WDW Daily News

The inaugural Disney+ Day is here and we’re celebrating in grand style at Disney Parks with breathtaking blue-colored castles and park icons, special blue carpet experiences and other exciting surprises especially for Disney+ subscribers and fans!  

In honor of the day, several of our Disney castles are glowing brilliant Disney+ blue! Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World, Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Resort and Cinderella Castle at Tokyo Disneyland are shining like never before!  

Other favorite park icons – Spaceship Earth at EPCOT and the infamous Hollywood Tower Hotel at Disneyland Paris – are also glowing blue as part of the Disney+ celebration. 

At Disney’s Hollywood Studiosand Disneyland Park, Disney+ subscribers are receiving the blue carpet treatment with special photo opportunities throughout the parks. And along with the photo opportunities, subscribers receive complimentary Disney PhotoPass photo downloads at select locations.

Guests can also join the Disney+ Day celebration before they even step into the park!  Park entry touchpoints will shine Disney+ blue for the occasion and random Guests may even experience a special audio surprise from a fan-favorite original Disney+ series. 

Popular Disney+ characters are joining the festivities as well with appearances around the parks. Don’t be surprised to see popular characters like Moana, Variant Loki, Carl and Dug from “Up” and others at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and at the Disneyland Resort during the celebration.  

And Disneyland Paris is rolling out the blue carpet at Walt Disney Studios and celebrating with special character appearances and photo opportunities throughout the day. 

The celebration also extends beyond the parks! Guests can step up their selfie game on the My Disney Experience app with a special appearance from Grogu. This all-new AR feature rolls out just for Disney+ Day, so be sure to give it a go right from home!

Disney+ subscribers can enjoy more special benefits from home with free shipping on shopDisney from Nov. 12-14.  In addition, for a limited time, shopDisney is rolling out new customizable products from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel including short sleeve and long sleeve T-shirts for kids and adults from Disney+ favorites: “Raya and the Last Dragon,” “Luca,” “Star Wars: The Bad Batch,” and “Loki.”

For those not already Disney+ subscribers, they can join in the celebration with a special, introductory offer, and get one month of Disney+ for only $1.99, then $7.99/mo.

The calendar says November, so it’s almost time for the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays presented by AdventHealth, happening during The World’s Most Magical Celebration! This is one of Guests’ family’s favorite events of the year, with so many wonderful things to see and do. When Guests stroll through the park and reach the magnificent Christmas tree in World Showcase Plaza, the biggest question becomes: Do we start on the left toward Mexico or go right toward Canada?

This year, Guests will probably want to start right in the middle and kick things off with the return of “JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season” on the Showcase Plaza Stage. This stirring and uplifting performance of music celebrating Christmas and Kwanzaa never fails to fill Guests with energy!

Venturing into World Showcase, there’s a wealth of holiday storytellers, musical acts, and other performers to discover, from the Canadian Holiday Voyageurs and their musical memories across the Great White North to the Chinese Lion Dance, Italy’s La Befana, France’s Père Noël and more. And from Nov. 26 – Dec. 24, Santa Claus pays a visit to The American Adventure, where Guests can step right up and let him know their fondest wish for Christmas.

Of course, Guests love to cap off a day of holiday fun at EPCOT with a performance of the “Candlelight Processional” at America Gardens Theatre. This year, the incomparable Voices of Liberty will form a living Christmas tree at center stage, flanked on either side by a choir of Disney Cast Members pouring their hearts into every song. And there’s nothing quite like having those songs played by a full orchestra and hearing the traditional Christmas story told by a celebrity narrator. The lineup of narrators for 2021 includes award-winning actors, singers, and television hosts … and two Disney princesses! Here’s who is scheduled to appear:

• 11/26 – 11/28: Auli’i Cravalho
• 11/29 – 12/1: Chita Rivera
• 12/2 – 12/4: Jodi Benson
• 12/5 – 12/7: Alton Fitzgerald White
• 12/8 – 12/10: Bart Millard
• 12/11 – 12/13: Lisa Ling
• 12/14 – 12/16: Andy Garcia
• 12/17 – 12/19: Ana Gasteyer
• 12/20 – 12/22: Courtney B. Vance
• 12/23 – 12/25: Steven Curtis Chapman
• 12/26 – 12/28: Blair Underwood
• 12/29 – 12/30: Pat Sajak

The EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays starts Nov. 26 and continues through Dec. 30.

