No seasonal cupcake reveals here, just the bigger stories in the Disney-sphere. Let’s take a quick-hit look at the latest news around the Walt Disney Company, including Disney Parks, Experiences, and Entertainment.
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event is returning to Anaheim, CA, this summer from August 14 to 16. The biennial three-day event is always a spectacular display of Disney fandom, including celebrations of all aspects of the company and major announcements of upcoming entertainment and experience projects.
Aside from the main convention floor at the Anaheim Convention Center, D23 hosts the following marquee presentations at the nearby Honda Center:
- August 14 (Friday) – Disney Entertainment Showcase
- August 15 (Saturday) – Disney Experiences Showcase
- August 16 (Sunday) – Disney Legends Award Ceremony
Additional panels and presentations will be announced by Disney at a later date. Aside from the convention day events, Disney will be hosting other fan events such as D23 Night at Angels Stadium on Wednesday, August 12, and D23 Day at Disneyland Resort on Thursday, August 13.
Tickets are on sale now. For the full event schedule and to purchase tickets, visit the D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event web page.
Fans unable to attend the D23 event will be able to stream some of the content online. Disney will release more details on streaming options at a future date.
Disney Legends 2026
One of the three highlight presentations of D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event is the Disney Legends Award Ceremony, honoring creatives and visionaries who have made significant impacts across Disney’s storied history. This year’s induction ceremony will take place on Sunday, August 16, and will be hosted by Ryan Seacrest.
The 2026 Disney Legends class includes the following honorees:
- Chris Berman (Sports/Television)
- Jerry Bruckheimer (Film)
- Susan Egan (Stage & Voice)
- Eric Goldberg (Animation)
- Anne Hathaway (Film)
- Bob Iger (Leadership)
- Kim Irvine (Imagineering)
- Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (Film & Voice)
- The Jonas Brothers (Television & Music)
- Lin-Manuel Miranda (Music)
- Alan Tudyk (Film & Voice)
As you can see, these honorees include widely varied disciplines and personalities, as diverse as Disney storytelling itself! For a fun discussion on all eleven of this year’s honorees, check out Episode 113 of the Married to a Disney Addict podcast, where I join hosts (and friends) Krystle and Matt Woolley and several other friends in the Married to a Disney Addict ‘Ohana to discuss the new Legends class. At the end, we each offer our nomination for who else we think should be a Disney Legend.
Disney Layoffs
Disney CEO Josh D’Amaro recently took the reins from long-time CEO Bob Iger. Unfortunately, management changes often come with announcements of restructuring and cost-cutting. Disney expects to lay off as many as 1,000 employees. Many of those jobs will likely come from its marketing department, which was recently consolidated under Asad Ayaz, who was named chief marketing and brand officer in January.
The last time Disney had a major layoff was in 2023, soon after Bob Iger returned as CEO, when they cut about 7,000 jobs from the workforce as part of a company reorganization.
Walt Disney World
A little bit of resort news is happening at the Most Magical Place on Earth.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
The “Wildest Ride in the Wilderness” is about to rumble down the track once again, as Magic Kingdom’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will reopen on May 3rd. The iconic runaway train coaster has been closed for nearly 16 months, undergoing a massive refurbishment including track replacement, theming updates, and the addition of “new magic.”
When the coaster reopens, it will feature a new sequence inspired by the Rainbow Caverns from Disneyland’s original Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland attraction. The experience will include updated lighting effects, projection elements, and a “rumbling” mountain that “fights back” as the train enters the caverns.
But wait, there’s more! Two inches more! According to Walt Disney World President Jeff Vahle, Big Thunder Mountain will return with a 38″ minimum guest height requirement – two inches shorter than the previous 40″ requirement. That is welcome news for families with smaller children!
Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away Parade
Magic Kingdom’s newest nighttime parade – a shining spectacle inspired by the classic Main Street Electrical Parade – debuted in July 2025. This enchanting collection of Disney dreams is brought to life by the magic of the Blue Fairy, and features moments unfold from favorite Disney and Pixar stories such as Moana, Peter Pan, Encanto, Frozen, Pinocchio, and more.
Concept art for the parade illustrated Peter Pan and Wendy flying through the sky above a moonlit float themed to classic downtown London. However, the parade debuted with the pixie-dusted pair dancing and waving their way through the parade, with their feet atop the float.
Guests can now see Peter Pan and Wendy float through the sky as Imagineers originally intended, gliding through the London sky as the parade winds its way through the park.
Take a sneak peak at Peter Pan and Wendy here. (Video: WDW Magic)
Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away marches through Magic Kingdom most evenings.
Coming Soon
Disney just dropped dates and details for a couple shows coming to Disney+ in May.
Welcome to Wrexham Season 5 (May 14, 2026)
Season 5 of the hit docuseries premieres on FXX and Hulu with its first two episodes dropping on May 14, 2026.
Ryan Reynolds Rob McElhenney (now Rob Mac) led a struggling Welsh football team to an historic three straight promotions through the ranks of the English Football League – all while also helping the surrounding community. Season 5 will follow the club’s journey in the EFL Championship League, where a push for a record fourth straight promotion could land the team in the EFL’s esteemed Premier League.
Wrexham fans will be thrilled to know the docuseries has already been renewed through Season 8. Will the Red Dragons make it to the Premier League? Find out starting May 14 (or you can follow the team’s progress in real time. Spoiler alert – they have a great chance!).
The Punisher: One Last Kill (May 12, 2026)
Frank Castle embarks on a new journey where revenge isn’t on the agenda, but an unexpected conflict draws him right back into action. Jon Bernthal reprise his role as the titular character in this Marvel Television Special Presentation (i.e. – only one single episode).
Disney Parks Promotions
Looking to travel to a Disney destination? Here are the latest promotions to browse.
Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa is offering nice seasonal Summer room discounts of up to 25%, with even greater discounts available for Disney Visa Cardmembers.
Walt Disney World is offering excellent room rates for Disney + subscribers.
All the details on these two promotions are available here. And remember – the time to book is now, so you get your choice of the best deals!
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