News
Disney Fanatic is here to deliver the latest in Disney news from The Walt Disney Company and beyond.
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Jul- 2026 -19 July
August Resort Alert: Disney World Unveils Major Hotel Overhauls and Construction Milestones
Walt Disney World is in a constant state of evolution, and if you are planning a late summer vacation, you need to be prepared for some major shifts. August 2026 is shaping up to be a highly transitional month for Disney Resort hotels. Between massive new construction projects kicking off, beloved dining locations finally reopening, and ongoing resort-wide maintenance, there is a lot to keep track
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19 July
Disney World Removes 9 Familiar EPCOT Headliners Beginning August 27
The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival is known for introducing new flavors every year, but in 2026, the biggest changes aren't happening at the food booths. Instead, they're taking place on stage. Starting August 27, Disney will welcome nine first-time performers to the Eat to the Beat Concert Series, giving one of EPCOT's most popular festival traditions a fresh look. For years, guests hav
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19 July
Dollywood Wants Your Blood, and It’s Offering Free Admission
If you have been putting off a Dollywood visit for any reason, this week provides a specific and unusually tangible incentive to stop putting it off. MEDIC is offering a free Dollywood ticket to anyone who makes a successful blood donation between July 20 and July 24. The ticket is valid through January 3, 2027, which means it is not a use-it-now situation. Summer, fall harvest, Smoky Mountain Chr
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19 July
Industrial Accident Reported at EPCOT on Sunday, July 19
Emergency responders were called to EPCOT on Sunday morning following a report of an industrial accident at Walt Disney World Resort's second theme park. Thankfully, the incident appears to have had no impact on the guest experience. The Call Logged at 10:51 a.m. At 10:51 a.m. on July 19, the Orange County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call classifying the incident as an “industrial accide
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19 July
Only 14 Days Remain Before Major American Theme Park Shuts Down
The announcement came without a lot of warning and without answers to the question everyone in the coaster community immediately asked. Fun Spot America is permanently closing its Atlanta area theme park in Fayetteville, Georgia. August 2, 2026 is the last day. Normal operations continue through that date, 10 AM to 10 PM, and then the park's nearly decade-long run in Georgia ends. The closure itse
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19 July
Disney World Removes Original Piece of the Haunted Mansion
As construction walls continue to come down around the Haunted Mansion at Magic Kingdom Park, the changes being revealed in the queue are more significant than a fresh coat of paint. At least one iconic gravestone has disappeared entirely from its longtime home. The Haunted Mansion Graveyard Rearranged On Saturday, WDWNT reported that several headstones in the Haunted Mansion queue at Magic Kingdo
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19 July
Thousands Displaced After Lightning-Sparked Fire Near Disney World
There is a community that exists directly adjacent to Walt Disney World that most park guests never think about. Not the resort hotels. Not the Cast Member dorms. The actual neighborhoods and apartment complexes that sit along the roads bordering the property, where people live year-round in proximity to one of the most visited places on earth. The Buena Vista Place Apartments are one of those com
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19 July
Hersheypark Closes Gates on July 19, Gives Ticketholders Two Options
A severe thunderstorm watch over South-Central Pennsylvania brought Saturday evening's plans at Hersheypark Stadium to an abrupt halt. Fortunately, the venue moved quickly to give thousands of affected ticketholders a clear path forward. The Decision Made for Safety Hersheypark Stadium announced on Saturday, July 19, that the Thomas Rhett and Niall Horan concert scheduled for that evening would no
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19 July
70 Families Trapped on Universal Ride Before Harness Rescue
A power outage at Universal Studios Florida on Saturday, July 18 stopped Race Through New York Starring Jimmy Fallon mid-operation, leaving 70 guests stranded on board while the Orlando Fire Department was called in to assist with the evacuation. No one was injured. But the evacuation involved harnesses, safety ropes, and ladders, and at least some of the guests on board spent approximately two ho
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19 July
The “Cars” Takeover: Magic Kingdom’s Massive Piston Peak Construction Engulfs Frontierland and Creeps Toward the Haunted Mansion
The landscape of Walt Disney World's most iconic park is changing at a blistering pace. If you have walked through the Magic Kingdom recently, you already know that the sights and sounds of heavy machinery have completely overtaken the serene, historic atmosphere of the park's west side. The era of the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island has officially ended, making way for a massive new Cars-
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