BRACE YOURSELF for a BIG Disney News Recap!

Can you believe the year is almost halfway over? Disney just reminded us that we’re Halfway to the Holidays and we’re not sure we’re ready!

Ready or not, there has been a lot of Disney news recently, including a TON of announcements about the holiday season, characters you’ll soon see in the parks again, and more. So let’s get to the five biggest Disney news stories this week!

The Holidays In Disney World

So Disney just dropped a lot of announcements about the holidays in Disney World this year — and there is SO much to look forward to. First, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is returning for the first time since 2019. We also have ALL the dates:

• November: 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 22, 27, 29
• December: 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 22

Ticket prices range from $149 to $199 per person and go on sale to the general public on July 7th.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind in EPCOT will get a holiday soundtrack for the season. Disney plans on swapping out the show’s existing songs for  “a mash-up of seasonal jams.”

Speaking of EPCOT, Disney also announced the opening date for the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays. The festival will begin on November 25th. Disney did not reveal a closing date, but in the past, it usually runs through December 30th.

Disney also revealed quite a few things returning to the festival, including Santa Claus, the Holiday Storytellers, the Candlelight Processional, the Festival of the Holidays Cookie Stroll, and food booths!

Other things returning to Disney World for the holidays include Santa in the other parks, holiday park icons, the Merry Menagerie in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, a holiday finale for For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration in Disney’s Hollywood Studios (NEW!), snowfall and the Christmas Tree Walk in Disney Springs, and festive food offerings throughout the resort.

EVERYTHING Coming Back for the Holidays in Disney World This Year!

Disney World Character News

We also got some big news about Disney World character meet and greets. More character meet and greets are returning to the parks, including Pete’s Silly Side Show in Magic Kingdom with Minnie, Daisy, Goofy, and Donald dressed as circus performers, like Goofy as the Great Goofini.

Peter Pan and Snow White will return to Fantasyland on July 10th. Minnie will join Mickey Mouse at the Town Square Theater to meet guests on July 6th.

In Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Toy Story Characters will start meeting guests again in Toy Story Land. Star Wars Launch Bay will reopen as a character meet and greet location for Chewbacca, BB-8, and Darth Vader.

In Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Donald Duck and friends will start meeting guests again in Dinoland, U.S.A.

Disney also announced that Encanto’s Mirabel will be joining the Disney Adventure Friends Cavalcade in Magic Kingdom on June 26th!

Finally,  Chip ‘N Dale’s Campfire Sing-A-Long at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground is returning on July 6th.

Princesses, Winnie the Pooh, and MORE Character Meet-and-Greets Returning to Disney World!

Disney Wish Cancels Two Test Sailings

The Disney Wish will embark on its maiden voyage soon! However, two test sailings meant for select Cast Members and their families have been canceled. Instead, Disney has stated that it wants to focus on the ship’s christening, which is scheduled for June 29th.

The ship did arrive at its home port this week, though, in Port Canaveral, Florida.

Disney Wish Cruise Ship CANCELS First 2 Test Sailings

Disney Releases New Details About the 2022 D23 Expo

The D23 Expo is one of the ultimate experiences for Disney fans. The event (which is a huge convention just for Disney fans) brings fans from all over the world together to learn all about new Disney projects, updates, and announcements. Now we have even more details about this year’s event, which will take place from  September 9th through the 11th at the Anaheim Convention Center.

We learned more about the D23 Expo Marketplace, where guests can shop for limited-edition merchandise from Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, and more. The huge shopping space will feature different retail spots like Mickey’s of Glendale, where fans can get merchandise collections by Walt Disney Imagineers, as well as exclusive D23 Expo souvenirs.

Other shops will include Disney Publishing, the World of Wakana, the Guided by the Light Collection (featuring items designed by Star Wars actress Ashley Eckstein and inspired by Ahsoka Tano), and Disney Munchlings (plush toys inspired by Disney snacks).

The Expo will also have several panels devoted to merchandise and fashion, including Women in Disney Fashion and It’s A Small Disney World: Celebrating the Art of Disney Parks.

NEW Details Announced About Disney’s 2022 D23 Expo

New Buzz Lightyear Meet and Greet in Disneyland

There’s a new Buzz Lightyear Meet and Greet in Disneyland in honor of the release of Lightyear in theaters. But this character experience is unlike any other Buzz Lightyear meet and greet we’ve ever seen. Why? Because Buzz Lightyear is now a face character (this means he’s a character without a large costume mask).

Yes, you can now meet a very human Buzz in Tomorrowland in Disneyland! He’s only out at select times of the day (at the top of every hour until 4PM), but this is certainly a more unique meet and greet opportunity.

VIDEO: We Need Your Thoughts On the NEW Buzz Meet in Greet in Disneyland

Those are the biggest Disney news stories of the week, but we cover ALL Disney news every day, so be sure to check back with us often and follow us on social media. You can find us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and TikTok.

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What do you think of Buzz Lightyear as a face character? Let us know in the comments!

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