Speaking of holidays, holiday weekends also tend to bring larger-than-usual amounts of people to Disney World. During President’s Day weekend, for example, all four Disney parks reached capacity.
Here’s the thing: no one likes crowds, but they’re kind of a necessary evil. Without a little crowd control, the parks would be almost impossible to navigate! Of course, looking ahead and seeing a mass of people can feel intimidating, but not all areas of the parks will be that bad. It’s all about location!
This was just the line to get IN!
Sure, it’s easy to tell you, “just don’t let the crowds overwhelm you!“, but we know that’s easier said than done. Instead, our biggest piece of advice is to zig where everyone else zags, and ditch the herd as soon as you can!
Yikes!
In some cases, this advice might not work for you. If you want to ride Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, go for it! But if the crowds start to feel unbearable, look for a quiet place to relax for a moment. Tom Sawyer Island has lots of quiet places to sit and recharge.
That’s a SEA of people!
Disney World can still be lots of fun during a busy holiday weekend, but you might have to go into the parks with a different frame of mind. If you go in prepared to take the paths less traveled and don’t mind visiting the less popular attractions, you can beat the crowds and still enjoy yourself.
Ah, the inevitable issue of wait times. There’s always the option to purchase Disney Genie+ to avoid long lines, but there are a few other ways to bypass long lines in the parks.
Yes, we know we just told you that you’ll find lower wait times in the morning, but some may argue that waking up early just to fit a few rides in isn’t worth it. The idea of rope-dropping the parks is a hotly debated subject, and everyone has their own ideas!
If the idea of rushing to the parks at the crack of dawn doesn’t appeal to you, sleep in instead! In some cases, guests can only fit in one ride before the wait times skyrocket, anyway.
Whoa
If you decide not to rope-drop the parks, keep your eyes on the wait times on the My Disney Experience app throughout the day. The standby wait times fluctuate all day, so hop in line when the wait time looks low!
Hollywood Studios was busy!
We hope these little tips and tricks help you navigate the busy times of year in Disney World! In the meantime, stay tuned for all the latest Disney news!
Order Your Copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today!
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.
There are loads of reasons to stay at a Disney World Hotel.
Contemporary Resort
There are tons of quick and easy ways to get to the parks, you can qualify for additional time in the parks with Early Theme Park Entry and Extended Evening Hours, and some of the resorts have some amazing food. There are also tons of Annual Passholder perks like discounts! We’re always looking out for the latest Disney deals, and this one is for resort guests and Passholders alike!
While free MagicBands for resort guests are a thing of the past, resort guests and Annual Passholders can still get them at a lower price sometimes! We just found a few new Pre-Arrival MagicBands that are much cheaper than what you’ll find in the parks. All you have to do is select your MagicBands while you’re making your hotel reservation! This one is themed to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, and it’s $25 with the Pre-Arrival discount!
Even though Expedition Everest is closed right now, you can still rep Animal Kingdom’s best disco yeti on this MagicBand! It’s available for $15 with the Pre-Arrival discount!
Those are all of the Pre-Arrival discounted MagicBands that we could find, but we’re always on the lookout for more Disney deals, so stay tuned to DFB for more!
Order Your Copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today!
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.
We’ve got some awesome new shots of the progress being made on TRON: Lightcycle Run! Disney announced this project way back in 2017 and we’ve been waiting for updates ever since. It looks like workers are making progress on the concrete area located under the canopy.
TRON Construction
And we’re seeing more and more of that blue netting go up over the canopy structure too!
Making progress!
Plus some more of the canopy portions have been going up.
A lot more canopy needs to be installed still
We still don’t have an official opening date for this attraction, so be sure to check back here for more updates!
But don’t forget, Splash Mountain should close again at some point in the future to make way for the Princess and the Frog transformation. The date on which that will take place has not been confirmed, so we’ll be on the lookout for updates.
When one mountain opens, another one closes…wait, no, that’s not it. But in this case, soon after Splash Mountain opened, Big Thunder Mountain did close for routine refurbishments.
Closed for refurbishment.
This mountain didn’t stay closed for long though, as it’s scheduled reopening was set for February 19th, 2022.
On a recent stroll through Adventureland, we noticed that the Agrabah Bazaar was closed to guests, and curtains were drawn to wall off the area.
Agrabah Bazaar closed
Cast Members did not confirm the reason for the closure, but it is currently listed as “temporarily unavailable” on Disney World’s website. We’ll be keeping an eye out for any updates!
We saw some additional work being done over in World Celebration recently! It looks like crews are working on giving the exterior of this building a makeover.
