Walt Disney World Resort Update for June 19, 2024

Before concluding the Writer’s Note, somewhere this spring apparently I missed (or, more likely, forgot about) the announcement that Test Track would be closing at the end of the day on Sunday, June 16, for its refurbishment into what we fans have been referring to as Test Track 3.0 (in comparison to the original that debuted back in 1999 with the test crash dummies theme, and the 2.0 version that replaced it in late 2012 with the almost TRON-like aesthetic). Fortunately, some friends mentioned it to me and I met up with them for one last ride just before park close on Sunday (and kudos to the attraction maintenance/engineering cast members behind the scenes and those we saw running on the track to deal with what ever caused a lengthy shutdown in the early evening and got it running again for its final hour or so of guest rides). Disney has shared very little about how long this refurbishment will last or what we can expect when the attraction opens in its next form: we know that Chevrolet will still be its sponsor, and Disney has said this next reimagination takes some inspiration from the original EPCOT transportation attraction “World of Motion” which occupied the building from EPCOT Center’s opening in 1982 until early 1996.

So, here we go into summer 2024 in Central Florida. If you don’t already know: it tends to be anywhere from hot to very hot, with increased humidity, and nearly daily thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening. Overnight temperatures are rarely as low as even 70º, and humidity tends to stay high overnight too. If you are visiting Walt Disney World or other places in similar climates, remember: stay hydrated, and be prepared for periods of rain (typically, an hour or two)! It is also officially Tropical Storm Season: the National Hurricane Center is predicting that it will be an active one, and, as I write this, they’re predicting the first storm severe enough to get a name is out in the Gulf of Mexico near Texas, with other “areas of interest” out on the Atlantic Ocean, but nothing immediately threatening Central Florida. What that means in terms of planning, though, is to keep an eye on the forecasts, especially as the day you plan to head to the airport or get in your car or other mode of transportation approaches. On the infrequent occasion that a severe enough storm appears to have Walt Disney World within its cone of uncertainty, Disney will update its refund and cancelation policies, especially if it plans to close the parks ahead of a Tropical Storm or Hurricane.

Due to personal obligations, I likely will not post a Walt Disney World Resort Update next week. Should there be breaking news, we will be sure to get it posted on our social media channels. Thoughtful comments and constructive criticism welcome on our social media channels. Garbage on social media will be treated as such in the sole discretion of me and the MousePlanet staff.

Disney Parks Previews Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure remains due to officially open on June 28 at Magic Kingdom, with the Disneyland version following at some date, as yet unannounced, later this year. Tests earlier this spring turned into previews for cast, Passholders, Disney Vacation Club members, and invited guests, like those of us in the media. The only preview I have been able to attend (due to my schedule and personal obligations) was the invited media preview during the press event on June 10. My comments below are limited to my impressions based on just single experience, and, indeed, as with any “preview” periods, you should be aware as I am, that when an attraction is undergoing what folks refer to as “test and adjust,” that the attraction might not be operating exactly as the designers intend it to after its grand opening, and it may be out of service more often than usual. Following my comments, I will recap the big picture and story-telling details about the new attraction, along with a quick look at the opening day merchandise offerings.

Disney told those of us invited to the press event in the tier of the media we are in (the “fan sites) that we were not allowed to take photos or video record on the attraction, and I have abided by those requests. Apparently, however, filming restrictions were not applied to all the folks invited to the press event, nor have there been any restrictions during cast member or Passholder previews. Disney released a “POV” video of the attraction that it created prior to the press event, and that video does not really do justice to the experience. It does provide what I would (generously) call a high-level overview of the attraction. I suppose I can appreciate that Disney was trying to get ahead of all the onboard videos to be shot by previewers (whether or not allowed), but the POV is not the best work that could have been produced in my option (and that of many of the other folks I have spoken with that have previewed the ride).

While Disney Parks has titled this a “Full Ride POV” video, it does not include some portions of the attraction with little or no scenery. Video courtesy Disney Parks.

As I mentioned in the last Update, though Disney labeled the video a “Full Ride POV,” the video clearly was edited for time, including places where your log may be held to ensure proper spacing, and it excludes some portions of the ride with little or no scenery. With few exceptions, the video is shown from a fixed camera position, so various animatronic activations and projections that become visible to the sides of the “log” passing through scenes are not visible in the video. Social media comments on the Disney-posted version of the video were largely negative, some of which was inevitable, given that social media posts about this attraction dating all the way back to the announcement of the reimagination of Splash Mountain have been negative.

