Going to Disney World soon? You’ll need to be equipped with all kinds of park essentials, planning tips, and Disney knowledge.

Hollywood Studios

If that sounds overwhelming to you, don’t worry — this is where we come in! We have tons of resources to help you plan your vacation, decide where to eat, choose the best hotel, and pack your bags with everything you’ll need. We can also help you be prepared for some changes that are currently happening in the parks: Check out this list of everything that’s going to be CLOSED in Disney World this week.

Magic Kingdom

Walt Disney World Railroad

The fan-favorite Walt Disney World Railroad is continuing its years-long closure in Magic Kingdom. Although we still don’t have a reopening date for this ride, we have recently heard some train testing going on in the park!

Walt Disney World Railroad Main Street Station

The Railroad could remain closed until construction is completed on the upcoming TRON: Lightcycle Run roller coaster since that construction has interrupted the train tracks. TRON is expected to open in the spring of 2023.

Tomorrowland Light & Power Co.

Another Disney attraction that was affected by TRON construction is the Tomorrowland Light & Power Co. gift shop (the one at the exit of Space Mountain).

Tomorrowland Light & Power Co.

Disney hasn’t announced when this shop is going to open, but the last time we saw it from the PeopleMover, it looked like the inside was pretty empty of shelves and merchandise.

Enchanted Tales with Belle

This character meet-and-greet attraction is still closed in Fantasyland, and Disney hasn’t announced when it will open.

Enchanted Tales with Belle

This is where you could previously meet Belle and help her tell the story of Beauty and the Beast.

Pete’s Silly Sideshow

Even more characters are missing from Magic Kingdom over at Pete’s Silly Sideshow. This is where you could previously meet Goofy, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy in their circus performer outfits.

Pete’s Silly Sideshow is closed for now!

Although the attraction is still closed, Disney has said that it will return sometime “in the coming months.” They made that announcement several months ago, so we’re expecting the Silly Sideshow to reopen any time now!

Meet Ariel at Her Grotto

And the last character meet-and-greet spot that’s still closed is Ariel’s Grotto. The Little Mermaid character spot in Fantasyland is not currently open, but the ride that’s themed after the same movie is available.

Ariel’s Grotto

Disney hasn’t said when Ariel will return to her meet and greet.

Is Crystal Palace worth the big price INCREASE in Magic Kingdom?

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Another Little Mermaid attraction is also closed in Hollywood Studios. This stage show has been closed for a long time now.

Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Disney hasn’t announced when or if The Voyage of the Little Mermaid will reopen. 

Fantasmic!

We know that Fantasmic! will reopen sometime this year, but Disney hasn’t announced a specific return date yet.

Fantasmic!

Cast Member rehearsals have begun for the show and we’re almost into October already, so we know we’re close!

More Extended Evening Hours are coming to Hollywood Studios.

EPCOT

Canada Far & Wide in CircleVision 360

Instead of a film about the natural beauty of Canada, you’ll currently find the Appleseed Orchard Food & Wine Festival booth in the Canada pavilion theater. So while you can’t watch the CircleVision 360 movie right now, you can taste an apple crumble tart and a variety of apple-flavored drinks.

Appleseed Orchard in the Canada pavilion

We’re expecting Canada Far & Wide to return after the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival ends on November 19th.

American Adventure Pavilion

The American Adventure show in EPCOT’s World Showcase is currently closed.

Closed!

Disney hasn’t announced yet when this show will return. When we spoke to a Cast Member about the closure, they told us that it was for routine refurbishment on the animatronics, and the show will likely be the same when it reopens (just spruced up a bit).

Check out where you can find a delicious lunch in EPCOT.

Disney World Hotels

Kona Café — Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Kona Café is temporarily closed at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. It’s expected to reopen sometime in fall 2022 with “an enhanced table-service experience.”

Kona Cafe is closed

In the meantime, you can still grab food from Kona Café by using the My Disney Experience app to Mobile Order breakfast, lunch, and dinner from Kona Café To-Go. You’ll pick up your food right next to Kona Island.

Narcoossee’s — Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

Narcoossee’s (a table service seafood restaurant at the Grand Floridian) is temporarily closed as well. This restaurant closed back in July.

Narcoossee’s

Disney has said that Narcoossee’s will reopen sometime in 2023.

Check out 8 Amazon items that’ll be game changers in your Disney World hotel.

Disney World Water Parks

Blizzard Beach

One of Disney World’s water parks — Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park — is still closed right now. But don’t worry — you can still visit Typhoon Lagoon!

Blizzard Beach

If you want to know more about what’s going on inside Blizzard Beach right now, check out our recent post.

