There is almost nothing you can’t find on Amazon — from food to household products, back-to-school supplies, clothes, and everything in between. One woman named Molly went on Amazon looking for some hair bows to complete her Disney look.
She found the perfect bows and placed the order. However, when she received her highly anticipated bow, she realized Amazon had made a mistake. Instead of sending her the two bows that she ordered — one blue, one pink — Amazon sent her 40 bows.
Yes, 40 bows!
Now, some people may receive an order like that and think, “What am I going to do with all these bows?” However, Molly is not like some people.
She attempted to return the bows to Amazon, but they told her to keep them. That’s when she knew that she could use them to make some truly magical memories.
On her next trip to the Disneyland Resort, Molly — known as Magically_Molly on TikTok — brought the bows with her and spent the day handing them out to both Guests and Cast Members, brightening their days.
You can watch Molly’s interactions in the video she created below. Warning: you may want to get the tissues because, between the excitement of those who receive the gifts and the music she put with the video, you may find yourself getting misty-eyed.
There seems to be a lot of negativity happening at the Parks right now — with brawls breaking out in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World and a screaming match taking place as a tram was ready to depart for the Ticket and Transportation Center.
While it can be easy to get down and think that things won’t get better, it’s important to remember that there are people out there who believe in the magic of Disney and want to spread that magic to others.
If you are looking for more feel-good stories, you can read about Miss Ellie Honeybee — a young girl who frequently visits Disneyland Resort with her family.
Ellie and her family want to make Cast Members feel appreciated, so they bring flowers with them to hand out to Cast Members, both surprising them and bringing a smile to their faces.
PETA is demanding that animal-themed carousels like those found at Magic Kingdom and Disneyland Park become a thing of the past, as the organization says that such attractions are harmful to animals because they teach children to disrespect animals and go so far as to celebrate that disrespect.
On Monday, PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, sent a written request to the president and CEO of the largest manufacturer of rides in the United States, Wichita, Kansas-based Chance Rides, in an effort to stop the manufacturer from producing animal-themed carousels.
The letter, addressed to Aaron Landrum and written by PETA president Ingrid Newkirk, claims that such rides “normalize the use of animals as conveyances and amusements.”
“Children learn through play, and teaching them to have respect and compassion for all living, feeling beings can help create a more just and merciful world,” says Newkirk, who authored the book 50 Awesome Ways Kids Can Help Animals.
“PETA urges Chance Rides and all other carousel manufacturers to hit the brakes on old-fashioned animal-themed rides and embrace designs that engage children’s imagination and showcase human talent.”
The letter, dated February 6, specifically asks for the end of the “manufacture and sale of animal-themed carousels” and requests that in place of animals, other figures be exclusively produced, including those “in the shape of vehicles, such as cars, unicycles, tractors, airplanes, rockets, and bulldozers, that children are drawn to or even more whimsical designs, like shooting stars, rainbows, or brooms.”
In the letter, PETA concedes that such a request is “unexpected but important.” As the basis for PETA’s request, the letter states the following:
Animal-themed carousels unintentionally celebrate the exploitation of sentient beings. Animals used for rides and other forms of entertainment—including camels, horses, elephants, and dolphins—are confined and in servitude, never free to pursue their own lives and interests. They’re also sometimes beaten, tormented, and even slaughtered when their bodies wear out.
All animals are thinking, feeling, affectionate, playful, and social beings who form strong bonds with their offspring if permitted to keep them (a rarity). They crave freedom from oppression. Animal-themed carousel sets reinforce the notion that these sentient beings are simply here for our entertainment rather than individuals with the same capacity to experience fear, pain, joy, and love as any of us.
According to PETA, the decision by ride manufacturers–and presumably theme parks like Disney World and Disneyland that offer animal-themed carousels as amusement attractions to their guests–will ultimately send two messages, deemed “powerful” by the organization:
Animals are to be respected, not exploited, and companies can and should evolve to keep up with the times. In 2018, following talks with PETA, Nabisco replaced the more than 100-year-old design of caged animals on its Barnum’s Animals Crackers boxes with imagery of wild animals roaming free.
In 2019, after a push from PETA, Trader Joe’s redesigned its Bamba Peanut Snacks, toilet paper, and organic peanut butter packages to no longer include images of elephants performing tricks. And just last winter, after hearing from PETA, Dukal Corporation stopped selling bandages depicting animals in circuses.
The letter concludes with Newkirk asking the Chance Rides CEO to pledge to stop “promoting this abuse by no longer producing carousel figures in animal forms.” There’s no word yet about his response to PETA’s request.
1900 Park Fare is re-opening at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa on April 10. This iconic restaurant will feature returning guest favorites along with a newly refurbished dining room and other special touches.
Here are five things guests can look forward to when they visit:
Wish Upon a Star with Favorite Disney Characters
Because meals are best enjoyed alongside friends, a few familiar faces will stop by throughout breakfast and dinner –some for the first time at this location! In this refreshed character dining experience, guests will be joined by Aladdin in his Prince Ali look, Cinderella, Mirabel and Tiana in her new look for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure as they celebrate the power of a wish.
Enjoy a Feast Fit for Royalty
An enchanting buffet will be served for breakfast and dinner, featuring some guest favorites — yes, that includes the strawberry soup! — along with new menu offerings dreamed up by our talented chefs to pay tribute to some of the characters and stories guests will encounter throughout the restaurant.
Look for Nods to the Restaurant’s Heritage
Fans of 1900 Park Fare will remember Big Bertha, an antique organ that has called the resort home since 1988. Guests can look for her in the Main Dining Room, where she’s on display as its grand centerpiece!
Just like before, carousel theming is woven throughout the restaurant — starting with the impressive new mural shown above, which will serve as the focal point of the restaurant’s entrance. In one of the adjoining dining rooms, guests will find drawings of carousel animals inspired by classic Disney films like “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Little Mermaid.”
Delight in Exclusive New Artwork
The artistic touches continue throughout the Main Dining Room, where guests will find twelve new portraits created exclusively for the restaurant by Disney artists. Each one, inspired by the impressionist art style of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, features a different Disney character as they hope, dream and wish upon a star (or even a magic lamp or a wishing well).
Celebrate Traditions and Create New Ones
Over the years, 1900 Park Fare has been the backdrop of so many of our guests’ favorite vacation memories. At the heart of this unique restaurant is the magic and whimsy of turn-of-the-century gardens and fairgrounds, where people of all ages came together to enjoy each other’s company. The spirit of those carefree days spent outdoors is brought to life with each detail big and small, making it the perfect place for guests to create new memories with loved ones.
Reservations for 1900 Park Fare open on March 5 at DisneyWorld.com
While guests are there, they can explore other ways the resort has been receiving some grand touches that build upon its Victorian elegance with additional storybook charm. While staying in one of the newly refurbished Guest rooms, guests can also dine underneath the lovely London sky at Cítricos, inspired by “Mary Poppins Returns” or enjoy some shimmering sips at Enchanted Rose Lounge, inspired by “Beauty and the Beast.” Recently refreshed spaces at Narcoossee’s and Victoria & Albert’s, the culinary crown jewel of Walt Disney World Resort, provide even more ways to be our Guest and enjoy all that Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa has to offer.
There’s even more to come as we continue to refresh and enhance Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and we can’t wait to share more with guests in the future.
Taking a Walt Disney World Resort vacation is such a magical experience for the millions of people who do it every year. There is so much to see and do! Guests can visit the four main theme parks — Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. There are also two water parks — Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach — as well as Disney Springs.
Disney Springs is a massive shopping and dining area, full of dozens of restaurants, and great Disney-themed shops like World of Disney, Art of Disney, and Goofy’s Candy Company. There are also a huge number of stores for guests to enjoy that are not Disney-themed, like Anthropologie, Basin, Tommy Bahama, and the Coca-Cola Store.
Thousands of people visit Disney Springs every day, and many of them are there with nothing but pure intentions. However, there are also those who head to the area with more nefarious plans in mind. But, thankfully, Disney security is always on the ball, ready to stop those people.
The Daily Mail shared a video, showing officers from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office approaching a man as he shopped in the massive World of Disney Store. Disney works with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and pays them to have officers not only in Disney Springs, but also monitoring the parks — along with their K-9 units — at all times.
The deputies approached the man while he was shopping in World of Disney with his wife and daughter. They were then taken backstage, where the mother was informed that the man and daughter were seen, on camera, stealing merchandise from the Oakley store. The woman was told she was free to go because she was not seen on the video.
