Walt Disney World has confirmed the return of V.I.PASSHOLDER Summer Days 2026, a seasonal program offering exclusive perks for Disney World Annual Passholders. The event will run from May 1 through July 31, 2026, providing limited-time experiences, merchandise, and...
When fans think of Walt Disney World, the image that most often comes to mind is Cinderella Castle rising above Main Street U.S.A. It’s the symbol of Magic Kingdom, the focal point of countless family photos, and the single most recognizable icon of the resort. On August 31, 2025, at Destination D23, Disney Imagineers announced that this legendary structure will soon be returning to its roots. Disney will repaint Cinderella Castle with a more classic and timeless look that many longtime guests have been waiting to see.
Disney has announced a major update to one of its most historic attractions — Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress at Magic Kingdom with the controversial Walt Disney animatronic that has been making headlines in California.
As of late August 2025, the Rivers of America at Magic Kingdom has been completely drained, clearing the way for removal of the riverboat track and advancing construction of the new Piston Peak National Park land.
Walt Disney World is in the middle of an unprecedented operational meltdown. A massive power surge has taken out rides and transportation across the resort, with reports confirming that more than 40 attractions are currently down. Even the iconic Monorail system is suspended, leaving guests stranded in long lines outside Magic Kingdom and scrambling to find alternate transportation.
On August 21, 2025 Disney made the announcement for the opening date of Zootopia: Better Zoogether at the Tree of Life Theater. The new 4D Experience will open on Friday, November 7th, 2025.
While they have not been announced yet, there will likely be cast member and annual passholder previews of the show prior to it’s public debut. While the original Zootopia is now nine years old, this opening date, similar to it’s predecessor, sees it’s debut prior to the release of Zootopia 2, which hits theaters on November 26th.
Walt Disney Imagineering has brought back Imagineer That!, a short-form educational video series originally produced for the Disney Channel. The revived version features the return of Tom Morrow 2.0, a character introduced in the early 2000s as a host and mascot at EPCOT’s Innoventions. The new series debuted on the official Walt Disney Imagineering YouTube channel on August 24, 2025.
Now, in a shift that has been years in the making, Disney appears to be phasing out MagicBands in favor of the company’s phone-centric MagicMobile system. The change hasn’t gone unnoticed, and for many longtime guests, it signals the end of a tangible era of convenience in exchange for one more digital screen added onto your Disney Day.
It’s looking increasingly likely that September 2025 will deliver the lightest Walt Disney World (WDW) crowds since the post-reopening doldrums of 2021. Several hard signals point the same way: multi-month wait-time trends, aggressive late-summer discounts, school calendars, hurricane-season risk, and new competition across town. Put together, they suggest a “Slowtember” that could rival any month since the pandemic period.
In Orlando the locals know the Halloween / Harvest Season begins the moment the kiddos return to school: the second week of August. The Spirit Halloween Shops open up, Universal Orlando prepares for Halloween Horror Nights, and over at Walt Disney World Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party has already begun.
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure will become part of the Lightning Lane Multi Pass lineup starting September 11, 2025. Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels can select the show in the My Disney Experience app now.
The Muppets are taking over Rock’n Roller Coaster in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World. But if you were expecting the new Aerosmith-removing reskin to be something worth looking forward to, think again. Imagineers have screwed up another big assignment.
Epic Universe may have only opened a few months ago, but it’s already expanding, and some believe it could be adding a Wicked themed area. New permits reveal clear expansion plans for the park and aerial images have shown a 20+ acre plot of land cleared with construction materials behind the Stardust Racers roller coaster.