Oh boy, has it been a hot summer! This means it’s time to hop in the pool and cool off with some fun Disney Pool Floats! Luckily for us, Amazon has a lot of great Disney and Pixar floats, that are perfect for taking a dip! They are also huge, which means the big kids (grown-ups) get to have fun too!
First up is none other than Mickey and Minnie! These are round floats, topped with the iconic mouse ears, and come in their classic color combos!
We can’t have summer fun without Stitch! Stitch is an iconic Disney character for summertime, and this jumbo pool float is just what we need for some surfs up summer fun.
Of course, another fun summer duo is Nemo and Dory! Our favorite fishy friends are also available as fun floats! These are shaped just like our ocean pals, just watch out for jellies!
Hide the chocolate treats poolside while hanging out with the Kevin float! This pool float is super colorful and even has a long neck to hang out to just like the mama bird from UP.
That’s no sea monster, that’s Kitty, I mean Sulley! Sulley is sure to scare up some fun as you float around the pool.
Last, but not least you can pretend to blast off to outer space while splashing through the pool with Wall-E! The lovable robot makes a cheerful poolside companion, don’t forget to recycle your pool party supplies!
You can find all of these fun Disney Pool Floats now at Amazon.com!
New Monorail Sign now up in Epcot ahead of reopening. The Epcot Monorail will be returning to operations this weekend. This monorail line has not been operating for almost a year and a half! We got a chance to take some photos of the new Monorail sign at the Epcot station on our way out of Food & Wine. Check out our Instagram post below.
The new sign is up and looks great, with a chrome top and bottom, it also looks fresh and new and clean. Clearly, Disney is getting ready for the Epcot to Transportation and Ticket Centerline to reopen, which happens July 18, 2021. The Epcot Monorail line is one of our favorites here, furthermore, the loop inside Future World is a great view of the park which we love.
The Epcot Monorail will operate daily beginning one hour before park opening and ending one hour after park closing. With the monorail operating once again, bus service to Epcot will be discontinued for the following resorts:
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa-starting July 25, 2021
Disney’s Contemporary Resort-starting July 25, 2021
Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort-starting sometime in mid-August
Are you as excited as us to take the Epcot monorail again? Our park-hopping back and forth between Magic Kingdom and Epcot has become a little easier and more relaxing without having to take a bus or car ride.
In celebration of Disneyland‘s 66th anniversary (which is today July 17) Cast Members at the resort got a week of festivities just for them. One of those festivities was a rubber duck race!
As one of the most beloved cast-exclusive events, cast members were ecstatic about the return of Duck Races this year. Cast members purchased and decorated $5 rubber ducks (all proceeds benefit Goodwill of Orange County) and raced them through “it’s a small world” before the park opened to guests.
After the ducks set off on the happiest cruise that ever sailed, cast members eagerly waited outside the attraction to see which duck would return first from their trip around the world. Shouts of excitement were heard as the duck that took the lead sailed out of the attraction, decorated by Ruth from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
“I’m not a morning person, so I actually feel amazing today coming out as first place, said Ruth, Merchandise Host. When asked about her duck, she said: “I really like the character Ahsoka from Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Her character is very inspirational, and I think everybody can be an Ahsoka.”
After the last duck finished its cruise, cast members took to Fantasyland to experience favorite classic attractions. Cast members also enjoyed free food, attraction experiences, after-hours celebrations in the parks, photo opportunities and giveaways in celebration of Disneyland’s 66th anniversary.
Proceeds from the rubber duck sales benefit Goodwill of Orange County to help people that are facing challenges and barriers find meaningful jobs. “We are proud to be a long-time partner of Disneyland Resort and so grateful to be the nonprofit recipient,” said Nicole Suydam, President and CEO, Goodwill of Orange County. “This mission work is more important than ever with the current unemployment rate for people with disabilities at 12.6% and we are committed to providing support, trainings and opportunities for everyone who wants to work.”
The newly enhanced Jungle Cruise reopened at Disneyland park today! In celebration, guests can head over to Tropical Hideaway and get a Pineapple Split DOLE Whip Sundae with a special Jungle Cruise boat!
Looking for a place to take a pit stop at Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris, check out the new Laugh ‘n’ Go food truck! This cheese-centric food truck is located at the exit of Cars Road Trip in the park.
The food truck offers Laughing Cow specialties. Those specialties include the Croque Lightning McQueen consisting of ham and The Laughing Cow cheese melted together with a Lightning McQueen design burned into the bun. Guests can also get the Piston Cup which is fresh vegetables with melted The Laughing Cow cheese sauce.
The truck fits right into the world of Cars with its face on the front and its chef’s hat resembles a whirlybird air vent seen on top of houses. How cute is this food truck?
