Extra, extra, read all about it! Seriously, we’re sure Disney World hasn’t had a wink of sleep because they’ve dropped so many new updates this week. If you’ve missed out, this is your chance to catch up!

I’m back again with another round of WHAT’S NEW UPDATES AT DISNEY WORLD, a rundown on all the epic news and updates that happened at Disney World this past week. This week, we got the 4-1-1 on a RARE character coming back to Magic Kingdom, the CLOSURE of a Disney World Restaurant, and the BIG CHANGE to Lightning Lanes! Are y’all ready? Okay, let’s go!

A RARE Character Meet and Greet Has Returned to Magic Kingdom After FOUR YEARS!

Up until recently, we weren’t sure we would ever get to experience this rare character meet and greet again, but we may have just been proven wrong!

After years of waiting, it appears as though Beast is back meeting and greeting visitors in his study at Be Our Guest restaurant in Magic Kingdom! Prior to the pandemic-related closures, diners would get to meet Beast in his study once they finished their meal during dinner. But, when this restaurant opened back up in 2020, Disney treated it as more of a traditional character meal, with Beast walking around and interacting with guests.

Many guests were seriously missing the opportunity to see Beast in his study, as it’s the only place where you can actually meet and interact with him in all of Disney World.

But, we had heard that the Beast would be back in his study once again soon, and it looks like that day has finally come! We passed by Be Our Guest to see if anything had changed, and we were surprised to see that it had! Of course, we had to go check it out for ourselves because it had been so long — more than FOUR years.

We confirmed with Cast Members that July 22nd was the Beast’s first day back meeting like this and that they’re testing things out to see how it goes. It’s possible this meet and greet could come back in full swing, or Disney could just choose to have Beast roaming around the restaurant as he has been since the restaurant reopened.

We’ll be on the lookout for more signs that the Beast’s meet and greet is officially back at Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom since Cast Members have told us that this is a test for now.

We’re so happy to see him back and hope it becomes a permanent meet and greet once again!

See What Else Is NEW in Magic Kingdom HERE!

NEWS: A Disney World Restaurant Has CLOSED and Been Turned Into a GIFT SHOP

We also recently noticed that Tortuga Tavern in Adventureland had closed, and it remained empty for a little while…but now that has changed! When we arrived in Adventureland the other day, we noticed that Tortuga Tavern had been renamed. It’s now “Tortuga Treasures!”

The updated spot seems to have been turned into a gift shop, selling pirate-themed souvenirs and merchandise. In fact, this seems to be much of the same merchandise that you could previously buy at Plaza del Sol Caribe Bazaar, the gift shop at the exit of Pirates of the Caribbean.

The merchandise was spread throughout the space on various pop-up stands, and a few registers were available to make your purchases. This area definitely looks different than it did when it was a restaurant a short while ago!

The menus have been covered up…

…but some of the old Tortuga Tavern theming remains.

Across the walkway at Plaza del Sol Caribe Bazaar, the merchandise has been removed and the cash registers cleared out. Much of the store is currently under construction.

You can still exit the ride, and the restrooms nearby are still accessible. However, there’s a fair bit of scrim up around the middle of the store.

So what’s going on here? Well, do you remember when Disney announced that a Pirates of the Caribbean-themed lounge would be coming to Magic Kingdom? The company hasn’t released many details about the new spot since, but we’re expecting it to be in this area.

The exact location hasn’t been confirmed, but current theories include that it will either be located near the exit of Pirates of the Caribbean or in the former Tortuga Tavern. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with construction to find out!

We’ll make sure to keep you updated once more details are released!

Click Here to Learn More About the Upcoming Pirate Tavern!

Lightning Lane Rules Have CHANGED in Disney World!

Genie+ is officially GONE in Disney World, and Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass have taken their place. This new system is quite similar to FastPass+, with a few key differences. We just experienced the new system ourselves, and it’s time to break it ALL down.

The biggest change with this new system is that you can PRE-BOOK your Lightning Lanes before you arrive in Disney World! This includes getting to see the times you can experience certain experiences so you’ll know exactly what you’re getting with your purchase, as well as the opportunity to purchase Lightning Lanes for more than one vacation day, all at one time.

