So much so that it could get a bit overwhelming. After all, you don’t want to leave with the regret of never trying the Crab and Corn Macaroni and Cheese, Roasted Lamb Chop, Teriyaki Chicken Bun, or the regret of trying too much food and feeling like you could sink to the bottom of the World Showcase Lagoon.

So here are a few tips for taking in the Food & Wine Festival, which starts Aug. 27, and runs through Nov. 21, without either missing anything crucial or overindulging.

1. Plan ahead: Yes, you already made dining reservations for other parts of your trip and booked your Lightning Lanes. Do you really need to plan to eat at a festival? The short answer is yes.

Sure, you can show up and just walk around and head to one of the 43 festival locations, including 26 booths, and graze. But you have over 130 choices of food and drink items to try this year.

Look at the menus here and start thinking about what sounds good. Now, be careful, not all of the booths open today. One of my favorite food items is the Warm Raclette Swiss Cheese at The Alps kiosk, but that won’t open until Oct. 2.

The biggest challenge for all is going to be the weather. You might think summer is over with the end of August. But the next month - what many call September, but I call second August in Florida - keeps the summer heat and afternoon thunderstorm pattern. So if you have a problem eating hot foods in 90-plus-degree heat, be prepared.

2. Don’t make other dining reservations at EPCOT: If you’re heading to another park, sure make those dining reservations. If you’re heading to EPCOT, don’t bother. The entire park is your restaurant. You don’t need a sit-down dinner at the end of the day.

That being said, if you're going for a week, you will want to make a couple of reservations toward the end. A full week of juggling your plate and drink, and fighting for a table or one of the new fence-mounted shelves will become tiresome.

3. Go for lunch or early afternoon, avoid the weekends (unless you love crowds): The crowds swell up after 4 p.m. In addition, those who come to the resorts for conferences are likely to head to the festival as well on special passes. Weekends grow as well since you have people leaving the resort and coming to the resort planning on staying during the weekends, and locals are off from work and come to enjoy the atmosphere. It may sound overwhelming, and it can be.

And let’s be real. There is alcohol served every few hundred feet at this event. People are on vacation and letting loose. It can get a bit rowdy.

4. Share: You will want to try a bit of everything, so your best strategy may be to split everything with a friend. These are not huge dishes to begin with, but all are shareable. This allows you to get a taste of everything. And if you plan on going several times, you’ll know which full portion you might look like later.

5. Stick to a budget: This is probably the most difficult thing to do, especially since it is so easy to tap your MagicBand, credit card, or wearable device now and choke down the bill later. One way to force yourself to stick to a budget is to buy a festival gift card and use that — and only that — to pay for your food and drinks. Once it’s gone, that’s it.

6. Enjoy all the entertainment: The one thing EPCOT has going for it is entertainment with bands scheduled throughout the day and the Eat to the Beat concert series. The concert series is a delightful combination of local Orlando bands and nationally-known entertainers. The entire schedule can be found here.

In addition, here are a few other things to do:

• Cheers to Cheese Exhibit - Visit CommuniCore Hall from Sept. 18 to Nov. 8 for an interactive dairy-themed exhibit.

• Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak - A scavenger hunt in the World Showcase area, find statuettes of Remy

• JAMMitors - Tap your feet to the syncopated sounds of the funkiest percussionists who turn pots, pans and other unlikely kitchen tools into instruments, serving up irresistible kitchen sink-o-pation.

🎢 Notes & News

• Disney Reveals Character-Inspired Medals for 2026 Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend

• Disney Champion NFL Collection Now Available Online

• Disney Cruise Line Unveils 2027-2028 Itineraries With Returns to New York, New Panama Ports

• Disney Reportedly Pulling the Plug on Play Disney Parks App Next Month

• The Oaxacan wood carvers at EPCOT's Mexico pavilion are closing at the end of the month.

🎥 This Week’s Playlist

Have you ever felt this way when at a Disney Park? Neil Patrick Harris sings about it during the D23 event.

You don't get a lot of Yeti jokes. Here's one from D23.

Neil Patrick Harris, who has hosted four Tony Award telecasts, two Emmy Award shows, and the Academy Awards broadcast, kicked off the show with a musical number about Disney animatronics and presented the updates using the theme of the Carousel of Progress to move through the announcements.

Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum gave a brief recap of what happened over the past couple of years before the Imagineers took center stage to provide updates. Let’s focus here on the announcements that have been provided specifically for Disney World.

We will be coming back during the next weeks with detailed guides of what we can expect to see when these big lands and attractions open. But here are the big announcements from last night.

Magic Kingdom

Carousel of Progress

The Carousel of Progress in Magic Kingdom is now closed and undergoing a major update. We already know the timeframe will be updated, with four brand-new acts set in the 1960s, 1980s, the New Millennium, and the Possible Future. In addition, guests will get a glimpse of Walt Disney himself. The new introduction scene will feature a Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic, inspired by the 1964 television special Disneyland Goes to the World’s Fair, which originally introduced the Carousel concept to the public.

The news from D23 was the casting for the iconic roles of mom and dad. Jamie Lee Curtis will be the voice of the mother and Emmy-winning actor Bryan Cranston will voice the dad.

Cars Land

Vice President of Creative for Walt Disney World Michael Hundgen and Imagineer Jason Grandt provided updates on the new Piston Peak National Park area now under construction at Magic Kingdom.

Let’s start with the second and smaller ride, called Miss Fritter’s Daredevil Spin-Along, inspired by the “Diva of Demolition” from Cars 3. The ride will feature Miss Fritter as a “huge school-bus-sized animatronic” who hosts a stampeding bash at her “wildest demolition derby yet.”

The photos of the ride look similar to Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree at Disneyland and Alien Swirling Saucers at Hollywood Studios.

The main ride will be called the Cars Ridge Run Rally. The course spans rugged national park terrain, taking riders up the icy summit of Piston Peak, down a camelback descent, through a geyser field, and past the Old Tankfull geyser.

Lightning McQueen and Mater provide live coverage of the race’s finish for the Racing Sports Network.

The attraction debuts a brand-new, off-road ride vehicle designed with active tires and suspension so riders directly feel every rock, bump, and drop.

Villains Land

Disney Imagineers announced new details for Villains Land, The first was the underwhelming announcement that the name of the new land will be “Villains Land.”

This area features an original narrative centered around a broken Wishing Well, which was corrupted by an evil wish that spread dark magic throughout a foreboding forest.

Iconic Disney villains have gathered here to harness the well’s remaining power to construct their own customized lairs, palaces, and fortresses.

The first headlining attraction is a groundbreaking roller coaster that takes guests through the enchanted briar surrounding Maleficent’s mountaintop fortress. The Imagineering team teased that this coaster will include elements they’ve never attempted before on similar attractions, so it is set to be a truly groundbreaking project.

The second major attraction is a dark ride hosted by the Magic Mirror in the catacombs beneath the Evil Queen’s palace. This water ride will transport guests using physical set pieces and special effects to showcase an array of Disney Villains.

Animal Kingdom

Expedition Everest

The Yeti is coming back to life on Expedition Everest. The animatronic will move again, ending nearly two decades of b-mode, or Disco Yeti, as fans have dubbed it.

Tropical Americas - Indiana Jones ride

The Indiana Jones attraction in the new Tropical Americas section of Animal Kingdom will be called Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent.

Harrison Ford confirmed he is serving as the physical model for the ride’s Audio-Animatronics figure, marking the first time his likeness will be featured in a Disney attraction.

The ride merges classic Indiana Jones adventures with authentic Maya culture, featuring custom artwork and expert consultation from archaeologists and anthropologists.

Riders will join Indiana Jones exploring an ancient temple and cenote, where a portal pulls guests into the Maya Underworld to face bats, scorpions, fire, and snakes. The main antagonist is a gigantic, hand-sculpted snake animatronic representing the legendary guardian creature, the Tsukán.

Tropical Americas - Encanto Ride

The name of the new Encanto ride coming to Tropical Americas will be called Antonio’s Fiesta de Encanto.

The storyline centers on celebrating Antonio’s gift of communicating with animals, emphasizing that all living things are part of one familia. Original voice actors return to reprise their roles, including Stephanie Beatriz (Mirabel), Jessica Darrow (Luisa), and Diane Guerrero (Isabella).

The ride expands the world of Encanto by exploring previously unseen rooms and areas of Casita. Guests board moving furniture ride vehicles that react dynamically like characters as they travel through the house to Antonio’s rainforest room upstairs.

The attraction features over 50 animals—such as capybaras, toucans, and donkeys—developed in partnership with Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment team to ensure the accuracy of Colombian species.

The attraction will have no height requirement, making it accessible to guests of all ages.

Tropical Americas — Encanto Carousel

The new carousel, called El Carrusel de los Animalitos, features 22 hand-carved ride figures based on beloved Disney and Pixar animal characters.

Hollywood Studios

Monstropolis

The biggest news was that portions of the land are scheduled to open in 2027 while construction continues on the large main coaster.

Randy Newman composed a song, ”Welcome to Monstropolis,” for the land, marking his first original theme park song, and it will be performed as part of the “Welcome to Monstropolis,” show coming to the Glob Theater hosted by Mike and Sulley.

The land focuses on introducing human guests to the city and highlighting the similarities between humans and monsters.

The area will include:

• Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza: A top-rated pizza spot themed after Fear Tech mascot Archie.

• Monsters University Alumni Club: Showcases various MU student clubs, fraternities, and sororities. It features the elite Scarer’s Club tribute honoring legendary scarers from the past.

• Scareporium: Serves as the primary souvenir shop for human tourists visiting Monstropolis.

• Harryhausen’s Restaurant: Features a brand-new, multi-tentacled Audio-Animatronic sushi chef preparing monster-worthy dishes. Offers a unique, romantic menu that extends beyond sushi.
  

EPCOT

Spaceship Earth

For the first time in nearly 20 years, Spaceship Earth is getting an update.

Figment

The last announcement of the night and one of the briefest is that the Dreamfinder animatronic will be restored and reuinted with Figment in the Imagination Pavilion. The announcement was vague but heavily implied a refurbishment for the Journey Into Imagination attraction.

“We are taking a new journey into imagination at EPCOT with Dreamfinder and Figment!” Disney Experiences Chairman Thomas Mazloum told the cheering crowd. “I’m so happy to share this news tonight. We know how important this is to you. We’ve heard you, and this is one more way we’re putting you in the center of everything we do.”

No more information was given, but it was a good way to bookend the night, since the show started off with a song about animatronics.

Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress is temporarily closing its doors on July 6, 2026. The historic rotating theater is scheduled to step out of the rotation until 2027 to undergo one of the most ambitious, ground-up reimagining projects in its 62-year history. For an attraction explicitly designed to celebrate change rather than stand still, this massive update will shine a light on recent accomplishments and look into a future once thought unimaginable.

Walt originally envisioned an extension of Disneyland’s Main Street, U.S.A., called Edison Square. It was to feature a walkthrough drama titled Harnessing the Lightning, focusing on how electricity changed family life. While the street was never built, the core concept survived and was eventually reworked into the Progressland pavilion for the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair.

The show became an instant smash hit, marking the debut of the iconic rotating theater and the legendary Sherman Brothers anthem, “There’s a Great Big, Beautiful Tomorrow.” However, the show centered so heavily on family life because of its corporate sponsor, General Electric.

When GE approached Walt Disney to build the pavilion, their goal was commercial. They needed to salvage their corporate reputation following a major 1959–1961 price-fixing scandal. Involving GE, Westinghouse, and 27 other companies, the controversy resulted in massive fines, high-level corporate resignations, and brief jail sentences for several executives, remaining one of the largest antitrust cases in U.S. history.

GE needed to fix its image, and the Carousel of Progress successfully rebranded the company as a friendly, forward-thinking provider of household comfort by showing how technology improved domestic life across the 1900s, 1920s, 1940s, and the future.

Because the attraction’s last major script refresh happened over three decades ago, the timeline is getting a complete chronological shift. While the Sherman Brothers anthem remains the musical heartbeat of the show, John, Sarah, and the family are transitioning into entirely new decades.

GE stopped sponsoring the attraction in 1985. So the question is how far afield does the new script go from household-centric technological advances.

Guests will also get a glimpse of Uncle Walt himself. The new introduction scene will feature a Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic, inspired by the 1964 television special Disneyland Goes to the World’s Fair, which originally introduced the Carousel concept to the public.

Following the intro, the updated show will feature four brand-new acts:

• Act 1: The 1960s (The Dawn of Space Exploration)
  It’s the summer of 1969, and the family is gathered around a glowing television set to watch Apollo 11 land on the moon.

• Act 2: The 1980s (Bigger, Brighter, and Louder)
  Welcome to Halloween night, 1985. For the first time in the show’s history, Sarah takes center stage to narrate, detailing how high-tech kitchen appliances are revolutionizing the household while John deals with trick-or-treaters and Uncle Orville complains about a lack of privacy.

• Act 3: The New Millennium (Y2K and the World Wide Web)
  The family gathers on New Year’s Eve, 1999, to watch the clock tick down to the year 2000. This scene explores the early days of the internet connecting the world. Keeping the classic domestic humor alive, Grandpa falls asleep before midnight while Grandma secretly switches the channel to watch pro wrestling (Sound familiar? It happens now in the 1940s with one of the first black and wite television).

• Act 4: The Possible Future (An Out-of-This-World Finale)
  The final scene catapults the family into an interstellar future home, complete with space travel and a helpful household robot assistant. The environment draws direct inspiration from original, mid-century concept sketches by legendary Disney Imagineer John Hench.

Carousel of Progress Photos

Coming Thursday

Our weekly Disney news roundup.

So, grab an oversized turkey leg, try to ignore the humidity that feels like a warm, wet blanket, and let’s take a deep dive into the architectural brilliance and obsessive attention to detail that makes Liberty Square the ultimate 250th-birthday tribute to the U.S.A.

Just as the famous plaque above the entryway tunnels to the Magic Kingdom encourages people to leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy, the gateway to Liberty Square has its own profound message:

“Beyond this gateway lies a humble village built on hope and courage.

The hope to be heard. And the courage to listen and welcome new ideas.

The hope for freedom for all. And the courage to fight for it at any cost.

May all who step foot here be awakened by this same hope and courageous spirit.

Welcome to Liberty Square.”

When you cross that threshold, you enter a bustling coastal town during the American Revolution. One of the first things you notice is the undisputed heart of the land: The Liberty Tree.

This massive live oak serves as a tribute to the 1765 Boston tree where the Sons of Liberty famously gathered to hatch plans to overthrow British rule (though that original historic tree was an American Elm). The Disney version is a masterwork of landscaping, holding the title of the largest living thing ever transplanted on resort grounds. Suspended from its sweeping branches are 13 lanterns, each individually lit to commemorate the original colonies.

The backstory of this century-old, 35-ton oak reads like an episode of a high-stakes botanical drama.

In 1970, legendary landscape architect Bill Evans spotted the behemoth growing miles away on Disney property. Moving an oak of this size presented a potentially fatal challenge: standard steel cables wrapped around the trunk would crush the bark and sever the cambium layer—the delicate, microscopic pipeline that carries water and nutrients. Do that, and you’re left with a very expensive, dead lawn ornament.

So, Evans and his team took a massive, calculated risk. They used high-pressure water hoses to hydraulically blast away the dirt from the roots until the tree was hovering on temporary timber supports. Then, they brought out a massive drill and bored two giant holes horizontally through the solid hardwood core of the trunk—one running north-south, and one running east-west, according to historical interview records published by yourfirstvisit.net.

They slid massive steel rods through the holes, essentially creating a set of Frankenstein-style “handles” sticking out of the tree. A 100-ton crane hooked onto these pins and lifted the entire living organism into the air without ever touching the bark. It was celebrated as a historic triumph of horticulture, as later detailed by the Forestry Journal.

But the drama wasn’t over.

Once the tree was safely planted in the Magic Kingdom, the team pulled the steel rods out and plugged the holes with matching chunks of hardwood. Instead of healing perfectly, the wood plugs became contaminated with bacteria. An infection took hold deep inside the trunk, and the iconic Liberty Tree began to rot from the inside out.

Disney horticulturists had to perform emergency surgery. They removed the plugs, meticulously scraped out the diseased, rotting wood from the core, and filled the entire gaping internal cavity with a special core-strengthening cement. The surgery worked. The rot stopped, and the concrete column inside stabilized the tree’s structural strength.

Unfortunately, the trauma caused half of the tree’s upper canopy to die off, leaving the centerpiece of Liberty Square looking wildly asymmetrical. Imagineers took a separate, younger Southern Live Oak from the property and grafted it directly into the base and root system of the original tree to fix the aesthetic blemish.

Over the decades, the two trees completely fused together. Today, they look like a single, seamless powerhouse, but the beautiful canopy is actually a tag-team effort fueled by two entirely distinct root systems working in tandem.

The Liberty Bell

Once you look past the giant concrete-filled tree, the smaller details of the square start to pop out.

Adjacent to the tree sits an official replica of the Liberty Bell. When the park opened in 1971, Liberty Square didn’t actually have a permanent bell. It wasn’t until a temporary exhibition in the late 1980s drew massive crowds that Disney decided they needed a permanent fixture, hoisting the current bell into place just in time for the July 4, 1989, Independence Day celebration.

Disney didn’t just buy a cheap prop lookalike, either. They went straight to the source: the world-famous Paccard Bell Foundry in Annecy, France, the exact foundry the U.S. government used in 1950 for historic replicas. Cast from the same mold as the original Philadelphia bell, fifth-generation French bellmaster Pierre Paccard hand-tuned Disney’s two-and-a-half-ton version with a tuning fork to ensure it struck a perfect, resonant E-flat note—the exact acoustic profile of the original before it cracked.

Because it looks so authentic, it has spawned an urban myth that Disney received Pennsylvania’s official 1976 Bicentennial duplicate because the state “already had the real one.” In reality, Disney bought the bell completely independently. It is officially registered as the 300th replica the historic French foundry produced.

Hidden In Plain Sight: Imagineering’s Historical Secrets

Imagineers are notorious over-thinkers, and every square inch of the land reflects a deep dedication to historical realism. Here are a few incredible details to look for on your next stroll through the colonies:

• The Door Numbers: If you look closely at the doors of the brick and wooden shops throughout the land, you will notice various two-digit numbers casually painted on the glass or carved into the wood—like 24, 76, or 87. If you place an “18” in front of any of those numbers, it reveals the exact year of the architectural style that specific storefront represents. As guests walk from the colonial-era Hall of Presidents (which boldly boasts the full four-digit year 1787 above its entry) toward the Gothic-style Haunted Mansion, the house numbers on the building doors change. This reflects the architectural progression of American history through the nation’s early decades. If you turn left into Frontierland, the numbers start counting back up again, seamlessly dumping you into the mid-to-late 19th-century American West.

• The Wordless Signs: Look at the signage at the Columbia Harbour House restaurant. If you wander under the overhead breezeway, you will notice a hanging wooden sign that doesn’t feature any words—it just has a simple carving of a chicken and a fish. In the 18th century, literacy rates varied wildly. Business owners used pictorial signs so sailors, merchants, and townspeople who couldn’t read would know what kind of food or goods were sold inside.

• The Brown Pathway: If you look down while walking through the square, you will notice that while the streets are mostly red brick, there is a wide, distinct, brown-colored stone pathway cutting right through the center of the road. In the 1700s, Indoor plumbing and bathrooms in the home did not exist. People threw their household waste (yes, that waste) right out the window and into the middle of the dirt street, where it formed a primitive, flowing channel of sludge. The brown pavement in Liberty Square is a visual representation of that open waste channel that ran down the center of colonial roads before underground municipal sewer systems. You are literally walking along a historical tribute to the town gutter.

• Crooked Window Shutters: Look up at the second-story windows of the brick facades and you’ll notice the window shutters appear slightly askew. Imagineers deliberately hung them with leather straps rather than metal hinges, replicating how colonists melted down household iron and brass to manufacture ammunition for the Continental Army, sacrificing their home decor for the war effort.

• A Pair of Lanterns: A pair of lanterns sits tucked inside an upper-floor window of the building modeled after the Virginia House of Burgesses—a direct visual reference to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem Paul Revere’s Ride and the famous “one if by land, two if by sea” signaling system.

• The Minuteman Rifle: Look closely at the window sill near the exit doors of The Hall of Presidents. You’ll spot a colonial long rifle propped up against the glass, a tribute to the “Minutemen” who stood ready to defend their towns at a literal minute’s notice. Be aware that on a recent trip this week the rifle was not in the window, but a Cast Member did say that one is normally there. Maybe they needed to go out and defend the land.

• The Window Doll: In one of the lower window sill of house number 24 outside the Hall of Presidents, a single historic doll sits prominently against the glass. In colonial times, families placed a doll in the window to signal to local volunteer fire brigades that a child slept in that specific room. If the house caught fire, the townspeople knew exactly where to aim the rescue ladders first.

• Find the Mouse, But Not Mickey: Take a look above the Liberty Tree Tavern at the round window. Do you see a figure, a stuffed animal? It’s a mouse, and he’s looking out. This is Amos Mouse, the intelligent mouse who helps Benjamin Franklin with his famous inventions. Amos is from the 1953 Disney animated short Ben and Me.

Happy 250th Anniversary, America!

“Disney? Really?”

Yes, really. And there isn’t a costumed character in sight.

People who are Disney fans tend to feel like they’re in good hands with this company, whether they’re visiting Walt Disney World or going to the movies. It turns out that’s also true if you’re seeing the world.

Disney offers high-end, carefully curated group tours across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Pacific through its Adventures by Disney (ABD) brand. Disney also owns National Geographic, which offers more adventurous itineraries, but we have only traveled with ABD.

What’s it like traveling the world with Disney? It feels like a true vacation, the kind of trip where you don’t have to worry about anything—not what activity to schedule or where to find your next meal or what to do if it rains. If you want to visit Switzerland, all you have to do is show up and let your adventure guides take over.

What’s included

ABD offers a few types of trips — 8- to 12-day land adventures; 8-day European river cruises; and 3- to 4-day escapes. ABD tours are designed with “junior Adventurers” in mind, but there are usually one or two trips a year that are exclusively for adults.

Costs vary, but a typical 8-day land adventure generally runs between $6,000 and $10,000 per person, based on double occupancy; prices for kids are about $500 less.

What do you get for the price?

• Two top-notch “adventure guides,” one of whom is a local guide.

• Posh accommodations, often in historic properties or luxury boutique hotels.

• Most meals, including daily breakfast.

• Daily activities, including local cooking and crafts, as well as outdoor activities.

• Private experiences you may not be able to arrange on your own, such as a guided tour of the Sistine Chapel before it opens to the public.

• Transfers between the airport and your hotels, as well as transportation during the trip, are typically by buses or trains.

• Luggage handling, so all you need to do when you’re heading to a new location is get your luggage together by the designated time.

What’s not included? Airfare, a few “on your own” meals, and tips for your adventure guides.

What’s so Disney about all this?

At Disney, storytelling is everything. If you’re visiting a Disney theme park, there’s a narrative behind every land, every attraction, even every gift shop and restroom. That emphasis on storytelling is also key to an AbD tour.

Sure, some of those stories might be Disney-related, like visiting the Matterhorn, which inspired Walt Disney to build his own mountain at Disneyland, or trying your hand at archery in Scotland, land of “Brave” Princess Merida. But more of them are simply designed to help you understand and appreciate the area you’re visiting more deeply.

There is one more very Disney touch to these tours—each day you get a pin to commemorate the day’s activities.

The DIY option

When I’m investigating someplace new, I like to look at the itineraries for ABD and other posh travel companies to see where they go, where they stay, and what activities they do. It helps me narrow down the choices in a place as vast as, say, Alaska.

You can come pretty close to duplicating an ABD itinerary if you want to, minus some of the exclusive activities.

How does the cost compare? I asked Google’s Gemini AI tool to look at the itinerary for ABD’s 2027 Alaska adventure and estimate costs for a DIY version. Here’s what it came up with for a per-person cost, based on a party of 2:

Note that the ABD cost here includes an early-booking discount of $500 per person. If you book later, the cost could be higher.

