WDW Daily News

We’re just a few months away from the debut of “Disney Starlight: Dream the Night Away,” an all-new nighttime parade that will light up the streets of Magic Kingdom Park this summer! To get ready for the big day, the Disney Live Entertainment team has been busy designing and choreographing in Florida, recording music in London and checking in on float construction across the U.S.  

And to get our guests ready, we’re sharing some exciting updates you won’t want to miss.  

“Disney Starlight” Official Poster 

Let’s kick things off with a first look at the official poster for “Disney Starlight.” This design, which will take its place amongst the iconic artwork below the Main Street, U.S.A. train station, captures the creative vision for the parade by showcasing both modern stories and familiar nostalgia.  

And those who have been following “Disney Starlight” updates closely may notice some friends on the poster who haven’t been talked about yet.  

“Disney Starlight” Coco Float 

“Disney Starlight” will get un poco loco with a new Coco float at Magic Kingdom! In a celebration of the Pixar Animation Studios film, sounds of Mariachi music will announce the arrival of a larger-than-life Pepita, wings spread above the parade route. Below, Miguel will strum his guitar at the foot of a marigold bridge to the Land of the Dead, complete with sugar skull fireworks.  

This new Coco float is an explosion of color and light guests won’t want to miss. 

Other “Disney Starlight” Floats and Can’t-Miss Details  

All the “Disney Starlight” floats from our poster may now be revealed, but there are more surprises in store — including a few details some may have missed!  

The very first float sets the tone for our star-kissed constellation of Disney dreams, all brought to life by the magic of the Blue Fairy. See that glowing star at the end of the Blue Fairy’s wand? To paraphrase a fan-favorite Magic Kingdom nighttime spectacular, that’s actually the “first star you’ll see tonight.” Guests will be invited to wish upon this very bright star to kick off our parade. 

Peter Pan, Wendy and Elsa will be arriving on their own floats too! 

We can’t wait for Isabela to make her Magic Kingdom debut alongside her fellow Madrigal family members in the Encanto portion of “Disney Starlight.” In true Isabela fashion, she’ll swing on floral vines just like she does in the film.   

Main Street, U.S.A. will also “make way” for a Moana float, complete with gorgeous, luminescent waves. While Moana takes center stage, one might notice Pua, HeiHei, and even a manta ray representing Gramma Tala joining her journey.    

A peek at the “Disney Starlight!” princess float was shared, which revealed the influence of Disney Legend and artist Mary Blair on the unit’s design. This float will feature beloved princes and princesses like Aurora and Prince Phillip, Tiana and Prince Naveen, Belle and the Beast, and Cinderella and Prince Charming. 

But not seen in the artwork is the royal court dancers who will bookend this princess segment – one of many references to the classic “Main Street Electrical Parade.”   

Our waltzing princesses aren’t the only royalty in “Disney Starlight,” but that’s enough for today! More details will be shared in the coming months!  

March 8, 2025

Life is an off-road rally race, and Lightning McQueen, Mater, and the rest of the cars from Pixar Animation Studios’ Cars are going to ride it all night long.

First announced at last year’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, a brand-new Cars themed area is speeding in to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Here, the Cars crew leaves Radiator Springs behind and heads off into the frontier to put their wheels to the test.

Now at The Future of World-Building at Disney panel at SXSW, Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter, and Imagineer Michael Hundgen teased that guests will need to strap in because they’re in the process of creating a new type of ride vehicle for this experience.

“Our primary goal is creating an emotional experience for our guests,” Hundgen told the crowd. “For this Cars attraction, we need to invent a new type of ride vehicle. No one builds these in a factory because it has to do so much more than just carrying you from one place to another. We have to create a car that conveys a feeling when you ride in it.”

The team took a trip out to the Arizona desert to jump in a real off-road vehicle to see what it felt like driving over the rocky terrain. These are all things Lightning McQueen and Mater haven’t experienced before, like racing over rocky terrain, ascending to mountain peaks, and dodging around geysers — how do you take these real-world elements and put a Cars spin on it?

