New Bambi Merchandise Spotted At Disney’s Wilderness Lodge!
Discover a forest of fun with this new Bambi merchandise collection we spotted at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge with apparel and home decor! Some of these pieces are also available online at shopDisney so you can get your favorite ones without having to leave your home.
This Bambi beret is a must have this season! The neutral colors and romantic embroidery of Bambi with flowers is so cute and chic. We are definitely thinking of all the ways we can match this with our outfits.
Another great piece is this turtle neck sweater with an adorable embroidery of Bambi! Such a cute staple piece to add to your wardrobe.
We also found these fun socks featuring Thumper and Flower. They are adorable.
This hoodie in a yellow/mustard color with a big flower featuring Bambi characters and nature icons.
We also found this all over patter of Flower jacket and pants matching set with olive green details.
You can also stay cozy and warm at home with this Bambi throw featuring artwork from the animated classic. It is available online at shopDisney for $74.99.
Star Wars Loungefly Backpack For An Out Of The Galaxy Style!
Be ready for your rebel missions with all your on the go essentials strapped into this stellar Star Wars Loungefly backpack featuring C-3PO, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca and R2-D2 on the front.
On the back it features Darth Vader and on the side a metal applique of half Rebel and Empire symbol. Definitely a great backpack for any Star Wars fan.
You can take a closer look at this backpack in our Instagram post:
Santa Claus represents the spirit of the holiday season and reflects the diversity of guests who visit Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. He will make appearances across the resort and host meet-and-greets at select theme parks.
Disney World Celebrates Soulfully this Holiday Season
Walt Disney World Resort is Celebrating Soulfully this holiday season by offering enchanting experiences, cultural immersions and a variety of merry-making opportunities that pay tribute to Black heritage and culture through music, food, art and more.
Across the 40-square-mile resort’s theme parks, resort hotels and entertainment districts, guests of all backgrounds and cultures can Celebrate Soulfully. That includes meeting Santa Claus who represents the spirit of the holiday season and reflects the diversity of guests. Jolly Old St. Nick will make appearances across Walt Disney World Resort and host meet and greets at select parks.
The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays presented by AdventHealth runs Nov. 25 through Dec. 30 with special live entertainment, cultural dining opportunities and more.
The Candlelight Processional, a beloved holiday performance and Disney Parks tradition, returns with a lineup of celebrity narrators telling the Christmas story along with performances by a Disney choir and a live orchestra. Celebrity narrators this year include actress and TV host Whoopi Goldberg, entrepreneur and ABC’s Shark Tank investor Daymond John, actor Courtney Vance and actress Angela Bassett, who is starring in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Bassett is also the narrator of Disney Enchantment at Magic Kingdom Park.
Another returning favorite entertainment option is “JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season.” This uplifting performance of gospel music mixed with jazz and R&B celebrates Christmas and Kwanzaa with multiple performances daily on the World Showcase Plaza Stage.
Guests looking to tempt their tastebuds shouldn’t miss Holiday Kitchens at EPCOT World Showcase, which features cultural holiday fare from around the world. Mouth-watering options this year include a New Year’s traditional treat – Hoppin’ John. This southern favorite is anchored in West African tradition; it’s a tasty combination of black-eyed peas, ham hocks and kale served over rice with cornbread crumbles. Guests can taste Blackened Catfish with Hoppin’ John and Comeback Sauce at American Holiday Table located at The American Adventure.
There are also new tastes and sips at the Disney Resort Hotels. The Belle Vue Lounge at Disney’s BoardWalk Resort recently debuted Sparkling Hibiscus. It blends Sorel Hibiscus Liqueur by renowned microdistiller Jackie Summers with a sparkling grapefruit mixer.
This holiday season, guests can experience Wakanda Forever by visiting the Black Panther Tree on the Disney Springs Tree Trail. They can also indulge in a Royal Sunset beverage at select locations. Inspired by the film, it features grapefruit juice, Empress gin, pure cane sugar, and luxardo cherries. The drink is available through Dec. 22, 2022.
