New poseable elves are also available in 2026.

The new items are on pre-order with a release date of September 1, 2026.

This post contains affiliate links.

The Elf on the Shelf Disney Princess Royal Slumber Party Set & Props - $25.95

This set includes enough for two Scout-sized Elves to have a Disney Princess slumber party, including two pajama sets, a sleeping bag, a pillow, a sleeping mask, and a cuddle buddy.

The Elf on the Shelf Disney Princess Pretty in Pink Party Dress - $14.95

I love this set. It’s so cute!

It is an adorable dress featuring Princesses Tiana, Cinderella, and Belle. Sized for The Elf on the Shelf Scout Elves.

MagiFreez Disney Princess 2-in-1 Get Ready Dress Set - $19.95

Sized for a Scout Elf, this set lets your elf stand up using the MagiFreez skirt.

Disney Mickey and Friends Scout Elf Carrier Set - $15.95

This Mickey and Friends carrier allows your elf to be transported without touching.

Disney Mickey Mouse Ready to Roll Travel Set - $14.95

This adorable Mickey Mouse-themed travel kit includes a rolling suitcase, mouse-ears headband, neck pillow, belt bag, and miniature passport.

Mickey & Friends Cookies for Santa PJs - $25.95

This set comes with two sets of PJs, mouse ears, and cookie party accessories.

Disney’s Mickey & Friends Oh Deer Tee Set - $12.95

This set comes with a T-shirt and mouse ears to fit a Scout elf. (not included)

The Elf on the Shelf Disney Frozen Olaf Warm Hugs Hoodie - $14.95

This adorable set features an Olaf-themed “Warm Hugs” hoodie and an adorable Olaf standee. Scout Elf not included.

Marvel Spider-Man

Marvel Spider-Man Saves the Day Sleep Set - $25.95

This 6-piece kit includes 2-piece Spider-Man pajamas, sleeping bag, bookbag, laptop, and camera sized to fit a Scout Elf.

Elf on the Shelf Marvel Spider-Man Web Hero Hoodie - $14.95

This set is so cute and great for interactive fun! Not only is there a Spider-Man hoodie, but also two suction cup “webs” that allow your Scout Elf to stick to smooth surfaces like a mirror!

My kids would have flipped over this one!

Marvel Spider-Man Superfan Prop Set - $14.95

This set includes a Spider-Man T-shirt, play mask, snowflake suction cup with a candy cane cable and web, and window cling.

Like the hoodie, this set allows your Scout Elf to adhere to a smooth surface like glass.

Marvel Spider-Man Scout Elf Carrier- $15.95

This carrier allows kids to take their elf with them without breaking the “do not touch” rule.

So cute!

Harry Potter

The Elf on the Shelf Harry Potter Hogwarts School Uniform Outfit Set - $25.95

Use your own sorting hat to figure out which Harry Potter house your elf is from!

This kit includes a cloak, a sweater, a wand, four house scarves, and four house crests, specially sized for a Scout Elf.

I love that you can change out the scarves and crests to match whichever house you would like.

Harry Potter Gryffindor Pajama Set with Teddy Bear - $16.95

This kit includes a Gryffindor satin pajama set and teddy bear sized for a Scout Elf.

Harry Potter™ Hogwarts™ Great Hall Pop-Ups Prop Set - $14.95

Enjoy a Harry Potter scene, custom-designed for Santa’s Scout Elves.

If you need a Scout Elf, those are available for pre-order as well!

The new elves feature bendable/poseable arms and legs.

Poseable Girl Scout Elf with Blue Eyes - $34.95

Poseable Boy Scout Elf with Blue Eyes- $34.99

Poseable Girl Scout Elf with Brown Eyes- $34.95

Poseable Boy Scout Elf with Brown Eyes - $34.95

My kids have outgrown their elves “Stinker and Tracy” but they would have loved all of these!

What do you think? Comment and let us know!

Disney Parks guests at Walt Disney World and Disneyland will be able to find the new merchandise in the parks starting on August 3.

The Disney Store will begin selling the new collection on August 10 starting at 8 AM PST / 11 AM EST.

Here is a sneak peek at the upcoming items!

(They are so cute!)

Apparel

For 2026, fans can purchase a sweatshirt, sports jersey, and T-shirt.

That T-shirt and sweatshirt are so cute!

Head gear

This year there will be two sets of mouse ear headbands and a ghost Minnie hair clip.

Bags and more!

This year there will be an adorable Minnie Mouse pumpkin bag, a cute purple packpack, and Mickey ghost bag clip!

A Little Words Project keychain with a Ghost Minnie Mouse that says “just a ghoul” will also be available!

Jewelry

Pieces by Kendra Scott will be available.

Cutie Ghost Mickey and Minnie Mouse Blow Molds

Minnie Mouse can light up white or pink, while Mickey Mouse blows bubbles (Disney Store exclusive)

Dishes, Pajamas, a blanket, and a Minnie ghost plush will also be available!

These are so cute!

What do you think? Comment and let us know!

Mine are still in the box, so I can’t speak to the feel of the dolls and how well they hold up to play, but I can say they are far nicer than I gave them credit for.

My first thought was that they were ugly dolls, and I would pass on them. Instead, the FOMO took over, and I bought them.

I’m glad I did, because they are so much nicer than I initially thought.

Monster High Universal’s Frankenstein Doll

Like Frankie Stein, this doll is based on Frankenstein’s Monster from the Universal films.

I had the least hope for this doll, and she is much better than I expected. Photos really do not do her justice.

Her outfit appears weak, but it really slays in person. The windmill purse seals the deal.

The back of the box reads:

“Frankenstein is ghoulish imagination brought to terrifying life! The creature walks in heeled boots, it embodies creepily chic style… what is it, human or monster? Whatever the case, it must be stopped before it wreaks havoc! Those who cannot stand spice-chilling excitement or shock should not hear this story…on the contrary, those who like an unusual thrill will find it in Frankenstein”

Here is a close-up of her face detailing.

To think I almost passed on this one.

Don’t pass on Frankenstein.

Monster High Universal’s Dracula Doll

This doll is stunning! First of all, her eyes are glittery and sparkling red. It isn’t tacky like I worried it might be, but instead it just makes her more beautiful.

The textures and colors on her outfit work very well together. I love the red thread used against the black satin.

Her box reads:

“In the dark depths of a spooky castle lurks a mysterious count named…Dracula! A horror legend with a piercingly hypnotic gaze and shadowy cape, Dracula stands out as an icon of sinister style. Sleeping in a coffin by day and hunting for prey by night, the story of this vampire will chill and thrill anyone brave enough to listen…”

She is fangtastic. Dracula is the inspiration behind Draculaura.

Monster High Universal’s Mummy Doll

This doll was the one I thought I would like the most, and it turned out to be the opposite. But I still really like her. I just wish her eyes were a bit smaller as they are off-putting in person. But not a deal breaker by any means!

I do wish all three dolls had the sparkle eyes, but the costume the Mummy doll is great!

The bone barrette, sarcophagus purse, and scarab ring sell it.

The back of the box reads,

“Buried 3,700 years ago in an Egyptian tomb, a cursed mummy now walks again among the living…bringing screams to the lips of all who gaze into its eerie, entrancing eyes!
Wrapped in style so timeless it’s eternal, the Mummy hungers for the love it has lost…even if seeking it dooms someone to a fate worse than death! The creepy skin-crawling tale is brought to life in frightening fashion!”

The Mummy was what inspired Cleo De Nile.

Don’t sleep on these dolls, especially if you love the Universal Monsters.

