Disney4me

What a time to be a Jungle Cruise fanatic! This summer has brought LOADS of new Jungle Cruise merchandise to Disney Parks, from dresses to backpacks and even a cookie jar in Downtown Disney! Jungle Cruise Cookie Jar at Disney Home We’ve already spotted a couple of cute Jungle Cruise t-shirts at Magic Kingdom, and on our most recent trip today, we found even MORE tees for our inner Skipper! There’s certainly no shortage of Jungle Cruise apparel these days. Let’s take a look at what we discovered today! Even MORE Jungle Cruise Tees! The first is this cute Jungle Cruise Skipper tee for women! Jungle Cruise Women’s T-shirt This shirt features a female Skipper sharing her enthusiasm for the “amazing…colossal…stupendous…eighth wonder of the world…the backside of water!” Jungle Cruise Women’s T-shirt The Skipper t-shirt costs $36.99. The next two shirts we spotted are for the kiddos, otherwise known as future Skippers! The first is a SUPER cute youth tee depicting an elephant kicking back and relaxing along the river! Don’t worry…they have their trunks on! Kid’s Jungle Cruise t-shirt The shirt’s sleeves are folded back to give it a nice, clean look. The elephant tee is $24.99. Finally, another tee for the little ones that we discovered is this fun shirt featuring many of the animals you’ll encounter while adventuring on Jungle Cruise! Kid’s Jungle Cruise t-shirt This “field guide checklist” will help explorers of all ages keep up with the wildlife you may spot along those rivers! It retails for $19.99. See how you can score a Jungle Cruise DRESS online here! Have you been able to purchase any of the new Jungle Cruise merchandise? Let us know in the comments! Related posts: News! Jungle Cruise Restaurant — Skipper Canteen — Officially Coming to Disney World! We Literally NEED All 26 of These New ABC Mugs in Disney World! 14 Strange Facts You Didn’t Know About Disney World’s Opening Day Attractions! View the full article

Although we’ve been picking up the Winnie the Pooh Loungefly Backpack in Disney World and getting ready to snag the Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction Peter Pan’s Flight series on shopDisney, it’s that time of the year to start stocking up on school stuff! Winnie the Pooh Loungefly Backpack Since summer is coming to a close and the start of school is just around the corner, you can’t go wrong picking up a few Disney items to show off during the semester. And, if you’re getting school supplies for all your kiddos, the new Back to School Savings offer is a great option for all the parents out there! From now until July 26th, you can pick up a $2 lunch tote whenever you buy a backpack on shopDisney (which sounds like quite the deal to us). ©Disney You can choose from the Minnie Mouse Backpack that comes with its OWN pair of ears and a bow for $18… ©Disney …or The Mandalorian Backpack that looks like the famous bounty hunter’s helmet for $24. ©Disney And, if you pick up a backpack, you could add some icy treats to your Frozen 2 Lunch Tote… ©Disney …or Toy Story 4 Lunch Tote for only $2! Don’t worry — we’ll make sure that Forky doesn’t get thrown away with our trash. ;D ©Disney Part of us wants to snag a new lunch box for every day of the week (they’re just that cute)! Although we’re sad to see summer again, the school year is bound to be a good one with Disney merchandise handy! You can take advantage of this deal HERE. Check out the CRAZY expensive Mickey Mouse figurines we spotted today here! Are you ready for the school year to start? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: Grab All Your Favorite Disney Merchandise with This Offer on shopDisney! The NEW Limited Edition Live Action Mulan Doll Has Arrived! This NEW Inside Out Romper Has Us Feeling All Kinds of Interesting Emotions… View the full article

Orange County Sheriff's Office made an arrest after a mother was caught with two guns in her child's diaper bag in the Epcot security line, according to an arrest report. View the full article

I couldn’t help but to gear up in my favorite Disney Parks-themed apparel and accessories this week in honor of Walt Disney World Resort. So, I partnered with some of my friends on Instagram to share their favorite looks inspired by the resort’s four Theme Parks as seen on shopDisney.com. Check out the best of the best: Magic Kingdom Park: @magicandwishes is ready for some fresh air and sunshine at Disney Springs in a colorful dip dye spirit jersey, perfect for a summer day! What’s better on a summer day than Dole Whip? Dole Whip Nachos, of course! All of these looks featured and more inspired by Walt Disney World Resort are available now at shopDisney.com! Tell us in the comments below how you’re honoring the reopening at home and gearing up for your next trip at home! View the full article

We do love a day in Hollywood Studios and can you blame us? Hollywood Studios We took a spin around streets of Hollywood Studios for a look at EVERYTHING new since we last stopped in! Of course, LOTS of stuff is different about a reopened Hollywood Studios, but today we mostly found some neat merchandise. Read on to check out everything new in food and merchandise in Hollywood Studios! Hollywood Studios Food Updates Of course, we’re starting off with our number one priority — the food. The only update we found was at one of the Hollywood Studios Popcorn Carts. According to a Cast Member, the park is out of BB-8 Steins and they may not be back until October. Popcorn Cart We did note however that they have the Green Alien Light-up Cup available right now as well as the Green Alien Bucket. Alien Bucket We love that little guy! Click here to see more pics of the Green Alien Popcorn Bucket! Hollywood Studios Merchandise Updates With no construction updates, on to the merchandise! PhotoPass Spot We were pretty excited to hear that there’s a new Photopass opportunity in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge! You might notice some folks gathered around this unassuming section of rocks near Droid Depot. Photopass Spot But when your picture comes through your My Disney Experience, you’ll see a familiar face! That’s right, you can now take a picture with The Child. Photopass Spot Hey, Baby Yoda! Click here to learn more about The Child Magic Shot! Celebrity 5 & 10 At Celebrity 5 & 10 we spotted some new wares for your kitchen like these Fab Five Measuring Spoons for $14.99! Measuring Spoons Plus we can’t wait to class up our wine bottles with these CUTE Mousewares Bottle Stoppers for $22.99. Bottle Stoppers Legends of Hollywood Over at Legends of Hollywood, we found some awesome new Hercules merchandise. This Underworld Shirt is HOT HOT HOT for $36.99. Hercules Shirt Feeling like a diva? This Muses Shirt might be for you for $39.99. Hercules Shirt Or if you think Meg deserves more representation in the parks (as you should), you can snag this Meg Shirt for $36.99! Hercules Shirt These tops could take us from zero to hero. To see more of the Herc merch, click here! We’ll def be snagging this new-to-us Best Day Ever Shirt to wear around the parks for $36.99. Best Day Ever Shirt DID SOMEONE SAY RETRO? OMG, we’re freaking out over this throwback collection. Sorry wallet, but we’ll definitely be getting this Mickey Mouse Long Sleeve Shirt for $39.99. Retro Top Feel like a thrift-star with this Classic Denim Shirt for $49.99. Denim Disney Shirt Forget Mousercise, we’re snagging this YesterEars Shirt for our next workout. You can too for $34.99! Retro Top We’re getting TOTAL 90’s teen flick goes to Disney with this Peace Love Mickey Tank for $29.99! Retro Top A throwback indeed! Click here for more pics of the retro merch! And we can’t get enough of this Pleasure Island Shirt for $36.99. Pleasure Island Shirt We’re obsessed. Click here to learn more about the Pleasure Island tee! This Ying Yang Mickey Shirt is pretty darn fun for $36.99, too! Mickey Yin Yang Shirt Tatooine Traders Over at Tatooine Traders, we saw this super cool Jedi Youth Hat for $24.99. Jedi Hat If you see a kid in that hat, know that the force IS with them. Mickey’s of Hollywood And we’re wrapping up our tour at Mickey’s of Hollywood where we spotted a bunch of youth apparel (and one goody for grown-ups!) Check out this Youth Snack Shirt for $24.99! Youth Shirt Did someone say matching shorts? Yes, we did. Here are the Youth Snacks Shorts for $24.99. Youth Shorts Sometimes kids are kinda like lovable alien abominations. Dress yours like one with the Stitch Mickey Bar Shirt for $24.99. Youth Shirt Little should DEF believe, so snag them this I Believe in Magic Youth Shirt for $24.99. Youth Shirt We love the vibes of the fun font on this Walt Disney World Youth Shirt for $24.99. Youth Shirt But it’s still not NEARLY as fun as this wacky Best Day Ever Youth Tank for $24.99! Youth Shirt MATCHING SHORTS AGAIN? Uh, yeah. Grab these Youth Green Shorts for $24.99. Youth Shirt And we said there was a goody for adults in our haul! We LOVE this sweet, new-to-us Toy Story Button Down for $59.99. Toy Story Button Down And there you have it! That’s ALLLLL the new stuff in Hollywood Studios today! Stay tuned to DFB as we bring you all the new updates and pics of the adorable merch we find! Click here to learn more about a reopened Hollywood Studios! What new merch caught your eye? Tell us in the comments! Related posts: What’s New in Disney’s Hollywood Studios! Massive Crowds, RARE Character Sightings, and Twisted Spirit Jerseys! What’s New in Hollywood Studios — Character Necklaces, Star Wars Merch, and Updates to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway! What’s New in Hollywood Studios — Christmas Decorations, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Menu Changes, and More! View the full article

