It has certainly been a busy week in Disney news! From a new CEO being announced to Festival menus on BOTH the east coast and the west coast, there has been no shortage of exciting announcements.

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest news stories from the past week!

A Jungle Cruise Boat Sinks!

It was reported on February 27th that a Jungle Cruise boat sank while guests were on board!

There are 15 Jungle Cruise boats in circulation and the one that sank yesterday is Bomokandi Bertha, which is one of the wheelchair lift-equipped boats. No injuries have been reported. We will continue to keep you posted as we learn more information.

Read more about the Jungle Cruise situation here!

Disney Announces a New CEO!

It was announced on Tuesday that Disney’s CEO Bob Iger was stepping down, effective immediately, and that Bob Chapek (now former President of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products) would assume the role as CEO.

Bob Iger will stay with the Company as Executive Chairman through the end of 2021, focusing on “creative endeavors” while Chapek assumes the day-to-day responsibilities as CEO. You can read the full official Company statement here!

Read MORE about the Disney CEO change here!

Cinderella Castle Refurbishment Update

Our second story we want to catch you up on involves Cinderella Castle! It was reported last week that the iconic castle would undergo a very noticeable refurbishment ahead of Disney World’s 50th Anniversary celebrations. This project has already begun with some noticeable work being done around the base of the castle.

Many concerns were raised regarding the visibility and appearance of the castle during this refurbishment, Magic Kingdom Vice President Jason Kirk eased our minds by announcing that the castle will remain UNCOVERED during this transformation!

This should come as a big relief to families looking to capture that classic group photo in front of the castle. While the impact of this project should be minimal, keep an eye on DFB as we will continue to update you with photos and reports from the park!

Read more about Cinderella Castle’s transformation here!

Spaceship Earth Has a Closing Date!

In preparation for Epcot’s 40th Anniversary and as a part of the MASSIVE transformation that’s currently in progress, Spaceship Earth will be re-imagined and renovated to include new scenes, new technologies, and much more!

We now know the exact date when this massive refurbishment begins: May 26, 2020!

This could end up being a LONG downtime for this attraction. While we do not have an exact timeframe or date for when the ride will reopen, we will let you know as soon as we do. So, if you can make it to Disney World before May 26, be sure to ride Spaceship Earth and thank those Phoenicians one last time!

Read what else we know so far about Spaceship Earth’s transformation here!

There’s a New Dining Plan Option!

For those of you looking to add the Disney Dining Plan to your vacation package, there are now even MORE options to choose from. Introduced this week was Disney Dining Plan Plus, offering more flexibility in how you choose to plan your day when it comes to dining.

This plan allows for two meals of any combination per day. So, you could do two quick service meals one day, then the next day do two table service meals, and then the next day do one of each! The choice is yours!

Disney Dining Plan Plus costs $94.61 (per night) for adults (ages 10 and up) and $35.01 (per night) for children (ages 3-9) including tax. And keep in mind that the Disney Dining Plan does NOT include gratuity! For comparison, the price of the new Plus plan is right between the Disney Standard Dining Plan and the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan.

Read ALL about Disney Dining Plan Plus here!

Epcot Flower & Garden Festival Menus

We’re less than a week away from the official kick-off to the 2020 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival! This week saw a lot of Flower and Garden news, from a sneak peek at all the new merchandise to the beautiful topiaries appearing throughout the park!

This festival will continue for nearly three months, from March 4, 2020 through June 1, 2020! The biggest news and what we’re most excited about of course are the FULL festival booth menus!

See the FULL Flower and Garden MENUS and BOOTHS here! 

We’ve been thrilled to see some fan favorites returning to the Festival this year, as well as returning specialties, like the Orange Bird Sipper and the Chinese Cotton Candy.

We can’t wait to try all of the Flower and Garden treats for ourselves! Keep an eye on DFB as the Festival officially kicks off next week!

Read all of the full menus for the 2020 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival here!

Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival Menus

We’re wrapping up our week’s worth of news by hopping over to Disneyland Resort, where the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival is set to begin today, February 28, and run through April 21!

The full menus were also released this week, and we were thrilled to see so many NEW additions coming to the festival this year!

We’re even seeing Downtown Disney get in on the Festival action this year! Be sure to keep an eye on DFB for Food and Wine Festival coverage!

Read all of the full menus for the 2020 Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival here!

Are you planning on visiting the Epcot Flower and Garden Festival or the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival this year? Let us know in the comments!