From the PeopleMover to the monorail, Disney World has some of Florida’s most UNIQUE transportation options! Here’s a fun fact for ya: EPCOT is the only Disney World park you can get to from every type of Disney World transportation — even your own two feet (if you’re staying within walking distance from the park, anyway).

One of our FAVORITE transportation methods is the Disney World Skyliner system. It’s still relatively new, so if you haven’t been to Disney World in a while, allow us to teach you all about the Skyliner.

What is the Disney Skyliner?

The Skyliner is a gondola system that connects TWO Disney parks (EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios) with multiple Disney Resorts right above our heads! Oh, and good news; like Disney’s other transportation methods, this one is FREE.

You can get to the Skyliner from several locations, including EPCOT’s International Gateway, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Pop Century and Art of Animation Resorts, and Disney’s Riviera Resort. But (this is important, so listen up) you can ONLY get to the Disney World parks by visiting the Skyliner hub at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. (Or Disney’s Riviera Resort, but that station only has a direct line to EPCOT)

In other words, don’t expect every Skyliner station to take you straight to your destination. You may have to hop into a gondola at one station, get off at the Caribbean Beach Resort station, then transfer lines.

Luckily, the Skyliner is pretty simple to use; you just hop into a gondola and let the Skyliner do its thing! Just make sure to check the operating hours in the morning so you know when the Skyliner closes for the night. There’s usually a sign posted by the entrance to each Skyliner station with all the operational details.

Don’t make this ROOKIE mistake!

Now that we’ve covered the basics let’s talk about the biggest MISTAKE we see first-timers make with the Skyliner.

Here’s the thing: Florida weather is super unpredictable, and nasty weather often impacts Disney World transportation. You can’t take the boat in lightning conditions, you can’t use the monorail in bad weather, and you can’t ride the Skyliner when lightning is nearby. 

That may seem obvious, right? But the truth is, the Skyliner often closes BEFORE bad weather is even happening! Cast Members are trained to carefully monitor nearby weather conditions to prevent guests from being stuck in a thunderstorm. You may see blue skies and sunshine, but the Skyliner could close due to a lightning strike miles away. 

Currently, Disney doesn’t really have any sort of mass notification system to alert guests that the Skyliner is closed. This means some guests may walk allll the way over to the Skyliner just to find out that it’s not operating. (We’ve been there — it’s not fun!)

In some places, it’s a short walk from the Skyliner to the bus stop, but other Skyliner stations are far from alternate transportation options, which can add a LOT of time to your journey.

For example, EPCOT guests hoping to take the Skyliner are typically re-directed to the bus stop when the Skyliner is closed, which is on the complete OPPOSITE side of the park. After a long day of standing and walking, the news can feel pretty devastating. That’s a long walk!

So, what can you do to prevent this mistake? First of all, check the weather on your phone BEFORE you head to the Skyliner. If you see a thunderstorm predicted to come in the near future, don’t risk it! Take the bus instead.

Next (and this isn’t foolproof, so keep that in mind), you can look at nearby attraction closures to gauge the likelihood that the Skyliner is operating. If you see Disney’s outdoor attractions start closing, there’s a high chance that the Skyliner isn’t operating, either.

You can also try asking a Cast Member, but keep in mind that not all Cast Members are immediately notified when the Skyliner closes.

It’s not always easy to predict if (and when) the Skyliner may close, but keep your eyes out for signs before you start walking to the Skyliner — it might save you some time! In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more!

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WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.

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Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.

Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!

Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023.

GET YOUR GUIDE NOW

Have YOU ever made this rookie mistake? Let us know in the comments!

The post The BIGGEST Skyliner Mistake That Rookies Make in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.

There’s a new treat coming soon to Magic Kingdom, but you probably WON’T want to eat it.

Disney has announced a bunch of new eats and treats coming to the parks to celebrate the summer season and Pride Month, so we’ve got a long list of snacks that we can’t wait to try soon. Now, we have to add another item to that list, but we can already tell that it’ll be a tough review to tackle.

Do y’all remember the Sulley Slush that came out at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café last year? We’ve tried and reviewed that slush a couple of times already, but now it’s about to have a friend!

Disney announced that the Mike Wazowski Cake is coming soon to The Lunching Pad in Tomorrowland. This cake is an orange blossom-mango mousse cake, covered in green and decorated with a candy eye. It’ll debut on June 1st.

This cake looks super adorable, which is why we think we’re NOT going to want to eat it. No one wants to destroy that cute creation! (And the idea that we’ll have to cut open Mike Wazowski is already giving us nightmares.)

