Category: Disney World FL

2025 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival Starts Today

The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival starts today, August 28, 2025, and runs through November 22, 2025. This is one of our favorite Disney World events!

Take a taste tour around the world at appetizing marketplaces featuring authentic global cuisine and beverages. This is foodie heaven with delicious dishes, fine wine, craft beer, spirits, and other beverages sure to satisfy every palate.

For a full list of the numerous marketplace menus, check out the festival page below:

EPCOT Food & Wine Festival Global Marketplaces

Hear live musical performances from renowned artists and fresh, local talent at the Eat to the Beat concert series with performances nightly starting at 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM, and 8:00 PM at the America Gardens Theatre.

For a full performance schedule, see below:

Eat to the Beat Concert Schedule

Participate in the Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak or Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit scavenger hunts. Commemorate your trip with special photo ops. And of course, there will be plenty of merchandise if you want to go souvenir shopping.

Feel free to contact me to chat about this festival or planning a Disney trip in general. We love going to Disney World during these festivals!

Pics ©Disney

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2025

Welcome to August! This means Halloween season is beginning!

The first Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World starts August 15! This extra-ticketed event will take place on select nights from August 15 to October 31, 2025, with unique entertainment, festive treats, and more. Party festivities begin at 7 p.m., but you may enter the park after 4 p.m. with the party ticket.

The dates for 2025 are:
August – 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 29
September – 2, 5, 7, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30
October – 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, 31

New this year – meet Mickey and Minnie together at the Town Square Theater, visit Storybook Circus as it transforms into a happy haunt for families with younger children, and dance the night away at the ZOM-BEATZ BASH, a dance party inspired by the film ZOMBIES 4: Dawn of the Vampires.

Partake in all of this spooktacular fun:

Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular! – three sinister sisters bewitch and bedazzle the residents of Magic Kingdom Park in this fun stage show.
Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular – a wickedly wild fireworks display featuring some of your favorite Disney characters, hosted by Jack Skellington from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade – a frenzy of favorite Disney friends donning Halloween costumes in this fun parade unique to the party. Must see!
Dance Parties – dance the night away at 4 different parties around the park.
Character Meets – meet your Disney friends dressed in their “haunt-couture” Halloween looks.
Trick-or-Treat – collect candy as you roam trails around the park in search of some of your favorite sweets.
More treats – indulge in Halloween-inspired treats, including party-exclusive food and beverages.
Dress in costume – revel in the festive atmosphere around the park with fellow party-goers and Disney favorites in their Halloween finest.
Photo Ops – commemorate the night with themed backdrops and party-exclusive photo effects and props.
Shopping – of course, there will be themed party merch!

Tickets are on sale now, ranging from $119 to $229 per ticket, plus tax (prices vary by event date). Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members can save $10 per ticket. This event is very popular, and some dates are already sold out!

If you want a little extra indulgence, add Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Dessert Party to your night. Enjoy specialty treats and reserved fireworks viewing from Plaza Garden or Tomorrowland Terrace.

Contact me if you want me to help you book these party tickets or to chat about your Disney trip in general.

©Disney

Disney World Holiday 2025 Savings

Disney announced a new resort savings offer for the 2025 Holiday Season at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. On sale now! Lock in your Fall/Winter vacation!

Even if you already have a trip booked, you may be able to get this offer applied to it if your booking fits the criteria.

Celebrate the holidays at a Disney Resorts Collection hotel – featuring dazzling holiday décor and the same legendary detail, service, and storytelling found in the theme parks.

Some benefits of staying at a Disney Resort hotel include:

Early Theme Park Entry
Extended Evening Theme Park Hours
(Deluxe Resort or Deluxe Villa guests)
Lightning Lane Purchase 7 Days in Advance
Complementary Water Park Admission on Check-In Day
Complementary Resort-Park Transportation

All Guests

This special offer is valid for stays most Sunday to Thursday nights from October 12 to November 20, 2025; and most nights from November 23 to December 25, 2025.

Save 10% to 20% – Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resort Hotels
Save 10% to 20% – Disney Moderate Resort Hotels
Save 10% to 15% – Disney Value Resort Hotels

Plus, when guests upgrade to a Walt Disney Travel Company room-and-ticket package that includes non-discounted 4-day or longer standard theme park tickets, they’ll get a digital Walt Disney World Resort Dining & Shopping Promo Card. The card value varies based on Resort Category:

$100 promo card for packages at Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resort hotels
$75 promo card for packages at Disney Moderate Resort hotels
$50 promo card for packages at Disney Value Resort hotels

The number of packages allocated for this offer is limited. Promo card is valid for use at select participating food, beverage, and merchandise locations at Walt Disney World Resort.

Florida & Georgia Residents

Florida and Georgia residents can enjoy holiday savings on rooms, with rates starting from $129 per night, plus tax for a standard room at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort! Plus, take advantage of other great rates at select Disney Resorts Collection hotels.

This offer is valid for stays most nights from November 16 to November 29, 2025; and December 12 to December 25, 2025.

