Category: Disney Parks

Celebrate Mother’s Day at Disney Parks
If you’re looking for a special place to celebrate Mother’s Day with your mom this year then give her a little Disney magic with a special sweet or even a delicious brunch! Here are some sweet treats you can find at Walt Disney World Resort, as well as special Mother’s Day brunches at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.

If you’re at Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort, there’s a beautiful Mother’s Day Dessert at Sunshine Seasons with raspberry mousse and lemon cake and topped with a delicate Swiss buttercream rose and fondant pearls, available on Mother’s Day only. Or if you’re looking for a cupcake, look no further than Fountain View. May 11-13, you’ll find a vanilla Mother’s Day Cupcake with raspberry white chocolate mousse and pink icing.

At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, there’s a vanilla Mother’s Day Cupcake at Creature Comforts and Isle of Java that’s filled with white chocolate raspberry mousse and topped with buttercream flowers.

Send Mom a special message with a Mother’s Day Chocolate Letter from Amorette’s Patisserie at Disney Springs. Topped with chocolate-covered strawberries and mini-macarons, this offering can be personalized with a short message written in icing and is the perfect delicious gift! You can also find a Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Petit Cake featuring Mrs. Potts from “Beauty and the Beast.” And nearby at The Ganachery, you’ll find a Mom Pop with dark chocolate-covered raspberry ganache.

At Disney’s All-Star Music and All-Star Movies Resorts, Intermission Food Court and World Premiere Food Court will be offering a Tropical Éclair on Mother’s Day only. This éclair is filled with mango and pineapple tropical cream and chocolate ganache and is topped with fondant rose buds.

May 11-12, there will be a Mother’s Day Cookie Flower Pot Activity Kit available for purchase at World Premier Food Court at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, Landscape of Flavors at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, and The Artist’s Palette at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. This kit will include a flower pot filled with chocolate cake, chocolate ganache, and cookie crumbles, customizable flower cookies, and jelly candy worms. There will also be a special Mother’s Day Activity at each of the locations listed above where families can come together and decorate their flower pots with a pastry chef. See below for activity dates and times!
- Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, World Premier Food Court – May 11-12, 2-4 p.m.
- Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Landscape of Flavors – May 11-12, 1:00-1:30 p.m.
  (Activity kits will also be sold on May 10)
- Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, The Artist’s Palette – May 11-12, 1-2 p.m.
At Disneyland Resort, River Belle Terrace in Disneyland Park will offer a 3-course special to the menu. The first course is a Strawberry Pistachio Salad, and for the main course, Pan-Seared Scallops with grilled corn succotash and squash puree. And for dessert? A sweet Blueberry-Lemonade Shortcake.

Mother’s Day Dining Experiences

In addition to the delicious offerings throughout the parks, there’s also a few special Mother’s Day Brunches and Dining Experiences at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts, all offered on Mother’s Day only.

Make your Mother’s Day POP! with a Mother’s Day Brunch buffet served 10am-2pm at Everything POP Shopping and Dining at Disney’s Pop Century Resort. Starters include fresh fruit, cereal, assorted pastries and muffins, and bagels with cured salmon, diced red onion, cream cheese, and capers. For the main event, you’ll enjoy options such as Made-to-Order Omelets, Buttermilk Pancakes with strawberry compote, Carved Ham with orange blossom honey, Carved Roast Turkey with traditional stuffing and cranberry relish, Bacon Vinaigrette Potatoes, House-Made Corn Bread and more. And for a decadent dessert, you can try the Peach Cobbler, Strawberry Shortcake, or other assorted mini-desserts.

Enjoy a “contemporary” Mother’s Day Brunch at Disney’s Contemporary Resort! The Wave… of American Flavors will be offering a special brunch buffet 7:30am-2pm. Start your meal off with options like a Harvest Salad, Asian Noodle Salad, Israeli Couscous Salad with grilled vegetables tossed in lemon vinaigrette, fresh fruit, Smoked Salmon with traditional accompaniments, Citrus-Poached Shrimp, assorted pastries, and cheese and charcuterie. Entrees from the kitchen include dishes such as Eggs Benedict, Sweet Potato Pancakes, Herb Roasted Chicken, Egg White Frittata. Kids can also enjoy Mickey Waffles, Chocolate Chip Pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage, and even Crispy Chicken Tenders with fries.

