It seems as though we have been waiting for ages, but the time has officially come! Pre-pandemic character meet and greets are finally back at Disney! You can now run up to some of your favorite Disney characters — like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, and more — and give them a great big hug. And don’t forget to bring your autograph book, because they will also once again be signing for any Guest who asks.
Walt Disney World Resort has been open since the summer of 2020 but, until now, all character interactions have been socially distanced. Any character meals have also been altered, with characters simply walking through the restaurant and waving to Guests as they go by. Disneyland has been open since April 2021, and its character meet and greets and character meals have been much the same.
Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort are not the first Parks to see the return of traditional character meet and greets. Disneyland Paris began allowing pre-pandemic interactions all the way back in early March. That was mainly due to the fact that Guests visiting Disneyland Paris were required to provide either proof of a negative COVID test or proof that they were fully vaccinated. Such a rule was never in place at Walt Disney World or Disneyland.
Character hugs at Disneyland Paris made US Guests jealous, and anxious for Disney to make an announcement that the same thing would happen in its stateside Parks. Not long after Paris started allowing hugs, Disney CFO Christine McCarthy informed fans that hugs would be returning to the US Parks “soon.”
While some characters meet and greets at Walt Disney World will use a traditional standby queue, there will be some that Guests will be allowed to book Lightning Lane access to. Guests can book the Lightning Lane to meet Cinderella and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall, to meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater, and to meet Princess Tiana and a Visiting Princess also at Princess Fairytale Hall. Standby queues will also be used for those Guests who do not wish to book or do not have Disney Genie+.
Disneyland Resort will not be following in the footsteps of Walt Disney World when it comes to character meet and greets. Disneyland Resort will use regular standby queues for all of its character interactions. Disney Genie+ will only be used for rides and attractions.
Walt Disney World Resort — and other Disney Parks around the globe — would not operate as seamlessly as they do without the efforts of their hard-working Cast Members each and every day.
Because Disney’s Animal Kingdom is home to the Harambe Wildlife Reserve, animals sometimes do very unexpected things, accidentally making exciting — and sometimes unwanted — memories for Park Guests.
One Cast Member shared a particularly interesting tale with People magazine — one that will be quite harrowing for those who suffer from Ophidiophobia!
The Cast Member said:
“I worked a ride in Animal Kingdom a long time ago. I saw a 10-foot-long snake emerge from an area with lots of plants and bushes. It slowly works its way through a line of about 200 people. It weaved its way through people’s legs, strollers, bags, etc… and then it just casually slipped back into another wooded area. No one noticed!”
While the CM did not share which Animal Kingdom ride this situation occurred at, it is quite likely that it was Kilimanjaro Safaris. There are, however, some animals that roam — and fly! — throughout the theme park, so the snake could have made its way through the queue at Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids, or any number of other attractions.
Over the years, Disney has done a lot of work in the conservation world to help animals that are endangered or at risk of becoming endangered. Disney has worked — and is continuing to work — to help save animals like butterflies, sea turtles, zebras, silverback gorillas, rhinoceroses, and more. They also help the state of Florida with things like rehabilitating injured manatees.
Disney has entire teams dedicated to helping these animals and taking care of them through all stages of their lives. People like Dr. Mark Penning — Vice President, Disney’s Animals, Science & Environment — monitor and love the animals from the time they are born. While Disney is one of the safest places in the world for them, these are wild animals and, unfortunately, sometimes tragic things can happen.
On Thursday, April 14, a family was visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Animal Kingdom Lodge has its own small savanna where animals like zebras and giraffes are free to roam. There are also ostriches. According to the family, one of the ostriches chased a young zebra. The zebra tried to run away from the ostrich and ended up running full speed into a fence. Sadly, the baby zebra was fatally injured, although the family did report that Disney Cast Members did everything they could to try to save it.
Disney has not announced which zebra it was that died at Animal Kingdom Lodge. In October, Dr. Penning reported that a Hartmann’s mountain zebra named Zarina was born at Animal Kingdom Lodge. It is the last report we have of a baby zebra being born at the Walt Disney World Resort. Witnesses say that the Cast Members were absolutely shattered by the death, with some of them noticeably crying.
Walt Disney World Cast Members love taking care of these animals as much as Guests love being able to see them up close and in person. Having such a terrible accident occur in such an unexpected way must have been incredibly shocking. Sometimes it is easy to forget that these are wild animals and that anything can happen at any time.
According to Walt Disney World’s official calendar, Expedition Everest will be returning on April 16. The attraction will also be available on Disney Genie and Disney’s Lightning Lane services. The website does note that this will last until August:
Until August 7, 2022, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Frozen Ever After, Space Mountain and Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain will be included via Disney Genie+ service and will not be included as an individual Lightning Lane selection.
Earth Day is almost here and both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort are offering limited-time food and beverage items that are sure to please.
From a Disney Cast Member;
With Earth Day coming up on April 22, both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort are serving up limited-edition delights inspired by the world around us. As we celebrate our beautiful Earth this month, our chefs and mixologists at Disney Parks have put their creativity to the plate and cup with some truly wild treats. These delicious goodies feature some of the world’s most beautiful creatures while embracing the environments they come from.
