UPDATED: April 24, 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 when 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
February 28th – May 27th 2024: EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival
The EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival is an absolute highlight of Spring in Walt Disney World, and has been since it began in 1994. The 2024 EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival officially kicked off on February 28th, 2024 and is running through May 27th this year!
This spring and festival features beautiful topiaries featuring Disney characters, outdoor kitchens serving up seasonal treats from around the globe, and the Garden Rocks concert series.
Click HERE to see what’s blooming at the 2024 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival!
April 2024
April 5th, 2024: NEW Adventures Have Come to Star Tours
On April 5th, NEW adventures made their debut at Star Tours in Disney World’s Hollywood Studios (along with Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris) featuring NEW-to-the-ride characters!
The new adventures feature characters and locations from Ashoka, Andor, and The Mandalorian. Parkgoers can now experience over 250 different adventures with a plethora of different characters, locations, and experiences!
Click HERE to check out the CHANGES at Star Tours (though beware of spoilers)!
April 10, 2024: 1900 Park Fare Reopens with NEW Character Dining at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
1900 Park Fare reopened at long last on April 10th, 2024! This restaurant, which is located in Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, is one of a few that had yet to reopen since the temporary closure of Walt Disney World Resort in 2020. But now, it’s back… with an entirely new Character Dining experience: Wish Makers Enchanted Dining!
During a buffet-style Breakfast or Dinner, guests enjoy tableside visits by characters including Aladdin (in his Prince Ali look), Cinderella, Mirabel from Encanto, and Princess Tiana in her new look for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure “as they celebrate the power of a wish.”
Click HERE to step inside the reopened — and refreshed — 1900 Park Fare!
April 18-21, 2024: RunDisney Springtime Surprise Weekend
What’s super cool about this runDisney race weekend event is that the experience is totally different every year, and 2024’s theme was “EMBRACE THE ADVENTURE!”
2024 Springtime Surprise Weekend events included a Hakuna Matata 10-Miler at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, an Adventure Is Out There 10K, including Disney Pixar’s Up! Russell, Dug, Carl, and Kevin, and a Neverland 5K. CONGRATULATIONS to all participants!
Check out more important info on Springtime Surprise Weekend HERE!
May 2024
May 24th, 2024: “Disney Dreams That Soar” Drone Show Debuts in Disney Springs
Starting on May 24th, make sure you head to the West Side of Disney Springs to catch a BRAND NEW Drone show above Lake Buena Vista: “Disney Dreams That Soar” is inspired by Disney stories showcasing flight!
These drones are programmed to create designs in the sky and will be accompanied by a beautiful musical score that includes memorable movie quotes. The show will run through September 2nd, and is planned to be a late-night perk for those still hanging out at Disney Springs, so be sure you plan your next park day accordingly!
Click here for MORE on Disney Dreams That Soar!
May 25 – August 31, 2024: H2O Glow Nights at Typhoon Lagoon
H2O Glow Nights will return to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park for select nights from May 25th through August 31st, 2024!
This extra ticket event features glow-in-the-dark fun after the sun goes down with shorter wait times for the park’s waterslides, a DJ dance party, exclusive menu items, Disney character appearances, and more. Special event snacks such as ice cream treats, popcorn, and some fountain drinks are included in the cost and can be found at carts stationed throughout Typhoon Lagoon.
Click HERE for more info about H2O Glow Nights!
June 2024
June 10th, 2024: The Opening of EPCOT’s CommuniCare Hall and Plaza Festival Area
EPCOT’s historic — and lengthy — transformation is at last coming to a close! The final touch will be the opening of CommuniCore Hall and Plaza on June 10th, 2024!
The new area will serve as a central location for EPCOT’s rotating festivals throughout the year, providing a communal space to celebrate rather than having to trek around the whole park. In addition to providing dedicated spaces for EPCOT’s seasonal Festivals, CommuniCore Hall will also be the location of a new Mickey & Friends Meet-and-Greet!
