Walt Disney World Resort Update for October 18-25, 2016

Walt Disney World Resort Update for October 18–25, 2016

Go directly to: News & Views | Join our Networks | Resort Events | Refurbishments and Attraction Closures | Discounts and Promotions

News and Views

Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! | Princess Elena of Avalor meet-and-greet opens November 24 | Say “I Do” after dark at the Magic Kingdom | New ticket offer for Canadian residents | The Magic is Endless | Views around the World | This and That | Crowd Forecast

Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!

Disney's Hollywood Studios will put The Force on hiatus this winter, and present a brand-new holiday fireworks show based on the ABC animated show Prep & Landing. “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! ” debuts Monday, November 14, and runs nightly through New Year's Eve, December 31. While Prep & Landing serves as the hook for the show, the official description shows we can expect lots of other Disney properties to be included.

The stars of ABC's Prep & Landing are on a search for Santa Claus during the new Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! show. Photo © Disney.

Join the festive fun as the stars of ABC's Prep & Landing search high and low for Kris Kringle.

Great garland! Christmas Day is almost here, but Jolly Old Saint Nick is nowhere to be found. Luckily, Wayne and Lanny are on the job… and they won't rest until the Big Guy's back at the North Pole. Consider this a “cranberry red” situation—classified “Kringle Level 9!”

Come along for holiday hijinks as the top-notch team encounters moments of seasonal cheer and togetherness. Their snowy search culminates with an epic showdown in Halloween Town from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, as Wayne and Lanny are forced to rescue Santa—and save Christmas in the process!

Disney movies including Bambi and Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas are used in the new Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! show. Photo © Disney.

The new holiday show replaces the “Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular” fireworks show for the season. The entertainment schedule has not yet been posted beyond 2016, and we do not know if or when the Star Wars show will return.

It should not be a surprise that Disney has also introduced a new dessert party to coincide with the new fireworks show. The Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! Holiday Party will be hosted nightly in the courtyard of the Chinese Theater, and will provide visitors who book the added-cost package both with a reserved viewing area for the show, and also a holiday dessert buffet that includes snacks, desserts and “specialty beverages.”

The Holiday Party begins one hour before show time, and costs $69 for adults, and $39 for children, including all taxes and gratuities. The package is not currently available to book online, but you can make reservations by calling (407) 939-5277.

The Chinese Theater is transformed into a stack of colorful packages for the Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! show. Photo © Disney.

Princess Elena of Avalor meet-and-greet opens November 24

Princess Elena will join Cinderella at the Princess Fairytale Hall starting Thanksgiving Day. Photo © Disney.

This is exciting news for fans of Princess Elena of Avalor, Disney's first “Latin-inspired” princess. The newest member of the Disney royal family will take up residence at the Princess Fairytale Hall in the Magic Kingdom starting Thanksgiving day, Thursday November 24. Princess Elena will join Cinderella in one wing of the Princess Fairytale Hall, while Rapunzel and Tiana greet guests in the other wing. FastPass+ reservations to meet Elena are now available through the My Disney Experience app.

With Elena heading to the Fairytale Hall, it looks like the Princess Elena Royal Welcome show will end on Saturday, November 5.

Say “I Do” after dark at the Magic Kingdom

Couples with a 6-figure wedding budget now have a new option at the Magic Kingdom. As part of the Wishes Collection, Disney Fairy Tale Weddings has just introduced the Magic Kingdom After Hours Experience package.

The new Magic Kingdom After House experience offers couples the chance to get married in the Magic Kingdom at night. Photo © Disney.

The ceremony is held in Fantasyland after park hours, with the area reserved just for the wedding couple. The venue can accommodate up to 300 guests. The Orlando Sentinel reports the package starts at $180,000.

As we previously reported, Disney earlier this year opened up the East Plaza Garden inside the Magic Kingdom. for couples who wanted to get married inside the park during park hours. That package starts at $25,000. Details of both Wishes Collection packages are available at the Disney Weddings website.

New ticket offer for Canadian residents

MousePlanet reader Scott S. alerted us to a new offer for Canadian residents. Canadian residents receive a 25% discount on 4-day or longer tickets purchased by February 28, 2017. The discounted rate for a 4-Day adult base ticket is $244.00 USD, compared to $325.00 USD when purchased at the gate. A 10-day adult base ticket is $300 USD, a savings of $100 from the main gate price.

