When Trail’s End Restaurant reopened at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort earlier this year, its popular fried chicken had been removed from the menu. Well, fried chicken is back, but still isn’t on the menu. Guests can simply request the fried chicken with their waiter and it will be added to the family-style smokehouse skillet. Are you excited to hear this news? Let us know in the comments.

The post Fried Chicken Has Returned to Trail’s End Restaurant at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort (By Request Only) appeared first on WDW News Today.

Welcome back, DFB friends! We’re here with another What’s New at Disney’s Animal Kingdom!

DinoLand USA

We’ve got plenty of updates to share with you throughout the park. From a SHOCKINGLY low wait time at one of the park’s most popular rides to the delayed reopening of a snack spot, we’ve got all the news you need to know right here. So, what are you waiting for? Let’s dive right on in!

Animal Kingdom Food Updates

Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery

Snack spots have been reopening all around Disney World over the past several months. Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery was slated to join this group and welcome guests once again with some brand new menu items. Even though it was supposed to open on August 29th, Kusafiri was still quiet when we last visited Animal Kingdom.

Closed Kusafiri

We’ll be keeping an eye on this spot and we’ll let you know when we spot any updates as to its reopening.

Click here to see some of the new items that are set to come to Kusafiri.

Animal Kingdom Merchandise Updates

Discovery Trading Company

The Dooney & Bourke Sidekicks MagicBand previously sold out, but was restocked at the Discovery Trading Company not to long ago. During a recent trip to the park, we were happy to see that it was still available for guests to purchase.

Sidekicks MagicBand

The white band is decorated with fan-favorite sidekicks from beloved movies, like Flounder and Mrs. Potts!

Sidekicks MagicBand

You can find it for $48 while shopping for even more accessories in Disney’s Animal Kingdom!

Click here to see more about this sidekicks collection.

Windtraders

Some of the coolest parts of Pandora are all of the details hidden throughout the land that reference the vast world that the Avatar film introduced. While we’ve loved seeing the lifelike Neytiri bust during our visit to Pandora, now she’s been moved to a new place in Windtraders!

Neytiri

Be sure to greet her whenever you’re shopping for a Banshee!

Click here to learn all about Pandora — the World of Avatar.

Animal Kingdom Construction Updates

Parking Lot

Disney World is still in the process of reopening and not every feature has returned or become available again. Currently, the trams that operated through the theme park parking lots in Disney World are not available. But, when we were making our way from the parking lot to Animal Kingdom’s entrance, we saw some trams stationed in part of the parking lot area.

The Trams Have Been Spotted!

Disney hasn’t announced whether the trams will be returning soon. We’ll be keeping an eye out for any updates on this situation and we’ll let you know what we find.

Click here to see what still hasn’t returned to Disney World.

Discovery River Amphitheater

Now that we are only a matter of weeks away from the start of Disney World’s 50th Anniversary, that means KiteTails will soon be making its debut soon in Disney’s Animal Kingdom! KiteTails is a new daytime show that will feature giant Disney-inspired kites. Disney is getting its final preparations completed ahead of the show’s debut on October 1st. Recently, we’ve seen work being done on the platforms where it appears performers may stand during the show.

KiteTails Construction

When KiteTails debuts, watercrafts will also help pull some of the 3-dimensional kites. These kites can stretch as long as 30 feet in length and we can’t wait to see them in person!

KiteTails Construction

The performers will use oversized props and kites inspired by Disney’s animal characters as original, world beat musical arrangements play.

Watch a sneak peek of KiteTails here!

Animal Kingdom Crowd Updates

Pandora — The World of Avatar

If you’ve been to Disney’s Animal Kingdom since the opening of Pandora — The World of Avatar, then you probably know that Avatar Flight of Passage is typically a BUSY attraction with wait times that easily reach over an hour long. 

However, with summer nearing its end and many students back in school, the wait times at popular attractions in Disney World have started to decrease. We were surprised to see an average wait time of 34 minutes at Pandora’s E-ticket attraction recently.But, during a recent visit to the parks were were truly shocked to find that Flight of Passage only had a 15 minute wait! (Yes, we’re serious!)

15 minute wait time!!!

