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There is no shortage of places to grab a refreshing beverage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. But one of our top spots is Dawa Bar, over in Harambe Village in the Africa section of the park! Even though Animal Kingdom has been reopened since mid-July, Dawa Bar has only been open since mid-September, and at first, it was only operating with limited hours and on weekends. Dawa Bar But, there’s some good news for folks out there who love the Lost on Safari cocktail and beers… Dawa Bar is open every day now!! Dawa Bar entrance When we stopped by today — a weekday! — we noticed this bar was open and Cast Members were mixing up cocktails! When we inquired further, we learned that Dawa Bar is open from 11AM to 4PM on Mondays through Thursdays and 11AM to 5PM on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays! Dawa Bar bartender So, don’t mind us, we’ll be over here sipping on Safari Amber beers and Harambe Iced Tea! And don’t worry, as more spots reopen and expand their hours, we’ll let you know! We tried the NEW menu items at Yak & Yeti — here’s how they taste! 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! Get Your Copy of the 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/dfb_guide_to_wdw_dining_2020_cover_01-01-200x151.jpg With more than 750 pages, the 2020 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 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2020 to save 25% off the cover price today! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2019 Edition of the Guide! Use code WDW2020 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. Do you love Dawa Bar? What’s your favorite spot to grab a drink at Animal Kingdom? Let us know in the comments! The post Dawa Bar Is Now Open EVERY Day at Disney's Animal Kingdom! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: What’s New at Disney’s Animal Kingdom: An Adorable ‘Up’ Shirt, Updated Bar Hours, and Halloween Cups! NEWS! Disney World Announces Fall Annual Passholder Offerings at Animal Kingdom and Epcot! News: Disney Extends Park Hours at Animal Kingdom for One Day in September View the full article

Don’t you just love EPCOT? We know we sure do! Spaceship Earth at night And we especially love to see all the NEW things at EPCOT since we last traveled around the world and into the future. EPCOT Dining Updates Taste of Epcot International Food and Wine Festival Even though EPCOT has officially been reopened for three months now, some Taste of Epcot International Food and Wine Festival booths opened later and some only seem to be operating on weekends and on busier days. Since we visited on a holiday, Columbus Day, we noticed that EVERY booth was open! You could grab bites at The Alps… The Alps …Spain… Spain …The Donut Box… The Donut Box …Waffles… Waffles …and Islands of the Caribbean all serving up food! Islands of the Caribbean Your mileage may vary, but if you want to try EVERY booth, it’s best to go on a weekend of holiday. Just beware of crowds! Other Restaurant Openings and Closures Other only-open-sometimes spots were also serving up food over the holiday! We strolled by an opened Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe… Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe …Could smell all the deliciousness from Yorkshire County Fish Shop… Yorkshire Fish and Chips …And even spotted the Outdoor Sake Bar at the Japan Pavilion open! Garden House However, the Pizza Window and Sommerfest were still closed. La Hacienda de San Angel With San Angel Inn closed for refurbishment, diners are being directed to Mexico Pavilion’s other table service restaurant, La Hacienda de San Angel. La Hacienda de San Angel Because of the closure, La Hacienda is now opening when EPCOT does instead of at 3PM for dinner service only. Karamell Kuche It may be spooky season, but Christmas is right around the corner — just look at Karamell Kuche, where we spotted a Gingerbread Salted Caramel Buttercream Cookie Sandwich! Gingerbread Cookie Sandwich from Karamell Küche Soft gingerbread cookies and tons of caramel? Uh, count us in any time of year! Read more about this Christmas-y treat here! Walt Disney Imagineering Presents: The EPCOT Experience Brew lovers, rejoice! The EPCOT Experience snack stand has a NEW beer — Collective Arts Brewing’s Pina Colada Sour. Taps at the EPCOT Experience This beer is golden in color and may LOOK like your average beer, but it’s filled with refreshing coconut and vanilla flavors with a hint of tartness. Pina Colada Sour It’s the refreshing thing you need after walking around World Showcase! EPCOT Merchandise Updates Mouse Gear Even at EPCOT, we can’t get away from Baby Yoda! While browsing Mouse Gear, we spotted a new-to-the-parks Baby Yoda spirit jersey! Baby Yoda spirit jersey This light gray spirit jersey features the lovable little green guy on the front and the phrase “The Bounty” on the back. “The Bounty” Want to bring The Child home? It’s $69.99. Read more about the new Baby Yoda spirit jersey here! House of Good Fortune Due to the bustling nature of the park this day, both the indoor and outdoor locations at House of Good Fortune in the China Pavilion were open! House of Good Fortune We did what we do best and bought some snacks! We got white rabbit and Mexican chicken tomato flavored Lays potato chips! Lays flavored potato chips This store was also selling hot tea drinks and this WAY too cute pumpkin pet costume! We apologize to our cats and dogs in advance for making them wear this outfit for the rest of October! Canadian Trading Post Oh, Canada! We spotted two new-to-us shirts at the Canada pavilion, each with sporty designs and the country’s signature maple leaf flag. This Canadian Mickey ringer tee is $34.99 and looks soo comfy! Mickey Canada tee We also this this Mickey Mouse Canadian hockey long sleeve tee is $39.99 and the perfect thing to wear when watching a match on the ice! Canada long sleeve tee And if you need more cowbell in your life, this Mickey Canadian flag cowbell is a cool souvenir. It’s appeared at EPCOT before but SOLD OUT! EPCOT Attraction Updates Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros The Three Caballeros would be NOTHING without their backing band, and the Gran Fiesta Tour’s marimba players are rocking out once again! Gran Fiesta Tour marimba players And they’ll play us out! That’s everything new at EPCOT this holiday week! Check out what’s new over at 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! Get Your Copy of the 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/dfb_guide_to_wdw_dining_2020_cover_01-01-200x151.jpg With more than 750 pages, the 2020 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 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2020 to save 25% off the cover price today! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2019 Edition of the Guide! Use code WDW2020 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’s your favorite thing to eat at EPCOT? Let us know in the comments! The post What's New at EPCOT: New Beer, A Christmas-y Dessert in October, and Canadian Merchandise! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: News: We’ve Got Updates on Several Booths at EPCOT’s Food & Wine Festival in Disney World What’s New EPCOT: Beer, Halloween Merchandise Sales, and Additional Signage What’s New in Epcot — Macaron Purses, Construction Updates, and the 2019 Food and Wine Festival! View the full article

Pumpkin Fudge, Pumpkin Lattes, Pumpkin Mousse, and now…PUMPKIN CUPCAKES. Pumpkin Caramel Cupcake Sure, we’ve seen our share pumpkin cupcakes before, but this isn’t ANY old pumpkin cupcake. It’s a pumpkin cupcake that comes with a taste of creamy salted caramel delight. It’s a pumpkin cupcake we’ve been dreaming about since last fall. One Pumpkin Cupcake to Rule Them All. We’ve stalled long enough. Come look at the beauty, the glory, the grace of the salted caramel pumpkin cupcake from EPCOT. We first fell in love with this cuppy cake last year when the Florida fall weather was a crisp 80 degrees. We were minding our business at Karamell-Küche in the Germany Pavilion when we spotted the Werther’s Pumpkin Cupcake with Salted Buttercream. It was love at first sight. We made our way back to EPCOT recently and became reacquainted with our one true love! Pumpkin Caramel Cupcake Karamell-Küche is home to fresh Werther’s Original caramel treats. The pumpkin cupcake takes your favorite thing about pumpkin cake and amps it up with fresh caramel from the bakery. The frosting is a buttercream salted caramel with fresh caramel drizzle. It’s dangerously delicious. Thank goodness it comes piled high with the stuff. We honestly couldn’t get enough of it. Pumpkin Caramel Cupcake Cut into the cupcake and…surprise! More caramel! This is where things get serious. The caramel injected into the pumpkin cake is fresh and creamy. It’s just the right amount of caramel taste without being too overpowering and sweet. UGH. So good. Head to the bakery and pick up this beauty for $5.59. Pumpkin Caramel Cupcake Ok, all this talk of caramel pumpkin cupcakes is leaving us craving more. We better sign off before we buy a dozen and eat them in one sitting! Happy fall, y’all! Want more Karamell-Küche treats? Check out the Gingerbread Salted Caramel Buttercream Cookie Sandwich! 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! Get Your Copy of the 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/dfb_guide_to_wdw_dining_2020_cover_01-01-200x151.jpg With more than 750 pages, the 2020 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 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2020 to save 25% off the cover price today! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2019 Edition of the Guide! Use code WDW2020 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 been to Karamell-Küche? What’s your favorite treat from the bakery? The post Is It Legal to Marry a Caramel Pumpkin Cupcake From Disney World? Asking for a Friend. first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: NEWS and Review: Sweet, Salty, and SUPER Yummy! Pretzel Bites with Beer Caramel Dip Have Arrived in Disney World! What’s New at EPCOT: Les Halles’ Official Re-Opening, Disposable Masks, and New SPARKLY Rainbow Minnie Ears News! FULL FOOD BOOTH MENUS for the 2020 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival! View the full article

