A Blog About Disney Stuff

Is anyone else stressed out by holiday shopping every year? If you’re going to be at Walt Disney World anytime soon and want to take home some unique presents, we’ve got some finds for you. Last week we looked at some unique finds at Galaxy’s Edge. Now let’s take a quick look at some items at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT.

At Magic Kingdom we spotted some household items that will add some Disney magic to your day. There’s some new Mickey Mouse tumblers, including one that says “I Need a Fastpass to Friday” – which is funny considering we don’t anticipate Fastpasses to return anytime soon. The topper on these is made of foam, which seems like a bad idea for long-term use.

Disney has been on a kick with kitchen hand towels lately. I love using kitchen towels in lieu of paper towels, and these new park icon ones and Disney cats ones are tempting. The Disney cats one even has the little kitty that makes a two-second appearance in the beginning of The Princess and the Frog.

Over at EPCOT you can always find some unique items in the merchandise shops of World Showcase. We just love exploring Mitsukoshi department store at the Japan Pavilion. Recently we spotted some Animal Crossing merchandise. But this week we found a musical greeting card of Pompompurin from Sanrio that is simply adorable.

If shopping works up your appetite, head to the China pavilion for some new specialty seasoned potato chips. There’s Numb and Spicy Hot Pot Flavor, Fried Crab Flavor, Cucumber Flavor, and Spicy Crayfish Flavor. Would you try any of them?

Do you like to shop for holiday gifts at Walt Disney World? Do any of these items catch your eye?

The post Unique Walt Disney World Merchandise Finds of the Week appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Merchandise, Shopping, disney merchandise, Epcot merchandise, magic kingdom merchandise

This week, Erin talks about the upcoming reboot of the 90s sitcom, Dinosaurs, Len shares his thoughts on the cancelling of the Lizzie McGuire reboot, and we all have thoughts at the massive amount of news that came out at Disney Investor Day.

What We’re Talking About – Disney and Universal Orlando News and Rumors

Well, last week, was the HUGE media blitz that was Disney Investor Day. If you were on social media, your head was probably spinning with all the announcements. I was watching with my mouth agape as announcement after announcement just kept coming. (Which is why I absolutely couldn’t process it all in time for last week’s “What We’re Talking About” article.  So, while I am certainly not going to discuss every single piece of news that was discussed, I do have a few things that definitely peaked my interest. But please make sure to let us know in the comments what you found to be the most interesting from Investor Day. (If you missed all of it, here is a nice recap of literally everything announced.)

Dani shared that the day of the Investor Meeting, my husband and I sat down that night and watched all the trailers and just kept geeking out. I honestly do not know which thing I am most excited about, Loki maybe?

Fantastic Four will finally be coming home, to Marvel and Disney. That’s because the companies will officially be making their own film for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Chadwick Boseman will not be replaced in Black Panther 2, which is slated to begin filming this June.

Peyton Reed will be back to direct the third Ant-Man film which will be called Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, and Michelle Pfeiffer will all return. In addition, Kathryn Newton joins the cast as Cassie Lang, and Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror.

The Guardians of the Galaxy will get a holiday special for Disney+. Why is it not happening this year?!

Captain Marvel will be returning in a sequel, in 2022.

Here is a breakdown of the Marvel content coming for Disney+ and it’s a lot! Which are you looking forward to the most?

Julia said that It’s neat to see that for Marvel, even though I’ve only seen one Marvel movie, they’ve got me excited for WandaVision. It looks like something totally different from anything else out there, and I’m all on board for some originality!

A new Pixar film was announced called Turning Red, which tells the story of a young teenager named Mei, who magically turns into a giant red panda whenever she gets too excited.

Did you know that Buzz Lightyear is apparently based on a real individual in the Pixar world. Cause let me tell you, I sure didn’t! But, looks like we’ll be learning more about that story in the upcoming Lightyear, which features Chris Evans as the titular character.

A film that I didn’t know much about, but is apparently coming in the middle of next year is Encanto. The film takes us to Colombia, where a magical family live in a magical home and will feature songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Disney announced a collaborative project with Pan-African entertainment company Kugali to create an animated science-fiction series to premiere on Disney+ called Iwájú. It will start streaming in 2022.

