Festive PhotoPass Fun

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

The holiday atmosphere here at Walt Disney World Resort is so warm and cozy (and not just because of the weather!), and Disney PhotoPass photographers love making guests’ photos even merrier with some holly-jolly props, Magic Shots, and more! Below, check out some of our favorite photo ops available this holiday season from Disney PhotoPass Service around Walt Disney World Resort, and note where photographers will be capturing each of them. 

After dark in front of the Christmas trees at EPCOT, Magic Kingdom Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney Springs

On the bridge leading from Oasis to Discovery Island at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, on Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, at all World Celebration locations at EPCOT, at theDisney PhotoPass Studio at Disney Springs, and at the following locations at Magic Kingdom Park: entrance, the Disney PhotoPass Studio inside Sir Mickey’s, and on Main Street, U.S.A.

At most locations at all four theme parks, the Disney PhotoPass Studio at Disney Springs, and select resorts

In front of the Christmas tree at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, on Sunset Boulevard and Echo Lake at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, near the main entrance to World Showcase at EPCOT, and at the entrance and in front of Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom Park

In front of the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, at select Hollywood Boulevard locations at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, at the Disney PhotoPass Studio at Disney Springs, and starting November 25 when guests can meet Santa Claus at EPCOT

At all three Disney PhotoPass Studios, which are located at Disney Springs, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, and Magic Kingdom Park

In the Norway pavilion at EPCOT (starting November 25) and at the Disney PhotoPass Studio at Disney Springs

At all World Showcase locations at EPCOT starting November 25, and at Echo Lake and select Hollywood Boulevard locations at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

If guests want to deck their halls with all these photos, have them consider purchasing Memory Maker. With Memory Maker, guests can download all the Disney PhotoPass photos and videos from their vacation, including those taken onboard attractions – all for one price.* 

*Disney PhotoPass Service and Memory Maker are subject to the applicable terms and policies. Includes photos taken during the applicable Memory Maker Window as defined in such terms (generally, photos taken (i) within one day for Memory Maker One Day or (ii) within 30 days from the date of first activation for standard Memory Maker). If Memory Maker is purchased at the advance purchase price, any photos taken within 3 days of the date Memory Maker is purchased are not included and must be purchased separately. A MagicBand, or an eligible mobile device with Bluetooth technology enabled for the My Disney Experience app, is required to receive certain attraction photos and other digital content. Online registration required. Disney PhotoPass Photos in your account will expire pursuant to the expiration policy. Downloads are restricted to personal use only. Not responsible for missing, lost or damaged photos. Subject to restrictions and change without notice. Valid theme park admission required for certain photo locations.

Disney Confirms New Dining Cancellation Policy

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

A big change is coming to Walt Disney World’s restaurants, but it doesn’t involve food.

Earlier this month, we reported on Disney updating its dining cancelation policy at Walt Disney World. Previously, Guests would incur a $10 penalty fee per person for “no-shows” or if they didn’t cancel 24 hours in advance.

However, with this new policy, Gusts will be able to cancel their plans up to two hours before with no penalty. This has now been confirmed by reporter Scott Gustin on Twitter.

A room filled with furniture and a table

Some had claimed this to be a glitch when it originally rolled out, but with Disney confirming this new policy, Guests can assure it’s here to stay. Disney’s instructions on canceling are as follows:

You can cancel your dining reservation online. Please refer to the cancellation policy provided at the time of your booking and in your email confirmation. 

Restaurants offering advance reservations charge a per-person cancellation fee for reservations cancelled after the designated cancellation period, or for no shows. Each restaurant at Walt Disney World® Resort maintains its own cancellation policy, so be sure to confirm the policy before finalizing your reservation. For additional assistance, please call (407) 824-1391.

Speaking of Disney World restaurants, we recently saw the return of a very popular spot. There are some truly fantastic places to enjoy a meal at Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World, but none of the Parks compare to EPCOT’s lineup of restaurants.

From authentic Chinese cuisine to an incredibly-large selection of tequila, EPCOT’s World Showcase has it all. On November 4, we finally saw the return of Akershus Royal Banquet Hall. This dining experience is found at the Norway pavilion in the World Showcase at EPCOT and gives guests a taste of Norwegian cuisine.

Disney World Parks Get Price Increase For Single-Day Tickets

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

Disney has just revealed some major changes to how Guests are visiting the Disney Parks in Florida.

The Walt Disney World Resort offers Guests the choice of choosing how many days to visit, with various packages and ticket pricing plans. But Disney will be implementing changes on single-day tickets specifically very soon.

