This AAA Four Diamond property, right in the heart of all of the magic with its stunning Craftsman style architecture, genuine hospitality and unmatched location just steps from Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure Park and the Downtown Disney District, is the place for guests to call home on their next vacation to the Disneyland Resort!
A vacation is where so many meaningful memories are made with your family and friends and those memories can be made at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. This is a phased reopening, so stay tuned for the latest Disneyland Resort Hotel updates as we look forward to Disneyland expanding its services and offerings.
The Disneyland Resort theme parks reopened this weekend after being closed for over a year. Last Friday, April 30, was a historic day for the resort and some of our favorite characters helped welcome guests back to the parks.
Over at Fantasy Faire in Fantasyland guests can say hello to their favorite princess! At the Royal Theatre you can see princesses like Ariel, Snow White, Aurora, and Elena of Avalor. Outside, snap a selfie with Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder!
Guests were also able to see characters over in Disney California Adventure! Characters like Goofy, Pluto, Daisy, and Dopey greeted guests at the fountain on Buena Vista Street.
You can also see your favorite Pixar characters over at Pixar Pier. Characters like Jessie, Frozone, Mr. Incredible, Joy & Sadness interact with guests on the pier and at the bandshell. Head over to Radiator Springs and you can see Lightning McQueen and Mater too!
What characters do you hope to see at the Disneyland Resort? If you’d like to plan your next Disney vacation, contact me today for a free, no-obligation quote!
Original Mouseketeer Johnny Crawford Has Passed Away at Age 75. The Rifleman and The Mickey Mouse Club star, Johnny Crawford passed away in his sleep at the age of 75. The news was announced via the Johnny Crawford Legacy website, with a statement that reads:
“It is with great sadness that we share the news of Johnny Crawford’s passing. He slipped away peacefully on Thursday, April 29, 2021, with Charlotte, his wife, by his side. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and support from friends and fans around the world. Johnny touched so many people, through his music and his performances. We are truly blessed that they remain as his legacy.“
Oscar-Winning Director Chloé Zhao Shares New Details About Marvel Studios’ ‘Eternals’. Hot off her historic win as the first Women of Color to win “Best Director” and also earning “Best Picture” at the 2021 Academy Awards, Director Chloé Zhao has been using her time in the spotlight to share her excitement for her future projects, including Marvel Studios’ Eternals!
Zhao shared how her passion for storytelling and support from her leadership allowed for her to have her own space within the MCU, telling Variety, “It’s just been such an incredible experience working with the team at Marvel. I want to be careful saying “my vision,” even though I do want people to know they did support what I wanted to do. I want people to know that. But I also want to make sure they know that I got the support of this incredibly talented team, some of the most talented artists in the world. And it really is a village to make this film, but they did let me lead. Yes.”
Marvel Studios President, Kevin Feige shared that Chloé Zhao and Marvel Executive Nate Moore approached him with a “spectacular” pitch for how to bring the Eternals in the MCU, calling the pitch “a very bold and very ambitious [idea], sprawling 7,000-year story of humanity and our place in the cosmos.”
Feige also shared that Chloé “was really fighting for practical locations” to bring the story to life and even noted to fellow executives “This [footage] is right out of a camera; there’s no VFX work to this at all!’ Because it was a beautiful sunset, with perfect waves and mist coming up from the shore on this giant cliffside — really impressive stuff.” Feige also shared that after watching “Nomadland,” he saw similar shots and thought, “Oh! That is not just what she wanted to bring to Marvel. This is a signature style.”
Marvel Studios’ Eternals stars Director Chloé Zhao (The Rider), Angelina Jolie (Thena), Salma Hayek (Ajak), Gemma Chan (Sersi), Richard Madden (Ikaris), Kit Harrington (Dane Whitman/Black Knight), Kumail Nanjiani (Kingo), Lauren Ridloff (Makkari), Brian Tyree Henry (Phastos), Barry Keoghan (Druig), Lia McHugh (Sprite), and Ma Dong-seok a.k.a. Don Lee (Gilgamesh).
Currently, Eternals is set to premiere in theaters on November 5, 2021. Be sure to check back here at Chip and Co. for updates and all things Marvel!
Disney Cruise Line has added a temporary final payment extension to sailings through October 31, 2021. The cruise cancellation fee schedule is also being relaxed for sailings through October 31, 2021.
In addition, to give guests more peace of mind, Disney Cruise Line has recently extended its temporary Cruise Date Flexibility option, allowing them the option to change their sail day up to 15 days prior to their cruise. This means that for any new or existing cruises booked by May 31, 2021, for scheduled sailings on or before Oct. 31, 2021, they can change their sail date up to 15 days prior to departure.
