46. Park Pulse Fall 2026 - More Magic!

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[00:00:24] Coming up, we're checking the pulse on Walt Disney World for the Fall 2026. We are deep in Autumn right now and there are so many exciting things that you need to know about and be aware of as you travel to Disney this fall. Hey everyone! Welcome into another More Magic version of the Moms Behind the Magic. We are excited to bring you more magic on this Thursday. I am your host Allie, I am here today with Katie and we are excited to check in and give you the pulse on the parks.

[00:00:52] This is Park Pulse Fall Edition 2026. We are well into fall at this point so we want to just give you an update on what to expect in the parks if you have an upcoming trip. Or maybe you're already looking ahead to 2027 and these are 2026 specific updates. But it's going to give you an idea of what fall can look like at Disney this time of year. So this is really, really exciting news for anybody that loves pumpkin and leaves.

[00:01:19] Although it's still pretty hot in Florida and you're experiencing some rain now. It's rainy season. Fall is still a great time to be there. So we are going to cover a lot of updates in a short amount of time. With Disney's rate of change, we're just focusing on things that will help you with your fall 2026 and beyond. So Katie, why don't you start us off with some Park Pulse updates. Check the pulse on Magic Kingdom. Yeah, okay. So just out of Magic Kingdom, here's what we have going on.

[00:01:47] First and foremost, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party is happening. It's running on select dates August 7th through October 31st of this year. And all of the dates for Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party for this year are sold out. They're gone. Gone. It is such a great event. If you have tickets, you're going to have a fantastic time. If you don't have tickets, there might be a slight chance of you getting them if you walk up to guest services the day of. Wouldn't count on it, but it could maybe happen.

[00:02:16] Maybe there's a little pixie dust your way. Hey, the answer is always no if you don't ask. That's exactly right. That's exactly right. If you want to learn more about Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, of course we have so many details and information inside our draft episode for the party. That was so much fun. You learn about the different candy stops and costuming. We also did a magic version where we talked specifically about costuming. We have tons of content on this party.

[00:02:41] And being that they are already sold out, we are pretty well into the party dates at this point. So it makes sense that they're sold out. But if you are planning for fall 2027, now is the time to make a mental note that you are going to want to get on top of those tickets as soon as they become available. Because they do sell out and once your date is gone, it's more than likely officially gone. You're not probably getting in. And that could really like ruin some of your trip. It really could. I would have such FOMO.

[00:03:05] But even if you don't have tickets to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, you will get to enjoy the fall decor, which is cool. If you go to Magic Kingdom, they're going to have the, you know, the fall autumn leave wreaths up and the Mickey pumpkin. And the merchandise this year is so good. I want to own like all of that cutesy, spooky Mickey and Minnie ghost line. I want all of it. Every one of it. Yeah. You're much more into that. You love that over the top Disney merch and the spirit jersey. I do.

[00:03:34] I mean, like your shirt today. It's characters exploded. Yes. I was like, this is kind of my Hollywood Studios uniform. With a hat. With a lot so hat. Yes, that's true. It is true. I do love over the top. But yeah, you can experience the fall decor. It's going to be most prevalent in Magic Kingdom. Less so in other areas. But absolutely, if you're visiting Magic Kingdom, it's going to be there. You might want to listen to our best time to go fall episode to learn more about the benefits of traveling during this time of year.

[00:04:03] Yeah, we covered a lot in that episode. Those time to go episodes really cover the things that are on your mind from the weather to the experiences and the pricing. So you're going to get a lot more details about what it's like to travel. But what we can tell you right now as an update for the pulse of Magic Kingdom, it's beautiful. For sure. Absolutely. Well, we mentioned to you that fall decor is up and Mickey's Not So Scary is happening right now. But the tickets are sold out. However, the tickets are not currently sold out for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.

[00:04:33] You might be thinking, Katie, it's way too early to be talking about Christmas. And the fact is, it's not. No way. If you are hoping to get tickets to the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, you should be talking to your travel agent and looking at booking those like now. Yeah, I have some people. I've booked so many families, but I have some people that just keep saying, oh, check back. We do want to go, but we're not. I'm like, my gosh, I'm sweating for you. This is going to sell out. Look at the Halloween party. And this starts in the fall. Yes, that's exactly it. This is going to be starting.

[00:05:00] Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party starts November 8th and it runs through December 22nd. So a shorter window there. And Mickey's not so scary. And I have said that the Christmas party is like the most magical place in the world during the most magical time of the year. You got to get there. Make sure you get those tickets. Yeah. And just as a little pro tip, that sweet spot. If you are traveling this year at the end of October through the beginning of November, you are going to see Magic Kingdom specifically is what we're talking about right now.