Sail on over the Disney’s Yacht Club Resort for a Mother’s Day Brunch that’s full of flavor. From 7:30am to 2pm at Ale & Compass Restaurant, enjoy endless assortments of savory flatbreads, fresh fruit, yogurt parfaits, breads and spreads, smoked salmon, and house-baked pastries. Follow up with delicious entrees like Blueberry-Bacon Pancakes, Salted Caramel French Toast, Eggs Benedict, Steak and Eggs, Pasta Primavera, Lobster Roll, or Fish and Chips. On the kids menu, find Mickey Waffles, Pancakes, Ham and Egg Sandwiches, Grilled Chicken, Ravioli, and Cheeseburgers. Guests over the age of 21 can also enjoy specialty raspberry, strawberry, pineapple, or cranberry mimosas as well as a Bloody Mary Flight.

Just across the lake at Disney’s BoardWalk, Flying Fish will be offering a special Mother’s Day prix fixe menu with optional wine pairings 3:30pm-9:30pm. Start your meal with Ahi Tuna with caper, blue lavender, and black Cyprus salt paired with Kim Crawford Spitfire Sauvignon Blanc. And for your entrée, you’ll enjoy Filet Mignon with wild Floridian shrimp and crab, served with delta asparagus, Idaho potato, and hollandaise and paired with Penner-Ash Pinot Noir. For the finale, the Spring Garden Fruit Tart with brulee custard, bush berries, orange chiffon, and strawberry rhubarb sorbet will go down smooth paired with Veuve Clicquot Rose. In addition, this experience includes complimentary roses as well as a photographer who will provide photos at the end of the meal, free of charge.

Over at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, Turf Club Bar and Grill will offer a Mother’s Day Brunch 10am-2pm. For the opening course, enjoy your choice of Steel Cut Oatmeal, Greek Yogurt Parfait, Peppered Smoked Salmon, or Berry Salad. For Entrees, choose from a selection of dishes such as Croque-Madame Black Forest Ham and Gruyére Cheese, Slow Roasted Ranchers Reserve Prime Rib, Gourmet Blend Burger with Crispy Pork Belly, Saratoga Springs Eggs Benedict with Manhattan Steak Medallion, or S’mores Style Buttermilk Waffles with marshmallow and chocolate, to name a few. For a sweet finale is a Mother’s Day Medley of Sweet Temptations. Specialty adult beverages available include an Island Grove Blueberry Moscato, Tropical Mimosas with Passion Orange Guava Juice, and the Turf Club Bloody Mary.

At Disneyland Resort, you can celebrate Mother’s Day with a memorable meal at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Storytellers Café will offer a bounteous breakfast buffet 7am-11:30am as well as a dinner buffet from 11:30am-9:45pm. In addition, as a special Mother’s Day treat, Chip and Dale and other Disney Pals will be around to greet guests throughout the entire day!

Steakhouse 55 at Disneyland Hotel will offer a special Mother’s Day Tasting Menu. For the starter course, enjoy an Heirloom Tomato and Melon Salad with marinated artichokes, petite mache, fresh mozzarella, and peppermint vinaigrette. For the entrée course, savor a Broiled 8-ounce Filet Mignon with brown butter mashed potatoes, broccolini, balsamic pearl onions, and maniari port demi. And for dessert – you’ll love the Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee with a chocolate tart shell, poached peach, and raspberry mascarpone.

No matter where you’re celebrating, you’ll certainly have a magical Mother’s Day at Disney Parks. So give your mom something special – and tasty – this weekend, because she deserves it!
May 11, 2018
Toy Story Mania Closing For A Week To Prep For Toy Story Land
The Toy Story Midway Mania! attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is scheduled to be closed for an entire week this June in preparation for the opening of Toy Story Land. According to Disney the attraction will be unavailable June 11-18 and is expected to reopen on June 19.

The closure will allow work to progress on the reconfiguration of the main entrance of the attraction. Currently Toy Story Mania’s entrance and exit are located in the park’s Pixar Place area, but after Toy Story Land opens they will both be located in the new land. When it reopens, the entrance will remain in Pixar Place until it permanently moves to Toy Story Land for the grand opening of the new land.

Toy Story Mania will also return to full capacity on May 20 2018, with all three tracks becoming available following queue reconfiguration work. FastPass+ reservations should already be available for rides beginning May 20, if there not already booked up.

