This has been a HUGE week for Disney news.

The EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival has kicked off (and brought all kinds of treats with it), there are tons of new spring snacks and Imagineer-inspired snacks in Disney World, and big Disney+ changes have been announced too. Want to get up to speed on the latest Disney news? You’ve come to the right place. Sit back, put up your feet, and dive into the news with us!

1 — EPCOT’s Flower and Garden Festival is HERE

The 2022 EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival is officially underway and we’ve been in the park to cover it ALL for you. There is so much new merchandise to buy (including Orange Bird and Spike the Bee items).

Price increases have impacted select food items and a Festival activity.

We’ve shared FULL reviews of all of the food booths.

We’ve also broken down our picks for the BEST of the FEST — what to eat and drink at the Flower and Garden Festival.

Basically, if it has to do with the Flower and Garden Festival, we’ve covered it! From a FULL review of the Garden Graze food scavenger hunt…

…to photos and videos of the entertainment…

…to a special look at Spaceship Earth’s Pocahontas makeover(!!), we’ve got it here for you!

Want a DFB EXCLUSIVE Flower and Garden Festival MAP? We got it! We’ve got it ALLLLLLL. There’s also a video at the end of this post about the best items to get at the Festival, so be sure to check that out too! And check back with us for any updates throughout the Festival. Remember it’ll be available all through July 4th, 2022.

Want to truly master the Flower and Garden Festival? Get our printable here!

2 — It’s Festival Town in Disneyland Too

The festival fun isn’t just limited to Disney World though! This week, the Food and Wine Festival began at Disneyland Resort, specifically over at Disney California Adventure Park, and (again) we’re there to cover it all for you!

We’ve got your full festival menus and (of course) reviews incoming of all the Festival booths!

We’re working our way through providing more of these reviews, so check back with us over the next few days for those! For now, you can see why Disney a pretzel bun and cheese sauce is a total WIN at one booth, where you can find snacks BURSTING with flavor at the Festival, all the details about an incredible drink that is hiding with artichokes(??), our full review of a very special snack — FROZEN GUACAMOLE ON A STICK(!!)…

…our review of a booth that’s got “tailgate” written all over it (wings and beer?! sign us up!), and a booth that features bacon mac ‘n’ cheese and steak (YUM!). We’ll keep bringing you coverage of more Food and Wine items soon!

Click here to read more about the Food and Wine Festival!

3 — An Updated Stage Show Has Arrived!

Over at Magic Kingdom, we’ve seen a number of new things, including a new cavalcade! But now it’s time for ANOTHER new/updated thing to arrive. The Magic Kingdom’s updated stage show — called Mickey’s Magical Friendship Faire — has officially debuted.

During the show, you’ll get to see all kinds of characters including Mickey and Minnie in their 50th Anniversary outfits, Rapunzel, Tiana, and more. Be sure to check it out during your next trip!

Click here to see photos and videos of the updated stage show!

4 — NEW Eats and Other Dining CHANGES!

As if the start of the Flower and Garden Festival in EPCOT AND the Food and Wine Festival in Disney California Adventure wasn’t enough, Disney has decided to release all kinds of new snacks (and make some other dining changes) recently!

New Encanto and Imagineer-themed treats have been announced for Disney World, some new spring snacks have arrived, and other new treats and changes have been made. We’ve been making our way around the parks to try them all! So far we’ve sampled two new eats that have possibly turned a quick service restaurant into a must-visit spot, a boozy Disney World cupcake, the ULTIMATE treat for Haunted Mansion fans…

…an “it’s a small world” cupcake, a peanut butter banana lunch box tart, a snack that might actually give you a good reason to visit PizzeRizzo, a new Beauty and the Beast treat, an orange blossom shake, a treat that’ll leave you wanting more, and a new sandwich that feels like something your mom would make (in a great way!).

Some special monthly items have also debuted at Gideon’s Bakehouse (including a secret coffee!) and some BIG character dining changes have been made at Cinderella’s Royal Table.

Plus you’ll want to stop by Cinderella’s Royal Table for a NEW Tangled-themed dish! Our full review is coming soon!

In other words, if you’re heading to Disney World now, pack those stretchy pants — you’re gonna need ’em!

Click here to read more about those character meet and greet changes!

5 — Disney+ Changes

Finally, in terms of big news, we have some Disney+ changes you’re going to want to know about. First of all, more mature Marvel shows are coming to Disney+, and bringing parental controls with them. If you’ve got little kiddos at home watching Disney+ with you, this is definitely something you’ll want to learn more about to see how to best handle it for your accounts.

Additionally, we got some BIG news recently that ads will be coming to Disney+ later this year. Disney+ will actually be introducing an ad-supported subscription offering in late 2022. This will be in addition to though (not as a replacement for) its subscription option without ads.

Click here to learn more about this ad news!

Of course, other news was shared this week as well. Check out those stories by clicking the links below!

• Disney has made some changes when it comes to shopping for limited edition items online
• Park Pass reservations could be sticking around for a while
• The CDC has updated its mask recommendations
• Disney Cruise Line has also announced some upcoming changes to its mask mandate

• You could save on your next Disney trip if you’re a Costco member
• Get a look at the boarding area for the upcoming Guardians coaster!
• Escape the post-fireworks crowds in Magic Kingdom with a special snack HACK!
• Dates have been revealed for the 2022 Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic
• A new restaurant is coming soon to Disney Springs
• Go INSIDE Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

• We waited 160 minutes (!!) to get an exclusive 50th Anniversary souvenir — see more details here!
• A new COVID-19 “test to treat” initiative has been announced by the U.S. presidents
• Mickey was in a very special outfit — see why!
• You can pre-order NEW 50th Anniversary Disney items exclusively on Amazon

And we’ve got more Star Wars Hotel updates as well!

• Get the answers to your Star Wars Hotel questions
• Is the Star Wars hotel just for fans of the movie series?
• Is the Star Wars Hotel worth the price?
• You can book a private photo session at the Star Wars Hotel
• What you’re actually paying for at the Star Wars Hotel

And that’s it for our news this week! Be sure to check back with us for more updates!

Click here to see our review of the gorgeous Disney World treat that’ll leave you wanting more!

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Don’t Miss Out on Any Disney Fun!

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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.

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What Disney news are you most surprised by this week? Tell us in the comments!

The post 5 Important Disney Updates You Don’t Want to Miss first appeared on the disney food blog.