🚝 Dad at Disney Weekly #052 ✨

Hi All,

It's been a few weeks — summer did what summer does — and this issue is stacked: Food & Wine dates are locked, D23 announcements land next week, Halloween parties are already selling out, and I've got three new posts including the stroller-rental math that saves families $60+ a trip. Let's get to it:

LATEST NEWS

Food & Wine is locked: August 27 through November 21…. EPCOT's big one returns in three weeks and runs a whopping 87 days — no separate ticket, everything's included with park admission. First confirmed booths: Gyozas of the Galaxy, The Alps, and Australia (the street corn dumplings return 🙌). Full booth list and Eat to the Beat lineup still to come. Taking little ones? Our festival-with-kids playbook has the kid-approved strategy.

MNSSHP dates are official — and sellouts are already accelerating…. Disney dropped the full Not-So-Scary party date list this week along with a first look at this year's exclusive treats and merch. The dates around Halloween weekend historically go first and they're moving faster than last year — if a party night is on your fall list, buy before you fly. The MNSSHP cheat sheet covers which nights to pick and the candy strategy my kids have refined into a science.

Lakeshore Lodge is taking shape…. Disney posted fresh updates on its newest resort this week — one I'm watching closely, because every new deluxe property eventually means more DVC rental inventory (and better availability everywhere else). I'll do a full breakdown once opening details firm up. Related: D23 hits next weekend (Aug 14-16), which is historically where the big park announcements drop — anything that affects trip planning lands in next week's issue.

August is refurb season…. Heads up if you're going soon: Carousel of Progress is down until 2027 for its big overhaul, and walls are up across DinoLand, Rivers of America, and Muppets Courtyard. Typhoon Lagoon also closes for the season September 9 — if a water park day is on your list, book it now, and run ticket options through my ticket tools before paying gate price.

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NEW ON THE BLOG ✍️ 

The stroller lesson every Disney parent learns at 9pm…. Disney's in-park doubles run $27-31/day, don't recline, and can't leave the park — which you discover while carrying a sleeping 3-year-old to the tram. A delivered rental (a real Baby Jogger, at your resort 24/7) costs about $100 for a whole week. I broke down all three options — Disney, delivered, bring-your-own — with real 2026 prices in the full stroller rental guide.

October 2026 is three different trips…. The first week is the good one, Oct 9-17 is Fall Break chaos (now one of the busiest stretches of the year), and late October has the best weather of the month — plus Halloween itself is weirdly calm since nobody has it off school. My full week-by-week October guide has the crowd table, party dates, and booking play.

Bay Lake Tower vs Polynesian — settled…. The most common "help me pick" question in my inbox finally got the full treatment: pools, dining, point math, and the one BLT perk renters don't get (looking at you, Top of the World Lounge). Short version: family of five → Poly's two-bathroom studios; Magic Kingdom crew → BLT and that 10-minute walk home after fireworks. Read the full comparison.

In case you missed these…. A few posts went up right after the last issue and deserve a second look: the grandparents & multigen DVC guide (which resorts actually work for three generations) and the ResortPass rest-day trick for pool days without a park ticket.

Planning a trip and starting from zero? The free DVC Savings Guide is the 10-minute head start — and all my money-saving tools live at dadatdisney.co/tools.

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DISNEY DEALS

🔥 $19 points for fall trips…. DVC Rental Store's limited-time promo drops new bookings inside the 0-7 month window to $19/point — that covers October and most fall dates right now. Real math: a 6-night Saratoga Springs studio in October runs roughly $1,600, less than many moderate resorts. Promo applies to new point bookings (not confirmed reservations), and close-in inventory favors Saratoga, Old Key West, and Animal Kingdom Lodge. Browse current DVC availability. (Affiliate link — I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)

🚼 Skip the $31/day park stroller…. Kingdom Strollers delivers a real Baby Jogger to your resort, hotel, or vacation home — free delivery and pickup, free rain cover, and a parent console that holds three drinks (they know their audience). A City Mini Double is $100 for a 4-7 night trip vs ~$162 renting Disney's plastic double for six park days, and every model meets Disney's size rules. Check availability for your dates. (Affiliate link — I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)

Stroller fan season is not over…. We're in the "it's still 95 degrees" stretch of summer. The clip-on stroller fan is the best ~$25 we've spent at Disney, full stop — the AMACOOL rechargeable clip-on fan has the flexible tripod legs that grip any stroller bar. 🥵

The park-bag upgrade nobody regrets…. The Disney & Touchland hand sanitizer set — the Wild Watermelon mist plus a Mickey Mouse case that clips to your bag. It's the rare sanitizer your kids will ASK to use, which after the fifth pretzel-cart stop is worth every penny. 🐭

The October packing sleeper pick…. A packable light layer for party nights — late October evenings actually dip into the 60s. A packable hooded windbreaker stuffs into its own pocket and doubles as your afternoon-thunderstorm plan. Your future self at the 10pm parade will thank you. 🧥

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases — at no extra cost to you.

UPCOMING EVENTS

• August 14-16: D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event — expect park announcements

• Aug 7 – Oct 31: Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2026 (select nights)

• Aug 27 – Nov 21: EPCOT Food & Wine Festival 2026

• September 9: Typhoon Lagoon closes for the season

• October 22-25: Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon weekend

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