DisWorldGuide

Disney’s After Hours events are back in 2025 with exciting news for fireworks enthusiasts.

Disney World recently revealed that their popular After Hours events are returning in 2025, and for Magic Kingdom, this means something extra special for visitors. These events allow guests to enjoy the parks with lower crowds and shorter wait times for popular attractions. However, separate tickets must be purchased for After Hours.

One of the most exciting announcements is that during Magic Kingdom After Hours, the spectacular fireworks show Enchantment, originally shown during the park’s 50th anniversary, will be performed. This means that visitors will have the chance to experience both the regular Happily Ever After fireworks show and Enchantment on the same night – a unique experience that is sure to delight many.

The events kick off on January 6th at Magic Kingdom, January 22nd at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and February 27th at EPCOT. Magic Kingdom and EPCOT will hold After Hours from 10 PM to 1 AM, while Hollywood Studios will offer the event from 9:30 PM to 12:30 AM, except for March 26th and April 1st, when Hollywood Studios will have the same hours as the other parks.

At Magic Kingdom, guests can enjoy many of their favorite attractions, including TRON Lightcycle / Run and Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, both available with a standby queue. Here are the specific dates for Magic Kingdom After Hours:

• January: 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th
• February: 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th
• March: 3rd, 17th, 24th, 31st
• April: 7th, 28th
• May: 5th, 12th, 19th

With this exciting news, it looks like 2025 will be a magical year for Disney fans who love spending late nights in the parks. Be sure to secure your tickets early, as these limited-capacity events can sell out quickly.

The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2024 has just started, and it is one of the most anticipated events of the year at the Walt Disney World Resort. The festival runs from August 29 to November 23, offering visitors a unique opportunity to experience a culinary journey through six continents.

The festival is known for its many food booths, representing various countries and their culinary specialties. This year, you can taste dishes from France, Italy, Japan, Mexico, and Morocco, among others. Each booth offers authentic flavors and dishes typical of their respective countries. For example, you can enjoy sushi and ramen at the Japan booth, or tacos and margaritas at the Mexico booth.

In addition to the food booths, there are many other activities and experiences at the festival. The “Eat to the Beat” concert series is one of the major attractions, where visitors can enjoy live music from well-known artists and local talents. There are also cooking demonstrations, wine tastings, and special events that provide insights into the art and science of cooking.

For those who love a good challenge, there are several fun activities like “Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak Scavenger Hunt,” where participants can search for small figures of Remy around the park. There is also a cheese tasting challenge where you can collect stamps for each cheese you taste and eventually receive a prize.

The festival is not just a feast for the taste buds but also a visual and cultural experience. The decorations, music, and atmosphere contribute to creating an unforgettable experience for all ages. Whether you are a food enthusiast, a music lover, or just looking for a fun day at the park, the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival definitely has something for everyone.

Disney recently announced that a brand-new land based on the Pixar film “Monsters Inc.” will be added to Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World. This new area, known as Monstropolis, will include an exciting new attraction: Monsters Inc. Doors Coaster, which will be the first suspended roller coaster in a Disney park.

Monstropolis will take visitors to the monster world, following the events of the popular film. Here, human laughter will be needed to power the city, and guests will be able to experience “riding” the iconic doors from the movie, just like Mike and Sulley. Construction of this new area is planned to start in 2025.

Although Disney has not yet announced the exact location of Monstropolis in Hollywood Studios, two main areas are being discussed among fans:

Animation Courtyard

This area, which includes attractions like “Star Wars Launch Bay” and “Disney Junior Dance Party,” could be a possible location. Transforming this area into Monstropolis could breathe new life into a part of the park that has seen less traffic in recent years. If Monstropolis is placed here, it could revitalize an area that has been less popular and attract more visitors. This could also mean that some existing attractions might need to be moved or removed, which could affect fans of these attractions.

Grand Avenue and Muppets/Star Tours Area

Another option is to place Monstropolis near the Grand Avenue and Muppets area. This could involve restructuring or removing some existing attractions, such as “Muppet Vision 3D” and especially “Star Tours,” to make room for the new land. Placing Monstropolis here could lead to a larger restructuring of the area, which could be both costly and time-consuming. It could also mean the end for some classic attractions, which would undoubtedly disappoint many visitors.

Regardless of the location Disney chooses, it is clear that Monstropolis will be an exciting addition to Hollywood Studios, and fans of “Monsters Inc.” have much to look forward to.

D23, founded in 2009, is the official fan club for The Walt Disney Company. The fan club is primarily known for its D23 Expo, an event that takes place every other year, a kind of Disney fair/conference. The name D23 refers to D for Disney and 23 for 1923, which is the year Walt Disney founded the company. This year’s event has just ended, and there have been many exciting announcements for Walt Disney World.

