Category: Walt Disney World

New Monorail Fleet Could Be Headed To Walt Disney World Resort

Speculation about Disney upgrading the monorail fleet at Walt Disney World has been going on for sometime. There has been a series of recent mishaps with the current fleet and after a video of a monorail transporting guests with the door open made headlines, it seems that Disney may finally be making a move to purchase a new monorail fleet.

Internal sources are reporting that Disney has ordered a new fleet of monorails to replace the fleet currently in operation, according to a report from WDWNT .

The fleet currently in operation — known as Mark VI monorails — has been in use since 1989, when Disney started replacing the Mark IV. The final Mark IV monorails were finally replaced in 1991 after having been in operation for twenty years starting with the opening of the resort in 1971.

Bombardier of Canada — the same company that built the Mark VI trains for Walt Disney World —will be building the new fleet, according to the report. The mark VI cost the company about $3.5 million per train when they last replaced the fleet in 1989.

Bombardier’s current line of monorails is called the INNOVIA 300 series, but if Disney continues with the current numbering system the new monorail fleet would be the Mark VIII. Mark VII is currently the model used at Disneyland Resort in California which were put into operation in 2008.

The infamous open door incident on Monorail Red back in January may have been what sparked the decision, but the fleet has been under scrutiny since the automation system failed back in 2009 causing a crash that killed Monorail pilot Austin Wuennenberg. That started a long list of problems that this fleet has weathered in recent years. Last summer a piece of Monorail Blue just fell of while it was in transit above the parking lot at Epcot. Also multiple breakdowns last summer plagued the fleet, at times leaving guests to have to find alternated transportation to their destinations.

With the current fleet approaching 30 years of usage it’s no wonder they’re in major need of replacement. They held up for quite some time, longer than any other Disney Parks monorail fleet, but it is definitely time for them to make their way into the history books.

April 16, 2018
20th Anniversary Merchandise at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will mark its 20th anniversary at Walt Disney World Resort this month and to this day it continues inspiring and educating guests of all ages today through the magic of nature. The park opened on April 22, 1998 as “a new species of theme park”. For Disney Parks Merchandise, this milestone occasion was the perfect opportunity for creating an unforgettable collection of merchandise inspired by the theme park’s iconic centerpiece.

“We mixed earth tone colors with images of animals and icons reminiscent of the beautifully sculpted animal carvings found on the breathtaking Tree of Life,” explained Cody Reynolds, Senior Creative Director with Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media Creative Group.

From a banshee at Pandora – The World of Avatar to a Baobab tree from the Kilimanjaro Safaris attractions, artists drew more than 50 stylized animals, icons and graphics for an artwork style guide. Merchandise developers referenced this guide when creating items to ensure the overall assortment had a consistent look.

Artwork on a t-shirt and matching water bottle captures the park’s tremendous transformation during the past 20 years, and includes nods to attractions from opening day to the more recent other-worldly additions of Na’vi River Journey and Avatar Flight of Passage.

“Guests love merchandise that commemorates significant moments in time,” said Katie Thompson from Global Merchandise Strategy at Disney Parks Merchandise. “This new merchandise builds on the success of recent theme park anniversary collections, and offers something for everyone looking to celebrate at Animal Kingdom throughout the upcoming year.”

Designed to complement each other, merchandise offered includes a mix of apparel for adults and kids, home décor, accessories and other collectibles such as trading pins or jewelry by ALEX AND ANI.

On select products, the merchandise team added hidden surprises in the artwork. A closer examination of drinkware reveals images of tiny ants strategically placed for guests to discover.

Island Mercantile in Disney’s Animal Kingdom serves as the headquarters for the 20th anniversary assortment. Select products may also be found in shops throughout the park or via Shop Disney Parks.

The celebration kicks off on Earth Day, April 22.

April 16, 2018
Millennial Pink Treats Have Arrived at Walt Disney World Resort

Slow your roll Rose Gold, because Millennial Pink in the new kid on the block! Just like the rose gold merch and snacks, Millennial Pink has now gotten in on the action. In addition to those popular millennial pink Spirit Jerseys, Headbands, and MagicBands, this fab new pop color now has a variety of exciting sweet millennial pink treats available at Walt Disney World.

At Magic Kingdom Park, you’ll find a Millennial Pink Milkshake at Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies. This strawberry milkshake comes topped with fluffy cotton candy and house-made Mickey-shaped marshmallows.

Right next door to Magic Kingdom Park, say “aloha” to this Millennial Pink Cupcake at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. Found at Capt. Cook’s, this vanilla cupcake is filled with guava cream and topped with buttercream icing and fondant Minnie ears.

Epcot is serving up a Millennial Pink Cupcake at Fountain View. This fabulous vanilla cupcake is filled with strawberry pastry cream and topped with vanilla buttercream and fondant Minnie ears. It also goes perfectly with all of the beautiful flowers currently decorating the park for the International Flower & Garden Festival!

