If you can navigate the Disney parks without a park map, you deserve a medal; it’s not easy memorizing all the paths, buildings, and secret stairs in Disney’s HUGE theme parks.

Whether you grab those Disney park maps for the sake of your collection or you just need to find out where you’re going, maps are an ESSENTIAL part of Disney vacations. And now, one Disney park map has a NEW look — let’s check it out!

Recently, we noticed that the Disneyland Park map was updated to replace the Splash Mountain attraction with a Tiana’s Bayou Adventure preview. That makes all those old Disneyland Park maps a RELIC of the past — you might just have a collectible lying around at home!

But now, it’s Disney California Adventure’s turn for a little map makeover. Check out the new design!

We know they say don’t judge a book by its cover, but what about park maps? The new cover features the Rogers: The Musical logo in honor of the NEW limited-time show in Disney California Adventure. We got a preview of the show ahead of its debut, and we were SUPER impressed with the production. Now, you can pick up a little park map as a free Rogers: The Musical souvenir!

Inside, the Hyperion Theater (where the new musical takes place) is listed, and the map directs guests to the Disneyland app for showtimes.

For more Disneyland updates, see our posts below.

• Oogie Boogie Bash Tickets Are Officially on Sale…and It’s a MESS
• A NEW Disney Attraction Will Be Available for a Limited Time — Come Preview the Experience!
• 3 Celebrities SPOTTED at Disney’s Haunted Mansion Ride
• VIDEO: See Disney’s NEWEST Character Meet-and-Greet

In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more.

Want to Learn More About Disneyland?

Check Out the Links Below!

• DFB Disneyland Restaurants Guide

• Disney Genie and How to Use it in Disneyland

• What You Need to Know About the Theme Park Reservation System for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure

• Closures and Construction at Disneyland

• Learn All About Disneyland Park

• See What Marvelous Stuff You’ll Find at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure

• Learn About Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure

• Get All the Details About the Disneyland Mobile App

• Everything You Need to Know About Mobile Order in Disneyland

• Learn More About Disneyland’s Magic Key Program

• Full Details About the Holiday Season in Disneyland

• Full Details About Halloween Time at Disneyland

• Get Some STRANGE Tips for Disneyland

Click HERE to Check Out Lots of Other DFB Posts About Disneyland

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Are you planning a trip to Disneyland this year? Let us know in the comments!

The post A NEW Disney Park Map Has Arrived with One BIG Change first appeared on the disney food blog.

There’s a NEW character meet-and-greet that you won’t want to miss in Disneyland!

The new Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny movie debuts this weekend, and to celebrate, Indiana Jones himself is coming to the parks. Come with us to meet him!

Indiana Jones is meeting guests in Disneyland’s Adventureland for a limited time!

We asked a Cast Member about when Indy would be out and about, and they told us he just comes out throughout the day and walks around. When we were there, we met him around 12:30PM PT.

We just spotted Indiana Jones himself in Disneyland! pic.twitter.com/CVtRdN8LDD

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) June 30, 2023

He told us that he hadn’t found any treasure yet today, but he was examining a tapestry to hopefully track some down.

Indiana Jones will only be around for a limited time, so head to Adventureland soon if you want to meet him! Disney hasn’t announced exactly how long this character meet-and-greet will last.

Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney updates.

Disneyland vs. Disney World: A Complete Breakdown

Want to Learn More About Disneyland?

Check Out the Links Below!

• DFB Disneyland Restaurants Guide

• Disney Genie and How to Use it in Disneyland

• What You Need to Know About the Theme Park Reservation System for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure

• Closures and Construction at Disneyland

• Learn All About Disneyland Park

• See What Marvelous Stuff You’ll Find at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure

• Learn About Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure

• Get All the Details About the Disneyland Mobile App

• Everything You Need to Know About Mobile Order in Disneyland

• Learn More About Disneyland’s Magic Key Program

• Full Details About the Holiday Season in Disneyland

• Full Details About Halloween Time at Disneyland

• Get Some STRANGE Tips for Disneyland

Click HERE to Check Out Lots of Other DFB Posts About Disneyland

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Are you going to meet Indiana Jones in Disneyland? Let us know in the comments!

