Walt Disney World Resort Update for January 23, 2024

Walt Disney World Resort Update for January 23, 2024

Writer's Note, News & Views

Florida winter has been on display around Walt Disney World Resort since our last update, with a few “Florida Cold” temperatures here and there (along with wind chill advisories), but no “hard freeze” so far this year. Then again, there are some forecast 80-degree days ahead, and overnight temperatures down in the 40s. In other words, it's the time of year to dress in layers if you're in the region. To those hit by those harder blasts up north, Groundhog Day awaits, right?

Anyway, as is usually the case around here, we enter one season only to start talking about the next one. That's what we're doing in this week's update, too—talking about heading into Disney's version of spring and the upcoming run of the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, starting just over a month from now.

A bit further in the future, Tiana's Bayou Adventure is expected to open late in 2024. Its exterior transformation from Splash Mountain, which closed a year ago, is now showing less scaffolding and more greenery. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Bruno appears in one of Magic Kingdom's cavalcades, but we don't talk about how much further in the future a new Encanto-themed land may appear in the Florida Resort. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival: Updated 2024 Details Plus Views of Festival of the Arts

We now know more details for the 2024 edition of the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. It will begin on February 28 and run for 90 days, through May 27. This festival is best known for its topiaries and gardens, and, like the other festivals, featureas specialty food and beverage locations and the return of its Garden Rocks Concert Series.

More than 70 topiaries will be on display during this year's festival. Figment will be in the newly opened World Celebration Gardens. A new topiary based on Groot from Guardians of the Galaxy will be on display in World Discovery. Walt Disney Animation Studios newest film Wish, will be represented by Asha, Valentino and the Wishing Star, at the park’s main entrance. At Mexico, Miguel and Dante will represent Disney Pixar’s Coco.

For the first time, a Groot topiary will appear near Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in World Discovery. Concept art courtesy Disney Parks.

The Garden Rocks Concert Series line-up is now published on this page of the resort's FreshEPCOT.com website. There can always be last-minute changes, so if you plan to go to catch a particular act, be sure to regularly check back on the list. New groups include Modern English, Crowder, Lit, and Monsieur Perine. Also, for the first time, Raul Acosta & Oro Solido will share the stage with Magic Juan, then return the next day with Luisito Ayala and salsa band Puerto Rican Power. Perennial returning acts include the Pointer Sisters, A Flock of Seagulls, Plain White T's, Starship Featuring Mickey Thomas, and Herman's Hermits Starring Peter Noone.

Garden Rocks Dining Packages go on sale on February 6, with guaranteed priority seating for a preferred performance. The participating restaurants are: Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Biergarten Restaurant, Coral Reef Restaurant, Garden Grill Restaurant, Rose & Crown Dining Room, Le Cellier Steakhouse, and Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Brews & Barbecue (same-day, in-person, walk-up packages only).

Seasonal food and beverage offerings will be available at “Outdoor Kitchens” around the park. Expect to find the full menus on FreshEPCOT.com soon. The scavenger hunt will return, and there will be plenty of other merchandise opportunities too, some of which will be available on shopDisney.com as well, starting on March 4. Disney Parks Blog has provided a brief preview so far.

Of course, before the Flower and Garden Festival gets underway, the brief annual run of the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts will conclude February 19, 2024. I had a chance to get over to the park during its opening weekend, and share some views here.

As usual, Figment is the main character welcoming guests to the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts.

The park's entry garden is decorated for the Festival.

The complimentary Festival Passport contains the menus for all the Food Studios, and a whole bunch more useful information for Festival guests. Pick one up near the park gates.

Photos by Alan S. Dalinka.

Chalk artists decorate the “bridge” to World Showcase (though a rainy day is a risk of this sort of art).

Walk-in photo opportunities this year include the famous scene featuring the penguins from “Mary Poppins”.

Walk-in photo opportunities inspired by famous art works are back this year too, including General Washington crossing the Delaware.

This year's Figment Premium Popcorn Bucket is available by mobile order only, and it is distributed inside Odyssey.

The World Showcase Plaza planters also feature Festival decorations.

The stage at the edge of World Showcase Lagoon features performance art throughout the daylight hours of the Festival.

