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 the Disney news from October 14-20!

Walt Disney World

• The beautiful race finisher medals have been revealed for the 2020 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend at Walt Disney World, including stunning Moana, Pocahontas and Cinderella designs
• After a week’s closure following an accident on the line, the Disney Skyliner has reopened this week with modified hours. You can read Disney’s official statement about the incident here and listen to the 911 calls made from the gondolas now that they’ve been released
• The TTC construction has moved forward, with a new framework being assembled
• It’s time to start digging a little deeper in our pockets from now on when purchasing Minnie Mouse ears, as a price increase has happened on the iconic accessory across Walt Disney World
• The 2019 Third Quarter Injury Report has been released for Walt Disney World this week, giving insight into any serious injuries that happen on the Walt Disney World Resort property
• Guests now staying at Disney Springs and Orlando area resort hotels can now be picked up at the airport by a Minnie Van, due to the Minnie Van Airport Service Add-On
• It’s now easier than ever to shop and save with merchandise location pages showing which eligible discounts for Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort
• A Frozen themed character bus has been spotted causing a flurry around Walt Disney World property
• Due to overwhelming popularity, additional packages are now available for the new “Ultimate Disney Christmas Package” vacation offer

Magic Kingdom

• Check out this week’s photo report for the Magic Kingdom, including a Liberty Square Market construction update, pins and more
• It was announced that the operating hours for the Magic Kingdom will be extended for November and December on select nights for the holiday season
• We reviewed Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe Plant-Based offering, the Vegan Sloppy Joe
• It’s been announced that Splash Mountain will undergo its annual refurbishment beginning in January 2020
• The Walt Disney World Railroad will remain closed until 2021 due to construction on TRON Lightcycle Run, which now has an attraction exterior and an expanded track
• This week does bring some unpleasant news, a man was arrested this week for allegedly touching a child at Ye Old Christmas Shoppe. The case is still under investigation
• It’s been revealed that the Magic Kingdom will close early on October 22nd for a private event, meaning all guests will have to be out of the park by 6pm

Epcot

• Take a look at our construction updates in Epcot, where we can see the former Wonders of Life pavilion is starting to be cleared ready for the new Play pavilion, and the Space 220 Restaurant is starting to take shape
• Check out this week’s photo report for Epcot, including construction updates, a Mr. Penguin meet and greet and more
• WDWNT’s second annual PDF guide to the 2019 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival has now been updated to include the new booths that opened on October 1st, 2019
• Check out this week’s photo report for Epcot, including new additions to the Epcot Experience, the closure of Heritage Manor and more
• Take a glance at the construction progress that’s happening with new concrete forms in place for the Reimagined World Celebration Entrance Gardens
• The list of announced narrators at this year’s Candlelight Processional at the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays keeps growing, with Warwick Davis and Chita Rivera being announced
• The new restroom structure being constructed at Showplace Plaza is almost complete and will hopefully be opening before the holiday season kicks off
• We reviewed the new Plant-Based Vegan offerings at the Coral Reef restaurant, as well as some of the offerings from the upcoming the  Little Mermaid anniversary menu
• The Rose & Crown Pub in the U.K. Pavilion is now offering a Traditional English Breakfast between 9AM – 11AM, which we reviewed
• See the latest construction work happening on Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and La Creperie de Paris Restaurant
• More Innoventions Plaza canopy pieces are coming down, with the area to become the future World Celebration area
• The tram loop for Epcot is undergoing a lot of changes currently, you can see the latest construction update here

Animal Kingdom

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom announced that it will have extended operating hours on select nights for November and December to cope with expected guest demand
• The Animation Experience at Conservation Station is now hosting animal Villain drawing classes for the Halloween season, with lessons on how to draw Scar, Tick-Tock Croc and Hopper, among others
• Despite the Hakuna Matata Time Dance Party ending, Timon and Rafiki are still occupying Disney’s Animal Kingdom and are now meeting guests at Discovery Island Character Landing
• Check out this week’s photo report for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, including a Club 33 construction update, new merchandise and more
• You can find a full update on the current construction on the upcoming Club 33 here

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• As the opening Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance creeps closer, images have leaked of Resistance Intersystem Transport Ship Interior Surface that will move guests from the pre-show to the next scene in the attraction
• Hollywood Studios also announced that it will have extended operating hours on select nights in November and December
• Check out this week’s photo report for Hollywood Studios, including new Toy Story merchandise, hidden park gems and more
• Looking to buy a Fried Endorian Tip-Yip, or Smoked Kaadu Ribs? Think again. All of the Star Wars-themed names have now been removed from the menu at Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
• We reviewed the new kid’s Plant-Based Vegan “Meat” Marinara and Pasta meal at Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo, as well as the new Galactic Green Popcorn at Kat Saka’s Kettle at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
• The themed tip boards have now received themed cases to match the guest experience teams they’re beside
• Work is to take place soon to demolish the former iconic entrance bridge to Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney Springs

