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We know that for all of you Star Wars fans there’s a lot to be excited about this week. That’s why I’ve collected all of the exciting news that was just shared on Saturday at Star Wars Celebration related to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Consider this your one-stop-shop for all the exciting things we learned about the land on both coasts to prepare us for our trip to Batuu! Coca-Cola Announcement: When visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, you’ll be able to enjoy classic Coca-Cola products just like in the rest of Disney Parks, but with a special galactic twist… We learned more about what you’ll be able to do on the Play Disney Parks app when exploring Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and how new adventures and personalized interactions will make your visit to Batuu even more fun, including the new game “Outpost Control”! “FanFessional” Stories Were Shared: Fans attending the celebration were given a special chance to record their own personal stories of their favorite Star Wars memories — from experiences watching the Star Wars films for the first time to sharing their love for Star Wars with friends and family. All of these memories were captured and saved in a time capsule that will live inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World Resort, where the stories and memories will become a part of the land. A Look at Bringing Hondo Ohnaka to Life: We were given an exciting look at the new A-1000 figure that guests will soon be able to interact with at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the ultimate ruffian, Hondo Ohnaka. FIRST Robotics Announcement: Looking to win a trip to see Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland? Disney is teaming up with FIRST, a global robotics organization, for the Force for Change initiative and anyone who re-tweets this video gets entered for a chance to win! View the full article

Today we’re back with another Disney Doodle from artist Ashley Taylor. In our Disney Doodles series, our Disney artists take turns imagining what different Disney characters would do or see first if they had the chance to visit a Disney Park. Today, Ashley envisions what Powerline would do if he could visit Magic Kingdom Park. “Powerline never misses an opportunity to put on a great show!” Ashley said. “It’s easy to imagine him taking advantage of the Tomorrowland Stage to perform his heart out!” View the full article

It’s here! We’ve made it another year, U.S. Friends! I’m talkin’ about Tax Day. Whether you received a hefty refund, or you’re still crying over the check you had to write, one thing is for certain: we are all happy to have the task of settling up with Uncle Sam done and over with for another year. Feel a Little Like This On Tax Day? Yeah. Us, Too. And we think that it’s time to take a TAX BREAK…and plan your DISNEY TRIP INSTEAD! I mean doesn’t this look like so much more fun?!? Hello from the Magic Kingdom! So for one week only, we’re offering a fantastic opportunity to save…(and an excuse to blow off your responsibilities and start making FASTPASS PLANS)! ;-D Use promo code TAXDAY and save 50% Off the Everything Bundle for a VERY limited time! A $100 Value for Under $30! Save 50% Off of the DFB Everything Bundle with Our HUGE Tax Day Sale! To celebrate Tax Day you can get 50% off the Everything Bundle — which is already super discounted! So you’re getting a sale on top of a sale – which is completely awesome! Check out the Everything Bundle! The Everything Bundle includes all of our MOST popular DFB Guides: The 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining The DFB Guide to Magic Kingdom Snacks The DFB Guide to Epcot Snacks The DFB Guide to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios Snacks A Pre-Order of the 2019 DFB Guide to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, and the 2018 Edition for FREE as an immediate download A Pre-Order of the 2019 DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World Holidays, and the 2018 Edition for FREE as an immediate download The 2019 DFB Guide to the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival That’s the MOST popular books in our collection of critically-acclaimed DFB Guides — individually priced at a total of over $100! But today, you get them for LESS THAN $30!! Wanna know more before you commit? See what other readers just like you are saying about our collection of DFB Guide Books at the DFB Store Testimonials Page! We only do this sale about twice a year, so now’s the time to take action. To take advantage of this amazing deal, just enter Promo Code TAXDAY at checkout! For more detailed information and screen shots from the e-Book, head over to DFBStore.com. With a 100% money-back guarantee, you have nothing to lose! Related posts: Start Planning Your Next Disney Vacation with A BIG Sale on the DFB Everything Bundle! Save 45% Off EVERYTHING in the DFB Store…And Start Planning YOUR Next Disney Trip! Today is THE Day to Start Planning Your Next Disney Vacation with A HUGE Sale on the DFB Everything Bundle! View the full article

Happy weekend! Here’s all the Disney food news this week! The 2019 Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival kicked off March 1 and we have the FULL MENUS here! Oh, and we’ve also got SECRET menu info and reviews for you! The 2019 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival started March 6, and we have the menus! And be sure to check out our BEST of the Fest! AND – the opening dates for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge were announced for BOTH Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios! Specialty Lemon Cheesecake We have a lot to share with you this week, so let’s jump right in… Disney Food News We shared all the news and updates from the Star Wars Celebration. We checked out the one-day only Haunted Mansion specials at the Magic Kingdom. Check out the three Disney World discounts you need to know about. We reviewed the new Easter Bunny Cupcake at Disneyland. We reviewed lunch at The Plaza Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom. We checked out all the eats available with the Animal Kingdom Tasting Sampler. We spotted new Star Wars Loungefly backpacks. Check out this Finding Nemo tumbler at the Animal Kingdom. We spotted a Disney Skyliner gondola “with character!” The title has been revealed for Star Wars: Episode IX. A “Beauty and the Beast”-inspired lounge is coming to the Grand Floridian. We spotted the Minnie Mouse Balloon popcorn bucket at the Magic Kingdom. There’s a new Mickey’s 90th Birthday travel mug at Disneyland. Check out the limited-time Dapper Day Cocktails at Disneyland. Disney shared a video tour of the Galaxy’s Edge booth at the Star Wars Celebration. We checked out what’s new in Epcot this week. Check out the 45 insanely Instragrammable eats at Disney World and Disneyland. We shared a first look at the Primark Cafe with Disney from the U.K. Check out the new Disney Ticket Center in Disney Springs. We shared a first look at the ride vehicle for Rise of the Resistance. See how you can get a free Dole Whip Froscato at Wine Bar George. Check out our top 5 time-sensitive snacks at Disney World. We have details on the new Annual Passholder discounts in Disney Springs. We spotted a new must-have Spaceship Earth accessory in Epcot. We shared details on the 2020 Free Dining offer for residents of the U.K.! Check out the Annual Passholder exclusive merch at the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival. We reviewed the new Salted Pecan Triple Chocolate Chip Cookie at Epoct. See the details on the new Planet Based Cuisine Guide at the Magic Kingdom. We checked out what’s new at the Epcot-area resorts. We shared details on the new Joffrey’s location at the ESPN Wide World of Sports. We found an unexpected springtime treat at Kringla Bakeri og Kafe in Epcot. We shared details on the new parking garage opening at Disney Springs. Check out the new Peanut Butter Tart we found in Epcot. We shared all the details on the new Epcot Forever nighttime show. We shared our Star Wars 101 – everything you need to know before going to Galaxy’s Edge. Check out the new gelato-filled donuts in Disney Springs. We shared details on the Disney World hotels you need to stay at for your first visit to Galaxy’s Edge. We reviewed lunch at Fairfax Fare in Hollywood Studios. Check out the newest springtime cupcake at the Boardwalk Bakery. We have the date for the last performance of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. We shared the details on a change to Disneyland’s MaxPass. Check out the fourth souvenir spork at Disneyland’s Tropical Hideaway. Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny are meeting guests at the Magic Kingdom. We shared a photo tour of the Easter Egg display at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. Check out all the details for the Party for the Planet at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We shared photos and more from the Easter Egg display at Disney’s Beach Club Resort. We have the new time for the Rise & Shine Brunch at Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’. We visited Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy again and have more details for you. Check out the temporary bar at Disney’s Grand Floridian. The Animal Kingdom Tasting Sampler is returning this spring and we have details. We reviewed the Briar Rose Gold Cake at Contempo Cafe. We shared more details about Ronto Roasters at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Check out the new Disney Parks Wishables plush toys. We shared details on the Easter Sunday offerings in Disney Springs. We reviewed the new Briar Rose Gold Tart at Disney’s Yacht Club. We shared the opening date for the 2019 Candlelight Processional. Tickets are on sale now for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. We shared the 2019 DFB Disney Cupcake Crawl. New DFB YouTube videos: Disney Perks That Only the Experts Get, 8 Bizarre Disney Rumors Busted, 9 Things I Never Thought I’d Say at Disney, and How to Avoid These 6 Disney Disasters. New DFB Video — 9 Things I Never Thought I’d Say at Disney World Have you subscribed to the DFB YouTube Channel? We’ve got FOUR brand new videos EVERY WEEK showcasing our adventures in Disney World and Disneyland! This week, we’re sharing our latest video — check it out — 9 Things I Never Thought I’d Say at Disney — and don’t forget to subscribe here. Deal of the Week: Order the 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining for 25% off It’s time to order the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2019 e-book! With over 700 pages of full-color photos, tips on the best restaurants, an ENTIRE chapter on snacks — including the best snack credit values throughout the parks and resorts — and a full break-down of whether the Disney Dining Plan is worth it for your family, now’s the time to get started! What’s in the DFB Guide? The DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full to overflowing with tools and features to make your trip go smoothly, including: A 5-Step Strategy for Disney Dining Planning, covering everything you need to know from budgeting and booking to kids’ meals, dining discounts, and fireworks. A comprehensive and in-depth look at EVERY Disney World restaurant, kiosk, bar, and lounge, including our personal tips to ensure a positive and stress-free dining experience. Four free, downloadable worksheets for planning your trip. These worksheets are designed to help you execute all the steps of planning the perfect Disney dining experience. And they’re reusable for all of your future trips! Seven sample one-day dining itineraries for a head-start on planning. A comprehensive index of bars and lounges WITH reviews. An often under-appreciated option for both dining and entertainment, the e-Book devotes a whole index to the topic. The ability to be read on your mobile device or computer! It’s fully portable right in your pocket! You can order your copy today for 25% off the cover price! Just use code WDW2019! DFB Reader Finds If you find a fun new food — or other edible awesomeness — in or around Disney, share a photo with us on instagram, facebook, or twitter so we can add it to our DFB Reader Finds each Sunday. Dole Whip is one of the most ICONIC snacks at Disney World (and Disneyland) and you know we love it! DFB reader Alexandria shared a super fun photo with us this week with the caption: “I thought you would appreciate some original Dole Whip from Hawaii!” Um…BRB booking our flight to Hawaii! ;-D Dole Whip from Hawaii! We LOVE hearing from our readers and YouTube viewers and this message from Nick Salcedo was one of our favorites this week: “On our trip to Walt Disney World we just got back from, we stepped our food game up BIG. With help from DisneyFoodBlog we were able to get the full experience of food being an attraction. With as big as our list was, we were not able to eat it all. Thanks AJ for helping us out!!” Looks like some good eats! Do you have a favorite Disney Food find? Share a photo with us on instagram, facebook, or twitter so we can add it to our DFB Reader Finds. On to the Round-Up! Mickey Fix shared this super fun Dole Whip Alex and Ani! WDW for Grownups shared five crazy cookies you’ve got to try on your next Disney World visit. Disney Parks Blog showcased Latin-inspired eats at the DCA Food and Wine Festival. Disney Family shared a recipe for a Rapunzel-inspired Smoothie Bowl. Don’t Miss ANY Disney Food News! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Related posts: Disney Food News This Week: Cauldrons, Kringla, Christmas, and MORE! September 2, 2018 NEWS! New Disney Parks Spectaculars, Attractions and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Updates and MUCH MORE from D23 Destination D! Disney Food News This Week: What’s NEW At The Disney Parks? View the full article