It also matters to the math if you’re traveling with more than 2 people. If you have a family of 5 and you rent an SUV for $1,800 for the week and pile everyone into one hotel room, the per person cost is a lot lower and the premium is a lot steeper.

What does the premium buy you?

So what do you get for the extra $3,000 (or more) per person?

To start off with, you don’t have to drive or arrange your own transportation. I know my husband—almost always the designated driver in our family—would consider it a huge gift if he didn’t have to ferry us around on a 500-mile road trip. (He appreciates this the way I appreciate not having to think about where our next meal is coming from.) Your adventure guides also help pass the time on the bus or train, sharing local history and geography, leading games, or passing out snacks.

You also don’t have to schlep your bags around. For the most part, you just have to have your bags packed and at your hotel room door by a designated time, and they are whisked away to meet you in your next room.

Your adventure guides also make your daily activities smoother. Disney schedules private blocks or dedicated guides so you aren’t fighting a crowd; it’s just you and your 30 fellow adventurers. And if the weather wrecks your outdoor plans, your adventure guides are prepared to pivot to a backup plan.

If you’re traveling with your kids, there are typically “junior adventurer” nights when the kiddos have their own supervised dinner and activity and the adults have a dinner on their own.

Mostly, this boils down to a hassle-free vacation. Whether it’s “worth it” will be different for everyone.

ABD might not be for you if …

This kind of highly structured, fast-paced travel definitely isn’t for everyone. It might not be for you if:

• You’re a planner: If you get a lot of joy out of researching the best restaurants, shops and activities, you might miss taking on this role. But I’ve still spent a lot of time researching the itinerary of ABD trips, as well as where to go during our “on your own” time. There’s still plenty for you to do!

• You’re an explorer: If you want to venture out into the city or the wilderness for hours at a time, you might not get enough time to scratch that itch on these tours. One option: Stay a couple of days longer, either before or after the tour, so you can spend some time exploring.

• You’re a foodie: The food on the ABD tours we’ve taken has been … fine. Menus are typically quite limited, and you’ll be asked early in the trip to choose what you’d like to eat for several meals later in the journey. If you really want a great meal, you’ll need to focus on finding something where you have on your own time.

• You love a relaxing resort day: ABD often stays at hotels with beautiful spas, but good luck finding enough time to indulge in a few spa treatments. There typically just isn’t enough time in the itinerary.

• You’re an introvert: There is a lot of group time during these tours, and a lot of meals where you’re thrown together with other adventurers. This can be great—we’ve made wonderful new friends on ABD trips—but it can also be a lot of work. I’ve written about traveling with ABD as an introvert, because it’s challenging. But I absolutely believe you can have a great time with ABD even if groups drain you.

If you fit any of these descriptions, there are ways to tweak an ABD tour to be more to your liking. There is “on your own” time to explore and find restaurants to try, and you can opt out of any activity or group meal that doesn’t appeal to you. You can also plan to arrive a day early and/or stay a day late to explore on your own.

If you have thoughts or questions about traveling with ABD, let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

Coming Thursday

The Secrets of Liberty Square: Think you know everything about Magic Kingdom? For the Fourth of July, we’re diving deep into the history and hidden trivia of Liberty Square. We’ll look at the architectural quirks that shift through American history as you walk down the street, why there are no bathrooms in the land, and the incredible engineering behind the Liberty Tree. Don't miss this deep dive on Thursday!

The winter celebration will officially run from Nov. 13, 2026, through Jan. 6, 2027, bringing seasonal entertainment, international cultural displays, and new discounts.

Read more here.

Let’s see what’s happening in the parks.

Magic Kingdom: The resort’s flagship park will anchor its seasonal offerings with a mix of daily entertainment and limited-capacity events.

This includes Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, an evening where the humid Florida twilight is replaced by the scent of peppermint, a flurry of synthetic snowfall, and the comforting, simulated glow of a midcentury American Christmas. (Find all the dates and ticket information here.)

Hollywood Studios: The park will revive “Sunset Seasons Greetings,” a nightly event projecting festive scenes onto the Hollywood Tower Hotel. The digital transformations include vignettes inspired by the Muppets, Toy Story, Frozen, and Mickey’s Christmas Carol.

In addition, Disney World is bringing back its glitz, glamour, and seasonal sparkle with the return of Jollywood Nights. The separately ticketed holiday event will feature expanded dates for the 2026 season, extending into January for the first time since its inception. (Find all the dates and ticket information here.)

EPCOT: The International Festival of the Holidays will operate from Nov. 27 through Dec. 30, highlighting global midwinter traditions through international food marketplaces and regional storytellers. (Find out everything that is coming here.)

Animal Kingdom: Discovery Island will once again host the Merry Menagerie, featuring life-sized, artisan-sculpted puppets of arctic animals operated by live performers. At sunset, the park’s architectural centerpiece will host the “Tree of Life Awakenings Holiday Edition,” a recurring projection show synchronized to a winter musical score. Character greetings at the Adventurers Outpost will feature Mickey and Minnie Mouse in custom expedition-style holiday wear.

Disney Springs: The Disney Springs shopping district will feature the Christmas Tree Stroll, a collection of elaborately decorated trees themed after Disney, Pixar, and Star Wars properties, alongside simulated nightly snowfall in the Town Center. The aviation-themed Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar will also transition into a holiday lounge with exclusive seasonal menus.

🎢 Notes & News

• Disney’s BoardWalk is getting a modern-meets-vintage glow-up, with a brand-new live entertainment lounge and an interactive retail experience slated to debut in late 2026. Read more

• Full roster of bands released for the Eat to the Beat Concert Series coming to the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival from Aug. 27 through Nov. 21. Full concert lineup here.

• The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort has announced a multi-day Independence Day weekend celebration and a summer-long concert lineup timed to the upcoming United States Semiquincentennial. Read more

  

• Starting June 28, 2026, at Disney Springs to board a bus or a boat heading to a resort, you will have to prove you actually have a reason to be there. This means scanning a MagicBand, a Key to the World card, or showing your My Disney Experience app to confirm. Read more

• Level99, the massive, highly anticipated real-world social gaming venue coming to Disney Springs at Disney World, will open on June 29. Tickets for the new 46,800-square-foot entertainment complex are already on sale. Read more

Coming Monday June 29

Keep an eye on your inbox or Substack! We’re diving into a big question: Is a luxury "Adventures by Disney" guided vacation actually worth it?

We spent the next year dreaming of our itinerary: seeing the famous Matterhorn, watching the alpenglow illuminate the mountains, snow tubing, toboggan riding, and, of course, indulging in cheese and chocolate.

Last month, it was finally time for us to pack our bags and head out.

Being the first to experience anything—and reviewing it afterwards—is tough. Whether it’s a new travel itinerary, a restaurant grand opening, or a stage show, there will always be kinks to work out for future guests. But ABD has been creating unforgettable guided vacations for 21 years, offering itineraries to 40 destinations around the world. We had been on 3 previous adventures: Scotland, Ireland, and Southern California. We trusted that things would go as smoothly as possible.

So let’s get this trip started!

Day 0: Arrival in Zurich

We landed in Switzerland the day before the official tour started, which I highly recommend for any guided tour. Yes, it costs extra, but given how unpredictable air travel can be, we wanted to make sure we had a comfortable time cushion before the main event began. ABD will book your pre-night for you and still meet you at the airport.

We took an overnight flight that landed in Zurich at around 8 a.m. Like any great Disney adventure, it started with a line—a 45-minute wait at Border Control. Fortunately, this would turn out to be the longest line we would have to wait on during the entire trip.

After passing through customs, we headed to luggage claim and found that our bags had already been pulled aside. A representative was waiting for us with an Adventures By Disney sign. (How did they recognize our bags? ABD sends official orange luggage tags in your pre-trip preparation packet.)

We were escorted over to the Radisson Blu Hotel at the airport. Because our room wasn’t ready, and I wasn’t planning to pay an extra fee to get into a room early, we stored our bags and headed out for a day exploring Zurich on our own.

(Budget note: Switzerland is very expensive. With $1 US only worth about 0.80 Swiss Francs, be prepared for sticker shock when dining out. Imagine a $12 grande drink from Starbucks, or $65 for dinner for 2 at Five Guys. Sadly, we don’t have to imagine.)

Day 1: Journey to Grindelwald

After breakfast, we met our two tour guides, Colin and Martin, in the lobby just ahead of our meeting time to introduce ourselves.

ABD’s tour guides are always excellent. They are there to make sure you get the most out of your trip, organizing activities, keeping everyone together, and sharing local history. Because this was a brand-new route, Colin and Martin had done a full dress-rehearsal run-through the week before. They were ready to take 30 guests—along with a manager who always accompanies an inaugural trip—on an 8-day journey from Zurich to Lausanne.

After breakfast, our luggage was picked up directly from our room to be transported to our next destination. For guests who had just landed that morning, their bags were tagged and collected right in the lobby.

Next, our group headed to the train station to catch our ride to Grindelwald.

Trains, trams, and buses are the primary modes of travel throughout Switzerland. The public transit network is phenomenal and incredibly easy to navigate. However, some of the transfers we experienced on this inaugural route were tight.

Imagine taking 33 people—some of them older or traveling with children—and giving them exactly 5 minutes to deboard a train, walk down a crowded station ramp, head two tracks over, walk up another ramp, and board the connecting train.

During one of these tight connections, a guest missed the train. Because we had two guides, one stayed behind with the guest while the other led the group ahead. The guide and guest caught an express train shortly after and made it to the next connection with 5 minutes to spare. It’s a testament to how quickly the ABD guides handle hiccups, though it’s definitely an area the planners will likely reevaluate for future trips.

We ended the day in Grindelwald at the gorgeous Romantik Hotel Schweizerhof, with a view of the north face of the legendary Eiger peak, one of the most celebrated and challenging climbs in mountaineering.

It was raining and cool when we arrived, which left us a little nervous because we were scheduled to go kayaking the next day.

With every ABD trip, you can expect a lot of local flavor, and not just in the food. Before heading out to our welcome dinner, we enjoyed a reception with a musical performance from a local legend, Sami Zumbrunn, “the yodeling bus driver,” accompanied by an accordion player. The reception was also a chance for us to start to get to know each other, with each adventurer introducing themselves and sharing what drew us to the trip.

Day 2: An Overcast Morning & Alpine Waters

We woke up the next morning to find a fresh dusting of snow on the mountains under an overcast sky. We headed by bus to Ballenberg, the Swiss Open-Air Museum, which turned out to be an unexpected delight.

This 163-acre museum is more like a park, with more than 100 original rural houses and farm buildings rescued from every region of Switzerland. Whenever a historically significant building is threatened with demolition, the museum disassembles it entirely and reassembles it here.

We split into groups for guided tours of a few select buildings, went inside to sample authentic food made on-site, and encountered numerous farm animals—ranging from regular cows and pigs to some seriously adorable bunnies. As part of the tour, we even got to try our hand at a traditional folk art project: painting a small wooden cow to keep as a souvenir. Local crafts are another ABD signature activity for kids and adults alike.

After a somewhat hectic lunch—the museum restaurant was hustling to accommodate such a large group—we headed out for kayaking on Lake Brienz. Following a quick bus ride to the shore, a little over half of the group braved the water. I chose to sit this one out. It was so cold that everyone had to suit up in full drysuits just to stay warm and dry.

From what I heard later, my decision was a mistake! The kayakers were divided by skill level (first-timer, intermediate, and experienced), and despite initial hesitation about the freezing weather, everyone absolutely loved the experience. No one got wet, no one got too cold, and they reported that the views from this 8.7-mile-long, turquoise alpine lake were fantastic.

We wrapped up the evening with dinner at the hotel.

Day 3: Zermatt

On day three, we traveled toward what would become my favorite destination of the trip: Zermatt, one of Switzerland’s legendary car-free towns. High in the mountains, it required four trains to reach, and the journey itself was extraordinarily beautiful. Our arrival rewarded us with a view of the crown jewel of the tour, the Matterhorn.

