When’s the last time you visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Been a while? Well then there’s a lot for you to catch up on!

Long lines to get into the park

The past few days have been full of updates from this popular park! So, let’s head over there to see what’s new.

Hollywood Studios Food Updates

Green Screen Drink

First up in food updates: we noticed that the Green Screen drink is currently available at the bar cart outside of Animation Courtyard.

Green Screen drink

This drink features tequila, cointreau, lime juice, and sweet-and-sour and is served with a souvenir glow cube! You can check it out during your next trip to the park.

Hollywood Studios Merchandise Updates

Droid Depot

During our last visit, we saw that the sound test machines in the Droid Depot were missing.

Where’d they go?

Typically, these machines can be used to test the “droid personalities” as part of the creation process. We’ll keep an eye out for updates on that.

Shop ‘N’ Roll Reopens

The merchandise kiosk outside of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith reopened this week!

It’s open!

This kiosk had been closed for essentially 2 years! It sells your basic Disney merchandise: pins, ears, and hats, among other things.

Click here to see more about the reopening of this kiosk!

The Darkroom

At The Darkoom, we spotted a new Pixar pin trading starter set for $39.99.

Pixar pin trading starter set

We also noticed this red youth Mickey Mouse bucket hat, which is a bit newer to us.

Red youth Mickey bucket hat

This hat is $15.

Legends of Hollywood

At Legends of Hollywood, we spotted the new Disney x Coach collection.

Disney x Coach collection at Legends of Hollywood

The new collection features bags, wallets, sweatshirts, Minnie ear headbands, and so much more! But it isn’t cheap!

Click here to check out the Coach collection!

Sunset Couture

At Sunset Couture, we found a new-to-us Jiminy Cricket tee shirt.

Jiminy Cricket shirt in Sunset Couture

This shirt is white with red accents around the sleeves and collar. You can purchase it for $36.99.

Keystone Clothiers

Keystone Clothiers saw a restock of the Marvel Legends mini figurines.

Marvel Legends mini figurines

We saw Black Panther, Ant-Man, and Venom available, among others.

Hollywood Studios Construction Updates

Toy Story Land

We noticed that there are now shrubs blocking some doors into the Toy Story store.

Shrubs outside of Toy Story Mania Gift Shop

The Toy Story Mania gift shop is currently closed for renovation.

Click here to learn more about some of the NEW things coming to Toy Story Land

Droid Depot

Plexiglass has come down at the registers in the Droid Depot.

No plexiglass at the registers in Droid Depot

The plexiglass has also been removed from the building stations and there are no more plexiglass barriers between parties.

Click here to read more about the removal of plexiglass at other spots in Disney World!

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

The Dianoga that usually lives in the water fountains by the bathroom has been missing for a while, and he still had not returned when we were at the park.

He’s still missing!

He usually makes an appearance in the window on the right fountain. We’ll be sure to keep an eye out for him!

Animation Courtyard

In Animation Courtyard, we noticed some new billboards promoting some content coming soon to Disney+. There’s a billboard for the new series, Moon Knight, and the new movie, Better Nate Than Never.

New billboards in Animation Courtyard

And that’s what’s new at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (for now)! Make sure to follow DFB for all the latest information!

Click here to see what’s new at Magic Kingdom!

Roll out the red carpet, because we’re about to attend a (food) premiere in Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

Backlot Express

If there’s new food to be explored in Disney World, you KNOW we’ll be there to check it out! So when we heard that Backlot Express in Disney’s Hollywood Studios was set to roll out a new menu, we marked our calendars for its debut. Join us as we dive into all of the latest additions this quick service spot has to offer!

Atmosphere

If you haven’t been to Backlot Express before, then you should know that it’s located in the Echo Lake area of the park, right around the corner from the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. The building itself is tucked back a little bit from the walkway, and there are both indoor and outdoor seating options.

Backlot Express

Once you enter the main part of the restaurant, you’ll walk through an open-air courtyard seating area to go inside. There are plenty of tables out here!

There’s plenty of open-air seating.

Inside, there’s a counter setup where you can pick up your Mobile Orders or order your food directly with a Cast Member. There should be additional Cast Members stationed around the entrance to help you find the correct line.

Let’s order!

Well, the restaurant doesn’t look any different than what we’re used to — so what’s different? Oh, that’s right…the menu!

Menu

The revamped menu at Backlot Express is now available and it features several new entree options.

©Disney

Some of your old favorites are still here as well, including the classic Angus Cheeseburger and Chicken Strips. But we’re here to check out the NEW and CHANGED offerings, so let’s dig in!

