Category: Walt Disney World Updates

Some people plan Christmas dinner around the menu. Disney people now have a narrator shortlist to consider, too.

Disney has announced EPCOT’s 2026 Candlelight Processional lineup, and dining-package reservations open October 14. That gives the holiday-planning crowd a useful date to put on the calendar before deciding who gets to tell the Christmas story.

Whose night would you choose?

New narrators include Jason Kelce on December 8 and 9 and Josh Groban on December 13 and 14. Neil Patrick Harris returns December 10 through 12. Lacey Chabert joins the lineup December 22 and 23, followed by Jodi Benson on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

The opening November 27 and 28 narrator remains to be announced. Disney lists performances at 4:45, 6:30 and 8 p.m. See Disney’s complete narrator calendar before choosing your date.

The dinner part deserves a little planning

Dining packages combine a meal with a guaranteed seat at a specified same-day performance. Most participating restaurants include an entrée and dessert, or buffet where offered, plus a beverage. Inclusions vary, so compare the actual package rather than assuming every restaurant works the same way.

For a sense of the range, Disney lists adult packages at La Crêperie de Paris for $59, Biergarten for $75 and Le Cellier for $109, before tax and gratuity. Park admission is separate. Regal Eagle’s $43 adult option is a same-day package, subject to availability, rather than an advance reservation to count on October 14.

Check Disney’s package page for current prices, restaurant choices and admission requirements.

The NRDA planning move

Choose your narrator first, then shortlist two restaurants and a backup date. Leave breathing room between your meal and the performance. A holiday evening should have room for wandering, not feel like a spreadsheet with a soundtrack.

Building a Disney day beyond the parks, too? Our park-ticket-free day ideas can help round out the trip.

Who would make you rearrange your EPCOT plans: Kelce, Groban, Harris, or someone else?

Apparently, a new monster-filled land was not enough. Now there is dinner to think about.

Disney’s October 6 culinary preview gives us a closer look at the food and drinks being developed for Monstropolis at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, planned to open in 2027. The restaurant names were already announced. This update is about what Disney’s chefs and beverage team are dreaming up inside them.

Harryhausen’s: more than sushi

The table-service restaurant will bring the movie’s dining spot to life, including an eight-tentacled Audio-Animatronic chef in the dining space. Disney says the menu will go beyond sushi.

Among the dishes being explored: ramen with tonkotsu broth and noodles, plus playful details such as eyeball-shaped fishcake and green eggs. That is a menu development preview, not a final order you can place today.

Archie’s: pizza-shop energy, monster-style

Archie’s Scare Pig Pizza is the quick-service counterpart, inspired by a college pizza hangout in Monsters University. Disney also teases Blort, the fictional soft drink, potentially as a purple frozen beverage with Scream Apple Foam.

The practical appeal is having two different dining moods: a sit-down meal or a more casual stop. The extremely NRDA problem is already debating both before the land opens.

Put it on the wish list, not the reservation calendar

This announcement gives a 2027 opening year, but no exact opening day, menu prices or reservation-release date. Treat the food and drink details as concepts still in development.

While future dinner plans simmer, there are plenty of ways to get a Disney fix right now. Our three ideas for a Disney day without a park ticket start with meals and places you can actually plan around.

Your turn: monster-inspired ramen at Harryhausen’s or pizza at Archie’s? Which gets your first stop?

Source: Disney Parks Blog’s October 6, 2026 culinary preview. This is a news preview, not a dining review. Cover artwork is an original NRDA illustration.

Walt Disney World turns 55 on October 1, 2026. Around here, we remain completely uninterested in recovering.

Disney has introduced its anniversary merchandise with two people who give that milestone some heart: Frank and Earliene, cast members who have been there since opening day. Disney’s September 28 feature celebrates their continuing work and memories alongside the collection.

The souvenirs are here

Disney says the collection is available at Emporium in Magic Kingdom and Creations Shop at EPCOT, while supplies last. Items include apparel, hats, drinkware and a Mickey Mouse plush. Select pieces are also coming soon to DisneyStore.com.