See what’s going on with the Blizzard Beach refurbishment here.

When are you headed to Disney World next? Have you checked out our line of fun graphic tees to wear on your trip? We’ve designed some for the whole family – from infants to adults. Click here to check them out!

DFB Merch

We’ll keep you updated with all the latest news, so stay tuned to DFB.

Check out a NEW breakfast option in EPCOT.

Planning a Trip to Disney World? We’ve Got Everything You Need to Know

• The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Disney World Vacation

• A Month-by-Month Guide to Planning Your Disney World Trip

• Tips, Hints, Lists, and Videos for Planning the BEST Disney World Trip

• How Many Days Do You Really Need in Disney World?

• How to Have the CHEAPEST Trip to Disney World

• 5 Simple Planning Tips You Need to Know About Before Your Next Disney World Trip

• The CHEAPEST Days to Visit Disney World in 2023

• EVERYTHING You Need to Know Before Booking a 2023 Disney World Trip

• Learn About the Disney Park Pass System

• The Ultimate Disney World Packing List

• Everything You Need to Know About Genie+

• Insider SECRETS for Your First Trip to Disney World

• A Complete Look at the Current Disney Discounts and Deals

• The ONLY Disney Dining Planning Tool You’ll Need Is Here – Get the DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining!

Join the DFB Newsletter to Get All the Latest Disney News Delivered Right to Your Inbox Click Here to Subscribe

Are you visiting Disney World this week? Let us know in the comments!

The post 12 Rides, Shows, and Restaurants Will Be CLOSED in Disney World This Week first appeared on the disney food blog.

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Disneyland Paris, a brand new 100% Disneyland Paris Monopoly board game has been created!

According to the Disneyland Paris Annual Pass Facebook page, Annual Pass members will have a preview access to this product on October 19 at The Storybook Store from 9am to 8pm.

Store accessible that day only upon presentation of a valid Annual Pass. Annual Pass discount in regular store applicable. Limited to 2 items per transaction.

Are you going to try to get your hands on this board game? Let us know in the comments.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post Disneyland Paris Monopoly Board Game Coming Soon appeared first on WDW News Today.

Recently, we tried three drinks from the Universal Secret Menu at Universal Studios Hollywood. Check out our review to see how they taste!

Secret Menu Hollywood Coconut Cream — $8.00

This drink is described as a “velvety sweet blend of Coca-Cola® Zero Sugar and coconut cream with a cherry on top”.

This was surprisingly good. Not “over the moon” incredible, but definitely something special and very enjoyable. Coke Zero is combined with coconut syrup and real cream before being topped with a cherry for a delicious, creamy treat that is like an Italian soda all dressed up.

The flavors work well together, with the unsweetened coconut syrup balancing out the sweet soda and the heavy cream mixing in well to create a velvety consistency that we haven’t had from a Coke. It’s lighter than a float, denser than a soda and sits somewhere in the middle. Somewhere we weren’t expecting to enjoy, but were surprised that we really did. This is the best of the three drinks and it’s the only one that we would revisit on future trips.

Grab this drink at Hollywood & Dine at Universal Studios Hollywood.

Secret Menu Shake, Rattle & Roll Orange Cream Float — $10.00

This is a “refreshing Fanta® Orange with vanilla soft serve ice cream, topped with whipped cream and a cherry”.

We were unimpressed with this float. It is just run-of-the-mill soft serve in some Fanta Orange. Our Team Member at Mel’s neglected the whipped cream and cherry, and was none too prompt with serving the float after it had been poured, leading to an icy, soupy mess. That being said, even as it was melting we could tell that there wasn’t anything exciting with the flavor profile. It is a classic orange soda and ice cream float, but the orange soda isn’t particularly good and the soft serve is just regular vanilla.

We can’t be too upset about it — at the end of the day, we’re still sipping a float in a theme park, so it’s going to be a good time — but Mel’s has done better work with floats in the past that were more enjoyable than this one was. At this price point, there are better snacks, better frozen treats, better floats not only at USH overall, but even at this same restaurant. Don’t waste your appetite on something as average as this.

This drink can be found at Mel’s Diner in Universal Studios Hollywood Upper Lot.

Secret Menu Prehistoric Fizzy Punch — $8.00

This drink is a “delectable blend of passionfruit-flavored Sprite® and rich cream topped with a cherry”.

This is what we call “an almost.” It has all the right flavors in play on paper, but it just didn’t come together as well as it could have. The passionfruit syrup is topped with Sprite and then a float of heavy cream and a cherry, much like the Hollywood Coconut Cream upstairs. But whereas that one combined into a creamy treat that was less sweet than we expected, this one did the opposite.

