WDW Daily News

While you’re strolling around Disney World on a hot day, debating which ride to check out next and munching one of these delicious foods you must try at Disney, chances are you’re not swatting away mosquitoes. 

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Disney will offer a discounted rate for its consumers if they subscribe to all three of its streaming services — Hulu, ESPN+ and the upcoming Disney+ — for $12.99 a month, CEO Bob Iger said during the company’s earnings call on Tuesday. The all-in-one bundle, which consists of the ad-supported version of Hulu, will be available on Nov. 12, the same day that Disney+ launches. 

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The beloved “Main Street Electrical Parade” is returning to Disneyland Park Aug. 2, 2019, to bring guests of multiple generations a sense of wonder, joy and – for some – warm nostalgia. The iconic parade will travel down Main Street, U.S.A., for a limited-time engagement, through Sept. 30.

“Main Street Electrical Parade” made its world debut at Disneyland June 17, 1972, and later appeared at Disney Parks around the world. This spectacular pageant of nighttime magic and imagination entertained guests at Disneyland until it “glowed away” on Nov. 25, 1996. Most recently, the dazzling after-dark parade ran for a limited-time at Disneyland in 2017, and prior to that, it illuminated Disney California Adventure Park from 2001-2010. Here’s a closer look at the legacy of the “Main Street Electrical Parade”, by the numbers.

• 600,000 lights sparkle in the parade’s nighttime journey from Small World Mall in Fantasyland to Town Square on Main Street, U.S.A. (approximate number).
• 22 floats illuminate the parade route at Disneyland, nearly doubling the number of floats from the parade’s debut (12) in 1972.
• 7 films are represented in the parade: “Alice in Wonderland,” “Cinderella,” “Peter Pan,” “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” “Pinocchio,” “Dumbo” and “Pete’s Dragon.”
• 27 beloved Disney characters perform throughout the show including Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, Captain Hook and Tinker Bell.
• 80 parade performers (estimated number per night) bring the magic to light including 10 To Honor America patriots, 16 royal court dancers and the Seven Dwarfs.
• 35 dazzling, lighted costumes are worn by the parade performers.
• 8 jittering insect floats spin and dance for guests during the “Alice in Wonderland” sequence.
• At 18 1/2 feet high, the Clock Tower in the “Cinderella” sequence of the parade, is the tallest float.
• At 118 feet long, the To Honor America float is the longest float in the parade. It was added in 1979 after the success of the bicentennial tribute parade “America on Parade.”
• At 5,600 pounds, the massive Elliot float, added in 1977 for the release of “Pete’s Dragon,” measures 16 feet tall, 10 feet wide and 38 feet long.
• 2 composers, Jean-Jacques Perrey and Gershon Kingsley, wrote the iconic synthesizer piece known as “Baroque Hoedown” in 1967, and the song was adapted for the “Main Street Electrical Parade” in 1972, interwoven with classic Disney themes to create the now iconic parade soundtrack.
• 6 different colors of light bulbs flash throughout the parade, in amber, blue, green, chartreuse, red and pink.
• 150,000 glowing amber lights are used in the production, the most of any color.
• 80 highly skilled cast members were involved in the creation of “Main Street Electrical Parade”, including 20 designers and 60 craftspeople.
• 5 Disney Parks have presented versions of the “Main Street Electrical Parade” including Disneyland, Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Park, Disney California Adventure Park, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.

Historical:

• Nearly 3,600 performances entertained guests at Disneyland from June 17, 1972 to Nov. 25, 1996.
• 900 miles is the approximate distance traveled by the “Main Street Electrical Parade” during its original run at Disneyland, nearly the distance from Anaheim, Calif., to Seattle, Wash.
• In 2005, “Main Street Electrical Parade” creator and former director of entertainment Robert Jani was inducted as a Disney Legend.
• June 17, 1972, marked the debut of the “Main Street Electrical Parade”, and it returned for its encore performance at Disneyland 45 years later – Jan. 20-June 18, 2017.
• 500,000 hand-tinted white miniature bulbs twinkled each night in the early versions of the parade.
• 500 miles of wiring were used to light the floats during early years of the parade, enough to travel to the top of the Matterhorn and back nearly 9,000 times.
• Approximately 75 million guests viewed the “Main Street Electrical Parade” during its original run at Disneyland.

