Are YOU caught up on all the big Disney news that was announced this week?

We’ve got restaurant updates, EPCOT Festival news, and even news about changes coming to an iconic Disney World hotel. So, sit back and relax as we get you up to date on all of the biggest Disney news right now.

HUGE Festival of the Arts News

First up, we’ve got some HUGE news about EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts. The Festival will be back from January 13th through February 20th, 2023. We already had those dates, but now we’ve got even more information to help you plan your Festival trip.

First up, a FULL LIST of food booths for the Festival has been revealed! You’ll find quite a few returning booths — including Deco Delights, Goshiki, and the Painted Panda. But this year will also bring with it 2 NEW booths, including one inspired by Figment! Click here to see the FULL LIST.

We’ve also got the FULL LIST of eats that will qualify for the Festival of the Art’s food challenge — the Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine! If you eat 5 of the 7 designated dishes, you’ll be able to collect a special prize — the FREE Artist Palette Cookie. The list of dishes includes Pan-Seared Scallops at Moderne (a new booth), Deconstructed Key Lime Pie at the Deconstructed Dish, and more. Click here for the entire list.

While we don’t have full booth menus yet, Disney has revealed some details of the snacks that will be available in 2023 at these booths. We took a DEEP dive into those teased items and have a list of 49 menu items that have been confirmed for the Festival so far! These include meatloaf, beef wellington, orange mousse with lemon cake, coconut flan, a sushi donut, and MORE. See the list of eats here.

Ready to get shopping? You better save up some cash because NEW Figment merchandise will be released for the Festival of the Arts, including a spirit jersey, mug, and Munchlings plush! Get a first look here.

Plenty of entertainment will be available at the Festival too, including the returning Disney on Broadway concert series, other musical performances at World Showcase Plaza, Art Defying Gravity, and more.

If you want to make sure that you get a good seat for the Disney on Broadway Concert Series, you could book a designated dining package — reservations for those are now available.

There’s a lot that has not yet been revealed about this Festival but we’re working to get all of the latest information and we’ll share everything you need to know as the Festival approaches!

Click here to see EVERYTHING confirmed for the 2023 Festival of the Arts!

Opening Date DELAYED

Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we have a big update! Roundup Rodeo BBQ (a NEW restaurant coming to Toy Story Land) was previously set to open in 2022. This week, however, Disney DELAYED that opening timeframe to spring of 2023.

Ther restaurant will be a table service spot and you’ll be surrounded by toys and playsets that Andy has put together to create a unique rodeo of his very own.

Want to get a sneak peek inside the restaurant? Click here! Disney has shared some photos showing what parts of the restaurant (including some of the decorations) will look like!

In terms of the food, we know this space will feature barbecue-inspired comfort food AND it’ll be served family-style! Click here for our full post of EVERYTHING we know about the food!

We’re keeping an eye out for more updates and we’ll keep you posted on the latest!

For a full look at EVERY SINGLE THING we know about this restaurant — click here!

Big Park & Hotel CHANGES

Other big changes are coming or have already hit the Disney World parks and hotels. Over at EPCOT, the GIANT Te Fiti structure has arrived at the Moana attraction! We got a peek at this statue during the D23 Expo, but now she’s large, in charge, and in the park. The walk-through attraction (Journey of Water — Inspired by Moana) is not set to open until late 2023 so stay tuned for more updates.

Over at Animal Kingdom, the park is celebrating the release of the NEW Avatar film (Avatar: The Way of Water) with a brand new Avatar-themed show at the Tree of Life and new Avatar-themed eats at the popular Satu’li Canteen! Stay tuned for a full review of the new food.

Back to EPCOT for a moment — the DuckTales scavenger hunt is FINALLY scheduled to become available today — December 16th! Look for this feature in the Play Disney Parks app. It’s a scavenger hunt that, much like the old Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure, will take you around World Showcase on a quest and interact with various elements in the pavilions.

And finally, Disney has announced that changes will be coming to the lobby at Disney’s Grand Floridian Hotel & Spa! Thus far, they’ve announced that the lobby will “maintain the classic theming [guests] know and love with some fresh new enhancements.”

These updates will join other changes that have been made at the hotel in recent years including DVC room upgrades and the retheming of Citricos to be inspired by Mary Poppins Returns.

