Oh no. Someone call the Disney snack authorities — it’s happened AGAIN!

Head Here for a Sweet Treat (or Two, or Three!)

We’ve already reported about how a peanut butter shortage is impacting some Disney World treats, and how the popular Fuzzy Tauntaun drink has disappeared from Disneyland and may be changing at Disney World. We’ve seen Disney World snacks go missing in the past, but the latest snack disappearance really hurts.

Here at DFB, we have a great fondness for the Werther’s Original Gingerbread Caramel Cookie Sandwich from Karamell-Küche in the Germany pavilion at EPCOT’s World Showcase. Folks, this stuff is snack gold. Give it ALL the gold medals.

It is made with 2 gingerbread cookies held together with buttercream icing and Werther’s caramel, and it is a small taste of caramel and gingerbread heaven.

Gingerbread Salted Caramel Buttercream Cookie Sandwich

We love this treat so much that we even developed step-by-step instructions to make it at home for all those times you can’t get a fresh one.

Our Homemade Version!

In the past, this treat has been more seasonal — generally popping up during the fall/wintertime. Back in 2019, it showed up in December but didn’t stick around for long. It showed up in October of 2020 (a bit earlier than before) and once again disappeared. In 2021, we found it at the Germany pavilion in early November.

This time was a bit different though. We kept coming back to Karamell-Küche time and time again, and like a trusty old friend, the Gingerbread Caramel Sandwich Cookie was there to greet us. Then in February of 2022, we were told that it was scheduled to go away at the end of the month.

Quickly, things changed again! In March of 2022 we were told that the cookie was SO popular that it got added to this spot’s year-round menu. One of our reporters even shared that they saw it in the case in late May (just days before our most recent trip).

YUM

But now things have CHANGED…again. During a recent trip to EPCOT, we found that the Gingerbread Caramel Sandwich Cookie was GONE.

OH NO!

We asked a Cast Member and they indicated that our beloved treat left the shop recently and reportedly something NEW will be replacing it.

According to the Cast Member, the gingerbread cookie sandwich will be going back to being seasonal again (so it sounds like we’ll hopefully get the chance to see it again during the fall/wintertime).

Where Did You GO?!

What will be replacing this delight? The Cast Member we spoke to wasn’t sure. Will it be a similar sandwich cookie-type of treat? Something totally different? We will be very interested to find out!

Never fear — you can still try to make this cookie at home with our step-by-step recipe! Or you could opt for one of the many other delicious treats at Karamell-Küche, like their tasty Caramel Flight or the caramel butter bar. And you know we’ll be on the lookout for updates about the gingerbread treat and its replacement, so be sure to subscribe to the DFB Newsletter for the latest Disney snack news.

Click here to see how a peanut butter recall could impact some snacks on your next Disney trip

Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure is closed today after closing early yesterday due to a possible ride vehicle fire.

Cast Members said the ride will be closed for the entire day (Wednesday, May 25).

We could see cars stopped on the tracks.

Yesterday, eyewitnesses saw a smoking vehicle stopped just after the finish line.

The position of the smoking vehicle is not visible from elsewhere in Cars Land. Cast Members may have removed it from the track to be worked on.

Disneyland is sending a notification to guests through the Disneyland app stating that the ride is unavailable today.

We do not know if Radiator Springs Racers reopen tomorrow. Keep checking Disneyland News Today for updates.

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

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According to the LA Times, a Disneyland executive is among those anonymously referred to in an FBI affidavit about a “cabal” influencing the Anaheim government and connected to Harry Sidhu’s recent resignation as mayor of Anaheim.

The affidavit identifies an employee of “Company A.” The LA Times says a source close to the investigation identified the company as Disneyland Resort. The employee is reportedly Disneyland Resort Director of External Affairs Carrie Nocella.

In a statement to the LA Times, Disney said, “We have seen media reports of the complaint and no authorities have reached out to us about it.” Nocella declined to comment. Neither she nor Disneyland Resort has been accused of wrongdoing.

The affidavit was written by FBI Special Agent Brian Adkins in support of a criminal complaint accusing the former head of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce, Todd Ament, of lying to a mortgage lender.

Ament and an unnamed political consultant were, according to Adkins, “the ring leaders of a small group of individuals who met in person to discuss strategy surrounding several matters within Anaheim — matters that were often pending, or soon to be pending, before the Anaheim City Council.”

The political consultant may be Jeff Flint, CEO and senior partner of FSB Public Affairs. He has represented Disneyland Resort. Last week, Flint announced he would be taking a leave of absence as CEO and denied wrongdoing.

Nocella, referred to as “Company A Employee,” was reportedly one of the group’s ringleaders “to some extent.” She provided input to Ament and the political consultant about who to invite to a meeting of various Anaheim politicians, business leaders, and consultants in December 2020.

The affidavit includes a transcript of a wiretapped phone call from November 30, 2020, between the political consult and “Elected Official 1.”

The elected official, an Anaheim politician, asked if two colleagues had been invited to the meeting. The political consultant replied, “No, I talked about it with Todd [Ament] and [Company A Employee]. We felt like for this first one we’ll kinda keep things big picture and stick with um, with, um, [Elected Official 4] and [Elected Official 3]. … But, um, [Elected Official 2’s], you know, I think he’s on the team, but he’s just gonna take some management because he’s got competing pressures.”

Other intercepted phone calls include Ament referring to the group as a “cabal.” When deciding who to invite, organizers referred to “family members only” and keeping “family close.” They debated inviting a City Council member, describing them as a “double agent.”

Anaheim City Councilmen Stephen Faessel and Trevor O’Neil, as well as City Manager Jim Vanderpool, have all acknowledged the December 2020 meeting.

“As I remember, the major focus of this meeting was on how to get our economy back open, our residents back to work, the distribution of essential products,” Councilman Faessel said. “This was exactly the kind of meeting you would have expected City leadership to have at that moment. Sadly, I’ve read with serious concern how this meeting has been depicted. Apparently others may have gone into this with a different perspective than I did.”

Nocella was scheduled to attend the meeting, which took place at the JW Marriott in Anaheim.

In the spring of 2021, Nocella and Ament helped the political consultant draft a script for “Elected Official 1” to read at the March 23 City Council meeting. The script was about an item that would authorize up to $210 million in bonds to make up for pandemic-related revenue losses.

The political consulted texted the assistant for Elected Official 1 before the meeting that Disneyland had “asked to delete reference to [Company A’s parking lot]. Will send to you.”

Former mayor Sidhu spoke extensively about the agenda item during the meeting, reading from prepared remarks. He stated, “I believe Disney will continue to invest in Anaheim, strengthening our destination and ensuring Anaheim remains the long-term premier tourist attraction of the West Coast.”

Nocella reportedly texted the political consultant that the mayor “reads your script so poorly,” to which the political consultant replied, “Lol. He doesn’t practice.”

Sidhu resigned on Monday after another affidavit alleged he gave Major League Baseball’s Angels confidential information in hopes of receiving a million-dollar campaign donation. He has not been charged and denies wrongdoing.

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

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