Due to the global health crisis, many fan events have been canceled this year including 2020’s Star Wars Celebration and Destination D. ©Disney San Diego Comic Convention, one of the largest pop culture gatherings in the country, has decided to go online for 2020. Now that San Diego Comic-Con is going virtual, they’ll still be offering a bunch of cool toys and collectibles, but instead of having to trek all the way to California to get ’em, you’ll be able to order many of these items online! Recently, they shared with us a sneak peek of their new Star Wars Comic-Con collection! ©Disney You know how much we love our Geeki Tikis! From Golden Girls Tiki Mugs to some Star Wars Tiki Mugs we’ve previously purchased from Target online — Geeki Tikis have become our official drinkware of the summer. © Geeki Tikis, Yoda Tiki Mug Geeki Tiki has teamed up with the artist SHAG to bring this new Yoda Geeki Tiki Mug to the virtual Comic-Con this year. You can pre-order him for $149. You can take a look at ALL the new Star Wars Tiki Mugs here! We’re going to have a hard time choosing between all of the new SHAG X Star Wars stuff which also includes Hawaiian shirts, swizzle sticks, artwork, and even this fabulous Coaster Set for $50. © Geeki Tikis, Star Wars Coasters We’re also pretty obsessed with this Star Wars Arcade Game Geeki Tiki Mug for $35! ©Geeki Tiki Check out this Baby Yoda 1/2 Scale Statue for $225. We know quite a few Mando fans that are going to have a hard time passing this one up! There are TONS of other Star Wars-themed figurines and busts to choose from as well! ©Disney If you’re looking for even more Star Wars merch, be sure to check out Target next month! They’ll be releasing a new line of toys inspired by the ones you’ll find inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge! Click here for more details! Halloween Horror Nights have just been canceled at Universal Studios! Click here to learn more! Have you ever been to San Diego Comic-Con? Let us know if you’ll be virtually attending it this year in the comments below! Related posts: You’re Not Going to Believe This NEW Baby Yoda Danielle Nicole Bag That’s Currently In The Works! We Just Spotted The Cutest Baby Yoda Leggings in The ENTIRE Galaxy! Baby Yoda’s Got Your Back with This New Loungefly Bag! View the full article

We’ve been blowing your phones up with lots of shopDisney news today! ©shopDisney That’s because the adorable new Disney X HARVEYS Jungle Cruise bags were just released this morning AND we just found out the new Peter Pan Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction will we heading our way soon — but with a small catch! You’ll never believe what we found while we were scouting around on shopDisney today — THIS super pricey Mickey Figurine! He may not look like much, but in honor of Mickey Mouse’s 90th Anniversary, this metallic-coated plastic Mickey Be@rbrick Figurine can be yours — if you can cough up the cash to buy it! ©shopDisney What’s his price tag, you ask? How does almost $750 strike you? ©shopDisney If you wanna go all-in on this investment piece, we definitely recommend finding a high shelf to display your new Mickey Be@rbrick Figurine collectible on! Click here to purchase the Mickey Be@rbrick Figurine on shopDisney There’s also a slightly more reasonably-priced Mickey Mouse 90th Anniversary Be@rbrick Figurine Set for $199.95. ©shopDisney At least you get two smaller Mickey Figurines included in this set! Click here to buy the new Mickey Be@rbrick Figurine Set! It’s pretty easy to spend all your time and money on shopDisney these days, especially if you aren’t planning a trip to the parks right now! Check out the cute Disney X Bauble Bar accessories coming to shopDisney next week here! Have you ever purchased an expensive Disney collectible? Tell us what you bought in the comments below! Related posts: SIVAKO! Pandora — The World of Avatar Wishables Are Now Available Online! So Many New Summery Looks Just Dropped on shopDisney — AND WE NEED THEM ALL! shopDisney is Bringing Pin Trading to Your Living Room with New Limited Edition Disney Park Pins! View the full article

Lots of folks know that Disney+ has been the go-to streaming service for all things Disney movies! From animated classics to franchises like Marvel and Star Wars, it seems like there is something on Disney+ for almost every movie fan. ©Disney But the service ALSO has tons of content for Disney Parks fans! The Imagineering Story and One Day at Disney are just a couple of options you can stream to get that rare behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to dream, build, and maintain the parks day in and day out. Now, National Geographic is joining forces with Disney World to bring a brand new series about the animals that call Disney’s Animal Kingdom home! According to Orlando Sentinel, the show will be called “The Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.” Animal Kingdom The show will share what it takes to care for all of the animals across the park. Dr. Mark Penning, Disney’s vice president for animals, science and environment, said in a statement, “We’re so excited that soon, you’ll get a peek behind-the-scenes as the stories of these animal-care experts and the animals they care for come to life.” Animal Kingdom The series will also bring its audience to EPCOT to see the care that goes into the animals that live at The Seas With Nemo and Friends. The Seas with Nemo and Friends There is no precise premiere date for this series, but you can look forward to getting an up-close look at our furry friends at Animal Kingdom on Disney+ this fall! Until then, check out all the new offerings coming to Disney+ in August by clicking here! Let us know in the comments if you plan on watching “The Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom” on Disney+! Related posts: The DFB Disney+ Movie Marathon: What To Watch While You’re Stuck at Home! What To Watch on Disney+ If You Want To Feel Like You’re In The Parks! New National Geographic Series Coming to Disney+ This Fall, With Executive Producer Leonardo DiCaprio! View the full article

It’s been pretty fun seeing all our pals out and about in Disney World, looking as adorable as ever! Winnie the Pooh Frolicking Around! Although we’ve been watching the new Character Cavalcades and hopping on our favorite attractions once again, we have especially loved grabbing new Disney merchandise to add to our growing collection back home. While we’ve already splurged on the Enchanted Tiki and the Mickey Balloons Loungefly Backpacks, we might already be carrying around the ridiculously cute Winnie the Pooh Loungefly Backpack too! (We just can’t resist all these sweet Loungeflys!!) Winnie the Pooh Loungefly Backpack While you’re exploring the newly reopened parks and maybe going butterfly catching with Pooh himself in EPCOT, the backpack has adjustable straps so you can take it on all your adventures. Cozy Straps for Adventures! Plus, the little winking embroidered Pooh faces have completely melted our hearts. How can one bear be that sweet?? Winnie the Pooh Design You can pick up the new Winnie the Pooh Loungefly Backpack at the Hundred Acre Goods store in Magic Kingdom for $75. Winnie the Pooh Loungefly Backpack Don’t forget to pack some honey to bring to Pooh the next time you’re in Disney World too! ;D At this rate, we’ll need an entire closet dedicated to all the Loungefly items we pick up in the parks. Take a look at the personalized Together Again Mickey Ear Hat we spotted in Disney Springs here! What Loungefly backpacks do you own? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: Do the Old Plush Rush Over to Disney Springs to Get These NEW Toy Story Socks! What’s New in Disney Springs: Merch That’s Flying Off Shelves and the Reopening of SO. MANY. BARS! What’s New in Disney Springs: a NEW Caramel Sundae, Neon Merch Galore, and Refillable Popcorn Buckets! View the full article

