Disney News

This Saturday, May 4th, Disney’s Hollywood Studios® will be celebrating Star Wars™ Day with some “Limited Time Magic!”

“May the Fourth Be With You!”

Our guests visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios® on Saturday will enjoy special Star Wars™ entertainment, characters, commemorative merchandise, a Star Wars™ dance party, and a special Star Wars™ fireworks show to end the night. Here are details on Saturday’s schedule:

Saturday, May 4, 2013
Disney’s Hollywood Studios®
Star Wars™ Day “Limited Time Magic” Events

Park Hours: 9a – midnight
Extra Magic Hours (exclusively for Walt Disney World® Resort Hotel Guests): 8a-9a

• Star Wars™ Character Meet and Greets: varied schedules throughout the day
• Special Edition – Jedi Training Academy: every half hour 9a-10:30a, Noon – 5:30p, 6:30p-7:30p
  For the first time ever, parents can join their Padawans up on stage during the Jedi Training Academy. *If you would like to participate, be sure to register first thing in the morning.
• DJ Lobot’s Dance Party (at Sorcerer Hat): 6p-7p, 7:45 – Park closing
• “Symphony in the Stars” – A Star Wars™ Fireworks Spectacular: 9:45p

There is something magical about seeing the 3 o’clock parade at Magic Kingdom® Park! Whether young or old, no visit would be complete without watching it.

The Walt Disney World® Resort has announced that in Spring of 2014, the Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade will be replaced by Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade. The new daytime parade will bring the magical stories of New Fantasyland™ onto the streets of Main Street, U.S.A®. Brand new parade floats, costuming, and an original soundtrack will highlight the stories of Sleeping Beauty, Dumbo, Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid, Pinocchio, Tangled, Brave, and others.

We will bring you more details about Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade as they become available. In the meantime, enjoy these concept renderings of three of the floats.

Last night at the Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney Parks called upon the help of Mike Wazowski to announce their upcoming Monstrous Summer All-Nighter on May 24, 2013. But in typical Disney fashion, the announcement had to be huge – 188 feet huge to be exact!

The result was the transformation of the beloved Epcot® icon, Spaceship Earth, into an “Eye-Con” created specifically for this “Eye-nnouncement.” Enjoy this video explaining how it all came together!

For more information on the Monstrous Summer All-Nighter, click here.

runDisney has announced the addition of a 10K and a new two-race challenge to the lineup for the 2014 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend at the Walt Disney World® Resort.

Taking place Feb. 20-23, 2014, the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend consists of several other events including a health and fitness expo, kids races, and a family fun run 5K. The Princess 10K will take place on Saturday and gives more advanced runners an opportunity to run through Walt Disney World® Resort theme parks. Those runners looking for a bigger challenge can sign up for the 10K on Saturday and the Half Marathon on Sunday and earn the inaugural Disney Glass Slipper Challenge Medal for their 19.3 miles in total in addition to the medals for each individual race. For those taking part in both the 2014 Tinker Bell Half Marathon at the Disneyland® Resort and the Princess Half Marathon, they will receive a special runDisney Coast-to-Coast Race Challenge Medal (featuring Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse with a pink overlay).

Registration for the 2014 Princess Half Marathon opens June 11. Contact your Magic Maker® today for more details!

“May the Fourth Be With You” as Disney Parks celebrates this fan-proclaimed day! As part of “Limited Time Magic,” this Star Wars™ Day celebration joins the list of upcoming events along with a special Monstrous 24-hour All-Nighter.

Walt Disney World® Resort

• May the Fourth Be With You – Star Wars™ Day – On May 4, 2013, Disney’s Hollywood Studios® will be celebrating Star Wars™ Day with special “Limited Time Magic” events! For one day only, enjoy special Star Wars™ entertainment, characters, commemorative merchandise, a Star Wars™ dance party, and special Star Wars™ fireworks show to end the night. With surprise appearances on Star Tours® ‐ The Adventures Continue Attraction by Star Wars™ characters to special editions of Jedi Training Academy where parents join their kids, this day is sure to be out of this galaxy! Valid theme park admission is required.
• Spring Trolley Show on Main Street, U.S.A.® – Spring is in the air and the citizens of Main Street, U.S.A.® inside Magic Kingdom® Park can’t contain their excitement! Join them daily through May 12, 2013 as they celebrate with a Spring Trolley Show. Their performance of a few new songs will be as bright as their colorful pastel outfits and the horse-drawn trolley they arrived on! Please refer to your Times Guide for show information. Valid theme park admission is required.
• Monstrous Summer All-Nighter – On May 24, 2013, kick off Summer at Magic Kingdom® Park with a 24-hour monstrous celebration! Valid theme park admission required. Click here for more details

Disneyland® Resort

• May the Fourth Be With You – On May 4, 2013, you can purchase special edition Star Wars™ themed pins and tees from Disney Pin Traders in Downtown Disney® or Little Green Men Store Command in Disneyland® Park.
• Monstrous Summer All-Nighter – There’s no better place to kick off Summer than at Disneyland® Park or Disney California Adventure® Park! Enjoy 24-hours of this monstrous celebration! Valid theme park admission required. Click here for more details
  

And the Year of the Ear continues with the introduction of new Fashionista Hats (available at Emporium at Magic Kingdom® Park, Main Street Mad Hatter at Disneyland® Park, or World of Disney® Stores in Downtown Disney®) or Mechanical Kingdom Vinylmation (available at D Street in Downtown Disney®) while supplies last!

