Our October was an eventful one — especially in Magic Kingdom!

Magic Kingdom

With. the spooky season in full swing and the holidays creeping up right behind, we’ve certainly had LOTS of updates to share with you over the past few weeks. So, let’s look at the five MOST IMPORTANT changes we’ve seen in Magic Kingdom this month!

1. Refurbishment Updates

First up, let’s talk about refurbishment updates. There are a few major refurbishments going on in Magic Kingdom right now and several of them have a good chance of affecting your Disney day. October even saw many of these refurbishments EXTENDED! 

“it’s a small world!”

Perhaps the most-known is the current closure of the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. This attraction closed prior to the park closures and we saw several changes and extensions to that schedule this month.

Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland

First, the closure was extended to a new date before losing a date altogether. Finally, a date was reinstated so we can hope for this attraction to return on January 9th — as long as there aren’t any other extensions!

Closed PeopleMover

And PeopleMover isn’t the only refurbishment schedule that saw extensions in October. Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Square Riverboat are currently under refurbishment. We’ve seen draining in the Rivers of America this month AND changes to the timeline for the work.

Rivers of America Drained

The refurbishment on these Liberty Square/Frontierland attractions was extended from an end date in January to an end date of February 28th. Well, at least we have a cute refurbishment sign to look at in the meantime!

Tom Sawyer Island Refurbishment Sign

This month also showed us an update over in Fantasyland as “it’s a small world” also got some changes. There are now colorful construction barriers surrounding the attraction!

Click here to learn more about the latest news for the PeopleMover!

2. Preparations for the Return of Nighttime Shows

A BIG change we saw this month was the return of nighttime projections on Cinderella Castle — well, kind of. A guest at one of the Monorail Loop hotels caught footage of projections being tested on Cinderella Castle after Magic Kingdom closed for the day.

Magic Kingdom

Of course, projections are CONFIRMED for this holiday season so this was probably testing on that front! Regardless, it’s a PRETTY big deal to see signs of a nighttime show in Magic Kingdom (or any Disney park) so we’re pumped about this change!

Click here to see VIDEO of the testing!

3. Return of Limited Merchandise Releases

Another surprising return we got this month was related to limited-edition merchandise! When the Disney Parks first reopened, limited merchandise releases were halted in the interest of limiting crowding a promoting social distancing.

Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction Haunted Mansion Ears

This month though, Disney surprisingly planned an Annual Passholder-exclusive shopping event for the Haunted Mansion Minnie Mouse: The Main Attraction collection in Magic Kingdom — and it was kind of crazy.

Sir Mickey’s Line

Crowding was certainly NOT limited when this collection dropped. It took us HOURS waiting in line to get to the store to snag our merch and some items sold out before we arrived.

Sir Mickey’s Line

We’re not sure we’ll see a release like this happen again anytime soon, it depends on how Disney felt this month’s event went. Of course, you can keep an eye on DFB for updates about limited merchandise as soon as we have them.

Click here to see PICS from the limited release!

4. Limited Holiday Availability

We DEFINITELY saw some changes to the availability for the upcoming holidays this month! Disney Park Pass reservations can sometimes be hard to come by and high demand days are a GREAT example of this.

Halloween

This month, we saw Halloween Park Passes fill for Magic Kingdom TWICE, Thanksgiving Park Passes fill for select guests, AND Christmas Day Park Passes fill for select guests too. Whew!

Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe

If you’re hoping to head to Disney World for a major holiday, make sure that you make those plans well in advance and book those reservations as SOON as you purchase your park admission! 

Click here to learn everything you need to know about Disney Park Pass reservation!

5. Menu Changes at Sleepy Hollow 

This month we noticed that not one but TWO fan-favorites were missing from the menu at Sleepy Hollow. Both the Mickey Waffle and the Fresh Fruit Waffle Sandwich (aka the Nutella Waffle) were GONE.

Mickey Waffle at Magic Kingdom

Only three items remained on the menu.

Sleepy Hollow Menu

But don’t freak! Right now, both the Fresh Fruit Waffle Sandwich and the Mickey Waffle are being served during breakfast. So, while they aren’t GONE, they are only being served before 11AM. Therefore, if you’re looking to chow down on one of these goodies, you will want to plan your day accordingly.

Sleepy Hollow Breakfast Menu

You can ALWAYS catch all the latest updates in Magic Kingdom and beyond by staying tuned right here on DFB! Let’s head into an eventful November!

Click here to learn more about the face mask policy update.

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What changes did you notice in Magic Kingdom this month? Tell us in the comments!

The post The Five Most Important Changes We’ve Seen in Magic Kingdom This Month first appeared on the disney food blog.

For Cast Members at Disney World, making magical moments for guests is one of the BIGGEST perks of the job! 

©Disney Parks Blog via Instagram

And watching magic happen, for us and for others, is EASILY one of the greatest things about Disney, so we were positively giddy to see some dreams come true for some Star Wars fans this week at Disney World!  

