McDonald’s Reveals New Disney Happy Meal Toys!

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Calling all McDonald’s and Disney fans! The two company giants are again joining forces with all-new Happy Meal toys inspired by Mickey Mouse and his best pals.

It wasn’t too long ago Disney teamed up with the fast-food giant McDonald’s to launch the highly collectible Disney character and Walt Disney World ride vehicle toys in celebration of the opening of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway attraction. Each Happy Meal toy in the ride vehicle series became a popular collectors item and included:

Mission: SPACE rocket ship with Mickey Mouse, Expedition Everest vehicle with Goofy, Soarin’ Over Spaceship Earth with Daisy Duck, Disney’s Jungle Cruise boat with Pluto, Mad Tea Party cup with Donald Duck, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway car with Mickey and Minnie, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway train with Goofy, and DINOSAUR ride vehicle with Minnie Mouse.

Disney caught on to the McDonald’s Happy Meal toy popularity! When the Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th Anniversary rolled around, Disney again partnered with McDonald’s to reveal special 50th Anniversary Happy Meal toys featuring the Fab 50 character sculptures at the Disney theme parks. Disney and McDonald’s fans once again went into a collecting frenzy!

And while we’ve seen Stitch-inspired Happy Meal toys roll out at Disney, nothing was quite as popular as the ride vehicle and 50th-anniversary collections. But now, collectors will find NEW toys have arrived at McDonald’s!

Disney Inspired Happy Meal toys with posters and cards

McDonald’s is offering giant Disney-inspired posters that have fun activities on the back. There are currently three posters in the “Walt Disney World Mickey and Friends” series, including Mickey at Magic Kingdom Park Poster, Mickey and Minnie at EPCOT Poster, and Mickey and Friends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Poster. Additionally, new Disney-inspired card games have arrived, including “Go Mickey”, “Clap Game,” and “Memory Game.”

Interestingly enough, it doesn’t appear like Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park will be featured on a poster in this series, with only three of Walt Disney World’s four theme parks being featured.

The six different Happy Meal Toys are currently available while supplies last at local McDonald’s. Don’t wait, as we suspect the collectors of the Disney-inspired McDonald’s Happy Meal toys will hurry off to McDonald’s for these items.

Whoopi Goldberg Wants Disney to Bring Back ‘Song of the South’

Posted on by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Via DisDining.com

Splash Mountain is gone, and with it, the last remaining piece of Disney’s “Song of the South” in pop culture. Amid cries for its removal, many others fought for its survival. The arguments were intense on both sides. Pro-removal advocates argued that the film had racist undertones and should not be celebrated. Pro-Splash Mountain advocates argued the ride itself was not racist, and many disagreed that the film was racist.

Another voice has emerged in the debate, Disney Legend Whoopi Goldberg. While she did not give an opinion on the ride, she had plenty to say about the film it was based on. She believes that the film should be available to view and purchase. “I’m trying to find a way to get people to start having conversations about bringing Song of the South back, so we can talk about what it was and where it came from and why it came out,” she said in an interview.

The film, which Disney has chosen not to release for sale or streaming, has an important place in film history: James Baskett, who played Uncle Remus, was the first African American male ever to win an Academy Award. Hattie McDaniel, who holds the title of the first-ever African American to receive an Acadamy Award (for her work in Gone With the Wind), was also in Song of the South.

Both Bassett and McDaniel expressed support for the film. Baskett said, “I believe that certain groups are doing my race more harm in seeking to create dissension than can ever possibly come out of the Song of the South.” McDaniel’s sentiments were similar, saying, “If I had for one moment considered any part of the picture degrading or harmful to my people, I would not have appeared therein.”

While the film’s stars felt the movie wasn’t racist, that wasn’t Goldberg’s point. She felt that hiding the movie equated to erasing history. She feels strongly that the film, which is part live action and part animation, should be seen so that its origins can be discussed (it was originally a written compilation of African American folktales) and also so that there can be a conversation about the times and attitudes during which the film was produced.

Guest Captures ‘Lion King’ Moment During Animal Kingdom’s Kilimanjaro Safaris

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks

Via DisDining.com

Walt Disney World Resort is home to four amazing theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT.

Each Disney Park is known for something different, and no two will give Guests the same experience. Magic Kingdom is the classic and most popular Park, Hollywood Studios is home to some of Walt Disney World’s most thrilling adventures, and EPCOT is known for celebrating cultures worldwide.

As for Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World doesn’t get any wilder. Between areas to explore such as Discovery Island, real animals along the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, and attractions such as Avatar Flight of Passage and Expedition Everest Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, this theme park is one of Disney’s most diverse.

The environmentally conscious themes of conservation and informative attractions go hand in hand. But the attraction that really focuses Guests’ attention onto conservation is Kilimanjaro Safaris.

Kilimanjaro Safaris takes Guests on a safari ride around Animal Kingdom’s 110-acre space, which has been divided into environments mimicking African Savannas, wetlands, and forests. The Walt Disney Imagineers have done a fantastic job designing these biomes out of Florida’s diverse environment.

On this open-aired adventure, Guests can see real-life animals of the African Savanna, such as giraffes, zebras, elephants, and of course, lions.