Figment “hides” in artwork around World Showcase as part of the Festival's scavenger hunt.

Animation Academy teaches drawing at America Gardens Theatre a couple of times daily, and the Disney on Broadway Concert Series takes the stage three times nightly.

Food Studios offer “artful” cuisine around the park during the Festival.

A new art installation outside Connections Café presents four imagineers' tributes to Spaceship Earth.

Photos by Alan S. Dalinka.

With the recent opening of World Celebration Gardens, the temporary direct connection to the World Nature neighborhood from the front of the park that had been opened when the EPCOT transformation began recently has been closed to guests. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

This & That & Reminders…

…Speaking of topiaries, Magic Kingdom has long been home to one along the waterway around the hub. This week, I noticed it seemed to “come allive” with some new (or, according to some, long-absent) effects.

…The newest complimentary Annual Passholder magnet features Hei Hei from the Disney animated film, Moana. It will be available at Creations Shop at EPCOT from January 29 to February 23, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. The usual details apply: while supplies last, limit one per passholder, proof of pass and photo ID required, must enter the park with valid admission (and the usual rules for reservations, visiting after 2 p.m., good-to-go days, and pass-specific blockout dates remain unchanged). Next door at Connections Café, passholders can also purchase a Hei Hei Liege Waffle while supplies last.

The latest complimentary AP magnet will be available at EPCOT's Creations Shop from January 29 to February 23, 2024 (while supplies last). Image courtesy Disney Parks.

…REMINDER: The Country Bears would be singing new songs and performing a new act starting this summer. The current version of Country Bear Jamboree continues through this Friday, January 26, and social media reports capacity crowds of guests saying farewell have become the norm. Magic Kingdom's Grizzly Hall will be closed starting Saturday, January 27 to make way for the new show.

Grizzly Hall will temporarily close starting January 27 to prepare for the new show.

The Country Bears have been performing at Magic Kingdom since the park opened in 1971.

The Country Bears will perform new songs in a new act when the theater reopens this summer.

Photos by Alan S. Dalinka.

…Disney Skyliner is closed for routine maintenance through January 27 to and from Disney's Riviera Resort and International Gateway at EPCOT. Complimentary bus service will be available during the closure.

…For those that enjoy dining at Big River Grille & Brewing Works, you'll need to head to the restaurant's Downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee location, as its long time Disney's BoardWalk Resort location has closed. Searching for it on the DisneyWorld.com website results in the “Someone Ate the Page!” error message featuring Stitch.

…REMINDER: Tutto Italia Ristorante at EPCOT Walt Disney World has raised its Annual Passholder discount to 20% through March 31. The offer applies to regularly-priced food and nonalcoholic beverages. Beginning on April 1, the AP Discount will return to 10% and run until the end of the year, exempting certain holidays, special events and dining packages.

…Additional Disney After Hours event dates from April 22 to August 29 go on sale beginning January 24 for guests with Walt Disney World Resort hotel reservations, and guests at Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort, and Shades of Green only: call (407) 934-7639 to purchase. Online sales for all guests begins on January 31. Details about the After Hours events are posted on this page of DisneyWorld.com.

…REMINDER: Disney Vacation Club Moonlight Magic event nights have been announced for 2024. The complimentary, after-hours events feature select attractions with shorter-than-usual wait times, plus character greetings, entertainment and more:

• EPCOT – January 25 and March 1.
• Disney's Animal Kingdom – February 27 and April 23.
• Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park – June 4 and July 11.
• Disney's Hollywood Studios – August 27.

Early registration opens for eligible Disney Vacation Club members (namely, those that have bought a certain number of points directly from Disney) with a qualifying Disney Resort hotel reservation on the event date(s). Pending availability, all other eligible Members may try their luck at reservations for the event on the other General Registration specified dates. A link to the event registration queue is posted online shortly before the registration windows open. If you are an eligible member and have a hotel reservation for an event date, keep an eye on your email for a registration reminder which also includes the link. All of the relevant 2024 registration dates are now posted on the event website.

