Disney News

Category: Walt Disney World

  • Disney World’s Blizzard Beach Water Park to Reopen Almost 1 Year After Closing

    Disney World’s Blizzard Beach Water Park to Reopen Almost 1 Year After Closing

    After nearly a yearlong closure, Walt Disney World’s Blizzard Beach Water Park will welcome visitors back on March 7, 2021, the park announced this week.

    When Disney World reopened in July with reduced capacity, both its Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon water parks remained closed. 

    The announcement was made on Disney’s website as you can see below:

    “We will welcome back Guests and Cast Members to our water parks in a responsible way, with a plan focused on health and well-being. We will provide more details on our phased reopening plan, including a decision on the specific water park that will be reopening first, at a later time. This reopening date may change and if it does, we will let Guests know what to expect in a future update,” the statement read.

    Current tickets that include a Park Hopper Plus option or the Water Park & Sport option can be modified, canceled or used with the amenities currently open at Disney World. Unused, unexpired water park tickets can be extended through Dec. 31, 2021 by calling customer service before March 7. 

    Disney will resume selling water park annual passes and one-day water park admission “at a later date.” 

    Blizzard Beach’s reopening also marks the park’s 25th anniversary — it first opened its doors on April 1, 1995.

    Disney did not reveal any opening information about Typhoon Lagoon, its other water park which receives an annual 2 million visitors.

    “We will continue to monitor the constantly changing environment and its impact on the state of Florida as we find the right time to welcome back even more of our Guests and Cast Members,” Disney said.

    Walt Disney World also announced that four of its resort hotels will begin reopening around the same time. The All-Star Movies Resort is scheduled to reopen on March 22, with the Beach Club Resort, Wilderness Lodge and Polynesian Village Resort reopenings to follow.

  • First Look: New Entrance Fountain at EPCOT Celebrates the Past, Present and Future

    First Look: New Entrance Fountain at EPCOT Celebrates the Past, Present and Future

    As we previously reported, a multi-year transformation of EPCOT is underway that will reimagine the park while keeping true to the original vision and now crews have removed all the “progress walls” from the main entrance plaza, giving you the first full look at the reimagined entrance fountain.

    Now in front of iconic Spaceship Earth you’ll now see a reimagined fountain, standing in the footprint of the original that welcomed guests on the park’s opening day in 1982.

    While there is still more work to be done, the area is much more open and welcoming now. It features new planters, pathways, lush landscaping and a vibrant new color palette that will eventually tie into the four new neighborhoods we’re creating inside the park – World Celebration, World Discovery, World Nature and World Showcase. Take a closer look at the new fountain below:

    “Our design team took special interest in this water feature, as we looked back to the geometry of the original for inspiration while creating some new magic of our own. In the fountain’s center is a brilliant light, a unique liquid-cooled fixture we’ve designed with new capabilities that complement the fountain’s changing colors and will coordinate with new lighting coming to Spaceship Earth and the upcoming World Celebration beyond,” Disney Parks said.

    Three acrylic pylons, each standing over 16 feet tall and featuring the park’s logo, surround the fountain and hearken back to the creation of EPCOT. Their timeless design and vertical presence draw your eye upward toward the sky – perfectly framing views of Spaceship Earth.

    This new fountain is the centerpiece of EPCOT’s entrance plaza, which we’ve designed as a welcoming area that brings people together. The greenery and use of water celebrate a harmony between humanity and the natural world. This park was built to inspire optimism, and we’re infusing this transformation with the magic of possibility.

  • New Breakfast Offerings Coming to Magic Kingdom for the Holidays

    New Breakfast Offerings Coming to Magic Kingdom for the Holidays

    Want to start your holiday adventure off at Magic Kingdom Park with a quick and delicious breakfast? The new breakfast lineup is delicious and will give enough energy to make it to you first Churro or Mickey Ice Cream Bar!

    From Egg & Bacon Croissant Breakfast Sandwich to Tots & Sausage Gravy, Magic Kingdom has what you need. And on the sweet side, the Cheshire Cat Tails are a delicious chocolate pastry twists decorated with pink and purple striped icing that are perfect anytime of day.

