Well, it’s been a nutty month. So many things going on! Here’s a quick recap of some of the recent happenings at the Disney World parks. Feel free to contact me if you want more info.
Early Theme Park Entry
Officially, starting Oct 1st, guests staying at the Disney resorts and certain partner hotels can get into any of the four parks 30 minutes before the stated opening time. I know, 30 minutes may not seem like much, but you’ll be surprised. In that time, you should be able to get onto at least one big ride and maybe in line for the 2nd before the crowds of non-resort guests get there. That’s a big deal to be able to knock out two major rides with lower crowds. Also, starting Sept 26th, guests can start experiencing this as a preview. You still need the usual park ticket and reservation pass to get in, of course. In addition, if you’re staying at a deluxe Disney resort and other select deluxe hotels, you can also stay 2 hours after park closing.
Boarding Groups Paused for Rise of the Resistance
As of this week, you do not get a boarding group to ride Rise of the Resistance anymore. It’s just Standby only, so be prepared to line up early. I’ve heard of several hour waits! They haven’t said how long this will go on for, so double check which method they’re using when you go.
Boarding Groups Needed for New Remy Ride
When the new Remy Ride opens in the France pavilion in EPCOT on Oct 1st, you will need to get a boarding pass to ride it. It sounds like it works the same way as the Rise of the Resistance boarding passes – use the same strategies, try at 7am or 1pm, etc. The crepe restaurant and the entire new section behind the current France pavilion will also open that day.
New Fireworks Shows Livestreams
If you won’t be in the parks next week for their debut, you can watch a livestream of the first preview shows from the Disney Parks Blog site! From EPCOT, Harmonious will stream Sept 29th at 9pm ET. From Magic Kingdom, Disney Enchantment will stream Sept 30th at 10:15pm ET.
Club Cool and Creation Shop Opened
Yes, Beverly is back! Phew! That’s all you wanted to know, right? LoL. All of the other sodas at Club Cool have been changed to new flavors though. I heard there might even be a new Beverly contender. The new store replacing MouseGears in EPCOT, called Creation Shop, has also finally opened.
Space 220 Restaurant Finally Opened
Finally! This restaurant has been in the works for years and has actually opened! From the vlogger videos that I’ve seen so far, it looks really cool! The food sounds good, but the atmosphere is the highlight here. That space elevator looks amazing! They should just make that a ride! Note, it has a slightly different pricey prix fixe menu for lunch and dinner, but there’s also a lounge where you can get ala carte small bites. Reservations are already gone through December though. If you want to eat here, book it first the second your dining reservation window opens.
Buffets are Back
Buffets are back at Boma, Biergarten, and Crystal Palace. I bet more will be coming soon. They had reopened as table service restaurants for the past few months, but recently, they changed back to their original self serve buffet format.
Polynesian Monorail Station and EPCOT Monorail Opened
The construction of the new Polynesian resort monorail station is finally done and the Magic Kingdom resort monorail now stops at the Poly again. In addition, the EPCOT Monorail is also running again, so you can take that between EPCOT and the Magic Kingdom area.
Fingerprint Scanners Used Again
They started using the fingerprint scanners to get into the parks again, so try to remember which finger you first used.
Steakhouse 71 Coming Soon
This is the new restaurant that is replacing The Wave at the Contemporary resort. The name is based on 1971, the year the resort opened. It is opening Oct 1st but reservations have already been filling up fast. The menu shows typical American fare for breakfast, sandwiches and burgers for lunch, and steaks for dinner, among other choices, of course. It all sounds good though.
Cirque de Soleil Opening Soon
The new Cirque du Soleil® show in Disney Springs is finally opening Nov 18th. You can buy tickets now on the Cirque de Soleil site.
Animal Kingdom’s Nemo Show Being Reimagined
The Nemo show in Animal Kingdom hasn’t reopened since the Covid closure and they recently announced that they won’t be reopening anytime soon. When it does, it will be a new reimagined show, but no other specifics have been given yet.
EPCOT’S Candlelight Professional Returning
The Candlelight Professional is a popular show during the EPCOT holiday festivities where a celebrity narrator reads the Christmas story interspersed with songs performed by a majestic choir. It’s a beautiful show. It will be held most nights from Nov 26 – Dec 30th. No details on the celebrity lineup or dining packages yet though.
50th Anniversary Is Next Week
Yup, it’s going to be October 1st next Friday! September just flew by! So, that means the long anticipated 50th Anniversary of the opening of the Magic Kingdom park is finally here! All of the parks will have special decorations and lighting, Magic Kingdom and Epcot will debut their new nighttime shows, Animal Kingdom will debut a new daytime show, characters will have shiny new outfits and calvacades and make appearances in parks and resorts, golden statues of various characters have been set out around all four parks, and much, much more. There will be new anniversary floats bookending the current floats on the Electric Water Pageant. Of course, they will have tons of new merch and foods too! There will even be a TV show on ABC that night. Check your TV listings. The festivities will go on for the next 18 months, at least, so you’ll have plenty of time to make a trip over there! We plan to join in the fun! Come along!
This is all I can think of for now, but I’m sure more announcements will be coming from Disney. There seems to be something new everyday. There’s so much to keep up with. Some other big changes have already been discussed in my previous blogs, so check those too, if you haven’t already. Feel free to contact me if you want to discuss anything.
Adventures By Anne 