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Disney Movies Disney News Disney+

Deep Breath! The All-New ‘Zenimation’ Series Has Arrived on Disney+

We have to tell you, folks, Disney just dropped some content that we didn’t know we needed — and we LOVE it!

©Disney

We were checking in on some new Disney+ content this morning when we spotted a pretty interesting new series of shorts. Ever felt like you needed to relax with the help of some beautiful Disney animation? Now, it’s super easy to with the Zenimation series. Check it out!

Zenimation is a new 10-episode series of shorts that are meant to help you chill out and relax at home. The episodes feature iconic animation from classic and recent Disney films accompanied by calming sounds.

©Disney

For instance, the first episode “Water” shows us some of Disney’s beautiful water animation with Moana, Ariel, and Elsa. The water sounds are turned up with other sounds minimized so that the compilation is as relaxing as possible. Other episodes include “Cityscapes,” “Discovery,” “Flight,” and more!

©Disney

Honestly, we’re very here for it and can’t wait to zen out to some Disney animation. You can find all 10 episodes streaming NOW on Disney+. Deep breath!

Will you be chillin’ with Disney’s Zenimation? Tell us in the comments! 

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disney News, Disney+, Featured, News, Disney, disney plus, disney+ streaming service, Zenimation

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Disney Food Disney Parks Other

The Four Things in Disney World You’ve Never Done…But You NEED To Try!

Whether you’re heading to Disney World to ride ALL the attractions or to go on some epic snack crawls, there’s a wide variety of things to do in the parks.

Happily Ever After

While we love seeing some of our favorite shows and hugging the characters, it’s pretty easy to get stuck in the same Disney routine as EVERY other guest. But, there are actually unique experiences that most visitors don’t see very often!

So, the next time you visit Disney World, we recommend going on an adventure to check out these 4 things you’ve never done before in the parks!

Disney World Monorail

Behind-the-Scenes Tours

Ever wanted to know how Disney grows some of their own food in Epcot? Or, have you ever wanted to get up close and personal with some of the animals in Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Well, you may not know that Disney has a series of behind-the-scenes tours that give you an exclusive look at the parks. Yeah, it’s just as cool as it sounds!!

Living with the Land

Each tour offers a unique experience in one of the Disney Parks (or even ALL of them on some bigger tours) by a VIP tour guide.

You can look at the African animals in Disney’s Animal Kingdom on the Wild Africa Trek, explore behind the scenes in the Land Pavilion in Epcot on the Behind the Seeds Tour, get a peek at the underground tunnel systems in Magic Kingdom on the Backstage Magic tour (!!!), or even take an in-depth look at the World Showcase Pavilions during DestiNations Discovered!

Elephant on Kilimanjaro Safaris

There are SO many tours to pick from that it’s almost too hard to choose (almost).

Spent Time at the BoardWalk

Did you know that although Disney’s BoardWalk Inn is a Disney hotel, it also has an entire BoardWalk area open to the public? The BoardWalk is filled with fun activities, whether you’re looking for a new spot to relax or somewhere to grab a bite to eat.

Disney’s BoardWalk

The inside of the resort actually holds a lot of history you might not know about as well! If you look up on the fireplace of the BoardWalk Inn, you can spot Lucy the Elephant. Over in Margate City, New Jersey (the coastal town that Disney’s BoardWalk Inn pulls its influence from), Lucy is a building that was built in 1881.

It has drawn visitors into the town for years and now this smaller re-creation creates a bit of extra Disney magic at the BoardWalk!

Nanny Chairs and Lucy the Elephant

Even though we know you’re totally getting your steps in traveling the parks (it’s justification for all those snacks ;D), the BoardWalk has surrey bikes that your whole family can rent to travel all the way around the resort area! These can be VERY fun and bring lots of laughter to your family as you work together to bike uphill or cruise around the lake.

Surrey Bike

While there are plenty of places to dine at the BoardWalk, like the Flying Fish or Trattoria al Forno, you can also snag some of the BEST desserts at the BoardWalk Bakery! We’ve tried anything and everything from the Unicorn Cupcake, Valentine’s Macaron, and their classic Cinnamon Roll.

