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The Countdown Is Underway for Mickey & Minnie’s Surprise Celebration at Magic Kingdom Park!
A few weeks ago, we shared the “19 Magical New and Limited-Time Experiences Coming to Walt Disney World® Resort in 2019.” We’re now officially counting down to Jan. 18, 2019, when all this fun and excitement begins, and we have even more details to share.
Starting Jan. 18, 2019, Mickey & Minnie’s Surprise Celebration at Magic Kingdom® Park will honor those true originals, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, with new entertainment, merchandise and specialty food and beverages. Here are some additional details about this limited-time event:
- Mickey and Minnie will greet Guests together inside Town Square Theater, sporting all-new colorful outfits for their special celebration.
- The new Celebration Station inside Town Square Theater will be a must visit, as your Clients can sign a guestbook to let Mickey and Minnie know, personally, just how much fun they’re having during the party.
- An all-new song, “It’s a Good Time,” will play several times daily as part of the new “Move It! Shake It! MousekeDance It! Street Party.” During this high-energy bash, your Clients will be able to join in the fun with all their pals, including Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Goofy and many others.
- Mickey’s beloved dog, Pluto, will meet Guests under the big top at Pete’s Silly Sideshow in Storybook Circus.
Also, 2019 marks 30 years of magical movie moments at Disney’s Hollywood Studios®, so to commemorate this special occasion, on Jan. 18, 2019, the park will unveil a new 30th anniversary logo. There will also be new ways to interact with The Incredibles (your Clients can meet Edna Mode at her new super-suit gallery!) and Mike and Sulley from Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters, Inc.” You will also want to experience the new “Disney Junior Dance Party!” featuring Vampirina, Doc McStuffins and other favorite Disney Junior characters having fun in a high-energy live show.
And remember: The Epcot® International Festival of the Arts starts Jan. 18, 2019, featuring an expanded Disney on Broadway Concert Series, as well as a chance to say a fond farewell to “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth,” which will be ending in the second half of 2019 to make way for an all-new nighttime spectacular. Over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom®, Rafiki and Timon will take you for a walk on the wild side on Discovery Island with the new “Hakuna Matata Time Dance Party.”
Now, more than ever it’s time for a Walt Disney World vacation. These new parties and characters are only 60 days away, so book now!
Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill is Now Open at Disney Springs
Add another award-winning, celebrity chef-driven restaurant to the Disney Springs® line-up! The highly anticipated new venue from celebrated chef Wolfgang Puck, Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill, is now open in Town Center. Located next to the Coca-Cola Store and easily accessible from the Orange Garage and the Disney Springs Bus Loop, it’s the fourth “Bar & Grill” location from Puck.
Featuring approachable dining with a touch of California elegance, Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill offers a dynamic setting inspired by traditional farmhouses and showcases a menu designed to suit every occasion – from casual, leisurely meals to lavish, celebratory gatherings.
You can expect to find familiar signature dishes like the classic pizzas Puck is known for alongside some new additions. And be sure you save room; the homemade gelato and desserts are the perfect ending to the perfect meal.
Stay tuned for more details on the menu. In the meantime, book a reservation by calling 407-WDW-DINE or visiting Disneyworld.com/Dine.
New Nighttime Spectaculars & ‘Beauty & The Beast’ Sing-Along Announced for Epcot
At Just moments ago at D23’s Destination D: Celebrating Mickey Mouse, Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products Chairman Bob Chapek shared an exciting update on the multiyear transformation of Epcot®, including details on new nighttime entertainment planned for the park and additions to World Showcase.
Among the announcements were updates on a new nighttime spectacular planned to open at the park in 2020. This new show will celebrate how Disney music inspires people around the world, and will feature massive floating set pieces, custom-built LED panels, choreographed moving fountains, lights, pyrotechnics and lasers.
But before that new show debuts, there will be a limited-time experience Epcot fans will love, called “Epcot Forever,” which will debut in fall 2019 and will feature classic Epcot tunes. “Epcot Forever” will begin with a spark of imagination that swells into an epic spectacle of fireworks, music, lighting, lasers, and special effects kites.
Bob also announced the name of the “Ratatouille” experience coming to the France pavilion, which will be called Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. He also shared that a new guest offering will soon debut at the France pavilion at World Showcase (in addition to “Impressions de France”) – a brand new “Beauty and the Beast” sing-along created by Don Hahn, producer of the animated and live-action “Beauty and the Beast” films. And, the Canada pavilion is also in the process of updating the existing O Canada! 360-degree show!
Stay tuned for more updates.
Disney After Hours Tickets Now Available
Tickets for the recently announced Disney After Hours events are now available! As announced last week, Disney After Hours will not only continue at Magic Kingdom® Park, but will take place at Disney’s Hollywood Studios ® and Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park for the first time!
Disney After Hours events give you the opportunity to experience the magic of a Disney theme park for three hours after regular park hours, which means little-to-no wait for attractions, experiences and character greetings! They can even enter the park early – at 7 p.m. on their event night – before Disney After Hours begins. Ice cream, popcorn and select beverages are also included in Disney After Hours admission, which is a separately priced ticket from daytime park admission.
