food IS a theme park
Disney fans are DIVIDED. Some say Disney World rides are getting better, others say that Disney’s truly lost their way. But what’s the REAL TRUTH here? And WHY has this controversy bubbled up in the first place?
TRON
Today, we’re figuring out what ACTUALLY happened to Disney World’s rides, and if they’re truly getting worse… or if that’s ALL a big internet rumor that needs to be shut down ASAP.
Disney made a litany of announcements at the 2026 D23 Ultimate Fan Event, revealing new details on upcoming theme lands, a new class of Disney Cruise Line ships, and even some major surprises. However, few could be described as more “long-awaited” than the confirmation that the Yeti on Expedition Everest was FINALLY going to be fixed.
Expedition Everest
When the Animal Kingdom coaster first opened in 2006, the Yeti animatronic was hailed as the largest and most advanced Disney had ever built. The massive free-moving animatronic Yeti in the center of the “Forbidden Mountain” was one of the ride’s main promotional points teased in commercials and being discussed in Travel Channel documentaries. However, within months of opening, the Yeti was stuck in B-Mode. The animatronic was unmoving, with strobe lights pulsating to give the illusion of movement, hence the nom de plume “Disco Yeti”). This was allegedly due to structural damage the powerful animatronic was doing to the mountain when fully operational over the years. Disney officials, including Joe Rohde himself, made numerous claims that the Yeti was going to be fixed, but nothing came of them officially… until NOW!
Staying at a Disney World hotel on your trip to the Most Magical Place on Earth comes with a TON of perks.
Typhoon Lagoon
When you stay on-site at Disney, you can get benefits like Early Theme Park Entry each day, plus Extended Evening Hours depending on which at which hotel you stay, and the 7-day booking window for Lightning Lanes. Being closer to the parks is a huge perk, and you can enjoy free transportation as well. Hotel guests could also take advantage of free tickets to Disney’s water parks throughout this summer, but that perk is ending soon, and Typhoon Lagoon is also closing for annual refurbishment soon!
Disney World has dozens of construction projects happening right now, but some of the largest ones are happening across the parks.
©Disney
EPCOT is currently the only park not with a massive land addition in the works, and Magic Kingdom has TWO new lands in the works as we speak. One of those lands is Piston Peak, the new Cars-themed area on the way, and Disney just took a big step forward in planning for construction, though it may not look like it. Why? Well, because it just looked like giant balloons in the air, but they were VERY important.
Some essentials you can grab on Amazon can literally save a Disney World vacation.
LACOVIA Mini Fan
If you’ve ever lost your mind trying to deal with the heat during a Disney World day, you’re definitely not alone. Trust us — we’ve gone through it. However, our lives changed forever when we picked up a certain personal fan from Amazon — and now we absolutely swear by it. Take a look!
It’s time to get scary… and scared! Halloween Horror Nights has officially arrived at Universal Orlando, and we are THERE on the very first night. Of course, we’re checking out all the haunted houses, but more importantly, we’re checking out all the food.
Meat Grinder Red Velvet
Halloween Horror Nights runs on select nights in August, September, and October through November 1st at Universal Studios Florida, and the event features exclusive food and drinks you can’t get at the parks during the day. So let’s talk about everything we ate and drank at the party!
If you’re a Loungefly lover, chances are you probably have a pretty solid collection going.
Loungefly bags in EPCOT
But if you’re looking for a new Loungefly bag that you won’t see all around the parks, our favorite place to shop is on Amazon. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite Loungefly bags on Amazon if you don’t want to wear the same park bag everyone else has in Disney World!
Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando has a reputation for bringing the scares to those people brave enough to buy a ticket to the event. Thanks to its themed haunted houses, scare zones, and scare actors just waiting to make people scream, some folks might be a little too afraid to actually give the event a chance, which is understandable.
Deathly Afraid Lanyard
The thing is… there actually IS more to Halloween Horror Nights than being terrified, and for those who want to experience the event without the jump scares and scare actors in their face, there’s an option to avoid that: the Deathly Afraid lanyard. We tested out the Deathly Afraid Lanyard to see if it actually works.
Both Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Oogie Boogie Bash have kicked off at Disney, so it’s officially spooky season! And what’s a better way to celebrate than some new Disney merch?
©Disney
Disney just released a TON of new Disney merch online, and it’s taking us some SERIOUS self-control not to buy all of these new souvenirs. Our wallets are officially crying over this DisneyStore drop!
Well, we’ve certainly had our share of Disney World food this week, thanks to the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival, which runs through November 21st. In case you missed our coverage of the festival, you can read our reviews of all the food booths here, and even see what our fave food and drinks were here!
Fright Flight from Splitsville
But don’t worry! We haven’t forgotten about the other food and drinks you can get at Disney World restaurants, and we’re constantly keeping an eye on restaurant menus. So let’s talk about how some of those menus changed this week.
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