The only thing better than eating a sweet treat is eating a sweet treat that’s impossibly cute. Disney never fails to deliver here: For every season and occasion, we can always count on a variety of new, super festive desserts around the parks.
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Pixar co-founder to retire from leading Disney animation efforts
The Walt Disney Co.’s DIS, -0.36% top animation executive, Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull, will retire from the company at the end of the year, Disney announced Tuesday afternoon.
Indiana Jones Land Reportedly Being Considered At Disney World
An Indiana Jones mini-land may open at Walt Disney World in Orlando. The Mouse House’s surprise acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012 brought about a new era for Star Wars content, but as most viewers know, the galaxy far, far away isn’t the only notable franchise under the studio’s umbrella.
Disney Holiday Decor Just Hit shopDisney & It Will Make Your ’90s Heart Sing
Yes, we technically have not reached the point past Halloween on that pesky Gregorian calendar, but the constructs of time are simply no match for our obsession with the holidays — and as usual, the House of Mouse has our backs. Disney released its holiday merchandise for 2018 on shopDisney, and much to the delight of ’90s kids everywhere, it pays just as much homage to movies past as it does to current Disney lineup. I’m talking Belle to Moana, Mickey to Stitch, and every lovable fave in between.
Vampirina to Headline New Live Show at Walt Disney World Resort
Beloved Disney Junior pals will hit the stage in December as part of Disney Junior Dance Party!, a new high-energy live show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort.
The party debuts Dec. 22 and will feature the star of the hit Disney Junior television show, “Vampirina.” This series follows the Hauntley family, friendly vampires who recently relocated from Transylvania to Pennsylvania. Viewers delight in watching Vampirina (aka “Vee”) as she experiences being the new kid in town and attending a new school in the human world.
Here are four more reasons guests will want to join in the fun during the Disney Junior Dance Party!
- High-Energy Entertainment – Guests will be an integral part of the show in this lively dance party, which features interactive entertainment and opportunities for guests of all ages to participate. Guests will also enjoy special surprises with cherished Disney characters.
- Interactive Magic – Disney Junior Dance Party! will be a live concert hosted by Finn Fiesta and DJ Deejay, who will encourage guests to sing and dance to their favorite Disney Junior songs. In an exhilarating, multi-sensory experience for little ones, bubbles, snow and streamers will fill the room, inviting everyone to catch the fun.
- Beloved Disney Junior Stories – Inspiration for Disney Junior Dance Party! comes from four popular Disney Junior TV programs: the newest hit, “Vampirina,” plus “Mickey and the Roadster Racers,” “Doc McStuffins” and “The Lion Guard.” Disney Junior is where the enchantment of Disney storytelling often begins for young guests, and these stories will come alive in Disney Junior Dance Party!
- Fun for Everyone – This mesmerizing live show is sure to be a must-see for all guests, especially for families with little ones. As youngsters are immersed in the interactive fun with some of their favorite Disney Junior characters, parents will recognize how the magic is so real for young children at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – where imagined worlds are vividly brought to life to explore with friends and family.
Walt Disney World Resort Celebrates World Okapi Day with Newborn Calf
In honor of World Okapi Day, Walt Disney World Resort today announced the birth of an okapi at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. The calf was born Oct. 1, 2018, and weighed 54 pounds.
Born to mother Zelda and father Mandazi, the calf was up and mobile within the first hour of his birth. He will remain in a backstage habitat for the next several months before joining the animals on the savanna at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, the Africa-inspired resort hotel at Walt Disney World. During that time, keepers at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge will observe the okapi, ensuring he bonds with his mother, nurses properly and attains all significant maturation milestones.
The calf’s parents were chosen to breed through the Species Survival Plan (SSP), which is overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and ensures responsible breeding of threatened and endangered species.
Okapis are an endangered species found in rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Known as the “ghosts of the forest,” okapis are reclusive and, thus, rarely encountered in the wild; the species was not discovered until 1901. There are an estimated 20,000 okapi in the world, and their population continues to decline due to poaching and habitat loss from commercial logging and mining.
The Walt Disney Company, through the Disney Conservation Fund and its involvement in the AZA’s Species Survival Plan, has been at the forefront of okapi conservation for many years.
The company has a long-standing relationship with the Okapi Conservation Project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Okapi Conservation Project created World Okapi Day to generate awareness for this rare and endangered mammal.
Guests visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge may gaze out on a savanna featuring more than 30 species of African wildlife, including zebras, giraffes, gazelles and more. To learn more about okapis and other animals at Walt Disney World Resort, visit DisneyAnimals.com. For more information on Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge or to make a reservation, visit WaltDisneyWorld.com.
Disney Announces Plans to Build Nature-Inspired Mixed-Use Resort on Bay Lake
A new nature-inspired, mixed-use Disney resort will welcome families in 2022 along the picturesque shoreline of Bay Lake. Located between Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, this resort project joins three others underway at Walt Disney World Resort, bringing a total of more than 1,700 new hotel rooms and proposed Disney Vacation Club villas online over the next four years.
