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Mark your Calendars! On October 4, 2019 Disney will simultaneously launch the product lines for Star Wars: Episode IX and Frozen II at events around the world known as Star Wars Triple Force Friday and Frozen Fan Fest. Star Wars Triple Force Friday Triple Force Friday will kick off at 12:01 am on October 4, with Frozen Fan Fest events kicking off later in the day and lasting until Frozen II‘s release on November 22, 2019. Star Wars Triple Force Friday Triple Force Friday will celebrate the launch of brand-new products inspired by three original Star Wars entertainment events: The release of the final installment of the Skywalker Saga, Star Wars: Episode IX, on December 20, 2019 The first-ever Star Wars live-action series, The Mandalorian, set to debut exclusively on the upcoming streaming service, Disney+. The latest title from EA and Respawn, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a brand-new action adventure game releasing for the 2019 holiday season. Products spanning categories from toys and collectibles to housewares, books, apparel and more will go on sale beginning at 12:01 a.m. on October 4, 2019. Stores around the world will join the festivities with in-store events and midnight openings. Details on Triple Force Friday’s events will be revealed closer to October 4, but expect a unique experience. New Star Wars products to be kept under wraps until October 4. For more details on Triple Force Friday, visit StarWars.com Frozen Fan Fest To celebrate Frozen II‘s November 22, 2019 release retailers around the world will kick off Frozen Fan Fest on October 4, 2019, with brand new product introductions. Frozen II ©Disney Frozen Fan Fest will include product reveals, musical moments, in-store events and much more. Expect an unprecedented assortment of Frozen II products. Frozen Fan Fests will continue until the November 22, 2019 when the film is released — with even more products being introduced after the release! The Frozen II products will include toys, apparel, fashion accessories, housewares, books and more! Additional details on Frozen Fan Fest will be revealed later this year. Have you seen the newest preview for Frozen II yet? Watch it below! Will you be lining up to attend either Triple Force Friday or Frozen Fan Fest? 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: DFB Holiday Gift Guide: Star Wars Extravaganza! What’s New at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Coronado Springs Resort: May 26, 2018 Spotted: Star Wars Holiday Food-themed Disney Pins View the full article

Remember earlier this week when we reported there were new menu items at Disney Springs? Well we couldn’t resist trying a few of them as soon as possible! Today we stopped by The Polite Pig to sample some of their latest offerings. The Polite Pig On our list for today were the Burnt Ends BBQ Meatballs, the Seasonal Side, the Bee’s Knees Cocktail, and the Red Velvet Cake…of course we had to get dessert! New Menu Items at The Polite Pig First up, the Bees Knees cocktail. This small batch cocktail includes London Dry Gin, honey, and lemon. The Bee’s Knees This was a very refreshing beverage. The gin flavor wasn’t overwhelming, which was perfect because I’m not a huge gin fan. The sweetness of the honey was very nicely balanced by the sourness of the lemon. Unlike a lot of mixed cocktails, it wasn’t sickly sweet which is a win in my book! All in all, it’s a pretty good drink! The Bee’s Knees Now, onto the Burnt Ends BBQ Meatballs. These are meatballs made out of the house brisket, and served with cheddar grits. They are topped with crispy onions and the Polite Pig’s Signature Layla’s Sweet BBQ Sauce. They are under the “Shareables” section of the menu, but with a side, these could absolutely be a hearty meal! Burnt End BBQ Meatballs These meatballs were delicious. They were incredibly moist and tender, and had a smokey flavor that you’d expect from the BBQ restaurant. The grits are a somewhat unusual accompaniment for meatballs, but they are so creamy and actually make a perfect pairing. Additionally, the onions add a nice crunch to your bite, especially considering everything else in the dish is a softer texture. Overall, this was a great dish and certainly one we’d order again! Burnt Ends BBQ Meatballs Cross Section Next up, the Seasonal Side. Today, the “chef’s whim” was a combination of two Southern staples: Greens n’ Grits. For those unfamiliar with “greens,” these are Collard Greens, which are a leafy vegetable in the Kale family. Greens N’ Grits The Collards are accompanied by the cheddar grits as well as black eyed peas. You might expect the greens to be bitter, but they really aren’t! They are cooked very well. The Greens N’ Grits are certainly a unique choice, especially if you’ve never had Collard Greens before. That said, there are so many delicious sides at The Polite Pig that we probably wouldn’t try these again. Red Velvet Cake Last up, dessert! Gone is the Key Lime Pie, and it’s been replaced by the Red Velvet Cake. This cake is…meh. Unlike a good piece of cake which is rich and moist, mine was very dry and crumbly. The frosting, which can often save a mediocre piece of cake, is bland, so…no dice. Red Velvet Cake Bite Overall, this cake was not a winner. But you know what IS winning at The Polite Pig? Gideon’s Chocolate Chip Cookie which we think is the best cookie in Walt Disney World. If you’re going to get dessert here, we highly recommend this one! Gideon’s Cookies — Chocolate Chip Overall, Polite Pig is still a hearty and destination-worthy spot for counter service eats in Disney Springs, but the menu CAN be hit or miss. Let us know your favorites! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What do you think? Is The Polite Pig on your must-eat list at Walt Disney World? Let us know in the comments! Related posts: What’s New in Disney Springs: BIG CHANGES, Mini Additions, New Stores, Construction Updates Plus Valentine’s and Easter Treats! News: Free Pastry with Purchase of a Caricature at Amorette’s Patisserie in Disney Springs! Millennial Pink Chocolate Treats Debut at Disney World’s Ganachery View the full article