If you follow along MousePlanet’s X and/or Facebook feeds, I provided my account of the preview of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and now, having had time to further consider my thoughts, I will expand on them a bit here. As was true during previews that took place before and after the press event, my preview included long periods of time where the attraction was stopped and, as I learned when I finally got to ride, the queue was further slowed by problems with the new rigs built to allow media to get ride-cam footage–a problem guests will not experience and, in fact, I opted not to use. During all attraction test-and-adjust periods, break downs are not rare; having said that, I note that on media preview days I have attended for other attractions, they were not quite as frequent as I experienced here. On past media preview days when operations ran smoothly, I experienced attractions several times; for this one, after spending about two hours attempting to ride (leaving the queue once upon the cast’s request), I decided a single ride was sufficient for me.

I first note that I am not one of those that still loved Splash Mountain in recent years. When it was new, and I first experienced it at Disneyland in 1992, and at Magic Kingdom in 1996, I certainly enjoyed it as a novel log flume ride filled with animatronics, and I enjoyed its use of Zip-a-dee Doo-Dah and Laughing Place. I grew up in Chicagoland, and the Six Flags Great America theme park (formerly Marriott’s) had two flume rides that opened with the park back in 1976 which were themed in name only, and, as a kid and teen, I enjoyed the splash downs on these unthemed flumes. As an older teen, I started to enjoy them less, especially when riding on a cold April afternoon just before sunset and then having to drive (or ride in a packed car with friends) quite some distance home. As a frequent DVC visitor to Walt Disney World over the 2000s (and less frequent to Disneyland), I always enjoyed the “ride” of Splash Mountain, but the attraction and its story never became something to which I was emotionally connected.

I do not remember whether I had ever seen the entire Song of the South movie while it was still available in the early 1980s, but I do remember seeing the animated parts including Zip-a-dee Doo-Dah, as part of other Disney media going way back into the 1970s (and I am not old enough to remember before that). By comparison, my Disney fandom comes from connection with Sorcerer’s Apprentice; seeing it used in attractions is something which I do find my self connecting.

As I got older, I began to enjoy flume rides less. As the 2010s began, if I was visiting Magic Kingdom on a hot day, and the queue was not too long or a Fast Pass was available, I would ride Splash Mountain on a vacation. If I missed it, I was not upset. After I moved to the neighborhood in 2014, that old memory of driving home from Great America in wet clothes was strong enough to often avoid riding Splash Mountain so as to not have to drive my own car home while all wet. (On that same note, the last time I rode Kali River Rapids at Disney’s Animal Kingdom was in February 2000 on a “Florida cold” day, and I got soaked, and was not happy to even ride the bus back to my hotel.) When Disney announced that Splash Mountain was closing, I did not go for any final rides; I cannot remember when I last rode it except that I am certain that it was well-before the global pandemic.

As I have written and said a bunch of times over the past year before I experienced Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, and I repeat now that I have previewed it: it is still the same ride it was before it ceased being Splash Mountain. It is a log flume ride with a few small drops and a 50 foot drop, with lots of animatronics and music, and the opportunity to get wet, possibly soaked. Because its theme, storytelling, animatronics and music have changed, it is not the same attraction. If you like flume rides, and you are used to the unthemed variety at places like Six Flags, you probably will enjoy Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. It remains a very different take on the old amusement park flume ride. If you are emotionally attached to the former songs, theme, animatronics and story, based on what I have read in my social media feed, you probably find it hard to let that go. I get that.

Now, the tougher question is whether this is a great attraction. From a storytelling standpoint, I do not think so. After my single ride, I only know the story of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure because Imagineering and the Disney Parks public relations cast have told me its details so many times (and I will recap some of that at the end of this section of the Update).

There are definitely a lot of great storytelling details in the standby queue. There are certificates, news stories, photos, a chalk board, food labels, and even recordings that provide all sorts of details leading in to the ride itself. If you read and hear them all, you probably can piece together a whole bunch of details about Tiana’s business venture and why she needs “our” help. If you are in the Lightning Lane, there are a whole lot less details to experience because the point of Lightning Lane is to get you to the ride quicker. If you, like me, are in a slow-or-not moving queue in part of the “old Salt Mine,” which comes after the most detailed part of the queue, however, you have the blessing (or curse) of strong air conditioning, but a whole lot less themed storytelling and things to read.

Once on the ride itself, I felt the story telling got sort of muddled. That is not entirely surprising for any ride, as for many guests, the ride is a ride and not necessarily a storytelling device. But stronger storytelling happens on many of the best attractions, and that is done with longer set ups, like the transport on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and the subsequent briefing, interrogation, and video messages along the way, and so forth. The format of a log flume ride does not really lend itself to many detailed story set-ups, and, indeed, I will admit, I only vaguely ever knew the story of Splash Mountain despite riding it many times.

Yes, Splash Mountain raised tension more going up the final lift hill to ominous music and a couple of animatronic vultures. Yes, overall, Splash Mountain had some clear story stakes: you and Br’er Rabbit were in jeopardy. The story stakes at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure are lower: Tiana is having a Mardi Gras party, and her husband and Louis, her trumpet-playing alligator friend from the bayou, have failed to round up all the musicians. As you float along, you see animatronic animal musicians being welcomed into the band. At some point, Mama Odie does something to shrink you down to the size of a frog and then make you large again before sending you down to the party, and then you get to the party.