Here are the most important news from this year’s D23. We will be back with more news from D23 and not least more details about all the exciting new things coming to Walt Disney World.

Cars Land in Magic Kingdom

One of the most exciting news is that Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World will get its own Cars Land. This new area will be a place where guests can experience two completely new attractions based on the Cars movie. The construction of the new “Cars” area in Magic Kingdom will start early in 2025. An exact opening date will be revealed later.

Villains Land in Magic Kingdom

Another major announcement is that Magic Kingdom will get its own Villains Land. This new area will, according to Disney, be a place where “poisonous apples are plentiful and magical potions can ruin your whole day. Preparations are already underway for this new land in Magic Kingdom, but neither the start of construction nor the opening date is yet known.

Monsters Inc Land in Hollywood Studios

Monsters, Inc. will bring laughter and terror to Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios in the form of an entirely new land. Guests will be able to visit Monstropolis and ride what will be Disney’s first hanging roller coaster, which will make our dream of flying among the hanging doors in the Monster Factory a reality. There is also no specific information available about the start of construction and opening date for Monsters Inc Land in Hollywood Studios.

New movie/mission for Millennium Falcon in Hollywood Studios

A new movie/mission for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in Hollywood Studios was also announced. This update will bring Din Djarin and Grogu (from The Mandalorian) to the interactive ride. The new version of Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will debut around the same time as the new movie “The Mandalorian and Grogu”, which is coming on May 22, 2026.

Zootopia replaces It’s tough to be a bug in Animal Kingdom

In Animal Kingdom, “It’s tough to be a bug” will be replaced with a new 3D movie based on Zootopia. This new attraction will invite guests to experience biomes both familiar and entirely new, and will feature characters from the movie like Judy Hopps, Nick Wilde, and many more. The new movie in the theater inside the Tree of Life will debut sometime during the winter of 2025.

Tropical Americas and Indiana Jones in Animal Kingdom

Finally, in Animal Kingdom, the new area Tropical Americas will replace Dinoland USA, and include attractions based on both Indiana Jones and Encanto. This new area will open up with Pueblo Esperanza, and will include a large hacienda that will be one of the largest fast food restaurants in Walt Disney World Resort. The construction of this 11-hectare area in the park is scheduled to start in the fall of 2024, and is planned to open in 2027.

We will be back with more details about the different lands and attractions over time.

Please subscribe to our newsletter:

Leave this field empty if you're human:

Walt Disney World has announced significant changes to its Genie+ service, which will take effect very soon. These changes include new names and features designed to make park visit planning easier and more flexible for guests.

Starting July 24, 2024, Genie+ will be renamed to Lightning Lane Multi Pass, while individual Lightning Lane tickets will be known as Lightning Lane Single Pass. This update aims to combine features from the current services and the previous FastPass+ system, giving guests the opportunity to plan ahead and reduce the stress of planning during their visit.

With Lightning Lane Multi Pass, guests can make up to three pre-selections of attractions in a park before their visit. Disney hotel guests can make these choices seven days in advance, while other guests can make them three days in advance. On the day of their visit, guests can check availability in the My Disney Experience app to make additional Lightning Lane selections after using one or more of their original choices.

Attractions are divided into two tiers at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios, while Animal Kingdom does not have tiered divisions. During pre-selection, guests can choose one attraction from the first tier and two from the second tier.

With the new Lightning Lane passes, Disney hopes to offer a more seamless and stress-free experience for all visitors. We’ll have to wait and see if that’s the case!

Today, July 1, 2024, the popular attraction “Rock’n’Roller Coaster” at Hollywood Studios is reopening, much earlier than expected.

“Rock’n’Roller Coaster” is one of the most beloved attractions at Hollywood Studios. This Aerosmith-themed roller coaster, designed in collaboration with the band itself, opened in 1999. The attraction takes guests on a thrilling ride through the darkened highways of Los Angeles in a supercar, all while playing Aerosmith’s rock songs.

The attraction has been closed since January 2024. Initially, it was only mentioned that the attraction would reopen sometime during the summer of 2024. Later, the reopening date was confirmed to be July 27, 2024.

BUT….to the great delight of fans, Disney has now announced that “Rock’n’Roller Coaster” will reopen almost four weeks earlier than originally planned. According to the official Walt Disney World calendar, “Rock’n’Roller Coaster” will reopen to guests as early as today, July 1, 2024.

It is still unclear what the maintenance work entailed. Disney has previously called the maintenance “routine,” meaning it is unlikely we will see any significant changes. More likely, Disney has just spruced everything up and performed routine maintenance.