Royal Greetings, from the Magic Kingdom! Haunted Mansion We’ve been busy checking out the construction, merchandise, and foodie updates at the Most Magical Place on Earth! Step inside the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and see what’s new this week. Magic Kingdom Food Update Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies Disney likes to play with our heartstrings when it comes to snacks. One minute we find something delicious and *poof* it’s gone! They’ve been playing this game with the Space Ranger Slush in Tomorrowland. It originally debuted at The Lunching Pad then made it’s way to Auntie Gravity’s when Magic Kingdom reopened. Now, it’s gone! Space Ranger Slush It could show up at The Lunching Pad now that it’s open again. We’ll keep an eye out! Check out some foodie pics of the Space Ranger Slush here! Magic Kingdom Construction Update TRON Lightcycle Run We’ve been paying close attention to the highly-anticipated TRON roller coaster coming to the Magic Kingdom in 2021! We stopped by today to take a look at what’s been updated since our last visit. More structural elements and scaffolding were added to the exterior and it gave us a better idea of the overall shape of the coaster! TRON Construction We’ll be circling Tomorrowland like a group of sharks waiting for the next big update! Stay tuned! Check out the most recent TRON construction photos here! Tom Sawyer Island and Liberty Square Riverboat The Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island are undergoing refurbishments right now. To inform guests of the refurb, Disney has installed these adorable signs at the Haunted Mansion, apologizing for the noise and construction across the river. Haunted Mansion Refurb Sign We love it when Disney goes ALL IN with the theming! Check out the Haunted Mansion refurb signs here! Magic Kingdom Merchandise Update Frontierland Trading Post Disney has been creating adorable baby animal plushes for a while. We spotted a new addition to the family at Magic Kingdom! You can now be the proud owner of lil’ baby Tod from The Fox and the Hound. Tod Fox and the Hound Plush We hardly ever see Fox and the Hound merch at Disney! Happy to have you here, Tod! Get a closer look at the Tod Baby Plush here! We also noticed the trading post had a wicked cool Villains phone case! The case is $29.99 and matches the huge array of Villains merch we’ve spotted around Disney World. Disney Villains Phone Case Ye Old Christmas Shoppe Around the holidays, Jack and Sally become huge stars of Disney World merchandise. Disney really hit the jackpot when they created a movie that you can watch during Halloween AND Christmas. They combined the best of both worlds with the new Nightmare Before Christmas Sketchbook ornaments! You can find them at the Christmas shop for $22.99 each. Jack and Sally Ornaments Tomorrowland Light & Power Co Disney has come out with some pretty nifty reversible shirts for kids! We’ve seen Monsters, Inc. and Moana shirts and now they have a Star Wars tee. On one side, you get Darth Vader in black… Darth Vader Side …and a Stormtrooper in grey! The shirts are $24.99. Stormtrooper Side That’s it for Magic Kingdom! You know we’ll be back real soon with more attraction, merch, and foodie news! Check out the new construction updates on the Magic Kingdom Entrance Sign! 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! Get Your Copy of the 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/dfb_guide_to_wdw_dining_2020_cover_01-01-200x151.jpg With more than 750 pages, the 2020 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 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2020 to save 25% off the cover price today! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2019 Edition of the Guide! Use code WDW2020 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’s your favorite thing about Magic Kingdom? Let us know in the comments! The post What's New at Magic Kingdom: A MISSING Snack, Cute Haunted Mansion Refurb Sign, and TRON Update! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: What’s New at Magic Kingdom: A Missing Fan-Favorite Snack, TONS of Mulan Merchandise, and a NEW Cake Pop! What’s New at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom: it’s a small world Construction Walls, Crazy Forky Fun, New Baby Yoda Stickers, and a Dry Camel What’s New at Magic Kingdom: Halloween Rainy Day Cavalcade, Cute ‘Coco’ Outfits, and Spooky Cupcakes! View the full article

Disney’s Animal Kingdom has some pretty unique dining options. If you’re not in the mood to eat a WHOLE FISH at Tiffins right now, you can head on over to Yak & Yeti for an adventurous table-service meal that won’t break the bank quite as much. Yak & Yeti Yak & Yeti is located in the Asia section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom between Expedition Everest and Maharajah Jungle Trek. Over the years, we’ve found Yak & Yeti to have consistently good food and now we’re checking to see if some NEW menu items hold up to the standard! Check-in We had a reservation (no walk-ups today!) so we checked in with Mobile Dine Check-in. Once our table was ready, we received a text to head to the restaurant to be seated. Yak & Yeti Check-in Yak & Yeti is located in a beautifully themed building with an eye-catching blue and orange paint job. It’s striking, but so is the rest of Animal Kingdom’s Asia, so it can blend in. Keep an eye out for that Yak & Yeti sign. “Conditioned air?!” Sign us up! Yak & Yeti Let’s head inside! Atmosphere Let’s talk about the atmosphere because, like the outside, the inside of this restaurant is super neat! Yak & Yeti The first room you walk into will transport you directly into the elaborate backstory of the restaurant. Essentially, the building is owned by a former merchant named Arjun who has transformed his ornate home into lodging for weary travelers. Yak & Yeti The walls are accented with vibrant colors that definitely evoke the worldly theme. Yak & Yeti Of course, health measures are in place here, as we’ve seen. Tables are marked off as unavailable for physical distancing purposes. Yak & Yeti Seating is available on the upper and lower levels of the building. We love the natural light on the second floor, but the variety of light fixtures around the restaurant are a real delight too. Yak & Yeti Like many Disney restaurants, there are lots of little details on the walls and around the space, so take a look around! Yak & Yeti Apparently, our friend Arjun the merchant is quite the collector. There are some authentically-themed statues and idols placed throughout the restaurant. Some of them are even taller than we are! Yak & Yeti We love the picture that this restaurant paints with its atmosphere. It’s just the right amount of exotic and cozy to try out some delicious fare. Yak & Yeti Speaking of which… . Menu Let’s look at the menu! As we mentioned, we are here to try some new menu items but the posted menu still looks much the same as the last time we were here. Our host told us that the items we’re trying today will officially end up on the menu later this month. For now, as our server put it, they’re “hidden menu items!” Yak & Yeti Menu There are four unlisted new menu items: a ribeye, seafood curry, steak and shrimp, and a calamari appetizer. Plus, there is a special beverage and a special dessert for Breast Cancer Awareness month. Don’t worry, we’ll give those a try too. Yak & Yeti Menu Here’s a photo of the Gluten-Sensitive/Allergen Friendly Menu too! Yak & Yeti Menu Alright, alright, enough yapping. It’s time to eat and drink! Food and Beverages We started off with the Pink Lady, the beverage created in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. It’s $12 and $1 from each sale of this beverage goes to a Breast Cancer Awareness fund! Pink Lady As for flavors, this drink is made with Tito’s Vodka, Don Q Coconut Rum, lime juice, cranberry juice, and a splash of a Sprite. Overall we thought it was very light and tasty. Perfect for those that like a sweeter sip! Pink Lady As an appetizer, we tried the Bang Bang Calamari — one of the new menu items. This dish is made with fried calamari and fried veggies (zucchini, red pepper, and jalapeno) on a bed of fried rice noodles with Bang Bang Drizzle and a sweet Thai chili dipping sauce. Bang Bang Calamari As one of the new soon-to-be-on-the-menu options, this calamari definitely held up to our Yak & Yeti standards. It was so good. Our favorite part was the fried jalapenos! Bang Bang Calamari Plus, this a huge and SUPER SHAREABLE portion. Even if you’re not the biggest fan of calamari, there’s plenty of fried veggies to scoop up. You can snag it for $14.99. Bang Bang Calamari For one of our entrees, we went with the upcoming Hibachi Steak and Shrimp for $33.99. How does a 10oz flat iron with Jasmine rice, house stir-fried vegetables, and Yum Yum Sauce sound? Plus, you’re getting a BIG cut of steak and five HUGE tempura shrimp! Hibachi Steak and Shrimp The steak very tender and had a buttery flavor. It’s made in a delicious Kalbi marinade and it was cooked well. Look at that, just the right amount of pink! We were big fans. Hibachi Steak and Shrimp As for the shrimp, they taste as good as they look. And they look DELICIOUS. You can see how crispy these are just by looking at screen! See for yourself! Hibachi Steak and Shrimp SO much crunch! The veggies on the side were cooked exactly how we like them. They still had a nice crunch to them! There was a nice variety to the veggies as well. The rice was amazing too — especially with a bit of that Yum Yum Sauce. Hibachi Steak and Shrimp We wanted to try one more of the new items so we went with the Malaysian Seafood Curry for $32.99. The dish was a HEAPING portion of curry made with lobster and Dungeness crab ravioli plus tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, and some shrimp! Malaysian Seafood Curry The shrimp were very sizeable and the sauce was SO creamy. We didn’t think it was spicy or fishy at all so it might be a little more palate-friendly than you might expect. The curry flavor was faint (it hit your nose more than your taste buds) so it wasn’t overpowering at all. Malaysian Seafood Curry AND, even though our reporter isn’t the biggest seafood fan, we LOVED the lobster and Dungeness crab ravioli. Overall, the dish was absolutely delicious and very filling. Plus, the raviolis were fun mixed throughout. Lots of fun textures here. Malaysian Seafood Curry But that doesn’t mean we didn’t have room for dessert! We decided we would give that Aware Cheesecake a try. Like the Pink Lady drink, $1 from this $11.99 treat goes to a Breast Cancer Awareness fund. Aware Cheesecake It’s a classic cheesecake topped with raspberry mousse, raspberry coulis, and diced strawberries. It was a yummy end to the meal, but still a basic slice of cheesecake. At least it was for a good cause. Aware Cheesecake And of course, we wrapped up with a fortune cookie. Fortune Cookie We’d tell you what ours said, but then it won’t come true! Right? Nosh or Not You SHOULD eat at Yak & Yeti if… You’re looking for a tasty meal in a unique environment. Surprising Asian-influenced eats are your jam. You’re looking to be adventurous, but not whole-fried-fish-for-$40 adventurous. You SHOULD NOT eat at Yak & Yeti if… You’re looking for a quick fuel-up before getting back to the rides. Your whole group is full of picky eaters. You’re doing Disney on a budget. Overall Yak & Yeti has done it again folks. This place might not blow us out of the water, but it is consistently tasty EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. And isn’t there something pretty mind-blowing about that? We enjoyed all of the things that hit our table today and that’s hard to say for ANY restaurant (much less one in a theme park!). That said, it wasn’t the least expensive meal and it took us a little over an hour to dine. So, this isn’t the meal for the casual theme-park diner. Try Yak & Yeti Local Foods Cafe if you’re looking for something a little quicker (or that won’t put a hurting on your budget). Altogether, those new menu items were a real treat and we’re glad that we can hope to see them soon on the regular menu. As always, stay tuned to DFB for the latest updates and for ALLLLLL of the Disney food reviews! See ya soon! Click here to learn more about off-the-menu items at Yak & Yeti! 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! Get Your Copy of the 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/dfb_guide_to_wdw_dining_2020_cover_01-01-200x151.jpg With more than 750 pages, the 2020 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 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2020 to save 25% off the cover price today! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2019 Edition of the Guide! Use code WDW2020 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. Do you like to eat at Yak & Yeti? Tell us in the comments! The post REVIEW! We're Checking Out the NEW ITEMS at Yak & Yeti in Disney's Animal Kingdom! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: Get Three Delicious Off the Menu Items at This Restaurant in Disney’s Animal Kingdom! Disney World’s Poutine Obsession: 15 Ways To Get Your French Fry Fix The BEST Disney World Restaurants for Last Minute Reservations! View the full article