From there, the Imagineers worked with a motocross company to build a real dirt track to race around on and took that data back to begin work on creating how the ride vehicles will eventually move and race.

“We’re using a customized production vehicle,” Hundgen continued. “It has sensors all over it, and we’re taking it for test drives on our dirt track to gather data on how the vehicle responds to different terrain. This is where we turn that feeling we want into real-world engineering,” Michael explained.

But all this talk about cars, what do they look like?

That’s where the Pixar team steps in. For some show and tell to get the crowd revved up, Docter shared some early concept sketches with the audience, teasing that they’re creating “new race car personalities for this attraction. Each vehicle in the ride will have its own name and number, just like a real race.”

March 8, 2025

When the team at Pixar Animation Studios start dreaming up new worlds and places to visit in the movies, there’s a little voice inside their head (an emotion, maybe) asking, “Is this something Imagineers could create, and we could walk into?” If the answer is no, they keep working.

But if the answer is yes… well it’s time to partner with the team at Walt Disney Imagineering to see if it’s possible to bring that space to life in one of the Disney Parks around the world.

Taking to the stage during The Future of World-Building at Disney panel at SXSW, Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter and Imagineer Michael Hundgen walked the crowd through their latest upcoming immersive space to occupy Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Monstropolis.

First announced at last year’s D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Imagineers are hard at work bringing the world of Pixar Animation Studios’ Monsters, Inc. to life — and that includes its monster inhabitants, James P. Sullivan, Mike Wazowski, and more. While getting to walk through the streets of Monstropolis is exciting enough, the land will include a signature attraction where guests embark on a thrilling roller coaster ride through the Monsters, Inc. door vault.

“Imagineers have been itching to turn that moment into an attraction ever since we saw it for the first time,” Hundgen teased.

While many details about the attraction are still locked up in a laugh canister, the Imagineering team is ready to reveal the load area for the attraction. The upcoming door ride will feature the first-ever suspended coaster at a Disney Park, and the first-ever vertical lift. Get ready to scream — not out of fright, but fun. 

Showing off a new animatic of the attraction, guests will board the vehicle before being hoisted into the air (just like in the movie!) to zoom into the door vault. It’s going to be, “an experience that’s as memorable and fun as the film,” Hundgen continued.

“I can tell you that everyone at Pixar is excited about how this is coming together,” Docter told the crowd. “It really is like a dream come true for us.”

March 8, 2025

A new adventure is coming your way, so prepare to jump to lightspeed. First announced at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, a new adventure featuring Mando, the titular Mandalorian from The Mandalorian, is coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. And yes, Grogu’s coming along for the ride, too. This exciting update to Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run will debut on May 22, 2026.

During The Future of World-Building at Disney panel at SXSW, The Mandalorian creator and Disney Legend Jon Favreau was joined onstage by Imagineers Leslie Evans and Asa Kalama to talk about what’s coming soon to Batuu.

“One of the cool things about Disney is how we can tell our stories in so many different formats,” Favreau told the crowd. “We’re already taking Mando and Grogu from the TV screen to the movie screen, and at the same time, [The Mandalorian executive producer] Dave [Filoni] and I are working with Asa to bring this story to the Disney parks, too.”

It’s something that can only be done at Disney, bringing avid Star Wars fans closer to the stories they know and love via the innovative magic at Disney Parks. This update is only a parsec or two away — both the movie and this update to Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run will debut on May 22, 2026.

“Opening an attraction and a such a massive movie on the same day wouldn’t be possible without the relationships we have inside Disney,” Kalama added. “Jon and Dave have shared their story with us, and now we’ve all worked together to come up with a new mission for Smugglers Run that plays into this narrative.”

Working alongside The Mandalorian team, the Imagineers captured scenes for the attraction on the movie set, and you might see some familiar (and beloved) locations aboard the Falcon. Care for a trip to Cloud City, anyone?

