Disney has some HUGE things coming up in the next few months and you need to be prepared!

EPCOT’s International Flower & Garden Festival is on its way (and FULL menus have arrived), the date has been revealed for an important Park Pass change, and we even got updates about a Big Hero 6-themed land coming to one Disney park. In other words, it’s been a busy week. But don’t worry — we’ve got all the information you need to know right here. So let’s dive into this week’s biggest news stories to get you caught up!

EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival News

The Flower & Garden Festival starts on March 1st (and runs through July 5th) so it was about time that we got some updates and Disney delivered. Here is what you need to know:

Click HERE to learn about every single FOOD BOOTH coming to the Festival! If you want to learn specifically about the NEW booth coming to the Festival this year — Brunchcot — click here!

The FULL MENUS have been released for all of the food booths at the festival — click here to see more about those! There is a lot to eat with some returning favorites (like the Coconut Tres Leches at La Isla Fresca) and tons of new eats and drinks.

In fact, around 54 NEW menu items are coming this year, so bring those wallets and stretchy pants if you want to experience them! The new menu items include everything from Citrus Baked Brie (The Citrus Blossom) and Shrimp Scampi Poutine (Refreshment Port) to IMPOSSIBLE Lumpia (Trowel & Trellis) and a Banana Split Funnel Cake (Funnel Cake)!

But wait…there’s MORE! You’ll want to make sure you’ve timed your trip to the Flower & Garden Festival carefully. Why? Well, while most menus stay the same throughout the various months of the Festival, one booth — EPCOT Farmers Feast — will actually have a menu that CHANGES at various points of the Festival. So if you want to eat everything this booth has to offer, you’ll have to make some return trips!

If you want a full list of the gluten-free eats at the Festival, click here.

All about getting a PRIZE for eating? Then the Flower & Garden Festival’s Garden Graze experience is for you! With this offering, you’ll need to eat a certain amount of qualifying dishes and collect the stamps for these items.

Once you collect enough stamps, you’ll get a FREE prize (which, in the past, has been a souvenir cup filled with DOLE Whip — 2023’s prize has yet to be revealed).

Click here to see ALL of the qualifying food items for the 2023 Garden Graze challenge!

And finally, if you can’t leave the Festival without picking up a souvenir or two, check out this FIRST LOOK at the 2023 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival merchandise!

This year’s items will include an Orange Bird Munchling (this little friend could be very popular!), the classic Orange Bird Sipper, and even an Orange Bird Loungefly Backpack.

We’ll keep an eye out for these items and let you know what else we find!

Click here to see the FULL Flower & Garden Festival Menus

Park Pass News

Next, we move to some Park Pass news. Disney had previously announced that Annual Passholders would soon be able to enter the Disney World theme parks after 2PM without a Park Pass (the exception being Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays).

And now we know that this change will take place starting April 18th, 2023. Remember that Passholder blockout dates will still apply and again this is only for parks you want to visit after 2PM (except Magic Kingdom on Saturdays and Sundays).

But wait, there’s MORE. Disney has also announced some new Annual Passholder perks. Starting March 20th, Passholders will get access to PhotoPass lenses, 1 FREE Cinderella Castle Mural of Memories experience, and the ability to create their own video slideshows with photos from their visit.

Click here to learn more about these perks!

Genie+ Changes & A Warning

Even MORE changes are on the way. Disney previously announced that attraction photos at Disney World would soon be included for those who buy the Genie+ service. Now we know that this change will take place on March 20th!

So, if you buy Genie+ on March 20th (or a date following that) you’ll be able to download your attraction photos (taken on the day you bought Genie+) for FREE. On-ride photos are available at places like Slinky Dog Dash, Space Mountain, and more.

But if you’re going during an upcoming busy period at Disney World, you’ll want to heed this warning — buy Genie+ EARLY in the day. During President’s Day weekend, we saw Genie+ SELL OUT entirely on 2 separate days.

If you wait too long to buy the service, you may run the risk of it selling out before you get the chance to snatch it up. Genie+ generally goes on sale around midnight of the day of your trip.

Keep in mind that Genie+ can hit some high prices during busy/holiday periods as well. We saw the service hit its record-high $29 price around President’s Day weekend and expect more of the same could be on the way for upcoming holidays like Spring Break and the 4th of July.

Learn everything about Genie+ here!

After Hours Is Coming to EPCOT!

Next up, we have some HUGE news about After Hours events!

EPCOT

First up, After Hours events are coming soon to EPCOT! The events returned to Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom earlier this year, but now EPCOT will get some After Hours fun of its own. These are separately ticketed events that you do need to pay for.

If you buy an After Hours ticket, you’ll get to enter the park around 7PM, but once all of the guests have left for the day, you’ll get to experience the park (from 10PM to 1AM) with much fewer crowds and shorter wait times.

EPCOT’s After Hours events will be available on select nights from June 1st through August 24th and tickets range from $129-$139 (though Passholders and DVC Members can get discounted tickets).

