WDW Daily News

Imagine this – “Fantasmic!,” Disney’s longest-running nighttime spectacular, is celebrating its 30^th anniversary today! That’s right – on this day thirty years ago – May 13, 1992 – “Fantasmic!” premiered to Guests at Disneyland Park.

“Fantasmic!” is an emotional extravaganza of colorful Disney-animated story scenes, choreographed to an exciting musical score. The waters of the Rivers of America come alive as Mickey Mouse dreams he is the Sorcerer’s Apprentice and faces dastardly villains, using the power of his imagination to save the day. Along the way, fantastic events and images as seen in stories like “Fantasia,” “The Jungle Book,” and more come to life with live performers, character appearances, enhanced special effects and pyrotechnics.

Some updates have been made to “Fantasmic!” at Disneyland Park through the years. An enhanced version of the original “Fantasmic!” presentation premiered in 2009, featuring digital projections and the spectacular 45-foot-tall fire-breathing Maleficent dragon. The show then added even more new magic in 2017, including new scenes and featured songs such as “Friend Like Me” and “A Whole New World” from the Walt Disney Animation Studios classic, “Aladdin.”

Since its debut in 1992, “Fantasmic!” has performed nearly 11,000 shows at Disneyland Park! And we just can’t wait for this “journey beyond your wildest imagination” to return to the Rivers of America soon, on May 28.

We are thrilled “Fantasmic!” will be joining the other nighttime spectaculars – “World of Color” at Disney California Adventure Park, plus the “Main Street Electrical Parade” and “Disneyland Forever” fireworks spectacular at Disneyland Park – upon its return. Just one more way Guests will be able to “ignite the night” at Disneyland Resort!

Theme Park reservations and valid admission for the same Park on the same day are required for Park entry. Park reservations are limited, subject to availability and not guaranteed. Entertainment, experiences, and offerings may be modified, limited in availability or unavailable, and are subject to restrictions, and change or cancellation without notice. Park admission and offerings are not guaranteed. Visit disneytraveltradeinfo.com/dlr for important information to know before visiting.

This summer, Walt Disney World Resort will launch our newest wearable, MagicBand+, followed later this year by the “Hey Disney!” digital voice assistant. Both products will enhance guest visits throughout the 50^th anniversary celebration and beyond.

If you already own a MagicBand, you understand how this technology makes visits to Walt Disney World more convenient with just a tap of your band when entering parks and guest rooms*, making retail and dining purchases*, and creating magic moments with Disney PhotoPass service. MagicBand+ will do all that and more.

Use MagicBand+ to Bring Sculptures to Life

You may have seen the golden character sculptures throughout the four Walt Disney World theme parks during the 50^th anniversary celebration. Soon, you’ll be able to use MagicBand+ to bring the sculptures to life and interact with them on the “Disney Fab 50 Quest.” You can also dive deeper into the experience using the Play Disney Parks mobile app to keep track of which sculptures you’ve found. The more you find, the more features you can unlock with digital achievements and an augmented reality feature that will give you a glimpse into your favorite characters’ worlds.

MagicBand+ Invites You to Join the “Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters” Experience

Over in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, MagicBand+ invites you to join the “Star Wars: Batuu Bounty Hunters” experience, where you’ll use your band to find numerous virtual bounties hidden throughout Black Spire Outpost. MagicBand+ will be your guide, vibrating and lighting up to show if you’re on the right path. You can then use the augmented reality thermal viewer in the Play Disney Parks app – which reveals what’s behind locked doors in Black Spire Outpost – to uncover your virtual bounty**. Once your mission is complete, the local guild master will reward you with galactic credits.

Experience Nighttime Spectaculars in a New Way with MagicBand+

You can also experience nighttime spectaculars in a new way as you’ll see your MagicBand+ light up and complement the magic in the skies! It’s a dazzling way to join in the celebration and create unforgettable memories at the theme parks.

