A Blog About Disney Stuff

Who doesn’t love a little Monday morning window shopping? Over in Magic Kingdom, we found some merchandise that we fell in love with. Let’s jump right in.

We’ve been a fan of Wishables ever since the line debuted (and if they had keychain attachments, we probably would have more attached to our park daypacks than actual daypack). The latest editions we spotted are simply adorable — a Walt Disney World transportation series, with the open-edition Main Street Double Decker Bus and Mad Tea Party with the Doormouse in the tea pot as the open-edition item.

The latest in the Park Pals series is Angel (or as Outlet Expert Derek Burgan likes to call her, “Pink Stitch”).

And, finally, with temperatures in the 30s over the weekend, it is certainly blanket weather here in Florida. We spotted some fun finds in the Emporium, including one for Up, Beauty and the Beast, and (our favorite) a colorful Castle theme. Each is $39.99.

 

Would you buy any of these for your home? Let us know what you think in the comments.

The post Monday’s Magical Magic Kingdom Merchandise Finds appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Merchandise, Walt Disney World (FL), merchandise

Everglazed Donuts opened recently at Disney Springs, and we wanted to see what the hype was about. In general, there were some things we liked and some things we were less pleased about.

The Good

• Discounts: There are discounts for ordering donuts by the dozen, and you can stack your AP discount on top of that.
• Donuts are made fresh throughout the day, instead of having a fixed amount of goods that are baked in advance.
• There’s some really unique flavors, like Nutella Bella and Ube (purple yam).

The Bad

• At least for now, the line can be long — our reviewer waited 25 minutes in line for her donuts. It is likely, but not guaranteed, that lines may not extend as long as the initial hype dies down.
• Transporting the donuts can be challenging, as ones with the toppings (like the Cinnamon Toast Crunch one) can have the toppings slide off into a gooey mess in the box.
• The Price: For even just a single, regular glazed donut, the cost is around $5.

The Sugary

Our reviewer picked up a dozen donuts (and they tossed in an extra one for free). Here’s some of the highlights.

The Nutella Bella was a favorite because it was both delicious and also something that you wouldn’t find easier or cheaper at Dunkin’ or Joffrey’s.

On the other hand, the Strawberry Iced with Sprinkles wasn’t a favorite as it had that “fake strawberry” flavor and was overly strong.

The Cinnamon Toast Crunch became a sloppy, gloopy mess as the toppings all slide off into a blob.

A surprise hit was the Purple Glazed Ube — it’s gorgeous, mild in flavor, and delicious, but it also makes you feel that you’re spending the money to get something unique.

A surprise miss was the Peanut Butter Explosion. Simply put, there were too many peanut butter chips. For a well-balanced flavor, you would need to scrape off about half of them.

Many of the donuts, like the Chocolate Glazed, Basic Cake, Glazed, and so on are standard donuts that you could get easier and cheaper elsewhere. If you’re stuck in Disney Springs early in the morning and need something, it does the job. Even then, go with the flavors that you can’t get anywhere else.

Are you excited to try Everglazed Donuts? Let us know what you think in the comments.

 

The post The Good, the Bad, and the Sugary of Everglazed Donuts appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Walt Disney World (FL), everglazed donuts

After a flurry of deals dropping last Fall, all has remained relatively quiet on the Hotwire and Priceline Express front when it comes to Disney resorts. Until now!

But First, A Warning

You may see some Priceline Express deals from February through April for Caribbean Beach, Bay Lake Tower, and even some All-Star Movies deals at the very end of April. Bay Lake Tower is a very rare resort for hidden deals, and you’ll likely notice right off that the prices of those deals are not very good. The Caribbean Beach and Movies deals look decent at first glance – but if you compare the final Express Deal costs after fees and taxes to Disney’s direct discounts right now, you’ll find that Disney beats those hidden deals.

Pop, Coronado, Yacht Club, Oh My!

Back over on Hotwire, you’ll find some hidden Hot Rate deals for these resorts through the end of January – and these offer significant savings. In fact, you can see in this comparison chart, these deals will save you $90 – $110 per night over Disney discounted rates. If you happen to have an active annual pass, they even save significant amounts over the deep 40% off AP rate!

By the way, these comparisons all assume the hidden deals are for standard rooms. There were clues the last few batches of Yacht Club rooms over on Priceline Express were water view rooms. We also had a few reports from people that verified our suspicion after checking in. While I wouldn’t count on that happening all the time, it would be nice to find yourself in a water view room once you check in.

THE FUTURE REMAINS BLURRY

Before I go ahead and present the current Calendar of Deals: I have heard from several people looking for deals in the upcoming months and sadly January is all we’ve got for now. But, in the current situation I think we might be able to count on deals rolling out over time so I suggest everyone keep watching. We’ll always post good deals here as soon as we find them.

