4. First Genie+ usage metrics released for Walt Disney World

Though the Genie+ skip-the-line upgrade has only been available for a few weeks, Disney CEO Bob Chapek said recently that the service has been moderately popular thus far with nearly a third of park guests are purchasing Genie+ service, adding that "The majority of Genie and Genie+ users said it improved their overall park experience."

This is the first official comment on sales for Disney Genie+ since the service launched last month, and while we don't expect to see hard figures relating to Genie+ sales (or the a la carte Lightning Lane service) anytime in the near future, it looks like Disney's upcharge paid FastPass+ replacement is off to a running start at the theme parks. 

5. Primeval Whirl demolition completed

The Primeval Whirl roller coaster, which has not operated since 2019, has now been fully demolished at Disney's Animal Kingdom, with only a blue fence now surrounding the former attraction site. No plans have been announced as for the future of this area of the park, so we're expecting this fence to stay up for a long time while Disney decides what to do with this former attraction space. 

6. New Coco scene debuts inside PhilharMagic 

PhilharMagic has reopened after a brief refurbishment that has brought both an upgraded projector system and a brand new Coco scene to this attraction. This new scene features an all-new score from film composer Germaine Franco as well as characters singing along to “Un Poco Loco” from the movie.