We’ve got another Disney World Resort Chocolate Easter Egg Display for you today! We’ve previously visited the displays at Disney’s Grand Floridian, Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. Contemporary Resort Easter Egg Display And today’s trip takes us to Disney’s Contemporary Resort, where the pastry chefs have delivered another stunning display. Contemporary Resort Easter Egg Display Contemporary Resort Easter Egg Display Speaking of those chefs, check out this tribute to Pastry Chef Jeff Barnes who leads the Contemporary Resort Bakery Team! Contemporary Resort Bakery Team Easter Egg Contemporary Resort Bakery Team Easter Egg This Disney Snacks Egg is topped with a Dole Whip in a Mickey-themed bowl! Disney Snacks Egg Contemporary Resort Easter Egg Display Here’s another very “contemporary” egg, making the most of all the current Minnie Mouse Ears color trends like Rose Gold, Potion Purple, and Iridescent. Contemporary Resort Easter Egg Display You’ll spot it next to the Mystic Manor Egg, complete with the logo for the Society of Explorers and Adventurers! Contemporary Resort Easter Egg Display Disney film and character tributes include Aladdin, Chip ‘n Dale, Finding Nemo, Dumbo, and many more. Aladdin Egg Contemporary Resort Easter Egg Display Chip ‘n Dale Egg Mine, Mine, Mine Egg Contemporary Resort Easter Egg Display Stitch Egg Spring and Easter Eggs are surrounded with more character tributes. Contemporary Resort Easter Egg Display Contemporary Resort Easter Egg Display Contemporary Resort Easter Egg Display Contemporary Resort Easter Egg Display Contemporary Resort Easter Egg Display Many thanks to the Contemporary Resort Bakery Team — and to all the talented pastry chefs across Walt Disney World — for the wonderful Easter Egg displays! And thanks to you all for joining us on these tours! If you’d like to see more of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, check out our DFB YouTube Video! Which Easter Egg is your favorite? Please let us know with a comment! Related posts: Review: New Bakery Items at Contemporary Resort’s Contempo Cafe (Did Somebody Say “Peanut Butter Pie”?) Disney Ink & Paint Club Now Open for Online Booking for New Year’s Eve in Disney World DFB Video: Disney’s Contemporary Resort Food Tour View the full article

Aloha friends! Today we ran across a new hat that you just have to see! We’re totally swooning… . Aloha Dole Whip Hat Doesn’t this hat give you serious rest and relaxation vibes? Like come on summer…we’re ready for ya! We spotted this new aDOLEable hat while walking through The Emporium in Magic Kingdom and we just had to check it out. We couldn’t get over the beautiful embroidered details across the top. From the super cute little stitched Dole Whip and the word “aloha” to the fringe around the rim, we’re loving all the details! Aloha Dole Whip Hat I mean, don’t you think this hat is so perfect for relaxing by the pool with a Heart of Te Fiti Lime Dole Whip while on your Disney vacay? I know we do! So far…we have seen the new Aloha Dole Whip sun hat at The Emporium in Magic Kingdom and Discovery Trading Company in Animal Kingdom! We assume it will start popping up at a few more locations very soon. Do you guys think you’ll be adding this to your list of summer Disney must-haves? Let us know in the comments below! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don’t Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! The 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is now available! With more than 750 pages, the 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 20+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you’ll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2019 to save 25% today! Use code WDW2019 at check-out for a 25% off the cover price! Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Related posts: What’s New Around Walt Disney World: December 20, 2016 News and Review: Goofy’s Powdered Candy is Back in Disney World What’s New Around Walt Disney World: October 20, 2016 View the full article

