Fall is in full swing at Walt Disney World Resort. While no leaves are falling in the state of Florida, the magic of the season can be celebrated by way of Main Street, U.S.A. pumpkins, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. Here on the blog, we aim to keep DVC Members and Disney fans up to date with information that can plus their next magical trip. So what else is going on these days at the most magical place on earth? Whether you’re planning your next trip or hoping to be inspired to book one, we’ve got the Walt Disney World updates to keep you in the know. We’re happy to report on offerings that have returned and also share updates on what’s still missing at Walt Disney World Resort because we want you be informed when planning your next trip. There’s still a celebratory overlay happening that you can read about in our guide to the Walt Disney World 50th anniversary celebration. Enjoy these Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World
Continued Reopenings At Walt Disney World Resort
Character Dining Returns to Crystal Palace
Disney previously announced a few character meals were returning to normal including Crystal Palace lunch and dinner beginning September 20th. Now Disney has shared the breakfast at Crystal Palace will return to normal character dining as well starting October 25th. Reservations for breakfast opened September 22nd. Crystal Palace invites guests to meet friends from the Hundred-Acre Wood including Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore. This popular buffet meal is in a venue inspired by greenhouses of the late 1800s and located right at the end of Main Street U.S.A. with castle views!
Still No Fantasmic! Opening Date
In 2021, Disney shared Fantasmic! would be opening in 2022. We are nearing the end of the year and still don’t have an opening date for the nighttime spectacular at this time. Disney’s Hollywood Studios will greatly benefit from the show returning by adding an evening draw. We know whether Fantasmic! is back or not can have an impact on your itinerary so we will continue to keep you posted. If Fantasmic! is a fan favorite in your travel party, remember there are Disney Vacation Club home resorts nearby. Disney’s Beach Club Villas and Disney’s Boardwalk Villas are within walking distance! Disney’s Riviera Resort is just a Skyliner ride away.
Disney KiteTails Closes
Disney KiteTails had its last show on September 30th, 2022. This may come as a surprise considering it debuted as a 50th anniversary celebration offering and that is still going on for five more months. The show had been changed a few times since it took flight. First, to incorporate sounds that signaled the way the kites landed in the unused stands was anticipated. Later, KiteTails had performers cut from the show and changed to be a seemingly at random happening instead of a planned performance with set times. Disney KiteTails was a fun and visually impressive addition to the park. We’ll have to wait to see what’s next for this outdoor stadium and Disney’s Animal Kingdom entertainment. Rivers of Light was not brought back after the closure of Walt Disney World and there is no nighttime spectacular offered at this time. However, Animal Kingdom does feel quite alive with entertainment as many lively bands and shows have returned such as Chakranadi on sitar, the DiVine walk around character and Viva Gaia Street Band! Many character meet and greets still have not returned to this park as characters continue to interact with guests in pandemic era fashion by riding by on a boat and waving. Other parks provide better opportunities for character high fives and up close photos so keep that in mind when planning your days.
Dundy’s Sundries Closing at BoardWalk
Those who call Disney’s BoardWalk Villas home know all about the great shopping and dining options at the resort. In early 2022, the Disney Parks Blog shared an exciting roster of updates that would be coming to Disney’s BoardWalk. Part of that includes changes inside the resort. “Just off the lobby, a new coffee bar with artisanal beverages and quick bites will be available to-go or in newly refreshed seating spaces inside or outdoors.” Dundy’s Sundries, the store in the lobby, is now closed perhaps in order to make room for the new coffee bar. This makes sense considering we’ve already seen some of the updates in motion at the resort. The BoardWalk Bakery had a slight refresh and is now the BoardWalk Deli. Dundy’s Sundries is located on the villas side of the property and was a convenient stop for necessities. In its absence, guests can find all they need at the Screen Door General Store which is a large merchandise location out on the boardwalk.