We love bringing the magic of Star Wars home! Millennium Falcon Waffle Maker, ©Disney From waffle makers to Baby Yoda talking toys, there’s so much fantastic Star Wars merchandise out there! Now we found some incredible Star Wars merchandise that will help you take your drinks and your style to a whole new galaxy!! You’ve got to check out all of this INCREDIBLE Star Wars tiki merchandise at Geeki Tikis featuring a collaboration between SHAG and Beeline Creative! We’re talking tiki mugs, art prints, shirts, drink accessories, and coasters! Tiki Mugs You can’t always be drinking some amazing drinks at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto, so you’ve got to bring that tiki-style to your drinks at home! Combine that with some of our favorite Star Wars characters and you’ve got the PERFECT match! These four full-sized tiki mugs from Geeki Tikis have character designs aimed at balancing the force. Yoda, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, and Boba Fett each have their own uniquely designed tiki mug. © Geeki Tikis | SHAG, Star Wars Tiki Mugs The designs on these mugs are incredible! SHAG and Beeline Creative partnered to create this series of Star Wars tiki mugs. This is the first time SHAG and Beeline Creative have partnered on an artist series and we think they’ve really produced a series that is out of this world!! Check out a closer view of this fantastic Yoda mug! © Geeki Tikis | SHAG, Yoda Tiki Mug Pre-order, this Yoda tiki mug, you can for $149.00. The estimated ship date for the Yoda tiki mug is October or November of 2020. If you’re looking to do some early holiday shopping this is an awesome gift you can get for a friend (or yourself!) and have it arrive with plenty of time before the holiday rush! You definitely won’t want to wait too long to order one of these though, as they were a special edition of only 500 that were made! The Darth Vader tiki mug may just tempt you to turn to the dark side with its stunning color and beautiful details! © Geeki Tikis | SHAG, Darth Vader Tiki Mug Add this tiki mug to your drink collection, and together you can rule the galaxy! You can pre-order this Darth Vader mug for $149.00. Again, estimated ship dates are October or November. You’ll definitely want to snag this one up soon though! There were only 500 of these special edition mugs made. We also love the art featured on the boxes for all of these mugs! Check out Han and Chewbacca on the box for the Chewbacca Tiki Mug! © Geeki Tikis | SHAG, Chewbacca Tiki Mug We just love that ruffian and his walking carpet! The Chewbacca mug is still available (for now) for preorder for $149.00. It’s part of another special edition of only 500, and estimated shipping dates for this item are October or November of 2020! Sadly, one of the coolest mugs in this set — the Boba Fett tiki mug — is already sold out! If you were hunting for this bounty, it’s already been captured! We can’t blame the fans who flocked to this item though, just check out the amazing design! © Geeki Tikis | SHAG, Boba Fett Tiki Mug The Boba Fett mug even came with its own unique “swizzle antenna.” The antenna is cast in metal with a Nickel finish and is from Grider Adventure Art and features a classic Boba Fett phrase. © Geeki Tikis | SHAG, Swizzle Antenna Even though you can’t get the Boba Fett tiki mug at the moment, you can still buy the other 3 large-sized mugs right now! Forget who shot first, you’ll definitely be shooting last if you don’t grab one of these mugs before they’re gone! If you are able to snag one of the mugs, your mug purchase will come with a signature Swizzle Stick, featuring the 4 featured characters of this collection in colors coordinated with the mugs. © Geeki Tikis | SHAG, Swizzle Sticks We have a GREAT feeling about these! If you want to buy the swizzle sticks alone, you can get them in a pack of 6 in either gold or silver! © Geeki Tikis | SHAG, Star Wars Swizzle Sticks We may not know the midi-chlorian count on these, but we’re pretty sure that if they had a Midi-chlorian count, it would be super high! One of these swizzle stick packs can be yours for $25, and are estimated to ship in September or October of 2020! Coasters Want to add even more Star Wars tiki-style to your life? Then check out these ADORABLE tiki-inspired drink coasters! These coasters come in a set of 4 with a display stand and are SUPER META! Each of the characters are featured enjoying drinks from their very own uniquely designed tiki mugs! © Geeki Tikis | SHAG, Star Wars Coasters It’s most definitely not a trap! These coasters are adorable! You can preorder this incredible set for $50.00! These items are expected to ship September or October of 2020! Art As part of the SHAG and Beeline Creative Star Wars collection, four art prints were also released. If you liked the art on the boxes of the tiki mugs, you’ll LOVE these full-size prints! © Geeki Tikis, Boba Fett Art We love the colors in all of these! Check out how each of the character’s mugs are also featured in each character’s respective print! © Geeki Tikis, Chewbacca Art These were each released as an edition of only 200 each! © Geeki Tikis, Darth Vader Art Each of the prints were also hand-signed & numbered by Shag himself!! © Geeki Tikis, Yoda Art Unfortunately, these prints were only available a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. All of these prints are currently sold out!! We hope they’ll come out with another limited release sometime in the future! Shirts Stay right on target with the final pieces of this incredible collection are the Star Wars Aloha shirts! The SHAG x Geeki Tikis® Men’s Aloha Shirt, featuring the same amazing art from the rest of the collection! © Geeki Tikis, Men’s Shirt You can preorder one of these shirts for $125, and the estimated ship date on these is September or October! There is also a SHAG x Geeki Tikis® Women’s Aloha Shirt featuring the same amazing design! © Geeki Tikis, Women’s Shirt The Force will definitely be with you always when you wear this shirt! You can preorder one of these shirts for $125, and the estimated ship date on these is also September or October! While we definitely won’t give in to hate, we may very well give into buying one (all) of these amazing Star Wars products! If you want to make them part of your own collection, be sure to check out all of the details on the Geeki Tikis website! Click here to check out more awesome Star Wars merchandise!! Which of these Star Wars tiki items is your favorite? Let us know! Related posts: Target Is Killin’ The Game With These Star Wars Tiki Mugs! May The Force Be With You This Father’s Day With These NEW Star Wars Tees! There’s a Mrs. Nesbitt Sweatshirt?! Check Out the 40 NEW Disney Shirts Available Online! View the full article

