Bitesize Orlando April 2026 – Issue 58

Welcome to my Bitesize Orlando April 2026 catch-up. There is a fair bit to cover this month, so let’s jump straight into it, shall we?! As always, you can navigate the article using the links below or read from start to finish.

It’s been a very busy month behind the scenes as usual, but, as promised, my brand new Complete Guide To Orlando Theme Park Tickets page is now live. It should answer most of your questions regarding our UK-exclusive tickets and provide more information on shorter-duration tickets that may be of better value to you. This month, I will be working on a complete rewrite of my Lightning Lane guides for Disney World and starting a new article concentrated on spending and travel money cards.

Following on from a post I put up when the deal went live, Disney World’s popular free dining promotion is now live for 2027 bookings and has been as popular as people expected. This year, Disney has tightened up the room types in certain hotels that are eligible. The offer is applicable for new bookings made between April 21st and November 4th, but book before July 2nd to receive an additional discount on the room, which, unlike last year, isn’t tied to the purchase of flights.

• Stay at a select Value resort to get £200 off
• Stay at a select Moderate resort to get £300 off
• Stay at a select Deluxe resort to get £400 off

The first 2,500 bookings made direct with Disney also received complimentary Minnie Van pickups from Orlando International Airport, but that offer has now finished. What you receive remains the same as last year and is tied to the level of your accommodation.

• Value Resorts receive 1 Quick Service Meal with a drink.
• Moderate Resorts receive the Quick Service Dining Plan: 2 Quick Service Meals with drinks and 1 snack or drink credit per night, plus a resort refillable mug.
• Deluxe Resorts receive Table Service Dining Plan: 1 Quick Service Meal, 1 Table Service Meal, both with drinks, plus a snack or drink credit per night and a resort refillable mug.

Although I never recommend you pay to upgrade your dining plan because it is a convenience product, not a cost-saving one, I realise some people would like to upgrade the meal plan from the accommodation they are staying in. In 2026, the costs to upgrade are as follows.

Value Resorts:

• Upgrade to Quick-Service Dining Plan – £28 per adult | £13 per child (ages 3-9)
• Upgrade to Table-Service Dining Plan – £57 per adult | £18 per child (ages 3-9)
• Upgrade to Deluxe Table-Service Dining Plan – £105 per adult | £29 per child (ages 3-9)

Moderate Resorts:

• Upgrade to Table-Service Dining Plan – £29 per adult | £5 per child (ages 3-9)
• Upgrade to Deluxe Table-Service Dining Plan – £77 per adult | £16 per child (ages 3-9)

Deluxe Resorts:

• Upgrade to Deluxe Table-Service Dining Plan – £48 per adult | £11 per child (ages 3-9)

Qualification for the offer remains the same as last year; your accommodation and tickets must be purchased from a participating provider in the same transaction. You do not need to include flights to benefit from the offer. In line with previous years, there are some notable blackout dates. In 2027, you need to arrive between the following qualifying dates:

• 3rd January 2027 to 27th March 2027
• 5th April 2027 to 6th October 2027
• 21st October 2027 to 19th December 2027

Not that you only need to arrive between these dates. If you stay crosses into an exclusion period, you will still receive Dining Plan for the duration of your stay. Now for the complicated part. The room EXCLUSION list. The offer will not apply to the following room types:

Value Resorts

• Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort – Standard Rooms
• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – Little Mermaid Standard Rooms

Moderate Resorts

• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort – Standard Location Rooms
• Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort – Tower Resort View Club Level, Tower Deluxe Suite Club Level, Tower 1 Bedroom Suite Club Level, Tower Presidential Suite Club Level
• Disney’s Port Orleans Resort French Quarter – Standard Location Rooms

