“This week, Disney’s Boardwalk Inn officially reopened to Guests, just in time for the resort’s 25th anniversary! It’s been 25 years of classic carnival fun, tasty treats and beautiful nighttime strolls on the Boardwalk. Thank you to all of the Cast Members who have made magic here over the years!”
Have you ever stayed at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn? What are your thoughts?
Magic Kingdom is currently scheduled to be open from 9 am to 9 pm. On the dates Disney’s After Hours Boo Bash takes place the park will close at 8:30 pm.
Ever since he joined the herd at Kilimanjaro Safaris last February, Ranger the White Rhino has been growing and becoming part of the group. He’s the youngest White Rhino at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and is known to be quite rambunctious. But even the liveliest rhinos can struggle with the hot humidity this time of year. That’s why this species has time-tested ways to cool off in summer.
Ranger is not much of a baby anymore. At almost 900 pounds, he’s grown a lot since being introduced to the herd. However, male white rhinos can weigh over 5,000 pounds, so he still has some growing to do! He is only eight months old, so he has plenty of time to mature. After all, he was in the womb for twice that long!
Young Ranger was recently spotted wallowing in the mud to cool off from the summer heat. Rhinos rest in the shade or find a mud wallow during hotter days. The mud cools them and helps protect their skin against parasites and the sun. They tend to move around more at night when temperatures are lower.
The White Rhinoceros is a near-threatened species. Northern White Rhinos are on the brink of extinction with only two females surviving who are past the age of reproducing. The last male died in 2018. Southern White Rhinos like Ranger are thankfully experiencing a population increase after years of battling endangerment due to poaching.
We love watching Ranger grow and thrive in his environment. One of the happiest moments on Kilimanjaro Safari is getting a look at this young bull and his undeniable zest for life. Have you spotted Ranger on any of your recent safaris?
Looking for a delicious treat? Try out Kronk’s Challah Recipe!
Challah bread is a type of ceremonial brad eaten at Jewish holidays and religious occasions including Shabbat. Today, we often see challah “braided” but it can actually be served in a variety of shapes and flavors depending on the specific celebration and on the cultural group making it.
If you would like to give this a try, just follow this easy recipe Disney shared for us so you can enjoy this delicious bread while watching Emperor’s New Groove on Disney Plus!
KRONK’S CHALLAH RECIPE
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of lukewarm water
2 tsp of active dry or instant yeast
4 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of granulated sugar
2 tsp of salt
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk (reserve the egg white for the egg wash)
Place water in small bowl, and sprinkle in yeast and a pinch of sugar. Stir to combine. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes until a frothy layer forms across the top.
Combine flour, sugar and salt.
In the center of the flour, add the eggs, egg yolk, and oil. Whisk together.
Combine yeast mixture and egg mixture. Mix yeast, eggs, and flour until a dough that is tough to mix forms.
Place the dough on a floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes. The dough is ready when it is smooth and holds shape.
Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover, and place somewhere warm. Let the dough rise for about 2 hours until it has doubled in bulk.
Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a long rope.
Gather dough ropes and squeeze them together at the top. Braid the ropes, and squeeze the other ends together when complete.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place braided long on the paper and sprinkle with flour. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until dough puffs up.
Prepare a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350F. Whisk egg white and 1 tbsp of water to make the egg wash. Brush mixture all over the dough, in the cracks and down the side.
Bake for 30 t0 35 minutes, rotating halfway through. Remove when the challah is deeply browned and 190F. in the middle.
No work being done on Fantasmic in Hollywood Studios. I have nothing! No gots, Nope. Just like the pool at Fantasmic in Hollywood Studios. We do not want to go all negative, but “What the deuce?” We have seen the amazing, but wet, return of Happily Ever After along with Epcot Forever. Clearly, though we have no news on the Fantasmic front.
Importantly, you can see in the image below, that the pool is collecting rain wait. There appears to be no work going on right now. Fantasmic in Hollywood Studios is just sitting, waiting, for us to return to it. We love you Fantasmic! We miss you. Are you Okay? Do we need to call Osha or a loved one to check on you? Did we do something wrong? I am keeping the mixtape.
We know what you are saying right now, why did they even write about this. This is turning into a silly article! No, it is not turning silly, that already happened. This is turning into an exercise in putting coherent sentences together in a funny manner. If it were silly, it would be walking away in a weird manner. That was a joke for you Monty Python fans. Gotta throw fans a bone once in a while.
Speaking of fans, how is everyone doing today? Did you watch, or were you there, for the return of Happily Ever After? We did a live feed 3 nights in a row from different places. Firstly, we were at the Contemporary for Cast member preview, Secondly, we did Epcot forever from the Boardwalk. Finally, we were live at both shows on opening night. That was fun right? Did you enjoy it as much as we did? Thanks, by the way, for joining us. We gotta do it again. Anyway, I digress, where were we? Fantasmic. Well, we would write something, but there is nothing to report. Just reiterating that in case someone in the back was not listening.
