WATCH PARKSCENTER — The Return of Minnie Vans, Cultural Representatives, and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique!

Join us live tonight, Sunday, March 27, at 8:00 p.m. ET or watch ParksCenter anytime on YouTube.com/WDWNT!

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!

We were surprised at the announcement that Minnie Vans will be returning to Walt Disney World, and are grateful that the Disney Cultural Representative Program is set to start back up at Epcot! Also, there was news that the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is preparing to reopen as internal casting has begun!

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!

Finally, we give our thoughts on the WDW News Tonight March Madness bracket of 64 Walt Disney World attraction show scenes.

All this and more, tonight on ParksCenter!

Also, our WIGS members receive a 30-minute interactive post-show each week, exclusive to our Patreon program.

Check out last week’s show below.

ParksCenter is broadcast live on YouTube every Sunday at 8:00 p.m. ET!

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram.

The post WATCH PARKSCENTER — The Return of Minnie Vans, Cultural Representatives, and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique! appeared first on WDW News Today.

Does THIS Count as a Hidden Mickey in Disney World? You Tell Us!

Our reporters are pretty much Hidden Mickey experts!

Are these the BEST hidden Mickeys we’ve ever seen?

They’re aces at spotting hidden Mickeys from the obvious, to the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it, to the ones that honestly keep us up at night. We’ve spotted so many hidden Mickeys that we’re starting to wonder, what makes a hidden Mickey a hidden Mickey? What are the laws of hidden Mickey science? We spotted something today that reminded us an awful lot of a certain mouse — let us know what you think!

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!

Click here to see which ICONIC Disney World Snack is Finally Back!

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Don’t Miss Out on Any Disney Fun!

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.

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!

Use code WDW2022 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today!

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Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. 🙂

Do you think this is a hidden Mickey? Let us know in the comments! 

The post Does THIS Count as a Hidden Mickey in Disney World? You Tell Us! first appeared on the disney food blog.

Photos/Videos: Tour the Brand-New Sesame Place San Diego

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 […]

The post Photos/Videos: Tour the Brand-New Sesame Place San Diego appeared first on LaughingPlace.com.

A 1AM Park Closure and 6 Other Surprising Updates From Disney World This Week!

Have you ever been surprised by Disney World? We sure have.

Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire

This week we learned about the return of a favorite transportation method, we saw a return to pre-pandemic life, and we even witnessed a derailment (yes!). Check it all out here (and more!).

Minnie Vans

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.

Minnie Vans Are Coming BACK!

Minnie Vans have been suspended since Disney World reopened in 2020, and we can’t wait to see them driving around again!

Read more about the return of Minnie Vans here!

EPCOT Park Map

The EPCOT park maps got an update this week, following the park map updates we’ve also seen in Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. That wasn’t the surprise though.

Ta-da!

The biggest surprise came from the addition of the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind ride with a new graphic, along with a graphic of what we think is a reference to the upcoming PLAY! pavilion. Could this mean the ride is opening soon? We sure hope so! Stay tuned for more updates!

Check out the NEW EPCOT park map here!

Plexiglass

Following Disney World’s reopening in 2020, plexiglass barriers were placed in many areas around the parks. While we’ve already seen some plexiglass removed, this week we noticed that more plexiglass barriers have been removed from a variety of restaurants and gift shops!

No more plexiglass!

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.”

Check out more photos of the plexiglass situation in Disney World!

Extended Park Hours

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!

Click here to read the dates of the extended park hours in April.

Main Street Trolley Derailment

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!

Here are more photos of the Main Street Trolley derailed!

Space 220 Menu Changes

After being open for a short time, Space 220 has already received some menu changes! These changes include drinks, entrees, and appetizers!

Lunar Eclipse Cocktail

We visited the immersive space restaurant to check out these new menu items and we were VERY impressed with a few of the new items!

Read our review of the new Space 220 menu changes here!

Disney’s Cultural Representative Program

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.

Read more about the return of the Cultural Representative Program here!

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!

Everything we know about housekeeping in Disney World hotels right now!

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

Don’t Miss Out on Any Disney Fun!

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.

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!

Use code WDW2022 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today!

ready-to-shop-button
Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. 🙂

Are you surprised by any of the news this week? Tell us in the comments!

The post A 1AM Park Closure and 6 Other Surprising Updates From Disney World This Week! first appeared on the disney food blog.

REVIEW: One of the BEST 50th Anniversary Treats Just Got a MAJOR Downgrade in Disney World 😢

There are TONS of Disney World treats that were tailor-made to be photographed — we’re talking colorful cupcakes, over-the-top milkshakes, and artsy cocktails. These treats are so cute that they practically BEG people to post an Instagram photo! But not every Disney snack is a total winner.

Not all treats look like a million bucks!

During our visit to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, we noticed a CHANGE in a popular cupcake!

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!

A For Effort, Disney World

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

Don’t Miss Out on Any Disney Fun!

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.

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!

Use code WDW2022 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today!

ready-to-shop-button
Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. 🙂

Have you ever tried a Disney World cupcake? Let us know in the comments!

The post REVIEW: One of the BEST 50th Anniversary Treats Just Got a MAJOR Downgrade in Disney World 😢 first appeared on the disney food blog.

‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Surpasses $800 Million at Domestic Box Office

“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.

The film also surpassed $1 billion overseas.

Then fan-favorite film is now available digitally and will be available on 4K UHD and Blu-Ray on April 12.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram.

The post ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Surpasses $800 Million at Domestic Box Office appeared first on WDW News Today.

What’s New This Week – TV + Streaming – March 27th-April 2nd

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 […]

The post What’s New This Week – TV + Streaming – March 27th-April 2nd appeared first on LaughingPlace.com.

Fantasy Faire Royal Theatre Receives New Color Scheme Following Refurbishment at Disneyland Park

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!

For more Disneyland Resort news and info, follow Disneyland News Today on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news worldwide, visit WDWNT.

The post Fantasy Faire Royal Theatre Receives New Color Scheme Following Refurbishment at Disneyland Park appeared first on WDW News Today.

First of Two Episodes of “American Idol” Filmed at Aulani to Air Sunday, April 10th

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 […]

The post First of Two Episodes of “American Idol” Filmed at Aulani to Air Sunday, April 10th appeared first on LaughingPlace.com.