Author: disneyfoodblog.com

Now that Downtown Disney is gearing up for its grand reopening on July 9th, we’ve just learned a new retail location will be coming soon called California Sole!

The company specialty is comfortable but stylish footwear! Let’s check it out!

California Sole will be opening later this summer and you can expect to find some of California’s most iconic shoe and sandal brands.

Actually, we’re told California Sole is a rebrand of Sanuk — a popular shoe store at Disney World’s Disney Springs!

And in addition to Sanuk styles, California Sole will also carry Vans, OluKai, Reef, and Havaianas footwear along with Stance socks, Pura Vida bracelets, and other accessories. We’ll keep our eyes peeled and let you know where in the new store is going at Downtown Disney when we stop by its grand reopening, so stay tuned!

Click here to read all the important details you’ll need to know about Downtown Disney’s phased reopening!

Are you excited about California Sole opening at Downtown Disney? Let us know in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disney News, Disneyland, Disneyland Column, Disneyland Resort, Downtown Disney Anaheim, Featured, california sole, coming soon, Downtown Disney, footwear, new store, shoes

Slow your scroll because we’ve got some HIGHLY important news for you! While we anxiously await Disney’s Hollywood Studios reopening so we can get back into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, BoxLunch casually dropped TWO NEW Baby Yoda bags available for presale.

It looks like we’ll be needing to make some room in our Star Wars Loungefly collection because both bags are utterly adorable AND useful for different occasions.

First up is The Child Frog Figural Mini Backpack. It’s the perfect size to pack around Galaxy’s Edge while you munch on Outpost Mix from Kat Saka’s Kettle.  The good news is you don’t have to share because The Child is chowing down on a snack of his own!

The second item on our wish list is The Child Figural Insulated Lunch Bag. This cutie is big enough to hold all the chickie nuggies you could ask for. It features luxury fleece detailing on the outside and enough inside insulation to keep your choccy milk cold!

Those big eyes are just begging you to take him home!

Both bags are cute, functional, and, if you’re a big Baby Yoda fan, absolutely necessary for your Star Wars gear. I mean, you can never have too much Baby Yoda merchandise, right?!

Can’t get enough of this cute little mister? Find out where you can take home your own Baby Yoda!

Raise your hand if you think these bags are too cute for words! Will you be picking one up for yourself?

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: disney merchandise, Featured, News, 2020 backpack, baby yoda, baby yoda merchandise, backpack, boxlunch, Disney merchandise, Galaxy’s Edge, Loungefly, merchandise, star wars, the child

If you’re like us, you’re looking forward to some of the rollercoasters that are coming to Disney World.

Between Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and TRON Lightcycle Run, we almost have more excitement than we can handle! Now, a Disney patent we recently spotted might give us some insight into Disney’s newest roller coaster attractions. Check out this entirely new coaster ride system! 

Disney just published a patent for an “Eddy current vehicle drive” which is a whole new way of moving a ride vehicle — particularly, a roller coaster vehicle — up a lift hill. Traditionally, roller coasters are transported up lift hills through the use of a chain which can cause perceptible faults in smoothness if the coaster misses chain link and falls on to the next one.

While this may not be an issue on rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, some roller coasters need to have a little bit of a smoother ride to really immerse guests. One example? Space-themed rides. After all, your spaceship isn’t going to fall back a little while blasting off. Well, Disney has come up with an alternate way of getting a coaster up a lift hill, and you won’t believe the way it works.

It’s all MAGNETS. An eddy current is a magnetic current and Disney has found a way to pair magnets and conductors in the track with those in the ride vehicle. The result is a seamless ascent where the two parts don’t even need to touch. A smooth lift hill might seem like a tiny detail, but this is a major innovation for making coasters immersive and comfortable.

We’re not sure exactly where we’ll see this tech applied in the parks. Could it be used on one of the upcoming coasters? Maybe. After all, the patent WAS initially filed in July of 2017, the same month as the announcement of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. It could be a coincidence, but consider our interest piqued!

Keep an eye on DFB for ALL of the latest updates on Disney tech!

Click here to see more of Disney’s recent inventions!

Do you think this tech is TOTALLY crazy? Where would you like to see it? Tell us in the comments! 

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: disney parks, Featured, News, Disney Invention, Disney Patent, Disney Roller Coasters, guardians of the galaxy: cosmic rewind

It’s no secret that Disney’s attractions are on the cutting edge of technology.

To keep its position at the forefront of theme park tech, Disney is CONSTANTLY putting out new inventions. We love combing through Disney patents to see innovations such as an interactive phone case or a crazy VR lightsaber experience. Well, we recently spotted a patent that might point to a whole new way to create a water ride!  Let’s take a look!

Disney has actually filed a patent for a new ride system! We noted a patent for a “Boat Capture and Launch System for Water Rides.” This one is a little more self-explanatory than some of the other inventions that they come up with. Disney has come up with a new way to control the flow of boats on a water ride. That’s pretty neat!

Essentially, the boat sits in a channel and floats into an arm-like mechanism. This mechanism can then be used to gently or quickly stop the watercraft, or gently or quickly launch it.