There have been lots of new and unique experiences as part of the recently reopened Walt Disney World, including new character interactions, the changes at the 2020 Taste of Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, and new merchandise! A Taste of EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival With all of those new experiences, you may be wondering if there are any new discounts available to make your next trip to Walt Disney World a more affordable one. We’ve got all the details on the latest discounts Disney is offering and we’re sharing them all with you! Resorts A few resorts are offering big discounts for Florida residents, Annual Passholders, and more. Disney World Florida Resident Discount Right now, Florida Residents can enjoy a great room discount at select Disney Resort Hotels! This discount applies to stays most nights between July 9, 2020 and September 30, 2020. For resort stays booked for September dates, there are savings of up to 35%!! The chart below details the savings you could take advantage of depending on the resort you stay at. © Disney, Discount Chart Keep in mind this cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion and it only applies to select resort hotels. Get all the details on the Florida Resident resort room discount by clicking here! Disney World Annual Passholder Discount Walt Disney World Passholders can also get some fantastic discounts on resort stays at Walt Disney World! Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort On stays most nights from July 9, 2020 through September 30, 2020, Passholders can get special discounted rates on resort rooms. These savings can be up to 40% off, depending on resort selected, for resort stays in September! Click here to get more details on the Passholder resort room discount! Swan and Dolphin Resort Discounts The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort also has some fantastic discounts being offered right now! Nurses and teachers, Passholders, and even Florida Residents can all save at the Swan and Dolphin! Disney’s Swan and Dolphin Resort These discounts vary in value by their specific type and have special promotional codes that must be used to take advantage of them, so be sure to read about each of the specific types here: Nurses and teachers, Passholders, and Florida Residents. Disney Springs Resort Area Hotel Discounts The Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels also have several promotional deals. They started with their special summer discounts through June 30th, and are now offering discounts to AAA Members, Florida and Georgia Residents, and Military families, and also offer a Seniors Discount! ©Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista Disney Springs Resort Area Specifically, Florida and Georgia Residents can get up to 15% off their room rates, and military families can get up to 20% off their room rates! You can visit the Disney Springs Resort Area Hotels website to get details on all of their vacation packages and hotel promotions! Four Seasons Resort Discounts The Four Seasons Resort Orlando is also offering some great deals right now! Florida Residents can get special rates on stays at the Four Seasons, starting at $359 per night including parking! The Disney Help Desk They are ALSO offering an Experience More Resort Credit Package, which includes a $200 nightly credit for stays in a guest room or a $500 nightly credit for stays in a one or two-bedroom suite! To read all about how you can use that Resort credit and to learn more about both of these deals click here! Tickets There are also a few discounts on Disney World TICKETS right now. Florida Resident Magic Flex Ticket Disney is working up some extra magic for the Florida Residents with the Florida Resident Disney Magic Flex Ticket! With this discount, Florida Residents can get a 2-day Florida Resident Disney Magic Flex Ticket for $130 plus tax. Specially priced 3-day or 4-day Florida Resident Disney Magic Flex Tickets can also be purchased! Check out the pricing details below! ©Disney, Florida Resident Magic Ticket The tickets can be used for one Walt Disney World theme park per day. They are flexible tickets though, which means they can be used at any one of the four Walt Disney World theme parks on non-consecutive days throughout the offer period, subject, of course, to availability. There are specific dates during which the tickets are valid for use so you’ll definitely want to carefully review that information! Cinderella Castle Also, keep in mind, a theme park reservation via the Disney Park Pass system is needed for the same park on the same date as you have specified for your park ticket. Be sure to check the park reservation availability calendar before booking your trip! Check out all the details about the Florida Resident Disney Magic Flex Ticket HERE! Military Discount U.S. military personnel are getting their own special discounts on a 4-day, 5-day, or 6-day Military Promotional Ticket to Disney! ©Disney, U.S. Military Personnel Promotional Tickets This discount applies to Military Promotional Ticket purchases through December 18, 2020, for visits throughout 2020 and until September 26, 2021. Epcot U.S. military personnel can also get a discount on their purchase of Memory Maker through December 18, 2020. There are lots of restrictions regarding where the tickets may be purchased, what service members are eligible for this discount, limits as to how many tickets may be purchased, and more. Be sure to check out all of the details about the U.S. military personnel promotional tickets on the Walt Disney World website! Restaurants and Merchandise There are lots of spots around Walt Disney World right now that are offering special discounts for your next trip! Here are a few of them: Annual Passholder Merchandise Discount Annual Passholders are now getting a GREAT discount on merchandise in Disney! All Walt Disney World Annual Passholders now get a 30% discount on select merchandise purchases! New Minnie Ears Yes, that means you can buy even MORE Baby Yoda merchandise and Minnie Ears!! Be sure to have your Passholder card and ID on you to use this discount! This applies at Walt Disney World Resort owned and operated merchandise locations, and is available now through August 14, 2020! Click here to read all about this fantastic Passholder discount! Going to a galaxy far far away and need a droid companion? Annual Passholders can now get a 30% discount on most items at Droid Depot in Galaxy’s Edge! Droid Depot Passholders can even get this discount on the Build Your Own Droid Experience! Click here to read all about this awesome discount at Droid Depot! Looking to go to another faraway planet and get some discounts? Passholders can still save 20% on Banshees and the Avatar Maker Program at Windtraders in Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park! Pandora You can take a new baby banshee home using this 20% deal! Click here to read all about a bunch of new merchandise in Disney’s Animal Kingdom! Splitsville Bowling Discount Splitsville is offering a great deal on bowling for those of you who are seeking some fun outside of the direct rays of the Florida sun! Splitsville Luxury Lanes From now until the end of the month, bowlers can enjoy a reduced summer rate! Kids 9 and under can score a strike for just $10 and adults are just $14! This is only available on select days and times. Click here to read all about this special deal! House of Blues Dining Discount House of Blues Orlando in Disney Springs opened with a 20% discount for Annual Passholders, Disney Vacation Club Members, and Cast Members. Recently, they added Central Florida Residents to the mix! ©House of Blues Central Florida Residents can now enjoy a 20% discount at House of Blues from now until August 31st! Click here to read all about this rockin’ discount! shopDisney It seems there’s always something new popping up on shopDisney! © shopDisney, Baby Yoda Shoulder Plush If you’re looking to purchase some fantastic new merchandise, then be sure to use offer code SHIPMAGIC to get free shipping on orders of $75 or more! While we all wish we could have a giant money bin just like Scrooge McDuck to use for our Disney vacations, these discounts can help make your next trip or next purchase much more affordable! We’ll keep updating you with all the latest ways to save on your Disney World vacations and beyond! Click here to learn about what’s new at Magic Kingdom so you can get planning for your next trip! Will you be taking advantage of any of these special discounts? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: Discount Alert! Disney Springs Area Hotels To Offer Special Winter Rates Nothin’ But Net! Shoot and Score With This NBA Experience DISCOUNT in Disney World! Florida Residents Can Rock Out With this House of Blues DISCOUNT in Disney Springs! View the full article

“Together Again” has become a new catchphrase for Disney fans! Together Again Collection When Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom officially reopened to the public on July 11th, we were welcomed back with this new line of Together Again apparel! Today we were just casually browsing The Christmas Shoppe at Magic Kingdom when something behind the counter caught our eye. We asked the Cast Member at the cash register if we could get a closer look, and sure enough — she showed us a fun set of ears we think you’re gonna be excited to see! The Christmas Shoppe Check out these customized Together Again Ears! The Christmas Shoppe is known for personalizing ornaments with your choice of lettering and artwork, but they can apply their amazing penmanship and artistry to Mickey Ear Hats as well! Together Again Ears If you’d like to put together a whole Together Again ensemble for your next visit, a customized Mickey Ear Hat like this one would be the perfect finishing touch! Together Again Ears And if you haven’t seen the new line of Disney X Baublebar jewelry that’s coming out next week, click here to find your new favorite accessory to accent your Together Again look! Is Disney World still magical? Click here to read our thoughts! Have you been back to Disney World yet? Let us know if you picked up a Together Again Shirt in the comments below! Related posts: PHOTOS: Disney World Is Now Selling Official Welcome Back Merchandise! We Weren’t Expecting This BIZARRE Piece of Merchandise to SELL OUT in Disney World! Alert! There’s a New Splash Mountain Tumbler in Magic Kingdom! View the full article

With a tentative reopening date of Sept. 16 amid the coronavirus pandemic, Royal Caribbean announced that it is replacing one of the least-loved, yet most important part of a cruise vacation, the safety drill. View the full article