The post VIDEO: See Disney’s NEWEST Character Meet-and-Greet first appeared on the disney food blog.

Magic Kingdom was built based on the inspiration from Disneyland Park, but they’re not identical.

Some folks may confuse the names and terminology, but when you see things side by side, you can usually notice right off the bat that there are distinct differences. We’ve already explored the complete breakdown of Disney World vs. Disneyland. Today, we’re going to explore the nuances between the two iconic castles.

Before we look at how different these castles are, let’s review what they have in common.

Similarities

Architectural Inspiration

Both castles were built based on the inspiration of the grand European castles from history. Bavaria’s Neuschwanstein Castle was a particular location of interest, inspiring those tall spires and towers.

Fortifications

Both castles have a moat that flows in front of it and a drawbridge for guests to walk over to gain entrance into the castle. At Disneyland, the drawbridge was actually lowered on opening day, providing a grand spectacle.

And at Disney World, there was one attraction, the Swan Boats, that took guests on a slow tour of the water canal passing under the drawbridge.

Internal Secrets

These castles aren’t just facades. They each have their own secrets inside their halls (we’ll explore those secrets later when we compare their differences)

Central Placement

Both castles are what Walt Disney referred to as “wienies,” a visual enticement used to lure guests further into the park instead of lingering at the entrance. They are the centerpiece of their park, the core of the hub in Walts’ hub and spoke concept, and the main stage for the nighttime projections and fireworks shows.

These castles are also the gateway into Fantasyland, where guests symbolically pass through the gate from Main Street, U.S.A., into a world of fantasy.

Differences

Size

This might be one of the most obvious differences between the two castles. Disneyland’s castle is charming and lovely, but a mere 77 feet tall. Disney Imagineers used the famed forced perspective method to help make it appear taller. To put this in perspective, your average 2-story house is 35 feet tall, so the Disneyland castle is about the size of two 2-story houses stacked on top of each other.

The Magic Kingdom castle is 189 feet tall. And though it is more than twice the height of the Disneyland castle, the Imagineers also used forced perspective to give that majestic stature and presence in the center of the park.

Owners

The original castle, the castle that started the trend of “castle parks” around the globe, is Sleeping Beauty Castle. Sleeping Beauty was Disney’s 16th animated release, which debuted in 1959. Soft pinks and greyish blues that comprise the castle are subtle nods to its dozing owner.

Magic Kingdom’s castle is the residence of Cinderella. Cinderella was Disney’s 12th animated feature film, released in 1950. Earlier iterations of Cinderella Castle donned blue, silver, and grey to mimic Cinderella’s ethereal dress from the Fairy Godmother. Currently, it received a bit of makeover for the Disney World 50th Celebration, and now it is more pink and coordinates with her older sister on the west coast.

Internal Secrets

Both castles have spaces and compartments inside.

There are two areas to explore within Sleeping Beauty Castle. The first is the main walkway, which acts as a transit corridor between sections of the park. The second is the castle walkthrough, within which you can explore the story of Sleeping Beauty via a series of dioramas. For those interested in visiting, be aware that the walkway is narrow and winding and includes stairs. An accessible option via a virtual screen is also available.

Like Disneyland’s castle, Disney World’s castle includes a walkthrough that’ll take you from the main entry into Fantasyland. However, Florida’s version does not include walkthrough attractions. Instead, guests wanting to visit the inside of Cinderella Castle have few options from which to choose.

You can make a reservation to dine at Cinderella’s Royal Table, an elegant dining experience inside the castle. And select special guests have had the opportunity to stay inside the Cinderella Castle Suite, a two-room suite high in the towers of the castle.

Age

Sleeping Beauty Castle was the first of all of the Disney castles and was presented to the public in 1955, when Disneyland opened. Cinderella Castle came around when Magic Kingdom opened in 1971. But though Sleeping Beauty Castle is 16 years older, they both go through rigorous cleaning, refurbishments, and maintenance to keep them in prime condition.

Both castles are beautiful and uniquely epitomize the character and culture of the park in which they reside. We love seeing them through all of their seasonal changes and celebratory adornments. Stay tuned to DFB for all of the news and trivia about Disney castles and the parks!