Seasonal Cupcake

Plus, BoardWalk Joe’s just across the way features some great cocktails you can sip on as you stroll around the BoardWalk in the Florida sunshine or the twinkling evening lights.

BoardWalk Joe’s

But, one of our FAVORITE spots in Disney World actually happens to be at the end of the BoardWalk! Jellyrolls is an adult-only dueling piano bar that has tasty drinks and fantastic music.

Jellyrolls

You’re bound to have a wonderful time as the performers sing hit songs (and take PLENTY of requests) that will have everyone partying along with them!

Relaxed at the Enchanted Rose Lounge

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is a GORGEOUS resort that features a live band in the lobby most days, direct access to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot by way of the Monorail system, and the recently opened Enchanted Rose Lounge. This lounge is a true hidden gem in the Grand Floridian!

Enchanted Rose Bar Area

Like its name suggests, the Enchanted Rose features four uniquely designed rooms that are inspired by Beauty and the Beast (can you spot Cogsworth and Mrs. Potts??).

The Library

Enchanted Rose opens at 1PM daily and has a more upscale lounge menu than you might find at other Disney bars, with starters served from 5PM to 10PM along with cocktails, martinis, beers, hard ciders, and wine.

Enchanted Rose Food

Some of the cocktails are inspired by Beauty and the Beast, while others have unique names and flavors! Are you feeling the Envy or Love Cocktail more?? These two drinks are prepared tableside for you!

Preparing Both the Love and Envy Cocktails

Since the monorail connects directly to the resort, the Enchanted Rose Lounge is a hot spot to visit before or after you spend time in Magic Kingdom.

Hopped on ALL the Main Street Transportation

Main Street, U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom is home to trolleys, horse-drawn streetcars, a fire engine, a jitney car, and more. And, guess what?? You can ride them all!!

Main Street, U.S.A. Horse-Drawn Trolley

The transportation doesn’t just add to the atmosphere (even though we love it) — they’re actually really memorable ways to spend time with your family members or take a break from the hustle and bustle of the park as you go up and down Main Street.

Note that you can’t ride some of the transportation during the Main Street Trolley Show at 9:15AM, 10:10AM, and 12PM! But, you can still ride them at other available times on most days in the park!

Main Street Trolley Show

Note that these vehicles are only out typically in the morning hours, so if you don’t mind Rope Dropping the Magic Kingdom, you’ll be in for a treat when you walk down Main Street!

Disney World is just one of those places that keeps creating new magic every time we go! It doesn’t matter if you’re a new friend or an old pal — Disney keeps on surprising all of us with interesting places and special things to do in the parks!

What are some of your favorite things to do in Disney World? Let us know in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Boardwalk Inn and Villas, Counter-Service, Disney Entertainment, Disney News, disney parks, disney resorts, Featured, Walt Disney World, Backstage Magic, behind the scenes, behind the scenes tours, bikes, Boardwalk, Boardwalk Bakery, Boardwalk Joe’s, destinations discovered, Disney, disney dining, disney news, Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, Disney’s Grand floridian resort and spa, Enchanted Rose Lounge, Epcot, Flying Fish, jellyrolls, lucy the elephant, magic kingdom, main street transportation, main street trolley show, Main Street USA, Trattoria al Forno, Wild Africa Trek

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Disney Business Disney News Disney Parks

BREAKING NEWS: Disney World to Submit Reopening Plans Next Week

Today, Universal Studios Orlando submitted their reopening plan with a proposed June 5th reopening date to the general public. Prior to this, they will have a phased reopening where team members will test out the new procedures on June 1st and 2nd. The park will then open to Annual Passholders on June 3rd and 4th. You can read about their reopening plans here.

Cinderella Castle

Now, Mayor Jerry Demings has commented on when Disney World plans to submit their plan for reopening to the Orange County Task Force.

According to Demings, “Disney has given an indication that next week they will submit their plans.” He also said, “At this time it’s an undefined time or date but we do look forward to seeing that sometime next week.”

