It’s time for another roundup of Disney theme park news for the week of October 7! We’re definitely in the thick of autumn! It was a very brisk morning in Connecticut today (I almost turned the heat on…almost). Did anyone else catch the Northern Lights this week?
This was a pretty big week in the realm of Disney theme park news. From interrupted park operations in Florida to eye-popping ticket price hikes in Disneyland, the Disney fandom has been a-buzz! Let’s catch up on the latest news.
Walt Disney World Operations Impacted By Hurricane Milton
The big story this week was Hurricane Milton, which impacted operations at Walt Disney World this week. In anticipation of the storm, all four of Disney World’s theme parks closed early on Wednesday, October 9. Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom closed at 1:00 PM, while Magic Kingdom and EPCOT closed at 2:00 PM. Huge shout out to the incredible Cast Members who served as the ride out crews at the resort hotels!
All theme parks remained closed for the entirety of Thursday, October 10. Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party was also canceled for Thursday, October 10. Walt Disney World’s theme parks resumed normal operations on Friday, October 11.
READ MORE: THE BEST TIMES TO VISIT WALT DISNEY WORLD IN 2025
Disneyland Resort Raises Price of Single Tickets and Magic Key Passes
The other major story this week took place on the West Coast, where Disneyland Resort raised the price of its single tickets as well as Magic Key passes. October is typically when we see these price increases occur, and this year was exceptional with ticket prices raising between 6% to 20%. The cheapest 1-day, 1-park ticket remained the same at $104 per person, with the highest 1-day, 1-park ticket now costing $206 per person.
All four Magic Keys currently cost anywhere from $8.34-$10.44 more per month than they did previously. The current prices of Disneyland’s Magic Keys are as follows:
- Imagine Key: $599
- Enchant Key: $974
- Believe Key: $1,374
- Inspire Key: $1,749
Disneyland also unveiled a bigger discount (50% off instead of the regular 20% off) on Lightning Lane Multi Pass at select times in 2025. The first wave of this offer will be available from January 6 through 31, 2025.
There are ways to save on a 2025 Disneyland vacation. Just last week, Disneyland announced the return of its kids’ ticket promotion, where the price of a 1-day, 1-park kids’ ticket (ages 3-9) will cost as little as $50 per day, valid for visits January 7 through March 20, 2025.
READ MORE: EVERY ANNOUNCEMENT MADE AT D23: THE ULTIMATE DISNEY FAN EVENT
Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy Closes Permanently at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
This week marked the permanently closure of Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The show had its final performance on October 7. The theater will be the home for a new Disney Villains stage show, debuting in the summer of 2025.
There’s also more Cars coming to Walt Disney World. As it was announced at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, an entire section of Frontierland at Magic Kingdom will be reimagined to the Cars franchise.
This project is several years out with no opening timeline announced, but it’s exciting to know that Cars fans will have more Lightning McQueen to look forward to.
READ MORE: WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW ABOUT 2025 WALT DISNEY WORLD VACATIONS
Disneyland Resort Announces Magic Key Holder Preview Dates For Tiana’s Bayou Adventure
We’re just a little over one month away from the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Disneyland Resort! Ahead of the ride’s official opening on November 15, Magic Key holders will have the opportunity for an exclusive preview experience of the attraction.
This week, Disneyland announced the dates when Magic Key holders can ride Tiana’s Bayou Adventure. The preview dates are as follows:
- October: 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, and 29
- November: 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, and 12
READ MORE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TIANA’S BAYOU ADVENTURE
Disneyland Teases Return of Paint the Night Parade
2025 will mark the 70th anniversary of Disneyland Resort. We’re starting to learn more about what the 70th anniversary celebration could look like, including nighttime entertainment. This week, Disneyland teased the return of the fan-favorite Paint the Night parade!
Not many details were revealed in the tease, but it looks like the nighttime parade will be back for some stretch of time in 2025 for the 70th anniversary. Be sure to stay tuned as we learn more about what the 70th anniversary lineup will look like!
(Side note – I was a Cast Member during the 60th anniversary celebration, and my favorite shifts to work was evening crowd control so I could watch Paint the Night! So I’m very excited about this reveal!).
