Category: Disney

Genie+ no longer available for pre-purchase

Genie
©Disney

UPDATE 07/24/2024: The Genie+ service has now been retired at Disney World in Orlando. View my Lightning Lane page to learn all about the new service. The Genie+ functionality at Disneyland California remains the same, just renamed to Lightning Lane.

Breaking Genie+ News!

Starting June 8, 2022, Disney World guests will no longer be able to pre-purchase the Genie+ service for the length of your trip. You may only purchase it on the day you intend to use it during your trip, which is an option available now as well.

If you wish to pre-purchase your Genie+ for any trip after June 8th, make sure to do it now. Any purchases made before June 8th will be honored even if your trip is after that date.

No word yet on any changes in Disneyland or any other parks. This is just for Disney World in Orlando Florida.

If you have any questions about the Genie+ service or want me to help plan your Disney trip, feel free to contact me.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

The Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is returning this Fall to the Magic Kingdom at Disney World! The evening extra-ticketed event will take place on select nights from Aug 12 – Oct 31, 2022. Party festivities begin at 7pm but you may enter the park after 4pm with the party ticket.

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 – fun parade unique to the party. Must see!
  • Disney Junior Jam – dance with some favorite Disney Junior friends at Storybook Circus. Perfect for young partygoers!
  • Trick-or-Treat – collect candy as you roam trails around the park in search of some of your favorite sweets.
  • More treats – eat more Halloween-inspired 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 back drops and magic shots.
  • Shopping – of course, there will be themed party merch!

Ticket sales for this party start on May 18, 2022 for everyone, and already on sale now for select Disney resort guests. Prices range from $99-$199, depending on day. Annual passholders and DVC members get $10 savings per ticket.

For more details about the party and to buy tickets, go to this Disney World party page:

Be sure to read the costume guidelines and other Know-Before-You-Go before you go. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions, or want help planning your Disney trip.

©Disney

Disney Cruise Line Summer 2023 Itineraries Announced

©Disney Cruise Line

Disney Cruise Line just announced the sailing itineraries for Summer 2023 (late May – late Sept). Bookings begin on different days next week, starting May 2, 2022, for different levels of Castaway Cay members and other Disney affinity groups. General members can book the following week on May 9, 2022.

DCL booking dates

The biggest surprise is that the Disney Dream ship is going over to do European and Mediterranean cruises all summer, starting with a transatlantic cruise over there in May! That’s on our bucket list! The Magic, which is over there now, will return to do Bahamian and Caribbean cruises mostly out of Miami. The Fantasy and Wish will stay in Port Canaveral for Bahamian and Caribbean sailings and the Wonder will stay on the west coast for Alaskan cruises.

Here’s a chart view of the summer cruises.

DCL itineraries
(click to enlarge)

Costs are generally the lowest when you book during this initial release, and some of the more popular itineraries can sell out fast. It is expected that there will be long waits on the phone with DCL. If you don’t need to apply a placeholder or credit to your new booking, it’s definitely going to be faster to book on the DCL website.

For complete details, check out the Disney Cruise Line Summer Itineraries page:

If you would like me to help with your bookings, feel free to contact me ASAP. We love sailing DCL, so let me know if you want to chat about them. I have some recaps of our past sailings in the Trip Recap section of this site if you want to see what they’re like.

Disneyland Grad Nite Reunion

Disneyland Grad Nite Reunion

Get ready for a throwback to your high school grad night! It’s a reunion party celebrating the last 6 decades. On select nights in June, this separately ticketed Disneyland After Dark event invites you to remember the fun, reunite with friends and get a little nostalgic in California Adventure.

During this event, you can enter the park at 5pm PT (official event hours are 8pm – midnight), without park reservations, enjoy attractions with shorter waits, see characters in their graduation attire, dance the night away at a dance party, nosh on nostalgic eats, take commemorative photos against retro backdrops, and much more.

Join the fun on June 23, 28 and 30, 2022. Tickets for this event will go on sale April 28, 2022 after 12pm PT. Chances are, they’ll sell out fast, so buy as soon as they’re available.

For more details, check out this Disneyland page:

If you want me to help plan your Disneyland trip, feel free to contact me. We plan to go over there later this year.

©Disney

Special Disney World Offer for Disney+ Subscribers

Disney+ offer
©Disney

Disney+ subscribers can save up to 25% on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels for most nights from July 8 through September 30, 2022.

