You can experience part of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure from the comfort of your own home!

We’re less than a month away from the highly anticipated grand opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure – – and just days away from previews beginning – – and now Disney has released an essential part of the attraction for everyone to enjoy. 

On May 30th, Disney released “Special Spice,” the brand new song from Tiana’s Bayou Adventure on streaming services. 

The new track was written by PJ Morton, who also produced the song with Brandon N. Caddell, and features vocals from The Princess and the Frog’s Tiana actress Anika Noni Rose. Rose also returned to voice Tiana’s dialogue throughout the attraction. 

The track is an exuberant celebration life, featuring lyrics like:

“It’s a joyful celebration!
You don’t need an invitation.
It’s joyful; this band just can’t be beat
because your special spice makes us—
because your unique spark makes us—
because your special spice makes us complete.
Because your special spice makes life complete.”

In speaking about the song on a episode of Disney’s Youtube series We Call It Imagineering, Moore spoke of how excited he was to pen a song for a Disney attraction while riding Tiana’s Bayou Adventure for the first time. “Just as a kid, I’ve always been inspired by the big songs of Disney. For me and my sister, it started with Little Mermaid, singing those songs. So it’s just always been a part of our lives. I always feel like they were so well written, you know timeless. So as a young songwriter I always said I wanted to write timeless things. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would happen this way. You know an attraction is just such a different thing, a physical thing that lives.”

He went on to talk about “Special Spice itself, saying of the song,“We knew we wanted a celebration, we knew we wanted something that would welcome people in… Honor what’s been there, but you also have to introduce something new and fresh to it. You have to get lyrics that speak to everyone and speak the right way, so it was a fun process for me as a songwriter.”

Rose said of the song, “It’s a free, happy, bouncy song to take you on this journey.”

“Special Spice” follows on the long and proud Disney tradition of new original songs debuting with new attractions, and seemed poised to become a staple of the parks for years to come. Stay tuned to DFB for more coverage of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. 

NEW Behind-the-Scenes Look at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Disney World!

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What do you think of “Special Spice”? Let us know in the comments below. 

The post You Have to Hear the NEW Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Song Disney Just Released first appeared on the disney food blog.

When you’ve got about 40 restaurants to choose from at Magic Kingdom, what do you do?

You’ve got quick service, table service, and a whole bunch of food carts. The FOMO can get pretty real. But what happens if you want a snack, and not just any snack — a snack under $10? Well, do not worry because we’ve got your back! We’ve literally eaten every snack there is on the property so that we would be able to give you a list of how they all rank. Let’s go!

As we said, if there’s a snack that’s less than $10 on the menu at a location in Magic Kingdom, we’ve had it. So, let’s waste not a single second and rank all of them from best to worst!

Cheeseburger Spring Rolls

You’ll find these at the Spring Roll Cart which is near the entrance of Adventureland (on the Cinderella Castle side).

The Cheeseburger Spring Rolls are meaty and cheesy and taste like a fast food cheeseburger that’s surrounded by a golden, crispy shell instead of a bun. They are by far our favorite snack in Magic Kingdom. We rank them a 10/10.

Kids Meals

We’re listing the kids’ meals at the Magic Kingdom so highly because they will give you a decent amount of food for under $10 — including a main entree, a snack, and a drink.

You’ll find these all over the park, but the ones we’re highlighting are the ones found at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn (The Chicken Rice Bowk), Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe (Kids Chicken Strips), and Columbia Harbour House (Shrimp Skewers or Grilled Salmon). We rank them all of these a 10/10.

Fresh Fruit Waffle Sandwich

You’ll find these at Sleepy Hollow Refreshments.

This sandwich is a classic Belgian waffle topped with a slather of rich, chocolatey-hazelnut spread (ie: Nutella) and then smothered with fresh strawberries, blueberries, and banana. Is your mouth watering yet (because ours sure is!)? We rank these a 9.5/10.

