There was a decent amount of Disney news in the last month, especially with booking for 2026 opening! We’re also seeing a lot of discounts, which makes sense. Given both Epic Universe opening at Universal and the fact that Disney has exciting new attractions that won’t be here for another 2+ years, they need some incentive to get people there now. That works for me, because I’m headed down at the end of this month for Flower and Garden Festival and to say my final goodbye to MuppetVision 3D. The best part? My dad is joining me for this trip!
Disney news
- Disney World bookings are now open for 2026! (At least to book through the end of October). If you are thinking about a trip, feel free to reach out to me.
- If you’re planning a family trip to Disney World in 2026, they are running a huge promotion right now. Kids (ages 3-9) will be able to get the Disney dining plan for free when the dining plan is added onto a reservation.
- The new adults-only lounge coming to Epcot, Geo-82, has shared a look at the menu and will be opening on June 4th.
- We got some new details on the update coming to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run next year. In addition to the new story featuring Mando and Grogu, Disney stated that “For the first time ever, the crew will be in control of their own destination.” They also shared that the engineer position will have the ability to communicate with Grogu.
- Although May the 4th might be over, some of the Star Wars specialty food items will be available at the theme parks until the end of the month!
- The restaurant Shula’s Steakhouse, located at the Dolphin resort, will close permanently on June 14, 2025. It will be replaced by the restaurant Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina, which will open sometime this summer.
- Areas of the Grand Floridian are getting a refurb, including the lobby and convention center, now through November 2025. It will also add a new Grand Floridian Lobby Bar.
- The Skyliner will be closed for a regular refurb from January 25, 2026 through January 31, 2026.
- Disney Cruise Line has shared more info about their newest upcoming ship, the Disney Destiny, including a closer look at the Hercules show, Pride Lands: Feast of The Lion King, De Vil’s Piano Lounge, The Sanctum (lounge), and more.
- Marvel and Pixar Days at Sea will be returning for select dates in 2026.
- Over in Disneyland Paris, they will be adding a new attraction based on the Pixar film Up.
- A new Universal theme park will be headed to the UK, with construction planned to start in 2026.
- The popular show Phineas and Ferb, which originally ran from 2007-2015, is coming back for two more seasons starting on June 5th, 2025.
- A new Star Wars movie will be coming in 2027. It is titled Star Wars: Starfighter, and will introduce new characters.
- RunDisney races in Disneyland (California) will be put on hiatus yet again in 2026 due to construction. They are calling it an indefinite hiatus.
Rumors
Magic Kingdom // No opening date for the new Starlight Parade has yet been announced, but there are some theories that it might begin on July 6th. This comes from the fact that the Happily Ever After fireworks have been pushed back and will now be starting at 10pm – leaving time for a nighttime parade at 9pm.
Universal // While there has been some vague concept art released of the UK Universal theme park, they haven’t confirmed any of the lands or attractions planned yet. Some of the rumors include Lord of the Rings, James Bond, Paddington, Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, and Minions.
Other Disney blogs
Over at the Disney Tourist Blog, Tom discusses his experience riding the Skyliner for early entry from Pop Century/Art of Animation. If you’re planning to do this, there’s lots of good info to be aware of here!
Have you heard about the Prima Notte dining experience on Disney Cruise Line? Alex from Second Dad to the Right has a full review of the experience at Palo.
Mouse Hacking has a helpful post about how to do Disney World without a stroller. Since I don’t have kids it’s how I always do Disney 😉 But in all seriousness, I am impressed with those who make it work with kids!
Indya at The Small Adventurer has the most brilliant way to turn pink peeps into piglet! So adorable and clever.
Visiting Disney World during the summer? Rochelle at Polka Dots & Pixie Dust has some great tips.
Thank you very much to linking to my Piglet Peeps! ☺️