In all seriousness, though, that cake sounds pretty delicious, and we can’t wait to try it out in a few days.

The Sulley Slush, however, is a little bit underwhelming. It’s a blue raspberry slush with purple whipped cream. When we had it the first time, it was missing the whipped cream, so it was literally just a blue slushy. The second time we tried it (a few months later) the whipped cream was there, so it actually looked kinda cute.

However, the whipped cream doesn’t add much flavor to the drink, so even though it looks much cuter, it’s still basically just a blue raspberry slushy. That might be exactly what you want on a hot Florida day, but we think there are more interesting eats in Magic Kingdom (like the many DOLE Whip varieties at Aloha Isle, the Cheshire Cat Tail in Fantasyland, or — if you want a BIG sweet treat — the Nutella and Fruit Waffle at Sleepy Hollow).

If you want to get the Mike Wazowski Cake and the Sulley Slush together (gotta keep the pals together), don’t forget that they’re at two DIFFERENT Quick Service locations. The Sulley Slush is at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe (for $5.99)…

…and Mike Wazowski will be at The Lunching Pad. Both restaurants have the option to Mobile Order, so we recommend using that if you want to skip the lines!

WE KNOW – there are SO many great snacks at Disney World! How do you choose (we don’t want to choose but will blow our budget on Day 1 otherwise)? We’ve got you covered! We have reviewed nearly EVERY snack available at Disney World, and we’ve written a series of DFB Guides about them!

Check out our DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining + Snacks Bundle for all the details you need to plan your snackin’ and spending. You can even download them to your smartphone – it’ll be like we’re right there with you in the parks!

Stay tuned to the DFB blog for more updates from Disney World.

Click here to see the BEST snacks at Magic Kingdom in Disney World.

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

WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.

---

Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.

Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!

Save 25% on the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining with code WDW2023.

GET YOUR GUIDE NOW

 

Will you try the new cake when it comes to Disney World? Let us know in the comments.

The post There’s One Important Reason Why You WON’T Want To Eat This NEW Magic Kingdom Treat first appeared on the disney food blog.

A confrontation broke out between a Cast Member and a guest at the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover at Magic Kingdom, according to an Orange County Sheriff’s incident report that WDWNT obtained this week.

The incident happened around 3:30 p.m. on March 21 as a 28-year-old Cast Member directed guests onto the PeopleMover.

That’s when she encountered Jennifer, a 47-year-old tourist from California. Jennifer and her husband, John, were the last of their family members to board. Everyone else from their party was already seated.

“Just prior to getting onto the PeopleMover, a cast member advised them there might not be enough room for them, due to the rest of their family members already onboard,” the sheriff’s report said. “(The cast member) held out her arm and pointed. Her intent was to redirect them towards another car, as the one the guests were trying to get into was at capacity.”

But Jennifer grabbed the Cast Member’s arm and pushed her way by.

“Jennifer told her that the rest of the people on the PeopleMover were her family, and moved past to get on the ride,” the sheriff’s report.

The cast member let Jennifer go by her and then stopped the ride to notify her supervisor.

When she spoke with law enforcement, Jennifer denied doing anything intentionally and said she “already had forward momentum” when she made contact with the Cast Member’s outstretched hand, the report said.

It was a hearsay situation without third-party witnesses and no cameras in the boarding area where the situation took place.

The sheriff’s deputy who was investigating ruled the incident “was not only incidental, but not intentional, and without the express purpose of causing bodily harm,” so there was no probable cause for a battery charge.

No criminal charges ended up getting filed, and no one was arrested. “An incident report would be generated to document the incident,” the sheriff’s report noted.

It’s not uncommon for tensions to flare up between Cast Members and Walt Disney World visitors. This month we reported several incidents, including a guest sexually harassing a female security guard and a man slapping a Disney guest experience manager in the face.

Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover

The Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover opened on July 1, 1975. Designed to be a mass transit system of the future, the PeopleMover carries guests around and through Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom. On the tour, you can see Progress City, the model of the original plan for EPCOT.

The ride takes approximately 10 minutes and does not have a minimum height requirement.

Parts of the route take you inside Tomorrowland structures, such as Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.

Last year, the PeopleMover received a couple of updates. The retro 1994 Tomorrowland signage was removed and replaced by signs advertising the Enterprise sponsorship.

A new narration featuring the return of ORAC, “The Commuter Computer,” recently debuted at the PeopleMover as well. For more details and a full video, click here.