If you’re starry-eyed for ALL things Star Wars (join the club!), then Ashley Eckstein is surely one of your celebrity idols! As the voice of Ahsoka Tano, she’s one of the COOLEST and most unique characters in the whole Star Wars universe! 

Ahsoka Tano ©Disney

Even cooler? Just this week, she landed on Batuu for a SUPER special surprise meet-up! And we were able to virtually join the fun via her Instagram! “One thing I love about being a Cast Member is you get to create magical moments for people,” Eckstein says in her Instagram story, setting the stage for a popcorn-worthy EVENT. 

@ashleyeckstein

The Star Wars star then proceeds to stroll through Hollywood Studios — clad in her Star Wars mask of course! — explaining that she’s about to SURPRISE a group of lightsaber-wielding fans meeting up for a socially distance photo shoot in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge! The whole event was a GLORIOUS way to introduce NEW color-changing lightsabers — and make some dreams come true in the process! 

@ashleyeckstein

No one in the park had ANY idea she was there, so she was met with cheering and applause when she arrived to crash the photo shoot! Not only was she there to showcase the eye-popping new ‘sabers, but she even autographed a couple hundred! And if you weren’t in attendance for the surprise Ashley Eckstein experience, fear not: they’re now in-stock at Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities! 

@ashleyeckstein

Magical moments like this one are truly what it’s ALL about at Disney! We will keep you updated on the latest magical Disney moments, so stay tuned!

Why not pair your color-changing lightsaber with an Ahsoka Tano lightsaber hilt?!

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Are you an Ahsoka Tano fan? Let us know in the comments!

The post SURPRISE! A ‘Star Wars’ Star Visited Disney World to Introduce COLOR-CHANGING Lightsabers! first appeared on the disney food blog.

What’s one of the best ways to spend the holiday season?

©Disney

Besides celebrating in the Disney Parks, you gotta say watching holiday movies is one of your favorites! Well, we’ve got good news! Let’s take a look at the FULL holiday schedule for ABC.

According to Deadline, ABC has released its 2020 holiday special schedule! It all kicks off on Thanksgiving. So, take a look at the schedule to make sure your holiday viewing plans are in place!

Prep and Landing Elves

Thursday, November 26th

• 8PM — “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure”
• 8:30PM — “Toy Story That Time Forgot”
• 9PM — “The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration” – *new

Friday, November 27th

• 8PM — “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town”

Sunday, November 29th

• 7PM — “Disney Prep & Landing”
• 7:30PM — “Disney Prep & Landing 2: Naughty vs. Nice”

Monday, November 30th

• 2PM — “General Hospital” (check local listings) – *new holiday-themed episode
• 8PM — “The Disney Holiday Singalong” – *new
• 9PM — “CMA Country Christmas” – *new

Wednesday, December 2nd

• 8PM — “The Goldbergs” – *new holiday-themed episode
• 9:30PM — “black-ish” – *new holiday-themed episode

Wednesday, December 9th

• 8PM — “The Great Christmas Light Fight” – *season premiere

Wednesday, December 16th

• 8PM — “The Great Christmas Light Fight”

Friday, December 18th

• 8:30PM — “Shrek the Halls”

Sunday, December 20th

• 7PM — “The Sound of Music”

Wednesday, December 23rd

• 2PM — “General Hospital” (check local listings) – *new holiday-themed episode
• 9PM — “The Great Christmas Light Fight” – *season finale

Thursday, December 24th

• 8PM — “The Greatest Showman” – *network broadcast premiere

Friday, December 25th

• 10AM— “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Celebration”

The Disney Family Singalong ©Disney

So…between this and Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas schedule, we’re gonna be parked in front of the TV for a LOT of evenings this November and December. If you need us, that’s where you’ll find us!

Click here to see Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas schedule!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

Which special are you most excited about? Tell us in the comments! 

The post ABC Has Released Its Holiday Schedule — And It’s Full of Disney Favorites! first appeared on the disney food blog.

We’re gonna go out on a limb here and assume that it’s hard work being a Space Ranger — especially in a roller coaster year like 2020!

Buzz Lightyear at Hollywood Studios

So it’s honestly pretty understandable that Buzz Lightyear might need a break. Which he CLEARLY does, based on a a reader-submitted video from Disney World!

Buzz Lightyear has a LOT on his plate. He’s gotta battle Evil Emperor Zurg, rendezvous with Star Command, and presumably occasionally babysit some Aliens.

Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story Land

So is it really any wonder that such an intergalactic multitasker might need a vacation? Absolutely not!

A diligent Disney World rider, James G. posted a tweet of Buzz on his namesake ride, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom, and he seems pretty…out of it.

Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin Line

Here’s hoping Buzz can get a little R&R, because we need heroes like him now more than ever!

Show your support for everyone’s fav Space Ranger with the new Buzz Lightyear spirit jersey!

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Who’s your favorite, Sleepy Elsa or Speechless Buzz? Let us know in the comments!

The post Paging Star Command: Something was UP With Buzz Lightyear in Disney World Today! first appeared on the disney food blog.