Disney Discussions Weekly Recap for the Week of 1/19/25
This week, Disney revealed some details about its new parade and show, expanded its premier pass, and announced a date for an unfortunate closure.
Welcome to the 20th edition of our Disney Discussions Weekly Recap. I’m back from our week-long WDW trip, which was a blast. I’ll post about it later this week.
I didn’t post for a bit, but we got an influx of new subscribers! Welcome. I hope you find this newsletter fun, informative, and entertaining. Please email me at tony@disneydiscussions.com with any feedback!
This week, Disney revealed some details about its new parade and show, expanded its premier pass, and announced a date for an unfortunate closure.
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This Week’s Disney News 🐭
Muppets News 🐸 - The saddest news of all
🕶️ Closing Dates Announced for MuppetVision 3D, PizzeRizzo and Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano. - Disney Parks Blog
In preparation for the monsters, the Grand Avenue area will start a closing phase in May. Guests can enjoy dining at Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano until May 10, after which Muppet*Vision 3D and PizzeRizzo will also close, with their last day of operation on June 7.
I think I’ll head to WDW on June 7th for Muppet*Vision 3D’s last day.
Walt Disney World News 🏰:
💦 Disney World's Tiana's Bayou Adventure Begins Early Closings Through February 6, 2025 - WDWMAGIC
Walt Disney World announced early closures for Tiana's Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom, closing at 6:00 pm on weekdays: January 22, 24, 27-30, and February 3, 5-6. The attraction will operate normally on weekends until 10 or 11 pm.
✨ New Details: Villains Show and Nighttime Parade Coming to Walt Disney World - Disney Parks Blog
🐉 Disney World Seeks Performers for Maleficent Role in Upcoming 'Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After' Show - WDWMAGIC
Magic Kingdom Files Permit for Parade Storage: Preparing for Disney Starlight? - WDWMAGIC
A new permit for the Parade Storage Building in Magic Kingdom may signal preparations for the upcoming nighttime parade, Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away, which will debut in the Summer of 2025.
⛏️ Tropical Americas Land at Animal Kingdom: Imagineering Progress & Permits - Disney Tourist Blog
On January 17, 2025, Walt Disney Imagineering held a groundbreaking ceremony, marking the start of construction for the next development cycle at Walt Disney World. Park executives and the Tropical Americas project team attended the event.
🌸 EPCOT Flower and Garden 2025: Garden Rocks Dining Package Prices Revealed - WDWMAGIC
These packages offer a dining experience at a participating EPCOT restaurant alongside guaranteed seating at one of the Garden Rocks concerts on the same day. Reservations start on January 29, 2025.
Each Garden Rocks Dining Package features:
A dining experience at a participating restaurant designed around its unique menu:
Spice Road Table: 2 small plates, a shared tagine, a shared dessert platter, and a nonalcoholic drink (or alcoholic for guests aged 21 and over).
Other Restaurants: An entrée, dessert, nonalcoholic drink (or alcoholic for guests aged 21 and over), or one full buffet where available.
One guaranteed seat per person for a Garden Rocks concert on the same day.
⚡️ Disney World Expanding Lightning Lane Premier Pass Again - Disney Tourist Blog
Starting January 21, 2025, Disney World will expand the Lightning Lane Premier Pass to all guests. Resort and select third-party hotel guests can purchase passes up to 7 days before their stay, while off-site guests can buy them 3 days before their visit.
New Free Walt Disney World Annual Passholder Magnet Featuring Ray the Firefly Available Now - WDWNT
photo from WDWNT 🐘 Dumbo Queue Playground Closing for Refurbishment Late January 2025 at Magic Kingdom - WDWMAGIC
The indoor children’s playground in the Dumbo the Flying Elephant queue at Magic Kingdom will close for refurbishment on January 27, 2025, and is expected to reopen in Spring 2025 after updates.
