WDW Daily News

Ever since they were first announced in 2015, the upcoming Star Wars-themed lands coming to Disney’s Florida and California theme parks have been shrouded in a Jedi-like cloak of mystery. We knew the company was planning something big that would push the limits of what its vaunted Imagineers could… well… imagine, but actual details had been thinner than your odds of escaping an asteroid field in a smuggling ship.

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Dedication: “To all who come to this happy place: Welcome! Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America … with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.”  – Dedication read by Walt Disney – July 17, 1955

Location: Disneyland, “The Happiest Place on Earth,” is located approximately 27 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Its hometown is Anaheim, California.

Size: The magic lands and public areas of Disneyland occupy approximately 85 acres. Guest parking for approximately 10,000 vehicles is available in the Mickey & Friends parking structure, which opened June 27, 2000. At that time, it was the largest parking structure in North America.

Lands: The magic of Disneyland comes to life in eight themed lands, with a ninth land, Star Wars:Galaxy’s Edge opening in summer 2019.

MAIN STREET, U.S.A.
Here contemporary life gives way to the quaint and reassuring charms of turn-of-the-century America. It is the essence of hometown life that greeted the dawn of the 20th century.

ADVENTURELAND
This realm of exploration is a collage of the world’s far-off places and uncharted regions. Would-be explorers can discover the tropical magic of Polynesia (Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room), the wilds of Africa (Tarzan’s Treehouse), the exotic rivers of the world (Jungle Cruise) and the steamy jungles of India (Indiana Jones Adventure).

FRONTIERLAND
A robust panorama of America’s pioneer past, from the bustling riverfronts of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers of the late 1700s (Columbia Sailing Ship, Mark Twain Riverboat, Tom Sawyer Island) to the dusty southwest deserts of the 1880s (Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Golden Horseshoe Stage).

NEW ORLEANS SQUARE
The Paris of the American frontier, the Crescent City as it was more than 150 years ago. Within its winding streets and quaint shops, elegance and charm mingle comfortably with Dixieland jazz, restless spirits (Haunted Mansion) and marauding buccaneers (Pirates of the Caribbean).

CRITTER COUNTRY
Things are “mighty satisfactual” in this shady glen, nestled in a lazy corner of the backwoods. Guests visiting this bend of the river can find their very own “Laughing Place” (Splash Mountain) as they witness the “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” antics of Brer Fox and Brer Bear as they try to outwit wily Brer Rabbit. Also residing in this land are Pooh and his many friends in the Hundred Acre Wood (The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh).

FANTASYLAND
Enchanted tales of childhood adapted from classic Disney animated films come to life in this timeless realm of imagination. Within this magical Old World setting, guests can fly to Never Land (Peter Pan’s Flight), see an elephant fly (Dumbo the Flying Elephant), navigate an out-of-control motorcar (Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride) or attend a mad tea party (Alice in Wonderland).

MICKEY’S TOONTOWN
Bursting with color and frenetic energy, this “town” is a 1930s Disney cartoon come to wacky life. From the bustle of downtown (Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin) to the charm of its residential neighborhood (Mickey’s House, Donald’s Boat, Chip ‘n Dale Treehouse), this civic hub is a slice of “reel” life.

TOMORROWLAND
This intriguing realm of imagination, discovery and wonder features a landscape of whirling spaceships (Astro Orbiter), zooming rocket vehicles (Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, Space Mountain), racing roadsters (Autopia) and Star Wars experiences (Star WarsLaunch Bay).

Hours: Disneyland is open 365 days a year and offers extended operating hours during holiday periods and summer months. To verify hours, please call (714) 781-4565. The most current information for hours and vacation offers is available at www.Disneyland.com.

Attractions: Disneyland Park opened July 17, 1955, with 18 major attractions. Today, there are more than 60 adventures and attractions.

