Fun New Additions Coming to the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, Sprouting March 1

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

There is nothing lovelier than springtime at Walt Disney World! The days get longer, the weather warms up, and colorful flowers bloom across the landscape. And one of the best places to experience spring is at the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. Beginning March 1 and continuing through July 5, this stunning festival features alluring gardens, whimsical topiaries, lively entertainment, beautiful merchandise and delightfully fresh cuisine.

Today, we have exciting news to share. For the first time, topiaries of Mirabel, Antonio, Isabela and Luisa from Disney “Encanto” will make a grand appearance at the festival. Located near the EPCOT main entrance, these new topiaries are sure to be a must-do photo moment. (But remember: We don’t talk about Bruno.)

And that’s not all. A new Princess Tiana topiary will grace The American Adventure. Plus, we also have returning favorites such as Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs; Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Captain Hook and Tick Tock Croc; Figment; Anna and Elsa; and more.

The popular Garden Rocks Concert Series is back, featuring favorite tunes at the America Gardens Theatre. More details about the musical lineup will be released soon. Stay tuned here!

Guests better get their taste buds ready; because they’re in for a treat! More than 15 Outdoor Kitchens will offer specialty menus of scrumptious cuisine and beverages. One of our favorites is The Citrus Blossom which will move to a new location at Odyssey. With fresh new menu items, guests will want to sample all the mouth-watering delights.

Of course, guests can commemorate their visit with official ‘70’s inspired Orange Bird merchandise, including apparel, headwear, drinkware and much more.

Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration will have people abuzz again. This springtime scavenger hunt is fun for all ages. Guests can follow Spike the Bee on his pollination trail, where he will “bee” busy collecting nectar and pollinating gardens at EPCOT. Once guests find him in each garden on their map, they’ll add the corresponding sticker of the plant he is visiting.

On the bridge to World Showcase, guests can enjoy the sights and scents of spring with Blossoms of Fragrance presented by Scentsy. Surrounded by vibrant butterfly topiaries, guests will be invited to follow their noses to six scent stations—to form lasting memories with the help of unforgettable aromas.

To experience the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, guests must have both valid admission and a park reservation for EPCOT on the same date. Keep an eye here for more details!

Ariel’s Grotto and Enchanted Tales with Belle returning to Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

The land where “once upon a time” happens every day is about to become even more magical as princesses Belle and Ariel return to the Enchanted Forest in Fantasyland.

These beloved experiences will return on the following dates:

  • Meet Ariel at Her Grotto: Jan. 22
  • Enchanted Tales with Belle: Feb. 19

Both returning experiences will be added as selections to Disney Genie+ service on their respective reopening dates. With these additions, guests will have even more options to choose from when using Disney Genie+ service. As a reminder, the purchase of Disney Genie+ service is available in addition to a standby entrance.

Disney Cancels Fantasmic! Performances Through Early February

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

There are a lot of shows that are synonymous with Disney, one of them being the nighttime spectacular Fantasmic!. At Walt Disney World Resort, Fantasmic! takes place in the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and, at Disneyland Resort, the show takes place along the Rivers of America in Frontierland at Disneyland Park. Since the show first premiered at both Disneyland and Disney World, it has undergone several changes — with new versions of the show premiering at both Resorts last year.

In a surprising turn, Guests visiting Disneyland will find themselves unable to watch the classic show, starting immediately. According to the Disneyland Resort website, all nightly viewings of Fantasmic! have been canceled through February 2. At this time, Disney has not released a statement as to why it has chosen to stop the theme park show. It has been raining a lot in Southern California, but that wouldn’t account for canceling nearly three weeks’ worth of shows.

Fantasmic Disneyland

Haven’t had a chance to see Fantasmic! at Disneyland Park yet? Here’s some more info on Disney’s iconic nighttime show:

When Dreams Come to Life

As darkness falls, dazzling special effects transform the Rivers of America into an epic canvas for this extravagant live show.

