Since 1971, Disney World has dazzled visitors with fun, food and fireworks. Much has changed over the years. Keeping up with all that’s going on at Disney can be overwhelming. There’s always a long list of details of the Epcot festivals, restaurant menu changes and ride refurbishments. It seems like there’s something new to know every week. So what are the biggest Disney news stories of 2024? There were many small things to note as well as Disney continued to get back to normal. It’s fun to look back but it’s also helpful for planning if you haven’t been in a while or might have missed something. Let’s take a look at some of the most notable stories of the year at Disney World and what’s new.
2024 Disney World News Recap
Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend
The year always starts off with the big 26.2 around Disney World theme parks. These magical miles have characters and entertainment along the course. The race weekend includes a 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, multi-race challenges and more. Marathon weekend 2024 was from January 3 through the 7 in 2024.
All Day Parking Hopping Returns
January of 2024 was a noteworthy time for vacation planning changes. On January 9, 2024, all day parking hopping returned. No more waiting until 2:00 p.m. to use your park hopper ticket add on.
Disney Dining Plan returns
It’s wild to think the Disney Dining Plan returned on January 9, 2024 as well. Guests went for years without this convenient option available to them.
Park reservations no longer needed for standard, date based tickets
On January 9 we also saw park reservations go away for nearly all guests except for annual passholders. Those with a Disney annual pass still need park reservations to visit the parks before 2:00 p.m. or Magic Kingdom any time on the weekends. If your ticket is dated, you do not need a park reservation. This was a big return to normal for many visitors. For more clarification see: Do I need a Disney Park reservation?
First good-to-go days announced
On January 11 the first of annual passholders good-to-go days were announced. These are days annual passholders are able to visit any time without a park reservation. These continue to be rolled out as time goes on.
Epcot International Festival of the Arts
The most colorful Epcot festival painted the park from January 12 to February 19 in 2024. Epcot International Festival of the Arts is the newest of these events at the park.
Disney Skyliner down for maintenance
The Disney Skyliner had planned down time from January 16 through the 27 in 2024. We see this happen around the same time every year. If the Skyliner is a special part of your stay, look for the maintenance dates or avoid mid to late January.
ROFR Buybacks Resume in February 2024
After no Right of First Refusal buybacks in the calendar year of 2023, buybacks resumed for DVC Resale Experts in early 2024. In February, Disney bought a Grand Floridian contract back. Things picked up in the summer again and buybacks have been consistent since. Especially at Disney’s Old Key West Resort and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas. Potential buyers should be aware of current trends. See the ROFR DVC 2024 annual stats for all of the buybacks this year. Talk to an Expert for advice on how to price an offer competitively.
EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival 2024
The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival ran for less time than the year prior. The dates were February 28 through May 27, 2024. The year before the event ran until July 5. Speculation of another, summer time festival swirled due to the shorter flower and garden span. No new festival came but an Encanto show debuted in the summer.
runDisney Princess Half at Disney World
The Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend filled Walt Disney World Resort with lots of pink from February 22 through the 26. This annual race weekend is also in the 2025 runDisney events lineup.
Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon Continue Trade Off
In 2024, we saw Blizzard Beach water park close for refurbishment as Typhoon Lagoon opened and the opposite too. In 2025, guests staying at Disney resort hotels get free entry to the Disney World water parks on check in day. These parks will continue to operate one at a time as far as we know.
1900 Park Fare Reopened
After years of being closed, 1900 Park Fare at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa finally reopened after the pandemic. Aladdin, Cinderella, Mirabel and Tiana are the new characters at both breakfast and dinner. Aladdin is in his Prince Ali look and Tiana wears her new outfit from her attraction.
Disney and the Governor of Florida Feuded and Forgave
Forgave is a strong word but we at least know Disney and the Florida governor reached some kind of agreement. With Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger back at the helm, law suits continued over controlling the district Disney World is located in. After Disney exercised its first amendment right, the governor retaliated by changing the way the company works locally. This went on for quite some time and while Disney didn’t get its Reedy Creek district back, the two seem to be working together cordially.
