Whether you’re graduating from fifth grade or college, you’ll want to celebrate with one of these new 2021 graduation Mickey ear caps now available at Walt Disney World. 2021 Graduation Ear Cap – $27.99 The hat is shaped just like a classic graduation cap, except with Mickey’s ears on top. “Class of 2021” is embroidered in yellow on the front. There’s a cord on the back to adjust the size of the hat. The Mickey ears are plush velvet. There’s […]

The post PHOTOS: New 2021 Graduation Ear Hat Now Available at Walt Disney World appeared first on WDW News Today.

Got 999 Haunted Mansion-themed items? Well, you know what they say…there’s room for 1,000!

Last year, Dooney & Bourke released a collection of drop-dead gorgeous bags themed to the Mansion. These bags were full of characters and details from the ride including the singing busts, Madame Leota, the bride, and much more. And while the bags from that collection were released months ago, something NEW for Haunted Mansion fans with a similar look has now materialized in Disney World.

Here’s a look at last year’s colorful Dooney & Bourke Haunted Mansion collection.

And here’s a look at the NEW Dooney & Bourke MagicBand that has just been released in Disney World! The MagicBand has that same awesome Haunted Mansion pattern from the bags.

The pattern is bright and colorful and features many of the Mansion’s signature residents like the Hitchhiking Ghosts…

…the Signing Busts, characters from those Stretching Room portraits…

…the Bride, the Hatbox Ghost, and more!

It’s like a tiny seek-and-find challenge on your wrist — how many Haunted Mansion characters and details can you spot?!

The MagicBand comes in a collectible box with more of that pattern on the front. So you’ll have an awesome way to display it at home.

It is a limited edition item of only 2,500 though, so if you want to get it, you’ll want to act fast! We found the MagicBand at Frontier Trading Post in Magic Kingdom priced at $58.

If we see any more new Haunted Mansion items, we’ll share them with you so you can continue to transform your home into the frightfully fantastic haunted mansion of your dreams. Happy haunting!

Click here to pre-order the new Haunted Mansion Golden Book!

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Do you like this new MagicBand? Tell us in the comments.

The post Haunted Mansion Fans: There’s Something NEW For You in Disney World! first appeared on the disney food blog.

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You may have heard about the shoe battle goin’ on in Disney World.

Disney’s new collaboration with Native shoes seem to be taking over! Not only are the Ked-like sneakers a HUGE hit with parents, but they come in Mickey and Minnie-inspired designs. But…what about the OG Disney shoes? Have we forgotten about Crocs?

After witnessing an epic showdown between these two shoes, we decided to give both a spin to see which we preferred! We tested out the Native shoes earlier this week, so now it’s time to wear the Crocs ALL day in Disney and see what we think.

There’s TONS of Disney Crocs available. We’ve seen Haunted Mansion Crocs, glittery Crocs, Christmas Crocs, and more. But for this experiment, we decided to buy the Retro Yellow Crocs. These are available both in the parks and online!

Click Here to Buy the Retro Yellow Crocs!

They feature the Walt Disney World logo on the platform and side of the soles.

We’ve had LOTS of questions on how these Crocs compare to the new Natives. Are they equally comfortable? Do your feet sweat? What’s the sizing like? So it’s time to take these trusty Crocs out for a day in the park to answer all YOUR questions! We headed over to EPCOT to kick off the day.

We instantly realized just how comfortable these shoes were. They were also super wide, unlike the Natives, which are pretty narrow. After walking around for a bit, we still didn’t have any signs of blisters!

About 3 hours later, we DID actually need a bandage. But we’re gonna be honest — it wasn’t entirely these snazzy Crocs’ fault. The blister popped up right where our Natives had irritated our foot. We patched it up and kept moving!

About 4.5 hours after we got to EPCOT, we surrendered to the blister and changed back into our flip flops (again, not totally the Crocs’ fault). Overall, these shoes were much comfier than the Natives! Their roominess makes them easier on people with wider feet. We also noticed that they didn’t get at all sweaty, unlike the Natives, where there was a little sweat.

Even those these shoes FELT really loose — sometimes we even thought we’d walk right out of our shoes! — they weren’t slippery at all. That’s another thing the Crocs have over the Natives. And the comfort element is HUGE. We lasted twice as long in the Crocs as we did the Natives. Of course, that may just be because those Natives take a little more time to break in.

So…who won this ultimate showdown? Well, it depends! If you’re going for comfort, we’d pick the Crocs. Your comfort level will probably be way higher. But if you’re going for style, the Natives may be more up your alley. The Mouse-inspired designs are perfect for a day in the parks.

