During the shutdown in 2020, one of the things I missed was being able to see and hug my favorite characters. When the parks reopened, we got cavalcades, character sightings, and eventually, we got physically distanced meet and greets that allowed us to take selfies with our favorite characters. All of this has been great, but it is time to get back to hugging our favorite characters. Disney has announced that we can finally embrace characters again starting April as early as April 18th!

This will not just be at Walt Disney World. We will see full meet and greets in Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, and Aulani. This makes me even more excited because when I go on my first Disney cruise ever in May, I will be able to have the full meet and greet experience on the Disney Dream, which will indeed be a dream.

This is the best news I have heard in a while. I have been saying for months now that all I want is to be able to hug characters again. I used to be a character performer, so I hold this very close to my heart. Some of the hugs I gave while I was a performer were life-changing, and I could feel it. Giving out hugs was my favorite part of the job. I am so excited to take my nephew to parks because we have been waiting on this announcement to plan his first trip to Disney. I hope that Disney will be calling back more performers or holding more auditions to have a complete entertainment department once again.

Overall, this news is so great. Seeing this announcement made my heart soar, and things are starting to feel like we are getting back to “normal.” It almost feels like the world is slowly healing, even though it’s nowhere near perfect, but this is something that can put a smile on all of our faces. I know we will all be very excited to see all of our favorites characters but let’s remember to treat the performers with kindness and the Character Attendants.

What is your favorite character meet and greet? Let us know in the comments.

Standard character meet and greets are finally returning to Walt Disney World. This means guests will once again be able to hug characters and pose next to them for photos.

Disney leadership has been alluding to this return and teased an announcement yesterday on TikTok. Only character “sightings” have been available for the past two years, with characters appearing at a distance, often behind a barrier, though still interacting with guests and posing for photos. Characters began to appear indoors again in late 2021.

Read the official press release below.

“As early as April 18, we will start reintroducing traditional character greetings at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts, as well as aboard Disney Cruise Line and at Aulani Resort in Hawaii. Very soon, Guests will once again be able to hug Mickey Mouse, get an autograph from Mulan, and share a laugh with Goofy. We know many of you have missed these special moments, and your Disney character friends have missed you, too!

During the past two years, we’ve taken a very gradual, intentional approach to health and safety protocols. Recent trends and guidance have provided opportunities for us to bring back some of our most beloved magic, like character greetings and dining experiences. While not all locations will be available immediately, we anticipate reopening in phases throughout the spring and early summer.”

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The post BREAKING: Normal Character Meet and Greets Returning to U.S. Parks & Resorts, Disney Cruise Line Beginning April 18 appeared first on WDW News Today.

It’s getting hard to keep up with all of the new Disney World 50th anniversary merchandise! Just yesterday, Disney announced four new 50th anniversary collections coming to the parks this spring, and we can’t forget about the new Disney x Coach collection, either.

50th Anniversary Castle Funko Pop!

It feels like every time we turn around, there’s a brand new item, snack, or experience in celebration of the 50th (and we’re not complaining about it!), and we just found the most amazing 50th anniversary Funko Pop online.

We have seen this item in the parks and now, we have found the Walt Disney World 50 Castle and Mickey Mouse Funko Pop! Vinyl Set (wow that’s a mouthful) online on shopDisney.

©Disney

This Funko Pop! includes two pieces, Cinderella Castle and Mickey Mouse. They are both decked out in the gold color that has been a common theme throughout the entire anniversary celebration.

©Disney

This Funko is limited edition, so there’s no telling how long it will be available, so you’d better act fast if you want to get your hands on one. It’s also important to note, that there is a limit of two per customer online.

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This Funk Pop! is $39.99 on shopDisney.

Click here to purchase the Walt Disney World 50 Castle and Mickey Mouse Funko Pop! Town Vinyl Set!

The 50th anniversary is still well underway, so make sure you’re following DFB for all the latest Disney news!

April will be a big month for Disney Funko Pop fans. Click here to read more!

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

Will you be picking up this Funko Pop? Let us know in the comments!

The post Disney’s Latest 50th Anniversary Collectible Will Have You Reaching For Your Wallet first appeared on the disney food blog.

Universal Orlando Resort has reached another milestone in the ongoing road to normalcy since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While physical distancing is no longer required for character meet-and-greets, until recently, characters didn’t physically interact with guests. Several days ago, we spotted Captain America getting up close with guests at Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

While he posed next to guests, we didn’t see any physical contact.

The same situation was in place with Storm and Rogue.

Today marked yet another big change, as physical interaction has been reintroduced to certain meet-and-greets.

We spotted Patrick hugging and embracing guests for the first time since the resort reopened from the pandemic at Universal Studios Florida.

Another fish from Universal’s Superstar Parade could also be seen putting their arms (or fins, as the case may be) around guests.

Even the usually-cranky Squidward could seen showing his affections, high-fiving and posing with guests.

Even the youngest fans got to meet the beloved Bikini Bottom resident.

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.

The post Hugs and High Fives Return to Character Meet & Greets Universal Orlando Resort as Distancing is Eliminated appeared first on WDW News Today.

It’s spring, which means it’s time for some spring cleaning! This is the time of the year where we go through our closets and finally get rid of those old Disney bubble wands, those Crocs your kids have grown out of, and those toys that no one has played with in years.

You KNOW you’re not going to use these again!

But, we don’t want to just throw these things away, especially if they’re still in decent condition! We would much rather donate them or give them a new life in some way. So, if you’re one of those people that has a bunch of old LEGOs lying around, we have the PERFECT thing you can do with them!

Did you know that you can donate and recycle LEGOs?! Actress Kristen Bell (you know, Queen Anna from Frozen!) recently posted on Instagram sharing about how you can recycle your LEGOs and give them to kids in need.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by kristen bell (@kristenanniebell)

The program is called LEGO Replay and it’s pretty cool! It lets you pass forward your LEGOs and share the power of play with kids in need by donating your old bricks.

©LEGO

LEGO says they work closely with multiple donation partners who give your LEGOs a new life, like the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston and Teach for America.

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AND it’s super easy to do! LEGO will send you a free shipping label through their website and then you just box up your LEGOs, attach the free shipping label, and ship it! Easy peasy. You can ship from any U.S. state, including Hawaii and Alaska.

©LEGO

You don’t even need to clean your LEGOs before you donate — they will sort and clean the bricks you send back before they donate them. Just don’t send back any damaged or broken LEGOs! You also don’t have to worry about if you’re missing pieces from a set. Here’s a look at what is and is not accepted by the program:

©LEGO

What a cool way to give your LEGOs a new life! You can find out more about the program right here. Stay tuned to DFB for more news and updates.

Click here to see how you can build a custom LEGO Minifigure in Disney World!

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

Will you be donating your LEGOs? Let us know in the comments!

The post Got Old LEGOs Lying Around? Here’s What to Do with Them! first appeared on the disney food blog.