This year has been a sneaky one. Slowly bumbling along, less eventful than last, minding its own business, and then BAM! It’s Mother’s Day. If you had forgotten or simply left your planning until the last minute, this one is for you!

Most of us swirling around The DIS universe are here for the same reason, Disney fandom, so it’s a safe bet you can use that to your advantage when stumped for something to do on Sunday. Here are three ideas that you can use to make it through the day as if you have had everything planned for months.

Turn Your Queen Into a Princess

Many of us Moms (Mums) have a favorite Disney story with a female lead; for some, it might be a princess tale; for others, it could be something more adventurous like Elizabeth Swan from Pirates of the Caribbean or Jessie from Toy Story. In any case, I will elaborate on this idea of transforming your Mother’s Day into an experience fit for royalty by using one of my favorite Princesses, Tiana, from The Princess and the Frog.

Queue the music (Fairy Tale / Going Home) as you greet her in the morning with a hot cup of coffee some blueberry pancakes. Or if you are feeling like upping the wow factor, whip up some of Tiana’s Famous Beignets! These aren’t as hard as they look, so don’t be scared. Try this recipe for Mickey Mouse Beignets from Disneyland’s New Orleans Square and Walt Disney World’s Port Orleans French Quarter Resort.

While she is leisurely getting up, do a speed-clean around the house to make sure everything is tidy, then spend the day making her feel like royalty. Go for a stroll, give her time to read a book, watch that movie that she loves so much, you get the idea. If you have little kids, have them design and decorate a paper crown to present to Mom at dinner time before serving that perfectly themed dinner. In the case of Tiana, homemade gumbo or some delicious creole food if you prefer delivery. Be sure to create some ambiance with a table setting that includes recycled Christmas lights and music from the movie soundtrack.

Don’t forget to finish the evening with a dance. Ma Belle Evangeline is a great one to take her hand and enjoy a slow dance with the kids or an adoring partner that appreciates all her efforts. Whatever you do, do not let her do any of the cleaning up!

Create a Disney Family Fun Day

If Mom loves having fun and doesn’t want to make the plans, give her a day of excitement with games and silly family activities. Start with a family photo session where everyone wears their best Disney attire and get some fabulous shots that everyone is a part of.

Next up, it’s trivia time. As questions about her favorite Disney things and have everyone write down the answers, including Mom. Whoever gets the most correct answers wins! If you are short on time, take turns making them up as you go around. If you have a few hours up your sleeve the day before, make a list of questions that you can ask and find out who in the family knows her best.

Feeling hungry? Let’s make your favorite things from the Disney Parks! Brainstorm as a family and narrow down your options using any of the online recipes available; you can even have a crack at one of Deni’s Saturday Snacks. Head to the grocery store for the ingredients, supermarket sweep style. Get in and get out; no boring laundry powder or toilet paper allowed. Nothing practical! Then put on some park music and start cooking.

If you need a little inspiration, watch an episode or two of the Disney+ Family Cooking Show, Be Our Chef, a fun little game show where families compete for a major prize by creating Disney-themed dishes.

After you’ve had time to digest, who’s up for a rousing game of Headsup using the Disney deck? Keep score so you can congratulate the winners. This is a great game for kids to play while working on their communication skills and practicing articulate, descriptive language; not to mention, it’s a heap of fun!

Plan Your Return to the Magic

Many Disney Parks lovers will tell you that the planning is half the fun. If your Disney Mom loves putting together the next vacation, make it a family affair and get down to business.

First stop, the planDisney Video Library to help set the mood and get everyone excited. If you have a smart TV, cast them to the big screen and get everyone feeling the enchantment come to life in your living room. This will also help you decide on your destination. Will you be returning the Disneyland, preparing to book your sailing on the Disney Wish, or enjoying the magic and wonder of Walt Disney World?

Once you’ve made everyone suitably excited, it’s time to throw on the background sounds of the WDW Today Channel app available on both Google Play and the App Store and get planning! Even if you aren’t ready to lock in those dates or put down your deposit, planning the next adventure to look forward to can be all we need to get through the hard times.

When you are happy with your outline of where you want to go and when, contact Dreams Unlimited Travel and check in with your very own travel agent who can do all of the leg work for you, keeping a close eye on all your plans up until the very last minute. It costs you nothing to engage them but can save you lots of time and money as they give you all the best options going forward.

Set the scene with your favorite homemade Disney drink; for me, it would have to be a Mint Julep in the vein of Princess and the Frog above. Needing a “Disneyland” version (no alcohol) for the kids? Pete Werner has you covered here.