Previously, prices were determined by what time of the year you were visiting. Now, prices will also be determined by which Park you’re visiting.

Sunset Boulevard at Disney's Hollywood Studios Theme Park

As revealed by Disney moments ago, prices for one-day tickets will now be determined by which Park you’re at and on which day you’re visiting. This was confirmed earlier Tuesday morning by reporter Scott Gustin, who shared the news on Twitter:

NEW: Starting Dec. 8, Walt Disney World will implement park specific pricing for 1 day 1 park tickets. Prices will vary based on park and date. Ranges: Animal Kingdom: $109 – $159 (no increase) Hollywood Studios: $124 – $179 EPCOT: $114 – $179 Magic Kingdom: $124 – $189

NEW: Starting Dec. 8, Walt Disney World will implement park specific pricing for 1 day 1 park tickets. Prices will vary based on park and date.

Ranges:
Animal Kingdom: $109 – $159 (no increase)
Hollywood Studios: $124 – $179
EPCOT: $114 – $179
Magic Kingdom: $124 – $189 pic.twitter.com/Uj2ZD4ljN6

Starting December 8, Park prices will vary depending on the day and Park for single-day ticket holders. The prices for each Park will fall under the ranges listed below:

  • Animal Kingdom: $109-$159
  • Hollywood Studios: $124-$179
  • EPCOT: $114-$179
  • Magic Kingdom: $124-$189
fantasyland magic kingdom

As you can see, a single-day ticket for Magic Kingdom will now reach up to $189, a staggering amount of money for one day at Walt Disney World. Both Hollywood Studios and EPCOT are near this same price point with $179 days, and Animal Kingdom brings up the rear with $159, the lowest of the higher-end costs.

This news comes just after the reveal that Annual Passes would see an increase in price as well, even though Guests still cannot purchase all four passes at The Walt Disney World.

Disney Stock Tanks After Bob Chapek Touts “Record Results”

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

On November 8, The Walt Disney Company held its 4th Quarter Earnings Call. During the call, Disney CEO Bob Chapek offered a very positive outlook on the numbers, calling this year some of Disney’s “best storytelling yet” and reports revealed that Disney had made a mind-boggling $28 billion profit. Chapek also revealed that Disney added more than 12 million subscribers to its Disney+ and streaming platforms worldwide and that the streamer was still on target to be profitable by 2024.

Disney Parks, Products, and Experiences were some of the most profitable areas for Disney, but that could simply be because Disney is charging sky-high prices and offering less, so, naturally, Guest spending will be up.

Even though Disney+ added millions of subscribers, the “revenue-per-user” came in under what analysts were predicting. Disney also shared that Disney+ subscriber growth is expected to fall in the next quarter. Disney’s consumer products numbers also came in below expectations, which caused Disney’s stock to take a massive hit after the Earnings call. The stock market as a whole took a slight hit, but Disney seemed to get hammered.

Here’s more on Disney’s underperformance and what could have caused it, via MarketWatch:

Disney executives blamed a number of factors for the revenue miss, including lower content sales because they had fewer theatrical films on the calendar; underperformance of the parks and media divisions; and seasonality of its fourth quarter, which tends to be the lowest for margins.

In a conference call Tuesday afternoon, though, Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy suggested that revenue and profit growth will slow to single digits on a percentage basis in the current fiscal year, missing Wall Street’s expectations. Analysts’ average revenue projection for Disney in the new fiscal year suggested revenue growth of about 13.9% and operating-income growth of roughly 17.4%, according to FactSet.

After-hours trading saw Disney’s stock take a 10% drop before finally closing down 6.8%. When regular trading ended, the stock was only down .5%, so the Earnings call is most likely responsible for the hard hit.

It has been a rough year for Disney, whose stocks are down more than 35% from last year’s numbers.

UPDATE: Tropical Storm Nicole

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

As of last night:

Update: Nov. 9 at 7 p.m.

We are continuing to closely monitor Hurricane Nicole. While this schedule could change, we are planning for a phased reopening beginning tomorrow, Nov. 10, based on current projections.

THEME PARKS

  • Walt Disney World Resort theme parks will reopen in a phased approach beginning at noon tomorrow, Nov. 10. Planned theme park operating hours for tomorrow, Nov. 10, are:
    • Magic Kingdom Park: Noon to 6 p.m. (Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is scheduled for 7 p.m. to midnight.)
    • EPCOT: 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
    • Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
    • Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Fantasmic! will not be presented tomorrow, Nov. 10, due to the production setup.)
  • Transportation to theme parks will begin 30 minutes prior to the scheduled reopening time.
  • Reservations for bookable experiences within the theme parks will resume at the scheduled park reopening time.

