5 Unexpected Things That Happened in Disney World This Week

Hi, DFB friends! It’s been quite a week in Disney World.

Cinderella Castle

This week we got a refurbishment update, a surprising character experience, new Star Wars merchandise, and more! Let’s get into it.

Brazil Booth Moved

The 2021 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival Brazil booth was moved to a new location! It opened on October 1st and it was originally located near the front of the World Showcase, across from the Port of Entry gift shop. Less than a month after opening, the Brazil booth has been moved back to its original Food and Wine Festival location between the France and Morocco pavilions.

It’s open!

And Brazil got a booth glow up! Sporting colorful mosaic details and a new Brazil sign, we’re excited to get some more Crispy Pork Belly in our bellies.

Don’t panic! The Brazil booth has moved in EPCOT.

Disney World Railroad Refurbishment Extended

It feels like the Walt Disney World Railroad has been under refurbishment for forever at this point, and now refurbishment has been extended to 2022. If you were hoping to take a ride on the train in 2021, it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.

The Main Street Railroad Station

Due to construction on the TRON: Lightcycle Run roller coaster, the Disney World Railroad has been closed since 2018. There was no official end date ever announced, but now the Disney World website lists the refurbishment extending into 2022.

Read more about what Disney World’s website says about the Railroad refurbishment.

Ahsoka Minnie Ears

It was an exciting surprise to find new Star Wars Minnie ears featuring Ahsoka in Disney’s Hollywood Studios! We found them at Tatooine Traders next to Star Tours for $39.99.

Ahsoka Ears

Ahsoka is Anakin’s Padawan from Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and she’s also been in other Star Wars movies and series, like The Mandalorian on Disney+. In fact, she’s getting her own Disney+ show soon!

Check out more photos of the new Ahsoka Minnie ears here!

Character Meet and Greets Are BACK in a NEW Way!

Modified character meet and greets, or what Disney is now calling “sightings,” appeared early in Disney World! Originally announced for November, this week we were able to get some socially distanced one-on-one time with Mickey and Princesses Tiana, Elena, Cinderella, and Rapunzel!

Guests can spot Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater again in Magic Kingdom!

You can take pictures and have a conversation, but you can’t ask for autographs or hugs yet. We were so excited to get to interact with characters again and we can’t wait to “meet” other characters!

Here are more photos from Disney’s new character “sightings!”

More Christmas Decor…BEFORE Halloween!

Even before Halloween has arrived, Disney World added even MORE holiday decorations! This time we spotted them in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, where holiday animal lanterns were displayed on the roof of Discovery Trading!

The lanterns are back!

The lanterns actually light up at night too! They remind us a little of the Merry Menagerie puppets coming soon to Animal Kingdom.

Check out the holiday decorations in Animal Kingdom!

And that’s all the unexpected news from this week in Disney World! What do you think? Keep reading DFB for more Disney World news!

Holiday drinks are BACK in Disney World!

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

Don’t Miss Out on Any Disney Fun!

Order Your Copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining Today!

With more than 750 pages, the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining is full of tips and planning tools developed by Disney World experts over 30+ years of visits. We’ve done the research for you, so you’ll know just which spots will uniquely suit your family’s needs!

With mini-reviews of every single restaurant, bar, lounge, kiosk and more; an entire chapter on the best snacks in Disney World; full Disney Dining Plan analysis (and how to get FREE dining); and a full chapter on discounts and deals; you’ll have everything you need to plan your best vacation yet.

Click here to order your copy of the 2021 DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining E-book with code WDW2021 to save 25% off the cover price today!

Use code WDW2021 at check-out for 25% off the cover price today!

ready-to-shop-button
Our guides are backed by a 100% money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose. 🙂

Are you surprised by any of the news this week? Tell us in the comments!

The post 5 Unexpected Things That Happened in Disney World This Week first appeared on the disney food blog.