WDW Daily News

Epcot’s longest-running annual festival – the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival – is revving up to be a show stopper, with a Garden Rocks Concert Series talent lineup like never before. New to the Garden Rocks Concert Series on the America Gardens Theatre stage this year are Daughtry, Don McLean and other luminaries of various musical genres.

• March 4-5 – Peabo Bryson NEW
• March 13-16 – Simple Plan
• March 17-19 – STARSHIP featuring Mickey Thomas
• March 20-23 – Mark Wills NEW to Garden Rocks
• March 24-26 – The Spinners
• March 27-28 – Sister Hazel
• March 29-30 – The Pointer Sisters
• March 31-April 2 – Former Journey Lead Vocalist Steve Augeri
• April 3-4 – Blood, Sweat & Tears
• April 5-6 – Exposé
• April 7-9 – Berlin
• April 19-20 – Rick Springfield
• April 24-27 – Plain White T’s
• April 28-30 – Don Felder, formerly of The Eagles
• May 1-2 – Don McLean NEW
• May 5-7 – Ambrosia with Peter Beckett NEW
• May 8-9 – Thelma Houston NEW
• May 10-11 – The Allman Betts Band NEW to Garden Rocks
• May 12-14 – Air Supply
• May 15-18 – Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
• May 19-21 – Mike DelGuidice & Big Shot NEW to Garden Rocks
• May 24-25 – Daughtry NEW
• May 26-28 – Marshall Tucker Band
• May 31-June 1 – Survivor

(Check back for future announcements of bands playing the remaining concert dates.)

One of the best ways to join the concert fun is to book a Garden Rocks Concert Series Dining Package for one of the shows at 5:30, 6:45 or 8 p.m. Each package includes breakfast, lunch or dinner at select Epcot restaurants and guaranteed concert seating. Reservations will open to Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club members Dec. 18 and to the general public Dec. 19.

The festival also presents a kaleidoscope of colorful blooms, topiaries and gardens designed to inspire wonder and whispers of “how’d they do that?!” The brand-new Remy topiary will be unveiled as the centerpiece of a Ratatouille Garden at the France pavilion, where the new Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure attraction will open in summer 2020. The floral Remy will be surrounded by a colorful garden of veggies that comprise ingredients of a ratatouille recipe.

It wouldn’t be a festival without fabulous food, and the event’s 17 Outdoor Kitchens plus other food-and-beverage stops will tickle the taste buds. Florida fans will delight in some of the state’s namesake flavors at three different kitchens: honey-laced treats at The Honey Bee-stro, citrus-based marvels at The Citrus Blossom, and sweet and savory delights at Florida Fresh. 

Elsewhere across the park, lush swaths of bright blossoms, floating gardens, flower towers and more whimsical topiaries will brighten the landscape. Watch for stunning topiary depictions of celebrated heroines like Anna and Elsa, rough-and-ready Toy Story hero Buzz Lightyear, beloved Muppets Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog, and fairy-tale wonders like Tinker Bell, Snow White and Bambi. At the Goodness Garden Butterfly House, hundreds of winged beauties will take flight. Nearby at the Play Full Garden, families can celebrate spring at a unique playground experience.  

A pair of Lightcycles just raced their way into Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom Park, giving guests the opportunity to preview the energy and excitement of the TRON Lightcycle / Run attraction’s high-tech universe long before it opens to guests in time for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World in 2021.

TRON Lightcycle / Run is a coaster-style attraction that will allow riders to board a train of two-wheeled Lightcycles for a thrilling race through the digital frontier. A similar attraction is a guest-favorite at Shanghai Disneyland since the park’s opening day.

Located in an all-new area near Space Mountain, guests can now hop onto the Lightcycles, grab the handles and prepare to face an unknown digital frontier. 

We are counting down the days until Disney Villains After Hours returns to Magic Kingdom Park for 24 select nights starting February 7, 2020.

Based on the popularity of Maleficent dragon’s journey through the park, we are enhancing the experience to include even more villainous fun. New this year, the Villains’ Cursed Caravan will join Maleficent the dragon as she creeps through the park twice nightly. The wicked procession will feature Gaston, Oogie Boogie, Cruella DeVil, Captain Hook and more! As a reminder, this event does not include character greetings.

There is more villainous action at the event of course!