The deluxe resort, which will be themed to complement its natural surroundings, will include more than 900 hotel rooms and proposed Disney Vacation Club villas spread across a variety of unique accommodation types.
“Walt Disney World is in the midst of our most significant expansion in the last two decades and the combined 1,700 new hotel rooms and proposed Disney Vacation Club villas we are building at four different resorts will create thousands of new construction and permanent jobs and will drive economic opportunity and incremental revenue for Central Florida,” said George A. Kalogridis, president of Walt Disney World Resort. “We continue to add new attractions, new lands — and these beautiful accommodations will be right in the heart of all that magic.”
The soon-to-be named resort is slated to be Disney’s 16th Disney Vacation Club property and it will continue to build on the value and flexibility of a Disney Vacation Club membership.
“This resort experience will be a celebration of Walt Disney’s lifelong love and respect for nature, with some fun and even surprising accommodation types that families will find irresistible,” said Terri Schultz, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Vacation Club. “It will give our members and guests yet another opportunity to stay in close proximity to all the newest attractions and experiences in our theme parks, and with the flexibility, value and world-class service families expect from Disney.”
Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort will debut completely reimagined in 2019, featuring a new 15-story tower overlooking Lago Dorado, the resort’s centerpiece lake. Offering an additional 545 new guest rooms and suites, the tower also includes a two-level entrance lobby, concierge lounge, new meeting spaces and more. Guests will also be able to enjoy rooftop dining at a specialty table-service restaurant with panoramic views. The existing 1,800 guest rooms have all been fully updated with new fixtures, furnishings and a color palette that ties the entire resort together.
Also currently under construction near Epcot and anticipated to open in 2019 is Disney’s Riviera Resort, the 15th Disney Vacation Club property. With plans for approximately 300 units across a variety of accommodation types, this much-anticipated property will connect to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the International Gateway at Epcot via the Disney Skyliner. This new resort will be the first all-Disney Vacation Club property at Walt Disney World since Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa opened in 2004.
Seamlessly connected to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, an immersive Star Wars-inspired destination will also be built at Walt Disney World Resort. This first-of-its-kind resort will be a completely immersive experience into an authentic Star Warsstory as guests depart together for a multiday adventure aboard their starship. Guests will interact with characters as they become active citizens of the galaxy, dressed in proper attire as stories unfold all around them.
These resort projects join a flurry of expansion at Walt Disney World Resort, including the highly successful Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and the recent debut of Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. In early 2019, Walt Disney World will unveil a collection of shows, parties, Disney character interactions and more that will allow guests to cherish time with family and friends. And later in the year, guests will be able to travel to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where they can live out their own adventures in a galaxy far, far away. Guests will realize now more than ever is the perfect time to experience all of the fun and magic of a Walt Disney World vacation.
Celebrate the Holiday Season at Walt Disney World Resort with the Ultimate Disney Christmastime Package
Walt Disney World Resort is celebrating the magic of the 2018 holiday season with the Ultimate Disney Christmastime Package, available for purchase from October 22 through December 2, 2018. Guests on this Walt Disney Travel Company package will enjoy a five-night stay at a select Disney Moderate, Disney Deluxe or Disney Deluxe Villa resort hotel (checking in on Dec. 17 and checking out on Dec. 22, 2018), 4-day theme park tickets with Park Hopper Option and an itinerary full of holiday merriment including some exclusive magical experiences. Highlights include:
- Monday, Dec. 17 – Exclusive nighttime access to Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- Tuesday, Dec. 18 – Tickets to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom Park
- Wednesday, Dec. 19 – Exclusive nighttime access to select attractions at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, including Avatar Flight of Passage, Na’vi River Journey, Expedition Everest and Dinosaur – plus an exclusive showing of Rivers of Light.
- Thursday, Dec. 20 – At Disney Springs, exclusive early-morning access to the newly reimagined World of Disney store and the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Trail.
- Friday, Dec. 21 – Exclusive holiday-themed buffet dinner event in World ShowPlace Events Pavilion at Epcot.
The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. The number of packages available for purchase is limited. Valid Theme Park admission is required to attend Theme Park events included in this package. Theme park tickets must be used within 14 days of first use. First use must be by December 31, 2019. Special event ticket to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party only valid on December 18, 2018. Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion. Offer excludes 3-bedroom villas, Cabins at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows.
Photos – Star Wars Galaxys Edge Construction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Check out some of the latest Star Wars Galaxys Edge Construction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. You can start to make out a few cool details.
Photo Gallery – Disney Christmas Merchandise Now Available at World of Disney
Take a look at our Photo Gallery of Disney Christmas Merchandise Now Available at World of Disney. Click on the photos for larger views.
