Disney News

If you are celebrating our nation’s independence this year at one of the Disney theme parks, you can expect breathtaking fireworks and patriotic celebrations.  Take a look at some of the special events happening this July 4 weekend:

Disneyland® Resort
From July 1-4, you can experience special nighttime spectaculars celebrating America. At Disney California Adventure™ park, be sure to check out the all-new Independence Day “World of Color” pre-show which will run prior to each showing of “World of Color” and will combine video, water effects, lighting and fireworks to create a spectacular celebration of American independence.

At the Disneyland® park, guests can commemorate Independence Day with “Disney’s Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky.” This special fireworks show combines patriotic music with bursts of red, white and blue to celebrate the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Be sure to check the Entertainment Schedule or the Entertainment Times Guide at each park for show times.

Walt Disney World® Resort
The Magic Kingdom® park will present “Disney’s Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky.” This patriotic fireworks spectacular, paying homage to the hopes and dreams of America’s forefathers, will light the skies at 9 p.m. July 4 – and for guests who would like to begin the Independence Day celebration early, the show also will be presented July 3 at 9 p.m.

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios™, traditional Fourth of July fireworks take on a different spin when Mulch, Sweat, and Shears perform for the all-new “Rockin’ 4th of July Celebration!” These resident landscapers – with serious rock and roll ambitions – take Disney guests on a musical road trip across America that will highlight each region’s contribution to rock and roll. Fireworks, lighting and special effects – backed by the driving live rock and roll of Mulch, Sweat, and Shears – combine to bring a new twist to celebrating Independence Day. Showtime July 4 is 9:45 p.m. Before or after the show, Disney’s Hollywood Studios guests can thrill to Disney’s Fantasmic!, performing July 4 at 9 and 10:30 p.m.

At Epcot, check out “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” bursting high above World Showcase Lagoon. IllumiNations is a 14-minute spectacular during which pyrotechnics, lasers, water and music are all used to tell a story about the past, present and future of our planet. On the Fourth of July, the show will be enhanced with “The Heartbeat of Freedom,” an overture of traditional Americana themes displayed in a pyrotechnic and laser light event. The show is at 10 p.m.

Also at Epcot, you can hear a “Voices of Liberty 4th of July Concert” and participate in meet-and-greets with Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross and Disney characters wearing their patriotic dress at American Adventure.

What are your plans for celebrating July 4 this year?

Revel in the joy of the season as you listen to an unforgettable retelling of the Christmas story by a celebrity narrator accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and mass choir at the American Gardens Theatre in Epcot®.

The current schedule (subject to change without notice) is:

• Mira Sorvino (“Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion”) Nov. 25-27
• Michael W. Smith (Christian singer) Nov. 28-Dec. 1
• Whoopi Goldberg (“The View”) Dec. 2-3
• TBD Dec. 4-6
• Isabella Rossellini (“Alias”) Dec. 7-9
• Neil Patrick Harris (“How I Met Your Mother”) Dec. 10-12
• TBD Dec. 13-14
• TBD Dec. 16-18
• Trace Adkins (country singer) Dec. 19-21
• Susan Lucci (“All My Children”) Dec. 22-24
• Blair Underwood (“The Event”) Dec. 25-27
• Marlee Matlin (“Celebrity Apprentice”) Dec. 28-30

Guests attend these shows on a first-come, first-served basis, and due to its popularity, we highly recommend looking in to buying a Candlelight Processional dining package. Lunch and dinner packages, which include a meal and reserved seating at the show, will go on sale later this summer.

Contact your Magic Maker® about reserving your Candlelight Processional Dining Package for your holiday Walt Disney World® vacation.

Who are you planning to see during your vacation?

Music fills Disneyland® park now that “Mickey’s Soundsational Parade” has made its new debut. The parade kicked off Disney Soundsational Summer, which will also include the openings of The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure and Star Tours™, along with new experiences at the Disneyland® Hotel and Disney’s Paradise Pier® Hotel.

“Mickey’s Soundsational Parade” features favorite Disney characters, including Aladdin, Ariel, Peter Pan and more, all led by Mickey Mouse. With unique rhythms and instruments, they will tell the story of Disney music as drumlines, percussion teams and jazz horns bring a new energy to each storyline.

Nine newly designed float units, each telling its own musical story, will travel from Main Street, U.S.A.®, to “it’s a small world.” Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Chip ‘n’ Dale and Goofy get the party started with a six-member drumline, followed by characters from Disney’s classic film, “Aladdin,” including Genie as Drum Major and six cymbal dancers.

From there, the parade goes “Under the Sea” with a distinctly Caribbean-style sound including steel drums and marimbas, and on to the spicy sounds of Latin America with The Three Caballeros.

Next, a grand procession of Disney Princesses, including Belle, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Snow White, is followed by Rapunzel’s tower rising overhead. Then, jungle drums sound the arrival of Simba, who is perched majestically atop Pride Rock.

Princess Tiana glides past next on a classic riverboat surrounded by Mardi Gras dancers beating tambourines in time to a New Orleans jazz beat.