These experiences will be available with MagicBand+ and will launch when the new wearable goes on sale this summer. Disney Resort hotel guests and Walt Disney World Annual Passholders will have the option to purchase at a discounted, pre-arrival price. You can still use existing MagicBands and Disney MagicMobile, available on eligible devices, to enjoy other features, such as park entry*. The original MagicBand wearable will continue to be available for purchase as well.

MagicBand+ will be available at Disneyland Resort later this year. Some of the features will vary between Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. We’ll have more to share on that soon.

Magical New Digital Voice Assistant – “Hey Disney!”

There’s a magical new digital voice assistant ready to bring Disney characters and stories to life called “Hey Disney!” Using Alexa technology for supported Amazon Echo devices, you’ll be able to ask all the useful questions – weather forecasts, set timers and alarms, etc. – and get answers from more than 25 popular characters including Mickey Mouse, Olaf, Rocket and Groot, Princess Tiana and many more. Plus, when you stay at select Disney Resort hotels, you can use “Hey Disney!” to learn helpful information about your vacation, order room amenities and more. Wondering when the next bus to EPCOT leaves or need to request more towels for your room? Just ask the Disney Magical Companion, a new character who will interact with you via “Hey Disney!”

‘Hey Disney!’ will begin rolling out in select Disney Resort hotel guest rooms across Walt Disney World later this year as part of our 50^th anniversary celebration. Access will be offered as an optional, complimentary feature during guest stays. “Hey Disney!” will also be available for purchase for supported Amazon Echo devices via the Amazon Alexa Skills store, inviting Disney fans to make every day at home more magical. In the future, MagicBand+ will work with “Hey Disney!” by pairing with supported Amazon Echo devices to enhance some “Hey Disney!” experiences. More details will be released soon.

Which experience are you most excited about? Stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog for more updates on new magic coming to Walt Disney World Resort as part of the 50^th anniversary celebration.

*Guests can use MagicBand and MagicBand+ to gain access to Walt Disney World theme parks with valid admission and theme park reservations, enter their Disney Resort hotel room, and charge food and merchandise purchases to the payment card on file at their Disney Resort hotel room during their stay.

**To use the Play Disney Parks mobile app to enhance the MagicBand+ experience, guests must be logged into the Play Disney Parks app with the Disney account linked with their MagicBand+.

Disney has released new artwork for Epcot’s transformation Take a look:

Guests don’t have to travel to a galaxy far, far away to indulge in some tasty treats and superb sips celebrating May the 4th! This year, Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort are joining in on the adventure by serving up items that are out-of-this-world!

From special offerings like the Lightsaber Churros at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to the adorable Grogu treats scattered throughout Disneyland Resort, there are plenty of items to try.

Disneyland Resort

To stay in-the-know on all the latest and greatest Star Wars at Disneyland Resort, check out the Disneyland app for the digital food and merchandise guide!

Disneyland Park – Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Celebrate Black Spire Day this year at Disneyland Resort, an annual celebration honoring this bustling outpost in Batuu, with tons of eats and treats deliciously crafted by the locals at Black Spire. 

Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo (available on Mobile Order)

• Ishi Tib-style Pasta with Braised Beef Bantha: Beef pot roast, coconut curry sauce, pasta, and mixed vegetables (New)
• Vintian Mineral Mousse: Banana brûlée-centered dark chocolate mousse, strawberry mousse, vanilla chantilly, chocolate crumble, and cherry garnish

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Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is returning to Magic Kingdom Park this fall during the resort’s 50th Anniversary celebration! This fall, ghosts and ghouls of all ages are invited to don their favorite costumes and celebrate all things haunted during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Taking place on 37 select nights Aug. 12 through Oct. 31, 2022, this special event haunts Magic Kingdom Park after normal park operating hours from 7 p.m. to midnight.

As a part of this limited-capacity event, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party attendees will encounter event-exclusive entertainment, notorious Disney villains, frightfully delicious menu items and more! Here’s some of what’s in store:

• The Headless Horseman will ride his ghostly steed down Main Street, U.S.A as a prelude to “Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade,” which features floats filled with Disney Characters dressed in their Halloween best, Disney villains and the Haunted Mansion graveyard diggers.
• During Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, guests can go trick-or-treating for M&M’S, SKITTLES, SNICKERS, and other Halloween favorites at locations throughout Magic Kingdom Park. And new this year, guests will also receive a reusable trick-or-treat bag featuring a keepsake 50th Anniversary celebration and Halloween design.

