WDW Daily News

Moments ago, at D23 Expo 2019, details were unveiled by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Bob Chapek for “Disney Genie,” a revolutionary new digital offering set to debut in late 2020 that will enhance the way guests plan for and experience a trip to Walt Disney World® Resort. Joining other innovations like the MagicBand, Disney Genie is being designed to help guests make the most out of their visit.

Disney Genie will make planning easier and more fun by providing customized itineraries geared to your interests – from a royal, princess-themed day at Magic Kingdom® Park to a trip around the world at Epcot® for foodies and even a perfect day for thrill seekers. Certain features of Disney Genie will also be available through the Disney Travel Agents website. 

Sometimes guests may know exactly what they want to do, but may not know the best time or order in which to do it. They’ll be able to tell Disney Genie what they’d like to experience, and it will quickly evaluate millions of options to present you with an optimal day. And best of all, it’s flexible! If they change their mind for any reason, Disney Genie will re-optimize their day.

Disney Genie can also send guests real-time tips and updates, including recommendations for experiences it thinks they’ll love, helping them navigate the theme parks with added convenience and comfort. If you don’t want to worry about making reservations in multiple steps, Disney Genie will even take care of that for you.

This represents yet another way we are using creativity and innovation to connect guests with the stories and characters they love, and to help them make lasting, magical memories with the family and friends they cherish most. Over the past several years, Disney parks have become more seamless and enjoyable through other digital offerings, such as mobile food ordering, the Play Disney Parks app, online check-in and so much more. 

Stay tuned as development continues on Disney Genie!

As we’ve previously shared, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway—the first major Mickey-themed ride-through attraction—is coming to both Disneyland® Park in California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios® in Florida. Today at the D23 Expo 2019, Bob Chapek, chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products released a few more exciting details and sneak peeks!

At Disneyland Park, the attraction will be opening in Mickey’s Toontown in 2022. The action takes place at the El CapiTOON Theater, where Mickey and Minnie are premiering their newest short, “Perfect Picnic.” Before your Clients enter the cinema, they’ll experience a special exhibit created by the Toontown Hysterical Society featuring costumes and props from the toon world.  

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney Imagineers are getting ready to open next year. Guests will be invited to the Chinese Theatre, which serves as the magic portal through which theatergoers will step from the human world directly into the cartoon world for one Goofy adventure aboard Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway!

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway puts you inside the wacky and unpredictable world of Disney Channel’s Emmy® Award-winning “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts! Once guests step into the cartoon world of Mickey and Minnie, they’ll board a train with Goofy as the engineer. Then, one magical moment after the next leads Guests to a zany, out-of-control adventure filled with surprising twists and turns.

 With an original story and lovable theme song, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway uses state-of-the-art technologies and dazzling visual effects to transform the cartoon world into an incredible and immersive multidimensional experience.

Stay tuned for future updates on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

A Star Wars vacation experience unlike anything Disney has ever created before will fully immerse Guests in a galaxy far, far away when Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser debuts at Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida. Exciting new details were shared Sunday live from D23 Expo 2019 by Bob Chapek, chairman of Walt Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, and Ann Morrow Johnson, executive producer and creative director for Walt Disney Imagineering.

Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will offer a two-night itinerary where all Guests arrive and depart at the same time, similar to Disney Cruise Line. Unlike any typical cruise, though, guests can become the heroes of their own Star Wars story in a new type of immersive experience that only Disney could create.

Guests will cruise the galaxy in style aboard the Halcyon, a starcruiser known throughout the galaxy for its impeccable service and exotic destinations. Onboard, Guests will stay in well-appointed cabins, experience onboard dining, make a planet-side excursion to Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, and much more. Throughout the journey, guests will be invited to delve deeper into their personal adventure by participating in onboard activities, interacting with characters, crew, other passengers they’ll meet, and becoming part of the action and the broader Star Wars saga:

• The adventure begins when guests arrive at the Galactic Starcruiser Terminal at Walt Disney World and check in for their two-night experience.
• They will be invited to enter a Launch Pod for transport into space. Through windows above, they’ll see themselves leave the real world behind as they jump to hyperspace and draw closer and closer to the Halcyon.

• When the Launch Pod docks with the Halcyon and the airlock opens, they will step into the ship’s main deck Atrium to begin their journey through a galaxy far, far away.
• A visit aboard the Halcyon becomes a multi-day story that interweaves with members of the crew, other passengers, familiar Star Wars characters, and an excursion to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios®.

• The all-immersive experience also features exclusive activities, such as:
  • Wielding a lightsaber while facing off against a training remote, where guests  may discover their own connection with the Force.

• Visiting the starcruiser’s Bridge to learn about ship systems and how to operate them, including navigation and defense – skills that may come in handy during a journey through this adventure-filled galaxy.

Fun Facts – Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser

• Every window in the Halcyon– including those in each cabin – has a view of the galaxy beyond, with ever-changing vistas as the ship progresses from place to place.
• Guests be able to explore the Halcyon and perhaps discover hidden spaces deep in the mechanics of the ship – perfect for uncovering secrets … or holding secret meetings.
• Choices guests make during their adventure will help determine how your Star Wars story progresses.

• In 2020, following the limited-time run of “Epcot Forever,” the new “HarmonioUS”will debut as the largest nighttime spectacular ever created for a Disney park. It will celebrate how the music of Disney inspires people the world over, carrying them away harmoniously on a stream of familiar Disney tunes reinterpreted by a diverse group of artists from around the globe. “HarmonioUS” will feature massive floating set pieces, custom-built LED panels, choreographed moving fountains, lights, pyrotechnics, lasers and more.

