New Dining Experiences Coming to Disney’s Contemporary Resort

We’re cooking up new experiences at Disney’s Contemporary Resort for “The World’s Most Magical Celebration!” 

Located just off the lobby, Steakhouse 71 will be a new casual themed dining concept that gets its name from the resort’s opening year and will be open in time for the celebration. 

Upstairs at California Grill, a new dining experience will also be available later this year, featuring a limited-time menu with items inspired by the restaurant’s history. 

While these experiences are not yet available for reservations, we look forward to sharing more information soon.

Disney Hotel Occupancy Rates Dropping Fast as Guests Cancel Walt Disney World Vacations

Just a few days ago, Disney CEO Bob Chapek stated the following about the impact of the Delta variant on their theme park business:

“In terms of the Delta variant, we see strong demand for our parks continuing.”

Disney CEO Bob Chapek

Despite this claim, Walt Disney World is seeing a definite impact from cancellations and unwillingness to travel by tourists as the summer winds down.

According to internal sources, hotel occupancy on Disney property was expected to be at 93% this upcoming weekend. It is now expected to be at just 65%. Overall, they are seeing occupancy drop about 10% week over week.

Similar numbers are being reported by non-Disney hotels in the area as well, at least those we spoke to.

With school starting back up in most of the United States, and with this downturn in travel, the Walt Disney World theme parks are noticeably less busy right now. In fact, Boarding Groups for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance were available until 4pm on one evening, and eventually, they even allowed guests in without a Boarding Group. This is the first time this has ever happened at Walt Disney World.

Disney Adds More Dates for Extended Evening Park Hours For Resort Guests

With Walt Disney World’s Extra Magic Hours gone, Disney is preparing to release two new early entry and extended hours options that differ from Extra Magic Hours. First up, beginning October 1, ALL Walt Disney World Resorts will have a chance to experience the new “Early Theme Park Entry”. This new perk will allow all Disney Resorts Guests a jump-start their day inside the Park with a 30-minute early entry to ANY theme Park, EVERY day. If you’re staying as a Disney Deluxe Resort Guests you’re eligible to spend TWO extra hours in select Parks on select days! This new perk is called “Extended Evening Theme Park Hours“ and is only available to Disney Resort Guests staying at select Deluxe Resorts. While we previously shared that Disney released some October dates for extended evening hours, we’re now seeing even more October dates have been added to the calendar.

When visiting the Walt Disney World website, you’ll see in the screenshot below, Disney’s October Extended Evening Theme Park Hours include:

  • October 4 at EPCOT (10pm – midnight)
  • October 6 at Magic Kingdom (9pm – 11pm)
  • October 11 at EPCOT (10pm – midnight)
  • October 13 at Magic Kingdom (9pm to 11pm)
  • October 18 at EPCOT (10pm – midnight)
  • October 20 at Magic Kingdom (9pm – 11pm)
  • October 25 at EPCOT (10pm – midnight)
  • October 27 at Magic Kingdom (9pm to 11pm)

Unsure if you’re staying at one of the participating resorts? Extended evening theme Park hours is a benefit for registered Guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resorts and Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts, which include the 24 Resort selections below:

Disney Deluxe Resorts

  • 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

Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts

  • 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

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®

Guests staying at these resorts will still need a valid theme park ticket to gain access to the park, as well as a theme park reservation. If you’re visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom for example but still want to enjoy staying up until midnight at EPCOT and have a valid park hopper ticket or annual pass, you can hop to EPCOT as long as you entered your first park where you made your reservation earlier in the day. For all the details about Extended Evening Theme Park Hours, visit Disney’s website.

Disney Releases Pricing, New Info, Commercial, and More for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser

Disney is continuing to release more details on the new Star Wars-themed hotel, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, which is opening in spring 2022. A new commercial has been released along with information on what’s includes in the vacation packages and most importantly, pricing.

From a Disney Cast Member;

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser is set to open in spring 2022 at Walt Disney World Resort, and today with the debut of its first commercial, we get a glimpse of what this first-of-its-kind vacation experience will be like. Check it out!