My daughter is going to flip over these.

Dunkin’ is bringing back the buckets, and now you can actually put one in your car’s cupholder.

The chain confirmed its 48-ounce Iced Beverage Buckets are returning. The new run starts August 7, and will be priced at $12.99 with the drink included.

The new upgrade features a Bucket Holder built to fit a standard car cupholder. Solving the one complaint everybody had the first time around.

How to get the Dunkin Bucket Holder

Dunkin’ Rewards members with Boosted Status get exclusive access to grab a Bucket Holder online, starting July 29, while supplies last.

Dunkin’ says it started designing the holder during the buckets’ original release after customers asked for an easier way to carry it in their car.

What comes in a Dunkin 48oz bucket

The bucket itself is the same. It comes with a handle, a snap-seal lid, and an extra-long straw.

At 48 ounces, it holds roughly two medium iced coffees, or about a large and a half.

You can fill it with iced coffee or a Refresher, and customize with your choice of dairy, flavor swirls, and flavor shots.

However, Dunkin’ won’t refill them at its stores. So it’s a one-and-done pour, not a reusable cup you bring back for discounts.

The Dunkin bucket has been building all year

This is actually the bucket’s third round..

It started as a quiet test in February 2026 at fewer than a dozen stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The coffee buckets cost about $8.99 and Refreshers cost $9.49. Word spread on TikTok, and locations sold out.

The demand skyrocketed.

Dunkin’ rolled the buckets out nationwide over Memorial Day weekend in May, setting the cost at $12.99. Sadly, the release was still extremely limited, with stores getting as few as a dozen or two each.

They sold out fast.

Now the August return adds the cupholder holder, taking the promotion from about a dozen test stores to a national gimmick, all in about six months.

When you can get the Dunkin buckets

The Bucket Holder goes live for Boosted Rewards members July 29. The buckets themselves arrive August 7 at participating stores nationwide. They will be $12.99 each, while supplies last.

Dunkin’s bucket drops have sold out fast every time, so if a half-gallon of iced coffee that rides shotgun in your cupholder is the summer you want, set an alarm for the 7th.

Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• Dunkin’ (July 29, 2026), the official August 7 bucket return, the $12.99 price, the Bucket Holder details, and the July 29 Boosted Status access date

• Today and Food Network (May 2026), the Memorial Day nationwide launch, the per-store limits, and the 48-ounce capacity context

• AOL/Delish and Axios (February 2026), the original Massachusetts and New Hampshire test and the $8.99 and $9.49 test pricing

Disneyland Resort had to close restrooms and restaurants across the property on the evening of July 28 after a city water problem left much of Anaheim with little or no water pressure.

The important part up front: this wasn’t Disney’s failure. It was Anaheim’s, and it hit far more than the parks.

Water pressure started dropping around 6 p.m., and Disneyland says the resort was back to normal by 8 p.m. Roughly two hours, start to finish.

What caused the Disneyland water outage

The city of Anaheim ran into trouble drawing water from its groundwater wells, according to CBS News.

Anaheim normally pulls from 14 ground wells. When the pumps hit problems around 6 p.m., pressure dropped suddenly across the central part of the city. Crews switched to drawing water from the Colorado River instead, which is the standard backup when a well goes down.

City officials said the pump issue did not affect fire hydrants or fire response, and there were no concerns about water quality. As of that night, crews were still working out what caused the pump to fail, and it was staying offline until they did.

The outage hit more than Disneyland

This is the detail that separates a Disney story from an Anaheim story. Disneyland was one address among many.

The same pressure drop hit Angel Stadium, plus hotels, restaurants, businesses, and neighborhoods across central Anaheim. Disneyland sits in Anaheim, so when the city’s water went, the resort’s water went with it. There’s no separate valve a theme park flips to opt out.

There was an earlier, separate hiccup that morning, too. A reported water main break on Harbor Blvd delayed the opening of Downtown Disney to 7:16 a.m. Cast members were briefly told not to use water, but that one was resolved before the parks opened at 8 a.m. The evening pressure failure was the bigger event.

Disneyland guests were turned away from restrooms

Inside the parks, the effect was immediate and awkward. With no pressure, the restrooms couldn’t operate, so cast members had to close them and turn guests away.

One visitor told KTLA she was stopped from entering several restrooms by employees explaining it was a city-wide water issue. She said the cast members were as helpful as they could be, that most guests understood it was out of Disney’s hands, and that a few were frustrated. Her word for the scene was chaotic, but handled.

Guests with dining reservations got turned away as restaurants shut down. On social media, some visitors were less understanding, with a common complaint being that the resort didn’t announce the problem widely, so people already inside, and people still driving in, had no warning.

Disneyland says the water issue was resolved by 8 p.m.

The recovery came in pieces. Restrooms and restaurants reopened one at a time as pressure climbed back, and Disneyland called the resort issues resolved by 8 p.m.

CBS reported the city expected pressure to keep improving overnight, with the failed pump staying offline pending an investigation.

So the damage was a couple of hours of closed bathrooms and turned-away dinner reservations on a busy summer night. Annoying, genuinely inconvenient, and entirely a plumbing story, not a Disney one. The mouse just happened to be renting from a landlord whose pump quit.

Want More Clownfish TV?

This article was brought to you in part by The Reefers of more.clownfishtv.com. Free subscribers get articles like this one in their inbox. Paid subscribers get the full Clownfish TV podcast feed, livestreams, and members-only episodes that never hit YouTube.

D/REZZED is part of Clownfish TV. For more news, views, and rants on gaming, tech, and pop culture, watch @ClownfishTV on YouTube and find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and iHeart.

Article compiled and edited by Derek Gibbs (entertainment editor) and the Clownfish TV newsroom.

Hat Tips:

• WDW News Today, Shannen Ace (July 29, 2026), verified for the resort-wide restroom and restaurant closures, the morning Harbor Blvd water main break, the Downtown Disney opening delay to 7:16 a.m., the cast member accounts, and the 8 p.m. resolution

• CBS News Los Angeles (July 28, 2026), verified for the groundwater well pump failure, the 6 p.m. start, the 14 wells, the switch to Colorado River water, the unaffected fire hydrants and response, and the no-water-quality-concern statement

• KTLA (July 28, 2026), verified for guest Tiffany Christensen’s account of being turned away from restrooms, her description of the cast members’ handling, and the closed restaurants turning away reservations

• ABC7 Los Angeles (July 28, 2026), verified for the scope of the outage across Disneyland Resort, Angel Stadium, and central Anaheim

Fall baking season is basically a state of mind, and Nestlé Toll House just gave it a start date.

The brand rolled out its 2026 fall cookie dough lineup this week, leaning into what marketers are calling “Summerween,” the growing habit of busting out Halloween treats while it’s still technically summer.

It’s six cookie doughs and two baking morsel flavors, a mix of new stuff and returning favorites. Here’s what’s coming and when.

The new Nestlé Toll House fall cookie doughs

Three brand-new doughs headline the lineup.

The one getting the most attention is the limited-edition Scooby-Doo Cookie Dough, which takes the classic sugar cookie dough and mixes in Scooby-themed sprinkles. It’s pure nostalgia bait, and it works.

There’s also a new Fall Cinnamon Cookie Dough, cinnamon dough topped with cinnamon flakes and seasonal sprinkles, and a Football Cookie Dough that drops milk-chocolatey football-shaped morsels into the sugar cookie base for game-day baking.

The returning Toll House Halloween and fall favorites

Two fan favorites are back on shelves.

