There’s a new Photopass opportunity available at Epcot for a limited time! The Photopass team celebrates Disney’s Cruella with a Magic Shot opportunity in the United Kingdom Pavilion.
The limited time Magic Shot is only available in this Pavilion since the movie takes place in 1970’s London. You can strike a pose on the steps of the building in the courtyard, which is shown above if you’re looking for the location. The outcome is a photo that puts you on the cover of a newspaper in Cruella’s world.
Through June 30, Disney Photopass photographers are offering a few show-stopping photo ops inspired by Disney’s Cruella that make YOU the cover story: A Magic Shot in the United Kingdom Pavilion at EPCOT and a virtual backdrop at the Disney PhotoPass Studio at Disney Springs!
You can see how one of the fun Cruella graphics appears on our Instagram.
Disney bus driver returns lost wedding rings then declines reward offer and is just a good human! Undoubtedly, we constantly see negative stories in the local news. Alternatively, a news anchor from WBRC in Birmingham, Ala. wants to share an amazing story.
‘Honest and nice people still exist’ Clare Huddleston is quoted as saying. Clare is the news anchor for Good Morning Alabama. She recently made a post on Instagram and her Facebook, and most importantly, on the TV news stations webpage. She goes onto explaining her story about misplacing her wedding and engagement rings. Losing them while staying at Walt Disney World Contemporary Resort. Clare had removed her rings to apply sunscreen to her daughter, “I took my rings off and put them in my lap. However, when the bus pulled up, I was in such a hurry to get all three kids and the stroller on the bus that I stood up – forgetting about my rings – and loaded the bus.”
If it happened to me, that would be the end of the story. Those rings would be gone. Unlike most people though, Clare had some pixie dust sprinkled on her that day. The bus driver for Disney, named Marty, happened to see the rings under a bench. He scooped them up. Then made sure to get them back to Clare. You can read the whole story below.
RINGS FOUND! This is a long story, but I want to give a shout out to a special bus driver at Walt Disney World and the entire staff at the Contemporary Resort ❤️
On Thursday we were heading to Hollywood Studios. I was putting sunscreen on Libby at the bus stop in front of our resort. I took my rings off and put them in my shirt in my lap. However, when the bus pulled up, I was in a hurry to get all the kids and the stroller on the bus. That I stood up – forgetting about my rings – and loaded the bus ?
About 2 hours later we are standing in the Star Wars area of Hollywood Studios. Then realized my rings were missing. I was devastated. I knew exactly what had happened. ?
Thankfully my parents had stayed behind that day to sleep in so I called my mom at the resort and asked if she would look at the bus stop for my rings and ask someone at the front desk if anyone turned them in.
Low and behold our sweet bus driver named Marty had found them under the bench at the bus stop and turned them in at the front desk!!! ????. I could not believe it when my mom told me!!!
When my parents got on the bus to meet us at Hollywood Studios she tried to give Marty a monetary reward, but he would not accept it. She took a selfie with him and posted the story on her Instagram stories.
Almost a week later I’m still counting my blessings. Obviously, my engagement/wedding ring is super special to me, but the other ring is too because my grandmother gave it to me. I think my mom said it best in her post “honest and nice people still exist.” Thank you, Marty, for being honest and kind ❤️❤️
I wanted to add some inspring final words to this story, but Clare says it best on her report from WBRC.
When I shared his good deed on my Facebook page. Several viewers commented that a person can email Disney and compliment a cast member. I’m told those compliments and positive comments can go in their personnel file and be used when considering promotions, raises, etc.
I have emailed Disney’s guest services department and shared Marty’s story. I’m hoping he will be rewarded for his good deed.
Marty, if you read this, thank you for showing me and my family that honest and nice people still exist.
Jurassic World VelociCoaster is officially open. The new thrill ride at Universal Orlando had its grand opening event yesterday. You don’t have to be a fan of the Jurassic Park franchise to love this coaster but if you are the details will leave you geeking out.