Check out EVERYTHING coming to CommuniCore HERE!
June 10th, 2024 – September 6th, 2024: NEW Encanto Show Debuting in EPCOT
As part of the CommuniCore opening celebration, also kicking off on June 10th will be a BRAND NEW Encanto stage show! ¡Celebración Encanto! is a sing-along that includes popular songs from the movie!
The show will be running several times a day and will take place on the CommuniCore Plaza stage. You’ll even be able to see Bruno and Mirabel throughout this show, which will run through September 6th, 2024.
Find out MORE about the new Encanto show HERE!
June 10th – September 6th, 2024: 30th Anniversary of The Lion King in Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, they are celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Lion King! This celebration will kick off on June 10th and end on September 6th, 2024. Of course, we’ll see a brand new merchandise collection and some new snacks to celebrate, but we’re especially excited because…
…the meet and greet of Timon and Rafiki is returning! You’ll be able to meet them at Rafiki’s Planet Watch, so be sure to hop on the Wildlife Express so you can take advantage of this rare meet and greet coming back for a limited time!
Find out about this summer’s Limited Time Meet-and-Greets HERE!
June 10th, 2024: Joy from Inside Out Meet-and-Greet Relocates
Have you ever been wandering around Disney’s Hollywood Studios and ended up in Pixar Plaza? It is the home to a TON of Pixar characters — like some favorites from The Incredibles. Beginning on June 10th, we will be able to meet a NEW Pixar character here — Joy from Inside Out! She’ll be joining a bunch of her Pixar pals just in time for the release of Inside Out 2!
You can currently meet Joy in ImageWorks at EPCOT — however, according to the Disney website, Joy is being temporarily relocated — so will she eventually make her way back to EPCOT? Only time will tell, but we’ll be on the lookout! 👀
Find out about this summer’s Limited Time Meet-and-Greets HERE!
June 17th, 2024: EPCOT’s Test Track Closes for Reimagining
On June 17th, Test Track, which is located in EPCOT’s World Discovery, will temporarily close 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! At this time, a reopening timeline has not been announced, but we’ll keep you posted!
Find out more about the NEW Test Track HERE!
July 2024
July 1, 2024: New Fort Wilderness Cabins Will Start to Open
In 2023, Disney announced that the Cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground would be getting a makeover. Ultimately, over 350 newly redesigned Disney Vacation Club Fort Wilderness Cabins will replace the existing cabins at the resort.
These refreshed cabins will make their debuts starting on July 1st! The opening will take place in phases — the first loop will open on July 1st, and the second will follow later in the month. More will continue to open throughout the year.
Click HERE to find out how to book a NEW Fort Wilderness Cabin!
August 2024
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 25 Global Marketplace booths along with the Eat to the Beat Concert series and more family-friendly activities. And this year, the Festival will incorporate the NEW CommuniCore Hall and Plaza that’s opening on June 10th, 2024!
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!
October 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!
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!
Summer 2024: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Opening
We think it’s safe to say we’re all waiting with bated beignet breath for the opening of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the reimagined version of Splash Mountain, which closed in 2023.
Disney has announced a summer of 2024 opening for the attraction, and we’ll be so ready!
Here’s EVERYTHING we know about Tiana’s Bayou Adventure so far!
Summer 2024: NEW Country Bear Musical Jamboree Debuts
A NEW SHOW is coming to Country Bear Jamboree in Magic Kingdom! The beloved bears are learning an all-new act — they’ll sing their classic songs in NEW styles like country, rockabilly, and bluegrass.
And these changes are coming SOON… Country Bear Jamboree officially CLOSED on January 27th, 2024 for the refurbishment. Disney announced that the new show will make its debut THIS SUMMER.
See the surprising ending to the classic Country Bears show HERE!
Summer 2024: Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will Reopen from Refurbishment
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster in Hollywood Studios is a fun, fast-paced coaster that features music (and a pre-ride show) by Aerosmith. On January 8th, 2024, the ride closed for a lengthy refurbishment.
