A Blog About Disney Stuff

Around the TouringPlans watercooler, Julia and I were chatting about how dramatic things changed this year. When we look back at the photos and blog posts from the beginning of 2020, it is stunning to realize how we had no idea what was coming and how the whole world would turn upside down, including Walt Disney World, of course. But, there are a few bright spots, one of them being how character appearances changed in 2020.

Although many of us miss the personal interaction that was often experienced during traditional character meet and greets, it is nice not dealing with lines and crowds. And even though there is no published schedule for the character cavalcades and distanced character appearances, they happen so frequently it is pretty easy to see a few characters during your day in the parks.

Animal Kingdom’s character cavalcades win for being so unique, taking place in decorated boats along the Discovery River. It is nice to see movement on the river after being dormant for so long.

Both the Halloween season and the winter holiday season brought some fantastic character appearances, especially at Magic Kingdom. Essentially parts of the Boo to You Parade and the Very Merry Christmas Parade were broken into individual cavalcades. This gave Magic Kingdom guests a chance to experience these elaborate floats and costumes during the day and without special event admission.

And right now during the holiday season you can see Santa Claus in all four parks. Personally, I am really digging the totally Floridian appearance of Santa on a pontoon boat at Disney Springs.

One character appearance that felt very awkward this year was Cinderella at Cinderella’s Royal Table. We’re now accustomed to social distant character dining, but her appearance was very distant and pretty brief. Then again, she is royalty.

Did you have a chance to see any of the characters at Walt Disney World this year? 

The post The Best Disney Character Appearances of 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: In the Parks, Just For Fun, Photos and Video, disney character appearances, Disney Characters, disney covid, disney parade, disney reopening

If there ever was a year to sip some cocktails at Walt Disney World, 2020 is definitely the year. Disney offers a surprisingly wide variety of cocktails throughout property, ranging from standards to the super creative. Our field research team has sipped their fair share of libations at Disney World this year, and we’ve narrowed down to our top 3 Disney cocktails we tried in 2020.

1. Lapu Hula at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
2. The Hoot at Wine Bar George
3. Tomato Margarita at La Cava del Tequila

Our top pick is a very special treat at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. It’s less of a true cocktail, and really just boozy soft serve ice cream, but the Lapu Hula deserves the top spot simply because it is a dream come true for any Dole Whip fan. Pineapple Dole Whip is swirled inside of an entire pineapple. Then a little sidecar shot of rum is served with it. For $14.25 it is a pretty good deal considering the serving size and that it comes with a shot.

Our second pick is a pretty new cocktail, at one of the best restaurants on Disney property. Wine Bar George receives high remarks from our readers. Besides have great food paired with great wine, there are great cocktails here too. The Hoot is made with Hooten Whiskey along with Ginger Beer and Crème De Cassis. It’s lovely looking drink and has a nice bite to it thanks to the ginger beer. The Hooten Whiskey is aged for 12 years, making it smooth and mellow.

Inside EPCOT is La Cava del Tequila. This popular tequila bar inside the Mexico Pavilion is known for getting creative. Their latest creation may raise a few eyebrows. The new Tomato Margarita is made with Teremana Tequila, tomatoes, agave, lime juice, and a hint of watermelon. Teremana is a somewhat high-end tequila, though not unattainable. It is said to be extremely smooth, with bright citrus notes. This quality tequila, blended with fresh ingredients fetches a $19.00 price tag.

Do you enjoy having a cocktail when at Walt Disney World? Which of these sounds the best to you?

The post The Top 3 Cocktails We Tried at Walt Disney World in 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Adults, Drinking, disney bars, disney drinking, Disney Springs, disney’s best drinks, disney’s polynesian resort, Epcot, epcot bars

The year 2020 certainly was an unusual one, and it’s easy to be overwhelmed with the negative. To help brighten your holidays, we’re running a series of articles of the best of what we saw for 2020. Here’s our picks for the top popcorn buckets of 2020.

Millennium Falcon Popcorn Bucket

Back in the spring before the parks’ closure, we saw what may be the most ridiculous popcorn bucket ever — a gigantic Millennium Falcon popcorn bucket. Seriously, this thing is as big as the old Kenner toy! Not exactly the most practical popcorn bucket, but it sure was a fun thing to see!

Skyliner Popcorn Bucket

The Skyliner is such a fun way to get around Walt Disney World, and the popcorn bucket to commemorate it really is a lot of fun, too. Colorful, character-filled, and decently practical, this popcorn bucket was very popular at EPCOT.

Halloween Balloon Popcorn Bucket

Who doesn’t love a Disney balloon? Even better, how about one with such great Disney Halloween theme? With the cancellation of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, this was a treat for everyone to be able to buy. What was really interesting about this bucket — it is a popcorn bucket that was sold with churros instead of popcorn!

Do you like our picks for the best of 2020’s popcorn buckets? Are there any that you would add to the list?

The post Top Popcorn Buckets of 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Merchandise, Walt Disney World (FL), popcorn buckets