A new Walt Disney World ticket price increase announced, concept art for the world’s first Tangled ride at Disney Parks, and more Fantasy Springs news — all this and more in today’s daily recap for Tuesday, February 27, 2024.

Walt Disney World

EPCOT

• The new “Wish” topiary display has arrived for the 2024 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.
• Menus with prices have begun going up at EPCOT for the 2024 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

• Some of the former log-style Fort Wilderness cabins are now being sold on Facebook, now that the new DVC cabins are on the way.
• 1900 Park Fare will reopen at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa with Tiana’s Gumbo on the menu.
• Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort has added new items to its breakfast buffet menu, and we were there to check them out.

Other Walt Disney World News

• A ticket price increase has been announced for Walt Disney World Resort.

Tokyo Disney Resort

• New concept art has been revealed for the world’s first Tangled ride, coming this summer to Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea.
• We also got confirmation that Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure attraction will be a 3-D ride.
• The new Frozen ride in Fantasy Springs will retell the story of “Frozen,” and include a conflict with Hans.
• The full ride layout and scenes for the first-ever Tinker Bell ride at Disney Parks has been revealed, opening this summer at Fantasy Springs in Tokyo DisneySea.
• The full menus and interior photos have been revealed for the Arendelle Castle restaurant in Fantasy Springs.
• The interior of The Snuggly Duckling in Fantasy Springs and its menu have also been revealed.
• A Roast Beef popcorn flavor and a new Pixie Dust Soda will be coming soon to Tokyo DisneySea.
• Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse will debut new “Dreaming of Fantasy Springs” outfits at Tokyo DisneySea.
• A new exhibit dedicated to Fantasy Springs will open at Tokyo Disney Resort this June.

Disney Cruise Line

• The Haunted Mansion Parlor aboard the Disney Treasure will feature a bust of Disney Legend Rolly Crump.

Entertainment & Media

• Auli’i Cravalho will be returning as the voice of Moana in the recently announced sequel film.

WDW News Today

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

The post New Walt Disney World Ticket Price Increase & More: Daily Recap (2/27/24) appeared first on WDW News Today.

Auli’i Cravalho, the actress who voiced Moana in the 2016 film, is officially on board for the sequel, according to Deadline.

Voice of Moana Returning for Sequel

Deadline confirms that the actress is, “definitely” coming back to voice Moana for the sequel film. In a surprise announcement during the Q1 2024 earnings call in February, The Walt Disney Company CEO, Bob Iger, revealed that “Moana 2” was officially a go, explaining that the previously-announced “Moana” Disney+ series would be transitioned into a full-blown theatrical release. The film is set to hit theaters on November 27, 2024.

In her Instagram bio, Cravalho currently lists “Moana 2,” further confirming the actress will return. Hawaiian-born, Cravalho auditioned for “Moana” as an unknown actress. The film was her first project.

In May of last year, Cravalho announced that she would not star as Moana in the live-action adaptation of the film, explaining that, as an executive producer on the film, she wanted the live-changing opportunity to go to someone who could accurately represent the character. Read her full comment below:

When I was cast as Moana at 14, it wonderfully changed my life and started my career. In this live-action retelling, I will not be reprising the role. I believe it is absolutely vital that casting accurately represents the characters and stories we want to tell. So, as an executive producer on the film, I cannot wait to help find the next actress to portray Moana’s courageous spirit, undeniable wit, and emotional strength. I am truly honored to pass this baton to the next young woman of Pacific Island descent, to honor our incredible Pacific peoples, cultures, and communities that helped inspired her story. And I look forward to all the beautiful Pacific representation to come. Mahalo.

Auli’i Cravalho

Are you excited to hear the original voice of Moana return for the sequel? Let us know in the comments below.

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

The post Auli’i Cravalho Returning for ‘Moana 2’ appeared first on WDW News Today.

It’s been a little bit since we last heard of an update about the Disney Treasure ship, but this one’s quite exciting!

It wasn’t too long ago that Haunted Mansion fans went bananas over the news that the beloved attraction would be making a first-of-its-kind appearance at sea with a themed parlor and we even got a sneak peek at some of the unique merchandise you’ll be able to purchase onboard the ship. Now, Disney is revealing another cool hidden detail that you’ll be able to spot (and impress your friends with your extensive Disney knowledge)!

