TouringPlans Travel Beat 3-23-2025

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: some exciting headlines, but the rest was slow-ish.) 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 World Testing Cars on Test Track
• Disney Cruise Line Changes Vacation Protection Plan Availability
• McKim’s Mile House Opens in Magic Kingdom
• Disney World Golf Course Now Has “Grumpy’s Gauntlet”
• Universal Studios Hollywood Releases Fan Fest Nights Menus
• Headline News Recap

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

Disney World Testing Cars on Test Track

In a few months, it’s going to be a whole new world during rope drop at EPCOT. Test Track is scheduled to open “in late summer 2025”, but our parks team (and others!) heard cars running on it recently. We’re excited for a park opening experience that includes a choice of Frozen Ever After, Guardians, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, or Test Track. Options. Lots and lots of options.

Disney Cruise Line Changes Vacation Protection Plan Availability

You only need to witness one cruise ship Medevac to conclude that travel insurance might be a good idea when cruising. But international guests cruising with Disney will now need to obtain non-Disney travel insurance. Disney Cruise Line has announced that its Vacation Protection Plan will no longer be offered to guests with a country of origin outside the United States. In the future, guests need to satisfy all of the following criteria to be able to purchase the Vacation Protection Plan:

• The booking origin, or travel agency, is based in either the United States or Canada
• The guest pays for the reservation in US dollars
• The individual guest has a United States address

The plan will be honored for all guests who have previously booked it, regardless of country of origin.

McKim’s Mile House Opens in Magic Kingdom

The brand-new Disney Vacation Club lounge in Frontierland opened this week, a few months ahead of its announced schedule. Previously on the timeline as “summer 2025”, McKim’s Mile House opened on Tuesday. The lounge will be available to eligible Disney Vacation Club members from 11 am to 6 pm daily.

Disney World Golf Course Now Has “Grumpy’s Gauntlet”

Looking for something to do on your rest day? Disney World’s Magnolia Golf Course has completed its redesign, so drop by for a round! Guests can enjoy a new 18-hole putting green called the “Greatest Green Ever Played” (a nod to the Disney Sports picture “The Greatest Game Every Played”), with a scorecard and hole locations that change almost daily. Out on the links, holes 14 through 17 have been redesigned to offer a unique challenge; the set of four is now being touted as “Grumpy’s Gauntlet”. To book a round on you vacation, head to https://www.golfwdw.com/.

Universal Studios Hollywood Releases Fan Fest Nights Menus

The first run of Universal Studios Hollywood’s new Fan Fest Nights event is on April 25, and this week some of the menus were released. Have you always wanted to dine at Quark’s Cafe? Well then head on over to Hollywood & Dine for some Klingon Targ Legs and Bajoran Hasperat.

Look for Fan Fest event dishes and dining in the following areas:

• STAR TREK: RED ALERT
  • Quark’s Cafe at Hollywood & Dine
  • 10 Forward Bar at Laemmle Courtyard
• BACK TO THE FUTURE: DESTINATION HILL VALLEY
  • Mel’s Diner
• DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: SECRETS OF WATERDEEP
  • The First Roll Tavern at Jurassic Cove
• ONE PIECE: GRAND PIRATE GATHERING
  • Sanji’s Galley at Cocina Mexicana
• JUJUTSU KAISEN: HUNGER OF THE CURSED
  • Re-themed DreamWorks concession cart
• THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER
  • Magic Neep Cart
  • Florean Fortescue’s Ice-Cream counter
• SUPER NINTENDO WORLD: LET’S GO YOSHI
  • Yoshi-themed items at Toadstool Cafe

At The Three Broomsticks in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, guests can reserve a spot for a fixed-price three-course meal. Reservations can be made in the Universal Studios Hollywood app.

Headline News Recap

Disney started off the week by announcing its first in-park adults-only space: Disney Goes Adults-Only With New Geo-82 Spaceship Earth Lounge.

Free Dining is always big news. This week it was only for Disney Visa Cardmembers, but keep your eyes peeled – a cardmember offer is often a prelude to one for the general public. New Disney World Free Dining Offers for 2025.

Finally, at the end of the week, Disney announced new dining opportunities for the Disneyland 70th Anniversary celebration. New Dining Experiences for Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary

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