Tag: Disney Springs

Everything Disney World is Refunding Right Now!

Post author By disneyfoodblog.com
Post date May 30, 2020

Things have been shaken up in Disney World and we are here to help you sift through it all.

Epcot Monorail

Quick recap: Disney World closed in March, kept accepting reservations, announced reopening dates, then wiped out existing dining and FastPass+ reservations. Now what? Disney is still sorting our their plan of action for the reopening, but let’s take a look at each part of your vacation to see what they are currently refunding!

Disney World plans to open Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom on July 11th followed by Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on July 15th. To help limit the parks’ capacities, Disney is rolling out a new reservation system. But what does that mean for guests who already booked resort reservations?

Disney World Resort Hotels

As the closure has been extended, Disney has been cancelling and refunding hotel reservations that were scheduled during the closure automatically.

Animal Kingdom Lodge

Disney retracted their previous announcement that Resort Hotels (Other than Disney Vacation Club and Disney’s Fort Wilderness) would be reopening and have not released a reopening date for these other hotels. However, in order to accommodate guests with existing reservations, Disney World placed a hold on new hotel and ticket reservations. Guests with existing Resort reservations will have priority access to the new park reservation system.

Disney World Tickets

As we mentioned, you can’t purchase a new ticket right now, because Disney is focusing on guests with existing tickets for the time being. But with all the different types of Disney tickets available, Disney World is handling each one a little differently.

Park Tickets

Unexpired multi-day park tickets or date specific park tickets that would have been valid on March 12th are still being extended through December 15, 2020. Or, you can apply the value from an unused ticket towards a ticket at a later date.

Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom

At this time, park-hopper add-ons will NOT be automatically refunded. According to a Cast Member we spoke with, “It will not happen automatically do to the fact that we currently do not have information on if our Guests will be able to park hop.”

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway sign

Disney’s new reservation system will require guests to book a ticket for a specific date, similar to how Shanghai Disneyland reopened. Guests with resort reservations will have priority access to this new system. Guests will also be required to have a valid park reservation and admission before they can book dining or other experiences. We will keep you updated when we hear more details about this new system!

Florida Resident Discovery Disney Tickets

Florida Resident Discovery Disney Tickets are currently valid through September 30, 2020.

Disney World Annual Passes

Disney stated that Annual Passholders might have access to special experiences and priority booking once the parks reopen. However, the website is still reflecting the same cancellation policy from the closures.

Special Ticketed Events

During the closure, Disney has been refunding event tickets for cancelled events including Disney’s After Hours, Villains After Hours, Early Morning Magic, and H20 Glow Nights.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Magic Kingdom

Disney has discontinued ticket sales for upcoming events such as Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, but a Cast Member confirmed that — as of now — the tickets are still valid. We will keep you updated as we learn more about these parties.

Disney World Dining

In anticipation of the reopening, Disney has canceled all existing dining plans and dining reservations “including Disney dining plans included in packages.”

©Disney

So if you grabbed an advance dining reservation, you booked a Disney Dining Plan with your trip, OR you received a free Dining Plan with your vacation package — these will be automatically canceled and refunded. This cancellation applies to plans from May 28, 2020 through September 26, 2021.

All pre-paid dining or dining experience reservations will be automatically refunded and you will not be charged a cancellation or no-show fee.

Be Our Guest

Note: This does not mean Disney will not have dining plans or reservations by 2021, they are just clearing their current bookings to make way for a new system.

Once the new reservation system is live, the traditional 180 day booking window will change to a 60 day booking window prior to the reservation date. Additionally, if you are a Tables in Wonderland member, your membership will be extended by the number of days the parks are closed.

Cinderella’s Royal Table

Similar to the park reservation system, once the new dining reservation system goes live, guests with existing reservations will receive priority access to rebook dining reservations.

Now What??

A LOT has changed in the past several hours, so things are very much up in the air. Take a deep breath and know that you aren’t alone in this. We’re tracking down as much info as we can and will keep you posted here at DFB with the most up-to-date news we have!

If you have questions about your booking, you can call (407) 934-7639 for Disney Customer Support or use the chat feature to message with someone on the Disney World website. To cancel or change your reservation, you can do so online using My Disney Experience.