DISNEY SPRINGS

  • Disney Springs will begin a phased reopening at noon tomorrow, Nov. 10.
  • Disney Bus transportation to Disney Springs will resume at 2 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 10.

WATER PARKS AND MINI GOLF

  • Winter Summerland Miniature Golf and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf remain closed tomorrow, Nov. 10, and may reopen Friday, Nov. 11.
  • Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon will remain temporarily closed tomorrow, Nov. 10, and may reopen Friday, Nov. 11 (Disney’s Blizzard Beach is currently closed).

RESORTS

  • Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground is anticipated to reopen tomorrow, Nov. 10, following an assessment of storm impacts. Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue will be canceled tomorrow, Nov. 10.
  • The Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort will reopen for Guests checking in tomorrow, Nov. 10.
  • At this time, all other Walt Disney World Resort hotels remain open to Guests.
  • As previously shared, character breakfasts at Disney Resort hotels will not include characters tomorrow morning, Nov. 10.

Update: Nov. 9 at 11 a.m.

As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, Walt Disney World is planning to make the following operational adjustments as we continue to prioritize the safety of our cast members and guests during the storm:

THEME PARKS

  • Walt Disney World Resort theme parks will have a phased closure today, Nov. 9, beginning at 5 p.m. and will remain closed through tomorrow morning, Nov. 10. Resort Guests are encouraged to enjoy food and beverage options at the theme parks prior to returning to their Disney Resort hotel. Theme parks will likely not reopen at their regularly scheduled time tomorrow, Nov. 10.
    • Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Closing today, Nov. 9, at 5 p.m. with last dining reservations at 5 p.m.
    • Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Closing today, Nov. 9, at 6 p.m. with last dining reservations at 6 p.m.
    • Magic Kingdom Park: Closing today, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. Last dining reservations for Be Our Guest Restaurant, The Diamond Horseshoe, Liberty Tree Tavern and Cinderella’s Royal Table will be at 6 p.m., and last dining for all other dining reservations will be at 6:30 p.m.
    • EPCOT: Closing today, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. Last dining reservations for Monsieur Paul, Space 220 Restaurant, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall and Garden Grill Restaurant will be at 6 p.m., and last dining for all other dining reservations will be at 6:30 p.m.

WATER PARKS AND MINI GOLF

  • Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon will temporarily close tomorrow, Thursday, Nov. 10. (Disney’s Blizzard Beach is currently closed.)
  • Winter Summerland Miniature Golf and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf will close early today, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. and will remain temporarily closed tomorrow, Thursday, Nov. 10.

STAR WARS: GALACTIC STARCRUISER

  • The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser voyage scheduled to begin tomorrow, Nov. 10, will be canceled. We are contacting Guests with reservations.

RESORTS

  • Guests staying at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground will be required to depart by 3 p.m. today, Nov. 9. We are contacting Guests with reservations to help them find alternate accommodations. Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue will be canceled tonight, Nov. 9.
  • Guests staying at the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort will be required to depart by today, Nov. 9, at 3 p.m. We are contacting Guests with reservations to help them find alternative accommodations.
  • At this time, all other Walt Disney World Resort hotels remain open to Guests.
  • Character breakfasts at Disney Resort hotels will not include characters tomorrow morning, Nov. 10, so we can accommodate more Resort Guests staying at these locations for breakfast.

DISNEY SPRINGS

  • Disney Springs will close early today, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m., with last dining reservations at 6:30 p.m. Disney Springs will remain closed through tomorrow morning, Nov. 10.
  • Disney Bus transportation from Disney Springs will operate until 8 p.m. today, Nov. 9.

EVENTS & SPECTACULARS

  • As previously shared, extended evening theme park hours at Magic Kingdom will be canceled today, Nov. 9.
  • To align with modified theme park hours, nighttime spectaculars will be canceled today, Nov. 9, including Disney Enchantment at Magic Kingdom Park, Harmonious at EPCOT, and Fantasmic! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
  • Ferrytale Fireworks: A Sparkling Dessert Cruise will be canceled tonight, Nov. 9.

Guests may reschedule their trip or cancel their stay with us; any customary cancellation fees will be waived. Travel agents can now modify or cancel online for the impacted period and fees will be automatically waived.

For the most up-to-date information about the weather, visit the Weather Updates and Information page on DisneyWorld.com.