D23 Parks Announcements - Beloved Character Returns!

Disney's annual D23 conference is taking place this weekend in Anaheim.  All sorts of major announcements are coming out about Disney movies, TV shows and most notably for the purposes of this blog, parks news.  I say "annual" but it's really every OTHER year, with the offsetting years being called "Destination D23" and taking place in Florida.  The OG D23 is usually the "bigger" of the two events, though plenty of news is announced at both.

The last regular D23 event was a night filled with bombshell after bombshell, as Disney basically laid out their plans for the next ten years or so.  That event was a commitment by Disney to spend billions of dollars in the parks, which was welcome news to fans around the world.  But most of that work was backloaded, meaning that it would be years before any of these things came to fruition.  Indeed, as we sit here in 2026, most of the biggest announcements from that conference are still being constructed.

Bus Restrictions at Disney Springs - Good Policy or Bad Omen?

A new Disney policy has been making the rounds on social media, and the reaction has largely been sensationalistic.  This post will take a look at that policy, discuss what it IS and what it IS NOT, and try to take a step back and look at whether it’s a good decision by Disney.

 

The new policy relates to bus and boat service from Disney Springs.  Up until now, anyone could take Disney transportation from Disney Springs to any place it would go (notably, this meant Disney resort hotels, NOT parks.  This will be important in this discussion).  Now Disney is saying that this particular transportation will be restricted only to guests that have “business” at these resorts – basically this means a resort stay, a dining reservation or some other kind of experience reservation.

 

A Big Beautiful (?) Tomorrow: Changes Coming to Carousel of Progress

I've been very busy in my “real” life recently, which is why this blog hasn’t been updated in quite some time.  I don’t want to give it up, and I’m hoping that I can find time to write even if it’s not as much as it used to be.  For a few months, I told myself that if the situation presented itself, I would make sure to post about it.  A lot has happened in the world of Disney but nothing that compelled me to write about it … until now.

 

So what brings me back into the fold here, dear reader?  The Carousel of Progress, of course!  Disney recently announced that some major changes were going to take place with this attraction, and I couldn’t stay silent any longer.  This post will take a look at what was announced, put it in context with similar changes in the past and try to decide whether we should be happy about this or not.

 

New Summer 2026 WDW Discounts

Disney just released a bunch of new discounts for summer visits.  I don’t often talk about discounts here but one of these caught my eye and I wanted to do a deeper dive into it.  We’ll talk about what discounts are available and whether one (or more) of these is a good deal.

 

First, these “summer” deals cover roughly May through September.  There are some slight differences in the dates but that should give you a rough idea of what we’re looking at.  Check Disneyworld.com for more specifics if you need them.  These all relate to the “Cool Kids’ Summer”, an amorphous term that Disney started using last year.

 

Opening Dates at Disney World 2026

Disney put out a bunch of announcements today, mostly as a road map to what’s coming in 2026.  Pretty much everything here was previously announced, but this helps break down when things should be happening, as dates or at least timeframes were firmed up.  We’ll go down the list and talk about most of these and see what else we can glean from this snapshot of 2026.

 

In “early 2026”, Disney officially confirmed the dates for the International Festival of the Arts at Epcot.  Probably Disney’s least known and appreciate festival runs from January 16 through February 23.  It’s no surprise that this Festival is returning, and the timeframe is pretty much exactly the same as it was in 2025 (which ran 1/17-2/24).  This covers the post-holiday period and runs just past Presidents Week.

 

Also in early 2026, the updated Animatronics in Frozen Ever After at Epcot will also debut.  We talked about this earlier, but the changeover shouldn’t take very long and can probably be worked on behind the scenes before having to go live.  There is no word on how long Frozen will have to close, but it can’t be very long; this announcement comes in December and the new Animatronics are to debut in February.  I would expect a slight closure to get everything ready but nothing to really be concerned about.  Edit: Disney updated their website to confirm that Frozen will close on January 26.  That puts the closure at somewhere between a couple of weeks and a month.  I would be on the earlier side.

 

Next up are the announcements for spring 2026.  As with most Disney seasons, spring is sort of a moving target here.  Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival will return from March 4 through June 1.  That should give you an idea of what Disney considers “spring” (which doesn’t necessarily follow the lunar calendar).  Again, this follows the exact pattern from 2025, where the festival ran from 3/5-6/2.

 

There is now a more narrow timeframe for the return of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which has been down since January 6, 2025.  It is now slated to return in spring, but no further dates were revealed.  We’ve talked about this project before and this update doesn’t provide any new details on what EXACTLY will be different about this ride all these months later.  My guess would be before spring break really kicks into gear in Florida, so mid-March at the latest.

