Orlando Holiday Planning – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to your first weekly briefing of 2026! Things are moving fast in Central Florida this week as the holiday decorations come down and "Refurbishment Season" kicks into high gear. Every week, we bring you the four most interesting stories from Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando to help you stay ahead of the curve.

This week’s highlights:

• Epic Universe Park-Hopping: Multi-day tickets now allow you to hop between all three Universal parks in a single day.
• Cinderella Castle Transformation: Disney has officially begun stripping the "anniversary pink" to return to a classic palette.
• The Refurbishment Rush: Major updates on the year-long closures of Big Thunder Mountain and Buzz Lightyear.
• Jurassic Park’s Long Sleep: Why the River Adventure is closing until late 2026 and what the rumours say about its future.

Don't leave your holiday to chance! Navigating these weekly changes is easier with an expert. Contact Orlando Insider to get your very own Orlando Guru who will turn a good trip into an amazing one. You'll get free planning calls and access to our exclusive Park Planner App, showing you the best days to visit and the perfect order for every ride.

Start planning your 2026 getaway at: www.orlandoinsider.co.uk

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Join us as we explore the ultimate Disney resort for families! From the convenience of the Skyliner gondolas to the spacious rooms and exciting amenities, we'll dive into what makes this resort a top choice for families.

Whether you're traveling with little ones or teenagers, we'll show you why this Disney resort stands out from the rest. Get ready for a magical vacation that will create lifelong memories for your family!

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• The Country Bears Jamboree reopen at Magic Kingdom
• What are the new songs?
• Is it worth a visit?
• NEW Lighting Lane packages start this week
• Listener Question - Is Feb a good month to visit Disney World?
• And more!

Universal Epic Universe, opening in 2025 at Universal Orlando Resort, will open new portals to fantastical worlds – one being The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic! Here’s everything you need to know about it.

From the dazzling elegance of 1920s Paris to the classic British charm of the 1990s British Ministry of Magic, enthusiasts will be able to explore iconic settings from the Fantastic Beasts and Harry Potter films, teeming with authenticity. Fresh shops, fresh restaurants, fresh entertainment, and a fresh thrill ride - all with a continental flair? Absolutely.

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I’m recording this on 8th July 2024. Today, I’ll be letting you know about the lineup for the Eat to the beat concerts at Epcot along with an important update for UK guests about the changes to Genie+.

Let’s start with something musical. Every year, the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival brings food from around the world to the parks. Just like all the other EPCOT Festivals, Food & Wine has live shows every day on the America Gardens Theater stage. The concert series for the Food & Wine Festival is called Eat to the Beat and they have famous artists performing on the weekends and local acts during the week. Shows are at 5 30, 6 45 and 8pm daily.

This year, there's a mix of bands I like, some I've heard of and completely unknown. It all kicks off on 29th August with Finesse finishing on 18th November with 98 degrees. Big name include boys to men, Hanson, Billy Ocean, Aloe Blacc, The Wanted, Tiffany and the fray.

The only way to make sure you get a seat at one of the concerts is by getting a dining package. EPCOT has 8 restaurants where you can get an Eat to the Beat Dining Package. Most of them require a reservation in advance, except for one. Whether you book in advance or do a Same-Day package, you'll get a guaranteed seat at the concert on that day. The restaurant will give you a time for the show after you finish your meal. Just remember, you can't get dining packages on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays.

Prices start from $56 for an adult and $21 at Spice Road Table in the Morocco Pavilion. And go all the way up to $99 for an adult or $39 for a child at Le Cellier Steakhouse in Canada. I'd probably be most tempted with Garden Grill character dining at The Land Pavilion.

This year, the only place you can get a same-day dining package is at Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue in the American Adventure Pavilion. It'll cost you $36 for adults and $21 for kids.

I’m going to be in Orlando this September for 3 weeks so I’ll be checking out who’s performing.

Last week was 4th July and it wouldn’t be Independence day without fireworks. Epcot presented Luminous With the Heartbeat of Freedom. Over in Magic Kingdom, guests enjoyed Disney’s Celebrate America, along with DJs and dance parties. As always, it can be a really busy time to visit Florida. If you’re not sure when to visit next year, check out the YouTube video link in the show notes.

A lot of you have been in touch to ask about the changes to Genie +. At the moment, you need to be within the US to be able to buy it. So if you’re planning on buying it 7 or 3 days in advance, you’ll need to be in the US. This could change, but from what we’re hearing, it’s all to do with tax and VAT which could be a problem. Disney has now confirmed that people in Canada will be able to buy it, but so far no word about us in the UK.

