It’s time for another roundup of the latest Disney theme park news! This week’s edition also includes some exciting updates from Disney Cruise Line as we inch closer and closer to the maiden voyage of the Disney Treasure.
A lot has been going on around the Disney parks this week, particularly at Disneyland Resort, which opened its latest attraction along with beginning the bulk of its seasonal holiday offerings. If you’re planning a visit to Disneyland soon, you’ll definitely want to catch up on this week’s installment of Disney theme park news!
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Opens at Disneyland Resort
The big story from the week is that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has officially opened at Disneyland Resort!
In its initial opening days, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will use Disneyland’s virtual queue system. The virtual queue will be available to join at three times daily: 7:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m. , and 4:00 p.m. PST. Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is also included as a Lightning Lane selection when you purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass.
In addition to Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opening, the transformation of Critter Country into Bayou Country has been completed, with new dining and shopping available for guests to enjoy during their next visit.
READ MORE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TIANA’S BAYOU ADVENTURE
The Holiday Season Officially Kicks Off at Disneyland Resort
November 15 is a big day at Disneyland Resort, and not just because of the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. It’s also the official start of the holiday season at Disneyland, including the kick-off of the California Adventure Festival of the Holidays. For the next several weeks, Disneyland Resort is your one-stop-shop for all things holidays, including food and beverages, entertainment, and more.
Speaking of entertainment, Disneyland announced a huge lineup of new entertainment offerings this holiday season, including an all-day dance party at Disneyland, a nightly mariachi performance in California Adventure, and more.
READ MORE: CATCH UP ON THE LATEST HOLIDAY NEWS FROM DISNEYLAND RESORT
Tons of Updates and Details From Changes Coming To Downtown Disney
Downtown Disney at Disneyland Resort has been seeing some major changes over the past couple of years, which includes the addition of a ton of new dining options. This year saw the opening of Din Tai Fung, and more eateries are on the way very soon!
In fact, Disneyland revealed this week that Wonderful World of Sweets and Parkside Market place will open “this winter.” In addition, we learned that two dining locations, Arthur & Sons Steak and Bourbon & Pearl’s Roadship BBQ, will replace the former footprint of Tortilla Jo’s and will be brought to life by Michelin-starred Chef Joe Isidori. It was also revealed that the long-awaited Porto’s Bakery location at Downtown Disney will be a sit-down table service restaurant (a first for Porto’s) and will feature a full bar.
Downtown Disney will also welcome new shopping locations very soon! It was announced this week that Avengers Reserve and D-Lander Shop will open on December 6.
Disney Jollywood Nights Begins at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
The holidays are also in full swing at Walt Disney World. Over this past weekend, Disney Jollywood Nights began its second year of after-hours events at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Disney Jollywood Nights takes the glitz and glam of Hollywood and cranks it up to an 11 while infusing it with the glistening glow of the holidays. Think swanky cocktail soirees, ambient piano music while you dine, a glittering ice skating show, and more. There are plenty of limited-time exclusive eats and sip at this event, too.
If you’re curious on what Jollywood Nights is all about, tickets are currently on sale for future events! The party takes place on select evenings in November and December.
READ MORE: DISNEY JOLLYWOOD NIGHTS GUIDE
Disney Cruise Line Announces Christening Event For the Disney Treasure
Things are getting very exciting in the world of Disney Cruise Line. Its next ship, the Disney Treasure, is set to embark on its maiden voyage on December 21. Before that, however, it needs to have its traditional christening ceremony.
We learned this week that the christening will take place next Tuesday, November 19 at 8:00 PM EST. Disney also announced that the honorary role of “godparent” for the Disney Treasure “will be held by The Walt Disney Company cast, crew, Imagineers and employees around the world.” If you want to watch live, Disney Parks Blog will be broadcasting from the event!
READ MORE: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE DISNEY TREASURE
New Fantasmic Dining Packages Announced at Disneyland Resort
One of the best ways to have an ultra-efficient trip to Disneyland Resort is to book a dining package. These offer a multi-course meal at select Disneyland table service restaurants along with a guaranteed reserved seating area for one of the nighttime shows or parades, depending on what’s currently available.
Disneyland announced this week that a new Fantasmic! dining package will be available starting on January 10. The dining package, available at Cafe Orleans in New Orleans Square, will be offered for both lunch and dinner reservations, and will include a reserved seating section for that evening’s performance of Fantasmic.
New Details Revealed For Upcoming Walt Disney World Projects
Remember D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event that took place in Anaheim, California? Another D23 event took place in Brazil this past week, where fans gained further insight into the latest projects in the works at Disney Experiences.
D’Amaro provided brief updates on many of the projects that were first announced at D23: The Ultimate Fan Event this past summer. We got a look at new pieces of concept art, including the Pirates of the Caribbean-inspired tavern coming to Magic Kingdom in 2025.
Also coming in 2025 is Disney Starlight, a brand-new nighttime parade in Magic Kingdom. Disney unveiled a new piece of concept art detailing a Moana-inspired float that will be featured in the parade.
D’Amaro also reiterated that work will begin in 2025 on both the Cars-inspired section of Frontierland as well as the new Monsters Inc. land coming to Hollywood Studios. We also learned the lineup of Disney villains that are serving as the inspiration behind the villains land coming to Magic Kingdom. Among the lineup was Cruella de Vil, Captain Hook, Ursula, Jafar, Yzma, Chernabog, and more.
READ MORE: THE TIMELINE OF WHAT’S COMING TO DISNEY WORLD, DISNEYLAND, AND BEYOND
Tiana’s Palace at Disneyland Resort Gets New Menu Items in Celebration of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Opening
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opening at Disneyland Resort brings with it new menu items to Tiana’s Palace over in New Orleans Square. In celebration of the ride opening, the quick service restaurant is bringing more cajun and creole-inspired dishes to the menu, like Catfish Po’boy, Jambalaya (chicken and andouille sausage), Strawberry cream-filled Beignet, and classic beignets.
Be sure to check these menu items out while they’re available!
Moana 2 Meet-and-Greet Coming to Disney Parks Worldwide
Moana 2 will be in theaters very soon, and to celebrate, a new Moana meet-and-greet is coming to Disney Parks worldwide! Moana will soon greet guests in her new look from the upcoming film.
Meet-and-greets with this new look will arrive at Disney California Adventure, EPCOT and Disneyland Paris on November 24 and at Hong Kong Disneyland on November 29.
