What happens when your favorite ride or show is CLOSED in Disney World?

If you’ve been planning a trip for a while and getting everything in perfect order for this vacation, the last thing you want is to show up in the parks and realize your favorite attraction is not available. To prevent this unexpected disaster, we’ve compiled a list of all the closures next week in Disney World, from hotel pools to roller coasters and more.

We’ll begin our tour of the closures in Magic Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom

Walt Disney World Railroad

The Walt Disney World Railroad is still closed, we don’t know when it might reopen.

We have spotted trains testing in the park, but this testing appears to be more focused on just keeping the train’s engine in good order and not actually a sign of its reopening.

Construction happening in Tomorrowland prevents the train from passing through this area. The construction is for the upcoming TRON: Lightcycle Run roller coaster.

We don’t have a return date for the Walt Disney World Railroad, and it likely won’t reopen until construction on TRON finishes up.

You should probably avoid Magic Kingdom on one day this May.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Expedition Everest

Expedition Everest is still closed in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This roller coaster is scheduled to be closed through mid-April at least, but we don’t have an official reopening date for it yet.

We’ll be sure to keep you updated about a return date.

Finding Nemo: The Musical

Finding Nemo: The Musical is also unavailable in Animal Kingdom. Signs for the show have also been covered up in the park.

Finding Nemo: The Musical is going to return as a reimagined show called Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond! It will debut sometime in 2022.

Learn about a wild snake encounter in Animal Kingdom!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Voyage of the Little Mermaid

The Voyage of the Little Mermaid show is closed in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It doesn’t have a reopening date yet, but we’ll let you know as soon as we learn about its return.

In the meantime, you can head to Magic Kingdom to ride the Journey of the Little Mermaid attraction instead!

Fantasmic!

Fantasmic! is a popular nighttime show in Hollywood Studios. You can’t watch it right now, but Disney has announced that it will return sometime in 2022.

When it does return, there will be a few major changes. We don’t have all the details yet, but we know that some stunts and characters will be different.

Learn how you can get on a popular Hollywood Studios ride AFTER the park closes.

EPCOT

Souk-Al-Magreb

The Souk-Al-Magreb gift shop is still closed in EPCOT’s World Showcase. This shop is in the Morocco pavilion. It’s been closed for a while now, and there’s no word on when it might reopen.

This shop is scheduled to be closed through mid-April at least, but Disney hasn’t announced an official reopening timeline for it. 

See what’s new in EPCOT this week.

Disney World Hotels

Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort

Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort has still not reopened yet, but you can make your reservation now if you want to stay there after it reopens on March 31st, 2022.

This hotel is one of the three All-Star hotels in Disney World, which are all Value resorts.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Some DVC Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa have been getting a few updates.

These villas are getting new pull-out beds and more. There will be more extensive renovations at this hotel later this spring, which will involve turning a whole building into 200 DVC Villas.

That renovation will begin on March 1st, 2022 and is expected to finish sometime this summer.

Click here to learn more about the Grand Floridian DVC Villas project.

Disney World Hotel Pools

A couple of Disney World hotel pools are currently closed, but there are other pool options for guests staying at these resorts.

The Flippin’ Fins Pool at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort (in the Little Mermaid section) is also unavailable, and it will remain closed through late February. We’re expecting this pool to reopen sometime this week, although we don’t have an exact opening date.

When it does reopen, the Cozy Cone Pool (in the Cars section of the hotel) will close. This closure is expected to last through mid-April. While the Cozy Cone Pool is closed, the Flippin’ Fins Pool and Big Blue Pool will be open for guests at this hotel.

The Schoolyard Sprayground near the Big Blue Pool is also closed right now for refurbishments. It’s expected to reopen in mid-March.

The Grandstand Leisure Pool at Disney’s Saratoga Springs is closed right now, and it’s expected to remain closed through mid-March 2022.

At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, the Samawati Springs Pool (at Kidani Village) is closed. It will remain closed through April 2022.

Guests at the Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village can visit the Jambo House area to use the Uzima Springs Pool instead.

See 10 Disney World hotel room essentials!

Disney World Water Parks

Blizzard Beach is closed right now. Disney hasn’t said yet when it might reopen, and the schedule currently shows this park remaining closed through late April at least.

