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Welcome back to Park & Heart! i hope your Sunday is a magical one!
If this is your first Park & Heart, I'm so happy you're hanging with me for a few. Each Sunday, I keep it short & sweet with two of my favorite things:
🏰 What’s new (and helpful) around Walt Disney World
💛 A bit of heart-level encouragement
No selling. No pressure. Just a weekly pause to catch your breath, stay in the loop, and smile a little.
Here we go…
🏰 PARK | Disney Updates Worth Knowing
✨ Test Track (EPCOT)
Annual Pass preview virtual queues were "sold out" this morning within 10 minutes for today. It looks like there's been a couple of days of soft openings windows prior to these previews too. This means it's not officially open yet, but Test Track opened for some time slots as a surprise to guests.
✨ Christmas In July Announcements
Last week Disney began announcing lots of details about Christmas. Here are some of the main details:
- Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party begins November 7th and runs through December 21st
- Tickets go on Sale for the Christmas party July 16
- Candlelight Processional Begins Nov 28
- Jollywood Nights begins Nov 8th and runs through Dec Dec 22.
✨ Happily Ever After
I've noticed over the weekend that Happily Ever After has been starting at 10pm. This seems to be a little later than in years past. I feel confident its a later time to allow time for the NEW nighttime parade that begins next Sunday.
✨ Crowds & Dining At Epcot
Between now and August 28th, there will not be a festival at Epcot. The Food and Wine festival lasts four months and provides many food booths for guests. Right now, the crowds seem way down at Epcot. But at the same time, with the lack of all the festival booths, it seems much more difficult to "eat around the world."
✨ New Talking Mickey Popcorn Bucket
There's a new popcorn bucket at Disney World - a talking Mickey! This is so next level and cute!
✨ New Construction All Around The World
From roadways to new lands and ride refurbs, there's currently lots of construction happening all around property. It looks like there will be a Great Big Beautiful tomorrow at WDW!
✨ Polynesian
The new entrance area at the Poly has gotten lots of attention this week - you can tell they are making progress.
✨ Gingerbread House at Grand Floridian
Disney has announced the Gingerbread House would not appear this Christmas due to construction in the lobby. It's going to be interesting to see how the lobby will be decorated and functions without the Gingerbread house.
✨ Resort Entertainment
Last Week while delivering baskets to Caribbean Beach I noticed they had some live entertainment being performed in the lobby - A fun little comedy show. Yesterday it was at Pop Century. It's part of the Cool Kids Summer. I love seeing the Live Entertainment happening at the resorts!
🚢 Disney Cruise Line
Right now deposit requirements are lower than normal. Families that cruise together, stay together! For details about our group cruise / meet-up head to bookthemagic.com
We offer the land & cruise meetups as a way to build community
💛 5 Christmas Must Do's At Disney World| My Picks
Here's my favorites
1. Candlelight Processional at Epcot
2. Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom
3. Taking a Sleigh Ride Through Fort Wilderness (or a golf cart ride through the loops)
4. Resort Hopping - And Christmas Snack Strollin'
5. The Stollen Bread at Grand Floridian
💛 HEART | This Week’s Encouragement
Disney announced all the Christmas parties, treats, and parades — right in the middle of July.
And as much as I love sharing the excitement (and helping you plan ahead), I caught myself walking through EPCOT thinking about Christmas photos of all things… in 95-degree heat.
Then I noticed an older couple sitting on a bench near The Land pavilion. No phones. No rush. They were just sitting together, watching the monorail glide by.
It struck me how rare that is these days — to just sit in the moment, taking in what is around you.
We live in a world that wants us to skip ahead to the next big thing: Christmas, vacations, promotions, milestones and for me, planning the next big drop.
But you can’t relive this moment later.
Planning ahead is fine — but don’t miss the life happening right here, right now.
Maybe this week you can carve out a few minutes to pause. Watch the monorail go by. Feel the sunshine. Listen to what’s around you. Savor the laughter you hear and the smiles you see.
Because you’re already standing in the middle of something worth noticing.
📚 BEHIND THE CURTAIN | Book & Shop Update
This was a slow week of progress when it comes to the book. I've been allowing some ideas to simmer - but also aware that it's time to turn up the head if I want to hit my deadlines.
There's a voice inside me that keeps whispering "who are you to write a book and do something like this??" This kind of resistance confirms I have something worth sharing.
I feel like Elsa.... going into the unknown!
I'm grateful for your presence here! You make a difference in this world! Thank you for being a bright spot in this world!
—Bonnie
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