“This isn’t going to retell what happens in the movie – it’s more like participating in something that’s happening just off-camera from what you see in the film,” Favreau explained.

But that’s not the only thing making the jump from the parks to the movies, and vice versa. You might have seen the playful BDX droids puttering around Disneyland before, and soon they’ll make a trip around the world to visit Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. And that’s in addition to the little droids appearing in The Mandalorian, too.

Going from Imagineering to the parks, to their feature film debut, is a lot for the droids. With all this work, they’re sure to need a tune-up eventually and don’t worry, Imagineering already has the right creature for the job.

As previously seen in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and the latest season of The Mandalorian, say hello to an Anzellan, who specializes in tuning up droids. Just maybe don’t make him too cranky.

May the Force be with you. See you onboard the Falcon, on May 22, 2026.

Ahoy! We’re excited to give you an exclusive look at even more firsts coming to the Disney Adventure when the ship sets sail from Singapore later this year!

Show Off Your Super Hero Style  

At the all-new Marvel Style Studio, guests of all ages will celebrate fan-favorite Marvel Super Heroes with hair, makeup and clothing options inspired by the larger-than-life icons from the Marvel Universe. From Iron Man, Spider-Man and Captain America to Captain Marvel, Thor and Black Panther, the looks will be super. At select times during the cruise, the sleek space will transform into an adults-only lounge offering bookable beverage tastings.

After their Marvel styling is complete, guests can continue their epic Avengers-level adventure at Marvel Landing for fun on the ship’s three new attractions – Ironcycle Test Run, Pym Quantum Racers and Groot Galaxy Spin.

Spend the Day with Duffy

Duffy and Friends fans, get excited! The beloved friends are taking to the high seas for the first time with an all-new show, delightful character encounters, specialty retail shop and more.

Debuting on the Disney Imagination Garden stage, “Duffy and The Friend Ship” will bring you on a journey filled with joy, inspiration and original new songs. Guided by the seagull Tippy Blue, Duffy and Friends will set off on an imaginary voyage to explore the seas on a charming adventure.

Guests can also meet and take photos with Duffy and his cheery group of friends. Make sure to stop by the Duffy and Friends Shop where you’ll find a variety of items featuring favorite characters and pick up a guide for the Duffy and Friends Discovery Quest. During this ship-wide journey, guests will follow the clues to help Duffy and his friends find their missing items and earn a special commemorative gift that’s perfect for a cruise adventure.

Experience the Royal Treatment 

Hear ye, Hear ye! Children onboard the Disney Adventure will be cordially invited to a charming royal tea party with some favorite Disney Princesses at the all-new Royal Society for Friendship and Tea. An enchanting afternoon of scrumptious treats, captivating stories and whimsical music will teach children the society’s values of kindness, bravery and determination. Each royal guest will conclude this majestic experience by taking home official society membership keepsakes.

Disney Cruise Line favorite Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique will return to provide an enchanted salon experience for younger guests ages 3 to 12. From elegant royalty to adventurous sea captains, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique will make any child’s storybook fantasy come to life with magical transformations featuring a variety of costumes, hairstyling, makeup and accessories.

Yo ho! Live a Pirate’s Life

Join Captain Jack Sparrow and his band of pirates as they battle with an ink-squirting giant squid and hunt for a rare, dazzling treasure during “Captain Jack Sparrow & The Siren Queen.” This all-new show coming to the Disney Imagination Garden stage will have swashbucklers of all ages singing a hearty “Yo ho!” as you’re recruited for a thrilling journey with the sea’s most charming, yet roguish, captain and his pirate crew.

The Disney Adventure is getting ready to set sail later this year.

February 18, 2025

Beginning Feb. 25, guests can experience Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Magic Kingdom and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT through a standby queue or as a Lightning Lane experience.