There is still an open water park in Disney World, though. Typhoon Lagoon is open right now, although it will occasionally close if the weather is too cold.

So be sure to check Typhoon Lagoon’s schedule to make sure it’s open before you visit!

Check out details about Typhoon Lagoon’s reopening here.

That’s it for this week’s updates! Keep following DFB for more of the latest news from the Disney World parks.

See more information about refurbishments and construction in Disney World!

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Don’t Miss Out on Any Disney Fun!

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Will these Disney World closures affect your trip? Let us know in the comments.

The post Several Closures With No End Date in Sight Continue Next Week in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.

Disney is ALWAYS working on new technology! We’ve been theorizing about what’s going on with a mysterious patent for a few months now, plus there’s that crazy-cool new character tech we saw at a D23 event. And don’t forget the “real” lightsaber we recently obsessed over back in October! But there’s one area where we haven’t seen any innovation in a LONG time: Minnie ears!

Listen, we love a new pair of Minnie ears. Lately, we’ve seen everything from bright green sequined ears to Alice in Wonderland Minnie ears, but now we found ANOTHER new pair of ears that come with a surprise!

It’s been a BUSY day in Disney World, and it’s not even noon! We already showed off these stunning sequined Minnie ears that just arrived in the Magic Kingdom, but we’re not done yet.

Disney’s Art of Animation hotel has a NEW pair of Loungefly Minnie ears! These aren’t any old ears, though. Remember how we said we wanted some innovation in the Minnie ear department? Well, our wish came true!

Art of Animation Minnie Ears $39.99
But wait, there’s something different about these ears pic.twitter.com/lgOnWFc3Vy

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) February 26, 2022

Disney’s new Art of Animation Minnie ears are super cute! They include all the characters featured throughout the Art of Animation resort, like Ariel, Simba, Nemo, and more!

Turns out there’s more to these ears than we thought. When exposed to UV, they change color! One word: WHOA!

Of course, we high-tailed it out the door (after paying, obviously) to see how this color-changing fabric worked. After a minute or so in the sunlight, they turned this pretty magenta color! What a FUN surprise!

You can buy these new Art of Animation Loungefly Minnie ears for $39.99 in the Ink & Paint shop. In the meantime, stay tuned for more Disney news, reviews, and more!

Disney World Found Another Way to FUEL Our Obsession with SPARKLY Minnie Ears!

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What do you think about these new Minnie ears? Let us know in the comments!

The post Disney World’s NEW Art of Animation Resort Minnie Ears Come with a SURPRISE! first appeared on the disney food blog.

How can you elevate your beverage from a refreshing treat to a drinking experience? Disney may have cracked the code!

The Disney parks are no strangers to fun specialty drinks. Hey, the Fuzzy Tauntaun at Oga’s Cantina even goes as far as making your mouth NUMB! One place at Disney California Adventure that’s known for its inventive menu items is Pym Test Kitchen, located in the Marvel-themed Avengers Campus.

Pym Test Kitchen is inspired by “Pym Particles” which, as Ant-Man fans may know, allow food to be grown and shrunk down. That’s why there are uniquely sized items like the ($100!) Family-sized Pym-ini on the menu.

But this spot serves up more than just interesting sizes! There are also some items with fun ingredients that help us feel our inner superpowers. That’s where the Popping Particle Punch comes in!

The Popping Particle Punch is a non-alcoholic carbonated pineapple hurricane with grenadine and flavor bursts. It’s topped with an ingredient that really made it pop…Pop Rocks!

Popping Particle Punch
Non-alcoholic Carbonated Pineapple Hurricane with Grenadine and Flavor Bursts $6.49 pic.twitter.com/uWYGfFS6Ms

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) February 25, 2022

 

The drink had a slightly tart taste from the pineapple, followed by a sweeter taste. The Pop Rocks added a super fun element to the first few sips, but they did stop popping after a few minutes.

If you’re looking for a unique, non-alcoholic specialty drink, this one could be right up your alley! Although heads up, the flavor is pretty pineapple-heavy, so if that’s not your jam you may want to avoid this one.

You can snag the Popping Particle Punch for $6.49 at Pym Test Kitchen. We’ll continue to be on the lookout for more fun menu items around the Disney parks, so stay tuned to DFB for all the latest updates!

