Disney News

Mickey Mouse now reigns at a new location in Magic Kingdom® Park to meet and greet his friends at Walt Disney World® Resort. Guests can now go backstage at Town Square Theater for photos and autographs with Mickey — without waiting in a standby queue!

Mickey’s new location in the park also heralds the first-ever use of Disney’s FASTPASS Service for a character meet-and-greet experience. FASTPASS allows guests to reduce waiting by designating a window of time when they can return for a theme park experience.

The fun takes place at the Town Square Theater presented by Kodak, located just inside the Magic Kingdom® entrance. Previously known as Town Square Exposition Hall, the venue has been re-imagined as a turn-of-the-Twentieth-Century theater where posters proclaim Mickey Mouse as the star of a magic show.

A glistening marquee with gold-leaf trim and sparkling lights beckons guests to enter a lobby that serves as a hub for character meet-and-greet queues, the Box Office Gifts merchandise shop and Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. Lush curtains with gold rope tie-backs, polished-brass chandeliers and a huge tile floor mosaic of the Town Square Theater logo adorn the space.

Just beyond the lobby, guests pass through an ornate arch and enter a queue to meet Magician Mickey Mouse — or a queue to meet the Disney princesses, for whom Town Square Theater will be a meet-and-greet location during New Fantasyland construction.

The meet-and-greet experience begins when magical posters featuring Mickey’s various magic acts come to life, enhancing guests’ journey through queues into the backstage corridors of the theater. Mickey greets guests in a rehearsal-room environment amid posters, steamer trunks and stage props. It’s a classic backstage area with a wood floor and ceiling. One wall is brick, the others are papered in red and black — Mickey colors.

During the Princesses’ limited engagement at Town Square Theater, they will greet guests in an area fit for royalty — replete with plush carpeting, lush velvety-blue drapes with gold tiebacks, and a large mural backdrop of a chateau amid green, tree-covered hills and fields.

Exiting the meet-and-greet areas, guests pass through Curtain Call Collectibles, a shop with design elements suggesting a backstage area used for theater shipping and receiving — with large, barn-like doors through which props and set pieces could pass.

Guests wanting to meet Mickey or the Princesses can either obtain a Disney’s FASTPASS ticket or get in standby queues. FASTPASS tickets, which are available near Town Square Theater, designate an hour window of time during which the guest can return to the theater and have their “magic moment” with Mickey or the Princesses without joining the standby queues.

**Photo not taken at Mickey’s new location.

New character experiences are coming your way at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ next month.

Beginning May 16, Winnie the Pooh will be the spotlight character at The Magic of Disney Animation attraction in honor of his upcoming feature film, “Disney’s Winnie the Pooh,” (in theaters July 15). In addition to meeting Pooh, you also can take a look at the making of the film inside the attraction.

Also on May 16, Disney Channel animated stars Phineas and Ferb will arrive at a new movie-themed play ‘n’ greet experience. Here, the duo are making a movie about their crazy adventures. With the help of the Guests and Cletus Filmore, the greatest movie Director in the Tri-State Area, Phineas and Ferb will recreate some of their favorite moments…unless they are taking a break to meet with their fans – signing autographs and taking pictures.

Changes are also taking place over at Luigi’s Garage in preparation for the release of “Cars 2.” Lightning McQueen will launch a meet-and-greet opportunity, and in June, he’ll make his debut at the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show in a cameo that will replace the Herbie the Love Bug scene in the show. Herbie fans will still spot the lovable little bug during their journey through the Studio Backlot Tour.

Be sure to check out your old favorites like Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Donald and Daisy around the Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat.  They are showing off brand new outfits that capture the glitz and glamour of the Hollywood Heydays from the 1930s and 1940s as much as the decor of Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ theme park.

For the first time ever, Disney Cruise Line® will set sail from three new ports in 2012 – New York, Seattle and Galveston – making the Disney family cruisevacation more accessible to everyone around the country. There are also more itinerary choices than ever before, including one special voyage to Hawai‘i.

