Cinderella Castle has gone through some serious changes this year!

We’re starting to get used to the rose and gold paint job on the Castle, but it’s still pretty new! Now, Disney has filed several permits that might mean MORE work on Cinderella Castle! Let’s take a look!

A few weeks ago, Disney filed a permit for “General Construction” at the address coded to Cinderella Castle. Though that doesn’t give us a lot of detail, we do know that it was filed with Coastal Steel Inc as the contractor so it could mean some structural work.

The same day, a permit was filed for “General Construction” with Icarus Exhibits Inc, a firm that does a lot of work on theming for Disney World. It’s possible they’re looking to touch up existing theming or introduce new elements.

Then today, Disney filed a vague permit to “Provide labor, material, and/or electrical for construction” with their internal construction firm, Buena Vista Construction Company. This is likely to support the above work.

In the past, Disney has implemented overlays on the Castle for big events and the 50th Anniversary next year certainly qualifies as a big event! Of course, Disney hasn’t announced any Castle changes yet, so we won’t know until they do.

We’re not sure what these permits mean for the future of Cinderella Castle! They could mean anything from minor touch-ups to get the Castle looking spick and span, to major renovations ahead of the 50th Anniversary. Any work on the Castle does mean we run the risk of having construction materials in our Cinderella Castle pics, so we’ll especially be keeping an eye out for that.

Stay tuned to DFB as we lookout for more information about this upcoming Castle project. We’ll be sure to let you know as soon as we have more details on what this work is and if/how it will affect your trip!

Click here to see the most recent round of updates to Cinderella Castle!

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What do you think of these permits? Tell us in the comments! 

The post New Permits Could Mean MORE Construction on Cinderella Castle in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.

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As the holiday season comes to a close, Disney is offering some great discounts both online and at the parks, like this sale on select holiday merchandise!

And, you’re going to want to check out shopDisney because they’re currently hosting their Twice Upon a Year sale online where you can find some sweet deals on tons of Disney merchandise!

If you were eyeing a toy or other Disney favorites before the holidays, it might be worth checking back on shopDisney because you can save up to 40% during this limited sale! Just in time for some post-Christmas shopping!

So, start adding to your shopping cart with sales on toys, like the beloved Baby Yoda plush for $16.99.

Maybe you can start his Jedi training with him at home!

Snag the Baby Yoda Plush here!

And, start preparing for EPCOT’s International Festival of the Arts with the Disney Ink & Paint Ear Headband with Paintbrush Bow for $16.98.

We even found these in the parks earlier this year and know there’s some Mickey shaped paint on a pallet hidden behind the paint brushes!

Buy the Ink & Paint Ears here!

You can add this pack of The Nightmare Before Christmas face masks to your growing collection for Disney visits for only $5.98.

These were part of a limited release in the Fall so it’s nice to see them as part of the sale!

Purchase the Nightmare Before Christmas face mask pack here!

If you like to journal, this is the perfect time to stock up on Storybook Journals like the Pinocchio Storybook Replica Journal.

The journal is on sale for $17.98!

Click here to buy the Pinocchio Journal!

There’s even other Storybook Journals available on the sale, like the Enchanted Storybook Replica Journal for $17.98.

These journals are great for writing your own happily ever after to 2020!

Snag the Enchanted Journal here!

While you journal, you can sip in galactic style with Toy Story Pizza Planet Claw Tumbler, on sale for $9.98!

We’re pretty sure this Toy Story tumblr goes well with any meal too.

Grab the tumbler here!

And, if you’re just not ready to let go of the holidays yet, you can grab this Minnie Mouse Holiday Plush for $8.98!

If you missed the holiday plush with purchase deal last month, this is an even better deal on the festive Minnie plush!

Purchase the Minnie Holiday Plush here!

There are even some larger ticket items that are part of the sale like this Cinderella District Backpack by Petunia Pickle Bottom discounted to $124.98.

This backpack makes a great baby bag or school bag for kids!

Click HERE to buy the Cinderella District Backpack!

All this and MORE are available as part of the Twice Upon a Year sale so you’ll want to check it out for yourself! Maybe you can even surprise your loved ones with a New Year’s gift (who doesn’t love more gifts!). Once you’ve stocked your cart, use code SHIPMAGIC and receive free shipping on order over $75! We’ll continue to keep you updated as we see more sales pop up online and in the parks!

Check out 100 gifts for Disney lovers!

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

Will you be snagging anything from the shopDisney sale? Let us know in the comments!

