The Regal Eagle Smokehouse: EPCOT’s Newest Restaurant

Today we have exciting news from Epcot.  There’s a brand new restaurant open at Epcot.  The Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue has opened at Epcot’s American Adventure pavilion.  The Regal Eagle Smokehouse is named after Sam the Eagle of the The Muppets.  Epcot’s newest quick service restaurant is themed to a barbecue cook-off, featuring competitors from across America.

New restaurant open at Epcot Regal Eagle Smokehouse
Restaurant Logo, Disney Parks

Perhaps best of all?  Mobile Ordering IS an option for the Regal Eagle Smokehouse through your My Disney Experience app, helping to minimize your time spent in LINE.

Liberty Inn Closed June 2019

For years, the food at the American Adventure pavilion was an embarrassment!  It always amazed me how bad the food was at the American pavilion.  It was such basic theme park food.  Cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, and [watery] pulled pork sandwiches.   None of these items stood out, and all were disappointing (especially the pulled pork!).  There was no theming to speak of, in my opinion.  It just felt like a big fast food restaurant.

There is so much great food in the United States; the abysmal food at Liberty Inn aggravated me for years.  It made me sad that visitors from all over the world could come to Disney and think THIS represented America.  But that’s all old news, thank goodness.  The Liberty Inn closed in June 2019 to make way for a new quick service restaurant.  Finally, we have our new restaurant: The Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue hosted by Coca-Cola.

The Regal Eagle Smokehouse

At long last, the American Adventure pavilion has an American themed restaurant to be proud of.  I think the choice to include the Muppets in the theming for this restaurant is genius.  It’s subtle, but it iso great to see the Muppets in Epcot!  Sam the Eagle is atop the logo and featured on the menu.  We see other Muppet characters in sketches around the restaurant.  The Muppet presence isn’t super overt, and of course, as a big Muppets fan, I wish there were more of it.  However, these days ANY sign of the Muppets at Walt Disney World is a good thing, as far as I’m concerned.

The theming throughout the interior space is sprinkled with classic Americana.  It’s got a little bit of a retro feel.  The walls feature lots of brick and tile.  There is red, white and blue bunting on the ceiling, and even the condiment station features Americana decor.  There’s a tin ceiling, and there are lots of copper pots and old timey accessories throughout.  The tables are flanked by backless benches, and the indoor seating area feels very large, bright and open.  The overall look is really sharp.

New Restaurant open at Epcot Regal Eagle Smokehouse
Regal Eagle Smokehouse                                                                                                       (Photo: Disney Parks)

Outdoors, the large seating area is all classic picnic tables with umbrellas to help protect guests from the Florida sun.  There’s also a large classic smoker on display in the outdoor seating area.  I’m not sure if this is just for show, or if we may see it in use during busy periods.

Barbecue Flavors From Across the United States

I think the Regal Eagle Smokehouse’s approach to “American” by using barbecue flavors found in different parts of the country is really smart.  Since summer cook-offs are such a big part of festivals throughout the country, I thought choosing to theme the restaurant as “Sam’s Centennial Cook-Off” was also a terrific idea!

New restaurant open at Epcot Regal Eagle Smokehouse
Source, Disney Parks

Entrees are themed to Texas, South Carolina, Missouri, Tennessee and North Carolina.  Meats are smoked for 14 hours, and the quality of the meats and sides are very high, especially for a theme park quick service restaurant.

Menu Options

There are a lot of options on this quick service menu!  There are a variety of sandwiches and platters.  All sandwiches and platters include a side.

New Restaurant Open at Epcot Regal Eagle Smokehouse
Great food can be found at the new Regal Eagle Smokehouse at the American Adventure Pavilion at EPCOT (Photo: Disney Parks)

The American Platter is $18.99, and I suspect it will be VERY popular, especially for first time visitors.  It includes three choices from the meat options, one side of your choice and a piece of garlic toast.   The meat options include Sliced Texas Beef Brisket, Kansas City Smoked Half Chicken, Memphis Dry-Rub Port Ribs, North Carolina Chopped Smoked Port Butt, and South Carolina Smoked Sausage.  The brisket and smoked sausage are available as sandwiches, and the other three meat options are available as single meat platters.  There is also a BBQ Burger, which is a burger topped with pulled BBQ pork and an onion ring.  A Power Greens Salad is on the menu, and includes chilled pulled chicken and fresh citrus.  For those that prefer plant based sandwiches, there is a BBQ Jackfruit Burger.  This is a plant based burger topped with BBQ Jackfruit.

Regal Eagle Smokehouse
Regal Eagle Smokehouse, The American Adventure Pavilion at EPCOT (Photo: Disney Parks)

Side options include House Made Pickles, French Fries, Beer-Battered Onion Rings, Creamy Coleslaw, Macaroni and Cheese, Garlic Toast, and Baked Beans with Burnt Ends.

For dessert, you can choose from the Fresh Watermelon Cup (But WHY?  Just kidding!), the S’mores Brownie and Banana Pudding.  The banana pudding even has vanilla wafer cookies in it.  So classic!

The kids menu features a cheeseburger, chicken salad, BBQ chicken leg and BBQ rib platter as options.  Most of these come with one or two sides, and a choice of Chocolate Milk, Apple Juice or small fountain beverage.

Beverages

Inside you’ll find the traditional quick service restaurant Coca-Cola fountain beverage station, featuring the same Coca-Cola beverage options you find all over the parks.  But at the Regal Eagle Smokehouse, you’ll also find Iced Unsweetened Tea, Sweet Tea and a few varieties of flavored iced teas that I think are a nice inclusion.

The menu inside also features a variety of American draft beers and ciders, wine and some specialty cocktails.  There are more beverage options at the outdoor bar as well.  (Read on for more about the outdoor bar!).

Meat Lovers Paradise

While there is a plant based option on the menu, the Regal Eagle Smokehouse is primarily for those of us that eat meat.  If you are vegan or vegetarian, you will be happier at one of the other pavilions around World Showcase.  If, however, you are a meat lover, you will most likely find at least one item on this menu that you’ll love.

The other thing that makes me happy is that the entrees are not drenched in sauces.  Regal Eagle Smokehouse offers a variety of sauces on the side at the condiment bar, and you can add as much or as little sauce to your meats as you want to.  I think this will appeal to a wide range of customers.