I think some of the reason that the storytelling is not the strongest at this attraction is its use of technology. Some of the animatronics are incredibly detailed and impressive: both Tiana and Lewis in many of their appearances are at the highest level of fluid animated activity I have seen on any attraction. Some of the lesser characters are not at all impressive, but that, in and of itself, is not surprising for any attraction (for example, just how many of those stormtroopers at Rise of the Resistance on the hangar deck actually move, and those that do, how much do they move?). The attraction’s use of video and digital projection works well in some places too: particularly in giving depth to some scenes in ways that make some of the scenes look bigger than they are. It is sort of like an attraction version of a multi-plane camera, if you think about it.

But some of the screens are not well-placed. For my ride, two of the encounters with Mama Odie, for example, took place where she is on a screen above the flume. Unfortunately, in both instances, it was where my log came to one of the lock points that maintain proper spacing between logs, and I really could not see her or understand what she was up to. Perhaps, if I knew to pay attention to her earlier in the scenes in which she appears, I could have gathered more of what she was trying to share, but I wound up only trying to focus on her and, indeed she seemed to have the most to say, only once she was no longer easily in view. If the screen she appears on was angled differently, maybe I could have seen her better; if the speakers used to play her voice were outside of the rock formation, maybe I would have heard her better. I do not have photos to illustrate my point here, but the poor reception of the POV video brings this to light just as much, I think.

This brings me to the next big question: Is it worth your time? I have seen so much hate aimed at the very existence of this attraction that I just have to tune that out. I already answered on behalf of those who like the unthemed flume rides (yes), and those who are so emotionally attached to Splash Mountain that they cannot tune that out when they ride (no).

I think Disney had a good argument for giving Princess Tiana her own attraction at Disney Parks. She is a popular character. She is Disney’s first black princess. Her position at the end of Disney’s The Princess and the Frog animated film is a strong female role model who has built a successful restaurant business. Disney sells a lot of merchandise themed to her, and her venue on Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder is lots of fun. (I have not been out to Disneyland since the restaurant themed to her opened, but I know quite a few people who love it too.) I enjoyed the film when I saw it in the theater during its first run, and I enjoy quite a few of the songs (with music by Randy Newman, whose compositions I often enjoy).

So, if you like Tiana and/or the film that brought her to us, and/or its music, this ride is probably for you too. The new original song written and produced for the attraction by award-winning musician PJ Morton and performed by Anika Noni Rose, “Special Spice” fits fine with the rest of the music, but other than the word “spice,” it did not stick with me the way “Nothing Can Stop Us Now” does just by typing it.

Maybe Tiana could have had a better attraction had Disney given her an attraction from scratch–the imagineers often have told me when I ask questions about the technology they use for attractions that they pick the technology that best tells the story they are trying to tell. Well, on a “reimagined” ride, they are trying to fit a story to existing technology (the flume) and then using more technology to tell the story. In my opinion, Disney has opened better attractions than what I previewed at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World, but I this is an attraction worth visiting for most guests (who meet the height and health standards). There are attractions at Walt Disney World that I would rank well-below this one, especially one at EPCOT which was a third reimagination of a once great attraction that includes a certain imaginary purple dragon.

Having completed my commentary on my preview experience, here is a quick recap of the storytelling details Disney has shared about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure picks up the story after the events of the animated film Disney’s The Princess and the Frog:

After opening Tiana’s Palace, the princess continues to grow her business with an employee-owned cooperative, Tiana’s Foods, which can be found in a former salt mining facility that Tiana has transformed.

Following her successes, Princess Tiana is hosting a party for the people of New Orleans during the Mardi Gras season of 1927, but there’s been a mix-up in the party preparations between Prince Naveen and Louis – no one booked a band! The
company PA system plays a radio program throughout Tiana’s Foods and between tunes is an important message from the radio host: Tiana needs help finding musicians for tonight’s party.

Now it’s time to get “going down the bayou!” Good thing you’re up for the challenge to help find “the missing ingredient” for the party. According to Louis, the bayou is the best place to find talented musicians so helpful party goers board log flumes to explore. Among the cypress trees are musical critters with instruments made from found objects and natural materials, playing Zydeco, Rara and Afro-Cuban music. Tiana loves their sound; it’s just the ingredient she was looking for!

With the talented critter bands booked for the big party, it’s time to hurry back out of the bayou – and luckily, Mama Odie knows a shortcut that will send guests speeding down to the celebration.

