WDW Daily News

As part of Disneys Halfway to the Holidays celebration earlier this year, they shared a sneak peek of some of the magical experiences coming during a spectacular season of holiday joy during the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort. That wasn’t everything they have in store, though, and today we’re thrilled to share that the “Candlelight Processional” will be back this year, Nov. 26 – Dec. 30, as part of the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays presented by AdventHealth! 

“Candlelight Processional” is a long-standing Disney Parks tradition, dating back to 1958 at Disneyland park. Walt Disney World guests have enjoyed the annual “Candlelight Processional” since 1971, initially at Magic Kingdom Park and since 1994 at EPCOT. After being greatly missed during last year’s holiday season, this magnificent production will once again grace the America Gardens Theatre with a live orchestra, cast choir, and celebrity narrator retelling the traditional Christmas story in spectacular and heartwarming fashion.

Since all these performers – including cast members, musicians, singers, and narrators – will be required to be fully vaccinated, this year we are not planning to host choirs from different community groups and schools. Instead, to maintain the grandeur of the performance, we are expanding our cast member choir to fill the stage with voices. We’re optimistic that the guest choirs will be able to rejoin us next year for this special holiday opportunity.  

We didn’t want to wait another minute to tell you this exciting news. Of course, we’re still working to confirm the schedule of celebrity narrators and details about “Candlelight Processional” Dining Packages, so stay tuned. We’ll share all the information as soon as it’s available.  

After much speculation regarding the fate of Eternals, Disney announced on Friday that the massive MCU film will get an exclusive theatrical launch. The same goes for all its non-Marvel movies, too.

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Are you looking forward to immersing yourself in the Holiday season this year? Look no further because magic is here with Holidays at the DisneylandResort! And this year we’ve added a new separate ticket, limited-capacity offering, Disney Merriest Nites. Since Mickey Mouse adores the holidays and celebrating with friends, he’s invited some of them to help host six themed parties in one throughout Disneyland park. Join Mickey Mouse and his friends on one of five select nights during November and December with the purchase of a ticket! 

As the host of the party, Mickey Mouse will welcome Guests to Disney Merriest Nites with Victorian flair on Main Street, U.S.A. Over in New Orleans Square, Princess Tiana plans to ring in Noel with Guests at her bayou-inspired celebration. In Frontierland, Miguel from the Disney•Pixar film “Coco” will be wishing everyone Feliz Navidad while Guests kick up their heels during a jolly dance-filled fiesta. Three more character-hosted holiday parties await with a tropical party hosted by Lilo & Stitch in Adventureland, a wintertime celebration with Elsa in Fantasyland, and Buzz Lightyear taking the holidays to new heights over in Tomorrowland. Guests will enjoy enhanced entertainment such as themed photo backdrops and character sightings, and themed specialty food and beverage offerings within the event.

Attendance at this separately ticketed holiday event offers Guests limited-capacity, after-hours access to Disneyland park attractions* and entertainment. Select attractions will be available, including the seasonal transformations “it’s a small world” Holiday and Haunted Mansion Holiday, along with a special viewing of “A Christmas Fantasy” Parade.**

With unlimited Disney Photopass*** digital downloads from the night, Guests may want to wear their favorite holiday attire!

Disney Merriest Nites tickets will be sold for events on Nov. 11, Nov. 16, Nov. 30, Dec. 7, and Dec. 9. For event highlights and additional details, please visit disneyland.com/merriestnites. Tickets will be available for purchase on September 14, no earlier than 9 am PT, on Disneyland.com and the Disneyland app.

We look forward to celebrating the Holidays and Disney Merriest Nites with our Guests soon at the Disneyland Resort!

* Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Mickey’s Toontown and Critter Country will not be accessible during the party.

** Entertainment, experiences, attractions, and offerings may be modified, limited in availability, or unavailable, and are subject to restrictions, and change or cancellation without notice.

*** Disney PhotoPass is subject to the Disney PhotoPass terms and expiration policy found at Disneyland.com/photopass-terms-conditions/.  Online registration required.

Some images may not represent current operational or health and safety guidelines. Visit Disneytraveltradeinfo.com/dlr for important information to know before visiting the Disneyland Resort, including the latest updates on required face coverings.

Take a look at some footage of Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure ride at Epcot.

McDonald’s Happy Meals are getting a magical upgrade — and it’s got nothing to do with fries or apple slices.