The cruise cancellation fee schedule for sailings through October 31, 2021 is as described below:
Cruises 1 to 5 Nights (Excluding Suites and Concierge Staterooms)
Days Prior to Vacation Commencement Date Fee Amount
60 days or more No fee
59 – 45 days Deposit per Guest
44 – 30 days 50% of vacation price per Guest
29 – 15 days 75% of vacation price per Guest
14 days or less 100% of vacation price per Guest
Cruises 6 Nights or More (Excluding Suites and Concierge Staterooms)
Days Prior to Vacation Commencement Date Fee Amount
60 days or more No fee
59 – 56 days Deposit per Guest
55 – 30 days 50% of vacation price per Guest
29 – 15 days 75% of vacation price per Guest
14 days or less 100% of vacation price per Guest
Suites and Concierge Staterooms
Days Prior to Vacation Commencement Date Fee Amount
60 days or more Deposit per Guest
59 – 56 days 50% of vacation price per Guest
55 – 30 days 75% of vacation price per Guest
29 days or less 100% of vacation price per Guest
Categories with Restrictions
Reservations for Inside, Outside or Verandah Categories with Restrictions remain nonrefundable and nontransferable.
Do you have a Disney cruise scheduled? Sailings are available to book for dates starting in July 2021. If you’d like help planning your next Disney cruise, contact me today for a free, no-obligation quote.
Valet parking is making a return to Walt Disney World Resorts. It starts at the Grand Floridian on May 1, 2021. We have tentative dates on when it will return to other resorts. Check out the list below. Valet parking has not returned to any Walt Disney Resort hotel since the shutdown due to the covid-19 pandemic.
Valet Parking Valet service continues to be available for Guests with disabilities who may require parking assistance. A valid disability parking permit is required. Valet service will be reintroduced to hotels over the coming months. Upon your arrival, please check with the Security Host for parking options. Valet service is $33 per night (sales tax included).
It seems like things are picking back up lately at Disney World. Cast members and show crews being called back, another round of resorts about to reopen, new hires being sought after, and masks being allowed to be removed for pictures.
We are sad to report that actress Olympia Dukakis has died at age 89 according to the Associated Press.
Olympia Dukakis brought warmth, humor and wit to the stage and screen for almost 60 years, including a stellar run of unforgettable roles in "Steel Magnolias" "Tales of the City" and "Moonstruck," for which she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. She will be missed. pic.twitter.com/TLuNTx32PI
Dukakis died Saturday morning in her home in New York City, according to Allison Levy, her agent at Innovative Artists. A cause of death was not immediately released, but her family said in a statement that she had been in failing health for months.
Olympia Dukakis Was an Amazing,Academy Award Winning Actress.Olympia Played My Mom In Moonstruck,& Even Though Her Part was That Of a Suffering Wife, We😂ALL The Time.She Would Tell Me How MUCH She Loved Louis,Her”Handsome Talented,Husband”.I Talked To Her 3Wks Ago. Rip Dear One pic.twitter.com/RcCZaeKFmz
The Falcon and the Winter Solider revealed a new Captain America, along with a brand new look! We’re so excited we can now wear this look when ever we want with the new Captain America Spirit Jersey!
Carry on the legacy of Captain America wherever you go in this premium pullover Spirit Jersey with pieced yoke, plus puffy star-spangled insignia inspired by Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
Today Disney has given us a first look inside Marvel’s Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure.
Calling all Super Hero recruits! We recently shared a sneak peek inside Avengers Campus, opening at Disney California Adventure on June 4th. Today, I’m excited to take you back inside of Avengers Campus for a closer look at just some of the details you may come across as you visit the different addresses. But first, did you know that Campus stands for Centralized Assembly Mobilized to Prepare, Unite, and Safeguard?
The main entrance to the land is located adjacent to the Worldwide Engineering Brigade – also known as WEB, however, the land also features a back entrance just outside of Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!, one of the land’s anchor attractions. Touring this area, I discovered a curious substance.
A late addition to the Campus, Taneleer Tivan, a.k.a. the Collector, placed his Fortress against its edges. This placement warped the ground immediately surrounding the alien stronghold causing a cosmic disruption to ooze from the ground below. Hues of blues, purples and yellows glow in the daylight.
Nearby, The Collector is also curating a weird and wonderful menu of intergalactic eats at the Terran Treats food cart. Just one of his curious creations, the Sweet Spiral Ration Churros will feature unique and unexpected flavors. You never know what you’re going to get, but trust me, they are delicious!
Around the corner, Pym Test Kitchen featuring Impossible™ is a food innovation science lab where the food and drinks tell a story. As we’ve shared before, just as Ant-Man and The Wasp use “Pym Particles” to grow and shrink just about anything, Pym Technologies applies this innovative science to the creation of inventive-sized foods, like the pretzels that grow and shrink as they pass through the quantum tunnel. This logic also applies to the beverages and condiments, seen here overhead in the beverage and condiment station.
