Disney Made A HUGE Change This Week… And Then They Took It Back

Are you someone who loves Disney? Do you watch all of the movies? Do you go to the theme parks every chance you get? Well, you’ve come to the right place!

Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingidom

Each week, it feels like Disney is constantly dropping new information, details, and more, all connected to the company. Each week, we do a wrap-up of the biggest news from the week so you don’t miss a single detail. This week had some fun changes and one major milestone!

Every week is different when you’re following the Disney company! From theme parks to television to movies to hotels, there is always something changing with the company. This week included a MAJOR Disney milestone that honestly makes us emotional.

Disney’s Most Popular Lounges Changed… And Then Changed Back

Disney really played with us this week! Earlier in the week, we noticed that both GEO-82 and the Beak and Barrel finally added walk-up lists to each lounge! This means it would be easier to experience each dining option, which previously required reservations to experience.

©Disney

We were thrilled! Our entire team was so excited to see this change! Sadly, it was short-lived. Disney quickly removed the option from the app. This leads us to believe that this feature is coming in the future but it wasn’t quite ready to be launched.

©Disney

When it was live on the MyDisneyExperience App, it showed that both lounges were full due to high demand, so even when it was live, it wasn’t really available to guests. We’re really hoping Disney moves these two lounges back to the walk-up waitlist soon. We won’t be surprised if the company waits until after the summer rush is over.

FINALLY! It Just Got Easier To Get Into These 2 Disney World Lounges!

A Major Change Comes To Disney Springs

Over in Disney Springs, it seems like the changes are never-ending. Several stores have closed, and several new ones have already filled their place. Even transportation has gotten some now-infamous updates. Now, one very popular dessert stop has found a new (although temporary) home.

Temporary Ghirardelli location

That’s right, Ghirardelli has moved! Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop’s original location has now closed. The dessert shop is expected to reopen in Spring 2027 with new updates. The remodeled store will feature increased guest seating, more efficient guest checkout, and a “few surprises.”

Construction at the old storefront

The new, temporary location is located in the Disney Springs Town Center area, in the former Sprinkles Cupcakes location, which was more recently home to the Black Tap Crazy Shake pop-up. The new spot still has plenty of those famous chocolate squares we still love.

Ghirardelli chocolates

The reopening date for the Ghirardelli store hasn’t been confirmed yet, but we’re glad we can get our sweets in the meantime.

CONFIRMED: MAJOR Changes Just Hit Disney Springs

Disneyland Hits A MAJOR Milestone

Finally, the biggest piece of news today is that Disneyland officially welcomed its 1 billionth guest! That’s right, one billion people have officially visited the original Disney theme park. A young boy named Andres Robles from Arizona was selected as the honorary one-billionth guest. He and his family participated in a ceremony at the train station where they got to reveal a new sign to mark the milestone.

©Disney

The entire family got to meet Mickey, Minnie, the Disneyland Ambassadors, and Disneyland President Jill Estorino! After the big ceremony, they were gifted a VIP tour guide for the day. That meant they could visit historic backstage areas (like Walt Disney’s apartment) and skip the lines for the most popular rides.

©Disney

We can’t help but get emotional thinking about what this means to the entire Disney team. The park officially opened in 1955, and it was only expected to welcome 15,000 guests that day. Over 28,000 people showed up that day to be part of history. Now, one billion people later, Walt’s little theme park continues to make history. What an incredible accomplishment!

Disneyland Hits Major Milestone Just Days Before 71st Birthday

What a week to be a Disney fan! We can’t wait to see what changes keep coming as the year continues. As always, be sure to keep following DFB for more Disney news, updates, and more.

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