food IS a theme park
The Haunted Mansion struggled a bit to reopen after a temporary refurbishment closure, but now the fan-favorite attraction is back and looks…DIFFERENT!
Haunted Mansion
We’re still awaiting the arrival of the Hatbox Ghost (he isn’t there yet!) but it looks like Disney did take the time to spruce certain things up a bit in this attraction. So just what has changed? Let’s take a look!
NEW additions have been revealed for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party!
Mickey Pumpkin Wreath in Magic Kingdom
We already know that a spirited pirated band will be taking over Adventureland, Max Goof and his friends will be at new pop-up parties, and there are tons of snacks to enjoy. But if you’re going to this festive event this year, there’s another thing you won’t want to miss out on!
The battle between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the board of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (formerly Reedy Creek Improvement District), and Disney continues — and there have been some NEW developments.
Disney vs. DeSantis
Earlier in 2023, Disney filed a federal lawsuit against DeSantis and members of the board of the District arguing that there has been a violation of Disney’s federal rights. Basically, Disney has alleged that DeSantis has waged a “relentless campaign to weaponize government power” against Disney to punish them for their political views. We’ve seen a number of actions taken in the federal case over the last few months, but now there’s something NEW to tackle.
There’s one major move Disney CEO Bob Iger could make that would change Disney forever.
©Disney
During Iger’s first term as CEO at Disney, he made some big acquisitions of other companies, like Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm. But might it be time for Iger’s legacy to be a different one — not of buying other companies, but of selling the one he’s in charge of? It’s possible and perhaps inevitable, according to one analyst.
Things are CHANGING at the Walt Disney Company and we now have an inside look at what’s going on.
Disney World
On August 9th, 2023, Disney released its earnings report for the third quarter of fiscal year 2023 (Q3 of FY 2023) and held an earnings call related to the report. Why is this a big deal? Well, these earnings reports/calls give us a peek behind the curtain (so to speak) — a look at just how things are going financially for the Company, from the parks to Disney+. And this earnings report/call revealed some especially important things — let’s take a look!
Planning a trip to EPCOT’s 2023 International Food & Wine Festival? There are some BIG things you need to know about!
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
We’ve got a full look at the menus here, our picks for the very BEST things to eat and drink, a complete look at the Festival merchandise, and reviews of EVERY. SINGLE. BOOTH. here. But there’s one Festival event you can’t forget about — the Eat to the Beat Concert Series. While you can just walk right up and watch the concerts for free, if you assume that’ll be easy to do for every performer, you could be making a BIG mistake.
Things in the world of sports betting are about to change when it comes to ESPN.
ESPN Wide World of Sports
Sports betting is something former Disney CEO Bob Chapek was pursuing rather aggressively during his tenure. Returning and current CEO Bob Iger, however, hasn’t always been on the same page. In 2018, he said that there was room for some sports betting but when talking about Disney getting into the business of gambling he said “I rather doubt it.” He later softened his tune, noting that it was “inevitable that they’ll be a…basically, a seamlessness between sports programming and sports betting.” And now it seems that seamlessness will become more of a reality at ESPN.
There are so many things to enjoy at Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, but one of the big draws is the chance to go trick-or-treating INSIDE Magic Kingdom (talk about an epic Halloween experience).
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
All kinds of fun candy from the party’s sponsor — Mars Wrigley — will be provided to you at various locations throughout the park, so you can fill up on all the sweet treats your body can handle. But just where are these candy spots located? We’ve got the answer!
We’ve got some BAD NEWS for those who were hoping to get on the Brightline Train to Orlando International Airport soon.
©Brightline
Brightline had previously indicated that they planned to start service between Orlando and South Florida in the second quarter of 2023. Later, tickets for the train service were put on sale for dates beginning September 1st, but Brightline suggested that service could begin sooner and those earlier tickets would be added to the site once they got closer to the inaugural rides. But now it seems things have CHANGED.
Some big changes have hit or been announced for Disney World’s hotels lately.
Fort Wilderness
Over at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campgrounds, this is particularly true. Recently, Trail’s End Restaurant reopened from a lengthy refurbishment and now serves an updated Quick Service menu. Crockett’s Tavern also has new menu items, and NEW cabins have been announced for the resort (and are set to open in 2024). But some more changes could be on the way.
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