If you are having trouble coming up with your princess-themed ideas, let me know your character in the comments below and I will give you a hand.

Another option for music is the Mother’s Day Love Songs playlist put together by Disney themselves. You can find listening options here.

I want to give a quick shout-out to everyone out there celebrating the hard work and love of someone who takes care of them. It may not be a mother, perhaps an aunt, a sister, a father, or a friend. Whoever that person is, spoil them on Sunday with love, laughter, and fun.

I hope you all have a great weekend. I will see you bright and early on Monday for the Merch Meeting!

Feature Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

Can you believe all the Disney Cruise Line news happening right now?!

©Disney

The newest ship will set sail next year as the Disney Wish has its maiden voyage in the summer of 2022. During a recent sneak peek, Disney gave us HUGE details about what would be appearing onboard, like incredible 2-story suites, interactive Marvel AND Frozen dining experiences, and entertainment for both kids and grown-ups! Still, the Disney Cruise Line is continuing to make changes, and next year there could be a NEW place for guests to set sail.

According to The Orlando Sentinel, the Disney Cruise Line has been in discussions to bring a NEW year-round port to Fort Lauderdale in 2022! Currently, Disney has already made an agreement with Port Everglades as the Broward County Commission has a meeting to approve the deal.

©Disney

If this deal is actually approved, it would be a big milestone for the Disney company as Fort Lauderdale would be their first year-round ship outside of Port Canaveral. Previously, the Disney Cruise Line has also sailed from other Florida ports like Miami seasonally, but this contract will end in 2024.

Layered it is!

Port Everglades isn’t unfamiliar with Disney’s ships, as they have docked in Fort Lauderdale during storms when other ports weren’t available. Yet, this year-round agreement has already stated that the Disney Cruise Line ship could carry about 3,500 people. Along with being an new opportunity for Port Everglades, this deal would bring in more tourism, additional jobs, and increased state and local tax dollars for Broward County.

The Disney Magic

Jonathan Daniels, the Chief Executive and Port Director at Port Everglades, has gone on to express how grateful they are for the opportunity. He said, “Adding Disney Cruise Line to the Port Everglades fleet, along with the Royal Caribbean Group and Carnival Corporation, would diversify our portfolio and create a little more magic for our guests and the community.”

Get Ready for Some Pool Time!

The Broward County Commission will undergo talks (and possible approvals) of the Disney Cruise Line and Port Everglades agreement on May 18th. As soon as we have all the details you need to know, we’ll update you on the latest Disney Cruise Line news! Stay tuned with DFB for all the Disney entertainment coming soon!

Here’s everything you need to know about the Disney Wish!

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Are you looking forward to the new Disney Cruise ship? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Disney Cruise Line Could Add Another Year-Round Port in 2022 first appeared on the disney food blog.

According to the information Disney has shared, right now Disney World is operating at 35% capacity, but that could change.

Easter Crowds on Main Street

Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek has previously commented on what it would take for Disney to increase capacity, and recent changes made in Orange County, Florida would allow for increases in theme park capacity to take place. So, we took to our Facebook and Instagram to ask you, our readers, whether you would feel comfortable if Disney increased the capacity in the parks. And here’s what you had to say!!

Where Things Stand With Capacity

Just as a quick recap, when Disney World first reopened, we heard that the parks were operating at around 25% capacity. Later, that capacity was increased to 35%.

When asked about increasing capacity this year, Disney’s CEO, Bob Chapek, said that whether Disney will be able to increase capacity is really going to be determined by the rate of vaccinations of the public.

Crowds

Chapek noted that the number of vaccinations of the public is really the biggest lever the company has to increase capacity.

COVID-19 vaccines are in the process of being distributed through the United States, and more individuals are becoming eligible to receive them. Dr. Anthony Fauci has previously indicated that COVID-19 guidelines could loosen by the 4th of July as more Americans get vaccinated.

Dr. Fauci has also said that he believes 70-85% of U.S. adults could be vaccinated by the end of the summer, and this level of vaccinations could bring some normalcy to the U.S. by the fall.

A Look at Some Crowds

According to CNN, some recent data indicates that about 28.5% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Is that enough of a level to cause Disney to increase its capacity? It’s unclear.

In Orange County, Florida (where part of Disney World is located), some recent changes may also allow for Disney to increase capacity. Recently, the Orange County Mayor changed the distancing policies in the county and specified that social distancing may be reduced from 6 feet to 3 feet immediately.

