Just ahead of the two-episode premiere of Doctor Who tonight on Disney+, two new clips have been shared from the second episode, “The Devil’s Chord,” featuring Jinkx Monsoon as the wickedly villainous Maestro. What’s Happening: In the first newly released clip, we’re introduced to the story’s wonderful villain, Maestro, who describes themself as being music itself. […]
The American Heritage Gallery at the American Adventure Pavilion in EPCOT will close this month to move out the current exhibit of Native American art and move in the exhibit of paintings by President George W. Bush.
American Adventure Gallery
Entrance to The American Heritage Gallery
According to the calendar on The American Heritage Gallery page of the Walt Disney World website, the gallery will be closed beginning on Tuesday, May 28.
The current exhibit, “Creating Tradition: Innovation and Change in American Indian Art,” opened in July 2018. It displays “authentic, historical Native artifacts alongside contemporary works of American Indian art — demonstrating examples of cultural traditions which have been handed down through generations.”
The collection was made in collaboration with the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (MIAC) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) in Washington, D.C.
Portraits of Courage by President George W. Bush
President George W. Bush working on his painting collection
“Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors” is an exhibit of over 60 oil paintings by President Bush. The paintings depict service members and veterans who have served in military uniform since 9/11. Each piece is accompanied by the story of the subject, written by President Bush. The exhibit initially debuted in 2017 at the George W. Bush Presidential Center on the SMU campus in Dallas, Texas.
Disney announced “Portraits of Courage” would have its grand opening on Sunday, June 9, although the American Heritage Gallery page lists operating hours on Friday, June 7.
Despite its title, ABC’s Not Dead Yet is… well, you get it. The network has canceled the comedy series after two seasons, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Not Dead Yet reportedly drew the smallest audience of ABC’s three half-hour comedies this season, bringing in an average of roughly 3.2 million viewers in Nielsen’s seven-day ratings. From […]
On Wednesday night, Disney Branded Television hosted the U.S. premiere event for Doctor Who at NeueHouse Hollywood in Los Angeles. I had the absolute pleasure and honor of attending, where I had the chance to speak with some of the stars and creatives from the show, as well as a few other attendees. A bus featuring […]
We’re going on a treasure hunt — who’s coming? We can’t promise we’ll find any gold coins or precious stones, but maybe the real treasure is the friends we make along the way, right? Oh, and by “treasure hunt,” we’re talking about a deep-dive into the BEST part of Disney Cruise Line’s new ship, the Disney Treasure.
The new Disney Treasure cruise ship has a special connection to Disney World. Say WHAT?! Yep, onboard the Disney Treasure, you will find all kinds of nods to Disney World theme park classics. Want a list of some of our FAVORITE theme park crossovers? Let’s go!
Disney announced that Skipper Society will debut on the Disney Treasure as the very first Jungle Cruise-themed bar and lounge on a cruise ship. It will be located just off the grand hall aboard the ship, so make sure to pop in during your cruise.
Disney hasn’t revealed a full menu for this spot yet (in fact, last we heard, Disney said that the culinary team is working on developing a menu), but we’re expecting some punny drinks inspired by our favorite Jungle Skippers.
As you can see from the concept art, it looks like this place is going to be PACKED with special details. Who knows — there may even be some nods to the secret Society of Explorers and Adventurers.
Three words: Haunted. Mansion. Bar. YES! Disney shared, “Foolish mortals will sip spirited craft cocktails among 999 happy haunts for the first time” at this one-of-a-kind experience. You had us at “spirited craft cocktails.”
Remember how we said that the Jungle Cruise lounge would be packed with detail? Well, we have a feeling that this Haunted Mansion bar will be equally detailed. We already know a bit about the story behind this new location, too! Disney shared that the story is focused on a “jovial captain who entered the ghostly realm after a disastrous dinner with his beloved fiancé.” Oooh, now that is mysterious!
There will even be special MUSIC at this lounge! Listen carefully for a custom music piece inspired by the original attraction score. Disney has a specially arranged and adapted song for this location, made by composer Shruti Kumar. Excited yet? We sure are!
