Disney Cast Members Unearth Time Capsule from Animal Kingdom Opening Day
Disney cast members recently unearthed a time capsule from the opening day of Disney’s Animal Kingdom! The time capsule held all kinds of opening day items and trinkets. Take a look!
The cast members recreated a photo taken from when the time capsule was first buried. You can see how big a tree in the photo has gotten in 25 years!
Among the items included in the time capsule were two floppy discs entitled “DAK Base (Maintenance) Opening Team Photo” and “Animal Kingdom Pro Forma 1996.” Three VHS tapes were included, containing different orientation videos regarding park construction and conservation.
A variety of opening day merchandise and memorabilia was inside the capsule, including key chains, pins, vanity plates, figurines, mugs, physical tickets, and maps, along with Gino’s first toothbrush! Gino is Animal Kingdom’s silverback gorilla. There was also a t-shirt emblazoned with “98” on the back and signed by some of the park’s original cast members.
Get a First Look at Disney Cruise Line 25th Anniversary Snacks & Treats
We are Celebrating Disney Cruise Line’s 25th Anniversary this Summer through September 2023! As we get closer to the “Silver Anniversary at Sea” Disney has released a look at some of the tasty foods and beverages guests will be able to enjoy while onboard!
First up, we’re exploring the treats that will be available. The 25th Disney Cruise Line Cupcake features a decadent vanilla sponge cake topped with vanilla frosting, 25th chocolate décor, and, of course, shimmering sprinkles. It’s not just beautiful but delicious too! This sweet selection will be available via amenities on the ship.
If you love chocolate and candy, you’re in luck because there’s a special item specifically crafted for the sweet tooths out there at all the sweet shops on each of the ships – the Mickey Chocolate Sphere. This sweet treat showcases a chocolate Mickey Mouse sphere adorned with the 25th emblem and is filled – yes, filled – with a variety of candy pieces. Simply crack it open and treat yourself.
At both Cabana’s and Marceline’s Market locations, two of the desserts will be getting a Silver Anniversary at Sea upgrade. The 3 Layer Carrot Cake with lemon frosting will be adding 25th chocolate décor and the Disney Cruise Line Anniversary Chocolate Marquise will feature rich chocolate truffle crème topped with the 25th chocolate décor as well!
Are you a fan of chocolate cookies? I ‘shore’ hope so! At the concierge lounge, the Chocolate Cream Cookie enrobes a chocolate cream cookie with dulce de leche filling into rich dark chocolate and is decorated with the Silver Anniversary at Sea logo as well as the signature shimmering sprinkles. Also in concierge, the Celebration Cupcake tops a tasty red velvet sponge cake with vanilla frosting, shimmering sprinkles, and 25th chocolate décor.
Captain Minnie is also joining in on the anniversary festivities with the Vanilla Crisped Rice Treat offered at all Cove Café locations. This vanilla-flavored crisped rice treat puts Minnie at the helm with special décor for both her and the anniversary.
Last but certainly not least for food, signature desserts throughout the entire fleet will be getting a tasty enhancement. All of these spectacular sweets will be adding a special 25th chocolate piece to their already stunning presentation. At Palo, the classic Chocolate Soufflé with double chocolate sauce, vanilla crèmeanglaise, and vanilla bean gelato will also have a chocolate 25th anniversary piece for you to enjoy!
Do you know what makes a refreshing Coca-Cola event better? When it’s decked out in Disney Cruise Line Silver Anniversary at Sea décor, that’s what! At Preludes and beverage locations on board, you’ll be able to purchase one of these special bottles as a tasty way to celebrate this momentous occasion.
For those over 21, there is an adult beverage you won’t want to miss at certain lounges across the fleet. The signature Jubilee by the Sea cocktail combines 818 Blanco Tequila, Luxardo Maraschino, and fresh lemon juice with a sparkly, silver dusting and a shimmering blue sugar rim. You’ll even get to bring home a special bookmark featuring how to make this tasty cocktail at home.
Additionally, as you’re sipping on your favorite alcoholic or non-alcoholic cocktail, you may even see the exclusive 25th Anniversary coaster and napkins showcased only during these celebratory sailings.
If you’re looking to take home some of the fun with you, we’ve also got you covered. Available at coffee shops on board, you’ll discover the Specialty Coffee Mug with a unique anniversary design featuring the Disney Cruise Line fleet and even Mickey Mouse himself. These mugs also come with specialty coffee – yum!
The beer drinkers out there can also bring home a special keepsake from their sailing – the 25th Anniversary Beer Mug sketched with the anniversary logo.
And finally, no Disney celebration is complete without a popcorn bucket! For these special adventures, you’ll be able to purchase the Silver Anniversary at Sea Popcorn Bucket showcasing 25 years of Disney Ships, from the very first, the Disney Magic, all the way to the fleet’s newest addition, the Disney Wish!
If you’re sailing with Disney this summer, we hope you enjoy this exciting anniversary with your family, friends, and loved ones – and that your trip is filled with shimmering delights along the way!
Florida Senate Bill 1250 (2023) would require annual state inspections of the Walt Disney World monorail system
On the latest episode of the soap opera that is the power struggle between Walt Disney World and the state of Florida: monorails. A recently proposed amendment to Florida Senate Bill 1250 (2023) would require annual inspections of the Walt Disney World monorail system by the Florida Department of Transportation.
The bill, as currently amended, reads in part the “department shall adopt by rule minimum safety standards for governmentally owned fixed-guideway transportation systems, privately owned or operated fixed-guideway transportation systems operating in this state which are financed wholly or partly by state funds, and any governmentally or privately owned fixed-guideway transportation systems operating in this state which are located within an independent special district created by local act which have boundaries within two contiguous counties.”
It is the last section, in bold, that targets Walt Disney World. The language, added by Senator Nick DiCeglie on April 24, 2023, specifically references “fixed-guideway transportation systems” aka monorails, operated “within an independent special district created by local act which have boundaries within two contiguous counties.” Walt Disney World is located between two contiguous counties: Orange and Osceola.
The bill as amended, if passed, would require inspection of the monorail systems by the Department of Transportation, rather than the theme parks. The bill also requires monorail operations to be suspended during the time of the inspection, which means the state could suspend monorail operations anytime they deem an inspection as being necessary, at a time convenient to the inspectors employed by the Department of Transportation. Currently, safety inspections are conducted by Disney and occur during times that minimize the impact on park and resort guests.
Ready to book your next magical vacation, but don’t know where to start? Want to enjoy a Walt Disney World vacation without the stress of planning, booking, and tracking trip changes and promotions? Contact me today! As an agent with Destinations To Travel who specializes in Disney destinations, I can help you stress less and enjoy your vacation more! The best part? My services are provided at NO ADDITIONAL COST when you book your Disney vacation package through me!
More Digital Signs Going Up Around Walt Disney World. Traveling through Walt Disney World Resort you can see a ton of road signs all over. There is a huge debate going on over the newest blue-colored signs, and the older purple signs. Now we can add digital signs to the debate.
Over the past few months, we have seen these signs pop up. On Western Way, next to Coronado Springs Resort a new digital sign just went up. Furthermore, we know of at least one more being installed leaving the Magic Kingdom on World Drive. This is in addition to the one that is working on Epcot Center Drive.
Rock Work and Holes Being Filled at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure builds on the story of Princess Tiana, a character whose pride and perseverance remind us of a universal truth: within us lies the potential to make our dreams come true. This all-new adventure will bring Disney Parks guests into Princess Tiana’s world like never before when the attraction opens in Disneyland Park at Disneyland Resort and Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort in 2024.
Prior to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure taking over the old Splash Mountain crews are removing and replacing the theming on the outside of the attraction. When the ride first closed down construction crews got right to work and made huge holes in the facade to get to the internal workings of the ride.
Now, crews have begun patching those holes and now we can see new rock work, along with new steel beams used for the ride track system being installed. Furthermore, we no longer can call it Chikapin, as the main theming has been removed along with all the trees. This was some of the last vestiges of Splash Mountain.
The endeavor began when Tiana purchased the salt mine and the area surrounding the large salt dome it operated from. With the help of her mother Eudora, Naveen, Louis and fellow owners of the cooperative, Tiana revived the old salt mine and the surrounding land, growing a wide array of vegetables, herbs and spices for her recipes.
Rock Work and Holes Being Filled at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
This multi-faceted enterprise has turned the aging salt mine into a space that has come alive. Complete with a boutique farm and both a working and teaching kitchen, Tiana’s Foods is where Tiana and her colleagues create all sorts of new products that they are bringing to the world, including a line of original hot sauces.
Construction Crews Fixing Holes in Cinderella Castle Foundation. We recently wrote about Cinderella Castle Moat being drained to make way for cranes and forklifts, to be able to reach the front of the structure to remove the 50th decorations.