Anyone who’s ever visited Disneyland has seen a 1/100th scale version of the Matterhorn. The real mountain stands at an imposing 14,700 feet, while the Anaheim version towers at 147 feet. It also served as the perfect setting for a groundbreaking new roller coaster styled after a bobsled—another favorite Swiss pastime.

It was Walt Disney’s frequent travel to Switzerland that inspired the attraction.

According to the Walt Disney Family Museum: “While visiting the set of Third Man on the Mountain in Zermatt in 1958, Walt became fascinated with the peak which towered over the ski village, the same mountain around which the film was centered. That mountain was the Matterhorn… The striking alpine summit captivated Walt’s imagination and inspired him to create his own version, a scale model in Disneyland.”

I highly recommend watching Third Man on the Mountain on Disney+ before you take this trip. During the movie, you will see the town of Zermatt and its historic wooden houses. After lunch on our own, we joined a walking tour that took us past many of these ancient structures, which are still standing today (some can even be rented out as vacation homes, though I didn’t get a look inside to see their modern amenities).

We capped off the day with a traditional winter meal: fondue. We headed to a local restaurant for our first real taste of Swiss cheese on the trip, starting with a selection of cured meats.

If you are used to American-style fondue parties with an array of vegetables, tart fruits, and meats for dipping, prepare for a reality check. This is a traditional mountain village, so the meal is strictly authentic: bread and potatoes to dip in the cheese. The only vegetables in sight were gherkins and pickled pearl onions. While the experience was fun, I wouldn’t necessarily call it a highlight of our culinary journey.

Day 4: High Altitude & A Glacier Blizzard

We knew it was going to be cold on the mountain, with temperatures in the teens Fahrenheit, so we bundled up like Shrek, in many layers (forgive me for mixing intellectual properties!).

It took a sequence of 3 gondolas to reach our destination: Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. Standing at 3,883 meters (12,575 feet), it is Europe’s highest mountain station. On a clear day, it offers unparalleled panoramic views of the Matterhorn, 14 glaciers, 3 different countries, and over 3 dozen peaks.

Alas, we didn’t get to see any of it. A full-blown spring blizzard rolled in, dropping heavy snow and forcing the outdoor observation deck to close.

We were, however, able to head down to Testa Grigia, where you can stand with one foot in Italy and the other in Switzerland. We tried some snow tubing there, which was a blast, though it did reveal one of those first-tour growing pains; after a collision between two tubes, the staff adjusted the rules to ensure everyone went down one at a time.

We explored the Glacier Palace, an incredible chamber carved roughly 50 feet beneath the surface of the ice. It is filled with glistening ice crystals, an ice slide, a natural glacial crevasse, and detailed ice sculptures that make for fantastic photo opportunities. We finally warmed up during lunch, which was hosted in a private room at the mountain restaurant.

A warning on altitude: Spending extended time at 12,500 feet can take a toll if you aren’t acclimated. It is common to experience headaches, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, or a loss of appetite. Fortunately, you should feel better almost as soon as the gondola takes you back down.

Our guides had originally planned a scenic hike down the mountain from the second gondola station into Zermatt, but rainy conditions lower on the peak made the trail too treacherous. Instead, we enjoyed a free afternoon of shopping and exploring the village on our own, followed by dinner back at our hotel.

Day 5: Toboggans, Cheese and Chocolate, Oh My

Our final morning in Zermatt required a 5:30 a.m. wake-up call courtesy of my wife, who wanted to watch the Alpenglow spilling over the Matterhorn as the sun came up. It was absolutely worth losing the sleep. The storm had passed, leaving a perfectly clear sky, and we marveled as the shifting colors of the sunrise slowly illuminated the mountain.

Following breakfast, we boarded our morning train, transferred to a tour bus, and kicked off a full day of adventures. Our first stop was a summer toboggan ride in the Fribourg Alps.

Returning to the Disney connection: Disneyland’s Matterhorn is famous for being the world’s first tubular steel roller coaster, sending riders plunging through dark caves, past waterfalls, and right by the Abominable Snowman. The real-world Swiss counterpart has none of those special effects, but it makes up for it in pure speed. It moves fast enough that you are given your own handbrake to slow yourself down if you get nervous. I kept the brakes off until the very end, and it was a total thrill.

The biggest takeaway comparing the real Alps toboggan to the Anaheim classic? The Swiss version is a whole lot easier on the spine.

Once our heart rates returned to normal, we boarded the bus and headed toward the historic medieval village of Gruyères for lunch of raclette, which, I am told, is Switzerland’s ultimate national cheese experience. (They also have it at the Swiss Global Marketplace during Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival, so that must be true).

A large slice of cheese is placed under a tabletop broiler. As the cheese starts to bubble and brown, you scrape it on to your plate and eat it with the now-familiar sides: potatoes, bread, pickled pearl onions, and gherkins.

The cheese is made on-site in a small kitchen, which we visited for a brief explanation of the process.

After some time exploring the town on our own and trying to walk off lunch, we headed back on the bus for some dessert—I mean, for a tour of Cailler, Switzerland’s oldest chocolate manufacturer.

Here we were split into 2 groups for our activities: chocolate making, and a tour of the museum.

We started with chocolate making. We had a delightful instructor who explained how chocolate is made and how dark, milk and white chocolate differ. (And yes, she insisted white is a chocolate, though some in our group were not convinced.)

We were each given some chocolate of our choice and were able to make additions like almonds or coffee, and as well as toppings and a pastry bag to decorate the 6-inch chocolate medallion. Here, I found there was a lot of artistic talent in the room, none of it was mine.

The chocolate was put in a freezer to harden while we took the museum factory tour. At first, I wasn’t keen on taking the tour, but it turned out to be a creative approach to the history of chocolate and the company itself. It ended, of course in the tasting room, where you had the opportunity to try as much chocolate as you liked. There were about 10 different varieties to choose from.

Our busy day ended at our hotel, the Lausanne Palace, with a buffet dinner.

Day 6: The Lake, The Castle and Wine

After breakfast, we headed to the water for what was one of the highlights of the trip: A steamboat trip on Lake Geneva, or Lac Léman for the locals.

We had now moved from the German area of Switzerland into the heart of the French side. We boarded the Italie, a small paddleboat built on authentic historical hulls but run on modern diesel-electric paddle wheel systems. While you can watch the paddle wheels do their work, it’s the views of the Swiss Riviera are breathtaking. The two-hour boat ride goes fast as the boat makes a number of stops. While this was a leisure trip for us, it’s mass transit for the locals.

We ended in Montreux, home to the legendary Montreux Jazz Festival, for lunch. There, we visited the Freddie Mercury statue on the lakefront. The 10-foot bronze statue depicts his iconic 1986 Wembley Stadium pose, with his fist raised high. Nearby is Queen: The Studio Experience inside the Montreux Casino, a free museum. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant, but many of our fellow adventurers grabbed food at a grocery store so they could spend the time walking the lakefront or visiting the Queen exhibit.

Our tour then headed to Chillon Castle, the most visited historic monument in Switzerland. The castle is built directly on a limestone rock island near the waterside and is connected to the mainland by a wooden bridge.

Our medieval storyteller, the king’s cook, took us on a tour of the castle, explaining how people lived in the day and how the region changed hands over the years. This is another fun stop we might not have discovered on our own.

As we exited medieval times to return to the present day, we headed to the UNESCO World Heritage Lavaux Vineyard Terraces, with a private visit to a fifth-generation family estate.

The small estate had a sweeping view of the lake below, and we were taken on a brief tour before a wine tasting. The wine and—especially—the cheese was delicious, and the view from the top of the terrace took our breath away.

We ended the day back in Lausanne, with dinner on our owns a the world’s most expensive Five Guys meal.

Day 7: Lausanne Tour and More Chocolate

The day began with a walking tour of Lausanne, known as the Swiss San Francisco because of its many hills. Along the way we stopped at 3 unique chocolate boutiques, one of which served a rightfully legendary hot chocolate, which was more like a warm pudding and was the best treat of the day.

Our guided tour gave us a historic overview of the city, and our timing couldn’t have been luckier. We wrapped up right in the heart of Lausanne’s Old Town at the pedestrianized Place de la Palud, arriving just in time to catch the performance of the famous Palud Clock. Every hour on the hour between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., a set of mechanical wooden shutters swings open, a music box melody begins to play, and a parade of animated wooden puppets emerges to march along the track, acting out key scenes from local history.

We then had some time to explore Lausanne on our own before our visit to the Olympic Museum and our farewell dinner.

When you think of the Olympics Lausanne is probably not the first place you think of. The museum is here because the city has been the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 1915, when IOC founder Pierre de Coubertin relocated the administrative headquarters to the shores of Lake Geneva during World War I.

To reach the museum you ascend a set of steps with the years of Olympic games inscribed on them, past grounds dotted with sculptures and a 100-meter track.

The museum’s collection blends cinematic montages with the archive. It contains the world’s most complete set of official Olympic torches, original stadium models, and gold medals spanning more than a century. Sports fans can view iconic memorabilia from legendary, including Usain Bolt’s running shoes and Simone Biles’ Team USA leotard.

For the kids there is an Olympic Spirit zone where junior adventurers can test their physical agility, try psychological focus games used by professionals, and feel the grand scale of an opening ceremony on panoramic screens.

The evening ends with the farewell dinner, where we all shared the personal highlights of the trip and the guides showed a slideshow they had created.

Martin and Colin brought a lively “first-date energy” to the trip. Martin, a Swiss native, served as our local guide, offering rich commentary on the history, geography, and hiking trails of the mountains we passed. Colin brought exactly the vibrant energy you would expect from someone who started his career on Broadway. As an experienced Adventures by Disney guide, he kept the tour seamlessly on schedule while sharing fascinating insights into Disney’s historical ties to Switzerland.

The duo not only worked tirelessly in front of the group, but they also handled all the logistics and problem-solving behind the scenes. They were easily one of the biggest highlights of the entire trip.

Day 8: Going home

Many of our fellow adventurers headed home first thing the next morning. We spent an extra day walking on the Swiss Riviera and checking out some things we missed in Montreaux. ABD lined up our ride to the airport the following morning.

In the end, being part of this inaugural Adventures by Disney expedition was entirely worth it. Not only was it a spectacular destination, but the experience was completely hassle-free. Having experts handle the logistics, train schedules and seamless room-to-room bag transfers meant we could simply relax and absorb the magic of the Alps without any of the vacation stress.

By showcasing the absolute highlights of the country, this itinerary gave us the perfect, curated taste of Switzerland. Now that we’ve seen what it’s really like to stand in the shadow of the Matterhorn and cruise the Swiss Riviera, we are already talking about when we might want to go back to explore even deeper on our own.

They are booking now for 2027 and the prices range from $8,699 to $9,399 per adult.

In the autumn of 1930, Disney took its first leap into the world of books with the release of the “Mickey Mouse Book (Hello Everybody!)” published by Bibo-Lang. Originally designed as a promotional giveaway for the growing Mickey Mouse Clubs in movie theaters, the demand was so overwhelming that the publisher was forced into a second printing by December 1930. By the time the fourth printing rolled off the presses, over 100,000 copies were in circulation—a staggering figure for the time.

The 16-page book was a treasure trove for early fans, blending storytelling with interactive media. Historical archives and rare book collectors have identified several key features that made this publication a standout:aThe Origin Story: The book opens with “The Story of Mickey Mouse,” a four-page narrative explaining how “mouse number thirteen” first met Walt Disney and how Walt chose his name.

• The “Censored” Song: It featured the sheet music for “Mickey Mouse (You Cute Little Feller),” composed by the publisher Irving Bibo. Interestingly, the first edition contained a lyric about a villain pursuing Minnie: “We feel so bad then we’re glad when you up and kill him.” This line was famously deemed too dark and was changed to “thrill him” and removed in later issues.

• The Journey Game: A board game titled “Mickey Mouse Journey” was included on the centerfold. Most surviving copies are missing pages 9 and 10, as children were encouraged to cut out the game pieces and markers to play.