[00:05:28] You're going to see it transform and become, you know, that pumpkin is going to change to a wreath awfully quickly overnight. So that's a really fun thing to see. It is so cool to be there for the changeover from Halloween to Christmas decor. It's it is so neat. It's not always really possible to hit both parties because there is such a long, you know, you have to be there for a really long time to hit both parties, but you can certainly see the decor change. And that's a really fun part of being there in the fall. Yes, absolutely. All right.

[00:05:55] Other things happening in Magic Kingdom, the Walt Disney World Railroad refurbishment. It's closed September 28th through late October of 2026. So, yeah, if you wanted to get on the train, not happening then. Tiana's Bayou Adventure is also going through a refurbishment that is scheduled to close November 2nd, 2026 with reopening expected in December. And then finally, we have Carousel Progress is going through that major overhaul that's happening. It's closed and expected to reopen in spring of 2027.

[00:06:25] So, yeah, Tiana's makes sense being closed. I think they close a lot of water rides for annual maintenance and things that just need maintained during the winter months. It can get really chilly. I'm not dying to ride the water rides that time of year. But it can also still be really hot. So don't let it deter you. But, yeah, going to be closed. And Carousel Progress, that overhaul is happening pretty quickly. So I'm very anxious to see it. But that is the pulse on Magic Kingdom. Mostly the highlights are just a couple closures, lots of great decor, snacks, merch. So magical fall at Magic Kingdom.

[00:06:55] All right. Let's talk about Epcot. Epcot is always changing. The pulse on Epcot right now, of course, is International Food and Wine Fest that already started August 27th. And it is running all the way through the end of fall through to November 21st. That is going to be great eats, drinks, merch, and, of course, the Eat to the Beat concert series. It's some old school artists. We've talked a lot about, you know, who makes it to the stage for the Eat to the Beat concert series. Make sure you look at who's going to be played.

[00:07:25] Very, very few artists have multiple days. A couple have, you know, maybe a three-day stint. But a lot of them are changing very rapidly. So you may have lots of different ones during your stay. So take a look. Make sure you line your Epcot day up with whomever you want to see at Eat to the Beat. Because that's a really cool special thing that's happening right now at Epcot. Yes, absolutely. Also, just as Magic Kingdom is transitioning from Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party into Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, you can say the same for Epcot. Old festival out, new festival in.

[00:07:54] The Epcot International Festival of the Holidays will begin November 27th. That is less than a week after the Food & Wine Festival ends. So quick turnover there as well. And that is going to run all the way up to New Year's by ending December 30th. Again, great food booths, drink booths, merchandise, all custom and special. If you have a trip that overlaps that 21st through the 27th timeframe and you can get to both festivals, do it.

[00:08:20] That is so fun to kind of experience the cookie stroll versus, you know, the cheese fromage thing that's happening. Yes. You can get both in and that would be really, really wonderful. But we're trading out Eat to the Beat for the Candlelight Procession. That is narrated by celebrities and Disney celebrity status. And it's really, really a great way to experience the holidays with your family. Be on the lookout for some of the really exciting headliner ones.

[00:08:48] Those will be crowded days at Epcot. It will be hard to get reservations for certain dining those days. But October 14th, the reservations for candlelight processional package dining will open. That is a day to circle and mark on your calendar, October 14th. If you want seating for the candlelight processional, you need to be ready that day or have your travel agent ready because that's what's going to be selling out quickly. Absolutely. Yes. Epcot does a few other things during Festival of the Holidays as well.

[00:09:16] Of course, they bring in the storytellers and you're going to kind of experience what it's like for all these different holiday traditions all around World Showcase. But they'll switch out what's happening in Communicar Hall. In the past, they've made like giant gingerbread spaceship earths and displayed them in there. And of course, over at Living with the Land, we have the glimmering greenhouses where they do a Christmas light overlay. So if you're used to Living with the Land being a five to ten minute wait, it's not happening, especially after dark during Festival of the Holidays.

[00:09:46] Not at all. It's like, you know, here in Ohio, we have, I don't know if you have them, but we have drive-through light displays everywhere. It's almost like a boat through attraction light display. Yeah, yeah. Get a lightning lane for Living with the Land. Glimmering greenhouses. Soarin' Across America remains open. We do not know how long that will be showing in the Soarin' Attraction Theater. I assume at some point they will change it back to Soarin' Around the World. But right now we are still seeing Soarin' Across America. I've experienced it.