We’re waiting until it launches as we should have a work around for guests who’ve booked with us. This should let you buy and book it before you arrive. We’ll have an update soon for our guests.

I’m recording this on Monday 1st July 2024.  Today, massive changes are coming to Lightning Lane, Tiana’s opens and Disney Treasure Cruise Ship Preview.

Let’s start with the big news from Orlando.  Genie plus is no more.  From 24th July, say Hello to Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Single Pass.

Single Pass rides are the most popular attractions such as TRON, Guardians and Rise of the Resistance.  These are separate to the multi pass.  It’s pretty simple. you buy a return time for one of these rides, go at your return time, do the ride and that’s it.

Multi pass is a bit more complex.  This includes most of the rides that aren’t on Single Pass.  You can make 3 reservations in advance in one park.  If you’re staying at a Disney or selected hotel, you can do this 7 days in advance.  For anyone else, it’s 3 days.

For 3 of the 4 parks, there’s a tier system.  You can book 1 from tier 1 and 2 from tier 2.  It’s only Animal Kingdom that’ll have no tiers so you can book 3 of whatever you like.  

For example, in Magic Kingdom, the tier 1 rides are: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Jungle Cruise, Peter Pan’s Flight, Space Mountain & Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.  So for example you could pick Tiana’s as your tier 1 pick and then Haunted Mansion and Pirates as your tier 2 rides.

Your first 3 reservations need to be all in the same park.  Once you use one on the day, you can then start making return times for rides in another park, as long as you have a park hopper ticket.  If you’re coming from the UK and booked with us, you already have park hopping included.  

My top picks for each park are the ones that will save you the most time, not necessarily the best rides over, but the ones that will save you waiting for ages in the standby queue.

At Magic Kingdom, my top tier picks are Jungle Cruise, Tiana’s and Peter Pan in tier 1  And Haunted Mansion, Winnie and Pirates tier 2.  In Epcot, I’d go for either Remy or Frozen tier 1.  In the studios, I’ll be booking Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway or Rock n roller coaster in tier 1.  Then Tower of Terror, Toy Story mania and Alien Swirling Saucers from tier 2.

Over at Animal Kingdom, there are no tiers and I’d be going for Kilimanjaro Safaris, Expedition Everest and the River Journey in Pandora.  

If that all sounds a bit fiddly, if you’ve booked your Orlando holiday with us, don’t worry.  Your Orlando Guru will help you sort everything.  Just use the link in the show notes to get in touch.

Get excited, because Disney Cruise Line just dropped some major details about their upcoming ship, the Disney Treasure! This ship will be packed with all your favorite characters from Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel, as well as attractions from Walt Disney World and Disneyland. We've got all the insider info on important dates, concept art, and more to give you a sneak peek at what this new addition will bring to the DCL fleet. Stay tuned for our commentary on all the exciting features the Disney Treasure has in store!

Just like the magical Disney Wish, the incredible Disney Treasure is currently being built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany and will run on environmentally friendly liquefied natural gas. With a weight of around 144,000 gross tons, the Disney Treasure will be slightly bigger than the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.
Exciting news for all adventure seekers! The Disney Treasure will set sail on its very first journey, a thrilling seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise from Port Canaveral on December 21, 2024. Following this, the Treasure will offer an amazing inaugural season of seven-night trips to both the Eastern and Western Caribbean departing from Port Canaveral

And we have more news to share with you too with the thrilling new addition to the Worlds of Marvel on the Disney Treasure - the "Guardians of the Galaxy" dinner show called "Marvel Celebration of Heroes: Groot Remix."
Join Groot on an epic quest to throw the ultimate surprise party for Rocket, all while enjoying a delicious meal to the rhythm of popular songs. Test your Marvel knowledge with fun trivia that the whole family can participate in.
This incredible new show will be available on select nights at Worlds of Marvel, alongside the popular "Avengers: Quantum Encounter" show that premiered on the Disney Wish. 

I am incredibly excited for Plaza de Coco, the first-ever theatrical dining experience inspired by the beloved Disney and Pixar film, "Coco." Miguel and his family will come to life in Mariachi Plaza, treating guests to two unforgettable nights of vibrant music and storytelling that honours the importance of family and traditions. The modern twist on traditional Mexican cuisine and live entertainment will truly make this a magical experience.
Plaza de Coco is set to be the must-see attraction on the Disney Treasure, offering unique dining a bit like Arendelle: A Frozen Dining Adventure on the Disney Wish. From the sneak peeks we've seen, the design and atmosphere of Plaza de Coco promise to be just as amazing.