Time to jump ship (get it) and head to EPCOT! If you’re planning to cruise in style, you can book a stay in the Tomorrow Tower Suite, which is inspired by EPCOT. This suite is GORGEOUS and modern. Take a look at the concept art below! According to Disney, the suite is meant to “capture the same forward-thinking mindset” that inspired EPCOT, namely the World Discovery neighborhood (home to Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Test Track, and Mission: SPACE).
Oh, and for even MORE EPCOT detail, we learned that there will be hidden Figment characters throughout the Tomorrow Tower Suite! It’s like a hidden Mickey but with a little EPCOT flair. FUN!
Get ready for a throwback! The new Periscope Pub is set to become Disney Cruise Line’s first venue inspired by the adventure of Disney’s 1954 film, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. If you’re an old-school Disney fan, you may know that there was also a Disney Parks attraction that was open at Walt Disney World from 1971 to 1994. Here, we’re expecting a submarine-style interior with “19th-century steampunk influences.” OK, Disney, that sounds pretty darn cool.
Disney is seriously upping its game in the pub and lounge department, eh? There will even be a “mysterious window into the depths of the uncharted oceans,” so keep your eyes out for Captain Nemo’s fabled nemesis, the giant squid.
Wow, wow, and WOW. There are so many unique elements coming to the Disney Treasure, and we can’t WAIT to learn more. In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more.
One of Disney World’s (arguably) BEST waterslides is temporarily closing.
The Dig Site
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort features some pretty nice pools, in our opinion. However, Disney just announced that one of the hotel’s most iconic features is about to close for a temporary refurbishment.
Disney describes the Coronado Springs Dig Site as “a sprawling pool complex with a Mayan ruins theme.” Here, you can enjoy the Lost City of Cibola pool, with a 50-foot pyramid centerpiece. A 123-foot-long waterslide, complete with a spitting Jaguar spirit animal, is one of the main attractions in this area.
Time for Some Fun in the Sun!
That waterslide is one of the most POPULAR pool slides on property thanks to its theming — sliding alongside a giant pyramid is REALLY cool — but Disney just announced it is closing for a temporary refurbishment.
The slide
According to Disney, “The Dig Site Pool waterslide will be closed for refurbishment from May 13th through May 19th, and will reopen on May 20th, 2024.” The Dig Site Pool, hot tub, and smaller pool will remain open, though.
Disney’s announcement
While the temporary closure of the Dig Site slide is relatively short — especially compared to some of the other refurbishments going on at Walt Disney World hotels — it’s still something to keep in mind and plan for if you’re visiting Coronado Springs next week. Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney refurbishment news.
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!
Have you used the Coronado Springs waterslide recently? Let us know in the comments below.
The good news is that you can always buy Disney merchandise online, either at The Disney Store, Amazon, or even Target. But did you know that Aldi has been carrying Disney merchandise recently? Well, it has, and even MORE Disney merchandise is on the way soon.
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.
Have you been wanting try out Amazon Prime? Here’s your chance to get a free trial!
Here are the new Disney items you’ll be able to pick up at Aldi next week!
If you’re looking for some fun Disney drinkware, you’ll find some princess-themed tumblers plus some fun Stitch tumblers. You can get for for under $6!
Shield your kid’s eyes from the sun this summer with fun character hats or baseball caps, including designs with Mickey, Minnie, the Avengers, Ariel, Stitch, Spider-Man, Asha, and Grogu.
For even more fun in the sun, grab some inexpensive swimsuits for your kids with some of their favorite characters, including Ariel, Mickey, Minnie, and Spider-Man.
Need a fun backpack? Grab one with your favorite Disney character on it, including The Avengers, Disney Princesses, Spider-Man, Stitch, and Mickey and Minnie.
Looking to grab some Disney merchandise online? Well, you can get a Kid’s bucket hat with Disney characters like Minnie, Disney Princesses, and Anna and Elsa.
Now’s a great time to order a kid’s bathing suit, and these styles are available for Infants to Little Kids. Choose from four styles, all starring the always fashionable Minnie Mouse. These swimsuits are also UPF 50+.