The post Save Up to 40% On Disney Merchandise With This Limited Time Sale Online! first appeared on the disney food blog.

Disney LOVES to release special treats for the holidays!

We saw TONS of snacks that came out for Christmas, and now we’re getting to experience all the ones that are specifically released for the New Year! We’ve recently tried the Strawberry Champagne Cupcake and the New Year’s Eve Cupcake, but now we’re headed over to Disney’s Fort Wilderness to try one more. 

Our latest New Year’s treat comes from P & J’s Southern Takeout at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campgrounds. Here, there’s an old-fashioned menu posted on the wall, but we found our new cupcake on the Mobile Order menu on My Disney Experience. 

The Black Forest Cupcake can be purchased at this restaurant for $4.99. It’s a chocolate cupcake with cherry filling, a cherry on top, and midnight purple buttercream. 

We have seen similar cupcakes in Disney World before, but it’s been a while. This one gets its New Year’s Eve touch with some white chocolate decorations on the top, featuring fireworks and “2021.” This cupcake is absolutely beautiful, but the inside wasn’t quite on the same level as the outside!

Chocolate is by far the most prominent flavor in this snack; however, the cake was a tad dry. The reporter that tried it admitted that they weren’t the biggest fan of black forest flavors, but did share that the cherry didn’t taste as “medicine-y” as they expected. 

This one didn’t impress us as much as some of the other treats we’ve had recently, but we do appreciate that it’s $4.99 instead of the usual $5.99 price for cupcakes. It’s not really destination-worthy, but if you’re staying at Fort Wilderness and you love black forest, then you may want to give it a try!

We’ll keep our eyes open for more new treats as we head into 2021, and we’ll be watching all the latest Disney news updates. Stay tuned to DFB for the best advice on planning your Disney World vacation!

We Found an Interesting-Looking Treat in Disney World — Check it Out Here!

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Are you a fan of black forest? Let us know in the comments!

The post Review: A New 2021 Black Forest Cupcake Is Available in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.

We’re missing the way it feels to stroll through Disneyland Park, but there’s still some news from Disney’s flagship resort.

We popped into Downtown Disney to check out all the latest updates and now we’re bringing you everything NEW in food, construction, and merchandise. Let’s dive in!

First, a quick note. Southern California is currently under a regional stay-at-home order where indoor retail is capped at 20% capacity and dining must close with the exception of takeout or delivery. The order was set to expire today, but according to KTLA, it is expected to see an extension.

Downtown Disney Construction Updates

So, what’s up with the construction?

Buena Vista Street

The entrance and exit to Buena Vista Street are now next to each other. They used to be situated at opposite ends of the main Disney California Adventure gate.

Downtown Disney Merchandise

Now, we get to load you up with some merch!

Various Locations

First off, select holiday items are currently 50% off across Downtown Disney and Buena Vista Street.

World of Disney

At World of Disney, we noticed that the new Reigning Cats and Dogs collection has ARRIVED on the west coast! We’ve seen this awesome set of merch in Disney World already. We’re gonna take a look at EVERYTHING we found in Disneyland shops, but if you’re looking for more pics and PRICING, click here!

First up, we’ve got a Disney Cats Steel Tumbler…

…and a Disney Dogs Steel Tumbler!

These Marie Ears might be sized for kids, but we def think most adults could get away with wearing them.

The same is true for the Dalmatian Ears!

Dog lovers will probs like this More Disney More Dogs T-shirt.

But cat lovers might prefer to swing for the Cat Lady T-shirt.

Looking for a new park bag? Look no further than the Disney Cats Mini Backpack by Loungefly…

…or the Disney Dogs Mini Backpack by Loungefly.

You can also get your morning sip on with the Disney Cats Mug…

…and Disney Dogs Mug.

This may be the Reigning Cats and Dogs collection, but it’s got some items for if it’s RAINING cats and dogs! Check out the Disney Cats and Dogs Rain Jacket!

We love a good pun and a good stylish outerwear option!

Click here to see the Cats and Dogs Collection in Disney World!

We’ll see more cats and dogs merch at the other shops, but we’ve got some other items at World of Disney to look at first! Check out the Villains Cropped Hoodie for $44.99.

We fell in love with these Black Floral Minnie Ears when we spotted them in EPCOT’s Mexico Pavilion and now they’re available in Disneyland for $29.99!

