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It’s a perfect day for a picnic, wouldn’t you agree? That’s why we’re here at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to meet up with our pals Mickey and Minnie! Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway While Disney World’s newest attraction, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, doesn’t officially open to the public until tomorrow, we actually got to go on it TODAY! And we’ve got a BUNCH of stuff to share with you about it! All ABOARD! Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is the first time Mickey and Minnie are appearing in their very own Disney park attraction! Before we get too much into spoilers, we’ll give you a VERY simple spoiler-free review first! The basic premise of the new ride follows Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto on their way to the park in a new Mickey Short called, “The Perfect Picnic”. You’ll get to watch the cartoon during the preshow (before becoming a PART of it YOURSELF!). ©Disney Perfect Picnic Poster in Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is adorable and charming! It’s a trackless dark ride, and the motion of the ride vehicle (piloted by Engineer Goofy) is quite slow and gentle. If you’re especially sweet on the new Mickey Shorts, you’ll probably get a real kick out of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and maybe you’ll even hear a familiar tune — the song from the cartoon “Potatoland” plays in the queue area! Plus, you’ll get to see a lot of the posters that have been counting down the big debut of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway while you wait in line! ©Disney Perfect Picnic Poster in Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Spoiler Alert! That being said, now it’s time to talk DETAILS, people! If you want to be surprised the first time you ride Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, it’s time to make tracks because from here on out we’re going to be dropping lots of spoilers! Proceed with EXTREME caution! You’re still here? Good! Once you filter through the queue area, you’ll come to a large room that you might recognize from when the Chinese Theater’s show building was home to The Great Movie Ride! This is where “Perfect Picnic” will begin to play with a carefree Mickey and Minnie setting off on their outing to Runnamuck Park! Everything is “peachy keen“, and “nothing can go wrong“! RIGHT? ©Disney “Perfect Picnic” Preshow Suddenly, Engineer Goofy shows up! As Mickey and Minnie cross over the railroad tracks, Pluto and their picnic basket fly out of their convertible and subsequently, a cream pie lands in the steam engine’s smokestack. This causes Goofy to lose control of the powerful locomotive and the train comes crashing into the station located just behind the movie screen! ©Disney “Perfect Picnic Preshow The movie screen actually “blows up” and you enter the cartoon world (where anything can happen, mind you!) by walking through the gaping hole! We wish we could show you a picture of it, but trust us, you’ll want to be surprised the first time you see this impressive special effect in PERSON! Watch for it to happen at the lower portion of the screen right in the center! Next, you’ll enter the train station for Runnamuck Railroad — where Goofy is the employee of the month? We gotta say, we’re questioning this decision a bit after seeing his engineering skills in action already! Lanterns are hanging from the ceiling and you’ll hear lots of train whistles and birds chirping as you get ready to board the train. Yup, that’s right! You’re going for a ride with Engineer Goofy! What could possibly go wrong? ©Disney Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway In the first room after leaving the station, you might feel a false sense of security. The sun is shining, there’s gorgeous scenery everywhere you look — it’s like you’ve entered a cartoon dreamland! ©Disney Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway But the tranquility doesn’t last for very long — not with Engineer Goofy at the helm! All of a sudden, things start to get a little frenzied — there’s a switch-up with the train tracks and now is when things start to go awry! You’ll enter an arid dessert where Mickey on horseback tries to regain control of your train with his lasso. After his attempts fail, you’ll find yourself at a carnival! ©Disney Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway There are details everywhere in this room! In fact, this vignette pays tribute to the original 1929 classic Mickey Short “Karnival Kid” in which Mickey speaks for the first time! His line was, “Hot Dogs! Hot Dogs!” There are several references to Disney’s past scattered throughout the ride including lots of Easter eggs and hidden Mickeys! ©Disney Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway After the carnival, you’ll narrowly avoid a swirling tornado and volcanic eruption! After diving over a waterfall, you’ll find you’re now swimming underwater! How much more trouble will you find yourself in? ©Disney Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway But actually, all is not as bad as it seems! Not when there’s a giant squid going all Herb Alpert on us with a monster trumpet solo! ©Disney Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway But just as quickly as things seemed to regain some normalcy (as normal as listening to the musical stylings of a sea creature can be), you get “flushed” down the drain and end up on a chaotic city street! ©Disney Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway The streetscape is complete with one Jackhammer Pete while characters fill almost every window of every building! ©Disney Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway As you travel down the road, you’ll (almost) run into Donald! He’s driving a large purple truck on the right! ©Disney Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Ahhh, typical Donald! And we thought WE had road rage! ©Disney Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway In the next scene, you’ll find yourself in Daisy’s Dance Studio where she’ll teach you to waltz! This part reminded us a lot of Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters in Disney California Adventure’s Cars Land. As the music begins to switch to a more lively tempo, you’ll start doing the conga, and now you’re conga-ing your way out the door! Now you’re in a tumultuous factory! And you’re heading right for a machine called, “THE SMASHER”! Yeah, this doesn’t look so good! But at the last second, you narrowly escape the crushing jaws of the contraption and as if by magic, you’re back ON TRACK! You’re at Runnamuck Park with Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto as the fireworks go off in the distance for the grand finale! ©Disney Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway And as you head for the exit, look up and you’ll see Chuuby the bird waving goodbye! He makes several cameos throughout the ride, so be sure to look for him! ©Disney Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Read all the details you’ll need to know about Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway before you ride it for the first time here! We were very excited to see that bits from the Great Movie Ride and the Chinese Theatre remain in the queue. So while this new attraction is sure to have people fall in love with it as time goes on, we really appreciated the nods to the past. The attraction is fun and light-hearted and we think it’s a great addition for families and kiddos. This should be a good place to kick back, relax, cool off, and enjoy a few laughs with everyone in your party. Are you excited to ride Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway? Let us know if you’ve gotten your FastPasses for it yet or not in the comments below! Related posts: FIRST LOOK at The NEW Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Merch Coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios!! Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Hollywood Studios Will Have TONS of Hidden Easter Eggs and TWO Storylines! Confirmed! Mickey Shorts Theater Officially Opens NEXT WEEK in Disney’s Hollywood Studios! View the full article

