We finally have some news about when Walt Disney World will begin their theme park (starting July 11) and resort (starting June 22) reopening. Along with those critical dates, we also have a bit more information on what the initial phases of reopening will look like.

At least at the beginning, there will fewer activities that draw stagnant crowds. This means no parades or fireworks and limited character greetings. Guest capacity will be reduced (you’ll need a reservation to get into a theme park), meaning fewer lines and shorter wait times. It’s likely that you’ll be able to get through all the available park attractions, even multiple times, in a single day, or even part of a day.

Additionally, park hours are changing. Epcot is starting out opening the entire park at 11:00 a.m., rather than its usual 9:00 a.m. for the Future World attractions. Even with Extra Magic Hours, the Magic Kingdom will be closing at 9:00 p.m. at first, a contrast to the usual post-midnight closings during the summer.

All of this means that there will simply be fewer things to do in the theme parks and less time available to spend there.

It’s a truism that many guests complain about needing a vacation from their Disney World vacation. If you were in pre-COVID kamikaze theme park mode, you may have found yourself up for rope drop in the wee hours of the morning and then running straight through until the Kiss Goodnight. During a long trip to WDW in February 2020, I averaged over nine miles a day of walking, trying to work in all the available activities. With the new hours, required park reservations, and reduced number of attractions, that ride-or-die, I’ll-sleep-when-I’m-dead mode of WDW touring simply won’t be possible for a while.

And maybe, just maybe, that’s a good thing. A formerly hectic Disney World vacation will look a little more like a relaxing Disney Cruise Line vacation, where you have some structured activities, along with lots of time to just chill.

For example, on a Disney Cruise Line sea day, my family will typically go to some of the planned events like onboard classes or entertainment, but we also spend lots of time reading books on our stateroom verandah, playing board games, watching movies, napping, and generally being lazy. While we are more active with touring during shore days, we tend to leave DCL vacations relaxed and refreshed. This is not always the case with our Walt Disney World vacations.

If you are planning a Disney World vacation this summer, you will likely have more down time than previous trips. I encourage you to think of that time as a gift – a way to reset the former frenzied mode of touring. Consider ways to build more relaxation into your vacation: sit by the pool and read a novel, take a leisurely bike ride around Fort Wilderness, play card games with your family, or take a boat ride on Bay Lake.

The slow restart may be just be the vacation your vacation needs.

The post Your Next Disney World Vacation Might Actually Be a Vacation appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

Welcome, DFB friends! We’re bringing you another DFB Video, and today we’re talking about ALL the recent Disney news!

It has been a WEEK of reopening, cancellations, and modifications, so we have a LOT of Disney news to share with you — and we’ve got all the deets right here!

We have reopening dates for Disney World (it’s official!), but will you be able to go when it first opens? Disney released a ton of updates and we’re helping you sort through how each one will affect your Disney vacation. Check it all out in our latest DFB Video!

And if you love this video, there’s plenty more for you to enjoy over on our DFB YouTube Channel!

By the way, have you subscribed yet? If you hit the button below, you can subscribe to the channel and never miss a single episode!

So check out the video and then let us know: Are you hoping to visit Disney World shortly after the reopening?

There is something comforting about slathering creamy peanut butter on fresh soft bread then layering on strawberry or grape jelly. This lunchtime staple is a happy reminder that three simple ingredients can make the perfect meal for kids … and one bite will bring back a flood of childhood memories for us adults!

Leave it up to the chefs at Lamplight Lounge at Disney California Adventure park to take this classic lunchtime sammie up a notch in presentation. All the ingredients are there – with a clever spin! This is the perfect sandwich to make with the kiddos – even the youngest can help! Check out the recipe below as well as the how-to video from the Disney Youth Education Series team.