You must provide your Disney+ account email for verification and it only applies to certain rooms at the Disney World Resort in Orlando for stays between these dates. Rooms are limited, so book quickly if you want to take advantage of this offer

  • Save 25% on Deluxe Resorts and Deluxe Resort Villas
  • Save 20% at Moderate Resorts and the Cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground
  • Save 15% at Value Resorts (20% at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort Suites)
  • Save 10% on the Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground

For more details on this offer, check out the Disney Offers page:

Feel free to contact me if you would like me to help with your trip.

Guardians of the Galaxy Opening Date

Guardians of the Galaxy ride

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will be opening in EPCOT at Disney World on May 27, 2022!

Take off on an intergalactic chase through space and time with the Guardians of the Galaxy. This family-thrill attraction features the first ever reverse-launch on a Disney coaster and is one of the longest enclosed coasters in the world. It also rotates 360 degrees so you can focus on the action!

Begin your adventure by touring the Galaxarium—a planetarium-like exhibition showcasing the similarities and differences between Xandar and Earth’s galaxies. You’ll even get to discover some of the incredible wonders of Xandar and learn about their technology.

Just as you are about to reach the culmination of the tour, everything goes sideways, and you are called into action to help the Guardians of the Galaxy. Join Rocket, Groot, Gamora, and Star-Lord on an urgent mission where you’ll rewind, rotate and head towards the action through an exciting space pursuit.

Ready for an awesome quest across the cosmos to save the galaxy? It’s all up to you!

©Disney

Disney Cruise Line Updates

Disney Cruise Ship
©Disney

Exciting news! Disney Cruise Line announced that some features are going to return back to normal soon. No specific dates when each item will start, but I think they’ll just slowly roll them in the coming weeks.

Social distancing will no longer be required, buffets will again be self-served, port adventures will return to their prior formats, and masks will continue to be optional indoors.

The biggest news is that character interactions will also return to normal! You’ll be able to get up close photos, hug them, and get their autographs!

Unfortunately, no word on when the full deck parties will return though. Vaccination requirements and testing remain the same for now too. Hopefully, cases will continue to decline and everything everywhere returns back to normal soon.

As always, read the requirements carefully before you book your cruise.

DCL has extended the final payment deadline for select Disney Magic European cruises until 30 days prior to sailing for guests booked in unrestricted stateroom categories. Sounds like they are still working out some requirements with some ports. Due to this, they’re also relaxing the cruise cancellation fee schedule for the affected Disney Magic sailings between June 4 – June 27, 2022. If you have a booking on one of these European cruises, you should’ve gotten an email with more details.

Also, here’s a happy sight. The Wish is on the move! She has left the German shipyard where she was built and sailed to another area to finish the interior and such. Many more details about the various ship features were released recently on the DCL site as well. Exciting progress!

Typhoon Lagoon H2O Glow After Hours

Disney H2O Glow After Hours

H2O Glow After Hours is back in Orlando! This is a separate ticketed event at Disney World’s Typhoon Lagoon water park where it will stay open 3 extra hours for a fun-filled glow party. Enjoy the rides with less crowds, specialty lighting, and a groovy DJ. Tickets are on sale now!

This party will be held on Saturday nights from May 28 – Aug 27, 2022, from 8pm – 11pm, but you can enter the park at 6pm to enjoy a few extra hours before it officially begins.

Here is the pricing info:

Adult (ages 10+): $75 plus tax
Child (ages 3-9): $70 plus tax

Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members:
Adult (ages 10+): $59 plus tax
Child (ages 3-9): $54 plus tax

Ice cream, popcorn, and some bottled beverages are included. Other snacks will be available for purchase.

For additional details and to purchase your tickets, go to the official Disney H2O site:

Feel free to contact me if you’d like me to help you plan your trip.

Pics ©Disney

EPCOT Food & Wine Festival dates announced

Epcot Food and Wine Festival

The EPCOT Food & Wine Festival at Disney World will take place from July 14 – Nov 19, 2022.

There will be food from the countries of the World Showcase and many other booths around the park. Specific booths and menus haven’t been released yet, but it seems they add more every year.

The Eat to the Beat Concert Series will return with performances on select nights. The star-studded lineup has something for every taste—from pop to country to R&B and more. These shows are held in the America Gardens Theater and are included in your EPCOT ticket. No need to buy a separate ticket, but seats can fill up fast, so line up early!

There will also be plenty of additional activities and merchandise if past festivals are any indication. We love these EPCOT festivals. It’s always fun to try new foods and activities there.

Concerts

More details will be released as it gets closer, but I wanted to let you know about the new dates ASAP in case it affects your trip planning.

Here is the official Disney site for this festival if you want to follow along. They will add more details here.

Feel free to contact me if you want to chat about these festivals or need help planning your trips.