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We’ve been scouting out how shopping, dining, and transportation has changed at Walt Disney World. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run Queue Now, what do people look forward to the most when they come to Disney? (Well, besides the food.) The rides, of course! What’s Disney World without Space Mountain, Tower of Terror, and Pirates of the Caribbean? It’s a huge, empty land filled only with Mickey Pretzels and churros. Actually, that doesn’t sound too bad. Nevertheless, we checked out a few of the most popular attractions at all four parks and are reporting back on ALL the updates. Disney has implemented enhanced health and safety guidelines with increased cleaning procedures and encouraged physical distancing between guests. While procedures may vary, the attractions are following the same guidelines. Space Mountain Each queue has social distancing markers to separate travel groups. Don’t be scared when you see a huge line! The spacing usually makes short lines seem MUCH longer. Space Mountain Queue with Physical Distancing FastPass is currently unavailable and the only attraction using virtual queues is currently Rise of the Resistance. Despite this, wait times on most rides have been considerably lower than normal. (This excludes some of the more popular rides in Disney’s Hollywood Studios where we’re often still seeing substantial waits throughout the day! More on that later!) This may change as things ramp up so we’ll continue to keep an eye on crowd levels. Pirates of the Caribbean with a 5 Minute Wait The rides will occasionally stop so Cast Members can clean the vehicles and surfaces (in our experience it’s been about every two hours). This may add a few minutes to your wait time, but it usually doesn’t take too long! Hand sanitizers are placed at the entrance and exit of attractions for guest use too. Now, let’s dig into the specifics with some of the more popular rides! Animal Kingdom Flight of Passage The lines for Flight of Passage are abnormally low. We’ve seen waits be as low as 5 minutes in the past few weeks! Also, the attraction is no longer presenting its full pre-show. The rooms are fairly small so physical distancing would be difficult to achieve. If you’re familiar with the ride, there are 2 different pre-show rooms. Flight of Passage Pre-Show The first one features the lovely gentleman above teaching you how to “uhh…fly!” and pairing you with an avatar, while the other shows you safety and ride procedures before entering to ride. Right now BOTH of these rooms are left open to one another, and a shorter version of the first preshow is shown to guests spaced between both rooms before entering to ride. Lab Portion of Queue We were also ushered quickly through the lab portion of the queue to prevent lingering. Plexiglass barriers were installed in some areas to create a barrier between passing guests too. Flight of Passage with Plexiglass We were curious about how we were going to…uh..fly! The ride vehicles (AKA Banshees) are nestled fairly close to one and other and, in a world where we now are told to reduce contact everywhere, you basically straddle your whole body around the ride vehicles here. The Cast Member ended up loading the vehicles with two seats between each travel group. Link Chairs We HAVE had a few rides where Cast Members were leaving just one seat between guests, but that has been much less common. If that happens to you and you’re uncomfortable, speak up to the Cast Member and they’ll move you to a further seat. Yep, you’ll still get up close and personal with those ride vehicles just like before (and we weren’t noticing any cleaning happening between each rider — bring your wipes), but otherwise, the ride experience was still very much the same. Yes, we still smelled scents and felt mist on our faces as well! Click here to see more of our experience riding Flight of Passage Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain Never fear! Disco Yeti is here! Expedition Everest hasn’t seen too many changes since re-opening. For example, Rider Switch and Disability Access Service are functioning as normal. Guests can head to the FastPass line to inquire with a Cast Member about the use of either service. Rider Switch and DAS Sign We did notice some standard health and safety practices like plexiglass barriers placed between boarding numbers. Cast Members will occasionally stop the ride to give the coaster a quick cleaning too. Plexiglass Barriers at Expedition Everest For seating, guests are arranged every other row IF they’re in separate parties to promote physical distancing. Other than that, our experience was very similar to what we’ve known in the past! The line moved very quickly and the coaster remains the same as it’s always been. Want to see more of our experience on Expedition Everest? Click here! Kilimanjaro Safaris Jambo, everyone! As always, Kilimanjaro Safaris is still a pleasant drive through the savanna. Much like Expedition Everest, plexiglass was placed between boarding numbers at the front of the line. Plexiglass Barrier in the Queue The vehicle is fairly small so flexible plastic “windows” created a barrier between each row. Note that there is some space between the barrier and the seat, but since you’re outdoors this is not as much of an issue as it is on the monorail. The cars are loaded one party per row and rows are not skipped between parties. Kilimanjaro Safaris Seating The side of the vehicle remained open so we still got a good look at the animals! From what we could see, all the animals are still present on the safari. Plenty of hippos, lions, elephants, jaguars, and giraffes were grazing in the savanna. This ride was actually kind of cool getting our very own row. It makes it easy to spot the animals! See what Animal Kingdom was like on opening day here! Magic Kingdom Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Seven Dwarfs Mine Train tends to have the longest wait at Magic Kingdom, at least pre-closure. It was relatively hard to get a FastPass for Mine Train and many guests ran to the ride immediately after the park opened. Wait times have been crazy low these days. On average, My Disney Experience has been reporting the attraction to have 20-30 minute wait times throughout the day, sometimes even shorter. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Sign The lines for this coaster are relatively close together for most of the queue. In addition to the distance markers, plexiglass barriers were put in place for some of the switchbacks to create a barricade between guests. Physical Distancing Barriers Water fountains in the queue are still functioning, but some high-touch areas were roped off. The interactive elements towards the end of the queue were unavailable. This seemed to keep guests from coming into close contact and also kept the line moving. Interactive Elements The spinning gem barrels towards the front of the queue are still available. The barrels weren’t roped off and you can still touch and spin them. In our experience, most guests are not stopping to play with the barrels right now! Spinning Barrels Seating arrangements are the same as Expedition Everest with different parties seated every other row. Note — it can be confusing, but they’ll seat YOUR group in seats next to each other, but they’ll skip a row between you and the next group. The line was still pretty short even though the coaster is a lot smaller than Everest and the train was at half capacity. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Getting in line for Mine Train is usually what motivates people to arrive at the park so early. With low wait times and fewer entertainment options, there’s less of a need to rush into Magic Kingdom as soon as it opens. Transportation is still a bit hectic first thing in the morning so it might benefit you to relax and take your time knowing a 2+ hour wait for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is NOT in your future! Click here to see more of our experience on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train The Haunted Mansion There are quite a few interactive elements in the Haunted Mansion queue too, particularly in the interactive graveyard outside. To reduce shared guest contact, the graveyard is bypassed entirely. You can still take a peek at the horseless carriage and pun-filled tombstones on your way inside (say hi to Leota, too!). Horseless Carriage Which brings us into the beloved pre-show. Usually, guests are ushered into a small room (with no windows and no doors!) where the room begins to “stretch” and reveal the iconic stretching room portraits. Both doors were wide open and guests were asked to keep moving through the room. This prevented everyone from mingling too close to each other. You can still see the portraits in their fully stretched reveals, but the stretching element and pre-show has been cut. Stretching Room Queue for Haunted Mansion What’s a Haunted Mansion without a functioning stretching room? The speech given by our Ghost Host was cut in half too. He usually tells everyone to, “Kindly step all the way in please, and make room for everyone.” The speech is paired down quite a bit since the stretching room element is cut. You basically get a “Welcome, foolish mortals” as you hurry along! The Stretching Room We experienced about a 10-minute wait while they cleaned some of the buggies, but this is another ride with an incredibly short, almost walk-on wait. Your Haunted Mansion experience should still be similar to what was prior to closing, as long as you don’t mind missing the pre-show, of course! All 999 ghosts were present and we waved hello to the bride in the attic! Get some planning tips for the newly re-opened Magic Kingdom here! Disney’s Hollywood Studios Rise of the Resistance Rise of the Resistance continues to be the most popular attraction at Disney World. When it first opened in 2019, Disney introduced a special virtual queue to compensate for the wild lines they were expecting. The virtual queue has been modified since the re-opening in July. Guests now have two windows to try to book boarding passes at 10AM or 2PM. Rise of the Resistance Previously, you could try to nab a boarding group once the park officially opened…and the entire virtual queue would be booked up within seconds. The queues are still filling up extremely fast, but now you have two chances to hope for success. See, even with so much change in Disney World, some things never change — like how hard it is to get Rise of the Resistance boarding groups. Rise Preshow The queue is mostly intact and the only difference we noted was the plexiglass windows installed between the line switchbacks. The full pre-show is still being shown. Guests are asked to stand on physical distance markers to watch the shows. There were markers placed on the ground in the Hangar Bay too, so you’ll still have a chance to snap a pic of those Stormtroopers! Early on in the preshow experience, parties will be assigned a number on the ground and will follow this same number in each room of the preshows for the length of the queue. Rise Preshow As expected, only one party was allowed per vehicle. This made the ride a tad bit scarier than we’ve experienced! Battling the First Order alone is no joke! With these minor changes, we still had a great experience on the ride. The technology and ride elements are just as incredible as before. Click here to learn more about riding reopened Rise of the Resistance! Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run is also very similar, but there are a few things you need to know about. The pre-show featuring Hondo Ohnaka is not happening the same way as before. Hondo himself is still operational, but he’s just pressing buttons and saying “Hello, my friends!” — not doing the actual pre-show. You can stand and watch him for a while, or you can sail right on through to your smuggling mission. It’s up to you. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run Pre-Show When we got to the “Chess Room” we were asked to stay on our markers. The Cast Member mentioned that we could leave our marker to take a quick picture at the chess table. We weren’t allowed to mingle around the room as normal. Chess Room The ride vehicle is small so only one travel group was allowed per Falcon cockpit. If you’re flying solo, you get the entire ship to yourself. A word to Solo Flyers: always choose to Pilot the ship! Unless you REALLY want to be the Engineer in the back just pushing buttons, Pilot is the way to go. But YOU DO YOU! Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run It just so happens that most of the brand-new rides around Disney World are at Hollywood Studios. Slinky Dog Dash and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway continue to have fairly long waits (often in the hour+ range) and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is still the most popular land at Disney World. We suggest heading to the other parks if you want to avoid big crowds and lines but, as we’ve experienced firsthand, crowd levels can drastically rise and fall depending on where and when you are in Hollywood Studios. Patience is key here. Head here for our full coverage on the grand re-opening of Hollywood Studios! EPCOT Spaceship Earth Have you heard the saga of Spaceship Earth? Let’s recap. Spaceship Earth was meant to undergo a huge overhaul to match the re-imagining of EPCOT. Construction was meant to start on May 26th but, given the closure, the renovation was put on hold and the attraction ended up opening with the rest of EPCOT. Flash forward to now when Spaceship Earth fans were told that the renovation is postponed and the ride will remain untouched for the time being. Spaceship Earth We headed to our favorite oversized golf ball to check if the attraction was still the way we left it. The biggest changes here were the spaced line queues and we were seated one party per vehicle in our time machines. Spaceship Earth Queue The interactive touch screens were still fully operational. You have the option to sit back and watch the pre-programmed video or touch the screen to create your own adventure. Yep, it still takes your picture at the beginning of the ride for the video too! Spaceship Earth Touchscreen Once the ride was finished, we were emptied into Project Tomorrow as normal. The interactive games and elements were unavailable, but our photo was still posted on the globe! Our experience at Spaceship Earth was about the same as it was prior to closing. We still got a whiff of the library in Alexandria and Dame Judy Dench still narrated our journey on the “grand and miraculous spaceship.” Check out what it was like visiting EPCOT on opening day! Given the circumstances, the parks — especially the rides — can still be enjoyable. It might take a little bit to get used to the new physical distancing and cleaning procedures. Aside from that, the attractions are similar to what you might have experienced prior to closing. The major differences are seen in the queues and especially if there are interactive elements. Our big tip here is to head into the parks later than you normally would. Fireworks, parades, and shows are not currently happening and attendance is quite limited, so there’s less of a need to rush to park opening and get everything done quickly. We will continue to check out all the attractions in Disney World and let you know if we see any changes. Queues, wait times, and experiences are likely to change as Disney adjusts to the new health and safety protocols. Be sure to follow along with us as we learn more! Want to study up on all the new Disney World procedures? Check out our in-depth guide here! Was your favorite ride on this list? Let us know in the comments! Related posts: The BIGGEST Time Wasters in Disney World — And How To Avoid Them! Do You Think The PeopleMover Misses Us, Too? We’re Peeking Inside Disney World’s Closure Diary! Three Tips You NEED to Master Disney World’s FastPass+ Tiers in 2020 View the full article

