Howdy! Even though this is a week to breathe after the chaos of Christmas in the parks, there are still plenty of updates and new merchandise to cover. Today at Magic Kingdom, there were many new pins, new artificial intelligence integration at one of the resorts, and more.
Good Morning from the Transportation and Ticket Center
Good morning! Fun fact, on party days at the Magic Kingdom, they are hosting Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party now, the park is usually not as busy, but things are a bit slower to open than normal.
For instance, I arrived at the TTC around 7 a.m., the park opened to regular guests without early entry at 8 a.m., but the express monorail directly to Magic Kingdom was still not open for the day. That means you would either need to take the resort monorail to Magic Kingdom or opt for the ferryboat. I opted for the ferryboat.
Quiet Start
When I arrived at Magic Kingdom I was surprised to see how empty it really was. Yeah, it is a party day but it is still the busy season. Part of me wonders if some folks are scared away by the cold temperatures in the morning. It has been rather frosty for Florida.
More Refurbishment Work
I noticed that the bathrooms attached to City Hall where guest relations is located, were covered in scrim. The white scrim above the signs is only on the exterior and does not continue on the opposite side. Perhaps this is just some light refurbishment like painting. Rather than showing guests the incompleted work they cover it.
Earlier this year there was scaffolding and scrim in the center of the restroom entrances.
Sunrise on the Castle
I’m a sucker for the holiday decorations in the parks, but there is something particularly magical about seeing a sunrise on Cinderella Castle during the holidays. It almost doesn’t feel real.
Baublebar Earrings
In Uptown Jewelers in Magic Kingdom, I found some new Baublebar earrings. The first set features Mickey and Minnie Mouse spinning in a pink teacup. This design matches the Play in the Park collection that was released earlier this year. The teacup earrings are available at Uptown Jewelers for $35.00.
The golden Mickey head earrings are also available in Uptown Jewelers for $40.00. This design features an ear headband, a Mickey peace sign, a smiley face, and many other fun bright details. This design matches a purple top Disney recently released. Perhaps this is the beginning of a new collection. Be sure to stay tuned to our website for more details.
Small Friend
This precious little squirrel was sitting outside of the Skipper Canteen people watching for a lot longer than I thought the little fluff would. He was eating his breakfast and just taking in the small trickle of guests coming into his home.
Tiana Bayou Adventure Merchandise
At Critter Co-op in Magic Kingdom, there were two new pieces of merchandise celebrating Princess Tiana. Perhaps the most impressive is the $149.99 Princess Tiana doll. She is full of details, her dress and shoes match almost exactly what we see her wear during the finale scene in the new ride, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
There is also a new figurine set available for $34.99.
Most importantly the bunny remains at the front of the pull toys – even if they arent on the ride vehicles. This is something we have been tracking because the pull toys in Disneyland do not feature the Brer Rabbit reference.
Open Edition Pins
I found some new pins featuring some of my favorite characters in the Frontierland Trading Post.
- Max and Roxanne Pin – $14.99 (yellow)
- Goofy and Max Fishing Pin – $12.99 (silver)
- Baby Animal – $12.99 (silver)
- Baby Pluto – $12.99 (silver)
- Baby Pooh – $12.99 (silver)
Let me know which open-edition pin is your favorite from these finds in the comments below. My favorite is Baby Animal, and yes I am cautiously optimistic about all the Muppets news as of late. If you haven’t heard Muppets is changing in the parks in a drastic way. Be sure to stay tuned to our website for details on the big changes coming.
The Lion King Pin Takeover
I found these new Lion King pins in multiple locations. I first spotted the pin set in the Emporium Shop and the singular pins in Fantasy Faire.
- Hakuna Matata Pin featuring Pumbaa and Simba – $16.99 (pink)
- Mufasa and Simba Pin – $12.99 (silver)
- The Lion King Pin Set – $34.99
- Simba and Timon Pin – $14.99 (yellow)
- Mufasa and Rafiki Pin – $12.99 (silver)
- Simba and Scar Pin – $22.99
My favorite is Mufasa hugging Rafiki let me know which one you would add to your collection in the comments below.
2025 Ornaments Arrive
Disney has been slowly releasing 2025 merchandise. Today, the 2025 ornaments have finally arrived in the Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Magic Kingdom. The light-up ornament is the newest we have seen. There is a small acrylic blue Cinderella Castle sitting behind a large 2025. Mickey is popping his head out of the blue “0” while Minnie sits on top of the yellow “5”.
There are two small blue lights at the front of the ornament that light Mickey’s face. The base of the ornament is blue with Walt Disney World written in yellow. This ornament is available for $29.99.
Tangled Restroom
This past May Disney added to the Tangled restroom mural and expanded Rapunzel’s paintings to the ground. When it was first completed the ground was vibrant and very saturated in color.
Unfortunately after what I can only guess thousands of feet and pictures the mural has almost disappeared from the floor. Hopefully, they will redo this expansion with perhaps stronger paint.
Magic Kingdom Mornings
I am in the parks a lot, a lot more than the average person, and I consider myself extraordinarily lucky. There is nothing like Cinderella Castle or the ambiance of the Disney parks, and it never gets old.
All-Star Sports Testing AI Technology
At All-Star Sports End Zone Food Court a new robot has taken the place of a special Cast Member, sort of. Disney is currently testing a new artificial intelligence self-checkout option. The AI is still learning so there is still a Cast Member on standby who fixes any technical issues.
It was a cool experience but I am not sure the AI technology is at a point where this will actually be helpful to the guests or casts, but maybe AI will learn something in the next thirty days and prove me wrong. What do you think about AI potentially replacing a Cast Member? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to stay tuned to our website for details.
Lakeshore Lodge Construction
Disney Lakeshore Lodge construction is very much underway. This was originally going to be called Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge, but in November Disney announced the name change. So far there are some structural supports in place and dirt is being moved. Nothing majorly exciting to see yet, but the closer we get to 2027 the more I’m sure we will be able to see.
Express Monorail
Is it even a trip to Disney if you didn’t ride at least two forms of transportation? I took the express monorail back to the TTC to head out for the day. I rode with a little boy who was very excited to eat Chick-fil-A on his way home.
Hope you enjoyed our day in Magic Kingdom. Until next time! Stay magical!
What was your favorite moment from today? Have you ever been to the parks during the holidays? Let me know in the comments below and on social media.
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