• The Matterhorn Bobsleds was the first tubular steel roller coaster in the world when it opened in 1959. It set the standard for modern-day roller-coaster design.
• Disneyland Park created the first daily operating monorail in the Western Hemisphere. It opened June 14, 1959.
• Disneyland began celebrating seasonal holidays in 1997 with the re-theming of “it’s a small world” as “it’s a small world” Holiday. This was followed by Haunted Mansion Holiday for the Halloween and Christmas seasons beginning in 2001 and Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy starting in the 2009 Halloween season.

Area Lodging: When Disneyland opened, Anaheim had five hotels and two motels with a total of 87 rooms. Today, Anaheim boasts approximately 150 hotels and motels with more than 18,000 rooms.

Guests: More than 750 million guests have passed through the gates of Disneyland since Opening Day, July 17, 1955. During the past 63 years, Disneyland has hosted some of the 20th and 21st century’s most prominent dignitaries, including heads of state, U.S. presidents, sports figures and celebrities.

Work force: The Disneyland Resort work force includes approximately 30,000 cast members.

As we recently shared, you can savor life and all its magic at the Disney Family of Wines Weekend. More info>>  And today we’re sharing even more details!

During this event, you will be able to join representatives from each of the wineries, including Disney Legend Kurt Russell, Producer of GoGi Wines, as they share their stories, recipes, and history of winemaking alongside their personal Disney experiences.  Representatives include:

• Chappellet Vineyard – Jay James, Master Sommelier and Director of Sales 
• Fess Parker Winery & Vineyard – Tim Snider, President of Fess Parker Winery and Vineyard  
• Frank Family Vineyards – Elizabeth Parenteau, Southeast Sales Manager  
• Kurt Russell’s GoGi Wines – Disney Legend Kurt Russell, Producer of GoGi Wines and Jami Russell Way, COO of GoGi wines 
• MacMurray Estate Vineyards – Kate MacMurray, Spokesperson and daughter of winery founder and Disney Legend Fred MacMurray 
• Silverado Vineyards – Jon Emmerich, Winemaker of Silverado Vineyards 
• Skywalker Vineyards – Tom Johnson, General Manager- Skywalker Ranch and Vineyards

Disney Family of Wines  features a carefully crafted list of wines featuring vineyards from all over. Each of these vineyards has its own special tie to Disney’s past, present, and future.  The wines can be found at many restaurants throughout our parks and resorts, such as Carthay Circle Restaurant and Alfresco Tasting Terrace at Disney California Adventure® Park or the Grand Floridian Café and Be Our Guest Restaurant at the Walt Disney World® Resort. 

This package includes 3-days/2-nights:

• 2-night stay at Disney’s Contemporary Resort Main Tower – Lake View on the nights of May 17 and May 18, 2019  
• 4 interactive and specially curated workshops hosted by winery representatives and culinary experts  

Sample Itinerary – Subject to change without notice: 

• May 17 
  • Evening – Welcome Reception 
• May 18  
  • Mid-Morning – Workshop 1 
  • Luncheon Experience – Disney Storytelling 
  • Mid-Afternoon – Workshop 2 
• May 19  
  • Mid-Morning – Workshop 3 
  • Luncheon Experience – Culinary Adventure 
  • Mid-Morning – Workshop 4 
  • Late Afternoon – Farewell Reception

The cost is $2,950 per person, based on adult double occupancy. Space is limited! 

The number of packages available for this offer is limited. Package is available to guests age 21 and older with valid proof of age. Theme park admission is not required to attend events and is not included in this package. Cannot be combined with any other discount of promotion. Package and package components are nontransferable. 

This package is non-refundable for cancellations made 29 days or less prior to arrival or for no-shows. 

