Walt Disney World Resort Update for July 19-26, 2022

Walt Disney World Resort Update for July 19-26, 2022

 Writer's Note, News & Views

With the Disney Wish cruise ship making its maiden voyage with paying guests starting last Thursday and over this past weekend, it was a fairly quiet week for news from Walt Disney World Resort.

The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival got underway this past Thursday as well, and it runs until November 19. Disney Parks Blog provided its First Look on Thursday as well, plus a look at five Disney PhotoPass photo opportunities at the Festival. MousePlanet has been invited to one of the media days at the Festival later this week, and I'll provide photos and insights in next week's Update.

When November rolls around, the runDisney 2022 Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend returns as well. This week, Disney Parks Blog shared a first look at the finisher medals for runners.

Finally, as a neighbor of Magic Kingdom, I can confirm that, like the My Disney Experience schedule says, the park is having twice nightly showings of "Disney Enchantment" its fireworks spectacular, at 9:20 p.m. and 11 p.m. each night as weather permits from July 14 through 24. Credible social media reports this week say that the spiel on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover has changed, and, a bit further down World Drive, the Tower of Terror billboard that has stood in the median of the road for decades has been demolished.

This & That…

…This Thursday, July 21, is DOLE Whip Day. To celebrate, several Disney Parks, Resorts, and even Disney Cruise Line, will offer up some specialty treats July 21-24. In fact, Disney announced that Dole Whip Day will be celebrated in future years on the third Thursday of July if you're looking to plan ahead. Disney Parks Blog has published a full Foodie Guide to help guests track down the specialty items.

…As previously announced, the much acclaimed, award-winning Victoria and Albert's at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort opens July 28. Disney provided a preview of the refreshed look of the restaurant that guests will see when it reopens.

…Disney's BoardWalk Bakery is being transformed into Disney's BoardWalk Deli later this summer. A bit further down the BoardWalk, ESPN Club has closed, but Disney has provided no further details about what is coming next to that prime location on the way from the resort over to EPCOT's International Gateway entrance.

…Morimoto Asia at Disney Springs plans a "day of immersion into Japanese culture" at the Summer Matsuri, Sunday, August 7 from noon to 3:30 p.m. The first floor of the restaurant "will come alive with Matsuri," a Japanese cultural festival with tasty and traditional Japanese street food, taiko drummers, and family-friendly games. The second floor will feature food stations hosted by experts teaching guests "the ins and outs of preparing fish" and providing samplings. Guests will also be privy to a selection of Japanese beers and sake. Vendors at the event will include:

• Korin – showcasing a pop up store and knife sharpening demo
• True World Foods Orlando – providing a sampling of Bluefin Tuna, Japanese short grain rice and Japanese Wagyu Beef
• Wismettac Foods – offering Japanese sweets and snacks
• Sun Noodle – offering a sneak preview of Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s new line of ramen for retail

Tickets are available for $60 plus tax and gratuity per person, or $400 plus tax and gratuity for booths with up to 4 guests. Admission price includes delicacies at all the food stations, samples from the vendors, and a seafood-driven educational tasting component. A cash bar will also be available. You can purchase tickets on this page of Morimoto Asia's website.

…Disney Vacation Club notified its members this week that they may once again borrow their full allotment of Vacation Points from their next Use Year to the current Use Year to make reservations. Borrowing had been limited as a result of the temporary closure of all DVC properties during the onset of the global pandemic in March 2020 to attempt to provide ample reservation inventory when the DVC resorts began their phased reopening in the summer of 2020.

…As previously announced, the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic returns on Friday, November 11 and Saturday, November 12. This past week, the Swan and Dolphin Resort announced that its annual hard-ticket event will also offer an all-new premium experience and return of a past favorite additional charge-option. The two separately ticketed events are the all-new VIP Champagne & Dessert Party and Master Sommelier-led Grand Tasting. Both will be held at the resort’s new 15th floor event space at the Swan Reserve, The Vue, offering spectacular views of Walt Disney World Resort.

• The VIP Champagne & Dessert Party will take place on Saturday, November 12 from 8:30 to 10 p.m. The resort’s executive pastry chef and certified sommeliers have teamed up to perfectly pair a selection of sweet offerings. Tickets are $150 per person and include access to the private top floor event space, The Vue; unlimited dessert and champagne tastings, and spectacular views of the Disney nighttime spectaculars.
• Returning for the first time since 2019, the Grand Tasting event will take place on Saturday, November 12 from 2 to 5 p.m., tickets are $395 per person and seating is limited. It takes guests' palates on a journey of elite wines and champagnes curated by Master Sommelier John Blazon and paired with a custom chef’s table menu from the resort’s Executive Chef Dan Herman. The experience includes a champagne reception and three flights of elite wines. Guests will enjoy the elevated dining experience while elevated 15 stories above the Walt Disney World Resort with amazing views of all four theme parks.

