TouringPlans Travel Beat 5-11-2025

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!

• Magic Kingdom Pirate Tavern Details
• Epic Universe Hours Updated
• Disney Filming MuppetVision Before Closure
• Battle at the Ministry Closed May 10-16
• it’s a small world at Disneyland Reopening This Week
• Disneyland Resort Menu Changes + New Character Meal
• Universal Studios Hollywood Announces Mega Movie Summer
• Disneyland 70th Kicks Off This Week
• Disney World Collectible Candy Trash Cans
• Summer Deals on AutoTrain: The Crayon Edition
• Headline News Recap

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

Magic Kingdom Pirate Tavern Details

Last year at D23, Disney announced two new lounges coming to Disney World: one in EPCOT and one in the Magic Kingdom. The EPCOT lounge has since been announced as GEO-82, opening in just a few weeks on June 4. But other than a pirate theme, details about the second bar have been skimpy … until now.

The Beak and Barrel, as it is named, will open later this year in Adventureland. Captain Meridian “Merry” Goldwyn is your proprietor, joined by her first mate Rummy, who is a parrot. Rummy (who will bear a striking resemblance to the original Barker Bird formerly at the entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean), will oversee the bar from his roost atop it.

The Beak and Barrel will be divided into two public spaces. “The Mess” is a large central space with long tables and the bar (“cobbled together from salvaged portions of a cursed shipwreck”) to one side. Keep an eye on the bar for sightings of the Enchanted Rum Bottle, or perhaps just an appearance from Rummy. A separate room holds the “Captains’ Quarters”, with fine art and drapery that bears the marks of ill-use by unruly pirates.

Epic Universe Hours Updated

Universal Orlando has revisited the closing time for Epic Universe. Previously, published hours had the brand-new park closing at 9 pm every day. Updates this week moved a number of days, including the opening date of May 22, to a 10 pm close.

Disney Filming MuppetVision Before Closure

MuppetVision will have its final showing on June 7, but social media posts from Cast Members have indicated that a special filming event will be taking place on May 14, 2025. The full show will be digitally recorded for preservation. What’s not clear right now: what will be done with the recording once it’s finished.

Battle at the Ministry Closed May 10-16

As Epic Universe rolls up to opening day, the Battle at the Ministry is going offline for a bit, presumably to get some last-minute tuning. Those with preview tickets between May 10 and May 16 can take a self-guided tour of the Ministry of Magic, which will remain open even though the ride is not running. The Viking Training Camp will also be closed this week, between May 13 and 16.

it’s a small world at Disneyland Reopening This Week

It’s here! It’s there! It’s happening now! After pushing back its original reopening date from April 25 to May 9, ‘it’s a small world’ at Disneyland will finally be returning this week on May 13. Just in time to show off its new Coco scene at the 70th Anniversary Celebration.

Disneyland Resort Menu Changes + New Character Meal

Menus at the Disneyland Parks got several new items on April 30, and now it’s time to refresh the bill of fare at the resorts. Beginning May 16, eateries and lounges throughout the hotel are getting new menus, and there are two new meals available as well!

At the Grand Californian’s Storytellers Cafe, Donald’s Tales of Adventure Dinner Buffet brings the character experience to dinner for the first time. Dinner will be served from 4 pm to 9 pm, and includes BBQ favorites like baby back spareribs, fried chicken,  creamed corn, and s’mores bread pudding. The meal is $62 per adult (ages 10 and older), and $36 per child (ages 3 to 9).

Over at Trader Sam’s, look for an all-new breakfast menu featuring entrees like Ube-stuffed French Toast (Japanese milk bread, coconut custard, ube diplomat cream, and fresh tropical fruit) and Tropical Pancakes (Macadamia nut buttermilk pancakes, passion fruit curd, and toasted coconut). Breakfast is walk-up only, and hours are not yet on the website.

Universal Studios Hollywood Announces Mega Movie Summer

Beginning on June 13, 2025, Universal Studios Hollywood is launching Mega Movie Summer, an all-new summer event. You’ll find menu updates throughout the park, including at Hollywood & Dine, which will transform into the Amity Island Cafe. Plus special photo-ops, merch (of course), and updates to Jurassic World – The Ride featuring characters from the new movie ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’. Universal Mega Movie Summer will run daily through August 10, 2025, and is included in regular park admission.

Disneyland 70th Kicks Off This Week

Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary Celebration kicks off this week on May 16th! If you’re heading to the OG park in the next year and you somehow missed the news, here’s a pair of primers on what you can look forward to. And some discounts too.

• Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary in 2025 – What’s on Tap!
• New Dining Experiences for Disneyland’s 70th Anniversary
• Disneyland 70th Anniversary Room and Ticket Offers

Disney World Collectible Candy Trash Cans

Disney wants you to be prepared: later this month, you’ll be able to get a cute new container when you buy bulk candy at any of the six Disney World locations that sell it. The new containers look like miniature Main Street trash cans, complete with swinging lids, and you can find them at

• Main Street Confectionery
• Zuri’s Sweets Shop
• Screen Door General Store
• Meadow Trading Post
• Goofy’s Candy Company
• Disney’s Candy Cauldron.

But I gotta admit, they’ve rolled out a buying experience that’s so unfriendly it made me wonder if they actually want to sell them.

Instructions remind you that you can’t purchase the container unless you’re buying at least a half-pound of bulk candy. And you can’t put the candy in the container until you’ve completed your purchase. (Maybe as an anti-fraud measure for those who would put a half-pound weight in the container instead of candy? Why?) And the announcement notes that “After purchasing, you can throw the candy in the container and reuse it as a nostalgic collectible.” My brain read it the way it will undoubtedly sometimes go in life, as “throw the candy in the trash and reuse the container … ”

I know that we try to keep it short here at Travel Beat, so thanks for indulging this unnecessary commentary, but I feel like most normal stores would sell you the container, and maybe give you a discount if you purchased it with more than half a pound of candy. Which they would maybe let you put in it and just subtract the weight of the container … you know, like salad bars do.

Summer Deals on AutoTrain: The Crayon Edition

Amtrak is offering colorful fun for families this summer, mixing up a kid-friendly deal on the AutoTrain and Crayola Experience. From May 8th to August 31st, kids ride free on the AutoTrain (you will still need to pay for accompanying adults and your car). After arriving in Orlando, a child’s train e-Ticket can be used for free admission to the Crayola Experience attraction through September 30. If you live in Easton, PA, near the Mall of America, or Plano, TX Crayola Experience locations, you can redeem your free entry there instead. See the offer page for more details.

If you’re sticking closer to the Northeast Corridor, you might find your train being pulled by one of two colorful ACS-64 Sprinter electric locomotives. The engines are sporting Violet Blue (retired) and Dandelion (recently returned for a retirement tour), and will run between Boston and Washington D.C.

Headline News Recap

The lead headline this week is a humdinger, even if most of us will only watch this from afar. Disney Announces New Theme Park in Abu Dhabi

For those who have been waiting, Magic Keys will be going on sale again in a bit over a week: Go-Go-Go! Magic Key Pass Sales Return May 20, 2025

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