The end of the trail may be slightly farther down the horizon than previously anticipated for a popular Walt Disney World restaurant than previously thought.

Trail’s End Restaurant, at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, will be shutting down in its present form — and is receiving a massive transformation from table service to quick service. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Trail’s End was a buffet-style experience, and has since emphasized family-style dining for breakfast and dinner.

The Trail’s End

We previously reported on the announced closing, though no specific date had yet been disclosed, other than Spring 2023.

The final day of posted hours for the restaurant had initially been April 17 (as that’s when reservations were no longer being accepted after); however, current official website hours now end on May 7. This tentatively means that may be the final day of operation for Trail’s End as a table service establishment.

What’s been your favorite culinary experience at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort over the years? Let us know in the comments!

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The post Trail’s End Restaurant Closing Date Potentially Delayed at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort appeared first on WDW News Today.

Not all Disney World rides are created equally.

We see this every day by keeping an eye on wait times and Genie+ data, and we love being able to bring you tips on how to make the most of your time in the parks. We pulled the latest numbers, and figured out the first Lightning Lane you should grab in each park!

Magic Kingdom

We saw some decently high prices for Genie+ this week throughout Disney World. Spring break crowds are here and that means folks are trying to skip some of the lines. Genie+ was $25 per ticket per day every day between March 19th and 24th. We also saw average prices for some of the Individual Lightning Lanes, including Seven Dwarfs Mine Train which was $12 each day. But, which Lightning Lane should you book first in Magic Kingdom?

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is the answer! On average this week, by the time 8AM rolled around, the return time for this ride was already hovering around 3PM — and the park hadn’t even opened yet. Granted, this is an Individual Lightning Lane, so it’s not included with the regular purchase of Genie+. Keep this in mind when you’re making your ride selections and deciding which Genie+ option you want to go with.

EPCOT

It looks like a lot of people are interested in some chaotic cooking with a rat chef because Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure was on average the first Lightning Lane to fill up in EPCOT. Folks were quick to pick Remy’s this week over other popular rides Frozen Ever After and Cosmic Rewind (an Individual Lightning Lane.)

By 7:50AM, the return time for Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure already had was around 6:30PM most days this week. This ride was often one of the first to fill up when it was still offered as an Individual Lightning Lane attraction, so it’s not surprising that people are still excited to check this one out.

Hollywood Studios

Over in Hollywood Studios, the Lightning Lane you’ll probably want to snatch up first is Slinky Dog Dash — we saw it fill up the fastest on average this week. Rise of the Resistance was another contender, but this time around the Toy Story-themed ride won out (and folks didn’t have to shell out another $25 on top of it!)

Before Hollywood Studios even opened, the return time for Slinky Dog Dash was already nearly 7PM on average most days. Keep in mind that you can make your first Lightning Lane reservation at 7AM on the day of your park visit, even if the park isn’t open yet. This is true for all people who purchase the standard Genie+ and not just hotel guests!

Animal Kingdom

It’s no surprise that Avatar Flight of Passage was the Lightning Lane people were most excited to grab this week. This is a pay-per-ride attraction and was priced at $16 per ride throughout the week, but folks still wanted to give it a go. Although this was the ride that filled up fastest, it still wasn’t anything too bad compared to what we’ve seen in the past.

Animal Kingdom opens earlier than other parks, but that means it closes earlier as well. Most days this week, by 7:45AM we saw return times around 2:30PM. Again, nothing too intense as we didn’t see the return time too far away from the booking time compared to other parks, but it’s still something to keep in mind when you’re making those Genie+ selections!

No matter which park you’re visiting, we’re keeping track of the latest Genie+ data in Disney World, so stay tuned to DFB for more!

Your COMPLETE Guide To Using Genie+ in Disney World

What’s your top ride to grab a Lightning Lane for? Tell us in the comments.

The post The FIRST Genie+ Lightning Lane You Should Grab in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.

If we’re being honest, we all know that Disney World’s lines can get VERY long.

Especially when school vacations like spring break and summer hit, crowds in Disney World can get pretty intense. We’ve got lots of tips for visiting the parks with heavy crowds, but you still may be facing some long lines. So which attractions are worth the wait? We’ve got your answers right here!

We took to Facebook to ask our readers what lines in Disney World are totally worth their long waits, and you certainly delivered!