We spotted four fun Disney PopSockets for $14.99 each. There’s one with Baby Yoda/The Child/Grogu…

…one with Grumpy…

…one with Mickey…

…and one with Minnie.

Plus some Disney Headphone Cases for $19.99 each — a Mickey design…

…and a Donald design!

This Clear Mickey Phone Case for $29.99 has a seriously understated design that caught us off guard when we spotted it in Disney World. The Mickeys are on the sides!

Fittingly, Disneyland also has a Lunar New Year collection. It features the Lunar New Year Ears we’ve seen in Disney World for $29.99. 

These are SO pretty!

Want to see more of the Lunar New Year Ears? Click here!

The collection also has a Lunar New Year Spirit Jersey for $74.99…

…a Lunar New Year Women’s T-shirt for $36.99…

…and a Lunar New Year Men’s T-shirt for $36.99.

We’ve had the Mickey & Co. Sweatshirts collection in Disney World for a while but this is the first time we’re seeing them in Disneyland. These $42.99 sweatshirts include a Yellow Mickey design…

…a Black Fab Five design…

…a Grey Sensational Six design…

…a Comic Strips design…

…a Peach Fab Five design…

…a Grey Mickey design…

…and a Disney Logo design!

New Disneyland-specific merch includes a Disneyland Trucker Hat for $27.99…

…and a Disneyland Beanie for $21.99.

Kiddos might love this sweet new Kids’ R2-D2 Spirit Jersey for $49.99.

Celebrate 2021 with this 2021 Pen Set for $17.99.

Or ring it in with a 2021 Postcard for $3.49.

Finally, we spotted this Mickey Balloon Card Holder by Loungefly for $20!

Elias & Co.

Over at Elias & Co., there’s a bunch of that Reigning Cats and Dogs merch too. See, we told ya so! Remember, you can find prices for these items right here! Check out this Disney Cats Tote Bag!

There’s a Disney Dogs Tote Bag too!

We think the Disney Cats Socks Set…

…and the Disney Dogs Socks Set are super cute.

If you snagged one of those Loungfly backpacks at World of Disney, you can head here to get the matching Disney Cats Wallet by Loungefly…

…or Disney Dogs Wallet by Loungefly!

Have you ever seen something as cute as these Pluto Hair Clips?

These Figaro Hair Clips are pretty cute too!

Suit up for that rain with the Disney Cats and Dogs Umbrella!

Top your stormy look off with the Disney Cats and Dogs Rain Bucket Hat.

Write down all your thoughts in the Disney Cats Journal…

…or the Disney Dogs Journal.

Remember that fun shirt from earlier? There’s also the More Disney More Dogs Hat!

This Disney Dogs Names T-shirt is a great way to tap into the “&…” trend.

How CUTE is this I Chews You Baby Onesie? Dog and cat lovers have their PICK when it comes to Disney merch right now.

Her Universe released a new-to-us neon collection with a Tank Top for $34.99…

…Bike Shorts for $34.99…

…and a Buttondown Crop Top for $39.99.

Finally, you can find the NEW BaubleBar Holiday Minnie Ears here for $78!

We’ve already spotted these designer ears in Disney World and we’re happy to see ’em here.

To see where you can get the BaubleBar Ears in Disney World, click here!

Backlot Premiere Shop

But wait, there’s MORE cats and dogs merch at Backlot Premiere Shop too! We know, we know. It’s a lot. First up at Backlot, there’s this Disney Dogs Collared Shirt for Dogs for $39.99.

Check out this sweet Disneyland Dogs Sweatshirt for $49.99.

Want your pup to match your cute rain look from earlier? Check out the Disney Dogs Rain Jacket for Dogs for $34.99!

Speaking of dog apparel, a pup or kitty would look cute in this $24.99 Bandana Set.

Got a toothy doggo? Swing for the Monorail Squeaky Toy for $17.99!

Frame your BFF with the Cat Photo Frame…

…or the Dog Photo Frame for $29.99 each.

You also have your choice of Dish Towel Sets for $19.99 each. One has Disney Cats…

…and one has Disney Dogs!

More doggie apparel comes in the form of this Disney Dogs Dress for Dogs for $39.99.

Lounge about with these Disney Dogs Sweatpants!

Why should pups have all the fun? Snag a Disney Cats Cat Toy for $17.99.

This is a very relatable shirt and we just might have to buy it. It’s the “I’m Here to Pet All the Puppies” Shirt for $29.99.

The one NON-cats-and-dogs new thing at Backlot was the Soul Pin Set for $59.99. Cool!

