MickeyBlog News for July 8th, 2024

Happy July 4^th to all my American friends! I hope that you had a lovely celebration.

Also, to those of you who had to work on Friday, I hope that the fireworks didn’t keep you awake and make you miserable the next morning!

Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky

As usual, the Independence Day celebration was thrilling at Disney theme parks.

We’ll discuss the festivities and the opening of Disney’s newest hotel rooms in the latest MickeyBlog News.

Independence Day II

On July 4^th, Disney needed a hit sequel this year. And no, I’m not talking about Inside Out 2 or Deadpool & Wolverine.

You may recall that July 4^th, 2023, was something of a PR debacle for Disney.

Mainstream media publications went viral with the story that Walt Disney World was empty on the official holiday.

At the time, MickeyBlog patiently tried to explain that the less crowded parks were a combination of two significant factors.

The first was that July 4^th was the hottest day on record in 150+ years of tracked data.

An even more dramatic impact was that July 4^th fell on a Tuesday, arguably the worst calendar configuration for theme parks.

Many potential tourists had to work the day before and the day after the holiday, negating travel plans.

At the time, non-Disney sources didn’t want to hear these facts, instead pushing a narrative that the company was in big trouble.

We now know that was a laughable assertion, but that was the headline nonetheless.

So, Disney really needed this year’s July 4^th event to stand out…and it did!

Of course, there were some nerves within the walls of Disney HQ on Thursday, as the weather service issued a heat advisory.

Realistically, anyone visiting Florida in early July should expect that weather, though.

Thankfully, the weather didn’t prevent anyone from having a great time.

Disney loaded up on adorable character interactions and offered single-day novelty PhotoPasses.

As our intrepid reporters noted, some Disney World hotels got into the holiday spirit as well. 

Overall, we tracked 13 different ways to celebrate the holiday, with everyone’s favorite being the Independence Day fireworks.

Heartbeat of Freedom! 🤍❤️🇺🇸💙🌐 #EPCOT pic.twitter.com/vyigaLc8DI

— MickeyBlog.com (@MickeyBlog_) July 5, 2024

Most importantly, Disney provided the holiday comeback it needed after a weird 2023.

Eat to the Beat Schedule Announced

Eat to the Beat Concert Series in 2023

We’re less than two months away from the start of the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival.

This year’s event will start on August 29^th and last through November 23^rd, 2024. So, it’ll have a park presence until Thanksgiving Week.

Credit: Disney

As part of the 2024 festivities, Disney will once again host its wildly popular Eat to the Beat concert series.

Basically, Disney pays a bunch of formerly famous bands to play multiple sets each night.

You’ll find the Eat to the Beat performances at America Gardens Theatre just outside the America Adventure pavilion.

While Disney announced the Food & Wine Festival in April, it hadn’t listed the schedule for Eat to the Beat until now.

So, here is the list of this year’s concerts.

• August 30 to 31 – The Fray
• September 1 to 2 – Sugar Ray
• September 6 to 7 – Hoobastank
• September 8 to 9 – Yellowcard (NEW)
• September 13 to 14 – Tiffany
• September 15 to 16 – MercyMe
• September 20 to 21 – Sheila E.
• September 22 to 23 – The Wanted (NEW)
• September 27 – Luis Figueroa
• September 28 to 29 – Mau Y Ricky (NEW)
• September 30 – Jesse & Joy (NEW)
• October 4 to 5 – Aloe Blacc (NEW)
• October 6 to 7 – Joey Fatone & Friends
• October 11 to 12 – We The Kings
• October 13 to 14 – Switchfoot
• October 18 to 19 – David Archuleta (NEW)
• October 20 to 21 – Billy Ocean
• October 25 to 28 – Hanson
• November 1 to 2 – Haley Reinhart featuring Emily Estefan, Casey Abrams and Janel Parrish  (NEW)
• November 3 to 4 – Boyz II Men
• November 8 to 9 – Magic! (NEW)
• November 10 to 11 – Parmalee (NEW)
• November 15 to 16 – Smash Mouth
• November 17 to 18 – 98 Degrees

As a huge fan of The Fray, I’m happy to get…Boyz II Men. Ah well.

Disney Miscellany

Photo: Disney

Generally, Disney takes the holidays off from major news. However, we did have another massive story this week.

The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Lodge have opened/reopened.

Credit: Disney

I’m unclear on the lexicon I should use here as Disney never closed down this resort.

However, Imagineers spent the past year demolishing 50-year-old Cabins and replacing them with ones built in 2024.

Photo: Disney/Jeff Haslam

Currently, you’ll find a mix of old Cabins and new, but the plan is to replace all of them over time.

We got our first look at them the other day, and several influencers have posted videos that might interest you.

Speaking of 50 years of Fort Wilderness, Disney recently honored the original cast of the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue.

The Original Cast. Credit: Disney

These college interns in 1974 fundamentally changed the nature of a visit to Fort Wilderness. So, we’re all in their debt.

In other Walt Disney World news, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith has officially reopened, albeit not without some hiccups.

Similarly, on the other coast, Disney California Adventure suffered a somewhat embarrassing evacuation of the Incredicoaster.

Disney also revealed daily pricing for Mickey’s Verry Merry Christmas Party and Disney Jollywood Nights.

Credit: Disney

The news may have gotten lost in the shuffle due to the holiday, but tickets are now on sale for both events. 

So, you should speak with a MickeyTravels agent to book immediately. Otherwise, you run the risk of getting shut out.

Photo: Disney Parks Blog

Disney Cruise Line also made some news with one modest change and another exciting update.

Finally, Bob Iger just celebrated 50 years at Disney. Here’s a look back at his highlights and lowlights.

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