Today, Whispering Canyon Café at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge launched a new menu, offering skillets galore! The fun-filled restaurant is known for its sassy cast members, Old Western games, and fine frontier fare, which now includes a whole new array of all-you-care-to-enjoy signature skillets for lunch and dinner (starting today), as well as breakfast skillets (starting March 26). And while your clients chow down on these signature skillets, our rowdy canyon townsfolk are here to serve them, and their boisterous goings-on aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Do the hokey pokey, ring the dinner bell, and even ask for ketchup (at your own risk, of course). But that’s enough hootin’ and hollerin’ for right now – let’s get right into these delicious new items!



Starting with a hearty lunch option, the Signature Lunch Skillet comes with maple-chipotle BBQ slow-smoked pork ribs, barbecued pulled pork, and citrus-herb chicken. 

On the dinner menu, your clients can try the Traditional Dinner Skillet with oak-smoked mustard BBQ beef brisket, maple-chipotle BBQ pork ribs, slow-smoked pulled pork, and citrus-herb chicken. They can also pig out on The “Pig” Dinner Skillet with heaping helpings of braised pork belly, maple-chipotle BBQ pork ribs, slow-smoked pulled pork, and mustard BBQ “piggy wings.” Both of these particular skillets come with western-style sausage as well. 



Sea-farers can order the Land and Sea Dinner Skillet, which comes with house-smoked salmon, citrus herb chicken, vegan sausage, and charred portabellas. 

Your clients can also feast on the Vegan Dinner Skillet – filled with maple-chipotle BBQ jackfruit, spicy vegan sausage, mustard-glazed beefless tips, and herb-brushed trick’n chick’n.

In addition, each one of these hearty all-you-care-to-enjoy skillets comes with a different assortment of sides that may include coleslaw, sautéed green beans, buttered corn, oven-roasted carrots, charred peppers, BBQ cauliflower, Yukon mashed potatoes, or roasted potatoes. Plus, chow down on freshly-baked cornbread served with delicious honey butter with every dinner skillet.  



For dessert, order the Apple Pie. This mouth-watering slice of pie comes dusted with powdered sugar and is served with a big ol’ scoop of vanilla ice cream. 



Thirsty cowpokes will also enjoy a selection of newly-themed cocktails such as the Bourbon Cowboy, which comes garnished with apple slices and pairs great with any lunch and dinner skillet. Selections of wines and draft beers are also available. 



In addition, starting on March 26, your clients will also be able to feast on an array of breakfast skillets. Rise and shine to a delicious chuck wagon breakfast with the Heritage Skillet or the Carnivore Skillet. The Heritage Skillet comes with country potatoes, hickory-smoked bacon, and pork sausage links. For the meat-lovers, the Carnivore Skillet comes loaded with house-smoked ham, hickory-smoked bacon, pork sausage links, and oak-smoked beef brisket. Both of these skillets come with house-made buttermilk-cheddar biscuits, scrambled eggs, and Mickey Waffles. 

For those looking for a lighter start to their morning, the Lighter Side Breakfast Skillet is a great option. It comes with Bircher Muesli (Swiss oatmeal), egg white spinach frittata, turkey bacon and turkey sausage, country potatoes, fresh fruit, yogurt, and of course, more Mickey waffles!

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Effective Friday, March 15, 2019, all Disney Cruise Line Gifts and Amenities, including onboard credits, food & wine, spa and pre-purchase merchandise or beverages, will follow the order deadlines below: 

In addition, a consistent cancellation policy has been established for specialty cake orders. Effective Friday, March 15, 2019,  specialty cake orders may be canclelled up to 7 days prior to the Guests’ sail date for a full refund. 

After a major unveiling of the park this week, here’s what we know about Galaxy’s Edge, including the latest on rides, dining, and an unusual Star Wars-themed hotel. At the end, we also have need-to-know info from a Disney-certified travel agent on planning your own visit to a galaxy far, far away.

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Marvel Studios’ “Captain Marvel” debuted this weekend with a superpowered $455M global opening – the sixth highest global debut of all time. It’s also the biggest ever for March and the second biggest worldwide debut for a superhero film behind only “Avengers: Infinity War.”

