WDW Daily News

Whether it’s our unique brand of magical fireworks at sea, the unforgettable all-day family fun on the beaches at Castaway Cay, or the adventure of ocean cruising aboard our classic ships  – the readers of Travel + Leisure agree that Disney Cruise Line is the “World’s Best.” They chose us as the No. 1 Ocean Cruise Line among those carrying 2,200 passengers or more as part of the publication’s annual World’s Best Awards.

Through this annual survey, thousands of Travel + Leisure readers pick their favorite destinations, hotels, resorts, spas, airlines, tour operators, rental-car agencies, cruise lines and more. The results will be published in the August issue and are available online now at travelandleisure.com.

Of course, all the credit goes to the thousands of Disney Cruise Line Crew and Cast Members. After all, they’re the reason why Disney Cruise Line has been recognized with hundreds of distinguished awards from the travel industry since first setting sail in 1998. As our president, Jeff Vahle, says, “they are the secret to our magic!”

Service was among the list of criteria readers used to rate Disney Cruise Line, as well as staterooms, food, destinations, excursions and value. As one reader put it, “The best part of the cruise was the service that we received. The waiters knew exactly what my kids liked after the first night. They were attentive to detail, kind, and entertaining.” 

There are so many things to be excited about when it comes to Disney Cruise Line! Not only are they building three new ships and developing a new private island, next year they add New Orleans as a home-port and make highly anticipated returns to the Hawaiian Islands, Puerto Rico and Greece. What excites you most about the future Disney Cruise Line?

For a very limited time this summer, Mickey Mouse and his friends are joining the world-famous Disneyland® Band for special performances of “Mickey and Friends Band-Tastic Cavalcade.”

This delightful procession, featuring live music and a host of favorite Disney characters, takes place twice daily along the parade route at Disneyland park. The march steps off in grand style, complete with colorfully adorned Main Street, U.S.A. vehicles, and continues through the park with stops for special show moments where you can dance and clap along with their fantastic friends.

Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse will be there, along with Donald Duck, Goofy, Pluto and a parade of rarely seen Disney characters. Some of the beloved Disney friends who could appear in the cavalcade from day to day may include Peter Pan and Captain Hook, Genie and Aladdin, King Louie, Terk, Marie and more.  

“Mickey and Friends Band-Tastic Cavalcade” starts July 18 at DisneylandPark and only runs through Aug. 1, 2019. And be sure to mark your calendars for Aug. 2 for the limited-time encore engagement of the one-and-only Main Street Electrical Parade!

The new Gran Destino Tower officially opened to Guests on July 9, 2019 with a festive celebration, completing a multiyear re-imagining of Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort that also includes new restaurants, a new arrival experience and more.  

The new tower rises dramatically on the southeastern shores of Lago Dorado (“Golden Lake”). It offers 545 modern guest rooms (including 50 suites and club-level services), a grand two-story lobby, new meeting venues, new lounges and a rooftop restaurant with spectacular views. The distinctive tower is the stylish new gateway to the 2,385-room resort.

New dining options at the resort include Tolédo – Tapas, Steak & Seafood and Dahlia Loungelocated on the 16^th floor of the tower. And out on Lago Dorado, guests will find the new Three Bridges Bar & Grill, an open-air, waterfront restaurant offering delicious entrees and shareables along with refreshing cocktails and signature sangria pitchers.

These new experiences complement the wide array of amenities and experiences at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, including a complete reimagining of the resort’s original Guest rooms, dining and merchandise locations, and new recreation and other activities. 

Check out the video below of today’s celebration featuring Thomas Mazloum, Senior Vice President, Walt Disney World Resort and everyone’s favorite pal, Mickey Mouse!

Halloween Time at the Disneyland® Resort brings Guests of all ages under its spell, with spook-tacular experiences themed especially for the season from Sept. 6 through Oct. 31, 2019. Halloween magic will enchant at both Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park as favorite experiences are transformed into dreadful delights. With seasonal attraction overlays, Halloween-themed décor and food and beverage offerings, plus encounters with dastardly Disney villains, happy haunts seem to materialize around every corner! 

Disneyland Park

You can enjoy Halloween fun at Disneyland Park, where they will see beautiful décor on Main Street, U.S.A., including a giant Mickey Mouse jack-o’-lantern and Pumpkin Festival. Haunted Mansion, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this summer, transforms into its annual holiday theme – Haunted Mansion Holiday – inspired by the Walt Disney Pictures classic “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.” And for the first time in nearly a decade, all Guests visiting Disneyland will get to enjoy a version of the supernatural projection and special effects show – “Halloween Screams.” This nighttime spectacular adds to the spooky fun on most nights of the season. On select nights, “Halloween Screams” will go sky high when the show is enhanced with the addition of fireworks

Disney California Adventure Park

Oogie Boogie will once again take over Disney California Adventure Park with stylish Halloween decor along Buena Vista Street and this year, new Halloween magic on the façade of Carthay Circle will feature bats swarming around. You may also encounter a 10-foot-tall statue of the Headless Horseman holding his jack-o-lantern head to the sky on Buena Vista Street. Cars Land will celebrate Haul-O-Ween as Radiator Springs turns into Radiator Screams! For the occasion, Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree will transform into Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree while Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters changes into Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween. In Hollywood Land, Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! will transform nightly into Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark.