While no longer available after Feb. 25, virtual queues continue to be helpful with the launch of popular attractions and the debut of new experiences and offerings, so Disney may use them again from time to time for select experiences in the future. 

EPCOT is at its most beautiful in the spring when the park transforms with the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival March 5 through June 2. Guests can enjoy their time strolling among the bright flower towers, taking in the blanket of colorful blooms along the World Showcase Bridge, and finding favorite topiaries throughout the park. This year is the culmination of 30 years of horticulture magic, as we celebrate three decades of Flower & Garden!

Whether this is their thirtieth year of visiting or their first, here are eight all-new experiences coming to this year’s festival!

1. There’s No Telling How Far These Topiaries Will Grow

An all-new topiary display will be making big waves this year at the main entrance of EPCOT – make way for Maui, Moana, HeiHei and Pua! Crafted with an artist’s careful eye and the horticulturalist’s loving care, these new topiaries will be the perfect welcome to guests walking into the park for a full day of floral fun.

2. One Little Spark of Photo Inspiration

Our friends over at Disney PhotoPass Service are unparalleled when it comes to creative ways to sprinkle extra pixie dust over guest photos. Guests can make plans to graft special Magic Shots onto their day with a bouquet of cool returning effects, as well as two new shots – including this particularly inspiring Figment Topiary Magic Shot. 

3. Ahoy – Family Fun Ahead!

If EPCOT is a family favorite, then guests know just how valuable it is to stay at an EPCOT region resort; strolling from their room right to International Gateway is a lovely way to start their day. Speaking of the EPCOT region resorts, the new Playalong Bay Play Garden presented by Smucker’s Uncrustables pays homage to one of our famous resort pools, mixing fun for the whole family with adventure on the high seas. This new nautically inspired playground will be located between the Imagination! pavilion and the entrance to World Showcase. 

4. Enjoy a Seaside Bounty

Flanking the Playalong Bay Play Garden presented by Smucker’s Uncrustables, find two new Outdoor Kitchens with menus full of seafood goodness: Yacht Grub and Beach Grub. Keep an eye on the Disney Parks Blog for more menu information to sprout once the Foodie Guide goes into bloom.

And, if guests are wondering where returning favorite Outdoor Kitchens Florida Fresh and EPCOT Farmers Feast will be – they will be in their new locations at CommuniCore Plaza at the servery window and inside CommuniCore Hall, respectively.

5. A Whole Crop of Festival Merchandise

Grab a bushel of great new gear with this year’s lineup of festival merchandise! Guests can celebrate the festival’s 30^thanniversary from head to toe with a matching shirt and shorts set or a bright new spirit jersey – both featuring everyone’s favorite citrusy friend, Orange Bird, and the 30^th anniversary logo. 

For fans of Spike the Bee, guests can pack their garden party odds and ends inside a cute Lug Bag that’s sweeter than honey. They’ll feel right at home touring around the park (perhaps partaking in Spike’s Pollination Exploration scavenger hunt?) with a Spike the Bee Shoulder Plush.  

Speaking of a garden party, how cute is this “Alice In Wonderland” collection? Guests can find their inner Mad Hatter with the cutest pair of Alice In Wonderland Ears and gather some friends for a spot of tea during their next unbirthday party with a charming teacup set. 

6. Jump for Joy with a New Garden Destination

A bouquet is worth a thousand words! Guests can stop by World Celebration to discover the language of emotions as shown in plants with a new garden inspired by “Inside Out 2.”

7. They So Totally Rock!

Recently, the lineup of performers coming to the Garden Rocks Concert Series was revealed – you may have heard from the grapevine that we’re welcoming five new performers:

• March 30-31 – Queensrÿche (NEW)
• May 11-12 – Maverick City Music (NEW)
• May 23-24 – The Outlaws (NEW)
• May 30-31 – The Cat Empire (NEW)
• June 1-2 – We The Kingdom (NEW) 

8. Turn Over a New Leaf at CommuniCore Hall

There’s a new activation getting ready to bloom at CommuniCore Hall! Get a bee’s eye view at CommuniCore Hall, with a new gallery that is larger than life! Guests can grab a bite at EPCOT Farmers Feast and learn more about how Disney’s Horticulture team brings topiaries, flower towers and more to the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.