Rise of the Resistance

Rise of the Resistance in Galaxy’s Edge is undoubtedly one of the most popular rides in Disney World right now and has been for a while.

This ride sees consistent wait times of 80+ minutes, and on really busy days, we’ve seen it over 200 minutes! You can purchase an Individual Attraction Selection for this ride to help significantly cut down your wait time, but there is no single-rider line.

Flight of Passage

Flight of Passage has also made the list, which is no surprise!

This is by far the most popular ride in Animal Kingdom, and likely will be for some time. This popular attraction can see wait times of 100+ minutes on most days, so you may want to purchase an Individual Attraction Selection for this ride as well.

Kilimanjaro Safaris

Another Animal Kingdom ride has made this list — Kilimanjaro Safaris!

While this ride usually stays under an hour unless it’s a super busy day in the parks, it can usually sit around 30-45 minutes in the mornings and evenings, as that’s when the animals are most active. This is one of the easiest ways to see the animals in their natural habitats without having to walk along the park’s many walking trails.

Haunted Mansion

Last on this list is another Magic Kingdom attraction, the Haunted Mansion!

Haunted Mansion is a truly iconic attraction to so many in the park, which is why it can commonly have hour-long wait times. But you can skip the line by getting Genie+ and requesting a return time during the day! If you’ve got younger kids though, we strongly encourage you to use your judgment to decide if they’re ready for the ride.

And those were the top 4 attractions that our readers said are totally worth the wait in Disney World! Since summer is approaching and crowds are going to steadily increase until school starts back up across the country in September, be sure to stay tuned to DFB for all the latest crowds news and tips!

Here are 50 ways to avoid the crowds in Disney World!

What ride will YOU always try to ride in Disney World no matter the line? Tell us in the comments!

The post The Long Line That’s WORTH IT in Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.

A LOT is happening in Disney World, especially with its restaurants.

TWO new restaurants just recently opened (Rosa Mexicano and Roundup Rodeo BBQ). We’ve been watching 50th anniversary snacks beginning to disappear (although some have returned without their 50th bling). We already know that one restaurant is set to close at a resort, but now we have a clue as to when that closing could happen!

Trail’s End Restaurant at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground is set to close soon for a refurbishment. The restaurant will be getting a complete overhaul and will no longer offer table service. Instead, it will have “a marketplace concept with expanded quick service options.”

Currently, Trail’s End serves family-style meals for breakfast and dinner, although before Disney World’s closure, it was a buffet. However, it seems like that will no longer be the case when it reopens after its refurbishment.

Disney has not yet shared an official closing date for the restaurant, but we have been keeping an eye on the restaurant’s hours on the website. When we first checked, it seemed like the restaurant would close on April 17th. However, we recently checked the website again and the last day with hours listed is May 7th…

…meaning the restaurant could close on May 8th.

As we said, though, Disney has not yet confirmed this, so we won’t be sure until the company makes an official announcement, but right now, guests cannot make reservations past May 7th. You might want to keep that in mind if you’re visiting Disney World and had plans to eat there.

If you’re looking for food at Fort Wilderness, you will still be able to get food from The Chuck Wagon and P & J’s Southern Takeout. Also, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is easily accessible by boat, so you can always check out the dining options there, too.

We’ll continue to keep an eye out for that official announcement, though, so stay tuned to DFB for updates and more Disney news.

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

What do you think about the new concept for Trail’s End Restaurant? Sound off in the comments!

The post Why May 7th Could Be an Important Day for One Disney World Restaurant first appeared on the disney food blog.

THIS IS NOT A DRILL. The end of Disneyland’s Splash Mountain is near.

Splash Mountain has already permanently closed in Disney World to be transformed into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, a Princess and the Frog-themed attraction. And the same transformation will take place at Disneyland Park in California, with both of the rethemed rides opening in 2024. Though Disney World’s transformation has begun, Disney had not yet announced when the Disneyland version of the classic ride would close to allow for this change to take place, but now we have a MASSIVE update!

According to The Orange County Register, Disney has announced that Splash Mountain will CLOSE in Disneyland on May 7th to make way for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. Its last day of operation (and your last day to get on the ride) will be May 6th. It will then be permanently CLOSED until it reopens as Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in 2024.

Once Splash Mountain closes at Disneyland, the transformation can begin. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure follows the ending of the Princess and the Frog film, picking up where the characters left off. Tiana has opened her own successful restaurant and formed bonds with the surrounding community.

