This week at Walt Disney World, the EPCOT Festival of the Arts kicks off with new lighting for Spaceship Earth and a 6-hour line for merchandise, more restaurant reopenings are announced, and a special discount ticket offer is announced!
Outside Walt Disney World, SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay bring back free beer for a very limited time and Universal Orlando Resort announces its 2022 Mardi Gras concert lineup!
1. Guests wait HOURS for Figment popcorn bucket at EPCOT Festival of the Arts opener
The opening of the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts was this week, and it seems nothing got guests more excited than the release of the new Figment Popcorn bucket celebrating the opening of the festival. Guests waited hours in line for the new piece of merchandise, with many taking home several of the much sought-after item, which retails for $25.
2. Spaceship Earth gets rainbow lighting for 2022 EPCOT Festival of the arts
As part of the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts guests can now see rainbow lights dancing across Spaceship Earth to the tune of The Rainbow Connection by The Muppets. This special lighting can be seen every night from now through the end of the festival.
3.Trio of resort restaurants set to reopen
As Disney continues to reopen some of its resort table service restaurants, a trio of fan favorites have now been confirmed to be reopening on the following dates:
- Flying Fish at Disney’s BoardWalk Resort will reopen on January 27
- Jiko at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge reopens February 17
- Turf Club at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort reopens February 3
4. New weekday Florida Resident discount ticket now available
Though annual passes continue to be unavailable, Disney has announced a new multi-day ticket deal for Florida residents. This ticket is valid only on weekdays from now through April 7 (with blackout dates March 14-18) and starts at $149 plus tax for two days (a three-day ticket is $179 plus tax and a four-day ticket is $199 plus tax). The tickets can be used on consecutive or non-consecutive days, and guests can also add Park Hopper for $35 per ticket.
5. Garden Rocks concert series returns to EPCOT International Flower and Garden festival
The Garden Rocks concert series has been confirmed to be returning to the EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival this March, and Disney has announced several new and returning acts for this year, including the following:
- March 4-5 – The Guess Who
- March 6-7 – Rick Springfield
- March 11-12 – Melina Leon – NEW to Garden Rocks
- March 18-19 – Mike DelGuidice, currently on tour with Billy Joel – NEW
- March 20-21 – Kool & The Gang – NEW to Garden Rocks
- March 25-28 – The Orchestra starring former members of ELO
- April 1-2 – The Spinners
- April 3-4 – The Pointer Sisters
- April 8-9 – Blue October – NEW to Garden Rocks
- April 15-16 – Tommy DeCarlo, singer of the band Boston – NEW
- April 17-18 – Don Felder, Formerly of The Eagles
- April 22-23 – STARSHIP featuring Mickey Thomas
- April 24-25 – Claudia Leitte – NEW
- April 29-30 – Berlin
- May 1-2 – TobyMac
- May 6-7 – Blood, Sweat & Tears
- May 8-9 – The Commodores – NEW to Garden Rocks
- May 13-14 – Ambrosia with Peter Beckett – NEW
- May 20-21 – A Flock Of Seagulls
- May 22-23 – Collin Raye – NEW
- May 27-28 – Thelma Houston – NEW
- May 29-30 – Little River Band
- June 3-6 – Simple Plan
- June 10-13 – Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
- June 17-20 – Plain White T’s
6. Olaf character meet and greet returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
After an absence of over two years, the Celebrity Spotlight attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has reopened and guests can once again meet Olaf the snowman from the Frozen series. This character meet and greet will be available daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm daily.
7. SeaWorld and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay bring back free beer this weekend
SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay announced free beer will be available for a very limited time, starting this weekend. All SeaWorld guests can visit the Waterway Grill Bar near the theme park’s Infinity Falls attraction for their free 7-ounce draft this weekend only, while annual passholders and Fun Card holders at Busch Gardens Tampa have until the end of the month to visit the Garden Gate Café for their free drink.
8. Mardi Gras 2022 concert series lineup announced
For the first time since 2020 Universal Orlando Resort is bringing concerts back to its annual Mardi Gras event, and it looks like this year’s event will have an awesome lineup, including the following confirmed musicians:
- Sugar Ray (Saturday, Feb. 5)
- Diana Ross (Saturday, Feb. 12)
- Barenaked Ladies (Saturday, Feb. 19)
- Styx (Sunday, Feb. 20)
- Jon Pardi (Saturday, Feb. 26)
- LL Cool J (Saturday, March 5)
- Marshmello (Sunday, March 6)
- Lee Brice (Saturday, March 12)
- Becky G (Sunday, March 13)
- Khalid (Friday, March 18)
- Seal (Saturday, March 19)
- Gavin DeGraw (Sunday, March 20)
- The Revivalists (Friday, March 25)
- Jimmie Allen (Saturday, March 26)
- Jason Derulo (Sunday, March 27)