As an exclusive benefit to Guests who are Platinum/Gold Castaway Club Members, bookings will open on Thursday, April 7, 2011. All other Guests may book starting on Friday.  Contact your Magic Maker® for more information.

New York Sailings
Beginning May 25, 2012, the Disney Magic® will sail a total of 20 cruises from New York.

• 8-night Bahamian cruises include a day at Disney’s Castaway Cay, Nassau, and a stop at Port Canaveral, gateway to the Walt Disney World® Resort. As part of this itinerary, you will receive a one-day Park Hopper® Ticket and roundtrip transportation between the ship and resort. (5/25, 6/2, 6/22, 6/30, 7/20, 7/28, 8/17, 8/25)
• 5-night Canadian/New England cruises will visit Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Saint John, New Brunswick (6/10, 6/17, 7/8, 7/15, 8/5, 8/12, 9/2, 9/7, 9/12)
• 2-night cruises are perfect for those looking for a quick getaway at sea over a weekend. (6/15, 7/13, 8/10)

Seattle Sailings
Beginning May 28, 2012, the Disney Wonder® will sail a total of 14 cruises to Alaska from the Port of Seattle, Wash.

• 7-night Alaskan cruises will call on Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan plus Victoria, British Columbia.
  (5/3, 5/10, 5/17, 5/24, 5/31, 6/7, 6/14, 6/21, 6/28, 7/5, 7/12, 7/19, 7/26, 8/2, 8/9, 8/16, 8/23, 8/30)

Galveston Sailings
Beginning Sept. 22, 2012, the Disney Magic® will sail 12 cruises from the Port of Galveston, Texas.

• 7-night Western Caribbean cruises will visit Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico, as well as Grand Cayman. (9/22, 9/29, 10/6, 10/13, 10/20, 10/27, 11/3, 11/10, 11/17, 11/24, 12/1, 12/8)

Los Angeles Sailings
In addition to 7-night Mexican Riviera cruises, the Disney Wonder® will set sail on Disney’s first-ever voyage to Hawai‘i on April 29, 2012.

• 15-night Hawaiian cruise departs from the Port of Los Angeles and includes stops at Hilo; Kahului, Maui; Honolulu, Oahu; Nawiliwili, Kauai and Ensenada, Mexico (April 29, 2012)
• 7-night Pacific Coast cruises will call on San Francisco, San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico (5/14 sailing with stops in San Francisco, Vancouver, BC; Victoria, BC and 9/16, 9/23, 9/30, 10/7 sailings with stops in San Francisco, San Diego, Ensenada, Mexico)

The Disney Dream™ will continue to sail 3-, 4- and 5-night Bahamian cruises. The new Disney Fantasy™ will offer Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, beginning with the maiden voyage on March 31, 2012. Sail dates for both ships are now available through December 2012.

Click below to request a quote or contact your Magic Maker® for more information.

*All dates listed above are for sailings in 2012.

Le Cellier Steakhouse, one of the most popular Epcot® World Showcase restaurants, has a much-anticipated new chef and new dinner menu that debuts this week. The steakhouse concept remains and now this new dinner menu elevates this restaurant to the top tier of Disney dining.  The lunch menu is not changing.

“We’re now serving Canadian raised beef,” said Chef Al Youngman, who took over the helm after working with the Epcot® International Food and Wine Festival. “Cattle is raised in all the Canadian provinces, and we’re very excited to showcase the great flavors to our guests.”

Among starters are an artisan spicy chicken and chipotle sausage with roasted corn polenta, black and blue beef steak tartar, grilled jumbo asparagus gratinée with Hollandaise, and a lobster chopped salad. And the guest favorite, the Canadian Cheddar cheese soup, is remaning on the menu.