A $5 Tip, A 6% Rebate

If you search and book from the Hotwire app, you’ll likely save around $5 per night compared to using a desktop browser. (The prices shown below are app prices.)

And, if you use the coupon code NEWYEAR21 on bookings greater than $100, you can shave another 6% off those low rates. (That would effectively bring those $68 Pop Century deals to less than $64 per night! Wowza.)

Spotting Resorts

For your seeking pleasure, here are some examples of the resorts to help you identify them more easily on Hotwire.

The Calendar

The calendar of deals will give you an overview of what you might find  on Hotwire in January. Take the amounts shown with a grain of salt, as they can change a bit from search to search.

If you’ve booked any of these deals or have any questions, let us know in the comments!

The post Hotwire: Last-Minute January Deals appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: discounts, Resorts, Saving Money, Walt Disney World (FL), hotwire

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is home to lots of delightful sweets. A treat that used to call the Trolley Car Café home has moved down the boulevard to Rosie’s All-American Café. If you like peanut butter, chocolate, or Butterfinger candy bars, this is a must-eat!

The Peanut Butter Crunch Cupcake has a chocolate cake base with chocolate fudge filling. The amount of filling tends to vary cupcake to cupcake, but ours was substantial. The mound of frosting on top is peanut butter buttercream, the perfect amount of rich peanut butter flavor. Crushed peanut butter candy dusts the top and a pair of chocolate mouse ears on top gave our field reporter some Earful Tower vibes.

This is one messy cupcake! Grab a knife and fork if you prefer to stay free of cake and frosting all over your hands and face. At $4.99 it is priced lower than the average special cupcake. Rosie’s All-American Café is located near Tower of Terror and is a good spot for burgers and salads. There’s even a new plant-based “lobster” roll that sounds intriguing. Mobile ordering is available, even if all you want is this scrumptious cupcake.

What’s the best cupcake you’ve had at Walt Disney World? How does this one sound to you?

The post REVIEW – The Peanut Butter Crunch Cupcake Returns to Hollywood Studios and It is a Must-Eat appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Dining, Hollywood Studios, Snacks, Disney Cupcakes, disney dessert, hollywood studios dining

Over the course of our daily visits to Walt Disney World our team has learned where to find some of the best seasonal treats throughout the year. Each of the four theme parks have plenty of counter service and quick food and beverage locations, some of which generally have at least one seasonal item on the menu. Here’s some of our favorites.

Magic Kingdom

• Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café  — Quick service restaurant in Frontierland
• Aloha Isle — Snack counter in Adventureland
• Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café — Quick service restaurant in Tomorrowland
• Pinocchio Village Haus — Quick service restaurant in Fantasyland

EPCOT

• Sunshine Seasons — Quick service restaurant in The Land pavilion
• Karamell-Küche — Confectionary located in Germany pavilion
• L’Artisan des Glaces — Ice cream shop located in France pavilion

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• ABC Commissary — Quick service restaurant located in Commissary Lane area
• Backlot Express — Quick service restaurant located in Echo Lake area
• Rosie’s All American Café — Quick service restaurant located in Sunset Boulevard area
• Hollywood Scoops — Ice cream counter located in Sunset Boulevard area
• PizzeRizzo — Quick service restaurant located in Grand Avenue area
• BaseLineTaphouse (usually only the winter holiday season) — Lounge located in Grand Avenue area

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

• Restaurantosaurus — Quick service restaurant located in DinoLand U.S.A.
• Flame Tree Barbecue — Quick service restaurant located in Discovery Island area
• Satu’li Canteen (usually Christmas week only) — Quick service restaurant located in Pandora: World of Avatar

I did not include each individual Starbucks locations, Joffrey’s Coffee locations, and every confectionary-style shop. All four of the parks have them, and generally the Starbucks, Joffrey’s Coffee, and confectionary-style shops have seasonal items throughout the year. Generally you can find any available seasonal food items in a designated section of the menu.

Not every single one of the above locations will have a seasonal item on its menu, depending on the season itself. Although the festive fall and winter holiday seasons are behind us, and their flavorful treats as well, you can still find some seasonal items to savor, though not as many.

Sometimes the item is not shown on the general menu and can only be found on a separate sign when actually visiting the venue, such is the case at BaseLine Taphouse at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, for example.

Do you enjoy trying seasonal treats when they’re available, or do you prefer to stick with old reliable favorites?

The post Where to Find Seasonal Treats at Each Walt Disney World Theme Park appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Dining, Dos and Don’ts, Snacks, disney desserts, disney dining, Disney Snacks