WDW Daily News

UPDATE: The new MagicBand upgrade options are now available!

There is a certain magic and anticipation that comes with planning your visit to Walt Disney World Resort, especially when it is time to choose a MagicBand customized with your name and favorite color. And soon, we’ll be adding even more ways to further customize these beloved wearables!  

Soon, Disney Resort hotel guests and new and renewing Annual Passholders will have the option to upgrade, at a discounted price, from a complimentary solid-color MagicBand to one of more than 30 new MagicBand options featuring favorite Disney characters and designs. These new MagicBand options will be available for pre-arrival purchase at a special price of $14.99 off retail cost through the My Disney Experience website.

Check out the video below to get a sneak peek!  

A colorful selection of complimentary MagicBands is still available for guests who choose not to upgrade to one of the new options, and these new design options can also be shipped to guests’ homes (U.S. addresses only) if ordered 11 or more days ahead of arrival and can be personalized if done so at least 6 or more days ahead of arrival. 

The MagicBand, which recently celebrated its fifth anniversary, effortlessly links the Walt Disney World Resort vacation choices and plans guests make in the My Disney Experience app – from entering the parks to redeeming FastPass+ selections, using dining plan credits, linking Disney PhotoPass photos and more.

When visiting Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, travelers will be able to interact with the land in a way unlike anything they’ve seen before in a Disney park, and will be able to play on their Star Wars: Datapad for a landwide interactive experience through the Play Disney Parks mobile app. Through the app, visitors will be able to turn their mobile device into their own Datapad and within it will find several tools at their disposal to use while exploring the planet Batuu, and may even uncover some surprises!

You can use the “hacking” feature to interact with certain door panels or droids to see their memories, or open the  “scanning” tool to peek inside of cargo crates they may spot while walking around. The handy “translation” tool will help you understand Aurebesh (the written language of the Star Wars galaxy) signs throughout Black Spire Outpost, and Guests can even tap into and decrypt signals from antennas or communications devices and listen to secret messages with the “tuning” feature.

Throughout Black Spire Outpost, the First Order is trying to install surveillance devices in door panels to spy on the Resistance. You can use their Datapad to join in “Outpost Control,” a landwide game, and choose to support either side as they vie for a hold on the land. Winners may even find themselves rewarded with galactic credits for their efforts.

Your Star Wars adventure continues when you make their way to get in line at Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. While getting ready to board the most famous ship in the galaxy, Guests can even take on a job for Hondo Ohnaka, the pirate turned “legitimate” businessman operating Ohnaka Transport Solutions out of Black Spire Outpost. When Guests reroute misplaced cargo, they’ll learn how to keep their cover under pressure and prep the Falcon for their flight in this in-queue game!

Be sure to download the Play Disney Parks app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store before your visit to check out these exciting features and experiences, available when Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens at the Disneyland® Resort on May 31, 2019, and at Walt Disney World® Resort on August 29, 2019! And don’t forget there’s more to explore across both resorts with the Play Disney Parks app. From in-queue games and Disney trivia, to specially curated Apple Music®* playlists and playful ride achievements, there is fun for all to enjoy together.

If your Clients are planning to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at the Disneyland Resort between May 31 (opening day) and June 23, 2019, a reservation and theme park admission are required. After June 23, 2019, reservations will not be required for visits to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland park. Theme parks, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and experiences are subject to capacity.

Available for iPhone® and smartphones for Android™.

Message, data and roaming rates may apply. Availability subject to handset limitations, and features may vary by handset, service provider or otherwise. Coverage and app stores not available everywhere. Music streaming feature requires an Apple Music subscription. Separate Apple Music terms and conditions apply. Subscription plan renews automatically after trial. If you’re under 18, get your parents’ permission first. Some features require separate theme park admission.

Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone and Apple Music are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

Android and Google Play are trademarks of Google LLC.