In Paradise Gardens Park, Plaza de la Familia will also return for a celebration inspired by the spirit of Día de los Muertos. This immersive and festive experience celebrates Disney and Pixar’s beloved film, “Coco,” and the everlasting bonds of family with exciting live entertainment, craft making, delicious food, interactive experiences and special merchandise. Several times daily, A Musical Celebration of Coco is a beautiful, festive performance where Miguel joins the Storytellers of Plaza de la Familia and the Grammy® Award winning Mariachi Divas, transporting everyone into the story of young Miguel’s fantastical journey. 

Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party

The new Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party adds to the spooky fun of Halloween Time at the DisneylandResort. Oogie Boogie Bash, which takes the place of Mickey’s Halloween Party, begins Sept. 17 for 20 select nights at Disney California Adventure Park. This separately-ticketed party is packed with exclusive new entertainment and experiences, including the new “World of Color” spectacular – “Villainous!,” character encounters, immersive treat trails and more! Book tickets to Oogie Boogie Bash – A Disney Halloween Party for your Clients, by visiting Disneyland.com/HalloweenParty. 

A teaser trailer and poster offered a glimpse into the epic tale of a fearless young woman who risks everything out of love for her family and her country to become one of the greatest warriors China has ever known. Disney’s Mulan opens in U.S. theaters on March 27, 2020.

When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. Masquerading as a man, Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential. It is an epic journey that will transform her into an honored warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation… and a proud father. Mulanfeatures a celebrated international cast that includes: Yifei Liu as Mulan; Donnie Yen as Commander Tung; Jason Scott Lee as Böri Khan; Yoson An as Cheng Honghui; with Gong Li as Xianniang and Jet Li as the Emperor. The film is directed by Niki Caro from a screenplay by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver and Elizabeth Martin & Lauren Hynek based on the narrative poem “The Ballad of Mulan.”

“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” is a fantasy adventure that picks up several years after “Maleficent,” in which audiences learned of the events that hardened the heart of Disney’s most notorious villain and drove her to curse a baby Princess Aurora. The film continues to explore the complex relationship between the horned fairy and the soon to be Queen as they form new alliances and face new adversaries in their struggle to protect the moors and the magical creatures that reside within. The film is directed by Joachim Rønning from a story by Linda Woolverton and a screenplay by Linda Woolverton and Micah Fitzerman-Blue & Noah Harpster, the film is produced by Joe Roth, Angelina Jolie and Duncan Henderson with Matt Smith, Jeff Kirschenbaum and Michael Vieira serving as executive producers.

• Opened Aug. 1, 1997, as Disney’s largest convention resort featuring one of the largest single-level convention centers on the East Coast; new Gran Destino Tower opens July 9, 2019, signifying the resort’s grand re-imagining
• Location: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Resort area, Walt Disney World Resort
• 2,385 guest rooms, including suites in lakeside casitas and the new Gran Destino Tower
• More than 220,000 square feet of dedicated meeting and event function space
• Rings Lago Dorado, the 22-acre lake at the center of the resort
• Fitness offerings include four swimming pools, walking/jogging trail, volleyball court
• Restaurants, lounges, food court and Café Rix grab-and-go provide a wide range of culinary options
• Remodeled Panchito’s offers an array of trendy and art-inspired merchandise
• Reservations: com, (407) W-DISNEY or via certified travel agents

Gran Destino Tower

• Grand opening: July 9, 2019
• 16 floors, 545 guest rooms (includes 50 suites, highlighted by two presidential suites)
• New arrival and reception experience featuring a dramatic two-story lobby
• Dining and cocktails with panoramic views: Tolédo – Tapas, Steaks & Seafood and Dahlia Lounge
• New meeting venues include 24-seat boardroom and 2,859-square-foot Lantana room that divides into three smaller rooms; adjoining 1,674-square-foot pre-function space includes show kitchen
• Barcelona Lounge, on the lower lobby level, offers coffee in the morning, cocktails remainder of the day
• Club-access guests can visit Chronos Club, a bright, comfortable lounge where they can relax and enjoy light refreshments throughout the day or take advantage of vacation-planning services
• Destino Plaza off the lower lobby level is ideal for weddings and other special outdoor events

