Walt Disney World Weekly News: Big Thunder Returns Sunday, A Fourth Ferryboat for Magic Kingdom, and Food and Wine 2026 Dates Locked (Week of April 27, 2026)

Walt Disney World news, week of April 27 to May 3, 2026. A loaded seven days at the resort: a year-long refurbishment ends Sunday, Magic Kingdom's ferryboat fleet grows for the first time since the bicentennial year, EPCOT's flagship festival has 2026 dates and three teaser dishes, MNSSHP returns with a new Stitch dance party, and the team building Tropical Americas at Animal Kingdom revealed the new town's name plus a major Encanto ride detail.

1. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad reopens Sunday with new Rainbow Caverns scene

After a year-long refurbishment that pulled the entire steel track and reset the show, Magic Kingdom's runaway mine train reopens Sunday, May 3, 2026. The headline upgrade is a brand-new opening sequence called Rainbow Caverns, with phosphorescent pools, iridescent stalagmites, and more than 2,000 bats (a mix of rockwork bats, rockwork bat clusters, and over 200 show-set bats). The finale also gets a new "gold motherlode" payoff that ties to the Bullion mining lore, and the height bar drops from 40 inches to 38 inches, opening the ride to a new wave of younger guests.

The new Rainbow Caverns opening scene. Image: Disney Parks Blog.

Imagineer Dan Flynn, Executive Show Management at Walt Disney Imagineering, told ClickOrlando the team brought back lore that had been dormant for years: "Those smokestacks had not been running for a long time. We were able to bring back that lore and tie it into, it's a working mine, and it's there for our guests to experience."

Sources: Disney Parks Blog, ClickOrlando, WDWNT.

2. First new Magic Kingdom ferryboat in 50 years honors Meg Crofton

Disney announced Friday (May 1) that a fourth ferryboat will join the Seven Seas Lagoon fleet for the first time since 1976, named the Meg Gilbert Crofton. Crofton was the fourth president of Walt Disney World (2006 to 2013) and remains the only woman to have led the resort. The new vessel launches in 2027, joining the existing trio: Admiral Joe Fowler, General Joe Potter, and Richard F. Irvine (the three boats were rechristened in 1997 to honor those construction-era figures).

The new Magic Kingdom ferryboat. Image: Disney Parks Blog.

Crofton, in a statement on Disney Parks Blog: "I was humbled to learn that my name would be on this new ferryboat. It means so much to be recognized by the cast members I had the privilege of working with for so many years." Crofton's tenure included the build of New Fantasyland and the opening of Disney's Art of Animation Resort.

Sources: Disney Parks Blog.

3. EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival: August 27 to November 21

Disney locked in 87 days of EPCOT's flagship culinary festival, running August 27 through November 21, 2026. Three debut bites teased: Street Corn-style Dumplings with Tomatillo Salsa Verde at Gyozas of the Galaxy, Grilled Bushberry-spiced Shrimp Skewer with Coconut-Chili Sauce at the Australia booth, and Kirschwasser Torte with Cherry-Brandy Buttercream at The Alps. Returning: Emile's Fromage Montage cheese-stamp crawl, Remy's Hide and Squeak Ratatouille scavenger hunt, and the Eat to the Beat Concert Series at America Gardens Theatre (all included with admission).

2026 Food and Wine Festival key art. Image: Disney Parks Blog.

Sources: Disney Parks Blog.

4. MNSSHP 2026: 38 nights starting August 7, with a new Stitch dance party

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party returns for 38 nights from August 7 through October 31, 2026, one of the earliest start dates in the event's history. New for 2026: Stitch hosts an ever-changing dance party at Rockettower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland, with Lilo and Angel rotating through. The Boo To You parade, Disney's Not-So-Spooky Spectacular fireworks, and trick-or-treat trail return as the anchors. Tickets run roughly $119 to $229 plus tax, with general onsale starting May 12 (Disney Resort hotel guest pre-sales begin May 5).

MNSSHP 2026 dates and tickets. Image: Disney Parks Blog.

Sources: Disney Parks Blog.

5. Tropical Americas: town named "Pueblo Esperanza," Encanto ride built around Antonio's gift

Disney shared its biggest Tropical Americas update yet on April 30, naming the new Animal Kingdom town Pueblo Esperanza and revealing that the upcoming Encanto attraction will be Disney's first Encanto-themed ride and is built around Antonio's gift of communicating with creatures from the family Madrigal. Imagineers traveled to Honduras and Colombia to research the original "Encanto" inspiration trip (Disney Legend Joe Rohde, who long championed the Tropical Americas concept, was quoted reflecting on the project), dialing in the colors, materials, and lived-in details of the haciendas and plazas. The land remains on track to open in 2027, replacing DinoLand U.S.A. and pairing the Encanto ride with a new Indiana Jones attraction.

Pueblo Esperanza concept art. Image: Disney Parks Blog.

Sources: Disney Parks Blog, WDWNT.

Quick hits

• Animal Kingdom baby boom. A new Masai giraffe calf, nyala calf Parker, four red river hog piglets (Mason, Cooper, Phillip, and Demi), and Mabel (the first Ankole calf born at WDW in 20 years) are bonding backstage with summer 2026 public debuts planned. (Disney Parks Blog)
• Yachtsman Steakhouse closes May 11 for an approximately three-month refresh, while the long-shuttered Crew's Cup Lounge reopens at Disney's Yacht Club around the same time. (WDWNT)
• Disney Jr. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live! showtimes locked. The new 20-minute Animation Courtyard show debuts May 26 at Hollywood Studios with eight daily showings starting at 10:15 a.m. (WDWMagic)
• Bluey merch hits Disney Parks ahead of Bluey's Wild World opening May 26 at Animal Kingdom, with plush, Create-Your-Own headbands, pins, and apparel landing at Island Mercantile and Conservation Station. (Disney Parks Blog)
• Smugglers Run gets its Mando and Grogu overhaul May 22, the same day "The Mandalorian and Grogu" hits theaters, with new visuals and scenes on Tatooine, Bespin, and the Endor wreckage. (WDWNT)
• Halfway to Halloween tease (April 27) kicked off the week as the lead-in to the MNSSHP 2026 dates drop, signaling Disney is leaning hard into a four-month fall season. (Disney Parks Blog)

Image and reporting credits

All images: Disney Parks Blog. Reporting cross-referenced against Disney Parks Blog, WDW News Today, WDWMagic, ClickOrlando, and Walt Disney Imagineering interviews. Got a tip or a correction? Send it our way.