Disney4me

We are always on the hunt for the best food and drinks at Disney World! Grand Floridian Hotel & Spa There are so many dining locations across all of the Disney parks, and once you add in all the Disney World hotels, the options can seem overwhelming. Don’t worry we are here to help, and today we are reviewing a new food item at one of the Disney World hotels! First of all, we think this treat is adorable! It definitely gets a few bonus points for eye appeal. Buuuttt, the real test is how this cutie tastes. It is perfect for photos, but is it also perfect for the mouth? Mickey Chocolate Choux We are happy to report that this Mickey Chocolate Choux is so GOOOOOOOD! Yes, that is good with seven o’s because this guy deserves the love. The treat has lots of milk chocolate flavor, but without having an overwhelming level of chocolate flavor. We thought the choux tasted was wonderfully fluffy and had a lovely crunchiness to it. The crunchiness tastes similar to the edges of a fresh pan of fudge brownies. It’s so cute! The inside of this treat is so incredibly fluffy and the Chantilly cream tastes like a whipped mousse. Then the bottom of the dessert is covered in a thin layer of chocolate which just ties the whole treat together! Our only complaint about this one is that we wish it was bigger so we could enjoy it for longer. So much filling goodness! We will likely be thinking about this treat for awhile as it is a real winner! It looks fantastic for photos and tastes even better. While you may need to travel a bit out of your way to get this dessert at the Grand Floridian, if you happen to be in the area, we highly recommend grabbing this treat. If you are looking for more of our favorite snacks in Disney World, make sure you check out our video that rounds up some of the best snacks in Disney World in 2024: We are constantly reviewing Disney food, so make sure to stay tuned to DFB for even more Disney food news and reviews! Check out our review of a NEW Disney World drink that has GLITTER in it! Need Disney Restaurant Advice? We’ve Got EVERYTHING You Need to Know The ONLY Disney Dining Planning Tool You’ll Need Is Here – Get the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining! See Our Complete Disney World Restaurants Guide The Best Magic Kingdom Restaurants The Best EPCOT Restaurant Restaurants The Best Restaurants in Disney’s Hollywood Studios The Best Restaurants in Disney’s Animal Kingdom The Best Disney Springs Restaurants The Best (and Worst) Disney World Hotel Restaurants Check Out Dozens of Disney Dining Tips and Tools Learn All About Tipping at Disney Restaurants How to Use Mobile Order in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest Disney food news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Are you planning on trying the Mickey Chocolate Choux? Let us know in the comments! The post REVIEW: This New Treat Is SO Worth the Trip To This Disney World Hotel first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Magic Kingdom has been going through a LOT of changes over the past few years. Frontierland TRON Lightcycle / Run finally opened in April 2023, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure just opened in Frontierland in the ride building that used to house Splash Mountain (same ride system, different theming), and Country Bear Jamboree went under refurbishment in January to introduce a new show. And it’s finally ALMOST time to experience this updated attraction! Be sure to stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Magic Kingdom news! D23 previews have been announced for the reopening Country Bears in Magic Kingdom! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What are you most looking forward to seeing in the new show? Tell us in the comments! The post REMINDER: Disney’s NEW Country Bear Musical Jamboree Opens SOON! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

There is a sale going on at the Disney Store, and you need to know about it! You deserve a little treat and a new piece of Disney merchandise is just what the doctor ordered (at least that is what we are going to tell ourselves as we buy way too many things this weekend…). Loungefly Wall at the Emporium in Magic Kingdom You can save sitewide on Disney merchandise, so what are you waiting for? The sale only lasts for a few days, so make sure you take advantage of it soon! DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. The Disney Store is holding a sale! The sale is going on RIGHT NOW through Sunday, July 14th. You can save 25% off sitewide with code “DISNEYPAL” during the Friends & Family Savings Event. As well, if you spend more than $75 you also get free shipping with this code! ©Disney Some exclusions do apply (as they always do), however, now is a great time to pick up some awesome Disney merchandise, and we have three items we think you need to add to your collection! Sip your favorite beverage out of this adorable Monorail Mug! Monorail Mug When we first spotted this mug in Magic Kingdom, we were in love. This Monorail Mug is fabulous and you can grab it for 25% off! A mug covered in monorails with the iconic recording in between. We would spend our whole morning reciting the spiel while enjoying our coffee, and we think that sounds pretty perfect! Grab this mug here! Get in The Haunted Mansion spirit with this Sally Slater Sketchbook Ornament! Sally Slater Sketchbook Ornament The newest Haunted Mansion collection is now available and we think the new ornaments are fantastic. Take advantage of this special Disney Store sale to grab this Sally Slater Sketchbook Ornament. Now you can have Sally Slater holding her umbrella and balancing on a tightrope in your home wherever you decide to hang her. Get the Sally Slater ornament here! Snag this pair of Walt Disney World Marquee Ears! Walt Disney World Marquee Ears You can also snag a pair of these Walt Disney World Marquee Ears! These were recently released and are perfect for any Disney World fan. They might not make it feel exactly like you driving under the Disney World sign, but we can almost guarantee they will provide a bit of Disney World happiness. Pick up these ears here! You can shop all of these souvenirs and more on the Disney Store, and save 25% through Sunday. We are always keeping our eyes peeled for sales, discounts, and the newest Disney merchandise. So, make sure to stay tuned to DFB for more Disney merchandise news! Find even more Disney essentials on our Amazon Storefront!The post Disney Souvenirs (Even the New Stuff) Are On SALE Right Now first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Are you planning a trip to Disney World? Do you have Magic Kingdom on the brain? Have you been looking at Disney World restaurants and making those advance dining reservations? Good! That means you’re a SMART Disney planner. And you’ve come to the right place. Magic Kingdom We’re here to help you plan ahead so that you won’t be caught off guard by unexpected closures or disappointing updates. There’s nothing worse than visiting your favorite ride only to see it boarded up and under construction. We don’t want that! Now, come along with us as we take a look at all the upcoming ride closures in Disney World this August. Peter Pan’s Flight This ride is SUPER popular. We’re talking 60+ minute waits each day! But for a few weeks, that wait time will be reduced to zero while the ride is closed for refurbishment. In fact, Peter Pan’s Flight is closed now and is set to reopen on August 21st. This ride is CLOSED Disney did not state the reason for this temporary closure, but we did notice that a construction permit was filed by Disney Imagineering in May. The contractor for the project is InterAmerica Stage, Inc., which specializes in stage rigging and machinery, so we’re expecting some updates when the ride reopens. Test Track EPCOT’s Test Track is also currently closed for refurbishment and will remain closed through August. Now, unlike the Peter Pan’s Flight refurbishment, this one might take a little longer. That’s because Disney is planning to update the ride in a BIG way. Test Track Disney hasn’t shared much about this ride transformation, but we do know that the new version of the ride will be inspired by a retro EPCOT attraction — World of Motion! We can’t wait to see how it turns out. Reimagining concept art ©Disney Test Track is currently set to reopen in the spring of 2025, though Disney has not shared an official opening date yet. Disney Fans Have SURPRISING Expectations for the Test Track Re-theme in EPCOT — Are They Right? Voyage of The Little Mermaid OK, this attraction has been closed for AGES, and guess what? It’s still going to be closed in August. The Voyage of the Little Mermaid was a live show in Disney’s Hollywood Studios featuring Ariel, Price Eric, Flounder, and some other iconic characters from the animated movie. It’s been closed since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Voyage of the Little Mermaid will soon become “The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure” But the good news is that this building isn’t a total lost cause! In fact, Disney confirmed that the original show is getting an update. We’re looking forward to The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure, the new show featuring “stunning new set pieces, cutting-edge effects, and a bold new design that captures Ariel’s imagination and emotions through her unique view of the world around her.” Listen for songs like “Part of Your World,” “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” and “Kiss the Girl.” The attraction is scheduled to reopen in the fall of 2024. NEW LOOK at ‘The Little Mermaid’ Show Coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios! Jungle Cruise We’ve got one more Magic Kingdom ride closure to talk about this August! The Jungle Cruise will close on August 26th for a refurbishment. Jungle Cruise We’re still waiting for Disney to share more details about this closure! Currently, there is no reopening date listed on the Disney World website, but we’ll be sure to keep our eyes out for updates. Jungle Cruise Will Temporarily CLOSE in Magic Kingdom SOON In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more. Disney World Has a NEW Refillable Mug, but There’s a Catch! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Will any of these closures impact your trip? Let us know in the comments! The post 4 Disney World Rides Will Be Closed for Refurbishment in August 2024 first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Your next Disney World trip could become DISASTROUS if you don’t WATCH OUT for THESE major mistakes before you go! EPCOT The DFB Team has put our heads together to compile a COMPLETE list of what WE believe are the WORST mistakes you’ll wanna avoid in Disney World to make sure YOU never have to experience them firsthand yourself. Ready to THROW these mistakes in the garbage and never look back? Then let’s DO this! Assume That Disney Transportation Runs 24/7 This Disney mistake makes us cringe BIG time. During a recent trip, a DFB teammate was taking an Uber over to EPCOT, and the Uber driver — friendly and well-meaning as he intended— reminded her that Disney transportation runs “24/7.” Disney Bus And her stomach just sank. Because how many OTHER people had he told this information to? As awesome as it’d be for Disney transportation to always be around and available, according to the Disney website, “bus service generally operates from 45 minutes before a theme park’s opening time until one hour after a theme park’s closing time.” Magic Kingdom Monorail station at Transportation and Ticket Center Meanwhile, the “Resort Monorail and Express Monorail begin operating 30 minutes prior to when Magic Kingdom park opens and stop one hour after Magic Kingdom park closes,” while “the EPCOT Monorail begins operating 30 minutes prior to when EPCOT opens and stops 2 hours after EPCOT closes.”And when it comes to the Skyliner, these little gondolas are “available each day one hour before Early Theme Park Entry begins at EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and close each day 90 minutes after EPCOT or Disney’s Hollywood Studios closes.” Monorail So, let’s say you drive to Magic Kingdom. The park is slated to close at 9PM that day, but you wind up taking a Disney bus over to BoardWalk Inn to hang out at Jellyrolls until 11:30PM. By the time you’re finished partying the night away, you might not be able to take a bus back to Magic Kingdom to get to the Transportation and Ticket Center if Disney World transportation is finished for the night. Magic Kingdom Ferryboat In this case, you might be stuck paying for a rideshare service just to return to your car. Disney World transportation can be deceiving, so don’t assume you can rely on it 24/7. Make sure to plan ahead so you know exactly where you’re going and how you’re going to get around property without all the extra stress. I Have Something Controversial To Say About Disney World Hotel Transportation, and You Might Be Surprised About It Make THIS Mobile Order Mistake When mobile ordering your meal through the My Disney Experience app, you’ll be asked to select an expected time for pick-up. But what happens when you don’t arrive during your expected time window? Well… we had to find out the hard way. Mobile Order On a recent visit to the Disney World parks, we had this very situation happen to one of our reporters! We placed an order at a quick service location, buuuuuuut time got away from us. And while we were standing around waiting for our order, we forgot to press the “I’m here” button (which let’s the kitchen know they can actually start MAKING your order fresh for ya). Mobile ordering through the My Disney Experience App During this particular occurrence, our arrival window ended at 11am and, when we went to alert the app that we were “here” just a little bit PAST time, it appeared that we were TOO LATE to tap in. Don’t worry. There’s a happy ending to this story. Mobile Order window at Columbia Harbour House We were still able to recover our meal when we showed the cast members at the register our order number and they were able to manually fix it and went on to prepare our meal for pick up. Our full spread BUT for future reference, if you think you’re cutting it close to your own mobile order timeframe window, go into the mobile order and modify the time frame to give yourself a bit more time so this doesn’t happen to you too! It’s also a good idea to set yourself an alarm to remind you that, hey! You need to go on and head back to the quick service you mobile ordered from AND let them know you’ve arrived, as well! Uhhhh, Disney? We’re Begging You to Add the Two BEST Things at This Disney World Hotel to Mobile Order Get In Line During Peak Wait Times There are a lot of Disney rides with a ton of hype around ‘em. And THAT means the wait times can get scary. Real scary. We’ve seen Rise of the Resistance, for example, have a wait time that pushed FIVE HOURS LONG. And that’s probably enough to make you go, “Um, excuse me, direct me to the nearest Individual Lightning Lane purchase, please.” Or maybe even go, “Nuh-uh, no THANK you. No ride is worth THAT.” Oh wow. But here’s the truth of the matter: These attractions don’t typically stay WILDLY high all day long. You just gotta keep an eye on the wait times via your MDE app so you can know the exact moment WHEN they start to drop down. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad can have really long lines! Lately, Rise of the Resistance seems to be getting MUCH lower wait times near the end of the park day.Yes, this is a bit of a risky plan (because you can’t guarantee that those lines will slow down later on in the day… or that it’ll even be open when you try!), but there are other ways you can lessen your wait times, too. Rise of the Resistance Like taking advantage of Early Theme Park Entry, for instance — which allows Disney Resort guests to enter the parks 30 minutes before everyone else. This is a good time to try to get on these rides before the rest of the general public can funnel on into ‘em as well. Don’t Even TRY To Rope Drop This Ride in Disney World Thinking the WHOLE PARK is Open During Early Entry I know I just got done singing the praises of Early Entry, but this resort benefit can be both a blessing AND a curse, depending on where you’re using it.For instance, in Magic Kingdom, ONLY Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are open for Early Entry. If you want to ride a ride that is in Adventureland or Frontierland, you’ll still need to wait until the park opens for all guests. So don’t go racing aaaaall the way to Jungle Cruise just to find out it won’t be open for another 30 minutes. Early Entry And for the record, if you’re NOT staying at a Disney World hotel, you’ll definitely want to keep those Early Entry crowds in mind when you rope drop Magic Kingdom. Early Entry signage showing Eligible Resort guests where to go to enter Since Tomorrowland and Fantasyland are both open during Early Entry, there’ll already be crowds gathering in both of those areas — so your best option, instead, might be rope dropping a ride that’s not part of the Early Entry benefit (like over in Liberty Square, or Frontierland, or Adventureland) to take advantage of those lower morning crowds. CONFIRMED: 22 Disney World Hotels Will Offer Early Entry in 2025 Overlook The Self-Serve Water Stations Ha HA! We’re starting off today’s video with a FAVORITE summertime tip — STAY HYDRATED. BUT we’re not talking about reusable water bottles this time (though they are important) or the free quick service water cups (also important). Owala Water Bottle We’re talking about the places where you can get FREE ice water out of a self-serve dispenser (to avoid long lines AND potentially get some of the BEST-tasting water property wide)! So where are these glorious self-serve water stations hiding? Water Bottle Refill Station In Magic Kingdom, Casey’s Corner often has self-serve water dispensers out next to the piano during operating hours. We’ve also seen dispensers out and about in other parts of the park during the hotter season, though they aren’t guaranteed. But in this park, you might want to avoid the really busy quick service restaurants if you’re interested in just getting water and going to a snack stand instead — because any stand with a drink machine will be able to make you a cup, and the line will likely be shorter. Hydrate early and often At EPCOT, some of the best spots to grab a refreshing cup of H2O are at Spice Road Table, where there’s a self-serve dispenser, and at Sunshine Seasons, where the drink machine is open access. At Sunshine Seasons, you’ll need to show the people at the register that you just got a cup of water, but it’s much quicker than waiting in line for someone to serve you. Water station Hollywood Studios is an absolute treasure-trove of self-serve water dispensers! One of our favorites is located inside BaseLine Tap House — which is almost always filled with delicious, cold, refreshing water. You can also get your fill at Ronto Roasters during its operating hours, and we’ve also seen water stations pop up at some other quick service spots on occasion. Hollywood Studios is also home to two Joffrey’s locations — and if their lines aren’t too long, they’re a great option for a hydration fix. Free water! Last but not least, at Animal Kingdom the self-serve water options are a bit more limited, but the park is littered with small snack stands that make the perfect quick stop. No excuse to avoid hydrating! IYKYK: Why EPCOT Experts Go to THIS Restaurant for the Best Free Water Miss Out On Member Benefits Attention all annual passholders, DVC members, and Disney Visa cardholders! Disney wants to reward you for sticking by their side. So be sure you take advantage of the discounts, private lounges, special meet and greet opportunities, exclusive merchandise, and MORE that’re constantly being offered to these specific membership programs. Annual Passholder Magnet For example… Starting April 9th, Disney Visa Cardmembers were able to apply for a FREE Disney Dining Plan for most trips running from July through September and December. This was good for a non-discounted 4-night, 4-day (or longer) Disney Vacation Package with a Park Hopper ticket option. Disney Visa DVC AND AP members were able to register for early previews of new attractions BEFORE they opened to the general public. And — of course — there are LOTS of discounts constantly being offered to AP and DVC members all year round to help save money on food, merch, and hotel stays. ©Disney And this is only scratching the surface, folks! So if you’re a member of any of these Disney programs — or you’re at least thinking about becoming a member in the future — make sure you study up and see what kinda savings and benefits you can take advantage of during your next visit. Because new ones are CONSTANTLY popping up on the website. Disney World Annual Pass Also — don’t forget that OTHER Disney benefit opportunities typically exist for OTHER membership groups too. Oftentimes, Disney World’s Special Offers, Deals, and Discounts page will feature savings opportunities for US military members and Disney+ subscribers, too! It’s always worth looking to see what promotions you might stumble upon! EVERY SINGLE Disney World Annual Passholder Perk — And How To Use Them To Your ADVANTAGE Overlook Communicore Even If A Festival Isn’t Going On The festival season in EPCOT this year might be shorter than usual, but that doesn’t mean you need to skip over the new HEART of festival programming, even when a festival isn’t going on. CommuniCore Hall and Plaza officially opened on June 10th, 2024, and was built to bring EPCOT’s four festivals into the heart of the park. CommuniCore Hall Communicore Plaza is an outdoor space where guests can enjoy the festival offerings, while Communicore Hall is flexible enough to host a myriad of different things — like food stalls, exhibition, mixology class, and so much more! CommuniCore Hall But even WHEN a festival isn’t happening, that doesn’t mean CommuniCore goes dark. There’s still LOTS to see and do here in the meantime, like… Listen to live music Meet and greet with Mickey and Friends and the character spot Eat at a permanent Festival food spots that features “Festival Favorites” Dance along with the limited time Celebracion Encanto show OR even take a potty break inside the new retro-looking bathrooms (which are accessible from the outside of the Communicore Hall building) CommuniCore Hall You can also just step into the area and appreciate all the sleek and BRIGHT artwork while getting some much needed AC before jumping back into the park. We Finally Got Inside EPCOT’s NEW CommuniCore Hall: Here’s a FULL TOUR! Purchase A Souvenir And Not Know What To Do With It Disney Springs is a buffet of stores. What kinds of stores? ALL kinds of stores! You’ve got places that sell the classic Disney merch, you’ve got candle shops, you’ve got art stores, you’ve got the fancy jewelry places, you can even purchase things strictly for left-handed folks. Welcome to Disney Springs! But what if you start off your Disney Springs day purchasing something really REALLY ginormous? Do you have to leave the Springs and go aaaaaaalllll the way back to your hotel and drop it off to avoid carrying it around with ya all day long? Not necessarily. Disney Springs On the backside of Tren-D, located in Disney Springs’ Marketplace section, you’ll find a new Shipping Post! (This is located in the former stroller rental location, by the Marketplace Co-Op.) Marketplace Co-Op This small store is pretty nondescript, so it’s easy to walk right on by without seeing it, but you can head in here and talk to a Cast Member if you have something you’d like to ship home — making it a solid option for people who don’t wanna carry their purchases around all day long, or who’ve traveled a long way from home, or who won’t be able to fit a large souvenir in their luggage. 50 Things You Need To Know Before You Go To Disney World Miss Out On Magic Kingdom’s Newest Ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is now open, so if you’re wanting to increase your chances of getting on this ride during your upcoming visit, here’s what you need to know: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will NOT have a standby line at first. Your only two options to ride this when it first releases will be to get into the virtual queue for it or snag a Lightning Lane through Disney Genie+ or through the new Lightning Lane Multi Pass. The virtual queue for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is accessible via the My Disney Experience app. The queue will open at 7AM each morning and again at 1PM each afternoon. However, beginning at 6AM, you can tap into the virtual queue early to set/confirm your party. That way, you’ll have fewer steps to worry about when boarding groups become available at 7AM or 1PM. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Note that virtual queues open at EXACTLY 7AM and 1PM, and they can fill up within SECONDS. So if you really want to be ready to jump into that queue, you’re gonna need to be in the app and ready to “join” BEFORE the clock strikes either time. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure And if you go the Genie+ route instead? Lightning Lanes also go live right at 7AM — so you’ll wanna prioritize THIS selection before all the others to make sure you’ve got your place in this particular Lightning Lane secured. Step by Step: How To Use the Virtual Queue To Ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Disney World Assume ALL Hotels Have The Same Transportation Perks When it comes to the Disney-owned resorts, some hotels get the short end of the stick when it comes to transportation. Disney bus Like our beloved Animal Kingdom Lodge, for instance. Sure, this place is GORGEOUS and has some of the best dining options property-wide, but because it’s the closest to Animal Kingdom park, it’s pretty far away from everything else. So prepare for some rather loooooong bus rides. Coronado Springs Resort and each of the All Star Resorts also reside near the Animal Kingdom area and ONLY offer complimentary bus rides. Meaning no Monorail, no Skyliner, no boats, no walking paths right up to the park gates, NONE of that. Bus stop at All-Star Movies Again — these aren’t BAD resorts in other aspects. The All-Star hotels are gonna be your cheapest resort option, while Coronado Springs has that lovely Gran Destino Tower — which’ll make you feel like you’re staying in a deluxe resort even at its more moderate price point. However, when you stay at these locations, you’re losing out when it comes to transportation — which may be a big red flag for you. The BEST hotels for transportation tend to be the ones on the Monorail loop that’ll quickly getcha over to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT (ie: Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort), as well as the ones on the Skyliner route which’ll quickly getcha over to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios (ie: Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, and Disney’s Pop Century Resort). Hours for the Skyliner And then there are the specific EPCOT-area resorts — like BoardWalk Inn, Yacht and Beach Club, and Swan and Dolphin — which are within walking distance to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios (AND are in close proximity to the EPCOT Skyliner station, too). There’s a walkway that connects EPCOT and Hollywood Studios! But even if you stay at one of the hotels that ONLY offers bus transportation, that doesn’t mean you absolutely 100% have to be at the mercy of the shuttle services. You can always drive yourself to the parks (since parking will be free for Disney hotel guests) OR you can save back for rideshare services (like Uber and Lyft) Disney World Transportation Is CHANGING, and We’ve Got a NEW LOOK Inside! Fully Trust Disney’s Boat Transportation Hmm. Notice how we didn’t talk about the Disney Springs boat transportation in the point before this one. There’s a reason for that. Over at Port Orleans Riverside/French Quarter, Old Key West, and Saratoga Springs, you can USUALLY get on a Sassagoula Steamboat and float your way on down to the shopping district instead of taking a bus over there. Port Orleans Riverside However, we’ve seen this boat transportation down for the count a lot more often lately — leaving guests pretty frustrated that they can’t use this hotel perk that SHOULD go along with their resort purchase. The boat dock in Disney Springs But WHY have the boats been taking a shut eye? When the boat transportation isn’t running between Disney Springs and the surrounding hotels, it’s typically due to an issue with the weather or water levels affecting the ability of the boats to move. More often than not, the boats are typically running; however, we recommend tracking the Orlando weather around Disney World leading up to your trip (and keeping a close eye on the news we post) to be sure there won’t be any delays in your current transportation plans. Take the boat! And, again, when the boats aren’t running, the hotels will have complimentary bus transportation still up and available — and driving/rideshares are always an option, too, for much speedier access. Oh! And don’t forget about the Saratoga Springs Resort walkway! You can always get to Disney Springs by FOOT from this resort. (It just… might be a bit of a trek, depending on which building your room is located at). 7 Things Your Disney World Bus Driver Wants To Tell You But Won’t Cause They’re Too Nice Don’t Speak Up! One of our DFB reporters recently experienced a restaurant FIRST — which is pretty shocking, since we’ve been dining in Disney World for decades. But during a recent trip to Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom, our reporter sat at her table for more than an hour with NO characters stopping by. Character Autograph Card So here’s a quick play-by-play of what happened: As she was seated, Tigger and Piglet had just passed her table group. Her server said it’d be okay, they’d be the last characters she would see, but they’d come back around later on. Fine. Easy. This happens a lot at character meals. But by the time she’d COMPLETELY finished her meal (and even went back for seconds), she’d been there for more than an hour and hadn’t seen any characters — not ONE! Breakfast plate So how did she handle this? Our reporter calmly mentioned it to her server — who IMMEDIATELY reported the problem to a manager. After a quick chat with the restaurant, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore came in fairly quick succession to her table. Hey, Piglet! So ultimately, the team at Crystal Palace was very kind and accommodating. But if you ever find yourself with an issue similar to this in the future, make sure to be patient and courteous when mentioning it to your server. Sometimes the characters won’t stop at your table right away because of the way their rotation works, but if you go more than an hour without seeing them and they’re not on their way, it might be a good idea to speak up in case you were accidentally skipped. PRO Tips for Disney World Buffets — Don’t Make the Same Mistakes We Did Mix Up Your Mugs! Um… Whoops? Didn’t mean to swap germs with anyone, but — seriously — which refillable mug is WHICH? For context, Disney World hotels offer Resort Refillable Mugs for you to purchase and use for FREE refills throughout your vacation (at participating Disney resort quick services only). Refillable Resort Mugs So, what’s the problem? Allow us to lay out a scenario for you. Say you’re traveling with a family of five, and everyone in the group wants a mug. Well, depending on the availability, you may end up buying two of the same exact mugs. Since the only real differentiating factor with these mugs is the color of the lid, it can be hard to tell them apart — especially if you have two of the same color. Refillable Mugs at Pop Century Oh, and you might want to keep a close eye on your mug when you’re dining at the food court or in the parks. You are probably one of a dozen other people around you using the same mug. Like we said, they’re hard to tell apart. Especially if you set it down. The good news? We have a solution! Well, actually, we have two solutions. (Even better, right?). The first (more economical but also more boring) option is to pack a Sharpie and put your initials on the bottom of the cup. Simple, yet effective. But solution number two is a little more fun and “bling-worthy!” Resort Refillable Mug You can purchase “wine charms” on Amazon and attach them to the handles of your refillable mugs to make them much easier to differentiate AND to make your cup THAT much cuter! 3 Reasons Why Disney World’s Refillable Mugs Aren’t the Hack Everyone Thinks They Are Stretch Yourself Too Thin Not to sound like a Debbie Downer, but there is really no way for you to do EVERYTHING in the parks and resorts in one trip. In fact, you may go on 100 trips to Disney World and still not be able to see and do it all. Slinky Dog Dash There are specialty tours, tons of rides, shows, experiences, SO many restaurants, and gazillions of snacks available. No matter how hard you push yourself, you won’t be able to be a completionist — especially ALL in one go. So take a deep breath, accept that there will always be more to do and see, and relax a little. Pick out the main things that are on your must-do list for your trip — and if you get in a few extra things, cool! If not, ALSO cool! Flower and Garden Festival We’ve seen way too many families at the parks go non-stop from park opening to close without stopping for a break, which tends to lead to a good number of parents having a meltdown right alongside their kids. So this is my friendly reminder — from me to you — to slow down, take time to enjoy the memories you’re creating, and don’t push yourself (and your family) to their absolute limit. 49 Free Things To Do in Disney World in 2024 Follow Your Schedule And Never, Ever Deviate Speaking of stretching yourself too thin, if you’ve got a pretty meticulous schedule for your Disney World trip — and you’re afraid that a spontaneous break or two is gonna throw the whole thing off —- then THROW THE WHOLE THING OUT. Animal Kingdom Schedules are important. But it’s also important to factor in a little wiggle room during the day just in case you need to get off your feet before the next big chunk of the theme park experience takes place. Here, how about this…. We’ll give you some FREE Disney World Planning Worksheets to help you figure out your theme park schedules if you PROMISE me that you’ll only use them as a guideline and not straight up gospel that you can’t deviate from. Deal? Deal. Knowing each person’s priorities, likes, dislikes, and goals for their trip can help you plan a trip that’ll make everyone happy (at least part of the time). 3 Clues About How Test Track Will CHANGE in EPCOT One last important note for y’all: Sometimes, we can plan ahead for these Disney World mistakes, but we either STILL find ourselves getting tripped up by them OR we come across new mistakes that we didn’t know we needed to anticipate. But that’s why we’re always making new videos, posts, and social media updates ALL YEAR ROUND on our DFB pages—so you can continue to feel informed instead of blindsided by new and classic Disney mistakes alike. EPCOT And don’t forget — we wanna help you out by giving you FREE Disney World planning worksheets! Just head over to disneyfoodblog.com/disneyplans NOW so we can send those to your inbox faster than you can say “chili cheese corn dog nuggets.” 14 Things Disney Pros NEVER Do Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Are you excited to plan your Disney World vacation? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below! The post 50 Mistakes To Avoid in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Being an Annual Passholder at Disney World allows you to go to the parks pretty much whenever you please! Annual Pass While there are different block-out dates for different passes, being an Annual Passholder provides you with more flexibility to visit all four Disney World theme parks! There are even a few special perks that Annual Passholders receive, like free parking at the parks, as well as discounts on dining and merchandise, but we’re worried that one of these perks could be quietly going away. When you are out and about in Disney World, you may notice Annual Passholder magnets on people’s cars. This is a free gift that Disney gives Annual Passholders throughout the year. Stitch Annual Passholder Magnet Designs change based on the time of year. Most recently, a Stitch magnet came out for V.I.Passholder days. For the Festival of the Arts in 2023, a special Figment magnet was released. Other recent designs include an Orange Bird, Dumbo, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Mickey and Minnie, and even a Hei-Hei magnet. Hei-Hei Annual Passholder Magnet Many Annual Passholders do not live close to the parks — many don’t even live in Florida — and Disney knows this. Oswald Magnet for Passholders So Disney actually also mails out Annual Passholder magnets to the Passholders’ homes — this doesn’t happen with special releases you pick up in the parks, but in general Passholders get a package in the mail with magnets. too. This Minnie Mouse magnet was mailed to Passholders in 2022. However, not everyone receives these magnets in the mail. Several members of the DFB have been Annual Passholders for the past few years and not received them, and our readers have reported the same to us through social media. What gives, Disney? This has made us concerned that Disney is going to discontinue this practice. However, we have heard from readers who have received magnets in the mail as recently as June 2024. So, maybe we don’t have to be too worried. Annual Passholder Magnet The AP magnet pick-up spot is generally the Creations Shop in EPCOT. Annual Passholders simply scan their pass, show their ID, and receive their magnet. Annual Passholder Magnet Distribution at the Creations Shop While the pick-up process is easy (there can sometimes be a wait), some Annual Passholders say it’s not fair that you have to be in the parks to claim these special-issued magnets. Look at that line! Out-of-state Annual Passholders cannot ask someone to pick up their magnet for them since they have to present themselves to scan their pass and verify that it is them with a photo ID. Magnet Pick-Up While this can be frustrating for Annual Passholders who live out of state, Disney ended up mailing a Christmas gift to Passholders this past year. @chtheade on Instagram Passholders received fun wrapping paper in the mail that featured characters that were on previous Annual Passholder magnets like Figment, Orange Bird, and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit! @chtheade on Instagram If you have a valid annual pass and you’re not receiving this special mail from Disney, our best advice is to log into your Walt Disney World account and be sure you have the correct address saved! If you do and you really want a magnet, we suggest contacting Disney to ask how and when you might receive one in the mail. We are hoping that a new magnet will be released when the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival starts next month! We will make sure to keep an eye out and update you when we get new information! Learn About A Perk Part of Disney World’s Annual V.I.Passholder Days Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW If you are an Annual Passholder, tell us about your favorite part about being a Passholder in the comments!The post Has Disney Quietly Killed a BIG Annual Passholder Perk? first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We’ve got a HUGE update on the 2024 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival! It’s festival time! Before we know it, it’ll be time to start gearing up for Food & Wine. We can’t wait! This summertime festival is the BIGGEST one of the year, bringing tons of food booths, a concert series, and all kinds of themed entertainment to the park. Disney has been keeping the full list of booths and menus a secret, but we just spotted a major update in the parks. It’s official — booths and signs have started popping up for the 2024 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival! Most of these booths stick around all year for various festivals, but we spotted a sign go up over at the Spain