TouringPlans Travel Beat 3-16-2025

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? (Sneak peek: teasers. Lots of teasers.) 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!

• New Look at Starlight Parade Coco Float
• Southwest Ends Bags Fly Free and Other Changes
• Discounts at Disney World for Disney Cruisers
• First Look Epic Universe Merch
• Grand Californian Refurbishment Updates
• New Storyline for Savi’s Workshop
• Sneak Peek at Hiccup & Toothless Meet & Greet
• Easter at Disney World and Disneyland
• Gran Fiesta Tour Returns from Refurb
• Headline News Recap

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

New Look at Starlight Parade Coco Float

We still don’t have an official start date for Disney World’s Starlight Parade that will debut this summer. But Disney is continuing to build excitement by releasing artist concept images for the floats every few weeks, including the art above for the Coco float that was just released. Is it working? It’s working for me; I have a visit to Disney World coming in August and I am very excited to see this new parade. In case you missed it, tap through the gallery below to see all the other floats that have been released.

Southwest Ends Bags Fly Free and Other Changes

If you live somewhere that Southwest flies, there’s a good chance they were your favorite way to get to Disney World. Well, in addition to changes to iconic features like no assigned seating, this week Southwest announced the end of Bags Fly Free. If you’re a frequent Southwest customer, you might be already among the outraged. But if you’re a very loyal only occasional Southwest customer, you might take a look the next time you fly. It’s much harder to see the difference in offerings now between Southwest and other airlines.

Discounts at Disney World for Disney Cruisers

If you’re cruising from Port Canaveral on Disney Cruise Line through the end of 2025, you can get a discounted rate at select Disney resorts when you make it a Land & Sea Vacation. Disney’s Extend the Adventure promotion allows guests to add a pre- or post- stay at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa or Disney’s Old Key West Resort for travel dates March 12 through Dec. 31, 2025, Guests can add a pre- or post-stay at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa or Disney’s Old Key West Resort for 35% off.

This special offer is available for stays up to 14 nights with two rooms per reservation, and can be added before or after your cruise. This offer is valid only for guests sailing from Port Canaveral. To book, contact your travel agent or, if you booked directly with DCL, check your email.

First Look Epic Universe Merch

I know that we are all ready to ride, but are you ready to shop? Epic Universe opens in just over two months, and Universal has released pics and info on some of the upcoming merchandise. I am not actually a merch person (don’t shoot!) but even I am tempted by some of this stuff. Look for a separate article on the blog this week covering all your Epic Universe shopportunities – and with a few more pictures from Universal’s lineup.

Grand Californian Refurbishment Updates

If you’re heading to Disneyland, be prepared for a little “business-not-quite-as-usual” at the Grand Californian during your stay. Disney has announced the following plans around refurbishments and maintenance for the resort.

• From March 10 through mid-May, we will begin construction on updated, enhanced entry gates leading into Disney California Adventure Park. During this time, guests can enter Disney California Adventure Park through an alternate entrance located next to the hotel.
• In March, Storytellers Cafe will temporarily close in its current location for a few weeks to refresh the restaurant’s kitchen areas. During this time, a modified dining experience will be offered in Trillium Room.
• Napa Rose restaurant will temporarily close in April for refurbishment and is slated to reopen in fall 2025. During the reimagining of Napa Rose starting April, Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures will be temporarily relocated to Trillium Room.

New Storyline for Savi’s Workshop

One of the first steps in building a lightsaber at Savi’s Workshop is to select the theme that will guide your style and the selection of available parts. Soon, a brand-new theme will join the existing four, for a limited time only.

The new “Reclaimed and Reforged” storyline reminds us that countless lightsabers ended up in the hands of smugglers and bounty hunters, losing their original form and becoming just parts and scrap over hundreds of years. These parts have been scavenged from across the galaxy, and and now available to guests. So when can you make a reservation that will include this new option? Well, it begins the same date at Disneyland and Disney World … it’s May the 4th, of course!

Sneak Peek at Hiccup & Toothless Meet & Greet

The opening of Epic Universe is getting closer every day! We can tell, because Universal is releasing teasers on a regular basis. In addition to the merch release, this week brought a couple of official photos of the Hiccup & Toothless Meet & Greet – which features an animatronic Toothless. Looking pretty good …

Easter at Disney World and Disneyland

Disney World and Disneyland have released their lineup of limited-time snacks that you’ll find around the two resorts during Easter season. If you’re planning a visit, that will be March 18 through April 20 for most items. There will be an adorable Thumper spring popcorn bucket at Disney World, starts March 25 through … whenever they run out. And of course, the Easter Egg displays will return to the lobbies of the Disney World Resorts. I was all set to put a picture of the Thumper bucket below until I saw this upcoming Mr. Potatohead egg from the Contemporary display.

Gran Fiesta Tour Returns from Refurb

The Gran Fiesta Tour has reopened! It came back on schedule, so it’s not perhaps the most exciting news ever. But if you’re a first-time visitor it’s worth stopping by. A surprising number of Disney World repeat visitors have a soft spot for this attraction.

Headline News Recap

Last week Disneyland released a teaser that offers were coming; this week we got details and updated our post: Disneyland 70th Anniversary Room and Ticket Offers.

And on Thursday, the single-day tickets for Epic Universe went on sale! Are you getting excited yet? Are you planning a trip? Epic Universe Single Day Tickets on Sale.

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