Music has been an integral part of the Walt Disney World experience for 50 years, and the music of Walt Disney World Resort is tied to so many of our memories of “The Most Magical Place on Earth.” Just a few notes from “Swisskapolka” by Buddy Baker and Bob Jackman, and we picture ourselves exploring the jungles of Adventureland. If we close our eyes and listen to Bob Moline’s “Canada (You’re a Lifetime Journey),” we can imagine a detachment of Mounties surrounding us in CircleVision 360 at EPCOT. And from the very first note of John Williams’ score for “Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular,” we are right there with Indy as he navigates treacherous ruins in search of treasure (we can’t wait for that show to come back next month)! These classics and more can be found on the official Walt Disney World playlist, now available on Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube Music, and Deezer.

With the start of The World’s Most Magical Celebration, the playlist has been updated with the addition of some of the new music recently introduced to the parks, including Academy Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino’s soundtrack from Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and the 50th anniversary celebration anthem, “The Magic Is Calling.”

“The Magic Is Calling” was written just for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort by platinum-selling songwriter and music producer Alana Da Fonseca and Nashville-based songwriter and producer Bobby Studley, collaborating with award-winning composer Emily Bear and singing phenom Journi. It’s got a great hook Guests won’t be able to get out of their heads and listening to it just makes us want to get back out to the parks!

Another new addition to the playlist is “You Are the Magic,” the original song written by eight-time GRAMMY Award winner (and former Walt Disney World Cast Member) Philip Lawrence. Philip composed the song and performed it with actor and singer Kayla Alvarez for the new fireworks spectacular at Magic Kingdom Park, “Disney Enchantment.”

Perhaps best of all, Guests can now stream the entire soundtrack to “Harmonious,” the stunning new nighttime spectacular at EPCOT, beautifully crafted by arranger Mark Hammond and Walt Disney Imagineering Senior Music Producer and Creative Director Yaron Spiwak. We get goosebumps when we hear the vocals of “Opening Chants,” envisioning the sunrise that emerges from World Showcase Lagoon to start the show, rolling right into the multiple languages of “Awakening,” as the pavilions of World Showcase illuminate and we begin our musical journey around the world. Throughout, a global ensemble of vocalists and musicians presents a concert of familiar Disney songs, each reinterpreted through the lens of the culture or country that originally inspired the Disney stories from which they came. The digital album even includes extended versions of some of the songs heard in the show. It’s a musical tour de force that immediately takes us back to our first time experiencing “Harmonious” in person and inspires us to see it again and again.

Anytime Guests want to revisit magical Disney theme park memories like these, they can just tap to listen on their favorite music streaming platform! It’s the perfect way to get themselves psyched for their next trip to Walt Disney World Resort. The World’s Most Magical Celebration started October 1 and is going on for 18 months. With so much to experience, Guests have to get here themselves! Guests should be sure to follow #DisneyWorld50 and visit the special Everything Walt Disney World 50th page for the latest stories and information.

Today, the U.S. opens its borders to travelers from around the world. And our Cast Members at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California are ready. To all who come to these happy places, welcome! 

Our Disney destinations across America have always been a source of joy for all ­– bringing people together to enjoy happiness, hope and inspiration. So, needless to say, we’re excited to once again greet our many friends from across the globe as they return to experience the magic at Disney theme parks.

No matter where our Guests are traveling from, there are unforgettable experiences waiting for them, brought to life by our Cast Members who continue to be the heart of the Disney magic. Whether it’s a spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime 50th anniversary celebration at Walt Disney World Resort or new, heroic adventures and out-of-this-world offerings at Disneyland Resort, now is a perfect time to visit both destinations. 

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In Sept., Disney announced that we would be celebrating Disney+ Day in a big way on November 12, and we’re excited to share more about what Disney Parks Guests and shopDisney users can expect later this week as we roll out the blue carpet around the world for Disney+ subscribers.

