WDW Daily News

The opportunities for adventures with Disney are endless! As a leader in family travel, Disney provides immersive experiences in incredible destinations around the world.

Whether you visit the stunning tropical paradise of Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Hawaii, board a Disney Cruise to Alaska or Europe, or take an Adventures by Disney European vacation, they’ll receive the same legendary service they’ve come to expect in our theme parks.

In this video, travel expert Jeanenne Tornatore showcases five Disney vacation options beyond the parks you can take this summer.

There are 52 movies from Walt Disney Animation Studios from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Ralph Breaks the Internet. All you need to do to beat the quiz is name one character from each film.

– NAMES THAT ARE IN THE ACTUAL MOVIE TITLES DON’T COUNT. That would make it too easy. For movies like Cinderella, you’ll have to think of another character in the movie besides Cinderella.

– If you want help, there is a list under the quiz of the movies, but if you want an additional challenge, try completing the quiz without it. Good luck!

Take quiz

The planet of Batuu is bustling with creatures and aliens that serve integral roles within Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Find exotic creatures in the merchant stall or encounter aliens running their own businesses. Here are some of the creatures and aliens your Clients may come across:



Dok-Ondar
In Batuu, Dok-Ondar is the proprietor of a unique intergalactic curiosities shop, Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities. He is an alien hailing from the planet Ithor. When visiting his collection, be prepared to see a variety of oddities, from taxidermic creatures to holocrons and more. Some travelers know him as the “gatekeeper” of the black market in Black Spire Outpost, so try not to cross him! While taking inventory, he is known to order his assistants around between incoming calls.



Ollopom
Sometimes mistaken for plants, ollopoms are gentle aquatic rodents found in the Gungan swamps of the planet Naboo. Naboo is the home planet of Padmé Amidala, as well as the Gungan Jar Jar Binks from “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.” You can find one of these fascinating creatures of disguise, Ollie the ollopom, bobbing in the water when visiting Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities. Ollie was a gift from Hondo, who found it in an unmarked cargo.

Sarlacc
An infant sarlacc, named Simpi, may seem adorable to some, but this creature is the same type of carnivorous giant seen in the sand pit in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.” Growing up to 100 meters long, the massive mouth of these sarlaccs can turn someone’s good day to bad if swallowed whole! Dok-Ondar keeps this little sarlacc (procured by none other than Han Solo and Chewbacca as told in the Marvel Star Wars comic series Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge) in a special tank that simulates arid atmospheric conditions.



Hondo Ohnaka
For visitors that remember “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels” animated series, Hondo Ohnaka is the infamous Weequay pirate turned “legitimate” businessman that may or may not serve as a smuggler now on Batuu. When boarding the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Guests will encounter Hondo instructing new recruits on his mission to deliver coaxium, which is of importance to both the First Order and the Resistance. 



Wampa
Wampas are accustomed to the cold weather on the planet Hoth. These carnivorous creatures are covered in white fur, horns and claws for survival. You may remember seeing an encounter with one during Luke Skywalker’s Hoth adventure in “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.” Thankfully on Batuu, Dok-Ondar has secured a taxidermic wampa for spectators to admire, as well as other taxidermic creatures on the wall. This prized possession is worth a look when visiting Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities.

Dianoga
Dianogas are slimy, tentacled carnivores that thrive in dark hiding places. For visitors that remember “Star Wars: A New Hope,” a Dianoga attacked Luke Skywalker in the Death Star trash compactor. Now, Guests can spot two hiding on Batuu. When stopping to drink at the water fountain in the Black Spire Outpost marketplace, check to see if the eye of “Tiny” pops out of the water tank above. 



Worrt
An adoptable creature is the frog-like worrt found at the Creature Stall in the Black Spire Outpost Marketplace. This carnivorous amphibian is a native to the planet of Tatooine, famously seen outside Jabba the Hutt’s palace in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.” Be careful of its powerful tongue, as it snatches unsuspecting rodents and insects on the way! At Oga’s Cantina Guests can also spot a worrt in one of the amphibian tanks.

There is a plethora of other fascinating inhabitants to be found on Batuu, so tell your Clients to keep an eye out during their visit to Batuu.

In this age of reboots and sequels dominating the box office, it was just a matter of time before Disney began adapting their greatest hits for the big screen again. With the upcoming release of The Lion King, Disney will have remade nine of their animated classics, not including Pete’s Dragon or Mary Poppins Returns.

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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.

The bracket for the 2019 Orlando Invitational was revealed today. The eight-team tournament will be held Thanksgiving weekend, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, Nov. 28, 29 and Dec. 1, 2019, at HP Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort.

The 2019 field includes 2019 NCAA tournament teams Marquette, Maryland and Temple along with 2019 NIT participants Davidson and Harvard. Some highlights from each team.

• Davidson is coming off a 24-10 season and its 17th postseason appearance in 30 years under coach Bob McKillop
• Fairfield returns to the Orlando Invitational for the second time, going 1-2 in 2011 with a victory over Arizona State
• Harvard has won the Ivy League championship seven times in the past nine years
• Marquette has reached the NCAA tournament twice in the past three years, earning a No. 5 seed in 2019 with 24 wins
• Maryland is ranked No. 9 in the most recent ESPN Way Too Early Top 25, after NBA prospects Anthony Cowan Jr. and Jalen Smith announced they would return to the team for the upcoming season
• Temple welcomes new head coach Aaron McKie to a team that has reached the postseason four times in the past five years
• Texas A&M has made two appearances in the NCAA Sweet 16 in the past four seasons, and is under the direction of first-year head coach Buzz Williams
• USC has played in the postseason in three of the last four years

The 2019 Orlando Invitational will feature 12 games over the three days. Each team will compete in one game per day, advancing through a bracket-tournament format. The two teams that remain undefeated will face off in the championship game on Sunday, Dec. 1.