Here’s what to expect at each park:
Magic Kingdom Park
Enjoy classic favorite attractions from Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Space Mountain as well as newer favorites like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, plus many more. Event nights will run on: Nov. 26; and Dec. 3, 10, 2018; and Jan. 7, 17, 24 and 28, 2019; Feb. 7, 14, and 28, 2019; and March 7, 2019.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Imagine having little-to-no wait for newly opened Toy Story Land attractions, including Slinky Dog Dash, Alien Swirling Saucers and Toy Story Mania! Rockin’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror and other attractions will also be available. Select quick-service food & beverage locations will also stay open for purchases throughout the night. Event nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be: Dec. 8, 15 and 22, 2018; and Jan. 5, 12 and 19, 2019; Feb. 2, 9 and 16, 2019; March 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, 2019; and April 6 and 13, 2019.
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Enjoy the best Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park has to offer at night, including heart-tugging Tree of Life Awakenings, the adventures within Pandora – The World of Avatar and more. Select quick-service food & beverage locations will remain open throughout the night for purchases. Dates at Disney’s Animal Kingdom are: Dec. 4, 12 and 18, 2018; and Jan. 8, 16, 22 and 31, 2019; and Feb. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 26, 2019; and March 5, 20 and 27, 2019; and April 3, 2019.
All Disney After Hours event tickets cost $125 + tax for advance purchase and $129 + tax for day-of purchases.
Photo – Epcot’s Guardians of the Galaxy Attraction to Feature ‘Storytelling Coaster’ Ride Vehicle
Earlier this week, Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products Chairman Bob Chapek shared the first details on the innovative new ride system planned to bring the adventurous “Guardians of the Galaxy”-inspired attraction to life at Epcot®.
According to Bob, building an adventure this big will require a ride system and ride vehicles unlike anything our Guests have experienced before. What your Clients will encounter can best be described as a one-of-a-kind storytelling coaster that connects the adventure of a storyline with the thrills of a coaster.
“On most coasters, the vehicles point straight ahead throughout the ride,” Bob explained. “But on this attraction, each individual cab will be programmed to direct your eye to the story happening around you.
That means instead of whizzing by the action, you’ll be fully immersed in the story from the minute you launch.”
The attraction will be one of the world’s longest enclosed roller coasters when it opens in Future World at Epcot. Earlier this year, 960 trucks’ worth of concrete poured the foundation of this mammoth attraction, which will be housed inside a building so large that the volume of four Spaceship Earth attractions could fit inside it!
The attraction will open in time for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World® Resort in 2021. Stay tuned for future updates.
Disney’s 2018 Christmas Treats Might Be Their Most ‘Grammable Yet
Yes, yes, we all had a great time ooh-ing and ahh-ing over this year’s batch of Disney’s Halloween treats, but it’s time to move on. And, wouldn’t you know it, they’ve now provided an extremely delightful bunch of new treats ahead of the holidays for us to obsess about. Here are just a few (really, there are tons) of the cutest ones.
Photos – Close Up of Lights on Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom
Take an up close look at some of the lights that adorn Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom.
Ballast Point Coming Soon to Downtown Disney District at Disneyland Resort
Ballast Point, the popular San Diego-based brewer, will open its first Orange County location in the Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort this fall.
The 7,000 sq. ft. family-friendly eatery will house Downtown Disney District’s first-ever on-site brewery, tasting room, kitchen and outdoor beer garden. The high-quality, award-winning beers complement its extensive selection of local, sustainable and seasonal fare – salads, small plates, flatbreads and entrees. The menu will feature its most popular dishes, such as Baja-style fish tacos and a house-made pretzel with a beer mustard, along with items exclusive to the Downtown Disney District location. Entrees can be paired with specialty beers from the extensive beer portfolio. In addition, gluten-free options, vegetarian dishes and a children’s menu will be available.
Take a look at what’s in store for your Clients at Downtown Disney District in this video!
It’s an exciting time at the Downtown Disney District. The promenade continues to transform with the recent opening of Salt & Straw scoop shop, the newly-renovated upper level of Naples Ristorante e Bar and the reimagination of the World of Disney flagship store!
Foodie Guide to 2018 Flurry of Fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
A feast of food is about to blow in for this year’s Flurry of Fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! From Nov. 8, 2018, to January 6, 2019, your Clients can join us for this holly, jolly event and delight in festive shows, enchanting “snows,” holiday décor, Toy Story Land cheer, and yummy sweets and treats!
They can watch as Sunset Boulevard becomes a winter wonderland and Hollywood Tower Hotel transforms with projections and laser effects depicting holiday stories of beloved Disney characters. And at the end of every night, they can experience Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!: a Santa-sized spectacular jam-packed with holiday music, fireworks, special effects, and dazzling state-of-the-art projections.
Your Clients can also indulge in a flurry of sweets with the Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! Dessert Party. This special event features an array of holiday-themed snacks, decadent desserts, beer, wine, and specialty alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages as well as character greetings and reserved viewing for Disney Movie Magic and Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!
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