New at Disney
What’s new at Walt Disney World ?
This is going to be a great year to take a Walt Disney World Vacation and I am excited to tell you why! January through March, guests can enjoy Disney After Hours at the Magic Kingdom®. This is a great time to take advantage of little to no wait times for over 25 rides and attractions. For adults or adults with teenagers who stay up late into the night, this is a great opportunity to take advantage of some family bonding time. The Magic Kingdom® is usually open until 2am and to keep you going through the night, snacks and bottled beverages are provided. This event is an extra ticketed event, so be prepared to pay around $149 per person.
For the last four years Disney has been hinting at a whole new land in the Animal Kingdom® theme park and we have all seen the renderings, but it looks like it is finally to go open this summer. Pandora – The World of Avatar will have several new attractions including Na’vi River Journey. This ride puts you into a canoe like boat that takes you down a river with the exotic glowing plants and interesting creatures. If you are looking for more of a thrill, then try Avatar Flight of the Passage which will allow you to experience flying with banshees.
Even though the new Star Wars themed land at Hollywood Studios isn’t open yet, that doesn’t mean Disney isn’t taking advantage of adding in new characters from the latest Star Wars Movie. Advanced Weapons Research or AWR are now part of a new scene in the “Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away” show. There are also new props from Rogue One: A Star Wars Story movie at the Star Wars Launch Bay, and new footage of the behind the scenes of the movie. I was going to talk about this in my next newsletter but I am too excited so I am going to share it now!! Are you ready, this is so exciting?!? If you are a Star Wars super fan, there is now a 7-hour guided tour led by a Star Wars “all-in the know” tour guide!! This tour includes front of the line access to Star Tours, an in-depth tour of the new Launch Bay, Jedi training (ages 4 -12), Star Wars themed menu items from the Backlot Express, and to end it all off, prime seating with sweets and specialty beverages for the Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular Dessert Party. The number of people on the tour is limited so I highly recommend making reservations in advance.
If you had been to WDW in 2016 you may have been surprised that Hollywood Studio® was half the park it used to be. Don’t worry, all good changes are on their way with new and exciting rides and attractions. They also have recently opened PizzeRizzo, a two-story eatery that serves fresh salads and personal sized pizzas. If you have always been a big fan of Rizzo, like myself, then this is must stop quick service restaurant. A quick note, all quick-service dining plans have removed the dessert from the meal. In return they have added an extra snack to the plan so now everyone on the plan will receive 2 snacks per night of stay.
The Muppets are jumping theme parks! They will still be in Hollywood Studios® entertaining people with their quirky MuppetsVision®, but they now have their own show that plays several times a day in the Magic Kingdom® in front of the Hall of Presidents. Get ready for Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and The Great Gonzo in “The Muppets Presents…Great Moments in American History” where they put their spin on the what they believe were the greatest moments in history. This is a live show so you never know what is going to happen.
Epcot is the theme park to go to for their festivals. They host the Food and Wine Festival and the Flower and Garden Festival to name a few. This winter for the first time, Epcot will be hosting the Festival of the Arts which combines visual, culinary, and performing arts all in one place. For six weeks only, you can take art classes, watch Broadway Style singing shows, and feast on delicious creations that, of course in Disney style, look too good to eat! They are only running these special exhibits for six weeks and on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday’s only.
MagicBands are now part of your everyday wardrobe when you are at Walt Disney World, and I still truly believe have revolutionized the efficiency of how Disney can handle so many people. I am surprised in the last 4 years that Disney hasn’t redesigned the MagicBand to make it sleeker looking, and easy to wear, but wait they have! They have redesigned the look a bit so that it is more flat to your wrist and a bit wider. You will still have all the amazing benefits that the MagicBand had in the past, but now with a cool design.
Walt Disney World has so many changes coming up that I just want to help book everyone an amazing family Disney vacation. Make sure to contact me to book your next Disney vacation because you never know what new changes are coming or have been made!!
P.S. Call me this year to plan your AMAZING Disney vacation. I always recommend to start planning your Walt Disney World vacation 8 to 12 months in advance so we can start planning everything out for you.
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