food IS a theme park
Each week, we scour Amazon to find the latest Disney merchandise and steepest Disney deals the massive e-tailer has to offer.
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From cute bags to hip clothes, these items are essential for your next Magic Kingdom day… or EPCOT day… or Tuesday.
While EPCOT’s International Food & Wine Festival is one of Walt Disney World’s premier annual events, many guests may be unaware that there’s a SECOND Food & Wine Festival each year: The Food & Wine Classic, held at the Swan & Dolphin hotels.
2025 Food and Wine Classic
The annual event, which is usually in conjunction with the final weekend of EPCOT’s Festival, features two days of gourmet cuisine from award-winning chefs, paired with fine wines, beers, and spirits from around the world, as well as live entertainment, seminars, and fireworks. The 2026 edition is scheduled for November 20th and 21st, from 5:00 PM until 9:00 PM each day.
The Magic Kingdom has been the most popular theme parks in the world pretty much since the day it opened — along with the rest of Walt Disney World — in October 1971. Iconic landmarks like Cinderella Castle have made visiting the park a rite of passage for millions each year, which makes it slightly surprising that dining at the park is a bit divisive.
Steak Frites
Due to the large crowds that often descend on the park, the Magic Kingdom’s eateries — both quick service and table service — are often swamped, which in turn means that any meal is a time and financial commitment for guests. Unfortunately, sometimes that leads to regret.
Disney World is in a period of transition, including construction on new lands, refurbishments of old favorites, and some new dining hotspots!
Fruity Pebbles Classic Shake
Over the past year, Disney has opened some majorly popular spots, including GEO-82 (the Spaceship Earth-themed lounge at EPCOT), The Beak and Barrel (the Pirates of the Caribbean-themed bar at the Magic Kingdom), and The Perch (the gilded Victorian-themed lobby bar at the Grand Floridian).
Each of these new lounges opened to positive reviews and heavy demand, and still draw big crowds (though reservations for GEO-82 and Beak and Barrel are slightly easier to come by). Now, a new crop of spots have opened at Disney World, with several more on the way.
After spending NEARLY 6 years closed, a new version of the Grand Floridian’s Tea Room Experience — located inside the newly rechristened Garden View Lounge — is set to reopen to guests NEXT WEEK!
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Afternoon tea had been a part of the hotel for decades, with the space formerly offering an afternoon tea party which was mainly geared towards adult guests, as well as the “Perfectly Princess Tea Party” for younger children and their parents.
While both daily events were hugely popular with guests, often selling out months in advance, the parties shut down due to the COVID pandemic, along with the rest of Walt Disney World, in March of 2020. However, when the Grand Floridian reopened that September, the tea parties were nowhere to be found… until March 19th!
Every week, we report the average Disney World wait times in every park so that you can be prepared for your next trip to Orlando!
Long lines for the attraction right before it closed!
Disney World wait times have a reputation for being, well, unpredictable. Sure, we can look at past data to get an estimate of the crowd levels in Disney World, but you never know what may happen from year to year. The Aerosmith version of the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster closed forever on March 2nd, and fans gave it a massive final encore as Disney World’s busiest average wait time.
One of the most important things you can do to ensure you’re set up for success with a full day at Disney World is to stay hydrated, and there are PLENTY of water bottle options to choose from.
Owala Rapunzel Water Bottle
We’re in Disney World every day, and having a drink to sip while spending the entire day in the parks isn’t just key, it’s essential. These are our picks for the TOP 5 water bottles to bring to the “Most Magical Place on Earth.”
It’s no secret that MagicBands have become an integral part of Disney World vacations over the last decade+. They can serve as room keys, payment methods, entry tickets, be used to check-in for Lightning Lanes, connect with PhotoPass, and react to select Disney theme park attractions with “lighting effects and gesture recognition”, and they’re available in a slew of cool designs!
MagicBand+
However, take it from me, there are some things you NEED to know before picking up your bands for your next Disney World trip!
While roller coasters might not be the first type of ride that comes to mind when one thinks of Walt Disney World, especially compared to comeptitors like Universal Orlando, the truth is that the “Most Magical Place on Earth” has been a coaster hub since Space Mountain first opened 50 years ago, with major rides like Expedition Everest and Gaurdians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind being some of the resort’s most popular attractions.
©Disney
2026 is shaping up to be an especially major year in Disney roller coaster history, with major refurbishments and reopenings, massive construction projects, and even some alleged changes that could change the future of the resort forever.
It’s no secret that Disney World’s hotels are loaded with dining options, from quick service eateries and food courts to award-winning table service restaurants. However, the best all-you-care-to-enjoy restaurant at a Disney hotel may be hiding a bit under the radar.
Coconut-Pineapple Bread Pudding
Sebastian’s Bistro, which Disney calls a place where guests can transport their “taste buds to ‘island time’ with delightful family-style dishes infused with rich Latin and Caribbean flavors”, is located at the Moderate Tier Caribbean Beach Resort.
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