Have you experienced Cars Road Trip at Disneyland Paris?
Enjoy some delicious “Plant Based Meatballs” on this lovely bella notte!
Next time you visit Magic Kingdom Park, you have to visit Tony’s Town Square Restaurant with your loved one and enjoy this delicious dish! You won’t regret it.
In the meantime, you can prepare this tasty dish at home by following this recipe and enjoy it while watching Lady and the Tramp on Disney Plus!
For the sauce, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add basil and simmer for an additional 15 minutes.
For the vegan meatballs, preheat oven to 350F. Wash mushrooms and pulse in a food processor until they are the same consistency as the plant-based meat substitute. In a large bowl combine meat substitute,mushrooms, basil, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper.
Scoop mixture into 1/4 cup balls and place on baking sheet. Bake until the internal temperature is 150F, 10 to 12 minutes.
Cook spaghetti according to package directions and drain water. Plate spaghetti and top with sauce and meatballs. Garnish with basil.
The Disney Cruise Line is once again attempting to run a test sailing this weekend out of Port Canaveral. This test sailing will be done with Cast Members on Saturday, July 17th through Monday, July 19th.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, this will be the first time the Disney Dream has set sail since 2020. The testing was supposed to occur at the end of June, however, inconsistent COVID-19 test results forced a delay:
The ship was originally supposed to have done the two-night sailing back on June 29, but some of its crew came back with positive COVID-19 test results ahead of the planned departure, forcing the line to wait at least 14 days before giving it another go. The crew have all been vaccinated, and successive tests gave back negative results, but CDC requirements meant the ship had to wait.
But now, the Disney Dream is ready to set sail again with around 300 people for the test cruise on Saturday around 4 p.m according to Port Officials. The Disney Dream is expected to set sail to Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, and then return again on Monday:
Now, Disney Dream will sail with about 300 people, which is more than the required 10% capacity, in an effort to get the OK from the CDC to sail with paying customers. Disney Dream is still listed with an Aug. 9 sailing date on the company’s website with a four-night trip to the Bahamas. The Saturday sailing is headed to the line’s private island Castaway Cay and returning Monday. The ship will sail away from Port Canaveral around 4 p.m., according to port officials.
We should have a better idea after this test cruise when the Disney Cruise Line will return to operation in Florida.
Walt Disney World park hours for early October have been released! This is great news for guests that will be visiting for the 50th Anniversary Celebration. Hours were previously only available through September 25. Take a look at park hours for September 26-October 2.
Magic Kingdom will be open from 9 am to 9 pm except on September 30. That day the park will close at 8 pm. Maybe Disney needs an extra hour to prepare for the 50th anniversary on October 1.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios will also be open from 9 am to 9 pm except for September 29. On the 29 the park will close an hour earlier at 8 pm.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is scheduled to be open every day from 8 am to 7 pm.
Will you be visiting Walt Disney World this fall? For help with planning your next Disney vacation, contact me today! I am a travel agent specializing in Disney destinations and can help you plan a magical vacation at no extra cost to you!
Jungle Cruise at the Disneyland Resort reopened today! The classic attraction has been enhanced and now has a deeper backstory. We had the opportunity to experience the ride during the D23 preview event this morning.
For the first time in Disney history, a cast member is featured in a Disney park attraction – a Jungle Cruise skipper! Travelers will find a rhinoceros pointing the way to Ill-fated skipper Felix as his passengers pass him by, up a pole!
The attraction still has some of our favorites (hello backside of water!) along with some new, fun additions. The skippers are just as witty as ever!
You can take this Jungle Cruise journey today at Disneyland OR at Magic Kingdom Park, where all the new adventures will soon be complete. Wherever you choose to start your adventure, the most dangerous part of the journey is always the same – coming back to civilization!
For help with planning your next Disney vacation, contact me today! I am a travel agent specializing in Disney destinations and can help you plan a magical vacation at no extra cost to you!
Calling all chocolate lovers! You are going to love these Mickey Lava Cakes!
This dessert can be found at Shanghai Disneyland and it was created by Chef de Cuisine Nelson Zhang. He loves to instill the wonder of Disney in the dishes he creates, it reminds him of his most happy memories from when he was a kid and used to watch Mickey Mouse cartoons on tv.
If you would like to incorporate the magic of Disney in your kitchen as well, you can do it by following this recipe from Delish!
MICKEY LAVA CAKES
INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup of caster sugar
3/4 cup of frozen blueberries
1/2 cup of frozen raspberries
1/2 cup of frozen strawberries
1/4 cup of water
1 tbsp of cornstarch
Lava Cake
Cooking spray
36 jumbo bittersweet chocolate chips, divided
5 oz of semisweet chocolate, chopped (about 2/3 cups)
Place sugar, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, for 20 minutes. Add cornstarch and stir until thickened. Cool to room temperature before serving.
