Happy New Year, everyone! I hope your holiday season was restful. As expected, the week following Christmas was slow regarding Disney theme park news, but we picked right back up in 2024 with all kinds of exciting updates.
From new discounts that will help all of us save on our 2024 vacations to new information on EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts (which starts next week!), we are right back into the swing of things. If you have a Disney vacation in the works, you’ll definitely want to get caught up on the last couple of weeks of news.
Free Dining Plan Offer Available in 2024 to Disney+ Subscribers
Disney World rolled out a couple of new promotions this week. The first is a great opportunity for Disney+ subscribers, especially those already planning on heading to Disney World this summer. With the return of the Disney Dining Plan (officially back on January 9) comes the prospect of free Dining Plan promos like Disney had in years past. For 2024, Disney+ subscribers can receive a free Disney Dining Plan with the purchase of a non-discounted vacation package for four days and four nights, including Park Hopper tickets.
Now, before you jump up and book this offer, it’s important to crunch the numbers. Yes, you can save significantly on dining when booking a Free Dining Plan promotion, but it usually comes at the cost of booking a full-price hotel room with theme park tickets. In many cases, you stand to save more by booking a discounted room (see below) and paying for your food out-of-pocket.
The Disney Dining Plan gives you an awful lot of convenience while on vacation, so for some, this is still one of the best deals Disney offers all year. Visit Disney’s website for more information on how to sign up.
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THE DISNEY DINING PLAN IS RIGHT FOR YOU.
Promotion Announced to Save on Your Disney World Hotel Stay
If you’re planning on staying on Disney World property during your 2024 vacation, this next offer is one you should definitely check out. Guests can save up to 35% off their Disney World Resort hotel stay for stays lasting five nights or longer. Or, you can save up to 30% for stays lasting one to four nights. From there, the discount all depends on when you visit and which hotel you select. This offer is valid for stays from March 25 through October 3.
In general, these types of promotions give you steeper savings if you stay at a Deluxe Resort (35% off versus, say, 20% off when staying at a Moderate), but of course, the rack rate that the Deluxe resorts are significantly higher to start. Again, and I’ll echo this until I lose my voice (or I guess until my fingers fall off) – CRUNCH. THE. NUMBERS. And see what your specific budget is and what your family wants to prioritize when on vacation.
Annual Passholders: there’s a discount just for you as well! Disney World Passholders can save up to 35% on their resort hotel stay. This offer is valid for stays now through July 7.
CLICK HERE FOR WAYS TO SAVE ON YOUR NEXT DISNEY WORLD VACATION.
Festival of the Arts Foodie Guide Unveiled
We’re now less than a week away from the start of the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts! The vibrant, colorful festival that celebrates all things visual and performing arts runs from January 12 through February 19.
One of the big pieces of information we all wait on as an EPCOT festival draws near is the menus. Now released as a Foodie Guide, the menus help us all plan our way around the festival as we make the oh-so-difficult decision of what to eat. The Foodie Guide of this year’s Festival of the Arts came out this week, and it’s filled with returning favorites as well as some new bites to try!
Dishes back this year include the iconic Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese, Deconstructed Key Lime Pie, and the Sushi Donut. All eyes are also on the latest Figment Premium Popcorn Bucket, this time modeled after the Imagination Pavilion.
I’ll be at the Festival in February and I’m having a really hard time deciding what to try!
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT THIS YEAR’S EPCOT FESTIVAL LINEUP
Magic Key Passes Will Be On Sale Again at Disneyland
Good news if you have been waiting to purchase a Magic Key Pass at Disneyland: sales will resume soon! Disney announced this week that sales of all four levels of Magic Keys will resume on January 10, no earlier than 9:00 AM PST. There has been no change in pricing for the passes, which are as follows:
- Inspire Key: $1649
- Believe Key: $1249
- Enchant Key: $849
- Imagine Key: $499
Since Disneyland Resort reopened from its temporary closure in 2021, the state of Annual Passes has been in flux. During the closure, Disneyland announced that it would sunset its Annual Passholder program, and by the fall of 2021, it was replaced by its current iteration, the Magic Key Passes. Unlike the Annual Passes, which were always available for purchase, Magic Keys has not always been a guarantee, with sales pausing and resuming several times over the last couple of years.
If you’ve been waiting to get a Magic Key, my recommendation is to be ready to purchase on January 10. There is no guarantee of how long the passes will be on sale, and Disney will likely pause sales at some point once again.
CLICK HERE TO START PLANNING YOUR 2024 DISNEYLAND VACATION.
Disneyland To Temporarily Add Pirates of the Caribbean to Genie+
There’s going to be a lot of activity happening in and around New Orleans Square at Disneyland this year. Work is well underway over at Tiana’s Bayou Adventure (opening late 2024), and Haunted Mansion is set to close for an undetermined amount of time as work begins on an expanded outdoor queue area.
With all of this going on, Disney has also announced that Pirates of the Caribbean will be temporarily added to Genie+. Theme park journalist Scott Gustin shared that the attraction will now be offered as part of the Genie+ lineup starting on January 22 “while nearby attractions undergo refurbishment.” The decision was likely to provide better guest flow as the work takes place this year in and around New Orleans Square, which is a common pinch point for foot traffic without construction, let alone with two popular rides unavailable and with work being done.
CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT DISNEYLAND’S FESTIVALS AND EVENTS TAKING PLACE IN 2024.
New Disney Vacation Club Lounge Announced For Walt Disney World
Gustin also shared the news this week that a new Disney Vacation Club lounge is being added to Walt Disney World. The exact location of the lounge has yet to be announced. This new location will be in addition to the current DVC Lounge found in the Imagination Pavilion at EPCOT and the Top of the World Lounge at Bay Lake Tower.
Disney Vacation Club Members can enjoy designated lounge space just for them that allows for some rest and recharging. The complimentary space for members comes with charging stations, free soft drinks, a Member Services kiosk, and more.