See the FULL LIST of ticket dates and prices for EPCOT After Hours here.

Wondering what rides stay open during the event? Some heavy hitters will be available including Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Frozen Ever After, and Test Track. Click here for the complete list of rides that stay OPEN.

And finally, if you want a full look at what’s included with your After Hours ticket (including complimentary snacks!), click here.

Guests with reservations at Disney-owned hotels, Shades of Green, and the Walt Disney World Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve hotels can start booking EPCOT After Hours tickets on February 28th. They’ll open to all other guests on March 3rd.

H2O Glow Nights and Typhoon Lagoon Reopening

But that’s not all. After Hours events are also coming back to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park in the form of H2O Glow Nights. These are separately ticketed events that allow you to experience Typhoon Lagoon at night, enjoy select slacks, check out fun entertainment, and more.

These events will take place on select nights from May 20th through September 2nd, and tickets are $75 for adults and $70 for children (Passholders and DVC Members do get a discount). Like EPCOT After Hours, select hotel guests can start booking H2O Glow Nights on February 28th, and tickets open to the general public on March 3rd.

But Typhoon Lagoon is currently CLOSED! So when will it open to allow for this experience and regular daytime guests to enjoy some water park fun? Well, Disney hasn’t shared an exact opening date yet but it has announced that Typhoon Lagoon will reopen this spring! We’ll be on the lookout for updates.

Hollywood Studios After Hours

And finally, though After Hours events already returned to Disney’s Hollywood Studios earlier in 2023, MORE dates have been added for Hollywood Studios’ After Hours events! That means you’ll have more chances to buy a ticket and experience the park with fewer guests.

These new dates run from May 3rd through June 28th, and tickets will go on sale on March 3rd!

Click here to see the booking dates for all 3 of these After Hours events!

Narcoossee’s News

Next, let’s get into some food news! Narcoossee’s has been closed at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa for a while as it undergoes refurbishment, but now we have some exciting reopening news!

Disney has announced that Narcoossee’s will be reopening with a refreshed look on April 1st, 2023.

The spot will also have a revamped menu which will have some returning favorites as well as certain NEW dishes like an Ocean-Inspired Charcuterie Board, a new Beef and Ricotta Tortelloni appetizer, a new Blackened Redfish entree, and some new desserts! Click here to see the FULL new menu (with prices!) for Narcoossee’s.

Reservations for Narcoossee’s will become available on March 1st, so be sure to mark down that date!

Big Hero 6 Land News

Our next bit of news takes us to the west coast — specifically to Disney California Adventure Park at Disneyland Resort! Disney previously announced that the Pacific Wharf area of this resort would be re-themed to be a Big Hero 6 land, and this week they shared MORE details!

The re-themed land is expected to be completed and open up later this summer! The land will feature the San Fransokyo Gate Bridge, new Asian-inspired dining selections, a Baymax meet-and-greet, and more!

While many of the dining locations fans know and love will remain open, a retheme of an existing space has been announced! Disney announced that the land will have a NEW spot (really a re-themed spot) called “Port of San Fransokyo Cervecería.” It looks to be a retheme of the beer garden space next to Cocina Cucamonga.

Click here to see everything we know about this rethemed area, and check back for more details!

More News and Important Reminders!

And finally, we have some more news and important reminders. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster has CLOSED for a lengthy refurbishment and won’t reopen until this summer.

Also, this week reservations opened for Roundup Rodeo BBQ in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. AND PRICES have been revealed for the family-style meal. It’ll cost around $45 for adults and $25 for kids.

And if you’re heading to Disney World this weekend, be warned! The runDisney Princess Half Marathon Weekend will be taking place from February 23rd through February 26th and will bring some temporary road closures and likely bigger crowds to the parks, so be prepared!

For more news, see our stories below:

• Your Jaw Will DROP at Disney’s Latest Announcement! 
• Disney Employees Fight Back Against Bob Iger’s New Rule
• An EPCOT Attraction Has FINALLY Reopened After Three Years
• Why April 16th Could Be a MAJOR Day for This Disney World Restaurant

• Disney CHANGES Haunted Mansion Movie Release Date
• A Popular Attraction Is BACK in Magic Kingdom!
• NEWS: Breakfast Has CHANGED at Topolino’s Terrace in Disney World
• OPENING TIMELINE Announced for NEW Rooms at the Disneyland Hotel
• FIRST LOOK at NEW DVC Villas Coming to the Disneyland Hotel
• Reservations Open SOON for the NEWEST Disney Hotel Rooms

• An Iconic Snack Has DISAPPEARED from Disney World
• Super Nintendo World has opened at Universal Hollywood — see our post full of details here

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. 

Click here to get the bundle!

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

The post Stop Scrolling! You Missed Some HUGE Disney News and We’ve Got It All Right Here first appeared on the disney food blog.