Click here to learn about the BEST Disney World hotels for 2023

Disney Gets Hit With ANOTHER Lawsuit

Turning to other news, Disney has been hit with another lawsuit — this time from an investor in the company. The lawsuit is centered around Disney’s response to Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Bill (what critics called “Don’t Say Gay”).

The lawsuit alleges that Disney created “‘far-reaching’ financial risks for itself by opposing a Florida law limiting instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in elementary schools.”

In the lawsuit, the investor claims that by criticizing “Don’t Say Gay” Disney “lost control over tax and improvement issues at its Orlando-area theme park.” This appears to be in reference to the dissolution of Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District.

Through this lawsuit, the investor is demanding the release of certain documents by Disney surrounding these decisions around “Don’t Say Gay,” which could ultimately be used in a separate lawsuit against Disney’s directors. The lawsuit is still pending, so we’ll be on the lookout for updates.

Click here for full details about the investor lawsuit

In other lawsuit news, we have an update on the Park Pass lawsuit filed against Disney by some Annual Passholders. Essentially, the Passholders are only referred to by their initials in the lawsuit and they sought to keep it that way. The Plaintiffs claimed that they had “received a slew of hateful comments online, making them concerned physical confrontation might be next.”

The court, however, has determined that there is still not enough concern about their reputation or risk of harm to outweigh the “interest in public access to this lawsuit,” particularly because the way in which the Plaintiffs most recently sought this relief (through a motion for reconsideration) is treated as an “extraordinary remedy.”

The Plaintiffs had been directed to file an amended complaint previously, which they had not yet done. The court warned that the case could be dismissed because of the violation of the Court’s order. We’ll keep an eye out for more updates.

Click here to see full details about what the Plaintiffs wanted and what the court determined

New Restaurant Details Released

And finally, we get to some new restaurant details for Disney’s BoardWalk. First, we knew that a NEW coffee shop would be coming to the BoardWalk but this week we got a peek at the menu items for the coffee shop. The menu will include a Dark Cherry Mocha Frozen Blended Coffee with Whipped Cream, and a seasonal rotation of coffees, along with lemonade and more.

In addition to the menu items, Disney revealed the name of the new shop will be Carousel Coffee. The full menu will be available in the coming weeks and the shop is “coming soon.”

This week we also got a BIG update on the new Cake Bake Shop restaurant coming to the BoardWalk area. This spot is set to open in 2023 and will be open for brunch, lunch, and dinner. What’s nice is that it’ll have a table service option and a tea service too, but you’ll also be able to quickly grab a treat by getting some items at the bakery case.

There will be sweet and savory options on the menu, along with delicious handmade cakes! If you’re wondering what to expect from the food, we were able to try out a different location of The Cake Bake Shop in Indianapolis — click here for our full thoughts!

And click here to read our FULL exclusive interview with Gwendolyn Rogers, creator of The Cake Bake Shop!

That’s it for the big news, but check out the links below for more important stories:

• Taylor Swift will direct and write a film for Disney
• Annual Passholders can save 20% at EPCOT’s Festival of the Holidays
• The Annual Passholders merchandise discount has INCREASED
• Check out the top 10 Dollar Tree Disney finds
• Get the latest update on the relocation of Disney Employees to Central Florida
• New 2023 merchandise is now online

• Disney’s 100th Anniversary collection is online too (and in Disney World)
• See when ‘Strange World’ will be released on Disney+
• A new Mickey popcorn bucket has arrived in Disney World
• Opening date revealed for Super Nintendo World in Universal Studios Hollywood
• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is going to close temporarily in 2023
• Book your 2023 Fantasmic! dining packages now
• Check out everything coming to Disney+ in 2023

Hold up for a sec! Before you plan your next trip to Disney World, check out our DFB Guide Everything Bundle here.

You will get ALL of our best-selling eBooks with details on Disney World Dining, EPCOT Festivals, the BEST snacks in each park, and soooooo many tips and tricks we’ve learned over decades of visiting our happy place.

Get our DFB Guide Everything Bundle here!

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What news from this week surprised you the most? Tell us in the comments!

The post Opening Date DELAYED(!) for New Restaurant, Festival of the Arts Food Booths Revealed, and More Important Disney News first appeared on the disney food blog.