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

The post Cast Member and California Woman Battle Over Seating Aboard Magic Kingdom’s PeopleMover Attraction appeared first on WDW News Today.

DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

Here we go again…it’s time to apologize to your wallets once again!

An expensive souvenir in Magic Kingdom? It may have tempted you. A huge Disney sale online? Uh oh, now you’re in trouble. If you’re a Disney fan, you might be a sucker for some good Disney merch (we’ve all been there!) and now there’s even MORE to choose from!

Disney just released a brand new Stitch collection online at shopDisney! The best part? Many items are also already available in Disney World too!

Looking to Disneybound or just want a touch of Stitch in the parks? Check out the Stitch Flower Ear Headband!

We’ve seen regular Stitch ears before, but these come with a flower on the left side — it takes us right to Hawaii! This is a super fun take on a classic Disney accessory that we’ve seen before.

Click here to buy the Stitch Ears!

You need to stay hydrated in the parks during the summer, but you’ll also want to keep that water flowing at home. Well, now you can stay hydrated everywhere in a more fun way with the Stitch Stainless Steel Water Bottle! 

This bottle has a tropical “neon” design featuring mischievous little Stitch all over.

Check out the Stitch Water Bottle Online!

Okay…we know what you’re thinking. What in the world is Stitch doing here?! Well, if you take him home, he’ll be holding your toothbrush!

The Stitch Toothbrush Holder makes brushing teeth more fun for kids and adults — and it’ll make you laugh too!

Make brushing your teeth more fun by clicking here!

Upgrade your bathroom even further by grabbing this Stitch Shower Curtain.

Not only are the colors beautiful, but you get to see Stitch surfing some waves!

Upgrade your shower curtain here!

Kiddos are ready for summer and what’s better for summer than the Surfing Stitch Shirt?!

The white shirt is covered in what looks like black splatter paint (it looks like Stitch may have gotten a hold of the shirt…) and Experiment 626 is surfing in the center.

Click here to buy this Stitch shirt for kiddos

And click here to get the matching one for adults

That’s just a small taste of the new Stitch collection! Online, you’ll also find a Stitch Fanny Pack (which we’ve also seen in Disneyland)…

…a Stitch MagicBand+…

…a Stitch PopGrip from PopSockets, a hoodie, bag, earrings, shorts, and MORE.

See the rest of the Stitch collection online by clicking the link below.

There’s more where that came from — see the entire Stitch collection here!

While you’re in the shopping mood…have you checked our DFB exclusive graphic tees and merch?

It’s super fun stuff to wear to the parks, or to rep your happy place at the grocery store! Click here to visit the DFB Merch Store!

The 5 BEST Amazon Deals For Your Next Disney Trip

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Which of these new Stitch items is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

The post Stitch Fans: The Collection You’ve Been Waiting for Is HERE! first appeared on the disney food blog.

Disney has been facing a number of challenges in recent months and it’s not going unnoticed by the general public.

From the departure of its previous CEO (and the return of Bob Iger) to losses in the streaming world and an ongoing battle with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, it seems the battles never end. And now we’re getting a better idea of just how some of those battles may be impacting Disney’s reputation.

Back in 2022, an Axios Harris Poll revealed that Disney’s reputation was falling fast. In fact, that year Disney dropped 28 spots compared to its position last year and was one of the fastest droppers for 2022. In May of 2023, we shared how another study listed Disney as the 9th best global brand of 2022 — having been beaten out by Amazon, Google, and others.

So what’s happening now? Well, it’s not looking all that great for Disney.

Axios has released its 2023 Axios Harris Poll 100 reputation rankings and Disney has NOT improved compared to last year. For context, the 2023 rankings are based on a survey of over 16,000 Americans from a “nationally representative sample” obtained from March 13th-28th.

Americans are asked which 2 companies “stand out as having the best reputation today and which two have the worst. All nominations are compiled into an aggregate list to determine the ‘most visible’ companies.” The Respondents rate the 100 most visible companies on a few different dimensions of reputation, and then that’s used to calculate the reputational score.

Then, another set of respondents answer questions about topics related to brands and politics (that survey was conducted online in May with a sample of just over 2,000 adults). Okay, enough about the technicalities let’s get to the results.

In 2022, Disney ranked 65th on the Axios Harris reputation list. In 2023, Disney has DROPPED to spot number 77. In 2022 they had a drop of 28 spots, this year it was a drop of 12 spots — so that is at least a less intense drop, but a drop nonetheless. Disney finds itself below brands like Taco Bell and Uber but above Walmart and Bank of America.

