As we draw closer and closer to the opening of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, Disney Movie Insiders has revealed an opening day pin for the new experience coming to Walt Disney World. The new Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser opening day pin will be available starting March 1st at 9 AM PT for 850 points. […]
The post Disney Movie Insiders Reveals Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Pin appeared first on LaughingPlace.com.
RockLove is heading under the sea with two amazing collections inspired by the enchanting life below the surface and one special mermaid in particular: Ariel! Whether looking for earrings, rings or necklaces, the Disney X RockLove The Little Mermaid Collection debuted today and will have fans flipping’ their fins with delight. (Please note this article contains affiliate […]
The post Life is the Bubbles with the Disney x RockLove The Little Mermaid Collection appeared first on LaughingPlace.com.
The Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival will begin its run on March 4th, and to help you prepare for the delicious tastings that await, Disney has released the Foodie Guide for the event. The Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival will run daily from March 4th through April 26th. For the best value […]
The post Celebrate the Tastes of California with the Foodie Guide to the 2022 Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival appeared first on LaughingPlace.com.
“As a novel, it had a great character-driven plot, it’s got high stakes, it’s got these surprising twists and turns, this incredible, hostile setting, and this great ticking clock with the girl in the van,” No Exit director Damien Power said during a press conference to promote the 20th Century Studios film, premiering on Hulu on February […]
The post From Page to Screen: Behind the Scenes of Hulu’s “No Exit” appeared first on LaughingPlace.com.
We stopped into the UK Pavilion and spotted a new floral United Kingdom Minnie Mouse ear headband just in time for the 2022 EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival.
This ear headband features a bold color scheme of red, pink, purple, and blue.
The center of the bow has a crown, referencing the English monarchy.
The ears have red, purple, pink, and blue flowers.
Flowers are visible on both the front and the back.
“Queen of the Kingdom” is embroidered on the side of the headband.
The other side of the headband has a silky floral print but no wording.
Looking closer, you see that the flowers form the United Kingdom Union Jack motif on a white background.
Do you plan to pick up this new ear headband? Let us know in the comments.
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
The post New Floral United Kingdom Minnie Mouse Ear Headband Blooms at EPCOT appeared first on WDW News Today.
Hall of Famer Troy Aikman is expected to leave Fox Sports to become the main analyst for ESPN’s Monday Night Football, according to The New York Post. What’s Happening: Aikman’s ESPN deal will be for five years, according to sources, and his yearly salary is expected to approach or exceed the neighborhood of Tony Romo’s […]
The post Troy Aikman Set to Leave Fox Sports for ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” appeared first on LaughingPlace.com.
If you’ve ever mentioned to a friend or family that you’re planning a Disney World vacation, you’ve probably received some solicited (or unsolicited) advice. And, while your Aunt Susan has your best interest at heart, Disney World planning advice isn’t one-size-fits-all!
We’re sharing our best tips today!
It can be a lot to sort through all of the tips, especially considering how complicated planning a Disney World vacation has become over the past few years. So, do you really need to head to the park at the crack of dawn to have a chance at riding the most popular rides? And, do you have to park hop to get the most out of your trip? As seasoned park goers, we’re letting you in on 15 tricks that we’ve learned from visiting Disney World all the time — let’s get to it!
Many first-time or new Disney World guests often try to tackle the most popular rides by getting to the park right at park opening (or rope drop). But, this isn’t your only (or even the best) option necessarily. You can actually join the queue for any open attraction right up until park closing time and that’s actually when you might find the shortest lines of the day! For example, if the park closes at 9PM, then the queue will close at 9:01PM. And, whether the wait time says 5 minutes or 105 minutes, as long as you’re in line before the park closes, you’ll be able to ride.
Avoid those long waits and hop in line at the end of the day!
This is one of our favorite tricks for getting to ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train or Slinky Dog Dash without taking up too much park time during the day. And, at the end of the night, the wait times usually aren’t as long as what they’re posted on the signs!
There are lines all over the place in Disney World — in the gift shops, at the park entrances, at security, and everywhere else and you can end up wasting valuable park time if you don’t choose your line wisely. So, when you find yourself walking up to a location with multiple queues side-by-side we recommend heading towards the outside lines.
Line to get into Magic Kingdom
Usually, people say to “go left,” but that’s not always the best option if the left line is the closest to you (like when you get off the monorail at Magic Kingdom’s entrance.) Instead, go for the lines that are further away, as most guests will walk to the middle of the queue that’s directly in front of them. Yes, it adds up to a few extra steps for you, but using this strategy, you may shave a few valuable minutes off your wait time, which can be especially helpful when entering the park!