Back outside, we come to the heart of the land – Avengers Headquarters, where you will find the emblematic Avengers “A” on the building and surrounding areas. At Avengers HQ, you may catch a glimpse of the Avengers springing into action, ready to save the day. A shining Quinjet sits atop its roof as a beacon for the campus.
Close by, but what feels like is located in another dimension are the overgrown ruins of an Ancient Sanctum. For as long as anyone can remember, rumors of unexplained events and energies have emanated from this remote location. Here, you’ll learn mysterious secrets from Doctor Strange and discover ancient, magical artifacts. Pictured here, the Orb of Cagliostro is known to be especially active at night when it flows with magical energy!
And for our final stop on today’s tour, we come to the front of the land. Back in the 1940s, Tony Stark’s father built a Stark Motors factory here in California, and decades later, Tony transformed the site into the Worldwide Engineering Brigade – also known as WEB. This is the place where bright innovators like Peter Parker have been assembled by Tony Stark to invent new technologies and equip everyday people to become heroes.
While the Avengers themselves are sleek, organized, and structured, WEB is expressive, youthful and chaotic. You’ll notice this throughout WEB. For example, outside the former factory building, you can’t miss the colorful graffiti murals created by young recruits with a knack for the arts.
If you like ice cream and cookies then you will love these Hidden Mickey Ice Cream Sandwiches!
They are the perfect little treat to have for any occasion, it doesn’t matter if you are celebrating a birthday, mother’s day or you are just craving something sweet. Plus they are super cute and easy to make.
With a stand or handheld mixer on medium-low speed, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until they are well combined.
Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder, and add dry mixture to the wet mixture, one cup at a time, until it is completely incorporated. Add the rainbow sprinkles and mix on low speed until just combined.
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
In the meantime, let’s prepare the ice cream to make them sandwich ready. Scoop each flavor of ice cream to create one layer at a time (each should be 1/2″ thick). Scoop vanilla ice cream first into the cake pan and flatten it out. Then add the chocolate, followed by strawberry ice cream to create 3 separate layers. Place into freezer for it to set.
Take cookie dough out from the fridge and let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Roll out the dough to about 1/4″ thick.
Cut out circle shapes with round cookie cutter. Then for half, cut out a mini Mickey shape in the center (either with cookie cutter or a knife and the Mickey template).
Place cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly golden on the edges. Let the cookies cool on a cooling rack before assembling the ice cream sandwiches.
Take the ice cream out of the freezer. Using the same cookie cutter you used to cut the cookies with, cut circles into the pan of ice cream and carefully lift the ice cream discs out. Place in between 2 cookies with the Mickey cookie on top so the ice cream shows through. If the ice cream has softened, place back into the freezer for 15 minutes to set.
Mix a batch of alien green icing by adding a few drops of neon green food coloring to your favorite white icing.
Prepare the alien ears by cutting teardrop-shaped pieces using kitchen shears, a leaf-shaped cookie fondant cutter, or scissors. You will need a pair of ears for each cupcake.
Frost cupcakes and insert a 2″ sour straw at the top to make the antennae. Press ears into the sides of the cupcake.
Line up three mint-flavoured, chewable candies as eyes, and dot with black gel icing for the pupils.
Give your aliens an awed expression by drawing on a circle for a mouth with the black gel icing.
Mom & Baby Rhino Cupcake is super cute! What a fun way to show some appreciation for all the moms who enjoy Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The Mother’s Day Cupcake available at Flame Tree BBQ and also Restaurantosaurus is Chocolate Cupcake, Strawberry Ganache Filling, White Chocolate Frosting. You can purchase this for Mom for $5.99.
We got a chance to get over to Animal Kingdom yesterday and get some photos and videos of Mom & Baby Rhino Cupcake and share them with you. Also to taste this yummy treat. Be careful when you cut this open to see the cute middle.
Flame Tree Barbecue is located in Discovery Island at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Soak up saucy views as you smack your lips to an assortment of smokehouse meat and chicken dinners—served alongside our signature baked beans and coleslaw. For more refreshing fare, stick your fork in a selection of fresh salads!
Restaurantosaurus is located in DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Delight in pre-hysteric, paleontology student humor as you dine on Angus burgers, chicken nuggets and more in a dino-themed dorm. Enjoy ice cold beverages and Safari Amber draft beer.
Check out our Instagram video below to learn more about this delectable treat.
Drop us a line and let us know your Disney World Resort food plans for mom this Mother’s Day. Are you snacking around the world, or brunch at one of the resort restaurants? Whatever you are choosing to do, we here all wish the Disney moms a Happy Mother’s Day!
