Another week has passed in the Disney parks around the world and this week was a BIG one!

Fireworks have officially returned to Disney World, LOTS of restaurants have either reopened or are set to reopen soon, we got an update on the Disney Dining plan, and more!! Want to know all the biggest stories from this week? We’re breaking it down for you right here!

1. Fireworks Are BACK!

First up, we’ll start with very exciting news about the return to fireworks in Disney World!!! On July 1st, fireworks officially returned to Magic Kingdom with Happily Ever After.

Fireworks also returned on July 1st to EPCOT with EPCOT Forever.

You can click the links above to see photos and videos of the return of these 2 fireworks shows (grab your tissues)! Wondering what the crowds were like ahead of the return of these fireworks shows? We shared a peek at that here!

Let’s just say we weren’t alone!

Fireworks are set to officially return to Disneyland on July 4th, but earlier this week Disneyland surprised guests and presented them with some fireworks.

Keep in mind that some NEW fireworks shows are set to debut in Magic Kingdom and EPCOT right at the start of Disney World’s 50th Anniversary. But, until then you can head to those parks to enjoy these existing shows.

Click here to see which Disney World fireworks shows have a return date and which ones don’t!

2. More Restaurants Have Reopened or Will Reopen Soon

During the past few weeks, more restaurants have been reopening all throughout Disney World (and Disneyland too). This week a few more spots in Disney World reopened and others now have official reopening dates!

Earlier this week, Eight Spoon Cafe in Disney’s Animal Kingdom reopened. We shared a first look at this reopened spot and a FULL REVIEW.

Did someone say pulled pork sandwich on a donut?

Click here to check out our full review.

This week also marked the reopening of a Magic Kingdom fan-favorite, Casey’s Corner! We shared a look at this spot’s special opening tradition, a first look at the reopened restaurant, and a FULL review.

Is Casey’s Corner still a home run? Should you get that delicious looking brownie? Are the corn dog nuggets as good as we remember? Check out our full review to find out! (Spoiler alert: the brownie is GOOD!)

Click here for our full review of Casey’s Corner!

In terms of restaurants that are set to reopen soon, we’ve got quite a few updates. First, over at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Citricos will be reopening in July with a new look inspired by Mary Poppins Returns!

This spot will also feature a brand NEW menu and an exclusive wine pairing experience in the NEW Sommelier Room. Reservations for this spot are now available so be sure to book those as soon as you can.

Click here to see Citricos’ new menu!

Over in Magic Kingdom, the beloved Plaza Ice Cream Parlor will reopen in just a few days.

We’ve shared a first look at the items this spot will be serving up when it reopens, which you can check out to start getting your taste buds prepared!

Click here to see the menu!

In Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Dino Diner will be reopening soon. We’ll be checking it out and bringing you our thoughts, so stay tuned for that.

And finally at The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, Trail’s End Restaurant will be reopening in just a few weeks for breakfast and dinner with new family-style menus! We’ve already shared a look at the reopening menus. But, we’ve noticed that something is noticeably missing…the fried chicken!!

This spot will also be serving up a special dessert at dinner that looks oddly familiar! Reservations for Trail’s End are now open so be sure to grab yours soon.

Click here to see the Trail’s End menus!

3. BIG runDisney News!

This week we also got some HUGE news for runDisney fans! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last few runDisney races have been canceled and/or transformed into virtual events. But, soon in-person races will return to Walt Disney World!

In-person races will actually return this year with the Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend, and more in-person events for 2022 have been announced.

Click here to see more about what races are returning in 2021 and 2022 and more information about when registration begins!

4. Summer Disney World Hotel Discount

From racing we move onto hotels. If you’re thinking of heading to Disney World this summer and are hoping to save money on your Disney hotel, you might be able to do that thanks to a NEW deal Disney recently announced.

This summer, Annual Passholders and Florida Residents can save on most stays at select Disney World hotels from August 8th through September 4th.

Click here to see more about this deal and when Florida Residents and Annual Passholders can get booking!

5. The Disney Dining Plan is Coming BACK!

As if they hadn’t already shared enough news this week, Disney ALSO announced that the Disney Dining Plan will officially be coming back at some point in the future!

