Walt Disney World Resort Update for February 18, 2025

As regular readers may recall, I have been a Disney Vacation Club Member since 2000, long before I moved to Central Florida. After I moved closer to Magic Kingdom than any of my DVC Home Resorts are located, I decided to make my first visit to Aulani back in 2017, and it has quickly become my favorite Disney Resort. Sure, it lacks the proximity to theme parks and its “on-property” dining options are limited. Nevertheless, its location on the Pacific Ocean, its dedication to providing a Hawaiian cultural experience with Disney-dedication to the details (and Disney details too), and, most of all, some of the best cast members I have ever encountered, have made it a place that I start thinking of returning to pretty much from the moment I walk in to the lobby at the start of each trip. This was my sixth stay at Aulani, and I expect I will start working on booking a seventh before too long.

When I flew back into Orlando International Airport, I was able to catch a few views of Walt Disney World Resort since I was on the right side of the plane during the approach. Spotting the big landmarks of the Resort really depend upon which approach your flight is on (and the weather), but if you spot Interstate 4 out the window and your plane is following it from the north, you can spot Downtown Orlando, the Universal Orlando Resort (including its soon-to-open EPIC Universe), and then Disney Springs with the Magic Kingdom area off in the distance to the northwest and EPCOT pretty much due west.

EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival: Returns March 5-June 2, 2025

With the clock quickly winding down for the 2025 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts just next week on February 24, it is already time to turn attention to the 30th anniversary edition of the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival which runs March 5 to June 2, 2025. The Festival best known for its vast assortment of topiary and garden displays will greet guests at the park’s main entrance with a brand new display featuring Moana, Maui, Heihei and Pua.

Disney has published nearly all the acts scheduled to appear at the American Gardens Theater for the three times nightly Garden Rocks Concert Series. Dining packages are available for guaranteed seating at Friday through Monday night shows.

The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts which is wrapping up next week, was the first to use the new CommuniCore Hall as exhibit space with “Once Upon A Stage: 30 Years of Disney on Broadway.” Disney Parks Blog described it as allowing guests to “experience the magic of Broadway both on and off the stage in this walkthrough exhibit celebrating three decades of Disney on Broadway.” With the Festival’s end approaching, Disney Parks Blog shared some hidden details of the exhibit, and I shared a video walk-through of the exhibit on our Instagram page (which is embedded below).

Flower & Garden Festival promises “a new activation” at CommuniCore Hall coming up next. Disney Parks Blog says guests can, “Get a bee’s eye view at CommuniCore Hall, with a new gallery that is larger than life! Grab a bite at EPCOT Farmers Feast and learn more about how Disney’s Horticulture team brings topiaries, flower towers and more to the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.” Expect to see a Foodie Guide and more Festival details in this coming week or so.

The Passholder Buzz section of the My Disney Experience app says that the new Ray Passholder magnet will no longer be available for pickup at EPCOT after February 16, 2025. (Its distribution was supposed to continue until the end of the month.) Passholders that did not get a chance to get the Ray magnet may be eligible to receive that magnet by mail later this spring and the Buzz reminds passholders to confirm their U.S. mailing address in their My Disney Experience accounts as soon as possible. A Minnie Mouse Passholder magnet is now available for pickup at Creations Shop through February 28 (while supplies last–pass and photo ID required and the complicated park reservation rules remain in place for 2025: reservations required for all parks prior to 2 p.m. daily and Magic Kingdom on Saturday and Sunday, but park hopping all day subject to capacity after admission to one park). Passholders that already picked up a Ray magnet are eligible to pick up a Minnie Mouse magnet too.

This & That & Reminders…

…REMINDER. Disney D23 announced the 2025 return of Destination 23 to Walt Disney World Resort. Billed as “the biggest Disney fan event of 2025,” Destination D23: A Journey Around the Worlds of Disney will be August 29-31, 2025. This edition will be held at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, and D23 says the event has more than doubled in size. A block of rooms is available for reservation at: https://www.mydisneygroup.com/destd25/. D23 Gold Membership seems to be required for ticket purchases, though the on-sale date and information has not yet been published. Gold Membership tiers are in effect in 2025, and effect existing Gold Members upon their renewals. Read more about all that, on this page of D23.com.

…REMINDER: Disney Vacation Club Moonlight Magic nights are back in 2025. Remaining dates and locations are:

Registration for events is required, and has been broken into “Seasons” for purposes of registration. Winter Season registration and events are already concluded.

Spring Season Events:

• EPCOT: 4/30/25
• Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park: 5/20/25 and 6/9/25

Early Registration: February 27, 2025 • General Registration: March 6, 2025

Summer Season Events

• EPCOT: 7/17/25
• Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park: 8/11/25
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9/1/25

Early Registration: May 15, 2025 • General Registration: May 22, 2025

As in the past, registration for these events is complimentary for eligible DVC members, where “eligible” generally only includes members who have purchased their membership points from Disney, and their guests. For Early Registration, an eligible member also must have a Disney Resort reservation at a DVC property (which includes Disney’s Vero Beach Resort) or any of the other Disney owned/operated hotels, with the party size on the resort registration finalized a few specified days before the Early Registration window opens. Full details and reservation requirements are on this page of DVC’s website, and that is the page where the RSVP link appears on registration dates. Members must enter their DVC Member number prior to entering the virtual waiting room on registration days.

Once successfully registered for an event, the DVC member designated as attending in the registration form is the one that must be present at check-in to check-in the entire party, and that member must have their digital member identification (preferably loaded in their device’s digital wallet) and photo I.D. The entire party must check in together, and early entry to the park before the event’s designated “mix-in” time requires a separate park admission (and park reservation for applicable ticket and pass-types).

Resort Reservations, Ticket Advice & Special Offers

Note: MousePlanet does not edit past Updates to reflect price increases; for up-to-date prices, check the most recent Walt Disney World Resort Update.

Special offers are available on this page of DisneyWorld.com. Packages now posted provide for various discounts for stays through June 30, 2025, and Military Discounts are now posted for the whole year.

A general Florida resident theme park ticket offer is available on this page of DisneyWorld.com which starts at $119 plus tax for a one day ticket and can be as low as $72/day plus tax for a four day ticket (before the various add-ons). As a date-based ticket, the first date of use has to be selected when purchased and users of a Florida resident ticket will be required to provide proof of residency either at the time of purchase or at a park ticket window prior to first use. As of January, if you are looking for a start date that gets as low as that advertised $72/day plus tax, advance the calendar all the way out to August.

The Florida Resident Discover Disney Ticket is now also available on this page of DisneyWorld.com. The Discover Disney Ticket is a special 4-Day Ticket for $240 plus tax ($60/day plus tax) valid for use until May 23, 2025, with an advance park reservation. A 3-Day version is also available for $225 plus tax. Reservations are limited and subject to availability of reservations allocated to this ticket as determined by Disney, and park capacity. These tickets can be used on consecutive or nonconsecutive days, and Park Hopper and water park options may be purchased for additional benefits. Usual residency proof required too.