All games will be broadcast on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPNEWS.

2019 Orlando Invitational
Nov. 28, 29 and Dec. 1

HP Field House (ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort)

Non-Bracketed Games: Fairfield at Maryland (Nov. 19), Temple at USC (Nov. 22)

Contact: Charley Green, Media Coordinator at 214-734-8028 or cgreen@breakaway-sports.com

On Saturday, July 13, the voices of young Simba and young Nala – JD McCrary and Shahadi Wright Joseph – will be honorary Grand Marshals for the 3 p.m. Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade at Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney WorldResort.

Following the parade, JD and Shahadi will continue celebrating at Disney’s Animal Kingdom – which is commemorating the release of the new film and the 25^th anniversary of the original animated classic.  At the park, we have a whole pride of summer entertainment, eats and treats  and new items honoring some of your favorite characters and moments from “The Lion King.” 

Disney’s Animal Kingdom also has a special tie to the new film.  The movie’s production team spent six weeks at the theme park researching naturalistic backdrops that helped inspire scenes from the movie.

If you haven’t seen the film trailer, Disney’s “The Lion King,” directed by Jon Favreau, journeys to the African savanna where a future king must overcome betrayal and tragedy to assume his rightful place on Pride Rock.  Along with JD and Shahadi, the all-star cast includes Donald Glover as Simba, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter as Nala, James Earl Jones as Mufasa, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Scar, Seth Rogen as Pumbaa and Billy Eichner as Timon.

Disney’s “The Lion King” debuts in theaters July 19.  Also, Disney’s “The Lion King” original motion picture soundtrack is now available. 

For the first time at D23 Expo, Lucasfilm will host a pavilion on the show floor from August 23-25 with an impressive display showcasing the evolution of the Star Wars stormtrooper. The exhibit will include several of the screen-used costumes seen throughout the iconic movie series. From the classic stormtrooper to the new design featured in the upcoming Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, this stunning display is a rare opportunity to examine these production costumes up close and study the many unique styles deployed throughout a galaxy far, far away.

Also featured in the Lucasfilm pavilion will be a special section for young Padawans that will include Star Wars Galaxy of Adventures video shorts along with multiple interactive activities for kids.

Plus, as part of the Disney+ panel on Friday, August 23, at 3:30 p.m. in Hall D23, fans will get a sneak peek at Jon Favreau’s action-packed bounty hunter series, The Mandalorian. The Mandalorian (played by Pedro Pascal) is a bounty hunter who travels the outer reaches of the lawless galaxy, surviving as a mercenary-for-hire. Dave Filoni (supervising director on Star Wars: The Clone Wars and writer/director on The Mandalorian), along with special guests, will join Favreau for the on-stage presentation. The highly anticipated program for Disney+ represents the first-ever Star Wars live-action series.

Single-day tickets for Friday and Sunday of D23 Expo 2019 are available for $89 for one-day adult admission and $69 for children 3–9. Gold Members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club can purchase tickets for $77 for a one-day adult admission and $59 for children 3–9. Single-day Saturday tickets and three-day passes are sold out. For more information on tickets and D23 Expo 2019, visit D23Expo.com.

About Lucasfilm Ltd. 

Lucasfilm Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is a global leader in film, television, and digital entertainment production. In addition to its motion-picture and television production, the company’s activities include visual effects and audio post-production, cutting-edge digital animation, interactive entertainment software, and the management of the global merchandising activities for its entertainment properties including the legendary STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES franchises. Lucasfilm Ltd. is headquartered in northern California.

Lucasfilm, the Lucasfilm logo, STAR WARS and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. © & TM 2019 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. 

AboutD23 Expo 2019

D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings together all the worlds of Disney under one roof for three packed days of presentations, pavilions, experiences, concerts, sneak peeks, shopping, and more. The event provides fans with unprecedented access to Disney films, television, games, theme parks, and celebrities. For the latest D23 Expo 2019 news, visit D23expo.com. Presentations, talent, and schedule subject to change. To join the D23 Expo conversation, be sure to follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and use the hashtag #D23Expo.

AboutD23

The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his first studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s 90-plus-year history. It gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication, Disneytwenty–three; a rich website at D23.com with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year.

Fans can join D23 at Gold Membership ($99.99), Gold Family Membership ($129.99), and General Membership (complimentary) levels at D23.com. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow DisneyD23 on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

We’ve got some exciting news to share today with the galaxy. Disney will be opening Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Dec. 5 at Walt Disney World Resort. If this date sounds familiar, many fans will recognize it as Walt Disney’s birthday. What better way to honor the ultimate storyteller than by introducing the most immersive and advanced attraction ever imagined in a Disney Park.

When it opens, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will blur the lines between fantasy and reality and will put Guests in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance. Guests will be recruited to join Rey and General Organa at a secret base. Along the way, they will be captured by a First Order Star Destroyer. With the help of some heroes of the Resistance, they break out and must escape the Star Destroyer, protect the secret base, and stay one step ahead of Kylo Ren.  

As soon as work is completed at Walt Disney World, Imagineers will head back to California to complete their mission at Disneyland Resort where Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance will open on Friday, January 17.