“I suppose I’ve always been in love with trains,” Walt wrote in the October 1965 issue of Railroad Magazine, tracing his rail fascination to his youth, “As a small boy living on a farm near Marceline, Mo. … at a time when railroads loomed large in the scheme of things and steam engines were formidable and exciting.” Walt established a lifelong love of the railroad early on that became a core component of his persona and legend. Throughout his personal life and professional career, trains have always been a part of the Disney culture. As I pondered in my recent book, Travels with Walt Disney: A Photographic Voyage Around the World, “What was it about trains that stimulated and interested him? Did the ‘romance of the rails’ appeal to an innate sense of “progress” in him, or was that perspective inspired by it? In context, it’s fairly simple to see what trains meant to Walt—and to so many young people of his era. Remember, the Wright brothers’ historic flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, took place when Walt was about two years old. The Ford Model T debuted when he was seven. (Walt recalled that in 1908 his town of Marceline, Missouri, had only two automobiles.) Apart from animal engines, the most prevalent, most powerful, most modern, and most elegant mode of transport in Walt’s formative years was the railroad.” “I had a unique claim to fame: my Uncle Mike was an engineer on the Santa Fe’s accommodation train that ran between Marceline and Fort Madison,” Walt wrote. Walt himself couldn’t resist the allure of a railroad job as a teenager. “In 1916, when I was 15,” Walt remembered, “… I looked around for some way to earn money until high school reopened in the fall. My brother, Roy, who had been employed by the Fred Harvey system as a news butcher on Santa Fe trains, selling magazines, peanuts, candy, apples, soft drinks, cigars and so on, suggested that I apply for a similar job.” Although this job as a railroad “news butcher” didn’t end well for Walt (“I quit at the end of that summer with losses that absorbed the $30 bond I had posted when I took the job”) I did nothing to harm his love of trains. Through Walt’s early life, the railroad carried him to his destiny on several important occasions that have become legend. In August 1923, Walt arrived in Los Angeles on the California Limited line of the famed Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad. He’d failed in Kansas City, and a new beginning was waiting for him in Hollywood, where he established the first animated cartoon studio in that soon-to-be-legendary town. Of course, it was on a train ride home from a disastrous meeting in New York that Walt and his wife Lillian initiated the thinking behind a new cartoon character who would quickly become a beloved international screen celebrity, Mickey Mouse. “He popped out of my mind onto a drawing pad 20 years ago on a train ride from Manhattan to Hollywood, at a time when the business fortunes of my brother Roy and myself were at lowest ebb, and disaster seemed right around the corner,” Walt wrote in 1948. “I’ve been workin’ on the railroad,” Mickey sings in Mickey’s Choo-Choo. © DisneyNaturally, when Mickey became a star, Walt put his new star on a locomotive. In the 1929 short “Mickey’s Choo-Choo” (the eleventh Mickey Mouse cartoon), Mickey is the engineer of an eccentric railway train; Minnie is his musical passenger. A souvenir “tintype” of Walt and Ward at the 1948 Chicago Railroad Fair. © Disney In his staff at the Studio, Walt found other rail buffs. In 1948, Walt and Disney Legend Ward Kimball traveled together to attend the Chicago Railroad Fair. The pair also enjoyed a visit to Greenfield Village, the outdoor living history museum section of The Henry Ford complex in Dearborn, Michigan. An “outdoor museum” with nearly a hundred historical buildings, moved to the property from their original locations and arranged in a “village” setting—with an adjacent steam railway—surely provided inspiration for Walt’s then-percolating ideas for what would become Disneyland. Like several of the Studio staff, Donald became a model railroader in this 1951 animated short. © Disney Walt’s concurrent therapeutic hobby of crafting miniatures led to an interest in model trains, and resulted in late 1949 in the Carolwood Pacific Railroad (CPRR), a ​7 1⁄4-inch (184 mm) gauge ridable miniature railroad in the backyard of Walt’s home in the Holmby Hills (on Carolwood Avenue) neighborhood of Los Angeles. The 1:8-scale live steam locomotive, the Lilly Belle, was named after Walt’s wife, Lillian. This model railroading mania of Walt, shared with Ward Kimball and Ollie Johnston, resulted in the 1951 Donald Duck cartoon called Out of Scale. The tree that Chip ‘n’ Dale call home is judged to be “out of scale” to Donald’s miniature railway, in removing it, naturally there are comedic consequences from the displaced chipmunks. Combining his love of history and nostalgia, his miniature-building hobby, and his romance with railroading resulted in one of Walt’s strangest unrealized projects: “Disneylandia,” a traveling exhibit of animated mechanical miniature scenes celebrating the history of America. The animated dioramas would have traveled on a 21-car train. Walt wrote in a letter to his younger sister, Ruth, on December 4, 1952, “…my newest project. Hoping it will become a reality, but at this point it’s very much in the thinking and planning stage…I’ve been collecting all sorts of miniature pieces for the past three or four years, with this project in mind. It’s been a wonderful hobby for me and I find it is something very relaxing to turn to when studio problems become too hectic.” Walt on location for the filming of The Great Locomotive Chase. © Disney The story of The Great Locomotive Chase, released on June 8, 1956, had been in development at Disney ever since the studio first ventured into live-action filmmaking in the 1940s. It’s simple to see its appeal for Walt: it’s a great American true historic tale of espionage and adventure that is almost entirely set on a pair of speeding locomotives! In the fall of 1955, Walt visited the set in northeastern Georgia—the short line Tallulah Falls Railroad, or “Old TF,” originally a fifty-eight-mile run from Cornelia, Georgia, to Franklin, North Carolina. Although the engineers and conductors of the Tallulah Falls Railroad actually ran the trains for filming, Walt naturally couldn’t resist, so several times he took the trains out himself! With the debut of Disneyland, steam trains became engrained in Disney culture forever. Every Disney “castle park,” with the exception of Shanghai, has a steam train. “In large part because of Walt’s love of railroads,” journalist Chuck Schmidt wrote, “Disney’s Magic Kingdom-style parks around the world have always included a railroad. All the lines circle the outer rims of the parks and serve two purposes: To supply weary guests a mode of transportation so they can get from one end of the park to the other…and to give guests entering the park a nice overview of all the lands they are about to explore…the proverbial Grand Circle Tour.” Over the years, other train-based attractions, from the Casey Jr. Circus Train and Mine Train Thru Nature’s Wonderland to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train have used railroads as their vehicles, in both story and transportation. Of course, one of the great strengths of the Disney culture is the way visiting the past is a means of building the future. Innovations are based on a strong foundation of ideas and values. Opening March 4 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is an all-new theme park attraction with roots deep in cultural iconography, including Walt, Mickey and his friends, park ride traditions, and technical innovation—all built around the fundamental story of a crazy ride on a runaway rail train. The first-ever ride-through attraction to feature Mickey Mouse in a starring role, “Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway checks every box,” says Walt Disney Imagineering creative executive Kevin Rafferty. Disney railroad adventures take some crazy new twists and turns in an all-new attraction. © DisneyBurst into Mickey and Minnie’s World! Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, located in the iconic Chinese Theatre at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, zips guests away on a zany adventure through a cartoon universe crammed with surprises. The darling duo are taking a leisurely drive to a picnic in their sporty roadster—with Engineer Goofy’s train following merrily along. Plot twist—you get to go, too! Climb aboard a runaway railway and embark on a whirlwind ride through a world where the rules of physics don’t apply. Prepare for unexpected twists, slapstick gags and mind-boggling transformations at every turn, as Mickey and Minnie try to save the day. There’s no telling where this train is heading! This is an adventure for Mickey and Minnie fans of all ages—coming March 4, 2020! View the full article

Grab your fedora and bullwhip! Today, Indiana Jones Adventure is celebrating 25 years as one of the most thrilling rides here at the Disneyland Resort. On March 3, 1995, the Temple of the Forbidden Eye that was discovered by Indiana Jones was opened for guests to explore in the heart of Adventureland. Since then, it has brought ancient secrets and a suspense-filled journey to guests of Disneyland park. Let’s put our archeology skills to the test and dig into the history of the attraction. Based on the Indiana Jones films, Indiana Jones Adventure features exotic chambers, hidden gems and suspense around every corner. As you climb aboard the jungle transport and look into the eyes of the deity Mara, you are suddenly taken on a high-speed journey as you work to escape the wrath of the vengeful goddess. The attraction was created through a collaboration between George Lucas, the creator of the Indiana Jones franchise, and Walt Disney Imagineering. When the attraction first opened, it was the largest attraction at Disneyland and increased the size of Adventureland by 33 percent. When Imagineers were developing Indiana Jones Adventure, they thought of featuring an out-of-control mine car, similar to the one that is found in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” However, Imagineers ultimately decided against the mine car since Disneyland already had one in Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. However, the mine car idea still made its way to the attraction in another way. As you walk through the exit of the attraction, you will see a mine car that was used in the filming of “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.” There are many other connections between the Indiana Jones Adventure attraction and the Indiana Jones movies. The screenwriters who wrote “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” Willard Huyck and Gloria Katz, also consulted on the script for Indiana Jones Adventure. Also, inside the attraction, one of the crates on the wall of Indiana Jones’ office in the queue area is labeled, “Deliver to: Club Obi Wan.”— a reference to the opening scene of “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” and a tribute to the Obi Wan Kenobi character in George Lucas’ Star Wars films. In addition, one of the German patrol trucks that was featured in the first Indiana Jones film “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” can be found in the outside queue area of the attraction. When you look closely, you will see golf balls on the handlebars of the front bumper that were placed there for one of the car chase stunts in the film. Lastly, while on the attraction, the music you hear is the original score from the Indiana Jones films that was adapted, arranged and recorded for the ride. When building the Temple of the Forbidden Eye for Indiana Jones Adventure, inspiration for the sandstone temple came from the Hindu temples at Banteay Srei and Angkor Wat in Cambodia and the Mahamallapuram, Virupaksha and Elura temples of India. Inside the temple, you will find more than 1,300 props throughout the queue, more than 168,000 square feet of hand-carved surfaces, a 45-foot-tall decaying skull of Mara, a 100-foot-long King Cobra, more than 2,000 replicated human skulls and 2,129 snakes. The Play Disney Parks app* recently added an in-queue experience to Indiana Jones Adventure entitled “Indiana Jones Adventure – the Gifts of Mara.” This game allows you to decode ancient glyphs, symbols and codes along the queue of the attraction. The translated code comes together to complete a map that unlocks digital achievements and a special message from Mara herself. Can you avoid the eyes of Mara and find the great treasures you seek? Head on over to the Disneyland Resort to brave unimaginable perils and celebrate 25 thrilling years of Indiana Jones Adventure. If you are looking to celebrate the anniversary of this fan-favorite attraction, check out these engaging experiences and fun offerings that every archaeologist must discover! *Available for iPhone® and AndroidTM smartphones. Message, data and roaming rates may apply. Availability subject to handset limitations, and features may vary by handset, service provider or otherwise. Coverage and app stores not available everywhere. If you’re under 18, get your parents’ permission first. Some app features require separate theme park admission. View the full article

