WDW Daily News

It’s the ‘mane’ virtual event Guests have been waiting for! This summer, Guests can join us in celebrating six years of the runDisney Virtual Series as we honor the timeless majesty of “The Lion King” with three wild and wonderful 5Ks. From The Pride Lands to their very own neighborhood, Guests can be prepared to rule the road (or sidewalk, or treadmill). 

It’s hard to believe that it was 1994 when we first met Simba, the cuddly cub who would become king in the animated classic. Since then, he’s taken Broadway by storm and has been reimagined for a whole new generation. So whether Guests grew up with him back then, or they’re watching their little ones grow up with him now, this unforgettable story of discovering your purpose and celebrating who you are will forever be a cherished part of our lives … and we hope this runDisney virtual event can be as well!

Take a look at each storytelling version of The Lion King we are celebrating for the runDisney Virtual 5Ks and the runDisney Virtual Challenge:

runDisney Virtual 5K | The Timeless Classic

runDisney Virtual 5K | The Broadway Phenomenon

runDisney Virtual 5K | The Reimagined Classic

runDisney Virtual Series Challenge

Running a runDisney virtual event truly means having no worries! Not only do Guests get to decide when they run, they also get to decide where they run. Plus, when they register, Guests can add even more ferocious fun to their miles by downloading a themed bib and at-home kit that includes a start line, finish line and mile markers.

Guests can get ready to have a roaring good time with three different 5Ks, each featuring its own medal inspired by the three unique storytelling versions of “The Lion King.” They can be the talk of The Pride Lands and test their endurance by registering for the runDisney Virtual Challenge that includes all three 5Ks and they’ll receive four marvelous medals total.

Guests can be prepared for a chance of a lifetime as registration opens Thursday, April 8 at 10 a.m. ET for all runDisney Virtual Series events on runDisney.com. If Guests love The Lion King or just want a wild way to train this summer, the runDisney Virtual Series is the perfect opportunity to push themselves to great heights! 

Guests at Walt Disney World Resort will be able to enjoy a convenient and contactless new option for entering the theme parks and more, as part of the rollout of Disney MagicMobile service!

Available now on iPhone and Apple Watch and coming soon to other smart devices, Disney MagicMobile service is a fun, easy-to-use new way for guests to experience The Most Magical Place on Earth. The service is offered in addition to other options such as the MagicBand, the colorful, all-in-one bracelet, which will continue to be available and introduced in even more colors, designs and limited-edition fan favorites into the future. 

Here are a few helpful tips to get started with Disney MagicMobile service: 

• Create A Customized Digital Pass: Guests can create a Disney MagicMobile pass through the My Disney Experience app and add it to the Wallet app on iPhone or the digital wallet on other smart devices. Guests can customize their pass by choosing from several Disney-themed designs that animate upon use (including special designs just for Annual Passholders and DVC Members)! For added ease, they may also store multiple passes on a single device, a great option for families.
• Easily Enter the Parks and More: Guests can simply hold their iPhone, Apple Watch, or other smart device near an access point when entering the parks or using other available features, just like they do with a MagicBand. With Express Mode on iPhone and Apple Watch, guests do not even need to wake or unlock their Apple device, or open up the app, to use their Disney MagicMobile pass. As a reminder, valid park admission and a park reservation are required for park entry and must be linked to an account.
• Discover Other App Enhancements: We’ve also added a new feature in the My Disney Experience app that allows guests to automatically link their Disney PhotoPass attraction photos and videos to their profile through a smartphone. Just confirm the settings in advance of riding at participating attractions. The My Disney Experience app also enables Disney Resort hotel guests to unlock their room door using our current digital room key feature.

Guests may use Disney MagicMobile service, a MagicBand or a card interchangeably for added flexibility. Disney Resort hotel guests can purchase MagicBands at a special, pre-arrival price. Guests can also pick up a Key to the World card at their convenience at the front desk.

Download the My Disney Experience app today to check out these latest updates! 

*Please note Disney MagicMobile service requires iOS 14.4 or later and watchOS 7.3 or later.

Today, we’ve got some SWEET news to share about exciting work happening at Magic Kingdom Park as we prepare for the beginning of The World’s Most Magical Celebration at Walt Disney World Resort this October! 

Kicking things off, let’s talk about Main Street Confectionery. We’re delighted to share that this iconic location will soon receive a fresh new look, expanded layout with more room to shop and interactive opportunities for Guests to customize their confections like never before.

To bring these concepts to life, both Main Street Confectionery and The Chapeau will close for refurbishment later this month. Along with that, some of the merchandise and goodies will be shifting to other spots in the park. Now don’t worry, Guests will still have plenty of options to satisfy their sweet tooth once work to transform the locations kicks off on March 29, 2021. Many of the treats from Main Street Confectionery will be available at Emporium and Main Street Cinema during the closure. And have no worries about where Guests can find their favorite Disney hats, including the must-have Mickey Mouse ears. Those will be just across the street at Box Office Gifts, at the Town Square Theater. Finally, if Guests are looking for collectibles and artwork, Bonjour! Village Gifts will be the new go-to spot. 

