WDW Daily News

 It was 65 years ago that Disneyland first welcomed guests to enjoy a new kind of experience: the theme park. And to mark the occasion, Disney twenty-three has created a one-of-a-kind, stand-alone issue, filled with rich stories and stunning photography that look at the development and evolution of the Disney theme park. Disney artist Ricky De Los Angelescreated an exclusive wrap-around cover for the issue featuring colorful illustrations of iconic attractions (and snacks!) from Disney parks around the world. Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro penned a special “Editor’s Letter” for readers, highlighting his deep connection with the theme parks, and stories include exclusive interviews with Disney LegendsTony Baxter and Wing T. Chao; Imagineers Tom Fitzgerald and Bhavna Mistry; original Mouseketeer Bobby Burgess; and Walt Disney Imagineering President Bob Weis. 

The Disney twenty-three team pulled together a robust selection of stories written by subject matter experts including:

• Walt’s Map to the Magic: A deep dive into the inspiration, planning, and creation of Disneyland penned by Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline and publication editor Max Lark
• Dateline Disneyland: July 17, 1955: A guided tour of Disneyland on opening day by D23’s Manager of Content Curation (and former Disneyland Park tour guide) Justin Arthur
• Picturing the Parks: A curated look at some of the most beloved attraction posters from Disney’s parks around the world written by Disney Publishing’s Editorial Director Wendy Lefkon
• National Treasures: Stunning images from several of National Geographic’s many trips to the parks from National Geographic’s Caitlin Holbrook
• Rooms with a View: The evolution of Disney’s immersive resorts and vacation experiences from the Disneyland Hotel to a galaxy far, far away by Disney Vacation Club’s Ryan March
• Character Analysis: Park Stars: Beloved characters created just for Disney parks, from the Orange Bird and Figment to the Country Bears and Chandu, written by Disney Parks’ Charles Stovall
• And much, much more including a roundup of every glorious Disney castle, a look at our remarkable cast members around the world, the Disney spectacular examined, and an advance peek at the new book Holiday Magic in the Disney Parks
  

Plus, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club is extending the celebration for fans and members including: 

• Expanded Digital Storytelling: More than a dozen original features on D23.com looking at the Disney theme park, from a look at movies filmed at Disney parks (Saving Mr. Banks and Tomorrowland) to delicious vintage parks recipes. 
• An Exclusive Pin Set: Available only to D23 Gold and Gold Family Members, this 6-pin set features some of the colorful artwork from Ricky De Los Angeles’ cover of Disney twenty-three, including Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Resort, Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland Resort, Ratatouille: The Adventure at Disneyland Paris, Spaceship Earth at Walt Disney World Resort, Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, and one inspired by Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. The limited-edition set will be available for $49.99 on August 31 at shopDisney.com.
• Disney Imagineers Celebrate 65 Years of Disneyland Park: From August 21 through August 23, D23 Gold and Gold Family Members will have the chance to watch an exclusive virtual panel created by Walt Disney Imagineering celebrating the 65th anniversary of Disneyland with Imagineering leaders Jeanette Lomboy, Kim Irvine, and Scott Trowbridge, along with Disney Legend Tony Baxter, and moderated by Leslie Iwerks, director and executive producer of The Imagineering Story on Disney+.
• D23 Trivia Night: 65 Years of the Disney Theme Park: Disney parks trivia aficionados are invited to join a fun evening of trivia spanning every Disney park around the globe. On August 28, D23 Gold and Gold Family Members can join the fun to celebrate 65 years of favorite places and attractions—classic and new.
• D23 Magical Summer Sweepstakes: Starting August 10, all D23 Members will be able to enter to win exciting prizes, including a new D23 Gold Membership and the exclusive 6-pin set.
• Special Gold Member Gift: Just for D23 Gold and Gold Family Members, this issue ofDisney twenty-three will include a set of six postcards—each representing a different Disney resort around the world.

No purchase is necessary to enter the weekly sweepstakes. Open to all D23 Members who are residents of the 50 United States or D.C., 18 or older. For details, visit https://d23.com/entry/magical-summer-sweepstakes.

Additional details will be available at D23.com.Disney twenty-three, which is delivered directly to fans’ doorsteps, is offered exclusively to D23 Gold and Gold Family Members as a benefit of their membership. The latest issue will begin arriving before the end of August.

About D23

The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his first studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s 90-plus-year history. It gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication, Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year.

Fans can join D23 at Gold Membership ($99.99), Gold Family Membership ($129.99), and General Membership (complimentary) levels at D23.com. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

When Disneyland & Disneyworld guests wander into the back end of the park, they have the opportunity to leave the wonderful world of Walt Disney behind and take a tour of a galaxy far far away–or, a small slice of it at least.

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Today is the day. The Walt Disney Company released their Q3 earnings report and they did lose a lot, $4.72 billion to be exact, for the third quarter that runs from April-June.