The 1990s are alive and well at Disney World these days! Denim Disney Shirt We’ve seen a bunch of new 90s-inspired fashions including throwback tees, and a new Disney denim shirt that looks just like the one our moms had growing up! If you’re a true 90s baby at heart, we think you’ll love this new Pleasure Island Shirt we just discovered at Legends of Hollywood in Hollywood Studios. Pleasure Island once existed at Downtown Disney, and this cool moon dude was their official mascot! Pleasure Island Shirt A few months ago, we spotted a retro-inspired Pleasure Island Cap and a blue Pleasure Island Shirt with this old-timey logo, but we love the vibrant yellow of this new shirt! Plus the ringer tee has been slightly distressed so it actually looks vintage! Pleasure Island Shirt If you wanna rep for The Adventurers’ Club, you can get pick up this new Pleasure Island Shirt at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for $36.99 or go online and order one from shopDisney! Be sure to check out the new collection of Hercules shirts we also spotted yesterday while you’re there! Do you remember Pleasure Island? Let us know if you’ll be picking up this Pleasure Island Shirt in the comments below! Related posts: What’s New in Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Public Water Works, Hot Cocoa, and Baby Yoda? What’s New in Disney’s Hollywood Studios! Massive Crowds, RARE Character Sightings, and Twisted Spirit Jerseys! Spotted! New Sorcerer Mickey Alex and Ani Bracelet in Disney World! View the full article

Will you see Mark and Donnie Wahlberg in Key West? It's possible since the family is opening a Wahlburgers on the boardwalk at the Key West Historic Seaport View the full article

Universal Studios Orlando reopened its theme parks on June 5th while Universal Studios Hollywood’s theme parks are still closed. Universal Last month, we learned Disney World had made the difficult decision to cancel their Mickey’s-Not-So-Scary Halloween parties for 2020. Now Universal Studios has just announced their Halloween Horror Nights for 2020 have been canceled. This is the announcement Universal Studios Orlando posted moments ago on Twitter. We know there are many crossover fans between Disney and Univeral who will be disappointed by not having Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties or Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights to attend this year but rest assured, we’ll be able to enjoy these events again someday! We will continue to keep you posted as more information regarding future holiday events is shared. Click here to read about six things we learned from Universal Studios’ reopening! Are you surprised Universal Studios has canceled its Halloween Horror Nights this year? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Related posts: Universal Studios Hollywood Might Be Looking To Reopen in July News and Photos: Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea Have Officially Reopened News! SeaWorld Orlando Will Offer FREE Tier Upgrades to Annual Passholders! View the full article

Universal Orlando: Halloween Horror Nights canceled for 2020 View the full article

Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction just might be our favorite line of merch this year. ©Disney We’ve been waiting on one of the cutest attraction-inspired collections we’ve seen from the series so far. We were totally bummed when the Peter Pan’s Flight line was delayed. NOW we know when we can expect it online — but there’s a catch! Recently, Disney introduced the new early-access MerchPass option on shopDisney (We’ve seen it used for the Disney Castle Collection already!). Entering the MerchPass puts you in a drawing for early access on some of the most high-demand Disney items! Series 6 of the Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction will be released first via MerchPass and entries are available July 27th and 28th! shopDisney Screenshot Those who are selected will be notified by July 30th and will have through July 31st to make their purchases! We’re not sure when or if the collection will release without the MerchPass. After all, the Disney Castle Collection showed up for sale to the general public unannounced a little while after its MerchPass day. Peter Pan’s Flight If you want to know a little more about how the MerchPass works, click the link below! We’re certainly excited to try to snag one of these CUTE new merch pieces. Hopefully, we have some MerchPass luck! Want to learn more about the shopDisney MerchPass? Click here! Hoping to get something from the Peter Pan’s Flight collection? Tell us in the comments! Related posts: Could the Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction Series Be on a Hiatus? Here’s What We’re Seeing. April’s Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction Series Has Just Been Released Online! News! Disney Merch Released for Star Wars Day Will Use a Virtual Queue! View the full article

Jungle Cruise is one of Disney’s most iconic attractions! Jungle Cruise And if you’re a fan of the zany boat ride with lots of wacky humor, have we got a collection to show YOU! A brand new line of Disney X HARVEYS bags inspired by the Jungle Cruise has just debuted on shopDisney today! While these purses and tote bags can’t land any one-liners like the infamously punny Skippers can, we’re totally cracking up over how adorable these things are! Check out the new Jungle Cruise HARVEYS Coin Purse for $48! ©shopDisney We’re pretty obsessed with this thing. So darn cute. Click here to buy the Jungle Cruise HARVEYS Coin Purse! If you need something a bit larger for your expedition, here’s the new Jungle Cruise HARVEYS Little Tote Bag. ©shopDisney You can snag this one for $178. Click here to buy the new Jungle Cruise HARVEYS Litte Tote Bag! Last but not least, the new Jungle Cruise HARVEYS Tote Bag for $198 has also sailed its way online today! Each of the new Disney X HARVEY bags features artwork by Joey Chou, and while this bag certainly is the largest, it also has the most intricate design. ©shopDisney We love seeing all the little animals and scenes we remember from the classic ride reimagined by the artist in this playful design! Click here to buy the new Jungle Cruise HARVEYS Tote Bag! If you’re interested in picking up one of the new Jungle Cruise X HARVEYS bags, we wouldn’t wait around. The new Donald Duck HARVEYS collection sold-out very quickly, so we’d jump on online right now and snag your bag! Check out even more new Jungle Cruise merchandise here! Are you excited about the new Jungle Cruise X HARVEYS bags? Let us know which one you’ll be buying in the comments below! Related posts: SIVAKO! Pandora — The World of Avatar Wishables Are Now Available Online! So Many New Summery Looks Just Dropped on shopDisney — AND WE NEED THEM ALL! This NEW Alex and Ani Bracelet Has Joined Disney’s Latest Rainbow Collection View the full article

The global health crisis has brought around several delays for our favorite films. Spider-man: Far From Home ©Disney ©Sony Just yesterday we found out about the delay of the reopening of AMC theaters and of new films such as Mulan and Star Wars, and Avatar movies. Now, a BIG upcoming Marvel sequel has been delayed. According to Variety, Sony has announced that the sequel to Spider-Man: Far From Home has been delayed by one month. Initially, the film was set to be released on November 5th, 2021, and has been bumped to December 17th, 2021. Spider-man ©Sony This delay comes as a result of the rest of the Disney slate shaking up. Now, the new Spider-Man will fill the original slot of Avatar 2 which has been pushed to the following year in 2022. As a note, Sony explained that this shake-up only applies to the domestic release; the international release is still in question. Avengers Infinity War Poster ©Disney As always, you can check in with us for all of the latest news about Disney film and TV show delays! Click here to learn more about the shakeup to Disney’s release calendar. Bummed about the delay of Spider-Man? Tell us in the comments! Related posts: NEWS! Disney and Sony Reach a Deal to Keep Spider-man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe! News! Marvel Changes Release Dates for Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and Thor Films! The Teachers in Your Life Have to See These SUPER New Disney Tees! View the full article