[00:10:15] If you love this attraction, I recommend making sure you see this version. It talks a lot about how much fun it is to see the different versions. And I think it's really, really beautiful. Yes. I love Soarin' Across America. It's pretty. Yeah. I like Soarin' Across the World more, I have to say. But I liked this version. DuckTales closed in the Play Disney app, but we have heard that it is coming back in some form. So stay tuned to learn more of that. We're excited. I was like, my kids, for one last spin for DuckTales. And I was so sad.

[00:10:44] If you pull up the Disney Play app now, it says, you know, thanks for playing. We're done here. I know. That's sad. And then they announced that DuckTales is going to be coming back in another iteration in the future. So I'm very excited for that. And, you know, maybe my kids won't be so sad next time we're walking around World Showcase. Yes. I'm excited to see what that is. That's a cool little thing that we're anticipating. And then the final update you need to know about Epcot right now for the fall of 2026,

[00:11:10] Coral Reef Restaurant is going to be closed for refurbishment September 8th. It's already closed now through November 3rd. I don't know how many people are sad about this. Who goes here? I don't know. But maybe the refurbishment means that it's going to be better. I have no idea. But if that was on your list, take it off because it's closed. Yep. Can't hit Coral Reef. I think you'll be okay. I don't think we're going to survive. We're all going to survive. Yeah. It's going to be all right. All right. Let's talk about what's happening in Hollywood Studios right now then.

[00:11:39] So the big news out of Hollywood Studios is that the Magic of Disney animation has finally opened. The courtyard opened this summer where you have lots of different statues and photo ops, and they were bringing the characters out into the courtyard. Now the building itself is open. So they have the Alice in Wonderland play area there. They have the draw with Olaf there. There's so much happening in that building that just feels so magical and over the top. And I'm really excited that it's finally open. Yeah.

[00:12:08] This is such a huge deal for Hollywood Studios. What a great addition in a park that honestly aims a little on the owner side. Lots of action and thrill here. What a great way to bring in those little ones. It's amazing. Yes. I have long said that Hollywood Studios needed to have a playground and the Alice in Wonderland playground is so cute. Oh my gosh. Have your girls played there yet? Yes. Yes. They have a roller slide. I love roller slides. They're so inclusive.

[00:12:34] They have like little areas that you can paint the roses red and switch them from white to red. And of course, Alice is there having her very merry on birthday tea party with you. Like it's the cutest thing. So cool. I love it. Yep. Off the page is where you can meet the characters in their environments that are inspired by the animation process. This is just so unique and new. I love new. You know, I always want something new at Disney and I really think this is leaning into imaginary and just authentic Disney. So I love it.

[00:13:03] The playland, of course, learn to draw. Yep. We're learning to draw with Olaf. He's gonna, he's gonna ask, you know, can I get some elbows next time? He's really cute. His little animatronic there and you're going to learn how to draw Mickey Mouse and other great characters. Yeah. It's so fun. The learn to draw classes are things that happen at Disney a lot. You can see that activity a lot at resorts or I know that they used to do it at the conservation station in Animal Kingdom. We did it at Aladi. They had the learn to draw class there. We drew Minnie Mouse. It was so fun.

[00:13:32] The five of us went and we had the best time. So take the minute to do this. Absolutely. Animation Courtyard and the magic of Disney animation is bringing so much fun to Hollywood Studios these days. So absolutely be sure to check it out. The other thing that's happening at Hollywood Studios right now and leading into Christmas is Jollywood Nights. So that starts select nights November 7th through January 5th this year. We're taking it a little over the line past the new year. Thank goodness.

[00:14:02] I love that they're doing that for Jollywood Nights this year because it feels like that jazzy like company holiday party that you want to go to. Yeah. It's like a huge party. Yeah. I love that we're having it a little bit into the new year as well. If you haven't gotten your tickets for Jollywood Nights yet, are you crazy? It is so fun. Make sure you connect with your travel agent to get those Jollywood Nights tickets. Yes, absolutely. And then for attractions, I think we did talk a little bit in our last Park Pulse episode

[00:14:32] because it was brand new news then. But the Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run did debut its new mission for the summertime and it allows you to link up your Fortnite account so that you get bonus content both in the parks and online in the game. So if you haven't checked that out yet, be sure to. Fortnite's really making waves these days. If you're not playing Fortnite, like what are you doing? Katie, I need you to come to my house and set Fortnite up for my son because he's begging and I just simply don't know how. So I don't know. He doesn't get to play because I don't know how to do it.