Mobile Order made its debut as part of the My Disney Experience app in May of 2017. My Disney Experience app This in-app feature allows guests to pre-order and pre-pay for their food at participating Counter Service Restaurants around Disney World. Upon arrival to the restaurant, guests using Mobile Order can then bypass the ordering queue and go straight to a designated Pick Up Counter to get their food to save time that would otherwise be spent in line. Mobile Order sign at Woody’s Lunch Box in Hollywood Studios Earlier this month, Disney announced that Mobile Order would be getting a bit of a refresh. The new interface has already been in place for Mobile Order in Disneyland, but now it’s also live on My Disney Experience for Disney World guests. Let’s check out the new look! As always, first simply choose the restaurant you would like to dine at. How does Casey’s Corner sound today? Casey’s Corner on Mobile Order Once you select “Order Food,” that’s when things start to look a little different. Previously, guests would continually scroll to see the full menu. But now, fun icons invite you to select which menu category you’d like to explore. Mobile Order screenshot (Of course, you can simply scroll as always to see all the options.) Mobile Order screenshot Mobile Order screenshot Mobile Order screenshot Mobile Order screenshot You will also notice that more items now offer helpful food photos to help you make your decision. Mobile Order screenshot As far as the general ordering and purchasing process, the steps are the same from here on out (you can find our full Step-By-Step Instructions to using Mobile Order here, in case you are not yet familiar). It’s also worth noting that, where applicable, you’ll also find an icon noting Allergy-Friendly Items, such as you’ll see here below from Pinocchio Village Haus. Allergy Friendly Icon on Mobile Order screenshot Once you click the icon, you’ll notice the various Allergy-Friendly lists to choose accordingly. Mobile Order screenshot Mobile Order screenshot Again, these features themselves are not new to Mobile Order, but the new interface offers some easier navigation to save you even more time while saving time using Mobile Order! Visit our Mobile Order Page to see our Step-By-Step Guide to using Mobile Order! 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. What do you think of the new look for Mobile Order? Please let us know with a comment! Related posts: Exciting New Feature on My Disney Experience App 2019 Disney Dining Plans AND Disney World Vacation Packages Announced ALL the LIMITED TIME TREATS Coming to Disney World and Disneyland for MICKEY’S 90TH BIRTHDAY Celebration!! View the full article

Descendants Star Booboo Stewart Onboard the Disney Wonder in Alaska View the full article

