Happy March, everyone! It’s Spring Break season in Disney World and there is a lot going on this month, so you should be prepared if you have a trip coming up.

We know what some of you are probably thinking, Spring Break already?! And, yep — Spring Break season starts at the beginning of March for a lot of colleges and universities, and then it will last at least through Easter (which is April 17th, BTW) for other schools around the country, depending on where you live. This usually means that there will be high crowds at the Disney World parks, so it’s good to have a bit of a plan going into your vacation. Let’s talk about the best things to do in Disney World in March!

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

March means St. Patrick’s Day, and there are several ways to celebrate the holiday in Disney World! First up, you can celebrate for a whole week over at Raglan Road in Disney Springs! The Irish restaurant and pub is hosting the Mighty St. Patrick’s Festival again this year from March 11th through the 17th!

Every day during this week, there will be special live entertainment in the restaurant and out on the patio. This will include performers like Lisa Canny Band (an All-Ireland champion on the harp and banjo), JigJam (a quintet that blends traditional Irish songs with Bluegrass music), Emerald Shore (a traditional Irish music ensemble), and more.

The Raglan Road Irish Dancers will also be performing, of course! If you want to visit the restaurant between March 11th through the 16th, you need to make a reservation on Raglan Road’s website. On March 17th (which is St. Patrick’s Day), the restaurant is not taking reservations and instead will be operating on a first-come, first-serve basis with a $20 cover charge for all guests 18 and older.

See a full lineup of the entertainment at the festival here!

We’ll keep you updated on any other festivities going on around Disney World, so stay tuned!

Visit EPCOT’s Flower and Garden Festival

The EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival kicks off has kicked off and will run allll the way until the 4th of July this year! We’ve already seen what food booths will be at the festival, as well as the FULL menus for each one. There are some returning favorites, like the Frozen Desert Violet Lemonade…

…and the Shrimp and Grits!

There are also some fun new items, like an Arepa topped with chorizo…

…and a BLT scone!

We’ll be trying out all of the food and bringing you full reviews of the booths, of course!

Click here to see the FULL MENUS for the 2022 EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival!

The Garden Rocks Concert Series is also returning to the festival this year, and we have a full lineup of artists performing at the festival right here!

You can also get a Garden Rocks Concert Series Dining Package to guarantee you get good seats for a show.

Click here to learn more about the Garden Rocks Concert Series Dining Package

There will be new merchandise at the festival as well! We know all of the collections coming to Flower and Garden this year, and have already gotten a sneak peek at some of the items.

So, if you’re looking for a fun way to kick off the springtime, go on over to EPCOT and check out the festival!

Click here to learn more about Flower and Garden Festival

See the Return of Magic Kingdom’s Parade

Regularly scheduled daytime parades are RETURNING to Disney World this month! Magic Kingdom’s Festival of Fantasy Parade will be back on March 9th for the first time since before the 2020 closures. This date is also the 8-year anniversary of the parade’s initial debut!

The parade will also see the return of the giant fire-breathing Maleficent dragon, and some colorful character floats!

The Festival of Fantasy parade will come through Magic Kingdom twice every day — during the first week, the parade will run at 11:30AM and 2:30PM. But starting on March 13th, the parade will run at 12PM and 3PM. But, know that these showtimes are subject to change, so make sure to check showtimes on your My Disney Experience app.

We’ll give you a first look at the parade as soon as it returns, so stay tuned!

Click here to learn more details about the returning parade!

Watch Mickey’s Updated Stage Show

The stage show JUST returned to Magic Kingdom — Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire is the updated version of the previous stage show, Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire. The show now features Mickey and friends in their special 50th anniversary outfits!

During the show, you can also see scenes inspired by Tangled…

…The Princess and the Frog…

…and Frozen!

There’s also a brand new version of the finale featuring some 50th anniversary details. Right now, showtimes are at 12:15PM, 1:30PM, 2:45PM, 4:35PM, and 6:10PM. But, make sure to check your My Disney Experience app or Disney website to find the showtimes when you’re visiting the park!

Click here to get a first look at the updates stage show!

Take Advantage of Disney Genie+ Changes

Disney Genie+ has had some changes made to it recently! If you don’t know, Genie+ is the paid system that has replaced FastPass+ in Disney World.

It’s $15 per day, per person, and includes a list of attractions that you can make a reservation for to skip the regular line by using the Lightning Lane (old FastPass lane).

Click here to learn EVERYTHING you need to know about Disney Genie+!

There are some popular rides not included in the Genie+ system, and instead require you to pay individually to use the Lightning Lane. Over the holidays, Disney shifted some of the rides available individually over to the Genie+ system, but it was only temporary. However, a few of these rides just got shifted back!

From now through August 7th, 2022, Frozen Ever After in EPCOT, Space Mountain in Magic Kingdom, and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway in Hollywood Studios will be available through Genie+. This means you won’t have to pay individually to use the Lightning Lanes at these rides, they will be included with that $15 you pay for Genie+ to get access to the Lightning Lanes of dozens of rides in the parks.

March is a great time to take advantage of this new change, since the parks will likely be busy, so skipping the line of some popular rides could save you a lot of time. But, you should weigh the pros and cons on if the cost of Genie+ is worth it for you and your group!

Click here to learn more about Genie+ in Disney World

BONUS: Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser

March is also when Disney World’s Star Wars hotel — Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser — has officially opened. We’re not recommending this as one of the BEST things to do in March, since you do have to have reservations in advance and the whole month is (as of this writing) almost completely booked up. It’s also mega pricey. But, we can’t ignore that this is a highly anticipated opening happening this month. The Starcruiser officially opened on March 1st and is an immersive Star Wars hotel experience.

We have checked out everything at the hotel, from the space bunk beds to the blue shrimp. There are interactive storylines, exclusive merchandise, virtual fireworks, special performances, and more aboard the ship. But, do know that ONLY guests of the hotel are allowed to be at the hotel. This isn’t like other Disney World hotels where you can stop in for lunch and explore a little. Think of it as more of a cruise — if you’re not going on the cruise, you can’t get on the ship.

See our ULTIMATE guide to the Star Wars hotel here!

Those are the best things to do in Disney World in March! We hope this helps you plan for and make the most out of your upcoming trip. Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney news and updates.

Click here to learn about Disney World’s most recent face mask policy update

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Will you be visiting Disney World this month? If so, tell us what you’re most excited for in the comments!

The post The 5 Best Things to Do in Disney World in March 2022 first appeared on the disney food blog.