Another Disney World spot is reopening, a special collectible is on its way, and NEW food will soon be available — if you haven’t been keeping track of the latest Disney news, there’s a lot to catch you up on!

But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with a Disney news round-up that has all the info you need to know. So pull up a chair, put up your feet, and join us for a virtual trip around the Most Magical Place on Earth for all the latest news!

1 — Discount News

Going to Disney World can be incredibly expensive, BUT there are ways to save money on your trip and some NEW discounts just got announced.

First, Disney Visa Cardmembers can save up to 25% on Disney hotel stays in early 2023! This special discount is valid for certain nights from January 2nd, 2023 through April 30th, 2023, and you must use your Disney Visa Card when booking. If you’re a Disney Visa Cardmember, make sure to check and see if this discount could help YOU save some serious cash. Click here for full details on this discount.

Not a Disney Visa Cardmember? No worries! If you’re a Florida Resident, there’s a separate discount you can take advantage of. Florida Residents can save up to 20% on select Disney World hotel stays most Sunday through Thursday nights from January 2nd to February 28th, 2023, and most nights from March 1st to April 30th, 2023. The offer is limited, so you’ll want to act fast to take advantage of it. Click here for full details.

But wait, there’s more! ANYONE can take advantage of Disney’s last deal, which could help you save up to $100 per night! This deal applies to ticket-and-hotel packages most nights December 11th, 2022 through December 25th, 2022, most Sunday through Thursday nights January 2nd, 2023 through February 28th, 2023, and most nights March 1st, 2023 through March 30th, 2023!

How much you’ll save depends on the hotel you book, with savings varying between $20 per night and $100 per night. Again, availability is limited so you’ll want to book sooner rather than later. Click here for full details.

If you want to make sure you’re taking advantage of all the best discounts and deals, click here for our full page where we track all the Disney World discounts available right now.

Click here to learn about another 2023 Disney World hotel discount

2 — The Holidays Are HERE

That’s right folks — throw out the pumpkin spice and get the peppermint ready, Disney World is already celebrating the holiday season! Before the arrival of Halloween, Disney has already put up holiday decorations in Disney’s Animal Kingdom (in the form of some lanterns and sculptures).

And Animal Kingdom isn’t alone. Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the iconic stars are up, marking the start of the holiday season in this park too.

We expect that many more holiday decorations are on their way. November 1st typically brings a whole lot of festive decor to the parks, so be sure to check back with us for updates on that. To see everything announced for the holiday season in Disney World, click here.

Click here to see the holiday MagicBand+ designs that have arrived online!

3 — New Snacks Are Coming

As holiday decorations go up, Disney has also made some announcements about festive food that’ll be available in honor of Thanksgiving (so they’re not totally skipping this holiday!). Cupcakes and cakes, Thanksgiving dinners, a pumpkin tart, an epic shake, and more will ALL be available at various Disney World restaurants soon.

Note that some of the new items will be available starting earlier in November (as early as November 1st), while some are Thanksgiving Day-exclusive snacks, so you’ll want to look at those dates carefully when making your must-get snack list. To see our reviews of the fall snacks in Disney World, click here!

Click here to see ALL of the Thanksgiving and fall snacks announced for Disney World

4 — Festival of the Arts Updates

If you’re “done” with 2022 and already looking forward to a 2023 trip, we’ve got good news. Disney has announced the dates for the 2023 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts! The Festival will take place from January 13th through February 20th, 2023. It’ll feature food booths, over 100 Disney and visiting artists, the paint-by-numbers mural, and much more!

There will be 16 food booths in total, 2 of which will be BRAND new! The new booths will include Moderne (near Test Track) with avant-garde menu items and Figment’s Inspiration Station at the Odyssey: Art, Food, and Little Sparks of Magic (in the Odyssey) with food and drinks featuring vibrant colors and flavors.

We can’t wait to see exactly what these booths will serve up and what other unique things will be at the Festival this year. Be sure to check back with us for all the latest updates.

Click here for our full page all about the Festival of the Arts!

5 — A Mr. Toad Popcorn Bucket?!

Get ready, popcorn bucket fans — a NEW creation is coming soon! Disney has announced that a Mr. Toad-themed popcorn bucket is coming to Disney World on November 1st!

It looks like the popcorn bucket will be available in Magic Kingdom, and Disney has shared that guests will get the chance to purchase it through Mobile Order. We expect this beauty could be popular and sell out fast, so make sure to take a look at your plans and get to Disney World quickly if you want to pick one up.

In addition to Mr. Toad, we wanted to note that Disney World Annual Passholders can now pick up an exclusive popcorn bucket at spots in all 4 parks and Disney Springs.

The bucket has a fairly simple design with Mickey Mouse peeking out of the bottom. But it might be just what you need if you’re a huge Mickey fan.

Click here to see ALL of the popcorn buckets you can find in Disney World

6 — BIG Water Park News

While Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park has been open for months, Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park has remained closed and didn’t have a reopening date…until NOW! Disney has announced that Blizzard Beach will reopen on November 13th, 2022! 

And when the park reopens, you’ll want to keep an eye out for some NEW things. There are actually some NEW Frozen-themed elements that have been added to the water park. Specifically, the kids area has gotten a Frozen makeover with an igloo castle, and even statues of Olaf and his Snowgie friends!

Plus, there will be some NEW eats to try and there will be special holiday offerings (like the chance to meet Santa dressed in his best tropical gear!).

But with Blizzard Beach reopening, Disney has shared that Typhoon Lagoon will temporarily close for refurbishment. Typhoon Lagoon’s last day open will be November 12th. Be sure to check back with us for more updates.

Click here to learn all about Blizzard Beach!

7 — Extended Evening Hours Update

And finally, Disney has announced that Extended Evening Hours are here to stay (at least for a bit longer). Disney already extended Early Theme Park Entry through 2023, and now Extended Evening Hours will be extended through 2023 as well.

Remember that Extended Evening Hours gives those staying at Deluxe Disney World Hotels and Deluxe Villas the chance to stay in select parks later than other guests (on certain nights).

Click here for more about this update!

For more news, check out our links below:

• See what Disney World parks will be open until midnight on New Year’s Eve
• Showtimes have been announced for the return of Fantasmic!
• Netflix will charge for password sharing soon
• Disney CEO Bob Chapek says they’re putting the “arms and legs” on Disney’s Amazon Prime-type membership service

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. 

What news from this week was most surprising to you? Tell us in the comments.