We were VERY curious when we found out Chef Mickey’s would be reopening at Disney’s Contemporary Resort during Disney World’s phased reopening. As soon as they began accepting reservations, we promptly booked ourselves a table at this iconic spot! Chef Mickey’s But like so many newly reopened restaurants at Disney World, Chef Mickey’s has had to make several modifications. They’re no longer offering character dining or buffet-style dining for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the time being. In fact, dining is just limited to breakfast for now. We’ve already shown you some of the BIGGEST changes Chef Mickey’s has made since it reopened, but now we want to share with you all the details of what our FULL experience was like! Since many guests can’t imagine visiting Disney World without a trip to Chef Mickey’s, we want to help you decide if you should swing by this summer — or maybe wait for things to return to normal. Here we go! Atmosphere Chef Mickey’s is probably one of the most popular character meals on the planet (ok, at least at Walt Disney World; we can’t say with absolute certainty it’s the most popular character meal in Antarctica!). Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto, and Goofy are usually bopping around in their adorable chef costumes while the all-you-care-to-enjoy buffet area is buzzing with the hustle and bustle of guests helping themselves to heaping piles of Mickey Waffles, Eggs, cheesy potato casserole, and other breakfasty delights (or brunch, lunch, or dinner…depending on the time of your visit!). Chef Mickey’s But as you can see, the heart of the restaurant is pretty peaceful these days. There’s no crowd or line forming around the buffet counters. And we’ve gotta admit, it does feel really strange seeing this place so empty. We came towards the end of the breakfast service, so most guests were already headed out to the parks. We had the place mostly to ourselves. But even during the peak of the mealtime, the restaurant is still only at 50% capacity.1 Chef Mickey’s Heading over to the dining area, many of the tables have now been socially distanced. If tables couldn’t be moved six feet apart, they’ve been marked with “unavailable” signs. This space is normally crammed to the gills with tables to accommodate as many families looking to meet the characters as possible. Seeing it more breathable in here was a nice change! We also noticed Cast Members were frequently cleaning the tables and chairs, sanitizing them between each party. Chef Mickey’s While the dining room is just as adorable as ever (we happen to get a kick out of its rather-dated looking decor which seems stuck in the early 2000s era of Disney World), the Mickey-shaped caddies that typically adorn each table with their Mickey-shaped salt and pepper shakers have been temporarily removed. (As is the case elsewhere in Disney World, if you need condiments, they’ll bring you individual ones.) Chef Mickey’s Without the Fab Five marching around the seating area, the room did feel a bit lonely — not gonna lie! But luckily, you can still enjoy the other elements we all know and love about Chef Mickey’s. You can still see the monorail whiz by and enjoy the fun and colorful atmosphere. Plus the Cast Members who helped us today were super welcoming and cheerful. Menu Chef Mickey’s is still serving all-you-care-to-enjoy breakfast, but instead of getting up and helping yourself at the unlimited buffet, the meal will be brought to your table and served to you family-style by Cast Members. Each table will receive a little bit of everything and you can view the full menu via a QR code. Chef Mickey’s Menu Don’t worry — if your family needs more of ANYTHING, all you have to do is ask a Cast Member to bring you another round (or two, or THREE!). Be it pastries, bacon, smoked salmon, CHEESY POTATOES, or whatever you fancy, you can keep your plate (and tummy) nice and full! And here’s another thing we have to mention before we go any further — Chef Mickey’s has dramatically slashed its price. All-you-can-eat breakfast now costs $25 for adults and $14 for kids. That’s about half of what it used to cost before. But since this is no longer a character dining experience (obviously the main draw for most guests!), you’ll save a LOT of cha-CHING! Screenshot of Chef Mickey’s Menu The meal comes with all the standard offerings including a mixed basket of bread and pastries as well as items from the hot bar. Screenshot of Chef Mickey’s Menu Juice is included with the meal’s standard drink options, but you can choose a cocktail to pair with breakfast for an extra charge. Screenshot of Chef Mickey’s Menu There are a bunch of great mixed drinks to choose from for breakfast. Screenshot of Chef Mickey’s Menu Drinks selected (apple juice obvi), now it was time to get on with the meal! Eats Part of Chef Mickey’s is still set up like a buffet, but it’s for Cast Members ONLY. They’ll be the ones making trips up to the counter to replenish your food for you while you sit back and unwind. (Don’t worry, if you find yourself meandering to the buffet, Cast Members stationed in the area will instruct you that only servers are permitted to access the buffets.) Chef Mickey’s The food is kept nice ‘n’ hot so it will arrive at your table warm. Chef Mickey’s Even though Chef Mickey’s has reduced its breakfast menu, we were happy to see the Tater Bites and Potato-Cheese Casserole survived the cut! They must know everyone loves this dish and it would be pretty heartbreaking if it left. Chef Mickey’s Our server brought several courses out to our table at a time. We started with the Custom Breads, Danishes, and Mini Muffins which came with a selection of Spreads, Jams, Jellies, and Butter. Fruits Of The Season, a Mini Yogurt Parfait, and Assorted Cold Cuts and Cheeses were also brought out. Chef Mickey’s The pastries were tasty and fresh and had a nice variety. We had Croissants, Cinnamon Rolls, and some Mini Muffins in our basket and when we finished them we were brought more without needing to ask! In fact, several dishes were replaced very quickly for us without needing to flag down our server. Chef Mickey’s Breakfast Pastries The fresh fruit today was Honeydew, Watermelon, and Cantaloupe with a bit of mint chiffonade, but can vary with what’s in season. Chef Mickey’s Fruit And while we’re not very big on Smoked Salmon and its accompaniments, it arrived at our table anyway. Don’t worry, we asked for it to-go to share with a seafood lover in our group! This is a big thing to note: You WILL be served everything on the menu initially. Chef Mickey’s Salmon You can ask for extras of anything but you’ll still be served ev-er-y-thing to start. If you have an allergy in your group, take a look at the QR menu and let your server know if something needs to be nixed. Other initial food offerings included a yogurt parfait with a bit of granola and berries on top. Yogurt Parfait We also were given a meat and cheese plate. It came with a couple choices of meats and some nice and surprisingly rich cheeses as well as roasted red peppers and pickles. Meat and Cheese Plate This not-being-able-to-choose-what-you-want-to-eat aspect of the new Chef Mickey’s was a little strange for us. If you’re trying to stick to a special diet (like low-carb or Keto) you might not appreciate having a giant breadbasket shoved in front of your face. But like it or not, everything will arrive at your table and you can choose to take the leftovers home with you or go off your diet just a little bit. After all, there ARE no rules on a vacation (right??)! It wasn’t long before more and more food arrived and room on our table became even harder to come by! Breakfast at Chef Mickey’s A hearty portion of Scrambled Eggs, Sausage Links, Bacon, and Ham came over to our table! These are your standard Disney brekky buffet protein options, but plated up much prettier than we would have done if we were making a plate at the buffet! Chef Mickey’s Eggs, Bacon, and Sausage And here’s a bowlful of gorgeousness! Check out this mountain of Tater Bites and Potato-Cheese Casserole. Of course, we devoured it shortly after taking this photo. Note that we could easily live off of Potato-Cheese Casserole. It’s deliciously creamy, cheesy, savory, and just about perfection. Chef Mickey’s Breakfast Tots and Potatoes Mickey Waffles, French Toast, and Pancakes also made their way over to us in their own separate bowl. All of it was yummy but pretty standard when it comes to Disney World restaurants for breakfast. Interestingly for these items, we took a bit too long snapping pics for all of you to see here, and our server promptly offered to replace our items with a fresh, hot serving instead! Chef Mickey’s Waffle, Pancakes, and French Toast Of course, the Cast Members went out of their way to make us feel extra special about being back at Disney World. We definitely felt like the service was probably the best it has ever been at Chef Mickey’s, but it also might’ve had something to do with the fact we were practically the only people there! Chef Mickey’s With so few people inside the restaurant and no characters to worry about missing between our non-existant trips up to the buffet, we can honestly say it was the most relaxing meal we’ve ever enjoyed at Chef Mickey’s (if you’ve ever dined here you know this spot is pretty LOUD and crazy most times of the day!!). Nosh or Not: Dine at Chef Mickey’s if: You’re heading to Magic Kingdom for the day (Disney’s Contemporary Resort is only a short walk or monorail ride away!). You enjoy Chef Mickey’s breakfast favorites SO MUCH the thought of unlimited Mickey Waffles, Pancakes, Eggs, Sausage, Cheesy Potatoes, etc. really appeals to your bottomless stomach (even without characters!). For $25 per adult and $14 per child, your pocketbook WON’T BELIEVE you’re dining at Chef Mickey’s. Let’s just say it will probably never be this cheap again! Pass on Chef Mickey’s if: Your favorite part of the experience of dining at Chef Mickey’s is meeting Mickey and his friends! For some, until the characters return, we understand there may be limited appeal to dining here (unless you can fill the void with tons of starchy Potato-Cheese Casserole! Did we mention that they have that here?). You’re not planning on being in the Magic Kingdom area. Since there’s no park hopping happening, you might want to pick a spot to eat closer to the theme park you’ll be visiting for the day or the resort you’re staying at. You don’t want to commit to a sit-down breakfast. Even though we don’t think you need to get to the parks right away since they’re normally not crowded (especially if you don’t go RIGHT when they open) you might be too used to rope dropping and grabbing a quick bite for breakfast while on the go! If that’s what a Disney World vacation means to you, we won’t try to stop you! Overall Now that wait times for attractions have been greatly reduced thanks to Disney World’s theme parks operating with a limited capacity, we think taking your time to arrive in the morning and enjoying a leisurely breakfast is a good move. (Don’t forget that this $25 table service, all you can eat meal is suddenly one of the best food deals on property.) Maybe you’ve never been to Chef Mickey’s before because it looked too busy, or you couldn’t snag a tough-to-score reservation; or maybe you’re curious (like we were today) to experience a much more subdued version of this super-popular restaurant. Either way, we think it’s a great value for a hearty meal so close to Magic Kingdom. The food is your basic Disney World buffet fare, so don’t expect any stunners here (well, maybe that delightful Potato-Cheese Casserole!). BUT, the food is prepared well, presented nicely, and hits the spot. Even without the characters around, we think Chef Mickey’s is a pretty solid choice, especially if you decide to pair it with a character meal that IS still being offered such as Topolino Terrace’s breakfast at Disney’s Riviera Resort or Garden Grill Restaurant’s character meal in EPCOT. Of course, we’ll be excited for Chef Mickey’s to return to how it was before the closures someday, but until that day comes, we’ll settle for this much more chilled-out bizarro version in the meantime! Click here to see what modifications Trattoria al Forno has made to its former character breakfast since its reopening! Have you ever eaten at Chef Mickey’s? Would you dine there WITHOUT the characters right now? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below! Related posts: Are Disney World Buffets Changing It Up? Here’s What We Know. Review: Trail’s End Restaurant at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort Review: Breakfast at Captain’s Grille in Disney’s Yacht Club Resort View the full article

