MickeyBlog News for December 26th, 2022
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a joyous New Year to you and yours!
I know that you have had so much going on these past few days, and I want to thank you for spending part of your time with us.
Photo: Disney
So, here’s a quick edition of MickeyBlog News to distract you.
Return of the Queens
As 2023 quickly approaches, Disney parks and resorts have reevaluated their post-pandemic strategies.
Photo: Disney
For the longest time, Disney didn’t offer character meals or buffets at the various restaurants on the Orlando campus.
That strategy changed in 2022, as normalcy returned throughout the parks. In April, Disney eliminated most social distancing and face-covering requirements.
(Matt Stroshane, photographer)
Since then, almost all the previously impacted eateries have restored their pre-pandemic policies. Alas, two significant ones hadn’t yet, though.
Well, I’m happy to report that the Disney Princesses will return to Cinderella’s Royal Table on February 28th, 2023.
Photo: Disney
That’s important because Cinderella’s Royal Table without Cinderella feels like a misnomer. Yes, I realized Cindy has wandered the grounds some, but it’s not the same.
So, in two months, the dining experience will mimic the one we’ve always known.
Photo: Disney
Cinderella will greet guests before they enter the restaurant. Afterward, a cast member will guide you to your table.
At this point, various Disney Princesses will work the room, eventually stopping by to say hi to you and your traveling party.
Photo: Disney
The opportunity to dine inside Cinderella Castle justifies the meal in and of itself, as it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many.
Still, the experience loses something without the Disney Princesses. It’ll feel much better in two months!
Credit; Disney
Speaking of which, Chef Mickey’s will also make a change that week. On March 1st, 2023, the restaurant at Disney’s Contemporary Resort will bring back its buffet.
During the pandemic, Chef Mickey’s has operated with a family-style service instead. Many people, me included, like that option and wouldn’t mind if it stayed.
Photo: Disney
However, the reality is that Disney can cycle more people through the restaurant with the buffet in place.
That’s better for everybody, as demand for Chef Mickey’s causes near-constant sellouts.
Choo-Choo!
MickeyBlog’s Jared Talbot and Jessica Salokar have tracked this story for months now.
They and other members of our staff frequently take pictures of what’s happening behind the scenes at Walt Disney World Railroad.
On Friday, all their hard work paid dividends when they captured the happiest images possible!
The train is back and running on time at Magic Kingdom! I’m not just speaking in cliché here, either.
Magic Kingdom has already posted the updated operating hours for its trains!
Yes, The Walt Disney World Railroad is back at Magic Kingdom and running eight hours a day at the park. Oh, and it features new audio dialogue as well!
Disney smartly brought back the trains just in time for the holiday crunch of Christmas Eve through New Year’s Day.
These next few days represent the most popular time of the year at the parks.
So, having another attraction available to guests should help with wait times.
Even better, the trains will save guests from walking across the park to reach some destinations.
A Sign of Things to Come?
Tokyo Disney Resort recently changed one of its policies. Now, when guests read the Theme Park Usage Agreement, the fine print states something unexpected.
Photo: Tokyo Disney
Disney has prohibited “purchasing products or souvenirs for the purpose of resale.”
That decision comes with potentially fascinating ripple effects for Disney’s American theme parks.
Remember the Figment Popcorn Bucket fiasco back in January? Guests waited eight hours in line because demand exceeded supply.
Even worse, many of those popcorn buckets went straight to eBay. This aspect caused the lines to increase exponentially.
Even more alarmingly, some people never received their popcorn buckets because they’d sold out.
Selfish jerks bought the merchandise just to sell it, dashing the hopes of real Disney fans.
This behavior has grown more prevalent over the past few years as Disney parks have added exclusive, limited-time merchandise.
People who cannot visit the parks rely on third-party sales, which causes problems for the guests who are there at the time. They cannot find the Disney items they seek due to sellouts.
For this reason, you shouldn’t be surprised if Disneyland and/or Walt Disney World add similar language to their terms of service one day soon.
This policy change is starting to feel like it needs to happen.
Photo: Christy Weinberg
Walt Disney World Miscellany
Let’s do a few quick updates, and then you can go on your merry way.
At Walt Disney World, baseball fans are in luck in February and March. ESPN Wide World of Sports has agreed to host Tampa Bay Rays spring training games!
Credit: Disney
This site previously held Atlanta Braves games before my beloved team built its own standalone facility in North Port, Florida.
Similarly, Tampa Bay has its own spring training site. However, that stadium suffered damage during hurricane season and won’t be ready for pitchers and catchers in 2023.
Disney has stepped up as a temporary locale. And while I was typing this, the New York Mets signed three more mega-expensive free agents. Merry Christmas to them!
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Fantasmic! has altered its Christmas Week schedule.
Disney will operate the show at 8 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. from December 26th through January 7th.
Also, Tike’s Peak at Disney’s Blizzard Beach has added two new Frozen characters.
You’ll now find Kristoff and Sven in adorable statue form here. I presume the audio will pipe in this:
Disneyland Miscellany
At Disneyland Resort, we have some news items as well. For starters, Haunted Mansion Holiday has received a three-week reprieve.
Disney fans love this year’s version so much that it’ll stick around until January 30th, 2023! I hope Disney makes this an annual change!
Photo: D23
Also, we learned some nighttime presentation start dates. Wondrous Journeys will start on January 27th. It’ll run at 9:30 p.m. at first.
Meanwhile, World of Color — One will also debut on January 27th. Disney will host this one twice nightly at 9 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. to start.
Photo: CrispyCream27
Finally, Disney has scheduled the first Disney California Adventure night of Moonlight Magic for 2023. Disney Vacation Club members can attend on February 1st, 2023.
Merry Christmas, everyone!
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Feature Photo: Disney
