food IS a theme park
If you happen to live in Florida or have plans to travel from Tampa International Airport anytime soon, we’ve got some big news to share with you.
©JetBlue
Tampa International Airport has a brand new nonstop route to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, that started on December 18th. So if you live near Tampa and are looking for a tropical vacation, you’ve got one more option, courtesy of JetBlue Airways.
We’ll admit that we spend a lot of time traveling to Disney Parks, but we also encourage you to get out there and see other parts of the world, too, if you’re able. However, if you’re making plans for international travel, you often need to be aware of locations that could be deemed dangerous.
©Disney
Recently, the U.S. State Department has issued a Level 2 travel advisory for Petra, aka “Rose City,” which was most famously seen in the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
The holiday travel season usually peaks right before Christmas, and there’s generally a little bit of a slowdown right after, but this year, things are different.
Orlando International Airport
We previously reported that 122.4 million Americans will be traveling for the holiday season this year, so it’s no secret that airports are going to be crowded. Well, you might think that the days after the official holiday season would be a little slower, but according to CBS News, they are not. Plus, winter weather could make things even more chaotic.
A lot of stuff in Disney World will be disappearing soon when the holiday season ends. You’ll have to say goodbye to things like Jingle Cruise in Magic Kingdom, the Living with the Land holiday overlay in EPCOT, and the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays.
Disney World Annual Pass
You’ll also have to say goodbye soon to an exclusive souvenir you can get during the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, a special Figment-themed festival cup that’s just for Disney World Annual Passholders.
As the holiday season gets ready to wrap up in Disney World and we get ready to ring in a brand New Year (seriously, WHERE did 2025 go, y’all?), something HUGE will be ending in EPCOT soon.
2025 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays
The EPCOT Festival of the Holidays started on November 28th and will end on December 30th, which means all the food booths, special festival activities, and the Candlelight Processional will all be going away very soon. That means EPCOT is about to undergo a MASSIVE change.
The holiday season is starting to wind down in Disney World, and we’ve only got a little more time to enjoy the EPCOT Festival of the Holidays, as well as all the holiday snacks. All that’s left are the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and then 2026 will be here.
New signs
The end of the year also generally means the end of Jingle Cruise, the holiday overlay for Jungle Cruise. So this is your reminder that if you want to ride Jingle Cruise before it closes and becomes Jungle Cruise again, you’ll need to get to Magic Kingdom no later than January 2nd.
When Disney first announced that it was building a Monsters, Inc. land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we were pretty excited. However, when we learned that we were FINALLY getting the roller coaster of our dreams, one based on the iconic doors scene in that movie, we were beyond thrilled.
©Disney
Ever since, we’ve been following along with the development of this new land (briefly pausing, though, to mourn the closing of Muppets Courtyard). We’ve seen just how massive the new roller coaster is going to be, but now we’ve got a brand new look at construction on the new ride.
So you’ve gone and done it. You’ve booked a Disney World vacation, meaning you’ve got your theme park tickets and you’ve booked your Disney World hotel.
Art of Animation Resort
Now, we get it. So many people don’t even think that much about the hotel because they’re so focused on the parks. But you paid for that hotel room, and you want to get the best value out of your stay in that hotel, right? Well, we’re going to tell you just how to do that.
Although things are usually pretty quiet in Disney World, at least when it comes to food and drinks, this week has seen a few updates that we’ve already checked out. First, a brand new snack stand opened on Disney’s BoardWalk (and yes, we tried out some snacks). Then, Garden House reopened in the Japan Pavilion in EPCOT. We also got to try some new menu items over at Martha’s Vineyard at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts.
Charcuterie and Artisanal Cheese Plate at Martha’s Vineyard
In the meantime, though, we also spotted some other changes on Disney World restaurant menus (so much for quiet, huh?). So we’re sharing those changes with you, so you don’t get caught by surprise during your next visit.
The Disney live-action trend is not going away anytime soon, especially after the blockbuster success of this year’s live-action Lilo & Stitch (which will be getting a sequel). Well, even more live-action adaptations are on the way, including a live-action Gaston film and a live-action Tangled film.
©Disney
Now there were rumors that the live-action Tangled movie would not happen after the disappointing box office returns of the live-action Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. However, a Tangled movie still seems to be happening, and now we’ve got a huge update: according to The Hollywood Reporter, Disney is now screen-testing actresses to play Rapunzel in that film.
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