This week at Walt Disney World, Disney adjust operating hours again, a new sneak peek is revealed for Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, plus we get an opening target date for the opening of the Star Wars hotel!

Outside Walt Disney World, Universal proposes a BIG project to go alongside Universal's Epic Universe, plus LEGOLAND gives away free tickets for guests missing Star Wars Miniland. 

1. Disney's Hollywood Studios changes schedule to deal with demand for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

The much-anticipated Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance attraction opened last week and demand has been incredible for this thrilling new attraction. In an effort to deal with massive guest levels flooding the park early to try and get a virtual queue boarding pass, the park will now officially open at 7:00 AM from now through Christmas Day, and then at 6:00 AM from December 26 - December 31. Though these are the "official" opening times, Disney's Hollywood Studios has been letting guests in the park (and opening Boarding Groups) 30-45 minutes before posted opening time in recent weeks, so guests wanting to experience Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will still want to be at the park's front gates an hour early. Which means, yes, if you are visiting between Christmas and New Year's Day, you'll want to set that alarm and be at the park at 5:00 AM if you want to make sure you can experience the newest ride at this park.

In addition to the adjusted opening times for this park, all Morning Extra Magic Hours scheduled at Disney's Hollywood Studios have been removed for the foreseeable future (they were previously scheduled on December 15 and 22 before the end of the year) and have been replaced with evening Extra Magic Hours on these same dates from 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM.

In addition to the schedule changes at Disney's Hollywood Studios, the Magic Kingdom and Disney's Animal Kingdom have also adjusted their hours, which you can find here. 

2. New preview video released for Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway released

Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, was confirmed last week to be opening next year on March 4, 2020 and now a new video showing off one of the scenes in this new ride has been released. You can check it out above! 

3. Broadway performers announced for Epcot International Festival of the Arts

The Epcot International Festival of the Arts is just over a month away and Disney has announced the official lineup for this year's Disney on Broadway Series: 

• Jan. 17, 20, 21 and 24 – Kissy Simmons and Alton Fitzgerald White (“The Lion King”)
• Jan. 18, 19, 22 and 23 – Heidi Blickenstaff (“The Little Mermaid”) and Gavin Lee (“Mary Poppins”)
• Jan. 25 – Special performance featuring Simmons, White, Blickenstaff and Lee
• Jan. 26, 28, 29; Feb. 1, 2, 5 and 6 – Kara Lindsay (“Newsies”) and Kevin Massey (“Tarzan”)
• Jan. 27, 30, 31, Feb. 3, 4, 7 and 8 – NEW! Liana Hunt (“Newsies”) and Adam Jacobs (“Aladdin”)
• NEW! Feb. 9 – Special performance featuring Lindsay, Massey, Hunt and Jacobs
• Feb. 10, 12, 13, 18, 19, 22 and 23 – Ashley Brown (“Mary Poppins”) and Josh Strickland (“Tarzan”)
• Feb. 11, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20 and 21 – NEW! Syndee Winters (“The Lion King”) and NEW! Michael James Scott (“Aladdin”)
• NEW! Feb. 24 – Special performance featuring Brown, Strickland, Winters and Scott.