Starting Sept. 14, the fast-food chain will roll out Happy Meal toys designed to celebrate Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary. With 50 never-before-seen toys celebrating iconic Disney characters like R2-D2, Sebastian and Jiminy Cricket, the Happy Meals will run for a limited time only.

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“Disney Enchantment,” the brand-new nighttime spectacular coming to Magic Kingdom Park as part of The World’s Most Magical Celebration, features dazzling fireworks, beloved Disney music and immersive projection effects that extend from Cinderella Castle down Main Street, U.S.A. The show takes Guests on an emotional journey, empowering them to believe in themselves and make their dreams come true.  

Philip Lawrence who wrote the original song for “Disney Enchantment” has certainly pursued his dreams and made them come true. Philip got his start as a Cast Member at Walt Disney World Resort, performing in shows like “Festival of the Lion King” and “Tarzan Rocks!” Through hard work and determination, he went on to find success as a songwriter and music producer, receiving 18 GRAMMY^ nominations and winning seven GRAMMY^ Awards for his collaborations with Bruno Mars on songs like “Uptown Funk” and “24K Magic.” Now, Philip has returned to where the magic began for him.  

Entitled “You Are the Magic,” the song’s powerful lyrics inspire us for the journey ahead and touch our hearts and minds. And they soar to emotional high points during the climactic moments of “Disney Enchantment,” as we discover we only have to look within to ignite the magic that was inside us all along. 

Philip Lawrence not only wrote “You Are the Magic” but also performs the song in “Disney Enchantment” along with actor and singer Kayla Alvarez, another former Walt Disney World Cast Member. Here’s a look at the recording of this incredible new song, as Philip and Kayla’s vocals come together with the sound of a full orchestra and chorus: 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=BP6QZyRT_jA

You’ll get to hear the complete version of “You Are the Magic” when “Disney Enchantment” Presented by Pandora^ Jewelry debuts October 1 at Magic Kingdom Park with the launch of the Walt Disney World 50^th Anniversary Celebration. Stay tuned for regular updates on all the exciting things coming as part of The World’s Most Magical Celebration! 

Take a look at the latest construction photos of the upcoming TRON roller coaster coming to Magic Kingdom.

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Today we’re sharing new images and immersive design details from Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and the newly expanded France pavilion at EPCOT! Opening soon on Oct. 1 to help kick off the Walt Disney World Resort 50^th anniversary celebration, this spinning, whirling, family-friendly attraction invites Guests to shrink down to the size of Chef Remy on a thrilling chase through Gusteau’s restaurant, complete with sights, sounds and smells for an exhilarating “4D” experience.

As part of the historic transformation of EPCOT, this expansion nearly doubles the size of the existing France pavilion and delivers on the design intent of World Showcase by celebrating real countries and the fantastic stories they inspire. There are so many wonderful authentically French and “Ratatouille”-inspired details that our Walt Disney Imagineering designers incorporated throughout, and we’d love to share some of those with you here today!

Walking from the existing France pavilion into our new mini-land, Guests will find a beautiful allée along the water, designed to evoke the feeling of a Parisian park beside the river Seine. As Guests take a stroll along this path, made to look like the decomposed granite often found in parks and gardens throughout Paris, they can be on the lookout for rat motifs in the railing and cast-iron benches that begin to hint at the world of Chef Remy awaiting Guests around the corner.

Continuing down this path and turning onto the new Allée des Marchands (Alley of the Merchants), Guests will soon find La Crêperie de Paris, serving sweet crepes and savory buckwheat galettes. The restaurant features a traditional blue façade found throughout the Brittany region of France, which is both well known for its crêpes and the inspiration for our own eatery within EPCOT.

Beyond the crêperie, Guests will soon pass beneath an ornate, cast-iron arcade that creates a natural transition from our real-world celebration of France to Remy’s fantastic Paris, as depicted in Disney and Pixar’s award-winning film “Ratatouille.” Facades in this area feature a bolder color palette and exaggerated architectural details, evoking the whimsical world of Paris seen in the film.

Guests of all ages will enjoy exploring this corner of Paris and discovering details throughout. Like Chef Remy in his toque atop the fountain, or the illuminated Gusteau’s sign in the distance, hinting at the adventure that awaits within the attraction. Guests can take notice of the manhole cover near the fountain, as they may discover an homage to the scene in the film where Remy is first brought to Paris through the sewers.