How Will It Look Once It’s Done?
We’ll be keeping an eye out for what will eventually become of this space, so stay tuned for updates!
Disney has described this new attraction as a “lush exploration trail” where guests can “play with magical, living water” — other than that, much remains secret about Journey of Water. We did get some amazing construction update photos though…
Future home of Moana: Journey of Water
…that mostly shows crews clearing the ground to make way for future items for this experience!
That’s progress!
An opening timeframe has yet to be announced for this attraction, but you can be sure we’ll keep an eye out for every update we can get!
Although we can’t see what construction is being done on the inside of this shop, we did see a new themed, brown construction wall go up in front of the entrance!
Hey, Woody!
We haven’t received confirmation on when construction here will be officially done, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated.
Last week, we were so happy to report that Aladar had received a new coat of paint in front of Dinosaur!Well now we’ve got another update — the area underneath Aladar has been refilled with water!
Lookin’ Good!
We’re so happy to see our dino friend and his habitat looking as good as new.
Crews have been doing intermittent tests of the ride, but it isn’t scheduled to reopen until mid-April 2022. We will keep an eye out for more progress!
And there you have it! These are the big construction updates that could potentially impact your Disney trip this week. We’re always looking out for the latest Disney news and updates, so be sure to stay tuned to DFB for more!
Another character location has returned to EPCOT and we are so excited to welcome them back. EPCOT Interactions We are finally beginning to see more and more characters return to the parks, which is wonderful news! It has been a little different for spotting characters at EPCOT, but they have slowly been returning. Mary Poppins, […]
If all the delicious food at Mardi Gras wasn’t enough, there is now some new candy available. We found these treats at the Tribute Store in Universal Studios Florida.
2022 Planet Mardi Gras Chocolate Candy Bars – $10
There is an assortment of chocolate bars. It comes in a set of three.
There is a milk chocolate bar, a milk chocolate bar with caramel, and a milk chocolate bar with rice crisps.
We also found this Planet Mardi Gras truffles and English toffee assortment.
The assortment comes in a decorative tin can that you can reuse after eating all the delicious candy.
2022 Mardi Gras Gummy Gators – $5
King Gator also has his own treats with these gummy gators.
2022 Mardi Gras Candy Beads – $5
And if you have enough plastic beads, go ahead and pick up these edible ones.
What is your favorite candy? Let us know in the comments!
For more Universal Studios news from around the world, follow Universal Parks News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news, visit WDWNT.
For the first time in forever, Anna and Elsa are meeting again in their Royal Sommerhus at EPCOT. This is the first time the Royal Sommerhus has been open since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The queue line is still wonderfully themed as you walk through the Royal Sommerhus.
There are wood carvings of Anna and Elsa from when they were children.
Beautiful decor pieces like paintings, banners, and violins are hung up.
Elsa was in great spirits when we walked in.
Both Anna and Elsa are still adorning their outfits from “Frozen 2.”
And Queen Anna was as excited as ever to be greeting guests again.
Just like all meet and greets at Walt Disney World, Anna and Elsa are still physically-distanced away from guests. But you are still able to take photos and talk with them.
We will have a video of our full interaction with these royal sisters coming soon!
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Right next door is Big Top Souvenirs, which is one of the larger gift shops in the Magic Kingdom. But we’re not here to talk about what’s inside Big Top Souvenirs today!
It’s a feat trying to spend less than $100 in there!
Look who we found outside Big Top Souvenirs in Storybook Circus; it’s Chip and Dale! We don’t typically see the chipmunks over in this part of the Magic Kingdom, so this was a fun little surprise!
Look who we saw!
As we mentioned earlier, most traditional character meet and greets have not returned to the Magic Kingdom, with the exception of Mickey, Princess Tiana, Princess Rapunzel, and some other visiting princesses! Chip and Dale don’t have a set meet and greet location (for now), so finding them is sort of like a random scavenger hunt. You can check the My Disney Experience app for a full list of set character meet and greet times.
What a random place for the chipmunks to be!
It’s always fun to see the characters hanging out in Disney World — especially when you aren’t expecting it! In the meantime, stay tuned for all the latest Disney news and park updates!
Order Your Copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today!
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.
Trips to Disney World can get EXPENSIVE between the price of your hotel, tickets, souvenirs, and…of course…FOOD!
Let’s talk affordable Disney FOOD!
There are a bunch of ways you can save money on food — from bringing your own snacks to buying drinks in certain locations to take advantage of discounts. Plus, not all filling, delicious meals in Disney World are ridiculously expensive. You can get some amazing breakfasts, lunches, and dinners all over Disney World for under (or just at) $15! But, what are the best meals you can get at this price point? We’re sharing our list with you today!!
