There’s an update for those who follow the “Disney on Broadway” show productions. Fans have been questioning when their beloved theatre productions would return since it’s been months since people saw the last on-stage performance for several Disney shows. Today, we finally received confirmation that Disney’s The Lion King will return to Broadway in 2021, so the show will continue to entertain audiences next year.
It’s been a rocky road with the challenges presented by this year’s global pandemic. Many of us were hoping to see the live shows return this fall, but we’re better off waiting until 2021 if it means a better, safer Broadway experience for everyone.
Several months ago, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo instructed Broadway to close down their plays. This included their current hit musicals, such as Disney’s Aladdin and Frozen. The show productions were halted due to the COVID-19 health risk. The shows were canceled for a month’s duration at that time, but then it extended throughout 2020 as time passed. All Broadway productions were shut down besides the Disney on Broadway shows. Unfortunately, the Frozen production, which made its debut in 2018, will not be returning to Broadway. That production had its final performance before the pandemic closed down the theatres.
In the meantime, we still have shows such as Disney’s Aladdin and The Lion King for when we can safely return to Broadway!
Welcome to the latest edition of The Magic, The Memories, and Merch!, the longest running monthly look at the still closed Disney Outlet Stores in Orlando.
Last month, we took a look at the current status of the Disney Character Warehouse located off Vineland Ave. This month we’ll take a quick stop by the Disney Character Warehouse located off International Drive. I’m always asked the difference between the two Disney outlet stores, and the biggest difference is that the Vineland Ave. is much bigger. It’s also consistently much more crowded. Real estate is about location, location, location, and Vineland is close to Walt Disney World and SR535 (a busy road filled with a lot of shopping areas for tourists). The outlets off International Drive are close to Fun Spot America and the mall formerly known as Artegon Marketplace which has gone through multiple transformations just in the past few years. The actual Disney store located at the I-Drive outlets used to be much bigger, but a couple years ago gave up half it’s space to a Panera Bread.
So anyway, here’s what the Disney Character Warehouse at I-Drive looks like this month.
Disney Character Warehouse off I-Drive. (photo by @Blog_Mickey)
This sign on the door has been hanging for months. I’d like to remind you, Dear Reader, that the I-Drive location was also home to one of the all-time greatest Disney signs during a previous refurbishment.
Disney Character Warehouse off I-Drive. (photo by @Blog_Mickey)
Here’s a look through the window where you can pretty much see the entire store in one shot, something you can’t do at the Vineland Ave. location because the store is too big. In the photo below, the check out counters are at the far right.
Disney Character Warehouse off I-Drive. (photo by @Blog_Mickey)
Let’s take a closer look at the check-out counter area. You’ll see at the bottom right of the photo below, there is a section at the counter called “Ticket Sales.” This was put in at both I-Drive and Vineland Ave. locations about a year or so ago and has a Cast Member dedicated to selling Walt Disney World theme park tickets. No matter how swamped the other Cast Members are ringing up guests, the person working this part of the store generally has absolutely nothing to do. I’m not sure if this is the most desired position in the store or the least desired one. I’m sure they are asked a million times a day if the tickets are cheaper here. (Spoiler alert: they’re not.)
Disney Character Warehouse off I-Drive. (photo by @Blog_Mickey)
Okay, so with the Outlets still shuttered, TouringPlans social media maven Julia Mascardo and myself thought we would spend some time this month scouring the Interwebs to check out items that probably WOULD be at the Outlets if they were open. ShopDisney is the new home for the “Island of Mistfit Disney Toys,” but before we go there, let’s check out some next level bonkers items that other people are selling, like this $4,000 Gucci hand bag that looks like a rejected popcorn bucket.
If I were going to film a horror movie in 2020, it would include a two-minute segment with just this creepy clock ticking back and forth. The characters would stare at, getting increasingly more horrified as they realize that the time isn’t moving and they are caught in a loop. Actually, I’m pitching this E-Ticket idea to Jordan Peele for a Twilight Zone episode, so pretend you didn’t read any of that.
My movie would have a big close-up of this tail wiggling back and forth as the characters are sweating profusely.“Limited Edition.”
