This week was pretty eventful in Disney World!
Magic Kingdom
Disney dropped a LOT of new and surprising announcements this week, so let’s go over all of it!
Reopenings
We learned recently that Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor was scheduled to reopen in Magic Kingdom on August 8th. However, we were surprised to find that Laugh Floor reopened for soft openings three days early!
Laugh Floor is open!
If you were hoping to visit the Laugh Floor before August 8th, you’re may be in luck! You can find this monster comedy show in Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom.
Read more about Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor opening early here!
Magical Express Announcements
Reservations
As of January 1, 2022, Disney will no longer offer the Magical Express, a free transportation shuttle for Disney World Resort guests to and from the Orlando International Airport. We learned earlier this year that Mears, the company who operated the Magical Express, will offer transportation at a cost. This week, reservations for the new Mears Connect program opened for 2022!
Disney’s Magical Express
You can choose two options to book, Standard or Express (formerly called “premium”), and Mears Connect is currently offering an introductory rate that helps you save money!
Read more about the Mears Connect reservation system here!
Pricing
We also learned the pricing for Mears Connect, which varies by Standard…
©Mears Connect
…and Express (previously called “premium”) rates, as well as one way or round trip and the number of passengers.
©Mears Connect
These are currently introductory rates, so if you reserve now, you could save money. We will be keeping a close watch for announcements about future Mears Connect pricing!
Learn more about Mears Connect prices here!
Annual Passholder Announcement
Disney World annual passes have not been sold since the parks closed in 2020, and Disney announced this week that annual passes WILL be sold in time for the 50th anniversary!
Annual Pass
Disney will announce later this month when Annual Passes will be available for purchase again, so keep reading DFB for more Annual Passholder updates!
Click here for more info about Disney World annual passes!
Star Wars Hotel News
Pricing
We learned SO MUCH this week about the upcoming Star Wars hotel, aka the Galactic Starcruiser. Disney released pricing for the Galactic Starcruiser and it costs a pretty penny. According to the Standard Cabin Rates, a cabin of 4 guests will cost you $5,999 for the two-night stay.
©Disney
Meals are included in the price of your stay, and we’ll update you as soon as we know the pricing for other room options.
Read more about Star Wars hotel pricing here!
Rooms
The room options for the Star Wars hotel include Standard, Galaxy Class Suites, and Grand Captain Suite. So far, we only know the rates for Standard Rooms.
©Disney
There will be an estimated 100 rooms and suites aboard the Galactic Starcruiser, which means reservations may be hard to come by.
Click here to read all about the rooms at the Star Wars hotel!
Dining
Dining in the Star Wars hotel will be interesting, with the Crown of Corellia Dining Room serving breakfast and dinner, with two different dinner adventures for each night of your stay.
Crown of Corellia Dining Room Concept Art – Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser ©Disney
Another dining location will be the Sublight Lounge, which will serve galactic drinks among some of the ship’s characters.
Here’s everything we know about dining in the Star Wars hotel!
Captain’s Table
Another important dining option we learned this week is the Captain’s Table, which is a special reservation guests can make to be seated in the center of the Crown of Corellia Dining Room during dinner. Guests at the Captain’s Table will be able to enjoy extra courses (the Captain’s favorites!).
Captain’s Table ©Disney
The Captain’s Table will require an extra fee, and we will update you as soon as we know more about the pricing as well as how to make a reservation.
Click here to learn more about the Captain’s Table!
Packing List
Disney also gave us a packing list for Galactic Starcruiser guests. If you were wondering whether Star Wars costumes would be mandatory, Disney let us know that while you CAN wear Star Wars costumes, you can also board the “ship” in a T-shirt and jeans.
©Disney
You can finally wear those Jedi robes you’ve owned for years, or you can wear your favorite “home planet” clothes.
Here’s the packing list for the Star Wars hotel!
Sample Itinerary
We’ve been so curious to learn what guests can do during their two-night stay aboard the Galactic Starcruiser, and Disney gave us a sample itinerary for an idea of what your visit could look like! Guests can arrive between 1PM and 4PM on the first day of their reservation.
©Disney
The sample itinerary includes activities like the “Outer Rim Regalia,” a fashion show for guests in Star Wars attire, and a visit to Batuu with rides aboard Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run. You can click the photo to make it bigger in a new tab.
Read more about the sample itinerary here!
Vacation Package
A two-night stay in the Galactic Starcruiser includes entertainment, food and drinks, admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, valet parking, and a special “databand” (aka a MagicBand).
©Disney
Guests will not be required to make a Park Reservation for Hollywood Studios.
Click here for everything that’s included in your stay!
Light Saber Age Requirement
Disney also announced that the Light Saber Training Experience aboard the Galactic Starcruiser will have an age limit: guests must be at least 7 years old.
©Disney
This is good for families to know ahead of times so they aren’t paying thousands of dollars to learn that their excited kiddo isn’t eligible yet.
Here’s what we know about the Light Saber Training Experience!
What a week! Keep reading DFB for all your expected AND unexpected Disney World news!
Click here for 7 IMPORTANT Star Wars hotel details you may have missed!
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My Disney trips are done. Price increases are too much. Also amenities and perks are being money makers. The meal plans available are laughable. Less Disney cast members and charging for parking and cleaning services are too much to bear. All in all Disney would roll over in his grave. He wanted the parks to be affordable to families. No anymore. I guess I have had a good run when times were the best.. Good bye Disney World had many good times and memories.
Although Mears Connect is described as being like the Magical Express. But one thing that I suspect is different and has been avoided is whether the automatic baggage handling will remain.
Edward, you’re right that this information hasn’t been clarified by Mears yet. I just went through the Mears Connect page to be sure I wasn’t missing it in fine print; it’s just not there.