Happy Friday from the Magic Kingdom post-Hurricane Milton. It was a peaceful day in the Magic Kingdom with a general vibe of gratefulness to just be there.

Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC)

When I arrived this morning there was a general vibe that everyone was happy to be out of the house and grateful to be at Walt Disney World. There wasn’t the normal rush to the gates rather everyone took their time and enjoyed the nice cool weather.

Main Street U.S.A.

On Main Street U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom, I noticed that most of the flags remained secured down this morning. It’s worth noting that much of the storm preparation was still being resolved throughout my visit today. The park was crawling in horticulture Cast Members desperately cleaned not only their normal gardens but the entire park.

25th Anniversary Castle Shirt – $34.99

I had to purchase the white t-shirt featuring the 25th Anniversary Cinderella Castle from the celebration in 1996. I love the homage to Disney’s past celebrations, whether you hated or loved the 25th Anniversary Castle it makes for a perfect vintage look.

I loved this castle but I was only 2 at the time. Did you get to see this version of Cinderella Castle? Let me know what you think of this new park shirt in the comments and on social media.

Vera Wang Bride Ears – $450.00

Let’s start with the elephant in the room. $450 for ears, yeah… Listen, I obviously would be considered a “Disney Adult” but there are lines for every Disney fan and we all draw that line differently. This is certainly past my fandom, but I can’t judge a gal for wanting them. These bad boys are available in Uptown Jewelers in Magic Kingdom.

They are stunning ears and pure white. You can see the carefully applied flowers and stones throughout the ears and the attached viel. They are classy enough that I could easily see a Disney bride wearing them for a ceremony as well.

“it’s a small world” Lug Backpack – $90.00

This Lug “it’s a small world” backpack is in Uptown Jewelers. I love the bright color palette in the design of this bag. Being a Lug bag means that it has a pocket for everything you could need. I like these newer lug backpacks more than the Loungefly Mini Backpack. For one, you can carry a water bottle in a Lug backpack, my preference is Corkcicle.

The Seven Dwarfs Shot Glass Set – $99.00

In Crystal Arts, the lovely Cast Members showed me the newest set available, The Seven Dwarfs from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. This series of shot glasses, or toothpick holders as Disney prefers to call them, are available only as a set and will run you $99.00.

The good news? Discounts do apply and if you’re a Cast Member that means super savings are coming your way soon with the Holiday Cast Discount. The board in the background is the top for the themed box.

Pirate’s Fallen Flowers

There wasn’t much damage caused by Hurricane Milton in Magic Kingdom. For instance, these flowers appeared to have flown from their pot but remained close due to the iron bars. Perhaps some magic was lost in realizing these flowers aren’t real and sit in a normal green foam. If you didn’t already know that… These minor fixes will likely be resolved within the next few days as the more important things are prioritized.

Country Bear Musical Jamboree

Today I was paid to go watch the Country Bear Musical Jamboree. Not every day is an easy day, but moments like this make it worth it. After enjoying the show I noticed that Disney added portraits in the front exit hallway. Many of the images have been seen in the lobby, but it was a nice touch in an otherwise empty wall.

There is also now a new golden clock piece added to the base of the clock. Unfortunately, it was still not functional but it is a step in that direction!

Liberty Doll MOVED AGAIN

The Liberty Doll has moved. If you keep up with my photo reports you may know that I track some weird things in the park. It used to be King Triton until he was returned to Fantasyland, then it became the Tiny Village Drama in EPCOT, the Little Mermaid scrim at Hollywood Studios, and the drums in Pandora in Animal Kingdom. The Liberty Doll has been the most consistent because she looks you down or hides. Previously she was peaking from behind the wall. I guess after the hurricane she decided to get some vitamin D.