When Disney World reopened after the COVID-19 closures, the Dining Plan was suspended and it remains suspended at the moment. We’ve theorized in the past as to when the Disney Dining plan could return to Disney World, and shared a look at some of the best value restaurants in Disney World (no dining plan needed).

But now Disney has officially said the Dining Plan will be coming back in the future! An official return date hasn’t been announced yet, but we’ll be on the lookout for more details.

Click here to see more about Disney’s recent update on the Dining Plan!

6. Some Guests Will Get EXTRA Time in the Parks Soon!

Miss Extra Magic Hours? Well, soon Disney World hotel guests will get a new form of extra time in the parks. First, all Disney World hotel guests, and guests at other select hotels, will get to experience Early Theme Park Entry.

This benefit allows hotel guests early entry into any park of their choice on any day. Disney had previously announced this benefit, but this week we learned that the benefit will begin on October 1st, 2021!

But wait, there’s more! If you are staying at a Disney Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resort Hotel you’ll also get to spend extra time in the parks in the evening! These extended evening hours will allow guests staying at those Deluxe or Deluxe Villa hotels to spend a little extra time in select parks on select days. We don’t have a start date for that yet, or other details, but we’re on the lookout for more information.

Click here to see who qualifies for Disney’s extended evening hours!

7. A Coco Scene Will Be Coming to a Disney Attraction

If you absolutely love Disney and Pixar’s Coco then you will be thrilled to know that soon you’ll be able to spot a scene inspired by Coco in a Disney parks attraction! This week, Disney announced that a NEW Coco scene will actually be added to Mickey’s PhilharMagic!

Disney and Pixar’s teams worked together to create this special scene, and one of Coco‘s original composers has even produced a Coco score that will be unique to PhilharMagic! This new scene will open soon in Disneyland Paris and Disney California Adventure Park. It will open later this year in Magic Kingdom as part of the 50th Anniversary celebrations.

Click here to see more about the Coco scene being added to Mickey’s PhilharMagic and details about what song will serve as the anchor for the new scene!

8. Hotel News

And finally, we end our big news round-up with some hotel news! While we had already seen that reservations for the new Moana-inspired rooms coming to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort were available starting July 19th, Disney recently shared that July 19th will be the official reopening date for the Polynesian.

Disney has also shared that while the monorail station at the Polynesian won’t reopen on that date, other things will reopen to guests including part of the new front entrance area.

Click here to see more details about what will and won’t reopen with the Polynesian in July.

Looking for more hotel reopening news? Well, this week Disney’s BoardWalk Inn reopened! It actually reopened on July 2nd.

While the Disney Vacation Club Villas at the BoardWalk have been open for a while, now the resort’s standard rooms are open as well.

And that’s our wrap-up of big news this week! But (of course) more stories were shared this week that you should know about, so let’s go through those quickly here:

• Mask rules have changed for Cast Members in Disney World and Disneyland
• Rules have changed when it comes to Disney World Cast Members holding guest phones to take photos
• The interactive queue is BACK in Disney World’s Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh ride
• Stitch Crashes Disney news: the Aladdin collection has a release date and we got a first look at the new Sleeping Beauty collection

• Disney Cruise Line has postponed their test cruises
• A new Disney-inspired exhibit is coming to the Metropolitan Museum
• We shared details about a dessert in Disney World that changes every WEEK!
• Want a birds-eye view of the construction going on for the new Moana attraction coming to EPCOT? Click here!

• We reviewed the NEW $90 family takeout dinner from Disney World and whether it’s actually worth it
• Disney announced that there will be surprise character visits in the Disney World hotels for the 50th Anniversary
• Disney World’s Winter Summerland mini golf reopened

And that’s the big Disney news from this week! With the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival set to begin in just a few weeks, we expect more big news will be shared soon. Be sure to check back with us for all the latest updates!

Click here to see the exclusive drink that has been hiding in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge!

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What piece of news from this week are you most excited about? Tell us in the comments!

The post A Coco Ride Addition, a Dining Plan Update, and MORE Disney World News You NEED to Know! first appeared on the disney food blog.