This bed is actually kind of cute, and something I may consider getting Bacini – the official dog of DisTwitter. I don’t remember the last time I saw “shag fur” as a sales pitch though. I thought that stopped in the 1970s along with Volkswagon Buses and Styx albums.
“Faux mink shag fur”… WHAAAAAAAT
You don’t see too many snow globes anymore.
This is probably why.
Okay this is insane. I never understood the people that bought giant cardboard cutouts of celebrities, but it’s apparently a “thing.” But who is buying a life size cardboard cutout of the wardrobe from Beauty & the Beast?!! Not even the fun wardrobe, the creepy one from the live action remake! WHO BUYS THIS?! WHAT DO THEY DO WITH IT?!
Okay, let’s head over to eBay, and our first listing look like’s someone is trying to sell a room in my house.
A talking Magic Kingdom? From Sears to boot!
If Disney were selling this item today, here’s the only thing the castle would say.
Okay, time to head to ShopDisney! We’ll start off with a look at items which were destined for the Outlets. The use of Disney characters and memes is a bit odd to begin with, but can someone explain to me what this Jafar meme even means?
Oh, this clears it up.
I think I figured these cups out. Disney has seen the various articles I have done creating Fake Disney Merchandise and they wanted to come up with stuff so crazy, even I couldn’t top it.
Good news, you can also wear these meme items.
I can understand a lot of Disney collections, but one thing I never personally liked was the line of items by the artist Britto. In Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, there’s an actual store dedicated to Britto artwork, so I can admit I may be alone on the island on this one. Thomas Kinkade Disney Artwork? I think it looks great. Would love to have pieces hanging in my house. This stuff? Hard pass.
We have a lot to unpack with this next item, starting with the name.
Personally, I’m not sold on the idea of any kid who would be young enough to play with this should be given a fake knife. That’s just asking for trouble. Call me old fashioned on that one.
I do like that it comes with a “Mickey symbol” that you can flash on the wall.
If this Buzz Lighyear super soaker was at the Outlets in Orlando, I would buy several for the kiddos. This is a great item and looks cool.
It’s July 4th weekend, so time for everyone to get their grill on!
Now, I do like the outside of this lunch box featuring The Mandalorian.
As a kid, I would have loved this backpack as well.
This INSANE Donald Duck plush makes me miss the Outlet Stores because we’d see this type of crap all the time. It’s also one of those items I would do anything to be in the pitch meeting for, just to hear how they sold it.
Minnie Mouse has had an interesting year of merchandise.
Back when the Disney Outlets were open, we saw a lot of the Redd plush go on clearance. This was surprising because you would think it would become a collector’s items years from now when people look back and go “remember when Disney changed Pirates of the Caribbean?” Well, the Redd Funko POP! figures also got a heavy discount.
One thing I have noticed is that all the “park exclusive” Funko POP! items get the huge line of eBay pirates when released, but it seems that every single one of them has ended up being heavily discounted not that long after. It’s like there is a certain percentage of hard core Disney fans that GOTTA HAVE IT NOW, paying a premium price, not realizing if they wait just a little bit longer they can get the item at a STEEP discount.
No Disney property has received more cool items over the past few years than Haunted Mansion, and all of them have gone to the Outlets. It’s like Disney thinks there’s a million Haunted Mansion collectors and meanwhile there is 999. The amount of plush alone is just mind boggling. There is a plush doll of the caretaker and his dog, and yet finding merchandise for the Country Bears is almost impossible.
When these Haunted Mansion jars were released last year, they were destined to go to the Outlets. I mean c’mon, almost $60 a pop! However, if you are a Haunted Mansion fan, these are fantastic.
How incredible is this packaging?!!!!!!!
There were jars made for the Hatbox Ghost, Sarah “Sally” Slater, Gus, Ezra Beane, Prof. Phineas Plum, Amicus Arcane, Constance Hatchaway, Capt. Culpepper Clyne, and Victor Geist (who was a passholder exclusive). CAN YOU IMAGINE? They all lit up like a “spirit” was inside.
I would actually want to see this Minnie Mouse satin robe being made for Mickey Mouse instead, so that a male Disney fan can give off a super creepy Hugh Heffner vibe.