Price-wise, the Crocs are just barely cheaper. The Retro Yellow Crocs we wore cost $49.99, while a pair of adult Natives is $54.99. Which you choose really depends on what you want out of these kicks! If your shoes fit right and you’re walking short distances, the Natives could be a great option. But we walk a LOT. As in, over 64,000 steps since Monday.

The value on the Crocs may be better for long distances.

Click Here to Buy the Retro Yellow Crocs!

We enjoyed wearing our Crocs around EPCOT and will definitely do another park day in them! If you’re deciding whether or not you want to buy a pair, we hope our review helped you out. As always, stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news!

Read Our Native Shoes Review!

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Have you ever worn Crocs to Disney World? What did you think of them? Let us know in the comments!

The post We Wore Crocs in Disney World All Day. Here’s What Happened. first appeared on the disney food blog.

Disney fans could soon have a new museum to put on their travel bucket list to explore Walt Disney’s earliest history as an animator.

This would be in addition to the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco, the recently extended Walt Disney Archives exhibit at Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, and the Walt Disney Birthplace in Chicago.

A new project hopes to restore Walt’s first studio in Kansas City, Laugh-O-Gram. And according to Fox 4 Kansas City, momentum is building to make that happen! The nonprofit organization Thank YouWalt Disney just announced two grants, totaling over $300,000, that will be used to restore the old Laugh-O-Gram building.

This building is where Walt kept a pet mouse that eventually became the inspiration for Mickey! The hope is to convert the old building, which still stands, into a museum and educational space.

The entire project is estimated to cost around $5 million total, but the first round of renovations to the building is expected to begin this spring, so it’s well underway to becoming something truly special! We’ll be sure to let you know about its progress along the way!

100 Things That Will BLOW YOUR MIND About Disney World!

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Have you been to any Walt Disney-related locations that aren’t Disney Parks? Let us know in the comments!

The post You’ll Soon Be Able to Visit’s Walt Disney’s Laugh-O-Gram Studio first appeared on the disney food blog.

EPCOT’s 2021 Flower and Garden Festival is on its way!

We’ve gotten a peek at all the menus, some fun activities, and even new merchandise (Orange Bird sipper, we’re lookin’ at you)! But even though the festival doesn’t start until March 3rd, we’ve already spotted a BIG sign that Flower and Garden is on its way: the topiaries throughout the park!

Although not all of the topiaries have made their debut yet, we’ve been able to track down quite a few! In Future World, we found the iconic butterflies underneath the monorail.

And near Mouse Gear, Bambi, Thumper, and Flower have us twitterpated.

We also spotted Buzz Lightyear! He looks ready for intergalactic takeoff in front of Mission: SPACE.

We found more Toy Story pals by the Land pavilion, where Woody tips his hat and Bo Peep herds her flock.

Now let’s head over to the World Showcase to see what we can find! There was LOTS to see in the United Kingdom Pavilion. Peter Pan and Captain Hook square off…

…while Tinker Bell flutters nearby.

Pooh and friends also make an appearance! We’ve got topiaries for Pooh and Rabbit…

…as well as Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore! Looks like the whole Hundred Acre Wood crew is here.

As we headed towards the Canada Pavilion, we came across Kermit the Frog on his classic bike.

Of course, Miss Piggy isn’t far!

In Norway, Anna and Elsa welcome spring…

…and panda bears play in China!

Lady and the Tramp are back in the Italy Pavilion this year, after bouncing around a bit for festivals past.

And in Japan, the dragon topiary returns to the front of the Torii Gate.

Lastly, we’ve got TWO topiaries in the France Pavilion! Remy was new last year and now he’s back, welcoming guests into the pavilion’s expansion.

And nearby, Belle and the Beast dance in front of the Eiffel Tower!

We’ll keep an eye out as more topiaries are added in preparation for the festival. Which one’s your favorite so far? As always, stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news!

Check Out ALL the Topiaries Coming to the Festival This Year!

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Which of these topiaries is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

The post Where to Find Every Flower and Garden Topiary in EPCOT first appeared on the disney food blog.

Welcome back, DFB friends! We’re here with another What’s New at EPCOT!

And, we’ve got plenty of adventurous food, new merchandise, and festival updates to share with you. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s jump right on in!

EPCOT Flower and Garden Update

Flower and Garden Festival

Spring has arrived in EPCOT for the Flower and Garden Festival! The festival doesn’t officially start until March 3rd, but flowers are starting to show up! We spotted new floating planters in the water on our way to World Showcase.

And, they were also added to the water area in front of Imagination!

Yesterday, we also go the menus for the festival! AHH. It’s almost here.

MENUS Announced for EPCOT’s 2021 Flower and Garden Festival

Characters are popping up in plant form all over the park too like this Lion King Topiary in Future World!

Even the flowers that surround the characters are themed to the movie — the yellow, orange, and red flowers are giving off all the African sunset vibes.

