It was a rocky year for Hong Kong Disneyland. The park closed in January 2020, reopened in June, closed again in July, reopened in September, and then closed again in December. It reopened once more in February 2021.

During that time, though, something extraordinary was going on behind the scenes — Disney Imagineers were building a NEW castle for the park! That castle, now known as the Castle of Magical Dreams, opened to guests in November 2020.

New details have surfaced about the castle, which is the first of its kind. Disney castles typically only represent one princess and have one specific theme. The Castle of Magical Dreams, though, represents many of Disney’s heroines and celebrates them in a completely new way.

Thanks to CNN, we got some more insight on this gorgeous castle. The base of the new castle was the existing Sleeping Beauty Castle, but Disney built on top of that to create something more magnificent. New towers were added to represent different royal women and heroines from Disney’s movies including Aurora, Mulan, Merida, Pocahontas, and more!

The details of each tower tie into the heroine it’s dedicated to — for example, you can see Mushu on Mulan’s tower and Celtic artwork on Merida’s tower. Many of these additional embellishments were carved by hand!

Even more impressive? Disney Imagineers did all this work while keeping the park open to guests. The castle was built using a modular structure system so that each big piece was completed elsewhere, and then later added to the castle. In the end, by adding these pieces ON TOP of the existing castle, it made the castle over twice its original height!

There are also columns inside the castle dedicated to each heroine’s companions and friends, including Mushu, Merida’s bear brothers, Flounder, Pua, Hei Hei, and more. Beautiful stained glass windows are found throughout. It’s a castle not just of Magical Dreams, but MANY dreams!

Hilcia Pena, a senior architect at Walt Disney Imagineering said, “We’re understanding different parts of the world, so we can’t just focus on one group, or one princess or one location,” said Pena. “Our stories continue to grow, and we get to learn about different cultures around the world. So how do we put that into the buildings and stories we try to tell?”

The Castle of Magical Dreams is representative of multiple cultures and the heroines that represent them, and it’s truly incredible work from Disney Imagineers. But did we expect any less of Disney? We’ll let you know if we get any other details about the new Hong Kong Disneyland castle!

Check Out This Lunar New Year Recipe from Hong Kong Disneyland!

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What do you think of Hong Kong Disneyland’s new castle? Let us know in the comments!

The post The Story Behind Disney’s Newest Castle! first appeared on the disney food blog.

Universal Studios Japan has an annual tradition of renewing its entertainment in the spring, and the latest crop has arrived! The extremely popular Power of Pop series is now in its fourth year, and they’ve come up with a whole new show to commemorate Universal Studios Japan’s 20th Anniversary “NO LIMIT” celebration featuring hits from Lady Gaga to Japan’s ONE OK ROCK. And the best part is that rather than traveling to Osaka, you can experience the new Power of […]

The post VIDEO: Celebrate Global Pop Hits and Universal Studios Japan’s 20th Anniversary in “Power of Pop: UNLIMITED” appeared first on WDW News Today.

We’re back to explore everything new at the Disney resorts!

We have a TON of new food and merchandise finds to share with you! Are you ready??

Polynesian Village Resort Food Updates

Pineapple Lanai

We can’t miss an opportunity to visit Pineapple Lanai for a Dole Whip, and found some fun flavors on the menu!

We previously reported on this Orange and Raspberry Dole Whip combo, and we loved the flavors and colors!

Is it an Orangeberry? Is it a Rasprange? Either way, it’s delicious!

Be sure to ask which flavors you can get swirled on your visit!

The Dole Whip Combo We Never Knew We Needed in Disney World

Captain Cook’s

We snagged the Pulled Pork Nachos from Captain Cook’s to pair with our swirled Dole Whip. These have pulled pork, cheese, spicy mayonnaise, pico de gallo, and a fresh pineapple salsa. It was loaded with toppings!

For the price of $9.49, it’s a pretty big portion! A win!

These are one of our favorite Polynesian snacks (or meals).

Check out other interesting Dole Whip combos we’ve found here!

Polynesian Village Resort Merchandise Updates

Boutiki

At the Boutiki merch shop, we found two new Polynesian Village tees! One features the resorts tiki mascot…

…and the other features our favorite blue troublemaker, Stitch! We love his whole vibe with the coconut drink and lei.