©Orange County, Florida

If Disney were to reduce distancing from 6 feet to 3 feet, it could potentially allow more guests into the park as it would be able to fit more people in any particular space. The Orange County Mayor has indicated that he thinks these changes will allow theme parks (like Disney World) to increase capacity.

Click here to read more about the Mayor’s statements regarding capacity.

Now, to be clear, we haven’t heard anything from Disney regarding any increases in capacity. At the moment, based on the information Disney has shared, the parks continue to operate at 35% capacity. Also, 6 feet of social distancing continues to be required. Although Universal Studios and SeaWorld now operate with 3 feet social distancing. Disney has not yet made any indication that it will reduce social distancing to 3 feet or that it will increase capacity yet.

But, what if it does? What if tomorrow Disney were to announce that they are reducing social distancing and/or increasing capacity in the parks? How would you feel? We turned to our readers to ask them!

Would You Feel Comfortable if Disney World Increased Capacity?

On our Instagram, we reached out to our readers and asked whether you’d feel comfortable if Disney World increased capacity at the parks. Over 13,000 of you responded! And…54% said YES, they’d feel comfortable if capacity were increased, while 46% said they would NOT feel comfortable.

The Results!

In terms of numbers, it broke down to 7,969 votes for YES and 6,806 votes for NO. That’s a difference of just over 1,000 people.

But, we wanted to hear more of your thoughts, so we threw the question up on our Facebook as well. Let’s see what you had to say.

Some Said “YES” They’d Feel Comfortable with a Capacity Increase

There were some on our Facebook who simply said yes, they’d feel comfortable with a capacity increase, no real reservations or conditions attached.

Some Said “YES…BUT”

A LOT of people, however, were in the “yes…but” category. What we mean by that is that they said they’d feel comfortable with a capacity increase ONLY IF Disney does other things.

For example, many people said they would be okay with a capacity increase IF Disney brings back other things like FastPass+, live entertainment, and outdoor shows. Some mentioned that they’d be okay with the increase IF Disney reopens some of the hotels and restaurants that are currently closed, especially quick-service restaurants. Others mentioned that if capacity increases, park hours should increase too.

Casey’s Corner is Still Closed!

One reader said “it would be a nightmare to increase capacity without any measures to spread out crowds.” Another echoed those sentiments and said “If things stay as is and capacity is increased, lines would go through the entire parks!” We certainly have lines stretching out quite far, although some of that does have to do with social distancing requirements.

Several noted that the lines have been long already due to physical distancing requirements and social distancing requirements. They noted that more things need to reopen to “absorb” the crowds or it will “be chaos.”

Time to Get in Line!

Some emphasized that if more people will be in the parks, they will NEED things to do other than just stand in line, so more things should be made available to help keep fans entertained and disperse the crowds.

Some said they would feel comfortable with capacity increases if more people get vaccinated and masks continue to be required.

Some Said “NOPE!”

Others said they would not feel comfortable or would not want Disney to increase capacity. One said that they wouldn’t want Disney to increase capacity just because they love having less people in the parks as it gives guests the chance to have more personal space.

Others simply said they’re not ready for it to go to full capacity yet and that they’d recommend waiting until more people are vaccinated. Some specifically noted that they would rather Disney wait as they feel like there’s not enough space to socially distance with full capacity. We have seen social distancing go out the window when it rains, so distancing can already be a bit of an issue in those circumstances.

Crowds Can Really Form in Covered Areas When it Rains!

Others said they were there recently and things were PACKED enough as it is, and that increases in capacity should be held off for a while longer. We have seen some days over the past few months with really large crowds in Disney World.

One definitevely said no and that they think Disney should only let them and their family in. Disney all to yourself?! Throw in unlimited snacks and it’s a dream come true. (Although watching guests and Cast Members interact with other guests can really be a special part of the experience).

Low Crowd Days CAN Feel Like You’ve Got the Park to Yourself Sometimes

Another made an interesting point by noting “I don’t understand why people want capacity increased. On a normal year all you hear is ‘it’s too crowded.’” Crowds at Disney World are a common complaint, so that is an interesting point. It’s possible that in a year where so many things have changed, people are yearning for some “normalcy,” even if it’s in the form of crowds.

Others said that Disney should open up more things first (restaurants, hotels, etc.), see how that goes, and THEN increase capacity.

Overall

Overall, it the numbers were pretty close in terms of how many of our readers would and wouldn’t feel comfortable with a capacity increase. Seems the majority of our readers on Instagram did say they’d feel comfortable with an increase in capacity. Many of our readers on Facebook did note that their approvals of increased capacity come with a few conditions, like more dining options, more entertainment options, and other things.

