To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Disney, a parade float made entirely of LEGO bricks was constructed for the Making Wonder YouTube series.

Celebrating Dozens of Years with Thousands of Bricks

The ultimate Disney parade float made entirely of LEGO bricks! #Disney100 #LEGODisney

Catch the newest episode of Making Wonder the Series and pick up some cool dance moves while you’re at it. https://t.co/d5OQfHhnmP pic.twitter.com/beGdygX6GZ

— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) May 20, 2023

With the company’s Burbank headquarters as a backdrop, LEGO Master Builder Pete Donne presented a sparkling lavender, cerulean, and silver construction based on a real parade float that was originally designed by Catie Dellemonac — Art Director for Disney Live Entertainment.

This is Mickey Mouse’s float, and the first that comes out during the “Magic Happens” parade at Disneyland Park. To introduce the unit, Dellemonac was asked about her role at Disney Live Entertainment as well as the float itself.

As an art director, I really set the stage for all of our entertainment offerings that we have, designing photo locations to festivals — really just telling the story of our Disney characters and bringing them to life.

Compared with its LEGO counterpart, the resemblance and attention to detail is remarkable.

It is unreal. I never would’ve thought when we were creating this design that I would see it like this. It is so cool.

The two hosts were quite enamored with the design as well. Donne explained of his design:

I really like that there’s a lot of fabric transitions, which are in the original float, which I thought was beautiful and it translates really well into brick.

The full eight minute video is viewable below:

The video also featured a new dance to the “Magic Happens” theme song by popular online dancers Tianne and Heaven King.

The Centennial Celebration

Festivities for the 100th anniversary are ongoing, and there are plenty of opportunities to take part in special events and merchandise offerings.

Collectible medallions are scattered throughout Walt Disney World, with various machines providing different designs.

Additionally, a first look was recently offered into the Disney100 1960s Decades Collection, including merchandise based on “One Hundred and One Dalmatians.” All prior decades are currently in circulation, check them out below:

• 1950s Collection
• 1940s Collection
• 1930s Collection
• 1920s Collection

More Disney100 news, including information on happenings at the two primary celebration hubs — Disneyland Park and EPCOT:

• Full List (With Prices) of the Disney 100 Years of Wonder Merchandise Collection at Walt Disney World
• PHOTOS, VIDEOS: ‘Wondrous Journeys’ Nighttime Spectacular Premieres at Disneyland
• More Details Released for Disney100 Celebrations Coming to EPCOT

How are you celebrating “100 Years of Wonder” at home? What’s the most elaborate LEGO build you’ve ever attempted? Let us know in the comments.

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

The post ‘Magic Happens’ Parade Float Replicated Entirely in LEGO Bricks for Disney100 Celebration appeared first on WDW News Today.

If you’re going to Disney World this next week, there are still a few things you should do to prepare. Have you made your packing list yet? Decided which rides you’re heading to first? Planned out what snacks you’ll get in each park? All of those are important, and you should also prepare by finding out what’s going to be CLOSED at the parks and hotels.

In order to help you get ready for your trip, we have a full list here of everything that’ll be closed in the parks next week.

Magic Kingdom

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Splash Mountain closed on January 23rd for a long refurbishment. The ride is being re-themed to become Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, with a Princess and the Frog theme.

The new ride will reopen sometime in late 2024. We’ll be watching for more updates on the reopening timeline. The tree at the top of this ride has been removed as Disney continues construction, and several new rock structures have been built at the bottom of the drop.

If you miss Splash Mountain or want to celebrate the new ride, you should check out our DFB t-shirts! We have a Splash Mountain Farwell Tour shirt…

…and a Tiana tee as well!

You can shop both tees (and lots of other Disney merch) at our online store.

Click here to shop our DFB merchandise store.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster

The popular Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster ride closed on February 21st for a long refurbishment.

So far Disney hasn’t announced the date for when it will reopen, but we know it’ll be sometime in the summer of 2023. We’ll be watching for a specific reopening date. Right now, this coaster is going to be closed through mid-July at least, according to Disney’s refurbishment calendar.

Voyage of the Little Mermaid

This Little Mermaid-themed stage show has been closed in Disney’s Hollywood Studios for a long time now.

Disney hasn’t announced when or if the Voyage of the Little Mermaid will reopen.

