UPDATED September 30, 2024
There’s no doubt about it — whether you’re a casual Disney fan or your personal motto is “all Disney evvvvverything,” keeping up with the many Disney World changes and updates can be tricky!
Well, the good news is that we’re here to help with all the important 2024 Disney date deets to make your future visits a little easier! Here are some of the dates you should definitely be aware of if you’re planning to visit the parks and resorts in 2024.
PLEASE NOTE: We’re updating this article as new dates and experiences are announced throughout 2024!
Dates We Know
OK, so Disney usually keeps their dates pretty close to their vests until a little closer to time, but luckily, we do know some of the important happenings coming down the pike in 2024.
Current Special Events and Closures
August 29 – November 23, 2024: EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival
The EPCOT Food and Wine Festival is a Disney World crowd favorite, and in 2024, it is ON from August 29th through November 23rd, 2024!
The beloved event typically boasts over 30 Global Marketplace booths along with the Eat to the Beat Concert series and more family-friendly activities. If you haven’t been, you’ll definitely want to mark your calendar, especially if food + wine + Disney is your jam!
Click HERE for complete details on the 2024 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival!
August 9 – October 31, 2024: Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a seasonal Magic Kingdom event requiring a separate ticket for entry. This year, the event is now taking place on select nights from August 9th through October 31st, 2024. Once inside, guests enjoy plenty of ghoulish fun and entertainment only available at the Party!
Trick-or-treating in the Magic Kingdom and the party-exclusive Boo-To-You Halloween Parade (which starts with an appearance by the Headless Horseman) are included, along with access to Magic Kingdom attractions and meet-and-greets with characters in their Halloween costumes. The exclusive Halloween fireworks spectacular, Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular, lights up the night just for party guests. It’s hosted by the Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington! And that’s not even close to everything…
Click HERE for all of the info about Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party!
EPCOT’s Test Track is Temporarily Closed for Reimagining
As of June 17th, Test Track, which is located in EPCOT’s World Discovery, is temporarily closed so the ride can be — in Disney speak — reimagined!
Disney hasn’t released too many details about what the updated ride experience will be like just yet, but they did mention that it will take inspiration from World of Motion, the ride that was originally there when the park opened in 1982!
Imagineers are adding new show scenes that will showcase technological advances and show “how our lifestyles and relationships to mobility connect everyone.” You will take a joy ride through scenes focusing on onboard technology, customization, and personalization, ending with a trip through a scenic outdoor route.
At this time, a reopening date has not been announced, but Disney has shared that the attraction will reopen in 2025.
Find out more about the NEW Test Track HERE!
September 2024
September 9th, 2024: TRON Lightcycle / Run Switches to a Standby Line
TRON Lightcycle / Run in Magic Kingdom has switched over to a standby queue for rider access! The ride has used a virtual queue system since its opening, but officially changed over to using a standby line on September 9th.
You can either wait in the regular standby line or purchase the Lightning Lane Single Pass to use the Lightning Lane entrance.
September 15th – October 15th, 2025: Hispanic & Latin American Heritage Month
From September 15th through October 15, Disney is celebrating Hispanic & Latin American Heritage Month by offering a TON of limited-time food options throughout Walt Disney World.
According to Disney, their culinary team has drawn inspiration from classic flavors of Hispanic and Latin American cultures to craft a lineup “filled with a variety of mouthwatering bites and sips that will transport you to these cultures with each bite.” And you can see ALL of the offerings HERE!
Click HERE to see all of the LIMITED TIME EATS coming to Disney World!
You can also meet MIGUEL from Coco in EPCOT’s Mexico pavilion throughout the celebration!
Find out about this VERY rare character opportunity HERE!
October 2024
October 7th, 2024: Final Day to See Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy
Disney has announced that Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy in Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be closing permanently. The attraction is closing to make way for a BRAND-NEW Disney Villains show debuting at Sunset Showcase in the summer of 2025.
The last day of operation for Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy is October 7th, 2024.
October 31 – November 3, 2024: runDisney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend
The runDisney 2024 Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon, part of the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, will take place from October 31, 2024 – November 3, 2024!
The Wine and Dine Half Marathon as well as the Disney’s Wine & Dine 5K, Disney Wine & Dine 10K, and the Disney Two Course Challenge make up the weekend’s race offerings!
Get all the info for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend here!
November 2024
November 4, 2024: Blizzard Beach Reopens
Disney World’s water parks operate on a rotating basis, and Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park is reopening on November 4th!
Since Disney has been only operating one water park at a time, this means that Typhoon Lagoon will be closing on November 3rd — so that’s your last day to be able to enjoy this park until they swap again!
November 8 – December 20, 2024: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a seasonal Magic Kingdom event requiring a separate ticket for entry. This year, the event will take place on select nights from from November 8th to December 20th! Once inside, guests enjoy plenty of festive fun only available at the Party!
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party features special shows like Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration! Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade is another merry highlight of the Party (complete with Santa Claus and the famous Marching Band of Toy Soldiers), as is the Holiday Fireworks spectacular: Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks! Guests can also get their holiday groove on at dance parties like Club Tinsel and Disney Junior Jingle Jam.