This offer is only good for Canadian citizens with valid passport, or residents of Canada with valid proof of Canadian residency. The tickets are sold as an exchange certificate, and must be exchanged for park ticket upon arrival. There is no expiration date on the unused tickets, but once activated the tickets must be used within 14 days of first entry.

You can see the full details on the Walt Disney World website. Thanks Scott for the heads up!

The Magic is Endless

Disney's 2017 marketing tag line seems to be “The Magic is Endless.” Commercials with the new theme have already begun to air in select markets, and a new landing page has appeared on the Walt Disney World website.

The Magic is Endless commercial. YouTube video © Disney.

Views Around the World

Alan revisited many of the locations we mentioned in last week's article to see how they had recovered following Hurricane Matthew, and shares photos of Halloween decorations around the Resort.

Disney Springs

A giant inflatable Mickey head pumpkin is illuminated at night near Earl of Sandwich in the Marketplace area of Disney Springs. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Amorette's Patisserie in the Town Center of Disney Springs has added a Mickey head pumpkin cake to its offerings for Halloween. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

The living statues now pose in the Town Center area of Disney Springs on top of Halloween themed platforms. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Jock Lindsey's Hangar Bar has added a Jolly Roger light projection near its front door for the Halloween season. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Epcot

The purple martin birdhouses located in Future World East have been returned to their regular positions this week after having been lowered for the approach of Hurricane Matthew. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Now that the Lights, Motors, Action grandstand has been completely demolished, the view in to the Star Wars and Toy Story lands construction inside Disney's Hollywood Studios from World Drive appears pretty empty. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

An enclosed structure over World Drive from Disney's Hollywood Studios to the area near the park's new fireworks launch area is expected to be used to move dirt and construction materials for the future Star Wars and Toy Story lands. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Magic Kingdom

Flags have returned to the top of Main Street Station this week after the passing of Hurricane Matthew earlier this month. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Orange pumpkins once again dot the floral display in front of Main Street Station. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Flags again fly atop the buildings along Main Street USA, having been removed in advance of Hurricane Matthew. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

All of the banners that fly above Fantasyland once again appear in place. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

The banners at the entrance to Storybook Circus in Fantasyland are all back in place. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Holiday dream lights now cover the newest turrets of Cinderella Castle in the Central Plaza hub area. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

The Big Thunder Mountain refurbishment is expected to continue for a few more weeks. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Even for our photographer, it is always possible to discover more details at Disney Parks: the safety flags atop Pirates of the Caribbean fly the Jolly Roger too. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Animal Kingdom

Entering Disney's Animal Kingdom's parking lot continues to show off the massive scale of the under-construction land of Pandora: The World of Avatar. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

Large dirt mounds can now be seen between the construction area for Pandora: The World of Avatar and Disney's Animal Kingdom's resort bus area. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

The nighttime operating hours of Disney's Animal Kingdom have been reduced since the end of summer, but the nighttime views remain impressive. Photo by Alan S. Dalinka.

This and That

…The Disney Visa Character Experience at Epcot has relocated. The new Disney Visa Photo Spot is located next to Journey Into Imagination with Figment, and is open from 1:00 – 7:00 p.m. daily.

…Blizzard Beach closes Sunday, October 23 for its seasonal refurbishment. Typhoon Lagoon is open during the refurbishment, but will close for its own scheduled maintenance on December 24.

…Morimoto Asia has announced a new Dim Sum brunch available Saturday and Sundays. The two-course, prix fixe brunch is $27. The menu is not yet posted on the Walt Disney World website.

…Master Sommelier George Miliotes is slated to open Wine Bar George in Disney Springs in the fall of 2017. The 210-seat wine bar will offer more than 100 wines by the bottle or the glass, along with a small food menu. Miliotes helped open the California Grill at the Contemporary Resort in 1995, and more recently has been with the Darden Restaurant group.

…The MousePlanet Newsletter is here! The newsletter contains a recap of the week's articles (in case you miss a day), news that may have developed since the weekly Updates were published, and tips about what's happening at the Disney theme parks for the coming weekend. We'll also include a fun bonus, such as an Eye Spy or a trivia question. To subscribe to our free newsletter, just enter your e-mail in the box below.

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Crowd Forecast

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Resort Events

Check here to see if a park event might fall during your next trip to the Walt Disney World Resort. If you know of any in-park events, official or unofficial, that should be listed here, please send us an e-mail (link).