Availability can change, so treat this as a shopping lead rather than a guarantee that every item will be waiting on the shelf.

Why the cast-member part matters to me

For more than 25 years, I dreamed of retiring, moving to Orlando and driving boats for Disney. In 2016, I finally had the opportunity to do it. It was the best thing I have ever done.

Being part of the magic every day, alongside fellow cast members and guests, made me want to keep working and keep being part of what Disney offered. That is the part of this anniversary I connect with most.

You can read more in my story of becoming a cast member.

The anniversary merchandise gives us something to bring home. The people and memories give us reasons to keep coming back.

What year did your Disney addiction begin? Tell us your first park, your first memory or the moment you knew you were hooked.

If your Magic Kingdom plan includes sitting down, letting the train do the moving and calling it an attraction, this update belongs on your radar.

The Walt Disney World Railroad closed September 28, 2026, for routine refurbishment. Disney’s official attraction page says it is expected to reopen in November 2026.

What this means for your fall visit

October visitors should plan around the closure. Build another seated break into the day, especially if the train was your usual way to slow everyone down between attractions.

Disney has given a reopening month, not an exact date. If your visit is in November, check the official attraction listing again closer to your trip before counting on a ride.

A reopening is not the same as the full loop returning

Disney describes the railroad’s temporary operation as travel between Main Street, U.S.A. and Fantasyland. Its page separately says normal operations are expected to return when the Magic Kingdom expansion is complete.

Those are two different milestones. The expected November reopening should not be read as a promise that the complete route will be back.

For another dose of classic Disney while planning your trip, take a look at the Carousel of Progress exhibit at Hollywood Studios.

Where do you take your favorite Magic Kingdom break when the train is off the list?

Some Animal Kingdom plans deserve a little space between the ride reservations. This is one of them.

Bakso, the Sumatran tiger at Maharajah Jungle Trek, is preparing to leave Disney’s Animal Kingdom later this fall. Disney announced the move on September 28 as he celebrates his second birthday.

Why Bakso is moving

According to Disney’s announcement, Bakso will move to another Association of Zoos & Aquariums-accredited zoo following a Species Survival Plan recommendation. The hope is that he could eventually father cubs and help support the future of his critically endangered species.

Disney has not named the receiving zoo or given an exact departure date in this announcement.

Can you still visit?

Disney says guests still have time to visit Bakso on Maharajah Jungle Trek before his move. That is a reason to include the trail in an upcoming Animal Kingdom day, without treating any particular date as a promised farewell appearance.

Our take: leave a little room in the itinerary for the living, breathing part of Animal Kingdom. Not every memorable park moment needs a ride vehicle.

If you’re starting that day early, read our Animal Kingdom rope-drop update before setting your alarm.

Have you seen Bakso on Maharajah Jungle Trek? Tell us about your visit in the comments.

Your alarm goes off before sunrise. The coffee has barely kicked in. You make it into Animal Kingdom, see people heading toward the rides, and think: are we doing this already?

Getting inside early and being eligible to ride early are two different things. A reported change to Animal Kingdom’s morning setup makes that distinction worth knowing before your next visit.

What reportedly changed at rope drop

In a September 27 on-site report, WDW News Today says guests can now reach most lands before Early Entry begins, rather than waiting together on Discovery Island.

According to that report, Cast Members check Early Entry eligibility at attraction entrances. Guests without the benefit can explore the accessible areas or wait near an attraction until regular opening. Pandora remains the exception: access during this period is restricted to guests eligible for Early Entry.

This is independent reporting on park operations. We have not located an official Disney announcement confirming the new procedure as a permanent policy.

Who actually gets Early Entry?

Disney’s official Early Entry page gives registered guests of Disney Resort hotels and select other hotels a 30-minute head start. Valid park admission is required, and some admission types also require a park reservation.