The Dress Shop

Remember those Black Floral Ears from earlier? You can find the rest of the collection at The Dress Shop! There’s a Tank Top for $34.99…

…a Sweatshirt for $44.99…

…Sweatpants for $44.99…

…and a Pouch for $24.99.

Pin Traders

Our last stop is Pin Traders where there are a number of Tangled 10th Anniversary pins. We’ve spotted these in Disney World already! There’s a Jumbo Pin for $64.99…

…a Rapunzel and Gothel Pin for $19.99…

…a Rapunzel and Pascal Pin for $19.99…

…and a Rapunzel and Maximus Pin for $19.99!

We’re def considering using this 2021 Pin to commemorate the end of 2020 for $17.99!

Finally, Pin Traders has three SCENTED pins for $17.99 each. There’s the Stitch Scents Pin…

…the Ele-Finnick Scents Pin…

…and the Abominable Snowman Scents Pin.

Whew! There sure is a lot of new merchandise to check out in Downtown Disney. Stay tuned to DFB for more latest Disney updates.

Click here to see more of the latest news from Downtown Disney!

The post What’s New at Downtown Disney: Unique Pins and LOTS of Cats and Dogs Merch! first appeared on the disney food blog.

It’s a busy, busy day in Walt Disney World!

While Christmas has come and gone, this is still prime vacation time for many people, as they get an extra week off of work before the New Year. We’re seeing massive crowds and ridiculously long lines for attractions. As we were checking out one of those super-long queues, we happened to spot something on Avatar Flight of Passage that really surprised us!

We hopped in line for Flight of Passage earlier today, and the queue ended WAY back in Africa! The wait time was posted at 90 minutes, and it took us quite a while to board the attraction.

When we got inside the attraction, we noticed that guests are now being loaded onto every bike. 

Previously, guests were loaded with one or two bikes in between parties to allow for social distancing, but they’re now all placed directly next to each other. The part of this that shocked us the most is that no plexiglass dividers have been installed on this ride. The same process is being done on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster as well. 

The pre-show area of the attraction is still set up to allow for distancing between parties, but for the four minute ride on a banshee, you’ll be within inches of other guests.

There is plexiglass stationed throughout the queue to this ride, so we were surprised that it wasn’t included next to the ride vehicles for this change to be made.

We’re not sure yet if this change is permanent or if it’s just happening because of the high volume of crowds, but we’ll be checking back in later.

Stay tuned as we continue to check out the updates to health and safety measures around Walt Disney World. We’re in the parks frequently checking for changes, and we’ll make sure to share the latest news with our readers!

Photos: Slinky Dog Dash is Also Seating Guests on Every Row!

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What do you think of this change? Tell us in the comments!

The post PHOTOS: Flight of Passage Now Loading Every Bike (WITHOUT Barriers) in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.

Into each life, a little rain must fall. And if that rain happens to fall on your Disney day, you may be singing the blues. There’s still plenty of ways to have fun at the parks, though. Today, we’re looking at four ways to have fun at Disney’s Animal Kingdom on a rainy day.

Indoor Attractions or Attractions with Indoor Queues

 

Although many attractions at Animal Kingdom are outside, there are a few that can help take you out of the rain for a while, including It’s Tough to be a Bug and Dinosaur. Also, depending on line length, Flight of Passage has a queue that is partially indoors, and much of Kilimanjaro Safaris’ queue is under cover. A trip on the Wildlife Express is under cover, and then Conservation Station is inside.

Go Shopping for a While

Animal Kingdom has several unique shopping locations where you can spend some time to get out of the rain. You can read more about the variety that you can find here.

Grab a Drink and Watch the Crowds Go By

A good bar experience may not be what you think of when you think of Animal Kingdom, but two of our favorite bars at Walt Disney World can be found here. For a casual drink and good crowd-watching opportunities, Dawa Bar in Africa is highly recommended. Looking for an even more relaxing experience? Nomad Lounge, located near the Discovery Island bridge into Pandora offers quality drinks and food. You can see more of our recommendations here.

Ride Kali River Rapids

If it’s raining, you’re probably already wet. As long as it isn’t severe weather that necessitates a closure, why not enjoy riding on Kali River Rapids to get thoroughly soaked?

Do you have other favorite things to do at Animal Kingdom when it rains? Let us know in the comments.

The post Best Ways to Enjoy Disney’s Animal Kingdom in the Rain appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.