FIRST LOOK Inside DreamWorks Land at Universal Studios Florida

Universal Orlando Resort and USA Today shared a first look inside DreamWorks Land, which opens next month at Universal Studios Florida.

DreamWorks Land

A person wearing a blue construction helmet and a blue safety vest stands on a construction site with green structures and trees in the background.

The video is hosted by Universal Creative Director Dean. One of the venues he shows off is Shrek’s Swamp Meet, where guests will meet Shrek, Princess Fiona, and Donkey outside of his cottage.

A vibrant woodland scene with a small house built into a hill, surrounded by tall trees and lush greenery. Soft sunlight filters through the trees, casting shadows on the ground.

This backdrop of Shrek’s cottage appears to be inside the former DreamWorks Destination and “A Day in the Park With Barney” theater.

A line of colorful frog statues faces a larger frog statue adorned with a crown and scepter, surrounded by greenery and a rocky foreground.

There will also be a playground — Shrek’s Swamp. These frog figures seem to be located in the playground.

A construction worker in a blue safety vest and hard hat stands near a wooden structure with a figure in a hat peering out from the top. Various signs are visible, including “Ring” and “Hat Shack.”.

One of the playground’s interactive elements is Pinocchio’s Fact Shack. Pinocchio the puppet is in a small shack elevated off the ground.

A wooden puppet in a yellow hat peeks out of a window in a rustic treehouse with a wooden roof and ropes. The treehouse is elevated and part of a larger wooden structure.

Guests can ring a wooden doorbell on the ground and Pinocchio will tell them a fact.

A construction worker wearing a hard hat and blue safety vest stands beside a wooden structure, holding onto a rope and pressing a button. Multiple directional signs are visible in the background.

The accuracy of the facts varies.

Man wearing a blue safety vest and helmet stands in front of a rustic wooden structure with a circular opening.

Shrek’s outhouse is the entrance to a green slide with a “Surprise.”

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A green playground tube slide with a wooden sign at the top that reads, "STAY CLEAR OF SLIDE BEFORE ENTERING." Trees and blurred structures are visible in the background.
Two colorful troll characters with vibrant hair, one red and one blue, are standing on a vibrant, flower-themed structure surrounded by a decorative fence and trees.

A “Trolls” statue features Poppy and Branch. This appears to be in the courtyard outside the theater.

Two colorful troll dolls with exaggerated hair and wide smiles stand joyfully atop a pink surface in an outdoor setting with trees and structures in the background.
A yellow food truck sign reads "Trolls Treats" against a background of trees and a cloudy sky.

Trolls Treats is a snack kiosk.

A man wearing a blue construction vest and hard hat stands in front of a large, yellow, boombox-themed building at a construction site.

It resembles a giant yellow boombox.

A person wearing a hard hat and reflective vest stands in front of a theme park ride under construction, with plants and a path visible in the foreground.

Guests will board the caterpillar Caterbus on the Trolls Trollercoaster and travel with Poppy, Tiny, and the twins Satin and Chenille in an attempt to escape spooky spiders.

uor usf dreamworks land preview 12.43.36%E2%80%AFPM
A large mechanical spider-like creature with a purple head and green legs sits atop an oversized orange pumpkin, part of an amusement park ride with green and yellow support structures in the background.
A construction worker wearing a blue hard hat and safety vest stands outdoors near a large gong, surrounded by construction materials.

Dean also shared a brief look at a large gong inside Panda Village, where guests will interact with Po from “Kung Fu Panda” in “Po Live!”

A person wearing a blue hard hat, a blue safety vest, and a name badge stands in front of a colorful outdoor mural with clouds. The individual appears to be speaking or gesturing with both hands.

There’s a giant mural featuring clouds formed into the shapes of different DreamWorks characters.

A mural depicts cloud formations resembling two cheerful animated characters, one a donkey and the other a green ogre, against a blue sky with scattered clouds.

DreamWorks Land opens on June 14, 2024.

For more Universal Studios news from around the world, follow Universal Parks News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news, visit WDWNT.

The post FIRST LOOK Inside DreamWorks Land at Universal Studios Florida appeared first on WDW News Today.

Marvel Comics is Celebrating 50 Years of Iron Fist With Special Anniversary Issue Available in August

Iron Fist has reached its 50th milestone, and Marvel Comics is celebrating with a special anniversary one-shot. On August 14, IRON FIST 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1 will be hitting the stands. What’s Happening: Marvel Comics proudly marks Iron Fist’s milestone 50th anniversary year with a special oversized one-shot! Hitting stands in August, IRON FIST 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL […]

The post Marvel Comics is Celebrating 50 Years of Iron Fist With Special Anniversary Issue Available in August appeared first on LaughingPlace.com.

Citizen, RSVLTS, and Loungefly “X-Men” Merchandise Comes to Disney Store’s Disney+ Early Access

X-Men ’97 has wrapped up its first season on Disney+ and fans have been enjoying the return to classic animation and the 90s era version of Marvel’s mutants. Disney Store is celebrating the finale with an assortment of X-Men and X-Men ‘97 items available exclusively to Disney+ subscribers as part of Disney+ Early Access. (Please note this article contains affiliate […]

The post Citizen, RSVLTS, and Loungefly “X-Men” Merchandise Comes to Disney Store’s Disney+ Early Access appeared first on LaughingPlace.com.