Out of all 34 species that call this attraction their home, the lion may be the most exciting…if you’re lucky. Because the entertainment at this attraction is made up of live animals (not animatronics like in Magic Kingdom’s Jungle Cruise attraction) all encounters will be different. Some will be more lively than others, and much of it depends on the time of day to visit.

One Guest recently visited during the evening and caught something straight out of Disney’s The Lion King (1994).

@ournextgreatadventure_

Those evening safaris really are the best! #animalkingdom #distok #disneyparks #disneyride #disneyrides #kilimanjarosafari

♬ original sound – Jimmy | Travel•Dad Life•Disney

In this video, the lion repeatedly vocalizes and growls as the safari vehicle rolls past, giving Guests a Kilimanjaro Show of a lifetime! Seeing as lions are nocturnal predators, they are most active during dusk or dawn, explaining why this lion was giving Guests a performance on the evening this video was taken.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Ride Replacement for TriceraTop Spin?

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks

Via DisDining.com

Out with the old, in with the new? We’ve seen changes at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, such as the addition of the popular land, Pandora: World of Avatar, and the demolition of the Primeval Whirl roller coaster. Still, it looks like Walt Disney World Resort isn’t done perfecting its fourth theme park.

It’s no secret that of the seven lands in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, including The Oasis, Discovery Island, Pandora: The World of Avatar, Africa, Rafiki’s Planet Watch, Asia, and DinoLand U.S.A., its DinoLand that stands out as the lackluster portion of the Park. And during a presentation at the 2022 D23 Expo, Disney was clear on its plans to give this portion of the Disney Park a much-needed update.

While Disney executives spoke of two possibilities for Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s next big expansion, including touches of animated Disney films, including Zootopia (2016) and Moana (2016), Moana is shining through as the possible star of the expansion.

So, when Disney releases concept art… we can’t help but take a closer look! Not only do we spot a log flume-style Moana attraction, similar to something like Splash Mountain, for DinoLand U.S.A.’s replacement, but we also see what may be a family-friendly spinning attraction that takes flight.

Sound familiar? Well, it should! Magic Kingdom Park has the nostalgic Dumbo The Flying Elephant and The Magic Carpets of Aladdin attractions. Additionally, in DinoLand U.S.A. Guests can enjoy TriceraTop Spin at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

We’ve taken many flights on TriceraTop Spin with the family, but it looks like Moana by be taking over in the most interesting way!

Disney's Animal Kingdom Expansion

As you’ll see in the up close of the concept art above, the attraction seems to copy the concept of TriceraTop Spin. It looks like Guests are seated in wooden barrels instead of triceratops dinosaurs. The art rendering even shows water jets squirting at the ride vehicles, much like the camels spitting water on The Magic Carpets of Aladdin ride at Magic Kingdom.

How does this look match the Moana theming? Not only do the flags in the area have the iconic Moana swirl imprint, but Disney executives may have leaked more about the experience.

Remember the fight scene in Moana when Moana and Maui, the demigod, must fight off the Kakamora? In the brief video clip below, look at how similar the above art rendering is to the Kakamora’s ship:

Additionally, when Disney executives spoke of the Moana addition, Guests could one day “help Moana save her people” and “fight off Kakamora” as Guests journey to meet “mysterious animals and creatures of the deep.” By the looks of the art rendering, this storytelling could easily be created with this new Disney’s Animal Kingdom attraction.

While the “Dino Ride in the Sky” currently offered with TriceraTop Spin in DinoLand U.S.A. is a sweet ride for young and old, it would be wonderful to see Disney’s storytelling shine through with Moana and the Kakamora when Disney’s Animal Kingdom expansion unfolds.

Now, we await a concrete timeline from Walt Disney Imagineering, in hopes details will be shared soon enough about what’s to come for Disney’s Animal Kingdom attractions such as TriceraTop Spin.

Disney Shares Behind the Scenes Look at Te Fiti Now in World Nature at EPCOT

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

While not opening until late 2023, progress is being made with Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, coming to World Nature at EPCOT. Te Fiti has been installed, and Disney has shared some behind-the-scenes details.

We recently welcomed Te Fiti to the World Nature neighborhood of EPCOT in Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana and we are thrilled to be celebrating this moment! Our team of Imagineers have been working to bring Te Fiti to life for years and we are excited to share this sneak peek of her as work continues to happen along the waterways and landscape areas within Journey of Water.

The development of Te Fiti and her pose was a close collaboration with Walt Disney Animation Studios and its Creative Legacy team. As guests walk along the trail, they will come across Te Fiti, who is seen protecting water as it travels through the water cycle.

Along with Moana as a steward of water conservation, Te Fiti is a symbol of how we should protect and nurture water wherever we find it. This is an important theme in Journey of Water, where guests will learn more about how water travels from our skies to the ocean, and back again. This story will unfold along a lush trail inspired by the environments and art style of the beloved Walt Disney Animation Studios film.

The World Nature neighborhood is dedicated to the awe and wonder of our natural world, and we are excited to continue that theme within Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana. This will be a place where guests can engage with water and learn more about the impact we have on our natural world. We will even learn how to become better stewards of nature just like Moana!



We look forward to welcoming guests in late 2023 to see Te Fiti, engage with magical water, and learn more about conservation and the cycle of water!