We’re barreling our way through the holiday season, and it’s time once again for another weekly installment of Disney theme park and cruise line news! It feels like I literally just hit “publish” on last week’s Disney theme park news roundup, but here we are, less than one week out from Thanksgiving.
This was a huge week if you have been anxiously awaiting Disney Cruise Line’s next ship, the Disney Treasure! With just a few weeks to go until its maiden voyage, much of this week’s news roundup is focused on this vessel. But don’t worry — there was plenty of other major Disney theme park news items to chat about!
Disney Cruise Line Hosts Christening Ceremony For the Disney Treasure
The major event this week was the christening for Disney Cruise Line’s next ship, the Disney Treasure. The two-day media event took place in New York City roughly one month out from the ship’s maiden voyage, scheduled for December 21.
The ship was christened with a brilliant nighttime drone display that included a champagne bottle, as is customary with new ships. The following day, select media were able to board the Treasure for the first time, getting a sneak peek at the ship’s rooms, dining locations, and more.
READ MORE: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE DISNEY TREASURE
Muppet Courtyard To Close in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Making Way for Monsters Inc. Land
Buckle up tightly for this next one. This past summer, Disney announced that a land inspired by Pixar’s Monsters Inc. franchise was coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. At the time, Disney left out a key detail: the location of this new land within Hollywood Studios. This left fans wondering (with many of them fearing) where the land would be located, and we finally have some answers.
Disney has announced that this new Monsters Inc. land will take the place of Muppets Courtyard. That means that we will soon bid adieu to everything within Muppets Courtyard, including, yes, Muppet Vision 3*D.
While the theater and Muppet Vision 3*D as we know it is coming to a close, Disney did mention, “we are having creative conversations and exploring ways to preserve the film and other parts of the experience for fans to enjoy in the future.”
A timeline has not been given for exactly when Muppet Courtyard will close, but Disney mentioned that they will “have more details to share next year.” That gives fans at least a few months (likely longer) to visit Muppets Courtyard one final time.
READ MORE: EVERYTHING THAT WAS ANNOUNCED FOR DISNEY PARKS AT D23: THE ULTIMATE DISNEY FAN EVENT
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster To Transform Into the First-Ever Muppets Attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
The Muppets are not leaving Hollywood Studios, however! This latest news out of Hollywood Studios has added layers to it, and in a move few anticipated would come this week, it was announced that the Muppets would be taking over Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. The attraction as it currently exists, which “stars” Aerosmith since its debut, will close to make way for this new version of the E-ticket coaster.
According to Disney, the Muppets are “teaming up with some of music’s biggest stars for a rockin’ music festival!” Hopefully this means that, like the Aerosmith version of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind,, this new ride will feature multiple songs that guests can experience.
Like Muppet Courtyard, Disney did not have a timeline to share as to when the current version of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will close, but more details will come sometime in 2025. With such vague language, my guess is that fans of the ride will have ample time next year to experience it one last time.
Disney World Expands Eligibility for Lightning Lane Premier Pass
I foolishly thought this next story was going to be the biggest news story out of Disney World this week, and then Disney said, “hold my Muppets.” Last month, Disney World and Disneyland rolled out Lightning Lane Premier Pass, a new version of its new Lightning Lane Pass service to provide the ultimate convenience when visiting the Disney Parks. With this top-tier (and top priced) pass, users do not need to make advance return times for their Lightning Lane selections.
In its initial launch at Disney World, Lightning Lane Premier Pass was only available to guests staying at Deluxe or Deluxe Villa resorts at Walt Disney World. As of this week, however, that has changed, and the eligibility for Premier Pass has expanded greatly.
Now, any guest staying at a Disney Resort hotel can purchase Lightning Lane Premier Pass. In addition, eligible guests include those staying at Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, Walt Disney World Swan Hotel, Walt Disney World Swan Reserve, and Shades of Green Resort.
This relatively quick expansion of eligibility indicates, to me, that Disney World was intending on offering Lightning Lane Premier Pass to all guests, and wanted a smaller pool of guests eligible for its initial rollout. Disney is still labeling this as the pilot phase, so more changes could be coming. This also makes Disney World’s Premier Pass more similar to Disneyland’s version, which offers the pass to guests staying at any Disneyland Resort hotel.
READ MORE: DISNEY WORLD’S NEW LIGHTNING LANE PASS SYSTEM
DISNEY ON BROADWAY Concert Series Lineup Announced for EPCOT Festival of the Arts
It’s already time to start talking about planning our January and February visits to Walt Disney World! That’s because the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is right around the corner (January 17 to February 24, to be exact), and we’re learning more about the upcoming lineup of festival entertainment.
The Festival of the Arts features the DISNEY ON BROADWAY Concert Series, and this week, we learned the schedule of artists performing at the America Gardens Theatre. The lineup is as follows:
- Patti Murin (“Frozen”) and John Riddle (“Frozen”) – NEW!: January 17, 19, 20, 23, 25, 27, 28
- Caissie Levy (“Frozen”) and Jelani Remy (“The Lion King”) – NEW!: January 18, 21, 22, 24, 26, 29, 30
- Adam Jacobs (“Aladdin”) and Josh Strickland (“Tarzan”): January 31, February 2, 3, 6, 8, 10, 11
- Ashley Brown (“Mary Poppins”) and Alton Fitzgerald White (“The Lion King”): February 1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13
- Michael James Scott (“Aladdin”) and Kissy Simmons (“The Lion King”): February 14, 16, 17, 20, 23
- Rodney Ingram (“Aladdin”) – NEW! and Kara Lindsay (“Newsies”): February 15, 18, 19, 21, 22
- Special Final Performance: Rodney Ingram, Kara Lindsay, Michael James Scott & Kissy Simmons: February 24
If you want guaranteed seating for the DISNEY ON BROADWAY Concert Series on your next trip to EPCOT, you can book a dining package that includes a meal at select EPCOT restaurants as well as reserved seating for that evening’s performance. DISNEY ON BROADWAY Concert Series dining packages will be available for booking December 18.
READ MORE: START PLANNING YOUR 2025 WALT DISNEY WORLD VACATION
Disney Cruise Line Offers First Look of Skipper Society and Haunted Mansion Parlor on the Disney Treasure
We have one more story from the Disney Treasure to close out this week’s news! In addition to this week’s christening, Disney unveiled new information, photos, and videos from two of the most highly anticipated dining locations on the ship: Skipper Society and Haunted Mansion Parlor.
There will be bar seating as well as lounge-style seating to enjoy with your family and friends during your voyage.
It was revealed that guests visiting Skipper Society will experience everything from Disney Parks music to world famous Skipper jokes from the Jungle Cruise attraction, all while enjoying a selection of craft cocktails.
We also got a first look at Haunted Mansion Parlor, likely one of the most popular hang out spots on the Disney Treasure.
Haunted Mansion Parlor will also feature a menu of creatively-crafted cocktails as you sit among popular relics and props akin to what you’ll see on the Haunted Mansion rides at Disney World and Disneyland. You may even spot some Hitchhiking Ghosts or Madame Leota herself!
I personally cannot wait to see more from the Disney Treasure as we inch closer and closer to its maiden voyage on December 21! As always, be sure to follow along for more of the latest Disney theme park and cruise line news.
