Explore our Etsy shop brimming with fun Disney items.

Disney Parks Podcast

All the Disney Parks in One Podcast

FIVE WAYS LOCALS CAN CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS AT FOUR SEASONS RESORT ORLANDO

By

The holiday magic has transformed Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort into a dazzling sight to behold, with beautiful palm trees wrapped in glittering white lights, festive floral arrangements, and the Resort’s signature Christmas tree in the main lobby evoking awe and wonder as soon as one sets foot into the lobby.  This holiday season, the Resort offers numerous reasons for locals to come visit, in addition to providing a perfect backdrop to capture a family photo while everyone’s dressed in their holiday best.

Intimate Private Dining Holiday Event

This year, now more than ever, people are celebrating the holidays with their closest family and friends only. For as few as six people, Four Seasons Resort Orlando has introduced two new decadent menu options for private celebrations, in the Resort’s beautiful Lakeside Event Pavilions.  The two Lakeside event rooms are located on the north side of the Resort’s main lake, freestanding buildings that also offer a private terrace on the lake and an outdoor fireplace, perfect for creating wintertime ambiance. The Resort’s catering team can assist with special event décor, such as holiday-inspired floral centrepieces, custom chargers and place cards, themed table linens, faux fur pillows, accent throws and more. The new holiday event offerings available in the Lakeside pavilions include an afternoon tea service, or a hot chocolate bar and dessert station.  The tea service is available for USD 55 per person and includes an assortment of teas, plus the following menu:

Desserts:

  • Peppermint macaron
  • Pumpkin macaron
  • Apple crumble mini tart
  • House-made cranberry scones with cinnamon whipped cream

Tea Sandwiches:

  • Chicken salad, cranberries, pecans, curry aioli
  • Prosciutto, herb goat cheese, asparagus
  • Pimento cheese, sweet drop pepper, pumpernickel

The hot chocolate bar and dessert station is available for USD 60 per person, and would be ideal for a late afternoon or evening setup, when guests can use the fireplace and enjoy views of the illuminated palm tree-lined pathway.  This offering includes chocolate bombes (house made chocolate spheres filed with hot chocolate mix) and assorted hot milks (whole, skim, two percent, oatmeal) for a rich, make-your-own hot chocolate station, complete with all the toppings including mini marshmallows, chocolate shavings, cinnamon, whipped cream, chocolate marshmallows.

Desserts include PB&G holiday s’mores with peppermint chocolate, and Italian nut cookies, plus Spanish churros with chocolate dipping sauce.

“The Lakeside rooms are absolutely perfect for a magical afternoon holiday celebration with close family or friends,” says Laure Hitzig Clavtte, Director of Catering. “Guests will feel special when hosted in this unique setting that feels secluded and charming, with its own private outdoor space and fireplace.”

In addition to these special offerings in the Lakeside rooms, the Resort offers private dining menus for the two main restaurants, Ravello and Capa, for parties of up to 30 guests.  A private dining room rental fee applies. For more details or to reserve a special holiday private dining offering, contact the Resort’s Catering team at 407 313 6745.

Holi-Dazzle at The Spa & Salon

The Spa at Four Seasons offers a variety of treatments for locals to look and feel their very best, including facials, massage, body treatments, cryotherapy, hair and nail care, plus new Vitality Drip therapies. To treat oneself to holiday relaxation, or to give the gift of relaxation to a spa-lover, The Spa can be a one-stop shop for beauty and wellness.

The new Signature Silk Hair Treatment, USD 140, offers a luxurious deep sea salt scalp and hair exfoliation with essential oils followed by a caviar hair mask and warm towel treatment. The Signature Silk Hair Treatment is an effective, natural and decadent solution for the ultimate in hair shine, softness and hydration.  The Merry Mani & Mistle Toes, 90 minutes for USD 160, offers the comforting, festive and spiced scent of warm apple cider or the peaceful and traditional benefits of precious frankincense and myrrh. Including a warming soak, exfoliation, massage and much needed hydration, this service includes nail shaping, cuticle care, buffing and the perfect seasonal polish.  To reserve a Spa appointment, contact 407 313 6160.

Shop the Season’s Best Gifts at Wardrobe and Fable

A best-kept-secret among locals in-the-know are the Resort’s lobby level boutiques, Wardrobe and Fable, which boast unique apparel and accessories for all ages. Wardrobe offers a wide selection of stylish apparel, swimwear, footwear and accessories for both men and women, from renowned designers such as Missoni, Golden Goose, Veronica Beard, Tory Burch, Lilly Pulitzer, and more. Wardrobe is open every day from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm.  Fable, the whimsical shop across the hall from Wardrobe, offers a variety of necessities for the on-the-go traveller, including new Corkcicle cups and many fun accessories. Fable also features sought-after Four Seasons logo apparel as well as exclusive gifts and memorable treasures.  Stoney Clover Lane bags and accessories that can be customised with patches exclusive to Four Seasons Resort Orlando are a hot item at Fable.  Satisfy those with a sweet tooth with Sugarfina candy gifts, stock up on organic Coola Suncare or find a delightful gift for little ones, such as Jellycat plush toys. Fable has something for the entire family, and is open from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm daily.