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Up fans, we have some exciting news for you. You may remember the Kevin Loungefly that we spotted in Disney World a while back?! Kevin Up Loungefly Well, that adorable backpack is now available on shopDisney, so you can purchase it from home!! Sorry paycheck… . Just like Kevin, this Loungefly mini backpack is VERY colorful!! The colors REALLY pop. ©Disney The simulated leather is a cool blue metallic that we don’t often see! You can find this on shopDisney for $80. Get your own Kevin Loungefly here!! As you know, we will keep looking for more Disney goodies and we will be sure to share them with you all!! Check out MORE Up merchandise 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! Get Your Copy of the 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/dfb_guide_to_wdw_dining_2020_cover_01-01-200x151.jpg With more than 750 pages, the 2020 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 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2020 to save 25% off the cover price today! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2019 Edition of the Guide! Use code WDW2020 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 Kevin Loungefly? Let us know in the comments below! The post ANOTHER 'Up' Loungefly Is Now Available Online (But This One's SUPER Colorful)! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: Disney HOW-TO! Decorate Your Own DIY Adventure Book Inspired by Disney’s “Up!” Cuteness Alert! Check Out This New Alien Remix Collection Coming SOON! Get Ready For Your Next Disney Adventure With TONS of NEW ‘Up’ Merchandise! View the full article

Adapting to new ways of learning is something that’s been top of mind for teachers and students this fall, and with 16,000 Central Florida students resuming face-to-face learning this week, we wanted to lend a hand in a way that mattered most to the teachers who would welcome these students back to their classrooms. Walt Disney World and A Gift For Teaching—a Central Florida nonprofit that provides free resources and materials to public schools—have been working together for the past two decades to help make a difference in local schools. This work took on even more importance this summer when the nonprofit needed to temporarily close its supply warehouse to visiting teachers and launch a new curbside supply pickup service, all while sourcing items not typically found on supply lists like lanyards for holding face masks and individual water bottles to replace communal drinking fountains. Thanks to the help of our merchandise teams, Walt Disney World donated thousands of lanyards, nearly 5,000 reusable shopping bags to support the new curbside pickup model and various merchandise items to spread a little magic in local classrooms. “The feedback from teachers has been incredible,” said Jane Thompson, president at A Gift For Teaching. “They’ve been so thankful for us recognizing there was going to be a need and figuring out how we could help fill that need for them. That’s been very gratifying for us.” The Walt Disney World Ambassadors visited A Gift For Teaching to see the new curbside pickup in action and how local teachers are still getting the many resources they need, but in a whole new way. Beyond supporting schools through A Gift For Teaching, Walt Disney World also recently donated more than 100,000 reusable bags, thousands of water bottles and lanyards, along with other back-to-school essentials like backpacks and incentive items to Central Florida schools and organizations. We’re thankful for everything teachers and staff do for students in our community and hope these items help position them to have a fantastic school year. “One of the things that we’re so grateful for at this time is partnerships like we have with Disney,” Thompson added. “Disney as a partner has been there to serve and deliver and support our organization and our mission of ensuring that every student has every supply that they need.” http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DisneyParks/~4/295nyBKTTjQView the full article

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. We think that Halloween is pretty awesome, especially with all the spooky decorations in the parks, as well as the spooky snacks and drinks! Hocus Pocus Merchandise It’s also the PERFECT time of year to celebrate one of our favorite Halloween movies ever: Hocus Pocus! So we’ve been running amuck, amuck, amuck to find all the Hocus Pocus snacks, drinks, and merch now available! Hocus Pocus Snacks We managed to learn all about the Starbucks Secret Menu Sanderson Sisters Frappuccinos and had to try them out! Each drink represents one of the sisters. From right to left, we’ve got Sarah, Winnifred, and Mary! All three drinks were sweet, but the Mary was our favorite! 2020 Hocus Pocus Starbucks Sanderson Sister Frappuccino Drinks Turns out the Sarah was our least favorite, though. You have to know what to ask for at Starbucks, but click on the link below to get the recipes! Learn how to make the Starbucks Sanderson Sisters drinks! Y’all. We looked EVERYWHERE for the Hocus Pocus Cookie Dough, but it finally turned up at our local grocery store! And fortunately, they don’t reek of children. These are oatmeal peanut butter cookies topped with chocolate morsels with candy-coated gems that represent the sisters. Hocus Pocus Cookies These cookies were VERY YUMMY, but also very peanut buttery. We could hardly taste the oatmeal at all. But SO WORTH IT. Read our review of the Hocus Pocus cookies We went NUTS over the Halloween Candle Petit at Amorette’s Patisserie at Disney Springs because it looks EXACTLY like the Black Flame Candle! While this technically isn’t a Hocus Pocus treat, we had to put it in!! LOOK AT THIS BEAUTY! Ok. Ok. The brown icing kinda looks gross …but we love the rest. This was a chiffon cake with cookies and cream mousse, surrounded by chocolate glacage with fondant details. Halloween Candle Petit at Amorette’s Patisserie We ABSOLUTELY loved this cake, which was $18. We found it moist and flavorful! This is one Black Flame Candle we are totally lighting. Bring on the witches! Read our review of the Halloween Candle Petit (aka the Black Flame Candle Cake) To celebrate Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween, Carvel created the Hocus Pocus Shake, which is made with vanilla soft-serve ice cream and Oreo cookie pieces, with a topping of whipped cream and sprinkles. It comes in a limited edition cup. The shake is available at Carvel locations through the month of October. Carvel Hocus Pocus Shake We can imagine the Sanderson Sisters stirring up some evil brew in their cauldron, so of course, we LOVED the Caramel Cauldron Cupcake. This witchy concoction is a chocolate cupcake filled with a salted caramel buttercream and sauce, garnished with chocolate flames and a witch’s broom. Caramel Cauldron Cupcake The cupcake was super moist, and the whole thing was TASTY! We found it at The Artist’s Palette in Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort, but it’s also available at Good’s Food To Go at Disney’s Old Key West Resort, and Conch Flats General Store also at Old Key West. Read our review of the Caramel Cauldron Cupcake Hocus Pocus Merchandise But, the fun doesn’t end there. Recently, we spotted the most ADORABLE Hocus Pocus Parasol in Disney World! Hocus Pocus Parasol Just look at how cute Binx looks on this incredible creation! Hocus Pocus Parasol We found this beautiful work of art at the Liberty Square Parasol Cart in Magic Kingdom. Click here to check out more photos and info about this amazing creation! Looking for some Sanderson Sisters fun you can order from the comfort of your own home? Check out this awesome Hocus Pocus shirt from Unique Vintage! Unique Vintage Last time we checked, this shirt was only still available in the 3x size. Be sure to visit the Unique Vintage site quickly if you want to grab one for yourself. Click here to get more info on this shirt! LOTS of Sanderson Sisters merch has also become available on shopDisney! Although some of the items we shared previously have already sold out, there are still a few available including the Sanderson Sisters T-Shirt for $26.99… ©shopDisney …and the Sanderson Sisters Figure by Q-Fig Max for $49.99! ©Disney Too cute! Click here to check out ALL of the fun Hocus Pocus merchandise available at shopDisney! In Disney World, we also spotted the Hocus Pocus Purple Spirit Jersey earlier this year. The front features Binx stirring up some potions. Hocus Pocus Spirit Jersey While the back has cartoon versions of the Sanderson Sisters and a reminder that it’s time for a little Hocus Pocus! Hocus Pocus Spirit Jersey Disneyland also had these at World of Disney earlier this year. But, that’s not all. In August, we also spotted an adorable mug in Disney World with Binx’s tail as the handle… Hocus Pocus Mug …and our three favorite witches on the back. Hocus Pocus Mug That’s some seriously spooktacular merch. Click here to check out where we found the spirit jersey and mug in Disney World! Target also has some awesome Hocus Pocus merch including costume dresses… © Target …and this cool Hocus Pocus Board Game! © Target How much fun would it be to play this game on Halloween? You can also get this game on Amazon! Click here to check out the cool Hocus Pocus merch (and other fun Disney items) available at Target! And add the Board Game to your Amazon cart by clicking here! Come, we fly! We’ll definitely keep our eye out for more Hocus Pocus snacks, treats, and merch and let you know if we find any more! In the meantime, turn on Hocus Pocus, pop some cookies in the oven, and light a fall candle. ‘Tis the season, right?! 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! Get Your Copy of the 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/dfb_guide_to_wdw_dining_2020_cover_01-01-200x151.jpg With more than 750 pages, the 2020 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 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2020 to save 25% off the cover price today! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2019 Edition of the Guide! Use code WDW2020 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 tried any Hocus Pocus snacks or drinks? Let us know about it in the comments! The post 2020 Is the Year of 'Hocus Pocus' OVERLOAD! Here's Proof! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: NEWS! Hocus Pocus Cookie Dough is Coming To Your Grocery Store! Starbucks Has 3 SECRET Menu Hocus Pocus Drinks! Are They Worth the Hype?! This GORGEOUS Cake in Disney World Is Giving Us MAJOR Black Flame Candle Vibes View the full article