Are all fireworks views created equally in Disney World? No, definitely not! So, how can you ensure that you’ll be able to see it all without risking your view being obstructed by a dad who hikes their kid up onto their shoulder at the last minute? Well, at Magic Kingdom, one of our favorite hacks is to stake out a spot on a curb so that when everyone stands up, you’ll have a couple inches of extra height above the guests in front of you. It also helps to stand next to a trash can so that you’ve got something to lean on while waiting and a little bit of extra personal space.
You’ll also want to keep in mind that Magic Kingdom’s new fireworks show — Disney Enchantment — features projections all the way down Main Street, U.S.A., so the best view is actually further away from Cinderella Castle if you’re hoping to get the full experience.
The best view is actually a bit further down Main Street, U.S.A.
Over in EPCOT, Harmonious debuted recently with a new style of fireworks show that is unlike anything we’ve seen in the past. For this show, you’ll want to make sure you’re facing the giant barges in the middle of World Showcase Lagoon as directly as possible so that you can see the screens and water effects clearly. This is best done from the front of World Showcase or from the backside, close to the American Adventure pavilion (bonus points if you can find a bench to sit on or an elevated surface to stand on while you watch!).
Right now, Disney World dining reservations can be made 60 days in advance of the first day of your vacation, but it hasn’t gotten any easier to get a spot. So, if you can’t snag that coveted dining reservation at Be Our Guest Restaurant (or any other popular Table Service location), don’t fret…there’s still a chance you may find it in the future! We recommend that you continue checking for a reservation the week leading up to (or even the day of) your visit, as many guests cancel in the final days to avoid the 24-hour cancellation fee.
Cinderella’s Royal Table
If that doesn’t work, many restaurants now offer Mobile Dine Walk-Up Waitlist on the day of your visit so you have a chance at dining without a reservation at all. You can check the My Disney Experience app early in the day to see what’s available — don’t delay though, or the list might fill up!
If you’re not a Disney World regular or you haven’t been in a while, you may be absolutely shocked by how many steps you walk during a day at the parks (which can make it the BEST time to challenge your friends to a step competition). But hitting 20,000+ steps every day for a week can make even the best shoes uncomfortable!
Be smart about your shoe choices!
We suggest packing more than one pair of shoes just in case you find that your trusty old sneakers suddenly aren’t so kind to your blistering feet in the parks. And, it may even help to bring backup shoes in your bag that you take to the parks! Even if your shoes are perfectly comfortable, there’s a chance they could get wet on a ride or in the rain, and a fresh pair would be nice. If you don’t have room for an extra pair in your bag, bring backup socks instead — you’ll be surprised how great a fresh pair of socks can feel midday.
While you certainly don’t intend on needing medicine while you’re in Disney World, the unexpected can (and often does) happen. So, when you visit the parks, take note of the First Aid and Baby Care Center locations on the park map. Here, you’ll be able to find many emergency items that you may need, including bandages, diapers, some over-the-counter medicines, and more.
Look out for these locations in the parks!
Plus, the Baby Care Centers are a great place to take your kiddos to if they need a place to relax away from the chaos of the parks. Inside you’ll find nursing rooms, changing tables, and even bathrooms with kiddie-sized toilets!
Throughout the year, Disney will close attractions for routine maintenance and there are no guarantees that it won’t line up with your vacation dates. But, luckily Disney doesn’t leave park-goers in the dark and they announce the refurbishments often months in advance on the refurbishment calendar on Disney’s website. Here, you’ll find a list of which attractions will be unavailable during your trip due to maintenance or updates and you can even check your hotel’s website for any maintenance alerts that could impact your stay.
Check online before your trip so that you aren’t surprised!
It’s best to take a look at this list early — we don’t want any broken hearts when you arrive at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and find that your favorite ride, Expedition Everest, is closed for three months!
Over the past year, Disney World gift shops have been introducing a new Mobile Checkout option. So, instead of waiting in a long line to purchase those coveted souvenirs, you can now use your phone to check out at select locations!
Be on the lookout for these signs!
To use Mobile Checkout, look for the signage around the store that you’re visiting (it’s mostly available in larger gift shops right now, and not all of them have it) to see if it’s being offered. Once you find them, scan the QR code and follow the onscreen directions to make your purchases! This lesser-utilized trick will save you both time and stress.
