There’s some interesting Disney news this month – probably what’s being talked about the most right now is the Lightning Lane Premier Pass (more on that below). We’ve also gotten many more details on some of the holiday celebrations happening this year, as well as some intriguing rumors! October was an extremely busy month for me personally, as I had a work conference followed by a 4-day trip to Disney World and then a 4 day Disney cruise! I’ve already shared a look at my first day on my Disney Cruise, but I’m excited to get to some more blog posts about new things I tried in Disney World as well as some fun details about Disney Cruise Line.
Disney news
- Disney has introduced a new version of Lightning Lane passes, called the Premier Pass. MultiPass and Single Pass are not affected by this, it’s just a new option. Lightning Lane Premier Pass will include one entry to each Lightning Lane entrance in the theme park they are visiting that day, which guests can use anytime throughout the day at their convenience – without needing to book an arrival time in advance. While it sounds great, pricing is high. Currently prices range from $169 to $400 per person.
- Disneyland is seeing big news on the entertainment front – the extremely popular Paint the Night evening parade will be making a return in 2025.
- ‘Tis the season when prices go up on basically everything at Disney. Character dining, other food and drinks, and ticket prices all saw increases.
- A new Sumatran tiger cub was born at Animal Kingdom, which is wonderful for their conservation efforts as they are less than 600 Sumatran tigers left in the world.
- Big Thunder Mountain in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom will close for a long-term refurbishment starting on January 6, 2025.
- January 2025 will also see a few things in Animal Kingdom close (in this case, permanently to make way for the new area of the theme park). This includes Triceratop Spin, the Carnival Games in the Dinosaur area, and Chester and Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures store.
- A few new stores are coming to Disney Springs. PuraVida has just opened in the Town Center, and OluKai (which sells Hawaiian-inspired footwear) will be coming soon.
- Need breakfast in Animal Kingdom? Satuli Canteen in Pandora’s the World of Avatar will now be serving a breakfast menu!
- RunDisney fans will once again have the chance to purchase Disney themed running shoes – this time with a partnership with Brooks Running.
Disney rumors
CEO // Disney has officially said that they plan to appoint a successor to Bob Iger in 2026, to take over as the company’s CEO. Who might be replacing him? It’s still anyone’s guess, but the top rumored contenders include Dana Walden and Alan Bergman, who are the current co-chairs on the Disney Entertainment division.
Characters // Due to Bluey’s extreme popularity on Disney+, there is some speculation that Bluey could be appearing in the theme parks as a character meet and greet. Currently that is not possible, since Disney does not own the theme park rights to Bluey. That being said, it wouldn’t surprise me if they do their best to get those rights!
Wide World of Sports // The Major League Baseball team the Tampa Bay Rays sadly lost their stadium due to Hurricane Milton. While they have been working on a new one, it isn’t likely to be ready before 2028. In the meantime, there are rumors about where they might be playing their games next season – and Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex is definitely a possibility!
Theme parks // For the first time, D23 will be hosting an expo in South America next weekend. While we don’t anticipate any major announcements or revelations, it’s possible we could get some new concept art or smaller announcements! One persistent rumor is that this will finally be the moment that Disney announces they are adding a Brazil pavilion to Epcot’s World Showcase. It would certainly be a great place to announce it, since the expo is taking place in São Paulo.
Other Disney blogs
If you have questions about the new Lighting Lane Premier Pass, Tom over at the Disney Tourist Blog has a guide and FAQ to premier pass that is very thorough.
George at ImagiNERDing shares a full ride-through video on board the Liberty Belle Riverboat. If you’re not sure whether or not you’ll be able to ride it one more time before it closes, this is a great way to live vacariously.
Visiting Disney World for the holidays? Melanie at Polka Dots and Pixie Dust shares her guide on where you can meet Santa Claus in Walt Disney World.
Alex from Second Dad to the Right has a great tutorial to make your own Disney Christmas ornaments – they look cute, and pretty easy and affordable to make!
Over at Mouse Hacking, we have a guide to all of the rides coming to Universal’s Epic Universe theme park. You know, in case you might be thinking about visiting that “other park” next year 😉
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