You can also get a similar backpack to the one at Aldi. This Mickey and Friends drawstring backpack features the fab five: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Pluto.
You can also find water shoes for kids online. These have Mickey on them and are perfect for Toddler sizes up to Little Kids. They even have a bungee closure so they don’t fall off.
Tokyo DisneySea is opening up a very exciting new land called Fantasy Springs on June 6th, and we’re getting a sneak peek at everything you can experience in this new area. It has three sections themed to Peter Pan, Tangled, and Frozen, and you know what that means — merchandise galore!!
Park Merchandise
We spotted some really nice general Fantasy Springs merchandise. That includes this graphic tee…
Fantasy Springs tee
…some beautiful glassware…
Fantasy Springs glassware
… and even some scrapbooking material.
Fantasy Springs scrapbook material
There are also some beautiful pieces for the Fantasy Springs Hotel, including pillows…
Fantasy Springs Hotel pillow
…and this drawstring bag featuring BEAUTIFUL artwork.
Fantasy Springs Hotel drawstring bag
Beyond the general land and hotel merchandise, there’s also specific merchandise for each of Fantasy Springs’ mini-lands: the Tangled-based Rapunzel’s Forest, Peter Pan’s Never Land, and Frozen Kingdom.
Rapunzel’s Forest
The Rapunzel’s Forest merchandise follows the general aesthetic one would expect based on the film and its characters! There’s a set of Rapunzel-themed Mickey ears that match the princess’s color scheme.
Fantasy Springs Rapunzel ears
Perhaps our favorite piece of Tangled-based merchandise is this adorable replica of one of the film’s lanterns, which also serves as the main inspiration for the Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival attraction.
Fantasy Springs Tangled lantern.
Speaking of the ride, Fantasy Springs follows in the Tokyo Disney Resort’s longstanding — and FOMO-inducing for U.S. fans — tradition of producing toy models of attraction ride vehicles.
Fantasy Springs Tangled Ride vehicles
Isn’t it adorable? We want a whole collection!
Peter Pan’s Never Land Merchandise
Given the enduring popularity of both Peter Pan and Tinker Bell and the fact that the Never Land portion of Fantasy Springs is the first fully realized land based solely on these characters in Disney history, it should come as no surprise that there’s a plethora of Peter Pan merchandise, beginning with these really nice t-shirt designs. We’re particularly in love with the Nana design!
Fantasy Springs Peter Pan tees
Not to be outdone, there’s also a Tinker Bell tee featuring wings on the back.
Fantasy Springs Tinker Bell Wings Tee
If you want to go full-Tink, there’s also a corresponding pair of Tinker Bell ears.
Fantasy Springs Tinker Bell ears
If you’re looking for headwear that’s slightly more practical, Fantasy Springs has a whole line of caps based on those worn by the Lost Kids (as they’re called in official Tokyo Disney Resort parlance).
Fantasy Springs lost kids hat
We’re particularly fond of the ones that include tails!
The bunny tail!
If you’re looking for something with a bit more of a retro Pan vibe, there’s this drawstring backpack…
Fantasy Springs pan bag
…and clutch, each of which features artwork closely inspired by the film.
Fantasy Springs clutch
Like Rapunzel’s Lantern Festival, both of the Peter Pan-themed ride vehicles, including Peter Pan’s Never Land Adventure…
Fantasy Springs Peter Pan ride vehicle
…and the Tinker Bell-themed Bust Buggies are available in toy form.
First up, we have some adorable Anna and Elsa-themed Mickey ears.
Fantasy Springs frozen ears
There are also adorable Anna and Elsa plushes…
Fantasy Springs Anna and Elsa plush.
… and the requisite model of the ride vehicle.
Fantasy Springs frozen ride vehicle
At this time, the only way to purchase this merchandise is to visit the park itself, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated if that changes. Stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Tokyo DisneySea news!
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’s your favorite piece of merchandise? Tell us in the comments!
Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. Today, we were invited by Tokyo Disney to attend their media preview of Fantasy Springs Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ
We’ve all got that one ride that we can’t wait to get on when we visit Disney World!
