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It’s OFFICIAL: Jollywood Nights is RETURNING to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2024! We’ve got all the info you need right here. Jollywood Nights Jollywood Nights is a holiday party at Hollywood Studios. It debuted in 2023, and now it’s back for its second season. If you’re considering going to the event this year, we’ve put together a full list of everything that Disney has CONFIRMED about Jollywood Nights in 2024, from shows to food, merchandise to rides. Let’s check it all out! The Logistics: Jollywood Nights Dates, Times, and Prices In 2024, Jollywood Nights will take place on November 9th, 13th, 16th, 18th, 23rd, 25th, and 30th and on December 2nd, 7th, 11th, 14th, 18th, and 21st. The party is from 7:30PM to 12:30AM, but ticketholders can get into Hollywood Studios at 6PM. Ollie the Gingerbread Man at Jollywood Nights! Tickets cost between $159 and $179, depending on the day you go. Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can save $10 on their tickets. Jollywood Nights tickets will go on sale on July 10th, but if you have a reservation for a Disney World hotel on one of the party dates, you can get your tickets early on July 2nd. Shows Disney Holidays in Hollywood At the Theater of the Stars, you can watch “a spirited holiday show” hosted by Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy! We LOVED this show in 2023. Holidays in Hollywood More Disney characters make an appearance during the show, like Tiana, Belle, Minnie, and Mickey Mouse. In 2024, the show will take place at 8:15PM, 9:15PM, 11:15PM, and 12:15AM. Check out our 2023 coverage of Holidays in Hollywood here! What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along Over at the Hyperion Theater, you can watch a show inspired by Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. What’s This? It’s a sing-along, so you can join the Pumpkin King as he serenades the audience with popular songs from the movie. Oogie Boogie is part of the show, too! Jollywood Nights entertainment The show takes place each night at 7:30PM, 8:30PM, 9:30PM, 11:30PM and 12:30AM. Check out our coverage of the 2023 Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-along here! Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! takes place exclusively at Jollywood Nights! It’s a nighttime show featuring fireworks, lasers, lights, projections, and holiday music. Jingle Bell Jingle BAM You can catch it at 10PM. Learn more about Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! here! Fantasmic! Since Jollywood Nights ticket holders can enter the park starting at 6PM, they can catch the 6:30PM showing of Fantasmic! Fantasmic! This popular nighttime show features characters from movies like Moana, Frozen 2, Mulan, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and The Lion King. Characters There are tons of rare characters at Jollywood Nights! Some NEW characters in 2024 include Baloo and King Louie from Talespin (appearing at Echo Lake), José Carioca or Panchito from The Three Caballeros (appearing at Animation Courtyard), and Bo Peep or Lotso from Toy Story (appearing at the entrance to Toy Story Land). It’s Phineas and Ferb! Here’s a list of more characters coming to Jollywood Nights in 2024: Phineas and Ferb (at Echo Lake) Max Goof as Powerline (at Echo Lake) Rescue Rangers Chip ‘n’ Dale (at Echo Lake) Santa Stitch (at Celebrity Spotlight at Echo Lake) Santa Duffy (at Santa’s Workshop at Grand Avenue) Edna Mode and Frozone from The Incredibles (at Pixar Plaza) Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Daisy Duck (on Hollywood Boulevard near Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway) Goofy and Pluto (by Pixar Plaza) Minnie Mouse (at Red Carpet Dreams on Commissary Lane) We met Phineas and Ferb, and it was amazing! More Entertainment Over at Echo Lake, there’s “a throwback bash that’s sure to stir up nostalgia for the 1990s and 2000s” with characters like Phineas, Ferb, and Max as Powerline. Holiday Fiesta en la Calle is also returning in 2024! This is a holiday street fair in Courtyard with live music and tasty eats. Let’s DO this! At Pixar Plaza, you’ll find a dance party with Edna Mode. The Twilight Soirée at the Tip Top Club is returning to The Hollywood Tower Hotel (Tower of Terror). This party has cocktails and a live band, with music sets beginning at 7:30PM, 8:10PM, 8:50PM, 9:30PM, 10:30PM, 11:10PM, and 11:50PM. Rachel and the Alley Cats at the Tower of Terror Party A new offering in 2024 is a “dazzling skating spectacular” that takes place on Hollywood Boulevard. International champion skaters perform to holiday music at 8:15PM, 9:15PM, 10:20PM, 11:15PM, and 12:15AM. Learn more about the Twilight Soirée at the Tip Top Club here! Food Exclusive eats are returning to Jollywood Nights in 2024, but Disney hasn’t announced any menus yet. From the photos on the website, it looks like that adorable Dinosaur Gertie cookie will be returning, so we’re excited about that! It’s Gertie! Disney said that “tasty snacks, sensational sweets, and shimmering sips” will be part of the event. Read all our 2023 food reviews here! Jazzy Holidays at The Hollywood Brown Derby Over at the Hollywood Brown Derby, you can join the Jazzy Holidays event. Advanced reservations are strongly recommended because it’s a limited-capacity experience. Jazzy Holidays inside The Hollywood Brown Derby There are craft cocktails, light bites, and live piano music. Learn more about Jazzy Holidays here! Rides Lots of popular rides are open during the party, and because the party is limited-capacity, wait times are usually much lower than normal. Time to Ride This at Night! Disney has announced that Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, Slinky Dog Dash, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and more are going to be open in 2024. Rise of the Resistance will have a standby line during the party. Merchandise Exclusive merchandise is available during Jollywood Nights, and some of it is themed to Ollie the Gingerbread Man, who is the character mascot of the event. Ollie Ears Disney said there will be new apparel, accessories, collectibles, and more. Photo Ops Digital photos and videos from Jollywood Nights are included with your ticket. Jollywood Nights There will be PhotoPass photographers at the event, and you can find photo ops throughout the park. Dress Code Disney encourages people to “get glammed up for the occasion or show off your unique style.” At the 2023 party, we saw lots of people dressed up like Old Hollywood stars! So cute! However, Disney reminds everyone to consider forgoing the high heels and wear comfortable shoes instead so your feet don’t hurt during the party. We’ll be watching for more updates from Disney, so stay tuned to DFB for the latest news! Click here to check out our Jollywood Nights page! DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide is a one-of-a-kind resource that will help you get the most out of your holiday vacation at Walt Disney World. It includes all the must-have information for navigating the holiday season at Disney World, including: The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season How to avoid the crowds on Disney World's busiest days (and when Disney World closes their parks due to capacity!) ALL of the events, activities, and holiday additions in Walt Disney World. ALL. OF. THEM. And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat! Save 20% on the Holidays at Disney World: DFB's Merriest Guide with code PEPPERMINT. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW MORE Disney World Holiday INFO! Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays We’ll Take This Little Golden Disney Book in Our Stocking, Santa! Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events What We Wish We’d Known Before Going to Disney World During the Holidays Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest holiday news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Are you going to Jollywood Nights in 2024? Let us know in the comments! The post Everything CONFIRMED for the 2024 Jollywood Nights at Disney's Hollywood Studios first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Have you been considering becoming a Member of the Disney Vacation Club? Disney’s Riviera Resort If you have been, now may be the perfect time! Disney just announced a summer sale on membership that can save you up to $9,500 when you become a Member. With this special offer, you can save up to $9,500 on a Disney Vacation Club Membership. If you become a Member at select resorts you can save up to $3,250, plus up to an additional $6,250 with the Welcome Home Offer. That is a lot of savings if you have been hoping to join! Disneyland Hotel You can save when you become a Member at The Villas at Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Riviera Resort, Aulani, or The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. The more points you purchase when you become a member, the more savings you will get. To take advantage of this offer, you must participate in a Resort sales tour and buy an ownership interest of at least 250 Vacation Points. Disney Vacation Club With the Disney Vacation Club, you can “Vacation when, where and how often you want.” Members receive a yearly allotment of Vacation Points and then can use those points to book vacations. Disney Vacation Club Members can also take advantage of additional offers and special events. Some of these offerings include Moonlight Magic Events, member-exclusive Disney Cruise Line voyages, exclusive dessert parties, exclusive merchandise, and more. Moonlight Magic Disney Vacation Club Membership won’t be something that is the best choice for everyone, and we encourage you to do some research before you make the investment. If you want to learn even more about the Disney Vacation Club, check out our video all about Disney Vacation Club: You can take advantage of this offer right now to join Disney Vacation Club. Make sure to stay tuned to DFB for even more Disney vacation discounts! Check out some of the exclusive events available only for Disney Vacation Club Members! 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 a Disney Vacation Club Member or planning to become one? Let us know in the comments! The post A NEW Disney Vacation Club Discount Could Save You Up to ,500 on Membership first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

So you’re planning a Disney World vacation — that’s so exciting and we’re thrilled for you! Art of Animation However…figuring out which Disney World hotel you’re going to stay at is HARD. Trust us, we know because we’ve been there countless times! If you’re planning your vacation and just can’t make a decision, no need to worry, we’re here to help! There are 3 different tiers of Disney World hotels, plus Good Neighbor hotels (we’ll talk more about those in a bit). Each one is structured to fit the budgets of different people traveling to Disney World, but don’t worry — we’re telling you the BEST hotel in each category. Value Hotel Disney World’s Value Hotels are their cheapest options, and there are 5 to choose from. Without a doubt, our favorite is Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. ‘Cars’ section All of the value hotels are known for their over-the-top theming, but we think Art of Animation does it best! It’s themed after some of Disney Animation’s most beloved films of the late ‘90s and early 2000s — The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Cars, and Finding Nemo! Not only is the resort itself themed fantastically, but the rooms are too. Art of Animation Lobby Not to mention that one of the BEST Disney World hotel pools is here as well, and that’s the Big Blue Pool in the Finding Nemo Section! It’s massive with plenty of space for everyone to play and hang out, and there’s a splash pad right nearby for younger kiddos. The Big Blue Pool And lastly, you’ve got the Skyliner right nearby, which can help you resort hop to other hotels, and get to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT quickly (and from EPCOT you can hop on the Monorail to get to Magic Kingdom)! Moderate Resort If you’re staying at a Moderate Resort, we have to recommend Port Orleans French Quarter! Its sister hotel, Port Orleans Riverside, is also stunning and wonderful, but there are just a few features that push French Quarter over a smidge. Doubloon Lagoon at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter For one, this is a smaller hotel, meaning that it will be less crowded overall, especially when it comes to traveling on the bus from the hotel to the parks. Yes, it’s a bit of a bummer the buses are your only option, but unlike other moderate resorts (including Riverside), there’s only ONE bus stop! Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter And come on — there are beignets RIGHT. THERE. Beignets are one of our favorite Disney World snacks (we’ve been known to travel TO the hotel just to get them), so staying so close to them is a real perk. Deluxe Resort Disney World’s most expensive hotels are going to be their deluxe hotels. Our pick might be slightly controversial, but we have to go with Disney’s Beach Club and Yacht Club Resorts! Disney’s Beach Club Resort Now, these two hotels are right next to each other and even share an INCREDIBLE pool called Stormalong Bay. This Disney World hotel pool truly is like no other with its immersive theming, lazy river, and over 3 acres of water fun. Stormalong Bay These hotels are also extremely close to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which also means you’re close to the Skyliner and Monorail, too! Hooray for easy transportation! Good Neighbor Hotels If you’re looking to stay close by to Disney World but aren’t really interested in having all that Disney theming (or paying those prices), Disney World’s Good Neighbor hotels are hotels that partner with Disney to provide free transportation to the theme parks and Transportation and Ticket Center and offer some of the same perks Disney World hotel guests receive. Swan and Dolphin Our favorites of these Good Neighbor hotels have to be the Swan and Dolphin Hotels, which are both located ON Disney World property! Not only is their location fantastic, but stays at this hotel are nothing less than wonderful. Getting around to the Disney World theme parks is easier with buses and water taxis taking you where you need to go, or you can walk to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios! Swan and Dolphin Hotel We’ve also heard from some readers that the mattresses here are BEYOND comfortable, so you may get the best sleep of your life here too! Swan Resort lobby And there you have it! These are the top hotels we would recommend for your Disney World stay, so now the decision is out of your hands. Be sure to stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disney World news! Here are our top 4 Disney World comfort hotels! Want More Details About Disney World’s Hotels? Ranking of ALL of Disney World’s Hotels A Full List of Changes Announced for Disney World’s Hotels The BEST Disney World Hotels for 2023 The WORST Disney World Hotels for 2023 13 Critical Things You’re FORGETTING About When Booking a Disney World Hotel 8 Gadgets You Need for Your Disney World Hotel Room The Surprising Things You Won’t Find in Your Disney World Hotel Room The Secret Way to Stay in Disney World’s Hotels for LESS! What Items from Amazon Can You Have Delivered to Your Resort Hotel? We’ve Got the Details Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest Disney World hotel news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! What hotel would you add to this list? Tell us in the comments! The post The “I’m So Tired; Just Tell Me What To Do” Guide To Choosing the Perfect Disney World Hotel first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Packing for a Disney cruise is a little different than packing for a Disney World vacation. You might want to toss some motion sickness medicine into your bag, just in case things get a little rocky. And I always take a few more swimsuits than I’d bring to the parks because you spend so much more time in the water. But there’s one more thing that you’ll need that most people don’t think to add to their packing list! Disney Wish at Castaway Cay If you’re going on a Disney cruise soon, do NOT forget to bring door decorations! DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Are you a little confused? Let us explain. A really popular and fun trend on Disney cruises (and really any cruise) is to decorate your stateroom door! People add stickers, magnets, and little whiteboards, along with all other kinds of cool decorations. Check out this door we saw on our last cruise: WOW WOW. Awesome, right? While we weren’t quite as prepared as those amazing cruisers, we did bring along some magnets and other decorations, and our door looked pretty dang beautiful too if we do say so ourselves. So cute! If you want to bring along some decorations, check out all of the items we used! All of the items we used are available on Amazon, which means Prime members can get faster, FREE shipping! Not a Prime member? No worries. Just click the link below to start your free trial. Now, let’s check out this door decor! Get the Disney Character Ice Cream Magnets Ice Cream Magnets These were some of our favorite magnets. They’re the Disney character ice cream magnets, and they come in a pack of twelve different treats. Look at the adorable cone with Donald’s feet sticking out! And the Chip and Dale scoops! Ah! ©Amazon You can stick these on your cruise door, and once you get home after your vacation, you can just stick them to your fridge! Shop these magnets on Amazon here! Get the Minnie Cruise Door Magnets Minnie Magnets Another adorable decor option is this Minnie Mouse magnet set. We used our stateroom door number as her face and added the ears, gloves, polka-dot skirt, and high heels all around it. There’s also a Mickey version! Shop this magnet set on Amazon here! Get the Mickey Hand Magnets Mickey Hand Magnets We grabbed these Mickey hand magnets as well! They come in a set of six magnets, and each has a different gesture. In the description of the magnets, it says you can write on them with an oil-based marker and then wipe it off with alcohol, so you could add your family’s names and the date of your trip, or any other messages you’d want to put on your door. Shop these magnets on Amazon here! Get the Magnetic Dry Erase Board ©Amazon If you want to customize your decor, grab this magnetic dry-erase whiteboard! You can write messages on it, draw pictures, or leave questions for other people to answer. On a recent cruise, someone in a room near me would write trivia questions every day, and it was so fun to see what the question would be each day and try to answer it! Shop this dry-erase board on Amazon here! Get the Magnetic Adhesive Sheets ©Amazon If you have some decor that you want to use but don’t know how to stick it to your door, grab some of these magnetic adhesive sheets. You can cut the sheets down to any size or shape and then stick them to the item you want to display. Then you’re good to go! Shop these magnetic sheets on Amazon here! Keep following DFB for more updates on the newest Disney merch! Check out our DFB Amazon storefront to see some of our favorite Disney essentials!The post You Don't Need These 5 Things at Disney World, but They're ESSENTIAL on a Disney Cruise first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

EPCOT isn’t the only park that’s undergoing some renovations at Disney World. Cinderella Castle We’re particularly excited about the MASSIVE expansion coming to Magic Kingdom, which includes a new bar inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean — we know, cool, right?! A permit was filed for construction in this area not too long ago, and now it looks like things are moving right along! We’re always on the hunt for the latest construction permits filed by Disney to get an idea of what sort of changes could come to the parks, and this one is giving us a clue that the Pirates of the Caribbean bar coming to Magic Kingdom might be closer than we originally thought. ©Disney A new permit has been filed for Caribbean Plaza — the area between the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and Tortuga Tavern. It’s also known as Plaza del Sol Caribe thanks to the store of the same name right there. While Disney hasn’t officially confirmed that this will be the location of the new Pirates lounge, we think it’s the area that would make the most sense. And considering this isn’t the first permit we’ve found for this spot, it’s a pretty good bet. Anything could happen, though! This area! This most recent permit description is listed as “mechanical” work, and the contractor on the document is Siemens Industry, who often works in automation and electrification. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get more specific than that, but combined with the permits we’ve already found for this area of the park — we have a sneaking suspicion that we’re getting closer and closer to hearing an update about this new bar. Construction walls inside It’s possible Disney could reveal more at the D23 Expo this August — when fans and executives come together to celebrate all things Disney. D23 2024: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event will be held this year from August 9th through the 11th in Anaheim, California, and we are incredibly eager to attend! The fan expo draws crowds from all over the world and features appearances from Disney execs, celebrities, and Imagineers as the company dishes on upcoming entertainment, theme park developments, and more. Pirates of the Caribbean We’re pretty darn excited about the new Pirates lounge coming to Magic Kingdom, so you can be sure we’ll be keeping an eye out for any more permits or other updates. For the latest news from Disney World and more, stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog! Everything We Know About the NEW Pirates of the Caribbean Restaurant Coming to 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 When are you heading to Disney World next? Tell us in the comments. The post This NEW Permit Could Be a CLUE About the Pirates of the Caribbean Lounge Coming to Magic Kingdom! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

When Disney announces big news, we hear it all. People tell us they’re thrilled. People tell us they’re furious. People tell us they’re booking a trip ASAP. Others say they’ll never go to Disney World again. From new rides like Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to holiday events like Jollywood Nights, it’s safe to say people have some strong opinions about what’s happening in Disney World. Magic Kingdom But recently, Disney dropped some BIG news about the future of Genie+. For one thing, it’s getting a NEW name. The service will be called Lightning Lane Multi Pass (formerly Genie+) and Lightning Lane Single Pass (formerly Individual Lightning Lane). The Multi Pass will be like a combination of Genie+ and FastPass+ (Remember that? This was the FREE version), allowing people to preplan their Lightning Lane reservations before stepping foot in Disney World. Starting on July 24th, there will be several changes to the Lightning Lane service that is currently part of Disney Genie. As we mentioned, Disney Genie+ is now Lightning Lane Multi-Pass, and Individual Lightning Lanes are now Lightning Lane Single Pass. In addition, Disney announced that as of July 24th, you can: Make Lightning Lane plans BEFORE you’re in Disney World Choose your experiences and times prior to purchasing Book Lightning Lane passes for multiple vacation days, all in a single day ©Disney The big perk comes in for people staying in a Disney World hotel. If you’re staying on Disney property, you will be able to plan Lightning Lane reservations up to seven days in advance for your entire stay (up to 14 days). All other guests can plan up to three days in advance. If you do NOT live in the U.S. (regardless of where you are staying during your vacation), you cannot book Lightning Lanes until you arrive in America. Kali River Rapids Lightning Lane sign in Disney’s Animal Kingdom OK, that covers the basics. If you want to learn more about the new system (including details on the tier system), you can check out our full guide below. Everything You Need to Know About Lightning Lane Multi Pass in Disney World So, after the news broke, Disney fans had a LOT to say. We asked our Facebook readers, “How do you feel about the new Genie+ changes?” and they did NOT hold back. Follow us @DisneyFoodBlog on Facebook! We got HUNDREDS of responses, but most can be categorized into a few key takeaways. Group #1: “We’ll Miss Genie+.” Sure, Genie+ was pretty controversial when it first launched. It was the first time Disney was making people PAY to skip the lines. But, turned out some people didn’t mind Genie+! Genie+ In fact, DFB reader Michele (and many others) said, “I was just getting the hang of Genie +!!” Group #2: “We Hate PAYING for This!” Naturally, lots of fans expressed their frustration about the price. DFB follower Dawn said, “Feels kind of like paying for the fast pass system that was free, once upon a time.” Genie+ We saw a lot of comments that mentioned the price, like Nanci, who said, “With the amount of money spent on a Disney vacation, only to have to spend more money to hopefully enjoy the rides is ridiculous!” Group #3: “We’re EXCITED!” On the other hand, lots of people seemed VERY happy about the changes. Christine said, “I’m thrilled that I don’t have to wake up early every day of vacation. I think there’ll be learning curve like with any new system. I’m interested to see what effect it