Ahoy! One of my favorite places to watch the sun rise is from our cruise ships. As the first rays of sun begin to peak above an ocean horizon the reflection on the water creates a dance of color and light that fills you with warmth and wonder. To start your week with magic, wonder, fantasy and a pixie-dusted dream, we’re sharing breathtaking ocean sunrises captured from Disney Cruise Line through the years. Stay tuned for more #DisneyMagicMoments like this. And from our sunrise to yours, good morning and have a magical Monday! View the full article

We’ve been chilling at home and making snacks inspired by park goodies while watching the latest shows and movies on Disney+. ©Disney One of our FAVORITE movies to watch (that honestly makes us cry every time) is Big Hero 6. While Baymax hasn’t been in the parks for a while, we still miss seeing his big, squishy self in Disney World. But, even if you can’t meet Baymax in person anymore, you can still take home your own personal healthcare companion with these cuties! Hot Topic has teamed up with Disney to show off the newest Loungefly merchandise inspired by our favorite member of Big Hero 6 (just don’t tell the others!). ©Disney The Baymax Loungefly Backpack is red like his fashionable superhero suit. It’s covered with adorable sketches of Baymax waving to his friends, looking MEGA lovable, and even taking care of Mochi the Cat! ©Disney The backpack comes with black straps so you can securely take all your supplies with you on your next adventure around the parks or in your backyard for $49.90! Get your own Baymax Loungefly here! ©Disney And, you can even pick up some snacks or a meal from the Lucky Cat Café mixed up (with love) by Aunt Cass before you set off on your mission! Just be sure to keep all your cards in the Baymax Loungefly Cardholder for $11.92. ©Disney Do you think Aunt Cass will give us an Annual Passholder discount on her famous hot wings?? Snag the Baymax Loungefly Cardholder here. While we keep making our way around Disney World, we’ll keep an eye out for more awesome Loungefly items that continue popping up in the parks! Instead of becoming a superhero, you can look like a Disney Princess with the sweet Belle Loungefly Backpack here! Who’s your favorite character from Big Hero 6? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: Light Up the Night with the Villainous Maleficent Wings Flying Around Disney World! This Classic NEW Merchandise Collection in Disney Springs Is So. Stinking. Cute. Pretty In Pink! A New Minnie Mouse Dress Has Twirled Into Disney World! View the full article

Since we’ve been back in Disney World, we’ve seen some pretty weird merchandise in the parks (and we’ve kind of been loving it). Forky Hair Brush Although we’ve seen the odd Forky Hair Brush, the VERY colorful Pandora Windbreaker, and some Haunted Mansion Crocs, this might top the list for one of the strangest bits of merchandise that we’ve seen recently. You know when people think something is so cute that they could squeeze it?? If you thought 2020 wasn’t strange enough as it is, now you can let your stresses out with the adorable Baby Yoda Stress Ball! After seeing him on The Mandalorian, we haven’t been surprised that he’s made an appearance in toy form, spirit jerseys, or even a night light. ©Merchoid But, a stress ball? That’s one of the strangest things we’ve seen in a quick minute. And, to make things even weirder, you won’t be able to get the Baby Yoda Stress Ball until November! The squeeze toy is only available for pre-order currently for $16.99. ©Merchoid Until then, we guess we’ll have to think of other ways to de-stress, like making ALL the Disney Recipes you can imagine or even a binge-watching the new Disney+ shows and movies. And, we’ll keep making sure to give you a look at all the weird merchandise we find around a newly reopened Disney World! Take a look at the adorable Baby Yoda Sweater that your kiddos are going to want to wear ASAP! What is the strangest piece of Disney merchandise you’ve seen recently? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: Buy Me, You Will! The New Baby Yoda Animatronic Toy Has Already Started to SELL OUT Online! May The Force Be With You This Father’s Day With These NEW Star Wars Tees! Does Your Kiddo Want to BE Baby Yoda?! Then You HAVE to See This Sweater From Target! View the full article