VIDEO: This Disney Castle Glow-Up Will Make Cinderella Castle Jealous

Want to Learn More About Disneyland?

Check Out the Links Below!

• DFB Disneyland Restaurants Guide

• Disney Genie and How to Use it in Disneyland

• What You Need to Know About the Theme Park Reservation System for Disneyland and Disney California Adventure

• Closures and Construction at Disneyland

• Learn All About Disneyland Park

• See What Marvelous Stuff You’ll Find at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure

• Learn About Pixar Pier in Disney California Adventure

• Get All the Details About the Disneyland Mobile App

• Everything You Need to Know About Mobile Order in Disneyland

• Learn More About Disneyland’s Magic Key Program

• Full Details About the Holiday Season in Disneyland

• Full Details About Halloween Time at Disneyland

• Get Some STRANGE Tips for Disneyland

Click HERE to Check Out Lots of Other DFB Posts About Disneyland

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

Which Disney castle holds your heart? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Disneyland Castle vs Disney World Castle – COMPLETE Breakdown first appeared on the disney food blog.

Something has DISAPPEARED from Magic Kingdom, and it impacts a classic attraction in this park.

Tom Sawyer Island is a walk-through attraction in Frontierland. You take a log raft to the island, where you can meander through trails, cross bridges, and explore caves. It’s a great place to bring little ones who need to burn off some energy — no long lines to wait in here! But there’s one problem: recently, part of this attraction went MISSING.

While we were in Frontierland today, exploring Tom Sawyer Island, we saw that the Barrel Bridge is now CLOSED.

In fact, it’s not just closed. It’s completely gone.

For reference, here’s what the bridge usually looks like.

We saw this happen back in 2021 as well! When we asked a Cast Member about the missing bridge, they told us that it had been removed for maintenance and they weren’t sure when it’d be back.

We’ll be watching closely to find out when it returns! In the meantime, you can still explore other parts of the island.

Stay tuned to DFB for more updates on all the latest Disney news!

The BEST Rides in Disney World for Toddlers

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Have you ever been to Tom Sawyer Island? Let us know in the comments!

The post Part of an Attraction Has Gone MISSING in Magic Kingdom first appeared on the disney food blog.

No matter how hard you might try to plan the perfect trip — things might still go wrong when you visit Disney World.

The most important thing to remember is to be flexible, and that’s exactly what folks had to do at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort recently. Don’t worry, we can explain…

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is home to gorgeous mountainside-inspired theming, stellar views, easy access to Magic Kingdom, and plenty of places to grab a bite to eat. But, even in a serene place like this Disney hotel things can still go awry.

So imagine the guests’ surprise when the hotel was evacuated! A reader sent in this video to us showing folks being led out for their safety. Check it out below!

There was a brief evacuation at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge this afternoon! Brooke Luckman shared this video with us over on Instagram as the evacuation occurred. Everything ended up being okay, and things are back to normal now! pic.twitter.com/Dz3dIiktcb

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) June 30, 2023

According to the reader, everything ended up being alright and things quickly went back to normal — but this sure isn’t something you’d probably expect to happen on your vacation. If this does ever happen to you, make sure you listen to the Cast Members for direction since they’re trained to keep you safe!

And, it’s important to remember to be flexible and go with the flow if something like this happens to you on your Disney World trip, and stay tuned to DFB for the latest news!

Watch a Popular Disney World Ride Get Evacuated!

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Have you ever been evacuated from a ride or other place in Disney World? Tell us in the comments. 

The post VIDEO: Fire Alarm Causes Hotel Evacuation in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.

At the ESSENCE Fest in New Orleans, Disney Parks revealed the new look of Princess Tiana dressed for her new adventures down the bayou, and we think the costume is simply stunning. Take a look!

The vibrant colors and Louisiana-inspired detail really shines from head to toe. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is set to open at Magic Kingdom and Disneyland in 2024.

Take a look at the video reveal, complete with fireflies, below!

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A post shared by Disney Parks (@disneyparks)

The post Disney Parks Reveals New Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Character Costume first appeared on DIS.

An Indiana Jones Piñata with candy rocks and gnache treats has been unveiled at The Ganachery in Disney Springs, just in time for the release of Harrison Ford’s final Indy outing — “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” For those in the mood for something a little smaller, Marion’s Medallion from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is also now available in chocolate pop form.