Sprinkles Cupcakes locations in Walt Disney World and Disneyland have two returning cupcakes, and for one, the cupcake wizards of Sprinkles have found inspiration in the most important meal of the day! This isn’t the first time breakfast flavors have found their way onto (and into!) a Sprinkles Cupcake. Back in January the bakery offered four cereal cupcake options! (See our post about the cereal cupcakes here!) Sprinkles in Disney Springs But this first returning flavor is a little more subtle. It’s the Stuffed French Toast Cupcake featuring a raspberry-filled yellow cake topped with cinnamon cream cheese frosting dusted with cinnamon sugar! No chunky cereal toppings — but lots of yummy cinnamon flavor! But don’t hit the snooze alarm because the Stuffed French Toast Cupcake is only available until Monday! French Toast Cupcake The other returning flavor is the Cookie Cupcake, which fuses two delicious treats into one! This cupcake has become a perennial favorite and features a cookie base, yellow cake studded with big chocolate chips, brown sugar frosting, and a coating of crushed cookie! Cookie Cupcake! Click here to read our review of the Cookie Cupcake! The Cookie Cupcake doesn’t have an official end date, but we don’t expect it to stick around indefinitely. So if you’re near a Sprinkles location anywhere (not just in the Parks!), head on in to get your cookie fix… in a cupcake! Cookie Cupcake Sprinkles Cupcakes offers so many creative limited edition cupcakes in addition to their popular standards, and we love popping in to see what’s new the pastry case. And you know we’ll bring you the latest! Which cupcake is your jam: Stuffed French Toast or Cookie? Tell us in the comments below! Related posts: Black Velvet Cupcake at Sprinkles in Disney Parks Through October 31! Breakfast Cereal Cupcakes Return To Sprinkles TODAY! — See When You’ll Find Your Favorite! Design Your Own Bake Box at Sprinkles Cupcakes! View the full article

Disney Springs is preparing to welcome Ron Jon Surf Shop! Ron Jon Surf Shop is Coming to Disney Springs ©Disney The 10,000 square-foot location will be located near The Polite Pig in the Town Center of Disney Springs. Beach and “vacation essentials” is what guests can expect to find when the Surf Shop opens its doors in late 2019. Surfs up… later this year ! Stay tuned for more details! See all of the dining neighbors to the future Ron Jon Surf Shop in our DFB YouTube Food Tour of the Disney Springs Town Center! Are you excited to shop at Ron Jon Surf Shop in Disney Springs? Please let us know with a comment! Related posts: News! Amorette’s Patisserie Opening in Disney Springs on May 15th First Look and Review! The New D-Luxe Burger in Disney Springs Town Center First Look and Review: Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza in Disney Springs View the full article

One of the many reasons I love working at Disney Springs is that there’s always something new and exciting happening especially for all of us shoppers! Whether you’re looking for the latest Disney fashion (I’m currently obsessing over the Disney D-Lish collection!) or fashion trends that tie to the season, you’re bound to find it all here. Today, I’m delighted to announce a new shopping destination we’re adding to the lineup that’s hot off the press. Get ready beach-goers because Ron Jon Surf Shop is opening a location at Disney Springs Town Center! The new 10,000 square-foot store will be opening its doors in late 2019 near The Polite Pig and will be filled with all your favorite beach and vacation essentials. I’ll be sharing more details in the coming months about the store design and what makes this location unique so be on the lookout for future updates and follow @DisneySprings on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for the latest Disney Springs happenings. View the full article

‘Beauty & The Beast’ Voice Paige O’Hara Surprises Beast For Valentine’s Day View the full article

Disney World Annual Passholders will want to know that the Annual Passholder discount available at Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante in Disney Springs has been extended. Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante Annual Passholders are eligible for a 40% discount daily during lunch hours (11:30 AM typically through 3:30 PM). Note that this offer does not extend to Sunday brunch. The discount is valid now through May 31, 2019. Three Cheese Ravioli Interested Passholders can see this offer on the Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante website. Buon appetito! 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 you dined at Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante? Please let us know with a comment! Related posts: First Look AND Review!! Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante Opening Soon in Disney Springs New Ugly Sweater and Matching PJ Events Announced for Disney Springs (Yeah, There’s Free Dessert) News: Reservations for The Edison, Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante, and Enzo’s Hideaway in Disney World Now on OpenTable View the full article

How-To Draw WALL-E and Eve | Disney Parks View the full article

iNSIDE Disney Parks - Amazing Wedding Spots at Walt Disney World Resort & More View the full article

