with their balloons can be quite an adorable sight. But, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom you’ll notice balloons are NOT sold. This is for the safety of the animals as they may inadvertently eat it if it accidentally flies away. But, not only are balloons not sold — they’re not allowed in! So, if you’ve got a balloon and want to keep it, your best bet is to drop it off back at your hotel. Mickey Balloons You can also check your balloons at the front of the park. 93. Presidential Seal As you walk into The Hall of Presidents in Magic Kingdom, you’ll see a roped-off seal on the floor. This is actually the “Great Seal of the United States.” According to AllEars.net, the seal is made of 100% wool carpet. And, what’s really special about it is it actually took multiple acts of Congress to grant Disney the permission to even display this seal! Hall of Presidents ©Disney That’s some serious dedication to making sure this spot felt and looked very authentic. 94. Presidential looks Staying in The Hall of Presidents for a minute, you may have noticed that the presidents each have their own unique outfits to fit their time periods. But, not only are the outfits appropriate to their times, they’ve actually been made with fabrics and sewing techniques that are appropriate to their time in office as well. That is a lot of attention to detail. Hall of Presidents ©Disney More modern-day presidents (meaning ones around since Disney World has been open) often donate an outfit of their own for their animatronic to wear on the attraction! Are the presidents wearing any underwear though? That is the BIG question here, but it’s a mystery we’ve yet to solve. Click here to read more about this and other burning Disney World questions we know you’re thinking about! 95. The award for most expensive rollercoaster goes to… Currently, according to the Guinness World Records, the most expensive rollercoaster is…Expedition Everest! The rollercoaster opened in 2006 and is estimated to have cost $100 MILLION. Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom Everest lost the title a couple of years ago to Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure in Universal Orlando. BUT the Guardians of the Galaxy Roller coaster is said to be costing HUNDREDS of MILLIONS more than Everest ever did. Move over Yeti and Hagrid, a new pricey coaster is could be coming to town. 96. Once-a-year Hidden Mickey For the most part, hidden Mickeys are available to find year-round. BUT if you want to find this one, you’ll have to visit Disney World on Mickey’s birthday — November 18th. Once a year, on November 18th at noon, a SUPER special hidden Mickey appears in part of the queue to Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid. Under the Sea — Journey of the Little Mermaid Holes in the rock work were made so that when the sun shines through on that date and time, a Mickey-shaped light appears on a rock wall in the queue. It’ll only last a few minutes though, so you’ll need to be there right on time! 97. When did Mickey Mouse get the first ride-through attraction themed to him? As Walt Disney has said, “it was all started by a mouse.” Mickey really is, in many ways, the heart and soul of Disney, and the face of all the parks. So, you’d think Mickey would have had a ride-through attraction themed to him WAY back in the beginning. BUT, that’s not the case! Mickey! Mickey has starred in quite a few attractions like Mickey’s PhilharMagic and the Mickey Mouse Revue. But, Mickey actually didn’t get a ride-through attraction themed to him in a Disney park until…Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, which opened in Disney World in 2020. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway It may have taken MANY years for this to finally take place, but Mickey is finally the true star of his own ride. That’s some big stuff for a small mouse <3 Click here to see tons of hidden secrets we’ve found on Runaway Railway! 98. Cooties! Okay, we could include SO many unique details in Disney’s bathrooms (we even have a list of all the BEST bathrooms in Disney World), but for this one we’ll focus on the restrooms in Toy Story Land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. All of Toy Story Land is full of incredible details, and the bathrooms are no exception. Notice what the restroom sign is made of? Scrabble pieces! And the “girls” sign — that’s made of kids’ blocks! You’ll also notice the outside walls of the bathrooms are made up of a bunch of building blocks of different shapes and sizes, and more. Toy Story Land Restrooms But, perhaps our favorite detail is the board game that’s right next to the girls’ side. Ever hear a little kid say that girls or boys have cooties? Well, you can tell this is definitely a young kid’s playground as the box for the Cooties game sits right next to the girls’ restroom! Toy Story Land Restrooms And, once you’re in the bathrooms — don’t forget to look down! You’ll see s floor that looks very much like a checkers board. Toy Story Land Restrooms Truly, Toy Story Land is a treasure trove of hidden details! Click here to learn ALL about Toy Story Land! 99. Make a wish and grant a wish Ever thrown a coin in the Cinderella Wishing Well in Magic Kingdom or really any body of water around the parks? Lots of kids and adults alike have tossed their fair share of coins in these waterways to wish for a dream of their own to come true. But, did you know that by making a wish of your own, you’re actually helping others too? Wishing Well All of the coins tossed into the wells, water rides, and water features in Disney World are regularly collected and donated to charities in Central Florida. According to the Orlando Sentinel, in November of 2020 Disney World donated about $20,000(!!) in coins from its wishing wells and fountains to the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida. Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort So, toss those coins and make those wishes — you’ll actually be helping other people’s wishes come true too. 100. Walt never got to see Disney World open Even non-Disney fans probably know that Walt Disney was the one who came up with the idea of a Disney theme park and is responsible for so many of the things we get to enjoy today. Walt got to experience the opening of Disneyland Park in California. Walt spearheaded the Florida project and did get the chance to fly there to walk the land he acquired. ©D23 But, Walt passed away before the first park in Florida was completed. Walt died on December 15th, 1966. It was after Walt’s death that his brother, Roy O. Disney, really took a major public leadership role in the Walt Disney Company and supervised the building of Walt Disney World. Roy worked diligently to make Disney World a reality. Roy and Minnie Statue Two months after Disney World opened, Roy passed. But, his hard work lives on in a park that millions have enjoyed. Next time you’re in Magic Kingdom, be sure to check out the statue of Roy and Minnie on Main Street. And that’s our 100 facts for today! But, there are HUNDREDS (realistically closer to thousands) of other fantastic little details hidden all around the parks and resorts that would blow your mind. And we’re sure that there will be hundreds more created as new lands and areas open. We’ve got tons of videos on our DFB YouTube channel going through all kinds of Disney secrets. So, you can check those out to learn even more! Click here to visit our DFB Guide YouTube channel! 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! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2020 Edition of the Guide! 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 Disney facts is the most surprising to you? Let us know in the comments. The post 100 Things That Will BLOW YOUR MIND About Disney World! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: Do You Think The PeopleMover Misses Us, Too? We’re Peeking Inside Disney World’s Closure Diary! News! Disney World Park Hours Announced for Early November! Can You Guess Which 7 Disney World Attractions Have Had the LOWEST Wait Times This Week? View the full article

