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DISNEY NEWS ROUNDUP: Disney Releases Food & Garden Menus; Big Change to Genie+; Free Passholder Gift; Popular Character Return to Indoor Meet & Greet Location & More

Another busy week for Disney parks and resorts. We have our first peek at the menus and merchandise for the upcoming Epcot Flower & Garden Festival. Disney also announced a change to the Genie+ attractions guests are going to want to know about. Annual Passholders will want to get over to Disney Springs to pick up a free gift. The Festival of Fantasy Parade is almost here and performance times are finally in the app. Plus, a big change for two of Disney World’s most popular character greetings, and a first look at merchandise available at the new Star Wars hotel opening next week. All this and more are below in this week’s news roundup.





 

1 – Menus Released for the 2022 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival Along with a Sneak Peek at Merchandise

The 2022 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival is opening on March 2, and we’re getting really excited. This week Disney released the full menu lineup for the Outdoor Kitchens, and we got a sneak peek at the five upcoming merchandise collections. Learn more at the links below.

Click here for the menus to the Outdoor Kitchens at the 2022 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival.

Click here for a sneak peek at this year’s upcoming festival merchandise.

2 – Disney Updates Genie+ Attraction Lineup for Spring and Summer Seasons at Walt Disney World

Love it or hate it, paying for Lightning Lane access is here to stay. However, as more and more guests use the service, many have been left frustrated at both the cost and how many Lightning Lane passes they can actually use in a day. With the upcoming busy spring and summer seasons, Disney has updated the Genie+ lineup with three attractions that had previously been in the Individual Lighting Lane category—meaning that guests had to pay for access for these attractions separately from Disney Genie+. With the move, guests who purchase Genie+ will now have access to the Lightning Lanes at these attractions without paying more. This is a fantastic change for those who choose to purchase Genie+. Learn more about these recent changes at the link below.

Click here for details on the new Disney Genie+ attractions lineup at Walt Disney World.

3 – Complimentary Annual Passholder Magnet Coming to Disney Springs

A new 50th-anniversary annual passholder magnet is coming to Disney Springs! Instead of being able to just drop by and pick it up, passholders will need to enter a Virtual Queue and be assigned a time, making it more challenging to secure a magnet. Learn more at the link below.

Click here for more information on how to get your complimentary annual passholder magnet. 

4 – Anna and Elsa Return to their Royal Summerhus for Indoor Greetings

This past week, Anna and Elsa have moved back indoors to greet guests at the Royal Sommerhus. In the last year, Anna and Elsa have greeted guests outside from a distance. Like other returning indoor meet and greets, guests must still be physically distanced, and no autographs are offered. Check the My Disney Experience app for up-to-date greeting hours.





 

5 – Disney Festival of Fantasy Performance Times Now Listed in My Disney Experience App

Walt Disney World’s very popular daytime parade, Festival of Fantasy, is returning for the first time in nearly two years on March 9, 2022. The performance times are now listed in the My Disney Experience app. From March 9-12, the parade will occur twice each day at 11:30 am and then again at 2:30 pm. March 13 onwards, the parade will be at 12 pm and 3:00 pm. Times are only available through early April, so we are not sure if the parade will continue to be performed twice per day beyond that. Do note that if you are park hopping, you’ll only be able to catch the second parade. As always, performance times may change, so check the app for the most up-to-date information.

6 – A Look at Exclusive Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Merchandise

Disney has released photos of exclusive merchandise available only to guests who board the Halcyon starcruiser as part of their experience at the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. Disney is encouraging guests to dress up in the latest galactic fashions, and they’ve got just the store for guests who may have neglected to bring the right apparel with them. The Chandrilia Collection store is a boutique located just off the Atrium of the Halcyon Starcruiser. There, guests will find a “wide assortment of themed apparel, from tunics and robes to dresses and flight uniforms.” Guests can also purchase commemorative souvenirs of their voyage. Check out the photos below of some of the new merchandise (click any photo to enlarge). The hotel opens on March 1.

7 – Extended Evening Hours Coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios

One of the more controversial new benefits to Disney resort guests that debuted in October 2021 was Extended Evening Hours, which gives guests two extra hours in select parks on select evenings. The catch? It’s only available to guests staying at Disney Deluxe Resorts and Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts. Since October, only Magic Kingdom and EPCOT have been participating. That will change with the addition of Disney’s Hollywood Studios on April 13, 2022. So far, the very popular park has only been given this one day. We expect that Disney is testing to see how it goes. The lineup is very impressive. See what attractions will be open below:

Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Extended Evening Hours on April 13, 2022 –

  • Alien Swirling Saucers
  • Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy
  • Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
  • Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
  • Muppet*Vision 3D
  • Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
  • Slinky Dog Dash
  • Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
  • Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
  • Toy Story Mania!
  • The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™

For the full schedule of Extended Evening Hours, click here.

8 – Disneyland Announces Return of Four Nighttime Spectaculars and a New Finale for ‘Main Street Electrical Parade’

Disneyland Resort has announced the return of four nighttime spectaculars and a new grand finale to the “Main Street Electrical Parade” for its 50thanniversary. The “Main Street Electrical Parade” and “Disneyland Forever” fireworks spectacular will ignite the night at Disneyland Park, and “World of Color” will return to Disney California Adventure Park all starting in April. Additionally, “Fantasmic!” is also preparing for its return to Disneyland in May. Learn more, including the opening dates at the link below.

Click here for detail on the four nighttime spectaculars coming back to Disneyland.

