Disney World 50th Anniversary Merchandise Discounted in Final Days of Celebration
The Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary merchandise has been discounted as the end of the celebration nears. The celebration officially ends on March 31, 2023.
The discounted merchandise is only available at World of Disney in Disney Springs but not in the parks. This isn’t an overall discount but select items are on sale.
The small and medium 50th anniversary reusable bags are now $0.25 instead of $1 and $1.50. The 50th anniversary Loungefly mini backpack is 50% off. It was previously $88 but is now $44. The 50th anniversary light-up Mickey Mouse balloon headbands are now $18.78 instead of $37.56.
Other discounted items include the Walt Disney World 50th anniversary Lionel train, the 50th anniversary Rubik’s cube, the 50th anniversary Grand Finale ear headband, the 50th anniversary jeweled ear headband, and the foaming hand soap dispenser.
Will you be heading to Disney Springs to check out the discounts?
If you’d like to visit Walt Disney World, contact me today! I am a travel agent with Destinations to Travel, my services are complimentary, and I’d love to help you plan a magical vacation!
First Round of Disney Layoffs to Include Executives from Hulu, Freeform, and FX
Details are starting to be shared online on the first round of Bob Iger’s Disney Layoffs. It is being reported by Deadline that there will be a consolidation of production operations across Disney TV Studios, Hulu, Freeform, and FX under Carol Turner and the shutdown of the studio operation’s Creative Acquisitions department.
Senior Vice President of Production for Hulu, Mark Levenstein, and Jayne Bieber, senior vice president of Production Management & Operations for Freeform, are the first executives to be laid off this week.
Carol Turner is expected to report to Eric Schrier, Disney Television Studios & Global Original Television Strategy for Disney Entertainment, and she will absorb the laid-off executive roles as part of a consolidation effort for scripted television across Disney Entertainment.
Earlier today Bob Iger sent out a memo to Disney Employees laying out his plans for the upcoming layoffs which were expected to start later this week.
According to Scott Gustin on Twitter, the new location will be housed in the Avengers Headquarters building. Construction walls are set to go up around the area today.
NEW: Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park is getting a new merchandise location. Construction walls will go up in front of Avengers Headquarters today. This construction is not for the E-ticket attraction. pic.twitter.com/KZRVf75xzm
“NEW: Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park is getting a new merchandise location. Construction walls will go up in front of Avengers Headquarters today. This construction is not for the E-ticket attraction.”
Disney has previously shared news about a new attraction coming to the Avengers Headquarters building. The current construction is not for that ride but for the new merchandise location.
Want to experience all Avengers Campus has to offer? Contact me today to start planning your next trip! I am a travel agent with Destinations to Travel, my services are complimentary, and I’d love to help you plan a magical vacation!
Questlove will Direct Live-Action ‘The Aristocats’ Movie
It is being reported that Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson has signed on to direct a live-action/hybrid reimaging of TheAristocats for Walt Disney Studios.
According to Deadline Thompson also is executive producing and overseeing music for the film, whose script is by Will Gluck and Keith Bunin. Tarik Trotter, Shawn Gee and Zarah Zohlman will exec produce on behalf of Two One Five Entertainment.
The design is gorgeous! It features Darth Vader, R2-D2, lightsabers, the Death Star and Tie Fighter with a quote that says “In a galaxy, far, far, away” in black letters. There are also plenty of colors available so you will find one that works best for you! A must have for any Star Wars fan for sure.
Walt Disney World Monorail Play Set Spotted At Epcot!
Ride high in the sky with this new Walt Disney World Monorail Play Set we found at Epcot for $99.99! The new updated version features a new design replacing the Disney World 50th anniversary artwork.
This new version features red and yellow line colors with beloved Disney characters like Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Donald, Daisy, and Chip & Dale plus theme park icons like Cinderella Castle, Spaceship Earth, tea cups and more!
It also comes with a remote control so you can channel your inner pilot! Take a closer look at this fun monorail play set in our Instagram post:
The only sneak peek we have so far is a new backpack in beige and orange colors with artwork featuring Moana wearing her flower crown on the front. It’s a simple but beautiful design, we can’t wait to see the whole collection when it lands on shopDisney.
So keep checking back as we update you with more details about this Moana collection!
Bob Iger has just confirmed that the first round of Disney Layoffs will begin this week through the summer
Disney CEO Bob Iger has just confirmed with Deadline that layoffs will start this week for Cast Members and continue through Summer as Disney is expected to shed about 7000 jobs total or around $5.5 Billion dollars.
Bob sent out an email to Cast Members detailing the layoffs.