Disney currently lists Avatar Flight of Passage, Expedition Everest, Na’vi River Journey and Zootopia: Better Zoogether! for Animal Kingdom’s Early Entry. Attractions and schedules can change. An open walkway does not mean every attraction is operating.

How to plan your morning

• Check your hotel first. Confirm it appears on Disney’s participating-hotel list before building a plan around the benefit.
• Check your visit date. Use My Disney Experience for that day’s park hours and attraction status instead of copying someone else’s alarm time.
• Ask before you join a line. A quick question to a Cast Member beats discovering you are waiting in the wrong place.

Our take: the useful question is not just how early you can get through the gate. It is what you are eligible to do once you get there. Let that answer set the morning plan.

Planning a slower finish after your park day? Try Alan’s perfect Disney Springs evening.

Are you a rope-drop person, or does your Disney day begin after coffee and a civilized breakfast? Tell us in the comments.

Your next EPCOT snack crawl could use a side quest. Preferably one that lets you wander, spot something cute, and collect a little souvenir without anyone timing your lap around World Showcase.

Pluto’s Pumpkin Pursuit is back at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, and it sounds like a fine excuse to look up from the next menu board.

The pumpkin hunt essentials

According to Disney’s official event listing, the hunt is available now through November 2, 2026, while supplies last.

• Cost: $11.99 plus tax for a game board and stickers.
• How it works: Find decorative pumpkins inspired by Disney characters and match the stickers to your board.
• Admission: Valid EPCOT admission is required separately. A park reservation may also be required for your admission type.

Where to start and collect your keepsake

Disney lists Creations Shop, Disney Traders, Gateway Gifts, World Traveler at International Gateway, and festival merchandise kiosks as purchase locations. The first four also handle keepsake redemption.

You do not have to find every pumpkin to receive the keepsake. Each board can be redeemed for one, through November 2 or while supplies last. Disney limits purchases to five boards per guest, and dates, prices, and availability can change.

Our suggested snack-crawl strategy

Make the hunt the thread that connects your food stops. Pick a few things you actually want to eat, keep the board handy, and let the pumpkins give you a reason to slow down between bites.

With kids, turn the spotting into a team effort. With fellow Disney adults, decide who gets bragging rights before the competitive friend starts keeping score. There is always one.

We would treat this as an optional extra for a day you already planned at EPCOT. If you only want the keepsake, remember that finishing the hunt is not a requirement. If you want an activity, give yourself permission to enjoy the search without turning it into homework.

For more seasonal snack temptation, see our Disney World Halloween snack watch list.

Are you hunting every pumpkin, or getting distracted by the food before the first one?

If Carousel of Progress is one of your must-dos, here’s a little something to feed the addiction while you wait for its next chapter: a preview tucked inside a different park.

A September 25 on-site report from MickeyBlog says the exhibit first shown at D23 is now inside Walt Disney Presents at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

What can you see?

The report shows John and Sarah’s futuristic costumes, models of the opening and finale scenes, concept art, and the new attraction poster. It’s a chance to study some of the details before the updated show opens.

For the fans who stop to read every plaque and inspect every miniature, this sounds like a very tempting detour. You know who you are.

The exhibit is new here. The bigger plans were already announced.

Disney’s official Carousel of Progress update outlines scenes spanning 1969, Halloween 1985, New Year’s Eve 1999, and an imagined future. Disney also confirms that the familiar Sherman brothers theme song will remain.

The Magic Kingdom attraction is currently unavailable, with its updated version planned for late spring 2027. The Hollywood Studios exhibit is a preview, not the attraction reopening.

Put it on your Hollywood Studios list

If you already have a Hollywood Studios day planned, add Walt Disney Presents to your list of places to explore. Our coverage here is based on the linked reporting and Disney’s announcement; we haven’t visited this display yet.

And if your park-day priorities include a snack break, our three Disney World carbs worth a return trip include Alan’s BaseLine Tap House favorite.

What part of Carousel of Progress do you most want preserved? The song, the family, the humor, or a particular scene? Tell us in the comments.