Orlando’s theme parks are pushing again for a state law change to give beer companies more exposure and the parks potentially more revenue during the coronavirus pandemic recovery. View the full article

Key West voted last year to limit the size of cruise ships and passengers that can visit. Now Florida legislators want to override that vote ... and take control of ports throughout the state. View the full article

EPCOT is currently going through a HUGE transition! Spaceship Earth Along with highly anticipated attractions like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, EPCOT is getting a brand new nighttime spectacular called Harmonious! Tonight, thanks to @jambohailey on Instagram, we got to witness some fireworks testing in EPCOT! The video was taken from the Disney’s Beach Club Villas. The fireworks are pretty random and sporadic like we’ve seen during other fireworks testing. So far two of five barges have been placed in World Showcase Lagoon, and we’ve been looking out for the others to come out. Harmonious Barges Hopefully this means we’re getting closer to the premiere of Harmonious, since it is supposed to be one of Disney’s biggest shows yet! We’ll keep you updated on the latest Disney news! See Cinderella Castle Projections Testing in Magic Kingdom Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! 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! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2020 Edition of the Guide! 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 seen fireworks testing in Disney World? Let us know in the comments! The post VIDEO: Fireworks Testing Took Place in EPCOT Tonight! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: What Will New Year’s Eve Be Like at Disney World This Year? Here’s What We Know. NEWS: Fireworks Testing Took Place TONIGHT in Disney World A HUGE Barge Has Been Installed for Harmonious at EPCOT! View the full article

Can you believe it’s been almost a year since we’ve been to Disneyland? Disneyland Entrance Luckily, guests have been able to get a taste of Disney magic in California with Downtown Disney and Buena Vista Street open for shopping and dining. While Anaheim officials are pushing for a quicker opening of Disneyland and other large theme parks, Disneyland is doing all they can to keep people involved. Disney California Adventure is even holding an event that will let you into several lands in the park! Although there are some new experiences coming up, some other ticketed events have been cancelled. One of those was the Sip and Savor Passes at the 2020 Food and Wine Festival at Disney California Adventure. Originally, the Disneyland website said that guests would receive an automatic refund within 30 days without need for any additional action. 2020 Food and Wine Festival Now, the website states that guests should either go online or call Disney to request a refund for the Sip and Savor Passes. Guests may request a refund of $7 for each qualifying entitlement tab that are unused and still attached to the pass itself. You will receive instructions on how to send in your pass via mail, and it may take up to 30 days to process. ©Disney Guests will be given a refund as an online Disney Gift Card via email, and a shipping reimbursement of $3 will be included in the gift card. For events like the Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite, guests with tickets were eligible to have them refunded within 30 days without further action. ©Disney The same goes for the Disneyland After Dark: Villains Nite which was supposed to take place in April of last year. ©Disney The Disneyland After Dark events say that a current ticket would be automatically eligible for a rescheduled event, however none of these events have been rescheduled yet. ©Disney Be sure that if you had tickets for these events that you either rescheduled or received a refund! There are numbers to call if you need any assistance directly from Disney. We still don’t have a clear picture of when Disneyland could actually reopen, but until then we’ll keep you updated on the latest news from the Disney Parks! Disneyland to Consider Adding Dedicated Entrance for Passholders Check out more Disneyland Food Reviews Here!! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! When was the last time you visited Disneyland? Let us know in the comments! The post If You Had Tickets For These 3 Disneyland Events, Be Sure to Check For Your Refund first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: We’re Breaking Down the Disneyland Annual Passholder Refunds Two More Locations Have Been Added to Disneyland Resort’s Mobile Order List! What’s New at Disneyland Resort: 999 Happy Haunted Pieces of Merch and Some Love for Jack Skellington Himself! View the full article

