It’s that time again!
©The Walt Disney Company
Each week, we dive into the biggest breaking news from the Walt Disney Company so we have a full recap of what’s going on within the Disney world. (Get it? Disney World?) This week had tons of fun surprises, so let’s dive right in!
It’s been a big week for Disney, especially in the U.S. parks! Let’s start in Florida before catching a flight over to Anaheim.
Beak and Barrel Opening Date
The biggest news of this week is easily that we finally have an opening date for Magic Kingdom’s new Pirates Lounge! The new lounge, called the Beak and Barrel, will open on August 29th, 2025.
©Disney
Disney has shared that this lounge is a “first-of-its-kind experience will extend the story of Pirates of the Caribbean.” We’ve gotten sneak peeks inside the new lounge, but this week Disney also gave us a glimpse at the new menu.
Plunderer’s Punch ©Disney
Inside, Pirates of all ages can gather to “tell their tales,” while enjoying some “grogs and grub.” There will be new drinks like The Treasure Trove, Kraken’s Catch, and a Salty Seas mARRRgarita. Plus, there will be new bites like Kraken’s Catch, which is a cold salad with octopus tentacles marinated in lemon and lime juice and paired with olives, bell peppers, avocado, and Piquillo pepper-almond foam.
©Disney
This spot will be open for after-hours parties as well. We are grabbing our eye patches and hooks as we speak! This new lounge starts taking reservations on August 14th, 2025, for anyone hunting for treasure.
The Beak and Barrel — Pirates of the Caribbean Tavern at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
Halloween Decorations Are Here… Kinda
Are you ready for spooky season? We know we are! One sign that Halloween is getting closer is when Magic Kingdom dons its annual holiday makeover. This week, we finally got a hint that Fall is close because we spotted the first Halloween decorations in Magic Kingdom!
The first sign of spooky season!
At the TTC and outside of Magic Kingdom, signs for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, along with hay bales, pumpkins, and fall leaves, have appeared! The Magic Kingdom after-hours party kicks off on August 15th, 2025, so we are eagerly awaiting even more pumpkins and ghouls to start appearing around the park.
A sign in front of Magic Kingdom!
Last year, Disney transformed Magic Kingdom only 4 days before the party began, so we know it should be any day now. We’re eagerly awaiting for the party to start so we can see all of the exclusive entertainment, try all of the limited-time snacks, and hop in those short lines for popular attractions.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom
Disneyland Ride Closures
Finally, stopping over in Disneyland, two popular rides are closing soon! First, the annual closure of the Haunted Mansion is taking place. It began on August 9th, 2o25, and will remain until August 22nd, when the ride reopens at the Haunted Mansion Holiday.
Haunted Mansion Holiday
This annual overlay is a huge signal of the holiday season beginning in Disneyland! Jack Skellington, Oogie Boogie, Sally, and more characters from The Nightmare Before Christmas take over the classic attraction for a hauntingly good time. This overlay is super popular, and if it stays as long as last year, we will have roughly half the year with these characters.
Jack Skellington
The second closure was a bit more unexpected! Big Thunder Mountain in Disneyland is closing on September 2nd. Beginning on September 2nd through mid-September (the furthest the calendar goes at the time of writing), the ride has no operating hours, indicating an upcoming closure.
Big Thunder Mountain at Disneyland
Disney has yet to share details on the nature of the closure and how long it will last. This also means that both U.S. versions of the attraction will be closed at the same time since Magic Kingdom’s version has been closed since January 2025 and will remain closed until sometime in 2026.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Disneyland!
We’re eager to see how long the closure will last and what changes will occur.
Learn more about the Big Thunder Mountain closure here.
These are just a few of the major changes happening across the Disney Parks, and we can’t wait to see what next week brings! As always, be sure to keep following DFB for more Disney news and updates.
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I wish Disney World would the Huanted House Nightmare Before Christmas overlay like they do in Disneyland. I wonder why they don’t?
Hey, Robsep! I think it’s because, once upon a time, Disney actually made an effort to differentiate between the two resorts (DL & WDW).
DL had Cars Land, which would drive (“drive” – hehe) people to visit the California parks. And WDW had Avatar Land, which would prompt visitors to make the trek to Florida. Now, they’re putting all things in all places, so a person only needs to go to one coast to see everything. Seems like a bad business decision to me, but, hey, what do I know?
And don’t get me started on the removal of Rivers of America/Tom Sawyer’s Island in WDW. Walt is doing backflips in his grave…