We’re back at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for another What’s New that includes plenty of construction and merchandise! Hooray! Let’s go to Hollywood! Disney’s Hollywood Studios Disney’s Hollywood Studios — Construction Update There’s still loads of construction progress near the entrance to the Studios on what we expect will be revealed as an extended bag check area. This would be in anticipation of massive crowds this fall. Welcome to Hollywood Studios where construction continues! Entrance Area Structure The roofline has the typical curved shape of other features at the entrance. Entrance Area Structure Entrance Area Structure Entrance Area Structure There’s also a brand new construction area on the right as you approach the entrance. New Entrance Area Construction The construction walls encircle a small space around the flags, and there’s been no word about what this might be. New Entrance Area Construction Work continues on the Skyliner station, but changes are more subtle now. Skyliner Construction Skyliner Construction It’s interesting to see some of the roof panels open. Skyliner Construction And those teal pillars now have a gradient paint design. We can’t wait to see the final product! Skyliner Construction Skyliner Construction Skyliner Construction In Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge construction news, we can’t see much of the construction anymore due to the influx of trees recently placed strategically to block the evolving land from public view. Many trees now block Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge construction from view. Meanwhile in front of the Chinese Theater, the handprints are roped off. No word on why this is, but there are no construction walls at this point, so we’ll be checking on this. Chinese Theater Handprints Roped Off Chinese Theater Handprints Roped Off Chinese Theater Handprints Roped Off Chinese Theater Handprints Roped Off And in the window displays in the Theater, vases that used to be here have been removed. Chinese Theater Vases Removed Chinese Theater Vases Removed Disney’s Hollywood Studios — New Merchandise There’s quite a bit of merchandise news this week. We found this new Mickey Hollywood Studios tee. NEW Mickey Hollywoofd Studios Tee Folks looking for an alternative to Minnie Ears may like this Pink Pom-Pom Hat. Nothing subtle about this design! Pink Pom Pom Hat For the Mountain Man (hey — what about the Mountain Woman?!), this cool hat! Where are the mountains? What for it… Mountain Man Hat There they are! Two on either side of the hat just behind the brim. Mountain Man Hat Side Mountain Man Hat Side We also spotted the ‘it’s a small world’-themed coin purse featuring the clock face! We wrote about this and its fellow small world purses spotted in Disneyland last week! ‘it’s a small world’ Wallet small world Wallet Close Up ‘it’s a small world’ Wallet And although this has been available at Disneyland for a bit, it’s the first time we’ve seen the World Traveler Suitcase Purse at Walt Disney World. ‘it’s a small world’ World Traveler Purse This is small — check it out here for scale. ‘it’s a small world’ World Traveler Purse Over at Mickey’s of Hollywood, an area previously dedicated to D-Lish merchandise is now almost entirely stocked with Toy Story merch instead. Toy Story Merchandise at Mickey’s of Hollywood These necklaces are fun! Toy Story Merchandise Toy Story Merchandise Toy Story Merchandise Toy Story Merchandise Toy Story Merchandise D-Lish items have now migrated to Adrian and Edith’s. Still lots of fun stuff, including the Dole Whip Float Tumbler. D-Lish Items now at Adrian and Edith’s It all looks d-lish to us! D-Lish Items Beverly Sunset Shop has a section newly-stocked with art pieces. This is similar to what’s happening at Stage 1, where gallery merchandise pieces have been brought in. Beverly Sunset Shop Decorative Items There are several UP! prints, some simple and sweet, others bolder. UP! Prints There are also two Cars pieces on what looks like corrugated roofing material. (Must’ve come straight from Mater’s salvage yard!) Lightning McQueen Radiator Springs Piece Wishables have taken over the World as the latest must-have collectible. It’s because they’re adorable and don’t even try to argue to the contrary. Wishables Just a few days ago we let you know they were coming, and now they’re in just about every merchandise shop in Hollywood Studios. Wishables Many of the Wishables are on display, each costing $9.99 individually. Mickey Wishable Minnie Wishable Wishables Mickey Ice Cream Cone Wishable Nemo Wishable Pirates of the Caribbean Dog Wishable There are several series of Wishables available in blind bags, with some of those blind bag possibilities also being available to purchase outright (like the Pirates’ dog, Nemo, and the Mickey Ice Cream Cone). Finding Nemo Wishables Blind Bag Pirates of the Caribbean Wishables Blind Bag Naturally we’re all about that Parks Food Series Wishables life. Disney Snack Food Wishables Blind Bag One of each in Wishables form and edible form, s’il vous plait. Snack Wishables Blind Bag Options As per usual, Hollywood Studios is keeping us on our What’s New toes! And you know we’ll be back soon with another installment of “What’s. That. Construction. Wall. For!” Subscribe to the DFB Newsletter so we can let you know what we uncover for Disney Parks news! What’s your favorite What’s New of the week at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Tell us in the comments! Related posts: What’s New at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: LOADS of New Merchandise PLUS a Peek at Construction! NEW Eats, Merch, and Construction Updates: Disney’s Hollywood Studios All the Updates and New Items in Disney World’s Hollywood Studios! View the full article

Jambo! Welcome to our latest What’s New in Disney’s Animal Kingdom! We’re bringing some food photos and lots of cool merchandise. Come along as we explore Animal Kingdom! Tree of Life Disney’s Animal Kingdom — Discovery Island The colorful Lion King Cupcake is back at Pizzafari. It had been unavailable for a while, so we can feel the love tonight knowing the king has returned. Hear us roar with our look at the Lion King Cupcake’s revival! Lion King Cupcake back at Pizzafari There’s a new Hot Dog Cart near Pizzafari and en route to Pandora. We’re guessing this is a temporary set up for Spring Break Crowds. Hot Dog Cart Hot Dog Cart Disney’s Animal Kingdom — Africa Over at Harambe Market the Shave Ice stand is open! We last saw it open back in February (see our look here!), as the cart is seasonal. Shave Ice Cart Current flavors are Watermelon, Mango-Passion Fruit, and Pina Colada. Each can be spiked with Snow Leopard Vodka. Shave Ice Flavors Also in Harambe Market, the Most Beautiful Cake has replaced the Safari Cake. But the description is the same, so we think it’s the same cake, just decorated differently. This is another example of Disney capitalizing on the success of their “instagram walls,” like the “You Are Most Beautiful” wall nearby. Harambe Market Menu Dawa Bar seems to have more places to rest with more standing tables and more tables with seating. Dawa Bar Dawa Bar Menu placards are now on the tables, too. Dawa Bar Menu Dawa Bar Menu Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery has two new-to-us treats for this location. First is the Briar Rose Gold-Dipped Mickey Cookie. Kusafiri Rose Gold Cupcake The second is a Tye-Dye Cupcake we’ve seen at Magic Kingdom’s Confectionery, but according to the cast member here, it’s new to Kusafiri. These are plain chocolate or vanilla cupcakes with colorful vanilla buttercream and Mickey ears. Kusafiri Tye-Dye Cupcakes Disney’s Animal Kingdom — Asia Mr. Kamal’s Seasoned Fries have changed for the Animal Kingdom Tasting Menu (more on that in a moment!). They used to be served with tzatziki sauce and sriracha ketchup. Mr. Kamal’s Seasoned Fries Now they’re served undressed with the option to get your own Dipping Sauces. Being big fans of dipping sauces, we think this is fun! Mr. Kamal’s Menu Dipping Sauces include Ketchup, Tandoori Honey Mustard, Saffron Aioli, and Spicy Kimchi Honey Ketchup. Mr. Kamal’s Dipping Sauces Mr. Kamal’s Seasoned Fries with Dipping Sauces But we know how popular the regular seasoned fries are, so we’re hoping they make a return as well! Disney’s Animal Kingdom Tasting Sampler The Tasting Sampler is back at Animal Kingdom! This limited-time event brings tasty dishes to spots all over the park through April 22, and whether you purchase the Sampler or buy items a la carte, you can try them all! See this post for all the details on purchasing the sampler! We wanted to highlight a couple of awesome Sampler options. We start at The Smiling Crocodile, where Pulled Pork Street Tacos bring the flavor with pickled onions, cilantro, house-made sauce, and cotija cheese. The Smiling Crocodile Menu Pulled Pork Street Tacos At Dino-Bite, be sure to pick up the Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Sandwich! Dino-Bite Snacks Menu Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Sandwich And at Terra Treats, enjoy the Meatball Slider with Shaved Cheese! Terra Treats Menu Meatball Slider Disney’s Animal Kingdom Merchandise We told you about this Finding Nemo Tumbler at locations around the park. It’s $11.75 in addition to the cost of a beverage, but drinking with a clown fish? Priceless! Click here to learn more about it! Light Up Dome If you’ve got a drama king or queen in your family, you might want to pick up this Drama Llama Kuzco tee shirt at Discovery Trading Company. Kuzco Shirt Paintbrush Handle Mugs just dropped in Disneyland — and Animal Kingdom’s got them, too! We found Moana and Sword in the Stone versions at Discovery Island merch spots and Chester & Hester’s. Moana Paintbrush Handle Mug We spied two new-to-us hats at various hat stands throughout the park. This Famous Hat features a colorful friend on the back! Famous Rainbow Unicorn Hat Rainbow Unicorn! This popular character from Inside Out is also gracing merchandise in Disneyland Resort, so apparently this unicorn is bi-coastal. Rainbow Unicorn Famous Hat Price The second new-to-us hat is this Aloha Dole Whip straw hat. It’s a great option for protecting you from the sun and celebrating your favorite frozen treat! Aloha Dole Whip Hat We found this Lion King Patch at Discovery Trading Company. More Lion King merchandise is arriving at Animal Kingdom in advance of the live-action movie’s release on July 19, 2019 and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the animated movie. Lion King Patch And that’s that! Asante for coming with us to Disney’s Animal Kingdom to see What’s New! Be sure to stick with DFB for all the latest Disney Parks news! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don’t Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! The 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is now available! With more than 750 pages, the 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 20+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you’ll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2019 to save 25% today! Use code WDW2019 at check-out for a 25% off the cover price! Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Have a favorite What’s New from Animal Kingdom this week? Let us know in the comments! Related posts: Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Menu UPDATES! What’s New To Eat?! What’s New at Animal Kingdom (Satu’li Menu Updates!) and the All-Star Resorts?? What’s New at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom and Resorts! June 21, 2018 View the full article

