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Greetings fellow Rope Droppers,
I'm still shaking off sea legs from a weekend cruise on the Disney Destiny. It's a stellar new ship with immersive theming. You've probably seen others say it, but I can confirm firsthand: this ship is doing storytelling in a way that's a first for the fleet.
But a few days of Disney magic at sea only got me thinking about Disney magic back on land, and between Pirate Night and Palo, I barely thought about the parks. Barely.
Let's head in.
| 1 | Flower & Garden's topiary lineup and merch finally drop. |
| 2 | A fan-favorite EPCOT ride reopened with a surprising new look. |
| 3 | Summer 2027 cruise sailings just dropped, and the clock's ticking. |
| 01 | This Week's E-Ticket Flower & Garden's Full Bloom Is Here |
We told you the dates a few weeks back: EPCOT's Flower & Garden Festival runs March 4 through June 1. Now the specifics are rolling in.
Disney Parks Blog
Topiaries are already arriving on property, and Disney Parks Blog has the full character lineup: Buzz, Woody, Bo Peep, Lotso, Stitch, Mike and Sulley, Lightning McQueen and Mater among 60+ topiaries across 31+ gardens.
New for 2026: a CommuniCore nighttime garden, nearly 20 PhotoPass Magic Shots, and a merch collection built around Orange Bird and Spike the Bee. None of this is a new ride or a replaced favorite, it's new trimmings on the same festival formula.
Garden Rocks dining packages opened February 5, worth grabbing if you want a guaranteed concert seat instead of a lawn camp-out.
For your planning: weekday visits are still your best crowd play. If a Garden Rocks show is the whole point of your day, arrive early for lawn seating or book the dining package, seats are first-come without one.
What's your Flower & Garden festival priority?
For planners, that's your cue: if you've been holding off on a spring trip, the festival calendar just gave you a real reason to lock in March or April, before summer crowds (and summer heat) show up.
| 02 | In the Queue Book the Wish's Europe Season Before It's Gone |
The headline out of Disney Cruise Line's Summer 2027 itineraries: Disney Wish is heading to Europe, with new stops in Zadar, Trieste, and Hellesylt on three- to ten-night sailings repositioning from Port Canaveral. Disney Parks Blog has the full rundown, plus Alaska sailings on Magic and Wonder from Vancouver, a Singapore season for Disney Adventure, and the usual Caribbean rotation on Dream, Fantasy, Treasure, and Destiny.
Our take: European itineraries typically carry a real price premium over Caribbean sailings, and the Wish is one of DCL's most in-demand ships. Put those two together and we wouldn't be surprised if these sailings see early demand, maybe selling through the best cabin categories before the public window even opens.
| Booking Access | Opens |
|---|---|
| Pearl Members | Monday, Feb 16 |
| Platinum, Golden Oak Club and Club 33 Members | Tuesday, Feb 17 |
| Gold Castaway Club Members | Wednesday, Feb 18 |
| Silver Members, DVC Members and Adventures by Disney Insiders | Thursday, Feb 19 |
| General Public / First-Time Cruisers | Monday, Feb 23 |
For your planning: if Europe (or a specific ship or date) is on your list, book on your first eligible day, watch the cabin categories fill fast.
| 03 | Ears to That The Free Water Park Perk Just Got a Lot More Useful |
We flagged Typhoon Lagoon's closure back in January and promised it'd be "back by summer." Now we have the actual date.
Blizzard Beach reopens February 15, right as Typhoon Lagoon closes for its scheduled refurb (last day February 14). Typhoon Lagoon returns May 12, and from there both parks run all summer, per WDWNT, through at least September 8, covering the entire Cool Kids' Summer window.
Our take: we love that this perk is back in full for the whole season. It's real value, a standalone water park ticket runs roughly $70 a day per person, so free resort-guest admission on your check-in day is money back in your pocket. It's also a smart trip-planning move: hit the water park on arrival day while you're still low-key, and save your legs for the parks starting the next morning.
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| 04 | From Around the Kingdom New Faces, New Places (and a New Bakehouse) |
Last Piece Gone: DinoLand's entrance archway is officially demolished, and Tropical Americas construction (its Encanto and Indiana Jones-anchored replacement) is accelerating. (AllEars)
Character Shuffle: Now that DinoLand is closed, its characters have scattered across the park. Donald and Daisy meet together in The Oasis, Chip and Dale moved to Palm Courtyard, and Pluto's posted up near the rope bridge in a new Animal Kingdom bandana. (Disney Food Blog)
Roaming Royalty: Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, and Goofy have been popping up for unscheduled "surprise and delight" strolls through Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. Our best guess: it's tied to Mickey's Magical Friendship Faire running an afternoon-only schedule during the castle repaint we flagged last month, so the character team may be filling the morning gap with roaming meets instead. (BlogMickey)
Refurb Radar: Grand Floridian's refurbishment (porte cochere included) is extended again, now running through early 2027. Expect noise and alternate walking paths, but no material hit to room availability. (WDWNT)
Bluey Alert: We flagged Imagineering's permit work at Conservation Station back in January, and now we have dates: Affection Section closes February 23 through April 18 to make room for the Bluey and Bingo experience debuting this summer. (The DIS)
Coffyns Coming: Gideon's Bakehouse is opening a second Disney Springs spot, Six Ravens, in the old Art of Shaving space at The Landing. Expect savory hand pies ("coffyns"), local draft beer, and a 2026 opening window. (Disney Food Blog)
Discount Drop: WDW rolled out room-only discounts (up to 30% off 5+ night stays, 25% for shorter ones) for most dates May 1 through July 29, with Grand Floridian and the Wilderness Lodge family at the top tier. (WDWNT)
EPCOT's having quite a week. While the Flower & Garden topiaries were arriving, Frozen Ever After quietly reopened (soft opening February 11, official the 12th) with brand-new silicone animatronic faces for Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff, replacing the projected faces that had been there since the ride opened.
Silicone faces on Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff, are you into the upgrade or do you miss the old projections? Hit reply and tell us →
| 05 | See Ya Real Soon That's a Wrap on This One |
That's a wrap on this one, Rope Droppers. Between a festival getting ready to go into full bloom, a ride with a new face, and a cruise calendar that just got a lot bigger, there's plenty to start planning around this week.
How'd we do this week?
See ya real soon,
Gabe
