Star-Spangled Fun! Walt Disney World Resort Guests Are Invited to Celebrate the Fourth of July

Guests can celebrate America’s birthday with a red, white and blue extravaganza at Walt Disney World Resort. There will be no shortage of nighttime fun, as fireworks will dance across the skies above the Florida vacation kingdom. Here’s a look a what’s in store:

Magic Kingdom

The celebration begins with “Disney’s Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky,” July 3 and 4 at Magic Kingdom. The 14-minute fireworks spectacular rockets into the sky above Cinderella Castle at 9 p.m. both nights.

The fireworks are set to an exciting musical score produced in a concert band style. This score was specifically created to stir a sense of pride in being American, show producers say, while at the same time, inviting guests from around the world to feel part of the celebration.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Guests can enjoy the all-new “Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular” fireworks nightly, with the show beginning at a special time of 9:30 p.m. for the holiday weekend, July 3 and 4. The next generation of Star Wars-themed fireworks shows, “Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular,” dazzles with new themed fireworks, lasers, special effects and video projections of iconic characters and scenes from the complete saga, all set to the unforgettable score of the film series.

Epcot

Guests visiting Epcot on July 4 will have the opportunity to meet some of their favorite Disney characters dressed in patriotic attire throughout the afternoon at the American Adventure Pavilion. Voices of Liberty, the eight-part a capella group, will have special performances at American Gardens Theatre at 12:30, 1:45 and 3 p.m. They also will perform inside the American Adventure Rotunda at 4:15 and 5 p.m. that day. Guests also will have the opportunity to catch the Spirit of America Fife & Drum Corps outside at 1, 2:15, 3:30, 4 and 4:45 p.m.

That evening, the spectacular fireworks and laser show “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth,” lights the night at 10 p.m. with a heart-pounding grand finale in a salute to America.

Additional Patriotic Entertainment

Other patriotic offerings that guests can enjoy year-round in the parks include indoor attractions that offer shows about the history of America, dining options and entertainment.

Guests at Epcot’s American Adventure Pavilion will find various ways to explore America’s past and present with “We, The People,” a journey through pivotal moments in America’s history narrated by Audio-Animatronic figures of Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain, and “The Kinsey Collection,” an exhibit that showcases 400 years of African-American achievement through rare art, documents, books and artifacts.

At Magic Kingdom, The Hall of Presidents: A Celebration of Liberty’s Leaders gives guests an entertaining lesson in American history. Guests also can get a taste of traditional New England-inspired foods at Liberty Tree Tavern, a restaurant situated in a colonial-style inn that serves lunch and dinner daily. After nightfall, dancing patriots, a stately bald eagle, glittering lights and the patriotic music of the Main Street Electrical Parade all honor America as the parade’s stunning final float lights Main Street, U.S.A. nightly.

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ABC’s “The Chew” to Broadcast from the 21st Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Oct. 5-7

ABC’s Emmy Award-winning lifestyle series, “The Chew,” returns to Walt Disney World Resort this fall to broadcast five shows from the 21st Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.  “The Chew” shows, to record Oct. 5-7 against the park’s iconic Spaceship Earth backdrop with co-hosts Mario Batali, Michael Symon, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly and Daphne Oz, will air on the ABC Television Network Oct. 10-14, 2016, at 1 p.m. EST, 12 pm PT (check local listings).

The dynamic, Emmy Award-winning co-hosts, who delighted audiences last year with stories of their Disney adventures as they whipped up delectable dishes and drinks, will share tasty new recipes and a bounty of festival surprises with their Epcot audiences.  Throughout the festival’s 62-day culinary celebration, which runs Sept. 14-Nov. 14, “The Chew” also will feature segments highlighting food and beverages from “around the world” of Walt Disney World Resort and its four theme parks and Disney Springs.

Fans of “The Chew” and the annual Epcot festival can savor bites inspired by the popular talk show at The Chew Collective in the Next Eats festival area of Future World.  Three delicious dishes – Grilled Beef Skewer with Romaine, Apricots and Feta Cheese; Ricotta and Zucchini Ravioli with Rustic Tomato Sauce and Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Mousse with a Caramel Drizzle – will be the stars of the menu. Festival guests also can sip this year’s exclusive new Festival Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon at The Chew Collective.  Last year marked a historic first when festival marketplaces expanded into the park’s Future World area.

“We had a fantastic time filming our show last year at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and sharing the magic with Park guests and our home viewers.  It’s the perfect pairing!” said Mark Schneider, executive producer of “The Chew”  “We look forward to returning for even more fun and great food with our fans and celebrity guests. For us, it’s a terrific way to kick off our new season.

Epcot vice president Melissa Valiquette said this year’s return of “The Chew” promises plenty of “foodie fun” for festival guests. “We’re delighted that ‘The Chew’ will return this fall to the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival,” Valiquette said.  “Our festival fans are also fans of ‘The Chew,’ and we welcome this powerhouse of a daytime show that dishes up foodie fun with its own unique brand of culinary magic to our ever-evolving festival.”

At the Festival Center, guests can watch screenings of “The Chew” show highlights, cooking and entertaining tips, and same-day episodes of “The Chew” Monday through Friday at 1 p.m. Instructions on how to obtain show taping tickets will be announced at a later date.

In addition, “The Chew” will re-broadcast its 2015 shows taped at Epcot the week of July 25, 2016 as part of the network’s summer programming lineup (Monday-Friday, check local listings).

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THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY LAUNCHES COMPUTER SCIENCE SUMMER IMMERSION PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

The Walt Disney Company announced today the start of its inaugural Girls Who Code Summer Immersion Program, a seven-week coding program on the Disney campus for high school girls that will introduce them to computer science curriculum.