Sauces

The condiment bar features a variety of bbq sauces for you to try with your entree.  There are four sauces, plus ketchup on the condiment bar.  Sauce options include:

      • Mustard Guild “Old Glory” Sweet Mustard Sauce
      • Blue Ridge Vinegar League
      • Blue Ribbon Brisket Sauce
      • Sizzlin’ Pit Dry Rub Coalition Classic Smokehouse Sauce

Options for Those With Allergies

There are options available for those with gluten or wheat allergies, egg allergies, milk allergies, peanut or tree nut allergies, and soy allergies.  To review the complete menu, along with the allergy related options, please visit here.

Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Outdoor Bar

One of the highlights of the new outdoor area at the Regal Eagle Smokehouse is the new outdoor bar.  Many of the beverages offered at the outdoor bar can also be found inside the restaurant; however, I suspect the outdoor bar will satisfy a lot of patrons that aren’t interested in a meal.

The menu features a variety of American draft beers and ciders.  There is also a selection of California wines on the menu, as well as a few “specialty cocktails”.  Specialty cocktails include a Frozen Mint Julep, a Tennessee Lemonade (featuring Jack Daniels), a Texas Mule, a Frozen Strawberry Daquiri and a Moonshine Sour.  There are two non alcoholic options on the outdoor bar menu as well: Berry Sparkler and Frozen Iced Tea Lemonade.  Prices range from $4.50 (non alcoholic specialty beverages) to $14.00 (specialty cocktails).  While anyone who knows me well knows I’m am very partial to the Grand Marnier slushie available at the Champagne Kiosk in the France pavilion, I am eager to try the Tennessee Lemonade at the Regal Eagle Smokehouse!

At Last, Good American Food at the American Adventure Pavilion

I am happy to report that at long last, we have good food available at the American Adventure pavilion at EPCOT.  Of course, if you prefer table service, or eat good old American barbecue fairly frequently, the Regal Eagle Smokehouse might not be high on your list.  Also, I suspect it won’t be a preferred stop for vegans or vegetarians.

However, if you want a good quality quick service option, you can’t go wrong with the Regal Eagle Smokehouse.  The food is flavorful and the environment is fun and well themed.  And hey, there are some Muppets touches.  Good pulled pork, beef brisket, ribs and old fashioned banana pudding?  Count me in!

Muppets Sam the Eagle
Sam the Eagle, The Muppets (Photo: Disney Parks)

What do you think?  Are you going to check out the Regal Eagle Smokehouse?  Please comment below.  If you’ve already had a chance to try it, please share your thoughts!

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

P.S. There are lots of updates coming to EPCOT this year and next.  Have you heard about  EPCOT’s space themed restaurant coming later this year?  Check out this post to learn more.

 

 

How to Build Excitement for Your Upcoming Disney Vacation

Planning a first time trip to Walt Disney World or Disneyland for your family or friends?  Are you anxiously waiting for Disney trip that is a long way off?  Are you looking for ways to get your family (or friends) excited about the trip?  There are lots of great ways build excitement for your upcoming Disney vacation.  I get a lot of questions about keeping family members excited about a Disney vacation that is a long way off.  Since many people are planning their Disney vacation for up to 2 years in advance, the long lead time can sometimes seem never ending and frustrating.

Toy Story Mania Disney Vacation
Super Patient Kids Waiting in Line                                  (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

When Should You Tell Your Kids They Are Going to Disney?

There are some different ways to approach this.  You know your kids better than anyone else does, and what is right for your kids may be different than what is right for someone else.  There is no absolutely right or wrong way to do this, no matter what “experts” on Facebook or Instagram might tell you.  Follow your instincts—and use what you learn for the next trip.

Option: Tell Your Kids as Soon as You Start Planning

For a lot of us, planning a Disney vacation is a very exciting time.  It can absorb a lot of your time and attention, especially if you are doing a lot of the planning  yourself.  You may find you want to talk about it a lot.  You may want to get opinions and find out about wish lists.  That can make keeping a secret for any length of time super challenging.

If you have older (teenagers +), I think it often makes a lot of sense to involve them in the planning, or at least some aspects of it.

Sharing the planning process with the whole family can be fun.  Having family planning meetings to discuss the trip can help build excitement for your upcoming Disney vacation.

Fast Pass Planning Build Excitement
Fast Pass+ Planning (Photo: Brooke Hudson

However, sharing the planning process can also be stressful.  If your family has a lot of strong personalities, planning can turn into arguing very quickly.  One person not liking a character or movie that someone else loves can result in hurt feelings or anger.

If you are planning a trip more than one year in advance, which is extremely common, family members, especially younger kids, can get very frustrated with the long wait or vacation.

For this reason, I generally don’t recommend telling little kids about the upcoming trip until you are just a few months out.  Kids don’t really understand time yet, and “next year” or “year after next” just aren’t concepts that make sense to them.  As a result, they may drive you crazy asking when you are going to visit the Mouse’s House until the actual trip.

Again, you know your family.  I just want to give you some things to consider as you make these decisions.

Option: Big Announcement or Gift Presentation

Some parents decide to announce the upcoming Disney vacation with a lot of bells and whistles.  There are tons of super cute videos on YouTube of kids being surprised with the news they are going to Disney.

As a scavenger hunt girl, this one is a favorite:

The Ellen show did a cute little montage of suprise reactions to the news:

Another fun idea is to present the trip as a gift for Christmas, birthday or graduation.  This isn’t an idea just to surprise your kids with, either!  Surprising your spouse or significant other with a Disney trip is super fun and can be very romantic, too!

Here’s a cute Christmas surprise:

Again, the time lag between the big announcement and the actual trip is something to consider.  If you get your kids super excited with a big presentation but the trip is a year away, you may find they lose the excitement over time.   Of course, there are LOTS of fun things you can do to build excitement every month, or even every week as the trip approaches.

Option: Tell Them Right Before the Trip (Or even ON the trip!)

Some parents prefer to spring the trip on the kids right before they leave.  I’ve had clients who told their kids they were going to visit Grandma, and then surprised them in the car with the news they were going to Disney WITH Grandma instead.  There are a couple of fun videos on YouTube where parents woke their kids up really early in the morning with the surprise that they were leaving immediately for a trip to Disney.  The kids are too sleepy to really understand the surprise at first.  Pretty cute.

Here’s a pretty great one where they find out they’re going and leave immediately.  The mode of transportation to the airport is part of the surprise. It’s so cute!

What Works Best for Your Family?

As you can see, there are lots of different schools of thought on when to involve your family in the planning.  When you tell the family way before the trip, you might run into “it’s NEVER going to be time” frustration or planning fatigue.  When you choose to surprise the family right before the trip, you avoid the months of “when are we going?” questions, but you also don’t get to do fun things to get everyone excited.   You have to think about your family, the time until your trip and how you want to handle the big news.