Food

First up, we decided to try the new Teriyaki Chicken Bowl for $12.99. According to the menu, it’s made with Seasoned Jasmine Rice, Teriyaki Chicken, Yuzu-pickled Edamame, Carrots, Cucumber, and Onions drizzled with House-made Lemon-Tahini-Chipotle Vinaigrette and Sesame Seeds.

Teriyaki Chicken Bowl

Starting with the chicken itself, the pieces are a decent size and they’re well-cooked, and we could definitely taste the teriyaki flavor. However, they’re also pretty pepper-heavy and we caught a hint of the chipotle kick from the vinaigrette, so we wouldn’t describe it as a solely teriyaki flavor. It would be best described as a teriyaki-chipotle because of the blending of the sweet and spicy.

Teriyaki Chicken Bowl

The jasmine rice was very sticky — exactly how we were hoping it would be, almost like sushi rice. We couldn’t really taste the jasmine, but the seeds on top gave the dish a nice crunch. As far as the veggies go, the pickled edamame was a WINNER. All the veggies together really brought a freshness to the dish that we really enjoyed.

Teriyaki Chicken Bowl

The sauce was drizzled really lightly on top of the vegetables, and we honestly wish there was a bit more of it, or that there was extra sauce that came on the side of the meal. It’s got a nice kick, but there’s also a bit of zing from the lemon. Overall, the flavors of this plate blended well together and were a nice surprise coming from a quick service, where you might expect more “standard” flavors.

Teriyaki Chicken Bowl

We also ordered the Southwest Salad, considering its ingredients have changed a bit. It’s now made with Romaine mixed with Roasted Corn Relish and Diced Tomatoes topped with Pickled Red Onion, Cheese, and served with House-made Jalapeño-Lime Ranch Dressing. It used to be made with Mixed Greens topped with Tortilla Strips, Black Bean Corn Relish, Avocado, and Cherry Tomato, served with a Vinaigrette Dressing.

You can grab one of these for $9.99 without chicken, or for $11.29 with chicken on top. And let’s just say that the one without chicken…well, it looks a little bit sad.

Southwest Salad

Right off the bat, we were definitely wishing for more dressing on this salad. (What’s with the skimpy sauce portions?) It was almost hard to even get the flavors of the dressing because there was so little of it — all we could taste was a slight spice from the ranch, but it was incredibly light.

Southwest Salad

The seeds (which weren’t mentioned in the description!) and corn do give a nice crunch and change in texture, but we’re definitely missing the flavors from the dressing and we wish they would’ve added a little more depth — maybe some croutons on top as well? The feta cheese was dusted lightly on the dish, so it was hard to find that flavor as well. The pickled onions ended up being the savior flavor-wise, but we were (overall) a bit disappointed with this salad. 

Southwest Salad

And finally, we ordered the new Smoked BBQ Pulled Pork Burger for $14.29. Backlot Express used to have an item called the Backlot Burger (which came with a 1/3 Angus Beef Burger topped with Barbecue Pork, Pepper Jack Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, and Pickles, served with carrot sticks or french fries), but it has been upgraded a bit with new ingredients!

Now you can enjoy this 1/3 Angus Beef Burger topped with Slow-smoked Pulled Pork, American Cheese, Coleslaw, Crispy Onions, and House-made Sweet-and-Tangy Barbecue Sauce served with your choice of side. (We got fries!)

Smoked BBQ Pulled Pork Burger

The burger patty is your pretty basic Disney burger, not much special there, but y’all…we need to talk about the pork! YUM! It’s fall-apart juicy and has a nice tangy-sweet barbecue taste. The portion size on the pork was also pretty decent, which made us very happy.

Smoked BBQ Pulled Pork Burger

We wish the American cheese on top had been a little more melted, but it wasn’t really the thing we were the most focused on. The coleslaw balanced out the burger with some freshness that we were really craving, and it was (overall) a great combination. (There’s wasn’t too much mayo in that slaw either and it added the perfect amount of crunchiness!) Our bottom bun got a little soggy, but that’s mostly because the coleslaw sat for a while during our photo shoot. Gotta get those perfect food photos!

Smoked BBQ Pulled Pork Burger

For our plant-based friends out there, there’s a new Teriyaki Tofu Bowl as well. This one is made with Seasoned Jasmine Rice, Marinated Tofu, Yuzu-pickled Edamame, Carrots, Cucumber, and Onions drizzled with House-made Lemon-Tahini-Chipotle Vinaigrette and Sesame Seeds for $12.99. If we check this one out soon we’ll be sure to give you our thoughts!