Dinner at Ravello or Capa

The Resort’s signature restaurants are always a treat for locals to enjoy, whether it’s authentic Italian by Executive Chef Fabrizio Schenardi, or expertly grilled steaks and Spanish tapas by Capa Chef Gabriel Massip. At Ravello, diners can enjoy a spacious restaurant with a covered terrace, and a menu with new seasonal offerings such as braised lamb shank and wild mushroom risotto. At Capa, the new Espana Clasica prix-fixe paella menu available on Wednesday nights only for USD 85 per person is a must-try.  Capa has a beautiful rooftop terrace, perfect for taking in the sunset while enjoying a signature Capa GinTonic cocktail or glass of Iconoclast cabernet.  The restaurants have modified seating capacities to ensure physical distancing, and private dining rooms are available to reserve for those who would like a private space.  For dining reservations, call 407 313 6161.

Chef Rabii Saber’s Holiday Chocolate Display

Stop by simply to be wowed by the amazing chocolate creation designed by Executive Pastry Chef Rabii Saber and his team of pastry professionals. This year’s creation is designed to be a Christmas Village, reflective of the old-world style, featuring a small town and tiny village of homes and shops. A beautiful lake and a train surround the darling village, complete with sculpted chocolate and fondant animals such as reindeer. While viewing the creation is sure to inspire one’s cravings for sweets, Lickety Split, just around the corner, awaits. Lickety Split is a sweet treat for locals to enjoy decadent coffee drinks, milkshakes, and holiday gelato flavours such as eggnog and white peppermint.  Don’t miss Chef Saber’s special holiday offerings available for purchase, such as hazelnut cookies, peanut butterscotch dark chocolate bark, and pecan brownie cheesecake. Locals can also order a custom cake, in an assortment of design and flavour options, and even a bûche de Noël, for pick-up.

Holiday décor will be in place through January 5, 2021. For reservations, call 407 313 7777.

Disneyland Paris to remain closed until early 2021

By

Disneyland Paris has confirmed that the resort will remain closed until early on in 2021, as a result of the latest government measures for France related to COVID-19.

The resort was aiming to reopen for the holiday season, but now it appears that it will have to keep the gates closed until Feb. 12, 2021.

For guests who had booked a future trip during this closure period, options availalble include canceling and receiving a full refund or postponing the trip and booking new dates to visit. Starting Dec. 1, guests will be able to rebook their summer break trips at the current available rate for arrivals starting on April 1, 2021.

As for Annual Passes, the duration of those and their benefits, depending on the pass type, will be extended the number of days the resort is temporarily closed—starting from the expiration date of the pass—and monthly payments will be suspended from Nov. 1, 2020 through March 2021. As of right now, new Annual Pass sales are currently suspended.

To learn more about temporary adjustments and cancelation policies for Disneyland Paris in relation to this second temporary closure, visit DisneylandParis.com.

Disneyland Paris shares update on Cars Route 66 Road Trip attraction

By

Disneyland Paris recently shared an update and photos for the upcoming attraction, Cars Route 66 Road Trip, which is set to debut in 2021 at Walt Disney Studios Park.

The sneak peek shared a look at the attraction’s new boarding station, which is inspired by mid-century modern architecture with several nods to the automotive world of Pixar’s “Cars.”

cars route 66 road trip

Guests will enter the station through a tourist booth filled with maps, postcards, and other decorative items. The loading station, which is about halfway through construction, is the first building built outside the current perimeter of Walt Disney Studios Park. Once completed, it will be accessible to guests by a new road that extends from Toy Story Playland.

cars route 66 road trip

Cars Route 66 Road Trip represents the first step in the multi-year expansion of Walt Disney Studios Park.

Stay tuned for more updates on this attraction and Disneyland Paris as we await its grand opening next year!

Hong Kong Disneyland to temporarily close for the third time

By

Disney has announced that Hong Kong Disneyland will experience yet another temporary closure starting Dec. 2, 2020 due to COVID-19.

This third temporary closure is “required by the government and in line with preventative efforts taking place across Hong Kong.” The Disney park and its officials remain in close contact with health authorities and the government about the situation at hand, and plan to announce a reopening date once it is advisable to do so.

This is the second Disney Park to re-close its gates due to COVID-19, as Disneyland Paris made the same announcement recently. The resort has since shared a reopening date set for Feb. 12, 2021.