Deluxe Resorts

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge: Savannah View Room Club Level, Savannah View 1 Bedroom Suite Club Level, 2 Bedroom Suite Club Level, Royal Assante Presidential Suite
• Disney’s Beach Club Resort: Club Level Water View Rooms & Resort View Rooms plus 1 & 2 Bedroom Suites Club Level
• Disney’s BoardWalk Inn – Resort View Club Level
• Disney’s Contemporary Resort: Garden Wing 1 Bedroom Suite Club Level, Theme Park View 1 Bedroom Suite, Main Tower Theme Park View Rooms
• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa: Resort View Room Club Level, 1 & 2 Bedroom Suites Club Level, Disney Suite Club Level, Theme Park View Room Club Level, Victorian Suite Club Level, Deluxe Room Club Level
• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort: Water View Room Club Level, Resort View Room Club Level, 1 Bedroom Suite Club Level, Ambassador Vice Presidential Suite Club Level, Honeymoon Room Club Level
• Disney’s Wilderness Lodge: Resort View Room Club Level, Deluxe Room Club Level
• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort: Water View Room Club Level, Turret Suite Club Level, Resort View Room Club Level, 2 Bedroom Suite Club Level, Commodore Vice Presidential Suite Club Level

Deluxe Villas

• Disney’s Old Key West Resort: 3 Bedroom Grand Villa
• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa: 3 Bedroom Treehouse Villas, 3 Bedroom Grand Villas, 3 Bedroom Grand Preferred Villas
• Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort: 2 Bedroom Villa Theme Park View
• Kidani Village at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas: 3 Bedroom Grand Villa Savannah View
• Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge: 2 Bedroom Cabin Resort View, 3 Bedroom Grand Villa Resort View
• Disney’s Riviera Resort: Tower Studio, Deluxe Studio Resort View, 1 Bedroom Villa Resort View, 3 Bedroom Grand Villa

Disney has also taken the opportunity to reintroduce the deluxe table-service level dining plan, adding a second table-service meal credit per night per guest, opening up the possibility of visiting more signature dining spots without having to pay out of pocket when running out of credits. The revised Deluxe Dining Plan includes:

• 2 Table-Service meals with drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)
• 1 Quick-Service meal with a drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)
• 1 snack or drink credit (non-alcoholic)
• 1 Resort-Refillable Drink Mug

The kicker here is the cost, even if you are upgrading (see those costs above). If you already have a booking, staying onsite, and would like to add Dining Plan to your stay, these are the costs for purchasing Dining Plan outright in 2027:

• Quick-Service Dining Plan – 2 quick-service meals + drink, 1 snack, refillable mug – £47.99 adult / £19.99 child per night
• Table-Service Dining Plan – 1 table-service + 1 quick-service meal + drink, 1 snack, refillable mug – £76.99 adult / £24.99 child per night
• Deluxe Table-Service Dining Plan – 2 table-service + 1 quick-service meal + drink, 1 snack, refillable mug – £124.99 adult / £35.99 child per night

The quick service meal is a promotional offer, only available when booking the UK free dining promotion when staying in a value-level hotel. The lowest level of dining plan you can purchase is the Quick Service Dining Plan.

Great news for Big Thunder Mountain fans as Disney has announced that the popular attraction, which has been closed since January 2025, will reopen starting May 3rd. The Imagineers have had time to completely re-track the ride, add additional effects, and weave a story that will tie into Piston Peak when the new Cars area opens in a couple of years.

In order to shield the construction of Piston Peak from riders, Disney is currently installing fencing around the attraction. Since it closed, the Rivers of America has been drained and infilled, which, on its own, will be quite a contrast to the previous ride.

One notable change when the ride reopens will be a reduction in the minimum height, likely thanks to new trains and improved restraints, bringing the minimum height down to 38″ from the previous 40″.

Disney has been in a giving mood this month. We now have the full setlist of tracks and opening date confirmation for Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets. The opening date should come as little surprise if you have noted the opening dates of other attractions in this update.

Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets will open on May 26th, the official start of the summer season in Disney World. The reimagined attraction will feature 6 songs: 5 on-ride, and one in the pre- and post-show areas. But, Disney have teased that Electric Mayhem have been working on some bonus tracks for the attraction, without going into too much detail.

