Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party may be cancelled this year, but there’s so many seasonal snacks and treats at Magic Kingdom it feels easy to do your own upgraded trick-or-treating in the park. Early this month we nibbled on the Pumpkin Spice Mickey Waffle Sundae, devoured the Mickey’s Monster Mash Burger, and conjured up the Madam Leota Sipper. Now, let’s take a look at some of the other Halloween treats available at Magic Kingdom.
Not-So-Poison Apple CupcakeGus and Ezra Hitch-Hiking Ghost Sipper and Donut Holder
Haunted Mansion Donut Holder $16.99
Start off your Magic Kingdom Halloween treat experience with cinnamon donut holes at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Cafe. These donut holes have warm cinnamon flavor and a soft texture. They are served with a hitch-hiking ghost figure with a compartment that slides out to hold the donuts. The donuts are served on the side. The donut holes themselves have been given a thumbs up from our field team.
Gus Hitch-Hiking Ghost Donut Holder
Haunted Mansion Sipper $15.99
The other Haunted Mansion specialty treat holder to materialize at Magic Kingdom is the Ezra hitch-hiking ghost sipper. This sipper comes with a fountain beverage of your choice, at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Cafe. It stands taller than Gus the donut hole holder, and they can connect together. Both of these items have been available at Disneyland and Magic Kingdom before. But this is the earliest in the season they’ve been released and are more widely available because they initially were exclusive to Mickey’s No So Scary Halloween Party.
Ezra Hitch-Hiking Ghost Sipper
Hades Nachos $12.79
Feed the flames with these spicy, buffalo chicken nachos. Black bean tortilla chips add a dark and sinister presence while classic nacho toppings of lettuce, tomato, sour cream cool off the fire a tad. Some tang and heat is added by the buffalo sauce, salsa, and jalapenos. The Hades Nachos have been around for a few Halloween seasons and are good, but not something worth rushing over to Pecos Bill Tall Tale Cafe.
Hades Nachos Tacos and Churos from Pecos Bill (pictured with tacos and mini churros)
Not-So-Poison Apple Cupcake $6.99
After dining on some fiery fare, satisfy your sweet tooth with the Not-So-Poison Apple Cupcake available at Pinocchio Village Haus in Fantasyland. This cupcake is a hit and has been at Magic Kingdom during the fall season for a few years new. The spiced apple cupcake is loaded with cozy autumn flavors. There is an obscene amount of frosting on this one, which is a good thing if you love frosting like I do.
Not-So-Poison Apple CupcakeNot-So-Poison Apple Cupcake – Inside
Mickey Pumpkin Balloon Popcorn Bucket $22.00
Popcorn buckets are something that doesn’t have a strong appeal to me… until they do. I am the proud owner of just two souvenir popcorn buckets, both Halloween themed, actually. This Mickey Pumpkin Balloon Popcorn Bucket (that’s a lot of nouns) is translucent orange with a big yellow jack-o-lantern grin. A Halloween themed strap makes the bucket easier to traverse the parks with, and might make for a fun trick-or-treat pail. Rather than popcorn two Halloween themed churros with chocolate dip accompany this bucket, available at the Main Street popcorn cart, near Cinderella Castle.
Mickey Pumpkin Balloon Popcorn Bucket
Oogie Boogie Bucket with Two Halloween Churros $22.00
You’d have to be big Oogie Boogie fan to like this next bucket. The creepy factor is different up there. Neon green and black with squigly worms in Oogie Boogie’s mouth make this one pretty unappealing to me, but I can definitely see fans of The Nightmare Before Christmas enjoying it. Rather than offering popcorn, Mr. Oogie Boogie man offers two Halloween themed churros with chocolate dip. Normally one churro with chocolate dip is $5.50, so perhaps keeping that in mind helps with the $22.00 price tag. Available at the Main Street popcorn cart, near Cinderella Castle.
Oogie Boogie Bucket with churros
Poor Unfortunate Souls Float in Fantasyland $6.99
If you’re not sure which Magic Kingdom Halloween treat to get, and a souvenir container is not a priority for you, our field team humbly suggests the Poor Unfortunate Souls Float in Fantasyland. Cream cheese-flavored soft serve is topped with black raspberry syrup and made into a float with Coca-Cola. This is definitely a unique flavor combination, but it works.
Poor Unfortunate Souls Float in Fantasyland 6.99
Which Halloween treat sounds the best to you? Are any of the collectibles a must-have for you?