Storybook Circus Still Storm Prepped

In Storybook Circus I noticed that the storm prep was still in place. The banners were all zip tied to their poles, except for two. The main sign when you walk in on the left has been missing for a few days even before the hurricane. However, the banner on the right side of Big Top Souvenirs is also now missing. It’s unclear as to why the image hasn’t been replaced, but all the other ones around it were up.

iPhone 16 Now in Made Dtech in Launch Depot

In Launch Depot in Tomorrowland, the Dtech Made Machines were once again operational for guests. Except now they offer designs for the new iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Disney Duck Beach Day

I took a boat ride to the Polynesian Village Resort to see what damage the existing building endured, as I had seen on Facebook yesterday that things got a little dicey for a few guests. On the walk over the dock, I saw these two Disney Ducks taking in the morning on a beach day.

Polynesian Resort Hurricane Damage

This is by far what appears to be the worst of the damage to Disney World from Hurricane Milton. The Aotearoa building lost its overhanging roof. That white cream space is usually attached to the roof whereas the brown bit is what you see through the overhanging part of the roof.

There were air blowers in the hallways of Figi, likely the first floor had minor flooding. The Tuvalu building also had some roof damage. For more details be sure to visit our website.

Caricature Elvis Stitch

On my walk through the Grand Ceremonial House, the main lobby of the Polynesian Resort, I saw the caricature artist was there working on a few portraits. On display, he had an Elvis Stitch caricature that I found very funny as both an Elvis and Stitch fan.

Hurricane Cleanup – Bonnet Creek

On my drive on the property, I saw crews were still out gathering more debris and fallen signs. This was on Bonnet Creek near Port Orleans Resorts.

Did you have a favorite moment from the day? Have you ever been to Disney World during a hurricane? Let me know in the comments down below and on social media. Also, let me know what you think of those Vera Wang ears.

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The post PHOTO REPORT: Magic Kingdom 10/11/2024 (Hurricane Milton Aftermath, Vera Wang Ears, and More) appeared first on WDW News Today.

“Star Wars: The Acolyte” star Jodie Turner-Smith is calling out Disney for not defending Amandla Stenberg against racism.

Jodie Turner-Smith Speaks Out After ‘The Acolyte’

Turner-Smith portrayed Mother Aniseya in the Disney+ series “The Acolyte,” while Stenberg starred as Aniseya’s grown twin daughters, Osha and Mae. In a Glamour UK interview, Turner-Smith explained that Stenberg wrote an essay about the characters, their motivations, and their inner lives.

“I’ve never worked with anybody who’s handed me an essay on their character,” Turner-Smith said. “She put so much care and thought and love into that, and it’s disappointing to feel like your studio is not having your back in a very public-facing way.”

Turner-Smith said Disney has “got to stop doing this thing where they don’t say anything” when their cast and crew face online bullying, specifically racism. “It’s just no fair to not say anything,” she said. “It’s really unfair.”

Turner-Smith continued, “It would just be nice if the people that have all the money were showing their support and putting their feet down. Say this is unacceptable: ‘You’re not a fan if you do this.’ Make a really big statement and just see if any money leaves. I bet you it won’t, because people of color, and especially Black people, make up a very large percentage of buying power. They might find that it’s actually more lucrative for them, but everyone’s using ‘woke’ like it’s a dirty word.”

Turner-Smith expressed hope that things will change, saying “Opinions change” and she believes the world will someday get to a point where people will stop caring about people of color being in franchises created by white people.”

Before Disney canceled “The Acolyte,” Stenberg released a song on Instagram about the “intolerable racism” they faced, singing, “They spinning WOKE, bastardize it and appropriate it. Last I recall, WOKE was something we created. Speak truth to power. Keep an eye out for you silly racists and now they use it to describe anything they threatened by.”

Stenberg later said on an Instagram story that they had faced a “rampage of vitriol” since the show was announced, describing the attacks as “hyper-conservative bigotry and vitriol, prejudiced hatred and hateful language.” (via Deadline)

“This really affected me when I first got the job,” Stenberg said. “Even though I anticipated it happening, it’s not something you can fully understand what it feels like until it’s happening to you.”

