Some Disney souvenirs are so popular they sell out in MOMENTS.

Disney Merchandise

This just happened with one of the bags at EPCOT’s International Festival of the Arts, and we see it often with Disney X Starbucks merchandise as well. We spotted a new piece of merchandise in Magic Kingdom a few days ago, and we’re not surprised to find it’s already gone. A LOT of people are about to be sad about this news — brace yourself.

Recently, we spotted the ADORABLE Winnie the Pooh Lug Crossbody Bag in Magic Kingdom for $60.

Winnie The Pooh Lug Crossbody

Yep, you see where we’re going with this — it’s (already) completely sold out. The Tote and Backpack versions are still available in Magic Kingdom, but many people love the crossbody bags because of their slim size and multi-functional strap. We’ll keep our eyes out for a restock, but this new bag is SUPER popular, so it may come and go in the blink of an eye.

Winnie the Pooh Lug Backpack

We also saw something similar happen with the Figment Lug Crossbody Bags exclusive to the EPCOT Festival of the Arts. Those bags sold out QUICKLY!

Figment Lug Crossbody Bag

If you find yourself at  Disney’s Animal Kingdom, though, we have seen some pretty great Lug bags over there that you may love!

Animal Kingdom Lug wallet/crossbody/belt bag

If you won’t be in the parks soon, you can also grab some different Lug bags online to prepare for your upcoming trip!

The Lug Skeeter Mini 2 Convertible Crossbody goes with everything!

©Amazon

The Lug Skeeter Mini 2 Convertible Crossbody is the same size as the other crossbody bags but is all black, matching alllll different types of outfits. The adjustable strap means it can fit comfortably wherever you’d like, and there’s enough room for your essentials.

Grab it here!

This Polka Dotted Lug Skeeter Crossbody is great for Minnie Mouse fans!

©Amazon

If you’re looking for something a little larger, the Polka Dotted Lug Skeeter Crossbody may be the answer. It’s still small and compact but has more pockets for more storage and is a bit wider. Plus, you’ll be rocking Minnie’s signature polka dots!

Add it to your cart!

Prefer a backpack? The Lug Hopper Shorty Backpack is here for you!

©Amazon

If you prefer to carry around something larger in the parks, grab the Lug Hopper Shorty Backpack! It’s brightly colored to be easily seen and has tons of pockets to carry everything you need.

Check it out here!

We “spotted” MORE Minnie Mouse Polka Dots on this Lug Hopper Shorty Backpack!

©Amazon

Loved that Minnie Mouse style, but just need more space? This Lug Polka Dotted Hopper Shorty Backpack is the answer to your desires. It’s got tons of pockets to store everything you need, and you’ll still be able to rock those Minnie Mouse polka dots.

Grab it online!

We’re always here to bring you the latest Disney news, so stay tuned to DFB!

Check out our Amazon Storefront for even more Disney essentials!

The post This May Be the HARDEST Souvenir To Get at Magic Kingdom Right Now first appeared on the disney food blog.

The reimagining of EPCOT is near its end but not yet complete as construction continues on CommuniCore Hall and the surrounding area.

World Showcase Bridge

Construction walls now jut across the World Showcase bridge, creating a bottleneck for guests walking from World Celebration onto the bridge. The black construction walls are between the merchandise kiosks at the front of the bridge.

The walls have lights mounted on them to keep the sidewalk illuminated. They run close to a planter that sometimes houses festival signs and topiaries. The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is currently ongoing.

The walls are right next to the Spaceship Earth design in the pavement that was revealed with World Celebration Gardens. The gardens opened on Walt Disney’s birthday last year and a statue of him called Walt the Dreamer was also unveiled.

There are also construction walls blocking the sidewalk running towards the Imagination! Pavilion. This part of the rose walk is scheduled to be closed for five weeks.

The rose walk runs next to CommuniCore Plaza and CommuniCore Hall, which are the last major pieces of the years-long EPCOT reimagining that remain to be completed. CommuniCore Hall will house a permanent Mickey & Friends meet and greet.

CommuniCore Hall

During multiple visits to EPCOT this week, we saw crew members working on this wall of CommuniCore Hall. It’s on the World Nature side of the building and features slanted black panels with holes in them. Two crew members were on scaffolding near the top of the wall.

At different times, the crew members had placed small white rectangles on the wall. There is a transparent tarp covering the bottom half of the wall.

The wall next to this one is almost completely covered in Spaceship Earth-inspired paneling. According to concept art, that is where the Mickey & Friends meet and greet will be located. CommuniCore Hall will also have a gallery space, demonstration kitchen, and mixology bar.

Several crew members were on top of the building this week, too. CommuniCore Hall was originally supposed to open in 2023 but construction was delayed.

World Nature Walkway

The walkway leading from the EPCOT entrance to The Seas Pavilion is now closed and work is underway on a new walkway from Spaceship Earth to World Nature. The temporary walkway opened in 2019 during World Celebration construction.

