News
Disney Fanatic is here to deliver the latest in Disney news from The Walt Disney Company and beyond.
-
May- 2026 -7 May
Disney World Guests Rush To Grab Merch After Rare 45% Parkwide Markdown
Disney World guests are used to high merchandise prices. In fact, many visitors almost expect sticker shock at this point when they walk into stores along Main Street, U.S.A. or browse resort gift shops late at night after leaving the parks. That’s why a new markdown spreading across Walt Disney World has started getting so much attention online. Guests have begun spotting a surprisingly deep disc
Read More » -
7 May
Disney’s Hollywood Studios Reaches Capacity, Some Guests Shut Out of Visits
One of the most anticipated days on the Walt Disney World Resort calendar just got a lot more competitive, and Annual Passholders without a theme park reservation might be out of luck. Why May 22 Is Such a Big Deal at Disney's Hollywood Studios The excitement surrounding Disney's Hollywood Studios on May 22 traces back to an announcement made at SXSW, when Walt Disney Imagineering revealed that Mi
Read More » -
7 May
92 Days to Go: Disney World Confirms Which Halloween Party Dates May Sell Out Soon
There was a time when planning for Halloween at Walt Disney World didn’t really begin until mid-summer. That’s not the case anymore. This year, the timeline has moved up, and guests are already feeling the pressure to lock things in sooner. Disney has dropped an early signal that demand could outpace availability faster than usual. Even before tickets open to everyone, there’s growing concern that
Read More » -
7 May
Disney Confirms Major ‘Star Wars’ Death in First 18 Minutes of New ‘Mandalorian’ Film
Disney and Lucasfilm are taking a noticeably different approach with The Mandalorian & Grogu (2026), and that change is evident almost immediately. Footage presented at CinemaCon 2026 confirms the film opens with a high-impact moment that reshapes expectations for how a Star Wars movie can begin. There’s no gradual setup or extended introduction. The film moves quickly, establishing its tone and s
Read More » -
7 May
‘Star Wars’ Experience Closed, Stripped From Hollywood Studios at Disney World
Guests visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios can once again step inside the attraction after it disappeared from regular operation for a little over a week. The closure began on April 29 when Walt Disney World temporarily reassigned the theater space for Star Wars Day merchandise distribution and event management. Disney never shared an exact reopening timeline during the shutdown, prompting specula
Read More » -
7 May
No Service: Disney Park Cracks Down on Drinkers With Strict Alcohol Policy
Alcohol and Disney haven’t always gone hand in hand. For decades, theme park traditionalists took pride in Walt Disney’s original vision: family-friendly entertainment in carefully curated environments, free of the distractions and disruptions associated with alcohol. That vision held firm – at least within Disneyland Park in California – long after other parks began loosening their rules. But tim
Read More » -
7 May
The Best Summer Theme Park in Florida Right Now Is Not Disney World
Disney World is great. Nobody is saying it is not. But if you have a child under the age of six and you are planning a Central Florida theme park day this summer, there is a very real argument that the most enjoyable day your family could have right now is not happening inside Magic Kingdom. It is happening about 45 minutes down the road in Winter Haven, at a small park that does not get nearly en
Read More » -
7 May
A Third Character Recast Has Hit the ‘Star Wars’ Mando-Verse
It keeps happening. Just as Star Wars fans thought they had a handle on the shape of the Mando-Verse going forward, another casting change has emerged–the third in a string of recasts that have quietly reshaped the world Filoni built. This latest switch centers on Marrok, an Inquisitor whose Star Wars story has unfolded in fits and starts across multiple projects. He first appeared in Ahsoka
Read More » -
7 May
Animal Kingdom Secret Reveals Disney’s Extreme Security Measures
The restrooms at Disney’s Animal Kingdom don’t look especially unusual at first. Like most things in the park, they’re designed to blend into the surrounding trails, restaurants, and animal exhibits. But there’s one small detail that regular guests have started noticing — and it’s tied to the park’s wildlife setting. Unlike the bathrooms at the other Walt Disney World parks, the ones at Animal Kin
Read More » -
7 May
The $9.5 Billion Paradox: Why Disney is Making More Money by Pricing Out the Middle Class
For decades, the health of the Walt Disney World and Disneyland resorts was measured by a simple metric: the turnstile. If the parks were packed and the wait times were astronomical, Disney was winning. But as the financial results for the second quarter of 2026 have just revealed, that old-school philosophy has been officially retired. Credit: Disney In a move that has stunned financial analysts
Read More »
