food IS a theme park
Welcome back, DFB friends! We’re here with another What’s New at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Entrance
And, we’ve got plenty of merchandise and food updates to share with you, so let’s dive right on in!
Things may come and go in Disney World as the re-opening of the parks is an evolving situation. While some attractions that we may love have returned, others are taking a hiatus or closing altogether.
Recently, live entertainment hasn’t been back in the parks in the capacity that we’ve been used to in the past. Parades have been switched out for Character Cavalcades, fireworks are just starting to be tested again after being suspended, and character meet-and-greets are currently on a break (even though there are still a few modified character dining options in the parks and resorts).
After Disney World’s reopening, we slowly began to see weekend park pass availability beginning to fill up for Annual Passholders on a regular basis, particularly with Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is still a HUGE draw.)
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
And most recently, we noticed that weekends in October were beginning to fill up for Annual Passholders.
We’re not sure what we miss the most from the pre-closure days of Disney World, but fireworks are definitely up there on our list.
Magic Kingdom Fireworks
Disney World reopened in early July of 2020 with a lot of changes to help keep guests and Cast Members safe. One of the most high-profile changes was the suspension of nightly fireworks and nighttime spectaculars — and they remain suspended even now. How long will it be until we can see the sky above Disney World light up with fireworks again? Here’s what we know.
It seems like Disney World is getting a lot busier on weekends. We expected it on holiday weekends like Labor Day for example, but it looks like that’s extended into the rest of the year, too.
Hollywood Studios
Since the theme parks reopened, Annual Passholders (and other guests) have had to snag a Disney Park Pass reservations before entering the park. Reservations, especially for Disney’s Hollywood Studios have been filling up FAST. Thus meaning APs are having to book weeks, and sometimes months in advance if they’re looking to visit Hollywood Studios.
As you may know, EPCOT is set to receive an all-new fireworks show celebrating the power of music — Harmonious.
Harmonious ©Disney
The show was supposed to initially debut in the spring of 2020 but has seen a delay due to the historic park closures. We haven’t heard a new reopening date, but we’ve been keeping a close eye on EPCOT fireworks’ progress. Now, we have a pretty BIG sign that could be a step in the direction of the return of fireworks in EPCOT and the rest of Disney World.
Pumpkin spice here, pumpkin spice there, it feels like we’ve been seeing pumpkin spice everywhere in Disney World (not that we mind it)!
Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream Mac-Tini
Pumpkin Spice Lattes popped up in the parks a few weeks ago, but now lots of other themed goodies like the Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispie Treats, Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream Mac-Tini, and Pumpkin Bread Tiramisu have trickled in for the Halloween season. Even though that’s a LOT of pumpkin spice, we can’t seem to get enough of it during the Fall!
We still fondly look back on the days we would hide our Halloween candy so we could savor it long after trick-or-treating. But, nowadays we’d rather just indulge on all the spooky snacks and sips that have been popping up in Disney World instead! 😉
Halloween Treats at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club
Although pumpkin spice and even poison apples have practically been the poster children for Halloween treats in the parks, there’s something just so nostalgic about candy corn this time of the year. And Disney’s been serving up looks with Candy Corn Witch Ears and mixing up candy corn treats in the parks and resorts for guests of all ages to enjoy!
Navigating a reopened Disney World can be a tricky challenge! It can certainly feel like things are constantly changing in the parks these days.
Disney World
How many people are allowed in? Will our favorite snacks be available? What time do the parks even close!? It can be hard to keep track! We don’t want these changes to catch you unaware, so we’re taking a look at three NEW Disney World trip mistakes that you’re totally not expecting and how to avoid them!
Today, Disney hosted an invitation-only virtual press conference to “update on how we’re making magic while we continue to promote health and safety.” We were invited to attend the conference.
Disneyland Gate
Disney executives took today’s conference as an opportunity to give an update on the parks that have reopened and to call on California’s governor for guidance when it comes to the reopening of Disneyland. They assert that the longer Disneyland remains closed, the greater the repercussions are for the surrounding communities.
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