Disney World does a pretty good job when it comes to water and boat rides. Splash Mountain There’s Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, Frozen Ever After, and MORE. These rides are SUPER popular and all involve some sort of speedy slide down a flume of some kind. Now, Disney might be working on a way to make the lines for attractions like this SHORTER than ever! We spot Disney innovations pretty regularly and some recent tech has turned its attention to water ride systems. You might remember last year when we noticed that Disney is working on a new capture and launch system for water rides. Well, that’s not the ONLY slick new tech! ©Disney Today, we spotted that Disney has filed a patent for a “Park Ride with Weight Proportional Water Breaking.” That’s another way of making sure water ride vehicles stop right when Disney wants! ©Disney Up to this point, when a boat goes down a large flume (like the characteristic Splash Mountain one!), there has to be a long length of track afterwards to slow the boat down to normal speeds. This track has to be long enough to accommodate ALL boats, whether they’re empty or seating 8 people. ©Disney Believe it or not, that actually affects how efficient the ride is. If every boat has to go through the same length of runoff before it hits safe speeds, then they’re all taking the same amount of time. In reality, a lighter boat does not need as much time or space to stop. ©Disney Disney’s newest invention involves a section of track after a drop that responds dynamically to a boat’s weight. That way, each boat is taking the minimum amount of time needed to move on. When you think about how that time adds up, this invention could seriously increase the capacity of boat rides. ©Disney Higher capacity means lower wait times so we are CERTAINLY rooting for this tech to make it to new or existing attractions one day. As always, stay tuned to DFB for the latest updates on Disney tech and more! Click here to see more recent water ride tech! 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! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2020 Edition of the Guide! 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 this invention? Tell us in the comments! The post Could Disney's New Tech Get More People on Water Rides Than Ever Before? first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: Did Disney Just Create a NEW Way to Make Water Rides? One More TOTALLY NEW Way Your Phone Could Have A HUGE Impact On Your Disney World Vacation! New Patent Explains How Disney Could Use DRONES in Future Theme Park Shows! View the full article

Disney+ launched in 2019, and ever since we’ve seen some pretty exciting shows and films! Magic Kingdom We learned a LOT about the upcoming content for the streaming platform at Disney’s Investor Day, and we’ve recently experience huge hits like Marvel’s WandaVision. But now, there’s an entire TV universe based in Magic Kingdom said to be in development for Disney+! Ronald D. Moore is said to be currently in the process of developing several TV projects for Disney+ that will be set in the Magic Kingdom! According to The Hollywood Reporter, the first project in this “universe” is The Society of Explorers and Adventurers which Moore will executive produce and write. Disney+ Logo ©Disney This series is slightly based on the fictional group of the same name (also known as S.E.A.), that can be found in the Disney Parks. In restaurants like Skipper Canteen, one of the rooms is themed as a special S.E.A. meeting room, but this organization can be found through Disney Parks around the world. S.E.A. Room In the series, the themed lands and characters of classic Disney films and parks will exist in another reality. Moore is said to be working on some other projects with Disney Imagineers. It is explained as being an interconnected universe similar to Marvel or Star Wars, except that it is within the world of Disney theme parks. Magic Kingdom Moore is a life-long Disney fan, and he is already working on the Swiss Family Robinson based series for Disney+ that was announced on Investor Day. We look forward to learning more about this series, and we’ll keep you updated as more info is released! Here’s Everything Coming to Disney+ in March 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! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2020 Edition of the Guide! 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 this Magic Kingdom Universe on Disney+? Let us know in the comments! The post NEWS: Magic Kingdom TV Universe Reportedly in Development for Disney+ first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: Life Is the Bubbles! Today’s International Mermaid Day (and We’re Celebrating with Some Disney Magic)! Create Your Own Home Movie Theater With This Disney DIY Onward Screening! You Can Watch The NEW Simpsons Short FREE on Instagram for 24 Hours! View the full article

The inability to crowd stars onto commercial flights means private jets are becoming the norm at every level of Hollywood. View the full article

It’s almost March, which means Raya and the Last Dragon is releasing soon! Raya and the Last Dragon ©Disney The film releases in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access on March 5th. We’ve already gotten a taste of the themed treats in the parks, explored some new experiences in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and checked out all the new merchandise. Now, it’s time for an exclusive new look at the movie! Disney just released a new clip from Raya and the Last Dragon! We get to meet Boun, the self-styled “owner, manager, chef, and captain” of his boat, the Shrimporium. A movie scene about food? Sounds right up our alley, doesn’t it?! © Disney After the clip, we get a behind-the-scenes peek at how the movie was made. Did you know that a team of over 400 people worked from home to put the film together? That includes animators, writers, martial arts experts, and more! The dedication is unreal. © Disney Take a look here! This movie already looks like a great mix of humor, action, and heart. We can’t wait to watch it! We’ll be sure to keep you posted with more Raya and the Last Dragon news, so stay tuned to DFB. Check Out All The New Raya and the Last Dragon Gear! 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! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2020 Edition of the Guide! 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 new clip? Let us know in the comments! The post VIDEO: Disney's New 'Raya and the Last Dragon' Clip is All About FOOD first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: “Raya and the Last Dragon” Now Available for Pre-Order on Disney+ VIDEO: Watch Disney’s FULL ‘Cruella’ Trailer! Here’s EVERYTHING Coming to Disney+ in March! View the full article

