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 November 18-24!

Walt Disney World

• A new interface was introduced to the FastPass+ selection process on the My Disney Experience app, revolving reservations around full hour slots instead of morning, afternoon and evening filters
• The popular 4-Park Magic Ticket has returned to Walt Disney World, and includes the offer of free admission to the NBA Experience with the purchase of a water park add-on
• Family Volunteer Day took place this Saturday, and the parks celebrated big with an exciting lineup of special activities, offers and character appearances
• Have you spotted the new Peter Pan bus wrap soaring around the resort yet?
• Take a look at the amazing photo highlights we took from the Fall Dapper Day 2019 at Walt Disney World, featuring some of your amazing Disneybounds and dapper dressing!
• Despite the new format only being  a few days ago, the new MagicBand slap bracelets have been pulled from store shelves due to a manufacturing defect
• The new “Magic of Disney” store has opened at Orlando International Airport, replacing the EarPort shop

Magic Kingdom

• Check out this week’s photo report for the Magic Kingdom, including a small army of Disney Precious Moments dolls, lots of new merchandise and more!
• Check out our full roundup of every Christmas treat for the 2019 holiday season at the Magic Kingdom, with reviews on what we thought of each one
• In construction across the Magic Kingdom, the Liberty Square Market seating area looks to be nearing completion, and work is now underway to enclose the main show building for the TRON Lightcycle Run attraction
• In celebration of the 70th anniversary of Cinderella, speciality food items, a new character meet & greet opportunity and access to Prince Charming Regal Carousel have been added to the Magic Kingdom Disney Early Morning Magic for a limited time
• We went to check out the new Ferryboat entrance pathway which has just opened at the park entrance
• Guests visiting the Magic Kingdom through December and January may benefit from extended opening hours on select dates
• In celebration of his 91st birthday this week, Mickey Mouse surprised guests in his colorful surprise celebration outfit at his Main Street meet & greet

Animal Kingdom

• Check out this week’s photo report for Animal Kingdom, including 2020 Minnie Ears, Merry Menagerie and more!
• Primeval Whirl will be reopening for seasonal operation during Christmas week and New Year’s
• The opening hours for Animal Kingdom have been extended on select dates through December and January
• The past can hurt, but these new Simba Pretzels with cheese are the snacking future you’ve been waiting for

Epcot

• Check out this week’s photo report for Epcot, including a look at the progress on Space 220 Restaurant, new pins and more!
• We noticed that credit card chip readers are now being activated throughout tillpoints in Epcot
• With the release of Frozen 2 this weekend, Anna and Elsa have been wearing gorgeous new dresses inspired by the movie at their Royal Sommerhus meet & greet
• Space 220 Restaurant has announced a delay in opening, and has now been pushed back to February 2020. The restaurant is, however, now hiring for key front of house positions, so get your applications in!
• Work is still progressing on Epcot’s new Play Pavilion, as we noticed more land has been cleared this week. We’re also happy to report that the Epcot entrance area planters are now starting to take shape
• Until the end of the year, Living with the Land will now operate from park open through til park close, after receiving a bountiful holiday overlay
• It’s hard to say, but the trees along the France pavilion fountain area have all been removed this week!
• We found the cutest new dessert at Epcot: this adorable Frozen 2 Bruni Chocolate Cupcake
• The new International Gateway ticket and guest relations window will be opening soon
• The full menus and details have been released for the 2019 Epcot International Festival of the Holidays

Hollywood Studios

• Check out this week’s photo report for Hollywood Studios, including new paintwork near Animation Courtyard, Stormtroopers heckling guests and more
• We noticed some new “Public Water Works” signage go up on Grand Avenue this week, suggesting that the delayed bathroom expansion project may be nearing completion, while a mysterious construction site appeared at the park entrance
• Have you spotted the adorable Baby Yoda, who made an appearance inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge this week?
• Guests visiting Hollywood Studios in January may benefit from extended opening hours in the park
• Commissary Lane has had an upgrade, with new landscaping and the addition of a digital tip board
• Mickey and Minnie have taken a dive deep into the sea in this newly-released poster for the upcoming Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway attraction
• The first commercial for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance has landed, and features a look inside the attraction

