Walt Disney World & Disney Cruise Line News

Be Our Guest's chef de cuisine started at EPCOT's Mexico pavilion and returned with four suitcases — Gerardo "Jerry" Quijada Gonzalez now leads the kitchen at Be Our Guest Restaurant in Magic Kingdom as chef de cuisine. His Disney story began more than 20 year…
Tiana's Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom: a 50-foot drop, three bayou bands and Tiana's beignets nearby — Disney's attraction page for Tiana's Bayou Adventure, the Frontierland log flume at Magic Kingdom, describes a musical bayou trip that ends with a 50-foot drop…
Crystal Arts at Disney Springs opens a built-in Silhouette Studio and moves its wand counter beside it — Construction walls are down inside Crystal Arts by Arribas Brothers at Disney Springs, revealing a permanent Silhouette Studio where a single artist's table us…
Disney Believe will serve Inside Out emotion cupcakes and a color-changing Snow White cocktail — Disney Cruise Line has previewed the food and drink coming to the Disney Believe, which sets sail in December 2027. Inside Out: Joyful Sweets brings emotion-th…
Alien Swirling Saucers gets a holiday playlist from DJ Lilypad, November 4 to January 6 — From November 4 through January 6, DJ Lilypad spins a holiday playlist at Alien Swirling Saucers in Toy Story Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It mixes holi…
Santa's Holiday Grove brings snow flurries and Santa to Animal Kingdom for Christmas 2026 — Animal Kingdom's holiday season runs November 13, 2026 through January 6, 2027, and its one new addition is Santa's Holiday Grove, a walk-through trail with sn…
Fort Wilderness Holiday Sleigh Rides open for booking at $80 a sleigh — Holiday Sleigh Rides at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground are now bookable for December 1 to 30, 2026, skipping December 24. Each 25-minute horse-dr…
Imagineering files signage permits for all four Walt Disney World parking plazas — Walt Disney Imagineering recorded four matching Notices of Commencement on October 8 to install signage at addresses tied to the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywoo…
A Pua towel animal turns up on the Disney Believe, a night after Pascal — Media guests on the Disney Believe preview sailing found a towel animal of Pua, Moana's pet pig, in their staterooms, one night after a Pascal towel animal hin…
From the overnight custodial crew to Holiday Services manager: a 23-year Walt Disney World career — Dacia joined Walt Disney World's overnight custodial team in the early 2000s and is now an Area Manager with Holiday Services, whose teams work with Walt Disne…
Olivia's Cafe at Disney's Old Key West Resort serves island comfort food from breakfast to dinner — Olivia's Cafe, the table-service restaurant at Disney's Old Key West Resort, serves island-inspired dishes and traditional American fare at breakfast, lunch an…
Disney Believe sets sail December 18, 2027, from Fort Lauderdale with Encanto, Oaken's Table and a Magic Kingdom tower suite — The Disney Believe, Disney Cruise Line's fourth Wish-class ship, sails its maiden voyage December 18, 2027, on four- and five-night Bahamas and Caribbean cruis…
Encanto gets its first stage adaptation, only aboard the Disney Believe — Lin-Manuel Miranda announced the first stage adaptation of Encanto, which will play starting in 2027 only aboard Disney Cruise Line's Disney Believe. The show…
Oaken's Table: a Frozen Family Feast brings theatrical dining to the Disney Believe — Oaken's Table: a Frozen Family Feast, a new theatrical dining experience on the Disney Believe, seats guests in the courtyard of Oaken's summer house with live…
Walt Disney World now takes bookings for November and December 2027 — Walt Disney World theme park tickets, resort rooms and vacation packages can now be booked through the end of 2027, adding November and December to a calendar…
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets gets a holiday overlay with four new songs — From November 4 through January 6, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets at Disney's Hollywood Studios becomes the Obligatory Holiday Overlay. The Elect…
Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind adds three holiday songs at EPCOT this season — From November 25 through January 6, 2027, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT shuffles three holiday songs into the ride, from Andy Williams, Trans…