Lightning Lane Multi Pass is what has taken the place of what was previously known as Disney Genie+, where you’ll pay one price for access to the opportunity to skip the lines of many different rides in Disney World. You can make up to 3 selections prior to your visit (for those staying at a Disney World hotel, you can make them up to seven days in advance of your check-in day for your entire stay — all other guests will be able to purchase and select your first 3 Lightning Lane Multi Passes three days in advance). Once you’re in the park, you can make another selection once you’ve used up one of the ones you’ve pre-booked.

Disney is also introducing (or reintroducing, shall we say, since it was part of FastPass+) a tiered system for ride selections. At Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, from those 3 advance selections, you’ll be able to choose one experience from a higher-tiered group and two experiences (or all three) from a lower-tiered group. (Tiers do not apply at Disney’s Animal Kingdom due to the type of attractions there).

Lightning Lane Single Passes can also be purchased 7 days in advance for Disney World hotel guests or 3 days in advance for other guests, but these are a separate fee that only grants you access to skip one line for the parks’ most popular attractions (this is what Individual Lightning Lanes previously were).

July 24th was the FIRST day these changes were rolled out, so we were on our phones in the morning, ready to check everything out for the first time and show you how it works. First, we opened the My Disney Experience app and navigated to “Today’s Plans.” From there, we went to the “Tip Board” section of the app. This is the same process as before; nothing has changed here.

From there, you can tap “Purchase Lightning Lane Passes” near the top of the screen and select your date. A list of parks will appear, and you can choose the first park you plan to start your day in. Each park has a dropdown menu with the prices of Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass.

Remember, with this NEW system, you can purchase both those pay-per-ride attractions (like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and TRON Lightcycle / Run) AND Lightning Lane Multi Pass at the same time. Here’s a full list of the Multi Pass prices on July 24th, 2024:

• Magic Kingdom — $29
• EPCOT — $21
• Hollywood Studios — $26
• Animal Kingdom — $18

The prices appear to be consistent with the pricing for Disney Genie+ for the past few days. So, it does not look like the new system will have a price increase — at least for now!

Here’s a look at the Lightning Lane Single Pass pricing on July 24th:

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train — $12
• TRON Lightcycle / Run — $20
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind — $17
• Rise of the Resistance — $25
• Avatar Flight of Passage — $16

We have a full list of ALL the prices between now and August 14th (the current furthest date you can preplan your vacation) that you can check out below! The prices seem to range from $25–$29 on the high side and $16–$18 on the low side.

PRICES CONFIRMED for Disney’s New Lightning Lane System

Below is an example of what it’s like to book Lightning Lanes at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Don’t forget — the tier system is NOT a factor at this park, so you can book any three rides that you want. You have five minutes to check out without losing your selections. Disney has a notification at the top of your screen as you’re making your selections. Overall, the process was pretty smooth and user-friendly. Disney walks you through each step; just read what’s on the screen carefully. Below, you can see how the list of rides appears.

After you choose the first three attractions you plan to ride, you can modify the times in the “Review Details” section.

After that, you can review your selections one more time and then check out. You can watch a full sample of the process below! In the video, our sample vacation starts in Magic Kingdom, and you’ll see what happens if a Lightning Lane is unavailable. We were redirected back to make a different selection.

Today is the day, people! Genie+ is OUT and the new Lightning Lane Multipass is HERE! Here’s a quick look at us booking our day in Magic Kingdom today.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure was an option to choose here, but we did get a notification that it was unavailable for the day. pic.twitter.com/stPlnG9z8p

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) July 24, 2024

Wanna see another example? We’ve got you! Here’s a look at what it’s like to book reservations one week in advance.

This was our process of booking a week in advance for our Lightning Lanes in EPCOT! Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is a separate price from the EPCOT Multipass for the day. pic.twitter.com/gldTjG8veP

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) July 24, 2024

 

Of course, that’s not all that happened! There are plenty of things that happen every single day at Disney World. Check out EVERYTHING by clicking through the links below! Our reporters and writers keep these pages updated with all the latest things that take place in the parks — from merchandise drops to new menu items. See for yourself!

Looking for more big Disney World news? Click here! 

What do you think of these big Disney World updates? Let us know in the comments! 

The post 3 Game-Changing NEWS Updates From Disney World This Week first appeared on the disney food blog.