Welcome to another weekly roundup of the latest stories from the Disney theme parks! It’s a snowy Friday afternoon where I’m at, but I have to admit, the wintery photos coming out of Disneyland Paris this week were on another level:
It’s my dream to visit Disneyland Paris when it’s snowing! Anyway, weather aside, we have several Disney parks news stories to catch up on, so let’s get started. This week, we have updates on the brand-new cabins coming to Fort Wilderness, updates on this year’s Flower and Garden Festival, and more!
Opening Date Announced For Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
Last year, Disney announced that the Cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort would be getting a complete overhaul. Not only will the new cabins feature a more modern design, but they will also be joining the Disney Vacation Club portfolio. That’s right, you will soon be able to buy new DVC contracts at The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. This week, we learned about some key dates surrounding these new cabins, including the opening date for the first phase: July 1, 2024.
The cabins will open in stages, with the second set of cabins opening later in July and additional sets opening later in the year. We also learned about the dates you’ll want to have on your calendar if you are a DVC member and you are interested in being among the first to book a sty in the new cabins.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL LIST OF BOOKING DATES FOR THE CABINS
End Date Announced for 2024 Flower & Garden Festival
A couple of weeks ago, Disney announced when this year’s Flower and Garden Festival will begin at EPCOT. That was a bit odd due to the fact that Disney typically announces the start and end date of a festival, but nonetheless, we now know the full run of this year’s Flower and Garden Festival.
Starting on February 28, the Flower and Garden Festival will run for 90 days, ending on May 27, 2024. This is several weeks shorter than the festival has run for in the last few years, resembling the Flower and Garden Festival schedule from pre-2020 times. What this means for summer remains to be seen, as last year’s Food and Wine Festival did not start until July 27. Will there be two months without a festival? Will Food and Wine move up its start date? Will something entirely different happen during that time? We’ll have to wait and see!
CLICK HERE FOR A FULL GUIDE TO EPCOT’S FESTIVALS IN 2024
Additional Disney After Hours Dates Announced
Last week, Disney began its first slate of Disney After Hours events at Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom. Disney After Hours allows attendees to enjoy the parks beyond the posted operating hours with shorter wait times, exclusive character meet and greets, and more. These are hard-ticketed events, meaning separate admission is required in order to attend. In addition to those two parks, EPCOT is also set to have its first lineup of After Hours events starting in February.
This week, Disney announced additional dates for Disney After Hours at the same three parks. Here is the current lineup with the first and second slate of dates:
- Magic Kingdom: Select evenings January 11 – April 8; April 22 – June 27
- EPCOT: Select evenings February 2 – April 4; April 25 – July 18
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Select evenings January 10 – April 10; May 22 – August 29
Tickets for the new slate of dates go on sale to Disney World Resort hotel guests on January 24, and they will go on sale to the general public on January 31.
CLICK HERE TO DETERMINE THE AVERAGE COST OF YOUR NEXT DISNEY WORLD VACATION
Disney Releases Valentine’s Day Foodie Guide
The seasonal foodie guides don’t stop once Christmas comes to an end! There is a full lineup of holidays throughout the year that the Disney parks celebrate with a series of limited-time food and beverage items, including Valentine’s Day.
This week, Disney released its full Foodie Guide to Valentine’s Day at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. Be on the lookout for plenty of red, pink, and white sweets around the parks and resorts over the next few weeks. Some items are available now, though most will arrive around February 1 and remain through February 14 or so. Be sure to check back soon for my roundup of the must-try goodies around in early February.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL VALENTINE’S DAY FOODIE GUIDE AT DISNEY WORLD AND DISNEYLAND.
More Details Unveiled For Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
The big event happening at Disney World and Disneyland later this year is the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. While the attraction is not scheduled to open until late 2024, we’re learning a lot of new details surrounding the ride in an article published by NOLA Magazine.
In the article, we learn a few exciting bits of information about what the ride will look and sound like. For example, Tiana will appear several times throughout the ride as an advanced audio-
onic figure similar to the ones used in World of Frozen at Hong Kong Disneyland. That means we bid a fond farewell to those uncanny valley-esque rear-projection faces used on Frozen Ever After in EPCOT.
