A few days ago, the Walt Disney World Resort announced that PizzeRizzo (the new quick-service location that replaced the former “Pizza Planet“ restaurant at Disney’s Hollywood Studios) will officially open on November 18, 2016.
Shanghai Disneyland to add Toy Story Land
Construction of Toy Story Land has begun at Shanghai Disneyland, the giant theme park and resort that opened in mainland China in June. The land will be the seventh at the park and is set to open in 2018.
Disney can fly drones after unblocking its parks’ no-fly zones
For their high price of admission, Disneyland and Disney World offer park-wide immersion and entertainment capped off with nightly shows and seasonal fireworks.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios Sparkles with Endless Magic During the 2016 Holiday Season
An all-new nighttime spectacular, “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!,” premieres at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Nov. 14-Dec. 31, sending beloved Disney animated characters on a spirited yuletide adventure to get Santa back to the North Pole in time for Christmas Eve. “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!” combines state-of-the-art projections, fireworks, special effects and Christmas music to create a dazzling, one-of-a-kind holiday experience for guests – capped by a special message from Santa himself.
A new dessert party themed to the show will be offered nightly, one hour prior to each performance, in the courtyard of the Chinese Theater. Guests who book the “Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!” Holiday Party enjoy holiday-inspired snacks, decadent desserts and specialty beverages. Guests can call 407/WDW-DINE or visit Disneyworld.com to reserve their spot (Nov. 14-Dec. 17, $69 adults, $39 children, including taxes and gratuities; Dec. 18-31 $79 adults, $45 children, including taxes and gratuities).
New for 2016 is the opportunity to meet Santa Claus at the Once Upon a Time shop starting Nov. 14. The beautiful and vintage setting reflects the bygone days of Santa’s visits to the great department stores across the country.
During the holiday season, “Tinsel Town” takes on a new meaning at the theme park celebrating the magic of movies and television. A giant Christmas tree towers over the main entrance, holiday displays capture the imagination, shops along Hollywood Boulevard welcome holiday shoppers and colorful garlands and lights sparkle throughout the park.
A CHOCOLATE BUG’S LIFE AT EPCOT’S FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL BY SAM ALLEN
Over the course of Disney•Pixar’s “A Bug’s Life,” Heimlich the Caterpillar is shown to have a nearly insatiable appetite. As a result, one wonders what his reaction would be to find that his likeness…
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Brings the Joy of the Holidays to Magic Kingdom Park
Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy and dozens of their other Disney pals help ring in the festive spirit of the holiday season during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom Park.
On select nights from Nov. 7 – Dec. 22, guests with tickets to this special, after-hours event can enjoy an evening filled with all the magic and wintry wonderment of the season, complete with complimentary hot cocoa and cookies, snow flurries falling on Main Street, U.S.A., a jolly parade, breathtaking fireworks show and A Frozen Holiday Wish, where Queen Elsa from “Frozen” uses her powers to create a sparkling icy centerpiece for the celebration.
New this year, Mickey and his pals invite some of their friends over for an unforgettable Christmas party filled with music, dancing, color and fun in a new castle stage show, “Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration”. This spectacular show includes medleys of delightful holiday songs both classic and contemporary, along with special effects and magical projections on Cinderella Castle.
Twice during party nights, guests can enjoy “Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade” and watch as more than 160 performers, 12 floats and catchy Christmas music light up the streets of Magic Kingdom Park. Festive floats, toy soldiers, gingerbread men, skiers and ice skaters bring the sights, sounds and even the smells of the holidays to life at 8:30p.m. and 10:30p.m. each night of the party.
Sweet aromas of peppermint and gingerbread leap out of the kitchen and onto Main Street, U.S.A. from Goofy’s Candy Company and the Bake Shoppe floats, while the scents of fresh-cut evergreens and pine trees wafts from the Christmas Tree and the Ski Shoppe float.
Guests can dance with polar bears and gingerbread men at Club Tinsel Character Dance Party held at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café.
2016 party dates are:
- Nov. 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 18, 27, and 29
- Dec. 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 11, 13, 15, 16, 18, and 22
For ticket prices* or to purchase tickets for this special holiday party, guests may visit Disneyworld.com or call 407/WDW-7679. The party starts at 7 p.m., but party guests with tickets will be allowed admission into Magic Kingdom beginning at 4 p.m. on party nights.
