Summer fun has arrived at Walt Disney World Resort. This month we’re celebrating new things at Disney including the Encanto show, the opening of CommuniCore Hall, a drone show at Disney Springs and more! We’ve got all the details here for you each month, including the tips in this Disney World News June 2024 update. Whether you’re planning your next vacation or hoping to be inspired to book one, we hope this Walt Disney World news and updates roundup helps to keep you in the know.
Disney World News June 2024 Dates to Remember
Here we have some dates related to Disney World news June 2024 and beyond.
May 1 – June 18 | V.I.Passholder Days at Walt Disney World Resort
May 24 – September 2 | Dreams That Soar drone show at to Disney Springs
June 2 – July 13 | Epcot DVC lounge closed for refurbishment, alternate open at The Odyssey
June 10 – September 6 | ¡Celebración Encanto! show at Epcot
June 10 – September 6 | Animal Kingdom celebrates 30 years of The Lion King
June 14 | Inside Out 2 in theaters
June 17 | Test Track closes for refurbishment at Epcot
June 28 | Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens at Magic Kingdom
August 9 | First Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
August 29 – November 3 | EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival
Continued Reopenings at Walt Disney World Resort
We’ve been covering Disney World’s post reopening come back for years. Disney World reopened in 2020 running a very lean operation. So many things have returned to the parks and resorts but many have not. There are still many temporarily unavailable closures. Some of which may greatly impact your trips. We want to help you set expectations and plan your trip based on what is available.
What’s not back at Disney World?
- The tea room at the Grand Floridian is still closed but resort construction has reached the lobby.
- The Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage has not returned to Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
- The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutiques at the Grand Floridian and Disney Springs are still not open.
- It’s A Wonderful Shop, Stage 1 Company Store, In Character and Disney Studio Store are still closed at Hollywood Studios.
- Disney says DVC pool hopping is still suspended.
- Saratoga Springs Senses Spa and Beach Club’s Ship Shape Massage Salon Fitness are still closed.
- Services like having your purchases delivered to the front of the park or to your room are paused.
- Disney Annual Passholders still need park reservations to visit parks for a full day.
- Many shows have not reopened yet like: Citizens of Hollywood, Jedi Training, Citizens of Main Street, Main Street Trolley Show, Move It! Shake It! Street Party, Once Upon a Time, The Jeweled Dragon Acrobats, Serveur Amusant, Swotu Waya Pandora Drummers, Pandora Utility Suit Pilot and more.
We do our best to continue to share things as they come back.
Disney World news June 2024 updates bring some fun returns.
Characters Back with Guests at Animal Kingdom
Instead of sailing on the character flotillas, Disney friends are back in the parks meeting with guests! The flotillas debuted as a way for guests to see characters safely during the pandemic. Flotillas are boats that would cruise around the parks with characters waving at guests. They stuck around much longer than expected.
We had the Dino-Bash Flotilla with Goofy and Pluto, Discovery River Character Cruise with Pocahontas or The Lion King characters and the Adventure Flotilla with Scrooge McDuck and Launchpad McQuack or friends from Up. Many of them are back in the parks now!
Moana is in the space where Pocahontas used to meet. You may now find Pocahontas near the entrance of Animal Kingdom.
Goofy and Pluto are meeting guests in DinoLand U.S.A.
On June 10th, Rafiki and Timon will begin meeting at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Until then, you may find different characters to meet.
This is all years after the initial announcement that characters would soon begin greeting guests again. Still, it’s exciting and brings new life back into the park!
So are the flotillas totally gone? You may still see, and hear, the talented Discovery Island Drummers Flotilla. At the time this post was written, it has show times listed in the My Disney Experience App.
What’s New: Disney World News June 2024
CommuniCore Hall Opening in Epcot’s World Celebration
When you enter at the front of Epcot, you’ll now walk through a completely refurbished park area. CommuniCore Hall opens on June 10th! World Celebration is now a lively place with lots to do. Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana, the new Walt Disney statue and the new Starbucks, Connections Cafe and Creations Shop have all been added in the last few years.
Disney Dreams That Soar Now at Disney Springs
Disney Dreams That Soar presented by AT&T officially debuted on May 24th. The new Disney Springs drone show is 9 minutes long, features 800 drones and is shown twice each night. Once at 9:00 p.m. and 10:45 p.m. The Disney song soundtrack also features a new song for the show. Keep an eye in the sky for Peter Pan, Dumbo, Wall-E and Eve, Baymax, visuals from Star Wars and more.
Prime viewing for this spectacular is from the West Side at Disney Springs. However, you can surely see a little magic from across the water at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa though it will not be ideal. Disney Dreams That Soar runs through September 2nd, 2024.