In celebration of Disney+ Day, Disney+ subscribers with a valid ticket or pass and theme park reservations for the day will enjoy special benefits at select Disney theme parks. Disney+ subscribers are invited with their travel party to enter all theme parks at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort 30 minutes before regular park open.

Disney+ subscribers are the real stars at Disney Hollywood Studios and Disneyland Park, where Guests will be welcomed with a blue carpet experience, including special photo opportunities throughout the parks.

lus up their photos with complimentary Disney PhotoPass digital download(s) taken at select locations, offered especially to Disney+ subscribers via the My Disney Experience and Disneyland apps. 

Fan favorite Disney+ characters are also joining the festivities with appearances around the parks. The fun doesn’t stop there – there are more surprises in store for subscribers who visit on Disney+ Day at Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort!

Learn about how Guests can celebrate Disney+ Day at Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort via handy event guides directly in the My Disney Experience mobile app and the Disneyland app. For Guests using a mobile device, they can directly access the Walt Disney World Resort event guide and the Disneyland Resort event guide.

Disney+ Day is coming to Disneyland Paris too with a special celebration taking place at Walt Disney Studios Park for all Guests to enjoy!* Guests can be the star they are, and strut the blue carpet in true Hollywood style, stopping along the way for selfies with Disney characters dressed in blue for the occasion. Relax between takes in an eatery reminiscent of the Golden Age of Hollywood at Restaurant en Coulisse – and don’t miss the chance to indulge in a complimentary Disney+ Day-inspired treat offered with each menu item purchase. Disney+ Day photo locations will plus up Guest’s pics with special character appearances (both in-person and virtual); and to culminate the celebration, Walt Disney Studios Park will remain open for 30 extra minutes with a grand finale illuminating the Tower of Terror in blue.**

Guests can celebrate with Disney Parks from home, too! They can step up their selfie game on the My Disney Experience app with a special appearance from Grogu. This all-new AR feature rolls out November 12, and just for Disney+ Day, Guests will be able to give it a go right from home!

Disney+ subscribers will enjoy more special benefits from home with free shipping on shopDisney from November 12-14. In addition, for a limited time starting TODAY, shopDisney is rolling out new customizable products from Disney, Pixar, Star Wars and Marvel including short sleeve and long sleeve T-shirts for kids and adults from Disney+ favorites: “Raya and the Last Dragon,” “Luca,” “Star Wars: The Bad Batch,” and “Loki.”

In celebration of Disney+ Day, Disney Publishing Worldwide will offer selected $0.99 cent eBooks Nov. 8-17. Fans can discover the stories behind their favorite Disney+ series, including, “Loki,” “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” and “The Mandalorian.”

Guests can also choose to memorialize the magic with the release of a limited set of digital collectibles representing some of the most beloved characters and stories from iconic Disney franchises. Each digital collectible purchase will include a free offer code allowing new subscribers to enjoy several free months of Disney+.***

For Guests not already a Disney+ subscriber, they can join in the celebration with a special, introductory offer, and get one month of Disney+ for only $1.99, then $7.99/mo. 

Guests may be required to verify that they are a Disney+ subscriber by displaying their logged-in home screen on the Disney+ app via their phone to receive special benefits at the parks. Please be sure to download the Disney+ app and sign in prior to arrival.

*A Health Pass is required for any guests aged above 12 years and 2 months in order to visit Disneyland Paris. Please visit our Health and Safety page https://www.disneylandparis.com/en-us/health-safety-measures/ 

**Please note that seasons, shows, parades and similar events at Disney Parks may be changed, delayed or cancelled at any time without notice for reasons beyond our control.

*** This Disney+ offer is only valid for new and returning Disney+ subscribers, cannot be shared with any other person or transferred in exchange for money or any other consideration, with or without the NFT, and is only available in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Netherlands, Spain, Mexico, and Singapore.

Today, the “Everything 50th” series continues with new EARidescent magic to discover at Disney Resort hotels during the 50th anniversary celebration of Walt Disney World Resort. 

As you may know, the Disney Resorts Collection immerses guests in fantastical settings – offering the same legendary storytelling, detail and guest service found in our parks. And for the 50th anniversary celebration, each hotel destination is shining like never before. From dazzling decor and celebratory treats to family-fun activities, new benefits and more, you’re surrounded by The World’s Most Magical Celebration when you stay in the magic! 