Tron Programming at Magic Kingdom in 2023
The opening of Tron / Lightcycle Run is scheduled for the spring of 2023! We finally have an opening time frame, though it seems later than one may have thought considering the ride has been testing with people for some time. With Cosmic Rewind we saw ample preview opportunities including sign ups for DVC Members, Annual Passholders and Cast Members. Jeff Vahle, President of Walt Disney World Resort, recently shared his excitement on Instagram for cast and guests to get to ride soon. Hopefully, we’ll see lots of previews for Tron too. Still no word on how the new attraction opening will affect Disney Genie+ and individual Lightning Lane offerings. See more D23 Expo Disney Parks Announcements in our post covering what was shared at the event.
H20+ Going Out of Business
H2O+, the beloved Disney hotel toiletry supplier, has announced closure of the business. Since 2006, fans have adored the fresh smells of H2O+ in Disney hotel rooms. The brand’s website shares: ‘After 30+ amazing years of innovation, we have made the very difficult decision to retire the brand at the end of the year. Shop your favorites on Amazon while supplies last.’ Full size products may still be available for purchase at your resort if you’re visiting through the end of 2022. H2O+ will fulfill their obligations and is expected to be the provider of Disney’s complimentary, in-room shampoos, soaps and more through the end of the year.
Walkway Between Grand Floridian and Polynesian Moved
Staying at this favorite Disney Vacation Club resort has been even more convenient since Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa added the walkway to Magic Kingdom. Guests who enjoy getting around via walking path will notice some changes to the route between the Grand Floridian and Polynesian resorts. While the additional DVC tower is built at the Polynesian, the sidewalk that previously took guests on a beautiful path along the Seven Seas Lagoon is closed. At this point in the construction, the land has been fenced in and cleared. A quick ride on the monorail will give you a first hand look at how things are going. But we’ve reached the point where the sidewalk and sandy beach between the former Spirit of Aloha area and the lagoon waters needed to be blocked off to guests. There is now a sidewalk detour that takes guests on the other side which is along the road these resorts are on. This makes the path complete so guests from Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Shades of Green resort can still walk to Magic Kingdom.
Fall into Magic at Disney Springs
Disney Springs always has an incredible selection of dining options. When it’s autumn, there’s even more culinary fun with the spices of the season added to many menus. You can try treats like the Jack Skellington Bubble Waffle Sundae at Marketplace Snacks or the Witch’s Flight at Swirls on the Water which includes pumpkin soft serve, cheesecake soft serve and pineapple dole whip. Amorette’s Patisserie always has something delicious, decadent and themed to enjoy. Look for these frightfully fun finds from September 5th through October 31st, 2022. This is especially exciting for Disney Vacation Club Members who own at, or like to stay at, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort. Guests can use boat transport or the walking path to Disney Springs from Saratoga Springs as it’s right across the water.
Disney’s 100 Year Anniversary
Until the end of March 2023, we still have the Walt Disney World 50th Celebration going on in Orlando but there’s another big anniversary right around the corner. You may have noticed the number 23 is significant in relation to Disney. It’s because in 1923 Walt Disney and his brother Roy started the company that is known as The Walt Disney Company today. For the last 100 years, we’ve all been enchanted. No matter the generation, there was something special from the company to enjoy whether it was in the beginning with Mickey Mouse, in 1950 with Cinderella or more recently with Frozen. Disney is recognizing the centennial anniversary of the company with Disney 100 Years of Wonder. Disney100.com is set up with a vague preview and while we don’t know much yet, Josh D’Amaro shared Disneyland Resort would be the center of the celebration. There was mention of the usual themed merchandise and additional food offerings. World of Color – One, an updated version of the show celebrating the company’s anniversary, will debut in January at Disney California Adventure. In Disneyland, a new firework show titled Wondrous Journeys will debut and feature all 60 Walt Disney Animation Studios films. We have yet to see what we can expect at Walt Disney World and beyond but the celebration is said to reach all areas of Disney. More will be released in January of 2023.
Refurbishment Schedule
In September, The American Adventure attraction at Epcot closed for refurbishment without a reopening date. Additionally, the train at Magic Kingdom is still down with no reopening date at this time. To see refurbishments at the time of your visit, see Disney World calendars, look at the bottom of each park and click on Closed for Refurbishment.
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