[00:15:02] My gosh. Yeah. You need some Fortnite happening for sure. And then the last thing that we have for our updates for Hollywood Studios are October 20th, the park is closing a little early for a private event. It's going to be closing at 5pm on again, October 20th. So if that's your Hollywood Studios day, be sure that you are planning accordingly. You might want to hop to another park that day. If you don't have park hoppers, you might want to get them. Or if you're keeping your base tickets, be aware you got to leave by 5 that day. Yeah.

[00:15:31] This is a great time to utilize park hopping because I bet Hollywood Studios is going to be pretty empty on the morning of October 20th. Lightning lanes are notoriously hard to use at Hollywood Studios just because everything is a banger of an attraction. October 20th, I'm circling that as a good Hollywood Studios day if you have your park hopper. Yep, absolutely. All right. Last but not least on parks here as we are checking the pulse across Walt Disney World for the fall. Animal Kingdom. A lot happening at Animal Kingdom and we're going to keep you updated here as this park

[00:16:01] continues to evolve. But some construction changes happening around the park. Animal Kingdom is in a period of significant transition. We have so much Animal Kingdom content that we're trying to record for the podcast. But we keep saying, we need to wait. We're going to release all of this content and then all of it's going to change because so much is changing. It's a very dramatic transformation happening. So if you're visiting in the fall of 2026, you can expect some areas and experience to

[00:16:26] look different than they may have on previous trips or not as exciting as they will on upcoming trips in the next year or so. We have new lands, attractions, things happening. So just bear in mind that it's still a great place to be. There's still plenty open, but there are going to be some things that are different. Just as it goes through this very, very highly anticipated transformation. Bluey and Bingo remain at Animal Kingdom. They are at the conservation station. This is not a typical meet and greet. This is more of a Bluey experience.

[00:16:55] Kind of good for really young kids where they get to sort of interact and dance with Bluey and with Bingo and you're going to take the train out. So it's a nice little kind of rest as you ride out and just take a moment outside of the main park and have that experience. It's very good for little littles. Yes, absolutely. I think you're going to have a lot of fun playing keep you up with Bluey, but don't expect to get autographs or pictures at this time. Yep. Good to know all good things. Okay. Well, that kind of brings us to the end of our update on Animal Kingdom.

[00:17:22] So let's talk a little bit about Disney Springs because there are fun things happening over there right now. Halloween is happening at Disney Springs. We have fall entertainment that includes Zombies. Drummers are over there right now. Spooky stilt walkers and a roving pumpkin DJ. How fun is that? So fun. Disney Springs is alive, y'all. Go there and have fun. Fall fun at Disney Springs. A lot of fun happening at Disney Springs. My gosh. Get the seasonal cookie at Gideon's. Yes. Yes.

[00:17:52] Always good things happening at Gideon's too. I feel like there are quite a few that have fun treats. Like Amorette's Patisserie does seasonal treats. The Ganachery does seasonal treats. I mean, who doesn't want a tasty pumpkin thing? Right? I want all of it. I want all of it. Yes. And then also Jock Lindsay's Hanger Bar. If you've never been to Jock Lindsay's Hanger Bar before, that it's a callback to the Indiana Jones character. So it's a really cool and neat bar.

[00:18:19] But during the holidays, they, you know, zhuzh it up with some seasonal decor. So whenever you're there around Halloween, it's transforming August 11th. So it's already there through November 9th. And it's going to have all of their autumnal decor. As of November 9th, it will transition over to their holiday theming where you're going to have more Christmas-y theming happening in Jock Lindsay's Hanger Bar. A really cool spot if you are hanging out at Disney Springs. You got to check it out.

[00:18:46] Yeah, we went to New York City for my birthday last year. And it was maybe the best trip I've ever taken. So many of my friends from around the country came and we did so many cool things. But one of the coolest is Zan found this bar that was transformed for Halloween. It was typically like a Bridgerton bar. You would have loved it. That was its everyday. Yeah, its everyday was this very Victorian, Bridgerton-ish bar. And at Halloween, they just transformed the crap out of it. Like skeletons everywhere. And it was so cool.

[00:19:16] And it stuck out as such a memory. I love any sort of immersive transformation. And Jock Lindsay's Hanger Bar doing this for these holidays. I always knew they did that Christmas one. I did not know about the Halloween one. If that's not new, I've never done it. And it was actually news to me. So definitely check that out if that at all is something you like. I also want to give a big ol' shout out. My new favorite thing at Disney Springs and I've never even done it. And that is level 99. My friend is at Disney right now, one of my best friends. And she was there yesterday.