From La Casita to California — Find Out How ‘Encanto’ is Coming to Disneyland

What’s your favorite specialty drink from the Disney parks? Let us know in the comments!

The post REVIEW: Are Pop Rocks the Secret Ingredient for a Fun Disney Drink? first appeared on the disney food blog.

Ever since we first saw the picture of blue shrimp at Disney World’s new Star Wars-themed hotel, we have been intrigued about the food onboard the Halcyon (that’s the name of the Galactic Starcruiser ship).

We recently stayed at the Galactic Starcruiser as part of a media event, where we made sure to check out ALL the food onboard. We ate that infamous blue shrimp, along with a scotch Meteor Egg wrapped in cake batter, a tube of Miso Soup in a cup full of salt, and several other dishes that were inspired by planets around the Star Wars galaxy. Some of the bizarre dishes were delicious, and others weren’t our favorite. But what if you’re looking for some “normal” food during your trip to space? Does that even exist on the Halcyon?

The short answer to that question is that some normal food can be found on the Galactic Starcruiser. Before we dive into where to find the “Earth” food, we have one very pressing question that demands answers immediately: Do french fries exist in space? 

We’re big fans of Disney World’s french fries (you know, the ones that taste just like McDonald’s fries only better because they’re infused with Disney magic?), but we regret to inform you that these thin and crispy beauties were nowhere to be found on the Starcruiser. Don’t give up all hope, though! There were still some fries — they just looked very different than most fries you’ve seen.

During our first dinner in the Crown of Corellia Dining Room (where you’ll eat most meals on the ship), we saw that the Younglings Menu (kids’ menu) included Crispy Sliced Waffle Fries. Bingo! These are available as a side option. Rather than lots of little waffle fries, you get two large ones. They reminded us a lot of hashbrowns since they were so much thicker than normal fries.

But there’s also a sneaky waffle fry hiding in plain sight on the Halcyon — the Crispy Tuber Waffle from breakfast on Day 3 is basically a big waffle fry as well! We see you, Disney… .

So, yes, there are french fries (albeit unusual ones) at the Star Wars Hotel. But what other foods will satisfy the more choosy eaters in your group? If you don’t want to dive headfirst into the blue shrimp, there are still several options for kids and adults alike. That Younglings menu has several familiar choices for dinner, such as Cheese Pizza, Grilled Tip Yip Chicken Swords (grilled chicken), and Fried Tip Yip Chicken Chunks (chicken nuggets).

From what we understand, adults should be able to order off the kids’ menu. You can likely order a couple of different entrées from that menu to make it a full adult meal since all of the food is included in the cost of your stay. Check with your server to see if this is possible during our trip — it never hurts to ask!

In addition to the dinner menu, you can find some familiar options at the Sublight Lounge, such as a Little Flatbread (which is basically a fancy pizza).

The breakfast and lunch buffets also have some variation on pizza-flatbread dishes, like the Tikka Tip Yip Chicken with Paneer Cheese at lunch…

… and the Breakfast Meat Pie at breakfast.

The Dipped Tip Yip Chicken With Cheesy Noodles (available at lunch on both days) should please picky eaters, too. It’s pretty much chicken nuggets in mac ‘n’ cheese!

Breakfast options include Waffles — no, they’re not Mickey Waffles, but they’re just as tasty — and you can also grab some Maple Syrup to pour over them. For a bigger breakfast, you can grab a combo plate with a Waffle, Sausage, and a cheesy omelet.

If you’re still concerned about the food onboard, you can also bring your own snacks and food. We saw several guests with their own food, and we brought some charcuterie along with us (because that’s how we roll).

So don’t worry — there is food on the Halcyon that should please picky eaters. But if you have concerns, you can always talk to a Cast Member! And ask your server or other Cast Members if you have questions about the food names on the menus. Sometimes very normal dishes are given bizarre space-language names, even if they’re not actually unusual foods.

Stay tuned because we’re covering EVERYTHING about Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser.

Read our ULTIMATE Guide to the Star Wars Hotel here!

Star Wars Hotel — Galactic Starcruiser News and Information

• Check Out Our COMPLETE GUIDE to the Star Wars Hotel

• We’re Breaking the MYTHS from Inside the Star Wars Hotel Rooms

• What to Get (or AVOID) at Breakfast on the Star Wars Hotel

• We Ate EVERYTHING for Lunch at the Star Wars Hotel

• See Our FULL Review of the Entire Dinner on Night 1 of the Star Wars Hotel

• Yes, Dinner on Night 2 at the Star Wars Hotel is Different. See Our Full Review

• Is the Captain’s Table Worth the Extra Cost?