From our friends at touringplans.com Filed Under: Halloween, Magic Kingdom, Trip Planning, disney collectables, disney halloween, disney popcorn bucket, haunted mansion halloween, magic kingdom halloween, nightmare before christmas
Ahoy, mateys! I’m Heather, and I’ll be bringing you the up and coming on all things Disney Cruise Line. Welcome back again this week. Let’s see what’s new in the DCL world!
What’s New
On Friday, it was discovered and reported by the Disney Cruise Line Blog that DCL had removed sailings through mid-December from their website. Removed simply means that they are not able to be booked right now. They are not cancelled. Little louder for those in the back who may be confused by the other sites posting erroneous headlines: these sailings are not cancelled! Payments can still be made on previously booked cruises set to sail in this time frame. Activities can still be reserved for these sailings (once within the appropriate time frame). I’ve been asked myself, and have seen a lot of people sharing that these sailings are cancelled. As of the time of this post, they are simple unable to be booked. Why? Well, it could be that Disney is hoping to get ships back out into the water as soon as they can, and they will most definitely be looking to do that at a reduced capacity; removing those sailings now would prevent throngs of guests from booking the minute Disney says “all aboard”.And on the flip side, it’s possible they are on the brink of being cancelled. Though the CLIA suspension of ships from US ports is only through October 31, Disney has elected to extend that to include early November sailings. Disney’s Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy stated at a recent conference that Disney Cruise Line would likely be the last of their business to come back. At this point, the reason for the removal is purely speculation. Hopefully we’ll have something official from Disney sooner than later to provide clarity.
Speaking of speculating, it’s been widely speculated that the delivery of the fifth ship, the Disney Wish, would be delayed. Christine McCarthy did confirm this information as well, surprising nobody really but just making it official. As one would likely guess, the delay is in due in part to the impact COVID-19 has has on the Meyer Werft shipyard. You can watch a replay of the webcast where this was discussed here.
Weekly Specials
Most every week of the year, Disney Cruise Line releases special offers for Florida Residents and U.S. Military Personnel. There are also frequently IGT/OGT/VGT rates available for all guests to book. These offers are extremely limited in availability, and all come with certain restrictions, but the prices are amazing! You can book these online, on the phone, or with your travel agent. These are the current offers available this week:
The Disney Cruise Line Update is brought to you by Storybook Destinations. Storybook Destinations specializes in Disney travel, is consistently highly rated by our readers, and is owned by our own blogger extraordinaire, Tammy Whiting. Storybook also offers free subscriptions to TouringPlans to clients with qualified bookings.
Today, we’re kicking off the fall season with a spooktacular treat – the launch of our first “Everything Halloween” page on the Disney Parks Blog.
The new “Everything Halloween” page is where you can find all of our Halloween stories, including updates on fall fun from Walt Disney World Resort and Disney destinations around the world, upcoming Halloween-themed Disney Magic Moments and other bewitching surprises.
The page is already filled with not-so-scary magic!
Main Street, U.S.A. at Walt Disney World Resort is now dressed in fall décor and we’re featuring stories on the decor as well as other seasonal offerings and experiences, like our Halloween-themed character cavalcade with Mickey, Minnie and pals.
Coverage also includes Disney cast members who have created extraordinary pumpkin-themed wreaths to adorn lampposts on Main Street, U.S.A. – putting you in the fall spirit when visiting.
And we’re also highlighting stories about the iconic Dapper Dans coming back to Magic Kingdom Park and performing as their undead alter egos The Cadaver Dans and details on costumes at Magic Kingdom Park during regular operating hours.
And you can expect to find even more Halloween magic coming soon, including special themed #DisneyMagicMoments you won’t want to miss. So, be sure to keep checking “Everything Halloween” daily for the latest updates.
Today marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, a time for us to celebrate the stories, cultures and contributions of Latinx individuals both inside and outside of our company. Walt Disney created Disneyland as a destination for everyone to feel welcomed. Today, our dedicated cast members are committed to ensuring that Walt’s legacy lives on by celebrating inclusivity among our cast and through the experiences we provide to our guests.
One of our talented cast members who plays a pivotal role in these efforts is Susana Tubert, Creative Director, Disney Parks Live Entertainment, who is based at the Disneyland Resort. We were fortunate to spend some time catching up with Susana about her work and some of the ways that her team has developed cultural celebrations that our guests know and love in our parks.
A Conversation with Susana Tubert
Can you tell the Disney Parks Blog readers more about your background and career journey? We know you’ve had an impressive career prior to joining Disney!
Thank you for that! Yes, one could say that my career has been a long and winding road. And yet, when I recently celebrated my seventh anniversary as Creative Director it became clear to me that all of the career opportunities I experienced prior to joining Disney prepared me for this wonderful leadership role at the Disneyland Resort.
