As part of the Disney Parks Blog’s ongoing “reimagine tomorrow” series celebrating Women’s History Month, they’ve dug into the life of Gwendolyn Rogers, the visionary behind The Cake Bake Shop, coming soon to Disney’s BoardWalk. What’s Happening: Gwendolyn Rogers is the president and owner of The Cake Bake Shop, a whimsical table service restaurant and […]
The post Get to Know Gwendolyn Rogers, Creator of The Cake Bake Shop Coming Soon to Disney’s BoardWalk appeared first on LaughingPlace.com.
More mask policies changes take effect soon. See how it will affect your upcoming travel plans. Disney Precautions Disney required many things of its Cast Members and Guests upon the reopening of Disney destinations around the world. Precautions like temperature screenings, social distancing, and face masks were required for several months. Now that we are […]
The post Mask Policy Changes are now Coming for another Disney Destination appeared first on KennythePirate.com.
One of the toughest choices you’ll have to make early on when planning your Disney World trip is…what hotel to stay at!
Welcome to Disney World
Do you stay off property? On property? At Disney World, but at one of the non-Disney owned resorts? There are so many options! And things at these resorts keep changing. New hotels open up, or might get sold to other companies. Now, we’ve got another update about a hotel located right in the heart of Disney World.
According to the Orlando Business Journal, the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek has been sold for $120.5 million to Tishman (a New York-based real estate company). Based on the price and the number of rooms, this breaks down to around $301,250 per guest room, according to the Orlando Business Journal. The buyer of the hotel has been listed as “Bonnet Creek Hotel Owner LLC,” but this company reportedly has an address that “traces back to Tishman.”
Note that while the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort offers more hotel-style rooms, Club Wyndham is a time-share resort. You can see a tour of Club Wyndham here.
©Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek
Just where is this hotel? Well, it’s within Disney World’s gates, over near Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and close to the Waldorf Astoria Orlando and Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek.
©Google Maps
According to the Orlando Business Journal, Paul Sexton, who is vice president at HREC in Orlando (a hospitality brokerage and consulting firm) says that Tishman has been busy when it comes to the Orlando market. He said, “The acquisition is further evidence that the large institutional investors are focusing on Orlando given supply/demand dynamics unique to the market and the upcoming opening of Epic Universe.”
The Wyndham won’t be the only hotel in the Disney area owned by Tishman, though. The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin resorts are also part of the Tishman set of properties, and so are other hotels in the area. The Swan Reserve was also opened by Tishman along with co-owner Metlife.
©Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek
The Orlando Business Journal notes that this sale of the Wyndham Grand comes almost 1 year after one of the biggest sales in the area — the sale of the Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort for $610 million (about $1.4 million per guest room).
According to the Orlando Business Journal, “The hotel market is recovering after a drastic drop in business that came in 2020 and 2021 due to the ongoing Covid-1[9] pandemic. A recovering hotel market may help encourage more hotel deals.”
©Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek
Things are starting to look up when it comes to hotel occupancy in Orlando. Visit Orlando’s President/CEO, Casandra Matej, shared that the average hotel occupancy rate for Metro Orlando for March 13th-19th was around 90.5%. That’s an increase from the previous week’s rate of 80.6%. March 13th-19th actually marked the highest occupancy rate that they had seen since the start of the pandemic, and was the second highest occupancy rate among the top 25 U.S. markets.
Daily rates have also increased at hotels. According to Casandra Matej, the “Average daily rate rose to $195.30…beating out the high of $191.04 we saw in late December.”
©Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek
What hotel changes will we see next around Disney World? Only time will tell. We’ll continue to be on the lookout for more updates and we’ll let you know what we find.
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. 
Have you ever stayed at the Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek? Tell us in the comments!
The post NEWS: Resort Within Disney World Gates Sells for Over 0 Million first appeared on the disney food blog.
Now that Safe Travels restrictions have ended for travelers coming to Hawai’i, Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, is no longer requiring face masks for fully vaccinated guests indoors. They are not required for any guests outdoors.
Here is the announcement from Aulani:
Face coverings are not required for Guests outdoors, and are now optional for fully vaccinated Guests at most indoor locations when visiting Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa. We expect Guests who are not fully vaccinated to continue wearing face coverings when indoors. All Guests may be required to wear appropriate face coverings at select indoor locations.