Resort Inspiration

• Gran Destino Tower takes its name from the surrealistic Disney animated film “Destino”
• The rooftop restaurant, Tolédo – Tapas, Steaks and Seafood, is inspired by the renowned Spanish city that was home to avant-garde writers and artists in the 1920s and ’30s
• Dahlia Lounge is named after the “Destino” heroine, a mortal woman who enchants the Greek god Chronos; dandelion chandeliers, metal bell accents and ceiling coffers with swirling patterns all draw inspiration from the restaurant’s namesake
• Three lodging districts adjacent to Gran Destino Tower are inspired by the elegant cities, neighborhood dwellings and diverse natural landscapes of Mexico and the American Southwest:
  • The elegant and sophisticated Casitas emphasize the residential areas of colonial cities found all over Mexico
  • The Ranchos represent ranch houses of the dry southwestern chaparral regions of northern Mexico and the American Southwest
  • The Cabanas evoke the look and feel of a small tropical coastal fishing village on the Mexican coast
• The Dig Site pool complex features a massive gray stone Mayan temple that recalls many of the ceremonial centers created by the ancient Mayans; according to Disney legend, the temple sits five stories above the Coronado Springs, and the water cascades down the temple’s steps into the Lost City of Cibola Feature Pool. Bas-relief sculptures, called stellae, have been carved on the pyramid. The deck and its tiled bottom also feature inlaid representations of Mayan symbols.

To celebrate this month’s grand opening of Gran Destino Tower as part of the exciting reimagining of Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, we’re sharing a peek inside this jewel found in the heart of Walt Disney World® Resort.  

From jaw-dropping chandeliers to beautiful Spanish tiles, murals and wall patterns, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort honors the rich cultures and landscapes of Spain, Mexico, and the American Southwest. 

Inside Gran Destino Tower, the first thing Guests will notice is a grand two-story lobby and intricate wooden screens with rows of dazzling Moorish hanging lanterns.  

Colorful bronze screens, inspired by Spanish tile patterns, glow around registration areas, creating an inviting, happy ambiance day and night.

The Barcelona Lounge, located on the lower lobby level, features eclectic patterns and colors inspired by the unique aesthetic of Barcelona, Spain.  Seating areas include large murals, including art with Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse. 

The Resort’s Dahlia Lounge is also filled with color and features whimsical forms and unique lighting.

All around the Dahlia Lounge, Guests will notice unique architectural shapes and patterns with the distinctive organic style of Spanish Modernism.

Named for the storied Spanish city home to avant-garde writers and artists of the 1930s, Tolédo – Tapas, Steak & Seafoodis a table-service dining experience with organic chandeliers, illuminated by twinkle lights, that add a magical touch of pixie dust.

And after a day of adventure, on the way to the Gran Destino Tower bedrooms, you will see colorful art panels in a variety of patterns inspired by Spanish tiles as well as flooring with a special Disney touch.  

Celebrating the rich cultures and vibrant landscapes of Spain, Mexico and the American Southwest through contemporary design and Old World traditions, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort shines with renewed luster. On July 9, 2019, the resort will complete a multiyear re-imagining focused on today’s travelers, marking the official debut of a new tower, new restaurants and a new arrival experience.

The new Gran Destino Tower rises dramatically on the southeastern shores of Lago Dorado (“Golden Lake”), the resort’s 22-acre lake. The tower – opening to the public July 9 – offers 545 modern guest rooms (including 50 suites and club-level services), a grand two-story lobby, new meeting venues, and a rooftop restaurant and lounge with spectacular views.The distinctive tower becomes the stylish new gateway to the 2,385-room resort.

Gran Destino Tower takes its name from the classic Disney film “Destino.” Drawing inspiration from the surrealist animated short, the tower is a whimsical, magnificent visual feast, diverse in its design and execution. The tower’s outdoor Destino Plaza are also ideal for weddings, business receptions or other special events.

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The next time you are at a Walt Disney World® Resort bus loop, tell them to be on the lookout for Mickey and his friends! 

This month, Walt Disney World buses are taking on a new look, adorned with the sensational six: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Goofy and Pluto. From the red and yellow colors of Mickey’s attire, to the iconic Minnie polka dots and the pastel hues of Daisy, you will now arrive at your favorite destinations in full Disney style, riding along with these beloved Disney characters.

And as if boarding a colorful bus worthy of a selfie isn’t enough, you will also enjoy refreshed interiors that include brand new blue seats and laminate floors. Some Walt Disney World buses will also have USB charging ports conveniently located between seats throughout, so Guests can stay in touch with family and friends and keep their cameras ready to capture every minute of your dream vacation.  The new buses sure do bring a fun look to the complimentary Walt Disney World transportation that resort Guests can enjoy throughout their vacations!

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