We’re back at the Disneyland Resort for another what’s new update, y’all! Sleeping Beauty Castle The California Adventure Food and Wine Festival is in full swing now, but we’re checking out some other food, construction, and merch at the resort. Let’s get started! Disneyland Food Update Tropical Hideaway The Tropical Hideaway has a couple of new items that we can see ourselves unwinding with for a spell. There’s a refreshing Tropical Float that features Raspberry and Lemon Swirl Dole Whip for $7.99. You don’t have to tell us to try it twice, Disney! Tropical Float See what we thought of the Tropical Float here! We’re going loco for the Loco Moco Bao, too! You can try this new steamed bun for $5.99. Loco Moco Bao Check out our full review of the Loco Moco Bao here! Disneyland Merchandise Update Adventureland Bazaar Indiana Jones Adventure is celebrating its 25th anniversary of adventure and anniversaries with mean special limited edition merch! Funko has released a new POP Figure of the intrepid archaeologist for $40. Indiana Jones Funko POP! If you’re all about that pin trading life, you won’t want to miss this Indiana Jones 25th anniversary pin for $15.99. It may be an archaeological find someday! Indiana Jones Adventure 25th anniversary pin Check out some of the other limited-time merch for the Indiana Jones Adventure anniversary! Le Bat en Rouge There’s a new cardholder and it’s giving us some tropical vibes! The worst thing about this Mickey-shaped Pineapple Cardholder for $14.99 is that it’s making us want to grab a Dole Whip. Mickey-shaped Pineapple Cardholder Check out some of the other Disney Parks cardholders here! Pooh Corner Normally, we remain clear of the doors when the Monorail is in operation, but if its operation is dispensing candy, we’ll have to make an exception. You can grab the future of candy transportation for $14.99. Monorail candy dispenser We also spotted a couple of character-inspired graphic shirts for your canine or feline friends. You can get an extra sprinkling of pixie dust with Tinker Bell… Disney Tails Tinker Bell shirt …or get the Stitch design for your wild child. Both shirts run for $24.99. Disney Tails Stitch shirt California Adventure Construction Update Carsland The Cozy Cone Motel is getting a little attention from the pit crew. Scaffolding and scrims have covered up all of the cones, but they are still open during construction! Cozy Cone Motel construction Various Locations Disney has added hand sanitizer dispensers near the entrance to quick service locations throughout the park to help with concerns of spreading the coronavirus. Smokejumpers Grill hand sanitizer dispenser Click here to learn more about the coronavirus and how it may impact your Disney vacation! California Adventure Merchandise Update The ABCDisney craze continues with these key-chains featuring the amazing designs of Disney Parks attractions. You can find the whole alphabet here and each one will cost you $9.99. ABCDisney C key-chain Strangely, you can even find some of the Disney World designs here, like this Festival of the Lion King-inspired key-chain. It’s all Disney to us, which means we need it! ABCDisney L key-chain Check out the Disneyland ABCDisney mugs! Downtown Disney Merchandise Update World of Disney We’re so going to wrap this ABCDisney apron around when we’re in the kitchen from now on. You can grab one for yourself for $34.99. ABCDisney apron Disney Home If you need something to hold your drink of choice in during the big tailgate, we found a few new Monsters University koozies. They come in packs of two with Mike and Sulley on one side… Mike and Sulley koozies …and the Monsters University logo on the other. You can get the pack for $14.99. Monsters University koozies Did you grab your Monsters University Spirit Jersey yet? We hate to say goodbye to Disneyland, but that wraps up this look at what’s new. Check back soon for more updates from the Disneyland Resort! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Check out more Disneyland Food Reviews Here!! How many times have you ridden the Indiana Jones Adventure? Let us know down in the comments! Related posts: What’s New at the Disneyland Resort: Food and Wine Booths Are Up, a Favorite Tropical Hideaway Treat Has Disappeared, and a New Limited-Edition Mug! What’s New at Disneyland Resort — TWO New Menus, Delicious Funnel Cakes, and EVERYTHING Oogie Boogie! What’s New at the Disneyland Resort: A BUNCH of Food and Wine Festival Eats and New ABC Mug Designs View the full article

Tomorrow is the big day, y’all. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway will officially be opening in Disney World! Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Sign To celebrate the opening of this brand new cartoony attraction, Disney is releasing another pair of Designer Mickey Ears cooked up by one of the Imagineers! On March 5th, you’ll be able to swing by Stage 1 Company Store, Legends of Hollywood, and the Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway kiosk at Hollywood Studios along with Ever After Jewelry Co. at Disney Springs to pick up these Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Designer Ears. ©Disney These ears were designed by Imagineer Kevin Rafferty, the Executive Creative Director on the attraction, and feature Mickey and Minnie enjoying their “Perfect Picnic” on top while Goofy rides the train around the hat and fireworks light up the ears. ©Disney On the inside of the ears, you can find Mickey and Minnie driving through the picturesque park on their way to adventure. On March 6th, you can also find the ears at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom or, if you can’t make it to the parks, the ears will also be available on shopDisney. Disney also shared a schedule for a few more of the ears that are set to be released this year! Her Universe – April 2020 Joe Rohde – April 2020 Her Universe – May 2020 Cupcakes and Cashmere – Summer 2020 Lily Aldridge – Summer 2020 Bret Iwan – Summer 2020 Alex Maher – Summer 2020 Karlie Kloss – Fall 2020 Vera Wang – Fall 2020 Check out these other designer ears coming this year from Her Universe! Have you got your FastPasses armed and ready for tomorrow? Let us know down in the comments! Related posts: News: New Dining Discounts for Disney World Annual Passholders for 45th Anniversary Year The 31 Things To Eat In Disney World If You’re Obsessed With CHEESE!! Should You Even Go to Disney World with All This Construction? Your Questions Answered. View the full article

Since the beginning of the year, we’ve been sharing a series of beautiful Mickey short-inspired posters in our special countdown to the debut of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! Well, the attraction’s “world premiere” is here! And to celebrate, we’re unveiling our final and perhaps your new favorite poster – “Perfect Picnic.” Beginning tomorrow – March 4, you’ll be able to experience Mickey’s wild cartoon universe like never before at Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. During each adventure, you’ll enter the NEW Mickey Mouse cartoon short “Perfect Picnic” for a one-of-a-kind adventure where anything can happen. Why? Because here, mouse rules apply! And for those of you who’ve been following along on our series, we’ve partnered with Walt Disney Imagineering to bring you a downloadable attraction poster! Click on the image above for the official attraction poster, inspired by “Perfect Picnic”, celebrating the premiere of Mickey and Minnie’s latest cartoon short. Be sure to keep following us for more coverage later tonight! Our celebration of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway continues with a LIVE look at the attraction’s dedication ceremony! The #DisneyParksLIVE stream will begin at 7:20 p.m. ET, right here on the Disney Parks Blog. In the meantime, check out some of our earlier stories featuring other popular posters and updates on Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway: New ‘Potatoland’ Poster Revealed in Countdown Series Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway: Everything You Should Know Wonders of the Deep Poster Just Released Split-Decision Poster Released in New Poster Art Series New Tokyo-Go Poster Released in Countdown Series New “Three-Legged Race” Poster Unveiled New Poster Art Begins Countdown Series to March 4 Opening of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios New Details Unveiled for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Coming to Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway to Roll into Disneyland Park New Image Unveiled for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Opens Next Year at Disney’s Hollywood Studios View the full article