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5 Disney/Pixar side-characters who deserve their own film

Business-minded Hollywood is always looking to capitalize on the latest trend. The success of “Star Wars” convinced studios it was safe to invest in science-fiction films like Ridley Scott’s “Alien.”

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What Will Be The Impact of Coach’s Collaboration With Disney?

Coach recently launched its Disney X Coach 1941 collaboration, as the company celebrates its 75th anniversary. The handbag and accessories maker teamed up with Disney for a whimsical limited edition collection, which includes a range of handbags, t-shirts, and sneakers, featuring the world’s most iconic mouse. This collection debuted on June …

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Disney to Debut “Frozen Northern Lights”

Disney today announced Frozen Northern Lights, an original story from the kingdom of Arendelle spanning a collection of books, animated shorts from the LEGO Group and new digital extensions. Beginning in July, Frozen fans can follow Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven on an epic adventure to restore the glimmer of the Northern Lights.

Frozen Northern Lights

“Natural phenomenon meets cultural phenomenon in this all new story, Frozen Northern Lights,” said Andrew Sugerman, Executive Vice President, Disney Publishing Worldwide. “We’re excited to share this new adventure and offer fans great new ways to connect with their favorite characters thanks to a host of related books, digital games and activities.”

The story titled, Disney Frozen Northern Lights: Journey to the Lights,published by Random House, will be introduced as a deluxe novelization in July ahead of an extended collection of books featuring the familiar characters fans know and love, as well as a brand new protagonist named, Little Rock. The storyline will be reimagined by the LEGO Group with four new animated shorts and a full compilation airing on Disney Channel this fall. The shorts will bring the unique brand of stylized animation and witty LEGO humor to the world of Frozen, with the voice talent from the movie reprising their roles.

In celebration of Frozen Northern Lights, the website http://frozen.disney.com/ will be updated with fun activities tied to the new story and Disney will launch a Frozen-inspired Instagram account @DisneyFrozen. Fans can continue to enjoy Frozen by liking @DisneyFrozen on Facebook. For more information on Disney Frozen Northern Lights: Journey to the Lights, visit http://bit.ly/JourneytotheLights.

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ animated feature Frozen launched a worldwide phenomenon in 2013, becoming the highest-grossing animated feature ever released with more than $1.27 billion in global box office. Frozen has received multiple honors, including two Academy Awards®, the Golden Globe®, BAFTA® Award, PGA Award, five Annie Awards and two Grammy® Awards. A new live show, Frozen – Live at the Hyperion, opened at the Hyperion Theater at Disney California Adventure Park on May 27, 2016, and will be followed by the opening of the new Frozen attraction, Frozen Ever After in the Norway pavilion of Epcot on June 21, 2016. Frozen will make its television debut this holiday season on ABC and a Broadway musical inspired by Frozen is scheduled to open in New York in 2018.

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The Ocean Is Calling: 7 Things You Might Not Know About Disney’s ‘Moana’

The teaser trailer for Disney’s gorgeous Polynesian adventure, Moana,recently dropped, and it’s just making us want to see more! Disney have been carefully revealing the details of their new movie, but there’s already quite a few bits of trivia that will help you get a better idea of what Moana could turn out to be until it comes out on November 23.

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Designs for Canceled Disney Infinite Figures Revealed

Last month, it was confirmed that not only had the popular Disney Infinity video game series been canceled but that The Walt Disney Company was getting out of video game publishing entirely, opting instead to license out their properties instead.

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DISNEY CHANNEL COMEDY SERIES ‘STUCK IN THE MIDDLE’ RENEWED FOR SEASON TWO

Disney Channel has renewed the hit series “Stuck in the Middle” after its strong debut season with executive producer Linda Videtti Figueiredo at the helm. The single camera comedy stars Jenna Ortega as the middle child, Harley Diaz, who’s living in a household bustling with nine people — two parents and seven kids — each with distinct personalities and conflicting schedules. The series will resume production on its second season in the fall as new episodes continue to premiere Fridays (8:00-8:30 p.m. ET) on Disney Channel.

Photos and press materials are available here.

“Stuck in the Middle” also stars Isaak Presley as Ethan, Ronni Hawk as Rachel, Kayla Maisonet as Georgie, Nicolas Bechtel as Lewie, Malachi Barton as “Beast,” Ariana Greenblatt as Daphne, Cerina Vincent as Suzy and Joe Nieves as Tom.

Adam Bonnett, executive vice president, Original Series, Disney Channels Worldwide, said, “Linda and her team have delivered a standout among all kids programming. Our viewers have connected to the relatable stories, the comedic conflict of being a middle child in a big lovable family and to a lead character with a passion for all things STEM.”

Since “Stuck in the Middle” launched in February of this year, it is one of TV’s Top 5 highest rated series among Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14. Adults account for nearly one-quarter of its viewing audience — among all live-action series on kid-targeted channels, it ranks in the Top 5 among Adults 18-49 and Women 18-49. During 1Q 2016, the series reached 27 million Total Viewers in the U.S. and nearly one million in Canada.

Set in a suburb of Massachusetts, the comedic slice of life stories place Harley in the heart of the home, using her inventions to navigate her life as the middle child in the Diaz family. Season two stories will delve further into Harley’s relationship with her siblings.

Linda Videtti Figueiredo (“Rules of Engagement” and “Last Man Standing”) is the executive producer. The series was created by Alison Brown (“Dog With a Blog”). It is from Horizon Productions, Inc., and carries a TV-G parental guideline.

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Disney announces a fresh ‘Frozen’ bonanza

Rather than Let It Go, Disney is making its Frozen franchise snow. The Mouse House has announced an extension of the brand called Frozen Northern Lights, featuring books, animated shorts and a TV special.

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