Another week has passed and (as usual) more news has been shared about Disney World and Disneyland’s resorts, attractions, and more!

This week we’ve got some important holiday updates (yes, holiday news in October!), news about 1-night stays at Disney World hotels, and much more. Let’s dive into the top Disney news stories you might have missed from this past week.

1 — SO. MUCH. HOLIDAY. NEWS.

We’ll start off with some exciting holiday news. That’s right folks, Halloween might not even be here yet, but Disney is READY for the holiday season to start right now!

Earlier this week, we spotted new holiday ears and lots of other adorable holiday merchandise available online. So, if you’re an early holiday shopper, now’s the time to make those purchases.

We also found a NEW holiday Starbucks x Disney tumbler and ornament in Magic Kingdom.

And in a shocking turn of events, we spottedholiday decorations already up and in place in Disney’s Hollywood Studios!!! They’re actually usually the first park to start putting up decorations and, for Disney World, this isn’t really all that early! Last year, Disney started decorating the parks for the holidays ever so slightly later in October, but it looks like they’re ready to deck the halls a bit early this year.

This week, we also got updates about some holiday entertainment that is set to be available in the parks later this year.

First, at Disney’s Very Merriest After Hours Event (the replacement this year for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party), there will be a Stage Show available for guests to enjoy! We got more details about the stage show recently and some photos of a very dolled up Clarabelle Cow that appears to be part of the show.

Over at Animal Kingdom, this holiday season guests will once again be able to enjoy those ADORABLE puppets as the Merry Menagerie returns this year. These things are SO cute; we can’t wait to see them again!

We’re only midway through October, but we have a feeling more holiday news is on the way, so stay tuned for all the latest updates!

Click here to see news about the gingerbread displays that will be coming back to Disney World for the holidays this year!

2 — Festival of the Holidays & Candlelight Processional

But wait, there’s more! Today we also got some huge updates about EPCOT’s International Festival of the Holidays & Candlelight Processional.

First, when it comes to Candlelight Processional, Disney shared that Dining Packages for this special show will be returning this year and they’ll be available to book soon!

There are a variety of locations available for booking at different price points.

Click here to see more!

Recently, we also got a preliminary list of celebrity narrators that guests will get to see during Candlelight Processional this year.

More celebrity narrators are set to be announced soon, so be on the lookout for more updates from us!

Click here to see the current list!

When it comes to the Festival of the Holidays, Disney has now released the FULL list of booths coming to the festival!

Guests will get to enjoy some returning booths like Bavaria Holiday Kitchen, Le Marché de Noël Holiday Kitchen, and Holiday Hearth Desserts.

This year there will also be a BRAND NEW booth called Chestnuts & Good Cheer Holiday Kitchen that will serve up cinnamon-glazed nuts and holiday-themed drinks.

Click here to see the FULL list of booths!

This year, the Cookie Stroll will be returning to the Festival of the Holidays and now we’ve got the FULL list of cookies that will be part of the adventure, including one that features Snickers!

But, the Festival of the Holidays isn’t just about the snacks. The festival also features some unique entertainment. This year, the beloved storytellers will be returning to EPCOT as part of this event, along with some other special entertainment offerings.

But, you won’t just find holiday cheer in World Showcase. Over at Living with the Land, you’ll find some special lights and decor during the holiday season this year once again!

And if you’re looking for a fun activity to do while you snack, you can check out the Olaf-themed scavenger hunt that will be returning this year!

The start of the Festival of the Holidays is still just over a month away, but we’ll be keeping an eye out for ALL of the details related to this upcoming festival. Stay tuned for more news!

Click here to see more about the Festival of the Holidays!

3 — Important Hotel Updates

Thinking of planning a quick visit to Disney World soon? Well, if you haven’t already booked your resort stay, you might experience a bit of a complication. These week we saw that 1-night stays at Disney World Resort hotels are currently unavailable for new bookings for dates from October 9th through December 4th. Note that this doesn’t apply to DVC members booking by using their points.