It’s been fun to see our favorite Disney Princesses out and about in the Character Cavalcades. Being able to wave at friends like Cinderella, Ariel, and Belle, bring a smile to our faces. Be Our Guest While we might not be able to visit Enchanted Tales with Belle right now, we can still dine at a modified Be Our Guest Restaurant. And, if you love Belle or are looking for a fun Beauty and the Beast accessory, we’ve found an accessory that’s almost as pretty as Belle herself. You can twirl around Disney World (or even your master bedroom at home) with your magic mirror, favorite book, and enchanted objects in the new Belle Loungefly Backpack from BoxLunch! The pale yellow bag looks just like Belle’s iconic dress with ruffles and beading… ©BoxLunch …and a golden rose attached to the zippers so you can store your Beauty and the Beast-inspired Minnie ears or other goodies from Disney World. ©BoxLunch The backpack straps are golden and very shiny so they can glitter in the night when you’re walking around the parks. ©BoxLunch The inside of the bag has a darker yellow with designs of Belle and the Beast all over the fabric! We can’t help but LOVE the classic and elegant Loungefly design. ©BoxLunch Add the Belle Loungefly to your Loungefly collection for $79.90! Get your own Belle Loungefly Backpack here! Anybody else think this is the perfect way to welcome yourself back to Disney World? Found out which Disney Princesses didn’t make the cut in our DFB Parks Character Throw Down! What Loungefly bags do you own at home? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: The Clawwwww! This Alien Pizza Planet Disney x Loungefly Backpack Is Out of This World! Attention, Skippers! The NEW Jungle Cruise Funko Pop is Now Available Online! EEK! It’s Time to Pre-Order These Seriously Spoopy Loungefly x Disney Halloween Bags! View the full article

Baby Yoda has not only taken over Disney World, but it seems like the little guy has taken over our closets too! Photopass Spot While we’ve recently picked up the Baby Yoda Spirit Jersey, snazzy hat, and even a pocket tee, you can grab the sweetest accessory for your littlest Star Wars fan back home! The next time you’re shopping online at Target or visiting the store for snacks, drinks, or even a bunch of Disney merchandise, you’re going to want to snag the adorable Baby Yoda Sweater! The sweater is the tan color of Baby Yoda’s little robes with a frog zipper down the front (of course). But, our FAVORITE part are the ears that stick out for an extra cute look while you walk around Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge! ©Target And, with Fall just around the corner (and season two of The Mandalorian premiering in October), it seems like the best time to start stocking up on cozy outerwear to put on at home or in the parks. Plus, the Baby Yoda Sweater is only $19.99, so it seems like quite the deal for all the Star Wars fans out there — big OR small! Get your own Baby Yoda Sweater HERE!! ©Target We’ve been giving you a look at what it’s like to ride Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in a reopened Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We’ve also shown you what it’s like to dine at a socially distanced Oga’s Cantina. We’ll continue to give you a look at what it’s like to be back in the parks again (along with all the other Baby Yoda merchandise we find)! You might love Baby Yoda, but you’ll want to see which of your other favorite Disney characters are winning in our latest DFB Throw Down! What is your favorite Baby Yoda item you’ve seen so far? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: Here’s Where You Can Find the Always-Sold-Out Baby Yoda Plush OUTSIDE of Disney World! You Have to See What Baby Yoda Merchandise Made Its Way into Disney Springs! Complete Your Baby Yoda Themed Outfit With This New Hat in Disney World! View the full article

Disney World’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Disney California Adventure’s Oogie Boogie Bash may not be happening this year. But that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate Halloween early this year! Jack and Sally It may only be August, but spooky season has already started with Halloween merchandise popping up even at stores like Target! But, this time, BoxLunch is rolling out their own line of frightfully fun items online for guests to grab in time for the holiday season…but, it’s got a bit of a twist! BoxLunch has released a line of The Nightmare Before Christmas merchandise with the characters enjoying their time on the BEACH for the end of summer vacay! Jack and Sally at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary It looks like Jack and Sally are taking a break from Halloween Town to maybe go through the Fourth of July portal with the Halloween Town Beach Club Tee. ©BoxLunch You can get it for $28.90! Snag your Halloween Town Beach Club Tee here! And, it looks like Oogie’s henchmen are joining them for some time on the water with the Lock, Shock, and Barrel Tee. ©BoxLunch This cute tee is $11.92! Get your own Lock, Shock, and Barrel Tee here!! While you’re chilling out by the pool or catching some waves, you can look wickedly awesome wearing The Nightmare Before Christmas Button Up. ©BoxLunch Rock this look for $44.90. Take a closer look at The Nightmare Before Christmas Button Up here! Or cozy up inside for a spooktacular movie night in The Nightmare Before Christmas Tie-Dye Hoodie for $54.90 instead! ©BoxLunch We’re LOVING Jack’s swimsuit and surfboard ! Grab a The Nightmare Before Christmas Tie-Dye Hoodie here! As we start moving into the Fall, you can also put on the Halloween Town Crewneck while you explore Disney World around Halloween time. ©BoxLunch You can get this cute crewneck for $44.90. Grab the Halloween Town Crewneck by clicking here. But, in the meantime, you can kick back and relax in The Nightmare Before Christmas Pineapple Jack Slides (and maybe make your own DIY Dole Whip) for $19.92. ©BoxLunch We never imagined Jack as a pineapple, but we’re loving it. Get The Nightmare Before Christmas Pineapple Jack Slides here! You can also carry around your house keys on the Surfing Zero Keychain that will give you a little summer flair all year long for $7.12! ©BoxLunch Hang loose, Zero! Get your own Surfing Zero Keychain here! But, the fun doesn’t stop there! During your next binge sesh of The Mandalorian, you can keep your Baby Yoda Night Light going for $15.92… ©BoxLunch …since Baby Yoda is cute in any way, shape, or form! ©BoxLunch I mean, can it get any cuter? Light up your life with the Baby Yoda Night Light by clicking here! Plus, you can fashion the Baby Yoda Pocket Tee to go along with your Star Wars marathon! ©BoxLunch You can get this tee for $28.90. Snag the Baby Yoda Pocket Tee here! Although things will be a little different for Halloween this year, we’re going to do our best to make sure you still feel a bit of Halloween/Disney magic. So, let us know what kind of spooky, fun content you’d like to see! We’ll also keep an eye out for all the other merchandise and entertainment available in the parks too! Will Disney World be decorating the parks for Halloween this year? Here’s everything we know! What is your favorite thing to do in Disney World during the holidays? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: May The Force Be With You This Father’s Day With These NEW Star Wars Tees! Here’s Where You Can Find the Always-Sold-Out Baby Yoda Plush OUTSIDE of Disney World! Attention, Skippers! The NEW Jungle Cruise Funko Pop is Now Available Online! View the full article

While we’re making our way around Disney World, we’ve been following the health and safety regulations in the parks (and looking fashionable in our masks while we’re doing it)! Disney’s Animal Kingdom Although we’ve already seen a Together Again Face Mask and added a whole bunch of new masks to our DFB store, we can’t help but be glad to add new looks to our collection. And, Animal Kingdom is upping its face mask game with an entirely NEW line of masks for everyone to wear! Over at the Yak and Yeti Bhaktapur Market, we spotted a whole series of masks that promote lots of peace and tranquility during this unprecedented time. This red and yellow mask reminds us to “Be Kind.” Red and Yellow “Be Kind” Face Mask You can also get a “Be Kind” mask in black and white… Black and White “Be Kind” Face Mask …and tie-dye with a rainbow of different colors! Tie-Dye “Be Kind” Face Mask Plus, there are kid versions of the face mask so your whole family can be kind and protective to everyone visiting Disney World for $8! Kids’ Tie-Dye “Be Kind” Face Mask Half the time, I think that “Namaste” in bed since that seems like the ideal weekend plan. BUT, you can chill in the parks this week wearing the “Namaste” Mask in blue… Blue Namaste Face Mask …or gray with a beautiful lotus flower. Namaste Face Mask Since there are so many different animals in the park, we LOVE being able to spot as many as possible in Animal Kingdom. But, we’re big fans of the strong and sweet elephant on the Tie-Dye Face Mask for adults… Tie-Dye Elephant Face Mask …and patterned face mask for kids!! Kids’ Elephant Face Mask You can also wear a more relaxed mask with colors and designs in teal for adults… Teal Patterned Face Mask …and pink and purple for kids that will add a POP to your outfits! Kids’ Purple Patterned Face Mask Masks are popping up in all sorts of places around Disney World. We will be on the lookout for even more designs, so stay tuned! Take advantage of our DFB mask DISCOUNT and see our latest designs HERE. What is your favorite thing to do in a reopened Disney World? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: Say Good Morning AND Good Night with These NEW Animal Kingdom Phone Cases! 10 Things You Can Personalize with Your Name in Disney World! These Face Coverings from Sephora in Disney Springs Are SO Cute! (And Give Back to Charity!) View the full article

