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National Geographic Expeditions, a leader in guided group travel, has announced expedition cruise dates for 2025!View the full article

The Haunted Mansion struggled a bit to reopen after a temporary refurbishment closure, but now the fan-favorite attraction is back and looks…DIFFERENT! Haunted Mansion We’re still awaiting the arrival of the Hatbox Ghost (he isn’t there yet!) but it looks like Disney did take the time to spruce certain things up a bit in this attraction. So just what has changed? Let’s take a look! The changes here are subtle but they do make an impact. Our reporter shared that the ride experience as a whole felt much better with these updates in place. Just note that the ride can still experience problems, despite having gone down for a bit of refurbishment in recent days. A little later in the morning on August 11th, we noticed that the Haunted Mansion was temporarily closed due to technical issues. It reopened not long after, though. Still, you’ll want to be on the lookout for any temporary closures during your trip. Haunted Mansion We’ll keep an eye out for more updates throughout Disney World and let you know what we find! Click here to see the Haunted Mansion Loungefly bag you’ll want to use EVERY DAY Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What do you think about these changes? Tell us in the comments! The post What CHANGED at The Haunted Mansion After Its Closure in Magic Kingdom first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

A major airline company just teased big changes are on the horizon! ©Southwest Southwest Airlines is a popular airline among many folks and one that you may have used to fly into Orlando International Airport for your Disney vacation. In the past, we’ve seen Southwest announce NEW non-stop flights to Orlando and other adjustments, but now they’re making plans for even bigger announcements. If you’ve been a fan of flying Southwest or have been on the fence about trying them out for your next trip you might find this news very interesting! Southwest Airlines took to Twitter/X to tease some exciting changes you could be seeing in the near future. The Tweet mentions that perks like free same-day standby for ALL customers, free inflight internet with Business Select fares, and more adjustments are on the way. More news about these changes is set to be released soon. Southwest Airlines already offers perks to its passengers like two bags that fly free with each person, no change or cancellation fees, and when the occasion calls for them, flight credits that don’t expire. ©Southwest While we have the tease of big news on the horizon, we’ll just have to wait and see what the full list of changes will be and WHEN we can expect these new changes to be implemented. We’ll continue to watch for more information as it’s made available so be sure to check back in with us at Disney Food Blog for the latest in news and updates! Every NEW Southwest Nonstop Flight to Orlando Announced in 2023 Travel Updates, Tips, and Tricks Complete Guide to Booking the CHEAPEST Flight to Disney World What to Do if Your Flight to Disney World Is Canceled Our Best Tips For Flying Through the Orlando International Airport Step-by-Step Guide: How to Get to Disney World From the Orlando Airport You’re SLEEPING on These Packing Hacks Air Travel Tips That’ll Change Your Life 8 Catastrophic Travel Mistakes and How to Solve Them The Airline with the MOST Flight Delays and Cancellations This Small Change Will Save You From Lost Luggage The Best Disney Luggage for 2023 21 Things a Former Flight Attendant Needs You To Know 7 Highest-Rated Travel Items on Amazon Join the DFB Newsletter to Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox! Click Here to Subscribe Do you opt to fly or drive into Orlando for your Disney World vacations? Tell us why in the comments! The post Southwest Airlines Teases BIG CHANGES Are Coming Soon first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

NEW additions have been revealed for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party! Mickey Pumpkin Wreath in Magic Kingdom We already know that a spirited pirated band will be taking over Adventureland, Max Goof and his friends will be at new pop-up parties, and there are tons of snacks to enjoy. But if you’re going to this festive event this year, there’s another thing you won’t want to miss out on! While at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, don’t forget to check out the special photo ops available through Disney’s PhotoPass service! There are several returning shots as well as some NEW options that have arrived this year. Here’s a complete look at the PhotoPass photo ops you can take advantage of and where you’ll find them. Most PhotoPass Locations Around Magic Kingdom Park NEW Magic Shot with the poisoned apple ©Disney Entrance to Magic Kingdom and Main Street, U.S.A. NEW Magic Shot with a fall-themed Tinker Bell ©Disney NEW Magic Shot with Halloween balloons ©Disney Town Square (Near the Flagpole) Photo op with a Halloween pumpkin ©Disney Main Street, U.S.A. NEW Magic Shot with Huey, Dewey, and Louie NEW Magic Shot with the Lonesome Ghosts ©Disney Magic Shot with the dancing skeletons Magic Shot with a spooky design ©Disney Select Spots in Front of or Near Cinderella Castle Magic Shot with Oogie Boogie in the moon Magic Shot with the pumpkin on fire ©Disney Near Gardens in front of Casey’s Corner and The Plaza Restaurant NEW Magic Shot with jack-o’-lanterns ©Disney Magic Shot with a bubbling cauldron ©Disney Liberty Square (Near Hall of Presidents) Magic Shot with the Hitchhiking Ghosts Magic Shot with the Headless Horseman ©Disney In Front of the Haunted Mansion Photo op with lantern ©Disney Fantasyland — At the Castle Walls Near Pinocchio Village Haus NEW Magic Shot with Maleficent in dragon form ©Disney Near Main Entrance to Storybook Circus Photo with orange and yellow design ©Disney Photo with colorful Mickeys ©Disney Near the Purple Wall Photo op with Lock, Shock, and Barrel ©Disney You’ll also find Disney PhotoPass photographers snapping photos at many of the character greetings… ©Disney …and in some other iconic spots! ©Disney Remember that the photo ops themselves are free and Cast Members will take your photos at no extra charge. ©Disney If you want to download the photos, however, that can come at an extra cost. If you want to download ALL of your PhotoPass photos from the party, you can opt to buy Memory Maker One Day or you can buy Memory Maker for your entire trip. Click here to learn more. ©Disney And stay tuned for ALL the latest Halloween news! IT'S SPOOK-TACULAR! Get ready for the spookiest season of the year at Disney World! We are beyond thrilled to announce the arrival of our brand-new guide -- Halloween at Disney World: DFB's Spook-tacular Guide! From the thrills of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party to the enchanting resort decorations that'll send shivers down your spine, our guide is packed with tips and tricks to help you squeeze every ounce of ghoulish fun out of your visit. Plus, we've got the inside scoop on all the limited-time-only bone-chilling activities happening across the parks! Get the Halloween at Disney World: DFB's Spook-tacular Guide to make your frightfully delightful adventure even more magical! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Halloween at Walt Disney World EVERYTHING CONFIRMED for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Disney World FULL LIST of Rides That Will Be Open at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Disney World Get All of the Latest Updates on Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Target Has NEW Halloween Inflatables Online Now! How To Get the CHEAPEST Tickets for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Disney World CHANGES Revealed for Disney World’s Halloween Parade in 2023 Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click Here to Subscribe Which of these Magic Shots or photo ops do you like best? Tell us in the comments! The post FIRST LOOK at the EXCLUSIVE PhotoPass Magic Shots You Can Get at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It’s Christmas in August, my friends, and not just because we found five NEW Disney Loungefly bags online! Well, time to buy more Loungeflys. It’s because one of those new bags is Christmas-THEMED! That’s right — Disney is already ringing in the holidays. Some of you think they’re early by celebrating Halloween in August, so if that’s you, you might want to just stop reading now. But if you’re all-in on spooky season, you should know that a few of these bags are perfect Halloween accessories. Let’s check them out! DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Get the Disney Snowflake Minnie Mouse Loungefly Backpack ©BoxLunch Yep — it’s time to celebrate Christmas, alright! This Minnie Mouse Loungefly bag is covered in a pattern of snowflakes set against a dark sky. The lining, ears, and bow are made of a velvet-like fabric. ©BoxLunch Inside the bag, there’s a repeating pattern of Mickey outlines and snowflakes. You can pre-order it now, and it’ll ship by November 11th. View on BoxLunchMaybe you’re still in a spooky mood (it’s not even September, after all), in which case there are some other cool bags that will be more your style. Get the Disney Maleficent Loungefly Backpack ©BoxLunch This Maleficent Loungefly bag is nothing short of iconic. It has purple dragon wings on each side and the evil fairy’s classic horns on top! ©BoxLunch The inside shows scenes from Sleeping Beauty of Maleficent as a dragon. You can pre-order it now, and it’ll ship before September 23rd. View on BoxLunch Get the Nightmare Before Christmas Zero Loungefly Backpack ©BoxLunch How cute is this Loungefly backpack, which is themed to Zero the ghost pup from The Nightmare Before Christmas? And the best part? It glows in the dark! ©BoxLunch You can buy this bag on pre-order now, and it’ll ship before September 23rd. View on BoxLunch Get the Nightmare Before Christmas Characters Loungefly Backpack ©BoxLunch There’s another Nightmare Before Christmas option, too. This one features a ton of characters from the film, with Jack Skellington himself front and center. This one is also a pre-order, and it’ll ship by September 16th. View on BoxLunch Get the Tangled Loungefly Backpack ©BoxLunch Maybe you’re not in a holiday mood at all, and we can respect that. If you just want a classic Disney Loungefly, check out this artistic bag that’s themed to Tangled! Most of the bag is covered in colorful images of plants and animals, and the zipper pull is Rapunzel, who’s holding a paintbrush to continue the artwork! View on BoxLunchWhile you’re in the shopping mood…have you checked our DFB exclusive graphic tees and merch? It’s super fun stuff to wear to the parks, or to rep your happy place at the grocery store. And we’ve even got a few Christmas-y designs if you’re ready to deck the halls! Click here to visit the DFB Merch Store. Jingle Vibes Tee Stay tuned to DFB for more updates on all the latest Disney merchandise. Click here to check out more Disney Loungefly backpacks. 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! Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Which of these bags are you planning to add to your online cart? Let us know in the comments. The post Disney's NEW Loungefly Bag Is About 3 Months EARLY...but We're Not Mad first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

When it comes to Disney World discounts and perks, a popular belief is that you have to be an Annual Passholder or Disney Vacation Club (DVC) Member in order to get them. Disney World While being a Passholder or DVC Member is a sure way to snag some pretty great perks, there are some exclusive perks that belong to another group of folks entirely. Disney Visa Card Members are eligible for tons of perks and even a few discounts. Believe us, some of these perks are SUPER tempting. Let’s talk about it! This post is going to highlight 27 different tempting reasons to become a Disney Visa Card Member. Yes, 27. From perks and discounts to card designs, this post has it covered. Let’s talk about it! 1. $300 Statement Credit You can earn a $300 statement credit after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first three months after your account has been opened. EPCOT If you open the account before your Disney World Vacation, you could put your vacation expenses on the card. Boom. There’s your $300 credit! 2. 5% Rewards Dollars From Streaming Purchases If you put your Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN accounts on the credit card, you could earn 5% back. Slinky Dog Dash It’s easy to switch the account over to a different card! 3. 2% Rewards Dollars on Purchases at Gas Stations and Restaurants You can get cash back from money spent on gas, food at restaurants, and even groceries. Disney Springs Plus, you’ll earn cash back from Disney stores and restaurants, too! 4. 1% Rewards Dollars on All Other Card Purchases If it doesn’t fall into any of the above categories, you’ll still get 1% cash back. Disney World That’s pretty nifty! Basically, you’ll get some sort of cash back no matter what you buy. #5 – 9 Redeeming Rewards You’ll be able to redeem rewards dollars in several different categories when planning your Disney vacation! Each one of these is a separate awesome reason to open a card. Disney World You can use your rewards at Disney Parks and Resorts, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Movies, Disney Shopping, and Airline Travel. 10. $ Off The Disney Bundle Trio If you use your Disney Visa Card on your streaming services, you can earn back up to $13.99 per month for 3 consecutive months if your purchases total $12.99 or more. Disney’s Animal Kingdom With the streaming services, it’s pretty easy to spend that much! 11. Vacation Financing You’ll get 0% promo APR for 6 months on select Disney vacation packages from the date of purchase. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge After that, it’ll range from around 18-26%. 12. Savings on Disney Cruise Line You can save some money on your next Disney Cruise if you use your card to pay for on-board purchases! EPCOT A lot of the shops prefer cashless payment anyway, so this makes it much simpler for everyone! 