When Toy Story Land debuts on June 30, guests will “shrink” to the size of a toy and join in on the fun Woody, Jessie, Buzz, and Andy’s other beloved toys are having in Andy’s backyard. Here, guests can ride Slinky Dog Dash, a roller coaster Andy has assembled from his Mega Coaster Play Kit, take a spin on Alien Swirling Saucers, walk through a new carnival game box to experience Toy Story Mania!, grab a tasty snack at Woody’s Lunchbox – and meet some of the characters from “Toy Story” films!

Check out the list below for more stories on the new Pixar experiences coming to Hollywood Studios.
May 10, 2018
Space-Themed Restaurant Planned For Epcot Now Has A Landing Spot

Last summer, Disney announced that a one-of-a-kind, space-themed restaurant is currently planned for Epcot that’ll offer guests amazing meals and a spectacular view – from high above Earth. Today they announced that this new restaurant will be built in a newly developed area located between the park’s Mission: SPACE and Test Track attractions.

Once completed, the restaurant will invite guests to travel to space for an amazing dining experience in the stars. The new restaurant will be operated by the Patina Restaurant Group, led by Nick Valenti, which operates several other restaurants around Walt Disney World Resort, including Tutto Italia and Via Napoli at Epcot and Morimoto Asia and Maria & Enzo’s Ristorante at Disney Springs.

But Epcot guests don’t have to wait until the restaurant opens to enjoy a thrilling adventure in space. Last summer, the park’s Mission: SPACE attraction launched new experiences: the enhanced Orange Mission offers a truly intense experience that lets guests feel the force of an actual space launch en route to Mars; while the all-new, family-friendly Green Mission takes guests on an exciting orbit around Earth.

And this summer – starting June 9 – Star-Lord and Gamora from “Guardians of the Galaxy” will take guests on a musical journey through the cosmos in “Guardians of the Galaxy – Awesome Mix Live!” as a part of Walt Disney World’s “Incredible Summer” offerings. Guests can catch “Guardians of the Galaxy – Awesome Mix Live!” at the America Gardens Theatre at Epcot, five times a day from June 9 through August 19.

May 9, 2018
Exclusive Pixar Fest Merchandise at the Disneyland Resort

Now through September 3, the first-ever Pixar Fest at the Disneyland Resort celebrates the heartwarming stories and characters of Pixar films. Guests of all ages can get into the spirit with fun Pixar Fest merchandise—from apparel and accessories, to home goods and souvenirs. Here’s a roundup of the new merch!

On the apparel front, pullover sweaters, t-shirts and baseball caps feature colorful Pixar Fest character designs. Items are available in men’s, women’s and youth sizes, so you can easily match with your friends and family.

Guests can embody their favorite Pixar characters with special themed headwear. From Woody, Space Alien, WALL•E, EVE and Lightning McQueen ears to Buzz Lightyear glow headbands, and hair bows inspired by Dory, Jessie, and Mike and Sulley, it might be difficult to just choose one character!

Best friends visiting the Disneyland Resort can commemorate their visit with Pixar-themed friendship charm bracelets. With nine sets of Pixar pal charms, friends can choose their favorites or collect them all.

Continue the celebration of friendship and beyond with special drinkware that adds a little Pixar flair to your beverages. “Ooh” and “ahh” with a Light Up Tumbler, which features an illuminated claw reaching down toward our little friend. For tea and coffee lovers, pick up a mug adorned with Pixar pals.

Send a message to a friend with a special Pixar Fest greeting card. The note cards feature Pixar pals Lightning McQueen and Mater, Dug and Russell, Remy and Linguini, and Sulley and Boo on the front cover, with space to write a personalized message for your friend inside.

Take home the fun with a puzzle magnet featuring Pixar Fest character artwork—iconic Pixar characters will come to life on your refrigerator!

You can even bring the Pixar spirit into your holiday celebrations later this year. Two-sided, Pixar Fest ceramic disk ornaments showcase Pixar friends Mike and Sulley, WALL•E and EVE, Miguel and Dante, and Joy and Anger, with one pal on each side.

These Pixar Fest items are available throughout the resort for a limited time, including Emporium in Disneyland park, Knick’s Knacks in Disney California Adventure park, World of Disney in Downtown Disney District.

May 8, 2018
Celebrate National Share A Coke Day Today At Disney Parks

Today is National Share a Coke Day, and what better way to celebrate than with these new 20oz “Share a Coke” Disney bottles! At both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts, you will soon find brand new bottles featuring three iconic Disney attractions.