Our latest DFB bracket is quite the challenge as we have to decide between our favorite in-park Disney characters. Magic Kingdom Character Cavalcade While round one was a pretty big hit with some major surprises, we’re off to take a look at the results of round two! Although many of the character experiences have been modified with the Character Cavalcades instead of the meet-and-greets we’re used to, we still love seeing all our Disney pals around the parks! Mary Poppins Greeting Guests at the United Kingdom Pavilion While we’ve been HIGHLY looking forward to your answers about which characters are your favorites, round two has brought even MORE surprises! Read all about Disney World’s NEW Character Cavalcades here! WOW! Rapunzel is officially out of the running meaning Chip ‘n Dale are moving forward. Will they make it to the finale?! Chip ‘n’ Dale And our best pal Kevin has squawked goodbye as Mary Poppins has twirled into the next round of the Park Characters Throw Down. Kevin Ariel was defeated by none other than the boss man himself, Mr. Mickey Mouse. AND Belle defeated Ariel! Is your favorite Disney princess out of the running?! Ariel Those aren’t the only surprises we noticed! You can take a look at the full results from round two before casting your votes in the next round TONIGHT. Continue making your choices by using your printable bracket and by voting on our Instagram. We can’t wait to see what characters reign as the top picks! Park Characters Throw Down Round THREE is kicking off tonight, so be ready to fight for your favorite characters with your votes. We’ll keep sharing all the details you need to know about the results of the third round in the character bracket after they’re tallied on Instagram! And, be sure to tag us in your completed brackets so we can see who your favorites are! Wear THESE adorable character tees while you participate in the Park Characters Throw Down! Which characters do you want to see move forward? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: It’s Baaaack! The NEW DFB Disney Meet-and-Greet Characters BRACKET Begins Tonight on Instagram!! We’ve Gotten a LITTLE Hint About the NBA’s Housing at Disney World! NEWS! Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Has Officially Re-Opened in Disney World! View the full article

Yes, there is a day dedicated to honor this classic camping treat – and rightfully so! The delicious combination of toasted marshmallow, chocolate, and graham cracker has risen above its humble beginnings as a summer camp staple, and has inspired many delicious snacks, desserts, and drinks that would make any camper happy! To celebrate this special day, we are sharing a s’mores recipe from the Disney recipe vault – S’mores Gelato Shake from D-Luxe Burger at Disney Springs. Although not currently on the menu, this guest favorite is an indulgent treat … and worth every sip! S’mores Gelato Shake from D-Luxe Burger at Disney Springs Serves 1 Ingredients 12 ounces vanilla gelato 1/2 ounce dark chocolate sauce 1 ounce toasted marshmallow syrup 1 tsp crushed graham crackers Whipped cream, to garnish Mini marshmallows, to garnish Graham cracker, to garnish Dark chocolate sauce, to garnish Directions Blend vanilla gelato, dark chocolate sauce, toasted marshmallow syrup, and crushed graham crackers until smooth. Serve in tall glass. Garnish with whipped cream, mini marshmallows, graham cracker, and a drizzle of dark chocolate sauce. Chef’s Note: At D-Luxe Burger, the vanilla gelato is made in-house, but for this recipe vanilla gelato can be purchased from the grocery store. Toasted marshmallow syrup can be found at specialty grocery stores. Click Here for a Downloadable Version of this Recipe. As a bonus treat, here are a few of our s’mores-inspired offerings from past and present menus. A campfire is definitely not required to enjoy! House-Made S’mores from The Ganachery at Disney Springs S’mores Crêpe from AristoCrêpes at Disney Springs Frozen S’mores from Desserts & Champagne at the 2020 Taste of EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival S’mores Milkshake from Plaza Restaurant at Magic Kingdom Park S’mores Cookies from ABC Commissary at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Landscape of Flavors at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort S’mores French Toast Sandwich from Woody’s Lunch Box at Disney’s Hollywood Studios S’mores Brownie from Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Draft & Barbecue at EPCOT and S’mores Milkshake from Gasparilla Island Grill at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa S’mores Churro from Disney California Adventure Park S’mores Tart from Jolly Holiday Bakery Café at Disneyland Park and S’more from Smokejumpers Grill at Disney California Adventure Park S’mores CrazyShake from Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes at Downtown Disney District and Gourmet S’mores Candy Offerings from Marceline’s Confectionery and other Candy Shops at Disneyland Resort Stay connected with Disney Parks Blog for more delicious Disney recipes and be sure to share the magic with other Disney fans using the hashtag #DisneyMagicMoments. Happy cooking! View the full article

For many of us, nothing beats a refreshing DOLE Whip on a sunny day. And our mobile ordering service at Walt Disney World Resort puts this favorite treat (and many, many others) in your hands with just a few taps in the My Disney Experience app. It’s as simple as order, wait for notification and enjoy! Mobile ordering is part of our continued efforts to make your vacation experience more magical. With the service, you can save time, skip the line and head directly to the pick-up counter for contactless payment using a credit/debit card, Disney Gift Card, Disney Rewards Redemption Card or Apple Pay. To take advantage of mobile ordering, you just need a smartphone and the My Disney Experience app, which lets you order, pay for and receive fresh meals and snacks on demand right from your fingertips. You can download the My Disney Experience app here. The My Disney Experience app allows you to order at more than 20 dining locations across the Resort, including – of course – at Aloha Isle in Magic Kingdom Park for a delicious DOLE Whip. If you haven’t already, try mobile ordering and conveniently save time to enjoy all there is to see and do at the Walt Disney World Resort. And be sure to keep checking the Disney Parks Blog for more #DisneyMagicMoments. View the full article

This Mickey Waffle Sundae has a TWIST! Mickey Ears Bowl! A few weeks ago, we came across a new Mickey Waffle Sundae at BoardWalk Bakery. And since this treat includes one of our favorite hard-to-find snacks — a CHOCOLATE Mickey Waffle — we had to give it a try! Well, on our most recent visit to BoardWalk Bakery, we noticed something different about this sundae. So, once again, we decided to investigate! When we ordered the Mickey Waffle Sundae the last time, it came with cookie dough ice cream. But on our most recent visit, the menu said the sundae featured “snack time” ice cream. Okay, that definitely has our attention! The price was still the same as our last visit, $15.97 for the Mickey Waffle Sundae in a Mickey Ears bowl, or $10.01 without the souvenir bowl! We Noticed Something Different About the Mickey Waffle Sundae on the Menu! So, with our interest piqued and our taste buds excited, we once again ordered the Mickey Waffle Sundae in a Mickey Ears bowl. Now, let’s see what this “snack time” is all about! Mickey Waffle Sundae We could tell right away that this treat has a lot more going on than the previous version! While the first one we tried had pretty standard sundae ingredients (plus the waffles, of course!) this Mickey Waffle Sundae had one chocolate Mickey Waffle, one vanilla Mickey Waffle, “munchies” ice cream, M&M’s, whipped cream, caramel sauce, sprinkles, and a cherry. Here’s a Peek at the Mickey Waffle Sundae Ingredients! Wondering what flavor to expect with “munchies” ice cream? Well, where to begin?? The munchies ice cream had tiny pieces of pretzels, potato chips, cookies, and M&M’s! “Munchies” Ice Cream! The flavor might sound a little bit overwhelming, but it actually reminded us of a cake batter ice cream! A little hint of salt courtesy of the potato chip and pretzel pieces with plenty of sweetness from all of the other ingredients. This Mickey Waffle Sundae is Loaded With Ingredients! Just like last time, we really enjoyed indulging in the rich, chocolate Mickey Waffle… Chocolate Mickey Waffle …and the classic, vanilla Mickey Waffle! Vanilla Mickey Waffle And like the previous Mickey Waffle Sundae, this one was a winner in our book as well! Plus, we learned some EXCITING info about this treat — the BoardWalk Bakery Cast Member we spoke with said they plan to change the flavor every Sunday! Which means we see plenty of fun new sundae combos in our future! Want to check out the first version of the BoardWalk Bakery Mickey Waffle Sundae we tried? Click here! What ice cream flavor would you like to see in the Mickey Waffle Sundae? Let us know in the comments! Related posts: Oh Boy! We Just Found CHOCOLATE Mickey Waffles In This NEW Sundae in Disney World! Review: Cinnamon Roll from Walt Disney World’s BoardWalk Bakery Review: Carrot Cake at Disney World’s Boardwalk Bakery View the full article

