food IS a theme park
Disney World is a pretty fun place to hang out.
Okapi
That’s part of the reason why we’ve spent the last few days exploring the theme parks to bring YOU updates on all the latest changes. So, here’s a check-in on everything NEW in food, construction, and merchandise in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Ah, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
Don’t let them know you’re with the Resistance!
The most popular attraction in Disney’s Hollywood Studios has seen a LOT of changes to its boarding groups — which, in case ya didn’t know, are required to get on the ride! You can snag a spot at 7AM from outside of the park, or at 1PM from inside Hollywood Studios…or so you thought. A change to how these boarding groups work just made that 1PM queue way easier for you!
Disney desserts are pretty darn good, and we definitely have our favorites.
Orange Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookie
A SUPER tasty dessert spot is still on the newer side in Disney World — Gideon’s Bakehouse. This spot has been serving up HUGE cookies for a few months now and we’re BIG fans. But it seems we’re not the only ones who get those cookie cravings… .
Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park are both set to reopen on April 30th and we are counting down the days!!
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa ©Disney
But, the theme parks aren’t the only things reopening at Disneyland Resort. Soon, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa at Disneyland Resort will also be reopening! And reservations are now available!!
We’ve seen some pretty cool new Disney tech lately.
Facial recognition!
And recently, we’ve seen a lot of that tech go hands-free! Guests can use the new MagicMobile service on their phones instead of MagicBands, and they can enter Magic Kingdom using facial recognition instead of tapping a park ticket (wild right?!). But while browsing the gift shops in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we spotted a sign that a new kind of technology might be on the way.
One of the many things we love about Disney World is that everything is somehow just more magical there.
Hollywood Tower Hotel
And it’s not just the beautiful castle (which is getting glammed up at the moment), or even the Cast Members who do what they can to please guests. It’s also things like spotting some cute ducks, seeing baby animals, and noticing details we hadn’t ever seen before!
The global health pandemic has had a major impact on the cruise industry. Even Disney has stated that Disney Cruise Line would be the last arm of its business to return.
Will Disney set sail again this year?
Disney Cruise Line has also stated that it hopes to resume some limited cruises by fall and even recently released itineraries for summer 2022. However, sailings are still suspended. Previously, U.S. departures have been canceled through June 2021, and European cruises on the Disney Magic were canceled through September 18th. Now more cruises on the Disney Magic in Europe have been canceled.
Disney characters sometimes get to live in some pretty neat houses.
©Realtor.com
Yep, we’re looking at you Cinderella. But they’re not the only ones who get to move into some special new digs in their stories. One Disney executive recently moved into a multi-million dollar new home and we’re checking out the house.
UPDATE: About an hour later, we were successfully able to purchase tickets!
Anybody else counting down the days until they’ll be able to explore both Disneyland parks? (We are!) It’s just a matter of WEEKS before we’re chilling on Main Street with a view of the Sleeping Beauty Castle and a churro in hand.
All our favorite things on Minnie ears!
And, yes, we’re already VERY emotional just thinking about it! At the “A Touch of Disney” limited time event, we’ve already been able to see a few of the changes we can expect in the parks. Disney California Adventure has debuted the health and safety precautions, including limited capacity and attraction guidelines. We’ve also figured out exactly what dining and attractions will reopen with the parks! And now, tickets are officially on sale.
You walk into a Disney merchandise store in any of their parks and have some idea of what you might find — Minnie ears, plushes, shirts, spirit jerseys — the usual. But sometimes, you visit a gift shop and find something like this…
WHAT IS THIS THING?
…ohhhh boy. Is it just us or does our little green alien friend look like he’s FOAMING at the mouth?! Seriously, Disney, WHO thought this was a good idea?!!? But, this little green alien isn’t alone. Come with us now on a fantastic, strange, incredibly unusual journey through just some of the Disney souvenirs we’ve found that have made us think “WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA?!” Get ready to laugh because some of this merchandise is so funny or just plain wrong…that we love it!
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