As you can imagine, Disney World is receiving a high volume of calls and messages, so there might be a bit of a wait. If you booked your trip with a travel agent, you can contact them for more details and for next steps. We’re in this together and please let us know your questions so we can help you out as much as possible!

If Disney World adds or changes any refund policies, we will keep updating this post with the newest information!

Click here to learn more about Disney World’s CONFIRMED reopening dates!

What questions do you have for us about the reopening? Let us know in the comments and we’ll do our best to get the answer to you!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: disney dining tips, disney parks, disney resorts, Featured, Walt Disney World, advance dining reservation, After Hours, dining, Disney, disney accommodations, disney dining, disney dining plan, Disney free dining, disney hotel, disney reservations, disney restaurant, disney springs, disney springs dining, disney springs restaurant, disney ticket, Disney World, disney world resort, disney world resort hotel, disney world ticket, free dining, free dining plan, hotel reservations, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, table service dining, walt disney world resort

Disney Merch Disney Parks Other

Can You Say “Kungaloosh?!?” There’s a NEW Pleasure Island Cap at the World of Disney in Disney Springs!

Post author By disneyfoodblog.com
Post date May 29, 2020

The World of Disney in Disney Springs is taking you back to the Pleasure Island days with a new hat!

World of Disney

Whether your spot was The Adventurers Club, Mannequins, or maybe even 8TRAX, you can declare your love for the clubs that made up what was once Pleasure Island (in what was once Downtown Disney but is now Disney Springs ) with this topper.

We’re goin’ back in THE DAY with this one!

Pleasure Island Hat

We found this item at the newly reopened (as of Wednesday) World of Disney store in Disney Springs for $27.99.

Pleasure Island Hat

And before we sign off, please join us in that classic greeting from The Adventurers Club — even though we’re saying “See you real soon,” for now…

“KUNGALOOSH!”

Will you be donning the Pleasure Island hat? Please let us know with a comment!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: disney merchandise, Disney Springs, Featured, Walt Disney World, disney springs, Downtown Disney, Kungaloosh, Pleasure Island, World of Disney

Tags disney merchandise, Disney Springs, Downtown Disney, Featured, Kungaloosh, Pleasure Island, Walt Disney World, World of Disney

Disney Parks Other

Review! We’re Making a Transaction at Sprinkles’ Cupcake ATM in Disney Springs

Post author By disneyfoodblog.com
Post date May 29, 2020

Happy Friday, friends! You made it through another LONG week!

Sprinkles Cupcake ATM

And we think you deserve a special TREAT! Let’s head to Sprinkles in Disney Springs to do a little caloric “banking!”

Sprinkles announced yesterday they would be reopening their Disney Springs location today but there’s a catch — they aren’t allowing walk-ins right now, which means you have to order your cupcakes in advance! (All of this is easy enough to do on their website, btw!)

Sprinkles in Disney Springs

But don’t worry if you lack cupcake foresight — there’s a delicious and easy solution: use the Sprinkles Cupcake ATM! This wonderful piece of machinery works just like a regular ATM, but instead of dispensing moola, it dishes out Sprinkles Cupcakes!

Just place your order on the touchscreen, swipe your payment, and VOILA! A perfect little brown package magically appears in the window!

Sprinkles Cupcake ATM

See photos of what it’s like to dine at Disney Springs right now here!

And what’s inside this mystery box, you ask? Why, a Sprinkles Cupcake, of course! Delivered right to you WITHOUT ever having to ever step foot inside the store!

Sprinkles Cupcake

The cupcake flavor we picked up today is called Sprinkles! Gee, we wonder why?

Sprinkles Cupcake

JK — it’s pretty obvious! Check out what this fun guy’s got goin’ on with his frosting and all those rainbow-colored sprinkles!

Sprinkles Cupcake

Wanna pig out with us? Check out The Polite Pig’s new snack HERE!

Its flavors are truly CLASSIC! While we always appreciate Sprinkles’ more off-the-wall flavors like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos or Watermelon Mojito Cupcakes, this one simply reminds us of a nice, thick slab of yellow birthday cake! Plus the sweet, rich buttercream was super YUMMY!

