Category: Other

Many of us are spending a lot more time making meals in the kitchen nowadays. Sometimes we could use a little magic to make mealtime more fun. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios our team spotted a Mickey Mouse whisk and some Princess-themed spatulas that make cooking extra magical.

The whisk features a whimsical looking Mickey Mouse, with a full body figure as the handle. Priced at $16.99 it certainly costs more than your average whisk, though it’s easy to argue this is more than your standard kitchen whisk. Behind the whisk in the pictures below you can spot the Mad Tea Party Mixing Bowl Set for $34.99.

The silicone spatulas are available as the enchanted rose from “Beauty and the Beast”, or Cinderella’s coach. The colors are bright and Cinderella’s coach has a sparkly sheen. They are priced at $14.99.

Disney has been producing some great kitchen ware lately. While it does not appear these items are available at shopDisney online there are some other cute items available. My favorite are the Mickey Mouse Glove Corn Holders for $6.99.  I also came across these Mickey Mouse Collapsible Measuring Cups for $19.99 which are perfect for anyone like me who is sick of rummaging through their unorganized kitchen drawer.

Lots of people are turning to the comfort of tea during these rough times. Add some cuteness to your cuppa with this Minnie Bow Tea Infuser for $14.99. Or, if you just gotta have your morning coffee (or midday coffee – no judgement) there is a Mickey Mouse Coffee Scoop for $9.99, with Mickey in the same whimsical pose and look as the whisk.

Upon looking further on shopDisney online, I learned this new look for Mickey Mouse is part of the Disney Parks Mousewares Collection, which is full of colorful items.  There’s lots of cute items, including this adorable Mickey Balloon Spoon Rest for $9.99.

There’s always something new and exciting coming out at Disney Parks, and it is great that you can find plenty of new Disney Parks items on shopDisney online.

Which of these magical mousewares is your favorite?

This post may contain affiliate links.

The post Whisk Up Some Magic in Your Kitchen with These New Disney Utensils appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Merchandise, disney kitchen, mickey mouse kitchen

Universally Crowded

Crowds are picking up at Universal Orlando Resort. Last weekend we saw Universal Studios hit a crowd level ‘9’ on both days while Islands of Adventure went ‘7’, ‘8’. These are, by far, the highest crowd levels we have seen at any park since the reopening. So, it is time another Crowd Calendar update.

These recent crowd levels are in line with historical averages for August at Universal theme parks. It may be that the recent Florida Resident Discount is appealing enough to draw local guests. The discount is significant giving Florida residents unlimited admission to both parks between now and December 24 for the price of a single day.

Park Operations and Social Distancing

Our previous update for Universal crowd levels included adjustments for reduced capacity. Since crowd levels are up we are reducing those adjustments. Crowd predictions on this update will look a lot like normal predictions for Universal. Social distancing is still in effect at the parks and attendance may not be as high as normal but wait times are high. The Universal Crowd Calendar is based on posted wait times at the attractions.

Posted Times May Be Inflated

Our staff in the parks today noticed that actual wait times are significantly lower than the posted times, much lower than the 65-80% range we normally see. We recorded actual wait times of 15 minutes for attractions that had a posted time of 65 minutes or more. This is odd. It is difficult to know why posted wait times would be so inflated but it’s good news for anyone planning on heading to the parks. The wait time estimates used for a touring plan take into account this gap between posted time and actual time.

As always, we will continue to monitor the wait times at Universal Orlando Resort and make adjustments to the calendar as needed.

Have any questions about the Universal Crowd Calendar update? Let us know in the comments.

The post Universal Crowd Calendar Update – August 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Crowd Blog, Crowd Calendar, Universal Orlando Resort

As we welcome guests back to Walt Disney World Resort hotels, there are many convenient technologies helping us deliver magical experiences. Whether it’s limited-contact check-in, virtual chat, keyless room entry, or even virtual fireworks on demand, we offer features you may not know about.

Guests staying at Walt Disney World Resort hotels now have virtual fireworks at their fingertips. Our popular pre-recorded #DisneyMagicMoments viewing of one of the most spectacular nighttime shows ever created at Disney Parks – “Happily Ever After” is currently streaming on demand in resort rooms.

The benefits of using Disney technology at our resort hotels really begins before check-in with the My Disney Experience app. When you arrive, the app feature allows you to skip the front desk! After checking in online, you’ll receive a notification and can use a MagicBand or My Disney Experience digital key for limited-contact entry.

If you haven’t used it yet, the digital key is the latest in the evolution of keyless room entry.   The service turns a Bluetooth®-enabled phone into a digital key that unlocks a room door, hotel entrance gate and other common area doors requiring a key.  Check our earlier digital key story for details.

During your stay, Disney technology also allows you to virtual chat with a resort cast member at your convenience.  This feature, which is also found in the My Disney Experience app, offers support nearly anytime—so there’s no need to visit the lobby or stand in line.

Of course, there are many more convenient technologies to be discovered  – so, be sure to download the latest version of My Disney Experience for your next stay at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel.

View on the Disney Parks Blog.

The post Virtual Fireworks on Demand, Keyless Room Entry and Other Cool Tech Create Magical Experiences at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels appeared first on Disney Parks, Experiences and Products.

From our friends at dpep.disney.com
Filed Under: Uncategorized

Now that EPCOT has reopened, a lot of the park is covered in construction walls, with a mish-mash of Flower and Garden Festival displays still up, Flower and Garden Festival merchandise still available for sale, and the Taste of Epcot International Food and Wine Festival taking place – a sort of miniature version of the festival that we are used to.

Adding to the strangeness is that a variety of World Showcase restaurants and merchandise shops have remained shuttered even though the park has reopened. On a recent visit to EPCOT, our team noticed some of the shops now open, and some fun new merchandise too.

We weren’t able to get pricing on all the items pictured below. Where possible I have provided pricing of similar items. It is often fun to purchase items at the theme parks you can’t find anywhere else, and this can be especially true with the mashup of international culture and Disney fun at EPCOT’s World Showcase.

Here are some of the highlights:

• Donald Espresso Apron – Estimated $24.99
• I Love Gelato Mini Purse –  $44.99
• I Love Gelato Tumbler with Straw –  $19.99
• Stitch Eiffel Tower Figure – $16.99
• Shanghai Disneyland Train Set –  $128 (originally $198)
• Viking Mickey Mouse Ear Headband – $29.99

Do you like buying merchandise that combines Disney flair with international style? Are you a fan of any of these items? Let us know in the comments.

The post Multiple EPCOT World Showcase Shops Reopen – Let’s Take a Look Inside appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Epcot, Merchandise, Epcot merchandise, Epcot World Showcase, mickey merchandise