Monstropolis dining: an eight-armed sushi chef at Harryhausen's and frozen Blort at Archie's — Disney's culinary team has previewed the food planned for Monstropolis, the Monsters, Inc. land opening at Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2027. Harryhausen's wi…
Disney World's peak one-day ticket rises to $229 as every annual pass goes up — Walt Disney World has raised prices on peak-date tickets, all four annual passes and the Lightning Lane Premier Pass. The top one-day, one-park ticket reaches…
Cyndi Lauper and The Electric Mayhem bring "Silver Bells" to the Muppets coaster on November 4 — Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets at Disney's Hollywood Studios will play "Silver Bells," recorded by Cyndi Lauper and The Electric Mayhem, starting…
Savi's Workshop at Hollywood Studios debuts white and gold High Republic hilts and new blade effects — Savi's Workshop: Handbuilt Lightsabers in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge added a new series of its Protection and Defense hilt theme on October 5, 2026, finished in…
Cosmic Rewind's pre-show at EPCOT now glitches past the question guests kept heckling — Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind's first pre-show at EPCOT has been edited so the video feed glitches straight past Centurion Tal Marik's question about…
Debi Derryberry, once Patricia, returns as Grandmother in Magic Kingdom's reimagined Carousel of Progress — Debi Derryberry, who voiced the daughter Patricia in Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress, will voice Grandmother in the reimagined show, Walt Disney Imagineerin…
RSVLTS opens its first-ever pop-up shop at Disney Springs on October 17 and 18 — Clothing brand RSVLTS will hold its first pop-up shop at Marketplace Co-Op in Disney Springs on October 17 and 18, 2026, with all-new Disney Parks exclusive bu…
Hallmark's holiday pop-up shop opens at Disney Springs on October 7 — A limited-time Hallmark pop-up shop opens at Disney Springs on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, built around Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True, the…
Walt Disney World's October 2026 closures: Carousel of Progress, the Railroad, La Signature and Typhoon Lagoon — Four closures affect Walt Disney World trips in October 2026: Carousel of Progress and the Walt Disney World Railroad at Magic Kingdom, the La Signature shop a…
Disney Believe lays its keel as a Disney Wish puzzle hunt teases the October 7 reveal — Disney Cruise Line has laid the keel of the Disney Believe, hull number 723 at Meyer Werft, with a Tinker Bell coin welded to the keel block for luck. The news…
Disney's All-Star Music family suites sleep six for a value-resort price — Disney's All-Star Music Resort is the most budget-friendly way to put a large family under one Walt Disney World roof, with renovated family suites that sleep…
Walt Disney World turns 55 with Villains Land, Monstropolis and Lakeshore Lodge on the way — Walt Disney World marked 55 years on October 1, 2026, counting more than 70 new or refreshed experiences in the past five years and two cast members who have w…
Two cast members from Walt Disney World's opening day are still working there 55 years later — Disney spotlighted Frank and Earliene, two cast members who started at Walt Disney World on its opening day, October 1, 1971, and still work there 55 years on.…
A new Be Our Guest Goblet is coming to Be Our Guest Restaurant at Magic Kingdom — Disney Parks has announced the Be Our Guest Goblet, a new themed cup coming soon to Be Our Guest Restaurant in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom. The October 1 post…
Hurly-Burly opens at Disney's BoardWalk: family trivia until 9 p.m., then live music for 21 and up — Hurly-Burly opened at Disney's BoardWalk on October 1 in the former Jellyrolls space, with Disney trivia and bingo for all ages from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. and live…
Disney Dreamers Academy becomes a multi-year program with Boys & Girls Clubs — Disney Dreamers Academy is expanding into a year-round, multi-year pilot run with Boys & Girls Clubs, starting with 200 middle school Club members in Orlando,…