The relevant dates for the 2024 Moonlight Magic events are:

Reminder: Eligible Disney Vacation Club members are limited to attending one Moonlight Magic event per theme park, per calendar year. The Hotel Reservation Finalization (Party Size) deadline is the date by which an eligible DVC member's qualifying hotel reservation has to have the number of guests listed on the hotel reservation that will be the maximum number of Moonlight Magic guests that can attend an event (if successfully registered); the hotel reservation may be modified after this date subject to the usual reservation rules, but those modifications will not increase the number of attendees that can attend a registered event. Canceling a qualifying hotel reservation after registering for a Moonlight Magic event during the Early Registration window will cancel that registration. The DVC member must attend the Moonlight Magic event to check in with all of their guests present.

…Disney Vacation Club's next new resort, The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort, goes on sale February 1, with the resort projected to open this summer. These deeded ownership interests expire January 31, 2075.

…Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant at Disney Springs celebrates National Irish Coffee Day this Thursday, January 25, with its special guest offer for the pub’s traditional Irish Coffee: “You buy the coffee, the whiskey is on us!” For those of legal age, Raglan Road invites guests to stop by for lunch or dinner on January 25th and raise a glass to the national holiday. As always, the venue features live entertainment nightly and during weekend brunch with Irish house bands and the Raglan Road Irish Dancers. The pub’s all-day menu is served from 11 a.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. The weekend Rollicking Raglan Brunch runs from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Visit RaglanRoad.com or call 407/938-0300 for information and reservations.

…It's strawberry season, and to celebrate, Jaleo Disney Springs is bringing back its Festival de Fresas, in partnership with Central Florida local farm, Southern Hill Farms. From January 29 to February 18, guests can enjoy a menu of sweet and savory specials curated by Head Chef Kristoffer Anderson, all featuring locally grown strawberries from Clermont, Florida. Spanish-style eats include a bright strawberry gazpacho, scallop crudo accented with sweet berries and a special strawberries and cream dessert. Additional items include an avant-garde Cono de Fresa y Queso Mamá Marisa, a signature Jaleo small bite of strawberry marmalade and blue cheese decorated with crumbled pistachios. This year, guests who indulge in the Strawberry Festival at Jaleo will receive an exclusive offer for a “U-Pick Strawberries” experience at Southern Hill Farms. The family-owned operation is a 120-acre farm, featuring strawberry, blueberry, peach and sunflower u-pick activities from December to May.

…Speaking of food and beverage, with Valentine's Day just ahead, Disney Parks Blog has published its Foodie Guide for celebrating at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.

…Disney Parks Blog saluted Lanny Smoot, the Disney Research Fellow and Imagineer behind special effects like making Madame Leota float inside the Haunted Mansion and the state-of-the art Star Wars lightsabers, for being inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Lanny is the first Disney Imagineer to receive this prestigious recognition and only the second individual from The Walt Disney Company to be inducted—the first being Walt Disney, who was honored posthumously for the multiplane camera.

…Beyond the parks and resorts, the 2024 edition of Disney Princess – The Concert tour kicks off March 5, 2024. The tour features an all-star quartet of Broadway and animated film icons celebrating all the Disney Princesses and Frozen Queens in an evening of songs, animation, and stories, alongside their “magical Music Director and enchanting Prince.” Disney has provided the following list of tour dates with tickets available from the listed venues.

…D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event (formerly known as D23 Expo) will go on sale starting March 26. Taking place in Anaheim, California August 9 through 11, the event will feature spectacular shows, new venues, and multiple days of entertainment that will bring together the best of Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and more. This year’s event will feature Disney+ integration, musical performances with world-class artists, special content presentations, a new interactive app, and one-of-a-kind shopping experiences. Visit D23.com for the latest details.

…And, while we are talking fan expos, Michele & Scott Atwood, the folks I have gotten to know over the years here in the fan community over at The Main Street Mouse are once again presenting “House of Mouse Expo.” The Disney-focused House of Mouse Expo 2024 will take place in Central Florida just minutes from Walt Disney World on March 2-3 at the Osceola Heritage Park Events Center in Kissimmee, Florida. The two-day Fan-Event has lined up quite a few Disney stars, celebrity guests, voice actors, and Disney legends for photo ops, autographs, and unforgettable memories. Among those scheduled to appear at House of Mouse Expo 2024: Jim Cummings (Winnie-The-Pooh, Tigger), Bret Iwan (the official voice of Mickey Mouse), Bill Farmer (Goofy, Pluto), Kaitlyn Robrock (Minnie Mouse), Kevin McNally and Martin Klebba (Pirates of the Caribbean), Ross Marquand (Marvel Universe), Terry McGovern (Launchpad McQuack), Irene Bedard (Disney’s Pocahontas) plus from Hocus Pocus 2 Taylor Paige Henderson, Nina Christine Kitchen, and Juju Brenner (Young Sanderson Sisters). More information and tickets are available at HouseOfMouseExpo.com.