$129 Per Night, Plus Tax for Standard Rooms at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
$199 Per Night, Plus Tax for Preferred Rooms at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
$299 Per Night, Plus Tax for The Lion King Family Suites at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
$319 Per Night, Plus Tax for Deluxe Studios at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
$429 Per Night, Plus Tax for Savanna View Rooms at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
$449 Per Night, Plus Tax for Resort View Rooms at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn

Proof of Florida or Georgia residency is required at check-in.

Annual Passholders

Annual Passholders can save up to 35% on select Walt Disney World Resort hotels this summer, and up to 30% this holiday season.

Proof of Annual Pass required at check-in.

This is a good time to book a trip while this offer is available. The number of rooms allocated for these offers is limited. Savings are based on the non-discounted price for the same room.

Feel free to contact me to check if your desired resort is available for this offer or to chat more about another Disney trip.

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May the 4th Be With You

Happy Star Wars Day to all the fans!

Explore starwars.com for new streaming premieres, merchandise, deals, games, recipes, news, and more to celebrate this special day.

If you’re at any of the worldwide, many have special events, character meets, foods, merchandise, and more to commemorate this annual fan holiday. Visit Disney Parks Blog for more info about celebrating at the parks or at home.

May the 4th be with you, always!

EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival 2025

The 2025 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival at Disney World has started! It will be held March 5th – June 2nd this year!

We love this festival! Its most unique feature is the amazing topiaries. There are so many incredibly detailed and lifelike floral topiaries of Disney characters and various other objects all around the park. If you go, definitely go around to find them all.

Another favorite is the different food kiosks with creative foods and drinks to try. It’s fun to go with others so you can share something from each kiosk. There’s no way you can eat everything yourself, at least not in one day. Check out this Food Kitchen page for a complete list of the food offerings this year.

The Garden Rocks Concert Series also returns to the America Pavilion Theater with a long lineup of artists. View the concert lineup here often, as the performers can change. Some popular performers can fill up fast, so line up early.

If you want to guarantee yourself a seat, you can also reserve a dining package, which will get you a meal during that day and guaranteed entry to the concert show of your choice. The concerts occur at 5:30 PM, 6:45 PM, and 8:00 PM on select nights and are included with your EPCOT admission ticket. You can listen and watch from the back of the open-air theater as you walk by the America Pavilion, but if you want to go in and sit down, you’ll need to line up early or book a dining package.

There will also be scavenger hunts, a butterfly house, themed garden areas around the World Showcase countries, play areas and other activities for the little ones, photo ops, and plenty of merchandise. For more details, view this page for the festival:

EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival

There’s no shortage of things to do at EPCOT for the next few months. Hopefully, you can make it to Orlando to check it out.

Please contact me if I can help you plan your next Disney trip.

Pics ©Disney

No More Virtual Queues

Beginning February 25, 2025, Disney World guests can experience Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT through a standby queue or as a Lightning Lane experience. The Virtual Queue will no longer be used for these or any other rides.

Virtual queues are helpful with the launch of new attractions and experiences, so they may use them again in the future.

Please visit my Lightning Lane page for more information on using Lightning Lanes during your trip.

Feel free to contact me if you want to chat about planning your next trip.

Lightning Lane Premier Pass Expands Again

Beginning Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, Walt Disney World will expand the Lightning Lane Premier Pass pilot to all Disney World guests.

The booking window will be consistent with Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass, allowing guests to purchase this option in advance of their visit. Guests can purchase Lightning Lane Premier Passes for days they have valid theme park admission starting at 7:00 AM Eastern Time on their first day of eligibility. The pass continues to be offered in very limited quantities.

Guests staying at a Disney Resort hotel or other select hotels can purchase Lightning Lane Premier Passes starting 7 days before the first day of their Resort stay, for their length of stay (up to 14 days). This early-planning benefit is available to registered guests staying at:

Disney Resort hotels
Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
Shades of Green Resort

Guests not staying in a Disney Resort hotel can purchase Lightning Lane Premier Passes 3 days in advance. See additional details below, which vary based on admission type:

Guests with date-based theme park tickets (which require the Guest to choose a start date at the time of purchase) can purchase 3 days before the first day of their ticket, for the total number of valid admission days on their ticket.
Guests with other ticket types can purchase 3 days before their park visit.
Annual Passholders can purchase 3 days before their park visit.

For more details about the Premier Pass, please visit my Lightning Lane Premier Pass post.

EPCOT International Festival of the Arts 2025

This year’s EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is about to start on Friday and will run from January 17 – February 24, 2025 at Disney World. This festival will showcase the fine arts, performance arts, and culinary arts.

A highlight of this festival is the Disney on Broadway Concert Series where major Broadway stars perform songs from Disney Broadway musicals. Shows take place on select days at 5:30pm, 6:45pm, and 8:00pm at the America Gardens Theatre in the America pavilion. The list of performers is listed on the concert series page above. Check it often for the latest updates.

If you want to guarantee yourself a seat, you may want to book a dining package. Some shows will fill up fast.

Throughout the day around the World Showcase, other musical acts will also be performing.

