Disney Announces All-Star Sports Reopening Date!

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Resorts

When Walt Disney World Resort opened after a months-long closure, there were many experiences, dining locations, and even hotels that did not open with the Resort. Slowly things have been returning to normal with more dining locations opening, tours like the Wild Africa Trek returning, and a number of hotels completing their phased reopening.

However, one hotel has remained closed for more than a year, until now.

Disney has now shared that the All-Star Sports Resort will be opening in just a few months, and Guests can begin making reservations for their hotel stay on December 22. That means that beginning March 31, all Walt Disney World Resort hotels will be open!

Play ball! Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort will reopen to guests March 31, 2022. Guests can begin booking their stays starting Dec. 22. If you’re keeping score at home, that means all Walt Disney World Resort hotels will be operating by the spring for the first time since 2020!

The All-Star Sports Resort features a number of great themed rooms based off of incredibly popular sports like tennis, baseball, basketball, football, and more! Disney All-Star Sports is located in the Animal Kingdom area of the Walt Disney World Resort and is right next to Disney’s All-Star Movies and All-Star Music Resorts. Here is more information on the fun hotel from the Walt Disney World Resort website:

Get in the game at this Resort hotel that salutes the world of competitive sports, including baseball, basketball, football, surfing and tennis. Go the distance and don’t be afraid to celebrate your inner fan amid sporty décor starring some of your favorite Disney characters.

Disney’s All-Star Resorts are value resorts that are very in-demand, especially during the summer when the Orlando area sees things like baseball and softball tournaments, as well as cheerleading events. All-Star Music Resort is also very popular when Disney hosts various school choirs for a number of events that take place during the school year.

The All-Star Sports March 31 reopening date will come just in time as Disney sees an increase in crowds for spring breaks, graduations, and eventually, summer vacations.

If you are planning your Walt Disney World vacation and would like to book your stay at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort, you can begin booking on December 22 by visiting the Walt Disney World website.

Celebrate the Holidays with Stunning Gingerbread Displays at Disney World Resorts

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Resorts

One of our favorite holiday traditions is to visit the Gingerbread Displays at Walt Disney World resorts! This year’s displays include some 50th-anniversary touches.

The most wonderful time of the year wouldn’t be complete without something sweet, and the incredibly talented pastry teams at Walt Disney World Resort have added some extra sugar and spice and a little 50th Anniversary celebration magic to the festivities with this year’s gingerbread displays!

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa gingerbread house (open now – Jan. 1)

The pastry team at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa pulled out all the stops this year. From the gingerbread shingles and custom hand-painted character windows to elaborate EARidescent landscapes and handcrafted sugar flowers, the team put thought and care into the tiniest, holly jolly details.

“We know the gingerbread displays mean so much to our guests,” Pastry Chef Assistant John Dettman said. “This year, our team wanted our guests to be immersed in the 50th Anniversary celebration. We incorporated EARidescent hues into our hand painted character windows and Pastry Chef Assistant Fabiola Vidal Vazquez even applied cocoa butter EARidescent airbrush to our landscape plants and flowers.”

Disney’s Beach Club Resort gingerbread carousel (open now – Jan. 2)

Guests are in for a treat at Disney’s Beach Club Resort! The gingerbread carousel’s theme changes each year and this year, the pasty team took inspiration from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” and cast members created five detailed horses depicting some of their favorite animated characters.

From concept and design to confectionary creation and assembly, our pastry cast members brought creative storytelling to life.

“The gingerbread display is a team effort,” Jesse Rodriguez, a Pastry Chef Assistant, said. “We all pitch ideas and add our own elements and talents to create something special for our guests. We have so much fun and see first-hand how much the guests enjoy what we’ve created.”

The carousel also includes a special nod to the 50th Anniversary celebration, featuring handmade EARidescent snowflakes that line the carousel topper and shimmering mini ornaments.

The American Adventure gingerbread display at EPCOT (open now – Dec. 30)

The American Adventure at EPCOT features not one, but three gingerbread constructions: the Lincoln Memorial, The American Adventure, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial. Look for a Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary celebration plaque as part of these displays.

