Well, another week has gone by and we’ve seen quite a few things changing at Disney World and even on Disney+.
Heading to Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park when it reopens in March? We’ve got an update on mask requirements there. Love The Jungle Cruise? Changes are coming soon to that ride that you’ll want to know about! We’re sharing ALL this info with you and more in this list of Disney news stories you may have totally missed this week.
Let’s dive in!
1. Blizzard Beach: Face Masks & Ticket Info
On March 7th, 2021, Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park will finally reopen. The park has been closed for months now, but soon guests will be able to spend a day there having fun in the sun. This week, we got two BIG announcements regarding Blizzard Beach. First, tickets to visit the water park are now available for purchase. There are 1-day passes with blockout dates, and others without blockout dates. You can also add a water park option onto your regular theme park tickets, or look at other pass options as well.
Second, when Blizzard Beach reopens, it will be operating in alignment with health and safety protocols including reduced capacity, temperature screenings, physical distancing, and mask requirements.
So, what exactly will the mask requirements be? So far, Disney has shared that face coverings WILL be required in designated areas for guests ages 2 and up. These “designated areas” will include, but not be limited to, the park entrance and exit, retail areas, and food and beverage ordering areas.
Face coverings will not be allowed, however, while you’re experiencing water slides at the park or while you’re in the water. These are important things to keep in mind if you’re planning to visit the water park in the future. What other areas will be included as “designated areas” remains to be seen, but we’ll be keeping an eye out for more updates and filling you in on all the latest info.
Click here to see our full post about the mask requirements at Blizzard Beach.
2. Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Has Closed
While Blizzard Beach is getting ready to open, one experience in Disney World has closed. Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, the interactive card game that guests could enjoy for FREE throughout Magic Kingdom, has officially closed.
A few weeks ago, we heard that this experience would be temporarily closing and saw some indications of when its final day might be. When we initially spoke to Cast Members about the closure, they were under the impression that it would be a temporary closure. But, this week we were told this is now expected to be a permanent closure.
The experience has since been removed entirely from the Magic Kingdom guide maps, and the Fire Station which served as the game’s headquarters was closed this week.
It seems it is time to say goodbye to this Magic Kingdom game. We’re not sure if a new game will eventually replace Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom, but we’ll definitely be on the lookout for more updates.
Click here to see more about the changes made to the Magic Kingdom map.
3. The Jungle Cruise is Getting a NEW Storyline
Staying in Magic Kingdom for a second, we got some HUGE news this week about a bit of a makeover that will be coming to one of the park’s most classic attractions — The Jungle Cruise! That’s right! The Jungle Cruise is getting a bit of a refurb with a whole new storyline that, for the first time ever, includes the skipper IN the attraction as an animatronic figure.
The attraction will be getting its first continuous story, updated scenes, colorful new characters, and more. Guests will get to learn a bit more about those characters stuck on the pole (with the rhino following closely behind), who those people are, and what happened to their boat.
And while Easter Eggs from the upcoming Jungle Cruise movie may be sprinkled in, the new storyline will not be centered around the Rock and the new film. So far, we’ve gotten a peek at some concept art, a video explaining a bit more about the new storyline, and more details from the Imagineers behind the changes.
Will the backside of water joke still be there? What other changes are coming? When will the changes be done? See our full post to learn more!
Click here to see EVERYTHING we know about the changes coming to The Jungle Cruise!
4. SO MUCH Flower & Garden Festival News!
Right now, the Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is going on. But, soon it’ll be time to enjoy a whole bunch of new food items and check out some beautiful topiaries at the International Flower & Garden Festival. The Festival is set to take place from March 3rd through July 5th. And this week we got TONS of news about what fans will be able to enjoy there.
First up, this week we got a list of ALL the food booths that guests will be able to eat at and a peek at some of the items that will be available. Get those appetites ready — we’ll soon be sampling LOTS of items and bringing you all of the delicious details.
Disney also announced some of the entertainment guests will be able to enjoy at the Festival, gave some updates on the return of the Spike the Bee scavenger hunt, and shared that the Egg-Stravaganza Easter egg scavenger hunt will also be coming back for a limited time.
But wait, there’s MORE! This week, Disney also announced ALL of the topiaries that will be coming to the Festival and 20 gardens that guests will also get to enjoy there.
Wondering what activities you’ll be able to enjoy at this year’s festival? We’ve got a full list of ALL the activities you can look forward to right here! We can’t wait to see and experience it all once the Flower & Garden Festival begins at EPCOT!
Click here to see ALL of the food booths announced for the Flower & Garden Festival!
5. Movies Have Gone MISSING from Some Disney+ Accounts
And finally, we end our weekly news round-up with some changes you might have noticed on Disney+. Earlier this week, we shared that Disney has entirely REMOVED some classic films from Disney+, but only on Kids Profiles. The films removed are Dumbo, Aladdin (including the sequels), Peter Pan, Swiss Family Robinson, Lady and the Tramp, and The Aristocats.
These can still be found, however, on Adult Disney+ accounts. The movies removed from the Kids Profiles previously had disclaimers on them, warning viewers that they may contain negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures. They continue to have those disclaimers when viewed through an adult Disney+ account.
We previously asked our readers what they thought about Disney+ censoring content, and the majority of those who initially responded said they didn’t think Disney+ should censor their content. You can see more about our readers had to say on that topic here.
Click here to see our full post about the movies that have been removed from Kids Profiles on Disney+
And that’s our list of some of the BIGGEST Disney news stories you might have missed this week. But, those aren’t the only things that happened recently. Over in California, the stay-at-home orders were lifted, allowing guests to eat and drink again in Downtown Disney at Disneyland. We got some WATERMELON(!) Dole Whip in Disney World that tasted like bubblegum?
This week also brought some more cancellations from Disney Cruise Line, and a NEW name for Disneyland Passholders.
What will next week bring? We’re not sure. But you can bet we’ll be here to cover it all and bring you the latest updates!
Recently, another ride got the plexiglass treatment. Click here to check it out!
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Are you excited for the new storyline coming to The Jungle Cruise? Let us know in the comments!
Zach DE says
It would be nice if you dated your articles.
DFB Sarah says
Hi, Zach. Dates are in the URLs.