A little rain should never put a damper on a full day of magic at Walt Disney World® Resort, where the fun always shines! There are always exciting activities, attractions and entertainment for the whole family to enjoy.  Here are just a few favorite picks!

Magic Kingdom® Park  

• When the afternoon parades at Magic Kingdom Park can’t be performed as planned, Disney friends come out to play in the “Rainy Day Cavalcade.”* This cheery procession brings Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and their pals down the street in antique vehicles, accompanied by a special musical soundtrack and parade performers in colorful rain slickers and galoshes!
• Guests can hop on a rip-roaring rocket into the furthest reaches of outer space on Space Mountain attraction, set sail on a swashbuckling voyage on Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, and climb aboard a gloomy Doom Buggy on the Haunted Mansion attraction. 

Epcot®

• Guests can take flight on Soarin’ Around the World.  This indoor attraction allows Guests to experience a breezy, airborne adventure as they hang glide above the breathtaking marvels of the world.
• Guests can go under the sea—without getting wet—on The Seas with Nemo & Friends attraction before getting close up with clown fish, sharks and more in a massive 5.7-million-gallon saltwater aquarium.
• They can also catch popular Disney and Pixar short films—in amazing 4D at the Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios®

• Guests can check into the infamous Hollywood Tower Hotel on The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror attraction.  Inside they’ll be hurtled up and down aboard an elevator-style lift and brought into…the Twilight Zone.    
• They can also make their way over to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith attraction and race along the darkened freeways of Los Angeles in a super-stretch limo to the rockin’ tunes of Aerosmith.
• Guests can sing along with Anna & Elsa in For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Singalong Celebration.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park

• In Africa, Guests can head over to “The Festival of the Lion King,” a high-energy show filled with songs, pageantry and puppetry celebrating the classic movie, “The Lion King.”
• Guests can venture over to Pandora – The World of Avatar area where they can take a mystical journey into Pandora’s glowing bioluminescent rainforest on Na’vi River Journey attraction. This indoor boat ride will take them on a visually stunning adventure!  

Character Dining Character dining is a great way for you to meet some of your favorite Disney characters while avoiding the rain.  Some favorite rainy day restaurants include:  

• The Crystal Palace at Magic Kingdom Park where you can relish in an all-you-care-to-enjoy buffet with some of your favorite friends from the Hundred-Acre Wood.
• You can dine like royalty at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall in Epcot. This enchanting experience invites them to feast inside a medieval castle while interacting with some beloved Disney Princesses.

• They can also join Safari Donald Duck and friends at Tusker House Restaurant in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. This Harambe marketplace eatery allows you to enjoy African inspired dishes alongside some of their favorite Disney characters. 
• Guests can also take a step back in time as you dine at Hollywood & Vine in Disney’s Hollywood Studios to meet some Disney Junior Characters during a memorable breakfast buffet or Minnie Mouse and friends at seasonal dining parties!

The weather may not always cooperate, but being prepared can help make your visit at Walt Disney World Resort a success! Our new umbrellas and raincoats are can be found in the World of Disney at Disney Springs®, Once Upon A Time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Future World kiosk and Mouse Gear at Epcot and the Emporium at Magic Kingdom Park.

What’s your favorite rainy day attraction at Walt Disney World Resort?

*The “Rainy Day Cavalcade” will not occur if there is lightning in the area due to safety concerns.

The small quarters of Main Street U.S.A help to set the tone for Disneyland and Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. For most people, it’s simply the entranceway before finding their way to all the exciting rides, character meet-ups, or the Disney themed restaurants. But to others, Main Street U.S.A a cardinal aspect of Disney.

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Walt Disney World is the known as the happiest place on earth. Families spend months or even years planning a trip to the house of the mouse. Warm weather 12 months of the year makes it easy for someone to travel there whenever it makes the most sense for them. Besides the parks (Epcot is my personal favorite), Shows, Food and hundreds of activities there is no shortage of things to do. One activity that I have always wanted to do is play golf at a Disney property. But with a full schedule and a family of four’s luggage to bring from Chicago to Orlando, I wondered how I could make time for this bucket list experience. Lucky for me, and any golfer who wants to log a round while on their vacation, Disney has this covered.

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What better way to enjoy the Epcot® International Food & Wine festival than with the biggest lineup at this year’s Eat to the Beat Concert Series?

The concert series will take place from Aug. 29-Nov. 19 with 36 musical acts for a total of 249 concerts. You can sing and dance alongto their favorite artists, including first-time performances from INDIA “La Princesa de la Salsa” and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra!

Puerto Rican singer-songwriter INDIA will make her debut at the Eat to the Beat Concert Series on Oct. 5 and 6. Grammy-winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra will bring the rhthym salsa and Latin jazz on Nov. 17 and 18. 

This year’s Eat to the Beat Concert Series is one you will not want to miss! Plus, they can enjoy guaranteed seating and breakfast, lunch or dinner at participating Epcot restaurants by reserving an Eat to the Beat Dining Package.

Eat to the Beat performances take place at the America Gardens Theatre in World Showcase from Sunday to Thursday at 5:30, 6:45 and 8 p.m., and Friday to Saturday at 6:30, 7:45 and 9 p.m. 

For more information or to make reservations, visit TasteEpcot.com.

Today we’re sharing a look at the new NBA Experience at Disney Springs®, which opens Aug. 12, 2019. This one-of-a-kind destination was created by Disney in collaboration with the NBA to let Guests feel what it’s like to walk in the footsteps of NBA and WNBA champions. 

The venue features 13 basketball-related activities. Dribble, for example, works on ball-handling skills, while Dunk! features an adjustable rim so Guests can make a highlight-reel slam. Over in the Arcade, guests can challenge their friends and family to get the high score in the classic Pop-A-Shot game. They can also check out Trivia to see who knows the most about the NBA and WNBA.

Guetss can participate in these activities in any order they choose, and return to them throughout their visit to NBA Experience to improve their scores and skills. 

To get you pumped up for the debut of this new destination, here are a few key features of the NBA Experience: 

All About the Guest – Almost every activity encourages you to be an active participant. We recommend that you complete the optional registration once they’re inside. This allows you to customize and personalize their experience by adding your own nickname and choosing your favorite NBA or WNBA team. Your team’s logo will be associated with them throughout your stay on various leaderboards and signage, and when you try the Shoot! activity, the court magically transforms to make it feel like you’re in your favorite team’s home arena! Plus, guests can choose different basketballs to best fit their hand size (NBA, WNBA or Youth) and set their own skill level.  

Immersive Environment – Walking into NBA Experience feels like stepping onto center court of an arena, complete with huge overhead video monitors, pulsing music and swirling lights. Whether you are huge NBA fans or new to the sport, they’ll get swept up in the energy.  

Authenticity – Walt Disney Imagineering worked closely with the NBA to ensure NBA Experience is authentic. The hoops are regulation size (unless Guests need them adjusted to dunk!), and team and league logos are featured throughout the venue. For those new to the game, this is a great way to learn all about the league, its players and the game as a whole, straight from the source. 

Interactive Technology – NBA Experience is not only a physical experience, it’s also a high-tech environment. The Champions area features massive touchscreens that allow your to dive deep into league history, with notes about each of those legendary teams along with photos and video highlights. The Replay activity challenges you to make the right call in three different scenarios using their own personal interactive replay station; they can view the play from different angles, zoom in on key moments, and move the video forward and backward before deciding to confirm or overturn the call.  

Stay tuned for more details as Disney prepares to open this groundbreaking new destination at Disney Springs.

This Halloween season, children’s cauldrons will bubble over with excitement at the new Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party at Disney California Adventure® Park. This separately ticketed party for the whole family will feature multiple new experiences – including the new Mickey’s Trick & Treat stage show, immersive treat trails and the new “World of Color” nighttime spectacular – “Villainous!”