Sage Gooden, a 6-year-old from Osceola County, will be “Kid CEO” for Crayola Experience in Orlando. She was selected through a video contest. View the full article

After experiencing some delay, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is set to reopen on November 1st, 2020. Art of Animation Lobby Much like most of the reopened Disney World resorts, Art of Animation will be hosting modified experiences and some limited amenities. In addition to the enhanced health and safety protocols, the main pool will be under refurbishment early next year. Let’s take a look at the dining options that will be available upon reopening and the Big Blue Pool refurbishment schedule! Disney has scheduled a handful of resort refurbishments including the entryway and guest rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and the iconic clown pool at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. The Big Blue Pool will also get a little TLC in the next few months. The pool will be closed from January 11th, 2021 through early April 2021. While the large pool is closed, the Flippin’ Fins Pool, Cozy Cone Pool, and the Schoolyard Sprayground will still be available during this time. Art of Animation Big Blue Pool The Big Blue Pool will be opening with the resort on November 1st. Disney has also announced the dining, shops, recreation activities, and transportation that will be available upon reopening. Dining The Drop Off Pool Bar Landscape of Flavors Shops Ink & Paint Shop Activities Pools Poolside Activities Movies Under the Stars Transportation Bus transportation is available from this Disney Resort hotel to the Disney theme parks and the Disney Springs area Disney Skyliner aerial gondolas are available to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT Cozy Cone Pool When The Big Blue Pool goes under construction, noise from the work should not be heard from guest rooms between dusk and 9:00AM. We’ll be back to give you more updates regarding Disney World resorts real soon! Check out what’s open at Disney’s Pop Century Resort here! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Have you visited the Art of Animation? Let us know your experience in the comments! The post Here’s EVERYTHING Reopening at Disney’s Art of Animation and the Big Blue Pool Refurb Schedule! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: Disney World Vacation Hacks the Pros SWEAR By PHOTOS! Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort Has Officially Reopened! PHOTOS: Disney’s Polynesian Resort Begins Massive Entryway Refurb with Cranes and Blocked Entrances View the full article

California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly once again held his weekly news video conference which provided an update on the current tier status of the state’s counties. Disneyland Park — Health and Safety Reminders We learned during the update that Orange County, where Disneyland resides, is still in the red reopening tier, also known as “Substantial,” and will NOT advance to the Orange reopening tier at this time. Despite the lack of progress in Orange County, reporters continue to inquire on updates regarding theme park reopening guidelines, which are required in order for places like the Disneyland Resort to reopen. It was revealed yesterday that Governor Gavin Newsom was sending teams to the “larger theme parks” across California as well as across the nation. During a question and answer session with reporters, Dr. Mark Ghaly was asked “If you could give us any more detail on the progress on the inspections of the theme parks in order to develop the guidelines for the theme park openings.” Disney California Adventure Park Dr. Ghaly replied, “On theme parks, and I know a number of people are continuing to wonder when that guidance is coming out and I’d like to say it will come out when we’re ready because we’re working closely with our industry partners, making sure that we take all feedback, use our own information from visits to operating parks in other states, and then some visits here in parts in California to understand how those plans will come together.” Disney California Adventure Park Social Distancing Signs Dr. Ghaly pointed out that “Not all of those visits are done, and so we look forward to compiling the information from those visits, having ongoing dialogue so we land with the guidance that really does make sense.” Disney California Adventure Exit Gate Dr. Ghaly concluded his response by stressing that “we will continue to lead with public health, we will continue to look at our data, we will continue to look at where each theme park is in their counties so that we make sure that when the guidance does come out, it’s appropriate and continues to follow the whole frame to our new blueprint, which is slow and stringent moving forward, making sure that we do that safely and methodically and so these guidances will be no different.” Disneyland Main Entrance Brady MacDonald, theme park reporter for the Orange County Register, asked a couple of follow up questions in regards to theme parks. He asked, “You mentioned a team went to Florida theme parks to help develop California reopening guidelines, and that a team of state agencies will visit California theme parks this week. Could you tell me which theme parks the team visited in Florida? And also what they learned there and what they hope to learn at California parks? And also why did the team visit Florida theme parks before they did in California?” Plexiglass shields installed at the entrance to Disneyland Dr. Ghaly did not say specifically which theme parks the teams visited, but instead he replied, “The team visited Florida theme parks, you can imagine likely in Orlando. I haven’t gotten the report back on what their findings and experience was but the reason why we sent people is to really understand in action how a park operates, how the community around it functions with the park open in a time where we’re facing COVID transmission and really how it plays out, not just within the park but beyond.” Social Distancing Markers Dr. Ghaly continued, “In terms of the California visits those are upcoming, and together the information, the dialogue with our theme park operators across the state will help us land in a place that I think we can all feel confident is based on the best and most up to date information.” Disneyland ticket booths We will continue to monitor any and all updates coming out of California and Disneyland, so be sure to keep checking back for more information! Click here to read more about a team from California visiting Florida theme parks! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! How soon will you plan to visit Disneyland once it reopens? Let us know in the comments! The post News! California’s Orange County Stays in the Red Tier as Theme Park Guidelines Remain Unknown first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: News: California Governor Says Discussions on Disneyland and Other Theme Parks are “Forthcoming” News: California Governor Says Negotiations With Theme Parks are “Open-Ended” as Orange County Moves to the Next Reopening Tier NEWS: Disneyland Reopening Guidelines are “Very Close” as Orange County Remains in Current Tier View the full article

