We bring you a lot of stories every single day. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up. So in case you missed anything from our feed, we have rounded up all our stories in one place to get the news at a glance. Here is your Daily Recap for Wednesday, December 13, 2023.

Walt Disney World

Magic Kingdom

• Fans of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad may want to check their vacation calendars, as the Magic Kingdom attraction will be closing on January 16th, 2024 for a short refurbishment.
• This week, we noticed multiple carpets on The Magic Carpets of Aladdin in Magic Kingdom were unavailable, apparently due to mechanical issues.

Disney Springs

• Summer House on the Lake at Disney Springs will open tomorrow, Thursday, December 14, 2023, and reservations are now available.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

• Disney Vacation Club announced in an email to members that the new Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort are projected to open in the Summer of 2024 and shared some new concept art. 
• With a year left for the projected late 2024 opening, crew members working on the new Disney Vacation Club Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort have laid down the first coat of paint.

New Merchandise

• Mickey straws are back — kind of. The classic souvenir was once available with drinks at Disney Parks for a $1 upcharge but was discontinued years ago amid Disney’s sustainability efforts. A set of Mickey straws is now available for $15 as part of the 2024 merchandise collection at Walt Disney World. 
• Vintage-style Winnie the Pooh sweaters from the 1990s have been revived and are now available at Walt Disney World.

Other Walt Disney World News

• A new report from The Washington Post confirms the rumor that several third-party tour guides have been trespassed from Walt Disney World property and includes a statement from The Walt Disney Company.

Disneyland Resort

• Ahead of this afternoon’s performance of “A Christmas Fantasy Parade” at Disneyland Park, guests were treated to a special surprise: Toshio Kagami, former CEO of the Oriental Land Company (OLC), which runs Tokyo Disney Resort, served as the pre-parade’s Grand Marshal.
• Three Disneyland Resort rides are set to close for refurbishment projects beginning in January 2024.
• To make way for new experiences, Beast’s Library at Sorcerer’s Workshop in Disney California Adventure has permanently closed.
• Blue Bayou Restaurant at Disneyland Park will be closed, likely for refurbishment, beginning on January 7, 2024.

Disneyland Paris

• After three days of testing at Disneyland Park, the new Disneyland Paris park reservation verification system will reportedly launch tomorrow at Walt Disney Studios Park, streamlining how guests enter.
• New “Sleeping Beauty” posters have been installed on the exterior of the closed Disney Fashion Junior store during the ongoing reimagining of Disney Village at Disneyland Paris.

Entertainment

• With Star Wars Unlimited coming to a galaxy near you in just a few months, the designers of the game’s first set have shared a peek at their favorite decks from playtesting.

The Walt Disney Company

• Disney Legend Dick Nunis has passed away at age 91. 
• Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro has shared a statement on his Instagram following the passing of Disney Legend Dick Nunis.

WDW News Today

Multiple Rides Closed in Early 2024 at Walt Disney World, Legend Dick Nunis Passes Away

Celebrating the Holidays with a Christmas with Walt Disney Watch Along!

That’s it for today; we hope you enjoyed this Daily Recap. Thanks for stopping by, and we’ll see you tomorrow!

The post Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to Close for Refurbishment at Magic Kingdom, First Look at Bedrooms of New DVC Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, & More: Daily Recap (12/13/23) appeared first on WDW News Today.