Trick-or-Treats Cookie Dough returns with its chocolate dough, butterscotch morsels, and festive sprinkles, built for a crispy edge and a chewy middle. And the ever-popular Pumpkin Spice Cookie Dough, pumpkin spice dough studded with white candy morsels, is back for another autumn.

Between the two of them, that’s the Halloween and the cozy-fall bases both covered.

The new Toll House baking morsels for fall

If you’d rather bake from scratch than break open a tub of dough, there are two new morsel bags.

Milk Chocolatey Football Morsels are shaped like little footballs for decorating cookies, cupcakes, or snack mixes. And Pumpkin Spice Morsels blend cinnamon and clove flavors for folding into your own recipes.

A Target-exclusive Abuelita cookie dough is coming in August

One more dough is worth its own mention, because you can only get it in one place.

In August, Toll House adds a Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookie Dough Inspired by Abuelita, tying in Nestlé’s classic Abuelita hot chocolate brand. It mixes chocolate and cinnamon into a warm, spiced cookie, and it’s available exclusively at Target.

When you can buy the Toll House fall cookie doughs and how much they cost

Here’s the timing and the money, which is what most people actually want.

Most of the seasonal cookie doughs are available now, rolling out nationwide in 14-ounce packages. The suggested price is $4.99 a tub, though what you actually pay depends on your store.

The two new morsel bags come a little later, arriving in September at a suggested $5.79 each. The Target-exclusive Abuelita dough lands in August.

“Nothing brings loved ones together like a plate of freshly baked cookies,” said Andrew Kneale, senior brand marketing manager for Nestlé Toll House, pointing to the cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and game-day flavors as the heart of the fall push.

So the season’s slice-and-bake spread is basically all here, minus a couple of pieces landing over the next few weeks. Whether you’re a from-scratch baker or a break-the-tube-and-preheat type, Toll House has you covered through Halloween and into football weather. Just maybe don’t eat the Scooby dough raw. You know the rule.

Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• Mass Market Retailers (July 23, 2026), the full fall lineup, the $4.99 dough and $5.79 morsel pricing, the release timing, the Target-exclusive Abuelita dough, and the Andrew Kneale quote

• AllRecipes (July 2026), the fall cookie dough roundup and Summerween context

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is set to hit theaters on Friday, with previews on Thursday. Ahead of the release, the review embargo has finally lifted, and Critical Scores are starting to appear on Rotten Tomatoes.

As of the time of starting this article, the RT score sits at 91% with 89 reviews posted, but it dropped to 89% in the time I wrote this.

Even the media realizes that the MCU has been lacking.

One thing that sticks out to me is that the media if even calling out the MCU for it’s mid performances since Phase 4 started after Avengers: Endgame.

I guess it’s not just the “toxic YouTubers” that have noticed. Or it’s safe to say it out loud now.

“This is both the best of Holland’s Spider-Man films and the best thing to come out with Marvel’s name attached to it for some time.” - Amelia Emberwing from the Pickety Witch

“It's on par with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in the top tier of post-Avengers: Endgame Marvel movies, and it's my favorite live-action Spider-Man movie since Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 all the way back in 2004.” -Reuben Baron from Looper

“Although the bar has been impractically low since Avengers: Endgame, the Spider-Man brand remains the MCU’s sturdiest tentpole, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the best thing the studio has delivered since, well, the last Spider-Man sequel.” - Matt Oakes from Silver Screen Riot

“Affection for the characters who have been around for four movies now goes a long way to holding "Brand New Day" together, but it ultimately succumbs to one of the biggest problems of late-stage MCU: The feeling that it’s just preparation for more movies.”- Brian Tallerico from RobertEbert

“Spider-Man: Brand New Day has its fair share of hiccups and tends to juggle a bit more than it can carry, but it's the freshest both Spider-Man and the MCU at large have felt in a good while” - Joshua Mbonu from Geek Vibes Nation

Reviews are mixed overall. Top critics are more critical.

While overall the reviews are mixed, the “Top Critics” tend to skew more negative.

“This sequel feels bogged down by IP connections and brooding, which have been the albatross of too many other superhero movies to count.” -Kristy Puchko

“There is ... no escaping the sad realisation that the Spider-Man franchise is now, more than anything else, a cell in the corporate matrix that powers the MCU empire.” - Donald Clarke from Irish Times

“Anyone who is a ride-or-die fan of the franchise, then “Brand New Day” definitely works...But, for everyone else, the film sometimes feels every bit of its 145 minutes.”- Cary Darling from Houston Chronicle.

“Once again, Spider-Man proves to be the best reason to keep invested in the MCU.” - Dominic Baez

Spider-Man is going to have little trouble dominating the box office. It’s already predicted to do very well, with Deadline estimating $180-$190 million domestically and Box Office Pro going as high as $230 - $250 million for the North American take.

The film is going to do well.

Critics are right about one thing. The MCU has been lacking since Endgame.

What do you think? Comment and let us know!

An entertainment account on X, crediting Puck’s Matt Belloni, says Culkin sat down with Disney and the studio is “salivating” over a reboot with him back in it. Treat it as a rumor for now. But Culkin’s been dangling his own sequel pitch for a while, and Disney’s last try without him flopped.

Kevin McCallister might be coming back. Maybe.

An X account that aggregates Hollywood scoops, crediting Puck‘s Matt Belloni, claims Macaulay Culkin has met with Disney about a new Home Alone, and that the studio is “salivating” over a reboot with him attached.

File it under rumor until someone official says otherwise. Disney hasn’t commented. Neither has Culkin.

But it’s a rumor with some ground under it, which is why it’s worth a look.

Culkin’s been asking for this

The thing is, Culkin already pitched his own version. Out loud. On a stage.

For years he stayed as far from Kevin as a person can get, which nobody blamed him for given how being the most famous child on earth went for him. Then last November, on his A Nostalgic Night with Macaulay Culkin tour, he cracked the door. He “wouldn’t be completely allergic” to another one, he said, though “it would have to be just right.”

And he had the pitch ready.

Grown-up Kevin. Widower or divorcee, he hasn’t decided. Working too hard, not paying enough attention, and his own kid is fed up with him. Then Kevin gets locked out of the house. The kid won’t let him in. The kid is the one setting the traps.

So it’s Home Alone with the roles flipped, and the guy who spent two movies gleefully torturing burglars is now the one eating the paint cans. That’s a real idea. Darker than a Christmas classic usually goes, but a real one, and it’s his.

Disney already tried this without him

Here’s why the studio would be “salivating,” if it is.

Disney owns Home Alone now, through the Fox deal, and it has kept the thing running long past the point of dignity. Home Alone 3. A made-for-TV 4. The Holiday Heist in 2012.

Different kid every time, none of them Culkin, none of them landing.

Then, in 2021, the big swing: Home Sweet Home Alone on Disney+, a full reboot with a new kid named Max. It arrived, people shrugged, and it vanished. Even Disney superfans forget it exists. The premise didn’t travel without the face that made it famous.

That’s the lesson the “salivating” makes sense against. Five sequels and reboots have proven the traps and the tinsel aren’t the draw. Culkin is. You can rebuild the McCallister staircase all you want; the magic was the kid at the top of it, and he’s the one piece Disney kept trying to replace and couldn’t.

The catch

Whether it happens is a different question.

Chris Columbus, who directed the first two and is the closest thing this franchise has to a soul, is not sold. He’s called the later sequels a mess in plain terms, and said the smarter move is to leave the original where it is.

“I think it’s a mistake to try to go back and recapture something we did 35 years ago,” he told ET. “I think it should be left alone.”

