WDW Daily News

Last year, Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom Park received a royal makeover, with a new color scheme that included bold, shimmering and regal enhancements. Today, we are excited to share the first look at the newest piece of EARidescent embellishment that continues this glistening adornment.  

Last night, Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney World teams installed the first décor piece that will adorn the castle for “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” later this year, honoring the 50^th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort. The castle’s new décor features a royal blue jewel, with gold detailing and shimmering draping.

Walt Disney Imagineering developed new colors, gold detailing and vibrant hues for this makeover, drawing inspiration from Disney Legend Mary Blair’s vision of the classic film, “Cinderella.”

The overall Cinderella Castle makeover will continue in the coming months, as the turrets and towers receive shimmering pearls, jewels and ribbons in royal blues and iridescent golds. At night, this royal landmark will be a vision to behold, as it becomes one of the shining Beacons of Magic, shimmering with EARidescence.

Stay tuned for more updates on this regal enhancement and the 50^th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort, which starts on Oct. 1, 2021.

The MagicBand, the colorful wristband guests wear at Walt Disney World Resort, makes each visit even simpler and more seamless. They’ve continued to invent and innovate, and soon, they’ll be debuting a new option: Disney MagicMobile service! 

Launching in phases starting later this year, Disney MagicMobile service is a convenient and contactless way to access MagicBand features like theme park entry through the power of an iPhone, Apple Watch or other smart device. Guests will be able to create a Disney MagicMobile pass through the My Disney Experience app and add it to their smart device’s digital wallet. It works like magic – most features will be available by just holding up your smart device near an access point, just like you do with a MagicBand. Disney MagicMobile service and its features will roll out first on Apple devices.

Guests may choose to use Disney MagicMobile service or a MagicBand – pick whichever option works best during their visit. They can even use both and alternate between the two for added flexibility. We’ll also soon be introducing more MagicBands in trendy new colors and fun designs featuring favorite Disney characters and stories.

Our existing digital room key feature will continue to be available specifically within the My Disney Experience app, which helps guests expedite their arrival by using online check-in service, going directly to their Disney Resort hotel room and using their phone to unlock their door. Disney Resort hotel guests may also still pick up a Key to the World card at their convenience by visiting the front desk. 

Stay tuned for more information on Disney MagicMobile service and MagicBands!

Everyone’s favorite “Little Chef” is cooking up something really big for Walt Disney World Resort’s 50^thanniversary, because the grand opening of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT is set for Oct. 1 of this year! That date may sound familiar, as it will also mark exactly 50 years since Walt Disney World officially opened for the first time. So Chef Remy will help us kick off “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” in Parisian style. In this delicious new attraction, guests will feel like they’ve shrunk to the size of Chef Remy as they scurry through Gusteau’s famous restaurant on a wild adventure for the whole family (no height requirement!). Based on Disney and Pixar’s Academy Award®-winning “Ratatouille,” the experience will be part of a newly expanded France pavilion inside EPCOT that will also open Oct. 1. 



When rounding the corner into this new portion of the pavilion, guests will be transported into a fanciful version of Paris that feels straight out of the animated film. As you can see in this beautiful nighttime photo we’re sharing today, it’s easy to understand why little Remy fell so head-over-heels in love with the “city of lights.”



And oh wait … there’s more! Also opening Oct. 1 will be La Crêperie de Paris, a new restaurant offering both table- and quick-service options. The menu will feature sweet crepes, savory buckwheat galettes (naturally gluten friendly) and authentic French hard cider. The attraction, restaurant and pavilion expansion are all part of the historic transformation of EPCOT currently underway, celebrating how the impossible becomes possible through the power of imagination … and a little Disney magic. This amazing time in the park’s history has already brought us a reimagined main entrance with new entrance fountain, “The Soul of Jazz” exhibit and new films in three different pavilions, with much more on the way. 



We’re looking forward to Remy joining us for “The World’s Most Magical Celebration,” an 18-month event that will feature new experiences at the four Walt Disney World theme parks and beyond, where shimmering EARidescent décor will appear as if by magic.

By: Disney DestinationsMarch 5, 2021

Reimagining is underway at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort at Walt Disney World Resort! Have a look at these new photos we’re sharing for the first time, taking you inside a newly reimagined guest room at the resort.

These reimagined spaces feature a new color palette inspired by the Pacific Ocean and its many islands, including details, patterns and textures from the hit Walt Disney Animation Studios film “Moana” – look closely and you might even spot some characters from the story!

You’ll also see all-new furnishings and fixtures. In the bathrooms, for instance, Disney Imagineers took inspiration from the sandy ocean floor for the tiles and carved details in the vanity. The colorful patterns found throughout the room bring a whole new energy to the space, evoking undulating ocean waves and tropical flowers.

