Genie+ Changes, Halloween News, and More Disney UPDATES

It’s just the first week of August, but a LOT is going on with Disney right now!

We’re gearing up for the Halloween season — the first Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party is just one week away. We’re getting a ton of updates about Disney shows and movies, too. So let’s get to the five biggest Disney news stories you may have missed!

Disney Genie+ Changes

Since its introduction, we’ve seen quite a few changes made to Genie+ in Disney World. Earlier this year, Disney moved several Individual Lightning Lane rides over to Genie+ with the idea that these rides would become Individual Lightning Lane rides (aka pay-per-rides) again on August 7th. However, that may now not be the case.

The rides in question are Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Frozen Ever After, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Space Mountain, and Expedition Everest. This week, Disney removed its previous statement on the Genie+ website that these rides would return to pay-per-ride attractions on that date. This suggests these rides will remain on Genie+ indefinitely. That means they’ll be included in the $15 per person, per day Genie+ instead of costing a separate fee to skip the line.

Travel agents later received a message from Disney that they were making this change to give guests more options when using Genie+.

BREAKING: This Genie+ CHANGE Could Save You Money in Disney World

Halloween News

As we previously mentioned, it’s officially spooky season, and we shared a lot of Halloween news this week. For starters, Disney World released details about fireworks dessert party pricing for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Guests can to choose between two dessert parties during the Halloween party that will include treats, drinks, and exclusive fireworks viewing areas.

Guests can eat “frightfully delightful desserts,” and drink beer, wine, and additional non-alcoholic drinks at Tomorrowland Terrace and then catch the Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Fireworks with Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Dessert Party with Plaza Garden Viewing for $99 per adult and $59 per child (ages 3 to 9).

Guests can also choose to attend Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace to get views of the fireworks from the restaurant’s terrace seating area. This experience is $115 per adult and $69 per child (ages 3 to 9). Reservations are highly recommended for both dessert parties and open on August 9th.

Let’s talk about Halloween food: Disney also released a list of ALL the treats guests will be able to enjoy during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween party, including a Sweet Candy Corn Soft-serve Swirl Cone, the Pain and Panic Hot Dog, and a Mexican Spiced Hot “COCO” Brownie. Disney also released a list of the Halloween popcorn buckets you’ll find in Disney World for the season.

Finally, Halloween merchandise has officially arrived online, including four NEW pairs of Halloween Minnie ears. It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

ALL of the Treats Coming to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Disney World

Magic Kingdom Updates

The Harmony Barber Shop in Magic Kingdom has been closed since Disney World’s reopening in 2020, but it finally reopened this week! The shop still looks the same as it did before, and like before, reservations aren’t required but are highly recommended.

The shop offers the following: a child’s first haircut (starting at $28), children’s haircuts (starting at $20), adult haircuts (starting at $21), and beard trimming (starting at $8).

The Harmony Barber Shop has officially reopened!

Where one shop has reopened, another has closed. Tomorrowland Light and Power Co. is temporarily closed due to construction on TRON Lightcycle Run. One side of the store was already closed, but now the entire store is closed. This is the store that you walk through upon exiting Space Mountain, but that ride now has a temporary exit that takes you directly outside.

TRON Coaster Construction Shuts Down Store in Disney World

Haunted Mansion Movie Casting News

We’ve got some HUGE casting news about the upcoming Haunted Mansion movie. First, we might know who will be portraying Madame Leota. Jamie Lee Curtis hinted on social media about taking the role.

Jared Leto was also announced as part of the movie’s cast — he’ll be taking on the role of Hatbox Ghost. Both join a star-studded cast that already includes Rosario Dawson, LaKeith Stanfield, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, and Tiffany Haddish.

Madame Leota Actress Revealed For Disney’s New Haunted Mansion Movie!

Streaming News

Okay, you’ll want to sit down for this because a LOT of streaming news came in this week. Disney+ will be the new home for Dancing With The Stars, and we just learned that the series will livestream on the service, with the first episode airing on September 19th.

We’ve also got a potential Moon Knight season 2 confirmation: in a video, Oscar Isaac seemingly confirmed that he and the show’s director, Mohamed Diab, are currently in Egypt filming a second season.

Disney+ also moved around some premiere dates for upcoming shows. The premiere of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law has moved to August 18th, a change of only one day. The new Star Wars series, Andor, will premiere on September 21st (a change of almost a month). Disney also released a new trailer for the show.

Watch the new trailer for #Andor, an Original series from Star Wars, streaming only on #DisneyPlus. Experience the three-episode premiere September 21. pic.twitter.com/5ge4GMy4Xn

— Disney+ (@disneyplus) August 1, 2022

A new trailer AND release date was revealed for the new Cars series coming to Disney+. Cars on the Road will premiere on September 8th.

#LightningMcQueen and #Mater are back!

Watch the trailer for Disney and Pixar's Cars on the Road and start streaming the Original series, a #DisneyPlusDay premiere, September 8 on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/s5JhHOBcEB

— Disney•Pixar's Cars (@pixarcars) August 1, 2022

Want to know what to stream this month? Check out the full August schedule for both Disney+ and Netflix! Also, here’s your reminder that you can now stream Pixar’s newest movie, Lightyear, on Disney+.

NEW ‘Hocus Pocus’ MagicBand Arrives in Disney World

So that’s all of the biggest news for this week, but if you want to stay updated on ALL Disney news, be sure to follow us on social media: you can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

Be sure to check our site often, too, for more updates!