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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.

With the start of the New Year, Disney announced a new Florida Resident ticket deal. The new Florida Resident Disney Thrills Ticket 2-day ticket is available for $199 (plus tax); a 3-day ticket is $219 (plus tax). This IS NOT A DATE-BASED Ticket, so park reservations ARE required, and it is valid for use through March 15, 2024 (including weekends). The tickets do not need be used on consecutive days, but park reservations are required and subject to Disney-imposed limits, capacity limits, and availability. For details, including including proof of residency requirements, add-ons like Park Hopper, visit this page of DisneyWorld.com.

Disney+ subscribers can get a FREE dining plan when purchasing a non-discounted 4-night, 4-day Walt Disney Travel Company package that includes a room at a select Disney Resort hotel and theme park ticket with a Park Hopper option. This offer is valid for arrivals most nights July 1 through September 30, 2024. Visit DisneyWorld.com/SpecialOffers for additional offer details!

Guests can save up to 35% at select Disney Resort hotels when booking a stay of 5 nights or longer most nights March 25 through October 3, 2024. Visit DisneyWorld.com/SpecialOffers to learn more. If logged in with your My Disney Experience credentials, you can also view Passholder offers where the discount applies regardless of the number of nights for arrivals March 25 to July 7, 2024.

For families looking to book their spring travel, Walt Disney World offers the Kids Play & Dine for 50% Off. For stays with arrivals nights from: March 3-24 and April 7-June 30, 2024, children (ages 3 through 9) theme park tickets and dining plans are half off with the purchase of a 4-night, 4-day Walt Disney Travel Co. package that includes a room at a Disney Resort hotel, theme park tickets, and a dining plan. Guests can book packages now at this page of DisneyWorld.com.

The Walt Disney World Resort website lists current offers, deals, and discounts on this page.

MousePlanet’s travel partner Get Away Today is available to help you book rooms and packages.

REMINDER: Get Away Today’s Walt Disney World Resort vacation packages can now be booked completely on its website! No cumbersome quotes needed! Simply compare all your favorite Walt Disney World Resort hotels and Get Away Today's hand selected off-property hotels in a few clicks, and then customize for your included tickets for your vacation.

Get Away Today’s Walt Disney World Resort vacation packages now have the option to add Layaway Plans, which allow you to pay the total balance up to eight days prior to travel. You can also add their popular “Peace of Mind Plan” when booking a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel, which allows any reschedules and cancellations up to five days prior to travel with no penalty.

When booking with Get Away Today, all Walt Disney World Resort on-site packages include Get Away Today’s e-concierge, which includes its Best Price Guarantee, Dining Reservation Reminders, access to their Concierge Team email for help before and during your vacation, and more.

Looking to go beyond Walt Disney World Resort when visiting Central Florida? Check out Get Away Today's Universal Orlando Resort ticket offers too.

Only purchase Disney theme park tickets directly from Disney, an authorized seller, or a travel agency like MousePlanet travel partner Get Away Today! As always, we remind our readers that Walt Disney World Resort theme park tickets are rarely offered at deep discounts unless you are a resident of Florida or eligible for U.S. Military Personnel benefits. Historically, non-Florida residents tend to benefit the most by purchasing tickets in advance (and, of course, being mindful of the rules relevant to those tickets). Don't get scammed! Never buy tickets from an unofficial or secondary outlet, such as through eBay or Craigslist. Never rent or purchase tickets from people approaching you outside Disney property stating they have remaining days or leftover tickets. This practice is against the terms of use for Walt Disney World Theme Park admissions, and may result in denial of entry. There is no way to determine if these tickets are valid until you try to use them to enter the parks.