The new walkway will run past the Journey of Water station. There is the outline of a pathway leading up to the station, but that will likely be for Cast Members.

Fresh pavement has been poured to the left, on the other side of the white walls that create a corner. More concrete will fill in the dirt spaces between the two walkways.

Flex Space

Over by the Imagination! Pavilion, this flex space remains under construction. It has been closed off for years, but construction on the area only recently began, with new pavement creating a sidewalk running through the space. There are several lampposts with orb lights and railings.

Temporary wood fencing surrounds large holes in the ground past the paved area. The hole in the center of this photo is surrounded by a short concrete wall. There’s a digger parked behind it.

There are short pink walls outlining future pathways and planters. A dark railing cuts through the paved space, leading out of a short concrete column.

We don’t yet know exactly what is planned for this area, but it will likely support EPCOT’s various festivals.

Crews are also refurbishing the Canada Pavilion and U.K. Pavilion facades.

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

The post PHOTOS: Construction Walls Create Bottleneck on World Showcase Bridge in EPCOT appeared first on WDW News Today.

We’re barely into 2024 and Disney World has already changed in some major ways.

Disney World Annual Pass

The Disney Dining Plan is back, Country Bear Jamboree is getting a refurbishment, and Park Passes Reservations have gone away for most guests! And, while that’s a reason to celebrate for most, Annual Passholders have been left wondering when it’ll be their turn. So, that begs the question: Will Disney World ever truly get rid of park passes for Annual Passholders?

While we don’t claim to know the future (that’s something we typically leave to magic mirrors and crystal balls), we do have a few ideas about what might happen when it comes to the future of Park Pass Reservations for Annual Passholders (APs). But, we’re not the only ones who have thoughts — we turned to our readers on Facebook to get an idea of what they think, too, and here’s what they said.

Yes, Disney will get rid of park passes for Annual Passholders.

Real talk — Disney World never had park passes in the past (for APs or otherwise) so it would stand to reason that the parks could function just as they did once before. And, when you consider the fact that Disney has already done away with park passes for most other guests, well, why wouldn’t they also get rid of them for Annual Passholders?

Hollywood Studios

Disney has also stressed the importance of bringing flexibility back into the guest experience for parkgoers — acknowledging that they’ve heard guests saying they wish they could “plan with Disney Genie+ service and individual Lightning Lane selections before the day of their park visit” a la the old FastPass+ system.

Magic Kingdom

If flexibility is a goal, Disney might continue their efforts and offer that same flexibility to Passholders. Right now, APs still need to make reservations if they plan on visiting the parks before 2PM or Magic Kingdom on weekends — or if it’s a “Good To Go” Day. More on that in a bit.

Read More About the Changes Disney Has Announced for Genie+

No, Disney won’t get rid of park passes for Annual Passholders.

Look, there’s probably a very good reason Disney has decided to do things this way and we won’t pretend to know what’s behind their logic. Through blockout dates and park passes, Disney can control when Annual Passholders visit the parks — and how many of them can visit on any given day compared to regular, ticketed guests.

Pandora

Not only that, but we’ve heard Disney executives comment on park passes helping them to predict and control overall park capacity — something we know the company is quite fond of.

Spaceship Earth in EPCOT

Knowing where a parkgoer plans on spending their day is also a major factor when it comes to appropriate staffing of Cast Members. Park passes give Disney more information about crowds and where they may need to send more Cast Members on any given day. Disney let go quite a few Cast Members during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it doesn’t look like they’ve fully restaffed based on some offerings still not returning yet.

It all depends!

We warned you — we can’t see the future, so it all really just depends. Disney will likely test this current system out to see how it goes before making any changes — major or minor. We could also see Disney get rid of park passes for Annual Passholders for the most part, implementing them only during busy times like holidays and festivals.

Journey of Water

And then, there are the “Good To Go” Days. On these days, Passholders can enter any theme park with no reservation required. We’ve already seen some of these days pop up on the calendar, and Disney has even added more, indicating that this is something they plan on continuing — at least for a while.

Magic Kingdom

So, while we don’t actually know what the future holds for Annual Passholders and park passes, you can be sure that we’ll be keeping up with any major changes you need to know about.

Stay tuned to DFB for the latest news from Disney World and more!

Click here to see all the 2024 dates you don’t want to miss in Disney World!

Do you think Disney will get rid of Park Pass Reservations for Annual Passholders? Tell us in the comments.

The post Will Disney World Ever Truly Get Rid of Park Passes for Annual Passholders? first appeared on the disney food blog.

Hey, friends! We’re back with another DFB Video covering all the latest Disney news!

Country Bear Jamboree is CLOSED!

A Disney World opening day attraction is now closed forever in Magic Kingdom; something has been removed from a different beloved attraction also in Magic Kingdom, we’ve got brand new looks for Minnie and Mickey Mouse, and beignets are coming to Magic Kingdom soon, we found a new popcorn bucket and more.