Personally, I like to have at least some time before the trip to build excitement.  I want everyone to be looking forward to the trip, and I like to have time to build some anticipation and enthusiasm.  However, I also tend to mostly plan everything out, based on my knowledge of the people I’m planning for.  This can help avoid any planning drama or arguing.  Again, you know your family, so involve them as much (or as little) as makes sense for your group.

Build Excitement for Your Upcoming Disney Vacation

Disney Family Movie Night

One of my favorite ideas to build excitement for an upcoming Disney vacation is a Disney Family Movie Night.

Build Excitement for your upcoming Disney Vacation Star Wars Movie Poster

Scheduling regular Disney family movie nights where you all sit down together and watch a Disney movie is a terrific way to build excitement and minimize frustration.  Because you’re at home, you can plan a mid-movie intermission for bathroom breaks.  Before starting the movie back up, you could talk about the first half of the movie as a family.  You could talk about what characters you might see at Disney when you visit.  You could ask questions about favorite moments that could maybe someday turn into an attraction.

The idea is to have quality family time, good conversation with your family AND to talk Disney!

A Disney Family Movie Night is great Disney vacation preparation, even if your family members don’t know they have a Disney vacation in their future.  It’s also a terrific way to pass the time between trips, or to lessen the post vacation blues.

Build excitement for your upcoming disney vacation disney family movie night toy story

I’ve learned that many of the classic films that are such an integral part of the Disney parks are not that familiar to younger kids today.  Many kids under 10 (or even under 20!) have never seen classics like Snow White, Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty.  You may have family members  that have never seen Peter Pan, the Jungle Book or Swiss Family Robinson.

Knowledge is Power

While having familiarity with all the movies and animated series featured in the Disney parks is certainly NOT necessary to enjoy the parks, having seen these movies adds an extra layer of fun to any parks (or Disney Cruise Line) visit.

For example, if you have a meal inside Cinderella Castle, you may or may not notice two colorful little mice located high up on one wall, watching Cinderella greet her guests.  If you’ve never seen the movie, you might not care about the mice.  However, if, like me, you’ve seen the movie, you probably LOVE Gus-Gus and Jacque, those two mice perched up on the wall watching the fun.  It’s a fun little detail that adds to the magic.

Cinderella build excitement for your upcoming disney vacation disney family movie night

If you’ve never seen Snow White, you’ll still love Seven Dwarfs Mine Train—but if you HAVE seen the movie, the details in the queue and in the scenes you pass through will be much more fun and interesting.  Visiting during Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival?  The Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs topiaries are really cool, but if you’ve grown attached to them in the movie, you’ll rush to take pictures with them!

Snow White Build excitement for your upcoming Disney vacation Disney family movie night

If you’re a Star Wars fan, walking into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is truly mind blowing.  You feel like you’ve walked into one of the movies.  If you’ve never seen a Star Wars movie, much of the creativity and detail won’t mean as much to you.  You will probably think it’s a cool world, but it won’t pack much emotional punch or meaning for you.

The Force Awakens Disney Family Movie Night Star Wars

The moral of the story is: If you have a few months before your trip to Walt Disney World or Disneyland, consider implementing a Disney Family Movie Night.  You’ll build some important family time, watch quality family entertainment, and hopefully spark some interesting discussions.  Even if you’ve chosen not to let your family in on the secret (upcoming vacation), you will all have fun on Disney Family Movie Night.  And as a bonus, when you do take the trip, everyone will have even MORE fun because they’ll recognize characters and themes from the films.

Build excitement for your upcoming Disney vacation Disney Movie Night
Rey and BB-8                                                                                                                               (Photo: Lucasfilm)

Disney+ and the Public Library

There are a lot of great ways to find classic Disney movies.  When I was making the list for my own family, I inventoried my DVD library, and made sure everyone knew they could borrow from Auntie Brooke.  You might be surprised how many Disney movies you have in your own library, especially if you love Disney.

Many public libraries will have DVD copies of most Disney films in their collection that you can check out for free.

NetFlix still has some Disney movies in their library, although not as many as they used to.  Of course, you can buy Disney movies to your heart’s content, either digitally or on DVD.  Amazon, Itunes, the Movies Anywhere app, WalMart, Target and many more are great sources of new copies of Disney DVDs.  Like garage sales?  Keep your eyes out for used Disney DVDs to pad your collection.  You might be surprised at the great deals you can find.

Disney+

Disney+ is a TREASURE TROVE.  I am so happy with Disney+, I can’t even stand it!  There is SO MUCH here.  Tons of classic movies, lots of Disney channel shows, classic Disney animated shorts and lots of new Pixar and Disney shorts.  There’s also ALL the Star Wars movies and animated series, as well as the new Star Wars series, The Mandalorian, which you can ONLY watch on Disney+. (It’s FANTASTIC).

Disney Family Movie Night
The Mandalorian                                                                                                              Photo: LucasFilm/Disney

If you’ve been seeing this cute little guy EVERYWHERE and wondered where he came from, he’s in The Mandalorian.  Another great reason to watch!😉

The Mandalorian                                                                  (Photo: LucasFilm/Disney)

Disney+ also includes National Geographic programming.   There is just so much on that app, it’s amazing.  If you don’t already subscribe, I highly recommend it!   Our movie list for Disney Family Night has more than 20 movies on it, and they are ALL on Disney+.  In fact, there are some movies that weren’t on my original list that I may add as bonus entries, just because they’re on Disney+ and I want my family to see them.😉

Countdown Calendar

Another terrific way to build excitement for a Disney vacation that is a ways out is a countdown calendar.  These can be simple or super detailed.

You can even download monthly calendar templates from the internet, and print them out.  Put a giant sticker on the day you leave for vacation, and let the kids cross off each day as you get closer and closer to the trip.

Countdown Calendar Build excitement for your upcoming Disney vacation
Calendar designed by Linda Harkness                                      (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

We’re in the midst of planning big family trip for October.  My mom made these amazing calendars on Shutterfly, using lots of pictures from our previous family trips.  She gave them to us for Christmas, so everyone has a countdown calendar for the time until the trip.  It’s super nostalgic and fun, especially because our two littlest vacationers don’t even remember their first trip.  The pictures are proof they were there (even if they don’t REALLY believe us!)  It’s so fun imagining them on this next trip.  They won’t forget this one!

