Some exciting new technology has officially arrived in Disney World!

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Las week, we shared that Disney’s new MagicMobile service had rolled out on select Apple devices, and we gave ya a step-by-step guide on how to set it up. The new technology, which Disney announced earlier this month, essentially lets your phone become your MagicBand! And now, all Apple users are able to access this new features on their smart devices (yup, that includes Apple watches!).

While the service is initially only available to Apple users, it’ll roll out to Android users, too, later this year. You’ll be able to enter theme parks, connect PhotoPass photos, and access the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance virtual queue with your pass. And soon, you’ll be able to charge to your Disney hotel with MagicMobile, just like you would with a MagicBand! Now, let’s break down exactly how to get ya all set up.

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After you’ve hit “Set Up Your Pass,” you’ll be directed to select your name and MagicMobile pass style. You’ve got LOTS of options, including special designs for Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club members!

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Once you’ve picked your style, you’ll have the option to add passes for other people in your party.

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Go on and add whoever you want — then add all your passes to your digital wallet!

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You’ll also be able to select which of your passes you want to be your Express Pass. You won’t have to have your phone awake or unlocked to use the Express Pass — you can just tap it at any touchpoint to do what you need to do. For your other passes, you’ll have to unlock your phone and pull ’em up in your digital wallet manually.

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To use MagicMobile features like automatic PhotoPass linking, unlocking your hotel room door, and more, you’ll need to make sure you’ve enabled Bluetooth. And you won’t be able to use your Express Pass to unlock your door — you’ll have to manually pull it up through your MagicMobile pass in the My Disney Experience app. That’s just another layer of security for you!

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More MagicMobile features — like charging to your hotel room! — will continue to roll out throughout 2021. All you Android users out there will gain access to the service, too! And if you prefer the tech-free lifestyle, your MagicBand or Key to the World will remain fully functional. You can even use them interchangeably with MagicMobile! We’ll keep a close eye on the changes and be sure to keep you posted. Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news!

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Are you going to set up a MagicMobile pass? Let us know in the comments!

The post Love It or HATE It…Disney World’s Newest Way to Scan Into the Park is Live first appeared on the disney food blog.

There is something so iconic about walking into the Main Street Confectionery just after you’ve entered Magic Kingdom. The smell of all the sweets gloriously swirling around the shop as you try to decide which one (or two, ahem) to choose is what dreams are made of.

From the pastel-colored accents surrounding you to the show kitchen that allows guests to observe cast members delicately hand-decorating the carameled apples, there is more than one reason to feel that nostalgia inside this shop.

We’re not sure what this refurbishment will entail, but we hope that the same nostalgia we’ve grown to love will still be there in the details.

As we previously reported, the Main Street Confectionery is currently closed for refurbishment, and Disney has not announced how long the closure will last.

Fear not, my sweets and treats-loving friends, Craig stopped by the Magic Kingdom and found the Main Street Cinema loaded with all the goodies you can imagine.

From those beloved candy apples to popcorn and other packaged candy, it’s all there.

You’ll even find some fun items for your kitchen like aprons and oven mitts.

A little birdie told us that the marquee outside has received its update and now displays what’s actually inside currently. Let us know in the comments if you stop by!

Refurbishments and reimaginings currently abound at Walt Disney World. Let’s have a little fun and engage in some amateur Imagineering! Below are three themes with a rich legacy in the world of Disney, which if built, would certainly not result in a generic, uninspired resort.

Jules Verne

Jules Verne was a prolific French writer of the mid and late nineteenth century who had a mind to see into the scientific possibilities of the future. Verne did not restrain his imagination in his writings, which audiences voraciously read. Some of his best-known works today include 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and Around the World in Eighty Days.

Verne’s works have permeated the world of Disney via a wide variety of films and in attractions around the world. Two absolute masterpieces of Disney live-action film are 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) and the somewhat overlooked In Search of the Castaways (1962).

Discoveryland in Disneyland Paris includes several attractions based on Verne’s work. The Mysterious Island land in Tokyo DisneySea is also based on Verne’s work. While I have never personally been to these places, they appear to be visually stunning and everything we expect out of Disney theme park immersion.