DIY Lightsaber Building Returned
The little things around Walt Disney World continued to slowly return after covid delays. Guests are able to build their own lightsabers again at the Star Tours attraction exit gift shop Tatooine Traders. This experience and others that are also high touch were paused or done away with during the pandemic.
Ice Cold Hydraulics Opened at Hollywood Studios
Disney has many quintessential snacks and flavors but it’s not often a new food kiosk opens up. Early in the year, a new snack stand opened near the Muppets courtyard area. It sells slushies, savory churros with bacon and specialty cinnamon rolls.
New Adventures Debut on Star Tours at Hollywood Studios
When the new Star Tours opened, the concept of adding to and changing the attraction debuted. Disney can add new scenes any time, changing the character hologram or destinations. We haven’t seen these kinds of updates as much as we could have. However, on April 5, 2024 new scenes with Ahsoka, Andor, and The Mandalorian and Grogu made it into the ride. When popular new Star Wars fun is added, you can expect to get those parts on every ride for a while. Other parts will still vary.
Cast Member Pin Trading Returns
On April 7, pin trading with Cast Members returned in its full capacity. Different types of interactions returned in phases. It took quite a while for guests to be able to trade pins with a Cast Member wearing them on their lanyard or belt pin pack. Prior to this, other kinds of pin trading were happening that used props to display tradable pins.
Passholder Appreciation Days at Walt Disney World Resort
V.I.Passholder Days at Walt Disney World Resort took place from May 1 through June 18. From time to time we see Disney honor annual passholders like this with magnets, a special lounge set up and snacks and other offerings.
Disney Dreams That Soar drone show at Disney Springs
From May 24 through September 2, Disney Springs had a drone show lighting up the sky each night. This is a pretty big deal because drone shows are new for Disney. This was the second time Disney Springs had a drone show for guests to enjoy. However, we haven’t seen this technology find a permanent place in the parks yet. Disney Dreams That Soar has an original soundtrack and featured Disney, Marvel and Star Wars characters in creative ways.
¡Celebración Encanto! show at Epcot
Encanto has been wildly popular with the younger crowds since its debut. In the summer of 2024, guests could find more Encanto at Disney World. On June 10, this singalong style show debuted and delighted little guests with Mirabel and Bruno dance parties at the end of the show. This was meant to be a summer show but it’s been extended and is still running as of the end of the year.
Test Track closes for refurbishment
One of the biggest rides to go down this year is Test Track. On June 17 Test Track closed for a long refurbishment. The attraction will get a makeover but remain the same track and concept. We can expect Test Track to reopen in 2025.
New Entertainment Introduced at Disney
There were some entertainment related milestones in 2024. Many entertainment acts never returned after the pandemic. This year we finally saw some new things added again though small and temporary.
A walk around guitar play was introduced around Restaurantosaurus in Dinoland. This Animal Kingdom land is being refurbished into a tropical Americas land starting soon. It seems this will be short lived.
At Epcot, an outdoor acrobatic show featuring four performers inspired by the elements debuted.
Disney’s First MICHELIN Star is at Victoria & Albert’s
A MICHELIN Star was awarded to Victoria & Albert’s in 2024. This Grand Floridian restaurant is a top dining destination in the state. This was not the first accolade but may be the most celebrated. This restaurant has already received AAA Five Diamond and the Forbes Travel Guide Five Star awards.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Opened at Magic Kingdom
On June 28th, the landscape of Frontierland changed forever. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opened, replacing Splash Mountain. New animatronics were introduced along with a new exterior, merchandise shops and more. Tiana invites us to her business in the wildly detailed queue and we help her find entertainment for a celebration on the attraction. As a major attraction in the park, Princess Tiana’s story is a joyful celebration for many guests each day.
