WDW Daily News

As we’ve previously announced Disney California Adventure® Park will welcome Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind at Pixar Pier. We’re excited to share this whimsical family-friendly attraction will open this summer!

Inspired by the Disney and Pixar film “Inside Out,” you are invited to step into the workplace of Riley’s Emotions – Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger. Once they hop aboard one of eight Memory Movers, you will take a sense-ational spin and find themselves surrounded by vibrant shelves packed with glowing recollections.

Here’s a first look at a few of the attraction posters, which explore parts of the mind as featured in “Inside Out.” 

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 Wars adventures.

To help guests plan ahead and prepare for their visits to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Calif., here are some 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. 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 called 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. Guests should download the official Disneyland mobile app to plan ahead and make the most of their 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 they are in the new land.

7. Have your Clients prepare for their visit to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge by downloading the Play Disney Parks mobile app in advance of their 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.

9. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge isn’t the only thing that’s new this summer at Disneyland Resort! There’s never been a better time for your Clients to check out exiting experiences throughout the Disneyland Resort, including:

• Take a ride on the recently opened Jessie’s Critter Carousel at Disney California Adventure
• Delight in a freshly reimagined Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland
• Savor the breathtaking World of Color, which recently made its stunning return to Disney California Adventure
• Snap some Instagram-worthy shots at the all-new Pop-Up Disney! A Mickey Celebration at Downtown Disney.
• Watch as the magic of Disney animation and music come to life at “Mickey’s PhilharMagic” at Disney California Adventure
• Indulge in over-the-top ice cream creations at Black Tap, which is now open at Downtown Disney.

* 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.

You can enjoy the ultimate global dine-around when the 24^th Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival takes place Aug. 29-Nov. 23, 2019!

At 87 days, this is the longest foodie fest ever at Walt Disney World® Resort theme park, with fresh flavors available across 30 Global Marketplaces dotting Future World and World Showcase. There are flavors for everyone in the family to discover, like the new Kenyan Coffee Barbecue Beef Tenderloin in the Africa Marketplace or the plant-based Cottage Pie at Earth Eats. Between bites and sips, you will find a world of entertainment.

And, back by popular demand, “Disney du Jour Dance Party” in Future World will expand to seven days a week! Sundays through Thursdays, a DJ will spin plenty of interactive fun, while on Fridays and Saturdays stars from Radio Disney pump up the mix with live performances; on opening weekend, actress/singer Meg Donnelly from the Disney Channel original movie “Zombies” will appear. Watch for more weekend celebrity headliners to join the lineup. Other family activities on tap are Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak scavenger hunt and the popular Candy Sushi interactive experience.

The Eat to the Beat Concert Series also returns (through Nov. 19 – 249 concerts in all), so your Clients can get their groove on three times nightly. Rock, pop, Latin, swing, country and other genres – it’s a buffet of great music. You can even guarantee concert seats for you by booking them an Eat to the Beat Dining Package for breakfast, lunch or dinner at one of many Epcot restaurants.

New concert acts include Sawyer Brown (“Thank God for You”); Lauren Daigle (“You Say”); Boyce Avenue (“Anchor”); and Kris Allen (“Live Like We’re Dying”). Festival favorites are back, too! Your Clients won’t want to miss the Plain White T’s, Sugar Ray, Hanson, Sheila E. and Boyz II Men, among many others.

Plus, you can plan a new culinary adventure for you when bookings open on May 15, 2019 for:

• Party for the Senses at World Showplace Events Pavilion, the sensational event featuring chefs and vintners from around the world. (Select Saturdays through Nov. 9)
• Sunday Brunch with the Chef, hosted by celebrity chefs such as Cat Cora, Andrew Zimmern, Buddy Valastro and others. (Select Sundays through Nov. 17)
• “Mix It, Make It, Celebrate It!” hands-on workshops that let your Clients rub shoulders with visiting chefs, bakers, mixologists and other pros. (Select Mondays and Thursdays through Nov. 14)

Now, more than ever, is the time to plan your visit to the 2019 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Stay tuned for festival news and booking details for dining experiences, seminars and premium festival events. 

Earlier today, we unwrapped 55 stunning Disney-themed gondolas for special test runs in another exciting step forward for our Disney Skyliner system that’ll transport you at Walt Disney World® Resort later this fall.

The unwrapped cabins, some of which feature stunning graphics based on Disney films, attractions and characters, are now making test runs back-and-forth between Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney’s Hollywood Studios®.  And yes,we have a first look for you!

The latest test-runs of the unwrapped Disney Skyliner gondolas are a significant milestone for the overall testing process of the state-of-the-art transportation system.  Walt Disney Imagineering began testing the gondolas at the Resort just months ago.   

When fall arrives, Guests of Disney Skyliner Resorts – Disney’s Riviera Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort – will be able to enjoy the benefit of being whisked between Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  Guests will ride alongside favorites such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Lilo & Stitch, and the Hitchhiking Ghosts from the Haunted Mansion.  