booth! Spain! And, it looks like Disney has brought the India booth back out for the festival, though it doesn’t have a sign just yet. India! This year’s festival runs from August 29th through November 23rd, so you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy all that it has to offer. Don’t forget that EPCOT’s new festival areas — CommuniCore Hall and Plaza — will open on June 10th, so they’ll be ready in time for the big event! Close-up of the Span sign We’re sure more signs and additional booths will begin popping up around EPCOT in the near future. Hopefully, this means we’re close to an announcement about the full list of booths and menus! Plus, we can’t wait to check out the Eat to the Beat concert series, Remy’s Ratatouille Hide ‘n’ Squeak Scavenger Hunt, and, of course, the festival merchandise! EPCOT Food & Wine Festival 2023 If you’re planning your trip to the Food & Wine Festival and want to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the fun, make sure to check out our DFB Guide to the Food & Wine Festival! We’ve compiled all of our knowledge from decades of visiting this festival and included tons of helpful tips for you to use so you can plan the perfect trip. We also have lots of fun Food & Wine Festival merch — like t-shirts, tank tops, and sweatshirts — on our DFB store online! Check those out here! Food and Wine Vibes! We’ll make sure to keep you in the loop with more festival news, so stay tuned to DFB for the latest! We’ll be there on the first day of the festival to try ALL the booths and share our reviews. Learn More About the Food & Wine Festival Here! IT'S WINE & DINE TIME! Food & Wine Festival can be a bummer. You stand in line waiting for what looks like the perfect treat, and it's a bust. But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE EPCOT Food & Wine Festival experience. If you're planning a day or a week at the festival, we've got every performance, activity, and tasty nosh detailed out so you can make the most of your time and money. Listen, it's a tough job eating and documenting the nearly 200 bites and sips, but we do it all for YOU! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Learn More About the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival! Insider Tips for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival What to Pack in Your Park Bag for the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Eat to the Beat Concert Updates EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Fans Facebook Page EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Wine and Dine Half Marathon Food and Wine Festival 101 Get More Updates, Tips, and Tricks to Help You Conquer the Food & Wine Festival Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Are you going to the Food & Wine Festival this year? Tell us in the comments! The post NEWS: An Essential Part of the Food & Wine Festival Has Arrived at EPCOT first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Since your Disney World trip is coming, there’s something we’ve got to talk about! The Lion King Simba Magicband+ You know how we’re always making sure you’ve got the right essentials, so in that vein, if you love rocking a MagicBand+ at Disney World and Disneyland, there’s an upgrade that has forever changed how we wear ours that you’ve got to check out! It’s available on Amazon, right now, so let’s get right into it! DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Remember, you can get free, fast shipping with an Amazon Prime membership, so sign up for a FREE trial below. Let’s get right into the MagicBand+ upgrade we were talking about that’s available on Amazon right now! Shop this Apple Watch band MagicBand+ converter Apple Watch band MagicBand+ converter Why wear two things on your wrist when you can wear one?! For such a long time we had been rocking an Apple Watch and a MagicBand+ at the same time when at Disney World, but that all changed the moment when we found this converter on Amazon. It allows you to attach your MagicBand+ directly to your Apple Watch band. (Talk about convenience, right?) And the best part? This can be yours for about $10! Apple Watch Converter Instructions Now, we did have some difficulty unscrewing this piece from our MagicBand, but once we found the right size screwdriver, we were SET. Now we don’t have to wear both our watch and a MagicBand. MagicBand Converter We can just have both on the same wrist! On top of that, this converter glows in the dark, which is so much fun in the parks at night! View on Amazon Shop these Apple Watch Bands AppleWatch Bands While we’re in the process of upgrading your MagicBand+, we might as well upgrade the band on your Apple Watch as well! We love how these bands perfectly showcase our love for Disney too! ©Amazon By the way, they work great with the converter as well! View on Amazon We love reviewing items in the parks for you so you know what’s a must-have, what you can skip, and what’s worth the money. If you have questions about a Disney World essential, please let us know and we will do our best to get a review for ya!! Click here to view our Amazon Storefront The post We Will Never Use a MagicBand the Same in Disney World Thanks to This Upgrade first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Us Disney World fans are often very jealous of Disneyland (which is why we’re often booking trips to the West Coast, too). Disneyland Not only does Disneyland have the BEST corndogs, churros, and snacks (we rate Disneyland #1 for food, by the way), but it also gets the BEST souvenirs. Now, granted, sometimes those souvenirs do make their way to Disney World, but sometimes that takes a while. That’s why we’re currently checking flights to Anaheim because Disney just dropped a look at a new souvenir that is a 100% MUST-HAVE. Here’s a still from the video so you can get a better look. Mickey is driving the little ice cream truck. ©Disney It even comes with a spoon shaped like an ice cream cone to eat the ice cream with. This is PURE GENIUS. ©Disney So when and where can you get your hands on this ice cream truck bucket? It’s going to be released in Disneyland on July 16th at Gibson Girl in Disneyland and Clarabelle’s in Disney California Adventure. So let’s start booking those flights to the West Coast now! While you’re there, might as well enjoy Pixar Fest, too, which runs through August 4th. Stay tuned to DFB for more. The One Disney World Rule That Does NOT Apply to Disneyland Want to Learn More About Disneyland? Check Out the Links Below! DFB Disneyland Restaurants Guide Disney Genie and How to Use it in Disneyland What You Need to Know About the Theme Park Reservation System for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Closures and Construction at Disneyland Learn All About Disneyland Park See What Marvelous Stuff You’ll Find at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure Learn About Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure Get All the Details About the Disneyland Mobile App Everything You Need to Know About Mobile Order in Disneyland Learn More About Disneyland’s Magic Key Program Full Details About the Holiday Season in Disneyland Full Details About Halloween Time at Disneyland Get Some STRANGE Tips for Disneyland Click HERE to Check Out Lots of Other DFB Posts About Disneyland Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox! Click here to Subscribe What do you think of this new souvenir? Let us know in the comments! The post Um...This Could Be The COOLEST Souvenir Disney Will Ever Release first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We’re gearing up for one of the BIGGEST Disney events of the year! D23 D23: The Ultimate Fan Event runs from August 9th-11th in Anaheim, California and it will be THE place to be for all the latest Disney news. The weekend-long convention has panels on a variety of Disney topics, including the highly-anticipated Disney Experiences Showcase, where we learn about all the new projects coming to the parks and Disney Cruise Line. So what is Disney going to announce this year? We think we’ve got a hint! So let’s dive into this photo and see what hints we can uncover! All 6 Disney Parks Castles The first thing we noticed about this artwork is that there are six different castles positioned directly in the middle of the photo to represent the six Disney theme park resorts around the world. At each Disney Resort, there’s a “castle park” (essentially different versions of Disneyland Park) and all of them are represented, so what does that mean? Disneyland Our immediate thought is that this means we’ll be getting some updates for each Disney Resort around the world — hopefully, nobody is getting left out of this announcement train! Howoever, it’s possible that it could be something to do with the castles specifically, although that’s not quite as likely since many of the Pixar Pal-A-Round The next icon we’ve got to mention is the Pixar Pal-a-Round! The “Mickey death wheel” is the weenie for Disney California Adventure, and that leads us to think we’ll be getting some announcements for that park. There are a couple of ways a California Adventure announcement could go, though. Pixar Pal-A-Round The announcement for California Adventure could have something to do with the Disneyland Forward project, where Disney is planning to expand the Disneyland Resort parks into the unused space of the resort. Or, this could also be related to the previously announced Avengers Campus expansion that’s coming in the future. We can’t wait to find out what’s next! Big Thunder Mountain Railroad On the far right side of the photo, we’ve got a structure that looks suspiciously like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad! And if you’ve been paying attention to Disney Parks news recently, then you know that Magic Kingdom is getting a big expansion beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad…and we’re not-so-patiently waiting for updates. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Several different things have been teased for this expansion, including a Disney Villains-themed section. Hopefully, during the Experiences Showcase, we’ll get some new details! Tree of Life And speaking of expansions, there’s another one we might get updates about! The Tree of Life is worked into the left side of the picture, so we’ve got our fingers crossed that we’ll get official announcements about the new offerings coming to the Tropical Americas land, which is replacing DinoLand, USA. @Disney Indiana Jones and Encanto-themed experiences have already been teased for this land, but we’re eager to get some confirmed attractions or maybe a closing date for the current offerings. Give us the deets, Disney! Earffel Tower If you noticed the Earffel Tower in the artwork, you might be confused, considering the icon was removed from Disney’s Hollywood Studios several years ago. However, it’s not for Disney World! Nope, the Earfull Tower is likely there to represent Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris. Walt Disney Studios Park It was announced a few months back that Walt Disney Studios Park will be renamed Disney Adventure World and is getting a full overhaul! Disney has announced a few new offerings for the rethemed park so far, but we’re hoping to get more attraction details and maybe some timelines during the showcase. Chinese Theater Now, we reach one that has us scratching our heads a little! The Chinese Theater from Disney’s Hollywood Studios is present in the artwork, but there aren’t any previously announced projects coming to that park at this time. So what could it be?! Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway One of the most highly theorized updates is a retheme for Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster on Sunset Boulevard, so it’s possible that the time has finally come for that ride to get an overhaul. It’s also possible we could get more information about the revamped Little Mermaid show that’s set to open in Animation Courtyard this fall. Or maybe we’ll get news about one of the big lands in the park — Toy Story Land or Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge? We’ll have to wait and see! Cruise Ships And last but not least, we’ve got to talk about the two obvious hints in the very front of the artwork — the cruise ships! Disney Cruise Line has been on a ROLL lately with announcing new ships, from the Disney Treasure that’s setting sail later this year to the Disney Adventure in 2025, the Disney Destiny in 2026, and the currently unnamed ship that’ll be departing out of Japan. The Disney Destiny | ©Disney With all those ships, it makes sense that we’d be getting a few Disney Cruise Line announcements. Since there are two ships in the artwork, we’ll likely get details on the offerings on the Disney Adventure and Disney Destiny. We can’t wait! ©Disney So we’ve got a lot of news to look forward to, it seems! We’ll make sure to keep you updated throughout the event and we’ll be sharing ALL the Disney Experiences Showcase news as soon as it’s announced. Stay tuned to DFB for all the details. Click Here for the Event’s Full Schedule! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Which announcement are you most excited about? Tell us in the comments! The post Disney Teases 7 HUGE Announcements for D23 -- The Biggest Fan Event of the Year first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Alright, we realize that this isn’t exactly Disney food news, but when we spotted an article about a new lab-grown meat there was no way we could just ignore it. ©Jinkee Hong/Yonsei University In fact, once we saw the picture, we were invested. Also a bit scared…scratch that, a lot scared. But we needed to find out more about this mysterious pink Jell-O meat alternative. According to CNN, this new lab-grown meat alternative is being developed by researchers in South Korea at Yonsei University. Lab-grown meat has been an emerging topic that hopes to provide similar nutritional benefits and sensory experiences as normal meat, in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way. Meat substitutes like Impossible Burgers and Beyond Beef have been available for years, but cultured meat is beginning to get the spotlight now. ©Jinkee Hong/Yonsei University Many researchers have been hard at work trying to develop lab-grown meat that not only looks and feels like the real thing, but also has the same taste. To be honest, the current state of this particular lab-grown meat doesn’t scream appetizing meal with juicy meat, but we know that this is still a work in progress. Previous developments were getting closer to the actual look and feel of meat, but apparently they were missing the taste mark. ©Jinkee Hong/Yonsei University However, researchers at Yonsei University think they may have discovered the secret! While the science behind it sounds very technical, essentially the researchers included a switchable flavor compound to form a functional scaffold. A functional scaffold is the basic composition of cultured meat, and contains a flavor group and two binding groups that stay in the scaffold until it is heated. This lab-grown meat will release meaty flavors once it has been cooked for five minutes at 302 degrees Fahrenheit. However, one big problem is that this cultured meat is not yet edible. ©Jinkee Hong/Yonsei University The researchers have been using an electronic nose that helps them to test the aromas of the lab-grown meat, however, this meat alternative has not been tasted by a human yet. This particular research used non-food grade substances as the researchers were looking into the science behind the taste and not the commercialization of the process. Which means that we won’t be trying any of their lab-grown meat currently. However, they do believe that this strategy could be used with food grade substances. We are getting one step closer to eating lab-grown meat that actually tastes like meat. While we won’t be eating any of this Jell-O meat alternative anytime soon, it is interesting to see the progress being made in creating meat alternatives that are better for the environment. Stay tuned to DFB for more food news! While we are talking about food that scares us a bit, check out this Disney World hot dog that also scared us a bit! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What do you think about this lab-grown meat? Let us know in the comments! The post We're a Lot Scared and a Little Intrigued by This New Jell-O-Looking Meat Alternative first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We LOVE visiting each and every single Disney Park…but one, in particular, has tested our patience over the years. Hollywood Studios For many, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the BEST theme park at Walt Disney World. It’s got some of Disney World’s most innovative attractions and lots of fun entertainment, so the sentiment makes plenty of sense. We really do enjoy visiting Hollywood Studios…most of the time. There are times, however, when this Hollywood-themed theme park is too cringey to handle. Don’t get it twisted — Disney’s Hollywood Studios is an amazing theme park experience and we’ll continue visiting every week. With that said, it’s not perfect and there are nine cringey things we’ve seen at the park that have made us want to leave. Let’s take a deep dive and explore the things that may deter some from coming back to Hollywood Studios! Too crowded As we mentioned earlier, Hollywood Studios has some of Disney World’s best attractions. However, many consider the park to not have enough rides. So when the demand is high and the supply is limited, the result will usually result in large crowds and long wait times. Crowds As one of Disney’s most in-demand parks, Hollywood Studios can build up the crowds, especially at night. During the day, there’s a solid chance you may be dealing with lots of sweaty bodies, tons of waiting, and cranky guests. Crowds are here As always, we recommend practicing patience. Hollywood Studios is a concrete jungle that often has large crowds and blistering heat. It’s super easy to get cranky here, but remember you’re on vacation and there’s not much more you can do (aside from using Lightning Lanes). It’s better to make lemonade out of lemons than to throw a fit or give up. When in doubt, check the My Disney Experience app for wait times and take advantage of attractions with lower waits! Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is always broken This may be an exaggeration, but doesn’t it always feel like Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is always broken? Whether ride components aren’t working properly or the ride is closed altogether, there always seems to be some sort of an issue with this E-ticket attraction. Rise of the Resistance Honestly, it makes sense and we can forgive the ride a little bit. Rise of the Resistance is one of the best rides in the world, providing innovation with a phenomenal trackless ride system, over 300 animatronics, an immersive story, an unforgettable queue, revolutionary set pieces, and unexpected thrills. But with so many moving parts comes an increased chance of problems. Kylo Ren in Rise of the Resistance Rise of the Resistance is worth the usually incredibly long wait, depending on who you ask. But when you factor in how frequently it breaks down and the amount of issues that are prone to pop up, sometimes we can’t help but facepalm. Kids piloting Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run We have to preface this point by reiterating the truth: Disney World was made for children. We hear that. We acknowledge that. We agree with that. HOWEVER, could Disney do us a solid and prioritize adults for Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run? Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run On Smuggler’s Run, passengers control the Millennium Falon by working as engineers, gunners, and pilots. With the best view and most immersive experience being up front, often parents give their kids the pilot role. We get it, but hear us out…stop doing that. Okay, okay, that may sound a bit harsh, but keep in mind the pilots control the Millennium Falcon. The odds of snapping your spine in an unnecessarily bumpy adventure skyrocket when you have small children pilot the ship. Millennium Falcon As of now, there really are no restrictions outside of height requirements when it comes to flying this uber-famous spacecraft. Our numerous bad experiences have led us to suggest a rule change, which you can read about by clicking the link below! No Offense, Kids. But Disney Needs to Make a Rule CHANGE at Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run. Slinky Dog Dash isn’t always worth the wait Along with Rise of the Resistance and Tower of Terror, Slinky Dog Dash can really get up there in wait times, taking out MASSIVE chunks of time from your park day. But is it really worth waiting over an hour to ride? Slinky Dog Dash in Toy Story Land First, let’s start with the good. Slinky Dog Dash has a wonderfully immersive queue, zips you around a Toy Story-themed track, is considered a family-friendly coaster, looks great at night, and is accessibility friendly. So what’s the catch? Slinky Dog Dash during the busy season Well, if you’re expecting a more thrilling experience, this coaster will let you down. As we previously mentioned, this ride is family-friendly and a great building block to help riders work up the courage to ride bigger coasters. If you’re looking for more thrills, the ride experience won’t justify the LONG wait you’ll have to endure and you’ll wind up regretting the time you wasted in the queue. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster gives you orthopedic realignment you didn’t sign up for It’s getting harder and harder for us to ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith these days. The ride is fun, but it throws you around and you could wind up in some serious pain. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster As we’ve gotten older, we’ve become more hesitant to board this Aerosmith-themed roller coaster. A messed up spine and splitting headache aren’t exactly ideal when traversing Disney World, after all. Get ready to go topsy-turvy We recommend preparing for the worst by taking mild painkillers like ibuprofen or aspirin as well as following all the safety guides before and during the ride experience. If you’re seriously worried about injury or lingering pain, however, it ultimately may be a good idea to skip this thrill ride. Everything about 50’s Prime Time Café Do you love intimate dining settings where you can relax and enjoy loved ones’ company while chowing down on elevated cuisine? Then 50’s Prime Time Café is NOT for you! 50’s Prime Time Cafe The food here is pretty good, featuring menu items like fried chicken, pot roast, meatloaf, and other childhood favorites. The setting is quirky with a ’50s family kitchen design. But the service can be way more interactive than you’d like. 50’s Prime Time Cafe in Disney’s Hollywood Studios This “all-American eatery themed like Mom’s kitchen” has you served by “extended family members” who aren’t shy about giving you lessons in table etiquette. Make sure you wash your hands, put your napkin in your lap, eat all your veggies, and keep your elbows off the table, or you might be given a punishment. Unless you want a stern talking-to from Uncle Fred. If you’re introverted or want to be left alone during your meals, the cringe you might feel here could be overwhelming. Singing horribly during the Frozen Sing-Along Celebration There used to be an American Idol experience at Hollywood Studios that eventually gave way to For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration, and, unfortunately, some of the cringy performances of American Idol have carried over to this sing-along. For The First Time In Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along This cringy criticism is more lighthearted — we encourage you to sing to your heart’s content! Sing-alongs aren’t about judgment, and they should be fun and inclusive, so we definitely don’t want to dissuade you from participating. For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Singalong at Disney’s Hollywood Studios With that said, have some understanding of your limitations and understand that if you’re going to belt out “For the First Time in Forever” at the top of your lungs, it’s usually best to be able to carry a tune… Listening to people complain about Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway in an effort to boost The Great Movie Ride’s ego This is an all too real cringy thing. We understand missing The Great Movie Ride. Our nostalgia for this journey through epic film history is as strong today as it ever was. However, that doesn’t excuse bashing Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. ©D23 The Great Movie Ride was a dark ride that used audio-animatronic figures, live actors, special effects, projections, and practical sets to recreate iconic scenes from classic films throughout history. It was and still is beloved, and its replacement in 2017 remains controversial. The ride needed some TLC, and its total removal in lieu of a refurbishment is still widely criticized. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway The Great Movie Ride was replaced by Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and a popular thing to do is poopoo the attraction because it isn’t The Great Movie Ride. In reality, Mickey & Minnie’s is a fantastic attraction in its own right, further innovating the trackless ride system with immersive storytelling and a really catchy theme song. We adore this attraction, and it doesn’t deserve the hate it gets simply because it has replaced a classic. Watching people force others onto rides unwillingly We’re going to finish off our list on a serious note. Hollywood Studios has a decent amount of thrilling attractions that are too scary for some kids and even some adults. While we always encourage getting out of your comfort zone to try new things at Disney World, forcing family members or people in your party to ride intense attractions might be too much. This can be… A LOT. I know you might think you’re doing someone a favor by forcing them on a ride, thinking they’ll wind up enjoying it, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes, the experience can be traumatizing or dissuade them from trying thrill rides ever again. Additionally, there could be other people in the queue who just worked up enough courage to volunteer to ride, and seeing a screaming kid begging to use the chicken exit could affect them. Tower of Terror Queue We recommend easing unwilling participants into riding the big kid rides or using Rider Switch or Single Rider lines so that you can experience an attraction without the drama of forcing your whole party to join. You can learn more about Disney World queues by clicking the link below! I Have Basically Zero Patience, So Here Are My PROVEN Tricks To AVOID Long Lines in Disney World There you have it! Have you experienced any of these cringy moments at Hollywood Studios before? What did we miss? Let us know, and continue to follow us at DFB for the latest Disney World news, tips, reviews, and more! 6 Hollywood Studios Truths that Hit Hard and Make You Regret Your Decisions Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What are some of the cringiest things you’ve seen at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Let us know in the comments! The post 9 Cringey Things That Make Me Rethink Walking Into Hollywood Studios Ever Again first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Can you believe it? It’s time to dive right back into the world of Descendants! ©Disney There’s a LOT that is released on Disney+ every month, July is no different, and today, July 12th is the day we’ve been looking forward to for a while now — Descendants: The Rise of Red was just released on Disney+. So get your popcorn ready, get in your comfy chair, and fire up Disney+! It’s time! As we said, today, July 12th the fourth Descendants movie, Descendants: The Rise of Red, was just released on Disney+. (If you don’t have a Disney+ subscription, you might want to start one now!) ©Disney As a quick recap: the story follows former Villain Kid Uma, who is now headmaster of Auradon Prep. Uma extends an invitation to the school to another Villain Kid named “Red,” who is the daughter of the Queen of Hearts from Wonderland. She definitely has a love for painting things red. ©Disney Disney also shared that, “After the Queen of Hearts incites a coup against Auradon, Red must team up with Cinderella’s perfectionist daughter Chloe and travel back in time to try to undo the traumatic event that set Red’s mother down her villainous path.” ©Disney We’re so excited to experience this new movie and we don’t have to wait any longer since it’s out today! In the meantime, if you want to get yourself ready to watch the movie, check out the trailer below! As always, stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disney news! FINALLY! A Popular 2006 Movie Could Be Getting a SEQUEL! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW How excited are you to watch this movie? Tell us in the comments! The post ALERT! A NEW Movie Just Premiered on Disney+! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Sure, it’s July, and while we’re busy sweating it out in Florida, we’re dreaming of the holiday season (even if the only snow we ever really get to see is SNOAP). Gideon’s Bakehouse We recently got details about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (and, yes, tickets are on sale now), and we’re already dreaming of all the holiday snacks we’ll get to eat once November rolls around. Fortunately for us, though, Christmas in July is a thing, and one of our fave snack spots in Disney Springs is offering some flavors that are usually reserved for the holidays. Gideon’s Bakehouse is celebrating Christmas in July by offering its Kris Kringle Bites, which are chocolate coffee bean cookie bites with coconut, caramel, and vanilla bean topped with sugar crystals and hand-dipped in white chocolate. Happy Holidays! You get six bites in a bag and you’re only limited to two bags per visit. These are available at both Gideon’s locations, including the one in Disney Springs, every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in July. They are limited, though, so you’ll want to get to the shop EARLY to get your hands on them. ©Gideon’s Bakehouse Gideon’s Bakehouse is also bringing back its holiday merchandise for a limited time. There’s a 24oz Krampus Tumbler⁣⁣⁣, a Santa Baby Gargoyle Pin⁣⁣⁣, Natala The Christmas Witch Pin⁣⁣⁣, and Christmas Witch Hat Pin⁣⁣⁣. Don’t forget that you can also get cake slices of the Orange Pecan Chocolate Cake (chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream covered in chocolate chips, candied pecans, and candied orange), as well as the Lemon Crumb Cake (lemon cake with lemon cream cheese frosting and lemon crumb accents) every Wednesday and Saturday in July. ©Gideon’s Bakehouse This month’s specialty cookies include the Orange Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookie, a vanilla bean cookie fused with orange essence and mixed with our Gideon’s favorite chocolates topped with pecan pralines and candied orange peel. You can also get the Lemon Poppy Crumb Cookie, a lemon cookie filled with poppy seeds and pockets of white chocolate topped with lemon butter crumbs and a thin sugar glaze. ©Gideon’s Bakehouse There’s also a Flavors of Florida special: Key Lime Pie Cake Bars. It’s key lime cake topped with key lime cream cheese buttercream and a channel of key lime curd dipped in premium dark chocolate and sprinkled with graham cracker crumble and sea salt. This snack is available through August 11th. Key Lime Pie Cake Bar As you can see, the month of July is a good time to head to Gideon’s Bakehouse! WE KNOW – there are SO many great snacks at Disney World! How do you choose (we don’t want to choose but will blow our budget on Day 1 otherwise)? We’ve got you covered! We have reviewed nearly EVERY snack available at Disney World, and we’ve written a series of DFB Guides about them! Check out our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining + Snacks Bundle for all the details you need to plan your snackin’ and spending. You can even download them to your smartphone – it’ll be like we’re right there with you in the parks! We’ll be keeping an eye out for more new Disney World snacks, so stay tuned to DFB for more. Check out all our Flavors of Florida Reviews! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What’s your favorite Gideon’s Bakehouse cookie flavor? Let us know in the comments! The post You Can Only Get THIS Special Disney World Snack TWICE Each Year first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Calling all Marvel fans! ©Marvel Studios It’s been a while since we last saw Captain America, but Sam Wilson is BACK and ready for action. When it was first announced that a fourth Captain America movie was in the works, we knew we’d be in for an adventure that followed Sam as he took up the shield. And now, we finally have our very first trailer for the upcoming film! Disney and Marvel just released the very first trailer for Captain America: Brave New World! This upcoming film marks the first time we truly see Sam Wilson take up the shield as the titular superhero. This is the fourth installment in the Captain America franchise and marks the first movie with Anthony Mackie playing Sam Wilson as Captain America. ©Marvel We first saw Wilson officially become Captain America during the 2021 finale of the Disney+ show, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, also starring Mackie. Captain America: Brave New World also stars Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Xosha Roquemore, and Carl Lumbly, with Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, and Tim Blake Nelson. The movie is being directed by Julius Onah and produced by Kevin Feige and Nate Moore, with Louis D’Esposito and Charles Newirth serving as executive producers. ©Marvel In the new teaser, we see Sam Wilson, who was previously known as The Falcon, be recruited by U.S. President Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford) to fill the vacancy and apparently become an agent of the United States government. It’s also the first time we get to see the Red Hulk make an appearance on the big screen! Check out the full teaser trailer below! Captain America: Brave New World will premiere in theaters on February 14th, 2025 — sounds like the perfect way to spend Valentine’s Day! Make sure you keep checking back here as we share the latest trailer releases and updates about this upcoming movie. ©Marvel In the meantime, we’ll be on the hunt for the latest Marvel and Disney news, so stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for more. WARNING: McDonald’s Happy Meal Toys Could Spoil A New Marvel Movie Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Will you be seeing this movie in theaters? Tell us in the comments. The post TRAILER ALERT! See the NEW Teaser for Marvel's 'Captain America: Brave New World' first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

A major Disney star is set to release their life story. Josh Gad posted this Instagram selfie at the World of Frozen in Hong Kong Disneyland Josh Gad is arguably one of the biggest Disney stars of the last decade. The actor’s work in the Frozen franchise has made him one of the most recognizable voices in the Disney canon. Now, Gad is ready to chronicle his life and career in an upcoming new book. In early July 2024, Gad took to his Instagram account to announce that his autobiography — entitled In Gad We Trust – – will be released in January 2025. @JoshGad Instagram The actor wrote of the book, “I am thrilled to announce that I too am staying in the race and by race, I mean publishing my memoir, IN GAD WE TRUST, which you can pre-order now ahead of its January ’25 release. In the age of book banning, it felt like the right time to test the waters and release something that will resonate with readers who are still allowed to read literature in 2025. From the highs and lows of my career to the personal moments that shaped me, this book is a deeply personal look into my life and experiences. Click the link in my bio to pre-order your copy now! #InGadWeTrust #GalleryBooks #Author #JoshGad #memoir @gallerybooks” The book will presumably cover Gad’s Disney career, including voicing Olaf in the Frozen franchise and portraying Le Fou in the live-action version of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, both of which contributed to the actor being named a Disney Legend in 2022. Outside of Disney, the book will likely cover other career highlights including Gad’s early work on The Daily Show, and his star-making Tony Nominated run in the original Broadway production of The Book of Mormon. ©Disney/Pixar Just days after announcing the book, Disney released a video of Gad touring the World of Frozen land at Hong Kong Disneyland. In the clip, Gad explores the heavily themed village of Arendelle, rides the land’s attractions, and interacts with cast members in character. The Hong Kong video wasn’t the first time Disney and Gad collaborated on a YouTube video. Last year, the company released a video of the actor portraying a Jungle Cruise Skipper, complete with the requisite amount of puns. Disney Legend Josh Gad is set to tell his life story in an autobiography, set for release in 2025. Stay tuned to DFB for further updates on Gad’s book. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Will you be reading Josh Gad’s new book? Let us know in the comments below. The post This Is the BEST Disney Celebrity News You'll See All Day first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Injuries can happen anywhere, even in theme parks. Magic Kingdom Visits to theme parks like those at the Walt Disney World Resort or Universal Studios Orlando are such happy occasions that visitors often “turn off their brains” to the real world and instead live in the theme park bubble. However, being in that bubble can sometimes lead to disaster if someone stops paying attention to their surroundings, even in the most seemingly innocuous of situations. In looking over the statistics of injuries at Florida’s theme parks provided by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, we noticed some interesting incidents that involved rides that we wouldn’t have expected. *A Quick Note: We are by no means attempting to make light of these injuries, and wish full recovery and the best to those who suffered them* Prince Charming Regal Carrousel There are few more serene and calm theme or amusement park attractions than a carousel. However, like any large piece of machinery, even the serene carousel in Magic Kingdom can be very dangerous. Back in February of 2022, a 74-year-old woman slipped while getting off of the attraction, falling and injuring her hip. Prince Charming Regal Carrousel Alien Swirling Saucers If one were to run down the list of potentially “dangerous” rides at Hollywood Studios, Alien Swirling Saucers probably wouldn’t be high on the list. It was in September 2022 however, when a 59-year-old guest with a pre-existing condition suffered injuries to their toes on the attraction. Alien Swirling Saucers Tomorrowland Speedway Outside of young children who get a rush from “driving” for the first time, there probably aren’t too many people who would describe the Tomorrowland Speedway as a thrilling attraction. The 27-year-old woman who went into labor and gave birth after riding the Magic Kingdom ride in September of 2022 probably found it pretty thrilling, though. Crowds at Tomorrowland Speedway Carousel of Progress We love the The Carousel of Progress, but in reality, the attraction is far from what anyone would describe as thrilling or potentially dangerous. In fact, many people see the show’s best use as a venue for an air-conditioned nap. However, the show was a much less positive experience for an 80-year-old woman who fell and injured her right leg within the rotating theater. Carousel of Progress Pirates of the Caribbean Despite featuring a comparatively small drop, Pirates of the Caribbean isn’t a ride that would often top lists of most thrilling attractions, even in the relatively tame Magic Kingdom. However, even as docile as the ride may appear, a 75-year-old woman experienced cardiac symptoms after riding it in 2023. Pirates of the Caribbean Tomorrowland Speedway Returning to the Tomorrowland Speedway, in 2023 a 41-year-old man suffered a fractured elbow while exiting one of the attraction’s cars. Tomorrowland Speedway Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey Moving from Disney to Universal – – specifically the Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure – – we have one of the odder descriptions of injury we came across. A 26-year-old man suffered an “inability to speak” after riding the attraction. Hogwarts at Universal’s Islands of Adventure Spaceship Earth Back at EPCOT, the park’s iconic Spaceship Earth is often thought of as the epitome of slow-moving, non-thrilling EPCOT edutainment attractions. However, that doesn’t mean it can’t be dangerous. In January of 2024, a 70-year-old woman injured her leg on the attraction’s landing platform. Spaceship Earth Doctor Doom’s Fearfall and Transformers: The Ride 3-D We’ve grouped these two Universal rides together, as within weeks of each other in the spring of 2024, both saw guests – – a 56-year-old man and a 38-year-old man respectively – – suffer “altered levels of consciousness” due to “pre-existing” conditions. Doctor Doom’s Fearfall These are just a sampling of the injuries that occurred at Orlando’s theme parks over the last couple of years. Keep them in mind next time you’re at the parks. Stay tuned to DFB for further coverage of Disney and Universal. The 10 Rides That Cause the Most Injuries in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Have you ever suffered an injury at a Disney or Universal theme park? Let us know in the comments below. The post The 10 Weirdest Injuries People Got on Disney World and Universal Rides Last Year first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