As I shared with you in February, we have made the difficult decision to reduce our overall workforce by approximately 7,000 jobs as part of a strategic realignment of the company, including important cost-saving measures necessary for creating a more effective, coordinated and streamlined approach to our business. Over the past few months, senior leaders have been working closely with HR to assess their operational needs, and I want to give you an update on those efforts.
This week, we begin notifying employees whose positions are impacted by the company’s workforce reductions. Leaders will be communicating the news directly to the first group of impacted employees over the next four days. A second, larger round of notifications will happen in April with several thousand more staff reductions, and we expect to commence the final round of notifications before the beginning of the summer to reach our 7,000-job target.
The difficult reality of many colleagues and friends leaving Disney is not something we take lightly. This company is home to the most talented and dedicated employees in the world, and so many of you bring a lifelong passion for Disney to your work here. That’s part of what makes working at Disney so special. It also makes it all the more difficult to say goodbye to wonderful people we care about. I want to offer my sincere thanks and appreciation to every departing employee for your numerous contributions and your devotion to this beloved company.
For our employees who aren’t impacted, I want to acknowledge that there will no doubt be challenges ahead as we continue building the structures and functions that will enable us to be successful moving forward. I ask for your continued understanding and collaboration during this time.
In tough moments, we must always do what is required to ensure Disney can continue delivering exceptional entertainment to audiences and guests around the world – now, and long into the future. Please know that our HR partners and leaders are committed to creating a supportive and smooth process every step of the way.
I want to thank each of you again for all your many achievements here at The Walt Disney Company.
Star Wars Shares the Recipe of the Empire Biscuits from the Mandalorian
Chapter 19 of The Mandalorian introduced the world to Imperial travel rations, and now Star Wars is sharing the recipe online. Doctor Pershing approves of this recipe, and so should you. StarWars.com describes the treats as “Touched with a hint of ginger and rose water, these fragrant cookies are so soft they almost melt in your mouth. A sweet treat that’s so irresistible it might make you think twice about leaving the Empire behind.”
Head to StarWars.com for baking instructions and tune into the Mandalorian on Disney+ streaming every Wednesday. Let us know what you think of this recipe in a comment, and May the Force be with you.
The Disney World Theme Parks and Resorts will be celebrating Earth Month with New Food & Drink Items you need to check out!
Earth Day is coming on April 22nd and it just so happens to also be the 25th Anniversary of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Walt Disney World Resort is celebrating the world around us and its creatures all throughout the month with the help of the talented Disney chefs and mixologists!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney Resort Hotels are bringing the beauty of Earth to the plate with delicious dishes like the Elephant Cupcake at Pizzafari and Restaurantosaurus, the plant-based Chaat at Sanaa, and the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail Sundae from Tamu Tamu showcasing our very own gorilla – Kejana!
Creature Comforts(Available March 28 through April 30)
Bee Hive Mousse Dome: Honey mousse on top of a brownie base with sugar bees
and white chocolate honeycomb (New)
Dawa Bar
Rum and Pineapple Cocktail: Parrot Bay Coconut Rum, Blue Curaçao Liquor, sour mix, pineapple juice garnish with pineapple wedge showcasing the ocean. The drink takes its name “bahari” from the Swahili word for “ocean.”
Flame Tree Barbecue (Mobile order available)
Flamingo Cupcake: Strawberry cake, strawberry compote filling, guava buttercream, pink crispy pearls, sugar flamingo, and white chocolate wings (Available starting March 28)
Bubbling Pink Lagoon: Strawberry lemonade, Sprite, and kiwi flavoring (Also available with glow cube and available with vodka for guests 21 and over) (Available March 28 through April 30) (New)
Nomad Lounge (Available March 31 through April 30)
Gin and Bitters Cocktail: Cruxland Gin, bitters, and soda water garnished with a lemon wheel and honey simple syrup Inspired by the use of strategically placed beehives to protect the crops of African farmers from elephants (New)
Pizzafari (Available March 28 through April 30; mobile order available)
Elephant Cupcake: Graham cracker cake, pineapple filling with matcha buttercream, crispy pearls, and a stunning white chocolate elephant celebrating Earth Month (New)
Viva Gaia Tonic: Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade, Sprite, and cotton candy flavor with mint leaves (Also available with glow cube and available with vodka for guests 21 and over)(New)
Restaurantosaurus (Available March 28 through April 30; mobile order available)