At Pecos Bill’s, a delicious option for under $15 is the Chicken Rice Bowl. This dish comes with Yellow Rice topped with Seasoned Chicken, Grilled Peppers and Onions, Black Beans, Lettuce, Tomato, Sour Cream, and Salsa and is priced at $11.99.
Chicken Rice Bowl
Our favorite part of this dish is the fajita-style grilled chicken and veggies on top! Overall, the meal is hearty and delicious. And don’t forget to ask for any other special toppings you might want (like lettuce or tomatoes) to add even more flavor.
At Sleepy Hollow refreshments you’ve got 3 solid meal options for under $15. For a quick and delicious breakfast, you can get the Fresh Fruit Waffle Sandwich served with Strawberries, Bananas, Blueberries, Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread for $8.29.
Fresh Fruit Nutella Waffle Sandwich
For lunch/dinner, there’s the tasty Sweet-and-Spicy Chicken-Waffle Sandwich featuring Broccoli Slaw with a Honey-Sriracha Glaze served with House-made Chips for $10.49. Each bite serves up a delicious balance of sweet and spicy flavors!
Sweet-and-Spicy Chicken Waffle Sandwich
Or, you can opt for the Hand-dipped Corn Dog which comes with house-made chips for $10.99. We’ve had varied experiences with the hand-dipped corn dogs here in the past, but the one we got most recently was PERFECTION — hot and fresh, and wonderfully crunchy.
YUM
And, it’s not just the cost that makes these dishes must-try on your next Disney World trip, they’re also pretty hefty portion sizes so you can cut down on the cost even more by grabbing a friend or two to share them with!
You don’t have to opt for a meal at a Quick Service location to find a deal in Magic Kingdom — over at The Plaza Restaurant, you can actually grab TWO different appetizers for under $15 each. First is the Pinto Bean Chili, which is served with Cashew Cream and Lime Wedge (Plant-based) and is priced at $9. We recently gave this one a try and were impressed to find that the chili was actually really filling, surprisingly packed some heat, and while it’s listed as an appetizer, we felt like it could have been its own meal.
Pinto Bean Chili
The Plaza is also home to one of our FAVORITE appetizers in Disney World — the Plaza Loaded Fries. These crispy fries come topped with melted cheddar, house-made bacon, and green onion and are priced at $13. While our loyalty still lies with plastic cheese, the cheese sauce on this one is delicious and the toppings are served fresh (although we do wish there were more of them).
Plaza Loaded Fries!
The fries are listed as an appetizer, but the menu does note that it can serve 2. We felt like the fries were about the serving of a side of fries you’d get with a burger but, if you feel like that’s enough for a carb-loaded meal, then you can enjoy them all on your own as a light-ish lunch.
At EPCOT, one of the best ways to spend just under $15 is to create your very own meal from the various snacks available at whatever EPCOT festival is going on at the time. For example, if you’re visiting during EPCOT’s International Flower & Garden Festival, you can travel around World Showcase and combine 2 or more items from our Best of the Fest list to create one tasty (and unique) meal for just at/under $15.
Crawfish Étouffée with Andouille Sausage and Dirty Rice
Plus, if you’re willing to share items between your group of friends or family members, you could potentially even try more dishes (still staying under $15 for each person) and taste even more of what the festival has to offer. Just keep in mind that Disney does change up the menus for the festivals each year and the prices can vary (though in the past dishes have typically been in the $3 – $8 range).
Want something a bit more traditional? Over at Regal Eagle, the Sliced Texas Beef Brisket Sandwich is a great choice for a meal under $15. The brisket in this sandwich features the restaurant’s secret brisket rub and is then slow-smoked and smothered in Spicy Mop Sauce and placed between garlic toast and served with your choice of side. It’s priced at $13.49.
Sliced Texas Beef Brisket Sandwich
The beef is flavorful and moist, the garlic toast is rich and buttery, and overall the dish has a ton of layers of flavor. In fact, this sandwich has us petitioning for all Disney World sandwiches to come served on garlic toast!
If you’re looking for something a bit more unique (but still affordable), you could grab a Bratwurstfrom Sommerfestwhich is served on a freshly baked roll with Sauerkraut and House-made Paprika Chips for $10.79.
Bratwurst
Dress it up with a little mustard and you’ll have yourself a tasty and relatively inexpensive meal.