13. Savings on Disney Parks Shopping You can get 10% off select merchandise purchases of $50 or more at participating Disneyland and Disney World merchandise shops. Grand Floridian Resort This could be your excuse to stock up on all that merchandise you’ve been wanting without feeling as guilty. 14. Savings on Disney Parks Dining You can get 10% off most dining purchases at Disney World and Disneyland, too! Confectionery Dining is another area where it’s super easy to spend a lot of money, so this means you’ll get a nice amount back. 15. Online Savings You’ll also save 10% on select merchandise purchases made online at shopDisney. Disney World It’s easy to link the card to your account to make sure you’ll always get those discounts when you’re eligible. 16. Exclusive Photo Ops Cardmembers will be able to have access to exclusive photo locations at Disney World and Disneyland. Cosmic Rewind You’ll also receive complimentary downloads! 17. Contactless Payment All Disney Visa Cards are contactless, which means you can tap to pay or add it to your wallet on your phone. Magic Kingdom This makes purchases quick and easy! #18-#27 THE DESIGNS! The designs are one of the BEST parts of owning one of these cards. Pandora in Disney’s Animal Kingdom You can choose between Sleeping Beauty Castle, Disney100, the Mandalorian, Maleficent, Tiana, Retro Walt Disney World, Toy Story, a Spotlight, Darth Vader, and Vintage Mickey. Whew! So many to choose from! We have a look at every one of the designs right here: Every Disney Visa Card You Can Get Online. Whew! There you have it! What do you say? Will you be opening a card? We’ll continue to keep you updated with any and all Disney news and discounts, so make sure to follow along for more. Looking for more ways to save at Disney World? Click here! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Are you a Disney Visa Card Member? If so, which perk do you utilize the most? Let us know in the comments! The post 27 Tempting Reasons to Become a Disney Visa Card Member Right NOW first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It’s never too early to start celebrating the holidays — just ask Disney! Hollywood Studios Christmas tree Halloween Starts in August and the winter holidays happen pretty much immediately after spooky season ends. We’re certainly not complaining, and if you’re looking to get into the holiday spirit we’ve got the perfect merch for you to grab now! Nothing says you’re counting down to Christmas like an advent calendar, and we found a few you might want to grab early from Target and Amazon! Get This Mickey and Minnie Advent Calendar ©Target It features Mickey, Minnie, and the rest of the gang all decking the halls and decorating the tree. View at Target Or, Grab This Finding Nemo Calendar ©Target It has both Nemo and Dory on it and is giving some tropical vibes. Just keep swimming (until Christmas finally arrives!) View at Target This Nightmare Before Christmas Sock Advent Calendar Comes With PRESENTS! ©Target You’ll get seven pair in the days leading up to Christmas. A shorter calendar if you’re not a fan of big commitments. View at Target Get This Mickey Funko Pop! Advent Calendar on Amazon ©Amazon We love that this one comes with more than 20 little mini Funko Pop! figurines. View on Amazon Or, Grab This Star Wars One Instead ©Amazon You’ll be feeling the dark side all winter season long with these little presents! View on Amazon Get This Classic Mickey Advent Calendar ©Amazon View on AmazonView all these advent calendars and more on our Amazon Storefront page — click the link below to check them all out! Happy shopping! View on Amazon We’ll be on the lookout for more ways to get into the holiday spirit (yes, even when it’s still swelteringly hot in Disney World) so stay tuned to DFB for more! DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF HOLIDAY MAGIC The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 2023 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 over 400 pages of must-have information, including: A full What's New!! chapter for the 2023 Holiday Season 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 2023 DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World® Holidays 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 heading to Disney World for the holidays? Tell us in the comments. The post Get These 3 Disney Advent Calendars from Target Before They Sell Out first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

The DFB team is in Disney World every single day. (And that’s NO exaggeration.) Welcome to Disney World! So we ride a lot of rides. All. The. Time. And THAT means we’re getting pretty good at figuring out what ride tips are the best to rely on… and which ones are just internet rumor mumbo-jumbo. PARTY In The Parks AFTER They Close Why wait in lines during the day… when you could just WALK onto the rides at night? Throughout the year, Disney offers limited time separately-priced After Hours events at several of their parks. These events are capped off for a very limited number of guests, meaning lines for rides during these nighttime parties are often significantly shorter. In terms of the regular After Hours events — which are offered at Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and (now) EPCOT — you’ll be able to hang out in the parks THREE hours after they close for everyone else. With these events, you’ll also get complimentary snacks — like popcorn, Mickey ice cream bars, and select drinks. EPCOT transforms at night! There are also THEMED after hours parties — like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas at Magic Kingdom, as well as H2O Glow Nights at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon — which will let you not only stay in the parks for LONGER to take advantage of those shorter ride lines, but ALSO let you experience the extra activities and themed events taking place during these late night parties, too. For the record, if you want to experience these parks during the day, you’ll still have to pay for a regular theme park ticket AND the party ticket too — which can get rather PRICEY. However, you don’t have to buy a day ticket to buy a party ticket, and vice-versa. After hours tickets will ALSO let you enter the parks 3 hours BEFORE the event kicks off — that way you CAN get some daylight park time in, regardless of whether you have a regular single day ticket or not. Learn How To Use A TRON Locker Confession: The Bag Trick ain’t flawless. You’re not gonna be able to have your bag on the NEW Tron: Lightcycle/Run coaster in Magic Kingdom — and that’s because of the way the seats work. You’re gonna be riding this coaster like you would a bike — meaning you won’t have ANY room to place a bag between your legs. There IS a small compartment on the top of the lightcycle for you to store smaller items — like your phone — but, otherwise, you’re gonna have to use TRON’s FREE locker system. Before you get to the vehicle loading area, you’ll be directed over to the lockers where you’ll temporarily store your larger items. To open a locker, just scan your MagicBand or physical park ticket. It’s a good idea to remember which number locker you selected, but even if you don’t, there IS a little touchscreen off to the side where you can scan your MagicBand/ park ticket — and it’ll remind you which locker is yours. If you accidentally put your park ticket in the locker, just track down a TRON Cast Member and they’ll be able to reopen it for you. (But you WILL have to describe what’s INSIDE the locker first.) Appreciate The Underdogs Disney rides? Great. Amazing. 10/10, would ride again. Waiting in those super long lines though? Ehhhh…. Not so great. That’s why you gotta show some respect for Disney’s more lowkey rides. Not only will they provide you with little-to-no waits (under NORMAL circumstances, that is), but they’re still a ton of fun to experience. (And if you wanna ride them again? By golly, you can get in line and ride them again!) Here are some of our FAVORITE underdog rides that you can choose to go on INSTEAD of waiting hours in line for something more “popular”: In Magic Kingdom Head into Fantasyland! You’ll find a handful of rides with minimal waittimes, including Mad Tea Party, Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, and it’s a small world. In EPCOT You’ve got TONS of rides that aren’t gonna build too high of waits (again, on a NORMAL day. This may not be the situation if you’re visiting during one of those peak vacation times — but we’ll talk more about THAT later on). Rides like Gran Fiesta Tour, Journey Into Imagination, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, and Living With the Land are easy-going and usually walk-ons. Gran Fiesta Tour In Disney’s Hollywood Studios Finding any rides without those hefty lines is few and far between — but your best chances of lower waits will lie with attractions like Star Tours and POSSIBLY Alien Swirling Saucers. And in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Ride times aren’t TERRIBLE here (unless you’re hanging out in Pandora World of Avatar). But if you REALLY want a short ride line — take a journey aboard the Wildlife Express! This little train will take you to Rafiki’s Planet Watch — a place where you can visit a petting zoo, explore the Conservation Station, and even sketch alongside Disney artists at the Animation Experience. Switch Your Riders Many guests still don’t know this free Disney tool is even a THING — but if you’re a parent or guardian with younger kids that don’t meet all the different height requirements, then you need need NEED to know about the Rider Switch program Rider Switch is a way for a family with at LEAST two caretakers to tag team an attraction. If there’s a younger member in your group who can’t (or doesn’t want to) ride, all you have to do is request a Rider Switch with the Cast Member who’s stationed at the entrance of the ride. It works like this: Person #1 can ride (either solo or with the rest of their party) while Person #2 waits with the kid(s) not riding. Then, after the first section of the group is finished, Person #2 who stayed behind can now switch with Person #1 without having to wait in line all over again. (Person #2 can also bring one other guest, so they don’t have to ride alone). This is a solid way to make sure EVERYONE gets to ride the attractions they want to that day. (Because NO rider gets left behind!) STOP Waiting In Manipulative Queues Disney’s queue lines can be DECEIVING. Remember those underdog rides I talked about earlier — the ones you’ll NORMALLY only wait 10-15 minutes for, if even that? During busier times of the year, we’ve seen the very same rides have wait times that SPIKED up SO HIGH, we could’ve scaled ‘em like a mountain. Here’s what happened at Gran Fiesta Tour RIGHT after Christmas (on December 30th): At the start of the day, things looked pretty tame. But by 11 AM, the line had shot up to a whopping 60 MINUTES. Sixty!!!!!!! How did they even FIT a sixty minute line in the Mexico pavilion? It’s not that big in the first place! By 5PM, the wait finally dropped down to around 20 minutes (which is still REALLY long for this one, but WAY better than an HOUR). So, here are the three things you need to take away from this hair-raising, mountain-climbing scenario: Keep an eye on wait times leading up to your trip and find out what the AVERAGE lines usually look like. That way, you’re not suckered into standing in line for an experience that usually has little-to-no demand. You can study wait times on the My Disney Experience App, but we ALSO release updated posts on our DFB site that covers what we’re seeing in the parks first-hand. Wait it out. Much like Gran Fiesta Tour’s wait time dropped later on in the day, so will other rides that end up peaking by the mid-to-late afternoon. In the meantime, catch a show, do some shopping, enjoy a meal, and just DON’T waste your entire day waiting, waiting, WAITING. Brace yourself for the busy if you’re vacationing when everyone else is. This might be a good time to invest in Disney Genie + — which we’ll talk more about towards the end of this video. Adopt The Gamer Mentality When you board Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in Galaxy’s Edge, you’re not just on a ride… you’re in a video game.Even more so if you’ve been tasked with the role of the pilot. Piloting the Falcon is an absolute honor — but it’s also possibly the most stress you’ll experience on a Disney attraction. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge The two pilots have two different controls — the pilot on the left hand side controls whether the ship goes left or right, while the pilot on the right controls whether the ship goes up or down. Now, if you’re not big on video games, then the up and down controls for the right-hand pilot could be confusing. And that’s because the ship uses INVERTED controls. So when you pull UP on the control stick, the ship will actually go DOWN, and when you pull DOWN, the ship will fly UP. If you’re nervous about potentially crashing this hunk of junk repeatedly, you may be better off with the left and right piloting controls instead. (Where left is left and right is right.) Request The Best Soarin’ Views Look, we love Soarin’ Around the World over in EPCOT, but she ain’t perfect. If you’re not familiar with Soarin’, this flying simulator ride uses a curved screen to help create the illusion of hang gliding without using 3D technology. And it works pretty well… for the most part. But, if you end up on the sides of the ride, your view might end up looking less 3D and more like you’ve enjoyed one too many drinks around the World Showcase. And that’s because that warped screen can make the images warped. VERY warped. So here’s how to prevent that: When you’re in line, let a Soarin’ Cast Member know before they assign you to a row that you’d prefer Concourse B. That puts you in the middle of the attraction, and gives you the best immersive effects. And, if you wanna improve your ride even FURTHER (and you’re not super-duper scared of heights, or anything) ask for the first row. The ride rows are vertically stacked, meaning rows two and three are not only lower, but also have dangling feet partially obstructing their views. Requesting a certain section doesn’t mean you’ll also be guaranteed that section, but Cast Members do try their best to accommodate. You may just have to wait a little longer before you’re able to board. Soarin’ Around the World Make The Coasters Feel Even FASTER You know how I talked earlier about sitting in the back row of a roller coaster, and how that can make the experience all-the-more thrilling? Let’s up that intensity just a few more notches. For outdoor coasters, you might find that you enjoy a nighttime ride-through WAY better than a daytime one. Take Slinky Dog Dash, for example. Not only is a nighttime ride-through gonna help you skip over having to stand in that sweltering line during the heat of the day (which can be downright miserable), but when you ride Slinky at night, you’re gonna be able to see the WHOLE Toy Story Land area lit up with so many RAINBOW lights. (Feel free to “ooh” and “aah” as you speed on by.) For Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, you’ve kinda got the opposite situation — which can be just as fun. The track blends in with the night, so you can’t see where you’re going as well — giving it more of those Space Mountain vibes. (Okay, so it won’t be AS pitch-black as Space Mountain, but it’ll still be pretty dark and way more eerie.) And with the brand new Tron: Lightcycle / Run coaster? You’ve got the LIGHT GRID you get to speed around — which won’t be illuminated during the day. (So if your Boarding Group number is telling you your return time isn’t gonna be until way, way, WAY later on? You might be WAY better off than you realize.) Avoid The Carnotaurus (Or… Don’t?) There are two types of people in this world: Those who want to avoid facing a man-eating carnotaurus head-on, and those who welcome the idea kindly. When you’re riding Dinosaur at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, there’ll be a moment during the end of the ride when your Time Rover will come face-to-face with a carnotaurus. (Definitely NOT our dino.) If you want the full impact of this rather intense moment, then you’ll wanna be sitting on the far right on the first row. However, if you’re riding with some younger and more skittish of these types of jump scares, then you’re gonna want them to be sitting on the far left in the back row. Though cast members won’t always be able to accommodate these preferences, it’s always a good idea to ask them before you board. They’ll do their best to make sure you’re happy with your ride through! Dinosaur Milk Those Disney Resort Benefits! If you’re planning on staying at a Disney-owned resort — or an eligible Good Neighbor Hotel — then you’ve GOTTA take advtange of those resort benefits to really maximize your ride time. There are TWO resort benefits you need to be on the lookout for: The first is the Early Theme Park Entry Benefit — where ALL Disney World resort guests can head into ANY of the 4 theme parks on ANY days 30 minutes before their official opening time! And the second is The Extended Evening Hours Benefit — where Deluxe Resort guests (and deluxe resort guests ONLY) can stay up to two hours in select parks on select evenings. When Extended Evening Hours are available, they usually happen at EPCOT on Mondays, Magic Kingdom on Tuesdays/Wednesday, and Hollywood Studios on Thursdays. Hollywood Studios Extended Evening Hours are usually the most limited, so make sure to take a look at Disney World’s Hours and Events calendar on their website before your trip to see if you can align these benefits with your visit. I Repeat: ARRIVE EARLY Not planning on staying at a Disney Resort or Good Neighbor Hotel that’ll offer you these extra park benefits? That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take advantage of rope drop.If you can manage it, it’s still not a bad idea to get to the parks about 45 minutes before official opening time Before the start of the day, guests will be permitted into just a small portion of the park (like Main Street, U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom), but the other lands will be roped off until open. (And THAT’s where the name “rope drop” comes from!) If you’re there early enough to see these ropes OFFICIALLY drop, you could still be one of the first in line for any particular ride. Rope dropping lines at Magic Kingdom. Arriving early can end up being the MOST beneficial for Magic Kingdom. Because if you aren’t relying on the Disney buses to deliver you up to the front gates, you’ll have to park and take either a monorail or ferry from the Transportation and Ticket Center — which will, then, carry you over to the Magic Kingdom. This extra journey could take up to 30-ish minutes — and THAT could very well eat into your ride time IF you don’t arrive early enough. Don’t Panic When A Ride Isn’t Immediately Available No, I’m not BACKTRACKING here. But I AM going to warn you — some rides may not always be up and at ‘em early in the morning. Take Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios, for instance. Recently, if we’ve seen Tower of Terror become “temporarily unavailable,” it’s been in the mornings more often than not. And that’s because… well… Tower of Terror has had a rough go of it lately. Fortunately, it has multiple elevator shafts — so even if one or two have to go down, the others can still stay open (but lines might be WAY longer, since the ride will be running at half its usual capacity). So… sometimes, Tower of Terror has to “warm up” its ghostly Twilight Zone aura before being ready to drop more guests to their untimely doom throughout the day. That means when you get to the park at rope drop, and you’re ready to make a beeline to this haunted hotel, you’re plans might have to quickly shift to a DIFFERENT experience while you’re waiting for this one to go back online. So be FLEXIBLE. Again — make the My Disney Experience App your bestie so it can inform you right when a ride is back in business. Ditch The Other Aerial Carousels There are four aerial carousels in Disney World — and THREE of them reside inside the Magic Kingdom. You’ve got Astro Orbiter, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and the Magic Carpets of Aladdin But, if you’re in Animal Kingdom, you’ve ALSO got Triceratops Spin. Though each ride has a different theme, they’re all essentially the same ride. So choose to go on ONE, and skip out on the others (if you’re looking to save yourself some time). Which one should you choose? If you’re a purist, Dumbo is the obvious choice. It also has one of the COOLEST queue lines on property, where your kiddos can pass the time burning energy around an indoor playground while you wait. For a more thrilling experience, Astro Orbiter may be a better option. This Tomorrowland attraction can take you 80 feet up in the air and give you sweeping views of the park. You even have to take an elevator ride ABOVE the PeopleMover just to reach the carousel itself! As for Magic Carpets of Aladdin and Triceratops Spin? I’d say you can choose those over the others IF you’ve got someone (or multiple someoneS) in your group who are Aladdin or Dinosaur enthusiasts.They could also both have shorter wait times than the other aerial carousels — because they’re just not as popular. But aside from that? If you’ve ridden one of the others, you REALLY don’t need to ride these. (Unless you’re some kinda aerial carousel completionist. Then just… ignore me, I guess.) Magic Carpets of Aladdin Walk Around the ACTUAL EPCOT Greenhouses Needless to say, when you ride Living With the Land, you are NOT allowed to jump outta the boat and go exploring the gardens and greenhouses. But that doesn’t mean you’ll never have the opportunity to do so, IF exploring this lush environment is a dream come true for you. The Living With the Land: Behind the Seeds Tour is a one-hour guided experience that lets you explore all four Living with the Land greenhouses (as well as a fish farm) to give you an up-close and personal look at the plant-growing technique Disney uses to cultivate their crops. (You MIGHT just get the chance to release ladybugs into the greenhouses too — to encourage plant protection! How cute is THAT?) Tours are $35 per guest (which is actually the CHEAPEST behind the scenes tour you’re gonna find on Disney World property). But keep in mind that you’ll still have to pay for the full park admission price on top of your tour cost. It’s best to make advance reservations for this tour on the Disney World website IF you wanna for sure experience it during your upcoming EPCOT day — BUT you may also be able to make a day-of reservation OR be fortunate enough to walk-in (when extra tour space is available). You can always check for that last minute availability in the same location that you’ll check-in for the tour itself — on the lower level of The Land Pavilion near the Living With the Land exit Support Your FAVORITE Rides! Why just RIDE Disney World rides… when you could WEAR them too? (Hm. That sounded better in my head. Ah, well. C’est la vie.) On the DFB Store website, we have TONS of different shirts, featuring your favorite rides! We have shirts for the Big Thunder Mountain Fans, shirts for the Mad Tea Party Junkies, shirts for the Figment enthusiasts… Figment merch! We even have shirts for RETIRED rides — like Splash Mountain. (If you still wanna sport your Frontierland pride.) DFB Exclusive! Each shirt comes in a variety of different styles, colors, and sizes — to make sure YOU can have it customized JUST the way you like it. Shop the DFB Store here! Skip The Shows Blasphemous? Maybe. But it’s not uncommon for ride wait times to dip down during the parades and nighttime spectaculars. If you don’t mind skipping out on experiences like the Festival of Fantasy Parade at Magic Kingdom or Fantasmic in Disney’s Hollywood Studios — in exchange for a more popular ride that you didn’t get the chance to check out earlier on because of the super-long queues — then don’t look back! Get in line NOW (and ask for forgiveness later). Call On Chewie Sorry, Hondo Ohnaka. You’re great and all, but — sometimes — we’d rather have Chewie screaming at us during our ridethrough on the Millennium Falcon rather than someone we can… actually understand. When you ride Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, your default guide is set for Hondo. But if you successfully “hack into the ride’s mainframe,” so to speak, you can replace him with your favorite lovable wookie. This is how it works: All six passengers MUST cooperate in order to pull off this hack. Before the ride starts, do NOT activate your position right away (it’s a trap!!). Instead, make sure the left and right pilots push their controls to the far left or right and far up or down. After they do that, THEN they can push their activation button. Behind the pilots, the engineers and gunners need to press and hold down one of the white buttons on their console before pressing the orange activation button. If everyone does EXACTLY what they’re supposed to, then you SHOULD be able to hear the famous Chewbacca yell for the span of your flight! Play Your Way Around The Queues You don’t have to be bored out of your skull when you’re standing in line for a ride. (And you don’t have to solely rely on the Heads Up app to pass the time. IYKYK.) The Play Disney Parks app is a FREE app — separate from My Disney Experience — that’s chock full of activities and games specific to the ride you’re waiting in line for. Some games you can play solo, some you can play with a partner, and some you might even be able to play with EVERYONE in line (like you can do with the Soarin’ Challenge in EPCOT). It’s also where you’re gonna find the Star Wars Data Pad — which will allow you to interact around Galaxy’s Edge in a WHOLE NEW WAY. With the data pad, you can scan and collect cargo, hack into droid tech, translate the Aurebesh language, and tune into satellite transmissions. Register Your Vehicle BEFORE It’s Too Late One of the best parts about Test Track in EPCOT is that you can customize your own SIM vehicle in the queue’s design studio to pit against other riders. These vehicles will be registered to your MagicBand or physical park pass. Once you’re in the loading station, next in line, you’ll have the opportunity to scan your band/pass to have your vehicle uploaded to the ride — ready to RACE! BUT don’t dilly-dally! Once you’re in that loading area, go ahead and scan your band/pass ASAP to get your car all uploaded to the system. Because if you wait until it’s time for you to board, you’ll miss your chance to upload your design. The ride is still fun either way — but you’ll be missing that immersive element that allows you to be a little (or a LOT) more… competitive. Test Track Jump In Line BEFORE The Park Closes Here’s a tip that I’ve personally used time and time again. If you jump in line for an attraction JUST before park close — we’re talking even if you only have 10-15 minutes to spare — you WILL still get to ride this ride. (Unless something breaks down, of course — which has to be the gamble you’re willing to make IF you choose to try this last-minute strategy). Now let’s say you’re about to get in line for Flight of Passage 10 minutes before the park closes, but the wait is still set at 60+ minutes. There are a couple of things you need to keep in mind. First off, yes, this means you will be riding this ride AFTER the park closes. As long as you can enter into the queue before it closes off for the night, you’ll still be golden. And secondly — that wait time you’re seeing may not even be accurate. At the end of the night, wait times are often projected a bit higher than they really are, so not only will you get on the ride, but you’ll also POSSIBLY be waiting in a shorter line to do so. Track Down Single Rider Lines Ready to “ride solo?” You may be more apt to say “yes” if you knew just how much TIME you could potentially save by switching yourself over to a party of one. (As Amy Adams would say, You’re havin’ a ME PAR-TAY!) If you’re visiting Disney World by yourself or you’re traveling with a group who doesn’t mind splitting up the party in order to shed some time in line, then be on the lookout for the single rider lines. Single rider is offered