• The Ukulele Trend: Reflecting the 1930s craze for the instrument, the book included specific ukulele arrangements for its musical numbers.

m

Perhaps the most charming detail of the book is its author. The story and game were “originated” by Bobette Bibo, the 11-year-old daughter of the publisher.

Young Bobette was more than just a one-hit wonder. She would go on to have a prolific career as a writer, publishing titles like Katzimo, Mysterious Mesa and the gritty World War II narrative Pigboat 39 (An American Sub Goes to War).

After marrying U.S. Navy Captain Guy F. Gugliotta, she settled into a life of literary and family legacy. Their son, Guy Bibo Gugliotta, Guy Gugliotta is an award-winning journalist and author with an extensive background as a foreign correspondent for the Miami Herald and a national reporter for the Washington Post.

When the attraction debuted at Magic Kingdom in November 1998, it was a quiet gem in Tomorrowland. I recall early visits where the crowds were so light that Cast Members often let us remain in our vehicles for a second consecutive adventure.

Over the years, we mastered the tricks of the trade, hunting down elusive 100,000-point targets to reach “Galactic Hero” status. To this day, the family bragging rights belong to my wife, who frequently maxed out her score halfway through the ride before spinning our vehicle into position so I could do the same.

At its launch, the ride was a groundbreaking fusion of a traditional dark ride and a shooting gallery. It set the stage for the massive interactive hits that followed, such as Toy Story Midway Mania! in 2008, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run in 2019, and WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure in 2021.

This latest update modernizes the experience while preserving most of its original look. It feels more like a 2.0 version than a complete overhaul. The ride vehicle and system mirrors the technology used in Hong Kong Disneyland’s Ant-Man and The Wasp: Nano Battle!, featuring highly responsive targeting and a sleek digital interface in the car so you can see your score.

The original fixed Space Cannons have been replaced with a handheld space blaster that you pull from a holster. You now have a strong targeting laser to help aim into the center of the “Z” targets, which is much easier to track than the previous version. In each car, one blaster is green and one is red, so it’s easier to figure out which laser is yours. When you connect with a target, the blaster vibrates, the target lights up, and a musical cue plays.

While the track layout remains the same, several key changes elevate the experience:

• Training Room: The first room now features a support-bot named Buddy. He provides encouragement and final system checks, giving you a chance to take practice shots before facing the Evil Emperor Zurg.

• Enhanced Visibility: The “Z” targets have been redesigned to make them significantly easier to locate throughout the scenes.

• Zurg’s Confrontation: The dark room featuring Zurg’s spaceship has been reimagined. Zurg now releases space mines that serve as additional targets. Successful strikes on the mines or the ship trigger a defeated mode where Zurg mocks your progress.

So how do you secure those high scores? I’ve only experienced the new attraction twice and am still refining my strategy. In the meantime, here are two tips to consider:

1. Hold the Trigger: In the original iteration, you could hold down the trigger to shoot continuously. After 2 trips through the ride, we could not agree on whether it works.

2. Watch for White Targets: If you see a target illuminated in white, prioritize it. These special targets yield significantly more points.

This is definitely a “do not miss” attraction with fantastic updates. Go forth, Space Rangers, and be sure to share your own tips as you master the new system.

🎢 Notes & News

• Disney has unveiled a significant overhaul of its ticketing structure for the 2026 D23 event in Anaheim, introducing new tiers designed to increase flexibility and accessibility for the "Ultimate Fan" experience. D23 has announced the new ticket pricing, when tickets will be available, as well as some of the events taking place. Read more

• OpenAI has announced it is shuttering its text-to-video platform Sora to focus on robotics research, effectively dissolving a landmark $1 billion licensing deal with Disney that would have allowed fans to create content using the studio's major intellectual properties. Read more

• The Francesca’s boutique at Disney Springs is set to close permanently on March 29, as part of a nationwide shutdown of all 466 of the retailer's locations.

• Darth Vader has relocated his meet-and-greet at Disney's Hollywood Studios from the Star Tours outdoor queue to the former Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple stage.

• The 34th annual CHOC Walk in the Park, presented by Disneyland Resort, will take place on Sunday, August 2, 2026, featuring a 5K route through Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park to raise funds for the newly merged Rady Children’s Health.

• The heroes-and-villains-themed Disney Destiny was named one of TIME's "World's Greatest Places" for 2026, cited for its innovative storytelling and Wakanda-inspired Grand Hall. Read more

🛠️ Refurbishment Update

• The Grand Floridian Café at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa will close for a refresh from mid-July through October 2026, during which time its daily brunch service will temporarily relocate to Cítricos

🎥 This Week’s Playlist

Take a breath, relax, and enjoy a quick visit with one of the manatees at The Seas with Nemo and Friends in EPCOT.

This bit of trivia comes from the 1995 animated short Runaway Brain. In one scene, Mickey opens his wallet, giving viewers a quick glimpse at his personal belongings. Alongside a library card and a classic photo of him as Steamboat Willie, his Social Security card is clearly visible.

For the curious, the number is 746-55-2769.

While it might seem like a random string of digits, it was actually a deliberate choice. According to the Social Security Administration, the prefix “746” was not assigned to a specific area or individual before 2011, ensuring that Mickey’s number remains unique to him at the time the short aired

In a scene in this short, Mickey unfolds his wallet, and we get to see an early photo of Mickey as Steamboat Willie, his library card, and a photo of Mickey and Minnie.

Despite having a safe SSN, Mickey hasn't been immune to the darker side of paperwork. In 2014, police in Washington state dismantled an identity theft ring and discovered a counterfeit driver’s license issued to none other than Mickey Mouse

The address listed was 1313 South Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, California, the actual address of Disneyland. He was also listed with a height of 5 feet 2 inches and a weight of 100 pounds. He was also listed as an organ donor.

Here’s a quick look at what he had to say:

Parks & Guest Experience

• IP Strategy: D’Amaro emphasized a balanced approach to storytelling, focusing on both extending massive franchises like Toy Story and Moana and nurturing original breakout hits like Hoppers.

• Lightning Lane Differences: Addressing the differences between Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, he explained that the systems are custom-fit to how guests use each resort—noting the “compact footprint” of Disneyland allows for more spontaneous visits compared to the advanced planning typical in Florida. Read more here

• Pricing & Accessibility: Acknowledging that a Disney visit is a meaningful investment, D’Amaro pointed to flexible pricing and special offers—like the current $50 kids’ ticket at Disneyland—as key tools for maintaining high guest satisfaction ratings.

• Disability Access (DAS): He reaffirmed that accessibility is foundational to Disney, noting that the current DAS program is built on consultations with medical experts to provide individualized support for families. He said at this point no changes are on the horizon, but their approach may continue to evolve.

Technology & Innovation

• The Role of AI: In one of the most anticipated questions of the day, D’Amaro said Disney is using AI and machine learning to empower human creativity, not replace it. He described technology as an “amplifier” for storytelling that will never come at the expense of the trust fans place in the brand. Read more here

• Digital Centerpiece: D’Amaro described Disney+ as the “digital centerpiece” of the company, evolving into a portal that connects films, games, and physical park experiences into a unified ecosystem.

Financial Strategy

• Capital Allocation: Leadership is doubling down on the Disney Experiences segment, which has generated consistently high returns on investment over the last decade.

• Shareholder Returns: D’Amaro highlighted a fiscal 2026 goal to buy back $7 billion in shares—double the amount repurchased in 2025—while maintaining a “Single A” credit rating.

• Stock Split & M&A: Management clarified that there are no current plans for a stock split and that the company’s current portfolio of assets (including Fox, Marvel, and Lucasfilm) puts them “well ahead of the curve.”

Fan Favorites & EPCOT

• The “Figment” Question: It seems to be shareholder tradition that there’s a Figment question, and this year was no different. D’Amaro addressed the future of the EPCOT icon. While stopping short of announcing a new film, he noted that the team is “always exploring” new ways for guests to engage with the character, citing his recent appearance in the How Not to Draw short.

• Imagination Pavilion: Addressing specific feedback on the Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival, D’Amaro confirmed there are currently no plans to update the film rotation, though he praised the emotional power of Pixar’s short-form storytelling.
  

Share

First Look: A POV of Revamped Buzz Lightyear

Blast off on a newly reimagined mission! Starting April 8, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom returns with high-tech upgrades to help you defeat the evil Emperor Zurg. Disney has provided this ride-through video.

Here is what’s waiting for Star Command recruits:

• Meet Buddy: A brand-new support bot joins the ranks to guide you through interactive target practice before your mission begins.

• Upgraded Vehicles: Board refreshed cruisers designed for a smoother, more immersive intergalactic journey.

• Enhanced Blasters: Take aim with new handheld blasters featuring always-on lasers and tactile vibration feedback.

• Immersive Effects: Experience the battle like never before with reactive targets, synchronized lighting, and booming audio enhancements.

🥚Easter Egg Displays

Let’s take a tour of the Easter Egg Displays around Disney World resorts.

• Yacht Club Eggs: The bakery team at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort has debuted its intricate 2026 chocolate Easter egg display. See the display

• Beach Club Display: Disney’s Beach Club Resort lobby is now home to a movie-themed collection of hand-painted Easter eggs. See the display

• Grand Floridian Eggs: The annual display of famous hand-painted chocolate eggs is now scattered throughout the resort. See the display

• Contemporary Resort Muppets: A new Muppet-themed chocolate egg display is now greeting guests at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. See the display

🎢 Notes & News

• Worlds Collide Tour: A new 2026 arena tour has been announced featuring stars from Camp Rock, Descendants, and ZOMBIES. Read more

• Grand Floridian Leadership: Two veteran leaders from Victoria & Albert’s have been promoted to oversee the culinary operations at the Grand Floridian Resort. Read more

• Garden View Tea: Afternoon tea returns to the Grand Floridian with the opening of the Garden View Lounge on March 19. Read more

• Cinderella Castle Refresh: Crews are completing the final stages of repainting Cinderella Castle to restore its classic color palette. Read more

🎥 This Week’s Playlist

The star of The Beak and Barrel lounge at Magic Kingdom in Disney World is Rummy, a pirate parrot with an eye patch who emerges every few minutes to interact with patrons, firing off pirate “dad jokes” that are sure to make you laugh.

On April 9, 1961, Walt Disney dedicated the Snow White Grotto. For years, the story was that these sculptures were a generous gift from Italian sculptor Leonida Parma. Yet, a tour of Walt Disney Imagineering a few years ago shed new light on the matter: documents confirmed Disney had commissioned them. The irony lay in the execution: the dwarfs were each 31 inches tall, but Snow White was only 39 inches. Faced with a $2,000 cost to resculpt Snow White, Disney chose to place her high above the dwarfs to create forced perspective, spending just $611 expense to carve a few small animals to enhance the effect.

The Recharging of Tomorrowland

The journey begins on April 8 at Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin is receiving its most significant tactical upgrade to date. While the mission to defeat Emperor Zurg remains, the tools of the trade have evolved. Recruits will now be greeted by Buddy, a Star Command support bot designed to hone their skills with pre-flight target practice.

The star cruisers themselves have been overhauled with handheld blasters featuring always-on lasers and enhanced haptic feedback, making the battle for the galaxy feel more visceral than ever. For the first time, returning Rangers will see their competitive rank and final score immortalized on their Disney PhotoPass memories—official proof for those claiming the title of Galactic Hero.

New Adventures in Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios is perhaps the most active hub of this summer’s evolution. Starting May 22, the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon becomes a classroom for the Force. In a new mission for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, pilots will join The Mandalorian and Grogu on a high-stakes chase. This update introduces a first for the attraction: the ability for guests to select their own planetary destinations and engage in direct, real-time communication with Grogu.

Subscribe now

May 26: A Super-Sized Debut Day

The start of the Cool KIDS’ SUMMER on May 26 marks a major milestone for the resort, with several high-profile experiences opening simultaneously:

• EPCOT: Debuting Soarin’ Across America, a new voyage celebrating the U.S. 250th anniversary with aerial views of the Grand Canyon and iconic cityscapes.

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Bluey and Bingo arrive at Conservation Station for “Bluey’s Wild World,” featuring games, photos, and a new “Jumping Junction” animal encounter.

