Hallmark...at Disney World?


Today's Big News...

Disney Fun
A Hallmark holiday movie just filmed inside Walt Disney World.

Hallmark Channel has officially wrapped production on Holiday Ever After, a holiday film shot on location at Walt Disney World — and yes, that means actual park footage, actual magic, and what is almost certainly the coziest movie set in recent memory.

What we know so far: Details from the production are still limited, but Laughing Place confirmed that filming is complete, making Holiday Ever After a Hallmark production that used Walt Disney World as a real, on-location backdrop. This isn't a soundstage dressed up with Mickey ears. The parks were the set.

Why this is a bigger deal than it sounds: Hallmark and Disney don't exactly share a corporate family tree, which makes this collaboration genuinely unusual. Getting a non-Disney production crew into the parks — with cameras rolling on attractions, architecture, and all the rest — requires a level of coordination that doesn't happen by accident. Someone really wanted this movie to feel like Disney World, not just look like it.

The angle worth watching: Hallmark's holiday slate is one of the most-watched programming blocks in cable television, drawing audiences who plan their viewing the way Disney fans plan their trips — with enthusiasm, spreadsheets, and strong opinions. A movie that puts Walt Disney World at the center of a feel-good holiday story is essentially a two-hour advertisement for the most emotionally loaded vacation destination on earth. Disney knows this. Hallmark knows this.

Big picture: A release date hasn't been confirmed yet, but when Holiday Ever After lands on Hallmark Channel, millions of viewers will watch someone fall in love inside the parks — and immediately start pricing out December trips.

Read full story from Laughing Place
Disney Fun
Someone keeps scattering human ashes on Disney World guests.

It sounds like the setup to a dark comedy sketch, but it's a real and recurring problem at Disney World: people are illegally scattering the cremated remains of their loved ones inside the parks — and sometimes those remains are ending up on other guests.

Why people do this in the first place: For some families, Disney World isn't just a vacation destination — it's a place of profound personal meaning. Scattering ashes there is, for them, an act of love. The impulse is understandable. The execution, however, is illegal, a violation of park policy, and — as incidents continue to occur — increasingly a problem for the thousands of other guests who had no idea they were about to become part of someone's memorial service.

Why it keeps happening: Disney World is enormous, crowded, and emotionally charged. Cast members are trained to watch for this behavior, and the parks reportedly have protocols in place when it's detected — including closing and deep-cleaning affected areas. But the incidents continue. The fine powder is difficult to detect until it's already in the air, and the rides most often targeted tend to be dark, enclosed, and beloved — the kind of places a grieving family might feel most connected to someone they've lost.

The part that's hard to shake: There's something genuinely strange about the collision happening here — a place engineered to feel like pure joy, quietly absorbing decades of grief from families who loved it too much to let go.

Big picture: Disney World has always meant something different to everyone who walks through its gates, but most guests probably didn't expect "accidental contact with a stranger's cremated remains" to be part of the experience — and the fact that this keeps happening suggests the parks haven't found a solution that actually works.

Read full story from Inside the Magic
Disney Park
Olaf is teaching drawing classes at Walt Disney World now

Olaf — the snowman who loves warm hugs and has strong opinions about summer — has apparently added "art teacher" to his resume. Walt Disney World is launching a new drawing experience hosted by the beloved Frozen character, and honestly, it tracks. If anyone's going to make you feel good about a lopsided stick figure, it's him.

What's actually happening: Olaf is taking on a hosting role for a drawing class attraction at Walt Disney World. The experience puts the fan-favorite character front and center as a guide for guests learning to draw — a format Disney has used before with its Animation Academy experiences, though the specific location, format, and launch details for this version haven't been fully confirmed by available reporting.

Why Olaf is a genuinely great pick for this: There's something quietly perfect about casting the most enthusiastic, zero-judgment character in the Disney canon as your drawing instructor. Olaf isn't going to make you feel bad about your wobbly lines. He's going to celebrate them. For families with younger kids who might feel intimidated by an art activity, that energy matters more than it sounds.

The thing worth watching: Disney has been steadily expanding Frozen's footprint across its parks — from Frozen Ever After at EPCOT to the upcoming World of Frozen expansion at Hong Kong Disneyland. A dedicated Olaf-hosted experience fits neatly into that pattern, and it suggests the franchise still has plenty of runway at Walt Disney World specifically.

Big picture: A snowman who has never held a pencil is about to teach you how to draw, and somehow that's the most on-brand thing Disney has announced in months.

Read full story from Nerdist
Disney Park
DCA's Food & Wine Festival Is Back — and the Menu Got Weird (in the Best Way)

Ramen Mac & Cheese, Ube Lattes, and More Hit DCA Starting March 6

The Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival is back, and this year's menu is not playing around. Running March 6 through April 27, 2026, the festival spreads across the entire park with marketplace booths, participating restaurants, and a lineup of new dishes that reads like a fever dream in the best possible way.

The new stuff worth circling: Ramen Mac & Cheese topped with furikake crumble, fish cake, green onions, and chile crunch. Chicharrón Nachos with chorizo and salsa verde. An Ube Latte with Matcha Foam. A Pandan Latte Churro. A Chicken and Waffle Mole Taco. A Bulgogi Bowl. A Tropical Chamoy Michelada rimmed with Tajín. This is not a subtle menu. The festival is leaning hard into California's full range of culinary influences, and the result is one of the more genuinely interesting food lineups the event has put together in recent memory.

The Sip and Savor Pass is worth knowing about: Disney is again offering a scannable pass with either four or eight digital coupons, redeemable for select food and non-alcoholic items across the festival marketplaces and participating dining locations. Items eligible for redemption are marked throughout the official guide. A complimentary Mickey-shaped Food & Wine plate comes with purchase while supplies last — which, fair warning, is the kind of detail that runs out faster than you'd expect on a busy weekend.

The returning favorites are still here: The Junior LA Street Dog, Asian Street Burrito, and Strawberry Horchata are all back for anyone who has strong feelings about continuity. Beverage Education Seminars at Sonoma Terrace run every Saturday and Sunday from March 7 through April 26 (reservations required), and complimentary culinary demonstrations at the Hollywood Backlot Stage run on those same weekends with no reservation needed.

Big picture: Seven weeks of this menu is either a gift or a logistical problem, depending entirely on how many trips you can justify between now and April 27.

Read full story from Disney Parks Blog

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