In terms of other menu changes, the Cuban Sandwich now notes that it comes with Plantain Chips, so that’s something you can also check out during your next trip.

Overall

Wow, Backlot Express is stepping up its game! We really enjoyed both the Teriyaki Chicken and the BBQ Burger, but if you’re craving a salad, you may want to search elsewhere. (There’s a really amazing one over at the Hollywood Brown Derby, hint, hint!)

If you’ve got a group with different food tastes — some craving the more “standard” options and some wanting adventure — this may be the perfect place to stop in the middle of your day. However, it can get busy here, so we recommend placing those Mobile Orders well in advance!

Our whole meal!

Between the new menu here and the improved options at ABC Commissary, the Hollywood Studios quick service spots are really starting to change things up. Even though Backlot Express is still mainly serving up burgers and chicken, they’re doing it in a fresh and new way that adds a little bit extra excitement!

Trying some newer items at Backlot Express in Hollywood Studios

-Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
-Southwest Salad
-Smoked BBQ Pulled Pork Burger pic.twitter.com/x7B2La43Or

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) March 29, 2022

That does it for the new menu items that have made their grand debut at Backlot Express for now! As always, we’ll continue to be on the lookout for any other menu changes around Disney World, so stay tuned to DFB for all of the latest snacking news and food reviews!

9 of the Best Snacks Under $10 in Disney Springs

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

Which of these new menu items from Backlot Express would you like to try the most? Share with us in the comments!

The post REVIEW: Have New Menu Items Made a Hollywood Studios Restaurant BETTER? first appeared on the disney food blog.

Alright folks, it’s that time again — time for us to save you some money on Disney stuff!

ALL the merchandise!

We keep an eye out for Disney deals to tell you about, whether it be for tickets, hotels, food, or merchandise — we look at almost everything! So, let’s check out the BEST Disney deals on Amazon this week!

First up, we have this “Vile Villains” Woven Tapestry Throw Blanket. You can use it as a blanket or hang it up for display, but either way, you can show your love for these 5 evil Disney villains!

©Amazon

This throw is usually $35, but you can get it right now for $27!

Click here to get the “Vile Villains” Woven Tapestry Throw Blanket

Next, we have this Funko “it’s a small world” game! This 3D board game looks like the inside of the classic ride, so it’s great for big Mary Blair fans.

©Amazon

Normally 24.99, you can get this game for $13.99 right now!

Click here to get the Funko “it’s a small world” game

If you’re looking for a fun new park bag, check out this Toy Story Green Alien one! It has been chosen by the claw just for you.

©Amazon

This backpack is on sale right now for $29.99, and it’s usually $39.99, so you can save $10!

Click here to get the Toy Story Green Alien Backpack

Need a bag for traveling, too? This American Tourister Kids’ Softside Mickey suitcase is on sale right now for $49.99, normally $64.99.

©Amazon

It’s a carry-on size, too — so it’s perfect if you don’t want to have to check a bag for your little one!

Click here to get the American Tourister Kids’ Softside Mickey Luggage

Next, we have this Three Caballeros 1000 piece puzzle! This is a Ravensburger Disney Treasures from The Vault puzzle.

©Amazon

Normally $24.99, grab it right now for $11.80!

Click here to get The Three Caballeros Puzzle

If you’re looking for some more pins to add to your collection, check out this set for The Book of Boba Fett. It comes with 7 enamel pins and an officially licensed box. It’s also an Amazon Exclusive, so you won’t find it anywhere else!

©Amazon

This set is usually sold for $35, but you can get it right now for $27.73.

Click here to get The Book of Boba Fett Pin Set

Another fun item to grab is this Steiff Disney Soft Cuddly Friends Mickey Mouse plush! It’s a great classic Mickey to have around.

©Amazon

You can get Mickey right now for $26.99 instead of its usual $34.99!

Click here to get the Steiff Mickey Mouse Plush

And, last but not least (and keeping with the classic Mickey Mouse theme), we have this Silver Buffalo Mickey Mouse Sketches Ceramic Cookie Jar! A perfect place to hide all of those sweet treats you bring home from the parks.

©Amazon

This cookie jar is normally $45.99, but it’s on sale currently for $36.02!

Click here to get the Mickey Mouse Sketches Ceramic Cookie Jar

Those are all of the BEST Disney deals on Amazon this week! Stay tuned to DFB to stay in the loop about more Disney discounts and deals.

Click here to see Disney’s new $300 Mickey ears!

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

Where is your favorite place to find Disney deals? Let us know in the comments!

The post 8 Disney Deals You Can Grab on Amazon RIGHT NOW first appeared on the disney food blog.