Sprinkles Cupcake

You can access the Cupcake ATM while the shop is open and their cupcakes cost $4.95 to $5.95 depending on which flavor you get! Not sure about you, but we’ll be making A LOT more of these transactions in the months to come!

Check out some of the other snacks we’ve been FEASTING on at Disney Springs this week here!

Have you ever used the Cupcake ATM at Sprinkles? Let us know what you got in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Counter-Service, Disney News, Disney Springs, Featured, Snacks, Walt Disney World, closure, Cupcake ATM, disney springs, Disney World, reopening, restraurant reopening, review, sprinkles, Sprinkles ATM, temporary closure

Tags closure, Counter-Service, Cupcake ATM, Disney News, Disney Springs, Disney World, Featured, reopening, restraurant reopening, review, Snacks, sprinkles, Sprinkles ATM, temporary closure, Walt Disney World

Disney Merch Disney News Disney Parks Other

Sephora Has Reopened in Disney World and They’re Offering A DISCOUNT For Frontline Workers

Post author By disneyfoodblog.com
Post date May 29, 2020

This week, Disney-owned locations like World of Disney reopened in Disney Springs.

Disney Springs

Now, a few more third-party locations have just reopened their doors and one of these spots had QUITE the appeal!

We went to check out Sephora this morning to see what new safety and health procedures have been put into place only to find that the store had already hit capacity!

Sephora

But while this might make it sound like there were a lot of folks shopping, we mostly had the store to ourselves! You see, Sephora is only allowing a few guests in at a time, so we waited outside until a group of guests left. Then it was our turn to enter the store!

Sephora

An associate handed us a freshly sanitized shopping basket so we could do some serious damage!

Sephora

New safety signage was sprinkled throughout the store. This includes notices about testers no longer being offered and all Beauty Bar services being temporarily suspended.

Safety Measures at Sephora

Sephora was also providing a special 10% off your entire purchase offer for healthcare workers and first responders as a nice way of saying thank you!

Sephora Sign

The store itself looked immaculate. Associates were busily wiping down counters. While Sephora is still accepting all forms of payment, contactless pay is being highly-encouraged.

Sephora

And here’s something interesting — Sephora employees have been trained to help match your shades just by looking at you! Normally you can apply some foundation to the back of your hand to find your perfect match, but the friendly lady who helped us find ours from six-feet-away!

Sephora Employee

She was also able to look up our account to make sure we went home with the right color! All of the Sephora employees are also wearing a button with their faces on it so you know what they look like without a mask! While the store hopes to sell masks soon, they are currently accepting returns and have a free bag offer with any $75 purchase!

Sephora Bag

At check out, they’ve placed social distancing markers designating where each guest should stand while waiting to make their purchases.

Sephora

After ringing us up, the cashier gave our bag a fresh spritz of sanitizer before handing it to us!

Sephora

All in all, while it is a different shopping experience since we can’t test out our favorite fragrances and cosmetics, the store was clean and the experience and the process overall went very smoothly.

Check out our recent shopping trip to Basin in Disney Springs here!

Have you visited Disney Springs yet? Let us know in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Disney Springs, Featured, Walt Disney World, disney springs, limited capacity, no testers, safety measures, sephora, social distancing

Tags Disney Springs, Featured, limited capacity, no testers, safety measures, sephora, social distancing, Walt Disney World

Disney Food Disney Parks Other

Review! The NEW (Yes, New!) Gold Rush Sundae at Ghirardelli Soda Fountain — Now Reopen in Disney Springs

Post author By disneyfoodblog.com
Post date May 29, 2020

Attention CHOCOLATE LOVERS! (And ice cream fans! And people who love caramel and pretty much anything that tastes yummy!) Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop is now reopen in Disney Springs!

Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop

Mostly, that is… the Soda Fountain portion is now open to guests looking for some sweet treats. The Chocolate Shop (retail) section remains closed for the moment. But we’re here to show you around the newly reopened space, check out the new safety measures, and grab a (HUGE) sundae while we’re at it. So, let’s head in!