This is a tip we share frequently with our readers here at DFB, but it’s SO important to remember when you’re in the parks. Florida is very hot and with all the walking you’ll be doing, it’s easy to get dehydrated, which can make for a very miserable day in the parks.
Free Water
Instead of trashing your hydration goals during your visit because a water bottle costs an arm and a leg, you can grab free cups of ice water from any Quick Service restaurant around Disney World, as well as from the snack stands that have drink machines. There are also some bottle refill stations in various locations, so we also recommend bringing a refillable water bottle to sip on throughout your day.
Afraid of spending an entire day walking around the park just to find that you forgot where you parked so you have to log even more steps in the parking lot? Well, this one is definitely a simple hack, but it’s very effective — take a photo of the row number where you parked! At the end of your row, it’ll show the name of the parking lot section as well as the row number, which will make finding your car all that much easier at the end of the day.
Hollywood Studios Parking Lot
If you accidentally skip this step in your rush to get inside the park, don’t worry! Locate a parking lot Cast Member and let them know what time you arrived that morning — they keep track of which rows were parked at what time, so if you have that information, they can at least direct you to a general area.
Who doesn’t want to save money on a Disney World trip?! There are tons of discounts and offers out there for Disney World trips throughout the year, you just need to know where you should look to find them! For starters, make sure to check the Special Offers page before booking through the Disney World website to see if there are any room, ticket, or package deals going on — this is where you can find things like 20% off hotel stays on select dates and discounted tickets for military members.
©Disney
Plus, if you’re part of an affiliate group (such as an Annual Passholder or DVC member), check the website to see if discounts are available for merchandise, dining, or other paid activities like special ticketed events. And when you’re in the park, it never hurts to ask before making a purchase — you might be surprised with all the places that do offer discounts!
Since Disney World reopened after temporarily closing at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants have seen some MAJOR changes. For example, we’ve seen some spots with limited capacities, modified offerings, and the menus have even been through some substantial updates.
Check those menus online before you go!
If you’re a returning visitor, we recommend checking the menus of your favorite restaurants before your visit. They may have completely changed their offerings since your last trip, or the experience may be different altogether (like at modified character meals). So, you’ll want to be sure that you’ve done your dining research if you’re like us and view Disney food as an attraction in itself.
Even if you think you don’t need it. Even if the weather app says it won’t rain. Even if it’s not hurricane season…always, always, ALWAYS pack rain gear! Florida may be known as the sunshine state, but it rains pretty frequently and storms often pop up seemingly out of nowhere (particularly during the summer months).
Rainy Day in Magic Kingdom
But, the rain isn’t the enemy of your Disney World trip — in fact, it can actually make for some of the best park days if you’ve prepared correctly. You definitely don’t want to be caught in a storm and be forced to “wait it out” and waste park time or purchase one of the expensive Disney ponchos. Instead, we suggest buying cheap ponchos from your local grocery store or packing your own rain jackets and umbrellas. That way you’ll be able to brave the storm and conquer the park while other guests head back to their hotel.
Even if you’re planning on enjoying some tasty treats while in the theme parks, you won’t regret packing some extra snacks in your park bag, especially if you’re traveling with kids. The options in the park may not be things that they enjoy and you really don’t want to find yourself 60 minutes into the 180-minute line for Rise of the Resistance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios with a hangry kiddo.
Bring extra snacks in case your little ones don’t like what’s offered!
It may also be a good idea to carry food simply because days in Disney can be unpredictable. If a ride has technical difficulties, you get stuck in a line, or there’s a long wait for Mobile Order, it may throw your eating schedule out of whack. Getting “hangry” can put a real damper on your trip, so this helps avoid that problem!
And finally, let’s talk about portable phone chargers! It’s become almost impossible to do Disney World without your phone, so you’ll be using it a LOT during your day. You’ll use it to check wait times, Mobile Order, and more through the My Disney Experience app (especially if you’re trying the new Disney Genie), plus you’ll likely be reaching for the camera, the weather app, social media, and much more during your trip.
Fuel Rods are available at Disney World
It’s much easier to charge your phone on the go than to stop and look for an outlet (they can be hard to find in the parks!) so we recommend bringing along a portable charger. If you want something more convenient, Disney sells FuelRods in the parks for $30 each and once your FuelRod runs out of battery, you can swap it for a fully-charged version at any of the kiosks for free. It can be a good deal if you’re doing a lot of charging or visiting frequently!
