Disney News

The Disneyland® Resort is always looking at ways to make every guest’s experience as magical as possible. This week, they began offering regularly scheduled sign language interpretation at many shows and attractions at the Disneyland® Park and Disney California Adventure™ Park. Guests have access to a schedule of offerings that are interpreted without having to make prior arrangements.

The new service is available every Monday and Saturday at Disneyland® park and every Sunday and Friday at Disney California Adventure™ park. No advance arrangements are necessary, however, it is recommended that guests request a schedule confirmation at least one week in advance. Guests who request confirmation are contacted prior to their visit and provided a current schedule complete with a list of attractions, dates and times of interpreted offerings. Interpretation service for special events and shows can be requested with two weeks notice.  Contact your Magic Maker® for more information.

The new sign language interpretation service is offered at the following locations: Guest Relations at both theme parks, Jungle Cruise, Jedi Training Academy, Storybook Land Canal Boats, “Celebrate! A Street Party,” “Billy Hill & The Hillbillies,” “Turtle Talk with Crush” and “High School Musical 3: Senior Year.” It will soon be offered at “Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular” as well.

In addition to complimentary sign language interpretation, the Resort also has available assistive listening and handheld captioning devices for guests with hearing disabilities.

Guests celebrating the Fourth of July at Walt Disney World® Resort will have a choice of fireworks shows as Magic Kingdom® Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ present special pyrotechnics, and Epcot® adds a patriotic tag to its famous “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” spectacular. Here’s what’s in store:

Magic Kingdom® Park
“Celebrate America Fireworks” will fill the sky at 9 p.m. July 4.  Or kick off the celebratory weekend a day early and enjoy the special fireworks on July 3 at 9 p.m. After the fireworks, guests can enjoy Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” of lights, music and magic at 10 p.m. and midnight on July 4 (on July 3, the parade will be at 10:30 p.m.). Park hours on July 4 are 8 a.m.-1 a.m.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios™
Special fireworks set to a rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack will be presented at 9:50 p.m. on July 4, providing guests with a bonus nighttime entertainment extravaganza to complement “Fantasmic!” (which will be at 9 and 10:30 p.m.). Park hours on July 4 are 9 a.m.-10 p.m.

Epcot®
“IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth,” which features dazzling special effects, colorful lasers, brilliant fireworks, and fiery torches all choreographed to a musical score, becomes even more dynamic on July 4 as the normal show is supplemented with a patriotic finale. The performance begins at 10 p.m. Earlier in the day, guests will be treated to the Voices of Liberty 4th of July Concert – featuring an expanded cast of singers plus the Spirit of America Fife and Drum Corps and Disney characters – at 12:30, 1:45 and 3 p.m. on the America Gardens Theatre stage. Park hours on July 4 are 9 a.m.-10 p.m.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park
Guests can enjoy all the regular attractions and shows on July 4 from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

(entertainment and park hours are subject to change without notice)

Pirate fever has made its way to the beach, Disney’s Vero Beach Resort to be exact. Shutters restaurant at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort is having some swashbuckling fun this summer with a special Pirate Character dinner every Monday night hosted by Pirate Goofy and Pirate Donald. It’s an all-you-can-eat feast with guava barbeque ribs, rotisserie chicken, brisket, barbeque pulled pork and loads of favorite sides.

Now thru Labor Day
Adults              $26.99
Ages 3-9         $12.99

Like a fine wine that improves with age, the Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival celebrates 15 years this Oct. 1-Nov. 14, 2010 with an unrivaled global tasting experience.

Where on the planet can foodies sample the cuisine, culture and entertainment of more than two dozen countries during a 1.3-mile stroll around a picturesque 40-acre lagoon?  Only at Walt Disney World® Resort, where more than 25 international marketplaces around the World Showcase promenade at Epcot® invite guests to taste tapas-sized portions and sip wines, beers and spirits from six continents.

This year, Disney and celebrity chefs are teaming with winemakers and brew masters from around the world to commemorate 15 years of Delicious Discoveries.  During the six-week festival, guests will discover:

• Two new tasting marketplaces – Belgium and South Korea –plus new menu offerings at popular returning marketplaces including Singapore, Argentina, Chile, Poland, South Africa, Australia, U.S.A., Spain and others.
• Celebrity chef appearances starring top culinarians like Warren Brown, Cat Cora, Todd English, Gale Gand, Robert Irvine, Art Smith, Andrew Zimmern and more.
• A complimentary Marketplace Discovery Passport to be stamped at each international marketplace visited for the perfect scrapbook souvenir.
• Daily wine seminars, bottle signings, author events and culinary demonstrations at the Festival Welcome Center.
• Eat to the Beat! concerts three times nightly at America Gardens Theatre.
• Two Epcot restaurants grand opening just in time for the festival: Via Napoli at the Italy pavilion and La Hacienda de San Angel at the Mexico pavilion.