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The world’s most prolific entertainment company is getting ready to prove that it’s more than just a Mickey Mouse company. Walt Disney‘s (NYSE:DIS) reports shortly after Tuesday’s market close, and there’s a lot going on these days with the market bellwether.

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The new normal isn’t what it used to be for folks purchasing year-round access to Central Florida theme parks. As encouraging — or crazy — as it may seem to see the state’s iconic gated attractions opening back up over the past two months, a lot of Disney (NYSE:DIS), Comcast‘s (NASDAQ:CMCS.A)Universal Orlando, and SeaWorld Entertainment(NYSE:SEAS) passholders aren’t happy to be paying full price for diluted experiences. 

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Before 2020 got weird, to say the very least, Disney World was on track for some pretty aggressive additions and expansions. The iconic theme park’s 50th anniversary is next year in 2021.

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A Message from Disney:

As we continue our phased approach to reopening at Walt Disney World® Resort, we are welcoming Guests back to Disney Resort hotels, theme parks and Disney Springs. 

We are committed to reopening Disney Resort hotels, though at this time we have decided to adjust the reopening dates for Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort due to the current environment. With this in mind, the planned reopening dates for additional Disney Resort hotels will be as follows. 

• July 29:Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
• 24:Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
• 21:Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
• 4:Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
• 14:Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort
• 1:Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

While we had previously shared reopening dates for Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, these Disney Resort hotels will remain closed until further notice while we continue to reevaluate their reopening timeline. 

Due to the fluidity of the current environment, we will continue to evaluate adjustments to Disney Resort hotel opening dates as needed and when the timing is right to do so. These dates are still subject to change, and reservations for stays at Disney Resort hotels not yet open could still be impacted. For your convenience, when making new reservations on the Disney Travel Agents website, you may see notifications indicating that due to the current environment, Disney Resort Hotel reopening dates remain subject to change.

We understand the amount of planning that goes into a Disney vacation. To help, our team will be reaching out to you about your clients who have upcoming reservations that are impacted by changes to the planned reopening dates. Our Cast Members will be able to assist you with modifying your clients’ reservations to other Disney Resort hotels. If you have clients who have already been impacted by a previous Disney Resort Hotel move during our phased reopening, we will contact you this week to discuss their booking. For your other clients impacted by changes to the planned reopening dates, we will reach out to you prior to their arrival. In the meantime, you and your clients can learn more about changes to our resort experience via your Walt Disney World Resort “Know Before You Go” microsite, which will be updated with the latest information.

While these plans may evolve, we will be monitoring the constantly changing health environment and its impact on the state of Florida as we find the right time to welcome back even more of our Guests and Cast Members.  

UPDATE: Disney adjusted the virtual queue for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Beginning Friday, July 24, opportunities to join the queue will be available at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Since Disney’s Hollywood Studios reopened, they’ve received questions about why the virtual queue fills so quickly each day. 

As you’ve also heard, new health-and-safety measures include limiting theme park attendance and implementing new measures to promote physical distancing. This includes requiring extra space between groups in queues and on attraction vehicles. With all of this in mind, we are not able to accommodate as many people on Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance as we could before we implemented physical distancing.

For guests with a Disney Park Pass reservation to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the attraction will continue to have limited availability accessible through the My Disney Experience app virtual queue. Starting Friday, July 24, guests will have an opportunity at either 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. to join the virtual queue. These two opportunities are intended to give guests more flexibility in their planning, and are also a way to further support physical distancing. 

Here are more details to be aware of before you arrive:

• First, make sure to download the My Disney Experience app. Once you enter the park, log in to your account at one of the distribution times (10 a.m. or 2 p.m.).
• Once you have logged in, select “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance Virtual Queue” on the home screen. You will be able to view the current status and next steps for joining the virtual queue. 
• The app will indicate when there is no availability for a specific distribution time. Some guests may join backup groups. 
• As long as your My Disney Experience account is linked to park tickets for you and the others in your group, you can enroll everyone in the virtual queue at the same time. In order to give as many guests as possible the opportunity to join the Resistance, each guest can enter the virtual queue no more than once per day.
• Make sure push notifications are turned on for My Disney Experience so you will be alerted if your group is called to return. You’ll have up to an hour from the time of the alert to go to the entrance of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. 
• Guests who are enrolled in the virtual queue will be able to see an estimated return time indicating when they may be called back to experience the attraction. This time may change throughout the day, so continue to check the app for updates. Also, the tip boards around the park will display the boarding groups that have been called back.
• Please note that joining the virtual queue does not guarantee the ability to experience Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. 

If you have any questions or need assistance with joining the virtual queue, cast members at Guest Experience Team locations throughout the park are available to assist. While you wait for your virtual queue group to be called, you can enjoy other experiences at Disney’s Hollywood Studios including our newest addition, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. 

Take a look at Photos of the Exterior from the New Ratatouille Ride Area at Epcot.

In spite of Florida’s coronavirus cases skyrocketing in recent weeks, the Walt Disney World Resort’s phased reopening went on as planned with enhanced health and safety measures in place. (California’s Disneyland decided to delay reopening.)

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