The New Jersey Devils got to skate right into their own Marvel story yesterday and they even read the story themselves in a new video from the NHL team. The first 9000 fans in attendance at the Prudential Center for last night’s New Jersey Devils game received a limited-edition Devils-themed Marvel comic book. The giveaway was a part […]
A new walkway has opened up today in EPCOT between World Celebration and World Nature. Barrier walls still line the walkways, but construction on World Celebration continues to make progress.
New Walkway Open in EPCOT
We found a new walkway opened up to guests in EPCOT today at Walt Disney World. Check out our point-of-view videos going both directions along the new pathway.
New walkway in EPCOT You can now walk between World Celebration and World Nature when you visit EPCOT Want to check it out? We have a POV for you! pic.twitter.com/Jr0G8ixha1
The newly-opened path is on the right. We can peek at Journey into Water, Inspired by Moana just over the construction walls.
Green construction equipment loom over the wall.
Pipework and Te Fiti’s symbol from Moana are clearly seen here.
Some decorative fabric and structural beams are visible through the trees.
Shade tarps with brown and tan artwork inspired by Moana can be seen here.
Workers are just beyond the foliage.
From the junction, the path heads back to Spaceship Earth.
The new walkway shows off some landscaped areas and gives us a better view of Journey into Water, Inspired by Moana. It doesn’t lead to any other areas, though.
What are your thoughts on the new walkway opening up? Are you excited to see some progress on EPCOT’s construction? We’d love to see your comments below!
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Paolo Montalban has joined the cast of the newly renamed Descendants: The Rise of Red (formerly known as The Pocketwatch), the latest installment in the mega-hit Descendants franchise. What’s Happening: Montalban will portray King Charming, Cinderella’s (Brandy) husband and Chloe’s (Malia Baker) dad, who is as much in love with Cinderella as he ever was. He previously […]
Both resorts offer unique themes and while they have many of the same amenities, there are also some differences that you should know about.
We want to help stretch your vacation dollars because trips to Disney World can be costly. Not surprisingly, hotel expenses can take up a big portion of your travel budget. How do you make the right decision for your family? We’ll go over all the details so that you can choose wisely between Art of Animation and All-Star Movies!
All-Star Movies Lobby
The best way to tackle such a massive decision like this is with as much logic as possible, so we broke down this comparison into five categories: Common Ground, Theme/Rooms, Pools, Food, and Transportation. Let’s see how these two resorts match up!
Common Ground
Both of these hotels fall under the category of Value Resorts at Disney World. That means they will both be at a comparable price point, with similar room sizes and amenities. Disney’s Art of Animation and Disney’s All-Star Movies have strong theming found outside, in the rooms, and throughout the gift shop, food court, and lobby.
Each resort is divided into different areas with the names matching their themes. This can help guests navigate when wandering around these often-large resorts! Because of their kid-friendly decorations and amenities, you are more likely to see families with children at these resorts, as well as traveling groups from schools. With so many young people around it can get hectic, so don’t be surprised if it’s a little noisier here than at other resorts!
Cars area at Art of Animation
At All-Star Movies, room rates start at $128 per night excluding tax for their Standard Rooms at the cheapest times of year when the parks are least busy. The most expensive room rates here will run you about $323 per night — that’s for a Preferred Room around Christmas, one of the more popular times of year. Both of these room types can sleep up to 4 adults.
Art of Animation has higher rates. Little Mermaid Standard Rooms start at $201 per night in value season, and a Finding Nemo Family Suite will cost about $912 per night during the December holiday season. Family suites sleep a whopping six guests comfortably!
Celebrate the characters, colors, and creativity of Disney animated films at Art of Animation Resort! At All-Star Movies, you’ll be surrounded by colorful, whimsical, larger-than-life icons.
Check out the large statues around Art of Animation.
Art of Animation
Many of our readers tell us that Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is the BEST value resort on Disney World property. It’s a great hotel for families, particularly if you’re needing some more space and you’re willing to pay for it.
Family Suite at Art of Animation — Living Area
Guests may reserve a Lion King Family Suite, a Cars Family Suite, a Finding Nemo Family Suite, or a Little Mermaid Standard Room (277 sq. ft.) for their Art of Animation stay.
The Little Mermaid Standard Room at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
The theme feels well done and intricate, so it’s at least a bit nicer than the other values.
