You won’t BELIEVE the week we’ve had in Disney World!

This week was FULL of news, with some of the more unexpected news coming from new updates and developments for projects that were already in motion. Find out all about it here!

KiteTails Missing Showtimes

We already knew that Disney would be changing the way we watch KiteTails in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but Disney hadn’t officially announced when those changes would be coming. This week, however, we noticed an update on Disney’s website.

As of May 27th, there are no showtimes listed for KiteTails. The updated version of the show is set to be shorter and have more frequent showtimes around the Discovery River Lagoon, so we’re interested to see how that turns out! We’ll keep an eye out for more updates.

Read more about the KiteTails missing showtimes here.

EPCOT Announcements

CommuniCore Plaza and CommuniCore Hall

This week Disney made some announcements about CommuniCore Plaza and CommuniCore Hall coming to EPCOT’s World Celebration neighborhood. Disney had previously announced that a festival center would be part of the EPCOT Transformation, but it was later changed to be described as a “festival area” so we were curious to see what would ultimately happen with that project.

Now, we have an update!

CommuniCore Plaza is an outdoor space where large-scale concerts or more intimate performances can be held, and CommuniCore Hall will be located within the plaza as a center for festival programming, complete with features like a demonstration kitchen, a mixology bar, art exhibits, and more.

Seems like things are different than that original Festival Center Disney shared concept art for way back when, but the idea of a space for festival-related activities in World Celebration continues.

This week Disney also shared that the World Celebration neighborhood will be divided into different gardens, which will change along with the seasons. We can’t wait to see everything finished!

Learn more about CommuniCore Plaza and CommuniCore Hall here!

EPCOT Character Spot

We also learned more details about a new EPCOT character spot coming soon to the CommuniCore Hall area. This new meet-and-greet location will be called “Mickey & Friends,” and you’ll be able to meet some of your favorite Disney characters here.

The previous Character Spot closed as part of the EPCOT transformation, so it’ll be great to have a one-stop location for some favorite characters again!

Here’s what we know about this new EPCOT character spot!

New Look at Journey of Water

Disney shared a new look at Journey of Water, the upcoming water exploration trail attraction inspired by Moana. If you zoom in, you can see water in arches above the trail, and it also gives you a better idea about the layout of the trail. 

This attraction will be interactive, and there will be an element of water conservation and preservation too. We’ll update you with an opening date as soon as we know more!

Get a NEW look at Journey of Water — Inspired by Moana here!

Hey, Disney! Update

We already knew Hey, Disney!, an Alexa voice assistant, was coming soon to Disney hotel rooms, but we were able to see it in action this week, and we learned more about all the features it will have, like character interaction, Disney trivia, soundscapes, stories, and lots more.

We were also able to confirm that the MagicBand+ will be able to connect with Hey, Disney! later this year, which will add a special element to certain experiences. And speaking of MagicBand+, we’ve got some big updates on that too!

Learn all about Hey, Disney! coming soon to Disney Parks.

MagicBand+ Update

The highly anticipated interactive MagicBand+ was accidentally released early in Disney Springs this week, which was quite a surprise! Disney later confirmed that the MagicBand+ will be officially released in Summer 2022.

We got to experience the MagicBand+ in action during a media event, where we learned how it will interact with the 50th anniversary gold character statues, as well as how it can turn you into a Bounty Hunter in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. There’s a lot more too, and we don’t have long to wait for the official release in summer 2022!

Check out the MagicBand+ in action here!

New Fantasmic! Details

Last year Disney announced the return of Fantasmic! to the Disney parks, and noted that it would include new characters, animation, stunt performers, and more. We learned a bit more about what some of those changes will be this week!

According to Disney, characters like Aladdin, Mulan, Pocahontas, Moana, and Elsa will be featured in the new sequence, and there will also be new technical enhancements. Disney has not yet announced the official return date of Fantasmic! to Hollywood Studios, but we’ll be watching closely for more announcements.

Read more about the new Fantasmic! details here.

Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind Updates

This week two Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind features were confirmed by Disney, and they concern the line itself.

Standby Line

This week Disney confirmed that Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will NOT have a standby line in EPCOT during its opening phase, and instead it will feature a Virtual Queue. That means guests will need to get a spot through the virtual Queue in order to ride, and you can do that through the My Disney Experience app.

Cosmic Rewind officially opens on May 27th, and we’ll be watching closely for more details on how the virtual queue will work.

There will be NO standby line for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Pay-Per-Ride

If you don’t want to take your chances with the virtual queue, you can also pay for an Individual Attraction Selection for Guardians of the Galaxy. It will NOT be available through the regular Genie+ service, but instead will be available through Pay-Per-Ride.

In order to get a pay-per-ride selection for this coaster, you’ll need to have a park pass reservation for EPCOT for the day, and the time at which you can purchase your Lightning Lane will vary depending on your situation. If you’re staying at a Disney World hotel (or select other hotels, namely Shades of Green and the Swan and Dolphin), you can book beginning at 7AM. If you aren’t staying at a qualifying hotel, you have to wait until park opening.

The pricing for the Cosmic Rewind Lightning Lane has not yet been announced, but right now the highest priced Disney World attraction is generally Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at $15 per person. We’ll let you know more details when we find out!

Learn more about Cosmic Rewind pay-per-ride here.

And that’s all the unexpected news from Disney World this week! Are you surprised by any of the news? Keep reading DFB for more Disney news!

Check out some of the best EASTER EGGS on the Guardians coaster in EPCOT

Have you visited Disney World recently? Tell us in the comments!