As a reminder, the State of Hawai‘i’s Safe Travels program concluded on March 26, and passengers arriving from domestic points of origin will no longer have to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a pre-travel negative test result upon arrival. International passengers must continue to follow the travel requirements put in place by the federal government. Government requirements are subject to change, and we encourage Guests to continue to stay updated on any travel requirements leading up to their planned stay.
For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
The post Masks Now Optional Indoors for Fully Vaccinated Guests at Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa appeared first on WDW News Today.
Tokyo Disneyland Hotel is set to host a special limited-time celebration featuring princess-themed rooms and an exclusive menu in honor of all our favorite princesses as part of a two-year Disney Ultimate Princess Celebration campaign. Themed meals and drinks will be available at three restaurants at the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel from March 31 through June… Read More »Tokyo Disneyland Hotel Hosts Disney Ultimate Princess Celebration Starting March 31, 2022
The post Tokyo Disneyland Hotel Hosts Disney Ultimate Princess Celebration Starting March 31, 2022 appeared first on The Disney Blog.
As Walt Disney World’s phased reopening has dragged into its second year, a slew of Signature Restaurants at the resort hotels recently returned. The most recent fan-favorite table service additions to the culinary lineup include Jiko at Animal Kingdom Lodge and Flying Fish on the BoardWalk. Both of these have been mainstays on our list […]
The post Review: Superb Signature Steak & Seafood at Disney World appeared first on Disney Tourist Blog.
This weekend, GRAMMY Award, multi-platinum country music superstar Jimmie Allen stepped into the Velociraptor paddock for a face-to-face visit with Jurassic World’s Blue at the Raptor Encounter in Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park. What’s Happening: Allen was in town for a performance at Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras celebration – a family-friendly version of the […]
The post Country Music Superstar Jimmie Allen Gets Up-Close with Blue at Universal’s Islands of Adventure appeared first on LaughingPlace.com.
One of the most common questions that people ask about Disney World is how they can beat the crowds and get on their favorite rides without a long wait.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
There are a couple of different options, including making use of the Lightning Lanes with Genie+ and Pay-Per-Ride. But if you’d rather not pay to skip the lines, another option is to get to the parks as early as possible. If you’re staying at a Disney World hotel, you qualify for Early Theme Park Entry, which means you can go into the Disney World theme parks before the other guests. So what exactly is Early Entry? And how should you spend your extra time in the parks? We’re answering all your Early Entry questions here. Let’s dive in!
We’ll start with a quick overview about what this perk is, who qualifies for it, and how to use it.
Early Theme Park Entry is one of the Disney World hotel perks that replaced Extra Magic Hours. The old perk (Extra Magic Hours) allowed Disney World hotel guests to go an hour early or stay an hour (or two) later at certain theme parks on certain days. The schedule changed frequently for which parks had this perk. The current system (Early Theme Park Entry) allows guests to enter any of the four theme parks 30 minutes before other guests every day.
Early Entry sign
(Note that there is also an Extended Evening Hours perk, which allows guests at Deluxe resorts to stay an extra two hours past closing time at certain parks on certain days. We’re focusing on the Early Entry for this post, but you can learn more about the Extended Evening Hours on our Extra Theme Park Hours Benefits page.)
Magic Kingdom in the morning
To sum up, Early Theme Park Entry allows qualifying guests to go into any Disney World theme park a half hour before the other guests. This applies to all four theme parks, but you still must have a ticket and park pass reservation in order to enter the park.
EPCOT in the morning
You qualify for this benefit if you are staying at any Disney World hotel, including Value, Moderate, Deluxe, or Deluxe Villas. Some other hotels also qualify, including the ones listed here:
Swan and Dolphin
To use Early Theme Park Entry, just show up to the park you’re visiting that day at least a half-hour before its scheduled opening time. So if Magic Kingdom is opening at 9AM, make sure you’re at the entrance by 8:30AM. (We actually recommend being there earlier than that — more on this in a bit!)
Visiting MK
There will be a special entrance for Early Theme Park Entry, so watch for signs that point to that entrance. It’s still located in the same area, but there are usually a couple of lanes designated for Early Entry.