You’ll be able to share a Coke at Haunted Mansion, a Diet Coke in Tomorrowland, and a Coke Zero Sugar at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at both Disneyland park in California and Magic Kingdom Park in Florida.

They’re all picture perfect, and can be found at many of the outdoor vending and merchandise locations throughout the parks, in addition to a variety of Coca-Cola fountain beverages available at all of our restaurants and quick-service locations.

So grab a friend and share a Disney experience together with these fun – and refreshing! – new “Share a Coke” bottles.

May 8, 2018
Ticket With Pre-Selected Fastpasses Now Offered At Disney World
Disney is now offering a new option for tickets. The resort now offers a one-day, one-park ticket that include pre-selected FastPass+ experiences linked to the tickets.

Fastpasses for three attractions will be linked to the tickets at the time of purchase. The fastpasses linked to your ticket depend on which theme park you plan to visit. This new ticket option costs the same as a regular 1-day tickets with no preselected Fastpasses. The only limitation is that the FastPass+ selections linked to the ticket but must be used the next day and at the scheduled time.

Guests can choose from several preselected options, here’s the rundown:

MAGIC KINGDOM
- Fantasyland Classics: It’s a Small World, Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Mad Tea Party
- Futuristic and Frightful Fun: Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Haunted Mansion and Tomorrowland Speedway
- Pint-Size Adventures: The Barnstormer, The Magic Carpets of Aladdin and Pirates of the Caribbean
- Whimisical Escapades: Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Monsters, Inc Laugh Floor
EPCOT
- Immersive Explorations: Spaceship Earth, Living with the Land and The Seas with Nemo & Friends
- Delightful Encounters: The Seas with Nemo & Friends, Turtle Talk with Crush and Journey into Imagination with Figment
DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
- Sensational Stage Shows: Beauty and the Beast- Live on Stage, For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along, and Voyage of the Little Mermaid
- Movie-Inspired Excitement: Muppet Vision 3D, Star Tours-The Adventures Continue and Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM
- Prehistoric and Whitewater Thrills: Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids and Primeval Whirl
- Wild Performances: Festival of the Lion King, Finding Nemo-The Musical and It’s Tough to be a Bug!
May 7, 2018
Concrete Foundation For ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Roller Coaster At Epcot Has Been Poured

Earlier this year Disney announced a ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’-Themed Roller Coaster coming to Future World at Epcot and earlier this week, 960 trucks’ worth of concrete was poured to create the foundation of what will soon take shape as Epcot’s mammoth attraction.

It’s now on track to become one of the world’s longest enclosed coasters, and to house it, a new facility is being built adjacent to the existing Universe of Energy building.

Inspired by the films, the “Guardians of the Galaxy”-themed attraction will expand on the original vision of Epcot’s Future World, with an epic storyline being developed by Walt Disney Imagineering in close collaboration with the original filmmakers.

Take a look at the construction progress below in this awesome time-lapse video from Disney Parks.!

While the “Guardians of the Galaxy”-themed attraction is currently set to debut at Epcot just in time for Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary, guests don’t have to wait too long to get a “Guardians” fix at Epcot. As a part of Walt Disney World’s “Incredible Summer,” Star-Lord and Gamora from “Guardians of the Galaxy” will take guests on a musical journey through the cosmos in “Guardians of the Galaxy – Awesome Mix Live!” at the America Gardens Theatre at Epcot.

Guests can catch “Guardians of the Galaxy – Awesome Mix Live!” five times a day from June 9 through August 19.

May 4, 2018
Two Baby Zebra Born at Walt Disney World Resort
The folks over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are seeing stripes today! The park has just announced the births of two female Grevy’s zebra foals. Originating from Africa, Grevy’s zebras are the most endangered species of zebra, with approximately 2,500 in the world.

The first foal was born April 26 to Laylee, and the second was born May 1 to Zuri. Currently, the foals are nursing and bonding with their moms backstage. All will join the herd on Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail overlook soon.

These zebra births mark another success for Disney’s animal care experts and the Species Survival Plan, a program through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums that helps ensure a diverse, healthy population of threatened and endangered species. These zebra foals are making an important contribution toward the worldwide conservation and understanding of the Grevy’s species, which will help ensure a future generation for these endangered animals.