9 – State Farm and Disney Team Up to Create Good Neighbor Magic

State Farm® and The Walt Disney Company announced a new multi-year relationship spanning the Disney Parks and Resorts and Disney Advertising Sales businesses. The collaboration of these two nearly 100-year-old iconic brands – whose shared values represent being good neighbors and helping people realize their dreams – will allow both to engage in new and important ways together.

“State Farm is honored to team up with Disney to create exciting new experiences and opportunities that are only made possible with a good neighbor and a little magic,” said Rand Harbert, chief agency, sales & marketing officer at State Farm. “Both brands strive to help people realize their dreams. Together, we’ll work to do good and spread joy in communities across the country.”

“Our long-standing collaboration with State Farm represents the epitome of best-in-class relationships,” said Rita Ferro, President Disney Advertising Sales. “The creative executions our two brands have deployed across our media businesses throughout the years consistently raise the bar, and we’re excited to extend that relationship across several parts of our company in unique ways.”

Born just one year apart, State Farm and Disney are beloved and iconic brands, both deeply rooted in fostering a sense of community, improving lives and giving back. These common values will drive how the relationship comes to life over the coming years.

“We’re thrilled to welcome State Farm into a strategic alliance,” said Tiffany Rende, The Walt Disney Company Senior Vice President of Marketing Partnerships, Alliances and Card Services. “Our companies share so many of the same values, and this enhanced relationship provides us with the perfect opportunity to collaborate, making magic with upcoming projects that we know our guests and consumers will enjoy.”

Beginning this year, consumers will see this alliance take shape in the form of collaborations on exciting events and sponsorships such as an event during the Disney Dreamers Academy at Walt Disney World Resort, Good Neighbor Month celebrations in September, the 2023 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend sponsorship and more.

State Farm will also sponsor two venues located at Walt Disney World Resort: State Farm Waterview Park at Disney Springs and State Farm Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

In addition, State Farm will be the presenting sponsor of the upcoming Disney Parks planDisney Podcast and the presenting sponsor of the popular “Five Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend” segment of the weekly D23 Inside Disney podcast.

State Farm and Disney have additional exciting announcements planned and will unveil more throughout 2022 and beyond.





 

What’s New and Happening Now at Walt Disney World Resort

The New Normal – Visiting Walt Disney World During the Current Covid Restrictions

Click here for what you need to know about visiting Walt Disney World during the current Covid restrictions.

Disney Genie, Genie+, and Lightning Lane – New Planning Tools & Paid Access to Lighting Lane

Disney Genie, Genie+, and Lightning Lane What You Need to Know About These New Services at Disney World.

Now Through Spring 2023 – The Most Magical Celebration – 50 Years of Walt Disney World

Click here for the 50th Anniversary Celebration – Everything You Need to Know About this Historic Celebration.

New Openings at EPCOT – As Part of the Historic Transformation of EPCOT

Click here for what’s new and coming to EPCOT as the Historic Transformation Continues.

Click here for our review and what you need to know about Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure.

Click here for what you need to know about the new La Creperie de Paris restaurant and expanded France pavilion.

Click here for our review of Space 220 at EPCOT and what you need to know about this amazing new restaurant!

Now Open – Drawn to Life

Click here for our review of Drawn to Life the new Cirque du Soleil show now open at Disney Springs.

Coming Soon to Walt Disney World

What’s New & Coming Back to Walt Disney World in 2022!

Click here for the 15 things we’re looking forward to at Walt Disney World in 2022.

February and March 2022 – New and Returning Entertainment to Magic Kingdom

Click here for details and dates of new and returning entertainment to Magic Kingdom.

March 1, 2022 – Star Wars Hotel

Click here for Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser-What We Know So Far About the Upcoming Star Wars Themed Hotel Coming to Disney World

March 2-July 4, 2022 – EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival

Click here for dates and details for the 2022 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival.

Click here for details on the Garden Rocks Concert Series at the 2022 EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival.

Click here for the menus to the Outdoor Kitchens at the 2022 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival.





 

Coming Soon to Disney Cruise Line

The Disney Wish

Click here for an overview of the next Disney Cruise Line Ship – The Disney Wish – Coming Summer 2022

Click here for more information on new dining experiences on the Disney Wish.

Itineraries in 2022

Click here to learn about Summer 2022 Itineraries on the Disney Cruise Line.

Click here to learn about Halloween and Holiday Themed Cruises in fall 2022.

Click here to learn about early 2023 itineraries on Disney Cruise Line

Click here for information on Pixar Day at Sea coming in early 2023!

Click here for information on Marvel Day at Sea on Disney Cruise Line in 2023.

For a no obligation, FREE Quote on a Disney vacation package, please contact our travel partner Magical Vacation Planner at 407-442-0227 (407-442-0215 for Spanish). You can also request a FREE quote online by Clicking HERE.



 

Chad & Cindy Nykamp

After years of multiple Walt Disney World vacations, Cindy and Chad's dream of living in Orlando came true in 2010. After friends and family made them their go-to-people for Walt Disney World advice, Cindy and Chad launched DisneyLists.com in August 2015 to share their knowledge and love of Disney. Chad and Cindy have been Disney World Annual Passholders for years, DVC members, together have raced more than 70 runDisney races, and particularly love cruising on the Disney Cruise Line. Chad and Cindy also regularly represent DisneyLists.com at Walt Disney World media events. While attending these events, they get an insiders view of all the new things that have come to Walt Disney World. These experiences have helped them gain knowledge and expertise they happily pass on to their followers. They still can't believe how lucky they are to have such an amazing opportunity and will continue to share Disney with anyone who will listen!
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