The best part of still writing this article is you can tell if someone actually read it. Imagine the person going onto the Facebook page and being all “Blah Blah, Fantasmic is the Uber!” you can always tell when someone just comments and has not read the whole thing. If you got this far, despite us babbling, you deserve a cookie! Can I recommend a cookie from Gideon’s in Disney Springs? Oh, the Flavors of Florida one is amazing. Key Lime and Chocolate Chips. Speaking of Flavors of Florida, which starts this week on July 6th.
Without a doubt, no work is being done on Fantasmic, but we do wish everyone in the United States a Happy and Joyous Independence day! Please be safe this weekend, crazy drivers out there. Don’t blow up the house, or your neighbor’s mailbox! Also, Happy Canada Day, we do love you wonderful people to our north! If you are celebrating anything this weekend, please think of Fantasmic and how nothing is being done right now. Especially work.
Fantasmic in Hollywood Studios
Featuring more than 50 live performers, massive sets, stunning effects, dazzling pyrotechnics, and rousing music, this larger-than-life show is painted on a grand canvas of dancing water and light like nothing you’ve ever seen. Overflowing with silly and suspenseful surprises, it will leave your entire family smiling from ear to ear!
A Night When Dreams Come True
Fast asleep, Mickey Mouse dreams that he is a mighty sorcerer’s apprentice with the power to control water, color, and magic. The Disney Villains—including Maleficent in the form of a towering, 40-foot-tall dragon—turn Mickey’s dream into a nightmare, but don’t underestimate the power of Mickey’s imagination!
The fantastic fantasy includes Disney Characters from some of your favorite animated classics:
Universal Orlando Resort has stopped selling their quick service and full service dining plans. The dining plans were available to pre-purchase and save on meals and snacks. Now when viewing on their website it says the page has rolled out.
The dining plans let you get a discount for purchasing ahead of time on drinks, meals, and snacks. The quick service was for all guests with the full service for resort quests. We are hoping that they are possibly adjusting the plans and they will be back but there’s no word yet. Guests that have already purchased plans can use up their credits.
Once again Costco has a fun new Disney find we can’t resist! This time with bright and beautiful Mickey Rugs! These gorgeous Disney rugs some in a few different designs, plus a variety of sizes to fit any home!
There are three new styles available, plus you can also still find the outdoor rugs that came out earlier this year at Costco.com. The new indoor Disney rugs have ½” deep plush piling, geometric designs, and hand-carved textures! These gorgeous rugs also come in three different sizes to fit the needs of any room. You can get an accent rug, runner, or large area rug! I really love when a rug design offers a variety of sizes, so I have options on how to display them.
Prices start at $99.00 for the smaller accent rug, and go up to $299.99 for the largest area rug style. I’m already redecorating a room in my mind to mix in one of these gorgeous new Disney rugs!
Which of the new Mickey Rugs from Costco is your favorite?
Casey’s Corner in the Magic Kingdom officially reopened on June 30th! This fan-favorite quick service in the Magic Kingdom is home to one of our favorite food items… Corn Dog Nuggets and Plastic Cheese!
These little beauties have been severely missed by us at Walt Disney World and go perfectly with the plastic cheese sauce for $1.00. How many people remember when the cheese used to be free? We would slather it on everything!
While we were at the Magic Kingdom for the first night of Happily Ever After we were lucky to mobile our dinner and get some Corn Dog Nugs, Fries, and even the new baseball brownie treat! Highly recommend using Mobile Order here!
Here is a look at the menu at Casey’s. Did you even know they have plant based hot dogs too?
Golly bob howdy, these new Slinky Dog ears are cute! If you love Toy Story (and who doesn’t?!) these ears are a must-have. As our old pal Woody likes to say “This is the perfect time to panic!” That is, you should be panicking if you can’t get to Walt Disney World soon to buy these. Because unless you’re a preschool toy who can’t read, you’ll already know these will be popular with kids and adults alike.
Unlike an older installment of the same concept, this headband has Mickey ears on it. The headband and ears are a silky fabric with Andy’s signature cloudy-sky-wallpaper on them. Slinky’s head and arms pop out of one ear, his springy middle stretches across the top, and his rear, legs, and slinky tail pop out of the back of the other ear. I, like Rex, may not want to use my head, but for a pair of ears like this, it’s inevitable. Slinky doesn’t get nearly enough recognition, so whether you’re a fan of the character or the ride, you’ll want to check these ears out.
You can find the Slinky Dog Ears at Walt Disney World merchandise locations, such as the Emporium at Magic Kingdom or World of Disney at Disney Springs. They cost $29.99 before tax or discount. To summarize, I’m searching for a phrase “I can’t say because there’s preschool toys present, ” but you’d better get out there and get yours before they’re all gone.
I scream you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Disney’s Beaches & Cream Soda Shop has a cute new Mickey Ice Cream Cup we can take home for our delicious frozen desserts too!
This cute cup matches the Ice Cream bowl that debuted not too long ago too!
