DISNEY NEWS ROUNDUP: Tons of Holiday Season News Including Christmas Party Return & Dates Announced; HUGE Character News; Fan Favorite Dining Returns; New DVC Opens; New Cruise Ship Arrives & More
After a semi-quiet start to the month, June is closing with a ton of news out of Disney World, Disney Cruise Line and beyond. Disney dropped a ton of news about the upcoming holiday season, characters around the parks, the launch of Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship. All this and more are below in this week’s news roundup.
1 – Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party to Return to Walt Disney World for the 2022 Holiday Season
Crazy to think we’re just six months away from Christmas, and to celebrate Disney Parks unveiled “Halfway to the Holidays” this week. This week Disney announced the return of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, and we couldn’t be more excited! Catch all the details at the link below.
Click here for dates, pricing, and details for the 2022 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!
2 – Disney Reveals Full 2022 Holiday Season Offerings at Walt Disney World
Holidays at Walt Disney World are truly a special time! In addition to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, there is so much more to see and enjoy. The season will kick off on November 11, and all four theme parks, Disney Springs, and Disney resorts will be celebrating. Visit the link below for an overview of all that will be offered during the 2022 holiday season at Walt Disney World.
Click here for detail on holiday offerings during the 2022 holiday season at Walt Disney World.
3 – Tons More Characters to Return to Greeting Spots in July at Walt Disney World
While “normal” character greetings with hugs and autographs returned to Walt Disney World in mid-April 2022, many characters greeting spots continue to be unavailable for greetings. Thankfully, Disney has announced that many will be reopening in the next few weeks and even more in the next few months. Take a look at some characters returning in July:
- July 6 – Minnie will join Mickey at Town Square Theater at Magic Kingdom. They will greet guests in EARidescent fashions designed specifically for the Walt Disney World 50thAnniversary celebration!
- July 6 – Chip ‘N Dale’s Campfire Sing-A-Long returns to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.
- July 10 – Peter Pan and Snow White will greet guests at Magic Kingdom Park (locations to be determined).
- July 17 – Character greetings return to Star Wars Launch Bay. Guests can once again greet Chewbacca, BB-8, and Darth Vader.
Disney Cast Member Joey McElroy shares more on what guests can expect “in the coming months:”
We have even more fun, hugs, and memories on the horizon. In the coming months, a visit to Magic Kingdom Park will bring chances to meet Aladdin, Jasmine, Merida, Pooh, Tigger, and Storybook Circus pals like The Great Goofini in Pete’s Silly Sideshow. Your favorite toys will be ready for playtime in Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Donald Duck and friends will rejoin their prehistoric party at “Donald’s Dino-Bash!” in DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.
4 – Follow Along During the Disney Wish Christening Cruise – July 29-July 2, 2022!
We’re so excited to announce that next week, we will be sailing on the Disney Wish for a special Christening Cruise! During the cruise, follow along on our Instagram account from June 29-July 2 as we explore and share with you everything Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship has to offer! We’ll be adding to our Instagram Story and be posting during the cruise. After the cruise, we’ll be posting plenty of articles to our website, so you’ll have everything you need to plan and enjoy a cruise on the Disney Wish. We’re pretty sure it will be amazing, and we’re really looking forward to sharing everything with you!
5 – Top of the World Lounge at Disney’s Contemporary Resort to Reopen Soon
One of the many benefits of being a Disney Vacation Club Member is access to two of the member lounges at Walt Disney World. Unfortunately, one of those lounges has been closed since March 2020. However, Disney announced this week that the popular Top of the World Lounge at Disney’s Contemporary Resort will reopen soon and will have a new look. Learn more at the link below.
Click here for more on the reopening of the Top of the World Lounge at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
6 – Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Review Returns to Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
Frontier-style family fun is back on the menu as Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue returned on June 23, 2022, at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. This beloved show features a high-spirited musical performance by the Pioneer Hall Players complete with foot-stompin’ folk songs, singing, dancing, zany comedy, and a fantastic feast—all in the rustic setting of an Old West dance hall. Now in its 48th year, Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue is one of the longest-running dinner shows in the United States.
7 – Foodie Guide to 4th of July Treats at Disney Parks
The 4th of July will be here soon, and if you’re visiting Walt Disney World, you’ll have the chance to enjoy some fantastic limited-time food and beverage items at Disney Parks. Visit the link below for all the details.
Click here for the Foodie Guide to 4th of July Treats at Disney Parks.
8 – Second Showing of “Disney Enchantment” Added During VERY Busy July
Last week we reported that additional park hours were added to the operating hours at every Walt Disney World theme park. This week we learned that from July 14-July 24, 2022, the nighttime spectacular will be performed at 9:20 pm and 11 pm. A second showing of the fireworks should alleviate some of the major crowding guests experience on Main Street and around the Hub before, during, and after the fireworks.
9 – New Resort Studios Now Open at The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa & Our Review
The week The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa celebrated its expansion and opening of a new building that includes a new room category, the Resort Studio. We were there for the opening celebration and had a chance to stay in one of the new rooms. We loved every minute of our stay. Learn more and get our review at the link below.
10 – Mirabel to Join Cavalcade at Walt Disney World This Week
Mirabel from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ hit film “Encanto” will make her debut on June 26, 2022, at Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. She will be featured in the “Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade!” which winds its way through the park several times each day. This super-sized cavalcade features nearly 30 Disney and Pixar friends, including Miguel from “Coco,” Nick and Judy from “Zootopia,” Baloo and King Louie from “The Jungle Book,” Princess Elena, Merida, Moana, The Incredibles and more. The “Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade!” is part of a growing line-up of new and returning magical entertainment at Magic Kingdom Park during the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary celebration.