Stay tuned as we share more exciting details about Disney Skyliner in upcoming months.  

It’s almost game time, because tickets are now officially on sale for NBA Experience at Disney Springs®! 

This new destination at Walt Disney World Resort will hold its grand opening Aug. 12, when you can feel what it’s like to be a real basketball star by participating in 13 interactive and hands-on activities. With a ticket to NBA Experience, you will test and improve their shooting and dribbling skills, get their photo taken while throwing down a rim-rocking dunk, and feel like a top draft pick, just to name a few of the immersive opportunities that will blend Disney magic with the high-caliber action of the NBA and WNBA.

Tickets to NBA Experience are $34 (plus tax) for guests ages 10 and older, and $29 (plus tax) for children ages 3-9, and they are commissionable.

As you’re planning your visit, recommend bringing athletic shoes (footwear will be required for entry). You will also be asked to sign a waiver prior to starting their activities; children under 18 will need a parent or guardian to sign the waiver for them.

Note: Tickets are valid through Dec. 31, 2020 and provide one admission to NBA Experience; re-entry is not permitted. Age restrictions may apply. For convenience, you may view the waiver in advance at disneyworld.com/expwaiver. Prices do not include tax. All tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable and exclude activities/events separately priced. The amount paid for any unused ticket may be applied toward the purchase of a new ticket at the current price.

Higher ticket prices didn’t deter tourists from taking trips to Disney theme parks during its second quarter.

The company, which reported earnings Wednesday after the closing bell, said guests spent more and stayed longer during their time at Disney parks and on cruises in the quarter, boosting revenue 5% to $6.2 billion during the three-month period ended March 30.

Full Story

This summer, Disney California Adventure® Park celebrates the beloved characters and music of Disney’s “The Lion King” with an imaginative new adaptation of this timeless story, presented as a highly-theatrical outdoor musical production entitled, “Tale of the Lion King.” The show features a cast of 18 performers – including actors, singers, dancers and drummers – who form an ensemble called the Storytellers of the Pride Lands. This traveling troupe specializes in retelling revered stories in their own contemporary style, weaving their tale through language, song and dance.

Creative Director Susana Tubert and the team at Disney Parks Live Entertainment are in the midst of a series of workshops and rehearsals with the cast in preparation for the opening of “Tale of the Lion King” later this summer. Here’s a look behind the scenes.

In this imaginative story-theatre production, the scenic, prop and costume designs celebrate the spirit of Africa. All-new musical arrangements have been written for the most treasured songs from “The Lion King,” creating a score for the show with elements we associate with the emotional sweep of the original compositions, yet focused on the vocal performances of the actors and music from the drummers to drive a unique percussive sound.

“Tale of the Lion King” graces the Palisades Stage at Disney California Adventure Park for a limited time this summer, starting June 7, 2019.

The Play Disney Parks app allows you visiting Walt Disney World® Resort and the Disneyland® Resort to interact with the theme parks in a whole new way through themed games, Disney trivia, digital achievements, official Disney Parks music playlists through Apple Music® and more. And if you haven’t already downloaded the app, it’s available through the App Store and Google Play and has a new feature that’s worth checking out.

With this new feature, you can bring to life an interactive show effect when enjoying the app in Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios®. Stinky Pete, from Disney and Pixar’s “Toy Story 2,” is outta his box and joining some favorite pals in the Toy Story Mania! queue.

Be on the lookout for The Old Prospector while playing “Playset Party” – one of several in-queue games offered in the Play Disney Parks app – in which you progress through a series of mini-games to help assemble the Toy Story Mania! playset. After completing all the mini-games, he may just pop out and surprise Guests! Hint: keep your eyes open near the end of the queue for a wild west-style jail cell that Andy has constructed.

Throughout Toy Story Land, the app also offers you access to themed trivia,  a special music playlist featuring songs inspired by Pixar films, and tons of fun with “Andy’s Board Game Blast,” a game themed to Slinky Dog Dash that can be played anywhere at Disney Hollywood Studios!

Be sure to catch a glimpse of Stinky Pete’s new appearance and experience the many exciting additions coming to the app at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort!

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.

Walt Disney World Resort is the perfect place to celebrate mothers who deserve the best on their special day. From relaxing spa treatments and delicious meals to shopping at Disney Springs and exploring Walt Disney World theme parks, there are near limitless options to give mom the perfect Mother’s Day this year. Special offerings include floral gift packages, holiday menus at several restaurants, Mother’s Day-themed events at select Disney resorts and more.

Elegant Floral Arrangements

Moms will know how much they’re loved with beautiful floral arrangements from Disney Floral and Gifts. Guests can choose traditional roses, an arrangement inspired by a favorite Disney character or work with a Disney designer to create a custom bouquet.

Disney Floral and Gifts also has special gift packages just for Mother’s Day. The Mother’s Day Family Treats Tote includes an assortment of snacks moms will love.

To learn more, guests can visit Disneyfloralandgifts.com.

