News

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

  • Apr- 2026 -
    19 April
    Dollywood entrance sign

    Dollywood Announces Immediate Shutdown After Park Safety Is “Compromised”

    Overnight storms hit Dollywood hard enough that Dolly Parton's Tennessee theme park was forced to close part of its grounds and cancel a popular entertainment offering on Sunday, April 19, just one day after the park's annual spring festival officially kicked off. What the Storm Damaged A tree near the Eagle Mountain Sanctuary was uprooted overnight, striking the aviary building and compromising t

    Read More »
  • 19 April
    A person in a Mickey Mouse costume waves in front of a red curtain; next to it, a family with two kids walks outside a colorful hotel building.

    Nightmare at Disney: Guest Sues for $50,000 Over Alleged “Permanent” Bed Bug Injuries at All-Star Resort

    Families save up for years to experience the magic of the Walt Disney World Resort. When paying a premium to stay inside the famous “Disney Bubble,” guests expect immaculate accommodations, stellar customer service, and a safe environment. However, a startling new lawsuit is pulling back the curtain on the hospitality industry’s darkest secret, alleging that a severe hotel bed bug infe

    Read More »
  • 19 April
    Entrance sign to Walt Disney World, featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse images on either side. The road leads towards the colorful archway amidst a blue sky with scattered clouds and palm trees lining the sides.

    Disney World Confirms Park Will Stay Closed for 23 Additional Days

    There is a specific kind of vacation disappointment that hits harder than most. It is not the two-hour wait for a ride or the dining reservation that did not survive a schedule change. It is showing up at a place you planned around, one that was a genuine centerpiece of the trip for someone in your group, and finding a closed gate. That is what is waiting for Disney World guests who arrive expecti

    Read More »
  • 19 April
    The Monorail as viewed from the EPCOT parking lot. EPCOT crash Disney World

    Pregnant Disney Visitors Face New Rule After Florida Law Passes

    Accessible parking in Florida was already stretched thin before any of this happened. That is the detail that makes everything else in this story land differently. Florida is home to some of the most visited theme parks on the planet. It is also a state where, by some estimates, as many as 20 percent of drivers hold a disabled parking permit of some kind. Put those two facts next to each other and

    Read More »
  • 19 April
    Entrance to Hersheypark with people walking in and out; a large Hersheypark sign is above the gate, and a roller coaster is visible in the background at this theme park news.

    Top U.S. Theme Park Introduces Strict No Mask Rule

    There is a sign at Hersheypark right now that has been making the rounds on social media, and depending on where you first encountered it, your reaction was probably one of two things. Either you thought it was a reasonable security measure, or you thought a beloved family theme park had just made itself inaccessible to immunocompromised guests without a second thought. Both reactions are understa

    Read More »
  • 19 April
    spaceship earth at EPCOT

    Quarter of Disney World Fails to Open on Time, Areas Remain Closed

    You checked the Disney app months ago. EPCOT said 9:00 AM. You planned around 9:00 AM. Maybe you even told your family to be ready by 8:15 so you could snag a parking spot and walk in for Early Entry. Here is the update: that plan needs to change. EPCOT is opening at 10:00 AM today, Sunday, April 19, 2026. Early Entry for resort hotel guests and eligible partner hotel stays runs from 9:30 AM to 10

    Read More »
  • 19 April
    Entrance road lined with palm trees leading up to the iconic Walt Disney World arch under a bright, sunny sky.

    Walt Disney World Confirms Major Closures Across Property This Weekend

    Most people visiting Walt Disney World this weekend booked their trip months ago. They picked their parks, made their dining reservations, and maybe even pre-loaded their Lightning Lane selections. What a significant number of them almost certainly did not account for is that this particular weekend, Walt Disney World is also hosting one of the most logistically disruptive events on its annual cal

    Read More »
  • 19 April
    A smiling couple takes a selfie together in a cheerful setting, with one holding a yellow phone. A character dressed as Mickey Mouse appears in the background. The scene suggests a fun and lively environment, possibly in a themed restaurant or park.

    Disney World and Disneyland Reportedly Will Crack Down on Guests Filming at Theme Parks

    A former Disney cast member claims that both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort are preparing to take direct aim at content creators live streaming at the theme parks. The Report TikTok user @sweatyoracle, who uses his platform to share insider information about the theme park and entertainment industries, posted this month that sources had told him Disney was moving toward a ban on mo

    Read More »
  • 18 April
    Kathleen Kennedy

    The Secret Call That Ruined Galaxy’s Edge: How Disney is Fixing Iger and Kennedy’s Billion-Dollar Mistake

    For years, Star Wars fans have walked through Disney’s Galaxy’s Edge with a nagging sense of disappointment. Despite the jaw-dropping immersion and groundbreaking rides, a massive piece of the magic was missing: the Original Trilogy. By locking the multi-billion-dollar lands in California and Florida to a strict Sequel Trilogy timeline, Disney explicitly banned cultural icons like Luke Skywalker,

    Read More »
  • 18 April
    Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror

    ‘Ant-Man 3’ Star Officially Returns to MCU in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

    Marvel Studios appears to be quietly reshaping one of its most familiar corners, and the Ant-Man franchise is at the center of the shift. While nothing has been officially framed as a farewell, a combination of reported exits, casting uncertainty, and major narrative pivots suggests that the MCU is moving into a noticeably different phase. One of the more surprising developments comes from industr

    Read More »