Disney World Releases New Valentine’s Day DOLE Whip Flavor

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

This Valentine’s Day, visitors to the Walt Disney World Resort can fall in love with unique feasts and flavors inspired by the season of sweethearts, including an all-new DOLE whip recipe available for a limited time!

DOLE Whip, the beloved pineapple soft serve enjoyed by Disney Parks Guests since 1976, made its way from Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room at the Disneyland Resort to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in 1984. Since then, all kinds of visitors to the Most Magical Place on Earth have savored the frozen treat in its ever-evolving forms, with the fruit distribution company and Disney joining forces to think up new flavors and unique DOLE Whip delicacies offered exclusively at its theme park locations.

In fact, you can try this new flavor at the Walt Disney World Resort without even having to secure Park admission or reservations! That’s right, the all-new DOLE Whip flavor will debut at Disney Springs according to the latest DisneyEats Foodie Guide for Valentine’s Day themed food at multiple Disney Parks.

Disney Springs, Walt Disney World’s outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex at in Lake Buena Vista, offers a variety of fun eats, drinks, and experiences to Disney fans free of any admission charge! For example, sometimes the retail area hosts special premieres, character meet-and-greets, or exclusive merchandise releases.

In particular, Disney Park Guests will want to stop at one location to satisfy their sweetheart’s DOLE whip cravings: Swirls on the Water! Located in Disney Springs Marketplace, this “surf-inspired kiosk” recently replaced Aristocrepes and provides Guests a scenic view while enjoying a delicious and creative DOLE Whip delights.

For instance, the Swirls on the Water menu lists “cool floats, ‘soft-surfed’ cups, dessert nachos,” and even a DOLE Whip flight of three flavors! Now, a new recipe will premiere through February 28, 2023 in honor of Valentine’s Day: the Valentine’s Day Red Velvet Cone, which includes DOLE Whip strawberry swirled with chocolate soft-serve… Yum!

swirls on teh water valentines day dole whip including a pink soft serve swirl with red win in a cup and chocolate strawberry plus pink swirled cone with a red cone and mickey shaped chocolate cookie

Moreover, they top this sweet treat with a chocolate-covered shortbread cookie and serve it up in a red velvet cone. Plus, for the adventurous adults, couples can partake in the new Rosa Regale DOLE Whip Float, which combines DOLE Whip strawberry with sparkling red wine and a real chocolate-covered strawberry garnish!

Disney Announces 2023 Garden Rocks Concert Series Artists & Dates

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

The Garden Rocks Concert Series is one of the popular offerings of the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival. Disney has released the 2023 concert schedule, with new and old favorites.

Get ready to rock with the Garden Rocks Concert Series – returning to the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival this March! This is seriously my favorite thyme of year – there’s nothing like enjoying a violet lemonade and great music on a spring day. Garden Rocks features internationally recognized artists performing Friday-Monday and showcases local Orlando talent on Tuesday-Thursday at the America Gardens Theater!

The series is jam-packed with talent from returning favorites like The Pointer Sisters, Simple Plan, and the Plain White T’s, along with fresh talent like legacy guitarist AJ Croce and GRAMMY award-winning Switchfoot. So many amazing diverse music styles in one festival; it was mint to be! Okay, I promise I’m done with the herb puns! View the full list of announced artists below and keep checking back at FreshEPCOT.com as more acts are revealed!

