This post is all about Disney news for this week. In this post we’ll highlight a few timely items we think may interest you, especially if you are planning a Disney trip!
Cool Kid Summer at Disney World
All four Disney World parks will have special activities for kids (of all ages) starting May 27 and running through September 1. Disney promises “DJ-fueled dance parties, surprise character appearances, hands-on activities, and nonstop summer vibes.” Sounds pretty cool to us, too!
Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know for each park:
Epcot
- DJ-led dance parties with Goofy
- games with fun twists
- will be at CommuniCore Hall (which will close starting May 12 to prepare)
Animal Kingdom
- hands-on craft activities at Rafiki’s Planet Watch (focus on pollinators)
- a new Wilderness Explorer Badge available for a limited time
- a sing-along songs and storytelling with the Dino Institute Intern at Discovery Island
Hollywood Studios
- games and crafts (Animation Courtyard)
- magicians and jump rope performers (Animation Courtyard)
- surprise character appearances (Animation Courtyard)
- Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After (indoor stage show, debuts May 27)
- The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure (indoor stage show, debuts May 27)
Magic Kingdom
- Big Top Bash at Storybook Circus – summer dance party with Pluto, stilt walkers, jugglers
- Dance with Stitch at Rocket Tower Plaza Stage
- Galactic craft at Merchant of Venus
- New nighttime parade coming later in the summer, Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away (with characters from Encanto, Coco, Frozen and more)
Disney News: Typhoon Lagoon Reopens!
On May 1, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park reopened. If you haven’t been to Typhoon Lagoon yet, make plans to go! This park is a ton of fun and we always enjoy rides like Crush ‘n’ Gusher, Mayday Falls, and Storm Slides. And we love the Surf Pool. Although it’s relaxing to stay in the shallow end, you can also get a thrill closer to the wave action in the deep end. It’s always fun to hear everyone get excited when the big wave is “born!” If thrills aren’t for you, you can enjoy floating along in Castaway Creek.
photo: nataliafrei/DepositPhotos
H20 Glow After Hours is back starting on May 23 through September 13. On these nights the park lights up with dance parties, Disney characters, and free snacks (ice cream, popcorn, some soft drinks). We have yet to purchase tickets for one of these neon parties but we’re excited to already have tickets for our August 2025 trip. We’ll be sure to report back!
And don’t forget that from May 21 to September 7 of 2025, BOTH Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach will be open. Hate to admit this but we have NEVER been able to go to Blizzard Beach. It’s been closed every trip we’ve planned. But we will finally be able to give some juicy feedback on this 30-year-old water park since we will be doing both parks in August!
Disney Springs Mother’s Day Ideas
- Grab a family pic: Head over the area near the Coca-Cola Store and the Orange Garage and you’ll see a large “Mom!” sign. A great photo op to either do with Mom or send to Mom! Disney PhotoPass photographers will be there with some photo props as well
- Cirque du Soleil’s Drawn to Life is currently sold out for Mother’s Day, but from now until Mother’s Day you can still purchase 20% off tickets that you can use through September 28. So, belated Mother’s Day? We went to Drawn to Life in March and it was AMAZING…worth the wait.
- Food and Shopping: With so many restaurants to choose from you’re sure to find a Mom favorite. If it was me (Julie) I’d say The Boathouse and then Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop! As for the shopping, well that’s highly subjective. But a trip through World of Disney is always a favorite!
- Plantable Postcards: While you’re walking off the chocolate, head back over to the Orange Garage and look for the complimentary postcards made from seeded paper. Free stamps are also provided, so you can send Mom a postcard that can actually be planted in her garden!
- Amphicars and Bowling: If you’ve got something a little more outgoing planned, why not try a ride in the Amphicars at The Landing? You can make a reservation at the dock podium or inside The Boathouse Boutique. Or go for some strikes at Splitsville Luxury Lanes. You can reserve your bowling lane online.
photo: VIAVAL/DepositPhotos
Disneyland 70th Anniversary News
From May 16 through the summer of 2026, Disneyland Resort is celebrating its 70th Anniversary with activities, special food offerings, collectibles, activities, and more.
photo: kyolshin/DepositPhotos
- A new celebratory theme song called “Celebrate Happy,” performed by the Jonas Brothers, appears to be the theme song of the anniversary celebration experiences. On May 13, this song will be available for streaming.
- “World of Color Happiness!“–A new outdoor nighttime show in Paradise Bay will feature special effects using fountains, lighting, lasers, fog, and flame. Disney classics as well as new songs will be featured. There will also be some preshow messages from some of The Muppets!