Tiana opened the doors to her Frontierland adventure this week.  So far the reviews have been mainly positive.  However, the ride does seem to be going down a lot more than Disney probably thought might happen.  I discussed the problems the ride was having during previews on a previous podcast.  It seems to be mainly to do with the animatronics not working.  Hopefully the problems are solved pretty quickly.  Orlando is in full summer mode with the parks packed out most days.  Not sure when the best time to visit is?  Check out our video on YouTube.  The links in the show notes.

You're on holiday in Orlando.  The last thing you want to do is the weekly grocery shop.  And here's where the wonderful team at Vacaction Grocery Delivery come in 🤩

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Not only can you get all your regular groceries, snacks and the sun tan lotion you forgot to pack.  But also tasty mouse-shaped treats and even sushi platters! 🤤

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I’m recording this on Monday 24th June 2024. This week, Christmas, Monsters, Test Track & price increases.

The big news from the week of course came from Universal Orlando. As I predicted last week, lots of details were released about Dark Universe. This is Epic Universe’s land dedicated to the Universal monsters.

Universal Orlando is world famous for its Halloween Horror nights so it's going to be interesting to see what they get up to all year round.

The land will feature classic spooky tales of Dracula, The Wolf Man, Frankenstein's Monster, the Bride of Frankenstein, and others with fresh new monsters and characters. One of them is Dr. Victoria Frankenstein, the great-great-grandkid of the infamous Henry Frankenstein who's carrying on his wild experiments.

When you stroll through Darkmoor – the spooky village in Dark Universe – you'll come across all the creepy characters and crazy experiments in a theme park setting that's like nothing you've ever seen before.

“We created a village and a world beyond it where not only can these stories come together, but new stories can come in as well,” explains Pete Carsillo, senior creative director for Dark Universe. “Now you’re in the same place where all those stories come together, but it’s the current day.”

Dark Universe is where you can find two cool attractions and meet some of the famous (or infamous) folks from Darkmoor. At Frankenstein Manor, you can brave the thrilling dark ride called Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment.

Dr. Victoria Frankenstein lives in the manor and she wants you to witness her latest experiment. She has already brought her own creation back to life and now she's trying to fix all the monsters causing trouble in the village - and make her family name look good again.

You'll see her plan to tame the most dangerous monster of them all, Dracula, go wrong in a big way. Things get crazy as you're chased deeper into the catacombs by a bunch of Universal Monsters.

“What I want guests to say is, ‘That was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done in my life — and you have to try it’,” says Greg Hall, Dark Universe’s creative director. “It’s hard to scare people these days. We want to make sure they have fun, and they see something they’ll never forget.”

The 2nd ride is a rollercoaster. Curse of the Werewolf, a thrilling family coaster can be experienced in the vibrant village of The Guild of Mystics.

Racing through the woods, you'll find yourself relentlessly pursued by the menacing werewolves lurking in the shadows. It's not long before you come face to face with these creatures, dodging their ferocious attacks with lightning-fast reflexes in the ancient Darkmoor armory. And when you finally return to camp, you'll be forever changed, living in constant fear of the full moon's eerie glow.

Sounds pretty spooky for a family ride doesn't it!

In Dark Universe, you can meet a bunch of cool Universal Monsters characters like Frankenstein's Monster, the Bride of Frankenstein, Igor, and the Invisible Man in Darkmoor. Ok, I mean I could be looking at the Invisible Man right now? No idea how that's going to work. Maybe things move by themselves when you meet him?

Alright, let's check out the food at this place, it looks really awesome. A long time ago, an angry group of villagers burned down the old mill during the famous “Frankenstein incident.” Now, the mill has become the hangout spot for Darkmoor’s monster hunters. Along with enjoying some tavern food, guests can check out the hunters’ trophies and listen to stories from some of the village’s most interesting and unique residents. Wondering why it's called The Burning Blade Tavern? Well, the mill on top of this restaurant catches on fire every 20 minutes. So, if you like your bratwurst well-done, you're in luck. Can't wait to visit this place myself in 2025!

Buried deep beneath Darkmoor lie the creepy catacombs where vampires reside. Sitting on top of these catacombs is Das Stakehaus (get it? Like steak-house), a quick and casual eatery ruled by the minions of these blood-sucking creatures. The place is adorned with elegant art and ancient artifacts that give a glimpse into the luxurious lifestyle of vampires.

At Das Stakehaus, you can indulge in kebabs, burgers, sandwiches, and ribs, among other options. And as for what the vampires are feasting on? Well, you might want to cover up with a turtleneck when dining here.