Countdown Calendar Build excitement for your upcoming Disney vacation
Calendar designed by Linda Harkness (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Mom incorporated the Disney Family Movie Night idea into the calendar, and put movie suggestions throughout the calendar, with a different movie suggested every two weeks until our trip.  She also highlighted important dates for the grown ups, reminding us when to look for airfare, and when deposits are due, etc.  She even included lots of Disney trivia and information about where we are staying.

Countdown Calendar build excitement for your upcoming disney vacation
Calendar designed by Linda Harkness (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

It’s super fun and colorful, and it’s really fun looking at it every month.  The little ones are crossing off days as we get closer, and I know the excitement will build really high when we get into that final few weeks before the trip.

Disney Food Themed Meals

These days, even a trip to the grocery store can help build excitement about your upcoming Disney vacation!  There are so many Disney branded foods available in grocery stores now.  There is everything from apple slices to ice cream branded with Mickey Mouse or one of his pals!  Here’s a couple examples of some of the stuff you can find.  You could pack Disney themed snacks in your kids’ lunches one day a week, with a sticky note reminding them how many days until vacation.

(Note: These are Amazon affiliate links.  If you choose to click through my link to Amazon, I will earn a small commission on your purchase.  This does NOT affect your pricing in anyway.  Thank you!)

Here’s another idea: you could  incorporate some of these branded items into your meal planning.  For example, as your trip approaches, you could have a special Disney Food Themed Meal night.  You could have Disney brand hot dogs, Mickey Mouse tater tots and Mickey bars for dessert.  If you want to avoid using the Disney branded foods, you could choose a movie, and serve foods inspired by that movie.  Alternatively, you could choose a theme park, and serve foods inspired by that theme park.   You could even pull recipes from one of the Disney cookbooks and serve something that you might even find at Disney on your trip!  There are a lot of Disney cookbooks. Here are a few that I really like.

You could even make foods in the SHAPE of Disney icons.  Mickey shaped pancakes or cookies can be a fun addition to breakfast time or snacks.  Be sure to talk about the trip during these special themed meals.  Talk about some of the fun things you’ve got planned, characters you might see.  You can even talk about the food you might eat, haha.

So Many Ideas!!

There are so many great ways to build excitement for your upcoming Disney vacation.  In this post, we’ve focused on Disney Family Movie Night, Countdown Calendars, and Disney Food Themed Meals.  This article is going to the the first in a series of three, all designed to help you and your family get ready and get excited for your trip.  The next article in this series will be out in two weeks.  Please comment below with your favorite way to build excitement for an upcoming family or Disney vacation.

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

 

Adventures by Disney European River Cruises 2021

Do you have dreams of visiting Europe?  Of sailing the Danube or the Rhine, drinking in the beautiful sites?  Do you long to tour a castle or visit a cafe at the foot of the Eiffel Tower?  Do you dream of Adventure?  If so, an Adventures by Disney European River Cruise Vacation is exactly what you are looking for.  There are 30 Adventures by Disney European river cruises scheduled in 2021, more than ever before.  Extra cruises have been added in response to the popularity of these amazing, unforgettable trips!

Adventurers can choose to travel along one of four enchanting European rivers: Danube, Rhine, Rhone and Seine.  Some departures are reserved exclusively for families traveling without children, including Food and Wine and Oktoberfest-themed cruises.

Adventures by Disney European River Cruises

Rhine River Cruise

This seven night cruise will take you to stunning destinations in Switzerland, France, Germany and the Netherlands.  Experiences include a Rhine Gorge Castle Cruise, a Heidelberg Castle Tour, an Amsterdam Canal Cruise and a Walking Tour of Cologne, among others.

There are also special Rhine River Cruise sailings, including a Food & Wine Rhine River Cruise and a D23 special fan club sailing

Danube River Cruise

Visit four countries and make eight stops on this seven night cruise through Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.  Experiences include a visit to Durnstein Castle, a tour of Vienna, a Hallein Salt Mine Adventure, a Danube River Bike Ride, Exploration of Budapest, among many others.

Special Danube River Cruise sailings include Oktoberfest (an adult exclusive sailing), and Christmas Markets, which will include stops in Germany, Hungary and Austria, all decorated for the holidays.

Rhone River Cruise

This seven night adventure will take you through the south of France, with visits to Lyon, Tournon, Avignon and Arles.  Experiences include Biking in Lyon, Truffle Hunting at Les Pastras Farm, Tour La Cite du Chocolate, and take a Steam Train in Gorges du Doux, among others.

Seine River Cruise

Explore the essence of France on this eight day, seven night cruise along the Seine.  You will visit Paris, Conflans, Les Andelys, Vernon/Giverny, Rouen, and Le Harve.  Experiences include visits to Normandy’s Omaha Beach, French Castles and Ruins, Monet’s House and Gardens, among others.

All Inclusive Luxury Vacations in the Heart of Europe

Adventures by Disney European River Cruises
Adventures by Disney River Cruise (Photo: Adventures by Disney)

AmaWaterways

All Adventures by Disney European River Cruises sail with AmaWaterways.  AmaWaterways is a premier luxury river cruise line.  AmaWaterways consistently receives awards for the highest rated ships in Europe.  They’ve received many honors and accolades.  They’ve won Town & Country River Cruise Awards for “Best Overall”, “Best for Food”, “Best Onboard Activities”, and “Best for On-Shore Activities”.  Cruisers’ Choice Cruise Critic consistently rates AmaWaterways five stars, and includes them in their top 3 European River Cruise Line recommendations.  Cruises’ Choice has awarded AmaWaterways their Editors Picks award for the last several years.  AmaWaterways has also won Reader’s Choice Awards for “Best River Cruise Line” from AFAR and Recommend magazines.

Your cruise aboard an AmaWaterways ship will be the ultimate in luxury traveling.  Your cruise will feature locally sourced wine and cuisine, a comfortable deluxe stateroom, unforgettable views, and state of the art amenities, including internet access and in-room entertainment.

All Inclusive ABD European River Cruises

Adventures by Disney European River Cruises are all inclusive.  All your food, beverages, activities and gratuities are included in your cruise fare.

