Category: Blog Mickey

Walt Disney World can finally lay claim to a MICHELIN Star. In a ceremony last evening, Victoria & Albert’s secured the first-ever MICHELIN Star for a Walt Disney World-operated restaurant. Of course, Victoria & Albert’s isn’t the first restaurant on Walt Disney World Resort property to earn a MICHELIN Star, with third-party Capa earning a star previously (and keeping it in 2024). That said, this is a big milestone for the V&A team, and one that many feel is long overdue. Here’s an announcement by Disney: For over 20 years, Victoria & Albert’s has been dazzling guests with a multi-course experience, filled with extraordinary flavors and the highest quality of ingredients from across the world. Beyond the culinary creations in the kitchen, the team has curated a world-class wine collection featuring more than 500 different selections. Sommeliers are there to guide you through this precisely selected collection – or recommend options from a zero-proof beverage menu – to create your perfect pairing.   The culinary team upholding this long beloved and revered legacy is led by Chef de Cuisine Matthew Sowers, with nearly 20 years spent at Victoria & Albert’s and experience assisting in the creation of acclaimed menus for Remy on the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. Alongside him handling the sweeter side of the kitchen is Pastry Chef Ally Rogers, who leads the entire pastry team for the resort.   “It’s an incredible honor to be recognized by MICHELIN for the innovative dining experience our team

Following updates to the EPCOT parking plaza in early 2023, more upgrades are now in the works. While visiting EPCOT recently, we noticed that a new parking plaza kiosk has been installed. So far, it’s only one kiosk, but upgrades will likely continue in the coming weeks as more kiosks are swapped out for a newer style. New EPCOT Parking Plaza Kiosk The style of EPCOT’s new parking plaza kiosk matches that of the 2018 upgrades to the new Hollywood Studios parking plaza. The kiosk is a bit more sleek, offering better air conditioning and space for Cast Members working the location. Here’s a look at the new kiosk, which is larger than the older kiosks. New-style EPCOT parking plaza kiosk Old-style EPCOT parking plaza kiosk As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks! The post Upgrades Continue for EPCOT Parking Plaza appeared first on BlogMickey.com – Disney World News, Photos, and Info.

Now in its third month, the Jungle Cruise dock refurbishment is past the halfway point as work moves to a new portion of the queue. The project includes removing wood paneling from the dock and replacing it with what appears to be a composite material. While visiting Magic Kingdom, we stopped by Jungle Cruise before the lines got too long to get an updated look at the work and progress. Jungle Cruise Dock Refurbishment at Magic Kingdom With only a 5-minute posted wait, 8am openings at Magic Kingdom continue to be a blessing, when scheduled. We might end up doing a “trip report”-style article soon showcasing just how much can be accomplished before the masses descend on Magic Kingdom, but let’s refocus on the point of this article – the Jungle Cruise dock refurbishment. Starting at the entrance to the queue, we can see a significant portion of the queue is behind a low construction wall in front of the shipping office. Here’s a look! Guests are routed to the left of the construction area, and then toward the “back” of the queue past the shipping office, as crowd levels necessitate. Here’s a look toward the back half of the standby queue. This morning, crowds were low enough that it wasn’t in use, giving us a good view of the completed work in this area. Here’s a better look at the old wood to the left in the image below, and the new composite-looking

Good morning from Storybook Circus where the very first Smellephant has been installed for the Smellephants on Parade activation, presented by multi-level marketing company Scentsy. The elephant, which doesn’t have the scent activated yet, is located next to the Dumbo attraction and something tells me it might smell like popcorn in the future. As a refresher, here’s how Disney describes Smellephants on Parade: “Smellephants on Parade” will be a family-friendly “search and sniff” adventure in Storybook Circus, presented by Scentsy, the Official Home Fragrance of Walt Disney World. Smellephant Installed in Storybook Circus Here’s a look at the soon-to-be-popcorn-scented Smellephant installed in Storybook Circus! As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks! The post FIRST LOOK: Smellephant Installed in Storybook Circus for All-New ‘Smellephants on Parade’ Activation at Magic Kingdom appeared first on BlogMickey.com – Disney World News, Photos, and Info.

Following news earlier this month that Disneyland plans on electrifying Autopia at some point in the future, they have recently released more details. According to a report from the LA Times, Disneyland will move to an all-electric fleet (read: not hybrids) in two years. That’s right, Autopia will be all-electric sometime in 2026. In a statement to the LA Times, Disneyland reps said that the fleet would be all-electric by the fall 2026: [Electrification] means fully electric — it does not mean hybrid or any other version of a gasoline combustion engine. [Disneyland] will no longer be using the current engines within the next 30 months.Disneyland spokesperson Disneyland has not announced a closing date for Autopia (or an official completion date), and Walt Disney World has not responded to requests for comment about the Florida version of the ride called the Tomorrowland Speedway. As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks! The post UPDATE: Disneyland Commits to All-Electric Autopia Fleet by Fall 2026 appeared first on BlogMickey.com – Disney World News, Photos, and Info.

