{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"1923 Main Street: Snow Skate Surf and Travel Style","title":"Why French Fries and Lobby Scents are Disappearing from Disney World","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":988,"description":"Major Changes to the Disney Guest Experience, plus are French Fries Disappearing from Walt Disney World? Walt Disney World Trip Report: Christmas Holidays 2023 The Christmas Holidays vacation experience at Walt Disney World is our favorite time of year to visit. Just back from our most recent stay at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, we have a lot of news to share, including some changes we noticed and some hints of what may be coming in 2024. Disney Merchandise on SaleIn a major trend reversal, it is suddenly common to see a significant number of items on sale at Walt Disney World shops, most with substantial discounts. We noticed that these are the types of items and prices that would normally have been found only at the Disney Character Warehouse at the Vineland Outlet Mall. This may be Disney's way to upend the scourge of eBay pirates who have had a negative impact  (springs best, Disney avoiding Character Warehouse). Whatever the reason, this is good news for Disney World travelers.  Disney Travel Tip: Not all items are discounted equally across Walt Disney World Resort. We found that the best variety of items on sale is found at Disney Springs in the Marketplace and World of Disney in particular. Ride Wait TimesDisney World ride wait times were often twice as long as what was posted, a reversal from our experience over the past year when ride wait times tended to be shorter than what was posted. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas PartyThe 2023 edition of Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party was better than past years, showing some improvements to an already fun event. There was noticeably more ambiance particularly throughout the entrance experience walk in particular. Food, treats and the cookie stroll continue to be great (a top pick is the gingerbread cake at Golden Oak Outpost -- a hidden gem). On the downside, there are still long wait times for most rides (so we continue to find Disney's marketing of shorter wait times during these events to be a marketing...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/96nuWMtlb8j2Whcd3k25A0e2xUe6VDpoTjwKAhvZrI8/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS85ZTJj/N2MzZTVhZGU0M2Iz/ZTFmMjQwNDcxZjE2/MjJhOC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}