Epic Universe will be opening in 2025. If you’re thinking about planning a trip, speak with your own Orlando Guru. Just use the links in the show notes to get in touch.

They're working on revamping Test Track at EPCOT right now. The ride shut down on June 17 for its big makeover, taking inspiration from the old World of Motion ride that Test Track replaced.

You can't miss the eye-catching construction walls that are blocking the Test Track building in World Discovery. Decked out with the ride's fresh logo and promising that the updated attraction is on its way, these walls are definitely making a statement. Peek behind them and you'll find a mishmash of materials, with plywood taking center stage.

Towards the rear of the attraction, you'll spot some scaffolding set up right next to the track. The construction crew wasted no time in bringing equipment to this spot as soon as the ride shut down.

Speaking of the Disney theme parks, check out our latest video on YouTube letting you know the best (and worst) ways to get from the Disney parks to Disney Springs. It's not always as easy as you think! Just search for Orlando Insider on YouTube.

Big news coming from Walt Disney World regarding changes to the Fantasmic! Dining Packages starting in August 2024.

Currently, guests can enjoy an entree, appetizer or dessert, non-alcoholic beverage, and guaranteed seating at the show with their dining package. But brace yourselves, because as of August 29, 2024, appetizers are out and alcoholic beverages are in for the 21 and older crowd.

Adults, get ready to shell out an extra $6 for your dining package at select restaurants, while kids can breathe a sigh of relief knowing their prices remain the same. But is the dining package seats worth it? Check out our video on YouTube. I review Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant so see if the seats are worth getting. Just search Orlando Insider on YouTube.

Disney World just spilled the beans on their Christmas plans, but hey didn't give away the exact start date. Makes sense though, because each park likes to kick off the festivities at different times. So, mark your calendars for November 8, because that's when the unofficial start of Christmas at Disney World is rumored to begin with the first Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party of the season.  It'll be held on select nights in Magic Kingdom from early November through the week of Christmas 2024.  Parties take place at 7PM to midnight. 

Join Mickey and his buddies at the Cinderella Castle stage for the ultimate Christmas extravaganza you don't want to miss – “Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration.” Minnie Mouse puts on a dazzling show at Magic Kingdom with “Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks,” complete with castle projections, fireworks, and festive tunes. Santa Claus will fly in with his reindeer to join Mickey Mouse and pals in the must-see “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade” as it parades through the park.

And who doesn't love treats? Enjoy complimentary cookies and hot cocoa in various locations throughout Magic Kingdom – in Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and more. Santa isn't the only one with a sweet tooth during the holidays! Get ready for a frozen surprise in front of Cinderella Castle, starring Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, and those adorable Snowgies. It'll be a holiday spectacle you won't want to miss during regular park hours and at the Christmas party.

Get ready for some Jollywood Nights action kicking off on November 9th! With over 20 quirky character encounters, you'll have the chance to hang out with old faves like Phineas and Ferb, as well as get to know new pals like Bo Peep and Lotso. Plus, keep an eye out for Santa Duffy and Stitch making an appearance too! Over at EPCOT, Santa Claus will be spreading holiday cheer alongside storytellers from across the globe during the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays, running from November 29th to December 30th. Indulge in diverse holiday traditions from around the world with fantastic storytellers, tasty treats, unique souvenirs, entertainment, and more. It's a celebration of cultural diversity that you won't want to miss!

On this week's Orlando Holiday Planning Podcast news, 

This week, I’ll be letting you know about the opening date of the latest Disney hotel, a new members lounge and more details about Epic Universe.

🏰 Orlando Insider can help you create magical Orlando Holidays. Leave the hard work to us with FREE Disney World Holiday Planning. Add even more fun with Universal Orlando, Legoland Florida and cruises from Port Canaveral & Miami.

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On this weeks, Orlando Insider News podcast, you'll find out all about:

• Teething problems at Tiana's Bayou Adventure
• New merchandise
• Epic Universe preview centre
• Captain Barbossa spotted in Adventureland
• New night-time show at Universal Studios Florida

🏰 Orlando Insider can help you create magical Orlando Holidays. Leave the hard work to us with FREE Disney World Holiday Planning. Add even more fun with Universal Orlando, Legoland Florida and cruises from Port Canaveral & Miami.

🕐Queue less at Walt Disney World - save up to 4 hours per day when you book with us! https://www.orlandoinsider.co.uk

💫 Free Orlando Holiday Planning https://www.orlandoinsider.co.uk/free-orlando-holiday-planning-service

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