“Our gingerbread displays are very detailed, and we are as accurate as we can be to the original structures they are based on,” Pastry Chef Assistant Agueda Vasquez said. “It’s just so great to see the guests’ faces when they walk into the room and admire the amount of time and detail we put into these tiny structures.”

Looking for more holiday fun? Check out the lobby at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge to see the new gingerbread baby giraffe.

Where else but Disney do you get to create such incredible culinary magic for so many to enjoy? If this sounds like your jam, Disney is always looking for great culinary talent to join the team.

Congratulations and thank you to the culinary teams across Walt Disney World Resort that played a role in creating delicious holiday magic this year.

Disney World Is Extending Early Theme Park Entry For All Hotel Guests

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

Christmas is one of the merriest and most magical times of the year, and spending the holidays at Walt Disney World can add an extra sprinkling of pixie dust to Guests’ festive celebrations. The holidays are a very busy time of year at The Most Magical Place on Earth, so a lot of Guests try to get to the Parks early in order to get the most out of their day.

As a perk for staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel, Guests are allowed to get into a theme park of their choice — as long as they have a reservation to that Park — up to 30 minutes before the theme park opens for non-hotel Guests. However, for this holiday season, Disney has decided to spread even more holiday cheer to Guests and has announced that they are extending early theme park entry from 30 minutes to one hour!

The Walt Disney World website currently reads:

As part of The World’s Most Magical Celebration, Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels and select other hotels can take advantage of a 30-minute early entry into Walt Disney World theme parks every day.

As we continue to celebrate the holiday season, from Sunday, December 19, 2021 to Monday, January 3, 2022, the early theme park entry benefit will be extended from 30 minutes to 60 minutes for Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels and select other hotels.

Valid theme park admission, park reservation and Resort ID are required.

Guests staying at the following hotels can take part in the extended early morning theme park hours:

  • Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort
  • Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
  • Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
  • Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
  • Disney’s Pop Century Resort
  • The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
  • Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
  • Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
  • Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
  • Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside
  • The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
  • Disney’s Beach Club Resort
  • Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
  • Disney’s Contemporary Resort
  • Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
  • Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
  • Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
  • Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
  • Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
  • Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
  • Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village
  • Disney’s Beach Club Villas
  • Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
  • Disney’s Old Key West Resort
  • Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
  • Disney’s Riviera Resort
  • Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
  • The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
  • Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
  • Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
  • Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
  • Shades of Green® on Walt Disney World® Resort
  • B Resort & Spa Lake Buena Vista
  • DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Orlando
  • Hilton Orlando Buena Vista Palace
  • Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
  • Holiday Inn Orlando
  • Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista
  • Wyndham Lake Buena Vista
  • Four Seasons Resort Orlando
  • Signia by Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
  • Waldorf Astoria Orlando

Extended theme park evening hours still only apply to Guests staying at Walt Disney World Deluxe hotels and other select hotels on Disney property. Extended evening hours typically happen on Mondays and Wednesdays and are currently only happening at Magic Kingdom Park and EPCOT.

Disney World Making Changes To Park Hours In 2022

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

Guests who are visiting Walt Disney World Resort in early 2022 may see a slight change in their plans.

If you’re planning to visit Disney World in mid-to-late February and are staying onsite at a Disney Resort, you should be aware of a change that was just recently made to Park availability.

Disney’s Extended Evening Hours, which is a perk for those staying at a Disney Deluxe Resort or a Disney Deluxe Villa Resort, will change beginning February 21.

The Extended Evening Hours began in October and give Guests of select Resorts an opportunity to enjoy the Parks after hours once per week.

Magic Kingdom originally held its Extended Evening Hours on Wednesday and EPCOT held its Extended Evening Hours on Monday. Beginning February 21, the two Parks will be switching nights.

