MickeyBlog News for January 27th, 2025
We’ve had quite the eventful week at Disney, and I’m not just talking about the weather.
Disney announced several impending changes, some of which you’ll adore. Others will break your heart.
Photo:visitorlando.com
This week is melancholy for MickeyBlog News. Grab a tissue, and let’s get started.
We’ve Come to the End of the Road
Photo: Disney
Muppets fans, you’ve known this day was coming. Now, I’m sorry to tell you it has arrived.
Disney just confirmed the closing date for Muppet*Vision 3D, along with two restaurants in the area.
So, to me, some of this news is good, and I suspect you’ll agree with me on at least one. Let’s start with that.
PizzeRizzo will close permanently on June 7th, 2025. People have predicted its demise since its opening week. I’m not even joking.
From day one, this pizza parlor didn’t live up to Disney’s lofty standards, and everyone knew it.
Over time, PizzeRizzo switched to a seasonal restaurant due to a lack of demand. All this happened within a span of a few years.
PizzeRizzo only opened in 2016. This one has come and gone quickly.
Conversely, Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano has been disappointing fans for many years.
Seriously, I quit on this place more than a decade ago and never looked back.
Despite the fact that Disney updated the menu a few months ago, this restaurant is also closing soon. Its final date is May 10th.
Disney
Circling back to June 7th, that’s the final date for Muppet*Vision 3D. I know, I know. We’re all devastated.
The one positive you should take from this announcement is that Disney isn’t doing any half-measures with Monstropolis.
With everything closing in the area, we won’t notice any rehashes when the new themed land opens. It’ll look entirely different.
So, while the opportunity cost of losing Muppet*Vision 3D is devastatingly high, the positive is that something exceptional is in the offing.
Muppet*Vision 3D
Still, those of you who can visit Walt Disney World before June 7th definitely should do so!
Disney indicates that we haven’t seen the last of Muppet*Vision 3D, but it’ll probably be a while.
My Disney Experience Gets Better
Photo: Computer Hope
I used to work in tech, and while I was miserable there, I learned quite a lot about the user experience.
Oftentimes, the most important updates are the ones that receive the least attention.
Photo:Rappler
These “quality of life” improvements don’t seem like much, but they make all the difference in streamlining your experience.
I say all this as a preface to this VERY significant tidbit about My Disney Experience (MDE).
Photo: Disney
The app you rely on during your Walt Disney World experience just somehow got better.
One of our excellent writers, Allison Fricker, posted a detailed explanation about the changes.
MyDisneyExperience
I’d encourage you to read the whole thing, but here’s the gist.
MDE has replaced the previous dropdown menu with a MUCH more user-friendly horizontal display.
When you’re on the app, there are a few features you’re likely to use most often. Those are:
- Attraction information
- Bathroom locations
- Character schedules
- Dining/Mobile Ordering information
- Entertainment
- Wait Times
MyDisneyExperience
There are several others like shop directions, transportation information, PhotoPass, and Guest Services.
Still, the ones I just bullet-pointed are what you’ll access exponentially more than the rest.
Photo: Disney
With the new update, Disney has placed these menu items at the top of the page.
So, you’ve got immediate access to them at all times while using MDE.
MyDisneyExperience
How does this help you? Let’s say that you’re at Magic Kingdom and are hungry.
Even though you’ve got Wait Times displaying, you can click the Dining tab at the top. It’ll show restaurant wait times.
Even better, the Mobile Ordering button will appear over the applicable restaurants. So, you can click it and begin your order.
The whole thing is seamless now and saves you the tremendous aggravation of endlessly scrolling through sub-menus.
Grizzly Peak Airfield Popcorn Cart
This is a dramatic improvement that will make future park visits better.
Disney Miscellany
Photo: Disneyland
We’ve got plenty of other stories to cover. So, I’ll go quickly.
The first is that no news is good news with Magic Key sales.
Historically, I spend one-third of MickeyBlog News explaining the latest tech glitch when Disneyland tickets go on sale.
That didn’t happen this time! Disney’s virtual queue has largely worked as intended. Maybe they’ve got the problem fixed?!
Photo: Disney
Speaking of ticket sales, Disney has made a vital change to the Lightning Lane Premier Pass.
When this pass debuted, it was only available to guests staying at Deluxe tier Walt Disney World resorts.
Later, Disney reduced the gatekeeping and made Premier Pass available to all guests staying onsite.
Now, as of this week, Premier Pass is available to everyone with admission tickets for that day! So, you can splurge whenever you want.
Photo: Disney
I also want to bring your attention to several closures and refurbishments happening at Disney right now.
For starters, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will close early on select nights in January and February.
Nobody knows why, although speculation has centered on maintenance requirements.
Uptime has markedly improved on this attraction, but it’s still a challenge to keep running efficiently.
Blizzard Beach
In other closure news, Blizzard Beach simply cannot catch a break, as Florida’s cold spell has played a hand in Disney’s strange month.
On the bright side, the freezing weather means that you’ll miss Stormalong Bay a bit less right now.
The pride of Disney’s Beach Club has closed for refurbishments. It’ll hopefully be back in March.
On the other coast, Pixar Place Hotel’s pool deck will also close soon for less significant renovations.
Disney Miscellany Part Two
Hall of Presidents
The other big closure at the moment is Hall of Presidents, which is altering the scenery to reflect that Donald Trump is once again President.
This change likely won’t be as scandalous as the 2017 one, when reports suggested that Disney recycled its Hilary Clinton Audio-Animatronic for Trump.
Source: Washington Post
No matter where you stand on politics, that’s a hysterical premise, albeit one that apparently wasn’t based in fact.
At EPCOT, dining packages for the Garden Rocks concert series go on sale Wednesday. Act quickly because they tend to go fast!
DCA Lunar New Year Celebration – Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession
On the West Coast, Disneyland Resort is currently celebrating the Lunar New Year. Some rare character greetings are available.
We also learned details about Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite ticket sales.
The general public can purchase on Thursday, while Magic Key owners can buy up to two days earlier.
We also got a look at the menu for Sweethearts’ Nite, and…YUM!
Finally, we’ll speedrun some stories. Viviana the hippo just turned 50, The Seas with Nemo & Friends has reduced its hours, and an iconic marquee is gone.
Meanwhile, Disney Cruise Line wants you to tip your servers more (please do!), runDisney has revealed the Wine & Dine themes, and a new convention expansion is coming.
Okay, those are the highlights of a very busy Disney week. Stay warm, my many loves!
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Feature Photo: DIsney
