food IS a theme park
Well, Christmas has come and gone, and before you know it, the holiday season in Disney World will be over, and we’ll be celebrating a brand new year.
Thundering Surf Peanut Butter and Chocolate Sundae
Now, a lot of exciting things are happening in Disney World in 2026, but we’re most excited about whatever new foods come to the parks. Well, before all that happens, though, we’re going to take a look at Disney World restaurant menus to see what’s changed over the past week.
I’ve been an Amazon Prime member for many years now, and I’ll admit that I still don’t know every kind of benefit an Amazon Prime membership offers. Let’s face it — we all sign up for that free shipping, right? And maybe Prime Video streaming. But if you’re not taking full advantage of your Amazon Prime Membership, you may be missing out.
Prime
So we’ve gone and checked out ALL the big Prime member exclusive perks you can get right now, and you might just be surprised there are so many!
There is a lot going on in Disney’s Hollywood Studios right now. Muppets Courtyard closed to make way for a brand new Monsters, Inc. land. Animation Courtyard is being reimaged as Walt Disney Studios. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is kicking Aerosmith out so the Muppets can move in.
Mickey Shorts Theater
In October 2025, Vacation Fun at the Mickey Shorts Theater closed for a refurbishment. Now, two months later, that attraction has reopened with one big change…something has returned to the experience.
It’s no secret that the holiday season is a great time to visit Disney World, if you don’t mind crowds. The parks are decorated for the season, the snacks are THE BEST, the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays is happening, and there’s so much to see and do during this time of year.
Rideshare sign at EPCOT
But as we mentioned, crowds can be an issue this time of the year. Even Disney World transportation can get pretty full during the holidays, which means you may consider using a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft during your trip. If you do plan on getting Uber or Lyft in Disney World, though, we’ve got to offer a word of warning.
If you happen to live in Florida or have plans to travel from Tampa International Airport anytime soon, we’ve got some big news to share with you.
©JetBlue
Tampa International Airport has a brand new nonstop route to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, that started on December 18th. So if you live near Tampa and are looking for a tropical vacation, you’ve got one more option, courtesy of JetBlue Airways.
We’ll admit that we spend a lot of time traveling to Disney Parks, but we also encourage you to get out there and see other parts of the world, too, if you’re able. However, if you’re making plans for international travel, you often need to be aware of locations that could be deemed dangerous.
©Disney
Recently, the U.S. State Department has issued a Level 2 travel advisory for Petra, aka “Rose City,” which was most famously seen in the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
The holiday travel season usually peaks right before Christmas, and there’s generally a little bit of a slowdown right after, but this year, things are different.
Orlando International Airport
We previously reported that 122.4 million Americans will be traveling for the holiday season this year, so it’s no secret that airports are going to be crowded. Well, you might think that the days after the official holiday season would be a little slower, but according to CBS News, they are not. Plus, winter weather could make things even more chaotic.
A lot of stuff in Disney World will be disappearing soon when the holiday season ends. You’ll have to say goodbye to things like Jingle Cruise in Magic Kingdom, the Living with the Land holiday overlay in EPCOT, and the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays.
Disney World Annual Pass
You’ll also have to say goodbye soon to an exclusive souvenir you can get during the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, a special Figment-themed festival cup that’s just for Disney World Annual Passholders.
As the holiday season gets ready to wrap up in Disney World and we get ready to ring in a brand New Year (seriously, WHERE did 2025 go, y’all?), something HUGE will be ending in EPCOT soon.
2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays
The EPCOT Festival of the Holidays started on November 28th and will end on December 30th, which means all the food booths, special festival activities, and the Candlelight Processional will all be going away very soon. That means EPCOT is about to undergo a MASSIVE change.
The holiday season is starting to wind down in Disney World, and we’ve only got a little more time to enjoy the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, as well as all the holiday snacks. All that’s left are the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and then 2026 will be here.
New signs
The end of the year also generally means the end of Jingle Cruise, the holiday overlay for Jungle Cruise. So this is your reminder that if you want to ride Jingle Cruise before it closes and becomes Jungle Cruise again, you’ll need to get to Magic Kingdom no later than January 2nd.
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