• In summer 2020, the France pavilion will offer even more for guests to discover, including the much-anticipated attraction Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure,where guests will shrink to the size of Chef Remy and race through Gusteau’s restaurant on a wild adventure. Summer 2020 will also see the debut of a delicious new restaurant in the France pavilion, La Crêperie de Paris, offering both table- and quick-service options featuring a menu from celebrity chef Jérôme Bocuse.

The United Kingdom pavilion will welcome the first attraction inspired by Mary Poppins. Guests will step in time down Cherry Tree Lane past Admiral Boom’s house, then enter Number 17, home of the Banks family, where their adventure will begin

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will be the first “other-world” showcase pavilion at Epcot. The adventure starts in the “Galaxarium,” a planetarium-like exhibition that explores the similarities and mysteries of the formation of Earth’s galaxy and Xandar. Guests will be invited to learn more about the treasures Xandar has to share – until the moment when the Guardians of the Galaxy arrive, and adventures across the cosmos ensue. The attraction will feature a new innovation from Walt Disney Imagineering – a storytelling coaster that rotates 360 degrees to focus guests on the action, including the first reverse launch on a Disney coaster.

A Star Wars Voyage Unlike Any Other 
Guests are eagerly awaiting the immersive Star Wars vacation experience coming to Walt Disney World Resort. Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will be a glamorous ship – the Halcyon – where every window features stellar views into space. Guests will embark together on a two-night adventure that includes special activities, incredible dining, and a “spaceport” day on Batuu at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, inviting guests even deeper into their own Star Warsstories.

 Last evening at a special member celebration at Disney California Adventure® Park during D23 Expo weekend, Disney Movie Rewards announced their new name and program, Disney Movie Insiders.

Launched in 2006, Disney Movie Rewards has delighted fans of Disney, Pixar, Marvel Studios, and Star Wars movies with great rewards and one-of-a-kind experiences like touring The Walt Disney Studios lot and Walt Disney’s office. Recognizing the value of connecting 1:1 with their biggest movie fans, Disney has been reimagining the Disney Movie Rewards program to provide more personalized and engaging experiences and evolve how they interact with their members.

On September 26, 2019, Disney Movie Rewards will become Disney Movie Insiders, a place where new fans and super fans unite. The announcement teased a few of the new program features as well as a mobile app, and has promised more to come. Members will be able to watch trailers and special content about upcoming movies, buy movie tickets directly, have more ways to earn and redeem points for amazing rewards, get Insiders access to special perks and sweepstakes, and play various interactive experiences on the new mobile app.

For more information and updates, check out: www.disneymovierewards.com/update
#DisneyMovieInsiders

The Walt Disney Studios—including studio leaders and filmmakers from Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios, Disney live action, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios—wowed an audience of nearly 7,000 this morning at D23 Expo 2019 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. Alan Horn, co-chairman and chief creative officer, The Walt Disney Studios—joined by Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy, Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige, Disney live action’s Sean Bailey, Pixar’s Pete Docter and Disney Animation’s Jennifer Lee—offered guests a captivating look at Disney’s upcoming film slate, including never-before-seen footage and a host of stars, plus a spectacular performance from “Frozen 2” voice cast members Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad.  

“You’re not just fans, you’re family,” said Horn to the packed room. “It’s because of you that we keep working so hard to make great movies, and we love D23 Expo because it’s where we can share them with you first.” 

The presentation included the following highlights.

LUCASFILM
President of Lucasfilm Kathleen Kennedy and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” director/writer/producer J.J. Abrams showcased the riveting conclusion to the Skywalker saga. Kennedy and Abrams revved up the audience, introducing nine stars from the film—many of whom marked this as their first D23 Expo appearance: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran and Billy Dee Williams, plus special appearances from R2-D2, BB-8 and the new droid D-O. A brand-new poster was revealed—and gifted to the entire audience. And all were given a look back at the incredible legacy of Star Warsstorytelling and treated to a sneak peek of “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” which opens in U.S. theaters on Dec. 20, 2019.

MARVEL STUDIOS
Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios, kicked off his presentation with a surprise visit from “Black Panther” director and co-writer Ryan Coogler. Together, they revealed that “Black Panther 2” (working title) will hit U.S. theaters on May 6, 2022.

Feige segued to next year’s “The Eternals,”inviting cast members from the much-anticipated film to the stage: Richard Madden, who portrays the all-powerful Ikaris; Kumail Nanjiani, who plays cosmic-powered Kingo; Lauren Ridloff, who portrays the super-fast Makkari, the first deaf hero in the MCU; Brian Tyree Henry, who plays the intelligent inventor Phastos; Salma Hayek, who plays the wise and spiritual leader Ajak; Lia McHugh, who portrays the eternally young, old-soul Sprite; Don Lee, who plays the powerful Gilgamesh; and Angelina Jolie, who stars as the fierce warrior Thena. Feige revealed concept art images of each character, and announced three new cast members and their characters: Gemma Chan, who plays humankind-loving Sersi; Kit Harington, who was cast as non-Eternal Dane Whitman, and Barry Keoghan, who portrays aloof loner Druig, and was on hand for the event. Directed by Chloé Zhao, who helmed the critically acclaimed Sundance film “The Rider,” “The Eternals” opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 6, 2020.

Feige concluded with “Black Widow,” the Cate Shortland-directed first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which hits U.S. theaters on May 1, 2020. Feige shared a pre-recorded greeting featuring stars Scarlett Johansson, who reprises her role of Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow; David Harbour, who was cast as Alexei the Red Guardian; and Florence Pugh, who plays Yelena. The audience was also treated to an exclusive look at the upcoming film.