All-American Sundae

You’ll find these at Plaza Ice Cream Parlor.

The All-American Sundae is an $8 treat made with Old-fashioned Vanilla and Chocolate Ice Cream, then topped off with Hot Fudge, Peanut Butter Drizzle, Whipped Cream, and a Cherry. (You CAN’T forget the cherry!)  We rank them a 9/10.

Hushpuppies

You’ll find these little beauties at Columbia Harbour House.

We’re including them so high on our list because they’re just $5. Also, they’re so SATISFYING. These puppies are nice and crispy on the outside, and thick and doughy on the inside. These deep-fried golden cornmeal balls are complete with whole corn pieces inside, which add just a hint of sweetness to this otherwise savory snack. We rank them an 8.5/10.

Warm Cinnamon Roll

You’ll find these at Gaston’s Tavern.

The saying is true that no one serves up breakfast like Gaston. These cinnamon rolls are huge, easy to split, and covered in a thick and creamy maple-flavored icing, and at just $7, they’re hard to beat. We rank them an 8.5/10.

Peanut Butter Cookie Pie

You’ll find these at Main Street Confectionery.

This huge, soft, thick peanut butter cookie is topped with chocolate frosting and sprinkled with a handful of Peanut Butter M&Ms. There’s also a bunch of peanut butter chips baked throughout the cookie base, which adds some nice texture and even MORE peanut butter flavor! We rank them an 8/10.

Rapunzel Sundae

You’ll find this one at Storybook Treats.

The Rapunzel Sundae at Storybook Treats is a Shortcake topped with DOLE Whip Lemon, Wild Berry Soft-serve, Berry Compote, and colorful Sugar Flowers. We rank it an 8/10.

Dole Whip Pineapple Upside Down Cake

You’ll find this one at Aloha Isle.

This one is arguably the best way to enjoy a dole whip at Magic Kingdom. It comes topped with your choice of Dole Whip pineapple, vanilla soft serve, or a swirl of the two. But no matter which topping you pick, it’ll always cost you about $7. We rank it an 8/10.

Tropical Serenade

You’ll find this one also at Aloha Isle.

The Tropical Serenade is made with a generous serving of Coconut soft serve swirled into a cup filled with POG juice (Pineapple, Orange, and Guava). It’s also topped off with an upside-down Pineapple Cake Pop, tucked right into the soft serve. We rank it an 8/10.

Citrus Swirl

It’s actually called the “Orange Cream Soft-serve Cup” on the menu (it used to be called the Citrus Swirl) and you can find it at Sunshine Tree Terrace.

This frozen dessert is made of Dole Whip Orange, swirled together with vanilla ice cream (Think of a dreamsicle in a cup). It’s been a long go-to snack of ours whenever we’re looking for something cool, refreshing, tart, sweet, creamy, and fruity — since the Citrus Swirl has it all for just a little over $5. We rank it an 8/10.

The Grey Stuff Cupcake

You’ll find these over at Gaston’s Tavern.

It’s a chocolate cupcake topped with “the grey stuff” (cookies and cream-like frosting) and then sprinkled with little crispy pearls. The chocolate cake is really moist, and the crispy pearls give it a nice layer of “crunch.” We rank it a 7.5/10.

Caramel Apple Pecan Hand Pie

You’ll find this over at Friar’s Nook.

If you’re looking for a savory option for less than $10, look no further. The Caramel Apple-Pecan Hand Pie is a fried, empanada-like dessert pastry filled with caramel apple-pecan and drizzled with vanilla custard sauce — all for around $6. It’s light and flaky, and the apples are very tender. It’s also a very sugary treat (FYI). We rank it a 7.5/10.

Candied Bacon Skewer

You’ll find this over at Westward Ho.

Basically, everything you need to know about this one is right in the name. It’s bacon on a stick. It’s also served with a side of potato chips for about $10. We rank it a 7/10.

