A new Haunted Mansion mini waffle maker is now available at Memento Mori in Magic Kingdom.

Haunted Mansion Gargoyle Mini Waffle Maker – $34.99

A brand new Haunted Mansion mini waffle maker is now available at Memento Mori. The waffle maker is purple and black and depicts the wallpaper found inside The Haunted Mansion.

While the waffle maker itself is pretty standard, the waffles it makes are anything but. Waffles will come out looking like one of the Haunted Mansion gargoyle candle holders. The detailed design features the gargoyle with two lit candles dripping wax. Above the gargoyle’s head is a bat.

The mini waffle maker is intended for household use only and should not be immersed in water.

The gargoyles are found in the stretching room of The Haunted Mansion, as they peer down at guests from all angles. Over the years, the gargoyles have made appearances on merchandise at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Earlier this year, the gargoyle was featured on numerous items of the full Haunted Mansion collection. Previously, a gargoyle statue was available at Disneyland Resort, and the gargoyle was featured in a collection of tiki mugs that were available for limited times at Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

What do you think of the new Haunted Mansion mini waffle maker? Let us know in the comments.

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The weather on my visit on August 23 was much more pleasant than the thunderstorms I encountered on August 22. I got off to an early start, arriving at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort before sunrise. I then took a boat to Magic Kingdom before heading over to Disney Springs to be one of the first to see the new “Nightmare Before Christmas” customizable headband plushes.

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Picture it! The Sun has barely risen and you opted out of the normal hustle and bustle of the Transportation and Ticket Center, or TTC for those savvy Disney readers, for a calm lowkey Polynesian Village Resort boat ride to the Magic Kingdom.

Pro tip! If you park in the TTC, you can walk to Polynesian and use that boat dock to get to Magic Kingdom. Walk through the resort and beyond the pool area towards the beach to find the dock. For anyone who has never been to Polynesian but has always wanted to go, this is a good way to see a lot of the resort.

There is also a walking path that you can take from Polynesian past Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and to Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately, that walking path is currently closed due to the construction of the DVC Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows. The walkway from the Grand Floridian to Magic Kingdom is still open.

Magic Kingdom

Gold Sequin Loungefly Backpack – $98.00

When I got to Magic Kingdom, my first stop was Emporium where I found this gold sequined Loungefly backpack. The backpack, of course, has Minnie’s signature bow in gold, and ears on either side. In the gold sequins, you may notice a familiar pattern, as darker gold Mickey heads are found all around the front and sides of the backpack. The back of the backpack is not sequined but is made of a pleather gold that reminds me of the gold on the Thanos Ears.

Main Street Confectionary

I stopped in the Main Street Confectionary to see that they had already set up stanchions for August 23rd’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. The treats are always tempting. My favorite is the freeze-dried Skittles. Sometimes they are even good as a topper for Dole Whip.

Princess Symbols Hat – $29.99

I spotted this black and pink princess hat in Main Street Cinema. It’s very low-key as the princess symbols can only be spotted in certain light.

Rebbecca Hook Mickey Bracelet – $175.00

I spotted this Rebecca Hook bracelet in Uptown Jewelers on Main Street, U.S.A. I love how simple this piece is while still allowing guests to show their fandom.

“Aladdin and Jasmine” Swarovski Figure featuring Abu and Carpet – $45,000

I spotted a new addition to the limited edition Swarovski figures we’ve been seeing out of Crystal Arts by Arribas Brothers on Main Street, U.S.A. According to the figure’s certificate of authenticity, it took 355 hours and 57,703 crystals to create the figure. The figure available on Friday was number four out of 200.

The Plaza Restaurant Refurbishment

Over at The Plaza Restaurant, refurbishment progress continues to be made. A railing has been installed on the second floor. Even for all the progress made, the walls and scrim remain on the rest of the facade.

Sonny Eclipse

Even if I’m just passing through and not eating in Cosmic Rays Starlight Cafe, I always stop and see Sonny Eclipse. Sonny was kicking his little feet and singing his heart out to an audience of one on Friday morning. It was nice, but also a little eerie being there alone.