Allow some extra time to find your viewing spot. This complimentary Disney done show at Disney Springs is likely to have a big draw throughout the summer. Especially during holiday weekends.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party 2024 Information Announced
We’re halfway to Halloween and Disney Parks has sprinkled a bit of pixie dust over us by announcing Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party details for this year. The event starts earlier than ever and prices are up a bit. DVC Members and annual passholders are able to get tickets for $10 less on certain dates.
The dates for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party 2024 are:
- August 9, 13, 16, 20, 23, 27, 30
- September 2, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29
- October 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 29, 31
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tickets start at $119 and go up to $199 on peak nights like Halloween. There are some new additions and changes this year:
Mickey and Minnie have new neon spiderweb outfits in 2024.
Villain sightings will happen throughout the park as soon as the party begins.
A DescenDANCE Party, inspired by the newest movie in the series, takes place at Rockettower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland.
Guests can meet Bruno Madrigal next to Mirabel at their Casita in Fairytale Garden. This is one of many recent Encanto at Disney World additions!
The earlier Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade is now at 8:15 p.m. The late 11:15 p.m. showing is the same.
See everything you want to know about Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party in our guide to the event.
ROFR Disney World News May 2024
We do have an update on the Right of First Refusal (ROFR) status these days. In the month of May 2024, there were multiple ROFR buybacks. One was at The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. The first buyback we saw in over a year was at this resort in the last few months. The other May ROFR buybacks are at Disney’s old Key West Resort. This one is kind of a surprise. If anyone was going to guess, based on past trends, Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows seems like it might be a ROFR buyback potentially. With the new Polynesian Island Tower going up, DVC should have additional demand for this property.
The DVC ROFR process is written into all Disney Vacation Club contracts. It’s not something you can avoid. Buybacks do not change much for the seller. However, if Disney does decide to buy back, the buyer will need to find another contract. DVC Resale Experts is happy to assist buyers in finding the next right contract if a sale does fall through because of ROFR. See our full Disney ROFR DVC Stats for May 2024.
The Walt Disney Company Financial Results Conference Call
Disney continues to make a comeback from the pandemic. While there’s still much missing at the parks, the recent quarterly financial results conference call with Bob Iger, Disney’s Chief Executive Officer, has positive news. Revenue was $8.4 billion for the second quarter. This is up 10% from last year.
We sometimes get announcements about what’s coming to Disney World and other destinations on these. This call did not include any details of this kind.
A fun company detail was shared though. Guess what has the highest guest satisfaction scores in the company? It’s Disney Cruise Line, actually. It’s an exciting time for Disney Cruise Line as two more ships, the Treasure and the Adventure, are debuting in the near future.
Bob Iger Talks Investments and Theme Parks
On a different broadcast from an investor conference, Bob Iger spoke about his aspirations to get things right with upcoming movies and how this will inspire what’s coming to the parks. Intellectual Property continues to lead the way for new additions. Instead of original attractions and entertainment, what comes to Disney Parks is now based on recent films, shows and characters.
So how are Disney Parks doing? Record revenue at the parks is a theme right now. There was also record attendance at all parks except for Walt Disney World Resort.
When asked about expansions, Iger mentioned the growing fleet of Disney Cruise Line and looked forward to the biggest expansion of Disneyland since Disney California Adventure. Portfolio expansion also includes Disney Vacation Club and hotels.
Competing with the addition of Epic Universe came up again. This hot topic for Orlando visitors is not of concern for the leader of The Walt Disney Company. “It’s not something that should be distracting to us,” the C.E.O. says. Bob Iger thinks Disney should continue to “mind the great I.P.”
Good to Go Days for Annual Passholders Added Continually
It’s been a few months since Good to Go days rolled out for annual passholders this January. As a reminder, these are days on the calendar that passholders do not need a park reservation for. Do I need a park pass reservation? Most guests do not but those without date based tickets, like annual passes, do need a reservation during certain times. Having a Disney annual pass requires you to plan in advance before visiting. Disney annual passholders still need a parkpass reservation if they are visiting:
- any park before 2:00 p.m.
- Magic Kingdom any time on the weekend
- on a day that is marked as a Good to Go Day
Good to Go Days are usually released a week or a few weeks in advance. Once a day is marked as a Good to Go Day, it does not change and require a ticket.
Is Reflections DVC resort still happening?