Following a thrilling 50-foot drop, the logs roll into a New Orleans neighborhood soiree at Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen’s home! The party is full of new and familiar faces, musical critters, and a new, original song written and produced by award-winning musician PJ Morton and performed by Anika Noni Rose, “Special Spice.”

Courtesy Disney Parks

Disney also shared that the late Leah Chase was the real-life inspiration for Princess Tiana. Known as the “Queen of Creole Cuisine,” she was best known as the legendary chef behind Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, a New Orleans staple. Walt Disney Imagineering has maintained a close relationship with the Chase family, and they have been instrumental to the development of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. As for the characters on the attraction, Disney artists including the original animators of Tiana, Louis and Naveen – Mark Henn, Eric Goldberg and Randy Haycock, respectively – were instrumental in both the animation work and designs of the figures. There are 48 all-new Audio-Animatronics figures on the attraction; 19 critters including a turtle, raccoon, rabbit, fox, bears, frogs and more; 3 critter bands in the bayou and more than 2,009 fireflies appear; 18 songs are featured in the attraction’s queue, with 5 songs featured during the attraction; and there are 2 opportunities to smell the scent of beignets.

For an unspecified time starting with the attraction opening, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure merchandise will be available at the Main Street Emporium. The Critter Co-op, located near the entrance to the attraction will open at a later date. During the preview, invited media did have an opportunity to tour the fully-stocked merchandise location, which appears complete (my best guess for why it is not opening with the attraction is crowd control).

Photos by Alan S. Dalinka.

Starting with the grand opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure on June 28, 2024, guest can either attempt to enter the virtual queue for the attraction in the My Disney Experience app at 7 a.m. or 1 p.m., or guests may obtain Lightning Lane access by purchasing the Genie+ service and selecting the attraction according to its availability throughout the day. Disney says that it expects to stop using a virtual queue and open a traditional standby queue “soon after the attraction’s opening.” My guess is to measure “soon” here as weeks or months, and not days, but it will depend on what sort of guest flow the attraction experiences and, I assume, how reliably it operates under a guest load.

EPCOT Transformation is “Concluded”

In the last Walt Disney World Update, I wrote that a recent visit to EPCOT, sort of put me in a more negative frame of mind, as we have entered the first “EPCOT International Summer Without a Festival” since the global pandemic. While the fact that EPCOT is finally taking a break from the constant festival-mode of the past several years is not, in and of itself, a bad thing, the park lacks a certain energy right now, particularly because of the number of venues around EPCOT that are closed.

I think last week’s announcement that the EPCOT Transformation is now “Concluded” with the opening of Communicore Hall and Plaza has made my feelings even more negative. In the last Update, I noted that the park does not even “dress up” closed venues to gloss over their being closed–my thinking is that something akin to the artistic (sometimes photo-realistic) scrims that the parks use on scaffolding that covers longer-term facade refurbishment projects would help. Well, it turns out, the press event for the opening of Communicore Hall and Plaza did just that, dressed up the venue just for the event!

The day after the press event, when venues opened to guests, and, indeed, this past weekend when I visited it for the first time during regular operations, Communicore Hall had been cleared of all its decor and the little bit of character the place displayed during the press event. As someone who has been to many invited events over the past eight years or so, I have thought it always clear between what elements of the press event are “party” and what elements are meant to show us how guests will experience something. This press event blurred that distinction in a bad way for me.

Backing up and looking at the big picture here, ever since EPCOT became a park that ran seasonal festivals during its second decade of operation, it has been clear that the park needs a festival center to be the home of special parts of those festivals. After the close of the old Wonders of Life pavilion, that building was used as a make-shift festival center for many festivals over many years. During some festivals, the Odyssey building was used as a smaller festival center, even to the point where the previously seldom-used building that was, when the park opened, a quick service food location, was refreshed and then used as an EPCOT Transformation preview center.

I can remember back to when then Disney Parks Chairman Bob Chapek took the stage at Destination D in the Fantasia Ballroom at Disney’s Contemporary Resort Convention Center in the fall of 2016, and said that an historic transformation of EPCOT was in the works. He said that its goal was to be true to the original intentions of EPCOT, and that it would be “more” timeless, “more” Disney, and “more” family (which I interpreted as “family-friendly). As time passed, Disney released more and more details about the transformation, including that it would include an ambitious, multi-level festival center, complete with an outdoor observation area for viewing the nighttime fireworks shows.

Well, as we all know, a global pandemic happened, and the parks and resorts all closed for awhile. Just before that happened, though, demolition began on the old Innoventions/CommuniCore West buildings which housed (in their final days) the Fountain View cafe Starbucks, the Mickey & Friends meet and greet, and some air conditioned guest space with tables and chairs. Once the pandemic closure was lifted and the phased reopening got underway at Walt Disney World Resort, slow work eventually continued in that part of the park, and, the ambitious festival center model disappeared from the preview center and concept art. A few different pieces of concept art publicly released later, Disney announced it was going to construct Communicore Hall and Plaza as a new (much scaled-down) festival center on some of the footprint of the old CommuniCore West building. (The remainder of that footprint has been replaced by Journey of Water-Inspired by Moana and some of the new World Celebration Gardens.)