Following our article yesterday speculating on an opening timeframe for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, we have more information today about when media previews will take place for the new ride. To be clear, we are not on Disney’s media list and have not been invited to a preview for the ride, but an article from Nola.com reveals that media previews will take place in “mid-June” for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The Chase family’s trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando will take place as part of an attraction preview for media and other invited guests scheduled for mid-June. The attraction will open to the public later in the summer, although an exact date has yet to be announced.Nola.com The fact that media previews will take place in mid-June starts to bring the possible opening timeframe for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure into focus. Our prior speculation about early June previews for Cast Members appears to align with the new information about media previews for the ride. If the preview schedule follows that of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, we can expect Cast Member previews to precede media previews, and Annual Passholder/DVC previews to follow media previews. Some invited guests have posted on social media that they will preview the attraction from June 9th through 11th. That would align with the “mid-June” preview timeline shared by the Nola.com article. If we assume that Passholder previews would follow the media preview, we can probably expect Passholder previews to take place from mid-June

The Mickey Shorts Theater will be closed starting April 29th for a roughly one-month refurbishment at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The closure will be from April 29th through May 24th, reopening May 25th. Disney World has not announced any details for the refurbishment, but the theater is still relatively new. That said, it could be part of the ongoing theater refurbishment project that seems to have touched most of the theater shows at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. So far, there have been upholstery refurbishments at MuppetVision 3D, the Frozen Sing-Along, the Walt Disney Theater, and (likely) the Animation Courtyard theater that will be home to the all-new The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure. Vacation Fun at Mickey Shorts Theater Get star-struck at Disney’s Hollywood Studios when you join your best pals for a one-of-a-kind animated short featuring everyone’s favorite mouse and his leading lady. Everything at this Hollywood theater is inspired by Mickey and Minnie – from fun, colorful architecture and framed movie posters, to hidden surprises just waiting to be discovered. The show, Vacation Fun, celebrates Mickey and Minnie’s favorite vacation memories, with never-before-seen animation mixed with clips from favorites like Panda-monium, Couples Sweaters, Potatoland, Croissant de Triomphe, Entombed, Dumb Luck, Al Rojo Vivo, Yodelburg and Outback at Ya!. After the show, step into life-sized recreations of Mickey’s world and pose for a vacation photo with family and friends. As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to

Disneyland has announced that the popular character headbands at Hong Kong Disneyland will be coming to the Disneyland Resort “very soon”. Here’s the announcement: These completely customizable character headbands are already a park sensation at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and today, we’ve got a special peek at what’s coming to Disneyland very soon! The super unique Disney Character Ear Headbands let you mix and match favorite Disney mini plush accessories to create your own personalized masterpiece. And it’s simple to do: Step 1 – Choose a headband Step 2 – Choose a mini plush accessory (or multiple!) Step 3 – Secure plush to headband and enjoy!  As many of you know, Pixar Fest is returning to Disneyland Resort from April 26-Aug. 4, 2024.  And if you’re a fan of the beloved characters and stories from Pixar Animation Studios, then Buzz Lightyear, Alien and even Lots-o-Huggin’ Bear will be perfect picks for your future headband, especially during this year’s Pixar Fest celebration of friendship and beyond.  Along with Pixar characters Buzz Lightyear, Alien and Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear, you can also add these Disney mini plush accessories: Mickey Mouse  Minnie Mouse Donald Duck Daisy Duck Chip Dale Winnie the Pooh Tigger Stitch The Create Your Own Headbands and separately sold mini plush accessories will soon be available at The The Mad Hatter on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland Park and Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff in Pixar Pier at Disney California

Ahead of the grand opening of Fantasy Springs in Tokyo DisneySea, Disney has released the full merchandise guide! Here’s the announcement: We’re less than 50 days away from the opening of Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea on June 6! What better way to celebrate than with the full reveal of every single piece of merchandise you can find when the new area opens? Before we get started, the most exciting bit to share is that the Fantasy Springs merchandise will be available beginning on May 28 inside Tokyo DisneySea — a week before the port even opens! Now, let’s take a peek at everything you will find in the collections, including items inspired by the Walt Disney Animation Studios films “Peter Pan,” “Frozen” and “Tangled.” Enter a world of Disney fantasy This beautiful new port is the perfect inspiration for charming postcards, keychains, bags, shirts and so much more! There will even be some tasty sweets, chocolate and cookies that you can bring home! Merch fit for royalty “Frozen” fans, rejoice! Inspired by the kingdom of Arendelle, you can grab a mirror and plush set that even comes with a tag reading “ARENDELLE CRAFTED.” There are so many options themed to the Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey attraction in Frozen Kingdom. And inspired by Queen Elsa’s coronation invitation, you can buy plates, cups and saucers, plus headbands inspired by the royal sisters themselves, Anna and

The last bits of scaffolding have been removed, and the exterior refurbishment of Columbia Harbour House is now complete at Magic Kingdom. Here’s a look around the exterior of the Liberty Square quick-service restaurant, during an early morning walk around Magic Kingdom. The menu still has the 50th Anniversary logo As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks! The post Exterior Refurbishment of Columbia Harbour House Completed at Magic Kingdom appeared first on BlogMickey.com – Disney World News, Photos, and Info.