    Beginning Dec. 20 through Jan. 2, the breakfast items below will be available from park opening through 11 a.m., except for the Cheshire Cat Tails, which will be sold all day:

    • Donut Holes; Egg & Bacon Croissant Breakfast Sandwich (Westward Ho) 
    • Donut Holes; Egg & Bacon Croissant Breakfast Sandwich; Tots & Sausage Gravy (The Friar’s Nook)  
    • Cheshire Cat Tails; Egg & Bacon Croissant Breakfast Sandwich (The Lunching Pad)  

    Magic Kingdom Park is decked out in full festive regalia, and their chefs have been busy cooking (and baking!) up delicious treats just for the holidays! Let us know in the comments what your looking forward to most!

  • Nigerian Dwarf Goats Added to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Safari

    Nigerian Dwarf Goats Added to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Safari

    Disney World announced today, that they have introduce a new species of Nigerian dwarf goats to Animal Kingdom park.

    As guests wrap up their journey on the Harambe Wildlife Reserve they’ll see a warden’s outpost where these miniature West African goats chase, climb and play like kids. But don’t let their size fool you, they are fully grown adults.

    Originally from Nigeria, the goats are considered to be of high value because of the high protein milk they provide, which is also very sweet. Take a closer look at them below:

    By being able to help support the village with the goat milk products, there is less of a need for people to rely on wildlife, which in turn helps keep wildlife and their habitats protected. With the Warden’s outpost being on the edge of the reserve, this shared land is managed in a way that helps protect local wildlife so both the animals and humans can live near each other in harmony.

    Since the opening of the park in 1998, Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park has continued to grow and evolve, bringing new encounters to the savanna and with this addition they aren’t kidding around.

  • Alcohol-Infused Hot Cocoa is all the Buzz at Disney World

    Alcohol-Infused Hot Cocoa is all the Buzz at Disney World

    If you’re looking for that classic cup of hot cocoa to go with those cookies, then you’re in luck! Guests over the age of 21 can now warm up with a special array of alchohol infused hot chocolate beverages at Hollywood Studios in Disney World.

    They feature three hot cocoas, each one mixed with either Stoli Vanil Vodka, Red Stag by Jim Beam, or Baileys Irish Cream.

    They’re served in clear mini mugs with a matching tray and they’re all topped with whipped cream as you can see below:

    You can order one of these dreamy flights at ABC Commissary, Backlot Express, and Hollywood Scoops for $13 plus tax.

  • Disney World Begins Digitally Inserting Masks on Ride Photos

    Disney World Begins Digitally Inserting Masks on Ride Photos

    Walt Disney World is reportedly digitally inserting masks on park guests who take their masks off on rides.

    Prior to this, the park would not provide parkgoers access to ride photos in which masks were not in place properly, meaning anyone else on the same ride would be affected by the actions of anyone not wearing their masks properly.

    The practice can be seen in a photo from the Dinosaur ride at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, according to a guest who posted the photo to the Facebook group Disney World Junkies. Take a look below:

    Photo: Tony Townsend

    In the photo a passenger can be seen in the back row of the ride vehicle with an oversized black mask over the face that seems digitally placed.

    On Disney’s FAQ page on masks, it states, “If anyone in your ride vehicle’s mask is removed during an on-ride photo, you will not see or receive that photo.”

  • ‘Pretty Ricky’ Rapper Arrested for Punching Disney World Employee After COVID-19 Joke

    ‘Pretty Ricky’ Rapper Arrested for Punching Disney World Employee After COVID-19 Joke

    A member of Pretty Ricky, Spectacular Blue Smith, was arrested on Monday after allegedly assaulting an employee at Walt Disney World.

    35 year- old Spectacular Blue Smith — a rapper who is also on “Love & Hip Hop” — was at the resort’s Animal Kingdom theme park on Monday night when he walked past a Disney World employee, pretended to sneeze, and said “coronavirus,” according to an Orange County Sheriff’s Office arrest affidavit.

    The employee allegedly told Smith that his joke was not funny, but the musician and CEO responded, “I thought it was.”