Delectable Bites

Mother’s Day dining options will be available at select restaurants across Walt Disney World, including Terralina Crafted Italian and Paddlefish at Disney Springs, Trail’s End Restaurant at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, Olivia’s Café at Disney’s Old Key West Resort, The Wave… of American Flavors at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Whispering Canyon Café at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Rose & Crown Dining Room at Epcot. Specialty desserts will also be available at select resort hotels and dining locations within the theme parks.

A delicious brunch is also a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day. Walt Disney World has numerous options, whatever mom’s preferred taste.

For adventurous eaters, Boma – Flavors of Africa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge offers traditional African choices such as Cape Malay Lamb Stew or Couscous alongside American favorites.

Fans of Disney characters should check out Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast at Trattoria Al Forno at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn. Favorite characters from “Tangled” and “The Little Mermaid” will greet families who can also enjoy entrées including frittatas, pancakes and breakfast calzones.

For moms who enjoy the fancier things in life, the Grand Floridian Café at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is a great option. This upscale eatery serves American classics moms are sure to love. For an afternoon break, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa also offers a classic Afternoon Tea at Garden View Tea Room. This elegant experience combines international teas with sandwiches, scones and other tasty delicacies.

For Walt Disney World dining information, guests should visit Disneyworld.com/dining or call 407-WDW-DINE.

Stay in the Middle of the Magic

Select Disney resort hotels will host special events for Mother’s Day. Minnie’s Mother’s Day Chocolate Party at Disney’s Beach Club Resort offers decadent desserts including chocolate fondue, chocolate ravioli and a milkshake station. At Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, moms and their families can create a special Mother’s Day painting with an Alice in Wonderland theme from 10 a.m. to noon.

Mothers will be thrilled with the idea of turning Mother’s Day into a vacation at a Disney resort hotel, with perks including complimentary transportation via motor coach, ferry boat or Monorail services to the theme parks, water parks and Disney Springs, as well as package delivery back to her room and more.

For reservations and additional information about Disney resort hotels, guests should call 407-W-DISNEY or visit Disneyworld.com/resorts.

Unforgettable Experiences 

Exciting experiences only Disney can provide are the perfect way to spend Mother’s Day.

The 26^th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is a great way to enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of spring. Moms will love seeing the lush topiaries and festival blooms while savoring fine tastes and sips along the way.

For a unique day at the theme parks, families can try a specialty tour to experience Walt Disney World in a whole new way. Guests can learn how the magic at Magic Kingdom Park comes to life on Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom Tour, snorkel with thousands of sea creatures in the Epcot Seas Adventures – Aqua Tour or get up close with exotic African wildlife on Wild Africa Trek at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. And foodie moms will love the Taste of Magic Kingdom VIP Tour, which invites guests to taste their way through the park’s kitchens. Tour reservations can be made by calling 407-WDW-TOUR.

Luxurious Spa Treatments

Treat mom to a day of pampering at one of the full-service spas at Walt Disney World. Massages, facial treatments, body therapies, manicures, pedicures and more are the perfect way to relax and rejuvenate. Senses – A Disney Spa at both Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort offer packages for the ultimate day of indulgence.

Shop Till Mom Drops

Children can find their mother’s perfect gift at Disney Springs. Hand-crafted jewelry, luxurious bath products, decadent candies and stylish accessories are just a few of the options available at the dining, shopping and entertainment district of Walt Disney World Resort.

The Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival is currently taking place at Walt Disney World ®Resort through June 3, 2019, with a wide selection of delectable bites at outdoor kitchens and dozens of Disney-themed topiaries blooming around the park.

New in 2019, the festival’s Garden Rocks Concert Series expanded to seven days a week, with a total of 270 concerts spanning multiple genres over the course of the 90-day event.

We’re excited to share the remaining rocking line-up for the 2019 Garden Rocks Concert Series!

• May 5-7: Don Felder, Formerly of the Eagles “Hotel California”
• May 8-9: A Flock of Seagulls (NEW) “I Ran (So Far Away)”
• May 10-11: Marshall Tucker Band (NEW to Garden Rocks) “Heard It in a Love Song”
• May 12-13: The Lovin’ Spoonful “Summer in the City”
• May 14-15: Richard Marx (New to Garden Rocks) “Right Here Waiting”
• May 16-19: STARSHIP starring Mickey Thomas “We Built This City”
• May 20-21: Colin Hay of Men at Work (NEW) “Who Can It Be Now?”
• May 22-23: War (NEW) “Why Can’t We Be Friends”
• May 24-27: The Guess Who “American Woman”
• May 28-29: Jon Secada “Just Another Day”
• May 30- June 1: Blood, Sweat and Tears “Spinning Wheel”
• June 2-3 – Eddie Palmieri (NEW), “Vamanos Pa’l Monte”

Garden Rocks concert performances take place at 5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. each night of the festival and are included in regular park admission. Your Clients can enjoy guaranteed concert seating by reserving a Garden Rocks Dining Package and enjoying breakfast, lunch or dinner at select Epcot restaurants.