So, if you’ve missed taking a wild ride in a supercar to the next Aerosmith concert (armed with your backstage passes), it looks like you won’t have to wait much longer! The reopening of “Rock’n’Roller Coaster” marks an exciting day for both Disney and fans. We look forward to hearing Aerosmith’s rock songs again as we race through the darkened highways of Los Angeles in a supercar. Rock on!

Disney has announced significant changes to its Genie+ service at Walt Disney World. The changes will take effect on July 24, 2024.

Starting July 24, 2024, Disney World will introduce major changes and new names for its fast-pass service. Disney Genie+ will now be known as Lightning Lane Multi Pass, while individual Lightning Lane will be known as Lightning Lane Single Pass.

The Lightning Lane passes will incorporate some features from the current services but will primarily be very similar to the former FastPass+ service, which Disney says will “give guests the option to plan ahead and eliminate the hassle of planning during the vacation.”

Guests can create Lightning Lane plans before arrival – 7 days in advance for resort guests, and 3 days in advance for non-resort guests.

Lightning Lane Multi Pass

When you purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass, you can make up to 3 Lightning Lane selections in one park, ahead of your visit. You will also be able to choose from available times when making your selections.

On the day of your visit, once you have used a selection, you can check the My Disney Experience app for the opportunity to make a new additional selection, i.e., a new Lightning Lane reservation. You must choose from what is then available in terms of attractions and times. You will also be able to change existing selections, both time and attraction, throughout the day. You can always have a maximum of three Lightning Lane reservations at the same time.

The three pre-selected Lightning Lane choices must all be in the same park, but additional choices made on the same day can be in one or more of the other parks, provided you have a “park hopper” ticket or an Annual Pass. A Lightning Lane reservation will normally last for one hour from the time you have chosen. It is not known if you can have overlapping times with the new system. This was not possible with the old FastPass+ system.

Lightning Lane Multi Pass will have 2 levels of attractions in Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT. There are no levels in Animal Kingdom. You can choose one selection from the first level, and two, or all, from the second level. You cannot choose the same attraction twice, either as a main choice or additional choice. See Disney World’s own website for details on the different levels.

Lightning Lane Single Pass

Lightning Lane Single Pass will work much like individual Lightning Lane does today, where you can secure a time to ride one of the most sought-after attractions, but you will be able to make your purchase and plan in advance, unlike now, where you must do this on the same day you plan to ride the attraction. You can purchase up to two Single Passes per day.

We look forward to seeing how these changes will affect future visits to the parks. There are still some unanswered questions, and we do not yet know what the price level for the service will be.

Please subscribe to our newsletter:

Leave this field empty if you're human:

Disney marks “Halfway to Christmas” around this time every year, and it’s always exciting to see what they have in store for the upcoming Christmas celebration. 2024 is no exception, with exciting news and events planned for Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios.

Disney is known for its spectacular Christmas celebration, and even though we’re only halfway to the big day, preparations are already beginning. At this time of year, Disney begins to reveal what guests can expect when the parks transform into a Christmas and winter wonderland.

In Magic Kingdom, “Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party” will return for Walt Disney World’s holiday season in 2024. This event will take place on selected nights in Magic Kingdom from early November to the week before Christmas 2024. Here are the official details from Walt Disney World:

The event will take place on the following nights:
November: 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27, and 29.
December: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, and 20.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party will take place from 7:00 PM to midnight.

In Epcot, “Festival of the Holidays” will return in 2024. This annual festival celebrates holiday traditions from around the world and will start on November 29th and last until December 30th, 2024. The festival includes food stalls serving seasonal dishes from different countries, as well as live entertainment and special events.

In Hollywood Studios, “Jollywood Nights” will return in 2024 from November 9th to December 21st, offering a five-hour Christmas event on selected evenings. The event will feature a new ice skating show, over 20 unique character experiences, and returning favorites like Phineas and Ferb, Santa Duffy, and Santa Stitch.

So Disney has a lot in store for its guests in connection with Christmas 2024. From exciting new shows to meetings with your favorite characters, there are plenty of reasons to start counting down the days to Christmas already now.

Even if you’re not staying at one of the Disney World hotels, it’s still possible to visit them. Take a break from the parks and enjoy lunch at one of the hotels, or just take a look around. But remember, the pools are reserved only for those staying there.

Disney World is famous for its amazing theme parks, but the hotels are also worth a visit. They offer a variety of activities, restaurants, and beautiful surroundings that can be a welcome change from the parks.

Some of the most visually impressive hotels include the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, known for its Victorian elegance, and the Animal Kingdom Lodge, where you can see African animals right outside your window. The Polynesian Village Resort gives you a taste of the South Seas with its tropical decor.