Keep checking back as Off to Neverland Travel® will continue to bring you details on future ”Limited Time Magic” events as they become available!

All events and characters are subject to change. Theme park admission may be required for some events.

This morning, Disney Cruise Line® announced some great enhancements coming to the Disney Magic®. After completing a dry dock Sep. 7-Oct. 10, 2013, the Disney Magic® will relaunch with exciting reimagined areas and new spaces!

Here is a brief summary of what’s to come:

New Splashes on the Upper Decks:

• AquaDunk – a new thrill slide with a near-vertical launch
• AquaLab – new interactive water playground and pool
• Nephews’ Splash Zone – new water play area for infants and toddlers

Areas designed with Kids and Teens in mind:

• Disney’s Oceaneer Club – a completely reimagined Youth Activity center for ages 3 to 12 with 4 themed areas:
  • Marvel’s Avengers Academy – the first time Marvel Super Heros have appeared on Disney Cruise Line®
  • Andy’s Room
  • Pixie Hollow
  • Mickey Mouse Club
• Disney’s Oceaneer Lab – will be rethemed as well
• It’s a Small World Nursery – devoted to young sailors ages 3 months to 3 years, it will replace Flounder’s Reef on Deck 5.
• Chill Spa – a new experience for teens (ages 13-17) located inside Senses Spa & Salon (formerly Vista Spa & Salon)

And We Can’t Forget About The Adults:

• After Hours – will be the newly rethemed nighttime entertainment district replacing Beat Street. It will consist of three rethemed areas:
  • Fathoms – a new nightclub replacing Rockin’ Bar D
  • Keys – a piano lounge replacing Sessions
  • O’Gills – an Irish pub and sports bar replacing Diversions
• Senses Spa & Salon will replace the exisitng Vista Spa & Salon on Deck 9
• Palo – the popular adult-only specialty restaurant will receive a makeover to their dining room

Disney Family Dining:

• Carioca’s – a new themed restaurant replacing Parrot Cay
• Animator’s Palate – will add the popular “Animation Magic” show from the Disney Fantasy® along with a new “Drawn to Magic” show.
• Cabanas – will replace Topsider Buffet

But Wait, There’s More:

• Atrium Lobby – will be redesigned
• D Lounge – will replace the existing Studio Sea family lounge
• Guest Staterooms and suites will be redesigned

As you can see, there are a lot of changes coming for the Disney Magic®. Be sure to check back later as we bring you more details and photos! But in the meantime, enjoy this video overview of the upcoming changes:

Imagineers at the Walt Disney World® Resort have released a video giving us a sneak peek inside two upcoming New Fantasyland™ Attractions – Princess Fairytale Hall and The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

Set to open later this year, Princess Fairytale Hall will be an all new location for you to meet Disney Princesses. Opening in 2014, The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train will be an innovative family coaster themed off of Walt Disney’s first full length feature production.

To celebrate the June 21st release of the Disney-Pixar’s Monsters University, the Walt Disney World® Resort has announced several “Monstrous” enhancements to existing attractions and entertainment.

In Magic Kingdom® Park, Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor® attraction in Tomorrowland® will honor their alma mater with a refresh of new jokes and comedy bits! And over by the Studio Backlot Tour at Disney’s Hollywood Studios®, Mike Wazowski and Sulley will continue to meet guests and give them “V-Eye-P treatment,” but now inside the MU Student Union.

Lastly, keep an “eye” out for Monorail Teal circling the Seven Seas Lagoon. The “Monsterail” has received an overlay featuring the cast from Monsters University!

To start planning your “Monstrous” summer vacation, contact our Magic Makers® today!

It is undeniably great to be a kid at any Disney Destination! But aboard Disney Cruise Line®, kids can let their imaginations set sail! Each Disney Cruise Line® ship features nearly an entire deck customized just for them!

Disney Cruise Line® has the most extensive youth activity areas at sea supervised by specially trained counselors. And with the longest operating hours in the cruise industry, the FUN doesn’t have to stop! But don’t take our word for it – watch this short video and see what past Disney Cruise Line® guests have to say about the youth activity areas!

There you have it – for kids, “it’s all about fun!” When will you experience “The Disney Difference?” Explore the current promotions and then contact your Magic Maker® today to start planning your Disney Cruise Line® vacation!