Adventures by Disney European River Cruises
Aerial shot of Danube River (Photo: Adventures by Disney)

Some of the accommodations, services and amenities you can expect while on your Adventure:

      • Deluxe cruise accommodations in an outside stateroom
      • Services of Adventure Guides
      • Access to local experts
      • Authentic cultural experiences
      • Private sightseeing tours
      • Services of the onboard Cruise Director and staff
      • Onboard Wellness Coach on most Adult Exclusive River Cruise Sailings
      • Fine dining (breakfast, lunch and dinner) served on  board ship
      • All gratuities onboard and at restaurants
      • Chef’s Table specialty restaurant featuring a tasting menu
      • Unlimited local wine, beer and soft drinks with each lunch and dinner onboard
      • Select meals off the ship for special experiences with regional cuisine
      • Daily Sip & Sail Cocktail Hour with complimentary wine, beer, spirits and soft drinks
      • Cocktail reception, special welcome dinner and Captain’s Gala Dinner
      • Bottled water in all staterooms, replenished daily
      • Onboard entertainment including a nightly piano lounge, karaoke nights, baking classes for kids and more
      • Special theme nights, including “Disney Bounding” where guests dress as casual, contemporary versions of their favorite Disney characters in regular clothes they have
      • WiFi in all staterooms and public areas

Adult Exclusive Sailings Available

While Adventures by Disney is a family vacation specialist, we understand that sometimes you want a trip away from the kids.  Perhaps you are planning a honeymoon or an anniversary getaway.  Maybe you want a more sophisticated vacation adventure.  Disney has several sailings set aside each year as Adult Exclusive Sailings.

Contact me if you’d like more information, specific dates and itineraries for the Adult Exclusive Adventures by Disney European River Cruise Sailings.  brooke@disneycastledreaming.com, or via instant message on Facebook, DisneyCastleDreaming, or via direct message on Instagram, @disneycastledreaming.

Adventures by Disney European River Cruises
Adventures by Disney, in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower (Photo: Adventures by Disney)

Family Fun for All Ages

Adventures by Disney vacations are truly extraordinary for adventurers of all ages.  Each Adventure by Disney vacation has some activities that specific for kids of various ages.  There are activities and experiences geared to teens, while others are designed for younger children.  Your Disney Adventure Guides will ensure that your children have the experience of a lifetime–exactly right for them, and their age group.

Adventures by Disney European River Cruises
Adventures by Disney Family Fun (Photo: Adventures by Disney)

While your kids are enjoying their kid-specific activities, you’ll have time for more adult-oriented exploring, activities or tours.

See what USA Today had to say about Disney’s family friendly Adventures by Disney River Cruise Vacations here.  Here’s an insightful review of an Adventures by Disney Danube River cruise from Travel + Leisure.

The Disney Difference

Worldwide, the Disney name is synonymous with quality.  We all know that we can count on Disney to give us an amazing experience whenever we find the Disney name.

Adventures by Disney ensures that you can count on Disney’s high standards throughout your vacation, no matter where in the world you are visiting.  If you are traveling with Adventures by Disney, you are guaranteed a culturally immersive, once in a lifetime experience that will show you that all vacations are not created equal!

Adventure Guides

On every Adventures by Disney vacation, your group will be accompanied by two or more trained Disney Adventure Guides.  These Adventure Guides attend to every detail of your trip, letting you immerse yourself in the adventure.  Adventure Guides are storytellers, and they work to make sure the story of your vacation is unforgettable.  The Adventure Guides take pictures, lead excursions, educate, and spend time with each person on the trip.  They work with local experts to guide your family and ensure that you will feel a connection to the people, culture and traditions of each destination you visit.

Cultural Experiences

It’s important to Disney that if you are visiting these wonderful, historical destinations, you have the opportunity to learn about the customs, traditions and daily life of the people, places and culture you visit.  Adventures by Disney vacations bring you a unique and authentic experience that only Disney can provide.  Each Adventures by Disney vacation is designed to feature special excursions or activities that enhance your experience and ensure that you leave a place truly understanding more about the culture you have visited.  Adventures by Disney vacations include things you won’t necessarily find in the typical guidebook–but your experience will be more special and memorable as a result.

Adventures by Disney European River Cruises
Photo: Adventures by Disney

Insider Access

The Disney name, in addition to carrying a reputation of excellence in customer service and dedication to creativity and detail, also carries a lot of clout.  That clout helps Adventures by Disney provide access to extraordinary opportunities that aren’t available to the general public.  Adventures by Disney give you a backstage pass to the world!

Family Fun

Each Adventures by Disney trip offers unique itinerary options.  There are more sophisticated experiences designed for adults, and special Junior Adventurer activities tailored to kids.  You will discover lots of special opportunities to create and share unforgettable memories you will all cherish forever.

Book Early and Save

Adventures by Disney European River Cruises for 2021 just opened up for booking this week.  Book early and save up to $750 per person on select 2021 river cruise vacations when you book by March 27, 2020.  Contact me for more information!

Adventures by Disney: Destinations Around the World

Adventures by Disney offers more than thirty different adventures across six continents.  You can explore the wonders of Japan, Greece, Peru and many other countries with Adventures by Disney.  There are adventures in Montana, New York, Yellowstone and Southern California.  There are adventures in Australia and Africa, and throughout Europe.  Most adventures by Disney vacations are 7-9 nights in length.  There are a few Adventures by Disney Escape vacations, which are 2-4 nights in length, and give you a brief taste of an adventure.  These Escapes are often available as add ons to other Disney or Adventures by Disney vacations.  For example, there are several European Escapes that can be added on to an Adventurers by Disney European River Cruise vacation, further extending and enhancing your vacation.

Adventures by Disney
Adventures by Disney

If you would like information about Adventures by Disney destinations, please email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com.

Happy dreaming!

Brooke

Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

Disney TRON Construction Update

It’s time for another Disney TRON construction update!  If you missed our previous post on the new TRON attraction coming to the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, click here to check it out.

The First Vertical Columns Are Going UP!

While construction began on the TRON “coaster” style attraction began more than a year ago, there wasn’t a whole lot of VISIBLE progress.  So much has to happen to prepare the ground to support the weight of the attraction, and even more has to happen to support the electrical needs of the attraction and the technology the ride will require.  To the casual observer,  the early phases of any attraction construction project often look like there’s not a whole lot going on.

Luckily, we’re not casual observers, right?  Disney has announced that they have begun installing the steel columns that will support the attraction.

Check out this terrific video that Disney released!

Where IS the TRON Attraction?

TRON is being built in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.  It’s going next to Space Mountain, mostly in space that was previously empty.

