The new year is in full swing, and the Disney theme parks and Disney Cruise Line are wasting no time in sharing important announcements that will impact your 2025 vacation. From upcoming festivals happening over the next few weeks to announcements for future years of vacations, this was a busy week of updates!
This week was also marked by multiple closures, both temporary and permanent. Even more closures are due in the coming weeks, with DinoLand U.S.A. starting its phased closure to make way for the new Tropical Americas land, set to open in 2027. But before we can get to 2027, we have an exciting lineup of events for 2025 to enjoy first!
New Details Unveiled For Upcoming Four Disney Cruise Line Vessels
Disney Cruise Line made a big splash at last year’s D23 Disney Fan Event when they announced they would be adding four new vessels to the fleet! With all four of the new ships added by 2031, that will bring Disney Cruise Line’s total fleet size to thirteen ships.
We learned some new (and big!) details this week about the new ships. The first of the four ships will be a fourth Wish Class ship — joining the same class of ships as the Wish, the Treasure, and the Destiny. The other three ships will be an entirely new class, which will hold 3,000 passengers.
According to Seatrade Cruise, that puts this new class of ships at roughly 20% larger than the Disney Magic and Wonder. The first of the four new ships, the final Wish Class ship, will join the fleet in 2027. The three ships in the new class are scheduled to be delivered in 2029, 20230, and 2031.
READ MORE: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT DISNEY CRUISE LINE’S NEW SHIP, THE DISNEY DESTINY, LAUNCHING LATER THIS YEAR
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Closes For Duration of 2025
If you are planning a Disney World vacation at any point in 2025, you’ll want to know about this temporary but lengthy closure that will take one E-ticket ride off the map for the duration of the year. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Magic Kingdom has closed for extensive refurbishment and is not rescheduled to open until sometime in 2026.
It’s believed that some of the work being done around Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is in preparation for the new Disney Villains-themed land announced at last year’s D23 Disney Fan Event, which will be located “beyond” the classic coaster.
Over in EPCOT, Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros also closed this week for refurbishment, though that closure is much shorter. The ride is scheduled to reopen in mid-March.
READ MORE: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT 2025 VACATIONS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD
Florida Resident Discovery Disney Tickets Return For 2025
There’s a new way to save on Disney World theme park admission for 2025! The Florida Resident Discovery tickets have returned, offering in-state residents to save a good chunk of change on multi-day tickets. Tickets are on sale as of this writing for visits January 13 through May 23.
With this deal, Florida residents pay as little as $60 per day. 3-day tickets start at $225 (plus tax), and 4-day tickets start at $240 (plus tax).
READ MORE: WAYS TO SAVE ON YOUR 2025 WALT DISNEY WORLD VACATION
Reopening Date Announced For Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, Limited-Time Sipper Coming to Parks
Following the holiday season, Haunted Mansion Holiday has concluded its annual run at Disneyland Resort. It was announced this week that the classic version of Haunted Mansion will reopen on January 18.
To commemorate the re-opening of the classic attraction, Disneyland announced that a new sipper inspired by the Bride character in Haunted Mansion will be released on January 14. Guests can purchase the sipper at Harbour Galley and Stage Door Cafe for $35 while supplies last.
It was also announced this week that Haunted Mansion Holiday will return for its seasonal run on August 22, 2025, and run through January 7, 2026. It was briefly reported incorrectly on Disneyland’s website that Haunted Mansion Holiday wouldn’t be back until November, but that was quickly amended to reflect the accurate August start date.
READ MORE: WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM DISNEYLAND’S 70TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Full Menus, New Figment Popcorn Bucket Unveiled for EPCOT Festival of the Arts
We’re just one week away from the start of the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts! This colorful celebration of all things visual and performing arts will be back at EPCOT from January 17 through February 24.
We got a look at the full menus that will be available throughout the festival this week, in addition to a first look at the latest Figment Premium Popcorn Bucket that will be available for purchase at the festival! The Figment popcorn buckets have become a bit of a time-honored tradition at the Festival of the Arts, and the latest one is sure to be a popular pick among festival attendees.
Full Menus Unveiled For Lunar New Year Celebration at Disneyland Resort
Over on the West Coast, Disneyland Resort is preparing to start its annual Lunar New Year celebration, taking place from January 17 to February 16, 2025 at Disney California Adventure.
Disney released menus for the Lunar New Year celebration this week as well, which will feature booths offering Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese-inspired dishes like Garlic Noodles and Strawberry Milk Tea Macaron and the Spicy Gochujang Chicken Tacos.
Parkside Market Opens at Downtown Disney
Some new dining options have arrived this week at Downtown Disney! The shopping and dining district at Disneyland Resort has gone through quite the transformation in recent years, with new eateries now open like Din Tai Fung and Centrico. Even more restaurants are slated to open later this year.
This past week, the newest dining location, Parkside Market, soft opened for guests. Parkside Market is a food hall-style location and will feature four dining locations: Seoul Sister, Sip & Sonder, GG’s Chicken Shop, and Vista Parkside Market.
READ MORE: START PLANNING YOUR 2025 DISNEYLAND RESORT VACATION
runDiseny Announces 2025-2026 Season Event Dates
If you’re a big runDisney participant, this next story is one you’ve been waiting for since last winter! The next season of race dates has been unveiled for both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. The upcoming season of in-person races is as follows:
- 2025 Disneyland Halloween Half Marathon Weekend: September 4-7, 2025
- 2025 Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend: October 23-26, 2025
- 2026 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend: January 7-11, 2026
- 2026 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend: February 26-March 2, 2026
- 2026 runDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend: April 16-19, 2026
- 2026 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend details are TBA (the 2025 weekend is taking place from January 30–February 2, 2025; do with that information what you will).
Registration dates for each of the events are included in the graphic above.
