Author: disneyfoodblog.com

Welcome back, DFB friends! We’re here with another What’s New at Disney Springs!

And, we’ve got plenty of merchandise, food, and entertainment updates to share with you, so let’s dive right on in!

Disney Springs Merchandise Update

World of Disney

It’s almost June 26th, so that means it’s time to celebrate Experiment 626! The new Stitch Phone Case shows the adorable alien with a huge grin and a leather strap to hook to it.

Plus, if you’re looking for more blue to add to your phone case collection, you can pick up the Luxo Ball Phone Case that features the Toy Story wallpaper and a 3D Luxo ball!

Take a look at all the details on the Stitch and Luxo Ball Phone Cases here!

Father’s Day may have passed, but you can give your dad a little post-Father’s Day gift with the I Am Your Father Hat! The felt hat has Darth Vader etched on the front…

…but the back is mesh so it doesn’t get too hot wearing the Dark Side accessory in the Florida heat!

In other merch news, We’ve been missing the Jungle Cruise SO much since the parks have closed. If you’re like us, you’ll find joy in this boat toy, which features a very happy Skipper telling the guests about the back side of water!

You can check out all the water splashing up around the Jungle Cruise Skipper Toy for $9.99.

Buy it, and you can narrate your very own Jungle Cruise ride from home!

Pandora

Adventure is out there when Disney World theme parks officially reopen on July 11th and July 15th! We can’t wait to explore everything new in the parks, and we definitely want to bring our trusty Up Charm from Pandora along with us!

The charm practically looks like it’s flying away with multicolored balloons and Carl’s house!

We think that this bracelet would look perfect with a Grape Soda Pin, don’t you??

Go on an adventure with us to check out the Up Charm here!

Ring Carvers

As all the kiosks and shops around Disney Springs slowly start to open back up, Ring Carvers has joined the lineup of places visitors can pick up a new accessory or two!

You can always get something simple…

…Or you can spice things up if you want with different names, words, designs, and more on the rings!

Marketplace Co-Op

The Disney Character Face Masks is Disney Springs have been selling out left and right since they arrived at the Marketplace Co-Op.

And, when we passed by today, we spotted that the store was out of the Marie Mask and the Mickey Pattern Mask in large. However, plenty of other styles were available!

These are the most comfortable masks in Disney World!

Rustic Cuff

When one door closes, another one opens, folks!

Although we are sad to see Rustic Cuff close its doors in Disney Springs, we can’t help but wonder if the new Gideon’s Bakehouse location will be taking its place soon!

Find out more details on what could be replacing Rustic Cuff here!

Disney Springs Food Update

Wine Bar George

If you’re looking to add a little pep to your step, Hooten Young American Whiskey is a darn tootin’ good drink over at Wine Bar George in Disney Springs!

The libation comes in two versions, with either the Hooten Young American Whiskey straight up or neat…

…Or as a part of the Hoot Cocktail. This drink features Ginger Beer, Creme De Cassis, and the famous whiskey for a refreshing sip while you’re strolling through the shopping and dining district!

Read our full review of the Hooten Whiskey Cocktail here!

Starbucks

Before we head out on our Disney Springs walks, we need to get caffeinated!

And, we couldn’t be happier to see that Starbucks was offering new cold brew drinks with almondmilk, cinnamon spice, and cocoa (!!!).

Since we were totally craving some chocolate, we went with the Dark Cocoa Almondmilk Cold Brew, and BOY was it good!!

Splitsville

Splitsville has its bar area roped off to guests, but we also spotted a wall near the bowling alley and restaurant that blocked guests from going to the Pop Gallery right around the corner.

Although we aren’t fully sure why it’s there at the moment, you know we’ll keep you updated!

Goofy’s Candy Co.

We can’t help but want to eat three cupcakes in a row now that we can get the famous Disney treats again from Goofy’s Candy Co. Just look at how AMAZING they all are!!

And, just in time for your party at home, you can pick up the Fourth of July Cupcakes with red, white, and blue frosting and chocolate Mickey ear discs.