Disney Springs

• Check out this week’s photo report for Disney Springs, including a look at the demolition of Bongos, new apparel and more!
• A behind-the-scenes video released this week gives us a first look at the new, unnamed Cirque du Soleil show coming soon to Disney Springs
• The former Mickey’s Pantry store has been taken over by The Spice and Tea Exchange shop
• Take a look at the Black Friday 2019 deals and offers which have been announced for across Disney Springs
• We reviewed the flavorful new Texas Chili Mac and Cheese from the Mac and Cheese Food Truck, and the new White Christmas Peppermint Churro from Sunshine Churros
• Everyone’s favorite Indiana Jones-themed establishment: Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar, is to receive a holiday overlay this winter

Blizzard Beach

• ProSlide have announced a new project for Blizzard Beach, which leaves us wondering could a new attraction be on the horizon?
• Possibly related, an unnamed project has left a large number of water slide parts staged in the parks’ parking lot

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

All-Star Resorts

• Take a tour of the newly-refurbished standard preferred rooms and family rooms at All-Star Music

Animal Kingdom Lodge

• Check out the beautiful, African-inspired Christmas decorations which are filling Animal Kingdom Lodge this season

Art of Animation Resort

• Art of Animation has been decked out in sparkly silver decorations this holiday season, with magical animated sketches intertwined

Caribbean Beach Resort

• The holiday decorations are up at Caribbean Beach, giving guests a festive taste of the islands

Ford Wilderness Resort & Campground

• The carriage rides offered at the Tri-Circle-D Ranch will be unavailable at Fort Wilderness until Spring

Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

• Work on completing a walkway between the Grand Floridian and the Magic Kingdom is coming along well, with a bridge platform installed this week
• It was announced that the GOP Fundraiser will no longer be taking place at the Grand Floridian this December, and has instead been relocated to an undisclosed venue in Miami
• The grandest of Christmas decorations have arrived at the Grand Floridian, including the most gorgeous, giant tree you ever did see

Polynesian Village Resort

• Take a look at the magical decorations which have gone up over at the Polynesian, bringing Christmas to the islands for the 2019 holiday season

Pop Century Resort

• Take a look at the stunning holiday decorations which have gone up at Pop Century, celebrating Christmas through the decades
• We reviewed the new vanilla mint Frozen Waves Cupcake from Pop Century

Port Orleans Resorts

• Take a look at the stunning Christmas 2019 decorations which have sailed into Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter this week

Riviera Resort

• The full breakfast, lunch and dinner menus have been revealed for the Riviera’s quick service restaurant: Primo Piatto

Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels

• Take a peek at the swanky, newly refurbished lobby over at the Swan Hotel, which has just debuted following its $3 million overhaul project

Wilderness Lodge Resort

• Take a look at the grand holiday decorations around Wilderness Lodge, including a huge lobby tree and carved critter decorations

Disneyland Resort

• A new design for Annual Pass tickets has debuted at the Disneyland Resort this week

Disneyland Park

• Check out this week’s photo report for the Disneyland Park, including lighter crowds, the return of the Matterhorn and more!
• New Tomorrowland concept art was revealed for this week, giving us a better look at the new design which will debut in 2020
• Over in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, we noticed that new, larger emergency exits have been added to the Rise of the Resistance attraction queue area
• The new dueling piano show “Showdown at The Golden Horseshoe” made it’s grand debut in Fronteirland this week
• After months of track closures, Matterhorn Bobsleds has returned to being fully operational

Disney California Adventure

• Construction walls have gone up in front of Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! ready for the Red Car Trolley track modification project
• Anna and Elsa have been debuting their new Frozen 2 costumes at the Character Close-Up meet & greet location

Downtown Disney District

• There are some very tasty-looking dishes and desserts coming to Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes this December, including a huge Chocolate Peppermint Crazy Shake

Disneyland Resort Hotels

• Take a tour of the magical holiday decorations which have gone up across the Disneyland Hotel, including tiki decorations over at Trader Sam’s, a “Happy Holidays from it’s a small world” display, and more

Disney Cruise Line

• A new feature on the Disney Cruise Line app enables guests to book a placeholder cruise online without having to speak to a cast member on board

Disneyland Paris

• Take a look at the magical pre-parade which took place in celebration of Mickey Mouse’s 91st birthday, and the jolly 2019 Christmas Parade in the Disneyland Park