So, there you have it — some of our best tips for visiting Disney World. And, if you’re planning a 2022 trip and want even more tips and tricks, you can watch our video with 45 (!!) NEW tips below!
With more than 750 pages, the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs!
With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you’ll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet.
Click here to order your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today!
Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. 
What’s your favorite Disney World planning tip? Let us know in the comments!
The post 15 Disney World Tricks Only the Insiders Know first appeared on the disney food blog.
It’s festival time, baby! We hope you brought your appetite and a notepad, because the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival is returning SOON, and now we’ve got a look at what will be on the menus! This fun foodie event is known to celebrate the foods of California with tasty snacks, drinks, and special events. Not only that, but guests can enjoy the old version of Soarin’, Soarin’ Over California, during the festival!
Disney’s California Adventure
If you love the golden state of California and can’t wait to celebrate, we’ve got some exciting news! Disney just revealed ALL the menus for this year’s Food and Wine Festival. Let’s take a look!
The 2022 Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival will run from March 4th to April 26th. Disney hasn’t hosted this event since before the pandemic, so it’s been a LONG time! We already knew that all twelve festival booths will be returning this year, but now we’ve got a look at the menus.
California Craft Brews Booth
Let’s take a look!
There are a TON of new eat and drinks at the festival this year, but we’ll just highlight a few that sound particularly interesting! First up, we have the Peanut Butter & Jelly Mac with brown sugar streusel and strawberry crackle over at Nuts About Cheese.
©Disney
Also at this booth is a new Spicy Honey-Apricot Cocktail, which has Rye Whiskey, apricot, orange, lemon juice, spicy honey syrup, and bitters.
©Disney
Over at California Craft Brews there will be a new IPA Sausage Dog on a soft pretzel roll with onion-pepper Jardinière, cheddar cheese sauce, and malt vinegar-jalapeño crunch!
©Disney
And, at Peppers Cali-Ente there’s a new Chile Relleno Empanada with arbol pepper salsa and Oaxaca and Cotija cheeses. YUM!
©Disney
There are also some returning items coming back to the festival!
Over at Nuts About Cheese, the SNICKERS Caramel-Peanut Milk Chocolate Mickey Macaron is back! This is a Chocolate Mickey macaron filled with caramel ganache and SNICKERS pieces.
It’s coming back!
At Garlic Kissed, the Carbonara-Garlic Mac & Cheese with peppered bacon is back and we can’t wait to eat it again!
Carbonara Mac and Cheese
And, at Avocado Time, the very unconventional Frozen Guacamole is returning. This is avocado paleta with lime crema, pico de gallo, and chile-lime seasoning.
©Disney
You can check out the FULL menus of ALL of the booths below!
In addition to these festival-exclusive booths, there will also be special festival offerings at some other additional locations, like over at Terran Treats in Avengers Campus. They’ll have a new Raspberry Spiral Ration which is a yellow strawberry spiral churro with berry compote!
©Disney
You can see all of the additional items coming to the festival here. Make sure to stay tuned; we’ll be at the festival soon to try out all these new foods and old favorites!
Which new snack are you looking forward to trying? Let us know in the comments!
The post NEWS: MENUS Announced for the 2022 Food and Wine Festival in Disney California Adventure first appeared on the disney food blog.
It has been a BUSY week for Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
We’ve seen pretty heavy crowds and wait times have been through the roof. On top of that, a TON of new merchandise has dropped in the park in the past few days. If you haven’t had the chance to stop by this week, we’re sharing the full list of everything that’s new in Hollywood Studios!
Let’s start with a little snack update! For quite some time, we’ve had the holiday popcorn mix available at all the popcorn stands around Hollywood Studios. But this week, the Springtime Popcorn has finally returned!
Springtime popcorn is here!
It’s $7.99 per bag and is available at popcorn carts all around the park, as well as The Market. It’s made with birthday cake popcorn, pastel-colored candy gems, and white chocolate drizzle.
We’ve seen some slow construction progress this week on the gift shop at the exit of Toy Story Mania. The last time we were in the park, another wall was covered up.
Still under construction!
We’ll keep an eye on this area to see if anything changes. We’ve got some other exciting offerings coming to Toy Story Land soon, so it makes sense that they’re freshening up!
Okay, buckle up because we had QUITE a lot of new merchandise available at Hollywood Studios this week! Starting in Keystone Clothiers, we spotted a Black Widow t-shirt for $36.99. We’ve already seen it at Disneyland Resort, but it finally made its way to the east coast.