The cream never quite mixed in for some reason, leaving it suspended in, but not mixed within the Sprite. The passionfruit syrup was sweet but not particularly strong of flavor, offering more of a subdued take on the flavor note than a full-on passionfruit syrup could be expected to bring. That’s not a bad thing, there was plenty of it to mix beautifully with the Sprite and this on its own would have been a wonderful drink. The cream that didn’t mix was the downfall of this, as the bits of suspended cream left the palate feeling greasy by comparison to the lighter, refreshing soda. Almost like eating a big block of cheese alongside your light, tropical soda. We get the idea of what they were going for, and all the pieces were there flavor-wise, but it just didn’t land as well as it could have due to the cream. Hence, it’s “an almost.”

You can find this drink at Jurassic Café in Universal Studios Hollywood Lower Lot.

Are you going to grab any of these Secret Menu drinks on your next visit to Universal Studios Hollywood? Let us know in the comments.

For more Universal Studios news from around the world, follow Universal Parks News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news, visit WDWNT.

The post REVIEW: Trying Coca-Cola Secret Menu Drinks at Universal Studios Hollywood appeared first on WDW News Today.

The holidays can be a MAGICAL time to visit Disney World.

Christmas is one of the best times of year!

Disney World holidays bring parties and events like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in Magic Kingdom, the Festival of the Holidays and the Candlelight Processional in EPCOT, plus all the beautiful holiday decorations. And Santa, of course! But holidays also bring CROWDS, which means planning your trip as far as you can in advance is an ideal plan.

Book Park Reservations NOW

Park Reservations are still required in Disney World through at least 2024 and trust us — you don’t want to risk them selling out. You can already book your November and December 2023 park passes, so at this time you just need tickets or a hotel reservation to book your park passes.

You still have to make Park Pass Reservations to get in the parks!

Without a park reservation, you can’t get into a Disney Park, nor are you able to Park Hop, which is only allowed after 2PM and after you scan into your original reservation. Holidays tend to sell out fast in Disney World, so don’t assume you can wait.

The 2023 Disney World Park Passes you NEED to book now.

Avoid Price Increases

Price increases are pretty much expected in Disney World and that can also apply to hotels and tickets. You might think it’s better to buy tickets closer to your trip but you’re better off booking as soon as you’re able to, BEFORE any new price increases are put into effect.

Price increases are to be expected in Disney World

If you book as soon as you know your trip dates, you’re getting ahead of any potential 2023 hotel and ticket price increases. Book now to lock in your rates!

Disney CEO Bob Chapek comments on potential price increases in Disney Parks.

Start Monitoring Flight Prices

It’s time to start monitoring flight prices — yes, even this far in advance! There are good and bad times to book flights and it’s also good to know which apps and websites are the best to get the cheapest options. Planning so far in advance also gives you time to identify peak times to buy, as you observe prices changing.

Make air travel as stress-free as possible

You can try using Google Flights, apps like Troupe, or whatever you feel comfortable using. You don’t want to wait until flights reach a price that’s out of your budget.

COMPLETE guide to booking the cheapest flight to Disney World!

Be Ready For 2023 News

As the holidays get closer, Disney will announce dates of events, festivals, and more, and as soon as those official dates are released — you can imagine what happens next. Hotels and park reservations fill up FAST.

Grand Floridian Hotel & Spa

However, if you already have your trip booked when the news drops, you won’t have to stress much at all other than getting event tickets! You’ll already have a head start on your bookings before they start selling out.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party | 2019

Holiday events to prepare for typically include Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in Magic Kingdom, the Festival of the Holidays in EPCOT, potential attraction openings, and more. Disney typically announces these events a few months before they begin, so if you wait until then you might not have enough time to get your plans cemented.

Find out how EARLY you should plan your 2023 Disney World vacation.

You’ll Have Time to Save and Budget

If you start planning your 2023 holiday Disney World trip now, you’re giving yourself the opportunity to save and budget for over a year before your visit. Instead of dropping cash on everything all at once, you can book your trip slowly and have plenty of time to save for everything you need — hotel, tickets, food, souvenirs, etc.

Disney World can be EXPENSIVE

You can also budget to pay a set amount each month, which also gives you the freedom to pay for your trip little by little. Either way, the longer in advance you plan your Disney World trip, the more of a financial advantage you have.

Small price increases that make a BIG difference to your Disney World budget.

BONUS

As a bonus, you have the opportunity to give your kids a gift they won’t forget. This Christmas, tell them they’ll be spending next year under the tree at Magic Kingdom!!

