The Pop-A-Nana sign and more Bake My Day decorations have been installed in Illumination’s Minion Land at Universal Studios Florida.

Pop-A-Nana Sign

At Pop-A-Nana, guests will be able to get banana-flavored popcorn and Minion-inspired popcorn buckets.

The popcorn stand is yellow and blue, with a striped roof.

Atop the stand are figures of two Minions with a giant banana and giant pieces of popcorn.

The sign looks like it is held up with mechanical arms, resembling machines used by Gru and the Minions.

The popcorn stand is where the Bone Chillin’ stand used to be.

Minion Café Sign

Around the corner, the scrim has been removed from over “Café.”

“Minion” has yet to be installed above “Café” and the letters also haven’t been decorated.

New concept art shows how “Café” will be dressed up to look like more Minion machinery.

Preview the Minion Café menu.

Bake My Day

A new decoration featuring a row of cupcakes has been installed above the Bake My Day entrance, below the giant pink cupcake atop the building.

Four lamps above the decoration will illuminate it and the future Bake My Day sign at night.

Check out concept art for Bake My Day below.

Bake My Day will servie cupcakes, macarons, and s’mores. This venue will also feature a selection of Minion-inspired merchandise, including apparel, plush, drinkware, accessories, keychains, and more.

Illumination’s Minion Land

Illumination’s Minion Land at Universal Orlando Resort will be opening this summer with a variety of new attractions and eateries for guests.

The land will take over Production Central, transforming it into Illumination Avenue with a new Minion Cafe (replacing the former Universal Studios’ Classic Monsters Cafe) and “other surprises inspired by popular characters from Illumination’s blockbuster franchises.”

The attractions will be the pre-existing Despicable Me Minion Mayhem and brand new Villain-Con Minion Blast. Read more details about Villain-Con Minion Blast.

Freeze Ray Pops will also be available as a dining location for visitors to enjoy a dessert. The available treats here include a variety of colorful popsicles inspired by Gru, the Minions, and Vector. Beverages will also be available.

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 PHOTOS: Pop-A-Nana Sign, More Bake My Day Decorations Installed in Minion Land at Universal Studios Florida appeared first on WDW News Today.

Sea monsters, volcanoes, and Mayan pyramids — the pools around Disney World may be WAY better than you realize.

Port Orleans French Quarter Pool

In the past, we’ve shared a look at some of the hidden secrets about Disney World’s pools, a peek at permits that could signal changes at these pools, and even full resort guides that showcase the differences between certain hotel pools. But today we’re doing it — we’re sharing our list of the TOP 10 Disney World Hotel pools — grab those bathing suits!

Check out our video below about the TOP 10 Walt Disney World Hotel Pools!

Planning a Disney World trip? Don’t miss out on the latest info and helpful planning tools!

Are you a DFB Video subscriber? If you hit the button below, you can subscribe to our channel and catch up on ALL of our latest episodes!

And stay tuned for more Disney news!

Which Disney World hotel pool is YOUR favorite? Let us know in the comments below. 

The post DFB Video: TOP 10 Walt Disney World Hotel Pools first appeared on the disney food blog.

The refurbishment of the Sago Cay building at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is wrapping up, as we can see by the building’s reconstructed stairwell.

Sago Cay Building Construction

Like with other buildings during the extended Grand Floridian refurbishment, Sago Cay had its exterior stairwell completely demolished.

New stairs have been installed, and now new paneling wraps around the corners of the stairwell.

The new paneling has yet to be completely painted white.

Scaffolding remains along the wide sides of the building.

There are some materials left on the roof not far from the chimney, where we previously saw crew members working.

Crews have been refurbishing the iconic red roofing.

The landscaping around the building will need fixing as construction has destroyed much of the grass.

Crew members were focused on the lagoon end of the building during our most recent visits.

Scaffolding and most construction materials have been removed from this end.

