This week at Walt Disney World, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind gets an opening date (and an upcharge), Spaceship Earth goes green with Kermit the Frog, plus a massive restaurant refurbishment is announced!
Outside Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort gets up-close character meet and greets again, a new character backdrop is available at Universal Studios Florida, plus Peppa Pig Theme Park extends hours to try and control crowds.
1. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind gets opening date and paid-for preview
Walt Disney World has announced a May 27 opening for EPCOT’s Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind roller coaster. Disney has updated the attraction’s webpage to include a countdown clock and important information about the attraction including height restrictions and more
Disney has confirmed that advance previews for this attraction will be held for Cast Members Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members in the coming weeks. Emails will be going out in the coming weeks that will contain more information for these groups wanting to sign up for their chance to experience this attraction before its opening date.
Interestingly, D23 Gold Members will be able to buy tickets for a special upcharge preview of this attraction that will allow these guests to experience this attraction during a special one day event on May 15. Tickets for this advanced preview of this attraction will cost $40 per person, and tickets go on sale for D23 Gold Members on Tuesday April 12.
2. Spaceship Earth turns green for Earth Month with the help of Kermit the Frog
EPCOT is celebrating Earth Month by going green with everyone’s favorite frog, Kermit! You can check out a video of this icon turning green as part of Disney’s Planet Possible Earth Month celebration here. As you can see in the video, Spaceship Earth is powered efficiently with 100% LED lighting, making it a great beacon for conservation.
3. Narcoossee’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort closing for refurbishment this summer
Table service restaurant Narcoossee’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort will be closing June 18, for refurbishment. No information has been released about how long this restaurant will be closed for and what changes we might see come to this restaurant, but we do know that a reopening is expected before the end of the year. In the meantime, neighboring restaurant Citricos will be available for an extended 7 days a week while Narcoossee’s is unavailable.
4. Disney+ subscribers get hotel room discounts on stays at select resorts this summer
Disney is currently offering Disney+ streaming service subscribers a discount of up to 25% off a Walt Disney World hotel stay. This exclusive offer for Disney+ subscribers is valid for visits on stays July 8 – September 30, 2022. In order to claim this discount, the Disney+ subscriber must be actually staying in the room and their email address must be the one used to book. You can learn more about how much this special offer can save Disney+ subscribers here.
5. Cast Easter Eggs now on display at several deluxe resorts
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort lobbies now have special cast Easter eggs made out of candy and chocolate on display through April 18. Guests can find more fun on the fourth floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort which will have their cast Easter egg on display through April 20. You can get a quick glance of these displays on the official Disney Parks TikTok here.
6. KiteTails to transition to full-day experience in preparation for summer
Though the KiteTails show is performed several times throughout the day right now, Disney is transitioning this sit-down show into a full-day experience so guests will be able to see the high-flying kites from anywhere around the Discovery River Lagoon, with shorter and more frequent performances throughout the day. Unfortunately, since this won’t be a sit-down show anymore, the ground performers in the show inside the theater will no longer be a part of the show anymore.
7. Disney announces affordable housing project
Disney is planning to use almost 80 acres of land near the Walt Disney World resort for a new affordable housing development located in southwest Orange County in central Florida.
The development will consist of over 1,300 units which will be available for certain qualifying applicants including Cast Members. A range of affordable homes will be on offer, all located in the development close to Flamingo Crossings Town Center with access to schools and amenities. No information has been released on when this project will actually come to fruition, but hopefully we’ll learn more about Disney’s plans to bring more housing to the community soon.
8. The Bad Guys photo op now available in KidsZone area of Universal Studios Florida
In preparation for the release of the new The Bad Guys film from DreamWorks, Universal Studios Florida has a new photo opportunity for fans that includes a backdrop that features characters from the film like Ms. Tarantula, Mr. Snake, Mr. Wolf, Mr. Shark, and Mr. Piranha. The brand new backdrop is in the Kidszone area of the park, near the Dreamworks character meet and greet experience.
9. Character hugs and high fives are back at Universal Orlando Resort
Just a week after Walt Disney World announced that they would be reintroducing more traditional meet and greets at their theme parks, Universal has brought back physical interaction as part of certain meet-and-greets with guests able to hug, high-five, and get autographs from characters meeting at Marvel Super Hero Island, KidsZone, and more as part of a return to pre-pandemic character meet and greets.
10. Peppa Pig Theme Park extends hours this month
The Peppa Pig Theme Park has extended its hours for the month, with the park now opening an hour earlier on select dates this month, presumably due to large crowds at this park visiting during its inaugural year. You can see the most up-to-date hours for this park at the Peppa Pig Theme Park official website here.