has on the availability of tier 1 rides.” Lightning Lane Anglia agreed, explaining that she thinks the new service will be “Similar to fast pass. Fast pass worked great previously! I’m ready for it. Been going to Disney for 33 years, 3-6 times a year. I’ve been there for soooo many of the changes. Genie +, I’m glad to see you go.” Lightning Lane Overall, most people told us they were happy to be able to sleep in again on vacation — no more waking up at 7AM to book those Lightning Lanes each day of your trip! For those who like to plan ahead, this seems like a positive change. Group #4: “We’re reserving judgment.” Some people, like DFB reader Jeff, are reserving judgment. “I think we’ll have a better idea when it goes live. Something tells me there will be some fine tuning, but overall it’s a step towards what the old system used to be.” Tiana’s Bayou Adventure If there’s one thing we know about Disney, it’s that new things take time to run smoothly. Back when Genie+ first launched, there were all kinds of bugs and errors. But, over time, Disney was able to get things working pretty smoothly! We’ll be sure to keep our eyes out for any issues when Lightning Lane Multi Pass debuts. Look out for more details! Group #5: “We Don’t Like It!” Naturally, there were some people who told us they are NOT happy with the changes. ©Disney DFB reader Debbie pointed out, “I see it as a problem for spur of the moment trips,” while Melissa pointed out, “It’s now harder for international guests! (Australia) leave it at genie+, at least we had a chance!” We explain what you need to know if you’re an international Disney World visitor here! Kim commented, “Walt is rolling in his grave,” while Dawn called the updates a “Big Fail for Disney.” We heard from a LOT of readers who live outside the U.S., and everyone seemed to agree with Rachel’s sentiment: “As a Canadian, overlooked and angry.” Spaceship Earth at EPCOT If you don’t follow us on Facebook, we highly recommend visiting our profile and giving us a follow! That way, you can be part of the conversation. Now, let us know YOUR thoughts in the comments below! In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more. We Have BAD NEWS About Disney World’s New Genie+ Changes 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 these changes? Let us know in the comments! The post "Big Fail for Disney" Disney Fans React to HUGE Genie+ Change Announcement first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Genie+ is changing, and we are here to help you learn about the new system! New Lightning Lane changes are coming This new system will still utilize Lightning Lanes, which are the physical queues in Disney World for those who use their pay-to-skip-the-line service. The latest changes to this service mimic an old friend of ours, FastPass+. This new, updated service will officially start on July 24th, so it’s important to learn how to use it before your next trip! Some folks still struggle to understand Genie+, and now Disney is changing it on us! Here is a step-by-step guide to teach you how to use this new system. ©Disney For a little background, Genie+ will now be called Lightning Lane Multi-Pass, and Individual Lightning Lane will now be Lightning Lane Single-Pass. Although Lightning Lane Multi-Pass will work somewhat similarly to Genie+ in the sense that you can make Lightning Lane selections to skip the standby line, there are many changes happening to the service. The biggest change is that you will be able to book some Lightning Lanes BEFORE your trip. We’ll get into details about when you can begin booking those Lightning Lanes in just a second. ©Disney Disney is also bringing back the tier system that was introduced with FastPass+. When making Lightning Lane Multi-Pass selections in advance of your trip, you will be able to choose one experience from tier one and two from tier two. If you do not choose an experience from tier one, you may select three from tier two. Animal Kingdom will not have a tier system, and you can select any three experiences from the list. Scanning into a Lightning Lane at Disney World In Magic Kingdom, the tiers are as follows: ©Disney In EPCOT, the tiers are as follows: ©Disney In Hollywood Studios, the tiers are as follows: ©Disney As mentioned before, in Animal Kingdom, there are no tiers, so you are able to choose three of the following experiences: ©Disney You can only hold up to three selections at a time, and your first three selections (made before your visit) must be made in the same park. Once you use one of your experiences, you are able to book another experience from the tier that you just used. If you have a park hopper ticket or are an Annual Passholder, you will be able to make another selection in another park. It is also important to note that the 120-minute cooling period no longer will apply with this new system. Lightning Lane at Spaceship Earth Let’s jump into the guide. The process can mainly be broken down into three categories. Download the My Disney Experience App The first thing you will need to do is make sure you have the My Disney Experience app downloaded on your phone, as this is the app that you will use to purchase Lightning Lane passes, just like Genie+. ©Disney Make sure to talk to your group to get their expectations and wishes for what attractions they would like to experience. Basically, make a game plan to help you make your selections. ©Disney It is super important to connect everyone on your Family and Friends list, located in the app, to ensure that the selections you make are for everyone in your party. ©Disney Not sure how to do that? Check out our guide: How to Connect Your Party on the My Disney Experience App When You Can Purchase Your Lightning Lane Passes People who are NOT staying at a Disney-owned hotel for their trip, such as Annual Passholders who live close by or anyone else who is not staying at a Disney World resort, can purchase their Lightning Lane passes starting at 7AM THREE days before their first park day. ©Disney Guests who ARE staying at a Disney World hotel (and other select good neighbor hotels) can purchase Lightning Lane passes at 7AM SEVEN days before their check-in date, which gives them an advantage when booking these passes. ©Disney How to Book Lightning Lane Passes When your booking date rolls around, and you are ready to purchase Lightning Lane passes, open the My Disney Experience app. Here, you will be able to choose to purchase either Lightning Lane Multi-Pass or Lightning Lane Single-Pass, or even both at the same time for your entire party! ©Disney Select the date and park for which you wish to make your selections. You can hold up to three selections at a time, but your first three must be in the same park. As mentioned before, this new system has tiers, just as FastPass+ did. On your initial selection, you will be able to choose one experience from tier one and two experiences from tier two. You can choose three in tier two if you do not select one in tier one. The tier system only applies for Multi-Pass selections as Single Pass will need to be purchased separately just like Individual Lightning Lane. ©Disney You will be able to make your group’s selections for each day in one go, meaning once your window opens, you can plan each day of your trip! Lightning Lane When the system rolls out on July 24th, we will make sure to update you with any tips and tricks that we learn along the way! As always, stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news! Everything You Need to Know about the NEW Genie+ Answering Your 12 Biggest Questions About the NEW Genie+ The Bad News About the New Genie+ System 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 do you feel about this new system? Let us know in the comments! The post Breaking Down Disney World's NEW Lightning Lane System in Under 1,000 Words first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It’s almost time for a brand new Magic Kingdom ride to open for everyone! Tiana’s Bayou Adventure It’s no surprise that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is opening up to the general public on June 28th, and we couldn’t be more excited! Now, we’ve had the chance to preview the ride and we’ve been left with a crisis. Is Tiana’s Bayou Adventure better to Ride AT NIGHT?! Let’s figure it out together! As we were saying, you’ve basically got two options when it comes to the ambiance for the outside portions of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — day or night. Which one you’ll get to experience will have a lot to do with where you’re at in the virtual queue, but you may be able to book a Lightning Lane for a set time. So if you get to choose a day or night experience, which would you choose? And more importantly, is Tiana’s ride BETTER AT NIGHT? Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at night First things first, Tiana’s new ride is visually stunning. They really pulled out all the stops in theming. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Just have a look at all those colors and details. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Truth be told, there’s a lot that you wouldn’t be able to make out as clearly in the dark, but it does take on a different vibe. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure You can’t deny that those colors do pop. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Maybe the thing to think about is that most of this ride is indoors and it’s dark… Tiana’s Bayou Adventure …which means you may want to think about that transition for your eyes. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure That being said, there is something to seeing that shaft of light beaming in front of you in the darkness as you prepare for the big drop at the end! Tiana’s Bayou Adventure If you like that anticipation of getting to see Magic Kingdom from a pretty high vantage point in full daylight, well then you know which option you’d choose. View after the drop on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Ultimately, it’s going to come down to your own preference as to whether you want to experience the ride during the day or at night. Just keep in mind that Magic Kingdom is pretty spectacular all lit up at night (just saying). ©Disney Check out Disney’s POV of the ride, which was filmed at night: And there you have it! Just some of our thoughts on whether it’s better to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Magic Kingdom at night. We’ll be bringing you EVERYTHING you need to know about this ride as we learn more, so stay tuned to DFB for the latest updates! It’s Official! Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Will Be OPEN During Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 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 you rather ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure during the day or at night? Let us know in the comments below. The post Is Tiana's Bayou Adventure Better to Ride AT NIGHT? first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We’re “Almost There,” y’all! Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be officially opening in Magic Kingdom to the public TOMORROW, on June 28th. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Now, we finally had a chance to check out the ride for ourselves, although it’s been having some technical issues. We have seen a sneak peek at some Tiana’s Bayou Adventure merchandise, but one select group of Disney World visitors is getting EXCLUSIVE merchandise that will be available soon! So when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure officially opens, the two shops it will eventually have — Critter Co-Op and Tiana’s Bayou General — will not be opening with it. BUT new ride merchandise will still be available. If you happen to be a Disney World Annual Passholder, we’re just going to tell you that you’ll need to make a beeline straight for the Emporium because you’re getting EXCLUSIVE Tiana’s Bayou merchandise there. Tiana’s Bayou General That’s right, if you’re an Annual Passholder, you can grab some exclusive limited-release Tiana’s Bayou Adventure souvenirs starting on June 28th. You’ll find the new exclusive collections at the Emporium on Main Street, U.S.A., and then later at Criter Co-Op and Tiana’s Bayou General in Frontierland. You will also be able to use Mobile Checkout at both Emporium and Critter Co-Op. We also have a sneak peek at one of the exclusive items, a Tiana’s Bayou Adventure t-shirt. ©Disney Passholders must have valid theme park admission to enter Magic Kingdom, as well as a park pass reservation unless visiting the park after 2PM. At the time of purchase, you’ll need to present your valid Passholder ID, which can be found in the “Tickets and Passes” section of the My Disney Experience app. Disney World Annual Pass For those wanting to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure on opening day, there will be a virtual queue available or you can purchase Genie+ (which will become Lightning Lane Multi-Pass in a month) and try to get a Lightning Lane through that. We can imagine that there will be a LOT of demand for the ride over the next few days, so you’ll have to be quick and lucky to grab a spot! Tiana on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure We’ll be in Magic Kingdom on opening day for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to report on crowds, lines, and anything else, so stay tuned to DFB for more. REMINDER: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Opens TOMORROW! Here’s What You Need To Know About Disney World’s NEW Ride 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 heading to Disney World soon to check out Tiana’s Bayou Adventure? Let us know in the comments! The post Exclusive NEW Annual Passholder Souvenirs Will Be in Disney World TOMORROW! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Who doesn’t love a sale? Loungefly bags Let us rephrase that — who doesn’t love a DISNEY sale? We certainly can’t turn down a good sale. Here’s the thing, though: when we learn about a sale, we have to share it with our friends (that’s you). So we’re about to tell you about a sale happening right now at The Disney Store. Yes, that’s right — it’s time to buy more Disney souvenirs. 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 having a special Buy More, Save More Event. If you spend over $100, you can get 20% off your order. If you spend $175, you can get 30% off. You can shop the FULL sale here, but we’re also going to tell you about some of the best deals we found. You’ll want to use code SAVEMORE when you checkout to get this deal. Get the Disney World Geometric Starbucks Tumbler ©Disney Okay, these Starbucks Tumblers are viral and VERY popular, but you can grab one right now for a fraction of the original retail price. This red one is SUPER popular, so grab it before it’s gone. Buy from The Disney Store Buy the Mickey Mouse Club MagicBand+ ©Disney If you’re headed to Disney World soon, you might need a new MagicBand+ and this one is bringing the nostalgia with its Mickey Mouse Club theme. Get it while it’s on sale! Buy from The Disney Store Get a FREE Loungefly With ANY Purchase ©Disney Wait…did we read that right? Yep, you can get a FREE Mickey Mouse Americana Loungefly Mini Backpack FREE with any purchase. This bag is PERFECT for celebrating the 4th of July, too! Buy from The Disney Store Buy the Mickey and Minnie Mouse Folding Picnic Blanket ©Disney If you’re planning on having a picnic, you need the Mickey and Minnie folding picnic blanket — it even has a little handle for easy carrying. You can grab this blanket for just $22 with any other purchase. Buy from The Disney Store Buy a Disney Logo Tote for $10 ©Disney If you purchase ANYTHING from the Disney Store, you can score this colorful tote with the “D” Disney logo all over it. It also has a detachable drawstring accessories pouch. Buy from The Disney Store So head on over to The Disney Store right now to check out these deals. You might also want to check out our Amazon Store for all your Disney essentials. Shop our Amazon StoreThe post Over 500 Disney Souvenirs Are ON SALE Today first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

There are three things we love to do on a Disney Cruise. 1.) Lounge by the pool and RELAX. 2.) Enjoy all the FUN entertainment! 3.) Eat allll the food. But this is Disney Food Blog, so of course, we pay extra special attention to the food and drinks you can enjoy on a Disney Cruise. Speaking of cruises, we need to talk about the next Disney Cruise Line ship debuting THIS YEAR! ©Disney The Disney Treasure is coming SOON! This ship has so many fun new things to look forward to, like a new Coco-themed restaurant, a Haunted Mansion lounge, and a special Moana show. There is still so much to learn about this new ship — we’ve been waiting for Disney to share menu previews for AGES. But finally — finally! — Disney just released a NEW look at the menus coming to the Disney Treasure. Wanna see? Of course you do! Let’s take a look! Remember how we said Disney is debuting a NEW Coco restaurant? Well, it’s called Plaza de Coco, and we have a NEW preview of the menu! The restaurant will participate in two distinct evenings of live entertainment, set in Santa Cecilia from Coco. ©Disney Let’s start with the new Abuelita Elena Shrimp Diabla with chili-chipotle sauce, cilantro, pickled red onion, and toasted birotes. This looks so bright and flavorful! ©Disney Disney also shared a preview of the Chorizo Street Croquettes with chili-lime crema, cotija cheese, and cilantro. ©Disney We’re super intrigued by this new Blistered Poblano Pepper stuffed with Oaxaca cheese and green rice. ©Disney Up next, we’ve got a Red Capsicum and Green Parsley Grilled Snapper with fried yucca, refried beans, baby spinach, and pico de Gallo. YUM! ©Disney If you’re a fan of scallops, we’ve got good news. Disney announced there will be a Pan-Seared Adobo Spiced Sea Bass with seared scallops, rainbow carrots, spinach, Romanesco, peas, and chimichurri sauce on the menu. ©Disney Not a fan of seafood? No problem! Check out Luisa’s Pollo Asado with Michoacán citrus chicken, cilantro rice, and serrano-tomatillo salsa. ©Disney Want a nice, hearty meal that will fill you up? You might want to try Enrique’s Port Wine Braised Center Cut Beef Short Rib with cheddar cheese and green onion red mash and long green beans with crisp shallots. ©Disney On to dessert! Let’s start with the stunning Mexican Chocolate Tart with spiced chocolate crème, caramel pecan nuts, and chocolate glaze. ©Disney We’re very interested in the Warm Coconut Tres Leches with milk-soaked coconut cake, caramel sauce, and dulce de leche ice cream, too. ©Disney Finally, you can also try the Margarita Lime Cheesecake with a sea salt shortbread and raspberry-agave margarita coulis. This one is SO pretty! ©Disney Whew! That wraps up Plaza de Coco, but we also got a preview of the menu at Scat Cat Lounge! This will be “The world’s first The Aristocats-inspired venue,” with live music, Aristocats decorations, and a themed craft cocktail menu. Disney shared three drinks coming to Scat Cat Lounge, including The Créme de la Créme Martini infused with cognac, chocolate and a nutmeg topping… ©Disney …The Cat Drink with clarified bourbon, amaro, Aperol, and fresh lemon… ©Disney …and The Turkish Tea Experience, a tea-based cocktail for two or more guests. ©Disney After a busy day at sea, you deserve a sweet treat! Stop by Jumbeaux’s Sweets for specialty treats at this fun Zootopia-themed restaurant. ©Disney We’re looking forward to trying the new Judy Hopps Carrot Cupcake with spiced carrot cake, dollops of lemon frosting, white chocolate crème, and blueberry compote. There will also be a Nick Wilde Raspberry ‘n Cream Cupcake with red velvet sponge cake, vanilla frosting, white chocolate crème, raspberry compote, and a chocolate décor topping. Um, yes, please! ©Disney Plus, look out for a Paw Shortbread Sandwich with two paw-shaped red velvet shortbread cookies, vanilla frosting, and dulce de leche. ©Disney We have a feeling the Mango Leopard Cakesicle with lemon fudge cake and a mango-chocolate glaze drizzle is going to be a big hit. And this Carrot Chocolate-Covered Strawberries with cookie crumble soil and a white chocolate coating sounds AMAZING! ©Disney Finally, Disney also shared a preview of the Zootopia Chocolate Bark Post Cards, with a “distinct character-inspired decoration and flavor combination including an assortment of dry fruits, nuts, and sprinkles.” How fun! ©Disney There is still so much to learn about the Disney Treasure cruise ship, so stick around for all the latest updates! In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for Disney news, so stay tuned for more. BREAKING: Disney Announces NEW ‘Aristocats’-themed Lounge for Disney Treasure 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 excited to try? Let us know in the comments! The post BREAKING: MENUS Announced for New Restaurants on Disney Treasure Cruise Ship first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney Cruise Line just keeps getting better and better (and BIGGER!) ©Disney The Disney Treasure will be the sixth ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet and is set to take its Maiden Voyage with passengers later this year. The ship is inspired by “Walt Disney’s lifelong love of adventure,” and Disney just shared exciting new details about it! A BRAND-NEW Guardians of the Galaxy-themed dinner show is coming to the Disney Treasure cruise ship! “Marvel Celebration of Heroes: Groot Remix,” will be an immersive dining experience — and if we know anything about Groot, this is sure to be an entertaining meal! ©Disney The dinner show will follow Groot as he brings diners along for an on-screen quest to throw a surprise party for his dear friend, Rocket Raccoon. During dinner, you’ll be listening to an “awesome mix” of songs, while answering trivia questions to test your Marvel knowledge! ©Disney The experience will take place at the Worlds of Marvel restaurant on one of two nights. The other night, passengers can experience Avengers: Quantum Encounter. We got to experience this on the Disney Wish and had a great time! This marks the first Guardians of the Galaxy dining experience for Disney Cruise Line and means folks will get to see two Marvel dinner shows on Disney Treasure cruises. Worlds of Marvel Not only that, but Disney announced that an Aristocats lounge will be coming to the Disney Treasure as well! The Scat Cat Lounge is a jazz club-style venue themed after the 1970 animated classic The Aristocats, with specific inspiration coming from the film’s “Ev’rybody Wants to be a Cat” sequence. ©Disney The Disney Treasure, which will take its Maiden Voyage with passengers on December 21, 2024, will be the sixth ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet. While the Disney Wish is known as Disney’s “Castle on the Seas,” the Disney Treasure will celebrate “Walt Disney’s lifelong love of adventure,” as announced in September 2022 by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro. ©Disney We can’t wait to experience this brand-new cruise ship, the Disney Treasure. In the meantime, we’ll be keeping up with the latest updates about this ship and more Disney Cruise Line news — so stay tuned to Disney Food Blog for more! Learn More About the Disney Treasure Cruise Ship HERE! What You Need to Know About Disney Cruise Line Learn All About Disney Cruise Line and Its Various Ships Explore Disney’s Mega Cruise Ship – The Wish A Full List of What You CAN’T Bring on a Disney Cruise These Are the BEST Times to Book Your Disney Cruise The Best Ways to SAVE SPACE in Your Tiny Cruise Cabin 10 Things You NEED on Your Next Cruise (That You Won’t Think to Pack!) What It’s Like to Live on a Cruise Ship for 6 Months Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox! Click here to Subscribe Have you been on a Disney cruise? Tell us in the comments. The post BREAKING: Disney Announces NEW 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Dinner Show for Treasure Cruise Ship first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Every passenger wants to be a cat… ©Disney We already know a lot about the Disney Treasure, the Disney Cruise Line’s upcoming sixth ship, scheduled for its first voyage later this year. The Treasure is going to feature new dining offerings including lounges based on the Haunted Mansion and the Jungle Cruise and a restaurant themed to Coco. Now Disney has revealed the ship will also feature another lounge themed to a classic animated feature from the company’s storied past. In late June 2024, Disney announced that the Treasure will feature the Scat Cat Lounge, a jazz club-style venue themed after the 1970 animated classic The Aristocats, with specific inspiration coming from the film’s “Ev’rybody Wants to be a Cat” sequence. That sequence is also immortalized with a massive black-and-white statement wall that extends through the center of the lounge. According to Disney, the wall frames a “groovy neon sign with the lyrics, ‘Ev’rybody Wants to be A Cat.’ Reminiscent of piano keys, the wall will honor the important role that music played throughout the film.” Overall, the Scat Cat Lounge will take many design cues from the Treasure’s Agrabah-inspired Grand Hall. The venue will include a complementary color palette and Middle Eastern décor that will “blend seamlessly” with the venue’s Aristocats theme. DisneyParksBlog While the club will maintain this elegant aesthetic, there are numerous direct references to the film. These include a subtle “parade of silhouetted cats, all representing characters from the film” that “will welcome guests to Scat Cat Lounge at the entry and lead the way into the venue.” There’s also the lounge’s distinct carpet, which is inspired by the “ornate French style rugs scattered throughout Madame Adelaide Bonfamille’s swanky Parisian home” according to Disney. The Lounge’s piano will feature colorful paw marks in paint, referencing the scene in the film where Toulouse leaves similar prints on a piano. Finally, the menu will feature numerous drinks themed to the film, including the Créme de la Créme Martini and The Cat Drink. ©Walt Disney Co./Courtesy Evere via Variety The Scat Cat Lounge will also include smaller references to the film including a door handle modeled after Scat Cat’s “signature instrument” at the entrance, and hidden depictions of Roquefort, “the devoted mouse companion of Duchess and her kittens” as opposed to the typical hidden Mickeys. The venue will also feature a final cat-themed easter egg not directly related to the film. A poster hanging outside the Cat Scratch Lounge will feature an image of a group of cats playing instruments. These aren’t just any cats, however. According to Disney, “Each cat depicted in the artwork will be drawn in the image of a beloved pet belonging to someone from the project team that helped design and build Scat Cat Lounge.” The Treasure under construction ©Disney The Aristocats-themed Cat Scratch Lounge promises to add a groovy new option to the Disney Treasure’s expanding litany of dining options. Stay tuned to DFB for further updates on the ship’s progress as its maiden voyage approaches. 4 Staterooms To AVOID on the Disney Treasure Cruise Ship 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 by the Treasure’s new Aristocats-themed lounge? Let us know in the comments below. The post BREAKING: Disney Announces NEW 'Aristocats'-themed Lounge for Disney Treasure Cruise Ship first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Travel continues to change, specifically when we’re talking about the differences between how different generations travel. Magic Kingdom In general, it seems like people are traveling now more than ever, which, believe it or not, poses some new challenges for Disney World. There are some Disney World hotel trends we think we’ll be seeing soon, too. Millennials and Gen Z are already making an impact on the travel industry, meaning that many travel companies, like Disney Cruise Line, have to figure out a new way to appeal to those travelers. Gen Z, in particular, is really shaking things up, and there’s one longtime travel trend they’re just ignoring. A survey by IBS Software shows that 47% of Americans are now using in-person or online travel agents to book their trips. However, what’s most surprising about the survey is that it shows that 38 percent of Millennials and Gen Z are now preferring to use travel agents when booking travel. This is in stark contrast to Gen X: only 12 percent are using traditional travel agents. Only 2% of Boomers choose travel agents. World Showcase at EPCOT It seems that travel agents are experiencing a renaissance among the younger generations. But why? Well, we can make some guesses. First, travel agents are generally free, and can help get the best deals on travel. Today’s economy is tough for many, so scoring a good deal could be turning younger generations onto asking for help. Millennials and Gen Z are also still in the workforce, so having a travel agent can also save a lot of valuable time. Disney’s Animal Kingdom For those looking to book a Disney World trip, getting a travel agent is a no-brainer. Not only can a travel agent score the best deals, but if a better deal comes along, they can rebook the trip and refund the savings. Disney World travel agents, such as those at Small World Vacations, also know Disney World and Disneyland inside out and can make the best recommendations on where to stay, where to eat, and how to navigate My Disney Experience and Genie+. Toy Story Land in Hollywood Studios Things like booking a Disney Cruise Line cruise are also a lot easier with a travel agent. Booking a cruise, transportation, and everything such a vacation entails can be complicated, but a travel agent can help every step of the way so that the process is as easy as possible. Disney Wish If you’re on the fence about working with a travel agent, we’d like to put your mind at ease. Why do it all yourself when you can get someone to help you with every detail of your trip, including the complicated bits? We know that some of you enjoy the planning phase of a trip, but you can still work with a travel agent to guarantee that you get the Disney trip you want to have. Stay tuned to DFB for more. The Ultimate Guide To Disney World Travel Agents DON'T DO IT ALONE! Our favorite people over at Small World Vacations are ready to help you save time, headaches, and best of all, money, when you book your Disney trip or cruise. Their agents compare current offers to find the best deal for you -- they've literally saved their guests millions of dollars since 1996. Plus, their services are 100% FREE FOR YOU! (They're DFB's recommended travel agency, and you can see why here!) So book that trip now, then sit back and enjoy planning your Disney World Trip with a DFB-approved expert! Click here for a no obligation price quote today, and let them know DFB sent you GET MORE INFO Do you use a travel agent for booking your Disney and non-Disney trips? Let us know in the comments! The post Gen Z Is IGNORING This Travel Trend first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Come with us to Disneyland to check out the resort’s newest restaurant! Downtown Disney We headed over to Disneyland Resort’s Downtown Disney District to try its newest restaurant offering — Din Tai Fung! This award-winning, family-owned restaurant is known for its dumplings and already has several locations in California. Now, it’s available at Disneyland! Din Tai Fung can be found in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington, as well as Japan, South Korea, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Europe, and Thailand. The Disneyland location is set to OFFICIALLY open on July 1st, 2024, but we were able to attend its soft opening just this week — let’s check it out! Din Tai Fung Atmosphere Din Tai Fung immediately sets itself apart from many other Disneyland and Downtown Disney restaurants with a more luxurious theming. This restaurant caters to both park-goers AND those looking for more upscale dining. According to Disney’s official description, the restaurant stands out with its “dramatic and contemporary take on a traditional Chinese pavilion rooftop structure.” Din Tai Fung Once inside, you’ll immediately see a “suspended, beaded installation over the circular central bar” as well as “traditional-style Chinese pendants softly illuminating the space.” An expo kitchen allows diners to watch dumplings being made, firsthand. Pretty snazzy! The restaurant features different dining areas with spacious tables to really give off the feeling of ample space, and the open concept mixed with a bounty of large windows really helps illuminate the restaurant and create a welcoming environment. ©Din Tai Fung Overall, mixed with some contemporary SoCal music and incredibly helpful and friendly service (shoutout to our servers, Marc and Daniel!), this restaurant doesn’t feel too posh but instead felt incredibly welcoming. It fits the theme of Disney hospitality flawlessly. Menu Most Din Tai Fung locations serve various soups, different flavors of dumplings and buns, wontons, noodles, fried rice, and dessert dumplings filled with chocolate, red bean paste, or sweet taro. Menu The restaurant is famous for its Xiao Long Bao (steamed pork soup dumplings), and these are heavily recommended by the waitstaff. As for the menu in general, the pricing is surprisingly fair for the quality. Most items range from $10 to $20 and can be shared. How to eat xiao long bao! Part of the fun of this menu is picking a plethora of items via a Dim Sum menu and having them brought out in waves. The portion sizes allow these to be great meals to be shared amongst a party and we think this menu caters better to larger groups than solo diners, although you’ll likely still be satisfied if you eat alone. Dim Sum menu With tons of promise and good word of mouth, we couldn’t wait to dive in! Eats We tried the Cucumber Salad, Sweet & Sour Baby Back Ribs, Kurobuta Pork Xiao Long Bao, Shrimp and Pork Spicy Wontons, Noodles in Sesame Sauce, Chocolate and Mochi Xiao Long Bao, Kurobuta Pork Buns, Chicken Dumplings, Honey Lemonade with Boba, and Cucumber Gimlet. It’s safe to say we were stuffed! Din Tai Fung spread First up, we have the Cucumber Salad for $9. This appetizer is gluten-free and vegan and is made with crisp Persian cucumbers combined with cuts of mild Fresno chili peppers and sliced garlic all tossed together with sesame and Din Tai Fung chili oils. Cucumber Salad This cucumber salad was very refreshing! The portion size was surprisingly hefty and the cucumber cuts were thick. There was a little bit of a kick from the sauce, but, all in all, it was super flavorful and never overpowering. We also found the peanut flavor created a nice blend among the cucumber, which is a theme that will pop up again and again. Refreshing! The Sweet & Sour Baby Back Ribs cost $16.50 and are coated with house-made sweet and sour sauce. Sweet & Sour Baby Back Ribs Our ribs were cooked perfectly and definitely had that sweet and sour flavor. The pork was rich and the serving size was plentiful. The ribs were lighter in taste than we expected, avoiding in-your-face flavors and opting for something lighter. Still, we recommend you have a craving for sweet and sour pork, otherwise these might put you off. Very good serving size Next, we tried the Kurobuta Pork Xiao Long Bao for $18.50. These carefully crafted Long Bao are stuffed with Kurobuta pork marinated in a blend of seasonings and paired with fresh ginger and green onion. Kurobuta Pork Xiao Long Bao These Long Bao are meant to be paired with the provided condiments, and we totally understand — they’re just okay on their own. Our dumplings didn’t have a ton of broth, which was unfortunate. Still, the bao was light, tasty, and the pork and vegetable mix was quite nice and filling. Once again the portion size is more than fair and we think this is a great sharable dish. We would’ve liked a bit more broth The Shrimp and Pork Spicy Wontons cost $17 and are made with freshly-peeled shrimp and Kurobuta pork served with the signature house spicy sauce and topped with garlic and green onion. Wontons These wontons were spicy but came as more of an after-kick instead of overpowering upon first bite. We think they were really tasty, with a super fragrant sauce and a seamless protein blend. The shrimp was delicious especially, and the wontons were light and fluffy, packed with tons of protein. These guys really are spicy though, so a word of caution. Shrimp and Pork Spicy Wontons The Noodles in Sesame Sauce cost $13 and include house-made thin egg noodles coated in a nutty sesame sauce and topped with chili oil and crushed roasted peanuts. Noodles in Sesame Sauce If you don’t like spicy food, you probably won’t like these noodles. However, the peanut flavor was so earthy and excellent — easily our favorite part of the dish. The noodles were packed with flavor, thick, and very shareable. Peanuts were the star here The Kurobuta Pork Buns cost $10 and are served in two pieces. Kurobuta Pork Buns We think these buns are a must-order! The meat was cooked perfectly, the bun was soft and almost a little sweet, and these were some of our favorites from our meal. YUM! Next, we tried the Chicken Dumplings for $18. One order gives you 10 dumplings. Chicken Dumplings These dumplings are hand-folded and filled with premium chicken and sweet onions. Super juicy (but not slimy) with a great texture, we found these dumplings to have a good portion of chicken inside that was packed with flavor. One of our favs! To drink, we tried the non-alcoholic Honey Lemonade with Boba. The drink without boba costs $7.50 and boba costs $1.50. The lemonade is made to order with crushed ice, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and a drizzle of honey. The boba consists of chewy tapioca pearls mixed with brown sugar and honey. The boba was very thick and chewy while the lemonade was refreshingly tart and sweet! Honey Lemonade with Boba We also tried the Cucumber Gimlet for $16. This drink is made with Roku Gin, St. Germain, fresh lime juice, fresh cucumber, and mint. Our Cucumber Gimlet was delicious! Very cucumbery, light, refreshing, and just enough kick from the gin, we can see this as a popular summer drink. The mint really added to the cucumber, creating something akin to a Disney julep. The drink was very natural in flavor and is a must-try if you love cucumber drinks! Cucumber Gimlet For dessert, we tried the Chocolate and Mochi Xiao Long Bao per recommendation from our server. This chocolate dessert costs $11.50 and comes