News

Disney Fanatic is here to deliver the latest in Disney news from The Walt Disney Company and beyond.

  • Apr- 2026 -
    6 April
    Contemporary Resort outside water view

    Closure Hits Disney World Location Previously Tied to 2025 Fatalities

    Staying at Bay Lake Tower or Disney's Contemporary Resort comes with a specific set of advantages that guests tend to plan around deliberately. The location alone sets this complex apart from everything else on Walt Disney World property — a direct monorail connection to Magic Kingdom, walkable access to the park entrance, and a resort identity built around that proximity in ways that show up in t

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  • 6 April
    The iconic Universal Studios globe in CityWalk at Universal Orlando Resort. Universal Studios Florida entrance arch

    Universal Orlando Tightens Express Pass Rules as New System Rolls Out

    If you’ve visited Universal Orlando recently, you may not have noticed it right away. Everything looks the same on the surface. Express Pass is still available. The lines are still there. The process feels familiar. But once you start using it, something becomes clear. The rules have changed. Not officially. Not in a way Universal has loudly promoted. But in practice, Express Pass is being enforce

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  • 6 April
    Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park.

    Expedition Everest Just Got a New Addition Guests Didn’t Expect

    There’s no way around it—Animal Kingdom feels different right now. It’s not a bad thing, but it is noticeable. And once you start connecting the dots, it becomes clear why. The park is in the middle of some major changes. Dinoland is officially closed, clearing the way for the new Tropical Americas expansion. That future land will bring Encanto and Indiana Jones into the park, which is a big deal.

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  • 6 April
    Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in front of Cinderella Castle at Tokyo Disneyland. Tokyo Disney Fantasy Springs entrance. Tokyo Disney earthquake alert

    Guests Fall to the Ground as Earthquake Hits Disneyland Park

    A visit to Tokyo Disneyland took an unexpected turn on April 1 when earthquake alerts fired off across the theme park simultaneously, sending hundreds of guests straight to the ground near Cinderella Castle. The Moment the Alerts Went Off TikTok user @shiori_japan1 captured the scene as it unfolded. Standing near the park's iconic Cinderella Castle, she watched as every phone in the area lit up at

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  • 6 April
    Guests explore Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios, near the Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run attraction

    Disney Completes 7-Month ‘Star Wars’ Overhaul After 2025 Shutdown

    There is a version of Disney's Hollywood Studios that most longtime park visitors carry in their memory — the one defined by the Great Movie Ride, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and the sense that the park was always trying to figure out what it wanted to be when it grew up. That version of the park is long gone, replaced by something considerably more ambitious. The Hollywood Studios of 2026

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  • 6 April
    Crowds of people walk toward the Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park

    Disney World Prepares for Another Major Crowd Spike This Month

    If you’re planning a Walt Disney World trip in April, it’s easy to assume you’re arriving at just the right time. Spring break crowds are wrapping up, the weather hasn’t fully shifted into summer extremes, and on the surface, it feels like a quieter window. But that calm doesn’t always last. There’s another major factor that steps in right as things start to slow down—and it has a bigger impact on

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  • 6 April
    Guests riding Toy Story Mania

    Disney Announces Immediate Closure of ‘Toy Story’ Ride

    Toy Story Midway Mania! is officially off the table at Disney California Adventure Park as of today, April 6. Unfortunately, Disneyland Resort still hasn't said when it's coming back. Toy Story Midway Mania! Closure Takes Effect First announced in February, the Toy Story Midway Mania! refurbishment is now underway. The Pixar Pier attraction is listed as unavailable on both the Disneyland Resort we

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  • 6 April
    Guests stroll along Main Street USA toward Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom Park, decorated for Halloween/fall

    Disney World Announces Sudden Shutdown of Key Travel Option Next Week

    There’s something about Disney’s Wilderness Lodge that keeps people coming back. Maybe it’s the quiet setting, maybe it’s the design, or maybe it’s just the feeling you get walking into that massive lobby after a long day in the parks. Whatever it is, it’s a place that feels like an escape—and for a lot of guests, getting there is part of the magic. That’s why this upcoming change is worth paying

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  • 6 April
    Walt Disney World Resort entrance, where Disney trips take place annually.

    Flood Chaos: Highway Closure Cuts Off Key Access to Disney World

    We have driven to Walt Disney World more times than we are going to put a number on publicly. We know the exits. We know which lanes move faster near the construction. We know that the stretch of I-4 between the Florida Turnpike and the World Drive exit is where the vibe shifts and you start thinking about what to eat first. It is one of those drives that becomes automatic after a while, and that

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  • 6 April
    View of the entrance to Magic Kingdom at Disney World.

    Disney Issues New Policy Just Days After Orlando-Wide Shutdown

    Transportation at Walt Disney World is one of those things that works invisibly when it works well and becomes the entire story of your day when it does not. The resort's network of buses, boats, monorails, and the Skyliner exists to make a complicated property feel effortless — to move millions of guests between hotels, parks, and Disney Springs without requiring a car, a map, or a stressful deci

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