Now, the actual invention here isn’t as exciting as what it might MEAN. Sure, this system might help elongate the life of existing water rides. But what if it’s for an upcoming water ride?! Or for a BIG update on a current ride? The patent mentions that water rides are super popular, and the demand will only grow in the coming years. Could we see a new boat ride or a big update in the Disney parks in the next few years? Only time will tell! 

Did you know water rides are notoriously finicky? Click here to learn more!

What do you think of this cool new invention? Tell us in the comments?

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disney News, disney parks, Featured, Walt Disney World, Boat Ride Patent, Boat Ride System, Disney Invention, Disney Patent, Water Ride, Water Ride Patent, Water Ride System

Two major professional sports leagues — the National Basketball Association and Major League Soccer — are preparing to resume play in Walt Disney World.

And today, representatives of the two Orlando teams (NBA’s Orlando Magic and MLS’s Orlando City Soccer Club) presented to Florida’s Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force to share their plans as they get ready to PLAY BALL (ok, that’s baseball, I know…) at Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

National Basketball Association

Alex Martins, CEO Orlando Magic, began with an overview on the plans for the National Basketball Association, starting with a thank you to Orange County’s Mayor Demings and the Task Force for their work. He also thanked their “great partners” at Disney for “working hand in hand with the NBA” to create a safe environment to resume.

Martins reminded those present that the NBA suspended play on March 11 and shared that the league considered “hundreds of different models” to restart the NBA season. Noting the safety of the players, coaches, and staff as the main priority, they determined resuming in one location would be the best way to control safety, and they ultimately selected the ESPN Wide World of Sports at Disney World.

Twenty-two teams will convene on July 7th. Martins also noted that teams began to convene yesterday at their individual practice facilities (where each individual is being tested every other day).

When it comes to getting to Orlando, travel parties will be in groups of 35, and will be quarantined for a few days upon arrival in this “campus community,” when daily testing will also begin.

Three weeks of training camp will precede game play which will begin on July 30th. While no live spectators will be present, the games will be televised “worldwide,” as they are played all day long, rotating among three facilities in the Complex.

Martins also mentioned aspects of the “stringent sanitization” process surrounding every game and the courts they are played on, and those procedures will extend to areas such as weight rooms. Players are encouraged to not leave the campus. If they do, they will be quarantined for “a number of days” before rejoining.

Each team will play 8 games to determine playoff seeding. Once those games are over, the playoffs will begin in their regular playoff format. If there is a NBA Finals Game 7, it would be played on October 13th, meaning that the total time of the NBA in Orlando would be right around 3 months. Throughout that time, players, coaches, and staff will be staying at three Disney World Resort hotels — the Grand Floridian, Disney’s Yacht Club, and the Gran Destino Tower at Coronado Springs.

Martins stated in conclusion that this is a great opportunity for the community, and noted how “Sports has a great ability to help us heal.” In response, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings expressed that it is “truly exciting” to hear about how the NBA has gone to great lengths to ensure safety of its players, giving “kudos” to the NBA and the Orlando Magic.

Major League Soccer

Caesar Lopez, CAO Orlando City Soccer Club, also presented an overview for the return of Major League Soccer. Thanking the Task Force, Lopez noted that all 26 MLS teams will play at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in what they are referring to as the MLS is Back Tournament.

Noting that the season had gotten off to a great start, Lopez shared that “we are excited to have a meaningful competition” in the Wide World of Sports Complex. Play will start on July 8th and go until August 11th.

Lopez stated that, similar to the NBA, having all 26 teams come to Orlando gives a chance for the League to control safety measures. Protocols will be in place with all 26 teams in a centralized location. Teams will arrive no later than 7 days prior to the first match in travel parties of no larger than 45.

Prior to arrival, testing will be conducted every other day, and the League has partnered with a lab to streamline the process. Testing will take place again immediately upon arrival in Orlando, and players will be able to train only upon receiving a negative result, in addition to other safety protocols.

Likewise, there will be no fans present at the games, but the League plans to “find innovative and exciting ways” to engage fans through media. He mentioned the hope that this return will be something of a launching platform with a revised regular season schedule in each team’s home market and for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs and the 25th MLS Cup.

Lopez also shared that the schedule will be released this week “if not sooner,” stating that the players are “ready to go” and ready to represent Orlando well. Mayor Jerry Demings, “as a former high school soccer player” himself, stated that “we appreciate what Orlando City has done for our entire community,” extending his thanks to MLS as well.

And that’s the latest sports news from the DFB! We’ll keep you posted as Walt Disney World prepares to welcome not only Major League sports but also is in the process of welcoming guests back to the resort starting with select Resort hotels this week. You can visit any of the links below to catch up on all the latest.

Are you a fan of the NBA or MLS… or both? Please let us know with a comment!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Coronado Springs Resort, disney resorts, Featured, Grand Floridian Resort, Swan and Dolphin Resorts, Walt Disney World, Yacht Club Resort, ESPN Wide World of Sports, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Florida’s Orange County Economic Recovery Task Force, major league soccer, MLS, MLS at Disney World, MLS is Back Tournament, NBA, NBA at Disney World