#DisneyKids: The Seas With Nemo and Friends View the full article

The 2019 Epcot International Festival of the Arts, going on now until February 25, 2019, is a celebration of visual, culinary, and performing arts from around the world, that offers artful activities for the entire family—from special entertainment and interactive workshops to immersive art experiences and world-class cuisine. In a recent Legacy post, the remarkable art and cultural legacy of World Showcase was featured. The culture of Disney itself is so richly populated with talent that in some cases, throughout the Company and around the world, there are caches of “forgotten” cultural wealth, riches of Disney artistry that are hiding in plain sight. Within World Showcase at Epcot is another remarkable art gallery, one that has been on display for decades but, perhaps, even the most ardent Disney enthusiasts don’t even know about. Most people are familiar with The American Adventure, the epic story of the United States and the people, ideals, and conflicts of its ongoing story. The dramatic production features a cast of 35 Audio-Animatronics figures, ten different sets stored under the stage and moved forward or backward on cue, digital images on a majestic 72-foot screen, and a stirring musical score. The stunning building in which it is housed was intended as a “people’s mansion,” taking design cues from the classic Georgian style of the late 1700s, Colonial Williamsburg, Independence Hall, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, and the Old State House in Boston. But on the way to take a seat inside the stately theater, guests are likely to bypass a remarkable one-of-a-kind exhibit within the theatre rotunda, featuring original art works by an utterly unique assembly of fine artists, motion picture designers, Disney Legends, and Academy Award winners. One of the most peculiar conventional wisdoms about Disney is that somehow, because the medium is entertainment (and wildly popular), the art created for Disney is somehow “less than” or inferior, or not “fine art.” “Many of the artists who worked at Disney Studios — and the other movie studios in the mid-20th century, and on up until today — were impeccably trained fine artists,” says Mary Platt, Director of the Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University. “In fact, a majority of them did fine art ‘on the side’ and continued to do so even after they took jobs at the movie studios. Mary Blair, for example, and her husband Lee, who both worked for Disney, began as fine artists who both graduated from Chouinard (now CalArts) and exhibited outstanding paintings. Eyvind Earle may be best known for his work on Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty,” and other animated features and shorts, but he also made a living as a fine art painter with a highly distinctive style. Herb Ryman graduated with honors from the Art Institute of Chicago, and Robert McCall was a very accomplished magazine illustrator whose work also appeared on U.S. postage stamps. Their talents were so expansive that even the movies couldn’t contain them.” Here are some of those artists, and their original art pieces represented in The American Adventure: “The Promise of America” is an epic interpretation of the American immigration experience by Disney Legend Herb Ryman a prime example of an artist who bridged the commercial and fine arts throughout his long career, with work in one sphere inspiring the other. Herbert Ryman paints in the Mexico Pavilion. © Disney Herb created the first overall illustration of Disneyland, working directly with Walt as he described his dream for a new kind of family entertainment, and continued to work on every Disney theme park until his passing in 1989. Ryman was also an exhibiting fine artist, a member (and president) of the California Art Club. He was particularly prolific in pen and ink, watercolor, and oil. His work was shown regularly in galleries as early as 1937 in New York, Los Angeles, and other cities. An educational enterprise that bears his name, Ryman Arts, teaches classical drawing and painting to talented and motivated high school students as a bridge to a lifetime that expresses and appreciates the arts. “Westward Ho!” portrays a highly cinematic view of the European expansion into the American West, and it’s no surprise in that it is the work of multiple Oscar-winning production designer Jack Martin Smith. The artist joined MGM in 1937, and two years later found himself working as a production designer on “The Wizard of Oz.” He spent most of his working life at MGM on classics such as “Easter Parade,” “On the Town,” and “Show Boat.” Jack moved to 20th Century Fox, where his work included “Carousel,” “Cleopatra,” “Fantastic Voyage,” “Planet of the Apes,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “Hello, Dolly!” and “M*A*S*H”; as well as TV series such as “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,” “Lost in Space,” and “Batman.” His last film before his retirement was the 1977 Disney classic “Pete’s Dragon.” “Giving Thanks” is a Rockwellian observation of the American family by Disney Legend Sam McKim, an artist whose career as a Walt Disney Imagineer included a generation of souvenir maps of Disneyland, and many drawings, sketches, and paintings for other Disney Parks and projects. Sam began as a popular child actor in numerous B-westerns in the 1930s, but as he approached adulthood decided to pursue a career in art. Sam McKim at work on Hall of the Presidents at WED Enterprises. © Disney He joined WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering) as an illustrator in 1954, the year before Disneyland opened. Among Sam’s first assignments were art works for attractions, shops, and restaurants on Main Street and in Frontierland, including the Golden Horseshoe Revue. He played a part in all of the Disney attractions at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair; as well as Hall of Presidents at the Magic Kingdom in Florida. In a future post, we’ll look at even more of the art and artists whose original art works are on display within the “hidden” Epcot Art Gallery at The American Adventure. View the full article

