food IS a theme park
When Disney World reopened last year, a LOT changed, especially with entertainment.
Dapper Dans
Some entertainment went away altogether, while other experiences were modified to account for health and safety guidelines.
When Disney World reopened in July of 2020, there were some pretty MAJOR changes in place. These include mask mandates, physical distancing guidelines, the cancelation of fireworks, parades, and character meet and greets, and the temporary suspension of FastPass+ and the Disney Dining Plan, just to name a few (not to mention the parks reopened with a freshly-painted pink castle!).
Magic Kingdom
Since then, however, there have only been MORE big changes that could have major impacts on your upcoming Disney World vacation. Some of the guidelines that were in effect last summer are no longer the case in 2021 while others have changed since inception! Let’s take a look at some of the biggest changes in Disney World SINCE July 11th, 2020!
Missing Candlelight Processional? We’ve got news for you!
Neil Patrick Harris Narrating the Candlelight Processional
We were pretty sad this year when we heard that Candlelight Processional in EPCOT had been canceled this year due to the global health crisis. But now, there’s a way we can get our sweet song fix AND support Disney Cast Members this holiday season!
EPCOT’s Festival of the Holidays is in full swing, but there’s one BIG thing we’re missing this year: The Candlelight Processional!
Epcot’s Candlelight Processional ©Disney
When we heard that the processional wouldn’t be happening, we were obviously bummed, but we definitely understand how it would be difficult to recreate with the current safety guidelines. Thankfully, Disney gave us a recorded version to watch at home! But now, we’ve got even more good news for fans of this show, because you can listen to the soundtrack online!
This year’s EPCOT Festival of Holidays is a little different from previous years.
EPCOT Festival of the Holidays
One big change is that the Candlelight Processional was canceled this year.
The temperature has started to drop, the fuzzy sweaters are out, and Christmas has started to sweep its way across Disney World!
Christmas Decorations
While the parks will be in a full holiday swing from November 6th through December 30th, entertainment and experiences in the parks and resorts are seeing some MAJOR differences this Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s.
SPRING BREAK, WHOOO!!! OK, Spring break is a popular time of year not just for college kids on break but for families too. And for many families that find themselves with a week off and are looking for a vacation, Disney World fits that bill nicely. Not only are kiddos are usually off from school, but the weather is more comfortable than in the sweltering summer months.
Magic Kingdom
But with all of the new protocols and safety measures, does it make sense to visit Disney World for spring break in 2021, or should you skip it this year?
A lot changed after Disney World reopened this summer. We’ve seen several BIG events get canceled, while others, such as EPCOT’s International Food and Wine Festival, have been altered to account for new health and safety guidelines.
Christmas Tree in Epcot
We recently learned that EPCOT’s Festival of the Holidays is still very much a GO but, like the Food and Wine Fest, it’s going to be different from previous years. Don’t worry, though — the Holiday Cookie Stroll is still on! Whew! We shared a lot of new information regarding the Festival of the Holidays today, and some of it was pretty unexpected. Here’s what you might have missed…
Since the Walt Disney World theme parks reopened a few months ago, we’ve seen various changes including the introduction of systems like the Park Pass Reservation System and the suspension of Fastpass+.
Christmas At Magic Kingdom
The holiday experience at Disney World has also changed significantly. Just recently, we shared some updates with you about the upcoming Christmastime entertainment and offerings that will be available at Disney World this year, but there’s also quite a few Christmas staples that guests won’t be able to experience.
Disney World recently dropped some MAJOR updates for the upcoming holiday season. Some of these announcements included the cancelation of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party as well as the Candlelight Processional in EPCOT.
As unfortunate as these announcements were, they were in-step with other decisions Disney World has made when it comes to large crowd events, like the cancelation of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2019
While there were some stories that fell in line with our expectations for how the holiday season would shake out, there were also a few shocking bombshells that quite frankly we did NOT see coming! Here are the top three surprises from Disney World’s holiday news drop this week.
Our handy (and portable!) ebook guides make sure you get the best deals and can plan a vacation of a lifetime.