The concept of the new Communicore Hall and Plaza (where that middle “c” used to be capitalized in press materials and other public statements by Disney, and now is only inconsistently captialized, so I will no longer do so) is a really good one: a flexible space that can take on the personality and special operations of one of EPCOT’s festivals, plus provide character meet and greet space. As I noted in the last Update, I had the opportunity to join cast member friends in a preview of the new Mickey & Friends meet and greet area before its official opening, and was surprised that it looked a whole lot like the old space in Innoventions West before it was razed to make way for the “historic” EPCOT transformation, with some additional graphical nods to other parts of EPCOT’s past attractions. I thought it was especially disappointing that the imagineers chose to put the standby queue for the meet and greet outside of the air conditioning of the building; to their credit, they did put some of the queue within the footprint of the building, and therefore within its shade and overhead ceiling fans, but opening day was over 90º as the rest of our Central Florida summer will be!

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The rest of the Communicore Hall indoor space, is that flex space for the future of the park. Disney Parks Blog describes it:

Back when we were (to borrow a phrase from Spaceship Earth) “inventing the future” of EPCOT, we knew we needed something in the center of the park that could be many things: a place for guests to relax, a dynamic space to anchor our EPCOT Festivals, and everything in between. That new space is CommuniCore Hall!  

If you can dream it, CommuniCore Hall can do it… the future of this gathering and event space is limited only by the boundaries of imagination. We’re all about the magic of possibilities here at EPCOT, and our imaginations are pretty spectacular.   

The June 9th Disney Parks Blog article is entitled, “7 Things to Know About CommuniCore Hall and CommuniCore Plaza.”

At the June 9th press event, my first look around the indoor space showed a bit of decor and energy to the room (of course, further enlivened by the fact it was a “party” for invited guests). Disney even showed off the demonstration kitchen, and provided some of the party’s catered food at its window.

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But on June 10th, when the building opened to guests, it had been stripped down to just a very blank canvas with some tables and chairs according to posts I started seeing on social media. I got over there myself this past weekend, and indeed, unless you knew where the demonstration kitchen is located, you would not even know the space had one, because its “window” was made opaque to the guest-facing areas. One of my local friends described it as a sad community hall’s basement.

Communicore Plaza, has a good deal of covered space for performances. The headline limited-time show here this summer is “¡Celebración Encanto!” which is scheduled numerous times daily and includes a sing-along with some live dancer/performers and some interactive dance time with Mirabel and Bruno from the Disney film. The Plaza’s big flaw, though, is its lack of shade during much of the day. The press event sort of glossed over this element, as the event was held late-enough in the day that the Plaza was shaded by the fact that the sun was low in the sky. That is not the case during much of the day, and, again, when I visited this weekend, I had a hint of that when observing all of the shade umbrellas that had been set up in the Plaza.

The Plaza also includes a new quick service food window called “Festival Favorites” which was not open during the press event but sells some of the Encanto-inspired arepas from a prior EPCOT festival.

Absent something else being done this summer in the space, until we see how the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival uses Communicore Hall and Plaza during its August 29 to November 23, 2024, run, and then the Festival of the Holidays after that, and the Festival of the Arts next winter, we may not get a full sense of what this space is capable of becoming. Right now, it is sort of surprising that Disney has left it to guests’ imagination as to how it could possibly fulfill all those purposes Bob Chapek said the historic transformation would achieve.

This & That & Reminders…

…NEW Disney Vacation Club has announced “Welcome Home Weeks” are coming this summer, a limited-time “celebration” from July 22 through August 24. Special events and special treats are scheduled at Disney Vacation Club resorts (including Aulani, Disney’s Vero Beach, Disney’s Hilton Head, and in the parks) for DVC members eligible for Membership Extras. Starting July 22, eligible members will also be able to stream Westward Walt—a short film examining Walt Disney’s first days in California—by select a specified link and then logging in with the username and password linked to their DVC account. As of this Update, not all of the dates and details have been published, but DVC says to watch this page of its website for details.

..UPDATED REMINDER: The American Adventure at EPCOT is now home to a temporary new exhibit, Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors, from the George W. Bush Institute. The exhibit features 60 oil paintings by former President Bush of service members and veterans who have served in military uniform with honor since 9/11, and whom the President has come to know personally since leaving office. Each painting is accompanied by the inspiring story of the veteran depicted personally written by President Bush. This exhibit is part of Disney’s admiration for those who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces and veterans, with additional events to be shared and then followed by the 2024 return of the Department of Defense Warrior Games at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, June 21-30.