Disney Extended Evening Hours

Disney’s official description of the Extended Evening Hours reads:

With the kickoff of the 50th anniversary, enjoy extended evening hours on select evenings in select theme parks when you stay at a Disney Deluxe Resort or, Disney Deluxe Villa Resort or other select hotels. This exciting benefit begins in October 2021—so you can celebrate the spectacular 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort!

Here is the list of participating Hotels and Resorts:

Disney Deluxe Resorts

Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts

Other Select Hotels

  • Walt Disney World Swan Hotel
  • Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel
  • Walt Disney World Swan Reserve
  • Shades of Green® on Walt Disney World®
riviera sunrise

Just recently, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure was added to the lineup of available attractions at EPCOT for Extended Evening Hours.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom do not currently offer Extended Evening Hours.

Disney Announces Return of Behind-the-Scenes Tours at Walt Disney World in 2022

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

Since the Walt Disney World theme parks reopened in July 2020, one of the offerings that have been missing are behind-the-scenes tours. Thankfully, some of the tours in the Enchanting Extras Collection are returning in February 2022.

With The Walt Disney World Resort 50th Anniversary celebration well underway and the holidays just around the corner, it’s an exciting time to visit. For those of you with a love of animals, adventure and the outdoors – and those seeking to discover how Walt Disney’s vision, innovation and creativity brought Magic Kingdom Park to life – things are about to get a lot more exciting with the return of some of our fan-favorite tours from our Enchanting Extras Collection!

Guests who want to get even closer to the magic of nature and Disney now can book a number of tours as we continue our phased approach to bring back these world-class offerings and experiences. Looking for the perfect holiday gift idea you won’t soon lose or forget? Putting together your bucket list for the new year and looking to add some excitement? Making a resolution to spend more time outdoors? Then try one of the following tours available for booking and returning beginning Feb. 6, 2022:

Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom

Unlock the fascinating history of Magic Kingdom Park, where fantasy reigns, and gain backstage access to legendary hidden areas on this five-hour walking tour! Access the underground “Utilidor” service tunnels, learn hidden secrets of classic attractions, enjoy a delicious lunch and so much more on this backstage tour of the most iconic theme park at Walt Disney World Resort.

Caring for Giants

Delve into the wondrous world of the largest inhabitants of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park during this 60-minute tour for an experience you’ll never forget. Meet with a knowledgeable guide who will provide insight into the inner workings of our African elephant herd and share a glimpse into the day-to-day care for these amazing animals. Learn how Disney’s conservation efforts are dedicated to the preservation of wild elephant populations around the world as you observe these gentle giants from a private, backstage viewing area!

Wild Africa Trek

Perhaps my personal favorite, Wild Africa Trek combines action, adventure and education into a three-hour exhilarating safari adventure at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, where nature is truly alive with magic. Cross a swinging rope bridge near crocodiles and view towering giraffes, powerful rhinos and hippos as you ride across the open savanna in a rugged safari vehicle. Along your journey, a knowledgeable guide will share insights about the majestic animals you’re viewing as well as details about the park’s dedication to animal conservation around the world.

Up Close with Rhinos

Want to get even closer to nature? This 60-minute tour takes you backstage to meet our planet’s second-largest land animal in ways few people can. As your guides introduce you to the white rhinos at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, they’ll offer fascinating insights into the species’ behavior and biology, and discuss the challenges that threaten populations in the wild.

Savor the Savanna

Is all of this excitement making you hungry? Then explore the sights, sounds – and TASTES – of Africa on Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Savor the Savanna tour available for booking later this month. Indulge in a sampling of African-inspired cuisine, paired with a selection of regional beer and wine offerings, as you gaze out across the Harambe Wildlife Reserve. And listen as a private guide shares tales of the unique residents who inhabit the reserve and the special animal care provided at the park.

Walt Disney World Resort is sure to be even more magical as we welcome back these fan favorites in 2022 and continue The World’s Most Magical Celebration in honor of the Walt Disney World Resort 50th anniversary!

Advance bookings are highly recommended for all tours and can be made on DisneyWorld.com or the My Disney Experience app. Experiences located at Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s Animal Kingdom require valid theme park admission and reservations.