The pre-show and post-show will feature a staple tune found in Muppet movies over the years; you’ll hear and see a mixture of video footage and animatronics playing “Can You Picture That?“. The initial 5 songs that will launch with the attraction are:

• Song 2 – The Electric Mayhem
• Born To Be Wild – The Electric Mayhem ft. Camilla the Chicken
• Love Rollercoaster – The Electric Mayhem ft. Jennifer Hudson & Questlove
• Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop) – The Electric Mayhem ft. Def Leppard
• Walking on Sunshine – The Electric Mayhem ft. Kelly Clarkson

Just as the month drew to a close, Disney dropped the dates for this year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Following on from recent years, MNSSHP will debut on the earliest date ever in August this year, starting August 7th and continuing on select nights through October 31st. The full list of dates is as follows:

• August 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 23, 25, 28, 30
• September 1, 4, 8, 11, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 24, 25, 27, 29
• October 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 13, 15, 16, 18, 22, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31

Remember that on party nights, Magic Kingdom will close to general ticket holders from 6 pm. Event ticket holders can enter the park from 4 pm. Non-party nights during MNSSHP season are always packed in Magic Kingdom as general ticket holders rush for a limited number of fireworks presentations.

Prices for this year’s event will cost between $119 and $229, plus tax, depending on the date. Weekends will always be more expensive than weekdays if you’re trying not to break the bank. For the third straight year, Disney has kept the number of parties at 38 when many observers were expecting 40 nights to be broken this year.

Plotting the dates on a calendar, you’ll notice that party nights in August and September happen on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, with the addition of one Thursday towards the end of September. In October, that is extended to the Saturday of Halloween, along with every Thursday, leaving just Monday and Wednesday as complete event free days. If you’re planning on visiting Magic Kingdom from August through October but don’t plan on visiting the event, check these dates ahead of your visit.

Tickets for the event go on general sale on May 12th, but onsite guests can start booking from May 5th. In the UK, you will need to use a VPN to book direct with Disney, but plenty of our ticket agents also sell Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party tickets. If you want to grab a presale ticket, you will need to have your accommodation linked to your My Disney Experience account.

File this under one for later, but Universal has spent much of the last half of the month testing new facial recognition technology at a selection of the portals in Epic Universe. This currently has no bearing on guest flow within the park, which operates as normal, but it does open up possibilities down the road, especially now that Universal have said they want to ramp up capacity at Epic Universe to 100% by the end of the year.

To be clear, there has been no official word on these tests beyond a change of wording on the photo validation page on the Universal Orlando website to say;

“Effortless Entry to Your Favorite Epic Universe Worlds – There’s nothing like stepping into the worlds of Universal Epic Universe. To keep your passage easy, you can use Photo Validation for Effortless Entry whenever Virtual Line return times are being used.”

Universal is remaining tight-lipped about these tests, but could we see the Epic Universe entry rolled out to annual passholders before the end of the year? We could even see the open hub concept brought to life with Celestial Park being opened up to everyone, and more importantly, their wallets, while facial recognition streamlines the required paid access to each portal and each of the two attractions in Celestial Park.

One thing that’s hard to miss is Universal’s determined approach to thinking outside the box, especially when it comes to its new cash cow, Epic Universe.

Midway through the month, Universal introduced a long-requested Express Pass product titled Express Pass Now.

Express Pass Now gives guests the ability to purchase a one-time Express Pass for certain attractions at a far lower cost than the current all-day Express Pass options. The cost so far is $25 (plus tax) for a one-time ride.

Express Pass Now is only available in the Universal Orlando app once you have scanned into a park. It can sometimes take a few minutes to register that you are in the park. The attractions vary by day, depending on the availability and capacity of each attraction, so there is no guarantee that an attraction will show up during your visit.