Disney has modified the Speedway slightly to make room for TRON.  They’ve also stopped running the Walt Disney World Railroad for the forseeable future, while construction proceeds on TRON.  I don’t know if this means the Railroad is ultimately being rerouted, or if the current track will still be in place once construction on TRON is completed.  It’s entirely possible that once it’s safe for the Railroad to resume circling the park and traveling behind Tomorrowland, we’ll be able to tell that nothing changed on the route.  However, I suspect that the Railroad track may need to move over a bit to make room for TRON.  Too soon to tell.

Regardless, we do have a pretty awesome artist rendering of what the TRON attraction is expected to look like.

Disney Tron Construction Update Artist Rendering
Disney Tron Attraction Coming to Magic Kingdom: Artist Rendering

We also got a new picture of the steel column that cast members signed.  As we discussed in the previous Disney TRON construction update post, an important milestone of the TRON project was when Disney invited cast members involved in the project to sign one of the steel columns that will become a part of TRON.

Disney TRON Construction Update
TRON Construction Milestone                                        (Photo: Disney Parks)

When Can We Ride?

While there’s no “official” opening date (it’s WAY too soon!), it looks like the expectations are that TRON will be completed in time for the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World in 2021.

Are you excited about this attraction?  From the brief glimpse we get in the video above, I think TRON looks like it will be very different from anything else we have at Disney.  I’m hoping it will be a ton of fun, and that it will absorb a lot of guests.  I’m always a fan of attractions that can swallow up a lot of the crowd.

What do you think?  Please like this post, and comment below with your thoughts!

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

Disney Launches Free Dining Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

HUGE NEWS: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge OPENING May 31st and August 29th!!!!

This is really big news all my lovely Disney trip planners and dreamers!!!  Just moments ago, Disney announced Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge OPENING DATES at BOTH Disneyland and Hollywood Studios!!!

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will open, AHEAD OF SCHEDULE, on May 31 at Disneyland in California.  At Hollywood Studios in Florida, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will open AUGUST 29–this is MONTHS before we’d anticipated!

Disney Star Wars Disney Hollywood Studios Disney Galaxys Edge
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Artist’s Rendering

This is so exciting, I am freaking out right now.  However, this isn’t ALL rainbows and roses.

Disney has decided to open ahead of schedule in response to the overwhelming response and interest from guests that want to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which is terrific.  BUT the reality is that everything will not really be ready by these earlier than projected dates.  So Disney has decided to open Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Phases.

Phase One, Opening Day

On opening day, guests will be able to get into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.  You’ll explore merchant shops and talk to the people living and working on Black Spire Outpost.  You’ll taste galactic food and beverages unlike anything you’ve tried before.

Disney Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Millennium Falcon- Smuggler’s Run (Photo: Disney Parks)

Perhaps most importantly, you’ll be able to experience the first attraction of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run.  You’re going to be able to get on board the Millennium Falcon, and take the controls and have your own adventure aboard the ship that has starred in so many of our beloved movies and our dreams for so long….

Disney Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Millennium Falcon – Smuggler’s Run (Photo: Disney Parks)

Phase Two, Later This Year

Later this year, the second attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, will open.  This attraction has been touted as the most ambitions, immersive and advanced attraction ever imagined.  It’s going to put you in the middle of a battle between the Resistance and First Order.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Rise of the Resistance
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Rise of the Resistance (Photo: Disney Parks)

Disney released this video earlier today:

What We Can Expect: Limited Capacity

Guests planning to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland between opening day (May 31) and June 23, 2019 will need valid Disneyland park admission and they will be required to make a no-cost reservation, subject to availability, to access Galaxy’s Edge.  Disney has not released information yet on how to make these no-cost reservations; I will update you as soon as I know more!

Guests staying at one of the three Disneyland Resort hotels during this period (May 31-June 23) will received a reservation to access Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge during their stay (one reservation per registered guest); Disneyland Park admission is still required.

Capacity will be limited for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge for both Disneyland and Hollywood Studios.  Currently, Disney says no reservations will be required to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios.  Also, Disney says Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be open during Extra Magic Hours for resort guests.  More details will be released soon (and as soon as they are, I will share!).

Star Wars Galaxys Edge Rise of the Resistance
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Rise of the Resistance (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)

So…Who’s Going to Be There Opening Day?

I cannot begin to tell you guys how excited I am about this news!  I honestly believed Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge would open in late June at Disneyland, and most likely would open at Hollywood Studios in mid December.  This is CRAZY to me that they are this close to being ready to open, even in Phases!!!  I will keep scouring all my Disney sources for more news, and will update you as soon as I know more!

How excited are you by this news?  I’m about to BURST!  Are you currently checking your calendar and rearranging your life to see if you can be there for opening day?

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

Disney Launches Free Dining Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

P.S. Don’t forget, if you’d like to book a Disneyland or Walt Disney World vacation, I’d love to help!  Using me to book your reservation ensures you get the best availability and rates Disney has to offer, and booking with me doesn’t cost you anything–Disney pays me!  AND, if any discounts come out that could save you money before your trip, I’ll apply those discounts in the Disney system to save you money!  Contact me today at brooke@disneycastledreaming.com!

P.P.S If you missed last week’s article on cast member costumes for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, you can check it out here.

Disney Parks News Updates: Kevin from UP! Spotted at Animal Kingdom! and more…

Hello Everyone!  Lots of Disney Parks News Updates to share with you today!!  Some of these updates I’ve already shared in Instagram stories or Facebook lives on the DisneyCastleDreaming page, but I know a lot of you don’t check those places…and for those of you that did catch any of those stories, I had promised to post some of the pictures and videos I mentioned.

AND I’ve got a couple of additional updates to give you as well!  We will start in California, and then move on to Florida today.

Disney Parks News Updates: Disneyland/California Adventure

The Disneyland After Dark: Heroes Assemble at Disney California Adventure

Disneyland After Dark Heroes Assemble California Adventure Marvel Superheroes
Disneyland After Dark: Heroes Assemble at California Adventure

As I have discussed before, I’m a fan of the Disney After Dark events.  Yes, they are a separate ticketed event BUT Disney limits the number of tickets they sell, and usually lines are fairly short for attractions that are open, and there are some fun extras included.

Disneyland has announced a new Disneyland After Dark event.  It’s called Heroes Assemble at California Adventure.  Tickets are already on sale for Annual Passholders, and they go on sale on Thursday, February 21st for the general public.  Tickets are $109; children under 2 do not need a ticket.

So far, only two dates have been announced, and based on the dates, it looks like this is a tie in with the release of the Avengers: Endgame movie coming out in May.  This event is being held on April 30 or May 1.  Event hours are 9 pm to 1 am.  It’s not clear yet if your ticket will grant you access to California Adventure earlier than 9 pm on the night of the event, as is usually the case for Disney After Dark events in Florida.