Kids can also show off their Stitch love too in this new tee!

Boutiki is currently doing a 30% sale on select name-brand merchandise.

And they are getting into the Easter spirit with these customized Easter baskets!

Each basket can be filled with the goodies of your choice!

You can also purchase a pre-made basket as well.

Here’s where else to find custom Easter baskets!

Moana Mercantile

Easter baskets were also for sale at Moana Mercantile!

You can purchase a ready-made basket through April 4th.

We also found two new tees, featuring characters from Moana!

And that’s everything from Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort!

Take a look at the new Polynesian theme here!

Grand Floridian Merchandise Updates

Basin

Next door at the Grand Floridian, we popped into Basin…

…where we found some new spring soaps!

If you’re feeling sweet you can choose between the Florida Orange and Fresh Pineapple, or if you’re wanting something more natural you can choose between Daisy and Butterfly (what exactly does a butterfly smell like? Apparently it’s flowers!)

M. Mouse Mercantile and Sandy Cove

The Grand Floridian is in the Easter Basket game too!

You can find basket options at both the M. Mouse Mercantile and the Sandy Cove shop. These would be perfect for a family game night!

And that’s everything from Disney’s Grand Floridian!

We have all the details on the Easter Egg display at the Grand Floridian here!

Contemporary Resort Food Updates

Bayview Gifts

Across the lake at the Contemporary, we found a ton of Easter treats in the bakery case at Bayview Gifts!

They had two springtime caramel apples, decorated like the Easter bunny and Easter eggs!

Plus, they had bunny butts!! Our love of the cute bunny booties keeps getting stronger. These are rice krispie treats with bunny feet and tails.

We just think the fluffy tail is too cute!

Check out all of the other Easter treats here!

Contemporary Resort Merchandise Updates

Bayview Gifts

Bayview Gifts also had Easter baskets to go along with their treats!

We also spotted a comfy Contemporary robe, embroidered with the resort’s logo!

We’ve been seeing lots of resort robes recently!

Check out another Disney World resort robe

Fantasia

In the Fantasia shop, we found two seasonal MagicBands! The first has Minnie showing off her Mother’s Day love…

…and the sidekicks are the stars on this Dooney & Burke MagicBand!

And that’s everything at Disney’s  Contemporary resort!

Check out these limited edition magic bands we found online here!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Updates

The Resort

The weather was a little dreary during our visit to Animal Kingdom Lodge, and because of that the pool was completely empty!

The Savanna at both Kidani Village and Jambo House were pretty empty as well.

The animals must have not been digging the weather either!

Read about our mobile order experience at Sanaa in Kidani here!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Merchandise Updates

Johari Treasures

You can also purchase an Easter basket at Johari Treasures in Kidani Village! At this location, you can choose between a basket or a tote!

And that’s everything from Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge!

Read about the rides and hotels that are closed and reopened here!

Saratoga Springs Food Updates

Artist’s Palette

At Artist’s Palette, we let you all know that we found the cutest Easter Spring Cake!

The evenness on the layers is amazing! It’s almost too pretty to eat (but only almost!).

We also tried the new plant-based Asian Noodle Soup, made with rice noodles, napa cabbage, onions, mushrooms, carrots, and jalapenos swimming in a miso pho broth.

The plant-based offerings are getting more and more interesting, and this is a super flavorful vegetarian option!

That’s all from Disney’s Saratoga Springs!

Check out more Easter goodies in Disney Springs here!

Old Key West Food Updates

Good’s Food To Go

We previously reported on this adorable lemon and strawberry spring cupcake from Good’s Food to Go at Old Key West!

The inside of this cupcake is AMAZING. It’s filled with strawberry compote, and the colors are so vibrant!

Don’t miss the opportunity to get this Instagram-worthy cupcake, so go before April 5th!

Read about Easter brunch options at Disney Springs here!

Old Key West Merchandise Updates

Conch Flats General Store

We found another cozy robe, this time from Old Key West!

Similar to the Contemporary one, it’s embroidered with the resort logo.

Whew, that’s everything! We’ll continue to keep up with the latest updates at the Disney World resorts, and we’ll bring you a summary like this at the end of each week! Keep checking back for more updates from the Disney Resorts.