[00:19:45] And she posted videos of her and her husband and her daughter playing and doing the different things. They had one of those... Have you ever watched that show Wipeout? Yeah. And you know those bars that like rotate on a cylinder? Yes. They're like in a matted room. Like mats. Yeah. And those things are coming around. And they had to like duck under them and climb over them and jump and without getting knocked out. And I'm like this. I cannot wait to see my kids here. I can't wait. It's my new favorite thing and I've never done it. Yes.

[00:20:14] Everything that I have seen about it, it looks like you live in a video game basically. So I'm all about it. It literally looks so fun. Do not overlook level 99. I am so glad this is there. It's now open. Wolfgang Puck closed. Level 99 open. Yeah. Sorry Wolfgang Puck, but we are really excited about level 99 happening. There are so many fantastic places to go and eat and shop and just have a really great time at Disney Springs. If you are skipping Disney Springs, you're skipping a lot at this point. Yeah.

[00:20:43] I mean what a day like go see drawn to life, have a delicious meal, shop in some exclusive stores, maybe see a movie, hit level 99. You have a full day of things to do. And if you're there this time of year, as it transitions into the holidays and winter, you're going to start to see the Christmas tree stroll and just all kinds of really amazing things. So Disney Springs is a great place to be. They keep leveling it up and I really love it. Yes. It's really good. Yeah. And then other news. Do you want to talk to us about other news, Allie? Yeah. Typhoon Lagoon closing.

[00:21:12] It closed September 9th earlier this month, but Blizzard Beach remains open as we transition into these colder days. You are only getting one water park. That is typical for Disney. Typhoon Lagoon is currently closed. You still get Blizzard Beach. If you are able to capitalize on using a water park or having a water park ticket, or if you're going while the free water park day is happening, I think that's about to end if it didn't already, you are going to be able to go to Blizzard Beach. So just make sure you're keeping, keeping tabs on that and recognizing that Typhoon Lagoon is closed. Yes.

[00:21:42] And let me just say that, you know, it's the end of September getting into October as we're recording this. It is still very hot here and Blizzard Beach is such a unique water park with, you're going to see snowmen. It's going to be playing Christmas music. Like what a unique vibe. Check it out. It's really cool. Honestly, part of my thing about Disney at the holidays is I hate being so hot when it's Christmassy, but if I can be in an environment where I see like snow and stuff, I'm all about it. That sounds so fun.

[00:22:08] My kids have gotten to pose with like surfing Santa and everything there. So cool. Yeah. Really, really. It's like, it's like living on a holiday ornament that you bought in the Bahamas. It really is. And then finally, the Hurley Burley at the Boardwalk, the new lounge experience is opening October 1st. We are almost there as we're recording this. It is family friendly during the day, 21 and over at night. Stay tuned for a deep dive. We will definitely be talking more about the Hurley Burley, both in its kid friendly iteration

[00:22:38] and adults only iteration. I'm excited about that. Any new experiences to the Boardwalk have me ready and amped to go. Yes. The vibes in the fall at Walt Disney World are so spectacular. They're so special, so immersive. And for any M&Ms out there, our magic word will be vibes because I just feel like the vibes of fall are everything you could possibly want and more. I love the immersion. I love the pumpkins. I love the leaves.

[00:23:07] I feel like during Halloween and Christmas time, it's like, you know how you always say you love a theme and you're really invested in theme. I feel like the entire world is like, we're on that same page for Halloween and Christmas. Yes, so true. Everybody comes up to my level when it's time for Halloween. I'm just there on a random Thursday, you know, in April, but everybody meets me there these times of year. That's it. All right. Well, that is your park pulse for Walt Disney World fall 2026.

[00:23:34] So many amazing and exciting things to see, do and experience right now at Disney World. Also some things to be mindful of with closures, park hours, parties, closing parks early if you don't have tickets. So it's important just to stay informed, know what's going on while you're there and have a good pulse on the park so that you don't miss out and you capitalize on all of the good things. All right. That's going to do it for us. Bringing you more magic here on a Thursday, keeping you informed, keeping you entertained and sending you all the fun, love and joy. And until next time, we'll see you real soon.

[00:24:04] All right. All right. That was easy. Good job. Lust auf frische Vielfalt zu kleinen Preisen? Dann ab zu Rewe! Eisbergsalat frisch und knackig, Klasse 1, je Stück für nur 89 Cent. Oder frische Rewe beste Wahlmandarinen, Klasse 1, je 750 Gramm Netz für nur 1,99 Euro. Und mit Rewe Bonus sammelst du zusätzlich 20 Cent Bonusguthaben.

[00:24:34] Frische Vielfalt kleine Preise. Rewe, dein Markt. Dein die Rewe. Deine die