What do you think? Would you feel comfortable if Disney World increased capacity? Tell us in the comments!

We’ll continue to keep an eye out for any updates from Disney about their policies and capacity limits, and we’ll keep you informed.

Disney World will be crowded this summer and the proof is online. Click here to check it out!

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Would you feel comfortable if Disney World increased capacity? Tell us in the comments!

The post Would You Feel Comfortable If Disney Made This BIG Change? Our Readers Are SPLIT! first appeared on the disney food blog.

With all the exciting hubbub about new shows and movies coming to Disney+, it’s important not to forget about all the action taking place on Disney’s cable channel, Freeform! Remember cable?!

@Freeform

Not only does Freeform have an amazing new show, called Cruel Summer, but the channel is offering the opportunity to win a FREE vacation for two to Disney World! 

Don’t be fooled by the name; there’s nothing cruel about Cruel Summer’s Disney World sweepstakes! In fact, it’s PURE ’90s nostalgia! Inspired by the new series, Disney is offering a Cruel Summer ‘90s Sweepstakes that’s totally FREE to sign up for! 

©Disney Parks Blog

According to Disney Parks Blog, the winner gets a vacation for two to Disney World, which includes four days and three nights at a Disney resort, airfare, park admission, and a Disney gift card! 

How About a Stay at Pop Century?

All you gotta do to enter is like the sweepstakes post on @Freeform’s Instagram, follow @CruelSummer, @Freeform, and @WaltDisneyWorld on Instagram, comment #CruelSummerWDWSweepsEntry, and tag a friend! It’s the easiest way to (potentially) win your dream trip! 

Sunset Blvd

The sweepstakes runs through May 14, so fire up your Instagram NOW! 

VIDEO: Watch Disney’s New Cruella Trailer and Clip

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What’s your favorite show on Freeform? Let us know in the comments!

The post Here’s How You Can WIN a FREE Trip to Disney World Using Instagram! first appeared on the disney food blog.

Calling all Star Wars fans! Do you like sushi? Well, then we’ve got the recipe for you!

©wavemountdora

We’ve seen “Baby Yoda” on backpacks, tee shirts, and water bottles — but sushi?! We’ve got the recipe right here.

Grogu, better known as “Baby Yoda,” has been spotted all over the Disney Parks since his debut in Jon Favreau’s hit series The Mandalorian on Disney+. We’ve seen him on hats, thermoses — he even has his own memes:

©TheJulieBenson

You love him? We know (and we love him, too).

Want some Star Wars merch? Click Here!

The Instagram account for restaurant @wavemontdora recently posted a video of their “Baby Yoda” sushi roll, and we’ve got the recipe for you!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by WΛVE 波 Asian Bistro & Sushi (@wavemountdora)

First things first: ingredients!

• salmon
• rice
• green food coloring
• seaweed*
• seasoned rice vinegar (or rice vinegar, salt, and sugar)
• caviar (optional)
• a sharp knife

*Make sure your seaweed is specifically for sushi — it should say “for sushi making” or something similar on the package.

Click here for more Star Wars snacks!

Directions:

For the pink “Baby Yoda” ears, cut your salmon into long strips with one side sloping down (this will be the tapered end of Grogu’s ears)! Do this twice — once for each ear!

©wavemountdora

Wrap your salmon in seaweed tightly, leaving ends exposed.

©wavemountdora

Let’s bring in some rice! Pro-tip: make sure to add seasoned rice vinegar to your cooked rice (or a substitute of rice vinegar, salt, and sugar). Mix into rice at a 1:6 ratio, then add green food coloring! Pack a small layer of green rice around each of the “ears,” once again leaving those pink ends exposed.

©wavemountdora

Now, take a large amount of rice, slightly larger than Grogu’s ears, and shape it into a thick, long column. This will become The Child’s face!

Add your ears to either side of this face — pointy ends facing outwards — and wrap the whole thing in seaweed.

©wavemountdora

May the force be with you as you slice straight across the sushi roll to reveal “Baby Yoda!” But wait…

©wavemountdora

…where is his adorable smile? Take some of your remaining seaweed and cut out his facial features (don’t forget those cute wrinkles on his forehead)!

©wavemountdora

Step 8: If you want those deep, sparkly Grogu eyes, grab some caviar and gently apply it to his face. If you don’t mind the look of the sushi paper, you can totally stick with cutting out eyes from that, instead!

©wavemountdora

Isn’t that a cute roll of sushi? We have to admit, this idea was out of this galaxy! Thanks so much to @wavemountdora for bringing this fun idea to life.