Ever since last year’s D23 Expo, we have been anxiously awaiting the premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s brand new show, Drawn to Life. ©Disney And today we were able to catch a sneak peek of the all-new performance which opens to the public on April 17, 2020! Disney Springs’ longtime running show La Nouba gave its final performance waaaay back in 2017, meaning there hasn’t been a Cirque du Soleil show at Disney World since then! But all of that’s about to change, and we’re not the only ones excited about it! Shortly after tickets for Cirque du Soleil’s’ all-new show Drawn to Life were announced, dates began SELLING OUT immediately! But is this show something worth adding to your Disney World travel plans? Come along with us as we take a closer look at this all-new show! Drawn to Life First of all, Drawn to Life is offering an experience unlike any other because Disney Springs is not simply hosting a Cirque show, but Walt Disney Animation Studios and Walt Disney Imagineering teamed up with Cirque du Soleil to create it! ©Cirque Du Soleil This unique collaboration incorporates Disney’s rich history and storytelling with Cirque’s musical and acrobatic artistry. We studied in the details of the new stage in awe as we awaited the performance to begin. Drawn to Life Stage A giant desk lamp with an articulated arm comprises a large portion of the stage. In fact, the design makes it seem like Drawn to Life is performed right on top of an animator’s desk! Drawn to Life Stage The stage is encircled by shelves of spiralbound sketch pads and loose pages with bits of animation and notes jotted down on them! The paper is discolored with age lending a feeling of nostalgia to the story that’s about to unfold! Drawn to Life Stage Drawn to Life is about a girl named Julie whose father, Tom, was a former Disney animator. She discovers an unfinished piece of animation and a letter left behind by her late father. Since she’s an imaginative and determined little girl, (thanks in large part to her father’s creativity and being surrounded by his artwork during her early childhood), she embarks on a magical journey to complete the drawing and finish what her father started. Drawn to Life Stage Julie’s guide into this imaginative world of boundless Cirque du Soleil’s signature whimsy is her father’s favorite green pencil! Throughout the show, Julie encounters a colorful cast of characters including a larger-than-life gloved hand as well as the story’s antagonist — Miss Hésitation! She’s the lady wearing the dress that looks like a crumpled piece of paper and represents an artist’s self-doubt! Julie and Mr. Pencil with Cast In the first act, four Disney animators begin drawing a team of acrobats, and the sketches begin to LITERALLY leap off the pages! During this Inner World of Animation segment, you’ll also see the silhouettes of some recognizable Disney characters including Mickey, Donald, and Goofy appear on the “pages” of the stage! ©Disney Drawn to Life We also got to see a preview from the second act called the Aerial Pencil! The aerialist twists, turns, flips, and flies through the air and it’s one of the most insane things we’ve ever seen! As he’s lowered to the pages, his “sketches come to life and you’ll see drawings of Cinderella, Tarzan, and more of your favorite Disney characters rendered in stunning Cirque du Soleil-style!” ©Disney Drawn to Life We have seen Cirque shows in the past, but Drawn to Life brings an extra layer of Disney magic to the stage that has truly left us mesmerized! Drawn to Life Cast You can catch a show in Disney Springs West Side at the iconic white tent (it’s hard to miss) when Drawn to Life officially premieres April 17th, 2020 (if you were lucky enough to already get your tickets!). If you’re interested in seeing Drawn to Life, get your tickets online at Disneyworld.com! Are you interested in seeing Drawn to Life? Let us know in the comments below! Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Disney World to attend their media preview of Drawn to Life. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ Related posts: We’ve Got a Behind the Scenes Look at the NEW Cirque du Soleil Show Coming to Disney World! News! Disney’s Cirque Du Soleil Announces Its NEW NAME and Concept With Photos! What’s New at Disney Springs! NEW Menus, Ball Gowns, and Spooky Merch! View the full article

Hi, friends! We’re back with another What’s New in the Magic Kingdom. Citizens of Main Street We’ve got a ton of construction and merch to look at today, so let’s just get going! Magic Kingdom Construction Update Cinderella Castle The Cinderella Castle moat has been completely drained as the refurbishment of this icon kicks off. We can’t wait to see your castles’ new look, Cindy! Bye-bye for now moat Find out if Cinderella Castle will be covered up during the refurbishment here! Adventureland A few walls and scrims have gone up in Adventureland outside of the Agrabah Bazaar and a few other exteriors. It’s probably just for some touch-up work, but we’ll update you guys if any new information comes out. Adventureland construction Where’s our good pal Genie when we need him to make everything good as new? Adventureland construction Frontierland You can once again have a Zip-a-dee-doo-dah day in the Magic Kingdom because Splash Mountain is re-open after it’s annual refurb during the colder seasons. Splash Mountain See what is still closed for refurbishment in Disney World here! Tomorrowland Some of the supports along the main thoroughfare of Tomorrowland have been unveiled with their new clean white paint jobs. Tomorrowland supports new paint job Scrims come down and more scrims go up around the supports by the purple wall to get their own fresh coat of paint. Tomorrowland purple wall construction Greetings, programs! Of course, we’ve got to see how the Grid is coming along at TRON Lightcycle Run. The show building is almost fully enclosed on this side. Our minds are already racing at riding on opening day in 2021! TRON Lightcycle Run construction Learn all about TRON Lightycycle Run here! Magic Kingdom Merchandise Update The Emporium We spotted a few new Disney Tails graphic shirts for your fur-babies. There’s one for Tinker Bell… Disney Tails Tinker Bell shirt …the best alien dog, Stitch… Disney Tails Stitch shirt …the friend to you and your pets, Mickey Mouse… Disney Tails Mickey shirt …and those mischievous little chipmunks, Chip and Dale. These shirts will run you $24.99 each. Disney Tails Chip and Dale shirt You can also find the Stitch MagicBand in the new packaging here for $24.99. Stitch MagicBand Ink & Paint is the future, it just doesn’t stop coming! We’ve already spotted this flatware set in Disneyland, but now you can find it here for $75. Ink and Paint flatware set Check out the Dooney and Bourke Ink & Paint Collection here! Chapeau What team? WILDCATS! Speaking of things that will never stop, we found this new red Wildcats hat inspired by High School Musical for $27.99. You can bet on us grabbing this for our next watch party. Wildcats hat Agrabah Bazaar If you want to chill like a villain, you can nab a pair of these Princess/Villain flip flops for $30 each. We found Ariel and Ursula and Aurora and Maleficent here so far, but we’ll keep our eyes out for the Snow White/Evil Queen pair. Aurora/Maleficent flip flops Big Top Souvenirs The night lights we found in Disneyland have arrived at the Big Top to brighten our day! Mickey Ice Cream night light You can choose between the Mickey Ice Cream, Mickey Balloon, the castle, or the Monorail night lights. If you want to take one of the beauties home with you, they’re $16.99 each. Mickey Balloon night light Take a closer look at these fun Disney-themed night lights here! Star Traders We’re so glad to see all this sweet merch from Disneyland making it over here to the World. You can now find the Monsters University Spirit Jersey at Star Traders! Monsters University Spirit Jersey Don’t worry, you won’t have to go back to school. You can just feel like an upper-classman for $69.99. Take a closer look at this new Monsters University spirit jersey here! Tomorrowland Light and Power Co. Leap Day has passe, but there are still a few Leap Day shirts at Tomorrowland Light and Power Co. if you want to celebrate this calendar anomaly. You can grab this shirt with Mickey and Pluto for $29.99. Leap Day 2020 shirt That’s going to do it for this What’s New in the Magic Kingdom! Check back with us soon for more updates from Disney World. What do you think of the Cinderella Castle makeover? Let us know down in the comments! Related posts: What’s New at Magic Kingdom — Valentine’s Day Treats, Lunar New Year Plushes, and SPACE Everything! What’s New in the Magic Kingdom: 26 NEW Mugs, Work Begins Around Cinderella Castle, and Water Is Finally Flowing at Splash Mountain! What’s New in Magic Kingdom — New Liberty Square Seating, Colorful Cotton Candy, and MORE! View the full article