Outside of the world of merchandise, Guests may have noticed some other updates taking place around the park recently. Whether it be a freshly painted castle turret being adorned with 50th anniversary décor, or shimmering gold leaf being added to your favorite Fantasyland attractions, our Cast Members are hard at work making Magic Kingdom Park shine like never before. Be sure to keep an eye out for these enhancements and more in the coming months!

EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival begins July 15 at Walt Disney World Resort!

This year’s event will kick off with Global Marketplaces, including the return of many favorites – Canada, Greece, Germany, Hops and Barley, Appleseed Orchard and others. Even more marketplaces will join the international smorgasbord as the festival continues on into the fall before wrapping on Nov. 20, 2021.

There will be lots of ways for families to enjoy this year’s event (beyond just eating lots of great food, of course):

• Sample all sorts of delicious cheeses served in fun ways as part of Emile’s Fromage Montage – if Guests collect a stamp from five different Global Marketplaces, they’ll earn a prize!
• Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak will send Guests on a savory scavenger hunt in search of Remy statuettes hidden all over the park.
• Take a tasty souvenir home from the new merchandise collections, including a festival collection featuring a spirit jersey, baseball cap and so much more.
• Listen to musical favorites performed by Voices of Liberty, Mariachi Cobre and the Jammin’ Chefs.

This is just an appetizer for the 2021 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival. We’ll have a full plate of details to share soon, so stay tuned to Disney Travel News for more juicy morsels.

Disney announced a proposal to overhaul its Anaheim resort with new attractions, shops, restaurants and entertainment. This rendering shows the additions of attractions and shops around the resort’s Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel. (Disney)

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As we head into Earth Month, it’s a great time to reflect on our personal relationship with our beautiful planet and how we can all care for the world we share. Whether it’s reducing your own ecological footprint, planting a tree, creating a butterfly garden or learning more about wildlife and conservation, all of these efforts unite us as we do our part to protect nature’s treasures. And while Disney theme parks celebrate all living things every day, during the annual Earth Day Celebration there’s an added opportunity for Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park Guests to connect with the magic of nature through engaging activities designed to educate and inspire the whole family.

From April 18 to 24, Disney’s Animal Kingdom will host limited-time experiences including unique Disney character appearances, fun learning opportunities, specialty merchandise, themed food and beverage, a new Wilderness Explorer activity and more. Here’s a look at what’s in store to spark Guests’ curiosity about wildlife and inspire their own conservation efforts:

• The Animation Experience at Conservation Station shows how Disney Artists bring favorite characters to life by using animals for inspiration. For the Earth Day Celebration and the month of April, Guests can learn to draw characters – including Dumbo, Terk, Squirt, Shere Khan, Simba and Scar – whose real-life counterparts represent amazing stories of conservation work around the globe.
• Guests can catch a glimpse of some special characters who will join other favorite Disney pals on Discovery River Character Cruises. 

• Guests can nosh around the park sampling Earth Day eats, including a selection of limited-time specialty cupcakes: the Creature Comfort’s Honey Bee Cupcake, the strawberry-flavored Flamingo Cupcake at Flame Tree Barbecue, or the Sea Turtle Graham Cracker Cupcake (plus the Crave the Wave cocktail!) at Restaurantosaurus Lounge. These treats are only available for a limited time.
• Guests can set out on a series of self-guided, nature-themed challenges and earn a special Wilderness Explorer limited-time Earth Day Nature badge.
• Guests can hunt for an Earth Day 2021 limited-edition Te Fiti Moana trading pin. They can also support the Disney Conservation Fund by purchasing a cuddly plush inspired by species that call Disney’s Animal Kingdom home; or check out Island Mercantile’s eco-friendly water bottles, tumblers and reusable bags that promote sustainability. 

• Any time Guests visit the park, they can marvel at unique animals and meet the newest arrivals. Most recently, the park welcomed the birth of Ranger, and Guests can get a glimpse of the rambunctious five-month-old white rhino calf and his crash on their journey aboard Kilimanjaro Safaris. While on safari, Guests can also keep an eye out for two young Masai giraffe who were born a few months ago, and playful Nigerian dwarf goats that hang out at the warden’s outpost. 

• Disney PhotoPass Service captures magical memories with special in-park Earth Day backgrounds and Magic Shots, including an all-new photo opportunity. In addition, Earth Day screen savers and Zoom backgrounds can be downloaded from the My Disney Experience PhotoPass gallery.
• Beginning April 2, Guests can watch as artisans transform 40 tons of sand into a detailed sculpture celebrating National Geographic’s “Secrets of the Whales,” an original series streaming on Disney+ on Earth Day. The intricate sculpted masterpiece will be located on the Discovery Island Stage until April 30.