At La Cantina de San Angel, you could grab a tasty meal with the Pollo Cascabel, which features Grilled Chicken, Mexican Rice, Corn, Cascabel Sauce, and Pickled Onions. This one is on the pricier end but still comes in just under our price limit at $14.50.
Pollo Cascabel
It’s totally worth coming close to the $15 in this case because this meal is SO flavorful and delicious. When we last had it, the chicken was cooked perfectly, the cascabel sauce added a delicious spice, and all the ingredients were well balanced with the added acidity of the pickled onions.
Prefer a sit-down meal? At Spice Road Table, the Spice Road Table Sampler can get you a decent amount of food to eat alone or share (plus, it comes with a nice view of World Showcase Lagoon). The sampler is priced right at $15 and includes lamb kefta,spiced chicken, and tiropitakia.
Tiropitakia and Spiced Chicken
If you’re not familiar, the tiropitakia is Cheese-filled Phyllo which is cheesy, creamy, buttery, and oh so yummy and the spiced chicken is Chicken made with Ras el Hanout spice. The chicken is moist and the warm spices add a unique and tasty flavor. So, if you’re looking for something lighter (but still filling) to munch on as your meal, this sampler could be just the thing!
It’s no secret that Les Halles is one of our favorite places to stop on our way around World Showcase and you can create quite a filling meal here for under $15 if you’re willing to mix and match from the menu. For example, you could grab the Bisque de Homard(lobster bisque) in a bread bowl for $5.95…
Bisque de Homard
…and you can pair the soup with a sandwich (like the Jamon Beurre –Ham and Cheese, Dijon Mustard Butter on a Demi Baguette — for $8.95), a quiche, or some of Les Halles’ unique desserts, all for just at or under $15! If you’re a carb lover, we have a feeling you’ll enjoy a bunch of the selections here.
The batter on the fish is nice and flaky, and the fish itself is light and tasty. And, to top it all off, the thick-cut English chips (a.k.a. fries) are perfectly salty and crunchy on the outside, while still being fluffy on the inside.
At Woody’s Lunch Box the $15 meal is an easy pick (for us) — “Totchos!” For $9.99 you get a hearty serving of Potato Barrels (a.k.a. tater tots) coated with Beef and Bean Chili, Shredded Cheese, and signature Queso with Tomatoes and Corn Chips finished with Sour Cream and a sprinkle of Green Onions. The tots and chips have a great crunch, and the ingredients all mix perfectly together.
Totchos
And for just under $15, you can also add on a Lunch Box Tart in your choice of flavor for $4.29. Most recently, Woody’s Lunch Box has been serving these up in Chocolate-Hazelnut, Raspberry, and Lemon-Blueberry, but available flavors can vary.
We can usually be found reaching for the Lemon Blueberry Lunch Box Tart though you really can’t go wrong with any of the flavors.
Raspberry Lunch Box Tart
So, dinner and dessert for under $15 in Disney World? Sign us up!
Ronto Wraps are one of the MOST popular snacks in all of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and they’re a fan-favorite for a good reason — they’re delicious!! The iconic Ronto Wrap is made with Roasted Pork, Grilled Pork Sausage, Peppercorn Sauce, and Tangy Slaw wrapped in Pita Bread for $12.99.
The pork sausage is super flavorful and the coleslaw and peppercorn compliment the wrap nicely.
Looking for something that’s both cheesy AND savory? Look no further than Flame Tree Barbecue’sBaked Macaroni and Cheese with Pulled Pork priced at $12.49! This dish is made with Baked Macaroni and Cheese topped with Smoked Pulled Pork, Onion Rings, and Coleslaw.
Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Pulled Pork
It’s hard not to be happy with cheese, pork, and onion rings, but do yourself a favor and add some extra barbecue sauce — you’ll be glad you did!
There’s nothing wrong with eating chicken tenders and corn dogs in Disney World, but if you want something that doesn’t scream theme park food then you’ll want to head on over to Satu’li Canteenin Pandora — The World of Avatar.
At this spot, you can grab a number of customizable bowls that come with your choice of meat, base (including red and sweet potato hash, salad, rice and black beans, and more), and sauce. For example, you can grab a Slow-Roasted Sliced Grilled Beef Bowl for $14.49 which features Grilled Beef marinated in a blend of Garlic, Herbs, Red Pepper Spice, and Red Wine Vinegar topped with Crunchy Vegetable Slaw and Boba Balls served with your choice of Base and Sauce. Or you can opt for chili-garlicshrimp ($15.49), chopped wood-grilled chicken ($12.99), or chili-spiced crispy fried tofu ($12.99).
