News
Disney Fanatic is here to deliver the latest in Disney news from The Walt Disney Company and beyond.
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Jan- 2026 -2 January
Disney Has Secret Beach Resort Where Everyone Jumps in Pool on New Year’s Eve
Disney's Vero Beach Resort is probably the most forgotten Disney property in existence, and they just had the most wholesome New Year's Eve celebration. Most Disney fans are likely unaware that this resort exists. It's a Disney Vacation Club property on Florida's Atlantic coast, about two hours from Disney World. DVC exclusive, so unless you're a member, you probably haven't heard of it. Vero Beac
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2 January
Disney Dining Plan 2026 Restaurant List: What’s Back, What’s Missing, and New Restrictions
Walt Disney World guests experienced weeks of uncertainty when more than 35 popular restaurants suddenly disappeared from the Disney Dining Plan in late December 2025. For families holding 2026 vacation packages—especially those who booked Disney's “Kids Eat Free” promotion—the mass exodus created significant planning challenges. Credit: Disney The good news: approximately 20+ restaura
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2 January
runDisney Is About to Take Over Both Coasts and Here’s What You Need to Know
The runDisney season is officially here, and it's happening on both coasts, essentially at the same time. Marathon Weekend at Disney World kicks off January 7-11, and then Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend follows January 29-February 1, 2026. That's less than three weeks between major race events, which is intense for anyone trying to do both. Disney just dropped the course map for the Disneyland H
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2 January
Disney Forced To Shut Down Spaceship Earth After Unprecedented Guest Action
Spaceship Earth was temporarily closed last week after a guest exited her ride vehicle during the attraction. Located inside the park’s geodesic sphere near the entrance, the attraction was taken offline after a guest exited her ride vehicle while the attraction was operating. The closure occurred during evening hours, when wait times often remain elevated. The slow-moving dark ride is typically a
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1 January
‘Avengers: Doomsday’ Will Restart Filming, Rework Film With New Actors Amid Fan Backlash
We're just under a year away from the release of Avengers: Doomsday (2026), but Marvel is apparently heading back to the set to make even more tweaks to the film. Conceived as the next major crossover event after the behemoth success that was Avengers: Endgame (2019), Avengers: Doomsday is designed to unify Marvel’s fractured multiverse narrative. The film reportedly centers on the collapse of mul
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1 January
Disney World Never Forgets: Why a 2019 Trespass Warning Led to a 2025 Animal Kingdom Arrest
For many, a trip to Walt Disney World is an escape from reality. But for one guest entering Disney’s Animal Kingdom in December 2025, the “Disney Bubble” became a digital trap. Despite having stayed away since a run-in with security in 2019, the guest discovered the hard way that Disney’s security infrastructure has a memory that spans years. Credit: Trey Ratcliff, Flickr The incident,
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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
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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
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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
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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
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