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is now accepting bookings for late July 2021, and the next time guests pull up to the Great Ceremonial House, they’ll notice even more exciting changes we’re currently working on. The porte cochere is in the midst of a dramatic overhaul that will feature a high-pitched, open-truss roof covered in a thatch style with pops of color. Above the porte cochere, the Monorail station is receiving new wooden screens with tropical colors, adding to the open and airy vibe befitting of the South Seas.

This popular locale joins the other Disney Resort hotels of Walt Disney World in creating the Disney Resorts Collection, where the magic found in the theme parks extends to every moment of a guest’s vacation. Disney Resort hotels offer a wide selection of fantastic settings to choose from, inspired by worlds both real and imagined. Guests are fully immersed in our legendary storytelling and guest service that extend beyond our theme parks to every moment of a stay, whether visiting an African savanna, strolling a seaside boardwalk, seeing a favorite Disney character or so much more – there’s magic seemingly around every corner.

We’ll have more to share about the developments happening at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort in the weeks and months to come. This exciting progress is part of the overall evolution of our Disney Resort hotels, as we infuse even more Disney touches across our collection – just in time for “The World’s Most Magical Celebration,” beginning Oct. 1, 2021, in honor of Walt Disney World’s 50^thanniversary.

Spring is in the air at Walt Disney World Resort today as the Taste ofEPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival blooms now through July 5, 2021. This event spreads its butterfly wings across the entire park, offering fun for the whole family inspired by the season.   

We were out in the park today to capture some images of the festival’s opening day, which you can see here. And there’s all sorts of springtime activities for Guests to explore when they visit: 

• Check out nearly 100 individual topiaries all around the park, many featuring Disney characters.
• Take leisurely walks through 20 different garden areas, like the English Tea Garden Presented by Twinings of London in the United Kingdom pavilion. 
• Indulge in fresh bites and sips from more than 20 locations, including Outdoor Kitchens around World Showcase. 
• Take in live music as it fills the air at America Gardens Theatre, the Mill Stage at the Canada pavilion and inside World Showplace. 
• Search for Spike the Bee on Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration scavenger hunt. 
• And bring the festival home with special merchandise featuring Minnie Mouse, Figment, Spike and that lovable Orange Bird. 

This is just a snapshot of what Guests can find at the festival. For complete details – including menus, live music schedules, etc. – Guests can check out FreshEPCOT.com and follow #FreshEPCOT on social media platforms.  

Anyone stopping by the park today also may have noticed a new look for the main entrance plaza, where flags of six original EPCOT icons were raised for the first time and now flank Spaceship Earth. These flags, along with new lighting and music debuting today in the plaza, are the latest moments in the ongoing transformation of EPCOT, as the park continues to inspire us to see the real world in more fantastic ways. 

The freshest flavors of spring – on the plate and in the glass – are showcased at Taste of EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival March 3 through July 5, 2021.

This Foodie Guide lists all the sweet and savory bites as well as refreshing sips at the over 20 festival-exclusive Outdoor Kitchens. The newest Outdoor Kitchens are the EPCOT Sunshine Griddle offering delicious brunch items, and EPCOT Farmers Feast, where a rotating seasonal menu will offer the finest local ingredients through the festival. And check out the new Orange Bird sipper – how is it possible he is even more adorable this year?

Returning is the Garden Graze, a fun food stroll highlighting five delicious offerings at the festival – all listed in the Festival Passport. Upon their Garden Graze purchase, Guests will receive a stamp for your Festival Passport. Once they’ve collected all five stamps, they can bring their Festival Passport to Pineapple Promenade Outdoor Kitchen to receive a complimentary prize exclusive to the festival. Guests can complete the Garden Graze at their leisure, and they can even bring back your stamped Festival Passport to EPCOT at any time during the festival to complete your Garden Graze.

Also new for this year’s festival are some tasty musical morsels for Guests’ ears! Each weekend, they can enjoy a series of concerts featuring local bands from Orlando, also known as the “City Beautiful.” Friday through Monday evenings, these “City Beautiful” bands will take the stage at America Gardens Theatre to perform popular songs of yesterday and today.

We have listed all the fantastic new offerings in this Foodie Guide:

EPCOT has always been a special place where the world comes together to celebrate human achievement. Nothing has embodied this spirit more over the years than the park’s lineup of original nighttime spectaculars. 

Although Disney has not yet determined when their next spectacular will debut, our Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Live Entertainment teams are hard at work building on that legacy with “Harmonious.” Early in the plans for the transformation of EPCOT, we recognized the power and potential this new show has to tell a story of global connection and celebration. This grand, original spectacular is a tribute to the power of story and song that unite us, leveraging music and visuals from across Disney and artists around the world.

“Harmonious” is a global effort, truly embracing the magic of possibility. In recent weeks, Disney Live Entertainment technical designers across the country have been programming various elements of the show, from media and fountains to lighting and pyrotechnics, working in a completely virtual environment. The music producers at Walt Disney Imagineering have been remotely directing recording sessions with an incredibly diverse array of musical artists, performing in studios around the world.