Hollywood Studios Entrance
Not everything is open during Early Entry. Select gift shops and dining are open at this time, and some (but not all) of the park’s rides will be running. Make sure you check to see what’s available in each park before you visit so that you don’t head to an attraction that’s not running until park opening time.
OK! So you got to the theme park early, you found the Early Entry line, and now you’re in the park. What next? You’ve got a few options: (1) You can grab breakfast at one of the open restaurants and enjoy a plethora of available seating. (2) You can take amazing pictures in front of the Cinderella Castle while there are a lot fewer people in the way. (3) You can hit the shops and find the best merchandise while there are very few other shoppers around.
Get some photos in!
But the BEST time saving choice (and probably the one that most people do) is to head straight for the most popular ride in whichever park you’re visiting.
Flight of Passage Queue
We’ve tested out Early Theme Park Entry in all four Disney World parks, and we discovered that you can probably ride one or MAYBE two rides if you go for the most popular ones.
On the day we visited Magic Kingdom, it opened at 9AM. We were at the park entrance for Early Entry at 8AM. Cast Members let guests into the park at that time, although the rides don’t start running until 8:30AM (the official start to Early Entry).
Get here early!
Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are the only areas open for Early Entry (as of writing), so most of the guests were heading straight for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (or Peter Pan’s Flight, if they were traveling with little kids). Cast Members stopped guests near Cheshire Café until 8:30AM, at which point guests could go get in line for the attractions.
Guests were stopped here
We hopped in line for Seven Dwarfs and only waited about 20 minutes to get on the ride. Even though the line was VERY long (it stretched back to Storybook Circus by the time we got out), it seemed to move quickly.
Long line at Seven Dwarfs
At that point, it was almost 9AM (when the rest of the guests could enter the park), so we moved quickly to Jungle Cruise. This attraction didn’t open until 9AM, but there was already a fairly long line for it. We still only waited about 25 minutes to get on.
Jungle Cruise
By the time we disembarked from Jungle Cruise, it was about 9:45AM, which means the benefit of Early Entry had ended.
SUMMARY: We got on two popular attractions — Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Jungle Cruise — with less than a half-hour wait each.
Our visit to test out Early Theme Park Entry at EPCOT happened just a couple of days after Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure switched from a virtual queue to a standby queue. Since this attraction is likely the most popular in EPCOT, we decided it would be our #1 priority.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
We arrived at the entrance to EPCOT a few minutes before Early Entry began, around 9:30AM. There were big crowds there for Early Entry, but the lines to get into the park moved quickly.
Guests waiting to get in for Early Entry
Sure enough, we were joined by a big crowd of people heading to the France pavilion to ride Remy’s.
Everyone’s going to France!
We were officially in line at 9:40AM, and it looked like a loooong line. Like the entrance, however, the line moved quickly. We made it to the front and were boarding after about 30 minutes.
Lots of people!
By the time we got off the ride, it was about 10:15AM, which meant that Early Entry was over.
SUMMARY: We only got on one popular attraction — Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure — but we got on it with a shorter wait than you’ll usually see for this ride.
We arrived at Disney’s Hollywood Studios entrance by 7:50AM, and Early Entry officially began at 8:30AM. Cast Members let guests into the park around 8AM, and most guests headed to one of three rides: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, or Slinky Dog Dash.
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway
We joined the Slinky Dog Dash crew and were in line at around 8:10AM. The ride didn’t open until 8:30AM, but once it opened we only waited about 10 minutes before boarding the ride.
Slinky Dog Dash at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Once we got off this ride, it was about 8:45. We headed straight for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which already had a posted standby wait of 75 minutes. We got in line anyway, which paid off since we made it to the pre-show in just 35 minutes.
Rise of the Resistance
Once we got off Rise of the Resistance, it was 10AM, which meant Early Entry was over.
SUMMARY: We made it on two popular rides with lower waits than normal. Slinky Dog Dash had a 10 minute wait, and Rise of the Resistance was just 35 minutes.
You’ll need to wake up extra early for Early Entry at Animal Kingdom, because this park usually opens around 8AM.