The queue was practically empty and the few people who were waiting were immediately able to get on the ride. Since Flight of Passage was basically a walk-on at that point, a Cast Member even offered to let us ride it another time! Who wouldn’t want to ride Flight of Passage back-to-back with no wait?!

Walk through an EMPTY Flight of Passage line with us! (Yes, you read that correctly) pic.twitter.com/MLvR8c97g7

— AJ Wolfe (@DisneyFoodBlog) August 30, 2021

A Cast Member told us they were just as surprised as us to see the extremely low wait time as Flight of Passage can sometimes have the longest average wait times in all of Disney World. However, the Cast Member told us that the wait time has been so low recently, that they have sometimes been allowing guests to ride it back-to-back. So, if you’re in Pandora and happen upon a VERY short line at Flight of Passage, you might want to take advantage!

Find out more details about this low wait time we experienced at one of Animal Kingdom’s most popular rides!

Well, that’s all for us in terms of what’s new at Disney’s Animal Kingdom for now! Be sure to check back with us for more updates. And, if you have any questions about your upcoming Disney vacation, let us know so we can help you find the answers! Stay tuned to DFB for the latest Disney entertainment and news.

Well, August was a BIG month when it comes to Disney news.

Cinderella Castle

We’re back with a check-in on the most unexpected/vacation-altering news that happened in Disney World last month and, well, this one’s a doozy. Are you sitting down? Comfy? HYDRATED? We ask because this list of unexpected news is pretty much dissertation length. Don’t worry though, we’re here to guide ya through it.

1. Disney Genie

First up, we gotta start with Disney Genie. We might have known that Disney Genie was coming, but we didn’t know just how much it would entail. Pretty much EVERY aspect of this new offering is unexpected.

Genie Service ©Disney

Disney Genie is a new feature coming to the My Disney Experience app that will help guests plan their vacations. The complementary offering will include a personalized, constantly updating itinerary, a virtual assistant, projected wait times, and more.

©Disney

But the announcement of Disney Genie ALSO came with the unexpected news that Fastpass+ will be discontinued in Disney World. This staple system will be replaced with the PAID Genie+ offering. Basically, for $15 per person, per day, you’ll get Lightning Lane access (the new Fastpass lane) to more than 40 Disney World rides.

©Disney

AND THEN there’s another layer of unexpected news! Beyond Disney Genie and Disney Genie+ will be a few separately priced attractions. These high-demand attractions like Rise of the Resistance and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will have a Lightning Lane option sold separately for a to-be-announced price.

Lightning Lane

Yep, we’re only on unexpected news item #1. We told you it was a big month.

Click here to learn more about Disney Genie!

2. MORE Mask Policy Changes

Next up, we were surprised by more changes to the Disney World mask policy in mid-August. In July, Disney updated rules to require that masks be worn indoors, upon entering and throughout all attractions, and in select other locations, regardless of vaccination status.

Cast Member reminding guests of the new rules

In August, the policy was updated once again to make face coverings optional in Disney World for all guests in outdoor attractions, outdoor queue areas, and outdoor theaters.

Face Masks

Disney World will continue to update mask policies depending on recommendations from health officials in the interest of guest safety. Keep an eye on DFB to make sure you know the latest rules.

Want to learn more about the latest update? Click here.

3. Space 220 Opening Timeline (and a Peek Inside!)

Perhaps the most unexpected news of all is that Space 220 ACTUALLY got an opening timeline! This space-themed restaurant was announced as coming to EPCOT WAY back in 2017. The restaurant was originally slated to open back in winter 2019 but was delayed several times.

©Disney | You get to ride in a SPACE ELEVATOR!

Now, Disney has announced that Space 220 is set to begin service in mid-September of this year. WHAT!?  That’s so soon! This certainly surprised us (and we’ll be even more surprised if it actually opens this month).

©Disney

Beyond that, Disney shared a first look at the inside of the restaurant! We can’t WAIT to snag a meal in “space!”

To see more about this timeline, click here!

4. Surprise EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Booths!

Alright, we are chugging right along through August’s news! You might remember when the 2021 EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival kicked off in July. At the time, 23 of the 32 food booths opened, and the rest were meant to open on October 1st.

Getting our Mac and Cheese feast ON!

But SURPRISE! Seven of the remaining nine food booths opened in August! We’re not gonna complain about surprise festival food, so we got down to eating! We even picked out some new Best of the Fest items just for you.