The Story
VelociCoaster takes place right before the events of the Jurassic World movie. Claire has already green-lit development for the Indominus rex, but it seems there’s been a hiccup and that exhibit is being slightly delayed. With the Velociraptors showing signs of intelligence and responding to Owen Grady’s command, Claire has designed a new ride. It seems it would be a great idea to construct a roller coaster right in the middle of a Raptor paddock. Right?
As you make your way through the entrance of VelociCoaster, you’ll encounter two towering bronze Velociraptor sculptures framing the hero moment of the ride, showing off a signature inverted stall move.
In the lobby you’ll see a sculpture representation of Jurassic World’s four star Raptors – Blue, Delta, Echo, and Charlie – before coming face-to-face with them on the ride. You’ll also see a safety message from Mr. DNA.
As you continue through the queue, you’ll be feet away from the 70mph launch. At this moment you’ll feel air pressure and Raptors screech past you.
The Raptors
You’ll come face-to-face (literally) with two full-grown Velociraptors — Delta and Echo. You’ll feel and smell their breath as they stand waiting to be groomed. I could have stared at these girls for hours on end with how realistic they were. These were so realistic I was in awe of what Universal had created. Life, Uh finds a way.
VelociCoaster is the fastest roller coaster at any Universal park.
VelociCoaster does not slow down – it actually speeds up, the second half of the ride is faster than the first, and it maintains some of its fastest speeds all the way to the final brakes.
VelociCoaster will have more extreme airtime than any other coaster at Universal, it’s all about speed, airtime, and direction changes. This airtime will be experienced not only right-side-up, but also upside down, and even sideways.
There are several inversions on this ride that are not experienced on any other Universal coaster:
A dive loop where you rotate upside down while floating in your seat before diving down to the ground
An inverted stall where you quickly flip upside down and are weightless in your seat while navigating 100ft of inverted track
A one-of-a-kind high speed barrel roll taken at around 50 mph where you roll upside down 360 degrees only a few feet from the surface of the lagoon
RIDE DETAILS:
Minimum height requirement of 51″ (130 centimeters) to ride
You will need, and want, a locker for this ride (Plus, VelociCoaster offers the first ever dual lockers at Universal Orlando Resort)
Child Swap is available upon request
I highly recommend visiting the Universal Orlando Resort to catch a ride on Jurassic World VelociCoaster! It’s one of the best rollercoasters I’ve been on. The team really did an outstanding job.
Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa, has been reopening in phases since last November. Now, the spa portion of the resort, Laniwai, is finally reopening! Guests will soon have the opportunity visit this tranquil retreat once again when it reopens on June 15.
Some adjustments have been made to the experience at Laniwai Spa with the health and safety of cast members and guests in mind.
The Hawaiian word “laniwai” (pronounced lah-nee-vai) means “freshwater heaven.” Starting June 15, guests can reserve spa services including new added options such as foot massage, intense hydration facial, anti-aging LED mask, and more!
A visit to the Kula Wai, an outdoor hydrotherapy garden can be reserved with any spa service. The 5,000 square-foot garden retreat includes private vitality pools, a reflexology path, six rain-style showers, whirlpool jet spas and more. We’re feeling more relaxed just thinking about it!
And after a day of pampering, it’s time for guests to prepare for their big night out! To help guests get ready, Laniwai’s full-service salon will be available for manicures, pedicures and hair services. The kids – or keiki – can also get ready for an epic adventure with salon services and makeovers exclusive to children ages 3 to 12.
If guests enjoy a good workout before or after pampering, they should be sure to also visit the Mikimiki fitness center which will also reopen for limited hours for all Aulani guests, and has added new equipment to the state-of-the-art fitness facility.
Reservations for Laniwai, A Disney Spa open on June 15 and can be made online at DisneyAulani.com, on the Aulani App, or by calling Laniwai Spa at (808) 674-6300.
Let’s start planning your next magical Aulani vacation! Contact me today for a free, no-obligation vacation quote.
When Walt Disney World reopened last summer the FastPass+ system did not return. Capacity at the theme parks was limited so wait times were shorter. That along with the new physical distancing measures kept FastPasses from returning. Now, we are wondering if FastPasses might be coming back.
