MickeyBlog News for August 28th, 2023
In this week’s MickeyBlog News, My Disney Experience gets better, Disneyland plans for what’s next, and firefighters lose a perk.
Walt Disney World Improvements
The My Disney Experience has gotten substantially better recently, so much so that it’s worth discussing.
This past week, Disney performed a long overdue change to Advanced Dining Reservations.
As of now, when you search for a reservation on My Disney Experience, the system will show all possible bookings.
That functionality may not sound revolutionary to you if you don’t dine at Walt Disney World often.
For those who do, you’re probably jumping up and down with glee.
I say this because the old version of the Advanced Dining Reservation (ADR) system would generate three recommended booking windows.
Yes, you would start the process by asking for a general timeframe. However, Disney controlled everything from there.
Guests lacked the ability to manage their itineraries exactly under the prior system.
What typically happened was that we would refresh the results or close the app and start from scratch. It…wasn’t ideal.
Under the new format, when a restaurant offers any availability whatsoever, My Disney Experience displays the information.
So, you can book whenever you like, which is a liberating change that should streamline your itinerary.
Frankly, this change was loooong overdue, but it’s here now, which is all that matters.
Disney also modified Disney Genie+ on the app. Previously, the Tip Board section showed all attractions.
Now, My Disney Experience includes a toggle switch.
When you activate this switch, the system displays only the attractions participating in Disney Genie+.
Under this streamlined version, you can quickly identify where to skip the longer line, maximizing your Disney Genie+ purchase.
These quality-of-life updates will go a long way in making your next Walt Disney World vacation less stressful and more magical.
The Disneyland Update
Okay, let’s start with the wonderful news.
Tropical Storm/Hurricane Hilary caused no reported fatalities in Southern California, a place with a population of nearly 24 million people.
Yes, flooding occurred in several parts of the region. Overall, the preparation for this unprecedented event saved lives and property.
Unexpectedly, the worst moments in Southern California occurred due to a series of earthquakes, including a 5.1 on the Richter scale.
Pundits described the whole bizarre series of bad luck as the Southern California Hurriquake.
Still, the region persevered, and all Disney fans are grateful that Disneyland Resort avoided the worst. In fact, you can watch a livestream of that night:
The only incident of note, which is caught on the above livestream, was the evacuation of Lamplight Lounge and other places due to a weather-related snafu.
Now that the inclement weather has passed, we can look forward to the coming year of magic at The Happiest Place on Earth.
In fact, Disneyland Resort has started selling its 2024 packages. We also gained a first look at the upcoming restaurant, Tiana’s Palace:
@disneyparks 👀 First Look 👀 New details revealed inside Tiana’s Palace restaurant ✨ #Disney #Disneyland #Tiana #TianasPalace #WorldPrincessWeek #DisneyEats #Restaurant
Doesn’t that interior look incredible?! This might be the ultimate New Orleans Square restaurant.
Tiana’s Palace will open to the public on September 7th, so MickeyBlog will tell you more about the eatery over the next two weeks.
Similarly, Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disneyland Halloween Bash will debut on September 5th.
We just learned about two new villains that will appear at this year’s Halloween party.
One of them also connects to San Fransokyo Square, which opens this Thursday at Disney California Adventure!
The next two weeks are gonna be massive at Disneyland Resort!
Firefighters Lose Their Perks
I usually don’t discuss Reedy Creek drama in MickeyBlog News these days, but it’s a slow news week and something strange happened.
Less than a week after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis indicated he had moved on from his Disney aggression, something weird happened.
DeSantis reported Disney’s use of more than $2 million in taxpayer funds to an investigator.
The move hinted at impropriety involving the former Reedy Creek Improvement District.
Alas, an internal memo explained the matter more accurately.
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, currently embroiled in expensive litigation with Disney, cut perks for government employees.
Specifically, the $2 million in question had previously paid for annual passes at Walt Disney World for the Reedy Creek Fire Department and other Reedy Creek workers.
The new board has eliminated those perks, which left firefighters livid. They appeared at a local meeting and pled for the board to maintain those benefits.
Technically, that could still happen, as the measure is merely proposed and not approved yet. So, stay tuned on this one.
Disney News and Notes
We’ve got a cluster of mini-news items this week.
For starters, parking trams will return at EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in September!
Beep beep! This September, parking trams will return to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. With this update, trams will once again be available at all @WaltDisneyWorld theme parks. pic.twitter.com/ISw6PZiNJT
— Disney Parks (@DisneyParks) August 20, 2023
Speaking of Hollywood Studios, The Mandalorian’s schedule now appears on My Disney Experience.
Until recently, The Mandalorian’s appearances occurred at seemingly random intervals. So, you can plan your visit accordingly now.
At EPCOT, the stylish Vanellope character greeting at the Imagination! pavilion has closed permanently. It’s for a good reason, though.
Figment will hold court in this location in a few months. Since Figment embodies the spirit of the Imagination! pavilion, it’s only fitting that he be here.
Also coming soon is Destination D23 at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Disney posted the full schedule this week.
On a sad note, Disney Floral and Gifts has officially ceased operations. Today was the last day for Disney management.
From now on, Florida Fresh Floral will handle these duties as a third-party vendor. It’s too early to say how the services will change, though.
Meanwhile, the other Walt Disney World update of note won’t happen until 2025.
Disney has already gotten the word out that Stormalong Bay will undergo refurbishment at the start of 2025.
This renovation will take five months, and Disney is telling people so early since this pool/mini-water park is so popular with guests.
Finally, Disneyland Resort announced that a new Cinderella Carriage will soon transport guests as part of the park’s Disney Weddings. Doesn’t that sound magical?
Have a terrific week, everyone!
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Feature Photo: Disney