This time of year is usually when the Disney theme parks like to do annual maintenance on their rides, especially water rides. Make sure to check each park’s refurbishment calendar when planning your trip dates to make sure a favorite ride won’t be closed. Below are just some main ones that I’m seeing as of this writing.
Disney World
Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, Hollywood Studios – Jan 8th-Summer 2024
Frozen Ever After, EPCOT – Jan 24th only, then Nov 2-6th
Big Thunder Railroad, Magic Kingdom – Jan 16-20th
Country Bear Jamboree, Magic Kingdom – Jan 27-Summer 2024
Splash Mountain, Magic Kingdom – already closed for the retheming to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, scheduled to open sometime this year
Kali River Rapids, Animal Kingdom – Jan 8-tbd
In addition to the rides, the Disney Skyliner Gondola will be closed for annual maintenance from Jan 16-21st, and until Jan 27th between the International Gateway at EPCOT and the Riviera resort. Buses to the parks will be provided if you’re staying at the Skyliner resorts.
Also, Blizzard Beach is open but Typhoon Lagoon is now closed until they both reopen for the warmer months.
Disneyland
Haunted Mansion, Disneyland – Jan 22-tbd
“it’s a small world”, Disneyland – Jan 7-17th
Splash Mountain, Disneyland – already closed for the retheming to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, opening date tbd
Grizzly River Run, California Adventure – Jan 8-tbd
Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind, California Adventure– Jan 22-Feb 8th
World of Color One, California Adventure – Jan 8-18th
In the park calendars below, change the date, click on the park icons of all of the ones you want to check, and then scroll down to the Closed for Refurbishment section of each park.
These calendars also show the park hours and scheduled times for the numerous shows and fireworks (of course, subject to change and some won’t get posted til it’s closer to that date but checking closer dates can give you an approximate idea), so it’s good to check them often if you want to plan dining reservations or ride times around certain ones.
Check the calendars often, especially if your trip is still several months or even weeks away, since closures and dates for their reopening can fluctuate. Closures do happen year-round, not just in January and February.
Of course, this applies to any other theme parks, or any other attraction/location, that you may be interested in going to as well. Always check their websites before you lock in your travel plans and before your trip dates, for any closures and changes. Or, you can use a travel agent, like me, who will stay on top of any changes for you. 😁
Feel free to contact me if you want any help planning your future trips.
Update Jan 12, 2024: The festival started today and the menus of the food booths have been added to Disney’s Festival of the Arts page.Click the Details link for each booth listing.
Update Nov 17, 2023: Disney just announced the lineup of performers for the Disney on Broadway concerts and the list of food booths. Exciting!
If you’re planning ahead, the EPCOTInternational Festival of the Arts will run from January 12 – February 19, 2024 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 their site. 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. Try to catch it.
We attended this festival last year and it was one of our favorites. As always, feel free to contact me if you want to chat about planning your Disney trip.
In addition to the Free Dining Plan Offer for Disney+ subscribers staying July 1 – Sept 30, 2024, there are two more offers for the coming months.
Stay Longer and Save More on Rooms
For 1 – 4 night stays from March 25 – July 7, 2024, you can save 10% – 25% depending on the resort.
For 5 – 14 night stays from March 25 – July 7, 2024, you can save 10% – 30% depending on the resort.
For 1 – 4 night stays from July 8 – Oct 3, 2024, you can save 10% – 30% depending on the resort.
For 5 – 14 night stays from July 8 – Oct 3, 2024, you can save 10% – 35% depending on the resort.
Florida Residents: Save Up to 30% on Rooms
For 1 – 14 night stays from March 25 – July 7, 2024, you can save 10% – 30% depending on the resort.
Proof of Florida residency is required at check-in.
The number of rooms allocated for any of these offers is limited and excludes certain room types. Savings are based on the non-discounted price for the same room.
Feel free to contact me to check if your desired resort has availability for any offers.
Happy New Year! Here’s a new Disney offer to kick off the year!
Starting Jan. 3, 2024, Disney+ subscribers can get a FREE dining plan when purchasing a non-discounted 4-night, 4-day Disney World package that includes a room at a select Disney Resort hotel and theme park ticket with a Park Hopper option. Packages may be longer as well.
This offer is valid for arrivals most nights July 1 through Sept. 30, 2024.
This offer must be booked by February 14, 2024.
Feel free to contact me if you want to chat about this or want me to help plan your next trip.
We just spent our first full day here, exploring EPCOT on Christmas Eve yesterday. It was awesome! Cool weather, low crowds, and yummy festival foods. Today, we’re going to Magic Kingdom, because Christmas needs to be at MK! Cross your fingers for us!