…UPDATED REMINDER: Joy from Inside Out and Inside Out 2 is now making appearances at Pixar Place in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The character appearance is part of Walt Disney World’s summer celebration which is scheduled though September 6. Character appearances sometimes continue beyond the marketing period, so we will keep an eye out for word about whether Joy will continue to appear beyond the summer; she previously made regular appearances at EPCOT.

…UPDATED REMINDER: Disney’s Animal Kingdom is now celebrating of the 30th anniversary of the release of Disney’s animated classic The Lion King with special menu items and merchandise, Timon and Rafiki meeting and greeting at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, and the opportunity to learn to draw characters from the film at Animation Experience. That celebration is scheduled to run through September 6, and, Disney Parks Blog has published highlights of the limited time food and beverage offerings. It has also shared a few looks at special merchandise offerings and noted that the long-running “Festival of the Lion King Show” now interacts with Magic+ plus with lights and haptic vibrations.

…REMINDER: Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic celebrates 15 Years this year with the return of its Food & Wine Classic on Friday, November 15 and Saturday, November 16, 2024. The event will run an additional half-hour longer each evening than in the past, giving guests more time to enjoy the sips, flavors and music. Tickets are available now at SwanDolphinFoodAndWineClassic.com, including a bundle offering with a 15 percent discount for tickets for both Friday and Saturday night. The discounted bundle gives attendees a taste of everything the Food & Wine Classic has to offer, with different menu items featured each night. Additionally, favorite stations from years past will make an exclusive return, paying tribute to the event’s early years.

More information about the 2024 event, including educational seminars, will be released soon. For the latest information or to purchase tickets, guests can visit SwanDolphinFoodAndWineClassic.com, like swandolphinfwc on Facebook, or call 1-888-828-8850. Discounted hotel packages are available with proof of ticket purchase.

…FINAL REMINDER: The Walt Disney World Resort Passholder salute, “v.i.passholder days,” concludes June 26, 2024. The catch-all term includes a number of limited time perks, including some perks that were only available for an even more limited time, like the Passholder Lounge at EPCOT which is now closed.

• Increased Dining Discounts at Select Walt Disney World Resort locations: through June 26, 2024
  Passholders dining at select locations at Walt Disney World Resort through June 26, 2024, can save 20% on food and nonalcoholic beverages. It is always a good idea to ask a host or server about discounts upon arrival at a restaurant. Discounts cannot be combined and there are other published restrictions and limitations, including, that for restaurants located inside the theme parks, the usual requirements for entering a park remain in place. The published locations participating in this increased discount are:
  • Magic Kingdom
    • Be Our Guest Restaurant
    • Cinderella’s Royal Table
    • The Crystal Palace
    • The Diamond Horseshoe
    • Jungle Navigation Co. LTD Skipper Canteen
    • Liberty Tree Tavern
    • The Plaza Restaurant
    • Tony’s Town Square Restaurant
  • EPCOT
    • Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
    • Biergarten Restaurant
    • Coral Reef Restaurant
    • Garden Grill Restaurant
    • Le Cellier Steakhouse
    • Rose & Crown Dining Room
    • Spice Road Table
      
      Spice Road Table is one of the restaurants where Passholders can receive a 20% discount on food and non-alcoholic beverages through June 26, 2024. File Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios
    • 50’s Prime Time Café
    • The Hollywood Brown Derby
    • Hollywood & Vine
    • Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano
    • Roundup Rodeo BBQ
    • Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
    • Tiffins Restaurant
    • Tusker House Restaurant
  • Disney Resort Hotels (and, yes, this does include Disney’s Vero Beach Resort on the Atlantic coast)
    • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – Boma – Flavors of Africa, Jiko – The Cooking Place and Sanaa
    • Disney’s BoardWalk Inn Resort – Flying Fish and Trattoria al Forno
    • Disney’s Caribbean Resort – Sebastian’s Bistro
    • Disney’s Contemporary Resort – California Grill, Chef Mickey’s and Steakhouse 71
    • Disney’s Coronado Resort – Toledo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood and Three Bridges Bar and Grill at Villa del Lago
    • Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – Cítricos, Grand Floridan Cafe and Narcoosee’s
    • Disney’s Old Key West Resort – Olivia’s Cafe
    • Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort – Kona Cafe and ‘Ohana
    • Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Boatwright’s Dining Hall
    • Disney’s Riviera Resort – Topolino’s Terrace – Flavors of the Riviera
    • Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort – The Turf Club Bar and Grill
    • Disney’s Vero Beach Resort – Wind & Waves Grill
    • Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – Storybook Dining at Artist Point with Snow White and Whispering Canyon Cafe
    • Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts – Ale & Compass Restaurant, Beaches & Cream Soda Shop, Cape May Cafe and Yachtsman Steakhouse
• Complimentary Passholder Magnet at Creations Shop, EPCOT: Through June 26, 2024
  A complimentary Stitch-themed Passholder magnet is available at Creations Shop at EPCOT through June 26, 2024. Usual park entry requirements apply; Passholder must show valid pass or MagicBand or similar plus a matching photo ID; limit one per Passholder while supplies last (and, usually, they do last the entire period of the magnet distribution periods).
  