Ever thought, you know what would be cute? Sticking a little face on Cinderella Castle! Well, that’s what Jerrod Maruyama is doing! Downtown Disney Jerrod Maruyama is the artist behind the Hipster Mickey line and you might recognize his name from some recent designs we’ve spotted in the parks (like this MagicBand). He’s been bringing us too-cool-for-school Mickey gear — like a Hipster Mickey hat — for a little while now and we spotted a new home collection from the hip artist on our recent visit to Disneyland Resort! Over in WonderGround Gallery at Downtown Disney, you can find a HUGE selection of Jerrod Maruyama’s “Kingdom of Cute” goodies for your home. The entire collection features the line’s adorable icons on a variety of home goods. First up is the Kingdom of Cute Serving Tray for $29.99. The tray is pretty deep so you can serve a lot of something really good in here! Jerrod Maruyama Serving Plate Serve your whole meal in Kingdom of Cute-ness glory and pick up the Cake Stand for $34.99. Jerrod Maruyama Cake Stand The top of the stand features the same design as the tray so you can eat away your cake (or cupcakes) and reveal your favorite Disney park icons. Jerrod Maruyama Cake Stand Keep the serving going and pick up the Kingdom of Cute Serving Bowl Set for $34.99. The set comes with three different sized bowls including ones measuring 3.8-inches, 5.4-inches, and 8.5-inches. Jerrod Maruyama Bowl Set And you didn’t think we’d make you serve your meal on any regular plate, did you? The Kingdom of Cute Plate Set is $34.99 and comes with four plates sporting a different park icon. One features the Jose from the Enchanted Tiki Room… Jerrod Maruyama Tiki Bird Plate …another has Dumbo flying in his classic attraction form… Jerrod Maruyama Dumbo Plate …there’s also the White Rabbit in a teacup from the Mad Tea Party ride… Jerrod Maruyama Teacups Plate …and Cinderella Castle! Jerrod Maruyama Castle Plate And, Jerrod Maruyama must have heard that we’ve seen a lot of Disney tumblers and stepped up his game! The Tumbler Dome Cup is available for $24.99 and has Disney icons IN THE DOME! We mean, c’mon, a mini Snow White and pirate? Adorable. And, the cup really pops with color! Jerrod Maruyama Tumbler If you’re a fan of the classic design from the collection, you can get it on an insulated water bottle for $22.99. Jerrod Maruyama Water Bottle And, now for the desk accessories! Dumbo the Flying Elephant is taking a succulent as cargo for $22.99. Jerrod Maruyama Dumbo Succulent Add even more greenery to your decor with the White Rabbit Teacup Succulent for $22.99. Poor guy was spinning so much that he sprouted a plant. Jerrod Maruyama Teacup Succulent You can even cuddle up on the couch with the Kingdom of Cute icons! The Throw Blanket is $39.99 and features ALL of the little icons we’ve come to know and love from Jerrod Maruyama. Jerrod Maruyama Blanket Plus, complete your couch cuddle session with the Mickey Mouse Ears Pillow for $39.99. Jerrod Maruyama Mickey Ear Pillow Hurry on over to WonderGround Gallery at Downtown Disney and make your own “Kingdom of Cute” at home! Stay tuned for more Disney news and updates! REVIEW: Did an LA Bakery Beat Disneyland At Its Own Snack Game? Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What do you think of the new collection? Let us know in the comments! The post We Bet Your Favorite Park Icon Is Somewhere in Disney's NEW Home Collection first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: What’s New at Downtown Disney: Outdoor Dining Reopens, Character Mugs, and a Beauty and the Beast Collection What’s New at Disneyland Resort — Light-Up Alien Ears, a Fluffy Spirit Jersey, Fuzzy Crocs, and MORE! ABC Disney Items Spotted in Disneyland — But With NEW Designs?! View the full article

Take a seat, because we’ve got a LOT of new Raya and the Last Dragon gear to show you. Tree of Life It’s been a wild ride for Raya and the Last Dragon in Disney’s Animal Kingdom today. We’ve seen new snacks and experiences around the park and gotten to know some characters while we wait for the movie’s release on March 5th. And now, we’ve spotted some brand-new merchandise on Discovery Island. Let’s get started! We found a few new shirts! There’s a colorful sweatshirt with Raya and Sisu the last dragon on it for $39.99… Raya Sweatshirt …an “It’s Ongi Time” t-shirt for $19.99… Ongi Shirt …and a tee with Raya, Tuk Tuk, Sisu, and more for $24.99! Raya Shirt This is actually a sensory-friendly shirt — it has flat seams and no tags. Plus, it’s extra soft! Sensory-Friendly Shirt!! There’s also some toys, like a light-up Raya sword. It has motion-activated lights and sounds, and it’s $24.99! Sword Toy We also found some chattering Ongis for $24.99… Chattering Ongis …a light-up Sisu toy for $19.99… Sisu Toy …and a Raya doll for $26.99! Raya Doll We spotted 3 plushes: a Sisu plush for $29.99… Sisu Plush …a Tuk Tuk plush for $26.99… Tuk Tuk Plush …and another plush that looks awfully like our pal Tuk Tuk (for $26.99)! Tuk Tuk-like Plush! If you want all of the Raya and the Last Dragon characters bundled together, you can also grab the figurine set for $27.99! Figurine Set Four characters are also featured as Funko POPs! We have Raya… Raya Funko POP! …Sisu… Sisu Funko POP! …Ongi… Ongi Funko POP! …and Tuk Tuk! Tuk Tuk Funko POP! Lastly, there’s a frame with art of Tuk Tuk. This frame is $39.99 and perfectly fits the paper guests draw on at The Animation Experience at Disney’s Animal Kingdom! It’s also the same art that the class is currently teaching. Tuk Tuk Frame! But that’s not all! Over at the Emporium in Magic Kingdom, we spotted this merchandise and MORE. Some other gear available at the Emporium included a simple black Ongi tee for $36.99… Ongi Shirt …a white Raya tee for $36.99… Raya Shirt …and a Raya and the Last Dragon MagicBand! We’ve previously spotted this design in Magic Kingdom, but we just wanna let you know it’s still around for $24.99. MagicBand! And over at Frontier Trading Post, those Raya and the Last Dragon pins are still in stock! ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Pin Okay, that wraps it up! As March 5th gets closer, we’ll keep bring you more Raya and the Last Dragon updates. Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news! Check Out All the Raya and the Last Dragon Experiences at Animal Kingdom! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don't Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! 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! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2020 Edition of the Guide! 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 buy any of this new gear? Let us know in the comments! The post Disney World Just Exploded with ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Gear first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: PHOTOS: ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ MagicBand Arrives in Disney World! Your ULTIMATE Guide to the 2020 Halloween Season in Disney World! How To Get Your Hands on the Starbucks “You Are Here” Disney Parks Mugs WITHOUT Actually Visiting the Parks! View the full article