Find all of the our reviews for Disney Easter treats here!

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

Which Disney resort Easter treat are you wanting to try? Let us know in the comments!

The post What’s New at Disney World’s Hotels: New Dole Whip Swirl, Colorful Easter Treats, and Missing Animals! first appeared on the disney food blog.

We already learned about some of the new experiences coming to Shanghai Disney Resort beginning April 8th to celebrate the resort’s 5th anniversary, but we now know even more details thanks to Disney Magical Kingdom Blog. In honor of the “Year of Magical Surprises”, the Shanghai Disney Resort app will debut a new look featuring the resort’s 5th birthday logo. Users of the app will also be able to enter a digital lottery with the “Tap for a Magical Surprise” […]

The post More Details Released on “Year of Magical Surprises” Coming to Shanghai Disney Resort Next Month, Including New Nighttime Spectacular, In-App Surprises, and More appeared first on WDW News Today.

If you follow us over on Instagram, you’ve probably seen the trivia questions we ask you occasionally!

And some of you have been able to answer a lot of our trivia questions without even thinking, but we’ve added a few that are tough for even the most hardcore Disney World fans! And it seems like our latest question stumped some of you!

So here’s the question: “How many American flags are there on Main Street, U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom?” 

And over 10,000 of you got it wrong! The correct answer is 1!

Okay, so this is a pretty tricky question. You’ll see what looks like American flags all over Main Street, U.S.A., mostly on the tops of buildings, but these are not REAL American flags. These flags are missing stars and/or stripes. This is because the American flag code of conduct requires that all real American flags have to be raised, and lowered.

That would take a LOT of time out of Disney World’s already super busy day if those were all real American flags, right? So the only real American flag on Main Street, U.S.A., is the one on the main flag pole in the town square.

You might have had a chance to see the flag ceremony in the park. Even during the park closures, Disney World Security Cast Members still raised and lowered the flag each day!

So there you have it. There’s only ONE American flag on Main Street, U.S.A. Stay tuned to our Instagram page, because we’ll be testing your Disney World knowledge again very soon!

VIDEO: Watch the American Flag Being Raised on Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A.

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Did you get this trivia question right? Let us know in the comments!

The post Over 10,000 Disney Fans Got This Trivia Question WRONG! Did You? first appeared on the disney food blog.

Are you a fan of vintage-style clothing? You’re going to love these very dapper 101 Dalmatians-inspired outfits.

First up is a stunning blue dress with cardigan featuring Perdita. This outfit is a fun take on a poodle-skirt motif, with a striped bodice with cute little paw prints and a pleated skirt with Perdita being walked on a leash. This dress also comes with a gray knit cardigan with an embroidered “P”. (Anyone else picking up on those Laverne and Shirley vibes?)

 

The dress with cardigan is $168 and available on shopDisney.

Also available at Walt Disney World, but not spotted online yet, is a bowling-style shirt featuring Pongo.

This adorable shirt features black, red and Dalmatian dots on the front and an adorable “Pongo’s Pins” logo on the back, and the shirt is $59.99.

Wanting to complete the Dalmatian look? Go for the coordinating Disney Dooney & Bourke bag and a pair of Dalmatian ears!

We “spotted” these in Magic Kingdom, but there’s probably 101 different locations at Walt Disney World where you can find them. (Well, maybe not quite that many, but at the Marketplace Co-Op and other stores at the theme parks that feature Disney Dress Shop dresses.)

What do you think of these new outfits? Let us know in the comments.

The post We “Spotted” These Dog-Gone Cute Fashions at Magic Kingdom appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

Every World Showcase pavilion in EPCOT now has a new pin to match merchandise released in the past year. Some pavilions have more than one pin, and there are a few new resort pins as well. Norway Pavilion Pin – $9.99 Germany Pavilion Pin – $9.99 Germany Pavilion Pin – $9.99 Italy Pavilion Pin – $9.99 Italy Pavilion Pin – $9.99 “Mi Sciolgo Per Te” Italy Pavilion Pin – $9.99 France Pavilion Pin – $9.99 “Chic” France Pavilion Pin – […]

The post PHOTOS: New EPCOT World Showcase Pavilion and Resorts Pins Debut at Walt Disney World appeared first on WDW News Today.

