It’s been a very busy week in Disney World!

We got TONS of announcements and news about upcoming shows, cavalcades, parades, and more! Now let’s get into all the unexpected Disney World news from the week!

Star Wars Hotel News

The Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will be a fully immersive hotel in Disney World, opening on March 1st, 2022. We got a LOT of surprising news about it this week, so check it out here!

Itinerary

We finally have a full itinerary of the 2-night stay “aboard” the Starcuiser! Guests with upcoming reservations (in March 2022) for the hotel have the option to view the itinerary in the Disney Parks Play app via the Datapad. It looks like it could be a busy stay with many activity opportunities, like Sabacc (card game) Lessons, Lightsaber Training, and even a fashion show for guests!

Whether you’re planning to experience all there is to offer at the hotel or simply be a spectator, there will be lots to do and see during your stay!

Check out the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser itinerary here!

Signs

We were also surprised to find Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Resort listed on a Disney Springs bus directory…

…as well as on a sign above an exit on Osceola Parkway! With the hotel opening soon, it makes sense for Disney to add the resort name to signs to help direct guests.

We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled for more signs or Starcruiser additions to Disney World!

Check out more photos of the bus sign and road sign here!

“Fireworks”

Unexpectedly, it looks like a stay at the Galactic Starcruiser will also include a pyro show! To be specific, on the itinerary event CSL Starshow at Bespin, the description lists a “special pyrotechnic display” alongside special music.

Day 2 of the trip also includes an event that includes a “pyrotechnic display,” so it’s possible that guests will be treated to not one, but TWO “fireworks” shows!

Read more about the fireworks at the Star Wars hotel here!

Map

In addition to the itinerary listed in the Disney Parks Play app, guests with upcoming reservations can also check out a map of the hotel! You can take a look at the decks aboard the “ship,” cabins, the Crown of Corellia Dining Room, the “hidden” Engineering Room, Lightsaber Training, and more!

You can also take a look at where locations such as the Atrium, Bridge, Sublight Lounge, Launch Pod Dock, and The Chandrila Collection will be. We can’t wait to check it out in person!

Take a look at the Galactic Starcruiser map here!

Cast Member Costumes

And we got a look at the costumes for Cast Members (where they will be called Crew Members) aboard the Galactic Starcruiser! Disney World President Jeff Vahle shared a picture of Cast Members in their costumes on Instagram.

It looks like most of the costumes will incorporate colors of blue, black, and silver, but we’ll have to wait a bit longer to see all the costumes in detail!

Read more about Cast Member Starcruiser costumes here!

Cinderella Castle Show

It was previously announced that the Cinderella Castle stage show would be returning to Magic Kingdom, with some updates and a new name, and this week Disney announced that Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire will debut on February 25th, 2022!

This show will feature new elements in celebration of Disney World’s 50th anniversary, including scenes from Disney movies like Tangled, Frozen, and The Princess and the Frog. There will be a new finale too, and you’ll get to see Mickey and friends in their fancy EARidescent outfits!

Learn more about the Cinderella Castle stage show here!

Frontierland Hoedown

Have you heard of the Frontierland Hoedown? Many people haven’t! This fun Magic Kingdom “event” includes Cast Members from all over joining together in Frontierland to dance! Rare characters usually appear too, and it’s a unique chance to see everyone dancing together.

On February 11th, the Frontierland Hoedown will be back near Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn and Cafe! It will be a bit modified for safety reasons, but you might catch a glimpse of the Country Bears, Clarabelle, and even Chip ‘n’ Dale!

Learn more about the Frontierland Hoedown here!

Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade

There are a number of cavalcades you can see around Disney World and we love them all, but soon a new cavalcade will be making its debut as the biggest one we’ve seen yet! The Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade will begin making its way down Main Street, U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom on February 11th, 2022.

