Some important things are changing in and around the Disney parks.

New restaurants are going to open soon, a brand NEW ride will soon be available for the public to enjoy, and much more. If you haven’t been keeping up with the latest Disney news, there’s a lot to catch you up on, so sit back, grab a snack, and let’s begin!

TRON Lightcycle / Run Details

TRON Lightcycle / Run doesn’t open in Magic Kingdom until April 4th, 2023, but we already got the chance to hop on the ride and we’ve got FULL details for you here!

First, you can click here for a FULL Guide to using the TRON Lightcycle / Run lockers. The use of these lockers is required since you won’t be able to bring loose items or backpacks onto the ride vehicle itself (only a phone, wallet, and glasses — or things of that nature — can be placed into the small item holder on the bikes).

Before you ride TRON, click here to learn about some critical details. We’ve got information about what the seats are like and how you request certain seats.

Will you fit on the “standard” TRON Lightcycle / Run vehicles in Disney World? We’ve got a full post on that right here.

We’ve also got a full post with EVERYTHING you need to know about the TRON ride, including some of the story from the films that plays into the ride, how to ride (virtual queue), photo opportunities, and more.

Want to see a FULL ride through of TRON? If you’re okay with spoilers, then click here and see what it’s like to hop on this ride!

One important thing to remember, the ride is VERY short, so don’t let that catch you off guard.

While the ride won’t open for a few weeks still, Cast Members have already been able to preview the attraction and more previews are on the way. D23 Gold Members could buy a special ticket for an exclusive TRON preview, but note that those tickets have since sold out.

Annual Passholders will soon get the chance to preview the ride as well. Registration opened this past week and quickly sold out.

Similarly, Disney Vacation Club members will get a preview of the ride, but their preview dates have sold out already too.

If you didn’t get a preview spot, then it’s time to start planning that April trip — just don’t forget to grab a Park Pass for Magic Kingdom ASAP.

See our page all about TRON Lightcycle / Run here

Roundup Rodeo BBQ UPDATES

From ride news we move to food news. Roundup Rodeo BBQ is the new Toy Story-themed table-service family-style restaurant that will be opening on March 23rd, 2023 in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

We’ve already seen the FULL menu for the restaurant, but this week we got more news. Dining reservations for Roundup Rodeo BBQ will become available for booking starting February 21st, 2023! So mark those calendars — you’ll want to be ready to tap away quickly if you’re hoping to get a reservation right around when the restaurant opens.

This week, Disney also shared a video that revealed a look INSIDE the restaurant. Things are still a work in progress but we can’t wait to see what it’ll look like once everything is completed.

Click here to see more about Roundup Rodeo BBQ

Dining Promo Card

Next, we dive into more food news. Well, technically it’s news about a special offer that could help you get some great food on your next trip! The Disney Dining Plan is set to come back in the future, but in the meantime, Disney is offering a different dining deal — the Dining Promo Card.

The Dining Promo Card is basically a gift card that you can use at select Disney World restaurants. The card is only included with certain hotel reservations. If you book a qualifying Disney hotel reservation, you’ll receive the promo card in your email once you check into your reservation.

The card’s value depends on your vacation arrival date, how long you’re staying at the hotel, and which hotel you choose.

To qualify, you’ll have to book a minimum 4-night stay at a Disney World hotel with at least 4 days of park tickets. You get one gift card per ROOM, not per person.

Disney has generally promoted that the offer is good for up to a $750 Dining Promo Card, BUT a reader tipped us off to the fact that you can actually get MORE money — over $1,000 — on the promo card.

So what’s the news here? Well, Disney had already announced that the Dining Promo Card offer would be available for guests who have a qualifying visit between June 25th and September 14th, 2023. But they had NOT said whether there was a specific date by which you needed to book your qualifying trip to get the Dining Promo Card…until now.

In a message sent to travel agents, Disney noted that the Dining Promo Card offer is only bookable through March 27th, 2023. That’s just over a month away, so you’ll want to get booking FAST.