Later in the video, multiple pairs of sunglasses can be seen sitting on a box, while the officers add up how much the merchandise was worth — almost $1,500. The man and his daughter were then informed that they would not only be banned from all Disney property, but that they were also being taken to the Orange County Jail.
The daughter repeatedly said that it was their first day at Disney World. She also told the officers that she recently had surgery, but that had nothing to do with the theft. She also informed them that she was a first-grade teacher and that she did not want to lose her job. Unfortunately, it does not look like she thought about that BEFORE she stole the merchandise.
The daughter also tries telling police that she was merely holding the bag, but that doesn’t appear to match with what was seen on the security footage.
Disney takes cases of theft at its resorts very seriously. Another man was recently handcuffed and hauled away by Anaheim Police Officers when he was caught stealing in the Downtown Disney District of the Disneyland Resort.
Disney World will begin construction on a fifth theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in an effort to remain competitive in Central Florida, per an industry expert.
The Central Florida theme park war continues as it has since 1990 when NBCUniversal built its first theme park location in Florida to compete with the Walt Disney World Resort.
At the time of Universal’s theme park debut in the Sunshine State, Disney World was already home to three unique theme parks: Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, then known as Disney-MGM Studios.
In May 1999, when Universal first welcomed guests to its second theme park location in Orlando called Universal’s Islands of Adventure, Disney had already added a fourth theme park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, outnumbering Universal’s theme parks two to one.
Since 1999, no new theme parks have been added to either of the mega theme park resorts in Orlando. Rather, both Disney and Universal have instead chosen to fortify their existing parks with new themed lands, including a massive expansion of Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom in 2012, the creation of Avatar: The World of Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2017, and the additions of Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2018 and 2019, respectively, at Disney World.
Universal Orlando Resort beefed up its theme parks with the additions of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Florida and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Hogsmeade at Universal Islands of Adventure.
But in early 2023, Universal Studios made an “epic” announcement. Though the resort hadn’t added a new theme park in years, Universal appeared to be making up for lost time.
A brand-new theme park–the third gate at Universal Studios Orlando–was in the works, and it would open in 2025. Initially, the news was not earth-shattering.
After all, it had been more than 20 years since Universal added a new theme park, and aside from Volcano Bay water park, the resort still only had two theme parks. It was time.
In late January 2024, Universal unveiled the names of the themed lands inside Epic Universe, Universal’s massive new theme park, and it became glaringly obvious that Universal has a good shot at becoming the victor of the Central Florida theme park wars.
In addition to an amazing new theme park, Universal has also announced two new resort hotels, and the most amazing thing about them is their nightly rates, deemed reasonable by most standards, especially when compared to the nightly rates of many of Walt Disney World Resort hotels.
Walt Disney World will likely have to make a move now to keep up with Universal.
In fact, Dennis Speigel, CEO of International Theme Park Services, says that Universal’s newest addition will put things in Universal’s favor in Central Florida.
“This is going to tilt the axis of the theme-park world, I believe, in Orlando,” Spiegel said. “This park is going to perform at enormous numbers.” He estimates that between five and six million people will visit the park during its inaugural year alone.
In 2023, Disney took steps to further the possible development of a villains-themed land at Disney World, and during the Destination D23 event in late 2023, Disney unveiled artists’ renderings of a new themed area that will replace Dinoland, U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The new area will reportedly feature a “Tropical Americas” theme.
Disney Imagineer Bruce Vaughn also shared information about plans for another expansion at Magic Kingdom, calling it the “largest ever” expansion at the park that will include attractions, rides, restaurants, and other offerings.
In September 2023, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro said that the company has “a wealth of untapped stories to bring to life across our business,” which could easily mean a fifth theme park is in the works–one that could serve as the stage on which those stories could play out.
Additionally, Disney execs confirmed that there are more than 1,000 acres available on Disney World’s property that can be used for the future development of a new theme park or the expansion of an existing one at the resort.
Spiegel says he’s heard things about a fifth park at Disney World for years now, and he thinks that the announcement of Epic Universe will serve as a catalyst for Disney to finally make their move.
“You’re going to see a big announcement,” he said. “They’re going to add a fifth park.”
As of the time of this post, Disney Company execs have yet to make the official announcement, but preparations for park expansions, along with the company’s announcement of an infusion of $60 billion into its theme parks division over the next ten years, seems to line up with that.