As part of Disney Planet Possible, we’re dedicated to reducing our environmental footprint, supporting conservation efforts, and finding ways for us all to take part in the magic of nature this Earth Month. Taking action to help our planet this Earth Day – and every day – can help keep our beautiful planet, its creatures, and environments thriving for years to come, and what better way to celebrate than with food! This month, we’re paying homage to some of the Earth’s greatest treasures through culinary delights. From the Honey Bee Cupcake at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park to the Corn on a Cob Succotash at Disneyland Park, both coasts are sharing the love for Mother Earth (and your stomach)! Let’s get to the fun shall we, and by fun, I mean the food. I’m pleased to present to you the Foodie Guide to Earth Day!
Walt Disney World Resort
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Pizzafari and Flame Tree Barbecue (available on Mobile Order through April 28)
Flamingo Cupcake: Strawberry cake filled with strawberry compote and crowned with guava frosting, strawberry crisp pearls, and white-chocolate wings
Dawa Bar
Lion’s Fury: Jungle juice, Red Stag Bourbon Whiskey, Fireball Whiskey Floater, and a fiery glow cube (available through April 28)
Tiger Tail Pale Ale: Celebrating Florida’s tiger swallowtail butterfly, this pale ale features notes of passionfruit, strawberry, and grapefruit (available through April 28)
Dino Diner (available through April 28)
Sea Turtle: Frozen blue raspberry and frozen lemonade with a wave of blue cotton candy on top
Isle of Java (available through April 28)
Red Crowned Cane: Frozen Coke with frozen cherry and a crown of cotton candy
Restaurantosaurus Lounge
Crave the Wave: Refreshing vodka, blue curaçao, lemonade, and a lemon wheel (available through April 28)
Tiger Tail Pale Ale: Celebrating Florida’s tiger swallowtail butterfly, this pale ale features notes of passionfruit, strawberry, and grapefruit (available through April 28)
Creature Comforts and Restaurantosaurus (available on Mobile Order through April 28)
Honey Bee Cupcake: Orange cake, honey Bavarian filling, honey frosting, and a white chocolate honeycomb
Terra Treats(available through April 28)
Loggerhead: Sprite and Granny Smith apple syrup over ice with a gummy worm, sugar lime rim, and souvenir glow cube (non-alcoholic)
Satu’li Canteen (available on Mobile Order through April 28)
Kiwi Margarita: Kiwi Monin syrup with lime juice, sour mix, and Tcorazon Tequila Blanco
Thirsty River Bar
Yeti Sunset: Jack Daniels whiskey, strawberry monin, and lychee lemonade (available through April 28)
Tiger Tail Pale Ale: Celebrating Florida’s tiger swallowtail butterfly, this pale ale features notes of passionfruit, strawberry, and grapefruit (available through April 28)
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
The Mara (available on April 22)
Plant (Based) in Boot: Chocolate Spice Cake with Coconut Ganache in a Chocolate Boot (Plant-based)(New)
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
BoardWalk Bakery (available on Mobile Order from April 18 through 22)
Garden Cupcake: Lemon cupcake with a lemon curd filling topped with vanilla buttercream and white chocolate ladybug (New)
Disneyland Resort
Disneyland Park
River Belle Terrace(available April 21 through 25)
Corn on a Cob Succotash: “Butter”-poached corn, edamame purée, and chili oil (Plant-based) (New)
Plant-based Chili & Cornbread Skillet: Chili beans, corn cake, “sour cream,” and green onions (Plant-based) (New)
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
GCH Craftsman Grill (available on Mobile Order through April 30)
Earth Day Hot Dog: Hot dog of the month special featuring plant-based sausage, sauteed spinach, mushrooms, and onions topped with green goddess dressing, edible flowers, and served with fruit (Plant-based) (New)
In addition to these special Earth Day-themed treats, Disney Parks and resorts also feature delicious plant-based offerings year-round! Plant-based options are not just tasty but good for the environment too as they can help reduce one’s carbon footprint and enhance biodiversity! Our Disney chefs have collaborated with ImpossibleTM to bring some tasty options for guests to enjoy while expanding their commitment to putting plants on the plate and into the mouths of foodies in delicious and creative ways. Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park offers up the Impossible Spicy Southwestern Burger at Restaurantosaurus, while Liberty Tree Tavern at Magic Kingdom Park features a tasty Impossible Revolutionary Meatloaf! Over at Disneyland Park, a galaxy far, far away has the Felucian Kefta & Hummus Garden Spread at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo and the truly delicious Ronto-less Garden Wrap at Ronto Roasters. And don’t forget the Impossible Banh Mi at Lucky Fortune Cookery at Disney California Adventure park. Try these mouthwatering, and plant-based, items on your next visit!
As you celebrate Earth Day and embrace the beauty of our world, I hope you enjoy these tasty dishes and drinks honoring our planet. And be sure to use #DisneyPlanetPossible to see all that we can do to help our planet and even share your own actions!
