Walt Disney famously said that Disneyland would never be finished; it would always grow and change with time. That’s certainly been true with the attractions, for the most part, but it’s also true when it comes to the way the Disney Parks operate.
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An Incredible Number Of People Have Used Disney World And Disneyland’s FastPass Replacement
Genie+ and Lightning Lanes are officially a hit at Disneyland and Disney World.
Foodie Guide to Valentine’s Day 2022: Delights From Disney Parks
Romance is in the air with endless goodies from Disney Parks across the globe and we’re excited to share the tasty items Guests can enjoy this Valentine’s Day.
As Feb. 14 approaches, there is no shortage of delightful eats and sips to enjoy for an extra touch of l’amour at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.
Prepare to be captivated by your tastebuds as you eat your way through this heart-filled day because these bites and drinks aren’t just adorable, they’re delicious too. And the fun doesn’t stop at just the treats. Guests can take the heartfelt vibes home with you with this Disney Love Songs playlist [insert link here] filled with all your favorite ballads!
All Guest need is love, an appetite, and this guide to check out the many Valentine’s Day delights awaiting them!
Walt Disney World Resort
EPCOT
Coral Reef Restaurant (available Feb.14)
- Flourless Chocolate Cake: Flourless chocolate cake and dark chocolate crémeux with fresh berries, raspberry whipped cream, and raspberry méringue (New)
Le Cellier Steakhouse (available Feb.14)
- Flourless Chocolate Cake for Two: Flourless chocolate cake and dark chocolate crémeux with fresh berries, raspberry whipped cream, and raspberry méringue (New)
Private Ground Transportation Available Again for Walt Disney World Resort Through Walt Disney Travel Company
Private ground transportation to and from Walt Disney World Resort is now available as a package add-on through the Walt Disney Travel Company.
As part of this offering, there are several options available, including exclusive vans, sedans, SUVs, executive limousines and stretch limousines. Private, direct ground transportation is commissionable and can be booked up to five days prior to arrival.
Round-trip transportation from Orlando International Airport to a Walt Disney World Resort hotel can be added online to a Walt Disney Travel Company package via the Disney Travel website or by calling the Disney Reservation Center.
For ground transportation at Tampa International Airport, Sanford International Airport, Orlando Amtrak Station, Kissimmee Amtrak Station, Cape Canaveral, Vero Beach, Daytona and the Guest’s hotel, one-way travel at Orlando International Airport and other modifications, please call the Disney Reservation Center. Both one-way and round-trip fares are available.
Up to one complimentary car seat will be available for children five years old and under, with additional car seats subject to availability.
EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival Will Showcase Blooms, Tunes, Scents and Flavors Beginning March 2
Who’s ready for spring? For horticulture and festival teams at Walt Disney World Resort, the season of renewal is already here as crews work behind the scenes to prepare for the 2022 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.
This year’s festival runs March 2 to July 4 – a total of 125 days! – and features a plethora of colorful blooms, good tunes, fragrant scents and fresh flavors.
Disney Character topiaries offer a perfect backdrop for springtime photos with family and friends. A new main entrance display will feature Goofy with a birthday cake celebrating the Walt Disney World Resort 50th anniversary.
Horticulture teams are also designing, planting and shaping new topiaries of the Seven Dwarfs to accompany Snow White near the Germany pavilion in World Showcase. And returning this year are Lumiere and Cogsworth topiaries in the France pavilion as well as Pumbaa and Timon topiaries near Imagination!
On the bridge to World Showcase, Guests can enjoy the sights and scents of spring at a new fragrant garden presented by Scentsy. Surrounded by vibrant butterfly topiaries, Guests will be invited to follow their noses to six scent stations—floral, fruity, citrus, spice, woods and fresh—to form lasting memories with the help of unforgettable aromas.
The Health Full Trail presented by AdventHealth offers a fun way for families to play and learn how to stay healthy, and Outdoor Escapes Presented by OFF!® Repellents lets Guests enjoy a moment of relaxation, while learning how easy it is to create an outdoor escape of their own. Bambi’s Butterfly House enchants Guests with a kaleidoscope of butterflies showing off their extraordinary beauty and colors.