• Take a stroll around Disney Springs with us and check out this week’s photo report, including Arendelle Aqua Pet Spirit Jerseys, the seasonal D-Luxe Burger offering and more

Typhoon Lagoon

• Typhoon Lagoon will be celebrating Halloween by bringing exclusive offerings for October 31st only. Offerings include a Pirate Mickey and Donald meet and great, pumpkin carvings, a DJ dance party and for the first time at the water park, trick or treating

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

• We reviewed the new menu at Kona Cafe, featuring the return of old favorites such as the Sticky Wings
• Kona Cafe had our attention again this week, we also reviewed their seasonal fall offering breakfast of Pumpkin Pancakes
• Trader Sam’s Grogg Grotto released the second edition Hatbox Ghost Halloween Tiki mug this week
• We reviewed the new Tropical Wine Slush at Kona Island
• Capt. Cook’s released a new menu item, Avacado Toast which we reviewed
• We also reviewed the seasonal Rocky Road Halloween Cupcake at Capt. Cook’s this week

Disney’s Riviera Resort

• Topolino’s Terrace has announced a New Year’s Day Character Brunch with complimentary mimosas and Italian and French-inspired cuisine

Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

• The Grand Floridian Society Orchestra debuts on their new performance stage placed immediately to the left as guests enter the resort lobby from the main entrance

Disneyland Resort

Disneyland Park

• Coming soon to the food outlets across Batuu in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge are new Salted Caramel Popcorn, Vegan Ronto-less Garden Wrap, Kyryll Pork Rinds and more
• Tomorrowland is now testing centralized FastPass touchscreen distribution kiosks, located at the entrance of the Tomorrowland Theater
• We reviewed the new Vegan Ronto-less Garden Wrap and the new Kyryll Pork Rinds, both at Ronto Roasters as well as the new Chocolate Popcorn with Crait Red Salt at Kat Sata’s Kettle
• Also on our review list was the new Happabore Sampler Charcuterie Tray found inside of Oga’s Cantina and the new kid’s Plant-Based Garden Patty Bao Bun meal from Docking Bay 7 Food & Cargo
• The first peeks of snow have been spotted ahead of the holiday season on Sleeping Beauty Castle as the first snow-capped turrets have been installed

Disneyland Paris

• We learned that the Studio Tram Tour in the Walt Disney Studios Park will be reimagined as a Cars-inspired Route 66 ride 
• With Christmas lights not being installed on Sleeping Beauty Castle this holiday season, a much-needed refurbishment is potentially “back on track”
• “Mickey’s Magical Christmas Lights” will include Sleeping Beauty Castle this year with projection mapping and a new tree lighting ceremony

Tokyo Disney Resort

• With One Man’s Dream II: The Magic Lives On taking its final bow in under two months, a “Forever” tribute tag has been added for the finale of the show
• Check out this week’s Tokyo Disney Resort photo report, including guest’s costumes, construction updates, and more

Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa

• Hotel room doors have had MagicBand RFID readers installed this week, however guests are still using their keycard to unlock doors right now with no announcement on when and if MagicBands are coming to the Resort

New Merchandise

• This funky new Mousercise Boom Box hip pack is now available in Walt Disney World, while an adorable collection of Loungefly backpacks are now available online at shopDisney, including Star Wars, Quilted Minnie and Santa Mickey designs
• We spotted a new Disney Parks Monopoly game in Walt Disney World this week, featuring popular park attractions including the upcoming Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
• Deck out your workspace with these sweet new Disney movie, character and attraction quote desk plaques, which are now available in Walt Disney World
• These new Haunted Mansion dioramas have materialized in Walt Disney World, portraying the attic and séance scenes

• These new limited-edition Hatbox Ghost tiki mug, pin, and ornament materialized in Walt Disney World this week
• Over at the NBA Experience in Disney Springs is this new limited-edition, $500 NBA Experience New Era hat set, featuring three hats themed to the experience
• Animated classics and sequins combine in a new fashion line spotted at World of Disney in Disney Springs, including leggings, a jacket, and two tops. You can celebrate the classics some more with the new VHS Covers throwback backpack that has been spotted recently too
• Citizen has released new timepieces this week, with a collection celebrating Spider-Man and 80 years of Marvel, 5 new Mickey Mouse watches and for the first time ever, two featuring Minnie Mouse!
• A new Disney Vacation Club Dooney & Bourke collection has checked in at various Disney Vacation Club Resorts
• This adorably-sweet new holiday Minnie Mouse ear ornament based on peppermints has arrived in Walt Disney World
• A collection of holiday-inspired Minnie ear headbands and Mickey Santa hat were previewed on Disney Style’s Instagram
• The Mexico Pavilion at Epcot is the home of the new Three Caballeros shirt that arrived this week
• The Castle Holiday Shoppe at Disneyland received new ornaments in the shapes of holiday treats making us all very hungry!
• A kid’s tye-die apparel collection, including fuzzy backpack, launched in World of Disney alongside the newest piece in the Disney Parks Designer Ears collection, the Hipster Mickey Ear Hat by Jerrod Maruyama