There are many fun nods to other characters from the film as well, such as these wine bottles in the neighboring storefront featuring the food critic Anton Ego. Eagle-eyed fans might recognize the significance of the vintages found on each bottle, as they relate to milestone years for the “Ratatouille” story. Nearby Guests will discover Chef Skinner’s scooter and Chef Colette’s motorbike, which make for a fun photo opportunity for fans of the film.

These intentional design details, large and small, help immerse Guests in the story and set the stage for the experience within the attraction. Guests can discover these details and more when the expansion opens on Oct. 1, just in time for the beginning of “The World’s Most Magical Celebration!”

Beginning Oct. 1 as part of the Walt Disney World Resort 50th anniversary celebration, “Disney KiteTails” will take the magic of nature and Disney storytelling to new heights, immersing everyone in a gala performance of color and movement at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=jN_uMVv8DxA

It’s all set to happen several times daily at the Discovery River Theater, near DinoLand U.S.A. As Guests make their way into the space, they’re joined by a team of performers bringing with them a colorful collection of oversized props and kites adorned with Disney animal friends from “The Little Mermaid,” “a bug’s life” and “Finding Nemo.” Original, worldbeat arrangements of favorite Disney tunes fill the air, and the excitement builds toward the launch of an impressive show of kites over the lagoon.

Watercraft zoom into view, pulling with them dynamic kite trains and enormous, three-dimensional kites depicting familiar characters from “The Lion King” or “The Jungle Book.” From one performance to another, you may see Baloo the bear dancing in the sky or Zazu the red-billed hornbill chasing after Simba. These remarkable kites, some as large as 30 feet in length, are inflated by moving through the air, allowing characters like King Louie or Timon and Pumbaa to soar like never before!

The team behind “Disney KiteTails” has been hard at work getting everything ready to open Oct. 1. Stay tuned for regular updates on all the exciting things coming as part of “The World’s Most Magical Celebration”!

As we previously announced, “Disney Enchantment,” an all-new nighttime spectacular, will debut in Magic Kingdom Park on Oct. 1, coinciding with the launch of “The World’s Most Magical Celebration.” Today, we’re excited to share more details about this remarkable new show.

This all-new spectacular inspires everyone to believe in magic, with captivating Disney music, enhanced lighting, immersive projection effects that extend for the first time down Main Street, U.S.A., and an emotional original song, entitled “You Are the Magic,” by seven-time GRAMMY-winner Philip Lawrence. And throughout the show, stunning fireworks fill the sky, providing a great experience for guests throughout the park and neighboring resort hotels.

“Since opening day in 1971, dazzling fireworks shows have provided that perfect exclamation point at the end of a fantastic day at Magic Kingdom Park,” said Mark Renfrow, Show Director, Disney Live Entertainment. “From ‘Fantasy in the Sky’ and ‘Wishes’ to holiday spectaculars and ‘Happily Ever After,’ each new show has raised the bar, and the best is yet to come! I can’t wait for everyone to see what we’re creating with ‘Disney Enchantment.’”

In “Disney Enchantment,” we join dreamers like Tiana, Miguel, Rapunzel, and brothers Ian & Barley from “Onward,” and we set out on an incredible journey with adventurers such as Moana, Raya, and Judy Hopps. Joe Gardner from Disney and Pixar’s “Soul” takes us into “the zone,” where we discover a whimsical world inspired by the style of legendary Disney artist Mary Blair and filled with beloved characters from classic stories like “Beauty and the Beast” and “Alice in Wonderland” to contemporary tales including “Luca” and “Wreck-It Ralph.” Everything builds to a climactic moment, as Tinker Bell takes flight, spreading shimmering gold pixie dust and empowering us all to believe in ourselves and the magic all around us. 

“Disney Enchantment” features characters, moments, and music from dozens of Disney and Pixar animated films. The show takes us beyond the ordinary to a land of magic, where we’re swept up in a world of wonder filled with friendship, love and fun. Through it all, we’ll discover we only have to look within to find the power to believe and make dreams come true, because the magic was inside us all along!

“Disney Enchantment” debuts October 1 at Magic Kingdom Park as part of “The World’s Most Magical Celebration.” Stay tuned for more details about the show and all the other exciting things coming for the Walt Disney World 50^th Anniversary Celebration!

Dates and entertainment are subject to change based on health and safety measures.