An unexpected problem recently hit a Hollywood Studios restaurant — get the details here.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

The Boneyard

The Boneyard play area in DinoLand U.S.A. is going to be closed for all of next week in Animal Kingdom.

This spot will be closed for over a month as Disney refurbished it. It should reopen on June 13th.

Check out the ultimate guide to the best coffee in Animal Kingdom.

EPCOT

Refreshment Station

This snack stand (previously called Cool Wash) in EPCOT is still under construction and hidden behind some hedges. We can see inside the station from the Monorail, however, and it looks like Disney has added some furniture inside the dining area.

Disney hasn’t announced when it will open, but we’ll watch for any changes.

Don’t forget that the Flower & Garden Festival is going on in EPCOT right now as well! Click here to check out our NEW tees that are perfect for a trip to the festival.

You can choose from a variety of colors for our Flower & Garden tees. (If your trip is later in the year, Disney has announced the dates for the Food & Wine Festival as well!)

Shop the EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival tees here.

Disney World Water Parks

Blizzard Beach

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park has officially reopened, but now the other water park, Blizzard Beach, has closed for refurbishment.

Be sure to check the My Disney Experience app for updates!

The BEST Rides at Blizzard Beach, Ranked

Looking for more resources to help you get ready for your upcoming trip? Check out these posts to learn all about Disney World’s rides:

• 10 Rides to AVOID in Disney World if You Struggle with Motion Sickness
• What It Takes to CHANGE a Disney World Ride
• 9 of the SCARIEST Rides in Disney World, According to YOU!
• A FULL LIST of the Thrill Rides in Disney World!
• The Ultimate Guide to the BEST and WORST Seats On EVERY Magic Kingdom Ride

We’ll keep you updated with all the latest news, so stay tuned to DFB.

Genie+ could cost TWICE as much next week in Disney World — here’s why.

Planning a Trip to Disney World? We’ve Got Everything You Need to Know

• The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Disney World Vacation

• A Month-by-Month Guide to Planning Your Disney World Trip

• Tips, Hints, Lists, and Videos for Planning the BEST Disney World Trip

• How Many Days Do You Really Need in Disney World?

• How to Have the CHEAPEST Trip to Disney World

• 5 Simple Planning Tips You Need to Know About Before Your Next Disney World Trip

• The CHEAPEST Days to Visit Disney World in 2023

• EVERYTHING You Need to Know Before Booking a 2023 Disney World Trip

• Learn About the Disney Park Pass System

• The Ultimate Disney World Packing List

• Everything You Need to Know About Genie+

• Insider SECRETS for Your First Trip to Disney World

• A Complete Look at the Current Disney Discounts and Deals

• The ONLY Disney Dining Planning Tool You’ll Need Is Here – Get the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining!

Join the DFB Newsletter to Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click Here to Subscribe

 

Are you visiting Disney World this week? Let us know in the comments!

The post A Hollywood Studios Ride and 4 Other Attractions Will Be CLOSED for All of Next Week first appeared on the disney food blog.

Disney dropped some HUGE news about its Star Wars hotel this week.

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser opened last year for two-night voyages aboard the starship Halcyon that allowed visitors to live out their ULTIMATE Star Wars dreams by becoming part of the onboard Star Wars story. Not only that, but they also got to have unique dining experiences, get lightsaber training, help fly the ship from the bridge, and more. However, Disney announced this week that the Halcyon would make its last voyage at the end of September 2023. Well, that voyage is now officially sold out.

Guests hoping to set sail amongst the stars on the final voyage of the Galactic Starcruiser are now out of luck. That’s because the final voyage from September 28th-30th is completely sold out. Bookings don’t reopen until May 26th, however, anyone with a trip that was already booked after September 2023 is able to reschedule right now. That is likely how the final voyage already sold out since new bookings aren’t open at the moment.

Note that Disney did offer guests with voyages booked for AFTER that date an opportunity to rebook at half off, so some of those reservations for the final voyage could be coming from them. Other dates are still available but don’t expect Disney to release any other discounts to the public.

Disney released a statement about the hotel’s closure: “Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is one of our most creative projects ever and has been praised by our guests and recognized for setting a new bar for innovation and immersive entertainment. This premium, boutique experience gave us the opportunity to try new things on a smaller scale of 100 rooms, and as we prepare for its final voyage, we will take what we’ve learned to create future experiences that can reach more of our guests and fans.”

