Every week is a busy week when it comes to Disney news. To help you keep up with all of the updates coming out of Walt Disney World and other Disney resorts, here’s WDWNT’s weekly recap of this week’s Disney news!
Walt Disney World
- Savings alert! Beginning October 29th, 2018 and running through December 16th, 2018, Florida Residents can purchase discounted 3-day and 4-day date-based Florida Resident Tickets with Park Hopper Option included.
Magic Kingdom:
- New to Storybook Treats in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom is Tink’s Pixie-Dusted Cone.
- From October 31st to November 1st, Magic Kingdom went from spooky pumpkins to holiday splendor overnight, and we’ve got a full photo tour of every tree, wreath, and garland.
- The Liberty Tree Tavern restaurant at the Magic Kingdom is now offering weekly specials. (And the turkey pot pie looks amazing.)
Epcot:
- The latest chapter in the construction of the Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster going into the Universe of Energy at Epcot has begun as the massive gravity building begins to be enclosed.
- Ahead of their return to theaters in Ralph Breaks the Internet, Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope von Schweetz will be meeting and greeting guests at Disney Parks on both coasts starting next month. Guests at Epcot will be able to visit the video game duo at Innoventions West starting Wednesday, November 21st.
- Work is progressing nicely for the up-and-coming Ratatouille ride popping up behind the France pavilion. We spotted the show building and its preliminary facade earlier this week.
- Check out the full lineup of concerts, food, and dining packages announced for the 2019 Epcot International Festival of the Arts!
- Disney announced the remaining celebrity narrators for the 2018 Candlelight Processional, which is part of the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays.
Hollywood Studios:
- In preparation for the opening of the new car entrance on November 8th, we noticed the filmstrip entrance to Disney’s Hollywood Studios was getting dismantled. Well, by the next day, it was gone. [Cue weeping emoji.]
- Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is already set to open in 2019 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort, but Disney is expected to announce soon that the ride will also be coming to Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California.
- “Star Wars: Path of the Jedi” at Hollywood Studios has closed for what cast members are calling seasonal operation.
- Exclusive new merchandise featuring Lucasfilm, the studio behind Star Wars and Indiana Jones (and Radioland Murders and Howard the Duck, but we won’t get into that) is now available at Star Wars Launch Bay at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Our latest photo report brings us back to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Check out the current status of Tatooine Traders, the Disney Skyliner, bus loop construction, and more!
- Walls came down around Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway facade, revealing a new queue outside of the Chinese Theater.
Animal Kingdom:
- A new banshee purse is available at Windtraders in Pandora-The World of AVATAR.
Disney’s Beach Club Resort:
- Beaches and Cream Soda Shop at Disney’s Beach Club Resort has never had a dessert menu for the faint of heart, but three new milkshakes continue to push the envelope.
Disney’s Contemporary Resort:
- Cinderella, her Prince and the Fairy Godmother have returned for the annual gingerbread display at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort:
- The resort’s gift shop, Panchito’s Gifts and Sundries, has received some remodeling and ¡ay! it looks boring. (Spoiler alert: Burrito the Donkey is gone! This has been a week of many tears.)
- Check out the latest progress on the Lago Dorado Restaurant, the new 15-story Tower, and yes, more construction at Coronado.
Disney Vacation Club:
- For those of you who love doing laundry while on vacation, Whirlpool has been recently named as the new official kitchen and laundry appliance of Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
Disney Area Hotels:
- With the purchase of the Comfort Inn Orlando – Lake Buena Vista and Royal Parc Suites in Kissimmee last year for $33 million, hospitality company AD1 Global will be renovating both properties for a combined $13 million to prepare them to become IHG brand hotels.
Disney Springs:
- With World of Disney finally fully reopened, The Disney Corner’s purpose has been fulfilled, so it’s no surprise that the shop officially closed this past Wednesday, October 31st.
- Believe it or not, there’s still time to get a good deal on a hotel room if you’re looking to visit Walt Disney World this holiday season. The seven Disney Springs Resort Area hotels are offering special room rates as part of the Holiday Sale Rates offer.
- The Walt Disney World website is now showing Advance Dining Reservations for the upcoming Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill in Disney Springs!
Disney World Transportation:
- As part of the Disney’s Wild About Safety program’s 15th anniversary celebration, their series of tip cards (the hilarious ones featuring Timon and Pumbaa) have been updated to ensure everyone has a Hakuna Matata time at the parks and resorts.
