Walt Disney World is ready to welcome you this summer! The Most Magical Place on Earth has an exciting lineup of new attractions, festivals and limited-time offerings. That, plus returning favorites, will surely keep everyone busy. The temperatures might be hot and the rain may be plentiful, but there is no shortage of things to see and do around the parks and resorts.
If you’re in the midst of planning an upcoming trip, let this article be your guide in making sure your “To Do” list is filled with all of the latest and greatest offerings! And if you’re on the fence on whether a summer trip is feasible, keep reading to see just how much is on the way.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
Of course, the big summer headliner is Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which will open June 28 at Magic Kingdom.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure explores Princess Tiana’s story after the events of the 2009 animated film The Princess and the Frog. The ride will surely be a lively celebration of all things food, music, and New Orleans culture, as Mardi Gras is front and center. It will feature a ton of brand-new Audio-Animatronic figures of characters from the movie and new faces!
The ride will feature refurbished log vehicles from Splash Mountain, along with all of the same twists, turns, and, yes, drops. There’s so much more to read about the work behind Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, so be sure to click the link below.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT TIANA’S BAYOU ADVENTURE
Lightning Lane Passes Replace Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane
In previous months, Disney had hinted that they would bring in-advance Lightning Lane bookings to guests. What they didn’t mention was that this would effectively retire Genie+ and usher in a new system called Lightning Lane Passes. These passes, Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass, will replace Genie+ and Individual Lightning Lane, respectively.
Genie+ will officially be replaced on July 24 when the new passes go live. These passes will function similarly, with the biggest change being adding the ability to pre-book Lightning Lane selections prior to your Walt Disney World vacation. Think of it as a Genie+/FastPass+ hybrid. It’ll still cost you money, but once purchased, you can pre-book up to three (3) Lightning Lane selections per day, and once your first is redeemed, you’ll be able to book additional return times.
Lightning Lane Single Pass will function similarly to Individual Lightning Lane in that it will provide an à la carte option to pre-book return times to the theme parks’ more popular rides. For more details about these passes, click the link below!
CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT LIGHTNING LANE PASSES.
Country Bear Musical Jamboree
Magic Kingdom is receiving not one but two new attractions this summer. In addition to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, right down the “road” in Frontierland, a new version of Country Bear Jamboree will debut. The show, called Country Bear Musical Jamboree, will include a lineup of Disney songs sung by the beloved cast of animatronic bears.
Be on the lookout for a couple of returning songs from the O.G. Country Bears, but the show’s setlist will change in big ways! Country Bear Musical Jamboree opens on July 17.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT HOW A 2024 DISNEY WORLD VACATION WILL LOOK DIFFERENT FROM RECENT YEARS.
CommuniCore Plaza and the Completion of EPCOT’s Transformation
On June 10, a moment nearly five years in the making will finally happen. The last of the construction walls will come down at EPCOT, and the park’s transformation will be complete—well, this phase of transformation will be complete, at least.
That is because CommuniCore Plaza, CommuniCore Hall, and a new Mickey and Friends area will open on June 10. This is the last in a series of updates and refurbishments that began in 2019. CommuniCore Hall will serve as a new festival area, and Disney promises more updates soon.
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT EPCOT’S LINEUP OF FESTIVALS IN 2024
Nighttime Drone Show at Disney Springs
If you had a Disney Springs Drone Show on your 2024 BINGO card, let me know. “Disney Dreams That Soar” will be a new nighttime show featuring “state-of-the-art drones choreographed to create designs in the sky and paired with a “soaring” musical score and memorable movie quotes.”
This show will perform nightly from May 24 through September 2. This is a great perk for guests without having to buy a theme park ticket this summer! Hopefully, this opens the doors for more opportunities for nighttime drone shows around Walt Disney World (I’m looking at you, Disneyland Paris).
CLICK HERE FOR A 10-STEP GUIDE TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR NEXT DISNEY WORLD VACATION.
Other Limited-Time Celebrations
In addition to the new nighttime show at Disney Springs, three other limited-time celebrations will take place around Walt Disney World this summer. To celebrate the debut of “Inside Out 2,” Joy will greet guests at Pixar Plaza at Disney’s Hollywood Studios starting on June 10.
Also starting on June 10, a sing-along show called Celebración Encanto will perform daily at the CommuniCore Plaza Stage at EPCOT. The show will run through September 6.
This summer, Disney’s Animal Kingdom will commemorate the 30th anniversary of “The Lion King” (That’s right. 30 years. Feel old yet? That was the first movie I saw in theaters. My mother had to take me out of the theater after the stampede scene because we were both sobbing over Mufasa dying).
The celebration will include limited-time merchandise, the return of the popular Pumbaa popcorn bucket, and Timon and Rafiki character meet-and-greets at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. The Lion King-themed festivities will last from June 10 through September 6.
CLICK HERE FOR FOOLPROOF TIPS TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR FIRST DISNEY WORLD VACATION.
New Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
New hotel accommodations will debut this summer in the form of 350 brand-new cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. The cabins will have a more sleek, modern look while still offering all of the cozy furnishings that make the cabins popular among families.
The first loop of cabins will open to guests on July 1, with other loops opening later in the year. They are available now for booking (the cabins are also now part of the Disney Vacation Club, with contracts available for purchase).
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE NEW CABINS COMING TO FORT WILDERNESS.
More Returning to Disney World This Summer
In addition to everything that’s new and exciting coming to Disney World this summer, several fan favorite offerings are returning in the coming months as well. With Typhoon Lagoon officially reopened, fans await the start of the H2O Glow After Hours, which will take place on select evenings from May 25 through August 31.
Over at EPCOT, the flagship Food and Wine Festival should kick off around mid- to late-July (last year’s festival began on July 27). The festival will then continue through the summer and fall before it concludes just before Thanksgiving.
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT WHICH SEASON MIGHT BE BEST FOR YOUR NEXT DISNEY WORLD VACATION.
Discounts and Ways to Save This Summer
If you’re thinking of visiting Walt Disney World this summer, there are a few discounts and promotions you should know about! You can save on theme park admission when you buy a special 3-Park, 3-Day ticket that grants you access to EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The ticket is valid April 2 through September 24, 2024, and it costs $267 ($89 per day).
If you want to visit all four parks including Magic Kingdom, there’s a 4-Park, 4-Day ticket available as well. This special ticket costs $396 ($99 per day) and is valid April 2 through September 22.
An early summer trip could yield even more savings when you stay at a Walt Disney World resort hotel. Disney is running a promotion where you can save up to 30% on your hotel when you stay 5 nights or longer (or up to 25% for stays 1 to 4 nights) March 25 through July 7. Disney World Annual Passholders can save up to 35% on their hotel stay during that same time frame.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE WAYS TO SAVE ON YOUR NEXT DISNEY WORLD VACATION.