We LOVE a cute pair of Minnie Ears! Minnie Ears galore! Apparently we aren’t the only ones with a Minnie Ears obsession! We’ve spotted a TON of adorable new designs in Disney World lately, like the Up Minnie Ears, Macaron Minnie Ears, and France Minnie Ears! And now, we can deck out our Christmas tree with one of our favorite Disney accessories! Looking to add a little dash of Disney to the holidays? Then you HAVE to see this super sparkly Unicorn Minnie Ears Ornament we found! We can picture the lights of our Christmas tree bouncing off of those gorgeous sequins already! Unicorn Minnie Ears Ornament Yup, pretty sure those pretty rainbow sequins were MADE to reflect our Christmas lights! Check Out Those Sequins! We spotted this little beauty at Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Magic Kingdom! You can add one to your tree for $19.99. And if you’re looking for more ways to deck the halls with Disney, check out these Disney character ornaments and EPCOT attractions ornaments! Want MORE Disney Christmas merch?? Here’s a preview of the new items headed to the parks this holiday season! Which Disney ornaments do you own? Let us know in the comments! Related posts: What’s New in Magic Kingdom — Star Traders Construction, Christmas Merch, and MORE! FIRST LOOK! The NEW Space Mountain Merchandise Collection Has Arrived in Disney World! 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 View the full article

Splash Mountain has been one of the most eventful spots in Disney World since Magic Kingdom re-opened. Splash Mountain We’ve seen long wait times at the ride (especially with merchandise), the news that Splash Mountain would become a The Princess and the Frog bayou ride, and even a log boat sinking just his week. BUT, people have still be super excited to head back on the ride during their “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Day” back in Disney World. While the Splash Mountain Plushes and Wishables have been CRAZY popular recently, the new pins are just as cute for guests who just LOVE to pin collect. (We definitely want to wear them on our Pin Trading Minnie Ears!) Splash Mountain Pins No matter how many times you’ve taken a trip to the Briar Patch, it feels like an accomplishment every time you escape Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear’s trap to splash down into a swingin’ party at the end of the ride! And, we think the “I Conquered Splash Mountain” Pin is the sweetest way to show off your love for the attraction… Splash Mountain Pin …along with the Br’er Rabbit Pin, who looks peachy keen and content to be relaxing with his best pals (same, friend)! Br’er Rabbit Pin While we continue to keep an eye out for more Splash Mountain merchandise that keeps selling out quickly, we’ll make sure to give you a look at everything we find! These are the six things that most first time visitors don’t know about going to Disney World! How do you feel about Splash Mountain’s redesign? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: Match With Your Favorite Disney Characters and Attractions By Wearing the Newest Graphic Tees in Disney World! We Found a NEW Line of Fab 5 Character Mugs in Disney World! Pretty In Pink! A New Minnie Mouse Dress Has Twirled Into Disney World! View the full article

Disney World Annual Passholders have a few more days to decide whether or not they’d like to cancel their passes. 2020 Annual Passholder Magnet While the Disney World parks have now reopened, there are a number of new processes in place that make the park-going experience different than it was pre-closure — including the high-demand Disney Park Pass reservations which are required for entry. In light of the unprecedented situation, Disney World Annual Passholders have been given the option to cancel their Annual Passes. The final day for Annual Passholders to opt into the cancellation is August 11th, and canceled passes will no longer be valid beginning on August 12th. With the cancellation deadline approaching, Disney World Annual Passholders have received an email clarifying the options, including a link to the policy that shows how refunds will be calculated. Email to Disney World Annual Passholders The email also reminds Passholders that they have until midnight EDT on August 11th to make the decision to cancel. Those who wish to keep their Annual Passes don’t need to take any further action. Email to Disney World Annual Passholders The previous email sent on July 14th has instructions for those who wish to cancel their passes. For further assistance, Annual Passholders are advised to call the support line at 407-939-7277. Click here to learn more about the option to cancel your Annual Pass. Did you recently decide to cancel your Disney World Annual Pass? Let us know in the comments! Related posts: Has Disney World Paused Annual Pass Sales? Here’s What We’re Experiencing NEWS: Disney World Unexpectedly Charged Annual Passholders 4 Months of Payments TODAY NEWS: Disney World Annual Passholders Should Receive Their 30-Day Pass Extension Soon View the full article

All four Disney World theme parks have now welcomed back guests, but some parts of the Resort still remain closed! Typhoon Lagoon In the initial phase of reopening, some Disney World attractions and experiences will remain unavailable. So, if you’re headed to Disney World in the near future, prepare yourself for the lack of parades, fireworks, select attractions, restaurants — and water parks! Both Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach are still closed, and Disney has yet to announce a planned reopening date for either park. So, WILL the Disney water parks open soon? We get asked this question at least once a day on social media, so we wanted to dig in and compile all the data we have for you so you can draw conclusions for yourself! Here’s what we know! Other Water Parks and Attractions Have Reopened Some water parks across the United States HAVE reopened to guests — in fact, there’s one comparable water park we can look to just across town. Universal’s Volcano Bay Universal Orlando Resort reopened its water park, Volcano Bay, in early June. The park has implemented a number of new health and safety measures, including required temperature checks, increased cleaning procedures, and limited capacity. Waturi Beach at Volcano Bay ©Universal Orlando But, there’s one notable difference in the new policies between the Universal theme parks and Volcano Bay. In the Universal theme parks, guests are required to wear a mask at all times, except while actively eating or drinking OR while riding an attraction where a significant amount of water is part of the experience — such as Jurassic Park River Adventure. Jurassic Park River Adventure However, in Volcano Bay, face masks are ONLY required in restaurants, retail locations, and as guests enter and exit the park. Guests are encouraged to wear face coverings while walking around the park, but this is not a requirement. And face masks are NOT permitted on the slides or in the pools. ©Universal This is not entirely unexpected, as the CDC has advised against wearing cloth face coverings in the water since they can be difficult to breathe through when wet. But could the difficulty of maintaining a uniform face mask policy be part of the hold up for Disney? Check out our live coverage from the reopening of the Universal Orlando theme parks! Disney World Resort Hotel Pools Guests are able to access the pools in the reopened Disney World hotels. And while the pools are a much smaller scale attraction than the water parks, our experience in the hotel pool areas can give us at least some insight into how Disney is approaching aquatic activities. Riviera Resort Pool Disney does not require guests to wear face masks while swimming, and according to a Cast Member we spoke with, guests may also remove their masks while laying in the pool chairs. However, the Cast Member also informed us that guests are asked to wear their masks anytime they are walking around the pool area. Riviera Resort Pool Health and Safety Reminders We were also told that the capacity will be limited in the pool area. Pool Area at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Click here to see more photos of our first time swimming in a reopened Disney World hotel pool! Challenges the Disney Water Parks are Facing Now that we’ve seen some of the policies and procedures from the reopening of Volcano Bay and the Disney hotel pools, let’s take a look at a few of the challenges Disney is facing with the reopening of the water parks. Difficulty Maintaining the Same Safety Standards as the Theme Parks We’ve seen that Disney is less lax than Universal with their face mask policy on water rides. At Disney, guests ARE required to keep their masks on while riding attractions that could get them wet like Splash Mountain and Kali River Rapids. Splash Mountain And while it’s only recommended that Volcano Bay guests wear masks around the park in between attractions, guests at the Disney hotel pools are required to wear masks while up and moving. So, could the difficulty of enforcing a uniform face mask requirement be contributing to the hold-up on the Disney World water parks reopening? Wearing a mask around a water park AND keeping it dry doesn’t seem like the easiest task. How would that feasibly work? Caribbean Beach Pool This safety concern also extends to social distancing. According to the CDC, “There is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread to humans through the use of recreational waters.” BUT, the CDC does note that there is still a significant concern of passing the virus from person to person, especially in an environment where masks are not being worn. Distancing Markers in EPCOT If guests were unable to wear masks on the attractions or in the pools, Disney would need to be extra diligent about social distancing measures. This could prove difficult, especially in the case of pools and lazy rivers, where guests could inadvertently drift towards each other. We’ve been wearing face masks around Disney World for months, and here are some NEW tips we’ve picked up! Disney’s Water Parks Have Fewer Attractions So, why not just keep any potentially difficult attraction closed? Well, then Disney could run into another problem. While Volcano Bay has a total of 19 attractions, Blizzard Beach has 12 attractions and Typhoon Lagoon has 11. So, if Disney kept even a few of these attractions closed guests would be pushed towards the same handful of open rides. ©Disney The small number of rides in the water parks could cause lines to back up quickly. We can look to the Disney World theme parks for context. Upon the initial reopening, there were 29 attractions available in Magic Kingdom, 18 in EPCOT, 16 in Animal Kingdom, and 13 in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom While we have seen manageable wait times, for the most part, there is one park that has had noticeably longer lines — Hollywood Studios. And since Hollywood Studios currently has more attractions OPEN than Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon have in TOTAL, that doesn’t bode well for the potential lines that the water parks could experience — especially if they aren’t able to reopen all of the attractions. It’s also worth noting the scale of these locations. Hollywood Studios is about 135 acres large — the water parks are both less than half that size at 66 acres (Blizzard Beach) and 56 acres (Typhoon Lagoon). With less room to physically space out guests, this could pose a problem as well. Tike’s Peak is One of the 12 Attractions in Blizzard Beach ©Disney Speaking of those lines, this is another leg-up that Volcano Bay has on the Disney water parks. ALL of the lines at Volcano Bay are managed using a virtual queue with the “TapuTapu” wristbands that are provided to guests. So, the Disney water parks would either need to implement virtual queues, or have guests wait in physical lines for the attractions. But would guests need to wear a mask while waiting in the (potentially long) lines? If so, what would guests do with their masks when they get to the attraction? These are a few of the tough questions Disney would have to resolve before reopening the water parks. ©Disney With all of these things in mind, would the water parks be able to accommodate enough guests to make it worthwhile for Disney to reopen at the moment? Considering the lines and bottlenecks we’ve seen in Hollywood Studios, the Disney park with the fewest available attractions, could we see a similar situation if the significantly smaller water parks were to reopen? Disney World has significant safety and capacity challenges to face with reopening the Water Parks. We’ve seen Disney tighten up their safety policies since reopening the parks, expanding temperature checks and face mask requirements. It would be a departure from their current approach for them to take a step backward in their guidelines by creating an environment in the water parks that is difficult to manage. BUT the situation is ever-evolving. We’ll keep you updated as we get more information! Here are 10 NEW Disney World tips we never thought we’d have to share! When do you think Disney World will reopen the water parks? Share your thoughts in the comments! Related posts: Typhoon Lagoon vs Blizzard Beach? Which Disney Water Park is Worth Your Non-Park Day? Could Disney World’s Water Parks Be Reopening SOON?! Review and Food Photos: Paddle In for the Guacamole Flight at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park! View the full article