On the other side of International Gateway, Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts are offering a Millennial Pink Raspberry Cream Puff. Found at The Market at Ale & Compass and Beach Club Marketplace, this delicious cream puff is filled with raspberry Bavarian cream and glazed with sugar icing and will be available starting April 12.

Just across the lake at Disney’s BoardWalk, you’ll find this super cute Millennial Pink Pop at the BoardWalk Bakery starting April 19. This crispy treat dome is dipped in white chocolate and topped with pink crispy pearls and millennial Minnie ears.

At Disney Springs, Amorette’s Patisserie is pouring a sweet sip beginning next week – the Millennial Pink Celebration Toast! Enjoy a tall glass of Fairy Tale Celebration Cuvee topped with adorable millennial pink chocolate ears.

The Ganachery at Disney Springs has a couple perfectly pink offerings, too! Here you’ll find a Millennial Pink Piñata, a dark chocolate dome filled with vanilla bean marshmallows and strawberry crispy pearls and topped with edible white chocolate ears. There’s also the Millennial Pink-Berry Ganache Square, with strawberry-lemon ganache covered in milk chocolate.

Then there’s the Millennial Pink Chocolate Cupcake with raspberry marshmallow filling and topped with raspberry buttercream. This cupcake can be found at a variety of locations, including Riverside Mill Food Court at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside, the food courts at Disney’s All-Star Resorts, Landscape of Flavors at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, The Artist’s Palette at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, and Everything POP Shopping & Dining at Disney’s Pop Century Resort.

Finally, we have the Millennial Pink Raspberry Chocolate Cupcake at The Mara at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. This chocolate devil’s food cupcake is filled with raspberry mousse and topped with millennial pink buttercream, fondant ears, and edible glitter.

Not only are all of these snacks perfectly pink and delicious, but they make for the CUTEST photo ops with friends and with your millennial pink Disney merchandise, which may be found in merchandise locations across Walt Disney World Resort. So put on those Spirit Jerseys, headbands, and retail MagicBands and come on out to try one of these limited-time millennial pink treats!

April 13, 2018
Disney Parks Showing First Ten Minutes Of ‘Incredibles 2’ In Sneak Peek

There are so many “incredible” things happening at Disney Parks right now and this newest bit of info is just super! For a limited time, guests at Disney California Adventure park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios will get to experience a sneak peek of Disney•Pixar’s “Incredibles 2.”

Disney Parks guests will be the first to enjoy an exclusive glimpse at the first ten minutes of the film during the sneak peek. Check out this special message from film star Samuel L. Jackson as he shares his excitement for the upcoming offering.

The sneak peek will arrive at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney California Adventure park on May 18. Guests can stop by the Walt Disney Presents theater at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Sunset Showcase Theater at Disney California Adventure park where this super sneak peek will be presented in stunning 3D with in-theater special effects.

In “Incredibles 2,” Helen (voice of Holly Hunter) is called on to lead a campaign to bring Supers back, while Bob (voice of Craig T. Nelson) navigates the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life at home with Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell), Dash (voice of Huck Milner) and baby Jack-Jack—whose super powers are about to be discovered. Their mission is derailed, however, when a new villain emerges with a brilliant and dangerous plot that threatens everything. But the Parrs don’t shy away from a challenge, especially with Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) by their side. That’s what makes this family so Incredible.

While the Parr family captivates audiences on the big screen, Guests at Disney Parks will enjoy incredible new offerings this summer. The Incredicoaster opens with Pixar Pier on June 23 and will bring the Parr family racing alongside you in an attempt to catch baby Jack-Jack!   Walt Disney World will kick-off Incredible Summer on May 25 with exclusive summer offerings including an Incredible Tomrrowland Expo. Guests can celebrate “all things super,” alongside Mr. Incredible, Frozone and, for the first time ever, Edna Mode with a “SUPER” dance party on the Rocket Tower Stage.

Before you head over to Disney Parks to enjoy the sneak peek and new summer offerings, be sure to watch the brand-new trailer for the film. “Incredibles 2” bursts into theaters on June 15.

April 13, 2018
Details About ‘Memory Maker One Day’ PhotoPass At Disney World

Over the last few years, Disney PhotoPass Service’s Memory Maker One Day product has undergone quite an expansion at Walt Disney World Resort! Here is the latest information on just how the Memory Maker One Day works at Walt Disney World.

When first introduced a few years ago, Memory Maker One Day was only available for purchase in one location and only during special events. Thanks to its popularity, today it’s available for purchase every day of the year and in a variety of locations!