Once complete, “Harmonious” will be one of the largest nighttime spectaculars we’ve ever produced. Disney Imagineers are busy setting the stage of this innovative toolkit, preparing each of the show’s five floating platforms to take its place on World Showcase Lagoon. Positioned like a compass, these platforms house the primary show equipment for “Harmonious,” and on the recently-placed center platform stands an iconic six-story-tall central ring structure, supporting a high-density water curtain, moving lights, fountains and more.

While the show is still in the early stages of development with more finishing details to come, we’re excited to share some recent progress.

We look forward to sharing more with you in the coming months.

Disney just released a sneak peek video in advance of some exciting news being shared tomorrow about Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. Here’s a link to view the video so you can see for yourself.

Soon there will be a whole new way to experience Walt Disney Animation Studios’ all-new ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. 

Continuing the legacy Walt Disney started with “Bambi,” animals have been an integral part of Disney storytelling and continue to inspire the development of new, beloved characters. The Animation Experience at Conservation Station offers guests the chance to learn to draw Disney characters inspired by the animals they may also see in the park. 

And beginning February 22, learn to draw new characters from “Raya and the Last Dragon,” including Raya’s faithful companion Tuk Tuk.

Part-pill bug, part-pug, part-high speed off-road vehicle and all adorable, Tuk Tuk has been Raya’s best friend since she could hold him in the palm of her hand. As part of the experience, Guests will see a behind-the-scenes look at the inspiration for Tuk Tuk shared by Kelly Marie Tran (voice of Raya) and Awkwafina (voice of Sisu). 

Also, at Discovery Island Stage, artists will be working on a 40-ton sand sculpture celebrating the new film. The display will feature Raya, Tuk Tuk, Sisu the last dragon and the Ongi, all set in the fantasy world of Kumandra. It takes a team of two talented artists over 24 hours to build and carve the display made entirely from sand. Guests will have the opportunity to watch the artisans at work February 19 through 21 and the carving will remain on display at Disney’s Animal Kingdomfor a limited time through the end of March.

Experience the fantastical world of Kumandra in these two brand new offerings coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and take a look at the latest trailer for “Raya and the Last Dragon.”

https://www.youtube.com/embed/1VIZ89FEjYI

Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon will be released simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access March 5. Additional Fee Required.

In 2022, two epic adventures at sea return to Disney Cruise Line with limited engagements of Marvel Day at Sea (Disney Magic) and Star Wars Day at Sea (Disney Fantasy). 

A SeaMail will be sent today to Travel Professionals with Guests on the sail dates below to inform them about the return of Marvel Day at Sea and Star Wars Day at Sea. 

Marvel Day at Sea – Disney Magic

Guests can combine the excitement of a Disney cruise to the Caribbean and Bahamas with the thrills of renowned Marvel comics, films and animated series for an action-packed, day-long celebration of the Marvel Universe on the following special 5-night Disney Magic sailings out of Miami, Florida:

Star Wars Day at Sea – Disney Fantasy

Guests can celebrate the legendary adventures and iconic characters from the Star Wars saga during a day at sea on the following 7-night Disney Fantasysailings from Port Canaveral, Florida, to the Caribbean and a galaxy far, far away:

 
SAMPLE GUEST COMMUNICATIONS YOUR CLIENTS MAY RECEIVE FROM DISNEY

Star Wars Day at Sea

Dear [Guest name],

Thank you for choosing a Disney Cruise Line vacation. We look forward to welcoming you aboard the Disney Fantasy and want to share some exciting information about Star Wars Day at Sea that will be taking place during your cruise.

Guests on your sailing are invited to experience the legendary adventures and iconic characters from the Star Wars saga during a day-long celebration. This fun-filled day at sea will include encounters with the galaxy’s most formidable and heroic characters, Star Wars-themed family and youth activities, and unique food and beverage offerings. Guests are encouraged to dress up in their own stellar costumes to join in this day-long celebration. Additional details about this event are available on DisneyCruise.com.

Again, we look forward to sailing with you and hope you have a magical cruise.

Sincerely,
The Cast and Crew
Disney Cruise Line

Marvel Day at Sea

Dear [Guest name],

Thank you for choosing a Disney Cruise Line vacation. We look forward to welcoming you aboard the Disney Magic and want to share some exciting information about Marvel Day at Sea that will be taking place during your cruise.

Guests on your sailing are invited to experience the epic adventures of the legendary super heroes from the Marvel Universe during an unforgettable day at sea. Marvel Day at Sea promises the largest collection of Marvel super heroes and villains assembled on a cruise ship. This day-long celebration will feature entertainment for the whole family including super hero sightings, Marvel-themed activities and unique food and beverage offerings. Additional details about this event are available on DisneyCruise.com.