All the way at the top of the reputation list are Patagonia, Costco, John Deere, and Trader Joe’s. At the bottom are Twitter, Fox Corporation, FTX, and (in last place) The Trump Organization.

According to an Axios breakdown of the results, “The Walt Disney Company took a big hit” this year “after tangling with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over students’ LGBTQ+ rights.” You can see in the chart below just how much Disney has risen and fallen since 2014.

According to Axios, not only has Disney fallen in terms of reputation ranking, but Disney was also ranked the 5th “most polarizing brand of 100” in the survey “measured by the gap between the assessments of Republican and Democratic respondents.”

Among Democrats, Disney’s reputational score actually improved a few points (Democrats actually reported feeling MORE positive about Disney this year), but the score “plunged” with Republicans. The average gap in scores between Democrats and Republicans this year in the survey was 4.4 — Disney’s gap was 19.3. Axios pointed out that Disney’s reputational score has been declining since 2017 but that had been bipartisan…until this year.

Around 35% of Republicans (and 19% of Democrats) said Disney has become “less authentic and more divisive.” While 63% of Democrats (and only 46% of Republicans) described Disney as “family-oriented.”

Disney has actually “lost momentum across each of nine attributes measured in the Axios Haris 100 poll.” Its biggest declines were in citizenship (where people share if the company shares their values or supports good causes) and perceptions of future growth.

In terms of Disney’s scores across the dimensions Axios asks about, it scored the highest on products & services, trajectory, vision, and growth. It scored the lowest on citizenship, character, and ethics.

Harris Poll CEO John Gerzema shared, “When you divide audiences, you’re ultimately going to be subtracting customers for your business.” One big issue may have been Disney’s change in handling the Parental Rights in Education issue in Florida. While then-CEO Bob Chapek initially refused to issue a statement on the matter, he later changed his mind and did issue a statement against the bill.

Gerzema shared that, unlike other brands that have already identified with specific policy views, Disney “didn’t have a track record for speaking out on this issue,” and then came to the issue “late” and changed its mind.

Ultimately, the most politically polarizing companies this year were the Trump Organization, Fox Corporation, Hobby Lobby, FTX, Disney, Pfizer, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and Chik-fil-A.

Only time will tell whether the changes being made by current CEO Bob Iger will set Disney on a path to improve its reputational ranking in the future. But, considering that the Company’s reputation has been dropping since 2017 (a time at which Iger was already CEO and Disney was not caught in the middle of its current battle with DeSantis), improving Disney’s reputational ranking might be tougher than some might think.

For more on the current battle between Disney and DeSantis, click here. And stay tuned for more news.

Click Here to See 10 Controversial Things Bob Iger Has Said About Disney’s Alleged ‘Woke Agenda’

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The post Disney Reputation Takes Major Hit, According to New Survey first appeared on the disney food blog.

A new Mike Wazowski Cake will be available in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom beginning June 1, 2023, Disney announced on Instagram.

Mike Wazowski Cake & Sulley Slush

The Mike Wazowski Cake will be available at the Lunching Pad, just a few yards from Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café, where guests can get the Sulley Slush.

The Mike Wazowski Cake is an orange blossom-mango mousse cake with a candy eye. It’s a small green ball, made to look like the iconic “Monsters, Inc.” and “Monsters University” character.

The already available Sulley Slush is a blue raspberry slush with purple whipped cream. Read our review of the Sulley Slush below.

Sulley Slush – $5.99

Blue raspberry slush with purple whipped cream

This is a regular blue raspberry slush with purple whipped cream. Blue raspberry is usually a sour flavor but there is zero tang in this drink.

It tastes more like cotton candy. It might be the whipped cream that’s giving us such a sweet flavor.

If you like a sweet slushy, this is for you. It takes a cute photo, too, but is definitely not our fave.

Watch our video review featuring the Sulley Slush and more Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe food items:

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

The post New Mike Wazowski Cake Coming to Magic Kingdom Next Month appeared first on WDW News Today.

Why are people spending THOUSANDS of dollars on a Disney World vacation, only to have a downright TERRIBLE time while they’re there?

Let’s expose WHY people are having a terrible time at Disney World, and how YOU can avoid their mistakes!

Check out our video: People Are Having TERRIBLE Disney World Vacations (These Are Their Mistakes)

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!

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Have you faced any of these problems in Disney World? Let us know in the comments below. 

The post DFB Video: People Are Having TERRIBLE Disney World Vacations (These Are Their Mistakes) first appeared on the disney food blog.