Little ones will be treated (and maybe even tricked!) to multiple surprises! Here’s what’s in store for kids:

• Mickey’s Trick & Treat – Perfect for little monsters, this new, interactive stage production invites kids of all ages to join Mickey Mouse and his pals as they throw a one-of-a-kind Halloween party! Guests will enjoy dancing, not-so-frightening scary-tales and candy at the Disney Theater in Hollywood Land.
• Villains Grove – Transformed into a wondrous and ethereal world inspired by Disney villains unlike anything seen before, Redwood Creek Challenge Trail will become Villains Grove, tricked out in a dreamlike environment perfect for kids to explore. This family-friendly experience will entice your children with a series of Halloween scenes, each creating a not-so-scary symphony of sound, light and shadows for adults and little ones to explore together!
• Immersive Treat Trails –  Guests can take their tiny tykes trick-or-treating at the new, wonderfully wicked treat trails throughout the park. Little ones will be able to see Mad Hatter from Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland,” and even Oogie Boogie himself! Additional treat trails will feature oversized cauldrons full of treats for children of all ages to enjoy.
• “Frightfully Fun Parade” – Children will love dancing along to this fan-favorite parade coming to Disney California Adventure Park for the first time! The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow starts the procession, followed by Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse who lead the cavalcade of characters and many mischievous Disney villains who are ready to stir up some trouble along the parade route. Children will love seeing their favorite characters dance and singing to the spell-binding songs of the Halloween season!
• “Villainous!” – Kids will love watching the twisted tale about the young girl Shelley Marie in the new “World of Color” nighttime spectacular. This Halloween story takes Guests on an unforgettable journey through devious encounters with The Queen, Ursula, Dr Facilier, Hades, Jafar, Maleficent and more! Children will be dazzled with the special effects—from the fountains and lights, to lasers and projections. “Villainous!” shows that, deep down, there’s a little villain in all of us!

This spook-tacular Halloween party would not be a Halloween bash without dressing up! Kids and their parents are encouraged to dress in costume for the occasion.

Oogie Boogie Bash, which takes the place of Mickey’s Halloween Party, is only offered on 20 select nights this fall, starting Sept. 17, 2019. Visit Disneyland.com/HalloweenParty for tickets.

Are you ready to eat their way through Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Walt Disney World® Resort? That day is coming fast because it opens on Aug. 29, 2019 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios®! When you visit Black Spire Outpost on the planet of Batuu, you’ll be greeted with a variety of food and beverage options, and they won’t want to miss out on any of them!

Oga’s Cantina

If guests are thirsty for a taste of adventure, then Oga’s Cantina might be just the thing to quench their thirst! This notorious watering hole serves as the hangout spot for all of the locals as well as smugglers, bounty hunters, and the groovy droid, DJ R-3X! Here guests will find a variety of specialty beverages with and without alcohol. For the fully-grown Jedi and bounty hunters out there, the specialty beverages with alcohol are served throughout the day. There’s even a few morning specialties like the Bloody Rancor made with vodka, chile liqueur, spicy Bloody Mary mix, and a rancor bone cookie.

The afternoon and evening specialties include options like the Outer Rim featuring silver tequila, açai liqueur, lime juice, pure cane sugar, black salt, and exotic fruit purée. There’s also the Yub Nub made with pineapple rum, spiced rum, citrus juices, and passion fruit as well the Fuzzy Tauntaun. This fun drink comes with peach vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice with tangerine, pure cane sugar, and “buzz button tingling” foam.

Younglings and travelers of all ages can also enjoy an array of family-friendly concoctions like the Blue Bantha. Offered all day, this beverage features blue milk served chilled and topped with a bantha-inspired vanilla-butter sugar cookie. During the afternoon and evening, sip on concoctions like the Hyperdrive (Punch It!) with Powerade Mountain Berry Blast, white cranberry juice, black cherry purée, and Sprite or the Jabba Juice featuring Simply Orange with pineapple, kiwi, cantaloupe, and blueberry popping pearls.

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