Now that the moat is drained we can see some larger holes in the foundation being fixed. You can see in these images that work is being done around these holes, whether these holes are used for drainage or filling the moat, or rainwater runoff, or are intentionally done is the question. Whatever the reason, it is great seeing Disney taking the time to make sure everything works and is in good working order.
Yesterday we got images of the refurbished banners, replacing the 50th Anniversary Mary Blair banners that graced the turrets, in the front of the castle. Now, we should start seeing the gold spirals being removed from the top of the turrets in Cinderella Castle itself.
Cinderella Castle welcomes you to a magical world where dreams come true. The 189-foot landmark boasts lofty spires and ornate turrets and is the gateway to Fantasyland.
Surrounded by a tranquil moat, the grounds offer an array of picture-perfect photo ops. Explore lush lawns, gardens and Cinderella’s own wishing well.
Inside the Castle
View exquisitely handcrafted glass mosaics that tell the classic story of Cinderella’s rise from orphan to princess.
Then, enjoy an elegant meal at Cinderella’s Royal Table. Be sure to reserve a table in advance for this one-of-a-kind dining experience
Disney News Highlights: Man Arrested After for Sexual Crimes After Riding Remy’s in EPCOT, Fire Effects Canceled at Disney Parks, Layoffs Begin Again This Week at Disney.
More Barges Removed from EPCOT’s Harmonious More Barges Removed from EPCOT’s Harmonious. Later this year Disney100 celebration will come to EPCOT and Disney has almost finished removing the 50th Anniversary nighttime spectacular Harmonious and its water tacos. Furthermore, Disney has already removed the Stargate which was the centerpiece of Harmonious.
Disney News Highlights
Largest Round of Disney Layoffs Happening This Week The latest round of layoffs at the Walt Disney Company will be happening this week. This second round of layoffs is expected to be the largest, as approximately 4,000 employees will receive notification that they have been laid off by the end of the week.
Dining on a Budget? 5 Delicious Quick Service Options at Disney World! There’s no denying that the cost of a Walt Disney World vacation has significantly gone up in recent years. Guests are looking for ways to have a great experience while trying to save money. With hundreds of amazing restaurants to choose from, it is easy to spend a lot of money on food while vacationing at Disney.
Super Mario Bros. Movie Wins Third Straight Box Office Weekend Super Mario Bros. Movie Wins Third Straight Box Office Weekend The Super Mario Bros Movie continues its global domination, now with an estimated $871.8M through Sunday. Of that, $437.5M is from the international box office. The next worldwide benchmark of $900M will follow in the next few days.
Carrie Fisher to Receive Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame Actress Carrie Fisher will be honored posthumously by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce on May 4th, 2023, with the 2,754th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of Motion Pictures. Fisher’s star will be unveiled near the historic El Capitan Theatre, 6840 Hollywood Boulevard.
Dancing With the Stars judge Len Goodman dies at 78ABC News reported that the Len Goodman, long-standing Dancing with the Stars judge, passed away at 78. ABC News learned of Len’s passing via his manager. In a statement released Monday, his manager stated, “Len died on Saturday evening surrounded by his family in a hospice in Kent. He has bone cancer. He kept his sense of humor throughout his illness and was a ‘true gentleman.’”
Disney World App & Reservation System is Down This Morning
Guests attempting to use the My Disney Experience App to make Theme Park Reservations this morning will be greeted with a little difficulty as the system seems to be down.
When logging in to look at our Park Pass Reservation we got the Something Went Wrong – We’re unable to process your selections. Please Try Again Error.
We even tried the Disney World Website on our phone and got the above Error Screen.
When trying to join a Virtual Queue we are unable to add anyone to our Party.
Disney Genie+ is also down this morning so it seems to be pretty much the whole system. I am sure Disney World Engineers are working on the system being down and expect it to come back online anytime now…
Are you having the same error messages while on the My Disney Experience App?
Three Big Disneyland Attractions Closing for Refurbishment this Coming June
If you are heading to Disneyland in June you might want to make a note as Three Disneyland Attractions will be going down for Refurbishment with a Fourth going down as well in California Adventure…
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Peter Pan’s Flight, Alice in Wonderland in Disneyland, and The Little Mermaid Ariel’s Undersea Adventure at California Adventure will all close for refurbishment on June 5th.
Since the Disneyland Calendar only runs till June 6th we are uncertain how long these attractions at the Disneyland Resort will be closed for refurbishment.
