Brad Maki, Key to the World Travel

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Brad Maki, Key to the World Travel

I will help you plan, book, and prepare for your Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, or other travel destination with no extra cost to you.

26/04/2025

Walt Disney World news from the last few weeks:

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will get a significant upgrade on May 22, 2026 by introducing new adventures, better interactivity (the engineering role will have the ability to communicate with Grogu!), and a "choose your own adventure" option. The Mandalorian will also be part of the attraction.

The Disney Skyliner will be closed for refurbishment from Jan. 25-31, 2026.

The Grand Floridian lobby is under construction and will be so through November. This means the annual gingerbread house will not be available this next holiday season. Part of the construction includes the addition of a new bar that incorporates the style of the lobby's iconic birdcage.

Finally, Disney opened up bookings for 2026 and announced the perks for on-site guests for the year as well as a new offering on the Disney Dining Plan. The benefits of staying on site will once again include Early Theme Park Entry for all resorts guests, Extended Evening Theme Park hours for guests of deluxe resorts on certain evenings, and free Water Park admission on your check-in day (though it will only be for the summer months in 2026). An interesting (and potentially money-saving) benefit for 2026 is that kids ages 3-9 will get a free Disney Dining Plan if the guests ages 10 and up staying in the same room purchase a Dining Plan. I can see this working for guests who have younger kids, and a great way to save money at the expensive and popular character meals. If you are planning a 2026 trip, please reach out to me. We can get something on the books now for a $200 deposit.

04/04/2025

Walt Disney World news this week:

In a sorely-needed update, Buzz Lightyear Spaceranger Spin will be getting a refurbishment later this year with updated vehicles, a new show scene, and detachable blasters that will make the game play better. If you've ridden this in the last 5 years, you know this ride is in rough shape! (This photo is literally from 10 years ago!)

Disney is bringing back luggage transfer service (on a limited basis) to some of its resort hotels! This seemed like a goner after stopping when Covid hit. But they are bringing it back at the five value resorts (Pop Century, Art of Animation, and the three All-Star resorts) beginning today if you are flying Southwest Airlines for your flight home. If you are leaving one of those resorts and flying Southwest, you can bring your luggage to the resort airline check-in desk before 1:00 a.m. the night before (if your flight is before 1:00 p.m.) or at least 4 hours prior to departure (but no later than 1:00 p.m.) if flying out after 1:00 p.m. Let's hope they continue rolling this out to all resorts and expanding to more airlines - this is huge time saver rather than lugging bags to the airport and checking them there!

BOTH Disney water parks will be open at the same time this summer. They have only had one open at a time since reopening after Covid. Both will be open from May 21 through the summer. Remember that Disney resort guests get a free water park admission on their check-in day in 2025.

29/03/2025

Walt Disney World news this week:

Disney announced some limited-time offerings as well as opening days for new shows this summer.

The previously-announced shows of The Little Mermaid - A Musical Adventure and Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After will both debut on May 27 at Hollywood Studios. Disney will also begin showing Disney Starlight, the new nighttime parade at a yet-to-be-announced date at Magic Kingdom "later" this summer.

Limited-time offerings will include kid zones in Storybook Circus and Tomorrowland (both in Magic Kingdom) and a kids play space in CommuniCore Hall in Epcot from May 27-September 1. Guests of some Disney resort hotels will also see more character visits at specific times; the included resorts are Art of Animation, Pop Century, Caribbean Beach, and Wilderness Lodge Characters will also be out during the Early Entry period in the theme parks, when typically they are not available until later in the day.

Disney also announced new ticket, hotel, and dining offers for summer dates. The free dining plan is available for stays June 29-Sept. 30, Oct. 20-Nov. 1, and Dec. 6-22. There is a kids 50% off ticket deal for dates May 27-Sept. 20. And there is an up to 30% off room discount at the Disney resorts Aug. 1-Oct. 11. Please let me know if you have a trip (or want to plan a trip) during any of these dates so I can run the numbers for you.

14/03/2025

Walt Disney World news this week:

Kali River Rapids reopened at Animal Kingdom today after its annual refurbishment.
It's Tough to Be a Bug closes this Sunday permanently to make way for the new Zootopia-themed show in the Tree of Life later this year.

There will be a new Mandalorian mission available on Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run starting May 22, 2026 at Hollywood Studios. It will have connections to the new Mandalorian and Grogu film that comes out the same day.

Whispering Canyon Cafe at Wilderness Lodge will be closed for a short refurbishment, May 12-21, 2025. Winter Summerland Mini Golf course at Blizzard Beach will be going through refurb April 28-June 16; one course will remain open at a time but no advanced reservations will be available (walk-ups only).

Pop Century Resort is adding a little coffee shop (no date announced), and the All-Star resorts are getting some refreshing in their lobbies with new murals. Nice to see some attention paid to the value resorts!

Typhoon Lagoon reopens May 1 and Blizzard Beach will close. This seems to now be the standard pattern at WDW with only one park being open at a time. I thought maybe with the new water park benefit for people buying hotel/ticket packages that this would change considering the water parks might be a bit busier.

21/02/2025

Walt Disney World news this week:

At long last! Disney announced they will be ending the virtual queue system for both Tiana's Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom AND Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot starting next week on Tuesday, Feb. 25. Both attractions have been using virtual queues since they opened. Tiana opened in summer 2024, but Guardians opened back in 2022, so this is a welcome change.