Though a specific reopening date has not yet been announced, the Disney World website states that the popular attraction will reopen in summer 2024.
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. When it opens, we can expect musical numbers like “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.
New Genie+ and Lightning Lane Reservations System
This one’s major and we are NOT even mad at it— Disney recently announced that in 2024, they’ll be making some changes to the Genie+ and Lightning Lane system to allow guests to plan ahead with Genie+ and Lightning Lane selections BEFORE their park visit, and this honestly changes the whole game!
Disney hasn’t yet hammered out the details on this one, but we’ll definitely keep you posted when more info is shared!
Check out more about Genie + HERE!
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 recently pushed the opening timeline to early 2024, and it can’t get here fast enough!
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!
Ditto goes for the upcoming location for Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs! This location was also set to open on the BoardWalk in 2023 (“late 2023,” to be precise); however, Disney has announced that it will now be opening in 2024 instead. It will take the place of the former BoardWalk To Go stand.
Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs currently serves Hand-dipped Corn Dogs and other unique Corn Dog creations over in Disneyland at the Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs kiosk in Downtown Disney. And let me tell you… these are NOT you average Corn Dogs. While we wait for the official Disney World menu to be released, let’s mention a few that we’ve tried at the Downtown Disney location, like the Mexican Street Corn Dog, a Christmas Corn Dog, and even a Golden Dragon Corn Dog! We’ll be sure to keep you posted on this exciting addition, now coming in 2024!
August-November 2024: Halloween/Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party
It’s the most…wonderful time…of the year! Well, it is for those of us who been celebrating Halloween since the 5th of July, anyway! Seriously, Halloween at Disney World is a whole mood and we’re totally here for it! The season includes spooky (and sometimes sweet!) snacks, as well as Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, which is a must for all ages! Not only is there trick or treating at various locations around Magic Kingdom as well as the opportunity to visit your favorite rides, but it’s one of the only times guest 14 and over can visit the park in costume (there are rules though, so make sure you know them).
Note: this is a separate ticketed event, and it sells out quickly! So when ticket sales open, be prepared to act fast! Also, if you’re taking little ones for the first time, be sure to plug in some nap and/or rest time late in the afternoon before the event starts. The event usually runs until the park closes at midnight, and trust us, it’s a lot more fun when the crankiest monsters aren’t the ones you’re pushing around in strollers!
Check out Minnie, Daisy, and Clarabelle in costume as the Sanderson sisters HERE!
November-December 2024: Holidays at Disney World/Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
The holidays are undoubtedly a special time at Disney World — if you thought it was impossible for Disney to get even more magical, you haven’t visited at Christmas, and you definitely should! The holiday season typically brings new seasonal food items, special character appearances, holiday overlays on your favorite rides (oh, hello, Space Mountain: Holiday Run!), and of course, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party! This party is a super fun seasonal Magic Kingdom event which also requires a separate ticket.
One of the highlights we’re looking forward to is the Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks Show!
Check out more about the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas HERE!
November-December 2024: EPCOT International Festival of Holidays
Not gonna lie, we’re really looking forward to this one! EPCOT International Festival of Holidays is an opportunity for park guests to experience holiday traditions from around the world all at World Showcase. 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 “food kitchens” during the season.
This event historically begins the day after Thanksgiving (which, in 2024, will be November 29th) and runs through December 30th.
November-December 2024: EPCOT Candlelight Processional
Lastly, mark your calendars for what is 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 (2023’s group includes Eva Longoria, Sterling K. Brown, Chrissy Metz, and Audra MacDonald) accompanied by a choir, orchestra, herald trumpets, and the Voices of Liberty.
As part of the Festival of the Holidays, this event historically begins the day after Thanksgiving (which, in 2024, will be November 29th) and runs through December 30th. Standby lines should be available to view each performance, but a Candlelight Processional dining package is also available with guaranteed seating for specific performances.
Check out more info on the Candlelight Processional Dining Package HERE!
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.
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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?