• The Park Pals Collection has officially launched with characters such as Orange Bird, Figment, Minnie Mouse, Stitch and many more. In fact, more characters keep being released from this collection throughout the week, this time with Mickey Mouse and Pascal joining in the mix
• The Play Disney Parks app has added new digital achievements as well as commemorative trading pins for the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort
• A new “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” Limited-Edition MagicBand has been released with only 1,000 being made and sold
• The holiday merchandise keeps on rolling in. Three Christmas spirit jerseys and a Mickey Mouse Santa hat have been spotted on shopDisney and in the parks as well as a light-up Mickey Mouse sweater and other seasonal apparel
• The Dress Shop collection keeps growing and the new addition celebrates Pixar’s Luxo ball and Luxo Jr. and can be paired with the new Loungefly Luxo ball bag. You can even get a Minnie Mouse plush to match your new outfit

• Pandora has released two new park exclusive pieces, a necklace and bracelet charm in the shape of a key with different Disney themed detailing
• Relive the 90s with these Mickey Mouse Club scrunchies, featuring the “MMC” logo that was introduced for the 89-96 revival
• New Disney Princess and Moana MagicBands have been spotted across property this week, adding even more choice to the never-ending options of MagicBands available
• Disney-fy your phone with these new D-Tech phone cases, featuring Cinderella Castle, Minnie Mouse and Cinderella and Gus
• We spotted more of the internationally dressed plush characters this week, with a France and Italy Mickey and a Germany Minnie, dressed to match a different pavilion around the World Showcase
• shopDisney reveals their picks for the top holiday toys of 2019, with merchandise from the upcoming Frozen sequel, a Simba plush and a Toy Story 4 mega figure set
• Igloo are releasing a line of classic Star Wars coolers featuring iconic elements from the saga, including beloved characters and poster imagery
• Festive popcorn buckets are on their way to the Disney Parks, this years line up will feature a light-up Christmas tree and a flannel-clad little green man for all our popcorn (and collector) needs

• The German Pavilion store, Der Teddybar shop has geared up for the holiday season with the release of “Fröhliche Weihnachten” Christmas merchandise
• Vintage attraction sweatshirts have been released at Disneyland, including a 20,00 Leagues Under The Sea design

Entertainment & Media

• In gaming news, Disney Princess Majestic Quest – the newest match-3 game – is now available for download
• The final trailer for “Frozen 2” was released this week, ahead of the movie’s official opening next month
• Take a look at the full slate of movies, shows, documentaries and specials coming to the Disney+ streaming service, which will be available from November 12
• Watch the new trailer for the “Lady and the Tramp” remake, which will be available to stream upon the Disney+ launch
• Marvel Studios President, Kevin Feige, has been promoted to Chief Creative Officer but will still remain in his role as President of Marvel Studios alongside the new title
• More information about original Disney+ content keeps on coming, with a full synopsis and poster revealed for “The Imagineering Story” Docuseries as well as a video that gives us a behind-the-scenes look at upcoming attractions such as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and the Beast animatronic for Tokyo Disneyland

• We reviewed “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil”, which was released this week in theaters nationwide
• During a showcase hosted by the International Documentary Association, Disney+ shared some of the documentaries that will be available to stream on the service. Titles include “Howard”, a look into Howard Ashman’s life and an untitled Mickey Mouse documentary
• A teaser trailer was released for “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” and it’s been released that a final trailer is going to be played at halftime during Monday Night Football
• “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” has debuted at #1 at the box office this weekend, ahead of “Joker” and “Zombieland 2: Doubletap”, with a $36 million return domestically

WDWNT News

• The ParksCenter crew discussed stolen attraction parts, resort-wide price increases, and Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary on this week’s show.
• Tom, Nick, Michelle, and Cameron “The Boy” eat lovely puffs, play Tony’s Town Squares, and talk bad Orlando billboards on this week’s WDW News Tonight.

That’s all of the Disney news for this past week! Make sure you check back at the end of each week for our weekly recaps!