News

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

  • Jul- 2026 -
    5 July
    A large spherical structure, illuminated in purple, stands against a dark sky. Bright yellow Disney fireworks explode in the night sky behind the structure, creating a vibrant, festive atmosphere.

    Confirmed Disney Guests Found a Way To Watch Two Nighttime Spectaculars at Once

    Holiday crowds usually force Walt Disney World guests to make difficult choices. During the Fourth of July weekend, that often means deciding which nighttime spectacular deserves the evening. With special fireworks returning for Independence Day, it's nearly impossible to experience everything in one night. Unless you're one of the lucky guests who found an unexpected workaround. Visitors attendin

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  • 5 July
    Cinderella Castle and the Partners statue in Disney World's Magic Kingdom park

    New Florida Law Targets Hidden Fees at Disney World Restaurants

    A Walt Disney World vacation comes with plenty of planning, especially when it comes to dining. Guests reserve restaurants months in advance, compare menus, and budget carefully for meals throughout their trip. Now, Florida has introduced another change that could affect nearly every restaurant guests visit during their vacation. Beginning this month, a statewide law requires restaurants to be muc

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  • 5 July
    Universal's Epic Universe entrance lit up at night

    Epic Universe’s Biggest After-Dark Addition Finally Arrives This Week

    Epic Universe has changed the way many guests experience Universal Orlando Resort, but until now, one part of the day has always felt surprisingly quiet. Once the attractions closed, many visitors simply made their way toward the exit. Starting this week, that's expected to change. Universal is officially debuting Universal Celestial Goodnight on July 7, giving Epic Universe its first permanent ni

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  • 5 July
    Fireworks over Galaxy's Edge at Disneyland. Disney Star Wars attraction.

    Disney’s New ‘Star Wars’ Ride Concept Rejected: Attraction Emptied

    Disney spent years preparing one of the biggest updates ever made to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. The company added an entirely new mission, introduced The Mandalorian and Grogu, expanded gameplay, and even changed how guests interact with the attraction. The goal seemed obvious. Disney wanted to give fans a reason to return to one of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge's original attractions. Instead,

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  • 5 July
    Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse aboard the Disney Cruise Line

    Disney Guests Report Norovirus Symptoms Amid Growing U.S. Outbreak

    There is a post making the rounds from someone currently sailing on the Disney Wonder, and if you have a Disney Cruise Line trip coming up or know someone who does, it is worth reading before you board. A Reddit user who is on the ship posted a firsthand account of contracting norovirus along with their husband, both of them down for roughly 24 hours, with a warning to fellow passengers that the i

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  • 5 July
    Crowds on Main Street, USA, at Disneyland Park, in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Disney bus service.

    Disneyland Replaces a Beloved Classic Experience as Two Attractions Close Next Month

    Summer may still be in full swing, but Disneyland is already preparing for one of its biggest seasonal transitions of the year. As the resort wraps up its 70th Anniversary celebration and gets ready for Halloween festivities, guests visiting next month will notice a couple of familiar attractions temporarily disappearing from the lineup. Neither closure is permanent, but both could affect vacation

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  • 5 July
    magic kingdom crowds around cinderella castle

    Rare Air Force Operation Scheduled Above Disney World

    Every year Walt Disney World does the Fourth of July big. Fireworks over Cinderella Castle. The Electrical Water Pageant on the lagoon. The Dapper Dans in patriotic hats. It is the kind of holiday programming that reminds you why people plan Disney vacations around specific dates, and 2026 had even more reason to go all out given that this particular Fourth marked America's 250th birthday. So yes,

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  • 5 July
    Epcot World Celebration Gardens

    On July 2, Disney Quietly Did Something That Could Change the Face of EPCOT

    A construction permit filed on Independence Day weekend slipped past most people's notice, but it could signal major changes to EPCOT. Here's what Walt Disney World Resort guests need to know. A New Construction Filing at EPCOT On July 2, Walt Disney Imagineering submitted a Notice of Commencement to “install set elements” at 1940 Avenue of the Stars — the approximate address of Commun

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  • 5 July
    Just like at Disneyland, a pirate transforms from lively to skeletal, both gripping gold coins in dazzling Pirates of the Caribbean style.

    Disney Forced to Change New ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ Character

    Disneyland does not make changes to Pirates of the Caribbean quietly. The ride is too old, too beloved, and too closely watched by too many people for anything installed inside it to go unnoticed. When the attraction closed in early May 2026 for what turned out to be a nearly two-month refurbishment, the Disney parks community was paying attention. When it reopened on June 26 with a brand-new tran

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  • 5 July
    Rope drop on Main Street, U.S.A., at Magic Kingdom Park

    Two Violent Incidents Reported at Magic Kingdom on July 4

    Independence Day celebrations at Walt Disney World Resort took a dark turn Saturday evening when law enforcement was called to the Magic Kingdom Park area twice in less than an hour to respond to separate battery incidents. The First Call at 8:46 p.m. At 8:46 p.m. on July 4, the Orange County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call reporting a battery incident in the Magic Kingdom Park and Disney's C

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