Hong Kong Disneyland originally closed due to COVID-19 earlier this year, followed by a reopening in June and a subsequent closure in July. The resort reopened for the second time in September of this year, and unveiled its newly-transformed Castle of Magical Dreams shortly before its third closure was announced.

As of the time of writing, other international parks Shanghai Disney Resort and Tokyo Disney Resort are still open to guests, and Walt Disney World continues to be the only Disney resort open domestically.

Join Forces with Disney PhotoPass Service to Capture Out-of-this-world Photos in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

By

Other great photo ops aren’t too far away either! Any time you see a Disney PhotoPass photographer, be sure to stop by – you never know what unique capture experiences you might discover.  

As a bonus, after you take photos with most Disney PhotoPass photographers, you’ll see a photo or digital wallpaper added to your account that relates to that location. Check out a few from Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

We can’t wait to see your photos! Share all your favorites with us by using #DisneyPhotoPass.  

Happy Holidays! Festive Fun Begins Today at Walt Disney World Resort

By

The holiday season at Walt Disney World Resort starts today, and we’re unwrapping more details about the magical experiences happening across our theme parks and Disney Springs, including special pop-up appearances by Santa Claus. Read on for all the festive fun!

Magic Kingdom Park

Your favorite characters don their holiday best and celebrate the season in a series of special cavalcades, complete with Christmastime floats and music. From Mickey and friends trimming a tree to Goofy and his pals whipping up a bakeshop full of scrumptious treats, character cavalcades bring holiday spirit to the streets of Magic Kingdom throughout the day. And keep your eyes open for Santa when he glides down the parade route in his sleigh.

Holiday decor at Magic Kingdom Park

Main Street, U.S.A. is the spot to catch the Holiday Trolley, bringing festive harmonies from the Dapper Dans barbershop quartet, and you may just see some Toy Soldiers joining the Main Street Philharmonic when they march through Magic Kingdom playing their merry melodies.

At night, holiday magic brings a festive look to Cinderella Castle with special projection effects, producing a kaleidoscope of designs including festive stripes and dots, a whimsical Christmas sweater look, a jeweled winter castle and a regal overlay of red, green and gold ornamentation. It’s sure to provide the perfect colorful backdrop for your holiday photos.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park

Holiday fun returns to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, bringing unique seasonal décor and a flurry of festive flotillas with favorite Disney characters sailing down the Discovery River to a jolly holiday soundtrack.

Holiday decor at Disney's Animal Kingdom

“Donald’s Dino Bash Festive Flotilla” takes its seasonal celebration to the water, with character friends waving to everyone as they pass, and Chip ‘n’ Dale jingle through the jungle, bringing their own style of holiday flair to the river. The Discovery Island Drummers cruise along, too, entertaining guests on the shore with an energetic holiday beat. And when Santa Claus makes the trek to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, he’ll spread the joyous spirit of the season to all he sees along the way.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Guests visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios get their own visit from Santa when he brings glitz and glamour to a motorcade down Hollywood Boulevard, led by an entourage of elves and riding in his red convertible packed with presents. And just in time for the holiday season, “For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration” adds a festive finale, featuring everyone’s favorite snowman, Olaf, and celebratory songs of the season.

Holiday projection effects on the Hollywood Tower Hotel at Disney's Hollywood Studios

After dark, the iconic Hollywood Tower Hotel on Sunset Boulevard will twinkle with projection effects as it becomes the Hollywood Holiday Tower Hotel, magically transforming into a Muppets gingerbread masterpiece, a Toy Story toy hotel, a snowy corner of Arendelle and a Dickensian village inspired by “Mickey’s Christmas Carol.”

Disney Springs

The holidays arrive at Disney Springs on Nov. 7, when the area will transform into a winter wonderland, full of sparkling lights, enchanting décor and holiday surprises. Disney Springs is the place to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list – including yourself!  And here, you’ll want to take a break and savor the comforting flavors of the season.

As you wander, you can enjoy the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll presented by AdventHealth, with elaborately decorated, Disney-themed trees appearing throughout the shopping, dining and entertainment district. There will also be music-playing DJs during the day, and in the evening, stilt-walking toy soldiers, skating snowflakes and a magical snowfall will add a touch of wonder for holiday shoppers at surprise locations.

Santa and Mrs. Claus are also making the trip to Disney Springs this year, where later in November you’ll be able to catch them soaking up their last bit of Florida sunshine before their big night. Look for them cruising Lake Buena Vista and sharing Christmas wishes from a pair of colorfully decorated pontoon boats.