Beef takes center stage for entrées with a filet mignon with wild mushroom risotto and white truffle butter sauce, grilled bone-in rib-eye and prime New York strip steak.  Roasted venison medallions with celery root mousseline, forest mushrooms and Brussels sprouts; roasted duck breast and leg confit with Cheddar bread pudding, and pork tenderloin with maple polenta and warm bacon vinaigrette are other savory selections. Fish fans can choose from seared “Gooseberry” cod with braised oxtail ravioli, shiitake mushrooms, bok choy and consommé, or Pacific King salmon with parsnip puree and braised greens. Vegetarians get a rich, creamy potato-leek and goat cheese quiche with truffle butter sauce. Wine pairings are suggested for each dish.

Sides include “poutine” fries (a classic Canadian rendition with Cheddar cheese and truffle salt), creamed spinach, truffle crushed potatoes, baked macaroni and cheese, maple-glazed carrots and sautéed mushrooms.

For sweet endings, maple crème brûlée stays on the menu. A crowd pleaser is the trio of chocolate: mousse, sorbet and warm chocolate almond cake. Seasonal sorbet, lemon cheesecake and a semi-frozen white wine sabayon with chilled fruit soup and a no-sugar-added chocolate mousse with fresh berries offer something for everyone.

For a savory ending, go with the interesting cheeses: a Woolrich goat Brie from Ontario, Canada, paired with honeycomb; Petit Agour French sheep’s milk cheese with apple-cranberry chutney, Smokey Oregon Blue paired with walnut brittle, and Bandage Wrapped Cheddar from California (aged 30 months) with pear jam.

Le Cellier Steakhouse now wraps up the dining experience with eight varieties of hot tea; five dessert wines, including our favorite Inniskillin Vidal Icewine; three kinds of Port; chocolate martinis; Grand Marnier, Courvoisier VS…Le Cellier Steakhouse has, indeed, arrived.

This new signature menu will be served at dinner and will require two dining credits on the Disney Dining Plan.  The lunch menu will not change and still will only require one credit for guests on the Disney Dining Plan.

New experiences are headed your way this summer at the Disneyland Resort.

At Disney California Adventure™ park, get ready for an all-new voyage with one of Disney’s most beloved characters, Ariel. The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure will invite guests to take a journey under the sea to experience all the fun and adventures in Ariel’s world. From the great songs to state-of-the-art animatronics and special effects, guests will become a part of her world in a way that’s never happened before.  It is scheduled to open June 3.

The Little Mermaid attraction is the next big milestone in the expansion of Disney California Adventure™ park.  World of Color debuted last year and continues to wow guests every night with magic that combines choreographed fountains, lights, lasers, music, animation and storytelling. And on the horizon, guests can see the awesome Cadillac Mountain range taking shape as the backdrop to the 12-acre Cars Land, which opens in 2012.

Across the esplanade at Disneyland® park, guests this summer will be dancing to the beat of a whole new parade and jetting off to new galaxies far, far away.

“Mickey’s Soundsational Parade” officially steps off for Memorial Day weekend, with an explosive musical score, thrilling rhythms and bold percussion that will have people dancing to many of their favorite Disney tunes. Look for whimsical float units, live musicians and some of your favorite characters. Mickey Mouse and his pals will be jamming like never before and creating an atmosphere that will be…soundsational!

And for those who dare to venture into the deep, dark corners of the universe, Star Tours®– The Adventures Continue officially launches in Tomorrowland at Disneyland® park on June 3, taking guests on interstellar adventures to Coruscant, Tatooine, and other destinations in the Star Wars galaxy. With the return of favorite Star Wars characters and the addition of more familiar faces and destinations, guests are going to experience Starspeeder travel in an all-new way…in 3D!

Star Tours® – The Adventures Continue also launches at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ at Walt Disney World® Resort on May 20.

Star Tours © Disney/Lucasfilm Ltd.

Banner Photo: Walt Disney Imagineering Concept Art, actual construction may vary