Could these BE any more festive for the holiday?!

Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC

Although we’ve been craving some of those Coconut Caramel and Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes too, Erin McKenna’s was closed today for AC repairs in the store.

There’s no indication on how long the repairs will take, but we’ll fill you in when this sweet spot reopens again!

Take a look at more detail on Erin McKenna’s temporary closure!

Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar

FINALLY!! We are thrilled to be back at one of our favorite Indiana Jones-inspired spots in Disney World. Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar is BACK OPEN with snake drinks and hidden details around the restaurant!

You can enjoy a cocktail from the indoor bar…

…or you can chill on the outdoor patio and admire that view of Disney Springs!

Plus, you can go find hidden nooks and crannies around Jock’s…

…and maybe even discover some of Indiana’s secrets from his adventures along the way!

Check out the details on Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar’s reopening here!

Disney Springs Entertainment Update

Since the Amphicars reopened in Disney Springs, we just felt like we needed to treat ourselves to a ride around the lake today!

We couldn’t help but admire the view of all the restaurants and stores around the area. Look, ma! We can see our Home(comin’) from here!

Well, that’s all for this What’s New at Disney Springs! We’ll catch you next time for more merchandise, food, and entertainment updates!

What are you looking forward to seeing the most in Disney Springs? Let us know in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: disney dining tips, Disney Entertainment, disney merchandise, Disney News, disney parks, Featured, Walt Disney World, Amphicars, Disney, disney dining, Disney merch, Disney merchandise, disney news, disney restaurants, disney springs, disney springs reopening, Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC, Goofy’s Candy Co., jock lindsey’s hangar bar, Lilo and Stitch, marketplace co-op, Pandora, ring carvers, RUSTIC cuff, splitsville, Starbucks, Wine Bar George, World of Disney

Now that Disney World restaurants have started to reopen, a number of changes have been made to dining experiences.

Sanaa, located in Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Kidani Village is among the Disney World restaurants that’s officially reopened.

With gorgeous views of Animal Kingdom Lodge’s Sunset Savannah, and a menu featuring a fusion of African and Indian cuisine, how will the dining changes impact this hidden gem? Let’s take a look!

Check-In

First off, let’s take a look at how the check-in area looked! Mobile Dine Check-In is an option at Sanaa — we used the Mobile Dine Check-In feature, so we didn’t have to head up to the check-in counter. Still, we wanted to take a look at the various health measures we spotted here.

You can see that there are physical distancing stickers on the ground to keep guests distanced while waiting to check-in with Cast Members. You can also see one of those oh-so-familiar hand-sanitizer stations.

Click here to learn more about the Mobile Dine Check-In! 

Seating

Before heading to our table, we took a peek in Sanaa Lounge to see what sort of health measures they had going on. We noticed traffic flow stickers on the ground, and tables and bar stools marked as unavailable for physical distancing.

Inside the actual dining room, Sanaa has tables spaced out and marked as well, and no two groups of guests were seated close to one another.

As always, many of Sanaa’s tables look out onto the Savannah where you can try to spot the African wildlife while you dine.

This is definitely one of the aspects that makes this restaurant a real hidden gem! There’s nothing like waving at a group of zebras while you sip and snack!

Click here to check out another recent review of this spot!

Menu

As we’ve seen a bunch around the reopened Disney World restaurants, Sanaa has leaflets on the table for access to a QR code menu. This code will take you right to the online listing for the menu on the Disney website.

If you like, you can ask for a physical menu here, and they’ll get you a disposable one.

The Sanaa menu has a wide variety of African dishes with Indian flavors mixed in. There are options for adventurous eaters and picky eaters alike.

Food and Drinks

We started off with some drinks since Sanaa has some really fabulous international wines and interesting cocktails. We snagged the South African Wine Flight for $15 to savor the flavors before we dig into some delicious food.