All the latest Disney Parks news is coming up right now on DFB Guide.

By the way, have you subscribed yet? If you hit the button below, you can subscribe to the channel and never miss a single episode!

So check out the video and then let us know: Which Disney news of the week are you the most excited about?

The post DFB Video: Latest Disney News: Opening Day Attraction Now Closed, Beignets Coming to Magic Kingdom & More! first appeared on the disney food blog.

Yes, ANOTHER giant hotel will be built near Disney World!

©Click Orlando

There has been lots of construction going on in and around Disney World lately. This constant progress has seemed to have forced other major entertainment parks to continue to innovate to keep up with all the updates Disney seems to have their eye on lately. Universal Orlando has been making huge strides on their next main gate park, Epic Universe which is set to include two brand new celestial-themed hotels, and now another Orlando-based park is looking to make some BIG changes soon!

Disney World’s entertainment giant neighbor has taken steps to secure permits to build a brand new hotel. SeaWorld Orlando (which lies along the major highway 1-4 in between Disney World and Universal Orlando) has officially filed plans outlining the building of another hotel to host their park visitors.

SeaWorld

Plans for this new addition were submitted with Orange County just days ago according to Spectrum News 13 for what they’re calling, “Project Canopy.” The plans for this hotel outline building a new hotel for the company featuring 250 rooms near its Discovery Cove resort.

©Orange County

Upon further inspection, the plans show the hotel is planned to be located near the park’s entrance (just off Central Florida Parkway) on a section of SeaWorld Orlando’s property which already includes 50 acres and has a parking lot. The proposed plans for “Project Canopy” would include a restaurant, bar, pool, fitness center, retail space, and nearly 7,000 square feet of meeting space.

©Orange County

This isn’t a first of its kind though for SeaWorld Orlando. These latest plans were filed just a month after the company filed plans to build its 1st Orlando-based hotel according to Click Orlando. Under the codename “Project Starboard,” the initial plans for a SeaWorld Orlando hotel are said to include a massive 15-story, 504-room hotel with a rooftop terrace, restaurants, meeting space, and an elevated walkway connecting the hotel to the park.

While not much further about plans for either hotel in store for SeaWorld Orlando has been provided, SeaWorld’s CEO Marc Swanson said on an earnings call in November of 2023 that the company planned to open its first hotels in 2026.

©SeaWorld Orlando

As it stands now, SeaWorld Orlando is the only major theme park operator in Central Florida that doesn’t operate their own onsite hotels. This has left several to speculate if these latest plans to expand the SeaWorld Orlando footprint are to help the company compete against upcoming hotel projects with other major entertainment players such as the Universal Stella Nova and Universal Terra Luna hotels joining the Universal Orlando offerings with the opening of its next park, and Disney World’s latest Disney Vacation Club tower under construction at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

©SeaWorld Orlando

SeaWorld Orlando has also really taken to updating its ride and attractions offerings in recent years as well. Penguin Trek, the family-friendly launch coaster is expected to debut this spring at SeaWorld Orlando, following very shortly after the ambitious Pipeline: The Surf Coaster that debuted last May. The company’s sister water park, Aquatica Orlando, is also gearing up for some new attractions as well. Aquatica Orlando is currently wrapping up a new “immersive” water slide called Tassie’s Underwater Twist set to open this spring.

We’ll be keeping you updated on the progress of this giant hotel as it’s being built and finished. Be sure to stay tuned with us at Disney Food Blog for the latest updates on this and more around Orlando!

“Iger Is a Copy of Eisner” Is Disney’s CEO Just Repeating History?

Do you typically stay at a Disney World hotel or somewhere off property when you visit? Tell us where you prefer to stay in the comments below!

The post Another GIANT Hotel Is Being Built Near Disney World! first appeared on the disney food blog.

A sign teasing the new Country Bear Musical Jamboree version of the show has been installed outside the attraction.

New Country Bear Musical Jamboree Sign

The Country Bear Jamboree gave its last hurrah on January 26, 2024, at the Magic Kingdom. The entrance is roped off, and the new teaser sign is hung on the center posts.

The new Country Bears Musical Jamboree is set to debut this summer after the attraction undergoes a lengthy refurbishment and changes are made. The full extent of the changes is unknown at this time, but it will feature new and returning music.

The sign reads “Bear with us. We’re rehearsing a brand new show!” with “Grizzly Hall Est. 1898” above.

Other Changes

At first, the “__ Minutes Until Our Next Show” sign was still in place, but Cast Members altered it while we were there.

They turned the sign around to the blank side so as not to confuse guests who might have been looking for a showtime.

The pressed penny machine remains unchanged at this time. Guests are still able to get a penny featuring Liver Lips McGrowl, whose name will be changed to Romeo for the new iteration.

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

The post PHOTOS: Sign Teasing New Country Bear Musical Jamboree Installed appeared first on WDW News Today.