The Garden Rocks Concert Series returns to the festival this year, featuring internationally recognized artists on the America Gardens Theatre stage Friday through Monday; local bands will rock the house Tuesday through Thursday.
Artists recently added to the lineup include Gospel singer CeCe Winans and Tommy DeCarlo, singer of the band Boston. They’ll join returning favorites such as The Guess Who, Rick Springfield and Kool & The Gang, as well as popular Latin hitmakers Melina León and Claudia Leitte. For Friday through Monday concerts, Guests can make a reservation for a Garden Rocks Dining Package by visiting FreshEPCOT.com.
Outdoor activities can work up an appetite, and the festival’s 18 Outdoor Kitchens serve up fresh menus, seasonal produce and refreshing beverages to satisfy everyone’s taste buds. Guests can stop at EPCOT Farmers Feast, since its menu options rotate throughout the festival. Other new mouthwatering menu items can be found at The Citrus Blossom, Magnolia Terrace and Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina, among others. Keep an eye out for a festival foodie guide coming in late February!
Guests can also explore EPCOT with the Garden Graze, a fun food stroll highlighting five delicious sweet and savory offerings listed in the Festival Passport. Complete the graze to receive a special treat!
Finally, Guests can bring festival memories home with garden-inspired merchandise collections featuring vibrant apparel, drinkware, garden tools and much more. This season, collections will feature Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Orange Bird, Figment and Spike the Bee.
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 checking back with us here for more information, and Guests can always head over to TasteEPCOT.com for all the festival details.
More entertainment coming to Magic Kingdom Park for the 50th Anniversary Celebration
Hear ye, hear ye! We have exciting updates about when Guests can experience returning favorites and new entertainment offerings at Magic Kingdom Park – adding even more magic to The World’s Most Magical Celebration.
Kicking off the fun on Feb. 11 is the brand-new “Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade!” Starring nearly 30 of your favorite Disney and Pixar friends, this super-sized cavalcade features Nick and Judy from “Zootopia,” Baloo and King Louie from “The Jungle Book,” José Carioca and Panchito from “The Three Caballeros,” plus Merida, Moana, The Incredibles, and more – including the Magic Kingdom debut of Miguel from “Coco” in his mariachi best. 
That’s not the only much-anticipated offering coming to the parade route. We’re excited to share that the beloved Disney “Festival of Fantasy” Parade returns to Magic Kingdom Park beginning March 9 – the anniversary of the debut of the parade in 2014 – winding its way through the park not once, but twice each day!
Dazzling Guests since its debut, the Disney “Festival of Fantasy” Parade features beloved characters from “The Princess and the Frog,” “Tangled,” “Peter Pan” and more bringing their individual stories to life on enchanting floats that look as though the characters themselves had a hand in crafting them. Looming 26 feet above the parade route and 35 feet in length, the fire-breathing Maleficent Dragon float returns just as menacing as ever. There’s no way this show-stopping beauty would be excluded from such a glittering assemblage. 
Speaking of shimmering gatherings, “Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire” will make its debut on the Cinderella Castle Forecourt Stage Feb. 25! The show, newly enhanced for the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary celebration, will incorporate favorite scenes inspired by “Frozen,” “Tangled,” and “The Princess and the Frog” – plus a new opening and a new finale with Mickey Mouse and all his friends in their sparkling, EARidescent fashions. Presented multiple times a day, the show will also include an all-new, original song entitled “Where the Magic Feels Like Home.”
These new and returning experiences add to the all-new entertainment that debuted with the launch of the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary celebration, including “Disney Enchantment,” “Mickey’s Celebration Cavalcade,” and “Harmonious” – with more to come when “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!” and “Fantasmic!” open later this year.
Select Character Sighting Locations Added as Selections to Disney Genie+
Our latest update to Disney Genie+ service has extra … character! Starting Jan. 26, Guests will find select Character Sightings have been added as selections for Lightning Lane entry with a purchase of Disney Genie+ service (the purchase of Disney Genie+ service is available in addition to standby entrance):
- See Cinderella and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall at Magic Kingdom Park
- See Princess Tiana and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall at Magic Kingdom Park
- See Mickey at Town Square Theater at Magic Kingdom Park
- See Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
This option gives Guests another way to visit their best pal, Disney Princesses or everyone’s favorite snowman who is worth melting for.
