Well, at the beginning of March, I don’t think most of us expected to be where we are right now. I had just gotten back from Disney World and the Princess half marathon weekend, settling back to work, and planning to write a bunch of restaurant reviews, race recaps, etc. The next thing you know we are hit with the worst pandemic the world has ever seen and every Disney park on the globe is closed. Things vary from state to state, but here we are expecting to be home til at least the end of April. I’m still working from home but I have more time than usual so I’m trying to do what I can with the blog. I’ve switched my focus from writing about theme park things to more “at home” things, focusing on movies, recipes, etc. I figured people would like more ideas of things to do at home right now!
There’s still a lot of Disney news that came out in the past month and many other bloggers are producing great content as well, so I’m excited to still share this monthly news update with all of you.
Disney News
- Curious about the new Cirque du Soleil show? Disney has a behind the scenes look at the story.
- There is a now a new dining plan option – the Disney dining plan plus. It’s in between the Disney dining plan and deluxe dining plan, and includes 2 table service meals per day that are flexible and can be used as quick service meals if desired.
- A new live action Beauty and the Beast prequel featuring Josh Gad as LeFou will be coming to Disney+ at some point in the future.
- Tables in Wonderland memberships and annual passes have been extended for the length of Disney’s closure.
- All construction has been halted at the Disney parks, so we will probably see a delay on some things.
- Before the closures Disney announced the Marvel Avengers campus would open in Disneyland on July 18th – it’s almost certain to be postponed now, but no updates have been given.
- And the look at the food at the Ant-Man themed restaurant, Pym’s Test Kitchen, looks awesome!
- Kids can learn about what it means to be an Imagineer with Disney’s online program of Imagineering in a Box.
- Upcoming Disney movies such as Mulan and Black Widow are going to have their release dates pushed back, though for how long we don’t know.
- Disney is currently not taking any reservations before June 1st.
- Onward will be coming to Disney+ on April 3rd.
- Disney is offering a free ebook until April 4th! Get Conceal, Don’t Feel: A Twisted Tale about the Frozen story for free on Amazon and other places you can find ebooks.
Disney Rumors
Movies // With the release dates of some major films, such as Mulan, being pushed back, there is speculation that Disney may choose to release them directly to Disney+ without a theatrical release.
Magic Kingdom // Two permits for demolition have apparently been filed for Stitch’s Great Escape. Will another attraction finally be going in that spot?
Disney Parks // Because Disney is not taking new reservations for April or May, a lot of speculation is that they are aiming for a June 1st reopening date. While they have said they could open earlier or later, I wouldn’t be surprised by this.
Other Disney Blogs
Have more time for baking? Cooking with Character has a recipe for Minnie’s Blueberry Pie!
Falon from Falon Loves Life has an honest review of Magic Happens, the new parade at Disneyland, if you didn’t get the chance to see it yet.
Over at the Disney Tourist Blog, Tom has all the info and updates you might need to know about Disney closures and cancellations.
Looking to get creative at home? There are some great Disney inspired writing prompts shared by April at Pixie Dust Savings!
I personally don’t think Disney will forego Mulan’s release in theaters. It’s too much of a money-maker to not enter in theaters. I feel they’ll just wait until things are better and release the film then.
Wow, choosing to push movies such as Mulan straight to Disney+ without releasing them in theaters sounds like a huge money loss for Disney, but great for those stuck at home who would love to see those movies!
I can’t believe they’re going to push movies straight to Disney+! But I guess that’s better considering everything that’s been going on!
Kileen
cute & little
I hope that the movies get pushed to Disney+. I’m already really thrilled that Onward will be released early. My husband and I loved seeing that one in theaters right before all the craziness happened. I hope all of the park openings don’t get delayed too much. I know so many people were looking forward to the Marvel Avengers campus (including myself, if I ever get a chance to go back to Disney). Such an odd season of life, eh?
I’m considering subscribing to Disney+ so I hope those movies go there!
I just subscribed to Disney+ this week. It’s so fun to catch up on old favorites and discover new movies. I think I’ve watched it more than my kids!