The Disney parks have some absolutely ICONIC rides.

Occasionally, historic and beloved rides get a little bit of an update to bring them into the 21st century. Think about the high-tech queue at Peter Pan’s Flight in Disney World or the recent updates to the Snow White ride in Disneyland, now called Snow White’s Enchanted Wish. Well, we just spotted something that might mean Disney has more updates in store for a CLASSIC attraction!

Recently, Disney filed a patent for a “spinning amusement park ride with onboard power generation.” This “new” ride system is really more of an update to a system that’s been around since the 1950s. You might recognize it as the one you’ve experienced many a time on Mad Tea Party in Disney World, Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, or Hong Kong Disneyland.

The version of the attraction that is currently in the parks, has guests spinning a wheel in the middle of the teacup ride vehicle that causes the vehicle to spin. The big difference with the new system is that the spinning of the wheel would actually generate electricity for a new system that could power special effects in the ride vehicle!

The patent is really focused on the system that would convert the kinetic energy from spinning the wheel to the electrical energy needed to power on-ride effects. What might be more interesting for us though, is that they are looking at new effects in the first place.

On this subject, the patent says, “Operators of amusement parks are always looking for new ride designs and for ways to make existing rides more interesting to encourage riders to enjoy the ride multiple times per visit to the park.”

The patent specifically mentions the teacups saying, “In one well-known design, the body or chassis is designed to take on the appearance of giant teacups that can be spun about a center vertical axis…” It then lists potential special effects that could be added to the ride vehicles with this new system as “unique lighting, differing sounds, visual displays, and so on.”

It goes on to give another specific example noting that this technique could be used to illuminate a set of lights with a brightness that varies based on the speed with which riders are spinning the wheel in the teacup.

Wow! This patent shows some really cool tech and it certainly would be neat if new lights and special effects were added to the teacup ride vehicles. Of course, there are a variety of ways that this technology could be used on a ride like the Mad Tea Party. Could there be some sort of competitive element to making the sounds or lights appear? Or could your ride be a little bit different every time you get on? Maybe!

Whatever the case, it is interesting that Disney is specifically using teacup-style rides like Mad Tea Party as a base for a patent to add high-tech updates. We’ll certainly be keeping an eye out for any news of an update like this and any other updates in the Disney parks too. So, stay tuned!

Want to learn more about Snow White’s Enchanted Wish? Click here!

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What do you think of this patent? Tell us in the comments! 

The post Is Disney Planning to Update Mad Tea Party? Here’s What We’re Seeing! first appeared on the disney food blog.

Spots are continuing to reopen all around Disney World!

Recently, Festival of the Lion King in Disney’s Animal Kingdom resumed shows, and we’re looking forward to Disney’s Beach Club Resort reopening at the end of the month. And elsewhere on property, a poolside restaurant is BACK!

At Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, Oasis Bar and Grill has reopened. This Quick Service spot — located at the Oasis Pool — serves up cocktails and some pretty hefty eats.

You can now dine here from 11AM-5PM — but keep in mind that you will have to be a guest at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort in order to access this restaurant.

If you’re staying at the Polynesian, enjoy this extra option for chowing down! And stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news.

Here’s Our Review of Oasis Bar and Grill!

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

Are you going to eat here? Let us know in the comments!

The post A Poolside Restaurant Reopens at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort first appeared on the disney food blog.

We’re back at Alfresco Tasting Terrace in Disney California Adventure Park for the first time in…well, we don’t mean to quote Anna, but “for the first time in forever!”

This Legacy Passholder-exclusive lounge reopened today for the first time in months, and we couldn’t wait to check out the latest eats and drinks available!

Amongst all of the food and beverages items to choose from, our curiosity truly piqued when we noticed the Pizza Oom Mow Wow!

This concoction is a Pizza-inspired Bloody Mary with Tito’s Handmade Vodka and flavors of Pineapple, Pepperoncini, and Mushroom. 

Okay, for starters, let’s just talk about the little SLICE OF PIZZA on the side of this drink!! We would like to formally request that all drinks now come with a mini slice of pizza please and thank you.

For those who have been fans of Disney California Adventure for a LONG time the name of this drink will actually sound a bit familiar. Pizza Oom Mow Mow was a counter-service pizza restaurant located in Disney California Adventure on Paradise Pier. It closed back in 2010 and transformed into BoardWalk Pizza & Pasta.

Okay, so the tiny pizza is adorable, but how does the drink taste? Well, in our opinion, Bloody Marys are one of those “ya love it or ya hate it” drinks, so we do feel like we have to make a full disclosure here. Our reporter who tried this drink does NOT like Bloody’s Marys, like…at all. Because they’re not a fan of Bloody Marys, they said they had a REALLY hard time enjoying this drink.

That said, they did think that the drink really tasted like pizza, which is fun. Overall, they said that Bloody Mary fans will probably really enjoy this, especially if they’re looking for something with a playful twist.

If you aren’t a fan of Bloody Marys though, you will want to skip this drink!

At $17, it’s pretty pricey and will actually run you a dollar or two more than most of the cocktails on the menu. But, if you love Bloody Marys and pizza, maybe this will be the drink of your dreams!

If you’re curious to try this drink for yourself, make sure you have your Legacy Passholder information handy and book yourself a reservation at Alfresco Tasting Terrace!

Click here to read about the alcoholic beverages coming to Blue Bayou at Disneyland!

Would you try this Pizza Bloody Mary? Let us know in the comments!

The post Review: Disneyland’s Latest Drink is TOPPED with a Piece of PIZZA! first appeared on the disney food blog.