• Passholder Exclusive Stitch Treat at Sunshine Seasons, EPCOT: Through June 26, 2024
  The Stitch Cake Cone features vanilla chiffon cake with coconut buttercream and mango crisp pearls. This Passholder exclusive treat is available at Sunshine Seasons in The Land pavilion at EPCOT during its regular hours through June 26. Be aware that Sunshine Seasons often has limited hours of operation, and those hours are not published in the My Disney Experience app, so if you want this treat during v.i.passholder days, be sure to have proof of your pass, a valid photo I.D., and stop by this location earlier in the day, as we have often found limited or no operation at this location after 4 p.m.
  
  A Passholder-exclusive Stitch Treat coming to Sunshine Seasons. Image courtesy Disney Parks.
• Passholder PhotoPass Photo Opportunities at World Celebration Gardens, EPCOT: Through June 26, 2024
  Passholder-exclusive PhotoPass magic shots will be available during regular park hours at EPCOT near Dreamers Point in the World Celebration Gardens area. (Usual park admission required and to obtain the photos, the Passholder must have a downloads option, or Memory Maker, or the photo may be purchased individually in the My Disney Experience app).

…UPDATED REMINDER: Disney Vacation Club recently provided a brief update on the construction of Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows and noted that it is projected to open in December 2024 with a variety of room types that will sleep from two to nine guests, such as duo studios, one- and two-bedroom villas, and a brand-new category of two-bedroom penthouse villas. After its initial update, DVC also provided a room tour video (embedded immediately below). DVC members can now make cash-only rental reservations for Island Tower by calling Member Services at (800) 800-9800 (points-based reservations will be available later); all guests can book rental reservations online or by calling (407) 934-7639.

Concept art courtesy Disney.

…REMINDER: As you may recall, 350 new cabins are coming this summer to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort as a new part of Disney Vacation Club, and like all DVC properties, they will be available to Members using points, or anyone through central reservations for cash. The new cabins have the same footprint as those at Fort Wilderness that they are replacing, with 527 square feet of living space plus an outdoor deck. The cabins are categorized as one bedroom units that sleep up to six guests with a queen sized bed and a bunk bed in the bedroom, and a pull-down queen sized bed in the living area. Each unit also has a full kitchen, a bathroom with a shower, and a separate vanity. Unlike many DVC one bedroom villas, these cabins do not have soaking or whirlpool tubs and they do not have laundry facilities in the cabin (there are laundry facilities around the Fort Wilderness Resort). Disney invited MousePlanet and other media sites to the Central Florida warehouse where the cabins are being pre-fabricated and gave us a tour of one of them this spring, and we have been invited to the grand opening on July 1st. The captions of the photos below will take you through the details we saw and you can read more in our First Look post.

…REMINDER: The remaining Disney Vacation Club Moonlight Magic event nights are coming up this summer. These complimentary, after-hours events feature select attractions with shorter-than-usual wait times, plus character greetings, entertainment and more. The remaining events are:

• Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park – July 11 (general registration June 27).
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios – August 27: Early Registration August 1st for those with finalized hotel reservations as of July 28 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern; general registration August 15.

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 that includes August 27 (with the party size finalized by July 28 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern),, keep an eye on your email for a registration reminder for the Disney’s Hollywood Studios event with a link. The registration link will also be available on the event website itself, with an additional registration link available when general registration opens for members that are eligible for the “Membership Extras” (having bought the required number of points directly from DVC). Note: 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 at the same time.

…NEW: Guests at Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant this summer at Disney Springs can enjoy the new “Summer Lovin’ Menu” offerings from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. The seasonal menu features four Raglan Road appetizers and five cocktail specials at just $10 each. Nine select entrees at $20 each include the restaurant’s famous Fish N Chips, Shepherd’s Pie (both Shepherd’s Pie to Try and This Shepherd Went Vegan pie), The OMG Burger, and That Salad with Chicken. Starters like the buttermilk-marinated Bang Bang Chicken or a Soul Soup & Salad Combo paired with the pub’s Irish Gunpowder gin-based Blathanna Blossom, the vodka-forward Blueberry Mint Lemonade, and other super summer sippers are also available. The Summer Lovin’ Menu will be served throughout summer at all indoor Raglan Road bars and tables, on the patio, and at the Hole in the Wall bar. The full All-Day Menu will be available daily as well.