Culkin’s own bar — “it would have to be just right” — is doing a lot of work too. This is a man who walked away once and meant it. A meeting is not a deal, and “salivating” is a studio feeling, not a signature.

There’s also the small matter of Mickey’s Home Alone, the animated special Disney’s already got coming this holiday season, with Mickey and Pluto defending the house from a raccoon and a weasel. Disney can want a Culkin movie and still be perfectly happy selling you a mouse-shaped version of it in the meantime.

Kevin might really be coming home. Or a very well-sourced meeting might stay a meeting. For now it’s one screenshot, one “salivating,” and a 45-year-old man who’s already written the sequel in his head.

Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• X (Hollywood aggregator account, crediting Matt Belloni / Puck) — the claim that Culkin met with Disney and the studio is “salivating” over a reboot

• Variety / People — Culkin’s November 2025 Nostalgic Night pitch, the “wouldn’t be completely allergic” and adult-Kevin-versus-his-son idea

• The Hollywood Reporter — Chris Columbus on the “really bad sequels” and Culkin’s 35th-anniversary Academy Museum conversation

• Entertainment Tonight (via NBC Chicago) — Columbus saying the original “should be left alone”

• Deadline — Home Sweet Home Alone (2021) and the Mickey’s Home Alone 2026 holiday special

• AOL / ScreenCrush — the franchise’s sequel-and-reboot history under Fox and Disney

Want to earn some free miles for your next Disney vacation? Do you have a Starbucks coffee addiction? If you said yes to either question, I have some great news for you!

Starbucks and Delta are teaming up again for a SkyMiles promotion!

Starting on August 5, 2026, customers who link their Starbucks Rewards and Delta SkyMiles will earn 1 mile for every $1 spent at participating Starbucks locations.

However, not everyone will be earning this reward.

How to start earning SkyMiles

Here is where a lot of people won’t get to participate.

Eligible Starbucks purchases will count toward SkyMiles, but to qualify, you must have flown with Delta in the past 12 months.

Double Stars on Delta travel days

Double Stars on Delta travel days will continue for eligible linked members. Those individuals can earn Double Stars on Starbucks purchases made on days when they have a scheduled Delta flight.

How to sign up:

First, join Starbucks Rewards and Delta SkyMiles, if you haven’t already done so.

Then link your accounts at deltastarbucks.com.

Start earning SkyMiles on Aug. 5

Did you know that there is a secret menu drink inspired by Delta’s famous cookie?

Everyone can give this drink a try. No sign-ups or flights within the past year are required.

Order a Grande Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso

Customize it by asking for the following:

(+) Line the cup with caramel sauce
(+) 1 pump of Chai
(+) Extra cinnamon powder

I know my daughter will want to give this drink a try.

The dreaded fine print

“Excludes taxes, gratuities, gift cards, and alcoholic beverages. Miles can only be earned by flight-active SkyMiles members who have flown a qualifying Delta here flight within the previous 12 months. Newly linked members are eligible to earn for the first 12 months and will need to take a qualifying Delta flight to continue earning beyond that date. For full terms & conditions visit deltastarbucks.com”

What do you think? Comment and let us know!

Kevin Feige wants to make fewer Marvel movies, and the box office numbers say he’s probably right.

The Marvel Studios president told Empire that the studio is deliberately slowing down. Just four MCU films are coming over the next three years, a sharp drop from the pace Marvel was keeping a few years ago.

“We always try to focus on quality, but when the quantity is so much, you get spread thin,” Feige said. “We didn’t want to be spread thin.”

For a studio that once pumped out three or four movies a year plus a stack of Disney+ shows, that’s a real change in direction. And it’s one that’s easy to defend once you look at how the recent movies actually did.

What Kevin Feige said about Marvel’s quality over quantity plan

Feige laid out the thin slate himself.

Avengers: Doomsday arrives in December 2026. Then Avengers: Secret Wars is the only MCU movie in all of 2027. After that, 2028 opens with Ghost Rider and Black Panther 3.

Four movies, three years. That’s it, at least among what’s been announced.

Feige framed the gap as intentional. He wants the two Avengers films to land as events, not as two more entries in a crowded calendar. “The Avengers are as important as it gets,” he told Empire, calling Secret Wars a setup for the entire future of the franchise.

This isn’t a brand-new idea from Marvel, either. Feige has been signaling a slowdown since 2024, and Disney CEO Bob Iger said on an earnings call that the company would cut Marvel down to two or three films a year, from the four it had been making.

Why Marvel’s box office numbers back up the slowdown

Here’s the part that turns a corporate talking point into a genuinely smart move.

During the Infinity Saga, the run of films that ended with Avengers: Endgame in 2019, Marvel almost never missed. Only three of those 22 movies failed to clear $500 million worldwide.

Since the pandemic, the math flipped hard. Seven of Marvel’s 13 post-Endgame films missed that same $500 million mark. That’s more than half.

Captain America: Brave New World and Thunderbolts both underwhelmed at the box office this year. The Marvels in 2023 became the lowest-grossing MCU movie ever. The misses stopped being the exception and started being the pattern.

So when Feige says the studio got spread too thin, the receipts are right there. Marvel was making more movies than it could make well, and audiences noticed the drop before the executives admitted it.

Marvel released too much content and fans felt it

The bigger problem wasn’t any single flop. It was the sheer volume.

By Feige’s own count, Marvel made about 50 hours of content between 2007 and 2019. In the six years after Endgame, it put out well over 100 hours, more than double the output in half the time. Add the animated shows and it’s around 127 hours.

“For the first time ever, quantity trumped quality,” Feige admitted last year.

A lot of that flood came from Disney+. When the streaming service launched, Marvel was pushed to fill it with shows, and suddenly keeping up with the MCU meant homework. Miss a series and you might miss a character who shows up in the next movie. That’s exhausting for casual fans, and casual fans are most of the audience.

That exhaustion has a name now, “superhero fatigue,” and it’s been blamed for soft turnouts across the genre, not just at Marvel. Whether the fatigue is about superheroes specifically or just about being asked to watch too much of one thing is debatable. Either way, the fix is the same: make less, and make it matter.

Will fewer Marvel movies actually work

Now the honest caveat, because this is a bet, not a guarantee.

Making fewer movies only helps if the movies are better. A slim slate of mediocre films is still a slim slate of mediocre films. The strategy buys Marvel time and focus, but it still has to land the Avengers movies and make Ghost Rider and Black Panther 3 count.

The scarcity should help, too. When there’s one Marvel movie instead of four, each one feels like an occasion again, the way Infinity War did. Absence is how you rebuild anticipation.

For Disney, a company cutting jobs across its studios this month, spending less on Marvel while trying to make each film better is about as clean a win-win as the strategy offers. Fewer swings, but harder ones.

Marvel spent five years proving that more isn’t better. Now it gets to find out if less actually is.

Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• Empire (July 2026), Feige’s quotes on focusing on quality, being spread thin, and the four-film slate through 2028

• Variety (July 20, 2025), Feige’s “quantity trumped quality” admission and the 50-hours-versus-100-hours content figures

• Bounding Into Comics and Popverse (July 2025), the seven-of-thirteen box office breakdown and the post-Endgame underperformers

• SlashFilm (May 2024), Bob Iger’s earnings-call comments on reducing Marvel’s film and TV output

• Kotaku (July 26, 2026), Zack Zwiezen’s write-up of the Empire interview and the four-films-in-three-years framing

Disney is being called out on X over the use of green duct tape to hold part of a truck together in the queue of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

The image was posted by RockNstardust.