Everywhere you look there is construction happening around Disney World!

While it seems that the construction projects are never ending, there are a lot of super exciting changes coming to Disney World. Let’s take a look at all of the progress this week!

Magic Kingdom

Cinderella Castle Stage

Cinderella Castle has received a MAJOR glow up recently, and we are loving the new look! A lot of work has happened on the castle stage, and we’ve been tracking all of the progress for over a month now.

The stage was blocked off at the beginning of February with gray scrim and some bushes.

Then the surface layer of the stage was removed to reveal the wooden slat supports.

A few days later we found that the stage was fully covered again, and waterproofing had taken place! This poor stage went through a lot in a short amount of time.

And finally this week, we noticed that new support beams have been added!

Does this mean that this stage saga might finally be coming to an end?

We’re very curious to see if this ends up being just some standard stage maintenance, or if Disney has something big planned for the 50th celebration!

Read more about the 50th Anniversary celebrations here!

Swiss Family Treehouse

Several Magic Kingdom attractions have been undergoing refurbishment, including the PeopleMover and the Walt Disney World Railroad.

The latest that was added to the refurb list was Swiss Family Treehouse, which was closed from March 12th to March 25th.

And as of this weekend, it has officially opened! Welcome back, Swiss family!

Minor updates were made to this classic attraction, including new netting on the pathway.

And the sign telling the backstory about the attraction is visible again!

We’re happy to be able to see those killer views of Cinderella Castle from the top again!

Check out another refurb of a classic Magic Kingdom attraction here!

TRON

We took a gander at Magic Kingdom’s most-anticipated attraction, TRON Lightcycle Run!

The canopy continues to get bigger and more imposing!

The best views to see the progress are from the Tomorrowland Speedway attraction.

No opening date has been confirmed yet, but we hope that it it will be ready soon!

Check out more details on the Tron attraction here!

EPCOT

Future World

Due to its everlasting transformation, EPCOT looks very different these days!

A few new changes have already taken place, including the new fountain at the entrance and the relocated Leave a Legacy display.

And in the Future World area of Epcot, there is a LOT of construction happening!

Work is happening to update what was MouseGear and Electric Umbrella. Recently, we noticed that one of the previous entrances to MouseGear is being updated.

It looks like work in the breezeway between the two is quickly progressing!

We can’t wait until this area of EPCOT is open again! Currently, walking all the way around on the current pathways is a bit of a pain, and it will be so nice once the central paths are open again!

Check out more of the latest EPCOT updates here!

Harmonious

World Showcase Lagoon’s current eyesore, the nighttime show Harmonious, continues to make progress!

Recently, we spotted some testing happening on the barge arms (or the upside-down spider legs as it’s affectionately known around here).

And this week, a third barge joined the party!

They keep multiplying, and now we’re just waiting on one more barge! Don’t worry, we’ll keep reporting on all the things Harmonious!

Read about the day-time fountains at Harmonious here!

Guardians of the Galaxy

We are so ready to rock the galaxy on the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind coaster!

We’ve seen a sneak peek of the ride vehicles and we’re OBSESSED. An official opening date hasn’t been announced, but it’s exciting to visibly see the construction take place!

We spotted more blue wrapping taking place in the entrance, as well as work continuing on the roof.

The ride will feature the first-ever “reverse launch into space”, and we can’t wait to experience it ourselves.

We’ll keep you updated on all of the construction progress!

Read more about the progress on this new attraction here!

Disney Resorts

Polynesian Village Resort

Reservations are currently open for the new Moana-themed rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort!

We previously reported that you’ll need to take a bit of a detour walking between the Polynesian and the Grand Floridian.

We snagged a close up look at the work happening on the pathway this week!

Plan extra time if you are traveling between the two resorts!

And that’s all of the construction updates from this week around Disney World! Keep checking back for progress on these projects and more!

Check out how the construction could affect your Disney vacation here!

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Which Disney project are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments!

The post A Magic Kingdom Attraction Reopens and ANOTHER Harmonious Barge Enters Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.

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Disney fashion isn’t just for adults. Just look at the variety of apparel for dogs! And obviously, Disney’s resident style icon, Minnie Mouse, needs no introduction. 