Memory Maker One Day provides you with many of the same benefits as Memory Maker, just for one day of PhotoPass photos taken at Walt Disney World Resort. That means for one day of your choice, you’ll get digital downloads of all your Disney PhotoPass photos linked to your account that were taken on that day. Every smile and thrill! You’ll be surprised how many you can capture in a single day.

You’ll have 45 days to link and download all of your photos from the day of your choice.

Memory Maker One Day is available for $69 in the My Disney Experience mobile app once you’ve linked at least one Disney PhotoPass photo to your account from the day to which you plan to apply the entitlement. You’ll also find Memory Maker One Day at Walt Disney World Resort theme park ticket windows and Disney PhotoPass Centers.

Trying to decide between Memory Maker and Memory Maker One Day? It’s really rather simple! Memory Maker costs $169 or $199, depending on when you purchase it and allows you to take home all of your PhotoPass photos taken during your vacation. So according to my calculator, Memory Maker is a good option for you if you’re visiting Walt Disney World Resort for three or more days. If you’ll be visiting for one or two days (or only attending a special event such as Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party), purchasing $69 Memory Maker One Day for each day of your visit is the better option for you.

April 12, 2018
What Do I Need To Bring When Packing For Disney World?

You are headed to the most magical place on earth. Resort reservations are made. Dining reservations are made, and every FastPass+ is secured. But what in the world should you bring when you’re packing for Disney World?

The Disney Parks Moms Panelists have been there and done that and recently shared some of their best advice on what you need to bring for your magical vacation. Here are some great packing tips for your next Disney vacation.

“I only pack 4-days worth of outfits for our family’s week-long Walt Disney World Resort vacations,” Ashley explained. “Mid-week, I use the laundry facilities at our resort hotel to get everyone’s laundry done, so those outfits can be worn again at the end of the week. The best part? The laundry room sends me a text when my laundry is finished, so I can be relaxing by the pool instead of waiting by a washing machine!”

Don’t want to do laundry while on vacation? Then take the tip that several of the moms suggested, bring a pop-up laundry hamper or mesh laundry bag.

“Bring a mesh laundry bag!” said Jacqui. “It’s such a hassle to keep dirty laundry tidy on vacation, much less have to determine what’s been worn and what hasn’t been when you’re all getting ready for the day. The easy to pack mesh bag keeps all the dirty clothes tidy. At the end of the trip, just toss the bag in your checked luggage!”

Florida is known for warm temperatures and the occasional afternoon shower – which is why the panelists, including Lindsey P. – can’t stress the importance of sunscreen and rain gear enough.

“Don’t forget to pack those ponchos! Clear, reusable Mickey Mouse ponchos can roll up into a backpack, pulling out handily when a Florida popup shower rains overhead. The ponchos can also double as a protector from the mighty waters of Splash Mountain so you can go about your day in dry shorts. You can pick new ponchos up at any merchandise register and use them all summer long!”

And don’t forget the Ziploc bags, one of the most popular tips from the moms!

“If you’re traveling with little ones, bring a box of gallon-size zipper lock bags. They are great for packing diapers, underwear, and toiletries, but they are also awesome to have with you during your trip! You can use them to bring snacks with you during your theme park day and to hold wet swimsuits after a trip to the pool or water park,” Crystal explained.

Other top tips included portable cell phone chargers, coordinating t-shirts, your favorite Mickey ears, hand wipes and even pennies and quarters to be pressed!

April 10, 2018
Disney Unveils New Purple Wall Design at Magic Kingdom
The paint has dried and the selfie taking has begun! On Monday, Disney unveiled it’s new purple wall in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World. The newly redesigned wall now features an updated purple color scheme in still makes for an Insta-worthy photo-op.

For Disney it may have “all started with a mouse”, but for Instagrammers, the #DisneyWall trend all started with a wall – a purple wall to be exact… So many guests found the purple pigment of this wall to make an ideal Instagram background that the wall quickly earned its own hashtag – #purplewall – and became a sought-after photo stop for guests visiting the park.

If you’re looking to get a picture with the new purple wall you can find it just down the ramp from Tomorrowland Terrace toward the entrance to Tomorrowland. Right when you hit the turn into the land, you’ll see the Purple Wall on your right.

See the posts below for more on #DisneyWalls around Disney Parks:
April 10, 2018
The Amazing Eats at Packed in Woody’s Lunch Box in Toy Story Land

Woody’s Lunch Box will the go to place to eat when Toy Story land opens up on June 30 and it will be dishing up all sorts of sandwiches and sides that blend classic flavor combinations with a modern twist, plus nostalgic soda floats and specialty beverages.

In the toy-filled backyard that is Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests “shrink” to the size of a toy and explore the world of Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and friends. In the middle of all the fun, Andy has taken his vintage Woody-themed lunch box and propped it open with a thermos, turning it into a walk-up window where his toys can grab a bite to eat. Here is a peek into whats has been packed in Woody’s Lunch Box.