The attraction has only been open for about two years, but already it seems the side panel of a truck is trying to pop off.

This truck is in a place that guests can access, so it is possible someone yanked on it. Just like us, Disney grabbed the handy duct tape (could be gaff tape) to fix the issue.

Now X is discussing the MacGyver fix.

“Wouldn't be the first ride at WDW held together with duct tape. Can't find the picture but the outdoor section of Test Track 1.0 was held together by duct tape, noticable when the single rider line used to load in on the far left side of the building (door by merge point now).” - ScottKumka

“It’s ok! That’s just “go-away green” duct tape, no one will even see it!” -magicfergie

“I rode yesterday and the only consistently functioning scene was the finale. Most projections were working though which was surprising” - Kork

“If true, there’s chance for me to be an Imagineer yet. My go to DIY tool” - Hidden Magic

“My god Disney fix Tiana this is embarassing for a top.tier themepark.” - Ogie

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has a lot of issues.

Since this attraction opened in 2024, it has had a lot of issues with animatronics and screen projections. Maybe newer animatronics don’t mix with water and humidity.

What do you think? Comment and let us know!

Crumbl just put a spicy, cheesy, lime-dusted cookie on its menu, and people cannot agree on whether that’s brilliant or cursed.

The Flamin’ Lime Crunch Cookie landed as part of Crumbl’s “Road Trip Week,” the rotating lineup running July 27 through August 2. The whole week is themed around snacks you’d grab at a gas station on a long drive, and this is the gas-station chip aisle turned into dessert.

What is in the Crumbl Flamin’ Lime Crunch cookie

Per Crumbl’s own description, this thing is loaded.

It starts as a lime sugar cookie, then gets rolled in a spicy cheese crisp mixture. It’s filled with tangy cream cheese frosting, coated in a spicy cheese crisp streusel, and finished with more spicy crunchy cheese crisps and a fresh lime wedge on top.

So it’s sweet, sour, spicy, and cheesy all at once. If you’ve ever eaten Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Limón straight from the bag and chased them with something sweet, Crumbl basically built a cookie out of that exact craving.

The lime wedge garnish is a nice touch, too. It signals right away that this isn’t a normal cookie, and it gives you something to squeeze over the top if you want the sour to punch harder.

Why Crumbl made a spicy cheese cookie

This isn’t Crumbl throwing darts. It’s a strategy the chain has been running all summer.

Crumbl rotates its menu every week, pulling from a library of hundreds of flavors and leaning hard on collaborations and viral novelty picks. The spicy-sweet lane specifically has been a focus since a Tajín collaboration back in June.

A cookie like this is built for social media as much as for eating. A weird, polarizing flavor gets people filming their first bite, arguing in the comments, and driving to a store to see for themselves. That reaction is the marketing, and it works whether people love it or gag.

The Road Trip Week around it plays the same way, stacking familiar snack brands into cookies. The full lineup includes a Snickers peanut butter cookie, a Honey Bun cookie, a Wild Cherry Blue Razz slushy cookie, and a Berry Limeade cookie with Nerds gummy clusters.

How people are reacting to the Flamin’ Lime Crunch cookie

Here’s the honest picture, since the week just started: the reaction is early, loud, and split down the middle.

When food-tracking accounts first leaked the cookie, the comments broke into two camps almost immediately. One side was thrilled, the spicy-snack fans who’ve wanted something like this and were ready to drive out for it. The other side was firmly out, the people who think chips and frosting have no business in the same bite.

That divide tracks with how Crumbl’s boldest experiments usually go. The chain’s spicy and unusual flavors tend to split fans hard, and the loudest “absolutely not” reactions often come from people who then go try it anyway.

Whether the Flamin’ Lime Crunch cookie is actually good is going to come down to your own tolerance for sweet-meets-spicy. Some people are going to call it the most creative thing Crumbl’s done all year. Others are going to take one bite and reach for a glass of milk.

Either way, it’s only around through August 2. So if a lime-and-Cheeto-dust cookie sounds like a dare you’re willing to take, the clock’s running. Bring a napkin, and maybe that glass of milk.

Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• Crumbl Cookies, the official Flamin’ Lime Crunch Cookie product page and full ingredient description

• Brand Eating (July 2026), the Road Trip Week framing, the July 27-August 2 dates, and the full weekly lineup

• Snackolator (July 2026), the early leak of the cookie and the first wave of fan reaction

Disney has just dropped several apparel and merchandise pieces based on the beloved Halloween decoration.

Let’s take a look!

Mickey Mouse Light-Up Halloween Wreath - $79.99

You can put up a replica of the wreath in your own home!

This 16” diameter wreath uses 3 AAA batteries.

“Inspired by the Halloween wreaths that hang in the Disney Parks, it features a molded Mickey jack-o’-lantern pumpkin that lights up at the center of sunflowers, leaves and gourds. Turn it on and watch it light up the faces of all who see it.”

Mickey Mouse Jack-o’-lantern wreath ornament - $26.99

Carry Mickey’s Halloween wreath over to your Christmas decorating!

Light-Up Mickey Wreath Ears - $42.99

I love these so much!

Halloween Spirit Jersey - $79.99

Sizes XS-3XL

Halloween Ear Headband - $36.99

Match the Halloween Spirit Jersey with this adorable headband.

Mickey’s Halloween Croc Clogs Adult sizes - $69.90

Sizes M4/W6 - M9/W11 are available.

Mickey’s Halloween Croc Clogs Kids Sizes - $54.99

Sizes 7-13 and 1-3 are available.

Mickey’s Halloween Light Up Jibbitz - $26.99

Wear the magic of Disney’s Halloween on your feet.

This Jibbitz set features light-up versions of the Mickey Jack-o’-Lantern, along with a Minnie Mouse version, Cinderella Castle, a Spiderweb, and a candy apple.

Mickey Mouse Jack-o’-Lantern Spirit Jersey - $69.99

Sizes XS-XXL.

Mickey Jack-o’-Lantern Button Down Shirt - $64.99

Sizes S-3XL

Mickey and Minnie Halloween Dress - $129.99

Halloween Pumpkin Dress Girls - $44.99

Mickey Mouse Halloween Hockey Jersey for Adults - $89.99

Sizes S-3XL

The Mickey Mouse Jack-o’-Lantern is featured on the chest and shoulders of the jersey.

Mickey Mouse Jack-o’-Lantern MagicBand+ -$54.99

This MagicBand is a limited release

PJs for all!

Sleep Set Women - $54.99

Halloween Lounge Pants for Adults - $44.99

Kids PJ Pals - $26.99

Girl’s Halloween Nightshirt - $26.99

Baby Sleeper - $24.99

So much Mickey and Minnie Jack-o’-lantern goodness!

What do you think? Will you be purchasing any of these pieces?

Comment and let us know!

Marvel announced David Jonsson as the star of Black Panther 3 at San Diego Comic-Con, out December 15, 2028. He’s not recasting Chadwick Boseman. He’s playing T’Challa’s grown son, taking up the mantle as the next generation of Wakanda.

Wakanda has a new king, and a new face to carry it.

At Marvel Studios‘ Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, director Ryan Coogler took the stage and announced David Jonsson as the star of Black Panther 3. The movie hits theaters December 15, 2028.

The room roared. Then Jonsson stepped up to the mic and kept it short and gracious. “Thank you to this amazing family that I have the honor and the privilege and the blessing to join,” he said, per NBC News.

David Jonsson is playing T’Challa’s son, not recasting Chadwick Boseman

This is the part that matters most, and it’s the respectful part.