To be clear, attraction capacity is limited by the manufacturer, and Universal cannot change that. Express Pass Now aims to fill attractions’ capacity where there are gaps in already agreed inventory. For that reason, popular attractions have yet to see any availability in Express Pass Now, precisely because it would have a detrimental effect on the standby line. You are also likely to see more availability during quieter times of the year and at times that may not suit your plans.

Whether Universal will tweak the current Express Pass products to allow more availability with Now is unclear, but also unlikely. Express Pass Now shows that Universal is listening to feedback, but, thankfully, is also exercising restraint, balancing the needs of a business that has dropped an estimated $7BILLION on a new theme park, against providing a detrimental guest experience while gently rolling out a new revenue stream.

There is a lot of prep work currently happening in Epic Universe for what could be a new fireworks show, potentially called Celestial Goodnight, according to a permit filed last December.

The main fountain has been out of action for several weeks as engineers work to upgrade the show lighting in the Cosmos Fountain pool. Meanwhile, work on a permanent launch pad directly behind the Helios Grand hotel has been ongoing since the start of this year. A permanent control booth has also been installed on the peninsula, with 2 more booths arriving on site, which, according to permits, will be placed atop buildings in Dark Universe and Wizarding World for secondary launch sites to complement the main launch area.

Universal is staying tight-lipped about the current work, but it’s obvious they realise there is a gap in Epic Universe. As decent as the fountain show is, it’s no Fantasmic or Happily Ever After. To compete with Disney, Universal really needs a stunning fireworks show, and all signs are pointing to the fact that we could be seeing one as early as this summer in Epic Universe.

It’s been a tough week for Sloth World owner Ben Agresta, who has placed his new business in bankruptcy protection after reports surfaced online that over 30 sloths have perished either during or after importation for the attraction. A figure which has since been revised to at least 53 deaths in the last couple of days following new reports.

There has been a lot of public backlash against the now-defunct attraction after local news station, Fox 35 Orlando, discovered that Slowth World was issued a verbal warning in August 2025, following an unannounced visit by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to a warehouse holding facility on August 7th 2025, where multiple compliance issues were discovered.

The holding facility was not fully operational, lacking basic facilities, including electricity and running water. Documents in the report also describe space heaters meant to keep the animals warm, which were being powered through an external connection to another building, but a tripped fuse cut the power, leaving the warehouse without heating during a cold snap, leading to the deaths of 21 animals imported from Guyana in December 2024.

A further shipment of 10 animals from Peru was received in February 2025. 2 animals were dead on arrival, and all 8 remaining creatures perished after arriving severely weakened and in poor condition.

Necropsy findings and veterinary notes obtained and reviewed by FOX 35 Orlando show that the deaths were associated with a range of causes, including gastrointestinal illness, vitamin deficiencies, and injuries sustained during a fight. Fox 35 Orlando also noted that not every cause of death could be verified, but the records did identify specific outcomes in several cases.

Ben Agresta disputes the FWC’s conclusions regarding the reported causes of death. He claims that all of the sloths died from an unknown virus. State records cited by FOX 35 Orlando show that while a viral illness was identified in some cases, many deaths were attributed to a combination of other factors. To make matters worse for Agresta, a former employee, talking to WKMG News 6 said, “He’s lying about that. There were no viruses. It was bad conditions in him not taking care of his property. His business.”

Separately, Orange County officials discovered that the warehouse holding facility was not approved for wildlife use, and a building safety inspector issued a stop-work order as the month was coming to a close.

The public backlash has been swift and understandable, leading to Slothworld taking down its social media accounts and stripping most of the content from its website before confirming that the attraction was no longer going to open.

The remaining 13 animals in Slothworld’s care have been transferred to the Central Florida Zoo, which confirmed that, unfortunately, an animal named Bandit died on April 29th after arriving dehydrated and underweight. Many of the animals are improving, but Bandit was too weak to survive despite the best efforts of animal care officers.

That’s all for this month. Thanks for reading, and I’ll be back next month with another update and keep you informed of the remaining sloths’ progress.