at rides like: Test Track and Soarin’ Around the World in EPCOT Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster in Disney’s Hollywood Studios And Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain in Disney’s Animal Kingdom These waits can wind up being a lot shorter than normal standby lines. (They could even end up being shorter than the Lightning Lane queues, too — and you won’t have to pay a cent extra to test this theory out!) Oftentimes, the single rider strategy works best on Soarin, Smugglers Run, and Expedition Everest — but there are times when Test Track and Rock n Roller Coaster’s single rider can still get a bit lengthy. (But, hey, still worth a shot, right?) Single Rider lines can save you the wait! Prepare For The Random Scare Zones Traumatizing your kid at Disney World probably isn’t on your itinerary. (And if it is… well… we’ll leave that for the therapist to unpack.) Even if you avoid rides that you KNOW will scare your kid — like Tower of Terror or Haunted Mansion — there are some dark rides around the parks that have unexpected scary moments that could take you and your child off-guard. For example… Journey Into Imagination With Figment is colorful and cutesy and great for younger audiences, but it DOES have that suddenly loud BLAST at the end that could wind up being quite the jumpscare. The Seas With Nemo and Friends seems innocent enough, but there IS that angler fish towards the beginning of the ride who suddenly swims past you out of the darkness to chase around poor Marlin (who’s JUST trying to find his son, bless him). And despite Marshmallow from Frozen Ever After being a misunderstood ice monster, he’s still rather intimidating when you see him emerge right before that small drop at the ride’s conclusion. The best way to prepare younger audiences for these potentially sinister moments is to give ‘em a heads up. Our friends over at AllEars have TONS of full POV ride throughs on their YouTube channel that you and your kids can watch before your trip. That way, they’ll know EXACTLY what to expect when they board these rides in real life. Take The Shortcut To Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure For those of you who’ll be taking the Disney Skyliner from your Disney resort over to EPCOT in the morning — or for those of you staying in one of the EPCOT-area resorts — you’re in LUCK! EPCOT has both a front and back entrance. So for Skyliner folks — or folks just walking over from their room and to the park — you’ll be able to enter through EPCOT’s back gate (AKA: the International Gateway) The international gateway is located between the France and UK pavilions. And you know what popular ride is in the France pavilion?? (You BETTER know because I JUST told you in the previous point.) If you’re using Early Theme Park Entry AND entering through the International Gateway, you’ll be one of the FIRST people in line for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure — meaning you can SKIP over the massive main queues WITHOUT having to get a Lightning Lane to do so. (Magnifique!) The Disney Skyliner at EPCOT’s International Gateway Beware Of Extended Evening Hours… Extended Evenings Hours can be a GREAT way for those staying at the deluxe resorts to have some extra time in the parks (without all the extra lines). But don’t be fooled! Though most of the rides WILL stay open during these later times, some of them may close when the park does. (Either because it’s not listed as a ride that stays open OR because the ride has to go down for maintenance reasons for the rest of the night). It’s also important to remember that you can’t COMPLETELY rely on Extended Evening Hours to get you through ALL the rides in one go. Two hours may be a lot of time, but if you’re trying to use all that time to get on every single heavy-hitter ride that you missed at, say, Hollywood Studios — because you decide to prioritize all of the shows during the day instead — you might find yourself putting WAY too many eggs into that extended evening hours basket. So use this deluxe benefit as a way to hit up a few rides you missed earlier — or to squeeze in some last minute re-rides — but don’t solely rely on it to help you accomplish EVERY ride in one night. See If You’re Eligible For The THIRD Virtual Queue SURPRISE! 7AM and 1PM may not be your ONLY chance at getting into a virtual queue for TRON! On select dates when Magic Kingdom has their Extended Evening Hours available, deluxe resort guests will be able to request to join a THIRD virtual queue at 6PM. (And, no, unlike the 1PM virtual queue drop, you will NOT have to be physically inside Magic Kingdom to join the virtual queue at 6.). However, you still must have a valid ticket and a park pass reservation for Magic Kingdom on that day — OR you must have a valid park hopper ticket and have already entered the park you originally made your park pass reservation for). Have Your Fireworks AND Your Coaster, Too! Here’s just ANOTHER reason why nighttime rides continue to be the bomb-dot-com. Magic Kingdom rides — like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Astro Orbiter — can give you a totally UNIQUE view of the Cinderella Castle fireworks display. But you’ll have to time your visit JUST right. Happily Ever After fireworks at Magic Kingdom The nighttime spectaculars are usually around 15 minutes long. So if you see that line for Big Thunder Mountain is pushing 30 minutes, you’re probably gonna miss the show. But if you were to jump in the queue 20-ish minutes before the show starts, you might just be able to pull off one of the COOLEST ride throughs of Big Thunder Mountain EVER. Earn A High Score! Don’t just RIDE Toy Story Mania in Disney’s Hollywood Studios… DOMINATE it. This gallery-shooter doesn’t just reward you with points based on luck. It’s all in the wrist… as well as knowing EXACTLY which targets are gonna give you the MOST points. Because all the different ride tricks can be rather INVOLVED, I’m just gonna narrow it down to a couple of my favorite strategies that’ll help you rack up major points QUICKLY. Strategy One: Knock the fox off the hen house. I know this sounds kinda mean out of context, BUT when you’re in that first barn scene on the ride, shooting down the fox will reward you with tons of new high score targets to hit. And Strategy Two: Get a ring tossed around ALL the Little Green Aliens at the same time. Even if you’re actively COMPETING against your fellow ride partner, you’ll need to work together to accomplish this. If you do, the scene will change into a robot with an open mouth that lets you shoot as many rings as possible for 1,000 and 2,000 points each. Check Forecasted Wait Times In the afternoon, expect partially cloudy skies and a high chance of scattered crowds.” Okay… so the My Disney Experience App can’t give you ride forecasts like THAT — but it can still help you figure out what estimated crowd levels MIGHT look like for each ride on the day of your visit. Just go to the Tip Boards option on your app, select the park you’re currently visiting, and choose the “Attractions And Shows” list. Then, scroll down to the ride you want to learn more about. On the right side of the attraction, tap on the “view details” link. This will open up a new screen that’ll show you a graph of what estimated wait times should look like each hour of the day. Though these estimations are subject to change, the graph can still give you a good idea for when queue lines are predicted to be more reasonable… or skyrocket and be at their busiest. Ride Kilimanjaro Safaris When All The Animals Are Out Kilimanjaro Safaris in Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the ONLY ride in Disney World where you’re gonna be able to see HUNDREDS of living, breathing, non-animatronic animals in a single tour. But because these animals are real — and not just programmed to entertain you — your ride through on this safari is gonna be different every single time. If you want the BEST chance of seeing MORE animals out and active during your ride, AVOID getting on this one during the heat of the day. Because if YOU’RE feeling hot, sweaty, and miserable — so are the animals. And that means most of your ride will consist of the animals hiding out or sleeping or just avoiding the public entirely. (I’ve never related with a ride so much in my life.) However, when it’s cooler out — like in the early mornings and around dusk — you’re probably gonna see more animals up and roamin’ about. That being said, different animals prefer different times of the day — so you might see certain animals when the sun’s rising and completely different animals when the sun’s setting. And then there are some animals who LOVE the rain. So if you know things are about to get drizzly, then you know which ride you can turn to NEXT. Kilimanjaro Safaris Look Out For Closures I know you don’t wanna hear this, but refurbishments happen way too often in the Disney World bubble. But here’s the GOOD thing — they’re almost always announced WELL before they actually happen. If you don’t visit the parks often — or maybe you’re about to go on your very first trip! — make sure that the ride you’re desperately anticipating will be open and waiting to meet you. You can check the refurbishment schedules on the Disney World website — and we’ll keep ya posted, too! Avoid Riding The Train At The WRONG Time The Walt Disney World Railroad is such a chill way to explore Magic Kingdom from the comfort of your train car (and give your feet a much-needed break in the meantime). But not EVERY time is TRAIN time. (Heh. I need that on a shirt or something.) If you happen to be riding this locomotive during the Festival of Fantasy parade, there’s a good chance that you might be stopped in your tracks (literally)! The train will have to stop at Main Street, U.S.A. to let all the parade cross through backstage — and that takes a solid 15 minutes. Walt Disney World Railroad The Festival of Fantasy Parade takes place in Magic Kingdom twice daily at 12PM and 3PM — though showtimes are always subject to change! If you don’t want to potentially get stuck on your train ride, try to avoid getting in line around these times. (Unless, that is, you WANNA get stuck to give your feet an even LONGER break — as well as catch the tail end of the parade, while you’re at it.) Make Buzz Lightyear Proud You’ve already learned how to score BIG on ONE Toy Story gallery shooter… So why not learn how to master ANOTHER? Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin in Magic Kingdom is wanting YOU to rack up the big points to become a GALACTIC HERO. But in order to accomplish THAT, you’ll need to know where, exactly, the targets with the HIGHEST POINTS are hiding out in this ride. So here are the three targets you need to be on the lookout for: Target #1 is located in the first room. Y’see that giant robot? (Trust me, you can’t miss it.) Aim for the targets inside its arms to earn 100,000 points. Target #2 can be found when you’re going through the Star Tunnel. Try to hit the body of the spaceship for another 100,000 points And Target #3 is on Zurg’s ship. There’s a target on the bottom of his ship that you’ll want to hit that’s worth 25,000 points. There are a TON of different strategies out there to help improve your Space Ranger Spin score, but if you DO reach the ranks of Galactic Hero, don’t forget to pick up your Galactic Hero sticker from a Cast Member in the gift shop at the exit. (You can either wear that sticker for the rest of the day to let everyone else know how awesome you are… OR you can preserve it and, like, frame this major award when you get home or something.) Be On The Lookout For “Plot B” Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is an adorable (and VERY chaotic) trackless dark ride in Hollywood Studios with a pretty straightforward story. (For the most part.) During the pre-show, you’ll learn the basic premise: Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto are on their way for a nice and relaxing picnic getaway at Runnamuck Park. Buuuut things get a little chaotic when Engineer Goofy shows up! As Mickey and Minnie cross over the railroad tracks, Pluto and their picnic basket get launched out of the convertible and — subsequently — a cream pie lands in the steam engine’s smokestack. (Because of course it does.) This causes Goofy to lose control, and the train comes crashing into the station located just behind the movie screen! (It’s a REALLY fun effect, symbolizing your crossover from the real world and into the CARTOON one) When you’re on the ride, Goofy’s engineer shenanigans continue to spice things up. After Goofy accidentally hits the track switch, all of the locomotive’s train cars get sent off on their own individual paths. But let me slam on the brakes for just a second here. Because if you’re following along with Mickey and Minnie during the entire ride, you’re gonna COMPLETELY miss out on the Plot B taking place (which stars Mickey’s bestest pal). Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway Remember how I said Pluto and the picnic basket get chucked from the convertible during the pre-show? During the ride, Pluto has made it his ULTIMATE MISSION to reunite Mickey and Minnie with this basket full of goodies (which proves to be QUITE the undertaking). Just goes to show you that Pluto continues to be the goodest boi in the Disney universe. All this to say keep your eyes peeled for our yellow dog friend while you’re on the ride. That way, you can get a whole OTHER side of this rather wacky story. Apply For A DAS Pass So this isn’t a ride hack again, per se, but it is something IMPORTANT you’ll wanna know about if you — or someone you’re traveling with — will need additional assistance in your group. Disney’s Disability Access Service (DAS) is available for guests with disabilities that’ll prevent them from getting on rides due to not being able to stand in the queues for extended periods of time. Here’s how the DAS passes work: Guests may register for DAS before their trip between 2 to 30 days ahead of their park visit. Once acquired, guests can start booking attraction return times. If you sign up for DAS ahead of your visit, you may book up to two one-hour return windows before your vacation. These 2 pre-arrival reservations are in addition to the return times you can book throughout your park day, too. You can also register for DAS on the day of your visit by going to Guest Relations at the front of the park When your ride return window comes around, you’ll show your DAS pass to a cast member at the front of the attraction and they’ll direct you through an alternative entrance for boarding. Don’t Prioritize The WRONG Reservation There may come a time when one of your Lightning Lanes clashes with one of your Advanced Dining Reservations. And if that happens… prioritize the Advanced Dining Reservation. Why? For a few reasons: Reason One: If you don’t show up to your ADR — and you didn’t cancel at least 2 hours before your reservation time — you’ll be charged a $10 per person no show fee. Meanwhile, if you miss your Lightning Lane return time, that’s not gonna cost ya a thing (except maybe your pride). Reason Two: Restaurants will try to hold your table at least 15 minutes AFTER your return time if you’re running late, but — otherwise — you’re gonna lose your reservation slot completely. For Lightning Lanes, you can usually talk to a cast member at the front of the attraction, explain the situation, and they’ll more than likely let you use your Lightning Lanes anyways. And Reason Three: It’s WAY easier to modify a Lightning Lane! If you find a DIFFERENT return time on your My Disney Experience App that works WAY better with your schedule, you have the option to modify your Lightning Lane to this new timeslot (and it won’t even reset your 120 minute countdown)! We did it! You’re now officially EQUIPPED with 50 different ride hacks that you can use for your Disney World vacation! (Feel like a pro yet?) Fifty may SEEM like a whole lotta ride tips and tricks, but we’re not done with ALL the ride advice YET! Keep checking back here with us for even MORE ride news, recommendations, and tips to come — and remember to drop us your email at disneyfoodblog.com/50RIDEHACKS to receive our ENTIRE ride hacks digital download, which you can refer back to! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post 50 HUGE Disney World Ride Secrets first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party starts tonight at Magic Kingdom Park, and Disney PhotoPass photographers are brewing up brand new spooky shots during the event!View the full article

Weirdest estate sale or best estate sale? 👀 👻 #DisneyParks #HauntedMansion #Shorts #DisneylandView the full article

2024 will be upon us before we know it! Will you have this view in 2024? With the start of a new year will come changes at Disney World. Let’s look at some of the problems you could face in Disney World in 2024. Unpredictable Crowds A BIG CHANGE is happening starting Jan. 9, 2024. Park reservation requirements are going away for most people at Disney World. While many Disney fans are excited about this change, it could bring about a nasty problem: Disney World crowds will go back to being a bit more unpredictable. Crowds at Toy Story Land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Requiring most guests to make a reservation for which park they are going to visit in a day does help Disney World distribute the crowds more evenly among its four theme parks. This has not been much of a factor this summer, as we have not being seeing park passes “sell out” for any of the parks for several months. The Secret is Out — Here’s How Disney “Controls” You with Disney Genie Possible Staffing Shortages Another way that Disney was using park passes was to staff the parks correctly. Disney knew in advance what the crowd level would be in each of its parks, and it could schedule its staff accordingly. In addition, this was a way to be sure that food and merchandise was stocked accordingly. Cast Members in EPCOT Now Disney is widely considered the best in the theme park business, and they have decades of experience in predicting crowd levels and staffing and stocking accordingly. How much were the park passes really helping them with this? Guess we will find out in 2024. Extreme Weather While the Florida heat can be brutal every summer, this year has been record-breaking. Hot days in Disney World can contribute to all kinds of nasty problems — including chafing, dehydration, and heat exhaustion. Even if you avoid these issues, the extreme heat at Disney World can suck the energy right out of you — leading you to not get as much done in your Disney World days. Uzima Pool at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association has announced that the extreme heat we are experiencing in 2023 is expected to persist into 2024, as our current El Nino weather pattern continues. So, be ready for a sweaty summer trip in 2024. Higher Air Fares We bring you lots of air fare deals as we find them, but we’re here to say that there are signs pointing to rising air fare in 2024 — and that could create a problem with your vacation budget. ING Group published a report last month predicting an increase in air fares across the globe in 2024 — largely because there is still high demand, and a slowdown in the delivery of new planes. Air fare could increase in 2024 While the conventional wisdom is that airfare is cheapest 45-60 days before you plan to fly, some travel experts are recommending booking flights as early as possible to avoid potential increases in 2024. Pool Closures Disney World has to routinely close areas for maintenance and remodeling, and pools at its resorts are closed regularly to keep them in tip-top shape. If you love hanging out at Disney World pools, you’ll want to make sure you plan accordingly. The pool closures announced for Disney World in 2024 will be in January through April at these resorts: Fantasia Pool, All-Star Movies Resort Cozy Cone Pool, Art of Animation Resort Fuentes del Morro Pool, Caribbean Beach Resort Doubloon Lagoon Pool, Port Orleans Resort — French Quarter Doubloon Lagoon Pool Fortunately, Disney World plans pool closures during the cooler months of the year, and the resorts have alternative pools, but if you want to swim, you may want to avoid these resorts from January through April. And that’s a look at 5 nasty problems you could run into on your Disney World trip next year. Keep following DFB for everything you need to know to plan your next vacation! Join our newsletter and we’ll keep you updated! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post Nasty Disney World Problems Coming in 2024 first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Halloween and Disney are two of our favorite things. This is Halloween! The only thing that could make either of these things better is merchandise that features BOTH of them. We’ve seen lots of Disney Halloween merchandise already this year, and it’s only August! Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party kicks off on August 11th, though, so that just means we get to celebrate spooky season a little extra. If you’re just like us and LOVE some spooky Disney merchandise, or if you’re headed to the parks this fall and need some Halloween bling to wear, then this post is for you. DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. BaubleBar is a fan-favorite brand when it comes to Disney jewelry and accessories. From earrings and bag charms to accessories like phone cases and blankets, BaubleBar has you covered! They just dropped their Disney Halloween Collection, and we just had to show everyone. WARNING: We are not responsible for all the money you’ll want to spend on this collection. Just saying! We’ll start off with the bag charms. BaubleBar bag charms are one of the most popular accessories for Disney fans! These Halloween ones are ADORABLE. Mickey Skeleton Halloween Bag Charm ©BaubleBar We love all the glittery details of this one. Check out his little skelly mask! View on BaubleBar Mickey Mouse Ghost Bag Charm ©BaubleBar This bag charm is 2D, meaning it’s flat and not rounded like the first one. However, we still think it’s pretty cute! View on BaubleBar Minnie Mouse Pumpkin Bag Charm ©Disney For the last of the bag charms, there’s this one that features Minnie dressed as a pumpkin! View on BaubleBar Mickey Ghost Earrings ©BaubleBar If you’re a fan of the cute little ghosts, then these earrings could be the ones for you. These could be ideal for when you’re wanting to be festive, but a little more comfortable. View on BaubleBar Mickey Mouse Floating Ghost Earrings ©BaubleBar If you’re hoping for something with a little more drama, these Mickey Mouse Floating Ghost Earrings could be for you! View on BaubleBar Mickey 3D Skeleton Necklace ©BaubleBar There’s also this necklace that features the Mickey Skeleton! Check out the Mickey Mouse 3D Skeleton Necklace. View on BaubleBar Mickey Skeleton Earrings ©BaubleBar And if you really love Skeleton Mickey, you can grab the earrings that match! View on BaubleBar There are plenty more jewelry pieces to choose from in the collection, which you can shop by clicking the link below. View the whole collection on BaubleBar! Make sure to follow along here on DFB so that you never miss a thing! Looking for more Halloween merchandise? Click here to see some that we’ve been loving. IT'S SPOOK-TACULAR! Get ready for the spookiest season of the year at Disney World! We are beyond thrilled to announce the arrival of our brand-new guide -- Halloween at Disney World: DFB's Spook-tacular Guide! From the thrills of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party to the enchanting resort decorations that'll send shivers down your spine, our guide is packed with tips and tricks to help you squeeze every ounce of ghoulish fun out of your visit. Plus, we've got the inside scoop on all the limited-time-only bone-chilling activities happening across the parks! Get the Halloween at Disney World: DFB's Spook-tacular Guide to make your frightfully delightful adventure even more magical! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Halloween at Walt Disney World EVERYTHING CONFIRMED for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Disney World FULL LIST of Rides That Will Be Open at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Disney World Get All of the Latest Updates on Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Target Has NEW Halloween Inflatables Online Now! How To Get the CHEAPEST Tickets for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Disney World CHANGES Revealed for Disney World’s Halloween Parade in 2023 Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click Here to Subscribe Which of these BaubleBar pieces do you love the most? Let us know in the comments! The post QUICK! This Disney x BaubleBar Halloween Collection Won’t Be In Stock For Long first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

The battle between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the board of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (formerly Reedy Creek Improvement District), and Disney continues — and there have been some NEW developments. Disney vs. DeSantis Earlier in 2023, Disney filed a federal lawsuit against DeSantis and members of the board of the District arguing that there has been a violation of Disney’s federal rights. Basically, Disney has alleged that DeSantis has waged a “relentless campaign to weaponize government power” against Disney to punish them for their political views. We’ve seen a number of actions taken in the federal case over the last few months, but now there’s something NEW to tackle. For context, back in June, DeSantis and the Board filed their own motions to dismiss the federal lawsuit. Essentially, these are motions that ask the Board to throw the case out of court. DeSantis argued that he could not be sued because he doesn’t enforce the laws at issue. He claimed that sovereign immunity and legislative immunity prevented him from being held liable. The Board made some different arguments, including that the case should be stayed until the state court lawsuit that the Board filed against Disney is resolved. ©Governor Ron DeSantis Website Later in July, Disney filed a response to the motion to dismiss. According to CNBC, Disney argued various things, including that DeSantis’ claims of legislative immunity are “incorrect” since the lawsuit addresses DeSantis’ executive acts. So what’s the latest development? Well, recently, both DeSantis and members of the Board filed replies to Disney’s arguments regarding the motion to dismiss. ©Central Florida Tourism Oversight District DeSantis’ Reply DeSantis claims that one of Disney’s arguments is “fatally imprecise.” Specifically, the Governor argued that he did not “strip Disney of any voting rights” within the District by “appointing anyone; the Legislature did that when it repealed” the Reedy Creek charter. DeSantis’ reply emphasizes once again that the Governor doesn’t have the “specific, formal power to enforce the challenged laws.” Because of this, DeSantis argues that Disney cannot successfully sue him. ©Central Florida Tourism Oversight District DeSantis argues that Disney’s ability to sue him doesn’t depend on whether or not he has “informal influence” over the Board, but rather on whether he has the formal power to enforce a challenged law. According to DeSantis, Disney seems to suggest that the Governor will “indirectly” coerce the new Board to do what he wants because he can suspend them from their positions. But DeSantis argues that Disney doesn’t directly allege that he’ll use his authority to suspend Board members who don’t follow his commands. Reedy Creek Improvement District Instead, DeSantis says that Disney’s complaint only “highlights the commonsense fact that Governor DeSantis has appointed Board members with similar views on how best to regulate tourism in central Florida.” But he says that alone isn’t enough. He goes on to talk about sovereign immunity and legislative immunity. DeSantis alleges that Disney now only claims to challenge the Governor’s executive actions (his ability to appoint Board members and “purported control” over the Board), instead of his actions in coordinating the passage of the laws that changed the Reedy Creek District and otherwise impacted Disney. ©Governor Ron DeSantis Website In the response, DeSantis’ attorneys write “The Governor welcomes Disney’s surrender