A change has been noticed on My Disney Experience. Wait times for rides now show as “Standby Wait”. The wording suggests that there will be an option other than standby.
That other option could be FastPass+ or even virtual queues. As capacity increases in the parks and wait times rise, Disney will need to find some way to make visiting the parks a more pleasant experience.
Could FastPasses be returning soon or are we getting our hopes up for no reason?
California is removing most of its COVID-19 restrictions starting June 15. Today, more details were released regarding what restrictions will be changed or removed. One of those is the mask mandate. Starting June 15, vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear masks in most locations.
California’s new guidance allows fully vaccinated individuals to go maskless both outdoors and indoors. Unvaccinated individuals, however, will still be required to wear masks indoors.
The guidance does not mention theme parks but does state that businesses can implement vaccination checks or continue to require face coverings. Masks are still required for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, in the following places:
Any form of public transportation
Hospitals and long-term care facilities
Indoors at K-12 schools and childcare facilities
Prisons and homeless shelters
Indoor workplaces (unless all workers are vaccinated)
Theme parks are not listed on the guidelines but as of right now, no changes will be made to Disneyland’s face mask policy. The only thing changing for Disneyland on June 15 is the capacity limits will be lifted and the parks will be open to all guests, not just California residents.
Do you have a Disneyland trip planned? If not, contact me today to start planning your next vacation to the Happiest Place on Earth!
The latest Disney Parks Designer Ears have been designed by Karlie Kloss! The new Karlie Kloss Designer Minnie Ears made their debut June 11th at Downtown Disney, and Disney Springs. The twist with these ears was that the only way to purchase them was with a special TikTok code!
Disney Parks Blog released a TikTok video with the new code, as an exclusive offering to TikTok fans!
The ears are inspired by girls doing coding! Which I think is just so cool! Not only do these fun ears light up, but they are rechargeable with a USB port!
They have not been released on shopDisney yet, but it looks like they are already going for a pretty penny on eBay.
If you are craving something sweet but healthy, we have the perfect recipe for you: Te Fiti Fudgy Coco Cake Pops!
Inspired by the goddess of life in Moana, this recipe created by Dole is vegan, vegetarian, gluten free and low in sodium, making it a super healthy treat for everyone.
It features a frozen blend of Dole bananas, dates, cocoa powder, dark chocolate chips and coconut flakes on popsicle sticks. Yummy right? You can make them by following this recipe:
TE FITI FUDGY COCO CAKE POPS
INGREDIENTS:
1 Dole banana, peeled
1 cup of pitted dates
1/2 cup of almond flour
3 tbsp of sunflower butter
2 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder plus additional for dusting (optional)
1/4 cup of gluten free and vegan dark chocolate chips
Pulse banana, dates, flour, sunflower butter and cocoa powder in a food processor until smooth, scraping down bowl occasionally. Add chocolate chips and coconut; pulse until incorporated.
Transfer banana mixture to a medium bowl; freeze 20 minutes or until firm. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
Form banana mixture into 16 (1 1/2 inch) balls, about 1 1/2 tbsp each. Insert cake pop sticks into center of balls.
Transfer cake pops to prepared pan and freeze for 1 hour.
Serve frozen dusted with cocoa powder, if desired.
Enjoy this healthy snack while you have a relaxing afternoon watching Moana on Disney+!
Ohana means family until you take away the Yakisoba Noodles! In a recent article, we happily announced the return of some restaurants that have been closed since last year. Ohana was one, in addition to Sebastian’s along with Tuskar House. Unquestionably the biggest news wasn’t just the reopening, but the subtraction of one main side dish. We have now seen a Change.org petition gain momentum on bringing back the Noodles to Ohana.
We personally spent some time reading the petition started by the user, I Am Starlord, and at this time it looks like 300 of you have signed. Keep reading below to see what it says, in impassioned writing about the Yakisoba Noodles.
On June 8th Disney fans received great news. ‘Ohana at Walt Disney World’s Polynesian Village Resort is opening back up on July 9th. This is fantastic news, especially for the cast members that get to return to their job and for the many guests who love their food. If you are a fan of the restaurant, most likely you love the yakisoba noodles that came with the meal. With the reopening announcement came the news that the glorious noodles will not be coming back. We still have time to change this.
