Category: Other

To commemorate Mickey Mouse’s birthday, we are excited to reveal a special surprise at the Disneyland Resort. Following a refurbishment, the iconic Partners statue in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland park has been restored to its original grandeur!

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The beloved Partners statue, created by famed Disney sculptor Blaine Gibson, features Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse. The photo above left was taken at its original unveiling on Nov. 18, 1993, at the hub in Disneyland park to commemorate Mickey’s 65^th birthday. 

Over time, the bronze had oxidized, and because of the applied patina, acrylic polymer and wax, it required a more intensive process than just a simple cleaning or polishing. Over four days, an artisan utilized a process using crushed walnut shells to gently strip the figure down to the bare bronze. After cleaning, various chemicals were applied and heated with a blowtorch to create a reaction and fuse with the bronze. The figure was coated in a polymer to protect the patina, then coated with a very thin layer of wax. 

Guests visiting the Downtown Disney District’s extension into Buena Vista Street will have an opportunity to see the Storytellers statue, which has also been restored. This statue features a 1920s-era Walt in a fedora and traveling attire­ — just off the train from Missouri and ready to realize his dreams with his pal, Mickey.

Happy birthday to the duo who started it all 92 years ago today — Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse!

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com

Filed Under: Disney California Adventure Park, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort, Downtown Disney District, DLR

Flame Tree BBQ is one of the few quick service restaurants with a full menu at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park. Located near the center of the park, across from Discovery Trading Company, the menu is, not surprisingly, heavily focused on barbecued meats.

During the COVID era, food ordering is done almost exclusively via mobile order. You can initiate this directly through the My Disney Experience app on your mobile device or by scanning a QR code that’s posted on signage near the restaurant.

The current menu has seven main dishes: St. Louis rib dinner, 1/2 BBQ chicken, ribs and chicken combo platter, smokehouse chicken salad, pulled pork sandwich, pulled pork atop mac & cheese, and a plant-based hot link smokehouse sandwich.

I recently tried the two dishes based on pulled pork. The pork itself is slightly drier than I might like, though if I had to choose between too dry and and too fatty, I’d definitely opt for the former. The dishes work to moisten the meat with the addition of a nicely tangy BBQ sauce and either the creamy coleslaw topping or the creamy mac & cheese base. While the pork was good enough, the mac & cheese was a true standout. There’s no hint of pre-made boxed mac here; it’s a real hearty homemade recipe with a balanced mixed of cheddar and parmesan flavors and an al dente bite. While plain mac & cheese is not officially on the menu, vegetarians would do well by asking to have this served without the meat topping.

My first beverage choice here was the mandarin orange lemonade, which tastes like standard lemonade and, in my opinion was not worth the $0.50 premium pricing over the standard fountain drinks.

I also tried the Halloween holiday special drink – Spooky apple punch. Now that they’re in Christmas mode, there’s a winter holiday version of a similar drink, but with a Mickey-shaped glow cube rather than a skeleton glow cube. It tasted like sweet, with no real discernible flavor other than sweet. I’m sure my impression was exacerbated by the accompanying sugar-coated straw and sugared cup rim, which tasted like, you guessed it, sweet. Not that any of this is necessarily a bad thing.

A word to the wise if you’re in the mood for a sugar rush to power you through your Animal Kingdom touring, place the straw into the drink with candied side down into the liquid.

Overall, Flame Tree is a reliable spot, particularly for meat eaters. There is outdoor seating scattered in several areas around the pickup counter. The best spots are behind the restaurant, close to the water where there are lovely places to catch the character cavalcade boats that power through the park waterways during the middle part of the day.

For more information on dining at Walt Disney World, check out our full menu listings and restaurant overviews.

The post REVIEW: Flame Tree BBQ at Disney’s Animal Kingdom appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Dining, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Walt Disney World (FL), Flame Tree Barbecue, Flame Tree Barbeque

Today is Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse’s birthday! These two have given us so much joy for the 91 years that they have been around. And they couldn’t be more young at heart. So, let’s raise a cake pop to them and celebrate with a full day of fun.

A birthday party isn’t complete without cake, but these come in “Minnie” size. Click here for a recipe inspired by the cake pops found at Disney Parks and Resorts. Be sure to have a parent present to help! This will make 6 cake pops.

Show off your love of these two with these exciting new “wearables” that you can find over at shopDisney.com. It’s the go-to place for any Mickey’s Toontown citizen.

Our friends over at Walt Disney Imagineering came up with the best table setting for such a day…a re-creation of these fantastic friends’ homes in Mickey’s Toontown. Create this miniaturized, cartoon city right in your home with the latest release of Disney Paper Parks.

Now it’s time to dot up your style with this adorable sweater craft. Create yours and show it off using #DisneyMagicMoments.

Snuggle up in your sweater and delight in some cake. Then turn on your TV or as we call it TooniVision and catch the brand-new series “The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse” only on Disney+.

That’s our party bash folks. We’ll see ya real soon!

By downloading Disney Paper Parks, you acknowledge and agree that these materials are being provided to you for personal, non-commercial use.