Each hotel has its own unique activities. At Fort Wilderness Resort, you can enjoy horseback riding and outdoor movies, while BoardWalk Inn features surreal performances every evening on the boardwalk.

When it comes to dining, there are many popular restaurants to choose from. ‘Ohana at the Polynesian Village Resort is known for its family-friendly atmosphere and delicious Polynesian dishes. At the Grand Floridian, you can enjoy a five-star dinner at Victoria & Albert’s. Just remember to make reservations well in advance.

While it may be tempting to take a dip in one of the many pools, it’s important to note that these are reserved for guests staying at the hotels. This is to ensure that everyone staying there has access to the facilities.

Visiting the Disney World hotels can be a great way to take a break from the parks, whether it’s for lunch, to explore, or just to enjoy the atmosphere. Have a great trip!

Please subscribe to our newsletter:

Leave this field empty if you're human:

Disney World is a place of constant change, and 2024-2025 is no exception. We have compiled an overview of the attractions that will undergo changes over the next year and a half.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

This attraction is a reimagining of the former Splash Mountain and is coming to Magic Kingdom. Inspired by the Disney movie “The Princess and the Frog,” it takes guests on a musical journey through a sparkling bayou. Visitors will join Princess Tiana and the jazz-loving alligator Louis on their adventure as they prepare for a lively celebration during the Mardi Gras season. The opening date for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida is set for June 28, 2024. A virtual queue will be in place when the attraction opens, and guests will need to use the My Disney Experience app to access the attraction.

Test Track

Test Track is one of the most popular attractions at EPCOT and is known for giving guests an exciting experience as test drivers in high-speed cars. The attraction allows visitors to design their own car and then test it on a variety of challenging tracks, which include sharp turns, steep hills, and high-speed straights. Disney and sponsor Chevrolet have planned a renewal of Test Track, which will involve closing the attraction2. The last day the attraction will be open in its current form was June 16, 2024. Details about what the new version of Test Track will include have not been fully revealed, but it is expected that the update will include a tribute to the classic attraction World of Motion, which originally occupied the same building. A reopening date has not yet been announced.

It’s Tough to be a Bug!

It’s Tough to Be a Bug is a 3D film and live show located in Animal Kingdom. This attraction gives guests the opportunity to experience life from an insect’s perspective and is situated in the Tree of Life. Disney has announced that “It’s Tough to Be a Bug” will be replaced by an entirely new “Zootopia” 3-D show. Details about the new attraction are still limited, but it is known that it will be based on the popular Disney movie “Zootopia.” An exact date for when “It’s Tough to Be a Bug” will close or when the new “Zootopia” attraction will open has not yet been announced.

Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Voyage of the Little Mermaid is a stage performance that has been part of Disney’s Hollywood Studios since it debuted on January 7, 19925. The show had its last performance in 2020 and did not reopen after the pandemic closure of Walt Disney World. Disney has announced plans to revive “Voyage of the Little Mermaid” with a new show called “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” expected to debut in the fall of 2024. Details about the new show are still limited, but it is known that it will bring an updated version of the classic story back to the park.

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster

This popular roller coaster will reopen on July 27, 2024, after extensive refurbishment that began in January this year.

Country Bear Jamboree

Country Bear Jamboree is a classic attraction located in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World6. It has been part of the park since it opened and is known for its animatronic bear performance. “Country Bear Jamboree” has been closed since January 27, 2024, for significant refurbishment. The new and improved version of the show will include some significant updates and will officially open on July 17, 2024.

Other Changes and Rumors

There are rumors that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Magic Kingdom will close for a major refurbishment as part of an expansion project called Beyond Big Thunder Mountain8. Disney has reportedly applied for a building permit for the refurbishment, which may indicate that the closure could begin as early as later this summer. The refurbishment may include a complete replacement of the track and other upgrades. The Beyond Big Thunder Mountain project was first announced at the D23 Expo in 2022 and is described as the largest in Magic Kingdom’s history.

Dinoland U.S.A. in Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be transformed into a new area inspired by tropical America, with a particular focus on Mayan culture. Disney has delved into the art, culture, and archaeology of the Yucatan Peninsula to shape the new theme and is working with 3-D models to bring the vision to life. Visitors can also look forward to an Encanto-inspired attraction, where Casita from the movie will be a central element. In addition, fans of Indiana Jones can rejoice that the DINOSAUR attraction may be transformed into an attraction featuring the iconic adventurer. We do not yet know when this new part of Animal Kingdom will be ready.

There are also rumors that Disney is planning to build a fifth park in Disney World, but this has not been confirmed by Disney.