Hello from Disney World!

Stormalong Bay

We’ve been hanging around the Disney World hotels. But we’ve also been checking out what’s been going on lately. It’s not a lot, but we’ve got all the latest updates for you!

Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

The Market at Ale & Compass

We’ve loved seeing all the Disney Cruise Line merchandise at the Yacht Club, and we just found a few NEW things! There’s a new Disney Cruise Line Tumbler for $21.99.

Good way to stay hydrated

And a brand new Disney Cruise Line Luggage Tag with Goofy on it! The luggage tag is $12.99.

Goofy on a luggage tag!

We also found a Men’s Vineyard Vines Shirt with a fun print.

Vacation shirt

This shirt SCREAMS beach vacation, right? It’s $89.50.

Check Out More Disney Cruise Line Souvenirs at Disney World

Disney’s Contemporary Resort Construction Updates

The Contemporary is undergoing some pretty massive renovations. And we noticed that scrim even covers some of the balconies.

Balcony construction

We can’t wait to see what everything looks like once it’s done.

See More Of The Work Being Done at the Contemporary

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Food Updates

Capt. Cook’s

There’s a special cupcake available at Capt. Cook’s this weekend! It’s the Memorial Day Cupcake and it’s all done up in red, white, and blue! It’s very Instagrammable. Vanilla Cupcake with White Chocolate Mousse, Buttercream Icing, and Blueberry Compote Swirl Filling topped with Red, White and Blue Sprinkles, Blueberries and a Raspberry!

It’s certainly pretty

It’s also VERY frosting-heavy!!!  Which you might be all for or totally against. If you want to try it out for yourself, it’s available this weekend only for $5.99 via Mobile Order.

Read Our Full Review of the Memorial Day Cupcake

Pineapple Lanai

We also got to try the Firecracker Cone! It’s Raspberry Soft Serve with Patriotic Sprinkles and Popping Firecracker Candy. WOWZA. Like we already love the Raspberry Dole whip, but the popping candy just took it up a notch.

Firecracker Cone

Check it out now for $5.29.

Read Our Review of the Firecracker Cone

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Speaking of construction, here’s what the Monorail looks like at the Polynesian now.

Monorail

There’s still a LOT of work to be done before the Monorail is running here again, but we’re seeing progress!

See More Photos of the Monorail’s Construction Progress

That’s all we’ve got for Disney World’s hotels, but we’ll be back soon with more updates!

We Ate A Donut Burger And Reviewed It — Click Here!

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

What’s your favorite Disney World hotel? Let us know in the comments!

The post What’s New at Disney World’s Hotels: A Raspberry Dole Whip Cone and a Contemporary Construction Update first appeared on the disney food blog.

Disney World hotels can be exciting and magical. But they are far from perfect.

Grand Floridian Resort

And this is true for ALL levels of resorts, too — Value, Moderate, AND Deluxe. While you think your Disney hotel might include it ALL — there are some surprising things that you just aren’t going to find at Disney World hotels that you may find elsewhere.

So you might think — “Wait, Disney doesn’t live up to other hotel’s standards?” And the answer is a mixed bag. Disney hotels tend to offer remarkable customer service, fun theming, easy access to the parks, great dining options, pools, and more. But it can still be surprising to find that certain amenities are lacking in Disney World resort rooms:

Clocks

Most hotel rooms have a bedside clock that lets you set an alarm. But surprise! There aren’t any clocks in Disney World resort rooms! Disney got rid of the alarm clocks some time back, but when’s the last time you used an actual physical clock anyway? That’s why we have smartphones…right?!

No clock!

So if you’ve got a Disney World resort booked, make sure you have a way to set an alarm so you can get up early to nab those Rise of the Resistance boarding passes and get to the parks for rope drop! And don’t forget — you can get a wake-up call from Mickey Mouse himself by following the prompts on your room’s phone!

Click Here For Our Top Tips To Grab A Rise of the Resistance Boarding Pass

Bedside Lamps

If you want to read before bedtime, don’t count on having a bedside lamp — some Disney hotel rooms just don’t have them.

Lamp in Gran Destino Tower Guest Rooms

If that’s a deal-breaker, be sure to ask specifically about that when you choose a resort. Granted, many of the rooms that don’t have lamps do have small lights above the bed that work just as well.

Click Here To Learn More About The Polynesian’s Moana-Themed Rooms!

Individual Amenities

Remember all those little bottles of H20 soaps, body washes, shampoos, and conditioners that you used to get at Disney World resorts in your room? Well, some resorts have switched to big bottles of refillable toiletries.