We like to give updates on this as they come around. The addition of Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge was announced in 2018. The property for this resort and DVC property is located on Bay Lake around the former River Country area. Reflections would be cozied up to Pioneer Hall at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, if it were built as planned. Construction had begun when Walt Disney World closed in March of 2020. This shuttered the project and many have wondered what will become of it. When the new DVC Polynesian tower concept art debuted, it looked similar to Reflections art work. This led many to believe major inspiration was taken from that paused project. The addition of the DVC Fort Wilderness cabins also felt like it left Reflections further behind.
Permits only last so long and it looks like Disney has asked for an extension on permits for Reflections – A Disney Lakeside Lodge. If granted, this would give Disney an additional five years on this site.
When announced in 2018, Disney said Reflections would open in 2022. If permits are extended and construction begins, following the same timeline, there could be another brand new resort at Disney in 2028. This would bring the fourth DVC offering to the Wilderness area following Boulder Ridge, Copper Creek and the Fort Wilderness Cabins.
Epcot DVC Lounge Closed for Refurbishment
The Member Lounge at Epcot will be temporarily closed for a refurbishment from June 2nd through July 13th, 2024.
During the temporary closure, there is a DVC lounge inside The Odyssey. This is the building on the water between Test Track and the Mexico Pavilion. There is a section for eligible Members with comfortable seating, complimentary drinks and snacks. The temporary DVC lounge in The Odyssey is open everyday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The Epcot DVC lounge will reopen on July 14th, 2024.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Opening June 28th
We now know that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will open June 28th at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort! This is just before the very busy Independence Day weekend in the park. There is also a preview for eligible DVC Members and those with a Disney annual pass. New Members who purchase resale DVC alone are not eligible for these kinds of perks. Annual passholder previews are usually easier to get into anyway as they don’t require you to have a resort room booked. More information on previews in our post about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs Sign at BoardWalk
Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs is coming to the Disney BoardWalk, taking the place of the BoardWalk To Go kiosk. These novelty corndogs are popular at Disneyland Resort but this is their Disney World debut. We don’t have an official opening date other than the year 2024. The name Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs is now on the kiosk though, showing some progress. Perhaps it could be soon!
Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, and Disney’s BoardWalk Villas, is going through a transformation right now. The resort lobby and rooms are freshly refurbished and the actual BoardWalk has work being done as well. The Cake Bake Shop is still under construction and will open in 2024 too.
DVC Member VIP Tour Discount
For a limited time, eligible Disney Vacation Club Members can save 20% on Disney Private VIP Tours at Walt Disney World Resort. The Disney Private VIP Tour is available for Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. These are excellent for getting your party to the front of the line and park hopping!
This discount is for certain dates July through September 2024. For this experience, you tell Disney VIP Tour Services what you’d like to do and they will make a custom itinerary for your day. Up to ten guests can enjoy a private Disney VIP Tour. Tickets are sold separately. This is something you must book in advance. You can book by calling (407) 560-4033.
Luminous Music Now Streaming
You can now listen to the soundtrack for Luminous The Symphony of Us on streaming services. This Epcot firework show debuted in late 2023. Take our tips for where to watch Epcot fireworks in the park.
Fantasmic! Returns to Disneyland
Fantasmic! has reopened at Disneyland! This is following a long closure due to an incident where the Maleficent dragon caused the stage to catch fire. This part of the show is different now.
The show is different than the Disney’s Hollywood Studios version in a few ways. Some water vehicles, characters and the setting are different. For those who have seen it, the Peter Pan scene is back in thanks to this renovation.
We know big changes like these can impact your travel plans. If you’ve got a Disneyland first timer in your party, you of course want to see all the nighttime spectaculars on your visit.
Recent Disney World News to Remember
New Star Tours sequences debuted in April with the Mandalorian, Ahsoka and more.
1900 Park Fare has reopened with new characters: Aladdin, Tiana, Mirabel and Cinderella.
DVC Resale Experts Can Help, Disney World News June 2024 and Beyond
Does this Disney World news June 2024 edition leave you needing more Disney trips?
DVC Resale Experts is a licensed real estate broker with a team that specializes in resale DVC. Whether you’re adding on points, buying or selling Disney Vacation Club, the Experts can help you find the right price to place a bid with or list your contract for. Our independent, licensed real estate agents are former Disney Vacation Club Guides. They have decades of pixie dusted experience selling DVC and delight in providing excellent service to their clients. The Experts have seen it all and are happy to answer your questions throughout the process.
See our resale DVC listings for a look at real time availability and pricing.
DVC resale prices can pleasantly surprise Members interested in selling DVC. Ready to sell DVC? Get in touch for a complimentary DVC contract valuation. There may be someone waiting on our Buyer Wish List for a contract just like yours.