New Figment Bus Wrap Debuts at Walt Disney World

A new Figment bus wrap has debuted with a new bus at Walt Disney World Resort. The bus is among 90 new vehicles replacing older buses in the Walt Disney World fleet.

Figment Bus

A Figment bus with a the dragon's face on the side parked at a Magic Kingdom bus stop. The bus's destination sign reads "Pop Century."

Another Figment bus wrap traversed Walt Disney World Resort in 2019. This new one features a design matching the 2019 sensational six bus wraps and the new Chip ‘n’ Dale bus.

A purple and pink bus with a cartoon character design is parked at a station. The destination sign reads "Pop Century.

Figment’s face is pictured on each side of the bus. His mouth is open wide with a smile.

A bus with a vibrant cartoon dragon character painted on its side, featuring bright eyes, a playful tongue sticking out, and surrounded by shades of purple, yellow, and orange.

Figment is set against purple, pink, white, and yellow stripes of varying sizes.

A purple and yellow Disney Transport bus is parked at a station under a large canopy on a cloudy day. The bus displays "POP CENTURY" as its destination.

The Figment bus was driving the route for Disney’s Pop Century Resort on Wednesday.

A city bus painted with a large cartoon character on its side is parked at a bus terminal with a covered waiting area and metal roofing in the background.

Other new bus wraps are inspired by “Zootopia,” Orange Bird, and “Ratatouille.”

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

The post New Figment Bus Wrap Debuts at Walt Disney World appeared first on WDW News Today.

Disney and Make-a-Wish Australia Come Together to Make a Dream Come True for a 16-Year-Old Star Wars Fan

Disney Parks Blog shared a story where Disney and Make-a-Wish Australia came together for a 16 year old lifelong Star Wars fan. What’s Happening: 16 year old Alex is from Australia and has been a lifelong Star Wars fan, he dreamed of creating his very own lightsaber after seeing clips of Savi’s Workshop online. Disney and Make-a-Wish […]

The post Disney and Make-a-Wish Australia Come Together to Make a Dream Come True for a 16-Year-Old Star Wars Fan appeared first on LaughingPlace.com.

If You Just Read ONE Thing Before Your Disney World Trip, It Should Be THIS

Here at DFB, we have eaten EVERYWHERE at Disney World, and one of our favorite things to do is to share all of the knowledge we gained by eating at every restaurant with you!

Check out our snack guides!

We have created a line-up of snack guides that are a combination of our years and years of experience at Disney World, with gorgeous color photos and detailed taste notes of snacks at all four Disney World Parks. Check them all out here!

These snack guides have been freshly updated and include all the new snacks you can find at Disney World, plus each and every snack that has been around for a bit. We spend hours and hours taste tasting, researching, and writing these guides so you will have the most up-to-date and accurate information for your Disney World trip.

We have a snacks guide for every park!

In addition to detailed taste notes for every snack, the guide also includes our recommendations for the best snacks in the park. We want to make sure you are eating the best food and drinks you can find in the parks, and that is why we spend so much time perfecting these guides. While you can grab the snack guides for each of the parks on their own (there’s one for Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom), you can also save even more by purchasing one of our bundles!

Grab our Guides & Snacks Bundle for 36% off!

Guide & Snacks Bundle

You can grab this Guides and Snacks bundle that not only includes our snack guides for every Disney World park but also our three-part digital book that has everything you need to plan your Disney World vacation. The planning guide includes all the basics for planning a trip plus lots of planning sheets, printables, top lists, and more so you will have the PERFECT Disney World trip.

Get this bundle here!

Grab our Snacks Bundle for 30% off!

Snacks Bundle

Or, if you are really just feeling in a snacky mood, you can save by bundling all of our snack guides together. This Snacks Bundle includes our snacks guide for all four Disney World parks, featuring detailed taste notes, mouth-watering pictures, and recommendations for the best snacks. 

Get this bundle here!

We also have guides to ALL the festivals, as well as the Disney Dining Plan. You can even bundle ALL of our guides together and save 55% with the Everything Bundle. We do have a warning though; we don’t recommend reading these guides on an empty stomach! They may just be pictures, but you will probably find yourself needing your own snack.

Stay tuned to DFB for all your Disney food news!

Find even more at our DFB Store including shirts, sweatshirts, and accessories!

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!

What is your favorite snack at Disney World? Let us know in the comments!

The post If You Just Read ONE Thing Before Your Disney World Trip, It Should Be THIS first appeared on the disney food blog.

“Everything Else Is Ruined”: Why I Will Only Stay at a Non-Disney World Hotel from Now On

Have you ever gone on vacation only to have your entire world flipped upside down?