Cheshire Cat Tail

You’ll find this over at Cheshire Cafe.

For those looking for a sweet pastry that’s only about $6, this will be your treat. It is a tail-shaped twisted pastry, filled with chocolate chips and topped with squiggles of pink and purple icing — to look just like the Cheshire Cat’s hind-quarters accessory, straight from Alice in Wonderland. This pastry is gooey, chocolatey, and flaky with just the right amount of sweetness. We rank it a 6.5/10.

Sticky Bubble Bread

You’ll find this one at The Lunching Pad.

The Sticky Bubble Bread is a Sweet Bread rolled in Cinnamon, Caramel, and Warm Spices for about $6.
This bread is moist, it has strong spiced flavors without being too overly sweet. It’s also very easy to pull apart which makes it easy to share, too. FYI: You can only get it until 10:30 AM, so you have to hurry. We rank it a 6.5/10.

Tomato Basil Soup

You’ll find this one at Pinocchio Village Haus.

The tomato basil soup here costs about $4 and is savory, buttery, creamy, and tomato-y, too! (Also, how many great snacks can you find for less than $5?) We rank it a 6.5/10.

Frozen Mint Julep Lemonade

You’ll find this one at Casey’s Corner.

The Frozen Mint Julep Lemonade at Casey’s Corner is a blended mint julep with lemonade, fresh mint leaves, a cherry, and an extra slice of lemon on top. It’s an extremely refreshing drink for around $7. We rank it a 6.5/10.

Cream Cheese Warm Stuffed Pretzel

You’ll find this one at The Lunching Pad.

 

This unsalted pretzel is lightly dusted with breadcrumbs and filled with a ribbon of super-soft cream cheese. (Not cream cheese icing — actual cream cheese like you’d layer on a bagel.) The sweetness of this pretzel is just enough to satisfy a sugar craving without being too sugary. We rank it a 6.5/10.

Cold Brew Float

You’ll find this one at Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies.

Auntie Gravity’s in Tomorrowland may just have the best cold brew in all of Magic Kingdom, and the Cold Brew Float is about $7 and is made with your choice of ice cream (either chocolate, vanilla, or caramel) and Joffrey’s specialty cold brew blend. We rank it a 6.5/10.

I Lava You Float

You’ll find this one at Sunshine Tree Terrace.

The I Lava You Float from Sunshine Tree Terrace in Adventureland is a sweet orange Dole Whip mixed with strawberry Fanta, passion fruit syrup, and popping candies for a little over $7. It’s a unique Dole Whip that think everyone can get behind, but it can get a little too sweet (just FYI). We rank it a 6/10.

Chili Cheese Fries

You’ll find these at Casey’s Corner.

For around $6.50, you can get an order of chili cheese fries, topped with Walt’s Chili and shredded cheese. The fries are thin, crispy, and usually have a good amount of salt on them. Also, Walt’s Chili is a classic Disney staple, and it pairs really well with the salty/crispiness of the fries. We rank them a 6/10.

Sausage and Gravy Tots

You’ll find these over at Friar’s Nook.

The Sausage and Gravy Tots at The Friar’s Nook are crispy tater tots with salty, hot gravy poured over the top — all for around $6. If you’re a fan of the Breakfast Totchos you’ll find at Woody’s Lunch Box in Hollywood Studios, these are the closest you’ll find at Magic Kingdom. We rank them a 6/10.

Desert Pear Lemonade Pirate Slushy

You’ll find these over at Tortuga Tavern.

The Desert Pear Lemonade Pirate Slushy from Tortuga Tavern in Adventureland reminds us of the violet lemonade at the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival (albeit, with no flower accent on top and a much bigger portion for around $6.50). This slushy is tart and sweet and is a large portion size, so you might wanna split it with someone. We rank it a 5.5/10.

Lemonade and Sweet Tea Slushy

You’ll find these over at Golden Oak Outpost.