• Disney’s Hollywood Studios: The premiere of Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! and the opening of The Walt Disney Studios outdoor courtyard.

Limited-Time Summer Exclusives

As part of “Cool KIDS’ SUMMER” events therfe will be some special events running exclusively through the season:

• Jessie’s Roundup: A high-energy revue at Magic Kingdom’s Diamond Horseshoe.

• GoofyCore: A DJ-led dance party and “maximum silliness” zone at EPCOT’s CommuniCore Hall.

• Disney Springs: Nightly dance parties featuring music from Descendants: Wicked Wonderland and Camp Rock 3.

• Water Parks: Meet-and-greets with “laid-back” Goofy at Blizzard Beach and Stitch at Typhoon Lagoon. Disney H2O Glow After Hours also returns to Typhoon Lagoon on select nights starting June 2.

Planned Openings But No Dates Announced

Also opening in the next few months are two major attractions getting major renovations and a brand new experience:

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is slated to emerge from its refurbishment in early May with a fresh polish and “new magic” hidden along its winding tracks.

• The legendary Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is being tuned to a different frequency as it reopens with the high-speed hijinks of The Muppets and the soulful rock of The Electric Mayhem.

• The Magic of Disney Animation will open in late summer. This newly reimagined space in Hollywood Studios Animation Courtyard will feature the “Drawn to Wonderland” playground and “Olaf Draws,” an interactive class where guests of all ages learn the art of animation from legendary Disney artists
  

  Share

  ---

🌸 Flower and Garden

• Find every character display at the 2026 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival with our complete guide, featuring a full list of topiary locations and a vibrant photo gallery of all your favorite Disney stars in bloom. Read the guide here

• Discover the perfect spot for our favorite four-legged friend, Pluto, at the 2026 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. Read more

🎢 Notes & News

• Disney names Thomas Mazloum as the new Chairman of Disney Experiences, where he will oversee the company’s global theme parks, cruise lines, and consumer products as Josh D’Amaro prepares to transition into the role of CEO. Read more

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is celebrating a historic milestone with the birth of a healthy female Ankole calf, the first of its kind born at the resort in over 20 years. Read more

• Explore the grueling early life of Walt Disney as a Kansas City newsboy, where six years of 3:30 a.m. wake-up calls and brutal winters forged the legendary work ethic and creative grit that would one day inspire Newsies. Read more

• The City of Orlando and Walt Disney World leadership recently dedicated a new commemorative plaque in the Thornton Park District, marking the historic site of the Cherry Plaza Hotel where Walt and Roy Disney first announced the "Florida Project" to the world in 1965. Read more

🛠️ Refurbishment Updates

• Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort is set to begin a phased room refurbishment starting in late May 2026, a project expected to bring refreshed accommodations to the value resort through January 2027.

• From March 30 through May 1, 2026, the Skyway Bridge connecting Bay Lake Tower and the Main Tower will be closed on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., though it will remain open on evenings and weekends for guest use.

• Disney has announced refurbishments will take place for the Treehouse Villas at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, with interior work expected to run through mid-September 2026 alongside scheduled closures for the resort's tennis courts and Turf Club Bar and Grill.

🛍️ Mickey’s Merch Corner

Can’t wait to get this new Winnie the Pooh and Piglet Spring Bucket, featuring a unique "hidden" Piglet surprise tucked inside Pooh's honey pot, at Disney World.

🎥 This Week’s Playlist

A look back at 2016 and the Citizens of Hollywood at Disney's Hollywood Studios during a joke competition.

Four Dapper Dan Dad Jokes that will make you smile or groan depending on your age. Taken at a January 2025 performance at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

While the image radiates the same camaraderie seen in Disney’s own Newsies film and Broadway musical, the historical reality behind the lens was a six-year marathon of labor that began shortly after the Disney family moved from Marceline, Missouri, in 1911, according to KC Yesterday.

The operation was a strict family affair, mirroring the “carrying the banner” spirit of the stage show but with a paternal twist. Walt’s father, Elias, had purchased a distributorship for the Kansas City Star and the Kansas City Times. Much like the characters Jack Kelly or Davey, Walt and his brother Roy faced a relentless seven-day work week that defied the Missouri climate. Each morning began at 3:30 a.m. to prepare the morning editions. Walt would navigate his route before the first bell at Benton School, only to return to the pavement after dismissal for the evening run, according to the Kansas City Library.

The scale of this childhood labor was immense. Together, the brothers were responsible for circulating approximately 700 morning papers and upwards of 600 copies for the afternoon and Sunday editions.

Unlike the theatrical newsies who fought for every penny of their “papes,” Walt received no financial compensation from his father for these efforts. He frequently recalled the winter months as particularly brutal, describing instances where he had to wade through snowdrifts that stood taller than he did—a stark, silent contrast to the high-energy dance numbers of the Broadway stage.

This double life as a student and a laborer took a significant toll on his education. Exhausted from his early start, Walt often struggled to remain conscious during his lessons, leading to a dip in his academic performance. On the coldest mornings, he was known to seek refuge in warm apartment hallways for brief, desperate naps, sometimes oversleeping until the sun was high in the sky.

Even under the weight of these responsibilities, Walt’s creative drive persisted. He utilized his Saturdays to attend formal art training at the Kansas City Art Institute, then hosted at the local YMCA. By the time the family moved to Chicago in 1917, Walt had spent six years on the route, missing only four weeks of work due to illness.

The grit of the Kansas City newsie stayed with him throughout his life. Years later, when he returned to the city to launch Laugh-O-gram Films, he chose a workspace just blocks away from the very streets where he had once labored. This personal history eventually allowed the Disney company to tell the newsie story with an authentic heartbeat, acknowledging that their founder once stood on those same street corners, “seizing the day” long before it became a song.

To make room for massive new lands and high-tech experiences promised for the late 2020s, several fan-favorites have been temporarily—or permanently—taken off the board.

For those who haven’t visited in a few years, the change is stark. EPCOT is currently the only park where the primary construction walls have come down. In the other three parks, however, entire sections are currently “behind the curtain.”

Park-by-Park Navigation Guide: Spring 2026

Magic Kingdom

• Frontierland/Liberty Square: The former Rivers of America (home to the Liberty Square Riverboat and Tom Sawyer Island) is walled off for the massive construction of Cars Land: Piston Peak National Park and the upcoming Villains Land behind it.

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Closed for a major refurbishment; expected to reopen sometime this spring (no date announced).

• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: Closed for a major technical overhaul; expected to reopen this spring (no date announced).

• Haunted Mansion: Remains OPEN, though it is currently cloaked in construction scrim for exterior work.

• Cinderella Castle: Ongoing painting has paused the “Let the Magic Begin” morning show. The “Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire” stage show is currently running afternoon sets only.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster: Closed March 1 to begin its Muppet-tized transformation. It will reopen this summer as a high-speed adventure starring The Electric Mayhem.

• Muppet Courtyard: The entire area, including the beloved Muppet*Vision 3D, is closed to make way for the new Monsters, Inc. Land.

• Animation Courtyard: Star Wars Launch Bay and Disney Junior Dance and Play have closed. The area is being reimagined to reopen this summer as a new studio-themed lot.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

• DinoLand U.S.A.: Completely closed. DINOSAUR and Restaurantosaurus have closed to make way for the Tropical Americas expansion (featuring Encanto and Indiana Jones).

• Rafiki’s Planet Watch: The Conservation Center, Wildlife Express Train, and Affection Section are closed for the construction of the new Bluey Adventure, opening this summer.

EPCOT

• France Pavilion: The Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along and Impressions de France are closed for routine refurbishment (no reopening date announced).

2026 Resort Refurbishment Status

The Monorail Resorts

• Polynesian Village: Major reconfiguration of the front entrance roadway and bus area. Noticeable daytime activity, though dining and pools remain open.

• Grand Floridian: Covered entrance renovations continue through early 2027. Alternate walking paths may be required.

• Contemporary & Bay Lake Tower: Major interior phase-work through 2027. The Bay Cove Pool and water play area are closed through early May 2026.

Animal Kingdom & Wilderness Lodge Areas

• Animal Kingdom Lodge: Room refurbishments at Kidani Village (through May 2026) and Jambo House (starting May 2026).

• Wilderness Lodge: Exterior maintenance involving scaffolding and obstructed views will continue through late 2026.

• Fort Wilderness: Construction near the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool through mid-2026; limited seating at the pool.

EPCOT & Skyliner Resorts

• BoardWalk Inn & Villas: Select area refurbishments throughout 2026; amenities remain open.

• Beach Club & Yacht Club: Both resorts are undergoing visible exterior maintenance through late 2026. The Tidal (Beach Club) and Admiral (Yacht Club) leisure pools are closed through early May 2026.

• Caribbean Beach: The Fuentes del Morro Water Play Area is closed through early March 2026 (main feature pool remains open).

Moderate & Value Resorts

• Port Orleans – Riverside: Rolling guest room refurbishments through August 2027.

• All-Star Sports: The Surfboard Bay Pool (main pool) and kiddie pool are closed through late April 2026.

🌸 2026 EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival

• Running from March 4 through June 1, this year’s festival highlights several “firsts,” including a trio of brand-new themed gardens and a magical day-to-night transformation at the heart of the park. Read more here

• Full menus are available for the upcoming festival; foodies can prepare their palates for a global culinary journey when the festival returns March 4. Read more here

• From iconic backdrops to whimsical digital surprises, here is how you can make your Flower and Garden Festival memories last a lifetime with special photo opportunities from Disney PhotoPass photographers. Read more here

• The 2026 Garden Rocks concert series features an eclectic mix of chart-topping legends and fresh faces at the America Gardens Theatre. Highlighting this year’s schedule are several festival debuts, including The Music of ABBA, Information Society, FireHouse, and Katrina (formerly of Katrina & The Waves). Get the schedules here

🎢 Notes & News

• Two-time Olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon winner Des Linden traded the Michigan winter for a royal training session this weekend, ultimately securing a dominant win in the women’s division of the 2026 Disney Princess Half Marathon. Read more here

• Disney has unveiled the first look at the finisher medals for the 2026 runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend, which will feature iconic Disney pairs celebrating the theme “Better Together” when the races take place this April. Read more here

• The world-renowned CrazyShake by Black Tap is officially open at Disney Springs.

• Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings is expanding its “Happily Ever After” reach to the 42nd Street stage, offering all-new Aladdin on Broadway Engagement Packages. Read more here

• The magic of the Burbank studio lot is heading east. Disney has released updated details on a massive reimagining of the Animation Courtyard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, headlined by Olaf Draws!—a high-tech drawing experience featuring a brand-new Audio-Animatronics version of the world’s most famous snowman. Read more here

• A new exhibition arriving at the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum this spring, The Walt Disney Studios and World War II, tells the story of how Walt Disney and his artists pivoted from fairy tales to the front lines. Read more here

• As the United States prepares for its 250th anniversary, Disney World has announced that the powerful “Portraits of Courage” exhibit at EPCOT—which honors the nation’s military veterans—will be extended through July 2026. Read more here

• In a magical celebration of Fat Tuesday, heroes and villains took over the streets of Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter and Riverside Resorts for the legendary annual Mardi Gras golf cart parade on Feb. 17. Read more here

• Disney World has announced the return of the fan-favorite “Cool Kids’ Summer” for 2026, running from May 26 to September 8 with brand-new experiences, including a Toy Story-themed takeover of The Diamond Horseshoe called “Jessie’s Roundup.” Read more here

• The historic Garden View Tea Room at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is officially set to reopen on March 19, featuring a refreshed interior and a new menu inspired by the whimsical world of Alice in Wonderland.

• EPCOT has debuted long-awaited upgrades to the Frozen Ever After attraction, replacing the original projection-style faces on the Elsa and Anna Audio-Animatronics with more realistic, fully articulated sculpted faces. Read more here

🛍️ Mickey’s Merch Corner

Spotted at Creations Shop in EPCOT! These adorable rubber ducks quacked us up. Whether you're a collector or just looking for a whimsical souvenir, these little guys are the undisputed stars of the shelf. They are $4.99 each.