Star Wars Celebration Chicago is taking place this weekend, and this fan convention full of nothing but STAR WARS featured a special panel presentation today — “Bringing Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge To Life at Disney Parks!” Bringing Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge To Life at Disney Parks ©Disney Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will open on May 31, 2019 in Disneyland and on August 29, 2019 in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Let’s waste no time diving into some of the Galaxy’s Edge scoop shared during today’s presentation! And remember, “The Galaxy Is Closer Than You Think!” Exclusive Coca-Cola Designs Coming to Galaxy’s Edge You’ll only be able to find these on the planet Batuu… the exclusive bottles and designs were revealed for Coca-Cola products which you’ll find on Black Spire Outpost! Exclusive Coca-Cola Packaging ©Disney With the script of the beverage names written in Aurebesh and uniquely-shaped packaging, these bottles, Disney shares, have been “designed to fit authentically within the Star Wars universe.” It was also shared during the panel that the look resembles metal that’s been scraped and tattered, possibly “pulled off a ship and repurposed” to drink from. Check out the video from Disney below to see more!  Play Disney Parks App More information was revealed about some of the features coming to the Play Disney Parks app which will transform into a Star Wars datapad as guests travel around Batuu. Play Disney Parks App ©Disney Four key functions will include a Hacking Tool (which will be helpful in interacting with droids), a Scanning Device (for looking inside, for instance, a crate in the land), a Translating Device to translate from English to Aurebesh, and a Tuning Tool (which will be useful for eavesdropping on satellite transmissions). Play Disney Parks App Outpost Control ©Disney And through a game called Outpost Control, guests will be able to show their allegiance to either the First Order or the Resistance. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Perhaps you’ve already seen this image from the upcoming attraction, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run ©Disney Parks And you may already know that your flight team’s performance — made up of pilots, gunners, and engineers — will affect the rest of your time on Black Spire Outpost. But today it was revealed that upon your exit, the hallway will look different depending on how well you performed your mission! Did things go badly? Well, then you’ll see something different from the image above… possibly broken lights, or even dents on the wall if things didn’t go altogether smoothly… Disney also revealed new concept art for the forested area surrounding Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Concept Art Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ©Disney Oga’s Cantina Some light even was shed on the backstory of how RX-24 made his way from Star Tours to becoming DJ R3X at Oga’s Cantina! Oga’s Cantina Concept Art ©Disney Well, after flunking out of Star Tours, Rex found his way to the rebellion in the Battle of Jakku. In a TIE Fighter chase, Rex crash-landed on Batuu where he was repaired and turned into the DJ at Oga’s Cantina. Guests at the Celebration even got to hear some of the Cantina’s music for the first time, including band music and also a bit from one of DJ Rex’s favorite all-droid bands. (Fun fact shared today: Rex will be voiced by Paul Reubens once again for the Cantina.) More Star Wars Characters on Batuu As it turns out, a Jedi Master will make his presence known in Black Spire Outpost. Black Spire Outpost on Batuu ©Disney/Lucasfilm It was revealed that guests on Batuu will hear Yoda, voiced by none other than Frank Oz. And Disney provided a look at Dok-Ondar in his post (in audio-animatronic form) at the merchandise shop, Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities. Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities ©Disney The head of the black market himself, THIS is who you’ll have to barter with to purchase a light saber in his shop. (By the way, the panel shared that there will be so many Easter eggs to hunt for in here that no matter which movie or trilogy is your favorite, you’re bound to find something!) A Few More Glimpses at Black Spire Outpost While Scott Trowbridge of Walt Disney Imagineering shared that Disney is saving much of Batuu for guests to see when they visit themselves for the first time, several more glimpses of what will be an incredibly immersive experience were revealed. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge ©Disney Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge ©Disney Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge ©Disney Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge ©Disney And here’s one more for you… Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge ©Disney Josh Gad, the host of today’s panel, shared the sentiment that Batuu will be a planet “to live out the adventures we’ve always imagined.” And with every single thing we’ve learned about what’s to come, we have no doubt that this will be entirely true! What was presented today that makes you most excited about Galaxy’s Edge? Please let us know with a comment! Related posts: OGA’S CANTINA to Serve Up Drinks and Entertainment in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge!! New Details Revealed for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge! Oga’s Cantina, Possible Opening Time, Attractions, and More! More Hints About Oga’s Cantina in Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge? View the full article

With only a few months before Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens on both coasts, Disney is trickling out details of what the new land will look like, and on Saturday released images of everything from its animatronics to X-Wing fighters. The new images and video were shared with the Star Wars devotees... View the full article

With only a few months before Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens on both coasts, Disney is trickling out details of what the new land will look like, and on Saturday released images of everything from its animatronics to X-Wing fighters. The new images and video were shared with the Star Wars devotees... View the full article

Star Wars fans can continue to use their fandom for a good cause with this year’s Star Wars: Force for Change philanthropic initiative. Disney and Lucasfilm are teaming up with the global K-12 nonprofit robotics organization, FIRST, to inspire the next generation of heroes and innovators. Through Star Wars: Force for Change, we will be providing financial, in-kind and mentorship resources to help expand access to FIRST programs for more students around the world! The team and I at Walt Disney Imagineering have been long-time supporters of FIRST, providing mentorship, engineering support and creative insights for years. We actually hosted the annual FIRST championship at EPCOT from 1995 through 2002. Now, over 20 years later, we are joining forces with FIRST once again to bring hands-on learning opportunities and mentorship to even more young minds. Check out this video to hear from Mark Hamill on this collaboration and its impact on S.T.E.M.: Here’s how you can get involved: Simply retweet this video from the official Star Wars Twitter account with the hashtag #StarWarsFFCSweepstakes and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a vacation to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Resort! This vacation will include a guided tour by a Disney Imagineer through the land, so you can see Batuu from an insider’s point of view! The best part? You’ll be helping spread awareness of FIRST and playing a role in empowering young people to shape the future. To learn more about Star Wars: Force for Change and FIRST, visit StarWars.com/ForceForChange. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter Sweepstakes between 4/13/19 at 8:00 AM PDT and 4/22/19 at 11:59 PM PDT. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. & D.C., Puerto Rico and Canada (excluding Quebec), who are 13+ at time of entry. Limit 1 entry per person. Visit https://starwars.com/FFCsweeps for Official Rules including details on how to enter, eligibility requirements, odds of winning, prize descriptions and limitations. Void in Quebec and where prohibited. Sponsor: Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC, 1110 Gorgas Ave, San Francisco, CA 94129. View the full article

From the engaging sights and sounds to the tantalizing tastes of Black Spire Outpost, everything within Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has been carefully crafted to ensure an immersive experience that has never been seen before. We’ve previously shared that visitors will be able to discover otherworldly flavors at our many food and beverage locations, and today we’re excited to share a bit more about one of these unique elements that galactic travelers will only be able to find on their visit to Batuu. As we were developing the incredible experiences that guests will explore when Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, we knew that we wanted to create something truly special – something that will bring your own Star Wars adventure to life in a whole new way. We reached out to our friends at Coca-Cola, and along with Lucasfilm Ltd. came up with specially designed Coca-Cola bottles that are designed to fit authentically within the Star Wars universe. We have a long history with Coca-Cola, dating back to the opening of Disneyland Park and the “Refreshment Corner” on Main Street, U.S.A. in 1955 and it’s a pleasure to continue to work with this amazing team on such a groundbreaking experience. These unique Coca-Cola products were created with storytelling in mind and are unlike anything we’ve done before – take a look: I can’t wait for you to see this cool packaging for yourself – it’s sure to be in high demand throughout the galaxy! Stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog for more details and updates as we look forward to the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on May 31 at Disneyland Park and August 29 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! View the full article