Preheat oven to 425F. Wrap bottoms of 4″ x 3.1″ Mickey Mouse cookie cutters with aluminum foil. Coat with cooking spray and set on a baking sheet. Place 6 jumbo bittersweet chocolate chips in a single later in the bottom of each mold and set aside.
Melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat and set aside.
Whisk eggs and sugar in a medium bowl until frothy. Slowly add chocolate and stir until combined. Sift cake flour into chocolate mixture and stir until just combined.
Pour 1/3 cup into each Mickey Mouse mold, and bake 7 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before removing from molds.
Whip heavy cream and powdered sugar with an electric mixer to medium peaks. Place lava cake in the center of each plate. Add 2 tbsp mixed berry compote to each plate and dollop whipped cream on the side.
Yeehaw! A great Disney snack has returned to Magic Kingdom’s Frontierland. The Pepper Jack Pretzel is now being sold at Magic Kingdom again.
It’s delicious soft baked jalapeno bread stuffed with lots of melted cheese! Despite the name, it’s not super spicy, but the bread does have a little kick of flavor. Plus, you can dip it in cheese sauce!
The Pepper Jack Pretzel costs $7.25 by itself, but it’s $8.25 if you buy it with the cheddar cheese dipping sauce. It’s quite a filling snack. The inside of the pretzel is filled with delicious Pepper Jack cheese. You can take a closer look at our pretzel in the video below.
In case you’re hungry and eager to try the Pepper Jack Pretzel, then you can find it at the Magic Kingdom Churro Wagon. It’s in Frontierland at the cart shown in the photo below.
“To all who come to this happy place, welcome! Disneyland is your land.” When Walt Disney opened the gates to Disneyland Park on July 17, 1955, those were the words he chose to dedicate it as a source of joy and inspiration for all the world. Continuing as that happy place more than six decades later, the Disneyland Resort is celebrating 66 years as it welcomes guests back to the magic once again. Nearly all attractions and restaurants plus all three Disneyland Resort hotels are now open, and Disneyland park will present performances of Mickey’s Mix Magic with fireworks.*
On the July 17 anniversary, Disneyland park guests will be treated to a brief celebratory cavalcade featuring the Disneyland Band, characters, Disneyland Resort Ambassador and more! Guests can also purchase limited-time anniversary-themed caramel apples at Pooh Corner and Candy Palace and celebratory cupcakes at Jolly Holiday Bakery Café in Disneyland.
What began as Walt Disney’s dream when Disneyland opened in Anaheim in 1955 has continued to evolve with imagination and innovation, expanding from the original Disney theme park to become the Disneyland Resort with Disney California Adventure Park, three hotels and Downtown Disney District.
Thor, who crosses the Bifrost from Asgard to appear at Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park, encounters recruits with his mythic hammer, Mjolnir, in hand. At Avengers Campus, the new land inside Disney California Adventure Park, Super Heroes from across time and space have arrived and are dedicated to training the next generation of Super Heroes. (David Nguyen/Disneyland Resort)
Celebrating 66 Years of Magic at Disneyland Resort parks
With the recent reopening of the parks, guests are returning to join the summertime excitement and create new magical memories.
New this summer, Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure is bringing together Earth’s Mightiest Heroes for the common good, and they are calling all recruits to join the action. Guests can team up with the Avengers and their allies, sling webs with Spider-Man, taste-test inventive food and drinks and become part of a bigger universe.
In Disneyland, three opening-day attractions were recently reimagined: Jungle Cruise, Snow White’s Enchanted Wish, and King Arthur Carrousel. These popular attractions received thoughtful updates from Walt Disney Imagineering that include revised décor and artfully enhanced storylines. Over at the Jungle Cruise, guests are now discovering brand new scenes with new characters as they explore remote rivers across the globe. While the world-famous skippers continue their unique presentations with witty interactions that guests expect, a trapped safari party finds itself up a tree and chimpanzees have overtaken their boat. “Gnu” humor makes it clear that the jungle and the animals get the last laugh on this classic attraction.
This summer, guests are invited to enjoy the return of the “Mickey’s Mix Magic” spectacular that will light up the nights with state-of-the-art projections and lasers turning Main Street, U.S.A., Sleeping Beauty Castle and the façade of “it’s a small world” into a dazzling display of sights, upbeat music and a kaleidoscope of colors. And if that wasn’t magical enough, fireworks will add a pinch more pixie dust to the occasion.*
Fans of “Mickey’s PhilharMagic” will be tapping to a new song with the debut of an animated scene based on Disney and Pixar’s “Coco.” The musical number “Un Poco Loco” will anchor the new scene when it opens to guests at Disney California Adventure park on July 17. The film’s fun, upbeat music and characters combined with the humor of Donald Duck marks the first time Disney and Pixar animators have worked on a creative endeavor where characters from both animation studios will be seen together on screen.