Well, folks, all of the Disney World theme parks have been open for around a week now. Disney World We’ve been in, out, and around the Disney parks bringing you updates and answers to your questions. Today, we want to address one of the biggest and hardest questions we’ve gotten: is Disney World still magical? With so many changes, there’s a LOT that goes into answering this question — and it ultimately depends on each individual — but we’ve got our answer for you today. In many ways, Disney World IS still magical — sometimes even more so than before. Our first inclination is to say yes. Disney World is inherently a magical place and we still felt that a good bit in the reopened parks. And sometimes it’s the NEW measures that bring the magic. We LOVE the new character interactions. For one, we adore the new character interactions. Characters are seemingly everywhere right now, which is way more magical in many ways than how we were accustomed to spotting characters. Before the closures, you could go all day without seeing a character — especially in parks without parades. If you didn’t book a character meal or FastPass+ reservation to see them you might not even know they were there! Anna in the Frozen Promenade in EPCOT Now, characters pop up everywhere on a frequent and unpredictable schedule. We love the Character Cavalcades, but we’re especially fond of the non-parade interactions like Cinderella’s Stepsisters on the balcony of Cinderella Castle, Alice and Mary Poppins in EPCOT’s United Kingdom Pavilion, Joy and Winnie the Pooh skipping around on the lawns of EPCOT (we’re still smitten by Pooh with a butterfly net!), the Country Bears waving down at the crowds in Frontierland, and more. Anastasia and Drizella You’re even able to chat with some of these characters, which can be very fun. It feels like the original days at Disney World when characters wandered the park and you’d stumble upon them at random. There’s less of a strict regimen and it feels more spontaneous and — yes — magical when you do see them. We wouldn’t be surprised if these interactions stick around after meet and greets return — and we hope they do! Alice in Wonderland Greeting Guests in EPCOT Characters are a big part of the magic for us. Sure we can’t get a hug or an autograph but honestly, just getting to spot so many characters has made our days this week in the parks. Click here to see more pics of the Character Cavalcades! Long lines are NOT magical…and now there aren’t any. Right now, lines are, like…gone. They really weren’t joking when they said they were limiting capacity. Due to the implementation of the Disney Park Pass system, waits are LOW. Lines are short and easy pretty much everywhere. Flight of Passage or Seven Dwarfs Mine Train with a five-minute wait? Inconceivable! This almost feels MORE magical in a way — since you don’t have those crazy lines and stressing about FastPass times getting in your way. 5-minute Flight of Passage Wait Time You can ride everything you want to ride (with the occasional exception of Rise of the Resistance and sometimes Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway), easily in a day. Want to ride something twice? Do it. Three times? You bet. Over and over again? Knock yourself out. Your day can happen organically without all the frantic planning that’s often involved in a Disney World trip. Want to learn about the FastPass+ suspension? Click here! An empty Disney park can be very magical. Speaking of low capacity, it’s pretty hard to deny an empty Disney park is pretty magical. We used to appreciate those early mornings or late evenings where it felt like we were the only ones in a park. Now it’s like that pretty much all the time! Where’d Everybody Go? A reopened Disney World has, well, almost NO crowds. You don’t have to worry about someone sitting too close to you in a restaurant, or standing too close to you in line. You don’t have to feel claustrophobic trying to walk through a shop. There’s…practically nobody there (well, by Disney World standards at least!). It’s a little bit spooky but mostly quite magical feeling — like it’s all there just for you! Who am I? Michael Jackson?! I kid — nobody comes close to the King of Pop — but you can start to feel a little like a celebrity when you’re walking through an empty park and can do whatever you want whenever you want. Crowd Level in Fantasyland One place we didn’t realize initially we’d feel this effect was in table service restaurants. With guests spaced further apart, it’s much easier to hear your dining companions speak. And we LOVE not being pressed up against another group in that banquette seating Disney so very much enjoys and employs. Dining locations, in general, are much quieter. Before the closures, many Disney World restaurants were notorious for cramming in as many guests as possible. Now, we don’t feel like other tables are practically on top of us while we eat! (Listen, I love Jim and Nancy as much as anyone else, and I wish them another wonderful 10 years of marriage, but I don’t want to share my soup with them, ya know?) Look at ALL That Space! Because of the lower capacity, your pics in the park are that much better since there aren’t a thousand people right behind you (and in front of you…and ramming into you from the sides…). We were SUPER happy with the surprise benefit of hearing all of the atmosphere music really well. There’s nothing quite as magical as the tunes on Main Street, U.S.A. and now we can really HEAR them! Most of the stuff that made it magical before is STILL there now. Even with these NEW magical developments, a lot of the same old magical things are still there. Cinderella Castle is still there (a little pinker than before, but totally still magical to see and experience), that nostalgic EPCOT music is still there, the animals are still all around Kilimanjaro Safari. Just about everything that made it magical for you before…is still there. Cinderella Castle No, you can’t hug the characters and that can be a BIG bummer that could easily deter you from making the trek to Disney if it’s your first trip, or if you have a little one who only wants to run into Sulley’s furry arms and squeeze him (listen, we totally get it). And the iconic fireworks and shows are missing. But everything else is relatively just as it was prior. One very magical factor in a reopened Disney World has been the Cast Members. These folks are still there and they have been absolutely wonderful. They’re the real magic-makers in Disney World! There’s still a lot of magic in interactions with Cast Members. With so few people in the park, they can give even more energy to one-on-one conversations and helping guests feel at ease in the new normal. EPCOT Cast Members Wave Hello On Re-Opening Day! Seriously, think about your priorities at Disney World and odds are you can still do most, if not all, of them. Maybe you can’t hug Mickey, but you can see him (often!), and everything else feels pretty business as usual…except you can ride WAY more rides in a day than you could before. To learn why you won’t be seeing Happily Ever After Fireworks or Parades, click here! But, the bottom line is, despite all the magic, there is still one overwhelming problem. Still, as you can imagine, all that magic isn’t the only thing that we’re noticing. A lot has had to change. And with it, there are some decidedly NOT magical things we want to talk about too. We’re still in the midst of a pandemic. Disney World is open but that doesn’t change the fact that the global health crisis is still very much a reality. When we’ve been in the parks, all of the fun and magic has been accompanied by the very real concern of getting sick or getting someone else sick. Don’t Go Anywhere Without Your Travel-Size Hand Sanitizer There’s not much that’s magical about that fear. You’re constantly masked and sanitizing and might be constantly and justifiably concerned for yourself and your family members. You might be isolating dirty clothes in trash bags each day (totally speaking from personal experience here!), purposefully avoiding certain locations in Disney World due to pinch points