If you’re an Arnold Palmer fan, this is the slushy for you. It’s refreshing, slightly tart, and manages to keep the sweetness toned down without losing any of that brewed-up flavor. We rank it a 5.5/10.

Baseball Brownie

You’ll find these at Casey’s Corner.

We know this one is a pre-made Disney World brownie, but don’t sleep on it because it’s actually pretty satisfying! It’s on the fudgy side rather than being fluffy like a cake and the baseball icing is just plain old adorable. We rank it a 5/10.

Joffrey’s Doughnuts

You’ll find these all over the parks, but let’s focus on the kiosk in Tomorrowland.

The main draw with these doughnuts at Joffrey’s is that they are HUGE (think as big as your face huge) and they cost around $6. Overall, they’re a great treat to share, just don’t expect these doughnuts to be unique like what you might find at Everglazed Doughnuts in Disney Springs. We rank them a 5/10.

We’ve literally eaten EVERYWHERE across Disney World! Be sure to check out a few of our favorite reviews below and stay tuned with us at Disney Food Blog for even more!

REVIEW: Where to Find a GREAT Snack Hack (Away From the Crowds!) in Magic Kingdom

Where do you go for snacks under $10 when you’re at Magic Kingdom? Tell us all about it in the comments below!

The post Ranking the BEST Magic Kingdom Snacks Under first appeared on the disney food blog.

It’s baaaaack.

What’s back, you may ask? One of the most POPULAR Disney merchandise collections we’ve seen in a LONG time. You better hurry, though, because it’s already starting to sell out on the Disney Store website. Let’s get a move on!

 

The POPULAR Mickey Mouse ”Peace, Love, Mickey” Pullover Sweatshirt is BACK!

Remember the “Peace, Love, Mickey” collection? This collection was SUPER popular in the parks in 2023, but we haven’t seen any of the apparel in a LONG time. But now, it’s BACK on the Disney Store website. Check it out ASAP — it’s selling quickly.

View on Disney Store

The Mickey Mouse Peace Sign Pullover Sweatshirt is here, too!

This was one of the most popular items in the collection — this sweatshirt went VIRAL online. Some sizes are already sold out, but keep checking back to see if Disney restocks your size! Based on its popularity, we have a feeling Disney is going to have a hard time keeping this in stock.

View on Disney Store

We LOVE this Mickey Mouse Peace Sign Sweatshirt!

Here’s another returning item from the viral collection! This one has that classic Mickey peace sign embroidered on the chest, plus a preppy collar. The nice, neutral color palette lends itself to any outfit — the possibilities are endless!

View on Disney Store

Finally, make sure to get the Minnie Mouse Fashion Pullover Sweatshirt before it’s gone!

Looking for a simple, subtle piece of Disney merchandise? This simple pullover is just what you need! We love the embroidered elements on the sleeve and collar — it’s just the right amount of detail for a simple, classic look.

View on Disney Store

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

Did you know we have a Disney-themed Amazon Storefront? Check it out!

The post Disney’s VIRAL Mickey Sweatshirt Collection Is BACK Online — but It’s Selling FAST! first appeared on the disney food blog.

Okay, it’s SO exciting leading up to the opening of a new ride in Disney World.

We’ve been obsessing about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure way back when Disney first announced that the new ride would replace Splash Mountain. We’ve loved seeing all the details come together while we followed along with the construction of the ride in Magic Kingdom. We lost our MINDS seeing some of the animatronics for the ride (and they are SO impressive). We recently even heard a new song from the ride with even MORE of a sneak peek. Now, though, we’ve seen another KEY detail of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: it’s what the Cast Members will be wearing!

Okay, so this isn’t the VERY first look we’ve seen of the outfits because we’ve seen Cast Members in their outfits riding Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. But that didn’t give us a very good look at the new outfits. Now, we’ve seen the outfits IN FULL. We love how cute they are. The new costumes have pretty patterned shirts with a fun little tie, along with berets (the beret is totally giving us Naveen vibes).