PB and J Rolls from Lamplight Lounge at Disney California Adventure Park 

PEANUT BUTTER ROLLS 

• 8 slices wheat bread
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, divided

JELLY DRIZZLE 

• 3/4 cup strawberry or grape jelly

For peanut butter rolls: 

1. Cut crusts off bread. Flatten bread with rolling pin until bread can bind after being rolled. 
2. Spread 1 1/2 tablespoons of peanut butter evenly on each slice of flattened bread, leaving small boarder on all sides – the peanut butter will spread as you roll.
3. Starting with long side of bread, gently roll up each bread slice into spiral. Cut each roll into 4 even pieces.
4. Place 8 pieces of rollups onto each plate, seam-side down.

For jelly drizzle: 

1. Place plastic quart-size freezer bag into small cup, folding back first few inches of bag over top of cup. Spoon jelly into bag, gently shaking bag to move jelly to bottom of bag. (Note: If jelly is too thick to drizzle, add small amount of warm water to jelly in small bowl and mix to desired consistency before adding to bag).
2. Once filled, lift bag from cup and squeeze out excess air from bag and seal bag with a few twists to top of bag. Cut bottom corner of bag with scissors.
3. Holding right below the twisted top of bag with one hand and guiding with free hand, gently squeeze to drizzle jelly over each peanut butter roll with zigzag motion.

Cook’s Note: A squeezable bottle of jelly is an easy option. Simply squeeze, in zigzag motion, desired amount of jelly over each peanut butter roll.

Note: This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in the restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version. As a reminder while preparing this recipe, please supervise children who are helping or nearby. 

Click here for a print-at-home version of this recipe! 

Stay connected with  Disney Parks Blog for more delicious Disney recipes and be sure to share the magic with other Disney fans using the hashtag #DisneyMagicMoments. Happy cooking!

Halloween may be five months away, but it’s never too early to start thinking about the perfect thing to wear to the parks for the spookiest season of the year.

Luckily, Disney has you covered with a wickedly evil new outfit available online: a Maleficent Dress! We’ve previously spotted Hocus Pocus dresses and Darth Vader dresses around the parks, so it’s about time another one of our favorite Disney villains gets her own dress.

The Maleficent Dress features the Sleeping Beauty antagonist’s signature purple shade. Maleficent herself appears on the front of the skirt, engulfed in green flames and briars.

Her super fierce dragon form appears on the back of the skirt as well as an embroidered raven because it’s all about the details!

You don’t need an invitation to rock this dress. It’s available online for $128.00.

Disneybounding as Maleficent has never been so easy!

Will you be adding this wicked dress to your collection? Let us know in the comments! 

 

Even as the Disney parks remain closed with construction halted, we’re still seeing some building permits from Disney World.

Sometimes, there’s work that just HAS to get done! Recently we spotted some permits for Epcot’s Play Pavilion and more, but we’ve got even more interesting documents today.

With everything from MAJOR Disney projects, to third-party construction, to some EMERGENCY work; we’re taking a look at the building permits that Disney has had to file over the past few weeks!

Galactic Starcruiser

We’re starting with the permit that made us the MOST excited! Ready your blasters, we’ve got a permit on Galactic Starcruiser! You might remember when we spotted a permit for the guard shack going up at the upcoming Star Wars hotel, but this time the permit is for the hotel itself!

The new permit, filed May 13th, is for “fabrication and installation of sets” for “Project H.” Now we’re not sure what that H stands for (probably “Halcyon” — the name of the starcruiser) but we DO know that the permit is for the address where the Starcruiser construction is located!

Does this mean it’s starting to look spacey in there??? After all, the hotel is supposed to be themed as if it was a ship flying lightyears away in space.

We can’t wait to get into Galactic Starcruiser in 2021 — that’s why we’re waiting not-so-patiently for reservations to open this year. After all, with the immersion of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we’re sure that Starcruiser will be a trip to remember. This unique experience will allow the Star Wars story to unfold all around you. How cool is that?

Click here to learn EVERYTHING we know about Galactic Starcruiser!