One of our favorite spots to grab a drink in EPCOT (and all of Walt Disney World really) is La Cava del Tequila in the Mexico pavilion. Mexico Pavilion We’ve had all kinds of unique creations here. But, today La Cava is doing something extra special since it is National Margarita Day. Today, this spot is offering a specialty drink in a SUPER limited edition souvenir cup and we got to check them out! La Cava’s specialty drink for National Margarita Day is made with Centinela Blanco Tequila, Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur, Fresh Lime Juice, and a Mixed Berry Bubble. AND the drink is served in a souvenir cup with the logo for La Cava on it. Happy National Margarita Day! The drink is also meant to have an LED Glowing Ice Cube. But, when we went, the bartender told us they didn’t have the glowing cubes for the drink. We’ve seen quite a few drinks with that unique bubble placed on top lately, but we’re totally not tired of it yet. It makes for some epic photos. Those Bubbles on Top Are So Cool The bubble on top of this drink was more fragrance than flavor, at least from what we could tell with our experience today. It is very delicate and pops VERY easily though, so that’s something to keep in mind. Be extra careful moving this anywhere. In terms of the drink itself, it was VERY good! We felt like the passion fruit flavor was pretty pronounced, but the drink wasn’t overly fruity at all. If you like margaritas that have a sweet side, but aren’t TOO sweet, this is a good option for you. It had a sweet note to it, but still had that La Cava kick! YUM Our one criticism of this drink? We felt like it needed ice. It was warm and we would have preferred that it be nice and cool. But, overall, we still really enjoyed it. You can get the drink and souvenir cup for $19.17. Hurry! National Margarita Day is Almost Over The drink will be available today so you’ll want to go quickly to try it yourself. There are only 100 souvenir cups available though, so it’s VERY possible that they will run out. When we stopped by around 3PM ET they were still available, but they could sell out later so keep that in mind. Will you be one of the 100 lucky ones? Be sure to let us know if you were able to score one of these cups for yourself! We’ll keep an eye out for more limited-time deals and treats and let you know what we find. We brought a lime to EPCOT for science…and it ended it an epic failure. See why! 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! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2020 Edition of the Guide! 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 are you doing for National Margarita Day? Tell us in the comments. The post Will You Be One of the 100 With This Disney World Souvenir? first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: The ULTIMATE Guacamole THROW DOWN at the Mexico Pavilion in Disney World! Forget Bloody Marys, A New TOMATO Margarita Is Coming Soon to Disney World! VIDEO: Check Out the EPIC Smoke Effect on This Margarita in Disney World! View the full article

Everything is going GREEN in Disney World as St. Patrick’s Day approaches! Vivoli il Gelato And Vivoli il Gelato in Disney Springs is joining in the fun with a returning gelato creation that all you MATCHA fans out there simply have to see (and, of course, TASTE)… The Matcha Affogato is back! As @vivoligelateria shares on Instagram, you can choose a flavor of gelato paired with a pour of Matcha green tea! Matcha Affogato @vivoligelateria on Instagram The Matcha Affogato was available as a (not-so) Secret Menu item for a time, and the matcha fans among us are glad to see it return! Are you a matcha drinker, too? Then we’ve got a special Disney recipe for you… Whip up Minnie Mouse Whipped Matcha with this Disney recipe 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! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2020 Edition of the Guide! 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 like to try a Matcha Affogato? Please let us know with a comment! The post They're Mixing Matcha Tea and GELATO in Disney World?! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: News: Vivoli il Gelato Debuts Tiramisu Gelato for a Limited Time Review And Photos: You HAVE To See The August Special Brownie Waffle Sundae in Disney World! IT’S BACK! The Over the Top Millennial Pink Shake Returns to Disney World! View the full article