When Universal presented their plans to the task force, they had to submit a thorough layout of their operation plans along with an expected reopening date. Therefore, we should have much more information on when Disney anticipates that they will be reopening along with a much clearer expectation at what that will look like sometime next week.

Disney Springs

If keeping in line with Universal’s proposal process. Once this is submitted to the Orange County Task Force, they will need to approve the proposal. After this is done Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings must sign off on Disney’s proposed plans before they will be presented to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

At this time, Universal Orlando’s CityWalk location has partially reopened with new health and safety features. Select third-party Disney Springs locations are open right now as well and Disney-owned locations will begin reopening May 27th. We reported live from Disney Springs yesterday to see how Disney World is implementing new guidelines when it comes to shopping and dining — you can see our full coverage here.

Just today, Disney World canceled reservations through mid-June, and at this time they are not accepting new reservations until July 1st.

We will continue to update you on this situation as we know more.

Are you planning to visit Disney World when they reopen? Let us know in the comments below. 

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Featured, Walt Disney World, disney news, Disney World reopening, magic kingdom

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Disney Business Disney Parks

What’s New at Disney Springs: lululemon Construction, Reopening Dining Locations, and a NEW Patio Project

Hey, everybody! Disney Springs is open and you know what that means, right? It’s time for another roundup of What’s New at Disney Springs!

Hi old friend!

Whew! It’s been a LONG TIME since we got to write that! In fact, the last time we were here (before this week, of course) we saw Disney Springs as it was gettin’ ready to undergo its lengthy closure! Click here to reminisce with us!

While Disney Springs isn’t in full-swing yet several third-party restaurants and retail locations are now open while more Disney-owned locations are set to reopen May 27th.

World of Disney

During our visit we revisited some locations and took another stroll around the shopping and dining district! Let’s see what Disney Springs has been up to in its first couple of days back in action!

Disney Springs Construction Update

Ample Hills Creamery

On our visit yesterday, we spotted a few construction projects in the works. One of these highly anticipated projects is Ample Hills CreameryOur favorite spot to grab an ice cream taco is adding a second location to Disney World.

Ample Hills Construction

Along with its location at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, the Disney Springs location was slated to open this past winter. Due to the temporary closures, that was clearly pushed back, but we hope to see progress on this location soon!

Beatrix

Another project we’ve been tracking for some time now is Beatrix. This neighborhood market restaurant will feature a menu of fresh, healthy ingredients, in addition to a selection of fresh-squeezed juice cocktails. Sign us up!

Beatrix Construction

It looks like work on Beatrix is still underway, although we have been following this for quite some time — we were reporting on construction updates all the way back in September of last year! Hopefully with business operations resuming, we’ll hear an update soon on Beatrix!

Beatrix Construction

Homecomin’ Shine Bar & Social

We also checked out the work being done at Chef Art Smith’s Homecoming! While the restaurant has yet to reopen, there was plenty of new and exciting things to see!

Chef Art Smith!

There will soon be a new patio bar in town! Homecomin’ Shine Bar & Social is currently under construction, and it sounds like there’s more moonshine in store for us to try!

Chef Art Smith Shine Bar & Social

We currently do not have a projected timeline of this project or when we can expect it to open, but we will definitely be keeping a close eye on this one!

lululemon

And calling all yogis, this next construction update is for you! We learned back in February that lululemon is coming to Disney Springs!

lululemon Construction

And from the looks of it, we may not have to wait too long to fill our shopping carts with new yoga pants — they’re currently slated to open Summer 2020!

lululemon Construction

With upcoming runDisney marathon weekends and folks looking to get in their daily steps at Disney World, this could be a very welcomed addition to Disney Springs.

Disney Springs Food Update

Starbucks

Today, the West Side Starbucks location is opened.

West Side Starbucks Line

Currently, only Mobile Order is available via the Starbucks app, but now there are two Disney Springs locations where you can grab your favorite iced latte!

Inside West Side Starbucks

And of course we had to order an ice-cold drink to cool us down on this hot Florida afternoon!

Starbucks Coffee!!