With less than a month away from the start of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Magic Kingdom and a bit over a month until the start of Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure, we think it is the perfect time to start planning your costumes! Halloween is coming to Disney World soon! While we may not have found the perfect Halloween masks to complete your look for the parties, we do have photos of a few vintage Disney Halloween masks that we think you really need to see. Maybe they will even provide a bit of inspiration for your costumes this year! As the title alluded to, these masks may not be for the faint of heart. Don’t say we didn’t warn you, but these masks definitely have lots of vintage charm. These vintage Halloween masks are from the Walt Disney Archives from the Ben Cooper Disney Halloween masks collection. These five masks are sure to make an impression. We are starting off with a mask based on the movie Tron. Now with the addition of TRON Lightcycle / Run in Magic Kingdom, it may be the perfect time to bring back this vintage mask! ©Walt Disney Archives Or you can opt for this Sleeping Beauty mask. We are not quite sure it does Sleeping Beauty justice, but we can (kind of) see what they were going for. We may be seeing this one in our dreams tonight… ©Walt Disney Archives There is also this mask of Professor Ludwig Von Drake that is sure to impress all your friends. With the perfect combination of sass and charm, this mask embodies Professor Ludwig Von Drake perfectly and will definitely help you stand out during Halloween. ©Walt Disney Archives If Donald Duck is more of your style, have no fear, as there is also a Donald Duck mask. This mask exudes happiness with a bit of fear mixed in, and it is even complete with some polka dots. Like most of these masks, we do have worries about what it would look like with human eyes in the eye holes, but this mask could be great for Donald Duck’s 85th anniversary! ©Walt Disney Archives Last but not least, there is a Mouseketeers Halloween Mask so you can share your love of Mickey Mouse and the Mickey Mouse Club. You can transform into a Mouseketeer with this vintage mask. Of course, we also think it is a requirement to sing the theme song while wearing this mask. M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E! Mickey Mouse! ©Walt Disney Archives Well, we hope you had as much fun as us taking a look at some of the vintage Disney Halloween masks. While you may not be able to purchase them anymore, we can definitely still admire them! While we are on the topic of Halloween masks, Halloween season is starting soon at both Disney World and Disneyland and if you want to learn more about celebrating Halloween at Disney, check out our video: It is never too early to start planning your costumes for the parties and if you are looking for even more inspiration, you can check out all of our Halloween-inspired merchandise right here. Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news! Find out more about Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party right here! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Which of these vintage masks is your favorite? Let us know in the comments! The post Jump Scare Alert -- These Old Disney Halloween Costumes Are Worse Than You'll Find at Halloween Horror Nights first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

I’ve been writing about Disney — and specifically FOOD at Disney — for 15 years now! A classic! It’s been quite awhile since I started holding up my treats in front of Cinderella Castle and sharing them with the world (and believe me, I got SO MANY weird looks when I started). Over the years, I’ve spent THOUSANDS of dollars trying every restaurant and every new menu item in Disney World — and now we have a whole team reporting 365 days a year (yes, we’re even working on the holidays), and millions of followers! I’m taking a minute today to look back, and I need to tell you that it all started with a not-so-great (at least it SEEMED not so great at the time) day… What do you do when there's a nearly 3-month gap between the EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival and the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival? You throw yourself a big old DFB Mega Fest! We've got loads of giveaways, behind the scenes content, and untold crazy stories from AJ Wolfe and the DFB team. Come celebrate DFB Mega Fest with us! When I started DFB, I was working as a grantmaker in a small foundation. And, well, I got “downsized”. I sat in my car and sobbed (I’d never been fired before…turns out there are lots of reasons that people get let go, and it’s not always because they’re necessarily bad at their jobs). But when I called my husband to tell him the news, he was ecstatic (???!). DFB had been gaining ground, and as an entrepreneur at heart, he was excited to see what could happen if I focused more of my time on it. Mickey 50th Anniversary Popcorn Bucket DFB began because it was a website I wanted to read, myself. At the time, in 2009, I was deeply embedded in Disney message boards and info sites. But there was nothing that focused on food. There was nothing that was visually represented — with big pictures and a focus on showing people what they would get when they ordered certain items in the restaurants. Bread Service at Sanaa Even Disney didn’t publish pictures of their food back then! And they also didn’t have menus on their website. It’s hard to imagine that today, but it was HARD to find information about what to expect when you made reservations for Disney’s restaurants! So, knowing that I always planned my trips around where I was going to eat — that I spent hundreds and thousands of dollars on food in Disney World and I wanted it to be GOOD — I figured there were others out there like me…even if it’s not something people really talked about. (There was almost a stigma attached to talking about liking the restaurants in the parks and resorts back then. It was weird.) Martini Flight at Hollywood Brown Derby I started to plan three and four night trips just focused on going to as many restaurants as possible. Sometimes I would visit five or six restaurants in one day, plus snacks, so that I could share pictures and show people as much as possible. I wanted everyone to be able to make good decisions for them and their families when they were booking those restaurants (at the time 180 days in advance!!!). I’m a completionist, so my goal was to get to every single restaurant — to help people by showing as many dishes as possible. Butterfinger Cupcakes from (the now closed) Starring Rolls Cafe So my giant DSLR and I would trudge into restaurant after restaurant, begging for a table with good lighting at each one, and ordering as much as my budget and stomach would allow. I got VERY weird looks — remember, nobody talked about food in Disney World and DEFINITELY nobody was taking PICTURES of their food there. Breakfast Totchos in Animal Kingdom As luck would have it, social media started to take off, and smartphones became the norm. So while DFB was getting popular — it very slowly stopped being weird that I was talking about food and taking pictures of everything I ate. When Instagram began, visual content became the future of the internet. Suddenly our HUGE pictures on the blog were setting the standard, and our food photography was inadvertantly training legions of future influencers. Wookiee Cookie When I first held up a food item to take a picture (a slushy at the Little Woody’s Snack Stand — which is where Neighborhood Bakery is now in Hollywood Studios), I’d never seen it be done before. Frozen Mint Julep Lemonade from Casey’s Corner When the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival rolled around, I knew I had to cover it in full — buying and trying EVERYTHING on every single menu. It was critically important to me to make sure I didn’t leave anything to chance. I didn’t want any of my readers or followers to be in the dark about the items that were available. Pickle Milkshake at the 2023 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival And even though I was not culinarily trained, I could at least show people pictures of what they would get and let them know what I thought of it — since I was a huge Disney and food fan just like my readers were. While this was exhausting to do on my own — so much so that I’m pretty sure I started hallucinating by the end of the day — I knew there were plenty of people out there who would count on it. So after the first day of the festival, I headed over to Jellyrolls to listen to live music (because I would have fallen asleep if I went back to my hotel room), edit photos, and get everything up on the site. 2021 Food and Wine Boston Cream Pie Donut This became my MO for festivals for years — and for restaurant openings, events, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Eventually, the blog was doing well enough that I could hire helpers. At first, I hired one writer and one in-park reporter to supplement what I was already doing. This was HUGE, and we suddenly were able to do a lot more. Plus, I was able to sleep sometimes. As the years went on, we brought on more team members, launched our YouTube channel and other platforms, gained millions and millions of followers, and the rest is history. Kakigori in EPCOT I have — OF COURSE — made mistakes and learned SO MANY lessons along the way. But there are two things I’ve learned that continue to be the central values of DFB — and the keys to our success. If you’re starting anything, these two items are my absolute best advice! First, always (we don’t like to use too may absolutes like “always” or “never” in our writing, but here I really do mean ALWAYS) add value. Always add value. If you’re not solving a problem for someone, or making their life better, then re-think what you’re doing. Whatever we’re writing at DFB — be it a script for YouTube, an Instagram caption, or a blog post — the writer is expected to go back through the content after they’ve finished and look for additional places to add an extra tip, or extra background, or a link to something else that’s informative to help our audience. Pineapple Glazed Pork Belly at Nomad Lounge And finally, don’t skimp on quality. Great content will always find its way to the top of the pile. Phoning it in is NOT an option when you’re building a brand amidst fierce competition. So be ready for a long, hard slog…and know that it will be worth it! Thank you, thank you, thank you for following us here at Disney Food Blog. I — and my team — would absolutely not be doing this without you! Whether you follow us here on the blog, on YouTube, on social media, or on new platforms we haven’t even dreamed up yet (so MUCH about content creation has changed in the past 15 years and continues to!), we LOVE to hear from you, we appreciate you, and we’ll keep working hard (and losing sleep when we have to!) to help you and your family plan the BEST Disney World vacations by adding value and creating great content every single day. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW The post I Was Fired From My Job 15 Years Ago and Started a Blog. Here’s What Happened Next. first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Meet Bob, Silhouette Artist at Disneyland Resort I How Happy HappensView the full article