Hope you’re enjoying a great start to the weekend! We’re back with another DFB Video this weekend, and we’re sharing how you can avoid six Disney disasters! Don’t Miss Out On Your Top-Choice Restaurants We’re chatting about how to avoid six less-than-magical experiences, like missing out on a reservation at your top choice restaurants, wasting valuable resources like Disney Dining Plan snack credits or your vacation time, and much more! Find out how to avoid these disasters during your next Disney World vacation in our latest DFB YouTube Video! And if you love this video, there’s plenty more for you to enjoy over on our DFB YouTube Channel! By the way, have you subscribed yet? If you hit the button below, you can subscribe to the channel and never miss a single episode! So check out the video and then let us know: What tips and tricks do you use to avoid Disney dining disasters? Related posts: DFB Video: 12 Smartphone Apps You’ll Definitely Need in Walt Disney World DFB Video: New Disney Dishes That We LOVED (And One We REALLY Didn’t) DFB Video: Unexpected Eats in Disney World! View the full article

It’s a day to celebrate everyone’s favorite ghostly abode… today, April 13, 2019, is Haunted Mansion Day in the Magic Kingdom! The Haunted Mansion Today’s extra fun materializes in honor of the fact that The Haunted Mansion is the 13th attraction to have an on-ride photo available via Disney PhotoPass. Haunted Mansion On-ride Photo ©Disney The chilling one-day only delights include special photo ops, a special snack, and extra spooktacular entertainment in the evening. Midnight Fright Delight Browkie Eats A special Midnight Fright Delight Browkie is available for $7.50 at the Liberty Square Ice Cream Cart. Ice Cream Cart in Liberty Square It’s inspired, naturally, by the famous clock inside of the Haunted Mansion. It’s for today only! Midnight Fright Delight Browkie The “Browkie” is a cookie-meets-brownie combo, topped with a chocolate fondant-like piece forming the base of the clock, while the clock’s face is created by half an almond macaron on the top, displaying the ominous 13th hour… Midnight Fright Delight Browkie It’s actually pretty impressive how it comes together. Midnight Fright Delight Browkie I’d kind of anticipated that it might be a bit tough or over-baked, but the brownie part in particular kept its classic dense, fudgy texture and taste while still remaining soft. Midnight Fright Delight Browkie Since this is a one-day only treat, I do wonder if maybe we’ll see more “browkies” around in the future? PhotoPass Fun In addition to the on-ride attraction photo, more photopass fun is taking place right outside the Mansion! (Be sure to wear a MagicBand or MagicBand 2 icon in a MagicKeeper that’s linked to your Disney account while riding in your Doom Buggy within the attraction to preview the new on-ride photo.) Haunted Mansion Photo Ops for April 13 ©Disney These one-day only photo-ops include different offerings in the day and night. Daytime shots near the ride’s exit include the Tomb Sweet Tomb photo op. Tomb Sweet Tomb Oh, and “Beware of Hitchiking Ghosts!” Haunted Mansion April 13 Photo Op ©Disney Why, hello, Hatbox Ghost! Haunted Mansion April 13 Photo Op ©Disney The Hatbox Ghost photo op takes place in this area: Hatbox Ghost Photo Area When the sun goes down, guests can pose with the caretaker’s lantern or be surrounded by spirited Mickey orbs. Haunted Mansion April 13 Photo Op ©Disney The nighttime shots will take place outside of Memento Mori. Speaking of… Memento Mori Stop by Memento Mori, the merchandise shop next to the Haunted Mansion, and “a ghost will follow you home” in whatever merchandise you choose! Memento Mori Note that, even though this outdoor specialty display is out for today, these merchandise offerings are standard for the shop, so you will likely find lots of these available no matter when your trip takes place. Haunted Mansion Merchandise Haunted Mansion Merchandise Haunted Mansion Merchandise Haunted Mansion Merchandise Haunted Mansion Merchandise There is something special for today-only inside the shop, though, and that’s specialty pricing on a regular item. One-Day Only Pricing for Spirited Photography The lenticular image “showing your spirited side” at Memento Mori is priced at $13.13 + tax for the 8-inch by 10-inch take home photo, just for today. Spirited Photography Entertainment And don’t forget! This evening, you can catch the Cadaver Dans ghostly quartet performing in Liberty Square! Cadaver Dans! These offerings are all in celebration of the new on-ride attraction photo at Haunted Mansion, available through Disney PhotoPass. Disney also shares the following: “You can take home all of your memories captured by Disney PhotoPass Service on April 13 with Memory Maker One Day! With it you’ll receive unlimited digital downloads of all your easy-to-share Disney PhotoPass photos and videos taken in a single day for $69. That includes photos taken at the 13 Walt Disney World Resort attractions with photo capture, participating dining locations, Character Experiences, and of course the photos captured by photographers at the most scenic locations around Walt Disney World Resort. You can purchase Memory Maker One Day in the My Disney Experience mobile app once you’ve linked at least one Disney PhotoPass photo to your account from the day to which you plan to apply the entitlement. You can also visit Box Office Gifts inside Town Square Theater at Magic Kingdom Park to purchase.” The Haunted Mansion is located in Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square! Take a Food Tour of the Land in our DFB YouTube Video!  What is your favorite thing about The Haunted Mansion? Please let us know with a comment! Related posts: Haunted Mansion Photo Ops, Midnight Flight Delight Snack, and Entertainment Coming to Magic Kingdom for One Day Only Riverboat News, Holiday Sale Items, the Guest Experience Team, and Galaxy Fries: Everything New in the Magic Kingdom this week! The New Disney World PhotoPass Haunted Mansion Attraction Photo is Positively Spooktacular View the full article

Disney offers an assortment of discounts including Annual Passholder, Military, and Florida Resident discounts. These discounts are often for rooms, tickets, and food — all of which are crazy expensive when visiting Walt Disney World. And who doesn’t love saving money right? Pluto and Daisy Passholder Magnets ©Disney And while we’re on the topic of discounts, Disney offers a ton of other discounts maybe you didn’t know about! Here at DFB we want to keep as much $$$ in your wallet as possible, so hopefully some of these can help YOU! Teacher and Nurse Discounts! The Swan and Dolphin Resort offers discounted rates for both teachers and nurses. If you are a nurse or teacher and are interested in finding out the amount of the discount, the resort asks that you call 1-888-828-8850 and ask for the discounted rate. Sadly, this is the only discount Disney offers for teachers and nurses! Click here to view the full details of the Swan and Dolphin discount! Swan and Dolphin Seasonal Discounts and Disney World Free Dining! Disney will often run special rates depending on the time of year you are planning on visiting the parks. These often include 25% off select Disney resorts throughout the year. The discount and resort offerings are constantly changing, so you have to really keep up with the website. Disney is currently offering up to 20% off of Disney resorts on select nights now through April 27th. You can also save 25% off of select rooms if you book from April 28th-May 27th! Sometimes, Disney will also offer a free Disney Dining Plan with your resort stay. There are usually a few regulations that play into receiving the free Disney Dining Plan though. Usually, a minimum-night stay is required. The number of nights will likely vary based on the discount. AND Disney will sometimes require you to purchase park hopper tickets in order to receive resort discounts or free dining as well. View more current Disney World discounts here! Click here to learn more about the Disney Dining Plan! Welcome to Fort Wilderness! Tables in Wonderland Dining Discounts So, this discount is a little different in that you have to purchase a membership to receive the discount. AND another catch is that you have to be a member of the Disney Vacation Club, a Disney Annual Passholder, or a Florida Resident to purchase Tables in Wonderland! Tables in Wonderland allows you to save 20% on food and beverages, including alcohol, at participating Disney locations. You also receive special dining offers, invites to unique dining events, and complimentary resort valet and theme park parking! The way you will receive this complimentary resort valet is by dining at a Tables in Wonderland credited restaurants, like ‘Ohana at the Polynesian or 50’s Prime Time Cafe in Hollywood Studios. After you receive your awesome 20% discount you will take your receipt back to valet in order to have the purchase validated. It’s as simple as that! The savings really are huge, especially if you are traveling in a larger group. The discount itself is good for up to ten people! To purchase, visit any Guest Relations location in the parks or call (407) 566-5858. The cost is $175 for Florida Residents and $150 for DVC members and Annual Passholders. To learn more about Tables in Wonderland, click here! Tables in Wonderland If you’re interested in more Disney discounts, check out the pages below! Disney World Discounts How To Predict When Disney World Discounts Will Be Offered Disney Dining Discounts For WDW Annual Passholders Disney Dining Discounts For Disneyland Annual Passholders Disney Discounts and Deals Also, check out this video! Do you know of any other special Disney discounts? If so, let us know in the comments below! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don’t Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! The 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is now available! With more than 750 pages, the 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 20+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you’ll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2019 to save 25% today! Use code WDW2019 at check-out for a 25% off the cover price! Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Related posts: Review: Aioli Madness at Cabana Bar and Beach Club at The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Exclusive Tables in Wonderland Experience at Disney’s Contemporary Resort The Secret Money-Saving Tip Disney World Annual Passholders Need To Know View the full article