Jonsson isn’t stepping into Chadwick Boseman‘s role. He’s playing Prince T’Challa II, the son of Boseman’s T’Challa and Lupita Nyong’o‘s Nakia. Fans met him as a young boy in the final moments of 2022‘s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

The third film ages him up and follows him coming of age, with his sights set on Wakanda’s throne. So this is a passing of the torch to the next generation, not a replacement of the man who originated it.

That distinction has always mattered to this franchise. When Boseman died of colon cancer in 2020, Marvel and Coogler chose not to recast T’Challa at all, writing his death into Wakanda Forever instead. Introducing a son, and now giving that son his own movie, lets the story move forward without pretending Boseman’s T’Challa can be swapped out.

Who is David Jonsson

The British actor broke out with roles in Alien: Romulus and the Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk, the latter earning him some of the best reviews of his career. TV audiences know him as Gus Sackey from the first two seasons of HBO’s Industry.

Who else is returning for Black Panther 3

Coogler isn’t doing this alone, and neither is Jonsson.

Ryan Coogler returns to direct, fresh off his Oscar win for writing Sinners. Letitia Wright is back as Shuri, who took up the Black Panther mantle herself in Wakanda Forever, and Winston Duke returns as M’Baku.

There’s a heavy hitter joining, too. Denzel Washington is set for the third film, after Washington himself revealed last year that Coogler had written a role specifically for him.

Exactly how Jonsson’s prince and Wright’s Shuri share the Black Panther identity hasn’t been explained yet. Shuri wears the suit at the end of the last movie, and the new one seems to be setting up the prince to take it. Marvel’s keeping the how under wraps.

Black Panther is one of Disney’s biggest franchises

The stakes here are big, and the numbers say why.

The original 2018 Black Panther was a global phenomenon, earning $1.3 billion worldwide. It became the first superhero movie ever nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, and it won three Academy Awards. Marvel is owned by Disney, so this is one of the crown jewels of the whole Disney movie machine.

Handing that to a relative newcomer is a real bet. But it’s the same bet Marvel made on Boseman once, and on Coogler, who was a little-known indie director when he got the first film.

Black Panther 3 lands in December 2028. Jonsson has some time to get ready for the weight of that mask. Judging by how he handled a Hall H full of screaming fans, he’ll be fine.

Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• Variety (July 25, 2026), the Comic-Con announcement, the December 15, 2028 release date, the T’Challa II character details, and the returning cast

• The Hollywood Reporter (July 25, 2026), the Feige/Coogler reveal and Jonsson’s breakout-role background

• NBC News (July 26, 2026), Jonsson’s onstage quote and the passing-of-the-torch framing

• Essence (July 25, 2026), the full returning cast, Denzel Washington’s involvement, and the original film’s box office and Oscar history

• Deadline (July 25, 2026), the Prince T’Challa II / Toussaint character detail and the large-format celluloid production note

Marvel Studios confirmed Ryan Gosling as Ghost Rider at San Diego Comic-Con, in a 2028 film from Shawn Levy. It’s a dream role Gosling has chased for years, and it makes him the face of two Disney franchises at once, since he’s also fronting Star Wars: Starfighter.

Ryan Gosling finally got the part he’s been asking about for years.

At Marvel Studios‘ Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, studio boss Kevin Feige brought Gosling onstage, complete with a revving motorcycle, and confirmed it: Gosling is the new Ghost Rider. His first superhero role, in a movie set for 2028.

The reveal set off what one outlet called pandemonium in the room. This one’s been rumored for over a year, and Gosling’s actual appearance is what made it real.

Ryan Gosling is playing Johnny Blaze in the Marvel Ghost Rider movie

Gosling is playing Johnny Blaze, the original Ghost Rider from the comics.

Blaze is a stunt motorcycle rider who makes a deal with the devil and gets bonded to a demon, which turns him into a flaming-skulled antihero called the Spirit of Vengeance. The character was created by writer Gary Friedrich and artist Mike Ploog, first showing up in 1972.

Shawn Levy is directing. Marvel fans know Levy from Deadpool & Wolverine, and he debuted the Ghost Rider logo during the same panel. The movie is aimed at theaters in 2028.

Gosling made clear this wasn’t a job he took lightly. “You know, this is a character I’ve wanted to play for a long time,” he told the Hall H crowd, per ScreenRant.

Ryan Gosling now fronts two Disney franchises at once

Here’s the part that makes this a bigger deal for Disney than one casting.

Gosling isn’t just joining Marvel, which Disney owns. He’s also the lead in Star Wars: Starfighter, the new Star Wars movie hitting theaters May 28, 2027. Disney owns that one too.

So one actor is about to headline pieces of Disney’s two biggest franchises back to back. And the connection runs deeper than the same parent company, because Shawn Levy directed Starfighter as well. Gosling and Levy wrapped that film recently, and now they’re running it back for Ghost Rider.

That’s a lot of trust to put in one actor-director pairing. Disney is betting Gosling can anchor Star Wars in 2027 and Marvel in 2028, which is about as big a two-year run as the studio can hand somebody.

Ghost Rider has had a rocky road to the MCU

Ghost Rider is a character Marvel has been trying to get right on screen for a long time.

Nicolas Cage played Blaze in two films, in 2007 and 2011, both made by Sony and both poorly reviewed. The rights later returned to Marvel Studios.

More recently, Gabriel Luna played a different version of the character, Robbie Reyes, on ABC’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. That show referenced the movie universe but was never made official canon, so Gosling’s version may end up being the first true Ghost Rider inside the main Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Not everyone’s sold, for the record. Alongside all the fan excitement, a few holdouts online groaned about another big-name actor signing up for a Marvel movie. That debate isn’t new and it won’t be settled by a casting announcement.

But the reaction in the room told the real story. Fans have wanted Gosling as Ghost Rider for years, treating it as perfect casting long before it was real, and on Saturday Marvel finally gave it to them.

Now Gosling just has to survive Star Wars first. Flaming skull optional.

Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• Marvel Studios (July 26, 2026), the official Hall H announcement, the Shawn Levy directing confirmation, and the 2028 window

• Variety (July 26, 2026), the Feige reveal, Levy’s Hall H remarks, and the Starfighter release date

• The Hollywood Reporter (July 26, 2026), the Johnny Blaze casting, the character’s 1972 comic origin, and the Sony-to-Marvel rights history

• ScreenRant (July 26, 2026), the Gosling “dream role” quote from the panel

• Inverse (July 26, 2026), the Gabriel Luna / Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. canon context

Count Chocula, Franken Berry and Boo Berry are back for Halloween 2026 with new packaging built around puppet designs from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

The spookiest cereals in the grocery store are coming back for another Halloween.

General Mills announced that Count Chocula, Franken Berry and Boo Berry are returning to shelves for the 2026 season, once again dressing up new limited-edition boxes featuring the puppet versions from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop.

The cereals are turning 55 this year. Not bad for three cartoon monsters who mostly show up for six weeks a year and then vanish until fall.

Jim Henson’s Creature Shop returns for a second year of Monster Cereal boxes

This is the second year for the Henson collaboration.

Last year, they partnered with The Jim Henson Company to reimagine the three monsters as puppets, turning Count Chocula, Franken Berry and Boo Berry into characters you would find somewhere on Sesame Street.

“Fans loved” the puppet versions last year, said General Mills cereal director Megan Brooks, so the two teamed up again for fresh designs this time around.

The Jim Henson Company is the perfect partner to bring these characters to life.

This year the boxes can be turned into puppets!

