Another week has passed by in Disney World and this one was filled with holiday news!

That’s right, it may only be mid-October but Disney World is already looking toward the holiday season! Let’s go over the most unexpected news of the week.

Disney Very Merriest After Hours Stage Show

Earlier this week we came across a quick mention of a stage show for the Disney Very Merriest After Hours party in Magic Kingdom hidden in an Annual Passholder email, and Disney later confirmed the new show! Mickey & Minnie’s Very Merry Memories will be the new stage show in front of Cinderella Castle for the ticketed holiday event.

This stage show will feature new and nostalgic elements from past stage shows, including perhaps Clarabelle Cow? Ticket holders for Disney Very Merriest will also be able to catch a holiday parade, a fireworks show, and complimentary treats.

Read more about the stage show coming to Very Merriest After Hours here!

Merry Menagerie

The CUTEST MOST ADORABLE Merry Menagerie puppets are returning to Disney’s Animal Kingdom this year! If you’ve never seen them, these life-size puppets of winter animals made from wood, yard, and other organic materials are a truly adorable addition to the holiday season in Disney World.

In the past, we saw puppet animals including polar bears, wolves, penguins, reindeer, foxes, and more! These probably shouldn’t have stolen our hearts as hard as they did, but they’re REALLY cute, guys! You’ll be able to find these puppets on Discovery Island during the holiday season at Animal Kingdom.

Here’s more about the Merry Menagerie coming back!

Holiday Decorations

Disney decided to go ahead and start decorating for the holiday season this week! Even though it’s not even Halloween yet, we were surprised to find holiday stars along Sunset Boulevard in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

These red and white stars hang from the street lamps along Sunset Boulevard every holiday season, and we guess Disney decided to start the holiday party early this year! We typically spot Hollywood Studios getting festive earliest, but this was a tad earlier than we’d seen in the past!

Check out photos of the new holiday decorations here!

Reservation Limits

From October 9th to December 4th (at least), guests will NOT be able to book one-night stays at Disney World. For local people, this isn’t great news. You will need to book two nights or more to secure a reservation at a Disney World hotel until at LEAST early December.

We confirmed with a Cast Member that this is an official policy, and we’ll be watching closely for any changes! Note that this does NOT affect DVC members booking with points.

There are NO 1 night reservations through December in Disney World.

Boatwrights Dining Hall

This week Disney’s Port Orleans Resort — Riverside reopened, and we were surprised to learn that the table service restaurant located there, Boatwrights Dining Hall, will not be opening until sometime in December.

Other dining locations are open at Port Orleans Riverside, such as the Riverside Mill Food Court and the River Roost Lounge, where we caught a performance of the returning Yehaa Bob Jackson! But guests will have to wait a bit for Boatwrights.

Read more about Disney’s plans for Boatwrights Dining Hall.

Contemporary Merchandise

We found new Disney’s Contemporary Resort-themed Minnie ears! This new headband has the Monorail riding between the Mickey and Minnie ears! (Kinda looks like they’re eating the Monorail though, right??)

We found them at Bayview Gifts in Disney’s Contemporary Resort for $39.99, so head over there if you want a pair of your own! There’s ALSO a whole line of cute retro 50th Anniversary Contemporary merchandise we found too!

See more photos of the Monorail ears here!

And that’s all the unexpected news from this week in Disney World! Keep checking back with DFB for all your Disney World news coverage and updates.

Check out all the new Disney merchandise that dropped online this week!

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

The post 6 Unexpected Things to Happen in Disney World This Week first appeared on the disney food blog.