Director of Fun With Kylie Cantrall & Maxwell Acee Donovan | Disney Cruise Line View the full article

Cirque du Soleil - Drawn to Life - World Premiere at Disney Springs View the full article

In this week’s behind-the-scenes look at “Drawn to Life” by Cirque du Soleil & Disney, we share a little more about the story of the show and the special cast of characters who bring the magic to life. At its core, “Drawn to Life” is the story of the love between a father and a daughter. Delightful, mesmerizing movements of Cirque du Soleil acrobatic mastery pair with the magic of Disney animation to accentuate the story. Our main character is Julie, a courageous and determined young girl. Her father, Tom, was a Disney animator who raised his daughter and surrounded her with Disney animated characters who helped her grow and played important roles in her life. When Julie finds an unfinished animation piece and a letter from her late father, her imagination is awakened, and she embarks on an inspiring journey into the whimsical world of animation. Along the way, she meets characters like Mr. Pencil (her father’s favorite pencil), who help guide her. Julie also encounters Miss Hésitation, the story’s villain, who reflects Julie’s own doubts and fears as an artist. Throughout her adventure, Julie is reunited with Disney characters from her childhood, giving her the encouragement she needs to animate with her own unique artistic voice. Let’s take a look at two acts from the show – The Inner World of Animation and Aerial Pencil: For more show information, visit DisneySprings.com/Cirque. Keep an eye out for another behind-the-scenes video soon! View the full article

As we gear up for the opening of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway on March 4 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, I’m excited to announce the latest addition to the Disney Parks Designer Collection will be themed to this all-new attraction! Designed by Disney Imagineer Kevin Rafferty, Executive Creative Director for the attraction, this ear hat will be released on March 5 at Walt Disney World Resort and online at shopDisney.com. Ready to hop on this wacky ride in style? This colorful ear hat features Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in the setting of “Perfect Picnic,” the cartoon featured in the finale of the attraction, and continues to delight as it lights up with bursting fireworks by the flip of a switch! The back of the ear hat features the saying “Nothing Can Stop Us Now” from the attraction’s loveable theme song and displays a picturesque car ride inside the hat itself! Want to add this zany ear hat to your collection? Be sure to visit shopDisney.com or purchase it at various locations at Walt Disney World Resort including: Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Stage 1 Company Store Legends of Hollywood Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway kiosk Disney Springs: Ever After Jewelry Co. & Accessories Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Available on March 6): Discovery Trading Company EPCOT (Available on March 6): Art of Disney MouseGear Magic Kingdom Park (Available on March 6): Uptown Jewelers Celebrating the opening of his latest project, Kevin Rafferty will appear at Stage 1 Company Store in Disney’s Hollywood Studios to sign the newest ear hat and his book, Magic Journey: My Fantastical Walt Disney Imagineering Career, on March 5 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Opening March 4, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway will take guests of all ages on a whirlwind ride through a world where the rules of physics don’t apply! Inspired by the award-winning Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts, the ride-through attraction is the first at any Disney park to star Mickey, Minnie and their friends. Get ready for even more releases in the Disney Parks Designer Collection coming throughout the year, including: John Coulter – March 14, 2020 (Available Disneyland Resort & shopDisney.com) Her Universe – April 2020 Joe Rohde – April 2020 Her Universe – May 2020 Cupcakes and Cashmere – Summer 2020 Lily Aldridge – Summer 2020 Bret Iwan – Summer 2020 Alex Maher – Summer 2020 Karlie Kloss – Fall 2020 Vera Wang – Fall 2020 Nothing can stop you now! Share your looks inspired by Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway by using #DisneyParksDesignerCollection! Merchandise available while supplies last. We ask that only two (2) items be signed per guest, per time in line. We ask that you bring no personal items to be signed. Valid Walt Disney World Resort receipt may be required. Artist signing is subject to space and time availability and is not guaranteed. Event information subject to change without notice. View the full article

It’s official: Vivoli il Gelato is one of our favorite hang-out spots in Disney Springs. They are always enticing us with their latest treats! Vivoli il Gelato We’ve already tried their interesting Mint Cannoli, but now we’re locked on to the new sweet concoctions they’ve whipped up especially for St. Patrick’s Day! Now you can get a Shamrock Brownie Shake that’ll have you doing a jig of joy. It’s mixed with mint chocolate chip gelato, milk, Nutella brownies, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream for $12.00. Shamrock Brownie Shake You can also grab the Emerald Isle Shake that’s as green as the name suggests for $12.50. This sweet treat is made with mint chocolate chip gelato and pistachio gelato, topped with whipped cream, and served up in a waffle cone. Emerald Isle Sundae If you want to try either of these Irish-inspired sweets, just follow the rainbow to Vivoli il Gelato in Disney Springs. You can hop in line with us! Check out the St. Patrick’s Day eats at D-Luxe Burger HERE! How are you planning on partying on St. Patrick’s Day? Let us know in the comments! Related posts: NEW! You Need to See The August Specials at Vivoli il Gelato in Disney World! NEW! Cookie-Filled Sundae Arrives at Vivoli il Gelato in Disney Springs! The Web Crawler Shake Spins Into Vivoli il Gelato in Disney Springs! View the full article

As you may have just seen during our special #DisneyParksLIVE stream of the dedication of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, we’re offering Disney Parks Blog readers a chance to be one of three (3) winners of the Disney Parks Blog Conductor Goofy Wishables Sweepstakes. You can enter now for a chance to win. This month’s #DisneyParksWishables collection, which is inspired by the new Mickey & Minnie Runaway Railway attraction, is available on March 4 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and online at shopDisney. The collection offers the open-chase edition of Conductor Goofy, with Mickey and Minnie in a car, Daisy, Chuuby and the train engine in the blind bags. You can enter for a chance to win a Conductor Goofy from the #DisneyParksWishables collection by clicking here and following the entry instructions to complete an official entry form. Your entry must state your valid email address and full name. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Sweepstakes starts 3/3/20 at 7:30 p.m. ET and ends 3/3/20 at 8:30 p.m. ET. Open only to persons who, upon entering, are not deemed minors in their jurisdiction of primary residence and are legal residents of, and physically located within, the 50 U.S. or D.C. Limit 1 entry per person/per email address. For complete details, including full eligibility requirements, odds of winning and limitations, see Official Rules. Void where prohibited by law. View the full article