Rep that Black Widow logo!
If you were a big fan of Marvel’s What If…? that premiered on Disney+ last year, then you’ll be happy to know that you can now buy figurines of some of the show’s most popular characters! These figurines are $29.99 each and all include little models of The Watcher.
These are all the options that are available.
A new Captain Marvel tee from Her Universe is now available too. It’s $36.99 and features a pretty simple design made to mimic her superhero suit.
Captain Marvel t-shirt
Guardians of the Galaxy fans are going to love this new Groot plush, available for $22.99. He’s so cute and squishy!
He’s so little!
And speaking of plushes, who could resist this Spider-Man design?! It’s now in the shop for $22.99. (Although, his head is shaped a little bit like a triangle!)
Triangle-head Spider-Man
This was definitely a big week for Marvel merchandise!
Across the street at The Dark Room, there were a couple new items to report as well. First up is this new 50th Anniversary mystery pin set. It features pins that look like the golden Disney Fab 50 statues around the parks, and you can collect them for $21.99 each.
You could end up with one of several designs.
Who’s excited for a new Pixar movie?! Well, Turning Red hits Disney+ on March 11th, and we can’t wait to check it out. If you’re ready to rep the movie a little early, you can buy this matching MagicBand for $39.99.
There’s a new MagicBand for the movie.
It’s a limited edition design, so it won’t be around forever — hurry and get to The Dark Room if you want to pick one up!
When we stopped by to visit a galaxy far, far away, we found some new items in the shops. Over at The Market, there were new figurines inside Toydarian Toymakers. The first is a tie fighter…
Tie Fighter figurine
…then there’s a model of the Millennium Falcon…
Millennium Falcon figurine
…and one made to look like an AT-AT! You can buy them now for $17.99 each.
AT-AT figurine
Over by Rise of the Resistance, make sure to check out the Resistance Supply merchandise stand — you never know what you’ll find! This week, we spotted a Rise of the Resistance magnet that we hadn’t seen before. Pick one up on your next trip for $12.
A great souvenir once you complete your mission!
And finally, at Droid Depot, there’s a new Battle Droid set for $74.99 that features some of the most famous droids from Star Wars movies.
Who’s ready to battle?
They’ve got all kinds of accessories in here that you can buy and add on to your droid after it’s built. You can really customize it to your liking!
And speaking of Star Wars merchandise, we spotted a new Fennec Shand Funko POP for $14.99. If you watched The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+, then you know just how awesome Fennec is!
Fennec Shand Funko POP
This store is home to lots of items from hit Star Wars shows and movies, so make sure to stop by here if you’re looking for something specific.
If you’ve been waiting for the highly-anticipated Stoney Clover Disney line, then you’re in luck — it’s now at Legends of Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard! These items were incredibly popular when they arrived online, so if you’re interested in any of the 5 different bags, you’ll want to hurry.
All the new Stoney Clover bags were in here!
We also spotted a brand-new Orange Bird t-shirt in here this week! It says “100% Sunshine” with our little pal printed on the front and you can get it for $22.99. With the EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival coming up soon, we think this would be the perfect outfit to wear!
We love this!
And on the Sunset Club Couture end of the store, there was an adorable Minnie Mouse onesie for your tiniest Disney fans! You can pick it up now for $34.99.
An itty bitty onesie!
Honestly, who can resist cute little Disney baby clothes?!
That’s everything new we spotted in Hollywood Studios this week! Stay tuned to DFB for the latest news and updates from around the parks each day!
With more than 750 pages, the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs!
With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you’ll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet.
Click here to order your copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2022 to save 25% off the cover price today!
Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose.
When is your next visit to Hollywood Studios? Tell us in the comments!
The post What’s New in Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Toy Story Land Construction and Stoney Clover Bags first appeared on the disney food blog.
“Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire” will debut in front of Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom tomorrow. The new show will be performed five times daily. Showtimes are the same most days but have been adjusted on March 3, 2022.
The show will usually be performed at 12:15, 1:30, 2:45, 4:35, and 6:10 p.m.
On March 3, it will be performed at 12:15, 1:15, 3:15, 4:35, and 6:10 p.m. This leaves a bigger gap between two of the afternoon shows.
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
The post Showtimes Adjusted for ‘Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire’ on March 3 at Magic Kingdom appeared first on WDW News Today.