Trivia time: did you know the Halcyon was the starship where Princess Leia and Han Solo spent their honeymoon? It’s all documented in the novel Star Wars: The Princess and the Scoundrel. So we’re not just losing a cool experience when the Galactic Starcruiser closes, we’re also losing a piece of Star Wars history!

Disney has not yet shared details on what its future plans are for the building that houses the Galactic Starcruiser, but we’ll keep an eye out for any updates.

Answering EVERY SINGLE Question About Disney’s Galactic Starcruiser

Will you be booking a voyage on the Galactic Starcruiser before it closes? Let us know in the comments!

The post Why May 26th Is a CRUCIAL Day for Disney World Fans first appeared on the disney food blog.

Ahhhh Disney World, we love you so!

There are many exciting changes coming including the return of the Disney Dining Plan, Genie+ changes, and Park Passes are disappearing for many, but one thing remains the same — LONG wait times. However, something unexpected just happened at the most popular attraction in ALL of Disney World! 

We look at the average wait times in Disney World every week and if you’ve seen them before, you know Rise of the Resistance wait times make you want to CRINGE. Hardcore. This week, though, we noticed that the ride saw a major drop in wait times, so you can take a breath now! Take a look at that drop and the rest of the average Disney World wait times below.

Disney World is all about celebrating SOMETHING.

Although Disney World’s big 50th anniversary celebration is over (and that one lasted 18 months!), we’re now celebrating the Walt Disney Company’s 100th Anniversary. We also recently celebrated Animal Kingdom’s 25th anniversary, but today, EPCOT is celebrating a random holiday.

Okay, it’s not THAT random, but, apparently, today is World Bee Day! This day is set aside to celebrate and acknowledge the role that bees play as pollinators in the ecosystem. Yes, bees are IMPORTANT. So today, EPCOT is celebrating all things bees by giving guests a fun Bee Hat. Yes, a BEE HAT! It even has bee antenna on it.

How fun is that? It comes courtesy of one of the EPCOT Flower & Garden food booths, the Honey Bee-stro. Btw, if you’re at EPCOT today, you should stop by the Honey Bee-stro and enjoy some foods including honey provided by the bees we’re celebrating, like the Chicken and Waffles and Honey-Mascarpone Cheesecake. YUM!

It’s funny, too, because Disney World has had issues with bees in the past. Because of bees, the Rooftop Bar at the Coca-Cola Store in Disney Springs had to temporarily close due to bees. They also once invaded one of the Joffrey’s locations in EPCOT during the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays. But, hey, we’re still all about letting them have this one day of celebration, and we’ll proudly wear our new bee hat.

Disney World is just full of surprises…apparently today is National Bee Day and a Cast Member was handing out these bee hats! Happy Bee Day everyone (and bonus points if it’s your B-Day)! pic.twitter.com/RidNLoTGsH

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) May 20, 2023

So if you happen to be in EPCOT today, be sure to grab your bee hat, and say hi to Spike when you see him (and he’s ALL over EPCOT right now thanks to the EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival scavenger hunt).

The ONE Thing You MUST Get at the Honey Bee-Stro Booth in EPCOT

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

 

What are you doing to celebrate World Bee Day? Let us know in the comments!

The post Just When We Thought We’d Seen Everything in EPCOT… first appeared on the disney food blog.

Is it just us or did this month FLY by? May is almost gone and we’ve already celebrated Mother’s Day and May the 4th.

June, though, will bring a NEW celebration to Disneyland. June marks Black Music Month, and there will be tons of new things to do AND EAT during Disneyland’s big celebration.

During the month of June, visitors to Downtown Disney can get their groove on with live band performances nightly at the Downtown Disney LIVE! stage. Different genres of music will be featured, including Jazz Fusion, Caribbean, and Mid-Century Jazz. Disney has more than 17 musical groups lined up to perform, with four performance sets each night.

Live music can also be heard daily through June 30th at the Hollywood Backlot Stage in Disney California Adventure. Visitors will be able to check out performances by groups like Midnight Hour, Finesse, and The Rhythm & Blues Brothas.

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa will also have daily performances of music from acts like DJ Quami, Island Reggae Duo, and da-light.

There will also be special food and drinks available throughout Disneyland Resort (something we get really excited about) through July 4th, like a BBQ Hot Link Sandwich.

The Black-owned food truck Happy Ice will be serving up water ice desserts from June 9th to July 4th in Downtown Disney.