- In order for Disney to collect on overnight resort parking fees, they have started stationing a non-security cast member in addition to the guard at the security booths at most of their resort hotels.
Disneyland
Disneyland Resort:
- Rosita, the long lost cockatoo from Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, will be featured in the new Tropical Hideaway food and beverage area when it opens later this year at Disneyland.
- Starting January 18th, 2019, Disneyland will be home to a new Projection and Fireworks Show called Mickey’s Mix Magic in honor of the corporate icon’s 90th birthday celebration.
- Disney has just announced a ton of new food and drink offerings that will be available all around the Disneyland Resort for the 2018 holiday season.
- Check out these amazing photos of the holiday decor currently up around Disneyland!
Disney California Adventure:
- Ahead of their return to theaters in Ralph Breaks the Internet, Wreck-It Ralph and Vanellope von Schweetz will be meeting and greeting guests at Disney Parks on both coasts starting next month. Visitors to Disney California Adventure can find Ralph and Vanellope at Hollywood Land starting Friday, November 9th.
- At long last, Luxo Jr. has made his debut at the entrance to Pixar Pier at Disney California Adventure.
- Disney’s Festival of Holidays at Disney’s California Adventure has released their menus!
- Two new full body dryers they call “Wilderness Warming Huts” have been added next to Grizzly River Run.
Disneyland Paris
- With the release of the Disneyland Paris Brochure for 2019, it’s time to start planning your next trip and Disney have been kind enough to give us a helping hand.
New Merchandise
- Pins were unveiled for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2018 at the Magic Kingdom, featuring some cute wreath designs and even a Hanukkah pin featuring Donald!
- A new line of Rock Candy Funkos was announced, featuring the princesses in the same outfits they’re seen wearing during the sleepover scene in Ralph Breaks the Internet. They will likely hit shelves around the November 21 release date for the movie (but sightings of the Target exclusives have been reported!)
- With seemingly everyone getting in on the Mickey’s 90th bandwagon, and given Disney and Pandora’s close working relationship, it only makes sense that Pandora would release a special charm for the mouse’s big birthday.
- Everything is up to 30% off at TeePublic! That’s $14 tees, $30 crewnecks, $20 phone cases, and way more.
- Disney just released four new Minnie ear headbands based on EPCOT’s World Showcase Pavilions. There’s also a new set of ears based on the Bubblegum Wall.
- Newest to Disney’s hair accessory repertoire are these cute light-up bows!
- As reported on in August, the new “PatcheD” series has finally arrived at Disney Parks.
- The latest Dooney & Bourke Disney Parks holiday purses are now available online!
- WDWNT.com is proud to announce that we have partnered up with the The Lost Bros! Find out more about the collaboration here.
- Now you can bring Mickey into your home with a Mickey Mouse base for your Google Home Mini.
Entertainment
- Much like the ill-fated bounty hunter himself, plans for the Boba Fett spin-off movie have been tossed into the sarlacc of Hollywood and scrapped.
- Sarah Silverman, the voice of Vanellope Von Schweetz, wished the Internet a very Happy Birthday in this video highlighting the history of the interwebz.
- Thanks to augmented reality, guests may soon be able to take photos in the outfit of their favorite Disney character… without ever having to put on a costume.
- It looks like The Winter Soldier and The Falcon will be teaming up again, but this time on the small screen, with their own series on Disney’s upcoming streaming service, Disney Play.
- Check out this hauntingly cool photo-historical tour of Salem, Massachusetts, the film location for Hocus Pocus!
- Disney Parks announced their performer lineup for three 2018 holiday specials, including a sneak peek of Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy!
- Apparently The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is as forgettable as it looks… find out why in this review!
- Welcome to the Search Bar! Meet KnowsMore in this new clip from Ralph Breaks the Internet, in theaters November 21.
- Toy Story 4 won’t be released until next year, but fans may want to start stocking up on the tissues now after what Tom Hanks said about the ending.
WDWNT Events:
- Are you attending WDWNT’s exclusive holiday Wrecks the Halls event? Well, we recently added a group FootGolf outing at Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course and a group dinner show at Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue on Wednesday December 5th. Tickets are limited, so get yours now!
That’s all of the Disney news for this past week! Be sure to check back at the end of each week for our weekly recaps!