Adventure is waiting in Neverland as Peter Pan, Captain Hook and Mr. Smee are joined by Tinker Bell, who is playing a rhythm on mushrooms instead of drums. Finally, Mary Poppins and Bert bring “Mickey’s Soundsational Parade” to a close, along with chimney sweeps performing a broom dance amid the rooftops of London.

Please be sure to check the Disneyland park entertainment schedule for parade times.

What is your favorite Disney music?

The 2012 Walt Disney World® Resort, Disneyland® Resort and Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, vacation packages are now available to book. Featuring magical elements for families, the packages are valid for arrivals beginning January 2012.

Here are some 2012 updates:

Walt Disney World® Resort

At the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida, each 2012 Magic Your Way* Package from Walt Disney Travel Company come with “Magical Extras” benefits that will help you explore Disney beyond the Theme Parks.

“Magical Extras” include an array of activities like a15% discount on most spa services of 50 minutes or greater at many Niki Bryan Spa locations throughout the Resort, discounts giving guests 15% off the regular price of any boat rental and 15% off the regular price of select Guided Bass Fishing Excursions at participating Walt Disney World® marina locations, and a 15% discount on the regular hourly rate at a Children’s Activity Center at a select Walt Disney World® Resort hotels.

The Magic Your Way Package plus Dining allows you to experience a wide variety of select restaurants, connect with the family at a Table-service restaurant, dine with Disney characters, take in a dinner show and now includes a refillable drink mug.

Disney’s newest resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, as well as the new Royal Guest Suites at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort will be available for booking in 2012.

Disneyland® Resort

At the Disneyland® Resort in California, every vacation package includes the chance to interact with some Disney Characters in Mickey’s Toontown Morning Madness** one hour before Mickey’s Toontown opens to the general public.

All 3-day or longer vacation packages include a souvenir Disneyland® Resort Park Hopper® ticket which is for admission to both Theme Parks and preferred seating*** at select attractions in Disney California Adventure™ Park. Included in this ticket is one Magic Morning† admission in Disneyland® Park before the Park opens to the public!

Vacation packages also include an exclusive collectible pin, lanyard and luggage tag for each member of the family, as well as a “Welcome” phone call from a Disney Character‡.

There are lots of great reasons to visit in 2012, including exciting new additions to Disney California Adventure™ Park, such as Cars Land. All around you, the sights and sounds of Radiator Springs bring the hit Disney·Pixar Cars movies to life – with 12 acres of supercharged entertainment and attractions to get your motor running!

The Disneyland® Resort vacation package provides the magic of Disney from check-in to check-out at one of three Hotels of the Disneyland Resort: Disney’s Paradise Pier® Hotel, Disneyland® Hotel or Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa.

Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawai’i

2012 packages to Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, are also now available to book.

Aulani, which opens on Aug. 29, 2011, offers you a new way to vacation in Hawai’i, complete with luxurious accommodations in an idyllic ocean setting.

For more information on Aulani, please click here.

*The number of rooms made available for the Magic Your Way package may be limited. Marina and Guided Bass Fishing discounts not valid all dates, one voucher per room. Age restrictions apply to all Magical Extras.  Package inclusions are only available to packages booked through Off to Neverland Travel and the Walt Disney Travel Company.

**To enter Mickey’s Toontown Morning Madness, each Guest must have a valid Disneyland® Resort souvenir ticket and one Mickey’s Toontown Morning Madness voucher from the Walt Disney Travel Company. Entitlement available for one morning throughout the length of your ticket on Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Saturday. Days and times of operation and all other elements including, but not limited to, operation of attractions, entertainment, stores and restaurants, and appearance of Characters may vary and are subject to change without notice. Subject to capacity and other restrictions.

***Preferred Seating and viewing capacity is limited and subject to availability. Valid only during dates of vacation package. Show times vary.

†Magic Morning admission allows admission into select attractions in Disneyland® Park before the Park opens to the general public on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday. Each Guest must have a valid 3-Day or greater Disneyland® Resort souvenir ticket from the Walt Disney Travel Company. To enhance the Magic Morning experience, it is strongly recommended that Guests arrive at least 1 hour and 15 minutes prior to Park opening. Magic Morning admission is based on availability and does not operate daily. Applicable, days and times of operation and all other elements including, but not limited to, operations of attractions, entertainment, stores and restaurants, and appearances of Characters may vary and are subject to change without notice. Subject to capacity and other restrictions.

‡ Disney Character Call is available when travel agents booking packages online (one per package) through disneytravelagents.com. Not available for Guests in Quebec, Canada.

Walt Disney Imagineering announced that The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) at Magic Kingdom® Park is already undergoing changes behind closed doors that will reshape the attraction into a version reminiscent of the original show.

The Walt Disney World® attraction, originally called Tropical Serenade, has been entertaining guests since the theme park’s opening day on Oct. 1, 1971. Its winged hosts, Jose, Fritz, Pierre and Michael, led 200 other birds, tikis and flowers in an entertaining musical Polynesian revue. Tropical Serenade was reshaped into The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) in 1998, with the addition of Iago (from “Aladdin”) and Zazu (from “The Lion King”).

The latest version of the attraction, which will be called Enchanted Tiki Room, will debut at Magic Kingdom Park later this summer.