The 5 BIGGEST Disney World News Stories from the Week

It’s hard to believe this week is almost over — March will be soon be gone, and April will be here we know it.

In the meantime, there has been a lot of news on the Disney front, but if you haven’t had time to keep up with all of it, don’t worry — we’ve got you covered.

Here are the five biggest Disney news stories this week.

First Look at the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Gift Shop

We’ve seen MAJOR progress happening on the Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind attraction coming to EPCOT. As construction continues, we’ve even had a peek at the queue for the ride. This week, though, we got our first look at the ride’s gift shop, which will be called Treasures of Xandar! Imagineer Zach Riddley shared a photo of the shop’s sign.

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A post shared by Zach Riddley (@thezachriddley)

The shop will be located in the Wonders of Xandar Pavilion with the new attraction. We’ll be looking forward to seeing the merchandise available there, which will include treasures “acquired throughout the galaxy.”

First Look at Gift Shop for EPCOT’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Main Street Trolley Derails

During a Dapper Dans performance and trolley ride down Main Street, U.S.A., the trolley car derailed when the wheels came slightly off the track. The trolley doesn’t move very fast, and no one was hurt. Cast Members immediately came to the rescue, though.

The Dapper Dans and the horse pulling the trolley were escorted safely from the trolley, while guests were directed to go around it.

PHOTOS & VIDEO: Disney World’s Main Street Trolley Came OFF the Tracks!

High-Speed Train to Disney World Hits Major Milestone

We continue to follow the ongoing development of the Brightline high-speed train that will eventually connect the Orlando International Airport to Disney Springs. Last month, Brightline announced that its first major construction zone that connects West Palm Beach to Orlando Airport is complete. Now, that extension project has reached 75% completion.

The construction spans multiple segments of the route, but Brightline reports that construction is expected to be completed later this year on this part of the route. However, safety testing must be done before the route is operational, and the Disney Springs line, which is part of the larger Brightline expansion project, is still far from completion.

High-Speed Train to Disney World Hits a Major Milestone

Long-Awaited Lightsaber Hilt Arriving Soon

Back in 2020, Star Wars fans voted for the next Legacy Lightsaber Hilt they would like to see at Dok Ondar’s Den of Antiquities in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in both Disneyland and Disney World. The winner was the lightsaber by Cal Kestis, a character in the Star Wars: Fallen Jedi video game. Disney finally announced that the lightsaber hilt would arrive on March 25th.

The Cal Kestis Legacy Lightsaber Hilt comes with a dual lightsaber adapter, so if two hilts are purchased, guests can recreate the double-bladed lightsaber originally owned by Cal’s Master.

The Lightsaber You’ve Been Waiting for Is FINALLY Coming to the Disney Parks

Disney Employees Walk Out To Protest Company’s Handling of “Don’t Say Gay” Bill

Many Walt Disney Company employees have been disappointed in the company’s late response to Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Many of these employees planned a walkout to demand the company take further action — this walkout happened on March 22nd.

Many of these employees work at Disney’s headquarters in Burbank, CA — social media and news coverage shared photos and videos of employees protesting in front of the Disney Animation Building there.

Hundreds of Disney employees walking out at company HQ in Burbank #DisneyWalkout pic.twitter.com/n9QpNmAHIf

— Steve Desaulniers (@steve_desaul) March 22, 2022

Disney-owned companies, such as Hulu, National Geographic, FX Network, and more have also posted to social media with support for the LGBTQIA+ community.