This past year has taken so much from so many people and this really is nothing in the grand scheme of things. However, it is something that people really enjoyed and was a huge part of the dinner experience at the restaurant. We understand that some things have to change, but does this really have to be one of the things? Who else is looking forward to having Lapu Lapu and enjoying some awesome food with the Cinderella Castle as your backdrop? I know I am. We are asking our friends at Disney who are in charge of the food selections at their restaurants to please reconsider and bring back the yakisoba noodles. We need your support because nothing goes better with those potstickers than some noodles!! Please sign today. Thank you!
Sometimes it is nice to be the one reporting news instead of being an opinion columnist. Without a doubt, all I can personally think of is a giant flying spaghetti monster and all his noodly goodness smiling down upon us humans. So please help if you want to. I am Starlord sure would like to have his noodles returned to Ohana. If I were a songwriter, that would be my new song. Noodles to Ohana!
Are fireworks returning to Disney World? That is the question on the mind of many Disney Fans… So many other Disney blogs have been reporting that Fireworks will be returning to Disney World as early as July. We mentioned it back in May as well…
A few weeks ago we shared the news that Fireworks would be returning to Orlando for the 4th of July. Orlando’s Mayor Bud Dwyer tweeted their return:
The return of Fireworks at the Fountain is a direct result of what our community has done together to stop the spread of COVID-19. As more and more residents get the vaccine, we're able to get closer to a return to normal, and the events that make our city unique. https://t.co/dSeffCshwy
Disney has been testing the Fireworks at Epcot and Magic Kingdom for months now, they even listed a job listing for a Fireworks & Special Effects Designer. So with Orlando and Orange County giving the green light on the return of Fireworks does that mean Disney is next?
Everyone is talking about Fireworks returning, increased capacity at the theme parks and many physical distancing guidelines being removed at Walt Disney World does the old saying ‘where there is smoke there is fire’ ring true?
One thing we do know is Disney is working on Fantasmic right now. You can read all about it here. While the permit suggests General Labor that doesn’t mean that they are not getting ready to reopen soon. I mean we can wish right?
As of right now Magic Kingdom’s Happily Ever After still is listed as Temporarily Unavailable, and Harmonious still does not have an open date. I for one would love to see the fireworks return to Disney World. I guess for now we have to take this gossip with a grain of salt and hope we get an official announcement soon.
Disney Resort guests will soon see the return of fishing excursions at Walt Disney World! The special activity offers a fun opportunity for those looking to fish while enjoying the Florida sun and water.
For nearly a decade, Take Me Fishing has been helping guests create memories with this one-of-a-kind experience that combines the tranquility of fishing with the magic of Disney. Departing from select Walt Disney World Resort hotels, guests can enjoy a catch-and-release fishing experience like nowhere else. Join fishing excursions setting sail on the lakes and lagoons that surround Disney’s parks and resorts. A Disney expert fishing guide will customize your outing depending on your level of knowledge and comfort.
Marvel Studios Disney+ Series ‘Loki’ Earns Fresh Rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s official! Loki has been certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes! The news was shared by the famed critiquing site, who shared a poster for the series along with the caption: “#Loki is now #CertifiedFresh at 96% on the #Tomatometer, with 52 reviews: https://rottentomatoes.com/tv/loki/s01?cmp=TWRT_TV_Loki_CF“
Marvel Studios’ “Loki” features the God of Mischief as he steps out of his brother’s shadow in a new series that takes place after the events of “Avengers: Endgame.” Tom Hiddleston returns as the title character, joined by Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku, and Richard E. Grant. Kate Herron directs “Loki,” and Michael Waldron is head writer.
Episode 1 of Loki is now available to stream exclusively on Disney+, with new episodes premiering on the following Wednesdays. Be sure to check back here at Chip and Co. for updates and all things Marvel!
Featured Photo Credit: Rotten Tomatoes / Marvel Studios