On January 15, 2020, runDisney is returning to Disney’s private island paradise during a four-night cruise on the Disney Dream for the Disney Castaway Cay Challenge. This sailing, which departs the Monday after Marathon Weekend, will be adding some extra pixie dust to its stop on Castaway Cay. Before you enjoy the island’s white sand beaches, snorkel lagoons and more, you’ll have an unforgettable race alongside Disney characters while experiencing enhanced entertainment and, of course, tropical ocean breezes!

While every stop at Castaway Cay features a 5K race, this exclusive runDisney Challenge is only open to runners that participated in at least one of the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend races. Challenge participants can also enjoy a course chat to prepare for the race, a runDisney trivia competition, exclusive merchandise available onboard and a beer and champagne tent on Castaway Cay to celebrate after the race.

Every finisher in the Castaway Cay Challenge will receive a medal uniquely designed for the 2020 race. Stay tuned for our reveal of the new medal design!

In addition to a runDisney race through paradise, the four-night cruise on the Disney Dream will be packed with ways to relax and recharge, like spa treatments, fun deck parties and water activities, Broadway-style shows, world-class dining and more. On Castaway Cay, you can enjoy snorkeling in the lagoon, resting in a hammock or indulging in a delicious lunch in an open-air BBQ dining location… once thet finish running, of course!

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens in just two weeks at the Disneyland Resort and we know there are many of you who want to get those special; mementos to commemorate the occasion. But fear not collectors – we’ve got you covered, even if you don’t have a Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge reservation. To read more, visit the Disney Parks Blog: http://bit.ly/2YywT9S

One of the most memorable days over the past three years at the Disneyland construction site of the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge themed land involved a construction worker riding on a droid skateboard that left R2-D2 “footprints” in the freshly poured cement.

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For a limited time this summer, a preview of scenes from Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” will be presented in sneak peeks coming to Disney Parks and Disney Cruise Line. Here’s Tony Hale, who provides the voice of Forky in the film, to tell you more:

At Disneyland park, the preview of “Toy Story 4” will be presented at the Tomorrowland Theater beginning May 24, and starting the same day Disney’s Hollywood Studios will include this advance look at a portion of the film as part of the Walt Disney Presents attraction. Guests aboard Disney Cruise Line can catch the sneak peek during sailings between May 24 and June 20, and Disneyland Paris will offer this unique opportunity in the Studio Theater at Walt Disney Studios Parkfrom June 18 – 28.

When we catch up with him in Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4,” Woody (voice of Tom Hanks) has always been confident about his place in the world, and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that’s Andy or Bonnie. So when Bonnie’s beloved new craft-project-turned-toy, Forky (voice of Tony Hale), declares himself “trash” and not a toy, Woody takes it upon himself to show Forky why he should embrace being a toy. But when Bonnie takes the whole gang on her family’s road trip excursion, Woody ends up on an unexpected detour that includes a reunion with his long-lost friend Bo Peep (voice of Annie Potts). After years of being on her own, Bo’s adventurous spirit and life on the road belie her delicate porcelain exterior. As Woody and Bo realize they’re worlds apart when it comes to life as a toy, they soon come to find that’s the least of their worries.

Here’s a look at the latest trailer for Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 4,” which ventures into U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019.

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By: Disney DestinationsMay 17, 2019

A new version of the Disney Cruise LineNavigator App has been released and is available to download from the Apple App Store℠ and Google Play™ Store. Guests who have previously downloaded the App will need to delete the current version of the App before downloading the new version to their devices. 

The new version includes a pre-cruise experience for you to prepare for your voyage before leaving home. You can sign in with the same log in information you use to access “My Reservations” on DisneyCruise.com. 

The newly redesigned Disney Cruise Line Navigator App will feature the following functionality: 

• Display reservation details 
• A countdown clock to the first day of the voyage 
• Show itinerary and ship details 
• Allow you to:  
  • Explore and book cruise activities 
  • Complete online check-in 
  • Update dining seating or special requests. 

Please note, in order to see onboard only features using the same app, you will put your personal device in “Airplane Mode” and connect to the “DCL-GUEST” network once onboard. 