I was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where I began studying dance when I was five years old and piano by age seven. Moreover, I was greatly influenced by my grandmother Cecilia, an accomplished artist – and a woman ahead of her time – who moved to Paris in the early ‘20s to study sculpture and painting with the great Masters. I must credit her fearlessness for inspiring my own!
In 1980, shortly after my family and I immigrated to the U.S., I settled in New York City with big dreams of becoming an actress, but the roles for Latinx performers back then were even more limited than they are now. So, while the search for my big break-out role continued, I trained extensively as an actor while I performed in Off-Off Broadway shows, bilingual TV commercials, and in original musicals which I wrote and composed for an experimental children’s theater company.
A decade later, eager to have more control over my life and art, I decided to reinvent myself by turning to directing. I was one of six emerging directors to be recognized with a Theater Communications Group/National Endowment for the Arts Directing Fellowship. That prestigious award led to so many incredible opportunities developing and directing award-winning plays and musicals in NYC and at major regional theaters, while I also produced and directed a short film.
In 2005, I was invited to craft the mission of a non-profit producing organization and its high-profile festival of groundbreaking theater from New York, Latin America, the Caribbean and Spain. Within a year and a half, our joint fundraising efforts paid off, as the Latino International Theater Festival of New York, Inc. had garnered support from major corporations, city and state officials, international governments, as well as media sponsors.
When in 2007 Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced the inaugural TeatroStageFest, the event took the city by storm! It featured an exciting line-up of theater, dance and puppetry performances, master classes, panels, concerts, TeatroStageFamily programming and a playwriting competition for high school students. Between 2005 and 2013, I curated and executive produced seven culturally diverse festivals that reached thousands of multicultural and multigenerational folks who came together to experience “Great Theater for ALL Audiences!”
When it was time to draw the final curtain on TeatroStageFest, I chanced upon an online description of a job opening at Disney that would mark the beginning of a new chapter in my life. Four interviews later, I went from the Big Apple to the Happiest Place on Earth! I relocated to California to step into my role as Creative Director at Disneyland Resort and, as of this year, also at Walt Disney Imagineering.
We’d love to hear more about your role as Creative Director, Disney Parks Live Entertainment and what it entails.
As Creative Director, I oversee development of new entertainment concepts and shows, from the page to the stage. My role is to guide and inspire teams of hugely talented show directors, writers, designers, choreographers and composers on show content, design and execution of sets, lighting, audio, costumes, video mapping and music production. The Live Entertainment team collaborates on projects large and small, often with partners across the company such as Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Studios and more. The scope is ever changing and can include multimedia and fireworks spectaculars, parades, festivals, stage shows, atmosphere entertainment and character experiences, as well as special events produced together with the tremendously skilled Park Operations teams.
What are some of the new experiences you have led while in your role?
I have been fortunate to be at the creative helm of many signature entertainment offerings across the Disneyland Resort and beyond.
The team and I are really proud of the work we did on “Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular” and other experiences for Pixar Fest, as well as the Frozen Fun celebration, Pop-Up Disney! A Mickey Celebration in the Downtown Disney District, Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures at Napa Rose and of course, our contributions to the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration, to name a few.
With support from executive leadership, we’ve also had the opportunity to expand our entertainment experiences at Disney California Adventure park with inclusive and immersive cultural celebrations, including most notably, “Disney ¡Viva Navidad!,” Disney Festival of Holidays, Princess Elena’s Musical Grand Arrival, Plaza de la Familia, Lunar New Year Celebration and “Tale of the Lion King.”
In your role, you’ve led the Disney Parks Live Entertainment team in the development of new cultural celebrations that reflect the diverse guests who visit and love our parks. Can you share how you and your teams combine Disney stories with cultural relevancy to reach park audiences?
Over the past few years, Disney has produced an array of wonderful new movies and TV shows that reflect diverse cultural narratives — from “Black Panther” and “Mulan” to “Moana” and “Coco,” to name a few. What a perfect time to celebrate the universal values of these Disney stories and characters that have been traditionally underrepresented!
The first of these shows that the Live Entertainment team developed in 2013 was a Latin American holiday celebration for Disney California Adventure park that could complement its Christmas offerings. It was a great opportunity to develop a celebration that could be both culturally authentic and uniquely Disney.