Christmas in Disney World

If you’re still feeling overwhelmed by everything involved in planning a Disney World trip, don’t stress! Using a travel agency like Small World Vacations can make a HUGE difference. They can do all the booking for you, find discounts you didn’t know existed, and basically take away all the stress of planning.

Keep following DFB for more Disney travel tips!

Should I use a travel agent for my Disney trip? Find out more here!

So you have a Disney World trip booked during Tropical Storm Ian. Now what?

Dark clouds over Tower of Terror

Well, first off — don’t panic! Disney World has stayed open throughout many rough hurricane seasons, and they have protocols in place for the most severe weather. So, here is what you should do if you’re going to Disney World during Tropical Storm Ian.

Tropical Storm Ian began as Tropical Depression 9, and was upgraded once the storm was forecasted to strengthen into a major hurricane threat for Florida. In anticipation of the storm, Governor Ron DeSantis has issued a state of emergency for Florida, and Orlando International Airport has shifted operations. So…what about Disney?

©WESH

As of now, Disney World has not made an official statement on the storm. We will let you know if and when they do.

There are several things you should do while preparing to visit the resort during a severe storm. The main thing you should do is pack for the weather! We encourage bringing Ziploc bags for your important items. If the rain picks up, your bag won’t be a safe, dry place for those items. You’ll want to pack your electronics, wallet, cash, and important documents in closed plastic bags. This also makes them easier to find in an emergency.

We Need More Splash Mountain Ziploc Bags

Pack your poncho! You’ll regret not bringing one, and it may be difficult to find one to purchase when everyone else is grabbing them too. Also, ponchos allow you to stay out in the rain while other people are hiding out in dry areas…which means short lines!

Bring those ponchos!

You’ll want to consider bringing extra shoes and socks with you into the parks. Your feet will absolutely get wet, and there’s nothing worse than wet feet. You can pack them in large Ziploc bags and keep them in your park bag, or you can store them in a locker. Either way, this is a huge key to a successful Disney trip in a tropical storm!

Of course, you could always buy a new pair…

Bringing food for your hotel room is also a must! If the parks close (and they have in the past for hurricanes), you’ll be riding out the storm in your hotel, and food options and locations will be limited. You’ll might want to keep your hotel room full of food, just in case. But do not worry if that is not an option, Disney will take care of you, they just might not have your most favorite goodies on hand.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Keep an eye on the weather forecast as you get closer to your trip! Storm predictions can change by the hour, so you’ll want to monitor the weather. Sometimes the storm will decrease in severity before it actually hits the area. Other times, the storm will increase in strength, which may cause you to choose to cancel the trip. The storm has been shifting east and west and a lot can change in the days leading up to this storm.

Dark clouds over Cinderella Castle

Know where you can shelter from the storm! There are plenty of areas around Disney World that are great for riding out a storm — stores, restaurants, hotels, etc. Make sure you keep an eye on what’s around you, just in case you need to hide out from the storm.

Tatooine Traders during a rainstorm

You also may want to consider changing hotels. Some hotels are better for tropical storms and hurricanes — they’re completely enclosed, have in-room kitchens, and have other great features for storms.

Here’s our list of the best hotels for a hurricane or major storm.

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

And lastly, you need to be aware of Disney’s cancelation policy. Here’s what Disney says:

If a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area—or for your place of residence—within 7 days of your scheduled arrival date, you may call in advance to reschedule or cancel your Walt Disney Travel Company Disney Resort hotel packages and most room only reservations (booked directly with Disney) without any cancellation or change fees imposed by Disney.

If you have products and services provided by third-party suppliers included in your vacation—such as airlines, hotels, car rental agencies or travel insurance companies—you will continue to be responsible for any non-refundable payments, as well as cancellation or change fees assessed by those suppliers. The policy does not apply to certain special events or dining experiences.

Disney’s cancelation rules are pretty stringent, but they allow for rescheduling and canceling (without any fees imposed by Disney), in the case that the National Hurricane Center issues a hurricane warning for Orlando (or your place of residence) within 7 days of your arrival date. We’ll let you know if such a warning is issued.

Hurricane Skies in Disney World’s Epcot

So there you have it — what to do if you’re visiting Disney World during Tropical Storm Ian. Check out the latest on the tropical storm here. Or take a look at the 6 tips for planning a Disney World trip during hurricane season.

Here are a few more hurricane resources if you are interested: 

• 6 Tips for Planning a Disney World Trip During Hurricane Season
• The Best Hurricane Ready Hotels During Hurricane Season
• 8 Tips for Riding Out a Hurricane in Disney World

And we’ll continue to bring you the latest regarding this storm, so stay tuned to DFB.