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This week, we’re talking the Return of Minnie Vans, Cultural Representatives, and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique!
First, we take you around the world of Disney Parks and discuss all the news from the past week, starting with the Most Magical Place on Earth — Walt Disney World!
Then, over at Disneyland in Anaheim, Pirates of the Caribbean is about to celebrate 55 years of operating, World of Color is preparing to return, and The Easter Egg Hunt starts next week!
We were one of Disney World’s Ferry Boats today when we saw this. These speakers and life preserver were evoking a sense of Mickey, don’t you think?
Hidden Mickey?
Even from further away with this trash can underneath, it reminded us of Mickey. Perhaps an homage to Steamboat Willie?
Tell us this isn’t a hidden Mickey
So what do you think? Does this constitute a hidden Mickey? Are there rules to identifying hidden Mickeys? Was the real hidden Mickey the friends we made along the way? You decide. Stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disney 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.
This past Friday, I had the wonderful opportunity of attending a preview of the brand-new Sesame Place theme and water park in Chula Vista, California, the day before the park officially opened. Now while everything Sesame Street is new to the park, the park itself isn’t completely new. Sesame Place is actually the former Aquatica water […]
This week Disney shared a TikTok that announced the return of Minnie Vans this summer in Disney World! Minnie Vans, which are connected by Lyft, are a fun way to get around Disney World. You can book and pay for your ride through the Lyft app, once they return, that is.
Along with a few shops, we noticed that some quick service locations have also removed plexiglass barriers. Still, plexiglass does remain in some areas around Disney World, but this is another sign of Disney World taking steps to return to some level of “normal.”
This week we noticed that all four Disney Parks have extended park hours on select days in April. Magic Kingdom will be open from 9AM to 11PM or 1AM on a few days, and EPCOT will be open from 8:30AM to 9PM on certain dates.
Spaceship Earth
Hollywood Studios will be open from 8:30AM to 9PM for a few days, and Animal Kingdom will open early from 7:30AM to 8:30PM on select dates. Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon will also have extended hours, opening from 10AM to 6PM on a few days in April. Most of these dates correspond with busy Spring Break crowds, so we’ll be monitoring Disney World’s calendar closely for any more changes!
This might have been the most unexpected event of the week! The Dapper Dans were performing on the Main Street Trolley when it derailed from the tracks — no one was hurt, thank goodness.
Dapper Dans on a Derailed Trolley
The trolley was stopped and the Dapper Dans left the scene, as did the horse pulling the trolley, and Cast Members were quickly working on ways to solve the issue. You never know what could happen in Disney World!
When Disney World closed in 2020, the Cultural Representative Program was suspended in EPCOT. This program hired people from all over the world to represent their countries in the World Showcase.
Canada Pavilion
Disney announced this week that the program is returning to EPCOT, with international Cast Members returning to the World Showcase beginning in August! The program will be re-introduced in phases, so we’ll be looking out for more updates.
And that’s the unexpected news of the week! You might want to visit Space 220 to check out the new menu items, and stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World 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.
Before we show you our cupcake, let’s explain a few things. Back in 2021, we fell in LOVE with Capt. Cook’s 50th Celebration Cupcake. It had it all — a Pineapple Macaron, Buttercream Icing with Graham Cracker Crumbs, and a Dole Whip Pineapple Custard filling. That’s right. Dole. Whip. Filling. AND a bonus Pineapple Macaron. Ugh, it was so good.
50th Celebration Cupcake
Well, it seems like the cupcake changed a little since the last time we tried it in 2021. The new version of the 50th Celebration Cupcake is a Vanilla Cupcake with Pineapple Cream Cheese Filling topped with Pineapple Icing, a Chocolate Pineapple, and a Glitter-covered Flower. They took away the cookie! (Plus some of the other toppings!)
We decided to try this cupcake again!
If you didn’t know about the old version of this cupcake, you might have a hard time seeing how this pretty floral cupcake is a slight downgrade, but having tried both cupcakes, we liked the original one better! The new cupcake is made with a nice, sweet cake and thick icing, and the cream cheese filling tasted fresh and bright thanks to the pineapple chunks in the filling. It was a lovely cupcake, but different nonetheless.
Hey, it’s missing some toppings!
Most notably, the new icing tastes like artificial pineapple now, which we didn’t love. We miss the Pineapple Macaron, Graham Cracker Crumbs, and Dole Whip custard. If you didn’t get the chance to try the original version, you might still like this cupcake! Like we said, it wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t the 50th Celebration Cupcake we expected.
The flower has glitter on it!
The filling was sweet and almost had a cheesecake-like flavor, which we really enjoyed. If you’re a fan of pineapple, give this cupcake a try!
At least the filling still tastes good!
You can find this cupcake at both the Kona Cafe and Capt. Cook’s in Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort for $5.99. 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.
“Spider-Man: No Way Home” has broken yet another record and has become the third film in history to surpass $800 million at the domestic box office.
The film made more than “Avatar” and now follows “Avengers: Endgame” which made $858 million and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” which made $936 million.
“Spider-Man: No Way Home” is now Sony’s highest grossing film ever.
Many were upset over the removal of a popular snack, but we have good news. It’s back! Disney Snacks Of course we visit the Disney Parks for the magic, attractions, and characters, but closely behind these we also visit for the food. We love share our share favorite snacks, dinners, 50th anniversary treats, and even […]
It’s a big week in entertainment, from the 94th Oscars to the launch of some big shows and movies from streaming platforms. Here’s your guide to the week of March 27th through April 2nd of everything new and streaming across all major networks and streaming platforms. But first, here are my top 5 recommendations for this […]
Last month, the Fantasy Faire Royal Theatre was surrounded by construction walls and scaffolding as it underwent a refurbishment. The walls, scrim, and scaffolding are now gone to a reveal a new color scheme for the theatre.
The Royal Theatre previously had a pink and purple theming.
Now, the tent is a bright teal color with blue and gold accents.
The spire on top of the tent used to have light pink stripes. It now has brighter pink stripes with a teal base.
The entrance to the theatre was also redone. It is now a brighter pink color above the Royal Theatre sign, with a teal base beneath it.
Below is a photo of what the Royal Theatre used to look like.
Do you like the new color scheme? Let us know in the comments!
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American Idol will be returning to Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii, to kick off two nights of spectacular performances by the Top 24. What’s Happening: Season 10 Idol alum Jimmie Allen serves as a mentor, offering sound advice to aspiring superstars vying for America’s vote, marking the first time overnight voting […]