TouringPlans Travel Beat 2-24-2024

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? (Sneak peek: lots of changes.) 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!

• Soarin’ Around the World Returns to EPCOT
• Limited Time Offers on Adventures by Disney
• Grand Cottage and Easter Displays Coming to Disney World
• Updates to Adult Dining Dress Code for Disney Cruise Line
• Flower & Garden Coming to Life at EPCOT
• Disney Channel Nite Character and Entertainment Lineup Announced
• Headline News Recap

Soarin’ Around the World Returns to EPCOT

For a brief moment in time, visitors to EPCOT had the opportunity to ride Soarin’ Over California. This week Disney announced that the newer Soarin’ Around the World will return to the park on February 28, and Soarin’ Over California will move to Disney California Adventure on the same date.

But maybe it won’t be the last we see of Soarin’ Over California on the East Coast. “Limited time” re-releases of the OG film at Disney California have become practically routine on an annual basis. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Disney associate an annual return of Soarin’ Over California with a yearly event such as Festival of the Arts to breathe variety into park attractions. My fingers are certainly crossed!

Limited Time Offers on Adventures by Disney

Book before April 30 to save up to $500 per person when you book airfare along with your Adventures By Disney itinerary. Consult your travel agent or find the full list of eligible itineraries here. Disney® Visa® Cardmembers can save even more, up to $750 per person!

Grand Cottage and Easter Displays Coming to Disney World

In December there is gingerbread, and at Easter there are eggs. Chocolate eggs, of course! The Grand Cottage will be returning to Disney’s Grand Floridian on March 3, with a selection of treats for sale:

• 🆕Bunny Pop Flower Pot: Chocolate flower pot filled with jelly beans and three chocolate bunny pops
• Fruity Cereal Mickey Pop: Mickey-shaped fruity cereal crisped treat
• The Easter Treat Box: Dark chocolate filled bunny, carrot blondie pop, marshmallow pop, carrot cake chocolate bark, confetti pop, and meringue nests
• Easter Marshmallow Pop: Three large marshmallows dipped in a yellow chocolate coating topped with Easter quins
• Bunny Burrow Dirt Cup: Layers of chocolate cake, chocolate buttercream, and cookies ‘n cream pieces with springtime décor (Plant-based)
• The Grand Egg: White chocolate egg filled with jelly beans sprayed in spring colors

Seasonal Easter Egg displays will also be gracing the lobbies at the Contemporary, Yacht, and Beach Club Resorts. The full list of limited-time Easter snacks and treats at Disney World should be released in the next couple of weeks.

Updates to Adult Dining Dress Code for Disney Cruise Line

Brunch at Palo on a sea day can be one of the highlights of a Disney trip. As of February 22, you may be happy to know that you can wear dress shorts to your brunch. The full specialty dining dress code on Disney Cruise Line now reads as follows:

“As a reminder, adult-exclusive restaurants aboard Disney Cruise Line ships are elegant dining experiences. Guests are requested to dress in a manner consistent with the restaurant’s sophistication. Formal or semi-formal attire is recommended. Also permitted is dress-casual attire with a polished look, such as dress pants, jeans in good condition, collared shirts, dressy tops and lifestyle shoes. For brunch at Palo and Palo Steakhouse, dress shorts are acceptable. Clothing such as T-shirts, swimwear and sports attire are not permitted.”

Flower & Garden Coming to Life at EPCOT

The EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival starts this week, and the park has gradually been getting dressed up. Festival booths have received new Signage, gardens and planters are being installed, and topiaries have been appearing all over. Our parks team grabbed this great picture of Figment’s pride-of-place topiary as the centerpiece of World Celebration Gardens.

Disney Channel Nite Character and Entertainment Lineup Announced

Disneyland has released specifics about the characters and entertainment that you’ll find at the Disney Channel Nite Disneyland After Dark events on March 5 and 7. Tickets are still available for the March 5 event, so if you were on the fence, see the event page and take a look.

Headline News Recap

Universal released a huge new app updated right at the end of last week; here’s what’s changed and how to use the new features. Getting to Know Universal – The New Universal Orlando App

Are you heading Spring and Summer 2024 Room Discounts at Disneyland Resort

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