If you’re staying at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel this season, hop on over to White Water Snacks for a cheerful and colorful Easter Bunny Cupcake! Easter Bunny Cupcake This cupcake’s all about the details. First: the bunny ears made of sugar and tinted pink for added cuteness. Then, because #disney, there are two chocolate discs for ears and a perky white chocolate (tinted pink) bow to make it Minnie. Easter Bunny Cupcake But check out those sprinkles because they’re also screaming spring! They’re bunny ears and ducklings! Easter Bunny Cupcake It may come as no surprise that the cake here is carrot (Judy Hopps-approved, no doubt), and there’s no filling. But that huge dollop of buttercream (not cream cheese frosting, sadly) adds lots of sweetness to the moist cake. Easter Bunny Cupcake This was a pleasant cupcake to eat, and if we’re burrowing in at White Water Snacks again anytime soon, we’d eat another! No word on how long it’ll stick around, but it can be yours for a limited time for $7 (plus tax). Check out more Disneyland Food Reviews Here!! And subscribe to the DFB Newsletter for all the Disney Parks news! Does this cupcake scream spring to you? Let us know what you think with a comment! Related posts: White Water Snacks at Disneyland’s Grand Californian Now Open After Refurbishment! Guess Where You Can Find Mickey Jell-o in Disneyland! NEW! Disneyland’s Jolly Holiday Carrot Cake Cupcake View the full article

Greetings from Main Street USA! Recently we popped into The Plaza Restaurant to see if the comfort food eats were as good as we remember. The Plaza has been a long-standing underrated favorite here at DFB. Most Magic Kingdom diners aim to eat at Be Our Guest or Cinderella’s Royal Table, but for us, the Plaza remains high on our must-dine list. The Plaza Restaurant Sign On our last visit, we were pleasantly surprised by all of the new lunch options. Let’s take a tour. Atmosphere Located at the end of Main Street USA, The Plaza sits to your right just as you round the corner towards Tomorrowland and the infamous Purple Wall. Main Dining Area While she’s nothing over-the-top, the Plaza has a delicate charm to it. You absolutely feel like you are in the turn-of-the-century 1900’s surrounded by the ornate light fixtures and details. And especially when the Citizens of Main Street join you! Citizen of Main Street On our visit they were crowing a young Guest as Junior Mayor, but we’ve also seen them select a Junior Fire Chief! This is a fun surprise that engages the whole restaurant, and really makes a meal at the Plaza extra special. It’s so in-keeping with the turn-of-the-20th-century theme, and brings the town of Main Street to life. You never know who will pop in – we’ve also seen the Fire Chief and the Mayor, himself! Main Street Fire Chief Gives the Mayor of the Day Badge to a Young Guest Eats The Plaza keeps it pretty simple, with a menu that features great sandwiches, comfort food, and of course, amazing desserts. They get their ice cream from their next-door neighbor, The Plaza Ice Cream Parlor, so you just know the sweet treats will be excellent! The Plaza Restaurant Lunch Menu We decided to skip the bottomless milkshakes this time and save the sweets for after lunch. By the way, the Plaza also has a nice selection of wine and beer if you’re looking for an adult beverage with your meal. The Plaza Restaurant Drink Menu But we couldn’t wait to get our hands on one of our favorites — The Plaza Loaded Fries. These are the Magic Kingdom replacement to our dearly-departed Figaro Fries. The Plaza Loaded Fries These are crispy fries topped with melted (PLASTIC!!) cheese, bacon, tomatoes, lettuce, and ranch dressing. As always, these are a hit. I mean, it’s fries with plastic cheese, bacon, and ranch — can you really go wrong?! They come in a pretty large portion so these are definitely shareable, or would make an awesome lunch for one. Just saying… Next up, entrees! We decided to grab a classic comfort dish, and one of the Plaza’s most popular items, the Home-Style Meatloaf. The Plaza Restaurant Meatloaf The Home-style Meatloaf is served with red-skinned mashed potatoes, crispy onion rings, and a seasonal veggie, which was green beans for us! The Plaza Meatloaf This was once again delicious. The meatloaf is nice and moist, with great flavor. The red-skinned mashed potatoes are always a delight here as well– very buttery and the skin-on potatoes make for great textures. The green beans were nice and crunchy, however they could’ve used a little more butter and seasoning. Definitely lookin’ pretty dry! And the onion rings are always top-drawer — so crunchy and light. We could’ve eaten a whole plate of these! Next up, the Fried Green Tomato Sandwich. LOOK at the height on this one! The Plaza Fried Green Tomato Sandwich This is a toasted Brioche Bun, piled high with a Deep-fried Green Tomato, bacon, arugula, tomato, and pepper-jack cheese and topped with Alabama White Barbecue Sauce. The Plaza Fried Green Tomato Sandwich Cross-Section This was a good-looking sandwich, but I must admit, I was a little let-down. The fried-green tomato, which is supposed to be the star of the show, gets lost with all the other toppings. It ends up tasting like a bacon and “something-fried” sandwich, which to be fair, isn’t terrible. The arugula was offered a nice kick and was very fresh, as was the rest of the produce. I just wish the fried-green tomato stood out a little more. Last, but certainly not least, we got the Baked Honey-Barbecued Brisket Mac & Cheese. Again. The Plaza Brisket Mac & Cheese This dish is Baked Mac & Cheese, topped with Beef Brisket in a Honey BBQ Sauce and finished with Crispy-fried Onions and Scallions. The Plaza Brisket Mac & Cheese I mean, wow, just look at this beauty. The mac & cheese is soooo cheesy, in the best way. I really liked the use of the big noodles as well — it made it easy to grab one along with a bite of the brisket. Speaking of the brisket, it’s also delicious. The honey barbecue sauce has the perfect touch of sweet, and the meat itself is smokey and tender. And the crispy onions added a surprising yet welcome crunch. (Whatever, fried onions make everything better.) Overall, this dish was once again a winner and my favorite of the day. It’s huge and heavy, so sharing is certainly an option, especially if you’re gong to get dessert. Did someone say dessert? We couldn’t go to the Plaza without treating ourselves. The Plaza Dessert Menu As we mentioned, all of the ice cream is from the Ice Cream Parlor next door, so you can’t go wrong with any of the sundaes! But we wanted to try something a little different, so we selected the Butterscotch Bread Pudding and the Seasonal Specialty Cake, which for us was Carrot Cake! The Plaza Butterscotch Bread Pudding The Butterscotch Bread Pudding is served in a cast-iron skillet, and comes topped with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. The Plaza Butterscotch Bread Pudding We’ve had it before (when it was first introduced), and it was just as good this time. The Plaza Butterscotch Bread Pudding consistently ranks as one of our top bread puddings in Walt Disney World, with the other favorites being the Ohana Bread Pudding at the Polynesian Village Resort and the Toffee Bread Pudding at House of Blues. This Bread pudding was nice and warm, and of course the ice cream was delicious. The caramel sauce was a good addition as well, as it bumped up the vanilla flavor. If you’re not big into sundaes, this is a great option for dessert. But…it’s KIND of a sundae, so… . Now, for the Seasonal Specialty Cake. The Plaza Carrot Cake As mentioned, the seasonal selection is currently Carrot Cake, which is also topped with the gooey caramel sauce. The Plaza Carrot Cake As far as Carrot Cake goes, this was pretty darn good! The cream cheese frosting was the ideal consistency, and the cake itself was moist and flavorful. Carrot Cake in Walt Disney World isn’t always a success, but this was a decent version if you love carrot cake. (If you don’t love carrot cake, it’s not going to covert you. So skip it.) Overall Once again, the Plaza was a delight. I probably wouldn’t order the Fried Green Tomato sandwich again, however both the Meatloaf and Brisket Mac were delicious and highly recommended. And even though the Plaza is famous for their ice cream desserts, both of the non-ice cream focused ones we tried were a hit. Just goes to show you that they are reliable as ever with their sweets! The Plaza Restaurant is an awesome spot for lunch in Magic Kingdom, especially considering its value. It’s relatively easy to snag an Advance Dining Reservation as well. It may not have the flash of Be Our Guest, but we are happy to be Guests at the Plaza any day! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Don’t Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! The 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is now available! With more than 750 pages, the 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 20+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you’ll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2019 to save 25% today! Use code WDW2019 at check-out for a 25% off the cover price! Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Is The Plaza Restaurant a favorite of yours too? Let us know in the comments! Related posts: Review: SO MANY Good (NEW!) Eats at The Plaza Restaurant in Walt Disney World Review: New Menu Items at The Plaza Restaurant in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Review: Dinner at Liberty Tree Tavern in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom View the full article