Concrete Work

Strictly covering heavy news here, I am happy to report that concrete work is being done on the retaining wall on the pathway that typically holds the queue for meet and greets with Mirabel. The line forms on the opposite side so there is no issue there.

Adventureland Thematic Pathways

Earlier this week I wrote an article on the Adventureland path becoming a more thematic walkway. Since that article was published, I noticed that not only has the area with new theming been expanded but prep work is also being done to extend the path even further. I like this change over that basic gray concrete we’ve had. Do you like the change? Let me know in the comments.

Resort Monorail

I took the resort monorail back to the TTC after my brief morning in Magic Kingdom. The escalators at Contemporary Resort were still closed to guests, but there are alternative exits available for guests who want to get off at the resort.

Disney Springs

Once I made it to Disney Springs I knew exactly where I needed to be: Disney Ever After. Yesterday, Disney Ever After teased that they would be releasing new “create your own headband” characters from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” I was one of the first in line which was both convenient and inconvenient as I got destroyed by the blazing sun. As soon as they opened the door, I was stoked to see what they had inside.

Create Your Own Headband featuring “Nightmare Before Christmas” Characters

THREE! We got Jack Skellington, Sally, and Zero! As a firm believer that dogs are the best thing to ever happen in this world, I was very excited to see that he was one of the three additions today. The headband alone is $9.99 and the characters are $11.99 each. Are you a fan of the new create your own headbands? I think the aliens are still my favorite characters to add to the headband.

That’s it for today! I’ll end it how I started and pose a simple question: Can you name a better way to start an early day than with a sunrise on a boat to Magic Kingdom? If you can think of a more perfect start to a morning, please let me know in the comments below.

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The very popular “Tarzan” 25th anniversary Loungefly backpack is now available at Uptown Jewelers in Magic Kingdom.

‘Tarzan’ 25th Anniversary Loungefly Backpack – $88

On a recent visit to Magic Kingdom, we were finally able to get our hands on the “Tarzan” 25th anniversary Loungefly backpack. When we found all the other items in the collection, the Loungefly backpack was sold out.

The front of the backpack features a pleather patch of Tarzan sliding down a moss-covered tree branch. Behind him are the blue and greens of the jungle, as moss grows on vines and tree branches.

A brown metal tag with the “Disney Parks” and “Loungefly” wordmarks is beneath Tarzan.

While the backpack doesn’t have the standard small front pocket found on many Loungefly backpacks, it does have two zipper pockets. The main zipper pocket is surrounded by beige and brown pleather.

One side pocket depicts Terk smiling while she holds onto a crooked branch. The gorilla and the branch she holds onto are textured and stick out from the jungle background that takes up the rest of the pocket.

The other side pocket features Tantor the elephant bashfully looking up at the sky with with his feet crossed in front of him. Tantor is also textured and sticks out from the green and blue jungle background behind him.

The back of the backpack is brown. Tarzan is etched into the bottom left side. He stands on a green moss-covered branch while holding a vine in one hand for support. In his other hand, he holds a long spear.

The backpack straps are beige and adjustable.

“Tarzan” was released on June 18, 1999. To celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary, this Loungefly backpack and the rest of the “Tarzan” 25th anniversary collection became available at Disneyland on August 8 to coincide with D23 Day.

What do you think of the “Tarzan” 25th-anniversary Louungefly backpack? Let us know in the comments.

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EPCOT will be closing early to regular guests on Tuesday, October 22. This closure is likely for a private event.

EPCOT Closing Early

Upon checking the Walt Disney World park calendars, we noticed that EPCOT is closing early on Tuesday, October 22. As usual, the park will open for guests with Early Entry at 8:30 a.m. and to all other guests at 9 a.m. However, the park will close at 5 p.m. rather than the standard 9 p.m. Guests will not be able to park hop to EPCOT after that. Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios will all observe normal park hours on October 22.

While we don’t know the exact reason for the closure, it is likely due to a park buyout. Park buyouts are not unusual for corporate events. On June 5, 2024, Disney’s Hollywood Studios closed early for the SAP Sapphire & ASUG Annual Conference Orlando. In the past, Disney has closed Magic Kingdom early for Cast Member celebrations.

