MickeyBlog News for January 17th, 2022
Sometimes, I have difficulty taking Disney news seriously. This is one of those weeks.
In the latest MickeyBlog News, we’ll talk about a festival opening, D23 details, restaurant reopenings, and *sigh* popcorn buckets.
Festival of the Arts Opens
This weekend, the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts opened. As usual, Florida locals rushed to explore the new arts, foods, and beverages on display.
MickeyBlog arrived early to provide plenty of social media updates. We also published a slew of articles that I strongly encourage you to read.
Somehow, the story evolved from a festival opening into a cultural phenomenon.
Yes, EPCOT’s Pop Eats! kiosk has returned for another festival. And yes, it’s selling a popcorn bucket.
If you were at the park on Friday morning and didn’t know about the bucket, you learned quickly.
I say this because the longest line at EPCOT had nothing to do with a theme park attraction.
For reasons passing understanding, guests entered the line for Pop Eats! And proceeded to wait somewhere between three and seven hours (!) to buy the bucket.
MickeyBlog livestreamed from the line, and we were as incredulous about it as anyone.
What was the big deal about this bucket? It had Figment the dragon as the design. That’s it.
Don’t get me wrong. I adore Figment. I also love Disney popcorn buckets and own at least three oversized ones.
In fact, I may pick this bucket up off eBay at some point after the feeding frenzy dies.
Despite my passion for Figment and popcorn buckets, this whole story broke my brain a little.
I had friends asking me what the big deal was about this bucket, and I didn’t have a good answer. It’s like asking why a one-hit wonder’s song breaks out.
The Bucket Picture
Sometimes, things happen that are beyond explanation. In fact, some enterprising artist capitalized on the hype by posting a bad drawing of the bucket.
This picture sold for more than $10,000 on eBay. If she hasn’t made an NFT yet, she should.
The illustrator has indicated that zero feedback people drove up the price. So, it’s likely not legitimate, but there were genuine bids of several hundred dollars.
Meanwhile, the story proved so hot that Eric Idle tweeted this:
Hm. I’m going to make one. Only one. It’ll be a one off. A million and a half dollars. https://t.co/EQXdOKS306
— Eric Idle (@EricIdle) January 15, 2022
For context, Idle stars in the current version of Journey into Imagination with Figment.
He also caused a stir earlier in the pandemic when he claimed no memory of this role. Now that Figment’s hot again, Idle suddenly remembers.
Look, this whole thing is ludicrous, but it’s also fun. Things like this are what differentiate Disney fans from everyone else, and I love that about us.
Three Restaurants Reopening
This week, we have several real stories, although they got drowned out by the Figment nonsense.
For starters, Disney will reopen three more restaurants soon.
On January 26th, Flying Fish will return to Disney’s BoardWalk after an extended absence. Sadly, there’s no update on EPSN Club, though.
I may be the only person who cares more about ESPN Club than Flying Fish, but I’m okay with that!
Anyway, the following week marks the return of The Turf Club Bar and Grill at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.
This place is a hidden gem that gets overlooked since it’s so close to Disney Springs. Most people simply choose to eat there instead.
On the plus side, that makes finding a table at The Turf Club reasonably easy.
The Turf Club reopens on February 3rd. That’s two weeks before the triumphant return of a beloved Disney restaurant.
On February 17th, Jiko – The Cooking Place finally reopens at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. I get asked about this one A LOT, which makes me grateful it’s back.
By the way, Cape May Café has also restored its buffet service at breakfast and dinner. That’s the first time during the pandemic.
Garden Rocks Bands Announced
We just started one festival at EPCOT, but the park’s already looking ahead to its next one.
The EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival announced the artists performing at the Garden Rocks concert series.
Here’s the list before I start with my usual snide remarks:
- March 4-5 – The Guess Who
- March 6-7 – Rick Springfield
- March 11-12 – Melina Leon – NEW to Garden Rocks
- March 18-19 – Mike DelGuidice, currently on tour with Billy Joel – NEW
- March 20-21 – Kool & The Gang – NEW to Garden Rocks
- March 25-28 – The Orchestra starring former members of ELO
- April 1-2 – The Spinners
- April 3-4 – The Pointer Sisters
- April 8-9 – Blue October – NEW to Garden Rocks
- April 15-16 – Tommy DeCarlo, singer of the band Boston – NEW
- April 17-18 – Don Felder, Formerly of The Eagles
- April 22-23 – STARSHIP featuring Mickey Thomas
- April 24-25 – Claudia Leitte – NEW
- April 29-30 – Berlin
- May 1-2 – TobyMac
- May 6-7 – Blood, Sweat & Tears
- May 8-9 – The Commodores – NEW to Garden Rocks
- May 13-14 – Ambrosia with Peter Beckett – NEW
- May 20-21 – A Flock Of Seagulls
- May 22-23 – Collin Raye – NEW
- May 27-28 – Thelma Houston – NEW
- May 29-30 – Little River Band
- June 3-6 – Simple Plan
- June 10-13 – Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
- June 17-20 – Plain White T’s
Fun fact: The Guess Who last charted on a Billboard chart in 1977!
So, if you like a band whose relevance ended 45 years ago, be at EPCOT on March 4th/5th!
I’m always sarcastic about this stuff, but I also carefully evaluate the options before each trip.
The Commodores are playing in early May, and I will totally go to that if I can work out the times.
I’m still kinda sad for Plain White Ts, though. They seem too young for this with a hit song from “just” 15 years ago.
Other Disney News
Disney just announced ticket details for the upcoming D23 Expo taking place from September 9th through the 11th.
Disney Visa cardholders can buy tickets starting on January 19th. Everyone else can purchase tickets on January 20th.
Single-day admission costs $99 for most people but only $89 for D23 Gold members.
Similarly, three-day passes cost $229 or $279, depending on whether you joined D23 Gold.
Remember a few months ago when I suggested you join D23? Things like this are why!
In other Disney news, Disney’s Blizzard Beach may be closed, but park officials are using the space.
Blizzard Beach has added a COVID-19 testing site exclusively for cast members. So, if you work for Disney, you can verify you’re healthy before a shift!
Speaking of water parks, if you were planning to go to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon today or tomorrow, 1) you’re insane, and 2) you’re out of luck.
Cold weather has forced the park to close for at least two days. Given the current forecast, it may be even longer.
Universal’s Volcano Bay has already confirmed it’ll close through at least the 18th. So, Disney’s being optimistic about the weather.
Inside the parks, Olaf has finally returned to greet guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! This character greeting had shut down during the pandemic, but it’s back now!
Quick Cruise News
In Disney Cruise Line (DCL) news, the CDC chose to let Conditional Sail Order expire yesterday.
CDC officials stressed that this decision was only possible due to the cruise industry stepping up and proactively safeguarding guests via health policies.
Speaking of which, DCL is now enforcing the new vaccination requirement. Anyone aged five or older must have their shots before taking a Disney cruise.
Okay, that’s everything for this week. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I really want some popcorn.