WDW Daily News

Kids, tweens, and families can meet their favorite Disney Channel and Disney Junior stars during three fun-filled days at D23 Expo 2019, the ultimate Disney fan event, taking place FRIDAY, AUGUST 23 – SUNDAY, AUGUST 25 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. With special appearances scheduled daily, fans are invited to stop by the Walt Disney Television booth on the Expo show floor to meet and take pictures with some of their favorite stars from hit Disney Channel series and movies. Popular Disney Junior characters Fancy Nancy and Vampirina will also be on hand to greet young fans over all three days. In addition, the schedule features a Q&A session, including a special appearance by the world’s most famous amphibian, Kermit the Frog, as he joins the creators and voices behind Disney Television Animation’s hit series Amphibia and Big City Greens, taking place at Stage 28 on Saturday, August 24.

A limited-edition collection of T-shirts from classic Disney Channel favorites, including High School Musical, Hannah Montana, and Camp Rock, among others, will be available for purchase exclusively to D23 Expo attendees in the Walt Disney Television booth.

On FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, fans can meet the young stars of Raven’s Home and the cast of Disney Channel’s newest series Just Roll With It.

On SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, fans are invited to hop over to Stage 28 where Amphibia stars Disney Legend Bill Farmer, Amanda Leighton, and Justin Felbinger and series creator/executive producer Matt Braly will join Big City Greens cast members Marieve Herington and Bob Joles, and creators/executive producers Chris and Shane Houghton for a lively Q&A session featuring the one-and-only Kermit the Frog. Cast members from Disney’s Emmy^® Award-nominated DuckTales and hit Disney Channel series Sydney to the Max and Coop & Cami Ask the World will be on hand to meet fans and take pictures in the Walt Disney Television booth.

On SUNDAY, AUGUST 25, fans can meet the stars of Disney’s Emmy^® Award-nominated Big Hero 6 The Series, based on Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Academy Award^®-winning feature film, as well as cast members from the Disney Channel Original Movie ZOMBIES and fan-favorite Disney Channel series BUNK’D.

Following is the full schedule* of stars making special appearances in the Walt Disney Television booth throughout the weekend:

Friday, August 23

9 a.m.             Fancy Nancy character appearance 

10 a.m.          Vampirina character appearance

12 p.m.          Just Roll With It stars Suzi Barrett,Tobie Windham, Ramon Reed, and Kaylin Hayman

3 p.m.            Raven’s Home stars Navia Robinson, Issac Ryan Brown, Jason Maybaum, and Sky Katz

Saturday, August 24

9 a.m.             Vampirina character appearance

10 a.m.          Fancy Nancy character appearance 

11 a.m.           Sydney to the Max stars Ruth Righi, Ava Kolker, Jackson Dollinger, and Christian J. Simon

12 p.m.          Coop & Cami Ask the World stars Dakota Lotus, Ruby Rose Turner, Olivia Sanabia, Albert Tsai, Paxton Booth, and Rebecca Metz

5 p.m.             DuckTales stars Bobby Moynihan and Toks Olagundoye

Sunday, August 25

9 a.m.             Big Hero 6 The Series stars Genesis Rodriguez and Brooks Whelan

10 a.m.           ZOMBIES stars Meg Donnelly, Kylee Russell, and Carla Jeffery

1 p.m.             BUNK’D stars Miranda May, Mallory James Mahoney,
Raphael Alejandro, Will Buie Jr., Shelby Simmons, Scarlett Estevez, and Israel Johnson

3 p.m.             Vampirina character appearance

4 p.m.             Fancy Nancy character appearance 

*Schedule subject to change.

Single-day tickets for Friday and Sunday of D23 Expo 2019 are available for $89 for one-day adult admission and $69 for children 3–9. Gold Members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club can purchase tickets for $77 for a one-day adult admission and $59 for children 3–9. Single-day Saturday tickets and three-day passes are sold out. For more information on tickets and D23 Expo 2019, visit D23Expo.com.

AboutD23 Expo 2019
D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings together all the worlds of Disney under one roof for three packed days of presentations, pavilions, experiences, concerts, sneak peeks, shopping, and more. The event provides fans with unprecedented access to Disney films, television, games, theme parks, and celebrities. For the latest D23 Expo 2019 news, visit D23expo.com. Presentations, talent, and schedule subject to change. To join the D23 Expo conversation, be sure to follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and use the hashtag #D23Expo.

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.

Check out the latest photos from the TRON Roller coaster coming to Magic Kingdom.

