Paging Mr. Morrow, Mr. Tom Morrow — please follow Perfecting the Magic to your next Disney vacation — we have all the Disney news you’ve got to know before your next trip!
If we’re not at Disney riding the PeopleMover through Tomorrowland, we’re keeping up with the latest theme park news. Whether you’re heading to Disney tomorrow or in a few months, Perfecting the Magic is your resource for essential Disney info. Here are this week’s updates from Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
Holiday Parade News
One of our favorite things about the holidays at Walt Disney World is the seasonal entertainment, including Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade at Magic Kingdom. Typically, this parade is only shown during the after-hours event throughout the holiday season, but soon, you’ll be able to see this beloved holiday parade without a party ticket!
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade will be performed daily at Magic Kingdom from December 22 to December 31, so if you aren’t going to Disney’s Very Merriest After Hours, you can still see this fantastic entertainment offering. Add a seasonal coffee from Joffrey’s or Starbucks and you’ll be in the holiday spirit for sure!
Disneyland Refurbishment Updates
Planning to visit Disneyland next month? Two of the most popular rides in the theme park are closing for refurbishment very soon. (But don’t worry, it’s only temporary!)
Disney Food Blog shared that Splash Mountain and Haunted Mansion will temporarily close this January. The closure of Haunted Mansion is an expected one; the ride temporarily closes every January when the holiday season ends so that Disney can remove the Haunted Mansion Holiday (Nightmare Before Christmas) overlay and transform the ride back to its original form. Splash Mountain’s closure, however, got people talking. Many speculate that Disney is finally starting the attraction’s Princess and the Frog retheme. However, as reported by David Vaughn, Disney confirmed that the ride is only closing for a seasonal refurbishment, and the permanent closure for the retheme will come at a later date.
Our best advice? Just keep an eye on the refurb calendar ahead of your trip so you know what will and won’t be open.
Snow White is Back at Walt Disney World
Want to have dinner with the original Disney princess? Book this meal for your next Disney trip!
Disney World hosts a variety of dining offerings fit for royalty, and we love trying them all! One of our favorite character dining meals, Story Book Dining at Artist Point, is reopening very soon, and reservations are now available.
Disney Parks Blog announced that Story Book Dining at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge (a price-fixed character meal featuring Snow White, the Evil Queen, Dopey, and Grumpy) is returning on December 16. As AllEars pointed out, the updated meal price has not yet been announced, but only slight changes have been made to the menu. We ate here before the pandemic and loved our food and our experience as a whole, so we’re excited about the reopening. If you’re looking for a special character meal that offers unique interactions and great food, we definitely recommend Story Book Dining!
Favorite Festivals Return to DCA
Two guest-favorite festivals are returning to Disney California Adventure! Disney announced this week that the Disney California Adventure Lunar New Year Festival and Food & Wine Festival are officially returning in 2022.
- Lunar New Year: January 21-February 13, 2022
- Food & Wine Festival: March 4-April 26, 2022
These festivals offer some of the best food, beverages, and entertainment on Disneyland Resort property. Plus, the newest Disney princess, Raya from Raya and the Last Dragon, will be heading to California Adventure for the first time and greeting guests in the parks during Lunar New Year in 2022!
If you want to ensure you can visit the parks for these special events, we recommend making your theme park reservations ASAP. You won’t want to miss out!
“Driver, You are Clear”
Trams are returning to the Disney theme parks! Disneyland Resort announced that tram transportation is returning in early 2022, and now we have news for Walt Disney World Resort, too! Disney shared that trams are returning to the Magic Kingdom parking lot this month and the other Disney World parks throughout 2022. Finally, we’ll be able to save ourselves from those long walks to and from the car at the beginning and end of our theme park days. Disney fans, rejoice!
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