…Updated Reminder: June is Pride Month, and the Patina Restaurant Group’s locations at Disney Springs will celebrate the vibrancy of the LGBT+ community with four unique cocktails. All four were expertly crafted with 21Seeds Tequila, made with real fruit. The colorful drinks include a Spicy Ms. Margarita with cucumber jalapeno-infused tequila, and the Proud Paloma with grapefruit hibiscus-infused tequila. At the end of the month, Patina Restaurant Group’s Orlando locations will make a donation to The Center Orlando, who strive to promote and empower the LGBT community and its allies through advocacy, education, information, and support.

Maria and Enzo’s, Enzo’s Hideaway and The Edison

• Seed & Sassy: Choice of 21Seeds Infused Tequila with club soda, served over fresh fruit and ice. $15
• Spicy Ms. Margarita: 21Seeds Cucumber Jalapeño Infused Tequila,Fresh Lime Juice & Simple Syrup with a lime wedge, cucumber slices & salted rim. $17

Morimoto Asia

Seed & Sassy and Spicy Ms. Margarita are offered, as well as two additional drinks:

• Mr. Margarita: 21Seeds Valencia Orange Infused Tequila, Fresh Lime Juice & Simple Syrup with a lime wedge, cucumber slices & salted rim. $17
• Proud Paloma: 21Seeds Grapefruit Hibiscus Infused Tequila, pink grapefruit juice & club soda, served with a slice of grapefruit & a sprig of basil. $15

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Disney Springs area hotels have special rates are available to book through July 15, 2024 for stays through July 31, 2024, based on availability. Some blackout dates may apply, and availability may be limited. The rates do not include the Resort Services Fee or daily parking fee (if applicable), taxes or gratuities. The offer is not valid with any other special offers, promotions, existing reservations, or for groups. Rates and more information for the seven official hotels is available at https://disneyspringshotels.com/magic/.

The 4-day Florida Resident Discover Disney Ticket is $235 ($59 per day), plus tax, and offers admission to one theme park per day. The ticket is valid through September 28, 2024, and park reservations are required. The ticket can be used on consecutive or non-consecutive days, and there is no fuse, so you can use the first admission in April and space out your remaining visits over the summer.

A 3-day version of the ticket is also available for $219 ($73 per day).

Both of these tickets also offer optional upgrades:

• Park Hopper Option — $40 More Per Ticket, Plus Tax.
  Visit more than one theme park on the same day.
• Water Park and Sports Option — $35 More Per Ticket, Plus Tax.
  Visit one theme park per day. Plus, get a certain number of visits to a water park, golf course or miniature golf course based on the length of your ticket. For example, if you purchase a 3-Day Florida Resident Discover Disney Ticket with the Water Park and Sports option, you can visit a Walt Disney World theme park on 3 days with an advance theme park reservation—and visit a Disney water park on 3 additional days by September 28, 2024.
• Park Hopper Plus Option — $55 More Per Ticket, Plus Tax.
  Visit more than one theme park on the same day. Plus, get a certain number of visits to a water park, golf course or miniature golf course based on the length of your ticket. This option is a combination of the Park Hopper option and the Water Park and Sports option.

It really is important to stress the necessity for making your park reservations as soon as you complete your purchase. Disney is only setting aside a limited number of reservations for this ticket type each day, and states, “Reservations may be unavailable for any particular date or park, especially as you get closer to the date of visit or ticket expiration date.”

If you are not a Florida Resident, or you are, but park reservations are not available for the dates you want to visit, Disney is also offering the 4-Day, 4-Park Magic Ticket from $99 Per Day, Plus Tax (Total Price from $396, Plus Tax). The 4-Park Magic Ticket includes one admission to each of the 4 Walt Disney World theme parks—Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios—for a total of 4 admissions, on 4 separate days. Limit one admission per theme park, one theme park per day. This is a date-based ticket, so it does not require a theme park reservation to enter a park, but you must pick a start date through September 22, 2024, and the ticket must be used within 7 days of the selected start date. This ticket cannot be used to enter the same theme park more than once.

If you are willing to skip Magic Kingdom, Disney is also offering a Special 3-Day, 3-Park Ticket to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, EPCOT and Disney’s Animal Kingdom only, starting from $89 per day, plus tax (total price starting from $267, plus tax). This is also a date-based ticket that does not require a theme park reservation to enter a park, but you must pick a start date through September 24, 2024, and the ticket must be used within 5 days of the selected start date.

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!

Disney Rewards Visa Card users can get a free dining plan when using the card to purchase a non-discounted 4-night/4 day Walt Disney Travel Company Package including room at select hotels and tickets with Park Hopper Option for arrivals most nights July 1 – 31, September 1 – 7, and December 9 – 21, 2024. More details, restrictions, information, and the opportunity to book are on this page of the DisneyWorld website.

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.