After you’ve watched this one or maybe 10 times, here are a few fun moments that stood out to me:

    • We already know our adventure will begin at the Galactic Starcruiser Terminal at Walt Disney World, where we’ll enter a launch pod and head out into space. In this new clip, we watch out a viewport as the pod jumps to hyperspace, followed by the sudden appearance of the Halcyon starcruiser, our home base for this immersive two-night adventure in a galaxy far, far away.
    • As we learned last week from Disney Imagineers, the dining experience will certainly be a highlight of a stay aboard the starcruiser. And you never know whom you may bump into while sipping a beverage.
    • You see in the commercial how the Resistance is always looking for new recruits – but will we choose to join them?
    • As our hero’s family rushes into the scene, you get a view out to space over his shoulder, and then a quick look inside the cabin. The sleeping berths we can see are reminiscent of a similar bunk inside the main hold of the Millennium Falcon, no? And those are definitely some nice robes the family is wearing – they look like Jedi ready for action!
    • When the camera pulls back, we zoom out the cabin’s viewport and into space – where suddenly TIE fighters dart in and hurl some blaster bolts toward the starcruiser. The Imagineers let us know we’ll be trained in bridge operations as part of our stay on the ship, and its laser cannons may come in handy at some point …

That’s a lot to digest in just 30 seconds! If you’re interested in learning more, head over to www.starwarsgalacticstarcruiser.com, which was updated this morning with loads of new details. While you’re there, be sure to sign up to receive updates as more information is released. You can also check out our aforementioned conversation with Imagineers all about Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser in the video below.

Vacation Package and Pricing Details

One question that is on everyone’s mind is how much and what is exactly is included. Disney has released more details on that front. A lot of information is available on www.starwarsgalacticstarcruiser.com including sample pricing. Take a look at the image below for what you can expect to pay for the stay.

Here is a look with details from the Walt Disney World website:

View a sample itinerary that gives you an exciting look at some of the many experiences that you may encounter during your voyage.

Your Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser vacation package includes:

    • 2-night stay in a cabin or suite.
    • Ongoing, immersive, and interactive entertainment, where choices determine your experience
    • Food and beverages on the starcruiser (excluding alcoholic and specialty beverages) and a quick-service meal at Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo or other select locations at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
    • Admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for your planetary excursion to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge
    • Valet parking.
    • Exclusive Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser databand (known on your home planet as a MagicBand).

Price based on a cabin room at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. The number of packages available is limited. All packages are a 2-night experience. Package includes entry to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for one (1) day on day 2 of your experience. This admission ticket expires at midnight prior to departure date and is nonupgradable, nontransferable, nonrefundable and excludes activities/events separately priced. Package includes two (2) breakfast, two (2) lunch and two (2) dinner meals per Guest, with gratuity included for dinners; and one (1) quick-service meal consisting of one (1) entrée and either one (1) nonalcoholic beverage or, if age 21 or over, one (1) alcoholic beverage (where available), or, for Guests ages 3 to 9, one (1) combo meal from the children’s menu offerings, to be used in the theme park only. Entertainment and experiences onboard subject to change without notice or liability.

Pricing has not been released for Galaxy Class Suites or Grand Captain Suites. Note that packages will be limited as there are only 100 cabins/suites available.

Extended Evening Theme Park Hours for Deluxe Resort Hotel Guests

As we recently shared, as part of The World’s Most Magical Celebration, Guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resort Hotels or Disney Deluxe Villas and other select hotels can enjoy Extended Evening Hours – experiencing select attractions, shops and dining after regular park hours – in select theme parks on select nights.

The current schedule for extended evening theme park hours is now available under the Disney Resort Hotels section of DisneyTravelTradeInfo.com/WDW.

Together with early theme park entry, which is available to all Disney Resort hotel Guests, Guests will get to arrive earlier and stay later so they can maximize their time in the parks during The World’s Most Magical Celebration! 

To enjoy these benefits, Guests will need a valid Resort ID, valid admission and a theme park reservation for the same park on the same day. (Or a ticket or annual pass with the Park Hopper option, provided the Guest entered the park where made their reservation earlier in the day.)