We bring you a lot of stories every single day. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up. So in case you missed anything from our feed, we have rounded up all our stories in one place to get the news at a glance. Here is your Christmas Weekend Recap for Saturday, December 23, Sunday, December 24, and Monday, December 25, 2023.

Walt Disney World

Magic Kingdom

• Following the final Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party of the 2023 holiday season, Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade will now be performed during the day for the week of Christmas at Magic Kingdom, instead of Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade.
• This past Friday was the final Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party of the 2023 season. Now the party’s exclusive merchandise is available to day guests visiting Magic Kingdom.
• It’s wet, cloudy, and a bit on the cool side, but that’s not stopping guests from coming to a sold-out Magic Kingdom to create a little magic for the Christmas season, on what promises to be one of the busiest days of the year — Christmas Day.
• As flowers and foliage continue to blossom and grow at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, we stopped by Magic Kingdom to check out progress on the upcoming “Princess and the Frog” retheming of Splash Mountain. Construction crews have been hard at work on the queue and mountaintop, and we noticed some progress since our last update.
• After getting a new coat of paint late last month, rolling planters and scrim have gone up around one side of Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Liberty Square at Magic Kingdom.

EPCOT

• As we reported on Wednesday, the “Figment” Little Golden Book is available two weeks early at EPCOT. We visited the park to pick up our own copy of the book, which tells the approximate story of the original Journey Into Imagination attraction, rather than the two subsequent versions of the ride.
• The lighting that illuminates the facade of The Seas With Nemo & Friends at EPCOT has been updated with what appears to be blue LED lights that give the 3D mural a more oceanic tint.
• Mission: SPACE in EPCOT has spent much of 2023 going through several cosmetic changes. Most recently, we spotted a new coat of paint on the attraction’s exterior and a new mosaic galaxy added to the pavement.
• Frozen Ever After, a flume ride in the Norway pavilion at EPCOT, will be closing for a brief refurbishment in January 2024.
• Though the rest of World Celebration at EPCOT is now open, CommuniCore Hall and Plaza remain under construction. Most recently, more Spaceship Earth-style paneling was installed.
• At her EPCOT meet and greet this past week, Moana was dressed in winter wear while the weather was colder.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Disney gave guests a surprise on Christmas morning, introducing Santa Duffy, who is now greeting guests at It’s a Wonderful Shop in his holiday best.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom snack carts have been decorated with new artwork featuring various animals, including a banshee, a.k.a. ikran, from “Avatar.”
• Walt Disney Imagineering has teamed up with the animal care team at Disney’s Animal Kingdom to provide enrichment activities to the park’s animal residents using various technology.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

• This week, construction resumed on the BoardWalk To Go kiosk that will become a Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs location at Disney’s BoardWalk.
• Calling all culinary leaders! The Cake Bake Shop, coming to Disney’s Boardwalk in 2024 is officially accepting applications for those looking to work at the new restaurant.
• More weather-proof sheathing and roof paneling have been installed on The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers at Disney’s BoardWalk.
• Have you ever wondered what it costs to stay at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa? Believe it or not, it’s possible to save some money on your resort stay if you rent DVC points. (Sponsored)

New Merchandise

• The ‘Play in the Park” collection of merchandise is taking over Walt Disney World, with never more new items spotted across the parks. 
• A few more 2024 merchandise items have arrived at Walt Disney World Resort this week, including a light-up Mickey ear headband.
• A new Rose & Crown ball cap with a built-in bottle opener, as well as a miniature sign/ornament, is available in the United Kingdom Pavilion of EPCOT.
• If your walls are looking a little bare and in need of decoration, we’ve found three new Disney artwork pieces for sale, dedicated to Mickey Mouse and the Haunted Mansion, at Walt Disney World.
• New Disney’s Animal Kingdom-inspired Mickey and Minnie plush have arrived at the Walt Disney World theme park.
• You can celebrate the youngest (and newest) Disney fans in your life with the gift of their own My First Mickey and Minnie Mouse plush dolls, now available at Walt Disney World.

Other Walt Disney World News

• A Walt Disney World Cast Member has been arrested for possession of child pornography.
• This Christmas season has seen the highest Genie+ prices we have ever seen, and Christmas Day is no exception. Guests wanting to purchase the popular offering had to check their stockings for extra cash.
• Disney Genie+ Service at Walt Disney World Resort reached a new record high cost on December 23, 2023.
• As 2024 unfolds, with the relaxation of the Park Hopper restrictions, the debate between Disney’s Park Hopper and the One Park Per Day Ticket takes center stage, with a spotlight on the benefits of park hopping and the convenience of letting experts like Be Our Guest Vacations handle the intricate details. (Sponsored)

Disneyland Resort

• While the Magic Kingdom version of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is now covered in foliage, the Disneyland version is still getting new rockwork since the California Splash Mountain closed a few months after its Florida counterpart.
• The new retro collegiate-style Winnie the Pooh sweaters we first spotted at Walt Disney World Resort are now also available at Disneyland Resort.

Shanghai Disneyland

• After just officially opening to the public on December 20, 2023, the Zootopia – Hot Pursuit attraction at Shanghai Disney Resort has already experienced its first incident.
• Following the incident when a young guest was struck by a ride vehicle after jumping out, Shanghai Disney announced that Zootopia Hot Pursuit would reopen on Christmas Day, December 25.

Entertainment and Media

• Disney Lorcana Co-Designer Steve Warner recently spoke to IGN over email, giving Illumineers a peek behind the curtain at how the game is created.

The Walt Disney Company

• D23 is currently offering new members 40% off their annual Gold Membership or Duo Membership through the end of 2023.

WDW News Today

Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade at Magic Kingdom – Daytime 2023

Classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Board Game | Gameplay and Review

That’s it for today; we hope you enjoyed this Daily Recap. Thanks for stopping by, and we’ll see you tomorrow! Happy holidays!