Plus, guests can enjoy a new addition to the Disney Springs Art Walk: A Canvas of Expression. Black artist David Anthony Geary created the original painting Joy is Portable to evoke a sense of joy for the viewer. His work is featured throughout his native Chicago area, including inside the World’s Largest Starbucks on Michigan Avenue.
Geary joins other noted artists from around the world who have contributed to the Art Walk, including Black artists Everett Spruill and Laci Jordan.
In addition, contemporary Afropop band Wassalou will perform on the Waterside stage throughout the season to celebrate Kwanzaa.
Clock and Crafts Shop Finally Reopens in EPCOT’s Germany Pavilion Photo Tour. It is a Holiday miracle at Epcot, as one of the last remaining closed shops has finally reopened. Volkskunst Clocks and Crafts Shop has some really cool theming inside and you can take a photo tour with us.
Disney is proposing a wage increase for Disney World Cast Members with starting wages being increased to $20 per hour gradually over the next five years. However, Cast Members say that won’t solve the immediate financial crisis that is going on right now.
Cast Members could be heard chanting, “Disney workers need a raise,” while holding signs describing difficulties affording health care, formula for their children, retirement, and rising housing costs.
CommuniCore Hall and Moana Construction Update from EPCOT. We recently received updates from Walt Disney Imagineering about both Moana Journey of Water and CommuniCore Hall. Both are coming to Disney’s Epcot and are slated to open in 2023. We got over to ride the Monorail around and came back with some images to share.
One of the highlights of the update is the colors and landscaping that are being done right now. We can now see where the entrance is going to be and see the Heart of Te’fiti. Below you can see all the images and the posts from Walt Disney Imagineering.
“Throughout Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, guests will have the opportunity to discover characters from the Walt Disney Animation Studios film “Moana” carved into the rocks and waterways of their surroundings. Our Imagineers worked closely with the studio to develop the artistic style of these characters who will naturally take form within the water-filled landscape. We are excited to see guests make their way through this self-guided trail next year and discover how Moana and her friends truly inspired the surroundings of this experience!”
“Work continues to ramp up in the World Nature and World Celebration neighborhoods of EPCOT. Our Imagineers are always looking to add and refine the smallest details when bringing these experiences and spaces to life in our parks. We look forward to the opening of these new areas – including CommuniCore Plaza, CommuniCore Hall, and Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana – to guests in Late 2023!”
FALSE: Disney World and Disneyland Theme Park Reservations No Longer Required Starting in January 2023!
There is a FAKE graphic being shared around the Internet about Disney World and Disneyland no longer requiring Theme Park Reservations starting on January 9th, 2023. When seeing some of my friends online share the FALSE graphic I had to do a little digging.
Bob Iger briefly mentioned Theme Park Reservations earlier this week at his Cast Member Townhall Meeting, which you can check out the highlights here. He went on to say that he has not personally used the reservation system since its inception back in 2020 but has heard good things and bad things about it.
But something that big don’t you think Bob would have mentioned Theme Park Reservations going away in his town hall meeting?
We all know Bob Chapek was a big fan of the theme park reservation system however, Bob Iger Disapproved of the Changes Bob Chapek Made at Disney.
Not to mention I don’t think news that big would come from Disney’s Guest Relations.
Also floating around is this FAKE Disney Parks Tweet to further the HOAX that is making the rounds on the internet.
If you actually look at the Disney Parks Twitter account you will not find that image anywhere. Wouldn’t something that big be front and center?
While I would love for Disney Park Pass Reservations to go away I think someone is having a little fun at Disney’s expense online.
I could be totally wrong but I have yet to hear a peep about Disney abandoning the Park Pass Reservation System from my Cast Member friends or other Media channels.
Darby and the Dead recycles 80’s High School Drama for a new generation
After suffering a near-death experience as a young girl, Darby Harper (Downs) gains the ability to see dead people. As a result, she becomes introverted and shut off from her high school peers and prefers to spend time counseling lonely spirits who have unfinished business on earth. But all that changes when Capri (Cravalho), the Queen Bee of the school’s most exclusive clique, unexpectedly dies in a freak hair straightening accident, resulting in the obvious cancellation of her upcoming “Sweet 17.”