Finally, Visitors to WonderGround Gallery in Downtown Disney will have a chance to meet artist Ryan Riller on June 10th and Larissa Marantz on June 17th.

So be sure to check out the celebration in June. We’ll let you know about any other happenings in Disneyland, so be sure to stay tuned to DFB for more.

Have you SEEN what’s new in our merch store?! Click here to shop our fun graphic tees!

Here’s an UPDATE on Disney’s “Bold” Avatar Experience

Will you be in Disneyland in June? Let us know in the comments!

The post Specialty Snacks, Food Truck, and More Coming to Downtown Disney SOON first appeared on the disney food blog.

Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen has gradually been transforming into a reimagined Jazz Kitchen Coastal Grill & Patio over the past several months at the Downtown Disney District of Disneyland Resort, and the exterior work is almost concluded.

Approaching from the direction of the Monorail station and LEGO Store, the restaurant’s new artistic direction is on full display, aiming for a more subdued look and feel, with its new color palette of magenta, orange, and fuchsia glowing in the dusk. The stated intent of this altered approach to the restaurant’s design is a cleaner look and overall atmosphere of “vibrant California energy” — the Jazz Kitchen’s menu will also be receiving updates in accordance with this vision.

Compared to the same angle photographed in January, when the venue was fully in the midst of construction and much of the original façade was still observable, modifications have been noticeably significant. The original saxophone sign is gone, and the New Orleans French Quarter architectural style has been dramatically toned down, in favor of a more simplistic garden aesthetic.

From the front, entrances for Jazz Kitchen and Beignets Expressed are lit, and construction walls are gone. Please note: while Beignets Expressed may appear finished on the outside, it is still not open. Only the restaurant itself is currently operating.

This 1920s and 30s Art Deco marquee installed at the beginning of the month welcomes entering guests and alludes to the Jazz Age of the early 20th century, when jazz interpretations of music and dance became globally popular and culturally revolutionary.

According to the Disneyland website, Jazz Kitchen’s name has not officially been changed yet, and the Ralph Brennan namesake is still included in its title. Eventually, this will fade, and new menu items will reflect the changes. Popular favorites are expected to remain, while coastal-inspired fare like the new open-faced Grilled Lobster BLT Po’ Boy (pictured above) will add some of that aforementioned California influence to the selections.

Formerly known as Jazz Kitchen Express, Beignets Expressed will be the new occupant of this space to the side of the main entrance, and the title accurately reflects the most popular and commonly ordered item offered here.

Aiming for stylistically sleek, streamlined signage, neon has taken over.

The before and after comparison on this portion of the venue is perhaps the most extreme. The tropical plants are gone, doors and windows completely replaced, and an overall colorful space somewhat resembling the Pirates of the Caribbean entrance over in New Orleans Square has been erased.

The sign on the door doesn’t indicate any official opening date, though it does prompt guests to stay tuned:

We are evolving in real time. Enjoy a first peek at our exciting new decor and look for updates soon!

Jazz Kitchen Transformation Part of Grander Downtown Disney District Overhaul

The Downtown Disney District at Disneyland Resort is currently undergoing a transformation including several new shops and restaurants. The areas set to be constructed and refined are inspired by the mid-century space age look that enjoyed remarkable popularity in California throughout the 1950s and 60s.

This process has slowly progressed over the last few years, though Disneyland Resort President Ken Potrock has now revealed an 18-month completion time-frame, which roughly sees the District fully embracing its fresh face around the end of 2024.

All of this work on the resort’s entertainment, shopping, and dining hub is merely one miniscule portion of larger plans connected to the DisneylandForward initiative — a multi-year public planning effort that seeks to map out the next thirty years of vision with the City of Anaheim and Orange County.

DisneylandForward primarily aims to obtain more flexibility for land the resort received approval to develop in the 1990s, ideally adding a mix of theme park, hotel, retail, dining, and entertainment on the eastern and western edges of the resort. Currently, Disneyland has used less than half of the millions of square feet already approved for development, according to the Orange County Register. All plans stay within the existing 500-acre property in Anaheim with no physical expansion or additional acreage.

What are your thoughts on this transformed space? Do you miss the original design, or are you excited for a change? Let us know in the comments.

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

The post Jazz Kitchen Illuminated Nighttime Décor Displayed as Transformation Nears Completion appeared first on WDW News Today.