- “Paint the Night” Parade: With more than a million LED lights, this parade will return to Main Street, U.S.A. for the 70th celebration. Favorite characters from movies like “Toy Story” and “The Little Mermaid” will be featured among all the floats, special effects, music, costumes, and performances.
- “Wondrous Journeys“- This show “features state-of-the-art projection effects that transform Main Street, U.S.A., Sleeping Beauty Castle, ‘it’s a small world’ and the Rivers of America. On select nights, the show will be enhanced with fireworks.” (from the Disney Parks Blog) Wondrous Journeys promises storytelling that features storylines from some of your favorite stories like Peter Pan, Moana, and Encanto (and more).
- and so much more. To view more of what is planned for this celebration spectacular, visit the Disney Parks Blog.
Disney Cruise Line News
Disney Destiny
Disney’s next cruise ship, Destiny, is set to debut in late 2025 and is the 3rd ship in their Wish-class fleet. The Destiny features a “Heroes and Villains” theme, drawing stories and themes from movies like The Lion King, Hercules, and 101 Dalmations. A sister ship to the Treasure and the Wish (with the same layout but different theming), the Destiny will offer four- and five-night sailings to the Bahamas and Western Caribbean as well as one or both Disney destinations of Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point.
Here’s a rundown of the latest from the Disney Destiny news page:
- Maiden Voyage: November 20, 2025, from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
- Café Megara: You guessed it…a “Hercules” themed space! This walk-up cafe will be themed with colors inspired by the characters Pegasus and Megara. Disney Parks on Instagram posted a photo with Imagineers reviewing carpet and wallpaper designs for the new space. (see above pic)
- Marvel Stern character: For the first time ever in Disney Cruise Line history, the featured stern character (you know, the one on the back of the ship) will be a Marvel Super Hero! A huge Spiderman sculpture will grace the stern of the Destiny, along with his Spider-Bots.
- The Welcome Statue: Another first time ever will be that a Marvel Super Hero will be the welcoming statue. And the Destiny’s? T’Challa, the original Black Panther.
- There’s more to read on the Disney Destiny page, so head over there to see if a voyage on the Destiny is in your destiny!
Disney News – Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After
Debuting May 27, 2025, in Hollywood Studios comes a wicked new musical stage show where the villains get to hog the spotlight! Maybe, after all, we have misunderstood these villains. Rumor has it that the Magic Mirror will request help from the audience in deciding who has been the most unfairly treated. Cruella de Vil, Captian Hook, and Maleficent will all be sharing their side of the story so you can decide.
If you’ll be at Hollywood Studios on or after May 27, head over to the Sunset Showcase, just to the right of Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, to view this new show. Wanna get a little taste? Check this out:
New Disney Vacation Club Lounge at Magic Kingdom
The newest Disney World Disney Vacation Club Lounge opened recently at Magic Kingdom. Disney Vacation Club McKim’s Mile House, nestled in Frontierland, evokes a rustic vibe with a stone fireplace, warm wood tones, and antiques. DVC lounges are exclusive to members of the Disney Vacation Club and are a great place to rest and relax, sip on complimentary soft drinks, and enjoy free Wi-Fi and phone charging spaces.
On our March trip, we were excited to try out this lounge, but when we had time to stop by there was already a HUGE line. So, unfortunately, we opted to wait for our next trip. We’ll be hitting McKim’s Mile House next week and plan to arrive right at opening time to soak up some lounge time and explore. We’ll report back on our return!
Until then, check out this walk-through from Disney Vacation Club:
GEO-82: A New Epcot Lounge
Situated within Spaceship Earth, this new lounge is set to open June 4, 2025 (but reservations are already open). This is an adults-only lounge featuring lots of adult beverages and a small selection of food.
GEO-82 will also be the setting for an Enchanting Extras package: viewing the Luminous The Symphony of Us fireworks show.
Rick and I aren’t drinkers, but we can see where the attraction would be for a kid-crowd break with a relaxing indoor beverages and bites experience. I’m sure we’ll have lots to say about the small bites on the menu, especially since there will apparently be a Jumbo Lump Crab Gateau to sample! YUM!
There will be featured cocktails, zero-proof cocktails, wine and beer selections, and a small menu of food items like hummus, a charcuterie type selection, flatbread, Ahi Tuna, and yeah….that gateau! You will also be able to purchase souvenir glasses by mobile order if you have GEO-82 reservations.
Okay, that’s a wrap for this week’s Disney News Weekly! We’ll be back every Tuesday with highlights of the latest Disney travel news!
If you’re not planning a Disney trip anytime soon and need some at-home Disney magic, try this Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs movie night treat.
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