*Tickets for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party start at $86 for ages 3-9, and can range to $91 for ages 10 and up. This price may vary depending on the party night selected to attend, and does not include tax.
– See more at: http://wdwnews.com/releases/2016/11/08/mickeys-very-merry-christmas-party-brings-the-joy-of-the-holidays-to-magic-kingdom-park/#sthash.4CCswd3a.dpuf
Moana reviews: Disney’s animated adventure charts a dazzling journey
Disney Animation Studios’ long-awaited, ocean-centric Moana finally sets sail later this month, with strong early reviews guiding the film along what critics are calling a magical journey into somewhat familiar territory.
Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse from Walt Disney World® will lead an unforgettable tree-lighting parade down North Michigan Avenue
The BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival® invites visitors to kick off the holiday season with two days of family fun—November 18 and 19! On Saturday evening, November 19, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse from Walt Disney World® will lead an unforgettable tree-lighting parade down North Michigan Avenue, illuminating more than one million lights from Oak Street to the Chicago River.
“Each year, BMO Harris Bank looks forward to bringing together friends and families from all communities across Chicagoland to participate in the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival holiday festivities,” said Justine Fedak, SVP, Marketing, BMO Harris Bank. “We’ve been part of this magical celebration for over a decade now and it’s our diverse neighborhoods coming together on this very special occasion that makes it my favorite event of the year!”
Beginning on Friday afternoon, November 18 at 4:00PM, Lights Festival Lane (401 N. Michigan Avenue) promises an interactive wonderland of free, holiday-themed activities. BMO Harris Bank presents an immersive virtual reality experience at the BMO Dome, inviting visitors to “Show Your Light” by writing a holiday message using Virtual Reality (VR) headsets. All written messages will be projected on the 30′ tent.
The beautifully-lit BMO Dome will be the focal point of a special dedication at 5:00PM to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Lights Festival. The moment will feature live music; Hubert the Lion and friends from BMO Harris Bank; a giant cheesecake from The Eli’s Cheesecake Company; and an address from the event’s founders.
The fun continues Saturday morning, November 19 at 11:00AM. Santa Claus will greet festivalgoers at a brand-new Santa Chaletpresented by the Illinois Office of Tourism, complete with wintry animals provided by Brookfield Zoo. The BMO Harris Bank Kids Zone tent will be full of larger-than-life games provided by the Chicago Toy and Game Fair, along with free face painting. Guests can enjoy interactive activities from the Disney Store, Museum of Science & Industry and more; and sample treats from local favorites like Garrett Popcorn Shop and Connie’s Pizza.
Subaru will have a display at Lights Festival Lane featuring the all-new 2017 Impreza. Guests can get their photo taken with a professionally carved ice scene and help themselves to holiday-themed giveaways.
Saturday’s festivities lead up to the much-anticipated tree-lighting parade, the country’s largest evening holiday celebration. The parade begins at 5:30PM as Grand marshals Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse join classic characters from Walt Disney World®, including newcomers Woody and Jessie from Toy Story; and lead more than 40 magnificent floats, helium-filled balloons and five marching bands from across the country down the route.
“25 years ago, our hope was the lighting of the trees would become a holiday highlight and mark a new chapter for North Michigan Avenue,” says Marc Schulman, founder of the event in 1992. “None of this would have been possible without the strong volunteer leadership of The Magnificent Mile Association. Now, it’s the most magical moment of the year!”
Audiences can expect crowd favorites to return, including the larger-than-life Hubert the Lion balloon from BMO Harris Bank and the world-famous scent of Garrett Popcorn Shop’s popcorn infused from the shop’s float. In the spirit of sharing light in the community, Northwestern Medicine invites organ transplant recipients and donors, as well as their family members, to ride on their float. Santasoars down the parade route on a float from the Illinois Office of Tourism to officially signal the start of the holiday season.
This year, BMO extended an invitation to several inspiring Chicagoans to join them on the BMO Harris Bank Community Float along the parade route. The invitation extends from civic and religious leaders to the most innocent who have been victims of gun violence in their own backyards and have overcome adversity so bravely.
Celebrity appearances include the Disney pop band trio Forever in Your Mind; actor and singer, Drew Lachey of 98 Degrees; country superstar, Jo Dee Messina, presented by Southwest Airlines; Grammy-winning jazz vocalist, Kurt Elling; powerhouse vocalist, MARi; Chicago-based acapella group, The Remedy; and the award-winning Blue Man Group.
The BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival draws to a grand conclusion with a spectacular fireworks display over the Chicago River.
The nationally-televised event will be hosted by ABC 7 Eyewitness News Anchors Cheryl Burton and Rob Elgas on Saturday, November 19 from 6 – 7 PM CST on ABC 7 Chicago, with anchor Judy Hsu and entertainment reporter Janet Davies capturing the magic from the street.
The Lights Festival parade will also be streamed LIVE on the ABC App and will be available on-demand at abc7chicago.com. The broadcast will air in more than 90% of markets around the United States throughout the holiday season, with repeat airings in multiple markets. Viewers can find their local broadcast times at TheMagnificentMile.com or check their local listings to relive the magic.
The BMO Harris Bank Magnificent Mile Lights Festival is also the perfect time to get a start on holiday shopping! Seasonal promotions and holiday happenings from area shops, restaurants, hotels and attractions continue into the new year.
For more information, visit TheMagnificentMile.com and follow The Magnificent Mile on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and foursquare.
CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY SEASON AT DISNEY SPRINGS
Disney Springs™ is the place to be throughout the holidays. During this festive celebration from Nov. 11-Jan. 8, 2017, guests can say hello to an entire winter “wanderland” of over 80 stores—including unique boutiques and name-brand shops. They can indulge in more than 10 delicious new eateries with mouthwatering cuisine from celebrity chefs. And, they can get in the holiday spirit with a spectacular variety of live entertainment with surprises around every corner—including a sleigh full of festivities, a brand-new Christmas tree trail and so much more.
New this year, the Disney Springs’ Christmas Tree Trail captures the spirit of the holidays with 15 custom decorated holiday trees at the Disney Springs Marketplace, each dedicated to a popular Disney theme – including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Disney Villains, “Moana,“ “Beauty and the Beast,“ “Cinderella,“ “Frozen,“ “The Jungle Book,“ “Tangled“ and more!
Also at the Disney Springs Marketplace, guests can experience The Festival of Toys at the Once Upon a Toy Fountain. Toys have magically come alive for an interactive holiday dance party nightly on the plaza. Plus, there’s pin trading, a nightly tree lighting ceremony and more.
And, this holiday season, the idea of “wishing upon a star” will take on an even more magical meaning in the skies of Disney Springs.
Disneyland Resort Celebrates the Holidays with New Fun and Entertainment
It’s the season for celebrations as Holidays at the Disneyland Resort launches Nov. 10, inviting family and friends to make magical memories together. This year, guests will have even more to celebrate as they discover the new Festival of Holidays, with music, dance, food and heartwarming holiday festivities inspired by cultural traditions from around the world.
Also new for the season is the holiday-themed “World of Color—Season of Light,” a nighttime water spectacular that will inspire guests with cherished holiday music and treasured Disney animation. This fourth all-new production of “World of Color” creates a sparkling winter fantasy with magical storytelling, brilliant lights, lasers and high-definition projectors, along with fountains that shoot as high as 200 feet to create the giant screens of water. Princess Elena of Avalor also makes her debut at the Disneyland Resort during Festival of Holidays, performing in a colorful cavalcade.
Holidays at the Disneyland Resort is a time many guests celebrate as an annual tradition, visiting the parks for Disney-themed treats, snowfall on Main Street U.S.A., the glistening décor and holiday entertainment. This year, guests will find Santa Claus in a fun, new location at Disney California Adventure Park, at Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, and guests at Disneyland Park will enjoy the one-of-a-kind transformations that create “it’s a small world” Holiday, Jingle Cruise and Haunted Mansion Holiday. Now celebrating its 20thholiday season, “it’s a small world” Holiday has added some “Hidden 20s” for guests to discover on their voyage.
At Disney California Adventure Park
- The new Festival of Holidays celebrates holiday festivities of diverse cultures with music, dance and craft-making, plus food at the Festive Foods Marketplace. The daily lineup of entertainment includes nearly 50 performances of nine unique shows, with special Disney characters, street parties, cavalcades, musical ensembles and dance performances. The celebrations include Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas/Navidad and Three Kings Day. Guests can look for performances of traditional Indian dance that builds to a Bollywood party, a Klezmer band with a new global sound, the Mariachi Divas and an a cappella vocal group that puts an R&B spin on holiday songs.
- Princess Elena, the first Disney Princess inspired by diverse Latin American cultures, will make her Disneyland Resort debut as part of the Festival of Holidays. She will perform a song in “Princess Elena’s Musical Grand Arrival,” and she will appear at a character greeting location. Guests will recognize this brave and adventurous teenager from the Disney Channel series “Elena of Avalor.”
- The popular Disney ¡Viva Navidad! also returns as part of the fun at Festival of Holidays, with a wonderful finale to celebrate Three Kings Day (Dia de los Reyes). The special festivities for Three Kings Day will run Jan. 5-8, 2017, including music and storytelling in Paradise Garden. Treats for this holiday will include traditional Rosca de Reyes bread.
- “World of Color – Season of Light” brings the warmth and heartfelt spirit of the holidays to this stunning, nighttime water spectacular, with its 1,200 powerful fountains shooting water as high as 200 feet to help tell the story. The show’s musical soundtrack features some well-known musical artists performing popular holiday tunes, including “Let it Snow” by Dean Martinand “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” by Michael Buble and Idina Menzel. With classic holiday music, humor and memorable moments from Disney animated films, this becomes an ideal way for guests to conclude their holiday visit.
- Jolly old St. Nick arrives at Redwood Creek Challenge Trail for Santa’s Holiday Visit. His joyful elves have transformed the trail into a magical playground of holiday fun and games, including opportunities for guests to join the ranks of Santa’s elves.
- The residents of Cars Land decorate for the holidays, beginning with a whimsical “snowcar” that greets guests on the road to Radiator Springs. Each address along Route 66–from Flo’s V-8 Café to Luigi’s Casa della Tires–features holiday décor that reflects the personality of the “Cars” character who lives there.
- “a bug’s land” transforms for the holidays, too, as Flik and his bug friends deck their land with oversized lights and ornaments.
- A dazzling, 50-foot Christmas tree adorns Carthay Circle, drawing guests into the holiday magic along Buena Vista Street. The tree and surrounding buildings, inspired by Los Angeles as it appeared when Walt Disney arrived in the 1920s, create scenes of another era with vintage-style decor.
At Disneyland Park
- Disney characters celebrate the season in “A Christmas Fantasy” parade, a daily procession with floats, music, marching “tin soldiers” and holiday cheer. Santa, who makes a jolly appearance in the parade, also will be found welcoming guests at his special location in Critter Country while he visits Disneyland.
- The classic Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle brightens the park nightly with magical snowfall moments along Main Street, U.S.A., concluding with “Believe … in Holiday Magic” fireworks and its stirring snowfall finale.
- Twinkling lights, festive holiday garland and nearly 1,800 ornaments decorate the soaring Christmas tree in Town Square, Main Street, U.S.A., an ideal place for guests to begin their holiday traditions. The Christmas tree becomes an enchanting place for guests to take their holiday photos, up close or with all 60 feet of the shimmering tree.
- On Friday, Nov. 18, guests and cast members in Disneyland will celebrate the birthday of Mickey Mouse, applauding him as he appears in a special birthday cavalcade preceding “A Christmas Fantasy” parade.
- Disneyland guests definitely will want to experience the popular seasonal transformations of these park attractions:
- “it’s a small world” becomes “it’s a small world” Holiday for the 20th time, celebrating children around the world and the distinctive holiday traditions of their nations. (The Holiday theme debuted in 1997.)
- Haunted Mansion becomes Haunted Mansion Holiday, with Jack Skellington and his friends from Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” causing a collision between Christmas and Halloween.
- Jungle Cruise is transformed into Jingle Cruise, as the jungle skippers gather jettisoned holiday gifts and decorations to brighten the rugged landscapes surrounding their riverboats.
The Downtown Disney shopping, dining and entertainment district and the Hotels of the Disneyland Resort join in the holiday festivities with twinkling lights and ornaments, holiday displays, special entertainment and holiday dining with themed menus. One highlight is the gingerbread house in the lobby of Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Designed to resemble the exterior of the hotel itself, the gingerbread house stands 7 feet six inches tall and 12 feet wide. Holiday snacks, cider and hot chocolate are sold from a window in the gingerbread house.
Haunted Mansion Holiday inspired by “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