Another key component will be the unique food booths showcasing dishes with a more artistic flair. Some look almost too pretty to eat!

One of the most unique features of this festival will be the many opportunities to see and participate in artistic activities yourself.

Artists will be showcasing their paintings and even painting live during the day. You can also join your fellow park-goers in painting a giant paint-by-numbers type wall mural.

Other artists will be drawing the most amazing 3D chalk art images on the sidewalks that you can then take pictures with. You really look like you’re inside that drawing. They’re incredible!

There will also be new photo ops, PhotoPass Magic Shots, plenty of merch, and many other fun activities. This is a short but unique festival and is included with your valid EPCOT admission. Try to catch it.

For more details, visit the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts page.

We’ve attended this festival in past years and it was one of our favorites. As always, feel free to contact me if you want to chat about planning your Disney trip.

Pics ©Disney

Lightning Lane Premier Pass Expands

Beginning today, Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, Walt Disney World will expand the Lightning Lane Premier Pass pilot to all Disney Resort hotels.

Guests staying at Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa, Moderate, Value Resorts, and other select hotels will be eligible to purchase up to seven days before the first day of their Resort stay – for their entire length of stay (up to 14 days).

For more details about the Premier Pass, please visit my Lightning Lane Premier Pass post.

Disney Pilots New Lightning Lane Premier Pass

UPDATE: Beginning Friday, Nov. 22, 2024, Walt Disney World will expand the Lightning Lane Premier Pass pilot to all Disney Resort hotels. Guests staying at Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa, Moderate, Value Resorts and other select hotels will be eligible to purchase up to seven days before the first day of their Resort stay – for their entire length of stay (up to 14 days).

Beginning mid/late October 2024, Disney World and Disneyland California will begin piloting a new service providing expedited entry to theme park attractions: Lightning Lane Premier Pass.

Lightning Lane Premier Pass will be offered in very limited quantities and will give guests one entry to each available Lightning Lane entrance in the theme park they are visiting that day. This includes attractions included in both Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass, but with Lightning Lane Premier Pass, guests do not need to select an experience time.

Lightning Lane Premier Pass will be an optional premium offering, and prices will vary based on the date and theme park guests are visiting.

Lightning Lane Premier Pass is separate from the current Multi-Pass and Single-Pass options. Guests can purchase any or all options once on a given day. The Premier Pass can only be purchased for only one park per day though, while the other two options allow guests to use them in multiple parks a day if they have park hopper tickets. Except for the few rides that are only available via Virtual Queue, guests can also use the free Standby lines instead of buying any of the pass options.

This new Premier Pass option offers great flexibility to guests who do not want to pick return times for rides and attractions throughout the day as they do now with the other two options. This is also a good way to bypass the standby wait when Multi-Pass or Single-Pass options are already sold out for their park day. This Premier option is very similar to the Universal Studios Express Pass, which many guests have been asking for for a long time since it is so much easier to use than the current Lightning Lane options. If this pilot goes well, Disney will probably offer this with greater availability. More details will probably emerge once this goes live and guests start using it.

At Walt Disney World, it will be available to guests staying at Disney Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resorts and may be purchased up to seven days in advance of their stay. It will only be valid for use in one park of the guest’s choice per day. It will also include digital downloads of select attraction photos and videos from your day, captured with Disney PhotoPass Service, as well as access to PhotoPass Lenses in the MDE app to create some fun photos with Disney-themed, augmented-reality effects.

Prices for Lightning Lane Premier Passes vary by date and theme park. At launch, prices will range from $129 to $449 (per pass, plus tax), with the highest prices falling on a limited number of days over peak travel periods. Eligible Guests will be able to view prices in the My Disney Experience app. Valid resort reservations and theme park admission are required. Park reservations may also be required, depending on the type of admission and date of your visit.

The first date it will be available at Walt Disney World is October 30, 2024.

Update: Starting Feb 25, 2025, Disneyland guests may be able to purchase the Premier Pass 7 days before their trip. Visit the Disneyland Premier Pass page for more details.

At Disneyland Resort, the Lightning Lane Premier Pass will be available first come, first served beginning two days in advance of a theme park reservation and will be valid for use in both theme parks. Get unlimited downloads of Disney PhotoPass digital photos from your day, as well as access to PhotoPass Lenses in the MDE app to create some fun photos with Disney-themed, augmented-reality effects.

Lightning Lane Premier Pass will be priced at $400 per person, per day for park visits through December 31, 2024. Beginning in 2025, pricing will vary by date and demand within a $300 to $400 range.

Prices will be displayed in the Disneyland app up to 2 days in advance of your park visit, starting at 7:00 AM Pacific Time. Valid admission and a park reservation are required in order to purchase a Lightning Lane pass. To visit more than one park in the same day, your valid theme park admission must include the Park Hopper benefit.

The first date it will be available at Disneyland is October 23, 2024.

For more details on the current Lightning Lane options, please refer to my Lightning Lane Guide.

Feel free to contact me if you would like to chat more about Lightning Lanes or planning your next Disney trip.

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