The Java Cafe at Shades of Green is a great place to grab a quick breakfast on the run to the Disney World theme parks, or a snack upon your return. The Java Cafe is located in the main lobby right by the Front Desk. They offer standard Starbucks drinks and snacks as well as […] The post Shades of Green’s Java Cafe Review appeared first on Military Disney Tips Blog. View the full article

April is National Volunteer Month—the time of year when the Disneyland Resort honors cast members who give back throughout the year as part of the Disney VoluntEARS program. These cast members, nominated by their peers, were named Disney VoluntEARS of the Year at a ceremony April 8 at the Disneyland Hotel, where they were honored with medals and awarded $2,500 for a nonprofit organization of their choice. VoluntEAR of the Year: Craig Kawamoto Donation to benefit Nisei Week Foundation Chances are, cast members who volunteer regularly know Craig Kawamoto. While shifts at the Orange County Food Bank are his favorite, he also supports the resort’s military care package drives, Walk the Farm charity walk at Tanaka Farms in Irvine and much more. In his role at the Walt Disney Travel Company, he champions volunteerism by leading team building events and motivating his colleagues to get involved. “Seeing so many of my direct reports get involved with VoluntEARing efforts has been wonderful,” said Craig. “I definitely wanted to be someone who ‘walked the talk.’ Being able to inspire others to volunteer has been very personally rewarding.” VoluntEAR Team of the Year: Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Reservation Sales Donation to benefit Make-A-Wish Hawaii, Inc. With a 20-member team (including Craig Kawamoto), the Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Reservation Sales team at the Walt Disney Travel Company volunteered a total of nearly 1,400 hours in 2018! Frequent volunteers on the team include Michael Rojas, Mike Ramos, Alyssa Ojeda, Valerie Stammen, Ivy Goodman and Craig. “We celebrate each other’s victories and encourage the concept of ʻohana,’” said team member Alondra Preciado. A favorite memory from an Orange County Food Bank event represents the team’s giving spirit. “We had a wonderful turnout of 11 Aulani participants to help pack food boxes, and with that high number, we were able to have our own dedicated production line.” VoluntEAR Family of the Year: Melinda Lawless, Cory Lawless, Melissa Vince and Mila Lawless Donation to benefit First Book When Mila, the daughter of cast members Melinda and Cory Lawless, turned 5 years old, volunteering became a family affair. The three, joined by Melinda’s sister, Melissa Vince (also a cast member), volunteer as a family throughout the year. The family can be found volunteering at events like Relay for Life, CHOC Walk in the Park, Toys for Tots drives and the Orange County Food Bank. “We’re fortunate to work at The Happiest Place on Earth, and if we can spread some of that happiness around by volunteering in our community, we want to take the opportunities we’re given to brighten someone else’s life,” said Melinda, who was particularly touched when Mila chose to highlight volunteering as part of a class assignment to create a poster about her favorite hobby. “She didn’t want to talk about being good at hula dancing or karate. She said, ‘I’m good at helping people; I want to put that.’ Her poster has a picture of her performing her cardboard duties at the Orange County Food Bank. It warmed my heart that volunteering was the first thing she thought of, and that she’s proud she helps others.” View the full article

As we shared this morning, there’s much to see and do at our Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge booth at Star Wars Celebration Chicago, including getting a first look at some of the exclusive merchandise that will only be available at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Resort and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We thought Disney Parks Blog readers would enjoy a special peek at some of the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge items on display today: During Star Wars Celebration, new merchandise exclusive to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be displayed at the booth each day this weekend. The first group of items from the Resistance Supply and First Order Cargo include an X-Wing Helmet, a Resistance Rank Badge set as well as a variety of other items, including a Wookie bag. We’ll have more exclusive Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge merchandise to share from the event, so be sure to check the Disney Parks Blog next week. And on Saturday from 11 a.m.- 12:30 CST, don’t miss our #DisneyParksLIVE stream of the “Bringing Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to Life at Disney Parks” panel. This live stream is sure to include some exciting updates about the newest land coming to Disneyland park this May and Disney’s Hollywood Studios this August. You won’t want to miss it! View the full article

