News
Disney Fanatic is here to deliver the latest in Disney news from The Walt Disney Company and beyond.
-
Jan- 2026 -1 January
Alarm Sounded Over SeaWorld Orlando’s “Run-Down, Poorly Managed” State
Recent guest feedback suggests SeaWorld Orlando is struggling to meet visitor expectations. The Central Florida theme park has spent years attempting to reposition itself, balancing reputational recovery with major capital investment as competition across Orlando’s tourism corridor has intensified. SeaWorld’s evolution followed a prolonged period of scrutiny tied to animal welfare concerns and int
Read More » -
1 January
Universal Orlando Says Goodbye to 8 Popular Attractions in 2026
Change doesn’t always arrive with fireworks. At Universal Orlando Resort, 2026 is shaping up to be a year defined by quiet shutdowns rather than flashy openings. Attractions are going offline at various points throughout the year, with some closures lasting for days and others for months. The result is a slow-moving transformation that could catch unprepared guests off guard. What’s driving the co
Read More » -
1 January
Disney Quietly Favors Select Guests With Special Lightning Lane Access
Walt Disney World has made a change that doesn’t jump out right away—but once you notice it, it’s hard to ignore. Disney has quietly added a Lightning Lane benefit that reshapes ride access across the parks. While it’s framed as another crowd-management tool, there’s a clear catch built in. This advantage isn’t universal, and it's certainly geared toward higher-paying guests. That shift couldn’t c
Read More » -
1 January
Santa Left Disney World and He’s Taking All the Christmas Magic With Him
Christmas is officially dead at Disney World. Santa has left the building. Actually, multiple Santas have left the building because Disney had like four different versions of Santa working the parks during the holidays, and now they're all gone. The Christmas season ended with the calendar flipping to 2026, and that means Santa Claus, Santa Stitch, Santa Goofy, and Santa Duffy have all clocked out
Read More » -
1 January
Netflix Removes ‘Harry Potter’ Movie Franchise From Viewing Effective Today
Netflix is waving goodbye to the Wizarding World. UK subscribers closed out 2025 with a final chance to stream the Harry Potter films, as all eight movies left Netflix on December 31. As 2026 begins, fans in the region will need to look elsewhere to watch the series. The removal is not unusual in streaming, but it comes at a moment of major industry change, drawing attention to how the biggest med
Read More » -
1 January
Confirmed: The Walt Disney World Resort Changes Tomorrow
During the final days of December, a stretch of winter weather brought an operational pause to one corner of Walt Disney World Resort. Disney confirmed that Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park would remain closed as a cold front passed through Central Florida, extending the shutdown into the New Year following an already crowded holiday week. Unlike brief delays or reduced capacity operations, the
Read More » -
1 January
The Banned Candidate: How James Fishback is Turning a Disney World Lifetime Ban into a 2026 Campaign Cry
“There Will Be Hell to Pay”: James Fishback Banned from Disney Springs After Viral Showdown The final days of 2025 have sparked a massive political and legal firestorm at the Walt Disney World Resort. James Fishback, a high-profile Republican candidate for Florida Governor in the 2026 election, is at the center of a viral controversy following his removal from Disney Springs. While previous report
Read More » -
1 January
Disney World Guests Queue Almost Four Hours for 2022 Ride
As guests welcomed 2026, Walt Disney World Resort marked the final day of 2025 with crowd levels that tested patience across all four parks, turning New Year’s Eve into one of the busiest days of the year. Long before evening festivities began, attraction queues had already reached multi-hour lengths. By 11 a.m. on December 31, EPCOT’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind was posting waits near
Read More » -
1 January
Mickey and Minnie Ditched Their Normal Jobs to Party With Guests on New Year’s Eve
Happy New Year! It's officially 2026, and before we get into everything happening at Disney World this year, we need to talk about how Mickey and Minnie Mouse spent New Year's Eve because it was not their typical day at work. Mickey and Minnie were literally partying with guests last night. Dancing, celebrating, having the time of their lives instead of doing the usual structured meet and greet th
Read More » -
1 January
On January 1, Disney Said Goodbye to One of Walt’s Original Characters
January 1, 2026, brought another copyright loss for The Walt Disney Company as early versions of Mickey Mouse's famous canine companion entered the public domain. Two 1930 animated shorts introducing Pluto to audiences now exist beyond Disney's exclusive control. 1930 Pluto Shorts Become Public Property Two Walt Disney Animation Studios productions from 1930 joined the public domain on January 1.
Read More »