This could cause a serious wrinkle in your plans if you don’t have your hotel stay booked already, so be sure to get your travel plans all arranged and see what (if any) changes you might need to make.

Click here to learn more about this hotel situation.

In other hotel news, this week Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — Riverside reopened! We stopped by to take a look around the resort and see how things looked.

We also took a look at the dining situation and shared an update about one particular restaurant that is not reopening with the hotel. Click here to learn more.

If you’re a fan of the very popular Yehaa Bob Jackson’s performances at Riverside, you’ll be thrilled to know that Yehaa Bob is BACK performing at Riverside once again!

His show currently has some modifications due to COVID-19, but you can once again visit the hotel to watch him play.

Click here to see photos & videos of Yehaa Bob’s return to Port Orleans Riverside!

4 — Start Planning Your Next Disney Cruise Line Adventure!

Thinking of going on a Disney Cruise? Well you can get planning for trips in the future thanks to some updates shared this week. Recently, Disney Cruise Line announced that it will resume sailing from New Orleans in 2022! So, if you’ve always wanted to take a cruise from the port there, you’ll soon have that chance.

Not ready to get cruising in 2022, but thinking of a 2023 cruise? Well, you’re in luck. Disney Cruise Line itineraries and booking dates have been announced for early 2023 cruises! It’s never too early to get planning. Bahamas, Western Caribbean, or somewhere else — where will you travel to in 2023?

Hoping to go on a trip on Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship — the Disney Wish? Click here to see how you could win a FREE cruise on the Wish!

Click here to learn more about Disney Cruise Line!

5 — Disneyland Monorail and Holiday Updates

Over at Disneyland, we’ve gotten a number of updates. Today (October 15th), the Disneyland Monorail reopened for guests to enjoy once again! Be sure to check out this form of transportation (and also just all-around cool attraction) the next time your in Disneyland!

This week, Disney also announced some exciting details about its holiday offerings, including the fact that Mickey and Minnie will be dressed in some snazzy new outfits during the holiday season at Disneyland!

Disney also shared a sneak peek at some of the new merchandise items coming to Disneyland.

We expect many of these items may become available online or in Disney World too, but we’ll be on the lookout for more updates!

Click here to get a look at the new merchandise!

6 — Destination D23 News

And finally, in terms of big news, we got the full schedule for the 2021 Destination D23 Event that is taking place in Disney World!

During the event, fans will get to learn all kinds of awesome facts about Disney’s past, present, and future including a peek at the musical world of Encanto and much more.

If you weren’t lucky enough to grab a ticket to Destination D23, don’t worry! Select things from Destination D23 will also be live-streamed on D23.com and D23 social media channels!

If you will be heading to Destination D23, be sure to click here to learn more about how select guests can get an advance screening of Encanto and more.

And that’s it in terms of big Disney news! Of course, other news has also been released this week. Check out the links below to learn more:

• Guests can pre-register for Disney World’s DAS program
• WEB SLINGERS may pause its virtual queue on select days in Disneyland
• Another attraction is set to reopen soon in Disneyland
• See a FULL list of the Disneyland rides included with Genie+ (and the ones you’ll have to pay extra for)
• Disney+ is set to have more subscribers than Netflix by 2025

• You could win a fully loaded trip to Disney World for the 50th Anniversary!
• The guy who made Pineapple Express and some horror movies is going to be working on a film about…Disneyland?!
• There are new Disney x Starbucks tumblers available, including a retro-inspired one
• Early bookings for the Star Wars hotel are now open for more guests

• The U.S. is set to ease travel restrictions soon
• New Trader Sam’s Tiki Mugs have arrived in Disney World!
• We found MONORAIL ears in Disney World!

That’s all for this week’s news! Be sure to check back with us for more updates.

Are you planning to visit Disney World soon? Tell us in the comments!