 

Similarly, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom will reopen in the spring.  This has been down since August 2025.  New handheld blasters are among the biggest changes here, which should make the ride more sleek and modern.  I expect this to open around the same time as Big Thunder; once again, Disney will want as many things as possible open by spring break and this seems to fit the bill.

 

Next come the “summer” announcements, starting with the debut of Soarin’ Across America.  As I noted in that original post, I expected Soarin’ to debut around Memorial Day to fit the idea of Disney summer and that’s exactly what today’s announcement states.  Hey, even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while!  This is particularly interesting, because just yesterday Disneyland announced that their new version of Soarin’ will debut on July 2, meaning Florida gets this new version a month plus ahead of California.  As I also said in that post, there should be little to no downtime for Soarin’, as it should be a simple matter of changing out the film; all of the framework will remain the same.

 

I’m not sure if it was specifically noted before, but Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run will debut a “new mission” with the Mandalorian and Grogu.  This will debut on May 22, 2026, which (not so) coincidentally is the same date as the new movie, The Mandalorian and Grogu, hits theaters.  Symmetry!  I’m still not sure how much downtime, if any, Millennium Falcon will need. The film should be able to be changed out easily, but I don’t know if they’re changing anything in the queue or preshow.  Will we still be trying to retrieve coaxium for Hondo Ohnaka, just with Din Djarin and Grogu along for the ride??  Unclear.

 

Disney also reiterated that Rock N Roller Coaster Starring the Muppets will debut in summer 2026.  This timeframe was already noted and no additional dates were specified.  But the queue for the current version of the ride is already undergoing changes, as the pre-show recently closed, and that’s where the majority of the work will be done.  No word on when the ride itself will close for this new update.

 

Probably the biggest “new” news update today concerns the reimagining of Animation Courtyard at Hollywood Studios into the Walt Disney Studios Lot.  This was previously announced, but there are a lot of concrete notes about what is changing, including six character meet and greets and a large Sorcerer Mickey hat to adorn the Roy E. Disney Animation Building.  Later in the summer, Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live debuts. This is a show that already exists in California and as should be apparent from the name, will cater to a younger demographic.  Either way, it’s nice to see this formerly “dead” area of Hollywood Studios actually become useful again.

 

This list goes on to include fall and winter but there’s really nothing new under the sun here – Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival will return in the fall, though these are no brainers and no dates have been announced yet.  Similarly, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Jollywood Nights and Festival of the Holidays all return in the winter.

 

Obviously this list is not comprehensive, as Disney will surely announce some more things as the year goes on. But this gives us a pretty good idea of what they have planned in the near future, which is always helpful to trip planning.  Hopefully we get some more concrete dates on some of these things soon but no closure appears to be major, and the biggest one (Big Thunder) is nearly complete now.

WDW News October (Price Increases and More!)

 

Disney put out a few news tidbits today.  We’ll talk about what they are, but more importantly, WHY they were announced today of all days.  I guess I shouldn’t bury the lede here – any positive news that came out was offset by the annual ticket price increase that always comes around this time of year.  I don’t know whether it will soften the blow of higher prices, but Disney must think so.  In any case, let’s start there.

 

Ticket Price and Annual Pass Price increase:

Disney had already rolled out new pricing into 2026 when packages became available earlier this year, so this is mostly a continuation of that and the addition of November and December 2026, which of course are the highest priced tickets you will find at any time.  Trying to pinpoint exact increases on various days is sort of a fool’s errand, because there are so many variables at play.

Destination D23 Announcements

 

This past weekend, Disney hosted their bi-annual Destination D23 convention in Orlando.  This is a bi-annual event because it alternates with the larger D23 in Anaheim.  Usually D23 proper is where most of the big parks announcements (among other things) are announced, where Destination events tend to be smaller, fan focused historical presentations.

This was NOT true two years ago, and that fact, combined with an especially huge D23 event last year had many fans thinking that we were in store for more major announcements, regardless of the year or name of the event.  But as the event approached, people noted that there wasn't even a Disney Parks panel listed, so many bloggers and those in the know were warning fans to lower their expectations, as it looked like nothing major would be announced.

Disney World News Roundup August 2025

 

Artwork Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

Yesterday, Disney put out a few small posts on their blog that provided updates to things that were already in the works.  I wouldn't consider any of these to be earth shattering news, but since there were a few stories in rapid fire succession, I thought we would take a look at them all here and provide some commentary where applicable.

 

The thing I find the most interesting about these tidbits is the timing.  Next week is Destination D23, the every-other-year fan event held in Orlando.  This alternates with the larger D23 events which are held in Anaheim.  Last year was one of the biggest D23 events I can remember, with major announcements affecting all parks in the future.   