Our commitment to the care and conservation of Grevy’s zebras goes beyond our park. Through the Imperiled Species Conservation Project (ISCP), which gives our cast the opportunity to personally support the species they love through existing conservation programs, Disney has made contributions toward the care and protection of Grevy’s zebras in the wild. Recently, two of our zebra keepers traveled to Kenya through the ISCP to participate in the Great Grevy’s Rally, a population survey used to document the total number of Grevy’s zebras in the wild.

The conservation work our cast has contributed with Grevy’s zebras is just the beginning. Later this year, several other cast members will travel across the world to support endangered animals such as painted dogs, dolphins, gorillas, Guam rails and kingfishers, rhinos, sharks and vultures.

Our cast is the most valuable resource we have in delivering on world-class animal care and conservation. It makes us proud to see our cast making a difference, developing stronger interaction and partnering skills, and sharing their experiences with our Guests.

Take a look back on some of the recent births and conservation efforts at Disney’s Animal Kingdom:
You can learn more about zebras and Disney’s efforts to reverse the decline of at-risk animals in the wild by visiting DisneyAnimals.com.
May 3, 2018
First Look: Alien Swirling Saucers at Toy Story Land at Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney Imagineering released new images Wednesday of the highly-anticipated Alien Swirling Saucers attraction, which is part of the Toy Story Land expansion of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Toy Story Land will “shrink” guests to the size of a toy and allow them to explore Andy’s backyard – and all the fun he’s set up for his toys to have. At Alien Swirling Saucers, which is an attraction that’s been designed to look like a toy from Pizza Planet and placed in his backyard next to his Buzz Lightyear’s Star Command playset, Aliens fly around in their toy flying saucers while “The Claw” appears overhead. As you whirl around the toy planets and space stations as part of the game, you’ll swirl to the beat of a fun electronic space music soundtrack that includes eight songs that may sound familiar, but will be heard in a quirky way you’ve never experienced before. Guests will also see pizza details throughout the attraction, including pizza columns, a pizza space station and the Planet Pepperonia.

Alien Swirling Saucers is one of two new attractions planned to debut at Toy Story Land on opening day. The other is Slinky Dog Dash, where guests can take a ride on a roller coaster Andy has assembled from his Mega Coaster Play Kit – and placed Slinky and Jessie on top. Guests can also walk through a new carnival game box to experience Toy Story Mania!, a current guest-favorite attraction at the park.

In addition to experiencing attractions in Toy Story Land, guests can also be entertained by the Sarge and the Green Army Man Drum Corps, who will march through the land several times a day and stop to play “Sarge Says” with guests, and other games with a larger-than-life Pixar ball and crayons. Guests also have the option to join in on their interactive boot camp to see if they have what it takes to become an official recruit in Andy’s Backyard.

For more on what to expect when Toy Story Land opens on June 30, check out the list of related blog posts below.
May 3, 2018
New ‘Disney After Hours’ Dates Now Available for Magic Kingdom Park
Cant get enough time in the parks? You’re not alone! Everyone wants to spend a little extra time in the magic when they can and luckily today, Disney has just announced dates and times for “Disney After Hours“.

“Disney After Hours” is a ticketed event that is limited to a small number of guests. At Magic Kingdom Park that means little to no wait at 25 plus attractions and experiences. That includes favorites like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid, Space Mountain and many more. Oh, and get this: the ticket allows park entry as early as 7 p.m., which gives you time to enjoy the fireworks before heading off to the attractions. Yeah, it’s really that awesome!

Today, I’m excited to share the latest dates for “Disney After Hours” at Magic Kingdom Park, check it out below!
- Thursday, June 28, from 10 p.m.- 1 a.m.
- Saturday, June 30, from 10 p.m. – 1 a.m.
- Saturday, July 7, from 10 p.m. – 1 a.m.
- Monday, July 9, from 10 p.m. – 1 a.m.
- Saturday, July 14, from 10 p.m. – 1 a.m.
- Saturday, July 21, from 10 p.m. – 1 a.m.
- Saturday, July 28, from 10 p.m. – 1 a.m.
- Saturday, August 4, from 10 p.m. – 1 a.m.
- Saturday, August 11, from 10 p.m. – 1 a.m.
- Thursday, August 30, from 9 p.m. – 12 a.m.
- Thursday, September 20, from 9 p.m. – 12 a.m.
May 2, 2018