The popularity of Disneyland through the past 66 years celebrates Walt Disney’s dream of a place where family members of all ages can have fun together in an atmosphere that emphasizes imagination and extraordinary guest service. Since 1955, Disneyland has welcomed millions of families, friends, dignitaries, heads of state and celebrities from all over the world who have continued to find it a special place to visit.
Limited-time ticket offer for California residents
For a limited time, California residents can visit the Disneyland Resort theme parks for as low as $83 per person, per day with a special 3-day ticket offer. These 3-day, 1-park per day tickets start at $249 and eligible guests may also purchase a park hopper option for an additional $55. The limited-time promotional tickets are available for purchase now, and California residents may redeem their tickets on any three separate days through September 30, 2021, subject to park reservation availability.** These special tickets may be purchased at Disneyland.com, through a travel agent, or by calling call (866) 572-7321. Valid admission and park reservation for the same park on same date are required for park entry, and park reservations are limited and not guaranteed.**
Opening day attractions which are still enjoyed today are the Jungle Cruise, Autopia, Disneyland Railroad, King Arthur Carrousel, Mad Tea Party, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Peter Pan’s Flight, Casey Jr. Circus Train, Main Street Cinema, Penny Arcade, Mark Twain Riverboat, Storybook Land Canal Boats and Snow White’s Enchanted Wish.
The Disneyland Hotel is also celebrating its 66th anniversary, having opened October 5, 1955, as the first hotel to officially bear the Disney name. Since then, the Disneyland Resort has expanded to include Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel.
Mickey and friends’ “ears” are the most popular Disneyland Resort souvenirs of all time, with more than 90 million “ears” sold since 1955.
More than 3,000 species of plants that are native to more than 40 different countries from around the world are grown at the Disneyland Resort.
At WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure, the new attraction in Avengers Campus, Super Hero guests of all heights can team up with Spidey to help capture the out-of-control Spider-Bots and experience what it’s like to have super powers, a feat accomplished with innovative technology created specifically for this attraction.*
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened at Disneyland May 31, 2019, as the largest single-themed land expansion ever at a Disney theme park.
Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, which opened in early 2020 at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, is one of the most ambitious, advanced and immersive experiences ever undertaken by Walt Disney Imagineering. The innovative attraction takes guests aboard a full-size transport shuttle before they are captured by a Star Destroyer and find themselves in the middle of a climactic battle between the dark side of the First Order. The harrowing adventure blurs the lines between fantasy and reality on a scale never seen before in a Disney attraction.
In Disney California Adventure, the Cars Land rockwork spans nearly 300,000 square feet, making it the largest rockwork construction in a domestic Disney theme
The Downtown Disney District is a 20-acre, 300,000 square-foot avenue featuring approximately 35 distinct venues including Marceline’s Confectionery, an old-fashioned candy shop where guests can watch nostalgic sweets and novel treats being made by hand. The shop is named for Marceline, Missouri where Walt Disney lived as a boy.
Cast members work in many fascinating jobs at the Disneyland Resort, including candy makers, scuba divers who maintain the water-related attractions, and resort enhancement specialists who work year-round to prepare for the seasonal transformations for Halloween and Holidays.
Approximately 32 different languages are spoken among Disneyland Resort cast members.
Disneyland Resort theme park updates
To visit a theme park, guests (ages 3 and older) must purchase a valid ticket and make a theme park reservation for the same day and same park they want to visit. Park reservations are limited and subject to availability, and a hotel reservation does not guarantee theme park access. Other important details are at Disneyland.com/update. As of June 15, 2021, the State of California recommends that all guests be fully vaccinated or receive a negative COVID-19 test prior to entering the Disneyland Resort.
* Performances are subject to change or cancellation, including due to weather.
** Offer valid only for California residents within ZIP codes 90000-96199 and Northern Baja California residents within ZIP codes 21000-22999; proof of eligible residency, including valid government-issued photo ID, is required for purchase and admission. Tickets expire 9/30/2021 and are limited in availability. Each day of use constitutes one full day of use. May purchase up to five tickets per eligible person per day with valid ID. Tickets are nonrefundable, may not be sold or transferred for commercial use and exclude activities/events separately priced. Offer may not be combined with other ticket discounts or promotions. Ticket may not be upgraded. Offer subject to restrictions, change and cancellation without notice.