But that’s not the only thing Starbucks has been up to since Disney Springs reopened! We got the sweetest welcome back yesterday when we saw they were serving up a special “Welcome Back” drink!

Starbucks Menu

This special limited-time drink is mango, dragonfruit refresher, coconut milk, strawberries, blackberries, and pineapple ginger syrup topped with golden ginger whipped cream! 

Welcome Back Drink at Starbucks

There’s nothing like a brand-new Starbucks drink to welcome us back to Disney Springs!

Earl of Sandwich

We also stopped by Earl of Sandwich to grab some food and see what dining there is like! We swung by yesterday to see what new health and safety protocols were in place, but we wanted the FULL experience today, sandwich and all!

Earl of Sandwich

We spoke with some awesome employees at Earl of Sandwich who told us crowds today were much less intense than yesterday. It seemed like the mad reopening day rush has subsided and they have not seen any huge groups of more than four or five guests at a time.

Earl of Sandwich

Disney Springs Merchandise Update

Time to get our shop on! We gained a lot of insight yesterday on what the new shopping experience in Disney Springs is like. From floor markings to signage just about everywhere you looked, the shops were all implementing new health and safety procedures.

Vera Bradley

Vera Bradley

On the hunt for face masks, we only found one store that is currently selling them! You can find face masks at Vera Bradley on sale for $8.00 per mask.

Vera Bradley Face Mask

Cards

Speaking of things to look forward to, while lovepop is not open yet, we spotted some ADORABLE greeting cards that we can’t wait to scoop up.

lovepop!

There were a couple of cards we recognized that we’re glad to see are still in stock, like this adorable pop-up Baby Yoda card.

Baby Yoda!

We also found a SECOND Baby Yoda card, because there’s no such thing as too much Baby Yoda!

MORE Baby Yoda at lovepop!

For a more ‘traditional’ Star Wars fan, we also spotted this Yoda birthday card!

Buy this card, you will.

If you’re celebrating a birthday soon in Disney Springs, pick up this pop-up Mickey Mouse cupcake card!

lovepop

And finally, this classic Mickey Mouse through the years card stole our hearts!

lovepop

Each location has implemented new health and safety procedures a little differently. We will continue to keep you updated as more stores reopen. Just as a reminder, Disney-owned locations will begin reopening May 27th.

At this time Walt Disney World theme parks and Resort hotels still remain closed until further notice but now that Disney Springs has started to gradually reopen, we’ll be providing you with lots of coverage! That’s all for this installment of What’s New in Disney Springs — until next time, friends! Stay healthy and stay positive!

What’s your favorite store or restaurant in Disney Springs? Let us know in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disney News, Disney Springs, Featured, Walt Disney World, construction update, food update, merchandise update, temporary closure, what’s new, what’s new at disney springs

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Disney Food Disney Parks

Move Over Pork Rinds — There’s a NEW Special Menu Item at The Polite Pig in Disney World!

Why, it seems like only yesterday we stopped by The Polite Pig and tried their new Pork Rinds, all in the name of science, of course! ?

Pork Rinds

Oh, wait! That’s because we DID visit The Polite Pig in Disney Springs since it has officially reopened.

Feasting on a big pile of fried, crispy Pork Rinds served with pimento cheese sauce was heaven for us, but we were too early to try this new Chef’s Special The Polite Pig has just posted on their Instagram — it’s Shrimp and Grits! Look at all those yummy smoked grilled shrimp covered with a honey peppercorn glaze served over a bed of creamy cheddar grits!

Chef’s Special at © The Polite Pig (Photo Taken from Their Instagram)

We’ll definitely have to make our way over to give them a taste! And guess what we found out yesterday while we were walking around Dinsey Springs — one of our favorite restaurants is getting a brand new outdoor patio bar! Check it out here!

Have you tried The Polite Pig in Disney Springs? Let us know in the comments below! 

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Counter-Service, Disney News, Disney Springs, Featured, Snacks, Walt Disney World, chef’s special, disney springs, may 20th, menu item, New Item, pork rinds, reopened, shrimp and grits, The Polite Pig