on all of its claims challenging his legislative acts.” They then ask the Court to throw out the case or at least the claims against the Governor and the Secretary. Board’s Reply But wait…there’s more. In a substantially lengthier reply, the Board has responded to Disney’s arguments too. First and foremost, the Board argues that there is an unsettled question of state law at issue, so the federal court shouldn’t get involved. They want the state court lawsuit (which the Board filed against Disney) to be finalized first because they believe it could materially impact some of Disney’s claims in the federal lawsuit. Reedy Creek Building They also argue that this case should be heard in state court, instead of federal court, due to a clause that was in some of the Disney agreements at issue. And that’s not all. The Board also claims: Disney’s Development Agreement and Restrictive Covenants (which were agreements entered into with the prior Board of the District) were never valid Even if they were valid, the declaration of the new Board saying they were invalid and the senate bill passed impacting them didn’t impair them in a way that violated the contracts clause Disney’s claims that their First Amendment rights were violated are “meritless” And MORE ©Reedy Creek Meeting Livestream So…what now? Well, the next step would likely be to have a hearing on the matter, after which point the judge on the case can decide whether the case (or certain parts of the case) may or may not move forward. And we can’t forget that the state court case filed by the Board against Disney is still pending. In that lawsuit, a Judge recently DENIED Disney’s attempt to throw the case out of court, so that case will be allowed to move forward. ©Reedy Creek Meeting Livestream A Disney spokesperson previously said, “We are fully confident Disney will prevail in both the federal and state cases.” We’ll have to see whether that confidence plays out and just how these cases are resolved. In the meantime, we’ll continue to watch for updates and let you know what we find. Stay tuned for all the latest news. Click here to see what leadership CHANGE has hit Disney’s Reedy Creek District Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post DeSantis Claims Disney Lawsuit Arguments Are “Fatally Imprecise” first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Okay, so Disney often releases some really…interesting merchandise. Merchandise Sometimes, the weirdest souvenirs are actually useful, though (like the Donald Duck phone holder). Sometimes the souvenirs are just kinda’ gross. Then there’s the Ferret Farts Lip Balm. Yep. That’s a thing that really happened. However, we think we might’ve just found what could end up being Disney’s most ANNOYING souvenir –– and trust us, if you have kids, DO NOT BUY THIS. First, we’re going to remind you what the cat siren sounds like in The Nightmare Before Christmas — trust us, we know where we’re going with this.  Okay, now imagine that siren going off ALL the time inside your house… DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Get The Nightmare Before Christmas Cat Siren Figurine ©Disney So this figure might seem innocuous at first, but when you start reading the description, well, that’s where things get interesting. That’s because this figure works EXACTLY like the cat siren in the movie, meaning that every time you turn its tale, it’s going to set off that siren. Yep, imagine how much “fun” kids are going to have with this. ©Disney Of course, the good news is that it IS battery-operated, so you might — in theory — be able to take the batteries out after the umpteenth alarm has made you jump out of your skin. Or maybe you just want to unleash this gift on some unwilling parents, making sure the kids know how to work the alarm. Whatever the case, this is a thing that exists that you can buy now. View on shopDisney We’ll keep an eye out for more fun merchandise from The Nightmare Before Christmas, as well as other Halloween souvenirs, so stay tuned to DFB for more. While you’re in the shopping mood…have you checked our DFB exclusive graphic tees and merch? Our Hocus Pocus shirts! It’s super fun stuff to wear to the parks, or to rep your happy place at the grocery store! Click here to visit the DFB Merch Store! Get 5 Disney Halloween Inflatables Online at Target Before They SELL OUT 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! Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Would you bring this souvenir home? Let us know in the comments! The post We Promise You'll Regret Buying This Disney Souvenir first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Someone please tell us we’re not the only ones with a closet full of Mickey ears that we only wore twice and then promptly forgot about when the next new pair caught our eye. Disney souvenirs There are lots of very not-practical Disney souvenirs out there, but you can also find Disney merchandise that you’ll actually use every. single. day. Seriously! We found 6 souvenirs online that really will become part of your everyday routine, so you don’t even need to feel guilty about spending the cash. DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. If you’re like us, then you might need a cup of coffee (or two) in the morning to get your day started on the right foot. So why not bring some Disney magic to that routine? Get the Mickey Mouse Disney Parks Mug Yellow Walt Disney World Mug This yellow Disney parks mug will brighten up your morning! It’s made of ceramic and has images from the Disney theme parks all around. The mug holds about 14 oz. View on shopDisneyOK, we couldn’t resist showing you just one more mug option, because it’s BEAKER from the Muppets! How cute is this? Get the Beaker Mug ©Disney How can you not be in love with this Beaker mug? And just wait until you see the BACK — it says “Meep”! It’s a bit bigger than the other mug, too, at 17 oz. View on shopDisneyThere are tons of other mugs online at shopDisney (we’re talking over 300 options), so check them all out here. View more mugs on shopDisney!For another mega-useful souvenir, check out this Disney-themed wallet made by Dooney & Bourke. Get the Dooney & Bourke Disney Wallet ©Disney This cute wallet will come in handy all the time. It has line-drawing images of Cinderella Castle, Mickey balloons, Tinker Bell, and more iconic Disney things. It’s made by Dooney & Bourke and has stitched leather trim, a zip-topped closure with a detachable wrist strap, 12 credit card pockets, and three compartments. View on shopDisneyI use a belt bag every morning when I walk my dog, but maybe it’s time to upgrade to an embroidered MICKEY bag! Get the Mickey Embroidered Belt Bag ©Jane This belt bag is customizable! You can choose the bag color and select which pouch you want to be on the front. The patch options include classic Mickey, rainbow Mickey, classic Minnie, and pink Minnie. The bag measures 8″ W x 5″ H x 2.25″ D, and the strap is adjustable. View on Jane.comAnother useful souvenir is a phone case! There are lots of phone case options online, but one in particular caught our eye. Get the Mickey and Friends Phone Case Disney100 phone case This Otterbox phone case features tons of Disney characters, including Tiana, Elsa, Mei Lee, Mirabel, and more. This particular case fits iPhone 13 and 14. View on shopDisneyThe only thing that’s as useful as a phone case is a case for your phone charger! Get the Minnie Mouse Phone Charger Cover ©Jane This Minnie Mouse-themed cover fits any standard wall charger that measures 1.5″ by 2″. If you see us buying 12 of these for every single charger in our house…no you didn’t. View on Jane.comWhile we’re talking Disney electronics, did you know you could get a Disney-themed band for your Apple Watch? Get the Disney Apple Watch Band ©Amazon These Apple Watch bands feature cartoon images of Cinderella Castle, fireworks, and Disney theme park snacks. They’re made of silicone and fit several different series of Apple Watches. View on AmazonWhile you’re in the shopping mood…have you checked our DFB exclusive graphic tees and merch? It’s super fun stuff to wear to the parks, or to rep your happy place at the grocery store! Click here to visit the DFB Merch Store! Main Street t-shirt Stay tuned to DFB, and we’ll be sure to let you know about all the newest Disney souvenirs! Alright — Who’s Buying These WILDLY Expensive Disney Souvenirs (and Can We Be Friends)? 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! Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Which of these items would you use every day? Let us know in the comments! The post 6 Disney Souvenirs You'll Legitimately Use Every. Single. Day. (And They're Online!) first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Bonjour! As many of you know, we’ve been going all out for the 30th anniversary of Disneyland Paris with unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experiences, including beautiful drone shows in the sky, special Disney treats, exclusive character appearances and more. To continue our coverage of the Resort’s 30th, I recently went on an adventure of a lifetime – […]View the full article

Now might be the PERFECT time to start planning a trip to Disney World. EPCOT We’ve already told you about some great discounts on things like flights, hotel rooms, and tickets. Well, we’ve got ANOTHER discount to tell you about that you may be able to take advantage of — if you qualify, that is! The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels are offering a special room discount for teachers, nurses, and first responders. As a thank you to these select guests’ dedication and service, they can save up to 20% on stays. Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin The best part of staying at the Swan and Dolphin? Guests staying there still get the same benefits as guests staying on Disney-owned properties. That includes Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Hours, as well as complimentary transportation to the parks and Disney Springs. PLUS the hotel is located within walking distance of EPCOT (although a quick boat ride is also available). Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Guests also get early access to Lightning Lane purchases, where they can choose an arrival window for up to two of the most popular rides at Disney World, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT and TRON Lightcycle / Run in Magic Kingdom. TRON Lightcycle / Run To get more details or to make reservations, guests can call 1-800-828-8850 and mention the nurse’s rate or teacher’s rate. The offer is also available on the Marriott/Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin website — you can use code Y7N in the Corporate/Promo code box when you book your room. You will also need to have a valid ID at check-in to get the offer. We’ll be sure to keep an eye out for more Disney discounts and deals, so be sure to stay tuned to DFB for more. When are you headed to Disney World next? Have you checked out our line of fun graphic tees to wear on your trip? We’ve designed some for the whole family – from infants to adults! Click here to check them out! View all the current Disney discounts and deals 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! Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Do you qualify for this offer? Will you take advantage of it? Let us know in the comments! The post EXCLUSIVE Disney World Hotel Discount Announced — But Do You Qualify? first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

There’s one major move Disney CEO Bob Iger could make that would change Disney forever. ©Disney During Iger’s first term as CEO at Disney, he made some big acquisitions of other companies, like Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm. But might it be time for Iger’s legacy to be a different one — not of buying other companies, but of selling the one he’s in charge of? It’s possible and perhaps inevitable, according to one analyst. Analyst Prediction According to The Hollywood Reporter, one analyst — Laura Martin from Needham & Co. — has anticipated “for some time” that Disney could be sold to Apple. Martin’s prediction is that Disney “will be purchased during the next three years.” On July 14th, Martin wrote, “If they don’t sell, Disney will be competing against those [tech] companies in an industry with deteriorating economics (because they never need to make money from content), we believe.” ©Apple In a separate note from June, Martin noted that a Disney merger could help Apple convince buyers to invest in the Vision Pro virtual reality headset Apple has showcased. We did previously see Iger promoting the technology and announcing Disney’s collaboration with Apple on parts of it. Apple is working to develop Disney, National Geographic, Marvel, and ESPN experiences for the headset. And from day one of its release, Disney+ will be available with the device. Martin wrote, “The fact that Disney CEO Bob Iger was on stage touting Apple’s Vision Pro goggles demonstrates the compelling strategic fit between Disney’s content and Apple’s wearable technology.” But Martin isn’t the only one who thinks Disney could be sold. In fact, Iger himself once believed it would have been possible. The Rumors In a Vanity Fair article from 2019 (adapted from Iger’s book The Ride of A Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company) Iger noted: “I believe that if Steve [Jobs] were still alive, we would have combined our companies, or at least discussed the possibility very seriously.” So even Iger himself could see value in merging Apple and Disney a number of years ago. Whether he still sees that value and thinks it best to sell Disney to Apple is a different story though. ©Disney The rumors of Disney being sold have been around for a while and at times have been so prominent that Iger himself has had to address them. That happened back in 2022 after Iger returned to the CEO position when Bob Chapek was removed. When Iger first returned to the Company, some theorized that Iger could sell Disney potentially to Apple. In a Town Hall meeting with Cast Members, Iger called those rumors “nothing more than speculation.” ©Bloomberg (Obtained via Vanity Fair) Iger’s own statements about Jobs and the