Sangria University is open to attend once again at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort! Sangria Flight at Three Bridges Bar & Grill Classes take place at the lovely respite that is Three Bridges Bar & Grill at Villa del Lago, and eager students should “take notes” on all the info that we’ve got for you right here! First, a bit of background… Three Bridges Bar & Grill at Villa del Lago Guests at Sangria University learn directly from a sangria sommelier and enjoy tasting four house-made sangrias paired with an appetizer while learning about the history of sangria. A highlight of the class is making your very own personalized Sangria! And, get this… you’ll receive a Sangria University diploma in recognition of your accomplishment! Sangria University sign Now, we do want to note a few changes to the experience. While this class was previously offered on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, Disney shares that interested guests should send an email to WDW.Sangria.University@disney.com for available dates and times. Disney also states that “Classes are limited to ensure proper social distancing protocol.” Sangria University was previously available at the cost of $45.00 per guest. We are working to confirm if that price point remains the same, and will update this post as soon as we are able. CHEERS! Check out our review of the Sangria Flight at Three Bridges Bar & Grill 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! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2020 Edition of the Guide! 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 like to attend Sangria University? Please let us know with a comment! The post Earn Your Sangria Diploma (!!) At a Returning Disney World Experience first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: NEW Secret Menu Items We’re LOVING in Disney World! Check Out the MENU for Three Bridges Bar & Grill at Villa del Lago Coming to Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort! First Look and Review! Three Bridges Bar & Grill at Villa del Lago Is Now Open at Coronado Springs Resort View the full article

Hong Kong Disneyland reopened on February 19th! ©Disney The park spent most of 2020 closing and reopening repeatedly. After originally shutting down in January, it reopened in June only to close again in July, reopen in September, and close AGAIN in December. So this February reopening is its THIRD time welcoming back guests since its initial closure. Phew! We’ve gotten some announcements about the park’s 15th anniversary, like a transformed Castle of Magical Dreams. But now, Hong Kong Disneyland has released information about its safety policies and procedures. ©Disney First of all, the park will be closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays (excluding public holidays and other designated days) until further notice. ©Disney Guests will also be required to undergo temperature screening, wear an approved face covering, and either scan the “LeaveHomeSafe” QR code or register contact details as required by regulations. Social distancing measures have been implemented, and character experiences have been modified. ©Disney Lastly, guests are required to register for park visits with their name and contact number. Reservations for Magic Access Platinum members are available 9 days before arrival, while Gold & Silver members may reserve 8 days before arrival. Other guests can reserve 7 days before arrival. ©Disney We’ll continue to keep you posted as the reopening process at Hong Kong Disneyland continues. Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news! Read More About Hong Kong Disneyland’s Reopening! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Are you visiting Hong Kong Disneyland soon? Let us know in the comments! The post Hong Kong Disneyland is OPEN Again…5 Days a Week first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: VIDEO: Take a Look at Hong Kong Disneyland’s Reopening Procedures NEWS! Hong Kong Disneyland Is Set to Reopen Soon BREAKING NEWS: Hong Kong Disneyland Has Announced a Reopening Date! View the full article

Disney’s “Raya and the Last Dragon” | Exclusive New Clip View the full article

Former Imagineer Joe Rohde, a 40-year Disney employee, has taken a position of “experience architect” with Virgin Galactic. View the full article