ESPN is continuing its comprehensive on-site game coverage of the historic NBA restart, which includes the final regular-season games as well as up to 44 NBA Playoff games on ESPN and ABC from ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. ESPN has several top game commentators on site at the NBA Florida Campus at Disney to call the action, including play-by-play voices Mike Breen, Mark Jones and Dave Pasch, analysts Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Doris Burke and reporters Lisa Salters and Cassidy Hubbarth. Additionally, ESPN commentators Rachel Nichols and Malika Andrews will also serve as sideline reporters for select games. Tune-in to ABC today at 3:00pm ET for the Spurs vs Pelicans. And don’t forget to watch ESPN on Aug. 14 for three critical seeding games as teams battle for the eighth and final seed in the Eastern and Western Conferences. All NBA games on ESPN and ABC are also available to stream via the ESPN app. View the full article

It’s a whole new world of cleanliness and sanitation in Disney World and we’re still getting used to it! Cast Members Cleaning There are all sorts of new protocols for Cast Members and guests and we’ve been observing the way that these protocols work in the parks. We have to say, some things have definitely surprised us about the way that cleaning is handled for rides and attractions. Here’s what we WEREN’T expecting! 1. The Skyliner Cleaning Schedule Hey, the Skyliner is TECHNICALLY a ride, isn’t it? As you can imagine, we’ve taken several trips on the Disney Skyliner in reopened Disney World by now. The biggest difference is that the ride is limited to one gondola per party — which we’ve actually really liked! A Gondola Cabin All to Ourselves Still, it’s the cleaning procedures that surprise us about this popular transportation method. A Cast Member we spoke to on the Skyliner’s reopening day told us that the gondolas are only being cleaned once a day. With so many guests passing through, we thought they might be wiped down more than that — and they could have changed it to more often by now. Luckily, with the vented design of the gondola, there’s ample airflow through each cabin all the time. Disney Skyliner But if you’re still a little put off by the once-a-day cleaning, there are things you can do to feel safer when riding the Skyliner. Keep your mask on even though you’re away from other folks and bring wipes or sanitizer to keep your hands clean after you’ve been in the gondola space. Click here to learn more about riding the reopened Skyliner! 2. Most ride vehicles are only cleaned every few hours. We kind of expected rides to be cleaned SUPER often, and it’s true that we have seen our fair share of cleaning going on. Still, we talked to a few Cast Members at different attractions who let us know that there is a designated period of time between cleanings that was a little longer than we were expecting. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Queue For many attractions, Cast Members told us that the rides were being cleaned every two hours. If that makes you uncomfortable, keep an eye out for hand sanitizer stations and bring your own! Be sure to sanitize before and after each ride. Disney’s cleaning protocols are based on guidance from health professionals but if you feel better with a little bit of back-up sanitizing — make sure you’re prepared. Click here for more tips for a reopened Disney World! 3. High-touch surfaces aren’t always cleaned more often. This one might be the BIGGEST surprise we’ve seen when it comes to cleaning procedures on the rides. There are some high-touch areas on rides that we expected to get some extra attention when it comes to cleaning — especially on the more interactive attractions. Queue We didn’t see any cleaning between individual riders on rides with high-touch elements like the pull-toys on Toy Story Mania, the blasters on Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, the seats on Flight of Passage, and the controls on The Magic Carpets of Aladdin and Dumbo the flying elephant. Magic Carpets of Aladdin According to a Cast Member at Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, the ride was being cleaned every two hours like we’ve been told of some other attractions. Like the other items on this list, antibacterial wipes can definitely help to disinfect these surfaces and your hands. Want to see what it’s like to ride Flight of Passage in a reopened Disney World? Click here! 4. Lines still move quickly even when the rides have to be stopped to be cleaned. It wasn’t too surprising to us that the attractions occasionally close temporarily for cleaning but it WAS a surprise that it didn’t result in longer lines. There were several attractions, like Splash Mountain, that occasionally had an announcement while we were in the queue that the ride was paused for cleaning, but it didn’t slow the ride down that much. Splash Mountain paused for sanitation Overall, we haven’t found a back-up in lines and queues for cleaning or other health protocol Disney has implemented. So if that’s a concern of yours, it shouldn’t be a problem. Wondering about the demand for Splash Mountain? Click here. 5. The spray cleaners they are using aren’t what we expected. One of the main methods of cleaning that we’ve seen is a spray cleaner, which definitely isn’t what we were expecting. It IS Disney, so we almost expected some sort of high-tech UV light that didn’t cause any hassle to guests! But what’s ACTUALLY surprised us is that the sprays DON’T really impact guests. Sanitizer for Splash Mountain Our big concern was that our seats would be wet when we sat down, but we spoke to Cast Members at DINOSAUR in Animal Kingdom who told us that they run sprayed-down vehicles through the ride once before they load the vehicle with guests. With this and staggering the sprays, it allows the rides to keep moving without subjecting riders to wet seats! Smart! Click here to see the full list of EVERYTHING that has reopened! Overall, we saw most of the cleaning measures in Disney World coming, but these were surprising. We’ll continue to report from a reopened Disney World so keep an eye out for everything new and alllll the tips in the coming weeks! And note that Disney World is changing protocol regularly based on feedback from healthcare professionals and the day to day activity in the parks. So if you’re seeing a different cleaning protocol, let us know! What has surprised YOU about Disney World’s reopening? Tell us in the comments! Related posts: NEWS! Joffrey’s Coffee and Tea Location Coming to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Skyliner Station DFB Video: Here’s What You Need to Know About the Disney Skyliner Should You Even Go to Disney World with All This Construction? Your Questions Answered. View the full article

Welcome to our resource for all of the things that are different about a Disney World Vacation during this temporary uproar. On this page we’ll be discussing everything that is different about planning and executing a Walt Disney World vacation for military families during this temporary “crisis.” We have a huge amount of content here […] The post Planning and Executing Your Walt Disney World Vacation During These Trying Times – 2020 and 2021 Travel appeared first on Military Disney Tips Blog. View the full article

Welcome to our resource for all of the things that are different about a Disney World Vacation during this temporary uproar. On this page we’ll be discussing everything that is different about planning and executing a Walt Disney World vacation for military families during this temporary “crisis.” We have a huge amount of content here […] The post Planning and Executing Your Walt Disney World Vacation During These Trying Times – 2020 and 2021 Travel appeared first on Military Disney Tips Blog. View the full article