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Okay, so we know it isn’t even Halloween yet, but is anyone else already starting to do their Christmas shopping? Mickey and Minnie Ornaments If you haven’t started yet, you might want to! You can save up to 30% off on some awesome STEM toys and building sets on Amazon for a super limited time! These kits are perfect for the whole family to enjoy. Whether you want to search for fossils or grow some crystals (umm…so cool!) there’s lots to choose from. Here are some of our favorites! Want to learn how to build and code? This awesome LEGO Star Wars Droid Building Set can help you do just that! The kit comes with 1,177 pieces (WOW) which you can use to build a variety of Star Wars characters including R2-D2 and Mouse Droid. ©Amazon Download the free LEGO BOOST Star Wars app, and you can then bring your droids to life to solve missions with the easy-to-use coding environment. There are over 40 interactive missions and buildable props! ©Amazon You can make the droids move, shoot their weapons at targets, and so much more! Be sure to check out the video on the Amazon website showing you the cool tricks these droids can do. The set is currently 33% off for a limited time and can be yours for $134.29. Click here to take this home! Got a rock enthusiast in your home? These next couple of sets would make a perfect gift! First, there’s the National Geographic Rocks & Fossils Kit. This awesome set comes with over 200 pieces, including prehistoric fossils, rocks, crystals, gemstones, geodes, and more! You can use the included magnifying glass and learning guide to identify and sort through ALL of the unique items in this kit. ©Amazon Plus, there’s a display case to show off your favorites! You can get this set on sale for a limited time for $19.99. Click here to take home this collection! If you prefer to dig for your gems and fossils, then you’ll LOVE the National Geographic Mega Fossil and Gemstone Dig Kit. This set comes with an extra large brick that contains 20 gemstone and fossil specimens for you to dig out. ©Amazon It even comes with a chisel, brush, and magnifying glass for you to use. ©Amazon You can grab this set on sale for $19.99 for a very limited time. Click here to bring home this activity set! What if you want to grow something instead of dig for it? With the National Geographic Mega Crystal Growing Lab, you can grow 6 beautiful crystals in just 3 to 4 days! ©Amazon The kit comes with instructions and 2 silicone growing chambers to form your crystals. It also comes with a light-up display so you can showcase your 5 favorite creations. ©Amazon You’ll also be able to enjoy 4 real gemstone specimens and a STEM learning guide about crystal formation. This set is available for $23.99 as a Prime Exclusive Deal for a limited time. Check out the crystal growing lab here! If you’ve got a friend or family member who’s looking for a bit more action though, the National Geographic Air Rocket Toy is the ultimate gift! This toy comes with 3 rockets equipped with LED lights that can soar up to 100 feet! ©Amazon All you need to do is set it up and stomp on the foot pump to see how far they can fly. The kit comes with a detailed learning guide about rocket flights experiments and the physics of motion and aerodynamics. ©Amazon This would be so great to set off at night with the LED lights. It’s like your very own version of a fireworks show in a way! This item is on sale as a Prime Exclusive Deal for a limited time for just $15.99. Click here to take off with this rocket toy! The flying fun doesn’t have to stop there though! With the National Geographic Construction Model Kit you can build a ballista, a bombard, and a catapult. ©Amazon You can send projectiles up to 15 feet with some of these models! The kit comes with 15 projectiles as well as 18 paper targets. Each model can be assembled in 1 to 3 hours and no special tools are necessary. ©Amazon You can get this on sale for the next few hours for $20.69. Click here to take this building set home! Last, but not least, it’s the ALWAYS necessary SLIME KIT! The National Geographic Mega Slime Kit & Putty Lab comes with pre-made magnetic putty, fluffy slime, color changing putty (what?!), glow-in-the-dark putty, a DIY glow-in-the-dark slime lab, and MORE! ©Amazon You can grab this set on sale right now for $23.99! Click here to make all of your slime and putty dreams come true! Whether you’re looking for an awesome STEM kit for your kids or just a cool date night activity (how fun would it be to dig for fossils while watching Indiana Jones?!) you’ll definitely want to check out these sets while they’re on sale for the next few hours for Prime Day! 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! Get Your Copy of the 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/dfb_guide_to_wdw_dining_2020_cover_01-01-200x151.jpg With more than 750 pages, the 2020 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 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2020 to save 25% off the cover price today! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2019 Edition of the Guide! Use code WDW2020 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. What do you think of these awesome STEM sets? Let us know if you’ll be grabbing some for your family to enjoy! The post Killer Amazon Prime Day Deals on Disney STEM Toys For Christmas! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: Hoth Has Got Nothin’ On This Icy Star Wars Collection from Igloo! Find Your Inner Dark Side With The New Star Wars Imperial Collection! This New Star Wars Book Will Be Connected to a Fan-Favorite Character! View the full article

There are LOTS of spots to grab a good drink and fun treats around EPCOT, but one of our favorites is La Cava del Tequila in the Mexico pavilion! Drink from La Cava del Tequila Whether you’re there for a drink with bug-filled salt rim (!) or just some guacamole, there are lots of delicious options available. And soon, a NEW drink will be joining the mix! A few weeks ago, we shared that a TOMATO margarita could be coming to La Cava, and now it’s official! La Cava del Tequila recently shared on their Instagram that a Tomato Margarita is coming soon! ©La Cava del Tequila via Instagram (@lacavadeltequila) We’ve had lots of different margaritas around Disney World — Chipotle Pineapple, Watermelon, and Blood Orange, but we are SO ready to add Tomato to that list. Will it put all other margarita flavors to shame? Will we say goodbye to all other tomato drinks (we’re looking at you Bloody Mary) and forever request tomato margaritas in the future? There’s only one way to find out. We’ll be on the lookout for an official release date and let you know as soon as we get the chance to taste this new creation! Click here to check out another margarita coming to Disney soon! 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! Get Your Copy of the 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/dfb_guide_to_wdw_dining_2020_cover_01-01-200x151.jpg With more than 750 pages, the 2020 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 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2020 to save 25% off the cover price today! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2019 Edition of the Guide! Use code WDW2020 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. Does this new Tomato Margarita sound like something you’d like to try? Let us know in the comments below! The post Forget Bloody Marys, A New TOMATO Margarita Is Coming Soon to Disney World! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: REVIEW! The Goshiki Food Studio at the 2020 Epcot Festival of the Arts! Find Out Where You Can Get a FREE Margarita Jello Heart in Disney World Today! Mix Up the Iconic Neil Patrick Harris Black Magic Margarita With La Cava del Tequila’s Live Tutorial! View the full article

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. In celebration of Prime Day on Amazon, we’ve been bringing you hot deals on the latest and greatest Disney merchandise! We found seven adorable and affordable Baby Yoda items, including stickers, night lights, and keychains! © Amazon We found a few more items for all of the Disney fans in your household! First up is this Disney x Petunia Pickle Bottom Diaper Bag! This bag has tons of space for all of your and your baby’s must-haves, and it even comes with a bonus pouch! © Amazon Normally this bag costs $220 on Amazon, but you can score this diaper bag on Prime Day for $176. That’s a savings of 20%! Click here to shop for the Disney x Petunia Pickle Bottom Diaper Bag! Up next is a Stormtrooper wireless mouse! With all of us working from home this year, you’ll want to make sure you have all the technology you need to get the job done. © Amazon On any other day of the year, this mouse retails on Amazon for $59.99, but on Prime Day you’ll pay $39.99 at checkout! Click here to shop for the Stormtrooper wireless mouse! It’s hard to believe, but the holiday shopping season is right around the corner! For that special someone in your life, this Nightmare Before Christmas bracelet by Jeulia may be the perfect gift! © Amazon Normally the bracelet costs $149 on Amazon, but today it’s on sale for 20% off, bringing the cost down to $119.20. Click here to shop for the Nightmare Before Christmas bracelet! Toy Story Alien Remix figurines. This set of three figurines includes Buzz Lightyear, Mr. Incredible, and Merida! These collectable cuties have taken the Disney merchandise world by storm over the past couple of months! © Amazon This set of three 3″ figurines is on sale today on Amazon for $11.49! Click here to shop for the Alien Remix figurines! Have you ever wondered what a day in the life of a Disney Cast Member is like? Thanks to the Disney+ series and accompanying book One Day at Disney, that’s easier now than ever before! © Disney This book normally retails for $50 on Amazon, but on Prime Day it costs just $24.49. That’s a savings of 51%! Click here to purchase One Day at Disney! Finally, we have a second book to check out and save big on! If you’ve ever wanted to get a bit of a behind-the-scenes look at the concept art that inspires new characters and worlds in a galaxy far, far away, then The Art of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is for you! © Amazon Normally this book retails for $39.99 on Amazon, for Prime Day it retails for $28.36, a savings of 29%! Click here to check out a ton of Baby Yoda merchandise items on sale today! 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! Get Your Copy of the 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/dfb_guide_to_wdw_dining_2020_cover_01-01-200x151.jpg With more than 750 pages, the 2020 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 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2020 to save 25% off the cover price today! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2019 Edition of the Guide! Use code WDW2020 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 gone shopping today for Prime Day yet? Let us know in the comments! The post 6 Must-See Disney Amazon Prime Day DEALS Today! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: 7 Sweet BABY YODA Amazon Prime Day DEALS! Hoth Has Got Nothin’ On This Icy Star Wars Collection from Igloo! Find Your Inner Dark Side With The New Star Wars Imperial Collection! View the full article