This early closure occurs during the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival. The festival runs from August 29 through November 23, 2024. At this time, no other early closures for EPCOT are scheduled during that span. The full menus for the annual festival have been released. Be sure to check out the the lineup for the 2024 Eat to the Beat Concert Series.

Will this early closure affect your trip to Walt Disney World? Let us know in the comments.

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An Italian restaurant is replacing Planet Hollywood at Disney Village, we have a full list of new Halloween Horror Nights 33 merchandise, and the Dr. Doofenshmirtz meet and greet was revealed for Oogie Boogie Bash — all this and more in today’s daily recap for Saturday, August 24, 2024.

Walt Disney World

Magic Kingdom

• Tickets are sold out for three more dates of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom.

EPCOT

• CommuniCore Hall is temporarily closed as Disney gets ready for the 2024 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival.
• The Imagination! Pavilion’s original 1982 music loop is no longer playing in the pavilion’s restrooms at EPCOT.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

• Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs finally opened at Disney’s BoardWalk and we reviewed all the new corn dogs.

New Merchandise

• A new “Coco” merchandise collection is coming to Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World for Day of the Dead.
• Guests can now make custom “The Nightmare Before Christmas” plush character headbands at Disney Springs.
• A medium-sized version of the light-up Mickey jack-o’-lantern previously released is now available on DisneyStore.com.
• The new Scarlet Witch Color Story Collection is coming to Disney Store next week.

Disneyland Resort

• Disney revealed the Dr. Doofenshmirtz meet-and-greet character that will appear at Oogie Boogie Bash.
• We got our first look at Mickey and Friends’ new Halloween costumes.
• We later met the characters in their new costumes.
• Celebrate Halloween at Disneyland Park with the Mickey and Friends Halloween Cavalcade.
• “Mickey’s Trick and Treat” show is performed daily this season at Disney California Adventure.
• For those seeking a classically spooky souvenir, the 2024 Halloween popcorn bucket and travel tumbler have arrived at Disneyland Resort.

• Among the new Halloween souvenirs is a “glow cube” resembling the “poison” used to turn Kuzco into a llama (it probably won’t turn you into a llama).
• Another glow cube is inspired by the Evil Queen’s poison apple.
• A new Mickey jack-o’-lantern sipper is available for Halloween.
• The Halloween Mickey popcorn bucket is now available at Disneyland Resort.
• There’s also a Mickey pumpkin glow cube.
• And a “The Nightmare Before Christmas” Zero light-up straw clip.
• Decorate your drinks with the ghost Mickey bottle topper.
• A Halloween travel tumbler and popcorn bucket are also available.

• A fight broke out during the 10:30 p.m. showing of “Fantasmic!” on August 22, 2024.
• Characters from Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” are now available as small plushes to add to custom headbands at Disneyland Resort.
• We caught a full video of “Halloween Screams” as it returns for another Halloween season at Disneyland Park.
• A new version of “Fire of the Rising Moons” is now being presented in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park.
• Hades is appearing in his own treat trail meet-and-greet during Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure for the first time. 
• Disneyland Resort revealed on Instagram that Agatha Harkness will appear in a new outfit from “Agatha All Along” at Oogie Boogie Bash this year.
• Magic Key holders attending the sold-out Oogie Boogie Bash at Disney California Adventure can pick up an exclusive Hades patch, plus enjoy a special photo backdrop.
• Magic Key holders can pick up an exclusive Disney Villains stainless steel tumbler at Disney California Adventure during Halloween Time 2024.
• We tried the new Taro Bread Pudding at Aunt Cass Café. This dessert is available from August 23 through November 14.

Tokyo Disney Resort

• On Friday, Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull will close for one year starting in 2025. The closure was then removed from the website on Saturday.

Disneyland Paris

• Over a year and a half after Planet Hollywood in Disney Village permanently closed, construction permits have revealed that an Italian restaurant will take over the space.

Hong Kong Disneyland

• Disney Magical Kingdom Blog shared on X that Hong Kong Disneyland now has collectible figurines of their park trash cans.

Entertainment and Media

• Donald Duck was a special guest on “Hot Ones,” discussing his career while eating progressively spicier (cauliflower) wings.
• Walt Disney Animation Studios is producing “Frozen III” and “Frozen IV” at the same time.

