MickeyBlog News for April 7th, 2025
This past week proved exciting for Disney fans.
While we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves, a beloved amenity has (kind of) returned.
Photo: Yahoo finance
Also, Disney made a surprising announcement about Walt Disney World this summer.
I’ll explain everything happening in this week’s MickeyBlog News.
Semi-Magical Express
Okay, let’s start with the clarification. Disney has NOT announced the return of Magical Express.
The beloved airport amenity provided guests with free transportation to and from the parks.
Photo: MouseHacking.com
Also, Magical Express took care of tourists’ luggage. We’d drop off our bags at the airport.
Later that day, our luggage would be waiting for us in our hotel room. Magical Express was accurately named.
Alas, Disney stopped offering this amenity during the pandemic, much to my personal frustration.
I miss it so much that I posted a controversial opinion that I’d even pay for it if Disney brought back Magical Express.
Photo: Disney
Well, that may not even be necessary. We don’t know yet, but the early signs are positive.
Thanks to some impressive investigative work from a friend of mine at MickeyBlog, we’ve confirmed the following.
Photo: Disney
Resort Check-In has returned at one specific Walt Disney World hotel.
As a reminder, Resort Check-In is the luggage part of Magical Express.
Photo: Amazon
When you’re ready to leave for the airport, you leave your bags at Disney’s Bell Services.
Later, when you reach the airport at your final destination, your luggage is there thanks to Disney magic.
Photo: Amazon
You can probably guess where I’m going with this…
It’s Baaaaack!
Disney’s Pop Century Resort
As of this week, guests staying at Disney’s Pop Century Resort can utilize Resort Check-In on their departure date.
There’s an asterisk here, though. Currently, guests may only use Resort Check-In for Southwest Airlines flights.
Repainted Dancers at Disney’s Pop Century Resort
So, you’re probably thinking to yourself that it’s just one airline and one hotel.
That’s absolutely correct…for now. Thanks to MickeyBlog’s sleuthing, we know that more is coming, though.
Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
I’m on a Disney cruise this week – I’m on a boat! – so I’m having to write this earlier than usual.
My understanding is that by the time you read this, Disney will have expanded the service to all other Value Resorts.
Disney’s All-Star Music Rock Inn Buildings
That’s Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, and Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort.
That’s five resorts ramping up the Resort Check-In feature this week alone.
Disney’s All-Star Movies Fantasia Building
Again, you’ll have to fly Southwest Airlines to take advantage of it and even use their app for the experience.
Still, this announcement makes me wildly optimistic that more is coming soon.
Photo: Southwest
We don’t have Magical Express yet, but hope is alive that it may return one day!
The Water Park Reveal
The other big news this week involves Walt Disney World’s two water parks, one of which just celebrated a milestone birthday.
Disney’s Blizzard Beach, the newest water park on the Orlando campus, turned 30 years old this week.
Blizzard Beach 30th Anniversary Celebration
One of our terrific park reporters attended the anniversary party, and you can check out the pictures in the above link.
Somehow, that’s not the big story this week, though. It’s that Disney has pulled off something of a surprise.
Blizzard Beach 30th Anniversary Celebration
From May 21st through September 7th, BOTH water parks at Walt Disney World will operate simultaneously.
Folks, we haven’t had this happen since 2019! One of the water parks was undergoing refurbishment at the end of that year.
Blizzard Beach
Then, the pandemic occurred and reduced the need for dual water parks for several years.
So, 2025 signifies the end of that horrible era and proves that we’re finally past the pandemic. Let us never speak of it again.
Photo: DIsney
For guests staying at official Disney resorts, this news is even better.
Remember that new amenity Disney started this year? Okay, if you don’t, I’ll remind you.
Photo: Disney
As of 2025, when you book a reservation at an official Disney hotel, you can visit a water park for free on your first day.
You don’t need a ticket or anything. Your hotel reservation includes water park admission on that day.
H2O Glow After Hours
Starting on May 21st, you can take your pick of Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon or Disney’s Blizzard Beach for your free visit.
While Typhoon Lagoon has what I consider the best ride, Miss Adventure Falls, Blizzard Beach’s 30th anniversary makes it a great choice, too.
Photo: Disney
In short, you can’t go wrong with either option, and that’s another reason why you should always stay on-site at Walt Disney World.
MickeyBlog News
Contemporary Easter Egg Display
Since we’re two weeks from Easter, I’ll go ahead and tell you to make a beeline to some Disney resorts.
The ever-impressive Easter egg displays have returned to the hotel lobbies.
Here’s the one at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resort.
It features a remarkable egg showing a monorail traveling between theme parks.
Contemporary Easter Egg Display
Then, we have this one at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Whoever did The Muppets figurines is my hero.
Finally, I should tell you that Test Track 3.0 has reached a big milestone on its way to opening later this summer.
The scaffolding is down now, allowing you to walk to the attraction building and study the changes!
How great is that?! Even better, we know that it won’t be long now until the EPCOT thrill ride is ready to reopen in its new form.
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Feature Photo: Disney