Starbucks at Disney Springs

Next up, it looks like the Starbucks in Disney Springs might be getting a little bit of a makeover. You might remember that we recently saw a permit for a new Lovepop Store, so things are movin’ and shakin’ in Disney World’s retail and dining complex.

The Starbucks permit, filed May 12th, calls for a “tenant remodel” of the existing Starbucks on the West Side of Disney Springs. Oooooh! We love to stop in at the Starbucks of Disney World to get our caffeine fix, so we’re curious if this means this spot will be getting a new look.

Both Starbucks locations in Disney Springs have reopened (with new a new tasty drink to mark the occasion)! So we’ll be keeping our eyes on the West Side location to see any changes!

Click here to learn more about Starbuck’s reopening drink!

Disney Springs Restaurant Updates

But Starbucks isn’t the ONLY dining location in Disney Springs that’s getting a little bit of an update. Jaleo and City Works Eatery and Pour House are making some updates as well. Since Disney Springs is open, hopefully we’ll get to see these changes pretty soon.

Both of these new permits were filed on May 14th. Neither of them is for a full remodel, but they do mean that both restaurants are looking for some fun updates.

The Jaleo permit was filed with a design firm to “install new wall-mounted graphics.” Ooh! We can’t wait to see what those look like.

Over at City Works Eatery and Pour House, a still very NEW spot in Disney Springs, they’ve filed a permit to install a canopy. Hmm, maybe this spot is looking to expand on outdoor seating in response to the Florida government’s health regulations?

We noticed a to-go drink window under construction on our recent walks around Disney Springs, so it’s possible this canopy could be related to that.

Whatever the case, we’re excited to see the updates to these two spots whenever they get them finished!

Never been to City Works? Click here to learn about the new restaurant!

The Hollywood Brown Derby

WHAT? Construction coming to The Hollywood Brown Derby in Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Not exactly. Remember how we mentioned some emergency construction? Well, it looks like the Derby had a little bit of an incident at some point during the closure.

On April 21st, Disney filed a permit for a “kitchen gas leak repair” at the famous Disney dining spot. Yikes!

Luckily, it seems that everything is a-ok as we haven’t heard anything from Disney on it. Maybe it’s a good thing that the restaurant was closed when that happened!

Thinking about a meal at the Brown Derby? Click here for our latest review! 

Flamingo Crossing

Now we’re taking a look at the retail district Flamingo Crossing. This is a developing project coming to the west side of the property. So far, we know we can expect a Walgreens, a Speedway Gas Station, and A TARGET!!

We’ve already seen a pretty clear plan for the area through a different permit, but it appears that construction teams are set to get started on “new shell buildings” for the property. Shell buildings, like the name says, will act as a shell for the different third-party stores in the complex —  yes, like Target. It’s pretty awesome to see some movement on this massive project!

Click here to learn more about Flamingo Crossing

Four Seasons Orlando

Last but certainly not least, we’ve actually spotted THREE permits for the massive renovations going on at Four Seasons Orlando. Though the Disney Springs area hotel is currently closed with the rest of Disney World, we have seen some movement. For instance, they’ve opened their on-site restaurant, Plancha!

And apparently, the teams at Four Seasons are also working hard getting permission for all of the work they’re doing on the pool area and beyond. We spotted a permit with the South Florida Water Management District to permit the relocation of some natural resources — we only see these for BIG projects!

We also saw two more specific permits. One was to remove cabanas and do some paving work on the concrete surfaces at the hotel. The other was filed a few days later to continue work on the concrete slab pathways — most likely around the pool area.

Click here to learn about the reopened restaurant at the Four Seasons!

And there you have it! Things have definitely slowed down in Disney but there’s still some interesting stuff going on! As always, we’ll keep an eye on those Disney permits and report in whenever we find some good ones. Until then!

Click here to check out what ELSE Disney is working on!

Which of these Disney projects are you most interested in? Tell us in the comments!