To learn more about the Dining Promo Card and how to best use it, check out our posts below:

• How Disney’s NEW Dining Promo Card Clues Us in to the Future of the Dining Plan
• When You Should Say NO to Disney World’s New Dining Package
• 24 Restaurants To Visit To Make the MOST of Your Disney World Dining Promo Card
• What Is a Dining Promo Card and How Do You Use It in Disney World? We Have the Answers
• Is This Disney World’s Answer to the Dining Plan in 2023? Dining Promo Card Details

Gideon’s Bakehouse News

It’s time for even more food news, this time from the mastermind behind Gideon’s Bakehouse in Disney Springs. Though Steve Lewis (the founder of Gideon’s Bakehouse) had previously discussed potential expansion plans before, this week we got another update.

In a post shared via Instagram, Gideon’s Bakehouse discussed a bit more about potential other locations. ⁣Gideon’s Bakehouse (with presumably Lewis writing this message directly as he does) shared, “I will not franchise and be yet another cookie place in every other shopping plaza in your town.”

But then things got exciting. He shared, “Maybe someday, a third location somewhere interesting, but I’m careful with my baby. Thank you for understanding the vision for this little place.” Ooooo — where could this “somewhere interesting” be?! We’ll have to wait and see!

In terms of other Gideon’s updates, we have some BAD NEWS. Many of you may be hoping and wishing that Gideon’s Bakehouse will start shipping their cookies so you can enjoy them from wherever you are. But, via Instagram Lewis shared, “The requests and many wishes for shipping have been growing. I’m super grateful you love what we’re doing and don’t want to miss out, but there are no plans to offer mail-order desserts.”

He continued, ““Gideon’s has always been a local from-scratch bakery aiming to create memories for our community and visiting friends. Our team is comically large to satisfy local demand. Meeting a national demand is logistically impossible. I would have to automate the process to take this step, which removes what makes Gideon’s unique.”

So it looks like you’ll have to make a trip out to Orlando to pick up these beauties for now!

Click here for our page full of reviews of the treats at Gideon’s Bakehouse!

Airport Train Update

Finally, in terms of big news, we’ve got an update on the Brightline train that’ll soon connect the Orlando International Airport to various other stations in Florida going all the way down to Miami.

The high-speed rail service indicated in a January report that it plans to start service from Orlando to West Palm Beach in the second quarter of 2023. The report also says that the 170-mile expansion is 90% complete.

According to Brightline, its 37,350-square-foot station at the Orlando Airport will be complete in March, but the completion of that station is on a separate timeline from the start of passenger service. Once passenger service begins to the airport, it’ll offer a different way to get around the state.

But plans are still in development for where the train will go after that. The current plan is called the Sunshine Corridor expansion — it would have the train go through Orlando and make several stops (including one by the Orange County Convention Center and possibly one near Disney World). The train is then set to expand over to Tampa. But there’s still a lot to be determined with those plans, so things could substantially change over the next weeks and months.

Click here to see inside the new Brightline train station at the airport!

And that’s it for the biggest stories, but of course, we’ve got even more news! Check out the other important stories from this week below:

• Bob Iger Makes “Stark Reversal in Strategy” at Disney
• How a Critical Disney War Ended Before It Really Began
• Disney World’s Reedy Creek Has DIED — Here’s What Happens Next
• NEWS: Mickey’s Toontown Reopening DELAYED at Disneyland
• VIDEO: See Melissa McCarthy as the VILLAIN in Disney’s New Live-Action ‘Little Mermaid’ Trailer

• “Disney Abused a Global Pandemic to Take Advantage of Its Own Loyal Customers” — Updates on the Park Pass Lawsuit 
• An All-New Snack Is Coming to McDonald’s!
• Don’t Miss This Major Festival Update in EPCOT!
• Cast Member Union Halts Contract Negotiations — “Disney Refused to Add Even One Cent to Its Wage Proposal”

Before you plan your next trip to Disney World, check out our DFB Guide Everything Bundle here.

You will get ALL of our best-selling eBooks with details on Disney World Dining, EPCOT Festivals, the BEST snacks in each park, and soooooo many tips and tricks we’ve learned over decades of visiting our happy place. 

Get the bundle here!

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

What news from this week surprised you the most? Tell us in the comments.

The post Disney Restaurant Updates, Opening Timeline for the Airport Train, and More HUGE News You Missed first appeared on the disney food blog.