Characters Returned to Animal Kingdom
After years of riding around the park’s waterways on floatillas, the characters got back on land at Animal Kingdom this summer. Character greetings had officially returned to normal years prior but for some reason it was delayed at this park. You’re now able to meet and see characters at Disney World close up again.
CommuniCore Hall Opened in Epcot’s World Celebration
CommuniCore Hall opened on June 10th in the World Celebration area in the front of Epcot. This is a simple, indoor seating area that gets some attention for special events like festivals. The Macatizers food booth was added inside CommuniCore Hall for the event, featuring different mac and cheese options. This joined the new Walt Disney statue and the new Starbucks, Connections Cafe, and Creations Shop that were all added in the last few years. Later in the year, a Spaceship Earth gingerbread display with lights and music was added to CommuniCore Hall for the Epcot holiday festival.
Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass Debuted July 24, 2024
This year we saw the skip the line offering at Disney World change again. Disney Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lanes retired as Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass debuted. Times can now be booked in advance again with this Disney World Lightning Lane service. Three selections can be booked initially with more throughout the day. The attraction tiers are back with this system for advanced bookings. Once the park is open and you’ve used your first Lightning Lane, you can book anything that’s available. It’s a use one, book one system, similar to what we’ve seen in the past. Resort guests can purchase Lightning Lanes and book selections 7 days in advance. Everyone else can book 3 days in advance.
Magic Kingdom Disney Vacation Club Lounge Announced
Disney announced, and started construction on, a new theme park Disney Vacation Club lounge in 2024. The venue is in Magic Kingdom and takes the place of the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade. We don’t yet have an opening date. Want to know more about DVC lounges? See lots of details, including frequently asked questions, in our Disney Vacation Club Lounge Guide.
Welcome Home Weeks
This summer, Disney Vacation Club brought more magic to Members with Welcome Home Weeks. This was a series of events and freebies for eligible Members. The fun included things like free Mickey bars in the parks, special character meet and greets and coffee meet ups. See the entire lineup in our DVC Welcome Home Weeks post.
Disney Springs DVC Lounge Now Open
A new Disney Springs DVC space opened this year. The second floor has an area for Members with an outdoor balcony with seating and nice views of the Disney Springs Town Center area.
Country Bears Got a Makeover
The Country Bear Jamboree reopened after refurbishment as the Country Bear Musical Jamboree. The show now has Disney music done in a country style by industry professionals including the following songs:
- Try Everything from Zootopia
- Kiss the Girl from The Little Mermaid
- A Whole New World from Aladdin
- Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious from Mary Poppins
- Fixer Upper from Frozen
- Remember Me from Coco
- You’ve Got A Friend In Me from Toy Story
- Bare Necessities from The Jungle Book
Star Wars Rise of the Resistance Single Rider Line
The popular Star Wars Rise of the Resistance attraction started testing and introduced a single rider line this year. At first it did not include certain parts of the queue and pre-show elements. It returned with an altered path at a later date.
The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival
The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival ran from August 29th to November 3rd in 2024. This is a later start than we’ve seen the past few years and something to think about if you’re wanting to visit next year. You may want to wait to see exact dates before booking or book in September or October.
Disney Makes Big Announcements at D23 Event
The D23 Disney announcements 2024 brought us were surprising.
- Magic Kingdom is getting a new nighttime parade in the summer of 2025! The Disney Starlight parade has the magic of the Blue Fairy from Pinocchio with friends from Peter Pan, Encanto, Frozen and more!
- An entire Monsters Inc. land is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios with a door rollercoaster taking inspiration from scenes from the film!
- We got confirmation the Pirates of the Caribbean Lounge at Magic Kingdom is opening in 2025.
- The tropical Americas Animal Kingdom expansion has an Indiana Jones ride with a new story in an ancient Mayan temple.
- The Encanto house coming to Animal Kingdom is a dark ride! The tropical Americas land will open in 2027.
- Disney Cruise Line is adding FOUR new cruise ships to the fleet! These set sail from 2027 to 2031. That will bring the fleet to 13 ships.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Changes
In 2024, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party added some more villains to the mix.