It should be noted that Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Alice in Wonderland are all in the same building so that might explain why all 3 rides are going down at the same time.
Disney Characters Spotted in New Disney100 Outfits at Disney World
Disney characters have been visiting the Disney World resorts in their new Disney100 outfits! We saw Goofy, Donald Duck, and Pluto at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge yesterday.
If you see this fancy Disney100 RV outside of your Disney World resort hotel, you’re in for a treat! The characters arrive in style and hang out for a little bit.
Goofy was in his purple and silver Disney100 outfit. His pants are purple with a silver stripe, his coat is silver with sparkly touches, and he has a black bow tie. His shoes and hat are also silver/platinum.
Donald Duck also has a fancy Disney100 suit. His jacket is purple with silver trimmings. He has a silver vest, shoes, and a silver hat with a purple stripe.
Pluto’s Disney100 outfit isn’t quite as extensive as the other two characters. He just has a fancy new silver and purple collar with a silver tag that says “100”.
All three characters had great interactions with guests and spent quite a bit of time at the resort!
If you’d like to experience magic like this at the Disney World resort, contact me today to start planning your trip! I am a travel agent with Destinations to Travel, my services are free, and I’d love to help you plan a magical vacation!
The late Carrie Fisher to Receive Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Actress Carrie Fisher will be honored posthumously by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce on May 4th, 2023, with the 2,754th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the category of Motion Pictures. Fisher’s star will be unveiled near the historic El Capitan Theatre, 6840 Hollywood Boulevard.
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce has proudly hosted the globally iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame for millions of people around the world since 1960.
WHO | HONOREE Carrie Fisher EMCEE iHeartMedia personality and Walk of Famer Ellen K GUEST SPEAKERS Speakers TBA – Billie Lourd will be accepting the star on behalf of her mother WHAT Dedication of the 2,754th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame WHEN Thursday, May 4, at 11:30 AM PT WHERE 6840 Hollywood Boulevard near the El Capitan Theatre WATCH LIVE The event will be streamed live exclusively at walkoffame.com
ABOUT Carrie Fisher
“Fans will be over the moon to know that their favorite movie princess, Carrie Fisher will be honored with her star on the iconic Hollywood Walk of Fame! Carrie will join her “Star Wars” co-stars and fellow Walk of Famers Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford on this historic sidewalk” stated Ana Martinez, Producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “I am happy to add, that her star is just a few feet away from the star of Mark Hamill and across the street from the star of her legendary mother Debbie Reynolds!” added Martinez.
Actress, writer and daughter of Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher made her film debut in “Shampoo” and went on to become a cultural icon playing Princess Leia in the original “Star Wars” trilogy. Since then, she graced the film screen in such hits as “When Harry Met Sally,” “Hannah and Her Sisters” and “The Blues Brothers,” to name a few. Her television credits include “Laverne & Shirley,” “Sex and the City” and “30 Rock,” for which she received an Emmy® nomination.
Fisher’s bestselling novel, “Postcards from the Edge,” netted her the Los Angeles Pen Award for Best First Novel. Fisher penned the “Postcards” screenplay for the Oscar®-nominated film, starring Shirley MacLaine and Meryl Streep. Three novels and two memoirs have followed: “Delusions of Grandma,” “Surrender the Pink,” “The Best Awful,” “Wishful Drinking” and “Shockaholic.” Fisher performed her one-woman stage version of “Wishful Drinking” on Broadway, which went on to be filmed for HBO and nominated for an Emmy® Award.
Space Mountain Now Exits Through Tomorrowland Launch Depot. Last year Tomorrowland Light and Power Co. closed its doors for good. That meant the exit to Space Mountain had to be rerouted around the closed store.
Recently with the opening of Tron Lightcycle Run the new exit gift shop Tomorrowland Launch Depot opened and with that meant Space Mountain now has its old exit back.
No more walking back into a huge line waiting to ride Space Mountain.
Space Mountain – Blast off on a rip-roaring rocket into the furthest reaches of outer space on this roller-coaster ride in the dark.
Zoom Through the Galaxy
Dip and careen into the inky blackness as a futuristic soundtrack echoes all around you. Fly past shooting stars and celestial satellites. Roar past streaking orbs of light, wayward comets, and migrant meteors. Feel the pull of gravity as you’re drawn into a swirling wormhole!
Space Mountain Now Exits Through Tomorrowland Launch Depot
