food IS a theme park
Heading to Disney World over the holidays?
Magic Kingdom
If you’re flying into Orlando and heading to the parks, you’ll need a plan to get to the resort from the airport! There are lots of options for doing this, including a ride share, renting a car, a taxi, or, what might be the most festive option, a ride on a Mears Connect bus. Book a spot on a Mears Connect bus and cross your fingers that you get the famous bus driver Jean Jean the Dancing Machine!
A new shop has been on its way to Disneyland, and today is finally the day that we can see inside!
Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion
This new store is inspired by a very famous character from Disney’s Haunted Mansion — can you guess who? She reaches the spirits beyond and calls them forth. There’s much to learn from this bodiless character, so let’s step inside the new store to see what we can find!
Happy holidays and Merry Christmas! It’s officially the week of Christmas, and we’re hitting the parks to enjoy all the festive activities.
Christmas at Magic Kingdom
The week of Christmas is one of the busiest times of the year. Many people enjoy spending the holidays with friends and family at the Disney World resort. It truly is one of the most magical places on Earth to celebrate Christmas. You can celebrate at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Jollywood Nights, and the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays. You can enjoy special holiday treats and the jolliest holiday atmosphere ever. But when we say that this time of year is BUSY, we really mean it. Here’s a bit of proof for ya!
When the news broke that Muppets Courtyard would be removed from Disney’s Hollywood Studios to be replaced by a new Monsters, Inc. Land, Muppets fans everywhere were saddened by the news.
Muppets Courtyard in Hollywood Studios
One piece of Muppets Courtyard specifically got a lot of attention — Muppet*Vision 3D. Disney shared that they “are having creative conversations and exploring ways to preserve the film and other parts of the experience for fans to enjoy in the future.” The Jim Henson Company also shared a statement about preserving the film, so many fans are hopeful they’ll be able to experience the show well into the future in some way. Jim Henson’s legacy continues to live on through the Muppets and his last piece of work, but now it seems that the company’s studio lot is being sold to a famous celebrity!
It’s the holiday season, and one of our favorite traditions here at DFB is enjoying all the traditional baked goods!
Merry Christmas!
This year, the TSA has shared a reminder for the holidays that you are welcome to bring solid foods such as cookies, cakes, pies, and brownies through security checkpoints at airports. However, if a food item you plan to take with you on a flight spills, spreads, sprays, pumps, or pours, you’ll need to pack it in your checked bag! They also suggest packing a bit of extra tissue paper in with your baked goods as extra padding as they are going through security. The TSA also shared that its officers love cookies and baked goods as much as anyone and five officers shared their personal cookie recipes!
It might be winter in Florida, but we’re celebrating the reopening of a pool at Disney World!
Port Orleans — French Quarter
A pool at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort—French Quarter briefly closed, but it is once again open to hotel guests! Not too many people might be going swimming in December, but it’s still good to see these refurbishments come to an end.
A lot will be changing at Magic Kingdom in the upcoming years!
Magic Kingdom
A new Villains land is getting added to the park, a new Pirates of the Caribbean lounge is being created, a new nighttime parade will debut in 2025, and two new Cars attractions will be replacing Tom Sawyer Island and Rivers of America. A few months ago, Disney filed a permit that appeared to be for the early stages of construction for these two Cars attractions. Then, in September, the South Florida Water Management District requested some additional information for the permit, and now we have an update on the status of this permit!
We always have our sights set on the horizon and the next big event at Disney World!
EPCOT
While you can currently enjoy the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays until December 30th (which is just around the corner!), we are getting prepped and ready for the next festival coming up in 2025! The EPCOT Festival of the Arts is the first festival in EPCOT in 2025, beginning on January 17th and going through February 24th. This is a colorful festival with lots of art, including culinary art (our favorite kind), drawing, painting, singing, and dancing. Exclusive entertainment to this event is the Disney on Broadway Concert Series, and today, December 18th marks an important date for those who hope to catch one of these performances!
We’re getting close to Christmas, and that means last-minute gift shopping!
Christmas at Magic Kingdom
If you’re still trying to find those perfect gifts for your kiddos, don’t worry; we’ve got you covered! Shopping on Amazon is a great way to ensure your gifts get delivered on time, especially for those of you who have Amazon Prime. Luckily, now is a great time to grab those last-minute gifts since some really great Disney toys and games are on sale now!
The new year is coming up FAST!
Cinderella Castle
We’re about halfway through December, and Christmas is coming up in just a few short days, which means 2025 is just around the corner. If you’re celebrating at Disney World, we hope you’re prepared for some major crowds, as Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day are some of the busiest days at the parks. When it’s busy, grabbing Lightning Lanes can be a great way to skip the long lines, and Disney’s new Lightning Lane Premier Pass is one of the three options for doing that. So, as 2025 approaches, let’s take a look at which days SO FAR will be the cheapest to purchase this new Lightning Lane pass!
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