Tokyo Disney Resort

• There’s still so many treats to try for Tokyo Disney Resort’s “Disney Christmas 2019”. Over at Tokyo DisneySea, we reviewed the Adorable Tray with Filling, Sweet “Select Five Set” at Horizon Bay Restaurant, the questionable-sounding Hot Strawberry and Matcha Tapioca Milk from Hudson River Harvest, and the adorable Lunch Case and scrumptious Roast Beef & Shrimp Sandwich from Dockside Diner
• This adorable, must-have new CookieAnn popcorn bucket is coming to Tokyo DisneySea this boxing day

New Merchandise

• In clothing, these dapper new Skyway and Space Mountain-themed men’s shirts arrived in Walt Disney World this week, and this new 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea tee dived into Disneyland
• With the release of Frozen 2 this week, there has been flurries of movie-inspired merchandise blasting into the parks.
• Over in Disneyland Paris, new Frozen 2 Designer Collection merchandise hit the shelves, and a beautiful new Frozen Dooney & Bourke collection featuring Anna and Elsa is coming to Disney Springs, making the perfect purses to journey into the unknown with!
• If you’re feeling the chill from Elsa’s storm, these new retro Walt Disney World “D Icon” and Cinderella Castle gloves will keep you warm this winter, unless you’d rather go all out and wear the new Anna and Elsa costumes! Also with the release of the film came this new Frozen 2 Anna and Elsa limited edition MagicBand
• Festive new Disney Parks Christmas Starbucks mugs have arrived in Walt Disney World, along with these mini ornament versions, ready to be added to your ever-growing collection!
• We noticed quite a lot of adorable and festive new Christmas merchandise arrive in the parks this week, including this Mickey and Minnie “12 Days of Christmas” countdown charm bracelet set, and pretty new blown glass Mickey and Minnie Christmas ornaments 
• If you’re looking to really spoil someone this Christmas, look no further than these new $100 Disney gift cards which are now on sale at Walt Disney World, which come with adorable limited-edition holiday pins

• A new Merry Menagerie souvenir mug and popcorn bucket have arrived in Animal Kingdom, while this awesome new Jango Fett sipper has landed in Disneyland this week
• These perfect new “True Love ” and bridal collection Alex and Ani bracelets have arrived in Walt Disney World, perfect gifts for your special someone
• The absolutely adorable Sleepy Eeyore and Winnie the Pooh Dream Friends plushes are now available at Walt Disney World
• The new, $200 COACH Designer Collection Mickey Ear headband arrived in Disney Parks this Friday, what do you think of them?
• The VHS trend is still as strong as ever, as we spotted this new Lady and the Tramp VHS wristlet and a new The Little Mermaid VHS phone case in Walt Disney World, not to mention this whole collection of VHS movie-inspired shirts and hoodies!
• It’s sale season, and those Haunted Mansion Host-a-Ghost jars are marked down at 50% off!
• These beautifully sparkly and celebratory new 2020 Minnie Ear Headbands have arrived to ring in the new year at Walt Disney World

Entertainment & Media

• Read our full review of Frozen 2, have you seen it yet?
• The hit score inspired by Galaxy’s Edge, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Symphonic Suite, has just been nominated for a 2020 Grammy Award
• Topps have just launched a new digital collectables app Disney Collect!, which features Frozen 2 characters and more
• The latest TV spot for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has, erm, risen, including new footage from the film. Also, you may have spotted that the stars of the Star Wars saga are gracing the latest cover of Entertainment Weekly, with new photos from the upcoming movie inside

Disney+

• Less than a week after it’s debut, it was reported that thousands of Disney+ account holders were the victims of a hacking scandal on the network, with details put up on hacking forums
• It was reported that the glitches Disney+ suffered on it’s launch day last week were attributed to coding errors, and that recoding is currently underway to resolve these issues
• We were excited to hear that Adam Lamberg will be reprising his role as Gordo in the upcoming Lizzie McGuire reboot for Disney+
• It was also announced that Disney+ subscription cards will be sold at the Disney parks and stores from Monday

Other Disney News

• An organisational shake-up in Walt Disney Imagineering has lead to the creation of new roles and new creative leaders for the individual parks and resorts
• The Walt Disney Travel Company is now booking vacation cottages at Margaritaville Resort in Orlando
• The manufacturer of Disney Skyliner debuted a new gondola design at this week’s IAAPA 2019 expo

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!