Earlier this week, Walt Disney World was jam-packed with people, with multi-hour waits for attractions like Space Mountain, Soarin’ and Slinky Dog Dash. The Magic Kingdom even closed at one point on Monday due to the park reaching capacity. However, though it’s only Thursday, crowd levels have begun to recede, and some adjustments are being made to deal with the end of the holiday season and the start of a slower period at Walt Disney World.
1. The Festival of Fantasy Parade moves back to 3:00 PM
Image: Disney
The 3:00 parade has become such an institution at the Magic Kingdom that Disney has even created a line of merchandise themed around the classic tourist question “When is the 3 ‘o clock parade?” However, last fall, the daily Festival of Fantasy parade moved to 2:00 PM, where it stayed through the Halloween and holiday season while events like Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party ruled the schedule and put a strain on entertainment during the day. However, now that the calendar at the Magic Kingdom is a lot less crowded, effective this week, the parade has been moved back to its normal time of 3:00 PM, where it is expected to stay until next fall.
2. Long-scheduled refurbishments begin and planned closures take effect
Image: Disney
The beginning of a new year often brings lots of closures and refurbishments to Walt Disney World and 2019 is no different, with water parks, the Walt Disney World Railroad and more getting spruced up at the moment. One of the biggest closures that is happening now is that of the Tomorrowland Speedway, which closed yesterday for a lengthy refurbishment so that changes can be made to the track to accomodate the upcoming Tron attraction.
In addition, overflow merchandise locations as well as the temporary pop-up shop The Art of Disney Presents Greg McCullough at Disney Springs have all been shuttered in recent days now that the holiday rush has ended.
3. Park hours are reduced but upcharge events remain
Image: Disney
Though guests who visit during the busy holidya season may be used to late nights at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, now that guests levels are going down, park hours are being shortened, with most parks closing 2-3 hours earlier beginning next week. However, in an interesting change, it looks like Disney is trying to extend its upcharge events into the off-season, with Disney After Hours events happening at every park except for Epcot from now until April. Time will tell if this upcharge expansion will be successful, but based on the popularity of Disney After Hours at the Magic Kingdom, it seems likely that Disney will keep working on getting as many successful upcharge events on the calendar as possible before the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge this fall.
4. Dining changes sweep the parks
Image: Disney
Disney makes some big dining changes during the holidays, opening locations like Aunt Polly’s and the Tortuga Tavern to serve guests during high traffic periods. However, all of these rarely opened locations are now once again closed, and special deals like the Rivers of Light Tasting Sampler (which actually gave guests free money to spend on food!) are no longer being offered now that guest levels are back down to normal levels.
Image: Disney
However, one change from the holidays that will be sticking around is the addition of breakfast at D-Luxe Burger, which was added for the holiday season but proved to be popular enough that it has been extended indefinitely, with the following menu items still available:
- Classic Breakfast Burger – $7.99 – A D-Luxe Signature Patty, Cheddar, Bacon, Egg and Hash Browns served on a Parker House Roll
- Egg White Frittata Sandwich – $7.99 – Egg Whites, Spinach, Hash Browns, Pico de Gallo and Avocado Crema on a Parker House Roll
- D-Luxe Breakfast Sandwich – $6.99 – Egg, Cheddar Cheese and Bacon with choice of D-Luxe Signature Patty, Chorizo Patty or Buttermilk Fried Chicken
- Crispy Chicken Biscuit – $7.99 – Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Honey Butter, Chipotle Mayonnaise and Pickles on a Cheddar Biscuit
- El Diablo Breakfast Burger – $7.99 – Chorizo-Signature Blend Patty, Pepper Jack Cheese, Smoked Bacon-Pepper Jam and Egg on a Cheddar Biscuit
- Breakfast Sandwich – $3.99 – Egg, Cheddar Cheese and Bacon on a small Park House Roll