The Walt Disney Company

• Disney has been fined $36,000 for the death of a lighting technician on the set of Marvel’s “Wonder Man.”

Universal Studios

• The full collection of Halloween Horror Nights 33 merchandise includes “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” “A Quiet Place,” “Insidious: The Further,” “Enter the Blumhouse,” Major Sweets, and Lil’ Boo collections.
• Universal Orlando has a new Minion drink carrier.
• Universal Studios Hollywood announced Universal Fan Fest, a new event celebrating all things sci-fi, fantasy, gaming, and anime.
• Jack-o’-lanterns have taken over Swizzle Lounge at Universal Cabana Bay Resort.
• Crew members are putting the final touches on scare zones, the Tribute Store, and more at Universal Studios Florida.
• Universal shared a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Dead Exposure: Death Valley, an original house at Halloween Horror Nights 2024 in Universal Studios Hollywood.
• Pokémon are taking over Studio Stars Restaurant at Universal Studios Japan for another Halloween season.

WDW News Today

Bob Iger Obsessed with Finding Replacement CEO, DAS Drama at Disney Parks

Mickey and Friends Halloween Cavalcade 2024 at Disneyland

FULL SHOW: Mickey’s Trick and Treat at Disney California Adventure – Halloween Time 2024

REVIEW: Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs Finally Opens at Disney World

Halloween Screams Fireworks – Disneyland Halloween Time 2024

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

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As invited media, Disney provided WDWNT with a gift card for food and beverages, so some of the following coverage was hosted. As always, WDWNT will still provide our honest thoughts on all below.

New to the Halloween food offerings at Disney California Adventure this year is Taro Bread Pudding at Aunt Cass Café. This dessert is available from August 23 through November 14.

Aunt Cass Café is located in San Fransokyo Square and offers mobile ordering.

Vampire Mickey Bread, advertised as being at Mortimer’s Market, is also at Aunt Cass Café.

Taro Bread Pudding – $7.49

Warm taro and white chocolate bread pudding with whipped cream and boba pearls served with a coconut-vanilla sauce

The taro base is covered in a sweet but not overly sweet glaze. It’s topped with sprinkles, whipped cream, and boba. The differences between this and a standard bread pudding are subtle. If you didn’t know what was in this, and the purple hue didn’t give it away, you wouldn’t immediately realize there was any difference at all.

The texture is great and it’s highly shareable. You can easily satisfy two people for only $7.49.

Rating out of 7: 5

Vampire Mickey Bread – $12.49

The Vampire Mickey Bread is delicious sourdough. It has a light crispy crust and a soft interior. It’s a bit expensive but bigger than our heads, so you can snack on it around the park and at home. If you like bread, Mickey, or hilarious pictures of a loaf bigger than your head, grab this immediately. You will not regret it.

Rating out of 7: 7

Have you tried either of these items? Let us know what you think about them in the comments.

For more Disneyland Resort news and info, follow Disneyland News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news worldwide, visit WDWNT.

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Disney Magical Kingdom Blog shared on X that Hong Kong Disneyland now has collectible figurines of their park trash cans.

Hong Kong Disneyland Trash Can Figurines

The figurines are available in mystery blind boxes. The set includes six mini trash cans inspired by the real-life cans of Fantasyland, Main Street, U.S.A., Tomorrowland, “it’s a small world,” Toy Story Land, and World of Frozen – Arendelle Village. The Fantasyland trash can has the same design as Hong Kong Disneyland’s version of PUSH the talking trash can.

In the past, overseas parks have created various park-themed merchandise featuring the iconic trash cans. Now, it’s Hong Kong Disneyland’s turn! A set of six mini park trash can figurines includes the magical trash can “#PUSH” (in the “#Fantasyland” design),… pic.twitter.com/F3GJlLVZ9Y

— Disney Magical Kingdom Blog (@DMK_Blog) August 24, 2024

One blind box is HK$69 (about US$8.85).

Similar trash can figurines and related merchandise have been released at other Disney Parks, including at Tokyo Disney Resort and Walt Disney World.

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

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