As many trips as we’ve done to Disney in the past, we’ve never come on the actual Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. We always heard about the crazy holiday crowds and wanted to avoid them, but this time they weren’t bad at all, at least not at EPCOT yesterday. Maybe it was an anomaly and we just got lucky though. It has been unusually cool for Florida, so maybe that scared away some crowds. Who knows. Either way, it was a glorious day yesterday. I’ll do a more detailed trip recap soon.
Stay tuned for part 2 of this holiday adventure tomorrow at another exciting location!
I wish you and yours a very happy holiday season! Merry Christmas if you celebrate it!
Follow along here (trip recap coming soon) and on my Instagram (adventures_by_anne) for more details and pics.
There are several notable changes and updates that you should be aware of for a Disney World trip this holiday season.
December 5, 2023
Big day! The walls are finally coming down in EPCOT…well most of them anyway. Disney just announced that the new World Celebration Gardens area behind Spaceship Earth, which includes a new Walt the Dreamer statue, will be revealed on December 5th, Walt Disney’s birthday!
In addition, a new nighttime show, Luminous A Symphony of Us, will debut in the World Showcase lagoon that night!
So, this day will be exciting but probably be pretty crowded at EPCOT. Plan accordingly.
December 3 – December 8, 2023
If you don’t already know, the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays has started and will run til the end of the month. It has many fun holiday events and delicious foods, so definitely check it out.
One big draw of the festival is the Candlelight Processional, a beautiful retelling of the Christ story by a celebrity narrator and a huge choir in the America pavilion theater. Even if you don’t sit for the whole show, walk by the theater and catch a bit of it. It’s included with your park admission.
The week of Dec 3rd will have two of the most super popular narrators ever – John Stamos and Neil Patrick Harris! All of the narrators are really really good, but these two are like narrator legends and folks will line up for their shows hours in advance. So, plan to line up early too, or reserve a Candlelight Processional Dining Package if you want to see them.
Expect higher than normal crowds at EPCOT, especially towards the evening, for these days. Note, Dec 5th will also have the added crowds for the events mentioned above as well.
Here’s the current narrator schedule but always double check the Disney site in case of last-minute changes.
If you want to attend while you’re there, buy your tickets asap. Let me know if you want me to help book them. Some dates are already selling out.
Both will cause the parks to close earlier than usual and you will not get to see the usual nighttime fireworks shows those nights if you don’t have a party ticket. On the one hand, you will probably get a lighter crowd day during the day, but on the other hand, you will have a shortened park day without nighttime shows.
Always double check the park hours for your trip days often and see if you want to avoid a party day or not. Modify your park reservations ASAP if you need to before they start filling up too.
Christmas Parade
Normally, the Christmas parade, Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade, is only done in the evenings during the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party for party guests only. However, during the days immediately around Christmas, it is usually done during the day and available to all guests in Magic Kingdom. Check the MDE app for parade days and times.
Of course, those are usually the busiest days in the park also so plan accordingly. Christmas Day will be especially crowded so make your park reservations now before it fills up. It could even be closed to park hopping due to max capacity.
Meet Santa
If you want to meet Santa, there are several places to do so. He will be in the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney Springs. Check your MDE app for times and locations.
For the Disney Springs one, they may also run a Virtual Queue. Check the Virtual Queue section in the app to see if they’re doing that and if slots are still available. If they’re doing the VQ, you can’t just show up and line up on standby. A queue slot is required. They could run out quickly so check first thing each morning.
If you just want to see him from afar, you can just walk by the park ones. They’re visible in the open. He also comes on a flotilla boat in the Animal Kingdom river and on a parade float during Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade.
Also, in the Christmas Shoppe store in Magic Kingdom, there’s a mailbox to drop off your letter to Santa year-round!
Gingerbread Houses
Build in some time in your trip to visit the elaborate gingerbread displays in the Disney resorts. The Grand Floridian has a life-sized gingerbread house inside its lobby. The Contemporary has a huge wall-sized gingerbread castle. The Beach Club has a revolving gingerbread carousel. The Boardwalk has a miniature gingerbread recreation of the boardwalk stores. The Yacht Club has a huge gingerbread lighthouse. The Animal Kingdom Lodge has some gingerbread animals. They will all have gingerbread and other holiday treats you can purchase there too. All of these displays are so detailed and beautiful. Look out for hidden Mickeys!
In addition to the gingerbread houses, the resorts will also be decked out with holiday trees and decor. In fact, all of the Disney resorts will have fun holiday decorations, snacks, and merch. We love resort hopping during our trips. This is a good way to take a break from your park day or on the way to your next park if you’re park hopping. Oh, in the American Adventure building in EPCOT, you can also see gingerbread recreations of some national monuments.