🎥 This Week’s Playlist

Step back in time to 1992 for a dose of pure 90s nostalgia! This rare footage captures the Surprise Celebration Parade at Magic Kingdom, a vibrant, Mardi Gras-inspired spectacle created for Walt Disney World’s 20th Anniversary.

From a high-stakes $1 billion OpenAI investment and the launch of the $30/month ESPN “Flagship” app to the looming shadow of Universal’s Epic Universe and a fractured political climate, D’Amaro’s first 100 days will be a trial by fire. Can the man who mastered the “Disney Magic” in the parks now scale that charm to save the studio, win the AI wars, and reclaim Disney’s identity?

The four areas D’Amaro will need to focus on include:

• The AI Gamble: Licensing Mickey Mouse for OpenAI’s Sora platform.

• Sports on the Brink: Can the $29.99 ESPN Unlimited tier stop the cord-cutting bleed?

• Park Pressures: Balancing record revenues against the “Epic” threat in Orlando.

• The Diplomacy Test: Navigating the fallout from recent political and regulatory clashes. Read more here

More on the new Disney CEO

• Disney Picks Parks Veteran D’Amaro As Next CEO, Walden as Creative Chief

• The Next Chapter: Disney’s Gamble on the ‘People’s CEO’

🎢 Notes & News

• They said the line… and they MEANT it! Watch Super Bowl LX champs Sam Darnold and K9 take over Main Street U.S.A. for the iconic victory cavalcade!

• The 2026 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival will debut brand-new interactive gardens and a first-of-its-kind bioluminescent nighttime display at CommuniCore Hall when it kicks off on March 4. Read more here

• EPCOT’s Frozen Ever attraction debuts realistic new animatronics. Read more here

• Beginning in July 2026, couples can say “I do” at a hauntingly unique new wedding venue located right on the iconic front steps of the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland Park as part of Disney Weddings. Read more here

• Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park is set to reopen on Feb. 15, offering a $89 seasonal pass that includes new perks like discounts on Polar Patios and a complimentary round of miniature golf.

🛍️ Mickey’s Merch Corner

Bath & Body Works is launching a massive 92-product Disney Princess Collection on February 13, featuring five new fragrances inspired by Aurora, Mulan, Rapunzel, and Snow White, alongside the return of fan-favorite scents for Belle and Tiana. Read more here

🎥 This Week’s Playlist

Wait for the sound! Traveling back to 1992 at Magic Kingdom to see a true Disney rarity: The Dragon Calliope. Did you know this musical masterpiece was built in 1907? Walt Disney himself purchased it in the 50s for Disneyland, but it eventually made its way to Florida to lead parades at WDW! It’s been a long time since it whistled down Main Street, U.S.A... stick around until the end to see where this legend lives today!

Friends recently treated us to this 60-minute excursion, and it was one of the highlights of their trip. While I have taken this tour before, it is one I would take again and again and again.

The tour begins at a check-in kiosk near the entrance to Kilimanjaro Safaris. Because this is a popular experience, reservations are a must. The journey starts by heading backstage. Please note that photography is strictly prohibited in the backstage areas; however, once you arrive at the elephant observation area, you will have plenty of opportunities to snap photos.

From the kiosk, you are escorted to a van that drives you behind the scenes toward the elephant enclosure. If you’ve ever been on a safari and looked across the savanna to see people standing on a distant raised platform, that is exactly where you are heading: the private observation area at the rear of the enclosure.

An Unfiltered Look at the Herd

Because the elephants have a “mind of their own,” sightings aren’t guaranteed, but the keepers do their best to time the tour with the herd’s natural movements. As we walked up the ramp, we initially thought we might be out of luck, then, suddenly, several large pachyderms lumbered into view from the left.

The tour guide shared the fascinating history of the herd, explaining the complex relationships between the family members. The education portion covers everything from their specialized medical care to their daily habits. We even learned:

• How they walk: Interestingly, elephants actually walk on their toes, with a large pad of gristle under each heel to cushion their massive weight.

• The “Dirty” Details: We learned about the importance of tracking their health through their waste—and yes, we even got to hold and touch (sanitized!) elephant dung.

The observation area offers a stunning, elevated view. The elephants can get as close as 80 to 100 feet, but there are still barriers separating you and them. The guide pointed out various enrichment devices hidden in the landscape that encourage the elephants to stretch their trunks and stay active. Since food is their primary motivator, eating roughly 300 to 400 pounds of food a day, the keepers use these devices to keep them engaged.

We watched the herd play, frolic, and in one instance, climb onto a rocky area. It is a fantastic photo opportunity for selfies with the elephants in the background, though you should keep an eye on the sun’s position depending on your tour time.

The herd is currently made up of about nine elephants, and their social dynamics are incredible to watch. Like clockwork, as our hour came to an end, the elephants began moving out of view as if they knew the tour was over.

Here’s what you need to know:

Magic Kingdom

Cinderella Castle: Work will begin later this week to repaint Magic Kingdom’s icon from its 50th anniversary pink look back to its classic color palette of traditional blues, grays, and creams. While cranes may be visible during the morning hours, they are scheduled to be lowered by midday to preserve those iconic photo opportunities. This means the “Let The Magic Begin” welcome show will be temporarily modified. While characters will not be making an appearance during this time, you will still hear the welcome fanfare and music to start your day at Magic Kingdom. “Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire,” a show that takes place in front of the castle, will not have morning appearances but will be in the afternoon only.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: This roller coaster attraction remains closed as work continues to bring a smoother track, enhanced show scenes, and the introduction of the "Rainbow Caverns.” This is scheduled to reopen this summer.

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin: The attraction in Tomorrowland is slated to reopen this summer as the ride is going through major changes, including new blasters, interactive targets, a new character, and visual enhancements.

Piston Peak National Park and Villains Land: Thanks to the incredible bird’s-eye perspective from @bioreconstruct, we are getting our first real look at the massive work taking place for the new Cars Land called Piston Peak National Park and the new Villains Land area.

EPCOT

Frozen Ever After: The popular boat attraction in the Norway Pavilion is currently closed but is scheduled to reopen in late February with updated animatronics. All of the faces for Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff will be more lifelike.

Animal Kingdom

DINOSAUR and Restaurantosaurus: It is the end of an era. The DINOSAUR attraction that introduced us all to Dr. Grant Seeker and The Iguanodon will permanently close on Feb. 2, with Feb. 1. being its last day of operation. “:They're not gonna make it! They're not gonna make it!") In addition, Restaurantosaurus, the beloved burger joint will also close on Feb. 2, with Feb. 1 being its last day of operation. The closures are part of a major overhaul to transform DinoLand U.S.A. into a new 11-acre “Tropical Americas” land, which will feature an Indiana Jones attraction and an Encanto-themed ride, expected to open in 2027.

Harambe Market: This quick-service area that has been closed for refurbishment will reopen earlier than announced on Feb. 5, bridging the gap as Restaurantosaurus closes. There is a need for a high-capacity replacement, and the menu as changed to include burgers.

Tropical Americas: The transformation of DinoLand U.S.A. into the highly anticipated Tropical Americas is moving at a rapid pace. New aerial photography from @bioreconstruct has revealed the first major vertical milestones, with a massive new ride show building now clearly visible from the air. This 11-acre site is quickly evolving into the vibrant, lived-in village of Pueblo Esperanza.

Hollywood Studios

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster: The original Aerosmith-themed experience will have its last day on March 1. It officially closes for its transformation on March 2. The ride will be reimagined as Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets, featuring Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. It is expected to reopen in Summer 2026.

Monstropolis: We’re getting our clearest look yet at the massive expansion of Monstropolis taking place at Hollywood Studios in Disney World. The latest aerial photos paint a clear picture of the scale of this ambitious project. A colossal show building is rapidly taking shape for the signature attraction that will immerse guests in the heart of the Monsters, Inc. door vault, where they’ll embark on a thrilling roller coaster adventure.

Disney Springs

Six Ravens: Gideon’s Bakehouse has announced a major expansion. The award-winning bakery, famous for its nearly half-pound cookies, gothic aesthetic, and long lines, is introducing a brand-new savory concept. Read more

🎢 Notes & News

• EPCOT Festival of Arts: If you happened to be near the World Celebration Gardens in EPCOT and heard a roar usually reserved for a stadium-filling encore, don’t worry—the park hadn’t suddenly turned into a late-night music festival. It was something arguably more impressive: Trevor Carlton and a fresh tub of black acrylic. Read more

  • During the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, a pair of jugglers perform in the World Celebration area.

  • The brand-new “Once Upon a Stage” exhibit at the International Festival of the Arts is officially open, and it is a theater lover’s dream come true.

• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort: The Crew’s Cup Lounge and Yachtsman Steakhouse are scheduled to close later this year. Read more

• Hollywood Studios: Ahead of the attraction's imminent closure in March 2026, Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton and his new band, Close Enemies, stopped by Hollywood Studios for one final high-speed send-off at the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. See more

• The Walt Disney Company: Disney’s Q1 Fiscal Year 2026 Earnings Results Webcast will take place Feb. 2 at 8:30 a.m. ET The Annual Shareholder Meeting is scheduled for March 18 at 1 p.m. ET. Read more

🍽️ On the Menu

Featured Treat: New Mickey Waffle Cones
Location: Marketplace Snacks, Disney Springs

Marketplace Snacks, the waterfront kiosk known for its elaborate “Bubble Waffle” sundaes, pivots from purely sweet treats to a brand-new savory menu. While the location will continues to serve its signature soft-serve stacked cones, three new “heavy-hitter” offerings are set to debut, turning the classic waffle into a handheld meal. The upcoming menu expansion features three distinct flavor profiles designed to cater to the “lunch on the go” crowd: Hot Honey Chicken Waffle, Bacon Cheeseburger Waffle, and BBQ Brisket Mac and Cheese Waffle.

🛠️ Planning Toolkit

Planning a Disney vacation in 2026 is about more than just picking a week and hoping for the best. Between massive resort overhauls and milestone celebrations, the “when” and “where” of your trip have never been more important. Before you lock in your dates, make sure you’ve checked these three essential entries in the Diary:

• Lock in Your Calendar: From marathon weekends to holiday shifts, not all weeks are created equal. We’ve mapped out the 2026 dates that offer the best balance of low crowds and peak magic.

• The 2026 Hotel Construction Guide: Don’t let a “refurbishment” sign ruin your resort stay. From lobby renovations to pool closures, see which Disney World hotels are currently under construction so you can book with confidence.

• Milestones & Magic: 2026 is a year of big numbers! We’re tracking the major Disney anniversaries happening this year, from classic attraction birthdays to resort milestones, so you can be in the park when the celebration hits.

🛍️ Mickey’s Merch Corner

"Celebrate your own 'once upon a time' this Valentine’s Day. Nothing makes the holiday feel more magical than a gift inspired by the stories we love. Whether it’s for a family member, a partner, or a gift to yourself, our curated Disney collection brings a touch of enchantment to every connection you cherish." More here

🎥 This Week’s Playlist

Before it became the Astro Orbiter we know today, we had Star Jets! This was the peak of the original "Space Age" look in Tomorrowland when it opened in 1974. Instead of weaving through planets, you were piloting your very own Saturn V-style rocket high above the Magic Kingdom.

Before the entrance of Pirates of the Caribbean at Magic Kingdom in Disney World was changed, this animatronic icon—the Barker Bird, also known as Peg-Leg Pete—spent his days greeting guests with a "Yo Ho!" and plenty of attitude.

EPCOT is preparing to transform into a living canvas this Friday as the 2026 International Festival of the Arts officially opens, blending a symphony of culinary creations, world-class performances, and rare glimpses into the minds of Disney’s most celebrated creators.

While the festival is a yearly tradition, the 2026 season arrives with an air of heightened spectacle. Walking through the park this week, guests will notice a massive new addition near CommuniCore Hall: a 14-foot-tall, 1,200-pound Genie’s Lamp. The prop, which famously sat atop the New Amsterdam Theatre marquee in New York City, was transported to Florida specifically for the festival, serving as a towering tribute to the “Disney on Broadway” legacy.