‘Tis the season for shopping! And, Disney World Annual Passholders can experience some unique offerings right now. Tree of Life Starting today, Passholders can take advantage of a few extra special deals on weekdays through March 19th in Disney’s Animal Kingdom! You can head on over to Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures in DinoLand, U.S.A., you’ll receive a complimentary prize when you purchase 3 game tickets. Maybe you can even score some sweet plushes to take home with you too! Chester and Hester’s Just around the corner, the Restaurantosaurus Lounge has four specialty drinks on the menu, including the Tyrannosaurus Wreck for $12, Fossil Fuel for $12, Pterodactyl Punch for $10.50, and non-alcoholic Triceraberry Pop for $4.99. We’ll take one of each! Restaurantosaurus During our visit to the park, we went ahead and tried the Tyrannosaurus Wreck that was made with Blue Curaçao, Crème de Cassis, Diplomatico Rum, Tito’s Vodka, Hendrick’s Gin, Sweet & Sour, and a splash of Sprite… Tyrannosaurus Wreck …as well as the Fossil Fuel, mixed up with Midori, Tito’s Vodka, Sweet & Sour, and Lime Juice. Fossil Fuel We have to say that they were pretty dino-mite with their tartness and a nice kick of booze. Read our full review of the Restaurantosaurus drinks here! And, you can even take home the ADORABLE Donald Duck Annual Passholder Magnet! Passholders can pick up this little cutie in the park Monday through Friday until 4PM while supplies last. Hey, Donald! Supplies are limited, so you’ll want to hurry into Disney’s Animal Kingdom ASAP to grab yours! Find out more details on the Donald Duck Passholder Magnet here! Speaking of Donald Duck, there’s an exclusive cookie for Annual Passholders over at Dino-Bite Snacks too! Passholder Cookie The soft sugar cookie is decked out in colorful Mickey sprinkles with a Donald Passholder Magnet image garnishing the top with a bit of vanilla frosting for $4.04! Take a look at our review of the Donald Passholder Cookie here! Annual Passholders aren’t the only ones who have special treats in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, though! In honor of the debut of Raya and the Last Dragon on March 5th, there are a whole lot of themed treats available in the park now! And, Anandapur Ice Cream Truck has the most photogenic snack we’ve seen all day in Disney’s Animal Kingdom with the debut of the Mighty Mist Soft-Serve Ice Cream. Mighty Mist Soft Serve The colorful treat is a swirl of strawberry and vanilla ice cream on a cone dipped in blue-colored white chocolate and rolled in sparkling sugar for an extra bit of magic. Mighty Mist Soft Serve But, be warned that the Mighty Mist Soft-Serve Ice Cream is very messy for $5.49 before tax! So, you’ll want to bring some wipes with you, if you grab this treat. Read our review of Animal Kingdom’s new colorful soft serve! Over at Dino Bite Snacks, you can find another Raya treat with her sidekick featured as the main feature! The Baby Tuk Tuk Ice Cream Sundae is a “yummy sundae built for speed” with its chai spiced caramel cake, chai caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream, green tea cake crumbs, salted caramel crispy pearls, and an edible image of Baby Tuk Tuk. Baby Tuk Tuk Ice Cream Sundae We’re still not sure how we feel about that mix of flavors, but you can try it for yourself for $6.99. Check out our review of the Baby Tuk Tuk Ice Cream Sundae! The Baby Tuk Tuk trend continues over at the Isle of Java with the Baby Tuk Tuk Mousse that’s EXTREMELY adorable! Baby Tuk Tuk Mousse The five-spice mousse sits on top of a chocolate cake with a chocolate velvet shell and crispy chocolate pearls. And, there is a LOT of mousse on this little guy (you’ve been warned)! Baby Tuk Tuk Mousse (look at all that mousse!) You can also find the Baby Tuk Tuk Mousse at Creature Comforts for $5.99 when you’re in Disney’s Animal Kingdom! Take a look at our review of the Baby Tuk Tuk Mousse here! There are also Raya and the Last Dragon experiences across the park with a HUGE Sand Sculpture decorated with carved images of the characters and the film’s logo on the Discovery Island Stage. Look at all that sand! After watching the team of 2 artists build this display (which they did from scratch for over 24 hours), we’re amazed at how realistic Raya, Tuk Tuk, Sisu the last dragon, and the Ongi all look! ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Sand Sculpture And, guests can learn how to draw the characters from the film over at The Animation Experience at Conservation Station! Visitors can make their own Tuk Tuk doodle while they get a behind-the-scenes peek at the inspiration for Tuk Tuk from Kelly Marie Tran (voice of Raya) and Awkwafina (voice of Sisu). Hi, Tuk Tuk! Showtimes run during 45-minute increments, starting at 10AM and ending at 4:45PM before park closing! Showtimes for The Animation Experience Where do you think we should hang our new Raya artwork at home? Learn more about the Raya and the Last Dragon experiences here! So, you’re going to want to get moving over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, because the Passholder offerings and snacks start TODAY! And, we’ll give you a look at everything else happening around the parks (and the sweet discounts you can grab) soon! Take a look at the new Skyliner Dooney and Bourke Bags 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! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2020 Edition of the Guide! 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 be heading to Disney’s Animal Kingdom soon? Let us know in the comments below! The post LOADS of New Snacks and 'Raya and the Last Dragon' Experiences Debuted in Animal Kingdom Today! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: What’s New at Animal Kingdom: Flight of Passage Loading EVERY Bike and Large Crowds What’s New at Disney’s Animal Kingdom: HUGE Holiday Sales and Last Minute Christmas Treats! What’s New at Animal Kingdom: An ‘Up’ Photo-Op and Gummi Centipedes! View the full article

Good news for breakfast fans! Disney’s Hollywood Studios Many Disney dining locations have remained closed since the parks reopened last year, but they’re slowly reopening, too. They’re also beefing their menus back up! And after some spots for quick eats opened up in Disney’s Animal Kingdom last week, we’re seeing a dining experience return to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. That’s right — Hollywood and Vine breakfast is on its way back! While Mickey and friends dine with guests for lunch and dinner, breakfast is all about Disney Junior. This character experience will return starting March 22nd! ©Disney Although breakfast here used to be a buffet, it’s now a la carte: start with a pastry basket and pick your entree from there! Options include: All-you-care-to-enjoy pancakes made with a signature house-made batter French toast stuffed with chocolate-hazelnut spread Toasted open-faced salmon bagel Four-egg scramble Four-egg cheese omelet Plant-based egg frittata Okay, we’re getting SERIOUSLY hungry. Omelet Previously, you could meet Fancy Nancy, Vampirina, Doc McStuffins, and Goofy here. Like at other locations, character greeting will be modified. You can’t give them a big ol’ hug, but you can wave and take pictures from afar! Fancy Nancy Reservations open on February 26th for breakfast starting March 22nd. As always, we’ll keep you posted with the latest Disney news and updates. Stay tuned to DFB! Check Out Our Hollywood and Vine Breakfast Review! 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! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2020 Edition of the Guide! 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 this breakfast to return? Let us know in the comments! The post Another Character Breakfast Will RETURN to Disney World Soon! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: DFB Review: We Had Breakfast With Fancy Nancy at Hollywood and Vine in Disney World! Find Out Where You Can Meet Vampirina in Disneyland and Walt Disney World This Fall! REVIEW! Is Minnie’s Holiday Dine at Hollywood & Vine On the “Nice” List This Year? View the full article