For this event, Disney is encouraging you to come dressed as your favorite super hero; however, they are also reminding everyone to check the rules regarding costumes and accessories.  To review the rules, click here for Disneyland Park Rules, and here to view the costume guidelines for special events.

Celebrating 80 years of comic art, Disneyland After Dark: Heroes Assemble at California Adventure promises to feature encounters with superheroes, “rockin’ dance party” and heroic show moments.  There’s also a fun scavenger hunt planned where you and your friends will have to hunt to find artifacts to help save mankind!

You can also expect lots of great photo opportunities, special event only merchandise and themed food and beverage offerings.  Your ticket will entitle you to free downloads of all Photopass pictures taken of you that evening, so make sure to take LOTS!

The Soundsational Parade is BACK!

I mentioned this a while back, but the very popular Soundsational Parade is back at Disneyland Park as part of the Mickey and Minnie Celebration, Get Your Ears On!

Downtown Disney

In Downtown Disney news this week, Disney has announced a new ticketed event/attraction coming soon to Downtown Disney called Pop Up! Disney.

Disneyland Downtown Disney PopUp Disney
Pop-Up Disney!

They haven’t given us a whole lot of information yet, but it sounds like this will be sort of an exhibit, sort of an adventure in Photo Opps.  It’s going into the space near the Monorail Station where the ESPN Zone used to be.  They’re describing it as a bunch of themed rooms, all dedicated to 90 years of Mickey and Minnie.  I will let you know more as soon as I actually know more!  Disney did release this artist’s rendering of one of the themed rooms/Photo opportunities, see what you think:

Disneyland Downtown Disney PopUp Disney
Pop-Up Disney! Minnie Themed “Bow” Couch
  • Disney Parks News Updates: Walt Disney World

Epcot

A few pieces of news from Epcot this week.  First from Mexico, beloved Mariachi Cobre is expanding their repertoire and adding a new show featuring the story of Pixar’s Coco.  (If you haven’t seen Coco yet, go watch it now.  I’ll wait.  Seriously, it’s on Netflix, and you can rent it on Amazon or Vudu or YouTube.  Go watch it.  It’s about family and dreams and there is so much love and joy…it’s really lovely.)

Disney Pixar Coco
Disney Pixar Coco

Ok, now that you’re back 😉, beginning March 6, Mariachi Cobre will be joined by a pair of Folklorico dancers to tell the journey of Miguel Rivera.  They are also joined by a puppet of Miguel.

Disney Epcot Coco Miguel Mariachi Cobre
Miguel from Pixar’s Coco
  • Ralph and Vanellope are coming to Epcot!

You may have seen Ralph and Vanellope briefly in November when they popped up at Hollywood Studios to promote Ralph Breaks the Internet when it came out…but they are moving into a new (potentially) long term location at the Imagination Pavilion at Epcot.

Disney Epcot Ralph and Vanellope Character Greeting
Ralph and Vanellope from Ralph Breaks the Internet

Here’s what’s happened:  The Imagination Institute has been conducting a new experiment to open portals into other dimensions….and they’ve opened a portal into the Internet.  This has allowed Ralph and Vanellope to come visit us at Image Works at the Imagination Pavilion!

I’m pretty happy about this.  This pavilion has been largely ignored for a long time, so it’s exciting to see it get something new.  I’m also really happy that Figment will have some fun company!

In somewhat related news, you will soon be able to take Ralph and Vanellope home with you on DVD with the release of the Blu Ray of Ralph Breaks the Internet on February 26.

Garden Rocks Concert Series

The Epcot Flower and Garden Festival starts in just 2 weeks!  Can you believe it??

Disney Epcot Flower and Garden Festival
Epcot Flower and Garden Festival: Cogswell

I can’t!!  As you probably know if you have been following me for any length of time F&G is one of my FAVORITE times of the year, and my absolutely favorite time to visit Epcot.  One of the fun elements of F&G every year has been their Garden Rocks Concert Series.  Garden Rocks concerts are held at the America Gardens Theatre in the American Adventure Pavilion, and are included in your Epcot admission.

Artists are usually nostalgic favorites from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, like Night Ranger, Tony Orlando, Berlin, Herman’s Hermits, Dennis DeYoung and Rick Springfield, among others.  New this year: Air Supply, Journey former lead vocalist Steve Augeri, Wang Chung, The Smithereens, A Flock of Seagulls, Christopher Cross, Sister Sledge….the list goes on and on.  Click here for the full list of performers, and the dates they will be performing during the Festival.

What’s new THIS year is that instead of Garden Rocks Concerts only happening on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the concerts are now going to be held EVERY NIGHT OF THE FESTIVAL!  7 nights a week!

Animal Kingdom

Kevin from UP! at Animal Kingdom

Disney Pixar Up Kevin Animal Kingdom
Pixar’s UP! Favorite Kevin has been seen at Animal Kingdom!

In one of my favorite stories of the week, Kevin, our favorite colorful bird friend from Pixar’s UP! has been seen wandering around Animal Kingdom’s  Discovery island area.  So far, it doesn’t look like there are any plans to set up an official character greeting area for Kevin–so his visit may be temporary–we’re not sure yet.  For now it appears that he’s exploring and interacting with guests, along with his Wilderness Explorer guides.

New Pixar’s Up! Plush Kevin

Coincidentally, Disney is releasing a new Kevin plush toy in Animal Kingdom gift shops this month, so keep your eyes open for him.  Look how cute he is!  You KNOW that if you meet Kevin in the Park, you are going to HAVE to take one of these home, so be careful! 😉

 

The Lion King, 25th Anniversary

As you or may not know, this year marks the 25th Anniversary of the Lion King animated movie’s original release.  As The Lion King has always been a big part of the Animal Kingdom story, I’m sure you are not going to be surprised that Disney is ramping things up a little bit for the 25th Anniversary of the Lion King.

Disney Animal Kingdom Hakuna Matata Dance Party
Live musicians help guests let their inner animal loose on the dance floor during “Hakuna Matata Time Dance Party” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Hakuna Matata dance parties are already taking place daily at Discovery Island.    These feature animal inspired popular songs from the Lion King performed in a World Beat style.  Timon, Rafiki, Baloo, Korda, Meeks and Terk stop by too!  (Kinda feels like all the animated movies with animal characters got together and decided who could participate in this, doesn’t it?)