Capri, however, pleads with Darby from the other side to intervene and convince Capri’s friends to proceed with the party as planned. In order to appease the wrath of the undead diva, Darby must emerge from her self-imposed exile and reinvent herself — which along the way, allows her to find new joy back in the land of the living.
“Darby and the Dead” stars Riele Downs (“Henry Danger”), Auli’i Cravalho (“Moana”), Chosen Jacobs (“IT”), Asher Angel (“Shazam!”), Wayne Knight (“Seinfeld”), with Derek Luke (“13 Reasons Why”) and Tony Danza (“Who’s the Boss?”), and is directed by Silas Howard (“Dickinson”).
The screenplay is by Becca Greene (“Good Vibes”), based on a story by Wenonah Wilms (“Fem 101”), and the producers are Adam Saunders (“When We First Met”) and Eddie Rubin (“Blue Bayou”), with Michele Weisler (“The Kissing Booth”) and Mac Hendrickson serving as executive producers.
Darby and the Dead pays tribute to iconic teen movies like “Mean Girls,” “Sixteen Candles,” “Heathers” and “Clueless,” while capturing the nuances of the modern-day teenage social ladder. The film stars Reile Down as Darby Parker, a girl forever changed by her near-death experience. She is shut off from most of her peers, judgemental and introverted.
Darby is offset by the social butterfly/ mean girl Capri played by Moana superstar Auli’i Cravalho. Cravalho is convincing in her role as Capri, playing the role of the unlikeable Queen Bee to perfection. Up until the end of the film, Cravalho makes it hard to like this character.
The film ultimately falls into a weird demographic. While the film’s story is purposely trying to evoke 80s teen film nostalgia, it falls short in connecting to the generation reared on The Breakfast Club and Heathers. Meanwhile, Darby and the Dead has a look and feel reminiscent of Disney Channel films that seemingly cater to younger audiences.
While “Darby” classifies itself as a teen comedy, younger children (and their parents) may be turned off by the gratuitous language which was seemingly forced into the script to make it seem “edgy”. The film has a PG-13 rating for language and does everything it can to fit in as many expletives as it can. Parents with younger children are forewarned, Darby and the Dead may not be appropriate for younger teens.
Darby and the Dead excelled at its depiction of the social media landscape and its distortion of reality for today’s kids. I’m sure that teens of Gen Z will be able to associate with this film more so than this Gen X author did, and perhaps that is the point of the film. If “Darby” is trying to create a teenage drama for a whole different era, then it may very well land with its intended audience.
The cast of the film seems too adorable to be evil, but then again so was the Brat Pack in the 80’s. Darby and the Dead is a solid addition to HULU’s growing catalog of films and is certainly worth a watch, but my recommendation is to stick with the classics that inspired this reductive film.
Newest Disney Springs Art Walk Commemorates Native American Heritage Month
The newest Disney Springs Art Walk creation commemorates Native American Heritage Month. November was Native American Heritage Month which celebrates Native culture. The new creation was painted by Nani Chacon from New Mexico.
Inspired by her strong Native American roots and just in time for Native American Heritage Month, Nani created a piece that tells a story of the relationship between landscape and indigenous people of the area, something she finds incredibly important and enjoys showing in her work. She hopes her work conveys the individuality of indigenous peoples’ nations. Check out the video below to hear more about Nani’s work, the meaning behind it and what she hopes guests will take away from it.
For Nani, the opportunity to be featured amongst the works of the other Disney Springs Art Walk: A Canvas of Expression artists was incredibly special. “It meant a lot to me to be able to paint a piece for Disney Springs Art Walk. The opportunity has allowed me to express myself, be representative of my region and given me the ability to share my ideas in a public format,” Nani said as she put the finishing paint brush strokes on her piece.
Bursting with color and diverse stories, Disney Springs Art Walk: A Canvas of Expression features meaningful murals from artists from around the world. Be sure to come see these eye-catching pieces located near the Town Center bus loop. You won’t want to miss checking out Nani’s vibrant piece and the other inspiring murals.
