Welcome to the final Disney theme park and Disney Cruise Line news roundup for 2024! Can you believe we’ve reached the end of the year? Things haven’t quieted down just yet in the world of Disney theme parks, as we have a full lineup of stories to cover.
I’ll be back in January for a two-week roundup covering Disney theme park and cruise news for the weeks of December 23 and December 30. Thank you so much for reading these articles this year! I love getting the chance to chat Disney news with you all and I look forward to doing more of the same in 2025. With that, let’s dive into the final news roundup for this year!
Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows Officially Opens
The lead story this week comes from Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows which celebrated the grand opening of the new Island Tower, the latest Disney Vacation Club property.
Island Tower at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows offers a variety of studio, 1- and 2-bedroom villas, many of which offer sweeping views of Seven Seas Lagoon.
Wailulu Bar & Grill also opened with Island Tower. The new table-service restaurant will be a prime fireworks viewing spot. The bar area is first-come, first-serve, but tables will likely require advance reservations (and I think they’ll be a popular reservation for 2025!)
READ MORE: THESE DISNEY WORLD RESTAURANTS WILL BE THE TOUGHEST RESERVATIONS TO GRAB IN 2025
Disneyland Resort Announces Magic Key Perks For Early 2025
Disneyland Resort is kicking off 2025 with some new perks for its Magic Key holders. For example, from January 8 through February 19, 2025, while supplies last, you can purchase a special Magic Key Stitch Popcorn Bucket and get $2 refills. The discount popcorn refills were one of my favorite Annual Passholder perks when I lived by Disneyland, so I’m excited to see this return.
Eagle-eyed Magic Key holders have also noticed fewer blockout dates for their passes in the early phases of 2025 as Park Pass Reservations become available. We’ll all have to keep an eye on the calendar and see if this trend continues for 2025!
READ MORE: START PLANNING YOUR 2025 DISNEYLAND RESORT VACATION
New Details Announced For the 2025 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts
2025 is starting off strong at EPCOT with the return of the International Festival of the Arts. The festival, which runs from January 17 through February 24, is a celebration of all things visual and performing arts. This week, we got a first look at some of the exclusive merchandise that will be available at the festival.
Disney also announced that CommuniCore Hall will be transformed into a limited-time exhibit for the Festival of the Arts, celebrating 30 years of Disney on Broadway. From the looks of the concept rendering, guests can expect to see costumes, props, and more from Broadway productions.
I personally think the Festival of the Arts is one of the best EPCOT festivals of the year, and I can’t wait to see how the Disney on Broadway exhibit takes shape! It’ll be a great compliment to the DISNEY ON BROADWAY Concert Series, which performs nightly at EPCOT throughout the festival.
READ MORE: THE BEST TIMES TO VISIT WALT DISNEY WORLD IN 2025
Bluey Meet and Greet Coming to Disney Parks and Disney Cruise Line
At long last, Bluey is coming to the Disney Parks and Disney Cruise Line. A meet-and-greet of Bluey and her sister Bingo took place this past summer at the D23 Ultimate Disney Fan Event, but it looks like more fans will get to meet her in 2025.
Starting in January, guests sailing aboard Disney Cruise Line itineraries that originate from Australia will be able to catch Bluey on board. Details regarding her appearing at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort will be shared at a later date. In a statement, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro shared ,”Bluey has become a household name for families around the world and we are thrilled to bring her story to life in new ways. We can’t wait to watch our youngest guests and their families make memories with Bluey in our parks and on our cruises.”
READ MORE: A LOOK AT WHAT’S COMING TO DISNEY CRUISE LINE IN 2025
Two Magic Kingdom Attractions to Close Temporarily Starting in January
Magic Kingdom is set to see quite a bit of work begin in 2025, including the permanent closure of the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island to make way for a new Cars-inspired section of Frontierland. Beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, a new villains-themed land is also set to arrive. Both of these larger-scale projects are several years out from completion, but work is expected to kick into high gear in 2025.
Smaller-scale refurbishments are also being added to the calendar which will bring about some changes to your upcoming vacation plans if you have an early 2025 vacation in the works. Astro Orbiter will be closing for a multi-month refurbishment staring on January 13. The Tomorrowland attraction is scheduled to reopen in summer 2025.
The Hall of Presidents is also preparing for a temporary closure, typical for when a new president is sworn into office. This closure will begin on Inauguration Day, January 20, and a reopening date has yet to be announced. Disney did state that The Hall of Presidents will reopen “later in 2025.”
READ MORE: WHAT VISITING DISNEY WORLD IS LIKE IN JANUARY
Disneyland Railroad to Close Temporarily Ahead of 70th Anniversary Celebration
The temporary closures in early 2025 extend out west to Disneyland Resort. As the parks prepare to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Disneyland, some rides have been experiencing temporary closures to get into tip-top shape for the celebration, which officially kicks off on May 16. It was announced this week that Disneyland Railroad will close beginning on January 13 and will reopen in spring in time for the 70th anniversary celebration to begin.
It was previously announced that “it’s a small world” will remain closed through spring 2025 as well once its holiday overlay wraps up on January 21.