The rooms at All-Star Movies were recently updated. They have a modern design with pops of Disney art — when you pull down this Murphy Bed it reveals a mural of Huey, Dewey, and Louie!
Standard Room
These rooms (260 sq. ft.), while smaller than those at Moderate or Deluxe Resorts, still have plenty of space for your belongings. They are functional and include large TV’s, multiple storage options, and generously sized showers. Guests may reserve a Standard Room, or Preferred Room, for their All-Star stay.
Outside of your room, you can explore the resort to discover larger-than-life versions of characters from classic Disney films like 101 Dalmations, Toy Story, Fantasia, and many more. The buildings in each area are also decorated to fit the theme of the movie!
Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
Results
It’s a tie! Both resorts have undergone room makeovers so that accommodations feel welcoming and updated. Choose based on the theme that you like best. If you need space, Art of Animation offers suites. For the least expensive standard room, choose All-Star Movies.
If you thought the giant outdoor icons were the full extent of these resorts’ strong theming, just wait until you see their pools!
Art of Animation
Art of Animation boasts the largest pool of any Disney Resort hotel: it’s The Big Blue Pool!
Pool at Art of Animation
Guests also have access to two more pools. The Cars section hosts the Cozy Cone Pool (complete with clever Cone Cabanas) and The Little Mermaid section hosts the Flippin’ Fins Pool.
All-Star Movies
Fantasia is another classic Disney film that deserves an entire pool themed after it. Sorcerer Mickey and his enchanted brooms have settled at All-Star Movies at the Fantasia Pool! Just as it was in the movie, Mickey’s enchantment also got out of hand at the resort and created a pool for guests to enjoy (but we’re grateful for the oasis!).
Fantasia Pool
The giant broomsticks carrying buckets of water can be spotted next to the pool which has a massive curtain framing the Sorcerer Mickey fountain. At the Fantasia Pool area you’ll also find a small kiddie pool and play area for the little ones to splash around in.
Results
This is a tough decision because the pools are all themed well. However, Art of Animation has one of the best splash pad areas — Schoolyard Sprayground — for little kids at Walt Disney World. And the pool at over 308,000 gallons is massive.
Again, both of these resorts have similar dining options! With one food court option and a pool bar each, let’s take a look and see if we can spot any differences between them.
Art of Animation
The Landscape of Flavors food court which serves Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. The menu offers classic counter service eats such as pizza and pasta, burgers, and more. You might even order up a dish inspired by global flavors like Mongolian Stir-fry. Or you can grab a creative cupcake from the bakery case!
Mermaid Tail Cupcake
Guests can also rest their fins and grab a drink at The Drop Off Pool Bar located by the Big Blue Pool.
Pool Bar
P.S. This is a GREAT place to stop and check out what they’re serving up for the Drink of the Month!
All-Star Movies has a food court that’s appropriately named World Premiere! The dining space is decorated with movie posters that are worth a visit themselves.
World Premiere Food Court
Cuisine here is all-American for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Both resorts offer a food court and pool bar. You won’t find table-service restaurants at the value resorts. We’re going to give this one to Art of Animation as the food court menu has a larger variety and because of its proximity to Disney’s Pop Century Resort. Being able to walk to another resort opens up your dining options!
Transportation
Disney World has several transportation options, but not every type stops at every resort. Of course, both resorts offer Disney’s bus transportation.
Bus stop at All-Star Movies
Art of Animation
Disney’s newest form of transportation, theDisney Skyliner, hosts a station located between Pop Century and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. This is a HUGE perk for Art of Animation guests that makes getting around Disney World a whole lot easier (and fun!).
In this comparison, Disney’s Art of Animation wins because of the Disney Skyliner, larger pool, better food court, and family suites! However, if budget is your highest priority, you’ll save money by staying at Disney’s All-Star Movies. These resorts are very similar — enjoy your stay!
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Our favorite people over at Small World Vacations are ready to help you save time, headaches, and best of all, money, when you book your Disney trip or cruise.
Their agents compare current offers to find the best deal for you — they’ve literally saved their guests millions of dollars since 1996. Plus, their services are 100% FREE FOR YOU! (They’re DFB’s recommended travel agency, and you can see why here!)