Grilled Beef & Chicken Bowl
What’s great is that you can really make these bowls what you want them to be, and each member in your party can get their own customized version of the meal. Plus, the option overall feels healthier than say chicken nuggets and fries, but is still filling.
Not in the mood for a bowl? Then we highly recommend the fan-favorite Cheeseburger Steamed Pods — Bao Buns from here. The adult version of this dish comes with 2 Steamed Cheeseburger Pods stuffed with Ground Beef, Ketchup, Mustard, Pickle, and Cheddar Cheese served with Crunchy Vegetable Slaw and Vegetable Chips for $12.79.
Did someone say Cheeseburger Pods?
They may not be winning any awards for Instagram’s most photogenic food, but don’t let looks deceive you! These little “beauties” are packed with all the tasty flavors of a cheeseburger tucked into a deliciously soft doughy bun.
Nomad Lounge is one of our favorite lesser-known spots to grab a meal in Animal Kingdom. And, the best part is that you can find a few things in the menu for under $15 here, including Tiffins Bread Service which is priced at $12. This dish is traditionally served in the Table Service restaurant next door (Tiffins) but you can get it without the reservation here! And, it’s no wonder this appetizer is so popular — it comes with various types of bread paired with Red Pepper Hummus, Spicy Coriander Yogurt, Ginger-Pear Chutney.
Tiffin’s Bread Service, served at Nomad Lounge
The ability to mix and match the different breads with the dips to find your perfect combos is a fun challenge but keep in mind that this would be a meal that is essentially entirely made of carbs so it may not fill you up for too long.
For something a bit more substantial you can get one of the rotating Nomad’s bowls. Right now, they’re serving up the Togarashi-spiced Tuna Nomad Bowlwhich features Steamed Rice, Red Cabbage Kimchi, Ginger-Scallion Oil, and Crimini for $15…
Togarashi-spiced Tuna Nomad Bowl
…and the Chicken Manchurian Nomad Bowl which features Steamed Rice, Red Cabbage Kimchi, Ginger-Scallion Oil, and Crimini for $13.
Chicken Manchurian Nomad Bowl
We really loved all the flavors in both of these bowls (although the chicken was the winner for us).
Canadian poutine — French Fries, Beef Poutine Gravy and Cheddar Curds — $9.49
No amount of photography skills is going to make this look good — but it tastes great!
You can also find some seasonal or holiday-inspired poutine dishes here like the Italian poutine with mozzarella, pecorino romano, and turkey bolognese sauce, and even Korean barbecue poutine with Asian barbecued pulled pork, kimchi, and sriracha aïoli. These usually ring in right under $10, so take a look at their menu when you’re around to see if anything speaks to you.
There are quite a few options here for under $15 for both breakfast and lunch/dinner
One popular (and tasty) option is the Holiday Turkey sandwich — Turkey, Cornbread Stuffing, Turkey Gravy, Cranberry Sauce and Mayonnaise — $8.99
Holiday Turkey Sandwich
And you could potentially add on a bowl of soup (featured soup: $3.49 to $4.49 for a cup), a side (like some mac & cheese for $5.99), or a dessert (ranging from $2.59 to $4.49)
Capt. Cook’s at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Breakfast: Tonga Toast — Banana-stuffed Sourdough Bread, Battered, Deep-fried, and Dusted with Cinnamon-Sugar served with Bacon or Sausage — $10.49
The Tonga Toast from Capt. Cook’s
Lunch/dinner: Pulled Pork Nachos — Topped with Cheese, Spicy Mayonnaise, Pico de Gallo, and Pineapple Salsa — $9.99…
Pulled Pork Nachos
…or Thai Coconut Meatballs — House-made All-Beef Chili-Garlic Meatballs cooked in a Coconut Cream served over White Rice — $10.49
The Meatballs!
Capt. Cook’shas a unique, yet approachable menu, so you can find something for everyone in your family, without having to resort to the standard hamburgers and chicken nuggets (and without breaking the bank!).
You can’t go wrong with a classic like grilled cheese and tomato soup. It’s good on a warm day or a cool one, hearty without being heavy, and the price tag is just right!
And that’s our list of some of the BEST meals you can get in all of Disney World for under (or just at) $15! Keep in mind that Disney World’s restaurants change their menus a decent amount, so we’ll be on the lookout for any new must-get snacks or meals, and be sure to share those with you!
Plus, stay tuned to DFB for more of the latest Disney news and updates!
Order Your Copy of the 2022 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today!
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.
But in this case, soon after Splash Mountain opened, Big Thunder Mountain did close for routine refurbishments.
