TouringPlans Travel Beat 4-27-2025

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!

• May the 4th Foodie Guide Released
• runDisney Races to Begin Disneyland Hiatus in 2026
•  “DC Summer” Coming to Gaylord Hotels
• Disney World Almost Tops the List of Best Global Attractions
• Marvel & Pixar Days at Sea Returning in 2026
• UOAP Epic Universe Preview Dates Extended
• Epic Universe Park Hours Released
• LEGOLAND Lego Festival Weekends Begin May 3
• New Quick Service Menu Items for Disneyland on April 30
• Free Kids Dining Plan for DVC Stays in 2026
• Alaska Airlines Launches “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Flyer”
• Headline News Recap

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

May the 4th Foodie Guide Released

May the 4th is one day long, but fortunately, you’ll have the rest of the month to enjoy a selection of Star Wars-themed treats and menu items. Look for celebratory offerings at Disney Hollywood Studios and Disney Springs, with limited selections also available at Disneyland Paris.

Take a break from touring and refuel with Kessel Run Rations (Flaky pretzel croissants sprinkled with smoked sea salt and served with caramel-chocolate sauce, found at the Milk Stand) or stop in at the Disney Springs Ganachery to collect an Ahsoka Ganache Pop (Coconut pop covered in 65% dark chocolate).

There are plenty of other May the 4th menu additions, but for those looking for a durable souvenir, there’s also a selection of popcorn buckets and collectible sippers, most marked as available “while supplies last”. If you’re heading to the Florida parks in May, check out the May the 4th Foodie Guide to see all the limited-time items.

runDisney Races to Begin Disneyland Hiatus in 2026

The 2026 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend takes place from January 29th to February 1st, 2026. And when it’s done, runDisney races at Disneyland will go on hiatus for the rest of 2026. runDisney race routes typically run through the theme parks, but due to upcoming construction, that’s not possible at Disneyland next year. Races at the Disney World Resort, as well as virtual races, will be offered throughout 2026.

 “DC Summer” Coming to Gaylord Hotels

Looking for a quick getaway that’s a bit more than relaxing at the hotel pool? Gaylord hotels might have just your ticket this summer. Four hotels in the Gaylord chain will offer guests adventures in the DC Universe as part of a collaboration with DC. From getting a hero’s badge at check-in to superhero training and secret superhero menu items, you can spend a couple of fun-filled days exploring your superhero side. Most activities are complimentary with an overnight stay, but there are a few upcharge add-ons such as character dining experiences. Find more details here: DC Summer at Gaylord Hotels.

Disney World Almost Tops the List of Best Global Attractions

Everyone loves a Best Of list, and the online booking agency Trip.com has released its Top 100 Global Attractions for 2025. Topping the list is the Louvre, but right on its heels is Disney World at #2. The rankings are selected based on five key criteria: customer reviews, search popularity, thematic relevance, duration on monthly ranking lists, and position on monthly ranking lists. Disney World wasn’t the only theme park to make the list; Disneyland came in at #4, and Universal Orlando at #7. In all, Disney and Universal theme parks around the world took 6 of the top 10 spots.

Marvel & Pixar Days at Sea Returning in 2026

Two of Disney’s favorite themed cruise offerings are returning in 2026, with dates announced for Marvel Day at Sea and Pixar Day at Sea sailings. For Marvel Day at Sea voyages, guests can choose between 4- and 5-night Western Caribbean cruises sailing from Galveston, Texas on the Disney Magic. And for Pixar Day at Sea, guests will depart on 5-night Bahamian cruises on the Disney Fantasy, with a stop at Lookout Cay. Both themes begin sailing dates in January 2026, and conclude in early March.

UOAP Epic Universe Preview Dates Extended

Epic Universe Previews for Annual Passholders began on April 17, and tickets were originally available through May 8. This week, more ticket availability appeared on the calendar – through May 19. If you’re a passholder and weren’t able to make the original dates, get your patooty over there if you can, because the word is that this park is just a ton of fun.

Epic Universe Park Hours Released

Epic Universe has released park hours beginning on opening day, May 22. As of now, hours from May 22 to May 31 are 9 am to 9 pm. Unfortunately, sunset in this week is right around 8:15 pm, meaning that guests won’t have long to enjoy the ambience of the park in the dark. Of course, the park does take some time to empty out, but here’s hoping there are later evening hours coming later in the summer.

LEGOLAND Lego Festival Weekends Begin May 3

Weekends in May, you can find something extra at LEGOLAND in one of the Lego Festival’s five themed play zones. Look for community builds, classes, entertainment, and themed treats that celebrate Music, Creativity, Chill, Dance, and Gaming. The Lego Festival is included with your regular LEGOLAND admission on the following dates: May 3-4, 10-11, 17-18, 24-25, 31; June 1, 7-8.

New Quick Service Menu Items for Disneyland on April 30

Disneyland has been refreshing Quick Service menus across the resort, with several new items set to debut on April 30. Look for updated breakfast items in four locations, including the Breakfast Cheesy Pretzel Bread pictured above, coming to Maurice’s Treats. Check out DisneyEats Insta for more pics and updates to menus throughout the resort.

Free Kids Dining Plan for DVC Stays in 2026

Those staying at Disney World on Disney Vacation Club points can add a Dining Plan to their stay. But they typically can’t take advantage of promotions like Free Dining, which are only available for those booking packages including a room and tickets. In 2026, the Disney Dining Plan is free for kids when you book a Disney World package, and as near as we can determine, “free” is the price of the Kids 2026 Disney Dining Plan no matter how you book.

That means that those staying on DVC points will also get the DDP for free for all kids ages 3-9 when they add it to a stay. This pricing, confirmed for DVC stays, is valid for arrivals from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026. As usual, everyone staying in the room must purchase the same plan for the entire length of stay.

Alaska Airlines Launches “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Flyer”

When you fly Alaska Airlines to the Disneyland Resort, sometimes your plane looks just a little bit different. Disney and Alaska Airlines have partnered on a number of specially painted planes in Alaska’s fleet over the years, and this week the Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Flyer joined the lineup. The design is the ninth Disneyland-themed plane and the first to feature a Disney Princess. It will fly a variety of Alaska Airlines routes over the next several years, joining previous themes still in service: ‘Mickey’s Toontown Express,’ ‘Star Wars Transport to the Disneyland Resort,’ and ‘Friendship and Beyond at Disneyland Resort.’ There’s a pretty cool video of the plane getting its paint job on Alaska Airlines’ Youtube channel.

Headline News Recap

Disney would very much like you to eat! First up this week, Disney released next year’s vacation packages. You can now book a trip through October 2026 – and if you add a Dining Plan, any kids ages 3-9 will get the plan for free! (It turns out the price on the kid plan in 2026 is just: it’s free, as noted above. Still amazing news.) 2026 Disney World Vacation Packages + Free Dining for Kids Perk

Last week, we reported on the return of V.I.Passholder days for 2025. This week Disney released the associated dining discounts, and there are some doozies on the list. New Summer 2025 Disney World Passholder Dining Deal!

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