Click here to see our NEW Best of the Fest picks!

5. Disney Very Merriest After Hours

When it comes to holiday festivities, our minds have been on Disney After Hours BOO Bash, but August also brought us the surprising news about the Christmastime After Hours offering this year — Disney Very Merriest After Hours.

©Disney

Yep, that means that Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party will not be returning this year. Instead, you can visit Very Merriest After Hours select nights starting November 8, 2021 through December 21, 2021. 

Minnie’s Wonderful Christmas Time Fireworks

The event will include a showing of Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks, Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, and more.  Yep, the first parade to return to Disney World will take place during the event!

Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade

Like BOO Bash, this event is notably pricy. Tickets range from $169 to $249.

Want to see more about pricing? Click here!

6. Annual Pass News

At long last, August also brought us some news about the return of Disney World Annual Passes! Annual Passes have not been sold since the parks closed in March 2020.

Annual Pass

But with the announcement of Disneyland’s new Magic Key pass system, Disney announced that “new [Disney World] pass sales will become available in time for the start of the 50^th Anniversary celebration.”

Are you looking to buy an annual pass?

And now, Disney has announced the return of the updated Annual Pass offerings. Annual Pass sales return on September 8th with the new four-tier pass options — Incredi-Pass, Sorcerer Pass, Pirate Pass, and Pixie Dust Pass.

We broke down all of these new options and you can click here to learn more about them! 

7. Galactic Starcruiser Pricing

Alright, only THREE MORE unexpected pieces of news, we promise. Our seventh surprise on this list was the announcement of pricing for Disney World’s upcoming Star Wars Hotel, Galactic Starcruiser. Yes, that really happened in August.

©Disney

The first-of-its-kind hotel will open in Spring of 2022 as an immersive experience where guests stay in the hotel for the majority of their stay. We expected pricing to be on the expensive side, and sure enough, it is!

©Disney

If you have 2 guests per cabin, the trip will cost you $1,209 per guest, per night, or $4,809 total for your voyage. If you have 3 guests per cabin, it will be $889 per guest, per night, or $5,299 for your whole trip. And if you have 4 guests per cabin, it will cost you $749 per guest, per night or $5,999 for your entire voyage.

©Disney

Of course, these prices may vary based on date and room category, but at least we have an idea of what we’ll be paying to form our own Star Wars story on Galactic Starcruiser!

Click here to see more about the pricing for the Star Wars Hotel!

8. Rise of the Resistance Standby Line (!!!)

Aaaaaand we’ve got more Star Wars news! We were SHOCKED to see that Rise of the Resistance, the mega-popular ride in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, opened its standby line for the FIRST. TIME. EVER. in August.

Rise of the Resistance

The ride typically loads guests using a boarding group system where guests are required to open the My Disney Experience app and secure a pass at 7AM or 1PM if they wish to ride. But with lower crowds in August, there was a change!

It’s a big hit at Disney World and Disneyland!

One particularly slow day, 1PM boarding groups didn’t disappear within seconds like they usually do. A few hours later, guests were even able to join the STANDBY line after 7PM!

Want to see more about this change? Click here!

9. Buffets Return to Disney World

ALRIGHT, LAST ONE. August also brought the surprising return of BUFFETS to Disney World. Prior to AAugust, any reopened restaurants that used to be buffets were instead served family-style in response to the global health crisis.

Boma is Back!

When Boma reopened at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort, however, it had the traditional buffet service! This is certainly a big (and surprising) step towards normal dining in Disney World.

Buffets are back at Disney World!

Shortly after, Disney announced that many more buffets would be returning. Buffet service has and will return to The Crystal Palace, Biergarten, and The Diamond Horseshoe.

To see more about the return of buffets, click here!

Whew! We told you it was basically a dissertation. August brought us a LOT of Disney news. We might have a break from the big news in September, but with just one month left before Disney World’s 50th Anniversary, we’re not crossing our fingers. You can count on us to bring you all the updates!

Click here for EVERYTHING you need to know about the 50th!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

What surprised you in Disney news last month? Tell us in the comments!

The post 🚨 Every Piece of Vacation-Altering Disney World News from August! 🚨 first appeared on the disney food blog.