    According to the affidavit, the employee then told Smith, “Then you’ll think it’s hilarious, if I asked you to step out of the line.”

    The cast member asked Smith to leave the line repeatedly, but Smith declined and punched the worker twice when he moved to block Smith’s path, according to the report.

    Records show Smith was arrested by a deputy from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office on a misdemeanor battery charge.

  • VIDEO: Disney Parks Reveals Behind-the-Scenes Look at New Ratatouille Ride

    VIDEO: Disney Parks Reveals Behind-the-Scenes Look at New Ratatouille Ride

    During he fifth anniversary edition of “The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration,” Disney Parks revealed a behind-the-scenes look at the Ratatouille Adventure ride coming to EPCOT.

    The attraction will expand the pavilion and shrink guests to Remy’s size and scurry to safety in a dazzling chase across a kitchen with the sights, sounds and smells of Gusteau’s legendary Parisian restaurant.

    Take a look at the behind the scenes video Disney Parks posted to Twitter below:

    The loading area is made to look like to rooftops of Paris, with oversized chimneys and rain gutters. This is the area where riders will board trackless ride vehicles, which are made to look like rats.

    Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure opens in 2021. In addition to the Ratatouille ride, the expansion of the France Pavilion will include new shopping, dining, and more.

  • Woman Smacks Boyfriend After Disney World Proposal Thinking He Was Joking

    Woman Smacks Boyfriend After Disney World Proposal Thinking He Was Joking

    A Disney World proposal is usually a dream come true, but for one woman it was too good to be true and she smacked her boyfriend after he got down on one knee in the most magical place on earth.

    The young woman from Utah had suffered through her boyfriend’s fake proposals too many times so when he finally popped the question for real at Disney World, she playfully smacked him upside the head.

    The funny moment took place back in December 2018, but went viral this week, when Graice posted it on TikTok where it had racked up more than six million views. Take a look below to see the romantic\comedic moment for yourself:

    @hgoneill

    in my defense I thought he was trolling me ##fyp ##foryoupage

    ♬ original sound – Gracie

    Much to, 21-year-old, Gracie O’Neill’s suprise, this time, her boyfriend Cade was really proposing.

    The video shows Gracie and Cade posing for a photo in front of Cinderella’s castle, smiling with their arms wrapped around one another.

    When Gracie thinks the photo has been snapped and the moment is over, she moves to pull away — and Cade drops down on one knee in front of her.

    Without missing a beat, Gracie ‘karate chops’ him, playful but annoyed that he seems to be pretending to propose as a joke yet again.

    ‘This time I’m not kidding,’ Cade tells her with a smile, pulling a ring box out of his pocket and popping it open. The ensuing squeals tell the rest of the story.

  • Imagineer Behind Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Joe Rohde, is Retiring

    Imagineer Behind Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Joe Rohde, is Retiring

    Longtime Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde, who was instrumental in the development of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, is retiring from Walt Disney Imagineering.

    Rohde oversaw a trio of major projects in recent years, including Pandora — the World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom; the Guardians of the Galaxy-themed update of Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure; and the Villages Nature Eco-Resort next to Disneyland Paris.

    Rohde, who will retire in January, reflected on his career in an Instagram post as you can see below:

    Given his multi-decade-long tenure, he said the “strange quiet time” of the pandemic affords him the opportunity to step back.

    “It has been 40 years since I stepped foot in the door at age 25, not knowing anything about theme parks, Disney, or what it meant to work for a big company,” Rohde wrote. “Every day of my life since then has been a learning experience. I’m very glad to have had that opportunity, and proud of the work that has been done, not just by me, but by all my fellow Imagineers, and especially those who worked by my side over the decades.

    Early in his tenure he worked as a model designer for Epcot Center, which opened in Florida in 1982. He went on to supervise design work for Animal Kingdom, which opened in 1998 just outside of Orlando. One signature, fan-favorite attraction at the latter park is Expedition Everest, which boasted a lifelike, animatronic yeti that Rohde had been pledging to refurbish in recent years.

    “I’m not that old yet and there are things I want to do that cannot be done here,” Rohde wrote.

    Rohde’s last day with Disney will be January 4, 2021.