The moment guests arrive at a Disney Resort hotel, they are part of the 50th anniversary celebration of Walt Disney World Resort with magical touches sparkling day and night. 

Disney chefs have created new, delicious 50th anniversary menu items – many inspired by Walt’s favorite dishes as well as the EARidescent magic of our celebration. The special offerings can be found at select dining locations:   

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Earlier this week, we posted the Foodie Guide to Holidays highlighting the deliciously festive offerings at Disney Springs and our parks. Today, our Disney Resort hotels are making spirits bright with delish savories, sweets, and sips. Wait until you see (and taste!) all the creative offerings at our resorts – fa la la la la bulous!

Stay tuned for upcoming holiday Foodie Guides so you can jingle all the way to tasty food and drink!

Disney’s All-Star Resorts

Intermission Food Court, World Premier Food Court, and Intermission Food Court

• Pumpkin Tart (available Nov. 25 and Dec. 25)
• Thanksgiving Dinner – Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green beans, and cranberry relish with choice of apple or pumpkin tart (available Nov. 25)
• Playful Penguin Cupcake – Red velvet cupcake, cream cheese buttercream, peppermint sprinkles, and a sugared playful penguin (available Dec. 19-Jan. 1)
• Christmas Dinner – Ham, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green beans, and cranberry relish with choice of apple or pumpkin tart (available Dec. 25)

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and Disney’s Pop Century Resort

Landscapes of Flavor and Everything POP Shopping & Dining

• Pumpkin Tart (available Nov. 7-27)
• Apple Tart (available Nov. 7-27)
• Playful Penguin Cupcake – Red velvet cupcake, cream cheese buttercream, peppermint sprinkles, and a sugared playful penguin (available Dec. 19-Jan. 1)
• Spiked Coffee Milkshake (available Nov. 1-30)
• Cranberry Margarita (available Nov.1-30)
• Spiked Frozen Peppermint Hot Chocolate (available Dec.1-31)

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

Sanaa

• Chocolate Peppermint Ornament – Ghanaian dark chocolate mousse and peppermint crunch chocolate biscuit with pomegranate and raspberries (available Dec. 19-25)
• Roast Rib Eye – Roast rib eye with jus lie, Tunisian mashed potatoes, green beans with apricot-cranberry butter, and mushroom conserva (available Dec. 25)

The Mara

• Gingeraffe – Gingerbread giraffe cookie (available Dec. 1-31)
• Chocolate and Peppermint Cookie Sandwich – Smoked chocolate and spice cookie with peppermint buttercream (available Dec. 1-31)

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The special series on the 50th anniversary celebration of Walt Disney World Resort continues today with an exciting look at some of the EARidescent magic Guests can now discover at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

Whether it’s the iconic Hollywood Tower Hotel glowing brightly as a magnificent Beacon of Magic, delicious celebratory sips and bites or 50th anniversary celebration merchandise, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is glimmering like never before – calling Guests to experience new and once-in-a-lifetime offerings.

Disney chefs and mixologists have created an amazing lineup of celebratory treats made especially for the 50th anniversary celebration. The sips and bites are full of color, whimsy, and a touch of EARidescent shimmer and here’s where Guests can find each treat at Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

Trolley Car Café

• Glimmer and Shimmer Pineapple Mousse – Golden pineapple mousse on a toasted coconut crisp with caramel cream and matcha sponge cake

The Hollywood Brown Derby

• Filet Mignon with Walt’s Hash topped with an egg (just the way Walt liked it!)
• 50th Celebration Baked Alaska – Layers of strawberry-basil sorbet, vanilla gelato, and sponge cake coated in toasted meringue and caramelized brownie bites

The Hollywood Brown Derby Lounge, Oasis Canteen, Sunshine Day Bar, Animation Bar

• Shimmer over the Moon – Apple pie moonshine, amaretto, falernum, pineapple juice, and club soda served with a souvenir glow cube