with five pieces. It’s made with premium chocolate truffle inside a thin layer of mochi, all wrapped in 18 folds. Chocolate and Mochi Xiao Long Bao Shoutout again to Marc for recommending these — it’s nearly impossible to describe just how good this dessert is, but we’ll try! Each bite contains a delicious lava flow of amazingly decadent chocolate. They are small in stature, but they pack a powerful punch. The chocolate never tasted too rich, but the quality was extraordinary — almost like delicious chocolate fondue. Creamy, warm, and absolutely delicious, this dessert is a must-try. This is already some of the best chocolate you’ll find at the Disneyland Resort and we WILL return to Din Tai Fung for these, on top of many other dishes! Thanks, I’ll take 100 It’s safe to say we enjoyed our meal at Din Tai Fung, so let’s get into our overall thoughts OVERALL The Disneyland location for Din Tai Fung meets the quality standard that it has accumulated around the globe. Upscale but not pretentious and a fantastic Dim Sum restaurant, we’ll keep coming back for more, hands down. Din Tai Fung The waitstaff was super kind, knowledgeable, and on it, and the dining experience is unique at Disneyland. While it can get kind of loud and may not be the most budget-friendly dining option, Din Tai Fung is worth visiting at least once at Downtown Disney! Nosh or Not? Take a stroll down Downtown Disney to Din Tai Fung if… You want great dumplings. Aside from festivals, you’re not going to get this kind of food consistently in the parks. You want a unique sit-down experience. This isn’t typical American fare and can take you out of the theme park experience and put you into a fine dining setting. You have an appetite and are willing to share. Din Tai Fung provides a menu ideal for sharing. If you want to try a bunch of different dishes in one meal, this is the place for you. Skip Din Tai Fung if… You visit another location regularly. Din Tai Fung is not exclusive to Disneyland, so if you’re looking for something truly unique, try a Disneyland-exclusive restaurant like the Blue Bayou. You’re in a hurry. Dining at most sit-down restaurants at the Disneyland Resort will take a chunk out of your day. Also, being located in Downtown Disney, you can’t just hop on a ride immediately after your meal. Fortunately, Disneyland has plenty of other options that will save you time. You’re on a budget. Din Tai Fung’s prices are reasonable, but it’s easy to rack up a bill fast if you keep ordering items to share. It’s definitely possible to eat here without breaking the bank, but you need to be price-conscious while ordering. Din Tai Fung Thanks for coming along for our Din Tai Fung review! Stay tuned right here at the Disney Food Blog for the latest Disneyland reviews, news, tips, and more! REVIEW: Is This LEGENDARY Disney Restaurant Still Worth a Visit? 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 Have you eaten at Din Tai Fung before? Share your review in the comments below! The post FULL REVIEW: Disney's Newest Restaurant Has Our New FAVORITE Dessert 🤯 first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

No one likes to learn things the HARD WAY — especially during their Disney World vacation. Cinderella Castle So let’s get the hard lessons outta the way NOW so you don’t have to worry about it LATER. Check out our video below: 13 HARD Lessons You’ll Learn in Disney World Are you a DFB Video subscriber? If you hit the button below, you can subscribe to our channel and catch up on ALL of our latest episodes! And stay tuned for more Disney news! 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 hard lessons have you learned in Disney World? Let us know in the comments! The post DFB Video: 13 HARD Lessons You’ll Learn in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

We’re gonna need a drum roll for this because we are just one day away from a HUGE opening at Magic Kingdom! Tiana’s Bayou Adventure That’s right, the day we’ve all been waiting for, the grand opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disney World is TOMORROW, June 28th! We have all the must-know info to get you ready for the big day. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be opening to all guests tomorrow, June 28th, and we are stoked given that we’ve been counting it down since its announcement back in 2o20 (oh my gosh that feels like ages ago!). Cast Member and Annual Passholder previews have been ongoing for the past few weeks and we’ve had the opportunity to check out the ride early. You can read about our experience here! Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is set one year after the events of The Princess and the Frog film. Tiana has fulfilled her lifelong dream of opening her own restaurant and is hosting a Mardi Gras party to thank the people of New Orleans for all their support. However, during the celebration, Tiana notices that the party is “missing a key ingredient” and sets out on an adventure to find it. You join in on Tiana’s adventure, along with Louis, and go on a quest to make it the best celebration ever. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will be using a Virtual Queue starting tomorrow, just like Tron Lightcycle/Run (also located at Magic Kingdom), and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (over at EPCOT). This system will be used for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure until Disney announces the switch to a standby queue, which they plan to do “soon after the attraction’s opening.” The virtual queue can be accessed through the My Disney Experience App where Guests have two daily opportunities to join — the first is at 7AM, and the second at 1PM. Guests requesting to join the virtual queue at 7AM do not have to be inside Magic Kingdom. If you’re trying to join the 1PM virtual queue, however, you have to be INSIDE Magic Kingdom. Click HERE for a Complete Guide on Virtual Queues in Disney World The regular virtual queue will look similar to this Passholder version. Along with being available with a Virtual Queue, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will also be available as an option on Disney Genie+. To ride, you can purchase Genie+ for Magic Kingdom (or get the multi-park Genie+ option) and reserve a Lightning Lane for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Learn everything you need to know about reserving a Lightning Lane using Disney Genie+ HERE. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure And just like ol’ Splash Mountain before it, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will feature an on-ride attraction photo! All riders can check out their photo and purchase them through Disney PhotoPass (via the My Disney Experience app) after riding down the Bayou. ©Disney Last but not least, TOMORROW ONLY (June 28th, 2024), guests may opt to purchase an EXCLUSIVE commemorative print package at Tiana’s Bayou General Store, located at the exit of the attraction. This will be sold in addition to the standard attraction photo prints. Click HERE to find out about this VERY Limited-Time (ONE DAY ONLY!) Souvenir! Commemorative Ride Photo Package And there you have it! A few reminders to get you ready for tomorrow, the opening day of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Stay tuned as we bring you all the latest updates and Disney news. A NEW Bus Design Was SPOTTED at Disney World and We’re BIG Fans! 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 planning to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure tomorrow? Let us know in the comments! The post REMINDER: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Opens TOMORROW! Here’s What You Need To Know About Disney World's NEW Ride first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Confused about the Lightning Lane changes coming to Disney World? You’re not alone. New Lightning Lane changes are coming We’ve done our best to answer your BIGGEST questions about the updates and later found out that a new, tiered system would be introduced for attractions. Though we’re still learning all the details, the new Lightning Lane passes seem like they’ll give visitors the chance to make better plans ahead of their trip. But, there’s one major problem… As of July 24th, Genie+ will be known as Lightning Lane Multi-Pass, and Individual Lightning Lanes will be called Lightning Lane Single Pass. In addition to these changes, Disney has announced that beginning July 24th, you can: Make Lightning Lane plans before you get to the parks, for added confidence. Choose your experiences and times before purchasing, so you know what you’re getting. Book Lightning Lane passes for multiple vacation days, all in a single day. Lightning Lane changes are coming! Disney World hotel guests (and guests of other select hotels) will be able to plan Lightning Lane passes up to 7 days in advance for their entire stay (up to 14 days). All other guests can plan up to 3 days in advance. But, Disney has included the caveat that you must be in the United States to purchase Lightning Lane passes. ©Disney When we asked a Disney World Cast Member about this directly, we were told, “Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass features will be available to Guests from other countries, they will be able to begin their pre-arrival planning on the My Disney Experience Mobile App after they reach the United States.” Lightning Lane So, international visitors won’t be able to purchase Lightning Lane passes or take advantage of the early planning until they arrive in the United States, even if the 7-day planning window begins before that. Essentially, you must be in the US to purchase Lightning Lane passes and begin pre-planning your ride selections ahead of your trip. Kali River Rapids Lightning Lane sign in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Of course, we’re still learning the details of the new Lightning Lane Multi-Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass as Disney shares them and it’s possible this could change in the future. There are still likely plenty of kinks to work out with the new system, and hopefully, Disney will update it so that our international friends are able to take advantage of the early planning! In addition to the advanced planning changes, Disney has introduced (or reintroduced, shall we say) a tiered system for rides. It looks like out of those 3 advance selections, you’ll be able to choose one experience from a higher-tiered group and two experiences (or all three) from a lower-tiered group. You can check out which rides are part of which tiers right here. Lightning Lane at Expedition Everest Since we’re still figuring out all the details, we’ll be bringing you all the latest updates you need to know about these new Lightning Lane changes along with letting you know how it all works once they officially roll out, so stay tuned to Disney Food Blog for more. Learn More About the Changes Coming to Genie+ at Disney World HERE! All About Disney Genie, Genie+, and Individual Attraction Selection BIG Genie+ Changes Being Planned For Disney World FULL List of Rides Included With Genie+ in Disney World 3 Tips to OUTSMART Genie+ in Disney World Right Now Please Stop Skipping These Genie+ Hacks in Disney World (They Really Work!) Genie+ Tips for the Most Crowded Days in Disney World and Disneyland Click HERE to See More About Disney Genie 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 the Genie+ changes? Tell us in the comments. The post We Have BAD NEWS About Disney World's New Genie+ Changes first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Are you planning to visit Disney World this summer? Cinderella Castle There are so many new rides and attractions for you to experience all around the resort! From new state-of-the-art rides like TRON Lightcycle / Run in Magic Kingdom and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT, there is so much for you to see and do on your vacation. But we’ve also got to WARN you: certain rides do close temporarily for refurbishment or even reimagining, and one popular attraction will be temporarily closing very soon. If you want to take flight with Peter Pan and his crew at Magic Kingdom, you must do so before July 8th, as the Peter Pan’s Flight ride will be closed temporarily for refurbishment. Peter Pan’s Flight Disney’s website is currently showing that Peter Pan’s Flight will be closed from July 8th through August 20th. It should reopen on August 21st, as that is when opening times once again start to show on the webpage. Lightning Lane at Peter Pan’s Flight It is normal for rides to close for refurbishment to receive a little extra TLC and ensure that everything in the ride is working properly. Peter Pan As a reminder, Test Track in EPCOT is also closed for the summer as it is being reimagined into a new version of the ride! While no opening date has been announced, we are looking forward to seeing Test Track be inspired by its original predecessor, World of Motion. Learn More about the Test Track Overhaul! Reimagining concept art ©Disney While these rides might be closed during a period of the summer, a new attraction will be opening in Magic Kingdom tomorrow! Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will officially open in Magic Kingdom on June 28th! Remember, if you are planning to ride, you must secure a spot using Virtual Queue or Genie+ (soon to be Lightning Lane Multi-Pass). Learn How to Snag a Boarding Pass with Virtual Queue for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure! Tiana’s Bayou Adventure We know it can be a bummer when an attraction is closed during your vacation, but there are so many great offerings all around Disney World for you and your party to enjoy! As always, stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disney news! A Closed Magic Kingdom Attraction will be Opening Soon! 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 planning a trip to Disney World this summer? Let us know in the comments! The post Temporary CLOSURE Announced for Popular Magic Kingdom Ride first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Changes are coming! And big ones at that. Disney World recently announced some HUGE changes to their skip-the-line service, and we have all the details. Lightning Lane changes are coming! Just when we felt like we might have been getting the hang of Genie+, Disney World goes and changes things up again. While there are a few similarities to the current Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane services, the new Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass are also introducing a lot of changes. Change can be tough, especially when it adds another layer of complexity to your Disney World vacation planning. However, we are here to help and hopefully take away some of the stress that comes with updates to services at Disney World. The new Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass will go into effect on July 24th, 2024, and we are rounding up the five biggest changes you will notice when this new service launches. Let’s get into the changes! Name Change This is one of the more obvious changes, but part of the introduction of the new skip-the-line service includes a name change. Currently, you can purchase the Genie+ service and Individual Lightning Lanes, but the new service will be called a different name. There will also be two options like there are currently: Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass. The Lightning Lane Multi Pass service will be similar to Genie+ and the Lightning Lane Single Pass will be similar to Individual Lightning Lanes, but there will be several key differences that you will want to be aware of. A new skip-the-line service debuts soon. Lightning Lane Multi Pass will allow you to reserve time slots to utilize the Lightning Lane for certain attractions. You will be able to purchase and reserve your selections in advance, and then continue to make selections as you redeem your Lightning Lanes throughout the day. You will be able to reserve three Multi Pass selections in advance. Most attractions are included in the Lightning Lane Multi Pass service, but there are a few that are only available on Lightning Lane Single Pass. Peter Pan’s Flight Lightning Lane Lightning Lane Single Pass allows you to skip the line at some of the most in-demand attractions. These attractions are not available through the Lightning Lane Multi Pass service and must be purchased separately. You can buy up to two single passes per day. The rides you will need to purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass for are Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, TRON Lightcycle / Run, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, and Avatar Flight of Passage. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Both of these services will have variable prices that will fluctuate based on the date, park (for Lightning Lane Multi Pass), and attraction (for Lightning Lane Single Pass.) We don’t yet know how the prices will compare to Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane, but we will get our first glimpse when these services go live on July 24th, 2024. Book Selections in Advance A big change with the Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass services is that you will now be able to book your selections in advance. With the current system, you can only book your selections beginning the morning of your park day. However, that is about to change as you will be able to book Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass ahead of your park visit. Lightning Lane at Beauty and the Beast show If you are staying at a Disney World hotel or other select hotel, you will be eligible to begin booking seven days before your resort check-in. All other guests will be able to start booking three days before their park visit. You will be able to purchase and make your selections beginning at 7AM ET. Can Have Three Lightning Lane Multi Passes at a Time When you book your selections in advance, you will be able to make up to three Lightning Lane Multi Passes. With the current Genie+ system, you can only make one initial selection and then you have to wait 2 hours or until you redeem the selection to make your next one. With the Lightning Lane Multi Pass service, you will be able to book three Lightning Lanes ahead of your park visit. Lightning Lane While this is obviously more than you can with the Genie+ system, the new Lightning Lane Multi Pass system also includes a tier system that will require you to make some tough decisions about which attractions you want to select. Tier System for Lightning Lane Multi Pass This new system also includes a tier system that will impact which attractions you will be able to select. After you have purchased the Lightning Lane Multi Pass you will only be able to book up to one selection from the top tier of attractions. The attractions in the top tiers include some of the more popular rides in each of the parks. Each park utilizes a tier system, except for Disney’s Animal Kingdom which only has one tier for the Lightning Lane Multi Pass. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure For example, if you purchase the Lightning Lane Multi Pass for Magic Kingdom, you will only be able to choose one experience out of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan’s Flight, Space Mountain, and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Then you can select two or three experiences from the other Magic Kingdom attractions (except those that are a part of the Lightning Lane Single Pass service.) This means that you may need to make some tough decisions about which rides are your biggest priority. It is definitely a good idea to review the tiers before you make your selections so you know what your top choices are. Must Wait Until You Redeem a Selection to Book Another Unlike the Genie+ service, you will only be able to book another selection AFTER you have redeemed one of your current selections. Currently with Genie+, you can make a new selection once you redeem a selection OR 120 minutes after you made your last selection. Lightning Lane Line at Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure You will no longer be able to just wait 120 minutes to book your next selection, and will have to redeem in order to make another selection. This means that if the selections you make in advance are all for later in the evening, you will not be able to make any additional selections until you redeem one of the Lightning Lane Multi Passes. You can hold up to three Multi Passes at a time, so each time you redeem a selection you will be able to make a new one. However, you could end up with all later selections which will mean you won’t be able to make another selection until later. Tower of Terror Lightning Lane sign Various scenarios and questions will continue to come up about this new service, and it is possible that we will even see adjustments being made. These new systems will go into effect on July 24th, 2024, and we will be learning as much as we can prior and trying them out once they launch. Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World news and continued coverage as Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass launch in July! We answered your 12 biggest questions about Disney World’s skip-the-line changes! 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 the new Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass? Let us know in the comments! The post 5 MAJOR Changes Announced For Disney World's Skip-The-Line Service first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

If you are dreaming of spending the holidays at Disney World, there is a hotel discount that you need to know about! Grand Floridian Lobby at Christmastime The holidays at Disney World are a special time. From the fall festivities including Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, to the winter festivites including EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays, Disney Jollywood Nights, and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, there is so much to discover and explore. Disney World just announced a discount on Disney World hotels for the fall and winter seasons. You can get discounted hotel rooms and free Park Hopper benefits on select dates beginning October 6th through December 25th. That is right in the middle of all the holiday festivities at Disney World! This discount is available for everyone, you don’t need to be a Florida resident or an Annual Passholder to take advantage. Magic Kingdom during Halloween season With this deal, you can save up to 30% on hotel rooms most nights from November 24th to December 25th, 2024. Only certain dates will allow you to take advantage of the highest discount, but there are lots of hotels and dates included in this deal! Additionally, you can save up to 20% on most Sunday to Thursday nights from October 6th to November 21st, 2024. These are some great times to take part in the holiday festivities including Halloween and Christmas. ©Disney To sweeten the deal a bit more, you can also get free Park Hopper benefits when you take advantage of this offer and upgrade to a Walt Disney Travel Company room-and-ticket package. The Walt Disney Travel Company room-and-ticket package must include non-discounted 4-day (or longer) date-based theme park tickets to qualify. ©Disney If you are looking for a great travel agency to help you plan your trip for these dates, we recommend checking out Small World Vacations, Inc. You can head over to their website to get a quote for your vacation! They can help take away the stress and hassles of planning your vacation, and best of all, their services are completely free. They can even help you take advantage of this offer from Disney World and get your discounted hotel room with free Park Hopper benefits with your tickets. Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World news and discounts! Check out the best hotels for Christmas at Disney World! DON'T DO IT ALONE! Our favorite people over at Small World Vacations are ready to help you save time, headaches, and best of all, money, when you book your Disney trip or cruise. Their agents compare current offers to find the best deal for you -- they've literally saved their guests millions of dollars since 1996. Plus, their services are 100% FREE FOR YOU! (They're DFB's recommended travel agency, and you can see why here!) So book that trip now, then sit back and enjoy planning your Disney World Trip with a DFB-approved expert! Click here for a no obligation price quote today, and let them know DFB sent you GET MORE INFO Will you be taking advantage of these deals on Disney World hotel rooms? Let us know in the comments! The post NEW Disney World Hotel DISCOUNT Announced! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It’s time to stop daydreaming and start booking! Disney just released a NEW hotel discount exclusively for Annual Passholders, and the deals are pretty tempting. If you’ve been thinking about visiting Disney World for the holiday season, you’re in luck! TONS of Disney World hotel rooms are available for a pretty sweet deal. Port Orleans French Quarter Whether you’re hoping to catch the spooky Halloween decorations during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party or want to enjoy the festive holiday season this November–December, you’ve got plenty of options thanks to Disney’s newest Annual Passholder deal. OK, enough chitchat — let’s see what kind of deals are available! This fall and holiday season, Annual Passholders can save up to 40% on rooms during the month of December! But that’s not all. You can also save up to 35% on rooms most days between October and November. The catch? You’ve got to book those rooms by August 28th, 2024! Annual Pass Now, let’s get into the specifics. Disney is offering up to a 40% off deal on rooms for stays most nights from December 9th through December 25th when you book by August 28th. Additionally, you can save up to 35% on rooms for stays most Sunday to Thursday nights from October 6th to November 21st, and most nights from November 24th to December 25th. Below, you can see the hotels that qualify for these deals. Resorts include Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and more. ©Disney Disney is also offering savings on some other hotel rooms, like The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort, and Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. Here, you can save up to 35% on rooms for stays most nights from December 9th to December 25th, and up to 30% on rooms for stays most Sunday to Thursday nights from October 6th to November 21st, and most nights from November 24th to December 25th. Don’t forget you must book by August 28th, 2024. ©Disney If you’re interested in staying at one of Disney’s Moderate or Value resorts, like Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, or Disney’s Pop Century Resort, you can save between 25–30%. You can save up to 30% on rooms for stays most nights from December 9th to December 25th. Further, you can save up to 25% on rooms for stays most Sunday to Thursday nights from October 6th to November 21st, and most nights from November 24th to December 25th. ©Disney And finally, we have one more set of deals to share. You can save up to 20% on rooms for stays most nights from December 9th to December 25th, or up to 15% on rooms for stays most Sunday to Thursday nights from October 6th to November 21st, and most nights from November 24th to December 25th. Resorts included in this Passholder-exclusive promotion include Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and more. ©Disney Note that the deal can only be applied to stays with a maximum of 14 nights, and the number of rooms available under this promotion is limited. They could sell out! Disney also charges an additional per-adult fee for more than two adults per room at Disney Value, Moderate, and Deluxe Resorts, and Studios at Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts. Hey Hei-Hei! This deal cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion. Some room types are excluded from the deal, like the 3-Bedroom Villas, Deluxe Suites, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas, and Bungalows and Island Tower Rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows. Polynesian Resort Don’t want to go through all of the stress of booking your Disney World trip alone? Reach out to our friends at Small World Vacations! Their experienced agents monitor your reservation for possible future savings, compare discounts and figure out which one works best for your travel party, dates, resort, and touring plans. And, they share expert tips and first-hand advice with you about your magical vacation. Small World Vacations In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more. NEW EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT Announced for Disney World Hotels 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 planning a trip to Disney World? Let us know in the comments! The post NEW Annual Passholder Hotel DISCOUNT Announced for Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

There’s a new, exclusive hotel discount for your next Disney World vacation! Wilderness Lodge Disney often releases hotel and ticket discounts in order to help guests save (and encourage more people to come to its theme parks, of course). Sometimes you can save a TON by using these limited-time deals. If you’re a Florida resident who wants to visit Disney World this holiday season, you need to check out this new offer! Disney has announced a new Florida resident Disney World hotel discount! This discount is for Florida Residents ONLY — you will need to provide proof of your Florida residency when you check in to your hotel in order to get the savings. Florida residents can save up to 30% on their hotel stay this fall/winter. The new discount is for travel most Sunday to Thursday nights from October 6th through November 21st and most nights from November 24th through December 25th. Hotel stays anywhere from one night to fourteen nights are eligible. Art of Animation Here’s a complete list of which hotels are eligible for which discount: Save up to 30% at: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Villas Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and Villas Disney’s Contemporary Resort Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort — King Bed Rooms Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Grand Floridian Villas Disney’s Old Key West Resort Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — Riverside Disney’s Riviera Resort Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Disney’s Yacht Club Resort Disney’s Beach Club Resort Save up to 25% at: Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas — Kidani Village Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter Save up to 20% at: Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort Disney’s All-Star Music Resort Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Disney’s Pop Century Resort All Star Movies Save up to 10% at: Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Wilderness Lodge Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas — Jambo House Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Villas, & Bungalows Disney’s Polynesian Village The number of rooms that Disney has allocated for this deal is limited, so make sure to book your rooms soon! Note that you can’t combine this offer with any other discount. It’s a good idea to check out ALL the discounts available during your vacation and decide which one is going to save you the most money. According to Disney, this discount excludes the following room types: 3-Bedroom Villas; Deluxe Suites; Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge; and Bungalows and Island Tower Rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows. Animal Kingdom Lodge If you’re looking for help with planning your upcoming vacation, make sure to check out our friends over at Small World Vacations! They have decades of experience planning Disney World trips, and they can help you find the BEST discounts to save you a TON of money. And best of all, their services are completely FREE! Stay tuned to DFB for more updates on the latest Disney news! Click here to check out more Disney World deals and discounts! 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 going to Disney World this fall or winter? Let us know in the comments! The post NEW EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT Announced for Disney World Hotels first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Gear up for the Holidays! runDisney While summer just officially started last week, Disney has been looking ahead to the holiday season, releasing details on the 2024 edition of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios, and other holiday events. Now, we’ve also gotten our first look at the medals for runDisney’s 12Ks of Christmas Virtual Races. The 12Ks of Christmas is made up of “three virtual 4K races hosted by favorite Disney friends.” The virtual 4Ks are made up of three courses “hosted” by Donald & Daisy, Pluto, and Goofy respectively. As runDisney breaks down in their rules, “Participants track their own times, and completion is based on the honor system. Once you complete your run, visit the finisher website to submit your finish time and download your race certificate.” If you complete the courses in the allotted time — between December 1st and December 31st — you’ll receive the special medals that double as Christmas ornaments. There are four medals, one for each of the races, plus a challenge medal for completing all three. There’s one featuring Donald and Daisy… runDisney … one with Pluto… runDisney … one with Goofy… runDisney … and the challenge medal, featuring all four of those characters, plus Micky and Minnie themselves, all decked out in their holiday best. runDisney If you complete all three races and earn the challenge medal, all four will be shipped “at the conclusion of the event completion timeframe” to the physical address you submitted during the event registration process. In addition to all four medals, you’ll also be able to “unwrap exclusive swag like a long-sleeve hooded shirt, a holiday Corkcicle mug and a box of Twinings holiday tea. Talk about a happy holiday!” ©Disney If this all sounds appealing you, registration for the event opens up on July 9th, and costs $267. As with other runDisney events, fees for the runDisney Virtual 12Ks of Christmas are “non-refundable and include a separate processing fee.” Disney also “reserves the right to revoke any registration for any race for any reason in its sole discretion with refund of any applicable registration fees being the sole remedy of any such refusal and/or revocation.” runDisney Get into the Christmas spirit early — and maybe inspire yourself to take part in the 12Ks of Christmas — by taking a look at these four runDisney medals that double as Christmas ornaments. Stay tuned to DFB for more runDisney coverage. Dates, Pricing, and Themes ANNOUNCED for 2025 runDisney Marathon Weekend 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 taken part in runDisney’s 12Ks of Christmas? Let us know in the comments below. The post Medals REVEALED for Disney's 12Ks of Christmas Virtual Races 🏃‍♀️ first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It is hard to believe that July 4th is coming up next week! Disney World has special fireworks and themed treats, but they aren’t the only ones celebrating the Fourth of July. Universal Orlando Universal Orlando Resort is also getting in on the celebration of Independence Day at both Universal Studios Florida and CityWalk. There will be special entertainment on July 4th, and we have all the details for you! There are even some ticket deals for Florida residents happening right now. You can head to Universal Orlando Resort this July 4th for special entertainment including DJs, bands, character meet and greets, stilt walkers, and a festive pyrotechnic display. The festivities will take place at both Universal Studios Florida and at Universal CityWalk. You will need a park ticket to enter Universal Studios Florida, but the Universal CityWalk area is accessible without a park ticket and will just require that you pay for parking (although self-parking is free after 6PM.) Universal Studios Florida Lagoon At Universal Studios Florida, the festivities kick off at 6:15PM and will include a live DJ, meet and greets with characters, and roaming patriotic stilt walkers. Additionally, at 10PM, there will be a special pyrotechnic display for Independence Day over the Universal Studios Florida lagoon. Guests will also be able to enjoy Universal Studio’s newest show, CineSational: A Symphonic Spectacular, at 9PM on July 4th. Universal Studios Florida At Universal CityWalk, the celebration begins at 5PM with music from a DJ and live bands at the Plaza and Waterfront stages. The live bands will be American Sirens and Rexine. There will also be patriotic stilt walkers roaming throughout Universal CityWalk’s Promenade. Universal CityWalk If you are a Florida resident who is thinking about heading to the Universal parks soon, there are two ticket deals that you may be interested in! The first deal is “Buy 2 Days, Get 2 Days Free on a 2-Park 2-Day Ticket.” With this deal you can get four days of access to Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure for the price of two days. You can also save up to $100 on any Florida Resident 2-Park and 3-Park Pass. Additionally, if you are hoping to book a hotel, Florida residents and Annual Passholders can save 45% on rooms at select Universal Orlando Hotels on select dates this summer. Universal Studios Florida If you haven’t been to Universal Orlando yet, but are thinking about branching out from Disney World, make sure you check out our video covering some things that may shock you at Universal Orlando: It will likely be a busy time in the theme parks as we get closer to July 4th. And with all the special entertainment, we will likely see even more crowds for those. There will still be lots of fun to be had though! Stay tuned to DFB for more theme parks news and special events! Take a look inside the new DreamWorks Land at Universal Studios Florida! Read more: DFB's complete guide to Universal’s Epic Universe >> Will you be heading to Universal Orlando to celebrate July 4th? Let us know in the comments! The post Celebrate the Fourth of July with Special Entertainment Offerings and Discounted Tickets at Universal Orlando Resort first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article