TouringPlans Travel Beat 6-22-2025

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!

• Reservations Open for Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak at the Dolphin
• Disney Parks at Home: POV on Disney+
• Stormalong Bay Reopens at Beach & Yacht Club Resorts
• Pool and Recreation Updates Coming to Fort Wilderness
• Changes to Disney Cruise Deposit and Cancellation Fees Make it Easier to Book
• Disney Jr. Let’s Play! Dates at Disneyland
• Headline News Recap

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

Reservations Open for Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak at the Dolphin

Shula’s Steak House at the Dolphin closed its doors just last week on June 15, to make way for Michael Mina’s Bourbon Steak. And it looks like they’re going to turn the tables quickly on this one, as reservations for Bourbon Steak are already available for dates beginning on July 26. But you’ll need to get them on Open Table; My Disney Experience still says “coming soon”.

Disney Parks at Home: POV on Disney+

Not too long ago, Disney+ added a full ride POV for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance to its streaming lineup. This week, 16 additional POV experiences were announced as part of this Disneyland 70th effort. The new streams, which debut on July 17, will include iconic attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and Radiator Springs Races, as well as walk-throughs of lands like Avengers Campus.

Stormalong Bay Reopens at Beach & Yacht Club Resorts

Stormalong Bay reopened to guests this week, refreshed and refurbished and ready to take on the summer. Shipwreck pool and the slide remain closed for a bit longer.

Pool and Recreation Updates Coming to Fort Wilderness

In the Magic Kingdom area, the Meadow Swimmin’ Pool at Fort Wilderness Resort will be expanded. A new zero-entry pool and deck area are being added alongside the existing pool, and a tennis court and two pickleball courts will also be installed. Construction on this project began in May, but no timeline has been announced for these updates to be completed.

Changes to Disney Cruise Deposit and Cancellation Fees Make it Easier to Book

Disney lowered the activation energy for booking a cruise this week, reducing the required deposit from 20% to just 10% of the fare beginning on June 18, 2025. For those booking with Cruise Placeholders, the deposit for longer sailings remains at half the normal deposit, meaning it’s now 5% instead of 10%.

Corresponding changes to cancellation fees went into effect; if you cancel within the deposit cancellation fee period, your cruise fare is refundable less the deposit, which is now 10% instead of 20%. (The deposit cancellation fee period typically begins on the date that your full payment is due and ends about halfway between that point and your sail date. After that, cancellation penalties are higher.)

If you’ve already booked a cruise, pay attention. The cancellation fee that applies to you is the one that was in effect when you booked the cruise. If you do nothing, your cancellation fee within the deposit cancellation fee period will remain 20%. However, if you are outside of that period, Disney invites you to cancel and rebook under the new terms, lessening your risk if you end up needing to cancel later.

Disney Jr. Let’s Play! Dates at Disneyland

The Disney Jr. Let’s Play! celebration is coming back to Disneyland Resort from August 8 to August 10, 2025. For three days, look for extra activities and entertainment that families can enjoy together, with opportunities for parents and kids to craft, sing, play, and dance.

If you’re planning a visit, you’ll find most of the highlights on August 8th at Disney California Adventure. On the 9th and 10th, the dance parties and other experiences transition to Downtown Disney District, which doesn’t require theme park admission.

Headline News Recap

We started the week with some excitement: Test Track is coming back! Test Track Zooms Back Into Action on July 22, 2025

Then some sad farewells … Animal Kingdom’s Boneyard Headed for Extinction on September 2, 2025

Disney had previously announced dates for this year’s Flavors of Florida event, but heading to the page showed “The 2024 event has ended”. No more! Details are out: Guide to 2025 Flavors of Florida at Disney Springs

Shopping venues were announced for the Disney Adventure, including the first ever World of Disney at sea! Everything You Need to Know About the Disney Adventure

The launch of Disney’s Starlight Parade is getting closer, and this week brought details about show times and operations. That includes news that it will run the parade route in reverse! Disney Starlight Parade Begins July 20 at Disney World – UPDATED!

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