This may come as a shock to some, but there are actually a TON of activities you and your family can take part in at Walt Disney World WITHOUT a park ticket. Welcome to Walt Disney World! There’s a whole world of fun to be had at Disney outside of the parks, and we’re here to shed some light on opportunities you may want to add to your next Disney vacation! Surprisingly enough, there is a laundry list of activities guests can participate in around the Disney parks without a park ticket! We have 8 of our favorites listed below. 1. Fireworks Did you know that you can actually see the Magic Kingdom fireworks show, Happily Ever After, without entering a park? You can catch the show from a few Disney World Resort locations including Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, and Disney’s Contemporary Resort. You may even be able to sneak a peek of Happily Ever After while dining at ‘Ohana at The Polynesian or Narcoossee’s at the Grand Floridian. If you’re dining near showtime, be sure to ask for a table near a window for a good view! The restaurants even dim the lights and play the fireworks soundtrack so you can listen along as well! Fireworks and castle from Narcoossee’s One of the restaurants with the best views of the show is California Grill at the Contemporary Resort. Sitting at the top of the Contemporary, the restaurant is lined with floor to ceiling windows AND has a huge adjacent balcony that guests who dine at the restaurant any time that evening can view the fireworks from (if you ate earlier in the night, just return with your receipt!). View of Fireworks from California Grill If you are not dining at one of these spots but still want to watch Happily Ever After, you can still see the magic and hear the music on the beach at The Polynesian. Polynesian Village Resort Beach This may be a good option for little ones who may be a bit scared to be right in front of the loud fireworks! Check out other restaurants with prime fireworks views HERE! 2. Golf Looking to stay on top of your golf game on vacay? Disney World actually has four golf courses to choose from: Disney’s Magnolia Golf Course, Disney’s Lake Buena Vista Course, Disney’s Palm Golf Course, and Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course. You can schedule a tee-time by clicking here. Magnolia Golf Course ©Disney For a kid-friendly option, Disney World also has two miniature golf courses to try out. Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course has a “Fantasia” theme and Disney’s Winter Summerland features seasonal themes. Both miniature courses have two 18-hole adventures. Fantasia Gardens Mini Golf ©Disney These cost $14 for adults (10+ yrs) and $12 for children (3-9 yrs). Although these courses aren’t totally free options, they can still help you instill some Disney magic in a day away from the parks! 3. Electrical Water Pageant The Electrical Water Pageant is a 15 minutes show that takes place in Disney’s Seven Seas Lagoon starting right before Happily Ever After. This light parade takes place nightly and you can catch a green serpent, octopus, seahorses, American Flags, and more, along with a catchy synthetic soundtrack, as it plays in the water in front of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and outside the entrance to Magic Kingdom park. ©Disney You can find out what time to expect the parade here based on where you are viewing from. 4. Horseback Riding Feeling adventurous? Why not go horseback riding in Tri-Circle-D-Ranch at the Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. ©Disney Guests must be 9 years of age and pricing starts at $55 per person for 45 minutes. 5. Go on a Safari Trot on over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge if you’re up for a WILD time. Disney is currently offering a Starlight Safari for ages 8 to adult for $74.17. Guests are given a night-vision device to help them spot the 30+ species that freely roam at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. ©Disney This hour-long in a safari vehicle is fun and educational at the same time. tour For reservations and more information call (407) 939-7529. 6. Meet the Characters You can also meet a large number of Disney characters without a park ticket. Yup, you read that right! There are multiple character dining options within the Disney resorts. For example, if you’d like to meet Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto, and Goofy, you can visit Chef Mickey’s located at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. You can also meet Disney characters while dining at Storybook Dining at Artist Point at Wilderness Lodge. Here, you can meet Snow White, Dopey, Grumpy, and the Evil Queen. Chef Mickey’s You’ve gotta eat, so getting a meal AND a chance to meet a selection of characters is a great way to make good use of your time at Disney! For a full list of character dining options both inside and outside of the park — click here! 7. Carriage Rides Another unique and fun activity you can do without a park ticket is to take a horse-drawn carriage ride. You can find this activity offered at the Riverside Levee Marina at Port Orleans – Riverside. Each 25-minute horse-drawn carriage ride fits 4 adults (or 2 adults and 3 small children) for $55. Port Orleans Horsedrawn Carriage Ride 8. Shopping Need an excuse for a Disney shopping spree? Head to Disney Springs to find awesome Disney merchandise, restaurants, and experiences — all without going into the parks! There are so many things to see and do, you could easily spend a day exploring around. Disney World is NOT limited to just theme parks. If you go looking, there’s SO MUCH more to do. Want even more ideas? Check out our video below for more fun things you can do at Disney! And if you love this video, there’s plenty more for you to enjoy over on our DFB YouTube Channel! What is your favorite activity Disney activity that you can do without a park ticket? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: DFB Tips: How To Plan Your Girls’ Weekend in Disney World! DFB Video: Top 5 Disney World Resorts for FOOD! 36 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do at Walt Disney World! View the full article

We don’t need any shamrocks or lucky charms where we’re going! Belle Vue Lounge at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn That’s because we already count ourselves amongst the fortunate who are on the inside of one of Disney World’s best-kept secrets spots — the Belle Vue Lounge at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn! You see, we’ve been coming here for years. And while we have a long list of lounges we enjoy sipping the night (and our achy feet from all THAT WALKIN’) away at, the BoardWalk Inn’s Belle Vue holds a special place in our hearts! Every now and then we even find a new surprise on the menu — like the one we stumbled upon today! Belle Vue Lounge at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn In honor of St. Paddy’s Day, the Belle Vue Lounge is currently pouring up their version of a classic cocktail and it’s called a Lucky Grasshopper! Lucky Grasshopper The seasonal cocktail costs $12 and includes Bols Crème De Menthe, Bols Crème De Cacao, and Half & Half. Lucky Grasshopper Ah yes, we’d know that Crème de Menthe green color anywhere! But good looks aside, the Lucky Grasshopper tastes just like an after-dinner mint! The drink is perfectly rich and creamy from the Half & Half while the chocolate and minty liqueurs add just the right hint of sweetness! We’ll take a vat of this stuff! Lucky Grasshopper Looking for even more St. Patrick’s Day food and drinks to show off your Erin go Bragh excitement? Check out our review of D-Luxe Burger’s new Dubliner Burger and Irish Cream Gelato Shake HERE! Have you ever been to the Belle Vue Lounge before? Tell us what your favorite Disney World lounge or bar is in the comments below! Related posts: Review & Photos: BoardWalk Bakery’s Newest Cupcake is a Beauty! Our FAVORITE New Disney Tacos Have Been Moved to the Secret Menu! Review! The New Mandarin Kiss Drink Packs A Tangy Punch in Disney World! View the full article

We’ve already seen many of the Flower and Garden topiaries make their way to Epcot as the Disney World theme park readies itself for Wednesday including a new Remy one! Kermit Topiary And while Disney’s officially released which food booths will be returning along with their menus, they’ve yet to announce how much we can expect to pay! But that all changed today when we noticed some of the food booths scattered throughout the World Showcase were beginning to post their menus WITH PRICES! Epcot Flower and Garden Festival Pineapple Promenade’s menu revealed its prices which include the Spicy Hot Dog for $8, Mixed Berry Buttermilk Cake for $5, and Dole Whip for $5.25. The price of one of the Flower and Garden Festival’s signature frozen drinks, Violet Lemonade, has increased from $4.25 to $4.50 this year. 2020 Pineapple Promenade Menu Meanwhile, it looks like the Trowel & Trellis’ returning menu offerings from last year including the Grilled Street Corn on the Cob, Farmhouse Meatball, and Chocolate Pudding Terrarium have all gone up 25 cents. 2020 Trowel and Trellis Food Menu Trowel and Trellis’ has the same beverage offerings as last year which have also slightly increased. 2020 Trowel and Trellis Menu We got to preview the prices for the all-new Magnolia Terrace making its Flower and Garden debut this year! While earlier we got to try some of the new eats you’ll find at this outdoor kitchen centrally located in the American Adventure pavilion, know we know how much they’re gonna cost! Southern Seafood Boil: Shrimp, Mussels, Crawfish, Potatoes, Corn and Andouille Sausage See our review of Magnolia Terrace’s foods and drinks HERE! The Southern Seafood Boil is $8, while the Grilled Oysters are priced at $7.50. House-made Boudin Two Way (one of our favorites on the new menu!) costs $5.50 and for dessert, Magnolia Terrace’s Pecan Cake is $4.75 while their Pecan Praline is $4.25! 2020 Magnolia Terrace Menu Beers including Wild Heaven Beer Session Citrus Lager, The Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery Amber Ale, and Parish Brewing Co. Ghost in the Machine Double IPA will be $4.50 each or $9.50 for a flight. 2020 Magnolia Terrace Menu At La Isla Fresca, the Sugar Cane Shrimp Skewer has remained at $7 while the Lamb Curry and Tropical Mousse Cup have increased by 25 cents. 2020 La Isla Fresca Menu La Isla Fresca’s drink costs vary from $4.50 up to $10 for the Spiked Tropical Freeze. 2020 La Isla Fresca Menu Baukrnmarket in Germany’s pavilion has eats that range from $5.50 to $4.50. 2020 Bauernmarkt Menu Beverages at Bauernmarkt start at $4.50 and go all the way up to $10 for the Apfelschaumwein. 2020 Bauernmarkt Menu The Citrus Blossom is one of our favorite food booths to stop by! The Orange Cream Shake served in an Orange Bird Sipper costs $15 this year, which is $1 more than it was back in 2019! 2020 Citrus Blossom Menu What could be more exciting than an Orange Bird Sipper? How about a Spike the Bee Sipper? According to The Honey Bee-stro’s new menu, you’ll be able to score your Spike Sippers fully-loaded with the Honey Peach Freeze (which btw, is DEE-LICIOUS!) for $15 bucks, the same as Orange Bird! The Honey Bee-stro 2020 Menu The Honey Bee-stro also serves some of the dishes we’re most excited about getting our hands on when the festival begins. Here are the 2020 prices for their tasty, bee-utiful cuisine! The Honey Bee-stro 2020 Menu And here’s the menu for Northern Bloom, Canada’s outdoor kitchen! Seared Scallops will set you back $7 while the booth’s most affordable food item is the Grilled Maple Pound Cake for $4.75. 2020 Northern Bloom Food Menu Northern Bloom’s beverages range from $4.50 to $13! 2020 Northern Bloom Drink Menu It’s not unusual to see small price hikes year-to-year with the festival food booths menus, so everything looks to be about what we were expecting! That’s all of the Flower and Garden Festival outdoor kitchens that have posted their prices so far, but we’ll keep checking back and updating you as more booths put their menus up! We also saw signage going up for the new Garden Graze menu items you can learn more about HERE! Garden Graze 2020 Read everything about the new Garden Graze Flower and Garden Festival stroll HERE! And to get you ready for Wednesday, be sure to get your Flower and Garden free DFB printables and festival map HERE! Check out the full line-up of Epcot’s Flower and Garden food booths and menus HERE! What are you most excited about trying at this year’s Flower and Garden Festival when it starts March 4th? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: First Look! NEW Food Coming to the 2020 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival! News! FULL FOOD BOOTH MENUS for the 2020 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival! Check Out the Disney Food Blog EXCLUSIVE 2020 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival Map! View the full article