She continued, “However, I feel like I’ve kinda moved through those feelings in various ways, including being vocal about it myself. For me, it just became a situation where there was no option but for me to honor my sense of ethics and my belief system and my value system while being in this very unique position.”

“The Acolyte” aired for one eight-episode season in June and July 2024. Its diverse cast also included Lee Jung-jae, Charlie Barnett, Dafne Keen, Rebecca Henderson, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Manny Jacinto. It looked at how the Jedi operated during the High Republic era, a century before any other “Star Wars” films or TV shows.

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As part of its 31 Days of Drops, Disney Store has released new Disney Parks Sport Jerseys inspired by Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort.

Disney Parks Sport Jerseys

Walt Disney World Baseball Jersey for Adults – $59.99

This traditional baseball jersey is black with white pinstripes. “Seventy-One” and “WDW” are embroidered on the front, with Cinderella Castle and “71” screen-printed in silver ink below. A woven Walt Disney World logo label with Cinderella Castle and “Where Dreams Come True” is sewn to the front.

On the back, the silhouette of Cinderella Castle and “71” block numbers are embroidered on the back.

Disneyland Baseball Jersey for Adults – $59.99

Like the Walt Disney World version, this baseball jersey is black with white pinstripes. “Fifty-Five” is embroidered in green, with “DLR” in white. Sleeping Beauty Castle and “55” are screen-printed in silver. A woven Disneyland logo label is affixed to the lower left hem, and features Sleeping Beauty Castle, “55,” and “Where Dreams Come True.”

On the back is more embroidery of Sleeping Beauty Castle, with green “55” block numbers also embroidered.

What do you think of today’s release of Disney Parks Sport Jerseys for 31 days of drops? Will you be purchasing either option to add to your Disney-inspired wardrobe? Let us know in the comments and on social media.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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Now that Hurricane Milton has come and gone, and the Walt Disney World theme parks have reopened, we stopped by Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort to check out the damage caused by the storm — specifically a peeled-back roof on one of the resort buildings.

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Roof Peeled Back by Hurricane Milton

The Aotearoa building was damaged during Hurricane Milton, which brought with it high winds that peeled off a portion of the roof.

According to a post on the Tikiman’s Unofficial Polynesian Resort Pages on Facebook, guests were evacuated from the building in the middle of the night when the roof damage occurred.

The tan and brown covering seen here is from the overhanging roof. The tan part is where it typically is affixed to the roof, and the brown stripe at the top is the overhanging part that can be seen from beneath the overhang. It appears that this piece was pulled entirely back from the now bare overhang.

The area surrounding the building has been blocked off by green construction walls, which have been migrating as crews continue to work on the walking path to the future DVC Island Tower. We saw crews in the area in front of the walls, likely preparing to begin repairs and cleaning debris.

The Tuvalu building suffered similar damage. Here, you can see where the metal roofing was peeled up, though not as severely as at Aotearoa.

Here, you can see the shredded pattern from where the roof was torn off. It’s possible there was rusting here, if we speculate based on the tear pattern. Perhaps this could have been the recipe for this damage, combined with the high winds of Hurricane Milton. Of course, there’s no way to know for sure.

This torn part of the roof was hanging overhead as we passed by.

Inside Figi, the building between Tuvalu and Aotearoa, we spotted large carpet and floor dryers set up to help dry up any water that made its way inside from the storm.

From what we could tell, there was no damage to the new DVC Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, other than a fallen tree or two.

Walt Disney World has reopened all four theme parks and Disney Springs today, and is back to normal operations following Hurricane Milton. The resort closed in phases on October 9 and remained closed through October 10. Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park will reopen tomorrow, October 12.

Walt Disney World has reportedly lost an estimated $547 million due to hurricanes. Read about every time Walt Disney World has closed and why.

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