Now that’s a full, healthy harvest of new fun coming to this year’s festival! Guests can start planning their visits now for the most beautiful time of year.

See ya real soon at the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival, March 5-June 2, 2025!

Don’t let Florida’s recent brush with snow fool you, the springtime splendor of the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival is just weeks away – and that means the return of the Garden Rocks Concert Series!

From March 5 to June 2, 2025, internationally recognized artists as well as local bands will take the stage at America Gardens Theatre, rounding out a day full of fresh flavors, dazzling blooms, and the coolest character-themed topiaries.

Here’s a look at this year’s rockin’ lineup:

March 7-8 – Tommy DeCarlo, former lead singer of Boston
March 9-10 – Air Supply – 50^thAnniversary Celebration
March 14-15 – Blue October
March 16-17 – Rick Springfield
March 21-22 – Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
March 23-24 – 38 Special
March 28-29 – Jason Scheff, longtime singer of Chicago
March 30-31 – TBD
April 4-5 – THE ORCHESTRA Starring ELO and ELO Part II Former Members
April 6-7 – Sugar Ray
April 11-12 – Simple Plan
April 13-14 – Jo Dee Messina
April 18-19 – Mike DelGuidice
April 20-21 – A Flock of Seagulls
April 25-26 – Taylor Dayne
April 27-28 – 98 Degrees
May 2-5 – Plain White T’s
May 9-10 – Jon Secada
May 11-12 – Maverick City Music (NEW)
May 16-17 – The Spinners
May 18-19 – The Pointer Sisters
May 23-24 – The Outlaws (NEW)
May 25-26 – Don Felder, formerly of the Eagles
May 30-31 – The Cat Empire (NEW)
June 1-2 – We The Kingdom (NEW)

Beginning January 29, you can secure your spot at the show by reserving a Garden Rocks Dining Package available Friday-Monday. 

Can you taste the flavor tonight? The talented culinary teams have been working on delicious dishes to celebrate Valentine’s Day at both Walt Disney Worldand Disneyland Resort. While this holiday may be on Feb. 14, some of these lovely libations and bites are available now, giving plenty of time for your taste buds to fall in love with these delights. 

This year, guests can feast their eyes – and stomach – upon these items. With new items that are (almost) too adorable to eat, like the Carl and Ellie Petit Cake from Amorette’s Patisserie, to returning favorites, like the Raspberry Macaron Heart from various resorts at Walt Disney Word and the Strawberry Cheesecake Minnie Caramel Apple from the brand-new Disney Wonderful World of Sweets, guests won’t want to miss anything.

I think it’s time we get to it, don’t you? I am pleased to present this year’s Foodie Guide to Valentine’s Day at Disney Parks!

Read more

January 24, 2025

There are a lot of new adventures planned at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – from monsters and mermaids to villains and more. There’s huge excitement around the new Monsters, Inc-themed land and more details were shared today about timelines for that area of the park. 

Construction on the land is ready to begin and progress walls begin installation in the area before the end of March. This means that Cast at Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano will serve their final Guests on May 10.

As for Muppet*Vision 3D and PizzeRizzo, Guests will have some additional time to enjoy these areas as we kick-off a glorious 5-month finale before these areas have their final curtain call on June 7.

It’s no secret that the Muppets have a special place in our hearts and we are exploring ways to preserve the Muppet*Vision 3D film and other parts of the experience for generations to come. And don’t forget! Kermit, Miss Piggy and friends are soon headed just across the park to their new home on Sunset Boulevard. More to come about that timeline. 

Stay tuned for more details in the future.