and pile-ups of people, living with a mask laundry facility in your hotel bathroom, or lysol-ing all of your belongings when you return from the parks each day. Cast Members Cleaning Signs reminding you to be safe are everywhere, and your days in the parks are to the soundtrack of regular overhead announcements reminding you to wear your mask at all times and practice distancing measures. Queues you’ve walked through dozens of times or more might now feel somewhat foreign due to plexiglass dividers and distancing markers. It gives off a very dystopian vibe. Like you’re an extra in an apocalyptic TV show. Except this isn’t a TV show. It’s 100% our reality right now, and not everything turns out all right in the end. Temperature Check Signs If these measures don’t bother you or they come easy for you, they might not put a damper on your vacation too much. But we’ve been spending a lot of time and energy in the parks making sure things are clean, everything is regularly sanitized, and that we are distanced at all times. There are still plenty of magical moments, but it can be hard to deny that the experience as a whole feels very different than it was before — and notably less care-free. Travel days weren’t magical in normal times, and now they’re worse. On top of that, travel to and from Disney is NOT fun right now. For one, there are significant travel restrictions in place around the country — some of which can get really in the way of a trip to Disney. For some folks, getting to the parks isn’t even a possibility right now. Disney World If you CAN travel to Disney World, you might run into some new issues you haven’t faced before. Airports have not been immune to health issues and obstructive measures. If you don’t feel safe flying, you could be in for a possibly lengthy drive. Want to know something that’s decidedly NOT magical? Your 2.5 hour flight to the parks turning into a 16-hour drive…both ways (we know this from experience as well). Click here to see a list of all travel advisories that could affect your trip. Disney might feel relatively safe, but growing case numbers outside of the park gates could impact how you feel on your visit. The fact that Disney is open does not mean that the danger has passed. Through the past month there have been growing case numbers right outside the gates. We’re well aware that many of our readers and followers are asking whether Disney World should be open at all. And that’s something we’re weighing daily. The new normal is to be on “it’s a small world!” and get an alert on your phone to remind you of the severity of the crisis. Florida Sunset According to CNN, Florida and Orange County specifically have been deemed as “red zone” areas by a White House task force. There are consistently increasing case numbers and deaths in the county and the state as a whole, and some entities are recommending a roll-back on the state’s reopening. Orlando Sign The questions we find ourselves meditating on while walking around the park are often: should the parks even be open? Will they close again? What if I’m sick and I don’t know? Am I getting other people sick? Do we even know enough about the situation to know that these health measures are enough? Maybe these questions won’t run through your head (you may not be thinking about readers who want to know if it’s safe to go to Disney World, which consumes our thoughts when we’re in the parks right now — we try to experience it for all of you and report back what we’d want to know if we were in your shoes), but you have your own concerns for your family and those around you. And that makes a huge difference when gauging the “magic.” Plus, some big pieces of the magic might be gone for YOU. There is a lot of Disney fun that’s still around, but some pieces of the “old way of doing things” ARE missing. If character meet and greets, fireworks, shows, and parades are a CORE PIECE of your magic when you’re on a Disney vacation — then your trip probably won’t be what you want it to be. Consider holding off if this is something you’re worried about. Happily Ever After Plus, certain areas do feel like they’re missing things from an atmosphere perspective. If you feel like the lack of street performers and the sea of distancing stickers and masks might get in the way of the magic for you, you’re not alone. We’re big fans of the Disney atmosphere and streetmosphere performers and it certainly feels like the parks are missing something right now. And Disney World still costs as much as it did before. IF you’re a fan of fireworks and shows, this is an important factor to consider. Disney World has not substantially discounted prices. Your hotel, food, merchandise, and park tickets will cost the same as they would if this was a typical year with no pandemic severely curtailing park experiences. Staying at the Grand Flo is Still Crazy Expensive We’ve heard from many readers and followers who think that the current experience — no fireworks, no meet and greets, shortened hours for parks and restaurants, no parades — means you’re simply not getting your money’s worth any longer. But on the flip side, some may think that it’s actually MORE worth the cost, since many guests pay big bucks for events like After Hours where you can ride your favorite attractions over and over again with no lines. In fact, we’ve had readers suggest to us that they’d love an option where they could pay more for a day in Disney World with fewer guests and shorter attraction lines. And that’s pretty much what you have going on right now. So depending on your perspective, this could be a huge boon or a super bust. Overall, the “magic” level of Disney World right now is up to you. It really depends on what you need to make that Disney vacation magical. On paper, Disney World is more magical than it was before (practically no wait for rides and no crowds would have sounded like a dream a year ago!). But when you take into account the reality of this pandemic, the safest and most responsible place to be is at home. And knowing that fact has a huge impact on enjoying the parks. If the magic comes to you from riding a lot of rides, you can have a great time. If the fireworks at the end of the day are a must-do, or if that big hug from Mickey is critical for you, not so much. You also need to weigh your comfort level. If you think you can still have a great day without worrying about the state of the world as well as the state of your own health, then now might be an okay time for a trip. But if you do choose to go, please remember that it is imperative for your safety and the safety of everyone else in the parks that you follow the protocol and the guidelines laid out by Disney World. Even if you don’t mind getting sick personally, remember that your choices can make a big difference for thousands of other people. Keep your mask on. Correctly. Be sure to socially distance. And wash your hands regularly. Magic Kingdom So, yes, of course, there are still magical moments in Disney World. It’s just up to you whether it’s worth the literal and figurative costs. We’ll continue to report and share our thoughts with you as the weeks and months progress. Click here to see all of the ways you can find magic with characters in Disney World! What do you think? Is Disney World still magical? Share your thoughts in the comments. Related posts: Is Disney World Going to Be Disappointing Now? What Will Happen if You Refuse To Wear A Mask In Disney World? Here’s What Qualifies — and Doesn’t Qualify — as a Mask in Disney World! View the full article

Veteran photographer Red Huber offers some tips on photographing Florida wildlife with Things To Do reporter Patrick Connolly. View the full article

For those craving a little physical activity, Topgolf has two deals the provide safe, socially distanced fun. View the full article

Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive is open and safe for families to visit while social distancing and enjoying nature from their own cars. Get some wildlife photography tips from veteran photographer Red Huber on how to capture the perfect shots along the way. View the full article