2016 Resort events

• Star Wars Experiences – Opened December 1, 2015
• 2016 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival – September 14 through November 14, 2016.
• Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic – Friday and Saturday, October 28 and 29. More information available on the event website.
• Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party –September – 2, 8, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 29, 30; October – 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31
• “Jersey Week” – November 6–13. Expect larger crowds this week as New Jersey students and families take advantage of a Fall Break created by their school's participation in the New Jersey Teachers Convention.
• Dapper Day at Epcot (unofficial event) – Saturday, November 12, 2016. More information at the event website.
• Destination D – November 19-20, 2016. D23 Members are invited to join the excitement of D23 Destination D: Amazing Adventures, a celebration of Disney adventures of the past, present, and future. More details at the event website.
• Holidays at Walt Disney World – November 7 through December 31, 2016
• Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party – November 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 18, 27, 29; December 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 22
• Holidays Around the World at Epcot – November 25 through December 30, 2016
• Candlelight Processional at Epcot – November 25 through December 30, 2016

2017 Resort events

• MouseAdventure – Saturday, March 4, 2017

runDisney events

If you participate in (or are considering signing up for) runDisney events, visit our Team MousePlanet forum on the MousePad discussion board, where you can join our community of health-minded readers and staff.

2016

• Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend – November 3–5. All races are sold out, with the exception of the runDisney Kids races. Proof of time deadline has passed.

2017

• Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend – January 4–8, 2017. Registration is now open. Proof of time must be submitted by October 4, 2016.
• Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend – February 24–26, 2017. Registration is now open. Proof of time must be submitted by November 15, 2016.
• Star Wars Half Marathon – The Dark Side Weekend – April 20–23, 2017. Registration is now open. Proof of time must be submitted by January 17, 2017.

For current information on registration dates and capacity, see Lorree Tachell's runDisney Race Capacity Updates in the Team MousePlanet forum on our MousePad discussion board.

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Events

Check here to see if a sporting competition might fall during your next trip to the Walt Disney World Resort. We don't list all events here, but focus on the larger sport and cheer events that might result in extra visitors to the theme parks, and make it harder to secure a hotel room. The All-Star and moderate resort hotels are often the home base for these larger events, so it's worth avoiding those properties if possible.

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex events

2016

• Special Olympics Florida Fall Classic – November 11–12.
• 2016 Pop Warner Super Bowl – December 3–10.

2017

• Pro Bowl week festivities – take place the week prior to the 2017 game on January 29. Additional schedule information to be released.

Refurbishments and Attraction Closures

Magic Kingdom

2016

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – closed August 8 – November 18 for refurbishment.

Epcot

Permanently closed:

• Sum of All Thrills – closed permanently on September 14.
• Storm Struck – closed permanently on September 14.

Disney's Hollywood Studios

2016

• Pizza Planet restaurant – closed for refurbishment. Will reopen in Fall, 2016 as PizzeRizzo
• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster – closed for refurbishment October 27 though November 9.

Permanently closed:

• Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show
• Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure
• Studio Catering Co.
• Meet & Greet: Mike and Sulley at Streets of America
• Magic of Disney Animation
• The Writer's Stop

Disney's Animal Kingdom

• Dinosaur – closed for refurbishment July 25 – Fall, 2016

Blizzard Beach

• Closed October 23 – December 24 for seasonal refurbishment.

Typhoon Lagoon

• Closed December 24 – March 11, 2017 for seasonal refurbishment.

Disney Springs

• Fulton's Crab House – closed for refurbishment. Scheduled to reopen in Fall 2016 as Paddlefish
• Planet Hollywood – closed for refurbishment and transformation into a Planet Hollywood Observatory.
• Disney Quest – scheduled to close sometime in 2016.

Resorts

• Wilderness Lodge and Villas – Hidden Springs pool, resort beach, playground, and Recreation fire pit closed. No opening date provided, but the pool is expected to be closed through 2017. Expect construction-related closures and noise due to construction of the as-yet-unannounced Disney Vacation Club cabins.
• Disney's All-Star Sports – the Grand Slam Pool closes October 10 for refurbishment, and is expected to reopen by December 2. The Surfboard Bay Pool will remain open.
• Disney's Pop Century Resort – the Computer Pool closes October 31 for refurbishment, and is expected to reopen by December 23. The Hippy Dippy Pool will remain open.

Elsewhere

• Disney Osprey Ridge Golf Course – permanently closed.

Current Discounts & Promotions

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. For your convenience, we have grouped the discount offers based on the intended audience. Check out the category that best matches you, and pick the offer that works best for you. And keep those tips coming—let us know if you find a better or different offer, so we can share it with other readers.