New Sips, Fresh Bites

Whether sampling steamed mussels with roasted garlic cream at the new Belgium marketplace or sipping the trendiest wines from South Africa and Chile, festival guests can make a day of grazing their way around the World Showcase promenade.  Tapas-sized portions of regional specialties run $3-to-$8 each, and recommended wines and beers make perfect pairings at each marketplace.  To make grazing simpler and more fun, guests can purchase a festival-themed mini-Disney Gift Card that can be loaded and reloaded at several park locations.  The card comes attached to a band that can be worn conveniently on the wrist and used for purchases at park marketplaces, restaurants and shops.

Live regional entertainment includes music, acrobatics and improv performances along the promenade.  Evening Eat to the Beat! concerts at America Gardens Theatre feature acts from many musical genres.  Appearing for the first time on the Eat to the Beat! stage are: Sugar Ray, Air Supply, Howard Jones, 38 Special, Roger Hodgson (formerly of Supertramp,) Hanson and Rick Springfield.  Kicking off the festival Oct. 1-3 is fan-favorite Taylor Dayne, and wrapping the event Nov. 12-14 is crowd-pleaser Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.

Each fall, the festival attracts a diverse audience of more than 1 million guests ranging from wine connoisseurs and epicures to novices wishing to boost their culinary IQs.  Special culinary programs showcase a lineup of renowned winemakers, guest chefs and speakers participating in elegant dinners, luncheons, seminars and wine schools.

Festival highlights include:

• The Festival Welcome Center, with a Wine Bar, Authentic Taste Seminars, Authors Without Borders weekend conversations and more.
• Some 250 chefs including Disney chefs and guest chefs from across the country conducting culinary demonstrations and hosting dinners and tasting events.  Guest chefs on tap include Debbie Gold, Rock Harper, Jeff Henderson, Robin Miller, Jamie Deen and many other culinary stars.
• New events that include 3-D Disney’s Dessert Discovery and a festival preview night, First Bites Opening Reception, on Sept. 30.
• Popular returning events that include Celebrating Family and Friends in the Kitchen, Epcot Wine Schools, Mexico Tequila Tastings and Food and Wine Pairings.

Festival guests can enjoy fresh Epcot experiences including the latest Future World high-tech fun at Innoventions.  They also can go “under the sea” at The Seas with Nemo & Friends, “up in the air” at Soarin’ in The Land pavilion or “out of this world” at Mission: SPACE.  In World Showcase, new and updated restaurants welcome guests at the Italy, Japan, Mexico and China pavilions.

Included with Epcot Admission

Authentic Taste seminars and Authors Without Borders programs with special book signings at the Festival Center, Eat to the Beat! concerts, cultural adventures, Marketplace Discovery Passport and all attractions and park entertainment are included with regular Epcot admission.

Special Programming by Reservation

The Party for the Senses grand tasting events and other special wine and culinary programs require reservations and separate event admission.  Contact your Magic Maker® for more information.

Hungry yet?  Click below to request a quote!

Mickey’s Halloween Party moves to the Disneyland® Park in California this Halloween season. The private, costumed trick-or-treat party that guests enjoyed at Disney California Adventure® park and was formerly known as Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party has moved to Disneyland® Park. The new event has some new, really cool benefits:

• Access to Disneyland park – With a ticket to Mickey’s Halloween Party, you’ll get access to nearly all the attractions Disneyland park has to offer—from the classic attractions in Fantasyland to the Halloween-themed attractions like Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy and Haunted Mansion Holiday.
• Earlier access – You can start the party early at Disneyland park at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and 4:00 p.m. on Fridays. The official event starts at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays and 7:00 p.m. on Fridays and on Halloween night.
• Tons of treats – We’re adding even more trick-or-treat locations – more treats!
• Exclusive access to Halloween Screams – Mickey’s Halloween Party guests will have exclusive access to one of the most popular fireworks spectaculars ever – Halloween Screams!

Mickey’s Halloween Party will be offered on Halloween night and every Tuesday and Friday in October. Contact your Magic Maker® for more information on purchasing tickets to this exclusive event.

Request a quote for the Disneyland® Resort in California
so you don’t miss this exclusive party!

Heading to the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida this fall?
Don’t miss Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom!  Click here for more information.