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If you’ve been following Perfecting the Magic for a while, you know that we’re all about navigating the parks in style and sharing how you can do it, too.
Read on for the Disneyland and Walt Disney World theme park news that you may have missed this week — from the return of our favorite Disneyland fireworks to Disney Genie+ mishaps, and some good news for the Walt Disney World Railroad!
Enchanting Entertainment is Coming Back to Disneyland
Let’s start this news roundup with a bang! Disneyland fans, it’s time to welcome home the performers and shows we know and love so much! Disney Parks Blog has shared some exciting announcements and magical new details about the entertainment returning to our happy place in 2022.
We already knew that World of Color, the Main Street Electrical Parade, and Fantasmic! were coming back to Disneyland Resort next year (peep our TikTok here!), but now it’s been confirmed that the best Disneyland fireworks show ever, Disneyland Forever, is returning, too! It’s been years since we’ve seen this show at Disneyland Resort, and no lie, this is truly the most magical firework spectacular at the theme park. We can’t wait for it to return!
Stay tuned for more details, including the specific dates for when all of our favorite entertainment offerings are back at our happy place. And to all of the Cast Members coming back to make magic in these shows, welcome home!
What’s Going on with Disney Genie?
Okay, so here’s the deal with the news Disneyland app update. Disney Genie and Disney Genie+, the next iteration of MaxPass, just debuted at Disneyland Resort this week, and let’s just say none of our wishes were granted. On launch day, Disney Genie+ was a total flop due to technical issues galore. The service crashed, and guests were left waiting in line (some for over an hour!) for refunds on their $20/person purchases. You can read all about our experience on launch day here.
So, what about now? Well, it seems like in the days following Disney Genie’s debut, the service appears to be working as it should, and guests can make their Lightning Lane selections without nearly as many issues as on day one. We’ll keep monitoring the situation and share our in-depth review of using Disney Genie+ at Disneyland when we’re able to experience it to the fullest. After all, locals and tourists alike loved MaxPass (RIP), so we bet Genie+ will be a great perk to a full day at the parks once we all get the hang of it. At least, that’s what we’re hoping for!
Experience Disneyland After Dark in 2022
Let’s face it. Sharing how to elevate your Disney theme park experience is totally on-brand for us. And one of our favorite ways to upgrade a Disney visit is by attending an after-hours event. This week, Disney announced three fan-favorite events are returning to Disneyland in 2022 — here’s the scoop.
You can experience three Disneyland After Dark events during the first half of next year: Sweethearts Nite, Villains Nite, and Star Wars Nite. And trust us when we say that these are worth the price. You get after-hours access to most of the park’s attractions (you can walk on rides with basically no wait!), memorable experiences with rare Disney characters that aren’t normally at the park, and even the ability to try event-exclusive food and beverage items. Read all the details here on Disney Parks Blog.
Here’s the thing: these events are not cheap! The least expensive ticket for Sweethearts Nite, for example, is $114/person. So even though we think after-hours events are worth attending, it would definitely be pricey to try to attend each of the events Disneyland is hosting next year. Our advice? Read up on each event linked above and choose the one that you’re most drawn to. If you can only attend one special event next year, make it the one on the top of your list!
Walt Disney World Railroad Testing
We’ve got another Disney attraction update to share — and this time, we’re discussing a ride that’s been closed for years. It may not be the most thrilling attraction, but you can’t deny that it’s a Magic Kingdom staple. The Walt Disney World Railroad has been closed amid the construction of TRON Lightcycle / Run in Tomorrowland. Due to the location of the new roller coaster and the work being done to bring it to life, the Walt Disney World Railroad has been closed for three years. But now, we have some hopeful news!
AllEars reported this week that Disney has started testing the railroad once again. This testing is still part of the “overall refurbishment” of the railroad, and it may still be a while before guests can board the attraction again, but it’s still great news for fans of the railroad. We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to board this Magic Kingdom classic ASAP!
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