TRON Lightcycle / Run
And with over 25 attractions to choose from, it can feel like there isn’t enough time to do them all. But today, let’s focus on one ride in particular. Let’s talk about TRON Lightcycle / Run in Magic Kingdom and why, for some reason, all of us Disney Adults can stop asking for a specific row when we get on it!
We reached out to our followers on Facebook to ask: “Which row do you request when you ride TRON Lightcycle / Run?” We had quite a few people leave their opinions in the comments!
What do you think?
Now, let’s dive into the responses!
The Front (Row 1)
As the case is with every thrill ride, there are a lot of people who only come alive when there’s nothing between them and the front of the coaster but the wind that rips through their hair. So, yes. Some people always request row 1 of TRON Lightcycle / Run. (Roughly half of you responded this way.)
Let’s have a look at your responses:
“1..always 1!!!”
“Front row… takeoff is intense!!”
“There’s nothing like front row, at night – completely different experience”
“The front! Absolutely, unquestionably front. You are ‘all alone’, except for the slow poke beside you trying to keep up, you are cruising through all by yourself. It’s all bout you. You are the invincible master of the universe. ‘Well, that’s the way it is for programs, yes’”
TRON Lightcycle / Run
We completely agree with you. Here are a couple of those reasons:
It’s so cool to see everything first before it happens
It’s more believable that you’re actually riding a Lightcycle
The Adaptive Seating Row
With what feels like the other side of the coin, there are also a lot of people who choose only to ride in the adaptive seating row of TRON Lightcycle / Run. (Basically, the other half of you responded this way.)
Most of the seats on this roller coaster are motorcycle seats. You straddle the seat, lean forward and hold on to handle bars, and the restraints lock over your back and the back of your calves. This can be uncomfortable for some people for a variety of reasons. So, some of the TRON vehicles have a bench seat in the back. And apparently, a lot of you prefer it!
Let’s have a look at your responses:
“Prefer the back seat over the bike, lot more comfortable”
“Seated row end of the night… it’s all to yourself and it’s amazing!”
“The last seat. I have motion sickness but really wanted to get on it. It was sooo worth it”
“The car with seats. It is awesome that those with medical issues that stop them from riding the cycles can still go on the ride. It was awesome!”
TRON Lightcycle / Run Test Seats
As you can see, the reasons for choosing the back (Row 7) are as nuanced as can be imagined.
Here are a couple of those reasons:
Overall comfort (or rather discomfort with the motorcycle-style seating)
Struggling with motion sickness
Need an alternative seating arrangement due to medical issues
Generally just love the feel from the last row
Adaptive seating row
How To Request a Certain Row
Now, if you do want to request a certain row on TRON, you can. To do that, just speak to a Cast Member when you reach the boarding area. If you do decide to request a row for a ride, understand that it could make your wait longer — the Cast Member may ask you to step to the side to wait for a new vehicle. This could be especially true if you’re requesting the adaptive seating in the back — because not every ride vehicle has them.
Those were just some of your thoughts on why Disney Adults keep asking for Row 7 on TRON Lightcycle / Run in Magic Kingdom, and we’d love to find out more from you! Until then, keep it right here for all the latest Disney news!
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 row do you always ask for when riding TRON Lightcycle / Run in Magic Kingdom? Let us know in the comments below!
— Halloween Horror Nights (@HorrorNightsORL) May 10, 2024
In the video embedded above, a woman says she followed “those sounds” and is now “below” Universal Orlando Resort. Wind and scream-like sounds can be heard in the background. “If I saw what I think I saw,” she says before someone shouting cuts her off. She adds, “Then no one’s safe! And it’s too late!”
On their Instagram story, Halloween Horror Nights Orlando also shared a picture of a Polaroid photo. The door in the photo is the same industrial door with a “Do Not Enter” sign that they shared images of on Thursday. The video suggests this door leads underneath Universal where some kind of monster is hiding.
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.
Oh, and by “treasure hunt,” we’re talking about a deep-dive into the BEST part of 