11 – Disney Wish – Disney Cruise Line’s Newest Ship Arrives in Port Canaveral
The inaugural cruise for the Disney Wish is so close! This week the ship arrived at Port Canaveral, its home port! Learn more about this historic arrival at the link below.
Click here for more on the Disney Wish arriving in Port Canaveral this week.
12 – First Look – Disney Wish Celebrates Walt Disney’s Legacy at 1923 and Marceline Market
On the Disney Wish, guests will have so many options for dining. Walt Disney inspired the theming at different dining venues on the ship. Get a first look at the link below.
Click here for a look at two of the dining options on the Disney Wish!
13 – Orlando African American Artist Joins Disney Springs Art Walk as Walt Disney World Resort Continues to Celebrate Soulfully Throughout Summer
A colorful painting by an Orlando area African American artist became the latest artwork added to the art murals at Disney Springs this week as Walt Disney World Resort acknowledges Juneteenth and Black Music Month.
Painter, photographer and printmaker Everett Spruill, known for his vibrant works influenced by the Civil Rights movement, jazz and blues music, unveiled his latest creation depicting those signature artistic themes at the Disney Springs Art Walk: A Canvas of Expression.
“Documenting the history of jazz and blues is one of my greatest passions,” said Spruill. “I am inspired by the cultures of the African diaspora, and I hope to give the viewer a concise look at the African experience as expressed through my own perspective and visual aesthetic.”
While Spruill’s artwork is the latest work to join the space, his mural joins the work of fellow Black artist and former Walt Disney Imagineer Laci Jordan. A Los Angeles designer, illustrator and creative director, Jordan concentrates on color, pop culture, the representation of marginalized people and the intersectionality that exists amongst these spheres.
Other artists whose murals are part of the Art Walk include Chad Mize, Stacey Aoyama and Eric Tan. In the coming months, additional works of art by artists with diverse backgrounds will be added to the dedicated space.
The Disney Springs Art Walk is just one of the many ways that guests can Celebrate Soulfully with experiences that honor and pay tribute to Black heritage and culture through music, food, art and more at Walt Disney World Resort throughout the year and especially during June to mark Juneteenth and Black Music Month.
While at Disney Springs, music lovers can move from art to entertainment as they enjoy the return of Motown Mondays. They can also experience the Scat Cat’s Club at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort-French Quarter, where guests can enjoy nightly jazz groups in a New Orleans-styled lounge on select nights. Also, guests will discover new elements within “The Soul of Jazz: An American Adventure,” a recently refreshed exhibit in The American Adventure at EPCOT, which showcases the rich and dynamic evolution of jazz with a new programmed piano.
Additional ways guests can continue to Celebrate Soulfully at Walt Disney World Resort are:
Art: Locations Across Disney Parks Showcase Works by Black Creatives
- At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, guests can meet talented African artisans at Mombasa Marketplace and even take home some of their unique craftworks.
Music: Live Performances Energize Select Disney Locations with R&B, Gospel, and More
- At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, guests can experience Festival of the Lion King, a Broadway-style show filled with pageantry, puppetry and classic songs from Disney’s hit movie The Lion King.
Food: Black Culture Inspires New Culinary Creations
- Guests can continue to discover soulful eats across the Walt Disney World Resort where various soul food dishes, beverages and ingredients will be featured. Later this month, Cooking With Soul will take a look at soulful summer foods, where guests can explore various African-inspired meat cooking techniques and twists on Southern-inspired comfort foods and desserts
- Local Green Orlando is a Black-owned food truck and the first permanent plant-based food location at Disney Springs.
What’s New and Happening Now at Walt Disney World Resort
The New Normal – Visiting Walt Disney World During the Current Covid Restrictions
Disney Genie, Genie+, and Lightning Lane – New Planning Tools & Paid Access to Lighting Lane
Now Open – Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind
Now Through Spring 2023 – The Most Magical Celebration – 50 Years of Walt Disney World
Click here for Disney World 50th Anniversary Merchandise – What’s New & What You Need to Know
Now Through August 28, 2022, on Select Nights – Disney H2O Glow After Hours
Click here for our review of H2O Glow After Hours and Why You Don’t Want to Miss It!
Now Through July 4, 2022 – EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival
Click here for the menus to the Outdoor Kitchens at the 2022 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival.
Click here for photos of the menu boards with pricing for easy planning!
Click here for photos of all of the topiaries at the 2022 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival!
Click here for photos of the 2022 EPCOT Flower and Garden merchandise!
New Openings at EPCOT – As Part of the Historic Transformation of EPCOT
Click here for what’s new and coming to EPCOT as the Historic Transformation Continues.
Click here for our review and what you need to know about Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.
Click here for our review and what you need to know about Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.
Now Open – Drawn to Life
Click here for our review of Drawn to Life the new Cirque du Soleil show now open at Disney Springs.
Coming Soon to Walt Disney World
July 14-November 19, 2022 – 2022 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival
Click here for dates and details of the 2022 EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival.
August 12-October 31, Select Nights – Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom
Click here for details on Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party returning in 2022.
November 8-December 22, Select Nights – Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom
Click here for dates, pricing, and details for the 2022 Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!
Coming Soon to Disney Cruise Line
The Disney Wish
Click here for more information on new dining experiences on the Disney Wish.
Click here for — Disney Cruise Line Reveals New Indulgences for Adults Aboard the Disney Wish
Itineraries in 2022 and 2023
Click here to learn about Halloween and Holiday Themed Cruises in fall 2022.
Click here to learn about early 2023 itineraries on Disney Cruise Line
Click here for information on Pixar Day at Sea coming in early 2023!
Click here for information on Marvel Day at Sea on Disney Cruise Line in 2023.
Click here for information about Disney Cruise Line’s Summer 2023 Itineraries.
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