- The Evil Queen and Maleficient have been seen in front of their respective princess portraits inside Princess Fairytale Hall
- The Evil Queen and Maleficient have also been up on the top of the train station when you enter the park in the town square area at the start of Main Street U.S.A.
- Cruella de Vil has been.. spotted.. on a platform on the entrance path that veers you off behind Main Street U.S.A.
- Bruno began meeting with Mirabel in her meet and greet near the tea cups
- Jack Skellington is back with Sally meeting guests on Main Street in the Town Square Theater
- Like we’ve seen in years past, Gaston may be found around Gaston’s Tavern..
- Anastasia, Drizella and Lady Tremaine might be waiting to say hello around the castle walls behind the carousel in Fantasyland
The Tron attraction also began offering a standby queue at these events in 2024.
Hurricane Season Closures at Disney World
Disney World was affected by hurricane season this year. Does Disney close for hurricanes? A Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party was cancelled for hurricane Helene. The parks and resorts closed for a day and a half for hurricane Milton.
Island Tower Polynesian Restaurant, Pool and More Details Revealed
We learned Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort has a new restaurant, Wailulu Bar & Grill, opening with the Island Tower.
The Island Tower also has a zero entry pool, Moana’s Voyage splash area that features a life size sculpture of Moana and her boat. This Cove Pool area is open for all guests of the resort.
Guests staying in the Island Tower also have the Terrace Gardens to look forward to. These are unique building cut outs that provide stunning views. Two face the direction of Cinderella castle and will surely be a great place to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks.
This Polynesian Island Tower Disney Vacation Club building addition opened December 17, 2024. This is part of the existing DVC resort at the Polynesian. That means if you purchase a resale DVC contract at the Polynesian, this is part of your home resort!
See DVC resale Polynesian listings that are available right now.
TRON Lightcycle / Run Now Uses Standby Queue
Since September 9, 2024 TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom has been using a standby queue instead of a virtual queue. If you’re visiting later in the day, you actually have the opportunity to ride now. Before this Tron used a virtual queue which usually sold out. If you were to pop in the park for the evening, you’d only be able to ride by purchasing an Individual Lightning Lane if any return times were available. To ride Tron you can either stand in line for the length of the posted wait time or purchase a Lightning Lane Single Pass return time. The only virtual queue at Magic Kingdom now is Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
2024 Disney Attraction News: Ride Refurbishments at Disney World
Aside from the big closure and changes from Splash Mountain to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, there’s a few more. We also saw Peter Pan, Jungle Cruise and Rock n Roller Coaster spend some time down for refreshment.
Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs Open at BoardWalk
The list of Disney BoardWalk restaurants got longer this year. Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs opened a kiosk on the Disney BoardWalk with interesting options to try. There’s a pickle corn dog and a cheese stick done up like a corn dog. Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs is popular over at Disneyland Resort. This is the first Disney World location.
Cake Bake Shop Dazzles at Disney’s BoardWalk
The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers opened a restaurant and bakery combo on Disney’s BoardWalk. This is another table service restaurant to consider. Inside, the crisp bright atmosphere is decorated with glitzy chandeliers. The menu debuted with high prices that surprised many potential visitors. Prices were adjusted before the restaurant opened but you might still be raising your brows at some items. This is a place where you’ll want to save room for dessert. It opened in the place of the former ESPN restaurant on the BoardWalk.
Disney Villains Show Announced for Hollywood Studios
Later in the year, Disney announced a Villains themed show is coming to Hollywood Studios in 2025. This is different from the Villains land coming to Magic Kingdom. The Hollywood Studios Disney Villains show takes the place of the Lightning McQueen Cars show on Sunset Boulevard. This is across from Tower of Terror. This new live production starring favorite Disney Villains will debut in the summer of 2025. Expect to see Captain Hook, Cruella, the Magic Mirror and others.
Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy Closes
Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy closed at Hollywood Studios. The last day to enjoy this show was October 7, 2024. This originally opened in 2019 so it wasn’t around very long.
Celebrating Hispanic and Latin American Heritage Month at Disney World
Walt Disney World Resort celebrated Hispanic and Latin American Heritage Month from September 15 through October 15 in 2024. Each park had at least a little something. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, both Pizzafari and Restaurantosaurus had an Encanto guava and dulce de leche flavored cupcake. See more of the special menu items that were offered in the Disney Parks Blog’s Disney Eats: Hispanic and Latin American Heritage Month Foodie Guide 2024.
Coco’s Miguel also made visits to the long running Mariachi Cobre show in the Mexico pavilion. New Coco merchandise debuted for the occasion. See more of the offerings for Disney Latin American Heritage Month. You can expect Disney to celebrate this in some way every year.
Disney World Annual Pass and Ticket Prices Raised in November 2024 Disney News
Disney raises ticket prices each year. Sometimes more than once. We saw annual passes go up quite a bit in November of 2024.
| Disney World Annual Pass Type | 2025 Price | 2024 Price |
| Disney Incredi-Pass | $1,549 | $1,449 |
| Disney Sorcerer Pass | $1,079 | $999 |
| Disney Pirate Pass | $829 | $799 |
| Disney Pixie Dust Pass | $469 | $439 |
Disney food prices also went up at this time including Disney character meals at resorts.
Jollywood Nights Returned with Additions in 2024
The Hollywood Studios event Jollywood Nights was back for its second year with the first event on November 9, 2024. There were some new additions, like an ice skating show in the middle of the park.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Returned November 8
In 2024, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party ran on select nights from November 8 to December 20.
Which Disney holiday event is right for you? Comparing Jollywood Nights vs Christmas Party you’ll find they’re quite different.
Epcot International Festival of the Holidays Returned November 29
This year the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays ran from November 29 through December 30. We can expect this annual festive event to return annually.
DVC Offers Membership Magic Beyond
Eligible DVC Members are now able to add on an annual perks package called Membership Magic Beyond. This is separate from annual dues but also paid for annually. It changes how you can use your Membership. Membership Magic Beyond includes discounts and changes the way you can book rooms and buy tickets. There is an additional character meet and greet opportunity in the Epcot DVC lounge included also. Read more in our overview: Membership Magic Beyond.
Disney Introduces Lightning Lane Premier Pass
This year Disney introduced Lightning Lane Premier Pass as another option to skip the line. This new pricier option allows you to access every Lightning Lane in one theme park. This is on your own time without having to plan a return time.
Premier Pass is in addition to the Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass. Upon it’s debut it started at $129 and cost up to $449 per person, plus tax on the busiest of days. Prices for Lightning Lane Premier Passes vary based on the date and park.
What’s Coming to Disney World in 2025
Is this list of 2024 Disney news updates inviting you to plan your next vacation? The 2025 Disney vacation packages are available. If you haven’t already booked a trip, there are some upcoming dates and openings you should consider. What’s the best time to visit Disney World in 2025? That depends on if you want to see something in particular. For those considering if or when to visit in 2025, here are some top dates and updates.
- We have some dates that have been shared for the 2025 runDisney events so far.
- We’ve got a list of the Epcot festivals and some dates and potential dates to think about.
- TriceraTop Spin attraction, Fossil Fun Games carnival style setup and Chester & Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures themed store will close January 12, 2025.
- The new Epcot lounge in Spaceship Earth will open late spring 2025.
- The Magic Kingdom night time Disney Starlight parade debuts in the summer of 2025.
- Test Track reopens reimagined late summer 2025.
- The Pirates of the Caribbean Lounge at Magic Kingdom opens in late 2025.
- Disney has shared the Dinosaur ride will remain open for 2025. Even with a promised opening of the tropical Americas Animal Kingdom land in 2027.
We also have a full list of what’s coming to Disney World in 2025 and beyond.
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