We love every single Disney World park — they’re all amazing! Entering Walt Disney World Resort Still, sometimes we like to think about which park is the very best, and it’s a tough decision! So, we pit Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios against one another in a variety of categories — and our readers picked a winner. This is the BATTLE OF THE PARKS! We reached out to our followers on Instagram to see which Disney park would win in a variety of categories. Of course, we added up the results to figure out which is the ULTIMATE DISNEY PARK — but first, let’s see what YOU said! Story Screenshot Entertainment In the Entertainment Category, it was a pretty close race between Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, ultimately Magic Kingdom pulled ahead with 13,264 votes compared to the 10,158 for Hollywood Studios. EPCOT and Animal Kingdom were left in the dust! Merida in Magic Kingdom Food We had a runaway champ in the Food Category. EPCOT SWEPT with a whopping 25,543 votes! For reference, Magic Kingdom came in second with only 3,721 votes. If you’ve eaten literally anything at Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie, you probs agree with this. Les Halles Boulangerie Food Options Rides As for the attractions, no surprise here…but Magic Kingdom came up as our Number 1 in the Rides Category! The collection of classics like Peter Pan’s Flight, Space Mountain, and Pirates of the Caribbean won our readers over with 17,627 votes! Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Entrance Loop Music Our next category is a pretty polarizing one. We asked which park is the best in the Entrance Loop Music Category! Once again, Magic Kingdom went for gold with 18,700 votes. Main Street, U.S.A. Places to Relax and People Watch With a stellar score of 13,089 votes, EPCOT won the Places to Relax and People Watch Category. Magic Kingdom got second place with 6,903 votes, Animal Kingdom came third with 7,074 votes, and Hollywood Studios slid in the last place with 3,090 votes. Morocco Pavilion in EPCOT Shopping Our final question was in the Shopping Category: Who is best? Ultimately, Magic Kingdom won ANOTHER section with 17,425 votes. Animal Kingdom was dead, dead last in this one with only 1,510 votes. Wow! Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom couldn’t win a single category! Main Street Emporium Overall You’ve probably guessed already but Magic Kingdom has won our readers’ hearts as the best park in Disney World overall. Totaled up, Animal Kingdom came in last place with 20,541 votes, Hollywood Studios took third with 32,692 votes, EPCOT (despite tanking in the Rides Category!) placed second with 55,302 votes, and Magic Kingdom WON our Battle of the Parks with a WHOPPING 77,640 votes! Magic Kingdom Wowza! You guys love you some Magic Kingdom! It makes sense since it’s the flagship park of WDW . If you’d like to vote in future polls and MORE head on over to Instagram and give us a follow at @disneyfoodblog. We’ll see you over there! Click here to see more of our readers’ opinions! 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! Get Your Copy of the 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/dfb_guide_to_wdw_dining_2020_cover_01-01-200x151.jpg With more than 750 pages, the 2020 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 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2020 to save 25% off the cover price today! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2019 Edition of the Guide! Use code WDW2020 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. Do you think our readers got it right? Tell us in the comments! The post RESULTS! It's the Battle of the Disney Theme Parks on Instagram — Here's Who Won! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: NEW Insta-Worthy Nighttime Magic Shots Are Coming to Disney World Soon! Why Disney World Could Be Very DIFFERENT When It Reopens 10 Things You Can Personalize with Your Name in Disney World! View the full article

A return to a tropical paradise could be in the near future for some Disney fans! Disney’s Aulani Resort Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii opens on November 1st and we’re keeping up with the latest updates! After all, we want guests to know what to expect at Aulani, especially when it comes to the food! Now, Disney has updated the list of dining locations that will be available when Aulani reopens next month. You will be able to dine at Ulu Cafe, Off the Hook, Wailana Pool Bar, Pāpālua Shave Ice, and The ‘Ōlelo Room. Plus, the poolside service will be available. ©Disney As a note, face coverings are required in all public locations, including while entering and exiting dining locations. Some restaurants will require reservations and be limited to Resort Guests only. Menus may be limited. Make sure to check in advance! ©Disney Some restaurants are unavailable for the time being: ‘AMA’AMA Restaurant, Makahiki Bounty go the Islands, KA WA‘A Lū‘au, Mama’s Snack Stop, Little ‘Opihi’s, Private Dining, and Wailana Coffee Bar. Aulani Resort Of course, health measures have been implemented around the resort and in all of the reopening restaurants. Stay tuned to DFB for all of the latest Aulani updates! Click here to learn more about the reopening of Aulani! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Are you headed to Aulani when it reopens? Tell us in the comments! The post UPDATE! These Restaurants Will Reopen With Disney's Aulani Resort first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: NEWS: Disney’s Aulani Resort Officially Has a Reopening Date! Save Up to 35% on Stays at Disney’s Aulani Resort in Hawaii With This REOPENING OFFER! Disney’s Aulani Resort Now Has Its Own Mobile App! View the full article

planDisney Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month View the full article

What do Disney World and an Ottawa COVID-19 testing site have in common? ©Kemptville District Hospital You might be surprised, but it’s the way they handle lines! A doctor in Ottawa was looking for a way to control crowds at a COVID-19 assessment centre in Canada when she was inspired by Disney’s Fastpass+ system. And it’s working! According to Canadian news source CBC, Dr. Suzanne Rutherford, a big Disney fan and head of the North Grenville COVID-19 assessment centre in Kemptville, Ontario, looked to Disney’s Fastpass system to help manage the line issues in the province. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom What she implemented is the similar concept of a same-day reservation system for those looking to get tested for COVID-19. The province was having significant issues with crowds, with some folks even waiting multiple hours to have their tests done. The way the system works is that those looking for a test head to the nearby community center to see if they qualify. Once they are cleared for a test, they are able to make a same day reservation and come back when their time arrives. Select Date Fastpass reservations Rutherford said, “I often sat there and thought, ‘What we need is the Disney FastPass system.'” Now that the concept is implemented, it’s doing wonders for the crowding. Rutherford’s center was able to test over 500 people in one day with no one waiting over 45 minutes. Long Lines in Disney World This is a super cool implementation of a Disney idea and we think it’s exciting that it has been able to alleviate some pressure on the global health crisis. As always, stay tuned to DFB for the latest Disney updates. Click here to learn about the COVID-19 test site in Disney World! Disney Park Reopening Details and Info Click HERE for the All Latest Updates Click HERE To See FULL LISTS of the Rides, Attractions, Shopping, Entertainment, and Restaurants Opening in Disney World! TUTORIAL: How To Use Disney World's NEW Park Pass Reservation System ALL Disney World Reopening Procedures Disney World Hotel and Ticket Booking Information We’re Visiting ALL the Reopened Disney World Hotels and Have All the Need-to-Know Details We’re LIVE in Disney World's Magic Kingdom For the FIRST Time Since the Closures We’re LIVE in Disney’s Animal Kingdom For the FIRST Time Since the Closures We Got a FIRST LOOK at Disney World’s New Character Cavalcades and Entertainment! Everything You NEED To Know About Wearing Masks in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter To get all the latest Disney Park Closure News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click here to Subscribe What do you think of this concept? Tell us in the comments. The post Fastpass+ for COVID-19 Testing? An Ottawa Doctor Has Implemented a Similar System! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: Looking For a New Way to Entertain the Kiddos? Disney Stars Are Posting Story Times on Social Media! Here’s How We Snagged a FREE One-Time Express Pass in Universal Orlando Today News: The New Coronavirus Testing Site Opened on Disney World Property Today View the full article

Since Disney World began its phased reopening, they have offered their Annual Passholders exclusive shopping events, such as a preview for the Galaxy’s Edge Trading Post in Disney Springs and early access to the newest Haunted Mansion Funko Pop. Victor Geist Funko Now, an entirely new temporary pop-up shop is opening for Annual Passholders in EPCOT! Starting tomorrow, October 14th, a new Annual Passholder pop-up shop will be available in the Germany Pavilion in World Showcase! Gemany Pavilion The shop will be located Der Teddybear, and it will be open on weekdays from 11:30AM until park close. The shop will be available through November 17th, 2020. Tinker Bell Magnet According to Disney, the shop will offer “exclusive merchandise, new World Showcase products and more.” The shop will be available exclusively to Annual Passholders, and guests will need to show their Pass as well as a government-issued photo ID to enter the shop. Can’t make it to the parks? Click here to learn how you can score exclusive merchandise online today only! 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! Get Your Copy of the 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/dfb_guide_to_wdw_dining_2020_cover_01-01-200x151.jpg With more than 750 pages, the 2020 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 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2020 to save 25% off the cover price today! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2019 Edition of the Guide! Use code WDW2020 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 Disney World Annual Passholder? Will you check out this pop-up shop over the next month? Let us know in the comments! The post News! An Annual Passholder Pop-Up Shop is Coming to Disney World! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: Take Advantage of Epcot’s V.I.Passholder Perks This Summer! Review: NEW Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Shot (YESSSS!) Is PERFECT For Fall in Disney World! Here’s How To Charge Your Phone In Disney World (Now That FuelRods are Too Expensive)! View the full article