Have you had a chance to check out the Disney Springs Art Walk yet?
If you’d like to visit Disney Springs at 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!
The Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom Expands Cocktail Menu
Disney World is slowly allowing more alcoholic beverage options in its main park. The Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom has recently expanded its cocktail menu. Hard liquor restrictions seem to be loosening at “The Most Magical Place on Earth”.
Magic Kingdom was a dry park until Be Our Guest opened in 2012. Table service restaurants have since been offering wine and beer. Cocktails were added to those offerings this fall. No quick service locations offer any alcoholic beverages.
Diners at Crystal Palace have three new cocktails to choose from that are available at breakfast, lunch, and dinner:
Jack Rose: Laird’s Applejack Brandy, Hibiscus Grenadine, Lemon Juice, and Lime Juice – $13.50
Last Word: Fords Gin, Green Chartreuse Liqueur, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, and Lime Juice garnished with Luxardo Cherries – $18
Bloody Mary: Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Bloody Mary Mix garnished with Cucumber, Grape Tomato, and Green Olive – $14.50
What do you think about the growing list of cocktails and alcoholic beverages at Magic Kingdom?
If you’d like to experience the Magic Kingdom, 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!
Disney Proposing $20/hr Wage Increase for Disney World Cast Members
The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that Disney is proposing a wage increase for Disney World Cast Members! The proposal suggests that starting wages be increased to $20 per hour gradually over the next five years.
Disney spokeswoman Andrea Finger said, “We have presented a strong and meaningful offer that far outpaces Florida minimum wage by at least $5 an hour and immediately takes starting wages for certain roles including bus drivers, housekeepers and culinary up to a minimum of $20 an hour while providing a path to $20 for all other full-time, non-tipped STCU roles during the contract term.”
The Services Trade Council Union is taking part in contract negotiations this week on behalf of 42000 Walt Disney World Cast Members. Wage increases are one of the top issues.
The wage increase proposal would mean that 25% of non-tipped employees would earn $20 per hour within the first year of the new contract agreement.
The current contract expired in October of this year. Both Disney and the union agreed to extend it while negotiations are ongoing.
What do you think about a wage increase for Disney World Cast Members?
Black Panther Characters Coming to Disney Cruise Line’s Marvel Day at Sea
We are excited to announce that the new Black Panther and Okoye, General of the Dora Milaje, will make their Disney Cruise Line debut exclusively during Marvel Day at Sea beginning in January!
The iconic Wakandan warriors will join the largest assembly of Super Heroes and Villains from the Marvel universe aboard the Disney Dream.
For the first time aboard one of our ships, you’ll get a chance to meet the newest protector of Wakanda with an all-new Black Panther heroic encounter!
The Black Panther will also appear in “Heroes Unite”, the event’s signature nighttime spectacular featuring special effects, stunts and pyrotechnics.
And if you’re ready to become a warrior ally of Wakanda, then you cannot miss the brand-new show featuring the fearsome general, Okoye. In the atrium, “Warriors of Wakanda” will have recruits train with the mighty Dora Milaje in an interactive experience for the whole family.
Marvel Day at Sea is one action-packed day aboard a five-night sailing on the Disney Dream where you can interact with all your favorite Super Heroes and Villains through all-day entertainment, including heroic encounters, stage shows, film and TV screenings, unique merchandise, themed food and beverage offerings, and activities for families, kids and adults. Marvel Day at Sea will take place on nine Western Caribbean cruises sailing from Miami in early 2023.
Departing Jan. 7, Jan. 21, Feb. 4, Feb. 18 and March 4, 2023, the itinerary features Georgetown, Grand Cayman and Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay.
Departing Jan. 16, Jan. 30, Feb. 13 and Feb. 27, 2023, the itinerary includes stops at Cozumel, Mexico and Castaway Cay.
Are you excited to see Black Panther characters on a Disney Cruise? If you would like to book a Marvel Day at Sea Voyage on Disney Cruise Line just fill out the form below!