An All-New Concert Experience Is Coming to EPCOT’s 2021 Flower and Garden Festival

Flowers are also popping up around the pavilions and we spotted that Mexico got some arrangements added to the staircase.

Garden Graze Food Stroll Returning to EPCOT’s Flower and Garden Festival!

Living With The Land

We wanted to be surrounded by even MORE plants so we took a ride on Living with the Land and noticed that some watering cans had been added to one of the plant areas.

And something has to be in progress! A few structures on the ride look ready to be decked out for the Flower and Garden festival.

It’s always worth riding this during a festival or holiday season because it tends to get decked out for the occasion!

Click HERE for ALL things 2021 Flower and Garden Festival!

EPCOT Food Update

House of Good Fortune

If you need a caffeine kick but don’t want to wait in a long line for Starbucks or Joffrey’s, we’ve found a solution for you! Over in the China Pavilion in House of Good Fortune, we spotted coffee…in chip form. We’re talking about the Coffee Oolong Milk Tea Flavored Lays Chips! 

We were skeptical too, but hear us out. These tasted just like a cup of creamy, sugary coffee…with a crunch!

Check out our FULL REVIEW of the Coffee Chips HERE!

The shop features other unique chip flavors like Lime…

…and Sea Salt and Pepper.

If you’re craving a crunchy snack and want to try something adventurous, stop into House of Good Fortune!

Weinkeller

Did you know there’s a somewhat hidden bar in the Germany Pavilion at EPCOT? We say hidden because it’s actually in the back of a gift shop. They feature a new wine each week so we stopped by to check it out. This week the Clean Slate Dry Riesling is the promotion. You can sample the wine in a 3oz glass for $8…

…or you can go all in and buy a bottle for $12. And, no that’s not a typo — this bottle is really $4 more than a 3oz pour. Not a bad deal! Heck, we’ve tried cocktails for more than that in Disney World!

If you’re in the mood for some wine around World Showcase, this might be a great place to stop to get some bang for your buck!

Enoteca Castello

We were really on a wine kick so we headed over to the Italy Pavilion, to check out Enoteca Castello (a shop that serves wine by the glass). When we walked in, we noticed that more plexiglass was added to the counter so another register could open.

When we went to order one of our favorites, the Limoncello Spritzer we found out that it was out of stock. Big bummer.

We were forced to save room for other food and drink around EPCOT.

Check out our REVIEW of the Limoncello Spritzer!

EPCOT Construction Update

EPCOT Entrance

We’ve seen a lot of improvements being made to the entrance of EPCOT. Last year the new entrance fountain was revealed and recently they removed the construction walls around Spaceship Earth. And, we spotted another new addition on our visit!

Now there are flagpoles up on one side of Spaceship Earth in the entrance area. No flags yet, but we’ll keep you updated!

PHOTOS: The Area Around Spaceship Earth in EPCOT is FINALLY Construction Wall Free

EPCOT Merchandise Update

Gateway Gifts

We stopped into Gateway Gifts at the front of the park and noticed that the Donald Duck hat we spotted in Downtown Disney had made its way to EPCOT! The front of the hat has Donald embroidered with “The one and only” written.

And the side of the hat says “Donald Duck.”

If you’re a fan of (the one and only) Donald Duck, you don’t have to head to the West Coast to get this hat anymore!

Mouse Gear

More merchandise from other parks have made their way to EPCOT in Mouse Gear! If you’re a fan of Sorcerer Mickey or need a new phone case, you can find this one for $29.99.

Mickey is on the front in his iconic sorcerer hat and outfit and the background has the night sky with shooting stars.

We spotted these phone cases at another park in Disney World!

And, Orange Bird Shoulder Plushes made their way into Disney World this week and we found them available behind the register at Mouse Gear.

The shoulder plush comes with a magnetic piece that you stick under your shirt so the little guy can come with you everywhere!

Port of Entry

And, if you make it past Mouse Gear but still want the Orange Bird Shoulder Plush, you can also find him at Port of Entry.

And the color scheme even continued down the sleeve, adding a pop of color to the white tee.

If you’re a fan of bucket hats then you’ll want to know about this one! We spotted a grey Mickey Hat with “Gutentag!” written in color and Mickey in his Oktoberfest get-up.

The hat is available for $24.99.

And that’s all for our trip to EPCOT for now! Stay tuned for all the latest Disney news and updates!

See Your Absolute Disney World Must-Dos here!

Click HERE To See All The Updated Details For Epcot’s 2021 Flower and Garden Festival!

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Have you been to EPCOT recently? Let us know in the comments!

The post PHOTOS: Flower and Garden Festival Preparations Are Underway at EPCOT! first appeared on the disney food blog.