“Disney ¡Viva Navidad!” invites our guests into a heartwarming Christmas street party that is hosted by Panchito from Mexico, José Carioca from Brazil, and, to the delight of everyone, Donald Duck, Mickey and Minnie who love to join their amigos in music and dance. To ensure that the show felt genuine, our team worked on infusing every aspect of the production with an authentic cultural perspective.
The vibrant Disney Festival of Holidays expands on the creativity of “Disney ¡Viva Navidad!” through the inclusion of additional holiday festivities that entertain and educate – Hanukkah, Diwali, Kwanzaa and Three Kings Day, in addition to Christmas and Navidad.
Given the success of this immersive model, the Lunar New Year Celebration has also grown as it commemorates Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese traditions, and features “Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession” with Mulan, Mushu and other beloved Disney characters, who are joined by Chinese performers.
Additionally, the Oscar-winning Disney and Pixar film “Coco” inspired Plaza de la Familia, where the everlasting bonds of family and the spirit of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated, and guests can write and post messages to their loved ones at the Tree of Life. A tribute to the film’s main character, Miguel, is recounted in “A Musical Celebration of Coco” as guests join the singing storyteller, dancing townspeople and Mariachi Divas on a journey from the Land of the Living to the Land of the Dead where Miguel gives his first performance surrounded by dancing skeletons. Last year, with the premiere of the live action film The Lion King, we developed a new adaptation of Simba’s beloved story called Tale of the Lion King. Told in the style of musical story-theater, the lead narrator Mwongozo (“guide” in Swahili) and the ensemble of 18 performers known as “Storytellers of the Pride Lands” stepped in and out of their characters to share a story that, in our own show’s mythology, had been handed down from generation to generation. Through an intensive process of research and collaboration with various cultural consultants, the show captured the spirit of African heritage through its musical arrangements, costumes, scenic elements, and props.
I am extremely proud of all the magical ways in which our Live Entertainment team brings to life these unique cultural celebrations year after year. They speak to park guests who love telling us know how moved they are to have their children see themselves reflected in our Disney stories!
And building on that last question… of all the experiences you’ve led here at Disney, what project stands out to you the most – either because it was the most challenging or the most impactful?
I would have to say that one of the most challenging and yet most rewarding projects for me was the creation of the fireworks and multi-media production “Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular” in 2018. It was my first time leading development of such a large-scale project. The show involved dazzling pyrotechnics in the sky, projections, special effects, a memorable musical score and a heartwarming story celebrating “friendship and beyond,” the theme of that year’s Pixar Fest at the Disneyland Resort.
From day one, the team and I knew we wanted to create an ode to the heart of Pixar. It was important for us to capture what makes Pixar films unique, and to show how they are driven by an emotional component that makes audiences fall in love with them for life! We set out to immerse guests in a full story with a beginning, middle and end, by curating a video montage that showed the five stages of friendship in so many of Pixar’s films: when characters first meet, fall in like, set out on adventures, overcome obstacles together, and in the end, forge everlasting bonds.
One of the most impactful moments of the show connected to the movie “Coco.” The moment involved a castle projection of Miguel looking up to the sky as a bridge of marigolds made from gold fireworks appeared above him. Upon strumming his guitar, Miguel and our guests found themselves transported to an immersive fiesta in the Land of the Dead where colorful skeleton townspeople partied on top of the rooftops up and down Main Street, U.S.A. It was colorful, festive, and inspired many guests to shout the traditional Mexican grito during this section of the show.
The second moment that lingers in my mind was towards the end of the spectacular. Every night, when the guests heard the first few notes of the theme song from “Up” and discovered Carl Fredricksen’s little house flying over the castle attached to a bundle of balloons, it prompted an audible gasp from the audience as the emotions overtook them. Sometimes getting right a simple and poetic moment in a show can be the hardest thing. But thanks to the dedication of John Addis, our talented show director, and the music producers, designers, and production team at large, it worked every single time!
Finally, if you could give advice to young creatives aspiring to do what you do one day, what advice would you give?
I would tell young people to first find their passion, then gain experience in multiple art forms and train to develop a solid craft, so they can be ready when opportunity knocks. I would also share the same life philosophy that my grandfather Carlos shared with me as a young girl. He taught me to persevere in the face of adversity by telling myself, “I already have the ‘no’ so I may as well go out there and look for the ‘yes’!”
With each new challenge we grow closer to the artist and individual we are meant to be. Looking back at the arc of my own career, I know that by having the courage to walk away from a “no,” I was able to pivot and either intentionally walk towards, or unexpectedly stumble upon, the next “yes!”