That Broadway connection remains the heartbeat of the festival’s performing arts. Starting Friday, the America Gardens Theatre will host a rotating roster of theater royalty. Opening weekend kicks off with Adam Jacobs and Isabelle McCalla (stars of Aladdin), who will perform showstoppers from the Disney songbook three times nightly. The series will conclude in February with a “grand finale” featuring a powerhouse quartet of icons, including Ashley Brown and Susan Egan. Here’s the complete show schedule.

For those looking to take a piece of the magic home, the “Visual Arts” component of the festival is reaching new heights. Over 100 Disney and visiting artists are descending upon World Showcase. This year’s lineup is a mix of legends and newcomers, featuring the festival debut of Disney Senior Character Artist Rosana Iarusso alongside fan favorites like Jerrod Maruyama and Dave Perillo. Guests won’t just be buying prints; they will have the chance to watch these artists work live, signing pieces and discussing the inspiration behind over 200 new works created specifically for this event. Find when and where the artists are here.

Of course, the “Culinary Arts” provide the literal flavor of the festival. This year’s Food Studios are leaning heavily into the “deconstructed” and “avant-garde.” The Odyssey’s Figment’s Inspiration Station is expected to be the weekend’s busiest hub, serving as the home for the 2026 Figment Artist Bucket—a must-have for collectors—and the fan-favorite “Imagination Cone.” Other highlights include the peppercorn-crusted striploin and a decadent chocolate pot de crème inspired by Earl Grey tea. (See the menus.)

While the “splash of color” is guaranteed, the weather may add its own twist to opening weekend. With a rare cold front pushing through Central Florida, Friday’s festivities are expected to kick off with temperatures potentially dipping into the 30s.

Despite the chill, the atmosphere remains warm with anticipation. Whether you are there to grab a paintbrush for the massive expression section mural, catch a Broadway-caliber belt, or simply indulge in a dish that looks too good to eat, the 2026 Festival of the Arts promises to be a masterpiece in the making.

The festival runs daily at EPCOT from Friday, Jan. 16, through Feb. 23.

More updates and reviews to come.

🎢 Notes & News

• Disney World Marathon: The 2026 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend wasn’t just about the miles; it was about milestones, memories, and making a difference. From long-awaited personal victories to massive fundraising success, here are the top stories from the course

  

  • For Matt Hensley, the road to the winner’s circle was a long-distance pursuit years in the making. After a string of top-10 finishes, the Colorado native finally secured his first-place victory on Sunday with a time of 2:29:37. Following in his father’s footsteps, who competed in the marathon’s early years, Hensley’s win was a true family celebration.

    • Read the full story on Matt Hensley’s elusive victory here.

  • Jack Napoli dominated the early morning races, securing a blistering win in the 5K before returning on Saturday to claim his third consecutive 10K title. But the real winner was the community: Napoli and 175 runners representing the Race to End Duchenne raised over $300,000 for Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, continuing a powerful legacy of advocacy and research.

    • Read more about Napoli’s sweep and the Race to End Duchenne.

• Magic Kingdom: As part of the “Cool Kids’ Summer” celebration, the Diamond Horseshoe will host a brand-new, high-energy experience: Jessie’s Roundup.

• Disney World: Disney World started the year by introducing travel deals for summer 2026, including hotel savings of up to 30%, Florida Residents and Annual Passholder deals, and a free dining plan for kids.

• Walt Disney Company: Disney is streamlining its marketing and brand organization by bringing its industry-leading teams together under one roof. This new “brand-first” era will be led by Asad Ayaz, who steps into the newly created role of Chief Brand Officer to oversee Disney’s image on a global scale.

• Disneyland: Galaxy’s Edge just announced a timeline expansion! Expect to see Luke Skywalker on Batuu starting this April. If this is happening at Disneyland, then we have to ask, will this soon take place at Disney World. There really is no reason to do this. The stage area outside of Star Tours in Hollywood Studios that was used for Jedi Training is not being used. It would be the perfect location to have Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia to do meet and greets.

Closure Alert: The Disney Skyliner will be down for its annual refurbishment from Jan. 25–31. Plan for extra bus time!

Guests planning a stay at Disney’s Beach Club Resort or Disney’s Old Key West Resort in early 2026 may need to adjust their swimming itineraries.

Disney Wilderness Lodge Boat Dock is closed from Jan. 12 – 30 meaning no water transportation to Magic Kingdom during those weeks.

🍽️ On the Menu

Featured Treat: New Mickey Waffle Cones
Location: Marketplace Snacks, Disney Springs

Marketplace Snacks, the waterfront kiosk known for its elaborate “Bubble Waffle” sundaes, pivots from purely sweet treats to a brand-new savory menu. While the location will continue to serve its signature soft-serve stacked cones, three new “heavy-hitter” offerings are set to debut, turning the classic waffle into a handheld meal. The upcoming menu expansion features three distinct flavor profiles designed to cater to the “lunch on the go” crowd: Hot Honey Chicken Waffle, Bacon Cheeseburger Waffle, and BBQ Brisket Mac and Cheese Waffle.

🛠️ Planning Toolkit

Planning a Disney vacation in 2026 is about more than just picking a week and hoping for the best. Between massive resort overhauls and milestone celebrations, the “when” and “where” of your trip have never been more important. Before you lock in your dates, make sure you’ve checked these three essential entries in the Diary:

• Lock in Your Calendar: From marathon weekends to holiday shifts, not all weeks are created equal. We’ve mapped out the 2026 dates that offer the best balance of low crowds and peak magic.

• The 2026 Hotel Construction Guide: Don’t let a “refurbishment” sign ruin your resort stay. From lobby renovations to pool closures, see which Disney World hotels are currently under construction so you can book with confidence.

• Milestones & Magic: 2026 is a year of big numbers! We’re tracking the major Disney anniversaries happening this year, from classic attraction birthdays to resort milestones, so you can be in the park when the celebration hits.

🛍️ Mickey’s Merch Corner

• GANNI and Disney: Following the success of their debut, GANNI and Disney are back with a second special-edition drop. This collection blends GANNI’s effortless Danish "cool-girl" aesthetic with the sassy, iconic charm of Daisy Duck.

🎥 This Week’s Playlist

Experience the rare Rainy Day Cavalcade at Magic Kingdom! When the weather turns sour at Walt Disney World, the Festival of Fantasy parade is replaced by this special "rainy day parade" featuring characters in their adorable rain gear.

I caught a rare sight at Disney’s Animal Kingdom: The Synchronized March.

I went back into my personal archives and, for the first time in a long time, took a look at this 1992 video taken on one of those huge shoulder video cameras of the backstage tour at what was then Disney-MGM studios, including Catastrophe Canyon.

President Richard Nixon was cleaning house; he asked for the resignation of two of his most influential aides, who were later indicted, convicted, and sent to prison for their involvement. He also fired the White House counsel, who went on to testify against the president.

The political scandal, for those who may have forgotten, concerns the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C., and attempted cover-up by the Nixon administration for its involvement.

And on Nov. 17, 1973, Nixon went to the Contemporary Resort in Walt Disney World to participate in an hour-long televised question-and-answer session. He fielded questions from the 400 managing editors of the Associated Press during their annual convention held at the Contemporary.

During the question-and-answer session, Nixon gave his famous “I’m not a crook” statement.

“I have earned every cent. And in all of my years of public life, I have never obstructed justice,” the President said. “People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook. I’ve earned everything I’ve got.”

The speech is well-known for being part of Disney World lore. This was far from Nixon’s first interaction with a Disney property, having a long history with Walt Disney himself.

Nixon was a well-documented Disney fan.

The relationship began in 1955, a pivotal year for both Nixon and Walt Disney. Then Vice President under Dwight D. Eisenhower, Nixon visited the then-new Disneyland with his family. This wasn’t just a quick photo-op; it was a moment of mutual recognition. Nixon was presented with the Key to Disneyland, symbolizing the park’s embrace of the prominent figure. He and his family experienced the park’s magic, including classic attractions like the Peter Pan Flight, marking the beginning of a long and enduring relationship, according to a series of newsletters published on the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum website.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Nixon family became frequent visitors to Disneyland. These weren’t merely obligatory public appearances; they were genuine family outings. The Nixons, like countless other Americans, were drawn to Disney’s unique blend of entertainment, innovation, and wholesome fun. They also developed a friendship with Walt Disney himself, a man whose warmth, creativity, and subtle humor resonated with them.

In 1959, Nixon was present for the grand opening of a major Disneyland expansion, including the debut of the Monorail. Tricia and Julie Nixon, Nixon’s daughters, used oversized wooden scissors to cut the ribbon during the ceremony.

On the 55th anniversary of the ribbon cutting, in 2014, Tricia and Julie sent this message:

“We are pleased and excited to join Disney fans around the world in celebrating the 55th anniversary of the iconic Disneyland Monorail. When we cut the ribbon and took the very first Monorail ride on June 14, 1959, we could not have imagined what a popular icon it would become. For over five decades, it has provided countless families that special Disney experience – just as it did ours.

“Our family visited Disneyland as often as we could. It was then – as it is now – truly the ‘happiest place on earth,’ thanks to the visionary Walt Disney. Our parents cherished Walt’s years of friendship, not to mention his warmth, creativity, and contagious sense of humor. He was, on that warm June day, charming as ever. His excitement for life has inspired millions across the globe.

“We send our best wishes on this special day of celebration. Congratulations to Disneyland, and may it continue to inspire joy and hope, as it has done for us for nearly 60 years.”

In 1961, Disneyland expanded the monorail train system to encompass the Disneyland Hotel. Walt Disney himself invited Nixon and his family to attend, but the Vice President’s travel schedule wouldn’t allow it.

Nixon was invited to return by scheduling had always been difficult.

Though Walt Disney died in 1966, the Nixon family would return to the parks. In 1968, during a break from the presidential campaign, the Nixon family once again visited Disneyland. Pat Nixon specifically requested to experience “it’s a small world,” highlighting the iconic attraction’s universal appeal.

The following year, 1969, was a year of celebration for both Disney and the nation. The Apollo 11 moon landing captivated the world, and President Nixon played a key role in honoring the astronauts. Part of that celebration took place at Disneyland, where the Disney family hosted a dinner for the returning heroes. Nixon’s arrival in California for the event was heralded by the Disneyland Band. That same year, President Nixon presented Lillian Disney, Walt Disney’s widow, with a commemorative gold medal recognizing Walt’s extraordinary contributions to American culture.

In 1971, Walt Disney World opened in Florida. Nixon was invited to the opening, and plans were even made for his possible visit, but he was unable to attend. However, Disney’s connection to the presidency was cemented with The Hall of Presidents at Magic Kingdom. The attraction features audio-animatronic figures of every U.S. President, including Nixon.

Then, in 1973, Nixon fielded questions from 400 managing editors of the Associated Press during their annual convention held at the Contemporary. Nixon responded to questions regarding his finances and welcomed the inquiries being made, stating, “people have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook. I’ve earned everything I’ve got.” He resigned from the presidency on August 8, 1974.

After his presidency, the Nixon family visited Walt Disney World often and were frequently accompanied by their extended family and grandchildren. Nixon died on. April 22, 1994.

It’s a festive activity that not only unleashes creativity but also brings the Disney magic right to your doorstep. Yet, the most challenging part of this yearly ritual is undoubtedly the decision-making process. What to carve on the pumpkin?

Disney has provided us with the answer with eight stencil options, as well as a pumpkin template guide.

Here are the stencil options:

Figment Pumpkin Carving Stencil – DOWNLOAD

Chuuby The Bird from Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Pumpkin Carving Stencil – DOWNLOAD

Zero from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” Pumpkin Carving Stencil – DOWNLOAD

Orange Bird Pumpkin Carving Stencil – DOWNLOAD

Oogie Boogie from “The Nightmare Before Christmas” Pumpkin Carving Stencil– DOWNLOAD

Skeleton Mickey – DOWNLOAD

Princess Anna pumpkin stencil – DOWNLOAD and Dr. Facilier pumpkin stencil –DOWNLOAD

Always remember that when carving a pumpkin, “use caution when handling sharp objects, and arts and crafts tools. Please supervise children who are helping or nearby.”