Disney Parks Holiday Merchandise

You can bring the Disney Parks magic of the season home with you with new holiday-themed merchandise available throughout Walt Disney World Resort, as well as the Downtown Disney District and Buena Vista Street at Disneyland Resort in California (starting Nov. 19) and online at shopDisney.com. From apparel to accessories to homeware and more, these very merry collections feature the latest ear headbands, spirit jerseys for adults and children, plush, mini-backpacks by Loungefly, cloth face coverings and more. Highlights include:

  • The first Disney Parks holiday snow blower
  • Matching holiday onesies for the whole family
  • Fuzzy clogs by Crocs
  • A new holiday collection from BaubleBar
  • And much more!
Bavaria Holiday Kitchen at EPCOT during the Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays presented by AdventHealth

This is just a sampling of all the festive fun you will enjoy at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort this year. And there’s more to come! EPCOT gets into the spirit a little later in the month, when the Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays presented by AdventHealth kicks off Nov. 27 with live entertainment, Holiday Kitchens, the Holiday Cookie Stroll and more.

Marvel Studios’ “WandaVision” to Debut on Disney+ January 15

By

Marvel Studios’ new series “WandaVision,” which premieres January 15, 2021, exclusively on Disney+, just unveiled a new moving poster featuring signature MCU characters Wanda and Vision in intriguing new surroundings. New images also available.

Kathryn Hahn as Agnes in Marvel Studios’ WANDAVISION. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2020. All Rights Reserved.
Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau in Marvel Studios’ WANDAVISION. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2020. All Rights Reserved.
Paul Bettany as Vision and Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff in Marvel Studios’ WANDAVISION. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2020. All Rights Reserved.

“WandaVision” is a blend of classic television and the Marvel Cinematic Universe in which Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany)—two super-powered beings living idealized suburban lives—begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems. The new series is directed by Matt Shakman; Jac Schaeffer is head writer. 

Twitter: @WandaVision, @DisneyPlus

Facebook: @WandaVisionOfficial, @DisneyPlus

Instagram: @MarvelStudios, @DisneyPlus

Hashtag: #WandaVision, #DisneyPlus

Using the New Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group Procedure

By

Disney announced two weeks ago that the process by which guests of Disney’s Hollywood Studios join boarding groups for Rise of the Resistance would be changing. Beginning November 3rd, no longer would the first release of boarding groups happen in-park at 10am; the first boarding group drop of the day would occur at 7am. As long as guests had a park pass for the Studios that day, and were “nearby,” they could log into the My Disney Experience app and try to get a boarding pass. So, how did the process go for me on the first day of the new procedure? 

First of all, I live near the park, so I met the “nearby” requirement. That being said, after taking a peek at social media after the first boarding group release of the day, I saw that a guest who was 2 hours away from Walt Disney World got a boarding group. So, when Disney says that you should be “nearby,” that seems to be a pretty broad radius. 

Secondly, I love this new procedure. Yes, I set an alarm to remind me just in the off chance that I got busy doing something other than watching the minutes tick by, and, yes, there was a general anxiousness as I waited for [6:59] to flip to [7:00], but this was an infinitely better guest experience than the old way of obtaining a boarding group.

Instead of getting ready and getting over to the park after dealing with lines of cars filled with guests trying to do the same at the auto plaza, I logged into the app and double checked that everything was ready to go while I waited for a cup of tea to brew. Instead of joining a line of guests all trying to get through the temperature check station and security bag check in time to enter the park and be ready for the drop, I prepped for the big moment in my jammies. While I was still nervous that I might not get a boarding group because the process of filling groups still takes just seconds, the level of anxiousness was much, much lower than it was when guests had to be present in-park for the first drop of the day. 

I logged into the app a couple of minutes in advance, and the second that my phone said it was 7am, I clicked the “Join” button. The app took a second or two or process, and then allowed me to proceed. I received boarding group 13. 

Keeping an eye on the app, I could see that boarding groups didn’t begin loading until fairly close to park’s opening time of 10am. As was the case prior to the procedure change, when a guest’s boarding group is called, a push notification is sent, letting that guest know that he or she has one hour to arrive at Rise of the Resistance to ride the attraction. 

When I received my push notification, I gobbled down a little something to eat and headed over to the park. The auto plaza wasn’t packed with cars, the temp check stations were without lines, and security bag check was a breeze. I entered the park and made my way back to the attraction with time to spare. The wait before enjoying the attraction was minimal. 

In my mind, the new procedure is a great step in the right direction in the guest experience category. Having guests log on and try to get a boarding group from the comfort of their resort room or home is big. Not having to stress about getting into the park and go through the whole process in-park is huge. 

Guests who are unable to get a boarding pass during the 7am drop will have another chance to obtain a boarding release at the 2pm release. Guests do need to be in the park if they want to try for the 2pm drop. And, if guests don’t get a boarding group at 7am and they don’t want to wait until the 2pm in-park release, they now have the chance to change up their plans for the day and grab another park pass, if they’re available. 

Have you had the chance to try out the new boarding group procedure? If so, what did you think? Will this update make your next visit to the Studios a bit easier?