Last week a brand-new dining plan was announced for Resort hotel guests and the panel could not be more excited about Disney Dining Plan Plus. The new plan, which offers more flexibility in dining options, gives guests two meals per night of their package stay to redeem at either Table-Service restaurants, Quick-Service locations, character dining experiences, or a combination. With the new plan guests also received two snacks per night and one Resort-Refillable Drink Mug (mugs are eligible for refills from full-service beverage islands at any Disney Resort Hotel Quick-Service location.) Meals can be redeemed in any order and in any combination. Unused meals and snacks rollover day to day so you can use them whenever you want during your stay. For Thiana, this new dining plan option could not have come at a better time as she is going to be upgrading to this plan for her upcoming trip. “We love Table-Service restaurants, but always felt like the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan was too much food for us, so with that said, the Disney Dining plan has always been our choice. We really enjoy sitting down and eating at restaurants, it’s a great way to take a break and relax. Yes, we are the family that loves a quiet meal! We also usually use snack credits for breakfast, so this plan is absolutely perfect for my family!” Allyn never plans a Walt Disney World Resort vacation without a dining plan and is excited to tell others about the new option. She reminds guests that if you are interested in modifying your current Disney Dining Plan, please call the Disney Reservations Center at 407-WDW-Disney to speak to an agent. “Disney Dining Plan Plus will allow my family to have a Character meal for breakfast that will keep us full until a table-service dinner. It will also be an excellent option for my family as it would not only reduce the amount we spend out of pocket, we typically do buy an extra meal with our current dining plan option, but give us more uninterrupted park time since we won’t have to stop for lunch. I can’t wait to try it out on an upcoming long weekend trip!” exclaims Sarah. Donyell seconds the thought of enjoying a bigger breakfast with the new plan, while saving money too! “My family loves to eat big in the morning and evening so we started using the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan to make sure we had enough table-service options. With the Disney Dining Plan Plus, we can still enjoy a character breakfast and a fabulous dinner while using our snack entitlements to recharge in the middle of the day. And we can save a little money! Since we are always on a budget, this plan will be perfect for us, especially as we make those pre-park opening dining reservations and make plans to end our days sharing a meal with galactic tales of the day’s adventures!” To learn more about Disney Dining Plans, or for general Disney vacation planning tips, visit DisneyParksMomsPanel.com for an answer from one of our panelists. Panelists receive compensation for their participation on the Disney Parks Moms Panel. View the full article

We gotta admit — the new 2020 Food and Wine Festival merch is pretty irresistible to us Disney foodies, especially the adorable sequinned Chef Minnie Ears! Chef Minnie Ears And while we’ve managed to control ourselves around the Festival merch booths, we definitely can’t say the same when it comes to the food booths! Yeah, we pretty much eaten everything that wasn’t glued down! But now that we’ve had some time to digest, it’s time to talk merch! Luckily, we know exactly WHAT we wanna bring home with us this year! Check out the PRINT of this adorable new Food and Wine Festival Pillow made by Disney artist Jeff Granito! Photo Courtesy of @jeffgranitodesigns Read our REVIEWS of EVERY FOOD BOOTH at Disney California Adventure’s Food and Wine Festival HERE! Um, can we request some curtains and maybe even a dress made with this amazingly chic print? Of course, it might make us REALLY hungry staring at these colorful graphics of some of our favorite Disney park eats including Dole Whip, Caramel Apples, Ice Cream, Pretzels, Churros and more! 2020 Food and Wine Festival Passport Even though the Food and Wine Festival runs through April 21st, 2020, according to the artist’s Instagram, you’ll only have until the end of THIS WEEK to nab one of these exclusive pillowcases. Plus, they’re limited-edition, so consider yourself extremely lucky if you get your hands on one! Check out the complete list of food booths and menus at this year’s Food and Wine Festival HERE! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Check out our Disneyland Food Reviews Here!! What do you think of this print? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: Review! Golden Dreams Is Back at the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival — and With a Brand New MENU! Review! What’s Poppin’ at Uncork California at the 2020 Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival! We Know You Go For the Eats and Drinks, But Check Out How AMAZING the Food and Wine Booths Look at Disney California Adventure This Year! View the full article

This February, we celebrated Black History Month by hosting special events for our cast members. Today, we are excited to share a glimpse into the ways we celebrated culture, innovation, and heritage at Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, and Walt Disney Imagineering. At Disney, we strive to foster a culture in which each of our cast members feels a sense of belonging, their voices are heard, their efforts are valued, and they can bring their authentic selves to work. And there is specific importance of recognizing the roots, heritage, and culture of our cast members during special observances like Black History Month. At Walt Disney World Resort, month-long activities were kicked-off by PULSE (People Uniting to Lead, Serve & Excel), a business employee resource group for cast members of Black, African-American and Caribbean descent and their allies. Celebrations included a career-focused panel where cast members were joined by company leaders including Vice President of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Djuan Rivers; Director of Manufacturing for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, Fred Cox; General Manager of Disney Springs Retail Operations, LeRoy Arrington; and Regional General Manager of Disney Resort Operations, Valerie Ferguson. Taking celebrations into the community, Walt Disney World Resort VoluntEARs and community leaders hosted 75 students at Levy Hughes Boys & Girls Club in Central Florida for a special Black History Month read-in featuring readings from “I am Rosa Parks” by Brad Meltzer and “CROWN: An Ode to the Fresh Cut” by Denene Millner Books. Over at Disneyland Resort, PULSE also welcomed executive leaders for an engaging panel that offered a peek into the Disney career journeys of the executives. The insightful conversation gave a look into the careers of Vice President of Creative & Advanced Development, Shelby Jiggetts-Tivony; Executive Creative Development and Inclusive Strategies for Walt Disney Imagineering, Carmen Smith; and Vice President of Human Resources, Avis Lewis. The panel was also moderated by Senior Manager of Merchandise Events & Marketing, Martha Blanding. PULSE also hosted more than 80 cast members for a Meet and Greet event where they met with current members of PULSE and Disneyland Resort President Rebecca Campbell. Walt Disney Imagineering celebrated the month with activities including a panel to drive awareness around being mindful about culture and inclusion and recognizing that everyone has a unique, inspirational story to tell. The panel featured Executive of The National Council of Negro Women, Inc., Dr. Johnnetta Cole; Senior Vice President – Current Series and Alt Development for Freeform, Jamila Hunter; and President – Walt Disney Imagineering Business Operations/Product Creation/Games & Publishing and Executive Sponsor of the WAKANDA business employee resource group, Kareem Daniel. Walt Disney Imagineering also shared a special “SAY IT LOUD!” art exhibition on their Glendale campus created in partnership with the Museum of African American Art, Los Angeles. During Black History Month – and every day – we celebrate the cultures that bring us together and make up our communities. Stay tuned as we continue to tell more stories about special cast member events and celebrations all year long! View the full article

