Planning a Disney World trip? We know — there’s a LOT that goes into it!
Magic Kingdom
You have to pick dates to take a trip, book a hotel, buy tickets and make park pass reservations, decide if you want to buy Genie+, and choose how you’re going to get to Disney World. It can be super overwhelming, but it can also be fun! So we’re here to show you 5 exciting things that are changing at Disney World during March!
Roundup Rodeo BBQ Opens
In case you haven’t heard, Toy Story Land is getting a brand new restaurant — Roundup Rodeo BBQ! In Andy’s backyard, you’ll be able to dine in a rodeo arena created by Andy himself! This is a new table service restaurant that will serve barbecue classics family-style.
©Disney
Reservations for the restaurant open on February 21st, while the restaurant officially opens its doors on March 23rd. We’ve seen a sneak peek inside the restaurant and we’ve been watching the construction progress on the outside, but we can’t wait to have a meal there!
A preview of the Roundup Rodeo BBQ menu ©Disney
If you are taking a trip near the end of March, be sure to check out the full menu so you can decide if you want to grab a reservation there. Reservations open up 60 days in advance, so mark your calendars now!
FULL MENU Announced for Roundup Rodeo BBQ in Disney World!
Flower and Garden Festival
A new month brings a new festival — the EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival returns in March! The festival kicks off on March 1st and runs through July 5th.
2022 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival
The Flower and Garden Festival is bringing a lot of fan-favorites including the Garden Rocks Concert (which we already have the full lineup for!), special dining packages, old and new topiaries, a scavenger hunt, and so much more!
Figment Topiary
This is one of EPCOT’s longest festivals, so there is plenty of time to see and do everything the festival has to offer.
Everything You Need to Know About the Flower and Garden Festival
Chef Mickey’s
If you ask a Disney fan which restaurant they think of when you say “character buffet”, many will say Chef Mickey’s! The restaurant located at Disney’s Contemporary Resort is going through a major change in March — the buffet is coming BACK.
Chef Mickey’s
Since Chef Mickey’s reopened from the 2020 closures, the meal has been served family-style at the table. Now, the restaurant is returning to its pre-pandemic status with the buffet on March 1st. Disney has not yet released a menu for the Chef Mickey’s buffet, but we’ll be there on March 1st to see all of the changes!
The TRUTH Behind Eating at Chef Mickey’s in Disney World
A Ride Reopens
The beginning of every year is refurbishment season for many attractions, particularly water rides. Kali River Rapids closed in January for some TLC, but it is set to reopen in March!
Kali River Rapids
This water raft ride is currently set to open in mid-March. Disney has not announced an official opening date just yet, BUT we did notice that there are hours listed for the ride on March 17th, so it may reopen then. We’ll let you know exactly when the ride reopens in case you want to cool off in the Florida heat this March!
Every Disney World Ride Closure in 2023
50th Anniversary Ends
It’s that time…March marks the official end of Disney World’s 50th anniversary celebrations. These first kicked off on October 1st, 2021 so it will be interesting to see how Disney World changes!
50th Anniversary
If you’re visiting in March, don’t worry — the celebrations end on March 31st, so you have the entire month to say your goodbyes to the 50th anniversary treats, merchandise, decorations, and experiences. We’ve already seen some 50th anniversary touches go away, but we’ll keep you updated as Disney makes this transition.
7 Iconic Treats That Will Disappear When the 50th Anniversary ENDS in Disney World
Hold up for a sec! Before you plan your next trip to Disney World, check out 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.
Our guidebooks have all our best tips!
We’ll keep bringing you Disney updates through March, so keep following DFB!
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We did enjoy chef Mickeys until we were there for breakfast and a young man sneezed under the sneeze guard and no one seemed to care. Have not been back since. Really disappointed..
Not so much about the changes for March, but we just got back from 5 days of Park Hopping a little over a week ago. Almost all of our dining was Quick Service, but we did sit for Space 220 and Rose & Crown. Both were outstanding. Service was great and the food was excellent. R&C was a known experience, and a must-eat stop for us every time. Space 220 was on our list for a lunch hit. Service was attentive but not pushy and our food was wonderful. The flank steak and frites were cooked to perfection, with enough steak for easily 2 people to eat.
We also successfully used the Genie+ system and Lightning Lanes. My wife was the expert here, but it all worked and we got all the rides we wanted, and also got around all the parks intended.
Park Reservations: Bad idea. We stayed at Shades of Green. Our preference was to go to Transportation and Ticket, monorail to EPCOT and Skyway to Hollywood Studio. Instead, we spent nearly 45 min on a Shades bus getting to Hollywood Studios because we can’t cut through EPCOT anymore. It might help WDW with park planning, but it’s an inconvenience.
Overall, a great trip, and it was nice to spend nearly a week at someplace Magical, and escape the snow of Colorado.