We’re a little over six months away from the beginning of the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary celebrations, and we’ve been seeing quite a few attractions close for refurbishment leading up to the festivities.

Over at Magic Kingdom, Cinderella Castle has been getting some TLC with a new paint job, some fixes to the stage area, and even some new decorations. We’ve also seen a few rides undergo maintenance such as Mad Tea Party and Peter Pan’s Flight. And, the next item on Disney’s punch list is here and it involves the temporary closure of one of the sweetest shops in the park.

As of today, the Main Street Confectionery is temporarily closed. We spotted this closure at the beginning of the month, so hopefully, you got in all the cupcakes, cookies, and treats you could before it closed down for its lengthy refurbishment.

When we passed by the shop on Main, Street, U.S.A., it was completely shuttered. Disney recently shared some details about what it’ll look like when it reopens — including some new interactive elements! — and we’re excited to see work begin.

In the mean time, you’ll be able to get your sweets at Main Street Cinema, which is the temporary home of Main Street Confectionery’s wares.

Of course, we hopped over to Main Street Cinema to check out the recently reopened shop! Plenty of candies and snacks were on display throughout the space.

We spotted pre-packaged Confectionery favorites like candy apples, cookies…

…and Rice Krispie treats! Instead of a Cast Member retrieving any of your picks from a bakery case, you’ll grab ’em for yourself to carry to the register.

There’s also a selection of other snacks to choose from, like pretzels, chocolate, and gummy candy.

Currently, the Main Street Confectionery will be closed through at least June 12th, 2021. We say “at least” because Disney World has only released park hours and the refurbishment scheduled through that date. So, it is quite possible that this temporary closure could last longer. We will keep an eye out for more updates and share them with you!

Click Here for More Details on the Confectionery’s New Look!

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What is your favorite Disney treat? Let us know in the comments!

The post Main Street, U.S.A Looks VERY Different Right Now in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.

As the situation with the global pandemic continues to develop, we’ve seen a variety of changes made and other news announced.

So far, President Biden has indicated that the U.S. could have enough vaccines for all adults by May, and has directed states to make all adults eligible for the vaccine by May. California and Florida have already started to announce expansions in terms of eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine, and Dr. Fauci has indicated that COVID-19 guidelines could loosen by July. And, now we’ve got an update on “vaccine passports” and what you might need to travel or participate in certain activities in the future.

According to The Washington Post, President Biden’s administration along with private companies are “working to develop a way of handling credentials…that would allow Americans to prove they have been vaccinated” against COVID-19. This is what has often been referred to as a “vaccine passport” or what some call “vaccine credentials.” Again, as the Post notes, these would essentially allow individuals to prove they’ve been vaccinated.

In February, we shared that there was already some talk of developing vaccine passports which could be required for international travel or large-scale events. It seems now, the effort to develop vaccine passports has gained momentum as the situation with the pandemic continues to develop.

As The Washington Post reports, some officials have indicated that COVID-19 guidelines could be loosened by this summer, and now a growing number of companies have said they will require proof of vaccination before opening up again. We have seen some companies indicate this already, like Royal Caribbean International whose guidelines for returning to cruising indicated that only vaccinated adults (and younger individuals with negative COVID-19 tests) would be able to board upcoming cruises.

The U.S. isn’t alone in this vaccine passport effort though. Other countries have been working on their own passport plans. But, U.S. officials say they’re dealing with all kinds of challenges including health-care equity and data privacy. They’re trying to develop a system that Americans can use to prove they’ve been vaccinated, but also want to make sure that the system cannot be easily hacked, that they are preventing against fraud, and that any passports created cannot be easily counterfeited.

There are also a number of different passport initiatives already underway to deal with. In fact, there are apparently at least 17 different passport initiatives underway such as one led by the World Health Organization and a digital pass being created by IBM. Officials have warned about the “confusing array” of efforts that are already underway to create these passports. If the approach to the vaccine passport is too chaotic, some warn it could be ineffective.

According to some slides prepared by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, proof of vaccination may be critical, however, to “restoring baseline population health and promoting safe return to social, commercial, and leisure activities.”

