Heading to Disney World soon? If you haven’t stayed up-to-date on all the latest Disney news, you could go in unprepared.

From important Genie+ changes to construction updates that have CLOSED an entire store, we’ve got everything you need to know right here!

1 — Genie+ Changes Are Here to STAY

First up, we’ve got some important changes. Disney had previously announced that some rides which are normally available through the Pay-Per-Ride (Individual Attraction Selection) system would be available through the standard Genie+ service for a limited time.

In case you’re unfamiliar with Disney Genie+, it’s a paid service ($15 per person per day) that helps you skip the standby lines at many rides in Disney World. But not all rides are available through Genie+. To skip the lines at select, really popular rides you may need to pay to use their Lightning Lanes (a.k.a. the old FastPass+ lanes) individually.

Again, as we noted, Disney made some Pay-Per-Ride attractions available through the standard Genie+ service for a limited time and that was all set to end in early August. But…

…this week Disney announced that those rides will REMAIN on the standard Genie+ service even beyond the original early August end date. While you used to have to pay individually to skip the lines at Space Mountain, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Frozen Ever After, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and Expedition Everest, you won’t have to do that anymore. All of these rides will now officially be on the standard Genie+ service, giving you more rides to pick from when you pay for that option.

Click here to learn more about this Genie+ change

2 — Halloween Treats, Merchandise, and MORE

Are you ready for all things pumpkin spice? It’s time to get excited because the Halloween fun and Halloween announcements have started to roll in from Disney!

This week, Disney released a whole bunch of NEW Halloween merchandise online…

…including new Halloween ears!

Plus, Disney dropped some ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ toys online…

…and revealed pricing and other details for the fireworks dessert parties that can be booked for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

We also got to check out some Disney Halloween decorations you absolutely need…

…learn more about the popcorn buckets coming to the parks for spooky season…

…and get a FULL list of Halloween treats coming to Magic Kingdom!

Basically, it’s spooky central over here (and we’re not mad about it!).

For more Halloween news, check out the links below:

• A Hocus Pocus 2 cereal is available
• There’s only 1 way to get Disney’s new Halloween item
• Disney shared another preview of their 2022 Halloween merchandise
• Hocus Pocus coffee can now be yours
• A Hocus Pocus MagicBand dropped in Disney World

The Halloween season has only just begun so stay tuned for more spooktacular news.

A candy shortage means you’ll need trick-or-treat alternatives — we’re here to help!

3 — Construction Updates

Moving on from Halloween for a bit, we also got some updates on various construction/reopening projects this week.

Over at Toy Story Land in Hollywood Studios, we shared a FULL UPDATE on the situation with this spot’s upcoming new restaurant — Roundup Rodeo BBQ.

In Magic Kingdom, this past week brought us the long-awaited reopening of The Harmony Barber Shop!

And finally, over in Tomorrowland, the TRON construction has actually CLOSED the Space Mountain gift shop.

The exit from Space Mountain has been rerouted for the time being as construction in this area continues. An opening date for the TRON ride has not yet been announced, but it seems to be making progress so we’re hoping to get some exciting news soon.

Click here to learn more about this closure

4 — Monkeypox Information

If you’ve been scrolling through Twitter or watching the news lately, the odds are pretty high that you’ve seen some stories about Monkeypox. What is Monkeypox? Should you be worried about it when traveling to Disney World? What can you do to protect yourself? We’ve got the information you need.

Click here to see what experts are saying about Monkeypox and Disney World.

To learn more about Monkeypox, prevention and treatment, how the virus spreads, and how it could impact your trip to Disney World, click here.

We’re going to continue to look for updates on this situation and we’ll let you know what we find.

Click here for our full breakdown on Monkeypox

5 — Travel Updates

And finally, we’ve got a bunch of travel updates that could impact your next flight to Disney World. When it comes to Southwest Airlines, it’s important to know that the company has warned of flight price INCREASES, so watch those budgets and be sure to track your upcoming flight prices.

Southwest Airlines has also changed its flight credit policy, so that’s something important to get updated on before your next trip.

If you are looking to fly soon, don’t be surprised if you have some trouble finding a flight to the Most Magical Place on Earth in September. American Airlines has cut 7,000 flights from its September schedule so that could cause some issues with your travel plans.

In good travel news, you could be more likely to get a refund on your flight soon due to changes being worked on by the US Transportation Department.

And finally, we’ve got a few additional travel updates you should know about:

• Learn about the average cost to fly to Disney World in September
• The CDC has added 3 more destinations to the “high” risk COVID-19 category
• Are flight costs increasing or decreasing? We’ve got the data

Be sure to check back with us for more travel news and tips ahead of your next trip!

Click here to see our best tips for flying through Orlando International Airport

That’s it for the biggest news from this week, but (of course) other news was also shared. Click the links below to check out those stories:

• Disney has signed an open letter supporting the Respect for Marriage Act
• See who is going to play the Hatbox Ghost in Disney’s new Haunted Mansion movie!
• The actress for Madame Leota has also been announced for Disney’s new Haunted Mansion movie
• Check out everything coming to Disneyland for the holidays

And that’s it for the news this week. Check back with us for more updates, tips, and reviews!

Which of these updates surprised you the most? Tell us in the comments!