Disney revealed a sneak peek at some of the new collections and limited-edition sets attendees can get their hands on during D23 Expo 2019 at the Anaheim Convention Center from Aug 23–25. During the show, fans can scoop up never-before-seen collections across the three Disney-operated retail shops on the Expo floor: shopDisney.com | Disney store, The Dream Store, and Mickey’s of Glendale.

D23 Expo 2019 attendees will be introduced to new collections that celebrate milestone anniversaries and fan-favorite characters across Disney, Pixar, Star Wars, and Marvel along with must-have official D23 Expo 2019 gear and accessories, nostalgic Disney Parks-inspired items, and limited-edition collectibles celebrating Walt Disney Imagineering’s heritage.

Below are highlights of some of the exciting merchandise fans will be able to purchase at the show. For images and pricing of the below items, click here. To purchase tickets to the Expo, visit D23Expo.com.

ShopDisney.com | Disney store – Home to the widest assortment of Disney merchandise for everyone in the family, D23 Expo 2019 merchandise will give fans a wide variety of specially curated collections and limited-edition (LE) series with a behind-the-scenes twist. Honoring some of Disney’s biggest legacies, here is a snapshot of what fans will see:

Platinum, Platinum Plus and Premier Annual Passholders will be among the first to experience Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with complimentary special preview opportunities planned before the land’s opening on Aug. 29. Capacity is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. More information and registration details for previews will be shared at a later date.

By: Disney DestinationsJune 17, 2019

Disney Cruise Line is expanding its collection of luxury shopping experiences with the addition of a Tiffany & Co. store aboard the Disney Dream.

Your clients can now experience this premier jewelry and iconic American luxury brand inside a glamorous boutique located on deck four near the ship’s grand atrium. The new Tiffany & Co. location aboard the Disney Dream offers the same sophisticated shopping experience as the brand’s store on the Disney Fantasy, including impeccable service and legendary style. 

From timeless collections of jewelry to luxury accessories, including the effortlessly elegant Tiffany T and Tiffany Paper Flowers collections, the renowned Tiffany & Co. diamonds are aplenty in these shipboard stores. Plus, the one-of-a-kind sterling silver necklace developed exclusively for Disney Cruise Line guests is only available at Tiffany & Co.aboard the Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy.

Whether your clients are shopping for an engagement, anniversary or simply to treat themselves, a visit to Tiffany & Co. while sailing at sea is a special excursion they won’t want to miss. 

Disney parks are opening new on-site resorts and theme areas, and with these new developments come new foods to eat at new restaurants! With the expansion of the Coronado Springs Resort and the grand opening of the Riveria Resort in Disney World, you’ll be tempted to book a room at these busy hotels for the stellar restaurants alone.

Full Story

In Star Wars films, exotic locales function almost like characters unto themselves, setting the tone for the adventures to come. In the same way, exploring the 14-acre Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be an attraction experience all its own when the epic new land opens May 31, 2019, at Disneyland Park in California and Aug. 29, 2019, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida.*

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will come alive for guests as they play roles in their own Star Wars stories. Whether using the Play Disney Parks mobile app, encountering some Star Wars characters, or interacting with Disney cast members, guests can engage with this new land in ways never experienced before in a Disney park.

Play Disney Parks App Deepens Guest Engagement with Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

• Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is the first land in a Disney park designed from the ground up to fully integrate with the Play Disney Parks mobile app.**
• When guests enter the land, they will be able to transform the Play Disney Parks app into their very own Star Wars: Datapad on their mobile devices. As guests earn galactic credits for things they do in the land using their Datapad, the credits will show in their Datapad profile.
• The app will provide four primary functions to unlock a deeper level of storytelling within the land:
  • Hack – Interact with certain droids, blinking door panels and other scenic elements
  • Scan – Explore the contents of cargo crates and other containers and collect virtual items
  • Translate – Understand written languages from the Star Wars galaxy
  • Tune – Tap into the signals from satellite dishes and antenna arrays to eavesdrop on characters’ conversations
• Guests can use the app to play a multiplayer game throughout the land, “Outpost Control,” that occurs several times daily:
  • The First Order wants to install surveillance devices in door panels to spy on the Resistance, while the Resistance is trying to remove them
  • Guests can choose to support either side by hacking the panels for the Resistance or the First Order
  • The game concludes when one side successfully hacks a majority of the available panels
• While waiting to board Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, guests may take on a job for Hondo Ohnaka, proving through this in-queue game that they are ready to pilot the Millennium Falcon.
• Certain functions performed with the app may trigger physical effects within the land.

Star Wars Characters Bring Batuu to Life at Disneyland Resort

• Guests may encounter several different Star Wars characters while visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
• Rey, a hero of the Resistance, may be seen near the ancient ruins outside Black Spire Outpost. She is recruiting Batuuan locals and visitors alike to the Resistance cause.
• Several times daily, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren may appear at the First Order encampment at Docking Bay 9. With Stormtroopers in his wake, Kylo Ren will then march through Black Spire Outpost in search of the Resistance.
• Guests may stumble upon Resistance spy Vi Moradi in Black Spire Outpost as she keeps tabs on the First Order. Vi may pass on some tricks of her trade and ensure those she encounters know the Resistance is gaining strength.
• The mighty Chewbacca may be spotted in Black Spire Outpost or just outside the Resistance encampment in the ancient ruins of Batuu, rounding up recruits.
• First Order Stormtroopers patrol Black Spire Outpost under the command of Kylo Ren. They may snap the occasional order at guests or question them about the presence of the Resistance on Batuu.

Interactions with Disney Cast Members Take Story Immersion to a New Level

• Disney cast members working in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge can become part of the story, as local citizens of Batuu. They are encouraged to develop their own identities and personas within the stories of their roles, and to interact with guests.
• Walt Disney Imagineering spent three years developing the costumes that cast members wear in the land.
• Costumes are modular, so cast members can pick and choose from a variety of options to create looks that best fit the personalities they want to portray while working in the land. They can choose from tunics, wraps, vests and more, and then augment their base costume with accessories such as necklaces, scarves and hats.
• Cast members who work in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge wear nametags customized specifically for the land, with names translated into Aurebesh, the written language in the Star Wars galaxy.

In addition to singing, dancing, and getting into a cosmic groove, you can celebrate with a few AWESOME eats and sips created just for ‘Guardians of the Galaxy – Awesome Mix Live’.

At Liberty Inn, your clients can grab a Space Sandwich or an Awesome Mix Plate. The Space Sandwich features barbecue pulled pork topped with crispy onions and served on a Kaiser bun with french fries, while the Awesome Mix Plate includes french fries topped with barbecue pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, bacon, and lettuce. Or if your clients are looking for something on the sweeter side, then the Cosmic Cake is just the thing. This chocolate cake is filled with vanilla buttercream and SPACE SPRINKLES! Whatever your clients choose, they can wash it down with Rocket Fuel – a frozen Coca-Cola slushy with grenadine. 

Over at Fife & Drum, your clients can snack on a Mix Tart strawberry-filled shortbread cookie or sip on one of our stellar beverages. The Awesome Mix Slushy is a frozen blue raspberry, strawberry, and lemonade slushy and it’s served with a fun glow cube. Or your clients can find their inner-plant with the I Am Root float, featuring Barq’s Root Beer with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and mint leaves. There’s also the Destroyer Punch with orange, pineapple, and lime juices and grenadine. Adults can even enjoy an alcoholic version, Galaxy Juice, which includes cherry bourbon.

Come on out to Epcot from June 14 through August 18, 2019 to experience “Guardians of the Galaxy – Awesome Mix Live!” This intergalactic concert takes place five times daily and brings to life some of your clients’ favorite hits from Awesome Mix Volumes 1 & 2 and they may even catch a glimpse of Little Groot!

In 1995, after signing a production deal with Disney, Pixar premiered the first computer-animated feature-length film with the release of Toy Story. Many years and movies later, Pixar continues to be one of the leaders in animated movies. As their films constantly break records and change the way that animators are able to create and tell stories, fans of all ages fall in love with the new characters and worlds that they keep creating. 

Full Story

With more than four decades of films, television series, novels, comic books, video games and more, Star Wars has a deep history that has inspired generations of devoted fans. In creating Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Walt Disney Imagineers and Lucasfilm were driven to fulfill the dreams of anyone who ever imagined visiting this galaxy far, far away by telling new stories that feel authentically Star Wars.

When Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens May 31, 2019, at Disneyland Park in California and Aug. 29, 2019, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida,* guests will find these lands filled with rich details meticulously researched and crafted by Imagineers and Lucasfilm. Though the planet Batuu and its Black Spire Outpost may be new to fans, this setting offers a genuine Star Wars experience for all who enter as they discover a plethora of hidden gems and other details drawn from across the galaxy.

Hidden Gems to Look for in the Land

• While Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is set during the current trilogy of Star Wars films, the land features elements representing many different eras of the Star Wars Examples include:
  • Several creatures seen throughout the land will be familiar to some fans, such as the dianoga from the Death Star trash compactor in “Star Wars: A New Hope” found in a tank above a Black Spire Outpost drinking fountain, or the taxidermic wampa from the ice planet Hoth in “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” in Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities.
  • A podracing engine in the Ronto Roasters market stall calls back to “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace,” while the former smelter droid turning the spit of meats is similar to a droid seen in Jabba the Hutt’s palace in “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.”
  • A mural on the wall of Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities depicts an ancient battle between the light and dark sides of the Force. The original bas-relief of this mural was seen in Chancellor Palpatine’s office in “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.”
  • Hondo Ohnaka, best known from the “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” and “Star Wars Rebels” animated television series, gives guests their mission in Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.
• Batuu’s landscape is dotted with tall petrified tree trunks, and Black Spire Outpost takes its name from a trunk in the center of the village that is darker than all the others.
• Imagineers took rubbings from the feet of the R2-D2 droid used in “Star Wars: A New Hope” and turned those into a set of three-dimensional wheels. Then they built a trolley with those wheels and rolled it through the land before the concrete pathways fully dried to leave behind authentic droid tracks that guests might spot as they explore the outpost.

It’s All About the Story

• One reason Imagineers set Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on a planet never before seen in the Star Wars universe was to give everyone a chance to step into the story at their own levels – whether a guest is a lifelong Star Wars fan or has never watched a Star Wars film, everyone will be seeing Batuu for the first time.
• Batuu and its residents are starting to appear in and inspire other Star Wars stories:
  • Both Black Spire Outpost and Dok-Ondar were referenced in “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”
  • In the Timothy Zahn novel “Thrawn: Alliances,” characters visit Oga’s Cantina (long before the timeframe of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge)
  • “Star Wars: Pirate’s Price,” a young-adult novel by Lou Anders, details a previous trip Hondo Ohnaka made to Batuu.
  • A five-issue Marvel comics series, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, debuted in April and delves into some of the famous antiquities found in Dok-Ondar’s shop on Batuu.
  • “Galaxy’s Edge: Black Spire,” a novel by Delilah S. Dawson set for release in August, will tell the story of Vi Moradi, Leia Organa’s top spy who chooses Batuu for the Resistance’s secret command post (guests may encounter Vi as they explore Black Spire Outpost at Disneyland Resort).
  • Also due in August, “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – A Crash of Fate” by Zoraida Cordova is a young-adult novel about two childhood friends from Batuu who are reunited later in life and have a series of adventures.
• During Star Wars Celebration 2019, April 11-15 in Chicago, many attendees who visited the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge booth recorded video testimonials sharing their personal Star Wars These videos were embedded into a Jedi holocron that will be placed inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida.

Attention to Detail 

• The land was designed with sightlines that evoke cinematic angles. Guests begin with views of wide vistas, then as they explore deeper into the land, their field of vision narrows into tighter spaces – like zooming in for a close-up.
• In developing props and other décor for the land, Imagineers tried whenever possible to use pre-1980 materials to best capture the look and feel of the props in the first Star Wars films (“Star Wars: A New Hope” was released in 1977).
• To create the look of an older Hondo Ohnaka and properly capture the pirate’s personality for his Audio-Animatronics figure in Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Walt Disney Imagineering consulted the character’s creator, Dave Filoni.

Inspiration and Authenticity

• In search of aesthetic inspiration for the land, Walt Disney Imagineers visited George Lucas’ private archives in California to study original Star Wars concept artwork created by Ralph McQuarrie, the artist who helped Lucas shape the look of the Star Wars They also traveled to Morocco and Turkey to experience ancient open-air markets. These sources provided Black Spire Outpost’s authentically earthy, yet otherworldly environment.
• To ensure authenticity in their designs for the land, Imagineers also visited active Star Wars film sets in the United Kingdom. There they studied everything from ships to costumes to props to help inform their work on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
• In developing merchandise for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Imagineers were granted access to the Lucasfilm archives to study original props and costumes. In many cases, a special scanning tool was used to take 360-degree digital pictures of these artifacts, then 3D prints were made of new models for items sold in the lands.
• To re-create Princess Leia Organa’s iconic necklace worn at the end of “Star Wars: A New Hope,” Disney reached out to the original European designer, who still had the piece’s mold from four decades ago. That mold was then used to create the new item, available now at Dok-Ondar’s Den of Antiquities.
• The soldier’s ration kit offered in Resistance Supply is based off Luke Skywalker’s kit from “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.” Disney asked actor Mark Hamill (who played Luke Skywalker in the film) what he remembered was in his original kit and re-created some of those items in the version for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
• The Jedi robes and tunics available for purchase in Black Spire Outfitters are modeled after the costumes for Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker in “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.”
• The interactive experience in the Droid Depot is inspired, in part, by young Anakin Skywalker tinkering with C-3PO in “Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.”
• The guest experience inside Savi’s Workshop – Handbuilt Lightsabers draws some of its inspiration from episodes of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” where Jedi younglings learn how to build their own lightsabers.