Disney has said they are releasing new fun photo spots themed to the Lion King.  They also say we should watch for a 3D scene that looks like it leapt right out of the film.  If I had to guess, I’d bet this 3D scene will be outside the main entrance, as Animal Kingdom is usually very good at preseving its theming and I can’t really picture a three dimensional cartoon scene plopped down in the middle of the park.  But who knows? I could be wrong.  I guess we’ll have to wait to see where they put it when it shows up.

Disney Animal Kingdom Tree of Life Awakenings
Animal Kingdom Tree of Life Awakenings  

Coming this summer, also in celebration of the Lion King’s 25th Anniversary, a special new story for the Tree of Life Awakenings projection show.  The new story will depict moments from Simba’s journey in an “artistic style”, which I’m interpreting to mean NOT the art from the original film.  The new story will also feature music inspired by the score of the Lion King–rather than from the movie itself.

And in another shocking coincidence, Disney’s new “Live Action” version of the Lion King is being released this summer.  Have you seen the teaser trailer yet?  If not, here it is:

What do you think?  I suspect it will be very good, but I’m not sure how much “LIVE ACTION” it is…I’m thinking a lot of it has to be CGI, right?  It looks good though, at least what we’ve seen so far, and I love the Lion King, so I’m in.  I’d love to hear what you think, so post in the comments below.

Hollywood Studios

Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy

We are starting to get a tiny bit more information about the new show at Hollywood Studios that is coming this spring.  It’s definitely a SHOW, which wasn’t 100% clear originally, and it sounds like it will allow for some audience interaction with Lightning McQueen.  Check out the video below that Disney released:

I think it sounds like fun, and a welcome addition to Hollywood Studios, which still struggles a bit with all the things that closed in the last two years to make ways for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and the new Minnie/Mickey ride that will replace the Great Movie Ride.  Toy Story Land is terrific, but there’s still a fairly big gap at Hollywood Studios, so I think this will definitely help, and it pairs nicely with the other Pixar attractions and character greetings at Hollywood Studios.  Now if we could only get our own Cars Land…

Disney Springs

In our final news story this week, Disney Springs welcomes a new store, The Art Corner.  Located near The Art of Disney store, not far from Goofy’s Candy Company, this new pop up store sounds like a lot of fun!

It seems to offer several different opportunities to get one of a kind, handcrafted souvenirs–in some cases, even handcrafted by YOU.

Walt Disney World Disney Springs The Art Corner
Disney Springs’ The Art Corner

Disney is calling this a Pop Up store, which makes me think this is most likely a temporary offering…but if it’s popular, it could stick around!  The Art Corner features works and hands on activities that were popular at the recent Epcot International Festival of the Arts.  For example, pictured above is the ancient art of Suminigashi, also known as artistic marbling, used to custom make silk items.  

The store also features:

  • Coffee and Canvas—Coffee themed paintings
    • Caricatures, both the new digital sketch version and the classic watercolor style. (I LOVE caricatures!  I think they are a terrific souvenir, especially if you have kids–a really fun way to track how their interests change over the years, as usually the artist will incorporate the child’s interests into the work.)
    • Name Works, hand drawn names personalized with your choice of illustrations
  • Disney Springs Ron Jon Surf Shop
    Ron Jon Surf Shop Coming Soon to Disney Springs

Coming later this year to Disney Springs, a Ron Jon Surf Shop.  The famed Surf Shop is moving into a 10,000 square foot space located near the Polite Pig.  I don’t have dates yet, but will update you when I do.

Well that’s all I have for Disney Parks News Updates this week.  IWhich of this week’s news stories are you most interested in?  I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

P.S. In case you missed it, Disney released the teaser trailer for Frozen II last week.  Click here to check it out.

Happy Dreaming !

Brooke

Disney Launches Free Dining Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

Disney Skyliner Update: Testing Photos!

Hello everyone!  It’s time for another Disney Skyliner update!

As we discussed last week, the new Disney Skyliner transportation system has begun testing.  I’ve seen pictures posted by guests on Disney property  showing the gondolas in the air.  It’s so exciting to see them up on the steel cables.  But we didn’t have anything official.  Until NOW!

Skyliner Testing: Official Photos Released

Disney has released some official pictures of the gondolas in testing!

Disney Skyliner Testing, Disney Transportation, Disney World Skyliner Gondola
Disney Skyliner Testing

The gondolas are being tested on the lines going from the primary station at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to the the station at Hollywood Studios.  As you can see, they are keeping the gondolas covered during testing.  They  won’t be “unveiled” in all their colorful and themed glory until opening day (or at least soft-open).  If you remember, we got a “sneak peek” at what a gondola will look like at the D23 event a few months ago:

Disney Skyliner Gondola Update Disney Skyliner Prototype Disney Skyliner Transportation System
Disney Skyliner Gondola Revealed at D23 Event

Previously, Disney has told us that the gondolas will be different colors, and will feature characters from lots of Disney properties.  Gondolas will be themed to classic cartoons, Disney and Pixar movies, Star Wars movies and Marvel movies.  They have released some artist drawings of some sample gondolas:

Disney Skyliner Gondolas Graphics Disney World Star Wars Toy Story Guardians of the Galaxy
Disney Skyliner Gondola Graphics, Updated January 2019. New characters include Woody, Buzz and Jessie from Toy Story, C3P0 and R2D2 from Star Wars, Daisy and Donald, and Starlord and Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy.
Disney Skyliner Gondola Graphics Disney World Mickey Mouse Gondola
Disney Skyliner Gondola Artist Renderings, showing sample graphics that will appear on some gondolas, including Mickey and Minnie, Donald and Goofy, and some Hitchhiking Ghosts.

Skyliner On Track to Open Fall 2019

We still don’t have an official opening day–but the system is definitely on track to open this fall, barring any unforeseen challenges arising during testing.

Disney Skyliner Testing Hollywood Studios Disney World Transportation Disney Skyliner Tower of Terror
Disney Skyliner Testing: Tower of Terror

So far testing is going great, but I can’t wait to see more!

I’ve got a couple of my clients visiting Disney over the next couple of weeks, so I’m hopeful that I will soon have more photos to share of the gondolas in the air.  I’m also hoping for some photos of the Skyliner stations themselves.  Maybe these will tide us over until I can get down there myself and take some pictures and video specifically for you guys.

Are you getting excited about the Disney Skyliner gondola system?  I can’t wait!  See you soon with another Disney Skyliner update!

If you’d like to check out previous articles on the Disney Skyliner system, please go here, here, here or here.

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

Disney Launches Free Dining Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!