For more information on how Disney cares for animals and helps protect species in the wild, visit DisneyAnimals.com, Guest can check out “Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom” on Disney+, streaming now, Disney Park Wild Sights, a short form video mini-series exclusive to the My Disney Experience app, or follow along on Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment Instagram (@DrMarkAtDisney) and Facebook (@DisneyASE) pages.  

Here is the message from Disney:

At Walt Disney World Resort, we’re always looking for innovative and convenient ways to improve our Guests’ experience—especially as we navigate the impact of COVID-19.

With the future in mind and the shift in focus to more touchless experiences, we’re conducting a limited 30-day test using facial recognition technology (length of test subject to change). Participation in this test is optional.

To learn more about this limited facial recognition test, please visit Disneyworld.com/ParkEntryTest.

“The World’s Most Magical Celebration” begins on Oct. 1, 2021 – and Florida car owners can get ready to celebrate with us by purchasing the first-ever Walt Disney World Resort specialty license plate!

We’re excited to reveal the design of this unique plate, featuring our “EARidescent” 50th anniversary castle logo on a majestic royal blue background. Inspired by the color scheme of Cinderella Castle, this magical plate is currently available for presale and will also help make even more dreams true, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting Make-A-Wish of Central and Northern Florida and their work granting wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Interested drivers can purchase a presale voucher* now for $25 plus applicable state administration fees exclusively through their local County Tax Collector’s Office, license plate agencies (DMVs) across the State of Florida, or online through the Orange County Tax Collector’s Office at https://www.octaxcol.com/specialty-license-plate-vouchers/.

Disney has a longstanding relationship with Make-A-Wish, dating back to 1980, and since then, more than 140,000 Disney-inspired wishes have been granted, including thousands taking place at Walt Disney World Resort. This license plate is a unique opportunity to commemorate 50 years of Central Florida magic.

For more information about the Walt Disney World Resort specialty license plate, visit www.flhsmv.gov, and learn more about The World’s Most Magical Celebration at www.DisneyWorld.com/50.

*A minimum of 3,000 presale vouchers are required to be sold by the State of Florida before manufacturing of specialty license plates may begin.

What’s the buzz? The Taste of EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival has begun! Guests can enjoy searching the World Showcase to find Spike the Bee hiding among the incredible topiaries and fresh, fragrant gardens, and they can also carry him all over Walt Disney WorldResort with our two new Disney Gift Card wristlet designs to celebrate the festival! Guests can find these special-edition cards at merchandise locations throughout EPCOT and at EPCOT resort area hotels for the length of the festival, while supplies last.

Our first design depicts Spike bringing flowers to EPCOT to share with a topiary version of our (usually purple) pal Figment! The second features Spike taking the time to smell those beautiful blooms. Both designs come with coordinating coiled wristlets and can be activated with as little as $15. Best of all, Guests can use either of these Disney Gift Cards for practically all things Disney! Yes, that includes the scrumptious eats available at Outdoor Kitchens located on the promenade throughout the festival. So, Guests can load up their mini Disney Gift Card and wear it around their wrist while they explore everything the festival (and Walt Disney World Resort as a whole) has to offer! When it’s time to pay, Guests can simply show the cast member the back of their card so they can scan it. Touch free and easy…there’s no better way to pay!

Disney Gift Cards are reloadable and never expire. Guests can stop by a merchandise or food and beverage location and ask a cast member for assistance. And if they don’t spend it all at the festival, these and all other Disney Gift Cards, can still be used for practically all things Disney from theme park tickets to Mickey merchandise at Disney Destinations nationwide! If Guests want to purchase a traditional or digital Disney Gift Card in advance, they can visit shopdisney.com to select from 60+ designs featuring some of their favorite characters and matching carriers!

As we shared earlier this year, Disney is building on the original story of the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland park and Magic Kingdom Park. They’re adding more humor, wildlife and skipper heart to the classic attraction, and as part of a much larger effort, this updated experience will welcome new characters from around the world.

The enhancements include several new scenes Guests will experience along the river, all interconnected. Their world-famous skippers will continue to share the unique adventure and interactions Guests expect on the Jungle Cruise. 

The new scenes will heighten the skippers’ legendary comedic tone, beginning with a trapped safari party that finds itself up a tree after their journey goes awry. Unexpected scenarios along the way will give the jungle and animals the last laugh!

For those looking to dive deeper, we’re also expanding the attraction’s backstory, centered around Alberta Falls, granddaughter of world-renowned Dr. Albert Falls, as the proprietor of the Jungle Navigation Company Ltd.

Jungle Cruise fans might be familiar with her name; however, wouldn’t you know it, we recently uncovered a copy of an interview with Alberta Falls that was featured in a 1938 issue of The Daily Gnus about her and the World-Famous Jungle Cruise. We hope you’ll enjoy getting to know her!

Stay tuned for more details coming later this year!