Tickets for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party are on sale NOW!
Check out EVERYTHING You Need to Know about Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party HERE!
November 9 – December 21, 2024: Disney Jollywood Nights
A new holiday event made its debut in 2023 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Disney Jollywood Nights… and it will be BACK FOR 2024! Disney Jollywood Nights is a separately ticketed event that will take place on thirteen select nights from November 9th through December 21st, 2024.
As part of the event, guests can view the Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! nighttime fireworks and projections spectacular, enjoy exclusive treats, meet rare characters, and more!
Guests of select Disney Resorts hotels, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotels and Shades of Green can purchase tickets starting on July 2nd, 2024 (for event dates during their stay). For all other guests, tickets will go on sale July 10th, 2024.
Click HERE for all of the info you need for Disney Jollywood Nights!
November 15 & 16, 2024: Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic
This year’s Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic will run from November 15th through November 16th. Although this event doesn’t require a park ticket, it is a ticketed event, but for the price of a ticket, you get UNLIMITED food and beverages from restaurants at the Swan, Dolphin, and Swan Reserve.
Yep, all you can eat and drink! We love this fall event, and you can learn how to make the most of your time at the Classic here.
Click HERE for all of the info on the 2024 Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic
November 29 – December 30, 2024: EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays
The EPCOT International Festival of Holidays is an opportunity for park guests to experience holiday traditions from around the world. It’s honestly such a cool, unique experience — it’s basically like Food and Wine Festival, holiday edition! — and it includes special events, music, and cuisine presented in food booths that are called “Holiday Kitchens” during the season. The event begins the day after Thanksgiving — which, in 2024, is November 29th — and runs through December 30th.
The Festival also features one of the most visually beautiful and meaningful events of the Disney World holiday season: The EPCOT Candelight Processional! This event is the retelling of the Christmas story by celebrity narrators who are accompanied by a choir, orchestra, herald trumpets, and the Voices of Liberty. Standby lines are available to view each performance, but a Candlelight Processional dining package is also available with guaranteed seating for specific performances.
Click HERE for the full scoop on The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays!
December 2024
December 17, 2024: Island Tower Opens at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
The NEW Polynesian DVC Villas at Island Tower — are being built on the shores of Seven Seas Lagoon, offering waterfront views. We can imagine that those staying in the new villas will have AMAZING views of the Magic Kingdom fireworks. And, Disney recently shared that the Villas will be opening on December 17th, 2024!
Disney has shared that Island Tower will “complete the vision created by Disney Imagineers decades ago while embracing the rich culture from the Polynesian Islands.” Room options will include Duo and Deluxe Studios as well as one- and two-bedroom Villas, and Penthouse Villas. You can take a First Look at the rooms HERE.
Click HERE to check out the rooms of Island Tower at Polynesian Village Resort!
Things That Will Happen “Sometime” In 2024
The rest of the events listed are those we expect to happen sometime in 2024, either because Disney has announced them or they occur every year around the same time, but we don’t have the exact dates yet. Not to worry, we will keep this list updated as more dates are announced, so be sure to stay tuned!
Fall 2024: New Show in Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Disney announced in December 2023 that a NEW show — “The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure” — is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Fall 2024!
The new show will be a reimagined show inspired by the original animated classic from Walt Disney Animation Studios. “The Little Mermaid — A Musical Adventure” will premiere at the Animation Courtyard theater. The new version of the show will feature a combination of live actors, puppets, digital animation, and even some live motion capture seamlessly integrated together to fully replicate the underwater setting. When it opens, we can expect to hear musical numbers like “ “Daughters of Triton,” “Part of Your World,” “Poor Unfortunate Souls,” and “Kiss the Girl!”
It’s also been confirmed that Voyage of the Little Mermaid is permanently closed in Disney World.
The Opening of NEW Restaurants on Disney World’s Boardwalk
Originally expected to open in late 2023, Cake Bake Shop, the seriously charming spot expected to serve sweet and savory menus as well as afternoon tea, has been excitedly anticipated by visitors to the Boardwalk. Disney pushed the opening timeline to 2024, and we’re pretty jazzed to check out this new spot!
Construction on the restaurant is in progress, and we’ll definitely keep you posted when more info is shared! In the meantime, we’ll be dreaming dreams of champagne and cream puffs!
Check out our interview with Cake Bake Shop owner Gwendolyn Rogers!
Is it just us, or does 2024 sound like an awesome Disney World year? As always, we’ll definitely keep you posted as more events and dates are announced! In the meantime, keep these dates marked off so you’re well-prepared for your 2024 vacation.
Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!
WE KNOW DISNEY.
YOU CAN, TOO.
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you're a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
Which 2024 events are you most looking forward to? Tell us in the comments!
Debbie Smith says
Howdy world Disney I would like to know when film for Christmas parade day for before Christmas Day? Please and thank you for your give me an information. I searched website and could not find the dates is on November 12 or 14th of this year?