The film’s $153M domestic debut is the biggest of the year and among the top 20 debuts of all time. Its $302M international opening weekend is the fifth highest in industry history. The movie opened as the No. 1 western film globally this weekend and posted an opening weekend in the top 10 western debuts of all time in several markets. The top five markets were China, where “Captain Marvel” has grossed $88.6M in its first three days for the third biggest Marvel Studios debut ever there, as well Korea ($24M), UK ($16.5M), Brazil ($13.3M, No. 2 industry debut ever), and Mexico ($12.8M, No. 5 industry debut ever).

Produced by Kevin Feige and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, “Captain Marvel” stars Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ben Mendelsohn, Djimon Hounsou, Lee Pace, Lashana Lynch, Gemma Chan, with Annette Bening, with Clark Gregg, and Jude Law.

This weekend’s results bring the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s combined global box office to nearly $18B across 21 films.

You can camp amid the magic of the great outdoors at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground with this great offer. They can save 20% on campsites most Sunday through Thursday nights April 28 through May 23, 2019. Book through May 23, 2019.With so many unique and exciting things for you to discover at all 4 theme parks, NOW—more than ever—is a terrific time to visit. And, as a Guest of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, you can enjoy a variety of Guest benefits like Extra Magic Hours and complimentary transportation around Walt Disney World® Resort.

Book this offer through May 23, 2019.The number of campsites allocated for this offer is limited. Savings based on the non-discounted price for the same campsite. Length of stay requirements may apply. Offer excludes The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. Advance reservations are required. Cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion.

Only a select few restaurants are approved and highly rated with either the prestigious AAA Diamond or Forbes Travel Guide Stars awards each year. It is with great pleasure we announce two of our Disney restaurants received these impressive accolades for 2019 – Victoria & Albert’sat Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa.

Victoria & Albert’s has received the renowned AAA Five Diamond Award each year since 2000 and, for the second year, the coveted Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Award. Victoria & Albert’s is the only restaurant in the state of Florida to be awarded both the AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Awards – with only 26 other restaurants in the Unites States holding both awards. Every night, Victoria & Albert’s brings guests the ultimate in fine dining with classic Victorian elegance, haute American cuisine, and an atmosphere of refined opulence.

For each consecutive year since 2012, Napa Rose has been honored with the AAA Four Diamond – a distinctive rating for restaurants offering a culinary experience to savor and enjoy. Celebrating the diverse tastes of California, from its coast to its farms, ranches and vineyards, the Napa Rose menu, which changes seasonally, reflects the restaurant’s commitment to sourcing California’s finest, freshest ingredients.

AAA rates and approves nearly 32,000 restaurants throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean. Only 0.2 percent of the restaurants are awarded the AAA Five Diamond rating and 2.1 percent receive the AAA Four Diamond. These ratings represent a combination of overall food, service, décor, and ambiance.

Out of the over 1,600 restaurants across the globe rated by Forbes Travel Guide, only 69 restaurants received the preeminent Five-Star rating. Forbes Travel Guide’s expert inspectors anonymously test each restaurant against up to 900 rigorous standards. Only the best of the best achieves the esteemed Five-Star rating.

Congratulations to both the Victoria & Albert’s and Napa Rose teams for earning these distinguished and celebrated awards.

To book reservations for your Clients at Victoria & Albert’s, call 407-WDW-DVNA (407-939-3862) or go online to book the Dining Room or Queen Victoria’s Room up to 180 days in advance. For more information, visit www.victoria-alberts.com.

Reservations for Napa Rose can be made by calling (714) 781-DINE (3463) or by visiting the Napa Rose page on the Disneyland® Resort website.

Captain Marvel has pummelled the international box office, scoring the sixth-biggest movie debut of all time.

The new Marvel adventure made $153 million in the US, with a worldwide figure of $455 million in all.

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