What a week it has been.

Hundreds of price increases have impacted all kinds of things at Disney World (and Disneyland), we got a big Fantasmic! update, and we even got some Genie+ news. If you’re going to Disney World soon or just want to stay up on the latest Disney news, these are the 5 news stories you cannot miss from this week.

1 — HUNDREDS of Price Increases

First up, let’s tackle those price increases. We saw hundreds of food price increases back in January of 2022, but now more price increases have been revealed for food, special experiences, and more.

At Disney World, Mickey’s Premium Ice Cream Bars and pretzels are now more expensive. Plus Be Our Guest restaurant, Chef Mickey’s, and 3 other popular character meals have also seen price increases.

Here’s a look at some of the other price increase we saw put in place recently at Disney World:

• Bottled water and soda prices have increased
• Hundreds of food items are more expensive throughout Disney World restaurants
• Private photo shoots are more expensive
• The lightsaber and droid building experiences in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge are now more expensive
• Minnie ears will cost you MORE in Disney World now
• Resort refillable mugs also got hit with a price increase

In other words, take a close look at those budgets because you might need to make some adjustments.

Over at Disneyland, we also saw the droid and lightsaber-building experiences increase in price. But perhaps more importantly, ticket prices have increased.

A 1-day, 1-park ticket could now cost you as much as $179, so be sure to take another look at the days you plan to visit to see how your budget might need to be adjst

Click here to see how to prevent price increases from ruining your Disney World trip

2 — Genie+ CHANGES

Along with price increases on food and experiences, we saw some changes with Genie+ that could also make your next trip more expensive.

At Disney World, the price for the standard Genie+ used to be a set $15 per person per day. The cost of the Pay-Per-Ride selections would then vary by date, park, and ride. Well, now things have changed a bit. The cost of the standard Genie+ now varies depending on the date you visit. In other words, surge pricing has hit the standard Genie+ service.

We actually saw the price of the standard Genie+ service increase to $20 during some recent days following the announcement. Disney doesn’t reveal these increases ahead of time, so make sure to leave some wiggle room in your budget to account for surge pricing on the Genie+ service.

Click here to learn more about the Genie+ changes at Disney World

At Disneyland, some Genie+ changes have also been made. Their standard Genie+ service used to cost $20, with Pay-Per-Ride costs then varying depending on the day, park, and ride. Now, the standard Genie+ service will set you back $25 at Disneyland. And that’s not all. Disney has also indicated that prices can vary by date. In other words, surge pricing has hit the standard Genie+ service at Disneyland too.

But at least if you’ll be buying Genie+ in Disneyland, it’ll come with the chance to get on one more popular ride. Previously WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure was only available through the Pay-Per-Ride service. But now, WEB SLINGERS has been added to the standard Genie+ service, so you can reserve a Lightning Lane for this ride (if available) without having to pay for it separately (you’ll just need to pay the $25 or varying price for the standard Genie+ service).

These are some important changes to keep in mind ahead of your next trip!

Click here to learn more about Genie+

3 — NEW Food & Restaurant News

If you’re all about the food in the parks, we’ve got some exciting news. A TON of new food has arrived, and one fancy restaurant is finally reopening!

When it comes to new food, Disney’s Riviera Resort got some new menu items and we tried them all. The new items include a Burrata Salad, Salmon with Orzo, Mushroom Arancini, and more. Click here for our full review!

At Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Enchanted Rose — the Beauty and the Beast lounge  — got some new menu items as well! You could opt for some $115 caviar(!!!) or get other new snacks for much cheaper. To see the new items we tried and our full review of them, click here!

Next, it’s time to take a trip to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge where new items have arrived for breakfast, lunch/dinner, and dessert! At breakfast, you can now find new items at Roaring Fork (the resort’s quick service spot), including a Meat and Potatoes Quiche, Vegetable Lover’s Quiche, and even a Warm Grizzly Bear Claw. Click here for our full review of the new items.

For lunch/dinner and dessert, you can check out a Country-Style Baked Meatloaf, Barbecued Brisket and Burnt Ends, an adorable Humphrey Bee Hive Cake, and more sweet treats.Check out our full review of these new items (and more) here!

But wait, there’s MORE! New eats and drinks have also arrived at Disney’s Port Orleans Resorts. We’ll be trying some soon and sharing our thoughts with you.

And at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, 3 NEW cocktails are available. Sour, sweet, and strange — click here to see our full thoughts on these new drinks.

And finally, ending our restaurant news segment, Monsieur Paul in EPCOT’s France pavilion finally has a reopening date! It will reopen on October 18th, and reservations are now available.

Plus, the spot will feature a new prix fixe menu! Stay tuned for more details on that.

A NEW Passholder-exclusive popcorn bucket is coming to Disney World

4 — Fantasmic Reopening Month!

We’ve been waiting for Fantasmic! news for Disney World for what feels like FOREVER. And this week we FINALLY got some news.

Fantasmic! is now set to reopen in Disney World in…NOVEMBER!

An exact reopening date hasn’t been shared, but at least now we know during what month it’ll open. We’ll definitely be on the lookout for more details.

Click here to get a peek at some of the Fantasmic! construction from Disney World

5 — MagicBand+ at Disneyland

And finally, wrapping up our big news, we finally got a release date for MagicBand+ in Disneyland! MagicBand+ will officially launch at the Happiest Place on Earth on October 26th, 2022.

But, starting on October 19th, eligible Magic Key Holders, Cast Members, and Disney Vacation Club Members will get the chance to be among the first to buy MagicBand+.

We’ll be interested to see exactly how MagicBand+ will interact with rides and experiences over at Disneyland. Click here to see how MagicBand+ works at Disney World.

Tickets and reservations are now open for Disney’s 100th Anniversary kickoff

Want even MORE Disney news? Check out our links below:

• Get an UPDATE on the Walt Disney World Railroad
• Food booths have been announced for the Festival of Holidays at Disneyland Resort
• Belle Vue Lounge has CHANGED at the BoardWalk
• Your Starbucks obsession can save you money on flights!
• Price and details revealed for Netflix’s ad-supported tier

Hold up for a sec! Before you plan your next trip to Disney World, you’re going to need this discount code – WDW2022. Use it to save 25% when you buy our DFB Guide Everything Bundle here.

You will get ALL of our best-selling eBooks with details on Disney World Dining, EPCOT Festivals, the BEST snacks in each park, and soooooo many tips and tricks we’ve learned over decades of visiting our happy place. 

Click here to check out our guides!

What news from this week interests you the most? Tell us in the comments.