For more information on Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, click here!

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What do think—would your kids eat “Baby Yoda” sushi? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Recipe: Learn How to Make Baby Yoda Sushi! first appeared on the disney food blog.

This is a follow-up to my recent Park Pass analysis blog post. The big unanswered question: If Park Pass availability does get added, when does it happen? Hollywood Studios and the Magic Kingdom Park Pass availability runs out the quickest. It has become obvious that non-Annual Passholders have the same allotted Park Passes.

We have seen Disney add or reallocate Park Pass availability after all Park Passes have been claimed. Before this week, it seemed like if your visit is more than 30 days away, you could expect to see Park Pass availability would return. Now in May, the number of days prior to your visit that Park Passes are no longer available has increased.

Added Park Pass Availability

For dates since March 1, 2021, we have seen a few batches of added Park Pass availability. The increase in availability is for all parks and all ticket groups. This is due to Disney holding back Park Pass reservations and/or Disney increasing capacity. The added Park Pass reservations stay available from a few hours to multiple days.

For most days in March and April that the initial Park Pass reservations were claimed, more Park Pass reservations were added and were available for multiple hours if not multiple days.

When Are Park Pass Reservations Added?

The good news is that when Park Pass reservations are added they stick around for a while. The big question is still when are they added? Unfortunately, there is not a specific time of day, or day of the week, when Disney adds Park Pass reservations.

The chart above shows the time when Hollywood Studios Park Pass reservations are added. (Other parks look similar.) The bubble size is based on the number of days the additional Park Pass reservations were available. The rows of bubbles were all added at the same time. We have not seen a large drop of additional Park Pass reservations since March. We have detected some small drops in April. It looks like we are due for a big drop.

Any Other Chance of Getting a Park Pass?

We check Park Pass availability every hour. The Park Pass availability can change at any time. With our monitoring of the Park Pass system, it is unlike we observe every change. When a user cancels a trip or changes their Park Pass park, the inventory will change. Unfornatatly there is not a simple strategy to acquire a Park Pass for a park that is currently unavailable. The best advice is simple–just keep checking.

Have any questions about Park Pass availability? Let us know what you’re thinking in the comments.

The post Park Pass Availability Analysis: A Follow-Up appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

The day is FINALLY here!

Festival of the Lion King

Much of Disney’s live entertainment has been suspended since the parks reopened last March. But at the beginning of the year, we got some BIG news: Festival of the Lion King was returning to Disney’s Animal Kingdom! We followed closely as the show prepared to return in a modified format, and now the time has come. The “new” Festival of the Lion King debuts for its soft opening TODAY!

As we mentioned, this IS a modified show. That means the experience won’t be quite the same as before! First of all, the show has a new name: “A Celebration of The Festival of the Lion King.” And some changes, according to Disney, include adjustments both onstage and backstage, choreography changes to allow for social distancing, and changes to how the audience is seated.

The “Old” Festival of the Lion King!

Of course, we had to check this all out for ourselves! So we went to see the show during its soft opening!

Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King!

It felt great to line up at The Lion King theater again! And this time, we are actually going into the theater, and not to Kilimanjaro Safaris…

The Lion King line

As with other theater shows at Disney World nowadays, they’re cutting down on group sizes. This means seating inside the theater is limited, and in order to go in, you MUST have your whole group together, and you MUST stay together.

All parties must stay together

This also means four people maximum per sticker in the line, which means larger groups will get split up. A Cast Member is standing by with a clipboard to ensure parties are together… .

Cast Members ensure all parties are together

There is also no eating or drinking in the theater.

Waiting to enter…

As we lined up and made our way into the theater, we were SO excited to wave at Cast Members, who were clearly as happy as we were!

Reunited!

We’re inside the theater again! How we’ve missed this!

Waiting for the show

When we made it inside the theater, we noticed that every other row is closed…

Every other row is closed

…and benches have certain sections blocked off as well.

Certain sections are blocked

They can sit four in most sections, which is why parties are restricted to that size.

Parties of four

We also learned that the official — and full — reopening of the show is May 15!

We’re SO happy this show is back! If you’ll be in Animal Kingdom soon, make sure to stop by and watch it. We’ll continue to keep you posted on the progress of live entertainment in the parks!

Read More About the Festival of the Lion King’s Return!

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Are you excited to watch Festival of the Lion King again? Let us know in the comments!

The post PHOTOS: Festival of the Lion King is BACK For a Soft Opening Disney World! first appeared on the disney food blog.