🏃♀️ 2025 runDisney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend Race Themes Revealed - WDWNT
Disneyland News:
🚜 Room Refurbishments for Disney’s Grand Californian - WDWNT
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa is set to refresh all its guest rooms, including the Disney Vacation Club Villas. This renovation focuses primarily on soft goods, enhancing the current Arts & Crafts style with vibrant new colors in the carpets, upholstery, and bedding. In addition to the room upgrades, Napa Rose Restaurant will undergo a remodel, and a second club-level lounge will be introduced.
Coco and The Incredibles Suites Coming to Pixar Place Hotel This Summer - WDWNT
New Coco and The Incredibles-themed suites are coming to Pixar Place Hotel at Disneyland this summer. The Coco Suite features family hacienda decor with photos and mementos. The Incredibles Suite showcases a mid-century design with a spy-fi twist, designed by Superfan Winston Deavor as the perfect getaway for the Parr family.
🍝 Special Menu Items Revealed for Disneyland After Dark: Sweethearts’ Nite - DAPSMAGIC
Disney Cruise Line News 🛳️ :
🛳️ Disney Destiny Exterior Completion: Major Milestone for Disney Cruise Line’s Latest Ship - DisTrips and More
The Disney Destiny is structurally complete. Disney Cruise Line announced that exterior construction is finished, and interior outfitting has begun. The ship's maiden voyage is on November 20, 2025, with Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale as her home base.
Disney Entertainment & Company News 🎬:
🌠 Ryan Gosling Rumored to Star in Shawn Levy’s New ‘Star Wars’ Film - WDWNT
A recent Hollywood Reporter article states that Levy’s new Star Wars film is developing, with Ryan Gosling potentially starring. It will be a stand-alone movie, with plot details unreleased and no connection to the Skywalker Saga.
Josh D'Amaro Unveils New Leadership Roles for Disney Parks and Cruise Line - WDWMAGIC
Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D'Amaro announced leadership changes, including a new role for major events integration and appointments for Disneyland Resort, Disney Signature Experiences, and Shanghai Disney Resort. These changes align with the company's global growth plans for its cruise line and theme parks.
Disney CEO Bob Iger Earned $41.1 Million in Fiscal 2024: A Breakdown of Executive Pay - WDWMAGIC.
The Walt Disney Company's fiscal 2024 executive compensation report shows significant earnings for its leaders, with CEO Bob Iger topping the list. Iger returned in late 2022 to guide the company during tough times, earning $41.1 million this fiscal year.
🌊 Amid Lawsuit, “Moana 2” Crosses $1B in Global Box Office - WDWNT
According to Deadline, “Moana 2” has topped the $1 Billion mark in global box office revenue.
💰 Disney Donates $15 Million to California Wildfire Relief, Supports Impacted Communities - WDWMAGIC
The Walt Disney Company pledged $15 million to support wildfire relief in Southern California. The donation will help organizations such as the American Red Cross, the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.
Disney Discussions Recent Archive:
🧚 Pixie Dust ✨
Fun Facts: 📬
Last week was the 50th anniversary of Magic Kingdom’s Space Mountain and the Carousel of Progress moving to WDW.
Believe it or not, the highest speed on Space Mountain is 27-28 mph, making it one of the slowest coaster rides in the Magic Kingdom! For comparison, Goofy's Barnstormer reaches a top speed of 25 mph, while the next fastest coaster, the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train, goes up to 34 mph.
Read DAPS Magic's excellent write-up on the history of Space Mountain:
The History of Space Mountain – More Than Just a Mountain
📸 Magic Shots of the Week:
I posed on Instagram a few shots from our trip from Mupppets courtyard.
We all have favorite photos from our Disney vacations. I will share one of mine each week, but I would also love to include yours! Please email your Disney photo to photos@disneydiscussions.com, and I’ll feature it in a future weekly recap.
🌟 Disney Tip of the Week:
Embrace the surprises! Things won’t always unfold as we’ve planned, and that’s perfectly fine. We experienced a few hiccups and unexpected changes during our trip that could have easily thrown me off, but I decided to go with the flow, and those moments turned out to be some of the very best!
welcome back ❤️