For 2026, the boxes can be transformed into physical puppets for fun that lasts long after the cereal is gone.

On October 1, a limited-edition fuzzy Count Chocula cereal box, made to replicate the fleece-like texture of the puppets, will be available exclusively on Walmart.com for $7.76.

Monster Cereals started in 1971 with Count Chocula and Franken Berry

The story goes back to March 1971, when General Mills rolled out two brand-new cereals: chocolate Count Chocula and strawberry Franken Berry.

At the time, they were the only chocolate- and strawberry-flavored cereals on the market, which helped them quickly win over cereal lovers.

Here’s a fun bit of trivia. The artist who drew the first Count Chocula, George Karn, was the same guy who’d sketched the original Trix Rabbit back in 1959.

Boo Berry, the first blueberry cereal anywhere, joined a year or two later, with General Mills dating the debut to 1972 and going national in 1973. Those three have been the core of the lineup ever since.

Fruit Brute and Yummy Mummy are the monsters that got away

Two more monsters came and went, and they’re the ones collectors obsess over.

Fruit Brute, a werewolf with a fruit-flavored cereal, arrived in the mid-1970s and got discontinued by 1982. Yummy Mummy replaced him in the late 1980s and lasted only a few years before disappearing himself.

Both monsters have returned from the dead for occasional limited runs over the years, including a 2013 return and a spot in the 50th-anniversary Monster Mash box. But they’ve never returned to permanent status.

From year-round cereal to a Halloween-only tradition

Here’s the shift that turned Monster Cereals into a nostalgia event instead of a regular grocery item.

For decades, you could buy these things any time. That changed around 2010, when General Mills pulled them from year-round shelves and made them Halloween-season only, showing up in September and vanishing after October.

That scarcity is the whole reason they’re a big deal now. It also means consumers grab them up quickly, even at sometimes higher prices.

General Mills has leaned all the way into that, running celebrity and artist collaborations on the boxes over the years, from DC Comics artists to the KAWS crossover to now a second year of Jim Henson puppets.

The cereal usually shows up in September, but sometimes you can find it sooner.

Good luck!

Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• General Mills (July 2026), the official 2026 announcement, the Jim Henson Creature Shop encore collaboration, and the Megan Brooks quote

• General Mills company history, the March 1971 debut, the George Karn/Trix Rabbit detail, and the shift to Halloween-only in 2010

• Wikipedia (retrieved July 25, 2026), the full Monster Cereals timeline, the Franken Berry dye incident, and the Fruit Brute and Yummy Mummy discontinuation dates

• The Retroist and PopIcon (2021-2023), the Fruit Brute Tarantino-film appearances and collector history

• TV Tropes (retrieved July 25, 2026), the 2013 and 50th-anniversary Monster Mash revivals and the DC Comics and KAWS box collaborations

Harry Potter fans, it’s time to get excited! Pillsbury and Betty Crocker have four new treats you can make at home, all inspired by the renowned IP!

These are slated to come out in July, so start checking your stores!

I love the idea of these kits. It reminds me of being a kid and making treats with my mom.

Let’s take a look!

Betty Crocker Harry Potter Hogwarts House Pumpkin Cupcake Kit

The box makes 12 pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.

“Wands (and mixing spoons) at the ready! Bake up some magic with Betty Crocker Hogwarts House Pumpkin Cakes Kit. In just a few minutes, create home baked cupcakes and show off your House pride. No need to open your spellbooks - witches and wizards of every skill level can create delicious cupcakes simply by following the instructions to stir together the ingredients and bake. Once cooled, squeeze the included cream cheese frosting on top of your baked cupcakes and enjoy the taste of sweet pumpkin with a creamy topping.”

Betty Crocker Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Chocolate Cupcake Kit

With this kit, you can make six cupcakes that are iced with chocolate frosting and decorated with toppers.

“In just a few minutes, create a darkly delicious dessert. No need to open your spellbooks - witches and wizards of every skill level can create scrumptious cupcakes by simply following the instructions to stir together the ingredients and bake. Once cooled, spread the included chocolate frosting on your baked cupcakes. Then decorate them with the Harry Potter themed toppers that come with the kit and enjoy these sweet, chocolatey treats.”

Betty Crocker Harry Potter Chocolate Flavored Frogs Truffle Kit

I love this one! You can make 14 truffles.

“In just a few minutes, create some delicious, chocolatey frogs with fun and flavor in every bite. No need to open your spellbooks - witches and wizards of every skill level can create these scrumptious sweet snacks by simply following the instructions. This kit comes with a chocolate flavored truffle mix and a set of frog-shaped molds. Pour your mix into the mold and pop in the refrigerator for about 20 to 30 minutes.”

Pillsbury Harry Potter Golden Snitch Shape Cookies

New ready-to-bake sugar cookies featuring Pillsbury’s first-ever Golden Snitch design, inspired by Quidditch’s most recognizable symbols.

The package makes 20 cookies.

I think the chocolate frog kit will be the most popular!

What do you think? Comment and let us know!

A leaked box shows Pikachu, Charmander, Jigglypuff and a Poke Ball doughnut with the Krispy Kreme logo and a “Gotta eat ‘em all!” tagline. Krispy Kreme hasn’t confirmed it, but American fans have been shut out of every prior Pokemon collab.

American Pokemon fans may finally be getting a doughnut drop of their own, if a leaked box is the real deal.

Food-tracking account Snackolator posted an early photo of a six-count Krispy Kreme box covered in Pokemon branding, with the tagline “Gotta eat ‘em all!” The picture went up July 25, and it’s the first look anybody’s gotten.

The box shows four themed doughnuts, Pikachu, Charmander, Jigglypuff, and a Poke Ball, plus two Original Glazed to round out the half-dozen.

Big catch, though: none of this is official yet.

No official Pokemon Krispy Kreme release date, flavors, or price

Krispy Kreme hasn’t announced the collection, so everything past the photo is a question mark.

No confirmed flavors. No price. No release date. No list of which stores. Snackolator said the doughnuts are “coming soon” but hedged that it could be this week or a good while yet.

So treat this as a leak, not a launch. The packaging looks finished, which usually means a release is close, but until Krispy Kreme says so, the details aren’t locked.

One thing the leaked box does suggest is that these are aimed at grocery stores rather than just Krispy Kreme shops, since that pre-packaged six-count format is how the chain sells its collabs in supermarkets.

American Pokemon fans have been left out before

Here’s why a US box is actually news. The last two times Krispy Kreme did Pokemon, Americans got nothing.

A 2024 set with Pikachu, Jigglypuff, Psyduck, Ditto, and Diglett was South Korea only. Back in 2021, Krispy Kreme made Pikachu, Charmander, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, and a Poke Ball for Pokemon’s 25th anniversary, and that run was exclusive to Australia.

Both times, US fans watched from the sidelines while people overseas posted their hauls. The reaction each round was a mix of excitement and “why does everyone else get the good stuff.”

If this leaked box is bound for US retailers, it’d break that streak and finally let American fans catch ‘em.

The timing lines up with Pokemon’s 30th anniversary

There’s a decent reason for a US push right now.

Pokemon is in the middle of its 30th-anniversary year, and the franchise has been stacking food collabs all over the place, including a recent McDonald’s tie-in with a Pikachu fries timer. A Krispy Kreme box fits that pattern.

Neither company has confirmed the doughnuts are part of the anniversary, so that connection is a reasonable guess rather than a stated fact. But a 30th-anniversary year is exactly when you’d expect the collab that finally crosses the ocean.

