I feel like March always sneaks up on me a little bit since February is so short! I also traveled back to Disney World the end of February for the Princess race weekend. While that was a lot of fun, I got back late the night of February 28th which makes the month feel even shorter. And if you’ve heard that the parks are crowded right now and you’re wondering if that’s true… I’d say yes, it’s packed and super busy. I’d venture to say it might be the most busy I’ve ever seen the parks during one of my own visits (the only thing that might rival it was when I was there on President’s Day a number of years ago). I think at least February 24-28 it was more crowded than my 4th of July weekend trip. If you’re headed down soon you can have a great time, but just mentally prepare yourself!
Disney news
- We have a full trailer for Pixar’s upcoming film Lightyear which you can find on YouTube.
- Disney received a number of nominations for the Academy Awards, including 3 for Encanto (Best Animated Feature, Best Song, and Best Score), Cruella (best costume and best hair/make-up), Luca (Best animated feature), Raya and the Last Dragon (Best animated feature), and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the 10 Rings (Best visual effects).
- Disney World has ended its indoor face mask rules. In mid-February they started making face masks optional in all locations except on transportation, where they are still currently required.
- Disney Cruise Line is following suit, ending their mask requirement in most on-board areas.
- It’s easier now to recognize a cast member who went above and beyond during your trip – in the Disney World app you can pull up the cast compliment option and put in the details, including the person’s name.
- The Disney Wish’s maiden voyage was postponed a few weeks, pushed back until July 14.
- More new details about the Disney Wish cruise ship have been revealed, including an Inside Out Sweets shop, an entertainment experience for kids called Olaf’s Royal Picnic, and details on some of the events that may be happening on the ship (villains game night, Disney Songbook aka Disney karaoke, and “Uncharted Adventure,” and interactive experience).
- The Disney company announced they are going to be working on creating residential communities with a new project called Storyliving by Disney.
- The Epcot Flower and Garden Festival has officially begun – and there are lots of great food items to explore!
- On the other coast, California Adventure is starting its Food and Wine Festival!
- The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser experience has officially opened, and bookings are available through December 2022. The Disney Parks blog has some sneak peeks, including the food on the Starcruiser and what to wear.
- From now until August 7th, 3 attractions that were previously “Individual Lightning Lanes” and were a separate fee apart from Genie+ will now be included as a regular Genie+ selection. These are Frozen Ever After, Space Mountain, and Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
- Disneyland is seeing a return of some of their nighttime spectaculars, including The Main Street Electrical Parade and Disneyland Forever fireworks on April 22nd, and then Fantasmic on May 28th.
- Disney+ will soon be adding a more affordable subscription option that includes ads.
Disney rumors
Epcot // With the popularity of Encanto, there is a rumor currently going around that Disney is working on adding in a section of Harmonious that would include music from Encanto. There is also a rumor that this section would replace the current ending of the show.
Encanto // Speaking of Encanto, is it possible we might someday get to visit the casita of the Madrigal family ourselves? Lin-Manuel Miranda thinks so, stating that ‘I know there’s a world in which this casita lives in a theme park and we get to actually walk through it in real life.’
Encanto // And of course Disney will want to capitalize on a hit… so there’s also speculation that they might be considering a sequel or potentially a Disney+ series about the Madrigal family. In the same interview Miranda also stated that “a byproduct of all these characters is that there’s a lot more folks want us to explore and a lot that’s being explored.” Sounds like something is coming!
Hollywood Studios // This isn’t officially stated by Disney but it’s pretty well known, so count it more as almost-definitely-true than rumor: the Tower of Terror is in the process of getting a refurb, but it’s still operating. However, one elevator shaft is currently down, which is why we are seeing increased wait times for that attraction.
Other Disney blogs
Tom from the Disney Tourist blog addresses one of the most important Disney topics in this present time: the fate of the Citrus Swirl.
Over on Imaginerding, George takes us on a walk through the Maharajah Jungle Trek and explains some of the backstory and details that you’ll find there.
Ever wonder what those blue nametags mean that some cast members wear? The Disney Parks Blog tells us all about them!
April from Pixie Dust Savings has a fun Boba Fett cocktail recipe inspired by the new Disney+ series.
While some people are eager to get to Flower and Garden Festival to try all of the food, don’t forget about the Flowers! Shannon at WDW Prep School has a complete guide to where to find all the topiaries at this year’s festival.
Rachel at Rachel’s Reviews brings us an honest look at Turning Red, the newest Pixar film coming directly to Disney+ this Friday.
If you’re headed to Disneyland, you might be curious about nearby off-property locations. Jessica at the Happiest Blog on Earth brings us her review of the Element Anaheim Resort Convention Center hotel.
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