    • March 3-4 – Journey former lead vocalist STEVE AUGERI
    • March 5-6 – Daughtry
    • March 10-11 – Tommy DeCarlo
    • March 12-13 – Smash Mouth
    • March 17-18 – Mike DelGuidice
    • March 19-20 – Blue Oyster Cult – NEW
    • March 24-25 – Berlin
    • March 26-27 – The Pointer Sisters
    • March 31 – Luis Figueroa – NEW
    • April 1-2 – Piso 21 – NEW
    • April 3 – TBD
    • April 7-8 – STARSHIP featuring Mickey Thomas
    • April 9-10 – Don Felder, formerly of the Eagles
    • April 16-17 – Switchfoot – NEW
    • April 21-22 – A Flock of Seagulls
    • April 23-24 – Jo Dee Messina
    • April 28-29 – Ambrosia with Peter Beckett, The Voice Of Player
    • April 30, May 1 – Kool and the Gang
    • May 5-8 – Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
    • May 12-15 – The Orchestra starring former members of ELO
    • May 19-20 – A.J. Croce: Croce Plays Croce – NEW
    • May 21-22 – Casting Crowns – NEW
    • May 26-27 – Jason Scheff, longtime lead singer of Chicago – NEW
    • May 28-29 – Rick Springfield
    • June 2-5 – Plain White T’s
    • June 9-10 – The Spinners
    • June 11-12 – The Commodores
    • June 16-17 – Vertical Horizon
    • June 18-19 – Tony Orlando
    • June 23-26 – Simple Plan
    • June 30, July 1 – Living Colour
    • July 2-3 – Wang Chung

Beginning Feb. 9, guests can secure their spot for these rockin’ performances with a Garden Rocks Dining Package. Find out more by visiting FreshEPCOT.com.

To experience EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, guests must have both valid admission and a park reservation for EPCOT on the same date.

Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Closes Next Month

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Hollywood Studios

Walt Disney World has announced that its popular attraction, Rock’ n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, will close next month as part of an extended refurbishment, and Guests who love the Disney’s Hollywood Studios thrill ride should take the opportunity to enjoy it while they can.

Located in Disney’s Hollywood Studios Park at the Walt Disney World Resort, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith allows Guests to “race along the darkened freeways of Los Angeles” with the band to their concert after visiting their Hollywood music studio. Of course, passengers living “life in the fast like” get the full star experience, including three thrilling inversions as they “maneuver past traffic jams” to the tune of Aerosmith songs such as “Walk This Way,” “Dude (Looks Like a Lady),” “Sweet Emotion,” “Back in the Saddle,” and the semi-original “Love in a Roller Coaster,” which the famous band rewrote for the attraction.

Originally, Walt Disney Imagineers designed the concept as part of an ongoing theme for Hollywood Studios to transport Guests into the world of movies and all-star fame. As a result, areas such as the Hollywood Backlot and Animation Courtyard allowed Guests a tour within the cinematic realm of Hollywood backlots and movie magic similar to that of EPCOT’s World Showcase for international destinations.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios tells Guests that the thrill ride includes two rollover loops and one corkscrew, challenging them to “make it to the year’s biggest concert in time.” What’s more, the limousine-style ride vehicle includes a “125-speaker, 24-subwoofer, 32,000-watt audio system,” perfect for jamming along to your favorite Aerosmith tunes in a coaster complement to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror’s drop ride experience.

However, some Guests worried that soon this jam session with the band would not be possible after Disney added a statement to the webpage for the attraction reading: “Beginning February 20, 2023, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith will be temporarily closed for refurbishment. This rocktastic attraction will resume its super-stretch limo rides in summer 2023.”  Truly, it seemed possible that in addition to continued maintenance for the ride’s technical aspects, a retheme could be underway to “modernize” the ride’s storyline or update the musical artist.

Indeed, Disney’s Hollywood Studios has changed a lot since its inception, now offering full immersion into some of the best cinematic universes like Disney Pixar’s with Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, for example. In fact, even Walt Disney Imagineering admits that as Park goals evolve, the theming focus has adapted to include less behind-the-scenes action such as that found in Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

Super Stretch Limo

In addition, Disney Parks seems to have shifted its focus onto its own intellectual property, utilizing concepts it does not have to license from others, which, combined with the recent controversy surrounding frontman Steven Tyler, could mean curtains for Aerosmith’s run very soon. Even so, as of now, nothing about the statement inherently suggests Disney has plans to retheme the ride… yet.

Guests can ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney’s Hollywood Studios from now until February 20, 2023.

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.