Recently, Disney celebrated another major construction milestone for the much-anticipated TRON attraction coming to Magic Kingdom Park at the Walt Disney World Resort – the first steel support columns have been installed!

The steel columns will serve as the framework that’ll support the coaster’s track in Tomorrowland.  And today, we have a special look at the columns and the progress Walt Disney Imagineers, Disney cast members and project teams have made in bringing the attraction to life. 

The TRON attraction is based on the guest-favorite attraction TRON Lightcycle Power Run at Shanghai Disneyland.  This coaster-style attraction will allow riders to board a train of two-wheeled Lightcycles for a thrilling race through the digital frontier.

Earlier this year, cast members continued a Disney tradition by signing their names on one of the first steel support columns for the new attraction.

The TRON attraction is set to open at Magic Kingdom Park in time for Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary in 2021.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the highly-anticipated new lands coming to Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, will invite guests to step into the Star Wars universe for the very first time and live their own Star Warsadventures.

To help guests plan ahead and prepare for their visits to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Calif., here are eight tips to “know before you go” to this epic, new land, opening May 31.

1. Reservations are required to enter Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge between May 31 and June 23. Guests visiting during this time will need valid theme park admission and a reservation to enter the new land at Disneyland. At this time, reservations are no longer available.
2. Guests can still get a reservation to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge by staying at a Disneyland Resort hotel between May 31 and June 23*. Guests staying at one of the three Disneyland Resort hotels between May 31 and June 23 will receive a designated reservation to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge during their stay (one reservation per registered guest; valid theme park admission required). Hotel guests will be notified of their reservation date and time with their registration confirmation. Guests may book a stay at  Disneyland.com/Hotels or call (714) 520-5060. If the hotel reservation is cancelled, the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge reservation will be cancelled.
3. No standby line will be available to enter Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge between May 31 and June 23. Only guests with reservations will be able to access the land during this time.*
4. Reservations will no longer be required to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge after June 23. As needed, to manage demand, Disneyland Resort will implement a virtual queueing system to visit the new land so guests can enjoy the rest of the resort while waiting to visit Batuu. The Disneyland app will have a dedicated module, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – Status and Access, available from the main page, on which guests can request to join a boarding group to visit the land, once they have entered the park. Boarding groups will be sent a push notification when it is their turn to enter the land and they can monitor status of boarding groups from the app. There will also be the ability to join a boarding group from select locations inside Disneyland Park, if a guest is not using the app. The boarding group is tied to admission media that will be scanned upon entry into the land. Signage throughout the park will also display boarding group status. Admission into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be subject to capacity, and having an assigned boarding group will not guarantee entrance to the land.
5. The current Disneyland Resort costume policy will be in effect in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Costumes may not be worn by guests 14 years of age or older. Appropriate Disney bounding – dressing in outfits inspired by favorite characters – is permitted.
6. Download the official Disneyland mobile app to plan ahead and make the most of your visit to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. The Disneyland app** allows guests to check the attraction wait time, locate character encounters and even utilize the mobile ordering feature at select dining locations when you are in the new land.
7. Prepare for your visit to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge by downloading the Play Disney Parks mobile app in advance of your arrival. The Play Disney Parks app** allows guests to deepen their engagement with the land and interact with the world around them on the planet Batuu. Guests who choose to engage through the app will be able to interact with droids, translate Aurebesh, scan cargo crates and other containers to collect virtual items, and more.
8. Inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Disney’s goal is to provide a great guest experience. For example, guests who are in the queue at Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run will have the ability to purchase snacks, utilize a continued process to visit the restroom, enjoy cast interactions, and also engage with an in-queue game while using the Play Disney Parks mobile app to make wait times fun, interactive and enjoyable.

* Access to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge experiences is subject to capacity. After June 23, 2019, when reservations will no longer be required, access to Disneyland Park, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and experiences is subject to capacity.

** Message, data and roaming rates may apply. Availability subject to handset limitations, and features may vary by handset, service provider or otherwise. Coverage and app stores not available everywhere. If you’re under 18, get your parents’ permission first.