We also tried one of the cocktails on the menu that we’ve never had before. The African Starr Mojito is a combo of Starr African Rum, Van der Hum Tangerine Liqueur from South Africa, Fresh Lime Juice, and Mint for $14. Um… yum! This was a really awesome twist on a classic mojito — not too sweet and the fresh mint was delicious.

You didn’t think we were going to go to Sanaa without grabbing that DELICIOUS Sanaa Indian-style Bread Service, did you? This appetizer is super customizable with a choice of five breads between Traditional Naan, Garlic-Ginger Naan, Spiced Naan, Onion Kulcha, or Paneer Paratha. Our favorite was the Garlic-Ginger Naan!

Then you get ALL NINE of the accompaniments! There’s Cucumber Raita, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Mango Chutney, Tomato-Date Jam, Tamarind Chutney, Coriander Chutney, Garlic Pickle, Red Chile Sambal, and Spicy Jalapeño-Lime Pickle. Whew, that’s quite the app for $18! We seriously love the bread service and can’t recommend it enough. Careful, though, that Jalapeno-Lime Pickle has a kick (in a good way)!

For one of our entrees, we got the African-inspired Biryani with Chicken. This was SOOOO good. It has great flavor and you can forgo on the meat for a plant-based option. The herbs were super fresh and we were obsessed with the sauce. With Chicken or Shrimp, the Biryani is $26; with no meat, it’s $19!

Our server told us that the most popular meal at Sanaa is the Potjie Inspired because of how customizable it is (hmm, we’re sensing a theme). We opted to snag the Braised Beef Potjie with a side of Cilantro-Coconut Vegetables. And all that comes with some scented Basmati Rice! The meat was so tender we could cut it with a spoon and everything was way flavorful too.

This meal will run you $28 and it’s a pretty sizable portion! Don’t worry, if the African and Indian options on the menu are a little out of your comfort zone, you can always opt for something familiar like the Grilled New York Strip for $34.

Payment

To pay, we were brought one of those new disposable check folds we’ve been seeing around.

So, yes! Sanaa is incorporating a lot of the new health measures that we’re starting to get used to while still serving the same great food. If you happen to be looking for a surprisingly delicious meal in a reopened Disney World, Sanaa is a great bet.

Click here to read about the changes coming to Disney World dining this summer!

Have you eaten at Sanaa? How to these changes compare to your experience? Let us know in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom Lodge, disney resorts, Featured, Table-Service, Walt Disney World, African Starr Mojito, African-inspired Biryani with Chicken, animal kingdom lodge kidani village, Disney World Changes, disney world dining, disney world dining changes, Disney World restaurant, disney world restaurants, Indian Style Bread Service, Kidani Village, Potjie Inspired, Sanaa, Sanaa Bread Service, South African Wine Flight

When Disney World began to reopen Disney Springs, and with the subsequent announcements of reopening the theme parks and resorts, it was abundantly clear that the typical Walt Disney World experience was going to change.

With the emphasis on increasing contactless experiences throughout the resort area, we wondered how pin trading would be affected! With many of the Disney Vacation Club Resort hotels reopening this week, we hoped to get an even better idea of what would be in store for pin fanatics.

We went into this experience knowing that pin trading could, at the moment, be completely unavailable. When we visited Pin Traders in Disney Springs, trading was unavailable altogether and Disney had previously announced that limited-edition releases would NOT drop at Disney World.

We also knew that in some way, pin trading would eventually become available in a modified form. However, we didn’t know if this activity was going to be immediately available or rolled out over time. For the first few days since some of the resorts have reopened, we haven’t seen any pin boards ANYWHERE. We were starting to lose hope until we walked into Artist’s Palette at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort.

That’s where we spotted it! A REAL! LIVE! PIN BOARD! Rather fittingly, the pins seemed to be doing a little social distancing of their own. Since there’s a plexiglass barrier installed at Artist’s Palette’s cash registers now, we pointed to the pin we wanted. The Cast Member wiped it off for us and slid it through the slot in the window.