For now, keep an eye on the grocery aisle. If the leak holds, Pikachu’s about to show up next to the Original Glazed, and this time you won’t need a passport.

Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• Snackolator (July 25, 2026), the leaked box photo, the four doughnut designs, and the “coming soon” timing

• Dexerto (July 25, 2026), Zackerie Fairfax’s reporting pulling the leak together with the grocery-store format and the prior collab history

• The Focus and Foodbeast (2024), the South Korea-exclusive 2024 collection details

• ComicBook (2021), the Australia-exclusive 2021 doughnuts for Pokemon’s 25th anniversary

Mattel has just given Monster High doll collectors a look at some new dolls coming our way!

Four new dolls were revealed today, along with a look at the Creeproduction Dawn of the Dance dolls coming soon!

They are bringing it with some of these dolls! Given how lackluster other releases have been, I’m really excited about these new ones coming out. My wallet isn’t as happy.

I have some images to share along with the prices and release dates (via @Cleosnilez on Instagram).

Halloween II Michael Myers

Release date is August 7, 2026, and the price will likely be $70

“The season of scares is around the corner, so we’re paying homage to one of the most infamous horror villains in history with a truly extraordin-eerie look inspired by 1981’s Halloween II. Residents of Haddonfield, lock your doors. This slasher is armed with more than just a killer look. Michael Myers’s Monster High makeover is a nod to his hospital showdown with Laurie, complete with a red glitter spattered jumpsuit and tons of spine-chilling Easter egg accessories fans of the film will find totally to die for.”

Dawn of the Dance Creeproductions

These dolls are set for a release date of October 1, 2026. The dolls will be $32 each.

Howliday Draculaura

I ADORE this doll! She will be available on October 14, 2026. The price is $65.

My daughter is going to freak over this one. Draculaura has always been her favorite.

“Trick or screech! It’s time for every vampire’s favourite night of the year: Howl-o-ween! Her vamped-up Victorian lurk is so extravagant it’s positively batty. A delicate veil drapes over her eyes, sheer as a spiderweb, while a countess collar, batwing headpiece, and gravity-defying skirt draw the eyes of every monster in the room. Dripping in fangtastic accessories and flair, she’s looking gore-geously gothic for an all-night monster bash.”

Oogie Boogie

Mattel is bringing it with these dolls! Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas releases on October 30, 2026, and will be $70.

“Screams come true for fans of the iconic Disney Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas! This year, we’ve conjured the burlap sack baddie of Halloween Town, Oogie Boogie, for our must-have Monster High mashup. This frightastic doll wears a neon green fashion with black patchwork-like stitches, inspired by Oogie Boogie’s underground lair lurk. Highly detailed platform boots sculpted with intertwining insects complete this creepy-cool collectible that will have everyone bugging – in the best way!”

Krampus

The final doll reveal today is Krampus. This doll will be available on December 4, 2026, for $70.

“Oh, you better watch out! This year, we’re skelebrating the 2015 Krampus movie with a creeptastic collectible inspired by the titular terrifier. Our Krampus doll is dressed to haunt your nightmares in a hooded jacket and ruched dress with sinister, blood red tones. Extra-long chains add eerie movement, while black knee-high boots recreate Krampus’ cloven hooves. This monsterrific must-have will add dark howliday magic to any collection, so grab yours today – before you’re put on Krampus’ naughty list!”

Aren’t these simply AMAZING!

Which ones do you want? Comment and let us know!

Hasbro announced My Little Pony: Forever Friendship at San Diego Comic-Con on July 24, a new animated series premiering exclusively on YouTube in early 2027. It brings back the Mane Six-era ponies five years after the franchise rebooted with a new cast.

The ponies are coming back, and so are the ponies you actually remember.

Hasbro announced My Little Pony: Forever Friendship at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday, a new animated series landing exclusively on YouTube in early 2027.

The big deal for longtime fans is who’s in it. Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are back, the same characters who carried the show that turned My Little Pony into a phenomenon last decade.

Episodes run nine minutes and drop every two weeks. Hasbro is calling it a “feelings-first fantasy adventure” about friendship, magic and self-discovery.

My Little Pony has been around since 1984, and keeps rebooting

To get why this is a homecoming, you need the quick version of how My Little Pony works. It reboots. A lot.

The toys showed up in the early 1980s, and the first cartoon followed in 1984. Fans and Hasbro sort these eras into “generations,” G1 through G5, and each one basically starts over with new ponies, new looks, and a new world.

The one that broke out was Generation 4, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, which ran from 2010 to 2019. That’s the Twilight Sparkle era. It picked up a massive adult fanbase, the “Bronies,” on top of the kids it was made for, mostly because the writing and worldbuilding went deeper than a toy cartoon needed to.

Then in 2021, Hasbro rebooted again. Generation 5 moved past the Mane Six to a whole new cast led by a pony named Sunny Starscout, in a movie and the Make Your Mark series.

So bringing Twilight and friends back for Forever Friendship skips over the current generation to revive the one people loved most. That’s the move here.

Why My Little Pony is going to YouTube instead of TV or Netflix

A brand this big launching on YouTube instead of a streamer or a cable network raises an eyebrow. It shouldn’t.

For a kids’ brand in 2026, YouTube isn’t the backup plan. It’s where the kids already are. Little kids reach for the YouTube app the way their parents once reached for a TV remote, so Hasbro is putting the ponies where the audience lives instead of hoping the audience finds them on Disney+ or Netflix.

The format follows the platform. Nine-minute episodes suit the way kids actually watch, in short bites between other videos, and the every-two-weeks drop schedule keeps the channel active without needing a full 22-minute network order.

There’s a business logic too. Hasbro makes its real money on the toys, not on licensing fees from a network. YouTube gives it a direct pipe to kids and, more to the point, to the parents doing the buying, with no middleman deciding whether the show gets renewed. G5 already leaned on YouTube for shorts. This just commits to it fully.

What else we know about My Little Pony: Forever Friendship

Hasbro loaded the announcement with the usual launch pieces.

The voice cast is Jenna Weir as Twilight Sparkle, Ava Preston as Rainbow Dash, Kayla Samson as Fluttershy, and Kaya Kanashiro as Pinkie Pie. Gretchen Mallorie is showrunner and head writer, with Tayhan Mustafa directing.

The art comes partly from illustrator Nicholas Kole, whose past work includes the Spyro Reignited Trilogy and Disney’s Lorcana card game. There’s also a new theme song, “Forever Friendship,” out now from vocalist Cali Rodi, plus a podcast and more music promised down the line.

One thing the press release doesn’t say is why only four of the original six ponies are named. Applejack and Rarity rounded out the old Mane Six, and Hasbro’s announcement lists the other four without explaining the gap.

Maybe they’re saving it for a reveal. Maybe the roster really is four. Either way, the pony fandom noticed within about ten minutes, because the pony fandom notices everything.

Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.

Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Hat Tips:

• Hasbro via Business Wire (July 24, 2026), the official announcement, the early 2027 YouTube premiere, the episode format, the Kim Boyd quote, and the creative and voice credits

• Variety (July 24, 2026), the Comic-Con reveal, the full cast and crew list, and the theme song details

• TheWrap (July 24, 2026), the Comic-Con timing and the Cali Rodi track

• Animation World Network (July 24, 2026), the series overview and format confirmation

• Equestria Daily (July 24, 2026), the Nicholas Kole art detail and the year-plus of prior silence on new pony projects

• My Little Pony Generations Wiki and G5 MLP Wiki (retrieved July 24, 2026), the franchise generation history, the 2010-2019 run of Friendship Is Magic, and the 2021 G5 reboot