Now your little ones have more fashion options too, thanks to an ADORABLE new collection of Disney-themed baby apparel online!

As grown-ups, we’re certainly not lacking for Disney fashion and accessories, both in the parks and online. For Minnie Ears ALONE, Disney blessed us with about 100 new options in 2020! 

But still, we gotta admit we’re a little jealous of this new Disney collection for babies. Is it weird to have style envy over infant overalls? Not when they’re THIS cute! Among our favorites from the new BoxLunch collection is the precious Winnie the Pooh Striped Infant Overalls!

On-theme for spring, this bright and sunny outfit has gold and white stripes, and a chest pocket FILLED with characters from the Hundred Acre Wood. Order one today for $18.90! 

Click Here to Order the Winnie the Pooh Overalls!

Okay so Cruella was partially on to something when she suggested that Dalmatians make for great fashion. But this 101 Dalmatians Puppies Infant One-Piece is proof that you can stylize with spots without having to dognap! 

Sporting both stripes AND spots, this black-and-white onesie has bright red lining and a lineup of playful puppies! Buy one for $14.90.

Click here to buy the 101 Dalmatians one-piece!

Easily one of the most unique and unexpected items we’ve seen in a while, for toddlers OR adults, is this Nightmare Before Christmas Tiki Toddler T-Shirt! Who knew that Jack Skellington was a secret tiki fan?! 

Many familiar faces are displayed on this mossy green shirt, including Jack, Sally, and Zero, but they’re clearly on vacation somewhere tropical, with their tiki accents and accessories! Snag one today for $14.90.

Click here to order the Nightmare Before Christmas Tiki Toddler T-Shirt!

While we’re on the topic of the tropics, this Lilo & Stitch Infant One-Piece is an instant ESSENTIAL. 

As if the titular characters aren’t adorable enough on their own, they’re joined on this royal-blue onesie by ducklings frolicking in the sand, amidst palm trees. It’s too good to pass up, and you can buy one for $14.90! 

Click here to buy the Lilo & Stitch One-Piece!

Even though we’re a tad jealous that we’ve outgrown the onesie phase, this new Disney baby collection is a can’t-miss for families looking to add a little cuteness to their wardrobes! 

8 Ways to ACTUALLY Convince Your 2 Year Old to Wear a Mask in Disney World

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

What do you think of the new Disney collection for babies? Let us know in the comments!

The post A New Collection Just SERIOUSLY Upped the Disney Fashion Game for Babies first appeared on the disney food blog.

Utilizing ride share services like Lyft and Uber while at Walt Disney World is now a regular practice by many guests. In fact, Disney cited it as one of their justifications for ending the Magical Express Program next year. Each Walt Disney World theme park, water park, and Disney Springs has a designated area for ride share services to pick up and drop off guests. Let’s look at these ride share locations so you can plan ahead.

• Magic Kingdom ride share location is at the Transportation and Ticket Center, near the bus terminal
• EPCOT ride share location is in the parking lot near the electric vehicle charging stations
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios ride share location is near the Disney Skyliner station
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom ride share location is to the left after you exit the park, near off-property bus station
• Disney Springs has two ride share locations: West Side is near the Cirque du Soleil theater and Marketplace is the former Disney bus stop area, near Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique
• Disney’s Blizzard Beach does not have a designated ride share location; the regular guest pick-up and drop-off area is used

The general rule of thumb is that the ride share pick-up and drop-off locations at Walt Disney World theme parks are located near the off-property bus terminal of each park. The preferred ride share provider on Walt Disney World property is Lyft. Uber services are allowed too, however. You might also find it interesting to scope out these instructions for Uber drivers at Magic Kingdom.

Pick-up and drop-off services are not allowed at any location that is not the designated area. So, for example, it is officially against policy to be dropped off at Disney’s Contemporary via ride share, unless you have a confirmed reservation. Other than the Magic Kingdom location being at the Transportation and Ticket Center, the designated locations are pretty convenient and just a few steps from the park entrance and exit.

Have you ever utilized ride share services at Walt Disney World? What tips would you like to share?

The post Where Are the Ride Share Pick-Up and Drop-Off Locations at Walt Disney World Theme Parks? appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.