This park opens earlier
In our experience, we’ve been admitted into the park around 7AM and then stopped in front of the Tree of Life until 7:30AM, when Early Entry begins.
Tree of Life
Most guests head to Avatar: Flight of Passage (especially since Expedition Everest is currently closed) in Pandora. When we tried out Early Entry at this park, we were able to ride Flight of Passage…
Flight of Passage
…and also hop into the Na’vi River Journey line before 8AM hit.
Na’vi River Journey boats
Na’vi River Journey gets pretty long lines later in the day, but we were able to get on this attraction with about a 20-minute wait. By the time we left that attraction, it was past 8AM, which meant the Early Entry time was over.
SUMMARY: We were able to ride two popular attractions — Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey — but only because they were located close to each other. We probably wouldn’t have made it over to Expedition Everest before 8AM if we had tried to do that.
Our biggest takeaways from these experience include the following:
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Hop in line ASAP
Your plan for Early Theme Park Entry might be different, depending on your plans for Genie+ and Pay-Per-Ride. Here are a few adjustments you might make, based on the options available:
If you’re planning on using Pay-Per-Ride (the individual fee to skip the line at the most popular attractions) but NOT Genie+: Head to the most popular rides that are available on Genie+. For Magic Kingdom, that’ll be Peter Pan’s Flight (open for Early Entry) and Jungle Cruise (not open for Early Entry). For Animal Kingdom, it’ll be Kilimanjaro Safaris and Na’vi River Journey. For Hollywood Studios, head to Slinky Dog Dash, Tower of Terror, or Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. In EPCOT, go to Test Track and Soarin’.
Kilimanjaro Safaris
You can knock out those rides and then pay to skip the line at the pay-per-ride attractions later on in the day, when the standby lines are long.
Lightning Lane
If you’re going to buy Genie+ but NOT Pay-Per-Ride reservations: Go to the Pay-Per-Ride attractions first.
Rise of the Resistance entrance
Here’s a list of the Pay-Per-Rides in each park:
Frozen Ever After
If you’re not going to buy Genie+ OR Pay-Per-Ride: Go for the most popular ride that you want to go on. This will probably be the Pay-Per-Ride attractions, since those tend to get the longest lines during the day (with a few exceptions: Space Mountain and Expedition Everest usually have shorter lines at some points during the day).
Get to the theme parks early! And by early, we mean earlier than 30 minutes before opening time. You will still have to wait in line to enter the parks, which eats into the already shortened time. The earlier you get to the parks, the more likely you are to actually get your 30 extra minutes.
Get to the parks early!
Try to be at the front gates at least a half hour before early entry (one hour before normal park opening time) for the best results.
Try to get here ASAP
Early Theme Park Entry is a little bit trickier at Magic Kingdom than at other theme parks if you’re driving to the park. Magic Kingdom’s parking lot doesn’t open until 7:30AM, and then you need to factor in time to get to the park from the TTC. By contrast, guests who use Disney transportation are able to get to the park entrance sooner. If you’re staying at a Disney World hotel, we recommend using the Disney transportation instead of driving yourself for this reason.
This one gets long lines
And if you’re at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Resort, or Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, the best choice is probably to walk to Magic Kingdom, since you can do that as early as you want to. The earlier you arrive, the more time you’ll have in the park since you’ll be at the front of the Early Entry crowds.
Hopefully that helps you make the most of your morning in Disney World! Keep following DFB for more tips as you plan your Disney World vacation.
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.
Have you used Early Theme Park Entry in Disney World? Tell us about your experience in the comments.
The post How Much Can You Really Do With 30 EXTRA Minutes in Disney World?! We Have Answers. first appeared on the disney food blog.
We kind of have a love-hate relationship with spring; anyone else? On one hand, the weather gets a little warmer and our spring flowers start to bloom, but on the other hand, the pollen makes our eyes itch and we have to change our clocks (seriously, why do we still have to do that?!).
Nobody does spring quite like Disney!
What else does spring bring to Disney World? New merchandise! What better way to recover from the wintertime blues than with a little springtime shopping spree? Luckily, we have the perfect new Disney collection to celebrate the occasion!