Four popular Disney animated movies are getting Disney+ series offshoots. They will include Baymax, Tiana, Moana, and Zootopia+. Which of these intrigues you the most?

There will be 10 new Star Wars shows coming to Disney+. Here is the full list. I think I can say that a number of these shows are intriguing, including Ashoka, Lando, as well as the fact that Obi-Wan will feature Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader once again.

Hitting theaters in 2023 will be a new Star Wars movie is currently titled Star Wars: Rogue Squadron and will be directed by Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins.

As far as Star Wars is concerned, for Julia, the amount of Star Wars material coming out is simply staggering, and yet each has such a distinct feel for its own portion of the Star Wars universe. There’s so many tales to tell, and I’m excited to see each one of them.

Sister Act was one of my and my brother’s favorite movies as kids and now, it looks like we’ll need to head back into theaters for Sister Act 3.

The Sanderson Sisters are coming back! Hocus Pocus is getting its sequel. Honestly, again….cannot wait for this one. But let me tell you, it’s going to have a lot to live up to. Don’t disappoint me, Disney.

Speaking of sequels – Disenchanted, which will star Amy Adams as Giselle once again, will be heading to Disney+.

In a move I wasn’t expecting, Andy Samberg and John Mulaney will be taking part in a Chip N’ Dale: Rescue Rangers’ Movie.

Well, looks like we’re getting that Lion King sequel. This one will be a prequel to the live action film that came out in 2019.

Harrison Ford is back in the 5th installment of Indiana Jones. This will, supposedly be the final film in the franchise. (Yeah…it’s Disney so I’ll believe it when I see it.)

Disney is developing the modern remakes of two classic comedy films Three Men and a Baby and Cheaper By the Dozen which will both premiere on Disney+ in 2022. The upcoming projects will be headlined by Zac Efron and Gabrielle Union, respectively. Also, Swiss Family Robinson will be coming to the streaming service too in a new show.

Josh Gad and Luke Evans are apparently signed on for a Beauty and the Beast prequel for Disney+.

During Investor Day, it was also announced that Disney+ would be increasing in price by $1, to $7.99 a month.

Longtime Disney executive, Jim McPhee will be retiring this spring. Jim MacPhee was a senior vice president for operations of Walt Disney World and worked for the company for four decades.

The man who brought the original Boba Fett to life, Jeremy Bulloch has passed away. Find out more about how he created the iconic character in the article.

Well, it was given to us and then yanked away. The Lizzie McGuire reboot is now not happening. The reason seems to be that Disney wanted the reboot to be family-friendly and those involved with the project, including Hillary Duff wanted things to be a little more grown up.

Who had on their bingo card that Len would weigh on on the Lizze McGuire reboot? He said, I can’t believe the Lizzy McGuire reboot isn’t happening.

Looking for a new podcast? There’s now one on Spotify that revolves around the upcoming Pixar film, Soul. This podcast takes a look at the behind the scenes of making the movie. In addition, if you want to listen to the film’s soundtrack, you can find that here.

Get ready for the phrase “Not the Mama!” to come back into our vernacular! That’s because the reboot of the 90s sitcom, Dinosaurs is returning to Disney+ this January! Will you be watching?

Erin states that Baby Sinclair and I can’t wait to watch! (And yes, that is her Baby Sinclair below….that is awesome!) 

 

The post What We’re Talking About: Dinosaurs Reboot, Lizzie McGuire Cancelled, and Everything Disney Announced During Investor Day appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

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Filed Under: In Case You Missed It, What We’re Talking About

Okay, all you crazy cat ladies (and cat gentlemen, too). Ever notice how so many of Disney’s cats are evil and yet still delightfully cute? Sure, you’ve got some “good cats” here and there, but Lucifer, Si and Am, even Yzma in her cat form — wholly evil kitties. But we still love them.

If you go cat crazy for those fun felines, Disney merchandise has you covered. Here’s some of what we’ve spotted recently for Disney cat merchandise in the parks and online.