But Tiana wants to bring the community together more which is why she has started an employee-owned company called Tiana’s Goods. This company works to make food products and help the community become business people. Tiana also purchased a salt dome for the new company.

The ride follows Tiana as she hosts a Mardi Gras celebration for the community. But she’s missing a key ingredient and needs your help to find it! Along the way, you’ll meet new characters (including a band of musical critters), but also see some familiar faces and HEAR some familiar voices! Jenifer Lewis will return as Mama Odie, Bruno Campos will return as Naveen, Michael-Leon Woodley will return as Louis, and Anika Noni Rose will return as Tiana.

Tiana will be in an all-new outfit in the attraction, with pieces that are both culturally and period-appropriate.

There will be some unique lights at night…

…and plenty of other details to look for.

Want to grab a shirt to commemorate the end of Splash Mountain? Check out our Briar Patch Band farewell tour shirt. You can also get it as a short sleeve graphic tee, long sleeve t-shirt, crewneck sweatshirt, and a hoodie.

And you can celebrate Tiana’s upcoming arrival with our “Never Lose Sight of What’s Really Important” tee. It’s also available as a long-sleeve t-shirt, crewneck sweatshirt, and hoodie.

For more news about this attraction transformation, see our posts below:

• Take a DEEP DIVE into all of the surprising details about this ride that you’ve never noticed
• See more about the storyland and characters coming to the Tiana ride
• Get a look at the ride model

The opening dates for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Disney World and Disneyland have not been revealed, but we do know both rides will open in 2024. Stay tuned for more details!

Click here for our FULL page on the transformation!

 Tell us your thoughts on this massive ride transformation in the comments below.

The post BREAKING: CLOSING DATE Announced for Splash Mountain in Disneyland first appeared on the disney food blog.

Annual maintenance is an inevitability no matter where you go. Fortunately, Tokyo Disney Resort prefers to tell Guests far in advance of upcoming maintenance plans. Quite a bit of attractions are scheduled for short refurbishments through October 2023 (and several multi-month ones on the way too), so let’s take a look at the refurbishment schedule at both Tokyo Disneyland & Tokyo DisneySea!

Some notable additions include a second refurbishment for both Pirates of the Caribbean and Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin later this year, as well as new refurbishments at “it’s a small world” and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, all except the latter of which are set to last around three weeks.

Please note that these lists do not include shops, restaurants, and attractions currently closed due to the resort’s phased COVID-19 reopening.

Tokyo Disneyland

• Swiss Family Treehouse — April 1 to Undetermined
• Pirates of the Caribbean — September 5 to April 7
• Blue Bayou Restaurant — September 5 to April 9
• Cafe Orleans — December 1 to March 31
• Alice’s Tea Party — April 3 to April 17
• Space Mountain — April 17 to June 21
• Pinocchio’s Daring Journey — April 18 to May 1
• Dumbo the Flying Elephant — May 10 to May 25
• Mark Twain Riverboat  — May 10 to June 28
• Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters — May 11 to October 31
• Castle Carrousel — June 12 to June 22
• Snow White’s Adventures — June 19 to June 23
• Jungle Cruise: Wildlife Expeditions — June 27 to July 28
• Meet Mickey in front of Main Street House — July 3 to September 13
• Sky Full of Colors — July 3 to September 6
• Haunted Mansion — August 10 to September 13
• Gadget’s Go-Coaster — September 4 to September 13
• it’s a small world — September 15 to October 2
• Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin — September 19 to October 6
• Pirates of the Caribbean — October 3 to October 27

Tokyo DisneySea

• Saludos Amigos Greeting Dock — January 10 to July 31
• Fortress Explorations — February 1 to June 30
• Raging Spirits — May 12 to June 14
• Jasmine’s Flying Carpets — June 13 to August 3
• Flounder’s Flying Fish Coaster — August 28 to October 2
• 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea — October 3 to November 6

Please note that these dates are subject to change. Be sure to keep these in mind for your next visit to Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea, you don’t want to be left disappointed outside your favorite attraction!

Are you considering or planning a visit to Tokyo Disney Resort? Visit TDRPlans for every detail (and more) that you’ll need to make your trip the best it can be! Did I mention it’s 100% free?

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

The post Tokyo Disney Resort Announces Attraction Closures Through October 2023 appeared first on WDW News Today.