News

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

  • Mar- 2026 -
    12 March
    A family of four walks past the Universal Studios Hollywood globe at the entrance to the Southern California theme park. Hogwarts Always Universal Studios Hollywood.

    Universal Confirms Big Update To Legendary Studio Tour Experience

    Change is nothing new for the Universal Studio Tour. For more than six decades, the attraction has taken guests behind the scenes of filmmaking at Universal Studios Hollywood, combining real backlot sets with themed show scenes inspired by major Hollywood productions. Over time, the experience has steadily evolved as technology and audience expectations shift. Some updates add new blockbuster mome

    Read More »
  • 12 March
    Tower of Terror at Walt Disney Studios Park

    Disneyโ€™s New Park Appears To Erase Tower of Terror and โ€˜Carsโ€™ Attraction

    Disneyโ€™s theme parks are rarely marketed exactly as they appear in real life. Promotional images and advertisements often smooth over backstage buildings, reposition landmarks, or quietly remove less photogenic elements. The approach is hardly unique to Disney, but it can still spark debate when fans notice the details. That appears to be happening again with Disneyland Paris. The Walt Disney Comp

    Read More »
  • 12 March
    Walt Disney World entrance arch featuring Mickey and Minnie. Disney World weather.

    The Highway to Heck: Why Americaโ€™s Worst Roads are Waiting for You Right Outside Disney World

    Youโ€™ve spent the last twelve hours in a bubble of perfection. Youโ€™ve smelled the artificial scent of vanilla on Main Street, U.S.A., felt the crisp air-conditioning of the Pirates of the Caribbean, and watched a million-dollar fireworks display turn the sky into a kaleidoscope. But the moment you walk through the exit tap-stiles and find your car in the sprawling “Villains” parking lot

    Read More »
  • 12 March
    Disney+ logo centered in front of a collage of movie and TV show posters, with illustrated buckets of popcorn and a soda on either side.

    Mickeyโ€™s New Algorithm: Why Disney+ Vertical Video is the First Step Toward a Generative AI Empire

    For decades, the “Disney experience” was a one-way street. You sat in a darkened theater or on a comfortable couch, and a team of thousands of artists delivered a meticulously crafted, horizontal masterpiece into your eyeballs. But on March 12, 2026, that “passive” era of entertainment officially hit its expiration date. Credit: Disney / Mika Baumeister, Unsplash As first r

    Read More »
  • 12 March
    Tim Allen and Buzz Lightyear

    Disney Removes Buzz Lightyear From Public View After 27 Years

    Buzz Lightyear's name has temporarily gone missing from the entrance of his own attraction at Walt Disney World Resort. A New Space Ranger Spin Sign With One Thing Missing Earlier this month, Walt Disney World Resort installed a Space Mountain-style marquee sign in front of Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom Park. The new sign carries the same distinctive white spi

    Read More »
  • 12 March
    Ragland Irish Pub

    The Most Authentic Irish Festival in America Is Coming to Disney Springs

    Raglan Road at Disney Springs will host The Mighty Festival, an annual St. Patrick's Day celebration, from March 13 to 17, 2026. This festival is described as the most authentic Irish festival in America, featuring Irish talent from Ireland, five outdoor bars, St. Paddy's merchandise, Celtic face painters, Irish dancers, and traditional cuisine. The lineup includes notable bands like Strings & Thi

    Read More »
  • 12 March
    Spaceship Earth as seen from the EPCOT World Showcase Lagoon at Disney World.

    Fire Breaks Out at Walt Disney Worldโ€™s EPCOT on March 12

    A fire was reported inside EPCOT on Thursday afternoon, drawing a law enforcement response to one of Walt Disney World Resort's most visited theme parks. Fire at EPCOT on Thursday Afternoon Scanner monitoring account @WDWActiveCrime flagged the emergency on X (formerly Twitter) at 1:23 p.m. on Thursday, March 12, relaying publicly available information from law enforcement activity in the area: ๐Ÿ”ฅ

    Read More »
  • 12 March
    Big Thunder Mountain Railroad coaster at Magic Kingdom

    Big Thunder Mountain Reopening Confirmed for May, Missing Spring Break Peak

    The red rocks of Frontierland have been eerily quiet for over a year, but the silence finally has an expiration date. However, for thousands of families currently packing their bags for a March or April getaway, the news is a massive “gut punch.” Credit: Disney According to the latest updates, Walt Disney World has officially confirmed that Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will reopen in

    Read More »
  • 12 March
    A colorful, circus-themed sign reads "Big Top Souvenirs" in large, lighted lettersโ€”a standout among Magic Kingdom shopsโ€”with banners on each side advertising "The World's Best Amazing Gifts" and "The World's Tastiest Treats.

    Disney Just Ripped the Roof Off This Magic Kingdom Shop and It Looks Wild

    Disney has removed the roof of Big Top Souvenirs at Magic Kingdom, exposing its structural framework. This change, noticeable while walking through Storybook Circus, marks the first visible work on the tent since refurbishment began after its closure in February 2026. Along with Pete's Silly Sideshow, which has also seen roof removal, Big Top Souvenirs is undergoing extensive renovations expected

    Read More »
  • 12 March
    Crowds of people walk toward the Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park

    Disney World Bulldozes 27-Year-Old Theme Park Land, Covers It up With Concrete

    DinoLand U.S.A. is officially extinct, and fresh concrete is already taking its place at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park. The End of an Era at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park The death of DinoLand U.S.A. was slow. Walt Disney World Resort dismantled the beloved roadside-carnival-themed area in phases, beginning in January 2025 with the closure of Chester & Hester's Dino-Rama, the Fossil Fun

    Read More »