• See How the Fireworks at the Star Wars Hotel Will (and Won’t) Surprise You

• Get Our Full Thoughts on the BLUE SHRIMP

• See What Snacks Look Like in Space

• Some of the Best Food in the Star Wars Hotel is Hiding!

• Get a Look at the Exclusive Star Wars Hotel Merchandise

• Learn About What’s Included When You Leave the Star Wars Hotel for Hollywood Studios

• Take a Look at the Pricing for the Star Wars Hotel

• Watch Our DFB Video About Our Experience at the Star Wars Hotel

Click HERE to See More About Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser

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Do you have a trip booked on the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser? Let us know in the comments!

Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. We were invited by Disney World to attend their media preview of Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ

The post The Million Dollar Question: Are There French Fries at the Star Wars Hotel in Disney World? first appeared on the disney food blog.

From Minnie’s EAR-idescent dress to the colorful nighttime lighting of Spaceship Earth, we love things that SPARKLE! By now, you probably know that Disney releases new merchandise about as often as we think about planning a trip to the Magic Kingdom (meaning it happens all.the.time.).

Right one cue this morning, we found some sparkly new Minnie ears in Disney World! Let’s all admire them together.

The West Coast actually saw these new Amethyst Minnie ears first; we found them in Disneyland and online earlier in February. Finally, though, these ears made their way to Disney World!

What are our thoughts?
Amethyst Minnie Ears
Seen throughout Disney World today pic.twitter.com/7BkVaudyGb

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) February 26, 2022

We found these chunky sequined Minnie ears in the Emporium on Main Street, U.S.A. early this morning, but we have a feeling they will sell quickly! The ears are made with large iridescent purple sequins and a velvety purple bow — they’re so pretty!

Like most other Minnie ears, you can grab these for $29.99. Unfortunately, they are currently sold out on shopDisney, but you never know when they might pop up online!

We love finding new Minnie ears; it’s sort of like a treasure hunt! If you love shopping and Disney World as much as we do, be sure to stay tuned for more Disney news and park updates!

The New Minnie Ears in Disney World Give Us DIY Vibes

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

How many Minnie ears do you own? Let us know in the comments!

The post Disney World Found Another Way to FUEL Our Obsession with SPARKLY Minnie Ears! first appeared on the disney food blog.

One of the extra add-ons that guests can pay for aboard their trip on the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is the CSL Portrait Experience. CSL stands for Chandrila Star Line, which is the company that operates the Halcyon.

“Capture your group’s Star Wars galaxy looks at unique places around the ship for a truly personalized photo experience. Our Disney PhotoPass Photographers will make sure your group looks their galactic best and will take you to select locations with special clearance from the crew.

Your 30-minute session includes:

• Consultation, image capture and review by specially trained Cast Members, using advanced digital photography equipment and lighting
• Downloads of all images taken during the session

Images must be downloaded through Disneyworld.com/PhotoPass or via the My Disney Experience mobile app. Online registration is required; images will expire pursuant to the Expiration policy and are subject to the Disney PhotoPass Service terms and conditions.

How to Book

Please call your Galactic Starcruiser Specialist at (407) 939-7739 to add this activity up to 60 days before your Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyage. Limited availability.”

The introductory price is $99.

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser officially opens on March 1.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post Guests Can Now Purchase Private PhotoPass Session, the ‘CSL Portrait Experience’ For Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser appeared first on WDW News Today.

Hey, friends! We’re back with another DFB Video covering all the latest Disney news!

WE WENT TO SPACE, nighttime entertainment is coming BACK to Disneyland, and more meet and greets are popping up all over Disney World.

Buckle up my friends, all of the latest Disney news is starting right now!

 

By the way, have you subscribed yet? If you hit the button below, you can subscribe to the channel and never miss a single episode!

So check out the video and then let us know: Which Disney news are you the most excited about?

The post Latest Disney News: Star Wars Hotel, Encanto is Coming to Disneyland’s Electrical Parade & MORE first appeared on the disney food blog.