Making memories in Disney World can be pretty magical! Cinderella Castle That’s why the Walt Disney World Resort is giving away the chance of a lifetime with their newest sweepstakes — a free trip to Disney World! The Disney Junior “Discover the Magic” Sweepstakes is running for the entire month of March and will give you the opportunity to enter for a chance to win a vacation a FREE for four people! The prize package includes a 5-day, 4-night stay at a deluxe Disney World resort, along with four 5-day tickets with Park Hopper, and a $500 Disney Gift Card! That sounds like all the makings of a perfect family vacay to us! ©Disney To enter and see the official rules of entry for the Disney Junior “Discover the Magic” Sweepstakes, click here! We hope the magical winner will be YOU! Will you be entering for a chance to win a trip to Disney World? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: DFB Video: Can You Believe They Do This in Disney World?! Star Wars Hotel Construction Update: See What Disney World’s Galactic Starcruiser Looks Like Now! DFB Video: Latest Disney Parks News — CEO Shakeup, HUGE Refurb News, and MORE! View the full article

Disneyland Resort cast members were invited to an exclusive viewing of the new parade “Magic Happens” last week. More than 8,000 cast members gathered down Main Street, U.S.A. after park closing to enjoy snacks, a unique photo opportunity, as well as cheer on their fellow cast members as they performed the highly anticipated “Magic Happens” parade for the first time. “One thing that is so cool about the Disneyland Resort is they have a cast member-first culture, that’s why we’re able to see such amazing things, such as ‘Magic Happens,’” says Professional Intern Ryan Williamson. This preview is just one of many exclusive opportunities for cast members at the Disneyland Resort. From summer canoe races around the Rivers of America to first looks at the resort’s newest entertainment and attractions, cast members are at the forefront of the magic happening within the parks. “I can’t believe that I get to work for a company where you get the opportunity to see a parade before everybody else,” says Tomorrowland Food & Beverage cast member Delaney Kunkle. “I’ve been watching the concept art and following the social media, now to be here to see it is a dream come true.” View the full article

YES, my fellow Adventurers! We’re already back at The Tropical Hideaway in Disneyland with ANOTHER new menu item… because the fun never stops here at this Adventureland spot! NEW Dole Whip Float I mean, have you SEEN the brand new Tropical Raspberry Lemon Dole Whip Float?!? But wait, there’s more… because today we’re also checking out the new Loco Moco Bao! Let’s see what “The Tropical Hideaway Certified River Mail” has delivered with this new item… Loco Moco Bao Spotted on the “From the Steamer” menu featuring soft, steamed Bao Buns, the Loco Moco Bao ($5.99) combines spiced ham with ground beef, egg, and mushroom gravy for a twist on the Hawaiian dish. From the Steamer Menu The meat is very nicely seasoned in this savory bao bun, with an additional burst of flavor from the mushroom gravy. Loco Moco Bao If you’re a fan of bao buns, we think you’ll find this to be a truly tasty addition to the lineup at The Tropical Hideaway, like we did! Loco Moco Bao Oh, and if you find yourself in Disney California Adventure instead of Disneyland park, you can find another twist on Loco Moco with the Smoked Bacon Barbecue Beef Loco Moco on Rice at the LA Style Booth as part of the 2020 Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival! No matter where you may find yourself in Disneyland Resort today, we’re sure you’re going to have plenty of flavorful adventures! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Check out more Disneyland Food Reviews Here!! Would you like to try the Loco Moco Bao? Please let us know with a comment! Related posts: FIRST LOOK! Welcome to The Tropical Hideaway in Disneyland’s Adventureland — Grand Opening Friday! The Tropical Hideaway to Open Later This Year in Disneyland (Plus a Sneak Peek at the Menu!) FULL Review! The Tropical Hideaway — Disneyland’s Newest Hangout in Adventureland! View the full article

“The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.” Mulan Minnie Ears And if you can’t wait until March 27th to see the brave warrior whom The Emperor is referring to when the new live-action remake of Mulan debuts in theaters, find out how you can see a special preview at the Disney parks! Starting March 20th, guests will be able to catch sneak peeks of the new film! The trailers will be showing at the Tomorrowland Theater in Disneyland, as well as featured as part of the Walt Disney Presents attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and aboard Disney Cruise Line during select sailings in late March. ©Disney But hold up! Who is that girl I see staring straight back at me? That’s right — even MORE Mulan goodness is coming to Disney World beginning March 13th! A brand-new action sequence is being added to the nighttime spectacular “Disney Movie Magic,” when it returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for a limited run! ©Disney And don’t forget to check out all the new Mulan merchandise we’ve recently spotted on shopDisney here! We’re keeping our eyes peeled for it throughout the Disney parks, and we’ll let you know as soon as it makes its way to Disney World and Disneyland but for now, you can check out the new Mulan Minnie Ears we’ve spotted only on the West coast here! Which new Disney movie are you more excited about — Onward or the Mulan remake? Let us know in the comments below! Related posts: Find Out Which Disney Attractions Are Closed For Refurbishment This Week! NEW Dooney and Bourke Holiday Collection Is “Sleighing” the Game at the Disney Parks! Disney FINALLY Has a Pair of Mulan Minnie Ears and They’re Reversible! View the full article

Sherry Cola from Freeform’s ‘Good Trouble’ and Elle Paris Legaspi from Freeform’s “Party of Five” took a break from shooting their TV shows to embark on a Disney Cruise Line sailing out of Miami to the Caribbean aboard the Disney Magic! To join them on all the fun, Radio Disney sent social media superstar, Montana Tucker. Together the group lived the #DisneyCruiseLife enjoying enchanting entertainment and Disney’s Private Island Castaway Cay plus one heroic Marvel Day at Sea. It was a week full of excitement and relaxation. Their Disney Cruise vacation began with Mickey’s Sail-A-Wave Deck Party. Sherry, Elle, and Montana danced along with their favorite Disney Characters and waved goodbye to the Miami skyline. The next day the Disney Magic underwent a heroic transformation for Marvel Day at Sea. Mighty encounters were around every corner where Sherry, Elle, and Montana met some of their favorite heroes including Spider-Man, Black Panther, Iron Man, and Groot! Later that day Montana jived to songs from the 1930’s & 40’s at the Star-Spangled USO Show salute to Captain America while Sherry and Elle got mystical with Doctor Strange’s Journey into the Mystic Arts. That night, the whole group gathered on the top deck for an explosive and unforgettable event, the Marvel Heroes Unite Deck Show. It was an epic battle between good and evil as only Marvel could deliver. To end the day, Sherry Cola “shook her groove thing” to the most awesome retro tunes at the Ravagers Club featuring the Guardians of the Galaxy, an adult-exclusive party. The next two days were filled a ton of fun in the sun! Aboard the Disney Magic, Sherry and Elle climbed to the highest point of the ship to plunge 3 stories down the AquaDunk body slide. Shoreside, on Castaway Cay, the pair went snorkeling for the very first time where they were lucky enough to spot a stingray! Meanwhile, Montana grabbed a delicious frozen drink at Olaf’s Summertime Freeze before getting on an Aqua Trike to tread the crystal-blue waters. On their second to last day, Sherry, Elle, and Montana were invited to a special rehearsal inside the Walt Disney Theater alongside the cast members of the Disney Magic’s Broadway-caliber shows. They got a special sneak peek at what it takes to perform aboard the ship and even learned a few dance steps! Sherry next spent the afternoon at Senses Spa while Elle and Montana relaxed poolside. That evening, they all got the royal treatment at Rapunzel’s Royal Table restaurant, one of the ship’s themed dining experiences inspired by Disney’s hit animated movie Tangled! For Sherry, Elle, and Montana it was an unforgettable week filled with memories that will last a lifetime! Don’t forget to watch the season finales of “Good Trouble” and “Party of Five” March 4, 2020, on Freeform; also streaming on Hulu! Listen to internet radio at RadioDisney.com! View the full article