ABC Commissary

• Chocolate Mousse – Raspberry-dark chocolate mousse, chocolate-almond cake, and a layer of hazelnut crunch and whipped chocolate-hazelnut cheesecake
• Caramel Apple Tart – Spiced Caramel-Cheesecake Mousse, Apple-dusted in Gold, and served atop a Cinnamon-Apple Tart

Backlot Express and Fairfax Fare 

• Glimmer and Shimmer Blondie – Gooey toffee and toasted coconut blondie with salted caramel buttercream and festive gold nuggets

Epic Eats

• Glimmer and Shimmer Funnel Cake – Funnel cake with cookies ‘n cream and soft-serve vanilla ice cream topped with golden cookies and sprinkles

Rosie’s All-American Café

• Disney’s Hollywood Studios 50th Celebration Sandwich Cookie – Celebrating the 50th Anniversary with a pretzel shortbread cookie with strawberry jam and peanut butter-chocolate fudge

Trolley Car Café

• Pumpkin Mousse – Milk chocolate-chai mousse filled with pumpkin bread set atop a chocolate shortbread cookie and vanilla buttercream

In & Around The Park 

• Glimmer and Shimmer Churros
• Mickey Glimmer and Shimmer Brownie – Chocolaty Mickey brownie with celebratory shimmery sprinkles

During the 50th anniversary celebration, Walt Disney World Resort theme park icons are also transforming into magnificent Beacons of Magic at night, beckoning all to come and celebrate. And at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the iconic Hollywood Tower Hotel is a sight to see!  

This magical destination is shining and evoking the glimmer and shimmer of the golden age of imagination and adventure!

In the park, Guests can also find the “Disney Fab 50 Character Collection” – with each statue paying homage to the past 50 years of Walt Disney World while also ushering us into the next 50 years.

The beautiful golden statues at Disney’s Hollywood Studios include fan favorites R2-D2 and BB-8, Woody and Bo Peep, Sebastian and Flounder, Joe Gardener, Edna Mode and Frozone. 

For the 18-month celebration, dazzling decorations and magical touches can be found throughout Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Disney teams have created all sorts of new decorations that shimmer and sparkle all day and into the night!

Also, be sure to look high and low at the park for even more EARidescent magic! Balloons have been a guest favorite since day one at Walt Disney World Resort and for the 50th anniversary celebration, Guests can enjoy special bouquets of balloons shimmering like never before at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

During their next visit, Guests can pick up a special edition park guide map created for the 50th anniversary celebration. The Disney Hollywood Studios guide map features the Hollywood Tower Hotel on the cover and includes great information on all of the celebratory food and beverages, special merchandise and more!

And don’t forget there’s even more magic to discover at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, a thrilling and ever-evolving destination where Guests can let the adventure begin! From amazing attractions like Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway to out-of-this-Galaxy experiences at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and whimsical fun at Toy Story Land, excitement awaits every turn.  

Season’s Greetings!

We know we haven’t even finished trick-or-treating, but the Disney chefs and mixologists can’t wait to join in the reindeer games and share all the holiday deliciousness at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. To cover it all, we need multiple Foodie Guides this holiday season!

We are kicking off with the Foodie Guide to all the yummy holiday sips and bites offered in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom Park, and Disney Springs to get guests in the holiday spirit. (Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about EPCOT – the annual Foodie Guide to EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays presented by AdventHealth will be shared soon.)

Be sure to stay tuned for the various holiday Foodie Guides to find all the places at Disney to eat, drink, and be merry!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park

Restaurantosaurus

• Open-Faced Thanksgiving Turkey Sandwich – Grilled multigrain bread with roasted garlic mayonnaise, cornbread stuffing waffle, sliced smoked turkey breast, herb gravy, cranberry sauce, and a fried sage leaf (available Nov. 25)

Satu’li Canteen

• Thanksgiving Bowl – Cornbread stuffing, sliced roasted turkey, cranberry boba pearls, gravy, and slaw (available Nov. 25)
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse – Pumpkin cheesecake, chocolate “dirt,” and cranberry boba pearls (available Nov. 25-28)
• Peppermint Cream Cheese Mousse – Peppermint cream cheese mousse, peppermint sauce, peppermint candy pieces, and chocolate “dirt” (available Dec. 1-30

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Take a look at some of the 50th Anniversary merchandise still available at the Disney Parks.

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