25/01/2025

Walt Disney World news this week:

I knew it was coming, but I wish it wasn't so soon! MuppetVision 3-D will have its last show on June 7. I was fortunate to see it earlier this month, probably for my last time. Nearby PizzeRizzo will also close that day, and Mama Melrose Ristorante will close on May 10. These closures are making way for the new Monsters Inc. area with a door coaster, show, and restaurant.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure will have some 6:00 p.m. closures on select dates in January and February. Disney isn't saying if this is due to weather, maintenance, or saving costs. So if you're going in the next few weeks, check the schedule and adjust your plans.

07/01/2025

Walt Disney World news this week:

Disney announced its annual "free dining" promotion this week. You can get a dining plan included with a regular-priced package including Disney resort stay (minimum 3 nights) and tickets (minimum 3-day Park Hopper). The included dates are May 27-June 26 and July 6-August 6, 2025.

There is also a room discount available for similar dates.

Let me know if you are interested in a summer vacation to Disney World!

Here are a few photos from my New Year's trip with my family. It was a lot of firsts and lasts. Happy new year!

14/12/2024

Walt Disney World news this week:

The only thing of note this week is that Disney announced the dates for the Flower & Garden Festival at Epcot. It will be held in 2025 from March 5 to June 2. This is just my excuse to post my favorite topiary!

05/12/2024

Walt Disney World news this week:

Disney provided some updated timelines this week on previously-announced projects.

The new stage show at Hollywood Studios will be named "Disney Villains: Unfarily Ever After" and is on schedule to open in the summer. The revamped Little Mermaid show will be renamed "The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure" and will include the songs Daughters of Triton and Kiss the Girl (new to the show). This also comes next summer.

At Epcot, Test Track will be sponsored by General Motors (rather than only Chevrolet) and feature a new storyline and new ride vehicles. The updated timeline has it opening in late summer 2025.

The new nighttime parade at Magic Kingdom will be named "Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away" and open in the summer.

At Animal Kingdom, the new "4-D" Zootopia theatre show will open inside the Tree of Life in winter 2025. Disney also announced that Dinosaur will remain open for 2025, after which it is scheduled to be shuttered for the new Indiana Jones ride.

23/11/2024

I haven't posted a news update in a very long time as there hasn't been much to report. But today, Disney announced the closure of my beloved MuppetVision 3D sometime next year to make way for the new Monsters, Inc. door coaster ride. This was the last project Jim Henson had a hand in, and it will be missed a great deal. RIP, MuppetVision!

Disney tried to soften the blow by also announcing a re-theme of Rock 'n' Roller Coaster in Hollywood Studios. They will change it from Aerosmith to Muppets. I can't imagine it will have the same wit and charm of the 3-D movie, but I'll take a wait and see approach!

20/10/2024

Walt Disney World news this week:

We went from almost no news in a month to lots this last week! In order of biggest to least in impact/importance:

Disney announced yet another version of its skip-the-line service, this one called Lightning Lane Premiere Pass. This is a pilot where Disney give guests one-time entry to each available Lightning Lane entrance in the theme park they are visiting that day (it doesn't work across parks for Park Hopping). This includes attractions included in both Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass, but without the need to select an experience time. Pricing is very high - ranging from $329 per person to $499 per person depending on time of year and park selected. This rolls out October 30 and will be sold to Deluxe resort guests only in limited quantities.

Magic Kingdom ride updates: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will close for more than one year starting January 6, not reopening until early 2026. This is likely to help with the construction of the new things previously announced (Cars ride, Villains land, etc.). Jungle Cruise reopened from refurbishment this last week and is rebranded as Jingle Cruise returns for its seasonal update November 2.

At Animal Kingdom, the planned closures of some Dinoland attractions were announced. Triceratop Spin and Fossil Fun Games close starting January 13. Dinosaur will remain open (but look for that to close later in 2025).

At Hollywood Studios, the planned return of Voyage of the Little Mermaid has been delayed to Summer 2025.

Finally, Disney announced its typical lineup of holiday season offerings that begin Nov. 12. This includes the Merry Menagerie puppeteers at Animal Kingdom, the return of the holiday finale at the Frozen Singalong along with a new Holiday Spirit Band in Hollywood Studios, and the Frozen Holiday Surprise show on the castle stage at Magic Kingdom. The International Festival of the Holidays at Epcot starts Nov. 29 and continues through Dec. 30. The Candlelight Processional also returns to Epcot with celebrity narrators. Decor will be up in all parks, Disney Springs, and the resort hotels starting in November.

11/10/2024

It's been a minute since my last Walt Disney World news post. There hasn't been too much new or exciting going on, though the parks did close this week on Wednesday and all of Thursday for Hurricane Milton. Things reopened today with minimal impact. A recap of what's happened in the last month or so (not much!):

Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy has permanently closed at Hollywood Studios to start making room for the new Disney villains show that will open sometime next year.

There's a new menu over at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe in Magic Kingdom. There is a new double chili con queso burger and several create-your-own bowl options like steamed tamale, nachos, southwest Caesar, and rice bowls that can be customized with chicken, pork, or beef. These come at the expense of a few other burgers and the fajita platter, but it looks much improved! I usually don't report on menu changes, but Pecos Bill is a family favorite, and we also love Chipotle, and this is a big deal to us!

Finally, there is a new discount offer out for dates from January-May 2025. If you already booked with me and the discount applied to your reservation, it's already done! If you are thinking about a trip in early 2025, now is the time to consider booking so let me know and I'll help find you the best pricing available.

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