Familia! A word that means so much to all. At planDisney the word family stirs up reflections of festivities, time spent together and yes, magical memories created at Walt Disney World Resort. As the panel joins in the celebration of Hispanic Heritage month, we are reminded of the importance of family, especially when it comes to forming new memories at the most magical place on earth. Join us as we take a quick trip down memory lane with Desiree who comes from a family of 14 from Peru. Meal time was bonding time in her home, and there was never a Sunday dinner missed at her mama’s home. She and her family also share a connection through travel, which includes the entire family, to Walt Disney World Resort. Thanks to her father who fulfilled his dream of an education in America and his hard work ethic, Desiree was introduced to Walt Disney World at the young age of three. She, and her entire family, immediately fell in love with the magic of all things Disney. To create these momentous memories with your family, planning is key. Not sure where to begin to assure everyone in your party enjoys the time spent together? No worries at all because with tips from those in the know, planDisney panelists can make it easier, and dare we say a great deal of fun, to plan your next Disney trip. planDisney Travel Tips for Traveling with a Large Family: Plan ahead advises Yael. She recommends guests have a plan each day and for each park. By doing this everyone, from little ones to grandparents, can enjoy and maximize their time. Go at your own pace is Clara’s top tip. She believes the ability to tailor the day to whatever makes it fun and relaxing for each member of your travel party will pay off in the end with a much more enjoyable vacation for all! Try splitting up during the day is Andres go-to tip. By dividing up your party, everyone is able to conquer their must do’s. Teenagers can enjoy the thrills of Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, while preschoolers, and even mom and dad, can enjoy such attractions at Dumbo the Flying Elephant and “it’s a small world.” And when the day of fun is drawing to a close, Malanie says make sure everyone gathers together for dinner. She states her family loves to sit down at their favorite dining location and everyone is able to recap their day. Whether your family will be celebrating with us during Hispanic Heritage Month, or you are beginning to plan for a future trip, planDisney is here to answer all your Disney vacation planning questions. Visit us today to receive a personalized answer from one of our knowledgeable panelists. Panelists have received/will receive a Walt Disney World® Resort, Disneyland® Resort or Disney Cruise Line® vacation for panelist and up to three family members and/or park tickets for their planDisney panel participation. The views expressed on plandisneypanel.com are those of the panelists, who are independent contractors. These views are not intended to reflect the opinions of Disney Destinations, its affiliates, its management, its agents or its employees and have not been reviewed or approved by Disney Destinations prior to posting. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/DisneyParks/~4/qUjbhJ80kAkView the full article

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. If you haven’t heard, it’s PRIME DAY! If you’re looking to save big on Amazon, today is one of the best days of the entire year to do so! When we heard it was Prime Day, we immediately combed through Amazon’s inventory to find some sweet deals on our favorite space child, Baby Yoda! Baby Yoda from The Mandalorian We seemed to have struck gold because we found SEVEN Baby Yoda items to stock up and save on today! First up is a Baby Yoda PopSocket for your phone! © Amazon This item goes for $14.99 on Amazon, but for Prime Day you will save an additional 27% at checkout! Click here to shop for the Baby Yoda PopSocket! Next up is this super neat Star Wars 3D night light. It comes with a 16 color-changing lamp, and in addition to Baby Yoda, it also comes with Darth Vader and Chewbacca figurines! © Amazon This night light normally goes for $22.99 on Amazon, but on Prime Day you save 20% and pay $18.39. Click here to shop for the Baby Yoda 3D night light! The third item we found is this two-pack of Baby Yoda Self Adhesive Car Decals! These little cuties can stick to your car or your laptop! © Amazon Normally a two-pack of these decals goes for $7.59 on Amazon, but today on Prime Day you save 25% and pay $5.69! Click here to shop for the Baby Yoda car decals! Up next is this adorable Baby Yoda AirPod case! We’ve seen our fair share of AirPod cases over the years, but this may be our favorite one yet. © Amazon You can save on this cutie today, too! Normally it goes on Amazon for $6.99, but today it’s 31% off and you pay only $4.79. Click here to shop for the Baby Yoda AirPod case! Make sure you’re also giving your house some T.L.C. and decorate your walls with this Baby Yoda wall poster! It measures approximately 34″ x 22″ and features the one and only Child. © Amazon This poster is available on Amazon for $11.85, but you can save an additional 25% off this item at checkout! Click here to shop for the Baby Yoda wall poster! This next item we found today is a 72-piece Baby Yoda sticker pack! Each sticker design is different and unique, but every sticker is loaded with Baby Yoda cuteness. © Amazon This sticker pack normally retails for $7.45 on Amazon, but shoppers can save 20% on Prime Day and pay $5.96! Click here to shop for the Baby Yoda sticker pack! Last but certainly not least is a Baby Yoda keychain! This keychain features The Child in his hover-pram, and now he can “hover” with you wherever you go! © Amazon This keychain is typically $18.50 on Amazon, but you can save 20% on Prime Day and pay $14.80. Click here to shop for the Baby Yoda keychain! 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! Get Your Copy of the 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/dfb_guide_to_wdw_dining_2020_cover_01-01-200x151.jpg With more than 750 pages, the 2020 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 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2020 to save 25% off the cover price today! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2019 Edition of the Guide! Use code WDW2020 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 planning on watching season two of The Mandalorian? Let us know in the comments! The post 7 Sweet BABY YODA Amazon Prime Day DEALS! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: The Force Is STRONG With These New shopDisney Baby Yoda Tees! Ready For Round FOUR?? Baby Yoda Is Coming BACK to Build-A-Bear! May The Force Be With You This Father’s Day With These NEW Star Wars Tees! View the full article