Disney publishes the Schinkennudeln recipe from EPCOT's Germany pavilion — Disney has shared the home recipe for Schinkennudeln, the baked ham-and-cheese pasta from EPCOT's Germany pavilion, as it returns to Emile's Fromage Montage at…
Disney's Lakeshore Lodge bookings open October 6, ahead of its July 1, 2027 opening on Bay Lake — Disney's Lakeshore Lodge opens July 1, 2027 on Bay Lake near Magic Kingdom, and reservations open in three waves: Disney Vacation Club members on October 6, An…
Monstropolis gets its themed walkways and Tropical Americas' temple rises as Walt Disney World turns 55 — New aerial footage shows themed walkways going in at Monstropolis, the Monsters, Inc. land opening at Hollywood Studios in 2027, while the Casita, carousel and…
Disney Cruise Line ends its Alaska season with Coast Guard and student events in three ports — Crew members from the Disney Wonder closed Disney Cruise Line's 2026 Alaska season with three community events from September 24 to 26: a student career talk i…
Disney Wonder's 14-Day Dry Dock Packed In More Than 100 Projects and 12 Miles of New Carpet — Disney Cruise Line finished more than 100 projects on the Disney Wonder in a 14-day dry dock, laying over 12 miles of new carpet and applying a new hull coatin…
Medical Helicopter Evacuates a Patient From Castaway Cay During a September Disney Wish Sailing — A medical helicopter evacuated someone from Castaway Cay, Disney Cruise Line's private island in the Bahamas, and flew them to Florida during the Disney Wish's…
JetBlue Joins Walt Disney World's Luggage Transfer Service as Its Fourth Airline — JetBlue is now part of Walt Disney World's Luggage Transfer Service, joining American, Southwest and United. Guests flying into Orlando International Airport o…
Walt Disney World turns 55 with more than 70 new or refreshed experiences since its 50th — Walt Disney World marked 55 years on October 1, 2026, and Disney counted more than 70 experiences opened or refreshed since the 50th anniversary, from TRON Lig…
Disney will reveal the Believe's homeport and itineraries on October 7 at 4:30 p.m. ET — Disney Parks will livestream the full reveal of the Disney Believe at 4:30 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday, October 7, on its YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok…
Bakso the Sumatran tiger turns two and will leave Animal Kingdom this fall — Bakso, the Sumatran tiger born at Disney's Animal Kingdom in September 2024, has turned two and will move to another AZA-accredited zoo later this fall on a Sp…
Walt Disney World's 55th anniversary collection is in stores now, modeled by two opening-day cast members — The Walt Disney World 55th anniversary merchandise collection is on sale now at the Emporium in Magic Kingdom and Creations Shop at EPCOT, while supplies last,…
Animal Kingdom Joins Disney World's Halloween Menu October 1 With a Boneyard Sundae and a Mummy Twist — Disney's full 2026 Halloween food guide for Walt Disney World adds nine Animal Kingdom items starting October 1, alongside a new Maleficent Funnel Cake at Holl…
UCF football puts a Walt Disney World logo on every helmet, starting with its Big 12 opener — UCF's football helmets now carry a Walt Disney World logo on the rear bumper, revealed at Magic Kingdom and debuting Saturday, September 26, when the Knights h…
The Turf Club Bar and Grill Reopens September 30 With Prime Rib, EPCOT-Grown Garnishes and The Saratoga Cocktail — The Turf Club Bar and Grill at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa reopens September 30, a month after the Turf Club Lounge. Disney has published the full m…
Atlantic Dance Hall Ends Its Regular Nights on October 1 and Becomes a Private Events Venue — Walt Disney World has posted a notice on Atlantic Dance Hall: beginning October 1, 2026, the Art Deco ballroom on Disney's BoardWalk ends its regular weekend o…
The Mara Goes Mobile Order Only This Week as Animal Kingdom Lodge Stacks Up Projects Into 2027 — Walt Disney World added a five-day maintenance closure at The Mara to the calendar the day it started, sending the Animal Kingdom Lodge food court to mobile or…
Walt Disney World's Thanksgiving Week Hours Are Out, and Magic Kingdom Shuts at 6 p.m. on Three of the Seven Nights — Operating hours are now posted for Walt Disney World's Thanksgiving week, November 22 to 28, 2026. Magic Kingdom runs 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day its…