Although we’re familiar with using Disney’s Magical Express and the Minnie Van Service, it would be great to take a train straight from the airport to the Walt Disney World parks and resorts. Disney’s Magical Express While most of the Disney World transportation has started to reopen, the next form of transportation in the parks may not even be under the “Disney brand” at all. In a recent report from the Orlando Sentinel, the Virgin Trains that have been scoping out a Walt Disney World station have now been replaced under the Brightline name. As a recent financial report by the train company has stated, the Orlando International Airport has a station in progress at the moment that’s projected to start service in 2022. Train Station However, while the station line will hopefully stretch from Orlando to Tampa, Brightline is looking to have a stop at Disney World (which has been in progress since earlier this year). On top of Disney World and Tampa, there could even be a stop at the SunRail Station that would provide commuters more access to Orlando. Virgin Trains’ Orlando International Station ©Orlando Business Journal The bond report noted that, “The extension of our system from the Orlando airport to the Disney station would also serve as the first phase of a potential future connection to Tampa.” As they continue to make negotiations with Disney, Brightline believes that they will be “opening the Disney station shortly after opening the Orlando airport station.” Virgin Trains As the trains continue to make progress on building stations, we’ll continue to look into the possible Disney World stop that could be coming soon! Read about Disney World’s reduced hours starting next month! What is your favorite form of Disney transportation? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: Here’s Where You Can Find the Always-Sold-Out Baby Yoda Plush OUTSIDE of Disney World! Staying at a Good Neighbor Hotel at Walt Disney World? You’ll Want to Keep THIS in Mind! This Great TIP Could Be The Key To Getting Your Disney World Theme Park Reservations Early! View the full article

Although we’ve given you a look at the sweet Baby Yoda Funko POP! and ALL the merchandise your Disney loving heart could want in Disney Springs, we’re making our way over to Main Street, U.S.A.! The Emporium While the Magic Kingdom is the spot for Dole Whips and back-to-back rides on Space Mountain, the Emporium is one of our favorite places in all of Disney World to shop for merchandise. While you can pick up Minnie ears, character plushes, and MagicBands galore, we can’t help but add a new shirt to our closet whenever we’re in the parks too! And, with shirts as cute as the ones our DFB reader Ethan Morris found in the Emporium, they’re practically must-have tees to add to your closet. If you’re a fan of spinning around on the teacups, you can put on the Mad Tea Party Tee to wear whenever you’re in Fantasyland… Photo Credit: ethanatwdw …or the Tigger Tee to put on while you go bouncing with your best pals on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh! The most wonderful thing about this tee is that Tigger won’t be the only one looking so fun! Photo Credit: ethanatwdw Although the Festival of The Lion King isn’t running currently in Animal Kingdom, you can still look like a mighty king (or queen) of the Pride Lands wearing the Simba Tee! Photo Credit: ethanatwdw But, even though we love the Disney heroes, you can also lean towards the Dark Side wearing the Stormtrooper Tee while you’re on Rise of the Resistance or waving to Kylo Ren in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. We gotta say though…they’re kinda short for Stormtroopers, aren’t they? Photo Credit: ethanatwdw These pair wonderfully with the other similar styled all-over pattern shirts we spotted recently. As we explore the parks and resorts, we’ll keep an eye out for any other shirts that will look adorable with your next pair of ears! You can look like a Disney Princess too with the cutest Snow White shirts we found in Disney World! Have you been back to Magic Kingdom yet since the park re-opened? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: There’s A New Way to Rep Your Love For Disney Food in Disney World! One of the Most Colorful Spirit Jerseys EVER Has Made Its Debut in Disney World! What’s New at Magic Kingdom: A Missing Fan-Favorite Snack, TONS of Mulan Merchandise, and a NEW Cake Pop! View the full article

Welcome back, DFB friends! We’re here with another What’s New at Disney Springs! Disney Springs And, we’ve got plenty of merchandise and food updates to share with you, so let’s dive right on in! Disney Springs Merchandise Update MAC Cosmetics This time at home has been filled with plenty of self-care (and possibly copious amounts of boxed wine). So while you’re getting your out next round of toiletries and face care, you can stop at the newly re-opened MAC and Origins stores in Disney Springs! Mac and Origins are BOTH open! The store is open with a limited capacity of 5 people and makeup testing and applications are suspending during this time. But, MAC is back open with 40% of different products and a BOGO deal for red lipstick where you can get one free when you spend $30. Welcome back to MAC! While the makeup on the counters have usually been open for guests to look at the colors, clear caps have been put on everything instead as a health and safety precaution. MAC Cosmetics So you can look, but no touchy! Origins Origins has also opened with specific safety measures in the stores. Hand-sanitizer is available outside and inside for guests to use. Origins But, the sink is closed off right now so guests can’t test some of the toiletry products in Origins. Origins On top of the soaps and makeup at Origins, you can also check out all the haircare and face products that are going to give you that summer GLOW-UP! Origins Stop in to get a new skincare product or two (or twenty!). Take a look at the full re-opening of Mac and Origins in Disney Springs here! World of Disney We love hopping around to the colored walls in Disney World to pose for a photograph that’s perfect for Instagram! And, the World of Disney (along with Tren-D) have rolled out a whole line of Purple Wall items to wear in the parks! Purple Wall Outfit Although we’ve already seen the Purple Wall Windbreaker, now you can complete your look with the matching patterned leggings… Purple Wall Leggings …and the long-sleeve shirt with the CUTEST Mickey Mouse head detailed with all the cute purple wall geometrics. Purple Wall Shirt Are you going to meet us at purple wall with a churro and a drink in hand anytime soon?? Meet Me at the Purple Wall Travel to the Purple Wall with a full look at the line of World of Disney merchandise! While we have been wearing our hair in plenty of messy buns and ponytails at home, we would definitely whip up a full-on hairdo to wear the Minnie Mouse Bobby Pins for $12.99! Minnie Mouse Bobby Pins But, if you’re not feeling it, you can still look as cute as ever wearing the Indiana Jones Hat instead! The hat has Indy’s catchphrase “Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes?” on the front… Indiana Jones Baseball Cap …and the famous Indiana Jones hat and whip combo on the side too! There’s a Fedora on the Bill of the Cap! Indy might be afraid of snakes, but you’re going to love the new Indiana Jones Hat! If your kiddo is looking for something stylish to wear back in the parks, the new-to-us Pluto line is a perfect choice to wear in the Florida sunshine! Whether your little one is sweet and “all paws and no bite…” Kids’ Pluto Tee …a groovy person (who looks totally tubular in tie-dye)… Kids’ Pluto Tie-Dye Tee …or just a big fan of exploring the parks in cozy clothing, the Pluto Shirts and Tank are great picks for your time back in Disney World. Kids’ Pluto Tank You can pick up each for $24.99! Marketplace Co-Op While we love a tee and shorts combo, there’s just something extra special about dressing up when you’re in Disney World! And, The Dress Shop has the BEST options to look extra fabulous when you’re posing in front of Cinderella Castle or kicking back at one of the restaurants. While we were in the Marketplace Co-Op, we spotted the spooky Haunted Mansion Dress that will make anybody look hauntingly beautiful! Haunted Mansion Dress The collar on the dress has the singing busts belting out “Grim Grinning Ghosts” at the top of their (non-existent) lungs… Haunted Mansion Dress …and a patterned skirt complete with the stretching paintings, Cast Member costumes, Madame Leota, and a whole bunch of characters and icons from the Haunted Mansion! Haunted Mansion Dress Look spooktacular with all the details in the Haunted Mansion Dress here! And, while we’ve seen the Minnie Mouse Dress in Disneyland before, we also spotted it again at The Dress Shop! The red polka-dotted neckline almost has a shape of a bow itself… Minnie Mouse Dress …while the skirt has more polka dots with an image of Minnie wearing the same dress too! We only hope we can look as cute as Minnie does in it! Minnie Mouse Dress Plus, we LOVE the little note on the back of the dress from Minnie herself to all her fans! Minnie Mouse Dress Twirl around in the adorable Minnie Mouse Dress here! Although we love a good Disney bumper sticker, now you can add Star Wars Car Magnets to your hot ride too from D-Tech too! Your land vehicle can have a pop of galactic flair with the Millennium Falcon Car Magnet… Millennium Falcon Magnet …or the X-Wing Car Magnet for $14.99! X-Wing Magnet Tren-D When we’ve gathered up all our snacks (and plastic cheese to go with them) when we’re in the Magic Kingdom, we’re big fans of chilling out in the hub grass to eat our treats. And, you can look as colorful and bright as ever in the Hub Grass Shirt at Tren-D or DisneyStyle! We didn’t realize “Hub Grass Green” was our favorite color until just now! Now we just need some corn dog nuggets, and we feel like our look would be complete. Relax in the hub grass wearing the new tee here! While you’re dressing up, your pups can look JUST as iconic with all the Disney Tails items from the Marketplace Co-Op. As your dog chills out with you to watch Disney+, your gal can look sweet in the Minnie Mouse Dog Socks… Minnie Mouse Dog Socks …that come with little grippies on the bottom so they don’t slip on the floor. Disney Dog Socks But, your best guy can look cuddly too in the Mickey Mouse Dog Socks as well. Maybe your pups need some Mickey and Minnie ears to go with their socks too! Dog Socks Both of these are available for $14.99. Give your pups a Disney makeover with the matching Mickey and Minnie Dog Socks! Wonderful World of Memories A Taste of EPCOT International Food and Wine is unlike any other festival we’ve seen before. While it is a Food and Wine Festival, it has elements from the Flower and Garden Festival earlier this year with topiaries, menu items, and MERCHANDISE! We found the returning line of Flower and Garden items outside of EPCOT at the Wonderful World of Memories! On top of looking super fly in the spirit jersey… Flower and Garden Spirit Jersey …and Passholder tees… Adult-size Passholder Shirt …you can even pick up accessories like the Flower and Garden Keychain! Passholder Keychain But, you can also start your day off to a great start with the watering can mugs, featuring Minnie Mouse… Passholder Mug …Spike the Bee… Passholder Mug …and other Disney friends! Take a look at the FULL collection of Flower and Garden merchandise we spotted here! Rustic Cuff We’ve been keeping an eye out for Rustic Cuff ever since its store closed to make way for the new Gideon’s Bakehouse opening in Disney Springs soon. However, now that LovePop will be getting its own store too, Rustic Cuff has taken the place of LovePop’s previous kiosk in front of Paddlefish! Rustic Cuff Kiosk On top of all the other spots that re-opened in Disney Springs, you can check out the new Rustic Cuff kiosk in the shopping and district now too! Check out the new Rustic Cuff kiosk in Disney Springs here! DisneyStyle Minnie ears may be fashionable with the decorated bows, you can also look classic in the Red Minnie Bow Shirt… Red Minnie Bow Shirt …or Gray Minnie Bow Shirt that we found in DisneyStyle! We’re sure that Minnie will adore your new look as much as we do! Gray Minnie Bow Shirt If you’re stopping in DisneyStyle, you can also look like a Disney Princess wearing the retro Snow White Long-Sleeve Hoodie with the Seven Dwarfs marching along… Snow White Hoodie …and Snow White Tank Top with the wicked Evil Queen and her poisoned apple. Snow White Tank Sorry, Snow — we might be the Fairest of Them All wearing this tank top! Snow White Tank We’re loving these cool retro vibes! We’ve been dreaming of these ADORABLE Snow White items to add to our wardrobe! Disney Springs Food Update Sprinkles Originally, Sprinkles opened back up to gets with online orders and the Cupcake ATM only. But, we’ve got GREAT news for dessert fans everywhere! Sprinkles is welcoming guests back inside the bakery again (yaaaas)! Sprinkles Entrance While the outdoor bench seating is still closed, Sprinkles is operating with cashless payment only, mask requirements, and distancing measures inside the bakery. There are markers on the ground and plastic barriers surrounding the kitchen and check-out areas. Sprinkles Inside The menu board is still up for guests to look at (even though they can check out what cupcakes, brownies, cookies, and more are available online)… Sprinkles Menu …and the display is still visible with a plastic barrier surrounding it too. At the time, no cupcakes were on display. Sprinkles Cupcakes Display Welcome back, inside of Sprinkles! It’s been a while! Take a look inside a newly re-opened Sprinkles! Well, that’s all for this What’s New at Disney Springs! We’ll catch you next time with more merchandise and food updates! What are you looking forward to seeing the most in Disney Springs? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: What’s NEW at Disney Springs: The Her Universe Star Wars Collection, NEW Park Life Dooneys, and Rock the Dots Merch! What’s New at Disney Springs! NEW Menu Items; Missing Menu Items; The CUTEST Valentine’s Day Cards; and FREE Cupcakes! What’s New at Disney Springs: Fantasia Dooney & Bourke Collection, More Baby Yoda, and ALL the Ink & Paint Merchandise! View the full article