possibility of combining their companies, along with his special relationship with Jobs (both from a friendship and business perspective) could be greatly fueling these rumors. And while some argue that Apple doesn’t want to buy a studio, The Hollywood Reporter points out that Disney is no ordinary studio. With its “vault full of priceless IP” and its status as one of the most valuable brands in entertainment, Disney could be an interesting acquisition. ©PAUL SAKUMA/A.P. PHOTO (Obtained via Vanity Fair) Some actions Iger has taken recently may only be encouraging the rumors. One observer quoted in The Hollywood Reporter said that Apple might not buy Disney as it presently exists, but if Disney were to start selling off parts of the Disney company — slimming it down — that could feel like a preparation for a sale. Not long after that observation was made, Iger made some interesting comments on CNBC about Disney’s linear TV networks. In an interview with David Faber, Iger was asked about ABC, Disney’s cable networks, things like FX, and Nat Geo and whether he would be looking to sell them. Iger said that Disney would be “expansive” and “objective” about the future of those businesses. ©Disney He went so far as to say that those business “may not be core to Disney.” He also said that the business model for those businesses is “broken.” For many, that was seen essentially as a signal that Iger is interested in selling those linear networks. Following this, Iger reportedly met with some executives within the TV business at Disney to calm some of their fears and “quell” some of the unease caused by his comments. Iger still appears to be closely evaluating ABC and linear networks though, as he has brought on 2 former Disney executives to give him some advice on the matter. ABC According to The Hollywood Reporter, some executives anticipate that the number of studios/platforms in the future will decrease dramatically. If Iger feels the same way, could he be trying to get ahead of the curve and sell Disney off now to help put the Company in a better position later? Could a slimmer Disney company — one that has already sold off its linear TV networks — be a more desirable company for Apple to acquire? Might Iger be looking to solidify his legacy at Disney with a major move that would change things forever? What Iger Has to Say Iger recently addressed the sale rumors during the financial earnings call for Disney’s third quarter of fiscal year 2023. During that call, one analyst asked whether it would make sense to create 2 Disney companies — one focused on Disney+, studio intellectual property, consumer products, and the Disney Parks, and another with everything else. Iger said that he wouldn’t comment “on the future structure of the company or the asset makeup of the company.” But he said they are looking at all of their “strategic options” when it comes to things like linear networks and ESPN. ©D23 The real kicker came at the end of the call though, when Michael Morris of Guggenheim Partners asked if Iger could see a “plausible scenario where the entire company would be sold.” Iger responded by saying, “I just am not going to speculate about the potential for Disney to be acquired by any company, whether a technology company or not.” He cautioned that anyone speculating on such a topic “would have to immediately consider the global regulatory environment.” Then he wrapped things up by noting, “I’ll say no more than that. It’s just — it’s not something that we obsess about.” ©Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images So it seems Iger didn’t completely shut down the acquisition rumors. He didn’t say that he doesn’t see a world where Disney could be acquired but instead said he wouldn’t speculate on the matter, that regulatory matters would have to be considered, and that it’s not something Disney “obsess[es]” over. Interesting… For now, it seems this is all a waiting game. If Iger does sell off ABC or other linear networks, we could start seeing other actions taking place that might be aimed at getting the Company ready for a potential sale. At the same time, Iger’s continued contract at Disney through 2026, the changes he’s already making, and the search for the next CEO could be enough to keep him busy for now. And changes in the streaming world, an improvement on that end, and other developments might discourage a Disney sale. The future remains uncertain. ©Disney We’ll continue to look for updates and let you know what we find. Stay tuned for more big Disney news. Click here to see the BIGGEST announcements from the Q3 earnings call for FY 2023 Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Do you think Iger will sell Disney to Apple (or another company) in the next few years? Tell us in the comments. The post Analyst Predicts Disney Will Be SOLD in the Next 3 Years first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Storybook Dining at Artist Point is one of Disney World’s most unique character meals! Dopey at Artist Point Guests enjoy a prix-fixe meal and can look forward to Snow White, Dopey, and Grumpy stopping by throughout the dinner. And The Evil Queen is even present for a unique photo opportunity. Artist Point is a beautiful setting for this meal — more upscale than other dining locations. Artist Point used to be a signature restaurant at Disney World before the meal was transformed into one featuring Snow White. Artist Point The Royal Prime Rib Roast, made with horseradish-mashed potato, a Yorkshire pudding, carrot, and au jus — is delicious here. Royal Prime Rib Roast And The Hunter’s Gift to the Queen dessert — four small bites presented to you in a smoke-filled wooden box — is a whole experience you don’t want to miss! Hunter’s Gift to the Queen But the fancy food presentation and surroundings may have you wondering what to wear to Storybook Dining at Artist Point. Is there a dress code there? While some Disney World resort restaurants have dress codes, Artist Point does not. You can expect to see some families dining here in the shorts and t-shirts they wore to the parks for the day, while others will be more dressed up. You might also see some children dressed to match the characters they will meet — like Snow White. Hi, Snow White! Whatever you choose to wear when dining at Artist Point, we’re pretty sure you’re going to have a great experience! We think this Disney World character meal is practically perfect — and you can read more about it by clicking here! Keep following Disney Food Blog for the latest Disney news! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! The post Does Artist Point Have a Dress Code in Disney World? first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Disney World certainly has no shortage of food — trust us, we’ve pretty much tried it all. Magic Kingdom So when new foods come about, we make it a priority to test ’em out — you know, for science. Okay, we do it for you (and us) too! One of Disney World’s most underrated hotels has just rolled out a few new foods and we’re bringing you with us to check ’em out. Come with us to Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort! We’re heading to Artist’s Palette, a counter-service restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You’ll find sandwiches, salads, and more, and they recently rolled out a few new items we had to try — starting with the Beef on Weck Sandwich for $11.29. Beef on Weck This is a sliced brisket sandwich with horseradish cream on a caraway brioche bun served with Saratoga chips and au jus. Now, beef on weck is an iconic sandwich that originated in Buffalo, New York — not too far from the real Saratoga Springs. So we were interested to see if Disney could do it justice. The brisket was tender and pulled apart easily — there wasn’t very much fat on the meat and it also had a light smoky taste which was a nice surprise. The horseradish sauce was a nice touch, but it didn’t have that bite you typically expect from horseradish — it kind of just tasted like mayonnaise. Beef on Weck The Saratoga chips are fairly standard and unsalted. They’re crispy and fine if you’re looking for a crunchy side with the sandwich. These were formerly “housemade” chips and we definitely preferred those. The au jus dip is served hot and there was plenty of it for the size of the sandwich, and was rich, salty, and had a Worcestershire sauce-like vibe to us. Lots of meat Next, we tried the Derby Day Pie for $5.99. This is a walnut pecan pie with chocolate chips, salted caramel buttercream, and a horseshoe cookie — an iconic Kentucky staple. Derby Day Pie This pie has all the makings of a standard derby pie but kicks up the presence with the salted buttercream and cute horseshoe cookie decoration on top. The walnuts are soft but have a nice resistance with each bite and the chocolate chips do a good job at adding the extra burst of sweetness against the walnut and pecan pie combo itself. While the buttercream isn’t found on a typical derby pie, this one doesn’t add much in the way of taste other than making it look pretty and adding a Disney flair to it. The horseshoe cookie is thin and sugary, so bland in the flavoring, but we appreciated that it wasn’t a straight sugar decoration like we’ve seen recently. This was delish And of course, we had to grab the Artist’s Palette Cookie for $5.99 as well. This is a sugar cookie with colored frosting and single strawberry pocky stick. The cookie is a standard soft sugar cookie that you might get from your local grocery store. The theming is nice but the sugary icing is in small splotches to match the theming. The strawberry pocky stick adds an inventive touch to really drive home the theme — it’s a great sugar cookie that’s slightly toasted on the underside but aside from the super cute theming, there’s nothing special about it. Cookie Will you be heading to Saratoga Springs to try these new items? We’ll be on the lookout for even more new Disney foods, so stay tuned to DFB for the latest! The Best and Worst Disney World Hotel Restaurants Need Disney Restaurant Advice? We’ve Got EVERYTHING You Need to Know The ONLY Disney Dining Planning Tool You’ll Need Is Here – Get the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining! See Our Complete Disney World Restaurants Guide The Best Magic Kingdom Restaurants The Best EPCOT Restaurant Restaurants The Best Restaurants in Disney’s Hollywood Studios The Best Restaurants in Disney’s Animal Kingdom The Best Disney Springs Restaurants The Best (and Worst) Disney World Hotel Restaurants Check Out Dozens of Disney Dining Tips and Tools Learn All About Tipping at Disney Restaurants How to Use Mobile Order in Disney World Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the latest Disney food news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! Have you been to Artist’s Palette? Tell us in the comments. The post REVIEW: We Tried 3 NEW Disney World Snacks -- But You Should SKIP One first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Hold up! Stay right here. We have to let you know about these markdowns on Disney merch before the week is out! Let’s go shopping! Time is flying by so fast. Halloween is basically here and Christmas feels like it’s tomorrow. But don’t worry. We’ve got you! Like we said earlier, we’ve seen some great sales on all of the Disney merch and the other essentials you’ve been looking for. So, let’s jump right in! DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. There are so many sales happening at shopDisney right now! Shop this Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Gold Geometric Starbucks Tumbler for half off! ©Disney Are you working on staying hydrated in this summer heat or maybe trying to increase the amount of water you drink daily? Then you’ll want to check out this tumbler. It’ll help you meet both of those goals and it’s gold! View on shopDisney Shop the Mickey Mouse and Friends Disney100 Jacket for 20% off! ©Disney Take a look at the back! ©Disney Fall is right around the corner, so if you’re already looking for a new jacket, how about this one? You can’t beat having Mickey and friends on this stylish jacket. View on shopDisney Grab this LEGO Disney100 Celebration Train — it’s 20% off! ©Disney If fall is almost here, that means Christmas is basically right on top of us, so if you need a little inspiration on what to get the kiddos, have a look at this LEGO train. It’ll give them hours of enjoyment, and it has all their favorite Disney characters. View on shopDisney Grab this Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Disney100 Plush for half off! ©Disney If LEGOs aren’t your kids’ favorite, how about a plush of the OG Oswald himself? And don’t let the image fool you. He’s quite a large plush at 17″ tall. View on shopDisney All of these can be found in the “100+ New Markdowns” sale. ©Disney Have a look at them before those deals are gone! View on shopDisney For additional savings, there’s a code for free shipping on orders of $75 or more — just type in SHIPMAGIC at checkout in the promos section. ©Disney Stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disney merchandise 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! Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What will you be picking up? Let us know down below! The post How to Get Disney Souvenirs for up to 50% Off Online! first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Picture this — you’ve made it through traveling to your Disney World resort and now you’re HERE! Fort Wilderness You’ve just checked in, you’re making your way to your room, and you step inside for the first time. You and/or your kids get all excited about the magic of the room, but WAIT! Before you throw everything down and run to the pool or the parks, there are a few things you NEED to do inside your hotel room first. Of course, everyone is different and what works for you and your family might not be something that everyone does. BUT, these are some common things you might want to do before you get all cozy. Wipe Down Any Surfaces With A Disinfectant Wipe Yes, Disney does a great job of cleaning the hotel rooms between guests, but sometimes things get missed. So grab a disinfectant wipe and quickly wipe down all the surfaces. Wipe down all these surfaces! This is just an extra precautionary step to make sure any and all germs left by the previous guests (or the cleaning crew) are out of the room before your whole family can come into contact with them — no one wants to be sick on their Disney World trip! Check Your Locks While safety is Disney’s main priority, and that can be seen by how it takes your own personalized key card or MagicBand to get into your room, it’s important to make sure your locks work as well. Be sure to engage these locks For extra security, be sure to use all the locks on your door at night. While you may think a break-in at Disney is unlikely to happen, it’s always important to keep you, your family, and your belongings safe! Turn Up That Disney TV Music! On a sillier, note, your Disney TV will be playing Disney music while it scrolls through important park information for the day. It’s such a great signal that hey, you’ve made it to Disney, so turn it up and enjoy! Disney World Hotel TV The screen will scroll along with different park hours, transportation information, show times, and more that can help you plan your Disney days. Many of us don’t even actually use our TV when we’re at Disney other than to let that home screen play! Check For Bed Bugs Yes, it’s gross, but it can happen at ANY hotel. Even the fanciest ones, because it very well may not be the hotel’s fault that they’re there. Better safe than sorry! Bed bugs are tiny little insects that hitch rides on other infested furniture like luggage, backpacks, or any items that have been placed on an infested plush surface. This means that a family could bring them from another infested hotel, and have no idea. They can even travel between ROOMS! And if they don’t report it to the hotel, it can go unnoticed for a while. The best way to check for bed bugs is to turn off all the lights in the room and use your phone flashlight to check the creases of the mattress. Store Your Luggage Under Your Bed You don’t want to be tripping over your luggage all vacation long, so store it under your bed! All that space under the bed! Most Disney World hotel rooms have beds with plenty of storage underneath them, meaning it’s the perfect place to store your luggage. This way, it’s out of the way, but you know exactly where it is. Find The Thermostat Ah yes, the thermostat. Find that baby and set it to whatever you’d like, because you have the ability to do so! Port Orleans Riverside Thermostat Now, don’t go annoying the other members of your party and putting it too high or too low, but your bill doesn’t change depending on how much you make the AC run, so turn that sucker to whatever fits your liking! That’s one charge you WON’T have to worry about during your vacation. Keep A Close Eye on Your Things So you’ve had the best vacation and now it’s time to return home. You’ll need to remember everything you brought and everything you bought because leaving something behind is something no one wants to experience. Port Orleans — Riverside Room When we say check every nook and cranny of that hotel room twice, we MEAN it! It’s hard to keep track of every little thing you bring, but if you think there’s even a slight chance you may have forgotten something, check the whole hotel room again. Again, better safe than sorry! Finding Nemo Room And those are the seven things you NEED to do in your Disney World hotel room, even if they seem tedious. Once you’ve done these things, go out there and have the best Disney trip ever, and stay tuned to DFB for all the latest news! Check out our ultimate guide to planning your Disney World vacation here! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What’s your favorite hotel to stay at? Tell us in the comments! The post 7 Things You Should ALWAYS Do in Your Disney World Hotel Room first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

It’s official: this is Halloween! This is Halloween! We’ve already seen the Halloween decorations up in Disney World. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is starting soon in Magic Kingdom. Halloween merchandise is EVERYWHERE. What do we say? Bring on the spooky season. However, if you’re looking for some spookiness for your home, look no further than Target, which has some fun Halloween inflatables sure to give your home that Disney Halloween vibe that’s perfect for the season. DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission. Get The Inflatable Nightmare Before Christmas Jack & Sally Arch ©Target As we said, This is Halloween, so you obviously need something in your yard from The Nightmare Before Christmas, like this 7-foot-tall Jack and Sally arch. It’s simply meant to be. View on Target Buy the Inflatable Jack Skellington Tomb LED Lighted Yard Decoration ©Target What’s this? It’s a 6-foot-tall Jack Skellington leaning on a tombstone, complete with a lit jack o’lantern at his feet. He is the Pumpkin King, after all. View on Target Get the Master of Fright Jack Skellington LED Lighted Yard Decoration ©Target Jack is looking a little scarier on this inflatable, making his spookiest face as the Master of Fright behind a tombstone. This inflatable is 3.5 feet tall. View on Target Buy the Adult Grogu Halloween Inflatable Costume ©Target Okay, this is both cute and funny, but you can dress up in a huge inflatable to look like Grogu in his pram, just like you’ve seen him on The Mandalorian. Need a Halloween costume? Well, there you have it. This one is SURE to make you the star of any Halloween party. View on Target Buy the Adult Chewie Halloween Inflatable Costume ©Target But wait, there’s more! You can also get a Chewbacca Halloween Inflatable Costume, because why not? This is an inflatable jumpsuit that you wear with the printed gloves that come with it. The costume also comes with a fan and battery. Yep, this is WILD, and we’re here for it. View on Target So be sure to head on over to Target and check these inflatables out. We’ll be keeping an eye out for more Disney Halloween decorations and costumes, so stay tuned to DFB for more. While you’re in the shopping mood…have you checked our DFB exclusive graphic tees and merch? We’ve even got some spooky designs that are PERFECT for Halloween. DisneyFoodBlog Halloween Merchandise It’s super fun stuff to wear to the parks, or to rep your happy place at the grocery store! Click here to visit the DFB Merch Store! NEW Disney Halloween Loungefly Bags Are Online Now! Check Them Out Here! Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe! WE KNOW DISNEY. YOU CAN, TOO. Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation. Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever! Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Do you have any Disney Halloween inflatables? Let us know in the comments! The post Get 5 Disney Halloween Inflatables Online at Target Before They SELL OUT first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article

Are you thinking about spending Halloween in Disney World? Happy Halloween! We get that it seems like a great time to visit the parks. Magic Kingdom is all dolled up in its best Halloween and fall decor. There will be a lot of fun Halloween merchandise to get your hands on, and there will even be some Halloween snacks. But before you book that trip, we’re going to tell you why you might want to reconsider! Yes, we’re going to tell you why you should NOT go to Disney World for Halloween. Only one park gets Halloween decorations If you go to Disney World, you might think that all four parks will be decorated for Halloween. After all, all four parks get Christmas decorations. Well, that’s not the case for the spookiest holiday of the year. The only decorations you’ll see in the parks for Halloween will be in Magic Kingdom. Yep, that’s it. The rest of the parks will just look like they do throughout the rest of the year. Halloween in Magic Kingdom However, you will see some signs of Halloween in Disney Springs, so there is that. But it’s not going to be like Disneyland, where both parks get all the fun spooky decorations. What Disney’s NOT Telling You About Its Halloween Party There’s nothing special happening on Halloween Day If you’re expecting to see some specific Halloween-themed entertainment, a spooky parade, or even some spooky fireworks in Disney World, it’s not going to happen unless you attend Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. In fact, nothing special happens in the parks on Halloween. Halloween in EPCOT in 2022 looked like any other day and there’s nothing going on The only evidence of Halloween you might see on the actual day is Halloween merchandise in the stores and a few Halloween snacks here and there. The majority of Halloween stuff is once more reserved for those who have tickets to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. 3 Disney Halloween Souvenirs that EVERYONE Will Be Wearing in 2023 Disneyland Does More For Halloween If you visit Disney World expecting a whole Disney Halloween experience, you will be in for disappointment, mainly for the reasons we’ve already listed. Here’s the thing: you can get the full Disney Halloween experience in Disneyland. Disneyland goes all out for the holiday. Both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure get all decked out in Halloween decorations. Halloween Time at Disneyland Both parks also have a TON of spooky snacks for you to try. There’s Halloween entertainment, including the Halloween Screams fireworks at Disneyland that you can view without needing a ticket to Oogie Boogie Bash, Disneyland’s Halloween Party. If you want the whole Disney Halloween vibe, go to Disneyland instead. 7 Disney Halloween Items You Can Get From Amazon Right Now If you want classic Magic Kingdom photos, you can’t get them Although some visitors to Disney World will love having all the fall and Halloween decor in their photos, imagine those who are visiting Disney World for the first time and have a certain image of Magic Kingdom in their minds. However, when they get there, they’re up to their ears in orange and black, and that might not vibe with the kind of photos they wanted for their trip. Pumpkins EVERYWHERE Main Street, U.S.A., in particular, is all decked out for fall and Halloween, and those iconic photos will not look like the classic Disney World photos some people want to hang on their walls year-round. Don’t Make This Halloween Mistake in Disney World Adults cannot wear costumes If you think you can visit Disney World on Halloween, you might think you could at least put on a costume on the day, right? Well, you can’t, unless you’re attending Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Costumes are not allowed for adults in the parks, even on Halloween. Adults can only wear costumes to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party So if you love getting dressed up for Halloween and going out, you can’t really do that without a ticket to the Halloween party. FULL LIST: See ALL of the NEW Halloween Merchandise in Disney World Magic Kingdom closes early Magic Kingdom will close early at 6PM on days leading up to Halloween and on Halloween day itself. This is because the park is reserved exclusively for those who have a ticket to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. So if you wanted to spend Halloween night in Magic Kingdom without a party ticket, you’re out of luck. Sign posted on days there’s a Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Also, if you don’t have a park hopper ticket, you’ll be stuck leaving Magic Kingdom early that evening with nothing else to do for the rest of the night. What Time Does Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Start? So if you’re considering visiting Disney World for Halloween, we hope we gave you some things to consider. There’s always Disneyland, too, if you just want a Disney Halloween experience, so keep that in mind if you want to have a bonafide Disney Halloween. IT'S SPOOK-TACULAR! Get ready for the spookiest season of the year at Disney World! We are beyond thrilled to announce the arrival of our brand-new guide -- Halloween at Disney World: DFB's Spook-tacular Guide! From the thrills of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party to the enchanting resort decorations that'll send shivers down your spine, our guide is packed with tips and tricks to help you squeeze every ounce of ghoulish fun out of your visit. Plus, we've got the inside scoop on all the limited-time-only bone-chilling activities happening across the parks! Get the Halloween at Disney World: DFB's Spook-tacular Guide to make your frightfully delightful adventure even more magical! GET YOUR GUIDE NOW Halloween at Walt Disney World EVERYTHING CONFIRMED for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Disney World FULL LIST of Rides That Will Be Open at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Disney World Get All of the Latest Updates on Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Target Has NEW Halloween Inflatables Online Now! How To Get the CHEAPEST Tickets for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Disney World CHANGES Revealed for Disney World’s Halloween Parade in 2023 Join the DFB Newsletter To Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click Here to Subscribe Have you visited Disney World during Halloween without a Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Party ticket? What was your experience like? Let us know in the comments! The post Why You SHOULDN'T Do Halloween at Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog. 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Disney’s Hollywood Studios is DECEIVING you. Woody’s Lunch Box On the surface, this park doesn’t SEEM like it has a whole lotta ultra-tasty foods to offer — but, in reality, this place could be your personal gold mine of favorite Disney World eats and drinks. Check out our video below: Ultimate Guide to the Best Food in Disney’s Hollywood Studios  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! Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023. GET YOUR GUIDE NOW What’s your favorite food in Hollywood Studios? Tell us in the comments below. The post DFB Video: Ultimate Guide to the Best Food in Disney's Hollywood Studios first appeared on the disney food blog. View the full article