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com

Filed Under: Celebrations

Whether you’re staying at Disney’s Yacht Club or nearby, or visiting EPCOT before the holiday fun kicks off there, you’re going to want to check out this review. At the Beach Club Marketplace you can mobile order three holiday treats that will put a jolly pep in your step. Since the EPCOT area currently lacks some holiday festiveness, our team headed to Beach Club to taste the Holiday Exclusive treats available at Beach Club Marketplace.

• Trio of Holiday Fudge – White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge, White Chocolate Gingerbread Fudge, and a Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa Fudge $8.99
• Pumpkin Cheesecake – A Pumpkin-flavored New York-style Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce, Whipped Cream, Sugar Leaves, and Pumpkin-flavored Sugar Crystals $5.49
• Chocolate Crinkle Cookies – Chocolate lovers Crinkle Cookies with a dusting of Sweet Snow $5.19

We did not order it but there is also a plant-based Peppermint Brownie available for $4.99. The Trio of Holiday Fudge is a quintessential holiday treat. If you love traditional holiday flavors, you’re going to have a hard time deciding between the White Chocolate Peppermint Fudge, White Chocolate Gingerbread Fudge, and Dark Chocolate Hot Cocoa Fudge. Our team selected the White Chocolate Gingerbread Fudge as their favorite of the three.

If you like pumpkin and cheesecake you can’t go wrong with the Pumpkin Cheesecake, naturally. The cake by itself is sweet enough, but the caramel sauce on top adds some more flavor and sweetness. For some pumpkin cheesecake traditionalist this may be too sweet. To those folks, our team suggests the Pumpkin Cheesecake Canoli at PizzeRizo at Hollywood Studios.

The Chocolate Crinkle Cookies won out as the favorite of the three Holiday Exclusive treats we tried. Nice and chewy with nice chocolate flavor and not too sweet; these cookies are a great treat that won’t weigh you down.

There’s quite a bit of food and beverage options available even though the Beach Club guest rooms are closed. The Beach Club Marketplace is a very casual dining option inside the large merchandise shop at the Beach Club. It is the lowest rated quick dining option at Walt Disney World, according to our readers, with a 66% thumbs up rating. Perhaps these holiday treats will help boost its rating?

Will you be visiting Walt Disney World during the holidays? How do these Holiday Exclusive desserts sound?

The post REVIEW – A Trio of Treats and a Fudge Flight at Disney’s Beach Club Resort appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Christmas, Holidays, Resorts, Snacks, disney christmas, disney desserts, disney dining, disney on site hotels, Disney Snacks, disney’s beach club

Happy birthday, Mickey Mouse (and Minnie too)! Today marks the 92nd anniversary of the release of “Steamboat Willie” – the first animated cartoon featuring Mickey Mouse (and Minnie is in it too). As one might expect there are lots of places to see the big cheese, including attractions, character appearances, and even food and beverage. Here’s our favorite ways to celebrate Mickey Mouse.

• Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway – Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Mickey’s Philharmagic – Magic Kingdom
• Character cavalcades at each of the four Walt Disney World theme parks
• Chef Mickey’s – Disney’s Contemporary Resort
• Garden Grill – EPCOT
• Topolino’s Terrace – Disney’s Riviera Resort
• Spice Up Your Holiday Sandwich at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is a runaway hit. It is the first ride dedicated to Mickey Mouse and his friends. But, let’s not forget about Mickey’s PhilharMagic over at Magic Kingdom. This multi-scensory movie does feature Donald Duck more than Mickey, but it is a still a fun way to see Mickey and his friends.

At each of the four Walt Disney World theme parks you can catch your favorite characters in a cavalcade. These cheerful cavalcades take place throughout the day at each park. They are not on a published schedule to prevent crowding, but they happen so frequently it’s easy to catch a few during your day in the parks. Mickey Mouse makes time in his busy schedule to appear in a cavalcade at each of the four parks. Check out our tips for viewing the character cavalcades at Magic Kingdom.

There’s a few ways you can celebrate the mouse with a meal. Chef Mickey’s, Garden Grill, and Topolino’s Terrace each have family-friendly settings. Chef Mickey’s will resume character dining next month. Seeing Mickey at the Garden Grill is a must-do for any mouse fan. This restaurant inside The Land pavilion at EPCOT is amazingly cool–it rotates around through scenes of the Living with the Land ride. The food is fantastic and you get to meet and greet with Mickey and friends from a safe distance.

The Spice Up Your Holiday Chicken Sandwich is featured at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café. This spicy chicken sandwich is topped with Sriracha Aïoli and Pickle Slaw and sandwiched on a Santa Mickey Brioche Bun. For $11.99 it is one of the best deals in Magic Kingdom considering its elevated flavors and toppings–and the Santa Mickey Brioche Bun is adorable.

What’s your favorite way to see and celebrate Mickey Mouse at Walt Disney World?

 

The post Here’s Some of The Best Ways to Celebrate Mickey and Minnie Mouse appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Just For Fun, Magic Kingdom, Disney Characters, disney dining, mickey disney world, Mickey Mouse