Many guests, including ourselves, have been back in Disney World to dine at our favorite restaurants again (how we’ve missed Homecomin‘s Cheddar Drop Biscuits). Shine Bar and Social However, dining locations around the parks and resorts have been following strict health and safety regulations with Mobile Dining Check-in, distanced seating, limited menus, and more. Still, some guests have had affected Advance Dining Reservations now that Disney World’s park hours have been shortened beginning September 8th. We’ve got the scoop on how Disney will handle this. As the parks continue their initial re-opening, Disney has stated that they would be making changes when they were necessary. One possible way we’ve seen this happen is through Disney announcing they’d be further reducing park hours starting in September. Plaza Outdoor Seating On September 8th, Magic Kingdom will have its hours reduced from its previous hours of 9AM to 7PM to 9AM to 6PM, EPCOT will go from 11AM to 7PM instead of 11AM to 9PM, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be listed at 10AM to 7PM rather than 10AM to 8PM, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 9AM to 5PM opposed to its previous 8AM to 6PM hours. San Angel Inn Since the parks are operating with even more limited hours next month, certain guests’ dining reservations could be affected during this time. If guests had booked reservations during a time that the parks WERE open, but have since been reduced, they could be left with essentially a non-usable reservation. If a guest booked, for example, a 6:30PM dinner reservation in Magic Kingdom back when it was set to close at 7PM and the park NOW closes at 6PM…they aren’t going to be able to use that reservation! Garden Grill Restaurant According to a Disney Cast Member we spoke with, they will be reaching out individually to guests whose dining reservations are affected by these changes. However, Disney will possibly provide an auto-cancellation date for dining reservations, if Cast Members are unable to reach guests in time. At this time, they were unsure if or when that would happen. Le Cellier in Walt Disney World’s EPCOT If you happen to have a dining reservation that’s affected by the new park hours, Disney recommends that guests go online to modify them. However, if guests aren’t aware of the changes, Disney should take care of any affected reservations without action from the guest, but that could mean you’re out a reservation and will need to make alternate plans. Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom As Disney starts to reach out to guests, we’ll keep you updated about other changes that will be coming to the parks with the new limited hours in Disney World! Click here to learn more about Disney World’s new reduced hours! What is your favorite restaurant to visit in Disney World? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: DFB Video: 14 Must-Do Disney World Restaurants for 2020! Terralina Crafted Italian Is Back OPEN in Disney Springs! NEWS! Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar Has Officially Reopened (AGAIN) in Disney Springs! View the full article

Although we’ve been glad to see Mickey, Minnie, and the whole gang back in Disney World, we’ve been having a great time posing with Baby Yoda in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge too! Photopass Spot We’ve been seeing all sorts of Star Wars goodies since we’ve like the talking Baby Yoda Toy, shoulder plush (who we think has been a GREAT co-co-pilot with us on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, might we add ), and cozy a spirit jersey. But, your Baby Yoda obsession doesn’t have to stop there! While we’ve previously seen the Baby Yoda Funko POP! make its way to Target and shopDisney… ©Disney …the adorable figurine has popped into Disney Springs now too! While one of our readers @thedisneygirlie was in the World of Disney, she spotted Baby Yoda looking like his cute self as he used the Force (probably to conjure up some frogs). Photo Credit: @thedisneygirlie And, we have the PERFECT spot for him on our shelf next to all our other Star Wars figurines! Although season 2 of The Mandalorian is coming just around the corner in October, all the Baby Yoda merchandise in Disney World is definitely holding us over until then! Take a look at all the details of the PeopleMover’s closure through the Fall here! What has been your favorite piece of Disney merchandise? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: Here’s Where You Can Find the Always-Sold-Out Baby Yoda Plush OUTSIDE of Disney World! Complete Your Baby Yoda Themed Outfit With This New Hat in Disney World! Stop the Presses! These NEW Baby Yoda MagicBands, Phone Cases, and MORE Are MUST-Gets For Mandalorian Fans! View the full article