Indiana Jones Piñata – $35

Chocolate Piñata with Candy Rocks filled with Crunchy Caramel Gnache Treats.

This work of art is located at The Ganachery, in The Landing area of Disney Springs, across from Paradiso 37, Taste of the Americas.

Our first instinct was to be disappointed that the infamous boulder wasn’t used as the main part of this creation, but the Indiana Jones look is well executed and very detailed.

Warning: this will melt. The Ganachery is kind enough to package it with an ice pack. If you plan to take this home, The Ganachery should be your last stop on the way to your car. Due to a brief but thorough photo session, ours had melted enough that smashing it with the provided mallet (which is Ganachery branded) became more like squishing it.

The exterior of the piñata is the rich, delicious chocolate you would expect from The Ganachery, though ours had melted somewhat due to the hot Florida sun. And those chocolate rocks surrounding the piñata? Delicious. One member of our party ate the confectionery snake, and declared it one of the sweetest snakes they had ever eaten. 

Inside, we were rewarded with the boulders we wanted, though these are made out of caramel and crispy candy pearls. They are fairly large, but can be eaten in a single mouthful. They are crispy and quite delicious. 

Overall, this is an excellent offering to celebrate Dr. Jones!

Marion’s Medallion Chocolate Pop – $7.50

Solid Dark Chocolate Pop with Crisp Raspberries and Milk Chocolate Crisp Pearls.

This Marion’s Medallion Chocolate Pop is also at The Ganachery, and for fans of the original Indiana Jones film, you may already know this medallion is actually the Headpiece to the Staff of Ra, indispensable in helping Indy locate the Ark of the Covenant.

The dark chocolate and milk chocolate pearls are predictably great, as we have come to expect from The Ganachery. The raspberry pearls give an extremely tart flavor that eventually wrests control of the flavor profile to the point of being a bit overpowering. Still, a delicious and photo-worthy option, provided you are able to remove the somewhat difficult plastic cover.

We are grateful that the only things melting here are chocolates, not faces.

Indiana Jones in the Spotlight Across Disney Parks

So much has been happening across the universe of Disney to promote this film’s release.

The Den of Destiny opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, featuring iconic movie props, specialty cocktails we had a chance to review, CIA profiles, and an appearance of the Anubis head from the former Great Movie Ride. Tons of new merchandise related to the franchise has also been popping up all over Walt Disney World.

Over at the Disneyland Resort, some special effects were restored to the Indiana Jones Adventure, and a limited time appearance for Indy himself has been announced.

‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’

“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18, and officially has its wide release today, June 30.

The MPAA rates this new film as PG-13. According to their classification, the rating is due to “sequences of violence and action, language and smoking.” While this classification itself doesn’t add much to what can be expected in the fifth and final film, it is an interesting reminder that the second film of the franchise, “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom,” was a main catalyst (alongside “Gremlins”) that led the MPAA to create a PG-13 classification in the first place.

“Dial of Destiny” will take place in 1969, amid the peak of the space race. Dr. Jones will encounter his old enemy (the Nazis) again, through Voller — a villain inspired by real-life Nazi Wernher von Braun, who became a NASA engineer.

The teaser trailer and artwork for the film debuted in December. A second teaser for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” premiered during Super Bowl LVII.

Harrison Ford, now 80 years old, stated this will be the last “Indiana Jones” movie he takes part in.

It’s full of adventure, full of laughs, full of real emotion. And it’s complex and it’s sneaky. The shooting of it was tough and long and arduous. But I’m very happy with the film that we have.

It’s rumored that an Indiana Jones TV series could be in development for Disney+. It remains unclear if the story of this series would be a prequel to the films, set somewhere inside the franchise narrative, or follow a totally new character. If this series is developed, it would not be the first TV show about Indiana Jones. In 1992-1993, “The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles” aired on ABC. Harrison Ford made a cameo appearance in one episode.

Are you seeing “Dial of Destiny” this weekend? Have you already seen it? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

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The post REVIEW: Behold the New Indiana Jones Piñata and Marion’s Medallion Chocolate Pop at The Ganachery in Disney Springs appeared first on WDW News Today.