Aside from the lovely Ghirardelli sign and a not-so-small reminder of what’s in store (LOTS of ice cream, as evidenced by the larger-than-life sundae prop), you’ll also notice hand sanitizer available right when you enter.

Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop

Hand Sanitizer

You’ll also see plenty of clear reminders around the store to “Please keep a safe distance.”

Distance Markers

Additional signage provides more reminders of the new safety measures for shopping and dining in Disney Springs, which also include the required wearing of face masks, more distancing notices, and more.

Safety Sign

There is no indoor dining available at the moment, with the inside tables sectioned off from the ordering area.

Indoor seating closed

Indoor area closed

But even though the indoor dining and the store part are closed, you can still pick up some of those classic Ghirardelli Squares!

Ghirardelli Squares

And another noticeable difference is the reduced menu upon the reopening. Previously, the paper lists guests picked up to peruse was packed with a huge selection of sundaes and more (including the family-sized Earthquake).

Sundae Menu

Ice Cream Menu

But things are starting back up with a more limited selection for the time being featuring three Sundaes, ice cream scoops and some toppings, shakes, and cocoa — including the Frozen Hot Cocoa in time for the rising Florida temps!

Shakes and Cocoa Menu

So it was impossible NOT to notice the intriguing Gold Rush Caramel Sundae — designated as NEW!

Gold Rush sign

But, wait a minute… how can it be new? We’ve had a Gold Rush Sundae at Ghirardelli before. (Okay, more than one — it was a favorite!)

When we asked about it, it was confirmed that this Gold Rush is indeed a new version, featuring (obviously) Salted Caramel instead of the old Gold Rush Peanut Butter Sundae (pictured below) that was once one of our absolute favorites.

PREVIOUS Gold Rush Sundae

Yeah, that’s it…. and it was a beautiful thing. Of course, since Ghirardelli stopped serving up peanut butter as an ingredient in 2015, this is not a huge surprise — we haven’t had the “old” Gold Rush in Disney World for years. (The Disneyland Ghirardelli location did continue to be the only spot to serve it for a while.)

So, how is the new Gold Rush different? Well…

The NEW Gold Rush Caramel Sundae

Instead of peanut butter as the toppings star, this one serves up oodles of caramel sauce over vanilla ice cream with sea salt, diced almonds, and whipped cream. It’s topped with a White Chocolate Caramel Ghirardelli Square.

White Chocolate Caramel Squares

Before we dig in, here’s how serving works now. After placing your order, you step outside to wait. A cast member brings your treat on a tray with your spoon and a napkin.

Cast Member delivering Sundae

You, in turn, take the whole thing, including the tray. (It’s also worth mentioning that cast members were wiping things down the entire time.)

And NOW… here’s a full look at the NEW Gold Rush Caramel Sundae!

NEW Gold Rush Caramel Sundae

I mentioned those “oodles” of caramel, right? Check it out… they’re not playing around!

NEW Gold Rush Caramel Sundae

And you know what? As much as we loved the old Gold Rush… there’s really nothing to complain about with the new one, either! In fact, it’s better than just “no complaints.”

NEW Gold Rush Caramel Sundae

It’s really, REALLY good. It’s flavorful, while not being as rich as the chocolate sundaes (in a good way, what with it being SO HUGE.) The sea salt brings some terrific balance to the super sweet caramal, and the almonds — which are plentiful — really deliver a nice crunch.

All in all… things are still decadent and delicious at Ghirardelli’s! We’re still checking out all of the recently reopen shops and restaurants around Disney Springs. And speaking of reopening… Walt Disney World theme parks have received the official approval to open to guests starting on July 11th. You can read more about the reopening and catch up on all the latest news by visiting any of the links below.

Will you be trying a new Gold Rush Sundae? Please let us know with a comment!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Counter-Service, Disney Springs, Featured, Walt Disney World, disney springs, disney springs reopen, ghirardelli chocolate, Ghirardelli Disney Springs, Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop, Gold Rush, Gold Rush Caramel Sundae, gold rush sundae

Tags Counter-Service, Disney Springs, disney springs reopen, Featured, ghirardelli chocolate, Ghirardelli Disney Springs, Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop, Gold Rush, Gold Rush Caramel Sundae, gold rush sundae, Walt Disney World