• Hades and Meg from “Hercules” will set the castle stage ablaze in “Villains Unite the Night,” featuring appearances by Jafar, The Queen, Dr. Facilier and Maleficent.
• During this sinister soiree, guests can dance the night away as a party DJ spins monstrous music on the Cinderella Castle Forecourt stage.
• Guests can also experience the surprising, villain-inspired enhancements at Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain.
• As they make their way through each land, guests can strike a pose as they come across sharable photo opportunities scattered throughout the park.
• Disney Villains After Hours also includes wickedly good food and beverage selections. A few of the new treats this year are Painting the Roses Red (Available at Cheshire Café), a cheesecake mousse with raspberry gelée, red cocoa butter, and buttercream leaves; Body Language (Available at Storybook Treats), a cookies and cream mousse with chocolate cake, glaçage, and meringue tentacles garnished with a chocolate shell; and Five Dozen Eggs Slush (Available at Gaston’s Tavern). A frozen custard with brown sugar topped with whipped cream and garnished with a cinnamon stick. Be sure to check back on Disney Parks Blog for the Foodie Guide to Disney Villain After Hours – a complete listing of all the delicious food and beverage offerings!
• Across the park guests can enjoy access to more than 25 attractions and experiences.
• Guests can also purchase new event merchandise, as well as items from a curated collection of the best Disney villain merchandise available.

Event tickets allow entry as early as 7 p.m., which gives you time to enjoy fireworks before heading off to the attractions. Select complimentary snacks and beverages are also included in the cost of admission. 

We’re happier than a womp rat in a sand storm about the response we’ve been getting for our newest attraction, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. It’s clear Guests visiting Black Spire Outpost are enjoying the opportunity to help the Resistance in their fight against the First Order.

As more and more Guests ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, we’ve been testing new ideas to make the overall experience the best it can be. We’ve been learning so much and are focused on continuing to make the process of getting into the park and onto the attraction even better every day and want to ensure all of our Guests know what to expect when visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios®.

Here’s what to know:

• Virtual queue will be available at the published park opening time. We may welcome Guests onto Hollywood Boulevard prior to opening the rest of the park, and limited nearby locations will be open for their convenience. This includes Trolley Car Café where your Clients can pick up a beverage for their own personal “jump to lightspeed,” and if they need to grab a few galactic gifts, Keystone Clothiers will be available.
• At the park’s published opening time, the virtual queue for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance opens along with offerings throughout the rest of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guests must be inDisney’s Hollywood Studios to access virtual queue in the My Disney Experience app.

Due to the incredible popularity of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, they will continue to distribute backup boarding groups after the initial planned groups have been filled. Backup boarding groups will only be called if all of the initial planned boarding groups have been called back and there is capacity for more riders that evening. If they are able to accommodate boarding groups that evening, Guests will be notified through the My Disney Experience app by a push notification (if enabled). 

For anyone with questions or needing a hand with the virtual queue, the members of the Guest Experience Team are available throughout the park to assist. And while people wait for their turn to rise up with the Resistance, there’s plenty to do around Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

OK, I’m going to give you a Disney quote, and all you have to do is click on the character in the grid below who said the quote. Sounds easy, right?

Full Story & Quiz

The Most Magical Place on Earth just got a whole lot more magical for one golden retriever.

Henry the service dog — whose owner Jessica Paulsen documents his travels on Instagram for more than 114,000 followers — met another famous pooch when he recently visited Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom in Florida.

Full Story

The ageless wonder of the European coast comes to life through artwork, pastel colors, sculptures, cuisine and more at Walt Disney World’s latest lodging accommodations — Disney’s Riviera Resort. 

Full Story & Photos

Grown-up Disney fans can now add a touch of Mickey magic to their home, without going full “house of mouse.”

Ruggable, a new brand that makes machine washable area rugs, just launched an elevated assortment of floor coverings designed for Disney lovers who also happen to be homeowners.

Full Story

Though Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy said in an interview on Sunday that future Star Wars films will move away from a three-movie structure, Disney CEO Bob Iger says that isn’t necessarily the case.

Full Story

 Holidays begin here at the Disneyland Resort, and no holiday celebration is complete without themed food and beverage. Adding to the seasonal storytelling this year are new items like the sugar cookie churro, and returning favorites like the holiday dinner pizza. There’s something for everyone to celebrate this Holiday season, from Nov. 8, 2019 through Jan. 6, 2020.

Guests visiting Disneyland Resort can use the mobile ordering feature on the Disneyland app* to save time and order some of their favorite holiday treats, from the peppermint Mickey shake at Schmoozies! to the guest-favorite candy cane beignets at the Mint Julep Bar.

All around the resort, guests can make their hearts – and stomachs – happy this holiday season with sweet and savory menu items inspired by different holiday celebrations and favorite Disney characters. More information can be found in the holiday food guide on the Disneyland app and on the Disney Parks Blog.