Some officials have indicated that they are concerned with making sure that low-income populations aren’t squeezed out. Micky Tripathi, who was selected by President Biden as the national coordinator for Health IT, said in a recent meeting, “How do we make sure that whatever is available is accessible to everyone so no one is left behind or feeling like they can’t participate in the return of their day-to-day activities?”

Some have indicated that these vaccine credentials could also help officials understand COVID-19 vaccinations better, including potential long-term side effects, if the data is connected with some health information.

The Biden administration is expected to provide more information about its efforts relating to the vaccine passport soon. We’ll continue to keep an eye out for more updates on this situation.

Click here to read more about how vaccine passports may be required for air travel and other events soon.

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The post NEWS: You Might Need a Vaccine Passport for Travel and More This Summer first appeared on the disney food blog.

To all our runners out there — and your kids — we have a refreshing new recipe that might just hit the spot!

After having a big workout, it can be nice to kick back with a refreshing drink to recharge and reset. runDisney has shared a new smoothie recipe by Jamie Lee McIntyre MS RDN, GoGo squeeZ Content Contributor that sounds delicious and features one of our favorite green friends!

Your kids may love Baby Yoda, but will they love this green smoothie inspired by him?

Ingredients

If they don’t mind the color, this smoothie recipe could be a great way to get in your daily serving of fruits and veggies! To make this delicious look-alike, you’ll need:

• A peeled kiwi
• 2 Packs of Gogo squeeZ Applesauce
• A handful of baby spinach
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1/2 c crushed ice

With the option to add mint leaves for extra flavor!

Directions

To make your smoothie: simply blend all your ingredients together in the blender until smooth, and then pour into a glass. For that adorable Grogu garnish on top, you’ll need two blueberries for the eyes, and two 1/4 slices of kiwi for the ears. Place these all on a toothpick, and set it on top of the glass. Voila! Baby Yoda, is that you??

Now you might be thinking…haven’t I seen something like this before?

We definitely think this smoothie bears a resemblance to the secret menu Baby Yoda cocktail over at Trader Sam’s at Disneyland Resort!

This smoothie recipe was created in honor of this year’s Star Wars virtual runDisney marathon in April, so we will definitely be keeping our eyes out for more fun recipes like this one as we get closer!

Looking for a healthy treat to pair with your smoothie? Check out this other runDisney recipe!

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Is this green smoothie the way for you? Let us know in the comments!

The post Disney Recipe: A Smoothie Your Kids Might Actually Want to Drink (Hint: It’s Baby Yoda!) first appeared on the disney food blog.

We’ve popped into Disney World’s WILDEST park a few times in the last week!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is a pretty cool place to hang out. We love eating the food, riding the rides, and (of course!) checking in on the animals. Now, we’re here with a quick update on everything NEW in the park!

Animal Kingdom Food Updates

Restaurantosaurus Lounge

Let’s start with the food updates! Cast Members let us know that Restaurantosaurus Lounge has the last of the Tiger Beer in the park right now. You’ll want to hurry over if you’re hoping to snag some!

Tiffins

On Discovery Island, Tiffins restaurant had a “Seating Available” sign posted to encourage guests to pop in for a meal.

Animal Kingdom Construction Updates

Pandora

Over in Pandora, the barriers from the bioluminescence repainting are gone and the entrance walkway is fully reopened.

Nights in Pandora should have a renewed glow about them!

Affection Section

Let’s hop on the Wildlife Express Train and head to Rafiki’s Planet Watch to visit the Affection Section.

Recently, we spotted that Gabby, a Pinewoods Cattle, was working on placing her hoof on a riser and getting rewards for it. Cast Members let us know that this is how they would get her to place her hoof for an X-ray!

Animal Kingdom Merchandise Updates

Pin Trading

We didn’t spot any new merchandise in Animal Kingdom on our last visit, but we did see that the new Pin Trading location has been moved from Expedition Everest to the old merch cart across from the Gibbons Apes.

That’s all we have for you so it was just a quick update today! As always, keep an eye on DFB for the latest updates from Disney World and beyond!

Want more of the latest news from Animal Kingdom? Click here!

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Headed to Animal Kingdom soon? Tell us in the comments! 

The post What’s New in Disney’s Animal Kingdom: A LIMITED Beer, Animal Training, and MORE! first appeared on the disney food blog.