Surprise! Loungefly is releasing a new Minnie Mouse Daisy Collection (not to be confused with Daisy Duck; we’re talking about the flower here!) First up in the collection is this Minnie Mouse Daisies Ears Headband with a sunny yellow bow and two bright white daisies for ears.
©Entertainment Earth
These new Loungefly ears are available for pre-order now for $30. According to the Entertainment Earth website, these new ears are coming in April 2022.
Of course, you’ll need a matching Loungefly Minnie Mouse Daisies Mini-Backpack to go with your adorable new ears! This backpack has little hidden Mickeys scattered throughout the floral print, plus more of those fun Daisy ears and a yellow bow. The backpack is a nice solid black color, so it will match just about any outfit!
©Entertainment Earth
You can pre-order this backpack for $75 now, and the backpack is expected to ship in April 2022.
For a night in Disney Springs or a visit to the Garden Grill restaurant, this new Minnie Mouse Daisies Crossbody Purse is the perfect accessory! This purse has a black and white polka-dot Minnie bow that really pops against that white purse.
©Entertainment Earth
This Loungefly bag is $70 on the Entertainment Earth website. It’s available to pre-order now with an expected release date this April.
Finally, we have to show off this fun Minnie Mouse Daisies Zip-Around Wallet. This Loungefly wallet has tons of pockets and places to keep your cards and cash. You can carry it as a fun little accessory or pop it in your purse for safekeeping; either way, this little wallet is sure to come in handy in the parks!
©Entertainment Earth
This new wallet can be pre-ordered for $40, and it is expected to come in April 2022. For more information about the expected release date, you can check out the Entertainment Earth website.
We ADORE all these new springtime accessories — what about you? Maybe spring isn’t so bad after all! In the meantime, stay tuned for all the latest Disney news and park updates!
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.
Which of these new items is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
The post Disney’s New Collection Features Daisy (No, Not the Duck) first appeared on the disney food blog.
For the past several weeks, we’ve carefully followed the developments that have taken place related to Florida’s heavily criticized “Don’t Say Gay” Bill and the responses from the Disney Company.
Pride Pins
The Company issued an initial statement, CEO Bob Chapek later sent a memo on the topic, and since then we’ve seen a more formal stance from the Company, an apology from Chapek, further statements from Chapek, news about Disney walkouts related to the Bill, and more. Now, we’ve got a new development.
According to The Hill, Florida’s Parental Rights in Education bill, which critics call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, has officially been signed into law by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. The law will take effect starting July 1st, 2022.
As The Wall Street Journal had previously noted, the “Florida bill prohibits instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten to third grade and in later grades if not ‘age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.’” As The Hill specifies, as a result of this (now) Law, “classroom instruction related to sexual orientation or gender identity will be restricted in the state’s primary schools. Educators of all grade levels are prohibited from engaging in instruction on those topics in a manner that is not ‘age appropriate or developmentally appropriate’ for children.”
Pride Sign
Specifically, the text of the Bill (now law) says “Classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties on sexual orientation or gender identity may not occur in kindergarten through grade 3 or in a manner that is not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
Governor DeSantis signed the Bill into law during a ceremony on March 28th, 2022 at Classical Preparatory School in Spring Hill.
In response to the signing of the Florida legislation, the Walt Disney Company issued an official statement on Twitter and on the Company’s website. In it, they share that “Florida’s HB 1557, also known as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill, should never have passed and should never have been signed into law.”
Pride Month Cake from EPCOT
Disney goes on to say “Our goal as a company is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts, and we remain committed to supporting the national and state organizations working to achieve that.”
Disney ends by saying “We are dedicated to standing up for the rights and safety of LGBTQ+ members of the Disney family, as well as the LGBTQ+ community in Florida and across the country.”
Rainbow Backpack
You can read the statement in full below:
Statement from The Walt Disney Company on signing of Florida legislation: pic.twitter.com/UVI7Ko3aKS
— Walt Disney Company (@WaltDisneyCo) March 28, 2022
We’ll continue to look for more updates about this legislation and Disney’s responses to it. To see more about the Bill and other updates that had been previously shared about this topic, click the links below:
The post Disney Issues Statement As Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill is Signed into Law first appeared on the disney food blog.