 

Piston Peak Coming to Frontierland

 

Disney announced a bunch of new details for the Cars-themed mini-land coming to Magic Kingdom.  This area is now officially named Piston Peak National Park, and there is a ton of new concept art as well as some information directly from Imagineers about this new project.  This post will take a look at all of that, discuss the timing of the closure of Rivers of America and see whether our minds can be changed about this project as a whole.

Piston Peak is NOT Radiator Springs (which we already knew) but IS connected to the Cars "universe" (a term I'll use loosely here) as it was a setting in Planes: Fire and Rescue, which in and of itself is an offshoot of Cars (got all that?).  The version in the movie was influenced by Yosemite and Yellowstone, but the version being built in the park is more like Rocky Mountain National Park, with plenty of peaks, rivers and geysers.

Disney Starlight: Dream The Night Away Debuts July 20

Disney officially confirmed the opening date of the newest entertainment coming to Magic Kingdom, the night parade known as Disney Starlight: Dream The Night Away.  This parade debuts on July 20.  In this post, we talk a little about the parade, discuss the new park reservation quirk and how the holiday parties impact the viewings of this new offering.

I've only mentioned Starlight once in this blog, as part of the D23 announcements last year.  That's not because I'm not interested in it - quite the contrary, in fact.  I think this will be a fun parade that will draw crowds over the summer.  Disney skeptics would say that this isn't really an "answer" for Universal's Epic Universe, an entirely new theme park in Orlando.  But while Disney has plenty of new attractions debuting in the future, most of them won't appear until at least 2027.  In the meantime, new "smaller" entertainment will have to fill the gap here.

Disney to Open New Theme Park in Abu Dhabi

This blog largely focuses on Walt Disney World, as opposed to the Walt Disney Company at large.  In most cases it's because that's the area that I'm most familiar with, but it also has to do with the fact that corporate Disney news can be so vast and I wanted to keep the focus of this blog more localized.  

However, sometimes big news comes along having nothing directly to do with WDW and it still warrants a post here.  Today's big news is one of these.  Disney dropped a bombshell this morning, announcing a joint venture with the entertainment company Miral to build a new Disney park in Abu Dhabi.  This post will take a look at the announcement and try to figure out the why and why now of this groundbreaking news.

Disney World News Round Up March 2025

 

Disney was busy this morning, putting out bits of information on various things coming to their resorts in the (near) future.  We'll take a quick run through of all of this various news and throw in some commentary where it's needed.  

First there are a few discounts coming this year.  Starting tomorrow (March 27), you can get 50% off kids tickets for visits from 5/27-9/20.  There's also a three day, three park ticket starting at $89 for visits from 4/6-9/22 (notably the ticket does NOT include admission to Magic Kingdom - just the other three parks).  Then there are the "traditional" discounts that pop up from time to time - free dining for four night or longer stays on select dates between 6/29-12/22.  And there are room only discounts of up to 30% for select visits from 8/1-10/11.  You got all that??

Virtual Queue to End at Tiana's Bayou Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy

 

Disney dropped some big news yesterday - the virtual queue system (VQ) that had been in use on both Tiana's Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot are coming to an end on February 25.  This post will talk about what that means for each of these rides and parks specifically, as well as whether this is a good thing for guests and the future of VQ in general.

If you're not already aware (though if you're reading this, you probably are), a VQ is a system that Disney (and other theme parks) use in place of a standby line, usually on new/incredibly popular attractions or attractions that have reliability issues.  When a VQ is in place, there is no standby line at all - this means that a guest can't wait for hours to ride one of these attractions, even if they were so inclined.

Tumbleweeds: A Changing Frontierland

 

Walt Disney World is starting to undergo some major refurbishments that will change the landscape of its parks, hopefully for the better, for many years to come.  A lot of this has been talked about for the last couple of years, most notably at the recent D23 event where some of the biggest projects were officially confirmed, including a Villains Land at Magic Kingdom and Tropical Americas replacing Dinoland at Animal Kingdom.

One of the bigger surprises announced there was a new Cars themed mini-land in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom.  The good vibes turned a little sour after it came out a little while later that this would be replacing the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island.  I won't rehash all of that post here, but suffice it to say that my reaction (and that of many others) was negative, as we will be losing a place of calm tranquility in the midst of the world's busiest theme park.

Holiday Crowd Levels 2024

 

We're back, and today we're taking a look at wait times and crowd levels over what is typically the busiest week of the year for Disney, the week between Christmas and New Year.  In this post, we'll pull up the raw data and compare these numbers to last year.  We'll also see if we can figure out whether the recent trend of "soft" crowds at Disney World carried over to the busiest time of year.

