WDW Daily News

By: Disney DestinationsJanuary 24, 2020

This year, the popular Disney on Broadway Concert Series returned to the 2020 Epcot® International Festival of the Arts – and guests are loving it!

We’re happy to share that we’ll present a live stream of one of these concerts, which will take place on Saturday, January 25. That evening’s Disney on Broadway Concert Series concert will feature performances by Broadway stars Alton Fitzgerald White and Kissy Simmons (“The Lion King”), Heidi Blickenstaff (“The Little Mermaid”) and Gavin Lee (“Mary Poppins”). 

The live stream will begin at 7:55 p.m. on Disney Parks Blog. 

You can enjoy daily performances as a part of the Disney on Broadway Concert Series, headlined by Broadway stars who reprise favorite songs from past performances in award-winning Disney shows. 

All concerts are included with Theme Park admission. Upcoming performances include: 

• 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 – Liana Hunt (“Newsies”) and Adam Jacobs (“Aladdin”)
• 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 – Syndee Winters (“The Lion King”) and Michael James Scott (“Aladdin”)
• Feb. 24 – Special performance featuring Brown, Strickland, Winters and Scott.

For a limited time beginning February 7, you can get an early glimpse of scenes from “Onward” visiting Disney Parks. Sneak peeks of the film will be shown in the Tomorrowland Theater at Disneyland Park® and as part of the Walt Disney Presents attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios®. You can also catch this special look at a part of the film aboard Disney Cruise Line®, during select sailings in February and early March.

Set in a suburban fantasy world, Disney and Pixar’s “Onward” introduces two teenage elf brothers – Ian & Barley – who embark on an extraordinary quest after being given the chance to spend one more day with their father.

Here’s a special message from Academy Award-winner Octavia Spencer, who plays the Manticore in the film.

“Onward” releases in theaters on March 6, 2020.

A final site plan and conditional use permit application for a proposed Disney Vacation Club Resort next to the Disneyland Hotel was filed with the city of Anaheim.

Full Story & Concept Art

Out-of-this-world adventures return to Disney Cruise Line in 2021 with Star Wars Day at Sea. This special day-long celebration is filled with unique character encounters, unforgettable live shows and Star Wars-themed activities for the entire family. Star Wars Day at Sea takes place on seven-night Disney Fantasy cruises to the Caribbean from January through March.

With more than a dozen of the galaxy’s most formidable and heroic characters onboard, you can meet with the best of the Resistance including Chewbacca, C-3PO and R2-D2; come face-to-face with Darth Vader; and be on watch as Stormtroopers, Bounty Hunters and Jawas roam the ship. 

Force-sensitive children learn the ways of the Jedi and use their new-found skills in a face-off against Darth Vader and Kylo Ren in Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple. The whole family can celebrate the greatest moments from the Star Wars galaxy with the “Summon the Force” deck party, complete with a fireworks show of galactic proportions.

Costume celebrations, movie screenings, trivia sessions, the Star Wars Drawing Academy and a ship-wide Porg-themed adventure are more of the ways you can feel the Force on Star Wars Day at Sea. Unique food and beverage and special merchandise are also available on these sailings in early 2021. 

Star Wars Day at Sea Itineraries
With cruises to the Eastern and Western Caribbean, you can celebrate your love of the Star Wars saga and enjoy tropical destinations, coupled with classic Disney magic and entertainment all week long onboard the Disney Fantasy. All Star Wars Day at Sea sailings make a stop in Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island in the Bahamas reserved exclusively for Disney Cruise Line guests, home to pristine beaches, crystal blue waters and fun-filled leisure and recreational activities for all ages.

Star Wars Day at Sea will be offered on nine Disney Fantasy seven-night Caribbean cruises sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida.

Departing Jan. 2, Jan. 16, Jan. 30, Feb. 13 and Feb. 27, the Western Caribbean itinerary includes Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay.

Departing Jan. 9, Jan. 23 and Feb. 20, the Eastern Caribbean itinerary includes Tortola, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay.

Departing Feb. 6, the Eastern Caribbean itinerary includes St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay.

From now through Feb. 9, you can celebrate Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure Park®! You can ring in the Year of the Mouse with spectacular entertainment, festive eats and family activities that welcome another year of good fortune. See what’s in store for them this Lunar New Year celebration:

You can experience “Mulan’s Lunar New Year Procession,” “Hurry Home – Lunar New Year Celebration,” and live musicians and dancers at Paradise Gardens Park. They can take a stroll through four festive marketplaces to enjoy Asian fare and drinks, encounter favorite characters in their Lunar New Year-themed attire and get inspired by local artisans as they craft Chinese calligraphy, dragon’s pearl coloring crafts and face paintings. 

With so much to see and do, you cannot miss celebrating Lunar New Year at Disney California Adventure Park! 

Looking for an out of this world place to dine at Disney World? You’re in luck because Space 220 is going to be one of the most far-out restaurants on property.

Full Story

Attention Star Wars fans!Guests can now reserve access to fly the “fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy” at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! 

FastPass+ reservations for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run are available in the My Disney Experience app for those planning visits on or after Feb. 19.

Similar to other theme park offerings, when making FastPass+ plans for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests can select between either Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run or Slinky Dog Dash (pending availability). Then, they can add additional experiences to plans, including Toy Story Mania, Alien Swirling Saucers, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Fantasmic! and more.  

Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run combines immersive storytelling with interactive gameplay and makes guests the protagonist of their own Star Wars adventure! When it’s time for the mission to begin, guests will be assigned one of three critical roles: Pilots, Gunners and Flight Engineers. The goal is to smuggle goods while avoiding any unnecessary entanglements. 

Also, please note that during this grand opening period of our popular new attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, we will continue to operate a virtual queue. We may transition to FastPass+ in the future so be sure to keep checking back for updates.

The trailer for the final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars is here and it’s awesome.

The show, created by Dave Filoni (director and producer of The Mandalorian) returns after a six year hiatus on February 21st.

Full Story & Trailer

Here is every currently scheduled live-action Disney film set to premiere in 2020. This includes theatrical releases and films streaming on Disney+.

Full Story

The excitment is building for the debut of “Magic Happens,” the all-new daytime parade coming to Disneyland Park.®  You will be able to enjoy this parade beginning on Feb. 28.

“Magic Happens” celebrates moments of magic from Disney and Pixar stories, which will be brought to life on a grand scale with stunning floats, artistic costumes and imaginative music co-composed by singer-songwriter Todrick Hall. The parade features distinct stories with a mix of characters, making it feel contemporary and classic, fun and regal, and surprising and familiar – all at the same time.

The image above shows the magical moment when Cinderella’s grand pumpkin is magically transformed around her into a glistening carriage, whisking her off to the ball.

From “The Sword in the Stone,” Merlin wisely leads the way for young Arthur, who finds the magic within himself as he pulls the sword from the stone, claiming his place upon the throne.

Tiana and Naveen from “The Princess and the Frog” are seen amidst a swirl of golden flowers where they share a kiss, completing their transformation back into human forms.

Check out the video below for a special look:

Stay tuned for more exciting details as the February 28th debut gets closer!