Source: Disney Parks Blog

Clearly, the work of Jules Verne has a strong place in the world of Disney. A resort themed off of his work could fit many molds. If we think of ourselves as Imagineers, what angle would we want to take? A Victorian, steam punk, and/or oceanographic theme would all be appropriate in one resort. Would the pool area feature a volcano, such as the Polynesian Village Resort? A seafood restaurant with a large undersea tank would be a perfect fit, and perhaps provide some competition to the Coral Reef Restaurant. Perhaps guests looking to spend top dollar could stay in their very own Nautilus? When looking at a body of work which takes one to the center of the earth, the deepest depths of the ocean, and into outer space, the possibilities are seemingly endless.

Alice in Wonderland

Many may be surprised to learn that Alice in Wonderland (1951) was a critical disaster and tepid box office performer upon its release. The film has evolved to be one of the most beloved and iconic of classic Disney animation. Based on Lewis Carrol’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass, the film is luminous and adapts many of the nonsensical scenarios and characters from the stories.

Character’s such as the Queen of Hearts, voiced by Verna Felton, and the Cheshire Cat, voiced by Sterling Holloway abound in parks, merchandising, and Disney popular culture references. Many parades, attractions, nighttime shows and more are based on Alice in Wonderland.

This includes the Alice in Wonderland Maze in Shanghai Disneyland,  the Alice in Wonderland attraction in Disneyland California, and the Mad Hatter Tea Cups in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.

When imagining a Wonderland-themed resort, it is easy to visualize a stunning, colorful, and ironic place. Many sub-themes could easily emerge, such as the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party or the home of the White Rabbit.  A whimsical pool area, themed after the Walrus and the Carpenter, perhaps with a poolside oyster bar, could help attract adults or older families, who might be turned off the by theme. Think how beautiful the resort could be at night with lanterns lit up, and well-manicured lawns modeled after the garden of the Queen of Hearts. With a Victorian background, theming could be simplified, to avoid a certain gaudiness or carnival quality which could otherwise emerge.

Grimm’s Fairy Tales

The Grimm’s Fairy Tales are an incredibly important collection of stories in the world of Disney. These are a collection of stories collected by the brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, initially released in 1812. Many of these tales, such as Snow White, Briar Rose, Cinderella, and Rapunzel, were adapted by Disney, leading to the creation of some of the most beloved movies and characters produced by Disney.

Movies based on tales in this collection include Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Tangled, and The Princess and the Frog. Of course, the imaginings of the stories are typically quite loose adaptions or simply serve as a template. Also, many authors contributed to the stories, such as Charles Perrault’s tale, which also helped inspire Sleeping Beauty.

The impact of the work of the Brothers Grimm in Disney films and parks is of course quite extensive. We have Sleeping Beauty Castle, Cinderella Castle, and many attractions around the world based on Snow White and Cinderella. There are many character meet and greets, and character meals, such as at Artist Point and Cinderella’s Royal Table.

The world of Disney has achieved massive success adapting the works of the Brothers Grimm. So how could this be imagined into a beloved resort? With the unofficial moratorium on high-rise buildings seemingly at an end, perhaps a castle modeled off of that of the Evil Queen’s castle could draw guests in? Stunning stained glass windows could make for a beautiful lobby.

Source: Black Forest Tourism

Or a woodland theme, which might admittedly somewhat step on the Wilderness Lodge’s niche? Cabins and accommodations for families of five or more are always in high demand, and perhaps a stay in a cabin based on that of the Seven Dwarfs or that of the Good Fairies of Sleeping Beauty might delight guests? Many of these stories, which took place in the Black Forest, could even have an autumnal flare, which is seldom seen elsewhere on property.

Walt Disney World is a place which is constantly evolving and growing. While their dance card is quite full at the moment, who knows what is on the horizon? It appears for now that sleek and modern resorts are the wave of the future. However, who knows what Imagineers have in store for future decades. What themes would you like to see in a new Walt Disney World resort?