I want to define what I mean by "soft" (with those heavy air quotes).  The overall trend for Disney World in terms of wait times in 2024 was down compared to the previous year.  As always, when you visit, how prepared you are, ride down time, weather and just plain bad luck can impact your particular trip.  I'm not saying your individual experience is any less valid - if you went during a school break, for example, and found the place bustling with people, that doesn't mean it didn't happen.  We can only focus on attraction wait times, which is the best indicator of crowds, even if it is imperfect.

Muppet & Monster Mayhem at Hollywood Studios

 

Art courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

Disney dropped an announcement today that's really two announcements in one, and for many people, this is a "good news/bad news" situation.  The bad news section is the long rumored replacement of MuppetVision 3D at Hollywood Studios with the new Monsters Inc. mini-land that was announced back at D23.  The other half of that is that the Muppets will be "taking over" the Rock N Roller Coaster in the same park.  We'll talk about all of this here.

First, as far as MuppetVision 3D is concerned, the writing was on the wall for a while.  The Monsters Inc. land was announced at D23 but noticeably absent was a location as to where it would go in the park, and the concept art did nothing to clarify that.  Rumors began soon afterwards that it was going to replace the Muppet show that was there.  The other option seemed to be the (mostly vacant) Animation Courtyard, and the word at the time was that Disney hadn't made up their mind yet as to the location.

Lightning Lane Premier Pass Coming to Walt Disney World

 

 

For years, Walt Disney World fans have been clamoring for a "skip the line" service that was similar to Universal's Express Pass and today that day has arrived ... with a price.  We're going to take a look at Disney's new service, compare it to Express Pass as well as other Walt Disney World offerings and try to determine who actually the audience for this new product is.

Let's start with the basics - the new service is called Lightning Lane Premier Pass (LLPP).  These acronyms are going to be tough to follow, so please pay attention as to whether I'm using this one or the other Lightning Lane offerings - Lightning Lane Single Pass (LLSP) or Lightning Lane Multi-pass (LLMP).  Disney loves a good acronym!

Ride Closures & Delayed Openings Report

Disney dropped a few bits of news recently concerning their upcoming renovations and new attractions.  While these things are exciting, there is often the downside, which includes attractions currently going down for maintenance or going away entirely.  Since these items are all at least tangentially related and I didn't think any one individually deserved its own post, we'll look at them all here.

I'll start with what I consider the least important of these, which is that the Little Mermaid Musical Adventure stage show at Hollywood Studios has been delayed.  I can't say this comes as much of a surprise, as the opening timeframe was supposed to be ... well, right around now, and there just hadn't been much word since it had been announced.  

Magic Kingdom Wait Times - The Tron Effect?

 

A few weeks ago, we posted about Tron: Lightcycle Run dropping its virtual queue (VQ) at the Magic Kingdom and going to a normal standby system.  Now that we have a couple of weeks worth of data, I wanted to see how this major change has affected wait times at the park as a whole, as well as whether Tron has become the new "big bad" at Magic Kingdom, with the highest wait time throughout any given day.

My supposition in that earlier post was that Tron would indeed become the attraction with the highest wait time in the park, supplanting Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and would probably remain this way for years, until at least the new Cars rides if not Villains Land opened.  I also posited that the average wait time at the park as a whole would increase, as heretofore there was no posted wait time for Tron, meaning that even if a lot of people rode it in any given day, it wouldn't get included in the crowd level posts because there was no way to simply wait for it.  Throwing a major ride to the top of the wait times board would likely raise the average wait time since then (or so I figured).

Tron Lightcycle Run Dropping Virtual Queue

 

Disney just announced that Tron Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom will drop its virtual queue (VQ) system starting on September 9, 2024, and having a standby line for the attraction for the first time.  At first glance, I wasn't sure if I needed to make a post about this (small?) change, but the more I thought about it, the more I had to say.  So this post will look at why it's being done, compare it to the other VQ rides that are currently in existence and try to speculate about how this will affect crowd patterns going forward.

If you are unfamiliar (though I suspect that's not the case if you're reading this), a VQ is one of the (many) ways in which you can experience attractions at Walt Disney World.  The first one was Star Wars Rise of the Resistance way back in 2019, and most new rides debut with a VQ, at least for a little while.  Essentially it's just what it says it is - a virtual queue is where you can have your place in line held for you until your return time, while you are free to experience other attractions at the parks.  It amounts to a "free" ride in the future, as there is no cost for the VQ, either in money or time spent (except perhaps trying to secure one at the start of your day).