Elephant Cupcake: Graham cracker cake, pineapple filling with matcha buttercream, crispy pearls, and a stunning white chocolate elephant celebrating Earth Month
Tamu Tamu (Available March 28 through April 30)
Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail Sundae: Brownie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce, and trail crunch mix topped with a white chocolate image of Kejana (New)
Terra Treats
Roasted Mushroom & Leek Pizza: Plant-based offering with IMPOSSIBLE Meatballs, roasted mushrooms, braised leeks, and a dash of truffle oil (New) (Plant-based)
A variety of plant-based items including Cauliflower Bunny Chow, Black-eyed Pea Salad, IMPOSSIBLE Bobotie, Feisty Green Beans, Tandoori Tomatoes, Carrot and Chickpea Salad, Jollof Rice with Plant-based Sausage, Garlic-leek Hummus, and Harira Soup
Available at Isle of Java, Terra Treats, Thirsty River Bar, and Outdoor Ice Cream Carts (Available March 28)
Tiger Eye Gold: Refreshing, light golden ale brewed with a blend of malt and rice and finished with hops from the Pacific Northwest that impart a hint of citrus flavor and the aroma of mandarin orange blossoms
Available at Dawa Bar, Eight Spoon Café, Restaurantosaurus Lounge, Thirsty River Bar, TriloBites, and Warung Outpost (Available April 2 through 30)
Honey Bee Citrus Ale: Celebrating our pollinators, this ale is a light, slightly sweet, honey ale with a crisp clean finish
Disney Resort Hotels
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
The Mara (Available April 22 only; mobile order available)
Chaat: Seasonal vegetables from The Land at EPCOT and potato croquette with chana masala, kale pakora, tamarind, coriander chutney, and coconut raita (New) (Plant-based)
Honeycomb Cocktail: A tribute to global conservation through bee pollination featuring Four Roses Bourbon, lemon juice, and honey garnished with a dehydrated blood orange and honeycomb (New)
Available at Various Pool Bars Across Disney Resort Hotels (Available April 1 through May 31)
Cucumber Gimlet: Inspired by bright, refreshing flavors of spring and garden vegetables like cucumber, lime juice, and simple syrup topped with soda water with a chili-lime rim and cucumber garnish (New)
Happy Earth Month! Remember to continue your support of the planet beyond just the month of April. And be sure to take your own foodie adventures all throughout Disney Parks – the possibilities are endless.
Breakfast and Lunch Menus with Pricing Revealed Ahead of the Grand Reopening of Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in EPCOT
Starting on May 14th, 2023, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in EPCOT will resume serving breakfast and lunch. Today Disney has given us a first look at the Breakfast and Lunch Menus with Prices ahead of the May 14th reopening.
Akershus Banquet Hall opens its doors for a feast in honor of beloved storybook princesses—and you’re invited! Dine in a medieval castle where you’ll encounter a royal promenade of princess friends who can’t wait to meet you.
Here is a look at the Princess Storybook Dining Breakfast Menu with Pricing:
Savor Norwegian-inspired fare for lunch and dinner.
Delight in family-style platters fit for royalty! Lunch and dinner highlights include field greens salad with lingonberry vinaigrette, traditional kjØttkake (Norwegian meatballs) and grilled salmon.
Be sure to save room for dessert—a platter of 2 delectable desserts served family-style for the perfect ending to your feast.
Here is a look at the Lunch & Dinner Menus with Pricing:
Are you excited for the return of the Princess Storybook Dining along with Lunch at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in EPCOT?
New EPCOT Photopass Studio in the Norway Pavilion. The ability to download all the Disney PhotoPass photos and videos from your Walt Disney World vacation with Memory Maker is such an underrated tip. I take home many, MANY souvenirs every vacation, but my photos always seem to be the souvenir that matters the most long after my visit is over.
We got over to Epcot Norway Pavilion and stopped in at The Wandering Reindeer, at the exit to the Anna and Elsa meet and Greet, and got our new Photopass done.
Indoor Photo Studio at EPCOT
Disney PhotoPass Studios are located at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Magic Kingdom Park, Disney Springs, and now EPCOT too! At the Wandering Reindeer in the Norway pavilion at EPCOT, you’ll find our newest studio location.
Like all of our studios, it’s staffed by our talented photographers, no reservations are required, everyone is welcome to visit, and the photos captured are included with Memory Maker at no extra cost.
While you’re here to enjoy the magic together, we’re here to snap the photos you’ll treasure for a lifetime.
You’ll find Disney PhotoPass Service throughout the Walt Disney World Resort. At select attractions and iconic park locations, we’re on hand to capture your unforgettable vacation moments with one-of-a-kind photo opportunities that only we can offer. Minutes later, your pictures are ready to view in your gallery—online or on the My Disney Experience app. (Registration is required to access your gallery photos on our website or the mobile app.)
To enjoy the value and convenience of downloading all your vacation photos for one price, purchase Memory Maker.