The latest update for the ship gives us another detail about the highly anticipated Haunted Mansion Parlor.

A familiar-looking sculpture is looking to make its way to join the happy haunts that are set to board the Disney Treasure ship. Walt Disney Imagineering at Disney World is hard at work preparing this melting bust for transport to the ship. If at first glance you seem to think to yourself, “Hey, I’ve seen that one before!” you very well may have… just not quite like this.

This mysterious bust is inspired by the Disney Legend Rolly Crump, who worked on the original Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland (and the news of this bust’s addition happens to have been released on his birthday)!

“Rolly” was actually a nickname given to him by Walt Disney himself during his early days with The Walt Disney Company, and he was an integral voice and creator of the original Haunted Mansion attraction. Now, 60 years after the attraction’s debut, the Haunted Mansion Parlor will become the next chapter of the Haunted Mansion saga for Disney Cruise Line voyagers to experience at sea. The entire atmosphere of the parlor will have Rolly’s unique brand of charm, and little bits of eccentricity, and aims to be a “proud continuation of his legacy, celebrating the weird and the fantastical.”

Part of Rolly’s earliest concepts for a “Museum of the Weird” inspired what we now know today as the Haunted Mansion. His original drawings and vision included a character affectionately known as the “Candle Man” who appeared to be melting like a candle. A small nod to this “Candle Man” can actually be spotted in Disney World’s Haunted Mansion ride in the attic scene (but you’ll have to look closely!).

It seemed fitting that the design for Rolly’s memorial bust would be inspired by his own creative genius, so the sculpture will appear dripping on the side of his face along with a memorial plaque that will read, “BROTHER ROLAND- FOREVER REVERED FOR EMBRACING THE WEIRD.” Be sure to look for Rolly’s bust as a cool easter egg to spot when you set sail on the Disney Treasure ship and enter the Haunted Mansion Parlor.

We think this is a very fitting nod to one of the original creative giants behind one of the most beloved attractions for Disney. Be sure to stay tuned with us at Disney Food Blog for even more cool Disney details!

4 Disney World Rides Will Be Closed for Refurbishment in March 2024

Will you be sailing on the Disney Treasure ship? Tell us in the comments below!

The post CONFIRMED: Disney’s NEW Haunted Mansion Lounge Will Honor a Former Imagineer first appeared on the disney food blog.

We spy with our little eyes, a booth hiding behind some construction walls!

While traversing EPCOT we had come across a mysterious booth behind construction walls near Journey Into Imagination with Figment in EPCOT. We were definitely curious, and we are happy to report we can officially confirm what is behind the walls!

Why is this booth here and what does it mean? Have no fear because this booth area is READY to open TOMORROW! This area was previously walled off and the walls have finally come down and we got a peek inside!

This reopened area will be home to the Florida Fresh booth. Here is a quick peek at the menu for the Flower & Garden Festival:

Food Items: 

• Grilled Warm Water Lobster Tail with Key lime butter (New) 
• Cubanito with mojo-marinated pork belly, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and stone ground mustard sauce (New) 
• Florida Strawberry Shortcake (Plant-based) (Garden Graze Food Stroll)

Beverages: 

• Cucumber-Watermelon Slushy (Non-alcoholic beverage)
• Cucumber-Watermelon Slushy with Gin

Read our Florida Fresh booth review from last year!

The area was stanchioned off today, so this was as close as we could get. However, we will be back tomorrow for the OPENING of the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival and get you REAL close! The booth is looking FRESH and ready to serve guests tomorrow!

We do have to break some bad news though, while this area is getting ready to open up, we spotted some more construction walls today blocking a pathway from World Nature to World Showcase. Here is a quick peek at the area we are talking about. The red X is the pathway that got some new construction walls around it:

Read more about these new construction walls here!

The EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival officially kicks off tomorrow, February 28th, 2024, and we will have ALL the coverage for you!

Stay tuned to DFB for all the festival news!

Read ALL About the 2024 Flower & Garden Festival!

Will you be trying the Florida Fresh Booth? Let us know in the comments!

The post CONFIRMED: Now We Know What Was Behind Those MYSTERIOUS EPCOT Construction Walls first appeared on the disney food blog.