According to Disney, this cavalcade will include characters such as Nick and Judy from Zootopia, Baloo and King Louie from The Jungle Book, Merida, Moana, Elena, Clarabelle, the Incredible family and LOTS more! In fact, there will be nearly 30 characters included in the cavalcade!

Read more about the Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade here!

Festival of Fantasy Parade

While we love cavalcades, which are basically mini parades, we’re SO excited for the return of the Festival of Fantasy Parade in Magic Kingdom. And now we finally have a date for its triumphant return — March 9th, 2022! Fun fact — this date is actually the parade’s 8 year anniversary of being in Magic Kingdom.

This parade features lots of Disney princesses and other favorite Disney characters from movies like The Little Mermaid, The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Peter Pan, and more!

Read more about the returning date for the Festival of Fantasy parade here!

And that’s not all, folks. We were super surprised to learn that Maleficent, our fave fire-breathing dragon, will also be making her return in the parade! Maleficent is 26 feet tall and 35 feet in length, and she’s quite a sight to see.

Maleficent is incredibly detailed and one of the most impressive floats from the parade, so you don’t want to miss her making her way down Main Street, U.S.A.!

Maleficent will return to the Festival of Fantasy parade!

2022 EPCOT Flower and Garden News

Disney also released lots of news about the 2022 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival! While a lot is returning from previous years, there are some new things coming too. One new thing will be an entrance display featuring a Goofy topiary with a birthday cake, a fragrant garden presented by Scentsy, and new Seven Dwarfs topiaries to join Snow White in the Germany pavilion.

There will also be new menu items at The Citrus Blossom, Magnolia Terrace, and Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina. We’ll be watching closely for more announcements!

Here are all the new things coming to the 2022 Flower and Garden Festival!

Genie+ Meet-and-Greets

Genie+ is the paid replacement service for the FastPass+, and paying $15 per day, per person grants guests Genie+ access to over 30 Disney World Lightning Lanes. And now — four modified character meet-and-greets have joined that list!

If you purchase Genie+ and want to skip the standby line for these characters, you can now book a Lightning Lane in Magic Kingdom for Mickey at Town Square Theater, Princess Tiana, Cinderella, and two Visiting Princesses at Princess Fairytale Hall, and Olaf in Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

Check out how to book the new Genie+ character meet-and-greets!

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Update

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind is a highly anticipated new ride coming to EPCOT in the summer of 2022! This omnicoaster will feature ride vehicles that rotate 360 degrees so that riders can see every part of the ride. And this week we were super excited to catch a glimpse of the Nova Corps Starblaster ship being installed!

This ship will be a HUGE centerpiece for the new Wonders of Xandar pavilion, and we can’t wait to see the construction walls go down!

Here are more photos of the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind addition!

Park Pass Reservations Through 2024

Disney World introduced the Park Pass Reservation System when they reopened in July 2020, following the closure due to the global pandemic. This system requires guests to schedule park passes before they can enter a Disney Park, and many people have been wondering how long this system will be in place. Well, we kind of got an answer this week when we discovered Disney’s Park Pass Calendar now extends all the way through January 2024.

Even if you have tickets or an Annual Pass, you still need a park pass to enter a park, and don’t wait too long to book because passes have run out in the past! So if you’re planning a trip before 2024, you can probably assume you’ll need to schedule park reservations.

Read more about the Park Pass Reservation calendar extended through 2024.

Unusual Crowds

January is frequently one of the less busy months in Disney World, but this week may have proved us wrong. On Monday, we were really surprised by how packed Magic Kingdom was, and these crowds have persisted throughout the week!

Despite the cold and rainy weather this week, the crowds seemed to remain strong, and it’s a good reminder that nothing is ever guaranteed in Disney World!

Click here to see photos of HUGE crowds on Monday!

Phew, that was a lot of unexpected news this week! You never know what Disney will announce in one week. Stay tuned to DFB for more Disney World news!

Going to EPCOT soon? Check out the 2022 Ultimate Guide to EPCOT!

Which news surprised you the most this week? Tell us in the comments!