Have you seen the TRAGEDIES of EPCOT’s tiny train town? Spaceship Earth at EPCOT The itty bitty train village in the Germany Pavilion is adorable and a fun sight to see when you’re in the park, but it’s also absolutely rife with crime and villainy. We’ve caught its residents in their misdeeds many times over the past few months — from murder to sabotage to underground crime rings. And we’re heading back this week to see what’s happening again! As the self-proclaimed mayor of the tiny train town, I have a terrible update for you. During my last visit, I had begun to uncover a plot of sabotage within the train services department. A derailing had taken place, and I believed it was an inside job. Well now, the tragedy has struck again! Houston, we have a problem. In the past week, we’ve had multiple train derailings in our tiny village. Something is afoot here! Some of the cars have even been detached from the larger trains and abandoned on the side of the tracks! Oh no! One derailing in the mountain area of the village caused a loss of cargo. This will cost the taxpayers and local businesses thousands! Whoever the fiend is behind this anarchy must be STOPPED. Thankfully, all the engineers and train workers were okay in this situation. Another one! A separate derailing that happened closer to the station caused some passenger injuries and a delay with the train on the adjacent path! Those passengers are currently being treated at the closest medical facility, but it’s likely that a lawsuit is on the way for public transportation. Not again! Ultimately, I have made it my personal mission to get to the bottom of this! This is no coincidence that derailings keep happening again and again. I’ve hired some train experts to come to the town and check on things, but in the meantime, I’m launching a full-scale investigation into the transportation department to find the fiend responsible. We must stand together in this time of tragedy! What gives, guys?! Ultimately, at this time, I’m encouraging our citizens to use alternate forms of transportation when possible. Until this problem can be solved, train travel is not safe. If you see any suspicious behavior or notice anything out of the ordinary, please alert the local law enforcement and mayor’s office at once. Safety is our priority! Stay tuned to DFB for more updates on this tiny train town and it’s many problems! We’ll make sure to keep you in the loop with the latest. * The anarchy within is mostly created by natural occurrences, like giant squirrels, wind, rain, and relatively godzilla-sized lizards who frequent the town; but we find it fun and entertaining to make up fictional stories about what COULD be happening. We are grateful to the folks who create and maintain this Tiny Train Town for Disney World, as it’s one of our favorite parts of EPCOT and always has been. Click Here to Read Another Story From the Tiny Train Town! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What do you think is happening in the tiny train town? Tell us your theories in the comments! The post We've Uncovered a Heinous Plot of Destruction in EPCOT's Tiny Train Town! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

When it comes to flying, we know a lot of our readers really love Southwest Airlines (and we try to keep you updated on sales and discounts the airline offers). Flying Southwest We get it — who doesn’t like free checked bags? And although Southwest could be changing its seating policy soon (and we hope that’s ALL that changes), there are still plenty of reasons to fly on the airline, including a brand new sweepstakes where you could earn a whole TRIP. Now, we’ve already told you how you could win 1 million Southwest Rapid Rewards miles, but this is a NEW sweepstakes. The grand prize? A trip to the 2024 SEC Football Championship including tickets for you and five of your friends to the game, a VIP stadium tour, accommodations, and 40,000 Rapid Rewards bonus points for travel to and from the game. How’s that for an experience? Southwest at Orlando International Airport Yeah, we know it’s not a trip to Disney World, but if you love sports, this could be the next best thing, right? You do need to be 18 years and older to enter, and the sweepstakes officially ends on October 27th at 11:59PM EST. The big game is set to happen on December 7th, 2024, so you’ll need to be able to travel during that time. This year’s championship is happening at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. Also, don’t forget about the other sweepstakes we previously mentioned: you could win 1 million Rapid Rewards miles, which is…a LOT of Disney trips. Get more details here! Interested? Just fill out the form here to enter. And good luck! We are always keeping an eye out for travel sweepstakes like this, so you’ll want to stay tuned to DFB for more. When Could Southwest Airlines Change Its Seating Policy? Travel EXPERTS Weigh In. Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Have you ever won a travel sweepstakes or contest? Let us know in the comments! The post STOP EVERYTHING! Southwest Airlines Announces New Sweepstakes first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Costco is getting a bit more expensive. Food at Costco From their well-known $1.50 Hot Dog Combo to their litany of deals on all kinds of products — including Disney gift cards from time to time — Costco is well known as one of the best deals in retail. However, things are about to get a bit more expensive at the well-known retailer. According to a press release, Costco is planning to raise membership costs in 2024 for the first time since 2017. Effective September 1, 2024, annual membership fees for U.S. and Canada Gold Star (individual), Business, and Business add-on members will increase by $5, to a total of $65. In addition, annual fees for Executive Memberships in the U.S. and Canada will increase from $120 to $130 (Primary membership of $65, plus the Executive upgrade of $65). ©Shutterstock The price increase will come with an expansion of one per for the higher tier members however, as the chain added “the maximum annual 2% Reward associated with the Executive Membership will increase from $1,000 to $1,250.” According to Costco, these fee increases will “impact around 52 million memberships, a little over half of which are Executive.” ©Shutterstock Annual fees are one of the biggest drivers of Costco’s business. In 2023, the company earned $4.6 billion in revenue from membership fees, an 8% increase from 2022. During the same year, the company also began cracking down on members sharing membership cards with non-members. Costco began requiring shoppers to use the self-checkout lane to provide photo identification that matches their Costco membership card, matching the policy that had been in place at regular registers. At the time, the chain said in a statement, “We don’t feel it’s right that nonmembers receive the same benefits and pricing as our members.” Disney Halloween Decorations available at Costco Costco was founded by James Sinegal and Jeffrey Brotman in Seattle, Washington in 1983. The chain currently operates 882 warehouses, including 609 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 108 in Canada, 40 in Mexico, 33 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 18 in Korea, 15 in Australia, 14 in Taiwan, seven in China, four in Spain, two in France, and one each in Iceland, New Zealand and Sweden. Costco also operates e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Australia. ©Costco Costco is raising the prices of their membership tiers — $5 and $10 respectively — for the first time in seven years. Stay tuned to DFB for further updates on Costco. The NEW Reason Why Disney Adults Are RUNNING to Costco Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Would a price increase have you rethinking your Costco membership? Let us know in the comments below. The post NEWS: Costco Is Raising Membership Prices -- How Much More Will YOU Be Paying? first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It seems like at least part of Disney World is ALWAYS under construction. Sure, EPCOT finally has most of its construction walls down, but there’s still a lot of construction happening elsewhere. Disney’s BoardWalk Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is getting some new DVC villas, and construction is well underway for that. Over at Disney’s BoardWalk, we’re seeing a TON of construction with both the upcoming The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers and Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs. However, we just spotted some NEW construction happening over at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. Yes, the construction never ends, y’all. We recently visited Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and noticed an area that had become a construction zone. Construction zone It seems that the BoardWalk is getting some new boards for its flooring. We guess the BoardWalk needed a little sprucing up. Boards getting replaced We also went ahead and checked on the progress of The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers. This new restaurant was announced in 2022, and we’ve been waiting anxiously for it to finally open. It looks like at least much of the exterior of the restaurant has been completed, but we still don’t have a specific opening date. Cake Bake Shop We also checked out Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs. Again, it looks like a lot of the exterior of the stand is complete, but there are bushes around it, suggesting it’s not quite done yet. This is another location we’ve been waiting for, but we also don’t have a specific opening date for it either. This will be like the Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs in Disneyland, though, and WE NEED IT TO OPEN LIKE YESTERDAY. Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs So if you happen to be visiting Disney’s BoardWalk soon, you might have to deal with some construction sights and sounds, so keep that in mind. Stay tuned to DFB for more. What The MENU and PRICING Could Look Like When The Cake Bake Shop Opens In Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Does this kind of construction affect your Disney World trips? Tell us why or why not in the comments! The post WARNING: There's NEW Construction Happening at Disney's BoardWalk Inn first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney World is a lot more than just purchasing your tickets and then heading on over to the Most Magical Place On Earth. Fantasyland We know it takes a lot of prepping ahead of time to know exactly what you need to make sure your vacation is as perfect as can be. And as your Disney Guide Besties, we know exactly what items you should bring to avoid any unnecessary purchases when you get to the resort, along with some fun ways to effortlessly add some flair to your trip. DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Forget cash, bring these Disney Gift Cards with you instead! Disney Gift Card Long gone are the days of using cash or even your card around the parks. Of course, you still can. But a Disney Gift Card can be used for anything at Disney World. From dining to souvenirs, you can even use it to purchase theme park tickets or to pay for your hotel stay. Disney Gift Cards never expire and it’s a great way to keep your wallet nice and spacious and to avoid the struggle of handling change. They’re also a great way to stay on budget! Disney Gift Cards at Target Just keep in mind that Disney Gift Cards are only redeemable in the U.S. This is also a great way to budget and know ahead of time how much you’ll be spending during your trip. You can also save some money by using Disney Gift cards if you buy them price places like Sam’s Club or Target! Shop at Sam’s Club Disney Ponchos don’t cut it, but this Rain Jacket is a life (and wallet) saver! Clear Rain Jacket Of course, you can still rely on a Disney poncho. But we are going to warn you, they’re PRICEY! It’s very rainy here in Florida, especially during the summer, but instead of letting that get in the way of your dream vacation, beat the rain with this Rain Poncho Set. These ponchos comes in a pack of 2 and is still wayyyy less than the price tag of one at the parks. And because they’re designed as a rain jacket, they’re a lot easier to put on and take off — something that will come in handy with how unpredictable the weather can be. Better quality and a better price? Count us in! Shop on Amazon Forget boring iPhone pics! Capture every magical memory with this Digital Camera ©Amazon BONUS!! Remember the good ‘ol days when everyone would pull out a digital camera to take a pic in front of Cinderella Castle instead of their smartphones? Well, we’re petitioning to bring that back! This Digital Camera is a great way to capture every memory of your trip without needing to spend big bucks on a professional camera. Old-school-style pics are very in right now too, as the digital camera craze is definitely back. Shop on Amazon This Polaroid adds all the fun retro vibes to your trip! ©Amazon Another fun way to take pics of your trip is with this Instax Polorid Camera. When we think of Disney World, sometimes the first thing that pops into our head is all the aesthetic pics people have taken in the 70s & 80s that we wish we could recreate. This Polaroid camera can definitely give your pics that vibe effortlessly, making them even more creative, with the added benefit of having a tangible picture to hold on to and look back on for years to come. Shop on Amazon And there you have it! Some items to bring for your next Disney trip. Stay tuned as we bring you all the latest in Disney tips and tricks. CHECK OUT MORE DISNEY MUST-HAVES ON OUR AMAZON STOREFRONT!The post 2 Proven Disney World Items That You Just Don't Need Anymore (And What to Bring Instead) first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article