Refillable Toiletries

These options have replaced the little bottles that you’d stock up on before heading home from your trip at most Disney World hotels.

Learn More About Disney Switching Over To Refillable Toiletries

Mini Bar

As many of you know, hotel rooms often have some sort of mini bar situation. This offers expensive but quick options when for things like liquor, water, candy bars, etc. But guess what folks, you won’t find them in your Disney resort room. But many rooms do have mini fridges. And if you find that your room doesn’t have a mini fridge, call down and ask if they have one for you. They just might be able to bring one up for ya! Other rooms, like suites, offer larger fridge options.

Mini Fridge

But if you love the idea of just grabbing something to snack on or drink from the room mini bar, you’re going to be out of luck.

Click Here To Learn About Reservations for the new Moana-themed Rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort!

Bottled Water

Some hotels offer free bottles of water to guests, but Disney World resorts do not. If you need bottled water in your room, we recommend bringing your own bottled water (it will be cheaper buying it at a grocery store than at Disney World).

Bottled Water

In the parks, we also recommend taking advantage of free water — because what’s better than FREE?

Here’s Where You Can Get FREE Water Right NOW in Magic Kingdom!

Outlets

Okay, we have a LOT of stuff that needs to be plugged in, and some Disney resort rooms are seriously lacking in the electrical outlet area. We often need WAY more than what’s available. At least many rooms have been upgraded to have USB ports now, too, so that helps!

Riviera Outlets

So if you need to plug a lot of stuff in, consider bringing a mini power strip, mobile chargers, ect.

Here’s How To Charge Your Phone In Disney World (Now That FuelRods are Too Expensive)!

Outside Patio or Deck

If you’re thinking of sitting outside on a patio or deck just outside your Disney World resort room, you’ll need to know that not all rooms have a patio or deck. 

Copper Creek Villas Patio

Looking for a full list of hotels with patios and decks? Here’s a great resource from Disney.

Start Your Vacation Planning TODAY! Here Are the Latest Deals and Discounts

Interior Doors

Now, when it comes to interior doors, you will find that some Disney World hotels have them and others only have exterior doors that lead directly to the outside.

Door at Gran Destino Tower

If this is important to you, make sure you call and ask the hotel prior to booking to make sure you have the option!

See What’s New at Disney World’s Resorts!

Microwave

One thing you’ll notice that’s missing from most Disney World hotel rooms is a microwave. However, almost all DVC villas have a microwave, so if you’re a Disney Vacation Club Member (or have rented DVC points), you’re good to nuke whatever food your heart desires.

Microwave in Riviera Villa

Otherwise, don’t expect to be able to reheat any leftovers in your hotel room.

Click Here To Learn About EPCOT’s DVC Lounge

So, you may find a few surprising things missing from your Disney World hotel room! Hopefully, this helps you prepare in advance for what you will want to pack/bring to be the most comfortable during your Disney World hotel stay.

Click Here To Find Out Which Hotels Fall Into the ResortPark Pass Availability Group

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

Is there any amenity you miss at Disney World resorts? Let us know in the comments!

The post Surprising Things You Won’t Find in Disney World Hotel Rooms first appeared on the disney food blog.

There have been a LOT of changes at Disney World recently!

Tree of Life

We’ve seen temperature checks get suspended, we’ve watched mask guidelines change, and we’ve even seen some updates to social distancing. AND some entertainment has returned to the parks!

Now we normally use the My Disney Experience app to navigate around the parks, but we like to pick up park maps from time to time because they make great souvenirs! And we discovered a NEW map today for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The front features two people, both wearing masks.

New Map!

The previous map had ditched the icon and listing for the Festival of the Lion King show. But the revamped version of the show, The Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King is on the new map!

Entertainment is back!

That show is also listed inside under Africa. For dining, we see that Trek Snacks and Thirsty River Bar have been separated into individual listings under Asia (it previously said Thirsty River Bar and Trek Snacks).

The Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King is listed

The rest of the map is the same. Although relaxation stations are still included on the new map, most have been removed from the park now that guests can take their masks off outdoors when not in line.

Close-up

The “Plan Your Adventure” section is also the same as the previous map.

Plan your adventure!

As always, we are continuing to track everything happening at the Disney parks, so stay tuned for more updates!

Only EXPERTS of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Know These 15 Things!

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’s Animal Kingdom park map? Let us know in the comments!

The post See What Has Changed on the NEW Map for Disney’s Animal Kingdom! first appeared on the disney food blog.