• Join the Sanderson Sisters during the “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular” stage show at Cinderella Castle as they call upon their frightening colleagues to conjure the ultimate Hocus Pocus Party Potion.
• Celebrate the season alongside favorite Disney characters as they take over the park for their favorite party of the year.
• Overlays themed for the occasion will return to several popular Magic Kingdom attractions: Space Mountain, Mad Tea Party, Pirates of the Caribbean and Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor.
• The Pumpkin King himself, Jack Skellington, will host “Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular.” This can’t-miss nighttime extravaganza features projections, special effects and lighting mixed with fireworks, music and Disney characters.
• Discover sweet and savory menu items inspired by fall flavors and the Halloween season.
• NEW! In honor of the 50th Anniversary celebration, we’re adding even more fun to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party this year in the form of event-exclusive step-in photo opportunities. And in addition to the reusable trick-or-treating tote bag, guests will also receive a Halloween-themed 50th Anniversary celebration commemorative print.

Tickets will go on sale May 18, 2022 and can be purchased online via the Disney Travel Agents website. Guests of Walt Disney World Resort hotels, Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotels, as well as Shades of Green at Walt Disney World Resort can book their tickets as early as May 12. Tickets range from $109-$199 plus tax. Walt Disney World Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club members may purchase specially priced ticket for select dates.

These dated event tickets do not require an additional day theme park ticket or Disney Park Pass theme park reservation. The event dates are:

• August: 12, 16, 19, 23, 26, 30
• September: 2, 5, 9, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 27, 29, 30
• October: 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31

We’re still a month away from the May 27 debut of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Walt Disney World Resort but … would you like a sneak peek? In the immortal words of Rocket … oh yeah.

So embrace your inner outlaw and check out the video below for a look inside the new Wonders of Xandar pavilion at EPCOT. You’ll also get a glimpse of what happens when you’re called into action alongside the Guardians of the Galaxy to save humanity from Eson the Celestial!

Get ready for an intergalactic chase through time and space as we prepare for the opening of this new family-thrill coaster at EPCOT.

Climb aboard explorers and hold on tight, because it’s time to take a deep dive into the creation of the freshly reimagined show, “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!” – opening this summer at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park!

Stepping inside the Theater in the Wild, Guests will catch up with the group of fish from Dr. P. Sherman’s office in “Finding Nemo,” who have made their way across the ocean to the Marine Life Institute. The fish tell Nemo’s story in this fully updated, 25-minute show, incorporating live performers and puppets, along with many of the beloved songs and production numbers from the original “Finding Nemo: The Musical.”

In addition to a new script, the show will feature new scenic set pieces and a new LED video wall designed to visually extend the world created by the physical sets on stage. We aren’t talking small set pieces either. Be on the lookout for a 32-foot-long sunken submarine and a fish tank volcano standing nearly 15 feet tall!

Working in close collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios, artists and designers at Disney Live Entertainment also developed a new aesthetic for “Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!” inspired by layered, cut paper sculptures. The resulting look is fresh and unique to the show, while staying true to the designs in the original film. Check out the video below for a sneak peek.

“Finding Nemo: The Big Blue… and Beyond!” is just one of the many ways Disney is adding even more magic to the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary celebration in the coming months.

May 8 is coming up, which means Mother’s Day is just around the corner! The Disney chefs have put their creativity to the test when making delicious offerings to celebrate this year. From Walt Disney World Resort to Disneyland Resort, there are plenty of eats and sips to honor mothers, aunts, grandmothers, caregivers, mother figures, or any special person in your life!

This year, express your appreciation through flavors and enjoy these mouthwatering Mother’s Day treats!

Disneyland Resort

Disneyland Park

Plaza Inn

• Mother’s Day Brunch: Drop “inn” to enjoy a meal with family right in the middle of Main Street, U.S.A. with classic American fare joined by Minnie Mouse and her friends. Starting April 20, you can reserve your spot.