With the Mando Mania merchandise campaign in full swing, Hasbro continues to deliver an exciting lineup of products inspired by The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. Yesterday, they revealed a new Cad Bane action figure and today, pre-orders have opened on the cool collectible. (Please note this article contains affiliate links. Your purchase will support LaughingPlace by […]
FX has released the official trailer for Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni & Tupac Shakur, premiering on April 21. What’s Happening: Check out the official trailer for Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni & Tupac Shakur. Afeni had a revolutionary story, and Tupac helped her tell it to the world. This will premiere on April 21 […]
Boysenberry is now in season at Knott’s Berry Farm! The popular annual Boysenberry Festival is in full swing (on days the park isn’t rained out), boasting many exciting food items and entertainment around the park! You can get your fill of Boysenberry goodness daily, now through April 16, 2023. We have updates on all of […]
After many, many months of being blocked off, a walkway between World Celebration and World Nature has finally opened! You can enter the walkway near Spaceship Earth and come out over by The Seas with Nemo & Friends.
There’s a new walkway in EPCOT! This one has opened between World Nature and World Celebration. pic.twitter.com/CDy6lev2mQ
Part of this walkway was previously open back to the exit of Spaceship Earth, but now it’s connected with the rest of the newly paved area. We had previously been able to see the construction progress on this pathway from the monorail.
What it looks like alongside the Moana attraction
This will hopefully be helpful in alleviating the crowds in that area during busy times (like after fireworks). The other walkways on either side of the restrooms are still open as well.
New space!
We’ll keep an eye out for any more changes in EPCOT construction, so stay tuned to DFB! We’re excited to see what everything looks like when it’s completed.
Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today!
With more than 900 pages, the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs!
You’ll get a Reference Guide, a 101 Plan, and a Printables and Resources Guide! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis; and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you’ll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet.
Disney has been debuting new treats and merch so we’ve rounded up some of the most recent things we spotted out in the parks and can’t wait to share them with you!
The Bunny Butts are BACK! We snagged a Bunny Rice Crispy Treat for $5.99.
Bunny Butt
We spotted two new Easter caramel apple treats!
Multicolored Bunny Caramel Apple
Here’s a look at one design of Werther’s Original Easter Bunny Caramel Apples. There are actually two different designs, one multicolored with a bunny sugar design on the side and the other covered in white chocolate complete with bunny ears.
Bunny Caramel Apple with Ears
You can pick one of these cuties up for $11.99 each.
Over at Creature Comforts, we spotted this Cinnamon caramel cream cold brew for $5.49 in the grande size.
Cinnamon Caramel Cold Brew
The Pink Drink with Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam is $6.29 for the grande size.
Pink Drink with Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam
The Paradise Drink with Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam and the Dragon Drink with Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Foam both are also options for $6.29 in the grande size.
Starbucks Refreshers with Sweet Cream Cold Foam options
These last three are a new twist on a few familiar drinks but are still very tasty!
We also tried out the freshly repainted drums in Pandora and to our surprise….
Pandora drums
… they work again! Not only did they get a fresh facelift that they so badly needed but they once again resumed their sweet sounds throughout Pandora.
Drums repainted
The Aviary also has reopened!
Aviary is reopened
Wow, while it might not always be apparent we’re always looking for even the slightest changes while in the parks. If you looking to stay up to date on the latest park news and merch, stay with us at DFB!
Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today!
With more than 900 pages, the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs!
You’ll get a Reference Guide, a 101 Plan, and a Printables and Resources Guide! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis; and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you’ll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet.
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.
Tinker Bell has quite a cult following among Disney fans. And when she flies through the skies during the Happily Ever After fireworks show in Magic Kingdom?! Forget it.
Tink!
With all the buzz circling around the new Peter Pan & Wendy movie, we spotted a new collectible that we think Tink fans will want to see!
Tink comes fully poseable, in her sparkly green dress.
@Amazon
Her glittery wings are also fully poseable.
@Amazon
She has brushable hair and comes with details on different hairstyles. If you’re looking to add this to your already growing list of Peter Pan merchandise, Amazon has this priced at $24.99.
Order Your Copy of the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today!
With more than 900 pages, the 2023 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs!
You’ll get a Reference Guide, a 101 Plan, and a Printables and Resources Guide! With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis; and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you’ll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet.