This summer will bring a transformed land to Disney California Adventure® Park with Pixar Pier, featuring the Incredicoaster – a new experience featuring characters from “The Incredibles.” A super combination of character figures, lighting and special effects will bring the action to life as the Parr family races alongside you in an attempt to catch baby Jack-Jack! In the video below, the Imagineers creating this experience tell you more about the Incredicoaster story and how they approach storytelling on a high-speed attraction. Guests can experience the Incredicoaster this summer at Disney California Adventure Park!
‘The Last Jedi’ Opening To $208M-$214M: How Disney Continues To Win With The ‘Star Wars’ Franchise
Industry estimates project that Episode VIII directed by Rian Johnson will earn $100.4M tonight, easily the second best opening day after Force Awakens‘ $119M, and a three-day between $208M-$214M.
A Dozen “Must-Do’s” You Must Do This Holiday Season at Walt Disney World Resort
The most wonderful time of the year is here, and it’s even more magical at Walt Disney World Resort! Delicious treats, joyous holiday spectaculars and all-around merriment bring the spirit of the season to life across all four theme parks, Disney resort hotels and Disney Springs.
Here’s a list of 12 “must-do’s” during your Christmas vacation at Walt Disney World Resort.
- Sunset Seasons Greetings at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Guests can enjoy all-new spectacular holiday projections displayed on the famous Hollywood Tower Hotel! This new holiday experience runs continuously throughout the night and features animated scenes of Mickey, Minnie and other beloved Disney characters sharing their favorite Christmas stories. Keep an eye out for the billboards that come to life and the falling snow on Sunset Boulevard. Talk about magical!
- New Holiday Kitchens at the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays: Experience the flavors of the holidays, as you meander through World Showcase stopping at each of the festival’s many Holiday Kitchens. These kiosks serve up food and drinks that take the words “warm and cozy” to a whole new level. There’s even a Holiday Kitchen that’s all about sweet treats like snowflake sugar cookies and warm apple fritters with cinnamon ice cream and caramel sauce.
- S’mores, Hot Cocoa and Christmas Carols at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground: Immerse yourself in the yuletide grandeur of the Pacific Northwest at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge where a majestic Christmas tree towers over the resort lobby. Cozy up to the fire and relax with a cup of hot cider or cocoa and holiday treats. For more frontier-style holiday happenings head over to Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground where carolers arrive by hay wagon spreading the sounds of the season.
- Winter Summerland Miniature Golf: Join Santa and his elves at their off-season retreat for two 18-hole adventuresavailable all year-round! The indecisive elves built two courses, one that showcases the warm Florida weather and another that represents the arctic North Pole. What better way to create a new holiday tradition than with family games, Christmas melodies and festive décor?
- Exciting New Holiday Merchandise: Unwrap another holiday tradition – shopping! Disney Springs has almost as many gift options as Santa’s bag. Shoppers will find everything from top-name brands to one-of-a-kind specialty stores. Popular new merchandise items include three new holiday-themed headbands that, much like the highly popular rose gold Minnie Mouse ears, promise to be a holiday hit!
- Jolly Décor: Take in the glistening holiday décor that brightens all four Theme Parks, the Disney resort hotels and Disney Springs! Wreaths, garlands and more surround you with holiday cheer. Giant floating ornaments, sky-high Christmas trees and magical snow flurries create a winter wonderland all around the vacation kingdom.
- Holiday Entertainment at Disney Springs: Every corner of Disney Springs is wrapped and ready for the season with festive holiday décor and seasonal entertainment. This year an expanded Christmas Tree Trail features ten new trees inspired by Disney classics such as Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, Snow White and Dumbo.
- Tasty Treats: Taste the newest Flurry of Fun confections at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. From red velvet whoopee pies decorated with icing garland, ornament pearls, and holiday sprinkles to Olaf Cake Pops and apple cranberry cobblers, these holiday sweets will have you smiling from ear-to-ear!
- Candlelight Processional at Epcot: One of the most beloved Epcot traditions returns with new celebrity narrators. Disney legend Kurt Russell is among the newcomers, along with Pat Sajak, Matt Bomer and CCH Pounder who will join returning favorites Neil Patrick Harris, Whoopi Goldberg, Jaci Velasquez and others. The Candlelight Processional is a retelling of the Christmas story as told by a celebrity narrator accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and mass choir. The show takes place at the America Gardens Theatre nightly at 5:00 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m., Nov. 24-Dec. 30.
- Gingerbread Houses: Explore stunning edible creations at select Walt Disney World resort hotels, like the life-size holiday gingerbread house at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. A giant edible spinning carousel is a holiday tradition at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, while a holiday village with a miniature train takes center stage at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. New this year, Disney’s Contemporary Resort will be home to an 18-foot-tall Cinderella Castle, crafted with thousands of gingerbread blocks, rolled fondant and modeling chocolate.
- Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party: It’s a Christmas party like no other! Each special ticket, limited-attendance event features an exclusive performance of Holiday Wishes fireworks, and the very first performances of other spectaculars like Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, the Frozen Holiday Wish castle-lighting ceremony and Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration stage show. The special party, complete with cookies, cocoa and snow flurries, begins at 7 p.m., after regular park hours. Parties will be held on November 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17, 26 and 28, and December 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21 and 22.
- Meet Santa Claus: A cozy conversation with Father Christmas, himself, makes the holiday season complete. Santa Clauswill park hop to greet guests at Disney Springs and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. He’ll even make an appearance during Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade at Magic Kingdom Park.
Disney is buying most of 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion
Disney is buying a huge chunk of 21st Century Fox in a deal that promises to reshape the media industry and help the entertainment giant fend off digital rivals such as Netflix.
Disney TANGLED The Series: Queen for a Day Review
I have to admit I was pretty excited when I found out that Disney was planning an animated series based on my favorite movie, Tangled. Disney TANGLED The Series is full of great adventures with Rapunzel, Eugene, Pascal and their new friends Cassandra and Varian. I had the lucky opportunity to see the cast up close at the D23 Expo last summer. Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Eden Espinosa, and Jeremy Jordan were part of this amazing panel. They discussed the series and hinted at upcoming storylines. Of course because of his Broadway stardom everyone wanted to know when Jeremy Jordan would finally sing on the series. Well, we finally got our wish. Yes we love whenever Mandy Moore brings Rapunzel to life through song, but Jeremy Jordan can belt out some showstoppers as well. In Queen for a Day, Rapunzel is left in charge of the castle and town while her parents go on a trip by themselves. Rapunzel faces the challenges of pleasing the townspeople and making everyone happy. When a blizzard threatens the safety of her parents and the people of Corona, Rapunzel must make the hardest decisions yet. Meanwhile, Varian has his own challenge as his own father is in danger. This is where we get to hear an amazing song by Jeremy Jordan. In fact, I played that scene several times in a row. You will love this musical addition to the show. TANGLED The Series: Queen for a Day also includes several shorts called “Inside the Journal.” As Rapunzel is my favorite princess and Eugene Fitzherbert is my favorite name in all of Disney, I must recommend that you get yourself a copy of this DVD. The stories are just so much fun for the whole family.
All New Star Wars Day at Sea Experiences Revealed on Disney Cruise Line
Brand new experiences featuring the Dark Side, the Resistance, the droids and more are coming to the Disney Fantasywhen Star Wars Day at Sea returns on 15 special sailings this January through April. Check out some of the new out-of-this-galaxy experiences that are setting sail:
The Dark Side
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- To kick off Star Wars Day at Sea celebrations, in a one-time experience the night before the event, Darth Vader and Stormtroopers will march into the ship’s atrium for an Imperial takeover.
- Kylo Ren will appear in “Jedi Training Academy,” where young Jedi-in-training summon their courage and the Force to face off against Darth Vader and Kylo Ren.
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- Rey will take the stage in the “Summon the Force” nighttime deck show that celebrates great moments from across the Star Wars galaxy including iconic characters and new favorites, complete with an epic fireworks finale accompanied by John Williams’ iconic music.
- In “Porgs Onboard! Scavenger Hunt,” Chewbacca needs help tracking the Porgs that have been wreaking havoc throughout the ship. Guests can help find and decode secret messages to solve a ship-wide quest and be greeted by everyone’s favorite Wookiee at the end of their adventure.
- In the days leading up to the epic celebration, guests check out all of the Star Wars feature films in the Buena Vista Theatre, culminating in a showing of the newest film, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”
Fun for the whole family
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- New in 2018, guests are guaranteed a time to meet and take photographs with C-3PO and R2-D2, Chewbacca and Darth Vader. Before they even step onboard, they have the chance to reserve these character encounters online under the My Disney Cruise section of disneycruise.com.
- Guests can step into the saga and pose with a life-size replica of Han Solo frozen in Carbonite, as well as other cool Star Wars-themed backdrops.
- In Star Wars Drawing Academy, guests can learn to draw some of their favorite Star Warscharacters and a new character from “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”
- Star Wars-themed interactive games, trivia and activities for the whole family will be hosted by Disney cruise staff on the pool deck and in the D Lounge.
These are the droids you’re looking for
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- C-3PO will make an appearance in Star Wars: Command Post in Disney’s Oceaneer Club. During a special activity, children train to be members of the Resistance and fend off the First Order. C-3PO pays a visit to check on their training and further human-cyborg relations.
- Droid Racing is a fast-paced activity that the whole family will enjoy where Guests can race BB-Unit droids around a course in the ship’s atrium.
- In a hands-on activity for families, everyone tests their skills to become master droid builders and create an intergalactic droid.
All of these cool new experiences are included in a Star Wars Day at Sea cruise, and just some of the ways guests can celebrate the legendary adventures and iconic characters from the Star Wars galaxy.
Stay tuned as we share more about the exciting experiences you’ll have on Star Wars Day at Sea during your family’s Caribbean cruise vacation!
Countdown to the New Year at Walt Disney World Resort Theme Parks With Celebratory Events and Toasts
Walt Disney World Resort is the place to count down to 2018 with dining extravaganzas, sparkling toasts, luminous fireworks and rocking New Year’s Eve parties throughout the vacation kingdom. These unforgettable events are filling up quickly and include special ticketed dinner galas, dance parties and more. Here’s the lineup of ways to ring in the New Year:
Magic Kingdom Park
- Fantasy in the Sky Fireworks – Guests will ring in the New Year in front of Cinderella Castle with the cherished fan-favorite fireworks show that will take place Dec. 30 and 31, 2017, beginning at 11:50 p.m. Additional showings will light up the sky both nights at 6:30 p.m.
- Frontierland and Tomorrowland New Year’s Celebration Dance Parties – Put on your dancing shoes and boot-scoot with a hoppin’ beat ‘til midnight in Frontierland. Or jump start the New Year with an upbeat get-together in Tomorrowland, blasting into 2018 with futuristic tunes.
Park hours on Dec. 30 and 31, 2017 are 8 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Epcot
- New Year’s Countdown Fireworks – Say “au revoir” to 2017 around World Showcase as dazzling fireworks light up the sky to welcome 2018 in a booming big way! This one-night spectacular starts at 11:40 p.m.
- New Year’s Eve Parties – A DJ dance party will have guests dancing and grooving “around the world” with special entertainment at the America Garden Stage, Future World Fountain Stage and other areas throughout the park. Just for New Year’s Eve, you can move to your own beat with music playing in your headphones at the “Silent Groove” dance party that will take place at Future World Center.
- New Year’s Eve Buffet Dinner – Sip and dip your way into 2018 by indulging in a lavish buffet of savory foods and decadent desserts at this ticketed event in World Showplace. For reservations, visit disneyworld.com/holidays or call (407) WDW-DINE (3463).
Park hours on Dec. 31, 2017 are 9 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
- New Year’s Eve Dance Party – Revelers will get the party started with a DJ dance party all around Center Stage in front of the Chinese Theatre with special projections on the theatre. The fun starts at 7 p.m. on Dec. 31. Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!, the nighttime holiday show will take place at 8 p.m. wrapping fireworks, state-of-the-art projections, special effects and music into one grand spectacle. The elaborate nightly themed firework show, Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular, will bring in the New Year with a special twist at midnight!
Park hours on Dec. 31, 2017 are 9 a.m. to midnight.
EW Details Revealed for Terralina Crafted Italian, Coming to Disney Springs in Early 2018
Earlier this year, the Levy Restaurant group debuted Paddlefish, a seafood-centric signature restaurant located in the heart of Disney Springs®. Soon, they will unveil their newest venue: Terralina Crafted Italian, expected to transport guests to “la dolce vita,” (the sweet life) essence of the spectacular Lake District of Northern Italy.
The restaurant will open in early 2018 and details on the menu are expected soon. Stay tuned for more details about the dishes and drinks planned for Terralina Crafted Italian.
Video – Behind the Scenes: ‘Flurry of Fun’ Celebration at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Guests are having a “flurry of fun” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios this holiday season. This park-wide celebration includes Sunset Seasons Greetings, an immersive new nighttime experience that wraps all of Sunset Boulevard in holiday magic with jolly decorations; the nightly “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!” projection and fireworks show; a chance to meet Santa Claus; seasonal treats and more.
This Father and Daughter Rode Every Disney World Ride in One Day
Father-daughter time is different for every family, but your quality time probably can’t beat spending 17 hours at Walt Disney World.