Disney’s newest movie, Raya and the Last Dragon, is releasing March 5th! Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park To get us excited for the film, Disney’s brought themed snacks, merchandise, and more to the parks. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom in particular, it seems like this movie is EVERYWHERE. We even tried a treat with a character’s face on it! But there’s still more new experiences to discover. First of all, there’s a Raya-inspired sand sculpture with 40 TONS of sand! This giant is on the Discovery Island Stage for all to gawk at (and enjoy). Look at all that sand! We’ve been keeping an eye on this project from the very beginning, and it’s finally finished! It took a team of 2 artists over 24 hours to build and carve this display from scratch. That’s some MAJOR dedication. ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Sand Sculpture The sculpture features Raya, Tuk Tuk, Sisu the last dragon and the Ongi in the fantasy world of Kumandra. We can’t wait to meet all these new characters when the movie releases! ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ Sand Sculpture The second new experience is over at the Conservation Station! At The Animation Experience, guests now have the opportunity to draw some new characters from Raya and the Last Dragon. One of those characters is Tuk Tuk, Raya’s part-pill bug, part-pug companion! Hi, Tuk Tuk! Shows run throughout the day, with the first at 10AM and the last at 4:45PM. During the show, you’ll also get a behind-the-scenes peek at the inspiration for Tuk Tuk as shared by Kelly Marie Tran (voice of Raya) and Awkwafina (voice of Sisu). Showtimes for The Animation Experience As March 5th gets closer, we’ll keep an eye out for everything Raya and the Last Dragon! Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news and updates. Read More About These 2 New Experiences! 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! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2020 Edition of the Guide! 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 watch Raya and the Last Dragon? Let us know in the comments! The post Learn MORE About Disney's New 'Raya and the Last Dragon' Experiences first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: 2 NEW Experiences Are Coming to Disney World Can You Guess What This 40-Ton Pile of Sand in Disney World Will Become? What’s New to Buy in Animal Kingdom Park: August 6, 2018 View the full article

I am so excited about this edition of Best Bites! It has it all – from adorable Raya and the Last Dragon-inspired treats and over-the-top hotdogs and shakes to the return of Sangria University and breakfast with Disney Junior Characters. Check out all the yummy details below. Enjoy!http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DisneyParks/~4/7_9x-LmuUyI View the full article

Earlier this year, legendary Imagineer Joe Rohde retired from the Walt Disney Company. Joe Rohde! ©Disney Rohde was the driving creative force behind so many incredible projects at Walt Disney World and beyond, including Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa. Well, if you’re wondering how Rohde is filling his time these days (aside from the occasional garage sale), we’ve got a little bit of an idea. Turns out Rohde has changed his focus from animals, nature, and theme parks to…the final frontier! Virgin Galatic has just announced that they have hired a new Experience Architect and it’s the one and only Joe Rohde. Virgin Galactic is the world’s first commercial spaceline and vertically integrated aerospace company. Right now, with their sister company, Virgin Galactic is actually developing and operating a “new generation of space vehicles to open space for everyone.” Check Out the Aircraft from Virgin Galactic | ©Virgin Galactic According to the Virgin Galactic website, their mission is to become the Spaceline for Earth. After 3 days of training and preparation, Virgin Galactic astronauts will board its aircraft. At the appropriate moment in the flight, the pilots will shut off the rocket motor and allow travelers to have several minutes of weightlessness. Passengers will also get a view of Earth and space as they then prepare to re-enter the Earth. Here’s a Peek at the Flight Path | ©Virgin Galactic And now Joe Rohde will be a part of the work Virgin Galactic is doing. Rohde will become Virgin Galactic’s first Experience Architect. He will work as a strategic advisor to “help design and guide the overall experience journey for future astronauts, friends and family, and inspired fans alike.” Joe Rohde ©Disney Virgin Galactic’s press release notes that Rohde recently visited New Mexico for the first time — this is where Virgin Galactic has what it calls “Spaceport America.” There, Joe shared some of his initial thoughts. In the interview, Rohde said “This is one of the most profound things that can happen to you. To go beyond the reaches of the earth, to space, and look back down at it. It’s a spectacularly unique opportunity with huge potential for transformational change in a person…What Virgin Galactic is doing, in democratizing space travel, has reached a moment where it is about to enter history. It’s happening right here in New Mexico, and it’s very rare to be a person who gets to be in the place, at the time, that history begins.’’ Joe Rohde | ©OCR You can see Rohde talking about this role and its importance in the video below. The CEO of Virgin Galactic, Michael Colglazier, said, “As soon as I joined Virgin Galactic, I knew there was one person we just had to work with to help shape the incredible experience we are developing – and that person was Joe Rohde…His track record for keeping authenticity central to the design and creating deeply transformative experiences aligns perfectly with our mission.” ©Disney But, Rohde isn’t alone. Amy Jupiter has shared that she has also “launched on a new adventure with Virgin Galactic” with Joe. Jupiter has worked on a number of attractions for Disney including Pirates of the Caribbean for Shanghai Disneyland, Pandora — The World of Avatar in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Guardians of the Galaxy — Mission: BREAKOUT! in Disney California Adventure Park. Currently, preparations are underway for the first Future Astronauts to arrive at Spaceport America. Will Joe throw in some hidden Mickeys as part of his work there? We don’t think so! But, we’ll keep an eye out for more big stories about Disney and its Imagineers and keep you up to date on all the latest. Click here to see some of the amazing things Joe Rohde worked on while at Disney. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What do you think about Joe Rohde and his work now with Virgin Galactic? Let us know in the comments. The post Want to Travel to Space? Former Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde Is Designing Your Experience first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: Join D23 Online This Friday for “Disney Wild Kingdoms” With Joe Rohde and Disneynature Filmmakers Adventure Is Out There with the NEW Joe Rohde Designer Ears Available Now! Imagineer Joe Rohde Retires from The Walt Disney Company Today View the full article