Paired with brown pants, these Cast Members look like they just stepped right out of the bayou. A huge thank you to Cast Members Becky and Jilly for modeling the new outfits for us. Don’t they look AMAZING?

It’s a good thing we don’t have long to wait for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to open. Early previews start in June for Cast Members, DVC members, D23 Gold members, and Disney World Annual Passholders. The ride opens to the public on June 28th — we can’t wait to make a splash in the bayou!

The ride will pick up after the events of The Princess and the Frog. Tiana now has a successful business, Tiana’s Foods, and she’s throwing a HUGE party for the people of New Orleans. But she’s missing a key ingredient for something she needs for the party, so we’ll have to hop into a log and take an adventure down the bayou to find it for her.

We’ll be meeting some new characters along the way, like some fun musician critters, as well as some frogs and a quiet, mischievous armadillo. Of course, some familiar characters, like Louie and Mama Odie will be putting in an appearance. We’ve also seen an animatronic for Tiana’s BFF, Charlotte “Lottie” La Bouff.

One thing’s for certain. We’ll be checking out Tiana’s Bayou Adventure as soon as we can, so you’ll be getting ALL the juicy details. We’ll also be there on opening day in Magic Kingdom reporting live, so stay tuned to DFB for more!

Did Disney World CHANGE the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Ride Vehicles?

Will you be heading to Disney World this summer to ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure? Let us know in the comments!

The post FIRST LOOK At Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Cast Member Outfits! first appeared on the disney food blog.

Southwest Airlines is a little different than some of its other major competitors. For one thing, Southwest is one of the few major airlines to offer free checked bags. Additionally, there is no assigned seating on Southwest flights. Naturally, this means some people try extra hard to be among the first to board the plane. Early bird gets the worm — et, seat — right?

Well, Southwest has some special “Upgraded Boarding” features to help people board the plane early. But before you jump at the opportunity, let’s take a look at those prices to see if it makes sense for you.

Southwest Airlines offers Upgraded Boarding, which gives you the ability to upgrade your boarding position to A1–A15 24 hours before your flight, depending on availability. If you’re in one of those A1–A15 boarding positions, you will be among the first to board the aircraft, pick your preferred available seat, and access the overhead bin space. As you may know, the longer you wait to board, the fewer seats (and overhead space for bags) available.

Now, Upgraded Boarding prices start at $30 per segment of your flight, per person, “based on the popularity and length of each flight segment.” Additionally, you must use a credit card to purchase Upgraded Boarding.

OK, so $30 per person isn’t so bad, right?  But here’s the catch. Take a look at the chart on the Southwest Airlines website. That fee can go as high as $149 per flight segment per person.

If you’re interested, Upgraded Boarding is available to buy 24 hours before your flight’s scheduled departure time. Upgraded Boarding sales end 30 minutes before departure, so make sure to check your boarding position carefully before you make your decision. Note that Upgraded Boarding purchases are nonrefundable.

There’s another way to help secure a better boarding position, though. You can also purchase Early Bird Check-In, which costs $15–$99 one way per flight segment, per customer. Similar to the Upgraded Boarding option, Southwest’s EarlyBird Check-In option gives you the ability to automatically check-in before the traditional 24-hour check-in, depending on availability. This also gives you the benefit of an earlier boarding position, a better opportunity to select your preferred available seat, and earlier access to overhead bin storage for your carry-on luggage.

It’s up to you to decide if these prices are worth the peace of mind of boarding early. We’ll admit, those prices can get pretty high — especially if you’re traveling with a large group.  In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest travel news, so stay tuned for more.

4 Charts To Explain Disney World’s Freakish Price Increases

Have you ever paid for any of these upgrades? Let us know in the comments!

The post Southwest Airlines Has Its Own “FastPass” Upgrade — for a HEFTY Fee first appeared on the disney food blog.