S’more French Toast Breakfast Sandwich – Oozy goodness in a chocolate ganache- and marshmallow-stuffed French toast topped with graham cracker crumbles. Inspired by the classic American campfire treat.

Smoked Turkey, Eggs, Swiss, Peppers, and Onions on Sourdough – The perfect hand-held stack of breakfast goodness.

Breakfast Bowl – The green army men line up for this hearty bowl of potato barrels, brisket-country gravy, and scrambled eggs.

BBQ Brisket Melt – With a nod to cowboy Woody, this Texas-style smoked brisket features cheddar, Monterey Jack, pickles, and BBQ sauce on garlic butter-grilled sourdough.

Monte Cristo with Raspberry Jam – Woody’s version of this classic sandwich has layers of ham, turkey, Swiss, and raspberry jam…and is grilled to a golden brown.

Totchos – Potato barrels, corn chips, chili, and cheese – what’s not to love??

Sides include tomato basil soup, vegetable macaroni salad, and potato barrels. Mini Babybel snack cheese, the official snack cheese of Walt Disney World Resort, is also an option to eat with your meal or as an on-the-go snack.

Raspberry Lunch Box Tart garnished with Icing and Dried Fruit and Chocolate-Hazelnut Lunch Box Tart garnished with Icing and Caramelized Bacon – Even toys need a sweet treat! Inspired by breakfast toaster pastries, this modern interpretation, with its uniquely delicate crust, is the perfect hand-held pastry.

The littlest toys can enjoy a grilled cheese sandwich or turkey sandwich, both served with potato barrels and mandarin oranges. For toys looking for more lighter options, they can grab one of these tasty bites at Woody’s Lunch Box or check out the many other healthful offerings available at Disney’s Hollywood Studios including fresh fruits and vegetables, salads, and grilled meats and fish.

Banana Split Yogurt Parfait – Layers of banana-vanilla Greek yogurt (with a hint of honey), fresh bananas, strawberries, and pineapple topped with granola and chocolate chips. A delicious and healthful way to start the day!

Smoked Turkey, Tomato, and Lettuce on Multigrain Bread – This quintessential lunch box sandwich is a light and fresh option. And to give it a kick of flavor, we add a creamy Dijonnaise.

Soda Floats – All toys would agree that a refreshing soda float is the perfect nostalgic beverage!

The adorable Alien Sipper may be purchased and filled with any fountain drink or the signature Mystic Portal Punch – Powerade Mountain Berry Blast with flavors of lemon-lime and tangerine.

The team at Flavor Lab – the concept development kitchen – has described just how much fun (and challenging) it was to take sentimental food favorites and give them a modern make-over…in flavor and presentation.

“Everyone has a special food memory, so it can be tricky putting a modern spin on the favorites,” explained Lenny DeGeorge, Concept Development Culinary Director for Walt Disney World, about the year-long menu development process. “We honored these classic dishes by using the best ingredients to elevate the flavors. How we constructed the sandwiches was important, such as layering the ingredients in a specific order, to maximize textures and flavors. Why have a cold sandwich when you can have a toasted hot, gooey cheese-filled one?”

The big kids can enjoy the backyard with Grown-Up’s Lemonade cocktail (cherry vodka, Odwalla Lemonade, and black cherry purée), beer, or hard cider. It all looks so good! This is a lunch box that only your mother could pack!

April 9, 2018
VIDEO: Something Amazing Is Set To Land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Disney has just teased us with a new video of something special landing in Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom on April 22.

The hulking human-like creation bears a striking resemblance to the military robots seen in the movie “Avatar”.

The robot, which is clearly a version of the AMP suit from the film, mirrors the movement of the operator’s arms.

Shot in the breathtaking Valley of Mo’ara – amid the moon’s floating mountains, waterfalls and native flora the awesome video below gives an up close look.

April 6, 2018
Sweet Spells At Hollywood Studios Closing To Make Room For Pixar Store

In preparation of Toy Story Land There opening this summer there is some bittersweet news coming from Disney’s Hollywood Studios today. Beverly Sunset Sweet Spells on Sunset Blvd will be closing permanently on April 16 2018 to make way for a Pixar store.

The shop is known for it’s the scary and sweet treats that lurk inside the “theater” as well as Disney Villain merchandise and house-made candy. It’s unclear how the refurbishment will affect the theater-like exterior of famous snack spot.

After the refurbishment is finished the shop will be the only place in the park where you will be able to find Pixar Merchandise other than Toy Story Land itself. The Sweet Spells production kitchen will be removed, but you will still be able to find some of the prepackaged favorites when the new store opens.

The new got to spot for Pixar merchandise is set to open alongside Toy Story Land on June 30 2018.

April 6, 2018