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In honor of the Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary celebration, Disney PhotoPass Service is introducing “Cinderella Castle Mural of Memories,” which lets Guests magically transform Cinderella Castle with their photos. While at Magic Kingdom Park, Guests can use the My Disney Experience app to add select Disney PhotoPass photos to Cinderella Castle using  augmented reality technology, brought to life through Disney’s collaboration with Snap.

Once Guests get started, the experience will prompt them to select a portrait-oriented Disney PhotoPass photo from their photo gallery within the My Disney Experience app. If Guests prefer not to use one of these photos, they can also choose from a collection of images featuring Disney icons and favorite characters.

This experience, available for $9.99, includes:

• A spot on Cinderella Castle to digitally pin a photo, which will be waiting for Guests to view again and again during visits to Magic Kingdom Park throughout the celebration and beyond (for at least three years).
• A special video of Guests’ photos flying from the castle that can be downloaded and shared.
• The ability to download a high-resolution version of the pinned photo from your Disney PhotoPass gallery without watermarks (a $16.95 value), both in its original form and an additional version with a special border applied that includes your first name. If you’re a Disney cast member, Annual Passholder, Disney Vacation Club Member, or Club 33 Member, you’ll even receive a personalized border reflecting your affiliation.

As the celebration continues, additional sections of the castle will be released, onto which Guests can pin their memories. Encourage Guests to check back each visit to Magic Kingdom Park to see how the mural has grown!

Get your appetites ready! Connections Café & Eatery officially opens April 27 at EPCOT. Some guests may even get the chance for a sneak peek if they’re in the park over the next few days.

For guests who enjoy food inspired by delicious cuisines from around the world, they’re going to love this new quick-service restaurant. Plus, who could pass up a beautifully decorated new space to relax in some air-conditioning? It’s a win-win!

The fast-casual restaurant’s design includes nods to Walt Disney’s original plans for EPCOT. The new location features two distinct experiences all under one roof – an eatery on one side serving lunch and dinner menus, and a café and pastry shop on the other open all day long. This large new dining location is the next step in the ongoing transformation of EPCOT and a highlight of the newly-named World Celebration neighborhood.

If walking past Spaceship Earth on the way into the park, guests can find Connections Café and Eatery on the left-hand side. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer a full view of the bright, open space featuring modern décor and inviting aromas of pastries baking, fresh coffee brewing and delicious burgers on the grill. Since World Celebration is located in the center of the park, Connections Café & Eatery offers some incredible views. From a Xandarian Starblaster on one side to Spaceship Earth on the other, this is a great spot to sit back and enjoy quality time with friends and family around a tasty meal or drink.

A colorful mural spans one entire wall, called “Global Gathering.” This magnificent piece of art depicts the heart of this restaurant – people from around the world gathering around food. It’s one of the largest murals Walt Disney Imagineering has ever created. Guests might even notice the scenes blend seamlessly from sunrise to sunset.

Guests will be captivated by the chefs at work in three show kitchens. Catch them grilling, sautéing and baking everything from burgers to pizzas and sprinkling a little extra pixie dust on delightful desserts from milkshakes to waffles.

Whether guests prefer coffee or tea, people from all over the globe love sitting together to savor a brewed beverage. This idea is on prominent display in Connections Café through a colorful showcase of how various cultures enjoy their favorite drinks.

And while enjoying a meal or that much-needed cup of coffee, don’t forget to look down! There are three original floor inlays inspired by Walt’s 1966 “Florida Project” site plans, where EPCOT was to serve as the literal and conceptual “center” of Walt Disney World. Thoughtful details like these really bring this location to life by honoring the original dream of EPCOT and the magic of possibility. The park’s original DNA is woven throughout Connections Café and Eatery, the latest example of how this EPCOT transformation honors our past while moving us forward into the future.

EPCOT has always been a place where inspiration and big ideas come to life. With the opening of Connections Café & Eatery, that vision continues to become reality as we celebrate one another, what makes us unique and the commonalities that tie us all together.