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EPCOT

Walt Disney World announces hotel guest early admission, updated operating hours

Walt Disney World has released its calendar of operating hours for its theme parks through the month of March, as first reported by WKMG News 6. Walt Disney World is also releasing its hours of operation for the reopening of Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park, which is scheduled for March 7. Officials said the resort will continue to operate the service for new and existing reservations made at Disney Resort hotels for arrivals throughout this year. The Extra Magic Hours benefit, which was suspended when Walt Disney World Resort reopened last summer, will not return. *The operating hours listed above are the most current hours posted as of Jan. 11 and are subject to change.

Report: Disney guest accused of threatening guard over masks

Enrico Toro, 35, was arrested Aug. 14 and charged with misdemeanor battery, an Orange County Sheriff's Office arrest report said. They will have to shoot me to leave, the arrest report said. The male continued cussing at (the security guard) and began threatening that he knew where he lived and was going to kill him, the arrest report said. The 29-year-old security guard contacted his supervisor and sheriffs deputies on Disney property were called to the scene. Toro told investigators that the security guard swore at him and that they got into an argument, but denied anything else happened, the arrest report said.

Deputies: Woman had guns in diaper bag at Walt Disney World

ORLANDO, Fla. – A Georgia woman was arrested at Walt Disney World after security for the Florida resort found two guns and some marijuana in her child's diaper bag, according to court documents. Yunique Smith, 27, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, was arrested July 18 on misdemeanor counts of carrying a concealed weapon and marijuana possession, the Orlando Sentinel reported. Smith was going through the Epcot security line with an adult man, their 7-month-old daughter and her 7-year-old son when the guard spotted a 9mm handgun and a plastic bag containing marijuana, an arrest report said. A search of the diaper bag revealed a .45 caliber handgun on the bottom, deputies said. Park rules state no weapons are allowed on Disney property.

How well do you know Epcot's World Showcase?

But when you visit Epcot's World Showcase at Walt Disney World in Florida, you can do just that. Related: 6 free things to do on your next Disney World vacation -- yes, really | Are you getting the most out of your Disney FastPass? | The Wonderful Walls of Disney: A trend that was never meant to beSome may say this is one of the more relaxing and scenic areas around Walt Disney World. Name a better morning routine than sipping a Joffrey's coffee on the banks of World Showcase Lagoon. This story is for those who think they know everything there is to know about World Showcase.

Stray cat prompts rabies alert near Disney World's Epcot theme park

(CNN) - Think twice before petting a stray animal at Florida's Disney World Resort. The Florida Department of Health in Orange County issued a rabies alert Tuesday after a cat that was found near the Epcot theme park tested positive for the disease. The feral animal was discovered near Epcot Center Drive and Interstate 4, just east of the park. "This alert should not give a false sense of security to areas that have not been named under this alert," the statement warned. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that rabies can be fatal, but it is preventable.

The Wonderful Walls of Disney: A trend that was never meant to be

The trend had to start somewhere and it began with the Purple Wall. The wall's Instagram account now has more than 19,000 followers. The account allows users to send in their Purple Wall photos with a chance to be featured. You have a choice of design as well -- will you choose the original plain purple wall or the geometric design that was recently added? Located inside the Harambe Marketplace at Animal Kingdom, look for this wall on the park-side of a cast-members-only exit.

Epcot's Illuminations fireworks show to end next year

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – "We Go On" may be the theme song of one Walt Disney World's most popular fireworks shows, but alas, the show will not go on. Disney announced the Illuminations show at Epcot will come to an end in 2019, to be replaced by a new show by the company's Live Entertainment team. Illuminations: Reflections of Earth debuted in the park's World Showcase Lagoon back in October 1999 and has thrilled millions of fans as the perfect "end-of-day" showstopper. But all things must come to an end, and with Epcot ready to unveil new attractions to the park, such as a Guardians of the Galaxy rollercoaster and a ride based on the hit movie Ratatouille, it was time for a refresh.