At Disney, creating entertainment that reflects our audiences, guests and fans from around the world is a critical part of telling the best stories. Looking ahead, as we continue to listen, learn, imagine and create, we look forward to sharing more stories of our amazing cast members who bring these important experiences to life. We also invite you to be a part of the month-long celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month as we share digital activations, #DisneyMagicMoments and more – follow along on social media using the hashtags #HispanicHeritageMonth and #DisneyFamilia!
You’re going on vacation to Walt Disney World! The only problem? You’re not sure which attractions are right for you and your kiddos and you have questions. Which attractions are too intense for little ones? What rides do I really need a FastPass+ reservation for? What’s disability access like for certain attractions? We’re answering all those questions and more in our Everything You Need to Know attraction series with today’s focus on Voyage of the Little Mermaid at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
What is Voyage of the Little Mermaid?
Voyage of the Little Mermaid is a stage show highlighting classic moments from the 1989 Disney animated film through the use of live actors, puppetry, special effects, and clips from the movie.
At the time of writing, Disney has Voyage of the Little Mermaid listed as temporarily unavailable.
Where is Voyage of the Little Mermaid?
Voyage of the Little Mermaid is located in Animation Courtyard across the way from the Disney Junior Dance Party at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
What is the History of Voyage of the Little Mermaid?
Voyage of the Little Mermaid opened at what was then called Disney-MGM Studios on January 7, 1992. Inspired by the incredibly popular The Little Mermaid animated film, Voyage of the Little Mermaid replaced “Here Come the Muppets,” a live show featuring walk-around Muppet characters that opened on May 25, 1990.
What You Need to Know About the Queue
There is an outdoor extended queue for the show leading into a nautical-themed pre-show room resembling the hold of a ship and filled with undersea artifacts.
Some are clever, such as the “sea monkey,” and others are truly magical! Be sure to take the time to explore what Imagineers have created for this space.
What You Need to Know About the Experience
(c) Disney
Voyage of the Little Mermaid is a 17-minute show highlighting the musical numbers of The Little Mermaid. The show utilizes puppets, live actors, blacklight, and lasers, along with interposed clips from the animated film. Some of the effects are a little outdated, but others still hold up.
The show kicks off with a blacklight puppet performance of “Under the Sea” followed by a live actress as Ariel singing “Part of Your World.” The final musical number, “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” features a towering 12 foot tall Ursula puppet!
The show concludes with an effect where Ariel is transformed into a human and reunites with Prince Eric.
What You Need to Know About the Theater
Guests entering the theater will feel as if they’ve voyaged under the sea! The theater looks (and feels!) as if it’s underwater complete with a curtain of water, light mists, and even the occasional chilly breeze.
Upon entering the theater, we suggest heading towards a central or rear row for the best view of the stage and effects. We also recommend allowing several people to enter a row ahead of you for a more central viewing location.
Guests sit in individual standard theater padded seats with armrests. There are no safety restraints.
What You Need to Know About Accessibility
Guests may remain in a wheelchair/ECV to experience this show.
What You Need to Know About Health and Safety Advisories
There are no health or safety advisories for Voyage of the Little Mermaid!
Do be aware that the theater is dark to simulate the bottom of the ocean, and some children may be frightened by the dark surroundings, moments of darkness during the show, and scenes featuring the giant Ursula.
What are the Height Requirements?
There are no height requirements. This show can be enjoyed by the whole family.
Does Voyage of the Little Mermaid Offer FastPass+?
Yes; however, it’s rarely necessary. Usually, the only waiting required for this attraction is waiting for the next show to start.
Note: At the time of writing, FastPass+ is currently suspended at Walt Disney World.
Does Weather Affect Voyage of the Little Mermaid?
No. Since this show is located in an indoor theater, inclement weather isn’t an issue. The exterior, extended queue is outdoors but covered.
What’s the Best Time of Day to Experience Voyage of the Little Mermaid?
Anytime! It’s unusual for anyone in line not to be admitted into the next showing of Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Typical waits are under 25 minutes for most of the year.
Did I answer all of your questions about Voyage of the Little Mermaid at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Is this attraction at the top of your family’s vacation to-do list? Let us know in the comments.
From our friends at touringplans.com Filed Under: Attractions, Hollywood Studios, Disney Attractions, Disney History, disney world, FastPass+ Attractions, hollywood studios, Little Mermaid, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, walt disney world
Voyage of the Little Mermaid is a stage show highlighting classic moments from the 1989 Disney animated film through the use of live actors, puppetry, special effects, and clips from the movie.
Upon entering the theater, we suggest heading towards a central or rear row for the best view of the stage and effects. We also recommend allowing several people to enter a row ahead of you for a more central viewing location.