©Evermore Orlando Resort

We recently stayed at Evermore Resort, a massive new 1 BILLION dollar luxury resort near Disney World in Orlando and it’s safe to say it BLEW OUR MINDS! We were so impressed that it had us wondering — can we ever stay on-property at Disney World again?

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Evermore Resort features 5-bedroom locations to 11-bedroom vacation rental homes. Each home includes a heated saltwater pool, a kitchen, and full access to Evermore’s amenities — including 2/3 miles of beachfront, a bay filled with 17 million gallons of water, and so much more.

Gorgeous, full of fun amenities and surprising features, Evermore won us over EASILY. Let’s dive into what makes this resort so special!

© Evermore Orlando

Let’s start with our MANY pros of staying at Evermore.

We stayed at the Conrad Orlando — the main hotel on the Evermore property. We’re not kidding when we say it changed our lives. This place is UNREAL.

One major standout is the immaculate service. From the moment we arrived at check-in, we don’t think we touched a single door handle. The valet was amazing — opening the doors for us and greeting us with warm welcomes. They even gave us kind “welcome back” greetings once they recognized us as hotel guests.

We didn’t even carry our own luggage up to the room! The staff was so on it that there was even someone responsible for bringing ice to our rooms if we needed it! Talk about luxurious treatment.

© Conrad Orlando

Sticking with service, the staff was extremely nice and willing to help, even when we weren’t in our hotel room. Staff members assisted us in carrying beach and pool equipment and even set everything up on the chairs we had chosen. We truly felt like celebrities during our stay!

Our favorite service feature was the turndown service. Housekeeping did the usual turn-down service during the day, but they would also come back during the evening to prepare your room for bedtime. 

We’re not kidding — this was amazing. The lights were set to “relax” mode, the bed had the comforter pulled down slightly, making it easy to get into, water was put on our bedside tables, a little stepping towel was placed on the side of the bed to keep your feet warm, the T.V. was playing soft, relaxing music, the C.O. robe was hanging in the restroom, and we had ACTUAL GOURMET CHOCOLATES on our pillows.

WOW.

Evermore Orlando Resort

Don’t even get us started on the VIEWS…

When you walk through the Conrad Orlando’s main doors you’re met with an incredible view of the Evermore Resort Lagoon. It was akin to teleporting to the Bahamas.

Our hotel room balcony also gave us great views of the lagoon as well as prime viewing of BOTH EPCOT fireworks and Happily Ever After in Magic Kingdom! The visuals were insanely clear, even though we weren’t staying in Disney World.

Happily Ever After

Speaking of the room, we stayed in the 2-queen bed Lagoon View room, and it’s safe to say it took our breath away.

The room featured a welcome note, two bottles of water, and a gift Conrad Orlando water bottle waiting for us. As we previously mentioned, the room comes equipped with different lighting such as “day” or “relax” settings, and everything in the room is so fancy that we unpacked our clothes and hung things up in the closet and dresser. We not only felt at home — we felt we were being taken care of.

© Conrad Orlando

When it comes to resort activities, there was so much to do!

We spent our rest days by the pool, listening to live music and trying free-drink refresher samples. Each room is given a one-hour kayak and paddleboard rental each day (which is included in the daily resort fee). There’s also the private beach for Conrad Orlando guests, which blows the private beaches at Disney World hotels out of the water.

There are also PLENTY of activities for the kids at the resort if adults are seeking time away. The Kids Club has you covered on that front, although you need to reserve a spot ahead of time.

We were able to walk the entire Evermore property even though we were staying at Conrad Orlando and got to see the rental houses and flats.

Evermore Lagoon

As far as food goes, there are restaurants and a food court on property. You can order things directly to your room or to your poolside area.

Evermore

Alright, so enough gushing over the resort. What are the cons?

Well…there aren’t many.

The big one is the small costs that add up. Valet is the only option for parking at the Conrad Orlando, and it’ll cost you $50 a day. You also can’t jet off anywhere — it took time to leave. An important note: if you don’t want to bring your car but want to be able to get to Disney World, there is a shuttle service that will take you to the parks.

Evermore transportation

Another downside is the service. I know, I know, we just spent a ton of time complimenting the service. However, we have to point out that the service is so frequent and consistent that it’s hard not to feel inclined to tip them at every turn. Our gratuity expenses added up quickly.

Our final complaint was that there was no fridge in our room. There was a mini-bar and snack cooler that could be charged to the room, but there was nothing to cool our personal items. Not being able to save things or have leftovers ultimately leads to more spending.

©Evermore Orlando Resort

Overall, it’s safe to say we would LOVE to stay here again and again. The quiet evenings, fantastic amenities, and luxurious lodging make for an amazing vacation that created a Disney World trip for the ages!

Do you plan on staying at the Conrad Orlando or Evermore Resort? Let us know, and be sure to follow us for the latest Disney World news, tips, reviews, and more!

NEWS: A Billion-Dollar Resort Near Disney World Hints at HUGE Expansion

Have you stayed at this property yet? Share your review in the comments below!

The post “Everything Else Is Ruined”: Why I Will Only Stay at a Non-Disney World Hotel from Now On first appeared on the disney food blog.