*Attractions with Lightning Lane entrances that are Disney Genie+ and individual purchases are limited in availability, subject to change or closure, may vary by date, are not guaranteed and may not be available at all on the date of visit or at the time you make a selection.
Disney Cruise Line Introduces Pixar Day at Sea on Select Disney Fantasy Sailings in 2023
Disney Cruise Line Guests will be immersed in the ever-unfolding stories of their favorite toys, monsters and heroes during the all-new Pixar Day at Sea aboard special sailings on the Disney Fantasy in early 2023.
Featuring one-of-a-kind experiences, this day-long celebration on select seven-night voyages will bring to life the beloved Pixar tales of “Toy Story,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “The Incredibles,” “Finding Nemo” and more exclusively for Disney Cruise Line Guests. Themed dining, character encounters, dance parties and a theatrical musical experience await families on this fun-filled day at sea that culminates with a deck party of incredible proportions.
A Pixar film festival, exclusive merchandise and photo opportunities will also be available as part of the new celebration. Other details and highlights include:
Character Encounters
- From morning until night, Guests will dance, play and interact with their favorite Pixar pals, including Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Bo Peep from “Toy Story”; Mike, Sulley and Boo from “Monsters, Inc.”; Joy and Sadness from “Inside Out”; Dug and Russell from “Up”; and everyone’s favorite supers – Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone from “The Incredibles.”
Immersive Entertainment
- A new nighttime spectacular will call upon Disney Cruise Line Guests to help the Incredibles save the day.
- A first-of-its-kind theatrical experience will bring to life the beloved story of Miguel and his family from “Coco” through live music and puppetry.
- Families will be able to join their favorite characters from the beloved Pixar films for a dance party bash.
Dining Filled with Character
- A new, interactive character dining experience hosted by Sheriff Woody, Jesse and Bullseye will kick-start the day with sing-a-longs, cowboy serenades and all the country breakfast fixins.
- Families will enjoy a Pixar-themed dinner with dishes inspired by the Pixar Animation Studios’ California locale.
- Guests will immerse themselves in undersea magic while dining in Animator’s Palate with visits from some of their favorite “Finding Nemo” friends, including interactive conversations with Crush.
Pixar Day at Sea will be included on nine select Disney Fantasy cruises from January through March 2023. Departing from Port Canaveral, Florida, the Disney Fantasy will sail to several Guest-favorite destinations in the eastern and western Caribbean. Eastern Caribbean itineraries feature stops in ports such as Tortola, St. Thomas and San Juan, Puerto Rico, while western Caribbean sailings visit Cozumel, Mexico; Grand Cayman; and Falmouth, Jamaica. Every cruise includes a visit to Disney’s private island oasis, Castaway Cay.
Reminder: Disney Skyliner International Gateway line temporary closure Jan. 23-28
In an effort to continually enhance the Guest experience here at Walt Disney World, we refresh our offerings from time to time. As previously announced in May 2021, Disney Skyliner transportation between EPCOT International Gateway, Disney’s Riviera Resort and Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort will be unavailable from Sunday, Jan. 23 through Friday, Jan. 28.
Alternate transportation will be available to help Guests reach their destination during this refurbishment.
New Playset Fun Coming to Toy Story Land in 2022!
Yee-haw, attention all honorary toys! After enjoying a rollicking ride through Toy Story Mania!, Guests will soon be treated to a new experience that is filled to the brim with fun. Andy discovered Jessie’s Trading Post playset tucked away in the attic, and is bringing it downstairs to set up shop—full of the coolest toys and finest souvenirs handpicked by the rootinest, tootinest cowgirl.
Also coming in 2022 to Andy’s backyard is the previously announced Roundup Rodeo BBQ restaurant! In this unique, fun, family-friendly dining experience, Guests will enjoy delicious barbecue fare while surrounded by a kaleidoscope of toys, games, and playsets that Andy has brought together to create his one-of-a-kind rodeo.
Stepping into the lobby and waiting area, Guests experience first-hand what it feels like to be one of Andy’s honorary toys, before progressing into two larger dining room spaces where Andy’s rodeo takes place. Here, the rodeo will be in full swing, with western town and train station playsets mixing with surprising, playful details, like some fan-favorite Pixar characters as they’ve never been seen before!
