WDW Daily News

Happy New Year! Walt Disney World Resort is ready to help you turn the page on 2020 right away and begin 2021 with magic. From new and classic attractions to culinary experiences to character interactions and more, here are 21 reasons to be excited about a visit to The Most Magical Place on Earth in early 2021:

1. Explore the Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, Beginning Jan. 8 – Through Feb. 22, you are invited to an expansive collection of visual, performance and culinary arts throughout the park. 

2. Gaze Upon the Reimagined Entrance Fountain at EPCOT – The new water feature in front of Spaceship Earth hearkens back to the park’s origins and highlights a greener, more open and welcoming experience as you enter the park. The fountain is the most recent milestone in the historic transformation of EPCOT now underway. 

3. Step Inside the Cartoon World of Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – You can go through the movie screen as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Engineer Goofy and Pluto take them on a trip through Runnamuck Park … where anything can happen!

4. Embark on a Star Wars Adventure in a Galaxy Far, Far Away – Disney’s Hollywood Studios is also home to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the immersive, award-winning land featuring two thrilling attractions: Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.

5. Check Out Cinderella Castle’s Royal Makeover – The treasured icon at the heart of Magic Kingdom Park now features bold, shimmering and regal enhancements befitting its royal status, making for a great photo with family and friends. 

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Check out this new offer from D23 here.

It’s fair to say that 2020 was not the year the Walt Disney Company (or any of us) planned for — or wanted. It would be overplayed to say it was an “unprecedented year for Disney”, but, it most certainly was. Disney theme parks had faced a limited number of very temporary closures before 2020 for hurricanes, in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 and the like, but they hadn’t experienced anything even remotely on this scale and magnitude.

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The Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Celebration unpacked a sleigh-full of Disney magic, including a brand-new video of the Disney Wish, which sets sail in summer 2022.

This never-before-seen digital clip showcases new details of the dazzling Grand Hall and a first look at the stunning character statue at the base of the grand staircase, an iconic Disney princess whose faith in her dreams has inspired generations to believe in the power of their own.

Who is she?

Inspired by the beauty of a fairytale castle, the Grand Hall makes a bold welcoming statement, setting the tone for an enchanted family vacation from the moment your Clients step onboard the Disney Wish. It is an idyllic setting for Cinderella, whose timeless story is the perfect example of magic transforming wishes into dreams and dreams into reality – very fitting for a vessel named the Disney Wish, don’t you think?

The Disney Wish is the first of three new ships joining the Disney Cruise Line fleet through 2025. All three ships will be powered by liquefied natural gas and, at approximately 144,000 gross tons and 1,250 guest staterooms, will be slightly larger than the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.

check out this quick clip of Santa Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas at Magic Kingdom.

The wait is finally over! Cast members will begin returning soon to prepare Disney’s Blizzard Beach for its scheduled reopening on March 7, 2021. First opened to the public on April 1, 1995, this spring will kick off Blizzard Beach’s 25^th season. In honor of this exciting news – here are seven fun facts you and your Clients may not have known about Disney’s wintry-themed water park.

1.Blizzard Beach has a special story all its own 

A ski resort in Florida? You heard that right! As the story goes, a legendary snowstorm in Florida prompted local opportunists to build a ski resort. When Florida’s climate returned to normal temperatures and the snow began to melt, Blizzard Beach was born. 

 2. Blizzard Beach is home to one of the fastest waterslides in the world

The ultimate water park thrill ride, Summit Plummet is a 120-foot-tall waterslide with a near-vertical drop. Guests accelerate up to 65 mph on the slide, making it one of the fastest attractions at Walt Disney World. 

3. There’s no shortage of tasty treats

From churros to Mickey ice cream bars, your Clients can discover many of their favorite snacks at the Disney Water Parks. There are plenty of menu options to choose from, including these loaded nachos from Frostbite Freddy’s Frozen Freshments. 

4. The first chairlift in Florida was built at Blizzard Beach

Want to know a Disney secret? This colorful chairlift, built to ferry your Clients to the top of Mount Gushmore, was the first of its kind in the state of Florida. The chairlift offers a scenic bird’s-eye view of Blizzard Beach and easy access to Summit Plummet, Slush Gusher and Teamboat Springs. 

5. There’s a full-service beach bar serving Blizzard Beach-inspired cocktails

Piña CoLAVA anyone? How about a Blue Blizzard Margarita? The Polar Pub serves as Blizzard Beach’s own full-service beach bar and offers specialty cocktails inspired by the park’s stories.

6. Cross Country Creek is one of the longest lazy rivers in the U.S.A.

At 3,000 feet, Cross Country Creek ranks among the longest lazy rivers in the country. It takes between 20 and 30 minutes to complete one journey around the waterway – depending, of course, on how lazy your Clients want to be!

7. Teamboat Springs is one of the world’s longest family whitewater raft ride

One of the world’s longest family whitewater raft ride is none other than Teamboat Springs at Blizzard Beach. Along the winding rapids of Teamboat Springs, guests encounter remnants of the fabled snowstorm in the form of snowshoes, snow shovels, melting icicles and a snow mobile.

Celebrate the magic of the holidays on Christmas morning with the “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Celebration” at 10 a.m. ET and 9 a.m. CT/MT/PT on ABC. Be sure to tune in for the holiday cheer … and some exciting news about Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship – the Disney Wish!

It may not be the prettiest thing to welcome guests to Magic Kingdom but Disney did their best. Take a look at the entrance to Magic Kingdom and the overlay of the Main Street USA Train Station.

One would never know that this was the location of Stitch’s Great Escape attraction in Tomorrowland now that all signage has been removed. We literally walked by it at first and did a double take noticing that everything was gone. How many of you will miss this attraction?