Fast asleep, Mickey dreams he is the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. With a wave of his hands, he conducts scenes from Fantasia across enormous screens of water while brilliant sparks burst overhead. Pink elephants, swashbuckling pirates, princesses and more—including memorable scenes from Disney classics such as Aladdin, The Lion King, Tangled and Pirates of the Caribbean—appear on and around the Rivers of America.

When Mickey is suddenly pulled into the Magic Mirror, his dream takes a dark turn. The Evil Queen from Snow White conjures up some of Disney’s most dastardly villains—including Maleficent as a 45-foot, fire-breathing dragon! Mickey must use the power of his imagination to vanquish his foes—and save the day.

Featuring a fantastical array of live performers, beloved Disney characters, enhanced special effects, state-of-the-art projections and superb pyrotechnics, this show will wow the entire family.

Fantasmic

Disney Dining will update readers if changes are made to Disneyland’s schedule and Fantasmic! resumes its shows at Disneyland Park before the February 2 date.

Disney Starts Dropping Reservation System Requirements For Disney World Guests

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

Guests need a Park reservation to visit each of the four parks at Walt Disney World. Guests can still park hop, but they will need a valid ticket and reservation date to do so. Guests also need to wait until 2 p.m. to visit their second Park.

Once Walt Disney World and Disneyland reopened to Guests after temporarily closing due to the ongoing pandemic, the theme parks implemented a new reservation system to help monitor Park capacity called the Park Pass system. In order to enter a theme park at Walt Disney World or Disneyland, Guests must not only have valid Park admission but a valid Park Pass reservation.

family on animal kingdom discovery island trails

At Walt Disney World, Annual Passholders will now be able to park hop after 2 p.m. without needing a reservation. There are exceptions, however, with Magic Kingdom being unaffected by this new policy on Saturdays and Sundays.

To enter a theme park, you will need a theme park reservation and valid admission for that theme park—for each day you’d like to visit:

Before You Make a Purchase

Please check to see if your desired date and theme park is currently available before purchasing your ticket, Annual Pass or vacation package. Keep your reservation date preference in mind when selecting your ticket, Annual Pass or package. Different types of admission—such as tickets, Annual Passes or packages—may have different reservation date availability.

Disneyland Revises Park Hopping Policies, Lowers Cost of Tickets

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Park Hoppers have been a major asset to Disney Parks, especially at the Disneyland Resort, where Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Parks are closer together and somewhat easier to go back and forth.

As the Parks have reopened since COVID, there have been Park Hopping restrictions, only giving Guests certain times of the day when they could begin Park Hopping to ensure that Park capacity and health regulations were being met. As time has gone on though, these restrictions have been continually modified to comply with health guidelines.

Disneyland made a major announcement regarding Park Hopping restrictions.

Reporter @ScottGustin shared on Twitter that starting February 4, the Park Hopping hours at Disneyland will start at 11 a.m. instead of 1 p.m., which were the previous Park Hopping hours.

The policy lists that starting February 4, Guests who have a Magic Key pass or Park Hopper ticket can begin Park Hopping at 11 a.m., two hours earlier than the previous restrictions allowed. This gives Guests more time to enjoy both Parks.

The new policy also indicates that Disneyland’s reservation calendar would allow Guests to be able to enjoy almost two months’ worth of the $104 Park ticket dates throughout 2023. This price is currently the lowest tier of ticket prices for one-day, one-park tickets.

And, to add icing to the cake, Disneyland is offering free Disney PhotoPasses to all Guests who have tickets and are using the Disneyland app, starting February 4 and lasting throughout the Disney100 celebration at the Resort.

World of color one, new nighttime spectacular at Disney California Adventure

During this celebration, starting January 27, Guests have the opportunity to view the two new nighttime shows: the new fireworks show “Wondrous Journeys” at Disneyland, as well as the World of Color – One show at Disney California Adventure.

These current policies are not yet updated on Disneyland’s website, as of now. But we expect these changes to be made relatively soon, especially as Guests buy tickets and Park Hoppers in the next few weeks.