You don’t have to be staying at these resorts to visit them. Just take the Disney buses or monorails to them from the parks. Parking at their lots is iffy if you don’t have a dining reservation there. However, these resorts do have many great restaurants. I suggest you check some out.
Frozen 10th Anniversary
Did you know that it’s already been 10 years since the first Frozen movie was released?!? Time flies!
To celebrate this occasion, there are many Frozen themed PhotoPass photo ops around the parks and Disney Springs if you have any Frozen fans.
Don’t forget to look for holiday photo ops too!
Water Park Closures
Speaking of Frozen, be aware that the water parks and other water-related activities can close if the temperature is forecasted to be really cold. Now, I know that cold is subjective but I guess Florida cold. For example, Blizzard Beach has announced closures for Nov 28-29th so far where the temps look to be around the 50s.
Just be aware that it could happen if you’re planning to go to a water park and check their hours page. Currently, only Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park is open. Typhoon Lagoon is closed for its seasonal refurbishment.
New Restaurants
Two new restaurants are opening soon in Disney Springs. Summerhouse by the Lake will feature West Coast style cuisine and Eet by Maneet Chauhan will feature Indian-inspired cuisine. Yum!
Update: Opening dates have been announced! Eet will be opening on December 4, 2023 and Summerhouse opens December 14, 2023.
New Years Eve
To celebrate New Year’s Eve, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot will have special festivities or fireworks to countdown to 2024! Magic Kingdom will be open 8am til midnight on Dec 30th and 8am til 1am on Dec 31st. EPCOT will be open 9am til 1am and Hollywood Studios will be open 8:30am til midnight just on Dec 31st.
These will be very popular days, so make your park reservations now, and can potentially close to park hopping due to max capacity so plan accordingly.
As always, if you want to chat more about these events or would like me to help you plan your trip, feel free to contact me. We hope to see you there!
Disney just announced the lineup of performers for the Disney on Broadway concerts and the list of food booths coming to the EPCOT Festival of the Arts from January 12, 2024 through February 19, 2024.
Visit my post for the details on this fun festival:
Disney World opened bookings today for a new offer. You can get 50% off children’s (ages 3 to 9) theme park tickets and dining plans with the purchase of a nondiscounted Disney World package that includes a room at a select Disney Resort hotel, theme park tickets, and a dining plan.
It is valid for trips that begin:
March 3, 2024 – March 24, 2024
April 7, 2024 – June 30, 2024
A minimum 4-night stay and 4-day park tickets are required, with a max of 14 nights. Dining plan must be purchased for the entire length of stay and the entire party (ages 3 and up). Children must stay in the same room as adults. Package and restaurant availability is limited, so book soon.
A dining plan allows you to prepay for a certain number of meals and snacks at Disney restaurants and kiosks based on the length of your trip. I have a separate post about the Disney Dining Plans:
If used well, these plans can provide you with some savings on your trip meals. I suggest you view the menus of the restaurants you may want to eat at and calculate how much that meal would cost you if you paid directly vs using a dining plan credit.
For more details on this offer, visit the Disney offer page:
Disney World Dining Plans are returning on January 9, 2024. If you book a resort package with a stay on or after January 9th, you can now add a dining plan to your trip.
A dining plan allows you to prepay for a certain number of meals and snacks at Disney restaurants and kiosks based on the length of your trip. However, even though you are allocated the number of meals listed below per night of your stay, you can use them at any time of your trip. So, if you want to use all your snack credits in one day, you can do that. Likewise, certain table service meals require two table service credits per meal so you would use more on those days. Any unused credits will expire at midnight of your check-out day.
There are two available plans to choose from, with the main difference being that the main dining plan also provides for meals at table service restaurants, in addition to the quick-serve restaurants.
You will also get one Resort-Refillable Drink Mug per person per stay. Mugs are eligible for refills from self-service beverage islands at any Disney Resort hotel’s Quick-Service location, not refillable in the park restaurants.
Plans must be purchased for the entire length of your stay and your entire party (ages 3 and up). Table service restaurant reservations are still needed and can be made within 60 days before your check-in day. Not all locations accept the dining plan though and restaurants are subject to availability.
Note: In the past, Disney would let you convert extra Quick Service credits to use as multiple snack credits instead, but that is no longer allowed now. So, make sure to plan out your meals to use up your credits correctly.
For more details on the dining plans, visit the Disney Dining Plan page.
If used well, these plans can provide you with some savings on your trip meals. I suggest you view the menus of the restaurants you may want to eat at and calculate how much that meal would cost you if you paid directly vs using a dining plan credit.
If you want to chat more about adding a dining plan to your trip, feel free to contact me.
Adventures By Anne 