Since we had breakfast at Chef Mickey’s last summer, Disney’s Contemporary Resort restaurant has updated its menu with new and modified items. We returned to the character buffet to check out the changes.

Chef Mickey’s Breakfast Buffet Menu

The Chef Mickey’s breakfast buffet is $54 per adult and $34 per child (ages 3-9), plus tax and gratuity.

Plant-Based Hash

Tofu scramble (right) is returning but a plant-based hash (left) has replaced the frittata. Ingredients for the hash were not listed but it appeared to include potatoes, kale, lettuce, and tomato. We may not be the audience for this dish, but it was weird. We didn’t like the hot lettuce and hot kale. We would have leaned more into potatoes. There’s nothing wrong with the individual ingredients, it’s that it’s like a hot salad.

Corned Beef Hash & Andouille, Peppers, and Onions

The carving station has been removed and the ham is now available in a tray. There is no longer beef brisket, but the corned beef hash remains. A completely new addition is andouille sausage with peppers and onions. Also available but not new are smoked bacon and pork sausage.

We tried the honey-glazed ham to see how it tastes now that it’s sitting in a tray instead of being freshly carved. We found it to be surprisingly good. It was tender, juicy, and moist.

The corned beef hash (right) includes potatoes and peppers. It’s just fine. It wasn’t too salty, which is a problem we’ve had with Chef Mickey’s before.

The new andouille sausage with peppers and onions is great. It’s oily and greasy but everything is cooked well. It’s all the right temperature and consistency. The peppers offer a good kick of spice.

Beignets

Croissant beignets are new to the menu; they are not labeled in person as being croissant-style, so might be a little confusing if you don’t know. Thankfully, they’re delicious. We think they’re now the best item at this buffet.

They’re soft, flaky, and buttery with the right amount of cinnamon sugar. The outside is crisp while the inside is doughy (without being too much so). It’s not overly sweet. There is strawberry sauce and blueberry sauce at this station, but we wouldn’t add anything to these, they’re perfect as-is.

Seasonal Pancakes

In addition to the “celebration pancakes,” there are new “seasonal pancakes.” Even though we were visiting Chef Mickey’s well past the new year, the seasonal pancakes were pumpkin-flavored, which seemed more like a fall flavor than winter.

The flavor wasn’t bad. There was just a hint of pumpkin, kind of like pumpkin bread. But the pancakes were doughy and undercooked.

Bananas Foster French Toast

There used to be French toast sticks and a bananas foster bread pudding dessert. Now, there’s bananas foster French toast — at least, according to the sign. The French toast and bananas in syrup are in separate dishes, so you don’t have to have them together if you don’t want.

The French toast is just right. It’s cooked well.

The sauce tastes like syrup and bananas — exactly what you would expect. This wasn’t as mind-blowing as the croissant beignets but it wasn’t bad.

Warm Sticky Cinnamon Rolls

Over at the dessert station, cinnamon rolls have replaced the bread pudding. These are great. They remind us of Cinnabon or a similar cinnamon roll you would have gotten at a mall in the 1980s.

They’re rich, dense, soft, and warm. The cinnamon sugar icing was still in a liquid state. One cinnamon roll and one croissant beignet could be a full meal.

Overall

Chef Mickey’s may not be the best character meal at Walt Disney World, but it’s a rite of passage that we always recommend doing at least once. You’re paying for the characters and setting, not the food.

That said, these changes make the breakfast slightly better and, in general, the food quality has improved. We applaud Chef Mickey’s for trying something new.

Regarding the characters, you meet Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Pluto. They come to each table briefly and also do a small celebration together. When we last visited Chef Mickey’s, they danced to “Biscuits in the Oven,” which we didn’t love. Now the characters perform to the music of the extinct “Move It! Shake It!” dance party from Magic Kingdom. We miss “Celebrate with Mickey Mouse” from pre-2020, but the current dance is an improvement from “Biscuits in the Oven.”

For more of our thoughts on Chef Mickey’s breakfast items, check last year’s breakfast review.

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

The post REVIEW: Chef Mickey’s Updated Breakfast Buffet Menu With Croissant Beignets, Andouille Sausage, and Plant-Based Hash appeared first on WDW News Today.