 

The upcoming release of the movie Soul has already seen merchandise showing up at Walt Disney World and online. One minor character in the movie appears to be an adorable cat named Mr. Mittens, and merchandise of him as a plush ($22.99), Funko POP figure ($12.99) and as a “Soul Kitty” mug ($16.99) or plush ($11.99)  has started to make the rounds. Even if he’s a minor character, the cute factor cannot be contained in this one!

The most cat-centric movie in Disney’s catalog is the classic film The Aristocats. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this film, you can find a couple wonderful pieces of merchandise, like a limited edition jumbo pin ($69.99) or a very classy mug ($19.99). Both of these are available on shopDisney.

 

Can’t decide which cat is your favorite? Disney has several items featuring so. . . many. . . cats. From a reversible Disney dog/Disney cat lanyard ($12.99) to a Disney kitty kitchen towel set ($19.99) to the very popular Disney Cats Dooney & Bourke bag ($298), there’s something for everyone’s budget.

Who’s your favorite Disney kitty? Let us know in the comments below.

 

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Filed Under: Merchandise, Walt Disney World (FL), disney cat, dooney and bourke

Disney’s Vero Beach Resort tends to be a Disney Vacation Club location that everyone seems to forget, possibly second only to Disney’s Hilton Head resort. Recently, our own Outlet Influencer Derek Burgan took a day trip to Vero Beach to have a look around and share some photos of what he saw, including the beautiful holiday decorations.

Have you ever visited Disney’s Vero Beach Resort? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

The post The Scenic Sights at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Disney Vacation Club, Holidays, Resorts, Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, Vero Beach

The one year anniversary of Disney’s Riviera Resort has arrived, and it’s the perfect occasion to revisit Bar Riva. This outdoor bar, near the resort’s pool, is a popular spot among hotel guests and regular guests alike. I decided to visit Bar Riva for the first time a few days ago, and I fell in love.

Located near the feature pool, on the outside corner of the resort’s main building, Bar Riva is an ideal setting for a relaxing round of drinks and a lovely lunch. When I arrived a little after lunch time the weather was blissful. I much prefer outdoor dining venues these days. There is seating inside the main bar area, and it is covered, but the entire front is open, bringing in lots of fresh air. The décor is bright, with tranquil, rich blues and an oceanside feel.

I did not linger much in the main bar area, as a high top table outside was available and I didn’t want someone else to snatch it up. A mild disappointment came when there were no seasonal drinks or foods on the menu. I selected the Italian Sangría Blanco. Making a choice among all the handcrafted cocktails was not easy, but I wanted something light. And the $13.00 price point makes it slightly lower priced than the average Disney cocktail.

With La Fiera Moscato, Caravella Limoncello, and Apple Juice the sangría satisfied my desire for an easy-to-drink cocktail. The apple juice brought a slight fall flavor that helped make up for the lack of seasonal cocktails.

For my meal I could not resist the Grilled Chicken Sandwich. Normally, I am not one to be drawn to grilled chicken sandwich, but the Roasted Tomatoes, Mozzarella, Spinach Artichoke Spread, and Toasted Focaccia drew me in immediately. When the sandwich arrived I couldn’t wait to tuck in. All the wonderful flavors melded together.

The one downfall of this sandwich is that it fell apart. The grilled chicken breast was quite thick. The focaccia did not stand up to the weight of it all. If I could offer a suggestion for how this sandwich is prepared it would be that the chicken be sliced to make it easier to eat. Otherwise, I was very pleased with my selection and would order it again, this time wearing a poncho for the inevitable food fallout.

Our readers give Bar Riva a 93% thumbs up rating, and it is ranked number 30 out of 107 Walt Disney World bars. It certainly won me over. It is easy to get to from the Disney Skyliner, so you can enjoy this delightful outdoor bar even if you’re not staying at Riviera Resort.

Have you ever visited Bar Riva? What did you think of it? 

The post REVIEW – Bar Riva Is an Ideal Outdoor Bar Along the Disney Skyliner Route appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Dining, Drinking, Resorts, disney bars, disney dining, Disney Skyliner, Disney Vacation Club, Disney’s Riviera Resort, dsney drinking