TouringPlans Travel Beat 10-19-2025

At Travel Beat we have all the “other” news from the last week or so—the stuff that wasn’t big enough to stop the presses for. What did the newsroom bring us this week? Bullets are just ahead if you’re in a hurry, and more details follow below. Don’t forget to check out the Headline News Recap, in case there was something you missed!

• Disney Cruise Line Tops Readers’ Choice List at Conde Nast
• Jingle Cruise Coming to the Magic Kingdom on November 3
• Disney Jr. Dining Ends at Hollywood & Vine
• Disney Destiny Welcomed to the DCL Fleet
• Disney After Hours Tickets for 2026 Now On Sale To All
• Wicked: The Experience is Getting a New Experience
• 2026 DVC Membership Magic Beyond Benefits Announced
• Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure Will Go 2D at EPCOT
• Zootopia: Better Zoogether! Will Be a Lightning Lane Multi Pass Option
• 2025 Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll Lineup
• Headline News Recap

Can you guess which story inspired this week’s cover image? Leave your guesses in the comments!

Disney Cruise Line Tops Readers’ Choice List at Conde Nast

If you’ve made a downpayment on a Disney cruise and wondered whether it was really worth it, the answer is a definite maybe? Disney Cruie Line took home the top spot in the Conde Nast 2025 Readers’ Choice awards in the Large Cruise Ship category. That category is for 2,500 to 4,000 passengers, and it includes all of Disney’s ships in the Dream and Triton class, but not the Magic and Wonder. The two oldest ships are in the Medium Ship class, where Disney placed 16th.

Jingle Cruise Coming to the Magic Kingdom on November 3

Jingle Cruise, the popular holiday overlay for the Magic Kingdom’s Jungle Cruise, will be returning beginning on November 3. That’s a few days earlier than the rest of the holiday offerings at Disney World, as a quick switcheroo will happen right on the heels of Halloween. Looking for what else you’ll find at Disney World during the holidays? Everything To Do at Disney World During the Holidays 2025

Disney Jr. Dining Ends at Hollywood & Vine

For quite a while now, Hollywood & Vine in Hollywood Studios has done double duty as a character buffet, offering Disney Jr. Play & Dine for breakfast and Minnie’s Seasonal Dine at lunch and dinner. On October 12, Minnie’s Seasonal Dine took over at breakfast as well, and the Disney Jr. character meal featuring Vampirina, Fancy Nancy, and Doc McStuffins (among others) is no longer available. The current Minnie’s Seasonal is – you guessed it! – Minnie’s Halloween Dine.

Disney Destiny Welcomed to the DCL Fleet

With her maiden voyage just a month away, Disney Cruise Line took delivery of the Disney Destiny this week. Meyer Werft, the shipbuilder, transferred ownership of the Disney Destiny in a ceremony held in Eemshaven, Netherlands. Joe Schott, president of Disney Signature Experiences, Sharon Siskie, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Cruise Line, and Captain Andy McRonald accepted the delivery from Meyer Werft. Next stop: Fort Lauderdale!

Disney After Hours Tickets for 2026 Now On Sale To All

If you’re planning next year’s vacation, Disney After Hours tickets for 2026 went on sale to the general public this week. After Hours in 2026 will be available at the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Hollywood Studios, with events scheduled through September. See 2026 Disney World After Hours Dates and Details for details.

Wicked: The Experience is Getting a New Experience

Disney isn’t the only one that can roll out an activation; as Universal prepares for the release of Wicked: For Good, the Universal Studios Florida interactive walkthrough Wicked: The Experience will get a makeover inspired by the sequel. Look for an all-new overlay with props, photo ops, and of course merchandise, all based on the sequel. The new exhibits and merchandise will be available beginning on October 31, 2025. Plus, look for Wicked-themed tie-ins and treats throughout Citywalk and the parks, like the Wicked for Good Sundae pictured below.

2026 DVC Membership Magic Beyond Benefits Announced

Benefits for 2026 were added to the Membership Magic Beyond page this week as the program gears up for its second year. The offerings are largely unchanged, and so is the price – $99 for the whole year. This upcharge add-on to a Disney Vacation Club Membership can only be purchased by members eligible for Membership Extras (blue card members), and includes options like specially priced tickets, bonus one-time use points, priority lounge access, and the ability to purchase Annual Passes with DVC points.

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure Will Go 2D at EPCOT

Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will have a short 4-day downtime from November 10 through 13, 2025. Disney has announced that it will have enhanced digital visuals and 2D imagery. New props and lightning enhancements will also be added to both the queue and the attraction over the next few months.

This announcement for EPCOT’s version of the ride comes on the heels of a similar announcement for the Disneyland Paris version in August. At the time, Disney reported that the change was partly based on guest satisfaction with trials of the 2D version there.

Zootopia: Better Zoogether! Will Be a Lightning Lane Multi Pass Option

Zootopia: Better Zoogether! opens on November 7, and Disney has now confirmed that it will be a Lightning Lane Multi Pass option. Although shows are rarely a good use of a slot, Animal Kingdom has a pretty skinny lineup with the upcoming closure of DINOSAUR. The first day that Better Zoogether will be available as a Lightning Lane selection is November 7, the same as its opening day.

2025 Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll Lineup

Disney Springs hasn’t put up a date yet, but the Christmas Tree Stroll page has been updated for 2025. This year’s scavenger hunt-style stroll features trees themed to Coco, Encanto, The Lion King, and more. Four trees (Annual Passholder, Haunted Mansion, Star Wars, and Nightmare Before Christmas) will also have MagicBand+ interactive features.

Headline News Recap

If you were looking for a Magic Key to put under the Christmas tree, good news! Go-Go-Go! Magic Key Pass Sales Return November 4, 2025

Universal released details about the lands and attractions for its Frisco-based Kids Resort. Getting to Know Universal’s Kids Resort Texas

Close to home, we saw testing for a new Universal Express option: Universal Orlando Testing Single Attraction Express Passes

That’s it for this week’s Travel Beat. What news are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments!