WDW Daily News

On a steamy summer morning, the crowds are splashing through puddles and the lines have begun to form at the Magic Kingdom, but 10-year-old Lauren Boyd of West Sussex, England, is elated.

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An all-American red, white and blue fireworks spectacular will bathe the sky this Independence Day at Walt Disney World Resort, joined by live entertainment, scrumptious treats and patriotic pageantry. Here’s what’s in store for Fourth of July 2019:

Magic Kingdom Park – Park Hours: July 3, 8 a.m.-12 a.m.; July 4, 8 a.m.-1 a.m.

• “Disney’s Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky” offers booming fireworks orchestrated to patriotic melodies showering the Magic Kingdom sky on both July 3 and July 4 at 9:15 p.m. Guests can also dance the night away with DJs spinning tunes at a Hoedown Throwdown in Frontierland and an out-of-this-world Galactic Gathering in Tomorrowland. Fans at home can join in the Independence Day celebration by viewing a special July 4 live stream of the dazzling fireworks display on the Disney Parks Blog.
• A fuzzy cast of Muppets – Miss Piggy, Kermit, Fozzie Bear and friends – reenact famous moments in American history in a whimsical way during “The Muppets Present … Great Moments in History.” The live show is performed several times daily near the Hall of Presidents in Liberty Square.

Epcot – Park Hours: 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

• “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” will end its nearly 20-year run on September 30, 2019. So this will be the last chance to experience the patriotic Fourth of July grand finale of this beloved nighttime spectacular. “The Heartbeat of Freedom” fireworks extravaganza will begin immediately following the 9 p.m. “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” display.
• A cappella vocal group Voices of Liberty will perform great American tunes during a Fourth of July concert on the America Gardens Theatre stage at 5:30, 6:45 and 8 p.m. on July 4. The group also will perform in the rotunda inside The American Adventure pavilion at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
• Guests can meet favorite Disney characters donning their “Spirit of ’76” patriotic attire at The American Adventure throughout the day on July 4.
• Guests can indulge in themed eats and sips honoring Independence Day throughout the park – everything from patriotic cupcakes and special dining packages to red, white, and blue sangria and a Boom Berry Lemonade.

For more information about resort-wide patriotic dining offerings on July 4, visit the Disney Parks Blog.

When it comes to Disney and summer box-office hits, it really is a small world after all, as the studio — having bulked up on marquee properties — continues to dwarf the competition.

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By: Disney DestinationsJune 21, 2019

The Disneyland Resort is filled with plenty of fun this summer. If your Clients are headed to Disney California Adventurepark, here are 10 not-to-miss experiences!

1. Soarin’ Over California – Due to guest popularity, the epic, aerial adventure Soarin’ Over California has been extended through August 31! This virtual, immersive experience celebrates the beauty and wonder of the Golden State – from San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge to the crashing waves in Malibu.

Bonus: Annual Passholders can enjoy an extra hour at Soarin’ Over California after park closing every Thursday night, beginning June 27 through the end of July. Blockout dates apply.

2. “Tale of The Lion King” – The beloved characters and music of Disney’s “The Lion King” comes to life with an imaginative new adaptation. This outdoor musical production features a cast of 18 performers who weave this timeless tale through language, song and dance. The festive celebration of “Tale of The Lion King” will be presented for a limited time.

3. Fancy Nancy – Nancy Clancy, the high-spirited young girl from Disney Junior’s hit animated series “Fancy Nancy,” made “une grande entrée” this spring. Meet Fancy Nancy just outside the “Disney Junior Dance Party!” in Hollywood Land.

4. Pixar Pier – Celebrating its one-year anniversary at the end of June, Pixar Pier is a whimsical land where Pixar stories and characters are brought to life in incredible, playful ways. A few newly added experiences include:

• Jessie’s Critter Carousel, the giant toy carousel starring Jessie, the yodeling cowgirl and a friendly bunch of desert critters inspired by the “Toy Story” films. Hop on and yell “giddyup!” from the saddle of a whimsical snake, armadillo, turtle, bunny or other critters from the world of Woody’s Roundup.
• Bo Peep, from Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4,” can be found making special appearances along Pixar Pier. Also, Forky, the adorable disposable spork from the new film, can be spotted near the entrance of the pier.
• Opening later this month, Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind is a newly reimagined attraction inspired by the film “Inside Out.” Step into the workplace of Riley’s Emotions – Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger – and board one of eight Memory Movers for a sense-ational spin.

5. Cars Land – If your Clients are looking for some free-wheeling fun with Disney and Pixar’s “Cars” crew, they can head to Radiator Springs, also known as “the cutest little town in Carburetor County.” Be sure to make a pit stop at Radiator Springs Racers, the high-octane adventure that revs through the beautiful mountains of Ornament Valley.

6. “Mickey’s PhilharMagic” – The spectacular magic of Disney animation comes to life in this 3D movie musical. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and other favorite Disney characters now take the stage in this 3D fantasy adventure in the Sunset Showcase Theater in Hollywood Land.

7. Animation Academy – A guest favorite, Animation Academy hosts drawing classes every 30 minutes. Receive step-by-step instruction on how to illustrate some favorite Disney characters under the guidance of a Disney artist. All ages and experience levels are welcome!

8. Super Heroes – In Hollywood Land, encounter some of the most admired Super Heroes in the universe, including Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, Captain America and Black Panther. Suit up and head to Hollywood Land. Afterwards, hop aboard Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT!and help rescue Rocket’s fellow Guardians all while jamming out to Star-Lord’s classic mixtapes.

9. “Frozen – Live at the Hyperion” – Stay cool indoors and enjoy a theatrical adaptation based on Disney’s animated blockbuster film, “Frozen.” Performed daily at the Hyperion Theater, the impressive stage show immerses Guests in the beloved world of Anna and Elsa, with all of the excitement of live theater. The elaborate costumes and sets, stunning special effects, and show-stopping production numbers are not to be missed.

10. “World of Color” – This breathtaking nighttime extravaganza tells Disney and Pixar stories vividly projected on a screen created by more than 1,200 fountains spraying 19,000 square feet of water. Watch in wonder as water, fire, light and music weave together to celebrate the magic of Disney storytelling.

If you want to visit the happiest or most magical places on earth – Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, respectively – you’ll have to save up for your vacation.

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With all that’s included in the price of a Disney Cruise Line vacation, all you need to worry about is making unforgettable memories with their loved ones on this unforgettable adventure.

Check out this fun video that showcases many of the things included in your Disney Cruise Line vacation!

As Disney California Adventure park prepares to welcome Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind to Pixar Pier, we’re excited to share a first look at this family-friendly attraction!

Inspired by the hit Disney and Pixar film “Inside Out,” Emotional Whirlwind opens later this month in the Inside Out Headquarters neighborhood of Pixar Pier. Once your Clients hop aboard one of eight Memory Movers, they’ll take a sense-ational spin and help Riley’s Emotions (aka Joy, Sadness, Anger, Disgust and Fear) sort through memories being collected.

To complement the whimsical atmosphere, Academy Award-winning composer Michael Giacchino created five music tracks, one for each of the emotions. Last year Michael collaborated with Walt Disney Imagineering to compose the music for the thrilling Incredicoaster

Pixar Pier celebrates its one-year anniversary this weekend. The reimagined land shares the stories and characters of Pixar films with exciting attractions, themed neighborhoods and fun eateries.

Disney Music Emporium, the online destination for collectible Disney music products, returns to D23 Expo 2019with a pop-up store on the show floor. Over the three-day Ultimate Disney Fan Event, the Emporium will feature album signings by artists and award-winning composers. Limited quantities of a wide assortment of music products will be available, including new releases from Marvel and Lucasfilm, vinyl albums, die-cut picture disc vinyl, cassettes, Crosley turntables, cassette players, posters, and more. Additionally, visitors to Disney Music Emporium will be able to pre-order the Matthew Morrison Disney album.

In addition to the 23 new offerings available at D23 Expo 2019, 10 titles are first-to-market, including Avengers: Endgame (12” picture disc), Aladdin: The Songs (vinyl album), “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” (12” vinyl single from The Lion King), “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Symphonic Suite” (12” picture disc),  “Married Life”/”Carl Goes Up” (12” vinyl from Up), The Princess and the Frog: The Songs (12” picture disc), and “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” (12” single from Fantasia).

Album signings at the Disney Music Emporium shop include Oscar^®– and Grammy^®-winning composer and Disney Legend Randy Newman (Toy Storyfilms, The Princess and the Frog, Cars films); composer Tyler Bates (Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1); actor Anthony Gonzalez (voice of Miguel from Coco); singer-songwriter, actor, and dancer Matthew Morrison (Glee); plus Hollywood Records artist JD McCrary (voice of young Simba in The Lion King). Scheduled artists subject to change.

Randy Thornton, Disney Music Group’s Supervising Producer and Music Historian, will present “Great Moments with Walt Disney,” on Friday, August 23, at the Archives Stage from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The Grammy-winning producer will present audio recordings of Walt Disney as he recalls developing the first cartoon with synchronized sound, creating Disney’s first hit song, and meeting Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev.

About Disney Music Group and Disney Music Emporium
Disney Music Group is home to Walt Disney Records, Hollywood Records, Disney Music Publishing, Buena Vista Records, and Disney Concerts. The labels’ genre-spanning rosters include (Grammy nominated) Demi Lovato, Queen (in the U.S.), Sofia Carson, ZZ Ward, Breaking Benjamin, Bea Miller, Sabrina Carpenter, Joywave, morgxn, Tini Stoessel, Dreamers, JD McCrary, and more. DMG also releases family music and film and television soundtracks such as the chart-topping Guardians of the Galaxy, Beauty and the Beast, Descendants, Oscar-winning Coco and Moana soundtracks, and the Oscar and Grammy-winning Frozen soundtrack. Recent releases include Toy Story 4, Aladdin, Avengers: Endgame, and Captain Marvel. Upcoming soundtracks include The Lion King, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and Frozen 2. DMG has a rich catalog with a lasting legacy that has impacted pop culture globally, including music from films such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio and Star Wars, artists like Annette Funicello, and beloved classics like “It’s a Small World.” Disney Concerts licenses and produces hundreds of shows around the world, including Star Wars in Concert, Disney On Classic, Beauty and the Beast, Soy Luna, and many more. 

Honoring the continuing legacy of the Disney music catalog, Disney Music Emporium (DME) is the destination for collectible Disney music products. For more information and product offerings, visit DME at www.disneymusicemporium.com.

To stream classic Disney hits, please visit:  http://disneymusic.co/DisneyHits

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.

The Walt Disney Archives returns to D23 Expo with an all-new exhibit, “Walt Disney Archives Presents Heroes and Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume.” From the classic Mary Poppins to this year’s live-action retelling of Aladdin, more than 70 costumes from 55 years of Disney movies and television shows will be on display from August 23–25 at the Anaheim Convention Center during the biennial event, presented by D23: The Official Disney Fan Club.  

Guests entering the 12,000-square-foot exhibit will be greeted by “Cinderella’s Workshop,” a gallery featuring the beloved fairy-tale character’s dresses from her numerous Disney incarnations, including 1997’s Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella; the gown worn by Scarlett Johansson for Annie Leibovitz’s 2007 Disney Dream Portrait series; 2014’s Into the Woods; the 2015 live-action reimagining of the animated masterpiece Cinderella; and the ABC hit series Once Upon a Time. 

The main gallery will be broken into three sections: “Disney Heroes,” “Disney Villains,” and “Spaces Between,” reserved for the antiheroes whose fascinating journeys make them among Disney’s most complex characters.

Among the costumes included in the “Disney Heroes” section are Belle’s village dress and ballgown from 2017’s Beauty and the Beast; creations worn by the Genie, Aladdin, and Jasmine in this year’s live-action Aladdin; and—for the first time ever displayed together—three iconic Mary Poppins “traveling dresses” worn in three Poppins productions: the 1964 original film, 2019’s Mary Poppins Returns, and the Broadway musical. “Disney Villains” ensembles include the trio of wonderfully wicked witches from 1993’s Hocus Pocus, the duo of dresses worn by the stepsisters in 2015’s Cinderella, and the dress worn by the incomparable Bette Davis in 1978’s Return from Witch Mountain. And “Spaces Between” includes Maleficent’s gown from the 2014 film, as well as the Evil Queen and Hook’s costumes from Once Upon a Time.

The exhibit includes costumes from some of Hollywood’s preeminent designers, past and present, including Academy Award^®-winners Colleen Atwood, Sandy Powell, and Tony Walton, as well as Emmy^® winner Ellen Mirojnick and Emmy nominees Eduardo Castro and Penny Rose.

Many of the costumes on exhibit will be featured in The Art of Disney Costuming: Heroes, Villains, and Spaces Between, a dazzling new book out this September from Disney Editions. The book will also be available in advance exclusively at D23 Expo.

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.

Our popular Minnie Van transportation service at the Walt Disney World® Resort is celebrating a major milestone – 1 MILLION GUESTS MAGICALLY TRANSPORTED!   

And the best is yet to come for Minnie Vans connected by the ridesharing service Lyft. It was just announced that Lyft is now the official rideshare of Walt Disney World® Resort and Disneyland® Resort and new enhancements will be added to the Walt Disney World® Resort service as early as this fall.

Disney and Lyft are collaborating in exciting ways for guests. This fall, Lyft and Disney will be enhancing the app experience at the Walt Disney World® Resort. The update will make it easier to request a Minnie Van ride, find the most convenient pickup location, and even select a wheelchair accessible vehicle.  

Since 2017, the Minnie Van fleet has been taking guests everywhere they want to go at the Walt Disney World® Resort in a magical way that only Disney can do.