The back of the cup reads “Everyday is Sundae” and honestly when it comes to ice cream, it’s always a sundae for me too!!
You can find this cute new Mickey Ice Cream Cup now at Disney’s Beach Club Resort!
Meet Captain Mallory Murdock, Walt Disney World Cast Member and singer extraordinaire. Disney Cast Members have gained a reputation for being exceptional performers, hard workers, and joy-spreaders. Mallory ticks all those boxes and then some in an unusual and delightful way. She sings Disney songs to her passengers every single day.
Mallory works as a boat captain on the Seven Seas Lagoon, what Disney calls “a man-made body of water serving as an aquatic red carpet to Magic Kingdom park.” While simply being on Disney property is enough to leave someone breathless, she has decided to make sure no one leaves the experience without a little pixie dust. By singing tunes like “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” and “Into the Unknown, ” (flawlessly, I might add) she adds a unique element to each ride for the happy travelers. She truly has an incredible voice, worthy of any stage, and if you don’t believe me you can watch a video to see for yourself.
Mallory was recently featured on the Walt Disney World Cast and Community Facebook page. The comments are flooded with past guests rushing over her talent and their love for her. Truly deserved! In the video, she explains that she works on one of the few boats in Magic Kingdom that doesn’t have any music. She fixed that problem by giving Walt Disney World guests a live show!
Black Widow is finally coming to theaters (and Disney+) next week! Besides watching the epic Marvel film, you can also celebrate the release at Disney parks around the world. If you’ll be visiting a Disney park soon, take a look at how you can experience Black Widow while you’re there.
Encounter Black Widow and Taskmaster in Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park
Whether you’re visiting Avengers Campus for the first time or multiple times, you never know who might spring into action! Keep your eyes on the rooftops of Avengers Campus because Black Widow is bound to make appearances whether it’s taking on the menacing Taskmaster in Avengers Assemble or patrolling the campus, you won’t want to miss her!
Also, through the end of the month, Natasha Romanoff herself may be spotted wearing her latest snow suit from the film while prepping for a winter escapade.
Experience an Artistic Interpretation at Disneyland Paris
Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel recently opened at Disneyland Paris, immersing guests in New York City’s culture and vibrant energy while celebrating Super Heroes and their stories. Make sure you discover the amazing Black Widow artworks and references displayed in the hotel including a themed floor of the hotel with a commissioned mural by Lula Tolay and a Rubik’s Cube installation in the lobby.
Then head over to Walt Disney Studios and snag a selfie with Black Widow or grab a photo by an all-new Black Widow photo location backdrop by the future location of Avengers Campus!
Light Up The Night & Save the Day
Over at Shanghai Disneyland, state-of-the-art technology is woven into a performance of light and shadow in a fully immersive experience– ILLUMINATE! A Nighttime Celebration, the first nighttime spectacular to feature Super Heroes, including Black Widow!
At Hong Kong Disneyland, fans can experience a heroic encounter with Black Widow while she’s taking a break from her secret missions around the world at Expo Assembly Station.
In the action-packed spy thriller “Black Widow,” Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy arises with ties to her past. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must confront her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger. Check out this featurette about Taskmaster, a calculating and formidable foe in the film, debuting first on the Disney Parks Blog:
Suit up for your next mission with some epic new products including a special edition doll, sleek jacket with the Black Widow emblem and a limited edition pin set inspired by the film! These products are also available now at shopDisney.com.
Collectors, assemble! Fans of Pop! won’t want to miss the latest from Funko including Black Widow aka Natasha Romanoff, Taskmaster and of course, Red Guardian and Yelena Belova, also available at retailers worldwide.
Aspiring Super Heroes can join forces with Black Widow and Yelena Belova to take on Super Villain Taskmaster in an armed helicopter! Not visiting the parks anytime soon? You’re in luck, this LEGO set is also available at retailers worldwide.
Those visiting Disneyland Resort can find these products at The Collector’s Warehouse in the ground floor of Guardians of the Galaxy- Mission: BREAKOUT! and at World of Disney in Downtown Disney District.
Headed to Disney Springs in Florida? Be sure to shop these products at Super Hero Headquarters and World of Disney! For a limited time, outside the AMC Disney Springs 24 DINE-IN Theatres, find special “red carpet” photo ops celebrating the release. And if you’re hungry for a bite, guests can enjoy the Black Widow-inspired Burger and Milkshake at D-Luxe Burger in celebration of the film.
Available at Disneyland Resort, take your Spider-Bot to the next level with a tactical upgrade inspired by the super spy herself! While the base Spider-Bot allows you to command your Spider-Bot and battle opponents, with programmed combat and defensive abilities, this tactical upgrade changes the overall appearance of your Spider-Bot and enhances your Spider-Bot’s battle capabilities.
So, go ahead and get your super spy looks on and don’t miss “Black Widow” in theaters and on #DisneyPlus with Premier Access July 9. Additional fee required. Are you looking forward to seeing the film?