Things at Disney World have definitely changed following the park closures. Cinderella’s Royal Table We’re constantly watching for Park Pass Reservation availability, ordering a LOT more on Mobile Order, and dealing with a whole new world where FastPass+ is suspended. On top of all that, there’s limited capacity at the parks. Fast forward a few months, and things have continued to change and develop. The parks are starting to seem more crowded, particularly on holiday weekends, and lines for attractions are getting longer. While this is the case, Chapek has stated that capacity has remained at 25%. Splash Mountain Line But, what about availability for Advance Dining Reservations? How has that changed from the time the parks reopened to now? We did a little bit of digging and analyzing, and here are our thoughts. Our Method There are LOTS of restaurants around Walt Disney World, so for our comparison and analysis we took a look at four specific spots — Be Our Guest Restaurant, Cinderella’s Royal Table, California Grill, and Oga’s Cantina. These are all pretty popular spots in Disney World to grab a bite. Charcuterie Plate In order to do our comparison, we took a brief look at what getting a reservation at these spots was typically like prior to the parks opening, what it was like immediately after each restaurant reopened, and what it’s like now. Be Our Guest Restaurant Prior to the park closures, Be Our Guest, which is located in Magic Kingdom, was notoriously one of the hardest spots to grab a dining reservation at. In fact, it made our list of the restaurants we expected would be the most difficult to get a reservation at in 2020. Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom The theming at this location and the chance to eat primarily either in the dark and sinister-looking West Wing or the straight-out-of-the-movie Ballroom is a huge draw. Plus, it was technically a character dining spot where, after dinner, you could meet the one and only Beast — a character that is essentially impossible to find otherwise. Beast in Be Our Guest When Be Our Guest reopened after the park closures, Disney did not make a statement about the Beast coming back. But, to our surprise, the Beast actually made a special appearance during our meal! Beast! When we visited during Passholder previews, they were actually taking limited same-day reservations, and one Cast Member told us that later in the afternoon, they would be operating more on a first-come, first-served basis. Keep in mind, the quick-service lunch we were accustomed to here (that we HIGHLY recommended as a killer value when the Dining Plan still was around) temporarily went bye-bye after the restaurant reopened. Right now, guests can only book the (pricy but still crazy popular) prix fixe meal that was previously only available for dinner. Enchanted Rose So, what does making reservations for this restaurant look like now? On October 12th, we tried looking for a same-day reservation for dinner and couldn’t find anything. We also tried looking for a reservation for October 17th, and still…nothing. Be Our Guest Availability Oct 17 Lunch ©Disney Maybe a weekday is better? That proved somewhat true, although not by much. We found only one reservation for lunch for this week on October 13th. Dinner was about the same in terms of low availability for this week. The results were similar for next week as well. The following week, however, which is the week of Halloween and is sure to be busy, we did find some late lunch and early dinner reservations at Be Our Guest on October 28th, and some availability on the 29th. The Beast Souvenir For the week of November 9th, there were no lunch reservations when we checked. But, one week later there were some. If you were hoping to have lunch here on Thanksgiving week, however, you’re already out of luck — we couldn’t find a single reservation. So, it seems this spot continues to be a difficult one to get a reservation at. Is it as difficult as it was prior to the park closures? We’d say probably not. Be Our Guest There is still some availability, even during a holiday week. Plus, this spot is now available on the Walk-Up Waitlist feature on My Disney Experience, meaning you may even be able to score a same-day walk-up spot to dine here — something that was completely unavailable prior to the park closures. Is it more difficult to eat here than it was immediately after the spot opened though? It definitely seems like it. Reservations are booking up weeks in advance. But as we always say…KEEP checking! You never know when a reservation will pop up (this sometimes happens day of). Cinderella’s Royal Table Not too long ago, Cinderella’s Royal Table reopened a day earlier than scheduled in Magic Kingdom. This is another spot in the park that, prior to the park closures, was incredibly difficult to get a reservation at. It was also included on our list of the hardest spots to get reservations at in 2020. This restaurant is particularly popular because you get to eat INSIDE of Cinderella Castle, which is really a once in a lifetime must-do experience. Plus, prior to the park closures, you could meet all kinds of princesses here! Princess Aurora at Disney World When this spot reopened after the closures, some price reductions were announced as well as the fact that the princesses would be taking a break from greeting guests — that’s right, this meal was set to be all castle but no princesses with a (small) price reduction. It opened with just a 5-minute wait on the very first day, which is CRAZY in comparison to how difficult it used to be to get a reservation here. Cinderella’s Royal Table AND despite Disney’s indications to the contrary, we DID get to see a princess — albeit verrrry briefly. She didn’t stay very long or speak to us, but at least we did get to see Cinderella in her beautiful blue dress, waving at guests from a safe distance. Cinderella When this spot first opened, with a 5-minute wait on the first day, there’s no denying it was MUCH easier to eat here than it would have been in a pre-park closures world. This spot is also available on the Walk-Up Waitlist feature. When we checked on October 12th, the Walk-up List was already at capacity, but if you’re able to catch it before it fills up, you may get the chance to eat at a spot you wouldn’t have gotten the chance to dine at otherwise. Cinderella’s Royal Table But, what’s it like to get a reservation there now? We checked on October 12th and there were no same-day dinner reservations, but we were checking later in the afternoon so that likely impacted the situation. For the rest of this week, there was some availability — an early dinner reservation on the 14th, and some dinner spots on the 17th. During Halloween week, we found some dinner and lunch reservations throughout the week. There was even a lunch reservation available for Halloween day. There was not a LOT of availability by any means, but there was some. But, Thanksgiving week was already full for lunch — at least for now. Cinderella’s Royal Table So, is it easier than it used to be prior to the park closures? We think so. But, is it harder than the 5-minute walk-up wait time we experienced on the first day it reopened? Most definitely. At the end of the day, this is still a very pricey meal and it’s possible without the draw of all the princesses, the appeal is lost on some families otherwise willing to shell out the dough for the experience. California Grill But, perhaps it’s unfair to just look at in-park restaurants that feature characters (even in a modified way), so, let’s hop outside the parks for a second and head to California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. California Grill Seating With spectacular views of Magic Kingdom and an upscale environment, this restaurant is a popular pick. This was particularly true prior to the park closures when guests could watch the fireworks from their tables or a viewing deck outside of the restaurant. View from California Grill Fireworks have been suspended for the time being, however, so that draw is certainly not there at this time. The food is still quite good though, so would demand still be there? We looked for some same-day dinner reservations in the afternoon on October 12th and found a reservation for 9:45PM. There were also some early and late-night dinner reservations available throughout this week and on Saturday. There were even some reservations on Halloween week and even Halloween day. Again, many of these were late-night or really early reservations, but still, there was availability. The picture was similar during Thanksgiving week — with some late or early reservations available throughout the week. California Grill Dinner Availability October 31st ©Disney So, what does that tell us? This spot isn’t as empty as it was to be when it first reopened, that’s for sure. Most of the reservations available are for really late times or really early times. So, unless you like to have dinner at 9:55PM or 4:30PM, there really wasn’t that much available. But, there are still some reservations, even during holiday times, and it is on the Walk-Up Waitlist feature so you may be able to find availability that way. Oga’s Cantina Finally, we took a look at Oga’s Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This is another one that made our toughest reservations for 2020 list. It’s not even a “real” table service spot — it’s a bar you likely will have to stand at a table to experience. But, for Star Wars fans, it’s basically paradise to have a chance to knock back a few in a real spaceport cantina. There are drinks that make your mouth GO NUMB and the theming will truly have you feeling like you’re living our your own Star Wars story. Oga’s Cantina But, this paradise has limited seating and a LOT of fans, so reservations prior to the park closures were incredibly difficult to snag. When it first reopened, trying to get a reservation at this spot was still tricky, and, honestly, that really hasn’t changed much. There were no same-day dining reservations for today when we looked, and no reservations at all — not for lunch or dinner — for this entire week. There were none for next week either, or the following week. We even looked as far out as we could — for the week of December 6th — and there was nothing. Oga’s Cantina at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios This spot had a reasonably small capacity to begin with but, following the reopening, guests are far more spaced out meaning very few guests can be accommodated at once in the location, making those already elusive reservations just as hard to snag. You may have a slightly better chance of enjoying some tunes and drinks in this spot now, however, since it was added to the Mobile Dine waitlist in early September. But, if you’re looking to get an actual advance dining reservation, you’ll still be hard-pressed to find one. So, Is It Harder? There’s no denying that crowds have increased since the reopening. There’s availability at least at some spots. But, many of these restaurants are still very difficult to get dining reservations at, and it appears that it has become a bit harder at some spots to get a reservation post-reopening. If you’ve got a particular restaurant you want to dine at during your next trip, we highly recommend you get those reservations as far out in advance as you are able! Currently, that means 60 days out from the day you plan to dine. If you aren’t able to get the reservation you want, be sure to check online often and see if a Walk-Up Waitlist option is available for the spot you’re looking to check out. You never know, things are always changing! This EPCOT restaurant has stood the test of time and is STILL one of the best — check out which spot we’re talking about by clicking 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! Get Your Copy of the 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/dfb_guide_to_wdw_dining_2020_cover_01-01-200x151.jpg With more than 750 pages, the 2020 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 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2020 to save 25% off the cover price today! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2019 Edition of the Guide! Use code WDW2020 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. What Disney restaurant reservation has been the toughest for you to get? Let us know in the comments! The post Is It REALLY Harder to Get a Dining Reservation in Disney World Right Now? first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: Consider Making THESE Weird Choices On Your Next Disney World Trip. We Bet You Didn’t Know You Could Do THIS in Disney World When Does Disney World Start Putting Up Its Christmas Decorations? View the full article

It certainly was a nice morning to head into Magic Kingdom today! Magic Kingdom Entrance On our way in, we thought that we would take a closer look at the progress with the new 50th-anniversary paint job taking place on the Magic Kingdom entrance sign! Work is certainly coming along and we’re getting excited to see the finished product. This morning, crews were up on lifts to continue work on the arches. We noticed they had gotten rid of the pretty light blue paint in preparation for the new darker blue and rose gold color palette. Magic Kingdom Entrance As you can see, they’ve moved on to the second pair of arches. It’s neat to be able to see the transformation happening over a few days! The silver color stands out a bit, but we’re guessing it’s a primer! Magic Kingdom Entrance We’ll be checking in with the entrance every few days so that we can keep up with progress. Stay tuned if you’re as interested in seeing the finished product as we are! Click here to learn more about the Magic Kingdom sign refurb! 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! Get Your Copy of the 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/dfb_guide_to_wdw_dining_2020_cover_01-01-200x151.jpg With more than 750 pages, the 2020 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 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2020 to save 25% off the cover price today! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2019 Edition of the Guide! Use code WDW2020 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/ready-to-shop-button.png Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. What do you think of the new paint job on the entrance sign? Tell us in the comments! The post PICS! Repainting Continues on the Magic Kingdom Entrance Sign! first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: PHOTOS: The Magic Kingdom Entry Sign is Under Construction in Disney World! Photos: Rose Gold Details Added to the Magic Kingdom Entrance Sign! Tap Into Your Villainous Side with the RETURN of Disney Villains After Hours at Disney World View the full article

One of the most beloved shows in Disney World is Fantasmic! in Hollywood Studios! Fantasmic! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios It’s hard to beat watching Mickey slay a dragon! Unfortunately, Fantasmic! is one of the shows that has yet to return to a reopened Disney World. And it looks like Disney is taking this time for a few updates or to do things like routine maintenance because the amphitheater looks preeeeetty different! Thanks to Twitter user @bioreconstruct, we’ve got a birds-eye glimpse at the Fantasmic! amphitheater. All of the water has been drained and has been for some time. Wow! We don’t know exactly what they’re doing to the area, but we will let you know as soon as we know more. It’s pretty crazy to see the Fantasmic! lake all dried up, don’t ya think? We sure wonder how long it will take to fill back up when the time comes! Stay tuned to DFB to know as SOON as it’s announced that Fantasmic is returning! Click here to learn more about the suspension of shows in a reopened 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! Get Your Copy of the 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today! http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/dfb_guide_to_wdw_dining_2020_cover_01-01-200x151.jpg With more than 750 pages, the 2020 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 2020 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2020 to save 25% off the cover price today! Your order will include a FREE instant download of the 2019 Edition of the Guide! Use code WDW2020 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. Do you miss Fantasmic? Tell us in the comments! The post PHOTO! Fantasmic! Amphitheater Remains DRAINED in Disney's Hollywood Studios first appeared on the disney food blog. Related posts: What’s New in Hollywood Studios — Christmas Decorations, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Menu Changes, and More! REVIEW! Grab Your Boots, Gloves, and the Mickey Santa Hat Mousse in Disney’s Hollywood Studios! REVIEW and PHOTOS: NEW Cinnamon-Apple Holiday Lunch Box Tart in Disney World’s Toy Story Land! View the full article

The Disney bellman handling the guest's tennis bag wondered why it was so heavy and then made the discovery of what was inside. View the full article