The Atlanta Braves are back. But not for long. The Braves, who have held their spring training at Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex since 1998, will do so for the final time in 2019. The first workout for pitchers and catchers is scheduled for Saturday. Atlanta will move its spring... View the full article

Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill is more than a refresh of the celebrity chef’s previous iteration of his Disney Springs eatery, Wolfgang Puck Grand Café. The new restaurant serves a more elegant offering of the chef’s California-inspired atmosphere — and cuisine with a Mediterranean flavor. What I would... View the full article

It wasn’t too long ago that we showed you the Castle Cupcake, a sweet treat straight out of the Main Street Bakery at Walt Disney World. (Learn more about the Castle Cupcake here!) In one of those lovely promo shots from Disney, we spied with our hungry eyes a pair of ears we just had to have. The only problem? They weren’t for sale… yet! Castle Cupcake ©Disney Finally, the Castle Minnie Ears can be ours — in Disneyland. That’s right: the Disney merch goddesses have released a pair of Castle Minnie Ears featuring Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park! Castle Minnie Ears If you compare the castle centerpiece to the (blurry!) one in the Disney World ears, this one seems to be a little shorter — just as Sleeping Beauty Castle is shorter than Cinderella’s Florida abode. Castle Minnie Ears We love the metallic gold bow and the silver sequined ears, too. And if you ask us, sparkly Minnie ears are the Disney fan equivalent to a crown, making us all Disney royalty! Castle Minnie Ears Yup, we need these like we needed those “it’s a small world” ears two weeks ago. (Remember those? Click here for another look!) Such is the Disney life! Want to stay atop all the Disney news in your kingdom? Click here to subscribe to the DFB Newsletter today! Are you in for the Castle Minnie Ears? Let us know if you’ll be crowning yourself Disney royalty with these! Related posts: CHECK THESE OUT! Brand NEW it’s a small world Ears Have Arrived! Year in Review: The Disney Merchandise We HAD to Have in 2018!! NEW Disney Food Shirts You NEED in Your Parks Wardrobe!! View the full article

Year In Review: A Look Back at 2018 Disney Parks Blog Meet-Ups View the full article

‘Mary Poppins Returns’ Meet-Up View the full article

I take a long walk through Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks (camera in tow) once a week in an effort to keep the resort’s photographic archive fresh and make art. Here are some pictures from recent walks. I was starting to feel left out as all of my news photographer pals were posting pictures of iconic places against the snow-capped San Gabriel Mountains after last week’s storm. So, the first photograph is my take: the iconic Matterhorn at Disneyland park, as seen from Pixar Pal-A-Round at Disney California Adventure park (shot using a 400mm lens). Let’s travel from the Swiss Alps of Fantasyland to the exotic back waterways of the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland. If that skipper is worth his salt … that elephant encounter should end with a bit of dry humor. Westward-ho! The sun rises behind The Golden Horseshoe in Frontierland. The sky is so blue after a good rain! Space Mountain in Tomorrowland seems to visually pop just a little more when the sky is right. I love the giant heart-shaped topiary in Town Square and décor along Main Street, U.S.A. during Valentine’s Month. There’s still time to experience all of the Valentine’s offerings before this limited-time celebration ends on Feb. 18. From a scavenger hunt to decadent desserts, Valentine’s Month is a great time to get your ears on with that special someone. View the full article

Get Acquainted With Fierce, Furry and Feathered Animal Friends | Adventures by Disney View the full article

Unique Cultural Activities | Adventures by Disney Vacations View the full article

Find your #HappyPlace: Spend Your Day Snacking on the 'Best Eats' Around Walt Disney World Resort View the full article

Staying in a Real-Life Castle on the Adventures by Disney Ireland Vacation View the full article

Take a Look at Some of the Most Thrilling Rides at Walt Disney World Water Parks View the full article

#DisneyFamilia: Honoring Hispanic Heritage Month - Meet Pilar Arroyos Ojeda View the full article