Man, we’re gonna see a lot of “Park Hopper” stuff go to the Outlets real quick now that you can’t park hop.
Forget adults, why would ANY KID want a Walt Disney Pictures logo shirt? This makes my NBA Experience hat look like a good idea.
Okay, now this shirt is actually good.
I do like on ShopDisney they will show a “preview” of the shirt and it will just be something like this.
Sometimes, I don’t even have the strength.
I always recommend to people they check out the back of any Disney t-shirt. Normally it can make a good shirt unwearable, but I actually like the back of this one.
Keep in mind the shirt below is for kids 6-10 years old.
If you wear the shirt below in the parks you should be immediately trespassed on principle. Fashion principle.
This is my actual look when seeing this shirt.
How about this, a Frozen t-shirt that looks like a ransom note.
It reminded me of something….
Hey Disney, let’s do a mashup. Let’s use Olaf in the “mister police” note and sell it as a meme shirt…
SEE YOU NEXT MONTH! (hopefully AT the Outlets…)
NOT THAT IT MATTERS, BUT…There are actually two Disney outlet stores in Orlando. Both are in Orlando Premium Outlet shopping complexes, and they are called Disney’s Character Warehouse, presumably because The Land Of Misfit Toys was already trademarked. There is one Character Warehouse located on International Drive close to Universal Studios (4951 International Dr, Orlando, FL 32819), and the other is on Vineland Avenue, right across I-4 near the exits to Disney World (8200 Vineland Ave, Orlando, FL 32821). They do not ship. There are items at the Outlets that you can buy both in Disney stores along with the Shop Disney Parks app, but you will be paying full retail for the items. For our CALIFORNIA OUTLET trips, @ChristelaMcC goes to the Las Americas outlet in San Diego. It is located right off the last U.S. exit.
I often get asked “which store is better?” That depends. Vineland is close to Walt Disney World, while the I-Drive location is a hop, skip, and jump away from the Universal Orlando Resort. The Vineland Disney Outlet Store is much, MUCH bigger than the I-Drive location. However, the Vineland outlets in general are much, MUCH busier than I-Drive. Each have their pros and cons, and ultimately they carry much of the same items. For a Disney Outlet Store FAQ, check out this SATURDAY SIX Presents: Everything You Wanted To Know About The Disney Outlet Stores (But Were Afraid To Ask)
If you liked what you read here, you may enjoy THE SATURDAY SIX articles every week on the TouringPlans.com blog and you can follow your humble author on Twitter (@derekbugan).
Hey all you party people, it’s time to book your Disney World theme park dining reservations! …Unless you’re not one of a special group of guests who had dining reservations canceled during a specific set of dates. Confused? Us too. So let’s dig deeper.
Le Cellier in EPCOT
Yesterday, Disney announced that theme park dining reservations for Disney World’s park opening dates and beyond would open this morning to “eligible guests with dining reservations cancelled during the closure.”
Dining Reservations Announcement
Now we were a little confused about this. And, tbh, we still are. This date applies to guests who had their dining reservations on or before September 2nd canceled as of May 28th. But did the dining reservations have to be canceled by Disney to count us eligible? What if WE canceled the dining reservations BEFORE May 28th…but it was still due to the closure? Does that still count?
Am I Eligible To Make Dining Reservations Today?
Well, your first clue as to whether you’re eligible is that you received an email yesterday SAYING you’re eligible.
But if you think you should be able to make reservations this morning based on Disney’s website language, you should definitely try. You can make reservations via the online system, or by phone. (We haven’t been able to book on the My Disney Experience app.) And we’ve heard from folks who didn’t think they were eligible being able to book. So…worth a try!
If you aren’t eligible, you’ll receive this notification:
Not Eligible. Womp womp.
BUT WAIT! We’re getting reports that people are being told they’re not eligible to book online, but are having luck by calling Disney directly to book dining reservations.
So, there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason. Try every avenue if you’re eager to book dining reservations and think you may be eligible — both calling Disney World AND trying online via your browser.
And remember, to dine in any theme park after Disney World reopens, guests must have valid park admission AND a Disney Park Pass reservation for the day of the desired meal.
So What Happened This Morning?