From the ground, we took a look at the other side of the building, where a lot of the red shingles are missing from the roof.

Black weather-proof sheathing is beneath the red shingles.

Crew members are removing and replacing the shingles on several buildings as part of the ongoing refurbishment.

Scaffolding goes all the way up to this tower.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort Refurbishment

Reportedly, when now-former CEO Bob Chapek took over the Parks & Resorts division in 2015, he felt that the Grand Floridian was not up to standards. The comparisons to a Four Seasons didn’t befit the current state of Walt Disney World, and so it was no longer suitable as the flagship resort. But rather than shift focus to another resort hotel, the company decided to make changes.

The major overhaul of Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort began with the Enchanted Rose Lounge, which replaced Mizner’s Lounge. It was given a “Beauty and the Beast” theme. Cítricos followed with a new “Mary Poppins”-inspired design. When the Grand Floridian Spa reopened in January 2022, it was revealed that it, too, had been remodeled. All the rooms of the resort are still being updated and some “Mary Poppins” theming has been added throughout guest buildings.

Narcoossee’s was closed from June 2022 to April 2023, and reopened with a revamped interior and “land and sea” menu. Read our Narcoossee’s review.

1900 Park Fare, the character dining buffet location at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, is still closed for refurbishment. The restaurant has not reopened since it closed in March 2020 with the rest of Walt Disney World Resort due to COVID-19. When physical distancing measures were still in place, 1900 Park Fare was used as overflow seating for Grand Floridian Café for a short period of time.

The Grand Floridian Resort’s lobby will also be updated in the near future.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will celebrate its 35th anniversary on July 1, 2023.

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

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We bring you a lot of stories every single day. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up. So in case you missed anything from our feed, we have rounded up all our stories in one place to get the news at a glance. Here is your Daily Recap for Thursday, May 18, 2023.

Walt Disney World

Magic Kingdom

• One more golden turret topper is gone from Cinderella Castle as the 50th Anniversary decor comes down.
• Some new foliage has been added to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure as construction continues.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• A new seasonal summer menu has been announced for The Hollywood Brown Derby.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

• The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will permanently close at the end of September.
• Once bookings resume, discounts will not be offered for Starcruiser voyages, except to those affected by the closure.
• Reconstruction has begun on the tower for The Cake Bake Shop at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.
• Foundation work has begun for the third structure in the Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Disney Vacation Club tower.

Other Walt Disney World Resort News

• Meet-and-greets with the live-action version of Ariel will begin May 26 at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
• It was confirmed today that the new Walt Disney World Annual Passholder magnet will indeed feature Figment.

Disneyland Resort

• The transformation of Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel into Disney’s Pixar Place Hotel will be completed this winter.
• Disney100 Decades 1950s merchandise is now available at Disneyland, including the Wonderful World of Color line!
• Speaking of transformations, the reimagining of the Downtown Disney District is also set to conclude within the next 18 months.

Entertainment and Media

• Disney+ and Hulu are pulling dozens of original series and films off their services permanently as the company pushes for profitability in streaming.

The Walt Disney Company

• The relocation of Walt Disney Imagineering to Lake Nona, Florida has been cancelled as the company continues its battle with the state of Florida.
• When speaking about the cancellation, Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro cited “changing business decisions” as the reason.
• And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a statement decrying Disney for cancelling the Lake Nona campus.
• Walt Disney World President Jeff Vahle issued his own statement to community leaders as well.

WDW News Today

Lake Nona Disney Florida Campus Canceled, Walt Disney Imagineering to Remain in California – Disneyland News Today 5/18

WDW After Five – Another Evening with Piano Rob

That’s it for today; we hope you enjoyed this Daily Recap. Thanks for stopping by, and we’ll see you tomorrow!

The post Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Closing Permanently in September, Walt Disney Imagineering Move to Lake Nona, Florida Cancelled, & More: Daily Recap (5/18/23) appeared first on WDW News Today.