There are a TON of new limited-time treats in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and you’ll find them now through April 22nd as part of the Animal Kingdom Tasting Sampler! Animal Kingdom’s Tree of Life Before we dive into specifics about the Animal Kingdom Tasting Sampler, you should know that the specialty items available for purchase throughout the park are available to all guests whether you purchase the official Tasting Sampler or not. Animal Kingdom Tasting Sampler Guide However, interested guests will want to know that The Tasting Sampler — which is available for sale NOW — costs $50 and includes two digital value cards: one $50 card that can be used at over 40 outdoor food and beverage locations throughout the park (and does not expire), and a bonus $10 card that can be used at the following quick-service restaurants after 5pm from April 12-22, 2019: Restaurantosaurus, Pizzafari and Pizzafari Family-Style Dining, Flame Tree Barbecue, and Satu’li Canteen. (You’ll find instructions with the link for purchasing — which must you must do in advance — at the end of this post.) Tasting Sampler sign This is not the first time Animal Kingdom has presented the Tasting Sampler. The program made its debut over the last holiday season. This “Spring Break” edition features items from the previous Tasting Sampler as well as new offerings! So, now… LET’S EAT!! Asia Mr. Kamal’s added the Chicken Dumplings to the regular menu after the first Tasting Sampler was completed (which was great news, as these were a favorite item). Mr. Kamal’s Menu Chicken Dumplings But Mr. Kamal’s Fries have received a makeover for the Sampler, as Mr. Kamal’s Seasoned Fries served with dipping sauces. Mr. Kamal’s Dipping Sauces This is kind of cool because you receive the cups so you can choose and pump your own dipping sauces from the choices of regular ketchup, Tandoori Honey Mustard, Saffron Aioli, and Spicy Kimchi Honey Ketchup. Mr. Kamal’s Dipping Sauces It’s great to have such unique sauces to enjoy, since the helping of fries is huge! Mr. Kamal’s Fries with Dipping Sauces The sauce highlights were the Spicy Kimchy Honey Ketchup and the Saffron Aioli. Delicious! Across the way at Caravan Road, Tuna Tataki and Pork Bao are your options. Caravan Road Menu The chilled tuna is perfectly prepared and served with nice sticky rice. Tuna Tataki The slaw is refreshing with its cilantro and not too sweet. Tuna Tataki And Bao Bun fans will want to know about the shredded Pork Bao served with hoisin sauce and pickled veggies on the steamed bun. Pork Bao Although we should say… while the pork itself was great, the bun wasn’t up to par, as it was super sticky and even messy. The Smiling Crocodile has a complete specialty menu, too. The Smiling Crocodile Menu The Pastrami Beef Slider is a returning item from the holiday season Tasting Sampler. Pastrami Beef Slider It’s a terrific little — yet surprisingly hearty — dish, with a unique sauerkraut-kale slaw and whole grain mustard delivering even more flavor to the tasty beef. Speaking of tasty… the Pulled Pork Street Tacos are great, with nice thick tortillas that don’t get too soft or soggy. Pulled Pork Street Tacos While the pork isn’t spicy, it still has great flavor. Pulled Pork Street Tacos In fact, we added a bit of the cheese from the Chips and Queso dish to the taco, since the queso does have a nice little kick to it! Chips and Queso Africa Kusafiri Bakery is serving three returning dishes. Kusafiri Bakery Tasting Sampler Menu You can choose Chicken Curry, Shrimp Curry, or try both together with the Chicken & Shrimp Curry! Chicken and Shrimp Curry Dinoland, U.S.A. Two cold treats are part of the offerings in Dinoland, U.S.A. Trilo-Bites Menu Scrooge McDuck’s Billionaire Bacon Caramel Sundae is served not too far from Scrooge’s very own greeting spot at Trilo-Bites! Scrooge McDuck’s Billionaire Bacon Caramel Sundae… AND Scrooge McDuck! It’s a sweet and salty treat! Scrooge McDuck’s Billionaire Bacon Caramel Sundae But the Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Sandwich at Dino-Bite Snacks was even more of a standout. Dino-Bite Snacks Menu The soft cookies are huge, and the only thing we would change is to add even more of those delicious strawberry and vanilla cake crumbs that the sandwich is rolled in! Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Sandwich Discovery Island Terra Treats brings a selection of Italian items to the scene (most likely due to the stand’s proximity to the Pizzafari kitchen). Terra Treats Menu The Meatball Slider is a beef and spinach meatball topped with marinara and shaved cheese on a focaccia roll. Meatball Slider The meatball itself is quite large, and definitely shareable if you’d like to split it up to have room to try more items. The big shaves of cheese are a nice touch. Meatball Slider The Sausage and Peppers Pizza is, essentially, a slice of your typical Disney counter service pizza. Sausage and Peppers Pizza So, it’s not a particularly remarkable item, but the peppers are a good addition. So, that’s it for the limited-time items in Animal Kingdom! But before we leave, here are some friendly reminders! Friendly Reminders FOR GUESTS PARTICIPATING IN THE TASTING SAMPLER: Remember, the new items we’ve shown today are not the only items eligible when using your Tasting Sampler digital value card. The full list of eligible items and participating locations include items such as Pongu Lumpia at Pongu Pongu in Pandora, classic park snacks like ice cream novelties and popcorn, and MUCH MORE. You can find all the eligible items by picking up a Tasting Sampler Guide. Tasting Sampler Guide Tasting Sampler Guide FOR GUESTS NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE TASTING SAMPLER: These new items highlighted here are not limited to those who are utilizing the Tasting Sampler. They are available through April 22nd for regular purchase (and, in many cases, for a Disney Dining Plan snack credit). How to Purchase the Tasting Sampler Disney provides the following instructions and website for purchasing the Tasting Sampler: “Disney’s Animal Kingdom Tasting Sampler can be purchased through April 22, 2019 at noon and can be used at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park during regular operating hours. When you purchase the sampler, you’ll receive an email for each digital value card. Each email will have a barcode that can be added to your digital wallet on your mobile phone and scanned at most food and beverage locations throughout the park. For a full list of participating locations and menu offerings, visit any food and beverage location at the park. To purchase, visit Offers.Disney.com and use the code DAKDINEBONUS.” Don’t Miss Out on Any Disney Fun! The 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is now available! With more than 750 pages, the 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 20+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you’ll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet. Click here to order your copy of the 2019 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2019 to save 25% today! Use code WDW2019 at check-out for a 25% off the cover price! Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. Will you be trying any of the Tasting Sampler items in Animal Kingdom? Please let us know with a comment! Related posts: Heading to Animal Kingdom Over the Holidays? Don’t Miss These Limited Time Tasting Sampler Eats! What’s New at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom: April 3, 2018 What’s New at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom and Resorts! June 21, 2018 View the full article

Have you heard — and seen — that the title and a teaser trailer were released today for Star Wars Episode IX? And just yesterday, we got to take our first peek at the ride vehicle for the upcoming Galaxy’s Edge attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. But that’s not all the Star Wars talk we’re doing today, because we’ve spotted a few more Star Wars Loungefly backpacks in Hollywood Studios to share, too! Star Wars Logo Loungefly The force is strong with Loungefly backpacks because they are the PERFECT park accessory. Not only are they a great size for carrying around your essential park goodies, but they have the cutest patterns, to boot. These bags will be a must-have park accessory while exploring Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. And while we spotted the first one last week, we can’t resist sharing him once again… The Yoda Backpack Yoda Loungefly Have you ever seen a backpack so cute in your life? The Yoda backpack not only has Yoda’s wise (and adorable) face on the front, but it has a pretty huge pocket as well. And would you just look at those ears? How could you not want to rock this bag around Batuu? R2-D2 Backpack R2-D2 Loungefly This new Loungfly is a tribute to one of our favorite droids, R2-D2. From the gadgets to the blue, white, and metallic silver, there is no denying that this bag has a sleek and futuristic look, just like R2-D2! Now, you can have a droid all your own, and R2 can literally explore Black Spire Outpost with you . Star Wars Logo Backpack Star Wars Logo Loungefly Love the classic Star Wars look? Well then, what better Loungfly than this one? The backpack features the classic Star Wars logo in blue, pink, and yellow. The colors are almost a neon, making it a stand out bag for sure. It also gives us super 80’s vibes (which were diggin’, not gonna lie). Star Wars Figures Backpack Star Wars Figures Loungefly Do you have more than one favorite Star Wars character? Are you struggling to choose between the Light and the Dark side? Well, struggle no further. This Loungefly backpack design includes so many of our favorite friends from the Star Wars films. How can you go wrong? You can snag these bags on Hollywood Blvd. at Hollywood Studios. The new Loungefly bags will be the perfect way to sport your favorite Star Wars characters while walking through Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge very soon. Read more about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge here! Which Loungfly backpack is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the Star Wars news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Related posts: What’s New at Hollywood Studios This Week: Skyliner Progress, Tatooine Traders Construction, and More Holiday Fun! 2019 Disney Restaurant ULTIMATE GUIDE: What You Need To Know About EVERY Restaurant Opening In Disney World and Disneyland in 2019! Alien Popcorn Buckets, a New Dessert, and More Star Wars Updates: Everything New at Disney’s Hollywood Studios This Week! View the full article

There’s no shortage of fun cups and mugs at the Disney Parks, and lo and behold, on our visit to Animal Kingdom today we found another awesome tumbler! This time it’s Finding Nemo — with the adorable clown fish included! Finding Nemo Tumbler We spotted the tumbler at several drink and snack carts all around the park, so keep your eyes peeled for it! The cost for the Nemo Tumbler is $11.75 added onto the cost of any drink. Can you imagine Nemo floating in your drink?! So fun! Finding Nemo Tumbler But as an added bonus: there’s a light in the domed lid with four different settings! Light Up Dome So if you’re chillin’ with Nemo for Animal Kingdom’s nighttime entertainment, you’ll be all lit up! Finding Nemo Tumbler The Nemo Tumbler is a great souvenir because it combines cuteness and function! Get yours the next time you’re exploring Animal Kingdom’s winding paths! Subscribe to the DFB Newsletter today, and we’ll keep you up-to-date on all the Disney Parks News! Would you “just keep swimming” with Nemo? Let us know what you think in the comments! Related posts: What’s New to Buy in Animal Kingdom Park: August 6, 2018 The Halloween Cupcake at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom is Just Right for Fall! Review: Drinks and Bites at Animal Kingdom’s Restaurantosaurus Lounge! View the full article

Walt Disney shares rocketed to an all-time high Friday after the company revealed plans for its news streaming arena. Disney Plus video streaming is being released in tandem with a blockbuster lineup of films coming out this year, including Aladdin, Toy Story 4, The Lion King, Frozen 2 and Star... View the full article