After all the crazy park pass reservation system glitches last week, we weren’t sure what to expect this morning! But things went pretty smoothly overall. FYI — the online system opened at 6AM ET, which is commensurate with pre-closure policy.
After a few minutes waiting “in orbit” (<– that’s what we call the space mountain rocket ship picture that characterizes one of Disney’s virtual waiting rooms…with which we’re all too familiar after last week), we were able to make all of our top tier dining reservations, including Be Our Guest Restaurant, pretty easily.
Entrance into Beast’s Castle
UPDATE: As of 8:30AM ET the “waiting room” is taking a little bit longer to get through. Keep us updated in the comments with your experiences!
Disney World website Virtual Waiting Room
UPDATE: We’ve also noticed that “eligible” guests are able to book Disney Resort Hotel dining locations via the website now as well! (Up until today, only guests with hotel arrivals prior to July 10th were able to book hotel dining reservations…and only by phone.)
As a reminder, notall of the Disney World restaurants will be open with the parks initially. You can check in on our list of announced restaurants for the FULL LIST of those restaurants that WILL be open and available for reservations.
In addition to “eligible” guests being able to book…well…everything, online reservations are currently available for all Disney guests to book Disney Springs restaurants, and guests with hotel arrivals prior to July 10th can make select Disney World hotel dining reservations by calling the Disney Reservation Center at (407) 824-1391.
Keep an eye on DFB for the latest updates, and get ready to make those reservations!
From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com Filed Under: disney parks, Featured, Table-Service, Walt Disney World, Be Our Guest Restaurant, disney theme parks reopening, disney world dining cancellations, disney world dining reservations, Disney World reopening, disney world restaurants
We’ve spotted some really cool Disney mug designs lately, like a color-changing poisoned apple mug, and an adorable new Toy Story mug! But Disney’s mug capital has gone down in our eyes with this new release.
They’ve ventured back into the meme realm (after debuting with pretty cute t-shirts a while back). But this time they’re missing the mark imo with the Disney Villains Meme Mugs available online.
These are way too “on the nose” and stereotypical to be funny. It feels like a robot was shown examples of memes and then programmed to make their own “approximate” version that doesn’t quite compute!
Plus they just make me…sad?
Here we go.
The Evil Queen Meme Mugfeatures the villain after she’s discovered that her lunch has disappeared from the office fridge…
(Do people steal entire lunches from office fridges? I thought that only happened in 80’s movies with lots of shoulder pads and skinny ties and Kevin Bacon.)
I dunno. Group texts are fun. And if they’re not, I don’t get…like…mad about it. Just turn off your notifications. So this seems a little over the top.
Now, this Maleficent Meme Mug is classic Disney showing up late to the meme party.
Are we sure these mugs weren’t slated for release in 2018? (And, yes, I still use memes like this, but I’m old and totally uncool, so what does that tell you, hmm?)
So, if you want to be ironic, these could be the perfect purchase for you! And if you lurve them and you’re super upset with me for saying that these aren’t ideal, then you can buy them totally un-ironically! Everybody wins! The mugs are all available for $14.99 on shopDisney!
Which of these meme mugs is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com Filed Under: disney merchandise, disney parks, Featured, News, Disney merch, disney mug, disney mugs, evil queen mug, jafar mug, maleficent mug, meme mugs, shopdisney, ursula mug
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge has a new baby Zebra!
Her name is Phoenix and was born on May 6th! Her name was chosen by the animal care team because it means strength and renewal. We love it!
The zebra foal is already super active running around the Sunset Savana and enjoying her time bonding with her mother Peebles, who you might have seen during your visit to the resort.
She is also the second Hartmann’s foal born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge this year! And was born as part of the Species Survival Plan program that is overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
The Species Survival Program ensures responsible breeding and genetic diversity of thousands of animal species. Thanks to this, Phoenix is the 4th zebra born at Walt Disney World this year and 13th overall since the program begun at Disney.
So next time that you visit Animal Kingdom Lodge, don’t forget to say hi to Phoenix!
Credit: Disney Parks
From our friends at chipandco.com Filed Under: Walt Disney World, DisneyNature, Resorts, Baby Zebra, Disney Animals, disney magic moments, Disney Resorts, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Phoenix, WDW, zebra foal