We laid the pin we were swapping on the counter and the Cast Member picked it up, wiped it off, and stuck it on the pin board! And just like that, our first pin trade transaction in a reopened Disney World was complete! We’ll let you know if we spot more pin boards, but for now, we can say pin trading seems to have officially returned!

Follow along with our adventures around the reopened Disney World Resort hotels here!

Do you trade pins at Disney World? Let us know in the comments!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: disney merchandise, Disney News, Featured, Saratoga Springs Resort, Walt Disney World, artists palette, Disney merchandise, disney pin trading, Disney Vacation Club, Disney World, Disney World reopening, disney world resort hotel, disney’s saratoga springs resort, DVC, pin board, pin trading, reopening

Disneyland Resort closed in March due to the global health crisis and was set to reopen mid-July. The closure has now been extended until further notice with no new reopening date in place. This setback caused Disney to make a few important adjustments to Disneyland’s Travel Information page.

Aside from the expected updated language reflecting the delayed opening, Disney has updated some booking information regarding cancellation policies and reservation changes. 

Missing Section Regarding Rebooking Modifications and New Reservations

Previously, this page detailed the procedure for guests who wish to modify their existing travel dates and make reservations for future vacations. The section stated that guests could make and change reservations for vacations starting on and after July 23rd. This statement has now been completely removed. The page doesn’t currently state a new date when guests can rebook their vacations.

Room Only Reservations

Disney has also removed the date in which guests can cancel or change their reservations without being charged a fee. Where they once stated “we are waiving Disney-imposed change and cancellation fees up to the date of check-in for reservations with arrivals through July 22, 2020,” now they will waive fees through “the closure period.” This is expected given that Disney has not announced a new reopening date.

Vacation Packages

Similarly to Room Only Reservations, Disney has also stated that they are waiving Disney-imposed change and cancellation fees with arrivals through the closure period. As opposed to the previously stated, “July 22nd, 2020.”

While Disneyland has delayed its reopening date, Disney will be making future updates as events unfold. To keep informed, continue to check back with us and we’ll be here to keep you informed.

Hoping to make your way to Disneyland once it re-opens? Make sure to check on our Disneyland Closure pages to keep updated on the current situation

Planning a visit to Disneyland? What do you think of Disney pushing back the reopening date?

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: disney california adventure, Disney News, Disneyland, Disneyland Column, Disneyland Resort, Featured, califorina adventure, coronavirus, coronavirus closure, covid-19, Disney California Adventure, disney closure, disney closures, disney hotels, disneyland california, Disneyland California Advenure, disneyland closure, disneyland closures, Disneyland Hotel, disneyland hotels, Disneyland Park

We have some BIG attraction news, you guys! 

Disney has JUST announced that they will be re-theming Disney World and Disneyland’s Splash Mountain attractions. 

Splash Mountain on both coasts will be re-themed and will be inspired by The Princess and the Frog. 

Recently, a petition to re-theme the attraction began circulating, and now, Disney has announced that they will be doing just that. You can see the full petition here.

However, according to Disney, “Walt Disney Imagineering, the creative arm of the company, has been developing a “Princess and the Frog” backstory for Splash Mountain since last year and settled on many of the concepts for the reimagined attraction last summer.”

Details on the New Theme

According to Disney, the attraction will pick up the story of The Princess and the Frog “after the final kiss, and join Princess Tiana and Louis on a musical adventure – featuring some of the powerful music from the film – as they prepare for their first-ever Mardi Gras performance.”

When it comes to the approach to re-theming the attraction, Disney shared that it “begins with Imagineers asking the question, how can we build upon or elevate the experience and tell a fresh, relevant story? It’s a continuous process that Imagineers are deeply passionate about. And with this longstanding history of updating attractions and adding new magic, the retheming of Splash Mountain is of particular importance today. The new concept is inclusive – one that all of our guests can connect with and be inspired by, and it speaks to the diversity of the millions of people who visit our parks each year.”

We will be updating this post with ALL the details. Stay tuned. 

What do you think of this change? Let us know in the comments below

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Featured, News, Disney World, Disneyland, Princess and the Frog, splash mountain