Both events require separate tickets and space is limited. The Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic offers guests unlimited tastings at creatively spaced, outdoor stations featuring culinary and beverage selections from the hotel’s award-winning restaurants amidst a festive backdrop of live entertainment on the hotel’s scenic causeway. The event runs from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on November 11 and 12. More information and tickets are available at: https://swandolphinfoodandwineclassic.com/tickets/.

…Give Kids the World Village, the not-for-profit resort that provides week long, no cost Central Florida vacations to critically ill children and their families, held a fundraiser featuring over 500,000 balloons recreating iconic parts of the resort. The "Balloon Wonderland" at Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress (next door to Disney Springs) ran from July 15-16, 2022, and we were invited to a preview and shared this video on our Instagram and Facebook pages. More information about Give Kids the World Village, donation opportunities, and future events are on its website: GKTW.org.

The Usual Writer's Note

Face coverings remain optional across all of Walt Disney World Resort. Remember to check this page of DisneyWorld.com for the latest requirements.

If you're traveling to or from overseas, be sure to check with the places you're visiting and traveling from or through for the latest rules. Though the United States government loosened international travel restrictions for entering the U.S.A. at the end of 2021, it remains important to check on and abide by the most up-to-date COVID-19 testing and vaccine requirements for entering the United States whether as a citizen, permanent resident, or visitor (and be aware of who needs a visa). The United States recently dropped the requirement for COVID-19 testing for entering the country.

As for visiting the Walt Disney World theme parks, Disney Park Pass reservations are required for admission in addition to a valid ticket. If your tickets have the Park Hopper option, Park Hopping only becomes available after 2 p.m. daily, and only after you have first visited the park for which you have made a reservation that day. There have been instances where Magic Kingdom has reached capacity and paused admission of Park Hoppers, and Disney reserves the right to do so at all the parks.

Sales of new Walt Disney World Annual Passes continue to be paused in all categories except the Florida Resident Pixie Dust Pass. Disney reserved the right to pause those sales when it reintroduced its new Annual Passes. Current Passholders may continue to purchase renewals in all tiers regardless of the pause in new sales. We have seen nothing further about when Disney plans to resume sales of new passes following their apparent brief surfacing earlier this month that we reported on last week.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to monitor the cases of the rare monkeypox virus in Florida and elsewhere. Reports say that experts remain optimistic that the outbreak can be contained. We will include more information here in future Updates should it relate to visiting Walt Disney World Resort.

Finally, don't forget it's tropical storm season. It also rains a lot at this time of year at Walt Disney World Resort, often with dangerous cloud-to-ground lightning strikes. It gets hot and humid. Please be prepared!

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Resort Reservations, Ticket Advice & Special Offers

Note: MousePlanet does not edit past Updates to reflect price increases; for up-to-date prices, check the most recent Walt Disney World Resort Update.

This page of DisneyWorld.com features all the offers the Resort has publicly announced.

Disney+ subscribers that link their Disney+ account to their My Disney Experience account can also save up to 25% on select Disney Resort hotels for select night stays through September 30, 2022.

Walt Disney World Annual Passholders and Florida residents can save up to 30% off regular rates on their stays at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin. Guests can visit swandolphin.com/offers/ for more information or to book.

Our travel partner Get Away Today is available to help you book rooms and packages. When you book a Walt Disney World Resort Package with Get Away Today with a minimum 3-night stay at a Disney Resort Hotel plus tickets, you receive its complimentary concierge service which includes:

• Free Price Monitoring – if a special comes out after you book, we'll automatically apply it!
• Dining Reservation Assistance – we wake up early and snag those hard to get dining reservations so you don't have to.
• The GAT expert team is available to you! Contact them any time for extra assistance with your vacation planning; transportation, theme park recommendations, etc.

You can get a free Walt Disney World Resort vacation quote by calling 855-GET-AWAY (and tell them MousePlanet sent you) or, you can find sample prices and submit a free quote request here.

Looking to go beyond Walt Disney World Resort when visiting Central Florida? Check out Get Away Today's Universal Orlando Resort ticket offers too.

Only purchase Disney theme park tickets directly from Disney, an authorized seller, or a travel agency like MousePlanet travel partner Get Away Today! As always, we remind our readers that Walt Disney World Resort theme park tickets are rarely offered at deep discounts unless you are a resident of Florida or eligible for U.S. Military Personnel benefits. Historically, non-Florida residents tend to benefit the most by purchasing tickets in advance (and, of course, being mindful of the rules relevant to those tickets). Don't get scammed! Never buy tickets from an unofficial or secondary outlet, such as through eBay or Craigslist. Never rent or purchase tickets from people approaching you outside Disney property stating they have remaining days or leftover tickets. This practice is against the terms of use for Walt Disney World Theme Park admissions, and may result in denial of entry. There is no way to determine if these tickets are valid until you try to use them to enter the parks.