Y’all, it’s been a WEIRD week in Disney World. Floods, unusual closures, a ridiculously LONG line…a lot has happened.
What’s new in Disney World?
Unexpected surprises can happen all the time in Disney World, but sometimes we have to wonder how ALL of these things happen in one single week?! We’re here with the 7 BIGGEST surprises of the week!
Genie+ Additions
Genie+ is getting TWO additions in Disney World soon! These new experiences include the Red Carpet Dreams modified character meet-and-greet in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and the Festival of Fantasy Parade in Magic Kingdom! They officially became available through Genie+ on March 11th, 2022.
Hey Mickey!
The Festival of Fantasy Parade just returned to Magic Kingdom, and a Genie+ Lightning Lane will give you access to an exclusive viewing area, while a Lightning Lane for Red Carpet Dreams will let you see glamourous Minnie and Sorcerer Mickey much faster.
Read more about the 2 experiences being added to Genie+!
Is AristoCrêpes Closed?
AristoCrêpes is (was?) a Disney Springs snack stand where you could get crêpes without having to go all the way to EPCOT! So what’s going on? We noticed this week that while AristoCrêpes usually opens at 4PM on weekdays, it hasn’t opened for a few days in a row. Also, the menus have disappeared from the stand.
We’re not sure what’s going on with this spot.
Sounds a bit ominous, right? To go even further, when we tried to visit the AristoCrêpes webpage, we received an error message. Disney has not yet made an announcement about what’s going on with this crêpes stand, but we’ll be watching this situation closely for more updates.
Learn more about AristoCrêpes being weird here.
Connections Cafe Timeline
Sound the alarms — we have an update about EPCOT construction! The new quick service restaurant Connections Cafe and Eatery is part of EPCOT’s big transformation, and Disney announced this week when we’ll be able to grab a bite there. This restaurant will have an adjoining cafe, and it’s all about connection and community.
Connections Cafe
Connections Cafe will open in spring 2022Â in EPCOT’s World Celebration neighborhood, and one of five marquees has already been added to the building! We’ll be watching closely for an official opening date.
Read more about the opening timeline for Connections Cafe here!
Hollywood Studios Map Changes
Disney’s Hollywood Studios park maps got a bit of a makeover this week! In the Echo Lake section, you’ll now find Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and Celebrity Spotlight, and Mickey and Minnie at Red Carpet Dreams have been added to the Commissary Lane section.
New park map!
There’s more too! The Toy Story Mania store is no longer listed under Shopping, nor is the Beverly Sunset Boutique, which has been reportedly closed due to inventory issues. The Toy Story Mania store closure is likely due to the new store coming soon!
Click here for more photos of the Hollywood Studios Map Changes!
Rise of the Resistance Wait Time
You’ll never guess how long guests had to wait for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in Hollywood Studios this week, even in spite of its usual high wait times. Folks, it was three and a half hours! Imagine all the things you could accomplish in Disney World in 3.5 hours. SO MANY THINGS.
Rise of the Resistance
It’s not out of the ordinary for Rise of the Resistance to have one of the longest wait times in Disney World, but over three hours is a lot. Make sure your phone is fully charged, you’ve got your favorite Disney World snacks, and a game for play while you wait!
Would you wait this long for Rise of the Resistane?
MAJOR Flooding
Although it’s not yet hurricane season in Florida, this week was RAINY in Disney World, and there were major flooding issues at Hollywood Studios. In fact, Hollywood Boulevard was covered in several inches of water, with the water above guests’ ankles in some areas.
Disney World sees its share of rain
Some areas of EPCOT were also flooded, though not to the same extent as Hollywood Studios. Still, this is a good reminder to bring extra shoes and socks when you visit Disney World!
Check out photos and videos of the severe flooding here!
Gingerbread Cookies ALL Year!
And in some final happy news, according to a Cast Member we spoke to this week, the popular Gingerbread Salted Caramel Buttercream Cookie Sandwich from Karamell-Küche is here to STAY! In the past, this treat was only available during the holidays, but it’s now available all year.Â
Gingerbread Salted Caramel Buttercream Cookie Sandwich
The Gingerbread Cookie Sandwich is made of buttercream frosting and salted caramel drizzle sandwiched between two huge gingerbread cookies, and now you can find it for $5.99 all year!
Read more about Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies now available all year!
That was some news this week! Keep following DFB for more Disney World updates, tips, and more.
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Why was Rise Of The Resistance a 3.5 hour wait.
Have you surveyed Disney guests on their opinions on
1. Free fast pass replaced by PAID GENIE PLUS AND INDIVIDUAL ATTRACTIONS
2. The average number of rides guests are going on during a normal day using Genie Plus.
Gigi, please give me whatever feedback you have now from the many guests who have already visited Disney and experienced these changes. Thanks Gigi
Hi Ron! It appears you are asking for answers that only Disney would be able to give you. We are not affiliated with Disney and just try to provide the most up-to-date news on our blog, but we have no pull with Disney. If you would like to contact Disney directly, just click here and it will take you to a list of phone numbers and the ability to email someone who works for the Disney company.
Gigi, I thought and perhaps I was wrong that DFB has members on social media . I thought that in the past DFB did get feedback from members on a number of questions and the answers were posted in the blog. Thanks Ron
Hi Ron! We are on social media as well. You can find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as well as the blog. You can even leave reviews of your favorite or not-so-favorite places on the blog and read other readers’ comments and reviews.